CARIBBEAN

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Senator Maziki Thame has warned that the ongoing war in the Middle East could have a negative effect in terms of the availability of funding for the Government’s ambitious reconstruction agenda in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.Thame gave the warning on Friday during her contribution to the debate on the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill.NaRRA is the body established by the Dr Andrew Holness-led Government to lead the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Hundreds of residents from the constituency of Manchester North Eastern recently received well-needed assistance from five major Government agencies in a first-of-its-kind initiative organised by Member of Parliament for the area Ambassador Audrey Marks.Dubbed Gov-360 Constituency Day, the residents were treated to the services of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Ministry of Labour and Social […]

ST JAMES, Jamaica — A man was shot and killed during a police led operation in Granville, St James on Sunday morning.Reports are that the lawmen were in the area in search of wanted men. On leaving the community, they encountered the man.It is alleged that he attacked the security personnel during which he was fatally shot.Investigations are ongoing in this incident.This incident comes months after the Granville community was the site of another incident where three individuals, including a […]

GRANADILLA DE ABONA, Spain (AFP) — Occupants of a cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has sparked international alarm began arriving home from Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday in a complex repatriation operation.Three passengers from the MV Hondius -- a Dutch husband and wife and a German woman -- have died, while others have fallen sick with the rare disease, which usually spreads among rodents.No vaccines or specific treatments exist for hantavirus, which is endemic in […]

Within contemporary peptide research, increasing attention has shifted toward short regulatory peptides that appear to participate in system-level coordination rather than isolated biochemical reactions. Rather than being framed as forceful signaling agents, these peptides are increasingly theorized to function as informational modulators—molecules whose influence may arise from timing, localization, and structural affinity rather than magnitude alone.Vesugen occupies a distinctive position […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce and Member of Parliament for St Andrew North Central, Delano Seiveright, departed the island Saturday leading a week-long Jamaican trade and investment mission to Ireland and the United Kingdom focused on expanding export opportunities, strengthening business partnerships and advancing investment discussions for Jamaica.The mission is being coordinated by JAMPRO, Jamaica’s national investment and export […]

In honour of Mother's Day, Observer Online is saluting several women who played important roles in the reggae movement.Louise “Miss Lou” Bennett CoverleyConsidered in some quarters the first dub poet, Miss Lou championed the use of Jamaican dialect on radio and in schools. While humorous, her poems like Nuh Lickle Twang and Dry Foot Bwoy, accurately captured the social state of mind in pre-Independence Jamaica.In the 1970s, they inspired aspiring poets such as Mutabaruka and Yasus Afari, […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Senator Dr Maziki Thame ripped into Government Senators on Friday as she accused the Jamaica Labour Party Government of frequently displaying “autocratic tendencies”, while disregarding the rights of Jamaicans.Thame lashed out during her contribution to the debate on the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill, which was eventually passed along party lines.NaRRA is the body established by the Government to lead the reconstruction […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Government Senator Marlon Morgan has described as a “zero-sum game” and “a scorched earth strategy”, the approach of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) to the establishment of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA).Morgan levelled the accusation on Friday as the Senate debated and passed the NaRRA Bill that will allow for the setting up of the authority that is tasked with rebuilding large swathes of the country following the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) has the potential to be one of the largest employment programmes in Jamaica’s modern history, according to Government Senator Kavan Gayle.Gayle, who is also President General of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), made the observation in the Senate on Friday during his contribution to the debate on the NaRRA Bill.NaRRA is the entity established by the Government to drive reconstruction efforts […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Island Traffic Authority (ITA) continues to report double digit reductions in road fatalities five months into the year.According to the latest statistics released by the ITA on Friday, 26 people were killed in 22 fatal crashes during  the month of April. This shows a 16 per cent reduction in fatalities and a 15 per cent decline in fatal crashes when compared to April 2025.During the month, pedestrian fatalities were down 27 per cent; however, private motor vehicle […]

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) — Manchester City kept their slender Premier League title hopes alive as Jeremy Doku inspired a 3-0 win against Brentford on Saturday.Pep Guardiola's side struggled to prise open Brentford for almost an hour at the Etihad Stadium.But Doku's latest dazzling strike broke the deadlock before Erling Haaland bagged his 26th league goal this season.Omar Marmoush wrapped up an essential City victory in stoppage-time.City closed to two points behind leaders Arsenal, […]

TORONTO, Canada (CMC) – The Government of Canada said on Friday that its Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the President of Guyana, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, in Toronto, where the leaders emphasised the “strong” ties between Canada and Guyana.The Canadian Government said this is strengthened by over 100,000 Canadians of Guyanese ancestry.It noted in a statement that Guyana is one of Canada’s largest trading partners among the Caribbean Community (Caricom).“The leaders discussed […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A person who jumped a perimeter fence and was hit by an airplane taking off from Denver International Airport died in the incident, the airport said Saturday.Frontier Airlines Flight 4345 aborted takeoff after hitting the person at about 11:19 pm Friday night (0519 GMT Saturday), the airport said."DEN can confirm that the pedestrian jumped the perimeter fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway," the statement said."The pedestrian is […]

In terms of music, 1976 was a landmark year for reggae. It saw the release of outstanding albums by Bob Marley and The Wailers (Rastaman Vibration), Bunny Wailer (Blackheart Man) and Peter Tosh (Legalize It).The self-titled album by Third World was also released in 1976. Released three years after the band formed in Kingston, it was the most eclectic of what are regarded as four of reggae’s greatest works.Third World performs at ‘To Mom With Love’ on May 10 at the AC Hotel in Kingston, […]

GRANADILLA DE ABONA, Spain (AFP) — Speaking to reporters in Madrid, Spain's health and interior ministers insisted there would be "no contact" with the local population.Interior Minister Fernando Grande‑Marlaska said the operation would be swift, with passengers leaving "by nationality groups".After being examined on board, they will be taken on smaller boats and transferred by bus to the airport. There, they will be flown back to their home countries, including to the United States, […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Classrooms at Southborough Primary and Independence City Primary in St Catherine were filled with storytelling, laughter, and lively discussion on Tuesday as Pizza Hut Jamaica joined in the celebration of Read Across Jamaica Day through interactive reading sessions designed to make reading engaging and enjoyable for students.This year’s Read Across Jamaica Day activities were held in support of the 2026 Child Month theme, ‘Prioritise Our Children’s Mental Health: […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Dancehall artiste Caboowie is expressing concern about the frequent incidents of violence among school children.“You see how the children are fighting and misbehaving themselves in the schools and on the streets? Too much negative music is influencing them. They need positive messages and songs that can inspire them,” he decried in an interview with Observer Online recently.“Too much negativity has influenced these children overtime. It’s time that we call a […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- A policeman is nursing a broken leg after he was involved in a motorcycle crash on Friday.It is understood that the crash happened about 2:15pm while the police constable, assigned to the Traffic Enforcement Division, was participating in an escort of American social media star IShowSpeed along Spanish Town Road in Kingston.Reports are that the policeman was traveling aboard his service motorcycle when a blue Honda Fit overtook the bike before stopping abruptly, resulting […]

ST JAMES, Jamaica — Newly appointed chairman of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Ryan Parkes is challenging educators to play a pivotal role in positioning tourism education as a stand alone industry. How well Jamaica trains its people, he said, will have a significant impact on the country’s future competitiveness in the global tourism market.Parkes’s comments came as he addressed a Teachers’ Day luncheon hosted by St James East Central Member of Parliament Edmund Bartlett at the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Fusion rapper Natalia Iñspiration is ecstatic about the early reaction to her latest single, 'My Love' featuring United Kingdom (UK)- based balladeer Kenn Willis.The song, an ode to love, is elevated by Natalia Iñspiration's smooth rapping style delivered on a bouncy, hip-hop flavoured beat."Kenn Willis actually wrote that song before he met me, but he didn't complete it. He wanted another artiste to collaborate with, so one night, while we were on a voice call, he […]

MANCHESTER, Jamaica — There were dramatic scenes in Mandeville on Friday night as police fatally shot two alleged gunmen and seized two firearms in a reported confrontation consisting of a running gun battle and high speed chase from the southern end of the town.People were sent scampering for cover at multiple locations as police gave chase to a Toyota Axio from Newleigh Road to Manchester Road where the shooting subsided near Willowgate plaza where a bystander was reportedly grazed by a […]

ST JAMES, Jamaica — The St James police are now investigating the shooting death of a woman on Saturday morning.The woman, whose identity has not yet been ascertained, was shot and killed by an unknown assailant as she exited a Toyota Voxy bus she had just driven into the People's Arcade about 6:30 am.Reports are that the woman had come to collect a cart that was used to sell soup when she was pounced upon by the shooter, said to be a male.The police were soon contacted and crime scene […]

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 […]