CARIBBEAN

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Record label VP Records and a corporal in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) have thrown their support behind confessed gun smuggler, Taugea 'Countree Hype' Dayes, writing sentencing support letters to federal court judge Roy Altman on behalf of the dancehall producer.A letter penned by Stephen Chin of VP Records was written in the capacity of a six-year business relationship with Dayes."Over the years, I have come to know Mr Dayes as a respectful, hardworking and […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Kingston’s nightlife scene is set for an international musical fusion as Belgian mother-daughter DJ duo Brooke x Taliyah prepares to make their highly anticipated Jamaica debut at Club MECA Thursday night.Staged under the theme International Night: Europe Meets Jamaica, the event is being hosted by the Marketplace Entertainment Centre for the Arts (MECA) in association with Main Event Entertainment Group Limited at Club MECA, located at 67 Constant Spring Road in […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — During the first quarter of 2026, six people received life imprisonment for offences including stockpiling prohibited weapons, illegal possession of firearms and unauthorised possession of ammunition, according to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).In an update provided on Thursday, the force said 17 people were sentenced to more than 250 years combined for firearm-related offences, as police charged 80 people and seized 175 illegal firearms across Jamaica.JCF said 175 […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government is moving to implement some oversight of the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector to ensure its long-term viability.This will be spearheaded by the Standards Accountability and Fairness in Employment (SAFE) Task Force of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS). It comes after years of complaints from current and former workers of unfair treatment in a sector that employs thousands of mostly young Jamaicans.According to the Minister of Labour […]

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Music streaming giant Spotify is teaming up with Universal Music Group to let users create AI-powered remixes and covers of songs by artists on the label -- for an extra fee on top of a standard subscription.The new feature, announced Thursday, will only apply to artists who have given their consent, and both the original performer and songwriter will receive a share of any revenue generated."For the first time, fans will be able to legally create covers and […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Reggae singer Ginjah is delivering a heartfelt message of faith, hope and perseverance through his latest single, God Is Good, featured on the Kiss Of Judas Riddim project produced by Kemar McGregor.The uplifting track sees the reggae artiste reflecting on life’s hardships while reminding listeners to remain grounded in faith despite difficult circumstances.“It’s more than just a song title, it’s a reminder that even through struggle, pain and uncertainty, […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica were on Thursday drawn in Group E along with Italy, Ivory Coast and Uzbekistan for the first round of the FIFA Boys Under-17 World Cup later this year in Qatar.Jamaica, who qualified for their third Under-17 World Cup after topping their group in the Concacaf qualifying tournament in Alajuela, Costa Rica in February, were drawn in pot four of the draw.Forty-eight teams will be in action, split into 12 groups, with the top two teams from each group alongside the […]

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — World Cup fans are wielding artificial intelligence to mass-produce viral songs supporting their teams ahead of next month's tournament.As the fan-made football anthems are raking in millions of plays across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, experts say that the viral tunes raise questions about song ownership, artist compensation and the valuation of human creativity.But many users do not appear to mind, with some even showing a preference for the AI-generated songs […]

ST MARY, Jamaica — The 43-year-old contractor whose body was found on Wednesday behind his house in a decomposing state in what appears to be a suspected suicide was wanted for questioning in connection with an alleged machete attack on his child’s mother, the police said.Oneero Roberts, also known as “Anif” of Comsee district in Highgate, St Mary, was being sought following a domestic dispute in which he allegedly attacked the mother of his child with a machete after she reportedly […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States (US) forecasters on Thursday predicted the Atlantic hurricane season is likely to be "below normal" in 2026, but cautioned that "it only takes one."Data on the eastern and central Pacific meanwhile shows a 70 per cent chance of "above normal" activity.An expected El Nino weather pattern is largely driving the forecast, said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) head Neil Jacobs.Atlantic hurricanes are more dangerous to human […]

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Cuba accepted an offer of US$100 million in aid but that it was unclear if Washington would agree to Havana's terms.Cuba has publicly only said that it was reviewing the offer made by Rubio and tensions have risen after the United States on Wednesday indicted the country's influential former president Raul Castro on murder charges."They say they've accepted it. We'll see if that means it" will […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — State Minister Abka Fitz-Henley says, following a commitment made by Prime Minister Andrew Holness in December last year, the Government is accelerating the implementation phase of using funds donated in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa to support the provision of houses to Jamaicans whose dwellings were destroyed by the weather system.Hurricane Melissa made landfall in October 2025 causing widespread destruction to the western region of the island.Minister Fitz-Henley […]

WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — An interpersonal dispute may be behind the gruesome killing of a man in Retreat, Westmoreland on Wednesday, according to police sources.“That particular murder is in its early stage of investigation. We are not yet in receipt of any information that we can give an update as it relates to that,” stated Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Charlene Gray-Morris, who added, “It seems as if it is more domestic than any other crime.”DSP Gray-Morris is the zone […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Approximately 924 containerised housing units are on the island as the Government presses ahead with its temporary housing relief programme to assist families displaced by Hurricane Melissa.The units are being stored at locations including Spanish Town, St Catherine, Luana in St Elizabeth, and Montpelier, St James, under the supervision of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), said Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, […]

A 40-foot trailer truck overturned along the main road in Central Village, St Catherine on Thursday morning after the vehicle reportedly developed mechanical problems, causing major traffic congestion in the area.Driver Fabian Cole told Observer Online that the incident happened a few minutes after 9 am while he was travelling from Kingston with the chassis attached to the trailer.“I wasn’t speeding or anything,” Cole said, explaining that the vehicle suddenly encountered difficulties […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — With the Government increasingly optimistic that oil will be found in Jamaica’s waters in commercial quantities, Opposition Spokesman on the Environment and Climate Resilience, Omar Newell, is calling for clarity from the administration in relation to the environmental safeguards that will be implemented.Newell had several questions for the Government on Wednesday as he made his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.He asked: “What is the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Education says it is closely monitoring the condition of students involved in Wednesday morning’s crash in Clarendon, which affected 39 students from Garvey Maceo High School.In response to the incident, the ministry sent an educational social worker from Region 7 to the hospital to offer moral support and guidance to both students and their families. Officials said the regional team will continue working with the school to assist those impacted as they […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Defending champions Cavalier are through to the final of the Jamaica Premier League for the fourth consecutive year after overturning a first leg 1-0 deficit to beat Montego Bay United 2-0 in extra time in the second leg of their semi-finals at the National Stadium on Wednesday.Kimarly Scott scored both goals for Cavalier, who also qualified for the Concacaf Caribbean Cup set to kick off in August.In Sunday’s final, Cavalier will meet Portmore United who had beaten Mt […]

BUKAVU, DR Congo (AFP) — A first Ebola case has been confirmed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's South Kivu province, in an area under the Rwanda-backed M23 militia's control, the armed group's spokesman said Thursday.Efforts to get a grip on the latest outbreak of the deadly haemorrhagic disease, which the World Health Organization has declared an international emergency, have been hampered by the DRC's long-running conflicts, including that between the Congolese army and the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Portmore United overturned a first-leg 1-0 deficit to beat Mt Pleasant FA 4-2 in extra- time in Wednesday’s return leg of the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) semi-finals for a 4-3 win on aggregate and qualify for Sunday’s final.The teams had finished regulation time tied at 2-2, but Portmore, who were playing their fourth game in 10 days, scored twice in the extra 30 minutes to book a place in the final for the first time in seven years.The loss ended a three-year run with […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—With issues relating to labour spread across different ministries, Opposition Spokesman on Labour and Sport, Wavell Hinds, is proposing the creation of what he calls the Ministry of Labour and Workforce Development.“All workforce training, legal protections, and certification programmes belong under one administrative roof, ensuring every working person has unhindered structural access to economic advancement,” said Hinds.He was speaking in the House of Representatives […]

SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland—One of 16 stunning beauties will be crowned Miss Universe Jamaica Westmoreland 2026 during the coronation show at the Hotel Commingle in Savanna-la-Mar on Saturday, May 23.The journey to the crown began on March 18 when the contestants were sashed before their sponsors and an appreciative audience.Since then, the contestants have made several appearances, including a courtesy call on Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar, Councillor Danree Delancy.Saturday's coronation show […]

Through Thick & Sin, a drama series starring Jamaican Keturah Hamilton, is scheduled for release this year.Hamilton, who plays Naomi, is also the creator and one of the show’s writers.According to a press release from blexmedia.com, Through Thick & Sin is, “a new vertical drama series directed by Emmy-Nominated writer Patricia Cuffie-Jones. The show is targeting a 2026 release, with distribution details to be announced at a later date.”Thomasina Gross as Wendy and Tara Joshi, who […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Opposition Spokesman on the Environment and Climate Resilience, Omar Newell, says the Beach Access and Management Policy recently tabled in the Parliament by the Government does not go far enough to address the problem of access by Jamaicans, even though it acknowledges that a problem exists.“Because the policy still approaches beach access as a managed permission rather than a fundamental public right,” said Newell on Wednesday during his contribution to the Sectoral […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby has pushed back against comments made by Minister with responsibility for Works Robert Nesta Morgan, accusing the minister of responding to his criticism regarding the establishment of the One Road Authority with personal attacks.Morgan, this week, expressed disappointment at what he says are contradictory and misleading statements made by Swaby, regarding the establishment of the One Road Authority.Morgan described as “factually […]