CARIBBEAN

KINGSTON, Jamaica — American streamer IShowSpeed’s livestream from Kingston, Jamaica on Friday amassed more than 2.8 million views, with a peak of 194,805 live viewers.The broadcast also generated 696,349 live chat messages and brought in 34,692 new subscribers.His cameraman shared the numbers via X on Friday, shortly after the stream, with the caption: “Good stream”.As part of the Jamaican leg of his Caribbean tour, the streamer visited several iconic locations across Kingston, […]

TOKYO, Japan (AFP)—Japanese gaming giant Nintendo said Friday it will hike the price of its Switch 2 gaming console as memory chip costs soar, warning that net profit would fall 27 percent this year.Sony -- whose PlayStation5 has already risen in price -- was more upbeat, projecting a 13-percent rise in income but still with falling sales of its ageing console.Nintendo said the Switch 2 price in Japan will rise 20 percent from May 25, and from September 1 by 11 percent in the United States to […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The controversial National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill was passed in the Senate at 8:14 pm Friday after a sitting that lasted approximately 10 hours.The Bill, which was piloted by the Minister of Education and Information, Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon now awaits the governor general’s signature before it is gazetted as the law of the land.NaRRA is the body set up by the Government to lead reconstruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa which […]

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Police shot and killed two men in an alleged confrontation and seized a firearm on Manchester Road near Willowgate in Mandeville on Friday.Preliminary reports are that about 8:00 pm police tracked a Toyota Axio along Manchester Road and intercepted the vehicle when a gun battle reportedly ensued.Scores of people were sent scampering when the shots rang out.Personnel assigned to the Area Three Fugitive Apprehension Team are among the police teams on the scene.— Kasey […]

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The demise of ultra low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is expected to add further upward pressure to United States (US) fares, according to experts.Launched in 1992, the company is responsible for the "Spirit Effect" in which bare-bones service opens up travel to a broader slate of customers otherwise priced out of the market.Spirit's business model of stripped-down travel that includes no free meal service, baggage transport or other extras played a "unique and […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States (US) military said on Friday it had struck another boat alleged to be trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people and leaving one survivor.The latest strike — which follows dozens of similar attacks in recent months — bring the US campaign's death toll to at least 189, according to an AFP tally.US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said one person survived the strike, without specifying their condition, adding that the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Teachers at Jamaica House Basic School received a heartwarming surprise on Teachers’ Day as Pork Store & More by CB Foods hosted a special community giveback initiative to recognise educators for their contribution to shaping Jamaica’s future.The appreciation event celebrated the role teachers play in nurturing and developing future leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs. During the pop-up initiative, educators were presented with Caribbean Passion smoked meat […]

BOGOTÁ, Colombia(AFP)—A 25-year-old Colombian journalist was found dead on Friday in a restive northwestern region where guerrillas, drug traffickers and illegal gold miners are active, President Gustavo Petro said.Mateo Perez went missing on Tuesday while he was working in a rural part of Antioquia department about five hours' drive north of Medellin in the run-up to the presidential election on May 31.His body was found in an area where dissident members of the defunct guerrilla group FARC […]

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — The 2026 World Cup will feature a trilogy of opening ceremonies, with each of the host countries — Mexico, the United States and Canada — getting its turn at a star-studded celebration.Global music stars including Katy Perry, Future, Alanis Morissette, Michael Buble, J Balvin and Lisa will feature, world governing body FIFA confirmed on Friday.Mexico will get the party started, 90 minutes before the kickoff of the tournament's first match between Mexico and […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The parent company of Truth Social, President Donald Trump's social media platform, reported a net loss on Friday of more than US$400 million in the first quarter — mostly from tumbling cryptocurrency valuations.Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) reported revenue of less than US$1 million for the three months ending March 31, according to a company filing.The president, who routinely uses Truth Social to make official announcements, controls about […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Senator Cleveland Tomlinson on Friday drew attention to what he called the “trust deficit” when he flagged what he said was the lack of proper oversight and accountability in the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill.Tomlinson raised concerns during the ongoing debate on the Bill in the Senate.NaRRA is the body established by the Government to lead reconstruction efforts following Hurricane Melissa which left an estimated US$12.2 […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States (US) said Friday it was organising an evacuation flight for Americans on a hantavirus-struck cruise ship that has sailed to the Canary Islands, which are part of Spain."The Department of State is arranging a repatriation flight to support the safe return of American passengers on this ship," a State Department spokesperson said.The State Department said it was coordinating with the Spanish Government as well as other US federal agencies."We […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Futsal Championship, which was launched on Thursday, will kick off on Saturday, May 16 at Legacy 5 in Runaway Bay, in St Ann.Twenty-eight teams will compete, divided into four regions: North Eastern (St Ann, Portland, St Mary); North Western (St James, Hanover, Westmoreland, Trelawny); South Western (Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth) and South Eastern (Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, St Thomas).The launch, organised by the Jamaica Futsal and Scrimmage […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Government Senator Abka Fitz-Henley has pushed back firmly against talk that the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill lacks oversight and accountability.The Bill, which is currently being debated in the Senate, will give legal authority to the NaRRA, the body set up by the Government to lead reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa which caused US$12.2 billion in damage when it slammed into southwestern parishes last […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A 48-hour curfew has been imposed in sections of the Kingston eastern policing division.The curfew began at 6:00 pm on Friday, May 8 and will remain in effect until 6:00 pm on Sunday, May 10.The boundaries of the curfew are as follows:North: Along an imaginary line from the Mountain Ridge from Mountain View Primary School to Cane River Falls;East: Along an imaginary line from Cane River Falls to the bridge at 10 Miles Bull Bay;South: Along the coastline from the bridge at […]

Prosecutor Kathy-Ann Pyke on Thursday threatened to sue attorney Hugh Wildman over alleged defamation of character while the defence lawyer was conducting cross-examination of a witness in the murder trial of six policemen.The witness, a retired forensic analyst, was being grilled by Wildman on whether or not she had discussions with Pyke in the corridors of the Supreme Court earlier this week before she began to testify about swabs she tested for gunpowder residue.She was giving her testimony […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — More than 40 Cuban healthcare workers, formerly part of the bilateral arrangement between Jamaica and Cuba, have chosen to remain on the island and are now serving under individual contracts, according to Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton.Speaking with journalists at the ministry in New Kingston recently, Dr Tufton indicated that, prior to the recall of Cuban healthcare workers, approximately 278 doctors were engaged in the programme.“Of that […]

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP)—A United States (US) fighter jet disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers to enforce a port blockade on Friday, prompting retaliatory attacks and rattling a shaky truce as Tehran weighed Washington's latest proposal to end the Middle East war.Iranian officials accused the United States of violating the ceasefire with the tanker strikes and hampering diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.A parallel ceasefire in Lebanon was also under strain. Iran-backed Hezbollah launched […]

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP)—Mexican authorities on Friday announced that the school year would end over a month early as the country gears up to host World Cup matches, prompting broad backlash.Education Secretary Mario Delgado said the decision to end the school year 40 days early was made in part due to a heat wave impacting several states."We're going to end the school year on June 5 because many states are already experiencing high temperatures, and there's also the issue of the World Cup," […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The United States (US) dollar on Friday, May 8, ended trading at $158.93, up 19 cents, according to the Bank of Jamaica’s daily exchange trading summary.Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar ended trading at $117.80 down from $118.07 and the British pound at $218.61 up from $216.29.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) says the risk of infection of the hantavirus is low in the Caribbean region.“At this time, the risk to the Caribbean region is considered low. In the Americas, hantaviruses are most commonly transmitted by wild field rodents rather than urban rat populations, where transmission is less likely,” said CARPHA's executive director, Dr Lisa Indar, pointing out also that although human-to-human […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) has added its voice to those calling for greater levels of transparency and accountability in the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill which is presently being debated in the Senate.The bill was passed in an early morning vote in the House of Representatives last week Wednesday along strict party lines with the Opposition not supporting it.When approved by the Senate, the NaRRA Act will allow for the setting up […]

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP)—The World Health Organization's chief is due in the Spanish island of Tenerife to help coordinate the evacuation of passengers hit by the hantavirus, Spanish ministry sources said Friday.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will accompany Spain's health and interior ministers to a command post there Saturday "to ensure coordination between administrations, health control, and the application of the planned surveillance and response protocols", the sources said.Three passengers […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Culture Minister Olivia Grange says she is saddened to learn of the passing of gospel artiste Kukudoo.The revivalist singer, whose given name is David McDermott, passed away on Friday.Grange hailed him as “a cultural force whose work celebrated African derived spiritual traditions within Jamaican society”.The minister said, “Kukudoo was a strong performer who resonated across generations and social backgrounds.”She said his passing was "a great loss and he would be […]

Where are the 5,000 containerised homes that were promised by the Government to be delivered through the National Housing Trust (NHT) for persons who suffered loss during Hurricane Melissa last October?Opposition spokesman on housing and sustainable living, Senator Dr Floyd Morris asked the question on Friday as the Senate debated the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill.NaRRA is the body set up by the Government to lead the reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of […]