Novak Djokovic beats Santiago Giraldo at 2012 Australian Open
Novak Djokovic continued his Australian Open title defence with a trouble-free win over Colombia's Santiago Giraldo.
The top seed overturned an early break before racing away to triumph 6-3 6-2 6-1 and set up a third-round meeting with Nicolas Mahut.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga overcame Ricardo Mello 7-5 6-4 6-4, while Milos Raonic beat Philipp Petzschner in four sets.
Highly-rated Canadian Rasonic will face Lleyton Hewitt who progressed after Andy Roddick retired hurt.
Roddick was two-sets-to-one down, trailing 3-6 6-3 6-4, when he called it a day following a leg injury, sustained while stretching to reach the ball when 2-0 behind in the second set.
The American had looked in fine form when he won the opening set, but needed medical treatment when trailing 3-0 in the second set and failed to recover, although he did battle on until Hewitt, surviving three break-back points, served out the third set.
There was also a victory for Janko Tipsarevic, who beat Australian wildcard James Duckworth 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
The ninth seed will face Richard Gasquet in the third round after the Frenchman's opponent Andrey Golubev retired hurt when two sets down and trailing 3-0 in the third.
Djokovic, bidding to become only the fifth man in the Open era to win three consecutive Grand Slam singles tournaments, needed just one hour and 45 minutes to win his 16th match on the trot in a major tournament.
"You can't underestimate any opponent and Santiago is a tricky player," said the Serb, who broke the Colombian's serve seven times and always looked comfortable, hitting 27 winners during the match.
"It was really important to win the first set. I am trying to be physically fit and fresh for the upcoming rounds. The longer the tournament goes, the tougher it gets."
Elsewhere, fifth seed David Ferrer was tested but eventually beat Ryan Sweeting 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 3-6 6-2 6-3 and will play Juan Ignacio Chela, who beat Pablo Andujar 6-4 6-4 6-3.
France's Michael Llodra will face Andy Murray in the third round after completing a 6-1 6-3 4-6 5-7 6-4 victory over Alex Bogomolov, while Djokovic's next opponent Mahut beat Tatsuma Ito 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 6-2.
Llodra's compatriot and 14th seed Gael Monflis came from a set down to beat Thomaz Bellucci 2-6 6-0 6-4 6-2.
Monflis will next play Mikhail Kukushkin, who beat Viktor Troicki 5-7 6-4 6-2 4-6 6-3.
Meanwhile, the unseeded Frederico Gil defeated Marcel Granollers 3-6 6-4 4-6 3-6.
Gill must prepare to face 2008 finalist Tsonga, who admitted the hard courts suited his game.
"The conditions here are good for me. The surface also, it's not really quick so maybe it's good for my game," said Tsonga.
England crumble to heavy defeat
England folded to a humiliating defeat by 10 wickets in Dubai as their woeful batting performance helped Pakistan go 1-0 up in the three-Test series.
Trailing by 146 runs, England made a disastrous start as Umar Gul (4-63) removed Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen cheaply.
Spinners Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman then claimed three wickets apiece as England were skittled out for 160.
Pakistan's openers easily knocked off the required 15 runs to seal victory.
Just as it had been in the first innings, England's batting performance made a mockery of their number one Test ranking as their technique and concentration were found wanting.
Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook both fell to poorly executed pull shots, while Ian Bell failed to read Ajmal's doosra for the second time in the match.
Only Jonathan Trott showed the necessary application to survive in unfamiliar conditions as he became the fourth-fastest England player to pass 2,000 Test runs, but even the unflappable Warwickshire batsman gave his wicket away on 49 with a loose cut outside off stump.
In total, England's top six made only 143 runs between them in the match as Ajmal became the first spinner to claim seven lbw dismissals in a Test.
Perhaps the only crumb of comfort for England will be the fact that the early finish gives them two extra days to regroup before the second Test in Abu Dhabi starting next Wednesday.
For Pakistan, the next Test cannot start soon enough after the most comprehensive of victories.
Gul began the carnage when he had Strauss caught behind down the leg side. The England skipper sent Billy Bowden's decision for review but the verdict was upheld by third umpire Steve Davis, despite HotSpot failing to show any impact with the bat.
Cook looked decidedly out of sorts as he scratched his way to five runs off 40 balls. Desperate to find some scoring rhythm, he was tempted into a pull shot by a Gul bouncer, but only managed to feather an edge through to the wicketkeeper.
Pietersen at least managed to connect with his attempted pull, but the shot lacked the power to clear the rope and was easily caught by Rehman at deep square leg.
And Bell was undone by Ajmal's doosra, the ball striking him on the back pad plumb in front of the stumps.
Eoin Morgan again looked relatively comfortable against the spin as he ground out 14 runs before nicking Rehman behind and Matt Prior was pinned back on his stumps by Ajmal.
Stuart Broad (17) and Graeme Swann (39) delayed the inevitable with an entertaining 48-run stand before Broad holed out to long-on and Chris Tremlett edged his first ball to slip.
Some lusty hitting from James Anderson spared England the ignominy of an innings defeat but Swann's demise to Ajmal ensured Pakistan's target was a mere formality.
Earlier, Pakistan's last three wickets had added 50 runs as the hosts took their first innings total to 338.
Broad removed Gul in the second over of the day and Swann had Ajmal caught at short leg after another inconclusive review.
But Adnan Akmal frustrated England with some improvised shots, cleverly keeping last man Aizaz Cheema away from the strike and reaching 61 - his highest Test score - before he was stumped to give Swann a fourth wicket.
At that stage England hopes of a turnaround remained alive, but after Gul's dramatic opening burst, there was only going to be one winner.
Pacquiao’s next fight will not be against Mayweather
Manny Pacquiao has chosen his next opponent, and it’s not Floyd Mayweather. In an interview at his office Wednesday, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao has chosen his next opponent — whom Arum would only divulge was one of the four previously reported candidates, Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley, Miguel Cotto or Lamont Peterson — and plans to make his return to the ring on June 9 at a new outdoor facility off the Strip.
Arum reiterated that the problem with making a May fight with Mayweather was the timing. Mayweather has insisted that the fight take place May 5, tweeting Tuesday that “the date can’t change.” Arum says construction on a 38,000-seat temporary facility cannot be completed until later in the month. On Wednesday, Arum said he met with construction officials as well as officials from the Wynn and Sands Hotel. Arum also visited the construction site, a 40-acre plot jointly owned by the two hotels.
“To be safe, they said they needed until the end of May to get it done,” Arum said. “Economically, it’s a problem that Floyd created. The amount that would be lost by moving it up to May 5th is enormous. The fight is not going to happen on May 5th. We’ll do the fight in November. There is no real magic in doing it in May.”
Arum says he plans to move forward with building the outdoor facility and test it out in Pacquiao’s next fight. Arum added that he and Pacquiao were on the same page as far as Pacquiao’s future.
“He realizes that economically the May 5th date is not smart,” Arum said. “If you postpone it two or three weeks, you can make so much more money. Mayweather told the court he was committed to fight on May 5th. I think they lied and said Pacquiao was ready to fight him. Now they are saying the judge ordered them to fight on May 5? Was the MGM behind this? If the judge says you have to surrender yourself on June 1st, what the f— does it matter to the judge if you fight on May 5th or two weeks later?”
A call and text message to Mayweather’s adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, was not immediately returned.
Asafa Powell To Receive Major Awards
Having risen from humble origins to international supremacy in athletics, Asafa Powell will be recognised for his achievements on February 4 at the Terra Nova Hotel, when he is slated to be presented with the highest award of the University of Technology (UTech), the Chancellor's Medal.
The honours to be bestowed on the World Championship 100-metre bronze medallist does not stop there, as he is in line to receive the prestigious Diana Award.
The Diana Award was established in 1999 in memory of Lady Diana, Princess of Wales, as a legacy to her belief in the power of young people to change the world.
Charitable work
The presentation of the award to young people from across the globe who are committed to helping others and improving their communities is in keeping with the remarkable charitable work Lady Diana pioneered around the world.
The evening will also witness the launch of the book, Dennis Johnson Diaries, which chronicles the life of one who was formerly the world's fastest man, Dennis Johnson, and his phenomenal contribution to the development of athletics locally.
Powell, who has the record for the most sub-10 seconds clockings over 100 metres, will be the second recipient of the Chancellor's Award, with the first being his MVP coach, Stephen Francis, who was recognised by the university in 2008.
Where the Princess Diana Award is concerned, Powell will be the first such recipient in the Caribbean and Central America.
"The Chancellor's Medal was established in 2008 to begin to recognise individuals of high national and or international achievement," UTech president, Errol Morrison, disclosed at the launch of the black tie gala and ceremony yesterday at Terra Nova Hotel. "Asafa, who is an alumnus of UTech, continues to train with the UTech-affiliated MVP and mentors, supports and
works with a number of our student athletes."
Overdue honour
Morrison added: "We felt that at this time in his career, the recognition is well overdue and, as such we were able to convince the selection committee that this is the time for Asafa (Powell). The coordination of that with the Queen's recognition through the Princess Diana Award is also telling you the major contribution that he is being recognised for worldwide."
Powell will be presented with the Chancellor's Award by UTech chancellor and former prime minister of Jamaica, Edward Seaga.
The Diana Award's chief executive, Maggie Turner, OBE, will make the keynote address, during which she is expected to call on Powell to receive the award.
Turner will also bring greetings from the Queen of England and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The event which will feature entertainment from the likes of Etana, Freddie McGregor and To-Isis, will cost patrons $10,000 per seat.
‘No shutdown’ - LIME says environment tough but it’s not leaving
LIME Jamaica yesterday strongly denied a news report that British parent company Cable & Wireless (C&W) plc has decided it will shut down its local operation in light of a ‘difficult’ regulatory environment.
“I categorically deny that,” LIME Jamaica Chairman Chris Dehring told Nationwide Radio just minutes after the news station reported that C&W plc last year informed a former Jamaican prime minister that it will pull out of the country if there was no ‘improvement’ in the regulatory environment, and that the merger of Digicel and Claro only accelerated that decision made in London.
“Certainly, as the chairman here at LIME Jamaica, no such decision, to our knowledge, has been reached and we continue to operate,” Dehring said.
While dismissing the reports, however, the LIME chairman acknowledged that the company believes that the current regulatory environment is making it very difficult for the company to operate a viable business.
“We are certainly not shutting down, there’s no intention to shut down, but obviously people are going to have to take a cold hard look sometimes at the economics of it,” Dehring said. “It’s an environment which does not help us and therefore any shareholder will say, ‘listen, we need to invest our funds where we can make a decent return’...We would love to invest more into this country, but we have to know that the playing field is level.”
LIME Jamaica Managing Director Garry Sinclair later issued a statement further dismissing the Nationwide report and seeking to assure the public that LIME is “100 per cent committed to Jamaica”.
“We would like to assure our employees, our loyal customers, our shareholders, our suppliers and the wider public that we remain committed to serving them. It is, therefore, imperative that we are not distracted from the real issues plaguing the country’s telecoms sector,” Sinclair said.
“At this point, Jamaica’s telecoms industry is at a critical juncture as we stand on the verge of seeing meaningful change in the regulatory framework. These changes are necessary to restore competitiveness in the industry, which will bring real value and benefits for Jamaican consumers,” he added, stressing that LIME has been advocating for these regulatory changes for the past six years.
Digicel last year acquired Claro’s Jamaican operations, a deal which allowed the firm to solidify its place atop the local mobile telecommunications sector where it already claims in excess of two million subscribers among the Jamaican population of 2.8 million.
News broke last week that Digicel was granted permission to shut down the Claro network less than four months after agreeing to keep it going under the terms of their merger.
Permission for the network to be switched off was granted by the outgoing Jamaica Labour Party Government before December 8, as the general election campaign was kicking off.
An incensed LIME accused former Prime Minister Andrew Holness of betraying Jamaican consumers when he reversed the requirement that Digicel maintain both networks as a condition of its proposed merger with Claro. At the same time, the firm urged the Government to implement an emergency overhaul of the regulations governing the telecoms industry in order to protect consumers and other service providers
LIME Jamaica reported losses of $6 billion after taxes in its last financial year.
Grenada hosts UK-Caribbean Forum
Dozens of journalists from regional and international media are expected in Grenada this weekend for an important trade and business meeting involving representatives from the United Kingdom and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The journalists will be here primarily to cover the 7th UK-Caribbean Forum. However, their visit coincides with the honouring of track star, Kirani James, and the hosting of the 2011 National Sports Award at the Grenada Trade Centre in Morne Rouge, St George’s.
The UK-Caribbean Forum is held every two years for the purpose of what has been described as “establishing priority areas for cooperation, discussing key areas of concern and proposing mechanisms to facilitate greater collaboration” between Britain and CARICOM nations.
The Grenada get-together, to be hosted by Foreign Minister Karl Hood, will be held over three days, starting Friday, January 20.
Hood will be joined by his foreign affairs counterparts from other Caribbean countries; CARICOM Secretary General, Irwin LaRoque; and a UK delegation headed by Foreign Secretary William Hague.
“The UK’s relationship with the Caribbean should be a broad-based partnership that involves business, civil society and ordinary people,” Hague said. “That is why I am so pleased that we are starting the Forum with a meeting of UK and Caribbean companies.”
The Forum closes Sunday afternoon with a 12-overs’ cricket match at the SSU Grounds at Point Saline. A team of UK ministers and officials will compete against a CARICOM squad led by Hood.
For the visiting journalists, their presence is also an opportunity to cover Saturday afternoon’s event at which Lagoon Road will be renamed after James, the current World 400 meter champion.
Saturday’s unveiling of the Kirani James Boulevard, as well as a roundabout to be named after athletic coach and former 400 meter indoor record holder, Alleyne Francique, will be attended by government officials and representatives of the Grenada Olympic Committee.
On Saturday evening, 19-year-old James will be attending the National Sports Awards where he is one of the nominees for Grenada’s Male Athletes of the Year.
James and Janelle Redhead, a women’s 200 meter semifinalist at the 2011 World Championships in South Korea, are among 16 male and female athletes vying for the top sportsman and sportswoman awards.
The keynote speaker at the awards’ ceremony is Trinidad Olympic medalist, Ato Boldon.
Another Trinidadian who will be in Grenada to deliver an address is journalist, Tony Fraser. He is the featured speaker at Sunday’s 6th annual awards’ ceremony of the Media Workers Association of Grenada (MWAG) at the Trade Centre.
“We are very excited that Tony has agreed to come and speak at the awards,” said MWAG president Rawle Titus.
By Lincoln Depradine
Caribbean News Now
World-renowned Caribbean rum brand celebrates 150th anniversary in 2012
Bacardi Limited, the world’s largest privately-owned spirits company, has declared that 2012 will be its most innovative year since the creation of Bacardi rum in 1862.
Throughout the year, Bacardi will host one-of-a-kind birthday parties, launch special promotions featuring 100 years of ground-breaking advertising, introduce a $2,000 limited-edition decanter of rare Bacardi rum, offer travel retail exclusives and commemorative gifts, and much more for consumers to come together and share in the excitement.
“The passion and entrepreneurial spirit shown by my great-great grandfather in Santiago de Cuba a century and a half ago gave birth to exceptional rum that would change the spirits industry forever,” said Facundo L. Bacardi, Bacardi Limited chairman and fifth-generation Bacardi family member. “These qualities remain key to our phenomenal success and position today as the world’s favorite and most awarded rum brand, with more than 400 awards to date.”
Bacardi was founded in Santiago de Cuba on February 4, 1862, when Don Facundo Bacardi Masso purchased a small distillery. After years of experimenting, Bacardi revolutionized the spirits industry by adding steps never before used in rum-making. He selected high quality blackstrap sugarcane molasses, isolated a special strain of yeast (still used today), filtered, mellowed his rums in American white oak barrels, and then blended them to create the perfect taste. The smooth, light-bodied spirit he created, as opposed to the harsh “fire water” of the time, was the world’s first premium rum and the first mixable rum – helping usher in a cocktail culture that thrives today. The artful maestros de ron (master blenders) continue to follow the same exacting standards set forth by Don Facundo.
“For the past 150 years, Bacardi — as a family, company and brand — has brought people together through legendary parties and great-tasting cocktails. Visit any bar, club or restaurant almost anywhere in the world, and the impact Bacardi has made on the spirits industry is crystal-clear,” said Seamus McBride, Bacardi Limited president and chief executive officer. “It’s incredible to see how a one-brand company founded 150 years ago has grown into the third-largest spirits company in the world with an enviable portfolio of iconic spirits.”
By Caribbean News Now
Largest Caribbean refinery in USVI to close
The Caribbean’s largest oil refinery in St Croix, US Virgin Islands, is to close down by mid-February because of reduced fuel demand and increased international competition.
The Hovensa refinery is a joint venture between the Hess Corporation and Petroleos de Venezuela SA. Losses at the 350,000 barrel-a-day facility have totalled $1.3 billion in the past three years, the company said on Wednesday in a statement.
USVI Governor John de Jongh described the announcement as “a complete body blow” for the territory. He said Hovensa generated some $60 million a year in revenue for the local government, which already faces a budget crisis.
“Given what we’re going through right now, this is the last bit of news that I wanted to hear,” de Jongh said in a media teleconference.
The refinery will be converted to an oil storage terminal, said Brian Lever, president and chief operating officer of Hovensa LLC.
“We deeply regret the closure of the Hovensa refinery and the impact on our dedicated people,” Lever said. “We explored all available options to avoid this outcome, but severe financial losses left us with no other choice.”
The Hovensa refinery employs 1,200 workers with another 950 contract employees at the site, Alex Moorhead, a Hovensa spokesman, said. About 100 people will be retained to operate the terminal, he said.
Montserrat police conducting internal investigation into misconduct allegations
The Royal Montserrat Police Service has been conducting an extensive internal investigation into allegations of police misconduct during and following the arrests of George Leonard and George Farrell on the morning of 17 December 2011.
As a result of the investigation, one officer has been suspended from duty and another is on compulsory leave pending further investigation.
The Governor has decided that, in addition to the very comprehensive internal investigation undertaken to date, he should activate the provisions of a co-operation agreement on reciprocal law enforcement assistance between the Caribbean Overseas Territories.
This will enable law enforcement officers from the Bermuda and Cayman police services to come to Montserrat to assist in the on-going investigation under the command and direction of Deputy Commissioner Paul Morris and present their findings to the Director of Public Prosecutions through the Governor. The police officers should begin their work early next week.
by Nerissa Golden
Caribbean News Now
Eastman Kodak files for bankruptcy protection
Eastman Kodak, the company that invented the hand-held camera, has filed for bankruptcy protection.
The move gives the company time to reorganise itself without facing its creditors, and Kodak said that it would mean business as normal for customers.
The company has recently moved away from cameras to refocus on making printers, to stem falling profits.
The 133-year-old firm has struggled to keep up with competitors who were quicker to adapt to the digital era.
"Kodak made all its money from selling film, then the digital camera came along and now no-ones buying film. It's not like they didn't see it coming. Kodak hesitated because they didn't want to eviscerate their business," said Rupert Goodwins, editor of technology website ZDNet.
Announcing the move to seek bankruptcy protection, Antonio Perez, Kodak's chairman and chief executive, said: "The board of directors and the entire senior management team unanimously believe that this is a necessary step and the right thing to do for the future of Kodak."
The company said it had already arranged a $950m (£615m) credit facility from Citigroup.
Earlier this month, the New York Stock Exchange told Kodak that it could be delisted from the exchange if it could not get its stock price back above $1.00 per share.
Kodak fell out of the Dow Jones Industrial Average of 30 top US companies in 2004.
Transformation
Since becoming chief executive, Mr Perez has been responsible for steering Kodak away from its traditional market in cameras to focus on home and commercial printers.
However, the firm has failed to stop its plunging profitability.
The firm said earlier this year that it was pinning its hopes on its printer, software and packaging businesses, with the aim of expanding them to account for 25% of its income by 2013.
It reorganised its business units into two rather than three, renaming them consumer and commercial.
"Even though film and developing is a dead business, there is still money to be made in ink and other supplies," technology commentator Larry Magib told BBC World.
"But Hewlett Packard, Canon and Epson have those markets. Kodak does have printers, but it has not been able to succeed in making money from them," he said.
The move to seek bankruptcy protection comes after Kodak failed to sell its catalogue of digital imaging patents last year. At the time, Kodak warned that it would run out of cash if it did not find a buyer by the end of 2011.
"Now we must complete the transformation by further addressing our cost structure and effectively monetising non-core IP assets," said Mr Perez on Thursday.
Reorganisation
Former Kodak vice president Don Strickland insists the firm's late entry into the digital market is a key factor in its recent troubles. He claims he left the company in 1993 after he failed to get backing from within the company to release a digital camera.
"We developed the world's first consumer digital camera and Kodak could have launched it in 1992.
"We could not get approval to launch or sell it because of fear of the cannibalisation of film," he told BBC News.
Although Kodak was one of the original inventors of digital photography, it failed to keep pace with developments in the market and competitors including Fuji steadily eroded its share of the market.
Since 2003, Kodak has closed down 12 manufacturing plants.
Mr Strickland believes the firm has little chance of surviving long term.