Madonna upset over leaked single, says manager
Madonna's manager says the singer is "very upset" that a demo version of her new single, Give Me All Your Love, has leaked online months ahead of release.
Guy Oseary tweeted to say material from the star's new album was not supposed to be released until the new year.
"Madonna told me this morning 'my true fans wouldn't do this'. Whoever is responsible for this leak, we ask that you please stop," he wrote.
The single is Madonna's first since leaving her label, Warner Bros.
She signed a ground-breaking deal with Live Nation in 2007, giving the company rights to all her music-related projects - including new albums, tours, merchandise, websites, DVDs, sponsorship, TV shows and films.
That was followed by her final album for Warner Bros, Hard Candy, in 2008, and a greatest hits collection, Celebration, a year later.
She had been with the label since the start of her career in the 1980s, selling more than 200 million records.
Give Me All Your Love is a pure pop record, in the vein of Madonna's former hits Into The Groove and Beautiful Stranger.
The demo begins with cheerleaders chanting: "L-U-V Madonna", and was produced by French musician Martin Solveig, who scored a worldwide hit with Hello earlier this year.
Oseary said Madonna had been "very happy with the positive reaction to the demo".
However, he sought fans' help in policing any further leaks and asked them to "respect the process".
The completed version of Give Me All Your Love will reportedly feature rappers Nicki Minaj and MIA, while Madonna is rumoured to be launching her new album with a performance at the Super Bowl on 5 February, 2012.
Oseary went on say that the album had yet to be titled and was expected to be finished in the next month.
He also confirmed Madonna had written a ballad for the film W.E., which she directed and co-wrote and is due to be released in UK cinemas in January.
This is not the first time Madonna has found herself the victim of leaks. Unfinished mixes of her 2000 single and album Music ended up online ahead of release.
By the time she released her follow-up, American Life, the pop star tackled file-sharing websites head on, uploading a fake version of the song to Napster which, when played, contained a recording of the star saying: "What do you think you are doing?"
Morgan Freeman to receive lifetime Golden Globe
Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman is to receive the Cecil B DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Golden Globes next year.
The 74-year-old won a Golden Globe in 1990 for his role in Driving Miss Daisy and has scored four other nominations.
The award is bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for outstanding contribution to the world of entertainment.
Freeman will receive the prize at a Los Angeles ceremony on 15 January.
Announcing the award, actress Amy Adams described the actor as "one of the most recognisable figures in American cinema".
"He has amazing screen presence, an unmatchable voice and quiet dignity, and has created some of the most memorable portrayals ever recorded on film," she said.
In a career spanning four decades, Freeman has been Oscar nominated five times and won the best supporting actor prize in 2004 for Million Dollar Baby.
He came to public attention in 1987 crime drama Street Smart, which earned him his first Oscar nomination.
His other credits include Unforgiven, The Shawshank Redemption, Invictus and the recently released family film, Dolphin Tale.
He is currently filming Batman sequel The Dark Knight Rises, in which he reprises his role as Lucius Fox.
The Cecil B DeMille Award was first given in 1952 to the filmmaker whose name it bears.
Previous recipients have included Walt Disney, Joan Crawford, Warren Beatty, Anthony Hopkins, Steven Spielberg and Robert De Niro.
Diana King newest Album "AgirLnaMeKING."
Yesterday singing sensation Diana King released her new album AgirLnaMeKING , the same day she celebrated her 41st birthday (11/8).
In celebrating her birthday King gave her fans her best album to date, AgirLnaMeKING, which gives a insight in her life of her journey toward healing after overcoming her fight with multiple sclerosis. The disease threatened to end her career, but King fought and immersed herself in writing and producing music, which she found therapeutic and inspiring.
The album was released on her own record label is a collection of 13 songs, led by first single “Yu Dun Kno,” which features Indian artist Gunjan. The track is co-written and co-produced by King, Handel Tucker and Paul Kastick. King’s last album was 2010’s Warrior Girl.
King said "Music was my therapy and I spent every waking minute in the studio, firstly as a way to distract myself from what I was feeling physically, but by the time I came up for air I had written over a hundred songs and I felt great!"
Suing 'Spider-Man'
Director Julie Taymor sued the producers of Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark yesterday, saying they violated her creative rights and haven't compensated her for the work she put into Broadway's most expensive musical.
Charles Spada, an attorney who filed the suit on behalf of the Tony Award-winning director, said yesterday in a statement that "the producers' actions have left her no choice but to resort to legal recourse to protect her rights".
Rick Miramontez, the show's spokesman, was not immediately aware of the copyright-infringement lawsuit, filed in United States District Court in Manhattan. Taymor was not available to comment.
The lawsuit seeks half of all profits, gains and advantages derived from the sale, licence, transfer or lease of any rights in the original Spiderman book, along with a permanent ban of the use of Taymor's name or likeness in connection with a promotional film without her written consent. It also seeks a jury trial to determine her share of profits from the unauthorised use of her book, which the lawsuit said was believed to be in excess of $1 million.
Taymor, who had been the Spider-Man director and co-book writer, was fired from the US$75-million musical that features music by U2's Bono and The Edge in March after years of delays, accidents and critical backlash.
Philip William McKinley, who directed the Hugh Jackman musical The Boy From Oz in 2003, was hired to steer the ship. He was billed as creative consultant when the musical opened in June.
The show has been doing brisk business ever since, most weeks easily grossing more than the US$1.2 million the producers have indicated they need to reach to stay viable. Last week, it took in US$1.4 million and 86 per cent of the 1,930-seat Foxwoods Theatre was filled.
According to Spada, "Producers have failed to compensate Ms Taymor for their continued use of her work to date, despite the fact that the show has consistently played to capacity or near-capacity houses since its first public performance in November 2010."
No changes
The lawsuit said the producers continued to "promote, use, change and revise" her work, including the book of the musical, without her approval. It said that her contracts called for no changes to be made without her consent.
According to the lawsuit, the producers' lawyers belatedly sent Taymor a cheque for $52,880 on November 4, purportedly as payment of her co-bookwriter royalties for performances of the musical through April 17, the last performance of the show before the revisions.
"The producers, however, continue to refuse to pay Taymor any royalties for performances after April 17, 2011," the lawsuit said. It said she is owed more than $70,000 additional book royalties to date, along with royalties of nearly $3,000 per week for performances.
The lawsuit said nearly one quarter of the new Spider-Man book is copied verbatim from Taymor's original book.
Taymor's lawsuit comes less than a week after the Tony Awards Administration Committee ruled that only Taymor will be considered eligible for the show's Tony for best direction of a musical category. The lawsuit said the awards committee rejected the producer's contention that McKinley had changed the musical into a "new" production.
Taymor is also seeking compensation from the union that represents theatre directors. The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society filed an arbitration claim in June against the show's producers over unpaid royalties.
The legal fights are in contrast to the wide smiles and hugs shared by the creative team on opening night. In the months since then, Taymor hasn't spoken at length about the behind-the-scenes turmoil, but has said she is still proud of the show and is not bitter.
Gov't denies targeting PNP politicians in tax-dodgers hunt
The Government has rejected claims that it is using the tax authorities to target persons who have put themselves forward to represent the People's National Party (PNP) in the next general election.
Minister with responsibility for information, Arthur Williams, says while it might be true that these PNP candidates have been subject to several tax audits, there is no political connection.
"They are not being targeted because they are politicians. Indeed, the tax department would not know that John Brown is a politician," declared Williams at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing.
Williams was responding to claims made on Tuesday by some of the new candidates entering representational politics on the PNP's ticket.
"There is a new slew of PNP representatives coming from the business sector and I don't know that one of us has not been the victim of numerous tax audits," Leonard Green, the party's standard-bearer in Western St Thomas, told a Gleaner Editors' Forum.
"I have gone through seven tax audits already since July 2010 and I am telling you it is not easy ... . And I have to say these things because I know as we speak right now, these are some of the methods to make sure that I don't even reach nomination day," added Green.
But Williams told the post-Cabinet media briefing that the increase in audits by the tax department was part of a national compliance plan designed to target tax dodgers who are self-employed.
Planned months ago
Williams noted that the tax department had announced details of the plan months ago.
"That plan also indicated that within the broad category of self-employed persons, there were three professional categories that would be targeted - attorneys-at-law, doctors and accountants," added Williams.
He noted that the PNP candidates who have complained, including Dr Winston Green who will run in South East St Mary, are all self-employed professionals in the targeted group.
"Whether you are a JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) doctor, a PNP doctor or a NDM (National Democratic Movement) doctor, you are a doctor and you would be in the targeted group. The same would apply for accountants, attorneys and other self-employed persons," said Williams.
Source-Jamaica Gleaner
Baseball player Wilson Ramos kidnapped in Venezuela
Baseball player Wilson Ramos has been kidnapped from his family home in the city of Valencia in Venezuela.
He was taken on Wednesday by four armed men in a van, according to Kathe Vilera, spokeswoman for the Tigres de Aragua team.
Mr Ramos, 24, plays as catcher for Tigres de Aragua and also for the Washington Nationals team in the US Major League.
Venezuela is believed to have one of the world's worst rates of kidnapping.
The national director of Venezuela's investigative police force, Jose Humberto Ramirez, confirmed the abduction to local media and said police were deploying to rescue Mr Ramos.
The president of the Tigres de Aragua team, Rafael Rodriguez Rendon, visited Mr Ramos's family to express the team's "solidarity" with them. According to local media, he called for "caution and calm" while the authorities investigated the incident.
Lack of security
Sports figures have found themselves the target of violent crime in Venezuela in the past, but this is thought to be the first case targeting a baseball player who plays in the US Major League.
Most kidnappings in Venezuela are carried out to extort a ransom, but there were no immediate reports of any ransom demand.
In a statement on her Twitter account, Ms Vilera added: "Lack of security in this country has no limits and nobody does anything! When will the kidnappings stop?"
The rising rate of violent crime has become a major source of public concern in Venezuela in recent years, with many accusing President Hugo Chavez's government of not doing enough to combat the problem.
Dispute continues between LIAT management and unions
A war of words has erupted between LIAT management and unions after talks on proposed job cuts failed to take place last Friday.
Airline CEO Brian Challenger has rejected union claims that management was responsible for the breakdown in discussions.
He also brushed aside calls by representatives of two regional trade unions for an audit of the airline’s operation.
The calls were made by Chairman of the Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA) Michael Blackburn and Lawrence Poyotte of the National Workers’ Union of St Lucia.
Poyotte charged that the airline’s management has fueled the conflict.
Blackburn also said that the management team has doubled within four years.
However, the CEO said management as well as line staff had been a part of the company’s ongoing voluntary separation and reduction programmes.
Challenger also struck aside claims that the company’s management structure was bloated and that the process of job reductions unfairly targeted only low wage earners.
“The fact of the matter is that the company’s decisions are being made based on our strategic assessment of where the company has to go if it is to survive in the present very difficult economic environment,” he insisted.
The CEO stated that the management is seeking to restructure the company to ensure its survival in the midst of a global economic crisis.
He explained that this involves efforts to enhance its revenue, cut costs and other actions which would “regrettably lead to reducing the present complement of staff.”
The unions have called for a Comprehensive Restructuring Plan to be put forward at least a month ahead of any talks.
The LIAT CEO said while he recognizes the concerns of unions, there should not be any preconditions for dialogue to start.
“We intend to continue our efforts to meet with our union partners in addressing the very real challenges that the company faces,” he said.
The LIAT CEO also queried the call by union representatives for additional audits of the company.
He noted that LIAT’s accounts were up to date and were audited by some of the leading international accounting firms.
Caribbean 360 News
7 bodies found on sports field in Mexican village
Police say the naked bodies of six men and a woman have been found on an outdoor basketball court in northern Mexico.
Police say the bodies, which bore signs of violence, were found in a village outside the city of Durango. The victims were residents of the village. Investigators say they haven't yet determined a motive.
In Acapulco, police yesterday found the decapitated bodies of a man and a woman inside an abandoned taxi.
The Pacific port city has seen vicious drug-related following the 2010 arrest of suspected capo Edgar Valdez Villareal, a Texas-born man known as "La Barbie”.
Overall, Mexico's drug war has claimed more than 35,000 lives since President Felipe Calderon launched it in late 2006. Others put the death toll at 40,000.
St Lucia, Guyana in same day election
WHILE new Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness continues to keep alive speculations of a snap parliamentary poll, possibly before Christmas, the Prime Minister of St Lucia Stephenson King announced last Sunday a general election for November 28.
This surprise date means that for the first time in the history of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), two member states will be voting for new governments on the same day.
President Bharrat Jagdeo had announced on October 9 that Guyanese will be voting for a new government on Monday, November 28, where there will be a three-way electoral battle for an executive president and a 65-member National Assembly.
Guyana's incumbent People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), which is seeking an unprecedented fifth successive five-year term, a five-month old coalition of parties known as the APNU (A Partnership for National Unity), dominated by the old People's National Congress, and the Alliance For Change (AFC), now contesting its second national poll.
In St Lucia, the United Workers Party (UWP), whose founder-leader Sir John Compton died as prime minister shortly after the party defeated the then two-term St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) in December 2006, has been boasting of returning to state power, according to its own forecast of securing a majority of the 17 parliamentary seats at stake.
The emergence of the APNU in Guyana marks a significant departure in traditional parliamentary battles between the two dominant mass-based parties (PPP/C and PNC), and now, in contrast, a virtual 'pick-up side' of small parties dominated by the PNC to constitute APNU.
But in St Lucia both the SLP and UWP continue to be the major contenders for state power with the latter under the first-time leadership of Stephenson King. There are, of course other significant political differences with the opposition SLP under the leadership of former Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony, favoured by The Voice, the country's oldest and acclaimed most widely read newspaper, giving a clear all-round lead for a Labour victory.
Chavez: navy detects submarine off Venezuela
President Hugo Chavez said yesterday that his navy detected a submarine in Venezuelan waters and that it quickly sped off.
The submarine was detected on Tuesday near the Venezuelan island of La Orchila in the Caribbean north of Caracas, where Venezuelan troops are participating in training drills near the island, Chavez told state television by telephone.
"It was pursued. It escaped because it's much faster than ours," Chavez said, referring to Venezuela's diesel-powered submarines. He said that judging by its speed and size, "it's a nuclear-powered submarine."
Chavez said his government was unable to say what nation might have sent the sub. "We can't accuse anyone," Chavez said, adding that his government is investigating.
The leftist leader has long had tense relations with the United States, and has recently called the U.S. together with its European allies "the empires."
"Now you know how the empires are used to going around the Caribbean Sea and going everywhere, and they also use their satellites for espionage. It's espionage," Chavez said.
He praised Venezuelan navy troops for their handling of the incident, saying they had driven off the sub.