JAMAICAN students have dominated the regional ranking in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) June 2014 examinations, copping 161 top-ten positions in 30 subjects, followed by Trinidad & Tobago with 109 positions. The regional ranking shows Jamaican students leading in mathematics, Caribbean history, religious education, and information technology, among other subjects. Caribbe... »
OTTAWA, Canada (CMC) – Canada’s Scotiabank has announced plans to shut or shrink 120 branches, largely in Mexico and the Caribbean, in a bid to save CAN$120 million (One Canadian dollar =US$0.87 cents) annually. The bank said it would close down 35 of its 200 branches in the Caribbean and would sever 1, 500 full-time employees, including 500 from its international operations. “In some of these (Ca... »
ST GEORGE’S, Grenada — Carnival Cruise Lines returned to Grenada for the 2014/2015 cruise season on Tuesday, after an absence of 15 years. The Carnival Splendor berthed for the first time from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at Melville Street Cruise Terminal with a passenger capacity of 3,002. The return of Carnival Cruise Lines marked a significant achievement of the public-private partnerships and ong... »
Dr. Fenton Ferguson addressing Parliament Jamaica has stepped up its preparedness for the Ebola virus. On Tuesday it was announced that the country now has a fully equipped dedicated treatment centre and another is under construction. Health Minister Dr. Fenton Ferguson, who made the announcement in a statement to Parliament, said an Ebola Control Centre will be established at the Jamaica Defence ... »
Esco DANCEHALL rivals Beenie Man and Bounty Killer have recorded their first collaboration, Legendary. The single — which will be officially released this month — is recorded on the eight-month-old Starstruck Records label, owned by entertainer Esco. The track has already made the playlist of some local radio stations. The producer/recording artiste said putting the colla... »
STRICTLY The Best, possibly the longest running compilation album in reggae, marks a milestone on November 25. VP Records will release Volumes 50 and 51 of the series. As usual, it showcases some of the most popular dancehall songs of the year as well as classic hits from the Queens, New York label’s vaults. Strictly The Best was first released in 1990. Volumes 1 and 2 featured hits from Fox... »
ALTHOUGH a number of Jamaican men still smirk at the idea of a woman raping a man, the increasing number of calls to the Marge Roper Counselling Service and the National Family Planning Board hotline are showing that more and more males are reporting rape and are pointing towards older women as the perpetrators. “A number of men are now reporting rape,” National Family Planning Board C... »
Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter Jamaica spent almost $3 billion dollars last year to import some 70 million pounds of chicken back from the United States, as many Jamaicans continue to depend on this cheap meat for the protein in their diets. In 2012, $2.5 billion was spent importing chicken back while $2.3 billion was spent in 2011, pushing up the country’s already high import bill despite the 1... »
Mariah Carey has been confirmed as headline act for the 19th staging of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival, set for Januray 29-31 at Trelawny Stadium near Falmouth. This will mark Mariah’s first time performing in the Caribbean. Festival producer Walter Elmore noted that “welcoming Mariah Carey to Jamaica’s shores is truly exciting!” The Jazz and Blues Festival is the first festival i... »
An Austrian national was arrested at the Sangster International Airport, in Montego Bay, St James on Wednesday after a firearm and other illegal weapons were allegedly found in one of his suitcases. He has been identified as 47-year-old business consultant Thomas Roessler. The Corporate Communications Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force says Roessler has been charged with illegal possession of ... »
DETECTIVES probing Wednesday’s brazen daylight murder of a man on the outskirts of New Kingston say they have received new information suggesting that the victim — Collin Mann — was a lieutenant of former Tivoli Gardens don Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke. Mann, also called ‘Gummy Bear’, was last year slapped with shooting and gun-related charges stemming from allegations th... »
TELECOMS company LIME signed dancehall artiste Konshens and former Miss Jamaica World (2006) Sara Lawrence as its newest brand ambassadors at Ribbiz at Barbican Centre in St Andrew, yesterday. Carlo Redwood, LIME’s vice-president of marketing, said signing was a “no-brainer”. “Konshens is popular with Jamaicans. He loves Jamaica and he’s very passionate about music an... »
Suge Knight and Katt Williams found themselves behind bars for allegedly snatching a female paparazzo camera. According to TMZ, the incident went down on September 5 outside a studio in Beverly Hills. The female photographer filed a police report. Suge Knight was picked up by cops in Las Vegas, while Katt Williams was arrested on Wednesday morning when he showed up in court for an assault case. Th... »
Barbara Gayle and Jerome Reynolds Gleaner Writers Former Miss Jamaica Universe and media personality, Yendi Phillipps, has filed for full custody of her child with dancehall entertainer, Chino, whose real name is Daniel McGregor. The application was filed in the Supreme Court this week by the law firm Nelson-Brown, Guy and Francis. Phillipps is asking the court to grant her custody, care and contr... »
BY KARENA BENNETT Business reporter Red Stripe to build $90-m cassava processing plant by January LOCAL brewing company Red Stripe will be establishing its US$800,000 ($90.4 million) starch processing plant by January 2015. The facility will allow Red Stripe to make its flagship beer with at least five per cent cassava by next March. Ultimately, the local brewer wants to replace 20 per cent of its... »
Popcaan new album Where We Come From has been available since June but the dancehall deejay held an official album launch party last week in Kingston at the Triple Century Sports Bar & Grill. Lot’s of dancehall celebrities came out to support the former Portmore Empire deejay including Beenie Man, Sizzla Kalonji, Aidonia, Lady Saw, and his former nemesis Black Ryno. Popcaan gave a well receive... »
Dancehall deejay Kalado has been detained in the United States. According to reports, the “Personally” deejay was detained by immigration on October 18 following his arrival at the Boston airport. Up to the time of this publication Kalado was still behind bars. But it is still unclear why the deejay was detained and for how long he will be. The deejay’s rep told us that he has secured the services... »
The Barnett Street Police in St. James are warning members of the public, not to purchase or sell ackees that are unfit for consumption. The warning follows a case involving the sale of unopened ackees,on Tuesday. Pauline Powell,45, of Evergreen, Manchester, was charged under the Agricultural Produce and the Unlawful Possession of Property Acts. About 1:30 on Tuesday the police were on patrol,... »
Dr Henry Lowe KINGSTON, Jamaica –Medicanja Limited, Jamaica’s first medicinal marijuana company, will unveil its line of products and services at the Eden Gardens Resort and Spa in Kingston, tomorrow (October 29). Medicanja’s Founder and CEO, Dr Henry Lowe says that the company, which was launched in December, 2013, will be showcasing its ready for market medicinal cannabis (ganja) product... »
Kanye West could have banked $4.5 million in just over a week if he had inked a deal to perform in Las Vegas. The G.O.O.D. Music rapper was reportedly approached by Planet Hollywood to perform in Las Vegas for 9 days where he would be paid $500,000 per night. The deal would make Kanye West the highest performer on the Vegas strip, but the College Dropout rapper turned down the deal according to TM... »
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The rape trial of entertainer Elephant man has been pushed back to March 16, 2015. The date was set when the entertainer, whose real name is Oniel Bryan, appeared in the Home Circuit for trial today. The case could not start due to other ongoing cases. The artiste’s bail was extended. The 38-year-old artiste is charged with rape stemming from a January 2012 incident invo... »
Sydia Rose, a Jamaican-born nurse, who was among medical personnel who treated the first Ebola case in the U.S has recounted her experience and is still self-monitoring for symptoms. In an interview aired last night on ‘CBS 60-minutes,’ Sydia Rose spoke about going to great lengths in trying to keep Thomas Eric Duncan alive. He was taken to the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital for tr... »
Shaggy, the Jamaican reggae and dancehall superstar, has received one nomination for the 2014 Soul Train Awards. CENTRIC announced the list of nominations for the Soul Train Awards on Monday, with Chris Brown and Beyonce receiving the most nominations. Shaggy was nominated for Best International Performance, for his collaborative single “You Girl” with Ne-Yo. Shaggy noted that it was always a grea... »
Curtis Campbelll, Gleaner Writer Producer Markus Myrie (Buju Banton son) Following Forbes Magazine‘s recent announcement that no recording artiste, across all genres, has sold a million albums since the start of the year, members of the entertainment industry have shared their contingency plans for surviving in the broader market. Artiste manager Carlington Wilmot says reggae and dancehall m... »
JAMAICAN radio disc jock ZJ Wah Wa pleaded guilty to telemarketing fraud at a hearing in the Federal District Court in Bismarck, North Dakota, yesterday. ZJ Wah Wa, given name Deon-ville O’Hara, is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. “Mr O’Hara entered a guilty plea, pursuant to the terms of a written plea agreement,&... »
