The House of Representatives has approved a further 60-day extension of the Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs) in seven areas across Jamaica. They are Denham Town, West Kingston; Norwood and Mount Salem, St. James; Greenwich Town, Parade Gardens and August Town in St. Andrew, and Savanna-la-Mar in Westmoreland. The Resolutions for the extensions were moved by Deputy Prime Minister and...

It was with a sense of pride that actress and cultural ambassador, Sheryl Lee Ralph, accepted the Order of Jamaica (OJ), during the Ceremony of Investiture and Presentation of National Honours and Awards at King’s House on October 17. She was awarded the national honour for her sterling contribution to the international film industry. “I thought it was a feeling...

The Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation (JANAAC) is encouraging food certification bodies to get accredited under its new accreditation scheme – the United States Food and Drug Administration Accredited Third-Party Certification Programme (FDA TPP). This will facilitate market access for regional manufacturers, especially small and medium-sized entities producing food for export to the United States (US). The new scheme follows...

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) is reporting that the unemployment rate for July 2022 was 6.6 per cent. This was a 1.9 percentage-point decline compared to the corresponding period last year. Director General, Carol Coy, says the data show that in July 2022, there were 89,700 unemployed persons, 22,800 fewer compared to July 2021. She said the number of...

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams (centre), Chief Education Officer (Acting), Dr. Kasan Troupe (fourth right) and Permanent Secretary (Acting) in the Ministry, Maureen Dwyer (fourth left), are engaged in discussion with education stakeholders, during a meeting with United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence Against Children, Dr. Najat Maalla M’Jid (third right). The meeting...

Fire and Life Safety Awareness Week has been officially launched, with a focus on persons with disabilities (PwDs). The Week will be observed from October 23 to 29, under the theme ‘Preserving the Nation through Life Safety and Fire Prevention’. This year, the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) will be targeting the vulnerable community of persons with disabilities for partnership in...

Member of the Jamaica Character Education Task Force and Founding Chief Executive Officer of Ontario Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, Dr. Avis Glaze (left) greets Principal of Rousseau Primary School, Viviene Anderson (right), during her visit to the institution in Kingston on Tuesday, (October 18). Looking on is National Coordinator for Character Education, Simone Foster.