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London is set to be brightened up by the sounds of Jamaica this summer, but rather than familiar reggae tones it will be the unmistakable sound and look of the military bands of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) that will be filling the air. A combined Jamaica Military and Jamaica Regiment Band is now in the UK as part of...

Local soft drink company, Jamaica Beverages Limited has endorsed in cash and kind several youth empowerment programmes under the National Centre for Youth Development (NCYD), totalling $1.25 million. The contract signing and handing over of a $100,000 cheque toward this cause took place at the Ministry of Education and Youth Heroes' Circle offices on Tuesday (July 17). Under the partnership,...

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Carol Palmer has assured that the establishment of shelters for victims of human trafficking would be done in short order, so that Jamaica can be "well in the reach" of a Tier One rating from the United States Department of State by June 2008. "We are in the process of coming up with...

Director of Social Security in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Collette Roberts-Risden is encouraging parents who have children with disabilities to give them more support, as this would assist them to function better in the society. Speaking at the Early Stimulation Programme annual graduation exercise, held at the Ministry's North Street offices yesterday (July 18), she said that...

Activities to celebrate Emancipation and the 45th anniversary of Independence get underway across the United Kingdom (UK) this week-end. The 10th annual Jamaica family fun day organized by the Jamaica Basic School Foundation is on at the Crystal Palace Park on Sunday, July 22 and will feature a performance by the combined Jamaica Military and Regiment bands. The Jamaica Society...

The Borough of Queens in New York will host the kick-off event celebrating Jamaica's 45th anniversary as an independent nation. The New Jerusalem Baptist Church at 122-05 Smith Street, corner of Baisley Boulevard in the South Jamaica/Rochdale Village section of Queens, will stage this year's Thanksgiving Church Service, set for Sunday, July 29, beginning at 4:00 p.m. Activities will culminate...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands has intensified efforts to contain and control the potential spread of the Pink Hibiscus Mealy Bug. Speaking with JIS News, Assistant Plant Health and Food Safety Officer in the Technology Training and Technical Information Division at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Francine Webb said that since the first detection of the Pink Mealy...

Come next week, the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) will be rolling out its Anti-Litter Ticketing System in the parish of St. Ann. This will bring to three, the number of parishes that have been included in the system since the end of the pilot programme on June 30. The Anti-Litter Ticketing System was piloted in four areas -...

Approximately 500 residents from Maroon Town and surrounding communities in Southern St. James participated in a community health fair yesterday (July 18). The event was put on by the St. James Public Health Services at the Mount Edmondson Methodist Church grounds in Maroon Town. The health fair was the third in a series of four community outreach activities, aimed at...

As the nation gets ready to celebrate its 45th anniversary of Independence, so too is the Jamaican Diaspora in South Florida. Nearly 400,000 nationals and friends in the South Florida tri-county region will take part in several activities marking the celebration. Planned events will include a number of cultural presentations, such as church services, balls and concerts. Patrons will celebrate...

Retired nurses are being encouraged by the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ), to make use of its retirement home, which opened its doors in 2003. "It is a retirement centre built for retired nurses, not a nursing home per se, and it is for those nurses who just do not want to continue with the day-to-day running of a house,"...

The National Child Month Committee (NCMC) has extended the deadline to submit nominations for the 2007 Community Service Awards for Youth and Children to September 14. Speaking to JIS News, Marva Ximinnies, Head of the NCMC's Community Service Award Planning Committee said that the extension would allow more time for persons to submit nominations, as up to the second deadline...