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One hundred and sixty seven years ago, our forebears gathered in churches all over this island to give thanks for the release of some 400,000 former slaves into full freedom. On that day, a clear message was sent to the world that, as children of a Common Creator, no one could rightly, justly or morally be the property of another....

Emancipation is one of the most significant milestones in our country's history, representing as it does the end of the long struggle by our ancestors for freedom and justice. Today is therefore an opportune time to focus our energies on the lessons to be learnt from these outstanding men and women whose actions led to the social and economic development...

Today we celebrate the abolition of slavery - the end of an era that witnessed one of the worst forms of injustice that the world has ever known. Freedom didn't come easily. There were many uprisings among the slaves which were met by brutal repression. Many of our forefathers were shot and hung as they struggled to secure freedom for...

Minister of Transport and Works, Robert Pickersgill, is reporting a decrease in fatal road accidents since the start of the year, with 165 road deaths occurring between January 1 to July 24, which is 26 less than the corresponding period in 2004. The Minister, who was speaking at the Shell Company of the West Indies' Driver's Incentive Scheme awards ceremony...

Flooding and landslides associated with Hurricanes Dennis and Emily caused some $16 million in damage to farms and farm roads in Trelawny, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) has reported. RADA Parish Manager, Donald Robinson, told JIS News that 450 farmers, mostly in the southern section of the parish, suffered losses as a result of the hurricanes. "The farmers in...

Representatives of the island's parish AIDS associations have benefited from a two-day workshop designed to build communication skills and strengthen their working relationship. The event, organised by the National AIDS Committee (NAC), was held at the Invercauld Hotel in Black River, St. Elizabeth from July 26 to 27 and was the first of the NAC's bi-annual training workshops for 2005....

The Bill to amend the National Housing Trust Act to allow for the diversion of funds to finance the Education Transformation project was passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (July 26) after much debate. The government is seeking to divert $5 billion in a one-off transfer to finance the upgrading of education facilities across the island this financial...

Jamaica is to put forward its position on the reform of the United Nations (UN) and the Security Council, during its participation in the 60th General Assembly to be held in New York this September. Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister K.D. Knight speaking during his contribution to the 2005/06 Sectoral Debate in Gordon House on Tuesday (July 26) said...

Solicitor General, Michael Hylton, has said that critical to the government's victory in the Portmore toll road case, was the court's acceptance of the Mandela Highway as the most reasonable alternative to the Portmore causeway. "The claimants had argued that the Minister's (Robert Pickersgill) designation of this route as a toll road was unlawful because the designation of the Mandela...

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is reporting significant damage to agriculture in the parish of Portland as a result of the passing of Hurricanes Dennis and Emily. Estimates prepared by the organization reveal that a total of 626 hectares of crop and livestock were destroyed by the hurricanes at a cost of $250 million, with 3,500 farmers being directly...

The government of Jamaica will be introducing a "passport system" in the cattle industry as part of efforts to prevent disease outbreak and address animal theft. The system, which will initially be introduced in Kingston, and later move to all other parts of the island, will see plastic and metal tags being affixed to the ear of cattle, with numbering...

The government of Jamaica has awarded a $200 million contract to French company SAGEM SA to supply the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) with an Automated Palm and Fingerprint Identification System (APFIS). Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, speaking at the signing ceremony held this morning (July 26) at his Oxford Road offices, informed that the acquisition was in keeping...