CARIBBEAN

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Dancehall superstar Popcaan delivered a memorable and deeply personal performance on Saturday night as Nothing Without God – LIVE captivated a packed audience at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in Kingston.The event attracted a diverse audience that included members of parliament, entertainment industry stakeholders, business leaders, and music lovers from across Jamaica and the diaspora.Together, they witnessed an evening celebrating faith, growth, gratitude, […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The United States (US) dollar on Friday, June 12, ended trading at $159.19 down 16 cents, according to the Bank of Jamaica’s daily exchange trading summary.Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar ended trading at $114.33, up from $113.61, and the British pound at $213.51 down from $213.65.

Cape Verde goalkeeper Josimar Dias, popularly known as Vozinha, has gained a massive social media following after his standout performance against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday.The 40-year-old was named Man of the Match after helping Cape Verde secure a goalless draw against one of football's strongest teams. Spain registered 27 shots during the match but were unable to beat the veteran goalkeeper.Following the match, football fans from around the world flooded Vozinha's social […]

TRELAWNY, Jamaica — Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda has announced that Jamaica's critically endangered iguana population, now estimated at more than 400, is projected to grow to between 3,000 and 4,000 within the next decade as conservation efforts continue.Samuda made the disclosure while responding to a question from a delegate identified only as Lewis of the Rotary Club of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands during the Rotaract District 7020 […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Constabulary Force is advising members of the public to refrain from circulating a photograph and message claiming that nine-year-old Adonai Thomas is missing.Investigations have revealed that the information being shared is false.Adonai has been accounted for, is in good health, and remains safely in the care of her family.The public is being urged to immediately stop sharing the photograph and accompanying message, as the circulation of false information can […]

ST ANN, Jamaica —  The Urban Development Corporation (UDC) is moving ahead with a series of development initiatives across St Ann, including major investments in housing, recreation, tourism, infrastructure and public spaces, as part of its broader mandate to drive sustainable national development.The plans were outlined during a meeting held on Wednesday, June 10,  at the UDC’s Ocean Boulevard headquarters in downtown Kingston with Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, permanent secretary in […]

Sheila Lee, a respected businesswoman and widow of bandleader Byron Lee, died on June 6 in Florida, her daughter Julianne told Observer Online. She was 83.Lee was a quiet influence in most of her husband’s ventures including Dynamic Sounds, the recording and distribution company he operated from 1964 until his death at age 73 in November 2008.She also played a major role in The Dragonaires, the band he started in 1955 at St George’s College in Kingston, as well as Jamaica Carnival, the […]

WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The Westmoreland Health Department is imploring parents and caregivers to take extra precautions to protect children from accidental poisoning during the upcoming summer break.The call comes as statistics are showing a high number of cases of poisoning among children in western Jamaica.Health Promotion and Education Officer for Westmoreland, Gerald Miller, said that the issue remains a significant public health concern.He noted that findings presented during a recent […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesman on Health and Wellness, Dr Alfred Dawes, on Monday called for urgent and decisive action to address what he described as the “critical failure of surgical services” at two of Jamaica’s leading public health institutions.Dawes said operating theatres at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) and Bustamante Hospital for Children remain out of service due to recurring infrastructure failures, resulting in cancelled surgeries and disruptions to patient […]

ATLANTA, United States (AFP) — Debutants Cape Verde produced one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history by holding European champions Spain to a goalless draw on Monday.Despite overwhelming possession, Spain could not penetrate the resolute Cape Verde defence, leaving the African nation's fans celebrating wildly in Atlanta.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AFP) — The Strait of Hormuz will be "completely open" from Friday after a deal between Iran and the US to end the Middle East war that limited shipping in the critical bottleneck, President Donald Trump said on Monday.Speaking at the start of bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a G7 summit in France, Trump added, "I don't think we are going to need much help" on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, after London and Paris proposed a joint naval […]

DALLAS, United States (AFP) — Virgil van Dijk does not like them, fans have started booing them, and many critics say they are ruining the World Cup.Hydration breaks last just a total of six minutes during a match, but they stand accused of fundamentally changing the nature of football at the sport's ultimate showpiece."Hydration breaks are a bit interesting," said Netherlands captain Van Dijk, whose side drew 2-2 with Japan in Texas on Sunday in an air-conditioned arena."I was watching […]

GENEVA, Switzerland (CMC) — The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said Monday that 2,300 people have been killed in Haiti due to gang violence since the start of this year.Addressing the opening of the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, Turk told delegates that nearly 100 others have been kidnapped in the French-speaking country.“In Haiti, gang violence has resulted in at least 2,300 deaths, 1,100 injuries and 99 kidnappings since the start of […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Kingston Creative has launched the Createch Incubator, a new programme designed to equip early-stage creative entrepreneurs with the tools, mentorship and networks needed to build innovative, impact-driven ventures that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and new technologies.Recognising the significant role of Jamaica’s creative economy, which contributes an estimated $107 billion annually, or 5.1 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the […]

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) — Regional aviation authorities continued search-and-rescue operations on Sunday after a small aircraft travelling from St Vincent and the Grenadines to Tobago disappeared over the southern Caribbean Sea.The Dominican Republic-registered Beech 58P Pressurised Baron aircraft, registration HI-1145, departed Argyle International Airport in St Vincent at 11:52 am on Friday and was scheduled to arrive at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago.Authorities said […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaican-born Anglican bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin has called for Jamaicans locally and overseas to build a single community that will further strengthen the country’s resilience and amplify its voice in the world.The Montego Bay native was delivering the sermon at the official service held at the Calvary Baptist Church in St James to mark the start of the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, which is being staged under the theme, “Diaspora Partnerships: […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) —The International Monetary Fund chief on Monday welcomed the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, but warned it would take time for energy and other supply disruptions to dissipate."As we have said before, much depends on the duration and intensity of the energy supply shock," Kristalina Georgieva wrote in a post on the Fund's website."The sooner it is resolved, the better -- especially as supply will take time to recover given the […]

SAN DIEGO, United States (CMC) — The California-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) has praised Maryland Governor Wes Moore for signing an executive order establishing the Maryland Immigrant Rights Protection Task Force.The signing comes at a time when Caribbean and other immigrants are under increasing attack by United States (US) President Donald Trump, and Moore said the statewide initiative is aimed at protecting immigrants from fraud, exploitation and discrimination.He said the task […]

WARSAW, Poland (AFP) — A Polish doctor has been taken into custody after 34 human foetuses were found buried in the garden of her former home, the authorities said on Monday.Magdalena H a 57-year-old medical pathologist with no previous criminal record -- is suspected of using the foetuses to perform experiments and now faces up to 12 years in prison.Her case has whipped up a storm in traditionally Catholic Poland, with many questioning how she managed to obtain the unborn babies' bodies in a […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — While welcoming recent comments by Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton indicating that Jamaica is exploring restrictions on children’s access to social media, Fi We Children Foundation (FWCF) cautioned that limiting access alone will not be enough to protect children in the digital age.In a statement issued on Monday, the advocacy group said that while efforts to shield children from online exploitation, harmful content and predatory behaviour are important, meaningful […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The management of Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) has assured the public that efforts are underway to address problems with malfunctioning air-conditioning (AC) units that have disrupted operations in two operating theatres and delayed surgical procedures.In a statement issued on Sunday, KPH acknowledged ongoing challenges with the central air-conditioning system serving the affected theatres, noting that these issues have impacted surgical services and delayed the […]

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran and the United States (US) have reached an agreement to end nearly four months of war, paving the way for detailed negotiations on the Islamic republic's nuclear programme and sanctions relief.Few details have been officially released, but Iranian media have published what they say are elements of the 14-point agreement.Before the deal was announced, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the details would only be disclosed once the agreement is signed.Following […]

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — "Dangerous gaps" remain in efforts to rein in an Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 180 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Doctors Without Borders warned Monday.Despite a massive scale-up in the response to the deadly outbreak declared in the vast central African country on May 15, the medical charity, which goes by its French acronym MSF, said the true scale of the crisis remained unclear."One month on, the Ebola disease outbreak is outpacing the […]

Thirty-one years after it was first released commercially, Boombastic, the title track from Shaggy's third studio album, has now been certified 2x platinum in New Zealand.The certification, which measures over 60,000 units in sales and streaming equivalent, was issued on June 11.Regarded as his signature record, the song Boombastic, which samples the King Floyd recording Baby Let Me Kiss You (a remix of Boombastic released in 1996 samples the Marvin Gaye hit Let's Get it On), became the […]

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Children under 16 will be banned from using social media in the United Kingdom (UK), Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday, saying such platforms were making youngsters "unhappy".Some children's charities welcomed the sweeping change, which is likely to trigger a major fight with United States (US) tech giants, but others warned it could make teenagers less safe online.Starmer, likely to face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, said social […]