Santiago blossoms into true leader for NU
Jo Koy: My brain always wants to think funny She’s more than that now.NU coach Babes Castillo said he has seen the 6-foot-5 utility spiker evolve into a strong leader for the Lady Bulldogs.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSRedemption is sweet for Ginebra, Scottie ThompsonSPORTSMayweather beats Pacquiao, Canelo for ‘Fighter of the Decade’SPORTSFederer blasts lack of communication on Australian Open smog“Her maturity is really coming out,” said Castillo of the 21-year-old Santiago who, over the past year, has been part of the national team in major international competitions.Santiago averaged 26 points during the semifinals, which saw the Lady Bulldogs sweep reigning NCAA champion Arellano University. During Wednesday’s Game 1 of the Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference Finals, she unloaded 23 markers to help crush Far Eastern U, 25-22, 21-25, 25-18, 26-24.“I no longer concern myself with any position because I train in playing all positions,” said Santiago in Filipino.Usually the tallest in every team she plays in, Santiago started out as a middle blocker.For the national team, she played open and even opposite, something that worked perfectly for the Lady Bulldogs, who are eyeing a sweep of the PVL title on Saturday—and the league’s first unbeaten run in history.“I have to remind myself to be flexible because I’m a professional player,” added Santiago.ADVERTISEMENT Margot Robbie talks about filming ‘Bombshell’s’ disturbing sexual harassment scene Kiss-and-tell matinee idol’s conquests: True stories or tall tales? OSG plea to revoke ABS-CBN franchise ‘a duplicitous move’ – Lacson Santiago, who is now on her fifth and last year at NU, has been imposing herself over just about everyone—her experience culled from playing in several club tournaments coming to fore.She recently nixed an offer to play for Asian top club Bangkok Glass, which reportedly offered P1.2 million for a six-month stint.Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next For years, Jaja Santiago has been National University’s mean scoring machine.ADVERTISEMENT MOST READ Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Sports 5 gets huge boost with ESPN partnership Jake says relationship with Shaina ‘goes beyond physical attraction’ Trending Articles PLAY LIST 00:50Trending Articles02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss04:31Suu Kyi appeals to ICJ not to impose int’l justice02:14Carpio 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 Coco’s house rules on ‘Probinsyano’ set Jake says relationship with Shaina ‘goes beyond physical attraction’ Steam emission over Taal’s main crater ‘steady’ for past 24 hours It’s too early to present Duterte’s ‘legacy’ – Lacson LATEST STORIES View comments
The first vice president of the Liberian Council of Churches (LCC) has cautioned Liberians to abstain from elections violence to avoid undermining the peace and stability of the country.The Rev. Dr. Kortu Brown who is also general overseer of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church (APC), warned Liberians to remember that “peace is priceless”; therefore nothing should be done to undermine the peace. He insisted that “violence is not the answer” to the myriad of challenges facing the country.The Pastor of New Water in the Desert Assembly made the call when he spoke at the December 17th, 2014 3rd Intercessory Worship service of the local church during this month of December to praise God for His healing mercy on Liberia. “Liberians should realize that stability is a foundational investment which when secured can be the platform on which the other walls whether political, economic or social, can be built.”Without stability in the country, Rev. Dr. Brown asserted, that there will be no political, economic or social development. “We therefore want all Liberians to know that we all have a stake in the foundational investment of the country, which is stability”The service, which coincided with the 47th edition of the 100-Day Prayer for Peace for Liberia, is being held under the theme: “Peace at Christmas” with Scriptural text from St. Luke 2:13-14.The Pentecostal cleric reminded candidates in the elections to direct their supporters away from violence which is a threat to peace and stability.“Let the candidates know that the people of Liberia will hold each of them responsible for the actions of their supporters”, he declared, adding, “Peace is far more important to Liberia than any individual or group of individuals.”He then challenged all Liberians to redirect their energies during this period of peace to productive ventures that will advance the country. He advised parents to speak to their children to avoid plunging themselves into violent activities that could lead to confusion and chaos and plunge Liberia into a “red Christmas.”“Let us continue to remember that the Ebola virus is still around us and we should do whatever we can to stop its spread.”Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Acting Police Commissioner (APC) David Ramnarine, on Sunday released a statement shutting down claims that 65 female students of Region One (Barima-Waini), were strip-searched in the presence of male officers.This statement came in response to an article titled, “Region One education officials investigate strip-searching of female students” published in the Guyana Stabroek newspaper on Sunday.The article alleges that female students of the Santa Rosa Secondary School were strip-searched in the presence of male officers, after a report was made to the Acquero Police Station of missing money at the school.According to the article, the Police Station was contacted by the school’s Welfare Officer who alleged that $55,000 was stolen from the school’s dorm mother.Reports revealed that the woman claimed that she locked her room and left the key hanging on a wall.However, she returned and later discovered the money missing which prompted her to report the matter to the Welfare Officer who then contacted the Police.The article related that orders were given by the Police Station to strip-search the students. This was done in the presence of two male officers, the dorm mother and the Welfare Officer of the school. The money was not found, however it was also noted that male students somehow managed to witness the strip-search which angered the female students.In the statement, the APC said that according to the reports he received, the officers who reported to the school were present when the students’ bags was searched, however when the Welfare Officer suggested that a search be conducted on each child, the Subordinate Officer objected and indicated that it would be improper in the circumstance for the Police to sanction this, and he and the Constable left the school.The Subordinate Officer later reported that he learned that the children were searched by the Welfare Officer. This story surfaced on Friday last when an affected female student confided in a resident of the area as to what had transpired.The Regional Executive Officer, who also received reports of this incident, seemingly without investigating, called the alleged act by the officers “greatly inappropriate”.
The General Manager of the Liberia Marketing Association, Mr. Emmanuel T. Tumbey, has said his members are severely affected by the crisis, especially those selling bush-meat, which has been banned due to the risk of contagion. Commodity exports, such as iron ore, palm oil and rubber form the backbone of Liberia’s economic growth. It is striking, though perhaps not surprising, that workers in these particular sectors of the economy are also among those hardest hit by poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition.He said, the Ebola crisis in West Africa differs from other emergency situations in almost every way. This is not a crisis where needs can quickly be identified, supplied and distributed; and measures implemented to put people, communities and the economy back on track.“The situation is getting more serious every day. While the numbers of Ebola cases are doubling every three weeks, the virus also keeps taking an increasing economic toll, affecting the poorest half of the Liberian population who live in conditions of extreme poverty.”According to a recent report produced by Liberia’s Ministry of Agriculture, about 75 per cent of mine-workers, more than 70 per cent of those working in the palm oil industry and about 63 per cent of those working on rubber plantations suffer severe to moderate food insecurity. The economic slow-down currently caused by the Ebola-epidemic has exacerbated the situation further.“People survive by eating what they grow in their own gardens, and by selling vegetables from their back yards,” said Deroe Weeks, Director of Food Security and Nutrition at the Ministry of Agriculture. “For the bush-meat hunters, there are not many alternative livelihoods. Food insecurity will increase,” she said.Liberian businessman Amin Modad, who is leading an economic recovery strategy initiative, said two of the main obstacles for Liberian businesses are the lack of skilled entrepreneurs and lack of access to credit. But the situation now is acute. “I have loans to pay. If it continues like this, I will not make it.”UNDP is now reprogramming its resources in Liberia to meet a range of Ebola-related challenges. So far, UNDP’s support helped strengthen coordination of assistance at the country level, promoted social mobilization, and organized Ebola sensitization and preventive awareness campaigns in all 15 counties in Liberia.“Massive social mobilization, awareness creation and active engagement of the society are necessary if we are to stand a chance to contain Ebola,” said UNDP Country Director for Liberia, Kamil Kamaluddeen. “The risk of social unrest and violence are likely to escalate as the situation continues to deteriorate.”UNDP has also provided expertise to enhance information management capacities and supplied vehicles to improve the national response capacity of the Command Centre for coordination, surveillance and case management.A team of UNDP experts is helping to improve crisis response capacity at the national and local levels, and design measures to revitalize the economy, including a wide-ranging social protection plan, including cash transfers to the poorest part of the population.Another specific area where UNDP will provide support is reducing the spread of infection in prisons by training selected corrections officers to prevent outbreaks, and uphold the human rights of inmates, strengthening prison health facilities, and improving the diet of inmates.UNDP has been designing response and recovery efforts. Its staff is ensuring that the health response is integrated and coordinated. It is also working to ensure that the response is inclusive by helping meet some of the pressing needs of the most-affected communities.This focus is essential so that the services that support livelihoods and hold communities together can be quickly restored. By helping communities, Liberia can more effectively begin to move beyond the epidemic by accelerating the recovery effort and returning the economy and society to a path of longe-term development.With the dramatic toll the Ebola crisis is taking on individuals, communities and the economy, the income structure in Liberia could be severely affected. As families lose their breadwinners, livelihoods disappear and prices of commodities, health services and other emergency expenses increase, the social fabric of the country could change.“In this scenario, social protection mechanisms will contribute to improving stability and security, and make the Liberian society as a whole more robust and resilient,” said Kamaluddeen.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
The Ministry of Natural Resources held a public lecture last evening on Affordable Mercury-Free Solutions for Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) Miners in Guyana.The talk was facilitated by Canadian instructor Bruce Marshall who is a post-doctoral fellow in Mining Engineering from the University of British Columbia.In his lecture, held at Education Lecture Theatre at the University of Guyana, Marshall explained that mercury releases from traditional mining are estimated to be about 1,400 tonnes per year which makes it the largest global demand sectorYouth in Natural Resources present at the lecturefor mercury. He further stated that an estimated 10 to 15 million miners, including four to five million women and children, are involved in the sector. From this, he noted that all of the mercury used is released into the environment and is very detrimental to miners since it can get into their bodies through the skin, inhalation and the eating of fish.Marshall said the ASGM sector is a complex global development issue and that mercury exposure to miners and their communities can be reduced in simple and cost-effective ways by an environmental approach, health approach and co-existence solutions among others.The lecture formed part of the observance of the celebration of mining week which is an annual occurrence in Guyana under the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.
Although it is usual for a trained police negotiator to accompany other ranks who engage in a shoot-out to be present at the scene, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is uncertain if one was present last Thursday when three bandits were killed at Norton Street, Georgetown, during an exchange of gunfire with Police.Police Commissioner Leslie JamesDuring a press conference on Monday, Police Commissioner Leslie James was questioned on the rationale behind a negotiator showing up and explained, “We do have persons who are trained in negotiations and when you have such operations, that person goes along also with the team but almost all situations the negotiations are not necessary for them to engage”.Further, the Commissioner could not say if a negotiator was present at the shootout.“I will have to check… I don’t want to mislead anyone. I will have to check to confirm if a negotiator was there but I’m saying that usually when they have such reports we take action to have a negotiator on standby.”Asked whether or not it would be a breach of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to not have a negotiator on site, the Commissioner responded in the negative.He explained, “[It’s] not necessarily a breach. It is a call by the either the Deputy Commissioner of Operations, the Commissioner of Police, or the Divisional Commander or joint”.The Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Maxine Graham, who was at the event was unable to say whether a negotiator was on site that fateful night.On the other hand, the Commissioner informed that the Force is seeking to have ambulances on site to alleviate bodies being dumped in Police vans to be taken to the Hospital. However, he said, “We don’t want to give the perception that we have expectation of persons to be injured”.On Thursday, three bandits lost their lives during an hour-long exchange of gunfire with the police at Norton Street, Georgetown. The men had set out to rob a construction worker, Neville Lesley, moments after he had put his five-year-old son to bed.Reports are at about 20:00h, while the man was closing the doors to his Lot 46 Norton and Victor Streets home, he saw someone scaling the fence but by the time he reacted, he was held at gunpoint. The gunman demanded gold and cash as he took the man into the house. By that time, the two other gunmen also made their way into the man’s home, with each of them carrying a handgun.Hearing the commotion, the five-year-old child woke up and ran downstairs. “They tell me if I don’t keep me son quiet, they’d shoot me and meh son,” the man related.With the bandits distracted by the police presence, Lesley and his son managed to escape and hid in one of the bedrooms, where he removed the louvres in the window and lowered his son from the upper flat of the house.The child was safely collected by a police officer, and Lesley jumped through the window to safety. It was at this point that the shoot-out between the armed bandits and law enforcement commenced.According to information from residents in the area, two of the bandits were shot and appeared to be dead, while the third was also shot but surrendered to the police.
A moment of brilliance from Cristiano Ronaldo helped Zinedine Zidane on his way to a first Champions League win as Real Madrid manager – a 2-0 scoreline away at Roma.A game that had been cagey in the first half opened up in the second, and Ronaldo broke the deadlock in the 57th minute.Both teams had a number of chances after that but it was Real who took advantage, with 22-year-old substitute Jese scoring his first Champions League goal four minutes from time.The visitors enjoyed the best of what chances there were in the first half but they were largely restricted to long-range efforts.The closest Real came was a dipping volley from the lively Marcelo in the 33rd minute that would have been one of the best goals the competition has witnessed had the ball dropped the other side of the post.Roma threatened sporadically and might have taken the lead right at the end of the half but for a superb last-ditch tackle from Raphael Varane to deny Stephan El Shaarawy.El Shaarawy broke through again early in the second half only to be foiled by goalkeeper Keylor Navas, and moments later Ronaldo put Real ahead.Marcelo played in the forward down the left and he cut inside before unleashing a shot that was deflected past Wojciech Szczesny.Roma pushed forward in search of an equaliser, and they nearly found it in the 72nd minute but William Vainqueur’s volley flew just past the post.The Italians were leaving lots of space at the back and both Ronaldo and James Rodriguez missed the target with free headers before Szczesny denied Karim Benzema.At the other end, substitute Edin Dzeko blasted into the side netting from a tight angle, while Dani Carvajal was extremely fortunate to get away with a rash challenge on Alessandro Florenzi in the box.Zidane, who scored the winning goal for Real in the 2002 Champions League final, sent on Jese for James in the 82nd minute and four minutes later the striker drove towards goal before firing beyond Szczesny into the bottom corner.Elsewhere, Wolfsburg were 3-2 winners at Gent. 1 Zinedine Zidane wins first Champions League match in charge 
8 8 8 8 The Holy Grail is now the Premier League and Champions League For that reason, an Arsenal double this year would be something very special for younger Gooners, but the reality is that the English domestic double isn’t what it used to be.There was a time when winning both the league title and FA Cup was a Holy Grail for English football.Preston North End achieved the feat in the Football League’s very first season, 1888/89, then Aston Villa became the second club to claim both honours in a single campaign in 1896/97.Then, for over half a century, as the English game grew in popularity and prestige, the double eluded everyone.Bearing in mind until the late 1950s no English teams competed in European competition and that the League Cup wasn’t founded until 1960, nor was it contested by every Football League side until the early 1970s, league football and the FA Cup were the only trophies in town.Yet still, it wasn’t until Tottenham Hotspur swept all before them in both competitions in 1960/61 that the double was claimed in the 20th century. 8 Not so, since the FA Cup has diminished in status to the point where it’s frequently bemoaned as a hindrance to more important objectives, by a wide range of clubs, from the likes of Champions League hopefuls Manchester City, down to Championship clubs like Hull. The fact now is that, were Arsenal to win the double this season, it would not be comparable to the prestige such an achievement carried in 1971, or even 1998, due to the FA Cup’s declining status.Two trophies would still be a magnificent return, and is certainly not to be sniffed at, but much like Chelsea’s and Manchester City’s Premier League and League Cup doubles in the past two seasons, it simply would not resonate in the way that the domestic double used to. Agree? Disagree? Comment below. Arsenal’s 2-0 first leg defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League was a major disappointment for the Gunners, despite the obvious quality of their opponents.The comprehensive home defeat leaves Arsene Wenger’s side facing a monumental task to progress to the quarter-finals, almost certainly meaning a sixth successive exit at the last 16 stage in Europe.While Arsenal appear to be as far away as ever from ending their wait for a first European Cup, being knocked out by Barcelona could yet prove a blessing in disguise as far as the North London club’s domestic ambitions are concerned.Two points behind surprise leaders Leicester in the Premier League, and with Hull and a home tie against Watford standing in their path to another FA Cup semi-final, this could yet be a glorious campaign for the Gunners.A third FA Cup triumph in a row would mark the first occasion since the 1880s that any club had won a hat-trick of cups, with Blackburn Rovers the last to win the trophy three years in succession. It was getting to the point where winning the double had gone from the Holy Grail to commonplace and, as a result, despite still representing a major achievement, had undoubtedly lessened in historical impact.But since then, only Chelsea in 2009/10 have claimed both the Premier League title and FA Cup in the same season, which you might take to mean would increase the prestige attached to claiming the domestic double. 8 Times have changed.These days the real double, the Holy Grail for English football’s elite – one which would truly echo down the ages – is the Premier League and Champions League. 8 That rarity of achievement made the double something special.Arsenal emulated their great rivals by claiming the double in 1970/71, and after a decade of dominating both the English and European scene, Liverpool won the league and FA Cup in 1985/86.Then the Premier League era dawned, the gulf in finances between the best and the rest grew, and major trophies increasingly became dominated by the richest clubs.Manchester United duly won a ‘double double’ with success in 1994 and 1996, Arsenal won the double in 1998 and 2002, while United technically won another double in 1999, as part of their treble campaign when they added the Champions League. For Wenger to claim a first Premier League title since 2004, Arsenal’s 14th overall and a first since moving to the Emirates Stadium, would be even greater cause for celebration.But to claim an English record fourth league and FA Cup double would arguably be Wenger’s finest achievement of all, considering the current Arsenal side are a shadow of his greatest teams.With the Frenchman approaching 20 years in charge of the Gunners, memories of the ‘double double’ he claimed for Arsenal, in 1998 and 2002, are now somewhat distant, with a whole generation of the club’s fans too young to have witnessed either season. 8
Fabian Delph, Jamie Vardy and Danny Rose (SUBS) – All rated 6 Pickford didn’t have to do anything for the majority of the match, so it is hard to rate him any higher than this. He was clearly frustrated when Felipe Baloy netted a late consolation for Panama. Jesse Lingard – 9 How did talkSPORT rate the Three Lions? Scroll down to find out. 13 Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 6 Kieran Trippier – 8 Harry Maguire – 7 13 England qualified for the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup after a 6-1 hammering of Panama on Sunday.Gareth Southgate’s side put on a dominant attacking performance against their unfavoured opponents, with Harry Kane netting a hat-trick and John Stones bagging twice.Jesse Lingard also scored for England and Felipe Baloy snatched a late consolation for Panama. England’s starting XI against Panama 13 Maguire looked a threat from set pieces and answered the few defensive questions he was asked by Panama’s limited attack. England’s defence was rarely tested throughout the game. Young had a solid performance, though did nothing exceptional. It seemed as if Jesse Lingard was here, there and everywhere in the first half. He made a good run which resulted in England winning their first penalty and smashed home the third goal from outside the box. Henderson provided a fantastic ball to begin the training ground set piece move for England’s fourth. It’s not often that a defender nets two goals, however John Stones has now done this twice within nine months! The Man City man got two against Feyenoord last season and headed England’s first and fourth goals past Panama’s goalkeeper. 13 Like with Ashley Young, you can’t fault Kyle Walker’s performance against Panama, but you also can’t heap praise upon it as he was scarcely tested. 13 13
Trippier provided an attacking threat throughout his 70 minutes on the pitch, assisting the opening goal with a corner and playing a beautiful ball through to Jesse Lingard as he won England’s first penalty. Harry Kane – 9 13 Raheem Sterling – 6 John Stones – 9 13 13 Ashley Young – 7 13 13 13 Jordan Henderson – 7 13 A hat-trick is a hat-trick no matter how it comes! Kane emphatically smashed home two penalties, before a big deflection resulted in his third goal. He is now the current top scorer at the World Cup with five. Kyle Walker – 7 After impressing as a substitute against Tunisia, Loftus-Cheek failed to truly make his mark when given a start in the absence of Dele Alli. Sterling neatly exchanged passes with Jesse Lingard in the build up to England’s third, but missed a sitter before John Stones headed home the fourth. Jordan Pickford – 6 The game was all-but done by the time England made their substitutions. Neither of Delph, Vardy or Rose made a significant impact on proceedings.
Salah’s goal against Everton in December 2017 won the Puskas award Mo Salah won “best goal” last night because Liverpool fans would have started a petition if he didn’t get anything. #FactsOnly 🙄— Tapi (@TapiNyoni) September 25, 2018 So Mohamed Salah‘s goal against Everton was the best of the year.That’s what the FIFA Football Awards told us when the Liverpool star collected the Puskas award, given to the player whose goal is deemed to be better than anyone else’s. His goal in the Premier League Merseyside derby clash last season was voted for by, according to FIFA, ‘fans from around the world’, with the strike garnering 38 per cent of the vote.To say the rest of the watching world were shocked is an understatement and even Salah’s team-mate, James Milner, couldn’t resist joining in with the fun. The midfielder congratulated Salah on Twitter, jokingly tweeting: ‘Congrats on your 7th best goal from last season’. 1 Get ready for a petition for mo salah to be added https://t.co/aTI8LWSfP2— Denyan O’Day (@odaydenyan) September 24, 2018 Only reason Salah won the Puskas award is because if he didn’t the whole of Egypt would have started a petition— Will (@WAJG_96) September 24, 2018Other supporters, meanwhile. think there could be a petition incoming demanding Salah be placed in the Team of the Year.FIFPro World 11: David De Gea; Dani Alves, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane; Eden Hazard, N’Golo Kante, Luka Modric; Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi. Every Puskas goal since 2009. Just look at Salah’s compared to the rest😭Ridiculous that FIFA allows fan voting on this type of thing pic.twitter.com/5gh0lP5A9h— will ;/ 🔰 (@WiIlUnited) September 24, 2018However, other fans, despite knowing the gong is decided by supporter votes, decided to mock the system by referring to the Liverpool fan who created a petition demanding UEFA punish Sergio Ramos for intentionally hurting Mohamed Salah’ during the Champions League final in May.Salah’s night ended in the first half when he damaged his shoulder as a result of the tussle and the Real Madrid defender became public enemy no.1 at Anfield. With Salah not winning the FIFA award how long before the petition gets started— Paul Smith (@citybluesmith) September 24, 2018 I’d say smart play by FIFA by giving #Puskas to Salah knowing how terrible Liverpool fans are. World just dodged another petition.These awards are more like PR events.— SilentElbow Merchant (@SiempreShadyXV) September 25, 2018 Congrats @MoSalah on your 7th best goal from last season winning goal of the year 😜 #Baller#Topbin#oneofmanyworldies https://t.co/OkNMlIsNLb— James Milner (@JamesMilner) September 24, 2018One fan even posted every winner of the Puskas award from 2009 to show the quality of strikes from previous years. 😂😂 No Salah some ppl guna be sooooo mad. I feel a petition coming along… https://t.co/CO5Mp5LGP4— seany (@Sean_FootyMad) September 24, 2018Elswhere, Luka Modric was crowned the year’s best player at the awards night in London. Yes, it’s the same Luka Modric Newcastle’s transfer experts thought wasn’t good enough for the Premier League in 2008. Fifa giving Salah the Puskas coz they don’t want tears and petition the tl— Joe ⚪ (@GoalivierGiroud) September 24, 2018 Any surprise Salah wins an award that is voted for by the fans when certain fans are so quick to set up petitions against anything they disagree with? Not even sure how it was a contender against the others— Jamie Clements (@cleme82) September 24, 2018 It’s proved Salah was given the Puskás award as a compensation 😂😂😂😂😂😂 or else Lfc and Egyptian fans would start a petition again #FIFAFootballAwards— Pearl Monteiro Lobo (@HazelMonteiro2) September 24, 2018