TIVOLI GARDENS COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY A test of the maturity of our democracy, not a political football - Jamaicans For Justice

Thursday, March 06, 2014 | 8:17 PM

 The following opinion was submitted to the Jamaica Observer by Jamaicans For Justice

On February 24, the government released the names of the three commissioners and the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the long-awaited Commission of Enquiry (COE) into the May 2010 events in Western Kingston. While Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) welcomes this development, we have a number of remaining concerns.

The process of public consultation undertaken by the government has led to improvements in the TOR. There are now, for example, two TORs, which focus on “the chain of command in relation to the decisions concerning operations by the security forces…the respective responsibilities of each person in that chain of command” and “whether there was any dereliction of duty or unlawful conduct…attributable to any person… in that chain of command.

Also, the TOR dealing with violation of rights has been strengthened to mandate inquiry into “whose rights were violated, and the manner and extent of such violations, and by whom such violations were perpetrated.

It is disappointing, however, that the TOR do not spell out the specific allegations of human rights abuses for inquiry, which is in contrast to the specific allegations about civilians’ actions that are clearly spelt out. more

Tessanne Chin performs live at the White House TONIGHT at 7:30 ET. #TeamTessanne . Live stream: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live

Tessanne Chin joins big-name acts for concert at US president’s official residence TESSANNE Chin will score another first in American and Jamaican music history tomorrow when she performs at the White House at a concert being staged by US First Lady Michelle Obama.The event, titled ‘Women of Soul: In Performance at the White House’...

Michael Jackson's Alleged Son Positive DNA Match Or So They Say..... Singer Miki Howard's 31yr old son, Brandon Howard is allegedly 99.9% the SON of MICHAEL JACKSON!! A DNA test reveals that Brandon is MJ's son (VIDEO)

From TMZ Staff

There's a 99.9% chance a 31-year-old man is Michael Jackson's illegitimate son ... at least that's the claim after an alleged DNA test turned up a match.

According to the test results -- obtained by Alki David and his company, FilmOn.com -- Brandon Howard is almost certainly Michael's son.  David told TMZ Live he got MJ's dental impression from a Beverly Hills doctor that he got at an auction.  The impression is 30 years old but David says its filled with DNA.

Brandon -- who now goes by B Howard and looks and acts very much like Michael -- was not present for the unveiling, but David says he had Howard's DNA and it matched up.
David would not say which lab performed the DNA test, but says it showed a clear match.

Brandon's mom -- Micki Howard -- is a famous gospel singer who Michael knew.   She went by the name "Billy" back in 1982.  Interestingly ... a year later Michael released "Billie Jean," which included the lyrics, "Billie Jean's not my lover" and "The kid is not my son."

For B Howard's part -- he's distancing himself from the whole spectacle, insisting he had nothing to do with it. more: 

IN KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Busta Rhymes attends Vybz Kartel murder trial......Tings ah come up to bump!

Lead defence attorney in the Vybz Kartel
murder trial Tom Tavares-Finson (left) and
rap artiste Busta Rhymes.

Thursday, March 06, 2014 | 1:10 PM--- Paul Henry

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- United States-based rap artiste Busta Rhymes was present in the Home Circuit Court downtown Kingston Thursday morning as the presiding judge Lennox Campbell did his summation in the Vybz Kartel murder trial.

Busta Rhymes and Flip Mode Squad associate Spliff Star, offering support, greeted relatives and friends of the accused men and chatted with the defence team. more 

Project 1000 Boosts Manchester....computers provided to schools through Digicel Foundation's for Project 1000 initiative. ."We remain committed to ensuring the further growth and development of students across JAMAICA.

Twelve schools in northern Manchester are set to benefit from computers provided through Digicel Foundation's Project 1000 initiative. Each school received five computers on February 28, at the Greenvale Computer Lab in Manchester.

Jo Anderson-Figueroa, marketing
and communications assistant,
Digicel Foundation, has fun with eager
students who are trying out a game
 on one of the newly handed
over computers. - Contributed PHOTOS

Project 1000 is in keeping with the foundation's aim to meet the United Nation's Millennium Development Goal of achieving 100 per cent literacy by 2015.

The schools included in this initiative are: Medina All-Age, Comfort Hall All-Age, Coley Mountain All-Age, Somerset All-Age, Fairfield Primary, Huntley All-Age, Nazareth All-Age, Bethany Primary, Harry Watch All-Age, Hatfield Primary and Junior High, Auchtembeddie Primary, and Mayfield Basic School.

Samantha Chantrelle, CEO of the Digicel Foundation, emphasised the foundation's commitment to improving literacy rates across the island, saying, "We remain committed to ensuring the further growth and development of students across Jamaica. Since the launch of Project 1000, nearly 3,000 students have benefited from this programme. more

VYBZ KARTEL MURDER TRIAL VERDICT WATCH: Judge starts summation.... The trial resumed this morning after the Defence wrapped up closing arguments last week.

Thursday, March 06, 2014 | 10:58 AM   

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Presiding judge Lennox Campbell has started his summation in the murder trial of entertainer Vybz Kartel, and four co-accused in the Home Circuit Court downtown Kingston.

The trial resumed this morning after the Defence wrapped up closing arguments last week.

Kartel (Adidja Palmer), Shawn 'Shawn Storm' Campbell, Shane Williams, Andre St John, and Kahira Jones are being tried for murder in the alleged death of Clive 'Lizard' Williams on August 16, 2011.

It is alleged that Williams was lured to Kartel's Havendale, St Andrew home where he was beaten to death.

The trial commenced in November last year. more

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Dominican Republic Defends KKK Costumes....The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Culture is defending its decision to approve agroup wearing Ku Klux Klan costumes during the country’s annual Carnival paradein the capital of Santo Domingo

The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Culture is defending its decision to approve agroup wearing Ku Klux Klan costumes during the country’s annual Carnival paradein the capital of Santo Domingo on Sunday, El Caribe reports.

Images of participants in the carnival dressed as KKK members sparked criticism of the Ministry of Culture, which is charged with approving the groups who request to join the parade.

In a series of tweets posted Monday, the government ministry said the group was part of a segment of the parade dedicated to commemorating historical events.

“Every group is free to choose their themes, whether using elements of the Dominican identity or universal culture in their costumes,” the ministry tweeted. Another tweet noted that the Dominican Republic is a “free country” where people are at liberty “to express their creativity.”

In a later statement, the Ministry of Culture said the group’s KKK costumes were intended as a criticism of the U.S. white supremacist organization that has often used racially motivated violence. The ministry’s explanation didn’t convince everyone. “If the point was to demonstrate the obscurantism of a historical period, the message didn’t come through!” said Twitter user Nieves Peguero. more

JAMAICA: New UK visa application centre opens in Kingston today.....The facility will also offer additional services including direct-to-home delivery of passport.....Applicants are required to book online at www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk

Thursday, March 06, 2014
A new United Kingdom (UK) Visa Application Centre (VAC) will open in Kingston today to process visas for persons wishing to travel to that country.

The new facility will be operated by VFS Global's regional partner, the International Organisation for Migration under a contract awarded by the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).

In a recent media release the British High Commission said while visa fees remain the same, optional additional services provided at the VAC will be available at an additional cost, which can be paid online.

"The UK VAC will provide exclusive services for the Government of the UK, and is authorised to accept applications in all categories," the release said. It further noted that VAC, which is located at the Towers on Dominica Drive in New Kingston, will also have facilities for interviewing.

"All applicants making a Tier four (general) application should expect to be interviewed when they attend their appointment at the visa application centre," according to the release. more

Some Portmore residents in fear after recent gun attacks......the most gruesome was on Monday when a woman was chased and shot down and killed by criminals in Waterford,"

Kimmo Matthews  Thursday, March 06, 2014    

THE police were last night keeping a close watch on Portsmouth and neighbouring communities in Portmore, St Catherine, following a series of attacks by gunmen in the last few days.

"Many people in and around Portmore are living in fear right now because of what is happening in and around the area," one female resident, who requested anonymity, told the Jamaica Observer.

She made the comment after a man was on Tuesday shot and injured by gunmen in a section of Portsmouth.

Police report that at about 11:00 am, residents in the area heard several loud explosions and alerted the lawmen.

During a search of the community the man was found suffering from gunshot wounds. He has since been admitted into hospital.

Yesterday, residents said the attack was the third carried out by gunmen within the last few days.

"Since the start of the week we have heard of three of these attacks in Portmore; The most gruesome was on Monday when a woman was chased and shot down by criminals in Waterford," said another resident.

The police say the attacks have not gone unnoticed. more

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Man gets 30 days for stealing four mangoes. The four mangoes were valued at $800. ......"I didn't go ova him yard," Smith said, explaining that he had picked the mangoes from outside the premises.

Tanesha Mundle  Thursday, March 06, 2014    

A bag-juice vendor who stole four St Julian mangoes from off a tree was shown no mercy Tuesday and was slapped with a 30-day jail sentence.

"Unuh must stop it! A tired a it," Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey told 43-year-old Rohan Smith of Nelson Road in Kingston after sentencing him in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

Smith, who had pleaded guilty to praedial larceny, tried to worm his way out of the sentence after the magistrate told him that she was going to send him to prison for his actions.

"I didn't go ova him yard," Smith said, explaining that he had picked the mangoes from outside the premises.

"It nuh mek nuh difference. Yuh still thief di mangoes. Yuh think that is a defence?" Pusey asked. Added Pusey, " A man has to pay taxes for his property and should be able to enjoy what is planted on his premises."

Nelson was arrested on February 16 after the complainant saw him picking the mangoes at premises on Donhead Road, Kingston 6, and alerted a security guard who in turn notified a police officer. more

TODAY IN JAMAICA HISTORY: 1962-08-06 - Jamaica becomes independent after 300 years of British rule 1962-09-18 - Rwanda, Burundi, Jamaica & Trinidad admitted (105th-108th) to UN 1966-04-21 - Emperor Haile Selassie (Ethiopia) visits Kingston Jamaica 1982-12-29 - Bob Marley postage stamp issued in Jamaica 1996-12-23 - 4 women ordained priests in Jamaica, 1st in 330-year Anglican history

TODAY IN JAMAICA HISTORY:
1962-08-06 - Jamaica becomes independent after 300 years of British rule
1962-09-18 - Rwanda, Burundi, Jamaica & Trinidad admitted (105th-108th) to UN
1966-04-21 - Emperor Haile Selassie (Ethiopia) visits Kingston Jamaica
1982-12-29 - Bob Marley postage stamp issued in Jamaica
1996-12-23 - 4 women ordained priests in Jamaica, 1st in 330-year Anglican history

Famous Jamaicans Birthdays

1930-05-28 - Edward Seaga, PM (Jamaica)
1932-01-26 - Coxsone Dodd, Jamaican record producer
1934-11-12 - Ann Flood, Jamaica, New York, American actress (Edge of Night)
1936-03-20 - Lee "Scratch" Perry, Jamaican Reggae artist
1938-04-28 - Madge Sinclair, Kingston Jamaica, actress (Bell-Roots, Trapper John)
1938-05-28 - Prince Buster, Jamaican reggae musician/producer (Madness)
1942-07-16 - Desmond Dekker, [Dacris], Jamaica, reggae pioneer (Aces-Israelites)
1942-10-06 - Millie Small, Jamaican singer
1944-01-29 - Patrick Lipton Robinson, Jamaican judge
1944-10-19 - Peter Tosh [Winston Hubert McIntosh], Jamaica, reggae musician (Mystic Man, Mama Africa)

1976-09-11 - Elephant Man, Jamaican musician
1977-04-17 - Sizzla, Jamaican dancehall artist
1978-07-21 - Damian Marley, Jamaican musician
1978-09-25 - Ricardo Gardner, Jamaican footballer
1979-09-21 - Chris Gayle, Jamaican West Indies cricketer
1979-10-31 - Ricardo Fuller, Jamaican Footballer

more

63 Black Harvard Students Share Their Experiences In A Powerful Photo Project.....The “I, Too, Am Harvard” photo campaign explores the diverse experience that black students at Harvard have to face. Here are 21 of the images.....The play premieres Friday, March 7, but today a VIDEO teaser was released.

posted on March 6, 2014 at 12:06pm EST

A group of black students at Harvard are fed up with the institutional racism they say they have experienced, and are speaking out against it through a commanding photography project on Tumblr.

“Our voices often go unheard on this campus, our experiences are devalued, our presence is questioned,” the website says. “This project is our way of speaking back, of claiming this campus, of standing up to say: We are here.”

The Tumblr is part of a larger campus campaign that all started with a play written by sophomore Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence, pictured above.

Matsuda-Lawrence and other members of the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College, Harvard’s oldest existing black organization, came up with the idea last year around spring break. She conducted 40 interviews with black students on campus for an independent study last semester; those interviews are the basis of the play, called I, Too, Am Harvard, which will premiere March 7.

She emphasized to BuzzFeed that “I, Too, Am Harvard” is a collective black community project that doesn’t yet reflect that experience of all students of color.

“We want to build a larger movement for students of color in general, but this play is for Harvard’s Black Arts Festival,” Matsuda-Lawrence said. “The project is coming out of the black community on campus.” more

SCANDAL to get a lot crazier.....'Scandal' To Get 'Darker And More Outrageous'.....Kerry Washington/Tony Goldwyn

Posted: 03/04/2014 12:18 pm EST Updated: 03/04/2014 12:59 pm EST

How could "Scandal" possibly get any more scandalous? Well, when Shonda Rhimes is in charge, the sky's the limit.

"Access Hollywood" caught up with Tony Goldwyn, who plays President Fitzgerald Grant III on the hit show, to ask what viewers can expect in upcoming episodes.

Without spilling any major secrets, Goldwyn did say that things are about to get even more dramatic. "It just gets crazier and darker and more outrageous," he said, noting that Shonda Rhimes was "bringing it, every week." No one's arguing there.

Darker and more outrageous? There's only one reaction to this news: more

BLACK IS ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL.....Lupita Nyong'o, Oscar Winning Actress in 12 Years A Slave. rulabrownnetwork (RBN)

JAMAICA Latest News : 42,000 students to sit GSAT in two weeks......The Grade Six Achievement Test is the country’s national high school entrance examination.

Tuesday, March 04, 2014 | 7:01 PM  
KINGSTON, Jamaica — 42,000 students will be sitting the examination Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) in two weeks and according to the Ministry of Education preparations are at an advanced stage of readiness for this year’s sitting.

The examination will be held on Thursday, March 20 and Friday, March 21 in all primary schools and most preparatory schools across the island.

The Grade Six Achievement Test is the country’s national high school entrance examination. Students undertake five subjects including English, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics and Communication Task for entry into High Schools of their choice at Grade 7. more

US says Jamaica is largest Caribbean supplier of marijuana.....It said success stories included the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Anti-Corruption Branch, which continued to make progress in eliminating corrupt and unethical police officers.

Wednesday, March 05, 2014    
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (CMC) — The United States says Jamaica remains the largest Caribbean supplier of marijuana to the United States, and that even though cocaine and synthetic drugs are not produced locally, Jamaica is a transit point for drugs trafficked from South America to North America and other international markets.

However, the US State Department, in its just released “2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report”, said Jamaica continued to make “slow but steady progress” in combating narcotics trafficking, corruption and organised crime in 2013.

It said success stories included the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Anti-Corruption Branch, which continued to make progress in eliminating corrupt and unethical police officers; the National Forensic Sciences Laboratory, which showed dramatic improvement in its ability to process crime scene ballistic evidence; the JCF Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Task Force, which significantly reduced Jamaica lottery scam operations that targeted retirees and the elderly in the United States.

Washington said the Financial Investigation Division of the Ministry of Finance that, with new organisation and leadership, ramped up its efforts to curb money laundering and seize criminally-acquired assets and also praised the Independent Commission on Investigations, which was successful in establishing its legal authority to prosecute police officers who illegally injure or kill citizens in the course of their duties... more

IN JAMAICA: Be wary of 'visa fixers' ......Even if you obtain the visa initially by misrepresenting the facts, the Embassy actively reviews visa issuance for past years, and you may have your visa revoked later.

Wednesday, March 05, 2014    

Q: I've heard of people who say they can increase my odds of getting a visa, for example, by providing me with additional employment documents, or making small changes to my application to make my employment history seem more impressive. Is it okay to use these services?

Even if you obtain the visa initially by
 misrepresenting the facts, the Embassy
 actively reviews visa issuances for past
 years, and you may have your visa
revoked later.

A: Most people who apply for US visas do obtain them. Unfortunately, some individuals believe that by using the services of a "visa fixer" they may improve their chances. In fact, this is almost never the case, and your association with a visa fixer may permanently bar you from entering the United States.

What is a visa fixer? A visa fixer is someone who claims to help you obtain the visa through a variety of means. Sometimes the fixer will provide fake documents such as job letters and bank statements. The fixer may also coach you on how to lie to the consular officer during your visa interview, for example, by claiming an employment and salary that are not true. These services are provided to you for a fee, which you must pay regardless of whether you ultimately receive the visa. The cost to you is higher than for applicants who apply through the normal procedure... and your visa is NEVER guaranteed. more

Tessanne Chin to perform at the White House....will be broadcast Monday, April 7 at 9:00 PM ET on PBS stations across the US.... programme will include performances by Tessanne Chin, Melissa Etheridge, Aretha Franklin, Ariana Grande, Patti LaBelle, Janelle Monáe, and Jill Scott, with Greg Phillinganes

Tuesday, March 04, 2014 | 4:50 PM  ONLINE OBSERVER

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s Season 5 winner of NBC’s The Voice is among a list of accomplished women to perform at the White House, ONLINE OBSERVER has learnt.

As part of their “In Performance at the White House” series, the President and First Lady will invite music legends and contemporary major female artists to the White House for a celebration of the great “foremothers” of American music, with songs expressing the struggles and achievements of women, according to a report.

The programme will include performances by Tessanne Chin, Melissa Etheridge, Aretha Franklin, Ariana Grande, Patti LaBelle, Janelle Monáe, and Jill Scott, with Greg Phillinganes as music director.

“Women of Soul: In Performance at the White House will be broadcast Monday, April 7 at 9:00 PM ET on PBS stations across the US. more

See original at White House website.

ONE POLICE FORCE FOR JAMAICA - Red seam and blue seam to merge .....The merger will be effected during the 2014/2015 financial year, the Ministry said.

Tuesday, March 04, 2014 | 12:23 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Minister of National Security Peter Bunting says that Cabinet has approved a merger of the Jamaica Constabulary force (JCF) and the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) through the incorporation of the members of the ISCF into the JCF.

The incorporation of the ISCF into the JCF means Jamaica will have a single police force which will, among other things; result in an increase in the number of police personnel engaged in frontline crime prevention and control activities, the Security Ministry said in statement Tuesday.

The merger will be effected during the 2014/2015 financial year, the Ministry said.

Bunting noted that the merging of the two forces has been recommended by the Wolfe Report of 1991 as well as five separate reports and studies since.

In commenting on the benefits of the merging of the two entities, Police Commissioner Owen Ellington said that the two entities have been operating together as a virtual single force in recent times, but the realisation of all benefits required policy and legislative support.

He noted that the existence of two separate legal entities, operating within the same space and performing similar, and in some cases identical, functions presented a number of operational challenges. more

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica: Woman gunned down in Waterford...... "The woman was chased and shot more than 10 times by criminals,"

Tuesday, March 04, 2014 | 10:43 AM    

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica -- The St Catherine South police are keeping a watch on a section of Waterford in Portmore, where a woman was gunned down by armed thugs on Monday.

"The woman was chased and shot more than 10 times by criminals," said one source from the area.

Police reports are that at about 11am they were called to a section called Boston after residents reported hearing gunfire and raised an alarm.

Police later arrived and carried out a  search of the area and the bullet riddled body of the female found.

The name of the woman was not released.

Head of the St Catherine South Police Division, Noel Christie has confirmed the incident.

"We have received reports about the attack but at this time are unable to give any details about the incident or provide a motive for the attack," said Christie. more 

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Area Three Police list 10 as 'Persons-of-Interest' ......Ricardo Grey, otherwise called ‘Tristan Grey’ or ‘Baugh’ Shane Hannah, otherwise called ‘Most High’ Ras Mackonnen Copeland, otherwise called ‘Tuffy’ Stephan Gordon, otherwise called ‘Tickle’

Tuesday, March 04, 2014 | 7:48 AM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The Area Three Police, covering the parishes of Clarendon, St Elizabeth and Manchester, have listed several individuals they say are persons-of-interest.

From Clarendon addresses:

Ricardo Grey, otherwise called ‘Tristan Grey’ or ‘Baugh’ 

Shane Hannah, otherwise called ‘Most High’

Ras Mackonnen Copeland, otherwise called ‘Tuffy’

Stephan Gordon, otherwise called ‘Tickle’

From St. Elizabeth addresses:

Jawick Alvado Whyte, otherwise called ‘Passe’

Mark Alwayne Spence, otherwise called ‘Barber’ and ‘Alex’

Kashwayne Gullivan, otherwise called ‘Waynie’

more

Today in Jamaica History....1504-02-29 - Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to frighten hostile Jamaican Indians.....1865-10-11 - Paul Bogle led hundreds of black men and women in a march in Jamaica, starting the Morant Bay rebellion.....1907-01-14 - An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica kills more than 1,000 & much more.....

Today in Jamaica History

Historical Events

Events 1 - 44 of 44

1494-05-03 - Jamaica discovered by Columbus; he names it "St Iago"
1494-05-04 - Christopher Columbus lands in Jamaica
1494-05-05 - On 2nd voyage to New World, Christopher Columbus sights Jamaica
1504-02-29 - Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to frighten hostile Jamaican Indians
1655-05-10 - Jamaica captured by English
1692-06-07 - Earthquake in Port Royale, Jamaica, kills 3,000
1692-06-24 - Kingston Jamaica founded
1865-10-11 - Paul Bogle led hundreds of black men and women in a march in Jamaica, starting the Morant Bay rebellion.
1903-04-27 - Long Island's Jamaica Race Track opens
1907-01-14 - An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica kills more than 1,000.
1911-04-05 - MCC tour match v Jamaica finishes in a tie
  Explorer of the New WorldChristopher Columbus1911-08-02 - Haiti's dictator Simon flees on US warship near Jamaica

more

This Day in History - March 4....Today is the 63rd day of 2014. There are 302 days left in the year.

Today is the 63rd day of 2014. There are 302 days left in the year.

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT

2005: Flags fly at half-staff as Canadians grapple with the deadliest attack on police officers in 120 years, after four Mounties were slain during a raid on a marijuana farm in a rural western hamlet.

OTHER EVENTS

1681: England's King Charles II grants a charter to William Penn for land that later becomes Pennsylvania.

1789: The Constitution of the United States goes into effect as the first Federal Congress meets in New York City.

1829: An unruly crowd mobs the White House during the inaugural reception for US President Andrew Jackson.

1917: German army begins major withdrawal on Western Front in World War I.

1933: The start of US President Franklin Roosevelt's first administration has the first woman to serve in Cabinet: Labour Secretary Frances Perkins.

1965: Syria orders nationalisation of nine oil companies, including affiliates of two US concerns. more

Inner Circle reaches out....INNER Circle and singer Chronixx have teamed up for an update of Tenement Yard, the classic song the band recorded with singer Jacob Miller in 1976.

From left) Bernard ‘Touter’ Harvey,
 Roger Lewis, Ian Lewis, and
Lancelot Hall (seated at front).

BY HOWARD CAMPBELL Observer writer. Tuesday, March 04, 2014    

INNER Circle and singer Chronixx have teamed up for an update of Tenement Yard, the classic song the band recorded with singer Jacob Miller in 1976.

It is the latest collaboration by the band and a new-wave reggae artiste. Inner Circle, formed in 1968, recently did songs with deejay I-Octane and singjay Khago.

Roger Lewis, Inner Circle's co-founder and bass player, says working with contemporary reggae acts is their way of reaching out to a new generation.

"In a way (it is) to reach a new 'demo' but we collaborate with the artistes we feel have the right vibe and who touch us musically," he told the Jamaica Observer. "We have done stuff with Junior Gong, Buju (Banton), David Hines of Steel Pulse and my dear brother Bunny Rugs." Chronixx is the latest to work with the Miami-based veterans. He sang the lyrics to Tenement Yard with Miller's distinctive vocals from the original track in the background.

According to Lewis, "Jacob would be very happy...It's a perfect bridge of past and present." Miller joined Inner Circle in 1975 after stints with producers Clement 'Coxson' Dodd and Augustus Pablo.

Recorded at the Channel One studio, the original Tenement Yard featured Roger Lewis on bass, his brother Ian and Earl 'Chinna' Smith on guitars and drummer Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace. more

Dr Simone Badal-McCreath is focused on becoming a pioneer in cancer treatment......She is also working with a group of experts to create a novel JAMAICAN cancer cell line, since the Caucasian cell line is what is being mostly used for testing.

BY NADINE WILSON All Woman writer  Monday, March 03, 2014 

SHE was recently recognised as the leading young female chemist in Latin America and the Caribbean; holds two masters degrees and a doctorate; was named the Young Scientist of the Year in Jamaica in 2011; and has several other awards to boast about, but though noteworthy, Dr Simone Badal-McCreath believes her greatest achievement to date is having a good character.

Dr Simone Badal-McCreath

The 32-year-old believes she has her father and her Christian upbringing to thank for this and feels her tenacity to be her best self has spilled over into her professional and academic life. Now in the middle of her research aimed at developing drugs to treat cancer, managing a lab and lecturing, she is penning her first book A woman's journey to success.

"It redefines success as we know it, not meaning success in terms of achievement, but being at a place that is divinely designed," she said. "It's achieving what God has ordained for you to achieve, even if you were supposed to sweep the floor, you do it to the best of your ability and realise that in sweeping the floor, you are making an environment clean."

Dr Badal-McCreath has no doubt that her journey to becoming a top-ranked scientist was divinely ordained. Her intention throughout high school was to become a doctor, but then she was unable to do physics in CXC and decided to apply to do pure and applied sciences at the University of the West Indies (UWI) first in order to matriculate into medicine. However, she had a change of heart once she realised how much she loved bio-chemistry. more

RECORDED: SULTRY SUNDAY SLOW JAMZ w/ RULA BROWN & NANS 3/2/14. Reggae singer, Ann Payne wins contest. Museikjunkie leads with 5 wins. SWA is second with 3 wins.

Video streaming by Ustream

Nearly six thousand suspected cases of Chikungunya virus reported in the Caribbean.....Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease causing symptoms such as fever, joint pain, muscle pain, headache and nose and gum bleeding.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Sunday March 2, 2014, CMC – The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDPC) says there are reports of new cases of the chikungunya virus in the Caribbean.

The ECDPC said in the past week, 293 new cases of chikungunya have been reported in the region, with confirmed ones in St. Martin (French), Martinique, St. Barthélemy and Guadeloupe.

New cases also surfaced in Dominica and French Guyana as well as St. Kitts and Nevis.

The European Centre for Disease
Prevention and Control said as
 of February 21, 2014, more than 5,900
 suspected cases have been
 reported in the Caribbean.

 

The ECDPC said as of February 21, 2014, more than 5,900 suspected cases have been reported in the region.

An outbreak of chikungunya in the Caribbean was reported from the French part of the island of St. Martin on December 6. The chikungunya transmission was detected during a concomitant dengue outbreak in the Caribbean. Both diseases are transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne viral disease causing symptoms such as fever, joint pain, muscle pain, headache and nose and gum bleeding.Chikungunya is present in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and on the Indian subcontinent. more 

IN JAMAICA: Careers & Education... St George’s Primary in downtown Kingston is where girls do well....over 100 years preparing young girls to become ladies so that they can make a positive contribution to nation building.

These girls enjoy their lunch break by
playing Jacks.

The school currently has over 700 students enrolled. Unfortunately, the historic Anglican building out of which the school operates is unable to accommodate any more than this. In fact, instead of walls, chalkboards are used to partition the classrooms in the church hall. "Right now one of the challenges we have is space. We really want a building, we really want a school," said Ridley.

AS the only all girls' primary and infant school in Jamaica, St George's Girls' Primary and Infant School in downtown Kingston has spent over 100 years preparing young girls to become ladies so that they can make a positive contribution to nation building.

The school, which operates from a church hall, has more than its historical legacy to boast about. It is currently one of the schools most sought after by parents because of its academic achievements.

"The standard is very high. Academically the girls do very well. We usually perform above the national average in all areas for external examinations," said principal Collett Ridley.

Janet Davids has the full
 participation of the students
 in her grade six class.

"When it's registration time it is really overwhelming. It is the preffered school for parents to send their daughters," she said. "We have so many girls who want to come, so I don't think we'll ever go co-ed."

There have been efforts to spruce up the old building, but this does not solve the general space issue the school struggles with. "At the end of each academic year a project is done so we have renovation, we have the painting, fixing of windows and doors and so forth to maintain the building, so we have tried," Ridley said. more

IN JAMAICA: HORROR/DISAPPOINTING STORIES for people meeting online: All Woman...He flew in to MoBay and paid my fare to fly there from Kingston too. I was to spend the night,.My prince was wearing a doo-rag with his pants below his butt, and his Ebonics was peppered with Ni@#@ ...... ‘Three of his top teeth were gold...’ My worst online date

Liquid Gold models Monae and Trivis

BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE All Woman Writer  Monday, March 03, 2014 

WITH finding friends on sites like Facebook and Twitter becoming the norm nowadays, it's also becoming the most natural thing for couples to hook up online.

And while many love stories have come from the Internet, so too have more and more horror stories of hook-ups gone wrong.

Persons have confessed to being lied to about the physical appearance of the other party, turned off by hygiene and turned off by the person's true character. Here some readers share their stories of their worst online dates.

Shellie M, 40:

I met this very nice guy on Facebook. We would message each other a lot and we eventually exchanged numbers and started calling each other regularly. He lives in the US and so we talked about either me visiting or him coming to Jamaica. It ended up that he came here. This was about nine months after we first started talking. I picked him up at the airport and believe me, he looked nothing like what he looked like on Facebook. Apparently he only posted pictures of himself when he was much younger and he never smiled in any of those photos. When I met him he was short, and three of his top teeth were gold. Gold teeth? That was the biggest turn off for me. So all the plans we had about what we would do when he came just went right down the drain for me. I refused to be seen in public with a man whose mouth was full of gold teeth. The thought of kissing him was so repulsive I felt like vomiting. I texted my cousin and we made up a story about a family emergency and I apologised profusely for leaving him the same day he came but I wasn't going to stick around. The worst part though is that I am the reason he came to Jamaica, so I still called him to ask if he was OK and sounded concerned and distressed that I could not be with him. Of course it was just a show.

Paula, 33:

This American guy found my blog online and contacted me, telling me I was cute. We chatted for a few months and he even said he had told his mom about me, he was that serious. He said he was an engineer, so of course I had the clean-cut image in my head. I had seen photos, but nothing that I could really use to judge. He flew in to MoBay and paid my fare to fly there from Kingston too. I was to spend the night, though I hadn't thought about the dynamics. He met me at the airport and I was immediately disappointed. My prince was wearing a doo-rag with his pants below his butt, and his Ebonics was peppered with Ni@#@ and Rap foolishness. I'm not one to judge but bwoy, what a let down. It was late so we went to the hotel, where, of course, he had weed and smoked. I spent the whole night on the couch hoping I wouldn't be attacked. He emailed me for a long time after that, but I was never into guys like that. more