It happened this week in 2005

Monday, May 16

- St Mary High School's debating team defeated Jamaica College to emerge victors of the National Schools' Debate competition. The final match was held at the Life of Jamaica auditorium, New Kingston.

Wednesday, May 18

- A joint select committee of Parliament began examining new plea-bargaining legislation intended to assist the Government in its attempts to bring major criminal operatives to justice. Approved by Cabinet earlier in the year, the Criminal Justice (Plea Negotiation and Agreement) Bill was expected to be approved by Parliament before the end of the 2004/2005 legislative year. The legislation is intended to allow a person charged with an offence to enter into an agreement with the prosecution through an attorney.

- Ugly clashes between players on the field, skirmishes between spectators on the sidelines and bottles throwing from the stands marred an exciting Wray & Nephew National Premier League game between Wadadah and defending champions Tivoli Gardens at Jarrett Park. The second game of a Jamaica Football Federation Football Festival was held up during the second half after Tivoli's Oraine Simpson floored Wadadah's midfielder Daniel Ricketts in what appeared to be retaliation after being hit off the ball earlier by Rickett's teammate, Jermaine Anderson.

- The House of Representatives approved the Overseas Examinations Commission Act, paving the way for the commission to be converted into a statutory body. In piloting the bill, Minister of Education, Youth and Culture Maxine Henry Wilson said the legislation would facilitate the placing into statute the roles, responsibilities and structure of the Overseas Examinations Committee and convert it to a commission. She said the bill proposed to place into law the functioning of the commission and to establish it as a corporate body with responsibility for ensuring the proper administration and monitoring of all overseas and regional examinations on behalf of the ministry.

Thursday, May 19

- Matthews Lane strongman, Donald 'Zekes' Phipps, was detained by police, who have linked him to the deaths of two men in west Kingston. As news of Zekes' detention spread, police and military personnel moved into sections of west Kingston to ensure calm in Matthews Lane and neighbouring communities which have shown almost fanatic loyalty to the area leader.

- Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology Phillip Paulwell announced the imposition of a universal service charge on all carriers of international telephone calls into Jamaica. The Government plans to use a portion of the funds collected from this charge to help finance the e-learning project, announced by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson in his contribution to the Budget Debate. Paulwell said all telecoms carriers will pay a universal service levy of US three cents per minute on all incoming international minutes for termination on the fixed wired network. For incoming international minutes being terminated on cellular networks, the levy will be US two cents.

Friday, May 20

- The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) announced plans to shut down commercial activities islandwide for a day, as a show of protest against the country's staggering murder rate. Additionally, the PSOJ proposed a meeting with Government and Opposition officials "to insist that they do their duty to protect the nation". The lockdown and meeting request are segments of a three-day private sector initiative.

- Former champion Serena Williams pulled out of the French Open. The American, who won in Paris in 2002, has been suffering from an ankle injury. The 23-year-old world No. 4 sustained a left ankle sprain in the quarter-finals at Amelia Island against Italian Silvia Farina Elia. The injury forced the former world No. 1 to miss a Fed Cup title against Belgium and a scheduled trip to Berlin for the German Open.

Saturday, May 21

- Pakistan secured their first series success in the Caribbean with a 40-run victory against West Indies in the second one-day cricket international. West Indies lost their eighth straight limited-overs match, and 11th of 12 since winning the Champions Trophy. It equalled their longest losing streak from 1999-2000, when they lost three in Sharjah and five in a row in New Zealand.