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Jamaica is set to host the 31st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM from the 4th to the 7th July at the Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay. Prime Minister Bruce Golding will assume Chairmanship of the regional grouping from July to December. Haiti's President Rene Preval was slated to become Chairman but...

Several activities have been planned by the Portland Disaster Committee to observe June as Disaster Preparedness Month. The events will include educational talks in schools, business places and communities; public education campaign; fund-raising activities; coastal hazard training workshops and a church service. The theme for the month is: 'Disaster Preparedness. be in the know, don't just go with the flow',...

By writing and leaving a last will and testament, you will be in a position to determine and instruct how your assets are to be distributed and dealt with, after your death. You will also be able to ensure that only the people you choose will benefit from your estate and, most importantly, ensure that the distribution of your assets...

The Falmouth cruise ship pier, in Trelawny, is expected to welcome its first ship in January 2011, Falmouth's Mayor, Councillor Collin Gager revealed in New York, on May 29. Declaring the 29th Annual Friends of Trelawny Association (FOTA) Annual Business and Economic Development Symposium opened at the Holiday Inn Hotel, JFK Airport, in Queens, New York, on May 29, Mayor...

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has announced that the new design work to curb the erosion of the Alligator Pond Fishing Beach, in Manchester, will be in place within another 30 days. Addressing fisherfolk and farmers at a town hall meeting on Thursday (June 3) at the Little Ochi Conference Room in the community, Dr. Tufton told...

The Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is spearheading the development of a programme to support the transformation of vulnerable communities. Prime Minister, Hon. Bruce Golding, speaking in the House of Representatives this week, informed that the PIOJ has prepared a broad framework, which "is being further developed and refined as a matter of urgency." "It is a cross-cutting, multi-agency approach....

The Development Assistance Centre (DAC), which has been set up at the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), to reduce the turnaround time for the processing of building applications, should be fully operational by mid-June. Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon. Daryl Vaz, informed that the core staff has already been identified. He said that although...

Prime Minister Bruce Golding today toured sections of Tivoli Gardens, his first visit to his West Kingston constituency since the Security Forces intervened in the community on May 23. Mr. Golding spoke with several residents, some of whom had lost family members in the confrontation between the security forces and gunmen supporting Tivoli strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, which left more...

The Jamaica Red Cross has continued to provide relief for residents of Tivoli Gardens, having expended some $7 million in food and medical supplies since it began humanitarian assistance in that community last week. Speaking with JIS News this morning (June 2), Deputy Director General of the Jamaica Red Cross, Mrs. Lois Hue explained that standard food packages have initially...

The National Meteorological Service has announced that, effective this hurricane season, watches and warnings will be issued 12 hours earlier than in previous years. The announcement was made by Director, National Meteorological Service, Sylvia McGill, at a press conference observing Disaster Preparedness Month at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management's (ODPEM) headquarters in Kingston, on Tuesday (June 1)....

Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Ronald Jackson, has said that his organisation has spent some $98 million on project-based interventions in preparing the nation for this year's hurricane season. He noted that this involved the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded Natural Hazard Management programme in urban, coastal areas to develop model community disaster...

The Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) yesterday (May 31) met with residents of West Kingston and stakeholder groups that work in the area, in an effort to assess the state of the communities and develop an action plan to move forward. Programme Manager of the CSJP, Simeon Robinson, informed JIS News in an interview that there was excellent response...