CARIBBEAN

A motorcyclist was taken to hospital following a fiery crash on the North South Highway, near the Moneague toll exit, on Sunday. It is understood that the motorcyclist was travelling along the highway, along with other members of a group of bikers, when he crashed into a sign and tore it down, his bike bursting into flames shortly after.Police assisted the injured man to the Linstead Hospital in St Catherine.His condition is not immediately known. See video from the crash scene below.

ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Against the backdrop of Saturday’s deadly family dispute in Stephenson Town, near Southfield in St Elizabeth, head of the parish’s police division Superintendent Coleridge Minto is urging people to amicably resolve conflict.He also reminded the public that the parish has a domestic violence intervention centre located in Santa Cruz.“We have had 14 murders since the start of this year. Just about 60 per cent of the murders are attributed to what we call […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—The United States and Iran agreed a peace deal and an "immediate and permanent" end to military operations on all fronts including Lebanon, mediator Pakistan said, in the strongest sign yet that more than three months of war in Middle East is drawing to a close.Pakistani Prime Minister Shebhaz Sharif posted on X that a peace deal "has been REACHED" and an official signing ceremony will be held on June 19 in Switzerland."The Deal with the Islamic Republic of […]

ARLINGTON, United States (AFP)—Daichi Kamada headed a late equaliser as Japan twice came from behind to snatch a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in a thrilling World Cup Group F clash in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday.Crystal Palace player Kamada headed home in the 88th minute at the AT&T Stadium to earn a precious point for the Blue Samurai after Crysencio Summerville had given the Dutch a 2-1 lead in the 64th minute.Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk had opened the scoring for the Netherlands in […]

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP)—American alt-pop singer and internet personality Oliver Tree was aboard one of two helicopters that collided Sunday mid-air in Brazil, leaving all six people aboard the aircraft dead, a police source told AFP.The source shared the manifest of each plane and said the victims could not be formally identified yet as they were badly burned in the crash.The helicopters collided in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, a western suburb of Rio de Janeiro, then plummeted into the […]

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP)—A group of 13 World Cup teams on Sunday hit out at UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin over reported remarks in which he said this year's expanded tournament would lead to many "completely uninteresting" matches.In a joint statement, the 13 football associations including World Cup debutants Cape Verde, Curacao and Uzbekistan, said they "respectfully but firmly reject" Ceferin's comments quoted in Slovenian newspaper Delo."For our countries, there is no such […]

As he prepares to release his first album late this year, Chabano Nkani gives listeners a taste of things to come by releasing the single Woman of My Dreams, which came out in May, and is the latest to hit the market.A salute to black women, it is written by the Connecticut-based singer who also produced it for his Isle Of Springs Records.Woman of My Dreams is the follow-up to Close to You, which was released in January. Chabano Nkani told the Observer Online that as an Afro-conscious person, […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—A skydiving plane crashed Sunday in the central US state of Missouri, killing 12 people on board, emergency responders told AFP.The crash occurred near Butler Memorial Airport, about 60 miles (95 kilometres) south of Kansas City, said Dennis Jacobs, director of Bates County Emergency Management Agency.The private plane, carrying 11 skydivers and a pilot, turned around for an unknown reason after taking off around 11:30 am and crashed near a highway, prompting […]

ST JAMES, Jamaica—A police constable reportedly shot and killed himself at the Maroon Town police station in St James  Sunday morning.Observer Online understands that the incident occurred sometime before 9 am.The identity of the constable has not yet been revealed.The Constabulary Communication Network of the Jamaica Constabulary Force confirmed that the incident occurred but did not provide any further information.

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—Donald Trump celebrates his 80th birthday in typically forceful style on Sunday, as the oldest US president ever to take office holds a bloody cage match on the White House lawn.The unprecedented "UFC Freedom 250" event will see 14 Ultimate Fighting Championship stars beat each other to a pulp in a giant arena called The Claw.Costing $60 million, it's linked to this year's festivities for the 250th anniversary of US independence -- but it also happens to fall […]

HOUSTON, United States (AFP)—Germany won their first opening match at a World Cup since lifting the trophy in 2014 as they eased to a 7-1 win against debutants Curacao in their opening Group E match in Houston on Sunday.The Germans will face stiffer tests against group rivals Ecuador and Ivory Coast but the win against the tiny Caribbean nation puts them in a good position to progress to the knockout stages for the first time since 2014.An early German goal by Felix Nmecha was cancelled out […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda is set to travel to Mombasa and Kilifi counties in Kenya from June 16 to 18 to attend the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC11).The conference, being held under the theme "Our Ocean, Our Heritage, Our Future," marks a historic milestone as the first staging of the global event on the African continent. It will bring together heads of government, policymakers, scientists and key stakeholders to advance action on […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Government is looking to the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) for the construction of four new courthouses in St Elizabeth, St Ann, Westmoreland and Trelawny.Justice Minister Delroy Chuck said the Administration kick-started the planning process for the construction during the last fiscal year. He was speaking recently during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.“It is the intention of the Government that these […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—United States (US) President Donald Trump insisted on Sunday that a deal to end the Middle East war was just "hours" away, angrily blaming Israel for delaying its signing with an airstrike on Beirut that drew threats of retaliation from Iran.Trump has pledged that the agreement will be signed Sunday -- his 80th birthday -- while Tehran has declined to offer a clear timeline, though both sides have signalled that diplomatic channels remained open.Tehran has long […]

MADRID, Spain (AFP)—Real Madrid have agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign Spanish defender Marc Cucurella after the World Cup worth 55 million ($63 million), according to reports.The left-back, 27, joined Chelsea from Brighton in 2022 after coming through La Liga champions Barcelona's academy and moving to Getafe.Real Madrid president Florentino Perez appointed Jose Mourinho as coach this week after he was reelected earlier in June, following two seasons without winning a major trophy.Los […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Opposition Spokesperson on Justice Zuleika Jess has blasted the Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck, charging that he is “delusional”, for his recent declaration that Jamaica does not have a human rights problem.Chuck made the bold declaration during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives last Wednesday.“Jamaica does not, and I hope will never have, a human rights problem,” said Chuck. He pointed out that, “We have the Office of the […]

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP)—At least six people died in Brazil on Sunday after two helicopters collided in western Rio de Janeiro, firefighters said.The helicopters crashed into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, igniting a fire that engulfed at least 20 vehicles.A statement from firefighters said that initial reports pointed to a mid-air collision, adding "six fatalities have been confirmed, all were crew members of the aircraft involved in the accident."Rio de Janeiro Mayor […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Ripton International Capital Holdings Limited has officially opened the Rogers Commercial Centre, a US$15.5-million mixed-use development at 56–58 Lady Musgrave Road and one of the most significant private investments in the capital in recent years.The opening drew a wide cross-section of government, business and civic leaders. Among those present were Aubyn Hill, Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce; Delano Seivright, Minister of State in the Ministry of […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Paymaster founder Audrey Marks has reacquired Digicel’s 80 per cent stake in APM Holdings Limited, returning control of the payment services company’s parent to its original owner.Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.Paymaster said the deal completed discussions that began in 2024, before Marks assumed her current roles as minister of efficiency, innovation and digital transformation and member of parliament for Manchester North Eastern.Marks founded […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Minister with responsibility for Land and Settlements, Robert Montague, says the Auditor General’s Report on unused donated funds for Hurricane Melissa relief has “vindicated the Prime Minister’s wise decision”.Montague addressed the issue last week during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.The Government faced widespread criticism after a real-time audit by the auditor general that was tabled in the Parliament on May 12 found […]

Jamaican-born pilot and filmmaker Beth Powell’s Discovering Bessie Coleman, a documentary chronicling the life and legacy of pioneering aviator Bessie Coleman, recently won Diversity in Cannes-Best Documentary and Director's Choice Award.The documentary, released in 2024, was directed by Powell and produced by Lorna Chin. It celebrates the impact and legacy of Coleman, the first African American and Native American woman to earn a pilot’s licence.In a post on Instagram celebrating the […]

MONTMELÓ, Spain (AFP)—Lewis Hamilton claimed his first victory for Ferrari on Sunday at the Barcelona-Catalunya Formula One Grand Prix, ending championship leader Kimi Antonelli's five-race winning streak.The seven-time world champion finished ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris, while Antonelli was forced to abandon in the final stages because of a technical problem.Hamilton, 41, cut down Antonelli's title lead to 41 points by triumphing on a Sunday nearly two years after he last won a […]

Twenty-two people were killed in 22 fatal crashes in the month of May, according to the latest monthly crash statistics released by the Island Traffic Authority (ITA).St James with four recorded the most deaths, followed by Westmoreland with three. Hanover, Manchester, Clarendon, St Catherine and St Mary all recorded two fatalities during the month. There was a single road fatality for in Trelawny, St Elizabeth, St Ann, Kingston and St Thomas, while St Andrew and Portland saw no fatalities […]

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP)—A young woman died in Brazil after being launched off a bridge for a rope jump without a safety cord, police said Sunday.In videos of the Saturday accident circulating online, two men hoist the 21-year-old above their heads and launch her off Skeleton Bridge, in the interior of Sao Paulo state, while onlookers realise there is no safety mechanism attached and shout, "Guys, the cord!""The safety equipment was not properly secured at the time of the jump. The victim […]

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton started his CARE Agenda last week with a focus on the elderly, less than a month after the announcement during his Sectoral Debate Presentation in Parliament.The health minister launched the first workshop for the Training of Trainers for Home Visits of Older Adults for Geriatric Health, at the Chinese Benevolent Association Centre, University of the West Indies, Mona.In addition to the training for home care for the elderly, a part of the […]