US trade deficit widens as imports increase
The US trade deficit widened unexpectedly in November, after a rise in the import of consumer goods.
Figures from the Commerce Department showed that the gap widened by 16% to $48.7bn (£30.1bn). The markets were expecting the deficit to shrink.
The deficit was the widest recorded since April last year.
Imports increased by 3.8%, the largest rise in eight months, to $231.3bn. The value of exports increased by 1% to $182.6bn.
Imports of consumer goods rose by $4.6bn. Analysts say this is a sign that the US retail sector is growing stronger, with rising consumer spending.
Dreamliner plane review ordered by US regulators
US regulators have ordered a review of the 787 Dreamliner plane after a series of incidents put a question mark over the safety of Boeing's flagship plane.
The review by the Federal Aviation Administration will look at the design and manufacture of the planes.
It is not clear whether the planes in the air at the moment will be grounded.
An electrical fire, a brake problem, a fuel spill and cracks in the cockpit's windshield have affected Dreamliner flights in the past week.
"We are absolutely confident in the reliability and performance of the 787," Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel said. "We are working with the FAA and our customers to ensure we thoroughly understand any introductory issues that arise.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is one of the most advanced aeroplanes ever created. Much of it is made from very strong, light carbon-fibre composite material.
However, a spate of technical issues has hurt its image. On Friday, two new problems were found, adding to Boeing's woes.
- On Friday, All Nippon Airways reported a crack in the window on the pilot's side of the cockpit. It caused no problems for the 237 passengers and nine crew on a flight from Tokyo's Haneda airport to Matsuyama, but the return flight was cancelled
- The same airline said another Dreamliner flight, shuttling between Haneda and the southern Miyazaki prefecture, experienced a delay due to an oil leak from a generator inside an engine
- On Wednesday, ANA cancelled a 787 flight from Yamaguchi to Tokyo because of a brake problem
- On Tuesday, Japan Airlines cancelled a Boston to Tokyo flight after about 40 gallons (151 litres) of fuel spilled
- An electrical fire broke out on board a Japan Airlines Dreamliner on Monday shortly after it landed in Boston, following a flight from Tokyo
- Last year, a United Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing because of an electrical problem
- In December, Qatar Airways grounded one of its 787 Dreamliners after several manufacturing faults caused electrical problems similar to those that affected the United plane.
Last month, the head of Qatar Airways criticised Boeing in an interview with the BBC over several manufacturing faults that have resulted in the grounding of one of its three 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Boeing has delivered 50 of the 787s, starting in late 2011, and has orders for nearly 800 more. To get through the backlog, Boeing is increasing production to build 10 of the planes per month by the end of the year.
--BBC
Sportsman, Sportswoman Of The Year Award Ceremony Tonight - Bolt, Fraser-Pryce Favourites For Titles
Superstar athletes Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce are expected to add to their post-season accolades, as the RJR Sports Foundation names the top Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year at tonight's 52nd staging of the glitzy award ceremony.
Set for The Jamaica Pegasus, the National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards - the island's premier sporting tribute, is expected to follow in the path of the recently staged Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association Golden Cleats Award, which was claimed by the two Olympic stars.
Bolt, who successfully defended his 100m and 200m titles at the Olympic Games will be up against training partners and fellow Olympic medalist Yohan Blake and Warren Weir, Nickel Ashmeade, Hansle Parchment along with West Indies cricket stars Marlon Samuels and Christopher Gayle.
The sprinting legend also helped Jamaica to a world record 36.84 in the 4x100m and claimed the 100m IAAF/Samsung Diamond League prize to round out another dominant year.
His greatest challenge will come from ICC World Twenty20 Championships star Marlon Samuels, who played a major role in the West Indies triumph, scoring the third highest run total (230), the second most sixes (15) and the sixth highest individual score (78) while making valuable contributions with the ball and in the field as well.
Samuels has been one of the most consistent performers for the West Indies this year and is one of the most feared players on the Twenty20 circuit.
On the female side, last year's winner Veronica Campbell Brown, along with Diamond League 400m hurdles winner Kaliese Spencer, boxer Alicia Ashley, cricketer Stafanie Taylor and Olympian and World Short Course Championships double silver medallist Alia Atkinson join Fraser-Pryce among the nominees.
However, with a successful defence of her Olympics 100m title, a silver medal in her first 200m attempt at a major championships also at the Olympics, 4x100m silver and a Diamond League 100m title under her belt, the diminutive sprinter is a shoo-in for top honours.
Fraser-Pryce, who also posted a new 100m national record (10.70) en route to winning the 100m national title, also closed out the sprint double at the trials, powering to a win in the 200m as well.
The nominees for the People's Choice Award, which will be decided by the public are Atkinson, Samuels, André Russell, footballer Jermaine Hue and track athlete Tiffany James.
Captain Horace Burrell, president of Jamaica Football Federation, Glen Mills, president of the Racers Track Club, and Kay Wilson of the Jamaica Hockey Federation have all been nominated for the Sagicor Iconic Award. Sagicor will be donating $200,000 to the charity chosen by the winner of the award.
Other presentations that will be made on the night include certificates of merit awards and team awards.
Legendary West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding will be the guest speaker at this year's event which is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
--JA.Gleaner
Blazers come from behind to beat Heat 92-90
The upstart Portland Trail Blazers would not allow the Miami Heat to pull out of its funk.
Wesley Matthews hit a 3-pointer to put Portland in front with 26.9 seconds left and the Blazers hung on to beat Miami 92-90 Thursday night for their fourth straight win and ninth straight at the Rose Garden.
The Blazers (20-15) are now 12-3 in their last 15 games.
"Our confidence is extremely high,'' Matthews said. "Playing hard, playing well, we're having fun out there. So that's a great combination.''
The Heat, meanwhile, have lost two straight and five of eight, yet the defending NBA champions are still 23-11 and lead the Eastern Conference by a half-game over New York.
LeBron James had 15 points, snapping his 54-game streak with at least 20 points that dated back to last season. It was his lowest point total in the last 76 regular-season and playoff contests. But James did have 10 rebounds and nine assists against Portland.
Miami led by as many as 13 points, including a 52-39 advantage at the half, but Nicolas Batum hit a layup and a free throw with 4:03 left that pulled Portland into an 82-all tie. The Blazers couldn't go ahead and Bosh made a 3 to make it 87-84 with 1:53 left.
Matthews made a 3-pointer to tie it at 88 with just under a minute to go, and after Chris Bosh dunked, Matthews hit another 3 to finally give the Blazers a 91-90 lead.
LaMarcus Aldridge missed the first of two free throws with 10.4 seconds left for the final margin.
Mario Chalmers missed a 3-pointer for the Heat as time ran out.
Batum led the Blazers with 28 points, and Aldridge had 20 points and 15 rebounds. Matthews finished with 18 points.
"It felt great,'' Matthews said about his go-ahead 3. "It looked better.''
Bosh had 29 points for the Eastern Conference-leading Heat, who were coming off an 87-77 loss to the Pacers on Tuesday night. Dwyane Wade had 18 points.
Source-ESPN
Doc Rivers: Kevin Garnett did not cross the line with Carmelo Anthony
(ESPN) Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers defended Kevin Garnett on Thursday, telling a Boston radio station that reports about Garnett insulting Carmelo Anthony by including a dig at his relationship with his wife were not true.
“Well, No. 1, I know what’s been reported did not happen,” Rivers told the Boston station WEEI, according to ESPN. “I know that as a fact.”
Pressed further on Garnett’s rumored remarks, Rivers said: “That did not happen.”
Anthony was suspended one game after he and Garnett were in a chippy mood during Monday night’s contest between the Celtics and Knicks. Both received technical fouls as tempers flared in the fourth quarter of a game in which Anthony struggled and shot only 6 of 26 from the field.
After the game’s final horn sounded, Anthony left the floor through the Celtics’ tunnel at Madison Square Garden. He was reportedly waiting for Garnett outside the Celtics locker room and was restrained by teammates and some security. Later, he waited for Garnett outside by the Celtics’ team bus with multiple security guards and five NYPD officers.
On Tuesday, Anthony said that some of Garnett’s trash-talking during the game had crossed a line. The New York Post reported that it was a comment about Anthony’s wife that set him off.
”There’s certain things that you just don’t say to men, another man,” Anthony said. ”I felt like we crossed a line, but like I said, we both have an understanding right now, we handled it the way we handled it. Nobody needs to know what was said behind closed doors, so that situation was handled.”
But Rivers dismissed both the reports and Anthony’s insistence that he didn’t deserve a suspension, saying that Anthony was trying to move the blame to Garnett.
“Guys, you know how this works,” Rivers said. “A guy does something crazy like Carmelo did, and the way to get out of trouble is to say, ‘Well, he said this.’ It happens all the time, and what bugs me about this whole thing is this is not a Kevin Garnett issue. And it was made into one, and it shouldn’t have been made into one.”
Australian Open could see Azarenka & Williams in semis
Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams are in the same half of the draw at the Australian Open, setting up the possibility of a semifinal match between the defending champion and the title favorite.
Top-ranked Azarenka has lost 11 of her 12 matches against Williams, who increased her career haul to 15 Grand Slam titles last year by winning at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Williams has won five Australian titles, more than any other woman in the Open era, and is in dominant form after winning 35 of her past 36 matches.
That run included a 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 comeback victory in the U.S. Open final after being just two points away from defeat to Azarenka.
No. 2-ranked Maria Sharapova, the French Open champion, is on the other half of the draw with No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 5 Angelique Kerber and No. 6 Li Na. She could meet Venus Williams in the third round.
Novak Djokovic's bid for a third consecutive Australian Open title got a boost when No. 2-ranked Roger Federer and U.S. Open champion Andy Murray both landed in the other half when the official draw was made Friday.
Top-ranked Djokovic will face Paul-Henri Mathieu in the first round and also has fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych in his quarter of the draw and fourth-seeded David Ferrer in his half.
Ferrer is the highest-ranked Spaniard in the tournament in the absence of 11-time major winner Rafael Nadal, who hasn't played on the tour since the middle of 2012 due to a left knee injury.
"He was a top-20 player before. He knows what it's like to be on the big stage. He has a lot of quality - a lot of experience,'' Djokovic said of Mathieu. "There are expectations for someone who is in my position, but I am looking forward to it.''
Federer will play Benoit Paire of France in the first round and has a potential third-round match against local hope Bernard Tomic. Federer, a four-time Australian Open winner, could face Murray in the semifinals.
Murray, who ended a 76-year drought for British men at Grand Slam events when he won the U.S. Open last year, will start his run against Robin Haase of the Netherlands and has a potential quarterfinal against sixth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion.
On the women's side, Azarenka has a first-round match against Romania's Monica Niculescu and is in the same quarter as former No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki and seventh-seeded Sara Errani.
Serena Williams will play Edina Gallovits-Hall of Romania in the first round and is in the same quarter as 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and 19-year-old American Sloane Stephens, who is seeded 29th.
Source--AP
Suarez could be driven out of Premier League
Luis Suarez could quit English football if he continues to be "victimised", says former Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli.
The Reds striker has been involved in a number of controversies sincejoining from Ajax in 2011.
"It'll be an absolute shame for English football if this victimisation drives him away," Comolli told BBC Sport.
"As the biggest league in the world you want to keep the biggest players, not drive them away for crazy reasons."
Liverpool signed Suarez for a then club record £22.7m and the Uruguay international has scored 40 goals in 80 appearances.
--BBC
Man Utd striker Wayne Rooney set to return for FA Cup replay
Wayne Rooney should be fit for Manchester United's FA Cup replay against West Ham on Wednesday, says his manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
However, Ferguson confirmed striker Rooney will miss Sunday's Premier League match against Liverpool.
The 27-year-old suffered a knee injury during training before United'sBoxing Day match against Newcastle.
Winger Nani and midfielder Anderson will return to United's squad for Sunday's game at Old Trafford.
Nani has been sidelined since the beginning of November and Anderson since the beginning of December, both with hamstring injuries.
T&T fans show love for Pollard
Kieron Pollard flew in on a jet plane Monday, drove straight to the team hotel and walked in on his teammates playing PlayStation games. The widely travelled all-rounder was busy recently in the Big Bash League in Australia, but made the long journey back in time to play for T&T in the Caribbean T20. On Tuesday night he was not required to bat in the win over CCC, but got a ‘hit’ on Wednesday night against the Leeward Islands.
Pollard is a crowd favourite and crowd-pleaser. He got the biggest cheer and a standing ovation as he marched to the crease at Queen’s Park Oval, and immediately made his presence felt with three of the biggest sixes of the tournament in 29 runs off 12 balls. He returned with the ball to take two wickets in an over as T&T beat Leewards by 95 runs to go top of the table.
“This is where it all started for me and others in this team. You could see the way the fans showed us so much love here. It feels really great to play in front of our home fans. It gives an added dimension to the game and you could feel your heart beating as you go out onto the field. We play a lot all over the world in various teams, but to be at home, playing together in front of our adoring fans is something special,” said the 25-year-old.
“The people in T&T are excited to come out and see us play. It’s a real motivation to come out and perform. Playing and winning in front the home crowd is amazing and richly rewarding. Last year, we had a similar win against the Leewards—we made a big score and then restricted them. That was away from home, so to do it at home is twice as nice.”
After four days of competition, T&T lead the table with nine points (three matches) followed by Barbados on eight points (two matches). Jamaica are third on five points (three matches) and Guyana fourth with four points (one match). Three teams: CCC (two matches), Leewards (two matches) and Windwards (one match) are all winless and were yet to register a point before last night’s two matches.
“We are on track again this year. We had a slow start in the match against Jamaica, which was affected by rain. We went out and played really well tonight. This win moved us to the top of the table and we will be looking to win the group stage,” said Pollard, who has made 175 appearances in Twenty20 since his debut for T&T in 2006.
“I like this new format where you get to play more matches and the group winners move straight to the final. We are feeling good and will look to continue the good form when we meet Guyana on Saturday night. That will be another big match. We know the fans will come out to see us play our last match at home.”
The Caribbean T20 continued at Queen’s Park Oval last night. Windward Islands played the Combined Campuses and Colleges and Barbados faced Guyana.
SCHEDULE
AT QUEEN’S PARK OVAL
Sunday
T&T vs Jamaica—Match abandoned due to rain
Monday
Barbados beat Leewards by 9 wickets
Guyana beat CCC by 2 wickets
Tuesday
Barbados beat Jamaica by 5 wickets
T&T beat CCC by 7 wickets
Wednesday
Jamaica beat Windwards by 12 runs
T&T beat Leewards by 95 runs
Last night
CCC vs Windwards
Guyana vs Barbados
Tonight
Leeward Islands vs Jamaica—4 pm
CCC vs Barbados—8 pm
Tomorrow
Windwards vs Leewards—4 pm
T&T vs Guyana—8 pm.
3 Days of Mourning in Pakistan’s Quetta
Officials in Pakistan's Baluchistan province Friday declared a three-day mourning period, following deadly bomb blasts in the province capital.
Authorities said security forces have been deployed around Quetta where political and religious groups say they will hold protests against the bombings.
The victims' funerals are set to begin Friday.
Police say two suicide bomb blasts Thursday in Quetta in a billiards hall frequented by Shi'ite Muslims killed 82 people.
The billiards hall attack came just hours after another deadly bomb blast in the Quetta market.
A string of bombings across Pakistan Thursday killed 115 people and wounded nearly 250, on one of the nation's deadliest days in years.
The outlawed militant Sunni group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility for the Quetta explosions.
Shi'ites make up about 20 percent of Pakistan's mostly Sunni Muslim population of 160 million people.
Ali Dayan Hasan, the Pakistan director of Human Rights Watch, said Friday that Pakistan's Shi'ite Muslims are living in a state of siege and warned sectarian violence is likely to rise. He said “if yesterday's attack is any indication, it's just going to get worse.” Four hundred Shi'ites were killed in Pakistan last year.