More

Participants in the 2008 National Farm Queens Competition this morning (July 30) paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister Bruce Golding at Jamaica House. Mr. Golding used the occasion to encourage the contestants to continue doing well and to be role models for other young women in Jamaica. The National Farm Queen Competition, is organized by the Jamaica Agricultural...

As preparation for this year's annual Denbigh Agricultural and Industrial Show enter its final stage, farmers in St. Mary are making every effort to ensure that the parish is well represented in the various events of the three-day exposition. St. Mary's participation is being planned by the St. Mary branch of the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), in association with the...

Jamaica now has a legal framework in place to test its athletes for banned substances, following the passage of the Anti-Doping In Sport Act 2008, in the Senate on July 25. Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Senator Dorothy Lightbourne, who piloted the Bill in the Upper House, said the Bill was timely, as "Jamaica gets ready to compete this...

Three Bills addressing the backlog of court cases were passed in the Senate on July 25. The Bills seek to amend the Judicature Supreme Court Act, in order to increase the number of Judges of the Supreme Court and the number of Masters; the Judicature Appellate Jurisdiction Act, so as to increase the number of Judges of the Court of...

Minister of Education, Andrew Holness has informed that it would cost US$185 million to build 45 secondary schools, in order to get rid of the shift system. He pointed out that a National Education Trust (NET) Fund would be used to "tackle" the shift system, adding that it would be an opportunity where many jobs could be created for the...

The Government has received approximately $1.5 million from its Canadian counterpart as part of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between both countries, which facilitates co-operation in the fight against criminal activities. The funds are part proceeds from the forfeited account of an incarcerated Canadian drug dealer, who was involved in the trafficking of narcotics from Jamaica to Canada. Minister...

The Ward Theatre, the largest theatrical house in the English-speaking Caribbean is to benefit from the expertise of Italian restoration professionals, as Culture Minister Olivia "Babsy" Grange moves to get the 96-year-old institution restored to its former glory. During a recent visit to Venice, Italy, considered one of the most beautiful and culturally enriched cities in the world, Minister Grange...

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Senator Arthur Williams, has advocated the use of DNA as evidence in criminal cases. Making his presentation in the 2008/09 State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on July 25, Senator Williams reiterated Prime Minister Bruce Golding's proposal to amend the Fingerprint Act, to allow not only fingerprints and photographs...

Acting Director of the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ), Orrette Fisher, has said that feedback from the four public fora held on campaign financing, would be taken into consideration when the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) does its final draft report. In a JIS radio interview, Mr. Fisher pointed out that the report would be presented to Parliament. "The Commission...

An estimated 3,000 persons from Montego Bay and surrounding communities in Eastern St. James have benefitted from free health care through the Sam Sharpe Teachers' College Alumni's inaugural health mission. During the five-day mission, held on the school campus, the Granville Health Centre and the Catherine Hall Clinic, some 40 doctors, registered nurses and other health personnel from Jamaica, the...

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Senator Arthur Williams, has urged all law-abiding citizens to get involved in the fight against crime and violence in the country. "Many initiatives have been developed for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to deal with the scourge of crime and violence, and they have had...

Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Senator Arthur Williams, has identified several new technological aids that could be effectively employed in the fight against crime. Making his contribution to the 2008/09 State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on July 25, Senator Williams noted that one such technology, the Vehicle Digital Video Recorder, which is a...