Garth Henriques, father of dancehall deejay Sean Paul survived an attack at gunpoint on Sunday morning, during which a friend and business partner, John Pops Dowling was shot and injured.

Both Dowling and Henriques are directors of Reggae Inc. Dowling is now convalescing at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI).

He is recovering but he still needs to do another operation. The bullet shattered the bone in his arm and his nerves are damaged, so he needs to do an operation to correct the damage to his nerves. He needs *lo**, his lungs are still bleeding, and he needs to replace that *lo**, Mr. Henriques said.

Jamaica, especially areas of its capital Kingston, has become a dangerous place where the populace has grown increasingly predatory, and the signs are troubling as the economy continues to flatline even while food and prices skyrocket. Last year,

The two men were at a house in Cassia Park, St. Andrew at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 13 when they were held at gunpoint by two men.

They never took anything from us, but they went into the girls room and got 3,000, I dont know what kind of valuables they had in the room. They put us both on the ground, but Pops got up and ran and they shot him at close range, the bullet shattered his arm went through his lungs and went straight into the other arm, he explained.

Dowling used to be an engineer and a producer for UB40.

When I spoke to Pops, he said he looked into the guys eyes and thought that he was going to kill him so he ran. After the guy shot him, they ran off, Mr. Henriques added.

Mr. Henriques, who operates a spring water business in addition to his role as a director in Reggae Inc., appeared to be in good spirits following his harrowing ordeal. Asked if he had been robbed before, he said:

I have had plenty of other jerk ups and scrapes before, but I guess, I never had Sean Paul as a son at the time, he said, laughing

Yow what's up my peeps. Fi real the other day my friends and I were involved in a discussion and somehow the topic got around to 'why and under what circumstances do women become lazy in a relationship'. To tell the truth the argument got so heated that at one point we had to remind each other that it wasn't a quarrel, just a friendly discussion!

My sistren Patricia claim that when you find out that everything you do, the man doan appreciate it; an all him do is complain and act like it wasn't anything much, then it's time to meck him start fending for himelf!

According to har if you get up everyday, a wash, clean, cook and teck care a di man and him doan even spend the time to say thanks, and start all hype up on you, then why bother. If him even have the last shirt to wear and a beg you to wash a couple more, she sey you must ask him if him have fin hand and lef him meck him fend fi himself.

Well a few a di sistren dem sey dat harsh and how woman must find odda
ways fi meck dem point, but Sharon was plain and to the point. She sey dat woman must start lazy pon man when him start to have odda woman out a road.

New Festival Queen will be crowned tonight

Earlier today 876radio.com was just on hand to witness a twenty man team of police officers streaming through an upscale apartment complex in Upper St. Andrew, where they arrested the son of veteran reggae crooner Brian "Gold" Thompson from the dynamic duo Brian and Tony Gold. According to the Police, the singer's son Richard Thompson and two other men were arrested for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, after they received a tip and a search was conducted on the premises which revealed two glock hand guns and other stolen valuables belonging to the neighbours. 876radio.com understands that the son has been blacklisted by many neighbours in the complex, who have tried relentlessly to have him evicted. One disgruntled neighbour lamented "ever since I laid eyes on this young man, he has been nothing but trouble". Speaking with the property manager he informed us that Thompson (son) has had a troubled past with petition being taken out against him by the residents. However up to 5:00pm it was still unclear if any formal charges were laid against him and the other two men. When 876radio.com tried to contact his father for a comment, we were notified that he's currently off the island.

RISING STARS READY TO KICK OFF ON SUNDAY
The first nine studio finalists of 18 selected from the 5th audition season of Digicel Rising Stars will step into the spotlight when the live performance shows begin to air from the Courtleigh Auditorium this Sunday on TVJ, at 8:00 p.m.

SUMFEST PASSA PASSA

Why Beenie Man ting dem so boasy? The man have the best tent over Sumfest with bed wid bridal cover sheet, and COURTS give him television and carpet and all these things?

I coulden believe mi eyes when DAngel came out in that angel outfit with wings and all, she did well and represented showing that she has actually improved as an act over the past few months. 

Mi did like Spice fairy out fit looked cute, and mi love how DI look, she slim and trim like she was when she was 21. She only get five minutes and did look flustered onstage. Hush ya girl, next time, ah so the stage show ting go. 

Macka took the night among the females, and mi have to give her the props because she had the women scrambling in the front for her fake counterfeit notes which have become quite the collectors item, and she deserves it, especially after the daggering she took from one of the male dancers.

How the Sumfest audience so tough? Dem no gi no forward to On the Rock, even when Mavado ah rap the Jay Z  part and ah work hard for it, dem just never did a give it to him. The crowd not even rail up fi him last song, Overcome, either. Mobay people dem just either love pure war songs or dem bad mind.

What a way Bounty tear into Ninjaman? The man tell the world say Ninjaman have a man son ah HWT. Mi did hear the argument but now the world know. This is about the fifth time him ah get arrest fi indecent language. The warlord no care, dem cancel him visa already, wah else dem can do him? Him just gone back into Warlord mode, no more Grung Gadd, thats why him work right after Mavado, him ah still the big man. Mi love when him say: Gourzong, never put bwoy money inna yu buson, or else mi__ go buzzam buzzam. He even asked how the foreign press dared to ask PM Golding about bwoy. Not in my cabinet. The crowd cheered.

Barbee, I disagree wid you, Mavados biggest forward was for I Am So Special, that song just stuck inna mi head right now. Was it me or was the chorus in need of more microphones, and totally off the rhythm?   Mi love how him lick out pon the bleach out face bwoy dem who ah kill pickney. He even apologized for the curse words by saying ah the gully, just before he sang Dont Worry.

Mi know say the whole world surprised by Kartels performance. Last year, him never rehearse wid no band, and him did kinda flop but this year, him come fi tek the show and him almost steal it from Beenie. The man white fur s-i-c-k, and him performance was almost flawless, well-rehearsed and backed up and delivered by Not Nice and Dupes from Portmore. Him mek the crowd sing all the bad words dem, and the forward fi Broad Daylight never normal. Kartels second biggest forward ah when him come out and sing mi nah climb pon Carl fi wear Jean Paul Gotti. Mobay screamed its approval. 

What a way the media love Sophia Brown? Mi hear inna one long interview pon IRIE FM just when mi a mek way into the venue inna mi cyar. And she hot, she inna one tight blue shorts on Dancehall Night ah show off her leg dem.

Why Elephant Man have to handle the dancers dem so wicked onstage ah talk say dem caan dance and all these things? 

A vibrating sex toy was mistaken for a b****. The entire Mackay Airport in Queensland was closed down for nearly an hour because of it. The alarm was raised by cafeteria manager Lynne Bryant, whose staff was cleaning the tables when they noticed a strange humming noise coming from a rubbish bin. Lynne Bryant said: "It was rather disconcerning when the rubbish bin started humming furiously. We called security and the next minute everybody was being evacuated while they checked it out." The police spokeswoman said: "Another two flights were expected to land at that stage but alternate arrangements were made for the passengers to collect their luggage away from the terminal," the spokeswoman said. While the police was calling in b**** experts, a passenger came forwards to identify the contents of the package. The unidentified passenger forgot his bag after diner.

LONDON: The British Army says it is considering a recruitment drive in Jamaica as it struggles to find enough soldiers to meet its international commitments.

The military says it is weighing whether to send an Army "overseas selection team" to Jamaica. The Caribbean country is a former British colony and remains a part of the Commonwealth.

The military has had difficulty recruiting and retaining soldiers as it maintains its deployment in Iraq and engages a resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Army said in a statement Sunday that it is proud to recruit soldiers from countries with close historical ties to Britain.

The British military already employs some 600 Jamaican soldiers. They are among about 12,000 foreign and Commonwealth personnel who serve in its armed forces.

Perry's 'Kissed A Girl' still supreme

file -Rihanna

US Top Ten

Weekly charts for the best-selling recorded music in the United States as they appear in next week's issue of Billboard magazine. Reprinted with permission. (Platinum signifies more than 1 million copies sold; gold signifies more than 500,000 copies sold.):

(Compiled from a national sample of sales reports collected, compiled and provided by SoundScan; radio playlists; and monitored radio by Broadcast Data Systems)

1 Katy Perry I Kissed A Girl Capitol | DIGITAL

2 Rihanna Take A Bow SRP/Def Jam | DIGITAL | IDJMG

3 Lil' Wayne Featuring Static Major Lollipop Cash Money | 011327 | Universal Motown

4 Chris Brown Forever Jive | DIGITAL | Z****a

5 Leona Lewis Bleeding Love SYCO/J | DIGITAL | RMG

6 Natasha Bedingfield Pocketful Of Sunshine Phonogenic | DIGITAL | Epic

7 Coldplay Viva La Vida Capitol | DIGITAL

8 Lil' Wayne A Milli Cash Money | 011327 | Universal Motown

9 Miley Cyrus 7 Things Hollywood | DIGITAL

10 Plies Featuring Ne-Yo Bust It Baby Part 2 Big Gates/Slip-N-Slide | 506620 | Atlantic

Jealous lover slashes woman's throat

Devon Evans, STAR Writer

Twenty-seven-year-old recording artiste Steven Menzie better known as Eloquent, hanged himself yesterday after slashing the throat of his girlfriend, who was also his babymother.

Up to newstime, the injured girlfriend was said to be battling for life in hospital as result of the injuries..

The incident took place between 11 a.m. and 1p.m. yesterday on Lancewood Road, in Exchange, St Ann and has left scores of relatives, friends, fans of the entertainer shocked.

Menzie and his girlfriend reportedly had a dispute about their relationship during which he used an object to cut her throat.

Believing he had killed the woman, Menzie then took his own life by hanging himself.

According to residents, the two who had been together for about five years had frequent quarrels because Menzie had often accused his girlfriend of being unfaithful to him.

Residents said that about 11a.m., Menzie was at his cousin's workshop when he received a telephone call to go to his home immediately. It is believed that a quarrel developed between the two during which Menzie injured his girlfriend.

About 1 p.m., he reportedly telephoned his cousin telling him that he just killed his girlfriend and that his cousin should take care of his three-year-old son. The cousin then made several attempts to return the call without any success. Menzie's body was found hanging from a piece of electrical cord from a tree in bushes near to his home.

WAYNE LOOKED LIKE AS A BABY!!!























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July 21, 2008.

July 20, 2008. PHOENIX (AP) Rapper DMX was arrested at a Phoenix mall Saturday on suspicion that he gave a gave a false name and Social Security number to a hospital to get out of paying for medical expenses.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said that when DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, went to Scottsdale's Mayo Clinic in April, he used the name "Troy Jones" and failed to pay a $7,500 bill.

DMX's Scottsdale attorney, Cameron Morgan, declined to comment.

Arpaio said his office began investigating the charge following an animal neglect investigation last year at the 37-year-old rapper's north Phoenix home. DMX was arrested in that case on felony drug possession and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges after authorities seized 12 pit bull dogs and dug up the remains of three others.

The musician/actor has had other recent run-ins with the law, including an arrest at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport earlier this month on outstanding warrants after he failed to appear in court.

The week before, he was arrested in Miami on charges of attempting to purchase cocaine and marijuana.

"He's back in jail again," Arpaio said. "I don't know why judges keep letting this guy out. Every time he goes in there, he gets out on bond.

"I'm hoping this is the one time he's going to pay the penalty for his offense," he added.

Arpaio said the bond had not been set in the recent arrest.

If DMX remains jailed, the sheriff said he would be isolated from the rest of the inmates for his own safety. "They may not like his music," he said.

-- Edited by alligcold at 23:56, 2008-07-20

Urban backyard garden programme launched in Portmore

Thirty residents of Spanish Town and Portmore received gardening kits at the official launch of the urban backyard garden programme held recently at the Portmore Lions' Civic Centre, Portmore, St. Catherine.

The initiative, which was announced by Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton in his budget presentation, aims to assist householders to grow fruits, vegetables and herbs in containers in small spaces in their communities, in an effort to address the rising cost of basic food items.

After the launch, Dr. Tufton, Mayor of Portmore, Keith Hinds, and Mayor of Spanish Town, Dr. Andrew Wheatley handed out the kits to residents.

Four hundred households in Portmore and Spanish town are expected to receive kits consisting of seeds, soil nutrients, and basic crop care information. The kits are being developed by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) which will be monitoring the production process of gardeners over three months.

Residents were also being invited by the Executive Director of RADA, Al Powell to call the RADA offices for technical assistance or to offer any suggestion that they might have to improve the programme.

Mr. Powell informed that an additional 10,000 garden kits will be prepared for sale at some farm stores, and that a similar programme will be rolled out in other parishes.

Before the presentation of kits, area extension officer, RADA, Ruth Barrett, explained the various stages of crop production, from land preparation to the care and reaping of crops.

Speaking at the function, Minister Tufton called on the residents to support local food production in light of the challenges facing other countries in affording basic nutrients for citizens.

"We cannot afford to wait until we reach the stage where we have to confront the crisis in an ad hoc reactionary manner," he said.

Minister Tufton said the Government is committed to improving agricultural production and will be looking at a number of systemic challenges facing the agriculture sector, in an effort to boost productivity and production levels.

"That is a medium to long term initiative. It involves looking at our research capabilities. It involves enhancing the training of our farmers. It involves engaging more modern technology and modern methods of soil preparation, of marketing, of animal husbandry of orchard crop production," he added.

The agriculture minister said there are a number of initiatives being undertaken by the ministry in promoting agriculture. Among these, he said, is the strengthening of the marketing department of the ministry to deal with the "periods of gluts and shortages" of products on the market.

Additionally, he said, the ministry is increasing the number of RADA extension officers so that small farmers can receive the technical support that they require.

"All of these initiatives are what we are pursuing and which we will continue to pursue to manage the market, the challenges the agriculture sector faces and boost production and productivity levels," he said.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Portmore Municipal Council. There were displays of chemicals, variety of seeds, fruit baskets and local products by private and government entities, such as Agro Grace, Jamaica Livestock Association, RADA, ACE Supercentre and Inter-Trade Finance Limited.

Essential Services in Portmore

Here is a listing of numbers of essential services in Portmore:

POLICE STATIONS

Emergency - 119

Bridgeport - 988-2697,

998-9801

Caymanas Gardens -

998-1719

Waterford - 988-1763

Greater Portmore (100 Man) - 949-8390-3

FIRE STATION

Waterford - 988-7488

POST OFFICES

Bridgeport - 988-6299

Waterford - 988-5336

Greater Portmore - 989-6301

HEALTH CLINICS

Christian Pen - 998-1976

Greater Portmore - 989-4638

Waterford - 988-5454

LIBRARIES

Bridgeport - 939-5307

Greater Portmore

- 740-1259-60

Greater Portmore Junior Centre - 989-7509

Waterford - 939-6642

Portmore City Council - 740-7440-1

Portmore Local Planning Secretariat - 740-7440-1

DO YOU HAVE BREAKING NEWS?

IS THERE A STORY YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE 'PORTMORE STAR'? WELL, CALL US AT 1-888-THE-STAR; THAT'S 1-888-843-7827 (TOLL FREE) OR 932-6248 OR 932-6142.

Revenue centre to be opened soon in P'more

A revenue centre is to be opened soon in Portmore, Director of Public Relations for Taxpayer Support Services in the Tax Administration Service Department (TASD), Meris Haughton has said.

In an interview with JIS News, Miss Haughton said the revenue centre would serve as a one-stop shop, where all business transactions regarding the paying of taxes could be done.

"The revenue centre will have customs, a collectorate and other departments to allow everything to be done under one roof. We are aiming to incorporate different areas of the tax system to ensure a smoother operation and flow," she said.

In his Budget Debate presentation in the House on April 10, Minister of Finance and Public Service, Audley Shaw had pointed out that during this fiscal year, revenue collection centres islandwide would be upgraded.

Miss Haughton pointed out that there are 28 collectorates islandwide, with a 29th virtual collectorate, and four revenue centres strategically located in Montego Bay, Constant Spring, Spanish Town and May Pen.

She said two of the collectorates, Savanna-la-Mar and Cross Roads are in line for upgrading. "These two locations have been tendered," she added.

Mayor of Portmore, Keith Hinds told JIS News that he is preparing for a fully integrated tax office in Portmore by the end of August.

"The people of Portmore and surrounding areas will have the convenience to pay their taxes in a good environment, hence I expect much more property tax to come in, especially since we will now have our own facility to do so," Mayor Hinds said.

He pointed out that the revenue centre is a welcomed addition to the Portmore Municipality and that much improvement is expected in the attitude of citizens towards taxation, adding that the new centre would encourage compliance.

Construction on dead grandmother's land

Jonique Gaynor, Staff Reporter

Oniel Hamilton was more than shocked when he received a call congratulating him on the sprawling structure that was being erected on his grandmother's land. He had no knowledge of any construction and had authorised no such act.

Hamilton told THE STAR that the land, located in Patrick City, was always known to be the property of his now deceased grandmother and said he frequented the plot as a child. He added, "Mi always go deh go clean it up an dem ting deh, so mi frighten now mi go deh an see it [the land] part up. Di people dem a tell mi seh dem own half and mi a seh mi nuh know bout dat 'cause di whole place a ours."

persons claim to own the land

He said the persons who were claiming to own the land also came with a surveyor and told him they had purchased it from another individual. "Dem come wid surveyor and official ting and tek whe my part and gi mi smaddy else own."

Determined to prove all the land was owned by his grandmother, Hamilton secured a copy of the title, which he showed to THE STAR. He said, " When mi get di title now, mi a get fi understand seh wa dem a a buil' pan a my ting, so mi go to dem (builders) and dem a seh dem a go get restraining order an dem ting deh." The new 'owners' reportedly told him that they had purchased the land and had a title to prove it. When Hamilton revisited the Titles Office however, he was informed that the land was never sold and still belonged to his grandmother. " They told me that someone was intruding on my property," he said.

He told THE STAR that he was given the name of the man who reportedly sold the land and said this individual must have used some fraudulent means to do so because he thought it was abandoned.

dig up mi coconut tree

He added, "I was down in the country and is call somebody call mi an seh a so mi know seh yu rich and nuh tell mi. Wi haffi go have a drink ova di big house wha yu a build. Mi frighten fi go deh an see di big house whe dem put up inna four months."

He asked, "How you think it feel fi know seh mi grandmother used to mek mi dig up da yard deh and now smaddy else a live deh? Dem all dig up mi coconut tree and mek bulldozer trample dung di tings. Mi pay four years worth a tax and a man jus come buil wi land an a control it up."

Hamilton said he went to the Fraud Squad to report the matter but was told that he needed to consult with a lawyer before any action could be taken. He has since sought the advice of a lawyer with whom he will be working.

Flood alert

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) said its disaster committees have been put on alert following an expectation of heavy rains that could cause flooding on the weekend.

In a release from Kerry-Ann Morris, information officer for ODPEM, the agency said that it has been advised that there could be heavy rains on the weekend. "The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) has been advised by the Meteorological Service that a strong tropical wave east of the island is moving closer to Jamaica and is expected to influence weather conditions this weekend," the release said.

The agency said the system is expected to move westward across Jamaica by this morning and continue to influence conditions across the island throughout the weekend.

"Consequently, the island is expected to experience periods of showers, thunderstorms and gusty winds, first affecting eastern parishes tonight, then spread quickly to other parishes through Saturday. Showers could sometimes be heavy and there is the potential for flash flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas," the release said.

flood-prone areas

ODPEM said the public should continue to monitor the radio for further advisories and to avoid areas that are at risk from flooding and landslides. It is also encouraging the public to take the following precautions in the event of heavy rains.

"Be ready to evacuate if you live in low-lying or flood-prone areas. Decide on likely evacuation routes now. Plan to stay with family or friends in safer areas or in a public shelter and move to safety," the release said.

In addition, the agency suggests that people avoid flooded waterways, gullies, streams or rivers whether they are on foot or in vehicles.

ODPEM said all Parish Disaster Committees have been alerted and will be monitoring the situation in each parish. The Meteorological Service and ODPEM will continue to keep an eye on the state of affairs and further updates will be provided as it demands.

Fishers and other marine interests, especially fishers on the cays and banks, are being advised by ODPEM to exercise extreme caution as winds could reach gale force from as early as Friday night.

Driver turns himself in to police

Dwayne Mcleod, Staff Reporter

The driver of a garbage truck that was involved in a collision which left two women dead and two others injured on Hagley Park Road, on July 4, turned himself in to the police yesterday.

Now in custody is 66-year-old Aston George Williams. According to reports, Williams, who was accompanied by his lawyer turned himself in to the Half-Way Tree police and will now be interrogated.

The Constabulary Communication Network had reported that about 6:40 a.m. on the day of the deadly accident, a Leyland garbage truck reportedly driven by Williams, was travelling along Hagley Park Road, heading towards Half-Way Tree.

On reaching a section of the road, he reportedly lost control of the vehicle which collided with a Toyota Tacoma that was travelling in the same direction which then slammed into a Honda motor car.

Four women were reportedly standing on the sidewalk and were hit by the Leyland truck.

Forty-nine year-old Desrine Irving, a newspaper vendor of Maxfield Avenue, Kingston 10 died on the spot, while the other injured women were rushed to the Kingston Public Hospital where they were admitted in serious condition.

Allison Burke, 46, of Portmore, St. Catherine succumbed to her injuries on Wednesday, July 9.

The others , 25-year-old Effana Swaby and Tamara Simpson, 19, all of Portmore, St. Catherine addresses were treated and released.

Roll back the toll

Several users of the Portmore Toll Road are asking the operators of the toll road, Trans Jamaica Highway Limited to roll back the prices.

One young man in his twenties said the rise in the cost to use the toll really bothers him, and he was not in support of an increase at this time. "The timing is not right as there are so many increases people have to face, such as food stuffs and gas, things are getting harder and harder everyday."

He's not the only one who feels this way.

A middle-aged woman an owner of a Toyota Corolla motor car is also requesting a roll back. "I have to take the toll four times per day, that's $400 total daily, and for the week that's $2000, it really hard for me right now," she said. "I want a roll back even to $80," she added.

Owners of Class Two vehicles which include small buses, SUVs, and pick up trucks are also feeling the pinch.

"Bwoy it wicked! mi haffi pay $140 for this little van yah, fe past the toll it rough eno father. Since the toll increased I have taken it less than usually, I just can't afford it," one man said as he sped away in his vehicle.

Some motorists have opted to reduce the number of times they traverse the roughly five kilometre stretch.

"First time I used to take it two times per week. Now, I use it once or none at all. I'm mostly using the Mandela Highway," a motorist said.

One bus operator said the toll increase is cutting into his profits. As for each 10 trips he makes it costs about $2,800 in addition to diesel which costs more than $90 per litre. "I have my workers to pay and a bus to maintain, what they expect us to do?" he asked.

Still, not everyone agrees that the increase should be cut.

convenient toll

One man, who resides in Greater Portmore, said the toll is convenient to him and he does not see any problem with the increase. "Well the bills have to be paid, and one way of doing that is to beef up the toll cost. People must understand that we must pay for progress. The toll road save you on gas and less wear on tear on your tyres. Just think of it as saving on your mechanic bills," he opined.

When contacted, a spokesperson at Trans Jamaica Highway limited was unwilling to comment if there was a decrease in the number of toll users. The spokesperson said the general manager who was in the best position to speak on the matter was unavailable.

-- Edited by ANDRE_DESIGNZ at 10:23, 2008-07-21

saturday mention kid get gun down in front of him. jah know the man dem a kill off the music industry

By Cris Chinaka HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's central bank will introduce new higher-value 100 billion Zimbabwe dollar notes on Monday as part of a desperate fight against spiralling hyperinflation, the bank said. Zimbabweans are suffering chronic shortages of meat, maize, fuel and other basic commodities due to the collapse of the once prosperous economy, which critics blame on President Robert Mugabe's policies, including his violent seizure of white-owned farms. Central bank Governor Gideon Gono announced on Wednesday that inflation had surpassed 2.2 million percent, though some economists put it much higher. In a notice in the official Herald newspaper on Saturday, Gono said the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe would introduce 100 billion dollar special agro-cheques (notes), to help consumers who currently need to carry large wads of cash even for simple transactions. "This new $100 billion (2,214 pound) special agro-cheque will go into circulation on Monday," the notice said. The central bank has been printing higher denomination banknotes to keep pace with soaring prices. The most valuable bank note currently in circulation is worth Z$50 billion. Gono said he was also considering raising the amount of cash people could withdraw daily from their bank accounts. The central bank has imposed a withdrawal limit of Z$100 billion, but this is only enough for two trips on an urban commuter bus or two loaves of bread -- if one can find it. The Zimbabwe dollar, which had been officially pegged at 30,000 to the U.S. dollar before exchange rules were relaxed recently, now trades at about 800 million to the greenback. Besides struggling with shortages of basic goods and services, Zimbabweans also spend long hours in bank queues trying to withdraw their money. The central bank says the limits on cash withdrawals are designed to curtail a thriving black market in foreign exchange and basic commodities. The worsening economy could add to pressure on the ruling ZANU-PF party to make concessions to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, which has refused to recognise Mugabe's overwhelming victory in a June 27 presidential run-off election. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round vote on March 29 but failed to get the absolute majority needed to avoid a second ballot. Tsvangirai pulled out of that poll, citing violence by pro-Mugabe militia. Two weeks ago a German firm, Giesecke and Devrient, stopped deliveries of banknote paper to Zimbabwe following pressure from the German government amid international criticism of Mugabe's widely condemned re-election. Gono said Zimbabwe had made alternative arrangements.

judge has ordered a 19-year-old man to write an apology to the city of Saratoga Springs in New York for dressing in a penis constume at a high school graduation.

Calvin Morett had pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for dressing in a 6ft costume at the graduation at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

BOY HANGS SELF FOR PIGEON

WINNSBORO, Texas - An apparently intoxicated suspect chatted with a burglary victim long enough for officers to arrive and arrest him, authorities said.

John Michael Baker, 25, of Winnsboro was jailed Friday on bond totaling $59,500, the Wood County Sheriff's Office said.

Baker was charged with burglary of a habitation and burglary of a vehicle. He was also wanted and charged in Franklin County with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana and burglary of habitation, a jailer told The Associated Press.

Sheriff's Chief Deputy Debbie Foster said a woman saw a man breaking into her home, and she called her husband.

The husband hurried home and saw Baker making his getaway. He called 911 before heading over to talk to the suspect, whom he knows. The men chatted by the side of the road until deputies arrived.

Foster told the Tyler Morning Telegraph that Baker was "pretty intoxicated."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Police said a St. Petersburg resident surprised a burglar in his house then fatally shot the intruder with his own gun.
Officials said Jacob Donaldson, 27, walked in the back door of the house Friday afternoon and was confronted by the masked and armed burglar. The two struggled and the burglar dropped his gun. Donaldson picked it up and killed the intruder.
The burglar was identified as 39-year-old Lajuan Dandy.
Police found him still wearing a cloth mask and gloves.
Charges have not been filed against the shooter.

Blind Cancerous Diabetic 49 Year Old Woman Tased Into Submission For Lashing Out At Police


Blind and ill woman tased by Ohio policeDavid Edwards
Published: Friday July 18, 2008

A blind Ohio woman was tased by police who were looking for a
robbery suspect, a TV station is reporting.

According to WHIO TV, "Dayton police said they went to an
apartment building on Fernwood Avenue looking for a robbery
suspect and ended up tazing the man's mother who is legally
blind."

Police allege that 49-year-old Denise Harris "refused to talk
with them and became c****ative, striking out at an officer.
According to officers, when they tried to arrest her, she
resisted and they tased her."

Despite neighbors' claims that the officers used unnecessary
force on the woman, who is reportedly suffering from diabetes
and cancer, Dayton police said Harris would be charged with
assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. The incident
is under investigation.

-- Edited by alligcold at 17:05, 2008-07-21

A 9-year-old Brooklyn girl was fighting for her life yesterday after she was mowed down by a car whose driver fled the scene, cops said.

Moments after Nacirema Brown was struck, the driver of the tan Nissan Maxima allegedly stopped briefly - only to berate the broken girl before driving off, witnesses said.

"The man jumped out of the car and said, 'You stupid little bitch!' and drove off, Dakema Brown, 30, the little girl's mom, said witnesses told her.

Cops said Nacirema, was running across Rockaway Ave. near Glenmore Ave. in Brownsville when she was struck at about 8:45 p.m. Saturday.

Her mother said Nacirema was in critical condition at Brookdale Hospital with massive head injuries.

The Nissan was later found on Park Pl. between East New York Ave. and Boyland St. Cops were hunting for the driver yesterday.

Brown said her daughter was with two cousins when she dashed off.

She described her daughter as a brilliant student at P.S. 298 where she was about to enter the 5th grade and an active singer in her church choir.

She was praying Nacirema - whose name is American spelled backwards - would survive.

"The doctors are saying there's a fifty percent chance for my baby to live," said Brown, haltingly.

Judge Says Man Was Entrapped By Undercover Cops

BRADENTON, Fla. -- A 94-year-old Bradenton man whose arrest for soliciting a prostitute became fodder for late-night comedians won't be prosecuted after all.
A judge tossed out the misdemeanor charge Tuesday, saying Frank Milio was entrapped by an undercover officer before his arrest in November.
The judge said the officer walked to Milio's car without being summoned and eventually got him to agree to pay for oral sex.
His attorney, Donald E. Grieco, said he was happy for Milio, whose arrest had blocked him from getting into an assisted-living facility. Milio suffers from dementia.
Grieco said Milio enjoys flirting with pretty women and never had any intention of paying for sex. But prosecutors argued that he knew exactly what he was doing.

A group of boisterous homosexuals who had been disturbing the community of Chevy Chase in Havendale, St Andrew, were evicted on Monday after residents complained to both police and the owner of the property about the men's behaviour.

The residents said the men had moved into the normally quiet community and had made their lives a living hell with their partying and raucous behaviour.

The residents said the house was leased by a man who appeared to be gay last week. The lease agreement was supposed to take effect this week. But, the men moved in and started partying and disturbing the community almost immediately. The men were evicted after residents complained to the owner who called the police to help in their eviction.

Extremely loud music

Residents said gay parties were hosted on the weekend at the address, harnessing large homosexual and lesbian crowds that disrupted the sleep of others with extremely loud music that continued up to 3 a.m. in some cases.

One Chevy Chase resident who spoke with THE STAR said the entire community had been disturbed, to say to the least. "I have children and I live close to the house. You should hear some of the things these people yell at the top of their voices when they are talking or are arguing, especially the gay men, its some real sketel behaviour." He continued: "It is so disgusting it makes you want to throw up, the things they say are too graphic to mention. It's bad enough that these people are gay but to be a gay sketel is even worse."

The resident also told The Star that just last Saturday, he had to call the Constant Spring police to come and end one of the many blaring gay parties which was being held.

Big rowdy party

"I was awoken by the blaring music about 3 a.m. When I checked, I saw that they were having a big rowdy party, I mean cars were just letting off men non-stop. Some of them were wearing heels, stocking, wigs, shorts, dress and even belly-skin tops," he said. " So I called the police, who came and eventually shut off the party."

The resident said he also believes that the house was being used as a sex shop for gays as he had witnessed non-stop trafficking of men round the clock since it was rented and have overheard several jaw-dropping quarrels and conversations among the men that would suggest this as well.

When The Star contacted the Constant Spring police the police confirmed that they did, in fact, respond to a disturbing the peace call in the community as the residents had related.

"There was a party with loud music where a large group of persons were being entertained. It is assumed that these people were gay based on their dress, mannerisms and acknowledgement from they themselves," the lawman said. "We turned off the music and dispersed them peacefully." The policeman also confirmed that some of the gay men at the party were indeed dressed as women, sporting lipstick, stockings and bra**ieres.

A MAN was ripped apart by three ferocious bears after he fell into their pen at a Ukrainian zoo.

The man, aged 22, was reportedly torn "limb from limb" after losing his footing while attempting to snap the Siberian Brown bears.

And as he tried to escape, the snarling creatures at Mykolaev city zoo charged him.

According to reports, the victim was dead before keepers could pull him away from the animals

Omar Khadr's mother made a desperate plea for her son's return after viewing videotapes from 2003 that show her son weeping uncontrollably and begging for his mother.

Maha Elsamnah, mother of Omar Khadr speaks with the Canadian Press at her home in Toronto on Tuesday. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)The videotapes show Canadian intelligence officers questioning Khadr over several days in February 2003 and were released Tuesday, providing his mother and the world with the first glimpse of Khadr in six years.

Khadr was captured and sent to the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2002, following a deadly firefight with soldiers in Afghanistan. He has been detained at the prison ever since on charges of killing a U.S. soldier.

After hours of silence following the Tuesday release of the interrogation tapes of Khadr, Maha Elsamnah, who lives in Toronto with her other children, agreed to speak to the media.

"Just help this child for safety or get him some assistance. It doesn't matter political, humanitarian, any kind of assistance," she pleaded later Tuesday.

Elsamnah said she would "scream at everybody and say please do something" to help any child in a situation similar to Khadr's.

'I cried. I said, "O God, please answer his call. I can't answer."'Maha Elsamnah, Omar Khadr's mother

"I wish anybody out there can do anything to help Omar, or to help any child in need. Any child anywhere," she said.

In an interview with the Canadian Press, Elsamnah also described the agony of hearing her son call out to her on the videotapes.

At one point, Khadr begins sobbing with his face in both his hands, chanting something over and over again. While it was first taken for "Kill me" or "Help me," Elsamnah says he was really saying the Arabic phrase for "My mother," which is "Ya ummi."

"My son is calling for me and I'm sitting here," said Elsamnah.

"I cried. I said, 'O God, please answer his call. I can't answer.' I wish I can tell him. What can I do? I'm here. I wish he can hear me answering back."

Referring to talks that Khadr should undergo rehabilitation if he's returned to Canada, his mother said she fully supports the idea.

"Omar will need somebody to reassure him that he still deserves to live."

Khadr's father, Ahmed Said Khadr, died fighting Pakistani forces in the fall of 2003 and was a reported supporter and financier for al-Qaeda.

Omar Khadr has five siblings, including a brother, Abdul Karim Khadr, who was paralyzed from the waist down in the same shootout that killed his father.

'Outright unfair and unacceptable'

Khadr's defence team secured the tapes under a court order in hopes the wrenching footage of their client, 16 at the time of the interviews, would spur outcry over the case and increase calls for his repatriation and rehabilitation in Canada.

Human rights groups have repeatedly called for Khadr's return due to the young age at which he was detained, saying he should be considered a child soldier as stated under international law.

On Wednesday, Liberal Senator and retired general Roméo Dallaire added his voice to the growing debate raging across the country about the Khadr case, criticizing the government for its handling of the case.

He noted that Canada has signed the Optional Protocol of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that those under 18 years of age in armed conflict are not considered c****atants, and should be demobilized, rehabilitated and reintegrated.

"You've got a young person traumatized by war, traumatized by having been in c****at, traumatized by being injured and now put through a whole series of processes that continue that trauma," Dallaire said in an interview from Quebec City.

"And that is outright unfair and unacceptable."

Dallaire says his gravest concern is that Prime Minister Stephen Harper "wants to play outside the rules."

Harper's office reiterated Tuesday that the Canadian government would not seek Khadr's return to Canada, saying "there is a judicial process underway to determine Mr. Khadr's fate. This should continue."

Khadr, now 21, is the only Western foreigner still being held at the naval prison. He is scheduled to go on trial before a U.S. military commission in the fall.

ALBUQUERQUE - John McCain says the troop increase strategies used in Iraq should also be applied to Afghanistan, and that he knows more than Barack Obama about "how to win wars."

McCain has told a town hall crowd in Albuquerque, N.M., that the U.S. military effort in Iraq is working. He argues a similar approach more troops, more counterinsurgency programs, and more coherent military organization would arrest the growing violence in Afghanistan.

The Republican nominee-to-be charges his Democratic opponent, Obama, is offering misguided military plans for the region before he's even set foot in the country.

McCain says more U.S. troops should be sent to Afghanistan, particularly the southern part of the country where the Taliban is strongest.

MIAMI -- A 13- and 15-year-old were arrested after they broke into a woman's home, jolted her with a stun gun and raped her while her baby was sleeping nearby, police said Thursday.
The teens confessed and were charged with armed sexual battery, armed burglary, kidnapping, and armed robbery, Miami Police said.
Police said the 21-year-old woman heard a knock on her front door on May 23, but ignored it. She later noticed the door was ajar and when she turned, she was hit in the back with a Taser gun. The teens took her into one of the bedrooms, covered her face with a shirt, and raped her, police said.
The victim begged for her life and the life of her child who was in a nearby bedroom. The infant was not harmed, according to a statement from police.
The home was also ransacked and cash and other items were stolen.
The Associated Press is not naming the suspects because of their age. The State Attorney's Office has not yet determined whether they will be charged as adults.
Another suspect was involved in the crime, but detectives have not charged him, police said.

Rapper DMX was arrested at a Phoenix mall Saturday on suspicion that he gave a gave a false name and Social Security number to a hospital to get out of paying for medical expenses.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said that when DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, went to Scottsdale's Mayo Clinic in April, he used the name "Troy Jones" and failed to pay a $7,500 bill.

DMX's Scottsdale attorney, Cameron Morgan, declined to comment.

Arpaio said his office began investigating the charge following an animal neglect investigation last year at the 37-year-old rapper's north Phoenix home. DMX was arrested in that case on felony drug possession and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges after authorities seized 12 pit bull dogs and dug up the remains of three others.

The musician/actor has had other recent run-ins with the law, including an arrest at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport earlier this month on outstanding warrants after he failed to appear in court.

The week before, he was arrested in Miami on charges of attempting to purchase cocaine and marijuana.

"He's back in jail again," Arpaio said. "I don't know why judges keep letting this guy out. Every time he goes in there, he gets out on bond.

A top aide to Gordon Brown has been a suspected victim of a honeytrap operation by Chinese intelligence agents.

The aide, a senior Downing Street adviser who was with the prime minister on a trip to China earlier this year, had his BlackBerry phone stolen after being picked up by a Chinese woman who had approached him in a Shanghai hotel disco.

The aide agreed to return to his hotel with the woman. He reported the BlackBerry missing the next morning.

The aide, whose identity is known to The Sunday Times, immediately reported the theft to the prime ministers Special Branch protection team and was informally reprimanded.


A senior official said yesterday that the incident had all the hallmarks of a suspected honeytrap by Chinese intelligence. The incident will raise fresh questions about the security of sensitive official information. It follows a spate of high-profile cases where data from government departments have been lost.

BlackBerrys are used as mobile telephones and also store data and send and receive e-mails. Downing Street BlackBerrys are password-protected but security officials said most are not encrypted.

Experts say that even if the aides device did not contain anything top secret, it might enable a hostile intelligence service to hack into the Downing Street server, potentially gaining access to No 10s e-mail traffic and text messages.

The incident highlights the growing threat of Chinese intelligence to Britain and the West. Last December Jonathan Evans, the director-general of MI5, warned that China was carrying out state-sponsored espionage against vital parts of Britains economy, including the computer systems of big banks and financial services firms.

Sources said that the incident had occurred during Browns two-day trip to China in January.

The prime minister had been accompanied by about 20 Downing Street staff, including senior advisers on foreign policy, the environment and trade. There were also 25 business leaders on the trip, among them Sir Adrian Montague, the chairman of British Energy, Arun Sarin, then chief executive of Vodafone, and Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin boss.

The incident occurred in Shanghai on the second day of the tour. That evening, about a dozen members of the Downing Street staff went to a hotel disco where a lively party with several hundred young people was in full swing.

It was apparently a lot of fun, there was quite a bit of dancing with lots of people ona big crowded dance floor, said one security official.

The group stayed at the disco for at least two hours. One senior aide was approached by an attractive Chinese woman. The couple danced and later disappeared together.

The security official said: In these circumstances it was not wise. Nobody knows exactly what happened after they left. But the next morning he came forward and said: My BlackBerry is missing. The prime ministers Special Branch protection team were alerted.

Downing Street yesterday confirmed that a member of the prime ministers office had lost a BlackBerry during an evening event on the January visit to China. However, it played down the affair, stating that an investigation had established that there was no compromise to security.

Last week it emerged that US intelligence and security officials were debating whether to warn business people and other travellers heading to the Beijing Olympics about the dangers posed by Chinese computer hackers.

Joel Brenner, the US governments top counter-intelligence official, warned: So many people are going to the Olympics and are going to get electronically undressed.

-- Edited by Klanz Man at 13:42, 2008-07-20

KINGSTON, Jamaica, July 16, 2008 - Jamaica is leading the Caribbean in the fight against AIDS, having reduced the prevalence rate of HIV in Jamaica to about 1.5 per cent, the country's Minister of Health Rudyard Spencer has reported.

He made the revelation at the recent launch of the US$44.1 million Global Fund Agreement in the capital. The agreement is Jamaica's second HIV/AIDS proposal to the Global Fund, following the Ministry's successful implementation of the first HIV/AIDS proposal to the Global Fund (2002-2009).

Lauding the successes of the first Global Fund programme, led by outgoing Chief of Epidemiology and AIDS Dr Peter Figueroa, the Minister reported that there was also a 35 per cent decline in deaths due to AIDS between 2004 and 2006. He accredited this to an overall improved access to treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS.

"The mother-to-child transmission rate has also witnessed a dramatic decline from 25 per cent in 2004 to less than 10 per cent in 2007," he noted.

However, while Jamaica has achieved much success in HIV control, particularly in treatment and care, risk taking behaviours have not decreased significantly, especially among vulnerable groups and young persons.

Mr Spencer announced that the new Global Fund would be rolling out a number of initiatives that would target vulnerable groups, such as casual sex workers and their clients, drug users, prison inmates and young persons, among others.

The three priority areas under the 2007-2012 National Strategic Plan are prevention, universal access to treatment care and support, and creating an enabling environment for the successful implementation of national HIV/AIDS policies and human rights.

"This project will also seek to improve the quality of life for those currently in need of treatment. The strategies and interventions will help us to move toward universal access to free anti-retroviral drugs," he explained.

The Global Fund Agreement, which takes effect this month, will provide part financial support for the proposed National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan, which the Minister said would require funding of US$201 million. The balance will be supplemented by smaller grants and a second World Bank loan of US$10 million, which Minister Spencer revealed, was signed last month. The government of Jamaica will also be providing some of the resources.

"Jamaica is also qualified to receive an additional grant of up to US$23 million from the Global Fund," Mr Spencer added." Again, based on our track record of meeting our targets, we have been invited by the Global Fund to apply for more money under the Rolling Continuation Channel and we have applied."

The Global Fund was created to finance a dramatic turn around in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. These diseases kill over six million people each year and the numbers continue to grow. To date, the Global Fund has committed US$10.7 billion in 136 countries to support aggressive interventions against all three diseases.

In an interview with SPIEGEL, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Barack Obama's 16 month timeframe for a withdrawal from Iraq is the right one.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki supports US presidential candidate Barack Obama's plan to withdraw US troops from Iraq within 16 months. When asked in and interview with SPIEGEL when he thinks US troops should leave Iraq, Maliki responded "as soon as possible, as far as we are concerned." He then continued: "US presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says he agrees with US presidential candidate Barack Obama's plans for withdrawing US troops from Iraq.

Maliki was careful to back away from outright support for Obama. "Of course, this is by no means an election endorsement. Who they choose as their president is the Americans' business," he said. But then, apparently referring to Republican candidate John McCain's more open-ended Iraq policy, Maliki said: "Those who operate on the premise of short time periods in Iraq today are being more realistic. Artificially prolonging the tenure of US troops in Iraq would cause problems."

Iraq, Maliki went on to say, "would like to see the establishment of a long-term strategic treaty with the United States, which would govern the basic aspects of our economic and cultural relations." He also emphasized though that the security agreement between the two countries should only "remain in effect in the short term."

The comments by the Iraqi leader come as Obama embarks on a trip to both Afghanistan and Iraq as well as to Europe. Obama was in Afghanistan on Saturday to, as he said prior to his trip, "see what the situation on the ground is and thank our troops for the heroic work that they've been doing." The exact itinerary of the candidate's trip has not been made public out of security concerns, but it is widely expected that he will arrive in Iraq on Sunday to meet with Maliki.

Maliki has long shown impatience with the open-ended presence of US troops in Iraq. In his conversation with SPIEGEL, he was once again candid about his frustration over the Bush administration's hesitancy about agreeing to a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops. But he did say he was optimistic that such a schedule would be drawn up before Bush leaves the White House next January -- a confidence that appeared justified following Friday's joint announcement in Baghdad and Washington that Bush has now, for the first time, spoken of "a general time horizon" for moving US troops out of Iraq.

"So far the Americans have had trouble agreeing to a concrete timetable for withdrawal, because they feel it would appear tantamount to an admission of defeat," Maliki told SPIEGEL. "But that isn't the case at all. If we come to an agreement, it is not evidence of a defeat, but of a victory, of a severe blow we have inflicted on al-Qaida and the militias."

He also bemoaned the fact that Baghdad has little control over the US troops in Iraq. "It is a fundamental problem for us that it should not be possible, in my country, to prosecute offences or crimes committed by US soldiers against our population," Maliki said.

Roll back the toll Several users of the Portmore Toll Road are asking the operators of the toll road, Trans Jamaica Highway Limited to roll back the prices. One young man in his twenties said the rise in the cost to use the toll really bothers him, and he was not in support of an increase at this time. "The timing is not right as there are so many increases people have to face, such as food stuffs and gas, things are getting harder and harder everyday." He's not the only one who feels this way. A middle-aged woman an owner of a Toyota Corolla motor car is also requesting a roll back. "I have to take the toll four times per day, that's $400 total daily, and for the week that's $2000, it really hard for me right now," she said. "I want a roll back even to $80," she added. Owners of Class Two vehicles which include small buses, SUVs, and pick up trucks are also feeling the pinch. "Bwoy it wicked! mi haffi pay $140 for this little van yah, fe past the toll it rough eno father. Since the toll increased I have taken it less than usually, I just can't afford it," one man said as he sped away in his vehicle. Some motorists have opted to reduce the number of times they traverse the roughly five kilometre stretch. "First time I used to take it two times per week. Now, I use it once or none at all. I'm mostly using the Mandela Highway," a motorist said. One bus operator said the toll increase is cutting into his profits. As for each 10 trips he makes it costs about $2,800 in addition to diesel which costs more than $90 per litre. "I have my workers to pay and a bus to maintain, what they expect us to do?" he asked. Still, not everyone agrees that the increase should be cut. convenient toll One man, who resides in Greater Portmore, said the toll is convenient to him and he does not see any problem with the increase. "Well the bills have to be paid, and one way of doing that is to beef up the toll cost. People must understand that we must pay for progress. The toll road save you on gas and less wear on tear on your tyres. Just think of it as saving on your mechanic bills," he opined. When contacted, a spokesperson at Trans Jamaica Highway limited was unwilling to comment if there was a decrease in the number of toll users. The spokesperson said the general manager who was in the best position to speak on the matter was unavailable. The toll increase on the Portmore leg of Highway 2000 took effect earlier this month, after two years in operation. Currently, motor cars and bikes pay $100, up from $60, SUVs, pickups and vans $140, up from $100, and buses and trucks $280, up from $200.

Very sad!!!

"Police said the 29-year-old mother, Mirlande Jean-Baptiste, was having her nails done when she returned to her vehicle to find the body of her son."

Story here...

MEDIA SHAKEUP HITS THE HITLIST
Ah pure tings ah gwaan inna the media landscape, shakeups, move outs and all these things. The sudden rash of sex tapes and unauthorised release of semi-nude photos have done in two hosts in quick succession, but maybe the third time is the charm. Word is that Candace is now out, even though it is not official and she will not be hosting this week's shooting of the CVM Hitlist. The new it-girl is Kerine Miller, the former host of Fusion XYZ, who will be shooting in Montego Bay tomorrow and will also co-host Reggae Sumfest alongside Winford Williams. She is also one of the hosts of CVM at Sunrise, so everybody saying is a good fit. We just hope that there are no more unpleasant surprises on the horizon, my poor heart just couldn't take it (smile).

CATFIGHT AT RJR: KHADINE VS DJ FLAMEZ
What a way Ms. Kitty just move in and tek over DJ Flamez prime time spot on RJR. Mi read the article ina the STAR and she not even big up the girl whofa spot she ah tek, she just roll in and tek over the thing. Mi know say she caan handle the console but her personality might just bring in the big bucks and advertising that RJR craves. But mi no like how DJ Flamez just disappear outta the ting sudden sudden like dem just park her like an old Morris Oxford. Still, mi hear say there will be more in store before this sankie is sung, and nuff secret ah go reveal. And there will be nuff moaning, weeping and gnashing of teeth, memba!

:: BUSY LEFT WITHOUT A SIGNAL Mi people mi deh yah again mi not even ago waste nuh time mi a get right inna di ting ah HOT MESS we seh duh. Mi bex real bad wid how dem hangle mi artiste, nuh Busy sing bout wine pon the edge, well him mussi deh pon edge yah now, cause after di man go a St. Kitts Music Festival go sell off dem show di people dem left the big artiste stranded wid not even one likkle bicycle fi find him way back ah the hotel and then a come chat bout them neva aware and all these thing. Mi a wonder if him did try call but dem phone did Busy or a drop signal. :: NIKKI-Z TUN ROBO RAS Since we buss the exclusive, people a seh dem like how Nikki-Z a step up inna life and all tun artiste. But mi hear two producer ah cuss seh dem like the riddim but Nikki come in like ah she a di new reincarnation of Munga wid the bag a autotune pon har vice. It look like is a new summer trend every year a new Robo Ras, fuss Munga now Nikki. :: JEALOUS BOYFRIEND KILLS WOMAN Everybody wah know a wah really happen ova Oaklands mek the man push off the woman offa di top floor and kill har. Mi hear seh a gi she gi weh di nanni and him get upset when him find out seh a next man a stamp it and she all a spell the man name inna reverse the way she like it, (see the proof here: DNIRG EOJ)  Mi hear seh police grab on pon him yah now, Mi condolences to the family... :: FISH FIGHT What a way the fish dem up a Havendale brite eeeh, a cuss loud loud bout who can breed and who a man guinep, Mi not even wah tink bout it cause when di police did go fi lock off di sound dem shoulda just scrape up all a dem inna one truck and go drop dem off outta sea and see how much a dem can swim come back in ...... hint hint 50 - 50 = "?". seet deh problem solve. :: HOT BOY NUH MOVE INNA TAXI Ah which entertainer son mi hear seh dem a hot bwoy and a try move 50" Flat Screen TV inna taxi, people oonu shoulda see the idiot a try fit 50" inna one space weh bout 35" mi laugh till mi nearly poop! .. mek mi guess him grade weh him get fi maths  how bout "D" for DUNCE or D*CKHEAD then again how about just plain DUMMY. :: QUESTION TIME - How Miss Kitty so hot again she just left the AM band wid di 5 listeners (di station manager and him family) and gone to the half a million pon di FM ..all mi can seh it mussi a bun him deh now.....a wonda if him ago jump off a Cliff - Wah ago happen to the people dem who fah money tie up inna OLINT?, lawd mi hear seh one woman sell har house and put all di money in deh, my advice to you gwaan go familiarize yuhself wid some piece a Cardboard. - What a gwaan over Come Video Me, mi hear seh dem draw fi the Christian as di new host ah ongly hope seh is the microphone alone she a preach pon and nothing else. - Why some Rasta nah hold nuh medz mi see one a Capleton launch di man ah run through the likke sandwich dem like him nuh eat from last month, till the chef haffi a seh yow fire guh easy  ...more people dem yah enuh.

If you are feeling the blues don't act crazy like the guy in this story...

Naked passenger forces palne to land...

"A naked, unruly passenger forced an American Airlines flight to make an emergency landing Friday afternoon at Will Rogers World Airport."

"The man tried to force open an exit door when the plane was at 30,000 feet, said Sgt. Gary Knight with Oklahoma City police."

Full story

BRITNEY SPEARS has given KEVIN FEDERLINE sole custody of their two sons, his lawyer has claimed.

 

Rapper K-Fed was said to be delighted with the surprise deal, which follows a bitter court battle.

Singer Britney, 26, will be able to visit Preston, two, and Jayden, one, Mark Vincent Kaplan said.

But Kevin, 30, will have legal and physical custody. Kaplan said the divorced couple reached a deal on Thursday.

The case was set to go to court next month.

But Kaplan said: All the issues that would have been addressed have been settled.

Kevin had not been aiming for sole custody, Kaplan said, adding: Nobody could have anticipated the turn of events that occurred.

Troubled Britney was admitted to hospital after a breakdown in January.

People, mi just have lunch at mi hotel and mi ah go run go inna the town fi see what a gwaan wid mi girlfriends dem. One of dem vex and gone back a town because  the police dem a pressure Bounty fi the cussing and she even vex say him get boo, but the rest of us stayed to watch Akon last night, and we were not disappointed.Mi have nuff fi talk about, so no long intro. Run the passa passa. 

AKON DAZZLES AT SUMFEST
Some people say Akon worth every penny of the US$30,000 Sumfest paid to fly him by private jet from Vancouver, the man work fi one hour and 45 minutes, him go inna the crowd, the girl dem strip him, the man just gwaan wid crazy things over the venue and the place ram but not like last year.To me though, it appeared that he was lipsyncing for most of the time except for when he did In the Ghetto. My girlfriends loved every minute of his performance but I admit I was surprised that he did the same set that he always does when he comes here. At least we got to see Tami Chynn do Frozen with him, she showed her international crossover appeal , and I hope that her label finds out how to market her.

I was disappointed in Keyshia Cole, she could have done better, she did the same set she did at the Ms. Jamaica Universe contest earlier this year. She looked like she was going through the motions, and never came to give Jamaica something special. No one can match Mary J. Bliges performance last year at Sumfest. LUST gave a good performance and Queen Ifrica was my excelente, and now that people are paying attention, she bussed the place with Randy.

WHY NO COCO TEA
Early this morning, everybody was asking where was Coco Tea, but mi hear say him say him not closing no show for the little bit of money Gourzong wants to pay him, and him just give dem back him money same time. It end up with Richie Spice ah close the show and the people dem start walk out pon him inna the early morning.

BEENIE, BEENIE, BEENIE IS THE GIRLS DEM SNAPPER
A.K.A  and Phlex dem a say Beenie Man do the same performance all the time no matter where him go, but that is not true. Mi see the man bring on the little children, Little Beeda, Big Beeda and Baby Tash and done the place. Yu nuh see when him tell the 20,000 strong at Sumfest that Bounty Killer sey dat mi a fish, well... Beenie Man a girls dem snapper!", the place never good again. Beenie get the biggest forward fi the night wid the talk. Rasta, yu is a bias Alliance wagonist, mi love how Bounty did a gwaan when him cuss Red Stripe but him overdo the fish thing and sabotage himself, yu caan escape that. Dont blame me because yu artiste cannot control himself. Mi see him and Lena British ah party, it look like him just pay him $4,000 fine for the cursing already and nah watch no face. Mavado never steal Sumfest, after is not a mango, the people dem stand up pon him fi the last eight minutes. Racquel, ah Beenie we say, no watch nutten.

SUICIDE RUMOURS ABOUND AS ELOQUENT HANGS SELF
Mi hear say ah crazy rumours of suicide ah rotate say Hollowpoint kill himself, but mi a hear say is an artiste name Steven 'Eloquent' Menzie from Ocho Rios who stab up him common-law wife den hang himself from a Spanish Elm tree. Mi feel it because ah DJ Sunshine from IRIE artiste, and mi know say she did believe inna him. Hush Sunshine, condolences to the family. The common law wife is recuperating at the St. Anns Bay hospital. 

ARMED kids aged just 14 are robbing cash vans hiding their school uniforms under hoodies.

And yesterday Scotland Yard warned the kids they risk being SHOT by cops.

The alert came as modern Fagin Ali Lwanga, 21, faced jail for recruiting kids to raid vans.

Detectives said he paid the teenagers a pittance while raking in more than £100,000.

The Flying Squads Supt Bob Cummings said: It is rare firearms are used but guards have been physically assaulted.

 

The child robbers even drove getaway cars still in school uniform.

He said gangs target Securicor vans carrying up to £25,000.

But he warned the kids: This is the Flying Squad you may come up against armed police.

To launder cash Lwanga would put it in gaming machines, then cancel the bet and get a receipt to exchange for clean money.

He and his gang were nicked after grabbing £3,640 at Enfield, North London.

The cash box exploded and released Smart-Water a staining liquid only visible under UV light.

Lwanga, of Canning Town, East London, is the first robber to be convicted using the water.

He was found guilty at Wood Green Crown Court of conspiracy to rob and concealing criminal property.

Boys aged 14, 15, and two aged 16 pleaded guilty to the first charge.

All five will be sentenced next month.

Deejay Beenie Man will make his first appearance at the Strip Tease Night Club in White Hall, Negril, next Friday. The promoter promises the event, dubbed 'Summer Jam', will be an unforgettable one as Beenie Man promises to deliver a special performance for his fans in western Jamaica. Music will be provided by Hard Rock sound system.
 

Da'Ville sips for Cooyah Reggae Flava

Cooyah Reggae Flava has added reggae and R&B singer Da'Ville to its natural spring water product advertisement campaign. The natural spring water, a first for Cooyah Reggae Flava, has full endorsement from the singer as another quality addition to the reggae brand. "Well, I've been wearing Cooyah clothing line for the longest and I was very thrilled when they asked me to endorse another great big idea such as their flava water," Da'Ville said.
 

Mighty gospel in Toronto

For the last three weeks the award-winning Jason Mighty has been on a major promotional blitz in Toronto, Canada. With hits such as One Soul, Can't Walk and Careful locking down the radio stations in the mega city, the gospel star is being welcomed with open arms in more ways than one. "Since I have been here I have been approached by two record labels that are interested in signing the project. Both of them are major industry players," Mighty said. "It's an exciting opportunity but I am still praying about it." Mighty will climax his Canada trip with another large-scale launch of his album, Cornerstone, this time along with Prodigal.
 

Rita Marley thrills fans in Europe

Rita Marley, recently tore up the stage at the Novegro Summer Festival in Milan, Italy and the Metarock Festival in Pisa, Spain. On both warm July nights she performed for thousands of fans, backed by C-Sharp band and percussionist Bongo Herman. Marley delivered songs from her own and husband Bob Marley's repertoire. Back-up dancers Naudiann and Rosemary captivated the crowds with their moves. Fans in Spain received a memorable treat as two of Bob Marley's Three Little Birds, Marcia Griffiths and Rita Marley magnetised them. Both concerts closed with fans demanding more.

"The Dark Knight" lit up cash registers during its midnight debut, stealing away with a record $18.5 million from 3,040 theaters, distributor Warner Bros. said Friday.

That bested the 2005 performance of "Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith," which took in $16.9 million during its midnight debut in 2,915 venues.

"The Dark Knight" figure did not include any of its 3 a.m. or 6 a.m. showings.

And while Batman only strikes at night, all indications are that "The Dark Knight" will keep landing blows: Advance ticket sales were booming.

The early numbers mean "The Dark Knight" will likely join the ranks of 10 other films that debuted on non-holiday weekends and cleared more than $100 million from Friday to Sunday, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of tracking firm Media By Numbers