4 year old slaughtered one day after a 15 year old was brutally killed
A nation in mourning.
A family and relatives devastated. More questions than answers in the killing of a five year old boy who was getting ready to go school this week.
Rushaun Burford, a student of the Salvation Army Allman Town Basic School was fatally shot at a house on Lord Elgin Street. His grandmother was also injured.
Detectives probing yesterday's fatal shooting , are reportedly hot on the heels of his alleged killer.
Superintendent Steve McGregor, head of the Kingston Central Police, is expressing confidence that the accused Marlon Christopher McMillian, alias "Truthy" and "Shooty" will be caught soon.
The police Thursday asked Mr McMillian to turn himself in.
The incident
Residents of Allman Town said Rushane 'Ricardo' Burford was at home with his grandmother, preparing to go to school, when about 7:00, a man who and his family members were in an argument start fire shots.
During the shooting he reportedly heard the baby screaming under the bed. He then shot the child. Family members said the child was shot in his eye and back.
He also shot the child's grandmother. She is still hospitalised.
Detectives arre now seeking the public’s assistance in locating McMillan. McMillan is of dark complexion, slim build and was sporting a corn row hair style at the time of the shooting.
Mother released after arrested for stabbing to death her babies father
Five hours after Jamaican Natalie Treasure, 34, was released from the Gasparillo Police Station pending an inquest into the stabbing death of her twin girls’ father Michael Apphonso Williams, 23, she was reunited with daughters, Mikayla and Mikaylee.
The former security guard had not seen her one-month-old babies for more than a week.
Shocked relatives wept as female police officers carried the babies to meet their mother who was waiting in an unmarked police jeep outside the apartment at Union Road, Marabella where they were being cared for by their father’s aunts.
The police also handed over all of the babies’ clothes, bottles and a small yellow bag of Treasure’s clothes.
Treasure was in custody for nine days before the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions yesterday morning ordered that she be released pending further investigations. An inquest is expected to be held.
On January 22, Williams was stabbed during an argument and was found bleeding from a wound to his upper abdomen outside the apartment.
He was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital where he succumbed to his injury while undergoing emergency surgery. Reports are that Treasure had previously made a report against Williams, and the day of the incident, she acted in self-defence.
The deceased’s mother Janet Harriot, 42, and sisters Denise, 18, and Dacy-Ann Harriot, 20, all Jamaicans, pleaded with officers to leave the babies in their care when they arrived for them. Their loud sobbing attracted the attention of neighbours who assembled on the pavement.
“How can you take them from us? Why are you doing this to us? Leave them, don’t do this to us,” Janet cried.
At about 3.20 pm, the babies were given to Treasure under the watchful eyes of her attorney Dereck Dindial and officers of the Southern Homicide Bureau and Victim Support Unit.
Treasure and her babies were taken away by the police to an undisclosed location.
Anthony B arrested
Jamaica’s well-known reggae artiste,“Anthony B”, has been arrested in the United States.
Anthony B who was on tour, was arrested earlier this week in the state of Georgia, for possession of marijuana.
Based on Internet reports, he has been charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Although details of his arrest are not known his image now appears on a US based website which tracks arrests throughout the country.
While it is not known if and when he will appear in court the state of Georgia is known for its tough anti-drug laws.
Bobcats’ Michael Kidd-Gilchrist hospitalized after blow to head
Bobcats rookie forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was hospitalized after taking a blow to the head during a 109-95 loss to the Rockets in Houston on Saturday night.
Kidd-Gilchrist, the No. 2 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, appeared to take a knee to the back of the head from teammate Jeff Taylor and lay motionless on the court for a number of minutes. He was eventually wheeled off the court on a stretcher with his neck immobilized.
The Charlotte Observer reported that Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap told reporters that Kidd-Gilchrist was able to move his extremities and that he was communicating with medical personnel.
The Bobcats issued a release late Saturday night indicating that Kidd-Gilchrist had suffered a concussion, but that X-rays and a CT scan were negative for additional head and neck injuries. He was hospitalized overnight as a precaution and will be subject to the NBA’s concussion protocols, which require a player to pass a series of tests and receive clearance from Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the head of the NBA’s concussion program, before returning to the court.
With a little less than 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Bobcats leading 80-79, Kidd-Gilchrist attempted to contest a running lay-up by Toney Douglas in transition. Taylor, trailing the play, appeared to contact Kidd-Gilchrist as he came back to the court.
Kidd-Gilchrist departed with four points, five rebounds and one block in 20 minutes.
Source-SI
Tim Duncan out with left knee injury
San Antonio Spurs All-Star Tim Duncan sprained his left knee and right ankle after getting tangled with an opponent and had to be helped off the court in the first half of Saturday night's game against the Wizards.
The severity of the injury was not immediately known, though the team announced it was a sprain and that Duncan would not return to the game.
Duncan lay on the court clutching his knee for a few minutes after Washington forward Martell Webster rolled into the back of it while fighting for a rebound. Duncan got up on his own, but limped to the locker room with the assistance of teammates Stephen Jackson and DeJuan Blair.
Duncan, who was listed as probable with a sore left knee, returned to the lineup after missing the team's past four games.
The 14-time All-Star is averaging 17.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game this season.
Source: SI
South Africa, Cape Verde knocked out in African Nations Cup quarters
The dreams of hosts South Africa and the tiny Cape Verde Islands came to a shattering halt yesterday when they were knocked out of the African Nations Cup by Mali and Ghana respectively in the quarter-finals. Mali, seeking their first Nations Cup title, kept their hopes alive by beating South Africa 3-1 on penalties, after the match finished 1-1 at the end of extra time, while Ghana, aiming for a long-awaited fifth crown, beat Cape Verde 2-0.
South Africa, trying to repeat their 1996 success when they were crowned champions on home soil, were eliminated after losing in a shootout in Durban, while Cape Verde, described by their coach Luico Antunes as "the best team in the competition", lost to two Mubarak Wakaso goals in Port Elizabeth.
Ghana will meet the winners of today's clash between Togo and Burkina Faso in next Wednesday's semi-final in Nelspruit while Mali will play either tournament favourites Ivory Coast or Nigeria in the last four in Durban on the same night.
Yesterday’s results, while perhaps sad for the romantics, were justified as Mali recovered from a goal down to edge a match in which they looked the stronger side.
Ghana, although conceding lots of possession to Cape Verde especially in the second half, were sharper and more decisive when it mattered.
PARTISAN CROWD
South Africa, cheered on by a near-capacity crowd at the Moses Madhiba Stadium in Durban, settled first and took a deserved lead after 31 minutes when Tokelo Rantie's close range shot gave Mali goalkeepoer Soumbeyla Diakite no chance.
Mali levelled when their talismanic leader Seydou Keita powered in a header in the 58th minute but after that, even though Mali always looked more threatening, there was a sense of inevitability that the match would go to penalties.
The last half-hour of normal time, and extra time, produced few chances even though Mali looked more likely to score when they went forward, before the inevitable happened.
Siphiwe Tshabalala, who scored the memorable first goal in the opening game of the World Cup in South Africa three years ago, struck home the first penalty to raise South Africa's hopes before Cheick Diabate equalised for Mali.
But then the wheels came off for the hosts. Dean Furman, who had a superb match, saw his kick saved by Diakite before Adama Tamboura made it 2-1 to Mali. May Mahlangu then saw his kick saved before Mahamane Traore made it 3-1 to Mali.
Lehlohonolo Majoro had to score to keep South Africa in contention but he blasted his shot wide as Mali repeated their feat of last year when they came from behind to draw 1-1 with co-hosts Gabon and then won the quarter-final on penalties.
"The South Africans posed a lot of problems in the first half and we had to change the tactics in the second half to get back into the match," said Mali coach Patrice Carteron.
"They pressed us with a lot of diversity. But we knew we had to be patient and we had time to fight back."
GHANA PROGRESS
There was a match-changing penalty in Port Elizabeth after 54 minutes following an even first half in which Cape Verde more than matched their illustrious Ghanaian opponents.
Mubarak Wakaso took the kick and scored before wrapping up the victory with the last meaningful kick of the match in the last minute of stoppage time.
Although they went out, Cape Verde's participation at the finals was a remarkable success story as they were eliminated with their heads held high and their reputation enhanced.
With just 500 000 inhabitants, the island nation off the west coast of the continent is the smallest to reach the finals, but they were never overawed.
After draws against South Africa and Morocco in their opening group games, they reached the last eight with a 2-1 win over Angola.
Ghana also came through their group unbeaten and, although their players are far more experienced and used to the big occasion, coach Kwesi Appiah was full of respect for Cape Verde in the build-up and after the match.
"I knew they were going to be hard to beat, and that's exactly what happened. They were probably the better team in the second half too, but in tournament football all that matters is that you win and we did that in the end."
Wakaso, 22, emerging as one of the most promising youngsters at the tournament, followed up his penalty with a breakaway goal in the last minute of stoppage time.
Ghana, once the dominant force in African soccer with titles in 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982 did well in South Africa when they reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2010.
Now they have their sights on another continental crown, although captain Asamoah Gyan knows they have to improve.
"We have to go away and correct the mistakes we made today. We need to do better," he said.
Rooney puts United 10 points clear, Chelsea lose
Wayne Rooney's hot scoring streak continued yesterday as he fired Manchester United 10 points clear in the Premier League title race with the only goal in a 1-0 victory at Fulham. Overshadowed by Robin van Persie this season, Rooney showed his predatory instincts after 79 minutes at Craven Cottage when he punished a defensive error to grab an unconvincing win that turned up the heat on Manchester City who play today.
Faltering European champions Chelsea suffered their second late collapse this week, going down 3-2 at Newcastle United having led 2-1 with goals from Frank Lampard and Juan Mata.
Newcastle's new signing Moussa Sissoko equalised and then capped a superb home debut with a last-minute winner to increase the pressure on Chelsea's interim manager Rafa Benitez whose side conceded twice late on in a midweek draw at Reading.
Third-placed Chelsea have won only once in six games in all competitions and alarm bells are ringing about their hopes of sealing a top-four finish that brings a Champions League spot.
With Tottenham Hotspur playing today, Everton had a chance to move above them into fourth but had to fight back for a 3-3 draw at home to struggling Aston Villa, who led 3-1 before Marouane Fellaini's double spared the home side's blushes.
Lukas Podolski scored in the 78th minute to hand Arsenal a 1-0 win against visiting Stoke City, a result that helped the Gunners close in on the Champions League qualification places.
Manchester United have 62 points from 25 games with City, who host Liverpool on today, on 52 and Chelsea on 46.
Spurs, who visit West Bromwich Albion today, have 42 points along with Everton while Arsenal are on 41.
Despite a yawning gap at the top, Rooney said the title was far from being in the bag.
"We're in a good position but we're not getting carried away," he told ESPN. "Let's see where we are with three or four games to go."
BELOW-PAR UNITED
United were not at their best and had an escape in the first half when Fulham's Brian Ruiz hit the inside of the post with a volley, although they carved out plenty of chances and Patrice Evra and Rooney were both denied by the woodwork.
A scrappy second half came to life late on when Fulham defender Philippe Senderos misjudged a high ball and Rooney raced clear to put United in front.
van Persie was needed at the other end to clear a Senderos header off the line as United hung on for their 20th league victory of the season.
"I think it was a really determined performance and it wasn't easy because Fulham played their part. 1-0 doesn't do the game justice," said United manager Alex Ferguson.
Any thoughts of putting some pressure on the Manchester clubs in the title race are long gone for Chelsea who were left reeling after another late horror show.
Benitez said his side should have been awarded a penalty and the hosts reduced to 10 men after striker Demba Ba, signed from Newcastle last month, was left bloodied by a clash with Fabricio Coloccini after trying to turn in a rebound before halftime.
"It was a penalty and a red card," Benitez told Sky Sports, saying Ba, who was replaced by Fernando Torres, had suffered a broken nose in the incident.
"If it had been in the middle of the park it would have been a free kick and maybe a yellow but in the area it's a penalty and red because it was a clear chance."
Worryingly for Chelsea, they appear to be running out of steam and conceding late goals just as the season reaches a critical point in the battle for a top-four finish.
It was the case again yesterday as Sissoko turned the match on its head after Chelsea had seized control.
Jonas Gutierrez gave Newcastle the lead after 41 minutes with a header but Chelsea replied after the break with Lampard's fierce shot and a curler from Mata.
Former Toulouse midfielder Sissoko, one of several French signings for Newcastle during January, tapped in a 68th minute equaliser after Chelsea keeper Petr Cech parried Papiss Cisse's shot.
'PAYING US BACK'
Sissoko then crashed home a 90th-minute winner after a cut-back from Davide Santon.
"I remember watching him for Toulouse 14 months ago, and I thought he was the one for us," Newcastle boss Alan Pardew said.
"We accelerated (the deal) because he was going to come in the summer and he's paying us back handsomely."
David Moyes's Everton seemed to be slipping to only their fourth league defeat of the season after Christian Benteke's double helped Villa into a 3-1 lead at Goodison Park.
However, Fellaini took the game by the scruff of the neck, scoring with a low shot 20 minutes from time and then heading an equaliser in the third minute of stoppage time.
At the bottom, a missed penalty by Adel Taarabt cost relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers victory against struggling Norwich City as they drew 0-0 at Loftus Road.
QPR's fourth league draw in a row means they are now six points from safety after Reading beat Sunderland 2-1.
Southampton drew 2-2 at Wigan Athletic, meaning none of the bottom six sides before kickoff lost.
West Ham United beat Swansea City 1-0 thanks to a goal from on-loan Liverpool striker Andy Carroll.
Steyn blasts Pakistan out for their lowest Test total
South Africa held a 411-run lead over Pakistan at the close of the second day of the first Test at the Wanderers yesterday with seven second innings wickets still in hand after dismissing the visitors for their lowest Test score of 49. Fast bowler Dale Steyn took six for eight - his best figures at home, as Pakistan were bowled out in 29.1 overs four runs short of their previous worst-innings total.
Graeme Smith then decided he would not enforce the follow-on and at the close his side were 207 for three in their second innings.
Openers Smith and Alviro Peterson (27) raced to 82 before the latter skied an Umar Gul delivery and Mohammed Hafeez completed the catch.
Smith reached his 37th Test 50 before he was caught behind by Sarfraz Ahmed two runs later and Jacques Kallis (7) perished trying to force the scoring rate when he was caught in the deep by Asad Shafiq.
Hashim Amla (50 not out) and AB de Villiers (63 not out) then put on 108 runs to take South Africa to the close.
Steyn dismissed Mohammed Hafeez (six) in his first over of the day as the opener got a faint edge that went straight through to de Villiers, one of a joint South African record of six dismissals in the innings for the keeper.
Debutant Nasir Jamshed (2) was trapped in front by Steyn and, although the batsman challenged the decision, the third umpire upheld the dismissal.
Younus Khan (0) lasted just five balls before he pushed forward to a full Steyn delivery and edged to Smith at first slip to leave Pakistan reeling at 12 for three.
Azhar Ali and captain Misbah-ul-Haq took the score to 36 when Azhar (13) fended a vicious bouncer from Kallis to de Villiers.
Misbah (12) became Kallis' second victim in controversial circumstances after Billy Bowden gave a caught-behind decision not out and South Africa reviewed. There appeared to be no evidence of a nick on the hot spot replay but third umpire Steve Davis from Australia chose to overturn the decision.
Asad (1) was next to go as he chased a wide delivery from Vernon Philander and succeeded only in edging to de Villiers. Two balls later and a reckless Gul (0) flayed at another wide delivery off the same bowler, Smith pouching the catch.
By lunch Pakistan had stumbled to 40 for seven and just two balls after the interval Saeed Ajmal (1) became Steyn's fourth victim, this time de Villiers pulling off a wonderful diving catch in front of first slip.
Steyn got his fifth when he induced an edge from Sarfraz (2), before the sorry innings came to a close when Rahat Ali edged to Faf du Plessis in the slips and was out for a duck. Steyn was once again the wicket-taker.
SOUTH AFRICA first innings 253 (J. Kallis 50; Mohammad Hafeez 4-16)
PAKISTAN first innings
M. Hafeez c de Villiers b Steyn 6
N. Jamshed lbw Steyn 2
A. Ali c de Villiers b Kallis 13
Y. Khan c Smith b Steyn 0
Misbah-ul-Haq c de Villiers b Kallis 12
A. Shafiq c de Villiers b Philander 1
S. Ahmed c de Villiers b Steyn 2
U. Gul c de Villiers b Philander 0
S. Ajmal c de Villiers b Steyn 1
J. Khan not out 8
R. Ali c du Plessis b Steyn 0
Extras: (lb-3, w-1) 4
Total: (all out, 29.1 overs) 49
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-12, 3-12, 4-36, 5-37, 6-39, 7-39, 8-40, 9-41.
Bowling: Philander 9-5-16-2, Steyn 8.1-6-8-6, Morkel 6-3-11-0 (w-1), Kallis 6-2-11-2.
SOUTH AFRICA second innings
G. Smith c Ahmed b Gul 52
A. Petersen c Hafeez b Gul 27
H. Amla not out 50
J. Kallis c Shafiq b Ajmal 7
A. de Villiers not out 63
Extras: (lb-4, w-1, nb-3) 8
Total: (for three wickets, 53 overs) 207
Fall of wickets: 1-82, 1-87, 3-99.
Bowling: Umar Gul 9-2-25-2 (w-1), Junaid Khan 11-1-41-0 (nb-3), Rahat Ali 11-1-44-0, Hafeez 3-0-15-0, Ajmal 16-1-59-1, Younus Khan 1-1-0-0.
The TCI awaits Governors response to VAT Repeal
With the elected Government and the Opposition having spoken and voted on the issue of Value Added Tax earlier Friday February 1st 2013, all eyes are on His Excellency the Governor, Ric Todd for his response to the vote to kill off the 2012 VAT Ordinance.
Governor Todd said on Friday evening that he had been informed about the decision of the House of Assembly on the Turks and Caicos Islands Value Added Tax (Repeal) Bill 2013.
He referred us to Section 73 of the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011 which sets out the procedure under which a bill becomes law.
He told RTC news he intends to discuss this matter with his colleagues in the Cabinet on Wednesday 6th February 2013.
VAT Repeal in the TCI
The Assembly has voted by 16 votes to two to repeal the Interim Administration’s 2012 Value Added Tax Ordinance following an eight-hour debate in the House today. However, that may not be the end of VAT in the TCI.
Local leaders on Friday have been accused of ‘misleading political theatrics’ by the Governor’s appointed representative in the Assembly, the Honorable Lillian Misick. She says they should know very well that the Ordinance cannot be repealed under the Constitution as it stands without the agreement of the Secretary of State and Governor....acting on behalf the British Government. Here's Chris Jarrett with more on this.
According to research by Radio Turks and Caicos, a Repeal Bill does not become law until the Governor has assented to it - and the Secretary of State has signified Her Majesty’s assent. This assent has to be proclaimed in the Gazette. In layman’s terms, the Governor can refuse to give assent to the repeal of the Ordinance if he regards it to be inconsistent with the Constitution, or inconsistent with the Statement of Governance Principles. The Governor must also decide whether it would affect the integrity or independence of the public service, the administration of justice or any institution protecting good governance. Section ‘f’ of the Constitution Order reads that unless the Governor has been authorized by a Secretary of State he cannot regulate the privileges, immunities or powers of the Assembly or its members. So is Lillian Misick correct? Has today been a moment of history – or has it been just pure theatre?
Join Lynette Thomas on Monday February 4th, 2013 at 7am for a sit down interview with the Speaker of the House, the Honorable Robert Hall.
This is Chris Jarrett reporting for RTC News