Lil Wayne Denies Intentionally Stepping on American Flag
A day after a one-minute clip showing him stepping on and walking over the American flag got leaked online and instantaneously sparked controversy and criticism, Lil Wayne was quick to explain his side on what really happened during his latest video shoot in New Orleans for his new single "God Bless Amerika". The rap superstar says that everyone was reacting based on a false impression.
"I didn't step on the flag on purpose! It's a scene in a video where the flag drops behind me and after it drop it's just there as I perform," Wayne tweeted to clear the air on the flag-trampling issue. Perhaps, not being aware that what was about to happen was considered a disrespectful and unpatriotic act, Wayne did not try to avoid walking over the American flag and no one from the crew who were standing nearby also bothered to pull the flag out from beneath him.
In an attempt to avoid further outrage over his recent actions, Wayne issued a formal statement explaining the footage. "It was never my intention to desecrate the flag of the United States of America. I was shooting a video for a song off my album entitled 'God Bless Amerika.' The clip that surfaced on the Internet was a camera trick clip that revealed behind the American Flag was the Hoods of America. In the final edit of the video you will see the flag fall to reveal what's behind it but will never see it on the ground."
As the song's lyrics got some negative attention in the process, Wayne also took the opportunity to address it, saying he was speaking for his fellow New Orleans folk, from the viewpoint of someone who was raised in the hood. Wayne believed his lyrics speak about America from the eyes of those who grew up in that kind of environment and don't get a chance to escape it, like what he was able to do with his life.
Source-Ace.Show
Katy Perry Says Russell Brand Ended Their Marriage via Text
Katy Perry opens up about her divorce from Russell Brand, more than a year after their split. In an interview for her cover story in Vogue's latest issue, she says she heard the bombshell news from the British comedian via a text message on New Year's Eve.
"He's a very smart man, a magical man," she first sings praise for her former husband, "And I was in love with him when I married him." She then dishes on, "Let's just say I haven't heard from him since he texted me saying he was divorcing me December 31, 2011."
The 28-year-old Californian singer, who was on a world tour when her marriage crumpled, accepts that her hectic schedule on the road contributed to their split but she also suggests that Russell was partly to blame as he couldn't cope being married to a strong woman like her.
"I have to claim my own responsibility in things. I do admit that I was on the road a lot. Although I invited him time and time again, and I tried to come home as much as I possibly could," she says.
"At first when I met him he wanted an equal, and I think a lot of times strong men do want an equal, but then they get that equal and they're like, 'I can't handle it.' He didn't like the atmosphere of me being the boss on tour. So that was really hurtful, and it was very controlling, which was upsetting."
There might be more to the story though, as the "Fireworks" hitmaker hints, "I felt a lot of responsibility for it ending, but then I found out the real truth, which I can't necessarily disclose because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day." She adds, "I let go and I was like, 'This isn't because of me; this is beyond me.' "
When asked about Russell's sense of humor, Katy says her funnyman ex was "hysterical" until she caught him making fun of her. "He started making jokes about me and he didn't know I was in the audience, because I had come to surprise him at one of his shows," she reveals.
When the topic switches to her on/off boyfriend John Mayer, Katy confirms their relationship is "over." She says, "I was madly in love with him. I still am madly in love with him. All I can say about that relationship is that he's got a beautiful mind."
"Beautiful mind, tortured soul. I do have to figure out why I am attracted to these broken birds," she wonders, but still holds out hope of finding the one, "I believe that I will be loved again, in the right way. I know I'm worth it."
Source-Ace.show
Justin Bieber Investigated After Allegedly Hitting Paparazzo With His Ferrari
Justin Bieber becomes a subject of investigation for traffic violation yet again. The teen superstar was accused of hit-and-run after allegedly pinning a photographer with his sports car when leaving a comedy club in Los Angeles on Monday night, June 17.
In a video obtained by TMZ, a group of paparazzi were seen surrounding Bieber's white Ferrari when he was about to drive away from the Laugh Factory in the 8800 block of Sunset Boulevard around 11:45 P.M. He was behind the wheel with Lil Twist as a passenger.
The "Beauty and a Beat" hitmaker motioned the shutterbugs to clear out of the way but he apparently hit one of them and pinned him between his vehicle and a parked car nearby. The paparazzo allegedly fell to the ground and gripped his knee after the singer pulled away.
No arrest has been made as police determined, after preliminary investigations, that no crime was committed. "It was not a hit-and-run," said LAPD spokesman Bruce Borihanh. "The investigation is ongoing." The cop also said that the photographer's injuries were not life-threatening.
Source-Ace.Show
Assassin featured on Kanye's new album
Dancehall is quite vocal on Kanye West's upcoming album with a collaboration with Assassin and samples from Capleton, Popcaan and Beenie Man.
West is due to release his album, Yeezus, today. But when the album leaked late last week, one of the most noticeable things on the 10-track album was the strong presence of dancehall.
One of the songs, I Am A God, features sections of Capleton's Forward Inna Dem Clothes, while another track, Send It Up, has samples of Beenie Man's Memories. Popcaan is also featured on a track called Blocka.
However, it was Assassin who got the biggest chunk out of the album with his own verse on one of the songs called I'm In It.
In an interview with the Jamaican STAR, Assassin explained that he got a call from GeeJam Studio in Portland in October and that is how the link with Kanye was made.
"Kanye's production was there working on a summer project and wanted some verses from dancehall artistes, and I was one of the artistes selected. I spat some verses, some with and some without music. I got a call in January and I was told he liked what he heard and I'd be hearing from them soon in order to do a bit more work," he said.
Excited about being featured on the album, Assassin said, "the song is crazy ... but it's Kanye, so we know he pushes the envelope."
As for his career, the deejay says this new development shows that he is diverse.
Heat edge Spurs to force Game 7
LeBron James led a title-saving charge, and now his crown will be on the line one more time in Game 7.
James powered Miami to a frantic fourth-quarter rally and overtime escape as the Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs 103-100 on Tuesday night to extend the NBA Finals as far as they can go and keep Miami's repeat chances alive.
Losing his headband but keeping his cool while playing the entire second half and overtime, James finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, making the go-ahead basket with 1:43 remaining in the extra period.
"If we were going to go down tonight, we're going to go down with me leaving every little bit of energy that I had on the floor," James said.
Tim Duncan scored 30 points for the Spurs, his most in an NBA Finals game since Game 1 in 2003, but was shut out after the third quarter. He added 17 rebounds.
Game 7 will be here Thursday, the NBA's first do-or-die game to determine its champion since the Lakers beat the Celtics in 2010.
"They're the best two words in sports: Game 7," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
The Spurs looked headed to a fifth title in five chances when they built a 13-point lead with under 4 minutes left in the third quarter, then grabbed a five-point edge late in regulation after blowing the lead.
But James hit a 3-pointer and Ray Allen tied it with another. Just 5.2 seconds remained in regulation. The Heat were that close to the edge.
James was just 3 of 12 after three quarters, the Heat trailing by 10 and frustration apparent among the players and panic setting in among the fans.
Nothing to worry. Not with James playing like this.
He finished 11 of 26, even making a steal after his basket had given Miami a 101-100 edge in the OT.
Before that, he was 12 minutes from hearing the familiar criticisms about not being able to get it done, from having to watch a team celebrate on his home floor again.
Then he changed the game and erased that story.
The Heat, who haven't lost consecutive games since Jan. 8 and 10, had too much defense and way too much James for the Spurs in the final 17 minutes. They are trying to become fourth team to win the final two games at home since the NBA went to the 2-3-2 format for the finals in 1985.
James came in averaging 31.5 points in elimination games, highest in NBA history, according to a stat provided through the NBA by the Elias Sports Bureau.
This wasn't quite the 45-point performance in Game 6 of last year's Eastern Conference finals in Boston, but given the higher stakes may go down as more important -- if the Heat follow it with another victory Thursday.
The Heat were in the same place as they were in 2011 at the end of their Big Three's first season together, coming home from Texas facing a 3-2 deficit in the finals.
This is a different team. And oh, what a different James.
They said they welcomed this challenge, a chance to show they how much mentally tougher they were than the team the Dallas Mavericks easily handled in Game 6 that night.
James made sure they did, looking nothing like the player who was so bad in the fourth quarters during that series.
He was simply unstoppable down the stretch of this one.
Kawhi Leonard had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs. Tony Parker had 19 points and eight assists, but shot just 6 of 23 from the field.
The Spurs had one final chance down 103-100, but Chris Bosh blocked Danny Green's 3-pointer from the corner as time expired.
Bosh had said Green wouldn't get open the way he has all series -- and he didn't.
Green finished 1 of 5 from behind the arc after going 25 of 38 on 3-pointers (65.8 percent) in the first five games.
The Heat, the NBA's 66-win powerhouse during the regular season, will be playing a seventh game for the second straight round, having needed to go the distance to beat the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
Source-ESPN
Venus Williams pulls out of Wimbledon 2013
Five-time singles champion Venus Williams has been forced to pull out of Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, because of a back injury.
Williams, 33, struggled with the problem during the clay-court season and has not played since pulling out of the doubles at the French Open. "I will not be able to participate in Wimbledon," she wrote on Facebook.
"I am extremely disappointed as I have always loved The Championships. I need to take time to let my back heal."
Former world number one Williams has not missed the tournament since making her debut in 1997, with her singles victories coming in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008.
The American has become increasingly injury prone in recent years, as well as suffering with the auto-immune disease Sjogren's syndrome.
She had been enjoying a decent season until the back problem occurred, reaching two semi-finals on the WTA Tour and climbing back up to 34 in the rankings.
"I look forward to returning to the courts as soon as possible, with my goal being to return to Mylan World Team Tennis on 8 July in Washington DC," she added.
"Many thanks to my fans for the love and support and I will be seeing you very soon back on the courts."
Williams complained of back problems after her first round defeat at the French Open by Poland's Urszula Radwanska last month, then cited the injury when she and her sister Serena went on to pull out of the doubles competition.
The pair are the defending doubles champions at the All England Club, having claimed their fifth title with a 7-5 6-4 victory over the Czech Republic's Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.
Williams was less successful in the singles event last year, losing 6-1 6-3 to Russian Elena Vesnina.
World number one Serena Williams, 31, is seeking her sixth Wimbledon singles title and 17th Grand Slam in all.
The French Open champion is currently on a 31-match winning run, the longest single-season streak on the women's tour since Venus put together a 35-match run in 2000.
CPL names six franchise teams
The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) authorities have announced the name of its six franchise teams and unveiled the team logos after weeks of speculations and hundreds of suggestions via social media, reports UNB.
The names of six CPL franchise teams: Antigua Hawksbills, Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, St Lucia Zouks, and Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel.
Caribbean Cricket Premier League squads finalised
The Caribbean Premier League draft was held in Jamaica on June 5, with squads of 15 finalised for each of the six participating franchises.
Marlon Samuels has been named a franchise player for Antigua and Barbuda, Kieron Pollard for Barbados, Sunil Narine for Guyana, Chris Gayle for Jamaica, Darren Sammy for St Lucia, and Dwayne Bravo for Trinidad & Tobago. The West Indies franchise players, who were in London because of the Champions Trophy, were tuned in online during the draft process. “I really enjoyed the entire draft process. I can’t wait for the CPL to get started, and I love my team,” Bravo said.
Among the overseas players, Ricky Ponting, Steven Smith and Justin Kemp will play for Antigua and Barbuda while Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, and Shakib Al Hasan will play for Barbados. Mohammad Hafeez, Martin Guptill, and James Franklin will represent Guyana, and Muttiah Muralitharan, Shaun Marsh, Vernon Philander, and Jacques Rudolph have been enlisted by Jamaica. Herschelle Gibbs, Albie Morkel, and Tamim Iqbal have been signed by St Lucia, and Ross Taylor, Aaron Finch, and Kevin O’Brien will turn out for Trinidad & Tobago. Adam Gilchrist, last week, pulled out of the Caribbean Premier League due to an ankle injury.
Players in the league were originally divided into three groups. Pool A featured international cricketers – 14 from West Indies and 12 from overseas. Pool B included six international and over 100 local players, a few of whom have represented West Indies. Under-23 players from across the Caribbean islands made up Pool C.
A head coach, assistant coach, one West Indian and one international player, designated as ‘franchise players’ (who are among the 15 in each squad) made up the team’s selection committee, and was in charge of strategies for the draft. These franchise players were not part of the three pools and were appointed to each team by the league.
Apart from the two franchise players, each team could pick four players from Pool A, seven players from Pool B and two from Pool C. Players selected from Pool C have to be under 23 years of age before September 1, 2013. However, five of the six franchises picked just three international players instead of four. Jamaica was the only one that picked four international cricketers.
A total of 24 matches will be played in the competition that starts on 30 July and ends on August 24.
Antigua and Barbuda: Marlon Samuels, Ricky Ponting, Kieran Powell, Johnson Charles, Kemar Roach, Steven Smith, Sheldon Cotterell, Dave Mohammed, Devon Thomas, Gavin Tonge, Justin Kemp, Rakheem Cornwall, Jahmar Hamilton, Anthony Martin, Montcin Hodge.
Barbados: Kieron Pollard, Shoaib Malik, Dwayne Smith, Shakib Al Hasan, Umar Akmal, Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel, Rayad Emrit, Ashley Nurse, Carlos Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Kyle Mayes, Devendra Bishoo, Kirk Edwards, Ramon Reifer.
Guyana: Sunil Narine, Mohammad Hafeez, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin, James Franklin, Christopher Barnwell, Martin Guptill, Krishmar Santokie, Steven Jacobs, Ronsford Beaton, Trevon Griffith, Narsingh Deonarine, Veerasammy Permaul.
Jamaica: Chris Gayle, Muttiah Muralitharan, Andre Russell, Ravi Rampaul, Shaun Marsh, Vernon Philander, Danza Hyatt, Carlton Baugh, Nikita Miller, Jacques Rudolph, Chadwick Walton, Jermaine Blackwood, Akeem Dewar, Dave Bernard, Nkrumah Bonner.
St. Lucia: Darren Sammy, Herschelle Gibbs, Albie Morkel, Tino Best, Tamim Iqbal, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Andre Fletcher, Garey Mathurin, Liam Sebastien, Dalton Polius, Kavem Hodge, Kenroy Peters, Nelon Pascal.
Trinidad & Tobago: Dwayne Bravo, Ross Taylor, Darren Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Aaron Finch, Samuel Badree, Kevon Cooper, Kevin O’Brien, Sulieman Benn, Adrian Barath, Delorn Johnson, Nicholas Pooran, Yannick Cariah, Miguel Cummins, Justin Guillen.
India squad unchanged for West Indies tri-series
India has named an unchanged squad from the one playing in the Champions Trophy for the ODI tri-series in the West Indies, which begins on June 28. The continuity is reflective of the team’s success in the ongoing tournament, where they have reached the semi-finals after winning all their group matches.
The squad includes five seam bowlers in Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Irfan Pathan and Vinay Kumar, and three spinners: R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra. MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik and M Vijay constitute the batting.
India will travel to the West Indies following the Champions Trophy, for the series that also includes the hosts and Sri Lanka.
The make-up of the squad indicates that the Indian selectors, in relation to the one-day team, have turned their focus firmly on World Cup 2015. India had fielded a new-look team for the Champions Trophy, dropping seniors like Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh. These players as well as others—including Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh—who had been central to India’s success over the previous decade but have had form and injury issues of late, remain sidelined.
India has named an unchanged squad from the one playing in the Champions Trophy for the ODI tri-series in the West Indies, which begins on June 28. The continuity is reflective of the team’s success in the ongoing tournament, where they have reached the semi-finals after winning all their group matches.
The squad includes five seam bowlers in Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Irfan Pathan and Vinay Kumar, and three spinners: R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra. MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik and M Vijay constitute the batting.
India will travel to the West Indies following the Champions Trophy, for the series that also includes the hosts and Sri Lanka.
The make-up of the squad indicates that the Indian selectors, in relation to the one-day team, have turned their focus firmly on World Cup 2015. India had fielded a new-look team for the Champions Trophy, dropping seniors like Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh. These players as well as others—including Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh—who had been central to India’s success over the previous decade but have had form and injury issues of late, remain sidelined.
India team for tri-series v WI, SL
MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Shikhar Dhawan, M Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Irfan Pathan, Amit Mishra, Vinay Kumar
G8 leaders agree tax evasion measures
Leaders of the G8 major economies have agreed new measures to clamp down on money launderers, illegal tax evaders and corporate tax avoiders.
Governments agreed to give each other automatic access to information on their residents' tax affairs.
They will also require shell companies - often used to exploit tax loopholes and invest money anonymously - to identify their effective owners.
The measures are designed to combat illegal evasion of taxes, as well as legal tax avoidance by large corporations that make use of loopholes and tax havens.
The summit in Northern Ireland also saw the launch of free trade negotiations between the EU and US, which UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who was hosting the summit, dubbed "the biggest bilateral trade agreement in history".
Tax, trade and transparency - dubbed "The Three Ts" - were placed at the top of the UK's agenda for its presidency of the G8, which consists of the UK, US, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Canada and Japan.
But the summit has been overshadowed by the conflict in Syria.
The G8 leaders - including Russian President Vladimir Putin, an ally of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad - backed calls for Syrian peace talks to be held in Geneva "as soon as possible".
Mr Cameron said the leaders had managed "to overcome fundamental differences", but no timetable for the Geneva talks was given, and the statement made no mention of what role Mr Assad could play in the future.
Shadowy arrangements
Leaders agreed that multinationals should tell all tax authorities about what taxes they pay and where.
"Countries should change rules that let companies shift their profits across borders to avoid taxes," the communique said.
Leaders agreed that multinationals should tell all tax authorities about what taxes they pay and where.
"Countries should change rules that let companies shift their profits across borders to avoid taxes," the communique said.
It follows revelations about the ways in which several major firms - including Google, Apple, Starbucks and Amazon - have minimised their tax bills.
Illegal activities, including tax evasion and money laundering, will be tackled by the automated sharing of tax information.
Ahead of the summit, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), proposed to share tax information by building on an existing system set up by the US and five major European economies, but on a global scale.
"This international tax tool is going to be a real feature of ensuring that we get proper tax payment and proper tax justice in our world," said Mr Cameron, who claimed that it meant "those who want to evade taxes have nowhere to hide".
The OECD includes all of the G8 members except Russia.
Among the information to be shared will be who actually ultimately benefits from the shadowy shell companies, special purpose companies and trust arrangements often employed by tax evaders and money launderers.
Earlier in the day, Chancellor George Osborne unveiled plans for a UK register of companies and their owners.
The White House also announced a similar plan for the US.
Last week the UK also unveiled a deal with its crown dependencies and overseas territories - including the Channel Islands, Gibraltar and Anguilla - to start sharing more information on which foreign companies bank their profits there.
About a fifth of offshore tax havens, which are used by multinationals to shelter cash from the tax authorities, are British dependencies.
Source-BBC
Oil climbs above US$98 ahead of Fed policy news
The price of oil rose above US$98 yesterday as traders awaited the latest word on both the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy and US oil supplies. US benchmark oil for July delivery rose 67 cents to close at US$98.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The focus in oil markets, as in others, was on the Fed, as policymakers began a two-day meeting.
To help support the US economic recovery, the Fed has been buying US$85 billion in bonds every month in an attempt to keep long-term interest rates low and encourage lending. The new money generated has flowed into the financial system, helping many assets, including oil, to climb from the lows witnessed during the global recession following the 2008-2009 financial crisis.
After the meeting ends today, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke will hold a press conference. Investors want to hear if the Fed plans to reduce the amount of financial assets it is buying each month. Few expect a change in policy today as some recent economic data has been disappointing. The uncertainty though has rattled markets in recent weeks.
Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates, said in a note to clients that big gains yesterday in the stock market indicated that Wall Street expects the Fed to maintain its current policy. Oil traders will also be monitoring fresh information on US stockpiles of crude and refined products.
Data for the week ending June 14 is expected to show a decline of 1 million barrels in crude oil stocks and an increase of 1.2 million barrels in gasoline stocks, according to a survey of analysts by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill. The American Petroleum Institute released its report on oil stocks last night, while the report from the Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration—the market benchmark—will be out today.
Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oil varieties, gained 55 cents to US$106.02 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London. In other energy futures trading on the Nymex:
• Wholesale gasoline added two cents to US$2.88 a gallon.
• Heating oil was rose one cent to US$2.96 per gallon.
• Natural gas gained three cents to US$3.91 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Meanwhile, metal prices fell yesterday as traders anticipate that the Federal Reserve may start easing its support for the US economy. The price of gold for August delivery fell US$16.20, or 1.2 per cent, to US$1,366.90 an ounce. Palladium and silver also declined. Only platinum bucked the trend and edged higher.
The central bank will end its two-day policy meeting today. Until this year, the Fed’s bond-buying stimulus programme had helped drive gold prices to record highs. Many investors thought the Fed’s efforts to pump money into the financial system would lead to high inflation, and they bought gold as insurance. Yet inflation has remained tame and the Fed may now signal it intends to ease its stimulus as the economy recovers. Gold has fallen 18 per cent this year.
“The bears are maintaining control of the metals until proven otherwise,” said Matt Zeman of Kingsview Financial. Silver for July delivery fell 8.1 cents, or 0.4 per cent, to US$21.677 an ounce. Copper for the same month dropped 4.25 cents, or 1.3 per cent, to US$3.155 a pound. Palladium for September fell US$9.50, or 1.3 per cent, to US$708.35 an ounce. Platinum for July gained $5.30, or 0.4 per cent, to US$1,440.10 an ounce. In trading of agricultural products, wheat, corn and soybeans all rose.
Wheat for July gained seven cents, or one per cent, to US$6.875 a bushel. Corn for December rose 12 cents, or 2.2 per cent, to US$5.5050 a bushel. Soybeans for November climbed 4.25 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $12.8975.
Source-AP