🇯🇲 Jamaica News
4-H Clubs to invest $20 million in gardens at four western infant schools
The Jamaica 4-H Clubs is to invest approximately $20 million in four model gardens at infant schools in western Jamaica, with support from the CHASE Fund, as part of an effort to cultivate an interest in agriculture from an early age. While he did not disclose when the project will begin, Colin Virgo, chairman of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs, said the ‘Gardens of Excellence’ initiative will target communities among those hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa.
Man shot dead in Manchester
4-H targets young minds with school gardens
‘Budshot’ charged in connection to Balaclava shooting incident
PSOJ hails Sandals–Royal Caribbean partnership as a model for global growth
Two zone winners to be decided in daCosta Cup clashes
US tightens financial and travel restrictions on Cuba
WATCH: Body of 70-y-o found in Manchester tank
Teen among three charged with housebreaking in St Elizabeth
Netanyahu says flydubai co-pilot indoctrinated as UAE probes ‘terror’ link
Woman in hospital after surviving two lethal injections in failed Tennessee execution
INDECOM-investigated assault matter ends in $100,000 compensation agreement
An assault matter investigated by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has ended with a $100,000 compensation agreement following mediation at the St Catherine Parish Court. The agreement was recorded on September 29, with the complainant to receive the compensation in three instalments. The matter stemmed from a motor vehicle crash on December 31, 2023, in the vicinity of the bus stop at the Spanish Town Hospital.
St Catherine woman arrested in fatal stabbing of child’s father
A St Catherine woman suspected of fatally stabbing her child’s father has been arrested in connection with the incident. The deceased has been identified as 64-year-old Fitzroy Williams, a labourer of Island Farms District in Gutters, St Catherine. Reports are that about 11:20 pm on Wednesday, Williams went to the home occupied by the woman, with whom he shared a child. During the visit, an argument reportedly developed, and Williams allegedly pushed the woman to the ground.
Integrity Commission recommends reprimand for PNP councillor over wife’s application to rent space at Ocho Rios Transportation Centre
Director of Investigations at the Integrity Commission (IC) Kevon Stephenson has accused People’s National Party Councillor for the Beecher Town Division in St Ann, Ian Bell, of breaching conflict of interest and good governance standards.
Three law enforcement officers charged in INDECOM assault investigations
Two members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and a correctional officer have been charged in connection with three separate assault matters investigated by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM). In a release on Wednesday, INDECOM said the investigations were submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which ruled that charges should be laid against the officers. The officers appeared before the courts between September 22 and 25.
Water crisis deepening
Water crisis deepening
Defence raises questions about cop who was member of Kevin Smith’s flock
Defence raises questions about cop who was member of Kevin Smith’s flock
Kabaka Pyramid still has lots to say
Kabaka Pyramid still has lots to say
Green calls for regional farmworker framework
Green calls for regional farmworker framework
UNITED BEHIND INFANTINO
Ricketts reiterates backing for Infantino as Caribbean support grows
Dinner @ OMNIA SKY LOUNGE
Foodie News... Foodie News... Foodie News... Foodie News... Foodie News... Foodie News...
Church leaders challenge BOJ cheque phase-out
Two church leaders are taking the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) to court, accusing the central bank of overstepping its legal authority and breaching Jamaicans’ constitutional right to equitable treatment in its push to phase out cheques. “The policy of the respondents to eliminate the use of cheques as outlined represents a direct assault on our right to effect transactions via the chequing system, which is integral to everyday life in Jamaica,” said Pastor Jeffrey Shuttleworth, one of the applicants.
Drought drains 107 water systems
With more than 100 water systems impacted by the ongoing drought, the National Water Commission (NWC) is making a renewed call for customers to conserve water. The appeal was made by Dr Phillippa Campbell-Francis, acting vice-president of operations at the NWC, during an Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) webinar on Jamaica’s water-sector challenges.
Detective denies lying about Pathways murder accused giving false name
The defence yesterday accused a Pathways murder investigator of lying about Andre Ruddock giving police a false name following Taneka Gardner’s killing. Attorney Anthony Williams, during cross-examination yesterday, suggested that his client never gave the detective sergeant a wrong name. However, the witness, who testified at the murder trial in which Ruddock is accused of Gardner’s alleged sacrificial killing, said he was “wrong”.
Samuda warns tougher water curbs coming
Water Minister Matthew Samuda is warning that tougher water restrictions are coming as Jamaica continues to grapple with a crippling drought, signalling an escalation in the Government’s response to the prolonged dry spell. The minister gave the dire update during yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew. The National Water Commission (NWC) imposed water prohibition orders on August 17, restricting the use of NWC-supplied water for non-essential activities such as watering lawns, washing vehicles and refilling pools across seven parishes.
More protest action rocks Coopers Pen after fresh eviction notice
WESTERN BUREAU: Residents of Coopers Pen in Trelawny staged yet another demonstration yesterday, a day after they were served with a cease-and-desist notice by the Trelawny Municipal Corporation ordering them to pull down their businesses and vacate the property within 30 days. The aggrieved, placard-bearing residents blocked the roadway near the community with old appliances and debris while calling for justice, accusing the authorities of trampling on their rights and depriving them of their homes and livelihoods. The police later removed the blockade from the roadway.
NEPA reports surge in green business participation
More Jamaican organisations are embracing environmentally sustainable business practices, with participation in the National Environment and Planning Agency’s (NEPA) Green Business Jamaica (GBJ) programme increasing by 37 per cent since the initiative became a key performance target.
Samuda: No NWC resources for water parties
Water Minister Matthew Samuda has assured Jamaicans that no permits are being issued for “water parties” using National Water Commission (NWC) resources. Samuda was responding to concerns over the possible misuse of public water supplies during ongoing conservation efforts. The assurance comes as the country continues to grapple with crippling drought conditions, resulting in the NWC imposing water prohibition orders across several parishes.
Aiken: No Jamaican man needs to die from prostate cancer
One of the most dangerous things about prostate cancer is how quietly it can begin. A man can feel well, move through his days without alarm and have little reason to suspect that anything is wrong. Yet, according to Professor William Aiken, that quiet period is precisely when medicine may have its greatest advantage. By the time symptoms give him a reason to worry, that advantage may already be slipping away.
Harrison: Stop normalising broken schools
WESTERN BUREAU: Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President La Sonja Harrison is urging the Government to fast-track the rehabilitation and restoration of schools that have still not been repaired almost one year after Hurricane Melissa struck the island last October. Harrison made the call yesterday while addressing a press conference at the SeaGarden Hotel in Montego Bay, St James, during the JTA’s campaign strategy retreat and central executive training meeting.
ECC expands positive-parenting support through Irie Homes Toolbox
The Early Childhood Commission (ECC) has trained a cadre of officers to deliver the Irie Homes Toolbox, a parenting programme designed to promote positive, non-violent child-rearing practices in communities across Jamaica. The five-day workshop, held from September 14 to 18, was conducted by the ECC in collaboration with UNICEF Jamaica and Professor Helen Baker-Henningham and her team from The University of the West Indies’ Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR).
World’s largest oat milk producer joins climate campaign
Oatly, the world’s largest producer of oat milk, is sending a new message to its consumers: Most people want their governments to take action on climate change. Splashed on the side of the Swedish company’s cartons is messaging from the “89 Percent Project”, a campaign launched by Covering Climate Now, a global journalism nonprofit.
Education minister urges businesses to help shape workforce skills
Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon has called on private-sector leaders to work more closely with the Government in shaping Jamaica’s future workforce, warning that rapid changes in the labour market will require a fundamental rethink of skills training. Addressing the High-Level National Digital and AI Skills Roundtable at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Tuesday, Morris Dixon said nearly 40 per cent of job-related skills are expected to change by 2030, making stronger collaboration between industry and the education sector critical.
Louise Bennett Coverley Primary hailed for literacy gains
Louise Bennett Coverley Primary School has been praised for achieving a 21 per cent increase in Grade Four literacy scores. For the 2025-26 academic year, the literacy rate for PEP Grade 4 examinations increased to 66.7 per cent, moving from 45 per cent in 2024-25. The school also improved its ranking in the annual National Education Inspectorate (NEI) from receiving a satisfactory grade in the past to good in the previous academic year.
FAO calls for faster action on C’bean food security
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) says the 20th staging of Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), which got under way on Monday in Trelawny, is not only a milestone but also a call for the region to move more quickly from commitment to implementation. “The Caribbean is advancing an ambitious transformation agenda. Countries are working to strengthen food security and nutrition, increase production and trade, reduce import dependency, and build resilience to climate and economic shocks,” said FAO Assistant Director-General Rene Orellana Halkyer.
Poultry industry’s next growth phase hinges on intra-regional trade
WESTERN BUREAU: Jamaica’s poultry industry has become one of the Caribbean’s agricultural success stories, but its next phase of growth will depend on expanding intra-regional trade, according to Dave Fairman, vice-president of The Best Dressed Chicken. Speaking during a plenary discussion on private-sector investment in agriculture at the ongoing Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Trelawny, Fairman said the industry’s growth demonstrated what could be achieved when government policy and private investment worked together.
One shot or two?
Preteens may soon have something to celebrate: Medical experts are discussing the possibility that one dose of a life-saving cancer vaccine, instead of two, may be enough to protect them. US vaccination recommendations have become splintered in the past year, with federal officials and doctors’ organisations disagreeing over guidance and even battling each other in court. But both sides have been exploring revisions in longstanding HPV vaccine recommendations.
One shot or two? - What to know about HPV vaccination recommendations
Preteens may soon have something to celebrate: Medical experts are discussing the possibility that one dose of a life-saving cancer vaccine, instead of two, may be enough to protect them. US vaccination recommendations have become splintered in the past year, with federal officials and doctors’ organisations disagreeing over guidance and even battling each other in court. But both sides have been exploring revisions in longstanding HPV vaccine recommendations.
Cuba’s cherished ballet tradition endures through blackouts, shortages
For months, two-thirds of Cuba had no electricity at night. Some neighbourhoods in the capital of Havana have been without running water for more than two weeks. Transportation is scarce, and eggs, bread, and cooking oil are hard to find. Yet every morning, about 178 young students gather for classes at the National Ballet School in the capital. Housed in an imposing Art Nouveau building in the heart of Old Havana, the school combines rigorous dance training with academic classes in math, Spanish, history, and science.
Earth Today | Small islands welcome UN Declaration on Sea Level Rise
SMALL ISLAND developing states appear to have released a collective breath, following the adoption of the first United Nations Declaration on Sea Level Rise, which recognises sea level rise as a real and growing climate change threat requiring a global response.
Earth Today | New UN declaration opens the way for action on rising seas
THE UNITED Nations Declaration on Sea Level Rise, adopted last Thursday, reflects a call to action for countries to solve the sea level rise challenge associated with a changing climate. It is a challenge, the declaration noted, that must be tackled on many fronts, not the least of these the best available science, and through the mobilisation of financing.
Earth Today | GCF, partners chart next phase of climate finance in West, Central Africa
THE GREEN Climate Fund (GCF) kicked off its Regional Dialogue with West and Central Africa in Accra, Ghana, on Tuesday (September 29), with more than 200 representatives gathered for practical discussions on programming, readiness support, and access to climate finance.
Firearm seized in East Kings House Road operation
US$28-m PriceSmart opens in St James
Over 5.4 million cyber attacks recorded in first quarter—Wheatley
Clarendon College advance to Ben Francis Cup quarter-finals
Knockalva miss chance to join Rusea’s on 12 points in D’Cup Zone B
Two cops, warder before court on assault charges—Indecom
