CARIBBEAN

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 best documentary in the Short Film Showcase at the Diversity in Cannes Film Festival Showcase 2026.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 […]

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 […]

SAN ANTONIO, United States (AFP) -- The New York Knicks, fueled by a sensational 45 points from Jalen Brunson, rallied again to beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 and win their first NBA title in 53 years on Saturday.The Knicks won the best-of-seven championship series 4-1, denying Victor Wembanyama and his young Spurs teammates on their home floor to lift the trophy for the first time since 1973.The Knicks, who recovered from 29 points down in game four to produce the biggest comeback in Finals […]

Three Jamaicans won titles on Saturday’s final day of the NCAA Division 1 track and field Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.Favourite Dejanae Oakley of the University of Georgia smashed the NCAA record to win the women’s 400m; Shenese Walker of Florida State upset University of Georgia’s record holder Adejah Hodge in the 100m while Shantae Foreman of Clemson University –who was second in the long jump on Thursday – won a dramatic triple jump with a big personal […]

EAST RUTHERFORD, United States (AFP) -- Vinicius Junior scored a brilliant equaliser for Brazil in a 1-1 draw with Morocco on Saturday as the five-time World Cup winners made an uncertain start to the tournament in New Jersey.Ismael Saibari ran through to give Morocco a 21st-minute lead with a clever scoop in the Group C opener, but Vinicius produced a moment of magic to ensure Brazil came away with a point.Brazil are chasing a record sixth World Cup title, 24 years after last lifting the […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)—Workers removed President Donald Trump's name from the facade of the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington on Saturday -- a stinging defeat for the US leader who has eschewed political tradition to affix his name and likeness across public spaces.The restoration of the performing arts venue's original name was the culmination of extended legal tussling, with an anti-Trump crowd keeping watch Friday until late night thunderstorms forced construction workers […]

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP)—Five-time winners Brazil roll into the World Cup on Saturday when they play surprise 2022 semi-finalists Morocco in one of the standout group-stage matchups.On the first day featuring four matches at a tournament expanded this year to 48 teams, Scotland and their Tartan Army of supporters return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence.The Scots take on Haiti, who last appeared at a finals in 1974, in Boston.In other games, 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar play […]

SANTA CLARA, United States (AFP)—Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi stunned Switzerland with a late equaliser as the sides played out a 1-1 draw in their opening match at the World Cup on Saturday.A Breel Embolo penalty had broken the deadlock for Switzerland early in the first half in the San Francisco Bay Area, before the wasteful favourites were made to pay as Qatar earned their first ever point at a World Cup.Qatar, appearing in just their second finals after hosting the 2022 World Cup, looked rusty […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Almost 20 years ago, Marlon A. Wright went through a challenging period that helped define him as a parent.It sparked an awareness he wanted to share with others in a similar position.It was then that the first seeds of The Courage And Kindness Chronicles: The Day We Learn to Forgive were sown. That children’s book, Wright’s first, was released recently.Through Emily, Andre and Maya, the main characters, young people learn the importance of caring and forgiveness.“In […]

HOUSTON, United States (AFP)—Former NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden was arrested Saturday in Houston, Texas, on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon, court documents showed.Harris County court records showed that Cleveland Cavaliers guard harden was taken into custody at 3:41 a.m. when an unconcealed handgun was spotted in his Mercedes.Harden confirmed the gun was his and was arrested and booked into jail and released on a $100 bond, according to the documents, in which […]

EFFORTVILLE, Clarendon—A policeman escaped serious injury after a bullet struck his protective vest during an armed confrontation with a gunman in the Farm community of Effortville, Clarendon, on Friday.The officer, who was part of an operational team from the Area 3 Anti-Fugitive Apprehension Team (AFAT), was struck in the chest during the incident. He was taken to hospital for treatment and remains in stable condition.The confrontation resulted in the fatal shooting of 23-year-old O’Neil […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Opposition Spokesperson on Local Government and Participatory Democracy Natalie Neita-Garvey says three critical Acts passed in Parliament in 2016 to transform Jamaica's local government financing and governance framework have never been given full effect because the Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie has failed to bring the required regulations to Parliament in nearly 10 years.Garvey who made the remarks during her sectoral contribution on Wednesday described the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Opposition Spokesperson on Tourism and Linkages, Andrea Purkiss, has charged that local ground transport operators are being shut out of the tourism sectorPurkiss spoke to the issue on June 9 during her contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.She highlighted that the Jamaica Union of Travellers Association (JUTA) was created by former Minister of Tourism Francis Tulloch with one explicit mission: “Jamaican hands drive Jamaica's visitors and with […]

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP)—United States (US) President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deal with Iran to end the war in the Middle East would be signed on Sunday, and that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would be "open to all" immediately after.Iran had offered a different timeline earlier in the day, but nonetheless signalled an agreement was in the offing, as both the warring parties and their mediators expressed increasing optimism that weeks of halting negotiations were drawing to a close.The […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—When he made his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on June 9, Minister with responsibility for Land and Settlements Robert Montague could not resist the temptation to talk about his unlikely victory in the 2025 General Election after opinion polls had shown him to be the most vulnerable of Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidates.He addressed the matter on June 9 during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of […]

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC)–Guyana's Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) says it has secured convictions against Cuban-born Yuri Garcia Dominguez and his Guyanese-born wife, Ateeka Ishmael, who were each found guilty of illegally operating a Ponzi scheme.Magistrate Sunil Scarce, sitting at the Vigilance Magistrates’ Court, sentenced both defendants, with both accused fined one million Guyana dollars (One Guyana Dollar=US$0.008 cents) and a one-year jail term each for the offence of operating a […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Justice Minister Delroy Chuck says $680 million in judgment debt was paid out during fiscal year 2025/2026, to satisfy claims against the government.“This will encourage judges to continue to deliver timely judgments and be a part of the process of delivering a stronger justice system,” he said.Chuck made the disclosure on June 10 during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.He told the Parliament that, “As part of our commitment to […]

ACCRA, Ghana (AFP)—Ghana said Saturday it has formally lodged a protest over Canada's refusal to issue a visa for the World Cup to player Thomas Partey, who is facing trial in Britain on rape charges.In a statement the posted on social media by the Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ghana called Canada's decision "high-handed and extremely unfair", calling Partey, "a key member of Ghana's senior national team"."Ghana has dispatched an official note of protest" to Canada, said the […]