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U.S. Open Track Meet is a success
Sports: Asafa Powell is capable of being a threat in the upcoming qualifying meet and if he makes the Olympic Games this year he could even emerge victorious. His confidence keeps getting higher and higher and he is that fast in his specialty. Comment.
Manhattan Boro prez honors Haitians
Haiti: For the past six years during the month of January, the Haitian community has joined Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer in paying tribute to Haiti’s Independence, which in fact is celebrated every Jan. 1. The first and only successful slave rebellion, Haiti’s independence was an inspiration for independence for many Latin American countries. Comment.
Black theater agent produces ‘Porgy & Bess’
Arts & Theater: A new, exciting and probably closer to being culturally-correct revised version of George and Ira Gershwin’s 1935 classic, Black opera “Porgy & Bess” has taken up residency on Broadway. Comment.
‘Baby Doc’ continues to evade justice
Haiti: Human Rights Watchdog Amnesty International said on Jan. 16 that former Haitian President Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier continues to evade justice, one year after authorities launched an investigation into crimes against humanity committed under his rule. Comment.
Historic verdict in Haiti prison massacre
Haiti: In a country where authorities who abuse their power are almost never held accountable, a judge in the southern Haitian city of Les Cayes on Jan. 19 found guilty seven of 13 Haitian police officials who stood trial for a prison massacre that occurred a week after the massive 2010 earthquake. Comment.
Haitians now eligible for US guest worker visas
Haiti: The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on Jan. 18 that low-skilled Haitian workers can now apply for jobs in the U.S. under a federal guest worker program. Comment.
Ariva’s free Tax Preparation Days in The Bronx
Bronx: Ridgewood Savings Bank announced recently that it will again be hosting ARIVA’s free Tax Preparation Days at four convenient Bronx locations. The sessions will be held at the following sites/dates/times. Comment.
Unveiling of rare Lincoln document on The Abolition
People: As Black History Month begins and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday approaches, the New-York Historical Society is pleased to add to its displays a rare handwritten copy of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution—the measure that abolished slavery—signed by Lincoln himself. Comment.
Haiti goalkeeper hospitalized after collision
Sports: VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Haiti goalkeeper Ednie Limage was hospitalized with a possible spinal injury after colliding with a teammate during an Olympic qualifying game against Canada on Thursday. Comment.
Bladder stones, an ancient affliction
Health: Stones in the urinary bladder have been a topic written about for all of recorded history. This painful affliction has plagued mankind since antiquity. Comment.
New Year, new body: Tips to getting started
Health: Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the gym? – Jimmy G. Comment.
HIV therapy, clean living means long life
Health: Several new studies confirm the benefits and safety of optimized HIV therapy. One study shows that those with HIV who don’t take their HIV medications or who abuse drugs and alcohol are likely to live significantly shorter lives. The research also shows that those with HIV without these risk factors can live as long as those without HIV. Another study shows that over the long-term, HIV antivirals are relatively safe to take. Comment.
New Yorkers pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King
Brooklyn: Kings County Hospital Center (KCHC) held its annual tribute to Dr. King on Friday, Jan. 13 featuring the world-renowned Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., minister emeritus of Riverside Church and president of the Healing of the Nations Foundation as then keynotye speaker. Comment.
ANC at 100: A lot to preserve
Viewpoints: This month saw some special mileage chalked up, about which there should be no scrimping on the hosannas. Jan. 8 marked the 100th anniversary of the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa. And a more determined commitment in the struggle for equality and dignity for people of color would be difficult to come by. It seems altogether fitting, one would dare say perhaps providentially so, that Nelson Mandela was able to witness the march past this significant mile-post. Comment.
Maya Jazz Festival heats up Mexico
Arts & Theater: When one speaks of Mexico, they describe images of cascading waterfalls flowing into aquamarine colored sea waters abound. Comment.
U.S. gives nod to oil drilling off Cuba
Cuba: The United States Coast Guard and environmental safety officials have inspected and approved an offshore oil drilling platform headed to Cuba, under an unusual arrangement designed to allay concerns about a possible spill that could foul the U.S. coastline. Comment.
Jamaica’s Mattocks a gem in draft
Sports: Jamaica continues to be the Caribbean country with the most players in MLS. The Jamaicans in MLS now number 14 when the Vancouver Whitecaps FC selected forward Darren Mattocks of the University of Akron as the second overall pick in the draft, held on Thursday during the NSCAA Convention in Kansas City, Kan. Duke University forward Andrew Wenger was selected as the first overall pick by the expansion club Montreal Impact. Comment.
‘Quake: Haiti In Jamaica’ premieres
Jamaica: “Quake: Haiti in Jamaica,” a documentary focusing on the implications on Jamaica should the island experience a similar earthquake as the one which struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010 premiered to launch Earthquake Awareness Week in Jamaica. Comment.
WICB ordered to pay WIPA $2M
Sports: The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will have to dig deep into its coffers to find US$2 million to pay regional cricketers after losing the latest round of arbitration to the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). Comment.
Event raises $5 million for Sean Penn’s Haiti org
Movies: PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A publicist says $5 million was raised in Los Angeles for actor Sean Penn’s humanitarian group based in Haiti. Comment.
QUEEN OF CREOLE MUSIC
Some call her the Joni Mitchell of Haiti; others see her as the reigning queen of Creole music. But for many Haitians, Emeline Michel’s voice represents the Soul of Haiti. Through her songs, they have fallen in love, laughed, rejoiced, danced and cried. She continues to uplift her countrymen with songs such as “Nasyon Soleil” (sunny nation); filled with social, political and inspirational content. Comment.
Venezuela sends Miami consulate personnel home
Venezuela: CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela is withdrawing personnel from the country’s consulate in Miami more quickly than planned because the personnel have been threatened by exiles with links to terrorism, the foreign ministry announced on Monday. Comment.
Cuba & Jamaica to form youth alliance
Jamaica: Lisa Hanna, Jamaica’s new minister of youth and culture staked a claim for her portfolio by meeting with the Cuban ambassador to the island to discuss possible areas of cooperation between the islands. Comment.
Jamaica: Hazard mitigation funds to rescue tourist mecca
Jamaica: KINGSTON, Jamaica - In the latest efforts to mitigate the hazards associated with climate change, the Jamaican authorities are turning their attention to Negril, where decades of unplanned development is destroying the local ecosystem and eroding the famous beach. Comment.
Media legends slated for Black History honor
People: African-Americans who have distinguished themselves in journalism will be hailed on Feb. 1 when the Faces of Black History Month Awards ceremony marks the 10th anniversary of recognizing Blacks in media. Comment.
Debt Fictions vs. Social Wealth
Viewpoints: What we really need, as Nobel Prize-winning economists Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz point out in recent columns, is to get over the current obsession with debt reduction and instead focus on investing in our material and human infrastructure. Comment.
A more rounded way to gauge Congress
Viewpoints: I suspect that most members of Congress will want to forget the year that just ended. Comment.
Joint legislative hearing on NYS budget
New York: Senate Finance Committee Chair John A. DeFrancisco and Assembly Ways and Means Committee Chair Herman D. Farrell, Jr., today announced the Joint Legislative Hearing Schedule on the 2012-2013 Executive Budget proposal. Comment.
Pan in the spotlight at Tropicalfete countdown
Music & Fashion: Steel pan was the focus at the recent Tropicalfete Countdown of the top-100 international Caribbean songs for 2011. Comments (1).
Judge dismisses petitions against Dominica PM
Dominica: High Court Judge Gertel Thom on Jan. 10 dismissed election petitions filed by the defeated candidates of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) challenging the nomination of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and his Education Minister Petter Saint Jean to contest the 2009 general election. Comment.
Sun Kulcha
Arts & Theater: The American Museum of Natural History continues its One Step Beyond series where you can dance to the sounds of DJ Dirty Projectors & also enjoy a complimentary screening of of the Hayden Panetarium Space Show Passport to the Universe, a trip through space & time, 9:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. Guests should enter through the Weston Pavilion entrance on Columbus Ave. at 79 St. Guests must be 21+ w/valid ID. Beer & wine cash bar available. For information & tickets call (212) 769-5200, Mon. - Fri., 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. or visit amnh.org/osb. Comment.
Virgin Islands judge up against the legal establishment
Caribbean: “Oh what a tangled web se weave, Comment.
Caribbean Round-Up
Trinidad and Tobago: Antigua and Barbuda will try to buy two parcels of land from a development company owned by jailed Texas financier Allen Stanford, said Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer. Comment.
Garden to host Visa track & field meet
Jamaica: As part of the transformation at Madison Square Garden, the basketball and hockey venue will give way to a new track and field meet on Saturday evening Jan. 28 when it will host the initial of a Visa Championship Series for the 2012 track season. Comment.
Make 2012 a year of change: Bouterse
Suriname: New CARICOM Chairman Desi Bouterse has called on the region to make 2012 a year of change. Comment.
‘Tia’ Iris Donaldson marks 101st birthday
Brooklyn: “Tia” Iris Donaldson as she is affectionately called by family and friends celebrated her 101st birthday in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with family and friends recently. Comment.
Independent & Foreign Films
Movies: The City Dark (Unrated) Light pollution expose’ about the deleterious effect on the quality of life exacted by an increasingly bright planet. Comment.
Fading star falls for emerging ingenue
Movies: Excellent (4 stars) Comment.
GNYCC Black History Month Trailblazer Awards
People: At a holiday networking event on December 1 at the landmark GNYCC building, The Greater New York Commerce held a surprise press conference to announce plans for a Black History Month celebration on February 29. Comment.
Winter blues: Beat post-holiday stress
Health: The holiday season is one of the most enjoyable times of the year for many people. For others, however, this can be a very stressful time of year—especially as the holidays wind down and the bills come in. If this is how you feel, understand that you’re not alone. Far more people than you realize—up to 80 percent, according to some polls—say the holidays leave them feeling stressed out. Comment.
Black women at greater risk for certain cancers
Health: Researchers have identified a genetic risk factor for two types of breast cancer that largely affects women of African descent. The cancers can carry a worse prognosis than other forms of the disease. However, the discovery could also lead to better screening and treatments for the cancers. Comment.
Haiti quiet as quake marked with national holiday
Haiti: PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haitians are marking the second anniversary of the devastating 2010 earthquake with church services throughout the deeply religious country. Comment.
Brooklyn rally focuses on police accountability
Brooklyn: The rally for police accountability held at Grand Army Plaza on Saturday was not far from where Councilman Jumanne Williams and Kirsten John Foy were arrested at the end of the West Indian American Day Carnival in September. Comment.
Obama Administration’s tips for food satety
Queens: The Obama Administration recently released a progress report on efforts to protect consumers from foodborne illness. Comment.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Sports: Among thousands of athletes competing in the nation’s largest women’s track and field series last weekend at the Colgate Women’s Games at the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, were some of the youngest competitors who created more than their fair share of excitement. Comment.
City council sponors homeowner assistance event
Bronx: Yonkers homeowners who are underwater and facing foreclosure in the wake of the recent recession have an opportunity to improve their situation by attending a one-day Homeowner Assistance Event on Jan. 19, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 40 S. Broadway, Yonkers, N.Y. 10701. Comment.
Trinidadians benefit from scholarships
Trinidad and Tobago: Trinidadian college students who recently completed their first semester at Monroe College in New Rochelle, N.Y. are on-track to save thousands of dollars in college tuition costs. Comments (2).
The Corporate Attorneys Full Employment Act
Viewpoints: Congress is considering a proposal that portends to offer commonsense rules to affect how Federal agencies analyze costs and benefits. Instead it will be disastrous to taxpayers, small and mid-sized businesses and the country as a whole. Comment.
Backcourt duo enters select company
Sports: No major record was established but a personal achievement was set at the West Quad Center of Brooklyn College. This basketball game lifted Brooklyn College to a 2-0 record in the City University of New York Athletic Conference. Comment.
Valdés, Buika at Carnegie Hall
Preeminent Cuban pianist and composer Chucho Valdés will be joined by Spanish Jazz/Flamenco/Neo-Soul singer Buika on the famed Carnegie Hall stage on Jan. 21. Carnegie Hall is located at 881 Seventh Ave, New York. Comment.
Destra’ s new musical flavors
Destra Garcia promises fans attending the 2012 Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival - The Art of Music from Jan. 26 - 28 at the Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium some new flavors from her already impressive menu. Comment.
US tweaks rule for Carib immigrants
Immigration: The Obama Administration has proposed a fix to a Catch-22 in the nation’s immigration law that could spare hundreds of thousands of Caribbean and other citizens from prolonged separations from their spouses and children. Comment.
MICHEL ADMITS ERRORS
Haiti: PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haitians still have much to do to recover from the 2010 earthquake, President Michel Martelly said Monday, and he conceded to having made political blunders. Comment.
U.S.: Oil rig bound for Cuba meets int’l standards
Cuba: HAVANA (AP) — A U.S. inspection of a Chinese-made oil rig due to begin drilling in waters off Cuba has determined that it meets international safety norms, the American government said Monday. Comment.
Guantanamo closure hopes fade as prison turns 10
Cuba: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Suleiman al-Nahdi waits with dozens of other prisoners in a seemingly permanent state of limbo five years after he was cleared for release from Guantanamo Bay. Comment.
Guyana bows to pressure; appoints Black envoys
Guyana: Unable anymore to deny that there was no racial motive behind nearly all of Guyana’s overseas-based diplomats being of East Indian ancestry, Guyana’s Indo-dominated government has bowed to stinging criticism from opposition parties and rights groups and has named two Blacks to senior ambassadorial positions and a third to head up a consulate in Barbados. Comment.
Streep delivers Oscar-quality performance
Movies: Over the course of her illustrious career, Meryl Streep has landed more Academy Award nominations (16 and counting) than any other thespian in history. Blessed not only with an enviable emotional range but a knack for feigning foreign accents and regional dialects, the versatile actress has repeatedly demonstrated an uncanny ability to disappear into whatever role she’s been asked to play. Comment.
Jamaica to probe case against Guyana police chief
Jamaica: GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Authorities in Guyana say Jamaica is sending a team of detectives to probe rape allegations against the South American country’s police chief. Comment.
Exploring Earth’s deepest vent in Caymans
Caribbean: A ship packed with U.S.scientists earlier this week set out for a three-week Caribbean cruise to the Mid-Cayman Rise, described as one of the most extreme and least explored places on Earth. Comment.
Attempted take over of G.C.B. is wrong
Sports: The Guyana Cricket Board has been a seperate entity and has the sole legitimate authority for the administration of cricket in Guyana. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) recognizes the Guyana Cricket Board as the only authority to organize or request the sanctioning of official cricket in Guyana. Comment.
Appointments at CFU and CONCACAF
Sports: In the aftermath of the cash-for-votes scandals that rocked the CFU (Caribbean Football Union), changes are afoot. The association has been without a president since Trinidadian Jack Warner was forced to resign last summer as a result of his involvement in the scandal, and by the end of the year, the CFU presidents appointed a nine-man Normalization Committee to steer the association through the first quarter of the 2012 until elections, to be scheduled before May 15, to appoint a new executive. Comment.
University helping restore power in Haiti
Haiti: BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — University of Colorado engineers are heading to Haiti to set up renewable energy projects to cope with power outages. Comment.
U.S. expels Venezuelan diplomat
Venezuela: WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is expelling Venezuela’s consul general in Miami after allegations surfaced that she discussed possible cyber-attacks on U.S. soil while she was stationed at her country’s embassy in Mexico. Comment.
New PM eyes republican status for Jamaica
Jamaica: Newly-installed Jamaica Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, the first ever woman to head a government in the largest of the English-speaking Caribbean islands, said she wants to get rid of the British monarch as head-of-state, replacing her with a republican form of government. Comments (4).
Time to break colonial bonds
Jamaica: In a unifying, optimistic and determined inaugural address to the nation, Jamaica’s history-making leader Portia Simpson Miller said although she affectionately embraces HRH Queen Elizabeth II, the time had come for an end to the sovereign rule over the island. Comment.
Little for LatAm in new US defense strategy
Caribbean: In rolling out its new defense strategy on Jan. 5, the Obama administration said little about Latin America and the Caribbean. Comments (3).
Multiple benefits of Curcumin
Health: Some time ago, I received a letter from a reader inquiring about the use of Turmeric, a spice often used in Asia as a medicinal. Thinking back to the days in the nineteenth century, when charlatans were selling “Snake Oil” for the treatment of every known ailment and some that were not yet known, I advised her that I would check into the matter and let her know if and when further information became available. Comments (1).
New Year’s resolutions and weight loss
Health: Q: I’m determined to lose weight in 2012. Can you recommend a diet to help me lose weight quickly? Comment.
Help sought to get more Haitians visas to U.S.
Haiti: MIAMI (AP) — Some members of Florida’s congressional delegation are asking federal officials to help more Haitians get visas to live and work in the U.S. Comment.
Get your eyes checked this year
Health: Every seven minutes, someone in America will become blind or visually impaired. The Jewish Guild for the Blind, one of the nation’s foremost not-for-profit health care agencies, is encouraging New Yorkers to make a New Year’s resolution to get their eyes checked. Comment.
Cuba criticizes Twitter for Fidel death rumor
Cuba: HAVANA (AP) — State media on Wednesday accused the social networking site Twitter of helping spread a rumor that former Cuban leader Fidel Castro had died, and criticized anti-Castro expatriates it dubbed “necrophiliac counterrevolutionaries” for jumping on the story. Comment.
‘X Factor’ winner still has dreams of nursing
Music & Fashion: NEW YORK (AP) — She’s got a $5 million recording contract, but Melanie Amaro still sees herself as a nurse someday. Comment.
Caribbean Round-Up
Venezuela: An analysis by the Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has shown that economic growth has slowed throughout the Caribbean region, with decreased private sector activity creating an environment for meager growth in output, employment and income despite eased monetary policy by central banks.
Service-based economies like the Bahamas, St. Lucia and Jamaica are performing worse than goods-producing economies like Belize, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
In a recent presentation at ECLAC’s offices in Port of Spain, Trinidad, entitled “The Caribbean in the World Economy-Context and Insights,” recently, Professor Dillo Alleyne, of ECLAC’s sub-regional headquarters for the Caribbean, said the issues faced by Caribbean economies were only emphasized by the current global economic crisis and will persist even when the crisis is over unless fiscal policies are put in place to deal with them.
He said there were two important phenomena impacting the Caribbean even if the world economy were to right itself; an emerging fiscal crisis due to rising debt, deficit and reduced capacity by governments to undertake countercyclical policy and provide social protection and intense reliance on primary commodities and intense reliance on primary commodities, with all the fluctuations for demand and volatility of prices. Comment.
Bird, Gonsalves disagree over LIAT’s future
St Vincent: Former Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Lester Bird has rejected the suggestion by St. Vincent and the Grenadines leader Dr. Ralph Gonsalves for regional airline LIAT to be scrapped and replaced with a new airline. Comments (1).
Carib sex workers willing to pay taxes
Jamaica: Head of the Caribbean Association of Sex Workers Miriam Edwards says sex workers throughout the region are willing to pay taxes if respective governments would start recognizing what they do as a job. Comment.
West Indian Day Carnival prez resigns
Arts & Theater: After being president for 10 years of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA), organizers of the annual parade on Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway, the Trinidadian-born president Yolanda Lezama-Clarke says she is resigning. Comment.
Reggae Boyz tops CFU rankings
Grenada: Reigning Caribbean champions Jamaica finished last year at the top of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) rankings. Comment.
Jamaicans say political scandal doomed the JLP
Jamaica: Jamaicans at home and abroad say the political scandal over reputed drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke doomed the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP), according to a media report here. Comment.
Granby goes into record books
Sports: Not many high school coaches attain a career 700 victories. Comment.
Five Grenadian police officers charged with manslaughter
Grenada: Five Grenadian police officers have been charged with manslaughter in the death of 39-year-old Canadian Oscar Bartholomew, and the man’s family plans to file a civil lawsuit against the state, the family’s lawyer says. Comment.
Nuclear power: The real risk to American taxpayers
Viewpoints: The bankruptcy of Solyndra, a solar company that received a federal loan guarantee, has made the front page because of charges of cronyism. But among the biggest risks to taxpayers, who underwrite federal loan guarantees, isn’t renewable energy. It is nuclear power. Comment.
Independent & Foreign Films
Movies: Albatross (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama, set on the Isle of Man, about an aspiring writer (Jessica Brown Findlay) who takes a job as a maid at a seaside hotel where she proceeds to have an affair with her boss’ (Julia Ormond) husband (Sebastian Koch) while befriending the couple’s teenage daughter (Felicity Jones). With Peter Vaughan, Angus Barnett and Kenneth Collard. Comment.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Jamaica: The swearing-in yesterday of Portia Simpson-Miller as Jamaica’s new prime minister was expected to usher in a new era of politics on the Caribbean island. Comment.
Nursing home residents get musical treat
Music & Fashion: The spirit of the holidays stretched a few days more for residents of Caton Park Nursing Home on Jan. 2 when students of nearby Maa Sa-Akhi Performing Arts Academy honored these elders with a musical recital. Comment.
Suspense over Guyana speakership deadlock
Guyana: Guyana’s two major opposition parties appear unable to decide which one of them should supply the nominee to become the new parliamentary speaker. Several rounds of negotiations between them to settle the impasse ended in a stalemate last weekend. Comment.
Moderate quake rattles Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic: SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — A moderate 5.3-magnitude earthquake rattled the southern coast of the Dominican Republic just before dawn Thursday, resulting in cracks in several buildings but no injuries or evacuations. Comments (2).
One-party politics must end: Granger
Guyana: Leader of Guyana’s parliamentary majority, David Granger, has called for the end of 50 years of one-party politics in the South American country. The possibility that a single party can rule the deeply divided country has been completely exhausted, he added. Comments (2).
Camille A. Brown’s modern dance mix
Arts & Theater: A huge hit at The Joyce Theater in 2010, Camille A. Brown & Dancers return to The Joyce Theater from Jan. 27-29 with “The Groove To Nobody’s Business” and “Been There, Done That,” a duet filled with “Brown’s considerable and effortless humor (The Boston Globe),” among other works. Comment.
Oleta Adams to sing for Haïti
Music & Fashion: Acclaimed recording artist Oleta Adams remembers seeing commercials for Ajax laundry detergent as a child in which a knight on a white horse sweeps into the homes of apron-clad but iron-fisted women to help them with their household chores. Comment.
Early childhood learning: States lead the way
Viewpoints: Democrats and Republicans don’t agree on much these days. But there is one thing on which they do see eye to eye: the value of early childhood education. Comment.
Darren Bravo shows signs of greatness
Trinidad and Tobago: Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies batsman Darren Bravo has already shown the cricket world that he has the potential for big innings, bringing in lots of runs for the West Indies. The left-hander took a while before he scored his first Test century but after he stroked the three figures, he followed that up with other huge innings and he has ben very consistent in Test and One-day internationals. Comment.
NEW ROAD AHEAD
Jamaica: Newly-elected Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller has urged nationals to put aside their political difference and join her People’s National Party (PNP) in a building a new Jamaica. Comment.
Suriname moves to conscript soldiers
Suriname: Suriname’s multiparty coalition government is preparing to do what federal officials in the U.S. and counterparts in Europe can’t accomplish by moving to enlist youngsters in the military through conscription. Comment.
Attack on Klinsmann way off base
Sports: U.S. men’s national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann came under attack recently for his selection policies. An American, 23-year-old midfielder Preston Zimmerman, who plays for German Third Division club Darmstadt, accused Klinsmann on Twitter of using “fake Americans.” Comment.
‘Share The Dream’ of Dr. MLK
Movies: An open invitation has been extended by the Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Medgar Evers College and the Brooklyn Academy of Music to “Come Share the Dream” of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 16. Comment.
RECORD BREAKER
Sports: An Elementary B Divison High jump record, held in a three-way tie at 4 feet 7 inches by competitors from 1982, 1992, and 1995, was broken Saturday, Dec. 31 when Brooklyn’s Mykhiyah Williams of Ocean Hill Collegiate Charter School, cleared 4 feet 8 inches at the second preliminary meet of the Colgate Women’s Games. Comment.
Greenwood has bright future
Sports: Jonathan Greenwood turned in a decent sophomore season on the track and field team at Freeport High School. The nephew of Marlon Greenwood, who played in the National Football League, started his junior year off on a very successful note with a victory in the 300-meter run of the Conference I, 3 and 6 Crossover Nassau County meet. Comment.
Dean Barrow and Belize’s economic challenges
Belize: When Belize opposition leader Dean Barrow and his United Democratic Party (UDP) took over the government in February of 2008 after 10 years of People’s United Party (PUP) rule, the country was broke and indebted to several international financial institutions to the tune of billions of dollars. Comments (3).
Grenada cops detained in visitor’s death
Grenada: Two Grenadian police officers have been detained in the death of a Toronto man, while the government turns down his family’s call for an outside official to investigate the case. Comment.
Jamaica elects first female PM
Jamaica: Jamaicans voted their first female leader by electing Portia Simpson-Miller, the new prime minister of the island. Comment.
Caribbean has blueprint for illegal drugs
Immigration: A prominent Washington-based think tank says the Caribbean is a “blueprint” for illicit drug trafficking at a time when it is being “heavily influenced” by organized Latin American criminal groups. Comment.
Maroons mark 274th anniversary
Jamaica: Jamaicans voted change in government recently but on, Jan. 6, Maroons on the island will reflect on the 274 years since their leader Captain Cudjoe signed a peace treaty with the English colonial powers. Comment.
Caribbean Round-Up
Trinidad and Tobago: Two men were sentenced to life in prison recently for killing a Welsh couple while they celebrated their honeymoon in Antigua. Comment.
Trinidad judge elected to ICC
Trinidad and Tobago: Trinidad and Tobago High Court Judge Anthony Carmona has been elected a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Hague. Comment.
‘Battle for Brooklyn’ short-listed for Oscar nomination
Movies: The short list of 15 documentaries in Academy Award competition for Best Documentary will be winnowed down to five and announced on Jan. 24. Many are by accomplished directors Win Wenders “Pina” and Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky’s “Paradise Lost 3” and “Project Nima” by Oscar winner James Marsh (“Man on the Wire”). Comment.
Dangerous undercover mission in Russia
Movies: “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” Comment.
Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey
Arts & Theater: Join Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as they travel to four magical destinations all in one fun-filled ice production! Disney On Ice presents Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey will take audiences on a sightseeing tour of the imagination. Comment.
Independent & Foreign Films
Movies: Beneath the Darkness (R for violence and profanity) Suspense thriller about four teenagers (Tony Oller, Aimee Teegarden, Stephen Lunsford and Devon Werkheiser) whose grim discovery at the local funeral home makes them the target of a sadistic mortician (Dennis Quaid) who will stop at nothing to keep his secret buried. With Brett Cullen, Dahlia Waingort and Wilbur Penn. Comment.
HIV ‘Treatment as Prevention’
Health: The finding that HIV treatment with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) can actually prevent transmission of the virus from an infected person to his or her uninfected partner has been named “Breakthrough of the Year” for 2011 by the journal Science. Comment.
How to tell if your stream is too weak or too frequent
Health: These days, when a man hears about frequent urination and a weak stream he wonders if those warnings on radio and TV apply to him. How is a guy to know if his urinary stream is too weak or too frequent? In a public toilet, he can’t make a comparative study of how he stacks up with the gentleman in the next cubicle without getting in a whole lot of trouble. Comment.
Harlem Business Alliance honors six
Bronx: The Harlem Business Alliance is “Leading the Way through Partnership” literally. This mantra is not just a slogan but HBA’s core philosophy. For 31 years, HBA has served as a strong and tireless advocate for the business community in Harlem. Comment.
Curing the elusive back pain
Health: Nearly 55 billion dollars a year is spent on back pain in the United States each year, and yet it remains one of the most misunderstood and mis-diagnosed conditions a person can face. At this very moment 131.5 million people are actively searching online for alternative means to help them relieve their back pain. Comments (1).
Big business tax holidays are bad for small business, bad for America
Viewpoints: If small business owners decided to stop paying our fair share of taxes, we’d be sent to jail. Big business tax dodgers want Congress to reward them with a tax holiday. Comment.
Sun Kulcha
Music & Fashion: Grand Opening
Cumbe: Center for African & Diaspora Dance Studio located at 558 Fulton St., near Flatbush Ave., 2nd Fl., Fort Greene, Brooklyn, is having a free Grand Opening weekend event on Sat. & Sun., Jan. 7 & 8 & will be offering free dance & drumming classes for children & adults, 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., as well as a family friendly live concert by Brown Rice Family Band, on Sat., Jan. 7 only, at 8:00 p.m. For scheduling information, call (718) 935-9700 or visit infor@cumbedance.com. Comment.
Coast Guard intercepts $billions in Carib drug trade
People: A U.S. Coast Guard unit that uses armed helicopters to go after maritime drug runners in the Caribbean said on Dec. 29 that, working with other federal partners, it has intercepted more than US$10 billion in illegal drugs and related assets since it was commissioned in 1998. Comment.
Jamaica’s opposition wins elections in a landslide
Jamaica: KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — On Jamaica’s rutted streets, the complaints have been chronic — home ownership is out of reach for most wage earners, the cost of electricity has skyrocketed, water service regularly fizzles out and decent jobs are scarce. Comment.
‘Battle for Brooklyn’ short-listed for Oscar nomination
Movies: The short list of 15 documentaries in Academy Award competition for Best Documentary will be winnowed down to five and announced on Jan. 24. Many are by accomplished directors Win Wenders “Pina” and Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky’s “Paradise Lost 3” and “Project Nima” by Oscar winner James Marsh (“Man on the Wire”). Comment.
Sweet and savory holiday bites
A festive party calls for a lively variety of delectable edibles. These recipes give you some sweet and savory choices that will help spread the holiday cheer. Comment.
