Williams hunts World Indoor gold
Kimberly Williams will be looking to win Jamaica's first medal at the IAAF World Indoor Championships (WIC) in Sopot, Poland today, as Veronica Campbell-Brown makes her return to the track and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, makes her WIC debut.
Williams, who booked her spot in the women's triple jump final with minimum effort yesterday, was one of the country's bright spots on a day that included a mixed bag of results.
Kaliese Spencer and Patricia Hall secured lanes in today's women's 400m final (1:40 p.m.) after impressive showings yesterday, and Monique Morgan will compete in the women's 60m hurdles (12:10 p.m.), while Nesta Carter and Kimmari Roach will be lining up in the men's 60m semi-finals, with one eye on the final, two hours later.
Roach, ran a 6.59 personal best to finish second in his heat yesterday, while Carter, who won the silver medal at the last IAAF World Indoor Championships in 2012, eased into third pace in his heat with a time of 6.58.
"It's a good track, bouncy. I felt a bit weird today, but hopefully I feel better by tomorrow. I would like to run around 6.4. Anything can happen in sprints. There is no real favourite," said Roach after the race.
The men's 60m semi-finals are set to begin today at 12:30 p.m., with the final scheduled for 2:57 p.m.
Williams bettered the automatic qualifying mark of 14.30m, with her first attempt of 14.35m to stroll into today's final, which is set for 12:05 p.m., and is a strong favourite for a medal.
All eyes will, however, be on the women's 60m heats, where athletes face the starter at 4:50 a.m. Veronica Campbell-Brown will be looking to win her third straight 60m gold medal, days after being cleared to resume her career following a doping violation.
Source-Jamaica Star
Brazil buys drones for World Cup
The Brazil Air Force has purchased two new $12 million drones from Israel with the aim of patrolling the skies during the FIFA World Cup.
The drones are expected to provide crowd surveillance above Brazil's stadiums during the competition.
The drones are among a raft of security measures being brought in, including thermal cameras, German tanks, and stadium fly-overs by Air Force fighter jets, and helicopters kitted out with surveillance equipment including high-resolution, night-vision, and thermal cameras.
Brazil has also ordered 30 PackBot 510 robots from the United States to beef up its security measures. Equipped with cameras, the PackBots can be remotely operated. Nearly 2,000 such robots are operational in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Chris Gayle expects tough T20 World Cup defense
Superstar batsman Chris Gayle believes West Indies have a realistic shot at defending their World Twenty20 title, but admits the regional side will face a tough challenge.
The big-hitting left-hander was a key member of the side, which lifted the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka two years ago, and is expected to be at the forefront again as the side does battle in March 16 to April 6 campaign in Bangladesh.
"It would be nice if history could repeat itself but it's going to be tough as the other teams are playing good cricket at this point in time, and they are actually in good form as well," Gayle told reporters on Friday at Kensington Oval.
"It is going to be good to get out of the first round, that's always important. We'll target that first and then look forward to the semis and hopefully the final."
Since winning the T20 World Cup, West Indies have lost five of the 10 T20 Internationals they have played. More significantly, they have lost five of the last six within the last year.
The Windies also find themselves in a tough group alongside Australia, India and Pakistan.
Gayle said it was therefore important that the West Indies use the three-match T20 series against England starting tomorrow at the Oval, to find precious momentum ahead of the World Twenty20.
"It is important for both teams even though England have been playing a lot of cricket but it's good for us to try and gain some momentum," Gayle pointed out.
"We haven't been doing well in the shorter format recently. We lost a lot of games but hopefully we can build some momentum and we can be dangerous at the T20 World Cup if we get some momentum."
Gayle will be attempting to make a comeback from injury yet again. He was ruled out of the limited over series against India, and the Test and one-day series in New Zealand late last year with a hamstring injury, and his return to action in February was curtailed by a sore back after just one T20 against Ireland.
Jamaica's Campbell-Brown Calls Press Conference On Doping Allegations
Jamaica’s two-time Olympic 200-metre champion Veronica Campbell-Brown will hold a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston next Friday to speak on issues regarding recent "doping allegations".
An advisory from Campbell-Brown’s legal defence and management teams says the press conference is aimed at providing a full understanding of the entire process, from charge to acquittal. The advisory further said the team would outline the pertinent issues and answer any outstanding questions relating to the disciplinary hearings, along with the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) ruling and the final decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Last year the disciplinary committee of the Jamaica Administrative Association recommended a reprimand following Campbelll-Brown's positive test for a banned diuretic. However, the IAAF rejected the recommendation and secretly banned the 31-year-old sprinter for two years. Campbell-Brown then took the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport which overturned by the ban.
Source-Jamaica Gleaner
Woman found sleeping in Justin Bieber's Atlanta home
Police in Atlanta have caught a woman they say was found sleeping in a bedroom at a house rented by Justin Bieber.
Sandy Springs police say 23-year-old Qianying Zhao of nearby Doraville was discovered at 5pm on Wednesday.
She told officers she was there to go to the pop star's birthday party and got in through an unlocked door.
The home, which is owned by music producer Dallas Austin, was unoccupied at the time.
Police say the party was held somewhere else, earlier in the week.
Zhao told officers she was Bieber's friend, police added, but investigators believe she's one of millions of fans who follow him on Twitter.
She faces a charge of criminal trespass.
This week police have also released a video showing Bieber urinating.
He was giving a sample for a drug test following his arrest by police in Miami Beach on 23 January on a charge of driving under the influence.
The 20-year-old musician is back in Miami for a legal deposition unrelated to his January arrest.
Source-BBC
Something Happened At Kartel's Gate, Judge Tells Jurors
Justice Lennox Campbell, the judge presiding at the Vybz Kartel murder trial has told jurors that "something happened" at the entertainer's gate in Havendale, St Andrew on August 16, 2011.
In continuing his summation in the case of the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams, Campbell reminded the jurors that one of the accused, Shawn Campbell, admitted that he went to the gate and left.
He also noted that another accused, Andre St John, said he was on his way out of the yard when the main witness came and a dog rushed him.
Kartel was allegedly bitten by the dog after trying to protect the main witness.
Justice Campbell has told the jurors that the defense has claimed that the main witness was lying because he couldn't remember what happened on August 16, 2011.
At the same time, he reminded jurors that the main witness and the murder victim were scared because of the situation they were in.
However, he pointed out that the men were not weak-kneed, but ones who "locked" guns.
And, the judge has asked the jury to refer to text messages in the case sent by Lizard to his girlfriend.
He said the jurors should follow the sequence of the time in the case.
According to the judge, there has been much scrutiny of the timing of the events including the time when the text messages were sent.
The High Court judge said some of the messages sent by the witness, Lizard, and others would not make sense.
However, Justice Campbell said the jurors have to decide whether the text messages are genuine.
He also sought to assure the jurors that this is their last weekend in court.
Campbell has so far reviewed the evidence of eight of the 24 witnesses called by the prosecution.
Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, is charged jointly with fellow entertainer Shawn Campbell, also called Shawn Storm, Kahira Jones; Shane Williams and André St John.
When the case adjourned today, the judge was reviewing the evidence of the main witness.
The main witness has told the court that on the night of August 16, 2011, he saw Clive 'Lizard' Williams lying motionless on the floor of Kartel’s Havendale, St Andrew house.
The Crown is alleging that Kartel and his four co-accused killed Williams over two missing guns on August 16, 2011.
Meanwhile, United States-based rap artiste Busta Rhymes was present in the Home Circuit Court downtown Kingston Thursday morning as the presiding judge Lennox Campbell did his summation in the Vybz Kartel murder trial.
Busta Rhymes and Flip Mode Squad associate Spliff Star, offering support, greeted relatives and friends of the accused men and chatted with the defence team.
Sources-Gleaner/Observer
Sean Paul gets 5th #1 debut on Billboard Reggae Chart
International dancehall superstar Sean Paul is in the process of creating chart history, according to management company Headline Entertainment, as he received his fifth # 1 Reggae album debut on the Billboard Reggae charts for his sixth studio album, 'Full Frequency'.
On Tuesday, February 18, Sean Paul released Full Frequency on Atlantic/VP Records, anchored by lead singles 'Want Dem All' featuring Konshens and 'Riot' featuring Damian Marley, which is currently the #1 song on the Jamaica Music Countdown chart. The project also debuted as the #1 album in Japan while charting high in multiple territories including top 5 in Mexico.
In anticipation of the release, Headline Entertainment said Sean Paul embarked on a US promotional tour including an appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show.
Headline Entertainment said that Sean Paul is the first Jamaican artiste to have an album cover with an interactive app which is free and allows fans to access music, videos, tour dates, and interact with the artiste through his social media sites.
Full Frequency, through the Layar app, allows fans to scan the album artwork with their android or IOS device and experience Sean Paul content popping up on their screens.
Other artistes that have added an interactive app to their projects include, Jay Z, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, Headline Entertainment said.
Sean Paul's Full Frequency album’s Augmented Reality feature was designed and developed by Jamaican-born Kai Williams and Khaliq King of Zipteq.
Source-Jamaica Observer
Bandleaders threaten to sue NCBA
Several bandleaders are considering taking legal action after being disqualified in the National Carnival Bands Association’s (NCBA) Band of the Year competition.
President of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival Bands Association (TTCBA) Gerard Weekes said yesterday about ten bandleaders have complained to him.
Weekes said the bandleaders were not against Neal and Massy Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra winning but were merely seeking clarification on the results from NCBA president David Lopez.
All Stars placed first with its presentation, Sailors On Shore Leave At A Tropical Fiesta, with 2,365 points. Weekes also said consensus among the bandleaders was it was not a case of “sour grapes”.
Via a telephone interview yesterday, Weekes said: “We have had complaints from more than ten band-
leaders. The concerns range from disqualification to loss of points. I guess they are all seeking some answers. Bandleaders like Rosalind Gabriel, Ronnie and Caro, D Krewe with Roland St George, Trini Revellers with David Cameron are seeking legal action. These are just a few.”
Weekes added: “All Stars is not the problem. The bandleaders have lost points. They simply want to know where they were disqualified. Some of them want to know why they were not placed in the top three. It is both the Medium and Large Band category who are querying their scores and their points. I will be talking with them over the weekend. It will be on a one-and-one basis.”
Asked if the bandleaders will be suing the NCBA, he said: “I don’t have an official answer. They have all intentions to sue. Meanwhile, they have been attempting to retain their scores.”
Weekes said the “controversy” stemmed from the implementation of “draconian rules”.
He added: “I predicted All Stars will win Band of the Year because they were the only band that stayed with the rules and regulations. The rules and regulations were tailored to suit All Stars.”
Asked if he attempted to contact Lopez, he said: “No. I have not attempted to contact them. Lopez knows what he is doing. So he does not want to talk to anybody at this time.”
Asked if he had contacted National Carnival Commission (NCC) chairman Allison Demas, he said: “It is the same thing with her. She will say talk to NCBA.”
Weekes however cast the blame for the post-Carnival fiasco at the feet of Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism Dr Lincoln Douglas.
“Douglas has to be held responsible for all the issues and problems. He and Lopez are two peas in a pod,” said Weekes.
Via a telephone interview yesterday, bandleader Rosalind Gabriel said: “It’s discrimination.”
Her adult band, Festival of Colours, failed to place in the Small Band category.
Gabriel said: “I am writing to NCBA to request my scoresheet. I want to see why I have not been placed anywhere from one to five in the Small Band category. In 2003, there was real bacchanal. But 2014 is even worse. This is victimisation. Lopez is supposed to be the union leader for mas. He is supposed to be our champion. He is persecuting us.”
She said it was a case of “bad blood”.
Gabriel added: “In 2012, we left NCBA and we formed TTCBA (Gerard Weekes), and this is the persecution that came from it. We have been victimised.”
Based on discussions with her colleagues, Gabriel said: “For those bandleaders whom I talk to, they all feel the same way. The steelband (All Stars) won because others were disqualified.”
She said she will be requesting the scoresheet for the Juniors’ presentation of Colour My Culture.
Gabriel said: “Those of us who went downtown were disqualified. Something has gone on.”
Asked if she had contacted Lopez, she said: “No. I hired a lawyer to act on my behalf. I think the NCBA will be buried in lawsuits.”
Efforts to contact Douglas, Demas and Lopez yesterday proved futile.
Source-Trinidad Express
U.S. donates US$1.2M in equipment to protect the environment
The United States Embassy on Thursday donated equipment for the environmental protection program, with financial and technical assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Embassy chief of staff Daniel Foote said the donation of around US$1.2 million will support the Environment Ministry’s priority program and other national organizations to bolster environmental protection and adaptation to climate change,.
Environment minister Bautista Rojas received the donation which includes 13 pickup trucks, 24 motorcycles, five boats, among other equipment to patrol protected areas, and to fully equip the Nigua Endemic and Native Seedling Bank.
Rojas and Foote also signed agreements to donate around US$407,000 worth of equipment to other organizations.
CARICOM “deeply concerned” over political tensions between Ukraine and Russia
The 15-member regional integration grouping, CARICOM< Wednesday said it was ‘deeply concerned” at the ongoing political developments in Ukraine and called for an end to the tensions to prevent possible bloodshed.
“The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is deeply concerned by the recent developments in Ukraine and calls on all parties involved, to act with self-restraint and responsibility in order to reduce tensions and avoid destabilization in that region,” the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said in a statement.
It said CARICOM “supports the people of Ukraine in their efforts to settle their differences peacefully, and calls for the respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“In this regard, the Community also calls for the use of international mediation and/or negotiations, to address security and human rights concerns in Ukraine, under the auspices of the United Nations.
“The Caribbean Community will continue to monitor developments within Ukraine and hopes for peace and calm as political and economic stability are restored within that country.”
The United States and Russia are expected to hold talks on easing East-West tension over Ukraine on Wednesday.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet face-to-face for the first time since the crisis escalated, after a conference in Paris attended by all five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
NATO and Russia will hold parallel talks in Brussels amid concerns that a standoff between Russian and Ukrainian soldiers in Crimea could still spark violence, or that Moscow could also intervene in Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday defended Russia’s actions in Crimea, a strategic Black Sea peninsula that is part of Ukraine but used to be Russian territory, and said he would use force only as a last resort.
Caribbean 360 News