CONSUMERS CRINGE ... as the basic food basket rockets out of reach
A string of price increases on basic food items has pushed more Jamaicans to the edge of the poverty line. With the latest official figures showing the national poverty level at approximately 9.9 per cent, there are growing fears that the wave of price increases could lead to a sharp climb in the number when the 2009 figure is released this year.

The whole nine yards - Jamaican aid workers vow to go all the way
ONE WEEK after arriving in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, Jamaican aid workers have vowed to go the full nine yards to help in the rebuilding of that country.

Education hope - JBTE launches programme to track new teachers before they lose their zest
More than 60 recently trained teachers from several teachers' colleges have been selected for a pilot programme which will track their professional development and progress over a five-year period.

Obama too big to fail - First year as president (Analysis Part 1)
Barack Obama rode to the United States presidency on a wave of disgust with George Bush and the Republican party, with the failures of government that followed Hurricane Katrina, and weariness with the contradictions that filled the nation's ongoing war on terror.

Corner shop: the poor man's supermarket; Shop owners struggle in the face of economic hardships and price increases
Operators of the small grocery shops, which can be found in most communities across the island, are struggling as rising prices force their customers to consume less.

Diplomatic Week kicks off at UWI Chapel
Jamaica is set to host the annual Diplomatic Week, which will see high commissioners and ambassadors accredited to Jamaica partaking in a set of weeklong activities, beginning today with a church service at the University of the West Indies Chapel, Mona.

Single mom's mission to save - Walking, wardrobe slashes, less 'Net surfing among adjustments
At 40 years old Denise, a single mother of one, deeply appreciates the personal and financial progress she has made over the past 15 years. In 1995, she was working at a statutory organisation as a customer-service agent, earning $2,500 fortnightly, leaving the company in 2002 in a much different position, grossing about $1.2 million annually.