Houston funeral, stories of faith, courage and love
Whitney Houston went to church one last time Saturday.
She was welcomed by family, friends and a virtual audience of millions who watched as the pop superstar was remembered as a child of God with the voice of an angel.
A voice that never forgot its roots.
"Jesus Loves Me" was the last song Houston sang in public before her death February 11 in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 48.
So it was fitting that the mourners -- comforted and encouraged by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys and R. Kelly -- heard the simple, but powerful, "Jesus Loves Me," this time performed by CeCe Winans.
Saturday's homegoing service was held at New Hope Baptist Church, where Houston, nicknamed "Nippy," was soloing in the junior choir by age 11.
Even with her ensuing fame, which brought six Grammy Awards, glamorous living and parties on the West Coast, and seven consecutive No. 1 singles, Houston never forgot her Newark, New Jersey, hometown.
Actor Kevin Costner, who starred with Houston in her first movie, "The Bodyguard," recounted how both of them grew up in the Baptist faith and had family members who sang in the choir.
"Church was our bond," Costner said.
Houston, the actor said, overcame her doubts about having what it took to earn the role in "The Bodyguard." She alone, Costner said, was the right choice.
"Now you are gone, too soon, leaving us with memories of a little girl who stepped bravely in front of this church, in front of the ones that loved you first," Costner said. "In front of the ones who loved you the best and loved you the longest. And boldly you stepped into the white hot light of the world's stage."
During the three-and-a-half-hour service, Houston's casket, covered with a large spray of flowers, rested in front of the altar.
While many of her fans lamented the fact that Houston's service was invitation-only, Pastor Marvin Winans, who delivered the eulogy, thanked Cissy Houston, Whitney's mother, for having the service at New Hope.
"That took a lot of courage. And because of that you brought the world to church today," Winans said during his eulogy.
The six-page funeral program contained color family photos and a letter from Cissy Houston.
The letter included the message, "God said 'It's time, Nippy. Your work is done.'" It was signed, "Thanks for being such a wonderful daughter. Love, Mommie."
Houston also left behind a daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, 18.
Through the tears and occasional laughter, performers and speakers spoke of Houston's loyalty.
Gospel singer and longtime friend BeBe Winans was visibly emotional as he recalled a memory of Houston's sense of humor.
With his sister, CeCe, by his side, he told the story of how Houston, then a major celebrity, informed them of her intent to sing background vocals on their new tour. When they told her she was too big a star to do that now, Houston responded, "You're my brother and sister, right?"
The exchange went on for a few minutes and then Houston told them, "Y'all broke, right? I'm rich, right? So I can buy what I want to for y'all."
Winans said that was the Whitney Houston he would remember. Then he sang, "I Really Miss You."
A "who's who" of musical performers adapted lyrics in tribute to Houston.
Gospel singer and friend Kim Burrell sang a reworked version of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come," adding glimpses of Houston's life to the lyrics. After finishing, she walked down to the pew where Cissy Houston sat and embraced her.
One of the most emotional moments in the service came when Keys sang "Send Me an Angel," her voice soaring into the rafters of the sanctuary.
Oprah Winfrey, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Spike Lee, and Houston's former husband, Bobby Brown, were among those in attendance. Brown walked by Houston's casket with his head down before the service began. Police said Brown and his entourage later left the church during the service.
At the time of her death, Houston was in the Los Angeles area for the 54th annual Grammy Awards and was to attend a party hosted by her longtime mentor and record producer, Clive Davis. She was discovered dead in her hotel suite. A cause of death has not been determined.
Mourners heard only a few indirect references to her personal battles. A close family friend told CNN on Tuesday that Houston had not used "hard drugs" for several years. Investigators are examining prescription drugs found in her hotel room.
Through her turmoil, speakers said, Houston remained true to her faith.
"In her final days, she held on to what you taught her to believe in," said Patricia Houston, Whitney's sister-in-law and former manager. "I promise you she did."
Ray Watson, Houston's bodyguard, recalled some of his last interactions with the singer.
"In our final days, she came in my room and she began to speak biblically," he said. "She laid her head on my shoulder and said, 'We are gonna be all right.'
Speakers, including Bishop T.D. Jakes and director-producer Tyler Perry, spoke of the promise of tomorrow.
"Death has not won. Your tears may flow. The flowers might wither," Jakes said. "You will find people you love may leave you outwardly, but (they) will not leave you inwardly."
At the conclusion of the service, Houston's iconic recording of "I Will Always Love You" was played as her coffin was removed from the sanctuary. Her mother leaned on her escorts as they helped her down the aisle.
Houston will be laid to rest Sunday at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, just south of Newark.
She has come home.
CNN
Rio carnival street parade draws record numbers
One of Rio de Janeiro's oldest and most popular carnival street parties has attracted a record 2.2 million revellers, police say.
The Cordao da Bola Preta parade is famous for attracting a diverse crowd, spanning all ages.
For the first time in its 93-year history, the event allowed electric sound systems and reversed its normal route.
Police said that despite the large crowds, the event had been peaceful.
Dressed as the cartoon character Asterix, Elson de Deus, 65, told Brazilian newspaper O Globo he had been attending the parade ever since he was 13.
This year, he had taken his son along to the parade to continue the family tradition.
Elizete Vieira, 77, said she had waited for four hours to secure her spot in the parade.
Denisa Chagas told the AFP news agency she liked the Bola Preta parade because it "brings everybody together, people from all districts and neighbouring towns".
Reflecting the name of Bola Preta, or Black Dot, many revellers wore clothes with black polka dots on a white background.
Others dressed as their sports heroes or donned wigs and tutus.
Police said they had detained 15 people for urinating in the street, but that there had been no serious incidents.
Some 400 street parties have been scheduled for the Rio carnival, but organisers say the Bola Preta parade, which dates back to 1918, is the most traditional.
Iran 'may boost nuclear programme', diplomat warns
Iran may be poised to expand its nuclear programme at an underground site near the city of Qom, a Vienna-based diplomat has told the BBC.
It appears to be ready to install thousands of new-generation centrifuges at the fortified underground plant, the diplomat said.
They could speed up the production of enriched uranium - required for both power generation and nuclear weapons.
The United Nations nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, has not commented.
Its inspectors are due to visit Tehran this week for another round of talks on Iran's nuclear activities, after they were denied access to certain nuclear sites and scientists on a visit last month.
Iran says its nuclear work is for purely peaceful purposes, but Western countries express fears that Iran is secretly trying to develop a nuclear bomb.
Tensions rise
This is another warning that Iran may be stepping up its controversial nuclear work, despite increasing international sanctions, says the BBC's Bethany Bell in Vienna.
According to other accounts by diplomats requesting anonymity, the Qom facility now contains the electrical circuitry, piping and supporting equipment required for the new centrifuges - though they add that the centrifuges have not yet been fitted and there is no certainty about if and when they will be.
Three days ago, Iran itself said it had advanced its nuclear know-how, including developing centrifuges able to enrich uranium faster.
The developments come against the backdrop of rising tensions over the issue, following an IAEA report in November which claimed that Iran had "carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear device", including:
- On Saturday, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague warned Iran's nuclear ambitions could trigger a nuclear arms race in the region - where at present the only country believed to possess such weapons is Israel
- Speaking in Tokyo, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak called for sanctions on Iran to be tightened still further, saying only "crippling" measures would force it to give up its nuclear programme. But he reportedly added that Israeli military action against Iran was not on the table for the time being
- Iranian warships entered the Mediterranean Sea for only the second time since the 1979 revolution, in what navy chief Admiral Habibollah Sayari told Irna agency was a show of might and a "message of peace"
- Israel earlier accused Iran of masterminding attacks on its embassies in India, Thailand and Georgia - an accusation denied by Iran.
Several rounds of increasingly punitive UN and Western sanctions - the latest targeting Iran's oil and financial sectors - have failed to force Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions.
Instead, there is increasingly feverish media speculation that Israel is planning a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
On Saturday, Israel's military chief of staff, Lt Gen Benny Gantz told a state TV station the country would ultimately make any decision to strike on its own, reported AFP news agency, saying it was "the central guarantor of its own security".
US national security adviser Tom Donilon has arrived in Israel for talks with officials on a range of issues including Iran.
Deadly shooting at Damascus funeral
Syrian troops have fired on mourners during a funeral that turned into a demonstration in Damascus, killing at least one person, activists say.
The shooting occurred at a funeral for people killed during a protest against President Bashar al-Assad on Friday.
The violence comes during a visit by a Chinese envoy, who urged dialogue in a bid to defuse the 11-month crisis.
State TV quoted him as saying he backed government plans for a referendum on a new constitution followed by elections.
The opposition has called for a boycott of the 26 February referendum, saying it cannot be held as violence continues.
Appeal for calm
Activists say there was a huge turnout for Saturday's funeral in the Mezzeh district on the western edge of Damascus. Mourners were burying three youths shot dead during protests following Friday prayers.
The funeral procession turned into one of the biggest demonstrations the capital has seen, with thousands of people chanting slogans calling for an end to the Assad regime.
According to activists, security forces opened fire, killing at least one protester and injuring several others.
Despite the current crackdown, there were similar protests after Friday prayers in many parts of the country.
Opposition activists say government forces on Saturday renewed their bombardment of the restive central city of Homs.
The violence came after Chinese envoy Zhai Jun held talks with President Assad in Damascus.
Syrian TV quoted Mr Zhai as saying: "The position of China is to call on the government, the opposition and the rebels to halt acts of violence immediately.
"We hope that the referendum on a new constitution as well as the forthcoming parliamentary elections pass off calmly."
After the meeting, Mr Assad was quoted as saying: "What Syria is facing is fundamentally an effort to divide it and affect its geopolitical place and historic role in the region."
China was one of the nations that voted against a recent UN General Assembly resolution calling on Mr Assad to stop his 11-month crackdown on dissent and step down.
Beijing, along with Moscow, has insisted outsiders cannot force regime change in Syria.
'Torture'
Opposition activists said government forces were continuing their two-week rocket and artillery attack on the opposition stronghold of Baba Amr in Homs on Saturday.
Activist Mohammad al-Homsi told Reuters news agency: "Troops have closed in on Baba Amr and the bombardment is mad, but I don't know if they are willing to storm the neighbourhood while it is snowing.
"There is no electricity and communications between districts are cut, so we are unable to get a death toll."
The BBC's Jim Muir in neighbouring Lebanon says the Syrian government clearly wants to quell all armed resistance and seal its borders to prevent supplies to the opposition.
Meanwhile the human rights group Amnesty International said it had obtained new evidence of torture being used by Syrian forces against opponents.
Amnesty researcher Neil Sammonds said one man told him that part of his hand was blown off with explosives after he refused to pray to a photograph of President Assad.
Other Syrians at a camp in Jordan said detainees were subjected to protracted beatings. One prisoner said he had been forced to witness the rape of another male detainee.
Syria restricts access to foreign media and it is often not possible to verify some reports and casualty figures.
Human rights groups say more than 7,000 people have died throughout Syria since last March.
The government says at least 2,000 members of the security forces have been killed combating "armed gangs and terrorists".
Honduras buries victims of deadly Comayagua prison fire
Relatives of the victims of Tuesday's prison fire in Comayagua, Honduras have been mourning the dead.
Funerals have been held across the country for those whose bodies were released by forensic investigators.
Officials said the number of dead had risen to 358 after two badly burned victims died in hospital.
Honduran President Porfirio Lobo has ordered a safety review of all prisons as experts try to establish the causes of the blaze in the Comayagua prison.
Pathologists continue to try to identify the bodies of the victims, but said many were so badly burned they could only be identified through DNA testing.
So far, only 18 bodies have been released to their families for burial.
Deadly conditions
Of the 358 people who died, all but one were inmates. The other was the wife of a prisoner who had come to visit her husband.
Forensic experts from Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico have joined their Honduran colleagues to try to speed up the identification process.
The United States has sent a team from its Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to help with the investigation into the causes of the fire.
ATF team member Jose Oquendo said they would stay "until the investigation is concluded, however long that may take".
The Honduran Ministry of Public Affairs said there had been 852 people inside the prison when the fire broke out on Tuesday.
The prison was at double its capacity and there were only six guards on duty.
Survivors described how they desperately struggled to save themselves as firefighters tried to find the guards who had the keys to the cells.
The prison had no emergency evacuation plan.
President Lobo said he would ensure measures would be taken to improve the situation in the country's 24 prisons, which hold more than 13,000 inmates.
Latvia rejects making Russian an official language
Latvians have resoundingly rejected the option of making Russian the country's second official language, results from a referendum indicate.
About two-thirds of those registered voted, the election commission said, many more than in previous polls.
The referendum, initiated by a Russian speakers' movement, has exposed deep fault-lines in Latvia.
Ethnic Russians, who make up about one-third of Latvia's population, have long complained of discrimination.
But many ethnic Latvians believe the referendum was an attempt to encroach on the country's independence.
It was initiated by the Russian-speakers' movement, Native Tongue, which collected signatures from more than 10% of voters to force a ballot.
Officials said that with more than 90% of votes counted, 75% of votes cast in Saturday's referendum were against the proposal.
Turnout was about 69%, which officials say was considerably higher than expected.
'Absurd' referendum
Learning Latvian was a prerequisite for citizenship in the years after the country split from the Soviet Union two decades ago
But many Russian-speakers resisted, and some 300,000 remain without citizenship, which means they cannot vote in elections, hold public office or work in government institutions, the Associated Press reports.
"I think that over the past 20 years Russian residents of Latvia have been humiliated by authorities, by endless attempts either to assimilate or make them second-class citizens," Vladimir Linderman, co-chairman of Mother Tongue, told AP. "So this is our answer."
The referendum has been described as "absurd" by Latvian President Andris Berzins, who said most people were more concerned with the country's recovery from a severe recession.
He pointed out that the government funds own-language schools for minority groups such as Russians.
"There's no need for a second language. Whoever wants, can use their language at home or in school," he said.
Latvia gained independence from Moscow in 1991 after half-a-century of Soviet rule. It joined the European Union in 2004.
Stars mourn Whitney Houston at hometown service
Stars, family and friends mourned Whitney Houston in a spirited funeral service at her hometown church on Saturday, a week after the sudden death of the singer whose spectacular voice made her one of the biggest pop stars of her era.
A choir had guests swaying to gospel music in the crowded New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where Houston first honed her wide vocal range as a young choir singer with her mother Cissy Houston, a backup singer for Aretha Franklin.
"Whitney returns home today to the place where it all began," said actor Kevin Costner, who starred opposite Houston in the 1992 hit film, "The Bodyguard." He urged those around the world to "dry our tears, suspend our sorrow -- and perhaps our anger -- just long enough, just long enough to remember the sweet miracle of Whitney."
Houston, who died in a Beverly Hills hotel room last week, recorded stirring love songs and vibrant dance tunes during a 30-year career that peaked with her 1992 signature hit "I Will Always Love You" and paved the way for a generation of singers that followed her.
During the service her cousin and famed soul singer Dionne Warwick introduced a host of soul, gospel and pop music greats from the past and present, including Alicia Keys who said "it was so obvious the way she just crept into everybody's heart" before performing the song "Prelude to a Kiss."
Influential Hollywood actor and producer Tyler Perry talked about Houston's "grace that led her all the way to the top of the charts," before adding that now, "she is resting, singing with the angels."
Gospel singers who performed at the service included singer Kim Burrell and Donnie McClurkin who sang a powerful rendition of "Stand" while the choir and church stood and swayed.
Houston was among the greatest singers of the 1980s and 1990s, but her personal life and marriage to singer Bobby Brown was tumultuous. She admitted to heavy use of cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and prescription pills.
Her death at age 48 shocked her family, fans and the music industry. Houston was found underwater in a hotel bathtub on the eve of the music industry's Grammy Awards. A cause of death has yet to be determined.
Record producer Clive Davis, who discovered and guided Houston throughout her career spoke at the service, which Oprah Winfrey and Mariah Carey also attended.
Houston's family decided against a public memorial, as was done for pop star Michael Jackson after his 2009 death, but they agreed to allow the service to be broadcast live by television networks and on the Internet.
Many of Houston's fans in the past several days have left flowers, cards and balloons dedicated to the singer who became a global star with her 1985 debut album that included the hits "Saving All My Love For You," "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love Of All."
There was a heavy police presence outside the funeral and streets were cordoned off. Police have urged fans to stay home and watch the funeral on the Internet or television, but some turned up early outside police checkpoints to get as close as they could to the late singer.
"She meant so much to me. I used to literally sit in my room and sing her songs," said Wendy Saunders, who drove from Detroit to pay her respects to Houston. Renee Taylor, from Baltimore, held a sign, "You gave us more love than we will ever need."
GOSPEL AND SOUL
Houston grew up surrounded by gospel and soul music legends like Franklin and Warwick. She later forged new territory for a black female artist who brought R&B and gospel touches into pop music's mainstream.
After her debut, her popularity grew exponentially with her second album, "Whitney" (1987), with all four singles - "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "So Emotional", "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" - hitting No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Her music videos featuring her 1980s style and innocent, fun-loving image made her wildly popular around the world. In the 1992 movie "The Bodyguard," co-starring Costner, Houston played a character not far removed from her real self: an international singing sensation coping with fame.
She made other films including "The Preacher's Wife," but the 15-year period when she was married to singer Brown coincided with a decline in the quality and frequency of her albums. The couple, who have an 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, divorced in 2007.
Houston's powerful voice suffered in recent years. On her last world tour in 2010, she struggled to hit high notes.
She spoke publicly about her struggles with addiction. In a 2002 interview, TV journalist Diane Sawyer asked Houston what was the "biggest devil" among her failings. Houston answered: "Nobody makes me do anything I don't want to do. So the bigger devil is me, I am either my best friend or my worst enemy."
-Yahoo
More emphasis on CARICOM not ALBA, says Grenada PM
Caribbean leaders should place more emphasis on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) instead of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA), said Tillman Thomas, prime minister of Grenada.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Grenadian Consulate in Toronto on Friday, Thomas said that his country only has observer status in ALBA at the moment and he believes that a nation with strong values is more important than money.
ALBA is made up of Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Ecuador and St Vincent and the Grenadines and was in the news in a Caribbean context recently when leaders of all eight countries reportedly agreed to block any ships flying the Falkland Islands flag from docking in their ports.
At an ALBA summit in Caracas on February 4, participating heads of state and government approved a special agreement to back Argentina’s call for the restoration of the British Overseas Territory claimed by Argentina as Las Malvinas to Argentinean sovereignty.
The three Commonwealth Caribbean members of ALBA later backtracked on the reported agreement.
ALBA itself is perceived by some regional observers to be another attempt by Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez to export his particular brand of socialism to the Caribbean and increasingly close ties between Venezuela and Iran have also raised some concerns about subversive and propaganda activity, terror and smuggling in what is often referred to as “America’s backyard.”
When asked about policies and programs in place to halt the problem of increasing crime that is now one of the main challenges threatening economies and livelihoods in Caribbean countries, Thomas expressed support for the Peaceful Caribbean Conference scheduled to be held in Barbados on April 20, which will bring together heads of government, criminologists, clergy, intellectuals and diplomats in order to focus on solutions to combat the ravaging influence of crime in the region.
By Rebecca Theodore
Caribbean News Now contributor
Dominican Government backs Argentina in Falklands dispute
Argentina Foreign Relations minister Héctor Timerman said his country won’t use troops to solve the century-old dispute with Great Britain over the Falklands Islands, during a meeting with president Leonel Fernandez , who stated Dominican Republic’s support to the South American nation.
Dominican par Carlos Morales, who also took part in the meeting, reiterated his country’s "firm support” for Argentina.
Timerman said his country hasn’t thought about a military solution, an instead will solve the standoff with Latin America’s support.
Timerman affirmed that Argentina will reclaim the islands it calls Malvinas peacefully, for which it has made several offers of dialogue to Great Britain, but noted that London hasn’t responded.
“Argentina is very proud of Dominican Republic’s support, we’ve just spoken on it with president Leonel Fernandez, who has said the historical support is now and will be in the future. This is an issue of colonialism and colonialism of the 19th century cannot continue in effect into the 21st century. We depart with the satisfaction to see the Dominican Republic once again working against colonialism, and for Latin America’s unity,” the official said.
-DominicanToday
First Lady’s alleged European bank account spurs media frenzy
An allegation by a Santiago TV program that the vice presidential candidate of the ruling PLD party and First Lady Margarita Cedeño has more than 43 million Euros in an European account has sparked a media frenzy Friday.
The flap over an allegation by Marcos Martinez, host of the program Diario 55 that Cedeño has that account the Denmark Bank Danske is today’s headline in very major newspaper and the buzz in social networks.
The First Lady yesterday, who announced that she’ll take Martinez to court, called the allegation a “great infamy” that will not continue and “is willing to clarify with all consequences.”
She said she expects Martinez to prove “in good faith” and in court, what he said “on television, radio and in the social networks.”
-DominicanToday