Every time weather disturbances cross our island, there are extremes of flooding, loss of property and severe damage to our infrastructure. Sadly, sometimes they result in loss of lives. Anecdotally, the effects of heavy or sustained showers are...
The recent revelation by a trusted local authority that as much as 40 per cent of this country's inhabitants are living with some type of psychiatric or mental disorder mightn't be shocking to those of us already of the view that this place is a...
Having just returned from the Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations in Barbados, May 18-19, I thought that it would be useful to publicly share the position adopted by Jamaica during that meeting, having regard to discussions...
While we are disappointed about the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) inability to arrive at a consensus on an approach to Venezuela's political crisis, we are encouraged by the Community's reiteration of the principle of "non-intervention and non-...
These days, the longstanding expectation that prisoners would be put to work for society's benefit has been basically outlawed, and so, being idle, jailbirds tend to have a lot of time for exercise, to catch up on the latest news, and for deep...
Jamaican art critics can be very intolerant. Not just the professionals who arrogantly expect us to take as gospel their point of view. It's also the amateurs who depend on the evidence of our own eyes to pass judgment about the value of art....
In April 2014, the Jamaican Government identified 'Corruption of elected and public officials ... organised crime, including money laundering" as one of the "high-probability, high-impact, Tier 1 clear and present dangers' to national security. (...
Let's start with this, nibble on it, and then see if we end up with indigestion. The last time they squared off in a T20I, Afghanistan won by six runs in a league match in the World T20 tournament against the West Indies (WI) last year. The WI went...
We applaud the latest efforts to restore the Ward Theatre to its place of cultural prominence in the capital's landscape. Making the iconic Ward Theatre one of the national Labour Day projects for 2017 was a major step in reversing its decline and...
Most children would love to represent their schools at something. Many don't because of a lack of confidence or because of circumstances beyond their control (e.g., being prevented by parents) or because...
Philip Sherlock, as a young history teacher at Calabar High School, recounted this conversation with his headmaster, the Rev Ernest Price: "'Couldn't we teach some West Indian history, some Jamaican history?' I will never get over the fact that he...
West Indies cricket fans may well suffer more emotional hardship than other fans in any other sport anywhere in the world. How many other fans can say that they grew up watching an all-conquering team that ruled the world and now have to suffer the...
We desperately need to have an honest and frank discussion around how we hold civil society in Jamaica (more?) accountable. Civil-society organisations (CSOs) play a key role in our country where good governance, democratic participation, human...
Paula Llewellyn is not on entirely firm ground with her suggestion that people like Locksley Comrie are not entitled to their outrage over the collapse of the criminal case against Carlos Hill, the boss of a dodgy investment scheme that crumpled 10...
A significant, but little noted, positive corollary to Agriculture Minister Karl Samuda's inelegant handling of the conflict-of-interest controversy over the Jamaica Dairy Development Board (JDDB) planting of grass on his private farm is a plan by...
The current cass-cass over grass involving Agriculture Minister Karl Samuda should impress upon all Jamaicans the true nature of our politics: to use his words "nasty, stinking; at the garbage level". Many of those at the heart of our political...
On Sunday, the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (Jamaica District), in an impressive display, celebrated 50 years of autonomy from the British-founded denomination. This act of autonomy was following the lead of the Jamaican...
I am likely to see Smoky about three times per week, but, of course, it depends on how often I visit the little spot close to the car wash. He is fully adorned in framed wire on his back, an extension of it runs to a crown of sorts on his head, and...
The case of Latoya Nugent, her arrest, and trial on three counts of 'using a computer for malicious communication' under the Cybercrimes Act came to a head on May 17, 2017. After pleading not guilty to the three charges brought against her by three...
The media mostly missed it (or chose to ignore it as a piece of meaningless rhetoric), but Donald Trump proclaimed a new doctrine in his speech to the assembled leaders of the Muslim world in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. It goes by the name of principled...
Like Theresa May, the British prime minister, we, too, are horrified and sickened by Monday night's terrorist attack at a concert venue in the city of Manchester that left at least 22 people dead and scores more injured.For, as Mrs May said, all...
We're in-between 'special' days.May 14 was Mother's Day. June 18 will be Father's Day. In reality, both should be named Merchant's Days after those purveyors of commerce intent on convincing you that if you 'show love' (by which they mean 'buy gifts...
Keith Duncan, the banker who now chairs the committee that monitors implementation of Jamaica's standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has added a novel and interesting dimension to the project.Where Richard Byles, his...
As a concerned citizen with a keen interest in issues concerning transparency, accountability, and efficient operations in the public sector, I believe that partnerships between the Government and the private sector should be encouraged. The key is...
As times change, so does fashion. We had the miniskirt in the sixties, and the Afro was everywhere in the seventies, being gradually replaced in the eighties by 'big hair'. Some fashion trends seem to last, like mini skirts. I don’t think that I...
