UK keeps increased APD tax, Region claims discrimination
The British Government has reneged on its promise to suspend an increase in the Air Passenger Duty (APD) tax, and has given no assurance for a review. The 8.5 per cent increase effective April 1, 2012, has met with strong opposition from Caribbean tourism industry stakeholders and their UK counterparts, according to Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Tourism and Transportation Secretary Oswald Williams. Williams reiterated at a post-Executive Council media briefing that the tax was a deterrent to travel and had negatively affected travel to Caribbean destinations from the UK. He further told reporters that the tax was discriminatory against Caribbean countries. “What is happening is that we have been placed in the third bag where the rates are currently 75 per cent for the economy passengers and premium and first class adult passengers pay £150 per ticket.
Compare that with anywhere in the United States of America where the tax is £60 or £120. They have been placed in a lower bag.” he said. The controversial tax criterion dictates that the tax charged for a destination is based on the distance of that destination from London. However, passengers travelling to US cities further away than Caribbean destinations still pay less in taxes. Top UK-based airline officials are reported to have said that consultations with the Government on the tax was a “sham.” They said the tax has already cost 25,000 jobs and is causing further damage to the economy. Representatives from Caribbean governments, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and other agencies also held discussions with the British Government. The UK Government had announced its plans for the increase two weeks ago but only published its conclusions on December 6.
CHTA raps Brit stance on APD
The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) has strongly condemned the British government’s decision not to change its air passenger duty (APD) banding structure.
This followed the announcement a week ago that rates to the Caribbean would increase by eight per cent from April 2012 and that the British would continue to penalize aspirational travellers flying in premium economy, who would remain in the same category as first class.
“This decision demonstrates [Britain’s] complete disregard for the future economic prosperity of the Caribbean and the role of tourism in [its] development.
“The decision taken by the [British] treasury is in total contrast to the stated policy of [Britain’s] desire to improve its relations with the independent Caribbean and Britain’s Overseas Territories in the Caribbean,” the CHTA said in a statement.
The regional tourism body said that since the British chancellor drew attention to the discrimination of the APD band structure vis-à-vis the rates for the Caribbean and United States in his 2011 Budget statement, it was “incomprehensible that he has subsequently chosen to continue this economic discrimination against the Caribbean”.
The CHTA said: “The discrimination of the APD band structure is demonstrated by the fact that the APD economy class tax from London to Barbados, a distance of 4 190 miles, is US$130 compared to an APD tax of US$104 for London to Honolulu, a distance of 7 220 miles.
“For flying 72 per cent more miles to Honolulu, the APD charge to Honolulu is 20 per cent less than flying a shorter distance to Barbados.
“The APD charge to Barbados on a per-mile basis is 114.7 per cent more expensive when compared to the per-mile charge to Barbados.”
The CHTA said the Caribbean was the most tourism-dependent region in the world.
“The failure to amend the APD banding also demonstrates a complete disregard for the impact of APD on the Caribbean community living in [Britain] which maintains strong links with the Caribbean.
“Data suggests that they have already been forced to decrease their visits by 20 per cent since the four-band system was introduced. Increased ticket cost is given as the reason for this.”
Jagged Edge Flakes on Fan’s Wedding Day: Fan is Suing
A Jagged Edge fan is disappointed with the band since the group deserted him at the altar.
According to the fan, Victor Diaz, he forked out $10k to have the band perform at his wedding as a surprise for his wife on Nov. 19.
He claimed that he reached an agreement with the band’s reps and gave up the deposit and other costs, but the band never showed up.
But the band is denying even being aware of the booking, telling TMZ that the fan must have been dealing with someone who was pretending to be a representative of the band.
Diaz ain’t with that argument and believes the band flaked on him for a higher paying gig on the same weekend.
So the newly married fan is ready to sue Jagged Edge and the record label as well as the group’s management company.
“They humiliated me and cost my wife her dream,” Diaz told TMZ.
A rep for Jagged Edge says, “They are very heartbroken and sad that [Victor's] wedding got destroyed due someone using our name without permission.”
The rep adds, “As far as court goes … if the guy does decide to sue, good luck, because we didn’t agree to anything and he will see he had a forgery contract.”
Packers' perfect season ends with 19-14 loss to KC
Mike McCarthy never put a whole lot of stock in a perfect season, except as a means of gaining home-field advantage and setting the Green Bay Packers up for another Super Bowl run.
Well, they still have a chance to earn home-field advantage.
The perfect season? That's history.
Kyle Orton threw for 299 yards to outduel Aaron Rodgers , and the Kansas City Chiefs rallied behind interim coach Romeo Crennel for a shocking 19-14 victory on Sunday that ended the Packers' 19-game winning streak. It was their first loss since Dec. 19, 2010, at New England.
"I personally always viewed the undefeated season as, really, just gravy," McCarthy said. "The goal was to get home-field advantage and win the Super Bowl. That's what we discussed.
"We were fortunate enough to be in the position to possibly achieve the undefeated season," he added, "but we still have the primary goal in front of us, and that's to get home-field advantage."
Green Bay, playing without leading receiver Greg Jennings and top rusher James Starks because of injuries, can wrap up the No. 1 seed in their final two games against Chicago and Detroit. But the Packers no longer have the pressure of becoming the second team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with a perfect record, or extending the second-longest winning streak in league history.
"I think our goal ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. The next step is getting that number one seed in the playoffs," Rodgers said. "We've got a home playoff game - we've got a bye secured."
Rodgers was 17 of 35 for 235 yards and a touchdown, and he also scampered 8 yards for another touchdown with 2:12 left in the game. But the Packers (13-1) were unable to recover the onside kick, and Kansas City picked up a couple of first downs to secure the victory.
"They had a good game plan," Rodgers said. "You have to give them credit."
Ryan Succop kicked four field goals for Kansas City (6-8), which had lost five of its last six games and fired coach Todd Haley last Monday. Jackie Battle added a short touchdown plunge with 4:53 left in the game, points that came in handy when Rodgers led one last scoring drive.
"Everybody had marked it off as a win for the Packers, but those guys in the locker room, they're football players," Crennel said. "They decided they were not going to lay down, they were not going to give up, so they went out and played a tremendous game."
Neither team looked all that tremendous in the first half.
Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson was hit twice with offensive pass interference, Rodgers was harassed by the Chiefs' weak pass rush, and Green Bay wound up making five first downs.
One of them came when Kansas City's Jeremy Horne ran into Packers punter Tim Masthay , giving them 15 free yards. The Chiefs tried to give Green Bay another gift later on the drive when Mason Crosby missed a 59-yard field goal attempt but Kansas City had 12 men on the field.
With another chance from 54 yards, the normally reliable Crosby still pushed the kick right.
Rodgers finished the half 6 of 17 for 59 yards, with a handful of drops between wide receiver Donald Driver and tight end Jermichael Finley . In fact, things were going so badly for Green Bay that at one point it ran out of the wildcat despite having one of the best quarterbacks in the game.
The Chiefs were still clinging to a 6-0 lead when Rodgers finally hit down field, finding Finley over top the coverage for a 41-yard gain. Three plays later, the Packers' star quarterback hit Driver in the corner of the end zone for a 7-6 lead with 8:04 left in the third quarter.
Kansas City answered when Orton hit his own tight end, Leonard Pope , for a career-long 38-yard catch. Jon Baldwin added a 17-yard grab to set up Succop's 46-yard, go-ahead field goal.
The Packers moved into field-goal range on their ensuing drive, but rather than have Crosby attempt a 56-yard kick in the same direction he had already missed, McCarthy elected to go for it on fourth-and-9. Rodgers' pass fell incomplete and the Chiefs took over.
They needed seven plays to cover 59 yards, but had to settle for another field goal and a 12-7 lead. It was the third time the Chiefs drove inside the 5 and had six total points to show for it.
They got seven on their next trip, though.
With first-and-goal at the 5, Thomas Jones managed to gain a yard and Le'Ron McClain bulled ahead for three more, setting up third down from just outside the goal line. Battle took the carry over the right side and powered into the end zone, giving the woeful Kansas City offense its highest-scoring game since the Chiefs beat San Diego in overtime in late October.
The Packers marched down field in the closing minutes, and Rodgers showed his moxie by scampering around the end for a touchdown that made it 19-14, but that was as close as they got.
Green Bay came into the game averaging nearly 36 points, but was held to its lowest total since beating the Chicago Bears 10-3 in Week 17 last year. The Packers needed to win that game to make the playoffs, and wound up riding the momentum to a Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers .
All that momentum finally came to an end against the most unlikely of scenarios.
"We set the tone on both sides of the ball," Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. "This is the great thing about football. You can't always look at the records, because you've got grown men out there who are all getting paid. You don't have to be better on paper.
"If you're better on that given Sunday, you'll get the win."
Polian rules out Manning's return
The Colts will have to win their last two games the same way they tried to win their first 14 -- without Peyton Manning.
Minutes after the previously winless Colts got their first win, 27-13 over Tennessee, team vice chairman Bill Polian said the four-time league MVP will not play this season though he has begun throwing to teammates at the team complex.
The comments came in a rare, five-paragraph postgame statement Polian made from the podium. He did not take questions.
"It was determined by the doctors that there was no chance he (Manning) would play this year," Polian said, referring to a Thursday meeting. "His rehabilitation has not come far enough to make it prudent for him to step on the field in game action. He may practice in some very scripted and circumscribed circumstances if he wishes. That's entirely up to him."
Apparently, Manning is already doing that.
Polian confirmed that the four-time league MVP threw in pads and a helmet after Wednesday's full practice ended. The session included running back Joseph Addai, center Jeff Saturday, receiver Anthony Gonzalez and a receiver from the practice squad.
There were rumors all week that Manning had started throwing with teammates, but players and coaches repeatedly said there was nothing new in Manning's workout regimen. On Sunday's pregame show, Fox Sports reported that Manning had thrown to receivers and running backs this week and that Manning still hoped to play this season.
He has practiced sparingly since having neck surgery in May. The Colts thought Manning would be ready to play when training camp opened and again when the regular-season started, but the recovery took far longer than expected. He was activated before the regular-season opener, but with the compressed nerve still causing weakness in Manning's throwing arm, he opted for a more invasive fusion. That surgery took place Sept. 8.
On Dec. 1, doctors announced the fusion had healed firmly and that Manning could increase the intensity and length of his workouts.
He is.
"Wednesday, after we finished our full team practice, Peyton went through a prescribed rehabilitation session, which consisted of about 30 throws and seven or eight handoffs," Polian said. "His throws were scripted at his request, meaning that he made specific throws with respect to the kinds of plays he would run in a ballgame. The reason for that is because the strength and conditioning folks and the therapy folks felt that was the best way to ramp up the muscle use."
Polian denied breaking any league rules by not disclosing Manning's workouts on the weekly practice reports, which require teams to provide information about each player's participation.
Because the workouts occurred after practice, Polian said the team did not violate the league rules and that the team taped that workout, which was attended by Polian and coach Jim Caldwell.
Team officials have kept Manning on the active roster in hopes that he could practice in December.
Polian said he does not expect Manning to throw again before Thursday's home finale against Houston.
AP
Lebron Heats this up & the Thunders shock Dallas
LeBron James scored 19 points and the Miami Heat got their preseason off to an easy start, running away to beat the Orlando Magic 118-85 on Sunday night.
Terrel Harris scored 16, while Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh each had 14 for Miami. The Heat led 53-46 at halftime before turning it into a rout.
Ryan Anderson and J.J. Redick each scored 22 for Orlando, which lost for the first time in 22 preseason games dating to October 2008. The subject of trade talk throughout training camp, Dwight Howard finished with only five points on 2-for-9 shooting.
Magic point guard Jameer Nelson missed all 10 of his shots and forward Hedo Turkoglu left late in the first half with a bruised left hip.
The teams play again in Orlando on Wednesday.
Kevin Durant scored 21 points and reserve James Harden added 16 to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 106-92 victory over the defending champion Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night in the preseason opener for both teams.
Durant, the NBA scoring leader last season at 27.7 points a game, went 13 for 14 from the free throw line.
Lamar Odom, acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade on Dec. 11, had 14 points and seven rebounds in his Mavericks debut.
Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, leaders of the Mavericks title run, were in uniform and are healthy but were rested.
Delonte West and Odom started in their place.
Former first-class umpire Harrison dies at 77
Nigel Harrison, the former Barbadian first-class umpire, has died after a brief illness. He was 77. Harrison stood in several matches in the 1980s in the Shell Shield and Red Stripe Cup championships, as well as regional one-day matches. He was also a former president and treasurer of the Barbados Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA).
Harrison played cricket for one of Barbados’ most celebrated clubs, Spartan, in the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) First and Intermediate division competitions, switching from a wicket-keeper/batsman to an off-spinning all-rounder after he also represented Harrison College. He was good enough to be invited to national trials.
Quiet and unassuming, Harrison was also a former managing director of Corbin Compton, a leading Barbados advertising company. Former international umpire and long-time close friend Lloyd Barker, described Harrison as a “good umpire” who was “approachable and very knowledgeable”. “As umpires, we started our first-class careers the same year in 1981 and would travel to different locations. We were both on the Board of the BCUA during the time I was president and when I gave up that post for two years he took over before I returned,” Barker told the BCA website.
“Nigel was always my personal friend and we discussed intimate details of cricket. He was approachable and very knowledgeable on matters surrounding the game. He seemed to have solutions for what appeared to be big problems. “He was a good umpire. I don’t think he ever had a bad report.”
Harrison leaves to mourn his wife Marjorie and sons David and Adrian. David was a hockey player for Spartan while Adrian played cricket for Wanderers. The funeral will be held today. (CMC)
‘Wonder Boy’ Steve Bennett is dead
Racing was dealt a severe blow yesterday when 89-year-old racing legend, Dr Steve Bennett passed away at his home on Gordon Street, St Augustine. Dr Bennett was the son of Oliver “Penlyn” Bennett, another racing legend and May Bennett (both deceased). His wife Clarie Bennett passed on some years ago. Dr Bennett was the youngest jockey ever to win the T&T Derby when he won aboard Danny Boy in 1937, at ten years of age. He later retired at 15.
The T&T Racing Authority established a “Racing Hall of Fame” in March 1998, which recognised the achievements of outstanding horses, owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms, institutions and other contributors and Dr Bennett was duly inducted in 1998. Apart from his professional responsibilities as a vet, Dr Bennett was an advocate of the buffalypso industry. He was born in Hardbargain, Princes Town in 1922. As a young boy, his interest in animals focussed mainly on horses, a passion he inherited from his father, who was a successful jockey. At the age of ten, he became a professional jockey, riding and winning until he was a teenager. He was also keen on other sports and at school he took part in athletics, boxing, cricket and football.
His love for animals influenced his choice of study. After attending Presentation College, San Fernando, he studied animal husbandry and the breeding and caring for farm animals in Canada and later in the US. Bennett worked as a veterinarian for a number of organisations in Trinidad. It was at his job at the agricultural company, Caroni Limited that he did his pioneering work on the buffalypso.
He was of the view that the buffalo produced high quality meat and milk and could become a major product in T&T. At his private veterinary practice, one of the largest in the Caribbean, he provided medical care for his beloved thoroughbred racehorses, dairy cattle, water buffaloes, mules and small animals. He has earned praise and awards for his work from countries across the globe—Jamaica, Brazil, Bulgaria and Egypt. At home, he received a national award, the Chaconia Medal Silver, for his contribution to agriculture and veterinary medicine.
Bennett will be remembered for his famous words of “One does best in what one likes doing best...” Bennett leaves to mourn Robyn Rostant, Patricia Rostant-Kerren, Sie Costello, Charlene Costelloe and Douglas Bennett. He was the brother of Joy Lucie Smith (deceased), Pat (deceased), Barbara Ross, and Joan Mahon. He was the grandfather of 16 and great grandfather of seven. Funeral arrangement to be announced.
British govt backs plan to restructure banks
The British government will restructure the country's banks by separating their retail activities from riskier investment banking operations, Business Secretary Vince Cable said Sunday. Cable said the government will comply with the recommendations of an independent commission set up after the 2008 banking crisis and "proceed with the separation of the banks." "It's absolutely right that we make the British economy safe," Cable told the BBC. "We just cannot risk having a repetition of that financial catastrophe that we had three years ago."
Treasury chief George Osborne is due to lay out the government's plans in Parliament on Monday. Cable told the BBC that the necessary legislation would be passed before the government's term ends in 2015. The British government bought up large chunks of the country's banking system after it ran into major financial difficulties during the 2008 credit crunch. The British taxpayer now fully owns mortgage lenders Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley, along with 83 per cent of Royal Bank of Scotland and 41 per cent of Lloyd's Banking Group.
AP
Bahamas to get US$50m to improve air transportation
The Bahamas is to receive a US$50 million loan to improve its air transportation system in a programme expected to increase flights within the island chain and modernise its airports. The Inter-American Development Bank says its loan also will be used to create an independent body to investigate aviation incidents and accidents. Nearly US$48 million will be used for aviation reforms, while the remainder will be used for technical support and analysis of transportation issues between the smaller islands. Five domestic airlines and 17 international ones currently serve the Bahamas. The loan was announced this week.
IDB team leader Esteban Diez Roux said: “The Bahamian economy is based on two pillars: tourism and international financial services, both of which are aviation intensive. “The programme will promote the development of safe and efficient air transport in the country following international standards. The air transport is crucial to ensure mobility and transport of goods, services and people in the country, as well as to integrate The Bahamas within the Caribbean region and also internationally.” The IDB said that a fundamental condition for approving special financing of this nature was confirmation of macro-economic stability and sound management by the Government. The Ministry of Tourism and Aviation will be in charge of the project. The IDB loan is for a 20-year term, with a five-year grace period, at a variable interest rate based on LIBOR.
Air transport in The Bahamas is provided by 17 international airlines and five domestic ones. There are a total of 53 licensed airports in the country. A modern air transport sector needs to provide the greatest connectivity to global markets and invest in its facilities. A comprehensive reform of the existing institutional and regulatory structure will require the implementation of a new legal framework and arrangements for financing and infrastructure management. Transport reform will introduce a modern civil aviation regulatory regime, create an independent entity to investigate aviation incidents and accidents, and modernise the existing air traffic control infrastructure.
Measures will be taken to promote competition and to introduce a booking system to expand local air carrier services, fostering a commercial and entrepreneurial attitude towards ensuring economic and financial sustainability of the sector. This loan consists of two components: (1) US$47.5 million in budget support on the basis of agreed advances in the reform of the sector, as well as (2) US$2.5 million in technical support which will help implement the reform, assess the Family Islands transport, carry out the airport optimisation, and monitor and evaluate programme results.