THIS WEEK’S TOP NEWS STORIES
EDWARD SEAGA, FORMER JAMIICAN PRIME MINISTER, DEAD AT AGE 89
The former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Edward Seaga had died at the age of 89. Seaga died in the United States on May 28, 2019, his 89th birthday. He had been receiving treatment for cancer. The announcement of his death came from the Office of the Prime Minister. The statement from the current Prime Minister Andrew Holness relayed the gratitude of Seaga’s family for the prayers, messages, and support shown by the people of Jamaica during Seaga’s illness and upon his passing. Seaga was Jamaica’s fifth Prime Minister and serviced from 1980 to 1989, He was the leader of the Jamaica Labor Party from 1974 to 2005.
GOVERNMENT ACTS TO RAISE NUMBER OF NURSES IN PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM
The Jamaican government is moving to establish measures that will raise the number of nurses working in the public health sector. According to Patricia Ingram Martin, chef nursing officer at the Ministry of Health, the Cuban Nursing Program will be expanded, and the Minister is also considering the creation of a bilateral arrangement with other nations to increase local capacity.
THIS WEEK’S TOP CARIBBEAN NEWS
CUBA ENACTS NEW LAW GRANTING PRIVATE WI-FI
Cuba has taken action to widen its internet access. The Cuban Ministry of Communication has announced that personal wi-fi networks are now legal across the island. The importation of servers and routers will be permitted, but the state-operated communications monopoly Etecsa will continue to provide the sole access to the internet in Cuba. The move will allow Cubans to obtain access in their own homes rather than having to connect at public wi-fi hotspots.
THIS WEEK’S TOP JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
EXHIBIT BY JAMAICAN ARTISTS HELD AT JAMAICA EMBASSY IN WASHIONGTON DC
The Jamaican Embassy in Washington DC hosted a three-day Open House Art Exhibit that featured the works of noted Jamaican artists Paul Blackwood and Courtney Morgan. There were nearly 100 pieces in the exhibit, which was opened by Audley Marks, the Jamaican Ambassador to the United States. The opening was attended by a large number of Jamaicans and other art lovers from the Caribbean. The artwork on display included oil on canvas, and prints, which depicted scenes of Jamaican life from both rural and urban landscapes. The artists Both Courtney Morgan and Paul Blackwood are from western Jamaica and are founding members of the Trafalgar Artists Group of Jamaica
THIS WEEK’S TOP BUSINESS NEWS SUMMARY
JET BELIEVES GOVERNMENT PLACING MINING INTERESTS AHEAD OF JAMAICANS
The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) believes the Cockpit Country is being threatened by government policies that place the interests of bauxite mining over those of ordinary Jamaicans. According to JET, the organization is concerned about the mining operations underway in the Cockpit Country Protected Area (CCPA). JET has accused the Jamaican government of favoring the interests of bauxite mining firms ahead of the welfare of the nation’s citizens, the protection of their livelihoods, and the island’s natural resources.
THIS WEEK’S TOP ARTS & ENTERTAIINMENT NEWS
According to Malgorzata Wasilewska, the European Union ambassador to Jamaica, the European Union Film Festival is designed to display the diversity and richness of European culture. The festival will include the addition of film screenings in St. Elizabeth and St. James, as well as in the usually Corporate Area venues. The 2019 festival will show 12 films from 12 European Union member states. The films will be shown from June 3 to 9, 2019, free of charge to film fans. A range of issues will be covered in the screened films, including immigration, discrimination, women in sports, people with disabilities, and diversity.
THIS WEEK’S TOP SPORTS NEWS
REGGAE GIRLZ MEDICAL STAFF SAY “BUNNY” SHAW SUFFERED NO SERIOUS INJURY
To the relief of many Women’s World Cup football fans, the medical staff treating star striker Reggae Girlz player Khadija “Bunny” Shaw communicated that she received no serious injury in the match against Scotland at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Dr. Lori-Ann Miller and physiotherapist Saundria Codling said they were “unsure” of the extent of the injury suffered by Shaw’s replacement Kayla McCoy, whfdjfdo was also hurt in the game against Scotland. The match, attracted a record number of fans, with 18,555 people watching Scotland win against Jamaica with a score of 3 to 2.
