Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Tuesday: Business-Consumer Confidence; Reggae Girlz; Today's Weather; Clovis Toon; Breaking News and more

Morning Bites: 5 things to know for Tuesday, October 24, 2023 JCC to release business and consumer confidence survey The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC) will today release its third quarter business and consumer confidence indices. Pollster Don Anderson will release the findings. The second quarter report released in July found that both [consumer and business confidence indices inched up]( marginally, when compared with the similar period in 2022. , JP on fraud charges returns to court Justice of the Peace, Georgia Messam-Whyte, who has been charged with defrauding approximately $30 million from two prospective property owners, is to return to the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court today for a plea and case management hearing. Mesam-Whyte, who is also a paralegal, is being represented by attorney-at-law Stephen Powell. She has been charged with eight counts of fraudulent conversion, six counts of engaging in a transaction that involves criminal property, and six counts of unlawfully making available device or data for the commission of an offence. Inside the Parliament The House of Representatives will meet today at 2:00 pm with the 2023/24 State of the Nation Debate set to continue. Speakers down to make their contributions to the debate are JC Hutchinson, the Member of Parliament for St Elizabeth North Western, and Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, MP for St Andrew West Rural. Advertisement Weakened Reggae Girlz train ahead of Panama game The [new-look Reggae Girlz squad]( will have a training session in Panama City at 5:00 pm today ahead of Wednesday’s game against Panama as they seek to qualify for the first-ever Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup set for February 20 to March 10 next year in the United States. Following the Panama game, the delegation will fly to Jamaica where they will host Guatemala on Saturday. Only the winner of the three-team group will advance to the Gold Cup. As a result of unresolved issues with the Jamaica Football Federation, none of the players who represented Jamaica at this summer’s World Cup and Olympic qualifying made themselves available for selection. Harbour View vs Cavalier in Concacaf Caribbean Cup semifinals at Sabina Park It’s an all Jamaica affair as Harbour View take on Cavalier in today’s [first leg of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup semifinals]( at Sabina Park in Kingston. Not only will the winner of this semifinal pairing reach the final, but they will also clinch a berth in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. As such, the stakes are very high in this encounter between domestic rivals. TODAY'S WEATHER FORECAST According to the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, isolated showers are anticipated across north-central and eastern parishes this morning. In the afternoon, showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected across southern parishes and hilly areas. ICYMI: WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING WATCH: Fire at Central Sorting Office contained to storage area - JFB A fire at the Jamaica Post Central Sorting Office on South Camp Road in Kingston on Monday [was contained to a storage area]( officials from the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) said. Trump compares himself to Mandela and rails against Biden Former President Donald Trump [compared himself to anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela]( on Monday as he cast himself as the victim of federal and state prosecutors he alleges are targeting him and his businesses for political reasons. UCASE says security guards at US Embassy restive Wage and fringe benefits negotiations between the Union of Clerical, Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE) and the G4S Guardsman joint venture, which commenced in July, have [reached a stalemate](. CLOVIS TOON TODAY IN HISTORY The United Nations is officially born On this day in 1945, the United Nations officially came into existence as its charter took effect. 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](.