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THIS WEEK'S SUMMARY
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BAUGH BLAMES DEVELOPED NATIONS FOR ECONOMIC PROBLEMS—03/28/09
Jamaica’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign trade believes that the developed countries created the current economic and ecological problems facing the world, but the effects of these problems will be felt most strongly in developing nations. Kenneth Baugh says while the developing countries contributed little to the crises, believing, however, that it is these countries that will suffer the most from global warming, climate change, and the poor economy.
ITALIAN FIRM BIDS FOR SUGAR FACTORY—03/29/09
An Italian company has indicated its interest in buying the largest sugar factory in Jamaica and its holdings. The Frome Sugar Estate is also of interest to several Jamaican firms that want to acquire the assets of the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ). According to Dr. Christopher Tufton, Agriculture Minister, fourteen companies are interested in the assets of the SCJ. None of the firms has yet been named.
JAMAICAN WOMEN TO RECEIVE LEADERSHIP TRAINING—03/30/09
A group of 100 Jamaican women will receive training for leadership positions under a program sponsored by the United Nations Democratic Fund. The program, “Strengthening Women’s Leadership in Jamaica,” follows research conducted by the Women’s Resource and Outreach Center and sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency. The women will be trained to become community facilitators.
JAMAICA TO MOVE INTO HEALTH TOURISM—03/30/09
The setbacks in Jamaica’s economy have prompted Keith Collister, director of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, to call for significant investment in health tourism. Building hospitals for the express purpose of attracting foreign clients could more than make up for the earnings recently lost in the bauxite industry and other economic sectors. He noted that a hospital in Thailand had received revenues totaling more than US$600 million from 65,000 patients in 2008. Over half of the patients were Americans who were willing to travel a long distance for care.
KIRK HEADLEY, JAMAICAN MODEL, DEAD AT 31—03/31/09
Kirk Headley, who was the grandson of West Indies cricketer George Headley and a model once voted first runner up in the Sexiest man in the Caribbean contest, was found dead in his parents’ Paddington Terrace home in Kingston. According to reports, his body was found hanging outside the home. Suicide is suspected, but police continue to investigate the case.
ALLEN PLEADS WITH MEDIA TO HELP SAVE ISLAND FROM CRIMINALS—04/01/09
Dr. Patrick Allen, Governor General, wants the local media to join his campaign to save Jamaica from crime and thugs who threaten to take over the nation. Allen is seeking the help of the media to carry his “I believe” message of hope, which is designed to enhance the confidence of every Jamaican.
CANADIAN WOMAN, 71, CHARGED WITH DRUG SMUGGLING—04/02/09
Margueritta Lancaster-Reid, aged 71 of Ontario Canada, has been nicknamed the “ganja granny” after her arrest for attempting to smuggle 3.6 kilograms of marijuana in her luggage. She was apprehended at a Jamaica airport and has pleaded guilty to the charge. When first challenged by police at the airport, Lancaster-Reid told the officers the stash was “herbs.” She could get up to one year in prison at her sentencing.
FARMER REAPS REWARDS OF BACKYARD PRODUCE—04/03/09
In 2007, Deloris Hivey, 61, was spending about $3,000 a week on meals for her family. In 2009, she is saving almost $4,000 each month through backyard garden cultivation. She started growing vegetables at her home after hearing the “eat what you grow” statement of Dr. Christopher Tufton, Jamaica’s Agriculture Minister. Hivey received an award from the Jamaica Agricultural Society at the beginning of Farmers’ Month on April 1 in recognition of her 40 years in agriculture.
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JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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BRUSSELS TO HOST JAMAICAN FASHION SHOW—03/29/09
A presentation of Jamaica’s best fashion, design, and models will be on show in Brussels, Belgium, at two fashion shows in April 2009. The first show is part of an African, Caribbean and Pacific cultural colloquium. The second is the Jamaican Market Penetration Extravaganza. The shows receive sponsorship from the European Union’s Private Sector Development Project and will feature Jamaican designers and models.
JAMAICAN DIASPORA SHOULD SPEAK AS ONE—03/30/09
Professor Neville Ying of the Jamaica Diaspora Foundation at the University of the West Indies believes that Jamaicans in the Diaspora should “speak as one voice” and cooperate on the issues and ideas that will benefit their homeland. Ying made his remarks in a speech to Jamaican nationals at a community forum held in Miami, Florida.
AMERICAN-JAMAICAN SPRINT CONTEST POSTPONED TO 2010—03/31/09
According to United States and Jamaican athletics officials in North Carolina, the proposed competition between the U.S. and Jamaican sprinters will be delayed until 2010 due to conflicts in scheduling. Doug Logan, chief executive for USA Track & Field, says the timing is better for May and June of 2010 and will ensure the series will succeed.
JAMAICA BOBSLED TEAM TRAINS IN NEW YORK—04/03/09
Jamaica’s bobsled team is looking forward to qualifying for the XXI Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010, and three of the team’s members are currently in Lake Placid, New York, readying themselves for the America’s Cup race, one of the qualifying events held in advance of the 2010 Olympics.
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SPORTS
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BERTRAM WRITES HISTORY OF JAMAICA’S CRICKET—03/29/09
Arnold Bertram has written a 685-page history of cricket in Jamaica entitled “Jamaica at the Wicket.” He claims that cricket on the island has prospered when it has been a multiracial, multi-class game inspired by nationalist ideals and sponsored by private interests. Bertram is a trained historian and tells the story of Jamaica’s cricket in text, photos, and 106 pages of statistics.
JAMAICA TO WIN WICB TITLE IN SPITE OF LOSS—03/30/09
The Windward Island achieved a close three-wicket victory over Jamaica on the third day of the 12th-roung WICB regional four-day championship. However, Jamaica is on track to take the title, despite the poor showing versus the Windwards.
JAPANESE TEACHER BRINGS OUT BEST IN YOUNG GYMNASTS—03/31/09
Nishida Kumicho, operator of a gymnastics and fitness center, has inspired Jamaicans Daniel Williams and Jiovannua Jackson, both 11, to win trophies and medals at Florida’s Beach Gasparilla Classic competition. Kumicho, who came to Jamaica in 2004 as a volunteer of Japan’s government agency, trained the boys through its inner city scholarship program.
JAMAICA CONFIRMED AS WICB 2009 CHAMPIONS—04/01/09
After the Leeward Islands and the Combined Campuses and Colleges reached a draw at the WICM Regional Four-day championship, Jamaica was confirmed the competition’s victor. The Leewards had been the only team with a mathematical chance of overtaking Jamaica. Jamaica, with 94 points, will get the inaugural George Headley/Everton Weekes trophy.
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DEVOTIONAL
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"Don't Worry!"
Isn't it ironic that the majority of professing Christians trust God with their eternal security but have difficulty trusting Him with the details of everyday life? On the basis of John 3:16, they fully expect to spend eternity with Him yet seem unable to take hold of Philippians 4:6, "Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything" (CEV). Is it that God who created the universe, and everything in it, cannot handle the details of the here and now?
God cares about us and the things that impact our lives far more than we realize. Like a good and loving parent, His heart breaks as He watches His children wrestle with things that provoke doubt, fear, and rob us of peace of mind and heart as He waits for us to bring those concerns to Him. He did not intend for us to worry about how we are going to make it from one day to the next, but rather that we should cast those cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). Not some of it, but "all"; everything, nothing - not even what seem to be the most trivial - left out. For some of us, that is an extremely difficult thing to do because worry is like a worn out pair of shoes - we need to throw it out but it is most comfortable. Yet there is no ambiguity to Father's instructions; He says "Don't do it!" for "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" (Matthew 6:30, KJV).
If God takes care of the fowls of the air, He will take care of those who are His. This is the same God who so loved the world that He gave His Son Jesus that all who believe in Him might have life and have it more abundantly (John 3:16; 10:10). Surely, having demonstrated the extent of His love for His children, how can we doubt Him when He says "Dont worry"? Is there anything too hard for Him to handle? (Genesis 18:4).
Whatever it is that weighs heavily on your heart and mind, why not resolve to come boldly to the throne of grace and leave it there? "Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4:6-8, The Message).
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CREDITS/SOURCES
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The weekly news is compilation of new articles from top Caribbean and Jamaican news sources.