Netherlands, Canada, Norway Lead Medal Count in Sochi
The Netherlands swept the men's 500-meter speed skating at the Winter Olympics Monday, tying for the lead in the medal count after three days of competition in Sochi.
Michel Mulder won the gold medal in the event, followed by Dutch teammates Jan Smeekens and Ronald Mulder, Michel's twin brother.
By day's end, the Netherlands, Canada and Norway were tied for the most medals with seven. Canada and the Netherlands lead in gold medals with three each.
Canada was aided by Charles Hamelin, who finished first in the 1,500-meter short track speed skating. It was his third career Olympic gold medal.
In women's Alpine skiing, Germany's Maria Hoefl-Riesch also won her third career Olympic gold. She took first in the super-combined, one downhill and one slalom run.
Norway's Ole Einar Bjoerndalen just missed winning a record 13th career Winter Olympic medal. He finished fourth in the men's biathlon 12.5-kilometer pursuit. France's Martin Fourcade won that event.
In women's ice hockey, the U.S. routed Switzerland, 9-0, setting an Olympic record with three goals in a 55-second span. Canada beat Finland, 3-0.
The U.S. and Canada -- fierce rivals and the consensus favorites to win the gold medal in Sochi -- will clash on Wednesday.
Canada has won three of the four gold medals since women's ice hockey became a Winter Olympics sport at the 1998 Nagano Games, beating the Americans in the finals in 2002 and 2010. The U.S. won the gold in Nagano.
Curling began for the men and women Monday. Canada's men's team, the favorite to repeat as Olympic gold medal champion, was upset by Switzerland, 5-4. The Canadians beat Germany, 11-8, earlier in the day.
Tuesday's action includes the debut of women's ski jumping in the Winter Games, with the gold medal final scheduled for late in the day. There are 98 medal events at the Sochi Games, 12 more than in Vancouver in 2010.
NFL draft prospect reveals his gay sexuality
American footballer Michael Sam could become the National Football League's first openly gay player after revealing his sexuality.
The 24-year-old completed his college football career at the University of Missouri in December and is expected to be drafted by an NFL franchise in May.
"I came to tell the world I'm an openly gay man," the defensive lineman told ESPN. "If I work hard, if I make plays - that's all that should matter."
The NFL welcomed Sam's announcement.
Should Sam be drafted as expected and make an NFL roster in the 2014 season, he would become the first openly gay player to compete in any of North America's four major professional sports leagues - football, baseball, basketball and hockey.
He had revealed his sexuality to his former college team-mates at the University of Missouri's Mizzou Tigers, but admitted doing so publicly was "a weight off his chest".
"I probably may be the first but I won't be the last. And I think only good things will come from this," he added.
In April 2013, basketball player Jason Collins came out during the sport's off-season but was not signed for the next campaign, meaning he never competed as an openly gay player.
Sam is expected to be a mid-draft pick when the NFL's teams hold their annual draft meeting, a process where players from America's college football system are signed for professional franchises.
Former players from the league have come out since retiring, but none have done so during their careers.
In a statement, the NFL said: "We admire Michael Sam's honesty and courage. Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL.
"We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014."
Sam, who was born in Texas, was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Southeastern Conference before graduation.
Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams said a person's sexuality did not matter to him, adding: "I care about winning games and being respectful in the locker room."
NFL hall of famer Deion Sanders tweeted: ''Michael Sam isn't the first gay player in the NFL although he is the first to come out. Let's show him love like a family member. Truth.''
Source-BBC
Government spends $10K on football tournament in Cayman
Government again is funding an international football tournament. This time shelling out $10,000 for Cayman to host the third-annual C3 Cayman International Youth Football Tournament.
The competition pits a Cayman Islands Under-15 Select Team against academy teams from UK-based Swindon Town FC and the Houston Dynamo.
Sports Minister Hon. Osbourne Bodden says the cost to Government is more than worth the price because of the doors it can open for Cayman’s youth on the international football scene.
“This tournament in the past has produced a number of notable players who are playing in the UK at the moment,” Bodden said.
Caymanians Sebastian Martinez, Kray Foster and Nathan Borde each are part of Swindon Town’s Academy while Cameron Gray attends Reading’s Academy. All are attending thanks in part to Government grants.
“So it goes to show when you can develop football and keep it going at this level and bring the right competition to the island and allow our kids to be exposed off island, we can create exceptionally good players,” Bodden said.
The tournament consists of three matches.
Lego Movie leaves Monuments in pieces
Blockbuster toy tie-in The Lego Movie left The Monuments Men for dust at the weekend, earning more than three times as much as George Clooney's WWII caper at the North American box office.
The 3D animation, set in a world made up of plastic children's blocks, took $69.1 million (£42m) between Friday and Sunday, according to studio estimates.
Clooney's film about Nazi-looted art took $22.7m (£14m).
The critics have not generally been kind to his fact-based tale.
A spokesman for the Sony studio was upbeat about its performance, saying it was "right where we hoped to be".
Clooney, who both directs and stars in The Monuments Men, is travelling to the UK this week to promote his film ahead of its UK release on Friday.
The Lego Movie, also out on Friday in the UK and Ireland, enjoyed the biggest opening of 2014 so far. A sequel is already in development.
Will Ferrell and Liam Neeson are among the voice cast in Warner Brothers' collaboration with the popular Danish top brand.
The new arrivals at the top of this week's chart saw last week's number one film, cop comedy Ride Along, fall down to three.
Disney animation Frozen also fell two places to four, while raunchy rom-com That Awkward Moment dropped down to five.
Teen film Vampire Academy opened poorly in seventh place with a first weekend tally of $4.1m (£2.5m).
Based on Richelle Mead's young adult novels, the Weinstein Company release is set in a boarding school for bloodsuckers.
North American box office chart
1. The Lego Movie - $69.1m
2. The Monuments Men - $22.7m
3. Ride Along - $9.4m
4. Frozen - $6.9m
5. That Awkward Moment - $5.5m
Source: Rentrak
Tessanne Chin, Barrington Levy to Headline St Lucia Jazz Festival
“The Voice” winner Tessanne Chin and reggae star Barrington Levy will be headlining this year’s edition of the St Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival.
Jamaica’s Chin and Levy will be joined by Grammy and Tony Award-winning Dee Dee Bridgewater and P-Square.
The festival was officially launched last week with a ceremony at the Sandals Halcyon Beach Resort.
This year’s 12-day festival will begin on April 30.
“This year’s event is building on a resurgence of fresh artistic direction infused into the festival in 2013, thus providing the perfect opportunity for scores of local artisans, entertainers and cultural enthusiasts to command world attention at scenic vistas across the island,” said St Lucia Tourism Minister Lorne Theophilus.
Also on hand this year will be Cuban composer Omar Sosa, Soca star Alison Hinds and Puerto Rican singer Elvis Crespo, among others.
Source-Caribbean Journal
Tight race for Fantastic Friday spots
The Soca Monarch race is wide open.
Few if any of the 80-plus acts who contested the semi-final Groovy and Power categories, on Sunday night, left the Arima Velodrome feeling assured of a finals spot on Fantastic Friday.
Their anxiety told in their elaborate stage shows as the competition front-runners turned up the heat, quite literally, on the chasing pack. Kerwin Du Bois, Destra Garcia, Patrice Roberts, Nadia Batson and Vincentian Skinny Fabulous all brought their A-game employing: dancers, traditional Carnival characters, pyrotechnics and colourful flame machines all in an attempt to stand out.
Not to be outdone the proverbial pack also turned up the ante revealing that they too had a few surprises up their sleeves. Devon “Faddah Moses” was the most impressive of that lot with a spirited performance of his little known “We Want Water”.
Moses acknowledged that his song was not popular due to limited radio play. He told the crowd he was prepared to work for his place in the Power Soca Finals before breaking into a “freestyle” verse about water woes in Arima that the won them over. The area has been suffering from an inconsistent supply for the past week.
Experienced or not Sunday’s acts will all be hoping the judges are more accepting of their presentations than the massive Arima party crowd. What Skinner Park is to calypso Arima now seems to be to soca, as many felt the sting of a brutal musical acid test.
None more so than Sherrard Churche, brother of soca starlet Shivonne “Lil Bitts” Churche, who laboured through his performance of “Tizik”. Churche seemed out of his depth in soca’s big yard as he failed to move the crowd and stumbled over his lyrics.
HD band member Darryl “Farmer Nappy” Henry and Grenadian Hollice “Mr Killa” Mapp, however, had no such problems. They easily enjoyed the best crowd reaction for the groovy anthem “Big People Party” and power party hit “Rolly Polly”, respectively.
All will have to up the intensity when they face joint Monarch Machel Montano and Austin “SuperBlue” Lyons in the final showpiece. Montano, defending Monarch in both categories, is expected to sing his immensely popular “HMA” (Happiest Man Alive) and “MOR” (Ministry of Road) in the Groovy and Power. Much speculation, meanwhile, surrounds Lyons’ yet-to-be-released song of choice.
The multiple Soca Monarch and Road March winner was a no show on Sunday night where he was expected to perform “Spankin” in the Groovy semis. Yesterday one of SuperBlue’s assistants said the multiple times soca and road march winner simply had a change of mind.
“He was only going to enter the competition because a lot of people felt he should,” said the assistant- who requested that we don’t publish her name.
“But his focus was really on Power Soca. In fact he is in the studio right now which is why he isn’t taking any calls. “At first Blue was really feeling the Groovy and then he decided that he better just concentrate on the Power Soca.”The assistant added that SuperBlue was in the studio and not accepting calls.
SuperBlue planned to sing “Spankin” in position five at Sunday’s semi-finals. The song is a remake of the singer’s 1989 song “Mrs Pan” which he recorded using his former sobriquet Blue Boy. Several steelbands have made it their tune of choice for this years steelband Panorama competition
Last year the artiste shocked the soca fraternity when he staged a successful comeback winning not just the Soca Monarch title with Machel Monanto but the Road March title with the song Fantastic Friday.
SuperBlue, always one to release his “big tune” late in the Carnival season, was expected to put out his Power Soca 2014 single either yesterday or today, his assistant said.
International Soca Monarch promoter Caribbean Prestige Foundation (CPF) is expected to announce the list of finalists at 10.45 a.m on Wednesday. The finalists will then draw performance spots on Friday at CPF offices on Prince Street, Port of Spain.
Source-Trinidad Express Newspaper
'Bunny Rugs' Memorial Service This Wednesday In Orlando
The memorial service for the late lead singer of the iconic reggae band, Third World, William 'Bunny Rugs' Clarke is scheduled for Orlando, Florida, this Wednesday.
The service begins at 11 a.m. at the South Orlando Baptist Church, with a repast at the Mela Room, 9677 South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando.
Rugs' body is believed to have been cremated by his family.
The Third World singer died Sunday, February second at a hospital in Florida.
He would have celebrated his 66th birthday on February 6, along with King of Reggae, Bob Marley.
A memorial service is expected to be held here in Jamaica next week, followed by a tribute at the Blue Mountain Musical Festival, February 24.
Rugs has been hailed for his outstanding contribution to building not only the music industry, but brand Jamaica.
“He has been a great ambassador for Jamaica over the decades, thereby helping to build brand Jamaica globally," said Minister of Tourism and Entertainment, Dr Wykeham McNeill.
McNeill added that Rugs had left huge footprints on Jamaica’s entertainment landscape, through his contribution as a leading member of Third World, which is arguably one of the best bands Jamaica has produced to date, and also as a solo act.
Source-Jamaica Gleaner
Hollywood star Clint Eastwood saves man from choking
Hollywood actor Clint Eastwood has been credited with saving the life of a golf tournament director in California who was choking on a piece of cheese.
"Clint saved my life," said Steve John, director of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament.
The actor reportedly saw that Mr John was in difficulty and performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on him.
The technique requires a rescuer to carry out abdominal thrusts on a choke victim to dislodge the blockage.
"Suddenly, I couldn't breathe. It was as bad as it could have been," Mr John said of the incident at a drinks reception in Carmel-by-the-Sea on Wednesday.
"Clint came up behind me, and he knew exactly what to do."
The award-winning actor and director told the Carmel Pine Cone that he noticed Mr John had "that look of panic people have when they see their life passing before their eyes".
Mr Eastwood, 83, moved behind Mr John and carried out the manoeuvre.
"I gave him three good jolts, and that got it out," he said.
"And then I made him drink a big glass of water with a bunch of lemon squeezed in it."
Mr Eastwood, famous for his roles in Westerns and the Dirty Harry detective films, said he had performed the manoeuvre before, but only "to practise".
Source-BBC
American World Clinics can bring US$450m to economy
American World Clinics’ model deploys the best in medical technology, facilities, and professionals with the majority of our physicians and surgeons being board certified United States-trained doctors. We believe this model allows us to fulfill our mission without depleting physician and local medical infrastructure resources from host nation residents.
Simultaneously, AWC is inclusive and endeavours to work with well-qualified host nation physicians and ancillary staff. Currently, AWC is engaged in development of medical facilities in Barbados, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. The old St Joseph’s Hospital site in Ashton Hall, St Peter is to be the site of the AWC medical campus on Barbados.
AWC has been working closely with Government leaders in Barbados to bring this US$200 million project to fruition. Once the business matures, it is anticipated that phase one of AWC-Barbados will directly add more than US$450 million annually to the Barbadian economy based on medical and tourism activities and will employ more than 200 individuals at its campus with a focus on Bajan hires in both professional and support positions.
AWC has spent several years cultivating the Barbados market, working closely with government, business and the medical community, to develop a project that will not only position Barbados in a leadership role in international medicine and medical tourism, but will also provide significant FDI, ongoing foreign exchange, skilled employment, jumpstart this new economic sector, and provide significant knowledge/technology transfer.
Given the current financial challenges facing Barbados, we are hopeful that the AWC project will help to reinvigorate the Barbados economy and provide motivation for other foreign investors to strongly consider Barbados. Our feeling since the beginning has been that regionally Barbados offers a number of distinct advantages for a clinical/life science investment of this type and magnitude.
AWC is part of a growing industry focused on delivering health care services to international travellers and the emerging markets. Often called medical tourists, these individuals leave their home countries specifically for medical care. People travel for care for different reasons, including long waits to obtain needed care in their home country, a perceived lack of quality, limited access to the latest and best treatments and technology, and finally for cost savings.
In an effort to control costs, universal care health systems ration care with resultant long wait times, reduced choice in treatment options and providers, and service mediocrity.
The world is seeking better health care. The US health care brand is strong and bringing this level of care in a consistent, replicable fashion to communities around the world is our corporate mission. The health care market, like any other market, has many segments. No single solution will serve all patients and clients equally well. We can’t be all things to all people and there are many successfully, functioning aspects to the health care systems in many countries, including Barbados.
Still, approximately 600 000 people travel to the US from other countries for medical treatment each year. They aren’t travelling to the most expensive health care system on the planet to save money.
They are travelling because of a perception of quality, timely access, and high regulatory standards for medical professionals and institutions.
As the medical tourism industry and international health care in general continue to grow and mature, quality will be the final arbiter in determining the most successful organisations.
-Dr Paul Angelchik is chairman of American World Clinics.
Investor Carl Icahn abandons Apple share buyback effort
Activist investor Carl Icahn has announced he sees "no reason to persist" in his attempt to force Apple to return more money to shareholders.
Mr Icahn had been demanding Apple buy back $50bn (£30.5bn) of its shares.
However, he said he was satisfied with the recent efforts of Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, to return cash to investors.
Apple said it had repurchased $14bn of its stock in the two weeks since the firm reported disappointing earnings.
"As Tim Cook describes them, these recent actions taken by the company to repurchase shares have been both 'opportunistic' and 'aggressive' and we are supportive," said Mr Icahn in an open letter.
Mr Icahn's announcement comes a day after a shareholder advisory service, ISS, recommended that Apple shareholders should vote against Mr Icahn's plan.
ISS said that Apple had "returned the bulk of its US-generated cash to shareholders via aggressive stock buybacks and dividends payouts".
In light of this, ISS said Apple's board's "latitude should not be constricted by a shareholder resolution that would micromanage the company's capital allocation process".
Apple's board had been scheduled to vote on Mr Icahn's proposal on 28 February.
Last month, Apple reported flat earnings, and many analysts were worried about the firm's outlook for the rest of the year.
Source-BBC