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Several needy families in Toronto, Canada will have a better Christmas this year, thanks to a new programme launched by a Jamaican organization, recently. The Alliance of Jamaican Alumni Associations (AJAA), an umbrella body for some 45 Jamaican past students associations, launched its 'Care and Share Christmas' programme on Saturday, December 17 at the Revivaltime Tabernacle in Toronto. President of...

As part of its thrust to tackle criminal activities across the country, the Ministry of National Security has embarked on a series of parish consultations to hear the security concerns of residents at the local level. The initiative, called the Parish Crime Prevention Programme (PCPP), has already been launched in Clarendon, St. Elizabeth, St. James, Manchester and Portmore and Spanish...

Effective January 1, 2006 the income tax threshold will be increased to $193,440, moving from $169,104, which has been in effect since July 1 this year. Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies gave details of the new threshold when he opened the 2005/06 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on April 14. The Minister pointed out that...

With the festive season in full swing, the Ministry of Health is reminding Jamaicans to make sure that the food of their pets is properly secured from rodents. Linnette Peters, Director of Veterinary Public Health in the Ministry of Health told JIS News that during this season, persons tended to prepare a lot of food, resulting in lots of leftovers....

Come January 23, 2006 the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) becomes the newest trade bloc, joining the approximately 194 other trade blocs in the fight to ensure market survival. These trade blocs enjoy special and differential treatment amongst themselves, in addition to the removal of trade barriers within the bloc and also have a common trade tariff for third countries. In essence,...

For the past thirteen years, I have had the pleasant duty of bringing Christmas greetings to Jamaicans everywhere. While much has changed in our nation during this period, our strong Christian tradition of celebrating the birth of Jesus continues to be an important part of our annual calendar. We all recognize that the holiday season is coming when the cool,...

A documentary showcasing the Jamaican immigrant experience in Canada will be shown on January 1 on a Toronto television station. Jamaican Proud', produced and directed by Rick Davis of RWD Productions will air on OMNI Television, the premier multicultural station in Canada at 11:00 p.m. on New Year's Day, as part of the station's Signature Series Documentary Marathon. It is...

Black Entertainment Television (BET), one of the top American television entertainment networks, will again join forces with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) to promote the annual Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival. The event will be held from January 26 to 28 on the picturesque Rose Hall Estate, located just outside the resort city of Montego Bay. Cybelle Brown, Vice...

Jamaica's High Commissioner to Canada, Carl Marshall, has praised the accomplishments of those Jamaicans in Canada, who do well and make all Jamaicans proud. "Let us continue to applaud and recognize our nationals who continue to excel and make their mark in their various fields of endeavour," High Commissioner Marshall said in his Christmas message for 2005. Noting that the...

CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Edwin Carrington, has said that the Community would be focused on deepening South/South relations as part of the strategy towards promoting sustainable development. He made this statement in his CARICOM year-in-review broadcast in Kingston on Tuesday (Dec.13). Local and regional trade experts agree that deeper South/South co-operation and integration is the only way to cope with...

Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke, is urging sugar cane farmers and factory estates to increase production, for the survival of the industry. Speaking at the recently held All Island Cane Farmers Association Annual General Meeting at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, Minister Clarke emphasized that in order to survive, the industry has to double production. "If we are doing 40,000 (tonnes),...

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC) Limited, Dr. Hopeton Dunn has announced the appointment of Mrs. Angela Patterson as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CPTC. Mrs. Patterson is a former General Manager of CVM Television (2000 - 2003) with a long standing career in media and information technology...