NEW FORT HOOD SHOOTING: Multiple Injuries, Death Reported (LATEST UPDATES) (VIDEO)......REPORTS: 4 Dead, 14 Injured... Unconfirmed: Suspected Shooter Dead... Obama: 'Heartbroken Something Like This Might Have Happened Again'... Defense Secretary: 'Terrible Tragedy'... Base Still On Lockdown... LATEST...

A shooting at Fort Hood on Wednesday left at least one person dead and injured multiple people. The gunman at the Army post in Texas reportedly died of a self-inflicted wound.

Fourteen people were injured, according to a senior defense official who spoke anonymously to the Associated Press.

But TV-station KECN reports that eight people were injured, four critically. Lockdown was lifted a few hours after orders to "shelter in place" were issued.

"Fort Hood's Directorate of Emergency Services has an initial report that a shooter is dead but this is unconfirmed,"the statement said. "The injured personnel are being transported to Carl R. Darnall Medical Center and other local hospitals. "Numerous law enforcement agencies are in support and on the scene. The number of injured are not confirmed at this time."

Bell County Sheriff's deputies and troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety have been sent to the base, the Associated Press reports. A mass shooting at Fort Hood in 2009 killed 13 people. This is a developing news story. Check back for updates.

Vybz Kartel sentencing Thursday....after being found guilty of the August 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams....will the DCS allow Kartel to make music while in prison, and if the proceeds gained should be handed over to the victim’s estate.

Wednesday, April 02, 2014 | 5:19 PM  

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Entertainer Vybz Kartel, and his three co-accused, will Thursday morning again enter the prisoner’s dock at the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston to hear their fate.

Kartel (Adidja Palmer), Shawn ‘Storm’ Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John are to be sentenced after being found guilty of the August 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.

The four were to be sentenced last Thursday, but the sentencing was postponed after the defence told Justice Lennox Campbell that they did not receive a letter that he instructed the registrar of the Supreme Court to deliver to them and the prosecution.

The letter was requesting the assistance of both sides in determining if the Department of Correctional Services will allow Kartel to make music while in prison, and if the proceeds gained should be handed over to the victim’s estate.

The judge also wanted both sides to decide how each convicted man would be sentenced based on their role in the common design of killing Williams, who police say was beaten to death inside a house owned by Kartel in Havendale, St Andrew.

Justice Campbell also wanted to allow Williams’ relatives to address the court before sentencing is handed down, but Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn rejected the proposal saying that it was not allowed in the Jamaican legal jurisdiction.

Meanwhile the police will again be ramping up security around the precincts of the courthouse in order to stave off any untoward activity by supporters of the controversial dancehall Deejay. more 

The Supreme Court Has Struck Down Overall Campaign Contribution Limits by 5-4.....The victory for the Alabama businessman and major Republican Party donor Shaun McCutcheon, who was joined by the Republican National Committee in his challenge, means that a single donor will soon be able to contribute millions of hard dollars

Posted: 04/02/2014 11:14 am EDT Updated: 04/02/2014 11:19 am EDT

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down the aggregate campaign contribution limits, thereby opening the door to even more money in the political system.

Chief John Roberts

The 5-4 ruling in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission was penned by Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by justices Anthony Kennedy, Samuel Alito and Antonin Scalia. The decision relies heavily on the assertion in the 2010 Citizens United ruling that influence and access are not a corruption concern.

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a separate opinion that agreed to strike the aggregate limits, but also called for an end to the entire campaign finance reform system.

The victory for the Alabama businessman and major Republican Party donor Shaun McCutcheon, who was joined by the Republican National Committee in his challenge, means that a single donor will soon be able to contribute millions of hard dollars -- in limited contributions -- to political parties, candidates and political action committees.

"With the ruling, we continue to chip away at the long entrenched status quo from the grassroots -- a status quo that has kept challengers, better ideas, and new entrants to the political arena mostly locked out," McCutcheon said in a statement. "Ensuring that citizens are able to contribute to multiple candidates or causes who share their views only provides further support to a system in which 'We the People' hold the ultimate reins of power." Campaign finance reform proponents were not so pleased. more

KINGSTON, JA: India, Jamaica sign MOU to have floodlights installed at Sabina Park Bowled over!....at the world-famous cricket ground, the governments of India and Jamaica signed a memorandum of under-standing which will see the Asian country providing a grant of US$2.1 million towards the inatallation of lights at the venue

BY SANJAY MYERS Observer staff reporter myerss@jamaicaobserver.com  Wednesday, April 02, 2014  

AFTER numerous delays and a handful of false starts, the wait appears to be over in the drive to have floodlights installed at Sabina Park.

Yesterday at the world-famous cricket ground, the governments of India and Jamaica signed a memorandum of under-standing which will see the Asian country providing a grant of US$2.1 million towards the inatallation of lights at the venue.

"We are pleased that the Government of India has agreed to sign a bi-lateral memorandum of understanding with the Government of Jamaica to provide financial support for the installation of the floodlights at Sabina Park. This support is in the form of a grant in the sum of $2.1 million," said Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller as she addressed the media and various stakeholders.

Simpson Miller, who spoke feelingly of several landmark occurrences at the historic venue, explained that the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) will grant a further US$600,000 to cover the estimated total project value of US$2.7 million.

The months of seemingly painstaking negotiations have also involved two different administrations of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), members of the Kingston Cricket Club, and representatives of Sabina Park Holdings, the entity which manages the venue and its facilities.

The project, which will be managed by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), has been awarded to the FosRich Group of Companies, which will be working with Philips Lighting, a global firm that has strong ties in Europe, Asia and South America. more

CRICKET LOVELY CRICKET: West Windies flatten Pakistan to reach semis.... West Indies produced a late blitz to reach 166 for six, with Dwayne Bravo smashing a top score of 46 from 26 deliveries.....The margin of victory was the biggest for West Indies in T20 Internationals

Wednesday, April 02, 2014    

DHAKA, Bangladesh (CMC) — West Indies marched into the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 Championship with the swagger of defending champions, by ruthlessly disposing of Pakistan by 84 runs here yesterday.

West Indies bowler Krishmar Santokie (left)
celebrates after taking the wicket of
 Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad yesterday.

Opting to bat first in the must-win contest at the Shere-Bangla Stadium, West Indies produced a late blitz to reach 166 for six, with Dwayne Bravo smashing a top score of 46 from 26 deliveries, and captain Darren Sammy cracking an unbeaten 42 from just 20 balls.

West Indies then wrecked Pakistan with potent mix of seam and spin, to bundle them out for 82 off 17.5 overs. Captain Mohammed Hafeez top scored with 19.

Leg-spinner Samuel Badree was magical with the new ball, claiming three for 10 from his four overs, while off-spinner Sunil Narine picked up three for 16 from his quota.

Left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie finished with two for nine, and fellow seamer Andre Russell, two for 15.

The margin of victory was the biggest for West Indies in T20 Internationals, and set the tone for a compelling semi-final against Sri Lanka on Thursday - a rematch of the 2012 final.

A semi-final spot looked unlikely when Pakistan used a telling bowling performance to restrict the Caribbean side to 84 for five at the end of the 15th over. However, man-of-the-match Bravo and Sammy launched a ferocious assault, as the Windies plundered 82 from the last five overs.

Their frenetic sixth wicket stand of 71 required just 34 deliveries, and proved to be the catalyst of the West Indies innings after another sluggish performance from the top-order batsmen.

Lendl Simmons chipped in with 31 from 29 balls, while Marlon Samuels struggled with 20 from 18 balls, but big-hitting opener Chris Gayle (five) and his partner Dwayne Smith (eight) were both dismissed cheaply. more

Jamaican murder suspect held after 19 years on the run......48-year-old Joslyn Bailey, also known as Richard Bailey, was arrested in Allentown, Pennsylvania after he was stopped for a traffic violation....he was wanted by the Boston police for the slaying of 23-year-old Rolando Coxon

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

A Jamaican man on the Massachusetts State Police most wanted list in connection with a 1995 murder was arrested in Pennsylvania in March and is to be extradited to Boston any day now.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, 48-year-old Joslyn Bailey, also known as Richard Bailey, was arrested in Allentown after he was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 78 on March 8.

Pennsylvania troopers said Bailey gave them a fake name on a Florida driver's licence and had US$25,000 in the car when he was stopped.

The troopers ran his fingerprints on the spot and found that he was wanted by the Boston police for the slaying of 23-year-old Rolando Coxon, whose body was found on Christmas Day 1995 in Milton, Massachusetts.

Police allege Coxon was shot to death in Bailey's former Boston home and his body was bound, wrapped and dumped behind Milton Town Hall.

Bailey, who is being held without bail at Lehigh County Prison, waived his right to an extradition hearing, clearing the way for him to be transported to Massachusetts for an arraignment. more 

IN ST. THOMAS, JAMAICA: Gunmen shoot 7-y-o boy, Jahmauny Robinson.... Police hold suspect in shooting of 7-y-o boy.....heartless gunmen who sprayed the one-bedroom house in which he, his nine-month-old brother and their mother slept

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Wednesday, April 02, 2014 

A seven-year-old boy remained in hospital last night battling to stay alive after he was shot in the stomach by heartless gunmen who sprayed the one-bedroom house in which he, his nine-month-old brother and their mother slept in Lyssons, St Thomas, early yesterday morning.

The heartless attack on the house in a section of the community called Pipe Lane left residents in fear and had Jahmauny Robinson’s mother, Nordia Johnson, frantically seeking assistance to save her son.

Nordia Johnson (right) is a picture of
grief as she reflects on the shooting
 of her sevenyear- old son Jahmauny Robinson
shown here. (PHOTOS: MICHAEL GORDON)

“I was sleeping in my bed with my children and is the sound of gunshot wake me,” Johnson explained.

The distraught mother stood in a daze with her hands on her head as she recalled the horrific attack which occurred at approximately 3:45 am.

“When mi hear the shot mi hear mi son cry out,” said the 29-year-old woman as she fought hard to hold back the tears.

“When mi babyfather go check, him see mi baby covered in blood,” she added.

In a desperate bid to save the life of her child, Johnson lifted the boy and rushed out onto the street crying for help.

“For several minutes mi out there a call and no one came to my rescue,” she said, explaining that she watched helplessly as cars drove by.

“I ran out in the road in my underwear and blouse.

I was covered in blood calling out for help; they all ignored me.”

Determined that she would not allow her son to die, Johnson started running with him toward the Princess Margaret Hospital.

“While I was rushing with mi baby is a youth mi see come out come help me and gave me a lift to Princess Margaret Hospital,” she said. more

APPLICATION OPEN April 1 - May 15, 2014: PALAS goal is to award 100 scholarships & computers in 2014 to high school and tertiary level students residing in the Caribbean region for the 2014-2015 academic year. Apply online at www.PALAS1.org . PALAS awarded 60 scholarships in 2013. Please spread the word by SHARING.

ST.ANN, JAMAICA: Students protest Police attack on principal, Marcia Grant at the Steer Town Academy...."I put my hand on the handle of the car when the officer pushed me and that was when the students started to retaliate," Grant said.

Tuesday, April 01, 2014 | 9:26 PM RENAE DIXON OBSERVER STAFF REPORTER   

Steer Town, St Ann - Students at the Steer Town Academy staged a protest at the institution on Tuesday, April 1 after the school's principal was reportedly assaulted by one of three Police officers who went to the school and arrested two students.

The principal, Marcia Grant had reportedly gone to the officers after she was informed that the Police had arrested and handcuffed two students, and removed them from the school compound without the knowledge of any member of staff.

Grant told Observer Online that she was speaking to one of the Police officers about the removal of the students without informing the administration. According to the principal while talking to the Police she placed her hand on the car which the officers drove to the school. At that point she was shoved. This she claimed happened in full view of many students. 

"I put my hand on the handle of the car when the officer pushed me and that was when the students started to retaliate," Grant said.

This led to a standoff between the police officers and the students of the institution.

One of the police officers who visited the school is said to be a parent of a child who attends the  school who the Jamaica Observer found out had been in trouble several times at the institution and was in an altercation only last week, during which he was injured. That last incident reportedly took place off campus.

Only one of the police officers was wearing uniform on Tuesday.

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) is investigating the matter. more

Glenn Beck Sued For Defamation By Boston Marathon Victim..... Alharbi has been called a "murderer, child killer and terrorist" based on Beck's statements, the suit says.

AP Posted: 04/01/2014 8:21 am EDT Updated: 04/01/2014 2:19 pm EDT

BOSTON (AP) — A Saudi Arabian man injured in the Boston Marathon bombings has filed a defamation lawsuit against Glenn Beck, accusing the conservative commentator of calling him "the money man" behind the attack.

Glen Beck

Abdulrahman Alharbi, 20, said in the lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Boston that his reputation was "substantially and severely damaged" as a result of Beck's statements on the air linking him to the bombings.

The lawsuit, which also names the broadcast companies connected to Beck's show, seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages.

In the days after the explosions that killed three people and injured more than 260, Beck "repeatedly and falsely identified Mr. Alharbi as an active participant in the crimes that were committed on April 15, 2013, repeatedly questioned the motives of federal officials in failing to pursue or detain Alharbi and repeatedly and falsely accused Mr. Alharbi of being a criminal who had funded the attacks at the Boston Marathon," the lawsuit alleges.

Alharbi has been called a "murderer, child killer and terrorist" based on Beck's statements, the suit says. Neither Beck nor his representatives immediately responded Tuesday to emails and telephone messages seeking comment.

Alharbi, who attends college in the Boston area, was a spectator near the marathon finish line when the bombs went off. He was injured and was questioned by authorities who searched his Revere apartment before determining he had no connection to the attack, according to the lawsuit. more

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Tessanne Chin spurs JA$3.9 Million (C$40,000.00) bidding war between Lee-Chin, Raymond Chang for UWI scholarships....For the record, that’s JA$1.3 Million ($13,333) per song," The Toronto Star reported. Chin obliged, saying, “I hope you don’t mind if I sing acappella”.

Tuesday, April 01, 2014 | 10:51 AM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Tessanne Chin, winner of NBC’s season 5 of The Voice competition, on her first visit to Canada managed to raise C$40,000 for a 'worthy cause' with an impromptu three-song performance.

Chin's appearance spurred a bidding war between Jamaican/Canadian philanthropists Michael Lee-Chin and Raymond Chang while she was being honoured recently by the University of the West Indies (UWI) at a fundraising banquet at the Ritz Carlton in Toronto.

The Toronto Star reported that the star was not scheduled to sing at the UWI function. But some spur-of-the-moment bidding at the end of the evening generated excitement for her fans.

Lee-Chin and Chang reportedly got into the impromptu bidding war to persuade Chin to sing, with the bidding starting at $1000 by auctioneer Gordon Cressy.

The report said the bidding seemed to stall briefly at the $4,000 mark after which Cressy then asked Lee-Chin why he wasn’t joining in.

The billionaire reportedly responded “It’s too low,” before bidding $10,000 for Chin to sing just one song.

Chang, who was the patron of the ball, reportedly matched Lee-Chin's amount, adding that Chin should consent to singing a second song.

"This was topped by Lee-Chin who offered another $20,000 if Chin would sing a third song, for a total of $40,000. For the record, that’s $13,333 per song," The Toronto Star reported. 

Chin obliged, saying, “I hope you don’t mind if I sing acappella”. more

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Obamacare on target to hit 7 million sign-ups target.....New Poll 49% like the new law.....At times, more than 125,000 people were simultaneously using HealthCare.gov,

by Associated Press | April 1, 2014 at 12:22 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) —President Barack Obama‘s health care overhaul was on track to beat expectations with more than 7 million Americans signing up for health insurance by deadline day Monday, government officials told The Associated Press.

The 7 million target, thought to be out of reach by most experts, was in sight on a day that saw surging consumer interest as well as vexing computer glitches that slowed sign-ups on the HealthCare.gov website.

Two government officials confirmed the milestone, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter ahead of an official announcement.

Seven million was the original target set by the Congressional Budget Office for enrollment in private health insurance plans offered through new online federal and state market places created under Obama’s signature legislation.

That was scaled back to 6 million after the disastrous launch of HealthCare.gov last fall. Several state-run websites also had crippling problems. Hundreds of thousands of Americans who rushed to apply for health insurance Monday faced long, frustrating waits and a new spate of website ills on deadline day.

At times, more than 125,000 people were simultaneously using HealthCare.gov, straining it beyond its capacity. For long stretches Monday, applicants were shuttled to a virtual waiting room where they could leave an email address and be contacted later. The 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act has been the No. 1 legislative achievement of Obama’s presidency. more 

IN JAMAICA: Conflicts with the Chinese revisited.....There have been reports of increasing criminal insurgency against Chinese immigrants in Jamaica.....Just recently, four appropriately dressed 'deadlocks' went into a Chinese restaurant. The operator, suspicious of the four men, called his private security to stand by until they finished their dinner.

 by Louis MOYSTON  Tuesday, April 01, 2014    
This article aims to respond to recent matters concerning the new Chinese immigrants and black Jamaicans. Some of these incidents occurred on construction sites and at the business establishments of these newly arrived migrants.

THE story of the Chinese and issue with those children in Black River, St Elizabeth, late last year, could have provoked ugly atrocities of the past. There have been reports of increasing criminal insurgency against Chinese immigrants in Jamaica. The newspaper reports, 'St James police urge Chinese businessmen to report crimes' (Jamaica Observer, November 28, 2013). However, the problem goes beyond crimes. Both groups have mutual suspicion of the other, and this attitude has to be carefully treated. Just recently, four appropriately dressed 'deadlocks' went into a Chinese restaurant. The operator, suspicious of the four men, called his private security to stand by until they finished their dinner. How could this action affect this business if the story went out? Black people must ensure to minimise or completely stop unnecessary provocation of the Chinese immigrants. Ominous signs are on the horizons. Let history be our guide to prevent the return to an ugly past.

There are some frameworks that have been used to explain the anti-Chinese sentiments that have erupted in Jamaica over the years. There is a thought that black people are jealous of their accumulation of wealth; there is the idea of the wave of anti-foreigner sentiments at times of harsh economic setting; and lastly the school of thinking that these attacks took place at the heights of black conscious agitation. The racist nature of the plantation system made the integration of the Chinese migrants a major challenge for both majority blacks and minority whites. According to a newspaper report (31 March 1934) on "pernicious drugs" in Jamaica, the issue concerning opium became one of the early roots of xenophobic attitudes against the new Chinese immigrants of the early 1900s. The white elites became intolerable of this new wave of Chinese migrants coming in large numbers as shopkeepers. The newspaper editorial (10 June 1913) made the distinction between the earlier Chinese migrants and their present "poverty stricken, ignorant fellow countrymen", who were blamed for the 'opium scare' in Jamaica now that the "natives are succumbing to the vile and deadly habit". This first anti-Chinese thrust was rooted in the opium drug trade. The foundation was set for the first and a massive anti-Chinese riot in 1918. more 

JAMAICA Entertainment : Paul Campbell to get Caribbean Heritage Award, to be presented during the inaugural Oracabessa Festival, at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York, on May 26.

Tuesday, April 01, 2014

ACTOR Paul Campbell is one of two recipients of the Caribbean Heritage Award, to be presented during the inaugural Oracabessa Festival, at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York, on May 26.

Irwin Clare, a stalwart in New York City's Jamaican community, will also receive an award.

Paul Campbell

Campbell first came to prominence as Priest in the 1997 movie Dancehall Queen. He has had leading roles in films such as The Lunatic, Shottas and Third World Cop.

Last year, he appeared in the low-budget film Home Again, which looks at the plight of Jamaicans deported from Canada, the United Kingdom and United States, to their birthplace.

Later this year, Campbell will co-star in the urban drama Jamaican Mafia.

IN JAMAICA: Senior cops murder suspects......Kevin Adams has been charged with four murders....officers had been arrested for two murders that had initially been reported as homicides committed by civilians.

BY KARYL WALKER Editor — Crime/Court Desk walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com  Tuesday, April 01, 2014 

SENIOR police officers are being investigated by the Independent Commission of Investigation (INDECOM) for their alleged roles in extra-judicial killings.

INDECOM Commissioner Terrence Williams made the revelation during a press conference at the commission’s Dumfries Road headquarters in Kingston yesterday.

Williams also said officers from Area Three — which comprises Clarendon, Manchester and St Elizabeth — had been arrested for two murders that had initially been reported as homicides committed by civilians.

“The commission intends to consider carefully whether any senior officer permitted, ordered or acquiesced in the activities which led to these killings, and if there is evidence that shows that they did so, to ensure that those matters are put before the proper tribunal for a determination,” he said.

“We do not intend to stop at the police officer on the ground. We intend to take the investigation wherever it leads,” he added.

INDECOM Commissioner Terrence Williams

So far, four cops — constables Collin ‘Chuckie’ Brown, Carl Bucknor, Jerome Whyte, and Detective Corporal Kevin Adams — are charged with murder relating to killings that took place in Clarendon.

Adams has been charged with four murders — Asif Washington in January last year; Andrew Bissoon in September 2011; Sylvester Gallimore in May 2011; and Andrew Trought in February 2012.

Bucknor has also been charged with Bissoon’s murder, while Whyte has also been charged with Trought’s murder. more

Washington, DC teen Avery Coffey sought by 5 different Ivy League schools.....The 17-year-old has maintained a 4.3 grade point average....Now, he has recently been accepted to all five Ivy League schools he applied to for college: Harvard, Princeton, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, and Brown......Coffey was raised by a single mother in one of the poorest wards in our nation’s capital.

by theGrio | March 31, 2014 at 10:35 AM

To say that Washington, D.C. native Avery Coffey has a bright future ahead of him would be a huge understatement.

The 17-year-old has maintained a 4.3 grade point average at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, he plays four different team sports and he even built a robot at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory while doing an internship.

Now, he has recently been accepted to all five Ivy League schools he applied to for college: Harvard, Princeton, Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, and Brown.

Avery Coffey (courtesy of Fox 5)

The local Fox affiliate recently asked this remarkable young man what he wants to do next.

“I guess probably the CEO of an investment (or management consulting) firm. I guess pretty much overseeing acquisitions or transactions between large companies. Hopefully, Fortune 500 companies,” he said.

Coffey was raised by a single mother in one of the poorest wards in our nation’s capital. His mother works as a technician at the local children’s hospital. He offers this advice to aspiring young people: ”You can go anywhere you want to, pursue any career that you want to, and you shouldn’t let anybody hinder you from trying to reach your goals.” more

Move over, Lisa Hanna! 11-y-o Sherika Mundell wants to be JAMAICA's next female Prime Minister....."I want to encourage you to stay focused, and who knows, if you work hard you could become the country's next female prime minister," said Simpson Miller. Sherika is now driven.

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Monday, March 31, 2014    

ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD Sherika Mundell was always an ambitious child who wasn't sure of a career path. Now, the student of Greenwich Town Primary is certain of what she wants to become: Jamaica's next female prime minister.

The grade 5 student came to the decision on Wednesday after meeting Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller during the ground-breaking ceremony for the Majesty Gardens Housing Development in Kingston.

Sherika was asked to represent her school and present a token to Simpson Miller.

During her presentation, the prime minister took time out to encourage Sherika, a resident of Caribbean Palm Estate, to work hard at achieving her dreams.

"I want to encourage you to stay focused, and who knows, if you work hard you could become the country's next female prime minister," said Simpson Miller. Sherika is now driven.

"I was very inspired by what the prime minister said to me and as a result I will continue to work hard in school," said Sherika, who is the youngest of five children for her parents. Representatives from Greenwich Town Primary have since reported that Sherika has been working harder in class and has been a role model to her classmates.

The Majesty Gardens Housing Development will provide jobs for persons living in and around Majesty Gardens and those trained under YUTE Build, a construction-training programme, the prime minister said. more

New Michael Jackson album slated for release in May 13, 2014.... Eight (8) unreleased songs will make up Xscape, featuring producers such as Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins and Stargate • Timbaland to produce new Michael Jackson music

'Michael left behind some musical performances that we take great pride in presenting,' says Epic Records CEO LA Reid. Photograph: Leonhard Foeger/Reuters

A new Michael Jackson album will be released in May, entitled Xscape and featuring eight unreleased recordings.

The posthumous album is scheduled for release worldwide on 13 May by Epic Records and will include material that has been reworked by producers such as Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Jerome 'Jroc' Harmon and John McClain. It will be executive produced by Epic Records chairman and CEO LA Reid. more

Obamacare has led to health coverage for millions more people.... At least 9.5 million previously uninsured people have gotten health insurance since Obamacare started, surveys and reports show.

WASHINGTON — President Obama's healthcare law, despite a rocky rollout and determined opposition from critics, already has spurred the largest expansion in health coverage in America in half a century, national surveys and enrollment data show.

As the law's initial enrollment period closes, at least 9.5 million previously uninsured people have gained coverage. Some have done so through marketplaces created by the law, some through other private insurance and others through Medicaid, which has expanded under the law in about half the states.

The tally draws from a review of state and federal enrollment reports, surveys and interviews with insurance executives and government officials nationwide.

• Also
• Covered California Q&A: Is Monday still the deadline to enroll?
• How Covered California is measuring up
• Insurers already calculating 2015 premiums as Obamacare kicks in
• L.A. County grapples with healthcare for remaining uninsured
• Fighting for Obamacare through stage IV cancer

The Affordable Care Act still faces major challenges, particularly the risk of premium hikes next year that could drive away newly insured customers. But the increased coverage so far amounts to substantial progress toward one of the law's principal goals and is the most significant expansion since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.

The millions of newly insured also create a politically important constituency that may complicate any future Republican repeal efforts.

Precise figures on national health coverage will not be available for months. But available data indicate: more

 

IN JAMAICA: 'Stop prosecuting people with ganja, burning fields' ....."Please, Mr Government, ask you police and the army to stop digging down the world number one brand ganja," Ras Arthur Newland shouted out emphatically.

BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter mundlet@jamaicaobserver.com  Monday, March 31, 2014    

AS Government contemplates the decriminalisation of ganja, some pro-weed advocates want the authorities to immediately end the practice of arresting people for having ganja and destroying ganja fields.

These were among a number of concerns and questions raised at yesterday's preparatory meeting for the Ganja Future Growers and Producers Association (GFGPA) at the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica auditorium on Trafalgar Road in Kingston.

International Rastafarian Ambassador Rasta Irie Lion (right)
 makes a point during Sunday's preparatory meeting
 for the Ganja Future Growers and Producers Association
 at the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica auditorium
 on Trafalgar Road in Kingston. Seated at left (front row)
 is reggae icon Bunny Livingstone Wailer.
 (PHOTO: JOSEPH WELLINGTON)

"Please, Mr Government, ask you police and the army to stop digging down the world number one brand ganja," Ras Arthur Newland shouted out emphatically.

"We believe the persecution and the lock up for ganja must stop immediately," he declared during the well attended meeting which heralds the formal launch of the association set for April 5, 2014 at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

Another Rastafarian, Brother Trevor, who bemoaned the arrest of his friend, Ras Puddler of Westmoreland, who was arrested after he publicly declared in the Jamaica Observer that he planted ganja, was also of the opinion that individuals should not be persecuted for the weed while Government moved toward decriminalisation.

"How we can go forward knowing that the Jamaican Government is still funding and aiding the destruction of ganja fields, locking up people and burning ganja?" he asked. "How we can go forward with decriminalisation, much more legalisation, when we still accepting all these aids?".

But Paul Burke, programmes director for the association, while agreeing with the move for the enforcers not to persecute individuals for ganja said he was not in support of the call for them to leave the ganja fields. more

IN JAMAICA: Death Haunts Family - Tivoli Committee Collects Testimonies Ahead Of Enquiry....Sutherland claims that another nephew, who now lives overseas, has vowed never to eat meat again because of atrocities he saw inflicted upon humans during the 2010 police-military operation.

Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer

Published: Monday | March 31, 2014 

Tivoli resident Nadine Sutherland yesterday recounted the horror of two nephews being killed by members of the security forces, she claims, during May 2010, when policemen and soldiers went into the community in search of then fugitive Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.

Marjorie Hinds telling her story while
 tears stream down her face
 yesterday. - Rudolph Brown/Photographer

Thirteen years earlier, her son, Conrad Francis, who had just turned 18 years old, was among five persons killed by members of the security forces during an operation in the west Kingston community.

Sutherland claims that another nephew, who now lives overseas, has vowed never to eat meat again because of atrocities he saw inflicted upon humans during the 2010 police-military operation.

Sutherland and Marjorie Hinds, whose 13-year-old daughter reportedly watched as members of the security forces shot her father in cold blood in 2010, were recounting their tales of horror during a public forum hosted by the Tivoli Committee at the Council of Voluntary Social Services on South Camp Road in Kingston yesterday.

Hinds claimed to have been injured in a mortar blast, which she said ripped open the left side of her face and partially paralysed her right hand, rendering her unfit to hold a steady job. She broke down in tears, while recounting the events and admitted to still being traumatised. more 

IN JAMAICA: No murders reported over busy Champs weekend..... However, the CCN reported two fatal road crashes which claimed the lives of three people, and the seizure of an illegal firearm and ammunition.

Monday, March 31, 2014    

THERE were no reports of murder in the island over the busy Boys' and Girls' Championship weekend, police said.

Checks made with the communication arm of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the Constabulary Communications Unit, up to press time yesterday revealed that police blotters were not showing any recorded reports of murder between Friday and Saturday.

However, the CCN reported two fatal road crashes which claimed the lives of three people, and the seizure of an illegal firearm and ammunition.

In the first accident which occurred in St Mary on Saturday, sometime after 9:00 pm, two people were killed on the Prospect main road when the driver reportedly lost control of his vehicle. The deceased were identified as 45-year-old Caswell Baylis of Donhead Avenue and 35-year-old Marsha Singh of Honeyhill Close, both of St Andrew.

The other accident occurred along Retreat main road, shortly after 6:00 am on Sunday after the driver also reportedly lost control of the motor car and crashed into a utility pole. The dead man has been identified as 20-year-old Delano McFarlane of Bessie Baker district, Hanover.

Two other passengers who were also in the vehicle were admitted to hospital in serious condition.

The police also seized a Browning 9mm pistol with a magazine containing one 9mm round over the weekend and arrsted one man. more

IN JAMAICA: PALAS Scholarship recipient and Medical student at UWI, Nicole Nation Disabilities Awareness Activist -...Wins Autism Foundation Award....Tops NSWMA All-Island Essay Competition

The Maia Chung Autism and Disabilities Foundation is happy to announce that 18-year-old Nicole Nation is the overall winner of the inaugural Autism and Disabilities Ambassadors competition. The competition is one of the main efforts of the Foundation to help heighten awareness of autism and other disabilities. The competition was staged between January and April, global autism month.

Ms Nation won for her efforts in lifting the awareness of autism through writing letters to the newspaper, published in the Jamaica Observer, calling for more tolerance for the disabled and for writing poems about the plight of the disabled, published in The Sunday Gleaner. more

PALAS SPRING FLING DANCE FUNDRAISER EVENT at KOZY COVE , 4654 HOPE SPRING ROAD, STONE MOUNTAIN GA 30083. Admission is $15.00 (Includes Dinner)

Peace and Love Academic Scholarship (PALAS), 100 scholarships &
100 computers for 2014. Please donate at www.PALAS1.org or send a 
check payable to PALAS. PO Box 5461, Alpharetta GA 30023.

HANOVER, JAMAICA: Settle those differences, PNP official tells members.....supporters demonstrating in Lucea on Wednesday, calling on their Member of Parliament Ian Hayles to step down.

BY MARK CUMMINGS Editor-at-Large Western Bureau cummingsm@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, March 30, 2014

LUCEA, Hanover — Hyacinth Shakes-Warren, the People's National Party (PNP) Hanover West constituency chairman, has called for an amicable resolution to the bitter conflict that she said could destroy the governing party's machinery in the constituency.

People's National Party (PNP) supporters demonstrating
 in Lucea on Wednesday, calling on their Member of
 Parliament Ian Hayles to step down.

"I hope that for the party's sake the matter will be resolved amicably and they will stop this whole foolishness which is not good for the party," Shakes-Warren told the Jamaica Observer on Friday.

She was referring to a slew of charges and counter charges between supporters loyal to Member of Parliament for the area, Ian Hayles and Lucea Mayor Shernett Haughton, who is also the chairman of the PNP-controlled Hanover Parish Council.

Haughton, who represents the Green Island Division, has for several weeks been under pressure from the majority of councillors at the council to step down as chairman.

The councillors, who seemingly have the support of Hayles, have said that they are dissatisfied with Haughton's leadership of the local authority and have vowed to unseat her.

Three weeks ago, the monthly general meeting of the Hanover Parish Council fell through due to the lack of a quorum, as the controversy surrounding Haughton's leadership of the local authority appeared to be deepening.

The meeting was scheduled to begin at 10:00 am. However, just over an hour later, the mayor entered the chambers and thanked members of various State-run agencies, Parish Development Committee representatives and members of the media for coming out. She latter stated that the meeting had fallen through because of the lack of a quorum.

Then, just over a week ago at a workers meeting at the Green Island High School, Hayles made several pronouncements -- deemed by many to be disrespectful to the mayor- as he sought to explain the reasons for the impasse between the councillors and the mayor.

The MP's pronouncements have since been condemned by the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), as well as the Association of Local Government Authorities (ALGA), who have called on Hayles to apologise to the embattled Mayor. more

Champs To The Caribbean - Promising Regional Athletes Head To Jamaican Schools And Dominating Marquee Event.....Zharnell Hughes & Delano Williams 2 examples....at most track and field championships, the men's 100m, has been quietly erased at the premier high school track event in the world. Is this good or bad for the sport in JAMAICA?

Published Sunday March 30, 2014. Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter

KC's Anguillan, Zharnel Hughes

Jamaica's dominance in the marquee event at most track and field championships, the men's 100m, has been quietly erased at the premier high school track event in the world.

The ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championship is widely accepted as the best meet of its kind in the world, but for the past three years the marquee event, the Class One 100m, has not had a Jamaican champion.

The latest winner was Kingston College's Anguillan, Zharnel Hughes, who won last Friday with a 10.12-second clocking to better the old record of 10.21 set by Yohan Blake in 2007.

In 2012 and 2013, the races were won by Delano Williams of the Turks and Caicos Islands, who was representing Munro College.

Williams, who now represents Great Britain, went on to win the sprint double, as he captured the 200m on both occasions.

He has remained in Jamaica to train at the Glen Mills-led Racers Track Club, home of World and Olympic champion Usain Bolt and Blake. It is also the training base for Hughes.

Both Williams and Hughes have local connections as their mothers are Jamaican, but that is not the only thing that pulled them to the island to compete in the world-renowned 'Champs'.

ISSA General Secretary Garth Gayle, who has also been an official at Champs for the past 36 years and assistant meet manager for the last 15 years, believes that given the global environment, we are likely to see more youngsters coming here to attend schools and take part in the meet. more