Young Buck’s Music To Be Auctioned Off Next Month
Nashville, Tennessee rapper Young Buck will lose the rights to his back catalogue this May, as part of his bankruptcy liquidation.
Young Buck’s intellectual-property will be put up for sale on May 14, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The trademarks, copyrights, licenses and royalties for Young Buck’s catalog will be auctioned off at Nashville-based law firm of Harwell Howard Hyne Gabbert & Manner.
Young Buck was forced to file bankruptcy in 2010, after piling up a $300,000 debt to the IRS.
He has also been locked in a contractual dispute with G-Unit Records, which has shelved all releases by the rapper.
Young Buck was kicked out of G-Unit in 2008, although he was still signed to the label with a $171,000 debt.
During Young Buck’s bankruptcy proceedings, 50 Cent filed a $10 million breach of contract lawsuit against the Nashville rapper, preventing him from releasing material on any other label.
The sale of Young Buck’s intellectual-property will complete his bankruptcy filing and allow him to exit Chapter 7 bankruptcy, although he may also lose the rights to use the “Young Buck” moniker.
Heidi Klum Files for Divorce from Seal
With the way their marriage break up has been reported over the last couple of months, you’d a thought that they had someone had already filed the legal papers. Well, until a day ago that hadn’t happened.
On Friday in Los Angeles, Heidi Klum moved to formally end her marriage from singer Seal a little over two months after they separated.
Klum’s divorce filing draws to a closes the book on a romance that included numerous testaments to their affection for one another, including renewing their wedding vows annually and throwing elaborate Halloween costume parties.
The couple has four children together, including Klum’s daughter from a previous relationship. They had been married for more than six and a half years when they announced their separation in January, vowing to keep their breakup amicable.
Klum’s filing cites irreconcilable differences. It provides no details about their split, other than that they entered into a financial agreement after they were married on how to divide their assets.
The model and star of the TV competition series “Project Runway” is asking for sole physical custody of the children, with Seal getting visitation and joint legal custody.
The Grammy-winning soul and R&B singer’s real name Henry Samuel. He released an album days after the couple announced their breakup and told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres that their split didn’t mean a total end to their relationship.
“We will be connected in many ways ’til the rest of our lives,” the singer said, “through our children and also through this tremendous admiration, respect and love that we have for each other.”
Marvel announces 'Captain America' sequel set for April 2014
Captain America is being redeployed.
The coda to last year's "Captain America" set up "The Avengers" and, in turn, "The Avengers" is apparently setting up a "Captain America" sequel. Marvel Studios and parent company Disney announced today that Chris Evans' patriotic superhero will go straight into a stand-alone followup scheduled to debut April 4, 2014.
While the original "Captain America" began in the 1940s and saw scrawny Steve Rogers become a chemically enhanced super-soldier who helped save the Allies during World War II, the sequel will, understandably, keep him in his chronological position in the present day. After being frozen for decades, and resuscitated in the strange new world of contemporary New York City, Cap is now planning to take it one day at a time.
Marvel's announcement said the sequel will pick up where "The Avengers" (out May 4) leaves off, "as Steve Rogers continues his affiliation with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. and struggles to embrace his role in the modern world."
What we can infer from that (apart from the obvious, that "Captain America" survives the ordeal of "The Avengers") is that Samuel L. Jackson sounds like he will be a significant part of the sequel, as opposed to the glorified cameos he has done in other Marvel movies.
No other details about the project were released. "Captain America 2" (or whatever it is eventually called — let's pray it's not "Cap2n America," or some such) won't be the first sequel to hit theaters after "The Avengers." That honor goes to "Thor 2," which is aiming for release Nov. 15, 2013, with "Game of Thrones" director Alan Taylor taking over for Kenneth Branagh.
One question, though: After all he's been through, isn't it time Captain America got promoted?
"Major" America?
Guess that doesn't have the same ring.
CARIFTA 2012 results for Day1
Results of events completed in the first session of the 2012 LIME CARIFTA Games at the National Sports Centre, Devonshire, Bermuda.
Abbreviations: LCA – St Lucia. ANG – Anguilla, TRI – Trinidad & Tobago, JA – Jamaica, FGU – French Guiana, BAR – Barbados, BAH – The Bahamas, CUR – Curacao, GUD- Guadeloupe.
Open Girls’ Pentathlon 100M Hurdles
- Sharnique Leonce (LCA) 15.26 seconds, 2. Dee-Ann Rogers (ANG) 15.76, 3. Ayana Glasgow (TRI) 15.84m
Under-20 Boys’ Discus
- Fedrick Dacres (JA) 58.57 metres, 2. Dean-Nick Allen (FGU) 53.50m, 3. Ashinia Miller (JA) 50.37, 5. Tristan Whitehall (BAR) 44.40m, 6. Romario Antoine (BAR) 41.91m
Under-17 Boys’ Shot Put
- Demar Gayle (JA) 17.31m, 2. Kenejah Williams (TRI) 16.75m, 3. Drexel Maycock (BAH) 15.67m
Under-20 Girls’ Triple Jump
- Sabina Allen (JA) 12.18m, 2. Tamara Myers (BAH) 11.62m, 3. Anthonique Butler (BAH) 11.45m
Under-17 Girls’ High Jump
- Jehvania Whyte (JA) 1.60m, 2. Nargolis Statie (CUR) 1.60m, 3. Samara Spencer (JA) 1.55m
Open Girls’ Pentathlon Shot Put
- Gleneve Grange (JA) 13.11m, 2. Sharnique Leonce (LCA) 9.46m, 3. Ayana Glasgow (TRI) 7.79m
Under-17 Girls’ Triple Jump
- Yanis David (GUD) 12.73m, 2. Marine Vidal (GUD) 12.21m, 3. Tamara Moncrieffe (JA) 11.57
Meanwhile in Waterpolo: TRINIDAD AND Tobago earned a hat-trick of convincing victories over hosts Jamaica on Friday night as the CARIFTA Water Polo Championships continued at the National Swim Pool, Kingston.
The most lop-sided result of the night saw the TT Under-19 men’s team annihilate the hosts 40-0. Jonathan Gillette was the leading scorer with 10 goals, followed by Ryan West with six.
Daniel Alvarez and Kieron Emmanuel each contributed five goals, with four coming from the hands of Russell Ferreira.
Marc Stauble and Andrew Clarke each registered hat-tricks, Daniel Tardieu scored twice with Christian Chee Foon and Andrew Chin Lee adding one apiece.
The Under-15 boys’ contest saw the TT outfit romp to a 24-3 triumph, with Adrian Hinds leading the way with seven items. And the TT Under-19 women’s team got five goals from Anya Welch, four from Jordan Van Reeken and a hat-trick from Tianna Joseph to defeat the home nation 12-4.
PGA Tour could fine Tiger Woods for club kicking at the Masters
Tiger Woods is subject to discipline by the PGA Tour for kicking his golf club after a poor shot at the Masters.
Whether he is fined is not likely to be known. The PGA Tour doesn't comment on discipline.
Woods, after a bad miss with a 4-iron into the par-5 15th hole on Friday, hit a poor tee shot with a 9-iron on the par-3 16th. He let the club fall from his hands, then turned in anger and kicked it some 15 yards.
The tantrum received plenty of attention at Augusta National, and it prompted CBS Sports analyst Nick Faldo to say that Woods had "lost his game ... and lost his mind."
According to tour policy, players can be disciplined for conduct unbecoming a professional even at tournaments that are co-sponsored or approved by the PGA Tour, such as the major championships.
A person close to club operations said no one from the tournament had talked to Woods about his behavior in the second round. He spoke on condition of anonymity because club matters are private.
After finishing his round Saturday with an even-par 72, Woods said he was sorry when asked about the incident.
"I apologize if I offend anybody by that but I've hit some bad shots. It's certainly frustrating at times not to hit the ball where you need to hit it," he said. "I certainly heard that people didn't like me kicking the club. But I didn't like it, either. I hit it right in the bunker. Didn't feel good on my toe, either."
The PGA Tour has been criticized over the years for not saying when or if they discipline players.
John Daly told The Associated Press in December 2008 that he had been suspended for sixth months. Even then, the tour would not confirm it. Last year, the tour would not discuss whether Rory Sabbatini was suspended for his treatment of a teenage volunteer at Riviera and for getting into an argument on the golf course with Sean O'Hair.
A person close to Sabbatini later told the AP he had been suspended.
The tour has three categories of penalties - minor (fines not more than $10,000); intermediate (fines between $10,001 and $20,000); major (in excess of $20,000).
Barcelona's Lionel Messi goes past 60-goal mark for the season
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has become the first European top-flight player in almost 40 years to score 60 goals in a season.
The Argentine scored two goals in the 4-1 La Liga win over Real Zaragoza on Saturday, as they cut the gap on table topping Real Madrid to three points.
The 24-year-old is now seven goals behind Gerd Muller's all-time record for goals in a season.
The German legend netted 67 times for Bayern Munich in the 1972-73 campaign.
Barcelona were given an early scare at La Romareda, when the Aragonese side took the lead on the half-hour mark through Carlos Aranda's goal.
However, after Carles Puyol levelled matters in the 36th minute, Messi made it 2-1 to Barcelona three minutes later with a finish from 15 yards from an Alexis Sanchez pass.
His second came from the penalty spot with four minutes of the game remaining, and Pedro completed the scoring for Barcelona with a fourth goal in the final minute.
Messi has scored 38 goals in La Liga this season, and a further 14 in the Champions League, including five in the last 16 second leg win over Bayer Leverkusen in March.
Messi has also netted twice in the Copa del Rey, three times in the Supercopa, one in the Uefa Super Cup and two in the Club World Cup.
Peter Hanson leads from Phil Mickelson at Augusta
Sweden's Peter Hanson made a late surge to take a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson into the final round of the Masters on Sunday.
The 34-year-old soared to nine under with a stunning 65, the best round of the week, as he seeks his maiden major title in only his second appearance at Augusta.
Mickelson, 41, fired a back nine of 30 for a 66 to join Hanson in the final group as he pursues a fourth Green Jacket in nine years.
South Africa's 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen (69) is one adrift with Americans Bubba Watson (70) and Matt Kuchar (70) six and five under respectively.
England's Lee Westwood (72) is in a group on four under alongside America's Hunter Mahan (68), Ireland's Padraig Harrington (68) and Sweden's Henrik Stenson (70).
Tiger Woods will begin the final round 12 shots back after treading water at three over with a level-par 72.
Rory McIlroy slumped to a 77 to end one over and world number one Luke Donald took 75 to end seven over.
Halfway leaders Fred Couples and Jason Dufner fell away on Saturday with rounds of 75 to end two under in a goup which includes England's Ian Poulter, who carded 70. Scot Paul Lawrie has sole possession of 10th place on three under after a 72.
Eight players held at least a share of the lead at some stage on an absorbing day in the Augusta sun.
Despite favourable scoring conditions, no-one was able to escape from the pack until Mickelson sank a 25ft eagle putt on the 13th to join Kuchar and Oosthuizen in the lead at six under.
That seemed to inspire Hanson, who was playing up the 14th, and the 2010 European Ryder Cup player made four birdies in his last four holes.
Mickelson, who made his first birdie at the 10th and added another at the short 12th, was energised, too.
He fired further birdies at the par-five 15th, courtesy of an outrageous, high-risk high pitch from off the green to a few feet, and a birdie for a third day in a row at 18 after hooking his second shot around trees onto the green.
Mickelson credited Thursday's fightback from four over after 10 holes to end with a two-over 74 as the foundation for his bid to equal Woods and Arnold Palmer's record at Augusta.
"When I look back at this tournament I'll look at Thursday," said the Californian, who has won all of his previous four major titles from the last pair.
"At some point I'm going to get hot here but I've got to be in a position to move up the leaderboard, not just get into the weekend. The way I fought back Thursday made that possible."
"It's going to be tough. It's a new situation to me," said the Swede, who lost 4&2 to Mickelson in the 2010 Ryder Cup singles at Celtic Manor.
"I'll try to do the normal stuff. I've got my two kids here and my wife, so just try to stay in the house and cook in, and like I said, I probably won't be watching a lot of Golf Channel or stuff. Just trying to stay away from all that and try to get as much sleep as I can and try to be ready."
Oosthuizen, who has struggled with injury since his Open triumph at St Andrews, joined Mickelson on eight under on the 17th but a wayward approach into the crowd handed it back on 18.
Four-time champion Woods, who apologised for Friday's club-throwing and kicking histrionics after struggling with his swing, looked briefly back on track and set to make a charge similar to his final-day assault last year.
He fired birdies at the par-four third and the short fourth but soon dropped a shot at the par-three sixth courtesy of a three putt and again at the par-five eighth and was unable to take advantage of any of the holes coming in.
"It's so frustrating because I am so close to putting it together," said the former world number one. "I unfortunately did not play the par fives very well. I just didn't take care of the opportunities when I had them.
"I would just hit a couple of good shots in a row and compound the problem with a bad shot in the wrong spot."
McIlroy began the day one back and looking to atone for a final-round 80 last year, but he went out in 42.
The 22-year-old and playing partner Sergio Garcia, who shot 75 to end one under, acknowledged their shared struggles with a hug on the 12th green after both making their first birdies of the round.
"It was a congratulatory hug," said McIlroy. "We couldn't feed off each other's good energy because there wasn't any," added Garcia. "Our bad holes were really bad and our good holes were bad."
Westwood, who was second to Mickelson in 2010, birdied the second to edge to five under for a share of the lead but dropped back to two under after 13 before clawing his wasy back into a tie for sixth with birdies at 14 and 15.
Hanson and Mickelson will go out in the final group at 1440 (1940 BST) on Sunday as the 76th Masters nears its conclusion.
Davis Cup: Great Britain doubles close gap on Belgium
Great Britain trail Belgium 2-1 after the second day of their Europe/Africa Zone Group 1 Davis Cup match.
British doubles pairing of Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins overcame Ruben Bemelmans and David Goffin in four sets 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4 in Glasgow.
The last time Great Britain came from 2-0 down to win a Davis Cup match was against Germany in 1930.
Josh Goodall faces Olivier Rochus and Dan Evans meets Steve Darcis in Sunday's singles rubbers.
Fleming and Hutchins had been given the task of keeping alive Great Britain's hopes of a Davis Cup victory following Goodall and Evans's singles defeats on Friday.
But it was Belgium who made the break in only the third game, thanks in part to the huge left-handed serves of Bemelmans.
With expectations suggesting a comfortable win, the British duo looked nervous and the Belgians held serve to take the first set.
Despite Hutchins's first double fault of the match in the opening game of the second set, GB went on to secure the first game.
Fleming halted Bemelmans's bombardment of 100mph serves in the sixth, and despite the Belgians breaking back in the ninth, Britain break again to take the set.
The third went with serve until the sixth game when a fantastic cross-court backhand from Hutchins left Goffin at a standstill for GB to make a key break, before serving out the set.
Great Britain broke in the ninth game of the fourth set, with Hutchins volleying a winner at the net on break point after Fleming had brilliantly returned Goffin's deep serve.
Hutchins then held serve, finishing with an 112mph ace down the centre, to keep the tie alive.
Goodall, ranked 253, faces Rochus, who has been in the top 100 for most of the last 12 years, in Sunday's first game, then Evans meets Darcis, who is ranked 276 places above him.
However, Hutchins thinks that both British players are capable of causing a shock, after creditable performances in their first singles rubbers on Friday.
"I thought yesterday's tennis was of an unbelievable standard, both from our boys and theirs," he said.
"If they bring that same level tomorrow, which I have no doubt that they can, we can win this tie 3-2.
"The boys are going to go for it."
US adds 120,000 jobs in March, lower than predicted
The US economy added 120,000 jobs during March, lower than estimates suggested, while the unemployment rate fell slightly to 8.2%.
Analysts had predicted a fourth straight month with job growth of more than 200,000.
President Barack Obama's electoral prospects are widely seen as linked to the economy and the jobs market.
Employment has been rising for the past six months, but the jobless rate has been stuck above 8% since early 2009.
The Department of Labor's data shows the smallest growth in employment since October 2011.
'Weak and troubling'
Manufacturing, the food and beverage industry and healthcare showed gains in March, but retail was down.
Analysts say the slow-down in March hiring comes as the US emerges from an unseasonably mild winter that spurred job numbers.
Many experts had expected that the unemployment rate would hold at 8.3%.
But joblessness dropped by one-tenth of a percent as the number of people actively looking for work went down.
The participation rate, which measures the proportion of the working-age population making up the labour force, ticked down slightly to 63.8% in March from 63.9% the month before.
In response to the figures, the White House said that there was "more work to be done". But it said the report provided "further evidence that the economy is continuing to recover".
Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney called the report "weak and very troubling", adding that it was increasingly clear that "the Obama economy is not working".
The US saw two consecutive months of robust jobs growth in January and February, with increases of well over 200,000 jobs in both months.
The BBC's Caroline Hepker says that while US companies have hired 850,000 new workers since December - the best run in two years - the sustainability of the recovery still remains a concern.
But Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, has recently warned that the pace of growth seen in recent months would need sustained consumer spending in order to continue.
Mr Bernanke has not ruled out the possibility of using monetary policy to support the economy if unemployment remains high.
The employment figures come as several stock markets around the world are closed for Good Friday.
But US stock futures declined after publication of the report.
BBC
CFTC sues RBC over alleged Caribbean operations
The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has filed a legal suit against Canada’s biggest bank by assets, accusing it of carrying out hundreds of millions of dollars of “wash trades” in the Caribbean, among other offices, in a bid to claim dividend tax credits from Canada’s Revenue Agency (CRA).
The CFTC claims that the “wash trading scheme” took place over several years, from at least 2007 to 2010, during which Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) affiliates in the Cayman Islands, Toronto, Luxembourg and London traded futures contracts between themselves, “so that prices were essentially set by the bank rather than the market”.
The CFTC charged that RBC “wilfully concealed, and made false statements” about its trades. In addition, it charged that the trades were “designed and controlled by a small group of senior RBC personnel acting on RBC’s behalf”. The CFTC identified an RBC executive in the lawsuit as “CFG Member 1”, describing him as head of global arbitrage and trading for RBC’s Caribbean branches and co-head of the Central Funding Group, which offers “secured balance sheet funding solutions” to clients.
In denying the allegations as “absurd,” RBC said the US regulators were kept abreast of what RBC’s actions, adding that it had approved the strategy. “This lawsuit is meritless, and we will rigorously defend ourselves against such baseless allegations,” said RBC in a statement.
The CRA declined to comment on the matter, saying that confidentiality laws prevent it from talking about individual cases. Canada’s banking regulator, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, said it is “following the situation”. Observers say the CFTC rarely goes after big banks, typically preferring smaller game, such as brokerages and hedge funds.
“This is a bit unusual,” said Dan Waldman, a lawyer at the Washington-based law firm, Arnold & Porter. “Usually someone does a (questionable) trade, and it’s uncovered by the regulator and that’s that,” he added. “But, obviously, this (alleged scheme) has been going for some time. People inquired about it, assumptions were made about what kinds of trades were made,” Waldman continued. “It was a whole dialogue with regulators, [and it] took place over a period of time.”
Alan Mak, a principal at the Toronto-based forensic accounting firm, Rosen & Associates, said he doesn’t think RBC will take this laying down. “As a player with global ambitions, it has little choice but to fight the allegations to protect its reputation,” he told reporters, adding “I think when challenging integrity of the bank, the bank will have to clear its name”.
CMC