CARIBBEAN

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaican businessman and hotelier Christopher Issa has called for renewed national focus on Brand Jamaica, saying the country’s extraordinary international recognition must be continuously nurtured, protected and strengthened.Speaking at Wednesday’s launch of the Reggae Marathon in Kingston, Issa said Jamaica possesses one of the world’s most recognisable cultural identities, with an extraordinary collection of globally known people, products and experiences.“Brand […]

ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Defending champions St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) opened their ISSA daCosta Cup title defence with a 3-0 win over Maggotty High in their Group 1 St Elizabeth derby at the STETHS Sports Complex on Wednesday.Shavarie Walker, Amari Lewis and Shyon George were on target for the champions, who moved top of Group 1 ahead of Munro College and Frome Technical, who also won on Wednesday.Munro College rebounded from their Ben Francis Cup quarter-final loss on Saturday to beat […]

Jamaican defender Ronaldo Webster is the lone Reggae Boy named to the Best XI for the recently concluded group stage of the Concacaf Nations League A. Webster started all four games as the Reggae Boyz finished second in Group B on seven points with two wins, one loss and a draw, which was enough to book their ticket to the quarterfinals of the tournament in November.Curacao and Haiti have the most players named in the Best XI with three each. Curacao’s midfield pair and brothers Leandro […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Motorists should see a decrease at the pumps in the price of gasoline effective Thursday, October 7, according to the latest ex-refinery costs from Petrojam.After a decrease of $0.25, 90-octane will be sold for $217.08 per litre, while 87 will be sold for $209.37 per litre down $0.25.Automotive diesel fuel will be sold for $242.26 per litre after a $3.38 and ultra-low sulphur diesel will be sold for $264.16 per litre up $4.07.Kerosene increased by $4.50 and will be sold […]

ST MARY, Jamaica — A St Mary community is in mourning following a fatal collision that claimed the life of a 17-year-old boy on Tuesday.The deceased has been identified as Romaine Williams of Standpipe, Oracabessa.Reports from the St Mary police are that Williams was travelling on a motorcycle along the Stewart Town main road towards Oracabessa when the bike collided with a grey minibus travelling in the opposite direction.Williams sustained multiple injuries. He was taken to the Port Maria […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The United States (US) dollar on Wednesday, October 7, ended trading at $159.78, up 12 cents, according to the Bank of Jamaica’s daily exchange trading summary.Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar ended trading at $113.71 up from $112.87, and the British pound ended at $212.99  up $210.63 .

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A police constable was on Wednesday offered bail on murder and shooting charges in the St James Parish Circuit Court arising from a 2025 incident in which one man was fatally shot and another injured.Constable Randy Campbell, 37, is accused of shooting a man known only as Kayon, who later succumbed to his injuries, and then shooting another man during an incident on April 29, 2025.The allegations are that Campbell intervened in a dispute between his sister and her […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Leader of Government Business in the House of Representatives Floyd Green advised Opposition House Leader Phillip Paulwell that the House Committee is not the appropriate forum to examine administrative arrangements, individual employment contracts or staff resignations.“The matters that you have raised are not in the remit of the House Committee,” Green stated. “It would be quite inappropriate that the committee should examine administrative arrangements, personal […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — With Jamaica recording a significant reduction in murders and other serious crimes, one attorney and a technology youth engagement consultant are urging that similar urgency be applied to violence occurring within homes, families and intimate relationships.According to attorney-at-law, Rodain Richardson, the domestic violence statistics are sobering.Richardson pointed out on Wednesday that Jamaica recorded 7, 559 reported cases of domestic violence in 2025, which is a […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — President of the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Jamaica (YEA), Cordell Williams, is encouraging micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to become more actively involved in business associations as Jamaica expands opportunities for local businesses through public procurement, reconstruction projects and other government-led initiatives.Williams said that while government agencies must continue to address structural barriers that make it difficult for smaller […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica —  Recording artistes Yaksta and Bellwetha have released the visuals for their collaborative effort entitled "The Farmer and The Banger" causing widespread backlash on social media.The controversial single has been making the rounds on social media and is raising eyebrows due to the subject matter, especially considering the fact that Yaksta is of the Rastafarian faith. However, according to Bellwetha the single is just artistic expression."As musicians we mirror what is […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Children at Morris Knibb Preparatory School had a pleasant surprise awaiting TotalEnergies Jamaica's team members, who visited the Miraflores Drive, St Andrew, school last Tuesday for a tree-planting and fire-drill exercise, involving more than 400 students.“When I pressed the fire alarm, you could instantly hear chairs moving and teachers directing the children. They also had multiple exit points,” said Shanice Samuels, health, safety, environment and quality officer, […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew East Central, Dennis Gordon, has revealed that he has given up 25 per cent of his salary to a faith-based initiative managed by Bishop Herro Blair.He has also acquired a property for $20 million to ensure tenure for approximately 100 residents who faced eviction.“That is leadership empowering people,” Gordon said Tuesday during his contribution to the 2026/27 State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives.The […]

ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Police are now on the scene of a murder where a businessman was shot by a gunman in Knoxwood near Lacovia in St Elizabeth Wednesday morning.Sources have identified the businessman as Carl Brown, a contractor and equipment rental company owner.Preliminary reports are that sometime after 11:00 am, a black Toyota Voxy motorcar drove up to a premises in Knoxwood and a gunman alighted from the vehicle, opening fire on Brown.Residents say Brown was in the company of two […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government has moved to scale back the amount it will spend to lease the new headquarters of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) at the Digicel Building, at 14 Ocean Boulevard, downtown Kingston.This decision comes after much public backlash following the Government's announcement that it signed a five-year lease with a valuation of US$26.00 per square foot for a total annual cost of US$725,972.Information Minister Senator Dana Morris Dixon […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A St Andrew man was granted $30,000 bail with two sureties in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday after he allegedly assaulted a woman who repeatedly rejected his advances to enter into a relationship with him.Allegations are that the accused, Dantae Smith, visited the complainant’s workplace in Papine on several occasions and propositioned her to be in a relationship with him.The complainant reportedly rejected Smith’s advances on several occasions, but […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A 47-year-old man accused of stealing a gold-coloured chain valued at US$2 from a visitor to the island was denied bail when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday.Horace Brown, a resident of Golden Spring, St Andrew, faces a larceny charge after an incident along North Odean Avenue, St Andrew, on Thursday, July 16.Reports from the Half Way Tree police are that about 4:10 pm, a woman was sitting inside a vehicle when she was approached by Brown, […]

MIAMI, United States (AFP)—Tropical Storm Isaias formed Wednesday in the Gulf of Mexico and could strengthen into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, forecasters said.The storm is expected to approach the northern Gulf coast of the United States on Friday, the National Hurricane Centre said.As of Wednesday morning, it was churning 420 kilometres (260 miles) northwest of Puerto Progreso, Mexico and 540 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River.Isaias is packing maximum […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A taxi operator accused of assaulting his brother-in-law and stealing his motor vehicle was granted $250,000 bail with two sureties when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday.George Dempster is charged with assault at common law, robbery with aggravation and malicious destruction of property.The allegations are that while the complainant was at his house, Dempster visited and told him that his mother was treating the complainant better than she […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Denham Town High School community is mourning the loss of 11-year-old Jaydon Whyte, who perished in a house fire along with his stepfather, 60-year-old Junior Barrett, along North Street in Kingston Tuesday morning.The school's principal, Yvette Richards-Thompson, described the grade seven student as a perfect gentleman who made a significant impact on both students and staff members."He was kind, he was caring, he loved to just hug people, and he was considered to the […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A cashier was brought before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday to answer to the charge of larceny as a servant after she allegedly fleeced her employer of $130,000.Allegations are that Shelly-Ann Golding was employed as a cashier at Island Vegas Gaming Lounge in Denham Town, Kingston.Reports are that a sum of money was left in Golding’s care and, following checks, $130,000 was unaccounted for.Golding reportedly admitted that she was short and agreed to […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Motorists are experiencing traffic delays along Maxfield Avenue in Kingston following a two-vehicle collision Wednesday morning.Details surrounding the crash remain unclear; however, Observer Online understands that a Volkswagen Tiguan SUV and a Honda Fit were involved.More details to come.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Hope Gardens Nature Preservation Foundation will celebrate Jamaica’s rich cultural heritage with the staging of the Roots of Jamaica: Poetry, Culture & Flavours Festival on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the Hope Royal Botanic Gardens in Kingston.The festival, which runs from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, will bring together poetry, music, food, history and family entertainment under the theme “Honouring Our Heroes. Celebrating Our Heritage. Inspiring Our Future.”The […]

SINGAPORE (AFP)—The International Monetary Fund is preparing to offer support to countries exposed to the effects of El Nino, the organisation's director Kristalina Georgieva told AFP on Wednesday, expressing concern about food security.El Nino is a natural phenomenon recurring every two to seven years owing to the warming of sea surfaces, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.Global forecasters predict this year's event will peak at an intensity never observed […]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Transport and Mining, Mikael Phillips, says the Opposition stands in full solidarity with members of the transport sector whose businesses he said are being destroyed and whose livelihoods are adversely impacted by the unfair competition from unregulated “ride-hailing” services in Jamaica.Phillips, in a statement on Wednesday, said the Opposition had raised the issue on many occasions to no avail. However, he noted the concerns of the tourism […]