Beneficiaries under the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing’s Jubilee ‘50 for 50’ Housing Initiative, are giving thanks that they are now mortgage-free. For Carleen Barrett of St. Catherine, it is as if a huge weight has been lifted from her shoulders. Mrs. Barrett tells JIS News that she cried when she heard that she was one of 50 persons...

Jamaica Independence activities in the United States have moved into high gear, with nationals in Rochester, New York staging a number of events over the weekend to mark the 51st anniversary of the country’s nationhood. Jamaican Ambassador, Professor Stephen Vasciannie, took part in the activities held from July 26 to 28, which were organised by the Rochester Jamaica Organization Inc....

Persons who wish to attend the annual Grand Gala event at the National Stadium on Independence Day (August 6) can get their free tickets at Juici Beef, Burger King and Tastee locations in Cross Roads, Half-Way-Tree, Downtown, and Portmore. This was disclosed by Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna, at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ held...

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) is promising an exciting ‘Mello Go Roun’ 2013 on Thursday, August 1 at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre. Mello Go Roun’, the premier family entertainment event of the Independence and Emancipation celebrations is being held under the theme: ‘Mello MANIA’ and promises to be extraordinary and engaging. The performances will unfold in three segments:...

Jamaica’s foster parents are opening their homes and hearts to hundreds of children, who are in need of care and protection. They are providing a safe haven for children, who sometimes face extremely difficult circumstances within their own families. These include children, who have been abused, orphaned, abandoned, neglected or who cannot be cared for by their parents or relatives...

Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna, on July 22, launched Emancipation and Independence celebrations for 2013, noting that it is important to stage these activities within a fiscally responsible framework. She said that even during periods of austerity, these activities are vital because of the role of culture in empowering the spirit of the nation during these times....

The Seville Great House and Heritage Park, located on a 301 acre property in the parish of St. Ann, has seen continuous habitation for several hundred years. It has been described as “the site of the encounter” where different cultures in Jamaica’s history - the Tainos, African, Spanish and English - met at various times in its past, sometimes violently,...

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lloyd B. Smith, is encouraging young people to strive to be entrepreneurs, noting that their future employment rests in that area. Mr. Smith said that increasing numbers of young professionals in both the private and public sectors are being faced with diminishing opportunities for employment and professional advancement as employees.  He also...

Books and poems, letters and essays done by the students of Hampton High School for Girls in Jamaica for Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by the Taliban last year, were presented to her, on July 19, by High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Her Excellency, Aloun Ndombet-Assamba. This took place when Malala and her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai,...