Jamaica mourns death of former premier Hugh Shearer.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

on 6 July

Kingston, Jamaica: The Jamaica government has declared a period of national mourning, following the death on Monday [ 5 July] of the country's third Prime Minister Hugh Lawson Shearer.

During the mourning period, which starts on Tuesday and runs until his funeral, flags will be flown at half mast on all government ministries, buildings and statutory agencies.

A committee has also been set up to begin organize his state funeral - a date for which is yet to be announced.

Shearer, regarded as the elder statesman of Jamaica politics, died on Monday morning after a long illness. He …