Category: News

  • Jesse Royal, Yohan Marley and Tessellated to perform at the Inaugural Livity Haven Mindfulness Art & Music Festival on Saturday March 23, 2024 in South Florida

    Jesse Royal, Yohan Marley and Tessellated to perform at the Inaugural Livity Haven Mindfulness Art & Music Festival on Saturday March 23, 2024 in South Florida

    The inaugural Livity Haven Mindfulness Art & Music Festival will take place on Saturday March 23, 2024, 11am-11pm at Historic Virginia Key Beach, located at 4020 Virginia Beach Dr, Miami, FL 33149. This unique event focused on human well-being will feature live mindfulness workshops, an art & music festival with live performances from top reggae artists, headlined by Grammy-nominated hitmaker, Jesse Royal, emerging reggae sensation, Yohan Marley who is also the Grandson of Bob Marley and Son of Stephen Marley, conscious rapper and “Good Energy” hitmaker Yung Wylin and multi-talented Grammy & Emmy nominated Dancehall artist/producer, Tessellated, vegan foods, mindfulness workshops, classes, yoga, kids’ zone, permaculture and more, in celebration of the Afro-Caribbean culture and to promote vibrant and conscious living. Livity Haven is also an official event of the World Happiness Fest, a national organization featuring nine days of realizing the future of happiness all over the country.

    Tessellated

    Livity Haven is built around the intention to living a holistic and sustainable life, while helping the South Florida community to regulate their emotions and body through tools such as meditation, sound healing, breathwork, movement, dance, and music. 

    Yohan Marley

    Livity Haven will also feature a wide array of facilitators and healers.

    As the world becomes increasingly fractured, Livity Haven, founder Yemani Mason, created this powerful family friendly experience tofoster a joyful, empowering, and transformative experience that celebrates the cultural heritage of the African Diaspora, fosters community, and promotes well-being, inclusivity and belonging for all. “Livity Haven is based around the healing of the mind, body and soul. It’s a family friendly environment with a focus on empowering both adults and children through our free workshops and classes during the day, and musical performances at night featuring some of the hottest reggae, afrobeats, and hip-hop acts in the world. Our goal is to help individuals and families live a more sustainable, mindful, and peaceful life”, stated Mason. 

    For tickets and more information, visit www.livityhaven.com

  • Khamara Wright is Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2019

    Khamara Wright is Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2019

    The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport is pleased to announce the results from the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Grand Coronation, held on Thursday, August 1st the National Arena:

    Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2019, Khamara Wright is flanked by her first runner up, AnnaKay Hudson, Miss Kingston and St. Andrew (left)  and second runner up Chardonnae Parkins, Miss St. James at the Grand Coronation of the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition 2019.
    Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2019, Khamara Wright is flanked by her first runner up, AnnaKay Hudson, Miss Kingston and St. Andrew (left) and second runner up Chardonnae Parkins, Miss St. James at the Grand Coronation of the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Competition 2019.

    • Miss Jamaica Festival Queen: Khamara Wright, Miss St. Catherine
    • 1st Runner Up: AnnaKay Hudson, Miss Kingston and St. Andrew
    • 2nd Runner Up: Chardonnae Parkins, Miss St. James

     

    Sectional Awards:

    • Most Congenial: Chantalle Bryan, Miss St. Ann
    • Most Active in the Community: AnnaKay Hudson, Miss Kingston and St. Andrew
    • Most Poised: Dru-Lissa Grant, Miss St. Thomas
    • Most Culturally Aware: AnnaKay Hudson, Miss Kingston and St. Andrew
    • Most Popular on Social Media: Alecia Byfield, Miss Clarendon
    • Best Performance: Reneise Johnson, Miss Hanover

     

    Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2019 Khamara Wrigh
    Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2019 Khamara Wrigh

    ABOUT THE QUEEN: Khamara Wright

    Proud native of St. Catherine, Khamara Wright possesses an undying love for community involvement. The 23-year-old is a member of the Greater Portmore Joint Council, New Kingston Rotaract Club, and Council of Voluntary and Social Services, among others. She is also a Sous Chef and aspiring Nutritionist. Wright is a firm believer in ‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others’.  Her interests include the Culinary and Creative Arts, and Health and Fitness. She also has an interest in Philanthropy, and Entrepreneurship. She currently holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Food Services Management; Majoring in Culinary Arts and Management.

  • Kanye West, claims Bob Marley’s spirit flows through him

    Kanye West, claims Bob Marley’s spirit flows through him

    In a video posted on Twitter, American rapper, Kanye West, bragged that he’s the recording artiste in the world and that the spirit of Bob Marley flows through him.

    “The music is the best on the planet. I am the best living recording artiste. We, rather, because the spirits flow through me. The spirit of Fela, the spirit of Marley, the spirit of 2Pac flows through me. We know who the best is”, he said Kanye West in the video.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCa-TL3IjI8

    Seun Kuti, the son of the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, responded to Kaye West saying , “On behalf of the Kuti family, I want to state that the spirit of Olufela Anikulapo-Kuti isn’t anywhere near Kanye West.” said Kuti.

    Reaction on social media to Kanye’s claim was quick and sometimes brutal.

    Kanye saying the spirit of Fela, Marley and Pac flows through him is the greatest disrespect of all time. Of all time! said @HardTimesofDriz on twitter.

    Kanye has come under fire for his support of US president, Donald Trump. Below is the full transcription of Kanye West’s  thoughts in the twitter video.

    I just want to talk about mind control, you know, when people try to influence you through social media and try to tell you what to do, or if you post something that’s like positive on Instagram it gets taken down if it’s not a part of a bigger agenda. That’s like mind control. That’s the echo chamber. That’s trying to control you based off of incentivizing you and based off of you getting enough likes. That’s the poison that’s happening with social media

    For me, you know, I just got back my IQ scores and they were Mensa level. 133, 98th percentile, like straight up Sigmund Freud Tesla vibes. The worst thing, the way I feel like, I feel like when people try to tell me what to do I feel like they’re touching my brain.

    For a woman, she doesn’t want nobody to, she wants to be in control of her body and choose who she wants to give it to. No one can come up and touch it or take it or tell her what to do with it. It’s up to her what she does with it. I feel like that with my mind. It’s all these people — black people, people on social media, people trying to control us and make us all monolithic thought. They’re trying to control our mind. They’re trying to control my mind. When someone tries to tell me what to do, tries to tell me what I can wear and not wear, I feel like they’re touching my brain. Imagine you like cut your skull open and somebody like touched your brain with their hand, how that would hurt you. That’s how it hurts me when people try to tell me what to do when I’m going from my heart. Try to tell me what to say. This ain’t programmed. Or try to tell me I’m not talking clear enough … I’ve forgotten how to talk not clear ’cause I’m so programmed to talk clear to sound so proper. That gets in the way of how we really feel.

    You know, we think so much … you know, you gotta just question when people get on TV shows, who all are they doing business with? What are they connected to? What’s their agenda? You got people holding other people down. They want you all to be, you know … just mind control. It’s like a modern day, psychological Ayn Rand control thing.

    You know, I just talked to Jack Dorsey tonight, he said they’re working for the next four months on reprogramming to allow people to take off the followers and allow people to take off the likes because that works against your self-worth. The beauty you have is inside you. It’s not based on how many records you sell. It’s not based on how nice your car is. One of the things they do as soon as you get money, they make you buy a house. I got this house, it’s never finished. Like, the house is just never finished. It’s just costing money after money after money. It’s like this big plot.

    I’m really doing this because I went to go buy my publishing from Sony/ATV, and they said it’s 8 million, 9 million dollars. And when I went to buy it, they told me no, I couldn’t buy my publishing. They told me I had the money to buy my publishing, and they told me I couldn’t buy my publishing. It’s like the control. I can’t say what I want to say on SNL. I can’t say what I want to say … let me change that. I will positive energy into the universe.

    We will say what we feel, not what we’re programmed to think. We will say what we feel. We will do what we feel. We will do what we feel. We will do what we feel. We will say what we feel. We will say. You see, I did that as a mantra. I did it multiple times.

    I’m not worried about any type of blog or social media. Y’all already saw it was a lie. Social media told you that Hillary was gonna win and she didn’t win. Social media told you that people didn’t like me, but everybody loves me. Everybody loves Ye. But if you read social media, it makes you think something different. Unprogram your minds. Open up your heart. Let the spirit guide you. Let your conscience be free. We free. We free, bro.

    Just positive energy. I’m saying this. I’m in Africa recording. We just took them to the future with the dome. The music is the best on the planet. I am the best living recording artist. We, rather, because the spirits flow through me. The spirit of Fela, the spirit of Marley, the spirit of Pac flows through me. We know who the best. We know.

    Someone getting gassed up when you hear too much other stuff on the radio — that’s all programming. It’s all part of a system. It’s all part of a system to control your mind. To control my mind. To make me look like I’m crazy to you. I am not crazy. I can ramp up if I suffer from sleep deprivation. I’m about to get some sleep.

    You know what I’m saying? A lot of people were trying to get me off social media. Get off Instagram. To not express myself. We are creative individuals. We work from our heart and our spirit. We not corny. We work from our heart and our spirit. We not corny. We work from our heart and our spirit. We not corny. It be corny people that’s control, too strategized, too planned out, too much of an agenda, too much of an angle on everything. We don’t have to do that. Refresh. I got rid of my laptop. I have references there I love. I don’t need the references. The spirit will give me new ideas. Ideas are in the air. We don’t own them. We are just merely a vessel. We’re here to do God’s work. We’re merely a vessel. And when you feel great art, that’s the universe. I have to be open and free to do that.

    If I let human beings and people —  humans, rather, and people — tell me what to do, tell me what I can’t do, that I can’t be a vessel to you … the reason why Pac did what he did, he was a vessel. He is. His energy never dies. Bob Marley: vessel. Fela: vessel. Ye: vessel.

    Sony ATV told me I couldn’t buy my publishing. I got the money. So Big John, Marty, whoever is involved. I need my publishing. I got the money. I’m not gonna say the ‘S’ word. I’m not Prince. I don’t need to write it on my face.

    This is the transition. We free. Our minds are free. Clear your mind.

    Photo Source: 123rf

  • Pennsylvania couple arrives at Couples in Ocho Rios for their 93rd visit

    Pennsylvania couple arrives at Couples in Ocho Rios for their 93rd visit

    A Jenkintown, PA couple marked more than 1000 nights in a Couples Resort when their most recent stay at Couples Tower Isle, Jamaica began on Aug. 22, 2018. For more than three decades, Fred and Cynthia Pennekamp have been traveling to Jamaica, often multiple visits annually, and staying at one of the four luxury all-inclusive Couples Resorts.

    Pennsylvania couple arrives at Couples in Ocho Rios for their 93rd visit
    From left to right, GM Leonard Henry, Fred Pennekamp, Couples Resorts Jamaica chairman Lee Issa

     

    “Our travel agent suggested Couples Tower Isle back in 1982 and from our first day…we knew we were coming back,” says Fred Pennekamp. “The staff are amazing, well trained and attentive, and along with the secluded private beaches and wonderful guests we meet that become lifelong friends, our vacation choice is always obvious,” he said.

    “While it is an honor to celebrate this milestone with the Pennekamps, we often hear similar stories,” said Dean Sullivan, vice president of sales and marketing for Couples Resorts, Jamaica.  “Our brand of warmth, luxury and barefoot elegance is truly unique and opposite the façade of many, much larger, all-inclusive offerings that have popped up in recent years,” said Sullivan. “We have a product steeped in tradition, legendary service and unprecedented daily inclusions.”

    Couples Resorts, Jamaica have one of the highest levels of return business in the hospitality industry according to Sullivan and “our formula is a little different,” he said. “Certainly our product is the best of the best, but it is also repeat guests like the Pennekamps who become lifelong ambassadors and keep us at the forefront of the Caribbean’s luxury all-inclusive market.”

    Couples Resorts, headquartered in Montego Bay, Jamaica, owns and operates four properties in Jamaica — Couples Tower Isle, Couples Sans Souci, Couples Swept Away and Couples Negril. Pioneered by the legendary Abe Issa, “the father of Jamaican tourism,” each Couples Resort is an unsurpassed model of the all-inclusive resorts concept, boldly designed with local inspiration to create a harmonic sense of nature and authentic Caribbean spirit. For more than 35 years, Couples has delighted guests and refined the Caribbean all-inclusive resort experience by providing unparalleled service, exceptional dining experiences and exclusive added value inclusions. For further information, please visit http://couples.com.

    Contact: Dean Sullivan 

    Phone: 954.416.1283 

    Email: [email protected]

  • JAMAICA BUSINESS NEWS: March 14th – March 20th, 2015

    JAMAICA BUSINESS NEWS: March 14th – March 20th, 2015

    JAMAICAN GOVERNMENT IMPOSES A NEW TAX ON GAS—03/14/15
    The government of Jamaica is imposing a new gas tax, believing that requiring a seven-dollar per liter tax  on petrol will fund the mechanism, which will functions like a type of polices.. According to Dr. Peter Phillips, Finance Minister, said he expects the tax to bring in $6.4 billion.

    15,000 JOBS EXPECTED FROM BPO INDUSTRY OVER FIVE YEARS—03/17/15
    The Business Outsourcing (BPO) industry is set to create approximately 15,000 more jobs in a five-year period. BPO involves subcontracting different business operations to third party providers, which frees businesses to focus on their core competencies. The Jamaican government is prepared to take advantage of the opportunities linked to increased employment and will offer room for other such operations on the island.

    HYLTON LABELS JAMAICA INVESTMENT FORUM AS A SUCCESS—03/18/15
    Anthony Hylton, Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, reported that the second staging of the Jamaica Investment Forum (JIF) was a success. He said that the event even exceeded his expectations and that Jamaica successfully showcased its catalog of investments to interested parties from around the world. Hylton believes that much of the interest would translate into solid investments.

    IMPORTS OF POULTRY PRODUCTS RESTRICTED—03/19/15
    The government of Jamaica has restricted the imports of poultry products from the United States and Canada regions that have been impacted by avian influenza. The limits on imported poultry products have been imposed on those coming from Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington State. The Canadian province of British Columbia is also affected by the restrictions.

  • CARIBBEAN NEWS: March 14th – March 20th, 2015

    CARIBBEAN NEWS: March 14th – March 20th, 2015

    ST. LUCIA TO HOST COMPUTER NETWORK ORGANIZATION—03/14/15
    Members of the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribOG) will meet in St. Lucia for its ninth regional conference, beginning at the end of April 2015. The group has a major role in the ecosystem of the areas technology. CaribOG is a volunteer community that focuses on making the Caribbean’s indigenous capacity to handle evolving technology. The group is instrumental in coordinating the technical community throughout the region.

    DESMOND PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM READY FOR LEGAL CHALLENGE—03/15/15
    The private equity firm owned by Dermot Desmond is set for a legal fight over an investment he made in Caribbean resort. The firm IIU, has obtained the services of powerful London advisors to help with the action against Canaan Restarts Development, which is the firm behind the luxury y Pink Sands development in St. Vincent.

    BARBADOS TO BE FIRST HOST OF GLOBAL CRICKET CONFERENCE IN REGION—03/17/15
    The 2015 International Cricket Conference (ICC) will take place in Barbados, making the nation the first in the Caribbean to host the global group. According to Narayanaswami Srinivasan, chairman of the ICC, the organization is “delighted” to be meeting in the West Indies for the first time. The conference is scheduled for June 22 through 26, 2015, in Bridgetown.

    UNITED STATES NAVY TO LEAVE CARIBBEAN—03/18/15
    General John Kelly, the commander of the United States Southern Command, says that two Navy ships currently deployed in the Caribbean will be withdrawn permanently in the summer of 2015. Kelly divulged the plan to withdraw the vessels during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing when answering a question about how much Kelly’s command knows about what goes on in the Caribbean region. Kelly has committed to doubling the number of U.S. Coast Guard cutters in the region.

    BARBADOS FOOTBALL ORGANIZATION WANTS MORE REFEREES FROM CARIBBEAN—03/19/15
    Randy Harries, president of the Barbados Football Association, has stated his desire to see more Caribbean referees in the Gold Cup and World Cup competitions. He believes that having more Caribbean referees will provide CONCACAF with a “good mix.” He said he was disappointed at times during big CONCACAF games and there are no Caribbean referees involved.

    COURT HEARS CASE AGAINST ANTI-GAY LAWS OF TWO COUNTRIES—03/20/15
    The Caribbean Court of Justice was called upon to hear a challenge from Maurice Tomlinson, a gay rights activist, brought in regard to the immigration laws of Belize and Trinidad and Tobago. The laws allegedly bar gays and lesbians from entering the countries. According to Tomlinson, the laws are discriminatory and have to be repealed.

  • JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS: March 14th – March 20th, 2015

    JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS: March 14th – March 20th, 2015

    MAYOR OF KINGSTON SCHOOLED ABOUT POT INDUSTRY IN DENVER—03/14/15
    Angela Brown Burke, the mayor of Kingston, is visiting Denver, Colorado, to learn more about the marijuana industry. The mayor met with officials from Denver and the state to discuss laws and regulations. Brown Burke noted that she had learned much about the Colorado operations and is especially excited about the business opportunities expected to arise in Jamaica because of newly legalized marijuana.

    JAMAICAN MAN ON WANTED POSTER CAUGHT—03/15/15
    According to immigration authority Michael Fahy, it took only four days after the Bermuda Department of Immigration posted a photo of Robert George McFarlane that he was reported and caught. The “wanted felon’s capture indicates how effective the publication of his photo was. McFarlane is a Jamaican national who was in the country illegally.

    JAMAICAN BOBSLED ATHLETE TO SPEAK IN BURLINGTON—03/16/15
    Devon Harris, a founding member of Jamaica’s bobsled team, will speak at the yearly Burlington Diversity Conference, which will be held at the end of March 2015. Harris is a motivational speaker and is set to deliver the opening address at the conference. Also speaking at the conference will be a former United States Senator, Carol Moseley Brown.

    JAMAICAN ENTREPRENEUR RECEIVES RECOGNITION IN SOUTH FLORIDA—03/17/15
    Andre Kay, who was born in Jamaica, has been recognized for his social-media management company’s success. Kay founded Sociallybuzz, an advertising and marketing firm that provides a little of Jamaica to everyone who logs on to the site.

    JAMAICAN FILM COMMISSIONER LOOKS FOR HOLLYWOOD PARTNERSHIPS—03/18/15
    Carole Beckford, Jamaica’s film commissioner and the manager of creative industries at JAMPRO, is looking for closer ties with Hollywood in terms of investments and collaborations with artistic talent from the California film capital. The Jamaica Film Festival of 2015 is being presented as an opportunity to gain recognition from foreign investors for filmmaking on the island.

    UK RECOGNIZES WOMEN OF REGGAE—03/19/15
    Donald Harper, a veteran of the music industry in the United Kingdom and an academic, is highlighting the contributions of women to reggae music in the UK during the 1950s and 1960s. While many women were involved with reggae as singers, musicians, and song writers, most have been forgotten. Harper is now calling attention to these women, some of whom continue to perform despite their age.

    JAMAICANS CELEBRATED AT PENN RELAYS—03/20/15
    Jamaica has been a strong presence at the Penn Relays held at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field for many years. They have been consistent winners at the competition since their first appearance in 1964. The winning Jamaican athletes at the Penn Relays now have their names displayed on the Penn Relays Wall of Fame.

    CANADIAN REGGAE GROUP POPULAR IN JAMAICA—03/20/15
    Despite the fact that critics in the United States hate the Canadian reggae group Magic!, the artistes are quite popular in Jamaica, the birthplace of the genre. “Rude,” the group’s debut single recording, sold three million copies in the U.S., but many critics objected to their interpretation of the Jamaican sound. However, in Trelawney, and on radio station IRIE FM, Jamaican fans have enthusiastically accepted the group and its reggae performances.

  • JAMAICAN NEWS: March 14th – March 20th, 2015

    JAMAICAN NEWS: March 14th – March 20th, 2015

    MONTAGUE SAYS NEW TAXES A “BETRAYAL”—03/14/15
    According to Robert Montague, the opposition spokesperson on energy from the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), The government of Jamaica must eliminated the tax on gas and electric power or face many angry island residents. Montague believes the tax represents a betrayal of the “People’s trust.” Noting the government’s promise to ease the suffering of the poor in Jamaica, create jobs, raise investments and reduce power bills, but that it had not fulfilled any of the promises.

    FISHERIES INDUSTRY TURNS TO DRONES FOR PROTECTION—03/15/15
    Jamaica is ready to use drones in an effort to protect its fisheries industry from criminal poachers. According to Donovan Stanberry, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Derrick Kellier, the Minister of Fisheries, is preparing details of the protection plan. The drones will also be used to help with search and rescue efforts at sea.

    SCHOOLS CLOSED, JAMAICANS HOSPITALIZED DUE TO DUMP FIRE—03/16/15
    Heavy smoke continued to impact Jamaican neighborhoods following a large fire at the Riverton City dump outside of Kingston. According to the island’s Ministry of Education, 50 schools re stay closed after the weekend due to smoke coming from the dump fire. The fire has burned about 75 percent of the dump area to date. Over 840 individuals have reported to hospitals with complaints arising from smoke inhalation in the region.

    ECONOMIC REFORMS BRING OVER $800 MILLION FROM INVESTORS—03/17/15
    Peter Phillips, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance, says that the nation’s economic reforms have resulted in over $800 million being provided in the form of new investments. Jamaica’s success under the economic program has resulted in a major increase in investor and consumer confidence, which in turn, improved the country’s rating with global ratings agencies.

    BARACK OBAMA TO VISIT JAMAICA, MEET WITH CARIBBEAN LEADERS—03/18/15
    Barack Obama, the president of the United States, will be making a state visit to Jamaica in April 2015. The President will visit on his way to Panama to attend the Seventh summit of the Americas. During his one-day Jamaican visit, Obama will meet with Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and other members of CARICOM. Caribbean leaders will be looking for developmental financing and discuss security, trade, and energy with Obama.

    FIRE AT DUMP MAY COST GOVERNMENT OVER $2 MILLION—03/19/15
    According to the Caribbean Policy Research Institute, total government costs resulting from the fire at the Riverton landfill near Kingston could total more than $2.3 million. The estimated costs include expenses related to school closures, health care costs, and emergency response, as well as the actual costs to extinguish the fire.

    ORGANIZED CRIME AGENCY CONDUCTS RAIDS IN SEVERAL PARISHES—03/20/15
    An investigation into tax evasion incidents that allegedly involve officials at the Jamaica Customs Department is being conducted by the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA). The investigation represents a portion of a joint operation involving the parishes of St. Elizabeth, St. Ann, and Manchester.

    SIXTH OLDEST PERSON IN THE WORLD LIVES IN JAMAICA—03/20/15
    The life of Viola Moss Brown spans three centuries, and she was recently feted by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II on having reached the age of 115. Her age has confirmed her as the oldest person on the island. Also known as “Aunt V,” Brown is the sixth oldest person in the world, and she also has the distinction of having the world’s oldest living child. Her son, at 95, is the oldest person in the world to have a living parent. Brown lives in Duanvale where she was born on March 10, 1900.

  • CARIBBEAN NEWS: March 7th – March 13th, 2015

    CARIBBEAN NEWS: March 7th – March 13th, 2015

    DEATH PENALTY ENDED IN SURINAME—03/07/15
    In Suriname, the General Assembly has given its approval to legislation that will formally abolish the death penalty in that country. However, legislators also increased the top prison term limits from 30 years to 50 years. This is viewed as a compromise to changing the Criminal Code. Additionally, the government discarded provisions allowing the conditional release of people convicted of capital crimes. Individuals facing charges such as murder or major drug offenses will no longer be eligible for release after serving 75 percent of their sentences.

    DOMINICA JOINS CCJ APPELLATE COURT—03/08/15
    Dominica has become the fourth nation of the 12 CARICOM member nations to access the Appellate Jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice. According to Chief Justice Dennis Byron, the CCJ has always been the court for Dominica, but now it is the “whole court.” Levy Peter, attorney general of Dominica, expressed thanks to the British Privy Council for its years serving as appellate jurisdiction. He noted, however, that it was time to eliminate all traces of Dominica’s colonial past.

    INTERNATIONAL TOURISM SAFETY CONFERENCE TO BE HELD—03/09/15
    The 2015 Caribbean international Tourism Safety & Security Conference is scheduled to be held in Curacao at the end of June. The conference will address tourism safety, which is viewed as a critical issue in the success or failure of a destination. In recognition of the larger role security and safety play in the selection of a tourist destination by consumers, the conference will focus its discussion on these matters.

    US$2 MILLION PROVIDED TO CARIBBEAN LABOR PROJECT BY EU—03/10/15
    The European Union is providing US$2 million toward a Caribbean project designed to encourage coherent policies, support regional and national dialogue on labor issues, and facilitate communications between employers and workers. An agreement signed by the international Labor Organization (ILO), the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC) and the Caribbean Congress of Labor (CCL) launched the project in December 2014.

    DNA AIDS RESEARCHES IN FINDING ORIGINS OF SLAVE SKELETONS—03/11/15
    Researchers from the School of Medicine at Stanford University and the University of Copenhagen are using ancient DNA extracted from the skeletons of three African-born slaves who died 300 years ago to find their origins. Using DNA from teeth, researchers found the location in Africa from which the individuals came.

    TSUNAMI RISK SIGNIFICANT FOR CARIBBEAN AREA—03/12/15
    According to a new study from RMS, an international risk management company, the Caribbean is at major risk of experiencing a damaging tsunami resulting from a large earthquake. RMS looked at all the subduction zones in the world that are capable of producing earthquakes of magnitude 9 and found that the Puerto Rico Trench, while dormant, could generate waves equal to those experienced in 2011 along the Japan Trench. Researchers noted that the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands could potentially see waves measuring nine meters.

  • JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS: March 7th – March 13th, 2015

    JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS: March 7th – March 13th, 2015

    HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CREATE ALLIANCES WITH CANADIANS—03/07/15
    Students from Islington High School in St. Mary are participating in an innovative communications project that involves connecting with students in St. Thomas More Catholic School in Toronto, Canada. The students are discussing their countries and cultures via the Internet with online video chat session on Skype. Dr. Nadine Wong, a psychiatrist in Toronto, is head of Alabaster Gates, a charity that hosted the Internet conversations across Jamaica in March 2015. The project is design to enhance awareness of global issues and develop a forum where students in Jamaica can interact with their counterparts in other countries.

    JAMAICAN NAMED MEMBER OF WORLD BANK PANEL FOR DIVERSITY—03/08/15
    The World Bank is creating an External Advisory Panel for Diversity and Inclusion. The six members of the panel include Dr. Richard Bernal of Jamaica. Bernal is a former ambassador to the United States from Jamaica. The panel is designed to facilitate communications and connections between the World Bank and the global community.

    UK HIGH COMMISSION HONORS WOMEN OF JAMAICA—03/09/15
    A tribute to four outstanding women of Jamaica was given by Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, Jamaica’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, in honor of International Women’s Day of March 4, 2015. The women honored included Mavis Stewart, founding member of the Association of Jamaicans UK Trust; Dame Karlene Davis, who previously held the position of General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives; Beverly Johnson, businesswoman and entrepreneur from Birmingham; and the Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, who is the Chaplin to Her Majesty the Queen and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    NO CONCLUSION ABOUT CAUSE OF DEATH OF JAMAICAN SPRINTER—03/10/15
    The cause of death of Sabrina Cammock, a Jamaican-born Syracuse University student and athlete, has not yet been determined. Cammock, 21, was found dead at the Edison Hotel in Times Square, New York. Police in New York have ruled out any foul play, but investigations are continuing in the case. Cammock had a promising career as an athlete, according to Irwine Clare, Sr., founder of Team Jamaica Bickle. She was on Spring Break with some friends from Syracuse at the time of her death. She was born in Watt Town, St. Ann, in Jamaica.

    DISC JOCKEY PLANS TO REACH DiASPORA VIA NEW RADIO PROGRAM—03/11/15
    Felisha Loud, a 32-year-old disc jockey, is planning to connect with the Jamaican Diaspora through her new position as the host of Reggae Soul Experience on the CarbMixx Radio station. Loud was formerly working at Irie Jam Radio, which features reggae and Caribbean content. According to Loud, the focus of the new show is to reach new generations of Jamaica by playing R&B, with a concentration on R&B/reggae mix. Loud traveled to the United States at the age of 16, but returned to Jamaica and worked for the Nationwide News Network.

    SIMPSON MILLER WANTS JAMAICANS IN BAHAMAS TO “LEGITIMIZE”—03/12/15
    Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller is urging Jamaicans living in the Bahamas to make sure that they are working and living there legitimately. Her call for “legitimizing” the status of Jamaicans in the Diaspora in the Bahamas follows the introduction of new immigration rules imposed by the Bahamian Government. These laws went into effect in November 2014. The Prime Minister said that Jamaica is monitoring the changes in the law as well.

    JAMAICAN GIRL IN NEW YORK GETS LIFE-SAVING SURGERY—03/13/15
    Amanda Carter, who is eight years old, had a serious heart defect involving a hole between her aorta and pulmonary artery, which threatened her life and made it impossible for her to take part in the usual childhood activities. A physician at Bustamante Children’s Hospital in Kingston recommended to her parents that they contact the Gift of Life Program at St. Francis Hospital in Long Island, and ultimately, Amanda and her mother Maria Sterling traveled to that hospital where the hole in her heat was repaired by Dr. Sean Levchuck on March 4, 2015.

    U.S. GENERAL KELLY SAYS CARIBBEAN NATIONALS RECRUITED TO FIGHT IN SYRIA—03/13/15
    A top Marine General in the United States, John Kelly, informed the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee that some 100 individuals from Caribbean nations have gone to Syria to fight alongside Islamic extremists in Syria.  Kelly reported that extremist groups and Iran are actively recruiting potential militants in Trinidad, Suriname, Venezuela, and Jamaica. He is particularly concerned about what these individuals may do when they return to their home countries.