As many of you know, this past summer I had the great pleasure of exploring the opportunity to serve my homeland as a presidential candidate. Even though I was declared ineligible to run, my hopes for the recovery and healing of my troubled homeland still shine bright. But at this moment, as I wait for my flight to Johannesburg, my fears for the people of Haiti are winning out over my optimism. I am deeply saddened to read all the troubles that this election, with its irregularities and probable fraud, is bringing down on my brothers and sisters in Haiti, especially considering all the hardships so many there have already faced -- still living in tents since the earthquake almost one year ago, and too many dead from the outbreak of cholera in the past weeks.

Many who care about Haiti and follow the situation there are afraid the events around this election are setting the country on a path that will ultimately lead to civil war -- the worst possible outcome. With all they have endured, the Haitian people have been pushed to the brink by this election, and we need the world to keep watch on the proceedings now with a wary eye. We don't want the situation to devolve even further there, but there's every chance it will. No one received more than 50 percent of the votes; that's a fact no one's disputing. So, in this case, the top two vote-getters will be entered in a run-off election. The "official" results found that former first lady Mirlande Manigat received the greatest number of votes (which is being largely accepted), and -- now here's where it gets tricky -- that President Rene Préval's favored successor, Jude Célestin, was second.

The U.S. Embassy has expressed doubts about the published results. The National Election Observation Council believes that Michel Martelly earned more votes than Célestin. In response to these contested results, hundreds -- possibly thousands -- of citizens have taken to the streets, first Martelly supporters and then those who claim to be Célestin backers. So far, five have died, and the headquarters of the INITE party have been set on fire. As with most every election that has taken place in Haiti in my lifetime, this one has been plagued with doubt and rumors. Haiti is a country where rumors prevail -- but sometimes rumor proves to be fact. As human beings, we should call for peace. The question is, how are we going to get peace in Haiti, considering the circumstances? And the people's anger is understandable -- after all they've endured, voting is the one thing they can't afford to lose.

On Election Day, I voted myself -- after great difficulty. And I know other Haitian citizens who weren't able to vote because they couldn't find their name on the lists of registered voters -- even though these people were registered residents of the country. The people need to be able to trust their government, but the Haitian government has proven time and again that it hasn't earned that trust. We need to show the world that Haiti is ready to stand up for itself and that the ruling bodies are working in the best interests of the populace. This is a crucial crossroads for Haiti, and I worry that the officials in place don't have the will of the people as their first priority.

What's it going to take to set Haiti on the right path? At the very least, a sit-down between all the parties and maybe an international observer might help calm the anger that has -- rightly - -flared up. Hopefully, the Haitian people will find a way to express their outrage about the machinations of its government without resorting to the violence that has already injured many and threatens to tear the nation apart. I pray for my country now, at yet another low point; I pray that God will deliver Haiti through this new disaster. I pray that everyone, on all fronts, will find the wisdom to choose peace and will understand that the phrase "L'union fait la force" ("there is strength in unity") aren't just empty words, but are truly words to live by.

By all accounts Michael Vick has been a model citizen since being released from federal prison in May 2009 after serving 19 months for dog fighting.

With his remarkable comeback on the football field happening before our eyes, Vick is still trying to make things right off the field.

He helps mentor kids about the harm dog fighting causes. He also spends a lot of his free time working with The Human Society.

As part of his rehabilitation process Vick says he would like to own a dog again.

I would love to get another dog again in the future. I think it would be a big step in the rehabilitation process for me, Vick told TheGrio.com. I think just to have a pet in my household and to show people that I genuinely care, and my love, and my passion for animals.

Prior to being convicted of dog fighting Vick was one of the nations most popular athletes. His # 7 jerseys were big sellers, he had big endorsement deals with Nike and Upper Deck, and a $100 million dollar contract with the Atlanta Falcons. He lost all of that and more. Vick became one of the most hated people on the planet.

He still struggles to come up with answers for why he did it. He thinks it could be a cultural thing.

I hate to use our culture as an excuse, but it is what it is and thats what happened and thats the way I thought about it growing up. This is just the way I was brought up. Nobody ever told me that it wasn't right, he said.

Mike says hes learned from his mistakes and is a better person now. He credits God with helping him turn his life around and hopes people will give him a second chance.

Do you think Vick has reached a point where it would be ok for him to own a dog again?

Diamond-selling reggae recording star Shaggy will be the host and ambassador of the Vibe International Music Festival & The Lifestyle Conference, which is scheduled from May 25 30, 2011 in Montego Bay and will be chaired by hip-hop pioneer and mogul Russell Simmons. The event is being presented by the Peter Thomas Entertainment Group (PTEG), whose CEO is Peter Thomas a renowned entrepreneur and owner of the Uptown Restaurant and Lounge in Atlanta.

According to an advertisement in the December 2010/January 2011 issue of Vibe magazine, the Vibe International Music Festival & The Lifestyle Conference will be the ultimate exposition, conference, interactive and music festival on the planet.

A five-day multi-platform event in paradise, the Vibe International Music Festival & The Lifestyle Conference combines cutting edge information sessions, legendary networking and entertainment events featuring the worlds greatest music artists representing all aspects of urban culture and music on the beautiful island of Jamaica, the ad further read.

When asked how he became involved in the event, Shaggy told Pree Jamaica that he was approached by the organisers and immediately saw the importance of participating.They called me and explained the concept and right away it made sense. Jamaica need this and will definitely benefit from itits going to be great, said Shaggy. The logo for Solid Agency, booking agents for Shaggy, is featured on the ad as an event partner.

The festival/conference is expected to feature an interactive Mic Check Talent Competition and showcases for unsigned artists. The ad purports that the event will be the largest gathering of A&R representatives on the planet and will address issues such as digital downloads, fashion branded and mobile entertainment, television, film, broadband and guerilla marketing in the Internet-connected world.

Life is so hard and money all dried up that people going the extreme and risking their life just to make a buck, well probably not a buck but to live a comfortable and financially stable life. I will not judge this guy because I dont know him or his circumstance on why he took this risk. Its a sad ending for him

The Jamaica Media reports below

Bermuda, CMC Police have warned of the risks of drug smuggling after pellets containing drugs were found in the body of a 35-year-old Jamaican national.

Police believe the drug pellets inside the body of Hugh Melwood may have contributed to his death.

Melwoods body was found at a house on the central parish of Pembroke a week ago, after he returned from a recent visit abroad.

Several pellets which contained what are believed to be quantities of controlled drug were recovered from within the body. It is suspected that they may have contributed to his death. The deceased recently returned to Bermuda from an overseas trip, the police spokesman said.

The Bermuda Police Service wishes to take this opportunity to remind the public that the penalties for those convicted of drug offences are severe.

Additionally, the health risks associated with drug smuggling cannot be understated, the police spokesman added.

WABC-TV weatherwoman Heidi Jones lied to cops and Commish Ray Kelly alleging attempted rape by HISPANIC male; got 24hr protection while shopping, dining and even walking her dog (CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS SH.IT?)

WABC-TV weatherwoman Heidi Jones was given 'round-the-clock protection by NYPD detectives before fessing up to sending cops on a wild-goose chase for her phony Central Park attacker, a police source said.

Jones was even contacted by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who personally apologized to the meteorologist when she said two uniformed officers refused to take a police report after the bogus Sept. 24 assault, two other police sources said.

The complaint that prompted Kelly's mea culpa came Nov. 24 when Jones told police a few days earlier the Hispanic man who tried to rape her while she was jogging in the park came to her Manhattan apartment and threatened her.

"I don't know how she knows the commissioner," a source said. "But she was contacted by [Kelly] and was told Internal Affairs was investigating the Central Park Precinct."

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne denied the account and said Kelly never reached out to Jones.

But the source, who is close to the investigation, said the 37-year-old forecaster was even given a small squad of detectives from the special victims unit to provide security for her.

"The order came from the higherups," the source said. "We were providing 24-hours protection. It's rarely done."

Six detectives spent three weeks "taking her wherever she needed to go," the source said.

Some of the places included a flea market at Union Square, restaurants around the city, movie theaters and even walks with her dog on the West Side Highway, near where she lives, the source said.

The sometimes fill-in for "Good Morning America" also was driven to work by police.

"We don't do it on a typical victim," the source said. "We just don't provide that kind of assistance."

But as Jones enjoyed the perks of being chauffeured around town by the city's Finest, she continued to flake out of meetings about her case with Internal Affairs detectives and prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney's office.

Detectives grew even more suspicious of Jones' vague story when they listened to conversations she had with her sister during the rides.

"Her story was inconsistent," the source said, adding that dozens of man-hours were also lost poring over surveillance footage from the park in search of a man that fit the description she gave of her attacker.

"All the videos were coming back with no results," the source said.

That's when she was pulled back in for more questioning and finally cracked, telling the detectives that she had been leading them on a chase for a man who didn't exist, the source said.

Jones, who has been with WABC since 2005, was suspended indefinitely. The station said it planned an internal investigation of the arrest.

She is due in court on Jan. 5 and faces up to a year in prison if convicted of filing a false report.

LOS ANGELES -- The LAPD released images of 180 women taken by the  alleged " Grim Sleeper" on Thursday in the hope that family or friends  will recognize them and contact authorities. In July, when Los Angeles police arrested Lonnie Franklin Jr., the man  accused of being the notorious "Grim Sleeper" serial killer, they  searched his South L.A. home for incriminating evidence and found nearly  1,000 still photographs and hours of video showing women, almost all of  them partly or completely nude and striking sexually graphic poses.

Detectives have spent months trying to identify the women to determine  whether they are alive and to learn how they came to be photographed by a  man charged with sexually assaulting and killing 10 women during a  crime spree that spanned two decades.   The attempt has proved fruitless  prompting the LAPD to release the images of 180 women in the hope that  family or friends will identify them and contact investigators.

Back in August, 57-year-old Franklin pleaded not guilty to murder charges in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom. Franklin was dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit and had his hands  shackled to his waist. The pleas were entered on his behalf by his  attorney. Franklin only spoke to answer procedural questions. About 30 family members and friends of some of the victims of the "Grim  Sleeper" attended the emotional hearing. Some were seen crying as they  left the courtroom.The retired auto mechanic was arrested at his South Los Angeles home  July 7 after DNA evidence linked him to the 10 murders.  Investigators  said they were trying to tie him to dozens more. Franklin is being held without bail. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether they'll seek the death penalty. Superior Court Judge Hilleri G. Merrit has said the trial process could last three years. Full Article Crazy,Shocking+Informative News--Luke's Corner

Making hit records pays large sums of money as you can see in these pics.

Super producer Pharrell Williams opened hisMiami penthouse up for photographer Todd Selby.

The pics reveal Skateboard Ps love for The Family Guy. And his collection of artworks byKaws, Takashi Murakami and Keith Haring.

You too can live in a crib like this for a measly $14 million dollars.

Possibly one of the worlds deadliest virus besides cancer, that has haunted human beings and taken much lives; HIV is the deadly virus that leads to AIDS. And for years, doctors have been researching for cure to this frightening disease, and finally a cure has possibly been found. At least they claim to have.

Timothy Brown is an American living in Berlin, and was given stem-cell therapy and chemotherapy since 2007 to treat leukemia, a condition that developed after he was infected with the AIDS virus. Three years later, doctors believe the 42-year-old has been cured of both cancer and HIV.

Our results strongly suggest that cure of HIV has been achieved in this patient, wrote study author Kristina Allers in this months issue of the medical journal *la*hd.

Brown was treated by his doctors with stem cells and bone marrow from a healthy individual with a genetic predisposition to resist HIV, though they didnt mentioned the source of the bone marrow.

The treatment was not without side effects though. Brown developed neurological problems that caused temporary blindness and memory problems as well as difficulty with coordination and speech. But I guess thats a small price to pay instead of dying in agony.

Usher brought an audience member to the stage for a personal performance of, Trading Places. The woman got a little too loose and accidentally hit Usher with a roundhouse kick to the face

Go to 5:23 mark

Gunman Takes Hostages At Florida School Board Meeting "I'm Gonna Die Today" Woman Bravely Tries To Disarm Him W/Her Purse Before He Opens Fire

Compelling video has been released of a hostage situation gone terribly wrong in Panama City, Florida.

56-year old Clay Duke interrupted a school board meeting yesterday, by first painting a large, red V" on the wall. He then pulled out a handgun, telling all the women they could leave, and the male board members to stay.

Everybody in this room, except the a**holes behind that counter, hit the road. The women can leave, you six men stay, he said.

Duke then started rambling about the school board firing his wife and how their benefits had run out. He declared that he was either going to die or be sent to prison for a long time.

School board member Ginger Littleton had left the room as instructed by the gunman. But in an incredible act of bravery, she returned and attempted to disarm Duke when he turned his back. She snuck up behind him and hit the arm holding the gun with her purse. 

It didnt work, Duke simply knocked her to the ground, calling her a stupid b*tch. 

Quite frankly, at that point in the back of my mind, I thought . You know, youre probably right, Littleton said later.

Littleton later told the Panama City News Herald she felt compelled to do something.

To me it was either go for it now or live with the consequences, and I couldnt live with the consequences, she said. He pointed the gun directly at my head and he didnt choose to do that to me. Im sure when I wake up tomorrow Ill be a sadder, but wiser person.

Duke spent several minutes talking to Superintendent Bill Husfelt, who swore that he didnt remember his wife.

Husfelt asked that the other board members be let go, since he was the one who probably made the decision to fire his wife. Duke then raised his gun as Husfelt pleaded for his life, and started firing wildly.

By some miracle, he didnt hit anyone.

A security guard wounded Duke, who then took his own life.

Would you have done the same thing in similar situation?

German man incensed that his 17-year-old daughter was dating a 57-year-old man allegedly castrated the boyfriend with a bread knife.

According to the Telegraph, Helmut Seifert, a German man originally from Russia, decided to engage in the vigilante castration after police in the German town of Bielefeld told him they could not stop the couple from meeting.

CBS reports that the man told police, "You said you couldn't stop him - so I did. I saw it as my duty as a father."

Seifert is a factory worker in the town, and recruited two accomplices to help him with the act. He has pled guilty to the charges, but refuses to name his helpers. He will be charged with attempted murder next year.

The victim, Phillip Genscher, is expected to survive. The Telegraph reports that German police said:

The man was forced to remove his trousers and, fully conscious, he was castrated. The severed testicles were taken away by the perpetrator.

Seemingly undeterred by the controversy surrounding his absence from the line-up for this years Sting show, leading dancehall singjay, Mavado, arrived in London today, and is set to headline the three-show WINTERFEST series with fellow International dancehall star, Gyptian. After England, Mavado reportedly has a show in Gambia, followed by one in Guyana on Christmas Day. Well provide more details on these events soon.Leading International dancehall singjays, Mavado and Gyptian, will headline WINTERFEST, a three-day three-location live show thats set to happen December 17 to 19 in the UK. The WINTERFEST dates and locations are as follows:

Friday, December 17
City Venue, Bradford
Doors open at 10 p.m., showtime at 2 a.m.

Saturday, December 18
Malcolm X, Bristol
Doors open at 10 p.m., showtime at 2 a.m.

Sunday, December 19
O2 Academy, Brixton
Doors open at 7 p.m., showtime at 12 midnight

Major Toni Tones, a spokeswoman at Air Force Space Command in Colorado, said the command had blocked employees whose computers are connected to the Air Force network from accessing at least 25 websites that have posted WikiLeaks documents.

The Air Force "routinely blocks Air Force network access to websites hosting inappropriate materials or malware (malicious software) and this includes any website that hosts classified materials and those that are released by WikiLeaks," she said.

The Air Force move comes as the U.S. government seeks to minimize the damage from WikiLeaks' release of 250,000 State Department cables through media outlets and on its own website.

The cables released last month, which reveal blunt, sometimes derisive depictions of foreign governments and leaders, have been an embar****ment for Washington.

Past releases this year by WikiLeaks contained sensitive information about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which Washington said compromised national security and put people at risk.

The Pentagon had already prohibited its employees from viewing WikiLeaks documents online, no matter how widely they are published, but it has not blocked access to websites that post leaked cables.

Pentagon officials have instructed employees they "shouldn't access the WikiLeaks site because the information there is still considered classified," said Colonel David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman.

(l-r) Kartel and Beenie

Controversial deejay Beenie Man raised eyebrows when he aired his grievances against fellow deejay Vybz Kartel on Nationwide 90 FM's 'Ragashanti Live!' yesterday. On the programme, the deejay discussed in length his correction of Kartel's Dancehall Hero with his song Father God HelpThem, both on the 'Dancehall EFX' rhythm. According to Beenie, while Kartel did not call his name in his song, he feels that lyrics in the song is directed at him. The deejay also commented on the ways in which he feels disrespected by various actions of Kartel. According to Beenie, while he has supported Kartel since 2002 as his deejay, Kartel has not been supportive of him. He told the host of the programme, Ragashanti, 'The King of Mix-up', that; "I have never heard Kartel endorse nutten bout Beenie Man, any Kartel fans can tell yuh dis." He added, "all di support mi support Vybz Kartel, he has never supported me. Di stage show mi have up a stadium mi pay Kartel $900,000. Dat him charge me and him nah come fi less than dat. And di night we short him $20,000 and him wouldn't leave the venue till him get the $20,000. Seriously no joke ting and a me sey Gaza Mi Sey, and dat is di biggest song all ova di world and me support Kartel all ova di world." Beenie outlined other ways in which he feels disrespected by Kartel explaining an incident that took place between Kartel and disc-jock ZJ Liquid in which a BlackBerry broadcast message was sent out throwing words at the disc-jock and Beenie over their use of the words 'oh' and 'awoh' - phrases that were made popular by Kartel. He added that he had contacted Kartel to voice with him on the song Gaza Mi Sey and was told by Kartel to voice with young deejay Popcaan instead. The deejay also said that Kartel's reference to himself in a radio advertisement as the 'new King of the Dancehall', a title he claims is reserved for him, is an obvious attempt to disrespect him. Beenie said, "I just feel sey him (Kartel) nuh have no honour to nobody. Him honour himself and dats it. Him nuh respect nobody as far as I see it." He also admitted to being very offended by the content of Dancehall Hero, "me respect him as a deejay, I don't know him as a person. I know him as a artiste. Dis song I found to be disrespectful to the whole entire dancehall world." Another issue which Beenie has with Kartel is his recent comment in THE STAR that Sting would be a flop this year attracting no more than 50 people without the presence of the Gully and the Gaza heads performing on the show. "Dats disrespect to di whole entire dancehall industry. You are not God, you are not the man that make music. Music was here before you and when you gone a go still deh yah. The worse Sting was last year and Kartel close it and Mavado did de pon it too. Good, blessing. I wasn't on it," Beenie said. When contacted Kartel was aware of the interview. He said: "As I said in the song, "call up me name jus fi get a forward and dem think 'bout Addi more than them woman", should sum up my sentiments. And in closing I would like to quote another line from Dancehall Hero - "Me nuh member nuh DJ bwoy"." Beenie emphasised, however, that his song, Father God Help Them, is not a counteraction nor is there a feud between himself and Kartel and encouraged fans not to take it personally. He said, "there's no feud or no drama, it cyaan happen. I do not deal wid badness and I do not push badness to people."

When I took a little side trip into book-world last week drawn into Edens alley by the color of ghetto palms under fluorescent lights I left part of my brain behind, where its been compiling a list of other texts that have exerted some pull on this column one way or the other. Besides Rats, I just picked up The Gun which is already light-years beyond the other book I have thats about AK47s.Shadow Cities is relevant to what I do here some very obvious ways, Cloud Atlas in some way I havent quite pinned down. I got Heliopolis in the pipeline, Im planning to buy my dad a copy of TheWarmth of Other Suns for Christmas on the strength of the title alone (as far as thought-sparking titles I guess youd have to include the Secret Life of Plants) and Im also looking forward to my friend Anicees book on Passa Passa.

Rihanna f. Vybz Kartel, Whats My Name Federation Remix (Max Glazer, Ricky Blaze)
MIA, Theres Space for Ol I See
Natalie Storm, Wuk Mi Nani (Songs 2 F@#ck and Fight 2)
Matt Shadetek, Wonton Garden from Dutty House (Dutty Artz)
Blak Ryno, Nuh Tek Talk (Shadetek Remix)

http://media.thefader.com/thefader/GP124spaceblend.mp3 CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

If this weeks blend has a literary analog, though, it is the orbital Rasta enclave in Neuromancer, because to me, all these productions sound like dancehall queens clashing in zero gravity. Maybe Im projecting, but I know for a fact Natalie Storms manager/producer Prodigal is up on his cyberpunk game and god only knows what kind of crazy sci-fi Matt Shadetek reads . MIA, I assume, doesnt have to read it cause she lives it.

But the real queen of this satellite-hive is the Whats My Name refix. Max Glazer. who used to be her tour DJ, called in some heavyweight favors and got Ricky Blaze and Vybz Kartel in the studio. They all did a number to its body-structure, coming out with this exclusive and brilliant dancehall version. I believe this one can go the far distance, so when I say its not an official remix, I mean its not official yet. Max technically debuted it on the Federation p*o*dcast, but best believe I was next in line.

 

Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa is arguably the hottest emcee in the game right now.

His joint Black and Yellow is getting spins from coast to coast. Dude probably has his choice of fine women in every town he swings through, but it looks like hes interested in bad girls.

Young Wiz was spotted getting cozy with reality star Natalie Nunn recently in L.A. Strange hook up considering this chick gets around, then back around again with various dudes.allegedly.

Wiz has reportedly denied there is anything going on with the Bad Girls Club star. But Nunn didnt really try to deny anything when Carlton Jordon caught up with her.

Lawd knows shes never seen a mic or tv camera she didnt try to boss hog.

Check out the pics of Wiz and Natalie checking each others tonsils below. And Nunn talking to Carlton about their possible relationship.

What yall think of Wizs new gal?

Halle Berry Speaks About Witnessing Her Mother Suffer Domestic Abuse As A Child & It's Affect On Her "I Felt Not Worthy". And Her Volunteer Work At A Center For Abused Women

The American Bar Association reports that approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner every year in the United States.

Those are staggering numbers. And considering that the majority of these assaults go unreported, and how many children are affected by witnessing these acts of violence, the end result is nothing less than horrific.

Actress Halle Berry grew up in a household where she watched her mother suffer from domestic abuse. Shes still trying to cope with what she saw to this day.

Well you know honestly, I think Ive spent my adult life dealing with the sense of low self esteem that implanted in me, Halle told CNN. Somehow I felt not worthy.

Before Im Halle Berry - Im little Halle growing up in this environment, that damaged me in some ways. And Ive spent my adult life trying to heal from that.

As part of her healing process, Halle now volunteers at Jenesse Center. A shelter for domestic violence victims in Los Angeles.

I come here sometimes and I see the kids, I play with the children. So Im just regular old crackers to them, and I love just being regular old crackers, I have to say, she said.

The Oscar winner gets more fulfillment out of her volunteer work than any movie role.

I have a spot in my soul that understands the devastation that this causes a family. And how hard it is to rebuild your self esteem when you have suffered, the actress explained.

Part of her volunteer work includes helping to rebuild run down apartments and homes, so women who leave abusive relationships have somewhere to go.

Halle has a message for anyone who feels trapped in a relationship where there is abuse.

Get out - dont stay a moment longer. If theres no shelter, go to a friend, go to the police station, go somewhere, but go.

Jamaicas coffee industry has been thrown a $310 m lifeline by the government.

The loan is to finance the purchase of 135 thousand boxes of Blue Mountain Coffee.

At a news conference at the Agriculture Ministry yesterday (December 14) Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton said the $310 m will be loaned to the Coffee Industry Board.

He explained that government had to offer assistance. Dr. Tufton adds that, if left to the laws of supply and demand, farmers would suffer loss as there is a lack of market for the current crop.

Dr. Tufton noted that up to this time coffee has been paid for in the form of IOUs.

He says the farmers will have to take a reduction in price

The Agriculture Minister explains that Blue Mountain Coffee is suffering now because the Japanese, who usually buy most of the coffee, have cut back their purchases .

He said talks are being held with the Chinese to take some 70 to 100 tons of coffee starting next year.

Also to increase sales, the government is working with the Jamaica Tourist Boardto target coffeeoutlets in the United States, including Starbucks.

Police last night confirmed that a policeman was removed from front line duty and his weapon seized for ballistic testing, following yesterday's killing of another policeman on premises on Lady Musgrave Avenue (off Lady Musgrave Road) in St Andrew.

Constable Floyd Barrett from the Motorised Police Patrol Division was shot dead after he and others responded to reports of drugs and guns being at the premises.

The Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) is probing the death. The interdicted policeman's hands have also been swabbed.

THE STAR learnt that Barrett was killed by a bullet, believed to be discharged from the weapon of another policeman, sometime after 1 p.m. when it is believed that two groups of lawmen responded to the same assignment.

Shots were reportedly fired and Barrett was hit before being rushed to the Kingston Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Assistant Commissioner Granville Gause, head of the BSI, was one of a number of officers seen at the premises when THE STAR arrived there yesterday. Crime chief for the Area 4 Deputy Superintendent Michael Phipps was also present, as investigators cordoned off the area for clues to what had occurred.

The people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines went to the polls yesterday and put the Ruling party led by Ralph Gonsalves back in power for a THIRD term

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who has led the Caribbean nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines into an alliance with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, won a narrow victory in parliamentary elecitons Monday to keep his party in power for another five years.

His United Labour Party won just eight seats, down from 12 in the previous Parliament. The New Democratic Party increased its share to seven seats from three.

Opposition parties had hoped the islands' economic hardships would bring a change in government, although recent opinion polls gave the edge to Gonsalves and his party.

Voters across the two islands waited in long lines to determine as Gonsalves predicted he would win a third term.

The prime minister said he is best suited to lead the country of 120,000 people as it tries to rebound from the global economic slump. The 64-year-old leader touts a record of poverty reduction and improved access to education while forging deeper ties with international partners such as Venezuela and Cuba to survive a tighter budget.

Under his leadership, St. Vincent was accepted last year as a member of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Nations of Our America, a leftist bloc that includes Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Dominica, and Antigua and Barbuda. Chavez assembled the bloc of allies in Latin America and the Caribbean to counter U.S. influence in the region.

St. Vincent has also forged a closer relationship with Iran, which sent $7 million in aid for several local development projects in 2008.

The New Democratic Party cited an economy in poor health and argued Gonsalves has an autocratic style of leadership. The party's candidates also pledged to weaken the country's ties with Venezuela and Cuba.

A third party, St. Vincent's Green Party, fielded 13 candidates but they had not been expected to be competitive with the lineup from the two major parties.

Election supervisor Sylvia Findlay was recently quoted in a St. Vincent newspaper as saying that roughly 100,050 names were on this election cycle's list of registered voters. In 2005 elections, there were 91,033 names on the official registration list.

NDP leader Arnhim Eustace asserted at a political rally prior to the elections that 20,000 of the people on the lists were actually dead.

No one answered the telephone at the election supervisor's office Monday.

The Organization of American States and the Caribbean Community bloc both sent observer missions to monitor the elections. Preliminary results were expected early Tuesday.

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KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, Monday, December 13, 2010 - After almost a month of anticipation, the voters of St Vincent and the Grenadines will today decide whether the United Labour Party (ULP) will return to power for a third consecutive term.

Since Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of the ULP called elections on November 14 and dissolved Parliament the following day, both his party and the Arnhim Eustace-led New Democratic Party have led strong campaigns in a bid to woo the electorate.

At stake are the 15 constituency seats in the House of Assembly, of which the ULP has held on to a 12-seat majority since both the 2001 and 2005 general elections. Noted Barbadian pollster Peter Wickham predicted on the weekend that the ULP would retain its grip on power, albeit with a slimmer majority, as polls indicated the ULP had seven secure seats, while another five marginal seats could go either way. Wickham predicted that the NDP could only guarantee the three seats it won in the previous election and would also have to fight to gain traction within the five constituencies that were up for grabs. The much smaller Green Party has also nominated 13 candidates to contest the 15 seats but no major upsets are predicted as a result of this and pundits are still calling the election a two-horse race.

Supervisor of Elections Sylvia Findlay-Scrubb announced that a record 101,053 voters out of a population of around 110,000 people have been deemed eligible to cast their ballots in this years general election, which was constitutionally due by March 2011. A high voter turnout is expected and political analysts have speculated whether this will signal a similar 1984 turnaround when the incumbent St Vincent Labour Party was routed by an 89% voter turnout that saw the NDP swept to power, and then remain there for an unprecedented four terms.

The 64-year-old Gonsalves has led a campaign based on the accomplishments of the ULP over the past two terms primarily reduced unemployment, improved economic growth and a network of developing diplomatic relations that have brought investment inflows and other benefits to the archipelago.

However, the 65-year-old Eustace is banking on the momentum gained from the defeat of the Gonsalves-backed 2009 constitutional referendum to propel his party into power. The trained economist has been attacking the governments stewardship of the countrys economic fortunes and has assured the electorate that the NDP also has the connections to bring investment and job security to the country. He has also decried Gonsalves Leftist relations Venezuela, China and Iran as holding the country up to international scrutiny and suspicion.

Despite the public optimism of victory by the two leaders, both parties have accused operatives on either side of marring this election campaign with sporadic violence that has not been a prominent feature of past St Vincent and the Grenadines elections. Both leaders have sought to distance themselves from the violence that has shocked Vincentians at home and abroad and have promised to crackdown on those found responsible.

The Organization of American States and the Caribbean Community have both announced observer missions to St Vincent and the Grenadines to monitor the elections.

An independent movie actor was trapped between a 4 train and one of the hydraulic platform extenders that appear along the platform in the Union Square station.

Michael Dion was trapped for 30 minutes on Friday night until police could free him. He is in the surgical intensive-care

unit at Bellevue Hospital.

"He was screaming, and you could hear him over the people crowded around him," said Josh Betters, who witnessed the incident.

Janice Carter, the train's operator, said that as soon as the train came to a stop, people were banging on her window telling her a man had gotten stuck.

"I secured my train and came out to investigate," Carter said. "It was complete madness. People everywhere. I saw the man between the gap filler and the train. He was yelling."

Subway commuters comforted the man the best they could, holding his hands until the operators were able to release him thirty minutes later.

Come to think of it, wi just realise sey wi nuh hear peep fire bout Elephant Man and whether him a guh deh pon Sting or not. A wha really a gwaan? Well wi a listen out fi si if it was a oversight or what.