J’can-born woman is the new sheriff of Robin Hood’s Nottingham, England
THE newly appointed sheriff in Nottingham, England where the popular Robin Hood legend was born, is Jamaican Merlita Bryan, the Hucknail Dispatch reported yesterday.
Councillor Bryan was born in Jamaica and moved to Nottingham at the age of 11. She has been a city councillor since 2007 and “is proud of the diversity of people she represents across Arboretum & Hyson Green,” the news outlet said.
As sheriff, Councillor Bryan will likely not be troubled by the reputation of the corrupt sheriff of Nottingham, the villain in the Robin Hood legend, in which the skilful archer robbed from the rich to give to the oppressed poor.
She served previously in the 124-year-old city as sheriff in 2012-13 and Lord Mayor in 2013-14, currently sits on the health scrutiny committee and before that was a member of the overview and scrutiny committee.
For the past year, she has been executive assistant for schools and Nottingham customer care in the city located in central England’s Midlands region, population 331,297.
“Merlita brings a wealth of experience having served both positions previously, and I know how much enthusiasm and energy she will bring this year as sheriff,” Council Leader David Mellen was quoted as saying.
YOHAN BLAKE SADDENED BY COVID DEVASTATION IN INDIA
Jamaican sprinting sensation Yohan Blake, who is said to be a huge fan of cricket, has expressed deep sorrow over the devastation being wrought by COVID-19 disease on India.
Blake became the latest celebrity sports star to pray for India as the world’s most populous country battles a deadly second wave of coronavirus, crossing an unwanted landmark of fatalities yesterday, the
Outlook Magazine reported. “I just want to take this time to send my love to India.
I have been watching cricket over the years. I have grown to love the country so much. Wonderful people all around. I am begging everyone please do what you can to stay safe. I know it may be difficult but imagine if we work together,” Blake said on Twitter.
At Jamaica Observer press time, India had the second-highest world total of 18 million COVID-19 cases, with 201,000 deaths, behind only the United States. For first time since the beginning of the outbreak, India witnessed more than 3,000 deaths in a single day. Blake, the youngest 100m world champion and the second-fastest 100m and 200m runner in the world, after his compatriot Usain Bolt, had earlier expressed his desire to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore because of Virat Kohli, Outlook said.
A day earlier, Australian compatriot Pat Cummins, former pacer Brett Lee pledged US$50,000 to help India with the purchase of oxygen supplies for the hospitals across India, Lee said in a statement on Twitter.
Reigning Formula One champion, Lewis Hamilton prayed “for the beautiful people of India” and said: “I know this pandemic is hitting so many places around the world. Please stay safe out there.”
JAMAICA AMONG TOP 10 COUNTRIES FOR BEST REMOTE WORKING VISAS
Jamaica has been ranked number eight in the top 10 countries rated the best for remote working visas being pursued by a new category of workers called digital nomads, inspired by COVID-19 work-from-home orders.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has forced many traditional office workers to relocate to their home offices and a number of businesses have announced remote work would become a permanent part of their companies’ futures.
With the worldwide return to travel after the continued roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccines, large numbers of these untethered workers have adapted a digital nomad lifestyle, said Insuremytrip, the travel insurance comparison site.
In response, many countries, such as Barbados and Bermuda, have recently joined international destinations around the world in launching remote working visa programmes, the online publication reported.
Insuremytrip examined the latest country-level data available for countries with remote working visas to assess which ones offer the best and worst opportunities for digital nomads. As part of this study, seven key categories were analysed, including internet speed, average apartment rent, happiness, language difficulty, nomad acceptance, cost of a remote working visa and length of a remote working visa.
The top 10 destinations for remote workers are:
# Destination Score 1 Norway 7.88
2 Mexico 7.3 3 Germany 7.19 4 Portugal 6.84 5 Iceland 6.83 6 Greece 6.45 7 Costa Rica 6.11 8 Jamaica 6.03 9 Spain 6.02 10 Bermuda 5.97
Bottom 10 Destinations for Remote Workers
# Destination Score 1 UAE 4.13 2 Georgia 4.63 3 Barbados 4.95 4 Antigua and Barbuda 5.06 5 Croatia 5.06 6 Vietnam 5.10 7 Estonia 5.35 8 Aruba 5.46 9 Mauritius 5.54 10 Czech Republic 5.8 “As more people become fully vaccinated, we anticipate more remote workers may consider relocating to another country,” commented Ronni Kenoian, director of marketing at Insuremytrip.
“For those who may be able to pick up the laptop and go work anywhere in the world, this list provides great inspiration for those looking to do so. It’s also important to note that individuals seeking to work abroad should obtain proper emergency medical coverage and the right travel insurance,” he advised.