KINGSTON, Jamaica, Observer- WE welcome the latest call by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) for an end to the 54-year-old United States embargo on Cuba.
But even as we acknowledge the correctness of the position, we must admit that Washington has, over time, softened its policies toward Havana, especially after former President Fidel Castro stepped aside and transferred power to his brother, Raul, in 2008.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - Construction of the first licensed casino on the island is scheduled to begin in a few months.
Celebration Jamaica Development Limited, one of the companies which applied for the first set of casino licenses is looking at starting construction as early as summer once government gives approval.
Founder of the company, Robert Trotta, said the project will be completed in three years once approval is granted.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Lawyers for the popular dancehall artiste, Vybz Kartel ((Adidja Palmer), who was found guilty of murder on Thursday, say they intend to appeal the conviction following a trial that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) said had put the judicial system “on trial”.
"There is an appeal process, which we will embark upon immediately. But we will have to look back through the transcript to determine the grounds for appeal," said Tom Tavares-Finson, the lead attorney for the singer.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - Chaos erupted on Thursday afternoon as supporters of dancehall entertainer, Vybz Kartel who is being tried for murder, protested on the outskirts of the Supreme Court in downtown, Kingston.
Approximately 500 supporters of the Kartel, whose real name is Adijah Palmer, broke through police barricades and pushed their way right up to the gates of the courthouse, chanting "Free Vybz Kartel!"
Order was eventually restored when the police were called in.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Police stepped up security in the capital, Kingston on Thursday after the popular dancehall artiste, Vybz Kartel (Adidja Palmer) was found guilty of murdering Clive “Lizard” Williams in a trial that lasted 65 days.
Kartel, along with fellow entertainer Shawn Campbell, also called Shawn Storm; Kahira Jones; Shane Williams; and André St John had been charged with the murder of 27-year-old Williams, a dancer, on August 16, 2011.
Shane Williams was found not guilty.
KINGSTON, Jamaican, Observer - IN the context of the just concluded Black History Month, world heritage consultant Dr Janice Lindsay is calling on Caribbean States, to step up efforts to safeguard their music from economic exploitation, and do more to turn it into an economic powerhouse for local communities.
KINGSTON, Jamaican, Observer - AS the country observes March as Endometriosis Month, co-founder of the Better Awareness and Support for Endometriosis (BASE) Foundation, Shauna Fuller-Clarke, is urging employees and school administrators to become more sensitive to and supportive of the approximately 100,000 women and students grappling with the disease locally.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - A two day police operation at the Kingston Container Terminal has led to the seizure of more than J$10 million worth of marijuana. The operation was carried out on the weekend by the Transnational Crime and Narcotics Division with assistance from the Ports Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Contraband Enforcement Team of Jamaica Customs. The teams conducted several searches at the container terminal where the drug totalling 2,168 pounds was seized.
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders meet here next week for their inter-sessional summit with Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves confirming that there is “quite a long” agenda for the two-day meeting. Gonsalves, who is also the chairman of the 15-member grouping, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the March 10-11 summit will discuss the economies of regional countries and efforts to deal with the challenges confronting them. Climate change and disaster preparedness would also be high on the agenda.
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Tuesday February 25, 2014, CMC – UNAIDS Caribbean said Monday that eight regional countries have finalised specific strategies aimed at strengthening their HIV programmes by making them more responsive to human rights.
It said that the representatives from Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago met her last week for a three-day workshop hosted by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and supported by the Ford Foundation.