CARIBBEAN

KINGSTON, Jamaica — An initiative aimed at reshaping conversations surrounding men’s mental health, emotional well-being, and leadership in Jamaica will take centre stage on June 13 with the staging of the Redefining Men’s Wellness Conference & Award Ceremony.Set for the Hope Fellowship Auditorium in Kingston from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, the event is being spearheaded by author and life coach Shareka Swaby, who says the conference was born from years of observing the emotional […]

WASHINGTON, United States  (AFP) — A passenger who was aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius and initially tested "mildly positive" for hantavirus has now tested negative for the rare disease, a spokesperson told AFP Thursday.Kayla Thomas -- a media coordinator at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where 16 patients who were on the ship are being monitored -- said, "both tests were negative by PCR and serology."The asymptomatic patient was initially under observation in a biocontainment […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Basketball Association (JaBA) has announced a landmark partnership with Adidas, making it the first-ever apparel sponsorship agreement in the history of Jamaican national basketball.In a statement on Thursday, JaBA shared that the deal, brokered by sports consultancy Business 2 Sports Group, marks a defining moment not only for Jamaican basketball but for sport in the Caribbean region.Under the agreement, Adidas will serve as the official kit supplier and […]

Wildlife experts are warning that Jamaica could face serious agricultural and public health implications if runaway monkeys establish themselves in the island’s ecosystem, pointing to examples from Nepal and Barbados where the animals have become a burden. Videos of white-faced capuchin monkeys purportedly in Jamaica surfaced online recently, with the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) suggesting that the animals have been illegally smuggled into the island, possibly as part of […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Culture, Creative Industries and Information, Nekeisha Burchell, says Jamaica must stop treating culture as a “side conversation” and begin recognising it as serious infrastructure capable of reviving struggling rural communities and restoring economic life to forgotten parts of the country.Making her maiden Sectoral Debate contribution in Parliament under the theme “Culture Is Not Decoration. It is Infrastructure,” Burchell argued that […]

NEW YORK, United States — Before the reggae legends took the stage at UBS Arena in New York, Lady Da Flame delivered a stunning performance that wowed the thousands of reggae fans who had flocked to 'The Mother's Day Experience' show.As fans slowly filled the building, her performance brought warmth, energy, and anticipation to the atmosphere.During her performance of the Goodness of God, her voice echoed beautifully through the arena, pulling the crowd deeper into the experience and […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaican promoter Fabian Cole, popularly known as “Boomas,” is taking his Soul Food Caribbean Festival brand international as demand grows for soul and reggae-centered entertainment across the Caribbean diaspora.What began as the weekly Soul Food Tuesdays event in Jamaica has now evolved into the Soul Food Caribbean Festival, with successful stagings already held in England and Canada.Cole said the movement is built around classic soul music, Caribbean culture and […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The cancellation of a match between Jamaica’s senior women’s football team and the Super Falcons of Nigeria was due to issues with the date, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) says.In a press release on Thursday, the JFF said, contrary to reports suggesting that the fixture was cancelled due to "administrative issues" on the part of Jamaica, the issue was that the proposed dates were outside official FIFA Women's international window.Noting that the organisers of […]

PARIS, France (AFP) — Kylian Mbappe will spearhead France at the World Cup after coach Didier Deschamps on Thursday announced his 26-man squad for this summer's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.Deschamps, who guided France to World Cup glory in 2018 and will leave his role after the 2026 edition, included few surprises.Mbappe will likely captain the team despite a thigh injury sustained last month, which caused him to miss key matches in Real Madrid's La Liga run-in.However, […]

Tensions are mounting at Drax Hall Country Club in St Ann as a number of homeowners accuse the gated community’s homeowners association (HOA) of poor governance, and lack of transparency and accountability, a situation they claim is so severe that it has forced some residents to sell their properties.“We have been having challenges with successive boards because of a lack of training or personality issues. They refuse to follow proper governance of an HOA,” homeowner Dr Tanika O’Connor […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Opposition is calling on the Government to immediately publish a transparent expenditure plan for all outstanding disaster relief funds following a report from the auditor general indicating only 1.8 per cent of Hurricane Melissa relief funds had been spent up to February 2026.In a statement on Thursday, Senator Cleveland Tomlinson, opposition deputy spokesperson on Productivity, Efficiency and Competitiveness, called out what he described as the Government's […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica— Minister with responsibility for Works Robert Nesta Morgan says concerns raised about the proposed One Road Authority must be addressed through facts, consultation, and a clear understanding of the current road-management structure.Morgan in a press release on Thursday, emphasised that the authority has not yet been established and that consultations remain ongoing with key stakeholders, including representatives of local government.“The One Road Authority is still in […]

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) — The United States (US) should lift its blockade on Cuba rather than offer aid to the struggling island, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Thursday, as the country endures worsening power cuts.Cuba's energy crisis has deepened since January when the United States imposed an oil blockade on the communist-run island of 9.6 million people.Only one Russian oil tanker has made it through since then, and power cuts and supply shortages have become the norm, with Cuban officials […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Kintyre Holdings Limited has announced the acquisition of a chemical manufacturing plant, a five-gallon water bottling plant and a white label production contract for chemical manufacturing, in a strategic transaction valued at over $40 million.According to a press release from the company on Thursday, the acquisition was completed as an all-equity transaction and marks another significant milestone in the rapid expansion of its manufacturing subsidiary, BOLD […]

MALE, Maldives (AFP)—Five Italians have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives, Italy’s foreign ministry said on Thursday, with security forces in the Indian Ocean archipelago recovering one body.The string of coral islands is a luxury holiday destination popular with divers who come to explore its pristine waters, often staying at remote resorts or aboard liveaboard dive boats.“Following an accident that occurred during a scuba diving trip, five Italian nationals have died in […]

WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The Trump administration on Wednesday congratulated Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis on his victory in Tuesday’s general elections.“We look forward to continued collaboration with the Government of the Bahamas to advance transparent and reliable economic and infrastructure partnerships that support sustainable growth, regional stability and increased opportunity for both Americans and Bahamians,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a […]

WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The Trump administration says it is ready to provide US$100 million in direct assistance to the Cuban people, if the Cuban regime permits it.“The United States continues to seek meaningful reforms to Cuba’s communist system, which has only served to enrich the elites and condemn the Cuban people to poverty,” said the State Department in a statement on Wednesday.“As US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, the United States has also made numerous […]

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — A nine-member Caribbean Community (Caricom) Election Observation Mission (CEOM) has concluded that voters in The Bahamas were able to cast their ballots peacefully and orderly during the country’s general elections held earlier this week.The mission was mounted at the invitation of Dame Cynthia A Pratt, governor-general of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and included electoral experts from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint […]

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP) — Armed gangs have swept through neighbourhoods north of Haiti's capital, forcing more than 5,000 to leave their homes since Sunday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has for years been plagued by instability as powerful gangs carry out rampant killings, rapes, looting and kidnappings.The security crisis worsened in early 2024, when gangs launched a wave of violence that forced the country's […]

PARIS, France (AFP) — Climate experts challenged FIFA on Thursday after a warning that one in four 2026 World Cup games could take place in very hot conditions, as global warming has increased the risk of extreme heat in North America since the United States (US) hosted the 1994 tournament.Concerns about heat already prompted FIFA to mandate a cooling break during each half of the World Cup matches that will take place between June 11 and July 19 in 16 stadiums across the United States, […]

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Madonna, Shakira and K-pop megastars BTS will headline a Super Bowl-style halftime show at the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, FIFA said Thursday.Coldplay's Chris Martin is curating the show, which is a first for a football World Cup final but has raised concerns about how long the game's halftime break will be.The biggest-ever World Cup, with 48 teams, kicks off on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico."Madonna, Shakira […]

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) says it has successfully installed Molbio rapid testing platforms across 10 of its member territories under the Pandemic Fund Project.CARPHA said that as of March 26, this year, installations have been completed in Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, Turks and Caicos Islands and Trinidad and Tobago.It said that these platforms strengthen the region’s capacity […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The United States (US) Embassy in Jamaica is urging Jamaicans not to “run off” during their travels to the US, warning that they will be deported.The embassy issued the warning via a social media post on Thursday."Don't run off. You will be deported from the United States. You will not be able to return," the embassy said.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Workers’ Week 2026 will be observed from May 17 to 25 under the theme “Voices Heard: Shaping Labour Policies in an Evolving Labour Market”.The week of activities will place workers at the centre of policy development, ensuring their voices help shape the future of work in Jamaica.Chief Technical Director in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Gillian Corrodus, explained that this year’s theme is a clear call to action, reinforcing the Government’s […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that crisis-hit Cuba's leadership must change as Washington renewed an offer on Wednesday of $100 million in aid if the communist-run island agrees to cooperate.Cuba has been suffering severe economic tumult led by an energy shortage that plunged 65 per cent of the country into darkness on Tuesday.Cuba's leaders have blamed US sanctions, but Rubio, a Cuban-American and vociferous critic of the government […]