Romain Virgo drops 'The System' album
Singer Romain Virgo this week released his explosive sophomore album, The System.
The album which exhibits Virgo's musical growth since releasing his self-titled debut album, Romain Virgo in June 2010, features 15 hard-hitting tracks.
He says this album does not represent a departure from the style which brought him to the fore, but there is evidence of musical exploration. "People will definitely hear the growth in my music, style and the topics I choose to explore on this album. The System is about all the facets of life: from everyday problems to love, poverty, making the right decisions, and so on. So there is definitely something for everyone on this album."
The System will feature a number of previously released singles including the title track, System, the hit Rich In Love, the powerful, I Know Better, and the well-produced reggae remake of the Adele original, Don't You Remember.
Virgo says, "We released four of the tracks on the album as singles so fans could get a taste of the new album and a hint of the quality and topic range that would be coming on the album. We hope that they will not only go out and get the album, but also listen to it and rank it among their favourites and classics."
The singer also says among the chief producers who made the album possible were Donovan Germain, Shane Brown, and Dawin and Omar Brown of Vikings Productions. "I have to say a big thank you to them and everyone on my team who helped to make this possible, and I really hope the fans love the album as much as we do."
Track Listing:
System
Minimum Wage
Another Day Another Dollar
Food Fi Di Plate
Dem A Coward
I Know Better
Mama's Song
Not Today
Rich In Love
Ray Of Sunshine
Fantasize
Fired Up Inside
Don't You Remember (Adele Cover)
Broken Heart feat. Busy Signal
Press On
US rapper Nas samples Super Cat song
American rapper Nas has sampled Super Cat's Dance Inna New York for a song on his upcoming album.
Super Cat's song was released in the 90s but has been sampled for Nas' song The Don, which is one of the singles that will appear on his summer album called Life Is Good.
The song starts with an intro from Super Cat repeating, "New York girl dem a mad ova we." Thereafter, Nas raps his verses over a hip-hop beat. But in sections of the song, Super Cat's voice can be heard adding melody to the track. And in bringing an end to the song, Nas says, "Super Cat the Don Dadda, understood."
But the new single, The Don, features production from Salaam Remi, Da Internz and the late Heavy D, who died suddenly in November.
In an April interview on MTV, Nas said, "when Salaam played me the beat for it, I said, 'that's the single - do this and do that and we're golden.' So he started flipping it around."
He continued: "When we heard that Heavy D died, of course we were messed up, and Salaam called me and told me, 'You know your record The Don? You know who gave me that, right?' He's like, 'Heavy D gave me that. He liked what we did with the other single, Nasty, and he sent me this record.' And the rest is history. So rest in peace, Heavy D."
Heat apologize to Amare Stoudemire
The Miami Heat issued a statement Thursday apologizing to the New York Knicks and Amare Stoudemire for Miami's arena announcer mocking the forward when he fouled of Wednesday's playoff game.
Heat announcer Michael Baiamonte referred to Stoudemire over the AmericanAirlines Arena loudspeakers as having been "extinguished from the game" after he was assessed his sixth foul with 4:48 left in the game. The Heat went on to claim a 106-94 victory to eliminate the Knicks from the playoffs in five games.
"That's Stoudemire's sixth personal foul," Baiamonte announced after Stoudemire was called for an offensive foul on a drive into the lane. "He has been extinguished from the game."
Baiamonte's comment was in reference to Stoudemire banging his left hand out of frustration into a fire extinguisher case outside of the Knicks' locker room after New York's 104-94 loss on April 30 to trail 2-0 in the series against the Heat. Stoudemire missed Game 3 after having surgery to repair a gruesome cut on his hand.
Moments after Baiamonte made the statement during Wednesday's game, Heat media relations director Rob Wilson approached Baiamonte at the scorer's table and the two exchanged words briefly.
"Last night at our game, our PA announcer had a momentary lapse of judgment and used a poor choice of words in describing Amare Stoudemire's fouling out of the game," the Heat said in Thursday's statement. "This is not who we are as an organization or who he is as an announcer. Both the Miami Heat and Michael Baiamonte apologize to Amare and the New York Knicks for the inappropriate choice of words."
Stoudemire told ESPNNewYork.com after the game that he did not initially hear Baiamonte's comment as he walked past the scorer's table and back to the Knicks' bench after the disqualification.
"That doesn't bother me," Stoudemire told reporters after the game when he was informed of the announcer's remark.
There was no indication Thursday if the Heat would take any disciplinary action against Baiamonte, who has been the Heat's public address announcer since 1990. Miami advanced to face the Indiana Pacers in the second round, with Game 1 at AmericanAirlines Arena on Sunday.
Twin Car Bombs in Syrian Capital Kill 55
Two suicide car bombs that exploded in the Syrian capital near a state intelligence compound Thursday killed at least 55 people and wounded another 370, making it the country's deadliest attack since an opposition uprising began 14 months ago.
State media said two booby-trapped cars with 1,000 kilograms of explosives exploded within seconds of each other in the southern Qazaz district in Damascus during the morning rush hour.
The blasts left a scene of carnage with charred vehicles and body parts covering the street. The attack occurred outside the notorious Palestine Branch military intelligence building. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said most of the casualties were members of the state security forces.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts, which further shredded an April 12 cease-fire declared by U.N. envoy Kofi Annan. Opposition leaders said the peace plan was dead, while Western powers insisted it remained the best way forward.
Mr. Annan condemned the “abhorrent” bombings and urged all parties to halt violence and protect civilians. The White House and the United Nations also condemned the attacks.
The Syrian government blamed the attacks on terrorists whom it says are behind the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters U.S. intelligence indicates “an al-Qaida presence in Syria,” but said the extent of its activity is unclear.
The head of the rebel Free Syrian Army, Colonel Riad al-Asad, denied his group had any role in the bombings.
Syria's main exiled opposition group, the Syrian National Council, accused the government of orchestrating the attack to smear the uprising and scare away a U.N. observer mission.
The chief of the U.N. mission, Robert Mood, a Norwegian general, visited the scene of the attack and condemned the bombings.
“This is a terrible kind of violence that is deplorable. It is the kind of violence that is not deserved by the Syrian people.”
The Syrian foreign ministry sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council urging it to take action against unnamed countries and groups that Damascus accuses of “practicing and encouraging” terrorism in Syria.
The foreign minister of Russia, a key Syrian ally, made a similar accusation about external involvement in Syria's violence.
Speaking on a visit to Beijing, Sergei Lavrov said Thursday some nations, which he did not name, are trying to “explode” the situation. Russia has complained that Western and Arab nations opposed to Mr. Assad have not put enough pressure on Syrian rebels to stop attacks.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the blasts and repeated his call on all sides in Syria's conflict to fully to comply with Mr. Annan's peace plan that calls for an end to all violence, the protection of civilians, and a dialogue leading to a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
Thursday's attack happened one day after a roadside bombing near the rebellious southern city of Daraa wounded 10 Syrian soldiers who were escorting General Mood and other U.N. monitors. The U.N. personnel were unharmed.
The United Nations says more than 9,000 people have been killed in violence related to the anti-government uprising which erupted in March 2011.
US Agents Break Up Honduran Cocaine Ring
U.S. federal agents have arrested 28 people for allegedly running a cocaine smuggling ring between Honduras and northern Virginia.
Officials say many of the suspects are illegal immigrants from Honduras.
Investigators say that the ring used couriers to import the cocaine into the United States and that once those couriers arrived in the U.S., the drug would be picked up and distributed to dealers in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Massachusetts.
The defendants allegedly spent six years smuggling millions of dollars of cocaine inside shoes, souvenirs, and wooden frames and wired more than $1 million to their suppliers in Honduras.
Officials say the defendants, who are from all over Maryland and Virginia, face up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
JPMorgan Reveals $2 Billion Trading Loss
The chief executive of JPMorgan Chase — America's largest bank — revealed Thursday that the bank recently lost $2 billion in the same complex, risky trades that helped bring on the 2008 financial crisis.
Jamie Dimon called the bank's actions an “egregious mistake” and embarrassing.
Shares in JPMorgan fell nearly 7 percent in late trading Thursday. Other bank shares were also sharply lower.
The complex trades by JPMorgan, known as hedge funds, act like an insurance policy so investors are protected if the market loses value. But recent rises and drops in stock market led to losses.
JPMorgan had previously avoided such risky investments, allowing it to emerge from the 2008 financial crisis relatively unscathed.
In better economic news, the United States has posted its first budget surplus in almost four years.
The Treasury Department said Thursday the country took in more money last month than it spent for the first time since September 2008, just before the recession.
Americans pay their yearly taxes in April, so an increase in revenue is not unusual. The country is also expected to post another trillion-dollar deficit this year. Some economists believe the first surplus in nearly four years is a sign the U.S. economy may be coming back to life.
The government also said Thursday that the U.S. trade gap widened in March, with the country importing more goods than it exported.
It says the $52-billion increase in the trade deficit is a 14 percent jump over February.
Officials cite higher prices for imported oil and a greater demand for foreign-built computers, cars, televisions, cell phones and clothes. U.S. trade with China accounted for about 40 percent of the overall American shortfall.
In a separate report, the government said the number of first-time claims for jobless benefits was slightly lower last week from the prior week. Analysts said the level of initial claims for unemployment compensation signals that the U.S. is poised for modest job growth.
The U.S. jobless rate dipped in April to 8.1 percent, but partly because some people out of work stopped looking for jobs and were not counted in the monthly employment survey.
World markets recover from stumble over Europe elections
Stock markets recovered around the world following an early stumble caused by election results in France and Greece that appeared to jeopardise Europe’s plans for fighting its debt crisis. Greek voters over the weekend punished mainstream politicians who had backed cost-cutting plans demanded by the country’s international lenders, leaving the country without clear leadership. In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy was thrown out in favor of Socialist Francois Hollande, who pledged “to finish with austerity.” Investors on yesterday worried that the shifting political landscape in Europe could undermine the region’s long battle to keep its shared currency intact and restore the faith of global investors.
European markets slumped early on, but closed higher after worries about the political changes dissipated and investors focused on Hollande’s pledges to encourage economic growth. Investors were also relieved after Spain announced a plan to present measures this week to support the country’s ailing banks. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he would not rule out lending or injecting public money into the country’s financial system.
Stocks rose sharply in Spain, ending up 2.7 per cent. France’s main index gained 1.7 per cent. The euro also recovered ground it lost against the dollar. In the US, the Dow Jones industrial average fell as much as 68 points in early trading, but recouped its losses and even gained ten points by the afternoon. The Dow finished the day down 29.74 points, or 0.2 per cent, at 13,008.53. The Standard & Poor’s 500 also started the day lower but ended up 0.48 points at 1,369.58. The Nasdaq composite index rose 1.4 points to 2,957.76. The election results in Europe showed that voters were rejecting the extreme belt-tightening required by international bailouts and favored by Germany’s leadership.Investors are waiting hear the newly-elected leaders articulate their visions for how to deal with the euro zone’s debt crisis, which is why there is a muted reaction from stock markets, according Kim Caughey-Forrest, equity research analyst at investment firm Fox Pitt Capital Group. “There is no reason to cry until you get hurt,” said Caughey-Forrest.
Initially, traders also bought up ultra-safe US Treasurys overnight when stock markets in Europe were falling. That pushed the yield on the ten-year note as low as 1.83 per cent early yesterday morning, a level it hadn’t reached since early February. However, the yield rebounded to 1.88 per cent in late trading, the same level it was at late Friday. Earlier in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei index plunged 2.8 per cent to its lowest finish in three months. In addition to Europe’s elections, it was also the first time for investors in Asia to reacted to a weak jobs report Friday in the US. Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng index slid 2.6 per cent.
(AP)
Protests in Guinea Turn Violent
Police in Guinea have used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters demanding the government open talks with the opposition about the organization of the long-delayed legislative elections.
A VOA reporter said clashes between police and demonstrators took place Thursday as the crowd tried to gather for a march to a stadium in the capital, Conakry.
The reporter said the protesters were also attacked by youths who support President Alpha Conde.
At least 15 people were reported injured.
Elections were scheduled for July 8, but President Conde postponed them last month, citing technical problems with the voter registration system. The protesters are calling for the electoral commission to be reorganized and for the voter list to be audited.
Guinea's last legislative elections took place in June 2002, during the rule of President Lansana Conte.
The European Union, which cut off aid to Guinea after a 2008 military coup, has said the polls must be held before it fully resumes its aid programs.
Guinean opposition parties are demanding an audit of the voter rolls and changes in the country's electoral commission, which they say favors the ruling party.
President Conde was elected in 2010, during Guinea's first free and fair presidential election since independence in 1958.
US oil prices lower, further declines expected
Brent crude continued its descent, falling by 18 cents per barrel to US$113.02 yesterday. But benchmark US oil rose slightly, adding 42 cents to US$97.23. Analysts say oil prices should keep falling this summer if supplies grow as expected. OPEC increased oil production by 320,000 barrels per day in April, according to Platts, the energy-information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos. OPEC’s biggest producer, Saudi Arabia, plans to crank up production even further in an effort to push oil prices lower. Declining oil prices could take some pressure off a world economy that’s struggling to grow. Already, the decline in US gasoline prices over the past month amounts to a savings of about US$2 to US$3 per fill-up. That’s enough to cut American gasoline spending by US$73.1 million per day.
Meanwhile, the price of natural gas increased by 3.6 cents to US$2.503 per 1,000 cubic feet, the highest since the end of February. Natural gas prices have rebounded from ten-year lows as the industry shuts down production operations across the country. US supplies still climbed last week, according to the government’s latest report. But the increase was smaller than analysts expected. “Producers are finally pulling back” on production, independent trader and analyst Stephen Schork said. “It’s making a difference.” In other futures trading, heating oil lost 1.14 cents to US$2.9877 per gallon and wholesale gasoline fell by nearly a penny to US$3.0169 per gallon.
(AP)
Gov’t tables $612b budget
Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips has tabled a $612 billion budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
This is $76 billion or approximately 14 per cent more than the $536 billion which was allocated for expenditure last year.
The budget includes projected spending of $375 billion on recurrent expenses which includes items such as salaries, utilities and interest payments on government loans.
On the capital side of the budget the government plans to spend $237 billion this year, a $53 billion increase or 29 per cent more than last year.
The Finance Minister will tell the country how he will finance the Budget on Thursday May 24.