Jamaica Sets Eyes On Digital Future......Newly named I Believe Initiative Ambassador Roxanne Wanliss is taking the lead.
Jamaica is primed to be another hub, this one of the digital variety.
Representatives from various sponsors, supporters and information and communication technology stakeholders gathered at King's House yesterday to launch Digital Jam 3.0 - Caribbean Edition. The initiative is the follow-up to the highly successful Digital Jam 2.0 mobile-app creation competition, the finals of which were held earlier this year.
 |
| Newly named I Believe Initiative Ambassador Roxanne Wanliss shares a moment with Governor General Sir Patrick Allen at King's House, St Andrew, yesterday. - Rudolph Brown/Photographer |
Industry Minister Anthony Hylton, a key figure as Jamaica positions itself to be the next global logistics hub, said digital infrastructure was at the heart of developing both hubs, noting the 3.0 theme: 'The Future of Work is Digital'. He added that Jamaica had the ability, leadership and human capital to succeed on both fronts.
The drug called "Molly" isn't what most of its users think it is. Instead of "pure" MDMA, it's become a toxic mixture of chemicals made overseas. FULL STORY
The drug called "Molly" isn't what most of its users think it is. Instead of "pure" MDMA, it's become a toxic mixture of chemicals made overseas. FULL STORY
TOP HEALTH STORIES
- ADHD diagnosis rise to 11% of kids
- 8th case of meningitis confirmed at Princeton | Fast Facts
- 5 studies you may have missed this week
- 600,000 baby monitors recalled after deaths
- Controversial migraine treatment
- Olympic champion: 'In life, there is always a hurdle'
- 3 meningococcal disease cases at California college
- Mental health warning signs parents can't ignore | Bed shortage
- Got a minute? You could save lives
- Follow @CNNHealth on Twitter | And on Facebook
IN JAMAICA: Eleven-year-old Michaela Stephens gave the world's number one female tennis star, Serena Williams, strong competition.
 |
| Serena Williams |
 |
| Young tennis player Michaela Stephens. - Photo by Janet Silvera |
Stephens was among 50 youngsters given the privilege to hit balls with the top-seeded player and her sister Venus, at a tennis clinic sponsored by the National Commercial Bank (NCB) and Tryall Club.
Manning Cup Showdown - Wolmer's, JC Hunt 2013 Title At National Stadium
A tense showdown is expected today when Wolmer's Boys
and Jamaica College (JC), two of the oldest high schools in Jamaica,
square off in the final of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports
Association (ISSA)/Digicel Manning Cup at the National Stadium, starting at 4 p.m.
Caribbean Culture Hits TV - Reality Series About The Region's Women Launched.
United States-based company Tulloch Media Communications, Inc (TMC) recently premiered the first episode of a new reality show, which exposes various aspects of Caribbean family life to the world.
The series, Caribbean Wives of South Florida, features wives in the role of family matriarchs, balancing marriage, career/business, living the American dream (cultural differences and all) and trying to fit in.
The goal of the series seems to be to show the diversity of the Caribbean community and the way that community reacts to different situations based on these cultural differences.
According to Maxine J. Tulloch, executive producer, Caribbean Wives of South Florida is expected to explicitly reveal the Caribbean's cultural wealth. read more
Astro quits BRITISH reggae band UB40
BRITISH reggae band UB40 has lost another of its founding members. Percussionist/trumpeter Astro revealed his departure just days after they announced a 2014 tour.
The birminghammail.com website reports that Astro (real name Terence Wilson) called the band a "rudderless ship" with a lack of direction. He is also quoted as saying UB40 lost focus after lead singer Ali Campbell and Mickey Virtue left.
 |
| Astro |
"We've merely muddled our way through on a wing and a prayer. There has been a serious lack of communication between the band and management," said Astro. Along with Brian Travers, James Brown, Ali Campbell, Robin Campbell, Earl Falconer, Norman Hassan and Virtue, Astro formed UB40 in 1978. Read more:
Too fat to fly? Stranded Frenchman’s long ordeal......Chenais, who weighs 500 pounds (230 kilograms), says he has been repeatedly refused transport over the past two weeks
LONDON, England (AP) — He's been turned down by planes, trains and even a cruise ship in his quest to return home -- and his family says it's because he has been deemed too fat to travel.
 |
| LONDON, England — Kevin Chenais sits in his mobility scooter in front of an ambulance at St Pancras in London on Wednesday, November 20, 2013. Chenais, who suffers from a medical condition, travelled by ambulance and ferry back to France |
Now Frenchman Kevin Chenais' long and fitful journey has come to an end. Chenais, who weighs 500 pounds (230 kilograms), says he has been repeatedly refused transport over the past two weeks as he sought to get home to France from the United States. P&O Ferries finally offered to take him in an ambulance across the English Channel on Wednesday, the final hurdle keeping him from his home near the Swiss border.
"It's terrible. It's discrimination. It was very hard, tiring and a big waste of money for my parents," the 22-year-old told RTL Radio on Wednesday. Slumped over in his mobility scooter, he said he was exhausted just before being loaded into the ambulance. Read more:
A Killer In Your Fridge ~ Sweet Poison…A MUST READ.........Could Diet sodas be killing you slowly?
In October of 2001, my sister started getting very sick She had stomach spasms and she was having a hard time getting around. Walking was a major chore. It took everything she had just to get out of bed; she was in so much pain.
 |
Rhonda GessnerHelping People BecomeALL God Created Them To Be.. |
She put her house, bank accounts, life insurance, etc., in her oldest daughter’s name, and made sure that her younger children were to be taken care of.
She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip to Florida (basically in a wheelchair) for March 22nd. On March 19, I called her to ask how her most recent tests went, and she said they didn’t find anything on the test, but they believe she had MS. read more
Jamaica's Ackee and Saltfish #2 among world's best National Dishes. How 'bout dat?
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Did you know that Jamaica's ackee and saltfish was ranked by the National Geographic as second among the world's best national dishes?
 |
| (Photo: jamaicamyway.com) |
Albeit citing its origins as slave food, the popular National Geographic says ackee and saltfish is out-ranked only by the United States' hamburgers. According to the Top 10 National Dishes list, which was taken from the National Geographic book Food Journeys of a Lifetime, ackee is a "nutritious fruit with a buttery-nutty" flavour and "resembles scrambled egg when boiled".
NG also said that "Jamaicans sauté the boiled ackee with saltfish (salt-cured cod), onions, and tomatoes" adding that it is sometimes served "atop bammy (deep-fried cassava cakes) with fried plantains". Read more:
Top 10 JAMAICAN deejays. Do you agree with this list?
 |
| Beenieman, Ninjama, Kartel |
(1) Shabba Ranks
Lyrically, the most dynamic deejay and first to make a serious mark internationally. The two- time Grammy winner lay the foundation for Shaggy and Sean Paul.
(2) Bounty Killer
Despite his controversial personality, without doubt one of the greatest. With his vast catalogue of hardcore hits, 'Killer' is still an explosive live act after 20- odd years in the business.
(3) Buju Banton
His ability to fuse reggae, dancehall and ska produced outstanding albums. Dancehall's renaissance man.
(4) Ninjaman
The 'clash king', hands down the most lethal deejay on stage. His sneer and wit has endeared him to dancehall fans.
(5) Beenie Man
The quintessential showman, his ability to create easy-on-the ear hits have made him one of the genre's most successful acts. Read more:
In Latvia, Supermarket Collapse Leaves At Least 45 Dead
RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Latvian police say the number of dead from a supermarket roof collapse has risen to 45.
Spokesman Toms Sadovskisk says officials expect the death toll at the sprawling Maxima supermarket in Riga to rise further.
He said Friday the number of injured remains at 35 and that nine of the dead are still unidentified.
Rescue workers were keeping up their round-the-clock search for possible survivors Friday. They were periodically turning off all equipment and asking relatives of missing people to call so they could hear ringing cellphones in the rubble. read more
IN JAMAICA: Journalist Shoved As PM, Portia Simpson-Miller Refuses To Answer Questions On Azan's Reinstatement
TVJ reporter Vashan Brown was today shoved by members of the Prime Minister's security detail as he asked her about the reinstatement of Richard Azan as junior transport and works minister.
The Prime Minister had just delivered the keynote address at the dedication of a water and sewer project in Rose Town, Kingston, when she was approached by the reporter.
.jpg)
She then walked off prompting the intervention of the security detail who shoved the reporter who was continuing to press the Prime Minister for answers. read more
Cops accused of leaking info on Vybz Kartel arrest
DEFENCE lawyers were scathing in their cross-examination of two senior police officers who gave evidence during the trial of Vybz Kartel and four other men in the Supreme Court in downtown, Kingston yesterday.
 |
| Vybz Kartel (in shades) arrives at the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston on Wednesday. |
Attorney Tom Tavares-Finson, who along with his son Christian is representing Vybz Kartel, accused the police of leaking information to the media when the police had arrested Vybz Kartel and were taking him to his three properties in St Andrew and St Catherine to search for guns and unlawful property.
Vybz Kartel, Shawn 'Shawn Storm' Campbell; Kahira Jones; André St John; and Shane Williams are being tried for the August 16, 2011 murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams/
During his cross-examination of head of Senior Superintendent Cornwall 'Bigga' Ford — who heads the Flying Squad — Tavares-Finson suggested that the police had intentionally informed the media of the operation in order to prejudice the case against his client. Read more:
JAMAICAN RHODES SCHOLAR: 2013 Rhodes Scholar described as ‘a brilliant young man’........scholar says he could have easily given up
TIMAR Jackson's Facebook page blew up with likes and comments yesterday when, at about 3:30, he posted: Timar Jackson 2014 Rhodes Scholar.
 |
| Winner of the Rhodes scholarship for 2014 Timar Jackson and the other finalists with Governor General Sir Patrick Allen at King’s House. |
He was announcing to his friends what the Rhodes Scholarship committee had, only minutes earlier, disclosed at King's House: that he had topped a field of nine accomplished young people and would be heading to Oxford next year. "I knew you'd become one some day." read one of the comments. "Bwoy, u never let me down," said another. Others included: "Well deserved", "I'm soooooo proud", "Always focused" and tons of "congratulations".
For Jackson, 24, the win is a lesson in perseverance, given that he made it to the finals two years ago but lost out in the end. "Once you have your goal you should never lose sight of it," he told the Jamaica Observer.
Read more:
Jamaica issues travel warning against Trinidad and Tobago
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Thursday November 21, 2013, CMC – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a warning to persons traveling to Trinidad and Tobago in the wake of recent reports of several Jamaicans having been denied entry into that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country recent weeks.
"The ministry is concerned at this development and continues to interface with the relevant authorities in Trinidad and Tobago on the matter, including in the light of the Shanique Myrie ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice," said a release issued by the Ministry.
Read more:
Senate Passes New Filibuster Rules...Relief For Dispirited Dems... A History Of The Filibuster
WASHINGTON -- When Harry Reid came in through a side door to the Mansfield Room Thursday afternoon, the majority leader was met with a raucous standing ovation from a crowd of activists, mere steps from the Senate floor where he had just successfully led a change of Senate rules to reform the filibuster.
When he took the podium, the crowd rose again, giving a reception that would have been unthinkable a decade ago, when Reid was considered by many progressives to be a weak-kneed centrist. His journey to filibuster reform has been just as long.
A longtime, strident defender of Senate tradition, Reid worked in the last Congress against the efforts of Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) to change the rules and reform the filibuster. It earned him his fair share of unfavorable coverage in the pages of this outlet and elsewhere. read more
BBC: Women held as slaves for 30 years were kept in "horrific conditions".....'Slave' women rescued
 |
LONDON (AP) — Three women have been freed after spending 30 years held captive in a south London home, including one woman believed to have spent her entire life in domestic slavery, police announced Thursday.
London's Metropolitan Police spoke about the rescues after two people — a man and a woman, both 67 — were arrested early Thursday as part of an investigation into domestic servitude.
The investigation was launched after one of the captive women contacted a charity to say she was being held against her will and the charity then went to the police. Those freed "some weeks ago" are a 69-year-old Malaysian woman, a 57-year-old Irish woman and a 30-year-old British woman, police said.
Read more:
Dow Closes Above 16,000 Points For First Time Ever
NEW YORK, Nov 21 (Reuters) - The Dow industrials closed above 16,000 on Thursday for the first time and other major indexes also ended higher after economic data pointed to a slowly improving labor market and subdued inflation.The Dow Jones industrial average was up 109.17 points, or 0.69 percent, at 16,009.99, according to the latest figures available. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 14.49 points, or 0.81 percent, at 1,795.86. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 47.89 points, or 1.22 percent, at 3,969.16. read more
BBC News: US remembers Kennedy 50 years after assassination
The US is marking 50 years since President John F Kennedy was killed by an assassin's bullet in Dallas, Texas.
The city, which has long struggled with the legacy of the murder, hosts a series of official events on Friday. Kennedy has been ranked among the nation's most revered presidents, though he served less than three years.
He is commemorated for his youthful vigour, his leadership through the Cuban missile crisis, and his challenge to America to put a man on the Moon.But he is also remembered for ordering one of the most disastrous episodes of the Cold War, the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of communist Cuba by a CIA-trained paramilitary force of Cuban exiles. read more
The city, which has long struggled with the legacy of the murder, hosts a series of official events on Friday. Kennedy has been ranked among the nation's most revered presidents, though he served less than three years.He is commemorated for his youthful vigour, his leadership through the Cuban missile crisis, and his challenge to America to put a man on the Moon.But he is also remembered for ordering one of the most disastrous episodes of the Cold War, the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of communist Cuba by a CIA-trained paramilitary force of Cuban exiles. read more
Professor Says She Could Go To Jail For Pointing Out Her Rapist 18 Years Ago.
A psychology professor says she could go to jail for life because 18 years ago, her boyfriend killed her rapist.
 |
| Esparaza |
Norma Patricia Esparza, 39, says she was forced her to point out her rapist, Gonzalo Ramirez, before he was killed, CBS reports in the video above. Now, Esparza, a professor who lives with her husband and 4-year-old daughter in France, is scheduled to appear before a judge Thursday in Santa Ana, Calif. Prosecutors are expected to ask the judge to revoke her bail before she goes to trial for first-degree special circumstances murder..
Prosecutors say that in 1995, as a sophomore at Pomona College, Esparza went to a bar in Santa Ana, Calif. bar with a group and identified a man she said had raped herin her college dorm, the Los Angeles Times reports. Hours later, the man was found dead, beaten and hacked with a meat cleaver. read more
ENTER CHAT, LISTEN & WATCH BROADCAST LIVE 24/7
FOR AUDIO ONLY (No Commercials) - CLICK PLAYER ABOVE on RIGHT
OR
FOR USTREAM VIEWING & RBN CHATROOM CLICK ON PLAYER BELOW
IN JAMAICA: RBC Loves School....Elgin Town Basic School students show off books donated by Royal Bank of Canada
Elgin Town Basic School, the largest school to be built so far by Food For The Poor in its 'Jamaica 50 Campaign', in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and HEART Trust/NTA received a much-needed boost from the RBC Royal Bank of Canada. The campaign involves building and rehabilitating 50 basic schools in 50 months, in addition to providing 500 teachers islandwide with scholarships.
 |
| Elgin Town Basic School students show off books donated by Royal Bank of Canada. - Contributed Photos |
The bank's donation will see Food For The Poor building an Early Childhood Commission-certified school for the students of the Elgin Town Basic.
"Providing a safe and imaginative learning environment, which is critical for children at this age, is an important area of focus for us," said Roger Cogle, managing director, RBC Royal Bank. read more
13 Jamaicans turned away from Trinidad Action violates Caricom treaty..... asked to Stay out!
IN a direct breach of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, and a snub of a recent ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Trinidadian immigration officers denied 13 Jamaicans entry into that country on Tuesday night, detained them and sent them back home on the first flight yesterday morning.
 |
| Some of the 13 Jamaicans who were refused entry, detained and sent back home from Trinidad in direct breach of the Revised Treaty of Chagaramas. |
The Jamaicans were angry when the Jamaica Observer spoke to them immediately after they were processed by immigration officials at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston yesterday afternoon.
They said that their passports were confiscated by the Trinidadians and they were ordered to sit on a wooden bench throughout the night before they were rudely bundled on a Caribbean Airlines flight on which the majority of the Reggae Boyz football team were being flown home after their friendly match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium....
Among those turned away from her fellow Caribbean Community (Caricom) state was Anne Gordon, who was given the task of chaperoning an 11-year-old girl to see her father who resides in that country with his Trinidadian wife. However, both Gordon and the girl were denied entry, despite carrying Caricom passports. Read more:
Kartel co-accused re-arrested; jury panel still incomplete
JUSTICE Lennox Campbell revoked the bail of Calvin 'Moonie' Haye at the end of proceedings during the second day of the murder trial of Vybz Kartel, Haye and four other men in the Supreme Court yesterday.
 |
| Supporters of Vybz Kartel gather outside the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston to catch a glimpse of the deejay as he is escorted from the court, yesterday |
As the prosecution and defence lawyers haggled over the selection of jurors and Campbell signalled that the trial would resume this morning, he asked if one of the accused was on bail. After getting confirmation from court staff, Justice Campbell remarked, "He is remanded in custody," before walking away from the bench to his chambers.
Haye was obviously shaken and bore a confused look as police officers handcuffed him and carted him off to the holding area for remandees. His attorney, Diane Jobson , was also taken aback and indicated that she would be seeking to secure her client's freedom this morning. Yesterday, the empanelling of jurors still remained incomplete after two male jurors asked to be excused from duty due to job and business commitments. Read more:
India: Gold bars worth US$1M found in plane lavatory
NEW DELHI (AP) — Cleaners found a stash of 24 gold bars worth more than US$1.1 million hidden in an airplane lavatory after a flight from Bangkok arrived in eastern India, officials said Wednesday.
The Jet Airways plane had landed in Kolkata and was being cleaned before a scheduled flight to Patna when the cleaners found two bags with the gold stashed inside, Customs official Mona Priyadarshini said. Priyadarshini said the gold bars weighed around one kilogramme each. Customs officials confiscated the stash and are investigating.
India is one of the world's biggest consumers of gold. The government increased the gold import duty recently, which officials say has encouraged smuggling. Read more:
Tempers flare at overcrowded Bustamante Hospital for Children Hospital anger
RUPERT Dickson had simply had enough. He had been waiting for more than 15 hours to get help for his two-year-old son at the Bustamante Hospital for Children.
 |
| A section of the large crowd of parents and their sick children inside the Bustamante Hospital for Children’s Accident and Emergency Department yesterday. |
Extremely frustrated, Dickson leaned against a wall in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, holding his son — whom he said had a "high" fever — in his arms. "I have been here from eight o'clock last night waiting to see or hear from a doctor or a medical official from the hospital," Dickson told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
His anger reflected the mood of the more than 50 persons waiting in and outside the A&E when the Observer got there at 11:30 am. Read more:
Victim's sister takes the stand in Vybz Kartel murder trial
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prosecution in the Vybz Kartel murder trial in the Home Circuit court now has its second witness on the stand, a sister of the deceased Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.
 |
| Kartel |
The first witness Williams’ girlfriend has completed her testimony. Kartel, along with five co-accused were placed on trial for the 2011 murder of Williams. One co-accused Calvin Hay was freed earlier Wednesday afternoon
Read more:
What Your Cell Phone Company Doesn't Want You To Know.....Wireless Carriers Block Simple Solution To Phone Theft To Protect Profits, Prosecutor Says
As cell phone robberies have soared nationwide, phone companies have found a lucrative side business offering insurance to customers who are anxious their devices may be lost or stolen.
The top four wireless carriers will earn more than $7.8 billion this year in insurance premiums from their customers, according to an estimate by Warranty Week, an industry trade publication. Asurion, a phone insurance company that pays the wireless carriers for each policy they sell, made an estimated $98 million in profit in 2010, according to Businessweek.
“If you do the math, the phone companies are making out like bandits," said Richard Doherty, a director for Envisioneering Group, a market research firm. read more
FLORIDA TEA PARTY Congressman, Trey Radel To Take Leave Of Absence After Pleading Guilty To Cocaine Possession..... Heartbreaking Revelations About Arrested Lawmaker's Past
Rep. Trey Radel (R-Fla.) said Wednesday he'll take a leave of absence following his sentencing to one-year probation for cocaine possession.
"I have no excuse for what I've done," Radel said during a press conference in Florida. "And I'm not gonna sit here trying to make any excuses for what I've done. I let down our country, I've let down our constituents, I've let down my family, including my wife and even though he doesn't know it, I've let down my 2-year-old son."
Radel gave no indication when his leave will begin or how long it will last. He said that his staff will work while he's away and that he will donate his salary from the period to charity. Radel said he has dealt with alcoholism off and on for years, following the "terrible and tragic" death of his mother. read moreGOP Rep. Sentenced For Cocaine Possession
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)