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THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
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EYE CARE PROGRAM SCREENS THOUSANDS OF JAMAICANS—05/14/11
Miracle Operation, an eye care program locally administered by the health ministries of Cuba and Jamaica, has examined over 60,000 Jamaicans since its beginning in 2006. Yuri Gala Lopez, Cuban ambassador to Jamaica, said the benefits of the program include the more than 6,000 surgeries performed at no charge in both nations.
RETURNING JAMAICANS UPSET AT IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES—05/15/11
Although they were born in Jamaica, individuals who live abroad find a less than welcoming return to the island. Once landing at one of Jamaica’s international airports, they must comply with immigration rules that allow them only a three-month stay in their birth country. If they wish to stay more than 90 days, they must apply for an extension, which costs J$10,000. These rules apply even if a passport notes that the place of birth is Jamaica.
MODERATE EARTHQUAKE SHAKES JAMAICA—05/16/11
An earthquake of moderate strength hit Jamaica at 10:07 local time. It was reported that a number of structures in Kingston suffered cracks as a result of the quake. The island has two transform faults, known to be a dangerous kind of fault, on each side. According to the University of the West Indies, the quake measured 5.0 on the Richter scale.
NEW MOVIE INTRODUCED BY ACTOR-ARTIST PAUL CAMPBELL—05/17/11
Jamaican Paul Campbell, world-famous actor and artist, has introduced his new film “Out the Gate.” He was joined by Mike Henry, Jamaica’s Minister of Transport and Works, and Kay Osborne of Television Jamaica. The film also forms part of the Kingston Pon Di River festival of performing, visual, literary, and culinary arts. Campbell’s film features Oliver Samuels, who is has been called the king of Jamaican comedy.
GOLDING BUDGET SPEECH “BLOWS AWAY” OPPOSITION—05/17/11
The budget speech given by Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding gave the People’s National Party (PNP) Opposition reason to organize its debate better to address the realities and challenges facing the budget process. The government must deal with the monetary excesses of the past, which resulted in inflation topping 100 percent in a single year. Jamaica has lost US$2.7 billion in export earnings, J$16.5 billion in revenues from bauxite, and J$5.7 billion in General Consumption Taxes.
JAMAICAN SKA PIONEER DIES—05/18/11
Lloyd Knibb, an influential Jamaican drummer who was instrumental in creating and popularizing ska music is dead at the age of 80 years. Knibb succumbed to liver cancer. He had been treated in the United States but returned to Jamaica during his final days. Knibb was the original drummer in The Skatalites band, which came to fame in 1964. Although the ban split in the 1960s, it reunited 20 years later. Two of the band’s albums received Grammy nominations.
JDF KEEPS SILENT ON KINGSTON INCURSION—05/19/11
The Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) has refused to make public the findings of an internal review of its operations during the Kingston incursion. Dr. Carolyn Gomes, executive director of Jamaicans for Justice, a human rights organization, is not happy with the lack of information coming from the JDF. She says that “no comment” is not an acceptable answer to questions arising from the force’s operations in Kingston.
POLICE CHANGES AIM TO REDUCE ROAD FATALITIES—05/20/11
A number of partnerships formed between the Jamaican government and other stakeholders are designed to slash the number of road fatalities by 50 percent by 2020. The partnerships seek to create institutional capacity and encourage individual support for the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety program. This worldwide program was launched in Jamaica with a National Road Safety Symposium at the University of the West Indies, Moria.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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WALCOTT SAYS JAMAICANS IN CANADA “HURTING”—05/14/11
According to Renaldo Walcott, associate professor and chairman of the University of Toronto’s Sociology and Equity Studies Department, many Jamaicans and others from the West Indies face difficult times in Canada because of poverty and institutional racism. The children of West Indians are particularly affected, being perceived as violent individuals, performing poorly in schools, and finding it hard to rise to higher socio-economic levels.
DIASPORA FACING DIFFICULTIES—05/16/11
Marlene Malahoo-Forte, Kenneth Baugh’s deputy minister of state, will visit the United States to quell worries that the Jamaican government is having problems in its relationship with the Diaspora. Some Jamaicans in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Canada are angry and have threatened to boycott the biennial Diaspora conference in Ocho Rios, St. Ann. Jamaicans overseas have complained about their lack of involvement in deciding the agenda of the conference.
HOSPITAL EMPLOYEE INDITED IN JAMAICAN PATIENT’S DEATH—05/17/11
Legal authorities in Brooklyn, New York, have charged an employee at Kings County Hospital in connection with the death of Esmin Greene, 49, a Jamaican psychiatric patient who died after being left on the floor of a waiting room for almost 24 hours. Easton Royal, 53, is charged with falsifying records. He allegedly changed the records to show that he had been checking on patients. Royal could spend a maximum of eleven years in prison if convicted.
FLOWER MART SHOWCASES JAMAICA’S NATIVE PLANTS—05/18/11
The display of Jamaica’s native flowers and other plants was a popular attraction in Washington D.C. The display was featured at the Around the World festival organized by Flower Mart. Over 20,000 visitors saw the display at the Washington National Cathedral. According to Debbie Page, advisor chairperson of Flower Mart, the firm considered Jamaica’s participation an important part of the celebration.
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CARIBBEAN NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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CUBANS MAY TRAVEL ABROAD MORE EASILY IN FUTURE—05/14/11
SUPPLY AND DEMAND FROM CHINA HAVING STRONG IMPACT—05/15/11
SPANISH FIRM TO BRING CHINESE OIL RIG TO CUBAN COAST—05/16/11
NEW CARIBBEAN REMITTANCE RULES PROPOSED BY U.S.—05/17/11
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA EASES HAITI TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS—05/18/11
MAN SENTENCED TO 19 YEARS FOR KILLING ON TOBAGO—05/19/11
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BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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IMPACT OF TOURISM TO BE STUDIED BY GOVERNMENT—05/14/11
Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism will study the economic impact that tourism has on the island. The study’s findings will be used to develop policy initiatives in the tourism sector. Edmund Bartlett, portfolio minister, signed a contract totaling US$220,000 with Nathan EME Ltd., a consultancy firm, to perform the research. The project is funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund.
DEVELOPMENT BANK, STOCK EXCHANGE JOIN FOR VENTURE FUND—05/15/11
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding has created a venture capital initiative designed to help 24 to 60 companies, each of which must make a commitment to going public and creating a new pool of business for the new junior stock market. The Jamaica Stock Exchange and the Development Bank of Jamaica are collaborating on a survey to identify small and midsized firms for investment by the new venture fund.
JAMAICA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IN OPPOSITION OVER CEMENT SHIPMENT—05/16/11
A consumer protection agency in the Dominican Republic will not permit a $250,000 shipment of Jamaican cement to be unloaded because there is no certification to guarantee its quality. This announcement was made two days after Jamaica’s government imposed a 48-hour deadline for releasing the shipment from Carib Cement Company. The shipment has been held by officials in the Dominican Republic since April 2011 because they are demanding lab tests to determine the cement’s quality.
DANCEHALL STAR LAUNCHES NEW RECORD LABEL—05/17/11
Mavado, a popular dancehall star, has made an official launch of Mansion Records, his new record label. Mavado, whose real name is David Brooks, plans to release the first single on the label at the end of May 2011. Mavado says he started the label to help young artistes as well as himself.
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY
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QUALITY OF LED LIGHT IMPROVED BY MARVELL CHIP—05/16/11
Marvell, a semiconductor company, has introduced a chip designed to improve the light provided by LED bulbs. It will also connect the bulbs to a network. The small 8801 chip is approximately the size of a penny and will be offered at a price similar to that of existing LED lights. This could mean significant improvements in lighting quality at lower prices for consumers, according to Kishore Manghani, Marvell’s vice president of communications and consumer business.
ANALOG PHOTOGRAPHY “REDISCOVERED” BY TEENS—05/17/11
Teenagers are moving away from digital photographic devices toward the old technology of classic film. Cameras like Minolta and Nikon are the devices of choice among teens, more popular than new point-and-shoot digitals. Teens find it fascinating to deal with manual aperture settings and finding the best lighting for a photo. Sales of digital cameras have fallen by two percent between 2009 and 2010, while analog camera sales rose from 30 percent to 40 percent during the same period, according to the Photo Marketing Association.
SONY PULLS SITES AFTER EXPLOIT DISCOVERED—05/18/11
Sony took down websites that permitted PlayStation Network users to sign in and reset their passwords in response to a hacker break-in discovered in April 2011 just days later when a second exploit was found. The new exploit allowed hackers to alter users’ passwords. The problem does not impact a user’s ability to sign in through a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Portable, but only on some Sony websites.
ANDROID WI-FI SECURITY PROBLEM FIXED BY GOOGLE—05/19/11
A security hole in Android that could have permitted a third-party to use an unencrypted Wi-Fi network to access contact and calendar data has been eliminated by Google. The fix required no action by users and will require all Android devices to connect to Google’s Calendar and Contacts servers through Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (https). This will stop unauthorized individuals from taking authentication tokens used by the operating system when validating devices.
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CARIBBEAN TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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NEVIS TO IMPLEMENT GREENHOUSE TECHNOLOGY—05/14/11
ANGUILLA ENCOURAGES POLLUTION PROTECTION FOR THE SEA—05/17/11
BUS RAPID TRANSIT DEAL SIGNED BY SMARTMATIC—05/18/11
CARIBBEAN REGION CHANGED BY MOBILE SERVICES, SURVEY FINDS—05/19/11
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SPORTS
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2012 HIGHLAND GAMES MAY BE HOSTED BY JAMAICA—05/14/11
Jamaica could be the host of the 2012 Scottish Highland Games. A feasibility study conducted by Lord Jamie Sempill of Edinburgh said it would provide an opportunity for Scots to visit Jamaica and for Jamaicans to reconnect with their Scottish heritage. The historical relationship between the island and Scotland goes back some 400 years, and evidence of it is found in place names and surnames throughout Jamaica. The games would coincide with the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence.
ASHMEADE WINS SPRINT CONTEST IN PONCE GRAND PRIX—05/16/11
Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade won the men’s sprint championship at the Ponce Grand Prix in Puerto Rico. He is the first man to break the 20-second barrier in the 200-meter event this season. Ashmeade ran the 200 meters in 10.05 seconds.
BOLT’s RIVALS WATCHED FROM A DISTANCE—05/17/11
Jamaican Usain Bolt, Olympic and world recordholder, is watching his rivals win from a distance. His two chief rivals, the American Tyson Gay ran the 100 meters in Manchester, England, while Jamaican Asafa Powell ran the 100 meters at the Shanghai Diamond League competition. Powell clocked 9.95 seconds, while Gay ran a personal best at 9.69 seconds. Bolt, 24, says he is not worried and expects everyone to perform at their highest levels at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu.
SPENCER WINS AT DIAMOND LEAGUE MEET—05/18/11
The win by Kaliese Spencer in the 400-meter hurdles, eclipsed victories for Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell-Brown at the International Association of Athletics Association (IAAF) Diamond League meet. Spencer, the defending champion, ran the race in 54.20 seconds. Campbell-Brown, 29, won the women’s 100 meters, on her birthday, with a time of 10.92 seconds.
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DEVOTIONAL
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“I Saw the Lord”
Have you ever wondered how Isaiah felt when He saw the majesty and glory of God as recorded in Isaiah 6? It was in the year that King Uzziah, an interesting character, died in which Isaiah “saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple” (v. 1, KJV), and that was only the start. He continues: “Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged” (vv. 2-7). WOW!
What if that was you? What if God in His grace were to show you a glimpse of the heavens and the throne of God, could you handle it? What would your reaction be? Isn’t it interesting that when Isaiah saw the Lord, he immediately recognized his sinfulness? There is no room for pride or self-centeredness when we get a glimpse of the holiness of God. His holiness is like a light that shines and reveals our nature and character, but in a moment of surrender He not only takes away our iniquities but also purges our sins. God can do a lot of things in an instant!
The apostle John reminds us, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). While most of us may not have the same vision as Isaiah, those who spend time in God’s Word come face to face with Him as He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures. We too see Him in His majesty; we are confronted with His holiness. Yet how do we respond? We can both confess our faults and allow Him to do His work in our lives, or we can be like the one who “beholdeth himself [in a glass], and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was”(James 1:24).
When we “see” the Lord, things should not remain the same. Our lives, our attitudes, and our characters should be transformed by the power of His Spirit. We should become more like Him.
When was the last time you “saw” Him?
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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.
