R. Kelly Returning to a New York Stage
R. Kelly is making a big come back to New York after taking a six year hiatus.
On July 1, the artist will headline the annual “Groovin’ In The Park” at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens.
“Fans are hyped and ready for an extraordinary performance from the Rhythm & Blues legend who will be returning to New York for his first performance since his ‘Best of Both Worlds’ concert with Jay Z in 2004,” said event CEO Christopher Roberts, of Groovin Inc. “R Kelly represents the best of R&B and I am confident he will deliver a spectacular performance for music lovers.”
It will be a big event with other performances to include Boyz II men and music legend Jimmy Cliff.
The event will be a part of the American Independence celebrations, a concert series dedicated to celebrating the nation.
Michael Vick & Kijafa Frink Tying the Knot on June 30
Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick is getting married.
The NFL star set the date with his longtime fiancée Kijafa Frink for June 30 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
Wedding invitation went out this month for 300 people. The guest list includes Vick’s mentor and form Colt’s coach, Tony Dungy, Eagles coach Andy Reid, Vick’s NFL agent Joel Segal, Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and other teammates.
Busy Signal denies involvement in drug dealing
EMBATTLED dancehall Deejay Busy Signal has denied any involvement in drug smuggling.
In a release to the media Busy Signal, who was detained in England after immigration authorities suspected he was travelling on false documents, said his present predicament allowed him time to reflect.
"I have never admitted that I was involved in any drug deal or drug arrangement. I waived my rights to an extradition trial here in Jamaica, so that I can return to the US to face a charge of absconding bail ONLY. This incident took place ten (10) years ago before I even considered becoming an artiste," the release said.
He also took time out to hail his fans.
"In this a time of reflection, I would like to thank my fans who have supported me through this difficult situation and who will continue to support me. Your messages and prayers via social networks and via members of my team are what have brought light to the darkness of my cell," he said.
The Deejay said he was not about to sink into oblivion.
"As you can understand, this is a difficult time for me, however during my time away, my fans will not be left with a void – there are several unreleased tracks that will definitely keep you “busy” until my return. I recently released my album Reggae Music Again, which debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Reggae charts. On my recent tour of Amsterdam and Paris, we shot elements for the video to the title track of the album. It features cameos from Marcia Griffiths, Queen Ifrica and Anthony B and that will be released in a couple of weeks," he said.
despite his legal woes Busy Signal remained positive.
“We not going down, cause God alone controls my destiny,” he said.
JA.OBAERVER
Rajon Rondo, Celtics oust 76ers, advance to Eastern Conference finals
Rajon Rondo helped his aging teammates keep their season going Saturday night, finishing with 18 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in Game 7 against the 76ers to lead Boston to an 85-75 victory and into an Eastern Conference finals matchup with the Miami Heat.
The Celtics will open the third round of the NBA playoffs in Miami on Monday night.
"I've already packed," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We'll be ready. It's going to be a tough turnaround, but we're not an excuse team. We'll be ready on Monday."
Bouncing back from his worst game of the playoffs -- and snapping out of a 32-minute slump in which he had just two assists and five points -- Rondo scored nine straight Boston points after Paul Pierce fouled out to help the Celtics turn a three-point edge into a double-digit lead.
Rondo had 11 points in the fourth quarter, including his first 3-pointer in five games, made all four of his free throws down the stretch and grabbed his 10th rebound in the final minute -- chucking it over his head and into the frontcourt to help the Celtics dribble down the clock.
"He really came through," Sixers guard Jrue Holiday said. "He put the team on his back."
Andre Iguodala scored 18 points, and Holiday and Elton Brand had 15 apiece for the 76ers, who eliminated the top-seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round but couldn't do the same with the Celtics.
Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 13 rebounds for Boston, and Ray Allen hit a pair of fourth-quarter 3-pointers after missing his first five attempts.
"Ray is the ultimate gunslinger," Rivers said. "That's what makes great players great. I was a basketball player someday, and I would have never taken that shot."
Pierce had 15 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 4:16 left.
That's when Rondo took over.
The point guard, who had nine points and a playoff-low six assists in the Game 6 loss in Philadelphia, scored on a baseline drive and followed it up with a long 2-pointer (originally scored a 3) with 2:47 left. Then he made a 3-pointer with a little more than 2 minutes left to make it a 10-point game and, after Brand scored on a tip-in, Rondo went to the line as the crowd chanted "M-V-P! M-V-P!" and hit a pair of free throws to leave Boston with an 80-70 lead with 1:44 left.
The Celtics will now face the actual NBA MVP -- LeBron James -- along with Dwyane Wade and the rest of the Heat. Miami advanced to the conference finals by eliminating the Indiana Pacers in six games.
Miami beat Boston in five games in the conference semifinals last year. In 2010, the Celtics eliminated the Heat in the first round and then knocked James and the Cavaliers out in the second -- his final game with Cleveland before defecting to Miami.
FIFA sets up insurance coverage for int'l players
Football's world governing body, FIFA, decided at their 62nd Congress here Friday to compensate clubs whose players are injured while on international duty.
FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke confirmed that the so-called "player protection programme" will cover all senior international matches played between September this year and October 2013, as well as the football tournament at this summer's London Olympics.
The amount of compensation will depend on the salary earned by the player in question, although the maximum salary taken into account will be $8.75 million, excluding bonuses.
FIFA's total budget for the scheme will be $75 million.
"European players will also be insured from May 15 to August 31 to cover the risk posed by the European Championship, but UEFA will assume the whole cost," added Valcke.
"It is a big step in the right direction because certain clubs or federations experienced problems during the last World Cup," said FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
The issue of compensating clubs whose players are injured on international duty has been a source of discord between clubs and federations for some time.
PM expresses sadness at Gardener's passing
PRIME Minister Portia Simpson Miller has expressed "deep sadness" at the passing yesterday of Olympian Keith Gardener in New Jersey, USA, describing him as "one of Jamaica's finest and most formidable former track and field athlete."
Simpson Miller said Gardener, who represented Jamaica in the 1950s and '60s was "one of those athletes who demonstrated tremendous commitment, unquestionable loyalty to country, a high level of discipline and unrivalled professionalism".
Gardener put in an outstanding performance at the 1958 Commonwealth Games when he won gold medals in the 100 and 120 yards hurdles, as well as a silver medal in the 220 yards and bronze in the 4x400 yards relay.
Prior to that he won a gold medal in the 120 yards at the 1954 Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada, and later, in 1960 was a member of the bronze medal-winning 4x100 relay team at the 1960 Olympic Games held in Rome.
The prime minister said that with such performances, Gardener was "one of those athletes who helped to pioneer Jamaica's international recognition in track and field and paved the way for the current set of athletes who are building on that legacy".
After 'hanging up' his spikes, Gardener took on the responsibility of giving guidance and direction to young people by becoming a director of the Multicare Foundation. In that capacity he interacted with hundreds of youth in downtown Kingston, as he sought, in his own way, to impart the importance of proper attitudes and values.
The prime minister concluded: "I express my sympathy to his dear wife, Fay and his children Maxine, Christine and Keith during this period of grief."
Heat move forward minus Chris Bosh
The Miami Heat will prepare for the Eastern Conference finals as if forward Chris Bosh won't be available for the series, coach Erik Spoelstra said Saturday.
The team remains uncertain when -- or if -- Bosh will return from the strained abdominal muscle he sustained on May 15 in Game 1 of Miami's semifinal series against Indiana. The Heat will play Game 1 of the conference finals on Monday against Boston.
In his most extensive update of Bosh's status since the injury, Spoelstra said the perennial All-Star has modestly progressed in his treatment and light conditioning sessions, such as riding a stationary bike, in recent days. But several Heat players have said Bosh has been unable to participate in any on-court work with the team in limited practices.
"He's doing a little bit more, [but] he's still indefinite," Spoelstra said of Bosh. "For me, it's my responsibility right now to prepare this team without him. If and when we get to a point when he starts to emerge into the picture, we'll gladly deal with that. For our mental state of health -- and I'd love to [get] Chris -- but our preparation is without him."
The Heat were able to regroup without Bosh to eliminate the Pacers in six games after falling into a 2-1 series hole. Spoelstra suggested the adjustments the Heat made were part of "reinventing ourselves" without Bosh, who has averaged 18 points and 7.9 rebounds during the season. He averaged 14.7 points and 6.8 rebounds in Miami's first six playoff games, including five against New York.
Results of an MRI confirmed the strain a day after Bosh was injured, and the Heat planned to re-evaluate the nine-year veteran after two to three weeks of rest and therapy.
Bosh repeatedly has said his teammates would have to extend the season -- presumably to the Finals -- in order to give him enough time to return to action this season.
In the meantime, the Heat have had to rely on increased production from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who put together a historic stretch of games to pull away from the Pacers with three consecutive victories. James averaged 32.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8 assists on 55 percent shooting. In that same span, Wade contributed 33 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 62 percent shooting.
Considering the uncertainty around Bosh, Spoelstra suggested James and Wade would have to continue to produce at that level -- if not more -- for the Heat to advance past the conference finals and have a chance to win a title.
"What happened the last three games, now that has to be the norm," Spoelstra said of not only the play of Wade and James, but the entire team. "What I told them [Saturday] as a team is we have to go to the next level. That won't be enough for our ultimate goal."
Wade and James had similar reactions when initially informed of Spoelstra's comments after Saturday's practice. Both rocked back on their heels and raised their eyebrows.
James said he's prepared to make any adjustments necessary with his offense if Bosh is ready to return.
"You prepare yourself to try to go out there and play at a high level," said James, who averaged 42.3 minutes the past three games against Indiana. "Does it always happen that way? Nah. It doesn't.
"Sometimes the ball doesn't always go in for you. We're not just shooting all layups. We're also making jumpers and floaters and things of that nature. [Spoelstra] said the right thing to just keep us on our toes, let us know we can't have a relaxed moment."
The Heat took advantage of a few extra days of rest before the next round by taking a day off Friday and going through a light workout Saturday. The workload will increase on Sunday in advance of Game 1 on Monday.
For now, Wade will enjoy the chance to replenish before he helps James carry the bulk of the burden without Bosh. Wade, who had his troublesome left knee drained during the Pacers series, joked that he can't see the two of them putting up similar numbers like that again, with a game scheduled to be played every other night in the next series.
"I don't think that's going to happen," Wade said. "You don't know what the numbers are going to be. But I just think [Spoelstra] wants the focus, the attack and that mentality, more so than anything."
ESPN
Apple boss Tim Cook rejects $75m payout
Apple's boss Tim Cook has turned down a payout worth about $75m (£48m).
The technology giant will pay a quarterly dividend of $2.65 per share from July, the first time Apple has declared a dividend since 1995.
But a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission revealed that Mr Cook will not take up his dividends.
A newspaper recently said that Mr Cook was the best-paid boss in the US with an income of more than $300m.
"At Mr Cook's request, none of his restricted stock units will participate in dividend equivalents," the filing said. It did not say why.
Talent
According to the Wall Street Journal, Mr Cook made $378m last year, most of which came from a grant of one million shares awarded.
His base salary is $900,000. His predecessor, Steve Jobs, famously had an annual salary of $1.
Earlier this week, Apple's lead designer Jonathan Ive was knighted.
The Briton - responsible for the designs behind iconic products like Apple's iPod, iPhone and iPad - also reaffirmed his desire to stay at the company.
Since the death of Jobs, the Apple co-founder and figurehead, many have speculated that the company might struggle to maintain its reputation for innovative products and would face an exodus of top talent.
That has not happened yet as Apple has sought to lock in people like Mr Cook and Sir Jonathan through long-term stock options.
Apple has about $110bn in cash. In March, the tech giant said it would use its cash to start paying a dividend to shareholders and to buy back some of its shares.
It expects to use $45bn over the next three years.
Earlier this year, Apple's shares touched a high of $644, surpassing $600bn in market value and making the company the world's most valuable firm.
Since then, Apple shares have dropped to $562 each, making the company worth $525bn.
Spain's loss-making Bankia vows transparency
The head of Spain's fourth-largest bank, Bankia, has promised more transparency, a day after announcing huge losses and asking for a bailout.
Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri told a news conference a full restructuring plan would be finalised by the end of June.
On Friday, the bank revised its 2011 results from a profit of 300m euros (£240m; $375m) to a 2.98bn-euro loss, and asked the state for 19bn euros.
The Madrid stockmarket suspended trading in Bankia shares on Friday.
The bailout of Bankia would be the biggest of its kind in Spanish history and would largely nationalise the bank.
Mr Goirigolzarri said the bank would use the bailout money to clean-up losses from loans made during the construction boom and protect against future losses.
In the news conference, he stressed how the bank had to look to the future and move on from the crisis.
"We are mindful that we will be managing a bank with public participation and will do so with all the professionalism, austerity and transparency we are capable of applying," he said, according to a transcript on Bankia's website.
The BBC's Tom Burridge in Madrid says the fear is that Spain's financial crisis and recession will continue, and more people will default on their mortgages.
Credit downgrade
Spanish banks, which lent heavily during the property bubble, are seen as particularly shaky as they now hold massive amounts of soured investments.
Shortly after the bank announced its huge losses, rating agency Standard and Poor's (S&P) downgraded the bank, along with four other lenders, to "junk" status.
The government had already intervened earlier this month and awarded Bankia a 4.47bn-euro loan.
Bankia had to reassure savers last week that their money was safe after a Spanish newspaper reported a run on the bank.
Bankia was created in 2010 from the merger of seven struggling regional savings banks. It holds 32bn euros in distressed property assets.
Its shares fell 7.4% on Thursday to close at 1.57 euros, down 58% from their listing price in July 2011.
There have been four attempts by Spanish governments to shore up the banking system since the global financial crisis of 2008.
As part of the latest plan, lenders are having to make 30bn euros of extra provisions to cover potential losses on property loans. This is in addition to 54bn euros they were ordered to set aside in February.
The health of Spain's banking system is key to whether the country eventually needs to seek a bailout itself from the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Spain's credit rating was downgraded by S&P last month on the basis that it would probably have to take on more debt to support its banks.
Lloyd's 'has plans for euro collapse'
The insurance market Lloyd's of London is preparing contingency plans for the possibility of the euro collapsing, its chief executive has said.
With Greece facing new elections in June and anti-bailout feelings high, there are fears Athens may be forced to exit the eurozone.
In a Sunday Telegraph interview, Richard Ward said Lloyd's needs to "prepare for that eventuality".
He said that Lloyd's would settle claims using multiple currencies.
Mr Ward is one of the first bosses of a large UK business to admit he is planning for the end of the euro.
Lloyd's of London is a market in which syndicates meet brokers and agree to take on particular risks.
'Quite worried'
Greece has implemented tough austerity measures in return for two multi-billion-euro bailouts, but five years of recession has seen the Greek people become increasingly opposed to pro-austerity politicians.
Many analysts think that Greece may abandon the austerity measures and be forced out of the euro if the leftist bloc Syriza, which came second in Greece's 6 May election, wins on 17 June.
This could potentially trigger a run on banks not only in Greece but in other eurozone nations.
"We've got multi-currency functionality and we would switch to multi-currency settlement if the Greeks abandoned the euro and started using the drachma again," Mr Ward told the newspaper.
"I don't think that if Greece exited the euro it would lead to the collapse of the eurozone, but what we need to do is prepare for that eventuality."
He added: "I'm quite worried about Europe."
In March, Lloyd's announced a loss of £516m for 2011, saying it was its worst year for catastrophe claims such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the earthquake in New Zealand.
Euro woes
Mr Ward's comments come as more and more politicians and business leaders talk of a Greek exit.
In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, the head of the International Monetary Fund urged Greeks to pay taxes.
Christine Lagarde also suggested it was payback time for Greece.
In addition to a Greek exit, investors are also worried about what would happen if other ailing economies like Spain and Italy followed suit.
On Friday, Spain's Bankia said it needed 19bn euros more from the government - the biggest bailout ever - as it and fellow regional banks struggle under a mountain of bad property debt.
Stocks have fallen over the past few weeks while on Friday the euro tumbled to under $1.25 for the first time since July 2010.