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Director of Tourism and Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), John Lynch, has said that the annual Jazz and Blues festival "is very essential" to Jamaica's tourism sector, in terms of bringing visitors to the island at a time of the year, when there is usually a slowdown in arrivals. "January, traditionally, is a very challenging month for the...

The Office of the Children's Registry (OCR) is reporting a significant increase in the number of child abuse and endangerment reports made to the agency last year. Registrar of the OCR, Carla Edie told JIS News that between January and December 2008, the agency received 3,784 reports, which was 3, 359 more than the 425 complaints received over the same...

Eight young people from Montego Bay are visiting the United Kingdom as guests of the Bishop Auckland Theatre Hooligans (BATH) in Durham, East Yorkshire, to take part in a series of cultural and social exchanges. The group, which comprises six students and two youth leaders, participated in the official opening of the Jamaica Difference 2008 Exhibition which was held yesterday...

Thousands of children are set to benefit from a playground to be constructed on a section of the lands of the National Heroes Park. This comes as the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) has successfully forged a partnership with Campus Crusade for Christ and Kids Around the World. The play equipment valued at approximately US$100,000 is being donated free of charge...

During the month of February 2009, the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports (MICYS) will once again carry out a number of activities in celebration of Reggae Month. Reggae Month which is in its second year, comes against the background of 2009 marking the 50th anniversary since the birth of the formal Jamaican Music Industry. The Minister, the Honourable...

RBTT Bank donated $100,000 towards the fund established to help the children left behind from the Portland motor vehicle tragedy of December 19. This brings the amount of money donated by individuals, companies and the Government of Jamaica to $2.6M. Assistant General Manager, Marketing and Customer Care at RBTT, Judith Forth Blake said that "As a socially responsible corporate entity,...

President of the Atlanta-based Benevolent Mission of Atlanta (BMA), Gail Dunwell, has said that the new 12-member board, which took office on January 1, will place emphasis on partnering with other Diaspora organisations in the United States, in order to provide a more holistic approach to addressing the plight of Jamaican children. "We will also be concentrating our efforts on...

With less than a week before the start of the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, Executive Producer of the festival and President of Turnkey Productions, Walter Elmore, said that preparations are on target. "The stage is already up and the roof is going up now. Most of our skyboxes are up, we are putting in the food court, so we...

Children's Advocate Mrs. Mary Clarke, is reminding the nation that the Office of the Children's Advocate (OCA), is mandated to protect and enforce the rights and best interests of every Jamaican child. "The OCA investigates complaints made by or on behalf of a child whose rights have been infringed upon by any action taken by a relevant authority. The Office...

Late Jamaican and international reggae icon, Bob Marley will be honoured with the first Mayor of London's Heritage Plaque, which will be unveiled on October 26. The plaque will be mounted at 34 Ridgmount Gardens where Bob Marley lived when he fist visited the United Kingdom in 1972. Mayor of London, Ken Livingston and Acting Jamaica High Commissioner, Sharon Saunders...

Alton Ellis, one of Jamaica's pioneering reggae recording artistes, along with Caribbean counterpart Eddie Grant, will be inducted into the International Reggae & World Music Awards (IRAWMA) Hall of Fame this year. Ellis and Grant, considered icons of the pop music industry, will be honoured during ceremonies for the 25th annual staging of the IRAWMA at the world famous Apollo...

More than 700 students at the Priory Primary School and Infant Department in St. Ann are now better aware of Jamaica's heritage and culture as a result of a 'Jamaica Day' activity, which was recently held at the school. The event saw members of staff and students participating in traditional dances, ring games, story telling, folk songs and jonkonnu parade...