TEHRAN, Iran — 

But the spokesman, Ali Reza Jamshidi, refused to elaborate further about the case which has caught wide public attention in Iran, saying it is now in the "legal stage."

Jamshidi said he was not authorized to provide more information.

Local media have reported that the police chief, Gen. Reza Zarei, was taken to jail after he was caught last month with six nude women by a police raid on an underground local brothel. He was also forced to resign. Local Web sites have also extensively reported the case in recent weeks.

Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, have also confirmed the reported arrest circumstances.

Prostitution is illegal in Iran and even talking about sex is frowned upon by hard-line clerics ruling Iran. The order to raid the alleged brothel was reportedly given directly by Iran's Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi.

Zarei was in charge of a program to clean cities from corruption and in recent months had reported arrests of young men and women for illicit relationship or not respecting the Islamic dress code.

State media in recent weeks reported Zarei's replacement but made no mention of his arrest or the reasons that led to his detention since such issues are considered a taboo in Iran.

Iran's strict Islamic rules allow little socializing between the sexes, and young Iranians have been jailed and flogged for dancing together at birthday parties.

For years, the hard-line clergy that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution painted a rosy picture of the Iranian society, never admitting to vices such as prostitution, which under Iranian law could be punishable by death.

But in the past decade, authorities have acknowledged that prostitution was a fact and is even spreading in Iran. Prostitutes are becoming more and more visible on the streets, mainly due to economic hardships.

The rise in prostitution has led to suggestions that brothels be legalized and monitored. Some Iranians say brothels could be run according to Islamic rules, presumably under a Shiite Muslim tradition in which men and women are allowed to have "temporary marriages" — sometimes less than 24 hours.

Most clerics, though, scoff at the idea that sex outside marriage can ever be condoned by Islam. After the 1979 revolution, clerics destroyed brothels as un-Islamic and corrupting.

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter tells Blender magazine: "'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. 'Gangsta rap' didn't exist."

Keys, 27, said she's read several Black Panther autobiographies and wears a gold AK-47 pendant around her neck "to symbolize strength, power and killing 'em dead," according to an interview in the magazine's May issue, on newsstands Tuesday.

Another of her theories: The bicoastal feud between slain rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. was fueled "by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing."

Keys' AK-47 jewelry came as a surprise to her mother, who is quoted as telling Blender: "She wears what? That doesn't sound like Alicia." Keys' publicist, Theola Borden, said Keys was on vacation and unavailable for comment.

Though she's known for her romantic tunes, she told Blender that she wants to write more political songs. If black leaders such as the late Black Panther Huey Newton "had the outlets our musicians have today, it'd be global. I have to figure out a way to do it myself," she said.

The multiplatinum songstress behind the hits "Fallin"' and "No One" most recently had success with her latest CD, "As I Am," which sold millions.

TAMPA, Fla. — 

A judge ordered Tuesday that the 27-year-old former middle school teacher be released from house arrest on July 11. She'll serve straight probation instead, which is less restrictive and doesn't require her to wear a monitoring bracelet.

Click here for photos of Lafave

She was sentenced in November 2005 to three years' house arrest and seven years of probation for having sex with a 14-year-old student.

In January, it was determined that Lafave violated her probation by having contact with an underage female co-worker at a restaurant where she worked, but it wasn't sufficient enough to put her back into jail.

Prosecutor Mike Sinacore objects to Tuesday's decision. He says the victim's family objects, too.

Click here for more from MyFOXTampaBay.com.

Mechele Linehan, 35, who until her arrest had been living a quiet life as the wife of an Olympia, Wash., doctor, was convicted in October of first-degree murder in the 1996 shooting death of Kent Leppink.

Prosecutor Pat Gullufsen said Linehan plotted with another man who hoped to marry her, John Carlin III, to lure Leppink to a rural trail, where Carlin shot him with a .44-caliber handgun.

Click here to view photos.

The motive was a $1 million insurance policy that Linehan mistakenly believed named her as the beneficiary, prosecutors said.

Carlin was sentenced in January to 99 years in prison for firing the shots that killed Leppink.

Anchorage Superior Court Judge Philip Volland called the crime the worst in its category: premeditated, cold and cruel.

"It was a calculated homicide accomplished through deceit, deception and manipulation," Volland said. "It was done for the most venal of reasons and it was dismissed by the two participants in the most casual of ways. It was a man killed by his friend and his fiance."

Volland rejected the contention that Linehan was not a significant participant in Leppink's murder. The evidence showed her obtaining the life insurance policy on Leppink as she was deceiving him about her intentions to marry him, he said. She also used deceit to lure him to the murder scene.

"Just those facts are ones that support complicity in the event," Volland said.

Dozens of people who knew Linehan in the decade after Leppink's murder wrote letters supporting her, mentioning her generosity and volunteer service. But Volland said he could not offer a sentence different from the one he gave to Carlin.

"In my mind I can find no principal distinction between the puppet who pulls the trigger and the puppeteer who pulls the strings," Volland said. "In my judgment, Ms. Linehan was the puppeteer who pulled the strings."

Linehan showed no emotion as the sentence was pronounced. In a short statement, she said she was not the monster prosecutors and the press made her out to be.

"I beg you from the bottom of my heart to allow me the chance to go back to my family as soon as I possibly can," she told Volland.

She will be eligible for parole after serving 33 years.

Prosecutors said Linehan was inspired by a 1994 movie, "The Last Seduction," in which a woman coaxes her lover into killing her husband for money.

Leppink's body was found by utility workers on the ground near a lonely trail in Hope, more than an hour's drive from Anchorage. He had been shot three times with a .44 Magnum. Prosecutors say Linehan and Carlin had lured him to the desolate mining community by using a fictitious note that Leppink found, saying Linehan was holed up in a cabin. The cabin didn't exist.

Carlin and Linehan have denied they were responsible for Leppink's death. Neither testified.

You might explore undulating desert dunes, the magnificent Atlas Mountains, or a tranquil beach like those found near Agadir. Or visit the Volubilis Roman ruins near Meknes, the dinosaur footprints near Azilal, or eerily quiet Berber villages around Imlil, at the base of Mount Toubkal.

The ancient city of Fez is known for its architecture, alluring medina (the old part of the city) and Karaouine Mosque and University, dating from 859. In Marrakech, by day you can explore the Saadian tombs and the luscious Marjorelle Garden, and by night the famous Djemaa El Fna square, with its food stalls, entertainers and peddlers.

In Casablanca, the modern, giant Hassan II mosque looks like it's melting into the sea at sunset. And for fans of the famous 1942 Humphrey Bogart movie, head to Rick's Cafe, opened by American Kathy Kriger in 2004, a marvelous evocation of the film.

But Americans living in Morocco advise that there's no such thing as a "must-see" list. "There are many places beyond Marrakech that people should consider putting on their agenda," said Vanessa Noel Brown, from Washington D.C, who has been studying in Rabat, the capital city, on a postgraduate scholarship since September 2007.

The U.S Department of State warns that the "potential for terrorist violence" in Morocco is high. But the number of American visitors to Morocco is slowly increasing, according to statistics from the tourist board and the U.S. Embassy here. In 2007, 131,000 Americans visited, 13 percent more than in 2006, when 115,000 Americans arrived.

"Americans like Morocco - they get a taste of the Arabic world, without having to go to the Middle East," said Yassine Naciri, who works at a mid-range hotel in the old part of Marrakech, the tourism hub of the country.

His hotel, Marhbabikoum, like many, is the of the traditional "riad" style: quaintly decorated rooms built around a tiled courtyard, gently lit by candlelight in the evening.

The very best riads are complete with an in-house "hammam," an opulent version of traditional Moroccan communal bathhouses.

It is also possible to stay in a restored kasbah. There are hundreds of them around the country; they once served as fortresses for the most important families. Some stand empty now, while others have been turned into luxury hotels. But budget travelers can also find cheap hostels and guesthouses all over the country, for as little as $10 a night.

Foreigners can expect to attract attention, especially in the more touristy areas, where touts - people who offer unsolicited services for tips - are desperate for business.

Those worried about language difficulties should be reassured that English is more and more widely spoken, according to Hamid Khairi, founder of the Morocco section of CouchSurfers, the popular U.S-based accommodation swap web site, which is an option for those traveling on a shoestring. "But basic French is useful," he said.

The main language, the Moroccan Arabic dialect known as "derija," is quite different from modern standard Arabic, even posing problems for native Arabic speakers.

To confuse things further, many Moroccans also speak one of the Berber languages, Tachelhit, Central Atlas Tamazight or Tarifit.

Morocco's culinary splendor needs little translation however; the superb fusion of French and Middle-Eastern fare speaks for itself.

The day starts with a spectacular array of patisserie (as little as 25 cents) at the street stalls), accompanied by "qehwa bil halib" (coffee with milk) and the startlingly good "aseir limun" (orange juice).

Lunch is couscous, or tagine - which is the name of both a rich stew and the dome-shaped terra-cotta pot in which it is cooked.

To fill the gap between meals, "le gouter" of coffee or tea and cake might be taken at 7 p.m.

Moroccan dinner, normally eaten around 10 p.m., might be "harira" (soup with tomato and lentils), or perhaps an omelette and bread.

The renowned sugary mint tea is drunk throughout the day, and at greater frequency the farther south you go.

With the exception of hot drinks where the water has been boiled, drinking bottled water is advisable.

Islam is central to Moroccan life and on the main religious day of Friday, shops and businesses frequently shut for a good proportion of the afternoon, also allowing time for families to eat couscous together.

While it is not necessary to cover hair, or put on the "djellaba" - the long traditional gown - women may want to dress modestly in respect to local customs.

Adriana Valencia, a postgraduate scholar from the University of Berkeley, who lived in Rabat in 2006 and often comes back, urges visitors to explore a little. "Just ride a bicycle from Rabat to Essaouira, and stop in basically every small town and city in between," she said.

If a bike sounds a bit strenuous for a vacation, hiring a car and driver is always an option.

For travelers saving their dirhams (the local currency, currently about seven to the dollar), sharing a "grand-taxi" which seats two in the front, and four in the back, is the most convenient way to get between towns and villages.

The smaller "petit-taxis," a different color in each town, are limited to three people but Moroccan law does not allow them to leave their designated city.

Buses are to be found in the town "gare routiere," and the mainly efficient trains run between major cities. Those on a bigger budget can take a four-wheel drive vehicle, known locally as a "quatre-quatre," on a tailor-made tour.

Choosing the best season to visit really depends on where travel is planned. The High Atlas Mountains are best walked in spring and autumn. Farther south, nearer the desert, summers can get unbearably hot.

It's a bit chilly year-round on the Atlantic Ocean, but beaches are at their warmest in July and August.

In addition to Fez, Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech, it is worth considering visits to Essaouira, for a glimpse of a coastal town with a rich architectural history, and Agadir, where you can start a trip along the coast, eat sumptuous seafood, and perhaps head out to the Anti-Atlas Mountains.

A few other places worth seeing in the countryside include:

-Chefchaouen, a pretty, quaint town, where the houses are painted blue, and which you can use as a departure point for exploring the rural north.

-Zagora, a small town next to the desert that can serve as a starting point to visit the villages of Tamegroute and Amezrou, and Mounts Zagora and Azlag.

-Merzouga, a small village reached via the town of Rissani, which provides accommodation within walking distance of Erg Chebbi, Morocco's largest sand dune.

-Ouarzazate, where you'll want to visit the kasbah, then head to the impressive Todra and Dades gorges.

And if you get homesick, you can even find a slice of stateside life in Morocco. Just hunt out the restaurant offering "Pizza à l'Americaine" near the Hassan Tower in Rabat.

"I was walking past one day and just caught this whiff of New York pizza, it was unmistakable," said Valencia.

The pizzeria's owner, Moroccan Max Labdi, was a New York cab driver for four years before coming home to set up the business.

"The American pizza is the best in the world. It just needed to come to Morocco," he said.

___

If You Go...

MOROCCO TOURISM: http://www.visitmorocco.com or 212-221-1583.

After Judge Cabrera's historic ruling, little Clitoria Jackson will likely undergo a name change.

I have mixed feelings about a front-page article in today's Wall Street Journal, "Men Receiving Alimony Want a Little Respect."

I've always believed that feminists don't really want true "equality." That, when women must suddenly take on traditionally male responsibilities--actually, penalties--that go along with that equality, like paying alimony, they suddenly don't believe in "equality." They balk. They want male benefits, but not the panoply of duties and disadvantages that come with them. When women, like former "Good Morning America" host Joan Lunden, complain about paying alimony to their less wealthy husbands, I say, "Welcome to equality, babe."

On the other hand, the increase in the number of women paying alimony to their stay-at-home or less wealthy husbands is a stark symptom of sickness in America. The disease is the blurring of the gender roles. More and more men are rapidly becoming women. And more and more women are rapidly becoming men. No, I'm not referring to sex changes, but to gender roles. It's not a good thing that there are more and more men who are Mr. Moms and more and more women who are the sole or primary breadwinner in the relationship.

When I hosted a daily radio show in Detroit, I once asked my mostly male listeners if and why they would ever marry a woman who had more money or made more money than they did. At the time, Ben Affleck was engaged to Jennifer Lopez, one of the few women in the world with far more assets than himself. He could have chosen to marry anyone, but chose one of the few women who would be the man in his relationship (which later went kaput, and I believe, partially, for that reason).

Few callers to my show said they'd want to earn less than the woman they were with, but a few said they wouldn't mind being a kept man. However, being a kept man comes with strings. You are not "the man" in the relationship. While many couples may put out the BS line that they are 50/50, equal partners in their relationship, it's simply not the case. There is no such thing. In every single relationship, there is a stronger and a weaker party to it. One party is always more powerful than the other.

If you are the major breadwinner, you are "the man." You have the power. The other person is reduced to the female role. That's simply the way it is, despite what Gloria Steinem might say or how she wants it to be. Men are hard-wired as hunter gatherers. When they are reduced to the homemaker and Mr. Mom role, it's degrading and emasculating, despite what they might claim. They simply don't have the respect of their female spouse that they might think they have. It's emotional wimpitude.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; a fire still burns in those very few who have clung to the values of old, but our days as a people of character, unshakeable spirit, and respectability are, for all intents and purposes, dead. Though I had long been pained at what I perceived to be the gradual decline of the black community, it donned on me in recent months that the dismal and prolonged downturn of my people had greatly accelerated. Tonight I again take survey of my brethren; spiritually, we are no more.

This revelation knocked the wind out of me. It had been largely to the purpose of helping blacks wake up and see the error of their ways that I committed myself to some 13 years ago. I thought then that, though blacks had already fallen so far, there was a great chance to overcome. But with this new realization I now sat motionless, wondering if the battle had been lost, if we had eternally surrendered. Or if there was hope.

After an internally tumultuous and spiritually troublesome wait, an answer came on this question. It went as follows:

I saw the death of Jesus Christ. I saw the death of the black soul. I saw the miraculous resurrection of Christ. And therein, I saw the glimmer of hope. The only hope of the black community is for a resurrection of miraculous proportions. Blacks of today must atone for the sins of our fathers to command the mercy and love that would precipitate such a resurrection.

A daunting task this is. Whereas Christ died with a holy nature, the black soul has died in the gallows of weakness and immorality. A representative snapshot of the black community today:

Seventy percent of black babies born out of wedlock has lent itself to an epidemic of fatherlessness. The black woman carries no respect for a man of such weakness and harbors perpetual hatred for this man who bedded, and then abandoned, her. The father’s absence made the mother the influential figure to the family. But her anger toward the man who left her is so great that she cannot be a positive influence. The black youth is victimized by his mother’s dominant hatred. With no father as a figure of guidance and respect, the child can’t help but yield to this force of darkness.

So the young black man comes to what he is today—incidentally a perfect representation of the overall downfall of the black community. No direction. No drive. No soul. Generally today, young black men carry with them no sense of responsibility to be productive, no aversion to undisciplined behavior, nor any indication that they can overcome the sin into which they’re born. Rather than work and strive to move up in the world, they opt to abuse drugs, chase women, and act like immature fools.

Usually when one is born into dire circumstances he is accompanied by a sense of desperation to succeed. He innately feels that he must work hard, harder than all those around him just to be able to survive. The young black man of today feels none of this. His focus is on his next joint. The emasculation of the young black man by the dominant black women has destroyed this drive. His innate sense now is to lust after a woman. In doing so, the black man is forever subject to "momma."

Meanwhile, young black girls do as their mothers do and adopt the same vicious, emasculatory techniques. Thus a cycle perpetuates. With few strong examples of God