CARIBBEAN

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago — The Trinidad+Tobago Film Festival (TTFF) has successfully launched its UK screening series, Crossroads: Where Caribbean Cinema Meets the UK, with the sold-out UK premiere of Queen of Soca presented in partnership with BEAM in Hertford recently.The screening formed part of TTFF’s wider 20th anniversary celebrations, marking two decades of championing Caribbean cinema, filmmakers and regional storytelling since the festival’s founding in 2005.Mariel […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica Post will resume shipping parcels and packets (merchandise) to the United States (US) market on June 1, following the implementation of a system for the pre-calculation and payment of duties before the packages leave Jamaica.The update comes several months after the suspension was effected in response to Executive Order 14324, which revoked the previous de minimis exemption for low-value items (those below US$800) entering the US duty-free.The announcement […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Member of Parliament for St Andrew North Central Delano Seiveright, has sharply criticised the National Works Agency (NWA) after the agency failed to attend a packed Constituency Development Fund (CDF) meeting held Thursday at St Richards Primary School despite being formally invited.The meeting, which drew strong resident turnout and intense discussion around deteriorating roads, drainage and infrastructure concerns across the constituency, also saw Seiveright strongly […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — KINTYRE Holdings reported a sharp rise in first-quarter profit after the estimated value of its real estate holdings increased, even as the company spent more cash running its core operations than it generated from them.The company reported net profit of $531.3 million for the three months ended March 31, up from $8.4 million in the same period last year. Total income rose to $565.7 million from $34.1 million.Nearly all of that increase came from a single source: a […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The United States (US) dollar on Thursday, May 22, ended trading at $157.57, down 81 cents, according to the Bank of Jamaica’s daily exchange trading summary.Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar ended trading at $115.02, down from $115.20 and the British pound at $211.55, down from $212.63.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A vendor was shot and killed at the Papine Market on Friday.Police confirmed that the woman was shot by an assailant.A police officer who was on the scene reportedly returned fire, injuring the alleged attacker, who is now undergoing treatment at hospital.The incident happened between 4:30 pm and 5:00pm.More information to come.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton has used the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) to push ahead with his plans to recruit specialist nurses as well as inking deals for ongoing training arrangements for these critical healthcare workers.Minister Tufton, on the sidelines of the WHA, held bilateral talks and signed off on Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with fellow health ministers from Ghana, India and The Philippines, which will not only see […]

HANOVER, Jamaica — The National Works Agency (NWA) is currently conducting a damage assessment on a section of the Kendall to Glasgow main road in Hanover, which was split in two and severely eroded by heavy rainfall on Thursday.Videos of the damage in Kendal, along with flooding in Westmoreland, have been circulating on social media following five days of heavy downpours across sections of western Jamaica.Despite the severe damage to the Kendal roadway,  NWA's Community Relations Officer, […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) -- The Trump administration announced on Friday that most foreigners seeking a Green Card granting permanent US residency must apply from their home countries."From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances," US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesman Zach Kahler said in a statement."Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or people […]

VP Records says it did not send a letter of support to United States authorities for dancehall producer Taugea “Countree Hype” Dayes, who has pleaded guilty to charges linked to the smuggling of 30 firearms to Jamaica.The record company was responding to a Jamaica Observer report that the label and a corporal in the Jamaica Constabulary Force have thrown their support behind Dayes in sentencing support letters to federal court judge Roy Altman.The letter referenced in the Observer report […]

ST ANN, Jamaica – Residents of Stepney and surrounding communities in St Ann are set to benefit from a rainwater catchment tank to be constructed, following Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony led by the Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda.In a release, the ministry shared that the $140 million project, to commence on June 1, being implemented by Rural Water Supply Limited (RWSL), will deliver a reliable, regularised supply of potable water to over 1,100 […]

American rapper Rob Base, best known for the iconic hit It Takes Two with DJ EZ Rock, died on Friday after a battle with cancer, according to an announcement on his social media page.Base, real name Robert Ginyard, was 59.“Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world,” the statement read.“Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten,” it continued. […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaican-born Marcos James, best known for the pivotal guest star role of White Rat in Game of Thrones, as well as the series regular role of William French in Lifetime’s Keeping up with the Joneses, will return to the stage on June 4 as Minister Richard Allen — a leading role in the production The Fighting Quaker.As part of the celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary, The Fighting Quaker, which will be staged at the El Portal Theatre in Los Angeles, takes a […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Taxi operators across the island  have been placed in a “wait and see” mode following an announcement by Transport Minister Daryl Vaz of his commitment to meeting with toll operators to explore the possibility of providing a special concessionary fee for Public Passenger Vehicle (PPV) Operators.Vaz, who was speaking at a press conference at the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre in St Andrew on Monday, to address the issue of an unfulfilled 16 per cent fare increase for […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Amid mounting public outrage over the controversial police killing of Latoya Bulgin on Sunday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has cautioned that heightened alertness among cops operating in violent communities must be carefully balanced with their core responsibility to “protect and preserve life”.Speaking at the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Staff and Junior Command Course 91st Cohort Graduation Exercise on Friday, Holness addressed the incident directly, describing […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — As part of Workers’ Week 2026 celebrations, two Kingston-based buildings under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security will be officially renamed.The renaming ceremonies, scheduled for May 26, form part of the broader slate of activities commemorating Labour Day on Monday, May 25.Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, announced that the ceremonies will pay tribute to two distinguished Jamaicans in recognition of their outstanding […]

Just days after postponing its Atlanta stop following a family bereavement, the Reggae Fest Tour has now officially pushed back two more highly anticipated shows featuring dancehall star Alkaline.In a statement shared on the official Reggae Fest Tour social media pages, promoter CJ Milan confirmed that the New Rules shows scheduled for Miami and Philadelphia will no longer take place on their original dates.According to organisers, the team initially believed they would still be able to move […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States (US) President Donald Trump confirmed Friday he would miss his son's wedding, insisting he had to stay in Washington because of "circumstances pertaining to government."Trump had said a day earlier that the Iran war made it "bad timing" for him to attend Donald Trump Jr's wedding to Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas this weekend."While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, […]

Dancehall entertainer Brownskin Rae is embracing a more spiritual and introspective direction with the release of her upcoming single Father, a heartfelt track centred on faith, personal growth and resilience.Scheduled for release on May 22, the single showcases a different layer of the artiste, who has built a reputation for balancing melodic vocals with gritty deejay energy. This time, however, Brownskin Rae is leaning heavily into conscious themes and messages of encouragement.“I have been […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Environment and Climate Resilience, Omar Newell, is calling for urgent improvements to Jamaica’s climate resilience systems ahead of the hurricane season.Speaking during the 2026/2027 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, Newell said Jamaica can no longer rely on outdated infrastructure, slow preparedness measures and fragmented planning in responding to climate threats.He argued that climate resilience must become a national priority affecting all […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) is advising the public, airlines, aviation stakeholders and the international aviation community that temporary restrictions may be placed on parts of Jamaica’s airspace on Friday.The measures are linked to planned SpaceX Starship Flight 12 operations from Starbase, Texas, which could affect aircraft flying through the Caribbean region.In a statement Friday, the JCAA said the rise in commercial space launches has increased the […]

President of the Senate Tom Tavares-Finson has defended the decision not to table the controversial Integrity Commission report involving the Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA), insisting that Parliament “will not bow to intimidation or threat” amid mounting criticism from the Opposition.He also defended Speaker of the House Juliet Holness against accusations that she alone was responsible for delaying the report, arguing that the decision was made jointly by Parliament’s presiding […]

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has extended its Staff-Monitored Programme with Haiti through June 2027 as rising oil prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East add fresh pressure on a country already battling gang violence, political instability and a seventh straight year of economic contraction.In a statement released Thursday, the IMF said management approved the third review of the arrangement on May 5 and agreed to extend the programme through June 19, 2027, as Haitian […]

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AFP) — A hospital in The Netherlands said Friday it had admitted a patient with a "low suspicion" of Ebola, adding that diagnostic results would emerge over the weekend.The patient has been placed in a specialised isolation unit for observation, testing and treatment, according to the Radboud University Hospital.The hospital, located in Nijmegen, in the east of the country, gave no details about the patient or recent travels.Radboud hit the headlines on May 11 when 12 […]

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, United States (AFP) — Elon Musk's SpaceX will attempt another launch of its mammoth Starship rocket Friday, after the previous evening's try was called off over technical issues."Counting down to our second launch attempt," the company posted on X, adding that the weather was 85 per cent favourable for flight during the 90-minute test window that kicks off at 5:30 pm local time (2230 GMT).The highly anticipated launch will see the debut of SpaceX's third-generation model […]