THOUSANDS MASS IN NYC: Protest Police Brutality... 'Justice For All'... PHOTOS: Signs Illustrate Diversity Of #BlackLivesMatter Movement... Thousands More March To Capitol In D.C.... Demonstrators In San Francisco, Oakland... Arrests In Boston...

Thousands of protesters streamed out of New York City's Washington Square Park on Saturday to protest the killings of unarmed black people by police officers, as part of the "Millions March NYC."

Protesters out in their thousands

The crowd began to wind its way through Manhattan. A large labor union contingent was present, including members of the Communications Workers of America wearing red shirts and AFL-CIO supporters waving blue signs.

In contrast to other marches over the past week, this large, orderly demonstration took place during the day. A number of families with children took part, and demonstrators followed a pre-planned route. The march made its way uptown to Herald Square, then looped back downtown, with thunderous chants of "Hands up! Don't shoot!" and "Justice! Now!" echoing down Broadway. The demonstration was scheduled to culminate at One Police Plaza.

Protest against police brutality

Protesters held up 8 panels depicting Eric Garner's eyes, created by an artist known as JR. "The eyes were chosen as the most important part of the face," said Tony Herbas of Bushwick, an assistant to the artist. Also at the front of the march were New York City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez and New York state Assemblyman-elect Charles Barron.

Matthew Brown, a 19-year-old who is African-American and Hispanic, marched down Broadway with his mother, aunt and other family members.

"I'm trying to support a movement that really needs young people like myself," said Brown. "I'm here to speak for Mike Brown."

The teenager said part of his motivation for making the trek from West Orange, New Jersey, with his family was his own personal experience. He's encountered racist verbal abuse from police in Jersey City, he said, who have called him "spic" and monkey."

Outside Traders Joes, NYC

Citing the cases of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice, Brown said part of the reason he wanted to speak out was because of the way police represent encounters with African-Americans. "I just see so many lies after lies."

He also attended the People's Climate March in September. But this march felt more intense to him. "This is one that's really affecting people on a deep, emotional level," Brown said.

Krystal Martinez, a 23-year-old schoolteacher, said she attended the march to send a simple message: "I don't want my students' names chanted at any of these events." more

Black-White Wealth Gap Has Reached A 24-Year High : The median wealth of black households dropped an astonishing 34 percent from 2010 to 2013....In dollars, that meant the median white household was worth $141,900, while the median black household was worth just $11,000.

The Huffington Post | By Alexander C. Kaufman Email Posted: 12/12/2014 9:02 pm EST 

The economy is recovering, but not the bottom line for black Americans, according to new figures from the Pew Research Center.

The median wealth of black households dropped an astonishing 34 percent from 2010 to 2013, according to Pew's analysis of Federal Reserve data. That of white households grew slightly over the same period.

In dollars, that meant the median white household was worth $141,900, while the median black household was worth just $11,000. Wealth was defined here as the difference between the value of the household's assets -- like a house and stocks -- and its liabilities.

Another way to look at it: The median wealth of white households was 13 times higher than the median wealth of black households last year. That’s the widest gap measured since 1989, when white people’s fortunes were 17 times bigger. Between then and now, the gap was at its narrowest in 1998 and 2001, when white households were six times as wealthy as black households.

For many middle-class Americans, wealth is tied to the value of their homes. When the housing market crashed in 2007, the value of Americans' assets took a beating across racial groups. Yet in the recovery, blacks have not bounced back as well as whites.

Black homeownership rates in the U.S. have historically been lower than white homeownership rates for a variety of reasons, but primarily due to a long history of racist housing policies that legal reforms have not entirely erased. During the housing boom of the last decade, blacks were more likely to get stuck with high-cost subprime mortgage loans than whites. In the crash, blacks were more likely to lose their homesthan whites. more

MONTEGO BAY, St James : Police ID dancehall promoter Corey Todd’s attacker

Saturday, December 13, 2014 by Horace Hines  

MONTEGO BAY, St James — The St James police have released the identity of the gunman who was shot and killed after he wounded nightclub operator and dancehall promoter Corey Todd on Thursday morning.

Corey Todd

The deceased has been identified as Corey Grant, 29, unemployed of 2 Warehouse Avenue, Kingston 2.

The police recovered a Glock 17 9mm pistol from the body of Grant.

Reports are that about 5:00 am, Todd, who operates the Taboo Nightclub in Fairview, St James, was closing the facility when he was shot in his arm by Grant.

The police said a licensed firearm holder, who was in the company of Todd during the attack, challenged Grant who was shot and killed.

The police are now seeking a motorcyclist who is believed to have been the accomplice of Todd's attacker, but sped away after the nightclub operator was shot.

No motive has been established for the attack.

— 

INFLUENTIAL disc jockey Ron Muschette leaves IRIE FM

Saturday, December 13, 2014 

INFLUENTIAL disc jockey Ron Muschette is no longer with radio station IRIE FM. He resigned yesterday "with immediate effect".

No reason was given for the resignation but Muschette, 41, said there is no animosity between him and the station that helped make him one of local entertainment's biggest names.

Ron Muschette

Muschette joined the all-reggae station in 1999 and hosted the widely-popular Wake-Up Call, which airs from 6:00 am to 10:00 am on weekdays.Fyah

"I'm grateful for my time at IRIE FM and for all the wonderful experiences it brought. I was able to travel the world and be recognised for my talent. That is an inspiration in itself and I will be forever thankful," Muschette said in a release.

Muschette, who is from Westmoreland, started his career as a Barry G (former Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation disc jockey Barry Gordon) sound-alike at an in-house radio station while working as an entertainment coordinator at Sandals Montego Bay .

After going to IRIE FM in 1999, he quickly established himself as one of local radio's top announcers, playing a number of pre-release songs by top artistes.

Muschette is the second top disc jockey to leave a leading radio station in a matter of weeks. Jerry 'Jerry D' Davey was sacked by the RJR Communications Group in November.

RBN USTREAM Broadcast (BELOW)     
ENTER CHAT, LISTEN & WATCH BROADCAST LIVE 24/7

               FOR AUDIO ONLY (No Commercials) - CLICK PLAYER ABOVE on RIGHT

                                                                              OR

                  FOR USTREAM VIEWING & RBN CHATROOM CLICK ON PLAYER BELOW    

To listen, click PLAY icon above then unmute speaker icon at bottom left on player after a brief commercial. You may also listen commercial FREE by clicking ON AIR-Listen LIVE AUDIO BOX above or TUNE-IN LINK or call in on Tele at 213-401-0061. Enjoy the sweet music.To chat below, please sign in with your RBN account.Please support the scholarship program by considering to donate at least $10.00 at www.PALAS1.org. Thank you very much.

"Racism Within: Wake up".....A Brad Allen Johnson short film,,,.

Post by Bjay Brad Allen.

With the recent non-indictment of Ferguson, Missouri former Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18 year old Michael Brown, nationwide protesting, uproar and rioting, a series of serious questions were asked. Is black on black crime a fallacy? Can the seemingly "self hatred" (particularly among African American males) be considered racism within? Is the concept of community an oxymoron in African American culture? Lastly, with such deep rooted prejudice, bigotry, racism and overall discrimination past and present history towards African Americans (and people of color in general), why violate one another within? African Americans can anticipate some form of continued racism from the usual ignorant suspects on the outside. However, why treat each other with the same level of hatred & prejudice within?

Watch J. Cole Perform His Moving Tribute to Michael Brown on Letterman

Killer Mike might’ve been the most vocal figure in hip-hop this year following the outrage over the shooting death of Michael Brown, but J. Cole has arguably been the most active. He visited Ferguson the week after Brown’s death and, last week, he quietly marched in a protest following the Eric Garner grand jury decision. During an appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman Wednesday night, rather than perform a song from his new album, he instead delivered a passionate rendition of the song he released for Brown over the summer, “Be Free.”

He even added a striking new verse to the song that envisions how he’d like to see Obama’s presidency end. Given Letterman’s stunned reaction, it’s a wonder why Cole chose not to include “Be Free” on his new album.

Congressional staffers walked out from their jobs to show their support for the families of #MichaelBrown and #EricGarner after two grand juries decided not to indict the police officers responsible for their deaths.

Post by CNN.

Chronixx now 'Down Under' : The Dread and Terrible tour of roots reggae act Chronixx and his Zincfence Redemption band is currently in Australia and New Zealand.

Friday, December 12, 2014    

The Dread and Terrible tour of roots reggae act Chronixx and his Zincfence Redemption band is currently in Australia and New Zealand.

Chronixx

This is the first time the Smile Jamaica artiste is taking to the stage in those two countries which have a growing reggae pull.

Chronixx says he is excited about being invited to perform and will be performing in the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. He took to the stage in Sydney yesterday, and is performing in Melbourne tonight. He then jets to the annual Raggamuffin Festival in New Zealand tomorrow.

This year has been an exciting one for Chronixx and his team, with many high points. His first official released project, Dread and Terrible, immediately topped the iTunes and Billboard charts after its release in April.

Following his stops 'down under' Chronixx says he is looking forward to crossing the Pacific Ocean to perform in places that he describes as being, "on the other side of the world and most youths only see and hear about on TV, like in documentaries on National Geographic and Animal Planet".

Having performed on the continents of Africa, North America and Europe, at 22 years old, Chronixx says he feels privileged that music is giving him the opportunity to discover the whole Earth and its people.

JAMAICAN Active Dancers & Co at Irie Fashion Rave....the butterfly,the boggle,ska so many dance Jamaicans have created and transformed

Post by BonJamTV.

IN JAMAICA: Students upset at failure after exam passing grade changed without notice.... Nursing exam problem appears to be regional

BY ANIKA RICHARDS Observer staff reporter richardsai@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, December 12, 2014    

RECENT graduates of nursing programmes across the island are crying foul and demanding answers from the Nursing Council of Jamaica (NCJ) after more than 50 of them received failing grades in the recent Regional Examination for Nurse Registration (RENR).

The group of graduate nurses, which reportedly stretches across the University of the West Indies, Northern Caribbean University, the University of Technology, Jamaica, and International University of the Caribbean, is asserting that the pass mark was changed from 60 per cent to 66 per cent without any consultation or even an attempt at informing them.

The council is the regulatory body designed to control the training and practice of nurses, midwives, and assistant nurses. It also registers nurses, midwives and enrolled assistant nurses.

The Jamaica Observer was told yesterday that the affected graduates are also considering legal action.

One graduate nurse, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Observer that they were informed of the pass mark change after they received their results for the regional examination, which they sat in October this year. The graduate said even on the day of the exam, the students were informed that the pass mark was 60 per cent and that they had to pass both papers in order to be successful.

"Why did I pay my $12,000?" she asked. "We need answers and we need to have the matter rectified." more

Bill Cosby Drugged Me. This Is My Story By Beverly Johnson

Beverly Johnson

 Like most Americans, I spent the 60s, 70s, and part of the 80s in awe of Bill Cosby and his total domination of popular culture. He was the first African American to star in a dramatic television series, I Spy, a show my family in Buffalo, New York, always watched. Cosby cut a striking figure on-screen then. He was funny, smart, and even elegant—all those wonderful things many white Americans didn’t associate with people of color. In fact, as I thought of going public with what follows, a voice in my head kept whispering, “Black men have enough enemies out there already, they certainly don’t need someone like you, an African American with a familiar face and a famous name, fanning the flames.”

Imagine my joy in the mid-80s when an agent called to say Bill Cosby wanted me to audition for a role on the The Cosby Show. Cosby played an obstetrician, and he sometimes used models to portray pregnant women sitting in his office waiting room. It was a small part with one or two speaking lines at most, but I wanted in.

Beverly Johnson on Vogue

I was in the midst of an ugly custody battle for my only child. I needed a big break badly and appearing on The Cosby Show seemed like an excellent way of getting Hollywood’s attention. I’d appeared in one or two movies already, but my phone wasn’t exactly ringing off the hook with acting jobs.

Cosby’s handlers invited me to a taping of the show so I could get the lay of the land and an idea of what my role required. After the taping I met all the cast and then met with Cosby in his office to talk a bit about the hell I’d been through in my marriage. He appeared concerned and then asked what I wanted from my career going forward. He seemed genuinely interested in guiding me to the next level. I was on cloud nine. more

THE ARCHITECTS DIG IN Cheney: Torture Report 'Full Of Crap'... Bush Not Kept In The Dark... Hayden On Rectal Rehydration: 'Medical Procedure'... Yoo: Report Cannot Deny 'Record Of Success'... Psychologist Defends Program... UDALL GOES OFF: Accuses CIA, White House Of Engaging In 'Cover-Up'... 'The CIA Is Lying'... 'Not A Problem Of The Past'... CIA's Claims Of Torture Legitimacy Destroyed... Led To Fabricated Info... Didn't Help Find Bin Laden... The Most Egregious Lies... Obama Won't Take Sides...

\

Key figures in the George W. Bush administration and an architect of the CIA's post-9/11 torture program are defending the so-called enhanced interrogation tactics in the wake of the Senate Intelligence Committee's bombshell report.

The 500-page report summary released Tuesday sheds light on gruesome tactics used by CIA interrogators on terror suspects who were captured and brought to secret locations outside U.S. jurisdiction. Some detainees were subject to a practice known as "rectal feeding," in which food is pumped into an individual through the anus. Others were waterboarded until they were close to drowning. Interrogators deprived detainees sleep, forced them to maintain "stress positions" and in one instance reportedly played Russian roulette with a detainee, according to the summary.

The report also deflates the argument that torture helped find Osama bin Laden andled to the capture of other terror suspects. At times, the report found, interrogation prompted detainees to give fabricated or inaccurate information....

Woman's body found in grave in the New Haven community of Duhaney Park, St Andrew, late yesterday....."Lawd Jesus! Look what the community come to!" said one woman

Thursday, December 11, 2014   

THE body of a woman was found in a shallow grave in the New Haven community of Duhaney Park, St Andrew, late yesterday.

Police at the scene where the girl's body was found.
(Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Police on the scene told the Jamaica Observer that they received reports that a woman was stabbed to death and her body buried close to a house located off Gordon Terrace in the area.

Police say people in the area stumbled upon the burial site after seeing a "toe" protruding from beneath the ground.

"The female has not been identified but based on the information she would have visited the area before," said one detective on the scene.

The discovery of the body triggered shock and anger in the community.

"Lawd Jesus! Look what the community come to!" said one woman from the area as a team of police searched the hillside for clues.

Police disclosed that one man was being questioned in connection to the gruesome find.

— Kimmo Matthews

Malala Yousafzai Nobel Peace Prize Speech | Oslo : TV5 News

Nobel Peace Prize winners Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan and Kailash Satyarthi 
of India hold their Nobel Peace Prize diplomas and medals during the Nobel Peace 
Prize award ceremony in Oslo.

#WhiteCoats4BlackLives: Medical Students Stage Nationwide Protests Against Police Brutality..."I Can't Breathe" & "Hands Up Don't Shoot" protests

The Huffington Post | By Lilly Workneh Email Posted: 12/10/2014 7:29 pm EST 

Medical students from more than 70 schools on Wednesday protested racial profiling and police brutality through the social media initiative #WhiteCoats4BlackLives.

Hundreds of medical students wore white coats at “die-ins” and other protests on campuses to spotlight racial bias as a public health issue.

USC Medical students

The medical students joined others who have demonstrated since grand juries in Ferguson, Missouri, and in New York City declined to indict white police officers in the killings of unarmed black men. Some of the protests have involved students, including those in high schools, colleges and Ivy league schools.

Pictures that circulated Wednesday showed medical students holding signs that read, “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot,” and, “We Can’t Breathe” -- rallying cries for those protesting the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York.

University of California,
San Francisco students

The effort was endorsed by Students for a National Health Program, an affiliate of Physicians for a National Health Program, an organization of more than 19,000 medical students and professionals that advocates for improved universal Medicare.

“We as medical students feel that this is an important time for medical institutions to respond to violence and race-related trauma that affect our communities and the patients we serve,” says a statement on the organization’s website.

“We feel it is essential to begin a conversation about our role in addressing the explicit and implicit discrimination and racism in our communities and reflect on the systemic biases embedded in our medical education curricula, clinical learning environments, and administrative decision-making.” more

Can't Hijack Air Jamaica

TIVOLI GARDENS INQUIRY: Painful - 67-year-old Joan McCarth, Elderly witness breaks down in tears recounting the killing of her grandnephew and son-in-law by policemen whom she said wrapped their bodies in bed linen to take them out of her house......The only weapon found was a kitchen knife, says witness

AN elderly woman yesterday gave emotional evidence in the Tivoli inquiry, recounting the killing of her grandnephew and son-in-law by policemen whom she said wrapped their bodies in bed linen to take them out of her house.

Witness on the stand in Tivoli inquiry

"They slaughter them like a lamb to the slaughter. No one could believe that they would kill them because they didn't react. They were just so scared. They were just so nervous. Oh God," 67-year-old Joan McCarthy, her eyes red and filled with tears when questioned by attorney Michael Lorne (representing the Office of the Public Defender).

"I didn't have a gunman in my house. I can swear for Andre Smith that he was not a gunman. They don't go anywhere. No matter how close the community centre is, they don't go over there," she added.

Earlier in McCarthy's evidence-in-chief, commission chairman Sir David Simmons had to adjourn the sitting for approximately 20 minutes to allow her to compose herself as she broke down crying.

The reaction in the room at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston suggested that onlookers, too, welcomed the break, after hearing McCarthy's grief-filled account of the killings that occurred on May 24, 2010, the day police and soldiers entered Tivoli Gardens amid gunfire to capture then Tivoli Gardens don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke and restore law and order to the barricaded West Kingston community.

McCarthy's grandnephew Andre Smith and son-in-law Dwayne Edwards -- both in their 20s -- were among the 75 people, including a policeman and a soldier, who died on that fateful day that captured international attention. more

VP in legal battle : CLIVE Chin - son of late VP Records owner Vincent Chin -- has filed a US$3 million lawsuit against his step-mother, Patricia, over the ownership of songs he wrote...Chin is contenting that his late father's Queens-based VP Music Group has been licensing more than 1,100 songs, written by him and recorded by artistes, without permission..

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

CLIVE Chin - son of late VP Records owner Vincent Chin -- has filed a lawsuit against his step-mother, Patricia, over the ownership of songs he wrote.

Clive Chin & Paricia Chin-VP Records

According to an article posted on the New York Post website, Chin, 60, filed the federal lawsuit in Brooklyn, New York.

Chin is contenting that his late father's Queens-based VP Music Group has been licensing more than 1,100 songs, written by him and recorded by artistes, without permission.

He is seeking US$3 million from his stepmother and three music companies he claims knowingly tried to scam him.

Patricia claims the copyrights to the music were part of the "marital estate" left by her husband.

Clive Chin has worked with major players in the reggae/dancehall industry including the Wailers, Dennis Brown, Black Uhuru and Lee 'Scratch' Perry.

His first major commercial success was Java, an international hit by Augustus Pablo. He also produced Pablo's debut album, This is Augustos Pablo.

He had further local hits with Dennis Brown's Cheater, and Junior Byles' King of Babylon. Other hits include Carl Malcolm's Miss Wire Waist and Fattie Bum Bum, which, with the help of Jonathan King, became a UK chart hit in 1975, reaching number 8. more

Federal autopsy released in Ferguson shooting....The Justice Department autopsy found that Brown died from multiple gunshot wounds and had severe head and chest injuries, though it noted that the chest injury might have been an exit wound from a shot that entered Brown's arm.

ST LOUIS (AP) — A federal autopsy in the Ferguson police shooting reached similar conclusions to those performed by local officials and a private examiner hired by 18-year-old Michael Brown's family, documents show.

Tuesday, December 09, 2014 | 7:45 AM   

The Armed Forces Medical Examiner System's autopsy on Brown, conducted at the request of the Department of Justice, was among grand jury documents that St Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch released Monday with little explanation. Other documents include transcripts of eight federal interviews of possible witnesses to Brown's shooting in early August; police radio traffic; and an alleged audio recording of the shots fired by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.

The image of Michael Brown is seen on this placard
being carried by a protestor in Ferguson.

Many of the documents contained information that was similar or identical to the materials that McCulloch released on November 24 after a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson in Brown's death. A transcript of testimony from an Air Force pathologist who performed the Justice Department autopsy was included in the November documents, but the autopsy report itself was not released until Monday.

The transcripts of the witness interviews that were released Monday were already included in previously released testimony heard by the grand jury.

The Justice Department autopsy found that Brown died from multiple gunshot wounds and had severe head and chest injuries, though it noted that the chest injury might have been an exit wound from a shot that entered Brown's arm. The autopsy also found a minor gunshot wound to Brown's right hand was evidence of close range discharge of a firearm.

Wilson told the local grand jury that his gun went off during a tussle with Brown through the open window of his police car moments before Brown was fatally shot.

The Justice Department is conducting a separate civil rights investigation into Brown's death. more

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: Nelson Mandela's ex-wife, Winnie takes swipe at widow, Graca Machel over his will....She said she was not going to evict the anti-apartheid icon "simply because he was married to a third wife"

Tuesday, December 09, 2014 | 4:20 AM  

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) - Nelson Mandela's former wife has taken a swipe at his widow Graca Machel, as she continues her fight to acquire the late statesman's rural house in Qunu.

Winnie Mandela, Nelson's ex-wife

In an interview published Tuesday, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela questioned why the property was left to Mozambican-born Machel, whom she said already owns "the world in Mozambique".

Winnie in October launched a legal challenge against Mandela's will claiming that the house, built on an expansive estate where the revered South African leader is buried, was acquired by her in 1989.

Mandela was still in prison at the time.

"I let him live on my property," the 78-year-old Madikizela-Mandela told the Daily Dispatch newspaper.

Nelson Mandela

She said she was not going to evict the anti-apartheid icon "simply because he was married to a third wife". 

"It is such a pity he is no longer there for me to ask just what on earth would have brought him to elect that he would take my land and give it away to someone who actually has a whole world in Mozambique, because she's got her four houses in Mozambique."

Madikizela-Mandela went a court to nullify the registration of the property in Mandela's name. The case is yet to be heard.

The couple divorced in 1996 and she was not named in his $4.4 million (3.4 million euro) estate in Mandela's will which was released in February after his death in December 2013. more

Unarmed People of Color Killed by Police, 1999-2014 : Seventy-six (76) men and women who were killed in police custody since the 1999 death of Amadou Diallo in New York

by Rich Juzwiak and Aleksander Chan 12/9/14
On Wednesday, after the announcement that NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo would not be indicted for killing Eric Garner, the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund Twitter posted a series of tweets naming 76 men and women who were killed in police custody since the 1999 death of Amadou Diallo in New York. Starting with the most recent death, what follows are more detailed accounts of many of those included in the Legal Defense Fund's tweets. 

Miriam Carey, 34, Washington, D.C.—October 3, 2013

While attempting to make a U-turn at a White House checkpoint, Carey allegedly hit a barricade and a Secret Service officer in front of the White House. After a high-speed chase, police surrounded her, weapons drawn. She was shot five times in the chase and died at the scene. She was unarmed. Her daughter was in the car with her and was unharmed.Aftermath: The U.S. Attorney's Office declined to press charges.

Tamon Robinson, 27, New York, N.Y.—April 18, 2012

Police responded to a call from Canarsie, Brooklyn that Robinson was stealing paving stones. When confronted by police, Robinson, unarmed, ran toward the building where his mother lived; officers chased him by car, hitting him. Aftermath: Robinson's family reached a $2 million settlement in a wrongful death suit against the city this year.

Kimani Gray, 16, New York, N.Y.—March 9, 2013

Police said Gray pointed a revolver at them as they attempted to question him. Friends and family say Gray had never had a gun, and a witness says he never pointed one at police. The cops shot a total of 11 rounds, striking Gray several times. Aftermath: No indictments for the cops responsible for shooting Gray.

more

IN JAMAICA: St Thomas man, Winston Lindsay accused of killing his brother, 36-year-old Leroy Lindsay gets $250,000 bail....while laying on the ground, Leroy blurted, "Look how Winston kill me fi something that me nuh know bout."

Tuesday, December 09, 2014 Tanesha Mundle  

A St Thomas man accused of stabbing his brother to death over a headphone was yesterday offered $250,000 bail when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

Winston Lindsay was arrested on August 9 -- a day after he allegedly killed his brother, 36-year-old Leroy Lindsay, who was a Seventh-Day Adventist elder of Sommerset in St Thomas.

Bail

The incident reportedly occurred at their father's home in St Thomas where the now deceased and his church brethren had gone to do cleaning.

The Crown is alleging that Winston confronted his brother over the headphone, which he accused him of taking. However, the brother denied taking the device and was allegedly attacked and stabbed in his side with a machete.

According to the prosecutor, there are two alleged eyewitnesses -- one who overheard Winston threatening to kill his brother and another who saw both brothers wrestling on the ground and Leroy later bleeding profusely from his side.

"So did anyone see the actual stabbing?" Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey enquired.

The prosecutor, in reply, said 'no' but indicated that one witness allegedly saw Winston with a knife and machete and even intervened to prevent him from stabbing his brother after he lay bleeding on the ground.

According to the prosecutor, one of the witnesses alleged that while laying on the ground, Leroy blurted, "Look how Winston kill me fi something that me nuh know bout." more

ST ANN, JAMAICA: Brutal! Shaw Park Gardens manager, 45-year-old Wycliff Scott killed in office; firearm stolen...."How yuh fi have this big place and no cameras?" one angry man asked.

BY RENAE DIXON Observer staff reporter dixonr@jamaicaobserver.com  Tuesday, December 09, 2014    

THE manager of Shaw Park Gardens in St Ann was yesterday shot dead inside his office in a mid-morning attack that raised concerns about security at the property.

Wycliff Scott

A large pool of blood behind 45-year-old Wycliff Scott's chair in his small office told the tale of the tragedy that has left his family and co-workers devastated.

According to the police, Scott's firearm was taken by the two men who, at approximately 10:00 am, stopped by his office for about 10 minutes and talked to him before shooting him.

According to people at the scene yesterday, residents of the neighbouring communities of Pimento Walk and Parry Town normally walk through the property. Therefore, when the two men entered the property, yesterday, no one became suspicious.

After the murder, both men were seen running from the manager's office. The men reportedly escaped in the thick vegetation that surrounds the property.

While many lamented the murder of a man they described as loving and caring, others expressed concern about the level of security on the property.

"How yuh fi have this big place and no cameras?" one angry man asked.

"If they have camera, the police could just look and see ah who," he added.

Scott, who lived in Charles Town, St Mary, had been working at the property for the past four years. He is the father of two children, ages 11 and 15.

"He was a humble, quiet person," one man at the scene told the Jamaica Observer. "He was a very nice understanding person, a caring loving guy." more

Sierra Leone seeing 80-100 new Ebola cases daily

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Sierra Leone said Friday that between 80 and 100 new cases of Ebola are being reported every day and the country now hardest-hit by the deadly virus desperately needs over 1,000 beds to treat victims.

one more ebola death in SL

Sierra Leone's Finance Minister Kaifalah Marah painted a grim picture to the UN Economic and Social Council Friday of the challenges facing his West African nation which failed to meet a World Health Organization interim goal of isolating 70 per cent of Ebola patients and safely burying 70 per cent of victims by December 1.

The two other hard-hit countries, Liberia and Guinea, did meet the deadline, and the UN's Ebola chief Dr David Nabarro said the number of new cases in Liberia has dropped from 60 per day in September to 10 per day now.

But Nabarro and WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan stressed that a much greater effort is needed to reach the elusive goal of zero new cases.

"The Ebola outbreak is the largest, longest, most severe and most complex Ebola epidemic in the nearly 40-year history of this disease," Chan said. "What began as a health crisis has become a crisis with humanitarian, social, economic and security implications."

She said by videoconference from Geneva that "the fear for Ebola is moving faster than the virus". more

Eric Garner Protests On West Coast Turn Unruly...A second night of protest against police killings in Missouri and New York turned violent again in Berkeley as some demonstrators threw rocks and bottles at officers, assaulted each other

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — A second night of protest against police killings in Missouri and New York turned violent again in Berkeley as some demonstrators threw rocks and bottles at officers, assaulted each other and shut down a freeway, police said.

Sunday's protest began peacefully on the University of California, Berkeley campus. But as protesters marched through downtown Berkeley toward the neighboring city of Oakland, the unrest resumed as someone smashed the window of a Radio Shack. When a protester tried to stop the growing vandalism, he was hit with a hammer, Officer Jennifer Coats said.

Some of the protesters made their way to a freeway in Oakland and blocked traffic. The California Highway Patrol said some tried to light a patrol vehicle on fire and threw rocks and bottles. Police also said explosives were thrown at officers, but there was no information immediately available on how potent they were. Highway patrol officers responded with tear gas. more

TODAY (12/9/14) is 20 Years Since Garnett Silk Passed: Garnett Silk In Studio Interview With David Rodigan on Kiss 100 FM 1993 & by Peggy Quattro

The Jamaica Observer continues its 20-part series, 20 Days of Silk, which looks at the life of roots singer Garnet Silk. This month marks 20 years since his death.

Garnet Silk at home with his children
 (from left) Derron, Arrayma and Fabian
 on the day of the interview in
February 1994. At right: Garnet Silk
holding a baby while posing for
 picture with Reggae Report
magazine’s M Peggy Quattro.
 (PHOTO COURTESY REGGAE
 REPORT MAGAZINE)

PEGGY Quattro did not know what to expect when she arrived in Kingston to interview reggae star Garnet Silk for her Reggae Report magazine in February 1994.

The last time she saw the singer was five months earlier. He was being helped off the stage at a New York City nightclub, unable to complete a show due to what doctors later diagnosed as exhaustion.

Garnett with family

He had not performed in concert since.

When Quattro showed up at Silk's home in the St Andrew hills, his mood was completely different.

"He was gracious, he was funny. He was just being himself," Quattro told the Sunday Observer.

The Ohio-born Quattro spent most of the day with the Rastafarian artiste, who she said was prepared to discuss everything. Even rumours that his absence from the music scene was his addiction to hard drugs.

"He told me why he was not on a lot of shows and spoke about the drug stories. He said every man has faults but his wasn't drugs," she recalled. more

(POWERFUL) What I Wasn't Taught In School....Word On The Curb presents a Spoken word short film for those frustrated at Black History teaching in schools (6:55 mins VIDEO)

Word On The Curb presents a Spoken word short film for those frustrated at Black History teaching in schools.

Disillusioned student Samuel King relays his grievances to his teacher that Black History Month isn't taught with as much depth and with as much pride in schools. 

Samuel engages in a short rebuttal with his teacher, before arguing that education in school does little to satisfy his thirst for knowledge of influential people in Black history who seem to be elusive in the curriculum. 

Samuel names the likes of Patricia E. Bath, King Musa I of Mali, Mary Prince, Sir Trevor McDonald, Ella Baker, Septimius Severus, Fuse ODG, Jamal Edwards, Garrett Morgan and Kwame Nkrumah as individuals he could be taught about. "There seems to be a lot you haven't told us, and you shut down and hold back on the bold ones who stand against the way you're trying to mold us"