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Jamaica Observer

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
PAAC not happy with financial secretary's responses
MEMBERS of Parliament's Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) yesterday dismissed explanations from Financial Secretary Darlene Morrison of her office's limited knowledge of how the finance ministry handles transacti...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Cops depressed
CHAIRMAN of the Jamaica Police Federation Corporal Rohan James has blasted the Government for shorting the Chaplaincy Branch of the constabulary much-needed funds to tend to the psychological welfare of police officers, a number of whom...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
University hospital under pressure from COVID patients
A number of patients in need of oxygen and medical attention at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) in St Andrew Wednesday received care either in a driveway, a corridor, or under a tent in front of the Accident and Emerge...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
This Day in History - January 13
Today is the 13th day of 2022. There are 352 days left in the year.TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT1992: Serial killer Jeffrey L Dahmer pleads guilty, but insane, to 15 mutilation killings in Milwaukee, United States. He is killed by a fellow prisoner...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Veteran Anglican clergyman Canon Peter Mullings dies
RETIRED rector of the Church of The Ascension, Mona Heights, Canon Peter Mullings died on Tuesday following a brief illness.Mullings was minister for 59 years, serving the Mona Heights congregation for 37 years until his retirement in 2...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Mandeville's COVID wards exceed capacity
MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Chief executive officer at the Mandeville Regional Hospital Alwyn Miller says the experience of three waves of the novel coronavirus pandemic has put the facility in a better position to cope with the ongoing fo...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
TAJ falters
DELAYS in reconciliation of the bank accounts of the revenue collection agency have seen potential Government revenue for fiscal year 2020/21 not properly brought to account, according to the findings of the Auditor General Department's...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
System breakdown leads to $15.7 billion in over-expenditure
THE Auditor General's Department (AuGD) says $15.7 billion in financial risk has been uncovered in the Ministry of Finance and Planning in relation to public debt amoratisation and interest charges activities carried out between 2015 an...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Auditor general reports increase in whistle-blowers
Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis is reporting that there was an increase in whistle-blowers during the 2020/2021 financial year, with 34 reports received in comparison to only six that came to the attention of her department in the ...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Brown Burke renews calls for COVID-19 testing in schools
With face-to-face school now in its second week, Opposition spokesperson on education and training Dr Angela Brown Burke is again calling on the Government to put plans in place for COVID-19 testing in schools."In many other jurisdictio...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Older tourism workers to get full pension pay-out
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Under the Tourism Workers Pension Scheme (TWPS) launched Wednesday, tourism sector workers now 59 and over will get the full $200,000 a year pension pay-out when they retire at age 65. The shortfall in their cont...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Latest COVID-19 outbreak impacting visa processing
Q: Is the Consular Section currently operational in the face of the recent outbreak of COVID-19 and the dramatic up tick in positivity rates?The Consular Section has scaled down its operations somewhat in response to the latest COVID-19...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
'A terrible start to the new year'
HEATHFIELD, St Elizabeth- It has been a challenge for Desrene Croff and her son, 13-year-old Leon Gray, to accept that Leon's father, Garnett, is no longer around.On the fourth day of the new year, 60-year-old Gray was chopped to death ...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Prayer Breakfast Lifeline
The Eira Schader Home for the Aged in Trench Town in south St Andrew was in a shabby, run-down state in January 2016 and facing possible closure before it received a lifeline from the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast.Lloyd Ferguson,...

Thu, Jan 13, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Political analysts question new legal and constitutional affairs ministry
A number of political analysts on Tuesday raised eyebrows at the creation of a Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, expressing concern that it might be a replication of the justice ministry.Thei...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
NLA breakdown creates $450-million risk exposure
The Auditor General's Department has pinpointed delays in reconciliation of bank accounts, long-standing accounts receivables, and advances at the National Land Agency (NLA) that have led to risk exposure to the Government totalling jus...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
COVID PERIL
The Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) is calling for a review of a Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) protocol that requires health-care workers (HCWs) to continue working if they test positive for the novel coronavirus but show...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Review Junction road contract, public defender urges
The Government is being urged to review its contract for the rehabilitation of section one of the Junction main road, which is already several years behind its original completion deadline and fraught with geotechnical and contractor c...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
3rd deadline extension granted on Junction main road
The Government has granted the contractor handling the first phase of rehabilitation of Junction main road a third extension on its deadline to complete the billion-dollar project.On Tuesday the National Works Agency (NWA) said the reha...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
This Day in History - January 12
Today is the 12th day of 2022. There are 353 days left in the year.TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT2010: A strong earthquake devastates Haiti, killing 230,000 people, injuring 300,000, and leaving more than one million homeless. OTHER EVENTS1543: Eng...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Cabinet changes 'trivial', says Golding
Opposition Leader Mark Golding on Tuesday labelled the Cabinet changes made by Prime Minister Andrew Holness as a "fairly trivial exercise" that deflects attention from issues of national importance.According to Golding, Holness has not...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Fayval urges national support for back-to-school efforts
MINISTER of Education and Youth Fayval Williams says 954 of Jamaica's 983 primary and high schools have been approved for reopening by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and urged all Jamaicans to support Government's efforts to have ...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
A real honour and humbling experience, says Green
Parliamentarian Floyd Green, who is making a comeback as minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister after a hasty resignation from the Cabinet four months ago, has described as "humbling" the appointment which, he s...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Floyd's mission - the voice and face of NIDS
Floyd Green, the Government minister who fell from grace last year under controversial circumstances, has now been tasked with being the "voice and face" of Jamaica's push to establish a national identification system (NIDS).Green, who ...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
St Elizabeth South West welcomes recall of Floyd Green to Cabinet
BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth - Leading politicians, activists and a businessman in St Elizabeth South Western have welcomed the recall of their Member of Parliament Floyd Green to the Cabinet.This follows Monday's shuffle of the Executive ...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
EOJ stops same-day service for letters of identity
THE Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) said that effective Thursday, January 13, requests for letters of identity at its head office in downtown Kingston will be processed as a next-day service."Previously, electors could request a lette...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
BY THE BRUSH
This man is seen in Linstead, St Catherine, painstakingly engaged in paint work.(Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
$20 million available for community-based organisations, committees
GRANT funding amounting to $20 million is being made available for community-based organisations and committees under the Social Development Commission's (SDC) grant call for proposals.According to JIS News, this is the SDC's second cal...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Sandals MoBay wins All Star Quiz title
SANDALS Montego Bay beat Beaches Ocho Rios in a stirring finale to emerge winners of the Sandals Resorts 2022 All Star Quiz competition, recently.The Sandals All Star Quiz Competition is part of a series of team member engagement activi...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Canadian hospitals less capable of handling surge of COVID patients
Dear Mr Brown:I want to know the reason Canada has to shut down during every wave of this pandemic. If the US can remain open I do not see why Canada has to be so restrictive all the time. I heard schools and businesses are locked down ...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
IDB: Closing digital access gap could be big boost for regional economies
WASHINGTON, DC, united States (CMC) - The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Monday said closing the digital access gap between the Caribbean and the more advanced economies could increase the region's gross domestic product (GDP) by...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Westmoreland residents split on PM's 'no more lockdowns' promise
SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland - There were mixed reactions in this western parish on Monday to Prime Minister Andrew Holness's assurance that lockdowns will no longer be used in the battle against the novel coronavirus. Businessman Carl ...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Don't be swayed by charisma
Members of the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast Committee say they would not knowingly accept groups with cultic tendencies and are encouraging Christians to be judicious in choosing their leader for religious guidance.Reverend Samu...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Japan keeps border controls as it prepares for Omicron surge
TOKYO, Japan (AP) - Japan will keep its borders closed to most foreign citizens through February as it attempts to accelerate coronavirus booster shots for elderly people and expand hospital capacity to cope with the rapidly spreading O...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
US announces $308 million in aid for Afghans
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (AP) - The United States on Tuesday announced $308 million in additional humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan, offering new aid to the country as it edges toward a humanitarian crisis since the Taliban t...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Alliance's ePay cards being used for school train
SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine - Cards provided by ePay Jamaica, a subsidiary of Alliance Payment Services Limited, are said to have performed well on the first day of use to access the new train service for students. Though only seven of t...

Wed, Jan 12, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Manchester Southern MP wants more Wi-Fi hot spots
MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Member of Parliament for Manchester Southern Robert Chin is insisting that the Government's target of equipping each constituency with three Wi-Fi hot spots is not enough.Chin, a member of the ruling Jamaica Lab...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Soft shake
Andrew Holness on Monday recalled Floyd Green to the Cabinet in a shuffle of the Executive that largely surprised political watchers who had expected more significant changes.However, the prime minister said the shuffle is designed to ...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
OUR shocks JPS
THE Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) has delivered a shocker to the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), ruling that it was granted too much in the foreign exchange-net interest surcharge determination in its 2021 annual review and...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
This Day in History - January 11
Today is the 11th day of 2022. There are 354 days left in the year. TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT1964: US Surgeon General Luther Terry issues the first government report saying smoking may be hazardous to one's health. OTHER EVENTS49 BC: Roman em...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Caribbean begins new season in 'water deficit'
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) - The Barbados-based Caribbean Drought and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CDPMN) Monday said that many Caribbean countries will be starting the new season "with a deficit in water resources" as the region c...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Human rights group calls for protection of Haiti's journalists
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) - The human rights group, Citizen Protection Office (OPC), Monday called for the promotion and protection of journalists in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country following last week's doub...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
VM Group sees prayer breakfast as important investment in nation-building
For 37 years Victoria Mutual (VM) Group has given unwavering support to the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast (NLPB), arguing that the event is worth the investment as it makes a vital contribution to nation-building and social deve...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Faith, hope, love focus of national prayer breakfast
STAKEHOLDERS of the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast (NLPB) are adamant that the event is still relevant.Addressing this week's Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange, Rev Sam McCook, chairman of the NLPB, said he, too, questioned the nec...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Clarke to table add-on estimates today
Minister of Finance and the Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke is scheduled to table the Second Supplementary Estimates for 2021/22 when the House of Representatives resumes sitting today.The resumption follows an over-three-week-long break...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Committee to get update on controversial $1-billion Junction road rehab
PARLIAMENT'S Infrastructure and Physical Development Committee is today expected to receive a status update on the controversial $1-billion Junction main road rehabilitation project in St Mary, which started in 2017, and has now gone mo...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
All aboard!... not quite
SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine -The highly anticipated rail service that will, at its peak, ferry 400 St Catherine students to and from school, got under way on Monday with seven students using the train. Transport and Mining Minister Rober...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
8,000 detained in Kazakhstan over violent protests
MOSCOW, Russia (AP) - Nearly 8,000 people in Kazakhstan were detained by police during protests that descended into violence last week and marked the worst unrest the former Soviet nation has faced since gaining independence 30 years ag...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
Myanmar's Suu Kyi sentenced to 4 more years in prison
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - A court in Myanmar sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to four more years in prison on Monday after finding her guilty of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies and violating novel coronavirus re...

Tue, Jan 11, 2022 07:01:00 GMT
UWI staff ends industrial action
ACADEMIC and administrative staff at the Mona campus of The University of the West Indies (The UWI) yesterday suspended their industrial action, which will pave the way for normality at the January 17 start of the new semester.The staff...



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