After being demoted two seasons ago, several senior players left for other Premier League clubs. Dixon disclosed that national defender Upston Edwards is the only player of note who is back in training at Portmore. “Our team is a young group, and we want to do well, so the main aim is to retain our place,” he emphasised. Portmore will count on former national midfielder Ewan ‘Butta’ Grandison, Suella McCalla, Kemar Foster, Paul Wilson, Stephen Williams, Kereem Manning, and Jovan East to lead their charge. Portmore apart, the other clubs in the league are defending champions Arnett Gardens, Montego Bay United, Waterhouse, Humble Lion, Harbour View, Cavalier SC, Rivoli United, Tivoli Gardens, Reno FC, Boys’ Town, and newcomers UWI FC. Three-time national football league champions, Portmore United, are bracing for a tough return to the Red Stripe Premier League 2015-16 season, which is tentatively set to start on September 6. Portmore United made a quick return to top-flight action after being demoted in 2014. They won the Major League and KO double in St Catherine, and followed up with the Central Confederation title and the Jamaica Football Federation play-off series. The St Catherine-based club won the national title in the 2011-12, 2007-08 and 2004-05 seasons. Now, coach and former Portmore United defender, Linval ‘Rudi’ Dixon, says the plan is to stay in the league in the upcoming season. “We have been in training for the past three weeks, and preparation is going well. We had a late start, but the players are showing positive signs,” Dixon told The Gleaner yesterday. “The team is bracing for a tough challenge. We have to be mentally and physically ready for the competition. We know it won’t be easy as it is a long season with many games to play,” he said. Although Portmore’s focus is on staying in the league, the former national defender is not ruling out winning the title for a fourth time since changing their name to Portmore United. “The team is very young, but the core has been together for three years. We want to first be safe for another season and, if we make the last four, we will certainly challenge for the title,” Dixon added. Exodus of players
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Trying time for Sri Lanka swimmer Peiris at Asian Games
Sri Lanka’s Akalanka Peiris poses for a photo following the morning swimming heats at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018. (AP Photo/John Pye)JAKARTA, Indonesia — His coach had a heart attack and couldn’t travel. He had to take three school exams in an embassy under close scrutiny of two government officials flown in to Jakarta to supervise.And after all that, in the event where he was contending for an Asian Games medal, a teammate dived too early and Sri Lanka was disqualified from the heats in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay on Wednesday morning.ADVERTISEMENT It has been a testing time indeed for Akalanka Peiris.“This week was so, so hectic for me,” said Peiris, who had to skip the opening ceremony last weekend because of his tight testing schedule — both academic and physical.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSGinebra beats Meralco again to capture PBA Governors’ Cup titleSPORTSJapeth Aguilar wins 1st PBA Finals MVP award for GinebraSPORTSTim Cone still willing to coach Gilas but admits decision won’t be ‘simple yes or no’Still, the 18-year-old student from St. Peter’s College in Colombo said he’d rather be here than anywhere else.When the timetable clash became apparent between his exams and the Asian Games, Peiris decided it would be better to take the tests. His rationale was that even if he put them off for a year, some other sports event could crop up then. Also, he figured, he’d be a more competitive swimmer in four years at next Asian Games. “I chose the exam,” he said. “After that, the Olympic committee wanted me to swim the relay because we had a bronze medal prospect.”That’s how Sri Lanka’s national Olympic committee got involved. After high-level negotiations, the committee worked out a way for Peiris to become the first Sri Lankan student to take the tests while abroad.It came at a cost — two extra airfares and accommodation for the “invigilators” — exam proctors — from the Sri Lankan examination department. Plus space had to be found at the Sri Lankan embassy for him to take the tests for English, general knowledge, and economics.“The people really supported me very well,” Peiris said. “English and general knowledge was easy for me. The accounting paper was the difficult one, but I made it.”The first test was Saturday and his last test was Monday, right after he’d placed fourth in his heat of the 50-meter backstroke.ADVERTISEMENT Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Judy Ann’s 1st project for 2020 is giving her a ‘stomachache’ Will you be the first P16 Billion Powerball jackpot winner from the Philippines? LATEST STORIES ‘High crimes and misdemeanors’: Trump impeachment trial begins MOST READ Gov’t in no rush to rescue animals in Taal Palace OKs total deployment ban on Kuwait OFWs Nadine Lustre’s phone stolen in Brazil Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard PLAY LIST 02:14Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard02:56NCRPO pledges to donate P3.5 million to victims of Taal eruption00:56Heavy rain brings some relief in Australia02:37Calm moments allow Taal folks some respite03:23Negosyo sa Tagaytay City, bagsak sa pag-aalboroto ng Bulkang Taal01:13Christian Standhardinger wins PBA Best Player award Lights inside SMX hall flicker as Duterte rants vs Ayala, Pangilinan anew UST’s Rondina, Barbon sweep BVR field for gold medal finish DepEd’s Taal challenge: 30K students displaced View comments Peza offers relief to ecozone firms Peiris said he’d had so much support from the delegation and the local organizers, and was only sorry his regular coach Manoj Abeysinghe — father of two of his relay teammates Matthew and Kyle Abeysinghe — had health problems last week.“Manoj was going to come, but four or five days before he had a heart attack,” Peiris said. “We missed him a lot.”The Sri Lankans posted a competitive time that would have earned them a spot in the final, but was rubbed out after the narrowly illegal change.“We did a great job. We went our PBs, but unfortunately a small mistake had big repercussions,” he said. “We missed the opportunity to get the bronze medal.“But it’s OK. We’ll work on it (and) we’ll do something in the South Asian Games and next Asian Games as well.”In the immediate future are more events — the 50-meter butterfly and the 200 backstroke — then thinking about university and more swimming either in the United States or Australia.Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next
Professor Tarpeh’s Claim for Resigning: A Facetious Fallacy
It was shocking for me at the beginning of this month to hear that Professor Wilson Tarpeh, who has spent decades at the University of Liberia as Vice President for Fiscal Affairs, was resigning instead of honorably retiring to have claims to his benefits. As a student of UL, I was wondering when Professor Tarpeh would retire having been for decades entrenched in such an unshakable status that no UL President would temper.Surprisingly at the beginning of March 2015, the Professor announced his resignation, which he tendered on February 25, 2015, claiming that he was resigning because President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was withholding funds that should come to the university due to his association with the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).The eloquent professor went on to note that his role as a campaign manager for the popular George Weah in the 2014 special senatorial elections is the key reason the Liberian President is allegedly withholding funds from coming to the university.On the basis of this claim, he resigned, issuing these parting words: “For my sake thousands of Liberians will not be denied education.”Government spokesperson Isaac Jackson officially defended the President, albeit in rather ambiguous terms. He said, “Professor Wilson Tarpeh has a different reason for resigning and using President Sirleaf as a scapegoat.” Let me also share some facts that lead me to differ with the professor whose claims I consider to be a facetious fallacy.Firstly, we must understand that Madame Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is in the home stretch of her second and final term as President of Liberia. Unlike the first term when she set the impression to woo all of us for reelection, she has nothing to lose now, but to peacefully do and get all she can to leave Liberia in a condition indicative of the legacy she hopes to leave. Therefore, Tarpeh’s claim that his association with CDC is the reason for which Madam Sirleaf may withhold funds to UL is highly unbelievable.Secondly, all Liberians in this country know that George Weah did not need Prof. Tarpeh in order to secure an election to the Senate. Weah’s popularity in Monrovia and Grand Gedeh is such that, even without a campaign manager, he could have still won a landslide victory in Montserrado as a Senator. In fact, it may well be that Tarpeh is the one in need of an alignment with CDC to secure future political position. As was evidently seen in 2009, he and others contested against Geraldine Doe-Sheriff in a senatorial by-election in Montserrado, and she massively defeated them without mercy. Doe-Sheriff at the time had the advantage of her alignment with CDC and primarily George Weah’s presence. So, when Weah announced his decision to run for the hotly contested Montserrado seat in the Senate last year, his victory was a foregone conclusion. The CDC is composed of two main groups of characters: There are those who consider themselves the “downtrodden masses” who regard Weah as the epitome of their own aspirations. They have shown their passionate devotion to him in three consecutive elections, the last of which he finally won. Then there are also the few deceptive intellectuals who use the party and its voting masses to ascend to positions of power and influence. Sadly, after achieving their aims, they brush off masses as “asses”. I hope Professor Tarpeh is not one of the deceptive intellectuals waiting on CDC for 2017.Lastly, I will agree with Minister Isaac Jackson in principle that there may be a “different reason” for Professor Tarpeh’s resignation and apparent use of political cosmetics to divert attention. Yes! UL is currently broke and over 30,000 students are waiting on government to make available funds so the university can reopen. I do not know whether the university would have been in such a state if Ebola had not interrupted the academic schedule. While I may be in agreement with Prof. Tarpeh that the Government of Liberia is withholding funds, I strongly believe that it would be based on the matter of accountability if it has anything to do with him. To retrospect, former Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost, Dr. Weade Elliot-Brownell, stated at a press conference in December 2013 that some people in top positions at the university incited students against her to be removed because she stood against financial and academic malpractices. She promised that she would bring out names when the proper time comes. Also, at her confirmation hearing a few months back, Dr. Brownell repeated that people went against her at the university because she stood against financial malpractices carried out by some top staffers. It was surprising to note in November of 2013 during one of UL students’ unfounded and senseless demonstrations that the so-called student leadership was calling for Dr. Brownell’s expulsion because she was interfering with Fiscal Affairs. Up to now, no one knows who gave the student body information about what was unfolding in administration for which they should issue such a statement. Dr. Emmet A. Dennis, President of the University of Liberia is mentioned in one of Daily Observer’s editorials to have said that UL has a cartel that no one can easily break through. If Tarpeh’s claim is true, then, it is not difficult to presume that these could be some of the very reasons for which President Sirleaf may be withholding funds from the university.A note to Prof. Tarpeh: To do yourself justice and the Liberian students for whom you are offering your lucrative and prestigious position as a living sacrifice, can you call on President Sirleaf to allow Dr. Brownell to name those whom she talked about? Can you also call on the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to audit you before turning the office over to your successor? Without meeting these conditions, you will be leaving doubts in minds, and your stated reason for resigning will always be fictitious.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Jagdeo promises no increase in property rates
Countrywide property valuations– in areas PPP wins at LGE 2018With countrywide property valuations on the horizon, People’s Progressive Party General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo has promised that no increases in rates would be implemented in areas his party wins at the Local Government Elections (LGE).PPP General Secretary Bharrat JagdeoJagdeo made this announcement at a press conference he held with PPP candidates from across the country. His commitment would correlate with Government promising that rate hikes would be up to local officials after the valuations are over.The PPP General Secretary was critical of the exercise and the fact that it would result in more burden on the taxpayer. He pointed out that Central Government has already been collecting increased taxes from the populace.“We have been in opposition to increasing the rates and taxes across the country. We believe this government has increased too many taxes. So, we are opposed to any new burden on people’s backs. There is a surreptitious move on the part of this government to increase valuations.Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan“They’ve hired a company from abroad to do this countrywide evaluation,” Jagdeo observed. “There can be only one purpose to this. To increase valuation of property means your taxes are going up. Any area the PPP wins, we will not increase rates and taxes, because that’s a local issue. So people who vote APNU will be voting to increase their taxes.”Romel Roopnarine, representative of the Herstelling, Little Diamond area, noted that there were fears about the impending valuation of properties, particularly on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).He noted that this fear was especially pervasive in the newly-created housing schemes. In addition, he noted that residents were concerned about overlooked services to their communities.The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, a Canadian firm, was contracted by the Government for approximately $330 million to assist with the exercise. The project is expected to last until next year.The initiative was supposed to review existing property rate structures, to raise more money at the regional level. According to Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan in a recent interview with the media, work on the contract will conclude in 2019.Besides the valuations and revaluations, Bulkan noted that the project would also produce an inventory of properties. Bulkan hailed this as an opportunity for councils to be less dependent on Central Government.The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation does property evaluations for the state of Ontario and other jurisdictions. Its work spans Canada and other countries. It was only last year that City Hall announced that property rates would go up by 10 per cent.
Oil Patch Thefts remain a problem in Fort St. John
Oil patch theft remains a major problem in this area…and the RCMP reports the latest series of break and enters occurred on Monday.Police say several rigs being stored in the area, of 81st avenue and 90th street in Fort St. John were targeted.Copper wiring and tools worth more than $12,000 were stolen…and police investigators have now concluded the same thieves were likely responsible, for the theft of equipment from other rig companies in the area.- Advertisement -They’re seeking public assistance in the investigation, and they note the stolen tools may be marked E-112.They’re taking public assistance information calls at the toll free crime stoppers number…1-800-222-8477.
Area economy graded B
Most of Southern California’s industries will grow over the next two years, but two key sectors – entertainment and international trade – might encounter trouble down the road, according to a forecast due to be released today. The overall outlook from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. is generally upbeat – with modest job-growth predictions for this year and next. But the forecast warns of a risk of strikes in the entertainment industry and problems associated with a new identification requirement for truck drivers at the ports. “I would characterize it as a good solid B tending to a B-plus,” said forecast author Jack Kyser, the LAEDC’s vice president and chief economist. “But the big issue is what happens in the entertainment industry and a couple of other nagging concerns.” The forecast calls for job growth across the five-county region of 1.1 percent this year and 1.5 percent in 2008. Last year it was 1.4 percent. This outlook is similar in tone to the one Kyser issued last year and to one released last week by the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy. Kyser said the biggest concern is that three labor unions will be negotiating contracts in the motion-picture industry this year and next. This could get contentious. “The risk of a strike, real or de facto, is high, and this would not be good news for areas of Los Angeles County with exposure to the business,” he said. Negotiations three years ago prompted film and television companies to push a lot of work to the first half of the year, which led to a slowdown, described as a de facto strike, in the latter half of the year. The first talks, set for July, involve the Writers Guild of America. And the movie industry continues to face ongoing challenges from runaway production, as well as uncertainty caused by shifts in the way content is delivered. The report also laments the fact that state legislators failed to deliver an incentive package to curb runaway production. Bill Allen, the LAEDC’s president and chief executive officer, said feature-film production days are being replaced by lower-cost forms of programming, such as reality shows, that have less of an economic impact. “I don’t think people in California are paying enough attention to the value of entertainment-industry jobs that are being lost,” he said. “Clearly more than 25 other states are paying attention because they are offering for the first time or are improving incentive programs.” Daniel Blake, director of the San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center at California State University, Northridge, said motion-picture production remains one of the region’s better performers. “It’s got a good strong base here,” he said. “It’s one of the key ones for growth.” Kyser expects motion-picture and sound employment to grow by 4.5 percent this year and then dip by 1.4 percent in 2008. The forecast will be released today at a conference starting at 8 a.m. at the Marriott Hotel, 333 S. Figueroa St., in downtown Los Angeles. Kyser says the region enjoys a Goldilocks economy at this point – not too hot and not too cold. The housing-market slowdown will continue to have an impact, but the sector should stabilize by year’s end. The superheated appreciation of the past, however, will not reappear. International trade is also at some risk, but not in the short term. The problems will be the introduction of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential. Workers will need it to go unaccompanied into steamship terminals at the ports, and there is concern that many of the port truck drivers won’t be able to get one because of their immigration status. But when this will take effect remains unclear. And despite the overall economic slowdown, six of 11 export industries received an A or A-minus grade in this year’s forecast. They are commercial aerospace (A), business and professional services (A), biomedicine (A-), international trade (A), technology (A-) and tourism and travel (A-). The only sector receiving a D grade – for the third consecutive time – is health services. greg.wilcox@dailynews.com (818) 713-3743ECONOMIC FORECAST Here is a snapshot of the Southern California economic forecast for 2007: The Inland Empire will see job growth of 1.7 percent, and Los Angeles County is next at 1.1 percent. In Ventura County, it will be up by 0.5 percent. Los Angeles County will create the largest number of new jobs, 43,700. Ventura County will add 1,600 jobs. Motion-picture employment in Los Angeles County could rise by 4,500 jobs in 2007 and then drop by 2,000 jobs in 2008. International trade will move to record levels, with container volume at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles up by 10.5 percent, to 17.4 million units. Source: Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
England call-up will help QPR form, claims Rangers star
QPR goalkeeper Rob Green believes his England call-up could help his form at the struggling Premier League club.Rangers look destined to a return to the Championship after a 2-1 defeat to Everton on Sunday that leaves them second from bottom and four points from safety.Green has been one of the club’s best players throughout the season, however, and he thinks international recognition could help with his confidence.“There is always the ‘club v country’ debate with this sort of thing,” Green told qpr.co.uk.“If it gives me confidence, which it does, and it helps me make a save through greater confidence, then great. “I have been on the international scene for too long to remember now, and it’s something that you always learn from, every time you go.“Playing with the best and against the best is something that can only inspire you and improve you.” England goalkeeper Rob Green 1
Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City to miss out on free agent France international?
Montpellier are ready to make their move for Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City for Yoan Gourcuff, according to reports in France.The 29-year-old is a free agent having come to the end of his Lyon deal and has been coveted by all three Premier League heavyweights.There was also strong interest from within France, with the midfielder linked with an emotional return to his former club Bordeaux.However, that reportedly fell through due to his high wage demands and he is still yet to arrange new employment.But now fellow Ligue 1 side Montpellier have emerged as frontrunners in the race for his signature.According to L’Equipe, Gourcuff will have a meeting with the club about a potential contract at the Stade de la Mosson on Friday. 1 Yoann Gourcuff 
PARENTHUB DONEGAL’S ONE CHANGE CAMPAIGN A HUGE SUCCESS
The 2016 Make One Change Campaign run by the ParentHub, Donegal has been a huge success with more than 200 families from all across the county taking part.Families were asked to make a small change as a New Year’s Resolution which would help improve their family life. The most popular change that families committed to was going for a family walk together with 38 families committing to this resolution.Other families committed to getting healthy in other ways with 11 families committing to swimming, 12 families committing to going out cycling and 16 families committing to eating healthier. Thirty families committed to having a family movie night and 17 families committed to play board games together. Fifteen families committed to reading bedtime stories. “No Gadget Days” also proved to be a popular choice with many families deciding to spend more time together either eating meals together or baking together or indeed just talking more to each other.The Draw for the Campaign took place last Friday with 12 prizes sponsored by Donegal businesses. All the prizes were geared towards families spending more time together.The Main Prize which was three months Family Membership for the Aura Leisure Centre went to the Berkeley Family, Letterkenny. Amongst the remaining prizes were Family passes to Century Cinemas, Family Tickets to An Grianan Theatre, Family Pass to Alcorns Tropical World, Family Passes to Dunlewey Centre and Vouchers for Arena Seven.These prizes are shared out with our other winners who are :Faulkner Family, Mountcharles, Mc Laughlin Family, Drumcarbit, Malin, Reid Family, RossyLangan, Donegal, Hunter Family, Ards, Creeslough, Hanlon Family, Glenties, O’Hagan Family, Ballindrait,Leeney Family, Carrigart, Lines Family, Clonleigh, Lifford, Mc Gurk Family, Glendale Manor, Letterkenny, Thomas Family, Letterbarrow and Pearson Family Manorcunningham. The Parent Hub would like to congratulate all the prize winners and wish them well with the changes they have made to family life and indeed encourage all families who committed to making a change to keep it up.The ParentHub would also like to thank all our sponsors and the many schools across Donegal who supported this year’s Campaign.The ParentHub, Donegal is a Working Group under the Donegal Children and Young People’s Services Committee who set out to look at the support needs of parents and identify the gaps in services in Donegal regarding parental supports and education.The Hub promote parenting education as a support that all parents should have access to no matter where they live in Donegal. Parents can access information on upcoming Parenting Programmes and other supports on our Facebook page at https//www.facebook.com/parenthubdonegal.A Parents Plus Childrens Programme will start in Murlog National School, Lifford on Thursday 25th February. Please contact Sinead on 9141450 or Melanie on 9145796 to book a place.PARENTHUB DONEGAL’S ONE CHANGE CAMPAIGN A HUGE SUCCESS was last modified: February 3rd, 2016 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:donegalMAKE ONE CHANGEPARENTHUB
VAR controversy dominates feisty clash in Saransk as Portugal advance
5 Tempers threatened to spill over as VAR took over Unflappable under pressure, Carvalho delivered as composed a performance in midfield as you are likely to see 5 5 But then VAR took centre stage, with referee Enrique Cáceres making some questionable calls.First, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was brought down inside the box and was subsequently given a penalty – once VAR had been consulted.Keen to catch England skipper Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot, Ronaldo picked himself up before seeing his spot kick saved.However, he could quite easily have seen red after an off-the-ball incident was caught by VAR. Caceres eventually gave him a yellow for his trouble. Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with goal scorer Ricardo Quaresma Iran nearly caused one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history in Saransk as VAR controversy marred their draw with Portugal.The Euro 2016 winners took the lead through a fantastic effort from Ricardo Quaresma which sent them top of the group thanks to Morocco taking a shock lead against Spain. Enrique Cáceres was the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons in Saransk 5 And then, it was Portugal who were left to lament a questionable penalty awarded by VAR, this time against Cedric Soares.The Southampton man jumped for the ball, but was adjudged to have handled in the area.Karim Ansarifard duly stepped up to smash the ball into the top corner and set the game up for a tense finale.With tempers frayed and Iran desperate, Mehdi Taremi had the golden chance when the ball fell to him but he could only put the ball into the side netting.Portugal will now face Uruguay in Sochi in their round-of-16 tie after Spain’s draw with Morocco ensured they would have to settle for second place.STAR MAN – William Carvalho Spain and Portugal advance to the last-16 The decision by Enrique Caceres to award the Iranian penalty was, in all honesty, laughable.Although the ball appeared to brush off Cedric Soares’ arm, it was certainly not enough to be deemed deliberate and certainly not enough for a penalty.Questions will be certainly asked about the use of VAR throughout the rest of the tournament, but it seems as though the officials who use it may also have to answer questions.HOW DOES GROUP B LOOK NOW? So often linked to Premier League sides, you can see why the Sporting Lisbon midfielder is in such high demand after his display tonight.The Portuguese enforcer tidied up in midfield easily and prevented Iran from breaking when they did win the ball back.His presence could be invaluable as they advance in this tournament.MOMENT OF THE MATCH 5