She eats some of him....including his brains. 

This was all over the news yesterday, and I prayed it was some sort of hoax. I still hope it is, but looks like its not. 

San Antonio Police said they are traumatized. Those first on the scene were reported to even have "excused" days off. 

Officers were called to a scene Sunday morning, where they found Otty Sanchez, on her couch with stab wounds to her chest and her throat partially slit. They were self inflicted. 

The officer said they walked in on her screaming

ALL WHO DOES PLAY MOBSTERS My URL: myspace.com/small_touch_ent

A monkey has urinated on Zambian President Rupiah Banda as he spoke to journalists at a news conference.

Banda softly shouted: "You (monkey) have urinated on my jacket," and paused as he looked up to see the animal playing in a tree just above his chair.

Portmore Empire artiste Blak Ryno was among at least 30 men who were detained by the police while at Gaza Link-Up, a party held at the Blitz Nightclub in Ocho Rios, St Ann, on Saturday.

Two men, said to be promoters of the party, were also held have been in custody since then as police say they are persons of interest.

THE STAR learnt that in the wee-hours of the morning while the party was in full swing, police and soldiers swooped down on the newly opened venue, ordering an end to the music and patrons to go outside.

Everyone was then searched and those who could not provide proper identification for themselves were detained and taken to the grounds of the Mobile Reserve in Kingston where they were processed.

The club was also searched.

"Di party a gwaan and bout 3:30 a.m., whole heap a police jus come in a seh di music fi lock off ... . Police and soldier surround di building and tell everybody fi leave ... who neva have nuh propa ID did haffi go pan di truck," a disc jockey who was at the party recounted.

Head of the Portmore Empire, deejay Vybz Kartel, was slated to perform at the party, but had not reached the venue when the police arrived.

questionable character

Checks by THE STAR found that the raid was spearheaded by the Joint Task Force which is attached to the Mobile Reserve division.

Superintendent Radcliffe Lewis of the Joint Task Force confirmed the raid and said the police had received information that men of questionable character would be present and as such the operation was planned.

"Yes, we held Blak Ryno and he was taken to Kingston and he was questioned and released," Superintendent Lewis said.

In addition to men from Ocho Rios and Portmore in St Catherine, others from Tivoli Gardens in west Kingston, Hundred Lane (a community off Red Hills Road, St Andrew), and Golden Spring, also in St Andrew, were detained.

Superintendent Lewis said the detainees made it clear that they were supporters of deejay Vybz Kartel.

"During their interview, we found that they are all fans and supporters of Vybz Kartel."

After questioning, police personnel from the men's respective areas were called in and the men were further processed.

According to Superintendent Lewis, the two men who are still in custody are to be further questioned.

"Those men are from Parry Town in Ocho Rios and they are persons of interest to the police."

Meanwhile, the police say raids such as this is part of a new strategy. They said parties that attract huge crowds will be raided more frequently.

"Dances of these magnitudes attract gunmen, so we will be carrying out more raids," Superintendent Lewis told THE STAR.

Dwayne McLeod, Staff Reporter

The police say they are extremely concerned about the health of an individual who has been travelling around sections of the Corporate Area and allowing persons to beat him for a fee.

Detective Constable Phillip Lawrence of the Area Four police told THE WEEKEND STAR that the police became aware of the individual and his 'weird' service after someone witnessed a student hitting him across the chest with a piece of board.

"About two weeks ago, a woman with whom I was having a conversation told me that while driving along Old Hope Road, a few minutes before, she saw a group of students, one armed with a piece of board, beating a man," the detective told THE WEEKEND STAR.

(This is the second excerpt from the recently launched book on dancehall superstar Beenie Man, entitled Who Am I?: The Untold Story of Beenie Man (Great House, Kingston, Jamaica). Over the following weeks, Sunday Entertainment will give our readers excerpts from this biography written by journalist Milton Wray.)

Carlene's 25th birthday was on May 1, 1996. The interior of the Cactus Nightclub in Portmore, St Catherine had been decorated and heavily spruced up for the celebrations. The special invitations had been delivered by messengers to friends and relatives, fans, journalists and the top music industry movers and shakers. Almost every recipient of the coveted invitation was in attendance.

The Cactus Nightclub was now packed to capacity with excited invitees, many of whom were formally attired. Bottles of expensive champagne and the most delectable finger-foods were making the rounds, being passed about by sprightly-looking waitresses who were at their courteous best as they saw to the comforts of the VIP crowd.

A celebration like none other had been planned and was now in full swing. Lively chatter was being induced by potent blends of Smirnoff Vodka with tonic, Appleton Gold with Coke and an array of powerful concoctions and mixes. The nightclub's colourful state-of-the-art beams showered the well-dressed crowd with a dazzling medley of colours.

The discotheque was purring steadily, pumping out soca, then dancehall, then house music, before the club's deejay increased the volume. R&B gushed from the speakers. A few couples braved the shiny, chromed dance floor.

Looking on, the guest of honour was delighted at the large turnout. She was dressed in a sheer blue dress that left little to the imagination. Carlene was about to respond to the offer of a drink from one of the waitresses when Beenie Man approached.

"Why yu wear this dress?" Beenie Man asked her pointedly.

"It's fine. nothing nuh wrong with it," she answered.
"Baby, yu couldn't find something else fi wear?" he persisted.

"Yu know that this is the way I like to dress. You don't like me to look sexy?" Carlene teased.

"Mi not saying yu don't look sexy, but tonight don't call fi that."

"All right. all right. okay. I will go home and change. I'll be right back," she said, giving in.

"Yeah, man. That is the right thing fi do. Don't stay too long . hurry up and come back," he said.

Carlene wheeled into the dense crowd and disappeared down the flight of steps leading from the nightclub.

About half an hour later, when he next saw her, she had changed into a shimmering body-hugging purple evening gown with feathery glints of silver and a neckline that was low-cut, revealing and accentuating her most prized feature. A thick silver necklace and silver earrings ideally complemented the evening gown. On her feet were silver platforms.

"Yu look much better," Beenie said, as she sauntered towards him.

Beenie Man was wearing shiny black trousers and a rich burgundy sarong with black buttons and trimmings. His permed hair extensions were gathered in a neatly cropped ponytail.

The King and Queen of Dancehall - the centre of all the attention - were positioned next to two dining tables with white-lace tablecloths brimming with frosty, multi-tiered birthday cakes and silver candleholders.

Suddenly, Beenie Man's demeanor changed. He was visibly surprised when Carlene's friend, Kenny Benjamin entered, strolling into the nightclub through the glass swing-door.

"What him doing here?" Beenie asked Carlene caustically.

"I invited him," she answered.

"Without telling me!?" Beenie snapped.

"I forgot to tell you."

She could tell that Beenie Man was clearly disturbed by the presence of Benjamin. And she could understand why. The rumourmongers had been at work again. This time, the tale on their lips was that secretly, she'd been seeing Kenny Benjamin romantically. She had told everyone that Kenny was simply a good friend, but the rumour had persisted.

Kenny Benjamin was head of the Guardsman conglomerate of security companies and was the principal of several Jamaican businesses. He was a handsome and highly successful business mogul of Indian extract. Carlene had met him in 1995, through Benjamin's co-ownership of Reggae Sunsplash, during the first staging of the festival at the Dover grounds. Carlene had performed on the main stage as well as at the booth for Slam Condoms, and it was then that they'd become friends.

But nosy elements with idle tongues could not see their friendship for what it was. The rumour of their supposed involvement had first been generated by a photograph published in the Gleaner that had captured them dancing together at some party.

When Beenie Man had heard the whisperings and had enquired of her, she had assured him that her friendship with the businessman was purely platonic. But the rumour had been kept alive, and she couldn't truly blame Beenie Man for his concerns now. He was still pouting, but he soon took off into the crowd of invitees.

He began to mingle, going up and down the floor shaking hands, touching fists, embracing lovingly and conversing with invited fans and friends.

Shortly after, the proceedings were called to order and the boy group, ARP, began to belt out Happy Birthday, serenading a blushing Carlene. The group sang lustily and with heartfelt emotion.

They were a quintet who at times recorded and performed with Beenie Man. They were uniformly clad in bright costumes, and their well-blended harmonies soared through the birthday classic.

The birthday girl was smiling broadly as a group of her friends excitedly poured bottles of champagne over her head, dousing her evening gown with the golden liquid. Her dress was drenched and clung to her skin, evoking wet T-shirt contests.

After the playfulness, Beenie Man took the floor. With the music halted and the microphone in his hand, he invited everyone's attention.

Beenie thanked the invited guests for coming out, and gave a short, flattering speech before inviting Carlene to join him. As she emerged from the crowd, he looked at her and smiled. She blushed, the club's hi-tech laser lights bathing her round, bronze face with darting, sparkling rays. Her usually golden complexion was now green and purple and yellow and red and blue.

Beenie Man now had the rapt attention of the crowd of invitees. Carlene joined him in the centre of the floor. For dramatic effect, Beenie allowed a few moments to slip by. Then he reached into a pocket and fished out a tiny jewellery box, which he handed to her. Carlene, a smile streaking across her face, gingerly opened the jewelry box as everyone looked on.

"It's empty," she said.

Beenie Man was grinning, pleased at himself for the prank. He reached into another pocket, with the countenance of a magician, and an unbelievably large diamond ring appeared.

The crowd gasped.

As the invited guests watched, he took her left hand and spoke into the microphone. "Will you marry me?"

The crowd began to cheer.

Carlene said nothing.

He was staring at her, waiting for a response. She looked away. An uneasy ripple ran through the crowd as tense moments elapsed. A glint of emotion in her eyes, she finally nodded unenthusiastically and whispered,
"Yes."

He slid the large diamond ring onto her finger. The crowd cheered again with much fervor.

Beenie Man's expression grew noticeably s****er after that. He was confused. Why had she been so reluctant? Why was there any doubt whatsoever in her mind as to whether she wanted to be his bride?

As soon as the interlude was over and the discotheque resumed blaring dance music, he knew he had to confront her regarding her hesitation. And when the guests turned their attention to the music, hors d'oeuvres and alcoholic treats, he couldn't wait to broach the topic. "Wha'happen baby? Yu don't wan' married to me?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, smiling.

"So why yu take so long to answer?"

"I was just shocked. I never expected it," she said.

He could tell that she was less than ecstatic.

Chek Dis Site Weekly 4 Excerpts frm di book>>> JAMAICA OBSERVER/Lifestyle

Oh wait, he is not Slim Thug anymore..... according to AllHipHop, his name is now Thug Boss

I guess rappers, athletes, and celebrities in general that are always in the public eye, get to a point where they realize that the braids can not stay forever. 

Carmello, Iverson, Luda are just some of the names that got rid of their braids not to long ago. Now its Slim Thug fell in line. He decided to cut off his braids a few days ago, and discussion was stirring up about that era being dead? 

Are braids dead? Or is it just a phase type of thing? Can grown men rock braids? DISCUSS!!!

The official cause of death of Natalie Hill on the statement was "exsanguination due to destruction of soft tissue secondary to murine activity."

Authorities had been trying to determine whether bites occurred while the child was alive or dead.

Hill was found in her crib, covered in *lo** and her parents placed an emergency 911 call. *lo**y prints that appeared to be those of a rat trailed from the crib.

LSU Trauma Surgeon Dr. Alan Marr, who was not connected to the case, said that the small amount of *lo** present in an infants body mean that fatal *lo** loss could have occurred in a short period of time.

The soft tissue, which would be skin and muscle, maybe all the way down to the bone, was torn open and probably in multiple places in order for the child to have lost enough of their *lo** volume to die.

Dwayne Munch, the Westwego Police Chief, said the results were not unexpected.

"We had hoped the results would be different, to be honest with you, Munch said.

Munch said his investigators havent determined if criminal charges will follow, now that the autopsy findings have been released.

We were hoping for a different result, but now that we know what happened, we will continue our investigation and see whether anyone is negligent, Munch said.

The parents of Natalie Hill, Robby Hill and Casey Laine, were in court at a custody hearing Wednesday concerning the status of their other child, a 14-month-old boy who was removed from the home after the baby's death.

The court said it would rule on the case next week after it inspects the home where the parents are living at this time.

Distraught family members defended the parents and lashed out at the homes landlord, Charles Dufrene, who they say did not use FEMA money he had received to address the homes structural problems.

She died devastatingly, said Ryan Laine, the childs uncle. The people that should be responsible for this is the landlord.

Eyewitness News traveled about 20 miles out of Westwego in hopes of speaking to the landlord ourselves at his Lafitte home. But Dufrene never came to the door. The landlord, neighbors have said, is also Robby Hill's step-father.

They were good parents that would never let nothing happen to this child, said Lisa Lenormand, the childs grandmother, through tears. That was his (the landlords) house for 17 years and he let the children come into that house knowing the kind of danger they were in. He got FEMA assistance three times to fix that place and he failed them. He never gave them a penny.

Natalie Hill was found in her crib by her parents covered with rat bites Thursday morning in the 700 block of Central Avenue.

The parents found their child covered in *lo** in her crib about four and a half hours after they fed her last, according to Westwego Police Chief Dwayne Munch, adding that emergency calls were placed to authorities between 7 and 7:30 a.m.

When EMS and police arrived at the house, Munch said, they found Natalie, a large amount of *lo** and hundreds of bites on her body including flesh being removed from her nose and the bottom of her leg. *lo**y prints from the crib resembled a large rat.

The curator for Audubon Zoo, Rick Dietz, said rats can be very destructive and aggressive, but it would be very unusual for the rodents to attack a live baby.

"The more likely scenario would be if the baby was dead already that the rats would bite on her," said Dietz. "If she was alive, they probably would not because of the screaming and kicking and all that the baby would do."

Some neighbors acknowledged a neighborhood rodent problem, but said Hill and Lane were good parents.

They are good parents, Annette Stevens, a neighbor. They would never put them in harms way. They kept them clean and fed. They were good parents.

Lane defended herself publically after the death of her daughter in a Times-Picayune video, saying, It hurts, it feels like a piece of me is gone and itll never be back.

I just wish people would stop and realize that Im a good parent. My husband is a good parent. I never meant to put my child in any kind of danger. If I had known it was that bad, I would have never even lived there.

Munch said the home was cl**ttered, though not necessarily dirty, but he said the structure had several problems.

Holes in the wall, holes in the floor, he said. Its an older home. Its not something you would want to be raising a family in.

Westwego Mayor John Shaddinger said earlier, city code inspectors sent the couple a letter, instructing them to clean up their yard.

"At the front of the house, there was some trash that needed to be removed," said Shaddinger. "They didn't comment that this house needed to be torn down, they never commented that they saw rats. They never commented it had holes in the side of the building or on the roof."

The Urban Music Awards celebrated its 7th anniversary with a successful 2nd return to the home of urban music New York City on the 17th of July 2009 at the prestigious Hammerstein Ballroom.

Rihanna won Best Music Video and Best Female Act whilst R&B superstar Akon took the gong for Artist of the Year. Kanye West's self acclaimed album, 808 &Heartbreak took the award for Best Album 2009 whilst Best International Latino Act went to Enrique Iglesias, new comer, Kid Cudi took home the Best Single for 'Day & Night'. Bobby V stole the show with an electrifying 10 minute performance and taking home awards for Best R&B Act 2009 & Best Male Act.

Hip-Hop Weekly beat off stiff competition to take off the Best Magazine award.

The awards show sponsored by Levi's, Vitamin Water, Proximity Blue, Awani Inc, and Invinciblemobile.com saw a host of exclusive performances, surprises and winners who all joined in the excitement for what was a truly a successful event.

The host of the Urban Music Awards 2009 came courtesy of renowned producer, Amadeus of Diddy's camp, part of Diddy's, Hit making team, Bad Boy Entertainment who delivered a fantastic job.

Winner of the Best Producer category, Swizz Beatz said, "The Urban Music Awards is one of the most exciting events I have been to in a long time and I want all the celebrities, artist, and sponsors to come and support the Urban Music Awards. If you love Urban Music like I do, then you have to love the Urban Music Awards".

The Urban Music Awards USA has confirmed plans for next year's awards show to be held in Los Angeles with a host of celebrities from Television, sports, and music world already lining up to attend. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom version of the UMA's returns on home turf on the 1st of November 2009. Public can commenced nominating @ www.urbanmusicawards.net

Other winners for the 7th annual Urban Music Awards included;

Artist of the Year -- Akon

Best Album -- Kanye West '808's & Heartbreak'

Best Gospel Act -- Kirk Franklin

Best International Latino Act -- Enrique Iglesias

Best Music Video -- Rihanna 'Rehab'

Best R&B Act Bobby V

Best DJ 2009 -- Funkmasterflex

Best Radio Station -- Hot 97

Best TV show -- Harlem Heights

Best Hip-Hop Act -- Jay Z

Best Magazine -- Hip-Hop Weekly

Best Male Act -- Bobby V

Best Collaboration -- Ron Browz ft. Jim Jones & Julez Santana 'Pop Champagne'

Best Female Act -- Rihanna

Best International Reggae Act -- Movado

Best Producer -- Swizz Beatz

Best Single -- Kid Cudi for 'Day & Night'

UMA Living Legend Award (1) -- KRS 1

Lifetime Achievement Award -- Grandmasterflash

"All five athletes who were members of the squad to the world championships have been pulled immediately and will return to Jamaica for a hearing," the official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.

Earlier the official confirmed that five track athletes had tested positive for a "minor substance".

He said none of the athletes, who had tested positive at the national championships in Kingston last month, were medallists at last year's Beijing Olympics.

Two were members of the newly formed Racers Track Club which includes triple Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt. His coach Glen Mills also works at the club.

"It's frightening, but all five tested positive for the same drug, although the five trained almost under different circumstances," the official said.

"I can tell you that none of the world stars are involved. The drug itself is not an anabolic steroid and is considered a minor drug, meaning that with a good explanation at a hearing, the athlete could get off with a reprimand."

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding summoned officials of the Jamaica Anti-doping Agency and the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association to a meeting on Friday to discuss the reports.

STATEMENT EXPECTED

"The meeting ended a short while ago and a statement is to be issued shortly," one participant told Reuters.

Forty-seven samples were collected from athletes by representatives of the Jamaica Anti-doping Agency during last month's national championship and sent to a laboratory in Montreal.

Sprinter Julien Dunkley was axed from Jamaica's squad for the Beijing Games last year after his urine sample showed traces of the banned steroid Boldenone.

Dunkley, who would have been part of the men's 4x100 metres relay squad, was banned for two years. He has denied taking a prohibited substance.

Jamaica's sprinters swept the board at the Olympic Games last year with Bolt winning the 100 and 200 gold medals in world record time while Shelly-Ann Fraser and Veronica Campbell-Brown won the women's 100 and 200 titles.

The men's 4x100 relay team, which included Bolt and former 100 world record holder Asafa Powell, also won gold in a world record time.

"Actually I heard that was a rumour...I don't know much about that, you'll just have to ask my agent," Bolt told the BBC at the London grand prix where he was competing in the 100 metres.

"I heard a rumour, my friend called me and told me that he heard some guys were positive but I'm not worried."

Not Janet...and not Latoya either. Instead it will be Rebbie. 

Yes Rebbie. Rebbie? Rebbie who? Yes, I asked myself the same thing at first. Rebbie is the eldest sister of the Jackson family. 

Well word from the family is that Rebbie, the 59 year old, mother of 3, wife of 20years, and who lives in Las Vegas, will be the one raising the children after Katherine (Michale's mother) gets custody (if she wins.) 

Apparently, Rebbie, although kept a low profile and out of the spotlight most of her life, had a rather close relationship with Michael and his kids since they were all born. They all know her, comfortable with her, excited to be with her, and most importantly love her. 

TMZ reports that even though there has been a lot of family drama about what Michael left behind, and the money he is STILL making, they all agree that Rebbie will and should have custody of the kids. 

How will she handle raising Michael's kids though? Since she kept a low profile for a long time, do you think she can handle the type of lifestyle?

Rampin Shop makes Billboard Charts

(July 15, 2009)--Deejays Vybz Kartel and Spice are currently laughing all the way up the Billboard charts. Despite being pulled from  radio playlists in Jamaica, the controversial song Rampin' Shop debuted in the number 96 position on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop chartsRead More

A bartender had to seek medical attention after she was reportedly attacked over the weekend by a 17-year-old youth who accused her of playing too much love songs.

The 27-year-old woman works at a bar in a section of Stony Hill and was reportedly punched and kicked all over her body following a verbal confrontation with the teen who argued that he was tired of hearing "too much 'lovey dovey' things."

The injured woman had to be taken to the hospital and is now nursing two broken fingers, a fractured leg along with swelling and bruises all over her body.

Her alleged attacker was later arrested and charged.

According to police reports, about 4:30 p.m on Saturday, the woman was at work when the incident occurred.

Corporal Wesley Palmer of the Area Five police said that based on statements from persons who were said to be present during the ordeal, the bartender decided to play some slow jams after listening to a particular radio station for a while.

It was reported that as the first song began playing, the teen who seemed enraged, stormed into the bar and asked the bartender to change back to the radio station instead of playing the love songs.

The bartender is said to have laughed, thinking it was a joke.

"The youngster walked in and asked her to stop the CD and and turn it back to the radio but she laughed," Corporal Palmer said before adding that the woman's laughter might have angered the young man even more.

Further allegations are that the boy walked up to the bartender and she was punched in the face. It is alleged that the teen said to the woman that, "a clown yu a clown out man ... Mi tired a yu now, everyday yu a play dem ... song deh, yu a play too much lovey dovey things."

When the bartender tried to retaliate, she was repeatedly punched and kicked. The police say the woman was even stomped on while she laid on the floor.

The five men who were having drinks at the bar are said to have watched in amazement as the woman received the beating.

WELLINGTON (AFP) A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake last week has moved the south of New Zealand closer to Australia, scientists said Wednesday.

With the countries separated by the 2,250-kilometre-wide (1,400-mile-wide) Tasman Sea, the 30 centimetre (12 inch) closing of the gap in New Zealand's southwest won't make much difference.

But earthquake scientist Ken Gledhill of GNS Science said the shift illustrated the huge force of the tremor, the biggest in the world so far this year.

"Basically, New Zealand just got a little bit bigger is another way to think about it," he told AFP.

While the southwest of the South Island moved about 30 centimetres closer to Australia, the east coast of the island moved only one centimetre westwards, he said.

The biggest quake in New Zealand in 78 years caused only slight damage to buildings and property when it struck the remote southwest Fiordland region of the South Island last Thursday.

A small tsunami was generated by the earthquake, with a tide gauge on the West Coast of New Zealand recording a wave of one metre.

"For a very large earthquake, although it was very widely felt, there were very few areas that were severely shaken," Gledhill said.

Aerial inspection of the forested fiords near the quake's epicentre showed few land slips or other signs of damage.

This was partly because the type of rupture at the boundaries of the Australian and Pacific plates meant the energy from the quake was largely directed westwards towards the sea rather than inland towards the nearest towns.

The type of quake, known as a subduction thrust rupture, also meant the quake produced lower frequency shaking, felt as a rolling motion, rather than sharp jolts which would have caused more damage.

New Zealand frequently suffers earthquakes because it marks the meeting point of the Australian and Pacific continental plates.

Gledhill said the latest quake may have brought forward a major quake on the offshore section of the Alpine fault, off the coast of Fiordland in the Tasman Sea.

"There could easily be another large earthquake in another part of that region. We can't predict that obviously."

The latest quake was the biggest since February 2, 1931 when a 7.8 quake killed at least 256 people in the North Island city of Napier.

The biggest quake recorded here measured 8.2 and caused major damage in 1855 in the fledgling European settlement that later became the capital Wellington.

The latest quake was unusual in striking right on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific plates and will be important in researching earthquake hazards, Gledhill said.

Mavado convincingly sings, Tell dem walk wid dem casket
anywhere we buck dem a guh bl**dclaat dead,
gunshot a buss in a dem bl**dclaat head,
War nah guh stop until mi enemies dem gone --- dead dem -- dead

According to a source, yeah man this song is direct hit at Vybz Kartel remember Vybz Kartel was the one who walked with a casket at Sting.

Not A Counteraction
However, OutAroad.com decided to get in touch with Steven Di Genius who explains that, Its not a counteraction, it has nothing to do with any clash because the song was actually voiced like a week and half before Sting.

SARGODA, Pakistan (CNN) -- Mohammed Iqbal said he has been told by his landlord to pay up on debts and is left with a choice facing others in this impoverished corner of Pakistan: Sell your children or a kidney.

For the 50-year-old Iqbal, there is only one option. Despite a law passed in late 2007 banning transplants for money, he has decided to sell his kidney and has already been for pre-operation tests. The sale will net him between $1,100 and $1,600.

"What's incredible here is the law that bans the operation he's going to go through came into place in 2007," said CNN's Nic Robertson. "He's still able to go to a doctor, the doctors given him advice, that's what he has to do under law... He's going to make money out of it 100,000-150,000 rupees, and that is absolutely illegal. Yet, in just a few days, he's expecting to sell his kidney."

Iqbal was not alone in facing this difficult decision. Others in Pakistan's rural heartland have opted to sell their kidneys.

One of them was Rab Nawas, who was deep in debt about a year ago to his landlord after borrowing money to pay for his wedding and to cover medical bills for his wife and six children. He, too, faced the choice: sell his children, his wife or a kidney.

"I am helpless. Should I sell my children? Should I go sell my children? So, it's better I sell my kidney. I had to return the money," said Nawas, who now bears a foot-long scar that wraps around from his back to his belly and is too weak to work the same hours he could before. People bearing the tell-tale scar of an organ removal in the villages around the farm where Nawas works are not hard to find. At one point, there were about 2,000 transplants a year -- with 1,500 of them going to what the government said were so-called "transplant tourists."

The 2007 law was aimed at ending Pakistan's dubious status as one of the world's leading organ bazaars.

Nawas sold his kidney after the law was passed and said the procedure was performed at the Rawalpindi Kidney Center in the northern city of Rawalpindi.

When he went to the Rawalpindi center, after CNN asked him to show where the procedure was done, he said a doctor told him they did not have a record of his operation because they destroy such records when a patient leaves.

The Rawalpindi clinic -- which prior to the law was a leading user of purchased kidneys -- told CNN that it abides by the law and does not get involved in deals between kidney donors and recipients.

"Standing there it's hard for me to fully understand the courage it took for him to make the journey. In this country, he has few rights, and even less security," said CNN's Robertson.

SC48L9-BUAbAmaByWv6-lv/Amy_Winehouse_highschool_picture_0_0_0x0_327x400.jpg" border="0" width="327" height="400" />