Staff Writer—————————————-
THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
—————————————-
RESORT TOWNS NOT IMPACTED BY KINGSTON VIOLENCE—06/05/10
While Jamaica’s capital city experienced violence arising from the government’s warrant for the arrest of an alleged drug lord, only the Kingston area has been affected. The tourism industry has had some negative fallout from the situation in Kingston, but officials assure visitors to places like Montego Bay or Negril, popular resort destinations, are far from the fighting and ready for tourists.
JAMAICAN FOOD FEATURED IN UK LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE—06/06/10
Later in 2010, Jamaica’s cuisine will have a top spot in a popular lifestyle magazine in the United Kingdom. Famous chef Jamie Oliver, editor of Jamie Magazine, plans a feature exploring the range and diversity of Jamaican food. During a visit to the island for the magazine, Oliver and other magazine staff were especially impressed with Coronation market in Kingston.
JAMAICAN DOLLAR RISES IN VALUE—06/07/10
Jamaica’s dollar is beginning to strengthen, closing at $87.35 to US$1. The increase represents a rise of almost two percent against the United States dollar since January 2010. At the beginning of 2010, Jamaica’s dollar was $89.59 to US$1. During the same period, Jamaica’s ministry of finance reports that the island’s net international reserve totaled approximately US$1.7 billion.
WITH AIR JAMAICA, IT’S BUSINESS AS USUAL—06/08/10
Bruce Nobles, president and CEO of Air Jamaica, assures Jamaicans who live in Canada that it will be “business as usual” following the takeover of the airline by Caribbean Airlines on May 1, 2010. Nobles said the Air America “is still here,” and that it represents the best deal in flying. He made his remarks during a visit to Toronto, Canada to give an update on the airline’s status.
GOVERNMENT TO CREATE ANTI-GANG UNIT—06/09/10
The government of Jamaica plans to create an anti-gang unit in the island’s national security ministry in an effort to take down criminal gangs. The gangs are thought to be the source of most of Jamaica’s major criminal activities. Daryl Vaz, who is the minister responsible for information, says the anti-gang support unit will provide aid to a similar agency created in the police force. Financial help will be included in the unit’s support actions.
GOLDING DETAILS USE OF PRIVATE LAW FIRM—06/10/10
Questions have been raised about the government’s use of a private law firm, which has cost Jamaica millions of dollars. The Livingston, Alexander and Levy firm was retained in four of eight legal challenges brought against the administration of Prime Minister Bruce Golding. The total cost of the representation was $13.8 million. Golding has provided details about the number of private attorneys utilized by the government in response to questions from Ronald Thwaites, Member of Parliament from Central Kingston.
JAMAICA TO END LINKS BETWEEN GANGS AND GOVERNMENT—06/10/10
Bruce Golding, Jamaica’s Prime Minister, has promised to replace the strong-arm rule of street gangs with social programs designed to help the poor. However, Golding’s efforts are suspect in areas accustomed to relying on neighborhood “bosses” like Christopher “Dudus” Coke, who essentially ruled the area of Tivoli Gardens. When government officials attempted to arrest Coke, residents fought police and soldiers, protecting Coke from arrest because they depend on him for housing and jobs. Residents of Tivoli Gardens and similar areas distrust police, whom they view as part of the nation’s “elite.”
“DUDUS” ASSOCIATES MOVE INTO OCHO RIOS—06/11/10
It is believed that associates of alleged drug trafficker Christopher “Dudus” Coke have traveled to Ocho Rios, a coastal resort town in northern Jamaica. These individuals are attempting to elude police after the violence that erupted in Tivoli Gardens when Coke’s henchmen refused to allow Jamaican authorities to arrest him. Coke’s associates are thought to have fled to several rural areas on the island to hide from police.
———————————————–
JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
———————————————–
VOGUE EDITOR AGAINST JAMAICAN RESTAURANT OPENING—06/07/10
Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue magazine, has organized her West Village neighbors in New York City in a protest against the opening of a Jamaican restaurant near her home. The eatery, called Mill Lily, will bring noise, create traffic problems, and attract dangerous clientele, according to Wintour. All but three of the 100 residents at a committee hearing on the issue voted against Miss Lily’s opening. Wintour says she is concerned that the restaurant would change the historic nature of the neighborhood and endanger children.
PROMINENT UK JAMAICAN’S FUNERAL HELD—06/09/10
Leweek “Lee” Morris, a prominent member of the Jamaican community in Leicester, England, will be laid to rest at St. Peter’s Church. Morris was born in Kingston and moved to the UK in 1954. He was among the first individuals from the West Indies to move to Leicester. Morris was a founding member of the Leicester Jamaica Community Service Group, the Leicester Caribbean Credit Union, and the West Indies Senior Citizens project. He also raised funds for the Jamaica Kidney Association.
JAMAICAN WOMAN LAUNCHES BID TO HEAD UK LABOR PARTY—06/10/10
Diane Abbott, a Jamaican woman born in Britain, wants to be the first black woman to lead the Labor Party in the United Kingdom and to succeed Gordon Brown. Abbott writes a weekly column for the Jamaica Observer succeeded in getting her name on the ballot as one of five candidates seeking the top post at the Labor Party in the September 25, 2010 elections.
INDIAN-JAMAICAN WINS NOMINATION FOR CALIFORNIA ATTORNEY GENERAL—06/11/10
Kamala Harris has won the Democratic nomination for California’s Attorney General. Harris, whose mother is Indian-American Dr. Shyamala Gopalan and whose father is Jamaican-American Donald Harris, was the first woman elected District Attorney in San Francisco in 2003. She was re-elected to that position in 2007.
————————————————-
CARIBBEAN NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
————————————————-
GULF OIL SPILL COULD MEAN TROUBLE FOR NORTHERN CARIBBEAN—06/06/10
US OFFICIALS ARREST HONDURANS TRANSPORTING COCAINE—06/07/10
OPPOSITION IN DOMINICA TO COMPETE IN ELECTIONS—06/08/10
SHIP LINE TO RETURN TO ANTIGUA—06/09/10
U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE OFFERS SECURITY PROGRAM—06/10/10
SECRETARY OF OAS MEETS WITH CARICOM MEMBERS—06/11/10
————————–
SPORTS
————————–
POWELL WINS 100 METERS IN OSLO—06/05/10
Asafa Powell, Jamaican star sprinter, won a victory in the 100 meter competition in Oslo, Norway, with a time of 9.72 seconds. Powell was running at the Bislett Games, the third meet of the IAAF Diamond League. Powell’s time was enhanced by a wind of more than 2.1m/s, just over the allowable limit. Powell said the win did not present a major factor in his run, however.
FRASER AND SPENCER FINISH IN RECORD TIME—06/08/10
Shelly-Ann Fraser, Jamaican Olympic and world champion, and her training partner Kaliese Spencer, both set new records at the IAAF World Challenge in Morocco. Fraser, 23, ran the 100 meters in 11.13 seconds, while Spencer ran the 400 meter hurdles in 54.89 seconds, a personal best.
POWELL READY TO RUN FASTER—06/09/10
Asafa Powell, Jamaican champion sprinter, says he can go “faster and faster” in the 100 meters, which he has already dominated at all meets this season. Powell had the fastest legal time of 9.83 seconds in Ostrava, Czech Republic, and a wind-aided 9.81 seconds in Doha before that. He says he is excited about how his season is going, and he plans to continue increasing his speed.
POWELL WINS AT GOLDEN GALA—06/10/10
Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell won the 100 meters at the Rome Golden Gala meet with a time of 9.82 seconds. He overcame a start that was the second slowest among the nine runners and had a comfortable lead half way through the race.
—————————————————————-
DEVOTIONAL
—————————————————————
Absolute Surrender
When God commanded Abraham to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice, He demanded of His friend the thing that was perhaps the dearest to him. As it turned out God was only testing him because three days later when Abraham, on Mount Moriah, stretched for his hand and took the knife to slay his son, the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven and said, “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me” (Genesis 22:12, KJV). This was the same son that was promised to Abraham when he was 75 years old but who wasn’t born until Abraham was 100 years old. Quite frankly, having waited that long I don’t know if I could have done what Abraham did.
Yet over the past several months the Lord has been dealing with me on the issue of absolute surrender. Absolute surrender speaks of total surrender – giving everything, including myself, over to God. From experience, the things we can easily do without are relatively easy to surrender but as I contemplate holding on to the things I considered really important to me, I hear His voice saying “that too.” I find myself thinking: “Lord, you can’t be serious!” “Do you have any idea how important that is to me?” “Lord, anything else but not that!” If you have ever tried negotiating with God, you know how futile an exercise it is. Unlike Abraham, I struggled with the extent of what God was asking of me. Sure I wanted more of Him and wanted Him to have His way in my life but the price seemed rather high. Yet if I wanted all of that, my will had to be broken; I had to make my own sacrifice.
In her book, “Brokenness, The Heart God Revives”, Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes, “Brokenness is the shattering of my self-will – the absolute surrender of my will to the will of God. It is saying ‘Yes, Lord!’ – no resistance, no chafing, no stubbornness – simply submitting myself to His direction and will in my life.” Hannah Whitall Smith picks up on that thought when she states, “What you need to do, is to put your will over completely into the hands of your Lord, surrendering to Him the entire control of it. Say, “Yes, Lord, YES!” to everything, and trust Him to work in you to will, as to bring your whole wishes and affections into conformity with His own sweet, and lovable, and most lovely will.”
“‘Yes, Lord, YES!’ to everything.” Easier said than done I thought, but as if reading my thoughts the speaker that Sunday night declared in his message, “Partial obedience is still disobedience!” I got the message. When God demands our all, He means everything – especially the things and people we hold dear in our hearts. Like Abraham, we have to trust Him that He knows what He is doing and once we have that reassurance, we can give Him everything that pertains to us.
What has God asked you to sacrifice? Have you surrendered it/them all?
—————————————————————–
CREDITS/SOURCES
—————————————————————–
The weekly news is compilation of new articles from top Caribbean and Jamaican news sources.
jamarch
