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Schools, service clubs, and community groups across the island are being urged to participate in National Tree Planting Day, which will be observed on Friday, October 7 under the theme, 'People need trees'. Marilyn Headley, Conservator of Forests in the Forestry Department, said that the observance held special importance for Jamaica, in light of the devastation caused by hurricanes and...

Prime Minister P.J. Patterson left the island this afternoon (Sept. 12) for New York, where he will attend the 60th Annual General Assembly of the United Nations. Mr. Patterson will address the general session of the UN Assembly on Saturday, September 17. Mr. Patterson is also scheduled to address the High Level Plenary of the UN and participate in meetings...

Rural communities sometimes lament that development does not occur in these communities as quickly as it does in urban areas but at least one aspect of this concern may soon be silenced in one such community as a result of an $11 million sanitation project. In the parish of St. Thomas, which recently faced the wrath of back-to-back hurricanes, the...

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has been impacting negatively on all sections of societies across the world, including children. The stigma attached to children and staff members in schools, who are infected with the disease, can be fiercely discriminating and devastating. Acknowledging this reality, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture is seeking to use the National Policy for HIV/AIDS Management in...

Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar, Delford Morgan, has emphasized that the time had come for local authorities to be empowered to deal directly with the growing problems of squatting and settlements in flood-prone areas, in order to ensure greater protection of lives and property. Addressing the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Parish Council on September 8, the Mayor cited the recent devastation...

The National Council for Senior Citizens (NCSC), in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, has organised a number of special events to celebrate Senior Citizens Month in Manchester. Parish Co-ordinator for the events in the parish, E.G. Dwyer-Crawford outlined some of the activities to JIS News. "We will kick off our activities this Sunday (September 11) with...

The Audit Commission is advising all government departments, ministries and executive agencies to take the necessary steps to ensure the efficient operation of their various audit committees. Chairman of the Audit Commission and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica, Leighton McKnight told JIS News that while the intention was not to take action against agencies which were...

Jamaica's reputation as one of the world's top holiday destinations will get a major boost this week with the world premier of a new documentary on the highly influential Travel Channel, a service of Discovery Networks, USA. The documentary, 'Jamaica: The Ultimate Tour', is a unique collaboration between the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and Journalist, Peter Greenberg of the Travel...

The Ministry of Agriculture has reported that approximately $80 million has been invested in reviving domestic crops. Speaking with JIS News, Errol Cameron, National Co-ordinator for the Domestic Food Crop and Marketing Project, which was established in 1998, said that to date the Government has invested just under $80 million to assist in revamping a number of domestic crops that...

Chairman of the Westmoreland Parish Council, Delford Morgan, has appealed to residents living in low-lying and flood-prone areas of the parish, to take the lessons learnt from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and seek to move to higher ground. "I make this special appeal to those persons, who are now living in dangerous low-lying areas across the island and...

Director of Veterinary Public Health in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Linette Peters, has urged Jamaicans to exercise care in preparing eggs to prevent salmonella poisoning. "The Ministry of Health is recommending that eggs be properly cooked before being eaten," she said, stressing that persons should avoid consuming undercooked or raw eggs. Although there is no outbreak of the bacteria,...

Jamaican-born award-winning filmmaker, Clement Virgo, will screen his latest film, Lie With Me, at the 30th staging of the Toronto International Film Festival, which got underway yesterday (Sept. 8) in Canada. Mr. Virgo, who has been described as "one of Canada's most daring and original talents," co-wrote, co-produced and directed the movie, which stars Lauren Lee Smith and Eric Balfour....