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THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
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OLINT HEAD UNLIKELY TO FACE CHARGES IN JAMAICA—08/21/10
David Smith, head of Olint, is not expected to be charged by local law enforcement officials in spite of the financial losses suffered by many Jamaicans in a failed investment scheme developed by Smith that involved foreign currency. Smith was indicted on 23 charges of financial irregularity by a Florida District Court in the United States and also faces litigation in the Turks and Caicos Islands. While he may have committed fraud in Jamaica, he is more likely to be prosecuted in a location where a greater offense was committed.
DIGICEL OFFERING COULD CHANGE JAMAICA—08/22/10
The new 4G technology offered by Digicel could change the landscape of Jamaica as dramatically as its introduction of mobile phones nine years ago. The 4G wireless Internet will provide customers with extremely fast Internet connections through a variety of paid access packages.
NO COMMENT FROM GOVERNMENT ON MANATT—08/23/10
The government of Jamaica has made no comment about reports that the administration lied about the issue involving Manatt, a law firm based in the United States. The administration had maintained that the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) hired the firm to resolve a treaty dispute, but Manatt said it was representing Jamaica’s government. Email correspondence between Manatt, Douglas Leys, solicitor general, and Harold Brady, a Jamaican attorney, indicate that the firm’s involvement was a government affair.
CHARITY HONORS JAMAICA’S CONSUL GENERAL—08/24/10
Mustard Seed, an international charity, has honored Jamaica’s consul general for her “exemplary service and general support” provided to the charity during her tenure. Brown Metzger expanded the outreach of the consulate in regard to deportees, community activities, promotion of Jamaican artists, and a conversation series involving Israel, India, and Ireland.
NO SATISFACTION EXPRESSED BY PNP—08/25/10
The opposition People’s National Party (PNP) remains dissatisfied with the response of Jamaica’s government to disclosures in the Manatt, Phelps and Phillips issue. The statement from the government about its non-involvement with the hiring of the Manatt law firm is inadequate, according to the PNP. The government maintains that the law firm was acting on behalf of the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP). The PNP wants to know how the political JLP organization was involved in a matter of state that involved the government.
GOVERNMENT ADMITS MISTAKES IN MANATT CASE—08/26/10
Jamaica’s government has admitted its failure to provide clarity on the issue of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips. According to the administration, all questions on the matter will be answered in the near future. Daryl Vaz, information minister, said he wants to separate politics from the “actual concerns” in the case and will try to address these concerns immediately. Vaz wants Bruce Golding, Jamaica’s prime minister to meet personally with concerned groups to answer their questions.
LEYS FUTURE IN DOUBT—08/26/10
The future of Douglas Leys, Jamaica’s Solicitor General, is unclear as the government responds to developments in the Manatt affairs. Leys was found to have sent emails involving the law firm and Harold Brady, a local attorney for over six months. Leys had reported that he told the law firm that he was not interested in their services, but the emails indicate Leys was involved in discussions with Manatt officials.
MARCUS GARVEY HOME TO BE PURCHASED BY GOVERNMENT—08/27/10
Jamaica’s government wants to buy and restore the childhood home of civil rights leader Marcus Garvey. The home would be used as a memorial or museum, according to government officials. The home is currently rented, and the government is trying to find the owner who is thought to live in the United States. The government has requested permission to purchase the property, which has an estimated value of $38,000.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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POLICE IN NEW YORK OFFER REWARD FOR KILLER—08/21/10
New York police officials have offered a reward of US$12,000 for information leading to the arrest of the gunman who shot and killed a Jamaican Jew at a kosher liquor store. Yoseph Robinson, 34, was a clerk in the store and was shot attempting to protect Lahava Wallace, his girlfriend, as she was being robbed of her jewelry by an armed thief. Robinson was shot in the chest and arm, dying behind the store’s counter.
BRITISH MUSEUM DISPLAYS JAMAICAN ITEMS—08/24/10
Jamaican items are among those on display at the British Museum in London as part of a show called “A History of the World in 100 Objects.” One item is an early version of the Jamaican Bongo drum called an “Akan.” The drum was from the Akan people of Central Ghana but is believed to be a part of the foundation of music in the Western Hemisphere. The exhibit also displays photos of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff.
JAMAICAN AUTHOR “GIVES BACK” TO COMMUNITY—08/26/10
Sandy Daley, Jamaican author who lives in Toronto, Canada, is on a mission to provide aid to young girls in the parish where she was born. She will donate one US dollar from each sale of her book “Whose Vagina Is It, Really?” to a Trelawny organization that mentors girls to help them make good choices in their lives. This is Daley’s first book, and it has been a top-seller in several Kingston bookstores.
“RESTAURANT WEEKS” SUPPORT EDUCATION IN JAMAICA—08/27/10
The American Friends of Jamaica and the Jamaica Partnership for Education have partnered to host a Jamaican-style “restaurant week” in New York and South Florida at the end of August 2010. The event is called “The Spice Is Right.” Caribbean nationals and fans of Caribbean cuisine are expected to participate in the week-long celebration of food and culture. The fundraiser will benefit educational charities in Jamaica.
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CARIBBEAN NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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BERMUDA WINS SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP—08/22/10
WYCLEF JEAN WILL APPEAL INELIGIBILITY RULING—08/23/10
CARIBBEAN FINANCIER INDICTED BY U.S.—08/24/10
FOREIGN AID SOUGHT IN CASE OF UNIDENTIFIED BODY—08/25/10
BARREL SPONGES DOMINATE SEA LIFE IN CARIBBEAN CORAL REEFS—08/26/10
BALES OF COCAINE SEIZED—08/27/10
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BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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DIGICEL TO INTRODUCE WIMAX FOR CONSUMERS—08/23/10
Digicel plans to launch WiMAX services to non-business customers in Jamaica. Businesses have been offered the service since 2007. Currently the firm’s WiMAX network has 170 base stations and covers 60 percent of Jamaica’s population. WiMAX handsets will be available in August 2011.
BUSINESS SECTOR IN JAMAICA WANTS CLARITY ON MANATT ISSUE—08/24/10
The business sector in Jamaica is calling for the government to “come clean” about its involvement with the American law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips concerning its lobbying efforts on behalf of Christopher “Dudus” Coke, alleged drug lord and strongman of Tivoli Gardens. Transparency on the issue was a condition established by the private sector before discussions about a partnership with the government in a “transformation program” go forward.
COST OF “DUDUS” TO TOURISM STATED—08/25/10
The decrease in number of stopover tourists in Jamaica was even more pronounced in June 2010 as visitors stayed away from Jamaica during operations by security forces in Kingston to find alleged drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke. According to the Planning Institute of Jamaica, economic output in the hotel and restaurant sector dropped 1.6 percent during the three months ending in June; stopover arrivals fell 1.3 percent during the same period.
JENNIFER LOPEZ, MARC ANTHONY TO CREATE FILM STUDIO IN PUERTO RICO—08/26/10
Mayor of Fajardo Anibal Melendez announced that the singer-actors Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony want to build a film studio in Puerto Rico. The husband-and-wife celebrities want to make the northeast coast city into the “Hollywood of the Caribbean.” A state-of-the-art sound stage in Fajardo would be built to attract movies and television shows to the island. While the proposal is still in its beginning stages, Lopez and Anthony are said to have a lot of “enthusiasm” for the project.
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY
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CELL PHONES TO HAVE BLUETOOTH ADS—08/25/10
BluWave Caribbean will soon implement a new technology that will provide digital advertisements to cell phones using Bluetooth connectivity. According to Barry Collymore, BluWave director, the new interest in proximity marketing allows advertisers to select the target for its ad efforts and allows users of cell phones with Bluetooth-ready devices to access the ads on the phones. Jamaica will be the first nation in the Caribbean to use the BluWave technology.
TECHNOLOGY HELPS BARBADOS SAVE MONEY IN PHONE CHARGES—08/25/10
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is saving the government of Barbados thousands of dollars in telephone charges, and the government is promoting the technology to other agencies as a cost-cutting possibility. Rodney Taylor, business development manager of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, noted that the need for governments to do more with less in the troubled global economy has prompted more interest in VoIP technology.
AUDITORS RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT WIRELESS COMPETITION IN U.S.—08/26/10
American wireless consumers are paying less for their cell phone service now than ten years ago, but have fewer choices of carriers, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office. The average price for wireless fell each year from 1999 to 2008, however, and consumers receive more services for lower costs than a decade ago. They also have fewer choices, since only four firms dominate the wireless market.
RESEARCH IN MOTION WORKS TO FIND SOLUTION TO INDIA SECURITY ISSUE—08/27/10
Research in Motion (RIM) wants to find a way to resolve its lengthy security battle with India. The firm wants to create an industry forum to deal with the concerns of India’s government. The forum would be a place where RIM and other mobile phone firms could partner with the government to support “lawful access needs” of law enforcement agencies and preserve the “legitimate information security needs” of businesses and other organizations in India. India believes the RIM’s security encryption is too strict and restricts the ability of law enforcement o monitor potentially dangerous communications.
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SPORTS
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SUNSHINE GIRLS FALL TO SILVER FERNS—08/22/10
The Silver Ferns overcame a disastrous performance to defeat Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls in New Zealand. The Ferns had improved link play after a poor start and obtained their 42nd win against Jamaica.
POWELL ENDS HIS SEASON—08/23/10
Asafa Powell, Jamaican sprint star, has decided to end his season for 2010 due to several injuries, according to his agent Paul Doyle. Powell has problems in his groin that have spread to his hamstrings and back and continue to nag at his performance. Powell’s decision comes after news that Usain Bolt, another Jamaican sprint champion and world record holder, will end his season due to back and hamstring injuries.
BOLT EXTENDS PROMOTION DEAL WITH PUMA—08/24/10
Puma, the German apparel firm, has extended an endorsement deal with Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprint star and Olympic champion. The deal with continue through 2013, and Bolt will wear Puma gear in the 2012 London Olympics. Bolt said “Puma gets me, we fit together,” to explain his continued relationship with the company.
JAMAICANS PERFORM WELL IN BERLIN—08/25/10
Sherone Simpson, Nesta Carter, and Jermaine Gonzales, all achieved impressive victories at the ISTAF World Challenge meet in Berlin, Germany. All three senior Jamaican athletes performed at their best.
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DEVOTIONAL
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Being Persistent
There he was, sitting by the side of the road begging for alms. The chatter of voices and the sound of shuffled feet as people went about their business were all familiar to him, the occasional coin dropping into his outstretched hand. It seemed like just another day in his life. Then he heard more voices coming in his direction, voices that got louder with each step. There was a buzz, an excitement in the crowd that he had not sensed or heard before. It could only mean one thing – someone of note was passing through Jericho. Luke tells us, “And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by” (Luke 18:36,27). Suddenly, nothing else mattered. He had heard about Jesus and the many things He had done. What must have seemed like a million thought raced through his mind. If Jesus was who He said He was, this day could be life-changing. If He could get His attention and plead for His mercy, his blindness could be a thing of the past.
By this time the crowd was much closer. He shuffled himself and despite the noise he cried out, “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me” (v.38). Being a blind beggar did not earn him any sympathy from the crowd. To them he was just wretched and miserable, probably blind as a result of his sins or that of his parents (see John 9:1-2). They rebuked him that he should hold his peace but “he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me” (v.39). This time not only was his cry more earnest and filled with greater intensity, but he reaffirmed his recognition of who Jesus was. “Thou son of David” was the acknowledgment that Jesus was the Messiah, and so he was not calling out to Jesus out of ignorance but with a conviction that based on the teachings of the Torah and the rabbis, the Messiah could bring him deliverance. The crowd could say all it wanted, the only thing he knew was that he had a need that nobody but Jesus could satisfy and he was going to do whatever it took to get His attention.
How many times have we allowed “the crowd” and our lack of faith to silence us? If we are convinced of who Jesus is, then in our moments of greatest need we should be persistent in our prayers. Calling out to Jesus is not a problem for Him. Yes, there are millions of people calling Him at any given time but it is important to note that amidst the noise and the objections of the crowd, He heard the cry of the beggar. Not only did He hear him but He “stood, and commanded him to be brought unto Him: and when he was come near, He asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?” Right there and then, he got Jesus’ undivided attention. Luke continues, “And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God” (vv. 41b-43).
The keys to his breakthrough were his persistence and his faith in Jesus as the Messiah who could do all the things that were written of Him in the Scriptures. Do you know Him like that? If so, keep on calling until you get your answer. What He did for that beggar, He is still doing today.
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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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