Carib Scope

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  • Candidate slammed on crown land deeds

    Candidate slammed on crown land deeds

    Weeks before Bahamas’ hotly anticipated general election, a Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) candidate’s explosive claim about holding Crown Land title deeds for distribution has ignited fierce political debate and thrown a spotlight on long-simmering questions about the integrity of public land allocation processes.

    At a well-attended PLP campaign rally held in West End on April 13, Dr. Monique Pratt, the party’s candidate for East Grand Bahama, made the unorthodox announcement to assembled supporters. In remarks captured on video and later circulated publicly, Pratt pushed back against claims from rival political groups that they would deliver Crown Land to constituents, asserting that she already held the long-awaited deeds in her personal possession.

    “I’m proud to say that I have in my possession your long-awaited deeds to your crown land, and I’ve been given the instructions from our prime minister to release them to you,” Pratt told the crowd. A subsequent social media post from the candidate showed her at a party event calling out the names of East Grand Bahama residents who were purportedly marked as recipients of the allocated public land.

    Pratt’s comments immediately triggered widespread scrutiny, as observers and political opponents questioned why official government title deeds would be transferred to a sitting political candidate rather than being processed through standard, formal government administrative channels.

    When reached for comment by reporters on Monday, Pratt declined to address questions directly, referring all inquiries to PLP party leadership, noting that senior officials were aware of the controversy and would issue a formal response. Latrae Rahming, communications director for both the Office of the Prime Minister and the PLP, later confirmed to local outlet The Tribune that Prime Minister Philip Davis—who holds direct ministerial responsibility for Crown Land management—would address the matter personally during an upcoming press interaction.

    The opposition Free National Movement (FNM) has already seized on the controversy to attack the incumbent government, with FNM chairman Dr. Duane Sands launching sharp criticism over the incident, arguing it raises serious red flags about procedural fairness, governmental transparency, and adherence to the rule of law in Bahamian public land administration.

    “Crown Land is not a political reward, it is a sacred national patrimony, held in trust for all Bahamians,” Sands stated in his response. He questioned how official title deeds ended up in the custody of a political candidate rather than government agencies, and raised explicit concerns that land allocations are being weaponized for political patronage ahead of the election.

    “The issuance of title deeds is a formal governmental function, not a political favour to be dispensed from a campaign platform,” Sands added. He also called for direct answers from Prime Minister Davis, demanding clarification on whether Davis personally issued the instruction to deliver the deeds to Pratt for campaign distribution. Sands emphasized that the incident raises “significant legal and ethical questions” and pushed for full accountability and radical transparency in the ongoing administration of Crown Land.

  • PLP hands out over $200k in gift cards

    PLP hands out over $200k in gift cards

    A pre-election controversy has erupted in The Bahamas over more than $200,000 in Hurricane Dorian relief gift certificates distributed to Abaco residents, after the head of the issuing company directly linked the funding to the national Ministry of Finance. Chris Lleida, chief executive officer of Premier Importers — the local firm that produced and will honor the vouchers — made the claim publicly this week, opening a fierce debate over whether public funds have been misused to influence voters just two weeks ahead of the country’s general election, more than six years after Dorian devastated Abaco.

    According to Lleida, the finance ministry requested his company issue the gift certificates as part of long-delayed post-hurricane relief, with individual vouchers ranging in value from $200 to $500, for a total sum exceeding $200,000. He confirmed that his firm’s role is limited to producing and honoring the certificates, with all distribution responsibility held by the ministry and the third parties it designated. When pressed on the unusual timing of the rollout, coming years after the disaster and just weeks before voters head to the polls, Lleida acknowledged the obvious question: “Why didn’t this happen two years ago?”

    Physical copies of the certificates obtained by The Tribune show they bear the signatures of two Bahamas Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) figures: Bradley Fox Jr., the PLP candidate for Central and South Abaco, and Preston Roberts, the party’s campaign coordinator and a sitting member of the Disaster Reconstruction Authority board. To date, no clear information has emerged about how many certificates have been distributed, what criteria were used to select recipients, or how the distribution process is being managed.

    Lleida’s explosive claim has been forcefully rejected by senior PLP leadership. Valentine Grimes, a PLP trustee, stated that the party would never misuse public funds for this type of initiative, insisting that all materials distributed by party candidates are covered either by the party’s own budget or the candidate personally. “Anything that candidates give out to people, anything, is paid out by the party or the candidate,” Grimes said. When asked whether the distribution so close to an election constituted vote buying, Grimes acknowledged that similar practices occur across all political groups in the country — a longstanding unaddressed open secret in Bahamian politics. He argued that there is nothing improper about assisting vulnerable residents, even near an election, and that any interpretation of motive is up to individual voters.

    Other PLP figures have offered conflicting accounts of the funding source. Roberts, whose signature appears on the certificates, said he believed the funds came from the party’s own private relief donations, fulfilling a years-old promise to Dorian survivors made after the 2019 storm. He explained that distribution is still ongoing, with plans to expand the program to North Abaco, and that vouchers are targeted to residents still recovering from storm damage — including single mothers and elderly residents, who receive higher-value certificates to cover needs like roofing, cabinetry, and bathroom repairs. Fox, the candidate whose signature also appears on the vouchers, declined to answer direct questions about the funding source or vote buying allegations, only offering a biblical quote in response to reporters.

    Lleida pushed back against claims of partisan favoritism, noting that he has worked for years with cross-party lawmakers who use their constituency budgets to assist residents with home repairs and other needs. He added that while the current request was larger than usual, it was not out of the ordinary for his firm, and that he supports assistance reaching all eligible residents regardless of political affiliation. For local building supply businesses like his, he noted, the initiative also provides welcome economic support at a time when the local construction market remains sluggish.

    Requests for comment from the Office of the Prime Minister went unanswered by press time. The controversy has thrown a sharp spotlight on a longstanding gap in Bahamian election law: the country still lacks a comprehensive, enforceable campaign finance framework, with no clear mandatory disclosure rules for political spending or binding regulations governing the use of public resources during election periods. Both major political parties have repeatedly pledged to implement comprehensive campaign finance reform over the years, but no such policy has been enacted to date, leaving the door open for questions about the intersection of government relief and political campaigning ahead of this month’s vote.

  • NO HAND-OFF

    NO HAND-OFF

    Reigning men’s 100m world champion Oblique Seville will not join Jamaica’s national team for this weekend’s World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, but his agent has firmly quashed online speculation of a falling-out between the sprinter and the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) over the exit.

    The athletics community was caught off guard on Sunday when news broke that both Seville and Kishane Thompson — the Olympic and World Championships silver medalist — had pulled out of the event, just weeks after they were named as headline contenders in Jamaica’s men’s 4x100m relay pool. The Caribbean nation is traveling to Botswana chasing automatic qualification spots for the 2025 World Athletics Championships scheduled to be held in Beijing, making the absences of two of its top sprinters a notable setback.

    While Thompson’s exit has been widely linked to an ongoing injury issue, an unconfirmed report emerged Monday claiming Seville withdrew because the JAAA refused to cover the cost of a shorter, earlier flight to Botswana that would fit the sprinter’s schedule. The Jamaica Observer reached out to JAAA President Garth Gayle for an official response to the claim, but did not receive a reply before this article went to press.

    Shortly after the speculative report circulated, the JAAA issued an official public statement Monday refuting the claims, labeling them “factually inaccurate”. According to the association’s account, the conflict centered entirely on Seville’s pre-existing contractual commitments in Miami, Florida, which required him to return from Botswana by a specific date that the available flight schedules could not accommodate.

    The JAAA explained that after checking all available commercial routes, the earliest flight that could get Seville back to Miami would arrive after 12 p.m. next Tuesday, and the association could not guarantee an earlier return that would meet his contractual deadline. Following these negotiations, the association says Seville’s agent Norman Peart formally notified the JAAA last Tuesday of the sprinter’s decision to withdraw, and extended well wishes to the rest of the Jamaican team ahead of the competition. The JAAA added that it remains eager to see Seville represent Jamaica in future international competitions as a core member of the national team.

    Peart has since confirmed that the JAAA’s official account of the withdrawal is fully accurate, adding that Seville is deeply disappointed to miss the chance to compete for his home country this weekend. “We had some challenges; we really worked hard to get this done but it couldn’t happen. The logistics coming out of Botswana just could not work. We’ve been at it for a while but it just couldn’t work,” Peart told the Jamaica Observer in an interview.

    Peart stressed that there is no personal friction or public fallout between Seville and the JAAA leadership, calling the entire situation an unfortunate confluence of competing commitments. “We had our challenges but I must say the JAAA really went out of their way to see [if it could be resolved], but the timing and the whole logistics of getting back from Botswana is very challenging and could not work out because he had to get back to the United States — and it’s [something] he cannot miss,” Peart explained.

    Seville, who claimed his first senior 100m world title at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, has never competed at a World Relays event. However, he was critical to Jamaica’s qualification for the 2023 World Championships last summer, helping the nation secure its slot at the London Diamond League meet after Jamaica failed to finish two qualifying races at the previous World Relays. At the Tokyo World Championships, Seville was part of Jamaica’s sprint relay team that missed out on a medal after dropping the baton during the heat rounds.

    The JAAA has not yet announced whether it will name replacement sprinters for Seville and Thompson ahead of the travel window for the Botswana event. Even with the two absences, Jamaica’s 4x100m relay pool still boasts top 100m talents including Ackeem Blake, Rohan Watson and Kadrian Goldson, who will step into contention to secure the qualifying spot for Beijing next year.

  • Sigh of relief!

    Sigh of relief!

    After weeks of widespread supply disruptions that forced many Jamaican women to either pay steep out-of-pocket costs for prescription birth control or switch to alternative contraceptive methods that caused unwanted side effects, the injectable contraceptive shortage in Jamaica’s public health system has finally eased, according to on-the-ground reporting from the Jamaica Observer.

    During checks conducted Friday at two major public health facilities in Kingston’s Corporate Area — Maxfield Park Health Centre and Slipe Pen Road Comprehensive Health Centre — journalists confirmed that the contraceptive injections are once again available to patients who rely on the public system for free or low-cost reproductive care.

    One anonymous patient at Slipe Pen Road, who had been unable to access the injection during a prior visit, shared her experience with the Observer. She had been offered a choice between purchasing the contraceptive through a private pharmacy prescription or switching to oral birth control when stock ran out. Opting for the pill due to cost, she stopped using it after developing severe adverse side effects, and was relieved to finally receive her preferred injection during Friday’s visit. She added that women who chose to purchase the contraceptive privately reported paying roughly J$4,100 per dose — a major expense for many low-income households.

    The patient also echoed widespread public speculation about the cause of the shortage, linking it to comments from Health Minister Christopher Tufton that framed Jamaica’s declining birth rate as a policy concern. “When people have children they are not getting good care in hospitals or proper food,” she noted, pointing to inadequate postnatal support for new mothers as evidence that policy pushes for higher birth rates are out of step with on-the-ground needs. Her 10-month-old child recently received inadequate food assistance through the country’s new mother support program, she added.

    A second patient at the same facility confirmed she faced identical barriers to access last month. Unable to afford the private purchase option, she also switched to the pill, which caused unwanted side effects including increased appetite that led her to seek out the injectable form as soon as it became available again.

    A senior public health nurse at Slipe Pen Road confirmed the supply disruption lasted throughout the month of March, triggered by unexpected delays in a routine national order. She confirmed that supplies have been replenished, and patients have been able to access their regular injections for the past two weeks.

    At Maxfield Park Health Centre, multiple patients emphasized that financial need is the primary reason the vast majority of women seek contraceptive care through the public system rather than private markets. Teresa McKenzie, a mother who accessed the injection alongside her sister, explained that she relies on the public service because she is currently out of work, and her partner already struggles to cover basic household costs for their existing children. “Taking care of children is more manageable this way, when you can plan when you have another,” she said, noting that unplanned pregnancy would make covering food and school fees far more difficult for her family.

    Dr. Julia Rowe-Porter, director of the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Family Health Unit (FHU), clarified the root causes of the facility-level shortages in a statement. While the National Health Fund (NHF), which manages national stockpiles of public health supplies, has confirmed there is no national shortage at its central storage facility, recent changes to national order management protocols created gaps that left local clinics without stock for several weeks. Rowe-Porter confirmed that the FHU is currently working alongside the NHF and regional health authorities to resolve the systemic issues that led to the disruptions and prevent future stock-outs.

  • Crawba Genius teams up DJ Mac, Julian Marley for new inspirational single

    Crawba Genius teams up DJ Mac, Julian Marley for new inspirational single

    When three creative forces from the music industry – producers Crawba Genius, DJ Mac and reggae icon Julian Marley – joined to create a new single, their mission stretched far beyond topping global music charts. Their collaborative track *Give to Life* arrives at a cultural moment when audiences are craving earnest, purpose-driven messages of resilience, and the creative team has built the entire project around that universal hunger for hope and inspiration.

    Rooted in authentic, relatable everyday experience, the track carries the core reggae tradition of conscious, uplifting storytelling that has defined Marley’s decades-long career. In conversations about the project, Marley explained that the track’s lyrics and melody grew directly from ordinary life experiences, grounding its message in tangible truth that listeners can connect to. For the Grammy-nominated reggae artist, the song’s core purpose is clear: it is crafted to encourage people to stay anchored to their personal values and long-term goals, even when navigating life’s most difficult challenges. The overarching goal, he notes, is to inspire fans to keep pushing forward toward their dreams – a mission that fits perfectly with reggae’s long history of delivering messages of perseverance and social consciousness.

    Early audience and industry reception has already proven the track’s resonant power, with overwhelmingly positive feedback rolling in from both long-time Marley fans and fellow music industry peers. “I think this message is very important, so the inspiration is coming from everyday life experiences,” Marley shared. “I think we just wanted the fans to be inspired to keep pushing through with their dreams and to keep doing the right thing and keeping true in all righteousness.”

    For co-producer Crawba Genius, the process of creating *Give to Life* was far more than a standard studio project – he described the collaboration as a deeply spiritual experience, noting that reggae consistently carries a higher, more transformative vibrational energy than any other musical genre. What makes this track stand out from Marley’s previous work, he explains, is the intentional blend of classic authentic reggae and a modern, contemporary production twist, a choice made to help the track connect with younger generations of listeners who may not engage with traditional reggae. “The reception has been good, because I believe the song is something different from what Julian Marley always does. We’re trying to tap into the younger audience, so we added a modern twist to the authentic reggae vibe he usually brings, and it’s doing extremely well; I couldn’t complain. I love reggae, and when I’m producing it it’s a spiritual experience because it’s inspirational music,” Crawba Genius said.

    The success of the track begins with the natural creative synergy that binds the three collaborators, a partnership that extends far beyond the walls of the recording studio. Marley praised the pair’s shared creative chemistry and deep personal bond, referring to the producers as “great producers” and “very good bredrens,” emphasizing that their work together is built on mutual respect and a shared vision for using music to lift up audiences. Crawba Genius echoed that warmth, noting that he has a long working history with Marley and that every collaboration between them feels natural and inspired. He also highlighted DJ Mac’s unique creative perspective, calling him one of the most impactful producers of his generation, and noting that the combination of their individual creative styles created a one-of-a-kind energy for the project. “Working with Julian has always been great. I have previous tracks that I produced for him, and it’s always a vibe when we get to join hands and minds. DJ Mac, like myself, is a creative, so we have that in common. He’s one of the producers of our generation that’s really making an impact, and so us joining forces and just adding our special touches to the project, it was a great vibe,” he explained.

    That collaborative unity has already translated to a coordinated, multi-platform rollout designed to help the track reach the widest possible diverse audience. Marley confirmed that a full cross-channel promotional campaign is already underway, and fans can expect to see official accompanying visuals in the near future that will add an extra layer of storytelling to the track’s core message, helping amplify its call for resilience and purpose-driven living to even more listeners around the world.

  • Oil rises, stocks mixed as US-Iran peace talk hopes dim

    Oil rises, stocks mixed as US-Iran peace talk hopes dim

    Global financial markets kicked off a high-stakes trading week with mixed trading across equities and rising crude oil prices on Monday, as diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions between Iran and the United States hit an unexpected standstill. What began as a surge of optimism over potential new negotiations between Washington and Tehran over the weekend quickly fizzled out, after former US President Donald Trump called off a planned meeting between negotiating envoys this past Saturday.

    The breakthrough in hopes came after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s diplomatic visit to Islamabad over the weekend, which spurred early speculation that both sides could return to the bargaining table to resolve ongoing conflict. However, on Monday, Araghchi publicly placed blame for the collapsed talks squarely on Washington, citing what he called “excessive demands” from US negotiators during the first and only planned round of negotiations in Pakistan. He also reaffirmed that unobstructed safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the critical global chokepoint for energy shipments that remains largely closed amid the ongoing standoff, is a non-negotiable priority for the international community.

    Speaking to Fox News, Trump downplayed tensions following the cancellation, noting that Iran could reach out to initiate new talks at any time if it is willing to negotiate, and added that the scrapped meeting does not mean a return to open military hostilities. According to anonymous sources familiar with the proposal cited by US news outlet Axios over the weekend, Iran had tabled a new peace proposal that would prioritize reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the US naval blockade of the waterway, while pushing controversial nuclear negotiations back to a future date. That proposal had been enough to temper sharp gains in crude oil markets, as traders held out some residual hope that a diplomatic agreement could still be reached eventually.

    Against this geopolitical backdrop, both benchmark global crude oil contracts climbed higher on Monday. Brent crude, the global benchmark for two-thirds of the world’s oil trade, pushed above $108 per barrel, lifted by persistent concerns over disrupted energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly a fifth of all global oil shipments. Gains were held in check however by lingering hopes that the new Iranian proposal could open a path to a diplomatic resolution.

    Global stock markets traded unevenly through the session, as investors shifted to a cautious wait-and-see approach ahead of a packed week of monetary policy decisions from major central banks and a wave of high-profile corporate earnings reports. On Wall Street, both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composite posted small incremental gains to close the day at new all-time record closing highs, bucking the broader cautious trend. In contrast, the Dow Jones Industrial Average pulled back from recent highs, joining leading indices across Europe and Asia that finished the trading session in negative territory.

    Derren Nathan, head of equity research at leading UK financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown, noted that investor optimism for a quick diplomatic breakthrough on Iran was always muted from the start. “It may be that hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough were pretty faint to start with, and markets are now in wait-and-see territory ahead of a heavy week of earnings and economic touchpoints,” Nathan explained.

    With energy prices remaining elevated and persistent inflationary pressures still being felt across major advanced economies, market analysts broadly expect the US Federal Reserve will hold interest rates steady at its policy meeting on Wednesday. The Federal Reserve’s decision will be followed by similar policy announcements from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England later in the week, with all three central banks widely projected to keep borrowing costs unchanged as they assess incoming economic data.

  • JAPEX 2026 moves to Ocho Rios

    JAPEX 2026 moves to Ocho Rios

    MONTEGO BAY, St James — Jamaica’s leading annual tourism industry gathering, the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX), organized by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), will break with decades of tradition this year, hosting the flagship marketing event in Ocho Rios rather than its long-time home of Montego Bay. The sudden venue change is a direct response to ongoing room shortages across western Jamaica, as the region continues its slow recovery from the devastating impact of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa that struck last October.

    Christopher Jarrett, president of the JHTA, confirmed the relocation in an interview with Jamaica Observer on Monday, noting that insufficient available accommodation in the Montego Bay area left industry leaders with no other viable option. For years, JAPEX has been held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, drawing thousands of global tourism stakeholders, travel buyers and hospitality operators each year while generating significant revenue for local hotels, restaurants and attractions across western Jamaica.

    While Jarrett has not yet released details of the exact Ocho Rios venue set to host the 2026 edition of the event, he emphasized that the move is part of a broader, industry-wide adaptive strategy that will remain in place until western Jamaica’s tourism infrastructure fully rebounds from the hurricane damage.

    “We intend to continue to pivot as best we can to ensure that the events are still in Jamaica — whether it’s in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay or Kingston,” Jarrett said, underscoring the association’s commitment to keeping the iconic industry event on Jamaican soil despite current challenges.

    Industry insiders report that the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism segment has been hit particularly hard by post-hurricane disruptions across western Jamaica, a reality Jarrett openly acknowledged. “We are seeing some of that but we have been pivoting and moving it across the island,” he conceded.

    Compounding the post-storm recovery challenges is ongoing geopolitical instability in the Middle East, which has driven a measurable drop in visitor arrivals from several of Jamaica’s traditional source markets. But Jarrett pointed to pre-emptive diversification efforts that the JHTA launched years before the current conflict, which are already beginning to offset losses in established markets.

    “Over the last few years, there’s been a build-up in focus on the Latin America market and we’re seeing some of those results now. We remain optimistic because we expect that the Latin American market, which has been more vibrant in recent times, will take up some of the slack that we’ll lose from the United States,” Jarrett explained.

    The veteran hospitality leader stressed that pro-active mitigation work carried out by the JHTA and its public and private sector partners has put Jamaica in a strong position to navigate the overlapping economic and infrastructure shocks. “We are concerned, we are definitely concerned but I’m just saying that whatever we should have been doing to mitigate this situation that exists now, we were already doing,” he said.

    He highlighted expanded air access as a key driver of growth in new source markets, noting that Copa Airlines has increased flight capacity to Jamaica from Latin American hubs. “we are hopeful and optimistic that notwithstanding the fallout in the US market that we’ll see some pick-up,” he added.

    While Jarrett admitted that Jamaica’s tourism sector has not yet returned to the pre-storm, pre-conflict level of activity that stakeholders hope for, he said the industry is doubling down on promoting the island’s core competitive advantages: safety, security and a seamless travel experience for international visitors, in partnership with the state-run Jamaica Tourist Board.

    Beyond attracting international visitors, the industry is also turning to domestic consumers to fill empty room inventories, ramping up promotion of domestic staycations. Jarrett noted that while national campaign coordination has been left to individual property operators, many hotels have already launched targeted promotions and discounted rates for Jamaican residents.

    “if you talk to the hoteliers individually, they will tell you that they’ve been encouraging staycations. You may have seen a few ads out for special rates for locals and so on,” he added.

    That call for domestic support was echoed by Kerry Ann Quallo-Casserly, chair of the JHTA’s Montego Bay chapter, who urged Jamaicans who typically travel abroad for vacation to choose domestic getaways to support the recovering industry. “Locals who would normally go to places like Dubai, USA should choose staycations,” she urged.

  • Scorpions unfazed in spite of weak start

    Scorpions unfazed in spite of weak start

    The West Indies Championship first-class cricket fixture at Kingston’s Sabina Park has delivered a tense opening two days of play, with Jamaica Scorpions facing an uphill battle to avoid defeat after a dismal first-innings performance left them forced to follow-on against Barbados Pride.

    After Barbados Pride dominated day one with their batting, the visitors resumed play on Monday at 346 for five wickets, with all-rounder Roston Chase on 82 and wicketkeeper Leniko Boucher sitting on 40. Boucher reached a polished half-century off 64 deliveries, boosted by five boundaries and one six, before falling to Jamaica pace spearhead Marquino Mindley. Chase, who hit 12 fours and one six on his way to a 102-ball knock, was next to go, cramped by a short Mindley delivery before being caught by Abhijai Mansingh.

    Wickets fell quickly after the departure of the two batters, with Joshua Bishop and Jomel Warrican each adding just four runs to the score as Barbados moved to 376 for nine. A dogged 39-run last-wicket stand between Shamar Springer and Jediah Blades frustrated the Scorpions bowlers, pushing the visitors’ first-innings total to 439 across 112 overs before Mindley cleaned up Blades with a searing yorker. Springer remained unbeaten on 45 at the close of the Barbados innings.

    In reply, Jamaica’s opening pair of Kirk McKenzie and captain John Campbell got the hosts off to a promising start, pushing the score to 61 without loss before a dramatic collapse changed the course of the innings. Chase, the Barbados off-spinner, tore through the Scorpions batting line-up, taking five wickets for just 28 runs, while left-arm finger spinner Joshua Bishop supported with 4-31, wrapping up Jamaica’s first innings for just 142 across 51 overs.

    Chase claimed Campbell (36), Nkrumah King (1, playing his first fixture of the series after recovering from a groin strain), Abhijai Mansingh (5) and Khari Campbell to complete his five-wicket haul, while Bishop dismissed Brad Barnes, Javelle Glenn, Romaine Morris and Odean Smith to leave the Scorpions all out. The collapse was a stunning turnaround: after starting at 61-0, Jamaica lost all 10 wickets for just 81 runs.

    With a 297-run lead after the first two innings, Barbados enforced the follow-on on Jamaica under sunny Monday conditions. The Scorpions suffered an immediate setback when captain Campbell was dismissed for a duck by Bishop in the very first over of the second innings, leaving the hosts 1-1. By the close of play on day two, Jamaica had fought through 11 overs to reach 22 for 1, with McKenzie unbeaten on 7 and King unbeaten on 15 still at the crease. Overall, the Scorpions remain 275 runs behind Barbados heading into the third day of play.

    Despite the dire position, McKenzie says the team remains optimistic about their chances of pulling off an unlikely escape. The opening batsman told reporters the first-innings collapse was an uncharacteristic off day for the batting unit, and the team has a clear plan to turn the match around. “It’s a disappointing position for us as a team, but we know what the plan is and what it will take to stay in the tournament,” McKenzie said. “We just have to come back over the coming days as a batting unit and do much better than we did in the first innings. I am still very confident in this group – that performance was a one-off bad innings.”

    For Bishop, the spin-friendly conditions on day two were an unexpected advantage that helped Barbados seize control of the match. The 4-31 left-armer admitted he and Chase were surprised by how much turn and bounce the Sabina Park pitch offered on Monday, after Barbados batters dominated on a much more batting-friendly surface the previous day. “We were getting wickets from both ends, so we just tried to keep building pressure by bowling in tight partnerships,” Bishop explained. “We were actually surprised that it spun this much today. Credit to our batting group for laying this strong foundation for us. The game is set up perfectly for us, and now we just have to come back tomorrow and finish the job.”

  • How To Plan Your Wedding Budget

    How To Plan Your Wedding Budget

    For many engaged couples, mapping out a wedding budget ranks among the most overwhelming parts of wedding planning. But industry experts frame this foundational document not as a set of rigid restrictions, but as a guiding blueprint that shapes every element of your big day, from the venue you book to the closing track that wraps up your reception. When approached with intentional strategy and personalized priorities, a budget shifts from a source of stress to a tool that helps you invest in what matters most to you as a couple. Instead of automatically asking “Can we afford this item?”, you start asking “Does this align with what we value most?” — that shift in perspective is where the magic of intentional wedding planning begins.

    One of the most effective frameworks for keeping spending on track is breaking the total budget into clear percentage-based allocations. While every couple can adjust these numbers to match their unique priorities, event management professional Shikima Hinds, Managing Director of Jamaica-based Shikima Hinds Events Concierge, has shared a balanced guideline tailored specifically for Jamaican weddings, where guest experience is the top priority.

    According to Hinds, the largest share — 40 to 50 percent of the total budget — should go toward venue, catering and bar services. This category forms the core of your celebration, and it is the area where guests will most clearly notice and benefit from your investment. Next, 10 to 15 percent is allocated to hiring a professional wedding planner or coordinator. Hinds notes that the peace of mind a skilled planner brings is worth every penny, as they oversee seamless execution of every timeline and detail, freeing couples to enjoy their engagement and big day.

    Design and decor, which includes florals, furniture rentals, lighting, and all the small details that turn an empty space into a personalized wedding experience, also gets a 10 to 15 percent allocation. For preserving memories long after the final dance ends, Hinds recommends allocating 10 to 12 percent of the budget to photography and videography, an investment that ensures your most cherished moments are captured authentically and beautifully. Entertainment, which covers everything from DJs and live bands to surprise performance acts, fuels the energy of your celebration and should take up 8 to 10 percent of the total budget.

    Attire and beauty, from the wedding gown and groom’s formal wear to hair, makeup, and grooming services, makes up another 8 to 10 percent, a allocation that ensures you feel your absolute best in the moment and in photos. Stationery and invitations, which create your guests’ first impression of your big day and now include digital invites and custom wedding websites alongside traditional paper goods, take up a smaller 2 to 4 percent. For Jamaican weddings in particular, transportation and logistics are a critical 2 to 5 percent expense: coordinating guest travel between hotels and ceremony/reception venues can make or break the flow of the day, and planners recommend not overlooking the costs of parking and on-site security. Miscellaneous items and guest favors, including welcome gifts and personalized small touches that elevate the overall guest experience, account for 2 to 3 percent. Finally, a non-negotiable 5 to 10 percent contingency fund acts as a financial safety net, because unexpected costs always arise during wedding planning, and you will be grateful to have set aside funds to cover them.

    Beyond the percentage framework, Hinds emphasizes that the real success of a wedding budget depends on how couples approach their spending choices. The first step is to sit down together as a couple and identify your top three priorities. Is farm-to-table catering the most important element for you? Do you dream of a designer decor scheme, or is a high-energy all-night dance party your top goal? Once you are clear on what matters most to you, you can confidently allocate more funding to those areas and cut back on elements that are less important to you as a pair. A wedding does not need every element to be top-of-the-line to feel luxurious — balance is the key to a successful, fulfilling celebration.

    Hinds also warns couples not to overlook the impact of small, practical details: seamless transportation, clear parking arrangements, welcome gifts, and a curated itinerary for wedding weekend guests all leave a lasting positive impression, and these are the details that turn a standard wedding into a memorable experience for everyone in attendance. She also cautions against falling into the common “Pinterest trap”: it is easy to fall in love with hundreds of gorgeous ideas when scrolling social media and inspiration boards, but not every trending idea will align with your budget or your personal vision for the day. Impulsive, last-minute additions to your vendor list or design plan are some of the most common causes of budget overages, so staying focused on your original priorities and trusting your experienced event team is key.

    Above all, Hinds encourages couples to have open, honest conversations about money from the very start of the planning process. A clear, agreed-upon budget reduces planning stress, prevents awkward misunderstandings between couples and families, and allows your planner and vendors to guide you effectively toward your goals. The point of budgeting for a wedding is not to restrict spending — it is to help you spend well, on the things that actually matter to you.

    At the end of the day, a thoughtfully allocated budget does not limit your wedding vision — it empowers it. It lets you create a celebration that feels intentional, elevated, and most importantly, completely true to you as a couple.

  • JAMAICA IS OPEN!

    JAMAICA IS OPEN!

    As Jamaica’s 2024 summer tourist season kicks into high gear, island officials are extending a dual invitation to global travelers: come enjoy the country’s world-famous beaches, culture and events – and stay for the robust investment opportunities emerging from a remarkably fast post-disaster recovery.

    Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett made the call during an appearance on Fyah 105’s popular morning program *The BIM Show*, part of the outlet’s Radio Remote Week hosted at Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in the popular northern coastal town of Ocho Rios. He highlighted a stacked lineup of marquee summer events that draw crowds from across the globe, including the iconic Reggae Sumfest, Dream Weekend and Best Weekend Ever, as core draws for seasonal visitors.

    Six months after Hurricane Melissa, one of the most destructive tropical systems to hit the Caribbean in recent decades, Bartlett said the speed of Jamaica’s reconstruction has surpassed all expectations. “After what was arguably the worst hurricane on the planet, you’d barely know we had one six months later,” he noted, crediting the rapid rebound to collective effort from Jamaican people, national leadership, and generous collaboration with the country’s global diaspora community.

    In the first full quarter after the storm, Jamaica welcomed roughly one million international visitors, Bartlett reported, with the vast majority of hurricane-damaged hospitality properties already back to full operation. At the current pace of recovery, he projects the island will restore 90 percent of its pre-storm tourism capacity by the end of the calendar year.

    Unlike many disaster-hit destinations that lose long-term airline partnerships, Jamaica has retained every single one of its international carrier connections – and even expanded its route network, according to Bartlett. Major airlines including Southwest, Breeze Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Wingo and Copa Airlines have all added new routes to the island in recent months, a clear sign of global industry confidence in Jamaica’s recovery trajectory.

    Leading the charge for northern Jamaica’s tourist hub Ocho Rios is St Ann Mayor Michael Belnavis, who has rebranded the town as Jamaica’s “party capital” and is working to position it as a top global entertainment and ecotourism hub. “The entertainment industry here is extremely lucrative, and we’re investing in building it out to draw visitors year-round,” Belnavis explained, pointing to successful past events like the Easter We Vacay party series as proof of the parish’s growing global appeal.

    Beyond cultural events, St Ann boasts some of the most diverse natural attractions in the Caribbean, headlined by the world-famous Dunn’s River Falls – which Belnavis called “the number one tourist attraction in the entire Caribbean.” The cascading, ocean-fed waterfall is joined by other iconic natural experiences including the Blue Hole, scenic river excursions, snorkeling, white-water rafting, and newer one-of-a-kind offerings like the Poco Loco floating bar. “This is a destination defined by its aquatic beauty, paired with endless sun, warm seas and an unmatched welcoming energy,” he added.

    Ongoing infrastructure investments, including the recent opening of a new purpose-built conference centre, are also growing the parish’s appeal for business and meetings tourism, with Belnavis predicting a coming real estate boom across the Ocho Rios area as demand for visitor and investor properties rises.

    Sicourney Jackson, public relations officer for the Jamaica Tourist Board, reinforced the official message during Radio Remote Week, which brought 21 international radio outlets from the United Kingdom and Canada to the island to showcase Jamaica’s post-hurricane readiness. “Right here, right now, Jamaica is open and ready to welcome you,” she said, echoing Bartlett’s call for travelers to support the country’s recovery with a visit. Jackson acknowledged that full reconstruction is still ongoing – the island is not yet back to 100 percent pre-storm capacity – but said progress has been steady and remarkable, crediting frontline tourism workers who have sacrificed personal comfort to speed the industry’s rebound.

    As global interest in travel to Jamaica continues to climb, local tourism and government stakeholders frame the island’s rapid recovery as both a demonstration of extraordinary national resilience and an open invitation. Whether travelers are chasing world-class cultural festivals, one-of-a-kind ecotourism adventures, or high-growth investment opportunities, the message from Jamaica is clear: the island is open for visitors and for business.

    Radio Remote Week, which hosted international and local media outlets across Ocho Rios’ top attractions, gave journalists a first-hand look at the destination’s recovery, with outings ranging from electric ATV adventures at Mystic Mountain to rides on the resort’s famous Olympic-inspired bobsled track, and visits to the popular Poco Loco floating bar to cap off the week.