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THIS WEEK’S TOP NEWS   STORIES
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CARICOM RESPONSE TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC DEPORTATIONS DEFENDED—06/20/15
Jamaica has defended the way CARICOM responded to the planned deportation of thousands of individuals of Haitian descent from the Dominican Republic. Jamaica is responsible for coordinating foreign policy among the members of CARICOM. According to A.J. Nicholson, Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, CARICOM is working to resolve the issue and has been involved in meetings with CARIFORUM and the European Union in which leaders agreed that these two bodies would monitor the Dominican Republic and its promise not to render stateless the people of Haitian descent nor engage in any mass deportations plans.

SYSTEM DESIGNED TO DETECT STUDENTS’ ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR LAUNCHED—06/22/15
Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller is encouraging parents of children who attend the Cockburn Gardens Primary and Junior High School have these students participate in the school’s behavior modification program. The program is designed to address anti-social tendencies in children. Simpson Miller made her remarks during the launch of the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) Behavior Modification Program, noting that the program’s success requires everyone to be involved.

GOVERNMENT MAKES STRONGER EFFORT TO STOP CYBER ATTACKS—06/24/15
In response to a cyber attack on six of the Jamaican government’s websites, Julian Robinson, the Minister of State for Technology, noted the existence of groups that are determined to conduct such attacks and that Jamaican authorities are intensifying their efforts to block these attacks. As a result of an alert issued to Management Information Systems authorities regarding malware in the Government of Jamaica network, the spread of the malware was contained early on. Additional measures have been taken to protect the system, but Robinson acknowledged that this is unlikely to prevent future attacks.

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THIS WEEK’S TOP JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
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JAMAICAN-BORN DOCTOR CHOSEN TO HEAD CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN PAC—06/22/15
Dr. Goulda Downer, who was born in Jamaica, has been elected as the first woman to hold the top leadership position at the Caribbean-American Political Action Committee (C-PAC). She is the third person to head the organization since its inception in 2005 when it was formed to advance the political interests of Caribbean-Americans living in Washington D.C.

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THIS WEEK’S TOP BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
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DR. LOWE RECEIVES ANOTHER U.S. PATENT—06/21/15
Dr. Henry Lowe, Jamaican scientist and cancer researcher, has been granted a fourth patent from the United States Patent Office. The patent involves a way of treating prostate cancer using compounds derived from the extract of Ball Moss, an indigenous Jamaican plant, also known as Old Man’s Beard. Treatment associated with the use of the plant’s extracts is showing significant promise as a preventative agent. Dr. Lowe and his team of researchers have been working with the plant for about ten years.

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THIS WEEK’S TOP ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
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BOB MARLEY’S GRANDSON MAKES DEBUT AS SOLO ACT—06/26/15
Skip Marley, the grandson of reggae legend Bob Marley, has launched his solo career with his project “Cry to Me.” The track is already receiving considerable attention from several media outlets and is intended to empower women in the same tradition as Bob Marley’s “No Woman Nuh Cry.” Previously, Skip Marley has performed on stage and in the recording studio with the reggae artistes Damian and Stephen Marley.

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THIS WEEK’S TOP SPORTS NEWS
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BOLT WITHDRAWS FROM JAMAICAN NATIONAL SERIES—06/25/15
Jamaican Olympic champion Usain Bolt has withdrawn from participating in the Jamaican National Series Championships, sparking rumors and concern about his fitness to compete. Bolt’s management team has moved to forestall such concerns, but Bolt has struggled during the season and has not performed to expected levels. According to Ricky Simms, Bolt’s manager, there had never been a definite intention to run in the Jamaican Series 100 meter competition. Sims also noted that it would be up to Bolt’s coach Glen Mills whether or not he would race or would train for future meets in Paris and Lausanne.