ONE-MINUTE READS ... News from across Jamaica

Guest house owner slapped with rape charges

A 67-year-old businessman from Ocho Rios, St Ann, has been charged with breaches of the Sexual Offences Act following an alleged incident in the parish on May 29.

The police said that about 10 a.m., the accused, who is the owner of a guest house, gained entry to the complainant's room, where he sexual assaulted her. She attempted to escape and was hit in the face by the accused. A report was made to the police and on arrival at the premises, he was pointed out by the woman.

The businessman was subsequently charged with rape, buggery and unlawful detention and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

A court date has not yet been set.

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Youth warned about e-cigarettes and vaping

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton is urging increased awareness and action among the youth in resisting the harmful long-term health effects of the use of e-cigarettes and vaping.

In his message at the World No Tobacco Day Youth Forum at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston last Wednesday, Tufton highlighted the worrying trend of vaping among young people, noting that "most of these devices contain nicotine [extracted from tobacco], which is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development".

"Smoking tobacco products harms nearly every organ of the body, including the lungs, and can have deadly consequences not only for the user, but for those exposed to second-hand smoke," he pointed out.

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Terrelonge wants slavery monuments torn down

State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Alando Terrelonge, has called on governments in the Caribbean to replace monuments that have been erected in honour of persons who enabled slavery and colonialism. He said that these shrines should be replaced with memorials in honour of Caribbean citizens who stood against injustice.

"It behoves us in the Caribbean to erect similar monuments, tear down those monuments of old, and erect new ones. Remove certain colonial names as well from our buildings and our streets and put new ones forward, so that we are not telling the stories of the oppressors, but telling the stories of our freedom fighters," he said.

Terrelonge made the call while speaking on reparatory justice at the United Nations headquarters in New York last Tuesday.

"These are but some small measures that I would consider to be internal reparations," he said, noting that reparation is a right for oppressed people.

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Jamaicans urged to eat healthy foods

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie has again called on Jamaicans to eat healthy foods for sustainable health and well-being, and to pay careful attention to labels on food packages.

"What we eat is important in determining if we get these diseases. If we start paying attention to what we eat from we are young, it can lead to good health," she said, adding that "we need to cut down on the sugary drinks and the salty foods".

Bisasor-McKenzie was speaking during an event held to make Caribbean Nutrition Day at St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston on June 1.

The CMO said that children should be encouraged to eat heathily, and to avoid fried foods, arguing that adults should lead the way by consuming nutritious foods.

"That will help you to control sugar (diabetes) and blood pressure, if you have it, and to help you prevent it," she said.

The CMO pointed out that with more physical activity, together with healthier eating habits, there will be a reduction of non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes.

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Highway project on track

The extension of the May Pen to Williamsfield leg of Highway 2000 is far advanced and remains on track for completion by the end of August 2023.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Everald Warmington, in giving an update on the work on the 28-kilometre stretch of roadway, said he is "fairly confident that the project will be completed, and the road opened before the end of the summer".

"My confidence is based on my personal visit to the project and the status of critical aspects of the works," he said during his contribution to the 2023-24 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives last week.

"All 12 slab culverts have been completed, 15 of the 16 box culverts have been completed, and the four new bridges under the programme have been done. In terms of

the pavement, 21 of the 28 kilometres have already been completed. Overall, the

project is 93 per cent complete," Warmington said.