Whitney Houston death not criminal, police say
Police have closed their investigation into singer Whitney Houston's death, concluding no crime was committed.
In a statement, Beverley Hills police said its investigation "found no evidence of foul play".
It added that after reviewing the coroner's report "we have determined that this is not a criminal matter".
An autopsy concluded the singer died in her hotel room on 11 February of accidental drowning due to the effects of cocaine use and heart disease.
911 call
The final coroner's report said Houston had been found lying face down in an overflowing hotel bathtub.
It added a white powder, along with a spoon, mirror and rolled-up paper, were found in the Beverly Hilton hotel bathroom.
The substance was not identified in the coroner's report, but officials previously said there was evidence that Houston had used cocaine shortly before slipping under what was extremely hot water.
A Beverly Hills police spokesman declined to comment on whether the white powder was cocaine.
Authorities also released a minute-long 911 call made by a hotel worker who summoned police and paramedics to Houston's suite at the hotel.
The call revealed few details and did not specifically name the singer, but stated she was unresponsive and not breathing.
Houston was found dead hours before she was due to attend a pre-Grammy party.
Willie Nelson statue to be erected in Austin
A bronze sculpture of Willie Nelson will be erected later this month in Austin, Texas.
The statue, a gift to the city from the non-profit group Capital Area Statues, Inc., will be unveiled at 4:20 p.m. on April 20 as a nod to the country star's reputation as a stoner.
The eight-foot tall, one-ton bronze statue was created by sculptor Clete Shields.
"Creating a sculpture of such an icon while he is still living presents its challenges," Shields said in a statement. "For many, the Willie they connect with is the Outlaw Willie of the Seventies, or the influential advocate for Farm Aid in the Eighties, while others -- especially a younger generation -- grew fond of him during his more mature years. The sculpture needed to appeal to a broad audience and conjure up the fond memories of so many different people."
The unveiling event will include an appearance by Nelson himself, who will be in town to perform at ACL Live at the Moody Theatre as part of the We Walk the Line show celebrating the music of Johnny Cash.
Syria Cease-Fire Deadline Arrives
Syrians are waking up Thursday to a U.N.-brokered cease-fire, wondering whether a deal to end 13 months of violence and bloodshed will hold.
The cease-fire went into effect at 6 a.m. local time without any reports of fresh violence.
Syria's government had promised to comply with the truce set by U.N.-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan. But in a statement Wednesday, Damascus warned its armed forces will remain on standby to retaliate against any attacks by armed terrorist groups against civilians or troops.
In the same statement, Syria said the army had successfully fought off “armed terrorist groups” and has “reasserted the state's rule across the country.”
Kofi Annan brokered a six-part peace plan last month that called for Syria's government to withdraw its forces from major urban areas by April 10 and stop combat operations by Thursday.
The Syrian government agreed to the plan, which also called for opposition forces to stop fighting, and said it began a phased withdrawal Tuesday. But opponents say government shelling continued in many areas and that at least 11 people were killed Wednesday in flashpoint opposition areas, including the central Homs region and Damascus suburbs.
The Obama administration says Damascus needs to match its words with deeds.
At a meeting of the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations in Washington Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed alarm at the ongoing violence in Syria, and concern about the problems facing special envoy Kofi Annan in his efforts to bring about a cease-fire and an end to the violence.
White House spokesman Jay Carney cautioned that President Bashar al-Assad's regime has reneged on promises to stop the violence in the past.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said Syria's promise to halt hostilities by Thursday cannot be construed as complying with Annan's six-point peace plan. She said nothing casts more doubt on the credibility of the commitments than the fact that, in her words, “commitments have been made and made, and broken and broken and broken.”
Secretary Clinton said she will again try to convince Syrian ally Russia that the situation in Syria is “deteriorating” and that the chances of a regional or civil war are increasing. She is due to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later Wednesday in Washington.
The United States and its Western partners have pressed for stronger action against Syria for months but have been hindered by Russian and Chinese opposition to what those two nations call outside interference in Syria.
Russia said Wednesday that since the Syrian government had pledged to halt its offensive on Thursday, it is now the armed opposition's turn to do the same.
Syrian Network for Human Rights chairman Mousab Azzawi told VOA Wednesday that the Syrian government continued efforts to punish dissenters, in spite of its promises to the international community, and that Annan should admit that his peace initiative has failed.
“Everything he has been promised by the regime, the regime just tries to find a loophole in the initiative and tries to empty the initiative.”
U.N. officials say more than 9,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising began 13 months ago.
Regional Forces Stand By as North Korean Launch Window Opens
Military forces in South Korea and Japan are standing by Thursday on the first day of a five-day window for a North Korean rocket launch that Pyongyang says will carry a weather satellite into space.
No notice had been given to a group of international journalists gathered in Pyongyang several hours after the opening of the launch window Thursday morning. Japan's Kyodo news agency reported cloudy weather over the North Korean capital, possibly accounting for the delay.
In Tokyo, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda repeated his nation's appeal for Pyongyang to cancel the launch but said Japanese forces are ready to shoot the rocket down if it strays over Japanese territory.
“In case it happens, we are on full alert. Up to the last minute, we urge North Korea to refrain from launching.”
South Korea has also put its forces on heightened alert and threatened to shoot down the rocket if it appears likely to crash into South Korean territory. The Philippines, located near the planned splashdown site of the rocket's first stage, has diverted airline flights and ordered fishermen to avoid the area.
Paek Chang Ho, chief of North Korea's launch command center, told reporters Wednesday that fuel was being loaded into the rocket in one of the final steps before launch. The journalists, including a reporter with VOA's Korean service, were able to view the activity by video, which was fed live to the remote command center.
Paek said a weather satellite has been installed on the rocket, which is set for launch sometime between Thursday and Monday, depending on weather conditions. The video showed a tarpaulin draped over the top of the rocket, making that claim impossible to confirm.
Paek also stressed that North Korea opened the launch command center to journalists to correct any claims it is testing a long range ballistic missile. He pledged to share imagery sent back from the North Korean satellite with other countries.
The scheduled launch has angered many of North Korea's neighbors, which see the action as a ploy to test a ballistic missile that could later be fitted with a nuclear warhead.
Ryu Gum Chol, deputy director of North Korea's space program, told VOA the only purpose of the launch is space exploration.
“It seems to me that your worries are unfounded. I reckon that the timing is important now, and you will know everything once you attend the April 15 centenary) of the birth of former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung). The rocket we have developed is only for the purpose of space exploration, so to claim it is for ballistic missile development is illogical.”
But U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the launch has raised doubts about North Korea's claims that it wants to improve ties with its neighbors and the United States.
U.S. officials fear that Pyongyang may be planning to follow the launch with what would be its third underground nuclear weapons test. Satellite intelligence photographs made available to VOA and other news organizations this week show evidence of preparations for such a test.
North Korea's launch plan has derailed a recent agreement with the United States, under which Pyongyang agreed to suspend its nuclear weapons and missile programs. The United States was to have delivered 240,000 tons of badly needed food aid to the North.
Clinton said Tuesday that by launching the rocket, Pyongyang was breaking that agreement as well as violating a U.N. Security Council ban on any North Korean ballistic missile testing.
But Ryu said there was no clause in the deal with the United States banning a peaceful satellite launch.
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Assumes Top Party Post
Kim Jong Un has been named first secretary of North Korea's ruling party, solidifying his position as heir to the political dynasty established by his father and grandfather.
The move late Wednesday comes shortly before the expected launch of what Pyongyang says is a weather satellite but has been denounced by other countries as a disguised ballistic missile test.
North Korea's official news agency says the youthful Kim, aged less than 30, was confirmed to the leadership post at a special conference of the Workers' Party of Korea. That marks a slight shift from the title held by his late father, Kim Jong Il, who had been declared the “eternal” general secretary of the party before his death in December.
The party conference and promised rocket launch are timed to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung, the country's founding leader and father of Kim Jong Il.
Since his father's death, Kim Jong Un has moved quickly into a number of posts controlling the key levers of power in the secretive and authoritarian government.
A year before his father's death, he was made a four-star general, in spite of a lack of any military experience. In late December, he was named supreme commander of the military forces.
He has undertaken a number of guidance visits to military facilities and schools, usually accompanied by a group of men in their 70s and 80s.
It is believed he is being mentored by Kim Kyong Hui, an aunt who was close to Kim Jong Il, and her powerful husband, Jang Song Taek.
Zimmerman Charged with Murder in Florida Shooting of Black Teen
The attorney representing Florida shooting suspect George Zimmerman says his client will plead not guilty to charges of second-degree murder.
Zimmerman is expected to appear before a judge Thursday for a bond hearing.
Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey Wednesday charged Zimmerman, a white, Hispanic man, in the shooting death of African-American teenager Trayvon Martin.
She gave no details of the evidence that led to the charges in the February 26 shooting, but said there was a thorough investigation. Corey said Florida courts do not prosecute people by public pressure but on the facts and the law.
Second-degree murder is defined as an intentional killing that was not pre-meditated. It could also be defined as a killing caused by a suspect's dangerous conduct and disregard for human life. The maximum penalty is life in prison.
Police did not arrest Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, after he shot and killed Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman said he was attacked by Martin and shot the teen in self-defense.
Martin's family says Trayvon was unarmed and confronted because of his race — a young black man walking alone at night. They demanded Zimmerman be charged.
Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department will take action if it finds evidence of a federal civil rights crime.
The case has ignited a national debate about racial tensions in the United States. Martin's supporters say the shooting shows how young black men are constantly threatened with violence, while Zimmerman supporters say race had nothing to do with the killing.
Egypt Court Clears Way for Salafist in Presidential Race
An Egyptian court ruled Wednesday that the mother of popular Salafi politician Hazem Abu Ismail is not an American citizen, clearing the way for him to rejoin the presidential race.
Earlier this month, Ismail's candidacy was in doubt after the presidential elections commission said it obtained documents showing that his mother was a U.S. citizen, effectively disqualifying him from running in the polls scheduled for May 23 and 24.
Under the country's electoral law, all candidates for the presidency, as well as their spouses and parents, may not have any other citizenship than Egyptian.
Outside the courtroom in central Cairo, thousands of Abu Ismail's supporters waved Egyptian flags and chanted “God is great.”
The presidential elections commission is currently examining documents of all applicants for the elections and will issue the final list of approved candidates before the end of the month.
Abu Ismail is a lawyer-turned-preacher with a large following of supporters, particularly from the country's ultraconservative Salafi movement. He advocates a strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law, and used anti-U.S. rhetoric in his campaign speeches.
Among the other contenders are Khairat el-Shater of the Muslim Brotherhood, a dominant force in Egyptian politics that holds almost half the seats in parliament.
According to Egyptian clerics, el-Shater also supports the quick implementation of Sharia, if elected in May.
Bahamas opposition welcomes election announcement
Bahamas opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) leader Perry Christie on Tuesday night asked voters for their support following an announcement that the highly anticipated election date is May 7.
“The Progressive Liberal Party welcomes the election season as an opportunity to debate issues of critical national importance and, most of all, as an opportunity to bring change to The Bahamas,” said Christie in a statement.
“The FNM is asking voters for support at a time when Bahamians are struggling with record violence, record unemployment, record foreclosures and record national debt,” he said.
The Free National Movement (FNM) revealed the election date in a statement shortly before Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham confirmed it in a national address on Tuesday night.
Earlier on Tuesday, Provost Marshal Ellison Greenslade read two proclamations from the steps of the House of Assembly -- one revealing that Parliament was dissolved; the other announcing that the new Parliament will reconvene May 23.
Christie reiterated the PLP’s agenda if elected as the next government of The Bahamas.
Among those promises is a pledge to double the national investment in education.
Christie also hit out at the FNM for the record murder rate, unemployment and the government’s decision to sell the majority stake in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to a foreign company.
“As part of our plan to help the nation's economy recover and grow, the PLP will offer relief to homeowners struggling with mortgage payments,” Christie said.
“And when the PLP is in charge of building or repairing the nation's roads and bridges and seawalls, we will be hiring Bahamian contractors and workers, not foreigners.”
Many of the promises are familiar to many Bahamians, but Christie asserted that the PLP is ready to bring change to the country starting on day one.
“So many Bahamians have already shared their hopes, dreams and their fears and concerns with me as I travel around all our islands,” he said.
“For the rest of you, I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail. This election is about you, and your future.”
Courtesy of the Nassau Guardian
Too early to talk about salary increases—PM
“It is too premature to say that all MPs will get a pay hike.” So said Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar as she spoke to reporters after commissioning the start of a $400 million road repair programme, headed by Works and Infrastructure Minister Jack Warner.
The function took place at Dades Trace Extension, Tabaquite. In her feature address, Persad-Bissessar called on Warner and Junior Minister Stacy Roopnarine to supervise the mammoth construction project which included the paving of over 42 roads and 38 landslip projects across T&T.
She also promised that over 3,000 direct jobs and 1,000 indirect jobs would be made available during the project. Speaking to reporters after the function, Persad-Bissessar said it was not certain whether MP's would get a pay hike. She explained that the Salaries Review Commission (SRC) was obligated by law to assess the salaries of State officials.
Responding to the T&T Guardian exclusive report yesterday on the proposed salary hike, Persad-Bissessar said: “I think the article is very premature. The law mandates that the SRC must do a salaries review, not only of MPs but also of senior officials of the State.
“We are complying with the law and at the end of the day the Government is free to accept it or reject it, even the SRC.” She said in the past the Government did not even recommend an increase. “Therefore, it is premature to say there are going to be salary increases,” Persad-Bissessar added.
Asked whether she believed the timing was off because of the unions’ calls for better wages, Persad-Bissessar said: “This is in keeping with the law of the land. They must comply within a certain timeframe. I cannot say how long it will take.
“It is not something that will happen tomorrow morning. They may or may not recommend an increase.
“In the event that an increase is recommended, the Government still has the option not to accept the report.” She explained, however, that there might be other senior public servants who may be inclined to have an increase, even if MPs did not accept.
On Tuesday, Leader of Government business in the Senate, Public Utilities Minister Emmanuel George, tabled the 96th report of the Salaries Review Commission. An April 3 circular letter, issued by Parliament, confirmed the review of salaries.
Parliament also issued a questionnaire, which, it said “seeks to obtain data primarily on the quantum of time Members of Parliament spend on parliamentary duties.
“The information sought will assist the committee and our researchers in the preparation of a comprehensive proposal for the consideration of the Salaries Review Commission.” it was stated. The last pay hike for ministers and MPs was in 2006 when the Prime Minister’s salary was increased to $48,000 a month; Cabinet ministers’ salaries increased to $33,00 a month and non-Cabinet ministers to $27,000.
The Leader of the Opposition moved to $23,800, MPs (non-ministers) increased to $14,000 and senators (non-ministers) to $10,500.
CCJ President says,Time for Caribbean nations to manage their judicial affairs
The president of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis Byron, said regional countries should “complete their independence and sovereignty by claiming the rights to completely manage our judicial affairs.”
Byron made his comments as he addressed regional journalists at “an engagement meeting” in Port of Spain.
The CCJ president said he supported the views of the Trinidad and Tobago calypsonian, “Singing Sandra” who, during the just concluded Carnival celebrations in her homeland, urged Port of Spain to become a full signatory to the court as the oil rich twin island republic celebrates 50 years of political independence.
The CCJ, established in 2001, has both an original jurisdiction to interpret the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and appellate jurisdiction aimed at replacing the London-based Privy Council to which many CARICOM member states belong.
But while most of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries are signatories to the original jurisdiction, only Barbados, Guyana and Belize have signed on to the appellate jurisdiction of the CCJ that also functions as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the regional integration movement.
According to a report from the Caribbean Media Corporation, CMC, Byron told the forum that he was not supportive of the view that the region is not ready for the CCJ noting that some of the arguments include “excessive delays in the judicial process and that we are yet to meaningfully improve our infrastructure in terms of ...our administrative services.”
“In my view there is something wrong with this logic. Assuming that there is a need to enhance the quality of justice administration.... the CCJ is currently engaged in change in capacity development in a way that the Privy Council never has been and is not likely to be.
“I would think this is a further reason why the CCJ is necessary to improve... and truly develop Caribbean jurisprudence,” he added.
(CUOPM)