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Drivers of public passenger vehicles in Westmoreland are urged to attend the first workshop on defensive driving to be held on Thursday, January 10 at the Westley Methodist Church Hall, 81 Great George Street, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The workshop, which is part of the Road Safety Unit's 'Drive for Life' campaign, is open to all drivers and will serve...

Jamaica's Consul-General to Toronto, Anne-Marie Bonner, has extended the deadline to nominate persons for the 2008 Jamaica Achievement Awards for Community Service. The new deadline is February 29, 2008. The awards were launched in October 2007 by the Consul-General, to recognize the tremendous contribution of outstanding Jamaicans in the province of Ontario. "These awards will honour Jamaicans who have given...

The police have been called in to investigate the disappearance of thousands of vinyl records and compact discs from the archives of the defunct Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation, JBC. Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports Olivia 'Babsy' Grange said the discovery was made by senior staff of the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ) during a tour of the facility...

Minister of Finance, Hon. Audley Shaw, left the island this afternoon for Washington DC, where he will be holding another round of talks with officials of the World Bank. Minister Shaw will continue discussions he initiated during a visit in October. While in Washington, he will sign a US$10 million loan agreement to assist with Hurricane Dean relief projects. An...

Minister of Education, Andrew Holness, has said that he will be looking into a fund for the upgrading of early childhood facilities, which will help them to meet the new operating standards under the Early Childhood Education Act. "I have agreed to look into setting up a fund and very soon, we will be coming to the public with exactly...

Basic school teachers are pleased with the outcome of Friday's (Jan. 4) meeting with Education Minister, Andrew Holness. "We are comfortable with the Minister's response as he has responded to some of our recommendations," said President of the newly formed Associations of Early Childhood Institutions, Ricardo Hall. At the meeting, held at the Morgan's Basic School in Spanish Town, St....

Jamaica Trade & Invest (JTI) is moving to more effectively position the country to tap into emerging markets overseas. JTI President, Robert Gregory, told JIS News that there are a "number of emerging markets that present opportunities to us that we never had before." "I can refer you to China as an example, I can refer you to Brazil, (and)...

Prime Minister Hon. Bruce Golding has mandated the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw and the Minister Without Portfolio, Don Wheby, to arrange an immediate meeting with the Attorney General, Dorothy Lightbourne, and representatives of the Financial Services Commission, in order to come up with some clear recommendations and guidelines on a way forward to address the...

Hundreds of residents of St. Thomas are slated to benefit from the annual eye care clinic of the Jamaican Diaspora group, Canadian Friends of St. Thomas Healthcare Organization (CFSTHO), which will be held at the Princess Margaret Hospital from January 7 to 11. The medical team, comprised of optometrist Dr. Jim Ng and optician Veronica Chan, will be ably assisted...

The National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) will showcase its newest repertoire of dance and music at the Brooklyn Centre for the Performing Arts (BCPA) at Brooklyn College, New York in April. The NDTC will stage two shows - the first on Saturday, April 26 at 8:00 p.m., and the second, a matinee performance on Sunday, April 27, at 2:00 p.m....

The Government is moving to fast-track anti-doping legislation through Parliament in time for the Beijing Olympics this summer. The move is in keeping with commitments under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Anti-Doping Convention for State Parties, which require countries to step up activities against doping, so that athletes can...

Medical officer of health, Dr. Herbert Elliott, has called for a ban on smoking in public, especially at sporting events, where secondary smoke can be absorbed into an athlete's body. Dr. Elliot, who was addressing a meeting of the Rotary Club of Kingston at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel yesterday (Jan. 3), said athletes have tested positive for marijuana, after hanging...