Wanted man held in Grants Pen

A wanted man who was on the run for the past two years, was held by police in Grants Pen, St Andrew on Saturday.

Police said 22-year-old Damion Lewis otherwise known as ‘Demon’ of Shortwood Lane, Kingston 8, was captured during the Operation Resilience III initiative that was carried out in various communities in the St Andrew North division.

The police reported that members of the division, supported by members of the Mobile Reserve and the Jamaica Defence Force, were conducting operations in the Grants Pen community when Lewis was spotted and taken into custody.

Murder

Lewis was wanted in connection with the murder of Delmar Rowe otherwise known as ‘Parro’, who was killed in Cruiser Banks, Grants Pen, Kingston 8, on Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

He is expected to be questioned in the presence of his attorneys later this week.

Heead of the St Andrew North division, Superintendent Jacqueline Green, is appealing to citizens not to harbour criminals, but to support the police in making their communities safer.

“We are urging citizens to tell us what you know. While we remain committed to maintaining law and order and making your communities safe, it is the civic duty of every citizen to play his or her part; do not harbour criminals and do not condone their criminal acts,” she said.

The St Andrew North police are also renewing their appeal for the following wanted persons to turn themselves in:

Kemar Graham, Phillip Wayne Marshall, Michael Fergusson, Dennis Kennedy, Jermaine Pink and Ackeem Allah.

The police are asking anyone with information about the whereabouts of any of these men, to contact the Constant Spring police at 924-1421/924-1435, police 119 emergency number or the nearest police station.

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Wanted man held in Grants Pen

Accused battery thief denied bail

One of the accused men considered to be a significant player in a major battery-stealing ring from telecommunications service providers was denied bail in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

He is Oneil Nicely of Mango Valley, St Mary, charged with receiving stolen property and possession of criminal property. He is charged along with another man.

The allegations are that between January 2013 and July 2014, more than 2,300 radio base station batteries were stolen from cell sites across the island, along with diesel fuel used in the generators. The theft and damage to equipment reportedly cost one company more than $100 million.

The police, it is being alleged, recovered batteries from Nicely.

In court, the prosecution denied bail on the basis that Nicely had no fixed address and that he allegedly sold the batteries to persons. The police want to recover the batteries. However persons want their money and also want to kill him.

Resident Magistrate Lorna Shelly-Williams ordered that the accused be taken back to court on October 10 in order to have his address verified. A bail application is also expected to be made then.

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Accused battery thief denied bail

Health ministry prepares for possible ebloa outbrreak

As part of ongoing preparations for a possible introduction of the ebola virus into Jamaica, the Ministry of Health is undertaking ongoing activities to ensure that the requisite systems and resources are in place to enable a comprehensive response.

Acting Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, Dr Sonia Copeland, points out that although Jamaica has no case of ebola at this time, it continues its preparation against the background of the current outbreak in west Africa.

“Our preparation activities have been heightened in line with World Health Organisation recommendations. We urge members of the public to pay close attention to information about ebola especially if they have to travel to any of the affected countries,” she said.

The overall situation of the ebola outbreak in west and central Africa remains critical. The following countries are now affected: Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal. As of September 25, 2014, the World Health Organisation reports a cumulative total of 6,263 cases including 2,917 deaths from the affected countries.

She said persons are advised to avoid non-essential travel to the affected areas. If persons have to travel to these areas they are advised not to handle dead animals and restrict close and intimate contact with persons who may be infected or could be a contact of an infected person.

Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with blood and other bodily fluids or secretions such as stool, saliva, urine and semen of infected persons. Infection can also occur if broken skin comes in contact with environments that have become contaminated with an ebola patient’s infectious fluids such as soiled clothing, bed linen or used needles.

For more information persons may contact the Ministry of Health Emergency Operations Centre at 1888-663-5683 or 1888-ONE LOVE.

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Health ministry prepares for possible ebloa outbrreak

NCB stock under-valued on Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange

An analysis has revealed that National Commercial Bank (NCB) is currently the most under-valued stock trading on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange (TTSE).
Trinidad-based First Citizens Research and Analytics made the observation in its September Market Insights released to investors. It said NCB is trading 194 per cent below its intrinsic value.  
First Citizens said with the bank, being the largest financial institution in Jamaica, NCB’s value is $2.94 per share, while it is trading on the TTSE for one dollar.
However, the analysts cautioned that Trinidadian investors should be aware of  the exchange rate risk involved with Jamaican stocks.
In light of  the currency depreciation earlier this year, the Jamaican dollar currently trades at five cents to one TT dollar.

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NCB stock under-valued on Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange

All talk, no action - Blindness prevents master"s degree holder Wilbert Harvey from gaining employment

Contributed

Wilbert Harvey was born blind.

Social worker Wilbert Harvey may have been born blind, but he has a clear vision of a future of equal rights for persons with special needs in Jamaica.

With both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work, he is qualified to take on corporate Jamaica. However, according to the 30-year-old, his biggest difficulty has not been living with his disability, but the inability of others to offer equal opportunities.

Since his graduation from the master’s programme at the University of the West Indies, Harvey has not been able to obtain a full-time job.

Gap between the rhetoric and action

He said: “One of the biggest challenges has been the barriers created by society in terms of discrimination, based on ignorance. My story is not an individualistic one either. Various stakeholders, the Government and business entities, in keeping with the global inclusive approach, say they are on board with special needs – that they welcome people like me – but there is a significant gap between the rhetoric and action.”

Harvey said persons with special needs are increasingly ensuring that they are qualified to compete in the corporate world and yet their skills are being underutilised. “I know of one colleague who has been job hunting for more than 20 years and has resorted to other studies as a means of keeping occupied,” he said. “We all have obligations in this society and I just want to highlight this situation and to make an appeal for people like myself not to be boxed into a corner.”

Harvey is considering participating in the upcoming Digicel Foundation 5K Run/Walk which is geared at generating contributions for various special-needs institutions across the island. Taking place on October 11, the 5K Run/Walk is one of the many platforms that Digicel Foundation has utilised to assist those with special needs. Persons interested in participating may register at www.runningeventsja.com.

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All talk, no action - Blindness prevents master"s degree holder Wilbert Harvey from gaining employment

Ananda alert actived for Haitian teen

An Ananda Alert has been activated for 13-year-old Haitian, Johanna Canje of Norwick Avenue, Norwood, St James who has been missing from home since Friday, September 26.

She is of dark complexion, medium build and is about 168 centimetres (5 feet 6 inches) tall.

Information received from the Sangster International Airport police is that Johanna was seen on Market Street, St James on Friday about 5:10 p.m., dressed in a white blouse, purple dress and a pair of black shoes.

Anyone knowing the whereabouts Johanna Canje is being asked to contact the Sangster International Airport police at 952-2251, police 119 emergency or the nearest police station.

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Ananda alert actived for Haitian teen

Bus operators decide next move in latest battle with JUTC

Transport operators will today determine their response to what they claim is the Jamaica Urban Transit Company’s (JUTC) decision to remove coaster bus operators from its sub-franchise system come March 2015.

President of the Jamaica Association of Transport Operators and Owners (JATOO), Edgerton Newman, says operators were told of the JUTC’s decision at a meeting with the company last Thursday.

But he says the transport operators’ response to the JUTC’s move will be dependent on the Supreme Court’s ruling in a case filed by operators against the Government. The judgement is to be handed down today at 2 p.m.

Filed suits

The Rural Transit Company Limited had filed suits against the Transport Authority, the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), the Office of Utilities Regulations, the Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General.

The operators claimed, among other things, that the Transport Authority acted illegally when it barred rural operators from picking up passengers in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR). They are also challenging the decision of the JUTC to commandeer a section of the Mandela Highway for exclusive use by its buses.

In addition, they are contesting JUTC’s decision to discontinue the sub-franchise licences of some operators in reclaiming routes in the KMTR.

Newman says operators will be holding a meeting at the Caenwood Centre in Kingston today to discuss the JUTC’s decision that was announced on Thursday. He says JATOO will earnestly fight the decision, which will affect some 10 per cent of its membership.

According to Newman, operators who were granted sub-franchise licences were told that they would receive contracts for up to four years.

He says JATOO will be seeking the intervention of the Minister of Transport and Works Dr Omar Davies and Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.

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Bus operators decide next move in latest battle with JUTC

Bail extended for man on assault rap

Bjorn Burke, Staff Reporter

An elderly man appeared to be the subject of much pain and embarrassment when he allegedly had his dentures damaged following an argument with the defendant, who had his bail extended when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court last Thursday.

Charged with malicious destruction of property and unlawful wounding is Wayne Brown, who pleaded guilty and not guilty, respectively, to the offences.

Damaging

Reports are that on the day of the incident, it is believed that Brown and the complainant got into an argument over an undisclosed sum of money that was reportedly owed to Brown. Things came to a head when Brown allegedly punched the senior in his mouth, damaging his dentures and causing cuts to his mouth.

“So why you punch him?” asked Resident Magistrate Simone Wolfe-Reece.

“Your Honour, him have some money for me, and I can’t get the goods, and I can’t get no money,” replied Brown

“So when you punched him, you got the money?” RM Wolfe-Reece further inquired.

“No Your Honour,” a seemingly dejected Brown replied.

Subsequently, Brown had his bail extended by the sitting magistrate. He was ordered to return to court on Friday. A fingerprint order was also made.

Bail extended for man on assault rap

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Bail extended for man on assault rap

Man reports dog to police. Said he was bitten 18 times by the animal

DEON P GREEN, STAR Writer

A St Thomas man who killed a dog after the dog bit him, was freed of cruelty to the animal in the Morant Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court recently.

Richard Reid, 40, from Golden Grove, was allowed to go after the court heard that he acted in self defence when the animal attacked him first and bit him. The dog had bitten Reid on numerous occasions, the court heard.

Reid revealed to the court that he was on his way to work when he was attacked by the dog.

He said the dog had bitten him some 18 times as he walked on the road. He said he had even been to work late on several occasions because of the dog and was even told to leave work and seek medical attention after the dog had bitten him on one occasion.

problems

In his defence, he told the court that prior to him killing the dog, he had reported his problems with the animal to the Golden Grove Police Station.

He said when he complained to the lawmen at the station about the attack, one told him that duppy was on him, which is why the dog kept attacking him. He said nothing was done to address his concerns.

He said on the fatal day, he was on his way to work when he was attacked again by the dog. He used a stone to hit the animal. The dog later died of the injury caused by the stone.

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Man reports dog to police. Said he was bitten 18 times by the animal

BOJ bak in the black

11:41 am, Mon September 29, 2014

The Bank of  Jamaica‘s latest balance sheet shows it’s back in profit.
The Central Bank has recorded year-to-date profit of $150 million.
When the Bank released its previous balance sheet on August 27, it had a year to date loss of  $510 million.

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BOJ bak in the black

Gun seized in St Ann

Police in St Ann seized a 9mm Sig Sauer pistol along with a magazine containing nine 9mm rounds of ammunition and arrested three men in connection with the seizure yesterday.

St Ann’s Bay police say about 12:15 a.m., the Operational Support Team was conducting a Vehicular Check Point along the AGI Byfield main road, when the driver of Honda motor car was signalled to stop. The driver complied and one man fled from the car, while three others were held. Consequently, the vehicle was searched and the firearm and ammunition found.

All three men were detained.

patrolling the area

Meanwhile on Saturday 10 rounds of ammunition were seized on the Portmore Toll Road, St Catherine.

The Portmore police said about 1:39 a.m., lawmen patrolling the area, signal the driver of a motor vehicle to stop. He refused but was later intercepted. The vehicle was searched and the ammunition found.

Four men have since been detyained in connection with the find. Their identities are being withheld pending further investigations.

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Gun seized in St Ann

Suspected housebreaker in custody

Deon P Green, Star Writer

A man, believed to be an habitual housebreaker is now in custody of the Morant Bay police in St Thomas following the suspected theft of thousands of US and Jamaican dollars as well as two cell phones from a couple’s home.

Reports reaching The Star are that last Thursday night, the couple went to bed and woke up the discover that they were robbed. It understood that the couple, who operates a business in the parish, was relieved of US$2,400, J$60,000 and two phones.

Their dilemma was reported to the Morant Bay Police and during a spot check on Friday morning the suspect was nabbed with the two phones and US$1,200 in his possession.

He is since being held on suspicion of house breaking and robbery.

Police sources in Morant Bay told The Star that they believe the suspect stole the phones and cash by ‘fishing’ them out of the house with a wire or long thin object pushed through a window at the couple’s home.

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Suspected housebreaker in custody

Dolphin Cove shareholders to receive payout

11:45 am, Mon September 29, 2014

Dolphin Cove shareholders will receive a 15 cent per stock payout next month.  
The dividend was declared by the Board at a meeting on September 22.  
It will be paid on October 22. 

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Dolphin Cove shareholders to receive payout

Schoolboy face court on ammo charge

A 15-year-old schoolboy from a prominent high school in central Jamaica, is now awaiting his day in court after he was charged by the police for the possession of one round of ammunition.

The boy, who is to appear in court on October 7, is a fourth form student who lives with his 14-year-old brother in Trelawny. THE STAR learnt that their father abandoned them more than a year ago, when their mother left to live in the United States.

According to the police, the boy brought the ammunition to school last week to threaten another student who was reportedly provoking him.

It is understood that the ammunition was found after the student the boy threatened reported the matter to a security guard at the school. The boy was then searched and the ammunition found on his person. The police was then called in and the boy arrested.

THE STAR learnt that when the boy was asked by the police where he got the round of ammunition he reportedly said he found it on the street. He was then charged with illegal possession of ammunition and then bailed to a responsible guardian.

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Schoolboy face court on ammo charge

Patricia Francis reportedly short-listed for ACP post

A Jamaican is among three candidates short-listed for the post of  Secretary-General of  the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) grouping.    
A Caribbean Media Corporation report says she’s Patricia Francis, former Executive Director of  the International Trade Centre.    
The others are Guyana’s Brussels-based Ambassador to the ACP, Dr. P.I Gomes and Dr. Hamid Ghany, a senior lecturer at the St. Augustine campus of  the University of  the West Indies.
The Secretary General holds executive powers and heads the Brussels-based ACP Secretariat, which is the administrative and technical body of  the Group.    
The Secretariat, among other things, monitors the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement. 

Mrs. Francis first came to prominence as head of Jamaica‘s investment promotion and facilitation agency, JAMPRO.

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Patricia Francis reportedly short-listed for ACP post

NCB stock under-valued on Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange

An analysis has revealed that National Commercial Bank (NCB) is currently the most under-valued stock trading on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange (TTSE).
Trinidad-based First Citizens Research and Analytics made the observation in its September Market Insights released to investors. It said NCB is trading 194 per cent below its intrinsic value.  
First Citizens said with the bank, being the largest financial institution in Jamaica, NCB’s value is $2.94 per share, while it is trading on the TTSE for one dollar.
However, the analysts cautioned that Trinidadian investors should be aware of  the exchange rate risk involved with Jamaican stocks.
In light of  the currency depreciation earlier this year, the Jamaican dollar currently trades at five cents to one TT dollar.

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NCB stock under-valued on Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange

Hylton defends changes to car import policy

Commerce Minister Anthony Hylton has defended new provisions in the Motor Vehicle Import Policy in the wake of rumblings in the used car trade. He says there was adequate consultation on the revised policy. The Jamaica Used Car Dealers Association last week declared that its members will not comply with new requirements that they provide warranties for front end and electrical parts on vehicles they sell.The Minister responded to the Association’s concerns last night and emphasized that the policy was geared towards the proctection of consumers. “We have had a long period of experience of the situation (insofar as) it affected the consumers’ interests, and we believe that that requirement, which is graduated, depending on the age of the car, would have taken into consideration, not just the condition of the road, but all the other pertinent comments that would have been made as part of the consultation,” he said.Accordingly, he claimed, all the relevant rights and interests had been balanced in the process.The Used Car Dealers Association believes the Policy will discourage its members from importing popular affordable vehicles, to avoid the risk of  paying extensively to change certain parts.In the meantime, Mr. Hylton says the door is still open to members of  the used car industry to air concerns about the new Policy.

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Hylton defends changes to car import policy

Patricia Francis reportedly short-listed for ACP post

A Jamaican is among three candidates short-listed for the post of  Secretary-General of  the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) grouping.    
A Caribbean Media Corporation report says she’s Patricia Francis, former Executive Director of  the International Trade Centre.    
The others are Guyana’s Brussels-based Ambassador to the ACP, Dr. P.I Gomes and Dr. Hamid Ghany, a senior lecturer at the St. Augustine campus of  the University of  the West Indies.
The Secretary General holds executive powers and heads the Brussels-based ACP Secretariat, which is the administrative and technical body of  the Group.    
The Secretariat, among other things, monitors the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement. 

Mrs. Francis first came to prominence as head of Jamaica‘s investment promotion and facilitation agency, JAMPRO.

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Patricia Francis reportedly short-listed for ACP post

Boy, 15, guilty of shooting girl dead

29 September 2014 Last updated at 17:23 A 15-year-old boy is cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter

A teenage boy has been found guilty of shooting his 15-year-old girlfriend dead after she went to give him a birthday present.

Shereka Fab-Ann Marsh died after a single bullet from a counterfeit 1930s Italian Beretta pistol struck her in Hackney, east London, in March.

The boy, 15, was cleared of her murder but found guilty of manslaughter.

He was also found guilty at the Old Bailey of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

‘Negligent actions’ Continue reading the main story

Shereka’s life was tragically cut short because of the negligent actions by one of her peers”

End Quote Shyrine Mills Shereka’s mother The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was remanded in custody for sentencing on a date to be fixed.

In March, Shereka had gone to give the boy a birthday present, the court heard.

After the shooting the boy called 999 but Shereka had suffered serious internal bleeding and could not be saved, jurors heard.

Following the verdict, in a victim impact statement, Shereka’s mother Shyrine Mills said: “Shereka’s life was tragically cut short because of the negligent actions by one of her peers who took it upon himself to involve himself in activities that no child should ever be involved with.

“Guns are not toys and should only be handled by trained professionals in extreme circumstances.”

In court, the boy recreated the moment the incident happened, holding his hands together and pointing his fingers towards jurors from the witness box.

Under cross examination, he showed how he was holding the gun with both hands and “waving it” around when he “accidentally pulled the trigger”.

He denied that he was posing with the weapon and that was why he had to have his fingers on the trigger.

‘An accident’

The boy had insisted that he loved his girlfriend and had no reason to hurt her.

On his arrest at the house, the boy told officers it was “an accident” and exclaimed: “Am I going to hell?” and: “My girl died on my birthday.”

Officers went on to examine the boy’s mobile phone and found two pictures of him posing with handguns, one of which was pointing at the person who took the photograph.

A search of the boy’s bedroom uncovered a stab vest and body armour, but the boy said it was not his.

Jurors were told how the boy initially lied to police about how the shooting happened.

He claimed to have found the gun on Hackney Marshes but later admitted he had been given it to hide for a man in his 20s he refused to name.

It can now be reported that the gun which killed Shereka was “hot property”, according to prosecutor Jonathan Rees.

It had been used in a shooting in Finsbury Park the month before in which a car passenger was injured.

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Boy, 15, guilty of shooting girl dead

Brazil hotel hostage crisis ends

29 September 2014 Last updated at 21:48 The man (C in shirt) who held a hotel employee hostage for hours was taken to a police station for interrogation. An armed man who held a hostage in a hotel in Brazil’s capital, Brasilia, for nearly seven hours has surrendered.

About 300 people were in the Saint Peter Hotel when the man stepped on to a balcony on the 13th floor holding what looked like a gun to the head of a hotel employee.

The handcuffed hostage appeared to be wearing a vest stuffed with explosives.

The siege ended with the man raising his arms in the air. He was was taken to a police station for interrogation.

Media reports suggested that he was mentally unstable.

Guests at the hotel told local media the man had knocked on the doors of their rooms and told them to leave because he was about to perform a “terrorist act”.

Police said that during their negotiations the man appeared to be making “political statements”.

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Brazil hotel hostage crisis ends

Clooney wedding sealed in Venice

29 September 2014 Last updated at 13:00 The marriage of actor George Clooney and lawyer Amal Alamuddin has been sealed with a civil ceremony in Venice

The marriage of actor George Clooney and lawyer Amal Alamuddin has been sealed with a civil ceremony in Venice.

The couple went by boat to the city hall building where the brief procedure was conducted.

At the weekend, a host of famous guests including Matt Damon and Bill Murray attended a lavish wedding reception for the couple.

Clooney’s publicist broke the news of their nuptials in a brief statement to the press on Saturday.

The couple emerged from the town hall some 10 minutes after their arrival and were whisked away in a water taxi, surrounded by other boats and watched by well-wishers.

Clooney was dressed in a charcoal grey suit, while Alamuddin wore a smart-casual white outfit and a wide-brimmed sunhat.

The couple were greeted by well-wishers as they arrived at Venice’s city hall

At city hall, the pair were officially married under Italian law by former mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni, a long-time friend of the film star.

Earlier in the day, he was seen getting ready for the ceremony at the Hotel Cipriani, where the wedding party have been staying.

The couple were engaged in April.

Clooney was previously married to Talia Balsam, who he divorced in 1993.

One of the world’s most recognisable actors, the American has two Oscars to his name: for best supporting actor in Syriana (2006) and for best picture as producer of Argo (2013).

Other than his film work, he has embraced human rights causes such as the Darfur crisis in Sudan.

Lebanese-born British lawyer Amal Alamuddin has defended Julian Assange of Wikileaks and former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko among others.

She met Clooney through her work.

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Clooney wedding sealed in Venice

Canada body parts murder trial opens

29 September 2014 Last updated at 15:03 Police have said Magnotta filmed the murder of Jun Lin and posted it online The trial of a Canadian man accused of killing his lover and sending parts of his body in the post to political figures has begun in Montreal.

Luka Magnotta, 32, has pleaded not guilty to five charges related to the 2012 death of Jun Lin, a Chinese university student, including murder.

He faces a life prison sentence if convicted on all charges.

The trial start was delayed amid a crowded court calendar and difficulty selecting jurors.

Nearly 1,600 people were interviewed to fill a 14-person bilingual jury that includes two alternates.

Mr Magnotta’s lawyer, Luc Leclair, said he had sought jurors who were open-minded and willing to listen to the case, broadcaster CTV reported.

Canadian and European law enforcement hunted for Mr Magnotta across Europe

“He’s been waiting a long time,” Mr Leclair said. “There was a time that we never thought this day would come.”

Prospective jurors were asked during the panel selection whether they would be able to handle graphic and disturbing evidence.

Police began their investigation after finding a headless torso near Mr Magnotta’s Montreal flat in late May 2012.

Soon after, limbs were found in the post sent to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office and to the Liberal Party’s office.

Lin’s body parts were also later revealed to have been mailed to two British Columbia schools. His head was found in a Montreal park.

Investigators also found a video posted online thought to show Lin’s murder.

Mr Magnotta fled to Europe, prompting an international manhunt that ended when he was arrested in an internet cafe in Berlin.

He is charged with first-degree murder, committing an indignity to a body, publishing obscene material, mailing such material, and criminally harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other members of parliament.

Mr Magnotta’s lawyer, Luc Leclair, said his client had been waiting for the trial for a long time

The prosecution may ask the jury to find Mr Magnotta guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter if they cannot prove Mr Magnotta intentionally killed Lin and planned the murder in advance.

The trial is expected to last four to six weeks. About 60 witnesses are expected to be called.

Lin, who was enrolled as a computer science and engineering student at Concordia University in Montreal, was from the city of Wuhan in China.

His father, Diran Lin, will attend the trial.

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Canada body parts murder trial opens

Clarke rift will not sway McGinley

Victorious Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley says his strained relationship with Darren Clarke will not influence his opinion on who should succeed him.

McGinley is part of a five-man committee that will choose the European captain for 2016.

Clarke initially backed McGinley’s bid to be the 2014 captain, only to put himself forward and then move on to supporting Colin Montgomerie.

“I’m going to be very professional in my input,” said McGinley.

Former Open champion Clarke wrote to McGinley in 2011, offering his support to the Irishman’s bid to lead at Gleneagles.

Clarke and McGinley won the Ryder Cup as European team-mates in 2004

But, in December 2012, Clarke told the BBC that he was in the running to become captain, before appearing to back Montgomerie – who had led in 2010 – after the United States appointed Tom Watson.

“We do have an (unwritten) rule where we don’t ask anybody to do it again, but we might have to look at that,” said Clarke.

Ultimately, McGinley was named captain in 2013 and took Europe to a 16½-11½ success to earn praise from players Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia.

McGinley recently admitted that his conversations with Clarke were now “short and sweet”, but, when asked if his relationship with Clarke would be a problem for the Northern Irishman’s captaincy bid, McGinley said: “Absolutely no problem whatsoever.

“I’m going to get opinions from a lot of players and a lot of people before I put my opinion forward as to what it will be. Just like I was very much pushed over the line by the players, I want to get the opinion of the players.

“We’re very fortunate in Europe, a little bit like the Liverpool soccer team and the boot room. A lot of us have benefited hugely from being vice-captains. Darren has been a vice-captain along with many other guys.

“We will see where that all evolves and I’ll make a professional decision based on the views of people that I respect.”

McGinley invited Sir Alex Ferguson to address the European team in the run-up to the Ryder Cup

McGinley will choose the new captain along with previous two skippers Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal, the European Tour chief executive and a representative from the tournament committee.

But the 47-year-old, who won the trophy three times as a player, says his Ryder Cup career is now over and that he has no desire to be captain or vice-captain again.

“I don’t think I’d be vice-captain to anybody going forward to be honest,” said McGinley, who was a vice-captain in 2010 and 2012.

“I’m very happy to help in an unofficial capacity but I don’t think I have the personality to go back in as vice-captain.

“That’s six I have been involved in and six wins. Like a heavyweight fighter, I will retire undefeated.”

“Paul McGinley’s detail and preparation was fantastic. Rory McIlroy delivered in a fashion that great players can do – that’s why he’s the best player in the world. The fans played a fantastic part because they created that atmosphere where the players didn’t want to let them down. That’s the great beauty of fans like that – it creates an expectation they want to live up to.”

McGinley said he would be happy take on an advisory role, like the one former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson held at Gleneagles.

“I would certainly like to play a role, if required, a little bit like Alex Ferguson did this week for me,” he added.

“I bounced ideas off him. He didn’t preach to me. He didn’t tell me what to do, but what he did was he solidified my ideas and he gave me confidence that, yeah, my hunches were right.

“I certainly won’t be pushing myself forward, but whoever the next captain may be, if he has any questions, I’ll help in any single way I can.”

Ryder Cup final day in three minutes

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Clarke rift will not sway McGinley

Oriel gives Jamaicans a taste of his skills with promotional tour

Contributed

Oriel in a scene from the ‘Serious’ video.

Dominican reggae singer Oriel Barry recently undertook a two week promotional tour of Jamaica.

The tour coincided with the release of Oriel’s mix tape called the Rise of the Revoluteers which was released on September 11.

Oriel did a number of radio and TV interviews as well as live performances, during his visit to the island.

He also undertook the shooting of music videos for two songs Sticks & Stones, which was released earlier this year and Serious to be released on October 7.

Oriel is extremely pleased with the outcome of the promotional tour.

“I’m very happy with the way things went on my trip to Jamaica. Everything was very positive, I did a lot work promoting my music all over the island and the response I received was very good,” said Oriel.

The music video for Sticks & Stones which was released locally last week is already enjoying heavy rotation on a number of local TV stations including HYPE TV, RETV and CVM Plus.

The video for Serious will be released on October 21.

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Oriel gives Jamaicans a taste of his skills with promotional tour

Clash "kills seven Ukraine troops"

29 September 2014 Last updated at 17:57 Ukrainian troops have been battling pro-Russian rebels across the east of the country Seven Ukrainian soldiers are said to have died in a clash with pro-Russian rebels near Donetsk airport – in what would be the deadliest single incident for the military since a truce deal.

A tank shell hit the vehicle carrying the troops, an official said.

Three civilians were reportedly killed in other incidents.

Ukrainian activists earlier toppled a statue of Lenin in the eastern city of Kharkiv – a move likely to be seen as a provocation by pro-Russians.

Nationalist protesters had gathered around the statue on Sunday night for a “Kharkiv is Ukraine” rally. The governor of Kharkiv region, Ihor Baluta, then signed an order to dismantle the statue.

The mayor of Kharkiv, Gennady Kernes, said on a local government website that the monument would be restored, calling its destruction unlawful.

Pro-Russian demonstrators defended the statue in February, as similar monuments were being taken down in other parts of the country in a wave of protests that accompanied the removal of President Viktor Yanukovych.

Kharkiv has largely escaped the violence which subsequently swept through east Ukraine’s other regions, Donetsk and Luhansk.

Ukrainian flags flutter where Kharkiv’s statue of Lenin stood – until Sunday night

The latest deaths cast fresh doubt on a ceasefire agreed between the Ukrainian government and the rebels on 5 September.

The seven soldiers were killed in a vehicle near Donetsk airport, which the rebels have been trying to capture from the Ukrainian military.

“During the evening attack, the Ukrainian armoured transporter, with its crew and a paratroop unit, took a direct hit from a tank,” Ukrainian military spokesman Col Andriy Lysenko told reporters.

“Intensive fighting broke out. Our paratroopers sustained losses,” Col Lysenko said.

He said a total of nine soldiers had been killed and 27 wounded in the past 24 hours.

Separately, authorities in Donetsk told AFP news agency that three civilians had been killed over the same period. The city is a base for the pro-Russian rebels.

The OSCE security organisation, which is monitoring the ceasefire, confirmed there had been heavy shelling around Donetsk airport.

There was also heavy shelling of the eastern outskirts of Mariupol on Friday and Saturday, OSCE spokesman Michael Bociurkiw told the BBC.

Just before the ceasefire took effect heavily armed rebels moved close to Mariupol, a strategic port city on the main route to Crimea.

Russia denies Western allegations that it has armed the rebels and sent troops into the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. About 3,200 people have died in fighting since April.

Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula in March – a move condemned by Ukraine and the West.

The European Union and the US later imposed sanctions against Russia over its role in the Ukraine conflict.

Last week, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the “most dangerous” part of the crisis in the east had passed, predicting that his peace deal with the pro-Russian rebels would hold.

‘Suspicious graves’

For several days Russian state television has reported on “mass graves” allegedly unearthed by rebels near Nizhnya Krynka, a village near Donetsk. At least four bodies have been found there, according to the Russian reports.

The television reports said Ukrainian army and national guard units had occupied the area and were suspected of shooting captives at close range.

Last week Anton Herashchenko, a Ukrainian interior ministry adviser, dismissed the mass grave allegation as “outright lies”.

OSCE spokesman Bociurkiw confirmed that “about half a dozen” bodies, some of them decomposed, had been seen by OSCE monitors at the site.

“We observed unmarked graves, it was not possible to establish gender, and there were shell casings nearby,” he said.

“We were not able to do a proper investigation because the OSCE doesn’t have the ability to do a forensic assessment,” he told the BBC.

“We had no way of establishing if they were shot or who put the weapons there.”

He also said the OSCE had been unable to check whether Russia was bringing more military equipment into Ukraine or taking it out. No inspection was carried out on Russian humanitarian aid lorries that entered the conflict zone, he said.

“We don’t have an inventory of what existed, so it’s very difficult to establish what if anything has moved. Equipment was also unmarked,” he said.

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Clash "kills seven Ukraine troops"

Maragh wins Joe Hirsch shoot-out but breaks arm in spill

ELMONT, New York (CMC) — Jamaican jockey Rajiv Maragh snatched a thrilling win aboard Main Sequence in the US$600,000 Grade I Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes here Saturday, but his outing at Belmont Park turned sour when he suffered a broken arm in the next race after taking a heavy spill.

Going off at odds of 2-1 in the trip over one and a half miles, Maragh and Main Sequence recovered from a slow start before getting the better of a stretch duel with Twilight Eclipse to win by a neck in a time of two minutes, 26.32 seconds.

The victory was the third consecutive Grade I win for the five-year-old chestnut gelding in the United States since shipping from England, following victories in the United Nations Stakes in July at Monmouth Park and the Sword Dancer in August at Saratoga.

With the race a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race in the Turf division, it means Main Sequence will now head to the prestigious series at Santa Anita in the first week of November.

All this was marred, however, in the very next race – race 11 – when Maragh took a tumble while aboard Wicked Strong in the US$1 million Grade I Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes.

The three-year-old colt clipped heels with 7-2 bet Moreno and went down on the far turn during the trip over a mile-and-a-quarter. Maragh lay motionless on the track for several moments after the fall before being stretchered off and rushed to North Shore Hospital on Long Island complaining of pain in his right arm.

Moreno, ridden by Junior Alvarado, finished fourth but was disqualified and placed last, after a stewards’ enquiry found the pair had drifted over to the inside and into the path of Wicked Strong, causing the spill.

Favourite Tonalist, the Belmont Stakes winner, went on to win the race.

Things were a lot brighter for Maragh in the preceding hour when he produced a superb drive to get Main Sequence up late.

He was then forced to undergo an anxious wait as a result of a stewards’ enquiry into an incident in the stretch when Main Sequence and Twilight Eclipse bumped.

“When he made the lead, it was a little sooner than we wanted,” Maragh said.

“He started loafing a little bit. I tried to make him see the other horse, and a little contact happened. I felt like I was going to be okay on the inquiry, but it was nerve-wracking.”

Imagining set sluggish fractions through the opening stages, posting 26.53 seconds for the quarter and 50.89 for the half-mile, with Real Solution stalking from second, and Medal Count and Twilight Agenda keeping in touch.

Main Sequence, who broke slowly, raced from fifth before being roused on the far turn as the pace quickened. In the stretch, Imagining faded slowly as Main Sequence and Twilight Eclipse battled to the wire.

In the last eighth, Twilight Eclipse drifted out and Main Sequence also drifted in, resulting in a bump, which was questioned by the connections of Twilight Eclipse afterward, but the result was allowed to stand.

Twilight Eclipse earned US$360,000 from the win to take his lifetime earnings to US$1.6 million.

View the original article here

Maragh wins Joe Hirsch shoot-out but breaks arm in spill

Hydel continue good start, as XLCR hold Charlie Smith 1-1

BY SHERDON COWAN

Sunday, September 28, 2014    

Charlie Smith High had to settle for a share of the spoils as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Excelsior High in Group B of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/LIME Manning Cup football competition at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday.

Despite dropping points for a second time, Charlie Smith continue to lead the group on 14 points, three ahead of Excelsior, who now have 11 points. Third-placed Vauxhall High moved up to eight points following a 5-0 whipping to Mona High, who remain at the bottom of the table on one point.

The start of the game was delayed by 20 minutes to allow Excelsior the opportunity to change their jerseys to avoid a clash of colour with the hosts. When the game eventually got under way both teams seemed unsettled, but it was Charlie Smith who came close to opening the scoring when a shot by Keyshawn Williams came back off the upright.

However, it was Excelsior who broke the deadlock in the 12th minute when Tereek Anderson scored a well placed free kick from just outside the 18-yard box.

The hosts then came into their own and created numerous goal scoring opportunities but failed to beat goalkeeper Romario Palmer, who was outstanding in the goal for Excelsior.

The second half was dominated by Charlie Smith as Excelsior were forced to play a more defensive formation having just one player up front. The Jerome Waite-coached Charlie Smith were all over the Excelsior defence and finally got the equaliser in the 67th minute when a long pass from Odane Samuels picked out Chevon Crooks, who outsprinted two defenders before firing past Palmer.

Charlie Smith could have won by a wide margin but faulty shooting resulted in them having to settle for the draw.

Waite believed that his team’s dominance should have given them the three points, but he is not perturbed by the draw.

“This game was dominated by the Charlie Smith team, we created many chances in which the game should have been out of the reach of this team as early as the first half. Excelsior played a spirited first half, but we took over the game in the latter stages, so overall it was a good performance and a point in the end is good because we are still in the lead,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Meanwhile, Leebert Halliman said that faulty defending cost them the game.

“We were not marking at the back and they got a goal. We still have a few of our players out with the chik-V, but we still came here and gave it our best shot, despite the weakness in our backline which resulted in us giving up a goal,” he lamented.

Yesterday’s results

Group B

Vauxhall 5, Mona 0

Charlie Smith 1, Excelsior 1

Group C

Edith Dalton 1, Innswood 2

Denham Town 1, Tivoli 1

St Mary’s College 1, Ardenne 0

Group F

Calabar 1, St Jago 2

St Catherine 6, Penwood 0

Hydel 7, Eltham 1

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Hydel continue good start, as XLCR hold Charlie Smith 1-1

Sammy named in St Lucia training squad for Windward Islands championship

CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) — West Indies Twenty20 captain Darren Sammy heads a list of 34 players called up by national selectors here to prepare for next month’s Windward Islands senior two-day championship.

Sammy is a member of the West Indies one-day team which left the Caribbean Saturday for India for a five-match tour, which also includes one Twenty20 International, and which runs from

October 8-22.

The Windward Islands championship runs from October 30 to November 5 here.

Johnson Charles, who has represented the West Indies in T20 and One-Day International formats, along with orthodox left-arm spinner Garey Mathurin, who has represented the Windies in T20Is, have also been named.

Also included are a number of players who have represented the Windward Islands in different formats of the game like Dalton Polius, Keddy Lesporis, Sergio Fedee, and Craig Emmanuel.

Central Castries’ opening batsman Stephen Naitram, who scored four centuries in this year’s Division One competition, has also been called up.

Meanwhile, left-arm, orthodox spinner Marlon O’Brien has earned a recall following a three-year lay-off from national cricket. He had a consistent and successful season with the ball that helped the defending champions Central Castries into their second straight final.

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Sammy named in St Lucia training squad for Windward Islands championship

JC, St George"s, Wolmer"s hunt 6th-straight win in Manning Cup

BY SHERDON COWAN

Monday, September 29, 2014    

DEFENDING champions Jamaica College are among a few top schools who will seek to secure second round berths in the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/LIME Manning Cup football competition as nine games are set to be contested today.

Jamaica College are currently atop Group G on 15 points and they should extend their lead when they face third-placed St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) who are on seven points.

The Old Hope Road boys came out 1-0 victors when playing away to their opponents and the home advantage could now see them opening up the floodgates.

The other group game will see fifth-placed Jonathan Grant (six points) hosting Norman Manley High, who are sitting in second position on nine points.

Many-time champions St George’s College (15 points) should also extend their lead in Group A when they face the hapless Campion College, who are yet to gain a point. The ‘Georgians’ were ruthless at home when they mauled their opponents 11-1, and a similar fate seems imminent.

Meanwhile, second-placed Kingston College (nine points) will be aiming to stay close to their neighbours when they host fourth-placed Jose Marti (seven points) in the other group fixture.

In Group D, leaders Haile Selassie High (18 points) will play away to fourth-placed Bridgeport High (seven points), while second-placed Camperdown High (16 points) will have a tough game on their hands when they visit third-placed Greater Portmore (10 points). Dunoon Technical (four points) will host Papine High (three points) in a bottom-of-the-table clash.

Wolmer’s Boys (15 points) should have things their way in Group E when they visit third-placed Spanish Town High (six points) following their easy 4-0 victory when the two teams last met. Second-placed Holy Trinity (12 points) will host the struggling Trench Town (four points), who have now slipped to the bottom of the table.

All games will begin at 3:30 pm, with the exception of the Bridgeport High versus Haile Selassie encounter, which is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm.

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JC, St George"s, Wolmer"s hunt 6th-straight win in Manning Cup

Holmwood tackle Knox in rescheduled daCosta Cup game

BY PAUL A REID Observer writer

Monday, September 29, 2014    

SPALDING, Manchester — Holmwood Technical will hope to move closer to back-to-back qualification to the Inter-zone round of the ISSA/LIME daCosta Cup football competition today when they take on Knox College in a rescheduled Zone G first-round game.

The Dave Anderson-coached Holmwood Technical lead the zone with 10 points, one more than Alston High, as four schools including Christiana High, who play Spalding, are in with a chance of advancing.

Holmwood’s return-round game against Spalding on Saturday was called off due to bad weather and they had lost their previous game 3-1 to Alston High.

Knox College are also in the race for a place in the next round and are in third place on seven points with games in hand.

Spalding are out of contention on just two points and that will give Christiana all the confidence they need going into the game.

In one Zone I game at Drax Hall, Ocho Rios High and Brown’s Town will meet in a game of academic interest only, as they are both out of contention for an Inter-zone place.

Ocho Rios are on seven points and Brown’s Town are on four.

Cedric Titus lead the zone with 19 points and have already secured a berth, while Marcus Garvey are on 18 points and need only a point or for Steer Town to drop points to confirm their place.

Twelve schools have confirmed their places in the Inter-zone round already — Cornwall College from Zone A, Frome Technical from Zone B, Muschett High from Zone C, defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School from Zone E, Manchester High and Mile Gully from Zone F, Clarendon College from Zone H, Cedric Titus from Zone I, St Mary Technical from Zone J, Dinthill Technical from Zone K, and Glenmuir High and Garvey Maceo from Zone M.

Games on today

Zone G

Christiana vs Spalding

Holmwood Tech vs Knox

Zone I

Ocho Rios vs Brown’s Town

View the original article here

Holmwood tackle Knox in rescheduled daCosta Cup game

Smith fails, Bravo flickers but Chennai still win handsomely

BANGALORE, India (CMC) — West Indies one-day captain Dwayne Bravo played a minor role while opener Dwayne Smith failed again, but Chennai Super Kings did just enough to beat Perth Scorchers by 13 runs and edge closer to a semi-final spot in the Champions League Twenty20 here Saturday.

Sent in, Chennai overcame a terrible start to post 155 for six off their 20

overs and then produced a clinical bowling performance to restrict Scorchers to 142 for seven at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

With the victory, Chennai moved to 10 points from their full complement of matches and into second spot behind Kolkata Knight Riders who have already qualified for the semis.

Chennai can only be caught by Lahore Lions who have six points and play Scorchers in their final game tomorrow.

Hunting a crucial win, Chennai stumbled to 56 for four in the 12th

over before being rescued by a 64-run, sixth-wicket stand between Ravi Jadeja (44 not out) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (35).

Brendon McCullum (11) and Suresh Raina perished within the space of three balls in the third over to leave Chennai on 16 for two.

Smith, recently named in West Indies one-day team for the tour of India, continued his struggles with the bat when he struck two fours in scoring 11 from 13 balls before he was bowled by seamer Yasir Arafat with the score on 33 for three.

When Mithun Manhas fell for 18, Chennai were 56 for four, but Bravo combined with Jadeja to add 23 for the fifth wicket and stem the haemorrhaging.

Bravo scored a patient 27 from 26 balls with a four and a six and was threatening to explode when he missed a prod at one from off-spinner Ashton Turner and was bowled off stump in the 15th over.

However, Jadeja smashed four fours and two sixes in his 28-ball knock, while Dhoni thumped four massive sixes in his 16-ball stay, to rally the innings.

Scorchers were never really in the hunt, losing wickets steadily, as off-spinner Ravi Ashwin with three for 20 from his four overs, crippled the innings.

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Smith fails, Bravo flickers but Chennai still win handsomely

Rivoli clip Tivoli 3-2

BY HURBUN WILLIAMS Observer writer

Monday, September 29, 2014    

RIVOLI United defeated Tivoli Gardens 3-2 in a fierce battle to win their first game in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex yesterday.

The visiting Rivoli United team turned up for their game with only 14 of their allotted 17 players due to the chikungunya virus and as if to post a psychological advantage, Tivoli Gardens, who won two of the three meetings last season, took the lead in the 25th minute. They won a free kick just outside the box and Keammar Daley obliged with a masterful placement.

Rivoli United rallied, but to no avail, as the score went unchanged at the break.

Immediately on the resumption Cory Burke struck the upright with a screamer that ‘keeper Edsel Scott failed to reach. It was the signal of the visitors’ intent and they continued to pressure their hosts. Probably overconfident due to their record against Rivoli United last season, Tivoli Gardens began to push too far forward and in the meantime lacked the legs to recover.

And for their overzealousness they gave up the equaliser by leaving yards of space at the back and in the 66th minute Burke played in teenaged striker Daniel Roberts to roll in the equaliser past a helpless Scott.

Two minutes later Rivoli went ahead after another defensive mix-up when Roberts rose above the slow-moving Tivoli defence to head a well-weighted ball in the path of Kemar Beckford, who slammed past Scott.

This then raised the tempo of the game to become a tad physical but referee Dwight Royal, who is a certified coach, did a very good job to keep the lid on things.

Throwing further caution to the wind, Tivoli again left their ‘keeper to the rampaging Rivoli and four minutes after they had conceded the lead, went farther behind with a strike from Ross Burton.

With one team trying to reduce the deficit and the other trying to preserve their advantage, Tivoli Gardens won a penalty to give themselves hope to at least salvage something from the game, which was converted by Navion Boyd in the 74th minute.

However, an overzealous Andre Morgan wasted a good opportunity to salvage a draw when he ballooned high over the crossbar at the death.

“This is a victory that warms the heart seeing that last season we did not beat Tivoli at all,” coach Calvert Fitzgerald said after the victory. “We played them three times, lost two and drew the other. So this season the first match we played with them we get three points and only got one last year, so we have to be thankful.

“I think that we are playing fairly well at the moment and as the saying goes, ‘adversity brings out the best in people’. Just this morning two of our players went down with the chikungunya virus and still we were able to come here and get three points. It was a pleasing performance and it makes me a happy coach,” Fitzgerald said.

Alvin Shaw, his opposite number, said that his team took a 1-0 lead in the first half but became complacent. “I thought we became complacent and when we came out for the second half I believe that we took Rivoli for granted. Rivoli came out with greater urgency, ran much harder and they were able to get the positive result from their effort.”

“One of our major setbacks is that we are having difficulty during the week in terms of our preparation. There is still no electricity at the complex, so we cannot get to put in much work,” Shaw said.

Teams: Tivoli Gardens — Edsel Scott, Robert Williams, Ranike Anderson, Barrington Pryce, Rodico Wellington, Andre Morgan, Rohan Reid (Fitzroy Campbell 77th), Lennox Creary (Dwayne Smith 71st), Keammar Daley, Navion Boyd, Andre McFarlane (Jamoy Sibblies 62nd)

Subs not used: D Duncan, Kasai Hinds, D Garrison, N Scott

Booked: Anderson (15th), Reid (73rd)

Rivoli United — Damian Campbell, Jermaine Henry, Troy Moulton, Fabian Gordon, Keith Wright, Kevin Graham (Kemar Bennett 46th), Kemar Beckford, Ross Burton Valentine Gardener (Jermaine Whyte 69th), Cory Burke, Daniel Roberts

Subs not used: M Bennett

Booked: None

Referee: Dwight Royal

Assistant Referees: Lloyd Reader, Stacy-Ann Greyson

Fourth Official: Oshane Nation

Match Commissary: Charles Barrett

View the original article here

Rivoli clip Tivoli 3-2

Piazon"s spectacular free kick gives Frankfurt victory in Bundesliga

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Lucas Piazon’s spectacular 90th-minute free kick gave Eintracht Frankfurt a 2-1 victory at Hamburg yesterday, as the former European champions remain rooted to the foot of the Bundesliga.

Haris Seferovic gave Frankfurt the lead in the 44th minute, striking home Timothy Chandler’s pass.

Hamburg finally found the back of the net for the first time this season in the 58th minute as Lewis Holtby crossed to Nicolai Mueller, who got his shot through the legs of Frankfurt keeper Felix Wiedwald.

Hamburg’s first goal came 508 minutes into the season, comfortably snapping VfL Bochum’s previous Bundesliga record of 475 minutes without a goal to start the 1979-80 season.

Hamburg looked like they would grab a point but 20-year-old Piazon unleashed a perfectly placed free kick into the upper right corner to secure the victory.

“He can do that,” said Frankfurt coach Thomas Schaaf.

Frankfurt jumped to seventh place on nine points, five off leaders Bayern Munich, while Hamburg, who were European champions way back in 1983, have just two points from six games.

Augsburg are eighth with nine points following a 1-0 home win over Hertha Berlin earlier yesterday.

Augsburg captain Paul Verhaegh hammered home a penalty in the 27th-minute after Hertha keeper Thomas Kraft had brought down Raul Bobadilla in the box.

“The victory was enormously important because we have two away matches coming up,” said Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl.

“We knew that Hertha would defend and not give us a lot of chances, so it was important that we got the win.”

Reigning champions Bayern Munich remained top on Saturday with a 2-0 win at FC Cologne.

Bayern kept a clean sheet for their fourth straight Bundesliga match to move to 14 points, two points clear of Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Pep Guardiola’s Munich opened the scoring on 19 minutes as Mario Goetze struck his third goal in the last two matches.

The visitors doubled the lead midway through the second half as Daniel Halfar put through his own net.

Gladbach won 2-1 at Paderborn thanks to early goals from Patrick Herrmann and Raffael, with Jens Wimmer getting one back for the promoted club, who had been top before losing at Bayern in midweek.

Gladbach’s win took them above Leverkusen, who had to play more than an hour with 10 men but held on for a 0-0 draw away at SC Freiburg.

Leverkusen defender Emir Spahic was sent off in the first half, although Freiburg also finished the game a man down after Pavel Krmas was dismissed.

The visitors might have won it but Karim Bellarabi and Son Heung-Min both hit the crossbar in the final 17 minutes.

In Gelsenkirchen, Schalke 04 picked up their second straight victory with a 2-1 win at home over bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund’s recent defensive struggles continued as goals from Joel Matip and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting left them trailing 2-0 by the midway point in the first half.

Jurgen Klopp’s side did reduce the deficit shortly afterwards courtesy of a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang strike but they could not find an equaliser and have collected only seven points from six games this season, one fewer than Schalke.

Ivica Olic scored in the 57th minute to secure VfL Wolfsburg a 2-1 victory at home against Werder Bremen.

After Ricardo Rodriguez pushed Wolfsburg ahead in the 15th minute, Marnon Busch equalised for Bremen after 37 minutes.

Hanover 96 went down 1-0 at struggling VfB Stuttgart, Daniel Schwaab scoring his team’s first goal at home this season in the 69th minute, while Mainz and Hoffenheim played out a goalless draw on Friday.

View the original article here

Piazon"s spectacular free kick gives Frankfurt victory in Bundesliga

Rossi suffers concussion in crash

ALCANIZ, Spain (AFP) — Seven-time premier class world champion Valentino Rossi was taken to hospital after suffering concussion in crashing out of the Aragon Grand Prix yesterday.

The Italian had come into the race full of confidence after winning last time out in San Marino, but any chance of a repeat performance ended early on as he ran wide onto the grass at the rain-hit Motorland track and was thrown from his bike.

The bike narrowly missed the prone 35-year-old as it came to ground and Yamaha team doctor Michele Zasa is confident Rossi will suffer no serious ill effects.

“Valentino suffered a concussion with a suspected loss of consciousness,” Zasa said in a team statement.

“From a neurological point of view he has recovered very well. He was taken to hospital in Alcaniz to make a further check, in particular a CT scan of the skull that has ruled out any bleeding in the brain.

“As a precaution he will be observed in the coming hours, but there are no special reasons for concern.”

The race was won by Rossi’s Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo, cutting Rossi’s lead over Lorenzo in third place in the world championship standings to just 12 points with four races of the season remaining.

Dani Pedrosa’s 14th placed finish moved the Spaniard just three points ahead of Rossi in second place in the overall standings, but Spaniard Marc Marquez is well set for back-to-back world titles as he extended his lead over Honda teammate Pedrosa to 75 points.

View the original article here

Rossi suffers concussion in crash

Kwiatkowski wins road race world title

PONFERRADA, Spain (AP) — Michal Kwiatkowski of Poland pulled away from a star-studded field to win a gruelling road race at the cycling world championships yesterday.

Catching the race favourites eying one another, Kwiatkowski slipped away from the peloton near the end to join a breakaway group of four riders and didn’t stop, staying ahead of the chasers on the final descent.

The 24-year-old Kwiatkowski had time to stop pedalling and lift his arms in celebration as he won the rainy 254.8-kilometre (158.3-mile) ride that started in the midst of heavy fog in six and a half hours.

“I was feeling right on the last lap,” Kwiatkowski said. “I was just going for the win and I tried to risk it because I saw that some of the riders were still calculating. I didn’t and I won. This is incredible.”

Simon Gerrans of Australia was second in a photo finish, one second behind Kwiatkowski. Spaniard Alejandro Valverde was third for the third straight year.

The 14 laps of the 18.2-kilometre route on well-paved roads took riders by a Templar castle in the city of Ponferrada and through its hilly surroundings in northern Spain. The course featured two short climbs, but the trickiest part was its long descent back into the city because of the wet surface.

The course was long but not very demanding, meaning that most of the strongest riders arrived in position to challenge for the title.

Even so, former Tour de France winner Chris Froome withdrew with less than three laps to go after falling behind the peloton. The British rider also failed to finish last year’s race in Florence, Italy.

Just when the sun had started to shine after a rainy morning, Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali fell in a low-speed crash involving a handful of riders. The Italian appeared unhurt and was able to join the peloton, but he wasn’t able to battle for the win.

An early group of four escapees opened up an advantage of almost 15 minutes, but it was slowly reeled in by a peloton led for a long stretch by the Polish team.

“I am really thankful for my mates for what they did at the beginning,” Kwiatkowski said. “We decided to continue riding and stay at the front. I said right from the start that there is no time to wait, we have to lead the peloton because that was our best chance.”

Germany’s Tony Martin, dethroned as time trial champion by Bradley Wiggins this week, tried a solo effort with three laps to go. He too was caught by a small group that then relented and let the rest catch up.

Seeing Kwiatkowski speed away, Joaquim Rodriguez attacked on the last climb to try and catch him. Nibali couldn’t keep up, but Valverde, Gerrans and Philippe Gilbert quickly joined in, forming a formidable pack of pursuers.

But even though Kwiatkowski never opened up a gap of more than nine seconds, it was enough time for him to pull off the surprise.

“I knew that it was possible to arrive in a smaller group, especially in the rain, because it was really risky,” Kwiatkowski said.

It was Valverde’s sixth medal in the event. The Spaniard now has two silver medals and four bronze medals, but he again came up short of winning an elusive gold.

“(The course) wasn’t hard enough for me to be able to fight for the win,” said Valverde. “It was very difficult to get a medal and although I would have liked the gold, I had a mission and I accomplished.”

View the original article here

Kwiatkowski wins road race world title

Tridents beaten but not disgraced, says Haynes

MOHALI, India (CMC) — Head coach Desmond Haynes believes Barbados Tridents have done themselves and the entire Caribbean proud despite their elimination from the ongoing Champions League Twenty20 tournament here.

The Barbados-based outfit – who represented the region after winning the Caribbean Premier League – suffered their third straight defeat against Hobart Hurricanes yesterday at the PCA Stadium, but Haynes said they were not outplayed nor disgraced.

“One thing we demonstrated here in this tournament was to show the world that we are good enough and West Indies cricket is on the up,” Haynes told reporters after the game.

“We showed the people around the world, especially here in India, that we can play and we can play well. Very few people expected us to be as competitive as we have been. I will repeat, that I believe West Indies cricket, especially in this format is pretty strong.”

Barbados suffered close defeats to King’s XI Punjab and South Africa’s Cape Cobras in their first two matches. Yesterday they went under by six wickets to Hobart Hurricanes. They will play their final match against Northern Knights of New Zealand tomorrow in Bangalore.

“In the first two games we came up short by about 10 to 20 runs … for those games the wicket was much better than tonight … I found the ball was holding up a bit in this match, but we didn’t bat well today and that basically cost us the match.”

Haynes said he was extremely impressed by the batting of left-hander Jonathan Carter, who made a brilliant 111 not out against the Cape Cobras and followed up with a stroke-filled 42 off 34 balls against the Australians.

He has played for the West Indies A team and has been on the verge of selection to the senior West Indies side for some time.

“When we selected Jonathan for the Barbados Tridents last year we identified him as someone who could keep wicket, bowl a bit of medium pace and is a very good player of spin,” the legendary former West Indies opener said.

“Back in Barbados he is considered one of the most talented cricketers that we have at home, so I was very impressed by the way he handled himself on the big stage. We always wanted him to believe in himself.

“[From] the first game he was ready to get going and this is a very big stage here. He really wanted to do well here…this can be a life-changer.”

Assessing yesterday’s defeat Haynes added: “Losing early wickets in a T20 match is always going to make things difficult …you have to spend time rebuilding and when you look around the game could be gone. Getting bowled out in 20 overs made it difficult, but I believed if we got around 140 runs we could have made a game of it.”

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Tridents beaten but not
disgraced, says Haynes

As interest rates rise and fall, equip yourself with flexible instruments

With Marian Ross

Sunday, September 28, 2014    

AS investors anticipate a rise in interest rates, the first half of the year has seen a tremendous rally in equity markets and oddly enough, in fixed income markets as well.

The 10-year US treasury (UST) yield started the year at around three per cent. Between June and September 2013, bond markets sold off as investors priced in the much anticipated interest rate hike.

However, today the yield on the 10-year UST is hovering in the 2.5 per cent range. This could be attribtued to many different things, chief among them the rise in geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, as well as the weak performance of the Eurozone economies.

Whatever the cause, investors must equip themselves with instruments and strategies that are dynamic and flexible.

Today we will take a closer look at fixed income instruments that may be very useful during times of rising interest rates. These instruments combine features of debt and equity in order to give investors exposure to the upswing in the equity markets, but also provide the principal safety and income of traditional fixed income instruments.

Once such instrument is an “autocallable”.

Autocallable instruments give the investor a reward if a pre-established condition is met. In most cases, the condition usually stipulates that the price of a particular asset must stay within a specified range for the reward to be dispensed. An important feature of this security is the embedded call option.

The instrument is automatically “called” (ie redeemed) by the issuer if the upper limit of the range is breached.

During the time period when the condition is not in breach and the asset price is within the stipulated range, the holder is usually paid some form of return on his principal, which can take the form of a coupon.

For example, an autocallable may be designed so that if the price of an Apple stock stays within the range of US$99 to US$200, the noteholder will receive a coupon of 8 per cent per annum.

However, should the price exceed US$200, the note will be called by the issuer. Similarly, if the price falls below US$99 on the observation date, no coupon is paid for that period.

Autocallables are usually very short in tenor and therefore help investors to reduce their duration risk.

As discussed in previous articles, staying short is important in a rising interest rate environment.

What makes an

autocallable attractive?

The coupon paid on the note and the range of price movement relating to the reference asset that is stipulated are the key features that determine the attractiveness of an autocallable note. Important questions to ask include: what is the price history of the underlying asset? When did it breach the “barriers” as identified in the terms and conditions of your note? (How often? How long ago?) What are the expectations regarding future price movement?

Be sure that you are convinced of the rationale for the potential movement (or lack thereof) in the price of the reference asset that is linked to the note.

Has a sufficiently compelling argument been presented to you to substantiate the movement that is necessary to generate the coupon payment?

Who issued the autocallable?

As an investor, you should ensure that the issuing company is capable of repaying you and honouring its obligations under the terms and conditions of the security.

For example, an autocallable issued by Barclays Bank will carry a much higher credit rating than any note issued by a local Jamaican bank. Jamaican investors can access the safety and security of the international capital markets right here at home.

When are autocallables a good buy?

It’s important to highlight that the availability of attractive autocallables is unpredictable due to the fact that they are related to spikes in the volatility of the equities market. As interest rates rise, so does volatility. The attractiveness of autocallables is a function of the prevailing environment and market behaviour. As volatility (and interest rates) rise, so will the attractiveness of autocallable instruments. Investors should look out for rises in volatility in the US equity market as a potential signal for attractive autocallables.

Benefits to investors

- Short tenors: These notes can be structured with relatively short tenors ranging from one to five years. This minimises the duration risk associated with the instrument.

- Exposure to reference assets without buying them outright: These notes allow investors to benefit from movements in the price or value of a security without having to purchase the asset outright. In cases where an investor is not comfortable with the prospect of a long term equity purchase but would still like to take advantage of price movement in the short to medium term, autocallables can facilitate this exposure.

- Hedging: For institutional investors, structured notes such as autocallables can be particularly useful because these conditions can be designed as a hedge for your existing asset portfolio / operations.

Marian Ross is Assistant vice president, business development at Sterling Asset Management. Visit our website at www.sterling.com.jm or provide feedback at: info@sterlingasset.net.jm

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As interest rates rise and fall, equip yourself with flexible instruments

Wigton Wind Farm blows away losses

8:50 pm, Sun September 28, 2014

The State-owned Wigton Wind Farm has eliminated its financial losses after producing a higher than expected amount of  energy to the national grid. in pre-tax profit versus a $68 million  loss in the previous year.Wigton experienced high plant availability at both generating facilities. Over the past 10 years Wigton’s wind farm has saved Jamaica close to $3 billion by reducing oil consumption by more than $400,000 barrels.     During the previous fiscal year Wigton submitted a bid to the Office of Utilities Regulation for the supply of  electricity from renewable energy sources.As a result, the company began implementing plans to expand its operations with an additional 24 megawatt wind energy plant.

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Wigton Wind Farm blows away losses

PHOTO: US$50m for SMEs

Scotiabank’s Pamela Douglas (second right), director professional partnerships, small business unit, joins Thomas Vis (left), senior private sector development specialist, World Bank, Finance Minister Peter Phillips, and Milverton Reynolds, managing director of the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ), as they review the just signed DBJ-World Bank small business loan facility at the Mona Visitors Lodge and Conference Centre this morning. The facility, which comes as part of the Jamaica Foundation for Competitiveness and Growth Project, will provide US$50 million ($1.8 billion) for loans, some of which will be available to small and medium sized enterprises. The loan facility has been set up to assist business entities manoeuvre their way through the business regulatory issues that exist, and that may sometimes constrain entry. It will also facilitate the ability to improve capabilities through skills upgrading, as the fund will co-finance training support for individual firms.

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PHOTO: US$50m for SMEs

Industry Ministry defends changes to car import policy

8:40 pm, Sun September 28, 2014

Industry Ministry Anthony Hylton has defended new provisions in the Motor Vehicle Import Policy in the wake of  rumblings in the used car trade.He says there was adequate consultation on the revised Policy. The Jamaica Used Car Dealers Association last week indicated that its members will not comply with new requirements that they provide warranties for front end and electrical parts on vehicles they sell.The Industry Minister responded to the Association’s concerns last night and emphasized that it was geared towards the proctection of consumers. The Used Car Dealers Association says the Policy will discourage its members from importing popular affordable vehicles to avoid the risk of  paying extensively to change certain parts.In the meantime, Mr. Hylton says the door is still open to members of  the used car industry to air concerns about the new Policy.

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Industry Ministry defends changes to car import policy

Industry Ministry defends changes to car import policy

8:40 pm, Sun September 28, 2014

Industry Ministry Anthony Hylton has defended new provisions in the Motor Vehicle Import Policy in the wake of  rumblings in the used car trade.He says there was adequate consultation on the revised Policy. The Jamaica Used Car Dealers Association last week indicated that its members will not comply with new requirements that they provide warranties for front end and electrical parts on vehicles they sell.The Industry Minister responded to the Association’s concerns last night and emphasized that it was geared towards the proctection of consumers. The Used Car Dealers Association says the Policy will discourage its members from importing popular affordable vehicles to avoid the risk of  paying extensively to change certain parts.In the meantime, Mr. Hylton says the door is still open to members of  the used car industry to air concerns about the new Policy.

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Industry Ministry defends changes to car import policy

Haitian teen missing in Jamaica

Saturday, September 27, 2014 | 2:18 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – An Ananda Alert has been activated for a Haitian teen, who has been missing from her home in St James since Friday, September 26.

She is 13-year-old Johanna Canje of Norwick Avenue, Norwood in the parish.

Canje is of dark complexion, medium build and is about 168 centimetres (5 feet 6 inches) tall.

Information received from the Sangster International Airport Police is that Johanna was seen on Market Street in the parish on Friday, about 5:10 pm, dressed in a white blouse, purple dress and a pair of black shoes.

Anyone knowing the whereabouts Johanna Canje is being asked to contact the Sangster International Airport Police at 952-2251, police 119 emergency or the nearest police station.?

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Haitian teen missing in Jamaica