THE Electoral Office of Jamaica (EOJ) says all is in place to accept nominations from eligible candidates for the by-election in the constituency of St Ann North Eastern. Nomination will take place on Wednesday, September 11 at 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Office of the Returning Officer, St Ann North Eastern, located at 1 Wharf Street, St Ann’s Bay. Nomination procedures On nomination day, any person wishing to contest the election is required to: * fill out a nomination form signed by any 10 or more electors registered to vote in the constituency; * return the form to the returning officer between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm; and * pay the nomination fee of $15,000. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution of Jamaica (Sections 39 and 40), any person seeking to enter as a candidate to sit in the House of Representatives should, inter alia: * be a citizen of Jamaica, resident in Jamaica for at least 12 months prior to the date of nomination or a Commonwealth citizen who has resided in Jamaica for at least 12 months prior to the nomination date; and * be at least 21 years of age. Political parties intending to contest the election must be registered with the EOJ under the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2014. Individuals wishing to contest the election who are not members of registered political parties may do so as independent candidates. The ruling Jamaica Labour Party will be nominating former Cabinet minister Matthew Samuda, while the Opposition People’s National Party said last week that it will not be contesting.

It’s officially New York Fashion Week (NYFW) — the formal kick-off of fashion month — which means fab looks, the latest beauty trends, and non-stop celebrity sightings! Among them, is Jamaican artiste Shenseea who made her #NYFW debut at the Kim Shui Spring/Summer 2025 on Saturday, September 7. The NYC-based womenswear designer enlisted some of the world’s most elite names to walk in the show, which also served as her debut in menswear. Classic silhouettes such as her corsets, dresses, and short shorts made their way down the runway. US Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles closed the show in a blooming bodysuit ornamented with a fluttering cape and make-up by none other than Jamaican-American Romero Jennings.

NEW YORK, USA — Jamaicans in Lauderhill, Florida, are seeking sanctions against the city’s Vice Mayor Lawrence “Jabbow” Martin over allegations of misconduct following an incident during a motorcade celebrating the island’s 62nd anniversary of Independence on August 4. The powerful Jamaican Men of Florida, an organisation that seeks to empower Jamaican men in that state and beyond, alleged in a press statement that Martin “in a blatant display of disrespect, misuse of power and physical violence, disrupted a peaceful gathering of Jamaican Americans”. The group accused Martin of what it described as an “aggressive and unprovoked attack on a 67-year-old senior citizen”, saying that it was “particularly reprehensible”. The organisation added that the senior citizen, who has since been identified as Richard Campbell, “had to seek medical attention for discomfort and bruises” after he was shoved to the ground. The Lauderhill Police Department confirmed the incident. “This matter is currently under active investigation and so we are not able to comment further at this time.” a spokeswoman told the Jamaica Observer However, in an e-mail response to the Observer, Martin denied the allegations. “Please be advised that any allegations of me assaulting Mr Richard Campbell are 100 per cent false. Any action taken by me was in self-defence as I was simply trying to defend myself from his physical attacks as a result of his unprovoked behaviour towards me,” the vice mayor wrote in his response. He said that he is also “pursuing criminal charges” against Campbell. “Additionally, as a retired federal probation officer, I look forward to seeing this investigation completed where my name is cleared, justice prevails, and truth becomes evident,” Martin said. When the Observer contacted Campbell he said he was “physically assaulted” by the vice mayor after refusing a request from him to have a discussion. “A week before the August incident I was verbally abused by him,” he told the Observer. Campbell said that he reported the matter to Lauderhill city officials and has also provided a statement to the Lauderhill Police Department. Additionally, he said he has “initiated legal action against Martin” as he had to seek medical attention as a result of the incident. Meanwhile, Jamaican Men of Florida is urging the Lauderhill Commission Ethics Committee to “reprimand” Martin “for his conduct or call for his resignation or stepping down from office”. “The people of Lauderhill, particularly those of Jamaican heritage, deserve better representation,” the organisation said in its release which also expressed concerns about how the matter was handled by the police. “Instead of reprimanding Vice Mayor Martin they engaged in friendly discussions with him,” the group alleged. Peter Gracey, who heads the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council for the Southern United States, has also weighed in on the controversy, saying that he wants the Lauderhill City Commission to “take immediate and decisive steps, including the issuing of a formal reprimand to Vice Mayor Martin”. He is also insisting that Martin issue a public apology. “Our community deserves leadership that embodies integrity, respect and responsibility — qualities that are the cornerstone of Jamaican American culture. The vice mayor’s actions represent a stark betrayal of these values and we cannot afford to remain silent,” said Gracey. Jamaicans make up a large part of the population of Lauderhill and account for the largest percentage of the black population in the city. CAMPBELL… says he has initiated legal action against Martin GRACEY… our community deserves leadership that embodies integrity, respect and responsibility

KINGSTON, Jamaica — World-leader Ackera Nugent and Olympic Games semi-finalist Stacey-Ann Williams were winners on Sunday’s final day of the three-day Memorial Borisa Hanžekovića in Zagreb, Croatia. Nugent won the 100m hurdles while Williams set a meet record in the women’s 400m to join long jumper Shawn-D Thompson who had won the men’s event on Saturday. Nugent clocked 12.55 seconds (-0.5m/s) to win her event, beating Great Britain’s Cindy Sember- 12.67 seconds and American Kendra Harrison-12.76 with former World Championships silver medallist Britany Anderson finishing sixth with 12.91 seconds. Williams ran 50.00 seconds to set a new meeting record, finishing ahead of Norway’s Henriette Jaeger- 50.22 seconds and American Shamier Little- 50.58 seconds. On Saturday, Thompson won the men’s long jump on the second tie-breaker as he and Uzbekistan’s Anvar Anvarov had identical marks of 7.99m and 7.94m for the first and second marks. Thompson’s third best mark of 7.90m was better than Anvarov’s 7.82m with Croatia’s Roko Farka taking third with 7.90m (0.6m/s). Shashalee Forbes was second in the women’s 100m, running 11.23 seconds (-0.7m/s), Gambia’s Gina Bass won with 11.13 seconds while the American Jenna Prandini was third with 11.30 seconds. Natoya Goule-Toppin placed second in the women’s 800m with 1:57.43 seconds, as Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir won with a meeting record of 1:57.00 seconds while Ethiopia’s Nigist Getachew set a personal best 1:57.47 seconds for third place. Olympic finalist Hansle Parchment was third in the 110m hurdles in 13.25 seconds (-0.5m/s) behind Japan’s Rachid Muratake’s 13.14 seconds and American Daniel Roberts- 13.18 seconds. Olympic record holder Roje Stona was fourth in the men’s discus throw with 65.98m; Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh won with 67.95m, followed by Great Britain’s Lawrence Okoye who threw a season’s best 67.05m with Australia’s Matthew Denny third with 66.99m. -Paul A Reid

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AFP) — A member of the Tanzanian opposition party Chadema has been found dead after being abducted, beaten and doused with acid, party leader Freeman Mbowe said Sunday. Ali Mohamed Kibao, a member of Chadema’s national secretariat, was forced off a bus at gunpoint on Friday by suspected security agents as he was travelling from Dar es Salaam to the northern port city of Tanga, party officials said. His body was found in the Ununio waterfront district of Dar es Salaam on Saturday night. The incident comes less than a month after Mbowe, his deputy Tundu Lissu and other Chadema leaders were briefly detained in a mass roundup that raised concerns about the shrinking democratic space in Tanzania. “The postmortem has been conducted (witnessed by) Chadema lawyers and it is clear that Kibao was severely beaten and had acid poured on his face,” Mbowe told reporters. “We cannot allow our people to continue disappearing or being killed like this,” he said. “The lives of Chadema leaders are currently at risk.” He said several other party officials had also gone missing, without giving details. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said she had learnt of Kibao’s murder “with great sadness” and extended her condolences to his family, friends and party leaders. “I have directed the investigative authorities to provide me with a detailed report on this extremely grave incident and similar cases urgently,” she said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Our country is democratic, and every citizen has the right to live. The government I lead will not tolerate such acts of cruelty.” Kibao was a retired military intelligence officer who had worked with other opposition parties as well as the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) before joining Chadema. Chadema’s director of communication and foreign affairs John Mrema told AFP that Kibao was 69 and had been a party member since 2008. Police said in a statement they were continuing to investigate “this tragic incident” and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice. Rights groups and government opponents have raised fears the recent crackdown on the opposition could signal a return to the oppressive policies of Hassan’s predecessor, the late president John Magufuli. The arrests came despite Hassan vowing a return to “competitive politics” and easing some restrictions on the opposition and the media, including lifting a six-year ban on opposition gatherings. Amnesty said the mass arrests in August were a “deeply worrying sign” in the run-up to local government elections in December 2024 and general elections due late next year. Mbowe himself was also arrested in July 2021 ahead of a party meeting to demand constitutional reforms before being freed the following March after prosecutors dropped terrorism charges against him. Lissu, who ran unsuccessfully for the presidency in 2020, has also been arrested multiple times and survived an assassination attempt in 2017. He returned to Tanzania, after living largely in exile for more than five years, following Hassan’s decision in 2023 to lift the ban on opposition.

CLARENDON, Jamaica — A 22-year-old Clarendon man has been charged with the November 2023 murder of his co-worker. Charged is 22-year-old Orlando Gayle otherwise called ‘Lando’, a security guard of Fern Crescent, Hayes, May Pen in Clarendon. He is implicated in the stabbing death of 22-year-old Ainsley Hall, also a security guard. Reports from the May Pen police are that about 7:10 am on the above mentioned date, Hall and Gayle, who were both employed to the same company, were both at the barracks when a physical altercation developed between them. Gayle reportedly used a knife to stab Hall several times to his upper body before fleeing the scene. The police were summoned and Hall was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Gayle was later arrested and charged. His court date is being finalised.

Former national champion and World Athletics Championships semi-finalist Rohan Watson won his first 100m final of the season at the Grand Prix Lombardia Brescia 2024, a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze event, on Sunday. Running into a strong head wind, the 2023 national champion clocked 10.48 seconds (-2.8m/s) ahead of compatriot Michael Campbell who finished second in 10.53 seconds and Cuba’s Janns Fernandez who ran 10.54 seconds for third. Watson had only won one race prior to Sunday, his heat of the men’s 100m at the Miramar Invitational in early April. Natasha Morrison was third in the women’s 100m in 11.43 seconds (-2.4m/s) behind winner Marie Josee Ta Lou-Smith of the Ivory Coast who ran 11.28 seconds and Great Britain’s Daryll Neita who was second with 11.31 seconds. Stephenie-Ann McPherson was fourth in the women’s 400m in 51.93 seconds as American Alexis Holmes won with 51.32 seconds, beating Brittany Brown who was second in 51.48 seconds and Andrea Miklos of Romania who took third in 51.65 seconds. Yanique Thompson was also fourth, in the 100m hurdles in 13.44 seconds (-1.6m/s), behind Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho Quinn who won with 12.88 seconds, followed by American Masai Russell who was second with 12.91 seconds and Italy’s Giada Carmassi in third place with 13.42 seconds. Lamara Distin was fifth in the women’s high jump with 1.82m and Janieve Russell was sixth in the women’s 400m hurdles in 56.13 seconds. -Paul A Reid

PARIS, France (AFP) — Attacks worldwide against students and educational facilities rose by 20 per cent in 2022 and 2023 over the two previous years, especially in war-torn countries, the United Nations (UN) said Monday. The UN’s cultural agency United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) cited a study by the Global Coalition for Protecting Education from Attack, of which it is a member. It said “6,000 attacks against students, professionals and educational institutions, including 1,000 cases of military use of these institutions, were recorded worldwide in 2022-2023 — an average of eight per day”. “This represents a 20 per cent increase on the previous two years.” These attacks were “much more frequent in countries currently experiencing armed conflict, foremost among them Myanmar, the Middle East and Gaza in particular, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen,” it added.

NEW YORK, USA — Despite reeling from a bitter feud within the ranks of the rival Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC) which has split the organisation and dampened its resolve, a small number of members staged a protest against the Jamaican Government in New York last Friday. The protest, which took place outside the Jamaican Consulate in Manhattan, was organised by the One Jamaica Legal Defense Foundation which, prior to the fallout, was part of a coalition that sought to highlight a number of issues of concern to the Diaspora. The other groups in that coalition were the Diaspora Task Force on Crime Intervention and Prevention, and the Call To Action group. Addressing Friday’s protest, attorney Wilfred Rattigan, founder of the One Jamaica Legal Defense Foundation and a key player in the dispute, said they were there to give a voice to oppressed Jamaicans he claims are “suffering from low wages, poor health-care service, corruption, crumbling infrastructure, and poor education”. “The days of staying silent are over as we are on the cusp of finding change for the people of Jamaica,” he declared. “The Government would like nothing more but to see us go away, but we are not going anywhere. We may be small in numbers but we will prevail in unity,” he said. In a clear reference to the split within the group, Rattigan said, “We have no issue with our brothers and sisters. Our issue is with the Government of Jamaica which, for eight years, have demonstrated poor governance and a lack of response to the concerns of Jamaicans across the United States and elsewhere.” While other speakers at the protest joined Rattigan in accusing the Government of not doing enough on a range of issues, one speaker, Jeffery Tavares, told protesters that, “as a people we need to come together, offer assistance, and find solutions to the problems affecting us”. “We need to stand with the Government, even while being critical of their action. We cannot continue to blame the political elites alone, we must play our part as well,” he argued even as he lamented the state of violent crime in the country. Tavares said that every Jamaican, despite their location in the world, should be concerned about crime in the country. He pointed to the killing of eight people at Cherry Tree Lane in Clarendon in August as a clear indication that more serious measures need to be taken by the Government to deal with crime. Despite the fallout within the group, the co-leader of the rival GJDC Dr Rupert Francis has vowed that the effort to get the Government to respond to their concerns will continue. “There are sufficient people who believe in what has been started and who want to be a part of our efforts. If it is that we have to look at where we are and reorganise, then we will,” he said. In June, as the Government staged its 10th Biennial Conference of the GJDC in Montego Bay, St James, the rival group held a counterpart version of the conference online at the same time, which drew participation from some People’s National Party personalities, among them its spokesman on health Dr Alfred Dawes. Dr Francis, who has bemoaned the break-up of what he described as, “the most successful and peaceful challenge to any Government of Jamaica in our pursuit of accountability”, had fired the first salvo in a letter to Jamaica’s Ambassador to Washington Audrey Marks, setting out their concerns, but which they later claimed was ignored. Ambassador Marks is, however, on record as saying she was prepared to discuss the concerns raised. It is unclear why that never happened. Francis had blamed the in-fighting on “person or persons unknown”, saying it would dampen the efforts to hold the Government responsible for the shortcomings outlined. Acknowledging that all is not well within the rival Diaspora council, another key member, Herb Nelson, a security expert, said he had also been sidelined as a result of the dispute which he too attributed to “differences of views on the pursuit of and implementation of our objectives”. Things took a turn for the worse two weekends ago as comments Rattigan made on his online platform — Reason with Rattigan — ignited an avalanche of outrage and criticisms, further widening the chasm within the group. Another important element of the dispute relates to questions over the expenditure of money raised by the One Jamaica Legal Defense Foundation — a non-profit entity registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Rattigan set up the foundation last year to raise funds to assist with the operations of the rival GJDC in meeting expenses such as logistical set-up and transportation for its recent series of protests, as well as legal costs. In his response Rattigan said that, “every cent raised by the foundation can be accounted for, and in keeping with Federal regulations an audited copy of the financial records of the foundation will be filed and made available for all to see, within the time specified for this to be done”. He also pledged to, “comply with any request for a refund by any contributor to the foundation, as a moral obligation, since legally it is not required”. Dr Francis, in the meantime, told the Observer he had sought the services of his attorneys with a view of filing a lawsuit against Rattigan for alleged libel and defamation. Over the past four weeks at least one person who, up to a month ago, was close to the group, and who did not wish to be named, used a popular online forum to criticise key members of the group, accusing some of having political motives, accusations which have been stoutly rebuffed. FRANCIS… If it is that we have to look at where we are and reorganise, then we will Wilfred Rattigan addressing a crowd of protestors earlier this year.

Shock waves as JUNO Awards drops reggae category News that the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has removed the Reggae Recording of the Year category from the 2025 staging of the annual JUNO Awards in Canada has sent shock waves across the reggae fraternity there. The news was quietly delivered to members of the JUNO reggae committee, sparking confusion and concern. According to sources familiar with the message, the announcement lacked extensive detail, but it hinted at several factors behind the decision, among them declining streaming numbers, reduced sales, repetitive submissions, and the dominance of the same artistes year after year. Several individuals from the reggae fraternity in Canada whom this writer reached out to declined to comment on record. One music producer who is a former JUNO winner said: “It’s unfortunate; I don’t really have a proper comment to make.” The JUNOS introduced the Best Reggae/Calypso Recording category in 1985 and it was maintained until 1991. No award was presented in 1992 or 1993, during which time reggae albums were subsumed under the new World Beat Recording category. The Best Reggae Recording category was introduced in 1994 until 2002 when the name was changed to Reggae Recording of the Year. Carrie Mullings, a second-generation Jamaican residing in Canada, speaking with the Jamaica Observer on Sunday, said: “I had the pleasure of being the chair for the reggae category for 12 years, a bit long, and I was on the committee for five years before that. So I was involved 17 years in total.” She resigned from the position in 2022. “My resignation came about because of many reasons. I was in the position for 12 years and when trying to seek another chair to take on the position there were no volunteers, so I remained in the position. I had a mission while I was there, and that was to defend reggae and to defend our Canadian reggae artistes,” Mullings said. She went on to say that news of the removal of the reggae category from the JUNOS has had a negative reaction across Canada with her taking calls from various leaders of black organisations and entertainers alike, who shared their concern about the move by the Junos. “I can’t even count the ways that this news has affected the community. To have the most prestigious award in Canada remove reggae is so disheartening. When we’re in a time of peace, love, and unity, in trying to raise a flag of consciousness across the world, in a time where people are suffering the most, we know that mental wellness can be achieved by the words and lyrics spoken and sung by reggae musicians and ambassadors in reggae music… to have that same conscious message that needs to resonate around the world, so it is affecting our community a great deal,” Mullings shared. Asked how the move by the Junos has affected the community, Mullings said: “I can only speak on what may be affecting our community. And, out of the categories that have been removed, I understand that what is affecting our community the most are reggae and gospel.” Still, Mullings is of the view that greater coordination of the voices among the fraternity could reap better treatment. “We need to come together, we need to organise, and we need to be a collective voice about the decision-making. We’ve spent many years involved in the JUNOS [and] we’ve also had many submissions. We have to learn to stop fighting one another. I’ve spent many years defending reggae and defending artistes; it’s time for us to do better, be better,” she charged. The Junos are recognised as Canada’s equivalent to the Grammy Awards. Among those who have won in the reggae category over the years are Leroy Sibbles, Nana McLean, Lenn Hammond, Blessed, Mikey Dangerous, Sonia Collymore, Humble, Exco Levi, Kairo McLean, and Kafinal. Dread by Kirk Diamond and Finn won the award earlier this year. Reggae artiste Kirk Diamond (left) and Allan Reid, president of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Science.

Educator pours scorn on criticism of teacher-training colleges Dr Garth Anderson, dean of the Teachers’ Colleges of Jamaica (TCJ), has poured scorn on biting criticisms of teacher-training institutions in recent days which have sought to lay the blame for poor student performance in national placement tests on the quality of teachers being turned out. In the most recent salvo, university lecturer Oneil Madden charged in a column published in the Jamaica Observer that content covered in the teachers’ colleges is far beneath Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level. According to Madden, many graduates enter the teaching profession and have no knowledge of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and CAPE syllabi simply because they were never covered in their methodology courses. In insisting that there is an evident gap between student teachers’ training and what occurs in the actual classroom, Madden went on to say many teachers are certified and qualified on paper, but are not competent to deliver the curriculum. According to Madden, this defect “links back to some of their own trainers — lecturers — who themselves are weak in content and methodology”. “They conduct no form of research; they are not well read; therefore, they cannot give sufficiently to their students. Their university colleagues are way ahead of them because they are more involved in their area of specialisation,” he stated. But Dr Anderson, who is also the principal of Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville, Manchester, in a sharp rejoinder, defended the teachers’ colleges which fall under the umbrella of the TCJ . “Clearly the article is not reflecting the full reality of what happens in our colleges, our teacher-training institutions, and I don’t know where he got his evidence for relating to some of the things he has mentioned. I want to start with the revision of college courses through our relationship with The University of the West Indies. The degrees are awarded by The University of the West Indies. Yes, we are going through a process of revision, it is taking some time, but the university has helped us to take some courses through,” Dr Anderson said. “We are talking about some 400 courses that are to be reviewed, and so that is taking some time, plus manpower, but that in no way suggests that the programme is in any way irrelevant and does not cater to the needs of the system at all levels,” he contended. Taking aim at the assertions by Madden that educators are not exposed to the curriculum for the primary and secondary schools exit exams Dr Anderson said, “So, for example, in the development of the programmes we incorporated the Ministry of Education, we had to make adjustments to reflect the need of the new PEP (Primary Exit Profile) programme, we did all of that. It was a whole consultative process with the students, faculty, teachers, the Ministry of Education, the curriculum department, and so on. We went through that process to ensure that the college programme was very much aligned with the PEP programme. The same thing happened with CAPE. We offer a first degree to equip persons to teach up to the CAPE level and to say that students don’t know how to teach the syllabus, that’s just erroneous and full of a whole lot of fluff; that is not the case.” “To make any attack on the capacity of our lecturers is unwarranted, unnecessary, and erroneous, and if you ask me is a slap in the face. Clearly the writer of the article has limited knowledge of what happens in our teacher-training system and we must never forget that teacher education is the foundation of tertiary education in Jamaica and in the West Indies and anywhere in the Western Hemisphere. What’s the evidence you have to prove about the content and competence level of our colleges?” he added. As to the insistence by Madden that teacher trainers themselves are underqualified, Dr Anderson had this to say: “To teach in the teacher training colleges you must have qualification one step ahead of [those being taught], so everybody has to have a master’s degree and content area, and where you don’t have a content area you are asked to go and do courses in your content area, in some instances, 30 to 80 credits in your content area”. “Say, for example, you have your first degree in math or geography and you have your master’s in leadership or in teaching and learning and you want to teach math, you have to do some master’s level or doctoral level content courses in the content area,” Dr Anderson explained. “So the person [who wrote the column] does not really know [and] seems like a bitter person trying to ooze out some venom on the teacher-training programme that clearly is coming out of a bowel of ignorance as to what really takes place in our institutions,” the TCJ head stated. Going further to defend the quality of teachers being turned out, Dr Anderson noted that Jamaican teachers “have currency across the world”. “They are coming for our students in fourth year. They are no longer waiting on them to have experience in our system and at the various levels in our system; fourth year they are getting jobs overseas — Dubai, Europe, North America, and even within the Caribbean,” he said. In the meantime, the veteran educator said some obvious factors that can explain the dip in student performances are being overlooked. “When you talk about the performance of our students there are several factors, one of them being clearly the teacher factor which is critical, but there are several other factors that will come to bear on student performance. Some of them are within the remit and reach of educators; some are not, such as the resources that we get; what happens at early childhood education, what you get to work with at primary [level], what you get to work with at secondary,” Anderson said. “Some of our students we are not

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has announced that Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Richard Stewart will assume responsibility for its Crime and Security Portfolio, effective Monday. He replaces recently retired Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey as head of the portfolio. The portfolio, widely regarded as one of the most challenging within the JCF, encompasses some of the nation’s most critical areas of law enforcement, including crime prevention, investigations, and public safety. DCP Stewart, a seasoned officer with over 30 years of service, brings a wealth of experience to the role. He is credited with transforming the administrative arm of the JCF, modernising training programmes, and playing a key role in securing ISO 9001 certification for the force. His leadership in reshaping the training at the National Police College of Jamaica has garnered international recognition, positioning the JCF as a leader in law enforcement training. A graduate of the University of the West Indies, DCP Stewart holds degrees in both law and accounting and has earned a reputation for his innovative approach to leadership. His appointment to the Crime and Security Portfolio comes at a time when Jamaica continues to face significant crime challenges, and it is expected that his extensive background in both operational command and strategic leadership will contribute to the on-going efforts to enhance public safety.

CHRISTIANA, Manchester — The policewoman who was critically injured in a two-vehicle crash that claimed the life of her 10-year-old son on Monday is said to be improving in hospital. Sources said she was informed of her son’s death on Tuesday afternoon when she was surrounded by relatives, including her daughter, who had arrived hours earlier in the country. “She not out of the woods yet. She is more coherent now and she is communicating better to the point where we told her that her son has passed,” a highly placed source told the Jamaica Observer. A 31-year-old man, who police said was the driver of the Range Rover involved in the collision that claimed the life of Treavon Saunchez, remains in police custody after being questioned by investigators Tuesday afternoon. Police sources said the man, who turned himself in late Monday, has been warned for prosecution. Police refused to name the person believed to have been driving the Range Rover which changed the joy and excitement of children going back to school on Monday to tears and sorrow. On Tuesday there was a sombre mood both at the boy’s paternal home and his school. His father, Bevon Saunchez, said his family is devastated as Treavon was remembered as a child who brought joy to everyone around him. “We spent a lot of time together. He was my little ‘parrie’. He was always here around his grandparents. He loved to be around them. They loved him just as much. Everybody loves him — neighbours, schoolmates. He had a good relationship with everybody,” he said. “It very hard to see Monday morning when everybody has their child going out and you look forward to hearing all the good stuff and it just never happens. It is traumatising,” he added. Treavon’s grandmother, Beryl Saunchez, recounted her last conversation with him on Sunday. “I said, ‘Treavon, you can bring your game [tablet] home and mom will allow you to stay 15 minutes on it, because it is school time.’ He said, ‘No, grandma’… He put down his game. I didn’t know I wasn’t going to see my grandson again,” the grandmother said. She said she told him of her expectations of him as he entered grade six. “He said, ‘Yes, Grandma, I want to do well, because I want to go to Knox College where my aunts and my dad went.’ I told him that he just has to continue working hard,” she said, while adding that Treavon had high hopes of becoming a pharmacist or medical doctor. “I told him that is nice, because we need a doctor in our family,” she said. His name was number nine on a list of students at the entrance of a grade six classroom at Christiana Leased Primary School. Inside the classroom, his classmates paid tribute to him with notes and sketches. Kimberley Hewitt, his grade five home economics and language arts teacher, described him as a jovial student. “It is shocking news for us. He was a vibrant student. He was all fun. Whenever you walked out of the classroom he would be one of the students running back to his seat and sitting and looking as innocent as ever like he didn’t do anything. He will be missed,” she said. Garcia Rattery-Aransevia, his grade five social studies and research teacher, remembered him as a lively student. “Treavon was my ‘parrie’. He was the person who, when I got into the class with my clown self, he was the one to lead everybody on. He was one to always challenge something. He always had something to say as a rebuttal. He always questions stuff. He was not afraid to ask. He was very confident,” the teacher said. “When I went home [on Monday] my stomach got tight, it was just so bad. Even driving to school and passing the scene,” she said before breaking down in tears. “The students are not taking it well. They are trying to be strong, you know adults would know more than children, but they are trying to be strong. They are doing the best they can to cope with the situation, but it is very difficult. His life was just cut short and nobody saw it coming,” she added while pointing to a video which showed Treavon dressed in his school uniform for what was to be his first day of grade six. “Then I saw this video where he was modelling his new shoes and I was just anticipating that he would come and put up his foot and show me his shoes; it is just sad to see that he had that video done and I did not get to see any of it,” she said. The teachers and students were on Tuesday provided with grief counselling. Marsha Fennell-Bell, education officer from Quality Education Circle (QEC) 46, said guidance counsellors from neighbouring schools are among those conducting grief counselling sessions. “The region [five] stands resolute to support the institution all the time and now in particular that our student has passed. Our regional director Mrs Suzanne Nelson-Smith was here yesterday with a team of us from the Ministry of Education. Today we are here again with the educational social workers and we will be providing psychosocial sessions,” she said.

RESIDENTS in low-lying, flood-prone areas are being cautioned to pay special attention to the strong tropical wave that is likely to begin impacting Jamaica on Wednesday afternoon, bringing with it significant rainfall. According to head of National Meteorological Centre, Dr Lawrence Brown, showers and thunderstorms from the system are likely to be heavy and can result in flooding. “Eastern and some central parishes are the areas of concern,” he told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday. According to the latest report from Meteorological Service of Jamaica (Met Service), the tropical wave has a moderate chance of developing into a tropical cyclone over the next seven days, but Dr Brown said this is not likely to happen while it is moving across Jamaica. However, he said as it moves further westward the conditions might be favourable for it to become a tropical cyclone. The Met Service also advised fishers and other marine interests to exercise caution as sea conditions are expected to deteriorate amidst the showers, thunderstorms and strong gusty winds. In the meantime, Dr Brown advised citizens not to take lightly weather systems during the hurricane season — and even outside of that period — due to climate change which is causing more severe weather. “The atmosphere has much more potential for very strong thunderstorms because of a warmer climate. So let’s say, for instance, if the climate wasn’t warming like now, the thunderstorms would not be as active, so what I’m trying to say is that with a warmer climate the atmosphere will produce tremendously more rainfall above average — and we should be cognisant of that,” he said.

THE shooting death by the police of 17-year-old Jevon Hall on Tuesday drew the ire of New Haven residents who blocked a section of Washington Boulevard in St Andrew to protest what they said was the murder of the teenager. Police, who cleared debris from the road, had to maintain their presence to allow free flow of traffic in the usually busy area. Some residents claimed that Hall was killed while in handcuffs and said he did not deserve to die the way he did because he was not a criminal. “Dem kill the people dem pickney in Cooreville Gardens and come throw him inna di market at Duhaney Park like hog and goat,” A female resident claimed. The teenager, she said, was walking with his girlfriend to nearby Cooreville Gardens when he was picked up by the police, handcuffed, and placed in a service vehicle. “The boy was in handcuffs, begging for his life,” she alleged. “Them must not kill innocent youth,” the woman told the Jamaica Observer. According to Hugh Faulkner, commissioner of Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom), the police reported that they were confronted by Hall when he was shot. Faulkner encouraged witnesses to come forward with information on the fatal shooting. “Indecom investigators, including forensic examiners, have processed the primary scene, which is on the Duhaney Park side and the secondary scene, which is more on the Cooreville side. The firearms of the concerned officers have been taken in, processed, and boxed for submission to the forensic lab. Also, the security forces presented a firearm reportedly retrieved after the incident. That also will be submitted to the lab for examination,” said Faulkner. “The commission, as per usual, invite persons who may have witnessed the incident to contact the commission by visiting our offices at 1 Dumfries Road in New Kingston or contact us by Whatsapp. Our new Whatsapp number is 876-553-0000. As the investigation continues, we will await a date for post-mortem and for other processes to take place,” the commissioner said.

Veteran deejay Lieutenant Stitchie has been reportedly hospitalised in Kingston after suffering a debilitating stroke on Tuesday. Dave Rodney, his former manager, told the Jamaica Observer that the entertainer’s family confirmed his hospitalisation. Rodney, however, could not confirm the extent of his illness. “There’s been talk that he suffered a stroke, but that’s up to the doctors to determine. There’s been no official statement,” said Rodney. News that Stitchie was devastated by a “severe brain haemorrhage” did the social media rounds early Tuesday, and that his family had set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for his medical care. Rodney, who managed Stitchie’s career from 1988 to to 1995, said he last spoke to the 58-year-old toaster several weeks ago and that he was upbeat about new projects. “Our conversation was about music and he was eager to work on a new album,” Rodney disclosed. He said he was aware of Stitchie having “medical issues this year” during a show in Canada. A former athlete and schoolteacher, Lieutenant Stitchie (real name Cleve Laing) cut his musical teeth on the competitive sound system circuit in Spanish Town, his home town, during the early 1980s alongside other aspiring artistes such as Papa San, Wickerman, and Major Worries. In 1986, he got his mainstream breakthrough with the hilarious Wear Yuh Size, followed by Natty Dread, another rib-tickling hit. He signed to Atlantic Records in 1988 and released three albums for that label, including the well-received Wild Jamaican Romances. In 1997, Lt Stitchie became a born again Christian and has since recorded a number of inspirational albums and songs. The GoFundMe appeal found on https://gofund.me/ae226c03 states: “Dear family, friends, and well-wishers, “We are reaching out to you during this incredibly challenging time. Our beloved Cleve “Lt Stitchie” Laing, a husband, father, and friend, has recently suffered a severe brain haemorrhage that has left him unresponsive. “We urgently need you to join us to provide the help needed in a long-term care facility, where he can receive rehabilitation care. Your donation will make a difference by bringing hope to Lt Stitchie and his family during this difficult time. Your generosity and prayers mean the world to us. We are very grateful for your support to help cover the costs of his transfer, medical care, and living expenses in the long-term care home. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a difference and bring hope to Cleve and his family during this difficult journey. “Please consider contributing to this campaign and sharing it with others who may also be able to help. Your generosity and prayers mean the world to us, and we are deeply grateful for your support. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

POLTAVA, Ukraine (AFP)— At least 51 people were killed and hundreds wounded Tuesday in a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Poltava, authorities said, in one of the single deadliest strikes of the two-and-a-half-year war. Kyiv said the strike hit a military training facility and a nearby hospital, though authorities did not say how many of the victims were military or civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to hold what he called “Russian scum” accountable, while rescuers worked to clear the rubble. “According to the information available now, this Russian strike killed 51 people,” Zelensky said in his evening address. “The number of injured is 271. We know that there are people under the rubble of the destroyed building. Everything is being done to save as many lives as possible,” Zelensky said. Berlin, London and Washington all condemned the strike. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the attack was “another horrific reminder of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s brutality”, adding that the United States would send more military aid to Kyiv in the coming weeks. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called it a “sickening act of aggression”, while German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Putin’s brutality “knows no limits”. The strike triggered anger on Ukrainian social media after unconfirmed reports said it had targeted an outdoor military ceremony, with many blaming reckless behaviour from officials who allowed the event to take place despite the threat of Russian attacks. Zelensky said he had ordered a “full and prompt investigation into all the circumstances”. Two Russian ballistic missiles hit the hospital and educational institution, partially destroying one of the buildings, Zelensky said. The strike took place in the morning in Poltava, a city with a pre-war population of around 300,000 people, some 300 kilometres (190 miles) east of Kyiv. “The window blew open. Dust was everywhere. I just had time to tell my sister that a rocket was flying,” said Yevgeniya Chyrva, a resident in a building damaged during the attack. The defence ministry said that the time between the alarm and the arrival of the missiles was “so short that it caught people in the middle of evacuating to the bomb shelter”. The Poltava military communications institute, founded in the 1960s when Ukraine was part of the USSR, specialises in training telecommunications specialists. “One of the institute’s buildings was partially destroyed, and many people were trapped under the rubble,” the defence ministry said. An AFP journalist on the scene saw several ambulances heading towards the affected site shortly after the attack on the military institute. Rescuers were still at work after managing to save 25 people, including 11 trapped under the rubble, the defence ministry said.

KARACHI, Pakistan (AFP)— Pakistan fell to their worst Test ranking in nearly six decades on Wednesday, the International Cricket Council said, after their shock 2-0 series defeat to low-ranked Bangladesh. Bangladesh inflicted a six-wicket defeat on the home team in the second Test in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, their first series win against Pakistan. “Pakistan dropped two places — from sixth to eighth — in the Test rankings after suffering a shock series loss at home to Bangladesh,” the International Cricket Council (ICC) said. The ICC said it was “their lowest rankings since 1965” in the 12-team table, which is topped by Australia followed by India and England. Bangladesh are ninth in the latest rankings There are now no Pakistan bowlers ranked in the top 10 after paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi fell to 11th from his ninth place before the Bangladesh series. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan is the only Pakistani remaining in the top 10 batting rankings, while Babar Azam dropped three places to 12th. Azam managed just 64 runs in the two Tests against Bangladesh.

SINGAPORE (AFP)— Rising temperatures should trigger a global “red alert”, the United Nations’ weather and climate agency chief said Wednesday, after global heat indices again smashed records in August. The world saw record average temperatures in August for the second year running, preliminary data from the EU’s climate monitor seen by AFP showed. And Australia, Japan, parts of China and Norway all experienced their hottest August on record, according to meteorological agencies. “It’s clear that the temperatures are rising… above what we would like,” said Celeste Saulo, head of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). “And it is because the action is not enough.” While the exact average global temperature for August 2024 is not yet known, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has established it will be above the record 16.82 degrees Celsius (62.28 Fahrenheit) measured in August last year. “Thresholds are all the time being beaten,” Saulo said, speaking in Singapore at a regional climate forum of local meteorological services. Saulo also called for better monitoring and support for meteorological agencies, adding that “we need more resources”. The forum comes days after the WMO released its latest assessment on the impacts of climate change in Asia and the Pacific, warning that sea-level rise is above average in many areas. And the record August continues a near-unbroken 15-month streak, where each month eclipsed its own temperature record for the time of year, according to the C3S. The climate forum also announced the designation of Singapore as a regional hub for monitoring pollution caused by vegetation fire and smoke. One of only two such centres in the world, the facility will offer better quality information on fires and pollution forecasts, plugging a gap in regional data, officials said.

MADRID, Spain (AFP)— Colombian pop star Shakira accused Spain’s tax office of confiscating all the income she earned when she lived there, comparing the institution to “the Inquisition” in a letter published Wednesday in Spanish daily El Mundo. The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer reached a settlement in 2023 to avoid a trial in Barcelona over alleged tax fraud. “The Spanish state kept more than all my income for those years,” she wrote in her letter to El Mundo. “It may seem incomprehensible, but for me, the Spanish decade was a lost decade financially, and not because I worked little, as everyone knows,” she added. Shakira settled with prosecutors on the opening day of her trial in Barcelona in November 2023 over charges she had defrauded tax authorities of 14.5 million euros ($16 million) earned between 2012 and 2014. As part of the deal, she accepted the charges in exchange for paying a fine of nearly 7.8 million euros to avoid serving time in jail. At the time she explained she had settled “with the best interest of my kids at heart”. She needed “to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years” and focus on her career, she said. In May 2024 a Spanish court said it had shelved a second probe into alleged tax fraud by Shakira concerning her 2018 income tax return, ending her legal problems in Spain. Shakira now lives in Miami with her two sons after splitting from star footballer Gerard Pique, who at the time played for Barcelona. In her letter to El Mundo, she accused Spain’s tax office of being more interested in “burning her in public” than listening to her arguments. “You don’t solve things by burning people at the stake like in an Inquisition trial,” the 47-year-old added. As she had argued to the court, the singer once again denied that she lived in Spain for more than 183 days a year between 2012 and 2014, the threshold above which a person is considered a taxable resident. Spain’s tax office went through her social media posts to gather evidence that she had in fact been in Spain for over 183 days per year. Its lawyers summoned dozens of witnesses, including her hairdresser and neighbours to back their case. Spain has in recent years cracked down on celebrities such as Argentine football star Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, for unpaid taxes. Both players were convicted of evasion and received prison sentences that were waived for first-time offenders.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — The female vendor caught peeing into a plastic container as she skilfully positioned herself and her voluminous skirt in the back of a van near Charles Gordon Market in St James will be punished within a few days. “She is liable for prosecution based on her breaching of the regulations as stated in our Food Handling Regulations of 1998. Because of the breaches we have found, she is liable for prosecution and that will be done this week,” said medical officer of health for St James Dr Francine Phillips-Kelly. She was providing an update to the media during a briefing held in the St James Municipal Corporation’s chambers on Tuesday. “This vendor will not be able to continue… because based on the investigation, she would have breached our regulations, the food handling regulation, in several areas. So she will not be allowed to continue and actions will be taken accordingly,” Phillips-Kelly added. Reporters were told that the woman, who was vending on the roadside at the time of the incident, sold a variety of ground provisions, along with oranges and pears. “She claimed that she would not have been peeling any of her stuff,” Phillips-Kelly explained. The woman, whose name has not been released as she has not yet been charged, met with representatives of the St James health services on Monday morning. The breaches she committed were discussed and she was advised of the potential penalties. “She was apologetic and spoke about some illnesses that she had; she did some knee operation,” an individual with knowledge of Monday’s discussion told the Jamaica Observer. “She was shown other means of what she could have done instead, to use the public restroom,” the source added. The woman, who did not know she was being recorded, was seen transferring her urine into a smaller bottle and tucking into her pocket a scrap of cloth she had just used to clean herself. The incident occurred on Fustic Road in Montego Bay, not far from the heavily used Charles Gordon Market. According to Montego Bay Mayor Councillor Richard Vernon, the woman once had a stall inside the market and it was located “very close to the bathroom area”. He said she sold her wares from inside the market for more than 10 years but in 2021 she did not renew her licence. “Regardless of the reason that led to her doing what she did, she was operating within a space that could accommodate her activities that she carried out during the time,” said Vernon. “What we try to do, as best as possible, is to facilitate the persons there. That is why we ensure that we have the right amenities there in the space and that there are bathrooms that are up to par so as to facilitate both vendors and customers utilising the market space,” he added.

Marsha Smith’s sudden resignation sparks fresh speculation about PM’s next move as Nigel Clarke clears his desk There is increasing speculation in political circles about Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s next move following the resignation of yet another of the governing Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) sitting Members of Parliament (MPs). This time it is the MP for St Ann North Eastern Marsha Smith who walked away from her role with immediate effect on Tuesday. Smith, who was also serving as state minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth at the time of her resignation, leaves Fayval Williams on her own in one of the island’s most demanding ministries. Smith resigned four years to the day after being elected in the 2020 General Election which the JLP won by a landslide. “This is the clearest indication yet from the PM that Fayval is heading to the Ministry of Finance to replace Nigel Clarke when he packs his bags and heads to the IMF (International Monetary Fund) at the end of October,” said one political source late Tuesday. “However, it could just be that the PM wants to bring someone from outside to finance. But with Matthew Samuda the clear successor to Smith in that St Ann constituency and Duane Smith announced as the successor to Nigel in St Andrew North Western, the only vacancy which a selected finance minister could fill would be Trelawny Southern where Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert resigned almost one year ago,” added the source. According to the source, Holness is in the middle of a political chess game that, only when the end results are seen, will Jamaicans understand what he is doing. “I would not be surprised to see Marsha back at the education ministry in short order, with a number of other changes, as the PM prepares a strong team for the post-Nigel period and the lead-up to the next general election, which though due by September next year will be called before that,” said the source. Smith has been under pressure in the St Ann North Eastern seat for some time, with solid supporters of the JLP turning on her months after she crushed the People’s National Party’s Keith Brown by more than 4,000 votes in the 2020 General Election. Labour Party supporters burnt shirts with her image and demonstrated outside her constituency office alleging that she was missing in action and was not doing a good job. Earlier this year Smith was replaced as constituency chair by Senator Samuda, who has been active on the ground in recent months. Samuda is expected to be the JLP’s standard-bearer in the constituency when the next election is held. The speculation as to who will replace Clarke as the holder of the nation’s purse strings has been ongoing since last week when it was announced that he had been selected by the IMF to be one of its deputy managing directors. At that time the Jamaica Observer reported that Williams, with her strong financial background, was tipped to replace him. More than one week later there has been no update to the nation from Holness as to Clarke’s replacement, even though the release from the Office of the Prime Minister congratulating the finance minister last week indicated that a replacement had already been identified. “The Observer already reported that Fayval is the favourite to replace Dr Clarke, and that remains the case, but do not be surprised if the PM pulls the proverbial rabbit out of the hat,” said a source close to the JLP late Tuesday evening.

JFF GM Simpson encourages Jamal Lowe to make the most of Reggae Boyz return General manager of Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Roy Simpson is urging winger Jamal Lowe, a late call-up to the Reggae Boyz team, to seize this opportunity to secure his place in the national set-up. Lowe, 30, who last played for the Reggae Boyz in March of this year, was called up to replace the injured Leon Bailey in Jamaica’s 23-man squad for their Nations League games against Cuba at the National Stadium on Friday and next Tuesday away to Honduras. Lowe, who plays for Sheffield Wednesday in the English Championship, has scored two goals in seven appearances for the Reggae Boyz since making his debut in 2021. However, he was overlooked for the country’s second-round World Cup qualifier games against Dominica and the Dominican Republic, respectively, as well as the Copa America tournament earlier this summer. Simpson emphasised that Lowe has always been a committed player, and he hopes that with this opportunity, he will perform at his best. “Jamal has always been on our radar. He has often been in the provisional squads, but he hasn’t been selected for some of the final squads,” said Simpson. “The technical team has always been in dialogue with him, and we believe he is someone who can help us.” “Jamal is a decent player who has always given his best. He’s been around the team for several years now, and he’s one of our UK-based players, who committed to Jamaica years ago. It’s always good to have Jamal back in the squad, and hopefully, as usual, he will make the most of this recent call-up,” Simpson added. Simpson also highlighted that Lowe is a skilled and versatile player who brings a lot of experience and depth to the Reggae Boyz squad, and he is happy that he has been recalled to the national side. “It’s always good when the squad remains competitive, and when each player gets an opportunity, they make the most of it. Hopefully, Jamal, coming in for Leon, will seize that opportunity,” Simpson noted. “I know he will certainly do well for us, and I’m looking forward to having him here for these matches.” Lowe, who was born in England, has scored one goal in four appearances for Sheffield Wednesday this season. Meanwhile, Bailey sustained what appears to be a hamstring injury during Aston Villa’s 2-1 victory over Leicester City in the English Premier League on Saturday. Simpson explained that Bailey was expected to undergo an MRI on Monday to assess the extent of the injury. “Leon felt stiffness in his left hamstring after stretching for a ball in the game, and afterward, he was in pain and experiencing muscle contractions, so he will be getting an MRI scan today (Monday), and the results will be shared,” Simpson said. “It’s always a concern when any of our players get injured because we understand that being fit and healthy is crucial in their line of work. We want them to be fit and healthy at all times, so when any player gets injured, it’s always a concern for us,” he added. The 27-year-old Bailey has not represented the Reggae Boyz since November 2023, following a self-imposed break that came after a suspension from former Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson. He also declined a call-up to the Copa America tournament in the United States this summer. However, he was recalled to the national side after meeting with Head Coach Steve McClaren and mending his relationship with the JFF.

Nugent sees Paris Olympics as learning experience as she continues to lower 100mh national record DESPITE not getting on the podium at the Paris Olympics this summer, Ackera Nugent says she’s living the dream after further lowering her national record and registering the fourth-fastest time in the history of the Women’s 100m Hurdles. The 22-year-old executed near to perfection at last Friday’s Diamond League in Rome, Italy, clocking a world-leading 12.24 seconds in a slightly negative headwind while beating Olympic Champion Masia Russell who was second in 12.31. Nugent bettered her personal best of 12.28 seconds, set at the JAAA/Puma National Senior Championships in June at the National Stadium. “It means a lot to me, just being able to see myself living out the dream that I’ve always wanted for myself and just seeing everything coming together. It’s a great feeling,” she said. “I’m in really good shape. I know that I was in great shape in Paris but you know things happen. I wasn’t really at my best there, and that’s fine; it’s a learning experience for now. It’s just about enjoying what I do and coming out here… and just see where it can get me until the end of the season.” The Excelsior High and University of Arkansas graduate made her debut at the Olympics last month and was strongly considered as a medal favourite due to her impressive form throughout the season. However, she was unable to get on the podium as she didn’t finish the final due to a mishap with the hurdles. Nugent, however, doesn’t view this as a disappointment as she believes her moment in glory will come. “I learned something because I was the youngest in the field — so I was competing against ladies that have been doing it, they know how to show up and all of that stuff — so just being an Olympian at the age of 22, that’s a great feeling,” she said. “It’s just me stepping into the future of myself to see that I’m able to do this, so it’s just like I have to trust myself and just enjoy — you win some, you lose some. I have so many more years in the sport that I can [use to] develop and grow because I know that the Lord is greater than gold, so when I serve a living God he’s going to show up for me when He knows I’m ready to receive stuff so I’ll just trust the Lord and just enjoy life.” In terms of performances, Nugent is proving to be one of the best sprint hurdlers of all time as she’s run sub-12.30 seconds four times this year. The only other women to do so are world record holder Tobi Amusan and former world record holders Kendra Harrison and Yordanka Donkova. She’s expected to close out her season at the Diamond League finals in Brussels later this month but she isn’t promising any more records for 2024. “I really don’t know. I don’t know what else my body can give for the rest of the season but we’re just hanging in there. We’re just enjoying the different cities; this is my first time going to certain places so it’s just living in the moment and just taking the exposure,” said Nugent.

MINISTER of state in the Ministry of Education and Youth Marsha Smith says the teaching of Spanish in schools will be boosted by a significant increase in the number of Cuban teachers employed. Smith, who was addressing school administrators and other stakeholders as part of an orientation session for teachers in Runaway Bay, St Ann, recently said that 29 Cuban teachers arrived in the island on August 25 and will be deployed across the country. She added that the 29 teachers and a coordinator will bring to 75 the number of Cubans in the education system, the first time so many teachers have arrived from one of Jamaica’s closest Caribbean neighbours over the years. According to Smith, the increase in the number of Cuban teachers comes as the education ministry recruits overseas teachers to fill vacancies for the new school year after a number of Jamaican teachers have resigned to take up teaching positions overseas. “The new teachers, who are undergoing four days of orientation, will be deployed to their new schools. They will be teaching Spanish at both the primary and secondary levels, physics, chemistry, integrated science, and mathematics,” said Smith. For her part, assistant chief Education Officer for Standards Development in the School Operation and School Improvement Services Branch, Dr Olivine Evans, said the partnership with Cuba has served Jamaica well over the past 27 years, noting that the Cuban teachers have a two-year contract with the option for a third-year extension based on their performance. She explained that the purpose of the orientation sessions was to ensure that the transition of the teachers from the Cuban system to the Jamaican education system was seamless. “The sessions are also geared at seeing how well they will be able to manage themselves in terms of safety and security and such matters as their remuneration and personal matters, such as opening bank accounts and getting their TRN,” said Dr Evans. In the meantime, Cuban ambassador to Jamaica, Fermín Quiñones Sánchez, said that in excess of 530 teachers have taught in Jamaica under the programme with his country, adding that he is confident the current batch of teachers will give of their best as others have done before. “The latest batch of teachers joins the more than 40 who are already here. Cuba is fully committed to the bilateral programme, which has seen our teachers coming to Jamaica and Jamaican students going to Cuba to study,” said Quiñones Sánchez.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Chetwood Memorial Primary School was one of the worst in St James affected by Hurricane Beryl and school officials feared they would not be ready in time for the new school year. They have been pleasantly surprised. Classes got off to a smooth start on Monday. “We were in the tier one of schools for repairs but, thank God, the contractor delivered, through the [education] ministry, and the repairs came through,” Principal Garvin Atkinson told the Jamaica Observer on Monday. “Everything is not a 100 per cent complete, but we are comfortable to begin school, and the children will be comfortable in the physical space,” he added. When Beryl’s outer bands pounded sections of the country on July 3, the damage done to Chetwood Memorial included a section of the facility where students sitting the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exams are housed. “The entire grade two block saw damage and the main building had a pre-existing condition with the roof, where the grade six block is, but that was also sorted out,” Atkinson said gratefully. The contractors repaired sections of the roof by replacing zinc, adding membrane where necessary, plus other work that was needed to make the school habitable. The principal said with those fixes done, they can now turn their attention to their primary focus: students’ education. He has clear goals for the new school year. “We’ll be focusing on literacy in the sense of reading,” Atkinson remarked. “We are off to a good start and our expectations are that we’ll continue to provide excellent teaching and learning and our children will continue to do well,” he said. This is despite what he described as an inadequacy when it comes to some equipment. “Things have been mostly smooth, but the issue is that there is shortage of furniture. But apart from that we are ready for school,” said Atkinson. In another section of Montego Bay, administrators of Corinaldi Avenue Primary School were also pleased with how things were going Monday morning. Unlike some schools, it has not had a major challenge with educators leaving for greener pastures. “I’ve not lost a lot of teachers here; most teachers don’t really leave. I have lost one teacher to the foreign programme but the majority are here, plus some additional faces,” said Principal Dion Stern-Anglin. She also indicated that there were issues with infrastructure but nothing that would prevent the school from operating efficiently. “I am expecting a great year. Last year was great, but I’m expecting a greater year. Last year we got three scholarships for our school and this year we are expecting to surpass [that]. It’s a challenge, but we are up for it,” Stern-Anglin said confidently.  

PRIME Minister Andrew Holness said Monday that Jamaica’s education system is in need of a radical transformation, one that focuses heavily on science, engineering and mathematics. As part of this push, Holness said there will be an investment in building six new science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) schools that will not be operated under the Education Act. A new scheme of management, Holness said, will have to be developed as it is a national priority. “We must generate every year, to our markets and industries, the skills needed to take up the jobs that will come in the next 20 and 30 years,” Holness said as he addressed a full auditorium of Jamaica College students and staff at the institution in St Andrew on Monday during a tour, marking the start of the new school year. The prime minister pointed out that Jamaica’s future “has always been and will continue to be dependent on the quality of human resources that we produce. “As we approach full employment, the marginal quality of skills that are being made available to the market becomes even more important for expansion and growth. What we need to be providing to the market from the education system are students trained in science, engineering and mathematics,” Holness said, noting that Jamaica has moved from 13, 14 and 15 per cent unemployment rates down to five per cent and has further to go. He appealed to parents not to place in the minds of their children a psychological fear of mathematics and technical subjects. “Encourage them. It is the way of the world. If Jamaica is to move from a low-wage, low-productivity, low-growth economy into a high-wage, high-growth and high-productivity economy, investing in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is critical. Encourage your children in that path. It is not exclusion of their natural creativity in other areas, but it is important that they are able to negotiate the world in which they live. “Essentially parents, the world that we will inhabit will be led by people who create technology and innovate. It is those who create the value that will have the wealth. Those who are constantly consuming it will be one step just above poverty. If you want your household and country to raise its level of production and break the cycle of poverty then we must become the creators of technology. To become the creators of technology, your children must embrace science technology, engineering and mathematics,” Holness said. He said that Government must also start to focus on making greater investments in improving the quality of life of students and their parents. One area he singled out as being particularly in need of improving is the transportation sector. Holness cited the recent handover over of 100 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company as a move in the right direction to delivering high-quality transportation. “We must now focus on addressing the pain points that you as parents and students experience in your everyday life. One area that the Government will be focusing on heavily is on reducing the cost of living. One area of cost of living that affects you is the cost of public transportation. Not just the cost of public transportation, but the quality of public transportation, the reliability, the cleanliness, the availability of seats, the maintenance of a schedule. “A mother pointed out to me this morning that when she cannot get the public bus, she has to pay a taxi and when she would normally pay $150 the taxi man told her that he wants $200 and she must come out of the taxi. Happily, today she was able to get on the bus. When I asked her how much she is paying on the bus now, her daughter is four years old, and [on] her first day of school, she pays nothing for her daughter. You see the impact of having more buses on the cost to her. It is things like this the Government is focusing on. “We can do it in a way, as well, where the buses run on time, where the buses are clean and safe. There are 13 cameras on each of these new buses so we can definitely monitor what is happening on the buses. The buses are geo-tracked and will be connected to an app, so you can look at an app when it is launched. We are really trying to improve the quality of the service and that will be a tangible way in which the Government would take the benefits of the good fiscal management of the economy and translate it into tangible benefits that improve your quality of life, the service that you get, reduce the pain point of public transpoprtation and reduce the cost of living to you,” Holness said. Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz, who rode on one of the new buses to Jamaica College, reinforced the PM’s sentiment that the students have access to safer transportation. “I had a lovely bus ride from the Half-Way-Tree Transportation Centre all the way to Papine and then here on the new CNG bus and I can tell all of you here who will be using the 900 route, that you can look forward to safe, comfortable and efficient travel. This morning we rolled out 270 buses and for the first time in recent history, the JamaicaUrban Transit Company (JUTC) rolled out more new buses than old buses. That is a sign of things to come. By next year this time, you will have another 100 CNG buses on the road. “Most importantly, no borrowing, no begging. All paid for by tax payers who are now getting a return of their investments after many, many years. All I can say is, take care of the buses and enjoy them because it is the sweat of every single Jamaican over the many years and decades and the good management of the Government that

NEW YORK, CMC – The annual West Indian American Day Carnival Parade on Monday was marred by a shooting incident near the end of the parade route, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD). The NYPD reported that at least five people were shot and wounded. “This was not random; this was an intentional act,” said Chief of Patrol John Chell, adding that the suspected gunman apparently stood on a concrete divider on Eastern Parkway and fired multiple shots into the crowd of nearby spectators. The NYPD identified the victims, who are all listed in stable condition, as follows: a 69-year-old woman who was shot in the back right shoulder; a 64-year-old man who was shot in the right arm; a 36-year-old man who was shot in the head; a 25-year-old man who was shot in the abdomen; and a 16-year-old male who was shot in the left arm. The NYPD stated that the gunman, believed to be in his 20s, fled the scene on foot and is still at large. United States House of Representatives Democratic Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, who represents Crown Heights, said he was “saddened and horrified” by the shooting. “My prayers are with the victims and their families during this difficult time. The parade is a beautiful display of culture and community that I have been honored to attend over the years, including this year. Every American should be able to celebrate their heritage without the threat of gun violence. “No one in Brooklyn, New York, or America is safe until we get weapons of war off our streets. America cannot be the best version of herself until we crush the scourge of gun violence once and for all,” he added. However, many spectators and masqueraders were unaware of the shooting that temporarily disrupted a part of the gigantic celebration in picture-perfect weather, as millions converged on Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway for the spectacular event. The West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA), organiser of the event, said over three million spectators, largely behind police barricades, participated in the 57th year of Caribbean culture, cuisine, mas, and steel band music.

KINSHASA, Congo — An attempted jailbreak in Congo’s main prison left 129 people dead, including some who were shot and others who died in a stampede at the overcrowded facility, authorities said Tuesday. Activists alleged the death toll was higher but did not provide a figure. A provisional assessment showed that 24 inmates were fatally shot by “warning” shots fired by guards as they tried to escape from the Makala Central Prison in the capital of Kinshasa early on Monday, Congolese Interior Minister Jacquemin Shabani said on the social platform X. “There are also 59 injured people taken into care by the government, as well as some cases of women raped,” he said, adding that order has now been restored at the prison, part of which was burned in the attempted jailbreak. He did not elaborate on the incidents of rape. The prison holds both male and female inmates. It was not known if all 129 fatalities were inmates. Also, it wasn’t immediately clear how the stampede occurred as details of the jailbreak remained sparse. Makala, Congo’s largest penitentiary with a capacity for 1,500 people, holds over 12,000 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial, Amnesty International said in its latest country report.The facility has recorded previous jailbreaks, including in 2017 when members of a religious sect stormed the prison and freed dozens of inmates. Gunfire inside the prison started around midnight on Sunday and lasted into Monday morning, local residents in the area said. “Shots were ringing out everywhere,” said Stéphane Matondo, who lives nearby, adding that military vehicles arrived shortly after and that the main road to the prison was blocked.Videos posted online show bodies lying on the ground inside the prison, many of them with visible injuries. Another video shows inmates carrying bodies that appeared to be lifeless onto a vehicle. The attempted escape was plotted from inside the prison by inmates in one of the wings, Mbemba Kabuya, the deputy justice minister, told the local Top Congo FM radio. In the hours following the attack, officials visited the prison as authorities convened a panel to investigate the incident. Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, who is in China on an official visit, has not publicly commented on the incident. Calling for an independent investigation, rights groups and the opposition accused the government of using excessive force and covering up the true death toll. An earlier statement from a senior government official on Monday said that only two people died. Martin Fayulu, an opposition leader, compared the death toll to “summary executions” and said it was an “unacceptable crime that cannot go unpunished.” Makala — among other prisons in Congo — is so overcrowded that inmates often starve to death, activists say. Scores of prisoners have been released in recent months as part of efforts to reduce the number of inmates. Justice Minister Constant Mutamba called the attempted jailbreak a “premeditated act of sabotage” and promised a “stern response.” His deputy, Samuel Mbemba Kabuya, blamed the country’s magistrates and judges for the overcrowding in prisons, saying people are quickly jailed at the early stage of their trials. Mutamba announced a ban on the transfer of inmates from Makala and pledged that authorities will build a new prison, among other efforts to reduce overcrowding.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has announced that Errol C. Greene has taken up the role of Permanent Secretary effective September 1, 2024. Greene assumes this role, having previously served in the public health sector as Regional Director of the largest health authority, the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) which oversees health services in Kingston & St Andrew, St Thomas and St Catherine. He was also a former regional director for the Western Regional Health Authority and a former chief executive officer of the Kingston Public Hospital. Prior to his sojourn in public health, Greene served as Town Clerk of the Kingston & St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) and also served at the St Thomas Municipal Corporation. Greene is a Justice of the Peace and a past recipient of the Governor General’s Achievement Award. In welcoming Greene to the role, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton said, “We welcome Greene to his new responsibility and look forward to his contribution to the planned programmes and policy priorities of the Ministry and to the new dimensions he will add, as the Government continues to work towards its vision of realizing the best health outcome for all Jamaicans.” Greene replaces Dunstan Bryan, who has proceeded on study leave.

Twenty-two-year-old Tarique Barrett walked away with the Mr World Jamaica 2024 title at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel ballroom in New Kingston on Sunday. The final-year marketing and accounting student at The University of the West Indies, Mona, says he will use his platform to educate inner-city youth on financial literacy. “I will be promoting my initiative which is [called] Future Entrepreneurs, which aims to equip the ghetto youth with the right financial tools to break the cycle of poverty,” the Mountain View resident told the Jamaica Observer. Barrett is the first Mr World Jamaica title holder since 1998. The winner — who will represent Jamaica on the global stage in Vietnam in November — emerged above electronics engineer Tavar Brown, who placed second, and digital marketing specialist Dario Lopez who was second runner-up. Family members, friends, and sponsors all turned out for the evening’s grand coronation which showcased the best of the 14 finalists. There was enthusiastic applause as the contestants performed their opening dance, as well as when they showed off their dapper tuxedos. Tavar Brown’s supporters in particular held up banners with a collage of his photos, as well as miniature fans, also bearing the finalist’s image. Once the winner was announced, the ballroom erupted into cheers, even from Barrett’s competitors, who could be seen hugging and patting him on the back. For an event that was not held in Jamaica in over two decades the support was truly palpable. Meanwhile, Barrett noted that he entered the pageant to prove that youngsters from the inner city can be successful. “Entering this pageant was about representation for the inner-city youths. I want the world to see that an inner-city youth can make a difference on these platforms, and that’s my inspiration to be here,” he said. He further said that he assimilated to the conditions surrounding the rigorous preparation over the last couple of weeks in order to emerge victorious. “It has been hectic, but I’ve learnt how to adapt, that’s the word. I’ve learnt how to deal with all the different challenges that pose themselves,” he said. Sunday’s coronation also featured performances by saxophonist Raheem Vassell and vocalist Maria Myrie.

ST Peter’s Basic School in Portland Cottage, southern Clarendon, which went solar in 2019 — bidding farewell to high electricity bills — is once again hoping for brighter days after being pummelled by Hurricane Beryl on July 3. The institution, which is the only one of its kind serving the Portland Cottage community, on Monday opened its doors to a handful of kindergarten students but cut a forlorn picture in the ravaged space. Only one member of staff was seen at the faded blue board structure — now with tarpaulin splayed on its roof alongside the once-proud solar panels — when the Jamaica Observer visited on Monday morning. The news team was told that the principal was not present on the compound. The tiny charges, who were studiously seated at their miniature desks, were oddly quiet in the gloomy building which is now dependent on natural light. Outside the building, except for the odd stray animal nothing graced the sludgy space but an expanse of stagnant water precariously close to the side of the school house, stubbornly refusing to subside. The Observer was told by a group of concerned parents that there was no running water in the building, but that claim could not, however, be verified. Several feet away, the adjoining Portland Cottage Community Centre mirrored the destruction unleashed by Beryl in the space, its roofing curled back by the furious winds, leaving it uninhabitable. The launching ceremony for the school’s solar system project was held at the community centre. The $1-million project was largely funded by Abacus For Communities (AFC), a non-profit organisation. AFC provides services in disaster preparedness, institutional strengthening, and community capacity building.

10-year-old boy dead, mother battling for life after Manchester crash CHRISTIANA, Manchester — A 31-year-old man who police said was the driver of a Range Rover involved in a collision which left a 10-year-old boy dead and his mother hospitalised in critical condition turned himself over to the police late Monday evening. Police sources refused to name the person believed to have been driving the Range Rover which changed the joy and excitement of children going back to school on Monday to tears and sorrow for a Manchester family, following a two-vehicle crash. The boy, Traevon Saunchez, a student of Christiana Leased Primary and Infant School, was being transported by his mother, a police constable, to the school to start grade 6 when tragedy struck. Head of the Manchester police Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Carey Duncan said the crash happened about 7:30 am. “There was a motor vehicle collision along the Sedburgh Main Road in the Christiana police area. From information received, a Honda Fit motor car, which was being driven by a female officer [with] another occupant, was travelling towards Spalding when a Range Rover travelling in the opposite direction overtook a line of traffic and collided in the front section of the Honda Fit,” said Duncan. Traevon and his mother, who is assigned to Christiana Police Station, were taken to hospital. “Both occupants of the Honda Fit were taken to the Percy Junor Hospital where the female officer at this time is admitted in a serious condition,” he said. The Jamaica Observer was told that Traevon died while undergoing treatment. A senior police source said the staff at Percy Junor Hospital worked tirelessly to try to save the boy’s life. “Hospital staff tried everything possible. They brought back a dead boy alive and then he just went. It is a difficult time for us. She [the policewoman] was born and grew up and lives in the area,” the source said. There was a sombre mood at Christiana Police Station on Monday as one police source described Traevon as a studious child. “He was destined for greatness. He was one of those children who sat down and did his work after school waiting for mommy. I last saw him on Friday and he was sitting doing his work even though school did not start as yet. I lost a child that is not mine. I am one of his mother’s supervisors,” said the source. In a statement Monday afternoon, Minister of Education Fayval Williams expressed condolence to the boy’s family and the school community. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of young Traevon Saunchez. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, especially his mother, who is bravely fighting for her life, as well as with the principal, academic staff, and students of Christiana Leased Primary and Infant School. Traevon’s untimely death is a devastating loss, and I urge the school community to lean on one another during this incredibly difficult time,” said Williams. She said the Ministry of Education and Youth has dispatched its Region 5 Guidance Counselling team to provide immediate support to the school. Up to September 2, a total of 21 Jamaicans 19 years old and under have died on the nation’s roads. This has prompted DSP Duncan to implore motorists to exercise caution on the nation’s roads. “The carnage on the road is getting out of hand, so I want to make this appeal to persons who are travelling along the roadway, that it is proven, time and time again, that speeding and improper overtaking are the main contributing factors to accidents, so I just want to make the appeal to persons to just use the roadway properly,” said DSP Duncan. “The signage and the rules are there for a purpose; it is to ensure our own safety,” he added. The Honda Fit motor car in which Traevon Saunchez, 9, and his mother were travelling. (Photos: Naphtali Junior) The Honda Fit motor car involved in Monday’s crash in Sedburgh, Manchester. (Naphtali Junior) Head of the Manchester police Deputy Superintendent Carey Duncan speaking with journalists on Monday.

MANCHESTER, Jamaica— An 18-year-old woman accused of fatally stabbing a 50-year-old man in Top Coffee Grove near Porus in Manchester on Saturday night remains on the run even as threats have been made against her family in the now tense community. Police named the victim as Fitzroy Wilson, a farmer and resident of Top Coffee Grove. Police said about 8:32 pm Wilson was sitting outside a shop near his home when he was attacked and stabbed multiple times allegedly by the woman. Police said the woman fled the scene. Wilson was pronounced dead at hospital. Police said the woman’s family has since been threatened. Sources said the family fled their home in the area following the incident.

KINGSTON, Jamaica- Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, has expressed shock and sadness at the passing of Councillor for the Aenon Town Division in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation, Marjorie McLeod-McFarlane. McLeod-McFarlane died unexpectedly on Sunday after battling cancer for some time, a release said on Monday. “I am shocked and devastated. These same emotions are being deeply felt in the Aenon Town Division, in the Clarendon Northern Constituency and in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation,” McKenzie said. “Councillor McLeod-McFarlane was not just a dedicated elected representative. She was a trailblazer. She made history in the Local Government Elections earlier this year when she won the Aenon Town Division, a feat never before achieved by a Jamaica Labour Party candidate. Having caused this political earthquake, she went on to be an outstanding councillor,” he added. McLeod-McFarlane polled 1,403 (51.69 per cent) votes to defeat the PNP’s Delroy Dawson’s 1,311 votes (48.31 per cent), a shock win for the JLP in the division. Her passing reduces the JLP’s 12 to 10 majority in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation to a slim 11-10 margin. “Her family and friends have lost a beautiful soul. We, her colleagues in the local government system and in the Jamaica Labour Party, have lost an unrelenting and compassionate advocate for the advancement of community life. No one expected her work to end so shortly after it had begun,” McKenzie said. He went on to express condolences to McLeod-McFarlane loved ones stating, “Even as I express condolences to her loved ones, I feel the void that has been imposed on us by her sudden departure. We will miss her, even as we pray that God’s light will shine on her, and his comfort will envelop all who knew her, and who mourn her absence.”

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica— A man has been charged with the rape of a woman at her home in Silversun Estate, St Catherine on Tuesday, August 13. Charged is 30-year-old Raheem Robinson otherwise called ‘Ryan’ of a Silversun address. Reports from the Spanish Town police are that a woman was in her backyard when Robinson entered the yard and forced her inside her house where he allegedly sexually assaulted her. A report was later made and he was arrested and charged. He is scheduled to appear before the St Catherine Parish Court on Tuesday, September 3.

Rival group turns on itself, trades charges and countercharges NEW YORK, United States — A bitter feud has erupted within the ranks of the rival Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC) which has been pressuring the Jamaican Government to engage more with its nationals overseas on several issues of concern, like crime, health, education, and corruption. At least one key member of the group — former Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent and attorney Wilfred Rattigan — pulled out of the organisation at the height of the bust-up over how its core objective of “holding Government accountable” is to be handled. “I left the group over two months ago because of significant differences of opinion over the direction of the council, its goals, and the way forward,” Rattigan told the Jamaica Observer in an interview. Rattigan is the man who rattled the Government by spearheading the registration of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council in the United States, using the same domain name by which the Administration had engaged with the country’s Diaspora. The group has been staging lively protests this year in the main cities populated by Jamaicans, like New York, Miami, and Toronto, with plans to include London, England, to dramatise its campaign to get the Government’s attention. In June, as the Government staged its 10th Biennial Conference of the GJDC in Montego Bay, St James, the rival group staged a counterpart version of the conference online at the same time, which drew participation from some leaders of the Opposition People’s National Party. Dr Rupert Francis who co-chaired the rival group, bemoaned the break up of what he described as “the most successful and peaceful challenge to any Government of Jamaica in our pursuit of accountability”. It was Francis who fired the first salvo in a letter to Jamaica’s ambassador to Washington, Audrey Marks, setting out their concerns, which they later claimed was ignored. Ambassador Marks is, however, on record as saying she was prepared to discuss the concerns raised. It is unclear why that never happened. Francis, also head of an organisation called the Jamaica Diaspora Task Force on Crime Intervention and Prevention, blamed the in-fighting on “person or persons unknown”, saying it would dampen the efforts to hold the Government responsible for the shortcomings outlined. Acknowledging that all is not well within the rival Diaspora council, another key member, Herb Nelson, a security expert, said he had also been sidelined as a result of the dispute, which he, too, attributed to “differences of views on the pursuit of and implementation of our objectives”. Things took a turn for the worse last weekend, as comments Rattigan made on his online platform — Reason with Rattigan — ignited an avalanche of outrage and criticisms, further widening the chasm which has opened up within the group. Another important element of the dispute relates to questions over the expenditure of money raised by the One Jamaica Legal Defense Foundation — a non-profit entity registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Rattigan set up the foundation last year to raise funds to assist with the operations of the rival GJDC in meeting expenses such as logistical set-up and transportation for its recent series of protests as well as legal costs. In his response, Rattigan said that “every cent raised by the foundation can be accounted for, and in keeping with Federal regulations an audited copy of the financial records of the foundation will be filed and made available for all to see within the time specified for this to be done”. He also pledged to “comply with any request for a refund by any contributor to the foundation, as a moral obligation, since legally it is not required”. Dr Francis, in the meantime, told the Observer he had sought the services of his attorneys with a view to filing a lawsuit against Rattigan for alleged libel and defamation. Over the past three weeks, at least one person, who up to a month ago was close to the group but did not wish to be named for this story, used a popular online forum to criticise key members of the group, accusing some of having political motives, accusations which have been stoutly rebuffed. Prior to the falling out, the group had been gaining traction among many prominent members of the Diaspora.     FRANCIS… blamed the infighting on “person or persons unknown”

Leroy Sibbles’ status as reggae royalty has never been in doubt, but last Saturday his coronation as King of The Reggae Bassline at Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre made it official. The 75-year-old singer/musician treated just over 600 ‘subjects’, including two of his daughters, to a quality, hour-long performance that heard him presenting songs he recorded with harmony trio The Heptones during the 1960s and early 1970s. He also played some of the expansive bass lines he created at Studio One, which have driven some of the biggest songs in contemporary dancehall/reggae. Sibbles, who is celebrating his 60th year in the music business, was introduced by his granddaughter, Empress Adara from Canada, who serenaded him with Donny Hathaway’s A Song For You. He started with Party Time, then had patrons singing and and dancing to other timeless tracks such as Baby, Why Did You Leave, Pretty Looks Isn’t All, Why Must I Live, Heptones Gonna Fight and Sweet Talking. Calling for the bass, Sibbles revisited songs he played on the instrument, beginning with the seminal Satta Massa Gana by The Abyssinians. He also did the lines to the Mean Girl rhythm, alternating with singer Andrew Cassanova on Luciano’s Sweep Over My Soul and Capleton’s Stand Tall which were done on that rhythm; John Holt’s A Love I Can Feel (Beres Hammond’s Tempted to Touch, Tony Rebel’s Fresh Vegetable, the Full Up (Pass The Kutchie by The Mighty Diamonds, Tarrus Riley’s Beware and Political Fiction by Half Pint). Drenched in sweat, Sibbles was flocked by fans as he left the stage to sustained applause. “Bwoy, is a great feeling, we thank all di artistes an’ people who come out. It was great,” he said. Saxophonist Dean Fraser, singers Duane Stephenson, Etana, and Singing Melody preceded him onstage, each delivering well-received sets. Stephenson got the crowd going with his rendition of Tyrone Taylor’s Cottage in Negril, The Heptones’ Equal Rights and August Town, a reflective ode to the St Andrew community where he is from. Etana, who also grew up near to August Town, went over well with hits like Wrong Address, I Am Not Afraid and Roots. Singing Melody’s performance was the evening’s longest, built around hit solo singles such as Shower Me With Your Love and I Want You Back, as well as Run Free and Just As I Am, which he did with harmony quartet LUST. Percussionist Bongo Herman, who like Sibbles is a Trench Town native, closed the show with the Alton Ellis’ classics, Rocksteady and Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.

WITH deaths that occurred in 2021 just now being confirmed as COVID-19-related, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton is reporting that the delay was due to the thorough interrogation process which takes place to determine if a death was linked to the virus. According to the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s weekly COVID-19 bulletin for this year, eight deaths said to have occurred in 2021 were confirmed as COVID-19 related between July 30 and August 5, 2024. Meanwhile, an additional 15 deaths said to have occurred in 2021 were officially confirmed as COVID-19-related between August 6 and August 12, 2024. Three deaths which occurred in either 2021 or 2022 were also confirmed between August 13 and 19 of this year. “Sometimes what happens is that people die from complications of COVID — so it might be pneumonia, it might be other things — so it’s just a matter of the length of time it has taken to interrogate the particular case; it’s not intended to hide the information. Sometimes it might take a little long but that’s just how the process works, unfortunately,” he told the Jamaica Observer last week. “Some of the deaths required further investigation. The information comes out of the regions, which comes from the hospitals, and sometimes some of the interrogations around cause of death require convening expert panel discussions and so on,” said Tufton. “The programme has been to interrogate, get the expert panel, review, look at the cause of death, what may have led to that cause, and then a determination is made,” he explained. According to the Ministry of Health, a total of 3,840 COVID-19-related deaths have been confirmed as of August 19 this year. However, 166 deaths remain under investigation and could increase the death toll. As of August 8 there have been 13 COVID-19 deaths reported this year. Dr Tufton told the Observer he is uncertain when the backlog of deaths under investigation from previous years would be cleared. “I will enquire, but I suspect that each death has to be taken as a particular case — so it depends on a lot of things,” he said. World Health Organization (WHO) ended the global emergency status for COVID-19 last year, more than three years after its original declaration. However, cases continue to fluctuate in countries across the globe such as the United States, which has reported multiple spikes in cases. Jamaica’s health ministry last month, reporting a high transmission of the virus among the population, urged citizens to remain vigilant. The ministry, in a press release, stated that in July the country saw a 16 per cent increase in COVID-19 cases with figures jumping from 152 the previous month to 176. The case distribution showed the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew (25 per cent), St Catherine (18 per cent), and St James (18 per cent) with the highest figures. In response to the figures, Minister Tufton said it was never envisioned that the virus would completely go away. “When the pandemic was declared ended by the WHO it was clear — and we made it clear — that COVID was going to become commonplace in that we would have spikes, peaks, and drops depending on the environment. And what we are experiencing now is an increase in numbers and some of [which is] not detected,” said Tufton. “Where symptoms are severe, people turn up at hospitals and they are checked; and then some of it is even compounded by the flu, or even dengue, or so on,” he told the Observer. He advised citizens to wear a mask when they feel they are threatened with exposure to the virus and to sanitise as often as needed, noting that hospitals are seeing an increasing demand for services due to other illnesses. “We have been having some increasing demands on some of our hospitals. You would have heard the University Hospital of the West Indies and others claiming long waits for bed space. A lot of those are as a result of chronic illnesses turning up uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, and some of the complications from things like COVID, so those have been contributing a lot to a kind of high demand at the accidents and emergencies [departments], and some of those [individuals] being required [for] admissions into hospitals,” he explained. “We treat them as they occur, and in some instances we try to re-route them to other institutions. Sometimes we have to wait for a bed, as you know, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get treated while they are waiting,” said Tufton.

Reid delighted after conquering rivals and frigid weather to claim U20 women’s 100m gold LIMA, Peru — Alana Reid extended Jamaica’s dominance in the women’s 100m at the World Athletics U20 Championships at Estadio Atletico de la Videna in Lima, Peru, on Wednesday evening when she won the event in 11.17 seconds (-0.0m/s) in cold conditions. Reid, who went into the contest as the world Under-20 leader and title favourite, delivered Jamaica’s first medal of the championships and fourth-straight gold medal in the women’s 100m. She extended the winning run that was started by Briana Williams in Tampere, Finland, in 2018 and Tina Clayton in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2021, and Cali, Colombia, in 2022. It was a clean sweep of the medals for the Caribbean as Adaejah Hodge (11.27) of the British Virgin Islands and Kishaena Niles (11.37) of Barbados, who is based at MVP Track Club training camp in Jamaica, were second and third, respectively. Reid, who won a bronze medal in the 200m final two years ago in Cali, Colombia, told journalists she was elated. “It’s something that I’ve really been working towards since 2022. I came third in the 200m two years ago and I told myself this is my last world junior [championships], so I just want to leave with something that I can look back on,” she said post-race. “I think I [am] very pleased with my performance, knowing that I’ve been training so hard for this moment, and it’s something that I really appreciate.” Reid said the Jamaican perseverance shone through in less than ideal temperatures for sprinters, considering it is winter time in the southern hemisphere. “I would say never to count us out, we all come out here and give of our best. Sometimes our best is not good enough for you, but nevertheless, we are hard-working, we are trying our best to put a smile on our faces and on you guys. And sometimes it’s hard for us, especially to come out here in this type of weather, but nevertheless we come out here and we give of our best,” she said. Jamaica just missed a second medal after Deandre Daley was fourth in the men’s 100m in 10.33 (-0.9m/s) and Gary Card was fifth in 10.44. South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza was a surprise winner with 10.19, the third-straight time an African was winning the title after back-to-back wins by Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo. Thailand’s Puripol Boonson won the silver medal with 10.22 and another South African Bradley Nkoana was third with 10.26. Daley blamed himself for not finishing on the podium. “I started tying up around 70 metres, which is not like me at all,” he told the Jamaica Observer. Kemarrio Bygrave and Shanque Williams failed to get into the men’s and women’s 400m final, respectively. Bygrave finished fourth in his semi-final race, running 47.56 after qualifying from the first round with 47.39, placing third in his first-round heat. Jabari Matheson had failed to advance after he was fifth in his first-round race with 49.34. Williams was seventh with 54.47 in her semi-final race after she had run 54.22 in the first round. Abrina Wright had failed to get past the first round after placing sixth with 54.63. Three of the four intermediate hurdlers — Daniel Wright and Trevoy Smith in the men’s section and Kelly Ann Carr in the women’s — advanced to Friday’s semi-finals. Wright, the winner at the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships and the national championships, won his heat in 51.42. Wright, who is ranked sixth in the world coming into the championships, got off to a fast start and led up to the sixth hurdle before he was passed by China’s Jingwei Guo. He reasserted his control and got to the finish line first. “I’m feeling good, apart from the weather being cold, I’m feeling pretty well,” Wright said afterwards. He said he would have a conversation with his coach to “see what his feedback on the race was”. Smith advanced on time after he placed fourth in his heat in 52.15. He had to run hard to get to the top four in his race that was won by South Africa’s Njabulo Mbatha in 51.42. Mbatha beat Denmark’s Joel Von De Ahe, who ran a national Under-20 record 51.80 and Mexico’s Maximilliano Nunez (52.09). Smith admitted to “making too many mistakes” in the race and said he has the chance to make amends with a place in Friday’s semi-finals. Carr did just enough to get past the first round, leading up to the eighth hurdle before she was caught. But she held on for second in 1:00.61, behind Australia’s Alesha Bennetts (59.04). Haiti’s Gloria Guerrier, who also advanced to Friday’s semi-finals, was third in 1:0065. Deschanique Douglas, who hit the third hurdle and was not able to recover, finished at the back of the race in 1:05.43. Douglas, who has a personal best 59.72 and who is taking up a scholarship at Lincoln University in Missouri after she leaves the championships, told the Observer she had been unable to hurdle for two weeks going into the World U20s but gave it her best shot. Jade Ann Dawkins qualified for Saturday’s final of the women’s triple jump by the slimmest of margins after Wednesday’s preliminaries . Her 12.82m (1.2m/s) was 12th best, just ahead of Latvia’s Brenda Dziliana Apsite, who also had a 12.82m (0.2m/s). The Jamaican had the advantage with a better second jump of 12.64m to Apsite’s 12.63m. Jaeda Robinson failed to make progress after she jumped 12.53m (1.6m/s) and finished in 21st position overall.

JDF not ruling out friendly fire in death of young soldier THE Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has refused to accept or deny that friendly fire led to last week Friday’s shooting death of one of its soldiers, Private Ejay Domville, in Denham Town, Kingston. At the time of his killing, Domville was posted at the Denham Town zone of special operations. According to the police, around 1:25 am on Friday, August 23, Domville was part of a military team on foot patrol in the vicinity of Charles Street and Chestnut Lane when he was killed. The police said that soldiers were in pursuit of men who opened gunfire at them, which caused them to take evasive action and return fire. At the end of the shooting, Domville was found with a gunshot wound to the face. The young soldier, who had been in the JDF for less than a year, was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. His death sparked widespread speculations in the public sphere that he could have been shot by one of his colleagues. The swirling speculations, especially after Wednesday’s publication of a story by The Gleaner depicting the concerning views of Domville’s mother, Calisha Reynolds, prompted the JDF to issue a statement. In the statement the JDF said it was conducting its own internal investigations to ensure all facts are uncovered and that it was fully cooperating with ongoing investigations by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom). However, Indecom’s assistant commissioner Hamish Campbell said the investigating body was not probing the matter which he said was a murder. “Indecom attended the scene because at the time there was discharge of firearm by the security forces, but no one was injured. We know where the soldier was shot and post-mortem will further support or add to that in terms of trajectory and direction but Indecom is not the investigating body for that,” Campbell told the Jamaica Observer In its statement on Wednesday, the JDF said: “We acknowledge the concerns raised by Pte Domville’s mother, Ms Calisha Reynolds, and we are committed to working with internal and external stakeholders to ensure they are addressed in a timely manner. Arrangements have been made to ensure Ms Reynolds is present at the autopsy, and we will maintain continuous communication to ensure she is informed throughout the process. “The JDF also recognised the concerns expressed by the public regarding the possibility of Pte Domville’s death being the result of fratricide. We acknowledge that the complexity of a shooting engagement with threat force and split-second decision-making can increase its likelihood. However, our pre-deployment training is focused on minimising the risk of fratricide and ensuring the safety and well-being of our service members during a firefight,” the army said. The JDF said Domville demonstrated exceptional bravery during the incident and that preliminary reports indicated that even after he fell and lost his helmet, “he swiftly got back up and continued to advance towards the threat”. The military said it is committed to providing full support to the family as they navigate these challenging circumstances together. In an interview with The Gleaner on Tuesday, Domville’s mother expressed hope that the autopsy, which was set to be done on Wednesday, would provide her with some answers. She said that she did not believe he was killed by criminals in a shootout. She said that when she went to the Tranquility Funeral Home, where her son body is stored, she was told that she could not see the body because it was already identified. The mother of two described Domville as her breadwinner.

LIMA, Peru – Alana Reid became the fourth Jamaican in succession to win the women’s 100m at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, after beating a quality field to take gold in Wednesday’s final in Lima, Peru. Reid, the world Under-20 leader, ran 11.17 seconds to win ahead of Adaejah Hodge from the British Virgin Islands and Kishawna Niles from Barbados, who were second and third respectively. Reid now joins compatriots Briana Williams, who won in Tampere, Finland in 2018; and Tina Clayton, who took the title in Nairobi, Kenya in 2021 and again in Cali, Colombia in 2022, to extend Jamaica’s dominance in the event over the last six years.

OPPOSITION People’s National Party’s (PNP) spokesperson on education and community development Senator Damion Crawford says the Government has adopted a false sense of security where teacher migration is concerned as its own probe has revealed that the numbers this year will mimic last year’s and will surpass 1,400. Speaking at a virtual press briefing put on by the party at its Old Hope Road headquarters in St Andrew on Wednesday, Crawford, in rebutting indications by Education Minister Fayval Williams that there was less anxiety in the system about teacher migration this year, called for “truthful information from the ministry as to the current and expected migration” and the true numbers of teachers who have left the island over the last five years. According to Crawford, “the ministry is ill-informed and has less than adequate information which has led it to assume that teacher migration is not at crisis proportions”. “The constant underestimation and under-reporting of migration and the constant argument that there is not a crisis needs to be properly investigated. The ministry needs to say the numbers who have left the classrooms in the last five years. We also would like to know what is the number of posts that have not been filled for any period of time over the last four years,” Crawford said, noting that the impact of teacher migration is being reflected in external exam results. In attacking the Government’s plan to import teachers to fill the gaps, Crawford said these were at best “helter-skelter”. “Some 28 Cuban teachers are now in Jamaica, but we have not seen the arrival of the much shouted about Ghanaian teachers. They should have been carried in to participate in summer school so they could acclimatise themselves. We have questions about the Ghanaian teachers who should come and [would like to know it they will] be enough to supplement the 1,400 teachers who are leaving,” Crawford said. He also demanded to be told about the terms and lengths of the contracts. In the meantime, Crawford mooted several ideas which he said would boost teacher retention. The Government, he said, should explore making housing more likely and more affordable for teachers and suggested that the Administration consult with the National Housing Trust to examine the probability of offering higher thresholds to teachers or doubling same with an interest rate of no more than three per cent. He further suggested a “graduating concession programme” for teachers purchasing motor vehicles. “So the longer you stay, the higher your concession for your motor vehicle,” Crawford said. “We [also] propose that the Government speaks with the Students’ Loan Bureau for a programme of loan forgiveness for each year the teacher remains in the classroom”. Former president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association Leighton Johnson, at the start of the 2023-24 academic year, told a general meeting of the Rotary Club of New Kingston, that “zeroing in on the last two years, Jamaica has lost approximately 10 per cent of its teachers to our overseas jurisdictions”. In September last year, Education Minister Fayval Williams said a total of 854 teachers had resigned between January and September that year, a 44 per cent reduction, compared to the similar period in 2022.

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — A 15-year-old student of Helshire, St Catherine, has been charged with burglary and larceny of a motor vehicle after he reportedly broke into a house in Portmore and later drove away a vehicle that was parked at the premises. Reports from the Helshire police are that the teenager and another man allegedly broke into the complainant’s home on Wednesday, August 21 and stole a cellular phone, a purse and car keys. It is alleged that the culprits then made their escape by driving away the complainant’s Suzuki Swift motor vehicle. A report was made to the police, and the teenager was reportedly caught aboard the vehicle in Christiana, Manchester on Sunday, August 25. He was subsequently charged and is now awaiting a court date.

THE exodus of teachers from Jamaica seems to be slowing, with the Ministry of Education and Youth reporting on Wednesday that just more than 100 fewer public school teachers have resigned this year. Portfolio minister Fayval Williams, who revealed this dwindling figure at a post-Cabinet press briefing, had last year reported that a total of 854 teachers had resigned between January and September 2023, which represented a 44 per cent reduction when compared to a similar period in 2022. A total of 1,538 educators resigned between January and September in 2022. “Based on the numbers that have been collated for this year, and we’re looking at September to August of 2023/24 versus 22/23, the most current information that we have is that a total of 102 fewer teachers resigned this year than last year,” Williams said on Wednesday in response to media queries. However, newly installed president of Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Dr Mark Smith, in his presidential address during the investiture ceremony at the 60th annual JTA conference in Trelawny last week, asserted that resignations due to migration remains a challenge for the education system. “Our schools are struggling to keep pace with the migration of high school teachers [and] also in primary schools [where we lose science, technology and mathematics teachers]. Our present reality is a precarious one, at best. Despite possessing the local capacity within our teacher training institutions, we’re seeing dwindling numbers. The profession is just not attractive,” he said. “We have to change that dynamic,” said Smith. In the meantime, the education minister again addressed the speculation of more foreign teachers filling local vacancies, insisting that there has been no additional recruitment of overseas educators outside the normal cadre of Cuban teachers this year. She said that while there have been talks surrounding foreign recruitment, nothing has been solidified. “To date, we only have our usual cadre of Cuban teachers and others that were in the system before. There has not been any new recruitment of teachers from other countries. There have been talks, there have been discussions, but our system continues now, as we speak today to have the same countries that we’ve always had,” she said. “We’ve had exploratory talks with at least two countries that have indicated their interest in having their teachers in our environment and that’s because they have excess teachers in their their countries [but] there’s noting, no signed MoU or anything like that,” she added, noting that the interested countries are Ghana and the Philippines. Earlier this month, permanent secretary in the education ministry Dr Kasan Troupe told a post-Cabinet press briefing that the ministry was in an advanced stage of recruiting overseas-based teachers to fill the local shortage. Troupe also revealed that even though there is a shortage in the country, countries overseas have approached Jamaica and indicated that they have an oversupply of teachers and would like them to have the opportunity to serve in Jamaica. On Tuesday, the Government welcomed 29 new Cuban teachers, bringing to more than 70 the number of these educators in the country on two-year contracts. The majority of the Cuban educators have been assigned to primary schools to teach Spanish. However, some will be deployed to secondary schools and government colleges.

Kensington and Westmoreland overpowered their respective opponents in the semi-finals of the Kingston Wharves Under-15 Cricket Competition to book spots in the championship match scheduled for the Ultimate Cricket Ground in Discovery Bay, St Ann, on Friday. A confident St Mary, who were champions in 2022 and losing finalists to Manchester last year, hosted Kensington at Jack’s River on Tuesday. St Mary won the toss and laboured to 74 all out in 34.4 overs on the back of 23 from Marcodean Dunn and 18 from Leonardo Silvera. Abraham Waugh, who took three wickets for six runs, Zachary Buchanan (three for nine) and Andrew Lloyd (two for 22) were the pick of the bowlers for Kensington. In their run chase, Kensington, who are seeking their first hold on the coveted Kingston Wharves U-15 trophy, roared to 75 for one to win the match by nine wickets. The main contributors to the score were Zachary Buchanan (28) and Waugh (24). Shavaughn Boyd was the lone wicket-taker for St Mary. In the day’s other semi-final — a low-scoring encounter — hosts Westmoreland defeated Melbourne by six wickets at Paradise ground. Melbourne batted first and were skittled out for 28. Westmoreland, who posted the highest total this year of 365 at the quarter-final stage, were made to work by Melbourne, losing six wickets before reaching the target of 29 runs. Following the Kingston Wharves Under-15 final, 24 players will be selected for the national team to begin preparation for next year’s regional championship.

TRELAWNY, Jamaica – Education Minister Fayval Williams has sought to assure the nation’s educators that the Jamaica Teachers Council (JTC) Bill is not designed to criminalise teachers. Williams was responding to concerns raised by the newly-installed president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), Dr Mark Smith, at the recent JTA teachers’ conference in Trelawny. Williams reasoned that the aim of the Bill is for the registration of teachers in a similar vein to other professions. “No Mr President, current and past. No JTA, we’re not trying to criminalise teachers. We’re just not! We are moving to ensure that our teachers are registered. You look at other professions: lawyers are registered, nurses are registered, contractors are registered,” she stressed. Speaking shortly after his installment at the recent JTA conference in Trelawny, Smith noted that while the association is not opposed to the concept of professionalising teaching, the teachers’ union is guarded against exposing the membership to “victimisation in any form or manifestation.” “Furthermore, we are concerned that the Bill does not unjustifiably expose any of our members to unnecessary punitive measures. For instance, several of my predecessors and I are troubled regarding the thrust towards criminalising certain breaches and will continue to advocate for a rethinking of those aspects of said Bill,” Smith argued. Meanwhile, the education minister underscored that the JTC Bill is also seeking to address the perception that anybody can teach. “There’s currently in the minds of many Jamaicans, they think anyone can teach. But I say to you, once we get into that environment in which teachers are registered and you are known as a registered teacher that is going to change that perception. No longer will Jamaicans believe that anybody can teach.  A registered teacher sends a very strong signal to the rest of the society,” Williams stated.

Pink Supper, the latest in the ROK Supper Club series, was a summer soirée worth toasting! On Thursday, August 15, guests filled the stylishly curated space of the ROK Hotel’s rooftop bar and pool area and were immediately greeted with rosé pours and glasses of pink cocktails. Scotch Bonnet Beetroot Rice Krispies and crab cakes drizzled with beetroot aioli were passed as numbers — the final count was 36 — grew. An hour in, guests settled in for Executive Chef Volaé Williams’ delicious nine-course feast, appropriately tinged in pink. The tablescape burst with roses, hydrangeas, cherry blossoms, and hot pink bougainvilleas — a multi-hued arrangement by floral designer Hilgary Thompson-Wright — and the elegant treatment from Kike Whitfield of Kikes Koncepts. The true marvel, was, however, the ‘dining on water’ illusion the plexiglass pool covering provided. “It’s a pleasure to host all of you tonight,” said ROK Hotel Director of Sales & Marketing Marlene Buckridge. “The team has put together some fantastic food, paired with some beautiful wines. I’m going to hand over to Volaé [ROK Hotel Executive Chef Volaé Williams] so he can tell you how he’s going to take us through this gastronomic journey.” For his part Williams said: “We have nine phenomenal courses. I’ll be presenting each course as the night goes by. Gear up your tastebuds for bold, subtle, and explosive flavours. This is a gastronomical experience like no other.” ROK Hotel Interim General Manager Feras Erksousi held court at one table, whilst Buckridge sat at the other, as servers — dressed in pink ties — placed bowls of Roasted Yam Cream. A succession of artfully plated dishes ensued. Guests enjoyed marinated cherry tomatoes in the Caprese Romesco, perfectly seared melon in the Blackened Honey Dew, Jerk Octopus, and Spiced Duck Confit, paired with Caribbean Producers Jamaica Ltd’s (CPJ) best red, white, and rosé wines. Petite Fillet Farci, an arrangement of Callaloo and tomato-filled chateaubriand, banana croquette, baby carrots, Pinot Noir mushroom demi, and beetroot gastrique wrapped the savory journey. After a bubbly palate cleanser — Rosé, and carbonated sugar — it was time for dessert. Bursting with inspiration from the bar, the garden, and pink nostalgia, Williams’s flight of desserts included Yogurt Panna Cotta, Raspberry Mousse Tartlet, Chocolate Sorrel Bon Bon, Irish rum Ball, Melon Mojita Sphere, and a special treat of Mango-Strawbeery Mille Feuille. A hybrid between a dinner party and dining at a restaurant, often taking place in a chef’s home or spaces closed for the evening, supper clubs foster cultural exchange, closing the distance between chef and guests as everyone sits together for a meal. Thursday Food reckons we’ve stumbled upon a renewed appreciation for a more intimate type of dinner party: The ROK Supper Club.   ROK Hotel 2-4 King St, Kingston   Photographer: Naphtali Junior