Truly More Michael Jackson Amazing News

The Prince of Pop Revealed

Omer Bhatti Moonwalking better than anyone else has ever done.

Joe Jackson didnt have to admit Omer was Michaels Secret Child, because you can just look at his photo and energy and see Mikes Spirit all in him.

NO THIS IS NOT MICHAEL JACKSON IN THE PHOTO- IT IS OMER (HIS SECRET SON)

An inmate in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court last week accused a senior police officer of stabbing at him with a knife while he was at the Kingston Central lock-up.

Resident Magistrate Georgianna Fraser was very concerned about this accusation and immediately asked that a police officer take a statement from the inmate and ensure that it is reported to the Complaints Division.

The inmate, Oneil Fraser, charged with wounding with intent, told the court that he was being abused by the police officers at the Kingston Central jail and that an inspector stabbed at him with a knife.

Superintendent Cornel Messam of the Kingston Central Police Station told THE STAR that he was aware of the accusations made by the inmate. However, he mentioned that the senior officer was wrongfully accused.

"I am aware of the matter, however, the inmate is not being truthful about the matter," said Messam.

According to the senior officer, Fraser has been involved in a number of incidents at the facility since his transfer from the Half-Way Tree lock-up. Messam added that such a claim is impossible, since weapons are strictly prohibited from the lock-up.

"I know that inmate, he is a troublemaker that was transferred from the Half-Way Tree lock-up ... Such an allegations is impossible because knives and guns are not carried into jail," said the senior officer.

Fraser was sentenced to three months in prison last week for using a padlock to cause injury to an inmate.

The 27-year-old pregnant woman accused of stabbing her child's father in the eye with a kitchen knife, was again remanded in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Keneisha Russell, a Kingston 14 resident, is charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.

When the matter was mentioned in court on Tuesday, Resident Magistrate Georgianna Fraser was considering granting the accused bail, but decided not to do so after the investigating officer revealed that the accused woman's life may be in danger. He told the court that residents of the community may seek to harm her.

Russell told the court that apart from her home, the only other place she could stay was in Portland. However, RM Fraser said this was too far way.

breaking up

The allegations against Russell are that on March 23, she and the complainant were at home having discussions about the baby. It is alleged that the accused got angry when the man told her he was unable to give her the money she had requested. She reportedly began to curse and told him that she was breaking up with him.

The court heard that Russell became enraged, grabbed a knife and began stabbing the complainant, who held on to her. She is alleged to have continued stabbing, so he ran outside. It is alleged that the accused stabbed at the complainant another time and it was when he felt the pain that he realised that he had been stabbed.

When the complainant attended court on the first mention date, he had a bandage over his right eye. He said the eye was completely removed and revealed that he had spent three days in the hospital.

THE STARhas learnt that dancehall artiste Poor and Boasy, who was accused of stabbing a man nine times, is now breathing a sigh of relief, as an agreement was reached concerning settlement of his case.

When contacted yesterday, the reigning Magnum King of the Dancehall, born Omar Johnson, confirmed the news.

According to Johnson he appeared in the Spaldings Resident Magistrate's Court in Clarendon on April 16 and the RM was told that both parties had come to an agreement and the case was subsequently thrown out.

A source from the Christiana police who was close to the investigations confirmed to THE STAR that an agreement was indeed made and was mentioned in court.

"They came to some agreement where he (Poor and Boasy) was supposed to pay for the damages ... I cannot say if the deal was settled though, I have to check," the source told THE STAR last night.

Poor and Boasy, however, says he has settled the issue and is ready to move on.

heated argument

THE STAR first reported that Poor and Boasy was wanted in connection with the stabbing of Lindon Clarke, a resident of Aenon Town, Clarendon, on June 5, last year.

It was alleged that while playing a game of cards, Clarke got into a heated argument with Johnson. It is further alleged that Clarke received several stab wounds in his side, hands and belly and had to run in order to escape. He was later hospitalised and was placed on a drip.

However, after months of battling with court dates, the 20-year-old Johnson, who was represented by Valrie Neita Robinson, is happy that the worst is behind him.

bad company

"Di judge say mi get another chance in life, mi muss use it well and stop keep bad company. Mi just glad fi all who keep supporting me cause a nuh mi dat," he said.

The last few months have been nothing but turmoil for Johnson, a former street youth who became famous last year as a contestant in the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall competition. He wiped motor vehicle windshields at stoplights to earn a living and it influenced his popular song Red, Amber and Green.

However, not only did his music career stall as a result of the court case, but his reputation was being questioned as many believed the incident was a result of his background.

"True yuh nuh know how it hurt me. Mi just did affi keep it inside ... memba mi have a likkle daughter and certain people who did trust mi start lose off a mi," he stated.

positive attitude

Instead of feeling resentful and angry, Johnson says he has now brushed off the negativity lingering around his young career and will approach the future with a renewed and positive attitude.

"Tru di case mi did a lay low, but a not guilty di judge seh so mi deh back on it again. It was a learning process because a Father God a show mi certain signs. Mi a come from the worst suh dis a just add to it," he said.

MI TEEF THIS AFFA TWEETA RAEEEEE A SHE THIS????

Daynise Lowman-Gopaul 

WERE BACK !!!!!!

Daynise Lowman-Gopaul 

THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS

Daynise Lowman-Gopaul 

WE JUST CAN'T HIDE FROM THE CAMERA IN ANY STATE WE GO. (JAMAICA HERE WE COME SEE U @ STING )

*Lexus  we did hear say a queens u ooman did deh... now a philly.. LITE POCKET LEXUS MEK UP U MINE*

According to a release from his publicity team, the popularity Gyptians Billboard charting single Hold Yuh which was produced by Ricky Blaze has been growing rapidly. The single which is now number 67 on the Billboard Hot R&B and Hip Hop Chart, was recently remixed by hot new female rapper Nicki Minaj.

Reports are that the remix was premiered by Funkmaster Flex on New York's Hot 97 on Monday and later uploaded on www.youtube.com, and in one day got over 1,600 views. Nicki Minaj who was signed last year to American label Young Money Entertainment, which was founded by Lil Wayne, has been making quite a name for her self internationally. She already has several high-profile collaborations to her credit including the Billboard chart-topping songs Bedrock with Young Money and Lloyd and My Chick Bad with Ludacris.

Although the remix was not authorized by Gyptian and his team, reports are that the artist and his management are quite please with the results. A spokesperson from his camp said it is a possibility that the remix might end up on Gyptians long awaited third album for VP Records.

Internationally recognised singjay Mr Vegas will be making a significant donation to Martha's House on North Street which was damaged by fire last year.

"I am going to donate the fees that the organiser of a gospel show, I Am Blessed, in New York this weekend," Vegas said.

He realized the pressing need of the Mustard Seed home when he visited it during a children's treat a few years ago.

"I saw the crippling need and the poor condition the place was in, and I really want to do something meaningful to help them," he said.

He will officially make the donation next week when he returns to the island. Vegas is now in St. Kitts with his Eva Bless crew as part of the ICC Twenty/20 Tournament tour.

London, England (CNN) -- "Daredevil," "brave," "nutter" -- these are some of the descriptions usually applied to Alain Robert, the legendary urban climber.

Robert has made his name by risking his life to scale some of the world's highest landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower and Taipei 101.

The wiry-framed climber relies solely on his bare hands and a small bag of chalk for his audacious ascents. His escapades across the globe usually end with a trip to the local police station -- a prospect that doesn't seem to dishearten the 47-year-old and father of three.

"Life has to be dangerous," Robert told CNN. "There is a percentage of people who want to be a little bit outside their comfort zone and I am one of them, someone who lives on the edge."

A talented rock climber, Robert turned his attention to the urban setting of steel and glass walls in the mid-1990s. So far, he has scaled more than 100 skyscrapers -- some of them legally, after being invited by countries or enterprises to "christen" the unveiling of a new building.

Graphic: See map of places Robert has climbed

Robert opened up to CNN's Revealed about danger, death and getting arrested.

CNN: How does your body feel at the beginning of a climb?

Alain Robert: I'm always in a little bit of a rush because I know that by doing something illegal there will be cops and security people. But after a few meters I calm down, it's something marvelous. I feel completely alone -- it's like melting, I am the structure, and I am also Alain Robert.

I enjoy that kind of feeling and that's why I'm kind of addicted and need to do it again and again and again. At the end of the day, life is very much about action and I like playing that game between life and death.

CNN: Do you decide how you're going to climb beforehand or is there a process of learning the building as you move?

AR: It's very much about touching and feeling, trying to understand the building as much as possible. So that's why I usually go at night and make a try. If you've climbed the first 140 meters it doesn't mean that you've succeeded; you are going to succeed by climbing the last 10 meters.

Everything that I undertake has nothing to do with craziness; I'm completely on the opposite side of someone who is trying to commit suicide. I enjoy living, I'm married, I have three boys, I even have a dog. So my target is having fun and succeeding.

CNN: What do you think about while climbing?

AR: My head is focused on the ascent, I can't afford to be distracted by my electricity bill or my broken car. The main target is reaching the top and staying alive.

Before the ascent I'm a little bit afraid, which is normal, I am like any other human being. But when I start to climb I'm like a tiger, in fighting mode. There's no doubt in my mind that I am going to succeed.

CNN: Where is the power dynamic for you?

AR: I am tempted to tell you that the more dangerous it is, the more exciting it is. But it can be deadly, you should never forget that when you start such a difficult ascent, it could be the last one.

But it's an interesting feeling, nowadays society is based in materialism, so by doing something dangerous it reminds you how precious life is.

CNN: Do you enjoy fear? Is life without danger boring?

AR: Yes, life has to be dangerous. For people living in places like the U.S., UK or France, nowadays life is kind of secure. But there is a percentage of people who want to be a little bit outside their comfort zone, and I am one of them, someone who lives on the edge.

CNN: Do you consider yourself a rebel?

AR: I'm a little bit rebellious, I enjoy more doing my ascent without any approval than doing it with approval. But that's just a part of me, many people are like that.

Actually, a lot of the cops enjoy the things that I am doing -- even though they arrest me, they take pictures and ask me for autographs.

CNN: We've seen shots of you waving your arms when you reach the top. How is that feeling?

AR: It's fantastic, it feels like being re-born, you realize how beautiful your life is.

The media seem to not get enough of me climbing a building, and most of the times they feel even more attracted if the ascent is illegal. I guess that's because it shows that this little French guy is having a strong spirit of freedom -- he's enjoying his life by doing something extreme. He's playing a game between life and death, and he's good at it because he has been alive for so many years.

And it shows how human beings can achieve a lot with power and motivation. At the end of the day, if I'm having to choose between dying from cancer or falling from a cliff or a building, I prefer 10,000 times to fall from a building -- it's going to be short and fast.

Although it will always be true that there are none as blind as those who will not see, and although no amount of preaching, teaching or writing can inject common sense into brainwashed "sheeple", those who love Jamaica and its people must continue to try to rouse Jamaican sleepers from their socio-political slumber.

There might be connections between the Buju Banton (left) arrest the courageous stand of Prime Minister Golding against the homosexuality that the US is promoting worldwide, and the Coke case

Based on the talk on Jamaican streets, radio-show and television comments, Internet blogs and newspaper articles dealing with the Coke case, certain camps among Jamaicans and people with vested interests in Jamaica can be identified. Yet, one gets the impression that among the majority of Jamaicans who should be concerned about this case, namely, the poor and the common people, there is a "couldn't care less" attitude and outright apathy, leading this writer to wonder when we will all wake up.

The US game of imperialism has utilised the same strategies with slight modifications throughout its history. Strategy number one is for the US to give up the least and gain the most, using every method from deception to brute force. Not enough Jamaicans read US history, especially the massacre of the Native Americans, perhaps because Jamaicans became completely mesmerised by US propaganda movies featuring Indians and lawmen.

Too few Jamaicans understand that the US plants groups and individuals in Jamaica to orchestrate US policies, including the destabilisation of Jamaica, as seen in the Michael Manley era. Very often those US puppets are Jamaicans - including politicians, professionals and people from any level - who are bribed, blackmailed or brutalised to play their parts.The greatest need, therefore, is for this camp of Jamaicans, the innocent ignoramuses, to be taught by politicians, preachers, pedagogues and people who know the truth about US imperialism. If those Jamaicans are not duly educated, then it will be "dog nyam wi suppa".

US strategy number two is a kind of distraction that approaches deception but which runs much deeper than any one issue or development. The Dudus debacle is a classic case. The US always uses groups and individuals to do its dirty work and then disposes of those suckers. The JLP did some dirty work for America during the Manley years and it might be "sucker time".

There might be connections between the Buju Banton arrest, the courageous stand of Prime Minister Golding against the homosexuality that the US is promoting worldwide, and the Coke case. Thus certain Jamaican factions, some diaspora entities, and of course, those clandestine forces promoting US interests online and elsewhere, are now swarming like vultures toward this Dudus distraction to help the US accomplish its hidden agendas.

This camp containing Jamaicans and non-Jamaicans, the licky-lickey lucre lovers are those for whom the US can do no wrong and for whom Jamaica can do nothing right. They lack analytical ability, spout overworked clichés and paddle in ad hominem Portia-potties. It will take enlightenment from Yeshua Messiah, or timely repentance when their turn comes to be US suckers, to help that camp. Yet, every single Jamaican is important and should be helped to see the light, if at all possible.

There is also a guild of pathetic pragmatists who deliberately support US policies that they know to be immoral and evil, simply because it is the "wise" thing to do to remain in US favour so as not to lose business, lose visa, or otherwise suffer recrimination. This camp makes it easy for the US to perpetrate its strategy of using Trojan horse gifts to manipulate and exploit Jamaica. They grab at straw arguments to support extradition for Coke and proffer non sequitur ramblings and biased rancours against PM Golding and the Jamaican government. Some are opportunists who play the Coke conundrum for political points, while others try to curry US favour.

It is not totally unwise to play it safe at times, but members of this camp must remember that imperialism is no respecter of persons. It would be better for this guild to remain quietly neutral instead of bad-mouthing Jamaica. Private sector groups, Opposition spokespersons, church organisations and media houses that kowtow to the US position in this Coke affair might be bordering on treachery, especially when some of them played similar roles in the Manley years.

The extradition treaty between Jamaica and the US is lopsided and pragmatically flawed. It smells like an agreement between entities, one of which is more equal than the other. In its Narcotics Report the US admits that 70 per cent of guns used in crimes in Jamaica come from the US, yet there is still only a one-way extradition from the weaker nation to the other. Most of the agreements between the US and other nations mentioned in that report simply give licence for the US to have free run in those countries which in turn give up their sovereignty to US imperialism. Jamaica already suffers too much from such manipulation and exploitation from European, North American, and other nations and NGO groups.

This fight for Jamaican sovereignty and justice for Coke should not be a Golding gladiator bout but a cause in which every single conscientious Jamaican should stand up against US bullying.

Thank God for the conscientious crew that analyses this extradition issue from the standpoint of Godly justice and divine righteousness. It includes the Rev Al Miller, PM Golding, and others. If it were not for the spectre of imperialism, grounded in social Darwinism, overshadowing this issue, long ago there would have been delegations of diplomats from each country meeting behind closed doors to resolve this issue respectably, and there would not have been that US one-upmanship displayed in their Narcotics Report.

Too much "sufferation" among Jamaicans is being caused by foreigners. Careful analysis of the Dudus case will help Jamaicans learn many vital lessons about how they are being exploited from without. Wake up and live, Jamaicans!

POLICE today outlined details of a 16-step anti-crime strategy in attempt to gain greater public confidence and cooperation in its fight against increased crime and violence.

The steps outlined in a statement from Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) included targeting gang activity in schools, covert anti-gang operations and more aggressive policing on the island's road network.

"In order for these policing activities to work and ensure the safety and security of all Jamaicans it is important that citizens continue to support the police by sharing information about criminal activities even where those involved are related to them. It is also crucial that all Jamaicans obey the laws of the land and resist temptations to take part in any illegal activities which offer financial or other benefits," said the statement. The police also warned that criminals put not just themselves at greater risk of violence abut also their own family members and associates.

"A criminal offender in the household is an immediate security threat to the entire family," said the police.

We make a public appeal to all to conduct your affairs in accordance with the laws and allow the police to perform their duty in protecting you in your homes and communities.

The 16 steps are as follows:

1.    High visibility uniformed patrols and presence in communities and commercial areas to re-assure citizens while deterring criminal activities.

2.    Covert patrols and presence to surprise and apprehend criminals with evidence.

3.    Coordinated stop or search activities; vehicle check points and road blocks to disrupt criminals movements, while intercepting the movement of guns, drugs and stolen commodities.

4.    Aggressive road policing and traffic law enforcement to reduce criminal activity on public transport, curtail breaches of the road traffic act and; reduce traffic accidents.

5.    Operations in crime hotspots to reduce criminal violence, arson and intimidation.

6.    Coordinated activities to disrupt, displace and apprehend gang members with evidence sufficient to secure convictions.

7.    Expansion of community-based policing in stable communities to deliver consistent police services to citizens.

8.    Expansion of the School Safety Programme to reduce school violence, drug abuse and the influence of criminal gangs in schools.

9.    Proactive investigation, targeting crimes for profit such as narcotics trafficking; gun running; extortion/protection rockets; illegal trading in contraband and counterfeit goods; illegal gambling and involvement of children in criminal activities.

10.    Re-active investigations aimed at improving cleared up rates for homicides, shootings, robbery, break-ins, larceny and sexual offences.

11.    Targeted policing to secure and boost confidence in critical sectors such as tourism; agriculture; construction, commerce and transportation.

12.    Expansion of peace building partnerships in collaboration with the Peace Management Initiative; local authorities; community-based groups and Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

13.    Expansion of the Police Youth Club and Mentorship programme aimed at diverting vulnerable young persons from involvement in criminal gang activities.

14.    Nuisance Abatement programmes aimed at illegal vending; overnight parking; night noise control and; curtailing of 'hooligan behaviour'. This also includes the banning of some regularly staged dances and parties that disturb the peace and tranquility in communites.

15.    The expansion of our intelligence input to investigative and operational policing to achieve greater focus on the critical crime targets such as gangs; trafficking syndicates, groups at risks and crime hotspots.

16.    A programme of nationally driver strategies have been rolled out to confront major crime challenges which transcend division boundaries and in some cases national borders. These include:

• Counter-narcotics control strategy
• National gun control programme
• Anti-extortion strategy
• Anti-kidnapping strategy
• Praedial larceny prevention strategy
• Pro-active investigation strategy
• Stolen motor vehicle recovery strategy
• Telephone fraud ('Lotto Scam') control strategy
• Road policing and anti-crime strategy
• Cyber crime strategy

Financial analysts want the populous not politicians to decide the fate of the stalled extradition of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke but they also want crime culled to fillip growth.

"If you have a part of the economy controlled by men affiliated with crime there will always be a disincentive for investment at any interest rate. We cannot play... with politicians who are tied up with alleged criminals, we have to have a united voice as a country on this," stated Professor Alvin Wint professor of International business and pro vice-chancellor at University of the West Indies.

He was one of six panelists speaking at the Bethel Forum entitled the Recession, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and You, on Sunday in which analysts differed on economic prospects but agreed on societal ills.

"The church is so silent on the matter that there is a constitutionally elected prime minister and an unconstitutionally elected president with more power than the prime minister. Why is the church so silent on this matter," stated Ralston Hyman analyst, radio host and financial editor for the Sunday Herald newspaper, alluding to one of Coke's aliases which is president. The Bethel Forum was held at the Bethel Baptist Church in Kingston hosted by attorney, Jeremy Taylor.

Both analysts were the latest to join mounting calls for the US request of the extradition of Coke, the Tivoli Gardens strongman, to be handled with transparency. Last month the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) urged Prime Minister Bruce Golding to let the nation's courts decide on matters relating to extradition requests from the United States.

Chartered accountant, Dennis Chung also an advisor on the Air Jamaica divestment committee, analogised that even if interest rates went to zero per cent that theft would still be a greater disincentive for investment.

"The reason why there is no long term investment is because even if you get money at zero per cent for agriculture there is a 90 per cent chance of praedial larceny therefore our main problem in Jamaica is crime. Unless you control crime you are not going to fill the gap left by government since coming out of (fiscal) spending," Chung stated in his address.

Other panellists included Martin Henry public affairs analyst, Cheryl Hanson-Simpson personal finance consultant and Dr Anthony Allen who discussed managing personal finances within the context of the budget and the IMF.

Golding told the nation in March that the US extradition request for Coke was flawed as the Interception of Communications Act was breached. Golding said Justice Minister and Attorney General Dorothy Lightbourne had not signed the request on those grounds. But the PSOJ insisted that the matter should not be settled on a political level but should be dealt with judicially.

The US Attorneys Office had in August last year requested that Coke be formally extradited to that jurisdiction to face charges of gun running and drug trafficking in New York.

Coke was described as a major crime lord by the US authorities who stated that they had nine coconspirators who had furnished dirt on him. He is accused of illicit dealings since 1994.

But the Government has dawdled on the issue for seven months and the inaction has prompted the US Department of State to lash the ruling party for its close links to crime lords and branded it a corrupt regime in a recently released Narcotics Report.

The report also said three police commissioners had resigned over the state's unwillingness to cut the nexus between political organisations and the criminal underworld. But Golding, unfazed, told the nation he was prepared to pay the political price for standing up for Coke, who is a point man in his West Kingston constituency which is controlled by the garrison of Tivoli Gardens, Coke's stomping ground.

The US Government has since drafted a new indictment outlining further charges against Coke and is expected to forward the new indictment to the Jamaican government soon.

PHILADELPHIA, USA -- Unlike last year when the weather was near tropical on the last two days, this year's renewal of the 116th Penn Relays Carnival here in Philadelphia is expected to see the normal cold and rainy conditions.

Yesterday weather forecasters were calling for cool weather no higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit but with rain on both Thursday's start and Saturday's final day of the USA's largest annual track and field meet.

Friday is expected to be cool and overcast, but dry with a high of 66 degrees Fahrenheit with Saturday expected to be cooler. Thursday's opening day should be the warmest, with a high of 70 degrees but with rain like Saturday.

Meanwhile, the majority of the 39 high school teams and six college teams from Jamaica are expected to start arriving here today.

This is an increase from last year where 33 high school teams took part as Bridgeport High, Campion College and debutants Old Harbour High will join the boys' section, while the Queen's School and William Knibb Memorial High will return on the girls' section.

Additionally, there will be a number of schools from other Caribbean territories: there will be six schools from the Bahamas, three from Barbados, six from Trinidad, one from the Turks and Caicos and three from the Virgin Islands.

Other non-North American countries or US territories that will be represented here are schools from Namibia and Zimbabwe, as well as the United Kingdom.

Jamaican high schools will defend five Championships of America relay titles this year, three on the girls' side and two on the boys'.

Edwin Allen High girls won the 4x400m and 4x800m last year, while Vere Technical won the 4x100m.

Calabar High set a new meet record 39.91 seconds in the boys' 4x100m, while St Jago retained their 4x400m title.

There were also four individual winners last year, Jamaica College's K'Don Samuels set a then National Junior Record of 4.80m when he became the first Jamaican to win the pole vault; St Elizabeth Technical's Peter-gay Reid retained her high jump title, while teammate Rochelle Farquharson won her first triple jump event and St George's College's Kimarki Absalom won the high jump.

In the college ranks last year the University of Technology girls became the first Jamaican college to win an event after they took the 4x400m, former Mannings School and St Hugh's representative Nadia Alexander, representing Louisiana Tech, won the shot put championships, while former Alpha runner Shermaine Williams, who ran for Johnson C Smith University, set a NJR in the 100m hurdles while placing second overall.

Additionally, the Edwin Allen sister pair of Nikita and Ristananna Tracey were named the meet's high school individual and relay MVPs for outstanding performances.

Jamaican high school teams taking part: 21 Boys -- Ardenne High, Bellefield High, Bridgeport High, Calabar High, Camperdown High, Campion College, Herbert Morrison Technical High, Holmwood Technical High, Jamaica College, Kingston College, Manchester High, Munro College, Oberlin High, Old Harbour, St Elizabeth Technical, St George's College, St Jago High, Tacius Golding High, Vere Technical, William Knibb Memorial, Wolmer's Boys'.

17 Girls -- Alpha Academy, Bellefield High, Camperdown High, Edwin Allen High, Herbert Morrison Technical High, Holmwood Technical High, Manchester High, Oberlin High, St Andrew High School, St Elizabeth Technical High, St Hugh's High, St Jago High, Tacius Golding High, Queen's School, Vere Technical High, William Knibb Memorial, Wolmer's Girls'.

PHILADELPHIA, USA -- The announcement that double world record-holder Usain Bolt is returning to the Penn Relays has had the desired impact on the ticket office as Saturday's third day is almost completely sold out.

A check with the ticket office at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania at midday yesterday showed that only a few dozen seats were left on the north-west corner of the stadium.

A ticket representative told the Observer that after it was announced that Bolt would be competing on Saturday, for the Jamaican team in the 4x100m relays, request for tickets spiked and that by Monday all the tickets along either of the straightways had been completely sold out.The Observer also saw persons buying upwards of 20 tickets yesterday and one man was heard talking to his friends on his cellular phone that he could not get tickets in the section they always sat and was asking whether another section would be okay.

Bolt, who has not run here in four years, is expected to take part in the 4x100m race in the US vs The World Series.

Jamaica has won this event once -- in 2008 with a team of Marvin Anderson, Michael Frater, Nesta Carter and Dwight Thomas in 39.04 seconds.

Bolt was part of the Sprint Medley Relays team in 2005 and Jamaican teams have won a total of eight times in the series that started in 2000.

The weather forecast for Saturday is calling for rain and cool temperatures with a high of six degrees Fahrenheit.

Jamaican high schools will be well represented here with 39 teams down to take part in the event that starts on Thursday.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AFP) -- Argentines expressed outrage yesterday that Uruguay was not slapped with sanctions or penalties after being found in violation of an international treaty by polluting a river the countries share.

"This is a bitter pill we have to swallow," said Sergio Uribarri, governor of the Argentine border province of Entre Rios, reacting to the ruling by the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

"We know that the court ruled in our favour on the basic question. But it's still important to correct the problems" highlighted by the court's verdict, Uribarri said.

The ruling led more than 2,000 environmental rights activists to take to the streets of Buenos Aires.

"This factory is illegal and it's a polluter," said one of them, Lalo Moreyra, who added that Argentines "will never accept that the plant be allowed to remain open".

The International Court of Justice in the Hague yesterday ruled that "Uruguay breached its procedural obligations" by not informing Argentina about the paper-processing plant on the River Uruguay.

Nevertheless, the court chose not to hold Montevideo responsible for polluting the river.

Argentina accused its neighbour of having reneged on the treaty when it authorised the $1-billion (euro740-million) Botnia mill, which Buenos Aires claimed has caused "irreversible" environmental damage to a densely populated area used for fishing, leisure and tourism.

The mill is owned by Finnish firm Botnia, which started operating on the Uruguayan bank of the river near the town of Fray Bentos in November 2007.

The court ruled that by not informing Argentina of the plans before authorising the Botnia mill, Uruguay "failed to comply with the obligation imposed on it" by a 1975 bilateral treaty with Argentina.

Uruguay's Foreign Minister Luis Almagro said in a statement that he was seeking a meeting of leaders from both countries to try to find a resolution of the dispute and discuss the international court ruling.

KINGSTON, Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding has said the importation of illegal guns from the United States is contributing significantly to the countrys worsening crime situation.

"The security forces recover, on average, 600 guns each year. We suspect that a greater number enter the island each year, creating an ever increasing arsenal of illegal weapons snuffing out lives with callous brutality, Golding told Parliament as he made his contribution to the debate on the 2010 national budget yesterday.

He told legislators that the majority of the illegal weapons were made in the United States. Last year, more than 1,600 persons were murdered in Jamaica.

"A resolution before the United Nations for an international convention to restrict the illegal trafficking in small arms is still the subject of negotiations. In the meanwhile, we intend to renew our efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation with the US with a view to addressing the flow of illegal guns from the US to Jamaica with the same vigour that we seek to apply to the flow of illegal drugs from Jamaica to the US, Golding said.

The prime minister said that his administration would be bringing to Parliament anti-gang legislation to enable law enforcement agencies to move more effectively against criminal gangs.

"Today's criminal networks did not exist when the existing law enforcement powers were created. The spanner we have was never made to fit the nut we have to crack, Golding said.

The regulations to allow for the use of plea bargaining have been reported on by the Regulations Committee and it is for the House now to confirm those regulations so that this important tool can be brought to bear in solving crime. This will play a significant role but the suspect has to be apprehended before he can be invited to bargain a plea" he added.

JERUSALEM, Israel (AFP) -- Israelis fired up barbecues in packed campgrounds and beaches across the country yesterday as they celebrated the 62nd anniversary of the Jewish state's creation.

The air force and navy held displays, and leaders including the president, prime minister, defence minister and military chief of staff staged a singalong at the presidential residence in Jerusalem.

And Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told diplomats foreign pressure would aggravate the Middle East crisis -- a jab at the US administration that has pressed Israel to make concessions in a bid to revive peace talks with the Palestinians.

"Peace cannot be enforced, it must be built," the right-wing minister said.

He also insisted the status of Jerusalem, one of the "core issues" in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, was not negotiable.

"Today I stand before you in Jerusalem, as Israel's foreign minister, and reaffirm late Prime Minister (Menachem) Begin's statement: Jerusalem is our undivided, eternal capital."

Celebrations kicked off at sundown on Monday with fireworks in honour of Israel's founding on May 14, 1948, corresponding this year to April 20, according to the Jewish calendar.

The occupied West Bank was sealed off from Israel and annexed Arab east Jerusalem for the duration of Israel's only secular public holiday.

US President Barack Obama affirmed in a statement his country's "unbreakable bond" with Israel.

He said he looked forward "to continuing our efforts with Israel to achieve comprehensive peace and security in the region, including a two-state solution" with the Palestinians.

Ties between Israel and its main ally have been deeply strained as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rebuffed US and Palestinian demands for a halt to settlement construction in annexed Arab east Jerusalem.

President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, one of just two Arab states to have signed peace treaties with Israel, also called for renewed peace efforts.

"I am pleased to congratulate you on the occasion of your Independence Day celebrations," he said in a letter to President Shimon Peres.

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) The detention of an 83-year-old priest in Brazil for allegedly abusing boys as young as 12 has added to the scandals hitting the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America, even as Chile's bishops asked pardon yesterday for past sexual abuse cases.

The allegations against Monsignor Luiz Marques Barbosa -- and two other Brazilian priests -- have made headlines throughout the world's most populous Catholic nation and come amid accusations of sexual abuse by priests across the world.

The scandal erupted when Brazilian television network SBT last month broadcast a tape of Barbosa in bed with a 19-year-old that was widely distributed on the Internet.

The station said the video was secretly filmed in January 2009 and sent anonymously to the network. It was not clear if the 19-year-old, identified as a former altar boy who had worked with Barbosa for four years, had previous sexual relations with the priest.

SBT reporters went to Barbosa's house and confronted him. Asked if he ever abused boys, Barbosa said he

could only answer such a question "in confession" and cut off the interview.

Brazil's legislature launched a sex abuse investigation, which produced allegations Barbosa molested boys. The elderly priest was detained late Sunday.

Judge Romulo Vasconcelos told Globo TV on Monday that he requested Barbosa's immediate detention out of fear the priest would flee the country.

The case now goes to prosecutors, who will decide whether to file child abuse charges.

Sen Magno Malta, the Brazilian lawmaker leading the legislature's probe, called Barbosa's detention a milestone in the fight against child abuse in Brazil.

Barbosa's lawyer, Edson Maia, plans to seek his release from detention, citing the man's advanced age and arguing that he has a fixed address and does not pose a flight risk, Brazil's O Estado de S Paulo newspaper reported yesterday.

Congressional investigators said more than 20 witnesses were called and some testified Barbosa and two other priests in the same north-eastern archdiocese had abused boys as young as 12, plying them with money, clothes and other gifts.

Bishop Valerio Breda of the Penedo archdiocese in the north-eastern state of Alagoas said recently that all three priests had been suspended and that the church was conducting its own investigation.

THE governments of Jamaica and the United States, despite their testy relationship in other areas, are working closely in the area of agricultural exports.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Donovan Stanberry yesterday said his ministry was working with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to facilitate the importation of produce such as mangoes and sweet potatoes from Jamaica into the US market by meeting the required sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards.

Stanberry also urged local producers to focus on Jamaican diaspora in order to develop markets for Jamaican food products."We have, perhaps, as many people living between Miami, New York and London and Toronto as are living in Jamaica so it is very important that we get our agricultural products into these markets, and they are subject to the same analysis," he said.

The permanent secretary was delivering the main address in place of Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton at last Tuesday's opening of a three-day workshop on good practices for participation in SPS forum at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

The workshop was organised by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) in partnership with the USDA and the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Stanberry, however, warned that with the agricultural sector experiencing six consecutive quarters of growth, there would be a glut of these products on the local market, if export markets were not found for them.

"If we do find markets outside of Jamaica then we are going to start having problems. It's a problem when we don't produce enough, and it's a bigger problem when we produce too much without markets", he said.

In this regard Stanberry said Jamaican producers should seek to export more, not only to the Jamaica diaspora, but also to Caricom.

Dr Ricardo Molins, AHFS director of IICA, Costa Rica said the SPS measures should be viewed not as obstacles, but as a opportunity for export. He said the standards were necessary to protect Jamaica's flora and fauna and the health of the people.

JAMAICAN hotels are struggling to find alternative accommodations for their guests stranded here because of the shutdown of airports across Europe, due to the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjalla in Iceland.

Wayne Cummings, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), said a number of local hotels have had to move out stranded visitors, some of whom have run out of money, to other suitable locations to make way for arriving guests.

According to Cummings, while hotels have been working overtime to accommodate their guests as best as possible, they had to ensure that guests arriving from North America and other regions were accommodated."We have a contractual agreement with these new guests who are coming in, and so we have to say to our British clients 'we can no longer keep you', and show them the alternatives," Cummings told the Observer Monday.

"When it first happened we thought three days at the worst, but once people's money began to run out, we realise that we are in a crisis mode," he added.

He made it clear that some hotels were doing everything to facilitate the stranded guests, such as providing them with free phone calls back to their countries, as well as helping them with their laundry.

However, he said some guests were becoming increasingly frustrated as they were unable to get confirmations from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic on their departure from Jamaica.

He fears that if the situation prolongs, "we will have even more serious issues".

He, however, added that even when airlift begins it would take some time to clear the backlog of passengers stranded since the volcano forced the shutdown of Europe's airspace last Thursday.

The JHTA will, meanwhile, be seeking the intervention of the tourism minister, Edmund Bartlett, in the matter.

Cummings said, too, that hoteliers would like the airlines, embassies and high commissions to help shoulder some of the costs to host the stranded visitors.

"We are the ones shouldering the anxiety and that of our guests, and no one has indicated to us how to assist their nationals," he said.

He added that while some tour operators, like Virgin Holiday tour, had opted to pay for the extended stay of their passengers many others were not so generous.

According to Cummings, the way the matter is handled could determine the desire of guests to return to the destination for future holidays.

Monday, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) called on governments around the globe to intervene to protect the travel and tourism economy in light of continued travel disruption. The WTTC, in a release, said while public safety must be paramount, decisions must not be made lightly as they could have serious impact on the world's US$5,751-billion travel and tourism economy.

It was time for governments and organisations such as the United Nations, European Commission, G8 and G20, to re-examine the way policies that affect global travel and tourism are co-ordinated and implemented, said the organisation.

An important step forward, it said, would be the introduction of centralised air traffic control for the whole of Europe, which could reduce the need for blanket bans on flights in the future.

Dancehall artiste Chuck Fenda is giving thanks after he was involved in a serious accident in St Ann early Friday morning.

The artiste, whose real name is Leshorn Whitehead, told THE STAR that he is lucky to have only received cuts and slashes after his Toyota RAV4 flipped three times and landed into a steep ditch. He was on his way to the Irie FM road show.

He said, "I was driving from Kingston to MoBay Friday, about 7:30 a.m., and I was on the Chalky Hill Road, going down to St Ann's Bay. I approached a steep corner, but it seemed like there was oil on the road cause when I turned di corner, di van jus start slide. Mi touch di brake and it still did a slide, so mi jus hold di steering and di van flip three time and den lan' inna di ditch."

The entertainer, who was travelling with his selector Shabba, said farmers who were nearby came to their assistance. He said his selector suffered cuts and bruises and a few broken fingers while he received "some chops and slashes" on his knees and hands.

Fenda explained that he was to have driven down to Montego Bay in a bus provided by the show's organisers, but said it left Kingston at 3 a.m. and he woke up after 4. "When mi wake di bus reach a Flat Bridge, so mi jus seh mi a go tek mi time and cruise down. There was nothing I could do to stop the accident. It was just the power of Jah. If yu see how di van look or how di ditch deep!"

He said he was still a bit shaken up and feels pain in his neck every now and then, but for the most part he is coming on well. "Mi jus haffi give thanks fi life same way. Mi deh ya fi continue the work," he said.

The entertainer told THE STAR that he has a number of shows scheduled for West Palm Beach and Orlando in Florida this weekend and promised fans that he would be there despite the accident.

Classes at the Lititz All-Age School in St Elizabeth were suspended for a short while yesterday after it was discovered that the institution had been broken into and vandalised.

Teachers and students turned up yesterday morning for regular classes, but were shocked by the damage they saw.

desk and chairs damaged

Reports from the police are that five of the school's classrooms were vandalised, with desk and chairs damaged. It is believed that the break-in happened sometime between Saturday and Sunday night.

It is also reported that a threatening message for a teacher at the school was written on a chalkboard in one of the classrooms.

A mother who gave her 15-year-old daughter pills to abort her pregnancy was yesterday sentenced in court.

The woman, a mother of four, was given the option of paying a fine of $15,000 or spending six months in prison.

The accused woman, of a Kingston 13, address pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to procure an abortion in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

According to the allegations, the accused woman, who wanted her daughter to avoid the path of an early pregnancy, found out that her underage child was pregnant.

In an attempt to terminate the pregnancy, it is alleged that the accused woman gave the teen a number of pills, indicating that it would 'wash-out' the baby.

Later the same night, it is claimed that the woman's daughter started to bleed and the next day the mother brought the child to the Maxfield Park Clinic. However, the child was not seen by the doctor.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

JAVANA A HOPE U DID MEK DI ALTER CALL

Penguin Group Australia will have to fork out £12,000 to fix the terrible typo, which it blamed on a poor spellcheck correction that was not picked up by the proofreader.

However, the publishing giant has ruled out recalling books already in the shops because that would be ext­remely hard, said Bob Sessions, head of publishing.

The mistake was in a Pasta Bible recipe for spelt tagliatelle with sardines and prosciutto, which was supposed to call for black pepper.

But Mr Sessions refused to ack­nowledge the silly mistake could anger some people.

Were mortified this has become an issue of any kind and why anyone would be offended, we dont know,' he told an Australian newspaper.

Weve said to bookstores that if anyone is small-minded enough to complain about this silly mistake, we will happily replace [the book].

Cash Money/ Young Money

"We went to Kingston," Drake said. "We went to this 'hood. They call it the 'gully' side. It's bad out there, real bad. They had 'Young Money' sprayed on the gates, 'Drake and Wayne,' 'cause I came to shoot the video out there. I'm talking about you drive by people's homes, they had 'Drake,' 'Young Money,' 'Drake, Welcome Here,' 'Drake We Love You' - crazy sh--, man. It was so crazy. This dude was like, 'Original Weezy tha God! You tha boss! Weezy tha God!' It's crazy. They love us, 'cause we show love out there."

It's April 20 - you know what that means. Some people are celebrating green day, and we're not talking about the rock band. In any event, check out these releases - some are celebrating today's theme and some aren't.

TRACY CITY, Tennessee (AP) -- A dead man has been elected mayor of Tracy City.

Carl Robin Geary died suddenly a few weeks ago. But he received 268 votes anyway in Tuesday's nonpartisan election, beating out incumbent Barbara Brock with 85 votes in the two-candidate race.

An election administrator, Donna Basham, said Wednesday she wouldn't speculate on why Geary won posthumously but noted his death had been widely reported at the time in this corner of southeastern Tennessee.

She says the city council will now have to appoint a mayor to the four-year term.

Brock had been appointed mayor 16 months ago when the previous mayor died. She says she thought she had done a good job but added voters wanted a return to the past.

NEW YORK, USA (AP) -- R&B singer Chris Brown will headline and host a benefit concert in Virginia next month.

"Virginia Stand Up! A Call to Action" will be held May 15 at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Performers will include Trey Songz, Keri Hilson, T-Pain, Mario and Ryan Leslie.

The 20-year-old said in a statement yesterday he wanted to personally contribute to the Haitian relief effort and support an organisation that helps people in his home state. Proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross and the Central Virginia Foodbank.

Brown was sentenced last year to five years' probation and six months of community labour after pleading guilty to felony assault. He was charged in an attack on his then-girlfriend Rihanna hours before the 2009 Grammys.

Wesley Snipes

Even lawyers representing Wesley Snipes in his 2008 tax trial admitted that some of the actor's ideas were "kooky," "crazy" and "dead wrong." But, they argued, Snipes did not break the law when he failed to pay taxes on $58 million of income.

In 1997, the actor quit paying taxes. He called himself a "nontaxpayer" in a document sent to the Internal Revenue Service, and he demanded that the government refund him $7 million of taxes he had paid earlier. Snipes' courtroom defense was that he denied the legitimacy of U.S. tax law. Years earlier, he had joined the American Rights Litigators, a now-defunct group that believed the16th Amendment to the Constitution was not lawfully ratified.

In fairness, a segment of Americans feels the same way about the amendment, which in 1913 gave Congress the "power to lay and collect taxes on income."

 

• 2006 video: Snipes tax charges

 

For decades, there has been a cadre of citizens who have disputed the amendment's legitimacy, arguing, among other things, that differences in the amendment's punctuation from state to state had invalidated ratification, that the amendment conflicts with other sections of the Constitution and that Ohio wasn't technically a state at the time it voted for ratification.

Courts have frowned on tax protesters' arguments, and they did so again at the Snipes trial, which became the most celebrated tax prosecution since Leona Helmsley, the "Queen of Mean," was convicted of tax evasion in 1989.

A jury found Snipes, who had starred in dozens of films, including "White Men Can't Jump" and the "Blade" series, guilty on three counts of failing to file tax returns. He was sentenced to three years in prison but remains free on bail while he appeals the verdict.

 

Pete Rose

 

Pete Rose -- baseball's all-time hits leader and a one-time shoo-in for the Hall of Fame -- makes his living these days autographing baseball memorabilia for about $50 a pop. He reportedly earns about $1 million a year from the part-time gig. But as Rose can tell you, signing baseballs isn't all about reliving the glory days with adoring fans.

In 1990, Rose was sentenced to five months in a minimum-security prison for filing tax returns that had omitted his income from those autograph sales. Rose was fined $50,000 and ordered to pay more than $360,000 in taxes and penalties. Lesson learned? Well, not quite.

• Video: Pete Rose on the record

 

In 2004, the Internal Revenue Service came knocking again. This time, Rose was hit with a federal tax lien of nearly $1 million. The government alleged that Rose owed taxes dating to 1997. Rose is said to have negotiated a repayment plan with the IRS.

Meanwhile, the ballplayer once known as "Charlie Hustle" continues to ply the autograph circuit while he seeks to overturn the lifetime baseball ban -- for betting on baseball games -- that has kept him out of the Hall of Fame.

Spiro Agnew

Arguably the worst afternoon of Spiro Agnew's life was the autumn Wednesday in 1973 when he uttered the words "I hereby resign the office of the vice president of the United States," then headed to a Baltimore courtroom to plead no contest to charges that he had failed to report $29,500 of income in 1967 when he was governor of Maryland. Agnew also had been charged with accepting more than $100,000 in bribes while holding public office.

A personal appeal from Attorney General Elliot Richardson spared Agnew prison time. Instead, Agnew was sentenced to three years' probation and a $10,000 fine.

The legal upbraiding failed to dent Agnew's self-confidence (some would say arrogance). He re-emerged as a successful businessman and, in 1980, published a book denying he had ever taken bribes while a public servant. In 1983, however, he paid the state of Maryland nearly $270,000 to settle a civil suit that stemmed from the bribery probe.

 

Dionne Warwick

Billboard's Hot 100 is a good list to land on. California's 10 biggest tax debtors? Not so good. Singer Dionne Warwick placed near the top on this year's Franchise Tax Board annual list of California taxpayers with the largest delinquent bills.

According to the state's list, Warwick owes nearly $2.2 million in taxes. She was reportedly working on a payment schedule when the 2009 list was released, but the latest tally shows no evidence of repayment.

Warwick, who popularized the song "Alfie" and sold more than 1 million singles of "I Say a Little Prayer," is hardly the only celebrity to have made an appearance on the infamous list. O.J. Simpson, Sinbad and Burt Reynolds have also popped up on the Golden State's list of shame.

 

Willie Nelson

If there's an upside to getting into hot water with the Internal Revenue Service, Willie Nelsonfound it. After protracted negotiations with the IRS on a tax bill that ran to nearly $17 million, Nelson got a gig with H&R Block hawking its tax services. His TV commercial, featuring a "Willie Nelson Advice Doll," got big laughs when it debuted at the 2004 Super Bowl and cemented Nelson's reputation as tax rebel.

The episode was hardly all laughs for the country music legend, though. In 1990, the IRS presented Nelson with a bill for $16.7 million in back taxes and seized his bank accounts and property, including a country club Nelson owned near Austin, Texas. To help pay off the bill, Nelson released an album titled "The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?"

Video: Willie Nelson's life lessons

Nelson sued accounting firm Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) for giving him bad advice and blamed his woes on investments in questionable tax shelters. The suit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, and Nelson's tax bill was repaid by the mid-1990s

 

Al Capone

 

"Alphonse (Scarface) Capone, the fat boy from Brooklyn, was a Horatio Alger hero -- underworld version," The Associated Press wrote in its 1947 obituary of the notorious mobster.

Despite being linked to hundreds of killings, including the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, it was the "comparatively sissy charge of evasion of income taxes," the AP wrote, that sent the king of the Chicago crime syndicate to the slammer.

Capone was sentenced to 11 years behind bars and fined $70,000 for failing to pay taxes on $215,000. On May 5, 1932, America's Public Enemy No. 1 entered Atlanta Prison and two years later was transferred to "The Rock," Alcatraz Island Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. In 1939, released early for good behavior, Capone returned to society a weak and sickly shadow of his former self.

 

Walter Anderson

 

By most accounts, telecom entrepreneur Walter Anderson was an intensely private man with a keen interest in space travel and a proclivity for using aliases. But to the Internal Revenue Service, Anderson was America's No. 1 tax cheat.

Anderson, who founded a series of companies including Midatlantic Telecom, Esprit Telecom Group and Telco Communications Group, was indicted in 2005 on charges that he had failed to pay millions of dollars in federal and local taxes. Prosecutors said he had used offshore corporations to disguise his ownership of companies that earned him hundreds of millions of dollars in the late 1990s. The government also contended that Anderson had failed to file taxes from 1987 to 1993.

But in an interview with The Washington Post in 2005, Anderson denied the allegations and said the money he shipped offshore was intended for well-meaning social programs -- family planning, human rights and arms control. "I don't intend to let the government ruin my credibility," he told the newspaper, echoing a theme he repeated before about government interference in people's lives.

In September 2006, Anderson pleaded guilty to tax evasion and fraud charges for failing to report $365 million in income earned from 1995 to 1999. On March 28, 2007, he was sentenced to nine years in prison. He currently resides in a minimum-security prison in New Jersey.

 

Heidi Fleiss

 

 

Heidi Fleiss, who started managing a prostitution ring when she was just 22, made millions providing Hollywood's rich and famous with high-class call girls. So when the "Hollywood Madam" was arrested in a 1993 police sting, the news landed like a bombshell.

Ultimately, few of Fleiss' clients were revealed, but the madam paid a steep price. Prosecutors alleged that Fleiss had laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars from her escort service through family bank accounts and a Beverly Hills, Calif., home.

• 2005 video: Heidi Fleiss back in business

 

In 1996, Fleiss was convicted on charges of money laundering, conspiracy and tax evasion, and was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison. Fleiss, who once ran the most exclusive escort service in Hollywood, was also ordered to forfeit more than $500,000 from the sale of her Beverly Hills house and complete 300 hours of community service. In 2007, Fleiss opened a laundromat in Nevada called Dirty Laundry.

 

Tim Geithner

 

Before becoming the top economic official of the United States and, consequently, the guy who oversees the Internal Revenue Service, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner wrestled with a tax problem of his own.

In January 2009, Geithner looked likely to sail through his Senate confirmation hearings until it was revealed that he had neglected to pay tens of thousands of dollars of federal taxes from his work for the International Monetary Fund. With the U.S. in the grip of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression and an urgency to put an experienced hand on the helm, the Senate accepted the former New York Federal Reserve president's explanation for the tax indiscretion and confirmed him as Treasury chief Jan. 26, 2009. Geithner later paid $42,000 in missed taxes and interest.

Another of President Barack Obama's Cabinet nominees, former Sen. Tom Daschle, didn't fare quite as well. Daschle's carelessness with his tax returns -- he failed to pay more than $128,000 -- caused him to withdraw as nominee as secretary of the Department of Health and HumanServices.

 

Darryl Strawberry

 

Baseball's Darryl Strawberry has been a Dodger both on the field and off. In 1995, three days after being suspended from Major League Baseball and booted off the San Francisco Giants roster for using cocaine, Strawberry pleaded guilty to failing to pay taxes on income earned in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was ordered to pay more than $400,000 in back taxes, plus penalties and interest, but he avoided jail time.

In October 2009, Strawberry's third wife, Tracy, told Newsday that representatives of the state of California had contacted the former ballplayer regarding $260,000 in taxes the state says it is owed. She told the newspaper that Strawberry, who played four seasons in Los Angeles and San Francisco, has been steadily paying down his tax debts.

• Video: Jail time for Darryl Strawberry

 

The slugger, who is best known for his eight seasons with the New York Mets, has had more than his share of brushes with the law and unwanted celebrity status. Some of that attention may pay off this year, though. Strawberry joined a cast of other somewhat-notables for the third season of the NBC reality show "The Celebrity Apprentice." Sinbad, a comedian who has had tax issuesof his own, and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich were also among the contestants who hoped to benefit from Donald Trump's financial tutoring. But the boost may be short-lived: The three were quickly "fired" from the show.

 

 

420, 4:20 or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) refers to consumption of cannabis and, by extension, a way to identify oneself with cannabis subculture. 4/20 is sometimes referred to as "Weed Day" or "Pot Day"

The term was coined from a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, California, United States in 1971. The teens would meet after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke marijuana outside the school.

According to an April 2009 article on the The Huffington Post, the group called itself the Waldos because its members hung out by a wall after school. Writer Ryan Grim, citing interviews with anonymous Waldos, claims that the group met by the statue at 4:20 p.m. to begin a search for a crop of abandoned cannabis growing near Point Reyes that they had heard about. They never found the stash, Grim writes, but smoked plenty of marijuana while looking for it.

Sometimes fact may sound stranger than fiction. And the call from a source to say that Bounty Killer would be going to church on Sunday (yesterday) was just a little hard to believe.

Somehow, 'Bounty Killer' and 'church' were two words that just didn't sound as if they should be in the same sentence ... and so very close together. Anyway, the story was that Miss Ivy -- Bounty's beloved mother and an upright Christian lady -- had ordered her son Rodney, to be present at her church yesterday morning. And, as the source pointed out, "If Miss Ivy say him fi come a church, him haffi come."

Needless to say, Bounty, and his entourage, was present and on time at Miss Ivy's place of worship, the Agape Christian Fellowship Church in Gregory Park, St Catherine.

Dressed in his trademark 'full black' and looking none the worse for his 10-day stint in police lock-up, from which he was released only on Friday, Bounty was obviously there to give thanks that he had come through his recent ordeal unscathed. No doubt, the prayers of Miss Ivy and the prayer warriors at her church played an active role in Rodney's eventual release from jail and the church welcomed Killer as if the Prodigal Son had returned.

Clearly, Bounty was not in church under duress, as the radiant smile on his face as he fellowshipped on an overcast Sunday morning, was enough to light up the entire community of Gregory Park in Portmore. Church leader, Pastor Maxwell -- father of Spelling Bee Champion Jodie-Ann Maxwell -- had a special consecration for Miss Ivy last son, who, like a good altar boy, was armed with his sword -- the Holy Bible. Evangelist Yvette Blake also had prayerful words of advice for Rodney.

Interestingly, one close Bounty aide had commented at the time of his arrest, that the Killer needed the jail time to get away from all the 'waste people' in his life, and to reflect. "Bounty need to stop go out every night and waste so much money pon liquor and flossin', so me glad him nuh get nuh bail, mek him stay deh and hol' a medz," the Alliance member noted.

One cannot help but wonder if his attendance at church yesterday comes as a result of the reflection, and marks a new beginning for Rodney Basil Price.

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THE STAR VERSION

Bounty Killer (left) and his mother Ivy 'Mama Ivy' Williams, after a church service at the Agape Christian Fellowship church on Sunday, April 18. - Anthony Minott

Dancehall artiste Rodney 'Bounty Killer' Price may think that it was divine intervention why he was granted bail on Friday, and so, attended church yesterday to give thanks.

Bounty Killer was arrested almost two weeks ago on a warrant by officers from the Constant Spring Police Station.

The court heard that on March 30 the female complainant told police that the deejay had assaulted her. It was further revealed that the complainant had reported that she had been involved with the deejay for three years, and when she told him that she wanted to end the relationship and move on with her life, he got angry and hit her all over her body.

denied bail

Bounty Killer, who was initially denied bail and then had his case put off, spent almost two weeks behind bars, and was only released on Friday.

Now a free man, he says: "It feels good to be here in church, as it was God who allowed me to be bail, after spending almost two weeks, and the church came and pray fi mi before mi go court the last time. It really good man, to be in church," Price told THE STAR at the Agape Christian Fellowship church in Gregory Park.

The entertainer, who was offered bail on Friday for assaulting his girlfriend, was dressed in his customary black.

He participated in the altar call, clapped and worshipped with his mother at his side, while the church sang, "Jesus how I love calling your name." It was a penitent-looking Bounty that came and worshipped.

straight church mi a sey

"A church mi sey now yu hear, as God alone can do it. Yes, a straight church mi a sey," Price said.

His mother, Ivy Williams, affectionately called 'Mama Ivy', said her son is one who loves God dearly.

"I am a member of the church and I know that Rodney loves God very much and he has reason to," Williams said.

One youngster, Mikhail Letmore, who was in attendance, even observed: "Him (Bounty) nuh look cross or angry as we always hear, him even laugh with me and told me to do my school work."

After signing a number of autographs and giving words of encouragement, Price and his entourage left the church as blessed souls.

The government of the sister island of St Lucia yesterday communicated its decision to ban dancehall deejay Adidja 'Vybz Kartel' Palmer from performing in that Caribbean territory.

In response to news of the ban, Kartel called the situation "unfortunate". According to a statement from his publicist, Vybz Kartel would be working "rectify the situation as quickly as possible" so he could regain access to this market.

The deejay's camp said they were concerned for the promoter, who had undoubtedly spent "quite a bit of money to promote the event".

The performance in St Lucia, scheduled to take place at the end of the month had reportedly been attracting much negative attention.

According to one paper, a local radio station had contracted Kartel, along with Lady Saw, Lisa Hyper and other Jamaican acts to host a show scheduled for April 30 and May 1.

The much publicised performance had created heated public debate, particularly as Vybz Kartel had been banned from performing in a number of islands including Guyana, Grenada and most recently Barbados.

Gerald Imes appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show Monday, where he apologized for his behavior that began when the actress was just 7 years old.

"I'm sorry, Mo'Nique," Imes said. "I'm sorry. I betrayed everybody's trust. I broke that trust. I broke that bond."

Mo'nique, who has spoken publicly about the abuse she endured at the hands of her brother, saying she channeled "that monster" when she played the abusive mother in Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. She refused to be involved in Imes's interview with Oprah or respond to his apology.

Imes blamed the sexual abuse, which continued for two years, on the fact that he too had been molested and was using drugs to get through the pain.

"I started using cocaine, heroin, alcohol at the age of 11," he told Winfrey. "I used these drugs to hide my own pain, to hide my own fears ... The drugs allowed me and afforded me the opportunity to hurt my sister."

Imes was later sentenced to 12 years in prison for molesting another girl. But now he says he's looking to repair his relationship with his sister and move forward.

"I can only hope by coming forth today...that somewhere down the line we can come back together as siblings," he said. "I understand your pain. I truly think, let's share this together and move on."

AIDONIA IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED!

Anon Emos said... 


Di person who said DIDI have 3 inches is so Correct. Been there, and then was invited to his home to hang out and I was afraid to even sit on the sofa, him and him people ****ing nasty, went in the bathroom and all kind of dutty clothes pile up and dutty draws, never been back because small hood and nasty people not up my ally

REGGIE BUSH GOES AFTER KANYE . . . HAD TO BE RESTRAINED BY SECURITY!!

Yesterday, MediaTakeOut.com dropped the BLOCKBUSTER allegation that Reggie Bush dumped Kim Kardashian after he caught her CHEATING with Kanye West.

Well now MediaTakeOut.com spoke with one of KIM'S CLOSEST FRIENDS who gave us even more dirt.

According to our snitch, when Reggie learned that Kim had slept with Kanye he immediately went to CONFRONT HIM!! The insider told MediaTakeOut.com, "Kanye's security had to hold Reggie back, because he was going to go nuts on Kanye . . . And the next time Reggie see's him, he's going to kick his a**."

WOOOOOW . . . Reggie is 6 foot 2 and about 230 lbs. Kanye better beef up his security.

U.S. attorney announces 13 arrests, one person on the run

NEW YORK - The Justice Department on Tuesday charged 14 reputed members and associates of the Gambino crime family on counts ranging from sex trafficking to murder.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara told reporters that it appears to be the first time that a crime family was accused of setting up its own interstate sex trafficking ring.

Twelve of the 14 were arrested early Tuesday, one was arrested last week and another is on the run, the Justice Department said. One of those charged, Suzanne Porcelli, is a woman.

Another suspect, Daniel Marino, is a "boss of the Gambino Family," the U.S. Attorney's office said in a statement. "In that capacity, Marino has over 200 fully-inducted or 'made' mafia members under his command."Prosecutors alleged that those who were trafficked for sex included a 15-year-old girl. Authorities said the women were under the age of 20.

The defendants "took approximately 50 percent of the money paid to the young women," the U.S. Attorney's office said. "The defendants also made the women available for sex to gamblers at weekly, high-stakes poker games."

The charges included racketeering, murder, sex trafficking, sex trafficking of a minor, jury tampering, extortion, assault, narcotics trafficking, wire fraud, loansharking and illegal gambling.

Marino was charged in the 1989 killing of Thomas Spinelli, a Gambino member, and the 1997 killing of his nephew Frank Hyell, who had been cooperating with law enforcement.

The extortion victims were beaten, sometimes with baseball bats, the U.S. Attorney's office added. "The defendants targeted businesses in the home heating oil industry and the financial services industry, as well as various individuals in and around New York City."