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You may also listen commercial FREE by clicking ON AIR-Listen LIVE AUDIO BOX above or TUNE-IN LINK or call in on Tele at 213-401-0061. Studio line is 770-744-2154. Enjoy the sweet music.To chat , please sign in with your Chatango account.Please support the scholarship program by considering to donate at least $10.00 at www.PALAS1.org. Thank you very much

IN JAMAICA: PUBLIC sector workers have been offered a new pay increase deal of seven per cent for the 2015-2017 fiscal period....Government increases pay offer to employees

BY BALFORD HENRY Senior staff reporter balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, June 05, 2015    

PUBLIC sector workers have been offered a new pay increase deal of seven per cent for the 2015-2017 fiscal period.

The new offer breaks down to a four per cent increase effective from April 1, 2015, and a further three per cent increase effective April 1, 2016. This arrangement is up from the original offer of three per cent and two per cent which was made in March and was rejected by the workers.

(L-R) DALLEY... optimistic offer will lead to a settlement.
DIXON... JTA will meet with teachers for their response.
BROWN... where there is a will there is a way

Minister with responsibility for the public service, Horace Dalley, told the Jamaica Observer last night he is optimistic that the offer will lead to a settlement of the prolonged public sector wage issue by the latest month-end.

"We have never had much of a problem with the fringe benefits, because some are not aligned with the wage costs. The problem has always been the basic pay, and we want to ensure that anything we offer we will be able to pay it and we don't go beyond the limit that will ensure that we meet the nine per cent of GDP target," the minister said.

The offer is a small step from the rejected five per cent, but the trade unions leaders feel that they have something substantive to put to their members.

Trade unionist, Lambert Brown, who is a member of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Union's (JCTU) negotiating team, said that the new offer from the minister confirmed his position that where there is a will there is a way.

"We can always find appropriate ways to resolve these issues," Brown said.

But, other union representatives were more cautious, pointing out that they were not sure how their members would respond.

President of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, Doran Dixon, said that there will be meetings in Clarendon, Manchester, St Catherine, and Kingston to relay the new offers to the teachers and get their response.

Several meetings are also planned by the JCTU team, which represents 11 trade unions and over 40,000 government workers.

The increased offer has emerged in the midst of protest action by the members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, which began on Tuesday, and widespread two-hour demonstrations by teachers on the job. more

JAMAICANS among 16,000 farm workers heading to Canada

Sunday, May 31, 2015    

(May, 2015) - Approximately 16,000 workers from across the Caribbean and Mexico will be travelling toOntario farms this growing season as a supplement to local labour under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme (SAWP).

Farmers across Ontario are welcoming their return, which will help the province's fruit and vegetable industry thrive. Some 1,450 farms will benefit this year.

Farm workers being registered at the Ministry of Labour
 and Social Security on East Street, downtown Kingston, on
January 2. The workers left the island on January 3 to take up
 jobs on farms in the United States and Canada under the
Overseas Work Programme. (OBSERVER FILE PHOTO)

This is the 49th year the programme has operated in Ontario, allowing many farms to remain viable in the face of critical shortages of suitable and available Canadian workers.

Because SAWP is a "Canadians first" programme, supplementary seasonal farm labour is hired from other countries (Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad &Tobago and the Eastern Caribbean states) only if agricultural operators cannot find domestic workers to fill vacancies.

"Nearly half a century after it was created, this programme continues to serve the same vital function on an even larger scale," says Ken Forth, president of Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS), which administers SAWP.

"Without SAWP and its steady supply of reliable labour, some operations would be forced to stop growing fruits and vegetables altogether, or move into less labour-intensive crops," he said.

A couple thousand workers have been in Ontario since mid-winter, working at greenhouses largely in the Leamington and Niagara areas. Others began arriving over the past few weeks to assist with field work, fruit tree pruning and other important jobs.

The vast majority of seasonal workers opt to return on repeat contracts because they are able to earn far more than they can at home. This allows them to provide a better standard of living to their families, pay for their children to attend school and learn skills needed to operate businesses of their own in their home countries.more

GATLIN BREAKS BOLT RECORD: Justin Gatlin cruised to victory 9.75 secs in the men's 100 metres at the Rome Diamond League meet on Thursday....Gatlin last month clocked the fastest time of the year, 9.74, in Doha

American Justin Gatlin (centre) finishes ahead of the field
 to take the men's 100m event at the Golden Gala, the 4th
stage of IAAF Diamond League 2015 on Thursday.
(Photo: AFP)

Thursday, June 04, 2015 | 3:07 PM    

ROME, Italy (AFP) — American Justin Gatlin cruised to victory in the men's 100 metres at the Rome Diamond League meet on Thursday.

Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic champion who served a four-year doping ban in 2006-2010 for using testosterone, stopped the clock at 9.75sec to match the seventh-fastest time in history at the distance.

Gatlin last month clocked the fastest time of the year, 9.74, in Doha -- a performance that earned the American sprinter a new sponsorship deal with sportswear giant Nike, who ditched him in 2006 after he tested positive for the second time in his career.

France's Jimmy Vicaut was second in a season's best of 9.98, a time matched by American Michael Rodgers who tied for second place.

The rest of the field, including Kim Collins of Saint Kitts and Nevis, finished outside the 10-sec mark.

Bob ‘skanks’ to the top : BOB Marley & the Wailers' Easy Skanking in Boston '78 is number one on the Billboard Reggae Album chart.

BY KEVIN JACKSON Observer Writer  Friday, June 05, 2015    

BOB Marley & the Wailers' Easy Skanking in Boston '78 is number one on the Billboard Reggae Album chart.

Bob Marley

Released in February, it is the only title on that tally this year which has posted double-digit sales.

Featuring two historic live shows at Boston's Music Hall from June 1978, the set has sold over 11,611 copies to date, according to Soundscan, the company that tracks retail and digital sales in the United States.

Three other albums in the Top 10 have also posted double-digit figures, but were released last year.

Count on Me by Rebelution is at number two, posting sales of 225 copies during the past week. To date, the California band's third album has sold over 46,021 copies.

Amid the Noise and the Haste by SOJA is at number four with sales of over 29,000 copies after 42 weeks on the chart.

The Virginia band was nominated for a Best Reggae Album Grammy this year. They also performed at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in January.

San Diego, California band, Tribal Seeds, hold the number seven spot with their fourth studio effort, Representing. The album was released in May 2014 and topped the Billboard Reggae Album chart. To date, it has sold 10,986 copies.

Since it was released in April last year, Chronixx's EP, Dread & Terrible, has sold 8,988 copies and sits at number eight.

Soja and Chronixx

Former number one, Strictly Roots by Morgan Heritage, is down to number 12 after six weeks. It has sold 2,222 copies.

Singer Alaine is new at number 14 with her Ten of Hearts which has sold 55 copies.

Ancient Future by Protoje, which spent one week at number one, is down to number 15. After 12 weeks, it has sold 2,390 copies.

Grammy winner Fly Rasta by Ziggy Marley falls to number 19. Released in April last year, the album has to date sold 19,021 copies.

After four weeks, Barrington Levy's AcousticaLevy has sold 194 copies to be number 21. more

COMPROMISED : Chinese Hackers Hit Nearly Every Agency... 4 Million Identities Exposed...Could Be The Biggest Cyberattack In U.S. History...Third Major Breach This Year... FBI Investigating... China: U.S. Comments Irresponsible...

AP  |  By KEN DILANIAN and RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Posted: 06/04/2015 5:19 pm EDT 

US and Chinese Flags

WASHINGTON (AP) — China-based hackers are suspected of breaking into the computer networks of the U.S. government personnel office and stealing identifying information of at least 4 million federal workers, American officials said Thursday.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that data from the Office of Personnel Management and the Interior Department had been compromised. "The FBI is conducting an investigation to identify how and why this occurred," the statement said. The hackers were believed to be based in China, said Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican.

President Obama

Collins, a member of the Senate intelligence committee, said the breach was "yet another indication of a foreign power probing successfully and focusing on what appears to be data that would identify people with security clearances."

A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington called such accusations "not responsible and counterproductive."

"Cyberattacks conducted across countries are hard to track and therefore the source of attacks is difficult to identify," spokesman Zhu Haiquan said Thursday night. He added that hacking can "only be addressed by international cooperation based on mutual trust and mutual respect." more

IN JAMAICA: Insight Financial Services Limited recently presented a 650-gallon water tank and 100 exercise books to the Drews Avenue Primary and Infant School in Kingston.

Published:Friday | June 5, 2015

Insight Financial Services Limited recently presented a 650-gallon water tank and 100 exercise books to the Drews Avenue Primary and Infant School in Kingston. The items were among a list of priority items requested by the school's principal, Sacheel Grant-Henry.

Contributed Photo Julian Patrick (right), of Insight
Financial Services Limited, greets students of Drews
Avenue Primary and Infant School.

"We take our corporate social responsibility very seriously; it is embedded in our DNA as an organisation. Since we began in 2012, we have contributed to many different charities because we believe that it's as important to do good as it is to do well in business," said Renic Coke, director of sales at Insight.

Grant-Henry extended her appreciation for the items noting that it will go a long way in ensuring that the children have a hygienic environment in which to learn. The tank will be used to provide water for the flushing of toilets and washing of hands when the regular supply is insufficient, especially during this period of drought.

"As a small-medium enterprise, it's important that we give what we can until we are able to give what we want. As Jamaicans, we must step up and make our small contributions. We believe that contributing to the education of our children and supporting everyday heroes like Sacheel Grant-Henry is one of the best ways to achieve this," said Howard James, Insight Financial Services director of operations. Appliance Traders Ltd and Sangster's Book Stores were among the other sponsors.

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            FOR AUDIO ONLY (No Commercials) - CLICK PLAYER ABOVE on RIGHT OR

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To listen, click PLAY icon above then unmute speaker icon at bottom left on player after a brief commercial. 

You may also listen commercial FREE by clicking ON AIR-Listen LIVE AUDIO BOX above or TUNE-IN LINK or call in on Tele at 213-401-0061. Studio line is 770-744-2154. Enjoy the sweet music.To chat , please sign in with your Chatango account.Please support the scholarship program by considering to donate at least $10.00 at www.PALAS1.org. Thank you very much

IN JAMAICA: More cops stay off the job despite court injunction : THE sick-out by rank and file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) worsened yesterday, despite an injunction obtained by Attorney General Patrick Atkinson

 BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter mathewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Thursday, June 04, 2015    

THE sick-out by rank and file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) worsened yesterday, despite an injunction obtained by Attorney General Patrick Atkinson that sought to restrain members of the Jamaica Police Federation from taking any further industrial action. A sick-out by the police started Tuesday after a breakdown of wage negotiations between Government and the Police Federation.

Red seam Police in Jamaica

Government is offering a five per cent increase, over two years, to the police. The injunction, granted by the Supreme Court Tuesday night, stated that all the members of the Jamaica Police Federation be restrained for a period of 28 days from causing and/or attempting to cause and/or carrying out acts to cause disaffection amongst the members of the constabulary force, and/or inducing and/or attempting to induce and/or carrying out acts to induce members of the constabulary force to withhold their services.

However, checks by the Jamaica Observer yesterday showed that more members of the rank and file called in sick, putting more pressure on policemen and policewomen who had already done double shifts as they worked with senior officers and members of the army in maintaining a security presence in towns and communities across the island.

“Based on our checks, the number of rank and file members who stayed off the job has doubled,” said a Police Federation source, who requested anonymity. He said about 3,000 of the force’s approximately 12,000 members were unable to report for duties yesterday, up from the approximately 1,800 members on Tuesday. Corporate Area police stations, meanwhile, continued to be among the worst affected by the sick-out. more

Over 50? Add These 7 Foods to Your Diet Now 1) Beans 2) Oats 3) Apples and more...

1. BEANS

Beans

I’m a bean fanatic, so if you read my blog regularly, you won’t be surprised that these guys made the list. Research shows that eating a daily serving of beans or lentils (3/4 cup) can help to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by 5 percent. Another study in people with type 2 diabetes found that eating about a cup of beans or lentils per day as part of a healthy diet lowered hemoglobin A1c, a marker of blood sugar control, by 0.5%, which is a substantial improvement. Need a simple way to introduce more beans into your diet? Toss canned, low-sodium beans with whole-grain pasta and sauteed veggies for a quick weeknight meal, or try some of these other easy ideas.

2. OATS

Oats

The risk for heart disease increases dramatically in men over 45 and women over 55, so incorporating more cholesterol-lowering foods like oats into your diet is a smart move. Oats are rich in a type of soluble fiber called beta glucan, and consuming at least 3 grams of this fiber a day (equivalent to 1.5 cups cooked oatmeal) has been shown to reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels by 5 to 10 percent. People who eat oats and other whole grains regularly are also at reduced risk of dying an early death. Plain oats are cheaper than boxed cereals and a perfect conduit for other healthy ingredients, like nuts, seeds, and fruit.

3. APPLES

Apples

Sure, they’re not as glamorous as acai berries or mangosteen, but apples are every bit as super as exotic fruits, and much, much cheaper. A large apple supplies 5 grams of heart-healthy fiber, and research shows that eating apples daily can lower both total and LDL cholesterol to help keep your ticker in tip-top shape. A 2013 study found that frequent apple eaters are at lower risk for type 2 diabetes. And the good news is, you can find apples almost everywhere, including gas stations and convenience stores. Slice one up and add a smear of peanut butter for a classic snack that never gets old. more

7 Nutrients To Protect Your Brain From Aging....1) Cocoa Flavanols 2) Omega-3 Fatty Acids 3) Nuts and more....

© Photo courtesy of Shutterstock Green tea and
 blueberries are both examples of foods that contain
 important nutrients for a healthy brain
 (as well as other organs).

While genetics and exercise play a large role in your brain health and risk of developing dementia, diet is quite influential, too. There is no magical elixir that can cure or completely prevent dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, but scientists have been able to pinpoint certain nutrients that are associated with improved cognitive function or memory. Keeping your diet full of the foods that contain them, then, can help you protect your brain.

COCOA FLAVANOLS

Cocoa flavanols are found naturally in cocoa and can be beneficial to your brain health; they make dark chocolate healthier than regular chocolate, which has been washed out with milk and sugar. A 2014 study examined the impact of eating a high cocoa flavanol diet over the course of three months. The researchers focused primarily on the dentate gyrus (DG), a part of the hippocampal formation in the brain that, when it declines, is often associated with aging. Scientists believe this part of the brain is linked to memory loss. After eating a lot of cocoa flavanols, the researchers report that the participants experienced “enhanced DG function.”

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS

Fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, mackerel, and tuna, are going to not only help your heart health, but they’ll also give you a boost in brainpower. According to a 2014 study, mice that were given supplements of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid showed improved cognitive function while they aged — showing better object recognition memory, spatial and localized memory, and aversive response retention.

NUTS

Nuts contain omega-3 fatty acids like fish, so adding nuts to your diet in addition to fish will provide you with solid amounts. Walnuts, in particular, have been shown to fight memory loss. In one recent large-scale analysis, researchers found that a diet supplemented with walnuts — which are high in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, folate, antioxidants, and melatonin — improved adults’ performances on a series of six cognitive tests.

MAGNESIUM

Scientists believe that a magnesium deficiency may play a role in cognitive decline, brain aging, and ultimately, dementia. So taking magnesium supplements — or eating foods that contain magnesium, like chard, spinach, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, almonds, black beans, avocados, figs, dark chocolate, or bananas — can help you fight off the effects of the aging brain.

BLUEBERRIES

Blueberries are delicious, but they also help in boosting your memory. According to a 2010study, blueberries were shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. They also contain anthocyanins, compounds that are associated with increased neuronal signaling in the brain’s memory areas. In the study, researchers found that participants who drank wild blueberry juice on a daily basis had improvements in paired associate learning and word list recall; they also found lower depressive symptoms and glucose levels.

CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES

According to the National Institute on Aging, eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help stave off cognitive decline as well as other chronic diseases, like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Green, leafy, cruciferous vegetables in particular (like broccoli and spinach) have been shown to reduce the rate of cognitive decline. The Mediterranean diet, in particular (vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals, fish, olive oil, mild amounts of alcohol — as well as low consumption of saturated fats, dairy, meat, and poultry) has shown instudies to be beneficial for cognitive health compared to more “Western” diets that are high in fats, carbs, and meat.

GREEN TEA

Green tea is good for a lot of things — but it’s also going to help you protect your brain. In a recent study completed at the University of Basel, researchers found that green tea extract enhances your thinking process and working memory. Participants scored higher for working memory tasks after they received the green tea extract, and an MRI showed a boost in connectivity between the parietal and frontal cortex of the brain, meaning that green tea “might increase the short-term synaptic plasticity of the brain,”  said Professor Stefan Borgwardt, an author of the study.

University of California, Berkeley Study by Neuroscientist, William Jagust : Sleep Could Help Stave Off Alzheimer's And Memory Loss, According To New Study....Scientists researching the potential connections between deep, restorative sleep and the protein fragment beta-amyloid

The Huffington Post  |  By Alena Hall Email Posted: 06/02/2015 7:27 pm EDT

We've long known that people with Alzheimer's disease often experience problems with their sleep. But according to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, poor shut-eye in older adults may play a role in the development of the disease in the first place.

File Photo Jonathan Selig via Getty Images

Scientists researching the potential connections between deep, restorative sleep and the protein fragment beta-amyloid recently found that poor sleep not only hinders the brain's ability to save new memories, but also creates a channel through which this Alzheimer's-triggering protein is able to travel and attack long-term memory storage.

"Over the past few years, the links between sleep, beta-amyloid, memory, and Alzheimer's disease have been growing stronger," William Jagust, a UC Berkeley neuroscientist, Alzheimer's disease expert and co-leader of the study said in a statement. "Our study shows that this beta-amyloid deposition may lead to a vicious cycle in which sleep is further disturbed and memory impaired."

This study is also one of the first of its kind to use human subjects, thanks to Jagust. He recruited 26 adult participants between the ages of 65 to 81 who had not yet been diagnosed with any form of dementia, or neurodegenerative, sleep or psychiatric disorders. They each received a PET scan to measure the accumulation of beta-amyloid in their brains, and were subsequently given 120 word pairs to memorize.

Each participant then slept for eight hours while an electroencephalographic test measured their brain waves. When they awoke the following morning, they received functional MRI scans to measure the activity occurring in the brain as they attempted to recall the word pairs from the night before. The results revealed that those with the highest levels of beta-amyloid residing in the medial frontal cortex not only had the poorest quality of sleep, but also performed the worst on the memory test. Some forgot more than half of the information they had consumed the previous day. more

Hailing reggae's godfather, JOE HIGGS : An album containing the last recordings by reggae pioneer Joe Higgs, will be released this month to commemorate the singer/songwriter's birthday.

Wednesday, June 03, 2015 by Jamaica Observer

The Godfather of Reggae, an album containing the last recordings by reggae pioneer Joe Higgs, will be released this month to commemorate the singer/songwriter's birthday.

Joe Higgs

Higgs, who died in Los Angeles in December 1999, would have been 75 today.

Recorded in 1997 and 1998 in Dublin, Ireland and Ocho Rios, the album hears Higgs working with respected Irish producer Donal Lunny.

Both sessions involved traditional Irish band, the Hothouse Flowers, who were joined In Ocho Rios by Native band member Wayne Jobson and drummer Max Hinds, son of singer Justin Hinds.

Jobson and Lee Jaffe are executive producers of The Godfather of Reggae. Jaffe, an American who was part of the Wailers inner circle, produced two albums by Higgs.

According to Jobson, tapes from the Dublin and Ocho Rios sessions were recently discovered and re-mastered.

"These songs are amongst Joe's best ever and were his final works before his untimely passing," Jobson told the Jamaica Observer.

Higgs was born in Kingston and became an influential figure in West Kingston and nearby Trench Town. He was among the first from the latter community to record, as Higgs and Wilson, with Roy Wilson.

Joe Higgs and Bob Marley

The duo had a big hit in 1960 with Manny Oh, produced by Edward Seaga.

Though Higgs established himself as a writer with songs like his There's a Reward and Peter Tosh's Stepping Razor, he is best remembered as a mentor to acts like The Wailers (which included Tosh, Bob Marley and Bunny Livingston) and Jimmy Cliff.

In his latter years, Higgs settled in Los Angeles and enjoyed acclaim as an elder in that city's vibrant reggae community.

Higgs was survived by 12 children, including daughter Marcia, a rapper, and son Peter, a session guitarist.

Carib flavour on UK chart : Four artistes of Caribbean heritage are in the Top 10 of the United Kingdom's pop chart....Nicki Minaj, Jason Derulo, OMI and Gamal Lewis who is son of Ian Lewis (Inner Circle)

By Kevin Jackson Observer Writer  Thursday, June 04, 2015

Four artistes of Caribbean heritage are in the Top 10 of the United Kingdom's pop chart.

According to Officialcharts.com which compiles and publishes the weekly UK Top 100 Singles chart, it is the first time in 20 years that this has happened.

(L-R) Nicki Minaj, Jason Derulo, OMI

Miami-born pop singer Jason Derulo, whose parents are from Haiti, has the number one song with Want to Want Me. It is his fourth UK chart topper.

The track is the first single from Derulo's fourth album Everything is 4, which was released on Tuesday. He performed in Jamaica last July at Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay.

Clarendon-born singer OMI, who spent four weeks at number one with the Felix Jaehn remix of Cheerleader, is number two. The song has been certified platinum in the UK for sales of over 600,000 copies.

Hip hop artiste Gamal Lewis, better known as LunchMoney Lewis, debuted at number two two weeks ago with Bills. That song holds the number six spot.

Lewis was born in Miami. He is the son of Inner Circle bassist and co-founder Ian Lewis.

Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj peaked at number six last week with Hey Mama which features David Guetta and Afrojack. The song is down to number 10 this week.

A number of Jamaican acts have had success on the UK charts since the 1960s. They include Millie Small, Desmond Dekker, Dave Barker and Ansell Collins, Ken Boothe, Boris Gardiner, Sophia George, Chaka Demus and Pliers, Shaggy, Sean Paul and singer Chrissy D.

Janet Jackson To Release First New Album In 7 Years : 'I've been listening:' Janet Jackson plans fall release for new album with BMG...Along the way, she's sold 160 million records, according to BMG in the past

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson expects to take fans on a new "Escapade" this fall, when she plans to release her first new studio album since 2008's "Discipline." Through the music company BMG, Jackson's Rhythm Nation record label will release its "first as-yet-untitled album," according to a press release posted Wednesday on Janet Jackson's website. "With [her] Rhythm Nation [label], Janet Jackson becomes arguably the first female African-American recording artist to form her own record label."

Her Rhythm Nation label shares the name of one of Jackson's most popular singles and albums. With "What Have You Done for Me Lately?", "Black Cat," "That's the Way Love Goes," "If," and "Miss You Much" among her many No. 1 hits, Jackson rocked her way to the top of pop and R&B charts in the '80s and '90s, and has maintained a pop-culture presence in the decade and a half that followed. Along the way, she's sold 160 million records, according to BMG.

In a statement, Jackson said, "Thank you to the talented team at BMG, my new artistic home. The opportunity to be creative in music and every form of entertainment has great potential here."

A vague announcement about her next album was posted to Vimeo last month. "I promised you'd hear it from my lips, and now you will," intones a voice, likely Jackson's. "This year: new music, a new world tour, a new movement. I've been listening. Let's keep the conversation going."