GENOCIDAL IN IRAQ : At Least 500 Yazidis Killed By ISIS... Women And Children Buried Alive...Hundreds Of Women Kidnapped... Rape, Slavery Fears... TO THE RESCUE: Kurds Break Through, Thousands Freed... Many Still Stranded...

BAGHDAD, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Islamic State militants have killed at least 500 members of Iraq's Yazidi ethnic minority during their offensive in the north, Iraq's human rights minister told Reuters on Sunday.

Yazidis on the run in Iraq

Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said the Sunni militants had also buried alive some of their victims, including women and children. Some 300 women were kidnapped as slaves, he added.

"We have striking evidence obtained from Yazidis fleeing Sinjar and some who escaped death, and also crime scene images that show indisputably that the gangs of the Islamic States have executed at least 500 Yazidis after seizing Sinjar," Sudani told Reuters. more

BEST LAWYER / INSURANCE STORY OF THE YEAR, DECADE, AND POSSIBLY THE CENTURY....QUITE BIZARRE, The Cigar Story

This actually took place in Charlotte , North CarolinaA lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against, among other things, fire.
Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars, the lawyer filed a claim against the insurance company. In his claim, the lawyer stated thecigars were lost 'in a series of small  fires.'The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason, that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion.
The lawyer sued and WON!
(Stay with me.)Delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy fromthe company, in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is consideredto be unacceptable 'fire' and was obligated to pay the claim.
Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the cigars thatperished in the 'fires'.
NOW FOR THE BEST PART...
After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on  24 counts of ARSON!!! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine.
This true story won First Place in last year's Criminal Lawyers Award contest.
ONLY IN AMERICA . .. . NO WONDER THE REST OF THE WORLD THINKS WE'RE NUTS.

IAN BOYNE: Women Will Always, Tragically, Be Seen As Meat...."My girl, yu serious, eeh? A ramp me a ramp wid yuh 'cause yuh body look so good!"

Ian Boyne, Columnist Published: Sunday | August 10, 2014 

Karen Lloyd's In Focus article last week, 'My vagina isn't public property', provoked an unprecedented number of responses to any article in this section.

Model (File Photo)

She recounts a man's groping her breast, to which she responded with a slap across his face, with his retorting in apparent surprise at her ingratitude for his expression of interest: "My girl, yu serious, eeh? A ramp me a ramp wid yuh 'cause yuh body look so good!" Lloyd says, "This is not only a personal issue ... . The vast majority of Jamaican women are harassed daily on the street by men who believe they have some inherent right to women's bodies. All my female friends share similar experiences on a regular basis."

Lloyd says, "Even more frightening is the fact that we hardly take street and sexual harassment seriously. Men will continue to grab and grope women in public because it is not a 'big deal' and is usually met with impunity at best and a 'forward' at worse by onlookers."

Lloyd has a big wish: "Perhaps I am asking too much, but one day I would like to be able to go through my day freely without being treated like a piece of meat to be positioned, handled and devoured." I doubt she or her children will live to see that day. Even if she is never touched or even spoken to suggestively, it is likely that men will still view her as a commodity to be positioned, handled and devoured, even if evolved social norms frown on it.

The sexual revolution did not liberate women from objectification and commodification. Women are seen in Western society as consumable meat. We, men, are the primary beneficiaries of the sexual revolution.

Men are socialised to see women as objects of their sexual gratification. And especially in our macho culture, which sees itself as threatened by 'growing homosexuality', some men are becoming even more aggressive in asserting their heterosexuality. Well, what one person calls sexism, others would celebrate as liberation. For London School of Economics Sociology Professor Catherine Hakim in her thought-provoking book,Erotic Capital: The Power of Attraction in the Boardroom and the Bedroom (2011), even feminists have unwittingly sold out to patriarchal ideas about what is proper for women, and have ignored the power of erotic capital. more

Battling Ebola - Jamaican Doctor, Louisa Baxter On Front Line Of Deadly Crisis..."It is a worrying issue for the international community," stressed Baxter, who had just returned to London, England, from Sierra Leone and Liberia, where she came face to face with the suffering of Ebola victims....which has already claimed at least 961 lives from 1,779 recorded cases on the African continent

Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer  Published: Sunday | August 10, 2014

Dr. Louisa Baxter

A gutsy Jamaican doctor living in the United Kingdom, who has added her expertise to the gamut of international medical teams combating the Ebola crisis in West Africa, has given the islandhigh marks for taking the necessary precautionary measures to stave off a local outbreak of the disease.

Dr Louisa Baxter, who spent her early years in St Mary and once worked at the Kingston Public Hospital, told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday that vigilance must remain the order of the day to avoid a Caribbeanoutbreak of Ebola, which has already claimed at least 961 lives from 1,779 recorded cases on the African continent - a death rate of just more than 50 per cent.

"It is a worrying issue for the international community," stressed Baxter, who had just returned to London, England, from Sierra Leone and Liberia, where she came face to face with the suffering of Ebola victims.

"Jamaica is doing what it is supposed to, but the gravity of the situation (in Africa) must not be lost on anyone because the international community is so closely connected these days."

Ministry keeping informed

Last Thursday, Jamaica's Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson indicated that the ministry has been keeping itself informed of developments with respect to the Ebola outbreak through reports issued by the World Health Organisation.

The image of Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (left)
 appears on a banner warning people about the Ebola virus
in the city of Monrovia, Liberia, on Friday. Over the decades, Ebola
cases have been confirmed in 10 African countries, including Congo
where the disease was first reported in 1976.
 But until this year, Ebola had never come to West Africa. - AP photo

According to Ferguson, surveillance at the nation's points of entry is already in place and "we will be continuing with training and sensitisation of our health workers, as part of measures to increase our vigilance and preparedness for this disease".

He added: "I would like to assure that we continue to enjoy the support of the University of the West Indies Virology Lab, the United States Centres for Disease and Control and Prevention and the Caribbean Public Health Agency, for testing if needed." more

IN JAMAICA: Petrojam awards four students who excelled in the recent Grade Six Achievement Test ( GSAT) have been awarded scholarships....The students are Ricardo Anderson and Jahmella Irey, top boy and top girl from St Andrew Primary School; and Nicholas Grant and Brittney Green, top boy and top girl from Greenwich All-Age.

By AINSWORTH MORRIS Career & Education writer  Sunday, August 10, 2014    

FOUR students who excelled in the recent Grade Six Achievement Test ( GSAT) have been awarded scholarships totalling $240,000 from Petrojam Limited.

The students are Ricardo Anderson and Jahmella Irey, top boy and top girl from St Andrew Primary School; and Nicholas Grant and Brittney Green, top boy and top girl from Greenwich All-Age.

From left, Brittney Green, Ricardo Anderson, Jahmella Irey
and Nicholas Grant, top performing boys and girls
 from St Andrew Primary School and Greenwich All-Age
 School. (PHOTO: TYRONE SIMMS)

The 12-year-olds scored the highest overall averages from their respective schools. They were awarded at the 2014 Petrojam Limited GSAT Awards Luncheon at Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel on July 31.

Irey scored 71 per cent in mathematics, 73 per cent in language arts, 85 per cent in science, 85 per cent in social studies and 9/12 in communication tasks. She will be attending Excelsior High this upcoming academic year. She was also awarded by Petrojam for being the most disciplined student at the school.

Anderson scored 100 per cent in mathematics, 95 in social studies, 95 in language arts, 92 per cent in science and 11/12 in communication tasks. He will attend Ardenne High.

He was also awarded for being the most outstanding student at St Andrew Primary, outstanding achiever in mathematics and outstanding achiever in arts.

Green scored 85 per cent in science, 90 per cent in social studies, 92 per cent in language arts and 11/12 in communication tasks. She will attend Wolmer's Girls.

Grant scored 80 per cent in language arts, 86 per cent in mathematics, 90 per cent in science and 82 per cent in social studies. He will be attending Meadowbrook High.

In addition to these four awards, Petrojam also awarded four other students from St Andrew and five from Greenwich in other award categories.

From St Andrew Primary, D'Andre Bartley was judged most improved male student; Tashieca Bowen was judged most improved female student; and Raheem Buckley and Shanneal Parker were awarded for best attendance/punctuality. Buckley was also given the award for outstanding achiever in sports. more

2 y-o boy raps and grooves nicely on the beat. Check it out....WICKED

Post by Music Crowns.

IN JAMAICA: Man's family retains Miguel Lorne to seek redress after mysterious death..... Despite men charged with Mario Deane’s murder, relatives insist on police link

BY KARYL WALKER Editor — Crime/Court Desk walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, August 10, 2014    

THE grieving relatives of Mario Deane, whose death while in the care of the Barnett Street police has caused howls of outrage, have retained the services of attorney Miguel Lorne to act on their behalf in the controversial matter.

Lorne confirmed that he was in fact representing Deane's disgruntled relatives and said he would be moving with alacrity in seeking justice for his clients.

"As early as Monday morning we intend to write the minister of justice and the attorney general informing them of our intention to file a lawsuit against the police officers involved, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and the attorney general, who represents the Government of Jamaica. Justice must be realised in this matter," Lorne said.

Deane died in hospital after he was severely beaten while in the custody of the State and his relatives have been left with bile in their mouths days after his untimely demise because of what they say is the uncaring action of the police.

"They did not come to us. We had to go to them. None of the senior police never saw it fit to reach out to the family and even offer condolences. It was us who went to them," Deane's sister, Sadiki Deane, said.

The situation has grown upon his mother, Marcia Fraser, who has lost her only son.

"She seemed to be holding up at first but as the days go by it is wearing her down. We feel further frustrated by the way they are treating the matter. Our hearts hurt more and more each day," she said. more

64 y-o Marcia Griffiths to receive Order of Distinction at King's House. It is the country's fifth highest honour.

BY HOWARD CAMPBELL Observer senior writer  Thursday, August 07, 2014    

MARCIA Griffiths, one of reggae's enduring talents, leads a field of entertainment stalwarts receiving awards in the annual National Honours and Awards.

Griffiths will receive the Order of Distinction (Commander class) at the ceremony which takes place October 20 at King's House. It is the country's fifth highest honour.

Griffiths was previously awarded the OD (Officer class).

The 64-year-old singer is celebrating her 50th anniversary in the music business, an accomplishment recognised this year by organisers of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival and organisations like the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association.

Her recording career began at Studio One in the rocksteady era. There, she cut a number of dance hits including Feel Like Jumping, Melody Life and Really Together (with Bob Andy).

A highlight of Griffiths' career came in the 1970s when she toured and recorded as a member of the I Three, Bob Marley's harmony group. more

IN JAMAICA: The garrison — Our great shame of Independence

The garrison — Our great shame of Independence

IT happens every year as we celebrate our Independence that we grab for the names of a few icons — living and those who left us — and parade them as the true spirit of what is in us, b ... Read More

TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD attorney, Ashley Ann Foster to take PNP East Central St James constituency

Ann Foster

MONTEGO BAY, St James - TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD attorney, Ashley Ann Foster, is likely to be elected Chairman of the People's National Party (PNP's) East Central St James constituency. Delegates in th ... Read More

IN JAMAICA: Glen Mills headlines nine sports personalities receive National Honours and Awards

Nine sports personalities receive National Honours and Awards

Glen Mills

GLEN Mills, head coach of Racers Track Club, headlined nine Jamaican sports personalities who were appointed to the Orders of the Societies of Honour and awarded the Badge of Honour with effect fr ... Read More

Teacher Turns Up Drunk And Pantsless On First Day at Wagoner High School : Cops

 Lorie Ann Hill

Don't worry about forgetting your homework; this teacher forgot her pants, witnesses said.

Oklahoma schoolteacher Lorie Ann Hill, 49, was allegedly spotted drunk and without pants on her first day of work at Wagoner High School Monday, Fox 23 reported.

“She was found in a room kind of disoriented,” Police Chief Bob Haley told Tulsa World. “By the time we got there she was in a room and wearing shorts.”

Hill was hired by the school this yearfor a special education position, according to the Muskogee Phoenix. She allegedly admitted to drinking vodka before coming to work, and was charged with public intoxication.

Classes do not start in Wagoner until Thursday.

Stitchie Pens Autobiography......Titled, The Power of Determination, "No ghostwriter, I wrote it myself,"

Published: Wednesday | August 6, 2014

Having had his fair share of struggles during his formative years, gospel artiste Stitchie has penned an autobiography that he hopes will provide motivation for others.

Stitchie

Titled, The Power of Determination, the book is set for release later this year.

"No ghostwriter, I wrote it myself," Stitchie told The Gleaner.

"That makes me the first reggae artiste to write a book. A lot of books have been written about them and for them. This is real. It is my autobiography. It is a motivational tool," he said.

According to Stitchie, physical and digital copies of the book will be available by the end of September, and on his website,kingstitchie.net.

Stitchie has been in the music industry for decades so, according to him, it was important, "to document my life experience and share them with others, because I believe others can benefit from them as well. I will also show that people can be academically inclined and gifted in the performing arts."

He also explained that he thought it necessary to write the book, as it shows his journey, and the fact that he did not allow his environment to consume him despite growing up very poor.

"I never had the textbooks, but I was never in the low grade. I was one of the top students. Once you want to move forward, you will find ways and means to do it. Going to a tertiary institution, it was not finances that brought me there, it was determination," said Stitchie, who studied physical education and biology at the GC Foster College.

Stitchie also plans to give persons a taste of his book at Morris Heights Health Center (MHHC) National Health Center Week Festival and Fun Day in Bronx, New York, on August 16. more

Jamaica: The good, the bad and the ugly..... JAMAICANS, dispersed across the vast expanse of the globe, will today celebrate with pride and joy the Independence of their country.

Wednesday, August 06, 2014    

JAMAICANS, dispersed across the vast expanse of the globe, will today celebrate with pride and joy the Independence of their country. And, whatever their differences, the one thing they will have in common is their undepleted love for the land of their birth.

Jamaica: the good , the bad and the ugly

No one must begrudge us this moment of celebration, but it might not come to much, if we lose the opportunity to pause and reflect on the prevailing circumstances in Jamaica and to contemplate the future. Looking ahead, Jamaica is at a tipping point in which there is the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good: There is much that augurs well for the future. Indeed, our current predicament must not blind us to the wonders about our land and our people. We are blessed with one of the most beautiful lands on the Earth, from the Negril beaches to the Blue Mountains; a great people enriched by their creativity, talent, resilience, capacity to work hard, and a willingness to resist injustice. An inspirational history of overcoming slavery, colonialism and natural disasters tells us that there is nothing we cannot do.

The Jamaican people are special: Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley, Usain Bolt and a pantheon of other heroes. The world knows that if you are in trouble the best person to find is a Jamaican. At one time we were the largest producer in the world of sugar, bananas and bauxite. We still have the best rum, coffee and sprinters. We gave the world reggae, jerk, beef patties, Rastafarianism, and so much more. more

Montserrat's 15-year-old entrepreneur and author Warren Cassell Jr launches third company....is seeking to take advantage of a number of opportunities on the Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago stock exchanges.

BY KARENA BENNETT Business Observer reporter bennettk@jamaicaobserver.com  Wednesday, August 06, 2014    

Montserrat's 15-year-old entrepreneur and author Warren Cassell Jr has launched his third company, an investment holding firm named Abella Group LLC.

The company, primarily aimed at purchasing minority stakes in firms listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is also seeking to take advantage of a number of opportunities on the Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago stock exchanges.

CASSELL... I prefer to fall short on an impossible
 goal than to fall short or even achieve a mediocre one

"There are several gems in the Caribbean stock markets and regional stock exchanges are significantly undervalued," Cassell told the Jamaica Observer in an e-mailed response.

No stranger to the world of business, Cassell currently holds an investment portfolio comprising US Government bonds and shares in Sagicor Financial Corporation, Bank of Montserrat, in addition to 10 per cent preferred shares in a legal publishing company, West Indian Lawyers.

Through this newly incorporated investment vehicle, the teenager hopes to dramatically expand his investment holdings by carefully leveraging external capital to deploy in a number of globally diverse sectors, including media, financial services, commercial banking, Internet, technology, and consumer goods.

"There is a particular company that I have been looking at on the Jamaica Stock Exchange that has been growing steadily over the last five years," Cassell stated in a press release. "However, despite the impressive growth, the stock price has been dormant."

In fact, the young entrepreneur explained that the market price for the company is 50 per cent less than the actual value of the firm.

"This simply means that if I purchase a stake in that company, I'll be getting it at a discount because the price that I will be buying the stock at is 50 per cent less than what it is actually worth. It is no different from buying a house for $300,000 that is really worth $600,000," the young entrepreneur added.  more

THE EMBASSY: Q: I'm a dual United States and Jamaican citizen. Can I still use my Jamaican passport when I arrive in Jamaica? Dual citizens can't enter or leave US on Jamaican passport

Q: I'm a dual United States and Jamaican citizen. Can I still use my Jamaican passport when I arrive in Jamaica?

A: The short answer is: Yes. A dual citizen can present a Jamaican passport to immigration authorities when he or she arrives in Jamaica. Many Jamaican-Americans enjoy the freedom of using a Jamaican passport here for extended stays.

There are, however, strict rules about travelling with two passports that all dual citizens must follow.

US federal law generally requires all citizens to travel in and out of the country using a valid US passport or passport card with limited exceptions, such as travel on cruise ships. Failure to comply with this regulation can wreak havoc on travel plans. That means dual citizens should not get on a plane to the US without a valid US passport.

Lately, US Embassy Kingston has seen an uptick in the number of dual nationals who find themselves temporarily stranded here because they left their US passports at home or their US passports have expired. Airlines in Jamaica will not board a passenger on a

US-bound jet without a

valid passport. Naturalisation certificates cannot be used.

Fortunately, we offer passport services at the Embassy in Kingston as well as our Consular Agency in Montego Bay. It can, however, take seven to 10 business days for a new passport to be processed (much faster than processing time for applications filed in the US, but still inconvenient for most travellers wanting to head home). It can take particularly long if a US citizen is applying for a passport for the first time in Jamaica and doesn't have proper documentation.

During this time, the US citizen may incur significant expenses from extra hotel nights and airline

rebooking fees.

In extreme cases, embassy staff can issue a same-day emergency passport. Emergency passports are primarily meant to help people with an urgent medical need to travel or for crime or accident victims. Poor planning does not constitute an emergency. more

JAMAICA gets birthday gift with opening of highway first leg..... Motorists get one month free pass on North/South link. THE Linstead to Moneague leg of the North/South link of Highway 2000 was officially opened yesterday, giving the nation a huge 52nd birthday gift

BY KARYL WALKER walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com  Wednesday, August 06, 2014    

THE Linstead to Moneague leg of the North/South link of Highway 2000 was officially opened yesterday, giving the nation a huge 52nd birthday gift that will significantly slash the average two-hour travel time between the capital and the north coast tourism belt.

As of 6:00 am today, motorists can travel for free on the high-speed motorway until September 5, cutting out the narrow, winding and treacherous Mount Rosser route.

Vehicles travel on the first leg of the north/south highway,
yesterday. (PHOTO: JIS)

Opening the highway during a ceremony at the Treadways toll both yesterday, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller urged local business interests to seize the economic opportunities that will flow from the new development.

“We are expecting new opportunities for tourism. I am urging local entrepreneurs to position themselves for new economic activities to be derived from the new highway,” Simpson Miller said.

The four-lane highway is 19.3 kilometres long and has 11 bridges, a toll plaza, brake checkpoints, and escape lanes.

It will now take approximately 18 minutes to cover the journey which would previously take anywhere over 45 minutes on the Mount Rosser route, which was not designed to accommodate large trucks and trailers that traverse the hilly terrain daily.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller holds a scissors
 aloft after she cut the ribbon signalling the official
 opening of the second leg of the North/South leg
of Highway 2000 yesterday.

After September 5, it will cost motorists $200 for sedans, $420 for sport utility vehicles, and $1,000 for trucks and large units in toll fees to use the highway.

Managing director of the National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC), said there were plans to construct a rest stop along the highway and relocate 50 of the vendors from the popular Faith’s Pen food stop who have expressed concern that their livelihood would be severely affected as fewer motorists would be using the Mount Rosser route. more

IN JAMAICA: A beauty of a goat, named 'Boy Anderson' ..... Animal attracts much attention at Denbigh show...."Him boasy sah, come een like dem bring him a hairdresser," said one man, as he stood admiring the goat. "How him suh pretty. A first mi see a goat pretty suh."

BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter mundlet@jamaicaobserver.com  Tuesday, August 05, 2014    

IF there was a prize for the most photographed animal at the recently concluded Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show in Clarendon a goat named 'Boy Anderson' would have easily won it for the many admirers he attracted.

Boy Anderson

The 11-month-old mixed breed animal, who was awarded a medal for being the most beautiful goat in the Native Goat category, was like a magnet capturing the attention of everyone who entered the livestock section where he was on display with other goats and sheep.

From the very young to the old, they could not help snapping photographs of the animal on their mobile phones and cameras and even taking videos.

Boy Anderson's black hair which sat atop its head like a wig drew curious onlookers by the minute.

"Him boasy sah, come een like dem bring him a hairdresser," said one man, as he stood admiring the goat.

"Him head look betta than nuff wig," a female onlooker chimed in.

Said one young man who was walking by but was forced to stop, "How him suh pretty. A first mi see a goat pretty suh."

One woman was so besotted with the goat, she openly proclaimed her love for him.

"Him nice eeh, mi wud ah buy yuh now; mi wud ah carry yuh home now. I love him," she said before facing the goat and uttering "I love you." more

EXQUISITE -- The Ultimate Red Carpet Party at The Palms in Kingston. Jamaican mafia comes to town...."based on real-life incidents"..."It's a shoot them up, bang bang, but it also explores family values.

Monday, August 04, 2014    

JAMAICAN Mafia, the independent movie starring Paul Campbell, is scheduled to officially premiere in New York City on August 27.

Orville Matherson, one of the film's executive producers, did not disclose a location, but told the Jamaica Observer that expectations are high for the flick, which he says is "based on real-life incidents".

Paul Campbell

Filmed entirely in New York City last year, Jamaican Mafia is directed by Nigerian Vafomba Donzo and stars Paul Campbell, whose credits include Dancehall Queen and Third World Cop.

Campbell and co-star Mykal Fax (who also wrote the screenplay) will be special guests this evening at EXQUISITE -- The Ultimate Red Carpet Party at The Palms in Kingston.

Matherson told the Observer that the film's plot "is based on a group of people who are from Jamaica, so naturally we will target Jamaicans and people from the Caribbean".

Campbell, who has also featured in gritty pieces like Shottas, plays Soljie, the family patriarch in Jamaican Mafia.

"It's a shoot them up, bang bang, but it also explores family values. That's one of the things I liked about the script," he said. The 3 minute promo received over 100,000 views/hits on the Facebook page #BringBackOurJamaica Source Jamaica Observer

Amigo...Yu Ever See Teet Like Dese? RulaBrownNetwork.com

Post by Bring Back Our JAMAICA, #BBOJ.

JAMAICA 52, upsets ENGLAND 48, in a netball thriller at Commonwealth Games: Sunshine for Girls in gutsy bronze medal performance

BY SEAN WILLIAMS Assistant Sport Editor  Monday, August 04, 2014    

GLASGOW, Scotland — Marva Bernard's eyes were bloodshot. She had been shedding tears, and a hell of a lot of it at that.

But they were tears of joy. For the Netball Jamaica boss had just witnessed her Sunshine Girls win a Commonwealth Games bronze in a heart-stopping third-place play-off match against England at the Hydro Arena here yesterday..

Jamaica Bronze medallist

The score tells the story of the competitive nature of the game: Jamaica 52, England 48. But what it does not unveil is the heart, discipline and overall sacrifice that were put in that ultimately ended Jamaica's drought at major championships.

Yesterday's bronze medal took Jamaica's tally for these Games to 22, equalling the all-time best, with 10 gold, four silver and eight bronze.

The medals were gained in three sporting disciplines -- 19 in track and field athletics, two in swimming and one in netball.

"We have struggled with the negative that has been thrown at us, we have struggled with being told that we are not good enough, but I never doubted my team.

"My faith is very strong but they (detractors) tested it, and I just want to say to those people who criticised us and said we are not good enough, thank you because you made us work even harder," said Bernard, with eyes still overflowing with tears.

To Netball Jamaica's loyal sponsors and supporters, she said: "Thanks to all those who supported us."

Even though she never doubted the ability of the team, Bernard shared that a pep talk by her and JOA president Mike Fennel before the game must have hit the collective soul of the girls.

"I told them this (yesterday) morning that they have got to play for their country... Mike Fennel came and he spoke to them after I spoke," she told Jamaican journalists immediately after the match.

Coach Minneth Reynolds was beside herself with joy, catching her breath before she said: "I am so elated." more

IN JAMAICA: Madness in Half Way Tree Square....A madman disarms police constable of his Glock service pistol and went on a wild, shoots two....

Monday, August 04, 2014    

TRAFFIC in the usually busy Half-Way-Tree square was diverted for several hours yesterday afternoon after a man believed to be of unsound mind relieved a police constable of his Glock service pistol and went on a wild, but short-lived shooting spree, injuring two civilians.

The man is said to have run into the bus layby in the direction of Constant Spring Road, then fired close to 10 shots in the direction of Half-Way-Tree Road.

Traffic cops give statements about yesterday’s
 incident to detectives from the CIB Half-Way-Tree square.

The Constabulary Force Corporate Communications Unit confirmed the incident in a skeletal late afternoon release to the media, but promised to give more information as the investigation proceeds.

However, a police source, which spoke to the Jamaica Observer on condition of anonymity given the force's media policy, said that as is customary when there is to be a shift change, a Toyota Hiace service vehicle was parked close to the clock just outside the layby just after 2:00 pm. The constable, a fresh graduate of the National Police Academy who has been assigned to the traffic division, was standing behind the bus when the mentally challenged man reportedly sneaked up behind him and disarmed him.

"I understand he pulled both the gun and the holster from the man's waist," the source said.

Another police source added: "It look like him used to gun cause him cock it as it come out (of the holster).

An off-duty policeman who was in the vicinity came to the rescue by shooting the man and recovered the pistol.

Apparently commiserating with his young colleague, one of the sources pointed to the number of people of unsound mind in the

St Andrew capital.

"It could have happened to anybody because a nuff madman deh ah Half-Way-Tree. An' mi hear say is not one of the regulars, is a new one," the source said.

The assailant and the civilians were taken to hospital.

The police information unit said the incident has been reported to the Independent Commission of Investigations. Source Jamaica Observer