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The International Cricket Council (ICC) Inspectors have given the 'thumbs up' for the progress made in the construction of the North Stand at the historic Sabina Park. This is a far cry from the concern expressed on their last visit in May, when construction was not going according to schedule. Speaking to the media while on a tour of the...

Jamaica continues to enjoy a high life expectancy rate, which surpasses that of most developing countries, including Brazil and Peru and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis. This is contained in the 2005 Human Development Report published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Health Minister, Horace Dalley, in his contribution to the 2005/2006...

The University of the West Indies has awarded its prestigious Open Scholarships to thirty-one students from throughout the region who will commence studies at one of the three campuses in the 2006/2007 academic year. The awards have been given based on performance at the UWI Open Scholarship Examinations in March this year. Of the thirty-one students, 18 (all Trinidadians) will...

'Ira Rowe - Caribbean Lawyer' a 205-page tribute to the late Ira DeCordova Rowe, former Chief Justice, President of the Court of Appeal and Solicitor General of Jamaica, was launched recently at the St. Thomas University in North Miami. Written by his son, Florida attorney, David Rowe, the book has been described as an inspirational account of the life and...

Minister of State for Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce, Kern Spencer, has said that the government would be tackling the issue of energy inefficiency among householders, noting that fuel expenditure had become an economic burden for poorer families. Senator Spencer, who was addressing the annual general meeting of the National Consumers' League (NCL) yesterday (Sept.12) at the PCJ Auditorium on...

Attorney-at-law, Earl Witter, was today (Sept. 13) sworn in by the Governor General, His Excellency Most Hon. Professor Kenneth Hall, as Jamaica's second Public Defender. Professor Hall, in his remarks at the swearing-in ceremony held at King's House, noted that Mr. Witter's 33-year experience as a barrister, had prepared him well to assume the role as the people's advocate. "The...

Minister of Education and Youth, Maxine Henry Wilson, has informed that a space audit is currently being done in schools to assess and alleviate issues arising from the recent movement of persons into new communities, which is impacting the availability of spaces in schools. This comes on the eve of her announcement that between this year and 2008, some 15,600...

The Ministry of Health's Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) has reported total savings of some $12,340,000 in fiscal year 2005/2006 from a budget of $1.6 billion. As outlined in a Ministry Paper tabled by Minister of Health, Horace Dalley, in the House of Representatives yesterday (Sept.13), the savings were realized from the implementation of Cost Reduction and Efficiency Committees in...

Dr. Arnoldo Ventura, special advisor to the Prime Minister on Science and Technology, has said that the National Policy on Biotechnology should be ready by year-end, and should be promulgated through the legislative system by mid 2008. The draft document entitled: 'Biotechnology for Socio-Economic Development: A Policy for Jamaica', is now being discussed in public consultations across the island. Dr....

Minister of State for Agriculture and Lands, Errol Ennis, has urged banana farmers to increase production for local consumption, even as they continue to supply the export market. "The emphasis on export makes us forget at times the importance of the local banana industry. It has been estimated that subject to availability we consume almost twice the amount of banana...

The Registrar General's Department (RGD) is urging parents to take advantage of the 'Name the Child' project', which is aimed at reducing the number of children, whose names do not appear on the RGD's birth records. Under the initiative, which began in the corporate area on Monday (Sept. 11), mobile teams from the RGD have been facilitating the official naming...

A government study on deportation, and its effect on crime, has identified a direct statistical correlation between increases in deportation and a rise in the murder rates with particularly strong correlations in connection with deportation for sexual offences, drug offences, and gun-related offences. The study, which was conducted by the Ministry of National Security and the Planning Institute of Jamaica...