Black Eyed Peas star releases Obama video

Black Eyed Peas star
releases Obama video

NEW YORK — Is will.i.am angling for a job in a Barack Obama White House? The Black Eyed Peas frontman on Friday released another star-studded music video in tribute to the presidential campaign of the Democratic senator — this one is titled “We Are The Ones.” Backed by a simple vocal refrain of “O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA!,” stars such as Jessica Alba, Ryan Phillippe, Kerry Washington, George Lopez and others explain why they support Obama while others such as Macy Gray croon the candidates’ last name to the will.i.am-penned melody. The song is a follow-up to his inspirational video “Yes We Can,” a viral sensation that has garnered more than 5 million hits on YouTube.com alone. That song features Obama’s voice from a New Hampshire concession speech set to will.i.am’s music and melody, plus vocalizations of the speech from the likes of Scarlet Johansson, John Legend, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Herbie Hancock and other celebrity supporters. The chorus is one of Obama’s campaign slogans: “Yes We Can.”

Prince Harry is being
pulled from Afghanistan

LONDON — Britain’s defense chief decided Friday to immediately pull Prince Harry out of Afghanistan after news of his deployment was leaked on the U.S. Web site the Drudge Report. Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup, chief of the Defense Staff, said he decided to withdraw the prince after senior commanders assessed the risks, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. Harry, third in line to the British throne, has been serving on the front line with an army unit in Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province since mid-December. He was originally due to return to Britain within weeks, but “the situation has now clearly changed,” the statement said. The decision was based on concerns that worldwide media coverage of Harry in Afghanistan could put him and his comrades at increased risk.

Winehouse no longer
under investigation

LONDON — A spokesman for Amy Winehouse says London police are no longer investigating the 24-year-old singer on suspicion of witness tampering in a case involving her husband. The spokesman said Friday that Winehouse isn’t required to return to a police station for further questioning. She was arrested in December and released on bail. Her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, appeared in a London court Friday on charges of attacking a pub landlord and later conspiring with him to withdraw as a witness at the trial. Fielder-Civil pleaded not guilty.

Jackson misses payments
on Los Angeles home

LOS ANGELES — Public documents show Michael Jackson has repeatedly failed to make mortgage payments on a Los Angeles home that has been used for years by his family. Documents filed with the Los Angeles County Recorder’s Office indicate the reclusive pop star was most recently in default last month on the property in Encino, an area in the San Fernando Valley. The singer had $153,910 in missed payments as of Jan. 17 on a $4 million loan serviced by Pasadena-based mortgage lender IndyMac Bancorp. Documents dated Feb. 7 show the notice of default was withdrawn. Documents also show Jackson previously faced possible default over missed payments on the home in April and August. A spokeswoman for Jackson did not immediately return a call for comment. Jackson’s Neverland property in Los Olivos, Calif., is set to be auctioned off March 19 because of missed payments on a $24.5 million loan.

Jury selection to begin
in rapper’s trial

NEW YORK — Jury selection will begin in New York next week in the trial of a 26-year-old rapper accused of shooting an acquaintance over missing money. Remy Ma is accused of shooting a woman in the abdomen last July after leaving a party in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. She claimed the woman took $2,000 from her purse. The rapper has pleaded not guilty to assault and related charges and is free on $250,000 bail. She could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. A Manhattan state Supreme Court justice has scheduled jury selection to begin Thursday. The Grammy-nominated rapper’s real name is Remy Smith.

Today’s birthdays

Actor Robert Clary is 82. Singer Harry Belafonte is 81. Former U.S. Solicitor General Robert H. Bork is 81. Actor Robert Conrad is 73. Rock singer Mike D’Abo (Manfred Mann) is 64. Rock singer Roger Daltrey is 64. Actor Alan Thicke is 61. Actor-director Ron Howard is 54. Actress Catherine Bach is 54. Country singer Janis Gill (AKA Janis Oliver Cummins) (Sweethearts of the Rodeo) is 54. Actor George Eads is 41. Actor Javier Bardem is 39. Rock musician Ryan Peake (Nickelback) is 35. Actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar is 34. Actor Jensen Ackles is 30. TV host Donovan Patton is 30.