R KELLY - Sumfest’s Wish comes true
DESPITE rumours that Rhythm and Blues singer R Kelly is having health issues, promoters of Reggae Sumfest are confident the Grammy-winning artiste will perform on July 21.
At the launch party on Sunday at Kingston's Waterfront, Summerfest Productions head Johnny Gourzong said R Kelly is preparing a special show for International Night 2 which closes the week-long event.
The I Wish singer was expected to be one of the headliners for last year's Sumfest but withdrew to undergo emergency throat surgery.
The 20th anniversary of Reggae Sumfest starts July 15 with the traditional beach party at the Aquasol Theme Park in Montego Bay.
The main nights take place at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex, also in Montego Bay.
Also appearing on International Night 2 are Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley, Bunny Wailer — who is part of a special tribute to Jamaica's 50th anniversary of independence; and Protoje.
Pop singer Trey Songz is headliner for International Night I which also features Tessane Chin and Tarrus Riley. There is also a Tribute to the Greats segment showcasing Rocksteady greats John Holt and Leroy Sibbles, Roots-Reggae trio the Mighty Diamonds and Dancehall deejay Yellowman.
Dancehall Night, a traditional crowd-puller, takes place July 19. The lineup includes perennial headliners Bounty Killer, Beenie Man and Lady Saw.
First held in 1993, Reggae Sumfest is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Gourzong admitted there was a time he thought the festival would have never made it past year five.
"After many trials and tribulations, many hurdles, here we are today," he said.
Sumfest initially promoted an all-Reggae bill, but over the years promoters have incorporated big Pop artistes including Wyclef Jean, Snoop Dogg, Joe, Destiny's Child and Rihanna. The move has paid off, attracting hundreds of fans to Catherine Hall.
Making their debut on the Sumfest stage this year will be veteran singer AJ Brown, who made his name as a cabaret performer in Montego Bay 30 years ago. He appears on International Night 2.
Shabba Ranks, the biggest name in Dancehall music during the 1990s, returns to the Sumfest stage for the first time since 1994.
"He says he will need a trailer-load of sexy girls to meet him," Gourzong said.
Following Sunday's formalities, the audience was treated to 'teaser' performances from artistes booked for the show including the NoMaddz band, and singers Christopher Martin, I-Octane and Tommy Lee.
Ted opens top of the US box office
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane's debut film, about a foul-mouthed teddy bear called Ted, has topped the US box office in its opening weekend.
The comedy, starring Mark Wahlberg, took $54.1 million (£35m), according to studio estimates.
Director Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike, featuring Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey as male-strippers, was in second with $39.2m (£25m).
Pixar's Scottish fairy tale Brave fell two places to number three.
Ted, in which a childhood toy comes to life and proves to be less-than cuddly, has an "R" rating in the US, meaning children under the age of 17 cannot see the film unless accompanied by an adult.
Only two R-rated movies have performed better in their opening weekend - and both were sequels: Last year's Hangover 2 ($85.9m) and 2010's Sex and the City 2 ($57m).
Writer-director MacFarlane also provides the voice of the drug-taking, profanity-prone bear while actress Mila Kunis, who plays Meg Griffin in Family Guy, plays Wahlberg's girlfriend.
Magic Mike, inspired by star Tatum's own early career as a male stripper, also performed better than expected.
A 73% female audience watched Tatum's character Mike take newcomer The Kid, played by British actor Alex Pettyfer, under his wing.
Tyler Perry's new release Madea's Witness Protection was in fourth, with $26.4m (£17m), while Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted fell to number five with $11.8m (£7.5m).
Internationally, two big franchises got a head-start on their US openings, with animated sequel Ice Age: Continental Drift opening to $78m (£50m) and The Amazing Spider-Man in second with $50.2m (£32m).
Ganja valued at $27m seized; three held
Three people, including a Bahamian, were yesterday held in an operation by members of the Area One Transnational Crime and Narcotic Division in connection with the seizure of almost 2,700 pounds of compressed ganja, valued at approximately $27 million.
Police say the drugs were destined for the guns-for-drugs trade, but gave no details.
According to the constabulary, the three were aboard a white Toyota bus which was intercepted in the vicinity of the Barrett Hall beach in St James. The vehicle was searched and compressed ganja, weighing 2,695 lbs, was found in 72 knitted bags and a black travelling bag. The occupants of the vehicle were subsequently taken into custody, pending further investigation.
According to Sergeant Peter Salkey, Constabulary Communication Network liaison officer for St James, investigators have since been on the lookout for a vessel which was expected to transport the weed.
Anderson Cooper: I’m Gay
Anderson Cooper has confirmed what most people in the media world and New York already knew: He is gay.
"The fact is, I'm gay," Cooperwrote in an email to Daily Beast blogger Andrew Sullivan. "Always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud."
Sullivan, who is gay and is a longtime friend of Cooper's, had asked the CNN anchor for his reaction to a recent Entertainment Weekly story—"The New Art of Coming Out"—which was, in part, about the importance of gay celebrities coming out of the closet to combat America's bullying epidemic.
"Andrew, as you know, the issue you raise is one that I've thought about for years," Cooper responded. "Even though my job puts me in the public eye, I have tried to maintain some level of privacy in my life. Part of that has been for purely personal reasons. I think most people want some privacy for themselves and the people they are close to."
"But I've also wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons," Cooper continued. "Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I've often found myself in some very dangerous places. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people's stories, and not my own. I have found that sometimes the less an interview subject knows about me, the better I can safely and effectively do my job as a journalist. I've always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly."
Cooper said he did not come out in his 2006 memoir, Dispatches from the Edge because the book was meant to be about war and not about his personal life. But his thinking has since changed.
While it's the first time Cooper has been on the record about his sexuality, it's been an open secret in the media and gay communities for years.
(yahoo.com)
Venezuelan doctor accused of revealing state secrets
A doctor working in the presidential palace in Venezuela has been arrested on suspicion of revealing state secrets, authorities say.
Prosecutors accused Dr Ana Maria Abreu of divulging political or military secrets over the past two years.
They made no reference to President Hugo Chavez, who has undergone treatment for an undisclosed cancer.
Dr Abreu, who has worked at the presidential palace for 12 years, is not his personal physician.
A statement from the attorney general's office said Dr Abreu had been detained last week.
The statement said she was accused of breaking the law on revealing political or military secrets that could damage the country, but gave no further details.
One of Dr Abreu's lawyers, Theresly Malave, said that the accusations were completely unfounded, given that there was no indication of what information was supposed to have been leaked nor what damage had ensued.
Ms Malave said Dr Abreu's work involved caring for people who had lost their homes during torrential storms and were housed in parts of the presidential palace.
The doctor did not attend any palace personnel, Ms Malave said, and had no access to state secrets.
Dr Abreu is the sister-in-law of a prominent government critic Rocio San Miguel, who heads a group monitoring security and defence issues in Venezuela.
Her defence team say her arrest is politically motivated.
President Chavez, who is running for re-election in October, has a wide lead over his nearest rival, Henrique Capriles, according to the opinion polls.
In May, he said that he had successfully completed radiation therapy for cancer.
Police drinks poison after stabbing woman
A Special Reserve Police Officer in Trinidad and Tobago is said to be in a critical condition at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital after ingesting a deadly herbicide (Swiper) used for destroying grass following an altercation at his home with his 45-year-old close female relative.
The officer allegedly stabbed the woman several times following an argument on Saturday night and then ingested the substance. According to reports at about 11 pm on Saturday the 54-year-old officer had a quarrel with his close relative, Hazel Toussaint-Chadband.
During the argument, the officer reportedly expressed anger over the woman’s decision to attend a fete on Saturday. Toussaint-Chadband reportedly told the officer she had no reason to feel sorry for attending the fete, causing him to become further enraged.
Further reports are that the officer took a kitchen knife and stabbed Toussaint-Chadband several times about the body, then took a cutlass and began beating her with the flat side of it.
As the woman lay bleeding on the ground, the officer took a bottle of Swiper and ingested the contents. He then forced the bleeding woman into his car and drove to the St James Medical Infirmary where the couple remained unable to even alight from the vehicle.
Police later learnt that the officer again drank from the bottle of herbicide while seated in the car with Toussaint-Chadband outside the St James Infirmary.
Surprised medical personnel took control of the situation by removing the couple from the car as doctors attempted to treat them for their injuries.
However, by midnight a decision was taken to convey the officer and Toussaint-Chadband to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, where they remained warded up until yesterday.
Newsday
St.Vincent airport reopens
LIAT has resumed normal operations to and from St. Vincent with the reopening of the E. T. Joshua Airport.
The airport was closed earlier this afternoon due to the fire tenders there being unserviceable.
LIAT is now taking steps to facilitate customers who were disrupted by the airport's closure and passengers are advised to expect some delays.
LIAT regrets any inconvenience caused.
PR
PM Anthony to preside at first Heads of Government meeting
PRIME Minister of Saint Lucia, Dr the Honourable Kenny D Anthony will preside over his first meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) tomorrow since assuming the Chair of CARICOM on Sunday 1 July. Dr Anthony replaces the President of Suriname, His Excellency Desire Bouterse.
The three day 33rd Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government begins with an opening ceremony at 09:30hrs at the Sandals Grande which will be streamed live on the internet. One of the highlights of that ceremony will be the conferment of CARICOM’s highest award, the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC), on Kamaluddin Mohammed of Trinidad and Tobago. Mr Mohammed served in various cabinet positions in his native country and his award is as a result of his sterling contribution to the integration of the Region, in particular during his stint as Minister of West Indian Affairs.
CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque will lead off the speakers at the opening, at which addresses will be delivered by the Chairman, the immediate past Chairman, the President of Guyana, His Excellency Donald Ramotar, the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, the Right Honourable Perry Christie and the Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Honourable Portia Simpson-Miller.
The Heads of Government will receive the Secretaries-General of the Organisation of American States (OAS) and of the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), His Excellency Jose Miguel Insulza, and His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas respectively.
Barclays boss Bob Diamond resigns amid Libor scandal
Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond has resigned with immediate effect.
The move comes less than a week after the bank was fined for trying to manipulate inter-bank lending rates, sparking a government inquiry and calls for criminal investigations.
Mr Diamond said he was stepping down because the external pressure on the bank risked "damaging the franchise".
Chancellor George Osborne said he hoped it was the "first step towards a new culture of responsibility" in banking.
"It is the right decision for the country," Mr Osborne said, saying the country needed a strong Barclays concentrating on lending and contributing to economic recovery.
Chairman Marcus Agius, who had announced his own resignation on Monday, will now take over the running of Barclays until a replacement is found.
"I am deeply disappointed that the impression created by the events announced last week about what Barclays and its people stand for could not be further from the truth," Mr Diamond said in a statement.
He will still appear before MPs on the Treasury Committee on Wednesday to answer questions about the Libor affair.
"I look forward to fulfilling my obligation to contribute to the Treasury Committee's enquiries related to the settlements that Barclays announced last week without my leadership in question," Mr Diamond said.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, told the BBC that Mr Diamond's resignation was "the right decision".
"There are many questions to be answered about the rate fixing and Barclays will have to answer many of those questions," said Mr Alexander.
"Responsibility has been taken in the right way. Hopefully this will help Barclays to establish the right culture in the future."
Resignation calls
Last week, regulators in the US and UK fined Barclays £290m ($450m) for attempting to rig Libor and Euribor, the interest rates at which banks lend to each other, which underpin trillions of pounds worth of financial transactions.
Staff did this over a number of years, trying to raise them for profit and then, during the financial crisis, lowering them to hide the level to which Barclays was under financial stress.
The chairman of the City regulator, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), noted the public outrage at the bank's actions.
"The cynical greed of traders asking their colleagues to falsify their Libor submissions so that they could make bigger profits - has justifiably shocked and angered people, in particular when we are facing hard economic times provoked by the financial crisis," Lord Turner told the FSA's annual meeting.
After Mr Agius announced his resignation on Monday, politicians and shareholders continued to call for Mr Diamond to go.
Responding to news of his departure, opposition leader Ed Miliband said: "It was clear Bob Diamond was not the man to lead the change that Barclays needed."
He repeated Labour's criticism of the terms of the parliamentary inquiry, to be led by the head of the Treasury Committee, that the government announced this week.
"This is about the culture and practices of the entire banking system which is why we need an independent, open, judge-led, public inquiry."
Mr Diamond is one of the UK's highest paid chief executives, earning £20m last year, and was described as "the unacceptable face" of banking by the then business secretary Lord Mandelson in 2010. The details of any severance package are not yet known.
He was head of Barclays Capital, its investment bank division, when his staff were trying to manipulate the key inter-bank rates.
"He maintains that he didn't know what was going on," says BBC business editor Robert Peston. "He feels he was hounded out."
It emerged over the weekend that Mr Diamond spoke to the deputy governor of the Bank of England Andrew Tucker about Barclays' Libor submissions at the height of the credit crunch in 2008.
The details of that telephone conversation will be an important area of questioning at this week's hearing of the Treasury Committee.
Barclays' managers came to believe, after the conversation between Mr Diamond and Mr Tucker, that the Bank of England had sanctioned them to lie about what they were paying to borrow when providing data to the committees that set the Libor rate.
Spain's jobless level falls by 100,000 in June
The number of people looking for work in Spain fell almost 100,000 in June, a record for the month, to 4.62 million.
The Labour Ministry said the number of people filing for unemployment benefits fell by 98,853, or 2.1%, compared with the previous month.
June is generally a good month for employment as it marks the beginning of the tourist season.
Despite the fall, the unemployment rate in Spain is still the highest in the eurozone.
According to EU figures published on Monday, one in four of the Spanish workforce is out of a job, compared with an overall rate of unemployment for the 17-member bloc of 11.1%.
Reform
"June is traditionally good for the unemployment queue but we have never reached a decline of nearly 100,000 people," said Spain's state secretary for labour, Engracia Hidalgo.
"We will have to follow the development of the unemployment figures after this good data for June to verify whether we are turning towards a positive trend."
June is the third month in a row that the number of unemployed has fallen in Spain. In March, the number of jobseekers hit a record high of 4.75 million.
The Spanish government is implementing a number of labour market reforms to try to reduce unemployment, including cutting back on severance pay and restricting inflation-linked salary increases. These have proved very unpopular with unions and workers.
However, it has been forced to approve billions of euros of spending cuts and tax increases in an effort to reduce its debt levels, which have had a negative impact on employment within the economy.
BBC