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The deadline for regional journalists and individuals or groups working in the fields of population and development to submit works for the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) 2008 Caribbean Population Awards, has been extended to September 19. The newly re-branded Caribbean Population Awards, formerly the Caribbean Media Awards, is part of ongoing efforts to encourage excellence among print, radio and...

Marooned residents of Springbank in eastern St. Thomas will soon be able to travel and carry out normal activities, as work began yesterday (Sept. 5), to widen the Springbank Main Road, where a break-away occurred as a result of Tropical Storm Gustav. Springbank, and other adjoining communities, were cut off as the main road was eroded by water from the...

The St. Thomas Parish Council, in collaboration with the National Works Agency (NWA), has begun clearing an alternative route through Taris to Springbank in St. Thomas, so that residents and vehicular traffic can have access to Springbank. Residents there are using a track to leave the community, after the road was destroyed, following landslides caused by recent heavy rains associated...

Following the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav, which recently ravaged sections of the island, Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sheila Forrester, is urging Jamaicans to continue to adhere to health and safety practices, in order to prevent a potential outbreak of vector borne illnesses and other infectious diseases. "One of the important diseases we are trying...

A number of remittance agencies, have agreed to open accounts dedicated to enabling Jamaicans in the Diaspora, to contribute to the Gustav Recovery Fund, that has been launched by Minister of State for Project Implementation and Service Delivery, in the Office of the Prime Minister, Daryl Vaz. The agencies include: Jamaica National Building Society through its remittance arm, JN Money...

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, yesterday (September 5) launched the first of three public consultations with fishers and other stakeholders on the draft Fisheries Policy, at Jakes Resort in St. Elizabeth. Outlining the aims of the consultations, Minister Tufton said the industry will have to be managed and regulated so that there will be long term benefit to all...

Relief supplies for Tropical Storm Gustav victims, were officially handed over to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr. Kenneth Baugh, by the Ambassador of Spain to Jamaica, Jesus Silva, at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, yesterday (Sept. 5). The shipment, valued at approximately US$50,000, consisted of large tarpaulins, hygiene kits, blankets and...

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has announced that $15 million has been allocated by his Ministry, for the extensive refurbishing of the Wait-a-bit multi-purpose building located in southern Trelawny. Addressing a group of farmers in the community during a tour of sections of the yam-producing parish on September 3, Dr. Tufton said that the allocation was part of the...

The Bog Walk Gorge, which suffered massive scouring from flood waters during the passage of Tropical Storm Gustav, should be fully restored by month-end. This commitment was given by Transport and Works Minister Michael Henry during a tour of that winding roadway earlier yesterday (Sept. 6). Minister Henry told JIS News that Bouygues Travaux Publics Jamaica Limited had offered to...

The Mandeville-based Hospicare Education and Vocational Training Institute recently turned out 32 practical nurses with City and Guilds International Vocational Qualification (IVQ) in Health Care. This was the first set of practical nurses in the Caribbean to receive certification by the United Kingdom's leader of vocational qualifications. Last September, the school received approval from the British institution to offer their...

The 16-month old Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), the world's first and only multi-nation catastrophe risk fund, was adjudged the Reinsurance Initiative of the Year, at the 2008 Review Worldwide Reinsurance Awards on Thursday (Sept. 4) in London. The award is for the re-insurance initiative, that has generated the most promising change to a significant area of business, by...

In its bid to provide increased travelling options for commuters, come Monday (September 8), the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), will be implementing a number of changes to its shuttle transfer routes. Marketing and Sales Manager at the JUTC, Lenworth Simms, explained that as of Monday, commuters who take the 500, 600, 700, and 800 shuttles, will be able to...