Archives

Jamaica Observer

Sat, Jul 3, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Jamaica, US implement changes to Shiprider Agreement
SINCE June 16, Jamaica and the United States have implemented more changes to the operational protocols of the Shiprider Agreement, which covers cooperation between both countries in suppressing illicit maritime drug trafficking."It is ...

Sat, Jul 3, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Jamaicans in preparation mode as Hurricane Elsa strengthens
WITH a hurricane warning in effect for Jamaica as category 1 storm Elsa strengthens on approach to the central Caribbean, some citizens are stocking up on necessities while others have admitted to being unprepared.The Meteorological Ser...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Emergencies only at health facilities in south-central parishes
MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Health services at facilities in three south-central parishes were severely impacted yesterday with almost half of the scheduled doctors calling in sick, reducing operations to emergencies only.The public health...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 06:10:01 GMT
Services scaled back at CRH
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Services at Cornwall Regional Hospital in this parish were scaled down yesterday, according to senior medical officer of the facility, Dr Derek Harvey.This follows Wednesday's meeting of the Jamaica Medical Docto...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Boost for business travellers
A major COVID-19 testing facility yesterday dropped its price by a third - from US$150 to US$100 per test - immediately raising hopes for a big jump in business travellers who might not now have to quarantine on arrival in Jamaica.The o...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
JetAir Caribbean starts direct flight from Curacao to Jamaica
There could be a spike in the number of visitors from Curacao to Jamaica as the country yesterday welcomed the inaugural weekly air service from JetAir Caribbean Airlines.JetAir will fly every Thursday into Kingston, departing on the s...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
JPS calls for special court to deal with electricity theft
THE Jamaica Public Service (JPS) has appealed to the Government to help stamp out electricity theft by throwing the weight of the justice system behind the issue, dedicating a special utility court to deal with cases.The senior manageme...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 06:10:01 GMT
Doctors expected back
THE Ministry of Health & Wellness reported late last night that normal operations will resume at health facilities across the island beginning 8:00 this morning."The decision was reached following a meeting of senior executives in t...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Jamaica under tropical storm watch
A tropical storm watch was last night issued for Jamaica as the island prepares for possible impact from Tropical Storm Elsa.The National Meteorological Service last night said that the projection is for rainfall in excess of 50 mm acro...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:50:02 GMT
PHOTO: Cuban Ambassador to Jamaica says goodbye
President of the Senate, Senator Thomas Tavares-Finson, (right), and Speaker of the House of Representatives Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, (2nd left) pose with Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, Her Excellency Inés Fors Fernández (cent...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
NIDS committee report ready for Parliament
Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck says the report from the joint select committee (JSC) reviewing the National Identification and Registration (NIDS) Act, 2020 could be tabled in the House of Representatives as early as next week."We ha...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
This Day in History - July 2
Today is the 183rd day of 2021. There are 182 days left in the year.TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT1777: Vermont becomes the first American colony to abolish slavery. OTHER EVENTS1502: Conflict between French and Spanish over partition of Naples bre...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Silvera calls for PM's intervention with CRH 'shanty town'
MONTEGO BAY, St James - President of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) Janet Silvera is making an urgent plea to Prime Minister Andrew Holness to move with alacrity to bring health-care services provided at the ai...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Carreras cries foul
LEADING tobacco and cigarette distribution company Carreras Limited has cautioned the Government against an excessive regulatory regime that it says will be tough to implement and enforce, and will impose provisions that will put the to...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
A century of Jamaicans in Nigeria
When the first two Jamaicans arrived in Nigeria in 1846, it symbolically marked the reverse journey, and a homecoming of sorts, as many Nigerians were among the estimated 12.5 million Africans snatched from the continent and taken to f...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Cops to learn sign language
THE National Police Youth Club of Jamaica (NPYCJ) yesterday launched Safe and Sound JA, a project that is expected to make it easier for the hearing impaired to communicate with the police. Over the next three months, law enforcement of...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Stakeholders in Manchester bank on 'special touch of Jesus'
MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Stakeholders in this south-central parish say divine help is needed to resolve social ills and issues of violence, with the hope of becoming a model parish.Political representatives of Manchester as well as chur...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Canadian's Jamaica dream scuttled by COVID-19
RUNAWAY BAY, St Ann - In 1998 when Canadian Wendy Fletcher first set foot on Jamaican soil, a part of her automatically knew she belonged to the island. A fascinated Fletcher found herself drawn to the land of wood and water whenever sh...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
JTA president backs Coding in Schools
PRESIDENT of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) Jashford Gabriel has backed the Government's plan to expand the Coding in Schools programme.Responding to the recent announcement by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information t...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Safety concerns halt rescue efforts at Florida condo collapse site
SURFSIDE, Florida (AP) - Rescue efforts at the site of a partially collapsed Florida condominium building were halted yesterday out of concern about the stability of the remaining structure after crews noticed widening cracks and up to ...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
At Communist Party centenary, Xi says China won't be bullied
BEIJING, China (AP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping warned yesterday that anyone who tries to bully China "will face broken heads and bloodshed", in a defiant speech hailing the country's rise that elicited loud cheers from a carefully c...

Fri, Jul 2, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Today's Horoscope - July 2, 2021
HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Friday, July 2, 2021: You are compassionate, friendly, warm, and helpful. You are nurturing to those who are close to you. You are also poised, graceful, and a natural leader. You are creative, and many of you are qui...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
DOCS SICK?
Reports reaching the Jamaica Observer indicate that several medical professionals intend to call in sick today as the public health sector reels from a number of human resource challenges.Just last week, president of the Jamaica Medica...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Teachers firm against summer schools; no need for PEP students to attend
PUBLIC school teachers are adamant that they will not be forced to turn out for the Ministry of Education-managed national summer school programme, which is slated to begin next Monday.President of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
CDB challenged to double lending to meet poverty reduction goal
THE latest Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) annual report showed that the bank disbursed US$306 million to borrowing member countries (BMCs) in 2019, but the regional financial institution has been urged to double that disbursement if i...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Customs agency destroys US$60-million worth of counterfeit goods
APPROXIMATELY US$60-million worth of counterfeit goods, which breached intellectual property rights, were yesterday destroyed by Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) which had seized them after arrival into the island.The 13 containers of count...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
COVID vax fears eased with 65,000 doses from Mexico
SCORES of anxious Jamaicans awaiting a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine should be breathing a sigh of relief following yesterday's donation of 65,000 doses of the AstraZeneca brand from Mexico, calming fears harboured by many that th...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Dad, stepmom held
LINSTEAD, St Catherine - The police yesterday detained the father and stepmother of a seven-year-old girl two days after the mysterious death of the child at the family home at New Works district, just outside of Linstead.The little gir...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Jamaica joins call for lifting of US embargo against Cuba
JAMAICA'S Parliament on Tuesday approved a United Nations resolution condemning the prolonged United States economic embargo against Cuba.Minister of state for culture, gender, entertainment and sports, Alando Terrelonge, reminded the H...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
JTA president-elect designate vows to lobby for teachers
President-elect in waiting for the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA), LaSonja Harrison, has declared that she will be partnering with the private and public sector in an effort to improve the island's education system.Harrison, who wa...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
UHWI gifted with 'Rolls Royce of ultrasound machines' by Supreme Ventures Foundation
The University Hospital of the West Indies' (UHWI) diagnostic department received a boost this week from the donation of a state-of-the-art mobile ultrasound machine from the Supreme Ventures Foundation (SVF).The machine, which was fin...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
NWC banking on debt collectors to bring in $1 billion
THE National Water Commission (NWC) is banking on debt collectors it engaged last year to wring out over $1 billion owed to it by customers even as it struggles to cauterise revenue losses of between $3.5 billion and $4.5 billion monthl...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Lifespan offers scholarship opportunity to children of employees
Local water manufacturer Lifespan Spring Water Ltd is tapping into its benefits as a member of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) by offering an exclusive scholarship to the family of their staff members. The Drinking W...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Concrete road to solve flooding problem in Quarry
QUARRY, St James - After four unsuccessful attempts to resolve flooding and damage to infrastructure in the Quarry, Glendevon, area of St James, Caribbean Cement Company (Carib Cement) is partnering with the Government to construct a co...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Derrick Smith, MPs pay tribute to late close protection officer
Former Minister of National Security and former Leader of the House of Representatives Derrick Smith yesterday expressed deep regret over the death of Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Close Protection Officer (CPO) Sergeant Marlon Smit...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
This Day in History - July 1
Today is the 182nd day of 2021. There are 183 days left in the year.TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT2004: Saddam Hussein appears in Iraqi court for the first time, scoffing at charges of war crimes and genocide. OTHER EVENTS1847: The US Post Office i...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Salt River Mineral Spa gets an upgrade
SALT RIVER, Clarendon - Concrete buildings have now replaced many of the board structures that have for years been used as bathrooms and changing rooms by visitors to the popular Salt River Mineral Spa in Clarendon. A garden has also be...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Mandeville's mayor adamant action will be taken against roadside garages starting August 1
MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Some residents of Marshalls Pen, a community located north-west of the Mandeville town centre, are appealing for urgent attention from the authorities, including the Manchester Municipal Corporation and the poli...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Mixed reactions to ruling overturning Bill Cosby's conviction
NEW YORK, United States (AP) - There was mixed reaction to yesterday's news that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court had overturned Bill Cosby's sexual assault conviction and cleared the way for him to be released from prison."Mr Cosby shoul...

Thu, Jul 1, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
'Twin' brother of Barbados PM dies
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) - Prime Minister Mia Mottley has confirmed the death of 55- year-old Warren Mottley, whom she has described as her twin."Warren Douglas Mottley passed, and I just want to say thank you to all of you who have ...

Wed, Jun 30, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
'There is a lot of crime and the police are extremely stretched'
STRIDENT calls were yesterday made from Opposition parliamentary benches for the Government to take action to stem rising crime in sections of the Corporate Area, with a recently imposed zone of special operations (ZOSO) in the crime ho...

Wed, Jun 30, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Clarke pilots new Casino Bill through House
JAMAICA'S failure to develop a profitable and sustainable casino industry, 11 years after passing the necessary legislation, is about to be amended to deliver more investments and jobs.Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel...

Wed, Jun 30, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Warmington raps hypocrites in George Wright issue
CABINET Minister Everald Warmington has taken a swipe at critics of embattled independent Member of Parliament George Wright, who is accused of beating a woman with a stool as well as his hands, following a viral video which could not c...

Wed, Jun 30, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
30 displaced in Kingston Central violence
RESIDENTS of Beeston Street in Kingston Central were awakened by loud explosions and a fire in the wee hours yesterday morning. Some 30 people have been left displaced, with nothing but the clothes on their backs after thugs reportedly ...

Wed, Jun 30, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Committee wants more done to reduce domestic violence
THE Crime Monitoring Oversight Committee (CMOC) raised concerns yesterday about the prevalence of intimate partner violence across the island and the level of Government intervention needed to help remedy the problem.According to CMOC C...

Wed, Jun 30, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Summer school on
THE education ministry is pressing ahead with plans to hold summer classes, notwithstanding clear indication from the island's teachers that they are not in favour of the move.Yesterday, portfolio minister Fayval Williams announced that...

Wed, Jun 30, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
MP Juliet Holness calls for proper accountability of CDF funds
MEMBER of Parliament for St Andrew East Rural Juliet Holness wants greater consultation between the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Project Management Unit (PMU), implementing state agencies, and MPs to ensure more accountability an...

Wed, Jun 30, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Pandemic likely halted declining poverty rate in 2020
WITH the novel coronavirus pandemic likely to be blamed for arresting the dip in poverty that the country had been witnessing up to 2019, Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke says the Government is eager to receive the poverty data for 2020...

Wed, Jun 30, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Rugby league player of Jamaican heritage kicked out of UK by-election over anti-gay comments
International rugby player Ross Peltier will not be contesting tomorrow's by-election for Member of Parliament (MP) for Batley and Spen, West Yorkshire, England, after being pulled as a candidate over anti-gay comments he made 10 years ...

Wed, Jun 30, 2021 07:01:00 GMT
Tips for US citizens in Jamaica during hurricane season
Q: What advice can the embassy offer to US citizens in Jamaica for the current hurricane season?A: First, take responsibility for your own safety before an emergency arises. We encourage all individuals to plan ahead. The US and Jamaica...



home