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THIS WEEK”S SUMMARY
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INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED INTO KILLINGS OF MENTALLY CHALLENGED PERSONS—09/10/11
The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) announced that it will begin a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing of eight mentally challenged individuals by police in that past two years. Terrence Williams, INDECOM Commissioner, says his office will examine each case to determine whether the killing was justified.
CLARKE HONORS VICTIMS OF 9/11—09/11/11
Yvette D. Clarke, Jamaican-American member of the United States Congress, honored the victims of the 9/11 attacks, saying their sacrifice would be revered forever. She made her remarks at a meeting of the Caribbean Media Corporation. Clarke represents the 11th District in Brooklyn, which has a predominantly Caribbean population.
INNER-CITY YOUTH GET SECOND CHANCE—09/12/11
A program sponsored by the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica Inter-American Development Bank will allow about 100 inner-city young people between the ages of 16 and 29 to enter the job market via “microfranchises.” The program, known as “Microfranchise as Tool for Economic Promotion of Youth at Risk,” is designed to create sustainable employment opportunities for youth from eight inner-city communities in the Corporate Area.
JPS AUDIT ON METER REPLACEMENT SUPPORTED BY PNP—09/13/11
The People’s National Party (PNP) supports hiring an auditing company, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), to review the meter replacement program of the Jamaica Public Service Company. The PNP also believes that JPS operations should be overseen by the Jamaican Parliament, according to Phillip Paulwell.
REPORTS OF COLOR PREJUDICE IN HIRING ANGER JAMAICANS—09/13/11
In response to reports of color prejudice in the job market, Jamaica’s Labor and Social Security Minister, Pearnel Charles, compared discrimination on the basis of skin tone to apartheid in South Africa and promises to bring “bigoted employers” to court. Portia Simpson Miller, Opposition leader, has suggested a boycott of businesses that seem to hire only light-skinned individuals.
GIRL, 9, SPONSORS YEARLY SHOE DRIVE IN JAMAICAN VILLAGE—09/14/11
Haven Hall, 9, remembers seeing the poverty in Harmons, Jamaica, a place she has visited each summer since she was four years old. At the age of seven, Haven decided to help the school children of the village by providing them with uniform shoes. Asking guests at her birthday party that year for help, she received 17 pairs. She has conducted a shoe drive each year since then, and in 2011, she provided over 100 pair of shoes to the village.
EDUCATION MINISTRY INTRODUCES DRESS CODE FOR TEACHERS—09/15/11
Jamaica’s Ministry of Education has devised and implemented a dress code to be applied to the attire of teachers while in class. The standard emphasizes the importance for all staff members and teachers in schools to be dressed appropriately for their jobs and well-groomed in the office. Failure to follow the dress code could result in disciplinary actions.
GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES PROJECT LAND—09/16/11
Robert Montague, Jamaica’s Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, introduced a program designed to provide landowners with more titles. He noted that land tenure had not been settled in the country, as about 52 percent of all land in Jamaica is untitled. This represents more than 480,000 parcels. Project Land will ensure that landowners acquire title to their properties without having to wait for as long as 30 years to do so.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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NEW MRS.ETHNIC WORLD IS JAMAICAN—09/10/11
Daisi Pollard Sepoelveda of Jamaica received the title of Mrs. Ethnic World International 2012 at the Ethnic World Pageant 2011 in Los Angeles, California. She won in six competition categories. She will now spend 2012 traveling and doing promotion for the Ethnic World system. She plans to make a book tour to promote a novel written by her great-grandfather Jerome Aredell Williams. The proceeds of the book go to the Legacy Project, which prepares children in the foster care system to take control of their own lives when they “age out” of the system
JAMAICANS IN CUBAN PRISON VISITED BY NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER—09/12/11
Dwight Nelson, the Minister of National Security, visited La Condesa Prison in Cuba to talk with the 18 Jamaicans held there. Jamaican and Cuban authorities have cooperated since 2006 in tracking and apprehending Jamaicans involved with drug or firearms trafficking.
JAMAICANS AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS BEGIN THEIR LIVES IN CHINA—09/13/11
The six Jamaicans who received scholarships from the government in China are finishing their registration at a number of universities in that country. The students – Shelly Ann Murphy, Earl Bailey, Danielle Russell, Raphael Ewin Shirley, Dahlia Sterling, and Rohan Wright – were given their official documents by Qintdian Zheng, China’s new ambassador. The six are pursuing a variety of degrees.
HEALTH CARE MISSION TO JAMAICA SLATED FOR OCTOBER 2011—09/15/11
The Jamaican Diaspora Healthcare Sector and Friends of Jamaica will conduct a global healthcare fact-finding mission in Jamaica between October 10 and October 15, 2011. The mission will be held in partnership with the national Ministry of Health. This represents part of an effort designed to integrate healthcare outreach from overseas with the Ministry’s strategic plan.
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CARIBBEAN NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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TEN HAITIAN BODIES FOUND OFF SHORE OF TURKS AND CAICOS—09/10/11
MILLIONAIRE FUGITIVE FOUND IN CARIBBEAN NATION AFTER THREE YEARS—09/12/11
CARIBBEAN NATIONS AND CHINA ENCOURAGE MUTUAL COOPERATION—09/13/11
TRACKED SHOREBIRD SHOT IN GUADELOUPE—09/14/11
SOLAR PANEL PROJECT STARTED IN PUERTO RICO—09/15/11
FATHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY WANTS DEATH OF DAUGHTER DECLARED—09/16/11
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BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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INVESTMENTS SUSPENDED DUE TO UNCERTAINTY IN TAX REFORM—09/10/11
According to a poll by the Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA), companies in Jamaica believe that existing tax reform proposals will discourage billions of dollars in investments, which could result in fewer jobs created. Brina Pengelley, president of the JMA, says the revision of port duties could have a negative impact on 300,000 jobs. These taxes are likely to increase costs to local businesses and expose them to competition from cheaper imported goods.
SUGAR FIRM EXPERIMENTS WITH RE-ENGINEERED SUGAR CANE—09/11/11
The Golden Grove Sugar Company is experimenting with re-engineered sugar cane varieties that will hopefully increase crop yields, resist diseases, and eliminate the millions of dollars in losses experienced by the year-old firm in 2011. The new cane varieties come from Barbados, which has a cane-breeding facility that tests and develops different strains. The new cane will populate the company’s fields by 2012.
CANADIAN FIRM WANTS JAMAICAN WORKERS FOR “HEAVY DUTY” JOBS—09/12/11
An organization based in Canada is looking for Jamaican workers to train for various job positions in the heavy-duty sector. Job opportunities are plentiful for operators of heavy equipment, technicians, diesel mechanics, truck mechanics, drivers, pipe fitters, and welders. Cooks and meat cutters are also wanted. Individuals with backgrounds in Jamaica’s mining and construction industries have a good chance to get these Canadian jobs.
JAMAICA TARGETS CHINESE MARKET TO INCREASE TOURISM—09/13/11
Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, has announced that the nation plans to implement an “aggressive” marketing initiative in China to enhance trade and tourism between the two nations. Bartlett says there are efforts underway to find the right representative in China, a person with a good understanding of the market who can head a Jamaican marketing team in the tourism sector. Tourists from China have been increasing in Jamaica for some time.
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CARIBBEAN TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY provided by Caribbeantopnews.com
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ANTIGUA PRIME MINISTER ATTENDS CHINA-CARIBBEAN FORUM—09/12/11
MOBILE NETWORKS IN 12 CARIBBEAN AREAS TO BE MODERNIZED—09/13/11
CARIBBEAN TECHNICIANS INVEST IN HYDROCARBON TECH—09/14/11
CARIBBEAN ENTERTAINMENT APP RELEASED BY JAMAICAN ENTREPRENEURS—09/15/11
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS SUMMARY
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CELL PHONE NETWORKS LIMITED BY CARRIERS—09/15/11
According to research at the University of Michigan, conducted with the help of MIcrosoft Research, operators of wireless networks could unknowingly be responsible for downgrades in network performance. This is due to the technology used to move traffic through the networks, which becomes increasingly complex. So-called “middleboxes,” or hardware responsible for firewalling and other network functions, could be slowing down network connections and exposing users to security issues.
PANASONIC ROBOT TO TAKE ON IRONMAN TRIATHLON—09/16/11
The Evolta robot from Panasonic is only seven inches tall, but it is scheduled to participate in the wellknown Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii. The competition’s course is grueling for human beings, but the robot is ready. Evolta has previously climbed the Grand Canyon, walked from Tokyo to Kyoto, and lived through 24 hours of LeMans. The robot will swim, bike, and run for over 140 miles within one week as it covers the Ironman course. According an Evolta developer Tomotaka Takahashi, the greatest hurdle for the robot is the swimming.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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UNTRUE RUMORS OF MAVADO SHOOTING CIRCULATED—09/10/11
David Brooks, known as Mavado, a popular Dancehall “singjay,” is fine, despite the widely circulating rumors that he had been shot in New York. The Jamaican music industry buzzed with the news that “Gully Gaad” had been shot and taken to a hospital for treatment. However, sources close to Mavado say he was never shot and is in fine health. Mavado was in New York promoting his new label.
NEW APP PROMOTES SKIN CARE LINE—09/13/11
Vybz Kartel, the popular Dancehall entrepreneur and entertainer, is promoting his new skin care products via an application for the iPhone and iPad. The products will be on shelves in Jamaica on September 15, 2011, and include Vybz Body Brightener and Vybz Astringent. Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, also intends to introduce a line of fragrances for men and women.
TORONTO FIRST TO SEE NEW JAMAICAN ACTION FILM—09/15/11
A new Jamaican action film, “Ghett’a Life,” from director Chris Browne, had its premiere showing in North America in Toronto, Canada at the 2011 Toronto Film Showcase. The film was ten years in the making and was funded by local Jamaican investors. It features local music and talent and illustrates the reality of life in inner-city Kingston. The film and Browne won the grand prize at the Hartley Merrill International Screenwriting Competition in Cannes, France, in 2006.
AUTHOR DISCUSSES JAMAICAN CHILDHOOD IN NEW BOOK—09/16/11
Jean Lowrie-Chin, Jamaican author, has written a new book that focuses on her real-life experiences growing up on the island. In “Souldance,” she discusses her early life in Westmoreland, speaking of her mother’s religious devotion and dedication to seeing her children get a good education. At a reading in New Kingston, Lowrie-Chin’s tales resonated with an audience that found her poems and prose describing familiar issues in Jamaican society.
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SPORTS
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SPENCER LOOKING FOR WIN IN ITALY—09/10/11
Kaliese Spencer, women’s 400-meter hurdles champion at the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) games, is the leader of a Jamaican contingent of competitors to the IAAF World Challenge meet in Rieti, Italy. Six other Jamaicans will compete at the meet as well, including Nesta Carter and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce.
BLAKE SET RECORD IN BERLIN—09/11/11
Jamaican Yohan Blake achieved a personal best in the 100-meters to clock 9.82 seconds in Berlin. Blake, 21, easily defeated Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis. Blake took the world title in Daegu after Usain Bolt, his training partner, was disqualified.
BOLT’S MOTHER FORGIVES STARTER’S DECISION TO DISQUALIFY SON—09/12/11
Alan Bell, the starter who is responsible for disqualifying Jamaican champion sprinter Usain Bolt in the 100-meter race at the World Championships in South Korea, has been forgiven by Bolt’s mother, Jennifer. She told Bell that she and Wellesley, her husband, understood his decision. Bell, 60, said the decision was the easiest one he had ever made; the hard thing was dealing with the media.
BOLT BREAKS GAY’S RECORD—09/14/11
Usain Bolt, Jamaican Olympic champion, ran the 100-meters at a track-record speed of 9.85 seconds in Zagreb. With this time, Bolt smashed the recording of his rival, the American Tyson Gay, who had set the bar at 9.92 seconds in 2010.
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DEVOTIONAL
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Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
We find His first recorded words from His first sermon in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (KJV). Before He arrived on the scene, John, his cousin, was preaching in the wilderness of Judaea saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1-2). The introduction of Jesus’ sermon shows a passing of the baton. No longer was the kingdom of heaven at hand, it was now here and Jesus was teaching the principles of that kingdom.
When Jesus talked about poverty in spirit, He was not talking about the opposite of being materially rich. To this end, Luke 6:20 – which seems like a contradiction – must be understood in light of the fuller statement of Matthew 5:3. James M. Boice, in his exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, observes, “To be poor in spirit is to be poor in the inward man, not in outward circumstances. Consequently, to be poor in spirit is to recognize one’s spiritual poverty before God. . . . [It] is the opposite of being rich in pride; it is to be spiritually bankrupt before God.”
A prudent study of the verse, and what it means to be poor in spirit, reveals two very important truths. Firstly, sinful human beings cannot achieve the standards of God’s righteousness and the requirements for the kingdom of heaven. The first principle of Christian ethics is that a new nature, given by the Lord Jesus Christ, is required in advance. Secondly, there must be an emptying in our lives before there can be a filling. We must become poor in spirit before we can become rich in God’s spiritual blessings. In other words, the old wine must be poured out of the wineskins before the new wine can be poured in (Matthew 9:17).
A true poverty of Spirit is unnatural to man, and therefore impossible. Nothing but a direct confrontation with the holy, just, and loving God will produce it. It is impossible to create a true poverty of spirit by looking within or by looking around at other people. True humility and a true sense of need come when we look to God for the basis of our self-evaluation. The question we need to ask ourselves is this: How do I (my life, my words, my thoughts, my actions, my desires) measure up against the Word of God? When we look to God and His Word for the basis of self-evaluation, a true response is like that of Isaiah’s, who when He saw God, cried, “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” (Isaiah 6:5).
“Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Have you checked your spirit lately?
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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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