CARIBBEAN

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Widely regarded among Jamaica's greatest footballers, Allan 'Skill' Cole also had strong ties to music.He was manager for Bob Marley and The Wailers and mentored many upcoming artistes.That association was evident throughout his Thanksgiving service held at the National Arena on October 11. There were musical tributes from the Binghistra Movement, Denzil "Dipstick" Williams, Leroy Sibbles, Bongo Herman, Dean Fraser, Tarrus Riley, Luciano, Beenie Man, Junior Reid and […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Two firearms, including an assault rifle and 30 assorted rounds of ammunition, were seized by the St Thomas police during two separate incidents on Sapphire Avenue, Lyssons, and on the Stanton main road, Morant Bay, in the parish, on Friday and Saturday.Two men have reportedly been arrested in connection with the seizures.In the first incident, reports are that at about 9:25 am, lawmen were in the area when a premises that was occupied by a 78-year-old man was searched. […]

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith on Thursday reaffirmed the strong relations between Jamaica and Spain, noting that the European country has played an important role in contributing to the island’s economic goals.Johnson Smith cited investments in the tourism sector as an example, noting that Spanish investment in the tourism sector has surpassed US$2.5 billion. These projects include the Grand Palladium Hotel in Hanover, which began in February and […]

Four people were reportedly shot and killed, and at least another 20 were injured during a mass shooting at  Willie's Bar and Grill in South Carolina in the United States on Sunday, according to media reports.Reports from the BBC are that hundreds of people were gathered at the popular bar on St Helena Island in the early hours of Sunday morning when gunfire broke out, leading multiple victims and witnesses to run to nearby businesses for shelter.Four people were reportedly declared dead at […]

New Delhi, India (AFP)—The West Indies did not lose a wicket after tea to be 173-2 in their second innings at the end of day three of the second Test on Sunday after following on, but still need 97 runs to make India bat again.India's Kuldeep Yadav earlier took five wickets at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium as the hosts bowled out the West Indies for 248 in their first innings after lunch, a deficit of 270.Captain Shubman Gill enforced the follow-on and the visitors lost two wickets before […]

ST JAMES, Jamaica – Two fishermen who were reported missing on Friday, October 10, after departing the Greenwood Fishing Village, Montego Bay, have been rescued by the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard and JDF Air Wing.Reports are that the fishermen departed the fishing village to conduct fishing activities in and around the Montego Bay Harbour area. The vessel, which was reportedly expected to return before sundown, failed to do so, and all attempts to contact the crew were […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—In the wake of what it describes as a “horrifying wave of heartbreaking reports of children being killed”, lobby group Hear The Children’s Cry (HTCC) is calling for an automatic $1 million bounty for child killers.The group is also repeating its call for harsher penalties generally for child murderers.HTCC has noted that recent cases include children being targeted in drive-by shootings, shootings in family yards and communities, and suspected gang-related vendettas. […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica— A flash flood watch has been issued for low-lying and flood-prone areas of southern and northwestern parishes as increased and heavy rainfall from a tropical wave continue to affect the island.The Meteorological Service of Jamaica issued the warning Sunday morning for the parishes of St Thomas, Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover and St James.The flash flood watch will remain in effect until 8 am on Monday, […]

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A dispute reportedly over the non-payment of money for vegetables between vendors in Christiana turned deadly on Saturday, with two vendors being stabbed, one fatally, and another in police custody with a head injury.Police named the deceased vendor as Wrayon Williams, 21, a resident of Harry Watch district in Manchester.A police source told Observer Online that about 5:00 pm, the three vendors were involved in an altercation, allegedly over the non-payment for pak choi, […]

Llori Sharpe finished second in the 20km Women’s Elite Individual Time Trial on the first day of the Caribbean Elite Road Cycling Championships in Belize.Teniel Campbell from Trinidad & Tobago topped the podium in a time of 28:39.4 minutes, followed by Sharpe in 31:58 minutes, with Bermuda’s Gabriella Arnold in third place with a time of 32:15:8 minutes. For Sharpe, this is an improvement over last year’s 4th place in the individual time trial.Both Campbell, who is from Trinidad & […]

Defending champions Garvey Maceo High, McGrath High, a finalist last season and Glenmuir High, all scored good wins as the Round of 32 in the ISSA daCosta Cup football competition got underway on Saturday.Garvey Maceo cruised to a 3-0 win over Old Harbour High, McGrath High beat Morant Bay High by the same margin, while Glenmuir High snapped a three-game winless run to beat Alphansus Davis High 4-1.Maggotty High pulled off a surprise, beating Rusea’s High 2-1 for the first time since 2019, […]

Jerusalem, Undefined (AFP)—Israel will begin releasing Palestinian prisoners once it has confirmation that all hostages held in Gaza have arrived in the country, a spokeswoman for the prime minister said Sunday."Palestinian prisoners will be released once Israel has confirmation that all of our hostages set to be released tomorrow are across the border into Israel," Shosh Bedrosian told journalists.During previous ceasefires, the remains of some hostages were identified by forensic experts […]

As modesty remains a controversial issue among Christians, open to differing interpretations of Biblical standards, one St Andrew clergyman is calling for balance between personal expression and appropriateness.Pastor Chris Morgan, founder of the Go For God Family Church, suggests that modesty goes beyond clothing, describing it as both a physical and spiritual expression of humility.“Modesty has two aspects, one is being covered, not showing too much or more than you should, but it also has […]

Defending champions Cavalier will seek to continue their climb up the points table in the Jamaica Premier League when they take on Portmore United in the second game of a double header at Stadium East on Sunday.After a sluggish start, Cavalier have won their last two games to get into the play-off positions and will take on a Portmore team that have played out back-to-back 0-0 draws in their last two outings.In the first game of the double, leaders Montego Bay United will also be seeking a […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) -- A huge blast at an explosives factory in Tennessee killed 16 people, authorities said Saturday, lowering the toll after locating two people who were previously missing and presumed dead.The explosion Friday in the town of Bucksnort took place at a factory owned by Accurate Energetic Systems, which makes explosives for both military and demolition purposes.The blast destroyed an entire building at the plant's large campus, shook homes miles away and sent debris […]

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica – Observer Online sources have identified the man fatally shot during a confrontation with the police in Kitson Town, St Catherine on Saturday as Bryan King, otherwise called Brico.King was reportedly the section leader of the Kitson Town-based Klansman Gang, which operates across Kitson Town and the Top Banks area of Spanish Town.Law enforcement sources describe King as a key figure in organised criminal activities, including contract killings, extortion, and armed […]

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — Lawrence Sergeant, the father of 13-year-old murder victim Shantina Sergeant, has been nabbed, according to the police.He was reportedly captured by cops in Old Harbour, St Catherine on Friday between 3:30 pm and 4:00 pm as police tracked him to that area.His arrest follows Tuesday’s statement by the police naming him as a person of interest in relation to the murder of his daughter. Her charred remains were found on Monday under zinc and beside a burnt out […]

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said there are concerns surrounding the downsizing of the Chinese workforce constructing the Western Children and Adolescent Hospital (WCAH) in St James and the impact it will have on completing the project on time.Last month, the Chinese workers withdrew their services over what they say are payment concerns.“We are concerned about the pace of the work and what the impact of those issues will mean in terms of […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, is appealing to family members not to abandon their homeless relatives on the streets.“We can build more Desmond McKenzie Transitional Centres, we can build more night shelters, but we have to start now to build a culture of personal responsibility where people take responsibility for their loved ones and don’t leave them on the streets,” McKenzie said.He was speaking at the Kingston and St […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Legendary actress Diane Keaton has died in California at the age of 79, PEOPLE magazine has confirmed.According to PEOPLE Magazine, a spokesperson for the family has indicated that loved ones are asking for privacy at this time. No additional details surrounding her passing have been released.Keaton rose to international fame in the 1970s with her portrayal of Kay Adams-Corleone in The Godfather films. She later became a defining figure of American cinema through her many […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday he has issued an order for the military to be paid next week despite the government shutdown in which many civil servants work without salary.Trump said he ordered Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth "to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th" as he again blamed Democrats for the funding deadlock now in its second week."I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — More than 400 teachers, school leaders, and education stakeholders from across Jamaica participated in the country’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education Workshop, held on October 10 in Montego Bay.The event, hosted by the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean in partnership with the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC), an agency of the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information (MoESYI), is the first in a two-part series aimed at equipping educators with the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — In the lead-up to World Menopause Day on October 18, MPower, a Jamaican women-led advocacy group will host “MPower Yourself”, an empowering evening of education, storytelling, and community connection for women navigating the perimenopause and menopause transition.The event will take place on Saturday, October 11 at 5:30 PM at the Scotiabank Corporate Learning Centre, 4 Arcadia Boulevard, Kingston 8.The evening’s centrepiece is the screening of the […]

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Motorists travelling along the Winston Jones Highway in the vicinity of Russell Place district are being advised to expect minor delays as a broken down trailer is currently blocking one side of the roadway.As a result, traffic has been reduced to a single lane. Drivers are urged to proceed with caution and obey the instructions of traffic personnel in the area.It is understood that the same parked trailer was involved in a three vehicle collision this morning which […]

TULANCINGO DE BRAVO, Mexico (AFP) — Floods caused by torrential rains have killed at least 37 people in Mexico in recent days and left behind a trail of destruction, the government said Saturday.Mexico's civil defense authorities reported intense rainfall in 31 of 32 states, causing rivers to overflow, flooding entire villages, triggering landslides and collapsing roads and bridges.The central state of Hidalgo has been among the worst-affected areas, with authorities there reporting at least […]