They made the news last week!

Jamaican athletes

As they seem to do whenever they hit the world stage, Jamaican athletes ignited a national fire last week that saw them commandeering the front pages. Bolt, Shelly, VCB, Richards, Parchment, Danielle and the many others reminded Jamaica how great we can be when we work hard, and made the nation proud even when they failed to medal.

Ralph Thomas

Jamaica's new ambassador to Washington was endorsed by all and sundry as he was announced as the next person to hold one of the nation's key diplomatic posts.

The crime monster

Amid the celebrations over the athletes' performance at the IAAF World Championships came the painful news that Jamaica has recorded just under 800 murders in almost eight months. Up to last Monday, the murder figure was 20 per cent above the corresponding period last year.

Ronnie Thwaites

The education minister had initially refused to apologise, but under pressure from the Opposition and some members of civil society, he pulled back on his claim that parents should not send their "leggo beast" children to school expecting teachers to remould them.

Portia Simpson Miller

The prime minister put on her party leader hat as she

told People's National Party supporters in Clarendon to get ready to go to the polls.

Colin Bullock

The director general of the Planning Institute of Jamaica provided some good news on the economic front as he announced that the economy grew by 0.8 per cent in the quarter ending June and is expected to grow by between one and two per cent in the July to September quarter.