Trump signs revised travel ban, exempts Iraqis…Read full details

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US President Donald Trump. PHOTO: AFP

US President Donald Trump signed a revised ban on travelers from six Muslim-majority nations Monday, scaling back the order to exempt Iraqis and permanent US residents.

With his first attempt frozen by federal courts, Trump signed a second order halting new visas for Syrians, Iranians, Libyans, Somalis, Yemenis and Sudanese citizens.

The White House said Trump — who is embroiled in controversy over his aides’ links to Russia — signed the order behind closed doors Monday morning.

The new order is meant to address legal problems. It explicitly exempts Iraqis, legal permanent residents and valid visa holders.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, one of three cabinet members rolled out to present the order in Trump’s absence, described it as “a vital measure” for strengthening national security.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions added that it “provides a needed pause” allowing a review of how America deals with travelers from “countries of concern.”

“Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism,” Sessions said, referring to Iran, Sudan and Syria.

He added that others had served as “safe havens” for terror operatives.

Critics questioned the composition of the list, which includes citizens from countries that have never been involved in terror attacks in the United States.

They accused Trump of covertly pursuing his controversial and possibly illegal campaign promise of a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”

The question of Trump’s intent is likely to dominate new legal challenges that are already being flagged by organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union.

“President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people,” said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU’s Immigrant Rights Project.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the measure should be repealed, adding: “A watered down ban is still a ban.”

– Travel ban, take two –

Trump’s first order had sparked a legal, political and logistical furor.

There was chaos at major airports and mass protests while several district courts moved to block its implementation and lawmakers expressed opposition.

The troubled rollout also dominated the first weeks of the new administration, leaving many with the impression that it was badly planned and badly implemented.

Polls show that American public opinion is deeply divided on the issue. Most indicate a slight majority of voters opposed, with strong support among Trump’s political base.

The Republican president criticized a court order suspending the ban as “a very bad decision, very bad for the safety and security of our country. The rollout was perfect.”

But he has now stepped away from a promise to challenge the matter in the courts. The second order repeals the first, spelling the end of any pending legal proceedings.

Whatever the legal outcome, Trump’s new ban is likely to polarize opinion further and be immensely popular with his core supporters.

– Shoulder to shoulder –

Iraq’s inclusion in the first order prompted outrage in that country, including from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

It risked scuttling cooperation between Baghdad and Washington in fighting the Islamic State group.

The US and Iraqi militaries are currently fighting side-by-side in northern Iraq, trying to wrest the city of Mosul from jihadist control.

The Iraqi foreign ministry on Monday expressed its “deep satisfaction” with the new order, and described it as an “important step” in strengthening relations between Baghdad and Washington.

But the revised travel ban is also likely to sow further confusion about US immigration policies.

On Monday, Nigeria advised its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States, citing the lack of clarity on new immigration rules.

“In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria,” said special adviser to the president Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

According to a report released Monday by travel data firm Forwardkeys, travel from the United States to the Middle East has also fallen sharply, with bookings for departure in the next three months falling 25.4 percent behind the equivalent time last year.

– Roiled by Russia –

But the ban is likely to help Trump divert attention from rolling crises on his ties with Russia.

Since US intelligence publicly accused Russia of trying to swing the November election in Trump’s favor, questions have swirled about whether some in Trump’s campaign colluded with Moscow.

The last week has seen his attorney general recuse himself from election-related investigations, after it emerged he met the Russian ambassador in Washington twice during the campaign.

It has also seen Trump level unsubstantiated allegations that former president Barack Obama ordered a wiretap on the now president’s phone.

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Pro-Trump town in Colorado warily eyes new president…Read full details

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Gene Smallwood, 80, of Eaton, Colorado poses for a portrait inside his barber shop on February 10, 2017. Gene is among the 71% of registered voters in Eaton who voted for President Donald Trump during the 2016 US presidential election and feels that Trump will create jobs that will help fuel the US economy.<br />Jason Connolly / AFP

A 90-minute drive from Denver lies Eaton, one of the safest towns in Colorado and one of the few in the state that overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump.

Here, residents of the rural community surrounded by farmland and cattle ranches see in Trump a candidate that will deliver on his promise to bring jobs back to America and — as he repeatedly said on the campaign trail — “drain the swamp” in Washington.

One month into his presidency, many of the town’s 5,000 or so residents, 71 percent of whom voted for Trump, still believe in their candidate, though they admit his style may not always be presidential. Trump stunned many people Thursday with a rambling, 76-minute news conference in which he was at turns angry, defensive, playful, boastful and introspective.

“I’m hoping Trump will settle down,” said Gene Smallwood, 80, who has owned a barbershop in Eaton since 1968 and admits to being a bit confused about Trump’s attack style. “He’s going too fast — slam, bam.”

Like residents in other towns across rural white America that propelled the Republican candidate to the presidency, Smallwood is more focused on seeing Trump honor his vow to rip up international trade deals and bring back jobs and is less concerned about his travel ban targeting seven Muslim-majority countries.

“I think he’s going to give it back to the people,” said Smallwood. “We had too much (manufacturing) run out of our country.

“There’s not that much here made in America.”

For the town’s mayor, Kevin Ross, who owns an insurance company, Trump is clearly running the country like a business and needs to rethink his in-your-face management style.

“He’s moving at break neck speed that DC is not used to,” said Ross. “When I make a decision in business, I can do that switch today.

– ‘President, not king’ –

“Trump has to learn it has to go through the proper channels,” he added. “He’s not a king, he’s a president.”

John Rohn, who owns the Heritage Market grocery store in town and whose grandparents came to the US from Russia “the right way,” says he doesn’t understand all the hoopla over the travel ban, which has been suspended in court.

“Everyone forgets it’s a temporary ban, not a permanent ban,” said the 65-year-old.

He said he voted for Trump to see change and because “he’s not a politician.”

“I want to give him six months. Everybody is upset with him now but people need to give his group a chance,” said Rohn. “I didn’t vote for Obama but I wasn’t out on the street picketing” when he won.

At the same time, Rohn acknowledged that the newly minted president could perhaps tone it down a bit and resist the temptation to say whatever pops into his head.

“I wish he’d quit tweeting,” he said, referring to Trump’s proclivity to turn to Twitter to communicate with the public. “It causes more problems than it does good.

“Everything that comes out of his mouth hits news. He pretty much tells it like it is and there are things I like about that.”

Rohn said he also has mixed feelings about Trump’s cabinet picks. Still, they’re not politicians, he stressed.

One of the more contentious candidates was Betsy DeVos who barely squeaked through her confirmation vote in the Senate to lead the Department of Education.

DeVos strongly supports charter schools — which receive government funds but operate independently of the public school system — and has pushed to give families taxpayer money in the form of vouchers to attend private and religious schools.

“I’m all for charter schools, but when you start saying ‘now you can take your money and go where you want to go’,” it could become a popular vote more than an education choice,” said Laura Ehrlich, 55, who also voted for Trump.

– ‘People want results’ –

Rather than make an educated choice, parents could be misled into sending their kids to a specific school based on hearsay, Ehrlich, who works as an administrative assistant for the Eaton school district and spoke in a private capacity, explained.

Still, Ehrlich said she remains optimistic that Trump will be able to achieve great things if he surrounds himself with the right people.

Arland Ball, a 57-year-old retired industrial arts teacher, is convinced Trump will make good on his promises and inspire a new national pride.

“I’m really interested in seeing if he can accomplish all his goals,” he said. “Can he really get it done with Congress?”

Ross said he fears legislators will be more worried about votes than tackling problems.

“People are looking for results,” he warned. “And Trump better deliver and Congress better deliver, or they’ll look for other jobs themselves at re-election.”

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FG not withholding statutory allocation to any state (Read full details)

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Nigeria;s finance minister Kemi Adeosun and the country's acting president Yemi Osinbajo at the 2nd Presidential Quarterly Business Forum in Abuja on Monday, January 23, 2017

The Ministry of Finance says that the Federal Government is not withholding statutory allocation to any state. The Director, Information, Mr Salisu Dambatta made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

He said that the claim by the Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State that the Ministry had withheld statutory allocation due to the state was incorrect.

According to him, the Ekiti State Government has failed to comply with the necessary requirements for participating in the Budget Support Facility (BSF), which is a Conditional Loan Programme to state governments.

“The programme was introduced with the view to enhancing fiscal prudence designed particularly to enhance transparency, efficiency in public expenditure and payment of salaries. “This is not the first time of non-compliance by the Ekiti state government.

“His administration defaulted in meeting the conditions specified and agreed upon by the 35 state governments that are participating in the programme as contained in the Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP).

“The Ekiti state government was warned formally of its failure to comply with the full requirements via a letter on Aug. 5, 2016, with reference number HMF/FMF/ASG/1/2016.’’

Dambatta said that failure of the state government to comply with the requirements and conditions for the BSF resulted in a letter sent to the Chief of Staff to notify him of the suspension of BSF for Ekiti.

He said that the letter was conveyed to President Muhammadu Buhari before payment to the state was reinstated.

According to him, the Ekiti state government and all the other participating states are aware of the consequence of failure to comply with the full conditions.

“It is not the first time a state will be stopped from accessing the facility due to non-compliance.

“In the course of its normal duties, the Ministry of Finance has the right to query, suspend or withhold funds as part of the conditions of the BSF.

“The process is for the Commissioner of Finance of any state or the governor having issues to contact the Federal Ministry of Finance.

“This is so they can resolve the issues without resorting to the media, because such issues are of a financial nature and therefore, confidential. “They are routinely resolved amicably by the parties involved.

“The Federal Ministry of Finance wishes to restate very strongly that the BSF is a conditional programme and the Federal Government will not be intimidated or threatened in the discharge of its duties.’’

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Melania Trump reopens White House for tours

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Melania Trump / AFP PHOTO / KENA BETANCUR

After pressure from lawmakers, First Lady Melania Trump announced Tuesday the White House will reopen to the public in early March, nearly seven weeks after her husband Donald became president.

White House tours are highly popular with visitors to Washington, a perk arranged by members of Congress for their constituents and foreign embassies for their nationals.

Some members of Congress had begun complaining about the long delay in restarting tours that had been suspended since Trump’s inauguration January 20.

Melania Trump said the public tours will resume March 7 of the 224-year-old White House.

“I am excited to reopen the White House to the hundreds of thousands of visitors who come each year. The White House is a remarkable and historic site and we are excited to share its beauty and history,” she said in a brief statement.

The first lady, who plans to continue living at the Trump Tower in New York until their 10-year-old son Baron finishes the school year, stressed her dedication to the White House.

“I am committed to the restoration and preservation of our nation’s most recognizable landmark,” she said.

The unusually long White House closure had irked a number of lawmakers, whose constituents were unhappy about the lack of public access.

On Sunday, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley rang the Twitter alarm.

“Whoever monitors twitter at WH for businessman president Trump ‘when is WH going to be opened for public tours?’ Mrs G wants to know,” Grassley tweeted.

A group of two dozen lawmakers circulated a letter to the White House on Monday, asking the same question.

“This time-honored tradition of allowing visitors into the White House was started by Thomas Jefferson in 1805,” the letter said, according to The Washington Post.

“Previous administrations have been quick to reopen the White House doors to the public, even doing so the day after the Inauguration.”

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Not conceding key to beat Arsenal, says Bayern’s Hummels

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Bayern Munich's defender Mats Hummels looks on during the press conference at the stadium in Munich, southern Germany, on February 14, 2017, on the eve of the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal London.<br />Christof STACHE / AFP

Bayern Munich’s Mats Hummels said keeping a clean sheet in Wednesday’s first leg would be the key to extending Arsenal’s last 16 Champions League misery.

Arsenal have lost in the last 16 in each of the last six seasons and exited at the hands of Bayern at this stage of the competition in 2005, 2013 and 2014.

Unlike the 2013 and 2014 defeats, this time around Arsenal have the advantage of playing the first leg away with the return at the Gunners’ Emirates Stadium on March 7.

Centre-back Hummels says Bayern’s priority is to make sure Arsenal do not leave Munich with a valuable away goal.

“It’s certainly an important factor to keep them to zero in a knock-out game. It’s our goal,” said Hummels.

The two clubs know each other well having already met 10 times in the Champions League, with Bayern winning five of the encounters to Arsenal’s three, with two draws.

In 2013, the Germans squeezed past the Gunners on away goals in the last 16 — 3-3 on aggregate — after Bayern’s 3-1 win in London was cancelled out by Arsenal’s 2-0 victory in Munich.

The Bavarians went on to win the title and become the first club to win the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup.

Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer dismissed the idea that meeting Arsenal again in the last 16 is a good omen for the 2017 title.

“That’s all speculation, but basically it is easier to play a team you already know,” said Neuer.

“Perhaps it’s a good omen, but I don’t believe in it.”

Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti says midfielder Xabi Alonso is fit and trained on Tuesday despite picking up a knock to his knee in Monday’s session.

The Italian denied Arsenal’s last 16 hoodoo would affect the Londoners in this tie.

“I don’t know why they have lost, it won’t be a psychological barrier, and besides, if there is one, they will want to move forward from it with this game,” said Ancelotti.

“We have to be able to make life uncomfortable for them on the pitch.”

Ancelotti won the Champions League in 2003 and 2007 with AC Milan, then repeated the feat in 2014 with Real Madrid.

Looking towards another potential final appearance in Cardiff on June 3 he identified “courage, personality, experience and luck” as the vital ingredients his team would need to show.

“Of all of these, courage is the most important — to play better than others in this competition,” he added.

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Super Bowl not my greatest game, says Brady

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HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots gestures late in the game against the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP

Tom Brady may have set a slew of records in the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl miracle win against the Atlanta Falcons — but the veteran quarterback says his display was far from his greatest game.

Brady, 39, secured a record fifth Super Bowl title after helping the Patriots overturn a 25-point deficit to secure a thrilling overtime win over the Falcons in Houston on February 5.

The Patriots star threw a Super Bowl record 466 yards and earned a record fourth Super Bowl MVP award in the win.

But Brady told TheMMQB.com blog that he does not see the game as his best performance ever.

“I don’t really think that is necessarily the case,” Brady said.

“I think it was one of the greatest games I have ever played in, but when I think of an interception return for a touchdown, some other missed opportunities in the first 37, 38 minutes of the game, I don’t really consider playing a good quarter-and-a-half plus overtime as one of the ‘best games ever.’

“But it was certainly one of the most thrilling for me, just because so much was on the line, and it ended up being an incredible game. There are so many things that played into that game — a high-scoring offense, a top-ranked defense, the long Super Bowl, four-and-a-half-hour game, the way that the game unfolded in the first half versus what happened in the second half … so it was just a great game.”

Brady was given a rough ride during the Super Bowl, suffering five sacks and getting hit on nine further occasions.

However the veteran said he felt no after-effects from what had been a bruising ordeal.

“I have zero pain. I feel great. I feel 100 percent,” he said.

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We need credible budget to stimulate economic growth, says Saraki

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Senate President Bukola Saraki briefing State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. PHOTO: IBRAHIM SUMAILA/TA/BJO/NAN

The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has reiterated the need for the national budget to be credible, saying the impact of credible budget on economic growth cannot not be underestimated.

Saraki made the remark on Monday in Abuja at the opening of public hearing on the 2017 budget organised by the joint committees of the Senate and House of Representatives on Appropriation.

The public hearing, the first of its kind, was organised by the National Assembly to get the views and inputs of stakeholders and critical sectors of the economy in the preparation of the 2017 budget.

The intent is to make the budget credible and align with the goal of the federal government to diversify and pull the economy out of recession.

Saraki said: “the problem has always been how best to implement the budget, which is the best tool for economic development.

“If the budget is well-crafted and implemented, it remains the most potent fiscal policy instrument of government in delivering socio-economic benefits in an all-inclusive manner.

“The best way to achieve this is to ensure that all stakeholders are made a part of the decision-making process, especially as it relates to the provision of public services and distribution of social benefits.’’

The senate president gave assurance that the National Assembly was ready to assist the executive in its drive to achieve the desired development.

He said: “while government has made efforts to ensure that provisions in the budget proposal align with the goal of pulling the economy out of recession and laying the foundation for diversified growth, certain provisions are clearly off the path.

“The budget must address the critical issues setting back our national growth and development.

“On a more specific note, the 2017 capital budget proposal is intended to support activities that will help to speed up diversification of the economy, promote non-oil sector and create jobs for our youths.

“You will agree with me that the current state of the economy needs, among others, a credible budget that will stimulate real economic activities, fix our critical infrastructure and provide cushion for the poor and vulnerable.

“The challenge, however, is how best to ensure that the budget is utilised as an effective policy to achieve these.

“It is, therefore, in line with this belief that the 8th National Assembly deemed it necessary to bring government, civil society organisations, the private sector, and other key actors in the economy together to deliberate on the budget proposal.

“Through this engagement and others to come, we hope to increase the efficiency of government and its responsiveness to citizens needs as well as improve overall transparency and accountability in governance.”

Saraki enumerated the issues challenging Nigeria’s economy to include low government revenues, shortages in foreign exchange supply, slow down in economic activities, rising unemployment and high cost of living.

“We are all affected in one way or another. With key economic indicators heading south, there is no better opportunity to reset the fundamentals of our economy.

“What we have before our consideration is the 2017 Budget proposal of N7.298 trillion which, we believe, has been designed based on a medium-term recovery and growth plan.

“At the various sub-committees, we are objectively reviewing the planned expenditures, especially as they relate to feasibility and relevance in delivering the broad objectives of the budget.

“However, the extent to which the budget proposal will succeed in achieving its overall objective of pulling the economy out of recession depends on a number of imperatives.

“These include, how well the capital spending targets critical sectors of the economy and how much of the capital allocation is devoted to real developmental projects as against administrative capital projects.

“It also includes the level of detail provided in the budget that will aid proper oversight of budget implementation and ultimately the realisation of projected revenues and borrowings,” Saraki said.

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Daesh executes 40 civilians in northern Syrian town: Report

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The Daesh Takfiri terrorist group has reportedly executed more than three dozen civilians in Syria’s strategic northern province of Aleppo as they continue to lose ground in battles against government forces.

The media bureau of Syria’s Joint Operations Command announced in a statement on Saturday that Daesh extremists had rounded up 40 civilians in the town of al-Bab, located some 40 kilometers northeast of Aleppo, and then killed them all.

The killings came as fierce clashes continue unabated between Turkish-backed militants and Daesh Takfiris on the fringes of al-Bab.

Turkish artillery units also lobbed a barrage of projectiles at Daesh outposts inside and outside of the border town.

On August 24, 2016, the Turkish Air Force and special ground forces kicked off Operation Euphrates Shield inside Syria in a declared bid to support the Free Syrian Army militants and rid the border area of Daesh terrorists and fighters from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Democratic Union Party (PYD).

The offensive was launched in coordination with the US-led military coalition, which has purportedly been fighting Daesh extremists since 2014.

The incursion was the first major Turkish military intervention in Syria, which drew strong condemnation from the Syrian government for violating the Arab country’s sovereignty.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on November 29, 2016 that the Turkish army had marched into Syria to end the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, whom he accused of terrorism and causing the deaths of thousands.

The remarks caused consternation in the Kremlin, with Russian presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, demanding that Erdogan clarify anti-Assad goals in Syria.

The Turkish leader backtracked on the comments two days later, asserting that the offensives there were aimed only at terrorists.

Late on Friday, Syrian army forces managed to retake Abu Taltal village near the town of al-Bab after heavy skirmishes with foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants there.

Syrian soldiers and allied forces launched an operation against Daesh positions near al-Tharda region of the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr on Saturday, killing scores of the terrorists in the process.

Syrian Air Force fighter jets also carried out a string of strikes against Daesh terrorists in the al-Makabbat area of the same Syrian province, killing six terrorists and injuring another seven. A motorcycle belonging to the terrorists was destroyed in the aerial attacks as well.

Additionally, Syrian aircraft targeted Daesh gatherings in the al- Hamidiyah district of Dayr al-Zawr city, situated about 420 kilometers northeast of the capital Damascus, and the outskirts of a military airport, killing and injuring many of the terrorists and destroying vehicles equipped with heavy machineguns.

Syrian troopers and fighters from pro-government popular defense groups also thwarted separate infiltration attempts by Daesh from al-Hweiqa and al-Husseiniya villages into Dayr al-Zawr city, killing most of the terrorists.

Source: Press TV

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The Biography Of Vybz Kartel [Age, Life Profile & Net Worth]

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Adidja Azim Palmer (born January 7, 1976) better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican recording artist, record producer and entrepreneur.

Some of his singles include “Clarks”, “Romping Shop”, “Summertime”, “Dancehall Hero” and “Fever” (2016). Vybz Kartel has collaborated with a number of prominent artists, such as Major Lazer, Rihanna and Jay Z.

In 2014, at the age of 38, Vybz Kartel was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his associate Clive “Lizard” Williams. He will not be eligible for parole until 2049, once he has served 35 years in jail. Despite being imprisoned, Kartel continues to release new music prolifically, releasing over 50 new songs in 2016 alone.

Kartel started his career as a teenager in 1993 with his first recording “Love Fat Woman”, released on Alvin Reid’s label “One Heart”, using the moniker “Adi Banton”, an homage to Buju Banton.

Palmer was later part of the three-member group “Vybz Cartel”, keeping the name after the group split up, and became a protege of Bounty Killer, for whom he claims to have written nearly 30 songs, including “Gal Clown”.

Vybz Kartel rose to prominence in 2003 after a string of hits in Jamaica. The year culminated in a pre-planned on-stage clash with Ninjaman at the annual dancehall festival Sting in Kartel’s hometown of Portmore. The clash turned violent when Kartel’s crewmembers, as well as Kartel himself, threw punches and assaulted Ninjaman onstage. While Kartel’s manager initially blamed Ninjaman, Kartel himself quickly apologised to Ninjaman and Sting organizers for the fracas. Four days after the incident, the two artists appeared before the press to announce a settlement of their differences and to end any animosity.

He established his own label Adidjahiem/Notnice Records with his business partner and producer Ainsley “Notnice” Morris. In 2010, he released his album Pon Di Gaza 2.0 on Adidjahiem/Notnice Records in collaboration with Tads Record Inc. In Spring 2011, Vybz Kartel released an album on Mixpak Records entitled ‘Kingston Story’ with Brooklyn hip hop/electro producer Dre Skull. From the beginning to midst of his ongoing career, Kartel released a number of albums through the UK based label Greensleeves Records, such as ‘Up 2 Di Time’, ‘More Up 2 Di Time’, J.M.T. and more.

Kartel has worked on collaborations and remixes with hip hop and R&B musicians Jay-Z, Rihanna, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, M.I.A, Pharrell Williams, Fifth Harmony, Kardinal Offishall, Akon, Jim Jones, Lil Wayne and Eminem.

In 2009 his song featuring female Jamaican deejay Spice, “Ramping Shop”, debuted on the Billboard Top 100 Singles charts, and “Dollar Sign” being in regular rotation on urban radio stations in the US. His 2010 single “Clarks” was one of his biggest international successes, remaining in the top 3 Reggae Singles gaining the most radio plays in North America for 40 weeks. “Clarks” was also featured on the TV series So You Think You Can Dance Canada, and on a CNN segment on dancehall dance.

MTV’s Vice Guide to Dancehall featured Kartel at his weekly dance party, Street Vybz Thursday.

After splitting with Bounty Killer-led Alliance in 2006 He started To train his upcoming Artist called Joshua Kennedy (Mr. Moban) by stage name originating from West Africa Ghana, Kartel joined the Portmore Empire, a group of dancehall DJ’s and singers from his Portmore neighborhood that he signed to his newly founded Adidjahiem/Notnice Records.

Members of the group as of 2011 were: Popcaan, Deva Bratt (founder), Gaza Slim, Shawn Storm, Sheba, Gaza Indu, Tommy Lee, Singing Maxwell, Singa Blinga, Lenny Mattic. Former members include Lisa Hype, Gaza Kim, Blak Ryno, Jah Vinci, Dosa Medicine and Merital Family.

Vybz Kartel net worth is estimated over $5.5 million. Kartel has accumulated his net worth from his performances from singing and songwriting, successful DJ career and his liquor line called Street Vybz Rum. He is also said to be planning to launch a cake soap and shoe line. Kartel was born in Kingston, Jamaica and began his music career while a teenager in 1993. His first single “Love Fat Woman” was released by One Heart, a label owned by Alvin Reid. Kartel later joined a three- member group called “Vybez Kartel” and kept the slightly distorted name when the group split up. He has more than 10 albums to his name today including “Up 2 Di Time” ,“Most Wanted” and the latest titled “Kartel Forever: Trilogy” . He has released many singles and made guest appearances on a number of music videos by Rihanna, Busta Rhymes and a host of other artistes (net worth estimated in 2017).

• An Uzomedia Biography

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Erdogan rebukes Merkel over ‘Islamist terror’ comment

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan / AFP PHOTO / ADEM ALTAN

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday rebuked German Chancellor Angela Merkel for using the expression “Islamist terrorism”, saying the phrase was not correct and saddened Muslims.

Speaking after a critical bilateral meeting with Erdogan, Merkel spoke of the need for Turkey and Germany to cooperate even further to fight against terror, including “Islamist terrorism” and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants.

“We spoke in detail about… the questions of the fight against Islamist terrorism, against every form of terrorism, also the terrorism of the PKK,” she said alongside Erdogan at his palace in Ankara.

“We agree we want to cooperate, we are all affected by this. We agreed to have closer cooperation in the future,” she said.

Erdogan, sitting next to Merkel, was stony-faced as she spoke.

Many Muslims oppose any equating of Islam and terror, arguing those who commit crimes purportedly in the name of Islam have nothing to do with a religion that espouses peace.

“This expression ‘Islamist terror’ seriously saddens us Muslims,” Erdogan replied, glancing sternly at the German chancellor.

“Such an expression is not correct because Islam and terror cannot be associated. The meaning of Islam is peace.”

He said it would be “saddening” if the term was used because of the crimes of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group, which has been blamed for a string of attacks in Turkey over the last year.

“Please let’s not use it. As long as it is used we need to stand against it. As a Muslim president personally I cannot accept that,” he said.

The president’s comments came after the two leaders tackled a series of hugely sensitive issues during the one day visit to Ankara by the German chancellor at a time of rising tensions between Ankara and Berlin.

His response delighted the pro-government press, with the Yeni Safak daily headlining on its website: “President Erdogan’s warning to Merkel”.

The phrase is controversial and previous US president Barack Obama refused to use the phrase “Islamic terrorism”, saying such crimes distorted and perverted Islam.

But new President Donald Trump has not shied away from using the term, speaking of “radical Islamic terror” during the election campaign and condemning Obama for not using the term.

Indicating that her use of the phrase was no accident, Merkel used it again at her later news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, saying she had discussed the threat of “Islamist terrorism” with the premier.

But she emphasised that “no kind of suspicion against Muslims was implied” with the use of the phrase.

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