IN JAMAICA: $18m allocated to help landowners obtain titles

Wednesday, June 04, 2014 | 12:36 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) -- The PetroCaribe Development Fund will set aside J$18 million to assist landowners who have applied to the Land Administration and Management Programme (LAMP) for titles, and are unable to complete the process, due to lack of funding.

 Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Robert Pickersgill, who made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2014/15 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on June 3, said the sum will go towards assisting beneficiaries in paying fees for titling services.

 He said that to date LAMP has submitted 62 files for processing and is awaiting funding in order to deliver the certificates of title to the beneficiaries at a formal ceremony.

 In the meantime, Minister Pickersgill informed that an allocation of $20 million has been provided to his Ministry to fund the operation of the Adjudication Committees in the various communities within affected parishes, to resolve ownership issues, which will result in the issuance of titles for these applicants.

 The committees cover the parishes of St Catherine, St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, Trelawny, and St Ann.

 It is projected that four committees will be established in St Elizabeth by June 30, while the other committees will be established later this year, in consultation with Members of Parliament.

 The LAMP was launched in 2000 and since its inception; in excess of 25,000 files have been opened, of which approximately 4,000 titles have been issued to new home owners. more

IN JAMAICA: Donnie McClurkin, American gospel singer, donates $60m in medical supplies to Jamaica...Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson accepted the donation of syringes, medication, surgical tools and equipment which, he said, will be supplied on a demand basis to hospitals and health centres across the island...."This year we have a current budget somewhere in the region of $34.7 billion.

Wednesday, June 04, 2014    

The public health sector received a gift of medical supplies valued at more than $60 million from well-known American gospel singer Donnie McClurkin Monday afternoon.

 Dr Fenton Ferguson accepts from Donnie McClurkin

Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson accepted the donation of syringes, medication, surgical tools and equipment which, he said, will be supplied on a demand basis to hospitals and health centres across the island.

Addressing the presentation ceremony at The Courtleigh Hotel and Suites in New Kingston, Ferguson said that donations amount to 20 to 30 per cent of the health ministry's overall budget, down from about 80 per cent three years ago.

"This year we have a current budget somewhere in the region of $34.7 billion. But, even as we have that budget, there are still significant gaps in our ability to respond to the needs of our people," the minister said.

McClurkin said he made the donation because of his love for Jamaica and its culture, adding that one of his albums contains tracks that were inspired by Jamaican gospel songs.

Over the last 15 years, the ministry has received external assistance on several occasions; 560 wheelchairs in 2002, $75 million in supplies in 2005, and more than $16 million in supplies last year.

The ministry also receives donations from the World Bank and Global Fund.

— Suzette Bonas

(DRAMATIC VIDEO) Taliban Video Shows Bowe Bergdahl Handover To US In Afghanistan....Published on Jun 4, 2014 The Taliban has released a video showing American hostage Sgt Bowe Bergdahl being handed over to US forces in Afghanistan. The video, emailed to the media, shows him being handed over close to the Afghan border with Pakistan.

KABUL, June 4 (Reuters) - The Taliban have released a 17-minute video showing the handover of U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl to the American military close to the Afghan border with Pakistan, in an exchange for five militants held at U.S. jail Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The video shows a Bergdahl, clean shaven, dressed in a white salwar kameez and with a shaved head, waiting in a white pick-up truck as Taliban militants outside lean in to talk to him. He appears to blink in the bright light, assenting as they speak. The video's authenticity could not be independently verified. (Link to video,http://bit.ly/1x4MPOM)

It shows armed gunmen dotting the hills around the valley, as Blackhawk helicopters overhead draw closer to the meeting point. The Taliban reporter speaking over the clip explains: "We told them there are 18 armed fighters and the Americans said that's alright," the male voice said.

As one of the helicopters lands throwing up a cloud of dust, Bergdahl is led to his rescuers by two men, one leading him by the hand and another waving a white cloth crudely tied to a wooden stick.
Most of the Taliban have their faces covered with scarves, while Bergdahl wears his over his shoulders. They are greeted by three men who shake their hands and lead Bergdahl by the arm to the helicopter. The aircraft takes off and the message in English flashes up: "Don' come back to Afghanistan".

IN JAMAICA (BIG BIG CASE- ATL THREE): Judge rules no consent given, but upholds no-case submission.... Magistrate: Trust Deeds for pension scheme valid but consent not given as required...The prosecution had fought strenuously to show that the allegedly forged letters were presented to ATL Group Chairman Gordon 'Butch' Stewart by Barber on December 16, 2010

Wednesday, June 04, 2014    

SENIOR Resident Magistrate Lorna Shelly-Williams yesterday upheld no-case submissions against three former ATL executives charged with fraud, but found that they had no consent to distribute $1.7 billion in pension fund surplus.

The ruling marked the end of almost 15 months of a trial that spun on whether the three had consent to make the distribution covering the years 1998, 2002, 2005 and 2008, and whether they had conspired to forge four letters to deceive that consent was given.

The courtroom of the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court, Half-Way-Tree, was already full when the magistrate walked in at 10:11 am. The tension in the air could be cut by a knife. The accused Patrick Lynch, the former chairman of the ATL Group Pension Scheme; Catherine Barber, the former general manager of the fund; and Dr Jeffery Pyne, former managing director of Gorstew Ltd, appeared glum. Lynch and Pyne chewed nervously. Lynch's high-profile younger brother, John Lynch, the former director of tourism, attended court for the first time since the trial started.

Shelly-Willaims started with an explanation that she really needed more than two weeks to go through the mounds of evidence and described it as "a work-in-progress".

In the end, she agreed with the prosecution that the Trust Deeds for the pension scheme were valid, and that consent was not given as required by the Deeds, but disagreed that the accused had lied, tried to cover up their action, or had intended to defraud. She ruled after a lengthy summation that the prosecution had not sufficently produced evidence against the three to establish fraud and dishonesty.

The three accused thanked the magistrate in unison from the docks after she told them she was upholding their no-case submissions.

The prosecution had fought strenuously to show that the allegedly forged letters were presented to ATL Group Chairman Gordon 'Butch' Stewart by Barber on December 16, 2010, after he made a fuss the day before that consent was not given for the distribution.

They were allegedly backdated to 1998, 2002, 2005, and 2008. According to the prosecution, Pyne, who signed the letters, had left the company seven months before December 15, 2010 when the alleged forgery was discovered. 
Yesterday, defence attorneys Frank Phipps, QC; KD Knight, QC; and Deborah Martin lauded the decision.
 more

IN JAMAICA: Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) expects over $2b more from new game, more draws....and sports betting driven by the FIFA World Cup....That would equate to single-digit growth on the $35 billion in revenues earned last year.

Wednesday, June 04, 2014  

Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) expects to generate up to $2.6 billion in additional revenue this year led by increased draws, a new game and increased sports betting driven by the FIFA World Cup.

That would equate to single-digit growth on the $35 billion in revenues earned last year.

Betters on the go

"We expect growth from all our initiatives to see an increase in the region of $1.5 to $2.6 billion ," said Brian George chief executive officer and president of SVL, in his address to shareholders at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston yesterday.

A large chunk of the proposed revenue rise between $434 to $869 million will come from the addition of an early morning game draw. That is based on a 30-week sales projection, according to George's powerpoint presentation. That draw will be broadcast at 8:30 am.

The company will also announce a new game called Top Draw.

But George avoided revealing specifics, opting to wait for its launch later this year.

"There is a reason it is called Top Draw," he said, pointing to the game's logo which illustrates stacked cabinet drawers.

SVL expects to grow its sports revenues substantially, valuing the long-term market size at up to $10 billion. Its sport betting brand JustBet earned revenues of $266 million last year, despite regulatory delays.

"That's peanuts compared to when we say the business is worth anywhere between $8 to 10 billion," said George on sports betting.

However, SVL sports betting revenues grew from $75 to $95 million in the March quarter 2014 year on year. SVL operates 28 company-owned sports betting locations across the island compared with over 1,100 lotto agents . more

TESSANNE CHIN - "Don't You Make My Brown Eyes Blue" played by RULA BROWN......Absolutely big massive chune on www.RulaBrownNetwork.com every Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri (9am-12Noon ET), Sun 3-7pm ET. #BringBackOurJamaica

The changing face of Negril in JAMAICA.....THEY tell of an idyllic village some 60 years ago: a time when thick vegetation lined the beach; a time when continuous stretches of coral reef jutted so far out of the water that people could walk on them; a time when the Great Morass was vibrant and healthy.

BY KIMONE THOMPSON Associate editor - features thompsonk@jamaicaobserver.com  Wednesday, June 04, 2014    

THEY tell of an idyllic village some 60 years ago: a time when thick vegetation lined the beach; a time when continuous stretches of coral reef jutted so far out of the water that people could walk on them; a time when the Great Morass was vibrant and healthy.

It was a time before hotels, before Norman Manley Boulevard, before North Negril River.

Stakeholders maintain that some property owners have built
 too close to the shore. 

But a lot has changed since then and people like Ray Arthur, Nehru Caolsingh, Sophie Grizzle-Roumel and Mary Veira, who either grew up in Negril or have lived there for at least 50 years, have watched as the skyline and shoreline have changed with the rate of rapid human development, often with very little consideration for the natural environment.

Take for example, the distance between some beachfront properties and the shore. Or that on the right side of the boulevard towards Hanover, there are buildings, businesses and car parks on lands that were once part of the morass - a large swamp that is home to, among other things, the endemic Royal Palm.

"It is undeniable that a number of people who have been involved in development on the beach have violated some of the rules and regulations set down and as a result have been impacted from beach erosion today more than others, but also the authorities are to be blamed," said Caolsingh.

He was speaking at a recent meeting of Negril stakeholders convened to discuss their position on government's plan to build two breakwaters 1.5 km offshore west of Negril beach. They are adamant that the project will cause more harm than good and propose that a series of activities to include beach nourishment, enforcement of the development regulations, observation of the marine park rules, and restoration of the morass would be more sustainable, more long-lasting and more beneficial to the entire stretch of the famous beach, as opposed to the small area where the breakwaters are to be constructed.

Negril, circa 1956, shows a densely
 wooded beachfront.

On the subject of government regulation, Caolsingh added that the original setback which indicated how far from the high water mark developers could build was 150 feet.

"As time went by, some developers wanted to add more rooms per acre and they adjusted the setback to 100 feet. Following on that, the Negril planning authority has not always been functioning. There are times when there is a board, there are times when there isn't a board... and we have found people coming in totally violating the building regulations, have built so close to shore that even if you were to walk on the beach today you will see that some are more impacted than others and that is from their own doing," he said.

Caolsingh also spoke of the dredging of the South Negril River which shifted the course of where it entered the bay.... more

Western Jamaica churches stand up for Professor Bain.....yesterday protested against the University of the West Indies' (UWI) recent sacking of Professor Brendan Bain as head of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network.

 BY HORACE HINES Observer staff reporter hinesh@jamaicaobserver.com  Tuesday, June 03, 2014   

 MONTEGO BAY, St James — Several church groups from western Jamaica yesterday protested against the University of the West Indies' (UWI) recent sacking of Professor Brendan Bain as head of the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network.

Representatives for churches in western Jamaica demonstrating
outside the UWI Mona Western Jamaica Campus on
Queen’s Drive, Montego Bay, yesterday.

Placard-bearing members of the group of demonstrators, clad in black and with masking tape over their mouths, started gathering at the entrance of the UWI Mona Western Jamaica Campus on Queen's Drive, Montego Bay, from 8:30 am.

Some of the placards read: 'Free Speech Is A Right Not A Privilege'; 'Do Not Change The Buggery Law'; and 'Keep Us Free From Evil Powers'.

They got support from horn-tooting motorists as they drove by.

The UWI sacked Professor Bain following concerns from gay advocacy groups across the Caribbean about his expert testimony given in a Belize court case seeking to challenge laws criminalising buggery.

Several critics, including church leaders, said the professor's dismissal was the university's giving in to pressure from gay rights groups.

Supporters of the academic, one of the region's leading authorities on the HIV epidemic in the Caribbean and one of the pioneers in clinical infectious diseases, last week protested outside the gates of the UWI's Mona Campus in Kingston. Protests, in support of Bain, were also held in Belize last week.

Chairman of the St James Ministers' Fraternal Rev Glendon Powell, who was among the demonstrators yesterday, said the groups wanted justice for Professor Bain. more

HAIR CANDY: Make your hair dream a reality, with Candy Moisture Mousse....Softens, without weighing down or giving the hair a heavy feeling because the hair naturally absorbs it. ✔ Soothes irritating scalp whether dry, itchy or flaky. ✔ Protects the hair against heat and shields it against UV rays. ✔ Stimulates hair growth. ✔ Promotes healthy hair. ✔ Keeps natural hair twist together. ✔ Gives hair edge a soothing look. ✔ Prevents breakage.

Cathy Risden,  Lifestyle Intern

Make your hair dream a reality, with Candy Moisture Mousse. This new product to hit the hair market is shea butter-based infused with natural, virgin oils such as apricot kernel oil, coconut oil and vitamin E oil. Just under a year since its introduction, this product is here to change the life of many women who are frustrated about finding the right hair moisturiser.

Daniel Philpotts-Brown applies mousse to naturalist
 Tawana Johnson's hair as she enjoys the feel and smell
of Candy Moisture Mousse.

Healthy moist hair is every woman's desire as it makes her more confident. Flair tapped into this new hair product line to assist the DIY hairdressers by speaking with founder and owner of Candy Moisture Mousse Tawana Johnson. A naturalist, she told Flair that the main idea of Candy Moisture Mousse came after receiving countless messages and questions about what she uses to moisturise her natural hair. She realised that the biggest problem females were having, especially ones who were natural, was retaining moisture in their hair. Johnson heard the cries of these women and decided to aid in solving this problem using her entrepreneurial skills. "One day, it just occurred to me that I should try to bottle my own concoction that I had been using for over a year, and see if others would be interested and if it could help them too," she explained to Flair.

The vibrant colours of the mousse, Johnson tells us, this adds to the product's candy theme. The product aims to bring a fun and enjoyable approach to hair care. We all know women are lovers of sweet scented products and the scent goes hand in hand with the colours for that candy-craze appeal. Johnson shares, "One should enjoy using their bottle of CM², not only for the benefits but for the experience with smell and colours. That is why we refer to it as hair candy." more

Harriette Thompson, 91 y-o and recovering from cancer breaks Marathon Record....She also became the second-oldest woman to complete a marathon in U.S. history raising more than $90,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

For Harriette Thompson, 15th time's the charm.

That's how many times the 91-year-old has run the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon. This past Sunday, the North Carolinian not only conquered the 26.2-mile course, she broke a few records and fought back against cancer, too.

91 y-o Harriette Thompson

Thompson now holds a new record for fastest marathon run in American history within the 90-94-year-old age group, with an astounding time of 7 hours, 7 minutes and 42 seconds. She also became the oldest woman to complete the San Diego race, and the second oldest marathon competitor in U.S. history, according to NBC 7 San Diego News.

"I try to run around the block, and I do a few 5Ks," she told the outlet of her preparation for the event. "I think the most I’ve done this year is an 8K, so it’s sort of a lot to ask to jump from that to 26."

While breaking records is great, what Thompson achieved beyond pounding the pavement is what's truly remarkable -- raising more than $90,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It's a cause that's near and dear to her heart, as she'd just undergone radiation treatment on her own legs -- incredibly, just one month prior to completing the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon, the Charlotte Observer reported. more

ATLANTA, GA : Prayer vigil held for toddler severely hurt in SWAT raid....Police Department threw a stun grenade in the child’s crib where he was sleeping.

ATLANTA — 

A prayer vigil was held Monday morning for a Habersham County toddler severely burned in a SWAT raid.

Supporters gathered outside Grady Memorial Hospital where Bounkham Phonesavanh is preparing for another round of surgery.

During a raid last week, Phonesavanh’s family said a special response team with the Habersham Police Department threw a stun grenade in the child’s crib where he was sleeping. The incident happened when police tried to serve a no-knock warrant for a man believed to be serving drugs from the home.

The child's family is now demanding answers from Habersham police and prayers from the public.

“We just ask everybody to pray for our child. He’s not doing too good,” the child’s father, Boun Khan Phonesavanh, said in. In an interview this weekend, activists and attorneys told Channel 2 Action News the Phonesavanhs were treated unfairly.

“This family, overnight, has become the face of police brutality,” said activist Marcus Coleman. In an induced coma, the toddler has lost the use of one lung and faces more surgeries.

HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — Opposition Leader Marc Bean leader says he ‘cured’ daughter’s asthma with ganja tea....Since that day she has never, ever suffered from asthma..... "Since that one day, that one cup of cannabis tea. So you can't tell me the medicinal use of it."

Tuesday, June 03, 2014    

HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — Opposition Leader Marc Bean has come under fire from a leading children's rights advocate after admitting he gave his then-young daughter "ganja tea" to treat her asthma.

The advocate, Sheelagh Cooper, said she was shocked by Bean's statement in the House of Assembly.

Dr Henry Lowe (left), research scientist and entrepreneur,
 and Harvard Law School Professor Charles Nesson share
 a joke as they peruse a page in the book, Cannabis,
Marijuana, Ganja — The Jamaica and Global Connection,
 written by Dr Lowe and Professor Errol Morrison. Professor
 Nesson was making a courtesy call on Dr Lowe at
 the Eden Gardens Wellness Resort and Spa on
 Lady Musgrave Road in Kingston last week Monday.

Speaking during a take-note motion in the House on the report of the Cannabis Reform Collaborative to potential changes to the island's policy on marijuana, Bean said he had in the past used marijuana medicinally for both himself and his family.

Bean called for the legalisation of marijuana with a "light touch" of regulation, saying the taxation of cannabis could bring in more than US$20 million in tax revenue, provide a boost in tourism and create entrepreneurial opportunities.

Kicking off the marathon debate earlier, Premier Michael Dunkley, who is also national security minister, said the One Bermuda Alliance Government has no plans to legalise marijuana, claiming that "it is wrong to yield to a more permissive attitude socially without due regard to the social, economic and health consequences".

"Medicinal use, as far as I'm concerned, I don't need too much scientific evidence," Bean told the House on Friday night.

"When my daughter was three years old, because of the circumstances I didn't have much opportunity to spend time with her up until she reached about two-and-a-half, three, but I always was told she suffers from asthma severely.

"The first opportunity I had my daughter, who's now going on 20 years old, in my care and custody I went and made her a big cup of ganja tea. That was when she was two-and-a-half, three years old.

"Now some of you might be saying 'that's irresponsible as a parent', but you can go ask her mother and her family on her mother's side today. Since that day she has never, ever suffered from asthma. Since that one day, that one cup of cannabis tea. So you can't tell me the medicinal use of it." more

MANDEVILLE, JAMAICA (#BringBackOurJamaica) : Manchester 49-year-old taximan, Rupert Taylor, trailed, stabbed to death...."Dem kill mi brother fi nutten at all, mi loving brother," said the obviously distraught woman.....And seven years ago, he was shot at by a passenger who refused to pay his fare.

 BY ALICIA SUTHERLAND Observer staff reporter sutherlanda@jamaicaobserver.com  Tuesday, June 03, 2014
MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Criminals early yesterday trailed a taxi driver to his home in Belretiro here, where they stabbed him as he entered his bedroom. He ran outside where he collapsed and died.

A Family member in pain after murder of Rupert Taylor

The blood-stained floor, walls, curtains and bed linen brought some community members to tears when they got news that the 49-year-old taximan, Rupert Taylor, better known as 'Cat', was slain.

According to the Mandeville police, about 12:15 am Taylor parked his vehicle and was walking along a foot path to his home when he was followed by men who stabbed him in the neck as he entered his house.

The injured taxi operator, the police said, managed to run from the house but collapsed shortly after in a potato field, where he died.

A man was later detained by the police and was being questioned last night about Taylor's death.

According to the Mandeville police, even though there was no evidence that anything was stolen from Taylor, who lived alone, robbery was believed to be the motive for the attack.

Elaine Taylor, sister of the deceased, said that her brother had been operating a taxi for several years and was at a loss why someone would want to take his life.

"Dem kill mi brother fi nutten at all... mi loving brother," said the obviously distraught woman.

One of the slain taximan's regular passengers, 13-year-old Jerome Barclay, a student of Villa Road Primary and Junior High, was in tears on the scene as he leaned on his mother for support. He told the Jamaica Observer that even when he did not have taxi fare he could still count on Taylor to take him to and from school.

Colleague taxi operator Merrick Henry said cabbies were a 'target' "because there is a misconception that taximen earn a lot of money. Based upon what we saw, it could happen to any one of us".

Henry said he believed that robbery was the motive for Taylor's death.

Taylor, who fellow taxi operators said worked long hours on the Belretiro to Mandeville route in making his honest bread, was in 2007 attacked and stabbed by schoolboys who had refused to pay their fares. He was unable to work for about three months because of those injuries. And seven years ago, he was shot at by a passenger who refused to pay his fare. He was not injured in that attack.

Taylor's sister said, too, that her brother came home on more than one occasion to find his house ransacked. more

Chris Brown I'm NEVER, EVER Going Back to Jail Sources close to Chris tell TMZ

6/2/2014 2:18 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF   
Chris Brown is freshly freed and vowing to clean up his life so he never gets thrown behind bars again.

Sources close to Chris tell TMZ ... the singer is making a Lindsay-type pledge -- to stay away from drugs and bad people, especially those connected to gangs.  

Chris Brown

Chris seems to be blaming part of his problems -- which landed him in jail for 108 days -- on the people with whom he was hanging.  But he's also acknowledging his problems with violence were largely his doing.  Doctors believe his erratic behavior was largely the result of bipolarity.  He's now on meds and doctors say he's now stabilized.

Brown says his singular focus now is music and he has privately told his label he will not screw up again.

Time will tell ...more

Pele’s son Edinho sentenced to 33 years in prison over money-laundering for Santos drug cartel....Edinho has served time before for drug offences before Brazil legend's son played for Santos in the 1990s Incident comes as a PR disaster ahead of this month's World Cup

PELE's son Edhino

Monday, June 02, 2014 | 4:20 PM    

SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian judge has sentenced the son of soccer legend Pele to 33 years in prison after finding him guilty of laundering money for a drug gang.

Judge Suzana Pereira says Edson Cholbi do Nascimento must surrender his passport to the court this week. She says the 43-year-old man can remain free as he appeals.

PELE

Known as Edinho, Pele's son spent six months in prison in 2005 after being arrested with 50 others in the port city of Santos. He has denied the charges although he confessed to using drugs.

Edinho played as a goalkeeper and is now a coach for the Santos soccer club.

Considered the best soccer player ever, his father is in the spotlight as Brazil makes final preparations to host the World Cup in 10 days. Pele’s son admits to being a drug addict but protests his innocence surrounding any other charges. 

The 43-year-old – who has served time in jail for drug trafficking before – is a goalkeeping coach at Santos. 

He is expected to appeal the ruling according to Brazilian media.

Pele labelled his country a 'disgrace' last month for their poor planning ahead of the biggest show on earth. 

There have been a number of delays to the completion of some stadiums as well as widespread theft and corruption in the build-up to the tournament. 

'There has been significant time to get the stadiums finished. The situation is unacceptable – it is a disgrace. The political situation is difficult,' he said. 

‘Our team has nothing to do with the ongoing corruption that has delayed construction of the stadiums.

 

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting, promises Deportees Policy this year.... Jamaica received the highest number of criminal deportees in the region....He said that over the period 1996 to 2013, a total of 48,726 persons were deported to Jamaica.

By Balford Henry, Senior Staff Reporter  Monday, June 02, 2014 | 1:04 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting, says that a policy is being developed for the management of returning deportees and their reintegration into the society, as well as the repatriating of foreigners from Jamaica, starting this financial year.

Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting

According to Ministry Paper Number 94, titled ‘Achievements and Plans of the Ministry of National Security’, which has been tabled in the House of Representatives by the minister, the policy is at an advanced drafting stage and will be tabled before the Public Order Committee of Cabinet during the first quarter of 2014/15.

In the Ministry Paper, the Minister explained that, up to 2013, on average, Jamaica received the highest number of criminal deportees in the region.

He said that over the period 1996 to 2013, a total of 48,726 persons were deported to Jamaica. In 2013, a total of 2,139 persons were deported to the island, for both criminal and non-criminal offences.

He said that the deportation of women, and the minors who accompany them, is also a growing concern for his ministry, as policy makers, given the impact on family life.

“This high level of attention and activity that the return and reintegration of Jamaicans has been receiving in recent years, has presented the need for the Ministry to develop a policy for the management of the returning and reintegration of Jamaicans and the process of repatriating foreigners from the Island,” Bunting explained.

BROOKLYN STABBING LEAVES 6-YEAR-OLD DEAD, 7-YEAR-OLD WOUNDED

Monday, June 02, 2014

EAST NEW YORK (WABC) --

The manhunt continues Monday for a man police say stabbed two children - one of them fatally - inside an elevator at an apartment building in Brooklyn.

The incident happened just before 6 p.m. Sunday in a housing development on Schenck Avenue near Stanley Avenue in East New York. The incident happened just blocks away from where 18-year-old Tanya Copeland was fatally stabbed on Friday night, leaving area residents on edge.

Relatives say 6-year-old Prince Joshua Avitto, known as PJ, and 7-year-old Mikayala Capers were off to get ice cream on a warm spring evening when they were attacked by a knife-wielding killer while riding the elevator down to the building lobby.

Avitto was stabbed multiple times and rushed to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Capers was stabbed more than a dozen times but survived, and she is recovering after undergoing surgery.

The suspect, who took off on foot, reportedly told the children to shut up before stabbing them. The only description of the man is that he is heavyset and in his 30s. more

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Military schools are the answer to JAMAICA's moral decay. What do you think?

BY KENROY DAVIS  Monday, June 02, 2014    

THE moral decay in our society is quite palpable. If one should do a thorough comparative analysis of the 1960s to 1980s and the 2000s, as it relates to moral values and discipline, without a doubt, one would see a significant decline. Let’s examine present-day events, among them an escalating crime rate, especially among our youth.

Military schools should be built under a strategic
 framework so as to accommodate all students who
think that the ‘bad man’ attitude is substantial.

We turn our attention to the recent 14-year-old who reportedly murdered a nineyear- old boy, and the 17-yearold who is alleged to have murdered the 14-year-old girl with whom there was a seeming relationship. This is not the first we have heard of such cases. In fact, reports of same have become very prevalent.

As it relates to discipline among our youth, we look to contributing factors such as the home, school and wider society, and the existing modes of socialisation. Psychological theorist Lev Vygosky informed us that children are born ‘tabula rasa’ — with a blank state. As such, he believed strongly that community plays a central role in the process of "making meaning".

Therefore, the home, school and community, which are modes of socialisation, all impact behaviours. The home is the first and central mode of socialisation for any child, and if the home fails to instil critical moral values and discipline, then other social institutions have no choice but to do so. The school is a critical place for moral and psychological development, as well as for the development of discipline.

However, indiscipline is parading within our schools, slowly consuming our students as a parasite feeding on its host. And, in some cases, detaching the parasite is next to impossible. Some students are socialised in such a way as they are constantly exposed to violence and ‘loose’ behaviours. Over time, it becomes wired in their state of consciousness.

Therefore, the cognitive process accepts it as the norm. Behaviours are often said to be learnt, as such, psychological theorists Ivan P Pavlov and B F Skinner derived the ‘behaviorism theory’. This theory has two tenets: classical and operant conditioning. Thus, all behavior can be unlearned and new behaviours learned in its place. more

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA (#BringBackOurJamaica): Packed church pays tear-stained farewell to twin boys, Brayden and Brandon Jones.....The parents of the dead boys, Andrea Bernard and Bertram Jones, wept uncontrollably

BY HORACE HINES Observer staff reporter  Monday, June 02, 2014 

MONTEGO BAY, St James-As they came into the world - together - nine-year-old twin boys Brayden and Brandon Jones were laid to rest yesterday, both lying side by side in the same casket as their parents wept inconsolably.

As they came into the world, twin boys Brayden and Brandon
 Jones were laid to rest together in the same casket.
 Mourners created photo memories of the boys who were
 swept away by angry flood waters last month. The funeral
 service was held yesterday at the King’s Seventh-day
 Adventist Church in Mount Salem, St James.
 (See story on page four) (PHOTO: PHILLIP LEMONTE)

The funeral service to pay last respects to the brothers who were swept away by angry flood waters on their way from school last month, was held at King’s Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mount Salem, St James.

Noting that a lesson should be taken from the tragic passing of Brayden and Brandon, Opposition Leader Andrew Holness called for a national campaign, akin to the National Road Safety Campaign, to inculcate safety practices in children. And he implored the State and the Church to play an integral role in such a campaign.

"Today, I want to say to the church, which is filled with parents, teachers and students, that we may not have the money to put railings on all the gullies that are built, we may not have money to put in all the safety devices and features, but each of us has the quiet time with our children,” her said.

"As parents, now you are going to have to say ‘when you passing the gully, take extra care. Don't jump in the gully and go swim. There is such a thing now called climate change, yesterday it was bright sun, by the time you turn around is heavy rain ,and when you in that gully you not knowing when that flood of water coming’. As parents let us use this tragedy to now cement in our minds that there is something that comes of this that we can do to protect our children."

Meanwhile, Minister of Education Rev Ronald Thwaites also used the occasion of the tragedy to underscore the need for good parenting.

"Because of this tragedy and because of the other tragedies in St James and elsewhere in Jamaica, all of us need to recognise that being a good parent is the most important thing that any human person can do. And that goes not only for mothers, but for fathers too. To grow up in a rightoues and wholesome way, children need mother and father, wherever possible," Rev Thwaites said.

Both men were speaking yesterday at the mournful memorial service for the two Green Pond Primary school students.

Scores of mourners overflowed onto the yard from the jampacked church building to pay a tear-stained farewell after the twin tragedy which left Jamaicans shaken.

The parents of the dead boys, Andrea Bernard and Bertram Jones, wept uncontrollably, oblivious of the sweltering heat that assaulted the church from an unyielding morning sun.

Holness, in his address, attempted to console the hurting parents, saying that the entire nation was mourning with them. more

IN JAMAICA (FRIGHTENING STATS FROM JCF): 60 children murdered, 99 shot and injured in past 16 months by criminals...in the last two months alone, seven children between the ages of 7 and 17 years were murdered, while one was shot and injured....citing statistics to show that, for the period January 1, 2013 to May 25, 2014, some 44 children were charged with murder, 40 with shooting and 94 with breaches of the Firearms Act.

Monday, June 02, 2014 — Kimmo Matthews Jamaica Observer

Sixty children were murdered and 99 shot and injured by criminals between January 2013 and May 2014, according to the latest data from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Statistics Department.

Police report that, in the last two months alone, seven children between the ages of 7 and 17 years were murdered, while one was shot and injured.

Penda Honeyghan reads to children from Craig Town,
 Kingston who are participating in mentorship programme
 managed by students of the AZ Preston Hall at University
 of the West Indies.

The Police High Command, in response to the brutal attacks has issued a call on all Jamaicans to redouble their efforts to safeguard the nation’s youth.

The police said they were also concerned about the number of youths becoming involved in gun-related crimes, citing statistics to show that, for the period January 1, 2013 to May 25, 2014, some 44 children were charged with murder, 40 with shooting and 94 with breaches of the Firearms Act.

“Police intelligence suggests that gangs continue to co-opt children in their criminal organisations to commit crimes," the Police High Command reported.

"Children are routinely found to be armed with weapons of all kinds — knives, machetes, even cleverly made home-made firearms, which are believed to be supplied by criminal gangs," the police said.

While the police continue to enforce the law and employ policing strategies to dissuade young people from a life of crime, parents, caregivers and communities were being urged to care for children and to seek the assistance of the police, the Child Development Agency, or other appropriate authorities where necessary. The Police also urged citizens to report any abuse of children or their involvement in crimes.

"Children are too precious a resource for well-thinking Jamaicans to stand by and do nothing to help them. Now more than ever, Jamaicans must unite for change; it is our civic duty to care for and protect our children," the police said.....

IN JAMAICA: Preach more about sex, fidelity, pastors urged

By Nadine Wilson Observer staff reporter wilsonn@jamaicaobserver.com  Monday, June 02, 2014    

The National Family Planning Board (NFPB) has urged pastors to contribute to the fight against HIV by intensifying their promotion of faithfulness between partners and talking more about sex in their sermons.

Director for enabling environment and human rights at the NFPB,  Karlene Temple - Anderson, suggested that faith-based organisations (FBO) should play their part by encouraging couples to remain committed to each other.

"That is one area that we have been trying to promote, but we have not been doing a good job at it, we must admit. so we would love assistance in that area, since we are all on the same page on that topic," Temple-Anderson told a gathering of pastors on Friday at the Jamaica Conference Centre during a church leaders and pastors' HIV conference.

"What we are asking is that FBOs take the mantra and push both partners’ faithfulness. That's the mandate you are comfortable with, that is... one of the preventative methods that we are promoting, so you would be in keeping with your goal and with your belief," she argued.

The call for the churches to help is more urgent now, as funding to assist in counteracting the spread of the virus has been dwindling over the last few years, even as estimates show that 34,000 persons are living with HIV in Jamaica, despite the fact that schools have been promoting abstinence and the health sector continues to distribute condoms.

"The money that we used to receive no longer exist; so a conversation around funding is something that we need to look at, in terms of locally, if we can get the private sector to assist in the process...” said Temple-Anderson. more

Franklin Town Primary in KINGSTON, JAMAICA skypes Canadian School.....The live stream is facilitate through the work of Franklin Town Alumni now Canada resident Dr Nadine Wong

Sunday, June 01, 2014 Jamaica Obse    

Students at Franklin Town Primary School practised their ambassadorial skills in a Skype conference with their peers from Eastview Public School in Canada last Thursday.

Franklin Town Primary skypes Canadian school

As one would expect, the excited grade five and six youngsters discussed everything from the weather to Bob Marley and Usain Bolt. There were also cultural items presented by both schools.

The live stream is facilitate through the work of Franklin Town Alumni now Canada resident Dr Nadine Wong, advised Principal Leroy Smith.

"This is our second such engagement this year, and the teachers here at Franklin Town are excited and on board to prepare our students for even more such exchanges," he added.

Many of the students at Eastview are native Indians, but Principal Lewis explained that "it was interesting that in the introductions we found that a few of them also had Jamaican heritage".

"This is the interaction we are glad to have; our students can speak with and others from a country many of them may never get an opportunity to travel to."

The education connection was hosted in the school's Digicel Enrichment Room, also utilising equipment the school has acquired through fund-raising and gifts from the Chinese Embassy in Jamaica.