Alex strengthened into the first hurricane of the 2010 Atlantic season as it churned northwest across the southwest Gulf of Mexico and took aim at the Mexico-Texas border, the National Hurricane Center said late Tuesday.

-- Edited by asar on Tuesday 29th of June 2010 09:10:54 PM

-- Edited by *~*~Sweet Applezz*~*~ on Tuesday 29th of June 2010 08:04:33 PM

Quarter-finals:
	Netherlands	vs.			Brazil					-	2 Jul 10:00am (AST)
	Uruguay	vs.			Ghana					-	2 Jul 2:30pm (AST)
	Argentina	vs.			Germany					-	3 Jul 10:00am (AST)
	Paraguay	vs.			Spain					-	3 Jul 2:30pm (AST)

DANCEHALL artist Bounty Killer walked away from the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court a free man today after an assault case against him was dropped.

Bounty Killer, whose real name is Rodney Pryce, was arrested and charged for beating up his girlfriend, Kadeem Baker, who had indicated to the court that she was no longer interested in pursuing the case.

Police then charged Baker for creating public mischief and informed the court that she was being pressured by associates of Pryce to drop the case.

On the morning of his arrest in April Pryce reportedly called Baker and threatened her in full hearing of the police. He spent two weeks behind bars.

More than 50 pounds of ganja and approximately 50 pounds of ganja seeds was seized by the Black River police in the St Elizabeth capital on Sunday, police have revealed.

The seizure took place between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. during an operation in the Ridge Lane area of Black River, police said. No one was held in connection with the seizure.

Police said during the operation, a premises was searched and the ganja - totalling 55 pounds - was seized. Fifty pounds of ganja seeds was also confiscated. The police are continuing their investigations.

Personally i think nothing change cause the riddim just release and its already flooding the net


Leave your thoughts here...

Michael Jackson - File

LAS VEGAS (AP):

Bidders from around the world bought up Michael Jackson memorabilia worth nearly $1 million at an auction on the anniversary of his death, including $190,000 for the Swarovski-crystal-studded glove he wore on his 1984 Victory Tour.

The bidding that began Friday on more than 200 items was "unlike anything we've ever experienced," said Darren Julien of Julien's Auctions, which ran the auction at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Some items, like the glove, brought 10 times more than their estimated value, he said.

most collectible celebrity

"It just shows you Michael Jackson is the most sought-after and most-collectible celebrity of all time. It was just phenomenal," Julien told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"People flew in from Asia, Russia, all over. Now that he's gone, we now realise the true legend we lost," said Julien, who has not had a similar auction in his 15 years in the business. He predicted the sales would easily top $1 million by the time the auction wrapped up on Sunday.

The glove had been expected to sell for between $20,000 and $30,000. The $190,000 sale price included the buyer's premium of $30,000, a standard industry fee that goes to the auction house, Julien said.

The winning bidder was Wanda Kelley of Los Angeles, who also bought a number of Jackson's albums at the auction, the Las Vegas Sun reported. She said she was prepared to go higher if necessary. "Let's just say I wasn't walking out of here without that glove," she said.

A pair of Jackson's stage-worn loafers that were listed as worth $2,000 to $3,000 went for $90,000.

The custom jacket the pop singer was wearing during his interview with Barbara Walters was listed at $6,000 to $8,000. It sold for $120,000.

A white Fedora sold for $56,250. One of the last autographs Jackson signed, and dated June 24, 2009, in his handwriting, went for $21,000.

Non-Jackson items sold at the auction included: A Jimi Hendrix Fender guitar for $180,000; Prince's Purple Rain handwritten lyrics, which sold for $66,000; and an Elvis Presley shirt worn in 1956 on The Milton Berle Show, which fetched $61,200.

Twin of Twins - File

Fans of 'kickers' are used to seeing voice overs of films that are not in sync, where what is being said in English does not quite match the movements of the characters' mouths.

On Monday night, however, as the hour got late at the 2010 Kingston on the Edge (KOTE) film night, held at Redbones Blues Café, 1 Argyle Road, New Kingston, there was a showing of a martial-arts film voice over of a very different kind, Twin of Twins replacing the dialogue with their own.

It was not just a matter of replacing the dialogue, carrying through the original meaning in another language, but adjusting the plot. And the Twins used the voices of Roundhead, Mutabaruka, Julian and Bob Marley, among others, thereby recasting the characters.

Not surprisingly, the short film, a sampling of things to come in November 2010, is rated 'NP' - No Pickney. There are adjustments to come, as what was shown was stamped 'The Really, Really, Really Ruff Kut".

Before the clip was shown, director Bruce Hart explained that he is developing a style of filmmaking utilising already existing material. After the screening, throughout which there were hoots of laughter from the audience (which declined as the evening wore on), he said it was "a way to make a film with no money at all ... . I knew that Twin of Twins are funny ... . They are very, very intelligent".

In terms of marketing, Hart spoke about the black market and companies embedding their products in the content in a non-invasive way. He also mentioned midnight screenings at cinemas. However, Hart did add that "basically, we have censorship issues".

"It is mimicking the dancehall culture in every way. But that is the intention, to keep it with the culture that is driving Jamaica forward or backward, as you see it."

The 'forward', as in a sign of approval, was unmistakable on Monday night. And while no negative responses were voiced, there are sure to be those who disapprove of 'Ching Pow', what with 'Bob Marley' saying "no say nutten! I a go look one piece a Chiney brush" when the need is on. In a sex scene, there are many compliments on the standard of the woman's vagina ("You have the will you marry nuh") and the man declares: "God believe me, me nah lef' yu till Shebada tun gal."

Among the high humour points were one character telling another, "Yu know why I don't murder you now? The script say you don't dead till the last part". And also the declaration of badness: "Check me out pon Facebook. www.youagodead.com!"

At one point in a sex scene, the woman asks the man, "Whe yu a do, stop?" To which the man replies, "No. Da part ya name cool an deadly."

'Ching Pow' was very different from the rest of the short films - that were shown on Monday night at Redbones. Among the films were the reggae juggler from Bull Bay in a Character series, a look at the cruise ship-based supposed development of Falmouth, Dinner Jacket and Coast and Missed, both from the New Caribbean Cinema group

Press Fyah - Colin Hamilton

The rainy weather over the weekend put a damper on some party events resulting in promoters postponing parties until sunnier times.

With heavy rainfall throughout Kingston over the weekend, party promoters were watching the weather. While events such as In-Toxx City, Solstice and Good Times enjoyed clear skies, other promoters were forced to postpone their events. Despite the postponements, the promoters have been optimistic and quick to reschedule their parties.

Magnum quickly postponed their events which was explained in an email sent to THE STAR. As part of Magnum's Under the Cap promotions dubbed 'Money Long Magnum Strong', the brand planned to host six energy parties and three club parties. The first of the energy series was to be held at Ken's Wildflower in Portmore last Saturday night with live appearances from the Magnum King and Queen winners Press Fyah and Bumpa, as well as other finalists. The first in the club series was to held at the Jungle nightclub in Negril. Both events were postponed.

According to Magnum's Kaysia Johnson, the club party for Negril has been rescheduled for Friday July 2nd at the Jungle. She explained that the rest of the upcoming dates for the other parties have remained the same.

severe weather conditions

In Mandeville, Kirov Russian Roulette, the flashback 90s party, was postponed until this Saturday and will take place at 6 North Race Course Road. Rum Punch, which was to be held on Sunday in Temple Hall, also faced weather problems. Rum Punch promoter Greg Henry told THE STAR, "due to the severe weather conditions, it had to be postponed. We watched the weather till the last minute 'cause we wanted patrons to come out and enjoy themselves, but were forced to postpone it an hour before it was suppose to start."

Rum Punch will now take place this Sunday at the same venue and according to Henry with the "same everything," adding, "despite everything, I think it'll be even bigger and better. The tickets persons bought for last Sunday are still valid for this Sunday."

Popular event Barcode which was to be held at the Hope Gardens last Saturday has been rescheduled, due to the weather, for the same venue this Saturday. Efforts to reach the promoter were unsuccessful as calls to his phone went unanswered.

Bumpa

Stephen Myers, the man who was allegedly found in possession of 90 fraudulent passports by police, reappeared in court yesterday.

Myers was charged with unlawful possession of property.

Myers was represented by his attorney Charles Williams who told the court that as far as he knows, the police were trying to scapegoat his client as he was being wrongfully accused.

Williams informed Resident Magistrate Lorna Shelly-Williams that the passports were not found on his client, nor in his vehicle nor on his premises. However, the police informed the court that the passports were found on Myers' premises.

Myers was taken into police custody on June 8, when a police team acted on intelligence went to premises at 64 Johns Lane, downtown Kingston, where they conducted a search.

It is alleged that 74 Jamaican passports, five British passports, two US passports, two Chinese passports and a number of others, were discovered at the premises. Items believed to be used in the creation of US visas and other passport-related activities were also seized.

Myers was suspected to be the mastermind behind the operation and was taken into custody. It was reported that when questioned, the accused said he assists persons to renew their passports, even though he is not a licensed agent.

The police also reported that when contact was made with the owners of the seized passports, they said their documents had been stolen.

Myers will return to court on July 25.

A curfew was imposed in sections of the Clarendon division as of 2 p.m. yesterday and is to remain in effect until 2 p.m. Wednesday.

The boundaries of the curfew are north along a dirt track on the bank of the Rio Minho in the vicinity of the Salvation Army Church to the top section of Overline Farm district using an imaginary line, south along Oliver Drive from the car wash to a dirt track in Long Gully, east along Sevens Road from the telephone booth to the intersection of Sevens Estate Road in the vicinity of John Crow Lane. Finally, the curfew will run along a dirt track from Long Gully using an imaginary line to the top section of Buzz Rock.

permission

During the hours of the curfew, persons within its boundaries are required to remain within their premises unless otherwise authorised in writing by a member of the security forces who is in charge of enforcing the curfew.

A 14-year-old boy is to appear in the Montego Bay Family Court on Thursday after he was reportedly held with a home-made firearm in Rose Heights, St James on Sunday.

Police told THE STAR that the teen has been charged with illegal possession of firearm and ammunition. Information reaching THE STAR is that about 7 a.m., a team of police was on an operation in the area. The lawmen went to a premises in Rose Heights where the youth was seen.

Police said he was accosted and searched and a home-made firearm with one .45 cartridge was found in his possession and taken from him. He was was charged by the Mount Salem police, who are investigating.

A father who left his three-year-old son Marques Thomas unattended while he went crab hunting ended up in police custody after the child perished in a fire which destroyed the house at Barrett Town, St James, yesterday morning.

crab hunting

It is reported that about 10:48 p.m. on Sunday, Marques' father allegedly locked him in the house and went to catch crabs. About 1:45 a.m. neighbours saw fire coming from the house and summoned the fire department and the police.

Members of the Ironshore Fire Department were only able to carry out cooling-down operations as the house was completely gutted by fire. The charred remains of Marques were later found in the rubble. The father has since been taken into custody.

The Barrett Town Police is investigating.

The police believe bearers on motorcycles are at the centre of a number of recent incidents in which people were robbed shortly after leaving banks.

While speaking with head of the Kingston-based Flying Squad last week Superintendent Cornwall 'Bigga' Ford made the revelation and maintained that some of the bikers were close associates of the thieves.

"... Dem link wid di criminal dem and mek dem a rob people when dem a come out a di bank," he said.

His comments came after being asked if he was aware of bearers and their motorcycles being targeted.

Checks with sources from the Area Four police also found similar claims and at least three recent incidents where bearers are believed to have facilitated the robbing of bank customers by working alongside thieves in locating the targets.

Set up

"From the checks I have made within the division there are a number of incidents in which it is theorised that the robberies were somewhat set up by bearers ... They give the description of the targets to the thieves who simply just wait on the right time to carry out the robbery," one source said.

In one of the most recent incidents, the alleged robber was caught and later admitted to investigators that he was aided in his robbery effort by a bearer who is now being sought by the police.

The incident reportedly occurred on June 15, in Cross Roads, St Andrew, sometime around midday.

The victim, a female ,was relieved of $15,000 which she had just withdrawn from a bank.

Efforts to get an update on that incident were unsuccessful as the investigating officer could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The Area Four police said, however, that there were other such cases and promised to provide updates as soon as all the necessary information is summarised.

According to my boy, comedian Alex Thomas, rapper T.I. has joined the Louis Stewart movement! T.I. took delivery of a Money Green backpack and duffle bag set with gold handles while in L.A. for the BET Awards. The custom set is fit for a King!

You can custom order your Louis Stewart soft sided luggage at LouisStewartCollections.com.

 

A scam in which cameras are installed inside ATM booths and people's personal information are recorded and their money later withdrawn, has been uncovered by the police.

Two Kingston women, Annie Garrick-Hibbert, 46, and Sophia Johnson-Broomfield, have been held in connection with the scam. They have been charged with conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to deceive, possession of house break-in implement and malicious destruction of property.

The women appeared in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty. They will return to court on October 28.

Clerk of courts Natalya Heywood revealed that on Tuesday, February 16, 2010, both were held at the Jampet service station along Brunswick Avenue in Spanish Town.

suspicious activities

The court heard that police were informed about the women's suspicious activities and accosted them at the service station. They were reportedly held in a parked car with a receiver that was connected to a camera, which was reportedly installed in the light shade of the ATM booth. Another camera was also reportedly found where the card is swiped to enter the ATM.

A screwdriver, which it is believed was used to install on the devices, was also found.

Police investigations have so far discovered that the cameras were used to gather the personal details and then a card would be manufactured with the details and used to retrieve money from the ATM.

Garrick-Hibbert, who pleaded guilty to the additional charge of forgery after she was found with a driver's license bearing her photograph in the name Verna Muhlal, will be sentenced September 14.

Explore Jamaica With The Caribbean's First GPS Navigation System


Published Dec 9, 2009

Mr Lexx - file

Dancehall artiste Mr Lexx, already facing the possibility of a secondary career as a model, is spreading his wings even further as he appears in small roles in two movies due out this summer.

The entertainer, born Christopher Palmer and who grew up in east Kingston, tells THE STAR that he will be seen in films called Wha Do Dem and Out The Gate.

Wha Do Dem is a movie about "this dude who comes to Jamaica on a cruise but somehow lost his documents, so he starts a journey from Ocho Rios to the US Embassy in Kingston. On his way he meets different people and I am one of them," Mr. Lexx says. "My role is he comes to me asking directions and I give him a lift, so I get a decent five minutes."

The film is written and directed by Ben Chace and stars Sean Bones as the lead character, Max. Max lives in Brooklyn. He enjoys playing soccer, skateboarding, and drinking with his friends at local bars. He and his girlfriend, Willow, played by singer Norah Jones, win a free cruise to Jamaica but two days before the trip she dumps him cold. Max winds up alone on the high seas, navigating the crowds of gray-haired cruisers.

The film also features Carl Bradshaw who plays the role of a mystic man.

Out The Gate stars Paul Campbell, who many will remember as the lead character in The Lunatic and Third World Cop. In this action-packed movie which is about the rise of a young entertainer played by Everton 'E Dee' Dennis, a Jamaican entertainer based in California, Campbell plays a 'very bad man'.

Oliver Samuels plays a lead role in the movie that also features up and coming talent Shelli Boone. Mr. Lexx plays, what he describes as a 'fun role'. "I play a mad friend of one of the lead characters," he said.

The two roles may have piqued Mr Lexx's interest in acting who says he is not averse to considering future roles in film.

"It's been something I play around with in my mind," he said of the possibility of future ventures into acting. "Should an opportunity present itself I will definitely pursue it, but for now my main focus is on music."

Two men who were seen extorting money from vendors on Princess Street, downtown Kingston on Saturday were arrested. A bag with a quantity of cash and a book with names of vendors were seized by the lawmen.

Police said about 11 a.m., the men, whose identities are being withheld pending further investigations, were picked up by police officers assigned to the Tivoli Gardens police post. The men were seen by the lawmen demanding money from vendors and cross referencing their names in a book.

Detectives from the Organised Crime Investigation Division, who are investigating, will be charging the men with the offence of demanding money by menace.

A 52-year-old man was electrocuted after he got entangled with the high tension wires of the Jamaica Public Service at his home at Belmont district, Westmoreland, on Saturday.

He has been identified as Carlington Parkinson.

Police told THE STAR that about 3 p.m. Parkinson had climbed a breadfruit tree and was in the process of picking the fruit when he got entangled with the wires.

Police said he sustained major burns and was taken to the Sav-la-Mar Hospital where he died.

The Bluefields police are investigating.

The Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA), has taken away one of two dogs that attacked and severely bit a four-year-old girl on Friday.

Personnel from the society along with the Old Harbour police went to Bowers Drive, Old Harbour, St Catherine, on Saturday and removed the animal for safe keeping. This is a day after two vicious dogs attacked the child and her grandmother. It is understood that one of the dogs was killed by residents.

The Star was informed that the animal will be kept until the (JSPCA) conducts a thorough investigation to see if the owners have a licence to keep the dog. "If the owner/s did not possess a licence to have the animal then they will face sanctions," a policeman said.

Meanwhile, the four-year-old girl remains hospitalised in very serious condition from the injuries she suffered .

The Old Harbour police told THE STAR that about 2:30 p.m., the child was at a home where she would normally stay after school. While there, she was attacked by the dogs and bitten all over her head. Her grandmother went to her assistance and was also attacked and bitten on her leg.

They were rescued by a man who chopped one of the animals to death.

Both persons were taken to hospital, where the child was admitted in critical condition.

A curfew has been imposed in sections Portmore as of 10:00 am today.

The curfew will remain in place until 10:00 am tomorrow.

The boundaries of the curfew are as follows:

North: Along Newlands Main Road between the tyre shop and Ebanks Close.

South: Along the gully bank between Beverly Flat Road and Ebanks Close using an imaginary line.

East: Along Beverly Flat Road between the gully bank and the bridge in the vicinity of the tyre shop along Newlands Road.

West: Along Ebanks Close using an imaginary line to the gully bank between Portmore Pines Housing Scheme and the Newlands community.

During the hours of the curfew all persons within its boundaries are required to remain within their premises unless otherwise authorised in writing by the member of the security forces who is in charge of enforcing the curfew.

CHANDLER, Ariz. An 18-year-old high school student caught with his 48-year-old math teacher in her bedroom was stabbed to death by her boyfriend, who was himself a former student of hers, police said Tuesday.

Chandler police said 20-year-old Sixto Balbuena told them he never meant to kill Samuel Valdivia. He allegedly told police "the blade went in like going into butter" and that he just wanted to show Valdivia how much he hurt him by sleeping with Tamara Hofmann.

Balbuena, a Navy sailor on leave from California, was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder after police found him covered in *lo** and told them about the killing. He remained jailed in lieu of $100,000 bond on Tuesday and did not yet have a lawyer.

Balbuena found his girlfriend naked and Valdivia in his boxer shorts in the woman's bedroom around 2:40 a.m. Friday, according to police reports and court documents.

Read

-- Edited by MZJ on Wednesday 15th of April 2009 11:24:19 PM

him look mad

'Dudus' arrives in NY to face charges

-- Edited by DUGGYFRESH on Thursday 24th of June 2010 08:42:37 PM

NEW YORK (AP) Jamaican gang leader Christopher "Dudus" Coke pleaded not guilty Friday to U.S. charges that he ran a massive drug ring in the Eastern U.S. from his Caribbean stronghold.

The 42-year-old boss of the Shower Posse gang was sent to New York on Thursday under tight security after waiving extradition. His case had sparked street violence in Kingston that left more than 70 dead.

He entered the plea at an appearance in Manhattan federal court and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison in the United States if convicted.

In court papers, New York prosecutors said Coke conspired to distribute cocaine and marijuana throughout the eastern United States for more than 15 years. Drug dealers in the U.S. regularly sent "cash and goods, including clothing and electronics, to Coke as 'tribute' payments, in recognition of his leadership and assistance," the papers said. The tribute payments also included firearms, the papers add

Coke was captured in Jamaica on Tuesday, but not without a fight: After Jamaica's prime minister announced he would agree to a U.S. request that the leader of the notorious Shower Posse gang be extradited, his armed supporters and government security forces clashed in the streets of the Tivoli Garden slums for four days, leaving 76 people dead.

On Wednesday, Coke agreed to waive extradition. He said he was saddened by the deaths and hoped his departure would help his country heal.

"I take this decision for I now believe it to be in the best interest of my family, the community of western Kingston and in particular the people of Tivoli Gardens and above all Jamaica," Coke said in a statement released to the news media, his first public comments since the extradition request in August.

The U.S. indictment alleges that, since 1994, members of Coke's gang in Jamaica and their U.S. counterparts "have sold narcotics, including marijuana and crack cocaine, at Coke's direction." It says that cooperators have recorded phone conversations with Coke about shipments of drugs and handguns.

At his extradition hearing at a military outpost in Kingston, the Caribbean nation's capital, Coke expressed confidence that he will be found innocent and allowed to return to his family in Jamaica.

FORMER Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher Dudus Coke, who is now before the courts in the United States on drug and gun-running charges, wanted to end the violent history that has stained him and his family, according to the Rev Al Miller.

Miller, who heads Fellowship Tabernacle, was one of the last persons to have contact with Coke before he was captured by police, whisked through the Jamaican courts and flown to the United States.

 

Miller said an utterance by the reputed don encouraged him that fateful Tuesday when he attempted to escort Coke to the US Embassy but was stopped by the police.

According to Miller, who was last Thursday charged by the authorities with harbouring a fugitive and perverting the course of justice, Cokes decision to surrender signalled the former fugitives desire to help bring this to an end".

[He said] since it started with me (my family) let it end with me, Miller told his congregation at the church on Washington Boulevard in St Andrew yesterday morning.

Coke, who the US Department of State branded one of the worlds most dangerous narco criminals, is the latest member of the Coke family to have made headlines for the wrong reasons. The US Drug Enforcement Agency said Coke inherited the reins of the notorious Shower Posse and has accused him of trafficking in cocaine, marijuana and arms.

Coke, also known as The President and Shortman, lost his father, two brothers and a sister violently and now faces life imprisonment in a US penal facility.

His father, Lester Lloyd Jim Brown Coke, a leading member of the Shower Posse, died in a mysterious fire in his jail cell while awaiting extradition on federal charges. His brother, Mark Jah T Coke, was shot off his motorbike near the intersection of Maxfield Avenue and Spanish Town Road and another brother, Chris Royal or Royal Blend was killed by police.

His sister Mumpi was killed during a gunfight.

Its this legacy that Miller said Dudus wants to end.

The charismatic clergyman also told his congregation that some of the reports that have been making the rounds concerning Cokes capture were untrue.

Some of what you have heard is certainly not accurate. Yours truly was not in a convoy with gunmen behind and before, it never happened, Miller said in response to police reports that the vehicle he travelled in was sandwiched between two car loads of armed thugs.

The police said they had assessed the situation and allowed the thugs to escape in order to nab Coke.

In addition, Miller said there is absolutely no truth to the statement that I was trying to run away from the police; again no truth.

Miller also confessed that even though he went for Coke he was fraid like p**s.

I simply got a call to deal with an issue...it was an opportunity that is a response to prayer, the pastor said.

According to Miller, a fellow Christian had come some two weeks before with a dream which she said showed that he, Miller, would be instrumental in Cokes surrender.

He said the dream prepared him so that when the call came he would know God was in it.

I went, picked him up and was taking him to the authorities. Nothing more, nothing less. I wasnt trying to big up myself, Miller continued.

The Reverend, however, promised church members that a pastoral sit down would be arranged at some time in the future so you can be clear in your minds".

2010 FIFA World Cup: Schedule

Round of 16: Netherlands vs. Slovakia - 28 Jun 10:00am (ET) on ESPN Brazil vs. Chile - 28 Jun 2:30pm (ET) on ESPN Paraguay vs. Japan - 29 Jun 10:00am (ET) on ESPN Spain vs. Portugal - 29 Jun 2:30pm (ET) on ESPN Quarter-finals: TBD vs. TBD - 2 Jul 10:00am (ET) on ESPN Uruguay vs. Ghana - 2 Jul 2:30pm (ET) on ESPN TBD vs. Germany - 3 Jul 10:00am (ET) on ABC TBD vs. TBD - 3 Jul 2:30pm (ET) on ABC

Accused drug kingpin Christopher 'Dudus' Coke is kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day in a maximum-security prison in New York.

The Sunday Gleaner has learnt that Dudus, who last Friday appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to charges that he operated a massive drug and gunrunning enterprise, is confined to a very small area in the prison.

Solitary confinement is a punishment or special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is denied contact with any other persons, excluding members of the prison staff. It is considered by some as a form of psychological torture.

Coke has been under tight security since Tuesday of last week when he was apprehended on the Mandela Highway, near the border of St Andrew and St Catherine.

But the security measures around Coke tightened even more when he was placed in the hands of the Americans last Thursday.

An hour of exercise

According to word out of New York, Dudus is kept alone in his cell for 23 hours each day, only taken out for an hour of exercise.

"No one from outside the prison system is allowed to speak to him at this time," disclosed an attorney who is watching the developments closely.

The court had appointed attorney-at-law Russel Newfeld from the Public Defender's Office to represent Coke when he appeared in court last Friday, but noted American defence lawyer Frank Doddato later told reporters that he expected to represent Coke and would vigorously fight the charges.

"There's not going to be any leeway for compromise here," Doddato told journalists, as he claimed he would be the man beside Coke when he appears for a bond hearing tomorrow.

But since then, three other lawyers in New York have indicated that they could also be representing the Coke who the American law-enforcement agencies describe as one of the world's most dangerous drug dealers.

However, before the matter of legal representation is settled, Coke will be required to prove that the money to be used to pay his lawyer was not derived from any illegal activity.

"Before they can represent him, they will have to prove that the money that is going to be used to pay them is money which is not dirty. That will be very difficult to prove," a noted attorney told The Sunday Gleaner.

Coke was before the United States courts less than 24 hours after he was flown to that country.

This was the clearest indication that the US authorities had become impatient with the almost 10-month wait for his arrival to answer drug and gun-trafficking charges.

US officials had started to grumble when the Bruce Golding administration resisted its attempts to have the alleged Shower Posse boss extradited.

There had been rumblings during the past month over deals being hammered out for Coke to hand himself over to the US authorities here while he was on the run. The latest of these came with his capture on Wednesday last week along the Mandela Highway, where the Reverend Al Miller indicated that Coke had asked him to transport him to the US Embassy in Liguanea.

US marshals were already in the island Thursday morning when Dudus appeared in the local courts and waived his right to an extradition hearing.

Hours later, he was off to New York where by Friday, he was before the courts for a formal reading of the charges and the entering of a plea.

Coke, wearing a blue inmate smock and speaking softly, entered the plea during a brief appearance in a Manhattan federal court.

Asked by US District Judge Robert Patterson whether he understood the charges, the short and stocky defendant replied, "Yes, sir."

In court papers, New York prosecutors said Coke had conspired to distribute cocaine and marijuana throughout the eastern United States since 1994.

The indictment alleges that members of Coke's gang in Jamaica and their US counterparts "sold narcotics, including marijuana and crack cocaine, at Coke's direction".

Phone conversations

It says co-conspirators had recorded phone conversations with Coke about shipments of drugs and handguns.

Gang members would buy "firearms in the United States and ship those firearms to Jamaica", the indictment says.

It alleges that Coke would distribute the guns and cash as a way "to support and increase his authority and power in Kingston, Jamaica, and elsewhere" .

The papers also claim that drug dealers in the US regularly sent cash and goods, including clothing, firearms and electronics, to Coke as "tribute" payments, in recognition of his leadership and assistance.

Seeking bragging rights????

Published: Saturday 
June 26, 2010 1 Comment and 0 Reactions The Editor, Sir: 
Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington has suggested to the nation that "police intelligence" was used to capture Christopher Coke. 

The writer of a letter to the editor asked: "Is it possible that the commissioner of police is trying to 'pretty up' his CV [curriculum vitae] with all this boring talk about intelligence leading to Mr Coke's being caught?" 
In addition, I would ask: Is it possible that the commissioner knows that the reaction of the lawmen at the checkpoint was one of surprised inquiry, "A nuh you name Mr Coke?", then to Al Miller, "Whoa, you a di big man?" suggesting lack of intelligence gathering by the forces who are now seeking to take credit for orchestrating Coke's capture? If "intelligence" resulted in Coke's travels being monitored from St Ann, why then was it that the smart police were scheduled to intercept Coke on the speedy Mandela Highway, long after he would have left St Ann? Why Mandela, sir? 

Come clean 
The commissioner should stop the posturing and come clean to the nation with what he knows. If it is that the cops did not relate properly to the circumstances, then Mr Ellington should not suggest that intelligence was behind the capture when he does not know. We are not a bunch of idiots and in all honesty, we know the negotiating in-competence and brutality of the police force, which is why they were incapable of hastening Coke's extradition prior to the intervention of Al Miller. 
The only credit which should be given to the police is for not succumbing to the dollars of some individuals who may have wanted Coke silenced, and this is no badge of honour at all. Perhaps the commissioner should be guided by knowledge that the truth has a way of coming out, and when it is revealed that mere coincidence resulted in Coke's encounter with local lawmen, Owen Ellington, the man entrusted with rebranding a police force notorious for dishonesty and corruption, should resign. 
I am, etc., 

IAN VIRGO 
*Original Article click yasso

PREZZI LOOK WELL SORT OUT DEH EEEEE

NEW YORK, USA (AP) Reputed Jamaican gang leader Christopher 'Dudus' Coke yesterday pleaded not guilty to charges that he ran a massive drug ring in the eastern United States from his Caribbean stronghold, when he appeared in a Federal Court here.

Coke, 42, said to be the boss of the notorious Shower Posse gang, was sent to New York on Thursday under tight security after waiving his right to an extradition hearing.

NEW YORK, USA An unidentified woman claiming to be the aunt of reputed Jamaican gang leader Christopher Dudus Coke, hides her head as she speaks to reporters outside the US Federal Court in New York yesterday. He is a good person, said the woman about Coke, who earlier pleaded not guilty that he ran a massive drug ring in the Eastern US from his Caribbean stronghold. (Photo: AP)

Coke, wearing a blue inmate smock and speaking softly, entered the plea during a brief appearance in the Manhattan Federal Court. Asked by US District Judge Robert Patterson whether he understood the charges, the short and stocky defendant replied, "Yes, sir".

A defence attorney temporarily assigned at the arraignment told the judge Coke planned to hire another lawyer. Attorney Frank Doddato said after the hearing that he expected to represent Coke and would vigorously fight the charges.

"There's not going to be any leeway for compromise here," he said. A hearing was set for Monday to take up the matter of who would represent Coke.

Yusill Scribner, a spokeswoman for the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, told the Observer that Judge Robert P Patterson who will be hearing the case, is expected to set a schedule on how the case will proceed, when the proceedings resume Monday.

She said this will include a discovery process, the submission of legal motions, and a possible trial date.

But there were indications that the trial of Coke could be a long one.

Prosecutors told yesterday's arraignment that they would begin to turn over discovery materials to the defence on Monday, but that the process will likely take up to months because of the volume and nature of the material, some of which have to be obtained internationally.

In court papers, New York prosecutors said Coke conspired to distribute cocaine and marijuana throughout the eastern United States since 1994.

The indictment alleged that members of Coke's gang in Jamaica and their US counterparts "sold narcotics, including marijuana and crack cocaine, at Coke's direction". It said cooperators recorded phone conversations with Coke about shipments of drugs and handguns.

Gang members would buy firearms in the United States and ship them to Jamaica, the indictment says. "There, Coke would distribute the guns and cash as a way to support and increase his authority and power in Kingston, Jamaica and elsewhere," it added.

"Drug dealers in the US regularly sent cash and goods, including clothing and electronics, to Coke as 'tribute' payments, in recognition of his leadership and assistance," the papers said. The tribute payments also included firearms, the papers added.

Coke was captured in Jamaica on Tuesday, but not without a fight. After Jamaica's prime minister announced he would agree to a US request that the reputed gang leader be extradited, his armed supporters and government security forces clashed in the streets of Tivoli Gardens, leaving more than 70 people dead.

The nine-month stand-off became a political liability for Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who represents the Tivoli Gardens division in Parliament and whose governing party has long-standing ties to that community. He narrowly survived a no-confidence vote this month over his handling of the case.

On Wednesday, Coke agreed to waive his right to an extradition hearing. He said he was saddened by the deaths and hoped his departure would help his country heal.

"I take this decision for I now believe it to be in the best interest of my family, the community of western Kingston and in particular the people of Tivoli Gardens and above all Jamaica," Coke said in a statement released to the news media, his first public comments since the extradition request in August.

At his extradition hearing in Kingston, the Caribbean nation's capital, Coke expressed confidence that he would be found innocent and allowed to return to his family in Jamaica.

Coke faces life behind bars if convicted, but it is widely felt in legal and other circles here, that he will likely enter into a plea bargain which could see a reduction in his sentence.

Additional reporting by Observer correspondent Harold Bailey.

-- Edited by jubalson on Saturday 26th of June 2010 08:00:17 AM

I was routing for USA... obviously Lol



The match went into 30 minutes of extra time Saturday with the score tied 1-1. Asamoah Gyan scored winning goal on a streaking shot that sailed over the head of American goalkeeper Tim Howard.

In regulation, Kevin-Prince Boateng put the Black Stars ahead in the fifth minute. The U.S. did not equalize until Landon Donovan scored in minute 62.

Earlier Saturday, Uruguay edged South Korea 2-1 to be the first team of the 2010 World Cup to make the quarterfinals. La Celeste will take on Ghana's Black Stars next Friday in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium for a spot in the semifinals.

The World Cup ends July 11 in Johannesburg.



-- Edited by NoKTurnaL on Saturday 26th of June 2010 04:51:48 PM

The Police High Command is advising members of the public that despite the limited state of emergency imposed on the parishes of Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine, they are being encouraged to go about their normal business.

In a release, the police stated that wherever and whenever the police see it fit to restrict the movements of citizens in any particular area within the boundaries of the state of emergency, the public will be informed prior to this imposition or as soon as practicable thereafter.

Citizens who have made plans for outdoor events are being advised to contact their local police commander to ascertain whether or not these events will be allowed to go ahead.

Licensed firearm holders are allowed to carry their firearms within the areas of the state of emergency, but must travel with their appropriate firearm licence and another form of photo identification and should be prepared to declare them if required to do so by the police.