CHILD labour remains a problem of national concern in Jamaica as 37,965 children are engaged in such activities, with the highest numbers being those under 13 years of age.Director, Child Labour, in the Ministry of Labour and Social Sec...

CHILD abuse cases in Jamaica are rising.According to Children's Advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison, there was a dip in the number of child abuse reports at the start of the year, but the reports are now increasing."Last year everybody was...

NEIL Grant has a message for young people who are scratching their heads in trying to choose a career: Technology is the way to go.And who should know about the value of technology than Neil Grant, the freshly appointed chief executive ...

FORMER People's National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament for Manchester Southern Michael Stewart has said that he will not be stepping away from representational politics following his general election defeat of September 2020.Stewart,...

A number of Jamaican women, spooked by the horrific experiences of other females in recent times, are actively seeking out self-defence training, a local instructor has revealed."There is not a day that I don't receive a phone call from...

TWO defence lawyers have pointed to provisions under the Domestic Violence Act which they say allow women to "arm" themselves against violence from spouses and even would-be abusers.This comes as lawmakers waffle over allowing Jamaicans...

MEMBERS of Agape Christian Fellowship Church in Falmouth, Trelawny, remain devastated, albeit at different levels, by the vicious shooting death of 51-year-old banker Andrea Lowe Garwood during the praise and worship session at their ch...

It was so sad to learn of the passing of former Cabinet minister, Member of Parliament, senator, diplomat, author, and firm Kingston College man, Anthony Johnson, last week.It came at the height of his daughter's efforts at fending off...

THIRTY-three students from grades eight to 11 at Meadowbrook High School have received financial relief in the form of scholarships and grants from the Meadowbrook High School (MHS) Canada and New York alumni associations.The MHS Alumni...

GLOBALLY the pandemic has seen a rise in the number of unwanted pregnancies but administrators at the Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) are concerned that there is under-reporting of teen pregnancies since the onset of COVID-1...

AS many students across Jamaica sink deeper into the COVID-19-influenced education gap, a free application has been developed, catering to the needs of Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency ...

FRIENDS were aplenty for Alfred Daley during his career as a sprinter for Jamaica.Daley competed in three consecutive Summer Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, Montreal in 1976 and Moscow in 1980.Fast-forward to 2021 and Daley, who won go...

SHERIL Daley is protesting a decision by her former employer, a popular call centre, to fire her months after discovering that she had a criminal conviction.Daley, 36, spent five years in prison, from 2011 to 2016, for attempting to tra...

A Kingston resident has admitted that she spent almost seven days cooped up inside her house as she was crippled by fear due to recent cases of women being kidnapped and killed."I haven't opened my door in almost a week. It's like sayin...

DID you know that you could be harming your sex organ during coitus?According to one local medical expert, over the years, many Jamaicans have been harming themselves as a result of engaging in "rough sex", which is compounded by improp...

VAGINAL health is probably at the top of the women's health taboo list. Chances are that most of what you've learnt about your vaginal health has been from private research or coincidence.A very important and distinctive indicator of va...

UNITED STATES (AP) - Across America, people of colour are exposed to more air pollution than whites from industry, vehicles, construction and many other sources, a new study has found.Using government air pollution and census data, rese...

AS it turns out, we need more than an apple a day to keep the doctor away.In fact, we need approximately 400 grams of fruits and vegetables daily, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Wo...

WITH asthma being one of the major noncommunicable diseases, the Jamaica Observer reached out to consultant physician and pulmonologist Dr Althea Aquart-Stewart to debunk some of the myths and misconceptions about the lung condition ahe...

HUMANS, because we live more or less within a span of 100 years, are keen on time.Suffering for days may seem like an eternity. We become very impatient at God when we see things, such as His promises, slow in happening, not realising t...

We know you sometimes have burning questions that can best be answered by a pharmacist. Our feature, Ask Your Pharmacist , seeks to address some of those issues. Get answers by sending your questions to healthandwealth@jamaicaobserver....

FOR all the parents feeling exhausted by the cooking, cleaning and planning of a million meals during the pandemic, there's some good news. Commensality, or the sharing of food with others, is beneficial for your physical and mental hea...

DIRECTOR of field operations at the Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation Beverley Martin Berry is urging families and communities to desist from shunning teenage girls who end up pregnant.In making an impassioned plea, Martin Berry expl...

MANDEVILLE, Manchester - With lives and livelihoods turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic, a small group of young people are fighting the odds and doing their little bit to help others. Starting from her "little corner" in Roya...

NEW DELHI, India (AP) - In hopes of taming a monstrous spike in COVID-19 infections, India opened vaccinations to all adults Saturday, launching a huge inoculation effort that was sure to tax the limits of the federal government, the co...

Fear has tripled as Vincentians continue to eye persistent eruptions from La Soufrière volcano, grapple with the over year-long novel coronavirus pandemic, and are now struggling to stay afloat after heavy rain pummelled St Vincent and...

Nor aught so good, But strained from that fair use,Revolts from true birth, Stumbling on abuse,Virtue itself turns vice,Vice being misapplied.- Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1, 3It is said that the female of the species is deadlier tha...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Sunday, May 2, 2021: Strong, steadfast and charitable, create and keep healthy boundaries, or else you can be swept away in other people's problems. This year, you are recognised for your innovative contributions and ...

EDUCATION Minister Fayval Williams has asked that students who are expelled from public schools be engaged virtually, instead of being completely locked out of the education system. She was speaking on issues surrounding absenteeism amo...

The General Legal Council (GLC) says attorney Patrick Bailey has been suspended from practice after being found guilty of professional misconduct.The GLC made the disclosure in a notice published in today's edition of the Jamaica Obser...

MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Deputy superintendent at the Jamaica Fire Brigade Rohan Powell is appealing for households to practise fire prevention measures following Thursday morning's blaze which claimed the life of 76-year-old Yvonne Fin...

Attorney General Marlene Malahoo-Forte has noted shortcomings in how the Government structures its legal affairs, blaming lack of timely and sufficient instructions as a hindrance to better outcomes.She indicated the concern in her cont...

Two women were shot dead while a third and a child were hospitalised after an attack on a bus on St John's Road in St Catherine Thursday evening.The Jamaica Observer was told that the bus was transporting people who had attended the bu...

The Financial Investigations Division (FID) on Thursday signalled its intention to recoup any wealth gained by Andrea Gordon, the former National Commercial Bank (NCB) senior manager who fleeced the bank of $34 million over three years...

Sherika Williamson (centre), customer service manager at Lumber Depot, presents a cheque to Valerie Juggan Brown, director of Hope Zoo, to assist with operating expenses, on Monday. Looking on is Major Noel Dawes, general manger of Lumb...

GANJA is among a variety of incentives being offered to Americans reluctant to take the COVID-19 vaccine. For getting the jab, they can also get airline tickets, a motor vehicle, free beer, cash, food and several other prizes.The promot...

STRANGELY, many people feel embarrassed about getting the novel coronavirus and do their best to hide it from close associates. In this COVID CAPER, a retiree reveals how his friend was embarrassed even to take the test, fearing it coul...

MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Two days after the Jamaica Observer reported on poor road conditions in Mandeville, the authorities have started rehabilitative work.On Wednesday when the Jamaica Observer visited Ward Avenue - one of the roads ...

Today is the 120th day of 2021. There are 245 days left in the year.TODAY'S HIGHLIGHT2004: Ten countries join the European Union (EU) bloc in a historic enlargement that unites a region separated for decades from the West by barbed wire...

MINISTER of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change Pearnel Charles Jr has underscored the need for climate-proofing in small island developing states like Jamaica which are among the most vulnerable to the impact of clim...

The Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) is applauding the Government's decision to sponsor extra lessons for students after schools return to normal, in order to address the learning loss the country has experienced since the start of t...

OPPOSITION spokesperson on labour Senator Floyd Morris is cautioning Labour and Social Security Minister Karl Samuda against the restructuring of the selection process for the overseas employment programme, calling his proposal "an unfa...

REGISTRATION for the much-anticipated Jamaica Library Service (JLS) National Reading Competition 2021, which is being held under the theme 'Stay Connected and Read', is officially open. Persons interested are encouraged to register onli...

Minister of Education, Youth and Information Fayval Williams says that the ministry is looking to move from the generalist teaching model in primary schools to a specialist system."We will begin this transition by having specialist tea...

THE Government of Japan has donated US$1.22 million to Jamaica to purchase equipment for the country's vaccination programme.The money is being channelled through the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Japanese Embassy in King...

THE draft Jamaica Teaching Council Bill, which seeks to establish a system of licensing teachers to improve the status of the teaching profession, is now with the attorney general's office.This was disclosed by Minister of Education, Yo...

Minister of Labour and Social Security Karl Samuda says there has been a positive financial turnaround in the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).Making his contribution to the 2021/2022 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on T...

THE Patents and Design Act 2020, which takes effect by the end of the year, has paved the way for Jamaica to sign on to the Hague System, which will enable local industrial designers to secure international protection for their work in ...

THE Lucea Primary School, which provided educational instruction to thousands of students from across Hanover and adjacent parishes, is fighting back the the challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.Principal of the 62-year-old...

THE Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will be launching a 211 helpline for use by children at risk of abuse or persons who wish to make a report.Portfolio Minister Fayval Williams made the disclosure while making her contribu...