Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Friday: IMF; SSL Saga; 50 Jamaicans in Hip Hop; Reggae Boyz; Today's Weather; Clovis Toon; Breaking News and more

Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Friday, September 1, 2023 IMF unlocks US$866 million for Jamaica The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) executive board [approved the disbursement of around US$866 million for Jamaica]( on Thursday as part of two loan programmes designed to strengthen the country’s economy against multiple shocks. "Important progress has been made on the fiscal reform agenda," IMF Deputy Managing Director Antoinette Monsio Sayeh said in a statement announcing the completion of the first review into the agreements signed in March. That progress includes reform of the Caribbean nation's public wage structure and improvements to its fiscal policy framework. NWA to activate four new traffic signals in Montego Bay to ease congestion The National Works Agency (NWA), will today commission [four new traffic signals]( into service along Felicity Road that is used to bypass the city of Montego Bay, St James. The move is aimed at reducing traffic congestion in the city. The NWA has stated that congestion is a serious concern in the city of Montego Bay and the Government is now undertaking the Montego Bay Bypass project to alleviate the congestion in the city centre. JFF to announce Reggae Boyz squad for Nations League games The Jamaica Football Federation will host a press conference today to announce the Reggae Boyz squad for two upcoming home games in Concacaf Nations League. Jamaica will start their campaign in the Concacaf Nations League with games against Honduras, on September 8 and Haiti on September 12, at the National Stadium. Advertisement Producer Price Index for mining and quarrying industry up 0.2% The Producer Price Index for the month of July shows that output prices for producers in the mining and quarrying industry increased by 0.2 per cent while prices in the manufacturing industry increased by 0.6 per cent. This is according to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), in its latest advisory. STATIN said the increase in the index for the mining & quarrying industry was attributed to a rise in the index for the major group ‘bauxite mining & alumina processing’ of 0.2 per cent. JUTC licensing new buses for rollout at start of new school year The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is in the process of licensing [the 50 new buses]( that arrived in the island recently. This will enable the buses to be deployed to the various depots over the weekend to be available in time for the new school year, which starts on Monday, September 4. Regarding the allocation of buses, the Portmore depot will receive 120 units consisting of active, rehabilitated and new buses. The Spanish Town depot will receive a total of 99 buses and the Rockfort depot will receive 96 units in total. TODAY'S WEATHER FORECAST According to the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, the morning is expected to be partly cloudy across eastern parishes. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are anticipated especially across southwestern parishes. It is expected to be windy along the south coast. ICYMI: WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING 50 in hip hop with Jamaican roots In the early 1970s, the cultural interactions between African Americans and immigrants from the Caribbean in the melting pot of New York City helped to spawn the musical movement now known as hip hop. Among the [immigrant groups that influenced the movement and continue to be well represented in the music today are Jamaicans](. Probe reveals significantly more victims in SSL fraud; other illegal activities detected Seven months after a massive fraud was detected at Stocks & Securities Limited (SSL), investigators have uncovered that the number of affected accounts is almost double what was initially reported, [increasing the size of the fraud by millions of US dollars](. Jackson wins 200m at Zurich Diamond League Two-time World Champion Shericka Jackson [made light work of the women’s 200m at Thursday’s Zurich Diamond League]( meeting, winning easily in 21.82 seconds (-0.8m/s). CLOVIS TOON TODAY IN HISTORY Nearly 200 killed in Jamaica’s Kendal crash On this day in 1957, the worst railway disaster in Jamaica's history, the Kendal crash, took place. Close to 200 persons lost their lives after a train carrying 1,600 passengers derailed its tracks in Kendal, Manchester. 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](.