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THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
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SHAW BELIEVES IMF COMMITMENTS WILL BE MET—08/06/11
Audley Shaw, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance, has restated his position that the nation will meet its commitments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Adhering to the commitments is critical for Jamaica’s continued economic stability, he noted.
SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN HIDDEN BY LACK OF CHARGES, PROSECUTION—08/07/11
According to Betty Ann Blaine, founder of an organization devoted to the health and wellbeing of children in Jamaica, child rape represents one of the fastest growing crimes in the country. She noted three cases of rape of children under age 12 in the past two years in which the accused were set free in spite of DNA evidence indicating their guilt. Jamaicans overall are reluctant to report the crime, and prosecutions often fail as witnesses and victims are “bought off” by the perpetrators. In 2006, 78 percent of sexual assault and rape cases admitted to hospitals were children and teenagers.
POLITICAL PARTIES SALUTE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ANTHONY ABRAHAMS—08/08/11
Anthony Abrahams, former member of the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), was acknowledged for his contributions to politics after his death. Abrahams, 71, served as a Member of Parliament for the Eastern Portland area between 1980 and 1989. He was also well known as the host of the “Breakfast Club” morning talk show on the radio.
ELECTRICITY CONSUMERS TO SEE REDUCTION IN RATES—08/09/11
According to the Jamaica Public Service company (JPS), Jamaican consumers will get a reduction of about five percent in their electric bills for August 2011. The company attributed the drop in rates to a decrease in the fuel and IPP charge that is applied to August bills. This charge will total $20.71 per kilowatt hour for August, compared to the $22.50 per kilowatt hour applied in July 2011.
NATIONAL GALLERY MOURNS PASSING OF GUY MCINTOSH—08/10/11
The National Gallery of Jamaica has noted the passing of Guy McIntosh, a well known art collector and owner of the Frame Center Gallery. His gallery had a major role in developing Jamaica art in the 1980s, exhibiting many of the top artists of that era. According to Olivia Grange, Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture, McIntosh was a “great supporter of Jamaican art” and a major contributor to the cultural development of the nation.
CAPITAL INFLOWS COULD DECREASE DUE TO U.S. CREDIT DOWNGRADE—08/10/11
Jamaica could see a slowdown of its capital inflows due to the downgrade of United States credit, according to the Bank of Jamaica. It is unclear how great an impact the downgrade will have on the foreign asset portfolios of investors, but it is expected that the economy overall will have more difficulty obtaining a growth rate of the projected 1.5 percent for 2011.
LOBSTER INDUSTRY HIT BY ILLEGAL SALES OF PERMITS—08/11/11
According to Robert Montague, Jamaica’s Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, there will be an investigation into claims that licensed lobster fishermen have been selling their permits to unregistered fishermen. Montague said that “strong and harsh action will be taken” against those found to engage in this practice.
TALK SHOWS IN UK BLAME CARIBBEAN NATIONALS FOR RIOTS—08/12/11
While officials in the United Kingdom are not blaming recent rioting on any racial or cultural group of people, talk shows have started to blame Caribbean nationals for the unrest. Anthony Johnson, Jamaican High Commissioner to the UK, learned that the radio call-in programs had begun attributing the violence to people with Caribbean origins. This has made it difficult for those who live in communities with significant Jamaican populations to get to work.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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EIGHT JAMAICANS HELD ON DRUG TRAFFICKING IN BARBADOS—08/06/11
Eight Jamaicans are among the ten individuals being held by police in Barbados at Queen Elizabeth Hospital after they swallowed a quantity of drugs. The individuals had arrived on a plane from Jamaica and were found to have swallowed the drugs when they were x-rayed.
MISSING JAMAICAN NURSE SOUGHT IN CAYMANS—08/07/11
Kerran Baker, 25, disappeared from her home in Bodden Town in the Cayman Islands on July 30, 2011. The Jamaican nurse’s family and others have been searching for her since that date, but there is still no sign of where she may be or a reason for her disappearance. She was last seen on July 30 at about 7 pm leaving Foster’s Food Fair on Airport Road.
JAMAICAN AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN VISITS HOMELAND—08/08/11
Claudia Barnes, Jamaican Ambassador to Japan, is on vacation in the homeland after attending the Heads of Mission Meeting held by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. After experiencing a major earthquake in Japan in March 2011, Barnes feels there is no challenge she cannot face. She noted that the Ministry was able to account for every Jamaican known to be in Japan at the time of the quake. Barnes is serving her second year as ambassador to that nation.
JAMAICAN DIASPORA CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE—08/11/11
The Jamaican Diaspora in South Florida is launching “Jamaica 50” as a start of the celebration of Jamaica’s Golden Jubilee anniversary of Jamaica’s independence. Many civic, diplomatic, and community leaders will join the Diaspora community to share in the launch, which is slated to feature a variety of entertainments. The highlight of the ceremony will consist of a symbolic acknowledgement of the friendship between the cities of Miami and Kingston.
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CARIBBEAN NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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MEDICAL SCHOOL ACQUIRED BY DEVRY—08/07/11
ENGINEERS IN GUYANA START TO DISMANTLE PLANE WRECKAGE—08/08/11
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO WINS GOLFING CHAMPIONSHIPS—08/09/11
FIFA OPENS CORRUPTION CASES AGAINST SOCCER OFFICIALS—08/10/11
CARIBBEAN RECORDS TWO EARTHQUAKES —08/11/11
MAYOR OF HAITI CAPITAL PLANS TO CLEAR QUAKE CAMP—08/12/11
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BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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KRUEGER HAS PASSION FOR NATURAL PRODUCTS—08/08/11
Muffetta Krueger worked for years in the corporate world, but decided to start her own natural products firm Muffetta’s Natural. She provides environmentally friendly household products. Krueger, a Jamaican-born woman living in the United States, says she no longer wanted to work with products that harmed the environment, and so she left her corporate position to make her own cleaning products from baking soda, washing soda, vinegar, and herbs. She founded Muffetta Enterprise, the parent of Muffetta’s Natural, to develop, manufacture, and test natural cleaning products.
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY TO INTRODUCE ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCY—08/09/11
Jamaica-based Glamour Destination Management Company and Regatta Travel Solutions, which is based in Miami, Florida, plan to launch a new online travel agency. The Jamaica hospitality and tourism industry has welcomed the idea. The new agency will permit Jamaican firms to reach a wider audience of potential tourists. John Lynch, Jamaican Director of Tourism, says the plan represents a “significant achievement” for the island’s tourism industry.
DENBIGH READY TO EXPLOIT TOURISM POTENTIAL—08/10/11
According to Earl Jarrett, general manager of the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS), the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show could be a major tourism attraction for the island. Jarrett said the agricultural show in Clarendon is expected to grow, providing a significant opportunity for Jamaicans overseas, along with other visitors, to experience the nation’s agricultural offerings. About 65,000 patrons from across Jamaica attended the show in 2010.
ETHANOL BUSINESS CLOSES—08/11/11
One of Jamaica’s three ethanol producers has closed its doors due to a continued increase in feedstock prices. Jamaica Ethanol Processing was a casualty of the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), and has been in trouble for three years. Problems were attributed to the volatility in the commodities market and the upside-down trading situation in which hydrous ethanol feedstock costs were higher than the product line sold, according to Erwin Jones, managing director of Jamaica Ethanol Processing. The firm had produced 50 million gallons of ethanol each year and had 31 staff members before its closure.
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY
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DATA ON MOBILE NETWORKS DECRYPTED BY RESEARCHERS—08/10/11
Karsten Nohl of Security Research Labs in Berlin, Germany, wants mobile operators to enhance their security efforts. He has started to release software that will transform phones into “snoops” of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) traffic. Using a GPRS interceptor, it is possible for an individual to read a neighbor’s Facebook updates, says Nohl. He and partner Luca Melette were able to read data sent over mobile networks in this way using an inexpensive Motorola unit and some free applications. They were able to decrypt data from T-Mobile, O2 Germany, Vodafone, and E-Plus in Germany.
HYBRID SOLAR PANEL MAKES HYDROGEN—08/11/11
Nico Hotz, a research engineer at Duke University, believes that the best use of the sun is to make hydrogen. He has created a rooftop solar panel that can generate the gas from the sun’s heat. Hydrogen, which is made by separating hydrogen atoms from a water solution, can then be stored and utilized to create electricity in a fuel cell. Hotz says this method creates more usable energy than solar photovoltaic panels and at a lower cost.
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CARIBBEAN TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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TECH CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 2011—08/06/11
AMATEUR RADIO LINK TO SPACE STATION TO BE AVAILABLE TO CARIBBEAN YOUTH—08/08/11
CARIBBEAN TECH ENTREPRENEUR “CROWDFUNDS” FILM—08/09/11
JAMAICAN TEACHERS TO GET SMARTPHONES FROM RIM—08/10/11
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ENTERTAINMENT
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ULTIMATE 2011 ALBUM AVAILABLE AUGUST 26, 2011—08/06/11
Tad’s Record, the large music recording and publishing firm based in Jamaica known as the “ultimate reggae experience,” will introduce a major experience in Dancehall. The Ultimate 2011 album is the firm’s collection of 25 of the top Dancehall tunes of the year. It will be available on the Internet and in stores on August 26, 2011. The album features Vybz Kartel, Mavado, Buju Banton, I-Octane, Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, and Lady Saw.
SEAN KINGSTON ATTENDS TEEN CHOICE AWARDS CEREMONY—08/07/11
Sean Kingston, 21, showed his fans that he has recovered from the watercraft accident he experienced in May 2011 and the subsequent open-heart surgeries he endured after doctors found his aorta had been torn. Kingston walked the red carpet at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards ceremony in Universal City, California, in his first public appearance since the accident. He said his condition was “100 percent right now” and that he has made a complete recovery.
RAS KASSA CRITICIZES JAMAICAN DISC JOCKS—08/08/11
According to Ras Kassa, internationally known Jamaican music video director, too many Jamaican disc jockeys are recording, playing, and producing their own material. This dilutes the quality of radio and the legitimacy of dancehall-reggae music, in Kassa’s opinion. If disc jockeys record and produce their own music, regular producers and artistes will not receive the attention they need to promote their work, he says.
SIRE WILLARD WHITE PERFORMS IN KINGSTON—08/11/11
Sir Willard White, the Jamaican-born opera singer, is returning to the homeland to perform classical music in Kingston at a fund raiser for the Arts Foundation of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. The concert will be held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on August 14. It is hosted by the Arts Foundation and the Jamaica National Building Society. White is one of the best bass-baritones in the world.
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SPORTS
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SPENCER RUNS IN WORLD RECORD TIME—08/06/11
Jamaican Kaliese Spencer ran a personal best in the women’s 400-meter hurdles at the Samsung Diamond Meet at Crystal Palace in London with a time of 52.79 seconds. This run put Spencer in ninth place on the all-time list and ranks her as the second-fastest Jamaican in history. Spencer is now favored to win a gold medal at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
POWELL INJURED, OUT OF GRAND PRIX COMPETITION—08/07/11
Jamaica’s Asafa Powell has announced that he is withdrawing from competition in the 100 meter race. He suffered a groin injury in Budapest and had hoped it would improve enough to allow him to compete in the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace. However, he decided to withdraw from this meet in order to concentrate on preparations for the World Championships in Korea in three weeks.
JAMAICANS IMPRESSIVE IN CYCLING RACE—08/08/11
Shacquille Sinclair and Oshana Williams, professional cyclists participating in the Tour de l’Abitibi in Canada in July, performed well, according to Iona Wynter Parks, first vice president of the Jamaica Cycling Federation. The two riders were the only ones in the race from a Caribbean island. For five of the seven stages, Sinclair was in the main field, 3.33 minutes behind the leader on General Classification.
POSITIVE DRUG TEST FOR JAMAICAN SPRINTER—08/10/11
An up-and-coming sprinter who was expected to represent Jamaica in Daegu, South Korea, at the IAAF World Championships in three weeks has had a positive drug test. The test was administered at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships at the end of June 2011.The test revealed the presence of a masking agent, generally used to prevent the detection of banned or illegal substances like anabolic steroids or stimulants. The athlete in question has been notified and must face a disciplinary hearing, ruling him out of the championship competition.
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DEVOTIONAL
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Being Led of the Spirit
In his letter to the believers in Galatia, Paul writes, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (5:16-18, KJV). Isn’t it interesting that he used the world “walk”? This tells us the Christian life is a journey, and to walk in the Spirit is to walk as guided by the Spirit. In other words, to live under His influence and not resist Him and in doing so, “ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” So far, so good.
However, as we are guided by the Spirit along our journey, what happens when He is leading us somewhere we would rather not go? Or to take it one step further, somewhere we definitely do not want to go? Because He is the one leading and because He only works in accordance with what is in the will of God, a part of trusting Him means trusting that wherever He leads is all a part of God’s plan for our lives. That can get tricky because He sees and knows far more than we do. For the most part we have a fear of the unknown; we want to see and know where we are going and why. These thoughts came to mind as I reflected on the opening verse of Matthew 4, “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil,” and I thought, “To be what????” For sure, the Spirit must have taken a wrong turn somewhere! To compound matters, this was not a quick trip through the wilderness but rather a forty-days and forty-nights (v.2) assault on the mind, the emotions and the will during a time of fasting and according to Mark 1:13, while surrounded by wild beasts. It is no wonder that when the devil left Him, “angels came and ministered unto Him” (Matthew 4:11).
On the outside looking in, all of this makes very little, if any, sense. Yet it wasn’t that the Spirit did not know what He was doing; it wasn’t that He had lost His way. His leading Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil was all a part of God’s plan for “the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). It follows that as we are led by the Spirit we too may be led to places and into situations that seem strange. For those of us who are methodical in whatever we do and those of us who like to be in control, this is rather scary. Yet we can rest assured that the Holy Spirit will never lead us into situations contrary to the Word of God and that are not in keeping with the will of God for our lives. Yes, those valley experiences are included as well. The challenge is not to resist Him though everything in our flesh will want to do that.
Where is He leading you? What is He asking you to do? What is your response?
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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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