CARIBBEAN

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – Guyana says it is confident the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will uphold the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the country’s border with Venezuela after the completion of all submissions in the historic case, leaving only the court’s final judgment outstanding.Prime Minister Mark Phillips, delivering a statement in the National Assembly on Friday, said all submissions in the case have been completed, bringing to an end eight years of proceedings […]

There is a mento fever in the dancehall air, and Currentzicks is one of the artistes infected by that nostalgic bug as his song, Hill And Gully, was recently released on the Inviting ‘riddim’.The single is produced by Most Wanted Records, a label from Spanish Town.Currentzicks told Observer Online that he has always liked mento, a folksy genre that took off in the 1940s. He gave Hill And Gully a dancehall edge to bridge the generation gap.“It was always an idea I had to remix some […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Energy Phillip Paulwell is calling for the government, specifically Prime Minister Andrew Holness, to clarify the cause of the system failure responsible for Friday's islandwide blackout.In a statement on Saturday, Paulwell said Holness also needs to tell the people of Jamaica when they can expect full restoration and stability in power supply, instead of what he described as a vague promise and still no full restoration after 14 […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Justice, Zuleika Jess has described as “institutional exploitation”, the lack of monetary or other support for Jamaica’s Justices of the Peace (JPs).Jess addressed the issue on June 3 during her contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.“I move to address a deep inequity in our community justice system: the total lack of financial support, stipend or expense coverage for Jamaica’s JPs,” Jess told the […]

ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica— A toddler succumbed to injuries sustained in a two-vehicle crash on the Pepper main road in St Elizabeth on Saturday morning.Preliminary reports indicate that about 10:30 am, the child was among four people travelling in a Toyota Voxy when the vehicle collided with a pickup truck.Five injured people were rushed to the Mandeville Regional Hospital, where the child was pronounced dead on arrival.— Kasey Williams

BERLIN, Germany(AFP) —  A United States (US) man who caught Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo was discharged from a German hospital on Saturday after recovering from the often deadly infection following 17 days of medical care, the clinic said.The Charite public hospital in Berlin said the man -- who had been working as a surgeon for a Christian missionary group in the DRC -- and his five family members who had all been in quarantine, were in "good health" and permitted to leave.The […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica —  Opposition Spokesman on Productivity, Efficiency and Competitiveness, Peter Bunting, has called for the HEART/NSTA-Trust to be transformed to meet the needs of a constantly evolving workforce.Bunting made the call on June 3 during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.He described HEART as a “training institution whose curriculum evolves on a multiyear cycle, in an environment where the relevant AI driven technology changes every few […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — As Sts Peter and Paul Preparatory School gears up to defend its title at the 2026 Prep School Championships next week, the school's preparations have received a significant boost thanks to a J$1 million donation from Express Canteen Services.The contribution, presented this week by Express Canteen Services managing director Ryan Foster, doubles the company's support from last year and reinforces a growing partnership that school officials say has become instrumental to […]

ANTALYA, Turkey (AFP) — Iran's World Cup squad left Turkey for Mexico on Saturday, taking off under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row between Tehran and Washington after the United States (US) refused to issue visas for some of the team's support squad.The dispute erupted just days before the June 11 start of the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.The team took off around 6:10 pm (1510 GMT) for Tijuana in northwest Mexico, where they will […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — After a successful debut last year, Guinness Pull Up is set to make its return on June 20, bringing another night of dancehall, sound system culture and live entertainment to Stadium East Car Park.The event, which launched in 2025, is built around a familiar feature of Jamaican music culture, the moment when a song connects so strongly with a crowd that it demands a rewind. Organisers say this year's staging will continue to celebrate that energy through […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — As of 5:00 am today, electricity has been restored to approximately 500,000 of 700,000 customers following the all-island electricity outage Friday night.This update was provided by Energy Minister Daryl Vaz, on advice from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS).Vaz noted that he has been further advised that service to JPS customers who remain disconnected will be restored during the course of the morning.He has called the leadership of JPS to an emergency meeting, […]

Canada-based reggae artiste Knotty Royal is paying tribute to Jamaica’s history, culture, and natural beauty with his latest single, Doctor Bird, recorded on the popular Hill and Gully Riddim.The inspiration for the song dates back to a visit to Jamaica in 2010, when a relative shared stories about Christopher Columbus’ arrival on the island. The story remained with him for years and resurfaced when he heard the Hill and Gully Riddim.“That story stuck to me like cedar stain. When I […]

There was a collective gasp inside the Miramar Cultural Center in South Florida when three men lifted reggae singer Stacey Mirander onto the stage during Spragga Benz's 'Journey to Kingston' birthday concert.The audience, uncertain of what was about to unfold, watched as Mirander — visibly surprised — was welcomed onstage by Miramar Commissioner Maxwell B. Chambers and reggae-dancehall veteran Spragga Benz. What followed became one of the evening's most memorable moments.Handed a microphone […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Island Traffic Authority (ITA) is reporting that 49 fewer people have been killed in road fatalities up to June 5 this year, when compared with the similar period in 2025.This is a big 30 per cent decline in road deaths from 103 fatal crashes. If the current 30 per cent decrease is maintained throughout the year, Jamaica would see road fatalities falling below the 300-mark for the first time since 2012 when 260 people were killed.Of note is that fatal crashes this year […]

ST JAMES, Jamaica — The body of a man was found at the Retirement landfill in St James a short while ago.It is believed that the man was killed about 8:00 am, although the circumstances of his demise are currently unknown.The body, which was clad in a yellow and black shirt, was found by workers at the facility, amid the mounds of garbage.The police have since been deployed to the scene.This development comes as a section of the landfill continues to burn, having been on fire since […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s merchandise trade activity declined for the first two months of 2026, with expenditure on imports falling by 8.1 per cent and total export earnings falling by 28.8 per cent when compared with the corresponding period in 2025.The update was provided on Friday by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) in its latest International Merchandise Trade Bulletin.STATIN said total spending on imports for January to February 2026 was valued at US$1,214.3 million […]

Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz beat Panama 1-0 in the first of their two friendly internationals played at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City on Friday.Shania Hayles maintained her good scoring run for Jamaica when she scored a free kick in the 25th minute, her fourth goal in national colours, three in this calendar year.Jamaica dominated the game in the first half and came close to scoring on a few occasions, the first chance coming in the eighth minute when Kayla McKenna swiveled on the top of […]

The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF)says a fire that broke out at the barracks area of Up Park Camp on Friday night has been extinguished.According to the JDF, the blaze broke out at approximately 7:41 pm Friday. The JDF Fire Unit as well as the Rollington Town, Half Way Tree, York Park, Trench Town and Spanish Town Fire Stations responded swiftly and worked collaboratively to contain the blaze, the JDF said in a release."The fire has since been successfully extinguished. At this time, the cause of […]

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has begun to restore electricity to Jamaicans following an all-island power outage on Friday night, according to energy minister Daryl Vaz.Vaz, in a statement late Friday, described the blackout as "unacceptable".He said he has been advised by the leadership of the JPS that all power stations are being restarted with a view of having electricity restored to the entire island on a phased basis overnight into Saturday morning.The energy minister has […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A fire broke out at Up Park Camp in Kingston on Friday evening.Jamaica Fire Brigade Commissioner Stewart Beckford confirmed the fire but did not immediately provide details on the cause of the blaze or the extent of the damage.Observer Online is tracking this developing story and will provide more information as it becomes available.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — True Pet Food recently brought together retailers, distributors, customers and team members for its inaugural "Inner Circle" event, held at Sandals Dunn's River, as the company sought to strengthen relationships across its distribution network and share plans for future growth.The invitation-only gathering, held under the theme: "Impact", served as a platform for the company to introduce new products, recognise key partners and reinforce its brand messaging among those who […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Blackouts have been reported across several parishes in Jamaica, affecting electricity service in multiple areas.Efforts to contact the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) for information on the cause of the outages and estimated restoration times have so far been futile. The JPS is yet to issue an official statement on the matter.This is a developing story.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has stepped up its engagement with Jamaica, hosting its first roadshow in the country as it seeks to expand trade, investment and industrialisation opportunities between the Caribbean and Africa.The June 2 event comes less than a year after Jamaica signed Afreximbank's Partnership Agreement and follows the bank's approval of a US$5-billion financing facility for Caribbean countries, including Jamaica.Held under the theme […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A weekend packed with music, star power and celebration is set to unfold at Club MECA as the venue rolls out a two-night entertainment experience featuring some of Jamaica's most talked-about acts.The festivities begin Friday night with a performance from rising sensation Nigy Boy before dancehall hitmaker Serani takes centre stage on Saturday, which also coincides with his birthday celebrations.For Serani, returning home to mark another year around the sun is a tradition […]

TRELAWNY, Jamaica — National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCB) will relocate its Falmouth branch to Champion Plaza on July 6 as the financial institution seeks to improve customer access, parking and service efficiency in the growing Trelawny market.The branch will move to Shop B2, Champion Plaza, 63A Market Street, approximately 10 minutes from its current location, according to the bank.NCB said the relocation comes as both Falmouth and the bank's customer base have outgrown the […]