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Haiti announces six days of mourning following Preval’s death

Rene Preval

Haiti on Monday announced six days of official mourning  for the late former president Rene Preval, who died last weekend at his home of  a Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA).

A CVA is the sudden death of some brain cells due to lack of oxygen when the blood flow to the brain is impaired by blockage or rupture of an artery to the brain. A CVA is also referred to as a stroke. Symptoms of a stroke depend on the area of the brain affected.

Secretary General of the Presidency, Yves Germain Joseph, said that the funeral will take place on Saturday, March 11 and that his body will lie in state at the Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon (MUPANAH) on Friday.

“Pending publication of the Official Protocol of the State funeral of the late President René Préval, the President of the Republic, Jovenel Moïse decrees six days of national mourning worked in memory of this illustrious fighter from Monday, March 6 to Saturday, March 11, 2017.”

During this period, the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all public buildings.
The statement added that on Friday and Saturday, radio and television stations will broadcast music of circumstance interspersed with testimonies on the life and the work of this eminent statesman.

Preval served as president from 1996 to 2001, and 2006 to 2011 and remains the only Haitian Head of State to have completed two terms since the fall of Jean-Claude Duvalier in 1986.

Florida Highway trooper arrested for corruption

A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was arrested after investigators said he helped a friend cover up a hit-and-run crash that left a gardener seriously injured.

Prosecutors charged David Casillas, 35, with organized fraud, filing a false insurance claim and official misconduct. He surrendered Tuesday to a Miami-Dade jail.

Casillas is accused of writing a bogus report for dentist Jesus Del Valle weeks after the crash. Prosecutors in the case suspect that the crash report was used to file a bogus insurance claim for the dentist’s damaged Sports Utility Vehicle.

The Florida Highway Patrol fired Casillas in January. Del Valle, 51, was also arrested as part of the investigation, which lasted more than one year. A mechanic, Ariel Perera, is also facing charges.

According to an arrest warrant, the case began when Del Valle, driving a Ranger Rover SUV, sideswiped a landscaping crew that was working alongside 62nd Street on June 30, 2015.

The gardener, Yoel Montero, of Lewis Tree Service, suffered a traumatic head injury and severe injuries to his right leg, leaving him hobbled for years to come.

The motorist never stopped, driving off even though the passenger-side mirror of the vehicle had been torn off. That detail would be key to breaking the case — mirrors for the 2015 Land Rover can only be ordered directly from Range Rover manufacturers.

Miami Beach Detective Richard Rodriguez soon discovered that in the weeks after the crash, only one such mirror had been sold — to Perera, Del Valle’s friend and a mechanic, for the dentist’s damaged SUV. Witnesses later placed Del Valle behind the wheel at the time of the crash, the warrant said. Cellphone records also placed Del Valle at the scene of the crash.

The probe revealed that Del Valle put in an insurance claim for the damaged SUV.

He turned, prosecutors allege, to Trooper Casillas, a personal friend, who agreed to make a report showing that the crash actually happened seven days later and miles away on Bird Road, not in Miami Beach. The report claimed that the SUV crashed into a palm tree.

Players injured at shooting during soccer match in Barbados

President of the Barbados Football Association (BFA), Randy Harris, has described the Wednesday night football game shooting as “unfortunate”.

Two Barbadian soccer players, Jason White of Fairview Christ Church, and Kaymar Holligan of Eden Lodge, St. Michael are currently nursing gunshot wounds.

The incident occurred on the Belfield Pasture around 8:30 p.m., during the match White became involved in an altercation with a player from the opposing team.

Two fans in support of the opposing team ran onto the pitch and opened fired on White, which resulted in White receiving two injuries to his left food and Holligan also received a gunshot injury to his left foot.

“We are going to meet with police to discuss the issue and to look at safety and security at games going forward…We are not specialists in security so we are going to have a meeting with police sometime this morning to get some counsel, advice on how to move forward” Harris said at a press meeting.

Harris admitted the incident would “set back” football in Barbados, but with hopes in a growing fan base, spectator crowds, and sponsorship, that in the long run “football would survive”.

Bahamas denies US and Amnesty International reports

The Bahamas government has taken issue with the reports of the United States and Amnesty International on human rights issues in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.

The Perry Christie government in separate statements said that it is preparing an official response and intends to issue a “formal protest’ on the matter.

The government said that prior to the release of the US State Department’s 2016 report on human rights in The Bahamas, the government spoke with representatives of the United States government prior to the release of the report on human rights in the Bahamas.

“During those conversations, it was made clear to the US that the proposed report contained significant inaccurate information with no basis in fact and in some cases incomplete information.

“Now that the US report has been publically released, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration is preparing an official response from The Bahamas Government and intends to issue a formal protest in this regard.”

In the report, Washington noted that on July 8, last year, a foreign citizen reported he had been beaten by two or more corrections officers at the Bahamas Department of Corrections (BDOC).

He said that following an altercation with an inmate, prison guards placed him in handcuffs, bent him over a cart, beat him with a PVC plumbing pipe wrapped in duct tape, and then took him back to his cell without providing any medical attention.

The report also indicated that a migrant held in the immigration detention center in Freeport alleged unprompted, regular beatings from the guards, as well as inappropriate sexual behaviour toward female detainees.

The report noted that inmates reported receiving only two meals per day, and often only one, with a meal sometimes consisting only of bread and tea.

Regarding the 2016-17 Amnesty International report, the London-based human rights group criticised Nassau for its ““discriminatory” posture towards lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people and for the country’s constitutional referendum on gender equality.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the “government takes no acts to discriminate against people based on their orientation, race, colour, creed, gender or religion.

“The Bahamas Government shows that it is an equal opportunity protector of all citizens and residents of this country. In addition, the Government takes all appropriate steps to ensure that its citizens of whatever description are safe.

“It is unfortunate, even in countries which are strong democracies with good human rights records, when there are public views espoused that are discriminatory. Nevertheless, The Bahamas Government is firmly committed to the protection of all its citizens.

On the question of right to privacy of citizens, the Bahamas government said it wanted to reiterate “without qualification there is no threat to privacy in the Bahamas.

“The reports of any such threat are entirely misplaced.,” it added.

 

Edi Fitzroy is dead

Edi Fitzroy

Reggae singer, Edi Fitzroy is dead.

The singer, whose real name is Fitzroy Edwards, died in the May Pen Hospital in his home country of Jamaica on Saturday.

He was born November 17, 1955 in Chapelton, Clarendon and would have celebrated his 62nd birthday this year.

Known for his hit singles Princess Black, Check For You Once, The Gun, Youthman Penitentiary, First Class Citizen and Deep In Me Culture, Edi Fitzroy has five albums to his credit: The Best Of Edi Fitzroy, The Musical Ambassador Years, Peace And Love, We A Lion and Deep In Mi Culture.

Edi Fitzroy attended Kingston College and was a certified accountant with the now defunct, Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation in the 1970s where he stayed until the 1990s before he quit to pursue a full time career in music.

A nine-member commission created by Haitian President Jovenel Moise

CNW90

Its Friday March 3. We are taking a look at some of the top stories doing the rounds across your Caribbean American community right here in South Florida….Good afternoon and welcome..I’m Megan Small. Today’s coverage is brought to you by Grace Soups. Spice up your kitchen with Grace Soups today. Genuine Caribbean taste enjoyed worldwide.

 

A nine-member commission has been created by newly appointed President Jovenel Moise to probe prisons and overcrowded lockups across the country and to make recommendations to improve conditions for the inmates. In a recent statement, Moise said the commission is expected to finish its review and submit a report within one month.

Detectives assigned to Jamaica’s Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime Branch arrested three men on March 2 in relation to the murder of Indian businessman Rakesh Talreja, during a robbery at his Cherry Gardens home in St. Andrew on Thursday, February 9. Taljera’s death has hit hard in his homeland of India where his parents have demanded answers from both the Jamaican and Indian governments about the circumstances of his demise.

An article published on Thursday, March 3 in the Centers for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report has revealed that the proportion of Zika-affected pregnancies with birth defects is approximately 20-fold higher compared with the proportion of pregnancies seen in 2013-2014, which is before the Zika virus was introduced into the Americas. The birth defects were seen in about 3 of every 1,000 births in 2013-2014.

In Sports

Jamaican and Major League soccer forward, Giles Barnes, will now wear the colors of the Orlando City Soccer Club. Giles, who has scored three times for the Reggae Boyz, was acquired by the Florida club via the transfer route from his former club, the Houston Dynamos and is expected to bolster the attacking thrust of his new club.

Now here’s what’s trending

Barbadian singer, Rihanna, has been honored by Ivy League University Harvard with the humanitarian of the year award. The Harvard Foundation annually honors prominent public-spirited leaders and named Rihanna as the recipient of the Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award for her charitable work which promotes healthcare and education in the Caribbean.

For tomorrow’s weather forecast.

It will be partly cloudy with scattered showers in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties with a high of 84 and a low of 61. For more information on these and other stories, visit us online at Caribbeannationalweekly.com. Make Sure to pick up your copy of the National Weekly at your nearest Caribbean American outlet.

Today’s coverage was brought to you by Grace Soups: Spice up your kitchen with Grace Soups today.  Genuine Caribbean taste enjoyed worldwide!”

This has been CNW90, I’m Megan Small.

 

Trinidad cop and brother cheat death

Cop shot in face, brother in neck

A Trinidad and Tobago cop and his brother cheated death recently after  they were both attacked and shot in a club.

The cop, Constable Larry Legendre and his brother Lawrence Legendre werewas shot in the face and neck respectively but both have since been discharged form hospital.

The brothers were shot during attack at a club in New Grant in the early hours of last Saturday.

Legendre, 35, has been a police officer for the past 15 years and was stationed at the Mon Repos police station but was on vacation leave.

The bullet that hit him entered his nose and exited through the right ear. His brother’s injuries were also not life threatening.

Hours later both brothers were listed in stable condition at the San Fernando General Hospital. They were both discharged from hospital earlier this week..

At 1.30 a.m. last Saturday, three masked men entered Country Cabin Sports Bar at Torrib Trace, New Grant. Two of the assailants had guns and the third brandished a cutlass. The attack was caught of closed circuit television.

CDC announces  multi-state outbreak of E. coli virus

The Center of Disease Control (CDC) has announced that there is an outbreak of the dreaded E coli virus in several U.S. states.

The E coli virus is a type of bacteria that normally live in the intestines of people and animals. However, some types of E. coli, can cause intestinal infection. Symptoms of intestinal infection include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever.

The CDC said the virus was linked to I.M Healthy brand Soynut Butter and I.M. Healthy brand granola coated with SoyNut Butter and issued several recommendations.

The CDC recommended that consumers do not eat, and childcare centers, schools, and other institutions do not serve, any I.M. Healthy brand SoyNut Butter or I.M. Healthy brand granola coated with SoyNut Butter.

The CDC also reported that 12 people infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O157:H7 have been reported from five states (Arizona, California, Maryland, New Jersey, and Oregon).Eleven of the 12 ill people in this outbreak are younger than 18 years old.

It was also reported that half of the ill people were hospitalized, and no deaths Four children developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure, the CDC stated.

Manslaughter case against Jamaican basketballer reopens in Serbia

The manslaughter case involving Jamaican basketball player Kimani Ffriend will enter a fourth year after a Serbian court ruled in January that the case be reopened for one day on March 13.

The court is expected to call several witnesses in an effort to clarify specific issues with the case and is expected to make a ruling, which might exonerate Ffriend of a conviction for which he was sentenced to three years.

In September 2014, Ffriend was found guilty of the death of Nevena Dragutinovic, a 30-year-old account executive. She was hit by a car being driven by Ffriend in Belgrade on the morning of November 3, 2012. Reports said she had just alighted from a taxi cab at about 4 a.m. when she was mowed down.

Ffriend spent 10 months in prison on remand but following threats to his life, was placed under house arrest in August 2013.

He was allowed to go free in September 2015 while his lawyers appealed the verdict.

Meanwhile, Ffriend who has been playing professional basketball in the Serbian league in the interim, currently leads in both scoring and rebounds for OKK Beograd with 22.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

Brazilian soccer legends in Jamaica to Share The Love

Brazilian soccer legends Ronaldo, Dunga and Edmilson are part of a squad of players from the land of Samba who are currently in Jamaica to take part in the ‘Share the Love Tour’ match between Jamaica’s heroes of the 1998 World Cup and the legends from the land of Samba.

The Brazil All Stars will take on the Jamaica All Stars at the National Stadium in Kingston on Friday night.

The match was organized by former footballer Andre Virtue, as part of a collective effort to bring the nation together in a time when crime and violence have the country on edge,

The tour is a spin-off of an existing team’s Tour of Love that has successfully touched the shores of Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Burundi, Madasgascar, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Chile, Singapore, and Japan.

 

Walter Boyd
Walter Boys

The Brazilian team will match skills against retired Reggae Boyz Walter Boyd, Ian ‘Pepe’ Goodison, Andy ‘Bomber’ Williams, Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore, Ricardo ‘Bibi’ Gardener, Gregory Messam, and Hector Wright, all heroes from the ’98 campaign, the only time Jamaica has ever qualified for the soccer’s biggest stage the World Cup.

A number of young players including Alex Marshall, Ricardo Stewart, Gregory Messam Jr.,  Malik Powell, Dehaney Williams, Jahwani Hinds, the captain of the National Under-20 squad and Christopher Randall, will also suit up for the national squad to take on the Brazilians.

Two Jamaican cops arrested for taking cash to release murder suspect

Two Jamaican Men Maurice and Derrick Levy Plead Guilty to International Fraud Scheme in US

Members of the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) have arrested and charged two Police officers for breaches of the Anti-Corruption Prevention Act.

The cops are accused of accepting money to release a murder suspect.

They have been identified as 37-year-old Detective Corporal Roger Taylor and 32-year-old Detective Constable Alex Francis.

Police report that Taylor and Francis allegedly solicited J$270,000 for the release of a man who was charged for a murder that occurred in October 2015.

When the accused was not released a report was subsequently made to the CIB and the officers were arrested.

They are scheduled to appear before the Kingston and St. Andrew Parish Court on Friday, March 3.

Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

People continue to use apple cider vinegar as a medicine chest item useful in treating a wide variety of physical ailments.

For years, senior citizens in the community and herbalists have cited the healing qualities of apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar is found in supermarkets, and herbal shops and is made from pulverized apples after a period of fermentation when the apples are broken down to bacteria and yeast, turned into alcohol that ferments into vinegar holding high contents of acetic and amino acids.

The proponents of the healing effects of apple cider vinegar, preferably the organic kind, recommends its consumption (usually a tablespoon in an 8 ounce glass of water two – three times daily to treat:

Digestive problems like heart-burn or indigestion. (Consume the apple cider vinegar after meals).

Diabetes: apple cider vinegar reduces glucose (sugar) levels (Consume a dose of the product before going to bed).

High cholesterol: Consume daily apple cider vinegar reduces high levels of cholesterol.

High blood pressure. Regular doses reduce high blood pressure and promotes a healthy heart.

Cancer: Apple cider vinegar is said to slow the growth, and even kill cancer cells.

Weight loss: the product promotes weight loss, as it is said to reduces the appetite making people feel less hungry.

Health effects of the properties found in apple cider vinegar;

Potassium: Aids the building of muscles, transmission of nerve impulses, heart activity, prevents brittle teeth, hair loss and nasal mucus.

Acetic acid: Slows the digestion of starch, and lowers the increase of glucose in the blood.

Ash (or alkaline): Helps to maintain proper pH levels in the body, which prevents and/or fight cancer cells.

Malic acid: Helps to prevent the ill effects of viruses, bacteria, and fungi; removes toxins from the body, enhance bowel regularity, and promotes clean, healthy skin.

Because of the acidic qualities of apple cider vinegar, it’s always recommended it’s diluted before applying it to the skin or drinking. If applied or consumed too strong it can damage the tooth enamel, tissues of the throat, mouth or skin, and have the reverse effect in the stomach.

Queen Ifrica releases Climb

Queen Ifrica releases Climb

Firebrand Jamaican entertainer and social activist, Queen Ifrica, is set to break new ground with the release of her latest album, Climb.

Queen Ifrica has been one of Reggae music’s leading voices against sexual abuse of minors and other social injustices long before it regained popularity with the younger generation of Reggae practitioners and her latest work is a continuation of that trend.

The award-winning entertainer, who is affectionately called “Fyah Muma,” has used her talent to speak to a variety of issues.

On one track she speaks to a mother’s concerns for the family: while on others she addresses communication, peace, justice, truth and love.

She also advocates for global change on the album and rallies the effervescent  Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley on the opening hip-hop tinged track “Truevosation.”

The album also covers the subjects of police brutality in the black community and on the track Black Woman she implores young ladies to know their worth and not be swayed by objectifying trends in popular culture.

The album is distributed by VP records and is available through the downloadable format and on record store shelves.

 

No to Bounty Killa

Bounty Killa

Bounty Killa is in hot water again.

A Jamaican women’s advocacy group is hitting out against his inclusion in the line-up of a free concert being staged in recognition of International Women’s Day 2017.

The concert is being organized by the Bureau of Gender of Affairs in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, in partnership with the Aids Healthcare Foundation, is being held under the theme ‘Unite to End Gender Based Violence’.

The public outcry comes due to the September 2010 arrest of the entertainer, whose real name is Rodney Pryce, after a female companion of his, turned up bloodied at a police station in Kingston and complained that he had assaulted her with a hammer.

The incident occurred at his Oakland Apartments residence in St Andrew.

In another incident earlier that year, he spent two weeks behind bars after being arrested by the Constant Spring police for beating up his girlfriend.

Police had reported at the time that while the DJ was being processed, he called the woman and threatened her life in their presence.

The complainant, Kadeem Baker, eventually dropped the charges against Pryce.

Executive Director at WE-Change and Director of Tambourine Army, Latoya Nugent, is livid.

She told the Jamaica Observer that due to the spirit of the concert and the day it is being held, it was a slap in the face of women especially in light of everything that has been happening since December 2016.

“Almost every day (since December) we wake up to a story about a woman being murdered, rape etcetera and I think what is perhaps the most heart-breaking part of it for me is that it is a concert that is planned by the ministry with responsibility for gender affairs. So when the ministry with responsibility for gender affairs is engaging somebody who is a known perpetrator of gender based violence (GBV) or violence against women, then I think that’s very problematic and I am still in shock about the processes that would have been involved in organizing this concert,” Nugent said.

National Weekly March 2, 2017

Dr. Goldson’s Spine, Joint, Muscle Pain cream launched

Dr. Goldson's Spine, Joint, Muscle Pain cream
Dr. Goldson's Spine, Joint, Muscle Pain cream

Dr. Goldson’s Spine, Joint, Muscle Pain cream treats thousands

Chronic pain symptoms cost Americans around $600 billion every year. Thanks to prominent South Florida chiropractor Dr Fidel Goldson Jr, there’s a powerful new solution for pain sufferers. Dr. Goldson’s Spine, Joint, Muscle Pain cream (Goldson Pain Cream) was developed by the second generation physician based on his own experience treating thousands of patients over more than 16 years.

The all natural, hypo-allergenic formula penetrates deep into muscles and joints to soothe pain away. And it’s now available on Amazon. Detailed information is available on the company’s website at goldsonpaincream.com.

Read More: Goldson Spine Rehab Center hosts successful 5k run

Goldson Pain Cream, available in 4oz and 8oz sizes, contains camphor to numb pain, menthol to cool and warm the application site, and wintergreen oil. Wintergreen oil is a deep heating pain reliever that may help to increase blood circulation. They’ve also created a spray version called Dr Goldson’s Cold & Hot Spray that even works upside down to get to hard to reach places like the upper and mid-back.

 

The pain relief formula promises up to eight hours of relief for people with a broad range of issues. People with back and knee problems in service industries like healthcare and retail, athletes with muscular pains, older folks with arthritis problems, and even those with neck and shoulder problems from desk work, can find respite in the benefits of Dr Goldson’s products. The cream and spray are truly meant to work on almost any type of muscular, joint or spinal aches and pains.

 

In a heartfelt testimonial, real life bursitis sufferer and pain cream user Denise Mathis shares, her experience. She says, “When I tell you, a pain that stops you in your tracks, where you can’t do anything but just try to breathe, that’s a serious pain. And to be relieved from that, it really helps.”

Fidel Goldson with staff
Dr. Fidel Goldson with staff

Dr Goldson himself encourages pain sufferers to try the cream because “patients in pain don’t necessarily have to live in pain.”
Dr Goldson’s Pain Cream and Spray have been sold through the family’s four South Florida chiropractic offices for several months. They are now available through the international retail site Amazon.com.

TT Commissioner condemns assault on police officers during Carnival

Its Thursday, March 2. We’re taking a look at some of the top stories that are making the news across your Caribbean-American community.

The American owner of a missionary orphanage in Haiti has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing the children in his care. Daniel Pye, who ran a missionary orphanage in Haiti for years, where he fed and cared for 22 children, has been arrested and “hit with federal charges of sexually abusing some of the minors he was charged to protect.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations in Trinidad ands Tobago, Deodath Dulalchan, has lashed out against two incidents where cops in that country were beaten during Carnival.
In the first incident, an officer was assaulted during Jouvert celebrations in Tobago on Monday. While two cops were beaten with board and bitten by an angry mob the same day. Several persons have been arrested in connection with the second incident.

The Jamaican Women of Florida, Inc. (JWOF) has changed its leadership during a fourth annual general meeting of the organization held last Saturday. Camille Edwards, an administrator with the Broward School Board, was elected to succeed local attorney Dahlia Walker-Huntington as the organization’s president. Walker-Huntington and other members of the board terms have expired.

In Sports

Last year’s finalist, Guyana, were trounced by Jamaica in the opening round of the 2017 City of Lauderhill T20 Int’l Night Cricket Tournament last Saturday. The Jamaicans won the toss and elected to bat then scored a competitive 181 for 4. In reply, Guyana were dismissed for 82 in 19.2 overs

Here’s What’s Trending

Carnival 2017 in Trinidad and Tobago ended with a bang on Tuesday. Despite persistent showers on the closing day of the world-renowned event, the revelry continued unabated. Among the international personalities who visited the Land of the Hummingbird for Carnival was the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt.

For tomorrows weather forecast

It will be partly cloudy with scattered showers in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties with a High of 86 degrees and a low of 66.  For more information on these and other stories, visit us online at Caribbeannationalweekly.com. Make Sure to pick up your copy of the National Weekly at your nearest Caribbean American outlet.

Today’s coverage was brought to you by Grace Soups: Spice up your kitchen with Grace Soups today.  Genuine Caribbean taste enjoyed worldwide!”

This has been CNW90, I’m ……………………..

Rihanna honored with Harvard’s Humanitarian of the Year Award

Rihanna

Barbadian-born singer, Rihanna, was honored Harvard University’s 2017 Humanitarian of the Year award with a moving but often comical speech at the school’s Sanders Theatre on Tuesday.

The Barbadian pop star opened her speech with a cheeky hair flip and the remark, “So I made it to Harvard,” before discussing how her humanitarian instincts developed over the years. Rihanna recalled the commercials she saw as a kid that asked people to donate 25 cents to help children in need. “I would say to myself, ‘When I grow up, and I can get rich, I’m gonna save kids all over the world,” Rihanna said. “I just didn’t know I would be in the position to do that by the time I was a teenager.”

The Harvard Foundation annually honors prominent public-spirited leaders and named Rihanna as the recipient of the Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award for her charitable work which promotes healthcare and education in the Caribbean. In addition to funding a state-of-the-art center for oncology and nuclear medicine in her home country of Barbados, the singer has set up the Clara Lionel Foundation Scholarship Program to help Caribbean students attending universities in the U.S. succeed.

“All you need to do is help one person, expecting nothing in return,” Rihanna continued. “To me, that is a humanitarian, to help somebody”.

Jamaican cops nab three in connection with Indian national’s death

Rakesh

Detectives assigned to the Counter Terrorism and Organized Crime Branch arrested three men on March 2 in relation to the murder of Indian businessman Rakesh Talreja, during a robbery at his Cherry Gardens home in St. Andrew on Thursday, February 9.

Taljera’s murder has hit hard in his homeland of India where his parents have demanded answers from both the Jamaican and Indian governments about the circumstances of his demise. News that the cops have collared  suspects in the murder should come as good news to his loved ones.

Police report that, acting on information they spotted a Nissan Tiida motorcar that fit the description of the car that was allegedly used in the robbery and subsequent murder of Talreja.

The vehicle was intercepted on Deanery Road in Kingston and the driver was arrested. Further investigations led the officers to an address in the Kingston East area, where the other two men were held and placed in custody.

On February 9, Talreja and a friend were at his home when four men entered his premises and proceeded to rob them, after which the men opened fire on the two. Talreja was pronounced dead at hospital while his friend was treated and released.

UN appeals to member states concerning cholera fight in Haiti

Haiti cholera fight

The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has asked member states to inform him by March 6 if they intend to make voluntary financial contributions to the implementation of the new UN plan to counter cholera in Haiti,.

“Earlier this week, the Secretary-General sent a letter to all member states” in that regard, Stéphane Dujarric, the secretary general’s spokesman said.

As you are aware, under the new approach, the UN is intensifying support to the Haitian government in building sound water, sanitation and health systems – the best long-term defense against cholera and other water-borne diseases – and also developing a support package to provide material assistance and support to Haitians most directly affected by cholera,”Dujarric added.

In his letter, the Secretary-General recalled that the UN bears a moral responsibility for ensuring that the new approach – launched in a report to UN member states on December 1, 2016 – is implemented.

Costing about US$400 million over the next two years, the proposed UN package under the new approach will center on two different elements, known as “Track One” and “Track Two,” the UN said.

The cholera outbreak has affected an estimated 788,000 people and claimed the lives of more than 9,000.

American national held with ammo at Jamaican airport

Police officers at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica have arrested an American man after he was found in possession of six rounds of ammunition on Wednesday, March 1.

Police in the island report that about 1:00 p.m., the man arrived at the airport to board a flight destined to Miami, Florida, However when he checked on his luggage, security X-ray procedures detected contraband in his suitcase. His luggage was searched and six .38 rounds of ammunition were found in a leather pouch. He was subsequently arrested and is to be interviewed in the presence of his attorney.

The police have not released the identity of the American National who faces a charge of illegal possession of ammunition.

Cricket World Cup spot a priority says new West Indies coach

Stuart Law

Newly-appointed coach of the West Indies, Stuart Law, says his team’s primary focus will be on securing a place in the 2019 World Cup.

Automatic qualifying spots to the prestigious tournament is awarded to the top eight teams in the world and the West Indies are currently ranked ninth. The Caribbean team were absent from ICC Champion’s Trophy and will have until a September 30, 2017 deadline to avoid what could end up being a similar fate.

Law is trying to avoid his team participating in an laborious qualification process, which will see 10 teams fight for only two spots in a play-off in Bangladesh.

“The main aim is to qualify for the next World Cup, the 50-over World Cup, so these one-day games are extremely important to us,” Law told Espncricinfo.

“So that’s our main focus really at this stage. I know we have Pakistan coming for T20s, Tests and one-dayers as well but the one-day series probably will take paramount importance.”

Alberto Carvalho appointed to National Academies Committee

Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho has been appointed to serve on the the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education.

The committee is charged with developing a set of indicators related to equity in educational outcomes and relevant inputs for pre-K through the transition to post-secondary education.

The National Academies provide nonpartisan, objective guidance for decision makers on pressing issues. Since their founding in 1863, the committees have marshaled the energy and intellect of the nation’s critical thinkers to respond to policy challenges with science, engineering, and medicine at their core.

“I am both humbled and honored to be invited to serve on a committee that is tasked with such important work,” said Superintendent Carvalho. “It’s indicative of the attention our district has received as a result of the dramatic achievements made by our teachers, students, and the community.”

Previous members of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine include U. S. President Abraham Lincoln and the renowned theoretical physicist Albert Einstein.

 

CDC study estimates 20-fold increase in Zika birth defects

Zika

The proportion of Zika-affected pregnancies with birth defects is approximately 20-fold higher compared with the proportion of pregnancies seen in 2013-2014, which is before Zika was introduced into the Americas, according to an article published Thursday, March 3 in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.  

The types of birth defects—including brain abnormalities and/or microcephaly, neural tube defects and other early brain malformations, eye defects, and other central nervous system (CNS) problems—were seen in about 3 of every 1,000 births in 2013-2014. In 2016, the proportion of infants with these same types of birth defects born to women with Zika virus infection during pregnancy was about 6% or nearly 60 of every 1,000 completed pregnancies with Zika infections.

The researchers analyzed 2013-2014 data from three birth defects surveillance programs in the United States (Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Georgia) to provide the baseline frequency for Zika-related birth defects. To assess the effect of Zika virus infection during pregnancy, the scientists compared that 2013-2014 baseline number with previously published numbers among pregnancies with Zika virus infection from the US Zika Pregnancy Registry (USZPR) from 2016.

They identified 747 infants and fetuses with one or more of these defects from programs in Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Georgia, from 2013-2014. Brain abnormalities and/or microcephaly were the most frequent conditions reported.  Data from the USZPR identified 26 infants and fetuses with these same birth defects among the 442 completed pregnancies of women with possible Zika infection from January through September 2016. These findings demonstrate the importance of having monitoring systems that collect data on birth defects.

CDC supports state, territorial, tribal and local health departments to establish or enhance surveillance systems that rapidly collect information about birth defects that have been observed with Zika virus infection during pregnancy. Today, five additional jurisdictions—Arkansas, Nebraska, Nevada, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands— were awarded funding, bringing the total to 50 jurisdictions and more than $27 million in support of birth defects surveillance for fiscal years 2016 and 2017.

CDC continues to recommend that pregnant women not travel to areas with Zika. If a pregnant woman must travel to or lives in an area with Zika, she should talk with her healthcare provider and strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites and sexual transmission of Zika virus. Pregnant women with possible exposure to Zika virus should be tested for Zika infection even if they do not have symptoms

CONCACAF opens new office in Jamaica

CONCACAF has opened an office in Kingston, Jamaica, in a move the confederation says will help enhance governance for all their members.

The continental governing body for football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, says it identified Jamaica as a “strategic location” which would help to “streamline the operations of regional competitions, while facilitating engagement with key stakeholders; including federations, partners, government and fans.”

Opening the new office in the Caribbean represents a major step towards our ONE CONCACAF Vision. It reaffirms our focus on serving all 41 member associations, while investing in football,” said president Victor Montagliani.

“This new location strengths our Confederation’s ability to operate efficiently and in a fully integrated way, in order to continue driving long-term growth across the region.”

The office, which will be headed by CONCACAF Caribbean football director, Jamaican Horace Reid, will be the second to be opened outside of the confederation’s headquarters in Miami, Florida, with one already established in Guatemala.

CONCACAF said it planned to “triple its investment” in Caribbean competitions throughout the coming year and the Kingston office would help administratively in this regard.

“Additionally, in order to boost development efforts in this zone, nearly 80 percent of the ONE CONCACAF financial assistance program is allocated to member associations from the Caribbean,” the confederation noted.

“Through this new office, the Confederation aims at ensuring that the investment is effective, efficient and focused.”

The office will be up and running from March.

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