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Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, this afternoon called for a suspension of the conscience voting on the death penalty until next Tuesday (Nov 25) when Parliament resumes. He was closing the debate on the death penalty. Mr. Golding proposed that when the House resumes on Tuesday (Nov 25), the matter would be put to members for a vote as its first...

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Senator Dwight Nelson, has lauded the work of the country's civil servants, noting that they make an invaluable contribution to nation building. "They are the ones who are the first line of contact with the clients, with the public at large. They are the ones who have the...

Minister of Water and Housing, Dr. Horace Chang, has given his stamp of approval to a new housing model, which will see pre-cast concrete studio units with wind-cooled slab roofs, coming on the market at under $2 million. "This is a good unit, which could be used for young professionals and persons in the hotel industry," he told JIS News,...

A complex, which houses a police station and courthouse, was officially opened yesterday (Nov. 18) in the Cambridge community of St. James. A joint initiative of the Ministries of National Security and Justice, the project, undertaken at a cost of $65 million, involved the refurbishing of a 200-year old building to house the facilities. The court facility is on the...

Director of Public Prosecutions, (DPP), Paula Llewellyn, has said that prosecutors must remain committed to prosecutorial ethics and evidence and not bow to public sentiments. "Prosecutors in the 21st Century have to be aware that their role is a delicate act, where they have to be sensitive to public interest while maintaining their independence in decision making. At the same...

The debate on the retention of the death penalty continued in the House of Representatives yesterday (Nov. 18), with strong views from both sides, although the arguments for, outnumbered those that were against. In a sitting that saw a total of 15 members making contributions, the common view expressed, was that steps should be urgently taken to advance the complete...

The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) is urging entrepreneurs, small business interests and operators, to access the new loan facility, that is available for the micro and small business sector. Speaking with JIS News recently, Chief Executive Officer at the JBDC, Valerie Veira, pointed out that the Government has allocated a sum of $150 million to the corporation, for on-lending...

Director of Health Promotion and Protection in the Ministry of Health and Environment, Dr. Eva Lewis-Fuller, has announced that the outbreak of conjunctivitis, otherwise known as pink eye, which has been affecting most of the island in recent months, is now on the decline. Referring to the latest available data issued by the Surveillance Unit of the Health Promotion and...

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Local Government, Robert Montague, leaves the island today, (Nov. 19) to attend the Eighth Annual Conference of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank (PNoWB). The conference, which is being hosted by the French Government in collaboration with the French National Assembly, will be held in Paris...

Cabinet on Monday (Nov.17), approved contracts valued at US$15.6 million and US$415,000, to Hazama Corporation of Japan, for the development of ground water sources in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Senator Dwight Nelson, who made the announcement at today's (Nov.19) post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House, said that the...

The searching of students in school for weapons will become mandatory, as the Ministry of Education seeks to intensify efforts, to promote and ensure safety in schools. This was disclosed by Education Minister, Andrew Holness, during a tour yesterday (November 18) of Dunoon Technical High School in Kingston, where 16-year-old Shevon Johnson, was fatally stabbed by another student on the...

Residents and farmers in Manchester recently benefitted from an exhibition mounted by the Scientific Research Council (SRC), which showcased the stages of root and tuber production and the various ways the products can be utilised, employing technologies in farming, agro-processing and food technology. The exhibition, dubbed 'Golden Roots and Tubers', was held at the Rural Agricultural Development Authority's (RADA) office...