Morning Bites: 5 things to know for today

Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Monday, January 9, 2023 Schools reopen amid persisting challenges Schools reopen on Monday for hundreds of thousands of students following the Christmas break and stakeholders will be hoping that many of the problems that beset the education system during the previous term have been or are being addressed. These include the worsening teacher migration problem, escalating violence among students which has resulted in serious injuries and loss of life; a textbook shortage that has left both teachers and students frustrated; and students still missing from school since the onset of the pandemic, despite the best efforts of the authorities to locate them. Meanwhile, the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and the Ministry of Finance are to resume talks related to the public sector compensation review. The JTA is one of few unions yet to sign on to the review. Blue Mountain Coffee Day The fifth anniversary of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day will be observed today. It coincides with the 70th anniversary of the first direct shipment of Jamaica’s world-renowned luxury coffee to Japan, which is still the largest export market for discriminating coffee lovers. This year’s rendition will be celebrated under the theme ‘Live the Luxury Lifestyle’ and will continue throughout the month. Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Day was first introduced by the All Japanese Importers of Jamaican Coffee in Japan in 2018 under the theme ‘Jamaica Blue Mountain, the King of Coffees and the Winning Bean’. Support for Lula All eyes are on Brazil as world leaders rallied in a show of support for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as they collectively condemned the storming of the country's Congress on Sunday by hundreds of rowdy supporters of former President, Jair Bolsonaro. The far-right protestors also stormed the Supreme Court in the capital Brasilia. Hundreds of protestors were arrested and Bolsonaro, who is in Florida, condemned their actions about six hours after the attack started. US President Joe Biden described the situation as “outrageous” while his Mexican counterpart, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, with whom he is meeting in Mexico City said via a tweet: “Lula is not alone, he has the support of his country, of Mexico, of the American continent and of the world”. The Chilean President, Gabriel Boric described the incident as “a cowardly and vile attack on democracy”, while French President Emmanuel Macron in a tweet added: “The will of the Brazilian people and the democratic institutions must be respected”. The Argentine President, Alberto Fernandez, condemned what he called the “coup attempt”. US extends vaccine requirement for all foreigners The Biden administration has extended the enforcement of its vaccine mandate for all foreign air travellers entering the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) policy was set to expire on January 8 but will now be enforced until at least April 10. This is based on a new emergency amendment issued by the Transportation Security Administration. The development comes as COVID-19 cases have exploded in some countries, in particular China. Several countries, including the United States have imposed mandatory COVID-19 testing for travellers from China who must present a negative test before entry is granted. Football: Monday’s transfer gossip According to BBC Sport, Arsenal are interested in signing Barcelona's teenage star Alejandro Balde with the 19-year-old Spanish full-back yet to sign a contract extension. [(Sport, in Spanish)]( Newcastle are preparing for a summer move for Bayer Leverkusen forward Moussa Diaby with the 23-year-old France international long being linked with a switch to the Premier League, [(Bild, in German)]( Aston Villa are believed to be close to a breakthrough in talks to sign 29-year-old Spanish defender Alex Moreno from Real Betis. FFoo [(Football IInFootball InInsiderInsider)]( Southampton are considering a move for Celtic's Japanese forward Daizen Maeda, 25. [(Sky Sports)]( However, Racing Club have rejected Southampton's bid for their 20-year-old Argentine midfielder Carlos Alcaraz. Roma director Tiago Pinto is confident that England defender Chris Smalling, 30, will sign a new contract at the Italian club. [(Football Italia)]( Manchester United, Newcastle, Arsenal and Chelsea remain interested in signing Dutch forward Memphis Depay, 28, who could still be on his way out of Barcelona in the January transfer window. [(Sport, in Spanish)]( Atletico Madrid want to re-sign their former academy graduate and Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho but the Old Trafford side are unlikely to let the 18-year-old Argentine leave. [(Fichajes, in Spanish)]( Manchester United are looking at a move for Inter Milan and Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko, 36, who previously enjoyed success at Manchester City. [(Mail)]( ICYMI: WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING WATCH: [Jamaica’s top young scientist breaking ground in development of sensors]( Dr Peter Nelson, the top young scientist in Jamaica, overcame adversity to become one of the island’s most promising chemists. Give us an amnesty or else, [TODDS head warns Government]( Egeton Newman, president of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS), appealed to the Government to "wake up and smell the coffee" as he warned that the public transport sector is heading for trouble. Mbappe defends 'legend' Zidane [amid 'disrespectful' FFF boss comments]( Kylian Mbappe on Sunday blasted as "disrespectful" comments made by the head of the French football federation (FFF) concerning former international Zinedine Zidane TODAY IN HISTORY China identifies new type of coronavirus In 2020, Chinese state media said a preliminary investigation into recent cases of viral pneumonia had identified the probable cause as a new type of coronavirus. For more stories, visit our website at www.jamaicaobserver.com or [sign up for our e-paper](. [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Website]( Copyright © 2023 Jamaica Observer, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 40 - 42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue Kingston 5 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.