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Some 50 delegates from 11 countries, and representatives from several international sporting bodies will participate in a three-day Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Taskforce on Sport conference, to be held from Thursday, September 22 to Saturday, September 24 at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Downtown, Kingston. Anne Shirley, Senior Adviser to Local Government, Community Development and Sport Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, made...

As the government seeks to overhaul and modernize Jamaica's fire service, the first in a number of fire stations to be built islandwide is to be constructed in Falmouth, Trelawny at a cost of $83.7 million.Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Sport, Portia Simpson Miller signed contract documents with Tank Weld Limited at the Ministry's Hagley Park Road Offices...

The Jamaican leg of Freestay Caribbean, a concept to entice cruise ship passengers who visit the Caribbean to return for land-based vacations, is now underway, following its official launch today (September 20), at the Hilton Kingston Hotel. Under the programme, cruise ship passengers will receive a souvenir coin upon disembarking, which will be redeemable for goods and services on their...

The Travel Channel will continue to showcase the island of Jamaica as a prime vacation destination to millions of viewers around the world. 'Jamaica: The Ultimate Tour', a full length feature on the island's tourism product, which had its world premiere on the Travel Channel on Thursday, September 15, will be screened on three different dates until September 24. The...

Director of the Early Stimulation Programme (ESP), Antonica Gunter Gayle has urged parents and guardians who identify development delays in their children, to seek help early. Failure to do early intervention could be a "very major setback", the Director told JIS News. She advised parents to look out for signs of development delays in their children, such as disabilities in...

The importance of breast-feeding for the nutritional development of babies is the major focus of activities planned by the Portland Health Department to celebrate 'Breast-feeding Week' in the parish.The activities, which began with a church service at the New Testament Church of God in Port Antonio on September 18, will be highlighted by a health fair to be held at...

The Audit Commission is on a drive to ensure that all government departments, ministries and executive agencies have their individual Audit Committees in place by April of next year. Chairman of the Audit Commission, Leighton McKnight told JIS News that based on the findings of an evaluation exercise carried out by the Commission since its inception in April of this...

Jamaica and the Republic of Sudan have established diplomatic relations at the Ambassadorial level. Foreign Affairs Ministers, K. D. Knight of Jamaica and Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail of the Republic of Sudan signed the relevant instrument yesterday (September 19), establishing diplomatic relations between both countries, at the office of the Permanent Representative of The Republic of Sudan to the United...

Cabinet has approved contracts to two European suppliers to continue work in the second phase of the Government of Jamaica (GOJ)/European Union (EU) Water Supply Project. This was disclosed by Information Minister, Senator Burchell Whiteman at the weekly post Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House yesterday(September 19). Minister Whiteman said Gazzina Trading in Italy has been awarded a contract valued...

Some 20 farmers in the southeastern Clarendon communities of Portland Cottage, Mitchell Town, Moores, Rosewell, Bois Content, and Hayes Savannah are currently participating in a Sheep and Goat project, aimed at improving the quantity and quality of meat stock produced locally. Parish Manager of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in Clarendon, Percival Shaw told JIS News that some 20...

Residents in some of the island's poorer communities beset with social infrastructure needs, received much needed assistance through some 185 community-based organisation projects, which were undertaken by the Social Development Commission (SDC) in the 2004/05 financial year. Director of Governance at the SDC, Richard Billings tells JIS News that while the ability to deliver almost 200 projects in tandem with...

The Government of Jamaica, through the Port Authority, has spent approximately $5 billion to strengthen maritime safety and security. This is in keeping with the international focus to thwart illegal and terrorist activities.Following the events of 9/11 when terrorists attacked the United States, very stringent measures were introduced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to get ports up to international...