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THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
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PNP PREPARES FOR BATTLE—07/26/08
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the People’s National Party (PNP) will examine the rules of engagement for the coming presidential election. There are signs already that battle lines have been drawn in the contest between Portia Simpson Miller and Dr. Peter Phillips. The PNP understands that any “bloodletting” would weaken the party and have a negative impact on its ability to win in a national election.
NEW TOURIST ATTRACTION OPENS—07/27/08
Mystic Mountain Rainforest has opened for business in Ocho Rios. The opening was attended by a huge number of people in spite of the heavy rains. Mystic Mountain is considered to be one of the “hottest” tourist destinations in Jamaica, and is suitable for all ages. The park is environmentally friendly and features seaside and tropical forest ecosystems, along with three excursions.
JAMAICAN ETHANOL PLANT TO EXPAND—07/28/08
JB Ethanol Limited, which is a subsidiary of Jamaica Broilers Group Limited (JAM JBG), a leading producer of poultry, is moving ahead with construction and expansion of a fuel ethanol plant in Port Esquivel.
NEW CEO FOR SCOTIA JAMAICA—07/29/08
Scotiabank Jamaica will have a new head when Bruce F. Bowen takes over for Bill Clarke as president and chief executive officer of the bank. Clarke made a sudden announcement that he would retire. Bowen was Clarke’s second in command until 2002, and he currently leads the bank’s operations in Puerto Rico.
SAJ ENHANCES PORT SAFETY—07/29/08
The Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ) is making an effort to deepen the safety agenda on Port Bustamante. The
organization hosted a two-day workshop, joining with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MLSS), the Ministry of Health and Environment, (MOHE), and the National Environmental and Planning Agency (NEPA).
UNPROTECTED SEX CAUSES INCREASE IN CARIBBEAN HIV INFECTIONS—07/30/08
According to the United Nations, unprotected sex between men is a chief cause of the increase in the rate of HIV infection in the Caribbean region. In its 2008 report, UNAIDS stated that unprotected sex between men and women is also a cause of higher HIV rates. In Jamaica, HIV prevalence among Jamaican men who have sex with other men totals between 25 percent and 30 percent.
GOVERNMENT TO STAY WITH ANTI-CRIME MEASURES—07/31/08
According toe Colonel Trevor MacMillan, National Security Minister, the Jamaican government must not submit to pressure from special interest groups that criticize proposed anti-crime initiatives. The Jamaican Bar Association has indicated some apprehension about measures that would limit or remove a court’s authority to determine bail amounts or lengths of sentences.
FORMER POLICE SUPERINTENDENT IN CUSTODY—08/01/08
Harry Daley, the former head of the St. Catherine North Police, who is also known as “Bungles,” was arrested on charges of breach of the Corruption Prevention Act. Daley was taken into custody as part of sting operation in Kingston, Jamaica, and is the first police officer to face charges under the Act since the beginning of a major clean-up that started in January 2008.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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TRAVEL MAGAZINE NAMES JAMAICAN HOTEL AS ONE OF BEST—07/27/08
Travel and Leisure Magazine, which has a readership of more than 4.8 million, has placed the Couples Resorts among the most prestigious and best hotels in the Caribbean region. Couples Swept Away and Couples Negril were named fifth and eighth, respectively among readers in the magazine’s 2008 “World’s Best Award.”
JAMAICANS TO BE EXTRADITED ON DRUG CHARGES—07/30/08
Two Jamaicans were extradited after being charged for allegedly operating a multi-million-dollar drug trafficking program
between Jamaican and Boston, Massachusetts. Vasco Harriott, 40, and his wife Patricia, were given the order of extradition when they appeared in court after waiving their rights to challenge the move.
JAMAICANS ABROAD CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY—07/31/08
Jamaica’s 46th independence anniversary is being used by the country’s government to strengthen the ties between Jamaicans living on the island and those living in the United States. A number of events are planned in the U.S. to celebrate Jamaica’s culture, including art exhibits, church services, concerts, food festivals, and parades in various states.
JAMAICAN CONSUL GENERAL IN FLORIDA TO LEAVE—08/01/08
Ricardo Allicock, the Jamaican Consul General to the Southern United States, who is based in Miami, Florida, will be leaving his post, in which he has served for six years. He will return to Jamaica upon the end of his tenure in August. In Jamaica, Allicock will become the director of protocol in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
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SPORTS
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POWELL SAYS HE IS IN ‘BEST SHAPE’—07/26/08
Asafa Power ran the men’s 100 meters at the Aviva London Super Grand Prix track and field meet in London, England, in 9.94 seconds for an easy win. Just three weeks out from the Beijing Olympics, Powell was victorious over Trinidad and Tobago’s Marc Burns, who was second with 9.97, and Jamaican Michael Frater, who finished third with 10.00.
JAMAICA WILL WIN 12 OLYMPIC MEDALS, ACCORDING TO PREDICTIONS—07/27/08
According to the “bible” of track and field, the magazine Track and Field News, Jamaicans will win a total of 12 medals at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The magazine does not predict any gold medals for the Jamaican women, but does expect three gold medals for the men.
JAMAICAN, EL SALVADOR END IN GOALLESS TIE—07/28/08
The Jamaican and El Salvadoran teams reached a tie in their friendly, with neither team scoring a goal. El Salvador had the advantage of a partisan crowd and controlled the first half of the match, but Donovan Ricketts, the Jamaican goalkeeper, made heroic efforts to hold the line.
JAMAICAN TESTS POSITIVE FOR BANNED SUBSTANCE—07/29/08
One of the members of Jamaica’s track and field team tested positive for a banned substance. The individual will be removed from the Olympic team. Officials noted that the athlete was not one of the high-profile competitors, such as Usain Bolt or Asafa Powell, nor was the athlete a femaie.
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DEVOTIONAL
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Their Word & God’s Word: Do They Line Up?
It seems everywhere we turn these days, some individual or organization is disseminating information. We don’t have to look too far to find the latest on how to dress, how to live, where to eat, where to go, and what to do. On the screen and in print, we get ‘advice’ on relationship, parental, familial, and marital issues. Our senses are so inundated with information that we risk becoming desensitized to what is truth and what is propaganda. The voices we hear, and the opinions we read, have become to a large degree, the source of authority. This is where believers have to be careful.
Not much of what we hear, or read, takes God’s perspective in mind. Ours is a secular society, and with that comes the humanist effort; the promotion of, and the reliance on, self. Biblical advice and instructions are ridiculed, and instead of ordering our lives and dealing with situations based on His principles, many find themselves embracing principles and concepts, touted by popular “experts”, that run contrary to those of Christ.
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote: “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (2:8, KJV). Those words written almost 2,000 years ago are very appropriate for our times. As children of God we need to take a step back and assess the things coming at us. Before embracing something as truth, and before incorporating it into our lives, we need to see how it measures up against the Word of God. It doesn’t matter if we saw it on so-and-so’s talk show, or heard it from popular psychologist and expert on all things, Dr. John Doe. If it conflicts with the Word of God, it is misinformation and should be rejected.
Our standard is not the latest fad promoted as being cool or even familiar ones that have become a part of our culture. There are some very good information available that can help us in different ways, but we have to examine them carefully. And let’s not forget the greatest source of information available, God’s Word. In it He has “given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3). As you look for the right ways to deal with your situations, have you consulted it lately?
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CREDITS/SOURCES
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The weekly news is compilation of new articles from top Caribbean and Jamaican news sources.
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