News

Adidja "Vybes Kartel" Palmer, and his co-defendants Nigel Thompson and Lenburgh McDonald appeared before the Gun Court Division of the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday.They were ordered to return to gun court next Wednesday. The prosecution is expected to have the case transferred next wednesday to the Home Circuit Court to begin the murder case trial.

Jamaica's prime minister Portia Simpson Miller said that she wants Jamaica to sever its ties with the British monarchy so that Jamaica can turn the page on its colonial past and focus on development. She first announced her desire to replace Queen Elizabeth II as Jamaica's head of state with a Jamaican president during her swearing-in ceremony Jan. 6, 2012. Portia Simpson Miller said .

(AP) The lighthearted tone of Prince Harry's Caribbean tour changed Wednesday as the British royal modified his schedule at a military camp in Jamaica out of respect for six British soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Harry, a British Army captain who recently qualified as an Apache attack helicopter pilot, was scheduled to rappel down a new training wall at a Jamaican military camp in the capital of Kingston but instead watched local soldiers do so. Palace press officer Nick Loughran said Harry decided not to take part in a military activity considered peripheral to the duties of an Apache pilot when the day's focus should be on the British Army's core roles and "looking after the bereaved of those tragically killed in Afghanistan."...

Lloyd Brevett, the founding member of the pioneering Jamaican ska and reggae band The Skatalites son Okine Brevett who was 32 years old, was fatally shot about an hour after accepting a music award for his ill father. Ruth Brevett says her son Okine was killed Sunday by a gunman at the entrance of his home in the rough Seaview Gardens area of Kingston, Jamaica. He was shot about 15 minutes after showing his 80-year-old father, Lloyd Brevett, an award from the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association for the father's musical contributions. The award was handed to Okine by Former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.

(AP) Jamaica's government announced a campaign Tuesday to crack down on the longtime problem of thieves stealing livestock and crops from ranches and farms across the Caribbean island. Organized rustlers working on Jamaica's rural back roads often strike in the dead of night and sometimes even butcher cattle right in the field. Other thieves prey on farms, grabbing goats and chickens or hauling off vegetables and fruit. Glen Harris, president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, said agriculture losses from thievery approached $70 million last year in Jamaica, where roughly 200,000 people make their living off farming. Police Commissioner Owen Ellington said Jamaica's severely backlogged justice system needs to get tougher on such...

Federal prosecutors in New York have asked a judge to impose a 23-year prison sentence on a Jamaican drug kingpin who admitted his leadership in an international crime ring. Christopher "Dudus" Coke pleaded guilty to racketeering and assault charges in August 2011. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court.Prosecutors filed a sentencing memorandum late Wednesday. They stated that Coke was so powerful in Jamaica that he had virtual immunity from the reach of law enforcement there. In a letter to the judge in September, Coke accepted responsibility for his actions and asked for a sentence "below the guideline range."

ReggaeMe would like to send out Condolences to the family of Rodney Bounty Killer Price on the lost of his mother. Bounty stated many times during his career that his mom played a substantial role in his life over the years.Rest in peace Ms. Ivy Williams 1941 - 2012 Bounty Killer tweeted this morning @GrungGaadZillA

Former South African President Nelson Mandela was admitted to a hospital today for pre-planned treatment.Mandela, who is 93 had an hernia operation. Mandela became South Africa's first black president in 1994 after spending 27 years in prison for his fight against racist apartheid rule, and he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

Restorm launched rightclearing today at the prominent Social Music Summit in NYC attended by top tech and music executives. The cloud-based music licensing platform provides artists and music professionals a simplified solution that enables them to monetize content through an automated licensing system. In the midst of all the SOPA, PIPA, ACTA rhetoric, and never-ending licensing chaos in the market, rightclearing is well-poised to provide a concise and compelling solution to the needlessly complex licensing labyrinth. The service announced a partnership with Rumblefish today, the world’s largest catalog for social media licenses that has closed deals with more than 5 million private users over the friendlymusic.com platform...

Jamaica's tourism minister has suspended a nearly $1 million project to beautify the popular resort town of Ocho Rios in the island's northern region. Wykeham McNeill says he is scrapping plans to clean drains and renovate sidewalks following concerns about how the money was allocated and has been spent. He says investors were never asked how the program would be developed or the money used. McNeill said he will review the project after appointing new advisory boards that oversee resort issues across Jamaica.

Jamaica is developing a new policy to battle crime as gang violence drives the homicide rate higher, the country's top security official said Tuesday. National Security Minister Peter Bunting said 165 killings have been reported by police so far in 2012, compared to 135 slayings during the corresponding period last year on the Caribbean island of 2.8 million people. Violent gangs are deeply entrenched in Spanish Town, just west of Kingston, and in some residential sections of the northwestern parish of St. James, which includes the resort city of Montego Bay. Fighting between the gangs for control of drug trafficking and extortion rackets has long been blamed for the majority of Jamaica's homicides. Police Commissioner Owen...

Comcast is launching a new cable channel devoted to music programming, headed up by music industry mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs.The announcement was made in a video posted by Combs. There have been no mentions of a website or streaming component to the new music channel. Combs said.

Wilmot Perkins, a veteran Jamaican journalist considered the island's "godfather of talk radio," has died at age 80. Perkins died Friday February 10, 2012 at his home after a brief illness. Perkins, nicknamed "Motty," was considered Jamaica's longest-serving radio talk show host. He worked for more than 50 years in radio, launching his first program "What's your Grouse?" on RJR 94FM in 1960. He quit a couple years later to become a farmer but returned to radio in the 1970s, ultimately launching a show called "Perkins On Line" on Hot102 FM. Perkins is survived by his wife, Elaine, and two grandsons.

Former Managing Director of Synergy Production, Ronnie Burke, is urging Jamaica's recording artistes to create more sustainable music that will be accepted in the global marketplace, and thus contribute to the economic development of the country. He pointed out. Mr. Burke added He pointed out that, in addition to reggae artistes being pushed from the scene, the industry has not been able to generate revenue as it relates to publishing. While not bashing the dancehall genre, Mr Burke believes that such artistes should return to the drawing board and compose songs that strike a balance between artistic expression and maintaining societal values.

Oscar-winning documentary maker Kevin Macdonald has made what critics are calling the definitive biography of reggae legend Bob Marley, aided by the singer's family and record label who have given the project their blessing. The documentary Marley is 144 minutes long, features interviews with Marley's children, his wife Rita, friends and a former bandmate, as well as concert footage. The film traces Marley's well-documented journey from a boy born in a small village in Jamaica to a music superstar who brought reggae and the Rastafari movement to a global audience. Source: Reuters

Roughly two thousand firearms were melted down in a blazing furnace Tuesday February 07, 2012 as part of an effort designed to combat gun trafficking and corruption in Jamaica while reducing violent crime. Police, government and U.N. officials destroyed pistols and revolvers by pitching them into a kiln at the cement factory in Kingston. Most of the guns were decommissioned or seized in police operations over the years.

Winston "King Stitt' Spark, a pioneer in the distinctive Studio 1 music, died on January 31, 2012 at his home in Kingston, Jamaica. No official cause of death was given for his passing. King Stitt was 72 years old. He was called Stitt as a boy due to a stutter in his speech. Because of a facial disfiguration, he named himself The Ugly One, referencing the 1967 spaghetti western "The Good The Bad and the Ugly,". King Stitt became the first deejay to have a hit record with "Fire Corner" produced by Clancy Eccles, for whom he recorded numerous hit singles released on Eccles' Clandisc label, between 1969 and 1970.

Oniel "Elephant Man" Bryan has been charged with grevious sexual assault and rape. Elephant Man was taken into police custody on monday January 30, 2012 for allegations that he raped a 31-year-old female at his Hillcrest Avenue, St Andrew home earlier in the month. The alleged rape victim who is of Chinese descent reported the matter to the police shortly after the incident. Elephant Man was booked to appear in court on wednesday. He was taken into custody by detectives from the Center for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse.

Consumers now have access to more affordable state-of-the art portable computers coupled with internet service due to a new partnership between computer manufacturer HP and Jamaica’s sole triple play service provider Flow. Flow and HP have joined forces to give consumers great value when making their PC purchases this season - a PC/Internet Service bundle that combines the HP’s personal computers with the power of Flow’s blazing speed internet. This initiative is in keeping with the broadband service provider’s commitment to deliver the best value to customers by leveraging strong strategic partnerships. Consumers who purchase select models of HP portable computers at participating retailers and who are new Flow Internet customers...

Lil’ Wayne has partnered with Grand Central Publishing to put together a memoir that will shed light on his days behind bars. The project, called Gone Till November will give us details on his eight months at the Rikers Island complex for gun possession charge, and will be based on diaries he kept while locked up. Gone Till November will be released in November, which will mark the two- year anniversary of his release.