Pilot pays up
LIAT pilot and admitted drug trafficker Keith Richard Otway Allen escaped a long prison term and should be back home in St Vincent and the Grenadines today after paying fines totalling $1/4 million yesterday.
The fines were about twice the value of the 65 pounds of cannabis which Allen was arrested for smuggling into Barbados on November 23.
The sentence, handed down by Magistrate Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell in the District “F” Magistrates’ Court, brought an end to a matter that featured two Methodist preachers appearing as character witnesses for the pilot, and several adjournments after Allen’s guilty plea.
Through his attorney Sir Richard Cheltenham, Allen (pictured here leaving the court) paid the fines as is evidenced by the receipt from the court.
Antigua-Barbuda ambassador a ‘no show’ before PAC
Ambassador David Shoul failed to make an appearance before the Antigua and Barbuda Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday afternoon, after being summoned by the chairman of the committee.
Shoul was asked to prepare himself by bringing certain relevant documents and to be ready to answer questions from the chairman of the committee. The PAC had invited Shoul to provide answers regarding the US$52.5 million Chinese power plant recently constructed at Crabbs Peninsula.
The PAC is established by Section 98 of the Constitution, which mandates a review of all government spending by examining and considering government accounts. The chairman of that committee is always the leader of the parliamentary opposition.
Former prime minister and current leader of the opposition, Lester Bird, as chairman, wrote to Shoul one week earlier, seeking to question him on the Chinese power plant, since the ambassador has been credited by Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer with playing a pivotal role in the negotiations for the plant.
Shoul had a letter delivered to the office of the leader of the opposition on Monday, indicating only that he had received the former prime minister’s letter. On Tuesday afternoon, the PAC members waited in vain for Shoul to show up. All the written questions were instead handed to the auditor for onward transmittal to the ambassador.
Negotiations for the Chinese power plant began in 2008, when a price tag of US$18 million was initially mentioned. The amount climbed to US$30 million by the time a funding agreement was entered into with the Export/Import Bank of China in June 2008. Later adjustments took the cost to US$47 million. The total cost has now climbed to US$52.5 million.
Examination of the installed plant has shown that the engines, the alternators and other parts of the plant are not new, though both Shoul and Spencer have each claimed otherwise. In fact, they both deem questioning of the quality of the delivered plant, by the opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) and thousands of Antiguans and Barbudans, as unpatriotic and diminishing of the relations between China and Antigua and Barbuda.
Bird has promised to continue to pursue answers and to seek to get to the bottom of the issue.
By Caribbean News Now contributor
Etta James: Stars attend funeral of Blues legend
Hundreds of mourners gathered in Los Angeles for the funeral of US rhythm and blues star Etta James, who died earlier this month at the age of 73.
Civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton gave a rousing speech about her rise from poverty and drug addiction to make music that crossed racial divides.
He read a statement from US President Barack Obama, who praised her part in "our nation's musical heritage".
Stars Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera performed some of her hits.
Etta James died on 20 January after battling leukaemia.
Trailblazer
In his eulogy, Rev Sharpton described Etta James as a "bridge of American culture that changed the culture of the world".
Etta James helped break down the culture curtain of America before the Civil Rights Act of 1964," he said. "She was able to get us to sing the same rhythms and melodies."
He began the two-hour service by reading the statement from President Obama, who danced at his inaugural ball to Etta James' most famous song At Last.
"Etta will be remembered for her legendary voice and her contributions to our nation's musical heritage," Mr Obama said.
Stevie Wonder performed three songs, including Shelter in the Rain, while Christina Aguilera performed a version of At Last.
"Out of all the singers that I've ever heard, she was the one that cut right to my soul and spoke to me," Ms Aguilera said before her performance.
Rebuilt career
Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins to a teenage single mother in 1938.
Raised mainly by friends and relatives, she began singing when her grandparents took her to a Baptist Church, where she joined the choir as a soloist.
Later in San Francisco she formed a singing group, but it was not until 1960, when James became a solo artist, that she began to achieve musical recognition.
However, her success in the 1960s was hindered by an addiction to heroin, and she was forced to rebuild her career after quitting the drug in 1974.
Although she was popular on the R&B circuit throughout her career, mainstream success eluded her for many years.
She did not receive her first Grammy Award until 1994, for the album Mystery Lady, which consisted of covers of Billie Holiday songs. In 2003, she was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
She leaves husband Artist Mills and and two sons Donto and Sametto.
Tyler Perry Casts Romeo Miller as Co-Lead in New ‘Madea’ Movie
Earlier this week when Romeo Miller Tweeted: “Got offered the lead n Tyler Perry’s next movie. This should be fun ha…” — we knew something was going down, but not the specifics. Now we know.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mr. Miller, along with Denise Richards and Eugene Levy and more will star alongside Perry in “Madea’s Witness Protection.” Shooting starts this coming week at Perry’s studios in Atlanta.
Levy will play a man who, after his investment company goes belly up due to embezzling, is put in witness protection with his family, which is forced to move from a wealthy Connecticut neighborhood to Madea’s home in the South. Richards is set to play Levy’s wife. Miller, 22, will play a man who believes Levy is responsible for his church’s investments being wiped out and wants to take the law into his own hands, writes The Reporter.
Also in the cast are Doris Roberts, Devan Leos, Tom Arnold and Danielle Campbell. Perry, who wrote the script and is directing, produces with Paul Hall and Ozzie Areu.
Miller’s last on screen appearance was in “Jumping the Broom,” in which he played the young buck vying for the attention of an older lady played by Tasha Smith. Of course we all know his father Percy Miller, who at one time was known as the rapper and actor, Master P.
On another note, remember when the “Madea” movies were all black? Interestingly, the casting of this film reflects what Perry stated recently about all-black-cast films becoming extinct because they don’t “travel” (not successful) outside the US.
Obviously Tyler Perry practices what he preaches.
Demi Moore 'smoked something' before hospital dash
Demi Moore suffered convulsions after smoking an undisclosed substance, according to a tape of an emergency call from last Monday.
The 49-year-old actress is described as "semi-conscious, barely" in the recording, which was released by Los Angeles fire officials.
The tape captures the few minutes it took paramedics to arrive as friends gathered round the collapsed star.
In November, she ended her marriage to actor Ashton Kutcher, 33.
In the emergency call, a woman is asked by operators: "Is she [Moore] breathing normal?"
"No, not so normal," the woman says. "More kind of shaking, convulsing, burning up."
When the dispatcher asks if Moore has ingested or smoked any substance, the woman replies: "She smoked something. It's not marijuana but it is similar to incense."
But the full answer was redacted on the advice of the city attorney's office, citing federal medical privacy rules.
"She's been having some issues lately with some other stuff," says the woman.
Asked by the operator if this has happened before, the female voice says: "There's been some stuff recently that we're all just finding out."
By the end of the call, Moore's condition appears to improve.
A man tells the operator: "She seems to have calmed down now. She's speaking."
The actress's publicist has previously said Moore suffered from exhaustion.
Her split from Kutcher, whom she married in 2005, followed allegations of his infidelity.
Moore was formerly married to actor Bruce Willis, with whom she had three daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Belle.
Saint Lucia Jazz 2012 , April 30th – May13th 2
The Saint Lucia Jazz 2012 festival will take place from April 30th – May13th, with over 50 international and local artistes performing.
This year's headliner are Grammy winner, Lionel Richie, R&B singers Keri Hilson and Melanie Fiona, reggae artistes Ziggy Marley and Busy Signal and gospel recording superstar Kirk Franklin
Here is a lineup
| Monday April 30th | Mindoo Phillip Park | Fay Ann and Bunji Garland Busy Signal Teddyson John |
| Saturday April 28th | Coconut Bay Resort & Spa | Gil Tony'k, with Tony Chasseur and Gilles Voyer Alchimik's Loula Trio, featuring Ricardo Francois Sisterhood |
3:00 pm | |
| Sunday April 29th | Coconut Bay Resort & Spa | Etienne Charles Insuler' Rupert Lay Quartet Black Antz Jazz Combo |
3:00 pm | |
| Tuesday May 1st | Rudy John Beach Park | Cameron Pierre band, featuring Ricardo Francois, Emerson Nurse and Fred Nicholas with Caribbean launch of Cameron Pierre’s CD Radio Jumbo | 3:00 pm |
| Date | Venue | Artists | Time | |
| Wednesday May 9th | Gaiety on Rodney Bay | Joshua Redman Ronald “Boo” Hinkson |
7:00 pm | |
| Thursday May 10th | Gaiety on Rodney Bay | Mario Canonge Luther François |
7:00 pm | |
| Friday May 11th | Pigeon Island National Landmark | Gipsy Kings Ziggy Marley Derek Yarde Project ‘DYP” – En Kweyol |
8:00 pm | |
| Saturday May 12th | Pigeon Island National Landmark | Kirk Franklin Keri Hilson Alison Marquis Nonet featuring Andy Narell |
4:00 pm | |
| Sunday May 13th | Pigeon Island National Landmark | Lionel Richie Hugh Masekela The WESPE POU AYITI Project featuring Jean Caze, Richard Payne, Sonny Troupe & Joel Widmaier Melanie Fiona |
2:00 pm |
Local acts shine - Jamaican music wins at Jazz Fest
LIKE BIRDS fly south for the winter, Jamaicans and some from other parts of this world make the sojourn to the western end of the island for the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival. Last night was the night most people clamoured for, a rare live performance from Celine Dion.
There were record sales for the night, but what is interesting is the way Jamaican music competed with the star power of Las Vegas' leading lady.
On Thursday night, Walter Elmore, chairman of Art of Music Productions, the organiser of the event, must have been pleased. It was a night focused on celebrating 50 years of Jamaican music, bearing in mind the country's 50 years of Independence.
It was memorable.
Artistes recognised
Marcia Griffiths, Shaggy, King Yellowman, Lloyd Parkes of Lloyd Parkes and We the People Band, the iconic king of ska Derrick Morgan, master crooner John Holt, and Maxi Priest were all awarded for their contribution to Jamaican music since Independence.
They beamed with pride as an appreciative audience beamed back. Their performances showed that pride, and there could not have been a member of the audience who felt a penny was wasted.
Celine Dion is undoubtedly a monster drawing card for an event in Jamaica, but it is with a glad heart that I can say, so are our very own hitmakers.
This year, the Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival seems to have outdone its previous editions, and a feat accomplished with local performances aiding the effort in no small way.
Tonight, there will be more of the acts that count to the name Jamaica Jazz & Blues, but even before a note is sung, the event has been a success.
The line-up tonight is Cee-Lo Green, Temptations, Earl Klugh, Heads of State, Destra Garcia and Damian Marley.
Azarenka thumps Sharapova for first major title, No. 1 ranking
Victoria Azarenka started celebrating, then suddenly did a double-take to ask her coach, "What happened?"
The answer: She had just produced one of the most lopsided Australian Open final victories to capture a Grand Slam title and the No. 1 ranking for the first time.
Azarenka routed three-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 in 1 hour, 22 minutes on Saturday night, winning 12 of the last 13 games after dropping her first service game and falling behind 2-0.
"It's a dream come true," she said. "I have been dreaming and working so hard to win the Grand Slam, and being No. 1 is pretty good bonus. Just the perfect ending and the perfect position to be in."
Azarenka had won 11 straight matches, including a run to the Sydney International title, and reached her first Grand Slam final. Her previous best performance at a major was a semifinal loss to Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon last year. Sharapova had all the experience, being in her sixth major final and having won three - dating to her 2004 Wimbledon title.
But it didn't unnerve the 22-year-old Azarenka, the first woman from Belarus to win a singles major. She's also the seventh different woman to win a Grand Slam since Francesca Schiavone won the 2010 French Open, and the fifth different winner in as many majors.
Azarenka became only the third woman to earn the No. 1 spot after winning her first major title. She moved from No. 3 to No. 1 in the rankings, helped by Caroline Wozniacki's loss in the quarterfinals.
The third-seeded Azarenka set up championship point with a stunning forehand, her 14th clean winner, and sealed it when Sharapova netted a backhand.
She dropped to her knees at the baseline with her hands over her face. She got up, held her hands up and jogged over to her coach, Sam Sumyk, in the stands to celebrate.
"The best feeling, for sure," Azarenka said. "I don't know about the game. I don't know what I was doing out there. It's just pure joy what happened. I can't believe it's over."
And she paid special credit to her grandmother, "the person who inspires me the most in my life."
Azarenka has been a distinctive presence at Melbourne Park as much for her shrieks and hoots with each shot and seemingly boundless energy as for her white shorts, blue singlet and lime green head and wrist bands.
Against Sharapova, she maintained the frenetic movement that has been the hallmark of her performance in Australia, her 25th consecutive major. She won the Sydney International title last weekend and is on a 12-match winning streak - the first player since 2004 to win a WTA tour event the week before winning a major.
"She did everything better than I did today. I had a good first couple of games, and that was about it," Sharapova said. "Then she was the one that was taking the first ball and hitting it deep and aggressive. I was always the one running around like a rabbit, you know, trying to play catch-up all the time."
Sharapova also won only three games in a 2007 final loss to Serena Williams, who also conceded only three games in the 2009 final against Dinara Safina.
When Sharapova won the first two games, there was no indication of how lopsided the match would be. Azarenka took control after holding for the first time, breaking Sharapova at love and then holding again on a three-game roll.
Sharapova held, finishing off with an ace, to level the score at 3-3 in the first set but then didn't win another game.
Azarenka started dictating the points, coming to the net at times, hitting winners from the baseline and forcing the 24-year-old Russian to the extremes on both sides of the court. Sharapova seemed barely able to move by comparison, and had 30 unforced errors in the match.
The second set was completely lopsided and lasted only 36 minutes, with Sharapova winning only 12 points.
"As in any sport, you have your good days, you have your tough days and you have days where things just don't work out," said Sharapova, who has now been on the losing end of two of the most lopsided scorelines in a final at Melbourne Park.
In the men's doubles final, Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek denied Bob and Mike Bryan their record 12th Grand Slam title, beating the American twins 7-6 (1), 6-2.
The 33-year-old Bryans were attempting to secure their place as the most decorated doubles team since the Open Era began in 1968. They remain tied at 11 major titles with Australian duo Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge.
On Sunday, defending champion Novak Djokovic takes on Rafael Nadal in a men's singles final featuring the top two players in the rankings. Djokovic won three of the four majors last year and beat Nadal in six finals in 2011 among his 70 match wins for the season.
Azarenka had her best season in 2011, winning 55 of 72 matches to finish the year at No. 3.
SI
Tiger Woods tied for lead at Abu Dhabi Championship
Tiger Woods shot a 6-under 66 Saturday to grab a share of the lead at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, the latest sign that the 14-time major winner is returning to form after ending a two-year victory drought.
There wasn't a lot of fist pumping from Woods, who traded drama for consistency in racking up six birdies in a bogey-free round.
It was a memorable performance by the American, mostly for his ability to hit the fairways, tame the par 5s and sink clutch putts - including a six-footer for birdie on the final hole.
``It just seemed like I didn't do a lot of things right but I didn't do a lot of things wrong today, it was just very consistent,'' Woods said. ``You know, made a couple putts here and there ... I stayed away from trouble and tried to keep the ball towards the fat side of some of these pins and I think I did a pretty good job.''
Woods moved to 11 under for the tournament and is tied with newcomer Robert Rock, who birdied his final two holes to earn the 117th-ranked Englishman a first-ever pairing with Woods for Sunday's finale.
Rory McIlroy (68), Peter Hanson (64), Francesco Molinari (66) and Peter Lawrie (68) were two shots back, with George Coetzee (65), James Kingston (67), overnight leader Thorbjorn Olesen (71) and Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (69) all a shot further back.
Woods is attempting to follow his season-ending victory at the Chevron World Challenge with another win here. He was two shots off the pace after the second round but started climbing the leaderboard Saturday with an opening birdie, followed by another on No. 7.
He stepped up his game on the back nine and grabbed a share of the lead after he narrowly missed an eagle putt on the 10th and settled for birdie. He briefly took the outright lead with a birdie on 14.
The crowd of several hundred cheered every birdie, with some yelling ``Tiger's back.''
Woods refused to talk about his victory chances, acknowledging too many players remain within striking distance.
``There's a ton of guys with a chance to win,'' Woods said. ``You know, we have not separated ourselves from the field. The field is very bunched. I need to go out there and put together a solid round of golf, and I can't go out there and shoot even par and expect to win. I've got to go out there and go get it.''
Rock, who got his first European Tour win last year in Italy in a playoff with Sergio Garcia, admitted he was star-struck at the prospect of teeing off alongside Woods, calling him ``the best guy I've ever seen play golf.''
The 34-year-old journeyman is relishing the chance to go head-to-head with one of golf's all-time greats.
``There's quite a lot of people out there (today) obviously following Tiger in the group in front of us. Hopefully we've got the same amount of people watching tomorrow, and we'll see how I cope with it,'' Rock said. ``I just want to experience it. How many chances I'll get to do that, it's not clear.''
Rock was one of several players who challenged Woods for the lead after overnight leader Olesen fell back.
Lawrie, the 1999 British Open champion, showed some of the form he displayed at the Dubai World Championship in December, where he finished second. He made birdie on 10 and 11 to tie Woods for the lead, fell back with bogeys on 14 and 17 and then recovered to birdie the 18th.
Molinari and Hanson also bounced back from opening round 74s to move into contention. Molinari had five birdies on his back nine, while the 47th-ranked Swede had eight birdies in his round - including three on the last five holes - in a bogey-free round to finish with the lowest score of the day.
``It was one of those days where you have the best job in the world,'' Hanson said. ``Struck it nice, made four easy birdies on the par 5s and then a few more, and it felt pretty easy somehow.''
U.S. Open champion McIlroy also is still in the mix, a day after he had two double bogeys, including on the 9th when he was penalized for brushing away sand in front of his ball. He only had one bogey to go with five birdies Saturday, but the 22-year-old Northern Irishman was forced to scramble several times to save par, including on the 18th when an errant drive went into nearby rocks and almost into a pond.
``I definitely felt today was a lot better than yesterday,'' McIlroy said. ``I felt like I hit the ball a lot better. I feel that I made a couple of loose swings off the tee and obviously one on the last, and a couple others, but it's getting there. So hopefully I can just keep that going tomorrow and maybe get off to a fast start and put pressure on the guys in front of me.''
Top-ranked Luke Donald (73) is 11 shots behind Woods, with No. 2-ranked Lee Westwood (68) seven off the lead.
UK lifts tax to pull out Bolt
The British government on Thursday announced it would relax stiff income tax rules for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, a move that could lure Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt and a host of top-tier athletes to the Glasgow showpiece.
Under British law, non-residents are required to pay a 50 per cent tax rate on their appearance fee, and also cough up a quantity of their worldwide endorsement income.
The regulation has forced Bolt, the reigning Olympic 100 and 200 metres champion, to opt out of the London Aviva Grand Prix for the last two years.
"With six months tomorrow to go until London 2012, I'm pleased to announce this special exemption for Glasgow 2014 which will prolong the Olympic legacy and help spread the long-term benefits into Scotland," said chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander.
"Everyone wants to see the best athletes compete at Glasgow 2014 and this exemption will make that more likely. Seeing the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, it's clear that Glasgow will be an outstanding venue for the Commonwealth Games which showcases the best of UK and international sporting talent."
Glasgow 2014 chairman Lord Smith hailed the UK government's new initiative, pointing out it would now make the Games appealing to the world's best athletes, including the galaxy of Jamaican sprinters currently on the international stage.
Of recent, the Commonwealth Games have failed to attract elite athletes as they have opted for the brighter lights of the World Championship and the Olympics.
"This agreement opens the door for the Commonwealth's elite international athletes such as Jamaica's sprinters, Australia's swimmers and cyclists, and Kenya's distance runners to compete at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games," Lord Smith said.
"As a major multi-sport event, with a truly global reach, Glasgow 2014 and its Games Partners are working very hard to make the XX Commonwealth Games a 'must-attend' event for the brightest stars of the Commonwealth.
"There is no doubt that (this) announcement significantly increases the access and attraction for top performers to compete at Glasgow 2014."
The last edition of the Commonwealth Games was staged in Delhi, India, in 2010.