J$100.47:US$1: Fixed Exchange Rate Won't Solve Ja's Problem - IMF Representative

Dr Gene Leon, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) senior resident representative to Jamaica, is arguing that discussions on whether Jamaica should go the way of a fixed exchange rateis misplaced.

Leon, along with economists Dr Damieon King and Dr André Haughton, who were guests at a Gleaner Editors' Forum yesterday, said Jamaica needs to focus on fixing the fundamentals of its economy, rather than being concerned with the value of the Jamaican dollar.

"We focus on the exchange rate as though that exchange rate is anything other than a consequence of where we are," Leon said.

Yesterday, the Jamaican dollar closed at J$100.47:US$1 after breaking the J$100:$US1 mark for the first time last Friday.

The IMF, with which the country's has entered a US$2 billion four-year extended fund facility, said Jamaica's currency is overvalued. Read More...

NSA Spying Controversy Highlights Embrace Of Big Data : 'The First Technological Innovation Since The Internet With The Potential To Change The World'

Even within the infrastructure of the American surveillance apparatus, the National Security Agency is notoriously secretive. The spy agency jealously guards from public view practically all aspects of its operations, from the information it collects to its plans for a massive 100,000-square-foot building being constructed in the Utah desert.

But when it comes to the agency's primary tool for making sense of all that data, the NSA hasn't been secretive at all. Indeed, two years ago, it made public the very code for a key program it uses to analyze the firehose of information pouring into its computer servers.

The NSA’s decision to give away that code to developers has helped fuel what is now a booming trend in technology known as "big data." The technology, Accumulo, makes it possible for companies to sift through massive amounts of information with essentially the same degree of sophistication and security as the country's top spy agency. READ More...

Edward Snowden Drops More Bombshells: Edward Snowden Tells South China Morning Post: U.S. Has Been Hacking Hong Kong And China Since 2009

The South China Morning Post published another article early Thursday morning local time about its exclusive interview with Edward Snowden, the person responsible for leaking top-secret information about the National Security Agency's secret surveillance programs. The Post reported that Snowden said that the U.S. government "had been hacking into computers in Hong Kong and [in China] for years."

Snowden spoke with the Post's Lana Lam from an undisclosed location. He said that the U.S. was "bullying" Hong Kong to extradite him and that he has been in constant fear for his safety. "I will never feel safe," he said. "Things are very difficult for me in all terms, but speaking truth to power is never without risk."

Lam also reported:

Snowden said that according to unverified documents seen by the Post, the NSA had been hacking computers in Hong Kong and on the mainland since 2009. None of the documents revealed any information about Chinese military systems, he said ... Snowden believed there had been more than 61,000 NSA hacking operations globally, with hundreds of targets in Hong Kong and on the mainland.  READ More...

HEAT DESTROYED: San Antonio Spurs Rout Miami Heat 113-77: Danny Green, Gary Neal Star In NBA Finals Game 3 (VIDEO)

SAN ANTONIO -- From big 3s to Big Three, the Spurs had it all in the NBA Finals' raucous return to San Antonio.

Danny Green made seven of the Spurs' finals-record 16 3-pointers, Tim Duncan had 12 points and 14 rebounds, and the Spurs clobbered the Miami Heat 113-77 on Tuesday night to take 2-1 lead in the series.

Green scored 27 points and Gary Neal made six 3-pointers while scoring 24 as San Antonio went 16 of 32 from behind the arc, rolling to the third-biggest victory in finals history.

Duncan bounced back from his worst game ever in the finals, and the Spurs' combination of fresh faces and old reliables dominated the NBA's winningest team before an eager crowd that hadn't seen the finals here since 1997. READ More...

Dr. NEIL GARDNER: The Truth About Cholesterol: Part 3 - How To Naturally Lower Cholesterol

We now understand from the last two articles that inflammation is the real cause of heart disease and that cholesterol-loweringmedications are very dangerous to your health. Not only are they potentially harmful, but they do not deliver on the promise to reduce heart disease. In order for us to finally lower the incidence of heart disease, we must effectively tackle the problem of inflammation by identifying and correcting our habits that lead to it.

Omega-6 and Omega-3 Fats

The two main types of oils that we consume that participate in the inflammation processes in the body are the omega-6 fats, which promote inflammation and omega-3 fats, which reduce inflammation. In order for us to be healthy, our diet must contain the right blend of both omega-6 and omega-3 fats.

Omega-6 fats may be found in poultry, avocado, most vegetable oils used for cooking, flax/linseed oil, rapeseed or canola oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower seed oil, corn oil, safflower oil, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, coconut. Some good sources of omega-3 fats include cold-water fish such as herring, sardines, mackerel, salmon, halibut, tuna, swordfish, cod, as well as catfish, flounder, grouper, mahi mahi, and red snapper. READ More...

SAD, SAD STORY: Justin Stanfield Thomas Shot, Killed Accidentally By 4-Year-Old Son In Arizona (VIDEO)

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Justin Stanfield Thomas

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. -- Authorities in northern Arizona say a 4-year-old boy has accidentally shot and killed his father at a Prescott Valley home.

Prescott Valley police say the shooting occurred just after noon Friday.

The 35-year-old man and his young son were visiting from Phoenix and were at a friend's house.

Police say the boy somehow found a gun in the home's living room and accidentally fired it and a bullet hit his father, who was rushed to a hospital where he died. Police identified the man as Justin Stanfield Thomas.

Police say the boy is with his mother. No other details have been released. READ More...

IN NEW ORLEANS: Terrilyn Monette's Car Found; Decomposed Body Inside

NEW ORLEANS -- Authorities pulled a missing teacher's car from a New Orleans bayou Saturday and police said there was a decomposed body inside.

Authorities couldn't immediately say whether the body was Terrilyn Monette, who was last seen leaving a New Orleans bar not far from the bayou in the early morning hours of March 2. She would've had to cross the waterway to get home.

Monette was a Long Beach, Calif., native who moved to Louisiana to teach. Her family has been flying back and forth from California to look for her. They attended a prayer vigil Friday and appealed for FBI intervention, accusing the New Orleans Police Department of mishandling the case. The department has denied the accusations. READ More...

Neha Ramu, Teen With Higher IQ Than Einstein, Says Comparison Is 'Not Right' (VIDEO)

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Meet Neha Ramu, the 13-year-old who reached the highest possible score on the Mensa IQ test -- even higher than Einstein's. In fact, she's in the top one percent of intelligence ratings among people in the UK, according to Asian News International.

But don't be too quick to hold her up to other famous geniuses. She'll be the first to tell you that she doesn't think it's a fair comparison.

The Huffington Post covered her amazing story in March, and this week the BBC released an awesome interview with the teen.

"Stephen Hawking and Albert Eistenstein, they've achieved so much that I couldn't even dream of achieving, so it's not right to compare me to them just cause of my IQ," Neha told the BBC. "If I don't put in my effort and make use of my IQ there is no point in having it."

Watch the full interview in the video above. READ More...

Edward Snowden NSA: Guardian Reveals Identity Of Whistleblower Behind NSA Revelations (VIDEO).....DEAL WITH THIS THE BIG REVEAL... 'I Have Done Nothing Wrong'... Claims Stunning Access... WARNS: Surveillance State 'An Existential Threat To Democracy'... 'I Don't Want To Live In A Society That Does These Sorts Of Things'...

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Ed Snowden

The Guardian published the identity of the whistleblower on Sunday responsible for providing the paper with top-secret documents that revealed the National Security Agency's secret surveillance programs. The paper wrote that it was revealing Edward Snowden's identity at his request:

From the moment he decided to disclose numerous top-secret documents to the public, he was determined not to opt for the protection of anonymity. 'I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong,' he said.

The Guardian compared Snowden, a 29-year-old former CIA technical assistant and current employee of Booz Allen Hamilton, to Daniel Ellsberg and Bradley Manning. "Snowden will go down in history as one of America's most consequential whistleblowers, alongside Daniel Ellsberg and Bradley Manning. He is responsible for handing over material from one of the world's most secretive organisations – the NSA," Glenn Greenwald, Ewen MacAskill and Laura Poitras wrote.

Snowden, however, said there were differences. "I carefully evaluateevery single document I disclosed"...... READ More...

Award winning actor, PAUL CAMPBELL narrates PALAS Fundraiser efforts. You may donate online at www.PALAS1.org or please send a check to PALAS, P.O Box 5461, Alpharetta, GA 30023-5461 USA.

San Antonio Spurs Top Miami Heat 92-88 In Game 1 Of The 2013 NBA Finals (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

Miami Heat center Joel Anthony (50) defends against San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) during the first half of Game 1 of basketball's NBA Finals, Thursday, June 6, 2013 in Miami. (AP Photo/Steve Mitchell, Pool)

MIAMI — The San Antonio Spurs returned to the NBA Finals just the way they left – with a victory over LeBron James.

Tim Duncan overcame a slow start to finish with 20 points and 14 rebounds, Tony Parker banked in a desperation jumper with 5.2 seconds left and the Spurs withstood James' triple-double to beat the Miami Heat 92-88 on Thursday night in a thrilling Game 1.

Parker ended up with 21 points after referees reviewed his shot to make sure it just beat the shot clock, giving San Antonio a four-point edge in a game that was close the whole way. READ More...

BOLT BEATEN in 100m: Justin Gatlin Beats Usain Bolt In 100 Meter Race At Golden Gala Meet In Rome (VIDEO/PHOTOS)

Jamaica's champion Usain Bolt reacts after losing the 100m men's race at the IAAF Golden Gala at Stadio Olimpico on June 6, 2013 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

ROME — After five dominating years, Usain Bolt is showing signs of slowing down.

The Jamaican lost by a hundredth of a second to American Justin Gatlin in the 100 meters Thursday night at the Golden Gala meet. Gatlin finished in 9.94 seconds.

It was Bolt's first significant loss since his false-start disqualification at the 2011 world championships in South Korea. But he also struggled in his first 100 this year, winning a photo finish in 10.09 in the Cayman Islands a month ago while dealing with a hamstring injury.

This is normally the time Bolt starts to leave his rivals behind as he revs up for the year's biggest event. This season, it's the world championships in Moscow in August.

However, the always cool Jamaican isn't worried. READ More....

USAIN BOLT- The World's Fastest Man 19.59sec (200m) Athletissima.