Jay-Z, Kanye West Settle Federal Lawsuit over ‘The Joy’
Jay-Z and Kanye West have settled a federal copyright lawsuit over their song “The Joy,” TMZ reports.
Syl Johnson sued the “Watch the Throne” rappers in October, claiming they used an unauthorized sample of his song “Different Strokes.” Johnson had claimed Kanye tried to get the song cleared for his solo album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” but couldn’t get the deal done in time.
When the sample popped up on “Watch the Throne,” Johnson filed the lawsuit in Illinois federal court.
According to TMZ, it was dismissed this week because the two sides reached a settlement, though no further details were made available.
Johnson, meanwhile, has filed similar lawsuits against Michael Jackson, Jefferson Airplane and Cypress Hill.
50 Cent On Why he Loves Oprah … His (Little Ugly) Dog!
Guess who was on “The View” this week? None other than rapper and entrepreneur 50 Cent.
Although it was a very entertaining episode, he couldn’t help but look a little uncomfortable when he talked about his reasons behind naming his dog Oprah.
He told the audience, quite hesitantly, that he named his dog, which he loves, after Oprah Winfrey as an insult to the media mogul.
But 50 isn’t a bad guy. He went on the show to talk about his new book he wrote about bullying and his new line of headphones linked to a charity that provides meals to people in third world countries.
The rapper explained that his interests lie in fixing world hunger and has the goal of helping to feed one billion people.
Brazil football boss Ricardo Teixeira resigns
The head of Brazil's football federation, Ricardo Teixeira, has stepped down from his post, days after taking sick leave.
He also resigned from the 2014 World Cup organising committee.
Mr Teixeira, who led the federation for 23 years, had come under pressure over corruption allegations, which he has denied.
He has been investigated on suspicion of crimes including tax evasion but has never been convicted of any offence.
Former Sao Paulo Governor Jose Maria Marin, 79, will be replacing Mr Teixeira in both posts.
Mr Marin read out the letter in which Mr Teixeira announced his "permanent resignation".
Mounting speculation
Mr Teixeira said he was leaving with a sense of "mission accomplished".
"Football in our country is associated with two things: talent and disorganisation," he wrote.
He said he had done what was within his reach, sacrificing his health.
Last week, Mr Teixeira announced he was taking leave of absence for medical reasons. However, he did not specify the nature of his health problems.
Mr Marin said nothing would immediately change at the football federation or at the World Cup organising committee under his command.
Pressure started growing on Mr Teixeira to resign after new corruption allegations surfaced earlier this month.
But state federations voted unanimously to confirm him in the posts.
In 2001, the Brazilian Congress investigated Mr Teixeira on suspicion of 13 crimes, including tax evasion, money laundering and misleading lawmakers, but no charges were brought.
He has also been investigated for allegedly taking kickbacks from a marketing firm that worked closely with Fifa in the 1990s.
And the English Football Association accused him of improper conduct during bidding for the 2018 World Cup.
He has denied all the allegations and has never been convicted.
Chile’s call for deepening relations with Caribbean nations welcomed
A call by Chile’s President, His Excellency Sebastián Piñera Echenique, for the strengthening and deepening of relations between CARICOM and Chile through enhanced cooperation in a wide range of areas has been welcomed by Caribbean leaders.
President Pinera, who was invited to the Twenty-Third Inter-Sessional Meeting in Suriname also called for improved relations through the adoption of common positions in hemispheric and international arenas.
According to the communiqué issued at the end of he two-day meeting, the President of Chile highlighted the shared feature of political and institutional stability in Latin America and the Caribbean in an era of democracy and economic growth.
This, he said provided a unique opportunity, through education, to reduce poverty and collaborate in dealing with challenges such as global warming and climate change, organized crime, drug trafficking, terrorism and corruption.
Underscoring the importance of promoting cultural exchanges and people to people contacts between the two sides, Heads of Government reiterated an invitation to the Government of Chile to participate in CARIFESTA XI to be held in Suriname in 2013. They were pleased that this invitation was warmly accepted by Chile
The Heads of Government congratulated Chile on its assumption of the high responsibilities of President Pro Tempore of the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC) as well as that of Chair of the European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean forum (EU-CELAC) for the period 2012-2013, and expressed the Community’s full support for both processes.
They further expressed the Community’s appreciation for the Government of Chile’s willingness to advocate on behalf of CARICOM countries, at the upcoming G-20 Summit in Mexico, in June 2012 on issues of concern to small vulnerable economies. Included among these issues are the reform and restructuring of the international financial system, the strengthening of financial regulations, debt relief, combating commodity price volatility, addressing food and nutrition security and renewed access to concessionary financing for highly indebted middle income countries.
In thanking Chile for its active involvement in assisting the CARICOM Member State of Haiti, Heads of Government and State of CARICOM and of Chile reiterated their commitment to the continued support to that nation in its reconstruction and development efforts.
SKN Vibes
CARICOM: Security strain
CARICOM governments seem to be in a bind over what to do with their Implementation Agency for Crime And Security (IMPACS).
The security agency was set up for the ICC Cricket World Cup which was held in 2007, but it is still in existence and is placing financial strain on some CARICOM member countries.
Prime Minister Freundel Stuart disclosed on Saturday on his return from the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Suriname that the agency was widely discussed, with some leaders suggesting that IMPACS be discarded.
But Stuart said he made it clear that Barbados’ position was against “throwing it overboard”.
“The big issue is the financing of IMPACS – it has become a very expensive exercise,” he told reporters. “They are those who believe that it should be jettisoned but the position I put – and I put Barbados’ position in this way – is that we take security in the region so seriously that regional Heads of Government elevated security to a fourth pillar of CARICOM.
“You can’t take a decision to elevate crime and security to a fourth pillar and then your principal institution that deals with crime and security you want to toss overboard. You may want to restructure it, or you may want to re-christen it, but you certainly cannot contemplate throwing it overboard.”
IMPACS has two sub-agencies, the Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre, which operates in Trinidad and Tobago, and the Joint regional Communications Centre (JRCC), which operates in Barbados.
Nation News
Haitian director of tourism optimistic about tourism sector
A Haitian tourism official has expressed optimism about his island’s tourism sector in the after math of the 2010 earthquake which caused severe devastation to the island.
Director General of Tourism in Haiti, Daniel Fouchard, told an interview with the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s Communications Specialist Johnson JohnRose at the International Tourismus Borse (ITB) in Berlin last week, that the tourism sector is still “very active”.
He graded himself as 8/9 on a scale of 1 to 10 in being optimistic about the growth and development of the sector although the island’s preoccupation is focused on rebuilding.
“After the earthquake every Haitian thinks about reconstruction; rebuilding the country, giving the faith to the huge population, creating new schools, new opportunities for the youth of the country and giving the people the necessary hope to go further”.
He explained further that several steps within the island’s tourism master plan are underway including the construction of two airports and new investments.
“We are building two new airports in the country; one in Capiche and one in La Cai and then we have already signed a few contracts with other big companies who are investing in the hotel industry; Best Western, Marriott, Occidental”.
Fouchard noted that although the tourism sector is very active he must wait until his minister has full powers so that the sector can operate more effectively, as the resignation of the former Haitian prime minister Garry Conille after four months into office has disrupted the government.
He is also hopeful that Caribbean leaders particularly those in the Antillean; Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico among others will find a solution to issue of island hopping.
According to Fouchard; these islands present a “mosaic of culture” which many people are interested in therefore the onus is upon them to find a way for easier travel within to and from these islands.
“We are at a distance of 1 hour/2 hours from each other and every time we have to see one another we have to go up north or down south to go back to the Caribbean, we have to change that. I understand that there are a lot of countries now who are trying to do their best”.
“We are young countries and trying to do the best to promote our countries” he said, recognizing the fact that the success of these islands sector is dependent on several factors some which they are unable to control as with the occurrences of natural disasters.
ITB is a five day trade show which “enlightens visitors and qualified buyers about global travel, tourism and hospitality sectors and highlights the exotic destinations of more than 180 countries including Dominica under one roof in a friendly environment.
The ITB trade show welcome more than 11163 exhibitors from various countries to exhibit their newest tour locations, hotel services, resort facilities and many more to render the perfect holiday and travel experience to all the interested visitors.
The ideal business to business platform provides an ideal opportunity for the exhibitors to generate sales and meet with their industry peers and qualified buyers among 170000 visitors.
Some of the highlights of the event are convention programs, business presentations and conference and workshops.
Dominica Vibes News
Four Plead Guilty: $3.4M Drug Case
This morning [Mar.12] in Supreme Court, four of the “Carefree Five” plead guilty to drug charges minutes before their trial was due to start.
Carlos Rogers, Shaun Johnson, Kinola Simons and Bilal Shakir all pleaded guilty to possessing or handling a controlled drug, however pleaded not guilty to conspiring to import a controlled drug. The fifth defendant — Kwesi Hollis — denied all the charges. The value of cannabis was $3.4 million.
File photos from their court appearance last year are below: top row left is Kwesi Hollis, with Carlos Rogers on the right. Bottom row left is Shaun Johnson, with Bilal Shakir on the right.
Mr Rogers and Mr Hollis left the Dominican Republic on December 1, 2010 on the Carefree IV yacht, and were due to arrive in Bermuda that same month. The boat was declared missing, however on Friday January 21, 2011 — seven weeks after leaving their destination
Police arrested both Mr Hollis and Mr Rogers and searched the boat before hoisting the boat ashore, and transporting it to Southside Police Station. Earlier that same morning, the Marine Police stopped a Boston whaler in the North Shore area, seized the cannabis, and arrested the other three men.
The four men who pleaded guilty this morning — Mr Rogers, Mr Johnson, Mr Shakir, and Mr Simons — were remanded in custody, while Mr Hollis was released on bail.
--BERNEWS
34 arrested for sexual offences
The Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) is reporting that 34 persons were arrested for various sexual offences over an 11-day period.
The offences include rape, carnal abuse and incest.
Additionally, CISOCA is reporting that when the total number of reported rapes for January and February 2012 is compared to the total for the corresponding period last year, there was a 20 per cent reduction - from 164 last year to 146 this year.
This decline in the number of reported rapes has been accredited to the joint efforts of CISOCA members and other police divisions.
In the meantime, the police are warning perpetrators who are having sexual intercourse with persons under the age of 16 that they should desist because they will be pursued vigorously.
'...There was a 20 per cent reduction - from 164 last year to 146 this year.'
US and UN urge Security Council unity in Syria crisis
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the US secretary of state have urged the international community to speak with one voice on Syria.
Hillary Clinton said that Syria's "horrific campaign of violence" had "shocked the conscience of the world".
Russia and China have blocked resolutions condemning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
In Syria, activists report that at least 47 people were killed in an attack by government militia in Homs.
Women and children are among those reported to have been tortured and killed on Sunday night in the neighbourhood of Karm el-Zeytoun. The Syrian government acknowledged the deaths, but blamed "armed terrorists".
Ms Clinton told the UN Security Council meeting in New York: "We believe that now is the time for all nations - even those who have previously blocked our efforts - to stand behind the humanitarian and political approach spelled out by the Arab League."
In a clear reference to China and Russia, she appealed to the international community to "say with one voice - without hesitation or caveat - that the killing of innocent Syrians must stop and a political transition must begin".
Mr Ban said the Syrian government had "failed to fulfil its responsibility to protect its own people and instead has subjected its citizens in several cities to military assault and disproportionate use of force".
He said the Council must "unite strongly" by UN and Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan's efforts "to help Syria pull back from the brink of a deeper catastrophe".
She was speaking after British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that the Security Council had so far failed in its responsibility to the Syrian people.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the situation in Syria remained a "grave concern" but warned that change in the Arab world "must not be achieved by misleading the international community or manipulating the Security Council".
'Burned alive'
The attack in the embattled city of Homs happened hours after UN-Arab League peace envoy Kofi Annan ended his two-day mission to Damascus.
Homs has been under assault for weeks as government forces have tried to root out rebel fighters. Parts of the city are devastated.
Hundreds of families fled the Karm el-Zeytoun area of Homs on Monday after reports of the attack in their neighbourhood overnight, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
One activist in Homs, Hadi Abdallah, told AFP the bodies of 26 children and 21 women were found, some with their throats slit and others bearing stab wounds.
Both the opposition Syrian Revolution General Commission (SRGC) and the Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC), an activist network in Syria, put the toll at 45.
The SRGC said that some of the victims had been burned alive with heating fuel poured over them and others had their necks and limbs broken.
Mulham al-Jundi, an opposition activist and member of the SNC, said Karm el-Zeytoun was experiencing a military bombardment similar to the one seen in Baba Amr district in recent weeks.
e told the BBC government troops were firing rockets from tanks outside the neighbourhood, then going in and "killing the families who stay inside these areas".
Reports are difficult to verify because of tight restrictions on independent media operating in Syria.
Footage posted on YouTube, said to show the bodies of men, women and children killed in the attack, made for grim viewing, said the BBC's Jon Donnison in neighbouring Lebanon.
--BBC
Deron Williams won't play vs. Bucks
New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams will miss his second straight game Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks with a strained right calf, the team announced.
Williams is listed on the team's official injury report as day to day. His calf has been bothering him after he aggravated it in the All-Star Game, and he re-injured it in the second quarter of Friday night's win in Charlotte, forcing him to leave the game.
Backup Jordan Farmar will start in Williams' place.
"Right now, he's pretty much about the same that he was the last game, so he's day to day, game to game," Nets coach Avery Johnson said after his team's Monday morning shootaround. "We'll have another update for you Tuesday, and we'll continue to treat him.
"But this is a guy that just doesn't miss games, so if he's missing games, he's definitely injured."
The Nets are hopeful that Williams can return for Wednesday night's game against the Toronto Raptors, but nothing is certain at this point.
In 40 games, Williams is averaging team highs of 22.1 points and 8.1 assists for the Nets (14-28), who are 4½ games behind the New York Knicks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.