$114m for school tablet computer content...Hon. Minister Phillip Paulwell said Jamaica's educational landscape is being transformed through the use of this critical aid. Content is available for the subject areas of mathematics, English language, and the sciences from the lower primary to the secondary level. Contract signed with Bryan’s Bookstores Limited

Friday, November 14, 2014  

THE Government has spent $114 million for the provision of electronic content on the tablet computers, under the Tablets in Schools pilot programme.

Content is available for the subject areas of mathematics, English language, and the sciences from the lower primary to the secondary level.

Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip
 Paulwell (left), President of Bryan’s Bookstores Limited
Paul Bryan (centre), and Minister of Education Rev Ronald
Thwaites sign a contract for the provision of electronic content
on tablet computers, under the Tablets in Schools pilot
programme, during a ceremony at the Petroleum Corporation
of Jamaica (PCJ), New Kingston, on Wednesday. Standing
are Board members of e-learning Jamaica Limited,
Lloyd Lovindeer (right) and Trevor Francis.

This was disclosed by Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell, during a $76 million contract signing ceremony with members of the local and international publishing fraternity for the supply of additional electronic content on the devices.

"The contracts being signed are for the purchase and satisfactory delivery of content for the Tablets in Schools Project and includes publication in e-book form as well as web-based resource material," the minister said.

He informed that the process used in selecting the five local and four overseas content suppliers has been transparent and every effort has been made to ensure cost-effective delivery.

"The content and general uses of the computer tablets are in tandem with the curriculum approved by the Ministry of Education and as far as possible, local books that are available electronically and satisfies the ministry's criteria, have been considered," he said.

Paulwell said Jamaica's educational landscape is being transformed through the use of this critical aid.

Minister of Education Rev Ronald Thwaites said the ultimate objective is to ensure that the new curriculum, which is being developed, will be available by virtual means.

"This is not a substitute or disrespect for books, but it is to centrally locate the future of education and a very significant element of it is in the realm of virtual learning," he said. more

TRIBUTE- 20 Years since GARNETT SILK passed on Dec 9,1994. "Mama Africa", "Oh Me Oh My" & more

35 minutes of Garnett Silk classic tunes played by Rula Brown...Smith 
was born in Manchester, Jamaica. His musical career began at the age 
of twelve, when he performed under the name Little Bimbo.[1] During the
1980s he worked as a deejay on sound systems such as Conquering 
Lion, Soul Remembrance, Pepper's Disco, Stereophonic, and Destiny
Outernational (where he first met Tony Rebel).He recorded his first track
in 1985, but it would be two years later before his first single, "Problem E....

Marley weed coming...Several new strains of marijuana (ganja) bearing the name of Julian Marley will become available in the American market in the next few months.

Saturday, November 15, 2014    

SEVERAL new strains of marijuana (ganja) bearing the name of Julian Marley will become available in the American market in the next few months.

Julian Marley

According to www.streetinsider.com, Marley — son of reggae king Bob Marley — has partnered with company Drop Leaf to launch Julian Marley JUJU Royal Premium Marijuana.

"I am happy to speak out in favour of decriminalisation and I salute Drop Leaf as a proud participant in the movement and struggle to make this natural super plant available for all who need it and it's healing properties," the 39-year-old, Britain-born reggae singer was quoted as saying.

Drop Leaf and DNA Genetics, seed company at the forefront of the global cannabis industry, are currently conducting research and development to produce the signature strain. Once developed, it will be made available to dispensaries, caregivers, and worldwide where it is legal.

In keeping with American states Colorado, Washington DC and Oregon, Jamaica recently announced proposed relaxations to its laws on marijuana. People caught in possession of ganja weighing two ounces or less will not be arrested, but will be ticketed and required to pay a fine. more

Man steals chainsaw valued at $600.00, stuffs it down his pants and guess what happened after that? (VIDEO) Read more...

POSTED 5:26 AM, NOVEMBER 13, 2014, BY KYLEE WIERKS – 

Man in red marker stuffing
 chainsaw down his pants

A Florida man is accused of shoplifting a chainsaw by stuffing the large piece of equipment down his pants.
That’s right, this surveillance footage shows the man calmly hiding it and walking away. According to the TC Palm, the accused chainsaw crook walked in Treasure Coast Lawn Equipment and asked for $1 worth of change. When the cashier wasn’t looking, He picked up a Stihl chainsaw valued at more than $600 and left, fleeing on a bicycle. The TC Palm reports that employees chased the man, later identified as 28-year-old Anthony Ballard. Ballard ultimately ditched the saw before he got away. The saw was recovered, and police searched the area but couldn’t find Ballard. A half hour later, workers at Treasure Coast Lawn Equipment called 911, saying they spotted the accused chainsaw thief looking for the saw where he left it behind. When police arrested him, he said he was back near the store because he had a change of heart, and he wanted to return the saw to the store. Ballard, listed as homeless, was arrested on a grand theft charge. more

Cops learning how to cut down on lethal force : A group of Jamaican police officers is taking a course with United States trainers to practise ways of subduing people without permanently injuring or killing them...Peter Bunting announced that the US had provided $2 million worth of batons, pepper spray, handcuffs and utility belts for the Jamaican police.

Friday, November 14, 2014

A group of Jamaican police officers is taking a course with United States trainers to practise ways of subduing people without permanently injuring or killing them, officials said yesterday.

(From left) National Security Minister Peter Bunting;
 Elizabeth Martinez, chargé d'affaires at the United
States Embassy Kingston; Police Commissioner
 Carl Williams, and an unidentified member of the
 Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) with some of
the crimefighting equipment donated by the
 United States Government to the JCF yesterday.
The occasion was the launch of the Less-lethal
 Force Train the Trainer Course at the National Police
 College in Twickenham Park, St Catherine.
(PHOTO: KIMMO MATTHEWS)

Twenty-six officers with the Jamaica Constabulary Force are enrolled in the Less-lethal Force Train the Trainer Course at the National Police College in Twickenham Park, St Catherine. The course focuses on the use of weaponry like batons and pepper spray to avoid lethal force. The participants are expected to return to their divisions and train others.

Yesterday, at the official launch of the course, government, police and US Embassy officials were given a demonstration.

Afterwards, National Security Minister Peter Bunting announced that the US had provided $2 million worth of batons, pepper spray, handcuffs and utility belts for the Jamaican police.

Bunting said the donation followed a commitment made by the US in 2012 to provide the equipment. He noted that the donation, coupled with an order made for similar quantities of the devices, will be enough to equip front-line police personnel.

He said that the kits, which are of a high quality, are an investment for the medium and long term. more

20 PART SERIES, 20 Days of Silk, starting November 14 : Next month marks 20 years since the death of roots singer Garnet Silk, who died there on December 9, 1994: On the Silk Road as Family remembers late reggae singer....Silk had numerous hit songs such as Zion in a Vision, Mama Africa, It's Growing, Nothing Can Divide Us and much more...

Next month marks 20 years since the death of roots singer Garnet Silk. Today, the Observer reflects on the incident that claimed the lives of himself and his mother. It leads into a 20-part series, 20 Days of Silk, starting November 14.

Garnet Silk

HATFIELD Ward Park in Manchester is like many rural districts in Jamaica -- several corner shops, construction sites and lush vegetation.

Manchester is known for producing some of reggae's finest acts. Among them are Tony Rebel, General Degree, Ce'cile, Ernie Ranglin and Luciano.

But Hatfield Ward Park is best known as the birthplace for one of reggae music's brightest stars whose light was extinguished far too early.

It produced a singer called Garnet Silk, who died there on December 9, 1994, along with his mother Etiga Gray. The fiery incident happened at 4:00 am, robbing contemporary reggae of its most promising figure who had enjoyed a remarkable rise in just two years.

Garnet Silk family members

The Rastafari singer was part of a roots revival that wrested the Jamaican dancehall from artistes spewing suggestive and crime-driven lyrics, inspiring a wave of Afro-consciousness last seen in the 1970s.

Recording for a number of producers, Silk had numerous hit songs such as Zion in a Vision, Mama Africa, It's Growing, Nothing Can Divide Us, Lion Heart, Fill Us Up With Your Mercy and Love is the Answer.

Paul Cassanova, brother of Garnet Silk
and survivor of the deadly fire. Paul
Casssnova shows his burned hands

Just three nights before his death, Silk performed at the Mirage nightclub in upper St Andrew. From all reports, he did an outstanding set.

News of his death shocked Jamaicans and the international reggae community. His songs were played on radio stations throughout the world.

Almost 20 years later, the sleepy community where the tragic incident took place still mourns. On Wednesday when Splash visited, Silk's nephews Joseph Bent and Kedar Palmer, along with a few friends, applied their mechanic skills to a car in the yard. more

Rosetta's Spacecraft Successfully Lands On Comet

AP/HuffPost | By Alana Horowitz Email Posted: 11/12/2014 11:29 am EST 

European Space Agency's Rosetta space probe on Wednesday successfully deployed its robotic lander Philae on the Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

This is the first time a spacecraft has ever landed on the surface of a comet. The mission was ten years in the making. EU science chief Anne Glover tweeted that, "I think Europe just boldly went where no one else has gone before."

Philae touched down on an area of the comet named Agilkia, using harpoons and screws to latch on to the surface. To see a minute-by-minute recount of the historic landing, check out HuffPost Science's liveblog.

Here's a timeline of the spacecraft's historic mission, courtesy of the AP:

DARMSTADT, Germany (AP) — The European Space Agency said it landed a spacecraft on a comet Wednesday for the first time ever. The Philae craft pulled off the audacious landing hours after it was released toward the giant ball of dust and ice by the unmanned Rosetta space probe.

The landing is the highlight of a decade-long mission to link up with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Here's a look at key moments during Rosetta's incredible trip:

___March 2, 2004: Europe's unmanned probe Rosetta takes off from Kourou, French Guiana, after a series of delays, including an abandoned January 2003 launch window because of a rocket problem. more

PELE! PELE! : Brazil soccer star, the 74-year-old soccer great, Pele to leave hospital soon, aide says...Pele, widely regarded as the best footballer of all time, helped Brazil win the World Cup three times.

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian soccer legend Pele is doing "fine" and will be discharged from a Sao Paulo hospital early on Thursday after he was admitted for stomach pains, one of his aides told Reuters.

Pele

The 74-year-old soccer great had to cancel a book-signing at a museum named for him in his native city of Santos after complaining about his stomach on Wednesday.

"He made some tests and will be discharged tomorrow. Everything is fine," Jose Fornos Rodrigues, the former player's personal aide, said.

A spokesman for the hospital told Reuters that Pele was admitted Wednesday evening but did not say when he would be allowed to leave the facility.

Pele, widely regarded as the best footballer of all time, helped Brazil win the World Cup three times.

He was named "Football Player of the Century" by the world soccer body FIFA, "Athlete of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee and a "national treasure" by Brazil's Government.

I GUARANTEE YOU THAT YOU WILL LOVE THIS : JAMAICA OBSERVER GIVING BACK TO THE CHILDREN.... VIDEO: 20 Reasons To APPLAUD IT! it was an education in fine culinary dining. The bright-eyed guests, ranging in ages from six to 12

For the 20 specially invited children of Jamaica Observer vendors who entered the newspaper's boardroom on Monday afternoon for a five-course luncheon, it was an education in fine culinary dining. The bright-eyed guests, ranging in ages from six to 12, and all primary school-aged pupils, were feted at the launch of the Observer's Salut! Applaud It! week by Managing Director Danville Walker and the initiative's partners Jamaica Broilers, represented by its President and CEO Christopher Levy and his divisional sales and marketing manager Joan Forrest Henry; and Victoria Mutual, represented by Devon Barrett, general manager of the company's Wealth Management division, and his sales and client relations manager colleague Karlene Mullings.

 Jamaica Observer Managing Director Danville Walker
(centre, back row) is joined by Victoria Mutual Wealth
 Management General Manager Devon Barrett (left),
 Jamaica Broilers President and CEO Christopher Levy,
 and the specially invited children of Observer
vendors to cut the Nadene Lazaruscreated chocolate cake.

Excited at the sight of name cards signalling where they were to be seated around the boardroom's super-long mahogany table (beautifully adorned by Ann Marie Wyss-styled floral arrangements of white roses and orchids with lemon slices floating at the bottom) and gleaming silverware courtesy of Maureen Capleton of MC Décor the children perked up when Observer Food Awards-winning chef Brian Lumley popped in from the kitchen to announce the menu, with the mention of seafood prompting audible 'oohs' from a few young 'uns. more

NEW DATE: John Holt's funeral on Monday- "The service will be at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kingston on Monday, November 17, at 11:00 am."....The late singer will be interred in the Dovecot Memorial Park in St Catherine.

 BY BRIAN BONITTO Associate Editor — Auto and Entertainment bonittob@jamaicaobserver.com  Thursday, November 13, 2014    

ANEW date and venue have been set for the funeral of rocksteady/ reggae singer John Holt.

This follows a request by the late singer's wife, Merl.

"We want to bury my dad in a nice and honourable way," Carol Holt, daughter of the late singer, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

"This is what my mother wishes. The service will be at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kingston on Monday, November 17, at 11:00 am."

The funeral was initially scheduled for the National Indoor Sports Centre in St Andrew, on Saturday.

"We would have loved to have had it [the funeral] on Saturday, but Monday was the earliest date we could get at the church," she said.

Holt said musical tributes, which will precede the service, is scheduled for 10:00 am.

She said she is also overwhelmed by the outpouring of sympathy the family has been receiving since her father's passing.

Born in Greenwich Town in Kingston, Holt is know for his massive catalogue of hits including The Tide Is High, If I Were A Carpenter, Stick By Me, Ali Baba and Stealing Stealing.

Some of these songs were done with one of rocksteady's great groups The Paragons. He died in London on October 20... more

JAMAICAN singer, Anita Antoinette moved on to the top 12 in tonight's performance of the VOICE... #TeamAnitaAntoinette #TAA #TeamAnita CONGRATULATIONS!! #RulaBrownNetwork....She was voted in by the American viewers...

FOREX: J$113.01 to one US dollar ....Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar closed at J$99.36, British pound sterling ended trading at J$179.71

Tuesday, November 11, 2014 | 5:41 PM 

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The US dollar on Tuesday, November 11 ended trading at J$113.01, up 11 cents according to the Bank of Jamaica’s daily foreign exchange trading summary.

Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar closed at J$99.36, down from J$99.43 while the British pound sterling ended trading at J$179.71 up from J$179.06.

Police capture wanted man Kemar Thompson, otherwise called ‘Gatlin’ or ‘Spiderman’ in Spanish Town.....Thompson was wanted for several crimes committed in the St Catherine North Division

Tuesday, November 11, 2014 | 8:08 PM    

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica -- A man wanted by the police was captured following operations in Spanish Town, St Catherine today Tuesday, November 11.

Kemar Thompson, otherwise called ‘Gatlin’ or ‘Spiderman’ of Pineapple Lane, Bog Walk in the parish is now in police custody. 

Police gathered at a crime scene (file photo)

Reports are that at about midday, detectives from the St Catherine Major Investigation Task Force (MIT) and the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID) were conducting operations in the Spanish Town business district and surrounding communities, when Thompson was seen and taken into custody.

 Thompson was wanted for several crimes committed in the St Catherine North Division and appeals made over the past week for him to turn himself in to the police.

He will be questioned in the presence of his attorney, with a view to bringing charges against him later this week, the police said. 

UPDATE: Man arrested in death of 7-y-o Kadesha Cousins found in Rio Cobre, St. Catherine...Do You think they should release his mugshot and name?

Tuesday, November 11, 2014 | 7:21 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica --The police have taken a man into custody in relation to the death of seven-year-old Kadesha Cousins, whose body was found in the Rio Cobre near Dyke Road in St Catherine on Friday, November 7.

File Photo

The man was held by the police on Sunday, November 9 at premises in the parish during an operation, the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) reported Tuesday evening.

Kadesha Cousins Mom in Tears

His identity is being withheld at this time, the CCU said.

Kadesha had been reported missing on Wednesday, November 5. The Central Village police reported that the seven year old was last seen about 7:15 am at a bus stop in her community.

CCU issued an Ananda Alert for Kadesha on Friday and her body was discovered floating in the river the same day. more

This Beverly Hills Estate Is Currently The Highest Priced Home In The Nation, $195 million...The property, called Palazzo di Amore, has all the amenities one could possibly dream of to accompany the 25-acre palatial estate. With 12 bedrooms, 23 bathrooms, a 15,000-square-foot entertainment center that includes a ballroom that can host up to 250 people (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post | By Carly Ledbetter Email Posted: 11/10/2014 7:00 am EST 

Well, this is quite the abode.

Nestled in the city of Beverly Hills, this Mediterranean compound is, according to its Coldwell Banker Previews International listing, now "the most expensive and elite estate in the nation." And trust us, it's nowhere near anyone's price range, unless you're Bill Gates.

Slide to see how much it costs...The property, called Palazzo di Amore, has all the amenities one could possibly dream of to accompany the 25-acre palatial estate.

With 12 bedrooms, 23 bathrooms, a 15,000-square-foot entertainment center that includes a ballroom that can host up to 250 people, the future owners of this estate will have no trouble inviting guests over -- especially with a personal 27-car garage and parking for 150 cars on-site.

There's no other way to put it -- Palazzo di Amore is beyond luxurious. Hand-painted ceilings, floating glass-floor walkways, silks walls and Turkish style spa are just a few of the absurd perks of this $195 million investment.

And with a swimming pool, a spa, tennis court, waterfall and a 128-foot scenic reflecting pool, why would anyone ever want to leave?

Though the price tag is pretty astonishing, we have found one little place where you can (kind of) save money -- booze. If you buy the estate, Palazzo di Amore comes with its very own vineyard.

So forget that "little" $95 million penthouse in New York and stop entertaining the idea of owning that "other" luxurious California estate -- this grandiose monster of a house is where it's at.

Images and information on the estate provided by listing agents Joyce Rey & Stacy Gottula of Coldwell Banker Previews International. more

Three Jamaicans among 450 selected for scholarships in Brazil... The recipients of the award are Michelle Brown, Alesa Gyles and Tamara Henry...Brown will pursue a Master in Dentistry, Gyles a Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Henry is to do a PhD in Geography.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014 | 2:52 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Three Jamaicans are among more than 450 candidates selected to receive scholarships for Master’s and Doctoral studies in Brazil.

The recipients of the award are Michelle Brown, Alesa Gyles and Tamara Henry. Brown will pursue a Master in Dentistry, Gyles a Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Henry is to do a PhD in Geography.

The Organization of American States (OAS), the Coimbra Group of Brazilian Universities (GCUB), and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), with the support of the Division of Educational Issues of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, today published the list of awardees.

According to a release from the OAS, the scholarships will cover the costs of enrollment, a monthly stipend for living expenses, Portuguese language support in the welcoming universities and a one-time grant for relocation expenses for the first 125 candidates selected.

The three Jamaicans selected will have their settlement expenses covered. more

New York City Is Now Ebola-Free...."It's a very, very good day," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press conference Tuesday, at Bellevue Hospital Center. "Dr. Spencer is Ebola-free, and New York City is Ebola-free."

The Huffington Post | By Sarah Klein Email Posted: 11/11/2014 11:22 am EST 

New York City doctor Craig Spencer has been released from Bellevue Hospital Center after being deemed free of the Ebola virus.

"It's a very, very good day," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press conference Tuesday, at Bellevue Hospital Center. "Dr. Spencer is Ebola-free, and New York City is Ebola-free."

Time to Cheer Up

Spencer, 33, returned to the U.S. on Friday, Oct. 17 after working with Doctors Without Borders to treat Ebola patients in Guinea. After reporting symptoms of Ebola on Thursday, Oct. 23, he was transported to an isolation ward at Bellevue by ambulance, where he later tested positive for the virus. On Saturday, Nov. 1, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation updated Spencer's condition to "stable"from "serious but stable". "I'm elated," said Ram Raju, M.D., president of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, "because we were able to treat and cure a hero."

In what he said will be his only public statement, Spencer thanked Bellevue staff members for their "tremendous care and support" and expressed a sense of pride over his work and the work of his colleagues with Doctors Without Borders. He is a "living example", he said, "that early detection is critical in ensuring that [Ebola] is not transmitted to others." more

WOW SHOCKING: Glenn Beck Sick With Mysterious Neurological Illness...was funtioning at the bottom 10%...."It has baffled some of the best doctors in the world," Beck said. "It has frightened me and my family as we didn't know what was happening." At one point, Beck looked into the possibility that he was being poisoned. (Crying on camera VIDEO)

The Huffington Post | By Ed Mazza Email Posted: 11/11/2014 1:12 am EST 

Glenn Beck revealed on his network The Blaze on Monday that he has been battling a series of health problems that have left doctors baffled.

The conservative media personality said the problems started when he was on Fox News and became so severe that the crew worked out hand signals to indicate when to take the camera off of him.

"We didn't know at the time what was causing me to feel as though, out of nowhere, my hands or feet or arms and legs would feel like someone had just crushed them or set them on fire or pushed broken glass into my feet," Beck said. "I can't tell you how many nights my wife would sit in the light, looking at the bottom of my feet to make sure that there really wasn't any glass in it."

At times crying, Beck explained how he has visited various doctors who were unable to figure out what was wrong.

He's also experienced sleep problems, which at first allowed him to function with just two to four hours of shut-eye per night. "Quite honestly this isn't a symptom that you look to fix," Beck said. "If you have a ton to do, you're like, 'I don't need sleep this is great.'"

However, doctors told him he hadn't had any REM sleep in about a decade. And soon, other problems appeared, including what he called "time collapse," or the inability to remember if he had met someone just a week ago or years earlier. more

ENTERTAINER Ninja Man’s murder trial set for April 13, 2015.....The four are facing the court for the March 16, 2009 gun murder of Richard Johnson in the Mall Road area of St Andrew. The matter has been before the court since 2009

Tuesday, November 11, 2014    

ENTERTAINER Ninja Man, his son, and two other men will now have to wait until April 13, 2015 to be tried in Kingston's Home Circuit Court for murder.

Ninjaman

The date was set when they appeared in court yesterday.

The artiste, whose real name is Desmond Ballentyne, and son Janiel, are to be tried along with Seymour Samuels and Dennis Clayton.

The four are facing the court for the March 16, 2009 gun murder of Richard Johnson in the Mall Road area of St Andrew.

Ninja Man in April failed to have the case against him thrown out.

Queen's Counsel KD Knight applied to have the matter adjourned sine die or stayed on the grounds that the entertainer's constitutional rights have been breached because of the length of time it has taken to have the case tried.

The matter has been before the court since 2009, the court was told.

But in his refusal of the application, Justice Lloyd Hibbert said that the criminal court was not the proper forum for an application seeking constitutional redress to be heard.

Attorney Valerie Neita-Robertson also appeared for the entertainer.

The artiste's son is being represented by Gladstone Wilson and Linton Walters appeared for Clayton. more

Dionne Warwick records with Ziggy Marey..... She released her latest album, Feels So Good, a 14-track set that hears her teaming with her contemporary Gladys Knight, as well as an all-star cast that includes Cyndi Lauper, Jamie Foxx, CeeLo Green, Ruben Studdart and Ziggy Marley.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014-- Howard Campbell Jamaica Observer

JAMAICANS have loved Dionne Warwick since the 1960s when she broke through with a number of classy songs for songwriters Burt Bacharach and David Lloyd.

The singer recently released her latest album, Feels So Good, a 14-track set that hears her teaming with her contemporary Gladys Knight, as well as an all-star cast that includes Cyndi Lauper, Jamie Foxx, CeeLo Green, Ruben Studdart and Ziggy Marley.

Photo File : dancehausa.com and dionnewarick.us

The album was produced by her son Damon Elliott who has had success with mega-selling acts like Pink. The 73-year-old Warwick, who last performed in Jamaica at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in Montego Bay in 2013, says it was great recording the Bacharach/Lloyd gem, Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, with Marley.

She told the New York Observer newspaper it was her first crack at reggae. The track also features the renown drum-and-bass team of Sly and Robbie.

"I've not done any reggae in my recording career, but I've known Ziggy since he was born. His father and I were friends," she said. "Bob [Marley] was an incredible man. Very spiritual. Beautiful thoughts about life and what life should really represent throughout the world."

Warwick may not have recorded the Jamaican beat, but many of her songs have been popular here, including Do You Know the Way (To San Jose), Deja Vu, I'll Never Love This Way Again, Heartbreaker and A House is not a Home which was covered in the late 1970s by Sugar Minott.

IN JAMAICA: Steady decline in police-related killings, INDECOM says....at the end of October 2014, the Commission recorded 103 fatalities, 117 less than last year for the same period when 220 such incidents were recorded.

Monday, November 10, 2014 | 5:08 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) says it has recorded a steady decline in the number of security-force related fatalities for the past 10 months of 2014.

According to INDECOM at the end of October 2014, the Commission recorded 103 fatalities, 117 less than last year for the same period when 220 such incidents were recorded.

The months reflecting the highest numbers of fatalities for 2014 were January with 22 and February and May with 14 each, INDECOM said.

In the previous year the months with the highest number of incidents were January with 30, June with 35, October with 40 and February with 27. Of the 10 months reviewed this year, five recorded single-digit figures. In the previous year only one month recorded single digit number of fatalities, INDECOM reported.

Of note INDECOM said, is the sharp decline in fatalities recorded this October. Last year 40 fatalities were recorded in the month, while in 2014 five were recorded, representing an 87.5 per cent decline.

According to INDECOM, if incidents of fatalities continue on the current trajectory, Jamaica may see its lowest number of security force-related fatalities since INDECOM began operations in August 2010.

Chikungunya (CHIKV) outbreak in region not slowing down...The outbreak, which began last December, has caused an estimated 795,000 chikungunya cases in 37 countries and territories in the Western Hemisphere

Monday, November 10, 2014    

ATLANTA, United Stated (CMC) — The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that the  outbreak in Caribbean and Central and South American countries continues to spread with no sign of slowing down.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito that transmits the chikungunya
virus. The Caribbean Public Health Agency says that as of
 October 27, 23 of its 24 member states had reported cases
of the virus. The West African country is among the hardest
hit by the deadly Ebola virus, which the Caribbean Community
is intent on keeping at bay.

According to the CDC, "the painful mosquito-borne disease will likely continue to infect travellers to the region during the rest of this year and beyond".

The outbreak, which began last December, has caused an estimated 795,000 chikungunya cases in 37 countries and territories in the Western Hemisphere as of the end of October, said CDC in its latest update.

It said more than 1,600 travellers returning to the United States with chikungunya have been reported, as of November 4.

Before this outbreak, the CDC said an average of 28 travellers with chikungunya fever returned to the United States each year. It estimates that about nine million people travel between the United States and Caribbean each year.

"During fall and winter, people in the United States might not be thinking about mosquitoes as a risk for diseases. So those who will be visiting the Caribbean or Central or South America should be aware of the risk of chikungunya in these areas this fall and winter and remember their insect repellent and other tips for staying safe," it said in a statement. more

JAMAICA OBSERVER: 'The devil is in the church'. When the sermon was about me....what happens when you've confessed your misdeeds to the pastor, then hear reference to your sins in the next Sunday's service? Are the Pastors Hypocrites?

By KIMBERLEY HIBBERT  Monday, November 10, 2014    

MANY of us would have experienced even one of those hellfire sermons at some point in our lives, where the preaching is to repent, or face eternal damnation. They've been used as fodder to draw souls to the altar for ages, and charismatic preachers in particular will make sinners feel that it's a 'come now or face damnation' matter.

But what happens when you've confessed your misdeeds to the pastor, then hear reference to your sins in the next Sunday's service? What happens when the preacher resorts to leaving the pulpit for the pews, where he urges you to repent, listing every sin from fornication to jealousy?

Below readers share some of the moments in church when their sins, or perceived sins, were laid bare by the pastor for everyone to hear.

Michelle, 46:

I'm a Christian now but back then, in my 20s, I was a hard party girl. But I would go to church anyway, because I grew up in the church. It was also a time when I didn't realise what appropriate attire was. Well, there was a Mennonite church near to my house and one Sunday I decided to visit. Sure, the dress was a little too short and the make-up too heavy, but that didn't give the preacher authority to criticise. As soon as I walked in, he stopped what he was doing and lamented, 'The devil is in the church!' Everyone turned around to look at me, walking up the aisle.

Rochelle, 24:

I had just started working, but I didn't give tithes for about two months. The third month into my job, the pastor said, 'When some of us never had the job, we used to fast and pray. Now we're feasting and not giving God his share'. The lady beside me kept glancing at me and nodding, with her lips set in a duck-face position. more

IN JAMAICA, Samantha inspires : After being diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013, 25-year-old Samantha David is determined to kick the cancer to the kerb....." I use my energy to motivate others and encourage them when they're down."

By KIMBERLEY HIBBERT  Monday, November 10, 2014    

AFTER being diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013, 25-year-old Samantha David is determined to kick the cancer to the kerb.

Ready for the battlefield, she's offering support to those who need it, who may be facing or fighting similar challenges, even as she fights for her own life.

Samantha David

"I know what it's like to need encouragement and not have it. My mom was strong even though she felt the strain. I want people like me or people going through their own problems to remain positive, because being negative only defeats your healing process," she said.

As such, David devoted herself to ministering to others while a patient in hospital, and hopes to begin advocacy for cancer patients when she recovers.

"While on the ward, I used my time to encourage persons with the word of God and my experiences. There was this lady who didn't have cancer but was always crying and her boyfriend said to her, 'Every day I come here you're crying, and Samantha has cancer and I've never seen her cry yet'. I use my energy to motivate others and encourage them when they're down. Anyone can have it and it is not easy being by yourself or not having someone to encourage you," she told All Woman.

David explained that before the diagnosis she had symptoms for three years but could not get a confirmation.

"After doing the first set of biopsies I gave up, because I was going to the doctor every month and going to the clinic every other week. I was being treated for autoimmune disease, overactive eczema, among other things. I experienced excess itching, swelling of the chest and neck, but the tests were inconclusive. It's very tough, especially having it for so long and not knowing," she said.

However, on recommendation from her then human resources manager in 2012 to see a doctor at Medical Associates, she learned of the condition that has significantly changed her life.

"At the time I had a fever that would not break and it basically became a part of me. When I saw the doctor, he took one look at me and said, 'Get ready, I'm going to admit you'. I did additional biopsies in December 2012 and by January 2013 I had a confirmation." more

Only Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) can stop JLP from victory, says Andrew Holness...."I see a bright future ahead and the only factor that can stop us from achieving that bright future is us,"

Andrew Holness and team

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Andrew Holness Sunday night signalled the readiness of his party for the upcoming election claiming that the only thing that could stop a victory at the polls, were party supporters. "I see a bright future ahead and the only factor that can stop us from achieving that bright future is us," said Holness as he called on party supporters to come out in their numbers to vote. Local Government elections are constitutionally due next year ...More

St. Thomas, JAMAICA: Georgian Walker helping her students create items from everyday materials.... "The creative side comes out in the children because I get them to do a lot of things," Walker said.

BY INGRID BROWN Associate Editor -- Special Assignment browni@jamaicaobserver.com  Monday, November 10, 2014    

STUDENTS at Logwood Basic, a small early childhood school tucked away in St Thomas, have been finding their creative sides, thanks to the exceptional talent of their teacher and principal Georgian Walker.

These students use fudge sticks to create letters

"The creative side comes out in the children because I get them to do a lot of things," Walker said. "I think it is very important that you start them doing things like this at an early age because I see where it helps them with their learning."

Walker, who has been head of the school since 2012, is known for assisting the four- and five-year-olds to create items from everyday materials found around the home.

"I utilise a lot of the everyday things such as rice, peas, macaroni and so on," she said, while displaying a wide variety of items created from these products.

Walker's talent is evident from the minute one enters the classroom, as the charts and other art work decorating the walls all around make it a most inviting place.

The students pose with Principal Georgian Walker (left),
 teacher Lavern Daley (centre) and volunteer
Sasha-Gaye Bailey.

Also of note are the many beautiful teaching aids which Walker has personally made to assist the children with things such as telling the time to learning Spanish words.

"I really don't like the ready-made charts, so I tend to make a lot of the learning aids, that way I can put whatever I want on it," she told the Jamaica Observer North East.

Walker, who has been working with children for the last 14 years, said her most creative moments are before dawn as she is up by 3:00 every morning to prepare new teaching materials.

"I know this is a gift," she said of her varied talents. more

PALAS Students making huge strides in JAMAICA: 5 of Jamaica's promising UWI graduates under 25...Nicole Nation, medical student and author of this article & Steven Jackson, Lawyer, whose roots are from Jarrett Lane (Mtn View Ave) are both PALAS recipients.

BY NICOLE NATION Career and Education writer  for the Jamaica Observer Sunday, November 09, 2014    

THEY'RE five of Jamaica's influential youngsters, representative of what the country's youth are capable of. These young Jamaicans and University of the West Indies (UWI) graduates are smart and full of ideas, proving that the future of Jamaica is bright.

Steven Jackson

Steven Jackson Tariq Parker

At just 22, Kingstonian Steven Jackson is the proud holder of a UWI honours degree in law. It is said that Sagittarian men are wise intellectuals and this can be said of Jackson, who even as a Kingston College student, demonstrated great promise as evidenced by his insatiable thirst for knowledge. His friends say he would never miss an opportunity to win an argument, even if his views weren't popular.

Jackson has interned with prestigious law firms including Bailey, Terrelonge and Allen, and Swaby-Samuels and Associates, where he assisted some of the Caribbean's best legal minds in the preparation of cases for the Supreme Court of Jamaica, the Family Court and the Resident Magistrate's courts. His diverse skill set proved to be valuable in that he also prepared legal material for media presentations as well as accounting documents for clients.

He works with Professor Verene Shepherd on the Nationwide News Network programme Talking History.

This go-getter is also the treasurer of the Mona Law Society and a mentor in the society's 'Save the Males' initiative. Jackson also has vocal prowess as he is the head chorister of the esteemed Kingston College Chapel Choir.

Tariq Parker

Malysha Kelly Yanique DaCosta

Nicole Nation, PALAS recipient
& Medical student at UWI
received a BSc degree in Science
 with honors in Oct 2014.
She will receive her Medical degree
in 2 years from UWI.

Twenty-three-year-old Tariq Parker vividly recalls that as a young boy, he wanted to be an astronaut, inventor, then a physicist or even a lawyer like his father. However, his aptitude for science was the driving force behind his decision to become a doctor. As a student at Wolmer's Boys', he demonstrated his prowess in the sciences, as he gained 19 distinctions in his CXC, CSEC, and CAPE examinations. This progressive thinker is a graduate of the UWI's medical programme with an honours degree. He also recently received honours in general medicine, general surgery and obstetrics and gynaecology. Additionally, he received the subject prizes for the best top Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) student in internal medicine and general surgery across the UWI's four campuses. His friends will tell you that he is always laughing and that his smile is infectious.

His very laid-back personality will see him on the weekends liming with friends. more

JAMAICA HEARTBREAK : Search for missing seven-year-old Kalisha Cousins ends in tragedy...Kalisha's body was found in the Rio Cobre near Dyke Road in St Catherine...some persons claimed that they saw the body and it had multiple. "How can someone be that evil to just kill a child in cold blood and throw her in a swamp?"

Andrew Harris, Sunday Gleaner Writer

A grandmother's heart-wrenching wail signalled to everyone in the area that the three-day search for seven-year-old Kalisha Cousins had ended in the worst possible way.

Tears meander down the face of Kolien Taffe as she mourns her
daughter, Kalisha Cousins.-Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Kalisha's body was found in the Rio Cobre near Dyke Road in St Catherine last Friday, after she was reported missing on Wednesday when she failed to return from school at the usual time.

According to the police, a fisherman saw a body in the river about 3:30 last Friday and raised an alarm. The scene was processed by police investigators and the badly decomposed body, which was identified as Kalisha, removed to the morgue for post-mortem.

"We cannot yet say if there was foul play," said one senior investigator who asked not to be named. "The body was waterlogged and decomposed so we could not identify if there were any wounds or the cause of death. That will await the post-mortem," added the cop.

However, some persons claimed that they saw the body and it had multiple stab wounds.

Nice and loving

But inside the West Avenue section of Central Village, St Catherine, where Kalisha and her family call home, there was no discussion on the cause of death, just the almost unbearable pain of losing one so young.

Mother and grandmother of 7 y-o child

"She was nice and loving. You see every morning when she wake up she would come in the house and say 'Good morning Grandma and Grandpa' and give us kisses," declared her grandmother, Maureen Alexander.

"When I carried her to the bus stop Wednesday morning, she waved and kissed after me and then said "later", and I smiled and told her 'later', and I never saw her back until last night, when she came over the news as a missing person," added Alexander before placing her hands on her chest and crying mournfully.

Alexander, who is grandmother to six, told our news team that Kalisha was her closest grandchild.

"When they found her she was in her uniform. Oh Jesus, and she was so loving. She always say 'I love you'," added Alexander as she continued to weep. more