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THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
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NEWS LAWS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS ATHLETE DOPING DIFFICULTIES—06/28/14
The government of Jamaica will consider news laws to address the doping scandal impacting the nation’s athletes. The action represents the government’s efforts in recovering from the illegal use of banned substances by some Jamaican athletes. According to Natalie Neita Headley, the minister responsible for sports, the legislation under consideration targets the illegal importation of these substances.
CHINESE BUSINESSMEN ATTACKED IN MAY PEN—06/29/14
The Chinese business representatives in May Pen and other parts of Clarendon have become targets of criminals. According to police reports, businesses that are operated by Chinese people are singled out for attack by criminals in the area. Dozens of robberies have been reported, and some businesses have been hit twice in a two-week period. Police are moving to protect business operators in this area.
MANY GOVERNMENT WEBSITES VULNERABLE TO HACKING—06/29/14
According to Andrew Gordon, a cyber security consultant, at least 43 government agencies, many of which hold sensitive personal information on thousands of Jamaican citizens, are at risk of hijacking by criminal hackers because of a lack of security features. Websites of the Bank of Jamaica, Tax Administration Jamaica, and the Ministry of National Security were cited for their lack of adequate system security.
THOUSANDS OF JAMAICANS PROTEST REPEAL OF BUGGERY ACT—06/30/14
According to Jamaican police, some 25,000 people demonstrated in favor of Jamaica CAUSE (Churches Action Uniting Society for Emancipation) at a rally held in St. Andrew. Rally organizers called on Jamaicans to support strong families and to stand against the “homosexual agenda” and moves to repeal the buggery act.
BUNTING SAYS ELLINGTON NOT FORCED OUT OF JOB—07/01/14
According to Peter Bunting, Jamaica’s National Security Minister, Police Commissioner Owen Ellington was not forced to leave his position. Bunting made his comments shortly after Ellington made a surprise announcement that he had decided to end his 34-year career in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). Bunting also said that while he did not attempt to stop Ellington from leaving, the decision to retire “is based on the need to separate himself from the leadership and management of the Force” before the commencement of the commission of enquiry charged with investigating the Tivoli Gardens incident in 2010.
SENATE TO REVIEW GANJA BILL AIMING TO ERASE CRIMINAL RECORDS—07/02/14
Jamaica’s Senate will review legislation designed to erase the criminal records of individuals who received convictions for possessing small amounts of ganja. According to Senator Mark Golding, Justice Minister, the bill calls for erasing the records of those convicted for possessing two ounces or less of ganja.
SHAW CALLS FOR DETAILS ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING OF LOAN—07/03/14
Audley Shaw, Jamaican Opposition Spokesman on Finance and Planning, is calling for Dr. Peter Phillips to specify in a detailed manner how an additional loan of US$300 million will be spent on the International Capital Market. Shaw is concerned about borrowing more money than required to close a financing gap.
PICKERSGILL RECOMMENDS PREPARATIONS FOR IMPACT OF EL NINO—07/04/14
Robert Pickersgill, Jamaica’s Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, announced new measures designed to address a serious water supply issue that is already having an impact on the country and that he expects to get worse. He said the government must impose water restrictions and rules in areas served by the National Water Commission (NWC). Restrictions will be place on washing vehicles, watering lawns, and filling swimming pools.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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PRESIDENT OF JTA REACHING OUT TO EDUCATORS IN LOS ANGELES—06/28/14
The president of the Jamaican Teachers Association (JTA) visited Los Angeles, California, with several practitioners from the island, to strengthen cooperation among educators in the Diaspora across the United States. The representatives of the JTA hope to enhance opportunities for teachers in Jamaica to advance their professional competencies via partnerships with tertiary institutions on the West Coast.
JAMAICAN STUDENTS TO STUDY MEDICINE IN CUBA—06/29/14
Five Jamaicans have received full scholarships to study medicine in Cuba. Future physicians Osheen Bogue, Chantal Williams, Antoinette Fyffe, Maryln Perez and Jacques Heaven received seven-year scholarships via a program designed to benefit both Jamaica and Cuba. There are currently over 180 Jamaican students living in Cuba, with 100 on scholarships. Most of these students are studying medicine.
POLICE IN CANADA ARREST JAMAICAN POLICE OFFICER—06/30/14
Witney Hutchinson, 28, was arrested in Canada, in connection with an investigation of 41 murders. As a police officer in Jamaica, Hutchinson is alleged to have been part of a police “death squad” on the island. Hutchinson entered Canada illegally in 2012, and his arrest represents action in just one of several investigations ongoing in Jamaica concerning police killings dating back decades.
JAMAICAN SHIP INTERCEPTED CARRYING OVER 2,300 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA—07/01/14
Law enforcement officials in Antigua have detained a vessel from Jamaica that carried over 2,300 pounds of marijuana with a street value of about EC$37 million. According to the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP), the interception of the vessel was conducted in joint operations between Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (Coast Guard) and the ONDCP. The 65-foot vessel originated in Jamaica and was operated by six Jamaican individuals.
UK DENIES ASYLUM TO BISEXUAL JAMAICA DUE TO “DISHONEST SEXUALITY”—07/02/14
A court in the United Kingdom has denied the request for asylum from Orashia Edwards, 32, in which he stated he would be persecuted because of his sexual orientation. Edwards was denied asylum because the court found he had been “dishonest” about his sexuality and did not believe he was really bisexual. While the court did not release information about how it reached its conclusion, Edwards has a newborn daughter in Leeds, where he has allegedly lived for 14 years.
ISRAELI MAGAZINE FEATURES RECORDING ARTISTE TEFLON—07/03/14
Teflon, a rising recording artiste, is becoming increasingly well known around the world. With his new release “Yard A Love” available soon, he is the latest of several Jamaican entertainers featured in the Israeli publication “Kaboom” magazine. The reggae singer, who is from St. Mary, talks with the magazine about various career subjects, including worldwide fame and the recent death of his friend Ricardo Lowe, who was also his road manager.
JAMAICAN GUILTY OF RUNNING PROSTITUTION RING—07/04/14
A jury in Miami, Florida, has found Damion St. Patrick Baston, a Jamaica, guilty on 21 counts of operating an escort service that forced women into a prostitution racket. Six women testified about how he had forced them into the racket, which ranged from Australia to Dubai to Miami. The jury deliberated for less than six hours before returning the guilty verdicts. Baston, 37, denied all charges at trial.
SAMUELS GAINS RECOGNITION IN ITALY—07/04/14
Samardo Samuels of Jamaica is glad to have a break following his contributions toward taking his Milan, Italy-based group to the basketball league title in that country. Samuels, who plays forward and center, returned to Jamaica after a seven-match series with Emporio Armani Milano, which defeated Montepaschi Siena in the play-off finals of Serie A of the Legal Basket in Italy.
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CARIBBEAN NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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CARIBBEAN NATIONS SERIOUS ABOUT REPARATIONS FROM EUROPE—06/28/14
$30 BILLION NEEDED TO REDUCE USE OF FOSSIL FUELS IN CARIBBEAN—06/29/14
TICKETS FOR CARIBBEAN PREMIER LEAGUE GOING ON SALE—06/30/14
CONTRIBUTION VIA WORLD BANK SUPPORTS CARIBBEAN CONSERVATION—07/01/14
CORALS IN THE CARIBBEAN COULD DISAPPEAR WITHIN TWO DECADES—07/02/14
RISK REDUCTION IN MARTINIQUE ADDRESSED BY CARIBBEAN LEADERS—07/03/14
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BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP NETWORK CHAPTER NOW IN JAMAICA—06/30/14
Jamaica’s chapter of the Caribbean Women’s Entrepreneurship Network (WEN) was launched in Kingston on June 20, 2014. The organization is designed to recognize the critical part played by women entrepreneurs in the development of the country. WEN will provide a way for women in business to access markets throughout the Caribbean region via networking with other women entrepreneurs.
TRANSFORMATION PROJECT TO RESTRUCTURE STANDARDS BUREAU—07/01/14
According to Anthony Hylton, Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, the Bureau of Standards Jamaica will be revamped as part of the Jamaica Strategic Public Sector Transformation Project. The project program will take four years and will receiving funding through a loan from the World Bank totaling US$35 million. The Bureau’s restructuring will make it more responsive to the demands of multilateral trading while protecting the security and health of Jamaicans
ROYAL BANK OF CANADA COMPLETES SALE OF OPERATIONS IN JAMAICA—07/02/14
The Royal Bank of Canada has completed its sale of RBC Royal Bank (Jamaica) Limited and RBTT Securities Jamaica Limited, ending its operations in Jamaica. The buyer of Royal Bank Canada’s Jamaican assets is Sagicor Group Jamaica Limited. The bank had faced major challenges involving bad loans in the market.
LIME, DIGICEL BLOCK VIBER AND OTHER UNLICENSED VOIP SERVICES—07/03/14
Following a warning, Digicel Jamaica has blocked unlicensed VoIP services like Viber in this market. LIME confirmed that it has also imposed a block on Viber. According to a notice sent to customers, Digicel stated that unlicensed VoIP operators use telecom networks to deliver services, but they do not pay the required fees for that privilege.
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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
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EBONY MAGAZINE FEATURES JAMAICANS IN JUNE EDITION—06/29/14
Ebony, a top African-American magazine in the United States, listed six Caribbean writers on a “watch list,” and the list included four Jamaicans. The Jamaicans featured in the magazine include Professor Mervyn Morris, Jamaica’s Poet Laureate; Ann Margaret Lim, Roland Watson-Grant, and Beverly East. Morris was described as a “master” in using personal memories. He was also noted for shifting his language easily from English to patois.
FILM TRAILER OF “JAMAICAN MAFIA” OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED—06/30/14
Audiences have awaited the official trailer of the original film, “Jamaican Mafia,” since March 2014 when a 53-second clip from the trailer was released on YouTube. The film’s organizers decided to premiere the trailer on social media, making the announcement of its availability on its Facebook page. The complete trailer is also available for viewing on YouTube.
CEDELLA MARLEY HELPS REGGAE GIRLZ GET TO 2015 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP—07/03/14
Cedella Marley, the daughter of reggae legend Bob Marley, wants the women’s soccer team in Jamaica to be the first women’s Caribbean football team to play in the Women’s World Cup in 2015. Toward this end, the team has started an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raised $50,000 for equipment, practice, and travel costs. Incentives for donations include a Bob Marley T-shirt signed by Usain Bolt, Olympic champion sprinter, and a digital download of “Strike Hard,” the team’s official anthem.
MUSIC LEGENDS TO APPEAR AT REGGAE SUMFEST—07/04/14
Bass Odyssey and Stone Love International are scheduled to participate in the 2014 edition of Reggae Sumfest on July 17 in Montego Bay. Festival organizers decided to honor two of the top sound systems in Jamaica. Stone Love International created its sound in 1973, while Bass Odyssey began in 1989. Both have spread reggae music around the world. They will showcase their best DJs at Sumfest. The festival runs from July 13 to July 19 at Catherine Hall.
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SPORTS
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CAMPBELL-BROWN WINS 100 METERS, SPENCER WINS 400-METER HURDLES—06/28/14
Jamaica’s sprint champion Veronica Campbell-Brown returned to the Jamaican track scene after an absence of over one year with a win in the 100-meters at the Jamaican Track and Field Championships. Fellow Jamaica Kaliese Spencer won the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a world-record time of 53.41 seconds.
KNIBB WINS IN DISCUS EVENT AT JAMAICAN SENIOR NATIONAL—06/29/14
Kellion Knibb, a junior at Florida State, won the Jamaican Senior National Championship in the discus at the event in Kingston. The winning throw was 58.88 meters, just over eight feet under her personal best. Knibb will compete at the Commonwealth Games with Jamaica in Glasgow, Scotland.
DWYER BEATS WEIR IN 200 METERS—06/30/14
Rasheed Dwyer won the men’s 200-meters at the Jamaica athletics championships, beating Warren Weir. Jamaica’s Dwyer is a former World University Games champion. He ran a personal best of 20.04 seconds, putting Weir in second place with a time of 20.17 seconds. Weir said he adhered to his plan and achieved his goal of qualifying for the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
BOLT CHOSEN FOR JAMAICAN 4×100 RELAY TEAM FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES—07/01/14
Usain Bolt, a six-time Olympic champion, has been selected to run with the Jamaican 4×100 meter relay team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. This will be Bolt’s 2014 debut as he has yet to compete during 2014 and has withdrawn his participation from two meets to date.
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JAMAICAN JOBS
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- JOB TITLE: Senior Secretary – OPS/SS 3 – Details Here
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DEVOTIONAL
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A Man of Authority!
He was a centurion, a Roman officer and a commander of at least a hundred men who was accustomed to exercising authority. So when he sent his messengers – the Jewish elders – to Jesus beseeching Him that he would come and heal his servant who was dear unto him and sick to the point of death, he knew that it wasn’t necessary for Jesus to come to his house. So when Jesus was not far from the house, Luke tells us “the centurion sent friends to Him, saying unto Him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it” (7:6-8, KJV).
The dynamics were interesting. This Roman officer, being a Gentile, knew full well that it was not lawful for a Jew to go into the house of an uncircumcised Gentile. The elders even gave Jesus two reasons why He should help the officer, saying “he was worthy for whom He should do this: for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue” (vv. 4,5). Yet this wasn’t what caught Jesus’ attention. For when He heard what the centurion had said, “He marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed Him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel” (V.9). In other words, “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how He works” (The Message).
Three things merit our attention. Firstly, the centurion recognized Jesus as man with authority who could as easily rebuke and call off sickness and it would obey Him, as he could command obedience from his soldiers and servant and have it. Secondly, this expressed faith in Jesus’ ability resulted in the servant being healed at that instant (v. 10; Matthew 8:13). Thirdly, the people who were supposed to know about God and how He works, those in Israel, did not have that kind of faith.
How could they not have it? Not only was Jesus among them but they had also seen the miracles He had done. Yet before we judge them too harshly, what about us? Do we really believe in Jesus’ authority and His ability to do the things He says He can do? Do we, like the centurion, entrust to Him the situations dear to our hearts that only He can tend to? What does our actions say? Simply acknowledging that Jesus is Lord is not enough. Our actions are the clearest expressions of what we truly believe, so if we believe God then our actions should reflect that belief.
Paul affirms, “Clearly, God has put everything under Christ’s authority” (1 Corinthians 15:27, God’s Word), and that “everything” include all the things that concern you and me. He is a Man of authority and He can be trusted; one word from Him can change your situation. Just ask the centurion.
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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.