THIS WEEK’S TOP NEWS STORIES

PRECIOUS METALS ARE PROPERTY OF THE STATE
Many Jamaicans, who thought they would become rich, were disappointed when the mineral discovered in Hanover was not gold, but pyrite, a mineral of little economic value. In response, Jamaica’s Mines and Geology Division decided to use the situation to remind Jamaicans that under the country’s Minerals (Vesting) Act, the Jamaican State has the right to all minerals. The right extends to metals, including gold, silver, minerals that contain copper, lead and iron; precious stones; minerals like coals; and some industrial minerals, including marble, silica sand, and limestone of high purity. Jamaicans are encouraged to report the discoveries of minerals to the Mines and Geology Division, regardless of their value. Under the law, if a mineral deposit is developed, a share of royalties resulting from the mined minerals is allotted to the landowner.

JAMAICA’S ATTEMPT TO BECOME A REPUBLIC STALLS
The Jamaican government has blamed the Opposition for delaying the start of the process required to change the status of the nation from a constitutional monarchy to a republic. According to Marlene Malahoo Forte, Jamaica’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs Minister, the announcement by Prime Minister Andrew Holness concerning the membership of a committee on constitutional reform was postpone because Mark Golding, the Opposition Leader, had not named his party’s appointees to the committee. Malahoo Forte stated that the government is prepared to move ahead with discussions about making Jamaica a republic, even without the participation of the Opposition. Golding said he was concerned about the “piecemeal” approach to reforms and insists on a formal response from the Minister on planned amendments to the Chart of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. The Opposition is also concerned about retaining the Privy Council as the final court of appeal in Jamaica.

THIS WEEK’S TOP CARIBBEAN NEWS

POLL INDICATES OPPOSITION TO INDEPENDENCE INCREASING IN BERMUDA
An opinion poll conducted in 2019 by Narrative Research Bermuda and Bermuda’s Royal Gazette newspaper found that over 80 percent of the nation’s residents oppose independence for the nation. Bermuda is currently a British Overseas Territory and has a population of approximately 64,000. The survey suggests attitudes against cutting ties with Britain have hardened over 25 years following a referendum, which indicated that nearly 75 percent of voters were opposed to changing the country’s status. In a series of surveys conducted over the years, the majority of Bermuda’s population has opposed making the nation a sovereign state. Opposition is greater among white residents and in households with incomes higher than $75,000.

THIS WEEK’S TOP JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS

YVETTE CLARKE, JAMAICAN-BORN U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN, DENOUNCES PLANS OF U.S. TO LIMIT MIGRANTS FROM THE CARIBBEAN
Jamaican-American Yvette Clarke, who represents the largely Caribbean 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York in Congress and who is the Jamaican-born daughter of immigrants, has joined Volker Turk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations, in denouncing plans by the American President Joe Biden to limit the number of migrants coming from the Caribbean and other regions. The Biden Administration announced that it plans to limit migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti, who enter the US under humanitarian parole. She called Biden’s policies “an insufficient solution” that continued Title 42 imposed under the Trump Administration, which allowed the government to use emergency COVID-19 mitigation measures to deny immigrants entry to the US. This policy has had a disproportionate impact on Black migrants for years, she said, calling for reforms focused on “equity and moral responsibility.”

THIS WEEK’S TOP BUSINESS NEWS

JAMAICA’S BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE BRAND CELEBRATED WORLDWIDE
Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day was celebrated in Jamaica, Japan, and at various Jamaican embassies around the world on January 9, 2023. JAMPRO has partnered with the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association (JCEA) and the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) to raise awareness of the luxury brew to coffee drinkers around the world. The celebrations featured coffee tastings at select cafes that featured social media influencers, ambassadors, and government officials. The major event was hosted at Café Blue by Aubyn Hill, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce. Hill noted that Blue Mountain Coffee is a high-end luxury product, but aggressive marketing is required to push the produce to tourists visiting Jamaica, over the internet, and to the general public.

THIS WEEK’S TOP ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

GHANA’S FIRST BLACK STAR LINE FESTIVAL FEATURED ARTISTS IN THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
The first Black Star Line Festival was hosted by Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa in Accra, Ghana, on January 6, 2023. The inaugural event’s concert featured numerous celebrities, including Erykah Badu, Dave Chappelle, T-Pain, Jeremih, Sarkodie, Tobe Nwigwe, Asakaa Boys, M.anifest, and others. An audience of over 52,000 attended the concert held in Black Star Square in Accra in the culmination of a week-long series of events and panels at cultural centers throughout the city. The festival’s goal is to improve connections between Black people, artists in the Diaspora, and the world. The locale was selected in remembrance of Ghanaians’ fight for political freedom and their victory in 1957. Ghana was the first of the Sub-Saharan countries to fight for its independence from colonialism. In addition to a celebration of Black culture and music, the Black Star Line Festival is a chance for people in the Diaspora to join together as a community and to acknowledge the power of that community. The festival is named for the Black Star Line, founded by Marcus Garvey in 1919 as a way to generate economic opportunity for Black people in North America, the Caribbean, and Africa, and as a symbol of pride to Black people in all its ports of call.

THIS WEEK’S TOP SPORTS NEWS

JAMAICAN RECEIVES SURFING SCHOLARSHIP
Jamaican Nathaniel Bailey, a student at Jamaica College, was one of 28 surfers to receive a special International Surfing Association (ISA) scholarship. The 16 men and 12 women recipients came from countries around the world, including Iran, Venezuela, Senegal, Costa Rica, India, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Chile, and Uruguay. Bailey represented Jamaica at the World Para Surfing Championship in 2021 and 2022 and will receive part of US$20,000 for his education and surf training. Inilek Wilmot, the president of the Jamaica Surfing Association, said he was happy that para surfing is receiving the recognition it deserves as it is a new sport for Jamaica. With Bailey receiving the scholarship, the sport will receive more publicity, and he will be able to access the specialized training and equipment he needs to improve his performance in the sport. Several former recipients of the ISA Scholarship went on to become elite, competitive surfers.