Jamaica: Jamaica’s Economy can grow: use China as Inspiration...Minister Shaw

KINGSTON - Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw said Jamaica’s economy can grow to high levels and China’s economic development can be used a source of inspiration.

Speaking on the Prime Minister’s monthly call in programme ‘Jamaica House Live’ on June 29, Mr Shaw who visited China recently said they are the second largest economy in the world and over the past 20 years China has seen growth annually of ten percent.

“We should be inspired by this and the fact that in Jamaica’s own experience we have seen periods of high growth. In our early years of independence, 1965, the Jamaican economy grew by 10 percent but not a lot of people know that. The annual average growth in the 1960s was six percent and in 1971 the economy grew by 11.9 percent so even as we are in awe at the growth experienced in China, we must remind ourselves that we have achieved those levels of growth,” Minister Shaw explained.

He added that after experiencing negative growth in the 1970s, Jamaica’s economy was rebuilt and by 1987 the economy was growing by seven percent with an annual average of 6.9 percent from 1986 to 1990. The Finance Minister said Jamaica has seen negative growth of one percent since but China’s growth is a reminder that we should get things right.

Mr. Shaw noted that what has happened in China over the past twenty years is nothing short of phenomenonal and that Jamaicans can learn many lessons from the Chinese people, their initiative, enterprise and attitude to work.

He said Jamaica has been plagued by disasters but has survived. He also said Jamaica’s success with the debt exchange programme has led to Greece being urged to follow that model.

UK: Betting shop burglar receives eight-year sentence

A MAN who carried out a series of robberies on bookmakers in east London was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Keith Donaldson-Jones pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and three counts of possessing an imitation firearm at Inner London Crown Court on Friday [July 1].

The 43 year-old also pleaded guilty to two counts of burglary and one charge of possession of a bladed weapon in an unrelated offence.

During the 2010 incident Donaldson-Jones and an unnamed accomplice robbed £1,500 in cash from Labrokes betting shop in East Ham, east London.

In subsequent attempts, Donaldson-Jones attempted to rob two more Ladbrokes branches.

Detective Constable Nick Pollard said: "These robberies were terrifying for the staff involved who genuinely feared for their lives.

He added: "Initiatives like Operation Betguard prove that the MPS will go to great lengths to track down people like Donaldson-Jones.

"By working together with local businesses and the local community we can bring offenders to justice."

Officers have yet to trace his accomplice but their enquiries are ongoing.

Caribbean countries urged to unite to fight crime

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC) – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries to combat organised crime on a regional level.

In a message sent to the CARICOM leaders who are ending their annual summit here today, the secretary general also promised United Nations assistance to deal with the situation.

He said a “challenge for Caribbean countries is the growing threat posed by organised transnational crime and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

“We must consider this challenge in a regional context, as well as through the prisms of development, rights, rule of law and security reform,” he said, adding “the United Nations system stands ready to work with you on these issues.”

The UN Secretary General said climate change is yet another urgent and growing threat to development, economic growth, public health and our very security.

“You have been pioneers in calling attention to the vulnerability of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Please rest assured that you can count on me to continue the promotion of our common objectives for development, security and human rights for all,” he added.

Regional leaders are expected to issue a communiqué at the end of their four-day summit that is likely to include their plans to deal with the spiralling crime situation in the region as well as climate change.

UK: LIVE REVIEW: Janet Jackson at the Royal Albert Hall

THERE'S SOMETHING about London's Royal Albert Hall that makes a show feel intimate, despite the prestigious venue packing in a crowd of over 5,000.

So with Janet Jackson regularly turning to different sections of her crowd as she sang "If I was your woman, the things I'd do to you" (from her 1993 hit If), it's quite possible that each audience member in the area she was looking, could've thought the star was singing directly to them.

Throughout the whole show, the sexy songstress engaged with her audience, whipping them into a frenzy as she delivered number one hits including What Have You Done For Me Lately, All For You and Doesn't Really Matter.

The video for her 1986 hit Nasty being was played on a huge screen as the prelude to Janet's entrance. The iconic video, which contains the singer's famous line "It’s Janet… Miss Jackson if you're nasty", served as a reminder of how the star earned her seductive reputation.

15 years on, she remains a sensual performer, owning her stage with energy, poise and sexy dance moves. And though Janet has never been known as a powerhouse singer, she held her own vocally, proving she can deliver her classics live, without miming, in her trademark soft and whispery style. Her slow numbers Trust In Me, Again and Let’s Wait A While gave her the opportunity to really show off her vocals.

Video interludes also provided entertainment, showing Janet’s acting skills. From a clip of teenage Janet in the sitcom Diff’rent Strokes; to the flirtatious scene she shared with the late Tupac in 1993’s Poetic Justice; right up to her phenomenal room-trashing scene in Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too, the numerous clips reminded the crowd that Miss Jackson is multi-talented.

Of course, the show didn’t end without a fitting tribute to the late great Michael Jackson. As the video for Scream – Janet’s duet with her brother – began playing on the screen, Janet launched into a short performance of the hit, before childhood pictures of the two siblings together graced the screen.

It was beautifully apt that she ended her set with her hit Together Again. Complete with the lyrics, “Dancing in moonlight, I know you are free/ coz I can see your star/ shining down on me,” it was a fitting and touching tribute to the King of Pop.

Equally touching was Janet’s appreciation for her London crowd, who she thanked for their continued support, “not just for me, but for my entirely family.” As dysfunctional as some might see the Jackson family, there’s no denying the impact they’ve made on the world. Janet reminded us of that.
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UK: Beverley Knight : Why she'd welcome Amy Winehouse's success, but not her notoriety

BEVERLEY KNIGHT'S longevity and respect in the business isn't to be sniffed at. With her new album Soul UK featuring tracks from a host of British artists who are no longer active on the mainstream scene, (Omar's There's Nothing Like This and Junior Giscombe's Mama Used To Say are two of the tracks Knight covers), it's quite something that Knight is still flying the flag for black British soul after 16 years in the game.

Still, the talented singer, known for her powerhouse vocals, still hopes to attain the global appeal of some of her peers on the soul music scene.

"I'm very grateful when people tell me I've been an influence on their career," Knight says. "To be an influence on someone's career is massive. It's the biggest accolade you could ever have. But what I'd really like is the chance to be heard internationally. That is what Adele, Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone have achieved. They’re smashing it everywhere and I’d welcome that same opportunity.

“I don’t need the kind of life where I can’t walk street. I’ll leave that to Rihanna and Beyoncé! I’d just love to know that in some distant corner of the globe, someone somewhere is singing my songs.”

Though Knight feels, to some degree, that the British music industry sometimes sees greater marketing potential in white soul singers than their black counterparts (read her comments on page 30), she also believes that some black British singers – and black audiences – don’t always appreciate the moves that need to be made to enjoy success.

“We as black artists have to understand that we’re in a business and sometimes, we have to move sideways in order to move forwards. I think sometimes we can be victims of the stereotypes that say black people are supposed to sing this kind of music or look a particular way and when someone steps out of that mould, we don’t check for them again!”

Knight laughs: “When Roachford broke out of the box, it was white people who got him to number one, because Cuddly Toy [Roachford’s single that Knight also covers on her album] didn’t sound like a ‘typically black’ song. So we’ve got to get rid of that mindset.

“Jimmy Hendrix changed the world with a rock guitar, even though that probably wasn’t expected of an artist that looked like him. The only way we can start to see ourselves as being as diverse as other people, is by sometimes making those sideways moves and not feel that we’re selling out by doing that.”

Having began her career with R’n’B hits like Flava of the Old School and Mutual Feeling, did Knight experiences accusations of ‘selling out’ when she moved “sideways” and enjoyed commercial success with hits including Shoulda Coulda Woulda and Come As You Are?

“Oh, I got a lot of that,” she admits. “When I wrote Come As You Are, to me, I had written a song that sounded like Sly & The Family Stone – that funk-type vibe. But to a lot of people, it sounded like a ‘white’ song. I couldn’t understand that because I was singing it and I’m not white!

“So yeah, I did face that kind of resistance. But like most things, you have to take it with broad shoulders and just get on with it. Michael Jackson got called a sell out when Thriller came out and Beat It was on there. A lot of people weren’t feeling Beat It at all. But Michael Jackson went on to become the biggest black music icon that ever lived. Similarly, a lot of people weren’t feeling Prince’s Purple Rain when it first came out.

She continues: “But that often happens with black artists; people go off them because of their musical choices and then they come full circle and go back to loving them again. It happened to me and I came through at the other end, so much so that I’ve been able to make this album that pays homage to British soul.”

But don’t get it twisted: Knight doesn’t consider Soul UK as any sort of return to her soul roots.

“Not at all. It’s like when Justin Timberlake said he was bringing ‘sexy back’ and Prince got vex and said, ‘sexy never left!’ The fact is, I never left [soul music]. I was always happy to be, within black music, the maverick who did what she wanted to do. So this album isn’t about rediscovering roots, it’s about acknowledging the musical giants on whose shoulders I’m standing.”

In addition to the aforementioned artists, some of those “giants” include Soul II Soul, whose 1989 hit Fairplay gets Knight’s treatment, and Loose Ends who Knight pays homage to with her version of the group’s 1990 hit Don’t Be A Fool.

“It wasn’t so straightforward [putting the album together] because there are so many wicked British soul records out there, from High Tension and Light of the World, right up to from where I started. So I was like, ‘How am I gonna narrow this down?’

“So I started with people who directly inspired me and then started choosing from their catalogue. I decided not to touch any songs that might be considered sacred, so it was like, ‘I’m not gonna do [Soul II Soul’s] Back to Life and mash up Caron Wheeler’s vocals!’ So I chose another of their songs – Fairplay – which is just as important.”

We couldn’t discuss the album without talking about the equally notable album cover. Featuring Knight dressed in a black playsuit that reveals her long legs [the image on the cover and inset, above left], I couldn’t resist playfully teasing her about the sexy look.

“This is so mad,” she laughed. “I did another interview and the journalist was like, ‘You look so sexy on the cover! Do you feel sexy?’ I feel a bit embarrassed about it now because I wasn’t trying to portray ‘sexy Bev!’ It was just that I loved the playsuit and I thought I was creating a retro, ‘80s kinda vibe. Now I’m like, ‘Did I show too much leg?’

“But I never would have done that years ago. Back then, I would have felt like that image would have been a odds with me being a serious artist. But I’ve grown up thinking that it’s ok to show a bit of leg. I think it’s a marker of how far I’ve come in my mindset. But if you ever see me with my legs akimbo, then we’ll have a problem!”
Voice: The Best Of Beverley Knight

UK: Ashley Cole to launch music career?

FOOTBALLER Ashley Cole has met rapper Jay-Z in a bid to launch a career in the music industry, according to reports.

The Chelsea left-back, Cole, was said to have travelled to Jay-Z's record label, Roc Nation, in New York to have a private meeting.

The 30-year-old has been also been reported to have started plans to create a UK-based record label once he eventually retires from football.

Cole's ex wife and singer, Cheryl Cole, was also in the headlines earlier this week for allegedly spending the night with him in their former marital home. The couple split in 2010 following claims Cole had cheated on her with a string of women throughout there three and a half year marriage.

Cole has yet to comment on the rumors of a new career.

Fernando Torres Signed Chelsea Home Shirt | icons.com

UK: 'Racism in the classroom is rising', says new study

RACISM amongst primary school children has increased by 4.5 per cent since since 2009-10, according to a new government report.

The research by Coventry City Council showed incidents of racial abuse amongst pupils in their city schools went up to 439, up from 420 the previous year.

The council report, which catergorised racial abuse into 'physical', 'verbal' and 'other', shows a disproportionate 230 incidents occurred in primary schools, compared to 162 in city secondary schools.

Coventry city councilor, Lynnette Kelly, told the Coventry Telegraph: "One racist incident in a school is too many but unless we take it seriously and look at what is actually going on, we can’t challenge it."

“A lot of this is about primary schools recognising that this can happen. Children will repeat the language they hear from their parents without realising what it is,” she said.

She added: “Unless we record all these things we just aren’t aware it’s going on – it could just be brushed off as an argument between two kids.”

UK: Hundreds march in Birmingham seeking justice over black deaths

MORE THAN 1,000 people took to the streets of Birmingham Saturday in a march for justice to show their support for the grieving family of Kingsley Burrell and many other young men who have died after coming into contact with police.

The three-hour march ended in an angry rally outside West Midlands Police headquarters in the city centre where protesters vented their fury.

March organisers urged the crowd to sign an online petition to demand a full public inquiry into the deaths of Burrell, reggae singer Smiley Culture, who died in March, and many others.

Maxie Hayles, who chairs the Birmingham Racial Attacks Monitoring Unit (BRAMU) called for a war memorial for those who have died in police custody.

"We must have this because war has been declared on us," he said. “This is a state of emergency because our young people have been brutalised for far too long.

“I have not seen such anger and passion at a demonstration for a very long time. That tells me that something has gone drastically wrong with West Midlands Police.”

Lee Jasper, race equality campaigner, urged the black community to reunite as a people in order to win justice for those who had died. He said 10,000 names were needed for a petition to demand a public inquiry from the Government.

He said: “This is not a Hollywood movie this is a long, dirty struggle and we need your support.”

Earlier the march began in Abbey Street, Hockley, where Kingsley Burrell’s family once lived.

The 29-year-old father of two, who would have celebrated his 30th birthday next Saturday, died on March 31st, just four days after being arrested by West Midlands Police. He had dialled 999 asking for help after allegedly suffering intimidation from a gang while out with his five-year-old son.

When officers found him they admitted him to the Mary Seacole Mental health Unit. He was later transferred to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he was pronounced dead four days later.

Marchers held a two- minute silence outside Mary Seacole House, which is less than half a mile from Abbey Street, before marching down Soho Road, one of Birmingham’s busiest shopping areas.

While walking on the march Burrell’s 60-year-old cousin Mavis Burrell, of Edgbaston, said: “Kingsley never had a mental illness – he was always a quiet family man. What gives the police the right to think that if someone is acting scared they must be paranoid or mad. What gave them the right to decide this?”

Kadisha Brown-Burrell, his sister, told marchers she intended to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights. She said: “My brother was an ordinary man, a man of the community with no mental health problems, no heart problems – he was fit and healthy, so why did he die like this? The police and the NHS have yet to answer these questions.”

Merlin Emmanuel, the nephew of Smiley Culture, who came from London to walk alongside the Brown-Burrell family, said: “I see the same pain and frustration I saw during the march in London for Smiley in April and I see the same contempt on the officers’ faces here that I saw outside New Scotland Yard.

“People cannot continue to be killed like this without any explanation. As a community we need to be tight and cohesive. If you see a young man being harassed go and see what it is all about, take a picture, ask questions.”

Other families who have lost loved ones in similar circumstances spoke out. They included Tippa Napthali, a cousin of Mikey Powell, who died in police custody in 2003, plus Marcia Rigg, sister of Sean Rigg, who died three years ago in Brixton police station.

Jossette Fraser, whose 21-year-old son Demetre died on May 31st in Birmingham after police claim he fell 11 floors from a tower block, pointed to the unmarked face of her son lying dead in hospital and said: “Look at my T-shirt. Is this the face of a boy who has just fallen 11 floors? This is ethnic cleansing. We must fight for our children’s future.”

In a statement, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said: “Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of Kingsley Burrell are still ongoing by the Independent Police Complaints Commission and our trust, therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further.

“However, our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this difficult time.”

Cuba: Cruise ship rescues 7 Cuban migrants

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (CMC) – A Royal Caribbean cruise ship rescued seven Cuban migrants as it returned to South Florida on Friday, the cruise line and the US coast guard said here.

The Oasis of the Seas was on its way back to Port Everglades when passengers on board spotted the Cubans floating in a small blue raft, the Coast Guard said.

This is the second cruise ship to conduct a rescue in the last two months. Another Royal Caribbean ship, Allure of the Seas, rescued nine Cuban rafters in May.

A group of six men and one woman were rescued on Friday, Royal Caribbean International said in a statement.

Passengers spotted a tiny blue raft in the ocean around 3:00 pm Friday, and the captain turned around the 220,000-ton ship to rescue the rafters, who were taken aboard and given food, water and medical treatment, said Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez.

The ship notified US Coast Guard officials and the seven rafters later were transferred to their custody, she added.

Passengers snapped pictures and captured video of the group of migrants as the cruise ship came to their aid.

“They announced on speaker, ‘There are some refugees, and we're about to pick them up’,” passenger Monica Abreu told reporters here.

“They had power to their little raft,” said Mike Hope, another cruise ship passenger. “They were able to move with the raft, and they actually came to the ship.”

The ship's captain turned around the massive vessel to rescue the rafters, who raised their hands in victory before they boarded the ship, Hope said.

The Cubans’ fate is to be determined by the US-Cuba Immigration Accord, more commonly known as the “wet-foot, dry-foot” policy, under which Cubans who reach American shores are allowed to stay here while those found at sea are sent back to Cuba or a third country.

Jamaica: Government looking at Helping Private Schools

Minister of Education, Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is giving serious thought to the level of support that can be given to independent schools which are seriously affected by the economic crisis.
“Recently you would have noticed that our private schools have suffered terribly, because of the economic downturn over the last three years. Several schools have closed, some have folded, others are barely hanging on,” the Minister noted.

He said that although the Ministry of Education has no intention of taking over those schools, it is very concerned about their situation.

“Preparatory Schools have formed the backbone of the delivery of specialized, high quality, personalized education in Jamaica, and we do not want to lose that feature of our education system,” he stated.

He was addressing the Valedictory Service for Paradise Preparatory School Graduating Class of 2011, in Savanna-la-mar, Westmoreland, on Thursday June 30.



He said that some amount of support is already being offered by the Ministry to the private institutions, but a careful look is now necessary at how the support can be improved.

“We have offered support, in terms of taking the GCT off electricity bills. Recently, I met with a group of independent schools, and they have asked that some approach be made to other utilities, including water and telephone, in terms of probably a subsidy,” he stated.

He also made mention of concessionary access to books and other educational material, as other means of support already being given to the institutions.

The Education Minister went on to point out that the structure of the Education Act is such that, if the government decides to fund these schools, depending on how it is done, they could automatically become public educational institutions. However, he said that in examining the problems being faced by the Independent schools, it is clear that the Government will have to step up its regulation of them.

Jamaica: Search continues for X5 driver involved in shooting incident

The police still have no leads on the driver of a black BMW X5 which was involved in a collision and a shooting incident on Highland Drive in Havendale on Friday evening.

The incident resulted in the death of 17-year-old Khajeel Mais of Crane Cresent in Kingston who died as a result of gunshot wounds he received.

The police report that about 7:30, Khajeel was a passenger in a taxi which was involved in a collision with the X5.

The driver of the X5 exited his vehicle armed with a handgun, and fired shots at the taxi. One of the bullets hit Khajeel in the head.

He later died while undergoing treatment at the Kingston Public Hospital.

The police are appealing to persons who notice a black BMW X5 with damage to the rear to notify the Constant Spring police or call the police 1-1-9 emergency number.

Dhoni praises Ishant for 10-wicket haul

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was all praise for Ishant Sharma, who took 10 wickets in the second cricket Test against the West Indies.

Ishant extracted good bounce from the lively Kensington Oval track and troubled the

West Indies batsmen in both innings to return 10-108.

'Right from the Indian Premier League, Ishant has been bowling well. He was doing everything right - like the seam position - and he has been pitching the ball in the right areas, that's why he's able to get pace and bounce. The time he spent with Zaheer Khan has been very useful for him, because Zaheer has shared his experience with him,' said Dhoni.

Dhoni said he was not disappointed at drawing the Test. He made a bold declaration on the fifth day, setting the West Indies a target of 281 in around 80 overs. The hosts were 202 for seven when bad light stopped play.

'We are not disappointed, because it (the draw) happened due to things that are beyond our control, like rain and bad light,' he said.

'We wanted to bowl around 80 overs, but unfortunately we were not able to do so. We tried our best, so there's no reason to be frustrated.'

Dhoni said he thought 280 would be a difficult target for West Indies.

'The outfield was also very slow, so we thought that was a good enough target and that's why we declared.

'We started with an attacking field straightway, and that's why they got a few boundaries initially.'

West Indies then lost three quick wickets before Darren Bravo (73) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (12) steadied the innings with a 54-run partnership. Bravo and Carlton Baugh (46) then added 69 runs before they were reduced to 132/5.

'It was pretty balanced then. They were five down, and we needed just two more wickets. We got them towards the end and from that point it would have been difficult for them to get 70-80 runs.'