CARIBBEAN

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) is calling for an end to the “politicisation” of the procurement of a $31 million neurosurgical drill for the Bustamante Hospital for Children.The call followed days of back and forth between Opposition Spokesperson on Health, Dr Alfred Dawes, a local medical company and Jamaica Labour Party representatives, including Member of Parliament Donovan Williams and Government Senator Marlon Morgan, regarding the drill which […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The legacy of the late roots reggae singer Kenneth “Junior” Byles will not be allowed to “fade away”. There will be a nine-night ceremony this Friday, May 23 to mark the passing of the singer who is best known for timeless classics like Fade Away and Curly Locks.The event will be held at 20 Delamere Avenue, off Waltham Park, and notables such as Jerry Mathias, the only surviving member of the Maytals, as well as other entertainers, will be present.Byles, despite […]

ST THOMAS, Jamaica — Member of Parliament (MP) for St Thomas Western, James Robertson, has lauded the Government, Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ) and taxpayers for bringing to fruition the $6 billion Morant Bay Urban Centre, the largest investment in a town in the country’s modern history.“We have waited 160 years since Paul Bogle first championed our cause. I say to the prime minister, what you and the Factories Corporation of Jamaica have done here today is tremendous work. You […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The organisers of the White Out Premium All White Beach Party say they will ensure, as much as possible, that there are no more “no-shows” following dancehall artiste Jamal’s missing set from the May 18 staging.The event, which was held at Sugarman’s Beach in Hellshire, Portmore, St Catherine, advertised to hundreds of patrons that the deejay would have been the headliner. However, up until the eleventh hour, he did not show up. “We (the promoter and Jamal’s […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz has assured public passenger vehicle (PPV) operators that a final decision on the fare increase for the sector will be made in the coming weeks.The Government approved a 35 per cent fare increase in October 2023; however, only a 19 per cent hike was implemented.The additional 16 per cent was scheduled for implementation in April 2024; however, due to high inflation, the fare adjustment has not been […]

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC) — Regional forecasters Thursday predicted a “potentially intense, but erratic” 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, saying the frequency of Saharan dust will affect cyclone formation even as they noted that storms could form between these dust episodes, as had been the case with Hurricane Beryl in July last year.“So there’s no two ways about it. You’ve heard it already: The headline is a potentially intense but erratic season ahead,” Cédric Van Meerbeeck, […]

As climate change continues to reshape coastal communities in Jamaica, the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM) turned to an increasingly powerful force for solutions: the youth. On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, the Portland Bight Discovery Centre welcomed young change-makers from across Clarendon for the 2nd Annual Youth Forum under the theme, “Sea the Change: Coastal Protection in the Digital Age.”This year’s forum placed digital innovation at the heart of climate resilience, […]

SAN DIEGO, United States (AFP) — Several people were killed when a small plane crashed in a California neighborhood before dawn Thursday, destroying a home and setting more than a dozen cars on fire.At least 10 houses were hit by debris and vehicles on both sides of a street went up in flames when the Cessna 550 slammed into the ground, spewing burning jet fuel in a part of San Diego that is home to military families. San Diego Fire Department Assistant Chief Dan Eddy told reporters one house […]

PARIS, France (AFP)— Fifty-five men including a priest, a paramedic, and a music teacher were arrested in France this week as part of an operation to dismantle a suspected paedophile ring operating via the Telegram messaging app, authorities said on Thursday.The arrests took place in 42 departments over possession, distribution and regular viewing of pornography involving children "under the age of 10", France's OFMIN, which is tasked with preventing violence against minors, told AFP.OFMIN […]

Sterling Asset Management has once again partnered with Crime Stop Jamaica, contributing J$1 million to support the organisation’s efforts to combat crime and promote safer communities across the island. The sponsorship was formally announced on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at a handover held at Sterling’s New Kingston office.This latest sponsorship builds on Sterling’s multi-year support of the organisation, which included a $5 million commitment between 2021 and 2023 and $1 million in 2024, […]

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Thursday predicted a more intense Atlantic hurricane season this year -- even as the Trump administration moves to gut the agency's workforce and slash its budget.NOAA is forecasting a 60 percent chance of an above-normal season, with  between 13 to 19 named storms with winds of 39 mph (63 kph) or higher.Of those, six to 10 are expected to become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or higher, […]

EdgeChem Jamaica is joining forces with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), Digicel Foundation, the National Housing Trust (NHT) and Sagicor Foundation to carry out beautification and improvement works at six public institutions this Labour Day.The projects will focus on schools and hospitals across Kingston and St Catherine, with teams repainting classrooms, restoring early childhood spaces, marking roads, and upgrading rest areas for medical staff, the company said in a press release. It […]

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — A measles outbreak in Mexico has left four people dead this year, including three unvaccinated children, authorities said.Most of the country's more than 1,000 confirmed cases of the highly contagious disease in 2025 have been in areas near the US border.Officials in the worst-hit northern state of Chihuahua said that they had met local Mennonite leaders to encourage vaccination.Two children aged 11 months and seven years old from the vaccine-skeptical Christian […]

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — A United States (US) court on Thursday ordered a convicted former Mexican security chief and his wife to pay more than US$2.4 billion to their country in a civil suit, Mexico's government said.Mexico sued Genaro Garcia Luna, who is imprisoned in the United States for drug trafficking, for alleged corruption and money laundering involving public contracts.The money awarded by a Florida court is three times the amount that the Mexican government had originally […]

WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) says it stands in solidarity with Merica Frazer, the mother of Mario Deane as it calls for the wheels of justice to turn faster, following the end of the trial surrounding Deane’s death.“This long-overdue decision brings a measure of accountability in a case that has come to symbolise the deep systemic failures within Jamaica’s justice and law enforcement systems,” the advocacy group said.Following what JFJ describes as a harrowing […]

CLARENDON, Jamaica — Clarendon police are calling on residents to help identify a man accused of multiple robberies and rapes in the parish.The suspect, seen in photos shared by the police, is allegedly wanted in connection with four robberies and two rapes that took place in a 24 hour period.The police said the man is considered armed and dangerous.Anyone who has seen the suspect or has information on his whereabouts is urged to call the May Pen Criminal Investigations Branch at 876-822-2077 […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The US dollar on Thursday, May 22, ended trading at $159.47 down by 21 cents according to the Bank of Jamaica’s daily exchange trading summary.Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar ended trading at $115.28 down from $115.30 and the British pound ended at $211.21 down from $213.66

WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The three cops charged in the fatal beating of 31-year-old construction worker Mario Deane while in police custody in 2014 were found guilty in the Westmoreland Circuit Court a short while ago.The seven-member jury returned the six to one verdict on each count after deliberating on the facts presented in the case for a little more than two hours.Before the case was handed over to the jury, presiding Supreme Court Judge Justice Courtney Daye instructed them to address […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) is aiming to become the first Caribbean university to officially compete in the international Formula Student competition with the launch of the UTech Racing Club.The club is Jamaica’s first university-based student motorsport racing team and signifies Jamaica’s formal entry into the competition. Organised by the United Kingdom (UK) based Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), Formula Student enables university […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) says it has launched an intensified islandwide search for 15 men it described as “significant drivers of crime in communities”.With alleged crimes ranging from murder and shooting with intent to wounding with intent and robbery with aggravation, those wanted are urged to surrender immediately to the police.The individuals listed are:— Delano Leslie, otherwise called “Crazy” or “Brown Man” of Claremont District, Hanover. He […]