Barbados profile

27 November 2014 Last updated at 17:08 The eastern Caribbean nation of Barbados was historically heavily dependent on the export of sugar as its main revenue earner, but in recent decades the economy has diversified into tourism and offshore finance.

Known for its beaches and cricket – its national sport – the former British colony has a dual heritage: English – evident in its stone-built Anglican churches and Saturday race meetings – and African, reflected in its music and dance.

Continue reading the main story Politics: Freundel Stuart first became prime minister after his predecessor died in office in 2010. His Democratic Labour Party was narrowly re-elected in 2013Economy: Tourism, financial services and the sugar industry are economic mainstays

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Barbados is one of the more populous and prosperous Caribbean islands. Political, economic and social stability have given it one of the highest standards of living in the developing world. As well as being a centre for financial services, it also has offshore reserves of oil and natural gas.

However, the economy took something of a knock in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis. The country’s public debt rose sharply in 2009-11, mainly because of a slowdown in the tourism and financial services sectors.

Bajan singer Rihanna is one of the world’s top selling artists

Prior to the economic crisis there was a construction boom, with new hotels and housing complexes springing up. The trend accelerated as the island prepared to host some of the key Cricket World Cup matches in 2007.

However, a shortage of jobs has prompted many Barbadians – more often known as Bajans – to find work abroad. The money that they send home is an important source of income.

Most Barbadians are the descendants of African slaves who were brought to the island from the 17th century to work the sugar cane plantations.

Limestone caverns, coral reefs and a warm climate tempered by trade winds are among the island’s natural assets. Barbados is relatively flat, with highlands in the interior.

Cricket is a big part of life in Barbados, which hosted the 2007 Cricket World Cup

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Barbados profile

Leicester City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

by Ian Baker

Friday, December 26, 2014    

Tottenham claimed their third successive Premier League win as Christian Eriksen’s free kick sealed a 2-1 success at bottom-of-the-table Leicester on Friday.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side had goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to thank for an outstanding performance as Leicester dominated for long periods after Leonardo Ulloa cancelled out Harry Kane’s first-minute opener for Spurs.

The north Londoners’ gritty win means they are in sixth place and just two points behind Southampton in the race to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish.

Leicester manager Nigel Pearson was serving a one-match touchline ban following his recent confrontation with a supporter and he watched his out-of-form team, now without a victory in 12 games, get off to the worst possible start.

Nabir Chadi’s cross found Kane who coolly beat Wes Morgan before finishing well past Ben Hamer for his 14th goal of the season against the side he played for on loan two seasons ago.

Tottenham appeared to be in total control when Nabol Bentaleb fired wide after a fine run.

But Leicester were close to a leveller when Jeffrey Schlupp broke from his own penalty area and found Ulloa, whose spectacular volley was pushed over by Lloris.

From the resulting Riyad Mahrez corner Marcin Wasilewski headed over following David Nugent’s flick-on.

Tottenham went close again when Eriksen forced Hamer into a save while at the other end Danny Drinkwater dragged a shot wide.

The visitors should have made it 2-0 just past the half hour with Bentaleb running through but Paul Konchesky raced back to make a last-ditch tackle.

Leicester continued to threaten and Schlupp’s shot deflected into the hands of Lloris before Ulloa drove wide after a well-worked move involving Drinkwater.

Mahrez saw his left-footed effort well saved by Lloris as the hosts started to turn the screw, and Ulloa then headed against the post from Mahrez’s inch-perfect cross.

Tottenham, though, could have scored a second in first-half stoppage-time with Kane heading Erik Lamela’s free kick fractionally wide.

Nugent had the first chance for the hosts after the break as he volleyed over following a long kick by Hamer.

The hosts were level on 48 minutes as Danny Simpson’s deflected pass fell nicely to Mahrez who beat Bentaleb before crossing for Ulloa who flicked home his seventh goal of the season.

Within moments Mahrez had struck the bar with a 25-yard free kick as Leicester looked to have swung the game their way.

Leicester continued to press with Schlupp’s low cross well held by Lloris as the cold and wet conditions became more treacherous.

Lloris came to Tottenham’s rescue again when he saved a powerful Schlupp drive but Tottenham took the lead against the run of play on 71 minutes.

Eriksen’s low free kick from 25 yards beat Hamer at his near post, finding the net via the woodwork for his seventh of the season.

Kane struck the side-netting shortly afterwards with another long range effort but Leicester continued to attack with Drinkwater’s left-foot drive going just wide and Mahrez blazing over from Schlupp’s cross.

Substitute Jamie Vardy then headed Mahrez’s free kick just over and Wes Morgan was unable to scramble home another Mahrez cross.

Lloris kept out another Morgan header from Anthony Knockaert’s corner, but Leicester could not a force an equaliser despite Hamer going up for two late corners

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Leicester City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Barbados clamps down on importation of meat, animal products

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Barbados health authorities are clamping down on the importation of meat or animal products into the country, reminding nationals that poultry and poultry products from the United Kingdom are prohibited at this time due to the Avian Influenza outbreak.

They also reminded nationals travelling for the holiday season that they must first obtain an import permit from the Veterinary Services Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, if they are planning to bring meat or other animal products into Barbados.

“Commercially packaged cooked chicken and chicken products are allowed from the Caribbean,” a Government statement stated, listing what it considers to be food products of animal origin.

The statement said that pastries containing meat fillings, meat rolls, rotis and pizzas as well as dairy products including ice-cream, yoghurt, cheeses and eggs and egg products “must be in the original sealed commercial packaging and must not exceed 25 lbs (11kg)”.

The statement also said that individuals and places of entertainment planning to import items such as headdresses, masks or decorations which contain feathers or other animal-derived products for the holiday season or for personal use, are reminded that import permits are also required.

“Non-food animal products include but are not limited to: loose feathers, for use in costumes and craft; products made from skins, feathers, antlers, hair, hooves, horns and bones; meat scraps and treats for pets,” the statement added.

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Barbados clamps down on importation of meat, animal products

Sherwood Forrest take inaugural Ashley T10 trophy

WINDSOR, Portland — Sherwood Forrest on Sunday captured the inaugural Ashley T10 cricket title at Windsor playing field when they defeated hometown favourites Ginger House by 50 runs.

Batting first, Sherwood made 116 for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 10 overs, as Richard Hewitt topscored with 34 runs and Raymond Hanson added 15, with Davian Patterson bagging three wickets for 19 runs and Craig McLean, capturing two wickets for 31 runs. Ginger House, in reply, could only muster 66 runs for the loss of nine wickets, as only Delroy Carter and Davian Patterson got into double figures with 11 each, while Roger Gregory took two wickets for eight runs and Shain Haye added two wickets for 13 runs.

The competition was organised by Kevin Taylor, in an effort to keep the game of cricket alive in the community. He commended the seven teams and the communities for their support. The games were played on Sundays and were double-headers.

The winning team was presented with the Ashley T10 trophy by 11-year-old Ashley Taylor, for whom the competition was named, and $15,000 from the mayor of Port Antonio and councillor. Ginger House won $10,000 for placing second.

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Sherwood Forrest take inaugural Ashley T10 trophy

Guadeloupe profile

13 November 2013 Last updated at 14:37 Known to its one-time Carib indian population as “karukera”, or “island of beautiful waters”, the French territory of Guadeloupe is a centre of Caribbean Creole culture.

French, African and Caribbean influences infuse its music, dance, food and widely-spoken patois.

Guadeloupe’s economy is kept afloat by public salaries and credits from Paris. Unemployment has been a long-running malaise, although its effects are tempered by France’s generous social security system.

Agriculture revolves around sugar cane and bananas; the latter is troubled by regional competition and the phasing out of preferential European quotas.

Some of Guadeloupe’s residents are descendants of the original colonists

Tourism is important. Visitors, most of them from France, are drawn to Guadeloupe’s resorts, beaches, waterfalls and forests and the territory is a port of call for cruise ships.

Guadeloupe is prone to earthquakes and hurricanes. Mount Soufriere, Basse-Terre’s volcano, last erupted in the 1970s.

Visited by the explorer Christopher Columbus in 1493, who named it after a Spanish monastery, the territory was home to Carib indians who resisted Spanish attempts to settle the islands.

French colonists arrived in the 17th century, wiping out the Carib population. The settlers brought slaves from Africa to work on plantations and Guadeloupe prospered thanks to the trade in sugar and tobacco.

Swedish rule

There were several British occupations in the 18th and early 19th centuries – and a brief period of nominal Swedish rule – before the territory was restored to France. It became a French “department” in 1946, and from the 1980s, a region of France.

Although support for the status quo is strong, a campaign for secession from France flared in the 1980s when pro-independence groups bombed hotels and government buildings.

Discontent at the rising cost of living led to violent protests early in 2009, and France sent in troops when rioters killed a trade union official. The French government raised wages for the low-paid, a key demand of the protestors, who ended a general strike in March.

Guadeloupe’s beaches, waterfalls and forests are a major attraction for visitors

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Guadeloupe profile

Smith"s unbeaten 72 puts Australia at 259-5

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Australia’s Steve Smith played another captain’s knock and Chris Rogers and Shane Watson hit fifties on the opening day of the third Test against India in Melbourne yesterday.

Before a Boxing Day crowd of almost 70,000, Smith joined teammate David Warner in reaching 1,000 Test runs for the calendar year with his unbeaten 72.

At the close, Australia were 259 for five after winning the toss, with Brad Haddin seeking a confidence-boosting innings on 23.

Smith passed 50 for the fourth time in five innings in this series, among them an unconquered 162 in Adelaide and 133 in Brisbane. So far he has amassed 447 runs at 223.5 for the series.

Smith, who won his first Test as skipper in four days in Brisbane last weekend, was well positioned for his third ton of the series after Rogers and Watson missed out on cashing in on solid starts.

“It’s phenomenal to watch and great to be a part of. He is just growing day by day and it’s scary to think how good he can be,” Rogers said of Smith.

“Someone threw a ball back at him today and he had the confidence to say a few words back at him so it looks as if he knows he belongs and he knows he’s one of the better players in the world at the moment.”

Rogers hit his third straight half-century of the series and Watson made 52 in a 115-run stand before they were dismissed five minutes apart in the hour after lunch.

The pair had put on 59 runs off 131 balls for the fourth wicket.

Rogers, who scored 116 in last season’s corresponding Boxing Day Test against England, pushed at paceman Mohammed Shami and was snapped up behind by MS Dhoni for 57.

“I think three scores in the 50s is good in some respects but it’s also very disappointing,” Rogers said.

“As an opener you do the hard work and put yourself in a position where you can get a big score, so to get out like that was disappointing because I felt good today, I felt my feet were going and I had a real desire to get a big score.”

Watson followed six balls later in off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s seventh over with an ill-judged sweep shot and was out leg before wicket for 52 in 89 balls.

Watson had a let-off on 37 nearing lunch when Shikhar Dhawan fumbled him at second slip at the third attempt off Shami.

It was Watson’s 23rd half-century in

Tests with just a below-par conversion rate of four centuries in his 55th Test for the senior top-order batsman.

It was the 27th time in 102 Test innings Watson had been dismissed leg before wicket.

Shaun Marsh again failed to go on after a solid start and was caught behind by Dhoni off Shami with no addition to his tea score of 32 off 83 balls.

Debutant Joe Burns was given a rousing welcome as he came out to bat at four wickets down and got a roar with his first scoring shot off Shami for three.

Burns hoisted Ashwin over mid-wicket for four in a positive show of confidence at Test level.

But he lasted 27 balls before he attempted a pull shot on 13 and bottom-edged through to Dhoni off Yadav.

Warner, who scored twin tons in the opening Adelaide Test, was out in the second over of the innings.

He only lasted six balls before he played across Umesh Yadav and edged to Dhawan at third slip for a duck.

Shami and Yadav finished with two wickets each.

India made two changes from the team that lost the second Brisbane Test, with debutant Lokesh Rahul and Mohammed Shami coming into the side.

Rahul, who replaced Rohit Sharma, was selected to bat at number six, while speedster Varun Aaron made way for Shami, who was off the field for injury treatment late in the day.

Team officials said Aaron was flying home for his grandfather’s funeral and would be returning to Australia by the end of the Melbourne Test.

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Smith"s unbeaten 72 puts Australia at 259-5

Neuer cautious over Ballon d"Or prospects

Germany’s World Cup winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer on Friday played down his prospects of securing the World Player of the Year award over holder Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

“I’m certainly not favourite,” the Bayern Munich star told German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung.

“The other two are international ‘marques’, they’ve clearly got an advantage.”

If Neuer does receive the Ballon d’Or he will be the first of his countrymen to do so since Lothar Matthaus in 1990 and only the second goalkeeper after Lev Yashin, of the then Soviet Union, in 1963.

For Germany coach Joachim Loew, the 28-year-old would be a worthy recipient.

“Manuel deserves this reward, he’s taken the game to a new dimension,” Loew told domestic news agency SID, subsidiary to AFP.

Neuer, Ronaldo, who has claimed the FIFA honour twice, and Messi, a four-time winner, are the three finalists for the 2014 Ballon d’Or with the winner announced on January 12.

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Neuer cautious over Ballon d"Or prospects

Puerto Rico profile

24 October 2013 Last updated at 09:33 Hispanic, Afro-Caribbean and North American influences meld in Puerto Rico, a self-governing commonwealth that belongs to the United States.

The tropical Caribbean territory is urbanised, industrialised and relatively prosperous.

The US invaded and occupied Puerto Rico during the Spanish-American War of 1898, ending centuries of rule from Spain. The US saw the island as a strategic asset and ran it as a colonial protectorate.

Under American administration Puerto Rico saw growth and development. But nationalist sentiment sometimes spilled over into violence, notably in the 1930s and 1940s. Nationalists staged an armed attack in the US Congress in 1954.

Historic San Juan is made up of colonial homes and cobbled streets

A series of bombings and killings in the 1970s and 1980s were blamed on a pro-independence group, the Macheteros, or Cane Cutters. The group’s fugitive leader was killed by federal agents in 2005.

Puerto Ricans voted in a November 2012 non-binding referendum for full membership of the United States as the 51st State. Sixty six percent of the votes favoured statehood versus 33% for a sovereign free association with the US, and 5% for independence.

Any constitutional change requires approval by the US Congress and president. President Barack Obama has already indicated that he will respect the Puerto Rican decision, and has called on Congress to take steps in that direction.

Continue reading the main story Politics: Puerto Rico is a self-governing overseas territory of the United States at present, but has voted in favour of full US statehoodEconomy: Tourism is an important earner

Profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

Puerto Rican voters, who elect a governor for the island, have tended to favour parties that support the union with the US. Puerto Ricans do not pay US income tax, and the island receives federal funds.

There is an established cycle of migration between Puerto Rico and the US; hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans have lived and worked in New York and other cities.

The once substantial US military presence has been scaled down with the closures of a major naval base and a bombing range. Rancour over the latter grew after a civilian employee was killed by a stray bomb.

Puerto Rico is vulnerable to hurricanes, like the one sweeping across the territory in this August 2011 satellite image

Explorer Christopher Columbus claimed Puerto Rico for Spain in 1493, heralding an influx of Spanish settlers. The newcomers, and the diseases they brought with them, decimated the territory’s Taino indian population.

The main settlement, San Juan, became an important Spanish outpost. Slaves were brought to the island in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Puerto Rico’s landscape is varied, and includes rainforests in the north-east. The territory is prone to hurricanes.

Tourism is an important money-earner; the island receives millions of visitors each year and is a port-of-call for cruise liners.

The San Felipe del Morro castle in San Juan is a UN World Heritage Site

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Puerto Rico profile

Randy Quaid stranded abroad

FILE – This Oct. 27, 2010 file photo shows, actor Randy Quaid, left, and his wife Evgenia outside their lawyer’s office in Vancouver. Quaid and his wife sued John Kerry and the State Department on Monday, Dec. 15, 2014, to recover passports that the government revoked three years ago. The actor said the revocation involved an issue over “an insurance policy that we did not take out,” but declined to discuss it further. (AP)

Actor Randy Quaid and his wife Evgenia are suing John Kerry and the State Department to recover passports that the government revoked three years ago.

The State Department said it takes U.S. passports for reasons including issuance of a felony arrest warrant, fraud, failure to pay child support or a criminal court order barring departure from the country.

Randy Quaid said the revocation involved an issue over “an insurance policy that we did not take out,” but declined to discuss it further.

“We can’t go anywhere,” Quaid said.

“Randy can’t take a film job,” said Evgenia Quaid. “He had to turn down the Cannes Film Festival last year. We can’t proceed with our life.”

The Quaids have had a string of legal problems, including accusations of vandalism of a home they once owned and a California felony warrant issued over an unpaid hotel tab,

Randy Quaid is the older brother of actor Dennis Quaid. He is best-known for his roles in films such as “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and “Independence Day.” He won a Golden Globe award — which he brought to court during one of his appearances in the innkeeper case — for his depiction of President Lyndon Johnson in a TV movie in the late 1980s. He was also nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar in 1973 for his role in “The Last Detail.”

Four4Four: Movie theater terror threat shocker

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Randy Quaid stranded abroad

Jamaica Mortgage Bank to offer services to the diaspora

Jamaicans living abroad will soon be able to access the services of the Jamaica Mortgage Bank (JMB) when investing in housing here.

According to JMB General Manager Courtney Wynter, the bank will be launching a new service that is expected to focus on the technical aspect of construction financing.

Speaking at a JIS Think Tank on December 9, Wynter explained that the bank has, over the years, amassed significant knowledge and expertise in mortgage and construction financing, which would be useful in providing project management services to people living abroad. This would include close monitoring of construction projects by the bank to ensure optimal output.

“Many retired people want to build a house in Jamaica. We see where they have had various issues and what we want to offer is project management services to ensure that when they return home, all is in place,” Wynter said.

He explained that by entering the project management market, the JMB would be tapping into one of the strengths of the organisation, which it has developed in its over 43 years of existence in the housing financing market.

He added that the JMB would also be offering the service to other institutions that provide financing, but which are not as strong on the monitoring and technical side.

Meanwhile, director of business operations at JMB, Hecton Hemans, outlined some of the critical success factors of the institution and how the entity believes that it can assist people in this area.

“The bank carries out a rigorous project risk analysis and technical evaluation exercise during the application and decision process for mortgage and construction financing,” he said. “When projects are approved, there is continuous monitoring and risk mitigation, and control mechanisms are put in place.”

He added that these will measure the critical elements, functions and milestones in the project implementation process.

Hemans said that the bank also provides technical and financial oversight of loan origination and housing development, not currently employed elsewhere in the wider construction financing market.

“We are promoting our technical services and a partnership-type arrangement with all clients to achieve a higher project implementation success rate, engender trust, customer retention and repeat business,” he said.

– JIS

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Jamaica Mortgage Bank to offer services to the diaspora

VIDEO: Violent clashes in southern Mexico

Violent clashes erupted between student protesters and riot police in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero on Sunday, leaving at least 20 people injured – including eight police officers.

The clashes have been linked to the death of 43 college students who disappeared on September 26, causing a political crisis in Mexico.

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VIDEO: Violent clashes in southern Mexico

Argentina country profile

27 September 2014 Last updated at 15:35 Argentina stretches 4,000 km from its sub-tropical north to the sub-antarctic south.

Its terrain includes part of the Andes mountain range, swamps, the plains of the Pampas and a long coastline. Its people have had to struggle with military dictatorship, a lost war over the Falkland Islands, and severe economic difficulties.

Argentina is rich in resources, has a well-educated workforce and is one of South America’s largest economies. But it has also fallen prey to a boom and bust cycle.

A deep recession foreshadowed economic collapse in 2001. This left more than half the population living in poverty and triggered unrest. The country struggled with record debt defaults and currency devaluation.

Continue reading the main story Politics: President Cristina Fernandez is the widow of former president Nestor Kirchner Economy: On the mend since collapse of 2001, but in July 2014 Argentina again defaulted on its international debtInternational: Argentina claims sovereignty over the Falklands, a UK overseas territory

Country profiles compiled by BBC Monitoring

By 2003 a recovery was under way, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed to a vital new loan. Since then, Argentina has restructured its massive debt, offering creditors new bonds for the defaulted ones, and has repaid its debt to the IMF. But with poverty rife and unemployment high, many Argentines still await the benefits of the economic upturn.

Argentina remains locked in a territorial dispute with Britain over the Falklands Islands, which are governed as a British overseas territory, but have been claimed by Buenos Aires since the 1830s.

The issue led to war in 1982, when the islands fell to an invasion launched by Argentina’s military junta, but were re-conquered by Britain in a conflict that caused hundreds of deaths on both sides.

The defeat led to the fall of the military dictatorship, but the junta’s legacy is still an open wound. Tens of thousands of people were killed in the seven-year “dirty war”. The bodies of many abductees – known as the “disappeared” – have never been found, although forensic work continues to recover them.

Amnesties which protected former junta members from prosecution were repealed in 2003 and the pardons granted to military leaders overturned.

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of Argentina’s most important tourist attractions

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Argentina country profile

Barbados initials oil exploration licence with BHP Billiton

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — The Barbados Government says it has initialled an exploration licence with the international oil exploration giant BHP Billiton, to begin the search for oil and gas off-shore.

Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Christopher Sinckler said Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, in his capacity as minister of energy, would make a public announcement shortly on this new arrangement. But he said the principals of BHP Billiton would sign the formal documents at a public event.

“With the new strategic off-shore oil exploration policy framework in place, it is expected that within the coming months, other similar licences will be signed following the appropriate tendering process,” he told legislators.

Sinckler said that the expansion in alternative energy production and consumption, the continued push in building the international business and financial services platform to protect and grow this vital sector, along with “exciting” tourism prospects, augured well for further growth and diversification of the economy.

He said that the stabilisation and move towards some “green shoots” of economic growth in 2015 would be led primarily by the tourism and hospitality sector, which had seemingly begun a turnaround after some very difficult years.

Sinckler told legislators that at the end of November 2014, arrivals from the United Kingdom (UK) had increased by 9.1 per cent over the same period last year.

“This is extremely important because the UK is the market which has always recorded the highest expenditure per tourist. Airlift from the US and Canada will increase by nine per cent and 23 per cent respectively, for this winter season. Importantly, the period October 1 to November 29, 2014, saw a stabilisation of arrivals from the USA (up 0.1 per cent) and Canada (up 0.7 per cent) after a series of declines.

“Total long-stay arrivals for the period October 1 to November 29 were up 5.0 per cent over the same period last year, with a 14.3 per cent increase in arrivals from the UK, a 20.5 per cent increase in arrivals from Germany, an 11.9 per cent increase in arrivals from the rest of Europe and a 115.1 per cent increase in arrivals from Brazil,” he said.

Sinckler added that the experience of October to November and current bookings all point to a major rebound in tourist arrivals. He said that tourism value-added was estimated to have increased by 0.6 per cent so far for this year, and was predicted to grow 3.6 per cent in 2015.

He expressed the view that these early results and the anticipated ones were a direct consequence of Government’s decisions to change the investment matrix in tourism through the granting of the so-called “Sandals concessions” and the aggressive efforts to increase airlift into the country.

He told Parliament that multi-million dollar private sector investments were now being executed or would unfold throughout 2015, listing among them Sandals resorts, a new Hyatt hotel in Bridgetown, and a new multi-faceted family resort at Sam Lord’s to be managed by the world-renowned Wyndham properties.

“The remodelling and reintroduction of both the Sandy Beach and Amaryllis properties to the local tourism market will complement the work on a complete rebuild of the old Settlers Beach Hotel into a new up-market villa hospitality establishment, together with the early 2015 start of the much-anticipated Beachlands Villa Project, the recently announced exclusive high-end residences project at the Crane, and the multi-million dollar Kings Beach Villa Project which has already started.

“Between these projects and the others to come, Barbados’ economy is expected to receive a much-needed boost of new FDI (foreign direct investment) of over 1.5 billion Barbados dollars (BDS$1 = US$0.50 cents) over the next two years or so.

“This will no doubt create major economic activity, including job creation, spending during construction and increased tourism value added once the projects are completed,” Sinckler said, noting that with the exception of the Sam Lord’s project, the other projects were all private sector developments.

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Barbados initials oil exploration licence with BHP Billiton

Ramdin rallies Windies vets to lead "youngsters" as Test series bowls off

CENTURION, South Africa (CMC) — A young West Indies side is embarking on a herculean task of upsetting the world’s best team, South Africa, as the first Test begins here at SuperSport Park in Centurion this morning.

First ball is 10:30 am daily (4:30 am Eastern Caribbean time/3:30 am Jamaica time).

Denesh Ramdin’s outfit, languishing at number eight in the Test rankings, is taking on the number one-ranked South Africans in a David and Goliath clash, the first in a three-Test series.

The West Indies, whose last win against South Africa was in the opening Test in 2007/08 series, are playing the homeside at a venue where they have won 14 of 19 Tests.

“This will be a very challenging series for us,” conceded Ramdin.

“South Africa have been doing something very good to be at the top of the rankings. It is important that we play consistent cricket throughout.”

The lowly-ranked Caribbean side, above Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, in the ICC Test rankings, is without opening batsman Chris Gayle, whose back injury returned when playing Twenty20 cricket in South Africa last month, and Darren Bravo, who opted out of the tour for personal reasons.

Veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels, who was top run-scorer on the last tour of South Africa and who hit a double-century in the warm-up game, are expected to be key to the Windies scoring.

“Our batting has not been up to scratch in the past couple years,” admitted Ramdin.

“So it’s important that myself, Marlon Samuels, Chanderpaul and the senior guys put up our hands and the younger guys go along,” said the Windies skipper.

South Africa are wary of a West Indian bowling line-up that includes left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cotterell, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel and Jason Holder, who are coached by former pacer Curtly Ambrose.

Rookie pacer Cottrell is being tipped to be a surprise element for West Indies after recent spells in the WICB Professional Cricket League and an explosive five-wicket burst in last week’s three-day tour match.

“No one bowler can win a game for you, it takes a team. As long as we play together as a team, we will do well here,” said Ambrose.

The surface at Centurion is known to offer bounce and carry despite a significant amount of green grass being stripped from the pitch on Monday.

Atmospheric conditions will also favour fast bowlers and rain is forecast for every day of the match, except Saturday.

Still, both teams are considering including a spinner in their line-up.

“It’s the biggest decision management will have to make,” said AB de Villiers.

“Centurion normally doesn’t turn that much which makes you feel that you’ve maybe go with that extra seamer, but with the team we are playing against, it might not be a bad idea to play a spinner.”

The West Indies clash against South Africa is their first international match since their tour of India was abandoned in October because of a pay dispute.

Despite their high-ranking status, the South Africans have not written off their Caribbean opponents and are concerned about players whom they are unfamiliar with.

“Ramdin has rallied them quite nicely after their recent troubles so they could be quite difficult to beat,” fast bowler Dale Steyn said.

“The wounded buffalo is always the most dangerous. That could be the type of side we are playing against. They could come out firing and playing the most determined cricket they have in a long time or they could come out as individuals and quickly fold.”

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Ramdin rallies Windies vets to lead "youngsters" as Test series bowls off

Ind. cop asked to stop selling "Breathe easy" shirts

Dec. 13: Notre Dame players warm up before an NCAA college basketball game against Michigan in South Bend, Ind. (AP)

Three South Bend city council members want a police officer to stop selling T-shirts that are a response to protests over a New York City man’s chokehold death.

Members of the Notre Dame women’s basketball team wore T-shirts prior to a weekend game reading “I can’t breathe” that reference the last words of a black man who died during an arrest in New York City after a white police officer placed him in a chokehold.

Mishawaka Police officer Jason Barthel began selling T-shirts at a store he owns this week with the message

“Breathe easy, don’t break the law” in response to the Notre Dame protest.

The South Bend Tribune reports three Common Council members want Barthel to stop selling those shirts, saying they send a “divisive message.”

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Ind. cop asked to stop selling "Breathe easy" shirts

Record-breaking Tornadoes "A" bring curtains down in style

BY SHERDON COWAN

Wednesday, December 17, 2014    

A sensational swim by the Tornadoes ‘A’ team brought the curtains down on the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) Christmas Open Championships in record-breaking style in the ultimate event on Sunday’s final day at the National Aquatics Centre.

The team of Jesse Marsh, Alex Mignott, Sean-Douglas Gooden and Joseph Black smashed the club’s old record of 4:00.94 minutes set in 2011, when they posted 3:53.92 minutes to win the Boys’ 400-metre freestyle relay.

Second-placed Swimaz Aquatics team of Kevaughn Campbell, Kymon Naar, Bryce Butler and Jordan Hines also went below the mark with a time of 3:54.28 minutes, while the Marlins team closed out the top three with a time of 4:13.43 minutes.

The Wendy Lee-coached Tornadoes Swim Club were named overall champions with a tally of 648.50 points. Pace-setters Swimaz Aquatics finished second with 636.50 points, while Y-Speedos (527 points) were third. The six-team table was rounded off by Marlins Swim Club (356 points), Blue Seal Swim Club (171 points) and Wahoo Swim Club (78 points).

Naomi Eaton of Wahoo, who accumulated 75 individual points, was named top girl in the 10-12 category, while Jordane Payne (85 points) of Swimaz won the boys’ category.

Meanwhile, Annastazia Chin (74 points) of Tornadoes was the top girl in the open category with teammate Jesse Marsh (65 points) being named top boy.

Earlier in the day, Chin opened her account in the Girls’ 400-metre freestyle event. The 14-year-old won in a time of 5:05.49 minutes, ahead of Britney Williams (5:15.67) of Swimaz with Angara Sinclair (5:15.81) of Speedos finishing a close third.

Joseph Black took the boys’ equivalent in 4:37.56 minutes ahead of Kymon Naar (4:41.19) and team Jesse Marsh (4:41.62). The 14-year-old Black then followed up with victory in the 50-metre freestyle, which he won in a blistering 25.36 seconds. Jordan Hines (26.27s) of Swimaz was second, followed by Orane Garrick (26.78s) of Marlins in third.

Anjuii Barrett of Marlins took the girls’ event in 28.63 seconds, ahead of Sinclair (29.09s) and Ivana Chang (29.30s) of Swimaz back in third.

Britney Williams of Swimaz won the Girls’ 10-12 event in 30.75 seconds, just ahead of teammate Emily MacDonald (30.91s), and Eaton (30.98s). Jordane Payne topped the boys’ age-group event in 29.12 seconds, with Cameron Brown (30.01s) of Speedos and Adrian Grant (30.17s) of Blue Seals finishing second and third, respectively.

Eaton returned to win the girls’ 10-12 200-metre breaststroke event in 3:17.58 minutes. Thandiwe McDonald (3:26.20) of Swimaz and Paris Clare (3:26.20) of Speedos.

Chad Young of Blue Seals took the boys’ age-group equivalent in 3:04.99 minutes, ahead the Speedos pair of Cameron Brown (3:05.20) and Rajiv Redhi (3:10.75).

Llori Sharpe of Tornadoes easily won the girls open in 3:06.85 minutes. Gabrielle Hopkins (3:10.70) of Blue Seals was second, while Chin (3:11.10) had to settle for third.

Bryce Butler of Swimaz was just outside the 2:45.30 minute record when he won the Boys’ open event in 2:47.42 minutes. Keith Wilkinson (2:52.75) of Marlin took second, ahead of Kevon Findley (3:10.21) of Speedos.

The 11-year-old sensation Eaton also copped the Girls’ 10-12 50-metre backstroke event. She had to stave off the challenge of Blue Seals’ Courtnae Dwyer as they both touched in a time of 36.77 seconds.

However, Eaton gained the top spot with a better seeded time of 35.93 seconds, compared to Dwyer’s 36.26 seconds. Joel Wilkinson of Marlins won the boys’ age-group equivalent in 34.14 seconds, ahead of Payne (37.60s) and teammate Akeem Alleyne (38.04s).

Black won the boys’ open event in a fast time of 30.92 seconds, followed by Garrick (31.32s) and Anthony Morrison-Vincent (31.41s) of Speedos.

Angara Sinclair won the girls’ event in 32.48 seconds, ahead of Chin (35.29s) and Barrett (35.37s).

Meanwhile, Saturday’s penultimate day was highlighted by Swimaz Aquatics ‘A’ team, who erased the record in the Boys’ 400-metre medley relay. The team of Kymon Naar, Bryce Butler, Kevaughn Campbell and Jordan Hines stopped the clock at 4:24.65 minutes to erase the six-year-old mark of 4:28.27 minutes set in 2008 by Tornadoes Swim Club.

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Record-breaking Tornadoes "A" bring curtains down in style

Bobby Shmurda Pleads Not Guilty To Gun, Drug Charges

NEW YORK (AP) — An up-and-coming rapper pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges he moonlighted as a gun-toting member of a New York City street gang responsible for several shootings during turf wars over drug trafficking.

Ackquille Pollard, who performs under the name Bobby Shmurda, was ordered held on $2 million bail at a hearing in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. His attorney, Howard Greenberg, failed to convince a judge that his client should be released without bail because he was framed and had no reason to run.

“He is a legitimate entertainer,” Greenberg said. “He is rich. He is busy. He is always on tour.”

The Brooklyn-born Pollard is best known for the hit song “Hot Boy.” He also put out a music video that popularized a dance craze called the “Shmoney dance,” and reportedly signed a lucrative record deal with Epic Records.

Greenberg claimed Epic had agreed to help Pollard make bail. A spokesman for the label declined to comment.

Police arrested Pollard on conspiracy, reckless endangerment and gun possession on Wednesday after he left a recording studio near Radio City Music Hall. Police found two handguns and a small amount of crack cocaine in a car in which he was riding, authorities said.

An indictment naming Pollard charges more than 15 defendants with a variety of crimes including murder, attempted murder, assault and drug dealing. The gang’s gun play left one rival dead, injured an innocent bystander sitting on folding chair outside a Brooklyn home and caused pandemonium outside a nightclub in Miami Beach, Florida, authorities said.

Police seized 21 guns during the investigation, 10 of them while making arrests on Wednesday.

The case carries some “deeply disturbing themes: The gang members’ enthrallment with guns, and a cavalier disregard for human life,” Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said at a news conference.

The hip-hop artist’s songs and videos were “almost like a real-life document of what they were doing on the street,” added James Essig, head of a New York Police Department unit that made the arrests.

The court papers allege that Pollard fired a gun toward a crowd of people outside a barbershop in Brooklyn earlier this year. They also say he was present last year during a confrontation between rival drug gangs outside a Brooklyn courthouse where shots were fired.

The evidence includes several recorded phone conversations, including some between Pollard and gang members serving time on Rikers Island, the indictment says. The gang used code words, referring to firearms as “tone,” ”socks” or “CDs,” narcotics as “crills,” and shootings as “sun tans,” it says.

During a conversation on April 28, Pollard bragged, “I am two socks Bobby right now,” the indictment says. Another defendant commented, “Bobby out here with two CDs on him like in the wild wild west or something.”

A “Hot Boy” video posted on YouTube in August has been viewed tens of millions of times, and Pollard performed the song for a national television audience this month on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

“My music is straight facts,” Pollard recently told New York Magazine. “There are a lot of gangsters in my ‘hood.”

Pollard’s criminal history included two arrests for gun and drug possession, authorities said. If convicted of conspiracy, he faces a maximum sentence of 8 to 25 years in prison.

___

Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this report.

Posted in: Breaking News, Gossip, Hip Hop. Tags: Bobby Shmurda Pleads Not Guilty To Gun, Drug Charges.

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Bobby Shmurda Pleads Not Guilty To Gun, Drug Charges

Police Constable Preddie Murder In Slain Manchester Just 2 Nights Ago… Such A Gruesome Sigh

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for Police Area Three, which includes the parish of Manchester, Kevin Blake, is describing the murder last night of Constable Orville Preddie as a wicked act and one which must be condemned by the entire society.

“This is further evidence that while significant gains have been made in reducing the number of murders in 2014, the fight against criminals is not over.

“The manner in which Constable Preddie was murdered speaks to the callousness of these murderers. We mourn for our colleague and I offer my personal sympathies and that of the Constabulary to the family, friends and colleagues of Constable Preddie,” ACP Blake told OBSERVER ONLINE Friday morning.

Police say Preddie who was off duty and unarmed was relaxing with friends at a bar in the remote community of Farm in the Asia police division of southern Manchester when several men armed with guns entered the premises.

The criminals proceeded to rob patrons and in the process of going through their pockets discovered Preddie’s police identification. One of the gunmen promptly shot him in the head. He reportedly died on the spot.

Police Divisional Commander for Superintendent Melvin Brown says “no stone will be left unturned” in the hunt for the killers of the 34 year-old constable.

“We will be unrelenting, turning over every stone, exploring every angle… we are resolved to find those responsible,” Brown told OBSERVER ONLINE.

Preddie was married with two children aged eight years and 18 months.

He is the second policeman to be killed in 2014.

Posted in: Breaking News, Current News, International, Local. Tags: Police Constable Preddie Murder In Slain Manchester Just 2 Nights Ago… Such A Gruesome Sigh.

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Police Constable Preddie Murder In Slain Manchester Just 2 Nights Ago… Such A Gruesome Sigh

A SCARY WITCH Found In A Gutter

Yea, they have started again, of recent a woman was found stuck in a gutter around abalti Barracks which is located in Ojuelegba, lagos. They woman who was called a witch by the mob and when she could not explain how she got inside the gutter.

People found her when she called out for help from a passer who was walking and the person alerted others who later found her and called a welder who cut the barricade so she can be able to be brought out.

But things got strange and weird when she was brought out and she was naked when asked how she got there, this was what she said

“in tears she said:
My name is Amudat Jimoh, It was God that sent me here. He said I should confess my sins so that I don’t die, please I need water to drink, help me.I don’t know how I found myself here, please help me”

People normal assumption was that she is a witch because it is kinda of impossible to get down there especially naked and she might be a flying witch that God punished”- People say..

what do you think guyz???

Is She a witch or not?? Please share your views

Posted in: Breaking News, Current News, International. Tags: A SCARY WITCH Found In A Gutter.

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A SCARY WITCH Found In A Gutter

What Are Your Views On New Artiste “Checkdhat” Piercing His Eyes In?

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What Are Your Views On New Artiste “Checkdhat” Piercing His Eyes In?

Look What They Found In Panama Canal

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Look What They Found In Panama Canal

Brother Of Girl Who Was Starved To Death By Mother, Brought Food To Her Funeral ‘So His Sister Could Eat In Heaven’

The five-year-old brother of a girl who was beaten and starved to death by their mother brought food to her funeral so she would have enough to eat in heaven, it was revealed.
‘Monster mom’ Carlotta Brett-Pierce was found guilty of murder last month and sentenced to 32 years to life in prison yesterday.
Her four-year-old daughter Marchella died covered in bruises and open wounds and weighing only 19 pounds in September 2010. She was found drugged and beaten, tied to her SpongeBob SquarePants bed at the Brooklyn home.

The little girl, who was force-fed allergy pills, was often beaten in front of her brother Tymel.
Prosecutor Jacqueline Kagan revealed that Tymel, now seven, was deeply traumatized by the events he witnessed at home and still grieves for his sister.
When he attended her funeral, he had brought food with him so that he could help his sister.

Ms Kagan said: ‘He brought with him food because he knew she didn’t get enough. And he told his foster mother, ”I hope that she gets enough food and water in heaven,”’ according to the New York Post.
The month-long trial of Brett-Pierce, 32, in a Brooklyn court room finished quickly on May 9 with the jury requiring only one hour to deliberate over her guilt.

When Marchella Brett-Pierce was found, she was tied to her bed with jump ropes, had been beaten, starved and drugged.
Prosecutors say she had dozens of marks and open wounds on her tiny body which was so emaciated, every rib could be seen.
Carlotta Brett-Pierce was emotionless when the jury proclaimed her guilty of her daughter Marchella’s death. Her punishment did not even stop her from giving the judge some attitude when asked if she understood.
‘I heard what you said,’ the 32-year-old said.

She has refused to accept blame for the death of her daughter, blaming the jurors, lawyers and the press for her murder conviction, calling it a ‘tragedy’.
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Patricia DiMango said yesterday: ‘This child, at her tender age, was subjected to a hell that no one should have to endure.
‘What kind of person could do this to a child, let alone their own child?’ she said, according to DNAinfo.com
During the trial, Brett-Pierce’s answers painted a ghastly picture of their home life.
She said of her daughter near the time of her September 2010 death: ‘To me, at the time, it didn’t look bad.’

Brett-Pierce said that her daughter lost weight by running around in the heat and sustained the bruises from falling in the stairway.
Judge DiMango also sentenced grandmother Loretta Brett to five to 15 years in prison for manslaughter in the death.
Throughout the trial, her lawyers switched between disproving the prosecutions tales of horrific beatings and arguing that Brett-Pierce was an overwhelmed mother with a sick daughter that she didn’t know how to care for.
Marchella spent the first three-and-a-half years of her life in hospital after she was born prematurely with severe breathing difficulties.
Her mother admitted on the stand that in the seven months she was in her care, she never took the four-year-old to a pediatrician.

A prosecutor showed the mother a doctor’s note indicating that her youngest boy weighed 18 pounds at nine months – roughly the same weight as four-year-old Marchella when she died.
She told the court she fed her daughter ‘potato chips, fried chicken and cheese doodles’, but an autopsy recorded that only a single corn kernel was found in her body, along with a high level of antihistamines.
Marchella should have been on a specialized diet and fed through a tube, which prosecutors say the mother totally ignored, instead feeding her junk food.

During questioning she denied certain things she had already told police and called Marchella ‘my baby’ as opposed to ‘that b***h’ – which she was heard calling her in a recorded jail conversation played for the jury saying: ‘That b***h wasn’t that f***ing light.’
When she was released from hospital seven months before her death, she weighed 26lbs- a stark contrast from her final weight of 18.9 pounds.
The Administration for Children’s Services became involved with the family after Brett Pierce gave birth to a boy who tested positive for drugs.
Two social workers from ACS who had involvement in Marchella’s case were charged separately with criminally negligent homicide for failing to prevent the tragic death.
Damon Adams and Chereece Bell were both charged with criminally negligent homicide, official misconduct and endangering the welfare of a child. Their case is due to begin.

Posted in: Breaking News, Current News, International. Tags: Brother Of Girl Who Was Starved To Death By Mother, Brought Food To Her Funeral ‘So His Sister Could Eat In Heaven’.

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Brother Of Girl Who Was Starved To Death By Mother, Brought Food To Her Funeral ‘So His Sister Could Eat In Heaven’

New Zealand edge Pakistan 3-2 in ODI series

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — Skipper Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor hit half-centuries while paceman Matt Henry recorded career-best bowling figures as New Zealand thumped Pakistan by 68 runs in the fifth and final one-dayer in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

Williamson’s 97 and Taylor’s 88 were the cornerstone of New Zealand’s 275-4 before Henry’s 5-30 helped dismiss Pakistan for 207 in 43.3 overs for a 3-2 series win at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Pakistan won the first match in Dubai by three wickets and the third in Sharjah by 147 runs, while New Zealand took the second by four wickets and the fourth game by seven runs.

Henry took the first three of the four wickets as Pakistan were struggling at 38-3 before Haris Sohail (65) and Ahmed Shehzad (54) put on 69 for the fourth wicket.

Henry then returned for his second spell to dismiss Shehzad followed by Sarfraz Ahmed (26) and Shahid Afridi (13) to improve on his previous best of 4-38 on debut against India at Wellington in January this year.

This becomes Pakistan’s 12th defeat in the final games of a series after they were tied at 1-1 or 2-2. Their only win came against Zimbabwe in 2012.

Defeat left Pakistan without a one-day series win in 2014 after losing in Sri Lanka 2-1 and to Australia 3-0.

“It’s nice to win,” said Williamson. “It was such an up and down series and very tough, but it’s good to win against Pakistan.”

Pakistan were off to a disastrous start when opener Nasir Jamshed was leg-before wicket in the first over to Henry for nought.

Henry then had Younis Khan (12) and Shehzad (54) to leave Pakistan struggling at 107-4.

In between, Anton Devcich had Asad Shafiq (seven) and Nathan McCullum dismissed Umar Akmal for six.

Sohail hit five fours and a six off 74 balls, while Shehzad’s knock of 81 balls had only two boundaries.

Shehzad was caught, while Sohail was bowled by Mitchell McClenaghan, ending Pakistan’s hopes of a win.

Afridi found enough positives despite the loss with the World Cup in February and March fast approaching.

“I congratulate New Zealand for the win,” said Afridi, who deputised for Misbah-ul Haq, injured in the second game.

“We have quite a few positives but our fielding needs to improve before the World Cup.”

Earlier Williamson and Taylor propelled New Zealand to 275-4 in their 50 overs.

Williamson added an invaluable 116 for the third wicket with Taylor before top-edging a sweep off leg-spinner Afridi and was caught behind.

He hit eight boundaries off 119 balls, following up his 123 in the series-levelling win on Wednesday, also in Abu Dhabi.

Taylor hit five boundaries and a six off 95 balls, giving impetus in the last 15 overs in which 120 runs were scored.

Tom Latham chipped in with an 18-ball 22 with four boundaries and Luke Ronchi made 16.

Williamson also added 66 for the second wicket with Dean Brownlie (34) after New Zealand lost opener Martin Guptill for eight to paceman Mohammad Irfan, who finished with 2-62.

Afridi finished with 1-33 in his 10 overs.

Pakistan were forced to leave out opener Mohammad Hafeez, who had a recurrence of a hamstring injury, while struggling paceman Sohail Tanvir was dropped, making way for Shafiq and Zulfiqar Babar.

New Zealand brought in McCullum and Devcich for Daniel Vettori and Corey Anderson. Vettori left for home to attend his brother’s wedding.

The one-day series marked the end of Pakistan’s two-and-a-half month activity in United Arab Emirates in which they lost the one-day series to Australia 3-0 but beat them in the Test series 2-0.

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New Zealand edge Pakistan 3-2 in ODI series

Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run donates equipment to UHWI Special Care Unit

SAGICOR Group Jamaica yesterday presented the Special Care Unit of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) with medical equipment valued at $6.2m as part proceeds from the Sigma Corporate Run.

The annual 5K walk, run and wheelchair road race which took place in February, garnered over $21m, the most in the 16-year history of the event.

With a theme of “Save Our Children, Save Our Future 2014″ tagline, the Special Care Nursery was the recipient of two ventilators and accessories.

It is a part of the department of Child Health at the hospital that specialises in infectious diseases, development and behavioural paediatrics, cardiology, endocrinology, neonatology, nephrology, neurology, pulmonology and other subspecialties managed in conjunction with other specialties.

Dr Cecil White, CEO of the University Hospital of the West Indies, thanked Sagicor.

“We are extremely grateful as these machines you can see here are extremely expensive and are valuable to us. We can’t measure how valuable they are to us,” said Dr White.

Earlier this year, Sagicor presented three other beneficiaries with well-needed equipment and contracted services from the over $21m raised. They included the Sickle Cell Unit at the University Hospital; Sickle Cell Trust in Mandeville and Jamaica Kidney Kids Foundation.

Professor Minerva Thame, head of the department of Child Health at the University Hospital of the West Indies, pointed out that the donation has purchased vital equipment.

“When we got the two ventilators and were setting them up, we had two babies that were born the day before and both of them would have needed a ventilator because they have something that is called a respiratory distress syndrome, and they would have got progressively worse. Fortunately for them, both ventilators were set up and both have been beneficiaries of these ventilators,” said Thame.

“We are very grateful to be one of the beneficiaries of the Sigma Run. These pieces of equipment are important in the care of the newborn and will help to improve the level and quality of health care that we deliver as we work to save their lives,” said Thame.

Meanwhile, Ingrid Card, Sagicor’s group marketing assistant vice-president, said the support from Jamaicans was overwhelming.

“We want to thank every single person that registered, donated and volunteered to make a difference. Sigma Corporate Runs shows that when Jamaicans unite we can do anything,” said Card.

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Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run donates equipment to UHWI Special Care Unit

Michael Phelps dodges jail in drunk driving case

Friday, December 19, 2014 | 4:19 PM    

BALTIMORE, United States (AFP) — Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps looked to the future Friday, including the Rio Olympics in 2016, after he dodged a stint in prison for drunk driving.

The most decorated Olympian of all time struck a remorseful tone when he appeared in a Baltimore courtroom where he acknowledged the DUI charge against him.

As his defence lawyer pleaded for leniency, it emerged that the 29-year-old is attending Alcoholics Anonymous sessions after completing 45 days of intensive rehab at the Meadows addiction treatment centre in Arizona.

“During my 45-day programme, I was able to find out a lot about myself that I never knew,” Phelps, in a dark suit and heavy-rimmed glasses, told Judge Nathan Braverman.

He added: “I’m looking at a much brighter future than I have had in the past.”

Phelps — still under a six-month suspension from competitive swimming — could have landed in prison for driving too fast after a few too many at Baltimore’s chic Horseshoe casino in the early hours of September 30.

But Braverman opted to heed a state prosecutor’s recommended penalty — a one-year suspended sentence, plus 18 months of supervised probation, during which Phelps must abstain totally from alcohol.

Phelps will be free to go outside the United States to train and compete, the judge said, but wherever he is he must stick firmly to his alcohol addiction treatment.

“It sounds like you know what you need to do,” Braverman told Phelps, adding that he hoped the case would in time become “a footnote to a legendary career”.

Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence once before, when he was 19, in rural Maryland. His traffic record also included a 2006 speeding rap.

Friday’s outcome clears the way for Phelps — whose 22 Olympic medals include 18 golds — to resume his return to top-notch competitive swimming.

Due to the six-month suspension imposed by USA Swimming in the days after his arrest, Phelps will not be taking part in the 2015 world swimming championships in Russia, his attorney Steven Allen told the court.

However, Phelps “is in the process of training for the upcoming Olympics” in Rio de Janeiro, said the lawyer, who gave no further details.

Police pulled over Phelps in a white Range Rover SUV after he was clocked doing 84 miles (135 kilometers) per hour in a 45 mph zone in Baltimore’s undersea Fort McHenry Tunnel.

After the arresting officer whiffed alcohol in the vehicle, Phelps underwent a breathalyzer test that found a blood alcohol level of 0.14 percent — well above the Maryland legal limit of 0.08 per cent.

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Michael Phelps dodges jail in drunk driving case

Karrueche Reveals She Had Abortion By Rapper Drake

Drake done got himself in a whole HEAP of trouble messing around with Chris “Beat a Brother Down” Brown’s girl and now she’s revealing that the rapper got her pregnant.

Karrueche posted that she didn’t tell anyone, because she simply was afraid for her life. “Dealing with Chris Brown, I figured it was either my life or the babies.

So it was a no brainer” Said Karrueche on her instagram page revealing that she was pregnant by grammy nominated rapper Drake. Karrueche revealed she was pregnant by rapper Drake earlier this year while Chris Brown and out of fear for her life she aborted the baby.

Things have been heating up between Karrueche and Chris Brown after the singer/rapper took to the stage and said “F*ck that B*tch” in front of a packed crowd revealing that he was now single.

“I seen what happen with Rihanna and all she did was give him lip. I gave another n**ga a baby, so I didn’t want to know how he’d react” Said Karrueche before deleting the pictures in a series of post on her Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Karrueche posted a message to her Instagram after Chris went on stage and announced their break up:

Chris and Karrueche’s relationship has had a number of ups and downs and many accusations of them both cheating on each other her with Drake and him with long time love Rihanna, but through thick and thin she held him down.

Even though as you can see above he says she only visited him one time while he was incarcerated for over four months in Los Angeles.

As of now there has been no response from Chris, but Los Angeles Police Department has been dispatched to Karrueche’s known residence in case things get out of hand or in this case …into Chris Brown’s hands. What do y’all think about this whole mess of a relationship?

Posted in: Celebs, Gossip, Hip Hop. Tags: Karrueche Reveals She Had Abortion By Rapper Drake.

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Karrueche Reveals She Had Abortion By Rapper Drake

CONGRATS! TYLER PERRY’S A DAD

Tyler Perry and his girlfriend, model Gelila Bekele, may have secretly welcomed a baby boy over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Bekele’s sister has been gushing nonstop on Twitter about her new nephew. Back in September, Tyler accidentally revealed that he and Bekele were expecting a son. “I’m on a natural high right now and I don’t think I’m coming down anytime soon,” Anna tweeted on Nov. 30.

“Life is incredible. Wow,” she added. “The love of my life has finally arrived… Auntie is the best title I’ve ever been given.”

The couple welcomed a son, Aman Tyler Perry, on November 30.

“Everyone is doing great,” a source tells E! News. “They are so happy.” As for the little tyke’s name, an insider tells People that the name Aman not only means “peace”, but it stands for “the true meaning of Thanksgiving and then, of course, the holiday season.” The insider also adds that Tyler, 45, is “over the moon.”

The couple initially knew the baby’s sex prior to birth, and Tyler himself accidentally revealed that they were expecting a boy during a recent interview with Extra. “The greatest gift I’m being given right now is the opportunity to give the little boy in me everything I never had, so that’s what I’m excited about,” the Gone Girl star explained. “This beautiful human being that God has allowed to come into my life for me to get to know, because they come with their own personalities, who they are, to shepherd and usher him…”

So awesome!

What do you think?

: PEOPLE

Posted in: Celebs, Environment, Gossip. Tags: CONGRATS! TYLER PERRY’S A DAD.

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CONGRATS! TYLER PERRY’S A DAD

BILL COSBY FINALLY RESPONDS TO TEEN VICTIM’S LAWSUIT

A woman suing Bill Cosby for sexual battery attempted to sell a story about the comedian to a tabloid a decade ago and tried to extort money in exchange for her silence, Cosby’s attorney said in a court filing Thursday.

Attorney Martin Singer wrote in the filing that the lawsuit by Judy Huth and her attorney followed a failed attempt to extort $250,000 from Cosby. In the filing, Cosby seeks more than $33,000 from Huth and her attorney.

The filing comes two days after Huth sued, claiming the comedian forced her to perform a sex act in 1974 when she was 15. The incident occurred in a bedroom of the Playboy Mansion after Cosby gave Huth and a 16-year-old friend alcohol, according to her lawsuit.

“(Huth’s) claims are absolutely false,” Cosby’s filing states.

The filings state that Singer and Huth’s attorney, Marc S. Strecker, had several conversations about the allegations in the weeks before the lawsuit was filed. Strecker first demanded $100,000, then raised the demand to $250,000 in order to keep from filing a lawsuit on Huth’s behalf, Singer wrote.

Strecker did not return phone messages seeking comment Thursday. “Your demand for money from Mr. Cosby is rejected,” Singer wrote in a Dec. 1 letter to Strecker.

Her lawsuit stated she only recently discovered that she had suffered psychological damage as a result of the incident, which under California law would allow filing of the case.

Cosby’s response, however, notes that Huth unsuccessfully tried to sell her story a decade ago and that her lawsuit was not accompanied by a certification from a psychologist that the trauma was newly discovered. The certification is required for the case to proceed under rules that extend the statute of limitations, Cosby’s filing states.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck also said Thursday that the department would investigate any reports of abuse against Cosby, even if they were outside the statute of limitations for prosecution. Beck said the department has no investigations into the comedian.

“We don’t turn people away because things are out of statute. You come to us, especially with a sexual allegation, we will work with you,” Beck said, according the Los Angeles Times. “We address these things seriously– and it’s not just because it’s Mr. Cosby.”

In recent weeks, more than a dozen women have alleged that Cosby drugged them and sexually assaulted them. Cosby was sued by a Pennsylvania woman, Andrea Constand, in 2005 and that lawsuit was settled before it went to trial. Cosby has never been charged in connection with either Constand’s suit or any of the recent allegations and Singer has denied some of the recent allegations, while another Cosby attorney called others “discredited.”

Since the allegations arose in early November, Cosby’s career has suffered. NBC canceled a comedy in development, Netflix postponed a special and performances have been canceled in at least nine cities in his current tour of the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, he resigned from the Temple University board of trustees this week and other colleges have pulled away from their associations with the comedian. On Thursday, the U.S. Navy revoked Cosby’s title of honorary chief petty officer, saying allegations of sexual abuse made against the comedian are serious and conflict with the Navy’s core values.

What do you think will happen with her lawsuit?

: BILLBOARD

Posted in: Breaking News, Current News, Environment, Gossip. Tags: BILL COSBY FINALLY RESPONDS TO TEEN VICTIM’S LAWSUIT.

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BILL COSBY FINALLY RESPONDS TO TEEN VICTIM’S LAWSUIT

Touchless, Spice release "Work It" video

Touchless

Spice

Rising dancehall artiste Touchless has released the video for his collaborative single ‘Work It’, which features dancehall artiste Spice.

“The video is in response to Touchless’ fans, who wanted him to come up with a hot video befitting the Work It song with Spice, and that’s exactly what we did,” a member of Touchless’ management team said. “We captured the total essence of Work It – raw, steamy, sexy and fun.

There are stunning visuals and a look uncommon to most dancehall videos that will blow your mind. All we can say is watch the video and you will watch it over and over again.”

The video, released on YouTube, will debut on television this weekend just in time for Touchless to perform at two major events for the Christmas, Sting and GT Taylor Christmas Extravaganza.

Additionally, Touchless will be performing at the Galliday Bounce stage show on December 28. “Come out and see his dynamite routines that will leave you wanting more,” the representative saidd.

Born Brandon Campbell and originally from St Ann, Touchless has also released songs, including Bruck Out, Summa Body, and Real Boss, featuring Don SLR among others.

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Touchless, Spice release "Work It" video

The streets buzz Netwrk

The streets are talking about Netwrk, a new artiste rising from the ANG, an affiliate of the Bounty Killer-led Alliance.

Years ago, he first grabbed public attention with Neva Lef It, a hardcore diss of Vybz Kartel and the Portmore Empire. Now, he has a new song called Bare Dead Body (Death Trial), which represents the ANG hard in the streets.

The artiste’s potent rhymes and humorous wordplay are a sign that he could flip the dancehall game on its ear and that a new era is dawning in the world of music.

“Mi have to big up bounty Killer, who ah give me a real strength. Right now, mi up and running. Netwrk picking up. The streets say dem love the Death Trial and the Alkaline diss A Wah So?, the ting up.” Netwrk said.

The growing buzz has led to a show at Limelight nightclub, St Andrew, tomorrow and another in Manchester on December 28 at the community centre in Mandeville.

“I will be appearing alongside the General, Bounty Killer. Grimy lifestyle! Tell dem nuh try wi lifestyle,” he said.

He also released a much-heralded mixtape called Lyrical Dictionary.

“I was introduced to the General, Bounty Killer, by an Alliance campaign agent, Kim Sassi/Kimesha Chung. Since that time, I have been voicing songs. Mi confidence really improve and the ting look good for 2015,” he said.

Other singles include Street Prayer for On the Peak Music/Iwaad Music, a combination with Singy Chris on the Island Traffic/IWAAD label, and Realest Inna The Streets on the Chase Mills Records label.

“Big up Pusha Yute records and the whole entourage. Everyday mi inna the streets ah white-line it. Big up the Street Boss! Big up Millsy!” he said.

You can find the Lyrical Dictionary album on YouTube and sound cloud, and on other media platforms like www.one876entertainment.com.

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The streets buzz Netwrk

THE ULTIMATE RELEASES THREE NEW SINGLES

Fast-rising artiste The Ultimate has released three new singles entitled ‘Jah Jah Naah Sleep’, ‘Some Bwoy’ and ‘Boom Dem Dung’, which are creating a buzz on local radio stations.

The Ultimate, whose given name is Neil McFarlane, is known for his unique sounds, creativity, and his well constructed composition in which he delivers songs such as IWill Survive, Caah Do Mi Nuttn, My Goal, Over And Over, and I Wish, just to name a few.

He said that he is delighted with the response that he has been getting from his fans and is looking forward to greater things in the 2015.

“I am also giving thanks for the support that I have been receiving from both local and Internet radio stations,” said The Ultimate.

“The support has been great and so i am just going to continue to work hard and make good music for my fans,” he said.

The Ultimate added that he is busy in the studio working on new projects and also his EP, to be released in the coming year, and also a number of videos, which will also be released in the new year.

The Black Records recording artiste said he is very focused despite a number of challenges that he is facing.

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THE ULTIMATE RELEASES THREE NEW SINGLES

Time-Out Sports Bar and Lounge

Rasbert Turner photos – Scenes from Time-Out karaoke at Glendon Court Plaza, Old Harbour, St Catherine.

Rasbert Turner, Star Writer

Karaoke Thursdays at the Time-Out Sports Bar and Lounge in Glendon Court Plaza, Old Harbour, St Catherine, was total entertainment for those in attendance.

The weekly session, which is hosted by Zee-Y Entertainment, saw patrons entertaining themselves in true Karaoke style.

Among the standouts on Thursday were Denise, Antoine and Michelle. Others just added entertainment value to the occasion as they had patrons laughing their way to the bar.

Proprietor Robert ‘Billy’ Clarke said the session has become a household name. “Persons travel from all over and entertain themselves. We look forward each week to it,” Clarke said.

His views were echoed by several patrons, who described it as total “niceness”.

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Time-Out Sports Bar and Lounge