Social media age ban, Excelsior teen’s death and police shootings lead Jamaica news brief

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says the administration plans to open a national discussion on whether children younger than 16 should be prevented from using social media services. Speaking on Wednesday, Tufton said research into how social media is affecting Jamaicans is close to being completed.

The country is also mourning 13-year-old Excelsior High School student Camelia Paul, who died on Tuesday. She had spent about a month in hospital after being seriously hurt while trying to stop a fight at her family’s home in Harbour View, St. Andrew. Her case drew broad public sympathy, with many Jamaicans offering support as she fought for her life.

Police-related shootings have left 11 people dead in under two days. Four men were killed on Wednesday morning during an operation in Retirement, St. James. A day earlier, seven men were fatally shot in St. Catherine, St. Andrew and Clarendon, including five deaths linked to incidents in the Bog Walk Gorge and Spanish Town areas of St. Catherine.

Energy Minister Daryl Vaz says early findings from last Friday’s all-island power outage point to weaknesses in key Jamaica Public Service protection systems at the Hunts Bay and Rockfort stations in Kingston and St. Andrew. Vaz said the review indicates problems similar to those identified after previous outages, a situation he described as unacceptable and untenable.

In sport, Reggae Girls head coach Hubert Busby Jr. says Jamaica’s two international friendly matches against Panama showed areas that must be sharpened before the Concacaf Women’s Championship in November. Jamaica won one of the matches and drew the other.

At midday, the US dollar was selling for J$159.15, the British pound for J$213.54 and the Canadian dollar for J$115.88. Thursday’s forecast called for cloudy conditions in the morning, followed by showers and thunderstorms over western parishes and hilly areas in the afternoon.