A police constable was arrested yesterday after he was reportedly held with an illegal gun.
Police said the constable who is stationed at the Area One Narcotics Division, but worked at the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Anti-Corruption Branch, is facing a charge of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Police said his name is being withheld pending further investigations. The incident reportedly occurred in Bunkers Hill in Wakefield, Trelawny.
explosions
Reports reaching THE WEEKEND STAR from the Wakefield police are that about 3 a.m. residents heard explosions coming from a bar in the area and summoned the police. Lawmen who responded, searched the constable who was in the bar and found the weapon along with 12 rounds of ammunition in his waist band.
After the completion of investigations, a case file will be prepared and submitted to the director of public prosecutions for a ruling.
King of the dancehall Beenie Man is at it again, as he seeks to make good on his already popular hit single, Red Bull and Rum, featuring Fambo by doing a remix of the song with the likes of Nicki Minaj and Busta Rhymes.
Beenie Man's King in Control album which is scheduled for release this summer on the Universal Record Label, will feature the remix as the single.
In a release sent to THE WEEKEND STAR, Beenie said "Busta Rhymes has already given us a 16 bar to go on the remix of Rum and Red Bull, and we have already approached Nicki Minaj to add another 16 bar so it ah go mad when it complete. If everything falls into place, we will be on every major radio station in the US. I am not fighting to go pop, I am already an international pop artiste, so this will mek sure we mek back the Z100 (radio station) again," he said.
The police in Britain are searching for a Jamaican man who is suspected to have knowingly infected his former lover with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
According to reports in the British media, the police there have been seeking the whereabouts of 27-year-old Jermaine Scott, after his ex-girlfriend claimed that he intentionally infected her with the virus.
The police have been searching for him since mid-January.
fears
Reports summarise that Scott, who is believed to have lived in the United Kingdom for the past 10 years, has links to Merseyside, Wolverhampton, Huddersfield and London.
An article posted late last month on www.mirror.co.uk said that the woman who lodged the complaint about Scott fears that he might have also infected other women.
"When she confronted him it is alleged he confirmed he was infected. She was tested and discovered that she also had the virus," the article stated.
The article continued, "The woman from Cheshire has two young children from previous relationships. Neither child has the virus. She believes Scott knew he had the virus for more than four years."
The woman is also said to have considered suicide, but is determined to stay strong for her children.
"If it was not for my children I wouldn't be here today." she was quoted as saying.
When THE STAR made checks with the Bishop Gate and Snowhill police stations in London, where Scott is said to frequent, we were told that the police are still looking from him. "An appeal is out for Scott to surrender to the nearest police station," an officer said.
Kanye West x Jay-Z Watch the Throne
Yeezy and Hov on the same track isnt anything new, but the promise of a joint album has hip-hop heads salivating. Leave it to two of raps brightest stars to put egos aside and join forces for what is poised to be one of the biggest releases of the year. After appearing together on a handful of tracks as part of Yes G.O.O.D. Friday series, the dynamic duo capped 2010 with the first leak from their collaborative LPThats My b!$%h featuring La Rouxs Elly Jacksonproving that not only is Watch the Throne on the way, but that theyve got some serious heat in the vault.
Beyoncé TBD
How can Beyoncé top 2008s ambitious double disc I Am Sasha Fierce? According to the 29-year-old, shes outdoing herself by creating her own genre for her as-yet-untitled fourth album. Incorporating more live instruments into the mix, B has teamed back up with frequent collaborator Ne-Yo, who shares that nobody will be in Beyoncés lane after this album, and Sweet Dreams producer Jim Jonsin, who wants to explore an 80s electro sound. 2011 is slated to set the bar even higher for the unstoppable singer.
Lil Wayne Tha Carter IV
Fresh off doing his bid, Lil Wayne has kept a low profile after becoming a free man in November. But after breaking his silence with the dizzying Bangladesh-produced 6 Foot 7 Foot featuring Cory Gunz, Weezy proved that his time out of the booth wasnt spent idly. Though originally due upon his release from Rikers, the highly-anticipated offering was pushed into the new year, with producer Dow Jones of Tha Bizness telling media that it will flip the game on its head. Carter IV gonna change your life, he said. Its something that you aint never seen before. We thought Carter III was incredible and he took it a couple steps up.
Willow Smith TBD
The 10-year-old starlet busted onto the scene in 2010 with her catchy single Whip My Hair, and it didnt stop there. Will and Jada Pinketts talented tyke became a cultural phenom following the tracks release, earning her a deal with Jay-Zs Roc Nation and co-signs from artists including Rihanna, Rick Ross, and B.o.B. Her debut is set for a tentative March release, giving her plenty of time to nab a hopeful guest appearance from pops biggest star. [Somebody] I would really want to work with on a song would be Lady Gaga, she previously revealed. She is amazing! Shes just so amazing, shes a free person. Shes a free girl, baby.
Chris Brown F.A.M.E.
Whatever troubles Chris Brown faced in 2009, he tried to overcome with his undeniable talent. The 21-year-old not only performed a moving tribute to Michael Jackson at the BET Awards, but he linked up with Tyga for one of the hottest mixtapes of the year, Fan of a Fan. The tape spawned the chart-topping hit Deuces, which was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the Grammys. Breezy is building off the momentum by putting in work on his fourth album F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies), led by the singles Yeah 3X and Look at Me Now featuring Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne. With a planned collabo with Bruno Mars and production from Boi-1da, the set promises to be a F.A.M.E. monster.
Lupe Fiasco Lasers
Included on Rap-Up.coms most anticipated albums last year, Lupe Fiasco hit a snag settling on a solid release date for his third album Lasers. Fans went to war with his label Atlantic Records for balking on its release, putting pressure on the imprint to set the album free by staging a protest outside its New York City headquarters. The conglomerate buckled, putting the ball into motion on the oft-delayed LP. Now, the Chi-town native is in the thick of promotion for the album ahead of its March 8 release, delivering the video for the lead single The Show Goes On on Christmas Day.
Drake Take Care
Coming off of his smash breakout mixtape So Far Gone, Drake delivered on the hype with the release of his well-received studio debut Thank Me Later. Soon after its release, the Young Money rapper revealed that hed already began work on his sophomore project Take Care. Drizzy previously told Rap-Up.com that hes put in studio time with staple producers Noah 40 Shebib and Boi-1da, as well as soul sampler 9th Wonder, and shared with GQ that hes going with a less-is-more approach this time around. For Take Care, Im trying to find a way to make my raps shorter but catchier. Im trying to condense my thoughts down to 16 bars. And its coming out more potent, he said.
J. Cole TBD
Roc Nations flagship MC was supposed to release his much-anticipated debut in 2010, but the LP failed to materialize in time. Instead, the North Carolina native tided fans over with his Friday Night Lights mixtape and debut single Who Dat, showing that though his album has yet to surface, his skills havent gotten rusty. J. Cole told Rap-Up.com that the album will feature production from No I.D., Brian Kidd, and a Grammy contender from Danjahandz, and that while he didnt have it on lock, he was hoping that his boss Jay-Z would lay a verse for the project. Jigga feature or not, 2011 is shaping up to be Villematic.
Lady Gaga Born This Way
Pops reigning queen ruled 2010 with cuts from her Fame Monster mini-album, gaining even more exposure by rocking zany outfits including a dress made of meat at the MTV Video Music Awards. Spending most of 10 on the road, the eccentric star finished off the year by announcing a May 23 release date for her new album Born This Way, preceded by the first singles debut on February 13, the same day as the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. After conquering the world, can Gaga do it all over again?
Dr. Dre Detox
Dr. Dres third opus has reached mythical proportions since the producer-rapper announced its existence over a decade ago. After a few unfinished songs found their way online in 2010, Dre shocked the industry by dropping an actual single from the album and confirming its 2011 release. The Good Doctor ignited the project with Kush featuring Snoop Dogg and Akon, followed by the Joseph Kahn-directed video in December. Though its unclear who from the extensive roster of artists hes worked with will make the final cut, Detox is ready to go from fiction to fact.
Now that youve seen our list, which albums are you most looking forward to this year?
Bronx, NY: As part of this years Black History and Reggae Month celebrations, New York based Caribbean Lifestyle TV, (CLM TV) - which air weekly on CIN TV, channel 73, WNYC TV in New York will pay tribute to saxophone great Cedric "Im" Brooks at the station's 4th anniversary gala and awards ceremony on February 28, 2011 in Manhattan. Regarded as one of Jamaicas foremost saxophonist, Brooks is known for his solo recordings and being a member of the internationally acclaimed Skatalites Band.
Brooks who was admitted as a patient at Bronx Lebanon Hospital in NY last February in an unconscious state, has had a slow recovery and remains in a semi-comatose state at a Nursing Home in Queens. He will be honored for his work and dedication to Jamaicas rich musical history. His involvement in the development of Jamaican music spans over 50 years, during which time he contributed his sound to many of Jamaicas best known artists including The Wailers, The Heptones and Burning Spear. Early in his career he was a regular studio musician for Clement Coxsone Dodds Studio One label, playing with fellow jazz musicians Ernest Ranglin, Jackie Mittoo, Roland Alphonso, and Vin Gordon. Their various Studio One backed tracks have been versioned repeatedly and form the very backbone of the island's musical heritage.
Before his illness, Brooks was in the process of re-establishing his Light of Saba Band which is a part of his Journey to Africa project. He was also in the beginning stages of writing his autobiography. Ironical one of his last gigs in New York was as a guest performer at CLM TVs 3rd anniversary event, where he Ras Droppa & The Easy Skankin Band, the dynamic Kevin Bachelor delivered an entertaining performance, offering musical selections until the wee hours of the morning.
Cedric is a special friend to all of us at CLM TV. He is a very talented musician and a fabulous human being who has done so much to advance Jamaicas musical legacy. We wish him a speedy recovery co-producer Andrea Bullens said.
Since CLM TV debuted in NY in 2007, the program has racked up impressive rating, showcasing Caribbean celebrities, movers and shakers and successful business entrepreneurs living in the USA and Jamaica. Recent guests include former Prime Minister of Jamaica the Hon. Edward Seaga; PM of Antigua, Hon. Baldwin Spencer; Mt. Vernon Mayor Clinton Young; Carl McCall, former NY State Comptroller; Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jimmy Cliff; Brenda Blackmon, co-anchor of WWOR-TV; Suzanne de Passé, Co-Chairman of de Passé Jones Entertainment Group; Olympians Asafa Powell, Sherone Simpson, Veronica Campbell Brown, Grace Jackson, Ben Johnson, musician Billy Ocean; songstress Randy Crawford and many others.
The woman Dr. Conrad Murray phoned when he realized Michael Jackson was dying has broken her silence about the fateful day, revealing the medic "didn't sound like himself" and was clearly troubled.
Former ****tail waitress Sade Anding, who Murray was pursuing romantically at the time, is set to testify for the prosecution at the doctor's upcoming trial for involuntary manslaughter. He stands accused of administering the dose of the drug Propofol that killed the King of Pop on 25 June, 2009.
Murray, who denies the charge, told investigators he was talking to someone on his cell phone for five minutes before he noticed Jackson was in serious trouble.
But, in a candid TV interview with breakfast show Good Morning America on Thursday, Anding contradicts the medic's version of events, claiming he hesitated when she asked him if something was wrong during their phone conversation on the day Jackson died.
Anding says, "He called me out of the blue. He sounded like something was wrong. He didn't sound like himself to me at all.
"I was like, 'Hey, what's up? I haven't talked to you in a while...' And it sounded like he wanted to say something and I wish I would have just shut up and let him finish.
He just said, 'Well...' and then he took forever... and then I realized, he wasn't even on the phone. I'm like, 'Hello, hello?'
"It sounded like he was in his car or something, and I heard coughing and mumbling of voices. He never got back on the phone and then I hung up. I kept calling and calling and I kept texting him and then I never heard from him. And then that's when... I felt like something was wrong."
Anding pieced together the tragic events when she heard the news about Jackson's death - and she knew police would come knocking: "I knew as soon as I heard what happened, it clicked to me like, 'Oh God, I'm in it!'"
She reached out to Murray when cops first approached her, but he refused to discuss the case with her because he was paranoid their phones had been tapped.
They eventually lost contact, but Anding will never forget their telling phone call - because she feels partly responsible for keeping Murray from performing his duties and saving Jackson's life.
Lindsay Lohan (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
(CBS) Lindsay Lohan is reportedly under investigation in the possible theft of a pricey "one of a kind" necklace.
"Law enforcement sources tell RadarOnline.com that Lindsay is suspected to have stolen a high-end piece of jewelry, most likely a necklace," Dylan Howard Sr., executive editor of the celebrity gossip website, told CBS News' "The Early Show."
According to the Los Angeles Times, the necklace is a "one of a kind" piece of jewelry, made of gold and semiprecious stones and valued at $2,500.
The Los Angeles Police Department reportedly have store surveillance video to support their claim.
"As we understand it," Howard says, "police have in their possession video they believe forms a very powerful piece of evidence in this case - video that shows Lindsay Lohan wearing the necklace in question."
Police have requested a search warrant for Lohan's new home in Venice Beach, Calif., according to the reports.
The Los Angeles Times says that once detectives began preparing that warrant, a Lohan associate tur ned the necklace over to them.
The 24-year-old is still on probation, and has been warned she could be sentenced to six months jail time for any violation.
Exactly one month ago today, Lohan checked out of the Betty Ford Center after 90 days in court-ordered rehab.
Even at the clinic, her alleged behavior threatened to land her back in jail: An employee, Dawn Holland, claimed Lohan shoved her during an argument.
At the moment, Lohan's next scheduled court date is Feb. 25.
Scientists in Japan say they've trained a Labrador retriever to detect colon cancer. (istockphoto)
Dogs can detect bowel cancer even in the early stages just by smelling the breath or stool of a patient, according to a new study.
While dog-based cancer detection is too expensive and unwieldy to work on a large scale, the findings could help researchers identify the chemical compounds that dogs detect. Tests for those compounds may be more effective than current diagnostic methods, Japanese researchers reported online Jan. 31 in the journal Gut.
"In the future, studies designed to identify cancer-specific volatile organic compounds will be important for the development of new methods for the early detection of CRC [colorectal cancer]," the researchers wrote.
Colorectal cancer refers to cancer of the large intestine (colon) and rectal cancer, or cancer of the lower region of the colon. In the United States, it is the fourth most common cancer in men and women, according to the National Cancer Institute.
The nose knows
Dogs are known for their amazing noses, which enable them to sniff out a variety of cancers. Pooches of several breeds have been taught to identify prostate cancer, as well as cancers of the skin, lungs, breasts, ovaries and bladder. Usually, dogs require just a whiff of a person's breath (or in the case of bladder cancer, urine) to identify disease. After training, many dogs can accurately catch even early-stage cancers.
In the latest study, researchers collected breath and stool samples from 48 patients with colorectal cancer, 203 people without the disease, and 55 people with a previous history of cancer, but who didn't have any active cancers at the time. Stool samples were collected during colonoscopies, and patients breathed into specially designed bags to capture a sample of their breath.
Next, a trained 8-year-old Labrador retriever sniffed the samples. When she detected cancer, the dog was trained to sit in front of the sample. Her reward for a right answer: a game of fetch with a tennis ball.
The researchers measured both the dog's ability to correctly identify cancerous samples and her ability to ignore cancer-free samples. In both cases, she was very accurate, correctly identifying 91 percent of cancerous breath samples and 97 percent of cancerous stool samples. The dog ignored 99 percent of both cancer-free breath samples and cancer-free stool samples.
The dog's accuracy held even in cases where the patient was a smoker or had other potentially aromatic bowel diseases.
What's that smell?
Still, it takes years and lots of cash to train a cancer-sniffing dog, so don't expect Dr. Rover at your bedside anytime soon. The promise of the research, the authors wrote, is to identify volatile (able to easily vaporize) compounds given off by cancer.
In this case, the researchers ruled out the possibility that dogs were cuing into changes in certain *la*hd proteins. Previous research has indicated a few compounds of interest, the researchers wrote.
The next step is to test those compounds both with chemical analysis and with cancer-sniffing canines.
Dipset rapper Juelz Santana was arrested and booked in Bergen County, New Jersey today according to North Jersey.com.
The 28-year old, born Laron James is being held on $125,000 bail at Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, NJ. He has been hit with a laundry list of charges including possession of a firearm and a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a handgun without having a permit, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance within 1,000 feet of a school zone.
The arrest comes after a 10-month investigation into the rapper, who police claim is associated with the *la*hds gang.
Last month during a raid on Santana's studio police found two fully-loaded 9mm handguns and 17 bags of suspected marijuana, said John L. Molinelli, the Bergen County prosecutor.
An associate of Juelz, Toby M Raynor was arrested at that time
Juelz has been a key member of the Diplomats group that also includes Jim Jones, Freekey Zekey and Cam'ron.
He also has his own movement called Skull Gang, the group released a self titled album in 2009.
Doctors say that changing sexual behaviors -- earlier sex, more partners and especially oral sex -- are contributing to a new epidemic of orpharyngeal squamous cell cancers, those of the throat, tonsils and base of the tongue.
These cancers can be deadly, and are striking men at a younger age and in increasing numbers.
"There's a lag in information," said Dr. John Deeken, a medical oncologist at Georgetown University. "We physicians have done a poor job of advertising the fact that boys and girls should have the vaccine."
"This kind of cancer traditionally affects males who have been smoking and drinking all their life, and now in their mid-60s they are getting head and neck cancer," he said. "However, HPV cancer we are seeing in younger patients who have never smoked."
Two decades ago, about 20 percent of all oral cancers were HPV-related, but today that number is more than 50 percent, according to studies published by the American Association for Cancer Research.
Similarly high rates have also been seen in Europe, where a new Swedish study has shown a strong correlation between oral cancers and oral sex. Oddly, the rising rates have not been seen yet in the Southern Hemisphere in Australia and New Zealand.
Each year, more than 30,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx are diagnosed, and more than 8,000 people die from oral cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cure rates are higher than for smoking-related throat cancers, but still only 50 percent.
Today, men are more likely to get oral cancer than are women, but as the epidemic grows, that could soon change.
"We expect in head and neck cancers that 85 percent are men and 15 percent are women," said Deeken. "But over the coming years that could become equal."
"It's going to take a couple of decades to see the trend turning around," he said. "The epidemiological risk factors are past sexual partners as well as marijuana exposure, not just oral sex."
Female deejay Lisa Hyper is currently in negotiations with the Solid Agency camp to provide booking services and a management team for her career. She believes that a good team is necessary for the success of any artiste and she sees Solid Agency as the fitting choice.
Speaking with THE STAR, Lisa Hyper said, "I've been shopping for a good management team for quite a while now and talks are currently on the table with Solid Agency for both bookings and management. While milling around in my head for possible options Sharon Burke came to mind, so I approached her and spoke with her about it."
Hyper noted that once Solid Agency comes to mind, persons automatically think of Alliance boss Bounty Killer. Knowing this, she wishes to make it known that she is not a part of the Alliance.
"I'm not a part of the Alliance but as a result of the possible union (with Solid Agency) and because we'll have the same management team, I've decided to put my differences aside with Killer because yuh know me and him did a throw some punches in 2009. I'm not afraid to put them aside and even apologise to Killer because he's an icon in the business, he's been around a long time," she said.
Lisa Hyper has been busy at work since the start of the year as she already has a number of new songs. Among them, Lock Down Di Place on the Swag Up rhythm for Danny Champagne's Tenement Yard Productions, No Gal on the Tiptronic rhythm for Free Willy Productions, New Year, New Gear for Syndicate Productions and Must Get Mine for which a video is to be done soon.
"As mi seh, new year, new gear. We've been through many changes, I've already proven my point to the people that I'm not a pushover by clashing with various female artistes. I'm finished with that now, I'm trying to work to bring my thing on the international level," she said.
Canadian rapper Drake might explore doing some reggae or dancehall songs in the near future.
Drake appeared on the Canadian network MuchMusic last week, where he broke the news during an interview with T Rexxx on the Hip-Hop show Rap City. The interview can be viewed on www.drake-online.com.
In the interview, Drake puts on a convincing Jamaican accent and sports a Mavado T-shirt, with the artiste's image on it. Drake revealed that he may be voicing on some local rhythms at the end of his European tour.
He explained that he recently spoke to Mavado's manager, Julian Jones-Griffith, about doing some recording locally. He said, "I wanna do something for Jamaica, because we are supposed to go out there and record after the European tour." He added, "I was like send me some rhythms that are poppin and I'll see what I can do. He sent me some rhythms that are poppin, so I'll see what I can do. You never know."
Drake is currently in negotiations to star in the financial thriller 'Arbitrage' alongside veteran actor Al Pacino. The rapper made headlines locally, as well as internationally, when he filmed the video for his song Find Your Love, in Kingston, last April. The video featured Mavado as the 'villain' in the video's storyline.
Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, criticised the video's play of the 'gun culture,' which he said was not enhancing the island's image. The video's director Anthony Mandler later defended the video saying he was not trying to make a statement about Jamaica.
Busta Rhymes - Contributed
A lover of Jamaican music, American rapper Busta Rhymes wants to do more work with local artistes in the future.
One of two overseas artistes scheduled for the 'Arthur Guinness Celebration', to be held on Saturday, October 23, at the National Stadium, Busta Rhymes has long been a fan of Jamaican music.
reflected in his music
Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Jamaican parents, the rapper who spoke to THE STAR recently, admitted that while growing up he listened to a little bit of everything Jamaican which is reflected in his music. Busta Rhymes is known for songs such as Touch It,Pass The Courvoisier Part II featuring P. Diddy and Pharrell, as well as collaborations with the likes of Mavado and Sean Paul for Make It Clap.
He said, "I've listened to every kind of reggae or every type of Jamaican music whether it's dancehall or culture ... I like different people depending on the time frame. Today you know I'm a big fan of Kartel, Mavado and Gyptian. Back in the days it would be Bailey, Stitchie, Tiger, Shabba, before dat Major Worries, Professor Nuts, Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Barrington Levy, Cocoa Tea, Pinchers, Sanchez."
local artistes
Currently Rhymes says he would love to work with Bounty Killer, Mavado and the Alliance, Vybz Kartel and Merciless.
Busta Rhymes will be performing alongside Wyclef Jean as well as local greats Shaggy, Beenie Man, Lady Saw, Bounty Killer, Wayne Wonder and Mavado.
The Arthur Guinness Celebration will be Rhymes' sixth performance in Jamaica, an experience he spoke positively about in the past. He said, "there is so many big people on the line-up, its a great opportunity overall, I look at everyone as major league featured artistes. It's a blessing to work with these featured talents and to be amongst the greatness."
Busta Rhymes began his professional career as a member of the Long Island hip-hop quartet Leaders of the New School in 1991 with their debut LP A Future Without A Past on Electra Records. Now, he is currently working on his upcoming ninth studio album entitled The Chemo.
new album
About his new project, Rhymes told THE STAR, "the new album is about 90 per cent finished, it's suppose to be scheduled for a February/March release of 2011. The vibe of the album is gonna be pretty much what it's always been, just in the current state of where music and time is manifested."
He added, "One thing about Busta Rhymes is that you know you will always get what you're suppose to get from Busta Rhymes; a wide range of music that accommodates every mood swing that may exist in music in general - love, war, peace, happiness. Primarily feel good energy is where the album will always be directed, cause you know when people listen to music the energy has to feel good."
source:http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20101007/ent/ent1.html
Pumping out more and more new material, Rihanna ended the weekend shooting a music video in New York City on Sunday (September 26).
Still sporting her bright red hairdo, the Barbadian beauty looked to be energized as she hit the Lower East Side set to work on her Whats My Name? offering.
Directed by Philip Andelman, Rihanna's latest project has yet to set a release date - though it's sure to be a captivating artistic work from the looks of things.
Meanwhile, RiRi also recently completed the video for her hit song "Only Girl [In The World]," as she tweeted, "What up #RihannaNavy I've been busy being the "Only Girl In the World" wanna see more?!?!"
BREAKING wind could be outlawed in an African country and it is already causing a stink.
The government of Malawi plan to punish persistent offenders who foul the air in an effort to mould responsible and disciplined citizens.
However, locals fear pinning responsibility for the crime on individuals will be difficult and may lead to miscarriages of justice.
One Malawian wrote on an African news website: My goodness. What happens in a public place where a group is gathered? Do they lock up half a minibus?
Also, children will openly deny having passed bad air and point at an elder. Culturally, this is very embar****ing.
Another said: We have serious issues affecting Malawians today. I do not know how fouling the air should take priority.
If approved, the crime will be enforceable in a new local court system which will also have powers to punish other misdemeanours.
These include insulting the modesty of a woman, challenging to fight a duel and pretending to be a fortune teller.
Opposition leaders complain these will be kangaroo courts.
A woman had to seek medical attention after she was severely beaten by a man who tried to rob her of her BlackBerry.
The incident, which caused a chase in Spanish Town, St Catherine, on Sunday, is still hot on the lips of persons on the streets of the Old Capital.
"Yes, we run down de bwoy but him fast like a real tief, we haffi just watch him move tru di street like a plane," Marva said to her friend.
"Is one of the strangest ting mi ever witness, mi ongle hear bout dem ting deh. Di man have a piece a board and slap di woman. Him seh mi nuh tell yu fi lef di BlackBerry a yard because dem wi tief it, dat time a him a di tief," a vendor said.
THE STAR was informed that on Sunday the female was standing along Wellington Street in Spanish Town when she was approached by a man who started to argue with her.
It is said that the man started to hit her with a piece of board, while telling her that she was careless to have left the yard with the phone.
The female was smart enough to have sounded an alarm, shouting 'tief tief' which caused persons nearby to run to her assistance, sending the brazen robber fleeing.
Checks at the Spanish Town Police station revealed that no formal report was made. However, they are aware of persons using various methods to rob persons of phones, chains and other valuables.
A porn star who partied with Charlie Sheen before he was rushed to hospital said the star was on a mission to kill himself. Kacey Jordan, 22, said she was stunned by the Two And A Half Men actor's behaviour during a 36-hour bender last week.
Speaking to US TV show Good Morning America, blonde Kacey said she saw the star smoke from a tennis ball-sized pile of cocaine 'every two to five minutes'. She said she was offered $5,000 to attend a party at his Los Angeles mansion and immeditely noticed his dishevelled state when she arrived. She recalled: 'He asked: "Where's the drugs?" To which a fellow party guest replied, '"We ran out, don't you remember?'" She said he ordered more drugs for the party.
'A guy eventually shows up and he opens his bag and dumps open a - I would say - about a tennis ball size, of cocaine on the table,' she added. 'It was all over the back of the counter, [Sheen] was chiselling it off, putting it in there [his pipe], hitting it every two to five minutes. 'All I hear was "Light, light, light' all night." And she said things took an even more bizarre turn when Sheen concocted a plan for the porn stars to move into a rented mansion so he could party every night.
She said: 'He wanted us all to live in this huge house that he was going to rent out. He said we could have anything we wanted. 'He said, "We're going to party, we're going to have fun". He just wants to retire, he just wants to have fun. He's like, "I'm done, I'm done."'
And he even said the porn stars could babysit his two daughters with ex-wife Denise Richards, 39 - Sam, six and Lola, five. But she said she was troubled by the idea. 'The kids was what bothered me,' she added. Sheen has since checked into rehab, where he is expected to stay for three months. Jordan has also told how she had 'quick sex' with the Two And A Half Men star, who earns a reported £1.25million for each episode of his hit TV sitcom.
A representative for Sheen said: 'Charlie is currently seeking the medical attention he needs. It is a shame that... opportunistic women are trying to take advantage of his celebrity status.'
Emile George mounted the defense in Kingston this morning (January 31) on day 5 of the enquiry into matters relating to the extradition of former West Kingston Don, Christopher Dudus Coke.
The two main issues of concern to critics are the relatively slow pace of the proceedings and the failure to arrange dates for testimonies to be heard.
Regarding pace, Mr. George said his 3-member Commission will not be rushed unnecessarily.
Among the reasons given is what Mr. George described as a very heavy responsibility to protect the reputations of witnesses.
There was not just talk; there was some sort of action in relation to the absence of a schedule for witnesses to testify before the Dudus/ Manatt Commission.
Commissioner George announced a schedule at last.
However, within minutes, that schedule proved unworkable, as some witnesses say they will not be able to testify on the dates assigned to them.
In that regard, Attorney K. D. Knight bluntly told the Commission Chairman, that he has failed.
Here is the exchange between Mr. Knight and Commissioner George.
Commissioner George also repeated his call for an end to the leaking of witness statements to the media.
Some media houses have continued to report on statements, which are yet to be presented at the enquiry.
According to Commissioner George such action is frustrating the confidence of the Commissioners.
Deejay Spice and her fiancé, Nicholas Lall, recently welcomed their second child into the family, daughter Nicholatoy.
In a release sent from Spice's camp, the deejay said, "The baby was born a few days ago and we are both doing well. Nicholas and I are really happy to finally have our daughter here and her name, which came from both of ours is a reflection of that."
The deejay gave birth to her daughter outside of Jamaica, where she and her family have been staying for some time. She added, "She's doing great! Their other child, Nicholas Jr., is also said to be 'really excited' as a welcome party was held on Saturday where family and friends came out.
Speaking to The STAR in an earlier interview, Spice, real name Grace Hamilton, disclosed that her latest pregnancy had come as a surprise but she was still happy about it.
The deejay and her fiancé also have a three-year-old son, Nicholas Lall Jr. The deejay kept her pregnancy away from the spotlight for some time and unlike her first pregnancy, Spice decided to 'take it easy' opting to stay away from the stage show scene.
Now Spice says she will be back to doing a few performances. In the release, she was quoted as saying, "I just want to thank all my family, friends and fans for their support and I'll be back to work in a few days when I arrive in Jamaica and hit things off next to Lady Saw and Ragashanti at all three of Shebada's birthday bashes. After that I'll return to be with my family then I'll be off to Barbados and other countries for performances. So there's no relaxation time for me at all."
The deejay is known for songs like Jim Screechy, Fight Ova Man, Slim vs Fluffy and more.
Kartel would not confirm the details but questioned why there was a brouhaha over his signing the document.
Yes, I did. Whats the big deal? So what if I did? he asked before hanging up the phone.
Lewis said the big deal is to make sure performers adhere to the acts strictures.
Artistes should be aware of the influence their music could have on society, Lewis said.
Several students from a prominent high school in central Jamaica are now terrified and concerned for their safety as they are convinced that there are demonic influences there wreaking havoc.
Information reaching THE STAR is that several incidents have recently occurred at the institution that has caused them to believe that demons are plaguing the institution.
In the most recent incident, a female student had to be hospitalised after demons supposedly pushed her from a wall where she was seated. There was another reported incident at the school recently.
"The girl was sitting on the wall at the front of the school and I heard that duppy pushed her," a fifth-form student explained to THE STAR.
Another student, however, told THE STAR that while there was some evil influence involved in the incident, as far as she knows the girl might not have been pushed but rather forced to jump by another girl who has a Ouija board.
One of the students also remarked that, "While we were in class, a girl confessed to being a freemason."
Students have also informed THE STAR that some of their schoolmates wear demonic markings on their bodies such as demonic crescents and half moons complemented by the number 'six'.
After hearing of the incidents, all efforts by THE STAR to contact the school's administration were unsuccessful.
However, when THE STAR questioned the students about the intervention of teachers in addressing their concerns, a fourth-form student said that the school's administration is trying to 'cover up' the incidents.
"Dem say if we go pon the road go talk bout no demons, we ago see what dem ago do to we," the student explained.
The students said, however, that a priest has been praying for them over the past weeks since the incidents began happening.
There was excitement in a section of Denham Town in west Kingston last week after the sexual affairs and preferences of three men were revealed when they were caught in an uncompromising position.
Information reaching THE STAR is than on Sunday morning, a friend of the three men walked into a house where they would normally hang out, and to his surprise found his friends enjoying each other's company a little too much.
THE STAR heard that the three men who are in their early 20's were seen on a bed, two in the nude and the other in underpants, and all sweating profusely.
Further arguments are that other residents were alerted and summoned to the house where some became irate and called for a proper beating of the men, but had to make a hasty retreat after the men drew guns.
"Di same set a man dem weh seh dem ago beat dem afii run up and dung when di man dem rise dem machine," a resident said.
It took the intervention of another set of men from the community who out of some form of respect for the men, urged persons to leave them alone before giving them an opportunity to leave the area.
The men have since taken heed and have fled the community with family members who came to their assistance this week.
According to residents with whom THE STAR spoke, the men are known gangsters who were even active during the clash with members of the security forces last May, during a massive operation to capture the then island's most wanted Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
Their actions have now left the entire community in shock.
"Yes man di yute dem did a do things, a yute dem weh a bad people. Everybody frighten fi see seh a dem life deh dem a live," another resident explained.
Checks with the Denham Town police found that the police have heard of the incident but no formal reports were made.
The case against him was dismissed, as the complainant did not appear in the Corporate Area RM Court today (January 31).
Bounty Killer was charged last September after his girlfriend accused him of beating her with a hammer and another implement.
When the case came up today, the woman was not in court and the Prices attorney applied for a No Order to be made out against him or for the case to be thrown out.
The judge agreed with the submission and made a No Order.After coming off a month-long tour with Capleton late last year, Munga has been in studio recording a number of tracks for various producers as well as doing some shows. Now 2011 is here, the dancehall artiste is fully focused on making the year his own.
Munga is readying for his first major performance of 2011, and say that there is a surprise in store for the audience when its his turn to hold the microphone at the Youth View Awards on Saturday February 5.
You think you know, but you dont have a clue, an excited Munga exclaimed.
It is true that fans can look forward to a thrilling performance from the Gangsta Ras, as he will be sampling pieces of his catalogue of hit songs. Indeed, Mungas focus is squarely on pleasing his fans at every appearance.
Munga is also spending time on other projects, and growing his Hilltop Records entertainment company. He recently released the Jay Walker Riddim courtesy of his Hilltop, which was co-produced with Izes Records.
That riddim features himself, Erup, Gyptian and Macka Diamond. He did that while promoting two singles which have been well received by the public. Clean and Fresh on the Supa Swag Riddim and Space Fi Di Gyal Dem on the Ska Vintage Riddim has been in heavy rotation and climbing the charts since their release.
Time waits on no man you know, so we try to do as much as possible in the 24 hours in a day and you know, Im really just trying to expand my horizons and use up my talents in as many ways as possible, Munga said.
In a release to the media, the members of RDX, Renigade and Delomar promised their fans an exciting and fun filled video. We put a lot into this video and were confident that the fans are going to love this one, the statement from the duo read.
This is the third time that the duo has worked with Elgood. He directed their Dancers Anthem and Bend Over music videos in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
The song Movements was produced by Equiknoxx. It has been enjoying steady rotation on FM radio and in the dancehalls. The video features cameo appearances from a number of dancers including Bermuda Kid, Dance Expressions, Famous Face and the Cullo Squad and Chekkers Dancers among others.
Additionally, RDX is preparing to release the follow up album to their 2008 Universal Japan
effort To the World.
Our second album is coming out in the summer and its going to be on Jamdown, said Renigade.
Among the latest singles from RDX are Girl Turn Around (Ballaz Productions); Bike Back (Twelve9 Records); Hold and Squeeze (Black Sheep); Who Deh Deh (Apt 19 Music); and You and Me (Equiknoxx).
The son of a slave, Carter G Woodson was born in New Canton, Virginia on December 19, 1875. He began high school at the age of 20 and then proceeded to study at Berea College, the University of Chicago, the Sorbonne, and Harvard University, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1912.
Carter G Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915 to train Black historians and to collect, preserve, and publish documents on Black life and Black people.
He also founded the Journal of Negro History (1916), Associated Publishers (1922), and the Negro Bulletin (1937). Woodson spent his life working to educate all people about the vast contributions made by Black men and women throughout history. Mr. Woodson died on April 3, 1950 and Black History Month is his legacy.
Thanks to science, our understanding of the universe is constantly broadening and not just about the world at large, but even in the small confines of the bedroom. A number of recent studies related to sex have offered interesting, and intimate, insights. Here are seven:
1. Deal or no deal
There are apparently some misconceptions about this whole monogamy thing. A recent Oregon State University study found that in 40 percent of young, heterosexual couples, one partner said there was a monogamy agreement in place, while the others said there was no such deal in existence and married couples were no more likely than unmarried couples to have an explicit agreement about monogamy.
2. The benefits of waiting
New research out of Brigham Young University finds that couples who wait to have sex are happier, and that delaying sex could lead to a healthier marriage. "I think it's because [those who waited] learned to talk and have the skills to work with issues that come up," says scientist Dean Busby, the study's lead author.
3. Not everyone is obsessed with sex
Japan has a birth rate of just 1.21 per couple (a rate of 2.08 is needed to maintain a population). So it is a matter of national concern that, according to a Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare survey, 35.1 percent of men between the ages of 16 and 19 have an apathetic attitude towards sex. That's more than double the figure reported in 2008, when a still surprising 17.5 percent of young men said they had no interest in sex.
4. Survival of the unfittest
At last, a reason to avoid the gym. A recent study from Erciyes University in Turkey found that overweight men are able to last longer in bed than their lean, fit counterparts. According to the findings, men with lower BMI scores were more prone to premature ejaculation... and, one might suspect, lower scores in the bedroom.
5. Instant gratification
According to a recent poll from Men's Fitness and Shape magazines, 40 percent of women say that the use of social media, be it Facebook or text messaging, makes them prone to jump in bed with a partner faster. "If your goal is to have sex, [texting] is actually helpful for that because it makes the correspondence between people sort of more titillating."
6. iAphrodisiac
An informal poll revealed that the iPhone handily beats out other smartphones when it comes to matters of the heart... or hormones. iPhone owners reported more sexual partners than their Android and Blackberry-owning counterparts. Female iPhone users reported the most sexual partners 12.3 on average while male Android owners reported the least six.
7. Making oneself sick
It's possible for a man to be allergic to his own semen, according to Dutch scientists who have been studying post-orgasmic illness syndrome, a condition in which men develop flu-like symptoms after ejaculating. Scientists at Utrecht University in the Netherlands have recently postulated that a semen allergy is to blame for such symptoms, not a psychologial causes as previously thought.
News of a 10-year-old who gave birthto a baby girl who died three weeks later is the story which has been on everyone's lips in the Mountainside community in St Elizabeth.
THE STAR has learnt that the child gave birth for a man in his mid-30s. However, he is currently in hiding because he is being sought by the police.
The child's father said he is distraught about the incident because he was not given custody of his daughter when he attempted to take her into his care.
"I filed for custody for my daughter but I did not get her and she was given to her mother," said the man.
He also said he does not get to see his daughter because he is a man who does not tolerate foolishness.
tight-lipped
A senior cop attached to the Black River Police Station told THE STAR that the matter was being investigated; however, the officer was tight-lipped about the case.
The child's father told THE STAR that the child delivered the baby in December and the baby died three weeks later. The angry father said that he was not even told about the baby's death until two weeks after.
According to the father, his daughter fainted at school and was rushed to the hospital when it was revealed that the child was seven months pregnant.
"How could she be seven months pregnant and no one knew, that makes no sense," said the confused father.
The child's father is begging that the culprit be brought to justice as no one in his right mind would have sex with a 10-year-old girl.
Last week an advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration unanimously recommended the approval of a diagnostic brain scan for Alzheimer's disease. The new technology is based upon imaging and quantifying the amount of a specific protein, beta amyloid, in the brains of patients suspected of having the disease. Research has demonstrated a striking correlation between the amount of beta amyloid in the brain and the degree of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's patients.
Dr. Norman Foster, professor of neurology at the University of Utah, testified before the FDA committee and was quoted in The New York Timesstating the approval of the new scan "would be a historic advance in neurology and in the daily management of patients with memory complaints," an interesting comment as the article goes on to say, "If a person has Alzheimer's though, there is as yet no treatment that can slow or reverse the disease ... "
Assuming beta amyloid is produced in response to an infectious agent, logically we would want to examine the evidence supporting the role of infection in Alzheimer's disease. Over the past several years, compelling evidence has surfaced linking herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) to Alzheimer's disease.
In 2008, Canadian researchers Luc Letenneur and Karine Peres demonstrated a dramatic increase in antibodies directed against HSV1 in Alzheimer's patients compared to age-matched individuals without the disease. Professor Ruth Itzhaki from the University of Manchester has explored the relationship of HSV1 to Alzheimer's disease in great depth.
In her landmark article published in 2008 entitled "Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 in Alzheimer's disease: The Enemy Within," Dr. Itzhaki revealed that HSV1 infects the brains of 90 percent of adults. If HSV1 causes Alzheimer's, this high rate of infection would be a necessary characteristic in light of the very high prevalence of Alzheimer's disease.
Further, she points out, HSV1 can remain latent in the nervous system lifelong and may undergo periodic reactivation causing persistent brain inflammation. As an example, HSV1 is the cause of recurrent fever blisters that occur when the virus gets activated in the brain. Undoubtedly the most compelling evidence linking HSV1 to Alzheimer's disease comes from her recent discovery of HSV1 DNA actually located exactly within the beta amyloid plaque, the so-called "hallmark" of the disease.
So compelling are these findings that Dr. Itzhaki has concluded, "Our present data suggest that this virus is a major cause of amyloid plaques and hence probably a significant etiological factor in Alzheimer's disease. They point to the usage of antiviral agents to treat the disease and possibly of vaccination to prevent it."Here in America 17 pregnant women die for every 100,000 births. In Australia and Sweden by contrast, there are only five maternal deaths for every 100,000 births.
The figure is six in Ireland, seven in Germany and Canada, and eight in Norway, according to a recent study in the medical journal The Lancelet.
To be competitive about life-saving, in Slovakia the rate is six maternal deaths per 100,000 childbirths. Slovakia spends $565.00 per capita on health care; Americans spend over $6,000.00 per person on health, as reported in "The Value of Nothing" by Raj Patel.
For minority populations, Patel reports, the numbers are getting worse, not better. "If the African American population rate in the United States were a separate country, [it] would be ranked below Uzbekistan, which has a maternal mortality rate of 24 per 100,000, and where the average income per person is $840.00 per year."
But there is some good news to celebrate. "The number of women dying due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth has decreased by 34 percent from an estimated 546,000 in 1990 to 358,000 in 2008," according the World Health Organization. Not good enough, but let's be happy for the 188,000 female lives saved.
"Every day, about 1000 women died due to these complications in 2008. Out of the 1,000, 570 lived in sub-Saharan Africa, 300 in South Asia and five in high-income countries. The risk of a woman in a developing country dying from a pregnancy-related cause during her lifetime is about 36 times higher compared to a woman living in a developed country," the report adds.
In the United Kingdom (with its single payer, universal, socialized health care system), the rate is eight women per 100,000 births.
Some politicians believe that America has the best health care system in the world. Is that true?
Italy is the safest place in the world to give birth. Only one woman in 100,000 dies in childbirth. For pregnant women, Italy -- a single-payer, nationalized, universal health care system -- is indeed "la dolce vita."
After her much publicised split from the Portmore Empire, Kym, formerly Gaza Kim, has now found a new musical family.
She has joined forces with the Alliance and according to her, she is enjoying the new company.
"Well, after leaving the Portmore Empire I went to a party and saw Bounty Killer and he told me to come and join the Alliance. I'm very comfortable so far, it's a very professional environment. It's all just about music," she said.
She is currently working on her mix tape titled Rebirth of Kym which will be released in February. It is being produced by DJ Purfiya from Miami, Florida, and is just one of the many projects that she has on her agenda.
Her career slowed down significantly after the split but Kym says it is now getting back to where she wants it.
"Well it's not as strong as when I was at the Empire but it's stepping up now since the Alliance. I'm busy writing songs and working in the studio. I have new songs like Haffi Come Back for Payday Music Group and Cotton Candy for Digiplay Records," she said.
Kym boasted of her recent performance in Belize where she did her popular songs Teenage Pregnancy, Amen and Light Bill, among others. She said How Would You Feel, a song she was inspired to write because of the death of her ex-boyfriend's parent, also got a great response from the crowd.
She also mentioned that Amen is extremely popular in Belize as the Notnice-produced track won Song of the Year in 2009 and 2010.
Kym left the Portmore Empire and changed her name from Gaza Kim last January after rumours surfaced that several members of the Vybz Kartel-led Portmore Empire were being beaten.
It was reported that the female artiste was assaulted in the community known as 'Big Yard', off Mannings Hill Road, St Andrew. She later confirmed that she had been assaulted and had to seek medical attention.
After rumours of his involvement, Vybz Kartel proclaimed his innocence in a release condemning the assault on the female artiste.
He said, "I do not condone violence, especially attacks against females and children. Gaza Kim is a young, talented singer who I hope will reach far in her musical endeavours. My deepest sentiments go out to her."
Kym has upcoming performances in Guyana on the 29 and 30 of this month and she will travel to Suriname for another show on February 4