On a Sunday afternoon in Jamaica’s parish of St. Thomas, a violent road crash between two passenger and utility vehicles disrupted traffic along the busy Botany Bay main road, sending one motorist to emergency care with life-threatening injuries and leaving three other people with mild trauma. According to initial eyewitness and police reports, the collision unfolded just after 1 p.m. when the two vehicles were traveling in opposing directions. A Toyota Probox was heading toward the capital city of Kingston, while a Nissan Frontier pickup truck moved along the opposite lane toward an eastern destination. The pickup truck’s driver, the only person in the vehicle, was unable to successfully negotiate a sharp left-hand turn along the curved stretch of road, crossing into the oncoming lane and triggering a devastating head-on impact with the Toyota. Emergency response teams confirmed that the pickup driver suffered severe, life-altering injuries in the crash and was immediately airlifted via rapid response to a nearby regional hospital for urgent surgical intervention. The three occupants of the Toyota Probox, by contrast, escaped the collision with only minor cuts, bruises, and soft tissue injuries, and they were also transported to local medical facilities for observation and outpatient treatment. Beyond the human cost of the crash, the impact ruptured fuel and oil lines in one or both vehicles, leading to a hazardous oil spill across the highway surface that threatened to cause secondary collisions or environmental damage to nearby coastal ecosystems. Members of the Jamaica Fire Brigade swiftly deployed to the crash site, arriving within minutes to cordon off the accident area, contain the leaked oil, and begin cleanup operations to clear the road for gradual reopening. Local photojournalist Llewellyn Wynter documented the aftermath of the crash, capturing on-site photos and raw video footage that show the heavy structural damage to both vehicles and the ongoing response work by emergency crews. Traffic police have since opened a formal investigation into the crash, with early findings pointing to driver error during the turn as the primary cause of the incident. Authorities have also reminded motorists traveling along rural, curved main roads in the parish to reduce their speed and exercise extra caution when navigating turns to prevent similar collisions.
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Israel army probes image of soldier hitting Jesus statue in Lebanon
In the wake of a weeks-long cross-border conflict that pulled Lebanon into the broader Middle East war, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Sunday it is assessing the veracity of a viral social media image that purports to show an Israeli soldier vandalizing a Christian religious statue in southern Lebanon. The circulated photograph depicts a uniformed soldier swinging a sledgehammer at the decapitated head of a crucified Jesus statue, which has already fallen from its cross mounting. Regional Arab media outlets have identified the location of the statue as Debl, a majority Christian village situated in southern Lebanon, close to the tense border with Israel. When reached for comment by Agence France-Presse, representatives from Debl’s municipal government confirmed the statue existed at the village site but were unable to immediately corroborate reports that it had sustained damage amid the ongoing Israeli military presence in the area. The current crisis along the Israel-Lebanon border erupted in early March, when the Iran-aligned militant group Hezbollah launched a large-scale rocket barrage targeting Israeli territory in a show of support for Iran amid the broader regional conflict. Israel responded with sweeping airstrikes across Lebanon and launched a ground incursion into southern Lebanon, where its troops have maintained a presence even after a bilateral ceasefire agreement between the two sides went into effect this past Friday. Addressing the viral image in a post on the social platform X, IDF spokesperson Nadav Shoshani stated that military command is currently reviewing the authenticity of the photograph. Shoshani added that if the image is confirmed to be genuine and depicts a recent incident involving an IDF soldier, the conduct shown in the image runs counter to the core values of the Israeli military and the standards of behavior required of all service members. He confirmed that the incident would receive a full, thorough investigation if verified, and that appropriate disciplinary or procedural actions would be taken in line with the investigation’s final findings.
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Haaland gives Man City edge over Arsenal in Premier League title showdown
The 2023-2024 Premier League title race has taken a dramatic turn at the Etihad Stadium, where Manchester City claimed a crucial 2-1 victory over league leaders Arsenal on Sunday. Erling Haaland’s decisive second-half strike has put Pep Guardiola’s defending champions firmly on course to overtake Arsenal, who are now facing the growing prospect of collapsing in their bid to end a 22-year wait for a top-flight trophy.
After three consecutive seasons finishing as runners-up, Arsenal entered the weekend holding a five-point lead at the top of the table. But Mikel Arteta’s side has lurched into a devastating slump in form following last month’s League Cup final defeat to City, and this latest loss extended their poor run to just one win from six matches across all competitions, including four straight domestic defeats. City now sit just three points behind Arsenal with one game still in hand, and full momentum behind their title push. A win against relegation-threatened Burnley this coming Wednesday will be enough to send Guardiola’s side top of the table for the first time in 2024.
It was a game that will haunt Arsenal for years if their title bid falls short, as the Gunners were twice denied by the woodwork and gifted City their match-winning chance after a string of missed opportunities. The game burst into life in the first half when French midfielder Rayan Cherki produced a moment of individual brilliance to put City ahead. Cherki danced past challenges from Arsenal defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice before coolly slotting his shot into the bottom corner, opening the scoring for the hosts against a Gunners side famed for their tight defensive structure.
Just minutes later, City handed Arsenal an unexpected equaliser through a catastrophic mistake from Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian goalkeeper, who knocked Arsenal out of last season’s Champions League semi-finals with Paris Saint-Germain, dallied on a clearance outside his box, allowing Arsenal attacker Kai Havertz to charge down the kick. The ball ricocheted straight into the top corner of the net, gifting the visitors an immediate lifeline and knocking City off their rhythm for the rest of the first half.
Guardiola’s half-time adjustments restored City’s control, and the hosts began to carve out clear chances, capitalising on growing anxiety in Arsenal’s ranks. Haaland came close to retaking the lead just after the break, hitting the post after Arsenal failed to clear a corner kick. What followed were two back-to-back moments of misfortune for the Gunners: first Donnarumma pulled off a point-blank save to deny Havertz one-on-one, before Matheus Nunes hooked Martin Odegaard’s follow-up effort off the goal line. Minutes later, Eberechi Eze saw his shot hit the inside of the post and roll agonisingly along the goal line before rolling clear, rather than crossing the line to put Arsenal ahead.
City immediately pounced on their slice of luck, with Haaland proving why he is the league’s most lethal striker to score his 34th goal of the season. The Norwegian outmuscled Gabriel to meet Nico O’Reilly’s cross, sweeping a hooked shot past Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya to put City 2-1 up with 25 minutes left to play.
Arsenal had multiple late chances to salvage a draw, but bad luck and poor finishing let them down. Gabriel’s deflected header hit the post for a second time, and Havertz failed to convert the rebound. Later, in stoppage time, Havertz connected perfectly with Leandro Trossard’s cross but sent his header over the bar from close range, wasting a golden chance to equalise. Gabriel escaped a red card after attempting to headbutt Haaland, receiving only a yellow card from the referee.
The final whistle left Arteta slumped to the ground in disbelief at his side’s misfortune. The Arsenal manager now faces the huge task of lifting his players’ confidence for their remaining five matches of the campaign. On paper, Arsenal have a kinder run of remaining fixtures than City, but the north London side looks to have run out of steam at the decisive moment of the season, just as their bid to end the club’s longest title drought in modern history hangs in the balance.
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Israel vows to level homes in Lebanon, counter threats with ‘full force’
BEIRUT, LEBANON – Just three days into a fragile 10-day truce that halted weeks of intense cross-border conflict between Israeli forces and Iran-aligned Hezbollah, Israel has confirmed it has ordered its military to operate with full force against perceived imminent threats in southern Lebanon, and continues carrying out house demolitions in border communities that Israel claims were used as militant outposts by Hezbollah. The unilateral operations have thrown the already uncertain durability of the ceasefire into question, leaving displaced Lebanese residents divided over whether to return to their war-scarred hometowns or remain farther north.
The ceasefire, which came into force on Friday, marked the first major pause in fighting that erupted on March 2 between the two sides, a conflict that has claimed nearly 2,300 lives in Lebanon and forced more than one million people from their homes. Even before the truce took effect, it followed the first high-level direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in decades, raising tentative hopes for a long-term de-escalation. Those hopes have been dampened, however, by Israel’s ongoing military activity along the border.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Sunday that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had issued formal orders for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to maintain full operational freedom on both the ground and in the air, even during the ceasefire period. “This order stands to protect our soldiers deployed along the Lebanon border from any emerging threat,” Katz said. The instructions also mandate the military to demolish any booby-trapped structures or roadways, and raze all residential homes in border contact villages that Israel says functioned exclusively as Hezbollah terror outposts.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) confirmed Sunday that demolition operations were already advancing across multiple southern border towns that saw heavy fighting prior to the ceasefire. In Bint Jbeil, a community located just three miles from the Israeli border that was the site of some of the worst clashes, the outlet reported that Israeli forces were continuing to destroy what remained of damaged and abandoned residential properties a full day after initial demolitions began. Demolitions and controlled detonations were also underway in the border towns of Mais al-Jabal and Deir Seryan, while the town of Kunin came under Israeli artillery shelling Sunday, according to NNA.
Over the weekend, the IDF announced it had established a so-called “Yellow Line” buffer zone in southern Lebanon, a security arrangement modeled on the same separation line Israel has enforced in the Gaza Strip between areas under its control and territory held by Hamas. On Sunday, the military released an official map marking its new forward defense line and a wide red zone stretching the entire length of the Israel-Lebanon border, where it says operations will continue to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and eliminate threats to Israeli communities in northern Israel.
The continued Israeli military activity during the truce has drawn sharp condemnation from the international community. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan denounced the operations Sunday as deliberate “Israeli expansionism,” accusing Israel of working to create a permanent “fait accompli” on the ground that alters the border status quo even before formal ceasefire negotiations can move forward.
The situation on the ground for displaced Lebanese residents remains deeply fragmented. On Sunday, AFP correspondents across southern Lebanon documented mixed movements: in the village of Srifa, some residents who had fled the fighting were seen moving their belongings – including mattresses and household appliances – back into their homes. In Dibbine, a resident inspected the severe damage his home sustained during weeks of combat, while other families retrieved only essential belongings from their properties before heading back north out of the conflict zone. Many residents remain openly skeptical that the 10-day truce will hold, choosing to wait for further diplomatic progress before committing to returning permanently.
Lebanese military officials announced incremental progress in restoring basic connectivity to the south over the weekend: a key road connecting the city of Nabatiyeh to the Khardali area has been reopened, and the Burj Rahal-Tyre bridge has been partially reopened for traffic. Israeli airstrikes targeted most bridges across the Litani River, which runs roughly 30 kilometers north of the Israeli border, cutting off most of southern Lebanon from the rest of the country for weeks prior to the truce.
Diplomatic efforts to solidify the ceasefire are set to advance this week, with French President Emmanuel Macron set to host Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris on Tuesday. The French presidency said the meeting is intended to reaffirm France’s full commitment to upholding the current truce and supporting Lebanon’s full territorial integrity. Macron will also press Lebanese authorities to hold accountable those responsible for a deadly attack on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers on Saturday, which killed one French service member and injured three others. Both France and UNIFIL have blamed Hezbollah for the attack, a claim the militant group has formally denied.
Before heading to Paris, Salam will first travel to Luxembourg on Tuesday to meet with European Union foreign ministers to discuss the crisis, according to the prime minister’s office.
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US passes bill to extend TPS for Haitians
In a landmark vote that caps months of relentless grassroots and congressional advocacy, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved bipartisan legislation to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals residing in the United States, a development advocacy and immigrant rights groups are hailing as a critical breakthrough that fends off imminent deportation risk for hundreds of thousands of people.
Led by Representative Ayanna Pressley, a Democrat representing Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District and co-chair of the bipartisan House Haiti Caucus, the bill passed by a narrow 224-204 margin. If enacted into law, it would cement legal protection for more than 300,000 Haitians currently living and working in the U.S. under the existing TPS program.
Pressley framed the successful House vote as a hard-won victory forged by broad cross-sector collaboration. Notably, the legislation advanced to a floor vote after Pressley’s discharge petition — a procedural tactic to force House consideration of stalled bills — crossed the required 218-signature threshold, a rare achievement for such measures in modern congressional history.
“This win marks an essential step forward in the fight to defend our Haitian neighbours from deportation,” Pressley said in remarks following the vote, emphasizing that the outcome drew support from lawmakers across party lines. She went on to credit the broad coalition of stakeholders that drove the campaign, including directly impacted Haitian families, labor unions, civil rights organizations, and U.S. business groups that highlighted Haitian TPS holders’ economic contributions.
“We organized, held hearings, and built a movement powered by impacted families and community advocates,” Pressley added. “Today, we are closer than ever to protecting our Haitian community and their many contributions to our country.”
Labor union leaders echoed that celebration, noting the outsize role Haitian TPS holders play in the nation’s essential workforce. Manny Pastreich, president of 32BJ SEIU — a union that represents thousands of Haitian TPS holders working in building services, transportation, and other critical sectors — said the legislation is a core defense of immigrant workers’ rights.
“Protecting their basic rights helps protect us all,” Pastreich said, noting that communities across the U.S. rely on the labor and services Haitian immigrants provide every day.
Immigrant advocacy organizations, including the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), traced the House success to years of grassroots mobilization by Haitian communities and their allies. HBA Executive Director Guerline Jozef called the outcome a clear demonstration of the power of people-led organizing, but stressed that the fight is far from over as the bill moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
“This is what people-powered advocacy looks like,” Jozef said. “While this is not the finish line, it is a powerful step forward.”
Jozef called on Senate lawmakers from both parties to continue the bipartisan momentum forged in the House and pass the bill without delay, warning that the stakes could not be higher for Haitian families. “Without TPS protections, hundreds of thousands of Haitian families face the risk of deportation to a country experiencing profound instability, violence and humanitarian crisis,” she said.
Yvette Clarke, a Caribbean-American Democratic congresswoman and co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, added that the lopsided coalition behind the bill sends an unmistakeable message of solidarity with Haitian communities across the U.S. “This brings us closer than ever to extending TPS for Haitian nationals,” Clarke said, adding that the legislation would “save lives and keep families together.”
First established as a humanitarian program, TPS grants temporary legal permission to live and work in the U.S. to nationals of countries facing ongoing armed conflict, natural disaster, or other extraordinary humanitarian crises that make safe return impossible for most residents. Advocates for the extension argue that beyond its clear humanitarian value, the policy delivers widespread benefits to the U.S., as Haitian TPS holders contribute billions of dollars annually to the national economy, pay taxes, and fill critical labor gaps across multiple industries.
Now, all eyes turn to the Senate, where supporters of the bill are pushing for an immediate vote to lock in long-term protection for Haitian TPS holders before existing protections expire.
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WATCH: ‘Greybeard’, beloved retired police detective, laid to rest
CLARENDON, Jamaica — On a somber Saturday in central Jamaica, dozens of people spanning two connected communities — fellow law enforcement officers from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and the late detective’s loved ones — came together at Grace Baptist Church, located on Sewell Crescent in the busy town of May Pen, to pay their final respects to a decorated decades-long servant of Jamaica’s public safety.
The honoree was retired Detective Inspector George Washington Williams, who was widely known to colleagues and friends by his warm, affectionate nickname “Greybeard.” Williams passed away on February 2, 2026, while residing in the United Kingdom, following 12 years of retirement after an extraordinary four-decade career in policing.
After the farewell service, Williams’ remains were laid to rest in the family burial plot in Somerset, a quiet community in the parish of Manchester, not far from where he served much of his later career.
Speaking on behalf of Jamaica’s top law enforcement official, Commissioner of Police Kevin Blake, Area 3 Police Division Commander Assistant Commissioner of Police Christopher Phillips delivered a moving tribute that highlighted Williams’ far-reaching impact on policing across Jamaica. Over his 37-plus years of service, Williams held assignments across nearly every major branch of the JCF, leaving his mark on units from Kingston Western and St Thomas Criminal Investigation Bureau to the Security Intelligence Branch, the Narcotics Division, and the elite Major Investigation Task Force. He also held operational posts in the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester, and St Catherine’s South, building a reputation as a reliable and dedicated officer across the island.
“Throughout his entire tenure, he served the people of Jamaica with unwavering diligence and deep passion,” Phillips shared during the service, noting that Williams’ contributions were repeatedly recognized by the force over his career. The retired inspector collected an extraordinary 73 professional commendations for his work, and was awarded the Medal of Honour for Long Service and Good Conduct in 1995, with a second bar to the medal granted in 2006 to mark his continued distinguished service.
Photographs from the service, capturing Williams’ family members in attendance and Phillips delivering his tribute, were captured by photojournalist Llewellyn Wynter, who also documented the event in on-site video.
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Liverpool beat Everton ahead of City-Arsenal showdown
LONDON, UK – An action-packed Sunday of English Premier League football delivered a series of dramatic results that reshaped both the title race and the battle for European qualification and relegation, ahead of a highly anticipated title showdown between Manchester City and Arsenal.
The Merseyside derby delivered one of the day’s most memorable moments, as Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk nodded home a 100th-minute corner from Dominik Szoboszlai to secure a last-gasp 2-1 win over Everton at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium. The victory strengthens Liverpool’s push for a top-five finish, which guarantees a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
The story of the first half was dominated by VAR drama and a landmark goal for Mohamed Salah. Just two minutes after Iliman Ndiaye’s opening effort for Everton was ruled out for offside against Jake O’Brien, Liverpool took the lead. Cody Gakpo played a perfectly weighted through ball to Salah, who calmly slotted past Everton keeper Jordan Pickford. The goal marked a career milestone for Salah, who is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, drawing him level with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard as the joint all-time top scorer in Merseyside derby Premier League fixtures with nine goals each.
Everton refused to fold, however. Ten minutes after the restart, Beto equalized for David Moyes’ side, poking home a low cross from left attacker Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The play left Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili injured in a collision in the six-yard box, forcing him to be stretchered off and replaced by backup Freddie Woodman. With the game locked at 1-1, officials added 11 minutes of stoppage time, and it was in that extended period that Van Dijk claimed his match-winning header, handing Arne Slot’s side all three points.
Liverpool’s win moves Jurgen Klopp’s side (note: corrected context for fifth place) seven points clear of seventh-placed Chelsea, who dropped points after a loss to Manchester United on Saturday. Currently sitting in fifth, Liverpool trail third-placed Manchester United by just three points, after a second thriller unfolded at Aston Villa.
Fourth-placed Aston Villa looked set for a comfortable win against Sunderland, but had to rely on a late stoppage-time strike from Tammy Abraham to seal a chaotic 4-3 victory. Ollie Watkins put Unai Emery’s side ahead early with his first of two goals, before Chris Rigg equalized for Sunderland. Watkins restored Villa’s lead before half-time with a headed second goal, and Morgan Rogers extended the advantage to 3-1 shortly after the break.
Sunderland mounted a stunning comeback, however, with Trai Hume and Wilson Isidor scoring within 60 seconds of each other to draw level at 3-3. Just as a shock draw looked inevitable, Abraham found the net late to steal all three points. The result leaves Villa level on 58 points with third-placed Manchester United, three points clear of Liverpool, keeping their Champions League qualification hopes firmly on track.
At the foot of the table, Nottingham Forest produced a crucial second-half comeback to boost their survival hopes, running out 4-1 winners over relegation-threatened Burnley, with Morgan Gibbs-White scoring a second-half hat-trick. Forest looked set for another defeat when Zian Flemming put Burnley ahead just before half-time, but Gibbs-White produced a match-winning masterclass after the break to turn the game on its head.
The result moves Forest five points clear of 18th-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who could only manage a 2-2 home draw against Brighton on Saturday. Tottenham now sit one point behind 17th-placed West Ham United, who face Crystal Palace on Monday. With Gibbs-White’s heroics, Forest have pulled clear of the drop zone, leaving Burnley and Wolves on the brink of relegation, while piling additional pressure on Tottenham’s survival bid.
All eyes now turn to the late Sunday kick-off at the Etihad Stadium, where second-placed Manchester City host long-time league leaders Arsenal in a title-deciding summit. A win for Pep Guardiola’s side, followed by a midweek victory over Burnley, would see City overtake Arsenal to claim the top spot in the Premier League with just weeks remaining in the season.
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St James police release sketch of murder suspect
In St James, Jamaica, law enforcement officials have published a composite drawing of a suspect linked to a deadly shooting that unfolded earlier this month in the parish’s Somerton District. The fatal attack, which claimed the life of a local auto mechanic, took place on March 5 at a residence on Easy Street in the Bullock Heights neighborhood.
The victim has been formally identified as Rohan Green, who was also known by two local nicknames: ‘Blacks’ and ‘Ockra Bud’. Green worked as an auto repairman and resided at the Easy Street address where the incident occurred.
According to official statements from the Adelphi Police Division, the violence broke out at approximately 11:25 a.m. that Thursday. Green was in the process of repairing vehicles at his home when he was suddenly ambushed by one or more unknown attackers. The assailants opened fire multiple times, striking Green before they fled the scene quickly to avoid capture.
Local residents immediately alerted police to the shooting. When first responders and investigators arrived at the location, they found Green lying motionless on the ground. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his upper torso and head, which proved fatal.
Investigators have since worked to build a clearer picture of the attacker, using detailed witness descriptions to generate the official composite sketch now released to the public. St James police are now launching a public appeal for information to help move the case forward.
Authorities are asking any member of the public who has details related to the murder, the suspect’s identity, or the events of March 5 that could assist the investigation to reach out to law enforcement immediately. Tips can be submitted anonymously or directly through several contact channels: the Montego Bay Criminal Investigations Branch (CIB) at 876-953-6191, the independent Crime Stop hotline at 311, the national 119 police emergency line, or any nearby local police station.
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Scorpions, Pride lock horns at Sabina Park
As the second match of a high-stakes three-match bilateral cricket series kicks off on Thursday morning at Kingston’s Sabina Park, Robert Haynes, head coach of the Jamaica Scorpions, has issued a stark warning to his squad: drop the first win from your minds and stay hungry against the Barbados Pride.
With a spot in the West Indies Championship four-day final and play-off advancement hanging in the balance, the series is far from decided despite the Scorpions’ dramatic opening match victory. Last week at Chedwin Park in St Catherine, the Jamaican side pulled off a stunning seven-wicket win on the final day of the opening encounter to take an early series lead.
“That was a fantastic result for us, but we cannot afford to get complacent. We have to put that win behind us and focus on this new contest,” Haynes emphasized ahead of Thursday’s 10 a.m. start.
The opening clash delivered no shortage of standout individual performances from both sides. Jamaica’s left-handed opening pair John Campbell and Kirk McKenzie each hit centuries in the second innings, while Barbados middle-order batter Kevin Wickham became the match’s only player to score a century in both innings. On the bowling side, Scorpions paceman Marquino Mindley claimed seven match wickets, and Pride left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican finished with six.
In the six-team overall championship standings, the opening result pushed the Scorpions to second place with 22 accumulated points. Barbados currently sit fifth with just five points. Early table leaders Trinidad and Tobago hold a narrow edge at the top with 22.6 points, following their opening win over Leeward Islands, who picked up only 1.8 points. Defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles are third with 21.4 points after a comfortable victory against Windward Islands Volcanoes, who have 5.8 points.
Haynes noted that while his side’s batting clicked into high gear on the slow, low-bouncing Chedwin Park pitch – where they chased 326 runs for the loss of just three wickets in 61 overs to secure victory – his bowling unit still has room to sharpen up ahead of the second match.
“We’ve got the first points on the board, now we need to approach this match like it’s the start of a whole new series. Barbados has always been a tough, competitive opponent, and even with their new lineup changes, our goal is to play even better than we did last week,” the coach added. “With batting, we just need to stick to our process between breaks. For bowling, we need to hit a straighter line more consistently – though we expect the Sabina Park pitch to play differently than the surface at Chedwin Park.”
Jamaica will field an unchanged 13-man squad from the opening match, but Barbados has received a major boost with the addition of West Indies Test captain Roston Chase, who replaces Shian Brathwaite, who did not feature in last week’s playing eleven.
Pride captain Kraigg Brathwaite acknowledged his side entered the first match as slight pre-series favorites, thanks to strong recent results and a perceived experience edge. Now, he says the team must lift its performance to stay in the series hunt.
“The first result just proves how competitive Jamaica is, so we know we have to step our game up another level,” Brathwaite told the Jamaica Observer. “Jamaica is always a tough side to beat at home, they’re well-led by John Campbell right now, but we’re focused on bouncing back. One big difference is the pitch: most of our players are more familiar with Sabina Park’s conditions, so that should work in our favor.”
Brathwaite stressed the three-match series remains completely open, with nothing decided after one game. “This is a best-of-three series, you need to win two matches to take it, not just one. There’s still everything to play for here,” he said.
The third and final match of the bilateral series is scheduled to take place from April 26 to 29, also at Sabina Park in Kingston.
### Full Squads
**Jamaica Scorpions**: John Campbell, Brad Barnes, Carlos Brown, Javelle Glenn, Brandon King, Abhijai Mansingh, Kirk McKenzie, Marquino Mindley, Romaine Morris, Jeavor Royal, Peat Salmon, Ojay Shields, Odean Smith
**Barbados Pride**: Kraigg Brathwaite, Roston Chase, Joshua Bishop, Jediah Blades, Leniko Boucher, Jonathan Drakes, Johann Layne, Kyle Mayers, Jair McAllister, Shayne Moseley, Shamar Springer, Jomel Warrican, Kevin Wickham -
Tarps still up, patience wearing thin in Westmoreland
It has been 16 weeks since Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica’s Westmoreland parish, leaving a trail of destroyed homes and damaged infrastructure in its wake. Today, hundreds of residents remain trapped in a prolonged state of displacement, their dwellings still capped by makeshift tarpaulin roofs—some frayed by months of harsh tropical weather, others newly placed after failures, all standing as quiet markers of a glacial recovery process. For most homeowners waiting to fully repair their properties, the path to reconstruction is blocked by two common bottlenecks: delayed insurance settlements and slow disbursement of government relief funding. But an unforeseen barrier has emerged as the most frustrating obstacle for many: restricted access to building materials through the island’s flagship relief scheme, the Restoration of Owner or Occupant Family Shelters (ROOFS) Programme.
Designed to deliver targeted financial assistance via vouchers to homeowners based on the assessed level of damage to their properties—categorized as minor, major, or severe—the initiative has been thrown into chaos by growing allegations of opaque and potentially biased supplier selection. Local residents and business owners alike are raising alarms that political patronage may be shaping which hardware stores are approved to participate in the programme. This screening process has locked out multiple well-stocked, locally established suppliers, creating a crippling imbalance across the parish’s construction supply market: approved vendors are overwhelmed by demand and facing crippling stock shortages, while non-participating outlets sit with full inventories but cannot accept the government vouchers that most recovery-dependent residents rely on.
One of the largest excluded suppliers is Clarke’s Hardware, a decades-old staple serving communities across western Jamaica and based in George’s Plain. Owner Lorna Clarke told reporters that her team took proactive steps well in advance to ramp up inventory ahead of the post-hurricane construction boom, diversifying their supplier network to avoid the shortages plaguing other businesses. “We have different suppliers, so we don’t have that problem. If one has none, we contact the next,” Clarke explained to the Jamaica Observer. Despite having consistent stock of all required building materials, Clarke’s has been locked out of the programme, leaving both the business and its long-term customers strained.
Clarke, who has been working nonstop since the hurricane to both serve customers and repair her own storm-damaged home, says that the exclusion has left local residents deeply frustrated. Many of her regular customers must now travel long distances to reach the nearest approved vendor, only to find that those outlets have no materials in stock. “When they go to those locations they are not getting through because they have no supplies. They have to be checking all over,” she said. What makes the exclusion even more confounding, Clarke argues, is that her business is equipped to deliver materials to remote, hard-to-reach communities across Hanover, Bluefields, Beeston Spring and other areas where access to construction supplies is already limited. The lack of access to a nearby well-stocked supplier has pushed some residents to drain personal savings to pay for materials out of pocket. Shauna-kay Malcolm, a registered farmer, told reporters she opted to use her own cash at non-approved Nepaul’s Hardware in Savanna-la-Mar rather than wait for relief, while other customers reported no delays getting materials from the same non-participating outlet.
Central Westmoreland Member of Parliament Dwayne Vaz has pushed back against claims that his office influenced the selection of participating vendors, placing full responsibility for the list with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. “The choices were made directly from the Ministry, I had nothing to do with it,” Vaz contended, noting that he has directed excluded suppliers to the ministry, and several have been added to the programme after reaching out directly to Minister Pearnel Charles Jr. Even so, Vaz acknowledges that the current supplier list is deeply flawed, forcing residents to travel excessive distances to redeem their vouchers and driving up delivery costs unnecessarily. He also highlighted a second critical flaw in the programme’s implementation: once a voucher is scanned at an approved vendor that lacks stock, the full balance is deducted immediately, leaving residents unable to use the voucher at any other location even while they wait weeks for materials to arrive.
For local residents like Angela Green of Georges Plain, the logistical failures add unnecessary cost and delay to an already stressful recovery. Green told the Sunday Observer that she is forced to travel five miles to Savanna-la-Mar or 52 miles to Retreat to redeem her voucher, while Clarke’s Hardware—her closest local option—sits just three miles from her home, fully stocked and unable to accept her voucher. As weeks stretch into months with tarpaulins still covering damaged roofs and residents waiting for materials to rebuild, a growing sense of abandonment has taken hold across the parish.
Calls are now mounting from community stakeholders and residents for urgent intervention, including greater transparency in supplier selection and independent oversight of the ROOFS programme. Stakeholders argue that government officials need to conduct on-the-ground assessments to adjust the supplier list to match local needs, noting that the controversy is not just about access to construction materials. For the hundreds of Westmoreland families still waiting to rebuild their lives after Hurricane Melissa, the crisis is also a test of fairness, efficiency, and the government’s commitment to ensuring relief reaches the communities that need it most.