Two charged for double killing in Westmoreland......death of a common-law couple in the presence of their eight children at their home

SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland the Westmoreland police have charged two men for the shooting death of a common-law couple in the presence of their eight children at their home at Dalling Street Savanna-la-Mar nearly two weeks ago.

Rosemarie Wilson, also called ‘Wendy’.

The accused, 20-year-old mechanic Nicholas Reuben of 135 Dalling Street and 22-year-old unemployed Shane Delliser of Barracks Road, were charged over the weekend for the murders of 33-year-old Rosemarie Wilson, also called 'Wendy', and Junior Pilliner, otherwise called 'Tyan', a 44-year-old farmer. The accused are scheduled to appear in the Savanna-la-Mar RM Court later this week.

The common-law couple have left behind eight children, whose ages range from four to 19 years.

Jamaica Observer sources said Rueben had been before the court on an earlier charge for the alleged murder of 16-year-old St Peter Maxwell who was a friend of the slain couple's 18-year-old son. It was alleged that the two friends broke Reuben's foot during a fight in 2012. more

Obama Takes Surprising Immigration Action.....Obama Administration Easing Immigration Rule For Would-Be Asylum Seekers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration has eased the rules for would-be asylum-seekers, refugees and others who hope to come to the United States or stay here and who gave "limited" support to terrorists or terrorist groups. The change is one of President Barack Obama's first actions on immigration since he pledged during his State of the Union address last month to use more executive directives.

Pres. Barack Obama

The Department of Homeland Security and the State Department now say that people considered to have provided "limited material support" to terrorists or terrorist groups are no longer automatically barred from the United States.

A post-Sept. 11 provision in immigrant law, known as terrorism related inadmissibility grounds, had affected anyone considered to have given support. With little exception, the provision has been applied rigidly to those trying to enter the U.S. and those already here but wanting to change their immigration status. For Morteza Assadi, a 49-year-old real estate agent in northern Virginia, the law has left him in a sort of immigration purgatory while his green card application has been on hold for more than a decade. more

'The Hillary Papers' Uncovered.....Archive of 'closest friend' paints portrait of ruthless First Lady

On May 12, 1992, Stan Greenberg and Celinda Lake, top pollsters for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, issued a confidential memo. The memo’s subject was “Research on Hillary Clinton.”

Hillary Clinton

Voters admired the strength of the Arkansas first couple, the pollsters wrote. However, “they also fear that only someone too politically ambitious, too strong, and too ruthless could survive such controversy so well.” Their conclusion: “What voters find slick in Bill Clinton, they find ruthless in Hillary.”

The full memo is one of many previously unpublished documents contained in the archive of one of Hillary Clinton’s best friends and advisers, documents that portray the former first lady, secretary of State, and potential 2016 presidential candidate as a strong, ambitious, and ruthless Democratic operative. more

IN JAMAICA: No ganja growing until it is legal to do so...... Marijuana lobby wants Gov't to regulate industry

Marijuana

Jamaica's first ganja growers association has begun to take shape, but potential members are being advised not to start cultivation of the weed, until the legal green light has been given.

The backers of the Ganja Future Growers and Producers Association have proposed that, as a condition of membership, interested parties sign a declaration that "they will not take any part, directly or indirectly, in the growing/cultivation of ganja until there is a legal and regulated framework for the growing of ganja".

Barack Obama, Juan Manuel Santos and Paul Chang

The association, which was launched on January 18, is an initiative of the Cannabis Commercial and Medicinal Task Force, the Ganja Law Reform Coalition and the National Alliance for the Legalisation of Ganja, spearheaded by Paul Burke, Delano Seiveright and Paul Chang, with the recent addition of University of the West Indies Principal Professor Archibald McDonald.

The reason for the no-grow proposal formulated by the National Alliance for the Legalisation of Ganja was not immediately clear, but there were suggestions yesterday that several parliamentarians on both sides of the House who support decriminalisation or legalisation of ganja, could be in conflict with the law while it remains on the books. more

IN JAMAICA: Preps On Top - Survey Says Private Schools Best At GSAT; Primaries Lagging Behind

IF A child was born in rural Jamaica and attends a public school, he or she is more likely to be performing below average on the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) than a child living in urban centres and attending private school.

Students from schools across the island
 react after receiving GSAT results
 in previous years. - File Photos

This is the harsh reality a Gleaner-commissioned study compiled by Johnson Survey Research has revealed.

The analysis of the 2013 GSAT results further exposes the disparity in the quality of education that students at the primary level are receiving in public schools compared to private institutions across the island.

The majority of the primary, all-age, and junior-high schools are lagging behind preparatory schools, which are generally populated by students from higher-income households.

Students from schools across the
 island react after receiving GSAT
results in previous years. - File Photos

Of the top 1,022 institutions that prepared students for the high school entrance exam last school year, only four government-operated schools managed to make it to the top 100, with Retirement Primary in St Ann placing the highest at 49. more

Careers & Education : Technology makes a difference at Rollington Town Primary School in Kingston.....seen a big jump in numeracy, moving from 36 per cent in 2012, to 66 per cent in 2013

ROLLINGTON Town Primary in Kingston has seen a big jump in numeracy, moving from 36 per cent in 2012, to 66 per cent in 2013, an achievement that the institution's leadership attributes to the use of technology.

The school also saw its literacy level rising in the same period from 78 per cent to 80 per cent.

Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites, who visited the institution recently, lauded the board, the principal and staff.

He encouraged the students to "keep straight, and do your studies", and called on the parents to "start saving from now, because you are going to have to send them (students) to university".

"When you are in primary school, you learn to be a well-behaved and ordered person. You are here to build your character, to behave yourself, and to grow into good young people and proper adults. Make sure to learn to read and write and to speak the English language," Thwaites told the children. more

University' Of JaRIA Analyses Bob Marley.....IBO COOPER said "People, there are those who say reggae is an inspirational force. I support it."......Home invasion: After gunmen invaded Marley's Hope Road home, the Wailers band was afraid to perform at the concert.

Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer

Bob Marley

"People, there are those who say reggae is an inspirational force. I support it. There is something that I personally call, in the creative arts, the invisible consciousness. It is the thing that drives us as artistes.Whether it is contrived or not, it has to come from your gut," said Ibo Cooper, who was the lecturer at the JaRIA (Jamaica Reggae Industry Association) Open University on Thursday, Bob Marley's birthday. Thus, the theme for the session was Bob Marley.

The text for the session was Marley, a film by Kevin McDonald, released first in Jamaica and then to the rest of the world sometime ago.

Ibo Cooper, Chairman RiJia

The philosophical statement of the former Third World band member was given in response to a question posed by a 'student' after the film was shown. The answer he wanted to hear was whether Marley was more than just a musical messenger. Cooper believed that he was more. With reference to the Smile Jamaica Concert, seen on the film, he related a compelling behind-the-scene scenario. more

home invasion

Editorial in JAMAICA: Pinnacle — satisfying the demands of history.....The story of Pinnacle, said to be the birthplace of Rastafari and of the late Mr Leonard Howell.

Rastafarians at the Pinnacle property
 two Fridays ago.
(PHOTOS: MICHAEL GORDON)

The story of Pinnacle, said to be the birthplace of Rastafari and of the late Mr Leonard Howell — who is credited as the founder of the movement — isn't, by any means, only about Rastas. Crucially, it provides an important chapter or more in the extraordinary history of the Jamaican people.

For this newspaper, that is the important element that none of us should ignore. Even for non-Rastafaris, preservation of Rastafarian heritage should be of great importance.

In that regard, whatever happens as a result of the court battle over land tenure at Pinnacle — now in the Court of Appeal — the State has a responsibility to ensure that there is a suitable and substantial marker in whatever form to satisfy the demands of history.

Of course, it's not only about history or respect for Rastafari culture as of themselves. Those with an entrepreneurial bent will recognise Rastafari heritage as one with enormous potential for tourism. The fact is that Rastafarianism is a subject of fascination of global proportions, and we envision Pinnacle, adorned with an appropriate museum etc, becoming a site of great interest for many visitors. Hopefully, when the legal dust is all settled, such an ideal will become possible. more

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IN JAMAICA: ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED Lupita Nyong'o enjoyed a four-night stay at the Round and was quite taken with the Jamaican hospitality and the hotel's renowned charm.

WHAT to do when you're one of the world's most photographed women? When you're this close to scoring Oscar gold as a Best Supporting Actress?

Lupita with Round Hill Hotel & Villa’s
General Manager Omar Robinson

'It girl' Lupita Nyong'o left the chilly climes of her Brooklyn home behind and jetted to The Rock's cashmere-chic Round Hill Hotel and Villas. Indeed, her choice of destination — Ralph Lauren's favourite getaway — could not be more ideal, as it was Nyong'o's defining red-carpet appearance in the Lauren vermilion-red cape dress that launched the actress to instant fashion fame.

Nyong’o in her vermilion-red Ralph Lauren
cape dress at last month’s
Golden Globe Awards

The Oscar nominee, who is tipped to win the Academy Award next month for her supporting role in 12 Years A Slave, enjoyed a four-night stay at the Round and was quite taken with the Jamaican hospitality and the hotel's renowned charm. more

Latest News : Kingston's Bob Marley Museum designated GRAMMY Museum affiliate.

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The GRAMMY Museum, on Thursday announced its first ever affiliate, the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, according to NBC Southern California.

The entrance to Bob Marley Museum
in Kingston. (Photo: things-to-do-in-jamaica.com)

"As a Grammy Museum affiliate, the Bob Marley Museum will have access to Grammy Museum exhibitions, educational initiatives, research program (me)s, internship opportunities, collaborative marketing and promotions, technical support for interactive displays and more," NBC Southern California reported on Friday.

The news agency also said that more affiliates will be announced in coming months. According to www.grammymuseum.org, "the GRAMMY Museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music; the creative process; the art and technology of the recording process; and the history of the GRAMMY Awards, the premier recognition of recorded music accomplishment."

Located in downtown Los Angeles, the website says the museum is "four floors of cutting-edge exhibits, interactive experiences and films" which provide a "one-of-a-kind visitor experience — engaging, educational, celebratory and inspirational". more

HELP NEEDED IN JAMAICA FOR: 18 y-o Kirby Campbell, young cancer patient of St.Hugh's High School (and now of UWI) cries out for help...cost is JA$1.9 million- JA$4.0 million.

HELP NEEDED IN JAMAICA FOR: 18 y-o Kirby Campbell, young cancer patient of St.Hugh's High School (and now of UWI) cries out for help...cost is JA$1.9 million- JA$4.0 million. Her mom Ms. Sophia Drummond called in from JAMAICA (Feb 7, 2014) to Rula Brown on the Peace and Love Vibration Show to appeal for help. PLEASE SHARE AND LIKE if you would like to help.....

RULA BROWN - "Peace & Love" from forthcoming CD, "Peace and Love, 1984-2014"

Rare Footage Of Jamaican Bobsleigh Team First Time Down The Track That Ended In A Crash (Walked Away With Pride)

I honestly hope you guys understand what these guys must have faced during that period of time. Not just as Jamaican men doing a sport out of the usual for them but as black men in a another world.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN : Sochi Opening Ceremony Includes Athletes, Flame Lighting And Olympic Rings Fail (PHOTOS)

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — A crowning achievement of Vladimir Putin's Russia kicked off Friday with a celebration of its past greatness and hopes for future glory, most especially for a raucous group of Russian athletes who marched into the rollicking opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics with a message.

Jamaica Bobsled Team

To the best athletes in the world, who they've invited to the edge of the Black Sea to compete on ice and snow, they sang: you're "not gonna get us."

Just after the sun set over the Caucasus Mountains and along the seashore just outside Fisht Stadium in the wet-paint-fresh Olympic Park, Russian TV star Yana Churikova shouted to a crowd still taking their seats: "Welcome to the center of the universe!" more

IN JAMAICA: Police shooting sparks protest in Denham Town...."The man identified as Kevin Davis, Little Man, was at him house on Tulip Lane when the police shot and killed him, he was unarmed,"

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- A massive protest is now underway in Denham Town, West Kingston where a man was shot and killed in what police report was a shootout with cops.

Residents in the area are however strongly disputing the police’s claims. 

"The man identified as Kevin Davis, Little Man, was at him house on Tulip Lane when the police shot and killed him, he was unarmed," an obviously upset resident told OBSERVER ONLINE.

Police attempting to calm protesting
 residents after a man was shot
 and killed by the cops in Denham Town

He was one of several placard bearing residents who, in voicing their opposition to the police action, blocked several roadways in the community. Meanwhile Steve McGregor, head of the West Kingston Division said he received reports that the man was a member of the Scare Dem gang. McGregor said however that an investigation will be launched into the incident.

Kimmo Matthews. more

Passenger With Bomb Claim Tried To HIJACK Plane To Sochi: Turkish Official.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish official says a passenger claiming there was a bomb on board tried to divert an Istanbul-bound plane to Sochi, Russia, where the Olympics are kicking off.

Habib Soluk, the Transport Ministry undersecretary, told private NTV television Friday that the plane from Kharkov, Ukraine, to Istanbul, landed safely at Sabiha Gokcen airport.

He says authorities are trying to convince the passenger to give himself up.

News reports said the plan was a Pegasus Airlines flight. A spokeswoman for the airline declined comment. more

JAH CURE - WAKE UP (NEW MUSIC VIDEO) [Official Music Video] Jan 2014

The video for singer Jah Cure's latest single Wake Up has been released by Nature's Way Entertainment. Directed by Shanka, it was shot in Kingston.

The clip shows an animated Jah Cure interacting with locals.

Co-produced by Garfield and Sanya Cowan, Wake Up (the song) has been released digitally and on compact disc. It is featured on the compilations Strictly the Best 49 from VP Records, and The Hit List Vol 4 by Tad's Record.

IN JAMAICA: Life Changer for 24 y-o Horace Bailey Escapes Rough Bus-Loader Existence, Turns JPS Intern.....left high school with no subjects and lives in the volatile St Andrew community of Majesty Gardens, more popularly known as 'Back To'

For more than two years, the only employment Horace Bailey knew was to load buses on the streets of the Corporate Area.

The 24-year-old, who left high school with no subjects and lives in the volatile St Andrew community of Majesty Gardens, more popularly known as 'Back To', said the killing of several bus loaders made it a risky job, but underscored that it was better than the alternative. "It was a matter of survival and I did not want to turn to the gun or get involved in a gang," he explained.

Horace Bailey (left), intern in the Citizen Security
and Justice Programme (CSJP)/Jamaica Public
 Service Company (JPS) training and job
-placement initiative, is congratulated by
Simeon Robinson (right), CSJP
 programme manager

Yesterday, Bailey was among 20 at-risk young people from several inner-city communities who began working as interns at the JamaicaPublic Service Company Company (JPS), through a partnership agreement with the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) through the Ministry of National Security.

The 19 males and one female, according to JPS director for the eastern region Omar Sweeney, will be exposed to high-level training over a six-month period. It is estimated that this will cost the light and power company more than $5 million. more

The WILLIAM SKINNER report w/ RULA BROWN on Marijuana (Ganja) and the current move to pass laws to legalize the drug..... Friday Feb 7, 2014 on www.RulaBrownNetwork.com at 10:30am ET.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

The William Skinner report on Marijuana (Ganja) and the current move to pass laws to legalize the drug.Cannabis, also known as marijuana^[3] (from the Mexican Spanish marihuana^{[citation needed]}), and by numerous other names,^a[›] is apreparation of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug and as medicine.^[4][5][6] Pharmacologically, the principalpsychoactive constituent of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); it is one of 483 known compounds in the plant,^[7] including at least 84 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV),^[8][9] and cannabigerol (CBG). more

JAMAICAN MAN IN GEORGIA BANNED FOR LIFE BY JUDGE FOR SPEEDING TICKET....."I asked him to lower it, but instead he give me a $1,000 fine, 12-month probation, driving school and he banished me from the county,” (VIDEO)

WALTON COUNTY, Ga. — 

A metro Atlanta man said he's trying to figure out how he went in to court to try and get a traffic ticket fine reduced, and wound up being banned from a local county. The trouble all started for Ricardo Riley when he got a ticket in Loganville last October. The police officer says Riley was going 40 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone.

Riley went to court to try and get the fine reduced, but the only way he could talk to the judge, who is the only one who could reduce the fine, was to go to trial.  Otherwise he could only plead guilty and pay fine as set.  He did, and now regrets it. There was no recording made of the courtroom proceeding, but records showed Riley received a much stiffer sentence than just a $250 fine. more

PORTIA SIMPSON-MILLER 40th Anniversay Interview: Workers' disputes, Cabinet wars and 9 years in the political wilderness

WHEN Michael Manley's office called Portia Simpson after the elections in December 1976, to say that he wanted to see her the next day, she was excited but apprehensive. Why did the prime minister want to see her? It could be for any number of reasons, she mused.

In bed that night, a thousand thoughts swam in her head, some positive, some negative. Was it something she had done to displease him? Did he have some great plan for her? Sleep did not come easily. But before she drifted off, something told her that the morning would bring spectacular news and it would change her life forever.

Michael Manley

Michael Manley had pencilled in Portia Simpson's name among the people he wanted in his December 1976 Cabinet. Other MPs were there when she arrived, all of them in their Sunday best and expectant. The prime minister did not waste any time. He told her he was appointing her minister of labour, social security and sport, with responsibility for women's affairs.

Manley had been paying attention to the things he had been hearing about Simpson and he had been impressed with her unlikely victory in the Trench Town West Division in 1974 and the whipping she had given her opponent in Southwest St Andrew, a gritty inner-city constituency. He liked this woman. more

Pharrell Williams - Jamaica Happy (amaziiing). iF YOU ARE HAPPY THEN SHARE AND LIKE VIDEO

Latest News from JAMAICA: KPH cancer patients to benefit from J$2-m donation

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Cancer patients at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) are to benefit from the proceeds of the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) Palisadoes Charity 5K Walk/Run, held last month.

Just over J$2 million was raised from the event, which will go towards the purchase of equipment for endoscopy treatment for cancer patients.

Senior Medical Officer of the KPH, Dr Patrick Bhoorasingh, said that “this well-needed equipment is used in follow-up to first treatment, to monitor for signs of new cancers”.

A record 1,300 people registered for the 10th staging of the run/walk, which took place on January 11 on the Palisadoes main road.

In 2013, J$1 million was raised from the event, which went towards the acquisition of a J$2.3-million cardiac ultrasound machine used in monitoring heart functions during chemotherapy. RBC Bank donated $1 million, with the supplier covering the additional $300,000.

Dr Bhoorasingh explained, “The KPH is the largest hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean. We get referrals from every other hospital in the island except Cornwall Regional Hospital and from as far away as Savanna-la-Mar. With this machine, we are able to offer specialised treatment to up to 70 cancer patients per week”. more

VYBZ KARTEL MURDER TRIAL: Prosecution's Main Witness Arrives, Face Covered, Heavy Security Escort.......His face was covered while being led into the Supreme Court building

KINGSTON, Jamaica:
The main witness in the State’s case against entertainer Vybz Kartel arrived at the Supreme Court building in downtown, Kingston under heavy security escort moments ago. 

His face was covered while being led into the Supreme Court building which is hosting the Home Circuit Court murder trial involving Kartel and four co-accused. The witness is being recalled by the prosecution as the trial enters its 45th day. 

The prosecution has so far called 24 witnesses at the trial, which began in November last year and is said to be one of the longest criminal trials in a circuit court in Jamaican history. 

The witness is expected to be asked questions in relation to electronic evidence submitted in the case. The prosecution has submitted text messages, video footage and messages allegedly taken from a BlackBerry cellphone attributed to Kartel. The witness has testified that he and Clive 'Lizard' Williams were taken in a taxi to Kartel’s Havendale house where the entertainer questioned them about two missing guns.  He also testified that they were attacked and that he saw Williams lying motionless on the living room floor of the house. The witness also testified that he was able to see what happened because of a light on a cellular phone. 

The Crown is alleging that Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer; entertainer Shawn Campbell, popularly known as Shawn Storm; André St John; Shane Williams; and Kahira Jones, murdered Williams on August 16, 2011. 

US revises application form for Caribbean immigrants

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services said the revised Form N-400 now includes additional questions to conform with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) of 2004 and Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007.

WASHINGTON D.C., United States, Wednesday February 5, 2014, CMC – The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says it has released a revised form for Caribbean and other immigrants to apply for US citizenship.

USCIS said through the Federal Register it received numerous comments from the public that helped inform the revision of Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.

“The revisions to Form N-400 provide USCIS with additional tools to make important eligibility determinations, present customers with clearer instructions, and incorporate technology that improves efficiency and accuracy for both USCIS and our customers.

“Although the form is now revised, the eligibility requirements for naturalization have not changed,” it added.

more: 

IN JAMAICA: No Stopping Tajaun: Clarendon (KNOX COLLEGE) Speller Is Champion Bee.....H-Y-P-O-G-E-U-S-I-A! That's the word 12-year-old Tajaun Gibbison spelt correctly to win the 2014 Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee championship.

H-Y-P-O-G-E-U-S-I-A!

That's the word 12-year-old Tajaun Gibbison spelt correctly to win the 2014 Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee championship.

Tajaun Gibbison,
Champion

Hypogeusia, which means a reduced ability to taste things, did not prove to be a challenge for the young speller as he reeled off the definition of the word for the judges and spellmaster Clive Lai with confidence.

Without getting a word wrong, Gibbison staved off stiff competition from 13 other parish champions to pull off an impressive win.

"I really expected this win, so it's nothing too exuberant for me. But I am very glad that God provided me with a chance and I capitalised on it," Gibbison stated.

The 2014 Gleaner's Children's Own
 Spelling Bee champion, Tajaun Gibbison (centre),
 is flanked by (from left) third-place finisher,
 Javane Johnson; Gleaner Managing Director
 Christopher Barnes; Nordia Craig, manager,
business development and marketing; and
second-place finisher, Chaunte Blackwood. -
 PHOTOS BY Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

The second-form Knox College student said winning the trophy had been a dream of his for several years. He got his first taste of the competition when he entered at 10 years old in 2011.

Gibbison was to enter again last year but did not manage to make it past the parish finals; however, he said he regrouped, got a different coach in the form of the Reverend Glen Archer, and dedicated more time to practising. more

IN JAMAICA: Banks Depleting Dormant Accounts......A parliamentary select committee on Tuesday demanded answers from the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) about a raft of bank charges, including a $500 monthly fee for dormant accounts and charges for interim bank statements ranging from $1,800 to $2,200.

A parliamentary select committee on Tuesday demanded answers from the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) about a raft of bank charges, including a $500 monthly fee for dormant accounts and charges for interim bank statements ranging from $1,800 to $2,200.

Fitz Jackson

Karl Samuda, chairman of the Economy and Production Committee, was concerned about small savers whose accounts might become dormant for unspecified reasons and which are gradually depleted by monthly charges.

"Not only have they made money on your deposit, but they have eliminated your deposit with a fee. The objective of encouraging savings is denied," Samuda told his colleagues during a committee meeting examining a private member's motion on bank fees.

"Where does the philosophy of the bank come into play as far as those charges are concerned? And what inconvenience to the bank is that sum of money in the account, which they obviously use to make money?" more