BREAKING NEWS: 17 migrants die when their intercepted boat capsizes at Turks and Caicos.......The U.S. Coast Guard, assisting the islands' rescue crews, retrieved about 55 Haitians in waters

(CNN) -- At least 17 people have died and dozens more were rescued after their boat capsized off the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean on Wednesday, according to the local government and U.S. officials.

The U.S. Coast Guard, assisting the islands' rescue crews, retrieved about 55 Haitians in waters 100 meters from shore, the U.S. agency said. They fell into the water when their overloaded sail freighter tipped over, the guard said.

The nationalities of the 17 dead people weren't immediately clear Wednesday, but 12 were males and five were female adults, said Colin Farquhar, commissioner of Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Earlier reports had put the death toll at 18.

Farquhar added that the search for additional casualties concluded late Wednesday because of darkness and worsening seas. The search will resume Thursday, he said.

Although the Coast Guard put the number of rescued at near 55, local authorities used different numbers.

A total of 33 people -- 21 men including a child and 12 females -- were detained as suspected illegal Haitian migrants and "will be repatriated to Haiti at the earliest opportunity," Farquhar said. read more 

From Homeless To Harvard (And Beyond): Khadijah Williams Starts New Life In NYC (VIDEO)

In 2009, Oprah met Khadijah Williams, a driven young woman who grew up in homeless shelters but never stopped believing in herself and the power of education. Though she went to 12 different schools in 12 years, she managed to graduate high school with honors and was accepted into Harvard University. Four years later, she graduated with a degree in sociology and even got a shout-out from Oprah during her2013 commencement speech.

Khadijah Williams at Harvard graduation

Williams -- who says she was in the bathroom when a friend came running in to tell her Oprah was talking about her on stage -- now has quite an impressive reference. "Just to have someone like Miss Winfrey acknowledge you and say, 'You did a great thing,' … it's not only a great confidence booster, but it's also something I can send to employers like, "Look! Oprah talked about me, here's my recommendation!'" Williams says. read more

Music: JAMAICAN Samantha J's New York takeover..... New hit single "Tight Skirt" has over one million Youtube hits in a very short time.

With her debut single/music video creating havoc on varied charts, Samantha J recently took over New York City leaving everyone with the question: "Could she be the next big star from the Caribbean?" while comparing her to the likes of Rihanna and Britney Spears.

Announcing that her follow-up single will most likely be a song dubbed Run Come, Samantha J opened BET's 106 & Park 'Young Star's Week' with an impeccable performance that left the studioaudience in a screaming frenzy while reppin' the black, green, and gold.
read more

CLARENDON, Jamaica : 19-y-o relatives found dead on separate days

CLARENDON, Jamaica -- Two teen girls, both relatives, were found afloat in the Salt Marsh River in Clarendon, on separate days, after missing person reports were filed for them on Friday, December 20.

They have been identified as Franciena Johnson of a Jacobs Hut address in May Pen and a Brooklyn, New York address, and Nordia Fearon of Fora Road in Salt River. They were both 19 years old. Johnson's body was discovered last Friday about 10:30 pm when residents heard explosions and summoned the police.

When the police got to the community, they saw Johnson's body afloat in the river with what appeared to be gunshot wounds. Fearon's body was discovered three days later about 10:00 am. She was also fished from the river but the cause of her death has not yet been ascertained. Read more: 

Season's Greeting's from RulaBrownNetwork (RBN). Wishing you and your family the best for 2014. Thanks for all the support to RBN "Making a Real Difference Together" & PALAS.

40 million Smart Cards Could Have Protected Target Shoppers From Identity Thieves

After thieves hijacked credit and debit card data belonging to 40 million Target shoppers, many blamed the retail giant for putting them at risk of identity theft.

But some experts are also pointing to a less visible culprit: the credit card industry. Card issuers might not have been able to prevent the recent data breach at Target, but if they had upgraded to more secure technology, they could have deterred thieves from using that stolen information to make counterfeit credit cards. read more

TESSANNE CHIN overwhelmed with the support she received from Jamaicans and their overall reaction to her historic achievement.

A week after Tessanne Chin made Jamaica proud by winning the popular NBC singing contest, The Voice, she is still moved by the support she received from Jamaicans and their overall reaction to her historic achievement.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think there would be this reaction... such a reaction from Jamaica, the diaspora and everybody," Chin told the weekly Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange yesterday.

Tessanne Chin addressing yesterday’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s head office in Kingston. Flanking her are her manager Sharon Burke (right) of Solid Agency, and LeAnn Ollivierre also of Solid Agency. See stories on Pages 4, 5 and 35. (PHOTO: NAPHTALI JUNIOR)  2/2

"It has completely blown me away, and I feel like I have woken up in a bit of a dream. The overwhelming support that everyone has shown me has just blown me away... I don't think words can do it justice," she stated.

Read more: 

US Deports 'Most Wanted Fugitive' To Jamaica......1,119 deportees....Jamaica among the top 10 countries with the most deportees from the US.

One of the United States' "most wanted fugitives" has been deported to Jamaica.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Clive Dixon, 46, otherwise known as Rambo, was sent back to Jamaica, last Thursday.

Dixon is said to have been eluding ICE agents since 2010, when he evaded police arrest.

A release on the ICE website stated that Dixon was once a permanent resident of the US but was deported in 1993 following his conviction for criminal possession of a firearm. The agency said he reentered the country illegally on an unknown date.

The release said Dixon was captured in Brooklyn, on October 24, without incident.

Meanwhile, statistics from the agency have named Jamaica among the top 10 countries with the most deportees from the US. read more

THE GLEANER MINUTE: Gomes disappointed ... Shopping downtown ... Police get new vehicles....West Indies cricket overhaul

Don Drummond's Life, Art Find The Page......The Genius and Tragedy of the World's Greatest Trombonist is available at amazon.com

Don Drummond: The Genius and Tragedy of the World's Greatest Trombonist by Heather Augustyn has been published by McFarland Publishing and is now available.

The book is a comprehensive biography of a brilliant musician and his lover, who forever shaped the course of ska, reggae, and popular musicworldwide despite poverty, class separation, mental illness, racial politics, exploitation, and sexism that resulted in murder.

The foreword is written by trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis.

Don Drummond: The Genius and Tragedy
 of the World's Greatest Trombonist
 is available at amazon.com,
 mcfarlandpub.com, and skabook.com.

Through the words of Don Drummond's childhood friends classmates, musicians, medical staff, legal counsel, and teachers, comes a story of his "unusual mind".

They recall the early days in the recording studio, playing the instrumental backup for Bob Marley and others, and the nights in the Rasta camps where musicians burned the midnight oil and more. They roam the halls of the primitive and haunting mental hospitals where Drummond reached the lonely depths of his schizophrenia. read more

IN JAMAICA: SELLOUT, The Jamaica-based brewery, Red Stripe, says it has sold its minority shares in 'Haiti and the Windward St Lucia to Heineken.

The Jamaica-based brewery, Red Stripe, says it has sold its minority shares in the Brasserie Nationale d'Haiti and the Windward & Leeward St Lucia to Heineken.

Red Stripe said it received US$9.3 million for the sale of the 15 per cent shares in the two companies and that the funds would be used for capital investments.

"This is the right time to dispose of these minority shareholdings as we have ambitious plans for Red Stripe, with several major initiatives being undertaken," Cedric Blair, Red Stripe's managing director, said in a statement.

"These include the installation of our co-generation plant, plant optimisation, and Project Grow - the conversion to the use of locally sourced raw materials."

The two Caribbean-based breweries that have been sold will continue to brew Guinness under licence for Diageo, in addition to the other licensed breweries in Guyana, Trinidad, The Bahamas, St Vincent, Belize, Grenada, St Kitts, Barbados, Panama, Dominica, and Antigua. read more

Shaggy Says Tessanne Chin Highlight The Radio Bias In Jamaica

Before Tessanne Chin won The Voice season five, you hardly 
ever hear her music play on the radio in Jamaica.

Now not only has she been getting a lot of love from the reggae/dancehall community, but her music has been quietly added to radio rotation across Jamaica. read more

Christmas Treat provided by The Miracle Tabernacle Free Town Church of God in Clarendon - home of miracles (PHOTOS)

Can't wait to go in the bounce a bout!

The Miracle Tabernacle Free Town Church of God in Clarendon was abuzz with excitement last Friday, December 20 at its annual children's treat. Thanks to the many sponsors the children had themselves a whale of a time.
There were long lines as some lined up for the two available rides a bounce-a-bout and a trampoleaper.
Throughout the day they were fed sandwiches, chicken and rice and peas, cakes and ice and drinks courtesy of Pepsi and Jamaica Beverages through its product Busta.

The food taste nicer
when eaten under a tree

The kids will receive their gifts at a later date as the barrels were sent off late.
Listed below are the people who ensured the day was a whopping success. A special big up to all of you and God bless you. read more

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Here's A Depressing Fact About People Who Don't Sleep Enough......Poor People can't afford much sleep...48% of people sleep 6 hours or less.

Getting enough sleep is a luxury many Americans can't afford. Nearly half of people in households making less than $30,000 a year get six hours or less of sleep each night, compared to about a third of those in households making $75,000 or more, according to a new Gallup survey..

The survey results mirror findings of a recent United Kingdom study that found wealthy people were more likely to get a good night's rest on any given night. Low-income people suffer disproportionately from sleep-related health problems and often work long or unpredictable hours. read more

WESTMORELAND, JAMAICA: COPS CUT DOWN Three reputed members of the notorious Alma Gang, also known as the Haughton Gang, were shot and killed

SPRINGFIELD, Westmoreland — Three reputed members of the notorious Alma Gang, also known as the Haughton Gang, were shot and killed during a firefight with members of a joint police/military team in this rustic community Saturday night.

Among those killed was 33-year-old Jermaine Brown, otherwise called 'Peter' and 'Yaga', who was listed as one of the most wanted by the Westmoreland police. The other two were identified as 20-year-old Nicoy Clayton, also called 'Shake Hand', of Station Road, Negril, and 24-year-old Ryan Pringle, also called 'Wackie', of Broughton, both in Westmoreland.

Police said three guns, including an M-16 and an AK-47, were recovered after the firefight. The Alma Gang, police said, has been responsible for a number of murders, robberies and shootings in this parish. Read more: 

CRAZY WINTER WEATHER: Ice, High Wind In Great Lakes... Snow In Midwest... Flooding In South... Record Highs In NYC... 440,000 Without Power... 9 Dead... Hundreds Of Flights Canceled...

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — After the first full day of winter brought everything from balmy temperatures along the Mid-Atlantic to snow in the Midwest and ice, snow and flooding in the Great Lakes, some people could be left in the dark for Christmas.

Much of the foul weather that occurred Sunday has lessened or disappeared entirely, but the harsh aftereffects were expected to linger.

Brad Hoving, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, Mich., said most people were without power in some counties between Grand Rapids and Lansing, Mich. Some may not have electricity until Wednesday or even Thursday, he said.

"It's a big deal," Hoving said. "It's Christmas and we've just had a major ice storm," with trees toppling over and ice-covered power lines..

By late Sunday, ice and snow had knocked out power to 440,000 homes and businesses in Michigan, upstate New York and northern New England — about half of whom had their power back by early Monday. The storm also left more than 400,000 customers without electricity in eastern Canada. read more

PALAS- 'Helping with the education of one student at a time'. Thanks for the continued support. PALAS awarded 115 scholarships & 13 computers over the past 3 years, including 60 in 2013. Please donate at www.PALAS1.org or send check to PALAS, P.O Box 5461 Alpharetta, GA 30023. Your donation is tax deductible.

IN JAMAICA: Super Cat Returns To Find Massive Support ahead of his Sting Performance.

Iconic dancehall artiste, Super Cat, is in Jamaica ahead of his Sting performance. Super Cat has not been in the line-up in more than a decade.

William Maragh, more popularly known as Super Cat,
 receives a hug from a fan upon his homecoming
after arriving via helicopter at the Cockburn
Gardens Primary and Junior High School play ground.

The artiste, yesterday, gave some of his fans a taste of what they can expect at this week's staging of Sting by transforming the football field of the CockBurn Pen community into a dancehall venue and joining a few of his peers to burn some lyrical fire under the sun.

Hundreds of patrons, many of whom were seeing him for the first time, turned out to see the icon in action.

Super Cat performed songs like Wicked and Wild as well as Jamaica, which brought roars of approval. He also introduced a young boy to the audience who sang a few conscious lyrics of his own, advising his fellow youth to work for what they wanted. read more

The 11 Most Stunning Christmas Trees From Around The World......1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2. National Christmas Tree, Washington, DC 3. Madrid, Spain 4. Oslo, Norway 5. IJsselstein, Netherlands

Christmas trees are like snowflakes -- no two are alike. From Brazil to Norway to the Czech Republic, the holiday staples can be seen gracing town squares and towering over monuments. Yet they have the capacity to look radically different, as countries twist and twirl the tradition of showcasing trees by adding their own lights, ornaments, bells and whistles.

Now that we're all in the seasonal spirit, take a look at these 11 gorgeous Christmas trees spotted in locales across the globe. read more

1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2. National Christmas Tree, Washington, DC

3. Madrid, Spain

4. Oslo, Norway

5. IJsselstein, Netherlands

TEST CRICKET: New Zealand beat West Indies by eight wickets in the third and final test in Hamilton

HAMILTON, New Zealand (CMC) – New Zealand beat West Indies by eight wickets in the third and final test in Hamilton on Saturday, to claim the three-match Test series two-nil.

HAMILTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s T
im Southee successfully appeals for
 the wicket of West Indies’
 Veersammy Permaul.

 

The win was also the hosts’ first since 2006 against the Windies. Resuming on the fourth day at six without loss, New Zealand cruised to their target of 122 with eight wickets in hand.

Despite the loss of Peter Fulton (10) during the morning session and Kane Williamson (56) on the verge of victory, the home team crawled to an historic series win. Hamish Rutherford, who shared in an 83-run second-wicket partnership with Williamson, finished the match unbeaten on 48, hitting a boundary to confirm the result, alongside Man of the Match Ross Taylor (2). Read more: 

Colombian gov't scholarships galore But Jamaicans not applying for them......"We offer 15 scholarships a year to Jamaicans to study in Colombia, but nobody applies,"

THE Colombian Government has been trying to entice Jamaicans to study in that country for several years, but there have been no takers, one of its senior diplomats has said.

"We offer 15 scholarships a year to Jamaicans to study in Colombia, but nobody applies," bemoaned Deputy Head of Mission at the Colombian Embassy in Kingston William Bush. "Now we are promoting the fact that we have these scholarships," Bush told the Jamaica Observer.

The diplomat in an interview with the Sunday Observer last week, said that qualified Jamaicans would study at various locations across the country as part of a wider arrangement of cooperation between Jamaica and Colombia that has several other education components. Read more: 

IN JAMAICA: Sex slaves - Prostitute wants Gov't to probe brothels Several under-aged girls being exploited, sex worker claims

A sex worker who has admitted to working in more than 12 sex shops in Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril, has described conditions in many of the establishments as "worse than slavery", with girls as young as age 14 working, often without pay.

The sex worker, who gave her name only as 'Diamond', wants the police to investigate the operations of the shops and the treatment of the girls. "At one place you have to work 24 hours, and if they catch you sleeping is $3,000 draw from yuh pay. If a man walk in and yuh say yuh don't want to 'catch' that man because yuh don't feel like doing business with him, is a $3,000 charge," Diamond told the Jamaica Observer.

Read more: 

Tess is home! BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS of TESSANNE CHIN BACK IN JAMAICA (VIDEO)

Jamaican songbird Tessanne Chin is now on home soil after her historic win on the NBC talent show The Voice on Tuesday night. Chin touched down at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston just after 7:00 last night from New York on a private jet courtesy of her sponsors Digicel, to a red carpet welcome.

Here Chin, with trophy in hand, disembarks to wild cheers as sponsorship manager at Digicel Tahnida Nunes (right) looks on. Chin's first local 
performance will be on the Shaggy & Friends charity show on January 4. (PHOTO: BRYAN CUMMINGS) Read more: 

Tessanne Chin on Kathie Lee & Hoda

Access Hollywood: Tessanne Chin's interview after winning the VOICE.

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IN JAMAICA: Police Seize Benz, Set Eyes On Drug Kingpin's Other Assets......As the half-billion-dollar empire of convicted Jamaican drug kingpin Andrew Hamilton continues to crumble

As the half-billion-dollar empire of convicted Jamaican drug kingpin Andrew Hamilton continues to crumble, the Financial Investigations Division (FID) yesterday revealed that it had identified several properties it will seek to have forfeited to the State.

Head of the FID, Justin Felice, told The Gleaner that the properties - both residential units and open lots - are valued at "large amounts".

This Mercedes-Benz motor car was seized
 by the police at the Central Sorting Office
 in Kingston yesterday.
 - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer

Yesterday, detectives from the FID swooped down on the Central Sorting Office on South Camp Road in Kingston and seized a late-model Mercedes-Benz motor car believed to be among Hamilton's assets.

Felice explained that the car was among 19 assets restrained by the court but said the FID was having difficulties locating it. "We have been looking for that car for some time," he told The Gleaner.

COURT APPEARANCES

The disclosure by Felice came hours after Kingston-based attorney Dawn Satterswaite and two other accused linked to Hamilton appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on money-laundering charges. read more

TESSANNE CHIN IS BACK IN JAMAICA: Welcome Home! Tessanne Touches Base For Short Break

Jamaican singer Tessanne Chin, who on Tuesday was declared winner of NBC's singing competition 'The Voice', arrived on the island last evening to a waiting crowd of supporters that included politicians, family members, friends, and well-wishers.

Tess and husband, Michael Cuffe Jr.

Her plane arrived at 7:20 p.m. and she exited into the waiting arms of her husband, Michael Cuffe. The crowd cheered as she hugged her husband; her father, Richard; her sister, singer Tami Chynn; and brother-in-law, entertainer Wayne Marshall, before greeting others in the receiving line.

Thanking everyone who turned out to welcome her, and tightly grasping the trophy she received on being named winner of the contest, Tessanne joked that she wanted a Grammy award to go along with it. Cuffe said he had her dinner - red peas soup with pig's tail (which he helped prepare) - waiting for her at home.

Richard Chin hugs his daughter, Tessanne,
 upon her arrival at the Norman Manley
 International Airport in Kingston
 last night. In the background is
 Tami Chynn, Tessanne's sister.

Her father said that when Tessanne was 15 years old, he was already imagining her walking the red carpet at the Grammys. He said he told her: "You have to dream before things come true. God knows the right time."

Tessanne became teary-eyed during a press conference held at the airport when her father-in-law, Michael Cuffe Sr, spoke about the close bond she shared with her sister, Tami. read more

President Obama's Half-Brother, Mark Obama Publishes Autobiography - Addresses Domestic Abuse, Reveals Private Family Matters

President Barack Obama's half-brother is publishing an autobiography that details the domestic abuse that served as the theme for his earlier semi-autobiographical novel, which featured an abusive parent patterned on their late father.

Mark Obama Ndesandjo also recounts his sporadic-but-intense encounters with his brother over the years in Cultures: My Odyssey of Self-Discovery. The self-published book, to be released in February, also tries to set the record straight on some points in the president's bestselling 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father. In that book, Obama seeks to learn more about their father, a mostly absent figure, after learning of his death in a car crash in 1982 at age 46. read more