Jamaica News

A few simple comparisons of the JLP Manifesto vs. the PNP Manifesto:

The JLP’s Manifesto has 48,557 words, PNP’s Manifesto has 19,416

The word “Jamaica” is used 414 times in the JLP Manifesto and 103 times in the PNP Manifesto

The word “People” is mentioned 43 times in the JLP Manifesto and 50 times in the PNP Manifesto

More to be added soon!

Citing the swirling controversy over the troubled Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP), a matter which was the focus of yesterday’s sitting of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry yesterday resigned from that post.

In a statement issued late last night, Henry said: “In light of the ongoing attacks on the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme (JDIP), which continue despite the Prime Minister and I having acted to address the issue, as the line minister, I take full responsibility for the issues which have arisen, and today tendered my resignation as Minister of Transport and Works with immediate effect.” He added: “There is nothing to hide about my stewardship of the JDIP, which is very important to the country, and I look forward to the conclusion of the ongoing investigations.”

Henry also highlighted that he has not resigned as the Member of Parliament for Central Clarendon, and said he will now be focusing more of his energy on his constituency at this time.

Jamaica’s 8th Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, made a shocker of an announcement earlier today at the Jamaica Labour Party’s Central Executive quarterly meeting. He announced at the meeting today, that he will NOT be seeking re-election at the party’s annual general conference (set to happen in November, 2011), and that he will step down as prime minister as soon as a new Jamaica Labour Party leader has been elected at that conference.

A statement was issued today by the Jamaica Labour Party (through Minister of Information, Daryl Vaz), which included the following:

“Golding said he had planned to lead the party into a second term of government and demit office within two years thereafter. He said the challenges of the last four years have taken their toll and it was appropriate now to make way for new leadership to continue the programmes of economic recovery and transformation while mobilising the party for victory in the next general elections.”

Richard Brown appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where he pleaded not guilty to unlawful wounding charges. Brown admitted in court that he ‘boxed’ (slapped) the mother of his child in her face because of her alleged shortcomings as a mother.

The court heard that the defendant and complainant were involved in a heated argument over their child, which led the defendant to hit the complainant in the face. The impact of the ‘box’ caused the complainant’s nose to bleed, and there was also a swelling to the left side of her face.

In his defence, Brown told the court that he hit the complainant because she had not adjusted herself well as a mother, as she continued to attend street dances regularly, and neglected their child. Resident Magistrate Georgiana Fraser then told Brown that perhaps the complainant was not ready to be a mother. Brown reportedly replied, “a three pickney she have,” which caused some laughter in the court.

Brown’s bail was extended, and he is to return to court on March 15. Both Brown and the defendant were also ordered by the court to undergo counseling.

Norbert Graham, a 52 year old woodcutter of Shaw Castle in St. James, died in hospital yesterday, after he was reportedly hit by a tree branch at Mount Horeb in St. James. According to reports, Graham was on a farm cutting down a tree, when a branch fell and hit him on the head. He was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he later died from his injuries.

A recent search of prisoners at the all female Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Facility, reportedly turned up at least five instances where mobile phones were hidden inside the vaginas of prisoners. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the phones were wrapped in tissue and tied in plastic.

According to reports, prison officials introduced new hand held metal detectors that were able to alert them of the possibility of metal objects that were not visible to the naked eye. In these instances, the prisoners in question were taken to the Kingston Public Hospital, where doctors conducted searches and the mobile phones found hidden inside their vaginas.

14 year old Delano Martin of Greenvale, Manchester, reportedly hung himself on Monday (July 12) after telling his mother that he would hang himself because she had refused to send him to summer school.

According to reports, Martin had told his mother that he wanted to go to summer school. She reportedly told him that he would be going the next day. This is said to have angered the child who reportedly told his mother that he would kill himself if she did not let him go. His mother later found him hanging from a rope on their verandah.

Its been just over a week since Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke was extradited to the United States to face gun running and drug trafficking charges, and vendors in the Downtown Kingston area are reporting that buttons bearing his image and words are among the fastest selling items right now.

The buttons, which are reportedly being sold for $200, feature two pictures of Coke, along with the words “I Love My People” at the top and “President Dudus” at the bottom. The “I Love My People” is apparently quoted from Coke himself, said just prior to his extradition.

Unconfirmed reports indicate also that matching t-shirts are being printed at this time, and will be available for purchase soon.

Desrene King, a 42 year old cane cutter from Frome in Westmoreland, died yesterday after she was reportedly struck by lightning.

Reports indicate that King was among a group of people who were planting cane on an estate, when lightning struck at approximately 3 p.m. King was reportedly struck by the lightning, and was rushed to the Savanna-la-mar hospital where she later died.

According to Dr. Beverly Wright, of the Manchester Health Department, some vendors at the Mandeville Market in Manchester are using formaldehyde (a deadly chemical that is used to preserve dead bodies before burial) to prevent their fish from spoiling. Dr. Wright made the disclosure during a Board of Health meeting at the Manchester Parish Council yesterday.

According to reports, in March of this year, a resident became ill after eating a fish that had been purchased at the market. The Ministry of Health was alerted, and they instantly took nine samples of fish from various vendors in the market. The samples were sent to the Government’s laboratory in Kingston for testing, and all nine samples tested positive for the chemical formaldehyde.

Indications are that the police will be investigating the matter in order to determine how the vendors came in possession of the chemical. Secretary Manager of the Manchester Parish Council, Alfred Graham, and Mayor of Mandeville Brenda Ramsay, have reportedly summoned fish vendors who sell in market to a meeting at the council’s chambers some time next week.