Smith recovering

Minister of Telecom-munications and Mining, Derrick Smith, is recovering after surgery last week to his right foot. Smith, who is diabetic, left for the United States last week.

"The surgery lasted for eight-and-a-half hours but, at the end of that process, the doctors came out of the operating theatre smiling from one ear to the next and they reported that the surgery had been very successful," Prime Minister Bruce Golding said yesterday.

Negril man slain

A 38-year-old businessman was shot dead by a gunman at his home at Whitehall in Negril, Westmoreland, yesterday morning.

Reports are that about 2:20 a.m., Colin Smith was at home when two men kicked open a door. One of the men shot him. Smith died on the spot. The men then robbed another occupant of $3,000 before escaping.

Jamaican awarded Victoria Cross

Two members of the West Indian Regiment are this year's recipients of the Victoria Cross for gallantry. They are William Gordon of Jamaica and Samuel Hodge of the British Virgin Islands. The function was held at Up Park Camp last Friday.

Hodge and Gordon were recognised posthumously by Queen Elizabeth II for saving the lives of officers in 1897.

Major Milton Edwards, liaison officer for the event, said although their acts of bravery happened over a century ago, Hodge and Gordon's heroics were still a source of motivation for soldiers.

Obama eyes nomination

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico:

Hillary Rodham Clinton won most of the delegates in Puerto Rico's primary on Sunday, but Barack Obama crept closer to clinching the Democratic nomination for president. Obama has a total of 2,070 delegates, leaving him 48 shy of the number needed to clinch the nomination, with two primaries remaining.