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THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
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WALCOTT NAMED RHODES SCHOLAR—11/20/10
Jamaican Dr. David Walcott, a physician, has received the 2011 Rhodes scholarship honor. Jamaica’s Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen announced Walcott’s selection at Kings House, noting that it was difficult to choose a winner from among the “strong candidates.” Dr. Walcott was selected from among eight candidates. He is a doctor at Kingston Public Hospital.
MEDICAL TEAM FROM JAMAICA TRAVELS TO HAITI—11/21/10
Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Goldberg has deployed a team of medical personnel to Haiti to assist with the fight against cholera in that country. Over 1,000 individuals have died of the disease to date, with over 15,000 confirmed cases occurring. The epidemic has spread to all of Haiti’s provinces. Jamaican personnel will also include logistical support and security officers from the JDF.
RULING PARTY BEGINS SESSION UNDER CLOUD—11/22/10
The ruling Jamaica Labor Party (JLP) is entering its 67th annual conference’s public session in the face of serious criticism. This springs from its handling of the Christopher “Dudus” Coke extradition, negative allegations against one of the party’s deputy leaders, and a serious division among its ranks over the election in Western Jamaica.
FOUR KILLED, FOUR WOUNDED IN SPANISH TOWN VIOLENCE—11/23/10
According to Jamaican police, four men were killed and another four seriously injured during gang-related gunplay outside Kingston. Gunmen allegedly fired at a group of men playing cards in a Spanish Town house. The attack has been attributed to feud between two gangs that are fighting for control over drug and extortion rings.
POLICE LOOKING FOR ROBBERS—11/23/10
Jamaican police are searching for three robbers in Portland. They allegedly robbed a mini-supermarket in Zion Hill, having been observed loading a minibus at the site. The vehicle was discovered in a ravine about ten miles from the store. The robbers escaped from the vehicle after it plunged over 100 feet into the ravine, but police are looking in the dense vegetation at the site for the men, who are thought to be injured by the crash.
NO DOCUMENTS SERVED IN PROBE OF TRAFIGURA—11/24/10
The president of the People’s National Party (PNP), Portia Simpson-Miller, and party chairman Bobby Pickersgill, have not been served an order from the court to compel them to answer questions under oath in the Trafigura scandal. Dutch investigators are looking for responses to their questions and asked the Jamaican Supreme Court to provide the order. The probe of Trafigura, which began four years ago, involves the dealings of the oil company in several countries, including Jamaica.
JAMAICA HAS NO POLICY FOR THE PROTECTION OF GAYS—11/25/10
Jamaican Senator Marlene Malahoo-Forte provided erroneous information at the United National Human Rights Council in Geneva when she stated that Jamaica has a documented policy aimed at protecting women, girls, and homosexuals. There is no such policy. She also stated that Jamaica “does not condone” discrimination against homosexuals, which ran counter to a public statement from Prime Minister Bruce Golding that he would not allow gays to be part of his Cabinet.
BUJU CONCERT REQUEST DENIED BY JUDGE—11/26/10
Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli has denied a request by Jamaican reggae musician Buju Banton to perform a live concert in Miami, Florida in December 2010. The judge said that Banton’s financial pressures do not supersede the risk of his fleeing the state. Banton’s lawyer has asked the judge to reconsider in the light of the 24-hour security force that monitors the reggae start as a condition of his release on bail. The prosecutor in the case has not objected to the concert performance.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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FEWER JAMAICAN “DRUG MULES” IN PRISON IN BRITAIN—11/21/10
Women represent fewer than 15 percent of the 942 Jamaicans currently in prison in the United Kingdom. According to Olga Heaven, director of a female prisoners welfare project that advocates for the rights of foreigners in UK prisons, fewer than 100 Jamaican women are serving time in 10 UK facilities across the country, and of these, about half are in prison for drug-related offenses.
REMAINS OF JAMAICAN NURSE IDENTIFIED IN FLORIDA—11/22/10
Law enforcement officials in Florida are investigating the death of a Jamaican-born nurse, Sharon Elson, 45, who was last seen alive in May 2010. Remains of a body discovered in a canal near a highway have been identified as those of Elson. A reward of US$1,000 is being offered for anyone who can provide information that leads to an arrest in the case.
JAMAICANS IN CANADA RAISE MONEY FOR VICTIMS OF STORM—11/23/10
A fundraising concert featuring the trumpet player Dizzy has raised money for the victims of Tropical Storm Nicole. The concert was organized by the Jamaican Canadian Association in answer to an appeal from the Consul General of Toronto, Seth George Ramocan. Rains associated with the storm caused 13 deaths and serious damage to the island’s infrastructure, including roads, schools, and farms.
DIASPORA ASKED TO ADDRESS DEPORTATION ISSUE—11/24/10
Audrey Marks, Jamaican ambassador to the United States, has requested that the Jamaican Diaspora become involved with what she calls the “deportation crisis.” Marks stated that over 40,000 nationals have been deported to Jamaica from foreign prisons over the past 20 years, and thousands more are waiting for deportation. Between 2001 and 2009, the number of Jamaican deportees totaled between 1,500 to almost 2,000 per year.
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CARIBBEAN NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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STRIKE CLOSES GUYANA SUGAR PRODUCER—11/20/10
GOVERNMENTS IN CARIBBEAN RECEIVE INSURANCE PAYOUT—11/21/10
KLM BACKS SPACE FLIGHT VENTURE IN CURACAO—11/22/10
LAW ORGANIZATION WORRIED ABOUT WIRETAP BILL IN TRINIDAD—11/23/10
TAIWAN MAKES DONATIONS OF MONEY, SUPPLIES TO HAITI—11/24/10
JAWBONE DISCOVERED IN ARUBA NOT HOLLOWAY’S—11/25/10
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BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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WESTERN UNION CELEBRATES ITS TWO DECADES IN JAMAICA—11/20/10
GraceKennedy Remittance Services and Western Union honored a number of staff members and agents at a banquet celebrating their 20-year partnership in Jamaica. The gala ceremony was held at Secrets in Montego Bay. Awards were given to individuals who have provided five to 20 years of service to the companies.
JAMAICAN GOVERNMENT DEVISES NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY—11/21/10
The government of Jamaica is supporting the efforts of scientists and environmentalists in protecting natural resources by creating a National Energy Policy. The policy is designed to diversify the nation’s energy base through exploration of indigenous sources of energy and clean technology, including solar power, wind power, and biomass. The policy will also focus on fostering entrepreneurial endeavors that will provide incentives for research and the creation of “green” jobs in Jamaica.
JAMAICA ON TARGET, SAYS IMF—11/22/10
Jamaica is complying with its stand-by arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and has passed its third-quarter test. Trevor Alleyne, head of the IMF mission to Jamaica, noted that all September performance targets were met.
DIGICEL HAS MOST FACEBOOK FANS IN JAMAICA—11/23/10
Digicel Jamaica has garnered a quarter-million Facebook fans in Jamaica and the Caribbean, just a year after it launched its presence on the social networking site in November 2009.The popularity of the firm on Facebook has been critical in engaging customers online. Its Facebook presence has allowed the firm to obtain constant feedback from customers about products and services, which leads to improvements in the customer’s experience with Digicel.
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY
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LATIN AMERICA, CARIBBEAN PROVIDE MARKET FOR INDIAN EXPORTERS—11/20/10
The Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) offers a strong potential market for exporters of manufactured goods and information technology in India. Both providers and consumers can benefit from improved trade connections and should cooperate to lower trade costs and remove trade barriers, according to a study by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and CII. The economies of India and LAC are complimentary and should focus on more integration and cooperation, said IDB president Alberto Moreno.
ONLINE PORTAL LAUNCHED BY CARICOM—11/21/10
CARICOM has introduced an online information portal designed to foster the creation of a Regional Information Society. The portal was launched at the Fifth Meeting of the Regional Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Steering Committee in Barbados. The Caribbean Information Society (CARIB-IS) Portal could be used to determine the region’s progress towards the Information Society via user interaction and consultation on various ICT products made available at the Portal.
EXPERTS CALL FOR CLOUD COMPUTING—11/22/10
According to experts, the Caribbean region has the chance to become an important producer of technology services. Bevil Wooding, Internet strategist, presented this point during a discussion of cloud computing at the 2nd Trinidad and Tobago Business and Innovation ICT Symposium. Cloud computing refers to an arrangement similar to “renting” hardware and software services over the Internet. There is great opportunity for the Caribbean to create a “cloud” that will better serve the development goals of the region, says Wooding.
PHONE FIRMS FORCED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION—11/23/10
Jamaica’s government has given its approval for devising legislation that would establish a Mandatory Registration of Subscriber Information (MRSI) framework. This would require the three mobile phone companies on the island to provide data on request as part of law enforcement efforts. Daryl Vaz, the government Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, says law enforcement officials view MRSI as a tool to help with the investigation of serious crimes.
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SPORTS
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STARS TO PARTICIPATE IN FLOW/ESPN FOOTBALL CLINIC—11/20/10
A number of sports stars will participate in the inaugural Flow/ESPN Football Clinic at Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium. The two-day clinic has brought together international football broadcasters, coaches, and more than 100 young people from the Montego Bay area who will reap the benefits of the expertise of these professionals. Andre Virtue of Whole Life Ministries has coordinated the event for Flow. The Western Football Confederation has also provided support for the clinics.
BOLT DREAMS OF PLAYING FOOTBALL—11/21/10
Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprint champion and Olympic gold medalist, says he would like to try professional football after he retires from running. He would like to play for Manchester United. Bolt plans to retire from athletics at 30, so if he could get a chance to play for a football team in the English Premier League, he would do it just to see if he could. Bolt says he could play midfield or as a striker, but others say he should be a winger because he is so fast.
LINK WITH JAMAICA SOUGHT BY IRISH FOOTBALLERS—11/23/10
The Irish have made it known that they would like to work more closely with Jamaica. John Delaney, Chief Executive Officer of the Football Association of Ireland, met with Jamaica’s ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Anthony Johnson, to talk about linking Jamaica with Ireland in the sport and fostering closer interactions among Jamaican and Irish footballers.
CRICKET ASSOCIATION DISTANCES ITSELF FROM FRAUD—11/25/10
The Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) has made an effort to remove itself from any fraudulent practice after an email from Kerith Melbrooke, financial manager, prompted an emergency meeting. Melbrooke expressed his regret at the tone of his communication and admitted that some of his statements were wrong. In the email, Melbrooke called for changes in management procedures and raised questions about the JCA’s accounting over the past three years, especially a serious depletion of funds. JCA directors said the organization was not involved in any wrongdoing, but agreed to new procedural approaches.
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DEVOTIONAL
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Emergency Telephone Numbers
I received the below in an email and thought them prudent to share. It is a comfort to know that before we call God will answer, and while we are yet speaking He will hear (Isaiah 65:24).
These are more effective than 911. When
You are sad, phone John 14
You have sinned, phone Psalm 51
You are facing danger, phone Psalm 91
People have failed you, phone Psalm 27
It feels as though God is far from you, phone Psalm 139
Your faith needs stimulation, phone Hebrews 11
You are alone and scared, phone Psalm 23
You are worried, phone Matthew 8:19-34
You are hurt and critical, phone 1 Corinthians 13
You wonder about Christianity, phone 2 Corinthians 5:15-18
You feel like an outcast, phone Romans 8:31-39
You are seeking peace, phone Matthew 11:25-30
It feels as if the world is bigger than God, phone Psalm 90
You need Christ like insurance, phone Romans 8:1-30
You are leaving home for a trip, phone Psalm 121
You are praying for yourself, phone Psalm 87
You require courage for a task, phone Joshua 1
Inflation’s and investments are hogging your thoughts, phone Mark 10:17-31
You are depressive, phone Psalm 27
Your bank account is empty, phone Psalm 37
You lose faith in mankind, phone 1 Corinthians 13
It looks like people are unfriendly, phone John 15
You are losing hope, phone Psalm 126
You feel the world is small compared to you, phone Psalm 19
You want to carry fruit, phone John 15
Paul’s secret for happiness, phone Colossians 3:12-17
With big opportunity/discovery, phone Isaiah 55
To get along with other people, phone Romans 12
ALTERNATE NUMBERS
For dealing with fear, call Psalm 47
For security, call Psalm 121:3
For assurance, call Mark 8:35
For reassurance, call Psalm 145:18
All these numbers may be phoned directly.
No operator assistance is necessary.
All lines to heaven are available 24 hours a day.
FEED YOUR FAITH, AND DOUBT WILL STARVE TO DEATH
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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.
jamarch
