Dereck Chisora is given indefinite ban by World Boxing Council
Dereck Chisora has been suspended indefinitely by the World Boxing Council for his behaviour before and after his fight with Vitali Klitschko.
British heavyweight Chisora was involved in a brawl with countryman David Haye at the news conference after his defeat by the Ukrainian in Munich.
Chisora also slapped Klitschko at the weigh-in and spat water in the face of his brother Wladimir before the bout.
The WBC said it was "one of the worst behaviours ever by a professional".
The body demanded Chisora, 28, seeks anger management treatment before considering whether to lift the suspension.
Jose Sulaiman, president of the WBC, said the authority would also look to impose a "serious" fine on the Zimbabwe-born fighter.
The Londoner, ranked 14th in the WBC's heavyweight division, will also be taken out of the organisation's rankings.
"The WBC is absolutely condemning behaviours that are not to be accepted in boxing under any circumstances and will act as soon as it can proceed to impose the fines and sanctions as we consider necessary," said a statement issued by the organisation.
"Boxers are gentlemen and show to the world an example of honour and fair play when, after a tremendous battle, they go to the centre of the ring to pay respect to each other.
"Dereck Chisora is not going to tarnish the sport for those born in the humblest beds, who become sports heroes of the world to live a life of dignity and pride."
Chisora is due before a British Boxing Board of Control hearing on 14 March, and his manager Frank Warren told BBC Radio 5 live: "I don't understand how someone can be banned without having a hearing. I've never ever heard of anything like that. There's been no hearing.
"There were some things which he did which absolutely were wrong and he shouldn't have done, and I'm not condoning that but there were a lot of things happening behind the scenes. All this stuff needs to be taken into consideration before anyone decides what happened.
"Everybody is entitled to natural justice no matter what they've done."
Underdog Chisora earned plenty of plaudits despite his points defeat by heavy favourite Klitschko in Munich on 18 February.
But all the post-fight headlines were overshadowed by the brawl between Chisora and former WBA champion Haye, who lost to Wladimir Klitschko in July.
Chisora accused Haye of glassing him, with Haye later admitting he was holding a bottle when he punched his fellow Briton.
Chisora threatened to shoot Haye after the clash and was detained by German police the following morning, though he was later released without charge. Haye, who has officially retired from the sport, left the country without speaking to police. Both fighters have since apologised for their behaviour.
BBC boxing commentator Mike Costello believes the outcome of the BBBofC hearing will be pivotal for Chisora's future.
"They have his licence and if they decide to ban him then his only option is leaving the country to try to get a licence - but even that won't be straight forward because they will support whatever decision the BBBofC come to," Costello told BBC Radio 5 live.
-BBC
Tiger Woods almost quit golf to become Navy SEAL
Tiger Woods seriously considered quitting golf and becoming a Navy SEAL, according to a new book by Woods's former coach Hank Haney.
Woods's fascination with the military is well known. After the 2004 Masters, Woods took part in four days of military training at Fort Bragg, where he also hosted a golf clinic for juniors. Woods's late father, Earl Woods, trained at Fort Bragg and served two tours of duty in Vietnam.
"It's an honor to walk in my father's footsteps by training with the service men and women at Fort Bragg," Woods said in 2004.
The AT&T National, a tournament Woods used to host and one that still supports his foundation, honors the military and their families. In a book excerpt posted on GolfDigest.com, Haney sheds new light on just how serious Woods was about enlisting.
I didn't know how he'd go about it, but when he talked about it, it was clear he had a plan....I thought, Wow, here is Tiger Woods, greatest athlete on the planet, maybe the greatest athlete ever, right in the middle of his prime, basically ready to leave it all behind for a military life.
Haney also reveals how Woods's physical therapist was concerned about the impact military training, and his infamous workouts, could have on Woods's injured knee.
"Tiger did two tandem parachute jumps, engaged in hand-to-hand combat exercises, went on four-mile runs wearing combat boots, and did drills in a wind tunnel. Tiger loved it, but his physical therapist, Keith Kleven, went a little crazy worrying about the further damage Tiger might be doing to his left knee...One morning I was in the kitchen when he came back from a long run around Isleworth, and I noticed he was wearing Army boots. Tiger admitted that he'd worn the heavy shoes before on the same route. 'I beat my best time,' he said."
Haney's book, The Big Miss, will be released on March 27, one week before the Masters.
Source-golf.com
No talks with Fabio Capello successor
The Football Association has not spoken to Harry Redknapp or any other candidate about replacing Fabio Capello, according to Club England managing director Adrian Bevington.
Redknapp is the firm favourite to succeed the Italian, who resigned as England manager earlier this month.
"We haven't spoken to any individual or club at this stage," Bevington said.
"We're just ensuring we go about it in the right way and we are certainly not going to knee-jerk into anything."
Capello was in charge of England for more than four years but stepped down from his position on 8 February following a disagreement over the removal of Chelsea defender John Terry as his captain.
In a press conference held the following day, FA chairman David Bernstein said the governing body wanted the recruitment process to be done "quickly and sensibly", but in a "proper and professional" manner as this summer's Euro 2012 tournament looms.
Tottenham manager Redknapp says he is "flattered" to be put forward for the role and admits it is the "ultimate job for an Englishman".
The 64-year-old has already received the backing of several England players, including Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand.
England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce has taken temporary charge and will lead the senior side in Wednesday's friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley.
Pearce says he is available to continue at the helm for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.
"I am not prepared to answer any questions on who it may or may not be," Bevington told BBC Radio 5 live.
"Obviously we have been talking at length but we have to respect any managers and any clubs during this process and we will do so before we determine the path we want to follow.
"I don't want to put a time-frame on it.
"We do understand when we are without an England manager, and we are recruiting one, it is the biggest story in town - but as an organisation we are ensuring we are going about it the right way."
Andy Murray struggles past qualifier Michael Berrer in Dubai
Andy Murray struggled but eventually overcame German qualifier Michael Berrer at the Dubai Championships.
The Briton, ranked fourth in the world, won 6-3 4-6 6-4 in his first match since last month's Australian Open semi-final defeat by Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic, the defending champion, began his campaign on Monday with a 6-4 6-2 win over Germany's Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.
Roger Federer and Juan Martin Del Potro also made it through in straight sets.
"It was a frustrating match because I was up a break in the second set, and I gave it back," said Murray.
"In the third set, again I went up a break and gave the break straight back. So I could have made it a little bit easier for myself if I played a bit better."
Murray is in the same half of the draw as Djokovic, with Roger Federer also in Dubai, but Rafael Nadal is absent.
Murray looked ragged and at times his movement appeared labored in the midday heat, but he later revealed that he didn't "feel great"' at the start of the match and at times felt nauseous on court.
Berrer, a former quarter-finalist in Dubai, was match sharp after coming through qualifying.
His attacking style looked like coming up short when he fell a break down midway through the second set, but there were many more twists and turns to come, the 31-year-old from Stuttgart breaking straight back and eventually levelling after the pair had shared nine break-point opportunities.
Murray looked off the pace as the third set began, perhaps feeling the effects in his first competitive match for a month, twice failing to consolidate breaks.
Berrer was within sight of the biggest win of his career at 4-4 in the decider, but a wayward forehand gave Murray the 11th break of the match and the third seed put his serving woes behind him to close it out.
The British number one will face another qualifier, Switzerland's Marco Chiudinelli, in round two.
World number 185 Chiudinelli advanced after beating Russia's Nikolay Davydenko 6-4 5-7 6-4 on Tuesday.
Second seed Federer saw off the challenge of Michael Llodra, winning 6-0, 7-6 (6) and will now face another left hander in Feliciano Lopez.
"He's somewhat similar to Llodra, so I don't have to adjust a whole lot, I don't think," said Federer. "At the same time, I know the danger of Feliciano. He's had a great season."
Del Potro, who is seeded eighth, beat Ukranian Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Fourth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga survived a tight match against Marcos Baghdatis, beating the 46th-ranked Cypriot 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 to set up a second-round encounter with Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic.
"It was a tough challenge,'' said Tsonga, who won the title in Qatar last month and reached the semis last week in Marseille.
"I did not have a lot of energy. Without this energy it's difficult to play. But I was there mentally and I did it, so I'm really happy."
Venezuela's Hugo Chavez 'has cancer surgery in Cuba'
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in "good physical shape" after undergoing planned cancer surgery in Cuba, Venezuela's vice-president says.
A lesion in Mr Chavez's pelvic region was completely removed, vice-president Elias Jaua said.
Mr Chavez, 57, had two operations to remove a cancerous tumour from the same area last year.
His renewed ill-health comes months before he is due to stand for re-election in October.
The exact nature and extent of Mr Chavez's illness has never been made public, leading to persistent rumours that his health is worse than officially acknowledged.
'No complications'
Cheers broke out in Venezuela's National Assembly when Vice-President Jaua announced that the surgery had been successful.
"A total extraction of the diagnosed pelvic lesion was performed, also removing the tissue surrounding the lesion," Mr Jaua said.
He added that there were "no complications" and Mr Chavez was stable and "recovering adequately" from the operation.
Mr Jaua did not say if the lesion was malignant, or when the president would return to Venezuela.
Mr Chavez said the growth was probably malignant before he travelled to Havana on Friday.
The Venezuelan leader had surgery and four rounds of chemotherapy in Cuba last year after a baseball-sized growth was detected in his pelvic region.
In October, the president had said he was free from cancer, but last week announced he would require another operation.
Mr Chavez's surgery comes at a critical time, as he prepares to campaign for re-election for another six-year term.
His challenger in October's election is Henrique Capriles Radonski, a state governor who won an opposition primary earlier this month.
St Kitts-Nevis PM Douglas tells police officers,Don't settle for mediocrity
Police officers in the Royal St Christopher and Nevis Police Force, Nevis Division, have been urged to not settle for mediocrity, since they had a commissioner willing to do everything necessary to ensure they were successful in all their undertakings.
The advice came from prime minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Denzil Douglas, when he delivered remarks at the ninth annual constables awards ceremony and dinner on Saturday.
“His aim is to see his officers and his force recapture the image as one of the region’s best, not only in crime fighting but in crime prevention. There are those of you who continue to express appreciation to him for his leadership and commitment as well as his interest in your own professional development.
“Commissioner C. G. Walwyn has a vision for the force. His aim is to lift the level of competency of this force to that of an efficient law enforcement agency in the 21st century. Catch the vision officers! Don’t be left behind in the corridors of mediocrity. You will be endangering your own lives and the lives of those who are now willing to embrace you, to partner with you and make your work so much more rewarding,” he said.
The prime minister further told the officers that they should make headlines in the media but in a positive way and they should allow the public to applaud them when they excelled in their performance and quick responses to apprehend those who dared to be disorderly and revel in crime.
“Let them not just wait to report of yet another robbery and another homicide. We know that there is more to your performance and professional development that they are missing or failing to focus on,” he said.
Douglas reminded the officers that they were tasked with the very special responsibility of ensuring that everyone in St Kitts and Nevis, without exception, met and adhered to the standards of behaviour that as a nation, through the legislative branch of government, had determined to be in the best interest of the federation.
He thanked the nine police constables who were being honoured for stepping up, stepping forward and trying their best, for going beyond the call of duty, understanding the very special opportunity to make the federation a better place and for consistently doing their best to make it that way.
NIA
Jamaica remains among drug transit countries
Jamaica remains among a list of countries in the Caribbean and Central America which are considered major transhipment points for illicit drugs.
In its 2012 report the International Narcotics Control Board says drug trafficking organisations have increased their operations in the region, posing a serious threat to security.
The report adds that youth-related violence, street gangs, and the widespread availability of firearms have contributed to increasingly high crime rates.
The narcotics report further says drug trafficking has become an important driver of homicide rates in Central America.
It notes that Jamaica along with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras now have the world’s highest homicide rates.
The narcotics report says corruption and limited law enforcement capacity have facilitated the use of smuggling channels and drug trafficking activities in the region.
Source-gleanerjm.com
Cayman Islands patrol allows Cubans to sail to Honduras
boat carrying 22 Cuban refuge-seekers was intercepted by a Cayman Islands patrol craft, but all were in good shape and were allowed to continue on their way to Honduras, according to a news report Tuesday.
The Cayman News Service reported that Immigration Department officials had confirmed the 20 men and two women from the eastern Cuba town of Manzanillo were spotted Sunday evening off Cayman Brac island, part of the Caribbean archipelago.
The passengers were in good health and after making “minor repairs” to their boat, they continued their trip south-west toward Honduras, according to the report. From Honduras they would go by land to the Mexican border with the United States.
The report did not detail what type of repairs the boat needed — which determines how Cuban migrants are treated when they are spotted in the territorial waters of the British-run international banking center 125 miles south of Cuba.
Since 2005, Cubans in bad health or in boats that are not seaworthy are detained in the Cayman Islands, while healthy migrants in fit vessels are allowed to continue on their trips. Those forced ashore can apply for asylum, which is almost never granted.
Before then, Cayman officials and residents were allowed to the refuge-seekers with food, water and gasoline, and even to make major repairs to their vessels, so they could continue on their journeys.
The number of Cubans spotted in Cayman waters has been increasing in the past year, apparently because the communist-ruled government’s embrace of some mild market-type economic reforms has caused food prices to spike and cut into government services.
Five groups of Cubans were spotted in Cayman waters in 2011, compared to none the previous year. Almost all were deported to their home country, with the last batch of 16 flown back to Cuba two weeks ago after their requests for asylum were denied.
But Rafael Hidalgo Figueredo and Fernando Figueredo Corrales, both in their 30s, escaped from an Immigration Department lockup on Jan. 21 and have not been found, according to published reports.
A Cayman publication, The Cay Compass, published an editorial earlier this month urging a review of the agreement with the Cuban government that bars officials and residents from helping the migrants.
“Most Caymanians would like to offer emergency provisions and send the Cubans along on their journey to freedom,” the editorial noted.
Source-www.miamiherald.com
US creates task force to target unfair trade practices
US President Barack Obama has created a new trade task force to investigate and crack down on unfair practices by American trading partners.
The move comes amid concerns that unfair trading practices, especially by China, were harming US businesses.
Policymakers have accused Beijing of keeping its currency artificially low in a bid to help China's exporters.
The International Trade Enforcement Center will aim to ensure US businesses have "a level playing field."
"Robust monitoring and enforcement of US rights under international trade agreements, and enforcement of domestic trade laws, are crucial to expanding exports," the executive order signed by President Obama said.
Growing tensions
Trade relations between the US and China have been under strain in recent years.
While the US economy has slowed, China has witnessed robust growth powered by the success of its manufacturing and export sectors.
However, US policymakers and businesses have accused China of giving an unfair advantage to its exporters by keeping the yuan's value low, a move which makes Chinese goods cheaper to foreign buyers.
At the same time, some sectors such as the solar panel industry have argued that Chinese manufacturers have benefited from government subsidies which helps them keep their costs low.
President Obama said the US was working to ensure that its partners abide by international trade rules.
He said the new unit will "bring the full resources of the federal government to bear to investigate and counter unfair trade practices around the world, including by countries like China."
Elpida plunges 98% after bankruptcy protection filing
Shares of Elpida have plunged on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) after investors dumped stock after firm filed for bankruptcy protection.
The company shares dipped as much as 98% to 5 yen. The TSE has said that it will delist Elpida from 28 March.
The firm sought bankruptcy protection Monday saying it had struggled to repay debts of 448bn yen ($5.6bn; £3.5bn).
Meanwhile, the Japanese government has not given any hint on whether it may bailout the firm.
"Given their huge debts and the subsequent delisting, the share value will go to zero - that is pretty clear," Gerhard Fasol of EuroTechnology Japan told the BBC.
'Critical issue'
Elpida, which specialises in making dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips, has seen its fortunes recently dwindle.
Not only has the company been hurt by a slowing demand for these chips, falling prices have also hurt its profits.
Analysts said given its debts, the firm will have to find a deep-pocketed partner to help turn around its business.
"They need to have a partner for the revival. The critical issue is who will that partner," said Mr Fasol of EuroTechnology Japan.
However, Mr Fasol said Elpida may find it difficult to convince other companies to invest money in its business.
"They have tried to find a partner but they couldn't find any. That is why they have had to file for protection the first place."