WESTERN BUREAU: Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley is urging Caribbean nations to embrace CARICOM bonds as a new tool for development, giving citizens a direct stake in building a stronger, more resilient region. “We are in a position to be able...
Jamaica is losing its human resource to crime and may not be able to find the labour force necessary to carry the country’s projected growth over the next 10 years – “a real problem”, according to Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness. “You are going to...
A government-appointed committee that conducted a “comprehensive” review of Jamaica’s disaster risk management mechanisms has delivered some “sobering” findings, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has disclosed. Holness did not divulge details of the...
WESTERN BUREAU: With over 50 emergency shelters in place in Hanover, and shelter managers identified, the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) main concern at this time is the slow pace at which the National Works Agency (NWA) is addressing drain...
Educator and coach Tamara Williams-Gayle was the surprise star of Merl Grove High School’s graduation ceremony last Thursday when she was unexpectedly recognised for the life-changing impact she had on a student who once struggled to find her...
WESTERN BUREAU: There were heated exchanges among councillors at St James Municipal Corporation’s (StJMC) monthly meeting on Thursday regarding the suitability of the 110 units to be used in the Government’s rural school bus system. The acrimonious...
WESTERN BUREAU: People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding has restated a pledge to elevate reggae legend Bob Marley and cultural icon Miss Lou to the status of national heroes if his party forms the next Government. Speaking at the PNP’s...
Mickel Thompson learned to read as a toddler by following subtitles on anime films he watched with his father. By the time he entered basic school, he was academically ahead of most of his classmates. To keep him challenged, his teachers...
A Kingston delivery man hired by Constable Noel Maitland to remove a sofa from his apartment, testified on Monday that the lawman appeared surprised when informed that the police had seized his truck. According to the witness, Maitland later...
More Jamaicans were denied temporary resident visas for Canada than any other CARICOM country’s people, including Haiti, on the grounds of “misrepresentation”. Between January 2024 and May 31, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (...
As a little boy growing up in Clarendon, O’Rane Thomas came face to face with a reality no child wishes to encounter – the possibility of losing his left arm. Between the ages of three and seven, he suffered four upper-limb fractures. One injury...
Nearly four out of every 10 work permits approved by the Jamaican Government last year were for Chinese nationals, a new report has revealed. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) received a total of 5,651 work permit applications in...
WESTERN BUREAU: The Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) has thrown its support behind CARICOM’s move to create a regional model law on digital safety, while calling for urgent action, stiffer penalties for offenders, and the creation of a...
Jamaican permanent residents (green card holders) could find themselves shut out of medical services in the United States (US) unless they meet certain conditions. If the green card holder is a low-income person and has had green card status for...
While in agreement with Transport Minister Daryl Vaz, that the National Rural Bus Service will be a win win for all, Egerton Newman, president of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS), says the Government must not...
Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby yesterday expressed dissatisfaction with Matthew Samuda, the minister with responsibility for water and housing, and the National Water Commission (NWC) over what he described as their poor treatment of water quality...
WESTERN BUREAU. Four CARICOM member states will be implementing free movement of the region’s nationals by October 1, 2025, marking a major step forward in regional integration under the entity’s Single Market and Economy (CSME). Jamaica’s Prime...
The chief crime scene examiner from the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) testified yesterday that he was unaware that the police had visited and processed Constable Noel Maitland’s apartment before his team’s official examination...
WESTERN BUREAU: The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) could lose more than US$542 million annually under the United States’ newly imposed reciprocal tariffs, a blow that threatens to unravel decades of export growth, particularly in agriculture, food...
WESTERN BUREAU: The CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) is warning that the region faces a looming economic threat from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) global carbon tax, which could significantly increase the cost of shipping...
WESTERN BUREAU: Agriculture Minister Floyd Green is urging the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) to remain committed to safeguarding fisheries across its member states – especially the livelihoods of local artisanal fisherfolk –...
WESTERN BUREAU: Prime Minister Andrew Holness is calling for a transformation in the relationship between Africa and the Caribbean and wants the region’s leaders to turn their shared history into practical partnerships with the capacity to deliver...
Professor Clive Landis, pro vice-chancellor and principal of The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill, has warned that the freedom to disagree peacefully is under threat. Speaking at the UWI Vice-Chancellor’s Forum on ‘Academic Freedom,...
After five years of closed gates and shifting timelines, the long-promised reopening of the Rockfort Mineral Bath has again been postponed, this time to the end of July, causing disappointment among hopeful patrons. This promise was made early last...
Attorney Hugh Wildman is calling for a formal investigation into the conduct of a police investigator and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in their handling of sexual offence charges against his client, Brian M*, who was...
