5 POLICEMEN KILLED THIS MAN, LUIS RODRIGUEZ IN FRONT OF HIS WIFE. THEIR VIDEOTAPED REACTIONS ARE HORRIFYING.....be warned it is extremely distressing,

Even the police say that the worst Luis Rodriguez did was "fail to cooperate" when asked for his identification. But five officers still felt it was necessary to pepper spray the man and tackle him to the ground, crushing him and causing his death in front of his family.

Rodriguez's wife, Nair, videotaped the incident with her phone and can be heard crying and begging police for an explanation. Around 0:53, the officers seem to realize something is wrong and all stand up, giving each other anxious looks as the man's body lays perfectly still.

Nearly as disturbing as Nair's emotional distress is the nonchalance of the officers. At 1:15 in the video, one officer even appears to make a callous shrugging gesture towards Nair's camera, as if to say, "what do you want from me?"

The family has made the raw video available to the public, but be warned it is extremely distressing, particularly Nair's heartbreaking screams when she realizes her husband has been killed. more

WESTMORELAND, JAMAICA: Norwell Prep Has One Shot To Repeat Success....SHARA-KAY ALLEN, the lone entrant in the upcoming March 2014 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) for Norwell Preparatory

Norwell Prep Has One Shot To Repeat Success

WESTERN BUREAU: Karrie Williams, Gleaner Writer

Norwell Preparatory's GSAT student 
Shara-Kay Allen and principal Noreen
 Rodney are all smiles as they go
 through a textbook. -
 PHOTOS BY KARRIE WILLIAMS

SHARA-KAY ALLEN, the lone entrant in the upcoming March 2014 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) for Norwell Preparatory School, Westmoreland, has her school standing firmly behind her, offering maximum support.

She will have the task of defending the school's record of achievement in GSAT, which saw the institution placing among the three schools from the parish which managed to surpass the national GSAT average last year.

While having just one student sitting the GSAT from a student population of 17, principal Noreen Rodney said careful preparations are being done to ensure that the school's high average is maintained.

"We cultivate an intimate learning atmosphere where we target students based on their individual learning needs," said Rodney. "Whatever it takes to have our students excel, we are willing to do it."

Extra sessions

She said 'sleepover classes', which take place two nights per week, along with weekend classes, are used to prepare the students sitting the GSAT. Also, students are constantly assessed on their level of learning, and any problems identified are handled in the extra classes....more

EDITORIAL by Nadine Queen: SOLUTIONS TO HELP ERADICATE THE VICIOUS MURDERS/CRIME RATE & POVERTY IN JAMAICA.

by Nadine Queen
March 1, 2014

It's a little too late but at least they are realizing they have a problem...
However, to quell or eradicate crime and criminals in Jamaica they have to start with the manipulators & Instigators, the bigger heads of command who are the bosses who gives the orders.

Stop the flow of the Guns in the Country and then start with the young kids, by educating them and letting them see that the country do care about their well-being i.e; their need to be successful at whatever ambitious/career path they so choose...A child without direction/education is a child lost...He/she then becomes an adult who is ignorant/dyslexic/illiterate/angry & arrogant and knowing nothing means you have no reason to live or be remorseful about anyone or anything/they feel they have no self-worth. 

Their solution is to turn to VIOLENCE & GUNS because that is where their strength lies. A country that has no job to offer its children upon graduating/leaving School is a society headed for doom/demolition. You cannot build a country on un-educated youths and POVERTY, that is a Recipe for Crime & Criminals...

Poverty leads to no education (vice versa) no education leads to poverty...Kids need some form of assurance and direction and if they aren't getting it from their parents or their government then they will find their own solutions. A great Country & a Crime-less country starts with EDUCATION & JOBS a lot of these professors and Politicians need to be mentors to some of these Children and must NOT keep Success and education to themselves but to share what they have learned and accomplish over the years with the younger Generations. 

When people are frustrated and fed up they resort to VIOLENCE so if the politicians and bigger heads reach and teach, that is how you prevent Crime & Poverty. Each one teaches one...Give a man a fish you only feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for life. 

Jamaica is a beautiful Country and it's People, but we need to be EDUCATED and spread more LOVE & EMPATHY. Just my views though. N.Q.

IN JAMAICA: Lying Cops - Nearly 100 Officers Fail Lie-Detector Tests......half the number of police officers who voluntarily took lie-detector tests in the first eight months of 2013 have failed.

Published: Saturday | March 1, 2014

As the Police High Command continues its drive to root out double-dealing ahead of next month's visit by the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, half the number of police officers who voluntarily took lie-detector tests in the first eight months of 2013 have failed.

Police Commissioner
 Owen Ellington

As global human-rights watchdog Amnesty International highlights the conundrum faced by the Police High Command in the absence of specific legislation to deal with corruption and other issues, the National Integrity Action (NIA) is frowning at the Government's failure to push anti-corruption laws through Parliament.

Amnesty International referred to The Jamaica 2013 Human Rights Report, in which that data supplied by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) revealed that up to August last year, 95 of the 190 police officers who opted to take lie-detector tests, did not pass or complete the test.

Amnesty said it was unable to determine whether Police Commissioner Owen Ellington would discipline those officers who failed the test.

NIA Executive Director Professor Trevor Munroe and his team are scheduled to meet with the representatives of the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption next month. Munroe noted that member states are reviewed by a group constituted of other member states.

PEER REVIEW

"The peer-review group is going to be visiting Jamaica, and the NIA will be meeting with them on April 1," he disclosed.

Added Munroe: "The purpose of the meeting is for them to get our perspective, and the extent to which the entities designated to carry out the convention's obligations are actually functioning." more

Sean Paul tops Billboard's Reggae Album chart with "Full Frequency" despite weak sales.....The Atlantic Records/VP Records set opened with 2,160 copies.....Tarrus Riley's "Love Situation" has sold 1,126 copies after 3 weeks.....Shaggy's Out of Many, One Music is at number 14 with 83 copies sold over the tracking period. Its total sales are 2,777 copies.

Saturday, March 01, 2014    

FULL Frequency, the new album from Sean Paul, has debuted at number one on Billboard's Reggae Album chart.

Sean Paul

Although this is the Grammy-winning deejay's fourth album to top that chart, he did so with paltry sales.

The Atlantic Records/VP Records set opened with 2,160 copies. This pales in comparison to impressive numbers by two of Sean Paul's previous albums Dutty Rock and The Trinity. Dutty Rock opened with 65,000 copies in November 2002 and went on to sell over six million copies worldwide.

Released in 2005 The Trinity set a best opening week record for a Jamaican act with over 107,000 copies. It eventually sold over 4.3 million copies worldwide.

Elsewhere on the Billboard Reggae Album chart, the long-running number one Reincarnated by Snoop Lion falls to number two, selling 663 copies in the past week for total sales of 91,955 copies.

The sales of Jamaican acts continue to be dismal. Gospel deejay Papa San's One Blood falls to number five, having topped the chart more than three weeks ago. Its sales tally stands at 1,820 copies. Tarrus Riley's Love Situation, which was number one two weeks ago, slips to number eight. After three weeks, it has sold 1,126 copies. more 

IN JAMAICA: Governor General Sir Patrick Allen & Leaders make joint appeal to take Ja back from criminals and "energise a national movement for the restoration of peace, love, honesty, forgiveness and reconciliation".

Saturday, March 01, 2014    

THE nation's leaders yesterday made an unprecedented joint appeal to Jamaicans to take the island back from criminals and "energise a national movement for the restoration of peace, love, honesty, forgiveness and reconciliation".

Gov. General Sir Patrick Allen

In a statement issued from King's House, the head of state, Governor General Sir Patrick Allen; Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller; and Opposition Leader Andrew Holness asked Jamaicans to use the Lenten period to ponder what needs to be done for the country to be healed.

"Today, the leadership of this nation calls on all Jamaicans to come together and make a concerted effort to take back our island from the grip of crime and the shroud of negativity," the leaders said.

"We ask that each and every Jamaican reflect on where we are as a people and how far we have fallen from the values and traditions which our forefathers held as sacred."

Jamaica, they noted, "is passing through a moral crisis such as we have never seen before. Most of us are still reeling from the shock of the heinous crimes committed against our people, young and old alike, babies and young children, pregnant women, as well as fathers and mothers from all across this land. It is clear that hatred, heartless vengeance and evil have so taken control of a few of our people that they murder and abuse their fellowmen without a second thought. No place is held sacred as they commit these dastardly acts, even on church premises. To these criminals, even their own life lacks value and meaning". more

HUGE SNAKE Slithers Into Reporters Pants On Live TV.....KCCI-TV Meteorologist Kurtis Gertz got quite a surprise during a live broadcast from the Iowa State Fair

IN JAMAICA: Probe into bank clerk's Dwayne Grigg death intensifies after car recovered....According to the police, one man was killed during the 2-hr gun battle operation and two others, including a 17-year-old girl...

by Kimmo Matthews Saturday, March 01, 2014  

THE police yesterday intensified their probe into the death of bank clerk Dwayne Grigg whose motor car was recovered following an alleged shootout with its occupants off Waltham Park Road, St Andrew, early yesterday.

According to the police, one man was killed during the operation and two others, including a 17-year-old girl, were held some time later. Her name is being withheld by the police pending further investigations. A firearm was also allegedly seized.

Police report that between 12:30 am and 1:00 am, Grigg's white Suzuki Swift was seen driving along Waltham Park Road. The police signalled the driver to stop, but their order was ignored by the occupants of the vehicle who proceeded to open fire at them.

A two-hour gunbattle ensued which saw the police chasing the vehicle along the busy thoroughfare. They were able to corner the men as the car crashed into a light pole," Senior Superintendent of Police Richard Stewart, who is in charge of the Hunts Bay Police, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

"We suspect that five people were in the vehicle; two of them are still on the run," SSP Stewart added.

Meanwhile, the early-morning gunfight left the community on edge.

"A the most gunshot me ever hear. To the amount a shot me hear a [it] wake me out of me bed," one man related as detectives processed the scene.

Grigg, a Scotiabank employee, went missing on Tuesday. His body was found early Thursday in a secluded area of Cherry Gardens, St Andrew, with multiple stab wounds. His eyes were gouged out.

Yesterday, the police issued a call for anyone knowing the whereabouts of his killers to come forward with the information. more

OBAMA WARNS RUSSIA: BACK OFF: OBAMA: 'There Will Be Costs' For Russian Military Intervention... Russian Military Reportedly Controlling Crimea... Armed Men Take Airport... REPORT: Russia Hired Occupying Forces... Ukraine To Putin: End 'Provocations'... Calls For Extradition... Yanukovych's Assets Frozen... Leaks Reveal Regime's Excess... UN Emergency Meeting... Boycott Sochi G8 Summit?... U.S. Warns Against Travel... Yanukovych Speaks...

President Barack Obama spoke on the situation in Ukraine on Friday, saying "we are now deeply concerned" about recent events.

Obama said any military movements taken by Russia inside of Ukraine would be "deeply destabilizing."

"The Ukrainian people deserve the opportunity to determine their own future," Obama said.

Obama said the United States will stand with the international community, warning Russia "there will be costs" for any military intervention in Ukraine.

Below, more from the AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials said Friday that President Barack Obama may scrap plans to attend an international summit in Russia this summer and could also halt discussions on deepening trade ties with Moscow, raising specific possible consequences if Russia should intervene in Ukraine. Obama himself bluntly warned of unspecified "costs" for Russia.

"Any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilizing," Obama declared. Such action by Russia would represent a "profound interference" in matters that must be decided by the Ukrainian people, he said.

While the president spoke only of "reports" of military movements inside Ukraine, the officials said the U.S does believe that Russia is intervening. more

Jamaica Could Decriminalize Marijuana This Year.....But Jamaican leaders feared that loosening pot regulations would defy international treaties and possibly bring sanctions from the United States

It's been nearly 40 years since Peter Tosh said "Legalize It," and Jamaica is finally thinking about moving in that direction.

Marijuana is in some ways a part of Jamaican culture. Citizens of the island nation have used it medicinally for decades; Rastafarians believe it brings them closer to God; there's even a small marijuana tourism industry for foreign visitors. Nevertheless, growing and possessing cannabis has been a criminal offense in Jamaica since 1913.

But that could change soon. Jamaican Parliament member Phillip Paulwell told a local newspaper Monday that he thinks the possession of small amounts of marijuana could be decriminalized this year. Doing so would make pot a civil violation rather than a criminal offense.

Efforts to ease Jamaica's anti-weed laws have been in the works for more than a decade. A government-appointed commission recommended decriminalization back in 2001, noting that marijuana was "culturally entrenched" in the country. But Jamaican leaders feared that loosening pot regulations would defy international treaties and possibly bring sanctions from the United States, according to The Associated Press. Jamaica is the Caribbean's largest exporter of cannabis to the U.S., the AP notes, and drug war violence has taken its toll in parts of the country. more

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IN JAMAICA: Dr Omar Davies....."there is no likelihood of China's proposed Goat Islands investment coming on stream within five years."

BY BALFORD HENRY Senior staff reporter balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, February 28, 2014    

MINISTER of Transport, Works and Housing Dr Omar Davies says there is no likelihood of China's proposed Goat Islands investment coming on stream within five years.

Dr. Omar Davies

"The port is not expected to be engaged in trans-shipment activities for several years yet," Dr Davies told the House of Representatives, in a statement on Tuesday.

"It will require time for technical development after the signing of the implementation and concession agreements prior to the start of construction, and another period for construction," he stated.

"Assuming that the agreements will be concluded about a year from now, the port will not be in operation for approximately four years. It is also expected to be limited in scope at the start," he added.

Davies, who was speaking on the issue of competition between the Chinese proposed development, and the planned privatisation of the Kingston Container Terminal (KCT), noted that, on the other hand, the KCT concessionaire will be acquiring a going concern with excess capacity and with the ability for that capacity to be expanded within a short time frame through changes to the equipment at the terminal. more 

GOOD ECONOMIC NEWS FOR JAMAICA: Fitch moves Jamaica’s credit rating up a few notches to “B-“ from “CCC.”......The outlook was also upgraded to “Stable”.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the upgrade concludes Fitch's assessment of the country's domestic debt exchange offer launched on February 12.

NEW YORK, United States, February 27, 2014, CMC – International credit rating agency, Fitch, has upgraded Jamaica's credit rating after the country completed its debt exchange Thursday.

The agency lifted Jamaica's long-term foreign currency issuer default ratings to triple-C, seven notches into junk territory, from  restricted default .

According to the Wall Street Journal, the upgrade concludes Fitch's assessment of the country's domestic debt exchange offer launched on February 12.

“The ratings firm considered the operation a distressed debt exchange as the swap hurts the original contractual terms of domestic bondholders,” the paper said.

On Tuesday, a Jamaica government statement issued said Fitch Ratings upgraded the island’s long term foreign currency and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) to “B-“ from “CCC.”

The rating agency also raised the short-term foreign currency rating from “C” to “B” and the Country Ceiling from “B-“ to “B”, the statement said. The outlook was also upgraded to “Stable”. more

  

Barbados labour minister, Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo calls on citizens to help reverse economic woes

Labour Minister Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo said that whilst the Freundel Stuart government was fully conscious of the challenges and has a mandate to seek and implement solutions which will engender economic recovery, “we all have a role to play in the recove

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Thursday February 27, 2014, CMC – 

A senior Barbados government Minister Tuesday said every citizen must play a role in the turning around the ailing economy warning “if you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem”.

Labour Minister Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo, addressing the Productivity Council’s Week of Excellence, said that whilst the Freundel Stuart government was fully conscious of the challenges and has a mandate to seek and implement solutions which will engender economic recovery, “we all have a role to play in the recovery process. 

“We know that there is no panacea for all the challenges which we encounter, whether it be at the level of Government, social partnership, the workplace or even in our personal lives; but whatever the solutions we decide upon, ingenuity, proactivity and fortitude would make them attainable,” she said. more: 

IN JAMAICA: Turn In The Guns, McGregor Tells Peace-Hungry Gangsters......Has to be genuine "But people have to be genuine in what they are saying ... a man can't say 'peace' and have his two hands behind him with his guns."

Published: Friday | February 28, 2014

McGregor

Turn In The Guns, McGregor Tells Peace-Hungry Gangters

Even as he welcomed early signs that the 'combatants' in the protracted gang feud in west Kingston appear to be finally embracing peace, Superintendent of Police Steve McGregor yesterday warned that the first order of business is for the guns to be taken out of the hands of gangsters.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating," said McGregor, who has been in charge of the tough Kingston Western Police Division since late 2013. "It's early days and it's just word of mouth. We want to see the action that will support such talk."

The Gleaner reported yesterday that gangsters in the area were seeking to initiate peace after two years of severe bloodletting that claimed scores of lives. A peace dance and march was reportedly held on Tuesday as a signal of their intent.

McGregor said fresh in his mind was the violence unleashed on the other side of the Corporate Area in east Kingston on Valentine's Day, when men who were under the impression that communities had agreed on peace, ventured into a neighbouring area, but were turned back.

17-month-old killed

The men reportedly returned with high-powered guns and opened fire. When the smoke cleared, a 17-month-old baby and a man lay dead. The shooting triggered reprisals in which a two-month-old infant narrowly missed death, as his parents took bullets for him.....more

KINGSTON, Jamaica — IRIE FM radio has reported that its CEO and managing director Chad Young died at his St Ann home today (Thursday, February 27) at age 27.

27 y-o Chad Young

KINGSTON, Jamaica — IRIE FM radio has reported that its CEO and managing director Chad Young died at his St Ann home today (Thursday, February 27) at age 27.

Young’s death follows a brief illness. Young took over management and control of Grove Broadcasting Company, which also operates ZIP FM, following the death of his father Karl Young, four years ago.

The company has expressed “its deep sorrow” over Young's passing, the St Ann-based radio station reported. more

Spanish Town, St Catherine: Shock, anger over 15-y-o, Rachael Robinson's death.......police said they wanted to speak to a 25-year-old man who is reported to be the boyfriend of the girl

 BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, February 28, 2014    

RESIDENTS of St John's Road, Spanish Town, St Catherine, were yesterday morning still expressing anger and shock at the death of a 15-year-old girl whose body was found inside a house in the community Wednesday night.

ROBINSON… found dead inside a
 house (PHOTOS: GARFIELD ROBINSON)

"We are calling on the police to step up their probe into the incident as we are all in shock," said the girl's grandmother, Janice Lewin.

"She was a humble and jovial person," added Lewin, her pain obvious.

Yesterday, the police said they wanted to speak to a 25-year-old man who is reported to be the boyfriend of the girl, who was identified as Rachael Robinson.

The St Catherine North Police said that a visitor to the house discovered the body of the teen about 7:00 pm and raised an alarm.

"Police are at this time awaiting a post-mortem to determine the cause of death," head of St Catherine North Police Division Anthony Castelle said. Police say, while they continue to search for clues, they were not ruling out foul play. The residents said they believe Robinson was beaten and strangled. more

IN JAMAICA: 17-year-old St Jago High School student athlete Cavahn McKenzie.....Cavahn’s autopsy inconclusive Government considering further tests to determine junior athlete's cause of death......Trinidad Express newspaper that the athlete died "from a massive heart attack".

THE Government of Jamaica is considering further scientific tests to "conclusively" determine the cause of death of 17-year-old St Jago High School student athlete Cavahn McKenzie, who died after competing in the 6K race at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association Cross-Country Championship in Tobago on Saturday.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller (in hat);
 minister with responsibility for sports,
 Natalie Neita Headley (with hands clasped)
 and Cavahn McKenzie’s parents
Pauline Dennis (third right), and John McKenzie
 (second right, partly hidden) watch as
Cavahn’s body arrives yesterday 

The Office of the Prime Minister disclosed yesterday that the results of the autopsy done in Trinidad were "inconclusive" immediately after the athlete's body arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport on a Caribbean Airlines flight.

"The results of the autopsy to determine the cause of Cavahn's death are inconclusive. Consequently, further tests are underway in Trinidad and Tobago. The Government of Jamaica, in accordance with procedures, is also considering further scientific review in an attempt to conclusively determine the cause of his death," the OPM said in a release.

Yesterday's disclosure came amidst reports by the Trinidad Express newspaper that the athlete died "from a massive heart attack". The article, published on the Trinidad Express website on February 24, quoted Peter Samuel, public relations officer of the twin-island's National Association of Athletics Administrations, as saying that the autopsy had confirmed the cause of death. more

Tune in to www.RulaBrownNetwork.com @ 9am-12Noon ET (2-5pm GMT) for the best mix of music, news, views, interviews, interesting facts, fun, games, and chat room vibesing every Sun (3-7pm), Mon, Tues, Thur & Fri. Listen on your telephone at 213-401-0061.... William Skinner & Toronto Queen does 2 special segments about the Caribbean and Toronto, Canada.

Sport outa JAMAICA: Athlete's attorney pleads with disciplinary panel to be lenient Don’t lynch Asafa Powell!

ASAFA Powell's future in athletics will be known on April 10 and his attorney Kwame Gordon pleaded with the disciplinary panel for him not to be lynched, but commended for coming forward and assisting the authorities after the analytical finding last May.

POWELL... will know fate on April 10
(OBSERVER FILE PHOTO)

But Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission's (JADCO) attorney, Lackston Robinson, suggested no reduction in sanctions was possible for Powell while outlining discrepancies in the athlete's statements.

Robinson outlined the inconsistencies in the invoice that Canadian trainer Chris Xuereb sent to agent Paul Doyle when he purchased the supplements; Powell's reasons for not mentioning Epiphany D1 on the doping control form and his research method.

"It goes to credibility, it does. It affects all the witnesses' credibility. There are so many discrepancies given by Mr Doyle, Mr Powell, Miss (Sherone) Simpson his witness and Mr Plummer," noted Robinson.

"When you look at this invoice, Epiphany D1 is not on it at all, so the plot thickens. We don't know what to believe, Mr Chairman," he added.

"The evidence that we have is that Mr Xuereb left Jamaica on the fifth of June, 2013, and returned on the sixth with the supplements. But if you look at the invoice it is dated June 1, 2013. It pre-dates the time the supplements were purchased," he pointed out. more

Entertainment : Remembering Philip Smart.....an engineer/producer, died Tuesday in Port Washington, New York, from pancreatic cancer. He was in his late 50s.....SHAGGY's songs such as Mampie, Big Up and his international breakthrough Oh Carolina, were recorded at HC&F.

BY HOWARD CAMPBELL Observer senior writer

Thursday, February 27, 2014 

ANYONE who moved in New York reggae circles for the last 30 years would be familiar with Philip Smart, the quiet, influential founder and head of HC&F Recording Studio in Long Island.

Smart, an engineer/producer, died Tuesday in Port Washington, New York, from pancreatic cancer. He was in his late 50s.

Philip Smart

His brother-in-law and business partner, Michael McDonald, told the Jamaica Observer that Smart was admitted to a hospice last week.

The prolific engineer/ producer worked with countless artistes at his HC&F Recording Studio in Long Island, most notably Shaggy, who recorded several of his hit songs there.

Some of the Grammy-winning toaster's early songs such as Mampie, Big Up and his international breakthrough Oh Carolina, were recorded at HC&F.

Musician Derrick Barnett of Sagitarius Band fame also did numerous sessions at the facility. He knew Smart since the early 1980s. "Philip was one of the nicest persons I knew in the music business. He was always willing to share his knowledge," Barnett told the Observer yesterday. more

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica :15-year-old girl body found in house on St Johns Road

Thursday, February 27, 2014 | 7:49 AM    

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica -- The body of a 15-year-old girl was found in a house in her community of St Johns Road, St Catherine on Wednesday night.

Reports reaching OBSERVER ONLINE are that the girl's body was discovered about 7:30 pm by someone who had gone to the house.

Lawmen are now probing the matter and trying to locate the individual who is believed to live at the house where the girl was found.

More info later.....

Free Passage - Gov't waives visas for Chinese nationals......Government, China in discussions to lift visa restriction on J’cans.....In 2012, Chinese nationals spent US$102 billion on outbound travel, helping the country earn the classification as the leading tourism source market in the world.

THE Jamaican Government has conditionally waived visa requirements for tourists from China travelling to the island as it moves to boost visitor arrivals from that Asian country.

The announcement came yesterday from Tourism and Entertainment Minister Wykeham McNeill during the post-Cabinet press briefing. It came a day after Government gave the clearest indication yet that the Chinese will get the go ahead to develop a trans-shipment port on the Goat Islands, despite protests.

"In our efforts to ease the difficulties experienced while harnessing the market potential, Cabinet has approved the conditional waiver of visa requirements for nationals of the People's Republic of China who travel to Jamaica for tourism purposes for 30 days or less," McNeill said.

What now obtains is that, in many cases, Chinese citizens have to fly long distances to the Jamaican embassy in Beijing to apply for a visa. That, according to McNeill, has thwarted their efforts to travel to the island.

Some 2,420 visitors arrived here from China last year, a 15 per cent increase when compared to 2012. There was an increase of 24 per cent in 2012 over 2011.

In 2012, Chinese nationals spent US$102 billion on outbound travel, helping the country earn the classification as the leading tourism source market in the world. more

JAMAICA Business .....Paulwell: No sign of Digicel moving headquarters overseas.... Moody's had also noted that slowing subscriber growth, lower pricing plans and adverse foreign currency movements relative to the US dollar in Digicel's three largest geographies, (Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea)

MINISTER of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining (STEM) Phillip Paulwell says that the Government is unaware of any intention by telecoms giant Digicel to relocate its headquarters from Jamaica.

The Digicel headquarters in
 downtown Kingston.
(OBSERVER FILE PHOTOS

"They came here as a small enterprise, and now they are a multinational company operating from their base here in Jamaica, and based on the plans they have revealed to me, they intend to stay here and to grow even further," Paulwell told the House of Representatives on Tuesday in response to questions from Dr Andrew Wheatly, the Opposition spokesman on science, ICT and digital society development and the environment.

"Digicel continues to be a highly successful company...and we are proud of their achievements," Paulwell added.

Dr Wheatley had asked the minister if he was aware that, under the Urban Renewal (Tax Relief) Act, Digicel — the largest telecommunications provider in Jamaica — was an approved developer pursuant to which the company constructed its corporate headquarters in downtown Kingston, Jamaica.more

William Skinner report on Peace and Love Vibration Show w/ RULA BROWN Fri, Feb 28th on www.RulaBrownNetwork.com 9am-12 Noon ET simulcast on 13 radio Networks. See you in the chat room with your questions.

Britain reports £60m (approx 11.0 Billion JMD) of cocaine seized in Caribbean Sea in January.....1.3 metric ton of cocaine had been seized during the counter-narcotics operation

Britain reports £60m of cocaine seized in Caribbean Sea in January

British Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois told Parliament Tuesday that the 1.3 metric tone of cocaine had been seized during the counter-narcotics operation in the Caribbean Sea on January 22.

LONDON, United Kingdom, Wednesday February 26, 2014, CMC – Britain says cocaine estimated at 60 million pounds (One British pound = US$1.66 cents) had been seized in the Caribbean Sea last month as part of a joint operation with the United States Coast Guard.
British Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois told Parliament Tuesday that the 1.3 metric tone of cocaine had been seized during the counter-narcotics operation in the Caribbean Sea on January 22.
“The Ministry of Defence routinely deploys a Royal Navy frigate or destroyer and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel to the Caribbean under the Atlantic Patrol Task (North),” Francois said.
“We are also working to improve our co-operation with regional partners,” he said, noting for example, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary has recently concluded an agreement with the US Coast Guard to allow their helicopters to operate from an RFA vessel. more 

VYBZ KARTEL MURDER TRIAL VERDICT WATCH: ???????? STAY TUNED.......Meanwhile, defence attorney Tamika Harris completed her address to the jurors Wednesday afternoon

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- There will be no verdict in the Vybz Kartel murder trial underway in the Home Circuit court downtown Kingston until after next week.

Justice Lennox Campbell had hoped to start his summation of the evidence on Friday because a member of the 11-panel jury would not be available on Thursday. 

But the Forewoman Wednesday afternoon informed the court that another member of the panel is scheduled to do surgery and would not be available. The juror said that she would be available next week Thursday, when the judge will then begin his summation. 

Meanwhile, defence attorney Tamika Harris completed her address to the jurors Wednesday afternoon by asking them to find her client Andre St John, and all the other accused, not guilty. “You cannot ignore what is rotten in this case. You just cannot wuk wid it. You cannot put on blinkers...,” she said.

Entertainer Vybz Kartel, along with St John, Shawn Campbell, Shane Williams and Kahira Jones are on trial for the August 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams, believed committed at Kartel’s Havendale, St Andrew house. more

The things that dog us; what they say about us, JAMAICA........A week before, an 11-month-old British girl, Ava-Jayne Corless, was mauled to death by her parents' pit bull while she slept in their Blackburn residence.

Grace VIRTUE

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 

Three disparate entities, three potent symbols of why, with all our wonderful potential and big dreams, it is so hard to climb out of the hole we have been digging since Independence.

Despite many pit bull attacks, several of them fatal, no action has been taken to address the issue. Even as Dr Barbara Carby, a certified dog trainer, writing in this newspaper recently, sought to make a case for why the breed should not be banned outright, there continues to be far more persuasive evidence for why it needs to be, as well as the need for 21st century animal control legislation overall. In the meantime, the pit bull's extreme aggressive tendencies and unpredictable nature make it an unwelcome addition to an already undisciplined and highly stressed environment.

A week ago, in Westmoreland, a man was shot during an argument which developed because a pit bull killed a dog owned by one of the victim's relatives. A week before, an 11-month-old British girl, Ava-Jayne Corless, was mauled to death by her parents' pit bull while she slept in their Blackburn residence.

"What will it take to convince people not to keep dogs like these; and to get across to owners of every breed, that no dog should ever be left unsupervised with a baby? asked Jack Straw, member of Parliament for Blackburn.

Will it take the mauling of a tourist to get our responsible ministries to treat this as a serious issue?
Forget the clichéd it's-not-the-breed-it's-the-owner argument snatched from American gun right activists talking points — the same ones who oppose legislation aimed at reducing mass murders. For that argument to make sense there would have to be a prototype of an owner that would guarantee only positive outcomes. No such thing exists. Equally misleading is the idea that pit bulls are a loving, gentle breed. They were created by crossing Old English terriers and Old English bulldogs to combine the fighting abilities of the one and the strength and speed of the other. They were created to be dangerous, and they are. This is why they are banned in their land of origin — Great Britain. Additional legislation will be introduced there this spring to include tougher sentencing for violations.  more

No visa for Chinese visitors to Jamaica.....According to the Minister, China is now the largest spender globally in international tourism.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Citizens of China will now be able to enter Jamaica without a visa.

Speaking at the Jamaica House Post Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, Minister of Information, Sandrea Falconer said that government has approved a new regime that will allow Chinese nationals to visit Jamaica as tourists for up to 30 days without a visa.

Falconer said that it has been difficult to achieve substantial growth in arrivals from China as many Chinese citizens have had to travel great distances to obtain a visa from the Jamaican Embassy in Beijing.

“This administration recognises Chinese potential for growth as a tourism market in Jamaica, but also recognises the difficulties entailed in developing it,” she said.

According to the Minister, China is now the largest spender globally in international tourism. 

She added that the government has been making concerted efforts to develop new markets in the tourism industry by relaxing its visa requirements for several countries in Latin America, Russia and Eastern Europe. 

Falconer said these efforts have been successful thus far producing double digit performance in a short period of time.  Visa requirements have already been relaxed for Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, Ukraine and the Czech Republic among others. more

Candiese Leveridge

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Double murder in Caribbean Terrace.....opposite Harbour View in east Kingston

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 | 2:13 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Police have stepped up their presence in Caribbean Terrace, opposite Harbour View in east Kingston following a double murder in the seaside community Tuesday night.

Police report that at about 9:00pm Tuesday two men were attacked and shot dead by unknown assailants.

The two men up to Wednesday afternoon have still not been identified. more

Kimmo Matthews

Reggae music has lost a significant figure, Radio personality in Philip Smart of New York who died from cancer Tuesday night.....The first hit recorded with Pro Tools was Dirtsman's "Hot This Year....He later produced and worked on "Rikers Island”" by Cocoa Tea and Nardo Ranks, making the edits in the system. Later that year, Shaggy recorded "Mampie" with Philip; Red Fox and Screechie Dan's "Pose Off"; and "Shot Mek You Wiggle" by Junior Demus

Reggae music has lost a key figure, personality in Philip Smart of New York who died from cancer. Philip has been battling cancer for quite awhile in New York.

Smart's career spans over five decades. While in high school, he produced his first record with reggae instrumentalist Augustus Pablo and vocalist Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Philip Smart at the Radio Controls

The transition to recording engineering came when the Augustus Pablo's album Java was being recorded. Errol Thompson was the project engineer and Philip was taught how to record to sixteen-track tape machines and how to make rough mixes to two-track tapes. This was followed by working with King Tubby and then for producer Bunny Lee, who gave him the nickname Prince Philip. He was in fact King Tubby's first trainee, recording and mixing such hits as "None Shall Escape" byJohnny Clarke, "Jah Love" by Yabby U, and most of Dr. Alimantado's albums.

HC&F Recording Studio was built in 1981 and opened in 1982. The first recording project was with the group Monyaka, titled "Go Deh Yaka," which was an instant hit, and reached #14 on the UK charts. Since that time, the studio had several very successful projects such as Jah Life Productions, which featured such artists as Sister Carol, Scion Success, Barrington Levy, and Carlton Livingston. He is also known for his work with artists under labels other than his own, such as Island In the Sun Productions artist Horace Andy; Narrows Records artist Mr Easy; Donovan Germain Productions artists Audrey Hall, Owen Gray, Tanto Irie, and Johnny Osbourne; and Witty's Music Master Productions artists Shelly Thunder, Junior Wilson, and Barrington Levy.

With the nineties came digital recording and the introduction of Pro Tools' two-track computer-recording program to the studio. The first hit recorded with Pro Tools was Dirtsman's "Hot This Year," which was released on TanYah records. He later produced and worked on "Rikers Island”" by Cocoa Tea and Nardo Ranks, making the edits in the system. Later that year, Shaggy recorded "Mampie" with Philip; Red Fox and Screechie Dan's "Pose Off"; and "Shot Mek You Wiggle" by Junior Demus, which was later used in the film "Dancehall Queen". During 1993–1999, Shaggyrecorded five albums from with Philip, which included "Boombastic" and "Hot Shot."

As dance music got bigger in 2000, multitrack Digidesign Pro Tools TDM was in demand, along with 24-track tapes. Mixes such as "Headacke," "All Out," and "Blue Drawers" were synced with 24-track tape and Pro Tools technology to achieve fatness and warmth placing emphasis on digital mixing and editing features. Philip's early Pro Tools and analog technology knowledge gave him a cutting edge in the 1990s, which provided reggae artists with the ability to record Jamaican-quality sound in New York.^[1]

JAMAICANS are becoming more conscious of climate change.....Oral Khan, one of the conceptualiser of the green paper tabled in Parliament

JAMAICANS are becoming more conscious of climate change as their knowledge of the phenomenon and the risks it poses to the country increase.

That is the feeling of chief technical officer in the Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change Oral Khan, one of the conceptualiser of the green paper tabled in Parliament in November 2013 titled Climate Change Policy Framework and Action Plan.

A section of the crowd at the public consultations
 on the green paper titled Climate Change
 Policy Framework and Action Plan.

The paper supports the goals of Vision 2030 to reduce the country's risk to hazards and adapt to climate change, and recommends actions to mitigate the effects on the agriculture, water, health, coastal and marine resources, disaster risk and response management, energy, forestry, waste management and transportation sectors.

Khan, who was speaking with the Jamaica Observer at The Pegasus Hotel in Kingston last Thursday on the occasion of the final in a series of public consultations on the green paper, said with the influence of the media and public awareness campaign initiatives globally, there has been an increase in the interest of Jamaicans in climate change.

The previous sessions were held in Port Maria, St Mary; Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth and Montego Bay, St James.

"With regard to climate change, everywhere we go, people are keenly interested in what is happening," Khan said. He didn't have statistical evidence, but provided anecdotal references to support his claim. more