To my daughter, Marsha Deyal, who followed her father’s footsteps in journalism and teaching. A kid asked his dad, “What’s a man?” The father replied, “A man is someone who is responsible and cares for their family.” The kid said, “I hope one...
In a profession defined by long hours, public scrutiny, and relentless commitment to truth, journalists are often the first to tell the stories of others’ hardship. Rarely, however, do we pause to ask who supports the storytellers when their own...
While any amount that helps to get the job done is welcome, given the scale of the problem, an allocation of J$18.8 million in this fiscal year, presumably to pay private professionals for helping to clear the backlog of unaudited financial...
The finance minister opened the budget debate by announcing some interesting reforms to the financial sector. These were largely regulatory reforms intended to widen the universe of investable assets for pension plans and life insurance companies...
Quite by coincidence, the gospel reading in several mainline Christian churches on Sunday, March 8 – International Women’s Day – was centred on a woman. Today I take a break from local politics and global wars, to reflect on the story, found in...
Jamaica cannot afford to drift through this moment with polite language, soft thinking, or the usual habit of celebrating possibility before securing substance. There is a serious conversation now taking shape around offshore oil exploration in...
Apart from their partisan desk-thumping, an unfortunate feature of Jamaica’s legislators is how little attention they pay to, and therefore know about, the bills upon which they vote. They generally leave it to the executive, the Cabinet, to...
March is officially observed as Nutrition Month, a time when national attention turns to the critical link between what we eat and how we live. It is therefore both fitting and forward-thinking that the Government has proposed introducing a locally...
Following the forceful removal of President Maduro of Venezuela, and the huge public outcry from strong US allies across the globe, the US Administration has experienced something unexpected in the aftermath. Their disapproval of the US ‘s actions...
Over the past few years, a new class of medications has transformed the treatment of obesity. Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro work primarily by reducing appetite, helping people eat less and feel full sooner. Their success has demonstrated...
While the economic feasibility of extracting rare earth elements (REE) from bauxite residue is still unattained, Phillip Paulwell is right about Jamaica needing to do the work to put itself in a position to take advantage of any breakthrough. In...
The international news is dominated by the current Iran war initiated by Israel and the USA on Saturday, February 28. The USA was assembling its military in the region following its mission in Venezuela. While there was speculation about US...
Over the past 30 years, childhood obesity in the Caribbean has more than doubled, making it the hardest-hit region in the Americas. In 2022, 8.6 per cent of children under five years old were overweight. Among those age five–nine years old, rates...
A speech by Britain’s monarch marking Commonwealth Day has quietly revived one of Jamaica’s most enduring national debates: whether the country should finally sever its remaining constitutional ties to the British Crown. In his annual message, the...
At least once each year since the release of the Christopher Zacca report in 2019, this newspaper has asked for clarity on, or a least serious public discussion of, the Government’s intention for the Petrojam oil refinery. But anything about the...
News broke on Thursday that, after fifty years, Government discontinued its medical cooperation program with Cuba. Foreign Affairs Ministry announced “…both governments were unable to agree on the terms and conditions of a new technical cooperation...
On February 28, the US and Israel began an assault, Operation Epic Fury, on Iran. During the first week of hostilities, bombs and missiles landed in 12 countries: Iran, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon,...
Jamaica joins the international community in commemorating International Women’s Day, under the theme: ‘Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls’. The annual observance recognises the global contributions of women everywhere and advocates...
Jamaica joins the Member States of the Commonwealth in commemorating Commonwealth Day in celebration of our shared commitment to democracy, sustainable development, peace and prosperity. This year, we celebrate under the theme ‘Unlocking...
Social media is often blamed for stoking violence. But it can play a positive role by drawing attention to atrocities – both past and present – which research suggests can make them less likely to occur. That's what we found when we compared the...
The widening conflict involving Iran is raising concerns among global investors, but early signals from the international real estate community suggest the impact on property markets will likely be indirect rather than immediate. For countries...
In the wider sporting world, a quiet paradox is unfolding. Some of our most explosive, focused and instinctive performers on the field are the very same young people struggling to keep pace in the classroom. The question is no longer rhetorical....
The staging of the Lost in Time reggae festival last weekend was more than a well-produced entertainment event. It demonstrated what becomes possible when Jamaican creativity is matched by professional organisation, commercial discipline and...
The bauxite/alumina industry will mark its 75th anniversary next year. The history of industrial activity within the sector started in 1952 with Alcan’s first alumina shipment in January of that year and Reynolds’ first bauxite export on June 5....
The law establishing the Independent Fiscal Commission (IFC) sets out specific rules for the publication of reviews of the government’s fiscal strategies and outcomes. It is silent on if, or how, the finance minister should respond. The...
