CARIBBEAN

The property that once housed MegaMart's Montego Bay operations has gone on sale for US$15.09 million, or $2.41 billion, nearly eight months following the impact of Hurricane Melissa on western Jamaica.Cost Club Limited, trading as Megamart Wholesale Club, occupied the 89,674 square feet property since December 2007 when it first opened to customers in western Jamaica. However, the location was closed following the devastation caused by the Category 5 storm which flooded the location and left […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Sabrina Lyn qualified for Sunday’s final of the women’s 100m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games after finishing fifth in the semi-finals at the Tollcross swimming centre in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday.Lyn became the first Jamaican swimmer to get to a final after she swam 1:08.43 in the semi-final after placing fourth in her first round race earlier in the day in 1:09.11.She was also part of the Jamaican Mixed 4x100m relay team that placed third in their first round […]

BERLIN, Germany (AFP)—At least one person was killed and around 15 wounded after a car is believed to have hit the crowd on the outskirts of the Berlin Gay Pride parade, police said Saturday."We believe that a vehicle entered the Tiergarten park and hit several people and injured them," police posted on social media, later adding that they were hunting for the occupants of the car.Police spokesman Florian Nath said some of the survivors were "seriously" injured. They were being treated by the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Jamaica’s adult prison population grew to 3,563 in 2025 after 575 new inmates were sentenced and admitted.Of the newly-sentenced, 271 were placed at the maximum St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre, according to the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), in its 2025 edition of the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica.“Sentencing patterns showed a concentration among younger adults, with the majority of admissions falling within the 18–30 year age group,” said PIOJ […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls made a winning start to their Commonwealth Games netball competition after hammering Caribbean neighbours Trinidad and Tobago by 59 goals 81-22 in their opening Pool B game at the Hydro Arena in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday.The Jamaicans restricted Trinidad and Tobago to a Commonwealth Games low 22 goals, holding them to single digit scoring in all four quarters in a defensive masterclass.The number three ranked Jamaicans dominated the contest, […]

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP)—Brazil denied visas for two US officials who sought to meet with Brazilian election authorities less than three months before a tense presidential vote, a diplomatic source told AFP on Saturday.The Brazilian source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cited a "risk of political exploitation" as being behind the decision.It comes after Brazil's right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro renewed unfounded claims this week that the country's electronic voting system is […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—A total of 1,528 individuals were arrested for Category 1 crimes in Jamaica in 2025, with 481 being picked up for murder and 395 for shooting.Some 231 individuals were arrested for robbery and 172 for aggravated assault.The statistics are outlined in the 2025 edition of the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica, an annual publication of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).They show that Jamaica recorded major reductions in reported category 1 crimes in 2025 with murders […]

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Guyana's President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali says an international and independent commission of inquiry will be established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the capsizing of the ferry – the MV Barima.In a statement on Saturday, Ali said the five-member panel to be announced Sunday, would comprise “distinguished experts and professionals” with extensive experience in law, marine engineering, maritime safety and disaster investigation.He said the […]

SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) -- Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who was one of the heroes of Cape Verde's fairytale run at the World Cup, is signing for Colo Colo, the Chilean club announced."Vozinha is set to become a Colo Colo player; he will arrive in Chile in the coming days, undergo the necessary medical tests and will then be presented here at the Monumental Stadium," club president Anibal Mosa told reporters ahead of a league match on Friday evening.Vozinha starred at the World Cup with […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—The number of Jamaicans participating in the Overseas Employment Programme increased by 4.8 per cent in 2025 to 15,169 compared with 2024.While the US Farm Work Programme and the Canadian Low Skilled Worker Programme registered reductions in the number of participants, all other programmes recorded increases last year.This is according to the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ). The information is contained in the 2025 edition of the PIOJ’s Economic and Social Survey […]

BORDEAUX, France (AFP)—Unchecked wildfires raging Saturday in France's southwest and near Spain's capital Madrid have forced nearly 260,000 people to flee and prompted Paris to deploy its military.France hustled 197,000 people from areas around Bordeaux -- including vacation spots crowded this time of year -- in what was "probably" the biggest peacetime evacuation the country has seen, its interior minister said.In Spain, where 60,000 people were evacuated from villages west of Madrid, Prime […]

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP)—Flavio Bolsonaro was nominated on Saturday by Brazil's main right-wing party to face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in an October election."Bolsonaro's blood flows here," declared the son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, touching his arm, as he addressed the party's convention in Sao Paulo.Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup following his loss Lula in the 2022 election.

Reggae Boy Kaheim Dixon has signed a three-year contract with Serbian football club Fudbalski klub Novi Pazar.This was announced in a social media post by the club on Friday."He arrives in Novi Pazar from the English club Charlton Athletic and has also played for Crawley Town FC. In his club career so far, Dixon has made 42 appearances, recording 13 goals and three assists. His efficiency in the Premier League Cup stands out in particular; he scored six goals in just five matches," the club […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Property loss as a result of fires in 2025 was estimated at $9.9 billion representing 2.2 per cent of the estimated value ($446.8 billion) of property at risk.This is stated in the 2025 edition of the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica, an annual publication of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).According to the survey, there were 2,711 malicious false alarm calls to the fire services in 2025, an increase of over 54.0 per cent when compared to 2024.Of that total, […]

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Recovery teams have retrieved one more body from the wreck of the MV Barima, as a multi-agency operation involving local and international divers continued on Friday in Guyana to locate those still missing following the maritime tragedy.Guyana's President Irfaan Ali, providing an update while meeting with the families of those still missing at the Operations Centre in Charity on Friday, said specialist divers had already completed two dives and there would be a […]

Rasheda Green, Miss Supranational Jamaica 2026, has been making waves in Poland, at the Miss Supranational pageant.Earlier this week, she along with the delegates from Canada, France, Indonesia, Namibia, the United Kingdom and Tanzania, advanced to the final round of the Supra Chat segment of the competition.Observer Online caught up with Rasheda on Saturday morning in between rehearsals.“Making it to the finals of Supra Chat is a really significant achievement because it’s one of the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica— Guyana and Barbados will host the next two editions of the CARIFTA Games it was announced on Thursday following the withdrawal of St Kitts/Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago in what was described as a “swift intervention and support” of the Caricom Heads of Government.St Kitts/Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago had signalled their interest in hosting the 2027 and 2028 games at the Congress held in Grenada in April but withdrew later.It will be the first time the championships […]

ST JAMES, Jamaica—Eight people including two United States (US) citizens were arrested and charged by lawmen assigned to the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Specialised Investigation Branch in connection to a sweepstakes operation in Glendevon, St James, on Thursday, July 23.Charged are Natalia Baker, 21, of Rochester, New York, USA and Cruiz Amari Harding, 18, of Georgia, USA.The six Jamaicans, all of Glendevon, St James are: Chrislan Muschette, 19; Tiana Sloley, 27; Romario Cunningham, […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—United States (US) President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to hit the European Union with tariffs and a formal trade investigation over Brussels' latest antitrust penalty against Google.In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the bloc "will pay a very big price for this illegal and highly unethical conduct, which I have consistently warned them about."He said he would "immediately initiate a 301 Investigation" into what he called the EU's […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — International dancehall artiste Patra is in high spirits about her partnership with American DJ, producer, and CEO of JHouse Entertainment, Freddy Browne.The two recently signed an agreement that sees the artiste’s +Plus Entertainment Inc distributed globally through JHOUSE Entertainment/ The Orchard/ Sony Music. However, for Patra, the collaboration means so much more.“This partnership is so unique because it has given me a lot of independence. It’s like a dream, I […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica  —  Commanding Officer for the Trelawny Division, Superintendent Velonique Campbell, is imploring residents of Troy in the parish to desist from blocking the roads following Thursday’s protest over a man who they say was arrested in relation to a fatal mobbing three days ago following the gruesome murder of 10-year-old Shani Coke.“Yesterday, we had persons blocking the road and causing further instability. Please, I am imploring, desist from blocking the road and […]

CLARENDON, Jamaica — A shopkeeper was gunned down at her establishment on the Alston main road near Spalding in northern Clarendon Friday afternoon.Residents named her only by her alias “Shine”.Preliminary reports are that about 4:30 pm a gunman pounced on the shopkeeper at her roadside establishment and opened fire hitting her multiple times before fleeing the scene.Police were alerted and the shopkeeper was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.The Manchester police […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica- Fast rising dancehall artiste Dyum has released his album entitled, "Voice Inside".According to several musical pundits, it is an impressive body of work that has the potential to be a chart topping album. Dyum shared that he put his all into the project and he is positive that it will do well."I am a firm believer in manifestation so I am speaking it into being, my album will be an international chart topper. It's a solid body of work and we doing the groundwork to make it […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A man charged with assault occasioning bodily harm had his bail extended on Tuesday to allow for mediation when the matter came before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.Presiding Judge Peter Wilson extended the bail of Kamarine Williams, who is charged with assault occasioning bodily harm involving a 16-year-old complainant. The complainant and his mother were present in court.Addressing Williams, Judge Wilson reminded him of the nature of the charge before the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Motorists using the TransJamaican Highway will pay higher toll rates from August 1, while T-Tag users will continue paying the current rates until October 31.According to a notice issued by TransJam Highways, the toll adjustments are being made "to ensure that we can continue delivering the high standard of service our customers expect and deserve". The company said there will be no change to T-Tag rates on August 1, with those rates remaining in effect for another 90 […]