More Protests Planned for Cairo
Egypt's main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, is going ahead with plans to hold an anti-government march to Cairo's presidential palace on Friday.
Opposition figures have called on Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to form a national unity government that grants them seats in the Cabinet. Mr. Morsi's allies have resisted that demand, saying the opposition is trying to gain power that it could not win through elections.
On Thursday, Egypt's Islamist and liberal politicians agreed to renounce violence and join a national dialogue aimed at resolving the country's deadliest unrest in months.
Egyptian Islamic scholar Sheik Ahmed al-Tayeb chaired Thursday's meeting at the Cairo headquarters of Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, al-Azhar. He told the representatives of the country's feuding political factions that the "only way" to solve their differences is through an inclusive dialogue.
Senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood movement that helped President Morsi sweep into power in an election last year attended the meeting.
They sat opposite prominent liberal figures such as former U.N. nuclear agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei and former Arab League chief Amr Moussa. Other participants included Egyptian youth activists and church leaders.
ElBaradei said he came out of the talks with a feeling of "optimism." He promised to do whatever he can to promote goodwill and build trust between the factions.
Delegates signed a document renouncing violent forms of protest and calling for the creation of a committee to arrange further talks as part of a national dialogue proposed by Mr. Morsi.
It is not clear whether the pledges will prevent more confrontations on the streets.
In the past week, nearly 60 people were killed in anti-government street protests in several cities, mostly along the Suez Canal.
Beyonce admits inauguration miming
Singer Beyonce has admitted miming during her rendition of the American national anthem at the inauguration of President Obama last month.
She told reporters that she was a "perfectionist" and - due to lack of rehearsal time - "did not feel comfortable taking a risk".
"I wanted to make him [Obama] and my country proud, so I decided to sing along with my pre-recorded track."
"I'm very proud of my performance," she said.
The star opened the press conference in New Orleans by asking reporters to stand before performing a live rendition of the national anthem.
Highlight
Millions of people tuned in to watch President Barack Obama sworn in for his second term in office on 21 January, which included performances by James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson and Beyonce.
The pop star's performance of the Star Spangled Banner at the inauguration was considered one of the highlights of the ceremony, but later reports suggested the singer had recorded her vocalI am a perfectionist and one thing about me is that I practise until my feet bleed and I did not have time to rehearse with the orchestra," the Grammy-winning artist said on Thursday.
She said her decision to mime the track was triggered by the weather, delays and "no proper soundcheck", adding that pre-recording is "very common in the music industry".
"It was a live television show and a very, very important emotional show for me and one of my proudest moments," she said.
However, she insisted she would be singing live for her half-time Superbowl performance on Sunday - one of the most-watched TV events in the United States.
"I will absolutely be singing live. This is what I was born to do, it is what I was born for."
The National Football League also announced that singer Jennifer Hudson would be performing America the Beautiful with the chorus from Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 children and six adults were killed in a mass shooting in December.
Last year's Super Bowl half-time show, performed by Madonna, was watched by an average of 114 million viewers, while Janet Jackson's notorious 'wardrobe malfunction' - in 2004 - generated a record number of complaints for broadcaster CBS.
TCI Pop Group, Blakout Releases tracks for Black History Month, Valentines and a Tribute track
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It has only been four weeks into the year and BlakOutCrew has started off the New Year with three (3) slamming tracks.
The first track released was a tribute to baby Dylan Pratt, which was released in the first week of 2012. 'Baby Dylan fought for his life but succumbed to his illness in January of this year', according to Eustace Swann aka Bird.
Bird said that he felt compelled and moved as a father himself, to release the song “Carry Me Lord”. Bird said that as he penned his verse, he could only imagine the pain and frustration and sympathized with the family during their loss their child. Bird explained that while It was hard to write, the words came quickly like a rush.
Following that release, the crew released their second track on January 26th entitled “Perfect” featuring Trigga Api and Orane ,which touches on love just in time for Valentine’s Day .
“Keep your legs closed, just open up your mind, once you make the time, I could make you mine, take the weight off your mind, with a glass of wine….” Is just one of the verses from the track which shows color, depth a new way of courting for the BlakOutCrew.
This is the first time we have touched on love within these islands as a group, which makes this track the “Perfect” love song said the first lady of BlakOut,Crystal.
February is a special time of the year for the BlakOutCrew, this month is the first time that the group has recorded a track dedicated to the heroes in the Black history month!!
The group dived deep into a creative zone and delivered a thought provoking track entitled “Another Hero”. The track which was released on February 1st on Radio Turks & Caicos has been getting rave reviews from Blakout fans who listens to the station.
Director of RTC, Christopher Jarrett confirmed to the group’s PRO that, 'this track is being hailed as the unofficial anthem of the TCI according to a few of the stations listeners”. The station has the track in rotation as they promote February as Black History Month.
In this song, BlakOutCrew front man Trigga Api asked, “…would our Heroes be proud if they saw what they died for?” which sparks an interesting question, was our heroes fight for freedom in vain?
This song “Another Hero” written & performed by E-Swann, Trigga Api and Crystal Charles also features Legendary Speeches from Black Heroes leaders, like the Great:- Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King jr, Barrack Obama & TCI National hero, Jags McCartney.
If you have not heard any of the three tracks, then you need to call your favorite station to request them or log on to BlakOutCrew.com
Coldplay's Clocks is 6 Music's 'greatest hit'
Male artists dominate a listeners' poll to find BBC Radio 6 Music's top 100 tracks of the past 10 years.
Coldplay top the list with their 2003 track Clocks, ahead of Arctic Monkeys' I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor and Elbow's One Day Like This.
More than 100,000 votes were cast in the poll which looks back over the 10 years since the station began in 2002.
"It's a good result for Coldplay, who were clearly one of the biggest bands of the decade," said DJ Steve Lamacq.
"But you can see the breadth of 6 Music's tastes in the rest of the top 10, including some bands who we've championed and who've broken through commercially like Elbow, and some brilliant groups who remain out there on the margins of pop like British Sea Power and The National."
Speaking on 6 Music, Coldplay's Will Champion said he was "totally blown away" by topping the poll.
"This is extraordinary. We've been listening to 6 Music since it started and I feel like our band's career and this station have grown up in parallel. This top 10 is amazing - what an amazing 10 years of music," he said.
Champion said that topping the chart was all the more surprising as "we all said not bad for a song that hasn't got a chorus".
"When I first heard it, Chris played the riff and I said 'that's a good intro what about the rest of the song?'
"I was scratching my head trying to find something that would fill a little gap in the record."
He added: "This was a first successful attempt at writing a song where the melodic hook was the key to a song rather than a big chorus. Our manager said it would never be a hit and here we are."
More than one million tracks have been played across the network since the station began in March 20026 Music's presenters, producers and staff compiled the list of 100 tracks from the past decade taken from the station's playlist, then asked listeners to vote for them in order of preference.
Voting took place from 7 - 25 January on the station's website. Listeners were limited to one vote each.
Bloodbuzz Ohio by The National and The Killers' Mr Brightside complete the top five polling at four and five respectively.
Seven Nation Army from The White Stripes - the only band in the top 10 to feature a female - was voted in at number six, followed by The Flaming Lips' Do You Realize?? and Hurt by Johnny Cash.
Rounding out the top 10 are British Sea Power's Remember Me and Radiohead's There There.
The late Amy Winehouse appears at number 25 with Rehab, behind Lana Del Rey's Video Games at 24, but ahead of Adele's Hometown Glory at 28.
Justin Timberlake to perform at the 2013 Brit Awards
Justin Timberlake will perform on stage at this year's Brit Awards for the first time in 10 years.
The singer will take to the stage at London's O2 Arena on 20 February along with the likes of Robbie Williams, Muse, Mumford & Sons and Emeli Sande.
The three time Brit Award winner announced his return to music at the beginning of this yearThe 32-year-old wrote a letter to his fans letting them know he would release a new album later this year.
The first single Suit & Tie has since climbed the charts making it to number one on the iTunes single charts in 31 different countries including the UK.
The singer last performed at the Brit Awards on stage with Kylie Minogue in 2003.
In 2004 he picked up best international album and best international male before taking the best international male title again in 2007.
The former 'N Sync boy band member has also won six Grammy Awards and four Emmy Awards.
Brit nominations
The solo artist's first two albums made him one of the most commercially successful singers in the worldIn 2002, he released his debut solo album, Justified, which sold more than seven million copies worldwide.
His second album FutureSex/LoveSounds from 2006 went in at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart in America.
Since then he has been focusing more on his acting career with parts in films like The Social Network, Bad Teacher and Friends with Benefits.
Mumford & Sons, Alt J and singer/songwriter Emeli Sande lead the way for this year's Brit Awards with three nominations each.
This year's ceremony will be held at The O2 Arena in London, hosted by James Corden, on Wednesday 20 February.
Unsafe' Brazil nightclubs closed after Santa Maria fire
More than 150 nightclubs, restaurants and bars in Brazil have been deemed to be unsafe and closed by authorities.
Sunday's fire in a club in the southern city of Santa Maria, which killed 236 people, led to inspections of venues across the country.
There are temporary closures in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, the capital, Brasilia, and many smaller cities.
Investigators say lives could have been saved if regulations had been properly observed.
A 20 year-old man died in hospital, becoming the 236th victim of the fire, authorities said on Friday.
After four days of inspections, authorities in Rio de Janeiro said that 199 of the 209 venues they inspected had irregularities.
Of those, 127 have been temporarily shut and their owners given 30 days to make alterations.
In the capital, Brasilia, 16 nightclubs were closed, after authorities found they were missing licence documents.
In Brazil's biggest metropolis, Sao Paulo, safety visits found irregularities in 24 out of 39 venues.
'Maximum Prevention'
The problems range from obstructions at fire exits and problems with fire extinguishers to a lack of fire evacuation plans, alarms and emergency lights.
The pattern was the same in many smaller cities across Brazil.
Earlier this week, the governor of Sao Paulo state, Geraldo Alckmin, ordered tighter inspections of all venues, including nightclubs, cinemas and theatres.
A so-called Maximum Prevention operation was launched on Wednesday eveningThe Santa Maria police chief in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has blamed Sunday's fire on cheap fireworks meant for outdoor use.
Marcelo Arigony, who is also heading the investigation, said the band playing in the nightclub had chosen not to buy more expensive indoor flares.
Investigators also blamed the use of unsafe acoustic insulation for the toxic fumes that led to many of the deaths.
One of the four people detained is the co-owner of the nightclub.
A member of the band, Gurizada Fandangueira, suspected of starting the fire with a flare, has also been arrested.
The fire has prompted widespread domestic concern about Brazil's ability to host major sporting tournaments in the next four years.
The 2014 World Cup is set to be hosted in 12 Brazilian cities, while the 2016 Olympics are to take place in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil's Congress is set to revise legislation in an attempt to strengthen safety regulations ahead of the World Cup.
Mexico blast victims' bodies handed over to families
The bodies of the victims of a blast at the headquarters of Mexican oil company Pemex have been handed to their relatives.
Thirty-three people died in Thursday's explosion in Mexico City.
Hundreds of rescue workers continue to search the rubble for possible survivors.
Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said investigations into the cause of the blast were underway and no line of enquiry had been ruled out.
Rescue workers regained hope of finding people alive on Saturday after sniffer dogs alerted their handlers in the basement of the collapsed building.
Earlier, two families who believe their relatives could still be trapped, had asked the authorities not to give up on them after the Red Cross had declared its search finished.
The last person to be rescued from the debris was found at noon on Friday (1800 GMT).
Search for truth
Firefighters and police officers using heavy machinery continued to move rubble from the site of the blast as special investigators examined the site for clues to the cause of the explosion.
According to the attorney general, the government "is determined to find out the truth, be it what it may".
"If it's an accident, if it's negligence, if it's an attack, whatever it is," Mr Murillo Karam said.
Mr Murillo Karam said investigators had established that the blast had not set off a fire, but that it was not yet clear what that meant.
More than 100 people are being treated in hospital for injuries sustained as a result of the blast, Many of them were hit by falling rubble and masonry.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto visited some of them on Friday. He has declared three days of mourning.
The BBC's Will Grant said the blast was the biggest explosion to hit Mexico City for 30 years.
Pemex said it would resume operations at its headquarters on Tuesday, moving employees who worked in the affected building to other offices.
The company has experienced a number of fatal accidents in recent years.
Last September, 30 people died in an explosion at a Pemex gas plant in northern Mexico, thought to have been caused by a build-up of gas.
Cuba dissident Yoani Sanchez granted passport
Cuban dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez says she has been granted a passport after years of being denied the right to travel abroad.
Ms Sanchez, who has criticised the Cuban government in her prize-winning blog Generation Y, announced the development on her Twitter account.
However, she said she was disappointed that her fellow activist, Angel Moya, was still denied a passport.
The move comes after Cuba eased travel restrictions for its citizens.
Ms Sanchez, 37, rose to prominence when she wrote about life in Cuba, emailing her blog entries to friends abroad to publish online.
Her writing led to her arrest last October as she prepared to cover the trial of politician Angel Carromero.
"Incredible! They called my house to tell me that my passport was ready. They just gave it to me," Sanchez tweeted.
"Now the only thing left is to be able to board that plane."
She added: "I am both happy and sad; on the one hand, I have my documents to be able to travel, but many of my friends like Angel Moya, are not going to be allowed."
Ms Sanchez has said she was denied the right to travel 20 times under Cuba's old travel law and doubted she would get a passport under the new ones.
Mass market fetes down, all-inclusives up' as Carnival draws near in TNT
Some things don't change. The fete season leading up to Carnival 2013 is as frenzied as ever, with parties every weekend.
But some fete promoters in Trinidad and Tobago are complaining that things are different now, with the economy taking a toll on Carnival partying.
There may be more and more fetes every year, but coupled with a stagnant economy, this means fewer and fewer patrons, and reduced revenues.
Roy Maharaj of TriStar Promotions told the Business Express in an interview that it was difficult locally for many party-goers in terms of finance.
"Average people who support mass market fetes have no salary and can hardly buy bread to eat," he said.
He said the working class were choosing to go to one or two events for the season to keep costs down.
"That is what it reach to in terms of entertainment in this country," he added.
Carnival this year will be held on February 11 and 12, a shorter season compared to February 20 and 21 last year and March 7 and 8 in 2011.
Asked if the reduced season this year was having a negative effect on fetes, Maharaj said the problem was more about economics.
He provided the example of the Christmas season, noting that it was not shortened but vendors and businessmen were complaining about low sales.
"People have no money. One set of people enjoying the inheritance and others suffering," he commented.
He added: "Not only the shortness of Carnival, in previous years we had short Carnivals before and everybody could make money still. But now is worse, because there is too much interference with too many groups in the country."
Maharaj claimed that the entertainment industry was being "muzzled" by politicians and "a lot of things going haywire".
He said both promoters and artistes were being affected by this interference.
"What killing the Carnival? Carnival too short is one aspect, (but is really) too much politics," he insisted.
Cliff Harris, manager of Village Promotions, which puts on the Fire Fete and other events, said last week he has noticed a trend of decreasing patron turn-out for about two years, and the industry has been "dwindling".
He said in previous years people did not have many choices regarding fetes but there were more events now.
"On a Saturday night or Friday there is a lot of events all over. They have choices now," he added.
He noted that every year the cost of putting on an event, including security, sound, infrastructure and venue rental, was increasing "but then your gate receipts and your tickets remain the same price" and this was negatively affecting the business.
At its first event, Fire Fete held on January 12, it did not get the turn-out as expected but he did not know if this trend will change as the season progressed.
Harris, like Maharaj, also cited the bad state of the economy for reduced patronage.
"These days now they don't have the disposal income," he added.
He continued: "(Fetes now) cost a lot more (but you) not getting the amount of people would have gotten in the past (at the) same price as five years ago."
Harris said because of this trend, promoters have to cut down on costs.
Before they would have four bands at their events but they have had to cut it down to two or one.
At Fire Fete there was one band and a number of artistes.
He noted, however: "With all that, the cost is still high."
Maharaj also cited another factor which he believes has "stifled" the mass market event: the behaviour of some patrons at mass market events and the resurgence of the all-inclusive fetes.
He explained that incidents such as fighting at mass events, which occurred after the fete ended, gave the particular event a bad name.
He noted that the all-inclusive fete "has risen from the dead" in recent years and people seeking fetes with "proper behaviour" were patronising them, which was in turn killing the mass market events.
"Spend $600 (on an all inclusive) and that is Carnival," he commented wryly.
A representative from one of the all inclusive fete committees, (who did not want to be identified) said last week there appeared to be a trend of these events doing well.
He noted that the high school fetes, St Mary's College and Trinity, had reportedly done well this year or maintained the turn-out of previous years.
He said, however, there was also a dwindling of some of the larger events, such as Fire Fete, while other events had completely folded.
He said his committee's fete was cancelled because this year was "crowded" with events, especially with the shortened season.
He added that they felt that the financial risk was not worth it.
"A year like this where everything is cramped, we say this is the year to sit it out and come up with some new ideas for 2014," he added.
American national found dead at Bahamas hotel
No name has been given, and no autopsy results released into the death of an American man in the Bahamas.
Police say an the man may have fallen from the ninth-floor balcony of his beachfront hotel and died.
Police superintendent Stephen Dean says that the body of the 44-year-old man was found Thursday by guests at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort on Cable Beach in the Bahamian capital of Nassau.
Investigators don't believe the death was a suicide.