Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Tuesday; Marley funeral, Clovis Toon; Breaking News and more

Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Tuesday, January 17 2023 Funeral service for Jo Mersa Marley The [funeral service for reggae singer Joseph "Jo Mersa" Marley]( first born of Stephen Marley and grandson of the genre's icon Bob Marley, is scheduled for The Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road in St Andrew on Tuesday, according to insiders. Jo Mersa will be laid to rest in Nine Miles, St Ann. His grandfather, Bob Marley, was interred in a mausoleum in Nine Miles. It was not ascertained if the young Marley will be buried close to his famous grandad. A private all-white vigil was held for Jo Mersa at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens on Old Cutler Road in Coral Gables, South Florida last Tuesday. The occasion saw several Marley family members and close friends in attendance. American singer Lauryn Hill, Shaggy, Tarrus Riley, Etana, and members of the Inner Circle band were spotted at the 3:00 pm function. Jo Mersa died on December 27 in Miami-Dade County of a suspected asthma attack. He was 31. Reports are that officers from the Pinecrest Police Department in Florida found Marley unconscious inside his vehicle at a shopping centre's parking lot. Paramedics at the scene later pronounced him dead. No foul play was suspected. Jo Mersa — whose mom is Kerry-Ann Smith, younger sister of former Dancehall Queen Carlene Smith — was known for songs such as Burn it Down, Made It, and No Way Out. He leaves behind his wife Qiara, six-year-old daughter Sunshine and 12 siblings. The Bob Marley Museum will be closed to the public on Tuesday and will reopen on Wednesday. STATIN to release economic data at quarterly briefing Director General of the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), Carol Coy will host the institute’s [Quarterly Media Briefing]( at 11:00 am today. In keeping with its advance release calendar, STATIN will be releasing data from the December 2022 Consumer Price Index. In addition, focus will be placed on highlighting key aspects of other economic statistics released by the Institute, including the Quarter Three 2022 Gross Domestic Product. An update of the ongoing Population and Housing Census which got underway last September will also be provided. The media briefing will be live streamed via STATIN’s YouTube channel @STATINJA. Condolence book for Richard Bernal to open in US The Jamaican Embassy in Washington, DC will today open a condolence book to allow persons to pay tribute to [former Ambassador Richard Bernal](. The book will remain open in the United States capital for four days. Bernal died on January 4 after he reportedly collapsed while walking with his wife in Norbrook, St Andrew. He served as Jamaica's ambassador to the United States from 1991 to 2001 and as Jamaica's permanent representative to the Organisation of American States. Those wishing to sign the book can visit the Jamaican Embassy at 1520 New Hampshire Avenue, North West, between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm, from January 17 to 20. Advertisement Economic woes, war, climate change on tap for Davos meeting The [World Economic Forum]( is back with its first winter meet up since 2020 in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos, where leaders are seeking to bridge political divisions in a polarized world, buttress a hobbling economy and address concerns about a climate change — among many other things. Sessions will take up issues as diverse as the future of fertilisers, the role of sports in society, the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and much more. Nearly 600 CEOs and more than 50 heads of state or government are expected, but it’s never clear how much concrete action emerges from the elite event. Here’s what to watch as the four-day talkfest and related deal-making get underway in earnest Tuesday: WHO’S COMING? Back in the snows for the first time since the pandemic and just eight months after a spring time 2022 session, the event will host notables like European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US climate envoy John Kerry, and the new presidents of South Korea, Colombia and the Philippines. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He addresses the gathering Tuesday, a day before his first meeting with his US counterpart, Treaury Secretary Janet Yellen, in Zurich. Yellen will skip Davos. Who else is missing? US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. Russian President Vladimir Putin, of course: Envoys from his country have been shunned because of his war in Ukraine. Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska was on her way to Davos and will speak Tuesday, while her husband, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will give a remote address Wednesday and other officials from Ukraine are appearing on panels. Tennis: Australian Open, Day Two [Ons Jabeur]( has never been shy about describing her ambitions. “It’s been always great for me that I tell you guys what I want to achieve, I tell you my goals,” she told reporters ahead of the Australian Open. “I put it out there, make a promise to you guys. I hate to break my promises. I see it that way. “I tell you guys I want to win Grand Slams. OK, you’re expecting me to win. I can’t disappoint you.” Jabeur’s first major match of 2023 is Tuesday night against Tamara Zidansek in Rod Laver Arena. She’s the No 2 seed behind No 1 Iga Swiatek and she’s itching to vault into the ultimate spot in the Hologic WTA Tour rankings. She’s already made history as the highest-ranked African and Arab in WTA and ATP Tour history, but there is one prize that has eluded her. Last year, the lock screen photo in her phone was the Venus Rosewater Dish, the sterling silver plate first presented to the Wimbledon women’s champion in 1886. Jabeur fell just short, losing the final to Elena Rybakina. She reached her second consecutive major final at the US Open, but Swiatek won in a taut second-set tiebreak. The No 1-seeded woman, Iga Swiatek, found herself in a tight second set before reeling off the last four games to eliminate 69th-ranked Jule Niemeier 6-4, 7-5 in her first round game. Americans Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins, the 2022 runner-up at Melbourne Park, also reached the second round with straight-set victories Monday, and 2017 US Open finalist Madison Keys won in three sets. Others advancing included 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu and sixth-seeded Maria Sakkari, while two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka got past 2020 winner Sofia Kenin 6-4, 7-6 (3). On the men’s side, defending champion Rafael Nadal began his pursuit of a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam championship on Monday over 21-year-old Jack Draper with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 win that took more than 3 1/2 hours in Rod Laver Arena. ICYMI: WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING Man stabbed to death outside St Ann nightclub identified A man who was [stabbed to death during an altercation in the vicinity of an exotic night club]( in Runaway Bay, St Ann on Monday morning has been identified. Nephew still on the run after graveyard killing in St Mary The St Mary police are still searching for the nephew of 60-year-old Marvin Watson who allegedly [stabbed the elderly man to death]( on Sunday as the family gathered for a funeral. Tivoli edge Waterhouse in JPL Tivoli Gardens [snapped a seven-game winless run]( as they edged Waterhouse FC 1-0 in their Jamaica Premier League encounter at the Anthony Spalding Complex on Monday. CLOVIS TOON TODAY IN HISTORY Andrew Hallidie patents the cable car On [January 17]( 1871, determined to improve public transportation in San Francisco, wire manufacturer Andrew Hallidie patents the cable car. For more stories, visit our website at www.jamaicaobserver.com or [sign up for our e-paper](. [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Website]( Copyright © 2023 Jamaica Observer, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 40 - 42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue Kingston 5 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.