Author: Steve Brown

The Ministry of Education offices at National Heroes Circle. July 8, 2024 The Ministry of Education and Youth Affairs has postponed the start of the 2024 National Summer Academy due to the adverse effects of Hurricane Beryl. According to a recent bulletin, the summer term, which was originally scheduled to start on July 8, has been postponed until further notice. The Summer Academy aims to improve students’ literacy and numeracy skills. The ministry said the decision to postpone the start of the summer program is to ensure the safety and health of students and staff. It also said it remains…

In this Jamaica Observer file photo, technicians carry out maintenance work at a traffic light on Eastwood Park Road in St. Andrew. July 8, 2024  The National Works Authority (NWA) is urging motorists to use extreme caution when passing through intersections where traffic lights are not working. Several traffic lights on the island are out of service following the passage of Hurricane Beryl last week. NWA communications and customer services manager Stephen Shaw said a technical team was carrying out a comprehensive assessment of traffic signals to identify any issues. Shaw said preliminary investigations so far have shown that some…

NWA teams were on hand on Sunday to clear an area in Torrington, Westmoreland, where a fallen tree had closed part of the road to one lane in each direction. July 8, 2024 KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Works Authority (NWA) has reopened approximately 94 percent of roads that were reported to be impassable following the passage of Hurricane Beryl. The department said in a statement on Monday that it has received reports of 476 stretches of road being closed so far. Of those, 39 percent have reopened fully and a further 55…

The banana industry is said to be on the road to recovery. KINGSTON, Jamaica — A preliminary assessment conducted by the Banana Board after Hurricane Beryl indicates that damage to bananas and plantains ranges from 80 to 100 percent. JIS News reports that the committee has so far carried out assessments in the major banana-producing parishes of St. Thomas, St. Mary, Portland, St. James, St. Catherine and Clarendon. “Commercial banana farmers, with about 1,564 hectares on the ground, have experienced losses of about 90 percent. So the losses are significant and we are still assessing,” said Janet Coney, general manager…

This image from video provided by Elizabeth Le shows passengers near the damage site on Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, Flight 1282, which was forced to return to Portland International Airport on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (Photo: Elizabeth Le) Boeing Co confirmed on Monday it had reached a settlement with the US Department of Justice over two deadly 737 MAX crashes, with the company set to plead guilty to fraud charges, according to court documents. The agreement comes after prosecutors concluded that Boeing ignored previous settlements over crashes that killed 346 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia more than five…

Australian authorities have accused a Sydney father of trying to stop rescuers from saving his family after a “horrific” house fire killed two boys and a girl. NSW Police said a house in Lalor Park, western Sydney, was engulfed in flames in the early hours of Sunday morning, with a 28-year-old man, his female partner and seven children inside. Three children died: two boys, aged 3 and 6, and a 10-month-old girl. Four other children, aged between four and 11, and their 29-year-old mother are being treated in hospital for injuries sustained in the fire, but all are expected to…

Ocho Rios Bay Beach July 8, 2024 KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Urban Development Corporation (UDC) has announced that Ocho Rios Bay Beach and Green Grotto Caves and Attractions in St. Ann, its Montego Bay offices in St. James and the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston have reopened on Monday, July 8, 2024. The facility was closed following the passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 3rd. The UDC also announced that the Ocho Rios Commercial Centre in the town square will reopen, and that operations at the St. Ann Development Company will also resume…

Jamaica’s two-time 200m world champion Sherica Jackson (left) and rising star 100m sprinter Kishane Thompson. July 8, 2024 Jamaica’s two-time world 200-meter champion Sherica Jackson and up-and-coming 100-meter sprinter Kishane Thompson are set to compete in their respective events at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial Stadium on Tuesday. The Gyulai István Memorial Meet is an athletics tournament held annually in Hungary. In the women’s 200 metres, Jackson, who has the second-fastest time ever at 21.41 seconds, will compete against Julian Alfred of St. Lucia, Daryl Neita of Great Britain and Ranae Thaba Thomas of Jamaica. She will compete in the Paris…

FILE – The Olympic rings are installed at the Trocadero Square overlooking the Eiffel Tower, a day after it was officially announced that the 2024 Summer Olympics will be held in the French capital, Paris, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017. Fans of swimming, gymnastics and track and field will rejoice: For the first time in a European Olympic Games, the finals of those sports will be broadcast live on U.S. network television. (AP Photo//Michel Euler, File) Trade unions representing workers at Paris airports said on Monday they were calling for a strike a week before the Paris Olympics over a dispute…

LONDON, England (AFP) — West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder goes into the first Test against England at Lord’s this week encouraged by the success his team achieved in his absence in Australia earlier this year. The former captain missed the tour of Australia to play in the ILT20 in the United Arab Emirates during a Test series in January in preparation for the recently concluded T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the US (where West Indies failed to reach the semi-finals). Holder’s decision reflects the increasing strain being placed on cricketers in all formats by a packed schedule and…