Burrell bats for MoBay as hosts of FIFA Congress
If Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Captain Horace Burrell gets his wish, Montego Bay could host the prestigious FIFA Congress in 2015.
At Monday's draw for the groups and the unveiling of the logo for the 4th CONCACAF Girls Under-17 football finals held at the Hilton Hotel and Spa in Rose Hall, Burrell announced that Jamaica was one of 15 countries that were bidding for the right to host the congress of one of the most powerful sporting bodies in the world.
"We saw a tremendous opportunity to host FIFA Congress," Burrell said in his address, adding that if the bid was successful it would see delegates from "a total of 209 countries coming to Jamaica, if ever we are given the honour, and what a tremendous boost this would be to the tourism sector of Jamaica."
The JFF and their associates, he said, were "moving full speed ahead" to try and win the bid, adding that they have the full support of the government of Jamaica and Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller.
Despite Jamaica's reputation for warmth and hospitality to its visitors, it will not be a done deal, Burrell warned.
"We all have to work very hard as 15 other countries are also trying to win the bid to host this most prestigious congress, Jamaica being one, and will take a lot of hard work and convincing to do, but we have the support of CONCACAF and others to make it possible for Jamaica," he explained.
T&T jolted by most powerful earthquake in 6 years
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 jolted several Caribbean countries, including Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana on Friday night, the Trinidad-based Seismic Unit of the University of the West Indies (UWI) confirmed Saturday.
It said that the quake, which was also felt in Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines occurred at 10:10 pm and was located north of the Paria Peninsula in Trinidad.
The Guyana-based Demerara Waves website said that the tremor was felt as far away as Corriverton, Berbice, Linden, Bartica, Mahdia and the North West District.
There were no immediate reports of damage or death caused by the quake which had a depth of 60 kilometres and was located 10.86 degrees north, 62.12 degrees west.
Media reports in Trinidad made reference to electricity power cuts but no serious damage or injuries. The quake is the most powerful felt in Trinidad and Tobago since 1997 when an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 struck the twin island republic causing damage in the sister isle of Tobago.
Anti-doping official taking message to regional schools
The Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Agency (RADO) is currently focusing on ensuring their efforts of eliminating doping in sports are successful by targeting very young athletes.
"The rationale of this project is basically to develop the anti-doping capacity among physical education teachers and coaches so that they are better able to know what constitutes doping and to work towards anti-doping efforts in schools," said Tessa Chadderton-Shaw, RADO's executive director.
Shaw spoke to CMC at the end of a UNESCO-sponsored two-day workshop Friday that brought Physical Education teachers and coaches together at the Beausejour Cricket Ground here.
She added: "Very often people assume that doping, or the preventative aspect, which is anti-doping, is something for elite athletes only but what we are aiming to do is to take the education to the youngest children within the high school levels."
The RADO official stressed that the two-day session which comprised theoretical and practical sessions as it relates to anti-doping should build the knowledge and awareness among teachers so they can pass on that information to students.
"At the end of the day we are talking about the use of drugs, and performance enhancing substances for athletes but its all about drug taking behaviour," Shaw emphasised.
Similar workshops were held last week - first in St Kitts and Shaw then travelled to Nevis before coming here. Workshops will also be held in the British Virgin Islands and Barbados.
"This is an attempt to promote the work of the World Anti-Doping Agency and by extension the Caribbean RADO. Through this effort we are also promoting the services that we provide. The challenge going forward though is ensuring that PE teachers and coaches are going to take full advantage of the material and are going to infuse it into their lesson plans,” said Shaw.
Among the participants of the workshop were former national football captain Kingsley Armstrong, former national netballer Michelle Rogers and the former first-class cricketer John Eugene.
-CMC
Car Bombing Kills 14 in Iraq
Iraqi authorities say a car bomb attack at a market has killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens of others in central Iraq.
Police officials said the Saturday night attack took place when a pickup truck exploded at the entrance of a wholesale fruit and vegetable market in the city of Samarra.
At least 30 people were wounded.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but al-Qaida's branch in Iraq has frequently used suicide bombers and car bombs against Shi'ite civilians in an effort to undermine the Shi'ite-led government. The group's ideology considers Shi'ites heretics.
Deadly violence has climbed to its highest level since 2008, and analysts express fears that Iraq is sliding back into a Sunni-Shi'ite civil war.
Some US Nuclear Commanders Face Investigations
The U.S. military has fired a general and an admiral from key leadership roles in nuclear forces for alleged personal misconduct.
The Air Force Friday removed Michael Carey, a two-star general, from his command of the 20th Air Force, which includes hundreds of land-based nuclear missiles.
Officials gave few details about the case, but said the dismissal was not "operations-related."
Also this past week, Tim Giardina, a three-star admiral, lost his job as deputy commander of all U.S. nuclear missiles, bombers and submarines. He is under investigation over allegations he used counterfeit poker chips at a casino.
Giardina is a career submarine officer who previously commanded a squadron of submarines that can launch missiles from underwater to hit distant targets.
Mali Riverboat Capsizes, Leaves 20 Dead, Scores Missing
Authorities in Mali say an overcrowded boat carrying hundreds of passengers and goods sank late Friday on the Niger River, leaving at least 20 people dead and about 170 others unaccounted for hours later.
Officials say the boat was traveling northward from Mopti toward the city of Timbuktu when it sank near the town of Konna with an estimated 400 passengers and crew on board. Search efforts were continuing late Saturday.
The Associated Press quotes a Bamako resident and father of a 7-year-old girl who drowned as saying many of the passengers were children returning to northern Mali for the start of the school year. Others were traveling to visit relatives ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Adha, which begins Monday evening.
Large boats carrying hundreds of passengers and cargo routinely ply the Niger river and other key West and Central African waterways. Safety regulations are lax and accidents are common.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
Karzai, Kerry Closer to Agreement on Troops
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President Hamid Karzai say they are closer to an agreement on bilateral security but differences remain over the question of immunity for U.S. troops.
The two officials commented in Kabul late Saturday, following extended talks on a possible U.S. presence in Afghanistan after the NATO-led military mission ends next year.
President Karzai said the question of which country had jurisdiction over any crimes committed by U.S. forces after 2014 would have to be resolved by the Afghan parliament and an assembly of elders.
Kerry said the U.S. could prosecute any wrongdoing by American forces.
The U.S. has been pushing for an agreement with Afghanistan by the end of this month.
The talks between Washington and Kabul have been in progress for over a year.
However, they have repeatedly stalled on issues of Afghan sovereignty, the expected role of U.S. forces, and Mr. Karzai's demand for American guarantees against future foreign intervention. If there is no agreement, U.S. forces will leave by the end of 2014.
In another development, U.S. officials announced the capture of senior Pakistani Taliban commander Latif Mehsud.
Word of his capture came as Kerry met with Mr. Karzai on Friday.
A U.S. State Department spokeswoman said Mehsud was captured in eastern Afghanistan.
The spokeswoman said Mehsud's group had claimed responsibility for attacks that include an attempted bombing in New York's Times Square in 2010.
A Powerful Cyclone Hits India
A powerful cyclone has made landfall along India's east coast with winds of over 200 kilometers-per-hour.
Cyclone Phailin came ashore late Saturday in Orissa state, near the border of Andhra Pradesh state.
Weather forecasters predict the storm's winds will continue to be severe through Sunday morning.
Officials blamed the storm's winds for at least three deaths before it moved ashore. The high winds have also uprooted trees, downed power lines and damaged coastal homes.
In a Saturday briefing, Disaster Management Commissioner T. Radha said huts and older buildings in the storm's path could not withstand its wind speed. He also said low-lying areas would likely be submerged.
Indian authorities evacuated nearly a half-million people as they prepared for the cyclone, forecast to be one of the country's most powerful storms on record.
On Friday, the United Nations and European Union's Global Disaster Alert System warned that 6.5 million people are likely to face torrential rains and damaging winds.
Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are common this time of year, frequently wreaking havoc and causing mass deaths in coastal India and Bangladesh. A cyclone hit Orissa state in 1999, killing at least 10,000 people.
Some weather predictors have likened Phailin's size and intensity to Hurricane Katrina, which tore through the U.S. Gulf Coast and New Orleans in 2005, killing more than 1,000 people.
Macka Diamond injured in Martinique car crash
Deejay Macka Diamond and her personal assistant Leesah Larmond sustained minor injuries Friday evening in a motor accident on the French Caribbean island of Martinique.
Macka Diamond (given name Charmaine Munroe) suffered an injured right shoulder. Larmond sustained injuries to the neck and foot.
Both were treated at hospital and released.
The two were driving to the airport in the Martinique capital of Fort-de-France when the accident occurred. Macka Diamond had performed there the previous evening.
Best known for the songs Bun Him and Dye Dye, Macka Diamond is scheduled to perform in Suriname Sunday evening.
Short Term Revenue Measures by Ministry of Finance
Based on consultation with various stakeholders and recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission the Turks and Caicos Government has decided to deferred/withdraw proposals for the introduction of some revenue measures included in the 2013/14 budget statement.
Amendments in three existing revenue heads have been made to compensate for loss revenue as a result of the decision. Please see the attached documents