Diana Ross set for Grammy tribute
Diana Ross, Glen Campbell and the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs will be among those honoured at the forthcoming Grammy Awards in February.
Ross, 67, receives her first Grammy - a lifetime achievement award for her contribution to the recording industry.
Campbell will also be celebrated along with George Jones, Gil Scott-Heron, the Memphis Horns, the Allman Brothers and Brazil's Antonio Carlos Jobim.
The 54th Grammy awards will take place in Los Angeles on 12 February.
Ross has received a number of Grammy nominations over the course of her 50-year career but has never won the award.
Her early success with the Supremes was later eclipsed by a solo career that saw her have 18 number one records in the US.
'Lasting impressions'
Jobs, who died in October, is among those receiving one of the Trustees Awards that recognise "outstanding contributions to the industry in a non-performing capacity".
The iPod creator is honoured for his part in devising "products and technology that transformed the way we consume music, TV, movies, and books," the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences said.
Jobim, who died in 1994 aged 67, is considered one of Brazil's most influential musicians and helped to draw international attention to the bossa nova.
Other award recipients include musician and arranger Dave Bartholomew and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder.
"This year's honourees offer a variety of brilliance, contributions and lasting impressions on our culture," said Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy.
"It is an honour to recognise such a diverse group of individuals whose talents and achievements have had an indelible impact on our industry."
Man arrested in Spain over Madonna song leak
Spanish police have arrested and charged a man with illegally leaking an early version of a new Madonna song.
The 31-year-old is alleged to have put a demo of Gimme All Your Luvin on the internet in November.
The investigation began after lawyers traced the recording to Spain. The man, described by police as a big fan of the singer, was arrested in Zaragoza.
Madonna's first studio album in five years is due for release in late March, with the first single out next month.
Police have not named the man arrested, but confirmed his initials as J.M.R.
Officers in the northern Spanish city said they found recordings of the song in a search of the suspect's belongings.
Madonna, 53, was said to have been "very upset" when the song first leaked last month.
Her manager, Guy Oseary, tweeted about the incident and asked fans to help police any further leaks.
The singer's upcoming album, her first since 2008's Hard Candy, has already been completed and will be released as part of a new three album deal with Interscope Records.
It was also recently announced that the star will perform during the high profile Superbowl half-time show on 5 February.
Kartel co-accused remanded
The two men who were charged in relation to the killing of Clive “Lizard” Williams for which dancehall entertainer Vybz Kartel, is also charged were remanded in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Andre St. John and Shane Williams are to return to court on January 7.
It is expected that at that time the crown will move to have their case transferred to the Home Circuit Court, where they will be charged jointly with Vybz Kartel and the three other accused.
Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, his stylist Calvin ‘Moonie’ Haye, deejay Shawn Storm, and Kiro Jones are facing the charge of murder.
Clive Williams was reportedly beaten and stabbed in Havendale, St Andrew, on August 16, but the police have not located his body.
Last month, the investigating officer in the case told the court that the police have video and audio recordings linking Vybz Kartel, and his co-accused to the killing.
The investigating officer said the police also have eye witness statements connecting the men to the murder.
Jamaica Gleaner
Maya Angelou defuses 'feud' with Common
It was reported earlier this week that Dr. Maya Angelou was upset with the rapper Common over his use of the "N" word on his new album, but Angelou has since clarified that there isn't a dispute.
Common's just-released "The Dreamer/The Believer" features Angelou, 83, reciting a poem on the track "The Dreamer." The New York Post reported Sunday that Angelou was "horrified" that the rapper would have her appear on a song in which he uses the term.
The legendary poet was quoted as saying that she was "surprised and disappointed," adding, "I don't know why he chose to do that. I had never heard him use that [word] before. I had admired him so because he wasn't singing the line of least resistance."
On Monday, Angelou called in to BET's "106 & Park," where Common was talking about his new album, and, according to a statement, said "disappointed" was the wrong word.
"I don’t think the word 'disappointment' quite makes it," Angelou reportedly told listeners. "I was 'surprised.' I know that Common is brilliant. He may, in fact, be close enough to be called a genius – I’m not sure."
She continued, "I know that we are all in process and young artists are in process. It’s important to realize that all of you – all of us – [are in process]. There was a statement made by Machiavelli in the 15th century. He said if you want to control the people, separate them and you can rule them. Divide them and you can conquer them. I will not be divided from Common. By anybody’s imagination, he is brilliant and even genius, maybe. But certainly smarter than us to know that he’s in process. And next week, he might not even use the 'N' word, or the 'B' word. It may even take two or three weeks, or a month. But I’m not going to be separated from him."
Common told the Post that he hadn't told Angelou that he was using the term on the song, but that he had expressed the sentiment he wanted to get across.
"I told her what 'The Dreamer' was about and what I wanted to get across to people," the 39-year-old artist said. "I wanted young people to hear this and feel like they really could accomplish their dreams."
To those tuned in to Monday's "106 & Park," Angelou advised, "Do your best to not be divided. This doesn’t mean you are supposed to support everything anybody says. Say 'I disagree, but I don’t disagree to the point where I want you dead and out of here.' You must understand that, people, we live in direct relation to the heroes and she-roes we have....If we don’t have heroes and she-roes and keep them alive, we are nothing."
Philippines floods: More than 1,000 remain missing
The Philippines government says 1,079 people are still missing in the wake of the devastating Typhoon Washi.
More than 1,000 others are known to have died in the storm, which struck Mindanao island on Saturday.
Entire neighbourhoods in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities were swept away.
The previous estimate for the missing was just 51 but officials say the new figure includes city migrant workers whose rural relatives did not immediately realise they were missing.
The authorities acknowledge that the new number may still not be accurate, reports the BBC's Kate McGeown in Manila.
Entire families who were killed may still not be accounted for and some of the missing may also be counted among the unidentified dead.
But, says our correspondent, it is clear that the scale of this disaster is far greater than the authorities originally thought.
The death toll from the disaster now stands at 1,080, the government says. Some 338,000 people have been affected and more than 10,000 homes damaged.
Tens of thousands of people are now living in evacuation centres.
Many of those who died were sleeping as Typhoon Washi caused rivers to burst their banks, leading to landslides.
Aid agencies have appealed for funds to help local people. The United Nations is seeking $28.6m (£18.2m) from donors to help provide water and sanitation to storm victims.
"We must improve this situation at the soonest possible time to avoid disease outbreaks that will further compound the hardships of the people already weakened by hunger, and grief from loss of family and friends," Soe Nyunt-U, acting UN humanitarian coordinator, told journalists in Manila on Thursday.
New Zealand's Christchurch rocked by earthquakes
Two strong earthquakes have rocked the New Zealand city of Christchurch, closing the airport and sending residents rushing from buildings.
The first 5.8 quake struck at 1358 local time (0058 GMT), the US Geological Survey said. A second of similar magnitude hit 80 minutes later.
One person was hurt but there were no reports of large-scale damage.
It comes 10 months after swathes of the city were destroyed by another quake.
The first earthquake struck 26km (15 miles) north-east of the city at a depth of 4.7km. The second was in almost exactly the same place, the USGS said.
Electricity and telecommunications services have been disrupted in some areas.
A shopping centre has also been evacuated and residents were reported to be standing outside buildings.
The airport was closed but an official told local media it was expected to reopen later in the day after checks.
Witnesses told local media shoppers ran from buildings as goods fell off shelves.
Police are checking the city for damage and Prime Minister John Key is being updated on developments, his spokesman said.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said events had left people shaken.
"I haven't heard any more significant problems at the moment," local media quoted him as saying after the first quake.
"Inevitably it would have caused damage to structures, we hope it hasn't unsettled any rock falls, and we just have to hope the liquefaction issues don't return."
Liquefaction is the weakening of the soil due to the rising of silt and water sparked by an earthquake.
Local media said there were reports of liquefaction in the suburb of Parklands.
A total of 181 people were killed when the last earthquake struck in February. It caused up to NZ$20bn ($15.5bn, £9.9bn) in economic losses.
Witnesses: 4 Nigerian Security Agents Killed in Blast
Witnesses say four security agents were killed in northeast Nigeria in a roadside bomb explosion.
Reports say the bomb went off Thursday afternoon in the northern city of Damaturu, the capital of Yobe state. A local police officer said security forces exchanged fire with gunmen.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the region has been plagued by violence blamed on the Islamist group Boko Haram.
Explosions have also been reported in other cities in the region, including in Maiduguri, which has been targeted by the radical sect. Boko Haram has been blamed for hundreds of death and a string of bombings in its campaign to implement strict Shariah law in Africa's most populous nation.
The nation's capital Abuja has boosted security in the wake of recent terrorist attacks mostly in the country's north.
In August, Boko Haram was blamed for a suicide bombing at the United Nations headquarters in Abuja, which left at least two dozen people dead.
Nigerian police have arrested 14 suspected Boko Haram members earlier this week and seized guns and explosives from several sites.
Pakistan Rejects US Findings on Border Attack
Pakistan's military has rejected the findings of a U.S. inquiry into last month's coalition attack that killed 24 Pakistan soldiers at Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.
The army said Friday the investigation's findings were “short on facts” and that it would give a detailed response once the formal report is received.
U.S. defense officials Thursday blamed inadequate coordination by both Pakistani and U.S.-led forces for last month's attack.
Brigadier General Stephen Clark, a U.S. Air Force officer who led the investigation, said “an overarching lack of trust” between the two countries prevented each side from receiving specific details on troops and combat locations.
Pentagon spokesman George Little said the investigation found that U.S. forces, given the information they had available to them at the time, acted “in self-defense and with appropriate force after being fired upon.”
He said U.S. officers had shared incorrect mapping information with the Pakistanis, leading to a misunderstanding about the location of Pakistani military posts along the border. That, he said, along with other gaps in information about the activities and location of units from both sides, contributed to “the tragic result.”
But the investigation found that there was “no intentional effort” by U.S. forces to mislead or target the Pakistani military.
The U.S. Department of Defense expressed its “deepest regret” and “sincere condolences” for the incident, but stopped short of meeting the Pakistani demand for a full apology.
Pakistan refused to cooperate in the investigation. Pentagon officials said Thursday that Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Kayani had been briefed on the U.S. military probe's findings.
The NATO-led force in Afghanistan said Thursday it agreed with the investigation report.
The attack on November 26 has inflamed already damaged tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan. Islamabad has ordered U.S. forces to vacate a Pakistani airbase they were using, and has indefinitely closed the two main overland routes NATO uses to send nonlethal supplies to Afghanistan.
American media reports on Thursday quoted unnamed U.S. officials as saying NATO's failure to inform Islamabad that it was conducting the operation may have led Pakistani soldiers to mistake the coalition forces for Taliban militants.
Amnesty Announced Along with Reduction in Surcharge Rates by Gov Todd
His Excellency Ric Todd, in his capacity as Minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands National Insurance Board (NIB), has announced today, December 22, 2012 that there will be a two month amnesty period on NIB surcharges, commencing January 2, 2012 and ending February 29, 2012.
During this amnesty period persons can bring their National Insurance contributions up to date without incurring any surcharges. The NIB will waive a person’s liability to pay any additional charges due in respect of late payment of contributions if:-
(a) the person provides satisfactory evidence to the NIB that all outstanding contributions payable under the National Insurance Ordinance (NIO) have been paid as at the date of commencement of this Ordinance; or
(b) the person pays all outstanding contributions payable under the National Insurance
Ordinance prior to the end of the amnesty period on February 29, 2012. For the purpose of this exercise, a “person” means contributors to the NIB; including
employers and self-employed persons.
Additional charges payable as a consequence of a court order shall not be waived. Governor Todd noted that the amnesty will benefit both Government and Business and provide much needed financial relief to many struggling i nstitutions. Once the amnesty period is concluded, the penalties will be reintroduced for late payment.
“The National Insurance Board is pleased to offer this relief to TCI businesses in this time of economic challenge, both here at home and abroad. We encourage all of our contributors in arrears to make use of this one and only opportunity to bring their accounts current without financial penalty,” said Colin Heartwell, CEO of the NIB.
In addition to the announcement of the Amnesty on Surcharges, legislative amendments have been passed to reduce the surcharge rate on contribution arrears. Contribution arrears will accrue at an initial 10% of contributions for the first month, and will subsequently incur a 3% penalty for each month or part thereof of delay. The 3% rate is a 7% reduction in the rate of 10% charged since 1993 and is in line with actuarial advice. “High penalty rates were severely impacting on businesses, noted Mr. Heartwell and these reduced penalty rates will maintain an incentive for persons to keep accounts current without driving firms into bankruptcy.”
The amnesty period stands to benefit many parties. It is expected to increase the NIB’s contribution income in 2011/2012, while significantly reducing the
level of delinquency. An improved compliance level also stands to reduce the benefit processing time; with more insured persons’ contributions being updated.
The surcharges currently contribute only about 3% of the total NIB annual revenues in 2011/2012 so the immediate financial impact in the NIF will not be significant. The NIB will be foregoing $11.8 million in potential revenue from Government and possibly up to $4 million in potential revenue from the private sector.
This amnesty will benefit TCIG as it reduces the country’s deficit by a third and it helps business as it removes the immediate financial burden of surcharges.
The surcharges are intended to encourage firms to make their contributions on time rather than help drive them into bankruptcy. In this current poor economic climate, many of the public and private
contributors with outstanding surcharges are in severe financial difficulty. This initiative will assist them in their economic recovery and bring new additional contribution revenues in the future.
The surcharge level of 10% was deemed to be too high for some time and this move will reduce the burden to employers while still encouraging NIB payments.
TCIG Voluntary Severence Update
The TCI Government’s Office of Public Service Management can confirm that it began distributing 697 voluntary severance package quotations to civil service applicants this morning.
These quotations outline the compensation package available to individual applicants should they decide to apply for voluntary severance, and TCIG accepts their application.
The quotation pack also includes the application form should individuals wish to proceed. It also provides details of the support package that would be made available to successful volunteers.
This support includes financial advice from a variety of sources such as TC Invest and all the locally represented banks, CV and interview skills advice, general careers advice, how to identify private sector job opportunities, vocational and academic training and skills courses.
Each individual will have three weeks to consider their own offer and decide whether or not to apply.