BlackBerry denies report of takeover talks with Samsung

Wednesday, January 14, 2015 | 6:56 PM    

(AP) — BlackBerry Ltd denied a report Wednesday that it has had talks with Samsung over a possible takeover of the Canadian company.

“BlackBerry has not engaged in discussions with Samsung with respect to any possible offer to purchase BlackBerry,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.

A Reuters report, citing a person that it didn’t identify, had said Wednesday that executives met last week to discuss a potential deal. South Korea-based Samsung reportedly offered to buy BlackBerry for $13.35 to $15.49 per share, valuing the company at as much as $7.5 billion.

BlackBerry shares slid 16 per cent after the company’s statement. The stock had jumped nearly 30 per cent, or $2.89 Wednesday to close at $12.60.

Samsung declined to comment.

Any foreign takeover would also require approval from the Canadian Government. Asked if the Canadian Government has been approached about the deal, Jessica Fletcher, a spokeswoman for Canadian Industry Minister James Moore, said: “We don’t comment on rumours and speculation.”

BlackBerry has not been able to compete with Apple Inc’s iPhone or Android smartphones made by Samsung and other companies. It now holds a small fraction of the US smartphone market. It had nearly half the market in 2009.

The company has been expanding its efforts to sell mobile-security software on its rivals’ smartphones and tablets to help counter the waning popularity of its own devices. It unveiled its latest phone, the Classic, in December. Aimed at the business user, the Classic has a traditional keyboard, unlike the touchscreens that are on the most popular smartphones. But whether BlackBerry will sell enough of them to stay relevant in the hardware business is unclear.

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BlackBerry denies report of takeover talks with Samsung

Khago denies feud with mother

CURTIS CAMPBELL, STAR Writer

Dancehall artiste Khago has denied allegations made by his younger sister, Natayna Gayle, that he is blaming his mother for the decline in airplay on local radio.

According to Khago’s publicist, Derven Patterson, Khago’s statements in a recent television interview about family, was taken out of context.

Khago’s sister told The STAR yesterday, that the artiste is selling the idea that his mother is not supportive of him, and is making moves to rip his music from local radio. She also said that several persons have drawn the assumption that his mother does not have his best interest at heart.

“He is saying his mother goes to media houses to stop his songs from playing and that is a lie. I don’t know where Khago gets his stories from. His mother does not have that power so Khago should get his facts right before he goes to the public with news like that. She is not even a part of the music industry so that makes no sense. I have never seen him smoke anything nor drink liquor, so I don’t know what is wrong with him and if it was anybody else that said the things he did on that platform we would sue him or take it further,” she said.

Biggest enemy

The seemingly concerned sister says the artiste should blame himself for his own problems.

“Khago likes his own way and always wants to be a boss and he is just a basket. He is his biggest enemy and he is the one mashing up his career because of his ego. He even said he is not sure if his mother is his real mother and that is strange coming from Khago,” Gayle said.

The STAR contacted publicist from Khago’s camp, Derven ‘Flexx’ Patterson, for a comment. He said Khago was finished with that issue and that the artiste was not talking about his mother in his interview.

Blood mother

“We are done with that and don’t want to do anymore interviews on that topic. Khago was not speaking about his blood mother. There is no problem with him and his mother right now and we just want to clear the air, because that interview was taken out of context. Generally, you have family members that can be vindictive, so Khago was talking about the mothers and family members who are generally not supportive of their own. But he was not talking about his own mother. People from the music business can relate to the situation where the immediate family is not supportive,” Patterson said.

Khago recently released music videos for singles It Was All A Dream and Ready For Love produced by Notnice Records.

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Khago denies feud with mother

Cuba denies previously reported WiFi rollout

Tuesday, January 13, 2015 | 5:56 PM    

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) — Cuba will not begin offering wireless service despite reports of a planned WiFi rollout in its second-largest city, Santiago de Cuba, state-run telecommunications provider Etecsa said Tuesday.

Cuba, where the Internet is largely limited to government offices and pricey pay-by-the-hour access at cafes and hotels, allows only some locals such as journalists, doctors and athletes to have Internet at home.

But anyone who wants their own router for a WiFi signal needs permission from the Communications Ministry first.

Etecsa clarified that a new “intranet” WiFi service was being installed but would only be available at select official sites, such as a city recreational centre and a network of youth cyber clubs.

As for wider wireless service, the information was “false and had not been issued by the company,” Etecsa said in a statement published in state-run newspaper Granma.

The Union of Cuban Journalists, a government association, had reported on its website that wireless service would become available this month in a limited rollout in Santiago de Cuba at $4.50 per hour.

More than 100 public Internet cafes offer access at around the same price, a rate that is largely unaffordable for most Cubans, whose average salary is $20 per month.

For around $6 per hour, wireless Internet service is available in Cuban hotels for international tourists and Cubans willing to pay the steep price.

Last year, 3.4 per cent of homes in Cuba had Internet access, one of the world’s lowest rates, according to international technology authorities.

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Cuba denies previously reported WiFi rollout

Russia denies submarine incident

19 October 2014 Last updated at 15:18 The Swedish navy said it launched a search after receiving “credible information”

The Russian defence ministry has denied reports that one of its submarines got into trouble in the waters off Sweden.

The Swedish military has been searching the sea since Friday, following what the military said was foreign underwater activity.

It has denied looking for a submarine, and said that it was conducting an intelligence operation.

However, a local newspaper said Sweden had intercepted a distress signal in Russian.

Soviet submarine sightings during the Cold War caused security alerts in Sweden in the 1980s.

Swedish corvette HMS Visby searches the Stockholm archipelago Russian President Vladimir Putin (second from left) watches a nuclear submarine at Severomorsk, on the Kola Peninsula, this summer

Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine this year has fuelled suspicion about its intentions towards other neighbouring states, notably in the Baltic.

It has several submarines based in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave bordered by Poland and Lithuania and facing out to Sweden, as well as a much bigger force near Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula.

Last month, another Swedish newspaper, Expressen, reported an incursion by two Russian SU-24 fighter bombers into national airspace. Sweden scrambled jets to see them off, it said.

A defence ministry spokesman in Moscow told reporters that the Russian navy’s submarines and surface ships were “performing tasks… according to plan”.

“There has been no irregular situation, let alone emergency situation, involving Russian navy vessels,” he said.

Sources told Svenska Dagbladet newspaper that Sweden had begun a search after a radio transmission in Russian was detected on an emergency frequency on Thursday evening.

Encrypted radio traffic from a point in the Stockholm archipelago and Kaliningrad was later also picked up.

A corvette equipped with anti-submarine technology, the Visby, joined other vessels, as well as helicopters and amphibious troops, in scanning the search area.

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Russia denies submarine incident

Vegas" babymother cheating video released. Artiste denies putting footage online.

Mr Vegas

CURTIS CAMPBELL, STAR Writer

In 2012 dancehall/reggae artiste Mr Vegas set social media ablaze after he announced via his Facebook page that his babymother had cheated on him in his own home and even had sexual intercourse in the presence of his daughter.

The singjay also claimed to have video proof from his surveillance system, to show that he wasn’t exaggerating his experience. After doing several local and international interviews on the issue, Mr Vegas did not release the footage, which left many of his fans in doubt, some even sided with the accused babymother citing that Mr Vegas was being a mere cry baby at the time.

However those who doubted Mr Vegas, have now received the proof they were waiting for, as the alleged video evidence has finally surfaced and has being doing rounds on social media.

The over three-minute long video shows a woman and a man, taking part in, what appears to be coitus, while a baby girl walks in and out of the room at various intervals. The woman made an attempt to remove the child from the room, however not before removing her underwear in the child’s presence, then swiftly returning to her lover who sat in a sofa partially covered with a sheet. The curious child however returned twice during the sofa action.

Focused on his child’s development

Mr Vegas however vehemently denied having any part in the release of the video footage. He says his only focus is his child’s development and he doesn’t want to be reminded of the experience.

“I have moved on from that situation a long time ago … I don’t want to be reminded of that awful situation and can only pray that my daughter is ok. I was not the only one at my house the day the video was seen, so I don’t know the source where it is coming from at this time,” the artiste said.

The singer also released a song and music video called Bare Tingz, documenting his experience and warning others not to fall deeply in love. He further told THE STAR that those persons who have seen the now viral video, have been offering their sympathy.

“People have been sending me links and I see messages in my inbox where people are saying they respect me for how I dealt with that situation, but I don’t want to get into that energy right now. My main focus now is my kids, my music and the artistes in my camp. This situation is only gonna put me back in a dark place and I worked with Danny Browne and Clevie with music that could heal my soul. So I have nothing more to say about that, my only wish with this situation is that my daughter is ok, because there are lots of predators out there,” he said.

The artiste also hopes other men will be able to learn from him, based on how he handled the situation instead of resorting to violence.

The artiste is promoting a new album called Reggae Euphoria and recently signed dancehall artiste Latty J to his record label.

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Vegas" babymother cheating video released. Artiste denies putting footage online.

Vegas" babymother cheating video released. Artiste denies putting footage online.

Mr Vegas

CURTIS CAMPBELL, STAR Writer

In 2012 dancehall/reggae artiste Mr Vegas set social media ablaze after he announced via his Facebook page that his babymother had cheated on him in his own home and even had sexual intercourse in the presence of his daughter.

The singjay also claimed to have video proof from his surveillance system, to show that he wasn’t exaggerating his experience. After doing several local and international interviews on the issue, Mr Vegas did not release the footage, which left many of his fans in doubt, some even sided with the accused babymother citing that Mr Vegas was being a mere cry baby at the time.

However those who doubted Mr Vegas, have now received the proof they were waiting for, as the alleged video evidence has finally surfaced and has being doing rounds on social media.

The over three-minute long video shows a woman and a man, taking part in, what appears to be coitus, while a baby girl walks in and out of the room at various intervals. The woman made an attempt to remove the child from the room, however not before removing her underwear in the child’s presence, then swiftly returning to her lover who sat in a sofa partially covered with a sheet. The curious child however returned twice during the sofa action.

Focused on his child’s development

Mr Vegas however vehemently denied having any part in the release of the video footage. He says his only focus is his child’s development and he doesn’t want to be reminded of the experience.

“I have moved on from that situation a long time ago … I don’t want to be reminded of that awful situation and can only pray that my daughter is ok. I was not the only one at my house the day the video was seen, so I don’t know the source where it is coming from at this time,” the artiste said.

The singer also released a song and music video called Bare Tingz, documenting his experience and warning others not to fall deeply in love. He further told THE STAR that those persons who have seen the now viral video, have been offering their sympathy.

“People have been sending me links and I see messages in my inbox where people are saying they respect me for how I dealt with that situation, but I don’t want to get into that energy right now. My main focus now is my kids, my music and the artistes in my camp. This situation is only gonna put me back in a dark place and I worked with Danny Browne and Clevie with music that could heal my soul. So I have nothing more to say about that, my only wish with this situation is that my daughter is ok, because there are lots of predators out there,” he said.

The artiste also hopes other men will be able to learn from him, based on how he handled the situation instead of resorting to violence.

The artiste is promoting a new album called Reggae Euphoria and recently signed dancehall artiste Latty J to his record label.

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Vegas" babymother cheating video released. Artiste denies putting footage online.

Roman Catholic Church in Trinidad denies anti-gay campaign

Saturday, September 27, 2014 | 12:32 PM    

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Roman Catholic Church has described as “totally false” any suggestion that it is leading a campaign to discriminate against gays, lesbians and bisexuals after Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar said that a gender draft policy had faced “tremendous opposition, especially from the Roman Catholic group”.

Prime Minister Persad Bissessar told a radio programme in the United States earlier this week that a gender policy drafted by the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) administration, has not seen the light of day because of the “tremendous opposition”.

But in a statement issued on behalf of Archbishop of Port of Spain Joseph Harris, the Church said it regretted the statement attributed to the prime minister.

“The alleged statement would seem to suggest that the Catholic Church in T&T is leading a campaign for the continuation of discrimination against members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. This is totally false.

“The Catholic Church is one of several faith communities in Trinidad and Tobago which has raised objections to the Draft Gender Policy, and this was done at meetings organised by the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development in April and May 2013.

“Concerns about the Draft Gender Policy were raised at these consultations by representatives of various Christian denominations. Therefore, any singling out of the Catholic Church as an objector is most regrettable,” the statement said.

The Roman Catholic Church said that its position on homosexuality is also well known and that it views such acts as being “contrary to the natural law” and “homosexual persons are called to chastity.

But it insisted that the position of the Church is that “such persons (LGBT)” must be “accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided”.

Meanwhile, the Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation (CAISO) has also condemned the statements made in New York by Prime Minister Persad Bissessar of the need for a national referendum on whether or not to decriminalise homosexuality.?

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Roman Catholic Church in Trinidad denies anti-gay campaign

CARPHA denies reports it has stopped testing for Chikungunya

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Monday September 15, 2014, CMC – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) says it has not stopped conducting tests for the Chikungunya virus but has instead “scaled up its capability” to meet increased demands.

A CARPHA statement said that contrary to media reports, the agency has in fact stepped up its activities in light of the evolving epidemic.

CARPHA executive director Executive Director, Dr. C. James Hospedales, said that the agency scaled up its capability to meet the increased demand for testing in the Caribbean.

Last week, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) urged Caribbean countries to eradicate the breeding sites of mosquitoes that transmit dengue and the Chikungunya virus even as it warned of a possible increase in patients suffering from these diseases.

Since the start of the year, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have reported nearly 850,000 cases of dengue and 470 deaths from severe dengue.

PAHO said that between December 2013 and September 5, this year, 650,000 cases of Chikungunya, including 37 deaths, have been reported.

Dr. Hospedales said that CARPHA adheres to public health surveillance principles, and that once several people with Chikungunya have had their diagnoses confirmed through laboratory testing in an area within a country, then testing is only carried out for certain groups of people based on clinical symptoms.

He said tests are also carried out in newly affected areas to confirm whether or not the virus is present and circulating in that community.

Additionally, if a dengue test is positive, it is unlikely that the person would be tested for Chikungunya. Given this policy, Dr. Hospedales said it is not necessary to test every single case, but reiterated that the agency continues testing for the region.

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CARPHA denies reports it has stopped testing for Chikungunya

Comedian denies intimacy with Macka

Curtis Campbell, STAR Writer

Macka Diamond

US-based comedian-producer Majah Hype has denied cheating on his girlfriend with dancehall artiste Macka Diamond. According to the comedian, his girlfriend of 11 years is threatening to pull the plug on their relationship, because the allegations of his infidelity are damaging.

The allegations started last month, after a controversial picture featuring Majah Hype and Macka Diamond surfaced on the Internet, which appeared to show him touching her on her exposed breasts.

Following the picture’s circulation, Macka Diamond’s team stated that it was taken while filming the music video for her single Karma. Now, Majah Hype wants to save his relationship, which has taken a turn for the worst since the release of the photograph.

“My girlfriend really took it hard, she thought it was a violation. It reach a point where things really shake up. Right now, we just a reach a rebuilding phase, but it still kind of sticky. She feel like mi betray her,” Majah Hype said.

Majah Hype currently has over 86,000 followers on Instagram. He says he was bombarded by critics on the site, who chastised him for controversial photo.

“Crazy people a ask how it leak out, but many people were on set, and I guess them sneak in to the set and capture a little piece and it threaten fi mash up mi life. What made the thing worse was that it was one of my girlfriend’s friends who sent the picture to her. All she know is that mi did gone go do video, and then she see that, so it was hell and powderhouse,” he continued.

“Even though we not married, is two children we have together, so we have to make it work. She have to understand say is just so music business unpredictable,” he said.

Majah Hype’s girlfriend was unavailable for comment. However, Macka Diamond tried her best to fix situation by tellingThe STAR: “I have known him for many years, and we have been working together for a long time. It’s was just acting, and things got out of hand, and there is nothing more to it. We even cut out the explicit scenes from the video because it is causing too much drama, and me and Majah have more projects to work on. It’s nothing severe like how people mek it look.”

The video for Karma was released last weekend and is now in steady rotation. Macka Diamond is gearing up for shows in the United States and the Caribbean.

curtis.campbell@gleanerjm.com

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Comedian denies intimacy with Macka

Nephew denies attacking aunt

A man accused of chopping his aunt will stand trial in the matter after denying the allegations on Monday in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court.

He is Rohan Hyman, charged with assault occasioning bodily harm.

Hyman denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.

His aunt, the complainant in the matter, told the court what transpired on the day in question.

She said, “Your Honour, him climb on my fence and hit me in my head with a rum bottle.”

Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey told the accused the matter will have to be tried.

Hyman is to return to court on October 31, to stand trial.

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Nephew denies attacking aunt

Rihanna denies controversial #FreePalestine tweet

CALIFORNIA, United States, Friday July 18, 2014 – Barbados’ pop princess Rihanna caused a right royal Twitter storm after allegedly posting #FreePalestine, a message of support for Palestine to her 36.4 million fans from her account earlier this week.

The tweet #FreePalestine, was retweeted thousands of times and sparked a flood of replies before it was removed just eight minutes later.

Sources close to the Diamonds girl said she never meant to post it, according to a report on celebrity website TMZ.

“She [Rihanna] didn’t even realise it was a tweet until she started hearing from her fans,” a source told the website, adding that the singer was reading about the Middle East conflict online when she clicked a link.

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Soon after, the Unapologetic star tweeted: “Let’s pray for peace and a swift end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict! Is there any hope?…”

The multiple Grammy award-winner is not the first celebrity to tweet, delete, and face the music after overstepping the political mark on the social media site.

Kim Kardashian was obliged to issue a statement after causing an uproar with tweets about Israel and Palestine two years ago.

“Praying for everyone in Israel,” wrote Kanye West’s love.

Thousands of angry replies later, Kim tweeted: “Praying for everyone in Palestine and across the world!”

According to a Daily Mirror report, she later wrote online: “I want to own up to and explain that earlier today I sent out two tweets about saying prayers for the people in Palestine and Israel and after hearing from my followers, I decided to take down the tweets because I realized that some people were offended and hurt by what I said, and for that I apologize.

“I should have pointed out my intentions behind these tweets when I posted them.

“The fact is that regardless of religion and political beliefs, there are countless innocent people involved who didn’t choose this, and I pray for all of them and also for a resolution. I also pray for all the other people around the world who are caught in similar crossfires.”

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Rihanna denies controversial #FreePalestine tweet

JUTC denies unfair arrest of drivers

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is strongly denying that some of its drivers are being arrested and charged for stealing revenue from the company without evidence.

Radcliffe Lewis, Head of the JUTC’s Revenue Protection Division, responding to a trade union complaint on the matter on Sunday, said the drivers were not being targeted unfairly.

“No special person is being targeted; it is a job that is being done and once you violate… you  are going to be charged,” he asserted.

On the other hand, according to Mr. Lewis, it was alarming to note how many of the drivers who have been arrested are unionised.

He disclosed that last month, a senior union delegate at the company was charged with stealing a radio from one of  the buses.

Complaint
Mr. Lewis was responding to claims by Milton Reid, a union delegate at the JUTC’s Spanish Town depot, that drivers were being arrested and charged without evidence.
Mr. Reid, who is a member of the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU), told RJR News that the drivers were upset about what he characterised as the continued mistreatment of workers by the entity’s revenue authorities.
Mr. Lewis, denouncing that allegation, revealed that since the Revenue Protection Unit came into operation, the number of  ticket infractions has been reduced to 10 monthly, from more than 100 per month.                                                        

Reid charged

Mr. Lewis also disclosed that Milton Reid himself will face the Corporate Area Criminal Court on July 29 on a charge of embezzlement.
Mr. Lewis said that Mr. Reid, a senior delegate of the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) was charged on Friday.
He added that Mr. Reid had been under surveillance for five months for ticket infractions.

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JUTC denies unfair arrest of drivers

Antigua government denies purchasing new fleet of vehicles following election victory

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Friday Jul 4, 2014, CMC – The Antigua and Barbuda government Thursday denied a media report that said the fleet of vehicles used by the newly elected Prime Minister Gaston Browne was being replaced.

In a brief statement, the Office of the Permanent Secretary within the Office of the Prime Minister said it had been made aware of the incorrect report carried on a radio station here and that it wanted “to place on record that this assertion is incorrect and can only be viewed as an effort to mislead the public.

It said that following the June 12 general election, “as is customary and in accordance with internationally accepted protocols, in the interest of the Prime Minister’s health and safety, an assessment was made of the current fleet of vehicles available for his use.

“A number of the vehicles were discovered to be defective with inoperable windows, air conditioning, steering, shocks and suspension systems and infested with pests including ants and cockroaches.”

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The statement said that preparations were put in place to have the defective vehicles replaced with vehicles already in use by the Transport Board, which would not have incurred any additional expenditure by the government, insisting “no new vehicles would have been acquired”

The statement noted that Prime Minister Browne after he was informed of the issues with the vehicles “instructed the Permanent Secretary that it is his desire not to have the defective vehicles replaced, therefore reducing the fleet of vehicles used by the former prime minister from six to three vehicles.

“The decision of Prime Minister Browne to decrease his fleet of vehicles is in keeping with his administration’s policy of reducing the excesses of government including the use of police officers as personal aides of ministers including the Prime Minister.”

The statement said that it is “unfortunate” that the media house “did not seek clarification from the Office of the Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office on the matter before conveying inaccurate information to the public.

“This is not only irresponsible journalism …but also places the Prime Minister and his protective team’s security at risk,” the statement added.

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Antigua government denies purchasing new fleet of vehicles following election victory

CONCACAF denies Warner"s allegation

Sport

Sunday, August 04, 2013

MIAMI, USA (CMC) —The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) has denied an allegation by its former president Jack Warner that the association has given him permission to undertake or consented to any legal action against the former Barbados Chief Justice Sir David Simmons.In a brief statement, CONCACAF said there is no truth that it consented to Warner’s allegation as reported in the media.“CONCACAF has had no discussions with Mr Warner regarding, nor does it consent to the undertaking of, any legal action against Sir David Simmons, any other member of the Integrity Committee, any member or executive of CONCACAF or any member of the Football community. CONCACAF fully supports the findings of the independent Integrity Committee,” read the statement.Warner, who was accused of masterminding a bribery scandal which plagued the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), was forced to resign as a vice-president of football’s world governing body and his posts as president of CONCACAF and CFU.But Warner found himself in deeper controversy when a CONCACAF report prepared by Sir David about Warner’s wrongdoing which eventually led to his resignation as a member of parliament in the Trinidad & Tobago government.The embattled former football executive formed his own political party and was re-elected to parliament by an overwhelming majority in a recent by-election.

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CONCACAF denies Warner"s allegation

NZ denies helping US spy on reporter

29 July 2013 Last updated at 11:45 ET Jon Stephenson had sued the military for defamation New Zealand has denied a report that its military conspired with US spy agencies to monitor a freelance journalist in Afghanistan.

The Sunday Star Times newspaper said that phone data of Jon Stephenson, a New Zealander employed by the US news group McClatchy, was snooped on.

But a top New Zealand military official says there is no evidence of the claim.

It was the first suggestion that recently exposed US spying programmes had been used on specific journalists.

“We have identified no information at this time that supports [the story"s] claims,” Maj Gen Tim Keating said in a statement.

Defamation lawsuit

He said military officers responsible for operations in Afghanistan had assured him there had been no unlawful monitoring of Stephenson by New Zealand.

“This includes asking foreign organisations to do this on our behalf,” he said.

The scope of American collection of vast amounts of phone records and internet data was exposed last month by Edward Snowden, who worked as a contractor for the US National Security Agency (NSA).

The NSA sometimes shares intelligence information with New Zealand agencies under a long-standing arrangement, known as Five Eyes, between the two countries, the UK, Australia and Canada.

On Monday, Prime Minister John Key told the New Zealand Herald it was possible to show up accidentally in the NSA’s phone data “if you rang a member of the Taliban that the Americans were monitoring because they believed them to be a threat”.

“I’m not saying that’s happened. I’m just saying that we don’t go and monitor journalists,” he added.

The reporter on the Star Times article says he stands by the story.

“Direct denials are always unsettling, but I would not have published unless I had a really good source,” Nicky Hager told the Associated Press without elaborating on who gave him the information.

Mr Hager said the monitoring occurred because the military had been unhappy with Mr Stephenson’s reporting on its treatment of Afghan prisoners.

Mr Stephenson has sued the New Zealand military for defamation, seeking NZ$500,000 ($405,000; £262,000) arguing the defence force implied he fabricated an interview with a unit commander.

While the jury was unable to reach a verdict, the military acknowledged the interview may have taken place.

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NZ denies helping US spy on reporter

Bishop denies rejecting Orange invite

28 July 2013 Last updated at 05:30 ET Restrictions were placed on bands playing outside St Patrick’s Church The Catholic Church has denied that a bishop refused to meet the Protestant Orange Order to discuss the controversy over a parade passing a church.

There has been no resolution to a dispute over marches past St Patrick’s Church in Donegall Street.

The Parades Commission has placed restrictions on loyal order parades in the area.

The Orange Order asked the Bishop of Down and Connor to visit its headquarters, but he has not as yet.

Talks took place last September to try to resolve tensions in the area, the church said, ahead of an Ulster Covenant commemoration parade.

Father Eddie McGee told the BBC’s Sunday Sequence programme that the invitation was not for face-to-face talks involving Bishop Noel Treanor.

He said an unsigned, open letter was issued by the Orange Order and reported the following day in local media.

“Over the past number of weeks the portrayal and presentation of this invitation to a covenant exhibition has morphed or changed into what some people believe is that Bishop Treanor has refused or rebuffed or even deferred face to face talks with the Orange Order,” he said.

‘Mutual understanding’

“This is entirely inaccurate because Bishop Treanor has not received any invitation to face-to-face talks around parades. He has received no private communication from the Orange Order so there’s no invitation to defer.”

However, Reverend Mervyn Gibson from the Orange Order said the invitation still stands.

“That invitation still stands and is open, whether it was declined, deferred or whatever it hasn’t taken place but the invitation is still there,” he said.

He said the Orange Order had intended that any conversations would have built “mutual understanding around many issues but particularly around parades”.

He said if it required a personal invitation to that bishop “that would be followed up”.

The controversy surrounding the church first arose on 12 July 2012, when a loyalist band taking part in the annual Orange parade in Belfast was filmed marching in circles outside St Patrick’s filmed playing a contentious song.

Since then, the Parades Commission has placed restrictions on loyalist parades passing St Patrick’s.

Public disorder followed a Royal Black Preceptory march past the church on last August and there were three consecutive nights of rioting after a republican band parade in the nearby area last September.

However, a major Orange Order parade to mark the centenary of the Ulster Covenant passed St Patrick’s peacefully later that month.

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Bishop denies rejecting Orange invite

MVP denies Powell, Simpson under police probe

News

BY PAUL A REID Observer writer Wednesday, July 17, 2013

MONTEGO BAY, St James — President of MVP Track Club Bruce James last night described as “totally untrue” a report in the international media that two of their athletes — Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson — were under investigations in Italy for breaches of the country’s drug codes.James said any investigations that are going on “must be secret as we have not being told anything”.Multiple reports quoted sources in Italy as saying that both athletes, along with trainer Chris Xuereb, were under investigations after police took “50 boxes of tablets, sprays and ointments, some unlabelled” from the hotel where they are staying.“At the instigation of Paul Doyle, agent for Powell, Italian police on Sunday raided the hotel where the MVP athlete were staying and detained Xuereb for questioning for about seven hours before he was released.Doyle told the Jamaica Observer on Monday that they had called in the authorities after they were notified on Friday that Powell — the former World Record holder — and Olympic silver medalist Simpson had failed drug tests at the JAAA National Championships in June.He said the positive tests raised red flags as “both Asafa and Sherone had been tested over 100 times each in their careers and have never failed a test, and soon after we hired a new trainer and he gave them new supplements, we get these results and we just wanted to make sure we checked out everything.”In an interview with the Observer from Florida, James said he was in constant contact with the MVP camp in Lignano, Italy, which categorically denied the reports.“… First of all, the athletes have not been contacted by any police or anyone official since the first contact on Sunday and they have been moving around Europe freely.”James said they had athletes all over Europe taking part at various meets and no one had attempted to restrict any of them, including Powell and Simpson who had discontinued training.Former world record holder Asafa Powell and Olympic medallist Sherone Simpson (right) have returned positive drug tests for banned substances.President of MVP Track Club Bruce James

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MVP denies Powell, Simpson under police probe