- Mervyn Morris is Jamaica’s first Poet Laureate since Independence 9:50 PM
- MOUNT ROSSER NOW IMPASSABLE 9:43 PM
- Regional Cricket: Champions Barbados praised for professional approach 8:15 PM
- Windies and Black Caps locked on same points in test ranking 7:18 PM
- Education Ministry recruits math specialists 6:47 PM
- Oscar Pistorius trial: Defence gets its turn 6:21 PM
- Pipeline repair turns fatal 5:47 PM
- Forex: $109.90 to one US dollar 5:27 PM
- Money available to deliver water but no trucks 5:18 PM
- EWI granted licence to supply power to JPS 4:51 PM
- JPS application for rate hike 'predatory', says CAPI 4:18 PM
- Bunting to deliver lecture on 'Divine Intervention' 4:10 PM
- Region warned against new strain of banana disease 3:55 PM
- India's court recognises third gender category 3:42 PM
- Police High Command commends Desmond McKenzie's bodyguards 3:12 PM
- Supreme Ventures fetes residents of Kingston's Children's Homes 1:53 PM
- Gunmen open fire at Desmond McKenzie's security team 1:36 PM
- Transport Minister tours JUTC depots 1:18 PM
- Tribute marks Boston Marathon bombing 12:13 PM
- CAS cites doping sample flaws in Campbell-Brown case 11:31 AM
- Coca Cola sells more drinks but soda sales drop 11:14 AM
- Rehabilitation work starts on Parry Town, St Ann road 10:45 AM
- Holness tours the City 10:18 AM
- Grenada wants IMF agreement by May 9:58 AM
- Jamaica names first Poet Laureate in 50 years 9:47 AM
Editorial
Chaos without change at the World Bank
THE appointment of Mr Jim Yong Kim by the United States Administration as president of the World Bank has come as a surprise because he is an academic with no financial expertise, no development policy experience, and no administrative track record. His lack of pertinent qualification was supposed ... Read More
‘Stupid idea of the
year’ award to
Minister Paulwell
'Stupid idea of the year' award to Minister Paulwell
So, Mr Phillip Paulwell, the minister of energ ... Read More
Poor governance
on show at
Port Royal
COUNCILLOR Lorraine Dobson says she is "aware" that there is "a growing migration problem, in terms ... Read More
Dr Norman Girvan, intellectual warrior
Jamaica, and indeed the Caribbean, has every reason to mourn the passing last week of Dr Norman Girv ... Read More
Valuable lesson from a sad episode
We suspect that the recent exoneration of Mrs Veronica Campbell-Brown will have encouraged Mr Asafa Powell and Miss Sherone Simpson in their stated determination to contest their 18-month doping-related suspensions at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. We would expect that the issues will be very carefully explored by the athletes, their handlers and lawyers before a final decision is taken. Another Jamaican, of far less prominence, Olympic discus thrower Ms Allison Randall, was also handed a ... Read More
Gov't must not bow to road hogs, terrorists
If you go by the complaints, the Government went about the reorganisation of the public transportation system in a most high-handed fashion. Some people will agree with that analysis, others won't. What we all can't deny, however, is that, outside of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), what has been operating here is the Wild West of bus systems. We would be surprised to find a motorist or commuter in Kingston who has not experienced the rampant indiscipline displayed by minibus, Coaster ... Read More
Nice jab, Boxing Board
LAST week, the Jamaica Boxing Board of Control (JBBC) did our country and the sport of boxing proud, by reversing the decision giving victory to Barbadian Christopher "Shaka" Henry over Jamaican Glenroy 'Bumpy' Beckford in the April 2, 2014 Wray & Nephew Contender bout. This action by the JBBC might well have saved the future of the Contender television series which we have commended in this space for reigniting interest in boxing and for inviting boxers from the wider Caribbean to compete ... Read More
Poor water supply unacceptable
Jamaicans are so habituated to poor government over the last 30-40 years that we have come to accept inadequate standards for state-provided services such as in education, security, water, roads, health, public transportation and the like. The key functions of a government are to keep law and order within its boundaries, protect its borders from invasion by external enemies and create and maintain the conditions for human survival and hopefully human development. The availability of adequate s ... Read More
No need to flex muscles over flexi-workweek
Debate on a flexible workweek has been taking place here intermittently for just over 20 years. Probably that's where the problem lies in the revival of this burning issue. For, had the country sustained the debate from the first time the matter was raised, Jamaica would most likely be past the point of now trying to introduce legislation that is still being questioned. It is obvious that this time Jamaica does not have the luxury of procrastination because, as we heard from Senator Floyd Morr ... Read More
Taking Jamaica back from criminals and social delinquents
THIS newspaper joins with well-thinking people in welcoming news of a 12 per cent reduction in murders and a 13 per cent drop in all serious crimes in Jamaica for the first quarter of the year. Yet, Jamaicans had hardly digested the information when they were assailed by yet another story of terrorism. Two people, including a 12-year-old boy, shot dead as they stood among a group at about 8:30 pm on a street corner in West Kingston on Friday. The boy's nine - brother was also shot and injured. ... Read More
The world awaits those crucial IMF, World Bank meetings this week
THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released its Global Economic Outlook ahead of the spring meetings of the Fund and the World Bank. Its prognosis is not exciting. The global economy will grow but will remain sluggish. China's growth appears to be slowing with adverse implications for commodity prices and those countries that export to China. Several emerging market economies are turgid despite a boost to output from stronger exports. Japan continues to have problems and the United Stat ... Read More
In quest of consistency and efficiency in WI cricket
THE West Indies were inconsistent as usual but still reached the semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup. And, given their record, who is to say Mr Darren Sammy and his men would not have defied the odds to get the last 81 runs in six overs and defeat Sri Lanka in the semi-finals had a hailstorm not intervened? After all, they did even better than that in conquering Australia just a few days earlier. There could be no doubt, though, that until the weather intervened, Sri Lanka played the b ... Read More
Jamaica must do better at helping itself
This newspaper, probably more than any other entity, has repeatedly pointed to absence of foresight by Jamaica's leaders in not ensuring that Sabina Park was outfitted with lights at the time the historic cricket ground was refurbished for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. We recall that at the time the People's National Party (PNP) Government of the day had faced fierce criticism for its more than US$100 million expenditure on the World Cup. No doubt that criticism influenced the then Government ... Read More
A DPP to celebrate, even if 'the law is a ass'
TOO often, in the heat of battle, we lose sight of the war, and all too frequently, we win the battle but lose the war. Last week in this space we agreed with Charles Dickens' Mr Bumble that "the law is a ass, a idiot" when we empathised with those who mourned what seemed like a Pyrrhic victory in the Kern Spencer Cuban light bulb case. Mr Spencer and co-accused Ms Coleen Wright were freed by Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey, but the backlash by an incredulous public would have taken the joy out ... Read More
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