Beenie warns Barbados to stop pressuring Jamaicans
DANCEHALL deejay Beenie Man has warned immigration officials in that country to stop pressuring Jamaicans, reports the Barbados Nation.
“Ease up Jamaican. Stop pressure Jamaican,” he said from the stage at the Reggae Beach Party in Brandons Beach, St Michael last Sunday.
In reference to the ongoing dispute about alleged mistreatment of Jamaicans by Barbados immigration, the entertainer — real name Moses Davis — claimed that several of his friends had similar experiences.
"Sometime you get fed up ah one ting, yuh know. Cause you have been all over de world and den sometime you doan really need to come to Barbados. The immigration need to think twice. I have friends who come over here and end up in jail fi four days fi no reason," he stated.
He added that he had also been arrested on his last visit to Barbados but that he bore no grudge.?
"vibes nice and de people dem enjoy demself and me like that. Thank you Barbados," he said.??
Source: jamaicaobserver
Kartel says...'NO MORE GUN, WAR BADMAN LYRICS'
Controversial deejay Vybz Kartel says he will no longer be recording counteractions, war, gun, and bad man lyrics in his songs.
Speaking with The JAMAICAN STAR yesterday, the deejay said that he made this decision because he has moved past persons trying to get a 'hype' off his name and he is trying to distance himself from negative associations.
"Me stop do gun song and bad man lyrics," he said. "I did a song called Bad Up Yuh Mada and everyone and their mada counteracted it. Well, I got news for them. Dem a war wid demselves, cause I ain't giving them the time of day, hush yaw insects and parasites. I must be Twitter cause everybody a follow me."
He added, "With that being said, the record must show that firstly Big BadAnd Brave, secondly Duppy Know Who Fi Frighten and thirdly Clap It Up were all released this month just in case people hear them and think I'm going against my word."
Kartel has been known throughout his career for recording gun and bad man lyrics in songs such as War Nah Talk Over,12 Gauge, Broad Daylight, When We A War, Weh Dem A Go, Kill Dem All And Done and more.
He has also done a number of counteractions aimed at former rival Mavado, former mentor Bounty Killer, and the Alliance. Kartel however says, "I just think it's played out now and I don't have time for the negative associated with it or the other artistes who seek to counteract them as a means to reignite their mediocre career. It takes away from creativity."
In the future, Kartel says he will not be responding to any lyrics aimed at him directly or indirectly. He said, "Why should I? It's all about Gaza, Gully and I-Octane, so anyone who wants to bridge the current, so to speak, will have to do so with creativity and originality. Not mediocrity and frivolous banter."
He added, "I wonder if these artistes don't feel shame or they don't have any shame. I did a song saying 'call up me name jus fi get a forward' and it seems like that song just fell on deaf ears, because they're doing it now more than ever. But you know what? More than anything, I feel sorry for them."
As to whether he will do these songs during stage-show performances, the deejay said he had not done a gun song for close to a year. He added, "Only since this year I did Real Bad Man, Clap It Up - both of which I regret doing and Duppy Know Who Fi Frighten. With the exception of Duppy Know, I don't think I will be performing those songs."
The artiste says that even with his stance, his songs will still be lyrically interesting and fans can expect the 'usual Kartel topics.' He disclosed, "remember I'm a person who sings about my life. And in my life there is never a dull moment."
Jamaican artistes team up to stop the violence
Two of Jamaica's upcoming Dancehall artistes, Hype Type and Marlon Binns (a member of Alliance), have linked up to collaborate on the single Stop The Violence.
Born in Manchester, Marlon and Hype both grew up sharing most of the same dreams and aspirations. Both artistes dreamt of becoming entertainers, using their talents not only for the benefit of self but to encourage and educate the mass and promote a positive change in the behaviour of today's youth.
As is evident, crime and violence is one of Jamaica's leading problems and the same is true for most neighbouring islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia and of recent, Bermuda, where Hype Type now resides with its rapidly rising crime rate.
Both artistes, Hype and Marlon, have taken the initiative to record this collaboration as they claim they have reached the saturation point with the crime statistics and news bulletins detailing violence and bloodshed on a daily basis.
The artistes say that they hope that the song will bring across a positive message to their fans and the rest of the world.
Barbados PM breaks silence on Shanique Myrie case
Prime Minister Freundel Stuart said surveillance cameras will be installed at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) as Barbados continues to deal with the controversy sparked by allegations by a Jamaican woman that she had been sexually abused by immigration officials on her arrival here last month.
In his first televised news conference with the state-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) yesterday night, Stuart, who became head of government following the death of Prime Minister David Thompson last October, said that 20-year-old Shanique Myrie is free to return to Barbados and identify the person who assaulted her.
"There will be cameras put where there are none now so that in the event of a recurrence. Camera evidence should be available to confirm the allegations or contradict it. There has been a very persistent issue relating to the installation of cameras at our ports of entry and one of the questions I asked in the meeting I convened was whether the existence of cameras would have played any role in the instant resolution of this matter and there was a resounding consensus that had cameras been in the right place there would be no scope for speculation," said Stuart.
Jamaican foreign minister, Ken Baugh, has said that the matter could be headed to the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) if Bridgetown and Kingston cannot work out their differences.
Last month Jamaica sent a high level delegation to Bridgetown for talks with Barbadian authorities on the issue after Myrie said she was subjected to an invasive cavity search by a female immigration officer when she arrived in Barbados on March 14.
Source: jamaicaobserver
Disaster officials informed at National Hurricane Conference to expect above average 2011 Season.
Disaster Section Head Paul Martens said disaster management officials attending the National Hurricane Conference (NHC) in Atlanta, Georgia, expect an above average hurricane season.
Martens said the NHC being a platform for networking, allowed the Sint Maarten delegation to interact with colleagues from around the region and the USA.
"Sint Maarten has become an example for the region in the field of disaster management and mitigation over the years," Disaster Section Head Paul Martens told the Department of Communications (DCOMM) on Wednesday.
Disaster Coordinator Fire Chief Winston Salomon also attended the conference.
Martens said that next year the Tropical Island sessions of the conference will focus on an overview of the past hurricane season; climate change and its effects on the Caribbean; tsunami; flooding; building codes; hurricane awareness and avoiding complacency.
Emphasis will also be placed on using newer modes of communication such as social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and other social media.
The primary goal of the NHC was to improve hurricane preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation in order to save lives and property in the United States and the tropical islands of the Caribbean and Pacific.
In addition, the conference served as a national forum for federal, state and local officials to exchange ideas and recommend new policies to improve Emergency Management.
"Attending the conference was refreshing with respect to the upcoming season and it allowed us to also interact with regional colleagues and exchange information and idea in the area of disaster management and planning," Martens concluded on Wednesday.
Man gets $136,440 for false imprisonment
A 25-year-old Morvant man who was beaten with a metal broom handle by police officers in Tobago and detained for 72 hours without any charges being laid against him has been awarded $136,440 in damages. Lawyers for the State entered into a consent order before San Fernando judge Andre des Vignes yesterday and agreed to pay Konig Dick, of Romain Land, Mon Repos Road, Morvant, damages for the the incident which occurred at the Scarborough Police Station.
Dick, through his attorney Cindy Bhagwandeen, had filed a personal action for false imprisonment/assault and battery against the Attorney General. According to Dick’s statement of claim, on November 17, 2008 around 1.45 pm he was at his aunt Edith Jack-Richards’ home at Charlotteville, when Constables Wallace, Boodoo and Wettfield, entered the house.
Dick said he did not know they were police officers so he hid in the bathroom when he saw the guns.
One of the officers, he said, took a broom with a metal handle and started to beat him. The other two officers “joined in and kicked me about my body.” The beating, he said, lasted for 15 minutes. Dick said he was falsely imprisoned from 1.45 pm on November 17, 2008 to 2 pm on November 20, 2008 and subsequently released without being charged.
Clico/HCU files confidential
CHAIRMAN of the Clico/HCU Commission of Inquiry Sir Anthony Colman has acceded to lawyers’ requests to cover all documents filed in the public enquiry with blanket confidentiality, sources yesterday confirmed.
The crucial issue of the status of documents in the enquiry has triggered a series of manoeuvres and behind-the-scenes wrangling among lawyers who have already held two private meetings over the issue, even after the completion of a first set of procedural hearings a few weeks ago.
With the Central Bank refusing to disclose key reports, including a KPMG forensics report into Clico, lawyers have nonetheless agreed to the disclosure of other reports subject to the finalising of a confidentiality protocol stemming from a new set of procedural rules issued this month by Colman.
In an apparent effort to allay concerns of lawyers over information about the financial affairs of the parties to the enquiry becoming public, the commission earlier this month modified its procedural rules to cover all documents with blanket confidentiality.
Colman on April 15 issued a new set of procedural rules which tightened the confidentiality of documents in the enquiry.
According to a copy of the new procedural rules, obtained by Newsday, “all documents received by the commission will be treated by the commission as confidential, unless and until they are made available to the parties.”
However, the rules further state that documents “shall remain confidential to the parties until they are made part of the public record or the commission otherwise directs. The protocol annexed to these rules applies.”
“Unless the commission orders otherwise, a document or part of a document within the commission’s possession that has not been entered as an exhibit or referred to in evidence in a public phase of the enquiry is not available for public inspection or copying.”
Also, according to Part VI of the rules, the commission “may produce a document to a potential witness prior to the witness giving his or her statement or giving evidence before the commission, unless it is subject to a claim to legal professional privilege or immunity that has been upheld by the commission or is subject to a pending ruling on such a claim.”
It is understood that talks on a specific confidentiality protocol, supplemental to these agreed rules issued by Colman, are ongoing.
Contacted yesterday Attorney General Anand Ramlogan declined comment on the new procedural rules issued by Colman, noting that such matters are entirely up to the commission.
“I do not think it appropriate to comment on an ongoing commission and would prefer to leave that to the judgement and discretion of the commissioners,” Ramlogan said.
As reported in an exclusive Newsday report yesterday Ramlogan has written the Ministry of Finance for an update over the court actions of the Central Bank in relation to the Clico meltdown. The Central Bank has declined to disclose the KPMG report on the basis of legal privilege, arguing that the report is for the purpose of pending legal action.
Ramlogan yesterday said his request for an update was in order to ensure that expensive litigation is not undertaken by the State and to ensure accountability with regard to public funds.
ENQUIRY
Vulture damages Caribbean Airlines aircraft
A Caribbean Airlines (CAL) aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing here yesterday with more than 150 passengers on board after a bird was sucked into its engine.
Aviation Minister, Robeson Benn said “the engine sustained critical damage” and up to late yesterday night, engineers were working to repair the aircraft.
A vulture flew into the engine of the outgoing Caribbean Airlines flight forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
The plane landed safely with all 152 passengers and the state-run Government Information Agency (GINA) quoted Benn as saying that steps would be taken to eradicate the birds that sometimes hover at an altitude of 3,000 feet over an area where pig and chicken entrails are disposed.
GINA said the passengers on Caribbean Airlines flight 662 departing the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) enroute to Trinidad with other connections to Toronto, experienced the first noted incident of a bird-strike of a large commercial jet liner.
Benn explained that on take-off and at an altitude of 3,000 feet a bird-strike occurred impacting the left engine of the aircraft.
“Captain Richard Law and co-pilot Michael Abraham made a prudent decision based on the vibrations and sounds coming out of the engine to circle back and return for an emergency landing at the CJIA,” Benn stated.
All the necessary arrangements were in place on the ground for landing and passengers were given needed attention.
The passengers were able to depart Guyana on another Caribbean Airlines flight.
Been said that the authorities would be moving to deal with the dumping of entrails from chicken and pig in the area, noting that “ a great amount of efforts has been expended over the last two years to have some of these operations removed from the vicinity of the airport”.
International Pressure Mounts on Syria as Military Siege Continues
International diplomatic pressure is mounting on Syria amid reports of more military tanks and troops fanning out to stop an anti-government backlash.
Members of the U.N. Security Council are due to meet Wednesday to discuss a joint statement condemning the continuing violence against protesters in Syria.
French officials said five European Union countries are summoning the Syrian ambassadors as part of an EU effort to quell the Syrian crackdown.
The Reuters news agency reports that EU officials will discuss on Friday the possibility of imposing economic sanctions on Syria.
The U.N. Human Rights Council announced it will hold a special session about Syria on Friday in an effort to persuade President Bashar al-Assad to end his assault on civilians.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an independent inquiry into the violence on Tuesday. He condemned the use of tanks and live fire that have killed and injured hundreds.
Truckloads of Syrian troops deployed early Wednesday in the Damascus suburb of Douma and the coastal city of Banias, while soldiers bolstered their positions in the flashpoint town of Daraa.
More than 400 people have been killed since pro-democracy protests erupted last month. The Syrian rights organization Sawasiah says at least 500 people have been arrested.
Syrian opposition figures have urged President Assad to ensure a transition to democracy as demanded by protesters.
In a statement Wednesday, the activists said either the president will lead the transition period or the country will go through a "massive grassroots revolution" that will break down the regime.
President Assad last week ended the country's 48-year-old emergency law, a key demand of protesters, and abolished a state security court. But the government then took other steps to crush demonstrations.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
Liberians Sentenced to Nearly 12 Years in Jail for Stealing US Aid
A U.S. judge has sentenced two Liberian former aid workers to nearly 12 years in prison each for stealing close to $2 million in U.S. aid that was intended to help their war-torn country.
The U.S. Justice Department says a jury convicted Joe Bondo and Morris Fahnbulleh in November of fraud and conspiracy for stealing food and construction resources when they supervised rebuilding projects for Christian humanitarian organization World Vision.
Prosecutors say the U.S. Agency for International Development awarded a grant, through Catholic Relief Services, to World Vision in 2005 for a program to rebuild communities following Liberia's 14-year civil war. In return, USAID would distribute food to residents of the communities.
The Justice Department says a 2008 audit revealed up to 91 percent of the food never reached its intended beneficiaries. Prosecutors said Bondo and Fahnbulleh sold the food, kept the money and ordered World Vision employees to falsify reports of food distributions. They reportedly warned the employees they could lose their jobs if they did not cooperate and also paid some subordinates “hush money” to secure their silence.
The two Liberians also were said to have directed U.S.-funded workers to perform construction work on their personal compounds instead of building clinics, schools, roads and other infrastructure projects.