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  • Senior cop warns officers: Don’t abuse sick leave

    Senior cop warns officers: Don’t abuse sick leave

    In the wake of a horrific on-duty murder that shook the San Fernando Municipal Police Service to its core, senior law enforcement leaders have announced sweeping new accountability measures targeting abuse of sick leave, paired with organizational healing efforts to restore trust and morale among frontline officers. Senior Superintendent Wayne Mohammed, head of the Southern Municipal Police Division, outlined the reforms to reporters on the heels of an interfaith prayer service and ceremonial rededication held at the San Fernando Municipal Police Station, an event convened in response to the April killing of 13-year veteran corporal Anuska Eversley.

    Eversley’s body was discovered inside the King’s Wharf Municipal Police Station on April 19. A post-mortem examination confirmed she had been beaten and strangled to death. To date, three men have been charged with her murder, including Jivan “Bigs” Cooper, one of Eversley’s fellow officers at the station. The brutal incident left surviving personnel deeply traumatized, with many struggling to return to their regular duties in the building.

    Mohammed stressed that while comprehensive mental health and counseling support will remain available to all officers affected by the tragedy, the service must also address longstanding cultural issues that have eroded accountability. The most pressing reform he announced will ramp up scrutiny of officers exploiting extended sick leave policies to collect full salaries without fulfilling their job responsibilities. Mohammed said systematic organizational assessments will be rolled out across the division to verify that all posted personnel are actively carrying out their assigned duties.

    “Under my watch here now, I expect the best of everybody,” Mohammed told reporters. “I want everybody to have that passion for the job that they are supposed to have. I want them to show up for duty and serve the community.” He added that strengthened shift supervision has already been implemented to prevent future tragedies and close gaps in accountability, giving a public assurance that such an incident will not be repeated.

    The interfaith rededication event brought together senior and junior command staff to mark a collective turning point after months of grief. Leaders from multiple religious traditions led prayers for healing, protection, and professional strength for the department. As a visible symbol of renewal, the entire station building was repainted ahead of the ceremony.

    Wayne Mystar, Assistant Commissioner of Police and current head of the Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service (TTMPS), framed the gathering as a core part of the department’s healing journey. “We want the flowers to bloom again. We want officers to get back on duty and ensure that they are performing their functions in a meaningful manner,” he said, noting that the entire force was left reeling by the traumatic killing.

    Mistar explained that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social and Welfare Association and the San Fernando Mayor’s office have partnered to provide ongoing psychosocial support for Eversley’s colleagues. He shared the story of one female officer who, for weeks after the murder, refused to enter the station’s reception area and waited for her shift outside. “However, I had a meeting in San Fernando and I spoke with her. She said she’s now back inside, she’s okay now because of the necessary support that she has been given from the corporation, from the senior officers, from her colleagues,” Mystar reported.

    Local business community leaders also joined the event to express solidarity with officers, while pushing for continued improvements to public safety in downtown San Fernando. Kiran Singh, president of the Greater San Fernando Chamber of Commerce, echoed calls for reform, noting that community leaders have heard persistent reports of underperforming officers. “We heard that some officers are not pulling their weight and we expect that to change in the coming days,” Singh said.

    Singh also renewed the business community’s longstanding request for additional patrols across downtown San Fernando, covering not just standard business hours but also off-peak periods, weekends, and public holidays. More consistent visible patrols, he argued, would encourage local businesses to extend their operating hours and help rebuild public confidence so that shoppers feel safe returning to the area’s commercial corridors. Both law enforcement and community leaders framed the day’s events as the start of a sustained push to rebuild the department from within and restore public trust.

  • $2.5m Catalyst Project launched, aims to curb youth crime

    $2.5m Catalyst Project launched, aims to curb youth crime

    The island nation of Saint Lucia has formally kicked off national stakeholder consultations for its ambitious $2.5 million Catalyst Project, a groundbreaking public initiative designed to cut rates of youth crime and violence through targeted social programming and community-centered support.

    The consultations, a two-day collaborative planning event hosted by the Department of Equity, Social Justice, Gender and Older Persons, opened on May 27, 2026. This launch comes just weeks after Equity Minister Emma Hippolyte first unveiled the project during her presentation of the 2026-2027 national budget. The entire initiative is backed by financing from the Caribbean Development Bank, and the input-gathering phase is a critical early step to map out the program’s island-wide rollout.

    In her remarks at the opening of the consultations, Minister Hippolyte emphasized that the government’s approach marks a shift from traditional crime-fighting strategies. “The Government recognises that sustainable crime reduction requires more than policing alone. We must invest in our people, strengthen our families, and create meaningful opportunities for our young people to thrive,” she said.

    Unlike reactive enforcement-focused policies, the Catalyst Project targets the underlying roots of youth crime and antisocial conduct, centering its work on three core pillars: prevention, youth empowerment, and systemic social change. A wide range of support services will be delivered through the program, including targeted reintegration support for young people exiting the justice system, specialized psychosocial counseling, family capacity-building workshops, structured after-school activities, and custom interventions for youth identified as most at-risk of involvement in crime.

    Dr. Charmaine Hippolyte Emmanuel, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Equity, noted that the inclusive consultation process is intentional: it is designed to bring diverse voices into the project’s design and decision-making stages. Attendees at the planning event span multiple sectors, including representatives from government agencies, school leaders and education professionals, practicing social workers, civil society organization members, youth outreach workers, and local community leaders.

    “This consultation is about bringing all key stakeholders to the table so that together we can design interventions that are inclusive, effective, and capable of making a real difference in the lives of vulnerable young people and families,” Dr. Hippolyte Emmanuel explained.

    Project officials have stressed that cross-sector collaboration is non-negotiable to ensure the final program aligns with on-the-ground community needs and delivers long-lasting, practical solutions to youth violence. Tanzia Toussaint, Director of Social Transformation, framed the Catalyst Project as a fundamentally people-centered response to the systemic challenges facing young Saint Lucians and their families.

    “We seek to build stronger systems of support around young people and families while creating pathways for empowerment, inclusion, and positive community engagement,” Toussaint said.

    Beyond its direct goal of reducing youth crime, the consultation launch underscores the Saint Lucian government’s sustained commitment to strengthening the country’s national social protection systems and expanding robust support networks for all vulnerable populations across the island.

  • WEATHER (12:00 PM, May 30): Tropical wave to bring cloudiness, and scattered showers

    WEATHER (12:00 PM, May 30): Tropical wave to bring cloudiness, and scattered showers

    Meteorological forecasts point to an approaching tropical wave that will bring targeted weather shifts to the Lesser Antilles archipelago over the coming 12 to 24 hours, with the most pronounced impacts expected to hit island territories located south of the island chain. For the island of Dominica specifically, forecasters project a noticeable uptick in cloud cover beginning this afternoon and continuing through overnight hours, paired with scattered, unevenly distributed shower activity. Consistent breezy conditions will remain a constant feature of the local weather throughout this period, forecasters add.

    Beyond the tropical wave’s impacts, a persistent plume of Saharan dust already hanging over the region will not dissipate any time soon. Current projections indicate that dust concentrations will climb even higher starting Sunday, creating elevated air quality risks for vulnerable populations. Health officials are urging people with pre-existing respiratory sensitivities and conditions to remain vigilant and proactively take precautions to prevent potentially dangerous respiratory complications.

    For marine interests across the region, forecasts call for slight to moderate sea conditions over the next 24 hours. Wave height projections put swells along the western coast at roughly 3 feet, while eastern coastlines can expect higher swells reaching up to 5 feet. Due to haze associated with the incoming Saharan dust that can cut down on visibility, operators of small craft are warned to exercise extra caution when navigating local waters to avoid safety incidents.

  • Government warns livestock owners over stray animals

    Government warns livestock owners over stray animals

    In a firm new push to address a long-running public safety hazard, Saint Lucia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Security has issued an urgent warning to all livestock owners across the island: bring stray and roaming animals under immediate control, or face strict legal consequences. The department’s announcement comes as officials commit to ramping up enforcement of longstanding animal control regulations that have failed to fully resolve the persistent issue of unconfined livestock.

  • Two men found dead at St Elizabeth car mart

    Two men found dead at St Elizabeth car mart

    A violent double death has rocked the quiet community of Longwood, near Santa Cruz in Jamaica’s St Elizabeth parish, after local law enforcement discovered the bodies of two men at a local car sales lot on Sunday night.

    Investigators from the Jamaica Constabulary Force have launched a full probe into the incident, working piece together the chain of events that led to the men’s deaths. One victim has already been formally identified: 64-year-old Melvin Blythe, a local well-known business owner who operated the car mart where the bodies were discovered. The identity of the second victim has not yet been released to the public, pending next-of-kin notification.

    Local residents told law enforcement they heard multiple loud blasts, consistent with gunfire, in the area early Sunday morning. However, the bodies were not discovered until roughly 12 hours later, when a routine check of the car mart was carried out Sunday evening. Upon arrival at the scene, responding officers confirmed both men bore visible wounds that appeared consistent with gunshot injury.

    As of Monday morning, no suspects have been taken into custody, and police are urging anyone with information about the incident, regardless of how insignificant it may seem, to come forward to assist with the investigation. The killing has left the small close-knit community shaken, with many residents expressing shock over the violent act in the typically quiet area.

  • WATCH: KSAMC moves to address homelessness in downtown Kingston

    WATCH: KSAMC moves to address homelessness in downtown Kingston

    Amid rising public anxiety over unhoused populations gathering in Justice Square and other downtown Kingston corridors, the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) has moved forward with a coordinated, multi-stakeholder plan to address the crisis. The action comes after weeks of growing community complaints about encampments and unserved needs in high-foot-traffic areas including Parade and central Justice Square.

    Donna-Gaye Brady, acting inspector for KSAMC’s Poor Relief Department, outlined that the new initiative balances two core goals: upgrading living conditions in public spaces currently impacted by homelessness, and connecting unhoused residents directly to critical support services they have long lacked access to. As a public body, KSAMC carries a legal and ethical mandate to support vulnerable unhoused communities across the region, prompting the push for urgent, solution-focused action after sustained public outreach.

    The framework for the intervention was developed during a recent strategic workshop themed “From Street to Stability: A Coordinated Multi-Agency Approach to Homelessness”, which convened more than 35 cross-sector stakeholders. Participants included senior representatives from the Jamaica Constabulary Force, public and private medical institutions, regional mental health service agencies, and local community organizations that already work closely with unhoused populations. Unlike previous conversations that focused only on documenting the scope of the crisis, Brady emphasized that this workshop centered on designing actionable, implementable solutions to street homelessness.

    Brady hailed the collaborative workshop as a clear success, noting that input from across sectors has already shaped clear next steps for the municipality. Data and insights gathered during the event will guide all future programming, with KSAMC projecting that tangible, visible improvements for both unhoused residents and local communities will emerge by 2025. The cross-agency model is designed to eliminate fragmented, uncoordinated support, leveraging specialized expertise from each partner to deliver more holistic care to people living on the streets of Kingston and St Andrew.

  • Red Stripe Flavours launches 2026 Netball Jamaica Elite League season

    Red Stripe Flavours launches 2026 Netball Jamaica Elite League season

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — A new chapter of elite women’s netball in Jamaica is officially on the horizon, as beverage brand Red Stripe Flavours has formally launched the 2026 edition of the Netball Jamaica Elite League. The event doubles down on the company’s long-term pledge to advancing women’s sports, nurturing young athletic talent, and strengthening Jamaica’s entire domestic sporting ecosystem.

    The official launch ceremony took place Friday at Jamaica’s National Arena, drawing together key stakeholders from across the national sporting community: league organizers, competing athletes, brand partners, and other industry leaders. The gathering came weeks ahead of the upcoming season, which is already poised to deliver another high-stakes, tightly contested run of competition for the country’s top domestic netball circuit.

    Red Stripe Flavours has backed the competition since 2024, when it took over sponsorship from the previous brand partner. Run under the oversight of Netball Jamaica, the league has cemented its reputation as one of the nation’s most critical development pathways for elite female netball athletes, while steadily growing the mainstream visibility of women’s sports across the country.

    The 2026 season is scheduled to tip off on June 5, with all matches slated to take place on Fridays and Sundays throughout the duration of the tournament. Five squads will compete for the national title this year, including defending champions Kingston Hummingbirds, returning sides Manchester Spurs, St Catherine Racers, St Ann Orchids, and the up-and-coming Development Squad/JACE Risers, which focuses on nurturing emerging talent.

    Karen Baugh, president of Netball Jamaica, opened the launch by celebrating the ongoing collaboration between her organization and Red Stripe Flavours, emphasizing that consistent, long-term investment is the backbone of netball’s growth in Jamaica. “This year promises to be bigger and more competitive than any before,” Baugh shared in her remarks. “Continued sponsorship investments signal confidence not only in netball itself, but also in our sporting communities and the development of young people across the country.”

    Arnaldo Martin, Brand Manager for Red Stripe Flavours, echoed Baugh’s optimism, noting that his company remains dedicated to elevating and celebrating the female athletes who have built Jamaican netball into a national institution. “Netball has always been central to Jamaica’s legacy of sporting excellence, and the passion, discipline, and commitment these athletes bring to every season deserve real, meaningful investment,” Martin explained.

    He added that the decision to extend sponsorship stemmed from the league’s already existing strengths: a deep pool of world-class talent and a dedicated, passionate fan base. “What the sport deserves now is continued visibility, stronger cross-sector partnerships, and brands that genuinely believe in its long-term future,” Martin said.

    Unlike many sponsorship agreements that end at financial support, Martin noted that Red Stripe Flavours’ engagement extends far beyond the league’s balance sheet. The brand will prioritize spotlighting the unique personalities and far-reaching impact of competing athletes, both on and off the court. “We believe Jamaican women in sports deserve platforms that celebrate not only their performance on the court, but also their impact beyond the game,” he added.

    For years, the Red Stripe Flavours Netball Jamaica Elite League has served as a critical feeder system for Jamaica’s senior national netball program, giving rising young athletes the chance to compete against top-tier talent and refine their skills at a high-performance level. The competition traces its roots back to the former Berger Elite League, and has gradually expanded its scope since rebranding under its current name, growing its role in athlete development, sports entertainment, community outreach, and youth participation.

    The 2025 season saw 14 matches featuring 56 of the nation’s top players, with the Kingston Hummingbirds claiming the championship title after a thrilling 52-50 final match victory over runner-up Manchester Spurs.

    Looking ahead to the 2026 season, Red Stripe Flavours says its core goal is to continue lifting the profile of women’s sports across Jamaica, while deepening community connections and bolstering national pride through the shared love of netball.

  • Virgin Atlantic flight to Jamaica makes emergency landing after engine failure

    Virgin Atlantic flight to Jamaica makes emergency landing after engine failure

    A routine transatlantic journey from London to Jamaica took an unexpected turn on Saturday when a Virgin Atlantic passenger flight encountered an engine failure mid-flight, forcing it to divert to an Irish airport. All passengers and crew walked away unharmed in an outcome that highlighted the effectiveness of standard aviation safety protocols.

    Flight VS165, a wide-body Airbus A330-900neo, pulled away from its gate at London Heathrow on Saturday afternoon carrying 246 passengers and 13 crew members, bound for Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay. For nearly three hours, the flight progressed without incident, holding a steady cruising altitude of 34,000 feet over the North Atlantic. It was at this point that the flight crew detected a fault in one of the plane’s two Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines.

    Acting quickly in line with safety procedures, the operating pilots shut down the affected right-side engine as a precautionary measure, choosing to continue flight on the remaining functional engine. After the engine shutdown, the aircraft descended from its cruising altitude to 20,000 feet before altering course to head back toward the European coast. Because Shannon Airport in western Ireland is a well-established primary diversion hub for transatlantic air traffic, air traffic controllers immediately routed the troubled aircraft to this facility.

    Local authorities and airport response teams mobilized rapidly ahead of the plane’s landing, deploying a full emergency contingent that included airport fire brigades, ambulance units, local police forces and municipal fire crews. The jet touched down safely at Shannon at approximately 9:24 pm local time, just five hours after its original departure from London. Emergency response vehicles escorted the plane to its parking spot after landing, and subsequent preliminary inspections ruled out fire or any other immediate hazard to people on the ground or aboard the aircraft.

    Once the aircraft was secured, all passengers and crew disembarked without issue. No injuries related to the incident have been reported by airline officials or emergency responders. As of Sunday, Virgin Atlantic has confirmed it is arranging a replacement aircraft to fly the stranded passengers to their original destination of Montego Bay. Meanwhile, technical engineering teams have launched a full investigation into the root cause of the engine malfunction on the jet, which carries the registration G-VTOM.

  • New real estate dealer different reports J$3.5B in accepted offers within first five months

    New real estate dealer different reports J$3.5B in accepted offers within first five months

    A freshly launched Caribbean real estate brokerage firm, Different Capital Limited, has announced an impressive early operational milestone, revealing it has secured roughly J$3.5 billion in accepted property offers across the Jamaican and Cayman Islands markets within just five months of opening its doors. In an official press statement shared this week, the company framed the strong early performance as a validation of its client-centric, quality-focused operating model, which centers on curating high-value real estate assets, delivering industry-leading investment property analysis, and nurturing long-term, trust-based relationships with all stakeholders. Beyond core brokerage services, Different Capital highlighted its specialized expertise in real estate investment trust (REIT) structuring, coordination and management as a key competitive differentiator that has allowed it to tap into fast-growing demand for accessible, professionally managed, institutional-grade real estate investment opportunities in the region. According to Chris Williams, the firm’s chairman and chief executive officer, Different Capital remains unwavering in its commitment to generating tangible value for both property owners and investors, who consistently prioritize aggressive opportunity sourcing, granular due diligence and transparent, consistent communication. Looking ahead, the company says it will continue growing its property pipeline while working toward its long-term strategic goal of claiming the top position as the leading broker for investment properties and REITs across the Caribbean market. The solid early performance points to unmet demand for specialized, client-focused real estate investment services in the region, as both local and international investors seek out structured, low-barrier access to commercial and residential property assets in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, two of the Caribbean’s most attractive real estate markets.

  • Tina Clayton leads Jamaican 100m sweep with season’s best in Morocco

    Tina Clayton leads Jamaican 100m sweep with season’s best in Morocco

    The third leg of the 2024 Wanda Diamond League circuit wrapped up Sunday at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athlétisme de Rabat in Morocco, with Jamaica delivering a dominant performance that stole the spotlight, starting with a full medal sweep in the women’s 100-meter sprint.

    World Athletics Championship silver medalist Tina Clayton set the pace from the opening gun, exploding out of the blocks to maintain control of the race through the finish line. She crossed the line in a season’s best 10.85 seconds, falling just 0.02 seconds short of Elaine Thompson-Herah’s 2022 meeting record.

    Clayton was followed across the line by two first-time Diamond League competitors, delivering a historic clean sweep for Jamaica. Lavanya Williams took silver with a new personal best of 10.95 seconds, while Jonielle Smith claimed bronze in 11.00 seconds, marking a memorable debut for both young sprinters on the elite global circuit.

    Jamaica’s strong showing extended beyond the women’s 100m across multiple events. In the women’s 400-meter hurdles, Rushell Clayton secured another podium spot for the country, finishing third with a time of 53.75 seconds, while teammate Andrenette Knight placed eighth in 55.37 seconds. The race title went to Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova, who delivered a career-defining performance: her winning time of 52.82 seconds set both a new Slovakian national record and the fastest time run by any athlete in the world this season. American Anna Cockrell took second place in 53.18 seconds.

    In the women’s 100-meter hurdles, another Jamaican rookie made her Diamond League debut, with Kerrica Hill running a season’s best 12.71 seconds (with a 1.2m/s wind) to finish ninth. The race was won by Nigeria’s world-class star Tobi Amusan, who broke her own previous Rabat meeting record of 12.45 seconds to claim gold with a 12.28 second finish. For the women’s high jump, Jamaica’s Lamara Distin tied for fourth place after clearing a 1.91m bar.

    In men’s competition, Rajindra Campbell, who set a new Jamaican national shot put record of 22.34m during a competition in China just one week prior, placed seventh in Rabat with a throw of 21.04m. American shot put star Joe Kovacs took home the gold with a dominant performance, recording a new meeting record and world-leading throw of 22.58m. Rounding out Jamaica’s results, sprinter Bryan Levell finished ninth in the men’s 200-meter sprint with a time of 20.44 seconds in 0.4m/s wind conditions.