By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
Jamaica: St. James Honors Reggae Icon Jimmy Cliff
In a unanimous decision on Thursday, the St. James Municipal Corporation took the first formal step toward immortalizing reggae legend James ‘Jimmy Cliff’ Chambers.
- The Vision: The resolution calls for a statue to be erected at the entrance of Jimmy Cliff Boulevard in downtown Montego Bay, alongside the establishment of a dedicated museum.
- Next Steps: The proposal now moves to the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport for final review and funding allocation.
- Legacy: Jimmy Cliff, whose film The Harder They Come and hits like Many Rivers to Cross put Montego Bay on the global map, remains one of the few living legends of the genre’s golden age.
Jamaica: Church Leaders Sound Alarm Over 2025 Casino Regulations
As the Jamaican Parliament debates the Casino Gaming General Regulations 2025, the Watchman Church Leaders Alliance is urging caution. While the government eyes the economic windfall from “Integrated Resort Developments,” the Church is warning of a “hidden social cost.”
Primary Concerns:
- Vulnerable Communities: Fear that the expansion of physical casinos will disproportionately impact low-income families.
- Public Health: A call for more robust state-funded resources for problem gambling and addiction counseling.
- Moral Stance: The group emphasizes that gambling has historically had “destructive effects” on the Jamaican family structure.
International: Kremlin Rejects “Poison Dart Frog” Toxin Claims
Two years to the day after the death of Alexei Navalny, a new scientific and political firestorm has erupted. The Kremlin has flatly denied allegations from five European nations that the state used poison dart frog toxin to assassinate the opposition leader in 2024.
- The Accusation: European investigators recently alleged that traces of the rare toxin were found in biological samples, suggesting a more sophisticated and biological method than the previously suspected Novichok.
- The Response: Kremlin officials dismissed the findings as “absurd fiction.”
- The Widow’s Stand: Yulia Navalnaya, speaking from exile, stated that the “truth has finally been proven,” maintaining that her husband was murdered in the “Polar Wolf” penal colony on Vladimir Putin’s direct orders.
