News
'Thanks for choosing Air Jamaica, the little piece of Jamaica that flies no more' — flight attendant.
FOR four decades, tourists and 'yardies' alike have flocked to Jamaica on the 'Lovebird' to enjoy the tropical climate, the food and everything else the island has to offer.
But passengers who came in on flight JM036 from Fort Lauderdale shortly after 11:00 on Friday night were not so upbeat after disembarking the 'final' flight on the national carrier.
It was an emotional journey for most, with some passengers reportedly shedding a few tears as they openly mourned the end of Air Jamaica on the late flight into Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston.
"It was very emotional; a lot of sentiments," said Captain Paul Wilson in describing the general mood aboard the flight. "We saw some low-spirited people coming off there... it was like a funeral. The last couple of flights, I have been flying with the passengers, they were all saying the same thing, 'we are going to miss you guys'," Wilson said.
EDUCATION Minister Andrew Holness yesterday described the planned two-day strike by public school teachers as unfortunate, but warned that their actions must not disrupt the sitting of Caribbean Examination Council examinations scheduled for those days.
"The ministry is not expecting, and would look unfavourably on any attempt to prevent access to any school, examination centre, laboratory or any examination material which may be in their (teachers') custody," the minister told reporters at an afternoon press briefing in Kingston.
More than ten Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency (CAPE) examinations -- including visual arts, music, sociology, French, and Caribbean Studies -- are scheduled for tomorrow and Tuesday when the teachers plan to stay off the job.
But Holness said yesterday that while many teachers may not want to turn up for work, those
scheduled to work as examination invigilators -- for which they are compensated separately — are expected to fulfil their obligations.
In addition, the minister said all administration, clerical, and ancillary staff, are expected to report to work over the two days, noting that officers from the ministry's regional offices will be visiting the schools to ensure that duties were being performed.
America to challenge Jamaica's argument on legality of evidence THE United States Government is preparing to challenge Jamaica's assertion that information passed on to the Americans regarding the extradition request for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke was obtained illegally, a US State Department official told the Sunday Observer. The official, who spoke with the understanding that his name does not get published, said that the US Government would not be backing down from its intention to extradite Coke, 42, a businessman with strong links to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
However, the kind of "challenge" to be mounted was not immediately outlined. Coke, referred to as 'Dudus' and 'The President', is wanted by US law enforcers to answer gun- and drug-related charges. Critics of the Jamaica Government say the Bruce Golding administration has been deliberately delaying the process, with Golding citing, among other things, breaches by US authorities in obtaining information against Coke.
"That view should be contested, because information was in fact passed on to us legally," the official told the Sunday Observer during a telephone interview late last week.
"We are very interested in having Mr Coke brought here to answer the charges. We believe that we are on solid ground," the official said.
Jamaica's Supreme Court will, on May 5, hear a motion filed by Attorney General Dorothy Lightbourne, which seeks to determine her powers and authority in extradition matters.
I-OCTANE A HIT AT GUINNESS WET SUNDAZE ANNIVERSARY
Last Sunday Guinness Wet Sundaze Anniversary held at Auto Vision, Hilview Avenue saw I-Octane delivering a crowd warming performance.
Following some exciting juggling from selectors Liquid and Stone Love represented by G-Fuss, the Ruff Cut Band was introduced to the stage.
At 1:05 am I-Octane took control of the mic with a song that is currently enjoying a lot of air rotation My Life. His life proved to be pretty interesting for the Guinness crowd who demanded Octane “wheel and come again” with the single.
I-Octane followed up with songs such as “Think A Little Time”, “Mama” closing out his set with “Lose A Friend”.
For twenty minutes the Stab Vampire singjay showed why he is regarded as one of the fastest rising conscious performers on the scene right now.
After he made his exit, he was again called up by Geefus, this time Octane used the opportunity to call on Bugle who did two songs before exiting the stage.
Following some more juggling from G-Fuss Guinness Wet Sundaze came to an end at 2:00 am.
Following his commendable performance at Guinness Wet Sundaze I-Octane is now looking forward to his next show dates which are Release The Chain on April 2 at Red Hill, Hype In the Park on April 3 in St Elizabeth and on Easter Monday, he will be at Jamworld in Portmore.
The visas of five of Jamaica's top entertainers have been revoked, THE WEEKEND STAR understands. According to information coming from the Fraud Prevention Arm of the United States Embassy in Kingston, the visas of Bounty Killer, Mavado, Beenie Man, Adonia and selector Ricky Trooper are in the process of being cancelled.
When contacted for confirmation last night, Minister of National Security, Senator Dwight Nelson, relayed through his communications department that "he has no such information."
However, a document obtained by THE WEEKEND STAR stated that: "The Embassy of the United States in Kingston, Jamaica, is in the process of revoking the visas of the following citizens of Jamaica. The people mentioned here currently hold a US visa that we have not yet been able to physically cancel. Do not allow these passengers to board any flights bound for the United States in reliance on this visa."
Sometimes reaching for your wallet is like a multiple choice test: How do you really want to pay?
While credit cards and debit cards may look almost identical, not all plastic is the same.
"It's important that consumers understand the difference between a debit card and a credit card," says John Breyault, director of the Fraud Center for the National Consumers League, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group. "There's a difference in how the transactions are processed and the protections offered to consumers when they use them."
While debit cards and credit cards each have advantages, each is also better suited to certain situations. And since a debit card is a direct line to your bank account, there are places where it can be wise to avoid handing it over -- if for no other reason than complete peace of mind.
AP – Pope Benedict XVI looks on during his weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican, …
VATICAN CITY – Germany's top bishop briefed Pope Benedict XVI on the spiraling cases of clerical sex abuse in the pontiff's native Germany on Friday and said the pope encouraged him to pursue the truth and assist the victims.
Archbishop Robert Zollitsch said the pope was "greatly dismayed" and "deeply moved" as he was being briefed on the scandal during his 45-minute private audience in the Vatican. Zollitsch said he briefed the pope in particular on the measures being taken so far to confront the scandal.
"The Holy Father was very satisfied with our decisions," Zollitsch told a press conference after the meeting.
At least 170 former students from Catholic schools in Germany have come forward recently with claims of physical and sexual abuse, including at an all-boys choir once led by the pope's brother.
Zollitsch also said he briefed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on measures implemented in Germany, and that the Vatican is considering a set of universal norms to deal with cases of clerical sex abuse.
"I'm grateful for the encouragement he (Benedict) gave me to continue carrying out our measures in a decisive and courageous way," he said.
Benedict hasn't commented on the German scandal himself. But he decried the sexual abuse of children as a "heinous crime" after he summoned Irish bishops to Rome last month to discuss the even more widespread scandal in the Irish church.First Lady marks International Women’s Day with Hillary ‘President’ joke
AP – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama share a laugh as Andrea Jung,
In a fitting show of solidarity for International Women's Day, First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made light of the brutal 2008 battle Clinton conducted to defeat Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination. As Michelle Obama launched a State Department commemoration of International Women's Day, she briefly stumbled over Clinton's job title. "Let me thank my dear friend, Senator - Secretary Clinton. I almost said, 'President Clinton,' " said the first lady to laughter and applause. "But let me thank you for that kind introduction, and most of all thank you for your friendship, thank you for your support, and thank you for your indispensable advice in getting me through this first year and helping me figure out how to get my family settled in our new life in D.C."
The exchange stood as another rebuke to a favored theme of the Beltway pundit set: that tensions between the Obamas and the Secretary of State still run high. More than that, though, the series of events that the first lady presided over drew wider attention to the stubborn lags in gender equality beyond the developed Western world. Both women stressed this issue in their respective speeches. As Secretary Clinton put it, the world "can't solve problems of financial crisis, climate change, disease and poverty if half of the population is left behind."
Monday marked the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. The day doesn't get a great deal of attention within the United States, but many other countries honor it with a national holiday. Nations that officially honor it are far flung, ranging from China and Russia to Macedonia and Vietnam. Some countries will encourage men to lavish gifts on the women in their lives, in the tradition of greeting-card holidays like Father's Day and Mother's Day. Other countries promote women-only commemorations of the day, with all-female parties and dinners.
The first lady also picked up on these ideas of stronger public recognition for women in her remarks on Monday, when the White House hosted its own event marking the importance of the March 8th holiday. "I get to speak while he stands and watches," the first lady announced, as the president looked on. She then told the president, "Look at me adoringly," to laughter from the crowd. He obliged with the reply, "I can do that"-whereupon she mock-chided him with the follow-up command, "With sincerity."
One way the Broward school district could save money next year is by having more elementary schools share art, music and physical education teachers and media specialists, a possibility School Board members will discuss at a workshop meeting Tuesday.
They will also take up other unpopular cost-cutting options, such as having those ``specials'' teachers lead two classes at once -- with the help of an aide -- and having classroom teachers incorporate art and music into their regular lessons so a unit on African geography involves, for example, the influence of African music on jazz.
The proposals will likely face a push-back from board members, who have decried last year's steep cuts to elementary schools and the arts. They will almost certainly also be criticized by the Broward Teachers Union, which has said the district should slash what the union calls wasteful spending from places other than teachers and classrooms.
``There'll be a rich debate,'' Superintendent Jim Notter said Monday. ``However, the bottom line is, we have no place else to cut.''
The suggestions come from a committee of principals and school system administrators tasked with finding ways to realign teachers and other schools staff to save the district money. Since January, the board has been having ongoing talks on how to cut millions from the school system's budget.
Other ideas from the committee include relying more on virtual elementary-school field trips and setting guidelines for how many guidance counselors a school should have -- at least one part-time counselor at each elementary school, for example.
The district has already said it will have to make $62.8 million in cuts to day-to-day operations in 2010-11 for using one-time money this year. Notter said Broward may also face a shortfall of $80 million to $100 million in state money.
The 2007 documentary "The King of Kong" famously depicts the struggles faced by Washington resident Steve Wiebe to overcome swaggering classic-gaming legend Billy Mitchell for the all-time highest score on the 1981 Nintendo fave Donkey Kong.But recently, Hank Chien, an unheralded newcomer to the classic-gaming community, snuck up on both of them and set a new Donkey Kong world-record, according to noted video-game record-keeping authority Twin Galaxies.
Chien's score of 1,061,700 points, accumulated in just two-and-a-half hours, puts him a mere 11,500 points ahead of Mitchell's best recorded score, and 12,600 points ahead of Wiebe's -- essentially a difference of one successful barrel or fireball jump per screen.
Asylum caught up to Chien, a 35-year-old plastic surgeon from Flushing, New York, on what he describes as a "slow day" at the office to talk about the record -- and what's next.
"I probably would have never done this if it weren't for the movie," says Chien, referring to the popular (and controversial) "The King of Kong."
In fact, Chien says that he first began playing with abandon only about 8 or 9 months ago. "I was actually pretty bad when I first started out," he says. "I wasn't even close to a million, so I just never thought about [the record]."
As anyone with a day job and an interest for breaking video-game records knows all too well, time is the biggest factor in trying to accomplish a goal of this kind. With his demanding plastic-surgery business, Chien could never afford the time to attend the two or three events each year at which a Twin Galaxies referee would be present to verify the score.
Because of that, chasing the high-profile Donkey Kong record, previously held by Mitchell (pictured below), was nearly impossible for him to attempt.
"I never really considered the record until November of 2009," says Chien. That month, Twin Galaxies altered its rules regarding video-taped entries. "When they changed the rules," he explains, "I started thinking I might be able to do it."
Appeals for calm after Nigerian sectarian slaughter
A woman wipes a tear as dead bodies, mostly women and children, are arranged in a mass grave for burial at Dogo Nahawa village in south of Jos, Plateau State. UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Washington led calls for restraint on Monday after the slaughter of more than 500 Christians in Nigeria, as survivors told how the killers chopped down their victims.(AFP)
by Aminu Abubakar Aminu Abubakar
JOS, Nigeria (AFP) – UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Washington led calls for restraint on Monday after the slaughter of more than 500 Christians in Nigeria, as survivors told how the killers chopped down their victims.
Funerals took place for victims of the three-hour orgy of violence on Sunday in three Christian villages close to the northern city of Jos, blamed on members of the mainly Muslim Fulani ethnic group.
While troops were deployed to the villages to prevent new attacks, security forces detained 95 suspects but faced bitter criticism over how the killers were able to go on the rampage at a time when a curfew was meant to be in force.
Media reported that Muslim residents of the villages in Plateau state had been warned by phone text message, two days prior to the attack, so they could make good their escape before the exit points were sealed off.
Survivors said the attackers were able to separate the Fulanis from members of the rival Berom group by chanting 'nagge', the Fulani word for cattle. Those who failed to respond in the same language were hacked to death.
One local paper said the gangs shouted Allah Akhbar (God is Great) before breaking into homes and setting them alight in the early hours of Sunday. Churches were among the buildings that were burned down.
The Vatican led a wave of outrage with spokesman Federico Lombardi expressing the Roman Catholic Church's "sadness" at the "horrible acts of violence".
The UN chief told reporters he was "deeply concerned".
"I appeal to all concerned to exercise maximum restraint," he said.
"Nigeria's political and religious leaders should work together to address the underlying causes and to achieve a permanent solution to the crisis in Jos."
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged "all parties to exercise restraint", but also called on the Nigerian government to "make sure the perpetrators are brought to justice."
"The Nigerian government should ensure that the perpetrators of acts of violence are brought to justice under the rule of law and that human rights are respected as order is restored," the chief US diplomat said.
The death toll was initially put at a little over 100 but then shot up. The information ministry said pregnant women were among those killed and around 200 people were being treated in hospital.
"We have over 500 killed in three villages and the survivors are busy burying their dead," said state information commissioner Gregory Yenlong.
"People were attacked with axes, daggers and cutlasses -- many of them children, the aged and pregnant women."
Survivors wail as children, women buried in Nigeria
Much of the violence was centred around the village of Dogo Nahawa, where gangs set fire to straw-thatched mud huts as they went on their rampage.
The explosion of violence is the latest between rival ethnic and religious groups. In January 326 people died in clashes in and around Jos, according to police although rights activists put the overall toll at more than 550.
"The attack is yet another jihad and provocation," the Plateau State Christian Elders Consulatative Forum (PSCEF) said.
However the archbishop of the capital Abuja, John Onaiyekan, told Vatican Radio that the violence was rooted not in religion but in social, economic and tribal differences.
"It is a classic conflict between pastoralists and farmers, except that all the Fulani are Muslims and all the Berom are Christians," he said.
Fulani are mainly nomadic cattle rearers while Beroms are traditionally farmers.
A curfew imposed after January's unrest is supposed to be still in place but Christian leaders said the authorities did nothing to prevent the bloodshed.
The PSCEF said it took the army two hours to react from the time a distress call was put through and "the attackers had finished their job and left".
Witnesses said armed gangs had scared people out of their homes by firing into the air but most of the killings were the result of machete attacks.
"We were caught unawares ... and as we tried to escape, the Fulani who were already waiting, slaughtered many of us," said Dayop Gyang, of Dogo Nahawa.
Gbong Gwon Jos, a Muslim resident of Dogo Nahawa, told The Nation daily he received advanced warnings of the attacks.
"I got a text message about movement of the people."
Rights activists said the slaughter appeared to be revenge for the January attacks in which mainly Muslims were killed.
Locals said that the attacks on Sunday were the result of a feud which had been first ignited by a theft of cattle and then fuelled by deadly reprisals.
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan placed security services in Plateau and nearby states on red alert to contain the violence before he sacked his chief security advisor
