More

I rise to make my maiden presentation as Minister of Health and Environment at a time of great challenge and change in the global and local arenas. But Mr. Speaker, we in this Honourable House are the beneficiaries of a legacy that has been passed on by some of the most outstanding men and women who have served in these...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Dr. Ronald Robinson will lead Jamaica's delegation to the 38th Regular Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States,(OAS) 1st June to 3rd June, in Medellin, Colombia. Minister Robinson departed the island today (Saturday) for the meeting which is being held as...

Jamaican Women of Washington, (JWOW), will host its sixth annual tea-off to good health and silent auction fundraiser on Sunday, June 8 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C. JWOW is a non-profit charity organization that works to raise awareness and provide support for women, children and families affected by important health and social issues. This year's fundraiser will...

Agriculture Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton has said that the Government is committed to ensuring the sustainability of the island's forests. "In this regard, I have given my support and approval for the continuation of the process to transform the Forestry Department into an Executive Agency. As an Executive Agency, the Department is expected to function more effectively and be equipped...

Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Sir George Alleyne, said that the UWI should be proud of its achievements over the past six decades. Sir Alleyne, who was delivering the keynote address at the University's 60th anniversary commemorative service at the Trinity Episcopal Church, Washington, D.C. on Sunday (June 1), said that a total of 75,000 students...

Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Ronald Jackson, has said that the organization is better prepared this hurricane season than last year. He was speaking at a press conference held recently at ODPEM's South Camp Road office in Kingston, as the agency kick starts activities for Disaster Preparedness Month under the theme: 'Disasters are...

Residents of Manchester are set to benefit from a series of initiatives aimed at stemming the incidence of crime in the parish. The Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the Ministers' Fraternal of Manchester and other stakeholders, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Manchester Police, as part of a crime initiative project in the parish. Dubbed the 'Close to...

Preliminary figures for the 2008 winter tourist season have indicated an 8.4 per cent increase in stopover arrivals over the similar period last year. For the January to March period, stopover arrivals were 483,959, up from 427,252 in 2007. Speaking with JIS News, Director of Tourism, Basil Smith noted that the figures are looking impressive so far and is anticipating...

The Coconut Industry Board (CIB) has outlined plans to make coconut production a sustainable enterprise, despite the ravages of the Lethal Yellowing disease. More than a million trees have been destroyed by the disease since 1997. Lethal Yellowing is caused by a type of bacteria which attacks many species of palms, including the coconut. The phytoplasmas (bacteria with a wall-less...

The Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) recently staged its third annual 'Park and Walk' event in Mandeville. The event is geared at sensitizing the general public to the need to include physical activity in their daily routines, and to help persons to adopt practices, which will encourage better health. On the day of the walk, residents of Manchester were encouraged...

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Advisor for Communication and Information in the Caribbean, Isidro Fernandez-Aballi has commended the commitment and resourcefulness of the Jeffery Town Farmers Association (JTFA) for the establishment of a multi-media centre in that community. The JTFA recently launched a community radio - JET FM 88.7- which is the culmination of a project that...

Some $5 million has been allocated for agricultural development in North Western Clarendon, under the newly established Constituency Development Fund (CDF). This was revealed by Minister of State for Industry, Investment and Commerce and Member of Parliament for North West Clarendon, Michael Stern, during his address at a community meeting held on Thursday (May 29) at the Frankfield Primary School...