Peace and Love Academic Scholarship (PALAS) Board sets goal to award 125 scholarships and 125 computers to students in the Caribbean in 2015....Estimated value is US$90,000 (J$9.9 million).

www.PALAS1.org
Peace and Love Academic Scholarship (PALAS) Board sets goal to award 125 scholarships and 125 computers to students in the Caribbean in 2015....Estimated value is US$90,000 (J$9.9 million). PALAS awarded 187 scholarships to students in Jamaica in the past 4 years. Please donate atwww.PALAS1.org or Send a check Payable to PALAS *P.O Box 5461*Alpharetta, GA 30023 USA

Food for the Poor helps Cordell Green, 25 y-o medical student at UWI...An absentee father put a strain on the family, and his mother had to raise goats and sell goods on weekends to earn a meagre income for the family to survive.

By AINSWORTH MORRIS Career & Education writer  Sunday, November 16, 2014    
THE charming smile reserved for patients on the wards at the Kingston Public Hospital would have, up to recently, belied the struggles Cordell Green was facing.
Cordell Green (left) accepts his scholarship cheque from
Food for the Poor executive director David Mair.
But Green was always a fighter, and even the prospect of not being able to complete medical school didn't make his energy falter.
The 25-year-old final-year medical student at the University of the West Indies (UWI) had always struggled, from the time he was a boy growing up in Buff Bay, Portland, raised by his mother with five siblings who alternated going to school because of poor finances.
An absentee father put a strain on the family, and his mother had to raise goats and sell goods on weekends to earn a meagre income for the family to survive.
With the little they earned, Green said he and his siblings took turns on weekdays to attend Buff Bay Primary School.
After sitting his grade six exit exams, young Green got a place at Annotto Bay High School in St Mary, but his mother told him she couldn't afford secondary schooling.
He decided to contact his father with the news, with the hope of getting assistance.
"My father said he would assist me only if I came to live with him and attend Happy Grove High School in Portland. I got the transfer, but to my surprise, I went to live with my grandmother in St Thomas. I had to assist her with selling, but I still did not attend school as often as I should have. I was not at the reading level that I should be, and I was failing at most of my subjects," said Green, who was last week awarded a scholarship from Food for the Poor Jamaica to complete his studies. more

RULA BROWN - "Money Love" (Don't Say You Love Me). A Delroy Wilson Classic

THIS IS SICKENING: Denying Daphne - 99-Year-Old Woman, Daphne Thompson Waits 40 Years To Collect $1m for 900 acres of land From Jamaican Government For Land Sold To The State....especially in light of the recent decision by the National Housing Trust to spend $180 million to purchase just over nine acres of land in Trelawny.

Barbara Gayle, Justice Coordinator Jamaica Gleaner Sunday Nov. 16, 2014
If the Government of Jamaica had paid Daphne Thompson $68 per day, each day since 1974, they would have paid in full the near $1 million owed to her family for 900 acres of land by now.
File Photo: Grandmom
Instead, family and friends of the 99-year-old are pleading for the payment to be made immediately, especially in light of the recent decision by the National Housing Trust to spend $180 million to purchase just over nine acres of land in Trelawny.
At 59 years old, no one could have told Thompson that after 40 years, she would still be waiting to collect the money that her family is owed by the Government.
But that is the reality that now faces the senior citizen who has waited through the years for the final payment from a land deal.
"How much longer does a 99-year-old Jamaican woman have to wait for what is rightfully hers?" asked attorney-at-law Jacqueline Cummings, who is representing the Thompson family. "Why does any Jamaican family have to wait 40 years to be paid by the government for their property?" added Cummings.
According to the reports, in 1974 Thompson's husband Jasper and a friend agreed to sell the Government 900 acres of land comprising two properties in Newfound River and Kilmarnock, Hanover. Cabinet approved the purchase and an agreement was signed between the men and government officials. The Government paid them a portion of the purchase price with a balance to be paid to complete the sale. more

Anita Antoinette Not Daunted - Jamaican 'Voice' Contestant Not Deterred By Tessanne Comparisons....Her fan base has been growing steadily, with Jamaican entertainers Shaggy and Lady Saw joining Tessanne Chin, Dahlia Harris, and Nikki Z

Shereita Grizzle, Gleaner Writer Sunday Nove 16, 2014
It's on to the next round for Jamaica-born Anita Antoinette, coached by Gwen Stefani, as she advances to the final 12 in this season's staging of the United States singing competition 'The Voice'.
Anita Antoinette
Anita Antoinette
Last Tuesday, the singer delivered another memorable performance as she belted out the lyrics to Meghan Trainor's popular hit All About That Bass. Not only did she do justice to the song, but a reggae twist to the original version and a few saucy dance moves had the live studio audience totally captivated.
The performance guaranteed her a spot in the final 12 and saw Antoinette leading the pack of finalists on the popular iTunes chart, much like she did the previous week with her version of MAGIC!'s Rude.
Anita- top 12
FAN BASE GROWING
Her fan base has been growing steadily, with Jamaican entertainers Shaggy and Lady Saw joining Tessanne Chin, Dahlia Harris, and Nikki Z on the singer's list of supporters. As her support list continues to grow with each performance, so does the comparison between her and last year's winner, Tessanne Chin. 
Tessanne Chin.
Tessanne
Many feel the young entertainer truly has what it takes to make it all the way to the top, while there are others who believe she is merely 'piggybacking' on the fact that she is Jamaica-born. In a recent interview with the singer, Antoinette said she was well aware of the comparisons and the negative remarks that are made, but revealed that the feeling she gets from the love shown by many across the region overrides any negativity.
"There are people who will always be like that - not everybody will like you - but that doesn't change who am or where I'm going," she said. "Besides, the support and the love I have been shown thus far have been so heart-warming, it's overwhelming." more

Jamaica Parliament studies raising the age of consent.... "My fear is that by moving from 16 to 18 years old, you are just creating a broader band of criminals,"....108 out of every 1,000 babies born in Jamaica are born to teenage mothers, and that 25 per cent of babies born in Jamaica were to girls between the ages of 10 and 19 years old. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

BY BALFORD HENRY Senior staff reporter balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, November 16, 2014    
CHILDREN'S Advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison thinks that Jamaica can learn lessons from Canada about increasing the age of consent.
(L-R) FRAZER BINNS… asked what was the mischief
 that the Office of the Children’s Advocate was trying to correct.
JOHNSON SMITH… not sure that the age of consent was
 the root of the problem
She noted that in May 2008, by virtue of its Tackling Violent Crime Act, the Canadian Parliament amended its laws and increased the age of consent.
But, although they only increased the age from 14, as it had been since 1890, to 16 years, which is similar to Jamaica's, she felt it supported the view that it is generally expected that governments should enact laws best suited to their domestic realities.
"It is perfectly acceptable, and even expected, that domestic government(s) should pursue and enact laws which are best able to address their domestic realities," she told the joint select committee of Parliament reviewing the sexual offences Acts at Gordon House last Wednesday.
She said that the Canadian law was precipitated by the case of a 31-year-old male predator who travelled from his home in Texas in the United States to Canada to meet a 14-year-old boy, with whom he had communicated on the Internet.
The man engaged the child in sexual activity and committed the act of buggery upon him. However, when he was arrested, he could only be charged with the relatively minor offence of possession of child pornography, because the young boy, who reportedly suffered from suicidal tendencies and social anxiety disorder, insisted that he had consented to the sexual activity.     
"Additionally, because there was no relationship of authority or dependency, there were no other alternatives open to law enforcement," she explained.
In June 2006, the Canadian Government proposed a bill to raise the age of consent from 14 to 16, while creating a close-in-age exemption for sex between 14-15 year olds and partners up to five years older, and keeping an existing close-in-age clause for sex between 12-13 year olds and partners up to two years older.
The initiative also maintains a temporary exception for already existing marriages of 14 and 15 year olds, but forbids new marriages like these in the future.
Gordon Harrision said that another reason for increasing the age of consent was to help teenagers feel less pressured to have sex at a younger age, as it provides an effective negotiation tool for those who may be more inclined to say no to early sexual activity, because the law has set the tone by making it illegal.
She said, however, that she was not proposing that the Canadian initiative should be a blueprint which would bind Jamaica in any particular way.
"If this honourable committee finds favour with the idea and the theory of it, it would be for us to craft carefully established age bands that this particular Parliament would be comfortable with, and move forward with what is actually acceptable here," she stated.
 more

SHATTERED DREAM: 18-year-old road traffic victim, Leshawn Grant wanted to become JAMAICA's first female Governor General.... "She said, 'Mommy, we have a female prime minister, how is it we don't have a female governor general? I want to be the first one',"

Sunday, November 16, 2014    
Leshawn Grant dreamt of becoming Jamaica's first female governor general.
That dream, however, was shattered on August 10, 2012 when the 18-year-old Rusea's High School student was killed on Norman Manley Boulevard in Negril by a speeding car at approximately 5:15 pm.
Lashawn Grant
The tragedy occurred approximately five minutes after she completed her fourth day as a receptionist and had walked out of Traveller's Beach Resort to seek transportation home.
According to her mother, Carol Hale, 55, her daughter told her she wanted to become head of state months before she died.
"She said, 'Mommy, we have a female prime minister, how is it we don't have a female governor general? I want to be the first one'," Hale told Jamaica Observer last week.
Hale said that if her daughter were alive today, she would be at the University of the West Indies, Mona, pursuing a degree which would enable her to become a psychologist.
"At school she was a peer counsellor. She liked being in the position of hearing the stories of her peers, being their confidante and counselling them on issues which deeply affected them. It is [for] those reasons, she told me, she wanted to become a psychologist," Hale told Sunday Observer.
Hale said although it has been two years, three months and three days since she lost her only child, she still has sleepless nights, counts the days since the tragedy and tries her utmost not to become a victim of depression.
01
Lashawn and her parents
"It's not easy, because my child had so much potential. She was a hard-working student. She was talented. She was successful in her exams and passed eight CSEC subjects and CAPE subjects with two distinctions," Hale said.
"As a single parent who has worked hard to take care of just one child, spending time moulding her into becoming a loving human being, it's not easy for me to move on. She was my only child. She had so much potential. She was not someone who stood behind. We were both looking forward to her completing sixth form and gracing a hall at the University of the West Indies in September last year, and it's painful to have this constant reminder that one speeding car just took her life," Hale said. more

$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.
01
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 – 
chainsaw
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.
01
(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.
01
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.
View image on TwitterrosettaThis 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.
Tears meander down the face of Kolien Taffe as she mourns her daughter, Kalisha Cousins.-Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
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.
marc angeles
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.
marc angelesThere'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."
CRAIG SPENCER 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