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THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
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PHILLIPS DECLINES TO COMMENT ON MEMORANDA—02/05/11
Dr. Peter Phillips, Jamaica’s former Minister of Security, says he will not comment on whether he signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with law enforcement officials of the United States and United Kingdom in June 2004. He allegedly signed the two MOUs on the same day. The memoranda allegedly are in conflict with one another and represent a breach of Jamaicans’ right of privacy. They gave law enforcement the right to tap landline and cell phone conversations on Digicel and Cable and Wireless, now known as LIME.
BOB MARLEY ANNIVERSARY ACKNOWLEDGED—02/06/11
Bob Marley, arguably the best known reggae star in the world, was instrumental in popularizing Jamaican music in the 1970s. He was born February 6, 1945, and started his band in the 1960s. This band, which ultimately became The Wailers, released its first album in 1965. After the departure of Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, the band became known as Bob Marley and the Wailers. Marley died in 1981 at the age of 36, but he continues to be a strong influence.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAW PRESENTED—02/07/11
Olivia Grange, the minister responsible for gender issues, says that she will ask Jamaica’s Parliament to review and enact legislation targeting sexual harassment. Grange believes the bill will be drafted after the approval of a recently submitted policy on sexual harassment. According to Grange, the law does not only benefit women, but also men, who sometimes face sexual harassment as well.
JAMAICANS NEED FINANCIAL LITERACY—02/08/11
Jamaica’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) believes that people should receive more education in financial matters and is offering a program of financial lessons designed for schools. The lessons teach students about rights and responsibilities so they will become better consumers of financial services. The FSC has partnered with Junior Achievement to offer the program. The first phase of the financial education program will include 120 students from four Jamaican schools. It will last four weeks.
JAMAICAN FIRM TO BUILD CASSAVA PROCESSING PLANT—02/09/11
JP Tropical Foods Ltd. plans to open a new cassava processing plant in March 2011. It is expected to produce as many as five tons of bammies and other cassava products each week. According to Rolf Simmonds, the company’s commercial director, the plant is located in Chocolate Walk, Annotto Bay, St. Mary. It represents an expansion of its current headquarters and will enlarge the variety of products offered by the firm.
JLP LAWYER CRITICIZED FOR DISCLOSING DETAILS ABOUT INFORMANT—02/10/11
Frank Phipps, the lawyer representing the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) to a commission reviewing the government’s involvement of the United States extradition request for Christopher “Dudus” Coke, is being criticized for certain revelations involving the wife of Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin. Lewin, a former police commissioner, dismissed allegations that his wife told him about the pending extradition in 2009. Phipps said that Lewin’s wife works at the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, and suggested that she was the person who informed the former commissioner about the request before a formal request was made.
CHILDREN’S TV PROGRAM PRESENTS PATOIS—02/11/11
The children’s television show, Rastamouse, is teaching children Jamaican patois. The voice of Rastamouse is provided by Radio 1 DJ Reggie Yates. The mouse and his band of reggae musicians, the Easy Crew, act as crime fighters as well as musicians, and they speak in Jamaican dialect. Children across the country who watch the program have started to use the language they hear on the show. Rastamouse is popular with adults as well as children and has
been featured as a trend on Twitter.
GAS RETAILERS PUMP THEIR OWN BRANDS—02/11/11
Local gasoline brands are making their way into the retail gas trade. Traditionally dominated by brands like Shell and Texaco, local Jamaica trademarks like Michael’s and Unipet (United Petroleum Jamaica) are increasingly available on the street. Unipet was the first Jamaican petroleum marketer, and its advertising claimed it was operated by Jamaicans for Jamaicans. It started in business two decades ago and now has ten stations on the island.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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JAMAICAN WOMAN IN UK TOLD TO LEAVE AFTER 43 YEARS—02/05/11
Doanne Carey, who first arrived in Birmingham in the United Kingdom as a child some 43 years ago, has just be categorized as an illegal immigrant and told to leave the country. Carey received the instruction from the UK Home Office after she applied for a passport. She was informed she had no right to remain in the UK, despite marrying and raising a family in the country. Carey has worked and paid taxes for nearly 40 years and has never claimed state benefits. The Border Agency says her case is being reviewed.
JAMAICAN SENTENCED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING IN NEW YORK—02/06/11
David Christie of Jamaica was sentenced to 20 years in prison for smuggling marijuana and cocaine into the United States via commercial airlines. He was found guilty of importing narcotics and conspiracy to distribute the drugs. Christie, 44, is a native of Montego Bay. He must also forfeit more than $3 million. He hid the drugs behind panels in the airliner cargo sections or underneath toilets in planes bound for the U.S.
JAMAICAN MUSICIANS TO PLAY IN TOKYO—02/07/11
Jamaican music is having a major impact in Japan. Therefore, Jamaica’s music pioneers want to participate in the largest international workshop designed to explore music. The Red Bull Music Academy has invited Jamaicans to apply for its 2011 session in Tokyo. The workshop is designed to foster the exchange of ideas and concepts about music. The academy has held workshops in Spain, South Africa, Toronto, London, and Melbourne.
JAMAICAN MODEL ON COVER OF MIAMI BLACK HISTORY SUPPLEMENT—02/10/11
Trishauna Clarke, a Jamaican-American model, has been chosen for the cover of the Black History Supplement included in the Miami Herald newspaper. The supplement is called “Legacy” and includes an events calendar, black history facts about the Miami-Dade area, and articles of special interest to the black community. It also announces three community awards in culture and the arts, business and industry, and community and political service.
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CARIBBEAN NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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PRIME MINISTER IN ST. VINCENT ISSUES WARNING ON AIRLINE EXPANSION—02/05/11
LAYOFFS, TRAVEL REDUCTIONS TO COME, SAYS CARICOM—02/06/11
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SEEKS CLOSER TIES WITH INDIA—02/07/11
MEXICO MUST CLEAN UP TO AID TOURISM IN CARIBBEAN—02/08/11
BRITISH INFLUENCE FADING IN CARIBBEAN—02/09/11
CARIBBEAN NATIONS MUST COLLABORATE TO FIGHT CRIME—02/10/11
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BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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DEVELOPMENT BANK PROMOTES SMALL BUSINESS—02/05/11
The Development Bank of Jamaica has developed a three-part program designed for the promotion of its small and midsized business energy loan facility. This facility is funded by the PetroCaribe Fund. It will get underway over the next two years and will include a study to assess demands for renewable energy projects.
4-H CLUBS ENCOURAGE CULTURE OF BUSINESS—02/06/11
According to Jacqueline Mighty, CEO of COK Sodality Cooperative Credit Union in Jamaica, 4- H clubs on the island have been very successful in preparing individuals to participate in the job market and to run their own businesses. Mighty believes that more people must open their own enterprises in order to reduce Jamaica’s high unemployment rate.
CARICOM NATIONALS TO BE EXEMPTED FROM WORK PERMITS—02/07/11
The government of Jamaica plans to amend the Foreign Nationals and Commonwealth Citizens Bill so that some categories of nationals from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will be able to work on the island without work permits. According to Daryl Vaz, Information Minister, the government has given Prime Minister Bruce Golding the go-ahead to introduce the new amendment, which will also permit an increase in applicable penalties and fines imposed for any breach of the law.
NETXAR TECHNOLOGIES ACQUIRED BY DIGICEL—02/08/11
Digicel announced that it has acquired a controlling share of Netxar Technologies, the top systems integrator in the Caribbean area. The two firms will begin working together right away to obtain more business and a greater market share in the information and communications technology space. The Digicel Netxar partnership will allow customers to optimize their information and communications capabilities while saving money.
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY
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DUAL-SCREEN PHONE INTRODUCED BY SPRINT—02/07/11
Sprint Nextel has launched a new dual-screen smartphone. According to the Wall Street Journal, the new Echo phone runs Android and has two 3.5-inch touch screens that can be used side by side. It is manufactured by Kyocera
DELL’S ADAMO DISCONTINUED—02/08/11
The Adamo line from Dell has been discontinued. The Adamo was the closest rival to Apple’s MacBook Air. First introduced in 2009, the Adamo features an aluminum casing and was very thin. It used solid-state drives and Intel Core 2 Duo processors. However, it was expensive, with a starting price of $2,000 in 2009. At the time, its price was difficult to justify in the market, since it did not have a built-in optical drive or a high-performance processor. It weighted four pounds and was heavier than the Air model, but had a larger screen and better resolution.
FATE OF IPOD CLASSIC UNCERTAIN—02/09/11
There is a shortage of Apple’s iPod Classic model. Industry observers believe this either means that Apple could be ready to update the Classic to compete with Toshiba’s update of its iPod-sized hard drives to 220 GB. The other possibility is that Apple may retire the Classic, since it is moving toward flash-based memory.
CAMERA REMOVED FROM PROFESSOR’S HEAD—02/10/11
Wafaa Bilal, an arts professor at New York University, had a camera system implanted in the back of his head by a body modification artist in Los Angeles. Bilal’s body did not accommodate the implant very well, however, and it had to be removed. Bilal had the camera implanted as part of a project known as “3rd I,” and for several months, it captured an image every minute and transmitted it wirelessly by laptop computer to a website for public view and to an installation in Qatar at the Mathal Arab Museum of Modern Art.
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CARIBBEAN TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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CUBA-VENEZUELA CABLE PROJECT ON SCHEDULE—02/05/11
DOBLE GROUP BECOMES CONSULTING PARTNER OF SALESFORCE.COM—02/07/11
THREATS TO MOBILE DEVICES INCREASING—02/08/11
VERIZON IPHONE ALTERS ANTENNA< USES “WORLD MODE” CHIP—02/09/11
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SPORTS
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JAMAICA TO HOST CARIFTA GAMES IN 2011—02/06/11
Jamaica has officially been named the host of the Carifta Games in 2011. The games will be held in Montego Bay at Catherine Hall Stadium. The North America, Central America and Caribbean organizations (NACAC) announced the choice of Catherine Hall, ending months of uncertainty. NACAC said the 40th annual games will be held from April 23 to April 25, 2011. The arrangements were the result of the approval and cooperation of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA).
JAMAICAN MUSHER FINISHES FIRST IN MAMORA—02/07/11
Damion Robb, Jamaican musher, finished the six-mile and four-mile sprint races in first place at the yearly Marmor SnoFest. Robb, who lives in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, enjoys the “absurdity” of being a dogsled racer from Jamaica. Robb, 24, is a full-time musher and receives lots of support when he races in Canada and the United States. He has been racing for five years.
JAMAICANS EXPECTED TO START FOR DYNAMO—02/08/11
When Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear began looking for players to help his team return to the playoffs, he decided to add two members of the Jamaican national team to trials. At least one starter will come from the rank of Jamaican players. Jermaine Taylor, center back, and Richard Edwards, central midfielder, started for Jamaica at the Caribbean Cup final and will get an opportunity to show their abilities to Kinnear once again.
JAMAICANS DEFEAT ZIMBABWE IN LADIES POLO—02/09/11
Jamaica handed Zimbabwe a defeat at the second Tri-Nation Ladies Polo Tournament at the Kingston Polo Club in St. Catherine. Jamaica won 4 goals to 3.5 goals. A star of the match was Jamaica’s Rachel Turner, who scored two goals from 40-yard penalties. She then scored a full field goal, which gave Jamaica its first international victory.
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DEVOTIONAL
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Through the Valley Without Fear
What does it mean to walk through the valley of the shadow of death? Has the Shepherd become careless? Is He endangering His sheep? At this juncture the Psalm adopts a more intimate tone. It becomes more personal as the personal pronouns “I” and “You” enter the conversation. Philip Keller notes that here the sheep “address the shepherd directly. . . . It becomes a most intimate discourse of deep affection.”
As sheep and Shepherd move slowly along the paths, gradually working their way up the mountains into the high country, Keller continues, “During this time the flock is entirely alone with the shepherd. They are in intimate contact with him and under his most personal attention day and night. . . . [I]t is well to remember that all of this is done against the dramatic background of wild mountains, rushing rivers, alpine meadows, and high rangelands.” To have the shepherd there must be very comforting to the sheep. Likewise, isn’t it comforting to know that during our most challenging times of trials, disappointments, and distresses we have the personal attention of our Shepherd? David was very knowledgeable of the difficulties and dangers that had to be navigated on the walk into the high country. There was the danger of “floods, avalanches, rock slides, poisonous plants, the ravages of predators that raid the flock, or the awesome storms of sleet and hail and snow.” He knew that the sheep was totally dependent on the shepherd and that the good shepherd would do everything in his power to care for and protect his flock. It was with that awareness and confidence in God’s integrity that he was able to declare, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4a, KJV).
Even though the paths are filled with dangers, the presence of the Shepherd instills a confidence that says, “You [my Shepherd] are with me, I will not fear.” It is the same message of reassurance that Jesus gives to every believer, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you] (John 16:33, The Amplified). In other words, though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, have perfect peace and confidence in me for I have overcome the world and as such it cannot conquer you. Of course, because He already overcame the world He would lead the way for us to follow in that victory.
Often times the enemy would have us believe that the things along our paths will be our undoing. That they would get the better of us leaving us utterly defeated. However, it is interesting to note that the Psalmist declares that he walks through this particular valley. In other words, no matter how rough things become he would not stop there nor would he die there, but that under the leading of his Shepherd he would walk it through to the other side.
Our valley experiences do not have to intimidate us and we do not have to be afraid of going through them. We are not alone neither are we ever alone. The LORD, our Shepherd, promises never to leave nor forsake us and so He is with us every step of the way.
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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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