CARIBBEAN

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Opposition Spokesman on the Environment and Climate Resilience, Omar Newell, says the Beach Access and Management Policy recently tabled in the Parliament by the Government does not go far enough to address the problem of access by Jamaicans, even though it acknowledges that a problem exists.“Because the policy still approaches beach access as a managed permission rather than a fundamental public right,” said Newell on Wednesday during his contribution to the Sectoral […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby has pushed back against comments made by Minister with responsibility for Works Robert Nesta Morgan, accusing the minister of responding to his criticism regarding the establishment of the One Road Authority with personal attacks.Morgan, this week, expressed disappointment at what he says are contradictory and misleading statements made by Swaby, regarding the establishment of the One Road Authority.Morgan described as “factually […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Minister of Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Ambassador Audrey Marks, has pledged to be so efficient at what she does that she will make her current job redundant.Marks gave the commitment on Wednesday during her contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.She told the Parliament that to secure Jamaica’s future, “we must evolve beyond traditional physical service delivery into a Government Digital Twin: a fully […]

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC)—Cuba on Wednesday condemned “in the strongest terms” what it described as the despicable accusation by the United States Department of Justice against former president Raúl Castro.Washington announced criminal charges against the 94-year-old brother of revolutionist Fidel Castro, in what political observers say is the latest escalation of tensions between the two countries.Raul is reportedly charged with conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of an […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—A number of teenagers have been included in Jamaica’s 24-man squad that was named on Wednesday to take part in the Unity Cup football tournament set to be played in London later this month.Two members of the national Under-20 team, goalkeeper Joshua Grant and Netherlands-based defender Marlon Van de Wetering, have been included in the team, as well as 16-year-old Manchester City academy player Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri, getting his first call-up.Additionally, two 19 […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) says it is set to meet with the management of the National Works Agency (NWA) on Tuesday, May 26, at 10:00 am to address concerns raised by workers regarding restructuring, reclassification and other urgent matters.The JCSA, in a press release on Wednesday, said in light of this development, it is asking members to return to work on Thursday, May 21, 2026, pending discussions with management and the Ministry of Finance and the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—The British High Commission in Jamaica, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), and the High Commission of India in Jamaica have joined forces in support of the Unity Cup 2026, celebrating the power of football to bring communities together and highlighting the strong cultural and diaspora connections between the United Kingdom, Jamaica and India.The Unity Cup, set to take place on May 26-30 at The Valley in Charlton, London, returns as a major celebration of international […]

ST MARY, Jamaica —The St Mary police are investigating the death of a 43-year-old contractor from Comsee, Highgate, in what appears to be a case of suspected suicide.According to police reports, around 10:00am, a relative went to the back of the contractor's house after noticing a foul odour.Upon investigating, the body of Oneero Roberts, also known as “Anif”, was reportedly found in a bushy area hanging from a tree.The body was in a state of partial decomposing.Robert's death is the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The United States (US) dollar on Wednesday, May 20, ended trading at $158.38, down 45 cents, according to the Bank of Jamaica’s daily exchange trading summary.Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar ended trading at $115.20, down from $115.59, and the British pound at $212.63, up from $212.22.

WASHINGTON, DC (PAHO) – Suicide among adolescents and young adults in the Americas has increased over the past two decades and remains the third cause of death among individuals aged 10 to 24, according to a new study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.According to PAHO, in 2021, 18,157 adolescents and young people died by suicide in the region. It said that while three out of every four suicide deaths occurred among males, the increase has been faster among females. The […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Over one million transactions were processed via the Government’s online payment facility, PayGate, during the last financial year.This was revealed on Wednesday by Minister with responsibility for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Ambassador Audrey Marks, during her first contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.She noted that PayGate, which falls under the Information, Communications and Technology Authority (ICT), enables […]

ST MARY, Jamaica—The St Mary police are searching for the driver of a motor vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and -run onthe Heywood Hall main road near the Hampstead entrance in the parish.According to police reports, around 9:00 pm on Tuesday, an unidentified man believed to be of unsound mind was walking along the roadway when he was hit by a vehicle. The driver failed to stop and left the scene.Residents found the injured man and took him to the Port Maria hospital, where he was pronounced […]

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP)—Aston Villa ended their 30-year trophy drought in style as spectacular goals from Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia inspired a 3-0 win against Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday.Unai Emery's side took the lead late in the first half in Istanbul through Tielemans' thunderous volley.Buendia increased Villa's advantage with a sublime curler seconds before the interval.Morgan Rodgers' second-half goal finished off the outclassed Germans, sealing Villa's […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Motorists should see an increase at the pumps in the price of gasoline effective Thursday, May 21, according to the latest ex-refinery costs from Petrojam.90-octane will be sold for $201.82 per litre after an increase of $4.50, while 87-octane will be sold for $194.38, up $4.50.Automotive diesel fuel will be sold for $202.00 per litre after an increase of $4.50, and ultra-low sulphur diesel will be sold for $208.84 per litre, up $4.50.Kerosene increased by $4.50 and will […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A technical failure affecting the microphone system inside Gordon House caused a delayed and at times chaotic start to Wednesday’s sitting of the House of Representatives.The malfunction became apparent shortly after proceedings began when Deputy Speaker of the House Heroy Clarke attempted to activate his microphone, triggering a loud burst of screeching feedback that rendered his remarks inaudible.He was quickly handed a wireless microphone to continue delivering his […]

ST JAMES, Jamaica—The St James Municipal Corporation on Wednesday donated $20 million to the Montego Bay Multi Sports Development Limited towards the “cleaning up” phase of the rehabilitation of the Montego Bay Sports Complex.Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, announced the contribution at a ceremony held at the complex on Wednesday to unveil plans for the development of the facility, along with the refurbishing following severe damage caused by the passage of Hurricane […]

CAMERAS on houses in residential communities, in and around commercial buildings, on traffic lights, or otherwise placed in public places for surveillance and security purposes, record our “to and fro” on a daily basis.Every now and then, we may be captured incidentally in the background of a selfie or an image in which we were not intended to be the main subject. There are also instances when a person who we may or may not know intentionally records our image for recreational purposes, or […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Meteorological Service of Jamaica (Met Service) says it is actively monitoring emerging climate patterns indicating the expected development of an El Niño phenomenon, which could influence rainfall and temperature conditions across the island in the coming months.The Met Service, in a press release on Wednesday, said while Jamaica experienced above-average rainfall across much of the traditional dry season between January and April 2026, recent observations have shown a […]

ST MARY, Jamaica — A St James man has been charged with murder in relation to the death of his American wife, 35-year-old Melissa Samnath.Dane Watson, 31, was formally charged on Wednesday by detectives in St James, after last week surrendering to police in the company of family members.READ: Family hands in St James murder suspectSamnath, whose address was listed in New York, was found with multiple injuries at Cornwall Regional Hospital on April 29 and was later pronounced dead. Police […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The GraceKennedy Foundation has announced that its 36th Annual Public Lecture, scheduled for Friday, June 5, 2026 in observance of World Environment Day, will focus on the transformative work of the Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project (KHCP).The lecture, titled Kingston Harbour Cleanup Project: From Vision to Reality, will explore how strategic partnerships, innovative technology, and scientific expertise are helping to drive Jamaica’s first large-scale initiative aimed at […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Jamaican entertainer Arribazon is channelling pain into purpose with his inspirational new single I’ll Rise Up, a deeply personal anthem of resilience born from one of the darkest periods of his life.Known for his viral “Musical A.I” persona on TikTok, the fast-rising artiste said the track was inspired by trauma, endurance, and his determination to rise above negativity.“I’ll Rise Up was inspired by the lowest phase of my life,” Arribazon shared. “Many people […]

Opposition Spokesperson on Labour and Sport, Wavell Hinds has proposed the creation of a standalone Ministry of Sport, arguing that Jamaica is failing to properly capitalise on the enormous economic potential of the global sports industry.Making his contribution to the 2026 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, Hinds said Jamaica continues to treat sport as a ceremonial or cultural activity instead of the powerful economic industry it has become globally. “Sport is no longer simply recreation,” […]

WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Crime scene investigators are currently on the scene of a murder in Retreat, Westmoreland, where a man was reportedly killed in his sleep early Wednesday morning.The deceased has been identified by residents as Vinroy Holness, a labourer who is said to be in his 40s.Reports are that Holness was inside his house when he was attacked and his head partially severed in the early hours of the morning.More information as it becomes available.— Anthony Lewis

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The deleterious effects of Hurricane Melissa continued to weigh heavily on the Jamaican economy, with gross domestic product (GDP) contracting by 5.9 per cent during the first quarter of this calendar year, according to preliminary estimates released by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ)The powerful Category 5 hurricane, which struck the island last October, significantly affected economic performance as it left goods-producing and services industries declining by […]

CLARENDON, Jamaica — At least 41 people were injured when a coaster bus collided with a concrete median on Wednesday morning, police have confirmed to Observer Online.Cops indicated that the incident occurred at 7:57 am at the stoplight at the May Pen entrance to the Williamsfield Toll Road.Photos and videos of the incident have circulated on social media, showing the yellow vehicle crushed against the concrete structure.The authorities could not confirm whether another vehicle was involved […]