KINGSTON, Jamaica - MOST PEOPLE, we expect, will welcome the harsher penalties as well as the new offences introduced into the law against human trafficking. For our Government, this week's approval by the House of Representatives of the amendments is a signal to the United States that we are serious about the issue. We will, hopefully, now be rewarded by Washington with Jamaica, if not being completely removed, being placed in a lower-grade watch list of countries deemed not to be doing enough about the problem.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, CMC – A three-day conference supporting economic empowerment and development in the Caribbean and the Pacific begins here on Wednesday.
The forum, being organised by the United States Department of State in collaboration with the New Zealand government, will bring together women growers from the Caribbean and Pacific Islands, technical and area experts as well as companies that have successfully developed programmes that integrate small and medium women farmers into their supply chain.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - The state of the economy will be the focal point of a meeting of trade union officials who have raised concern about how Government paid employees are coping. With a public sector wage freeze in place, the devaluation of the Jamaican dollar and the recent increase in toll rates, the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) will get feedback from its members during a meeting scheduled for Monday.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Long-time reparation activist and parliamentarian Mike Henry is applauding the move of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to pursue reparations for native genocide and slavery.
On Saturday, wrapping up the four-day 34th Heads of Government Conference held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, the Caribbean leaders agreed on follow-up action in regard to the matter.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner – Rainford Angella Rainford, managing director of UK-based Rekamniar Frontier Ventures, is confident that Jamaica's move to diversify the energy sector will result in an almost immediate reduction in the country's oil bill.
Jamaica's oil imports amounted to US$2.4 billion in 2011.
"Once the plants are commissioned, you should see a fairly instantaneous reduction, as you will be substituting power that otherwise would be generated using oil," said Rainford, in an interview with The Gleaner recently.