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Barber outlasts fellow Aussie to win as HUGE line-up of events loom: Comm Games LIVE

Barber outlasts fellow Aussie to win as HUGE line-up of events loom: Comm Games LIVE

Australia took home a stunning nine gold medals on Saturday and there are plenty more chances to add to the tally on Day 10 of the Commonwealth Games.

Foxsports.com.au has you covered with live updates from all the key events, which you can follow below!

DAY 9 WRAP: Aussies claim nine gold in staggering Commonwealth Games blitz

MEDAL TALLY: Aussies’ gold rush after Poms turn up heat in Comm Games race

JAMAICAN STAR KEEPS AUSSIES OFF PODIUM

Australia was a whisker away of earning a podium finish in the women’s 4 x 100m women’s relay, but it sadly wasn’t to be.

Ella Connolly ran a blistering opening leg and the Aussies were in the lead at the halfway mark, but sadly fell away as Jamaica crept ahead on the final stretch thanks to a blistering leg from Elaine Thompson-Herah.

The race was won by Nigeria.

BARBER SURVIVES AUSSIE’S ONSLAUGHT IN THRILLING JAVELIN FINAL

Despite throwing two personal bests, Mackenzie Little could not dethrone Kelsey-Lee Barber as she secured her first Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Barber took the lead with her first throw of 63.52m, but Little quickly surged ahead and set a new personal best of 64.03m.

Little then extended the gap at the top even more with a throw of 64.27m as she smashed her personal best yet again.

But under enormous pressue, Barber pulled out a throw of 64.43m to oust Little and win the gold.

AUSSIE STAR CRUELLY ROBBED OF GOLD

Callum Peters can count himself extremely unlucky as he lost the gold medal fight in the men’s middleweight to Scotland’s Sam Hickey.

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TINGAY OUSTED IN GRUELLING RACE

Australia’s Declan Tingay led for most of the men’s 10km walk but was unfortunately pipped to the gold medal as Canada’s Evan Dunfee won the event.

NO LUCK FOR SCOTT IN BOXING BATTLE

Kaye Scott’s tilt at a gold medal has unfortunately ended at the hands of Wales’ Rosie Eccles.

Eccles outclassed Scott throughout the fight as both women showed they were willing to trade early in the first round.

But it was the Welsh star who got the better of the exchanges and forced the referee into a standing count for Scott with a minute left in the first round.

Scott survived and finished with flurries of punches, but was almost certainly behind on the judges’ scorecards.

The tough times continued into the second round, as Scott faced a standing count with two minutes to go before a third and final standing count arrived with 90 seconds remaining.

Despite the unfortunate ending, it is an improvement on Scott’s previous Commonwealth Games performance in which she won the bronze medal.

BAKER WINS GOLD!

Georgia Baker has won Australia’s first gold medal of the day after taking out the women’s road race in the cycling.

It was a gruelling race that pushed the six-strong Australian contingent to the brink, but Baker finished first over the line in what was her third gold medal in Birmingham.

Baker is joined on the podium by fellow Aussie Sarah Roy, who came third.

Georgia Baker wins the gold medal. Picture: Channel 7
Georgia Baker wins the gold medal. Picture: Channel 7Source: Supplied

AUSSIE WINS SILVER IN FIRST-EVER GAMES

In his first Commonwealth Games, Lin Ma has secured a silver medal for Australia in the men’s table tennis singles Classes 8-10.

Ma sadly lost to Wales’ Joshua Stacey, who won by three sets to two.

JUMPING JENNEKE JUST SHY OF PB IN HURDLES FINAL

Michelle Jenneke was unfortunately outclassed in the women’s 100m hurdles final, as Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan took home the gold medal.

Jenneke was right in the mix at the very start, but the heavy hitters eventually pulled away.

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HEARTBREAK AS AUSSIE STAR HOSPITALISED

Australian cycling star Rohan Dennis has unfortunately been forced to withdraw from the men’s road race, joining Caleb Ewan on the sidelines.

An Aus Cycling statement read: “Rohan Dennis will take no further part in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games following medical advice.

Dennis, who took gold in the Men’s Individual Time Trial on Thursday, woke up on Saturday morning in discomfort and was taken to a local hospital to undergo tests and observations.

As a precaution, Dennis was advised to withdraw from today’s road race, but remains comfortable and under observation.”

Australia’s six-man team for the event is now down to four, with Luke Durbridge, Luke Plapp, Miles Scotson and Sam Fox set to compete.

Australian Michelle Jenneke came fifth in the 100m hurdles final. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia

ATHLETICS

All eyes will no doubt be on Peter Bol, who is competing in the men’s 800m final at around 4.35am.

Jessica Hull is also a strong chance at a medal when she competes in the women’s 1500m final alongside fellow Australians Abbey Caldwell and Linden Hall.

Caldwell and Hall progressed to the final after finishing inside the top four of their race with times of 4:13.59 and 4:14.08 respectively while Hull had a time of 4:16.13.

CRICKET

Australia won a thriller in the opening pool game against India but will they be able to get past their fierce rivals when it matters most?

The two will face off for the gold medal in the T20 final, with that game scheduled for around 2am.

Hot favourites Australia toppled New Zealand by five wickets in their semi-final while India edged England by four runs in a thrilling contest.

Ash Gardner was the hero when these two sides met in the pool stages, striking an unbeaten 52 from 35 balls to help the gold medal favourites chase down a 155-run target.

Australia struggled early in that game, with Indian seamer Renuka Singh recording 4-18 in just four overs as the top-order fell apart before Gardner’s heroics saved the day.

NETBALL

It all comes down to this for our Aussie Diamonds, who will take on Jamaica in the gold medal match at 5.30am.

Australia gave up a six-goal lead in a stunning 57-55 loss to Jamaica in the pool stages, with international superstar Jhaniele Fowler starring in the upset win.

The West Coast Fever sensation scored 47 goals and backed it up with a perfect 54 from just as many attempts as a perfect shooting night saw Jamaica take down the Silver Ferns in the semis.

Australia booked its spot in the final with a 60-51 win over England in a spiteful game in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Gretel Bueta was the standout in that victory, with 43 goals at 98 per cent accuracy.

Gretel Bueta in action. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

HOCKEYROOS

And as if the cricket and netball finals were not enough, the Hockeyroos will also be in action against England in the women’s gold medal match.

That final is scheduled for midnight, with Australia booking its spot in the decider after defeating New Zealand and India.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

There are two chances for Australia to claim gold in beach volleyball, with the first final at 1am as Paul Burnett and Chris McHugh take on Canada.

Later in the early hours of the morning, attention will turn towards the women’s doubles final. Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy took home silver for Australia at Tokyo and will be looking to make it gold at Birmingham when they face defending champions Canada at 6am.

CYCLING

Four men will be representing Australia in the men’s road race at 9:30pm.

BADMINTON & TABLE TENNIS

Hsuan-Yu Wendy Chen and Gronya Somerville will be looking to progress through to the gold medal match when they play England in the women’s doubles semi-final.

Meanwhile, Yangzi Liu will be going for bronze in the women’s singles table tennis at 8.05pm before Finn Luu and Nicholas Lum do the same in the men’s doubles event at 10.05pm.

Gronya Somerville of Team Australia celebrates winning a point. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

DIVING

14-year-old starlet Charli Petrov and veteran Melissa Wu took gold in the women’s 10m synchronised dive and there are more opportunities for medals on Sunday.

All eyes will be on Brittany O’Brien, Maddison Keeney and Georgia Sheehan as they compete for a medal in the women’s 3m springboard prelims at 8.44pm.

Follow all the action live below! Can’t see the updates? Click here!

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Toronto Caribbean Carnival is back. Here’s your guide to events happening this weekend

Toronto Caribbean Carnival is back. Here’s your guide to events happening this weekend

Toronto, get ready. The annual Caribbean Carnival is happening this weekend. Whether you’re going out with friends, family or to party, there will be something fun for everyone to enjoy.

Here’s everything you need to know about this weekend’s festivities:

The Grand Parade

After two years of pandemic-related cancellations, Toronto Caribbean Carnival’s Grand Parade is back this year at Exhibition Place.

The Grand Parade will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. An opening ceremony will kick the day off at 9:30 a.m. and the parade will begin at 10 a.m. Most of the parade will take place along Lake Shore Boulevard. Only registered participants and masqueraders are allowed on the parade route itself, but it’s free for spectators along Lake Shore. You won’t be able to get to the Lake Shore through Exhibition Place, so plan accordingly.

Depending on which side of Lake Shore you plan to watch from, parks will offer amenities like washrooms and emergency services — on the east side, at Ontario Place; on the west side turn to Marilyn Bell Park where there will also be food vendors.

At Exhibition Place, there is ticketed bleacher seating for viewing the parade. The grounds also offer live music, food vendors highlighting Caribbean cuisine and a beer garden.

Tickets and more information are available online at torontocarnival.ca.

Plan to take GO Transit or the TTC as parking will be scarce.

Some roads will be closed for Carnival from 2 a.m. on Saturday to 8 a.m. on Sunday:

• Lake Shore Boulevard West from Colborne Lodge Drive to Bathurst Street

• Strachan Avenue from Fleet Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West

• Jameson Avenue from Springhurst Avenue to Lake Shore Boulevard West

• Dunn Avenue at Springhurst Avenue

• Dufferin Street at Springhurst Avenue

• Fort York Boulevard between Fleet Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West

• The westbound Gardiner Expressway off-ramp to Dunn and Jameson Avenues (Exit 149)

Pan Alive Steel Pan Showcase

Steel pan is traditionally associated with the Caribbean islands and is a cornerstone of calypso and soca music. Pan Alive, put on by the Ontario Steel Pan Association, will showcase the bright and vibrant sounds of the steel pan at Lamport Stadium on Friday. Tickets are available at torontocarnival.ca.

Party with basketball legends

Toronto, this weekend is your chance to party with two NBA legends.

On Friday, American basketball superstar LeBron James is kicking off Carnival weekend hosting the sixth annual DAYLIGHT party at Lavelle’s rooftop pool and lounge bar. Tickets for the event are available on Ticket Gateway for $200. The event is organized by Toronto Caribbean Carnival and James’ tequila brand, Lobos. The party is from 1 to 7 p.m. at 627 King St. W.

And, fresh off the Warriors’ NBA championship, all-star basketball player Andrew Wiggins is in town hosting a party at Arcane nightclub on Saturday celebrating Carnival weekend. This is the official parade after-party and will go from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. at 461 King St. W. Tickets are available on Ticket Gateway for $60.

Drake’s “Road to OVO Fest Tour”

Drake is putting on shows featuring various hip hop and R&B artists in Toronto all weekend as a part of his “October World Weekend Road to OVO Fest Tour.” On Friday, see Chris Brown and Lil Baby perform at Budweiser Stage.

Also at Budweiser Stage, Drake is performing with Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj for a Young Money reunion show on Monday. Tickets are available online at LiveNation.com.

Argonauts Caribbean Carnival Night

BMO Field will be decked out in colourful Carnival decorations for Caribbean Carnival Night. The pre-game party will start at 3:30 p.m. and feature masqueraders, a steel pan band, DJ and lots of soca music to match the vibe.

The Argonauts will take on the Ottawa Redblacks Sunday at 5 p.m. Tickets and more information are available online at argonauts.ca/tickets.

Island Soul

Bringing island vibes, music and family-friendly events to the Harbourfront Centre, Island Soul has something in store for everybody. Most of the events are free and run Friday through Monday. Dance at the silent disco in the South Lawn featuring soca, dancehall and reggae, learn dance styles from across the African diaspora at a dance workshop with Afiwi Groove Dance, and enjoy live music from reggae to soca to jazz. Learn more and explore the full program online at harbourfrontcentre.com.

Carnival City at Ajax Downs

Celebrate Carnival in Durham at Ajax Downs. Carnival City’s 12 days of programming runs until Aug. 7. On Monday, celebrate Emancipation Day at Carnival City with live traditional and cultural performances to entertain the whole family. A calypso music showcase is scheduled for 2 p.m. At 4 p.m. take in a theatrical production telling the story of emancipation and the history of Caribbean Carnival through dance and music. And, dance all night to a tribute performance for the late great soca artist Blaxx. Get tickets and more information online at houseofculture.ca.

Bob Marley One Love Experience

In sync with Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival season this month, “Bob Marley One Love Experience” is open at the Lighthouse ArtSpace in Toronto. The show features six rooms that showcase art, music, photos, memorabilia and immersive displays. Listen to Marley’s music in a virtual concert experience, view a huge portrait of Marley by artist Mr. Brainwash, and delve into Marley’s personal interests, including his family and football. The exhibit was organized in collaboration with the musician’s family and will run through Aug. 14. Timed-entry tickets start at $20 and are available at bobmarleyexp.com

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COVID vaccination clinics to be held at Caribbean Carnival, other summer events in Toronto – Toronto | Globalnews.ca

COVID vaccination clinics to be held at Caribbean Carnival, other summer events in Toronto - Toronto | Globalnews.ca

Toronto Public Health (TPH) says it will be holding COVID-19 pop-up vaccination clinics at the Caribbean Carnival and other summer festivals this week.

“Bringing COVID-19 vaccines to social and cultural events is part of Team Toronto’s ongoing equity-focused, hyper-local mobile strategy, providing accessible and convenient vaccination opportunities to residents in places where they live, work and play,” TPH said in a news release.

Read more:

COVID cases are rising across Canada. Where are the country’s top doctors?

According to TPH, the clinics will be held at the following locations:

  • Under the Stars at Regent Park located at 620 Dundas Street East on July 27 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Toronto Caribbean Carnival at Marilyn Bell Park located at 1095 Lake Shore Boulevard West on July 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Ghana Fest Canada at Earl Bales Park located at 4169 Bathurst Street on July 31 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

TPH said the clinics are family friendly and will offer first, second, third and forth doses, as well as pediatric shots to those who are eligible. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available.

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The city said no appointment or health card is needed, and the clinics will operate on a walk-in basis.

Read more:

Toronto Pearson operator ‘pleased’ to see random COVID testing moved offsite

“All eligible residents are encouraged to get their third and fourth doses as soon as possible. As with vaccinations for other diseases, people are protected best when their COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date,” the news release read.

TPH said COVID-19 vaccinations “have been scientifically proven to lower the risk of illness, hospitalization and death while protecting people, their loved ones and the community.”


Click to play video: 'Experts urge caution amid summer COVID-19 surge'







Experts urge caution amid summer COVID-19 surge


Experts urge caution amid summer COVID-19 surge

© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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Details on the Launch of the First Caribbean Events Website

Details on the Launch of the First Caribbean Events Website

Caribbean destinations and tourism stakeholders are joyfully welcoming the return of a multitude of buoyant cultural festivals, each focused on the distinctive music, cuisine, dance and arts attached to the panoply of regional nations.

Largely freed from bans on large outdoor gatherings driven by two years of pandemic-imposed restrictions, several countries are preparing for the resumption of events, from the Anguilla Culinary Experience to Barbados’ Crop Over, the British Virgin Islands’ Food Fete, Grenada’s Chocolate Festival, Nevis’ Mango and Food Festival, the Saint Kitts Music Festival, regattas in Carriacou and Saint Barth, Saint Lucia’s long-running Jazz and Arts Festival, plus New Year’s and Carnival celebrations in the Bahamas and Saint Lucia.

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Their return follows the launch of the first comprehensive, centralized resource for information on the region’s numerous events. Veteran Caribbean tourism and travel marketer Nerdin St. Rose first launched Caribbean Events in 2018 and has fully resumed the site as nations and suppliers resume tourism activity in the outbreak’s wake. We spoke recently with Nerdin to learn how she created a timely resource for diverse events across the region.


Caribbean tourism marketer Nerdin St. Rose
“We’re promoting the site as a place people can find easily as soon as they search for Caribbean events.” – Nerdin St. Rose. (Photo courtesy of Nerdin St. Rose)

TP: What led you to create the website?

NS: I’m so passionate about Caribbean events because my background comes from events. I worked with great event productions; I was involved with the Jazz Festival in the 1990’s so you know I love events. I’ve created a platform where people can [access] all of the events taking place in the Caribbean. We sort of want them to stop thinking only about sun sand and sea but also about the other things they can enjoy and experience.

TP: You launched your company just before the pandemic outbreak. How did you deal with the impact?

NS: Yes, you know for me like for all of us it was hard to deal with. But it gave me time to reflect as well. I kind of got my life back because when COVID happened I was in hospital undergoing major surgery.

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TP: What did you do during and in the aftermath of your treatment?

NS: I used that time to think about it what I wanted to do. Events had shut down, but by August of 2020 I was thinking ‘OK, well maybe we could start planning for events in 2021.’ It was a lot of ‘let’s wait and see.’

TP: How do you describe the site?

[The site] features all of the key Caribbean events with information, dates, descriptions and photos. We [publicize] the events through our own social channels as well, promoting the site as a place people can find easily as soon as they do a search for Caribbean events. I’ve been reaching out to the different destinations to ensure they keep us in the loop when they’re getting ready to announce events.

I’m also reaching out to some regional airlines to promote Caribbean Events [including] links on their websites. We’re looking at [event] ticketing and adding accommodation options highlighting hotels in and around events. The site is going to get better later in the year as we add more events.

TP: What are your short-term initiatives?

NS: We’re adding events now and I’m reaching out to all of the islands as they release the information, which we added to the website. I continue to do work we’re ramping up through 2022. Suppliers don’t have to pay for their events to be listed on our site; we’re sort of an aggregator. We were picking up just prior to the pandemic and actually started getting a lot more momentum and interest. We were promoting and have over 200 events on the site.

TP: It had to be difficult to deal with the dual challenges of personal health concerns and the pandemic, which impacted everyone. How has your experience affected your business outlook?

NS: Hey [those things] happened. During the pandemic, events were not happening, but we tried to keep people thinking about events although there wasn’t a whole lot of content. It’s just so good to see events coming back. It makes you feel even more positive and more encouraged and I’m excited about that.

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Cornwall-based African Caribbean group holds Black History Month event

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A series of virtual events celebrating Black History Month and being presented by the African Caribbean and International Association of Eastern Ontario is underway.

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An opening ceremony and welcome words of participants in their languages was held early on Tuesday evening, the first of five days of events.

“The big day is Saturday,” said Calixte Yepseu, the ACIAEO president. “There’ll be quite a few activities.”

Following the opening Tuesday, cooking workshops were held, and the virtual events on Zoom will continue on Wednesday.

The ACIAEO, based in Cornwall, lists as one of its purposes and objectives implementing programs designed to create and maintain a sense of cultural pride among its members. The organization looks to develop and implement cultural exchange programs and activities within the community, and provide a supportive and safe forum assisting  in members’ integration efforts – culturally, socially, economically, professionally, and academically.

Yepseu said the ACIAEO was founded in 2015, and it’s had Black History Month activities each year, but of course has had to pivot in format.

“For the last two years our events have been (virtual),” Yepseu said.

Speakers during the week will include Cornwall Mayor Glen Grant, Yepseu, ACIAEO founder Kemi Micho, MP Eric Duncan, ACIAEO vice-president Jacinta Gwanyama, and CMHA-Champlain East mental health promoter Angele D’Alessio.

Wednesday’s programming is from 6-7 p.m. and will be a presentation focusing on mental health and COVID-19. On Thursday, from 6:10 to 6:40 p.m., there’s an ACIAEO presentation in French, and on Friday (6:25 to 7:55 p.m.) there’ll be an ACIAEO English presentation.

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The series wraps up on Saturday, beginning at 4 p.m. and concluding with closing remarks at 5:45 p.m. Grant and Duncan will both speak on Saturday, and there will be various presentations, including on the Black History Month theme, African culture and African dance.

The ACIAEO on its information page says “we’ve all immigrated to Canada to discover the Canadian culture and make the country our new home. We are all African descendants including the Caribbeans through birth or marriage. All of us are hard-working, very creative, highly intelligent and have a good education background. We are very sociable, we share in the joy and suffering of anyone and everyone around us. We enjoy living together, we are proud and happy to be Canadians.”

The ACIAEO says it is an apolitical organization, one providing a forum for members to share information about current events in their various heritage, but not promoting nor bashing the agenda of a political organization.

The Black History Month events can be accessed by the Zoom link, or by phone at 613-808-8090 (password 300333).

thambleton@postmedia.com

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