- Agriculture Ministry to spend $150m to eradicate cocoa disease 9:48 AM
- Guyana on course for high gold production in 2016 9:00 AM
- Man jailed for calling Myanmar president 'crazy' on Facebook 8:22 AM
- First Thai babies diagnosed with Zika-linked microcephaly 8:02 AM
- WEATHER UPDATE: Hurricane Matthew upgrades to Category 2 7:49 AM
- J'cans urged to prepare for Hurricane Matthew 9:40 PM
- Jamaica to ratify Paris Agreement on climate change by year end 9:11 PM
- MANNING CUP: KC, Wolmer's expected to continue winning form 8:00 PM
- CMO urges health preparations as hurricane nears 7:37 PM
- 24-36 hours of rainfall expected if Matthew hits 7:19 PM
- Services at CRH return to normal tomorrow 7:08 PM
- Holness tells councillors, MPs to prepare for Hurricane Matthew 7:00 PM
- Shaw confident of successor arrangement with IMF 6:44 PM
- Petrojam assures fuel supply as Tropical Storm Matthew approaches 6:26 PM
- Al Miller to appeal conviction 6:23 PM
- Clinton hits Trump over Cuba embargo 'violation' 6:06 PM
- Three high-powered firearms recovered in St James 5:50 PM
- Western Jamaica residents assured of police protection 5:04 PM
- Forex: J$128.20 to one US dollar 4:56 PM
- Saudi warns of 'disastrous consequences' over US 9/11 law 4:41 PM
- Windies hoping to turn corner on poor run 4:34 PM
- WEATHER UPDATE: Met Service says severe weather alert remains in effect 3:55 PM
- Jamaicans in Diaspora may soon benefit from NHT homes 3:43 PM
- Store water, NWC urges amid threat of Hurricane Matthew 3:28 PM
- PM calls emergency preparation meeting ahead of Hurricane Matthew 2:58 PM
Columns
Help! The Gordon Town Road breakaway needs fixing
WE’RE moving into the weekend with another meteorological warning that we could be running into stormy weather. Up to the time of writing, there was no guarantee that it will be so. We are still not absolutely sure that we won’t have to contend with another “crosses”, but it ... Read More
Crime soars as Cabinet does not trust or empower citizens
To control crime we have to make the streets unsafe for criminals. If National Security Minister Rob ... Read More
Can’t just throw money at crime
“Saint Michael the archangel, defend us in battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and ... Read More
Crocodile tears and beautiful speeches, but politicians are the problem
The recent spate of criminal activities, in particular in the parish of St James, has given the oppo ... Read More
Donald Trump and Birtherism
Donald Trump is the candidate representing the Republican Party in the US presidential elections. His performance in the polls suggest that he stands a fairly good chance of being elected. One of the initiatives that propelled him onto the political stage is the central role he played in the “birther” issue. Birtherism refers to the claim that Barack Obama is a foreigner and not eligible to be president of the US. At first, many ignored these claims, but Trump used his wealth and ce ... Read More
The FBI and Ja’s struggle to tame the crime monster
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has decided to set up an office in Jamaica. This will be based at its embassy on Old Hope Road. This decision will not please everyone, and already opinion is divided as to whether this is a welcome move for Jamaica. The history of the FBI in the United States is one in which the institution has been viewed with scepticism, scorn and derision. This was particularly the case under its longest-serving director, the mercurial J Edgar Hoover ... Read More
Bitcoin? Nonsense!
It was in the media recently that an entity is trying to set up a Bitcoin exchange in Jamaica. I am astounded that any Jamaican authority would even shake hands with any proposer of this idiocy. I am therefore alarmed that, according to the deputy governor of the Bank of Jamaica Livingstone Morrison,”We have had some exploratory discussions with them, talking about the regulatory framework and the process that would have to be engaged in order for them to secure approval so they can offer ... Read More
Will the US debates change the course of the presidential elections?
America’s political future is on a razor’s edge. At the time of writing the two political gladiators — Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump — will face off for what will be the beginning of a new era in American politics. One candidate’s mantra, “Stronger together”, the other “Make America great again”. Last night, Monday, September 26, 2016, the first of the series of debates, could be remembered as the night that changed the entire course of a ... Read More
Climate change: myth or reality for Caribbean tourism?
Countries around the world are celebrating World Tourism Day under the theme ‘Tourism for all …Promoting universal accessibility’. This focus is quite fitting as the tourism industry, globally, is facing several challenges inclusive of climate change which could stymie access to the various destinations. For many years, the United Nations (UN) recognised the importance of having dialogue about greenhouse gas emissions and subsequently established the United Nations Framework ... Read More
Etana needs a crash course
I do not want any trouble, and there may be more important things to occupy newspaper pages, but nevertheless I draw your attention to the verbal gaff by the great songstress Etana on a popular television programme last week. I did not appreciate the way the television interviewer, in his narrative, expressed that Etana, a new mother was “body conscious”. That did not add to the interview and he came off as slightly chauvinistic in his dry verbiage. Likewise, in her attempt to inspi ... Read More
Trump supporters are not stupid!
During the course of this weekend, reggae sensation Etana came under heavy criticism for declaring her views during a televised interview on the upcoming United States of America presidential elections — indicating her support of Republican nominee Donald Trump. After reading and contemplating many of the comments, insults and ridicule meted out to her, I was astonished to realise that in a country such as ours — known for its strong democratic ideals and freedom of expression &mdas ... Read More
‘We belong to each other’
While she served as the pastor for the United Church in Negril, Rev Dr Margaret Fowler was asked to participate in the Theodora Project which fights human trafficking. While being a guest at a top restaurant, she saw a middle-aged man arrive with two young girls, one about 10 years old, the other about 12. She noticed that he ordered alcoholic drinks for them and decided to probe further. She was able to get his name and, sure enough, investigations led to his arrest for human trafficking. If, ... Read More
Don’t ‘dis’ Portia
The delegates of the People’s National Party (PNP) on September 17, 2016, overwhelmingly re-elected Portia Simpson Miller as president of the organisation. In a stunning show of confidence and respect, the delegates voted 2,471 for Simpson Miller, to a paltry 198 votes for Dr Karl Blythe — six less than he received in 2006. There were a total of 2,669 votes in the presidential contest and Simpson Miller received an impregnable 93 per cent of the total votes. The votes received by S ... Read More
Apologies for the past, looking to the future
The most important asset a leader must acquire and retain is trust. Trust arises from, among other things, the leader’s demonstration of competence in delivering on commitments made, maintaining congruence between word and action, being accurate in assertions proclaimed, and critically, in being willing to be held accountable. In respect of the latter, when assessments establish that the leader failed in any of the foregoing areas, the leader’s capacity to retain or regain trust is d ... Read More
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