Staff WriterGOVERNMENT TO INTERVENE IN AIRPORT CRISIS—11/14/09
Jamaica’s Ministry of Labor will intervene in a dispute between the staff and management at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. The dispute involves MBJ Airports Ltd., which operates the airport. The Ministry decided to take action after 160 workers walked off the job with the support of the Trade Union Congress and the Union of Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Personnel.
GUNMEN IN KINGSTON BURN HOUSE, KILL 90-YEAR-OLD WOMAN—11/15/09
According to Jamaican police, members of a street gang in Kingston threw gasoline bombs and fired random shots in a neighborhood. The bombs set one house on fire, killing Inez Brown, 90, whose remains were found inside the destroyed home. No arrests have been made.
NEW UK IMMIGRATION POLICY COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR JAMAICANS—11/16/09The United Kingdom is tightening its immigration policies, and Senator Dr. Ronald Robinson, junior minister in the Jamaica Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, is concerned about the impact of the new policies on Jamaicans. Gordon Brown, UK Prime Minister, has said that immigration to the UK will decrease once the new rules are implemented.
IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT TO INVESTIGATE CLAIMS OF BAD TREATMENT—11/17/09
The Department of Immigration in the Bahamas plans to investigate the allegations of Andrew Dillon, a Jamaican, who has complained about his treatment by immigration officials at Lynden Pindling Airport in the Bahamas. Dillon claims he was stopped at the airport and held for almost two days without sufficient food or water.
ECONOMY IN JAMAICA CONTINUES DECLINE—11/18/09
The economy in Jamaica has seen a negative three percent decline for the second quarter of fiscal 2009, according to the Planning Institute of Jamaica, which reported a fiscal deficit of $30.5 billion during the period of review. This is $4.3 billion higher than expected. According to Dr. Pauline Knight, Acting Director General at the Planning Institute, the economy is expected to decline even further in 2010.
JAMAICA PLANS TO INVOLVE USAIN BOLT IN TOURISM BRANDING—11/18/09
Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, has announced that the island’s move into tourism markets in China will utilize the popularity of Usain Bolt, world champion sprinter and Olympic gold medal winner. Bolt is working with the Jamaican tourist board for several promotions during 2010, and because of his special value in the Chinese market, images of Bolt are likely to be used to promote Jamaica there.
JAMAICA DROPS FURTHER DOWN ON YEARLY CORRUPTION INDEX—11/19/09
Jamaica now ranks 99th on the 2009 Corruption Index for 2009. The report polled 180 nations and tanked them according to levels of perceived corruption. Jamaica shares the 99th rank with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Madagascar, Senegal, Tonga, Zambia, and the Dominican Republic. New Zealand was ranked as the least corrupt country in the world, while Somalia was ranks as most corrupt.
MAYDAY AIR JAMAICA FIGHTS SPIRIT AIRLINES IN BID—11/20/09
Wesley Sampson, former president of the Jamaica Airline Pilots Association and Mayday Air Jamaica, are fighting a bid to take over Air Jamaica from Spirit Airlines. Sampson and his organization are requesting that Spirit drop its bid and report the purchase price to current and former employees of Air Jamaica, who want to keep the nation’s only airline under Jamaican control. A picket of Air Jamaica in Miami is scheduled on December 15 to protest the bid.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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BEENIE MAN OUT OF “BIG DAY OUT” EVENT—11/15/09
Organizers of the Big Day Out event in New Zealand have eliminated Beenie Man, Jamaican musician, from the event in 2010. Expressions of outrage from gay rights groups about Beenie Man’s invitation to the January 2010 event in Auckland convinced organizers to remove him from participation. Beenie Man has renounced anti-gay lyrics in his songs, signed the Reggae Compassionate Act in 2007, and promised to abide by the “peaceful and humanistic values” of Big Day Out. Event organizers still felt his appearance would cause pain and divisiveness among attendees, however.
JAMAICAN PLAYS EXTREMELY POPULAR IN GUYANA—11/16/09
Jamaican plays have proved very popular among theatergoers in Guyana, and Jamaican acting companies that travel to that country are in high demand. The popularity is attributed to long-established theater trends in the Caribbean and to new trends developing in the region. These include the characteristics of contemporary theater in Jamaica, the dominance of popular theater, and the demand for popular entertainment in Guyana.
JAMAICANS FACE MIAMI JUDGE IN LAWSUIT—11/17/09
The Miami Civil Court will hear a case against Frank Cox and DYC Fishing Ltd. of Kingston, Jamaica. Judge Marc Schumacher will preside over the trial, which was brought by Perla Del Caribe Inc., a firm based in Miami. Perla claims more than $1 million is due to the firm from the 2000-2001 conch season. These profits are due because DYC Fishing failed to distribute any profits in that season.
JAMAICAN COMEDY PERFORMED IN SOUTH FLORIDA—11/20/09
Theatergoers in South Florida will have a chance to see the Jamaican comedy “Money Worries” during the Thanksgiving weekend. Paul Beale’s popular comedy will have an all-star case that includes Stede “Jooky Jam” Flash, Garfield “Bad Boy Trevor” Reid, and Sheldon Shepperd.
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SPORTS
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OMAR CUMMINGS DETAINED BY IMMIGRATION IN SOUTH AFRICA—11/14/09
Omar Cummings, frontman for the Colorado Rapids, was detained by immigration officials in South Africa because he was carrying a damaged passport. Most of the Reggae Boyz went through immigration and customs easily, but Cummings’ detention led to a two-hour delay for the group, which had already flown 14.5 hours from Atlanta, Georgia, to South Africa.
CAMPBELL-BROWN TO COMPETE IN WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS—11/15/09
Veronica Campbell-Brown has decided to compete in the 2010 World Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha. The champion sprinter hopes to return to the indoor venue after her last appearance in 2006 at the advice of her new coach. If chosen to represent Jamaica, Campbell-Brown will be participating in her first three-day champions, which will be held March 12-14, 2010.
USAIN BOLT WINS VANGUARD AWARD—11/16/09
Usain Bolt, world and Olympic champion sprinter, received the Vanguard Award from the Institute of Caribbean Studies at the 16th Annual Caribbean American Heritage Awards ceremony November 13, 2009 in Washington, D.C. Bolt’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wellesley Bolt, accepted the award from Jamaica’s ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Anthony Johnson. Bolt was unable to attend the ceremony himself.
NASH HOPES TO HELP WINDIES—11/17/09
Brendan Nash is hoping that his knowledge of the Gabba will help the West Indies cricket team to be victorious against Australia. Nash previously played for the Queensland team and has played the Test at the Gabba many times with the Bulls. Nash, who has been called a “street fighter” by former teammates, plans to use his knowledge of the Gabba wicket to help the Windies “ambush” Australia.
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DEVOTIONAL
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Giving With the Right Attitude
She was poor and a widow, not the greatest of position to be in during the first century. On this particular day, seemingly oblivious to what was going on around her and like she perhaps had done many times before, she approached the treasury – a place in the temple for the collection boxes. The scribes were there doing what they did best. It wasn’t that long before that Jesus said of them, “Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers” (Luke 20:46-47a, KJV). They wouldn’t have noticed her, neither would the rich men who were there casting their gifts.
As she reached the treasury, she cast in her two mites. When compared to what others had put in, hers wasn’t much, however, unknown to her there were a pair of eyes watching her. Not only did He see her but He could see right through her, deep into her intent and her heart. Despite her obvious poverty, instead of using the amount on herself she brought it to the temple. She was not giving out of her excess but sought to worship God out of her need. Christ saw that her heart was “in the right place”, and said to those around him, “Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her [need] hath cast in all the living that she had” (vv. 3-4). Bible Scholar Matthew Henry observes, “It was but two mites, which make a farthing; but Christ magnified it as a piece of charity exceeding all the rest: She has cast in more than they all. Christ does not blame her for indiscretion, in giving what she wanted herself, nor for vanity in giving among the rich to the treasury; but commended her liberality, and her willingness to part with what little she had for the glory of God, which proceeded from a belief of and dependence upon God’s providence to take care of her.”
It is not the size of the gift that matters but that whatever we give to the Lord we give with the right attitude. Our giving is a form of worship. Paul admonishes, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). So as you give to the Lord, in whatever form, do it with a cheerful and thankful heart. You will discover that “he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness” (v.10). Because He knows the intent of every heart, it is He that judges. How is your giving?
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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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