Vybz Kartel Denying Any Involvement In Roach Death
With his name being tied to yet another murder, incarcerated Dancehall superstar, Adidja Palmer, more popularly known as Vybz Kartel is fed up with law enforcement and is threatening to take action against them for what he deems as consistently unfair treatment.
On Thursday evening, the polarizing deejay issued a handwritten letter to the public addressing a report earlier this week by the Constabulary Communications Network (CCN), revealing that they seized cellular phones, flash drives, a DVD player and an iPod from his cell during separate searches on September 16 and 17. The search was done as part of an investigation into the shooting death of popular Dancehall producer, Patrick 'Roach' Samuels, Kartel's former road manager.
In the letter, Kartel pulled no punches as he criticized police for their handling of the searches while vehemently denying any involvement in Samuels' murder.
"I must first say that the Jamaican police are the worst inefficient set of police in the world," said Kartel. "Who say they act on intelligence when it is completely the opposite. If 'Roach' was killed on Mannings Hill Road Sunday morning, what kind of intelligence could have led the police to Horizon Remand Centre Sunday at midday. I have never spoken to 'Roach' or anyone associated with him nor did I have any altercation with him."
Kartel insisted that he had a permit to carry the various items that were taken from him during the separate searches, citing that Horizon Remand Centre is amongst several prisons which have permits allowing inmates to use different gadgets.
Meanwhile, he hinted that he will be taking action against the police following these most recent events.
"This is not the first time the police have told lies on me since I've been here and like the last time when four cell phones were "found in my cell", I will be contacting INDECOM," he said, "Mi tired a dem police ya. Police!!! Come off mi back now!! And for once, GO DO REAL POLICE WORK!! Unuh come in like a crosses inna mi life! Mi nuh member bout 'Roach' and mi nuh remember bout unuh."
He then added a postscript regarding the events leading up to Samuels' death, saying, "Everybody in the streets knows what took place in the "PARTY" between 'Roach' and "DEM" so all a who a use dem police friend to try frame me, remember this….. Unfair game play twice."
All the items seized from Kartel's cell are being analyzed for evidential purposes as police try to determine what link, if any, they have to Samuels' murder.
Source-OutofRoad
Drake Goes Through His Dating History with Ellen
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Drake was put on a hot seat by Ellen DeGeneres when he dropped by her talk show on Friday, September 20 as part of promo tour for his new album "Nothing Was the Same". The "Ellen DeGeneres Show" host grilled her guest about his dating history.
"I'm going to show you some pictures and you can say, 'dated her,' 'dating her now,' 'I've kissed her once,' or you just held her hand," Ellen said, to which the rapper groaned before he quipped, "This is where my career goes into a downward spiral."
The first shown was Rihanna, with whom he was romantically linked after her infamous split from Chris Brown. She was also reportedly the reason the two male stars were involved in a bottle-hurling club fight in summer 2012.
"Yeah, great girl," Drake said with a seemingly slight bit of nervousness. "We had our moment. Always support and have love for her and yeah..." He added with a chuckle, "I heard myself saying something else and I know I'm going to watch it back and be like, 'That wasn't what I thought I said.' "
When the host generously offered him a do-over, the "Marvin's Room" crooner quickly said that he was not "into do-overs. In any regard."
The next one was his labelmate Nicki Minaj. "Me and Nicki are like family," he said of the female rapper who rose to stardom around the same time he did. "I just love Nicki with all my heart. We haven't really shared like intimate moments."
Then, Tyra Banks' picture was displayed. "I went on a date with her one time, yeah," he dished on. "It was just one date. We went to Disneyland in disguise actually, which was fun. I don't know if it was a date. It was a get together. We're close as well."
As the session continued, Drake said, "This is really bad...How did you not tell me about this?" to which Ellen joked, "We like to surprise our guests." Right on cue, Kim Kardashian's picture was up. "Oh no, no. Come on! What's going on here?" he exclaimed.
The last one on the list was "2 Broke Girls" star Kat Dennings. "I just always had a huge crush on Kat Dennings and she was kind enough one night to oblige me and we went out for dinner," he opened up, before jokingly adding, "They don't call me back after one date according to this."
So is he dating anyone now? "I'm single, I'm ready to mingle," he said. "The album's done. I got free time. But not really, I'm going on tour, but I have a couple months after that."
Aside from the interview session, Drake also performed his chart-busting song "Hold On, We're Going Home".
Source-Ace.Showbiz
Beyonce and Jay Z named top-earning celebrity couple
Beyonce and Jay Z have been named the highest-earning celebrity couple by Forbes.
The pair are reported to have taken home an estimated $95 million (£59 million) in the last year.
Jay Z's recent Watch the Throne album went platinum and launched a world tour that brought in $1.4m (£900,000) per night in America, according to Forbes.
Beyonce's Mrs Carter world tour is estimated to have taken in an average of $2m (£1.3m) per night.
In addition to his music career, Jay Z also part-owns the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, which he will be selling now he has started his own sports agency, Roc Nation Sports.
Beyonce has her own fragrance and clothing lines.
Second on the list are American footballer Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen, who took home $80m (£50m).
Gisele was recently named the highest-earning model and she is thought to have made $4m (£2.5m) more than her husband, who recently signed a $30m (£18.7m) contract with the New England Patriots.
Actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt complete the top three with earnings of $50m (£31.2m).
To compile its list, Forbes estimated the entertainment-related income of celebrities between June 2012 and June 2013 by talking to agents, managers, producers and executives.
Fourth on the list are Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who originally met on the set of That '70s Show. They are estimated to have earned $30m (£18.7m).
He is now the highest-paid actor on television thanks to his role in US comedy Two and a Half Men.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are also thought to have made $30m (18.7m) as a couple.
Kim, who recently gave birth to the couple's first child, is said to have earned $10m (£6.2m).
Kanye West's latest album Yeezus was released too late to include its earnings in the figures.
Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney part company
Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer is to split with Disney.
The studio will end its first-look deal with Bruckheimer in 2014, bringing to a close a partnership that has produced both the Pirates and National Treasure franchises, as well as hits such as Armageddon and The Rock.
Disney faces losses of $190m (£118m) following the recent box office failure of Bruckheimer's The Lone Ranger.
But the producer insisted: "It's not about Lone Ranger."
"It's time for us to tackle all kinds of movies, not just Disney movies," Bruckheimer told The Hollywood Reporter.
"We're still working on Pirates and hopefully National Treasure, and we still have development at Disney."
The Pirates franchise has earned more than $5.4bn (£3.4bn) worldwide for Disney.
"Jerry is one of the most respected and prolific producers working in the motion picture industry, and we have had an incredibly successful collaboration over the past two decades. He is a friend to many of us here at Disney," said Alan Horn, chairman of Disney Studios.
"We will continue to work together in the future, and we look forward to seeing more of the films that have made Jerry Bruckheimer a Hollywood legend," he added, confirming the fifth instalment of Pirates of the Caribbean will still go ahead.
The sequel has reportedly been delayed due to script issues and concerns over budget. It is not expected to open before autumn 2015.
The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp, reportedly cost $215m (£136m) to make and has grossed $243m (£154m) worldwide to date. At the domestic box office, it has brought in only $89m (£55m).
"This is about a long-term relationship with lots of pluses and minuses," Horn said.
"The Lone Ranger certainly didn't help things, but we all have our wins and our losses, and this is an overall thing related to the company's supply of projects from all these other places."
Bruckheimer, whose hits have included Top Gun, Con Air and the TV series CSI, has said he wants to return to "more mature films". He is currently working on sequels to Top Gun and Bad Boys.
He made his mark in the 1980s as a prolific producer, who worked in partnership with the late Don Simpson on films like Days of Thunder and the Beverly Hills Cop series.
"I am very appreciative of the wonderful collaboration and support I have had at The Walt Disney Company for over 20 years and the 27 movies we have made together," Bruckheimer said.
"As we continue to make adventure films, we look forward to returning to films like Black Hawk Down, Enemy of the State, Beverly Hills Cop and The Rock."
Radio Royal hoax 'broke law' according to watchdog
The Australian radio station that made a prank call to the Duchess of Cambridge's hospital "broke the law", the country's media watchdog has said.
The finding came in a confidential, preliminary report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), which emerged in a court case.
It said 2Day FM acted illegally by airing the phone call without consent.
Lawyers for 2Day FM's owner, Southern Cross Austereo, are seeking to block the report, according to local media.
The document came to light as part of their Federal Court hearing, in which they argue the ACMA does not have the power to make a criminal finding, only the courts do.
Australian Federal Police are currently investigating the call.
Nurse Jacintha Saldanha was found dead in December, three days after DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian duped her into transferring a call to the Duchess of Cambridge's hospital ward.
A ward nurse at King Edward VII's Hospital then gave the DJs details about the condition of the Duchess, who was being treated for severe morning sickness at the time.
Christian returned to work two months after the prank call, while Greig remains off air and is suing her employer for failing to provide a safe workplace.
She is due to give evidence in person at the London inquest into Saldanha's death. The inquest was delayed in July for the second time to give coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox time to "seek more information".
Blackberry to cut 4,500 jobs amid earnings plunge
Blackberry has announced it is planning to cut 4,500 jobs, or 40% of its worldwide workforce, in an attempt to staunch huge losses.
The smartphone maker said it anticipated a loss of as much as $995m (£621m) when it reports its second-quarter earnings next week.
Shares in the firm closed down 17% after briefly being halted following the announcement.
In August, the Canadian company said it was evaluating a possible sale.
In a statement on Friday, Blackberry's chief executive Thorstein Heins said: "We are implementing the difficult, but necessary operational changes announced today to address our position in a maturing and more competitive industry, and to drive the company toward profitability."
"Going forward, we plan to refocus our offering on our end-to-end solution of hardware, software and services for enterprises and the productive, professional end user."
The company said the losses were primarily attributable to disappointing sales of its new Z10 model smartphone.
Released in January to much fanfare after many delays, the phone has failed to enthuse consumers.
In June, Mr Heins said that the company had shipped only 2.7 million Z10 phones out of 6.8 million total. Many Blackberry users had instead opted to stick with earlier models.
Over the summer, word trickled out the company had hired a series of advisors to help it explore options.
In August, board member Timothy Dattels was appointed to a committee that would consider different business models, including a potential sale.
"We believe that now is the right time to explore strategic alternatives," said Mr Dattels at the time.
This is the quarter where Blackberry as you used to know it is no longer."
Mr Gillis said the job cuts and losses today could dampen the enthusiasm of potential buyers and might indicate the company could not find any interested parties.
This week, the company released a new version of its handset, the Z30, which was praised by observers but was nonetheless overshadowed by Apple's launch of its new smartphone products.
"It's not a bad phone," said Mr Gillis.
"I'm sure they'll sell at least one."
Analysts have long indicated that Blackberry's trove of patents could be attractive to potential buyers, but none of the large technology companies have publicly indicated interest.
Obama proposes carbon limits on new US power plants
US President Barack Obama has unveiled a proposal to limit carbon emissions on new power plants built in the US.
It would be the first federal attempt to impose limits on the pollution blamed for global warming.
"Climate change - caused by carbon pollution - is one of the most significant public health threats of our time," said Environmental Protection Agency head Gina McCarthy.
But the proposal is opposed by the coal industry and congressional Republicans.
According to the plan outlined by Ms McCarthy, new gas-fired power plants would be limited to 1,000lb (450kg) of carbon dioxide emissions per megawatt hour. New coal-powered plans would be limited to 1,100lb.
Currently, the average coal plant emits about 1,800lb of carbon dioxide per hour.
The proposal would eventually affect existing power plants, which account for around a third of all US greenhouse gas emissions.
To meet the standard, coal plants would need to install new carbon capture technology, which the industry has said is currently too expensive.
Mr Obama has previously said he wants to end what he has called "the limitless dumping of carbon pollution" from US power plants.
In his second inaugural address in January, he promised a renewed focus on climate change - a signature of his first election campaign that was essentially ignored during his first term as president in favour of healthcare reform.
"We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations," said Mr Obama in his January speech.
He said that while "some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science... none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms".
Although the plan unveiled on Friday has been in the works since April 2012, it faces steep opposition from both industry groups and congressional Republicans, who say efforts to force plants to install expensive carbon cleaning technology could hurt job creation.
Currently, coal-powered plants account for around 40% of US electricity consumption, a share which has been shrinking recently.
The plan will be subject to a 60-day comment period, and officials hope to implement it by the fall of 2014.
JP Morgan makes $920m London Whale payout to regulators
US bank JP Morgan Chase has agreed to pay four regulators $920m (£572m) relating to a $6.2bn loss incurred as a result of the "London Whale" trades.
The settlement is the third biggest banking fine by US regulators, and the second largest by UK regulators.
As part of the deal JP Morgan admitted violating US federal securities laws.
Traders at JP Morgan's London office built up huge losses in derivatives trades at the beginning of last year.
Two former JP Morgan traders face criminal charges in the US relating to the case.
They deny charges of lying about the size of their trades in order to hide their mounting losses.
In a statement, the SEC said there had been failings in JP Morgan's internal controls and in senior management.
The regulator said the bank - whose chief executive Jamie Dimon once described the trading problems as a "tempest in a teacup" - had admitted the facts underlying the SEC's charges.
"JP Morgan failed to keep watch over its traders as they overvalued a very complex portfolio to hide massive losses," said George Canellos, co-director of the SEC's division of enforcement.
The Wall Street firm, one of the biggest investment banks in the world, is paying $300m to the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and $200m will go to both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the US Federal Reserve.
A further £138m will be paid to the UK's Financial Conduct Authority as part of the global settlement.
It said JP Morgan's conduct "demonstrated flaws permeating all levels of the firm: from portfolio level right up to senior management".
Tracey McDermott, the FCA's director of enforcement and financial crime, said the failings had undermined trust and confidence in the UK's financial markets.
"This is yet another example of a firm failing to get a proper grip on the risks its business poses to the market," she said.
"Senior management failed to respond properly to warning signals that there were problems.
"As things began to go wrong, the firm didn't wake up quickly enough to the size and the scale of the problems. What is worse, they compounded this by failing to be open and co-operative with us as their regulator."
The London Whale was the name given to then-JP Morgan derivatives trader Bruno Iksil, who is believed to have racked up the losses and is now co-operating with authorities in criminal cases against other traders.
The bank's chief investment officer, Ina Drew, stepped down following the revelation of the losses in 2012.
Mr Dimon, whose "tempest in a teacup" comment in April 2012 prompted criticism he was underplaying the affair, said in a statement on Thursday the bank "accepted responsibility and acknowledged our mistakes from the start".
"We have learned from [our mistakes] and worked to fix them. We will continue to strive towards being considered the best bank - across all measures - not only by our shareholders and customers, but also by our regulators," he said.
"Since these losses occurred, we have made numerous changes that have made us a stronger, smarter, better company."
Separately, JP Morgan was fined $309m by the newly-created US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for illegal credit card practices.
According to the CFPB, between October 2005 and January 2012, JP Morgan Chase customers were charged monthly fees ranging from $7.99 to $11.99 for "identity theft protection" and "fraud monitoring" services which were never actually performed.
Some customers exceeded their account limits due to these fees, and thus were fined double.
Approximately 2.1 million customers of the bank are expected to get refunds.
"At the core of our mission is a duty to identify and root out unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices in financial markets that harm consumers," said newly-installed CFPB director Richard Cordray in a statement.
"This order takes action against such practices."
Deadline to legalize foreign workers looms; hoteliers complain of red tape
The Hotels and Tourism Association (Asonahores) on Thursday complained that laborers, severance pay, the legal status of seasonal workers and immigration difficulties faced by its mid level and senior executives are its main challenges, a statement made the same day the Immigration Agency announced that October 19 is the end of "a long period of flexibility" regarding undocumented immigrants.
Asonahores Legal adviser Alba Russo also noted difficulties with work contracts, out of court settlements in labor cases, migration and security risks, among others, in the seminar "Tourism Sector Labor Practices," held in its annual commercial exhibit.
In the case of temporary workers Russo said the authorities demand that the hotels pay them the minimum wage, even when they perform only occasional tasks.
Immigration Agency warning
The Immigration Agency yesterday warned the sectors which hire foreigners that starting October 19 and after "maintaining a long period of flexibility," it will inspect workplaces to verify employees’ immigration status.
In a statement, Immigration warned it will proceed against any individuals or companies which violate the law on hiring foreigners illegally, with penalties as high as 30 minimum wages (RD$300,000).
US lawmakers vote to cut food stamp benefits from 2014
US lawmakers have narrowly voted to cut food stamp benefits from next year despite a veto threat from the White House and opposition by lobby groups.
The Republican-led House of Representatives passed the bill by 217-200. But it has little chance in the Democratic-held Senate.
The bill would save $39bn (£24bn) over a decade, but affect four million people on the programme.
It comes a day after census data showed 15% of Americans live in poverty.
An estimated one in seven Americans - most of them children, elderly or disabled - receive food stamps.
The bill aims to cut $4bn a year, representing about 5% of the current programme.
The budget savings would be achieved by allowing states to use work requirements for recipients and test applicants for drugs. It would also end waivers to allow able-bodied adults without dependents to receive food stamps indefinitely.
According to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), the food programme bill has tripled since 2004 and cost about $78bn last year.
On Wednesday, the White House threatened to veto the legislation, claiming the "cuts would affect a broad array of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, including working families with children, senior citizens, veterans, and adults who are still looking for work".
The Congressional Budget Office says that if the bill were enacted, up to 3.8 million people could lose their benefits next year.
But House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who led the legislative push, said it was "wrong for working, middle-class people to pay" for abuse of the programme.
Every Democrat voting on Thursday opposed the bill. Fifteen Republicans voted against the measure.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called it a "full assault on the health and economic security of millions of families".
Another Democratic congressman, Texas Representative Lloyd Doggett, called it the "let them starve" bill.
The measure is likely to go nowhere in the Senate - Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow labelled it "a monumental waste of time".
A bill passed in the Senate in June cut food stamps by $400m a year, one tenth of the House cuts.
The two chambers will have to negotiate the differences between the plans before any cuts come into effect.