CaribZone

By Aubrey Campbell NEW YORK, NY. Tuesday, November 25, 2019-- Christmas is a time of year when we celebrate our cultures and traditions. And where else to celebrate those heartwarming traditions, if not at the gran’ market? Well, get ready for a celebration of ‘Christmas in the Caribbean’, here in New York City, on December 14 & 15. Braata Productions will once again offer New Yorkers an exciting and colorful taste of a traditional Caribbean Christmas, when it presents its annual Old Time Grand Market celebration at two venues in the city. First up, will be the Harry Truman High School auditorium, located in Co-op City, Bronx , on Saturday, December 14. The vendor’s market will ‘open for business’ at 5:30 pm, followed by the concert segment at 7:00 pm. Folks in Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island will get their sampling of the annual yuletide traditions a day later on Sunday, December 15, at The Park Church Coop, 129 Russel Street, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

NEW YORK. NY Tuesday, November 26, 2019  – Let’s be thankful for the season of eating, and may the Gravy flow on your Turkey, or whatever you choose to put Gravy on. With the announcement of the 2020 Nominees in the Best Reggae Album in Reggae Category, and the presence of another Marley, we find it fitting to repeat Mr. Campbell’s commentary from last week.  1.      RAPTURE - Koffee 2.      AS I AM - Julian Marley 3.      THE FINAL BATTLE: SLY & ROBBIE VS. ROOTS RADICS - Sly & Robbie & Roots Radics 4.      MASS MANIPULATION - Steel Pulse 5.      MORE WORK TO BE DONE - Third World Campbell Commentary from 11/26/19 (with edits) Reggae Grammy Overload It has to do with our culture and heritage, very important benchmarks in determining who we are, now that we are detached from our place of origin. In a matter of hours, we will know the five (5) albums that made the cut for consideration for the top prize in music. The American Academy of Recor

Jamaica Jamaica’s Global Services Sector (GSS) is projecting 14,000 additional jobs in the local outsourcing industry by March 2020. Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ) Marketing Specialist, Cheryl Neufville-Crooks, made the projection while addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ at the agency’s Regional Office in Montego Bay, St. James, on November 18. Mrs. Neufville-Crooks, who is tasked with the responsibility to rebrand the country’s GSS, outlined that more than 36,000 Jamaicans are currently employed in the sector. She said Jamaicans and the co untry’s economy by extension are now poised to reap even more benefits through the creation of these additional jobs. It is anticipated that further GSS expansion in Jamaica will reposition the country to capture a greater percentage of the global market and bolster the island’s engagement in the fourth industrial revolution as well as attract new GSS investments. The

By Aubrey Campbell NEW YORK. NY Monday, November 18, 2019 – Brothers and sisters. Greetings and salutations as you settle into the Winter season. I have no doubt that like so many, you are looking forward to the days and weeks ahead and the time you will spend with family, friends, and associates, in that order, whether they or you, do the visiting. It is, therefore, a time of great expectations and especially so for the Christian (religious) community. But allow me, if you will, to shift down a gear or two, to two areas of our community that are in expectant mood at this time. Reggae Grammy Overload It has to do with our culture and heritage, very important benchmarks in determining who we are, now that we are detached from our place of origin. In a matter of hours, we will know the five (5) albums that made the cut for consideration for the top prize in music. The American Academy of Recording Arts & Science will hand out the coveted Grammy Awards in February, n

By Derrick Scott – Information Attache, Jamaican Embassy, DC WASHINGTON, DC. Wednesday, November 13, 2019 -- There will be no change in the role that elected members of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC) will play versus the current role of persons elected as Diaspora Advisory Board members when the new body comes into operation next January. Furthermore, the soon to be expanded membership of the Council is widely welcomed by Diaspora members in the US, UK, Canada and globally.  This is the word from Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Audrey Marks. She notes that “over the past few days, I have taken the opportunity to engage with a wide range of Diaspora leaders throughout the Northeast, to make sure that there are no concerns that we are not addressing,”  She further stated that “All the community leaders that Consul General Wilson and I have spoken with, have expressed their support with their better understanding and realization that t

Jamaica Portland is the latest parish to benefit under the Government’s initiative to construct water shops as a means of addressing the water needs of residents in drought-affected communities across Jamaica. Two facilities will be built in the parish at a cost of approximately $19.5 million. Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, broke ground for the establishment of the first shop in the community of Commodore on Friday, November 8. --00— National The Supreme Court last week weighed the fate of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the Obama-era program that shields from deportation, hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children.  President Trump has long said he wants to do away with the program, but the Supreme Court is apparently not finding it to be a simple task.   Their opinions of two key justices – John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh - could decide the whole thing, and after a d

By Derrick Scott WASHINGTON, DC. Thursday, November 7, 2019 -- The New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday (November 6), flew the Jamaican flag on its building in the New York business district in a tribute to the island’s stock market, the Jamaica Stock Exchange being rated the best performing stock exchange in the world. According to the New York Stock Exchange, Jamaica is the only country where its flag has been flown atop its building in New York. The Jamaica Stock Exchange commenced its North East USA Road Show on Wednesday with a visit to the New York Stock Exchange when the Jamaican flag was flown. The visit is in response to an invitation from Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks, who is of the view that Jamaicans living in the Diaspora should be aware of the tremendous opportunities available in the Jamaican stock market so that they can look to place more investment on the island. The theme for the show is “Exploring Wealth Creation oppo

B y Aubrey Campbell NEW YORK, NY. Monday, November 12, 2019 --- Good day folks. We are into another week and inching ever closer to pausing for the cause, to give thanks for a beautiful life with all the bells and whistles of the yuletide season. So, yes, there will be quite a bit to give thanks for, to celebrate, even as we remember those who fought for and paid the ultimate price for the freedoms that we enjoy today. Lest we forget! Last week, Jamaicans were greeted with the news that the US State Department has seen it fit to revoke the visas of two ranking politicians, with the promise of more to come. And while the vexing matter of visa revocation is not new, what is new is how this particular case is being handled. A couple of things need to be noted. In this instance, politicians from both major political parties are ‘fingered’, making for a very interesting discourse, especially on the many social media platforms. It is also interesting to note that

N ational The acquisition of Sprint by T-Mobile   g ot official approval from US federal officials , a major win as the two companies seek to complete a $26 billion merger amid resistance from consumer advocacy groups. The merger could prove transformative for a US wireless industry facing cutthroat competition in recent years over everything from prices to customer contracts. As the nation's third- and fourth-largest wireless carriers, T-Mobile and Sprint have led the charge in ending early termination fees and reintroducing unlimited data plans. As the two companies combine, the future of the marketplace is uncertain. --00— Jamaica Jamaica’s Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Robert Montague is again appealing for motorists to exercise greater care in the use of the roads in order to prevent further casualties from road crashes. He noted that there have been over 300 fatalities and thousands of more persons injured in motor vehicle crashes since the start of the