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LONDON, UK (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II marked 60 years on the throne today with a message thanking all those who have supported her over her reign and reaffirming her dedication to serving the British people.



DANCEHALL artiste Elephant Man was on Wednesday offered bail in the sum of $400,000 when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court on sex charges.

This is the artiste’s first appearance in court since his arrest on Monday following a reported incident involving a 31-year-old woman at his Hillcrest Avenue home in St Andrew last month.

The 36-year-old artiste, whose real name is Oniel Bryan, is charged with rape and sexual assault.

Bryan, who is being represented by attorney Linda Wright, is to return to court on May 21 for a preliminary enquiry into the allegations.

On Wednesday, the energetic entertainer sported a black outfit and his trademark red and orange hairdo. He seemed upbeat while he stood in the holding area inside the courtroom where his case was called up. He also managed a smile while in the prisoner’s dock.

But the courtroom was cleared for the bail hearing before Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey.

The artiste, who is known for songs such as Pon De River, Gully Creeper and Sweep, is also before the court on allegations that he stole electricity.

Meanwhile, entertainer Kid Kurupt, whose real name is Jevaughn Rodney, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to marijuana charges. He was slapped with fines of $100 and $3,000 respectively for possession of and smoking ganja.

He was caught smoking after committing a traffic violation while making his way to deliver clothes to Elephant Man in lock-up.

POPULAR dancehall entertainer Elephant Man is expected to appear in the Half-Way-Tree Resident Magistrate’s Court today to answer charges of grievous sexual assault and rape.

The entertainer, whose real name is Oneil Bryan, was arrested at his St Andrew home on Monday after a woman filed a police report alleging that she was sexually assaulted by the artiste.

nvestigators from the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse said Bryan was questioned in the presence of his attorney and later charged.

Tags: charges, elephant man, jamaica

RECORD producer and songwriter Winston Riley is dead.

Riley died in hospital yesterday from the effects of a gunshot wound he received last year. He was in a coma since he was attacked and shot in the back of the head in November last year.

Winston, who was the father of Fame FM disc jockey Kurt Riley, had being plagued with a series of violent attacks. He was shot in August last year and later stabbed five times in September.

Kurt Riley told the Observer this morning that his father’s grieving relatives could not figure out a motive behind the attempts on his father’s life.

“Unfortunately Daddy didn’t wake up so we could talk to him to find out if there was something he was not telling us. He was a straightforward man, who was allergic to hypocrisy,” he said.

Winston Riley produced the late General Echo’s The Slackest album on his Techniques label in 1979, and was instrumental in the development of the careers of Sister Nancy, Buju Banton, Cutty Ranks, Lone Ranger, and Frankie Paul.

Tags: dead, Gunshot, Winston Riley, Wound

Alicia Keys Recording New Music At GeeJam Studio In Portland,Jamaica
R&B Superstar Alicia Keys is currently in Jamaica doing work at Geejam Studio in Portland.
According to the multiple reports, Alicia Keys who arrived on the island recently, has been recording at the studio that also houses three deluxe cabins, one suite, a self-contained villa, a state-of-the-art recording complex, a gym, spa, swimming pool (sanwood only) and a Jamaican-Asian fusion restaurant and bar called the Bushbar.
performed at Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in 2004 on the final night and thrilled many fans with songs like “Woman’s Worth,” “You Don’t Know My Name” and “Heartburn.”
Two years later, the New York based singer collaborated with internationally acclaimed deejay, Baby Cham for the remix of Cham’s smash hit, Ghetto Story. The single charted well locally and internationally while earning deo of her remix of Baby Cham’s Ghetto Story.
Alicia Keys who has a Jamaican father has definitely represented for the island .
Geejam is part of the Island Outpost group of hotels and villas which was founded by Chris Blackwell who also founded Island Records.  The rooms have names such as ska, rocksteady and drum and bass.

Tags: Alicia Keys, GeeJam Recording Studio, jamaica, portland

New England Patriots looked dominant on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Do you think the Baltimore Ravens have the personnel to match up with Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski? How can they slow them down? Their much malign defense seemed to be improved with return of Jamaican born safety Patrick Chang.

Tags: Denver Broncos, jamaica, New England, nfl football, patrick chang, Patriots Playoffs

KEITH Walford, owner of sound system Bass Odyssey, has now turned his attention to the political arena. In the December 29 general election, he defeated his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) counterpart, Ernest Smith, to win the St Ann South West seat for the People’s National Party. And, he is now ready for new challenges.

He said the decision to enter representational politics was not taken lightly and was made after weeks of self-searching and prayer.
“I took a few weeks to make up my mind. I had to give it serious thought,” he explained. He said among the things he pondered at the outset was how he was going to serve effectively while being so involved other things.

Among his involvement are: president of the St Ann Cricket Association and the community’s youth club; director of the Jamaica Cricket Board as well as owner and operator of Odyssey Cable Vision.

The motivating factor in running for office, however, though was his own dissatisfaction with the level of service being given to the constituency.

“I entered politics mainly because I didn’t think the community was served properly. I was very unhappy with the level of representations,” said Walford, who started in his sound system in 1989.
He hopes to make a big difference both in his constituency and to the music industry.
He said he is far from happy with the Noise Abatement Act implemented in March 1997.
“I think that more things can be done to facilitate the playing of sound systems. It’s a part of our culture. First thing to look at are creative zones that they can play in freely,” he said. He, however, explained that he will be “observing and then see what I can do”.
“I have never been to Parliament, so I will be very careful and doing my homework on the different issues to see how I can help to give the music more recognition which it deserves,” Walford said.
Keith Walford is only the second PNP member or parliment EVER to represent this extremely strong JLP supported area.. Keith decided to run only about one month ago and still won handedly.

Tags: Bass Odyssey, jamaica, Keith Walford, parliament, st Ann

The X Factor” judges didn’t want to stop listening to Melanie Amaro.

The powerful 19-year-old vocalist from Sunrise, Fla., wowed the Fox talent competition’s panel with her soaring rendition of Beyonce’s “Listen” during Wednesday’s final performance round, prompting head judge Simon Cowell to declare that Amaro should win the show’s grand prize: a $5 million recording contract and a starring role in a Pepsi commercial.

“That wasn’t a $5 million performance,” declared judge L.A. Reid. “That was a $50 million performance.”

The panel also poured praise on the other two finalists: soulful 30-year-old single father Josh Krajcik of Wooster, Ohio, and 28-year-old singer-rapper Chris Rene of Santa Cruz, Calif. Krajcik accompanied himself on guitar for his final performance of “At Last,” while Rene delivered his original tune “Young Homie” with a group of dancers and singers.

“You make everyone fall in love with you,” judge Paula Abdul told Rene.

Before the final showdown, each singer awkwardly dueted with established artists. Krajcik was joined by Alanis Morissette on “Uninvited,” Rene teamed up with Avril Lavigne for “Complicated,” and Amaro partnered with R. Kelly on “I Believe I Can Fly,” which marked the first time that the R&B star performed his motivational anthem with another singer.

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The winner, which will be decided by viewer votes, will be announced on Thursday’s show.

The contest thus far hasn’t achieved the same success as “American Idol,” which Cowell left last year to import “X Factor” from the U.K. to the U.S. Last Wednesday’s performance episode drew 10.79 million viewers, less than half of the average “Idol” audience.

Unlike “Idol,” the competition is open to solo singers and groups and has a lower minimum age of 12 and no upper age limit. The judges also serve as mentors: Cowell represented female vocalists, including Amaro; Reid headed male singers, including Rene; Nicole Scherzinger was in charge of over-30 singers, including Krajcik; and Abdul helmed the groups.

Tags: Melanie Amaro, X factor

PRIME Minister and Minister of Education Andrew Holness is urging parents to start reading to their children at an early age as an important part of the thrust to make Jamaica a fully literate society.

Noting that that reading is “not a natural occurring phenomenon” among people, the prime minister emphasised the importance of parents reading aloud to their young children as part of the process of getting them ready for reading and learning in the school environment.

Holness was speaking with parents and their children at the University Hospital of the West Indies’ Paediatric Clinic Monday where he launched Bookstart Jamaica, a new Ministry of Education initiative which aims to create a nation of readers and encourages an early start to family literacy activities.

The prime minister also handed out book packs from the programme, which included a locally developed board book suitable for infants, and information about the Jamaica Library Service (JLS), its locations and family programmes, including We Likkle but We Tallawah, a companion programme of Bookstart Jamaica in which parents read with their infants and toddlers.

The book packs are the first in a pilot project of 14,000 to be distributed islandwide in partnership with the UHWI Department of Child Health, which is conducting a study of children aged zero to two years, and the ministry of health.

The Prime Minister said reading is form of bonding which helps children to be ready to learn when they enter school. He said Bookstart Jamaica was part of the national literacy strategy and expressed hope that it would help stimulate the local book industry.

Senior advisor to the Minister of Education Dr Rebecca Tortello encouraged parents to use the free services of the JLS to learn early reading strategies and to exchange books. She stressed that Bookstart Jamaica involved parents from all socio-economic groups.

Professor of child health and senior lecturer in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies Maureen Samms-Vaughan said 10,000 parents with babies born from July 1 to September 30 this year who are involved in the study would receive the book packs. She said with the distribution of the books, her department would be able to gather data on whether the families used the books, as well as their impact and durability.

She also stressed that six months old was not too early for parents to start reading to their children.



Tags: Children, Holness, jamaica, Read

THE Jamaica Debates Commission (JDC) says all is in place for tonight’s leadership debate between Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller, the final before the December 29 general election.

The debate, which begins at 9:00 pm, will be held at the Faculty of Law at the University of the West Indies, Mona before a studio audience of approximately 200 people made up of guests of the political parties, guests of the commission and the University of the West Indies.

“A dress rehearsal for the event was held early on Monday where television production, protocol, security and operational areas were checked and finalised,” the JDC said yesterday.

For tonight’s debate, there will be two questioners — Dionne Jackson-Miller of RJR and Franklin McKnight of IRIE FM/ZIP FM and the Northcoast Times. In place of a third questioner, independent members of the audience will be allowed to pose one in every three questions. The moderator is Dervan Malcolm of Power 106 FM.

The debate will focus on leadership issues which include matters of governance, a vision for the country, tackling corruption and economic development, among other areas.

The debate will be seen live on television across some 20 Caribbean countries as well as in Florida, New York and New Jersey in the United States of America.

There will be special guests in the audience from Merundoi and the Guyana Media Proprietors Association in Guyana as well as a delegation of civic leaders from Tunisia.

Tags: election, Holness, jamaica, Polls, Portia