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THIS WEEKS NEWS SUMMARY
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DIASPORA CRITICAL OF 2005 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT – 6/26/05
Members of the Jamaican diaspora, acting as advisors to their departed homeland’s government, denounced the 2005 Trafficking in Persons Report that downgraded Jamaica to a tier three nation on the human trafficking watch list. Advisors from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom called the report an outrage and expressed concern that it presented Jamaica as a failed state to the world community. The advisors advocated for more media coverage of development in Jamaica and less emphasis on the increase in violent crime.

$700 MILLION DEBT FORGIVEN BY U.K. – 6/27/05
Peter Mathers, the British High Commissioner, reported that the United Kingdom has forgiven $700 million in Jamaican debt to date this year, or $4.5 billion in recent years, stating that it sends a clear signal to other lender nations on development in Jamaica’s economy. The debt relief offered by developed countries to debtor nations in Africa and elsewhere hopes to lesson the burdens of poverty on developing economies, allowing scant financial resources to be channeled to development and social projects.

CRIME SPREADS TO RURAL AREAS – 6/27/05
Increased police pressure in cities and their environs is creating some undesirable consequences for parish capitals and townships as criminals migrate to rural areas, Commissioner of Police Lucius Thomas stated while addressing community watch groups in Montego Bay this past weekend. Citing a 30 percent increase in the murder rate of rural parishes over the same period last year, Commissioner Thomas added that operational activity will be increased in St. James in particular to address the heightened levels of violence.

$2 BILLION FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT – 6/29/05
Minister for Education, Youth and Culture, Dr. Donald Rhodd, revealed a $2 billion apprentice program to attract 20,000 unemployed youths to work for minimum wage as part of work study program while addressing the 2005/06 sectoral debate in Gordon House on Tuesday. Calling the 30.6 percent youth unemployment rate significant enough to impact on Jamaica’s economy, Dr. Rhodd noted that the youth rate was four times greater than that of adult unemployment. Tax incentives are to be offered to businesses to encourage participation.

VENEZUELA TO PROVIDE CRUDE OIL AS PART OF MoU – 6/29/05
Discussions of lowered transportation costs and the integration of Caribbean and Venezuela refinery infrastructure resulted in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Wednesday by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela. The MoU will create favorable credit terms for Jamaica and should result in lower prices for consumers and secure a supply of petroleum to the region. Mr. Patterson credited the MoU as a PetroCaribe initiative established between the Caribbean and Venezuela in a post-Cabinet press conference on Monday.

BOOST FOR SANTA CRUZ MICRO BUSINESSES – 6/30/05
Micro businesses with little or no collateral in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth have a new business alley in growing opportunities for themselves and their community. The MICRO Enterprise Financing Limited (MEFL), sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency, the Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Limited and Kingston Restoration Company, opened a branch office earlier this month in the rural town of Santa Cruz. Since its inception in 2000, the MEFL has made 5,052 loans, disbursing $79.2 million in funds to low income businesses — 81 percent of those funds being distributed to female entrepreneurs.

TWO GIRLS RAPED AND MURDERED IN CANE FIELD – 7/01/05
The body of Shaneka Shakes, ‘Cutie’, was the first to be discovered in a cane field in Burt Savannah, Westmoreland around 5 a.m. Thursday morning after not returning from school Wednesday. Eight-year-old Shauna Kay’s body was later found in that same field, local residents assisting police in their search. Townsmen wielding machetes, boards and knives threw stones and chopped through the door of the home of a convicted sex-offender believed to have been spraying in the fields at the time. The man who later appeared at the scene to shouts of ‘kill him, kill him’ was taken into police custody. No charges have been made in the rape and murder of the two girls.

AIR JAMAICA SECURES US$200 MILLION LOAN – 7/01/05
Reporting losses of US$64 million in the six-month period under control of the Jamaican government, Air Jamaica chairman Dr. Vin Lawrence announced Thursday the securing of a US$200 million loan to help refinance short-term debt and fund capital expenditures. Dr. Lawrence attributed Air Jamaica’s financial difficulties to maintenance activities and the rerouting of passengers to other airlines, but expressed optimism that Air Jamaica would be more fiscally sound in the next three months. The US$200 million in funds were raised from a government-guaranteed bond offered by U.S. investment house Bear Stearns.

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SPORTS
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SIX MEDALS FOR JA BOXERS – 6/25/05
Two gold, two silver and two bronze for the seven-member team of Jamaican boxers in competition at Caribbean Amateur Boxing Association (CABA) Championship in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Welterweight Kevin White was named ‘Best New Boxer’ after defeating Arthur Pierre for the gold on Tuesday. Jamaica was fourth in overall competition.

CAMPBELL RANKED TOP 100M WOMEN’S COMPETITOR – 6/26/05
Veronica Campbell became the first Jamaican top ranked 100 meter female sprinter at the 2005 Supreme Ventures National Senior and Junior Athletics Championships at the National Stadium Saturday. Campbell ran the 100m in 10.97 seconds in the event, a performance that would earn the 23-year-old Jamaican runner competing for Arkansas University 1,341 points, enough to give her a sixth-place overall ranking and making her the top ranked 100m female sprinter in the world.

PORTMORE UNITED NPL CHAMPIONS – 6/28/05
Portmore United captured the Wray and Nephew National Premier League championship in a 1-0 win over defending champions Tivoli Gardens at the National Stadium on Monday. The second leg of play gave Portmore a 2-1 aggregate after Kevin Deerr scored a 67th minute goal against goalie Edsel Scott. The win was Portmore’s second championship in three years of play and their third since 1993.

SLAYERS SWEEP FINALS – 6/28/05
St. George Slayers scored a 79-65 game two victory over Tivoli All Stars in the KFC/bmobile National Basketball League (NBL) Finals played Sunday at the National Indoor Sports Complex. The Slayers built on Saturday’s 94-88 showing against the Tivoli in triple overtime with Slayers player General Hall scoring 29 of those winning points. Last year’s champions, Urban Knights, finished third overall.

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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.