BEIRUT, LEBANON – Fresh Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon have killed 13 civilians and wounded dozens more on Friday, in attacks carried out even after a regional ceasefire was meant to de-escalate months of cross-border violence between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health updated casualty figures, confirming that eight people – including one child and two women – died in strikes on the town of Habboush, where the Israeli military had issued an urgent evacuation order to residents just hours before the bombing. The updated death toll marked an increase from initial lower estimates, with 21 additional people left injured in the Habboush attacks. Separate strikes in the southern Lebanese town of Zrariyeh killed four more people, two of whom were women, and left four others wounded, according to the health ministry. A third strike in Ain Baal, a town located near the coastal Lebanese city of Tyre, killed one person and wounded seven others. An Agence France-Presse photographer on the ground in Habboush observed thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky shortly after the raids concluded. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) confirmed that Israeli warplanes launched a sustained wave of heavy strikes on the town less than 60 minutes after the evacuation order was issued. The Israeli military had announced prior to the attacks that it would respond with force to what it described as repeated ceasefire violations by Hezbollah, ordering all Habboush residents to evacuate to areas at least one kilometer away from the town’s built-up zones. NNA also reported additional Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling across other locations in southern Lebanon, including the outskirts of Tyre. Even after the April 17 ceasefire deal that was negotiated to end more than six weeks of open conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli forces have continued to carry out lethal strikes across southern Lebanon. The text of the ceasefire agreement explicitly allows Israel to take military action in response to planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks against its territory. Currently, Israeli military personnel are operating inside the so-called “Yellow Line,” a buffer zone extending roughly 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory along the shared border, where they have carried out large-scale controlled detonations and demolition of residential and public structures. NNA reported that Israeli troops carried out controlled blasts in the southern town of Shamaa, and demolished a monastery and a school operated by a local religious order in the town of Yaroun, after earlier detonating residential homes, commercial shops, and public roads in the same area. In a response to Friday’s strikes, Hezbollah announced it had carried out a series of coordinated attacks on Israeli military positions and troops across southern Lebanon, framing the operations as retaliation for Israeli violations of the ceasefire. The militant group first pulled Lebanon into the broader ongoing Middle East conflict in March, when it launched rocket attacks against Israeli territory to avenge the US-Israeli killing of a top Iranian official aligned with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. As of Friday, Lebanon’s health ministry has raised the total death toll from Israeli strikes across the country since March 2 to more than 2,600 people. That toll includes 103 emergency responders and paramedics who have been killed while carrying out rescue operations. Xavier Castellanos, under-secretary general for national society development and coordination at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), spoke to reporters near Beirut this week, noting that Lebanese Red Cross volunteers face constant mortal danger every time they deploy on a rescue mission. Two Lebanese Red Cross paramedics are among the more than 2,600 people killed in Israeli strikes to date. “That a person that is trying to save lives, is trying to alleviate human suffering, might be targeted, might be killed… this is something that I found absolutely unacceptable,” Castellanos told reporters. The ongoing violence has deepened humanitarian crisis across southern Lebanon, with tens of thousands of residents displaced from their homes and medical services stretched beyond capacity.
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Jamaica welcomes Porter Airlines new direct service to MoBay
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s tourism sector has secured a major boost with Canadian low-cost carrier Porter Airlines announcing three new non-stop routes linking major Canadian population centers to Montego Bay, set to launch ahead of the 2026–27 winter travel season. The new service will connect Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport directly to Toronto Pearson International Airport, Ottawa International Airport, and John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, marking the first time any airline has offered non-stop service between Hamilton and the popular Jamaican resort destination.
Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, has praised the expansion as a landmark win for the country’s tourism industry, highlighting the years of targeted work to grow airlift connectivity with Canada, one of Jamaica’s largest and most consistent source markets for winter travel. “This new airlift from Porter Airlines is a powerful affirmation of Jamaica’s standing as Canada’s premier winter sun destination,” Bartlett said in an official statement following the announcement at JAPEX 2025, Jamaica’s major annual tourism trade exhibition. “Connecting Montego Bay directly to Toronto, Ottawa and — for the first time for Porter— Hamilton opens our island to an even wider circle of Canadian visitors. Jamaica is open, vibrant and ready to welcome every traveller who steps off these new flights.”
Porter, one of Canada’s fastest-expanding commercial airlines, has laid out a clear operating schedule for the new routes, pending final regulatory approval. Starting November 23, 2026, the carrier will run up to five weekly flights from Toronto Pearson. The Ottawa route will launch two days later on November 25, with two weekly flights, while the pioneering Hamilton service will commence on December 20, 2026, also with two weekly flights.
The addition of these Jamaican routes forms a core part of Porter’s broader strategic expansion into warm-weather winter getaways, which will grow the airline’s sun destination network by more than 150% year-over-year, adding four new countries and over 15 new routes across its Canadian domestic network. This aggressive growth reflects the unmet demand for non-stop access to Caribbean destinations from mid-sized Canadian markets that have previously relied on connecting flights through major hubs like Toronto.
For Jamaica, the Hamilton route is particularly transformative: the airport serves the Greater Golden Horseshoe, a densely populated region of southern Ontario that has never before had direct access to the island. Donavan White, Director of Tourism at the Jamaica Tourist Board, noted that the new routes will open Jamaica’s world-famous beaches, vibrant culture, and signature hospitality to a far broader base of Canadian travelers. “Canada consistently ranks among Jamaica’s most important source markets, and this announcement from Porter Airlines reinforces why,” White said during a media breakfast at JAPEX 2025 held in Montego Bay. “Three new non-stop gateways to Montego Bay give Canadian travellers unprecedented ease of access to our island.”
Angella Bennett, Regional Director for Canada at the Jamaica Tourist Board, echoed that sentiment, noting that sustained strong demand from Canadian travelers for Jamaican vacations has driven this industry growth. “Canadian travellers have a deep and enduring love for Jamaica, and demand from markets like Toronto, Ottawa and southern Ontario has never been stronger,” Bennett said. “Porter’s decision to add Montego Bay to its winter network — including that pioneering Hamilton route — reflects the confidence the airline community has in Jamaica as a destination that delivers. We will be working with Porter and our trade partners across Canada to ensure these seats fill quickly and that every passenger arrives in Jamaica ready to experience everything the island has to offer.”
Industry analysts note the expansion is a win-win for both sides: it meets growing Canadian demand for accessible winter sun travel while providing Jamaica with a steady stream of new visitors that will support the island’s $6 billion tourism industry, which accounts for roughly a third of the country’s total GDP.
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TAJ says intermittent issues affecting eMVRC transactions
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) has announced that its dedicated platform for electronic motor vehicle registration certificate (eMVRC) transactions is currently facing an unexpected partial service disruption. In an official press statement issued this Friday, the agency confirmed that some motorists and vehicle owners attempting to access or finalize eMVRC-related services are running into technical difficulties. The tax authority clarified that the outage is not widespread across the entire system, meaning only a limited group of users are currently encountering access interruptions. According to the release, the organization’s technical service partners have already been alerted to the glitch, and engineering teams are working around the clock to fully restore normal system operations as quickly as possible. For users who cannot load the payment portal or get stuck during the payment step of the application process, TAJ is advising them to visit their closest local tax office to get in-person support to complete their transactions. For another group of users who have already successfully submitted their applications and completed online payment but still cannot generate their digital eMVRC, TAJ has noted that agency staff will manually complete the certificate generation process on behalf of applicants, eliminating the need for any extra steps from the user. Once the certificate is ready to access through the Certificate Generation Distribution System (CGDS) online portal, applicants will receive an automatic email notification alerting them to the completed process.
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Guyana remains confident of victory in its border dispute with Venezuela
GEORGETOWN, Guyana — As the International Court of Justice (ICJ) prepares to open public oral hearings on a decades-long territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela, the Guyanese government has issued a clear statement of unwavering confidence in the strength of its legal case, days ahead of the proceedings scheduled to begin in The Hague on Monday.
The long-simmering border conflict traces its origins back to the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the formal boundary between the two neighboring South American nations. That ruling stood unchallenged for more than six decades, until Caracas formally declared the award null and void in 1962 and reactivated its territorial claim to the 159,000-square-kilometer Essequibo region, a resource-rich territory that makes up roughly two-thirds of Guyana’s total land area.
In accordance with the terms of the 1966 Geneva Agreement, which lays out a framework for peaceful negotiation of the dispute, the two nations held years of bilateral talks aimed at reaching a mutually acceptable resolution. When those diplomatic efforts failed to produce a breakthrough, the United Nations Secretary-General referred the matter to the ICJ for binding adjudication. Guyana formally brought the case before the court in 2018, requesting a formal ruling confirming the full legal validity of the 1899 border award.
The ICJ has already cleared two key procedural hurdles for the case, twice upholding its jurisdiction to hear the merits of the dispute in rulings issued in December 2020 and April 2023. The court also granted two provisional measures orders at Guyana’s request, requiring Venezuela to refrain from interfering in Guyana’s lawful governance and administration of the disputed territory while proceedings remain ongoing.
Oral hearings on the core legal merits of the case are scheduled to run from May 4 to May 8, with a possible extension into the following week, according to Guyana’s Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall. Both sides will present their full legal arguments before the court during these proceedings.
In its official statement released Friday, the Guyanese government reaffirmed its optimistic stance ahead of the hearings. “Guyana approaches these hearings with full confidence in the strength of its case, which is supported by the historical record and the applicable legal principles relating to the binding nature of arbitral awards, the sanctity of treaties, the respect for the rule of law and the stability of boundaries,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said.
The long-running dispute has spilled into public diplomacy in recent weeks, sparked by a small but symbolic controversy surrounding a brooch worn by Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez during talks with the heads of government of Barbados and Grenada earlier this month. The brooch featured a map of Venezuela that explicitly included the Essequibo region as part of Venezuelan territory.
Guyanese President Dr. Irfaan Ali publicly expressed “grave concern” over the display, and the 15-member Caribbean Community (Caricom), a regional bloc that has repeatedly backed Guyana’s position, also noted its objection to the public presentation of material asserting Venezuela’s territorial claim during an official regional engagement.
Rodriguez dismissed the concerns during an anti-sanctions rally held at the Municipal Theatre of Valencia in Venezuela’s Carabobo state, insisting that Caracas would not back down from its long-held claim. She framed the criticism as an overreaction, saying, “You know that the president of Guyana is now causing a scandal because I always wear the pin with the map of Venezuela. The only map I have ever known. Now they are even bothered by how I dress.”
Moving forward, Rodriguez said Venezuela would use its time before the ICJ to reaffirm its longstanding position, which she framed as aligned with international law and the terms of the 1966 Geneva Agreement. “We will soon be at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the coming days to reaffirm our historic position, which is international law and respect for the Geneva Agreement. It is outrageous when Venezuela is attacked, and that is why we are undertaking this entire process of spiritual revitalisation for the good of our nation,” she added.
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Lacey Gordon appointed director of sponsorship at JTTA
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A new chapter is unfolding for Jamaica’s table tennis community, as lifelong sports enthusiast Lacey Gordon has stepped into the key leadership position of director of sponsorship at the Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA), turning her decades-long passion for athletic pursuits into tangible action for the nation’s sporting growth.
Though Gordon built her core career in the real estate sector, she brings a robust, transferable skill set that positions her perfectly to drive the JTTA’s partnership and fundraising goals. Her professional background has honed sharp strategic planning abilities, disciplined project execution, and a proven talent for cultivating long-term, mutually beneficial professional relationships — all assets that are widely expected to strengthen the association’s work in building impactful collaborations with external partners. Driven by her genuine love for sports, Gordon has made clear that her work will center on creating shared value that lifts up both Jamaican table tennis athletes and the stakeholders that partner with the association.
Across every level of the sport, from local grassroots development programs that introduce young Jamaicans to table tennis to high-profile commercial partnerships that raise the profile of elite competition, Gordon is committed to supporting sustainable growth for athletes, teams, and the JTTA as a whole. Her professional experience in real estate has given her a unique results-driven mindset that she plans to leverage to expand the association’s sponsorship reach.
In her new role, Gordon will prioritize building intentional connections between the JTTA, global and local brands, potential investors, and key industry stakeholders. She has outlined a vision that balances two critical goals: ensuring all sponsorship partnerships deliver long-term financial stability for the association, while also aligning with the core mission of growing the sport’s reach and visibility across Jamaica and the Caribbean. Her approach is rooted in intentional purpose, unwavering professionalism, and a long-term outlook focused on creating lasting impact rather than short-term gains.
Aubyn Henry, chief strategy and development officer at the JTTA, expressed strong confidence in Gordon’s ability to deliver results in the new role. “This role requires a unique combination of vision, dedication, and an understanding of both people and opportunity,” Henry noted. “Lacey embodies all of those qualities. She brings energy, sharp insight, and relentless focus to this work, which puts her perfectly in position to help the JTTA build durable, mutually beneficial partnerships that will serve our community for years to come.”
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WATCH: Truck overturns in Mammee Bay
On Friday afternoon, a highway crash disrupted travel along one of Jamaica’s key arterial routes, after a truck carrying bulk bottled water lost control and overturned near Mammee Bay, St Ann, along the North-South highway. Local law enforcement has moved quickly to assess the scene, with the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Communication Network confirming that the incident has not resulted in any major harm to road users. While first responders have not reported life-threatening casualties, the crash has created significant travel headaches for motorists passing through the area. As of the latest updates, traffic has built up behind the crash site, leading to delays for commuters and commercial drivers traveling along the route. Investigative authorities have not yet released any details on what led to the overturn, noting that the cause of the accident remains under active review as officials work to clear the roadway and restore normal traffic flow.
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Liberty Business partners with Jill Stewart MoBay City Run to advance educational recovery in western Jamaica
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — A major regional business entity is stepping up to support community resilience and educational renewal in western Jamaica, with Liberty Business announced as an official partner for the 2025 Jill Stewart MoBay City Run. The sponsorship deepens the firm’s longstanding dedication to cross-sector collaboration, local community advancement, and sustainable growth across the western region of the island.
Scheduled for Sunday, May 3 at Montego Bay’s scenic Harmony Beach Park, the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run has grown from a local community gathering into one of Jamaica’s most high-profile annual charity road races. For years, the event has channeled public participation and fundraising into impactful philanthropic projects across the country, building a reputation for turning collective enthusiasm into tangible public good.
Unlike previous years, 2025’s iteration of the race will direct all generated proceeds to educational recovery efforts for schools across western Jamaica that suffered severe damage when Hurricane Melissa swept through the region. Funds raised will go toward repairing infrastructure, replacing damaged learning materials, and supporting students and educators as they work to rebuild stable, effective learning environments.
“Western Jamaica is a dynamic, core driver of our national economy, fueled by hardworking residents, tight-knit vibrant communities, and enormous untapped potential,” shared Charles Manus, Senior Director at Liberty Business, in a statement ahead of the event. “We are incredibly proud to stand behind the Jill Stewart MoBay City Run because it embodies the very best of Jamaican spirit: people uniting to overcome shared challenges, restore hope to vulnerable communities, and invest directly in the future of our children.”
Liberty Business has long framed expanded access to quality education as one of the most foundational catalysts for upward economic mobility and broad national progress. By supporting the recovery of hurricane-damaged campuses, the firm says it is helping guarantee that local students retain access to safe, functional learning spaces where they can build the critical skills needed to succeed, and ultimately contribute to the long-term economic growth of their home communities.
The company also offered public praise to the MoBay City Run organizing committee for building a durable, effective platform that consistently converts widespread public goodwill into measurable, life-changing impact for working families across western Jamaica. Event organizers note that the race’s community-focused model has allowed it to adapt to emerging local needs year after year, and this year’s focus on educational recovery resonates deeply with both long-time participants and new partners.
As the countdown to race day continues, Liberty Business is calling on Jamaicans across the island to get involved — whether by registering to run, making a direct donation to the recovery fund, or showing public solidarity with the schools and students working to rebuild after Hurricane Melissa. Organizers report that registration numbers are already tracking above last year’s levels, signaling strong public support for this year’s recovery-focused mission.
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‘I am my own therapy’ says Elaine Thompson-Herah
GABORONE, Botswana — Ahead of the 2026 World Athletics Relays, five-time Olympic gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah has opened up about the grueling process of returning to elite sprinting after a season-long break to recover from a painful Achilles injury, revealing she relies on personal grit and faith rather than formal mental health therapy to navigate setbacks.
The Jamaican sprinting icon acknowledged that bouncing back from a major injury has tested her limits both physically and mentally, but she emphasized that her self-belief and inner resilience have carried her through the hardest stages of recovery. “Coming back from injury it has been challenging mentally, physically but for me I am always believing myself as a tough cookie,” Thompson-Herah told reporters. “I have never been to a therapy or whatever, or whatever that thing is I don’t believe in it because I am my own therapy. I do believe in God, I have a supportive team who believe in me and I do believe in myself.”
After stepping away from competition entirely last year, Thompson-Herah says the time off was exactly what she needed to reset both her body and mind, and she has no plans to rush her comeback this season. Instead of chasing immediate results or fast times, the sprinter is framing 2025 as a gradual rebuilding phase, focused on assessing her current fitness level and reconnecting with the joy of competition that made her a global star.
“Not competing last year, I think it has done a lot to me. Probably I needed that rest. That away from the sport to clear myself and to comeback so using this season is like a rebuilding process not to rush or to think too much,” she explained. “I have expectations but this season I’m just doing step by step running couple races just to see where I am at.”
This weekend, Thompson-Herah will compete alongside a new generation of Jamaican sprinters in the World Athletics Relays, hosted in Gaborone May 2-3. For her, the event is more than a qualifying race for next year’s world championship — it is an opportunity to enjoy team camaraderie and rediscover the love of the sport that defined her legendary career.”Running with these younger folks, carrying the baton around will be a good plan for us to see where we at this season,” she added. “It’s just fun for me coming out here in Botswana not to just do relay but to have fun with the team as well, qualify for the championship which is next year, so this year for me is about having fun and finding back the Elaine.”
The sprinter ended her comments with a quiet note of ambition, signaling she still has major goals left to achieve in her career: “I have more to accomplish.”
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Senator Bernard wants body-worn cameras by the police to be mandatory
KINGSTON, Jamaica — As the Jamaican Senate wrapped up debate and passed a revised version of the 2026 Cybercrimes Bill last Friday, a key opposition lawmaker used the legislative moment to push for sweeping new transparency measures for the nation’s police force, amid growing public concern over a sharp uptick in fatal police shootings.
Opposition Senator Allan Bernard is calling for the creation of a comprehensive digital accountability regime that would enshrine a mandatory statutory body-worn camera policy for all officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). The push comes as the country grapples with a troubling spike in fatal police encounters: 115 fatal shootings have been recorded by police so far this year, a 32 percent jump from the 87 deaths recorded in the same period in 2025.
Bernard’s call also directly pushes back against recent comments from the island’s top security official, National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang, who publicly dismissed previous demands for body camera use during specialized police operations, dismissing the idea as “crazy”.
While Bernard confirmed that the opposition bloc remains supportive of the amended Cybercrimes Bill, he stressed that the conversation around digital accountability must extend beyond regulation of private citizens to cover state actors themselves. He argued that true national security cannot be separated from adherence to constitutional protections, and that public safety must always be rooted in respect for basic human rights.
“Digital accountability must apply not only to the governed but also to those who are doing the governing,” Bernard said in remarks on the Senate floor. “That means oversight of the police, their searches, their seizures, their arrests and too oftentimes in Jamaica, the extrajudicial killings.”
Reporting by Lynford Simpson
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Jamaica Hi – 5k Reggae Run ambassadors ‘on their marks’
South Florida’s beloved Jamaica-focused community fitness event is gearing up for its 2025 edition, with a star-studded roster of new ambassadors and growing participation projections that reflect its rising popularity among Caribbean diaspora communities. Dancehall icon Spragga Benz, veteran media personality and long-distance runner Patrice White, and Ky-Mani Marley have stepped into ambassador roles for the Jamaica Hi-5k Reggae Run/Walk, the announcement made during a recent virtual update hosted by Jamaica’s Consul General to the U.S. Southeast, Oliver Mair.
Widely recognized as the top community event in South Florida by Jamaicans.com, earning the title for both 2024 and 2025, the 5k gathering is far more than a casual running and walking competition. Conceived and spearheaded by Mair, the initiative blends physical activity, cultural celebration, health education, and philanthropic giving to strengthen connections among Jamaicans and Caribbean communities living in the United States. This year’s event will kick off at 7 a.m. on Saturday, May 9 at Miramar Regional Park in South Florida, with a lively post-race celebration running from 10 a.m. to noon packed with engaging activities for attendees of all ages.
The post-race lineup includes a high-energy reggae-robics fitness class, a community health fair focused on accessible preventive care, and a nutrition-focused food court featuring live cooking demonstrations. These offerings align directly with the event’s five core guiding principles: tracking personal health metrics, maintaining consistent physical activity, prioritizing balanced nutrition, fostering intentional community connection, and upholding a commitment to collective giving.
All proceeds from the fundraiser will go to the Adopt-A-Clinic initiative, a program that delivers critical resources and operational support to medical facilities across Jamaica. The event is hosted by Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam, and organizers have extended open invitations to runners, walkers, families, and community supporters from across the region and beyond to join the effort.
For Spragga Benz, the newly appointed ambassador role carries personal as well as community significance. During the announcement, he also shared a sneak peek of his upcoming multi-act production *Journey to Kingston*, scheduled for May 30 in Miramar, a show that traces the iconic dancehall artist’s decades-long musical journey. Expressing enthusiasm for his new ambassadorial post, Spragga Benz noted that the 5k’s community-focused format creates unique motivation for participants. “This 5k event helps to bring people together which motivates you better. I am definitely taking part….running, walking — whichever way,” he said. The artist, who earned the nickname “Spaghetti” in his youth for his slim, athletic build, shared that he maintains an active lifestyle to this day, and encouraged diaspora community members to make use of the region’s abundant parks and open public spaces.
Patrice White, an experienced runner who has completed 25 full marathons and 60 half marathons, shared actionable preparation tips for first-time participants and seasoned runners alike, drawing on her decades of racing experience. She emphasized that the final week leading up to the 5k is not the time for experimental training. “Now just a week before the event, please don’t try anything new — and I would not be advising the seasoned runners to attempt to squeeze in more hard running. Resting in the weekend more so the day before the event is important for everyone. Watch what you eat, especially days leading up to the event,” she explained.
White added that dietary familiarity and gentle digestion should be the top priority for pre-race eating, recommending easily digestible staples like pasta and sweet potatoes paired with adequate protein. She also stressed the importance of consistent hydration in the week leading up to the race, advising attendees to drink 8 to 16 ounces of water roughly two hours before the start time and continue sipping fluids throughout the event to avoid cramping and fatigue.
Organizers are projecting that around 2,000 people will register for this year’s event, a jump from 2024’s total of 1,500 participants that signals growing community interest in the initiative. For Mair, the 5k is more than a one-day gathering: it is a sustained movement to strengthen diaspora bonds and support Jamaican communities at home and abroad. “It’s a great networking opportunity,” Mair said. “It’s more than an event — it’s a movement.”