标签： Jamaica

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Real Madrid end troubled Liga season with win, Mallorca, Girona down

The final matchday of Spain’s top-flight La Liga season delivered a full slate of drama, emotional farewells and decisive outcomes on Saturday, with Real Madrid securing a 4-2 victory over Athletic Bilbao to cap a difficult, trophy-less campaign, while two clubs saw their top-flight dreams ended with relegation.

Mallorca picked up a solid 3-0 win over already-relegated Real Oviedo to finish the campaign with 42 points, but the three points were not enough to keep them in the division. Girona, a club that competed in the Champions League just one season prior, also dropped down to the second tier after playing out a tense 1-1 draw with Elche. The result was enough to keep Elche safe, while it sent Girona packing. In a three-way tie for the final relegation and survival spots on 42 points, Levante (16th) and Osasuna (17th) retained their top-flight status thanks to superior head-to-head results against Mallorca, who finished 18th and dropped down.

For newly crowned La Liga champions Barcelona, the final match of the season brought a milestone: star veteran Polish striker Robert Lewandowski found the back of the net in what was his final appearance for the club. However, Barcelona could not hold on for a win, as goals from Javi Guerra, Luis Rioja and Guido Rodriguez gave Valencia a 3-1 comeback victory.

European competition spots were also finalized on Saturday. Celta Vigo locked in their place in next season’s Europa League with a tight 1-0 win over Sevilla, finishing the campaign in sixth position. Getafe claimed seventh place and a spot in the UEFA Conference League with a 1-0 win against Osasuna.

Real Madrid’s match against Athletic Bilbao was marked by emotional farewells. Veteran defender Dani Carvajal, playing his final match for the Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabeu, set up the opening goal for Gonzalo Garcia, who put the second-place hosts ahead. England star Jude Bellingham followed with a stunning second goal for Madrid before halftime. Just before the break, Athletic Bilbao’s Gorka Guruzeta pulled one back past Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, in what was also head coach Ernesto Valverde’s final match in charge of the side.

Kylian Mbappe, who finished the season as La Liga’s top goalscorer, netted Madrid’s third from outside the 18-yard box, notching his 25th league goal of the campaign. With 10 minutes left to play, Carvajal was subbed off to a warm send-off: players from both Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao formed a guard of honour to celebrate the 34-year-old’s legendary career with the club, as he bid an emotional goodbye to the Bernabeu. Moroccan attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz added a late fourth goal for Madrid, with Athletic’s Urko Izeta scoring a late consolation second. Despite a disappointing trophyless season, Real Madrid ended their campaign on a positive note with the win.

The final match of the entire La Liga season will take place on Sunday, when Villarreal and Atletico Madrid go head-to-head to decide who claims third place in the final table.

22 5 月, 2026
Good Samaritan or thief?

MONTEGO BAY, St James — A curious criminal case unfolding at the St James Parish Court has left the justice system weighing a central question: when a local man handed his neighbor’s lost wallet to bank staff, was he acting out of charitable goodwill, or covering his tracks after stealing the cash inside? The defendant, who faces a single count of simple larceny connected to his upstairs neighbor, made his first appearance before Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton on Wednesday, with defense attorney Michael Hemmings leading his legal argument.

Court documents lay out the prosecution’s core narrative of the incident, which unfolded earlier this year. The complainant, who lives in the Content neighborhood of St James, parked his personal motor vehicle near his residence one evening, and awoke the next morning to discover his wallet had vanished from the car. The wallet held his bank card, multiple forms of personal identification, and a large sum of cash. After realizing the wallet was gone, the complainant immediately headed to his local bank to cancel his missing debit card, only to spot his neighbor — the defendant — entering the same bank carrying the lost wallet. A bank staff member verified the wallet’s ownership and returned it to the complainant, but a quick check after recovery revealed that $180,000 in local currency and US$100 in cash were nowhere to be found.

The complainant filed an official report with local police soon after the missing cash was discovered, leading to the defendant’s arrest and formal larceny charge. But Hemmings has pushed back aggressively against the prosecution’s claims, dismissing the entire case as a wrongful accusation that punishes a man for trying to do the right thing. “It appears as though it does not pay to be a Good Samaritan these days, because my instructions differ entirely from the allegations that were read,” Hemmings told the court Wednesday. The attorney argued that even if the court accepted the prosecution’s narrative of events at face value, the Crown still cannot meet the burden of proving all the legal elements required for a larceny conviction. “The Crown could not satisfy the requisite elements of the offence to say that this man took monies from that man’s wallet as he claims,” Hemmings said. “I don’t know where the Crown is going with this because the elements of the offence cannot be proven in this case.” He urged prosecutors to conduct a full review of the case file and dismiss the charges to avoid unnecessary expenditure of limited judicial resources.

In response to the defense’s arguments, the court clerk confirmed that much of the prosecution’s case rests on circumstantial evidence, and noted the complainant has already expressed interest in resolving the matter through out-of-court mediation. When the complainant was given the opportunity to speak directly to the court on Wednesday, he clarified a small detail of his earlier account: he said he observed the defendant handing the wallet to a bank security officer, not a general bank employee, before it was returned to him. He also emphasized that the defendant could not have mistaken the wallet’s ownership: with his ID clearly visible inside, and the two living as neighbors (the complainant in the unit above the defendant), the defendant knew full well who the wallet belonged to.

Judge Fairclough-Hylton raised a key question early in the proceedings: why did the defendant choose to drop the wallet off at the bank, rather than returning it directly to the complainant’s home? Hemmings provided context for that choice, explaining that his client first went to the complainant’s residence to return the wallet in person, but found no one was home, leading to the decision to leave it with the bank for safekeeping until the owner could claim it. Pushing for further clarity, the judge then asked the complainant what led him to be absolutely certain the defendant was the one who took the missing cash. The complainant argued the location was a dead-end street with very little outside foot traffic, meaning no one else could have accessed his vehicle and taken the money. But when pressed further by the judge, he admitted that multiple other people reside on his property, and he could not definitively rule out one of them as the person who took the cash.

After hearing opening arguments from both sides, Judge Fairclough-Hylton granted a request for a case management hearing to move the proceedings forward, scheduling the next hearing date for June 10. She ordered the court clerk to complete a full review of the case file ahead of that date, and extended the defendant’s existing bail conditions as the case awaits its next step.

22 5 月, 2026
Kenne Blessin wins new fans with ‘Vice Versa Love’ remake

For reggae artist Kenne Blessin, reimagining a beloved iconic track is far from a simple exercise in retro nostalgia – it is a deliberate act of creative reinterpretation that bridges generations of reggae fans. His fresh take on Barrington Levy’s 1990s hit *Vice Versa Love*, a track long celebrated for its mellow, infectious rhythm and timeless message of mutual affection, has already started generating buzz across global reggae communities.

Blessin says he is encouraged by the warm reception to his version, which introduces the classic track to younger audiences while holding onto the heartfelt warmth that turned the original into an enduring reggae staple. “The response has been far more positive than I ever expected,” he shared in an interview. “People really connect with the choice of this song right now. They keep telling me the world needs this message of reciprocal love more than ever, with all the chaos and division we’re seeing globally.”

The reimagined *Vice Versa Love* is one of 14 tracks on Blessin’s latest full-length album, *Caught My Attention*, a project anchored by core themes of love, personal reflection, and cross-community unity. Across the record, the artist crafts a refined yet unforced sonic identity, blending modern production techniques with the raw, unfiltered emotional honesty that defines classic roots reggae.

The album’s tracklist ranges from traditional romantic ballads like *Wanna Be With You* to *Spread the Love*, which explores connections between nature and universal human connection. Blessin recalls that the idea to cover *Vice Versa Love* emerged organically while he was developing material for the album. “The inspiration for *Vice Versa Love* came to me completely naturally one day,” he explained. “I was jamming on a riddim, and the melody just kept looping in my head. I’ve always trusted that spontaneous, natural feeling in the studio, and that’s what made this whole process feel magical.”

Born in Kingston and raised in the coastal parish of St Thomas, Jamaica, Blessin’s musical style was shaped by a diverse array of influences from childhood. Growing up, he absorbed the work of Jamaican reggae legends including Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, Sizzla and Beenie Man, while also embracing the sound of American hip-hop from icons such as Snoop Dogg. A later stint living in Antigua, where he performed as part of a working band, deepened his appreciation for soca and rock – genres that have since added rich texture to both his studio recordings and live sets.

Blessin’s professional career got its start in Jamaica, but it accelerated dramatically after he moved to Antigua, where he took home first place in the Caribbean Star Search competition hosted by Gem FM. That victory launched his breakthrough soca single *My Love Will Never Die*, which first gained popularity in Trinidad before spreading to audiences across the Caribbean and eventually beyond the region.

Over the course of his career, Blessin has built a reputation as both a skilled original songwriter and a thoughtful interpreter of well-known tracks, beloved by fans for his signature smooth vocal delivery. His collaborative work crosses genre and generational lines: he has shared stages with artists ranging from global dancehall star Sean Paul to veteran reggae icon Freddie McGregor, and has worked alongside soca and rock acts across the world.

Now based in Atlanta, Georgia, Blessin continues to rework popular hits through a distinct reggae lens. Some of his most well-known reinterpretations include a reggae take on *Holding Back the Years* produced by Hugh Campbell, and a reimagining of Ed Sheeran’s global hit *Perfect*. Most recently, he recorded a reggae version of Elton John’s *Nikita* and contributed to the Blue Flame Riddim project alongside veteran reggae artists Anthony Malvo and Delly Ranx.

To date, Blessin has performed live for audiences across Switzerland, England, Germany, Antigua, Trinidad, St Kitts, and St Maarten. Notably, he has yet to perform a full show in his native Jamaica, a gap he says he is eager to fill in the near future. “I’m so excited to finally bring my work to a stage in Jamaica,” he said confidently. “With how things are coming together for 2026, that dream is going to happen very soon.”

Through his independent record label Dacosta Muzic, Blessin has also expanded his work into music production, overseeing projects that span genres from traditional reggae to contemporary gospel. His discography includes the 2020 EP *Millions*, which explores his ongoing interest in themes of resilience, personal ambition, and spirituality.

At a moment when modern reggae increasingly blends with global pop and digital production trends, Blessin’s artistic approach remains firmly rooted in one core priority: melody and authentic emotional connection. That commitment, he says, is exactly why a decades-old track like *Vice Versa Love* still resonates deeply with listeners old and new today.

22 5 月, 2026
Frazsiers Whip, Arnett Gardens hold cards in JWPL semi-final return-leg contests

The stage is set for a decisive doubleheader in the Jamaica Women’s Premier League (JWPL) this Saturday, as two semi-final second-leg clashes kick off at the UWI-JFF/Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence. Defending league champions Frazsiers Whip FC and Arnett Gardens will take the pitch with vastly different first-leg advantages to defend, as both sides chase a spot in this year’s championship final.

For Frazsiers Whip, the path to a fourth consecutive final looks all but clear after a dominant 5-0 demolition of Real Mona FC in last weekend’s opening semi-final fixture. Led by head coach Courtney Dowdie, the squad has enjoyed an electric unbeaten run across 11 matches so far this season, and is heavily favored to extend that streak to 12 when they step onto the pitch this weekend.

The champions’ attacking firepower has been unmatched across the competition this term, with the side netting close to 70 goals in total. The league’s top goalscorer Christine Salmon has formed a devastating attacking trio with Shanel Spence and Nevillegail Able, and the combination has accounted for 54 of the team’s goals this season alone. Spence already made her mark in the first leg, bagging a brace to secure the lopsided five-goal advantage, and the side is widely expected to push for another high-scoring outing on Saturday.

Defensively, Frazsiers Whip have been just as impressive: the side has conceded only four goals across the entire season, a stat that makes a comeback from Real Mona look extremely unlikely. Still, the underdog side has already proven it has the resilience to fight against the odds.

Real Mona only earned their spot in the JWPL semi-finals in the final week of the regular season, a remarkable turnaround after picking up just one point from their opening two matches following their return to the top flight. The team pulled off a stunning upset to knock out last year’s finalists Cavalier FC to secure their place in the final four, writing one of the league’s biggest underdog stories of the season.

Now, however, Real Mona faces an unprecedented mountain to climb against the nation’s top women’s side. To overturn a five-goal deficit and advance to the final, the young squad will need a catastrophic collapse from Frazsiers Whip paired with a career-defining collective performance that far outstrips any they have pulled off so far this campaign.

The afternoon’s second semi-final clash shapes up to be a far tighter, more unpredictable contest, as Arnett Gardens holds just a narrow 3-2 first-leg lead over Los Perfectos FC. Both sides are hungry for redemption this year, having been knocked out of the 2023 competition at the semi-final stage: Arnett fell to eventual finalists Cavalier, while Los Perfectos were eliminated at the hands of Frazsiers Whip.

Much of the attention ahead of the second leg will be on two star strikers who both stole the show in last week’s opening fixture. Arnett Gardens’ Shikira Douglas and Los Perfectos’ veteran playmaker Venicia Reid both notched braces in the first leg, and each will carry the bulk of their side’s goalscoring hopes on Saturday. While Arnett boasts a deep roster of attacking talent beyond Douglas, including standouts Tuanashae Hamilton, Sade Berry and Suen Gregory, Los Perfectos relies heavily on Reid’s clinical finishing: the veteran has netted 22 of the club’s 35 goals this season alone.

The action kicks off at 3:00 pm with Real Mona facing Frazsiers Whip, followed by the 5:30 pm kickoff between Los Perfectos and Arnett Gardens.

22 5 月, 2026
Digicel Foundation empowers Denham Town and Tivoli High girls with AI skills

On a transformative Wednesday in western Kingston, Jamaica, female students from Denham Town High School and Tivoli Gardens High School gathered for an immersive day of collaborative, hands-on innovation that bridges cutting-edge technology and urgent climate action. The event, a Girls in ICT Artificial Intelligence and Climate Change Hackathon, was hosted at Denham Town High through a partnership between the Digicel Foundation and STEM Spark Solutions, growing out of the foundation’s long-running mission to shrink the gender gap in the technology sector.

For years, the Digicel Foundation’s Girls in ICT initiative has worked to equip young women with the technical skills, professional confidence, and real-world industry exposure required to build successful careers in an increasingly digital global economy. This hackathon expanded that mission by tying technology proficiency directly to a crisis that hits close to home for Jamaican communities: climate-related natural disaster resilience.

Throughout the day, participating students explored the many practical applications of artificial intelligence to address pressing climate and disaster challenges. Central to the event’s curriculum was exploring how AI can be leveraged across all stages of a major weather event: from forecasting extreme storm trajectories more accurately, tracking gradual environmental shifts that increase disaster risk, and building community-centered solutions that help local populations bounce back faster after catastrophe.

Digicel Foundation Chief Executive Officer Charmaine Daniels emphasized the critical urgency of including young women in the growing AI sector. “We stand at a defining turning point in global history, where artificial intelligence is reshaping every industry, every career path, and every part of daily life,” Daniels explained. “If we do not make intentional space for our girls to join this space right now, we will risk leaving an entire generation excluded from the opportunities shaping our future. Introducing girls to AI and information and communications technology is about giving them the tools to protect their families, their communities, and the environment they depend on — that is the core of what this day was built to achieve.”

This year’s hackathon centered specifically on disaster preparedness, a theme that carries deep personal meaning for most participants. Just one year prior, in October 2023, Category 5 Hurricane Melissa swept through Jamaica, leaving widespread destruction in its wake across communities including Denham Town and Tivoli Gardens. Against that backdrop, students worked through practical exercises to test how AI can strengthen early warning systems, streamline emergency response coordination during a storm, and speed community recovery and rebuilding efforts after the event passes.

Dianne Plummer, CEO of STEM Spark Solutions and a professional engineer, explained the personal, community-focused vision that shaped the event’s design. “These young women already know firsthand what it looks like when a Category 5 hurricane rips through their neighborhood — when power goes out for days, when roads flood, when entire communities have to put themselves back together piece by piece,” Plummer said. “Our goal today was to show them that artificial intelligence gives us the power to prepare more effectively before a storm, respond faster when it hits, and recover smarter after it passes. When a young woman from Denham Town or Tivoli Gardens can build a climate model or design a functional early warning system, she stops being just someone affected by climate disaster and becomes a core part of the solution.”

Observers noted the tangible energy and purpose that filled the space throughout the day, with participants diving into their collaborative projects with remarkable creativity and drive. For many attendees, the event marked their first meaningful introduction to artificial intelligence as a tool for good. Ameerah Burke, a ninth-grade student at Denham Town High, said the experience changed her perspective on what she can accomplish through STEM. “When the team showed us how AI can predict exactly where a storm is going to hit and help planners map out safe evacuation routes, it made me rethink what I can contribute to my community,” Burke shared. “We lived through Hurricane Melissa, and I’ll never forget how scary it was not knowing what was coming next. If AI can help keep people safer through that, I want to be one of the people building those systems.”

22 5 月, 2026
Giving them a voice

As part of Jamaica’s annual Child Month celebrations, Jamaica’s Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information hosted a landmark inclusive gathering on Thursday, creating a judgment-free, supportive space where children with special needs across the Corporate Area could share their experiences and build connections. The event, held on the scenic lawns of Devon House in St. Andrew, brought together students from five specialized institutions across the country: the Salvation Army School for the Blind, Danny Williams School for the Deaf, Carberry Court School of Special Education, Randolph Lopez School of Hope, and Hope Valley Experimental School. This gathering formed a core component of the ministry’s groundbreaking Child Conversations initiative, which centers underrepresented youth voices in public policy and community programming. Centered on the urgent theme “Prioritising our children’s mental health, stronger minds, safer future”, the event also broke new ground by pairing students with disabilities with neurotypical, able-bodied peers, creating structured opportunities for cross-group dialogue and mutual understanding. Hyacinth Blair, senior director for Children’s Affairs and Policy at the ministry, explained the core goals of the initiative in an interview with the Jamaica Observer, emphasizing the critical, often overlooked role of mental wellness in overall child development. Blair stressed that the event sought to demystify mental health for young Jamaicans, pushing back against harmful societal stigmas that frame discussions of emotional struggle as a sign of dysfunction. “We want our children to understand that it’s okay to be sad about things. It’s okay to talk about things. Mental wellness doesn’t mean that you are mad, so to speak. We want them to understand that as much as it is important to be physically well and emotionally well, mentally well is also a part of it,” Blair told the outlet. Blair pointed out that children without disabilities often lack exposure to peers with special needs, leading to unintended insensitivity and even open bullying. By bringing both groups together for open conversation, the initiative aims to foster lasting empathy and allyship among young people. “We have paired them with able-bodied peers, and we want conversations so that there is a greater level of understanding between children who do not have challenges and our special needs children so we can have more collaboration, more understanding,” Blair said. “Children can be really cruel. You may see a child with special needs and another child will want to tease them. So we want them to understand each other more, to talk more. And so with a greater level of understanding, you as a child who does not share the same challenge, you may be in a crowd with other students, and because you were exposed to that child or that special need, you can be able to say to your peers, ‘Don’t do that’ or ‘Don’t say that.’” Blair also highlighted a troubling gap in support systems for disabled children: global and local research confirms that children with special needs face a drastically higher risk of abuse and mental health struggles than their peers, in large part because societal stigma has long pushed conversations about youth mental health into the shadows. Compounding this risk, many disabled children face communication barriers that leave them unable to report harm or access existing support services. “It’s probably greater among them because sometimes we don’t remember them as we ought to. And sometimes they can’t articulate their challenges or their problems as well as the other child because of the issue that they may have,” Blair explained. “There was a time when we would not talk about mental health. It’s something that we keep in the closet, but we understand now that in order to develop strong minds and to have a safer future for our country, then our children need to be mentally well. One of the ways really is to be able to express yourself, to talk about the things that are bothering you, and to find solutions. To feel safe in expressing themselves. We want it to become a normal part of life.” Blair used the 211 national child abuse reporting hotline as an example of a critical service that fails disabled youth: children with speech or hearing impairments often cannot access the phone-based hotline, leaving them with no safe way to report harm. This gap, she argued, underscores the urgent need to develop alternative, accessible communication channels that meet the unique needs of disabled children. “If a child doesn’t speak well, doesn’t hear well, then it’s hard for them to articulate how it is they’re feeling,” she noted. The initiative has already earned widespread praise from educators at specialized schools, who have long called for more targeted support for disabled students’ mental health. Sashoir Murphy Hewitt, a teacher at the Danny Williams School for the Deaf, welcomed the event as a long-overdue step to address the isolation many deaf students face in Jamaica. “I think the initiative will be very beneficial, especially to the deaf students, because Jamaican Sign Language is not a language that is publicly known, and that is their first language, so many time they don’t have persons to communicate with or who understand them or who they feel comfortable to share whatever they are going through,” Murphy Hewitt said.

22 5 月, 2026
ON THE HUNT

Fresh off a dominant opening victory at the Wanda Diamond League’s first 2025 stop in Shanghai/Keqiao, two-time World Athletics Championships 200m gold medalist Shericka Jackson is set to target consecutive wins at the tour’s next stop, held at Xiamen’s Egret Stadium in China. The race, which kicks off Saturday morning Jamaica time, will see Jackson chase more than just another win — she aims to avenge a surprise defeat to American sprinter Anavia Battle when she opened her 2024 Diamond League campaign in the same city a year prior.

Jackson, who has navigated a string of nagging injuries over the past two seasons, turned heads last week with an impressive opening performance, clocking 22.07 seconds in the 200m just 48 hours after touching down in China. With a full week of acclimatization and training under her belt ahead of the Xiamen meet, track analysts and fans widely expect the Jamaican star to shave time off her already strong opening result and deliver an even faster performance this weekend.

Jackson will face off against nearly the exact same field of competitors that lined up against her in Shanghai/Keqiao. Battle, who finished third in the opener last week, will look to defend her 2024 Xiamen victory against Jackson. Joining the pair on the starting line will be Shaunae Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas, who claimed second place in the opening meet, alongside American sprinters Jenna Prandini and Sha’Carri Richardson.

Jackson is far from the only Jamaican star set to compete in Xiamen: a total of nine Jamaican athletes, most of whom already raced in the tour opener, will return to the track this weekend. The full Jamaican contingent includes sprint hurdlers Ackera Nugent, Megan Simmonds, and Danielle Williams in the women’s 100m hurdles; Orlando Bennett in the men’s 110m hurdles; high jumper Lamara Distin; long jumpers Tajay Gayle and Wayne Pinnock; and shot put national record holder Rajindra Campbell. Notably, Campbell and Pinnock are competing just weeks after World Athletics rejected their applications to switch sporting allegiance to Turkey, clearing them to remain competing for Jamaica for the 2025 season.

The women’s 100m hurdles boasts one of the deepest and most competitive fields on the entire Xiamen schedule, featuring gold medalists from each of the last four global championships. American Masai Russell, the reigning Olympic champion, took gold in the opening race last week, where both Danielle Williams and another competitor failed to finish the event. This weekend, Williams will look to put her opening-meet DNF behind her and claim a better result in Xiamen.

Jamaica’s Megan Simmonds, an Olympic medallist, was the highest-placed Jamaican hurdler in Shanghai/Keqiao, finishing fourth with Nugent close behind in sixth. The two Jamaicans will face stiff competition from a stacked field that includes World Championships gold medalist Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland, World Indoor champion Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas — who set a new national record in the event last week — and reigning world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria.

Orlando Bennett, a medalist at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, will also aim to improve on his opening result. Bennett clocked a 2025 season’s best 13.20 seconds to take fourth place in Shanghai/Keqiao, and will this weekend go head-to-head with world leader Rachid Muratake of Japan, and Americans Jamal Britt and Cordell Tinch, who finished first and second respectively in the opening meet.

Lamara Distin will make her 2025 outdoor season debut in the women’s high jump, where she will compete against Australia’s Eleanor Patterson, American Charity Hufnagel, and Ukraine’s Yulia Levchenko. In the men’s long jump, Jamaicans Tajay Gayle and Wayne Pinnock tied with an identical 7.93m jump in the opener, and both will target personal improvements against a field that includes rising Italian star Mattia Furlani, Australia’s Liam Adcock, home favorite Mingkun Zhang of China, and combined World Championships and Olympic gold medalist Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece.

22 5 月, 2026
Man Utd’s Fernandes named Premier League Player of the Season

In a landmark announcement made Saturday night in English football, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has capped off a standout domestic campaign by claiming the prestigious Premier League Player of the Season award.

The 31-year-old midfield maestro delivered a career-best performance across the 2024-25 league season, matching a long-standing top-flight record that places him alongside two of the competition’s all-time greats: former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry and current Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne. All three players now share the mark for the most assists registered in a single 38-game Premier League campaign, with Fernandes notching 20 goal-creating passes this term.

Beyond his playmaking contributions, Fernandes found the back of the net eight times in league play, playing an instrumental role in guiding Manchester United to a third-place finish in the table. The result locked in the club’s automatic qualification for the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, a much-coveted milestone for the side led by interim manager Michael Carrick this season.

The honor carries extra historical weight for Fernandes and Manchester United: he is the first Red Devils player to win the league’s top individual award in nearly 14 years, since Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic took home the prize at the end of the 2010-11 campaign.

Fernandes beat out a stacked field of top contenders to claim the honor, including Arsenal’s defensive star David Raya, center-back Gabriel Magalhaes, and midfield enforcer Declan Rice; Manchester City’s record-breaking striker Erling Haaland; Bristol City loanee Antoine Semenyo; Brentford forward Igor Thiago; and Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White. This award adds to Fernandes’ growing collection of 2024-25 honors, following his win of the Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year award earlier this season.

In the night’s other major award, 21-year-old Nico O’Reilly of treble-chasing Manchester City took home the Premier League Young Player of the Season honor after a breakout campaign that cemented his place as one of English football’s brightest young talents.

O’Reilly stepped into a regular starting role for City this season, featuring primarily at left-back while also filling in effectively in midfield when called upon. Across all competitions, he notched five goals and three assists, including a iconic two-goal performance that led City to a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the EFL League Cup final in March. He also started in City’s recent FA Cup final win against Chelsea, proving his ability to deliver on the sport’s biggest stages.

The young defender beat out a strong group of fellow rising stars to claim the prize, including City teammate Rayan Cherki, West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes, Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall, Brentford’s Michael Kayode, Manchester United’s breakout star Kobbie Mainoo, and Bournemouth duo Alex Scott and Eli Junior Kroupi.

22 5 月, 2026
Haitian group calls for reparations, TPS

On the commemoration of one of Haiti’s most foundational historic milestones, the California-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) has spotlighted the enduring revolutionary legacy of the world’s first independent Black republic, while issuing urgent calls for reparative justice from France, a long-term extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian residents in the United States, and equitable systemic change for Haitian people at home and abroad.

Haiti’s path to independence, cemented in 1804 after the only successful large-scale enslaved people’s revolt in modern history, redefined global conversations about liberation and self-governance. Ahead of the annual observance of the 1803 adoption of the Haitian flag during the Arcahaie Congress, HBA Executive Director Guerline Jozef spoke with the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) in San Diego, framing the commemoration as both a celebration of resistance and a call to address unresolved historical and contemporary crises.

“Haiti remains a global beacon of Black liberation, resistance, and self-determination,” Jozef said. “As we honor this landmark moment, we are demanding reparative justice from France and an immediate extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals living in the United States.”

This year’s observance unfolds against a backdrop of deepening humanitarian catastrophe across Haiti. Jozef highlighted that latest data from the United Nations and leading humanitarian agencies confirms roughly 1.4 million Haitians have been displaced by widespread violence and political instability, while millions more grapple with acute food insecurity and severely limited access to clean water, healthcare, and other basic necessities. More than 2.6 million Haitian children currently require life-saving humanitarian assistance, she added.

Despite the cascading crises facing their home country, Jozef emphasized that Haitian communities in the U.S. — including current TPS holders — make substantial, underrecognized contributions to the American economy and workforce. TPS alone, the temporary protection that prevents deportation and allows work authorization for Haitians unable to return to their unstable home country, has allowed hundreds of thousands of Haitians to fill critical gaps across key U.S. sectors. Jozef noted that Haitian TPS holders contribute an estimated $5.9 billion annually to U.S. gross domestic product, pay roughly $1.5 billion each year in combined federal, state, and local taxes, and around 200,000 Haitian TPS holders are active in the U.S. workforce, holding essential positions in healthcare, elder and childcare, agriculture, transportation, and service industries.

Beyond contributions within U.S. borders, the Haitian diaspora serves as a critical economic lifeline for the country itself. Jozef reported that in 2024, remittances from Haitians living abroad to family in Haiti totaled roughly $4.5 billion, a sum that makes up a large share of Haiti’s overall national economy and sustains millions of households.

A core demand of the Haitian Bridge Alliance this year is renewed pressure for France to pay reparations for the crippling “independence debt” imposed on Haiti immediately after it won its freedom. This historic financial extraction, which required Haiti to pay reparations to French enslavers for lost property (the enslaved people who won their freedom), is widely documented by economists and historians as a root cause of decades of economic underdevelopment that has burdened generations of Haitians.

“Haitian Flag Day is a reminder that Haiti altered the trajectory of world history through its unyielding fight for Black freedom,” Jozef said. “Yet more than two centuries later, Haitians continue to live with the aftermath of centuries-old exploitation, ongoing political instability, anti-Black U.S. immigration policies, and widespread family separation. The international community cannot claim to celebrate Haiti’s revolutionary legacy while turning a blind eye to the conditions force Haitians to flee their homes, and the foreign and domestic policies that continue to destabilize Haitian communities.”

Advocacy led by HBA and its partner organizations has already yielded incremental progress on the TPS extension front. Jozef noted that last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation — spearheaded by Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley — that would extend TPS protections for Haitian nationals for an additional three years. HBA is now actively lobbying the U.S. Senate to move forward with a matching bill to cement the extension into law.

The organization continues its advocacy across both legislative chambers and the court system, Jozef added, working not only on behalf of Haitian TPS recipients but also supporting all immigrant communities, with a particular focus on those from marginalized, historically excluded backgrounds.

“On this Haitian Flag Day, the Haitian Bridge Alliance calls for an immediate end to deportations to Haiti, lasting protection for Haitian families in the United States, meaningful international engagement centered on Haitian-led solutions, and serious, good-faith dialogue around reparative justice and long-term stability that allows the Haitian people to thrive and prosper,” Jozef said.

22 5 月, 2026
Rajindra Campbell breaks national record, Jackson wins 200m at Diamond League

The second stop of the 2025 Diamond League track and field circuit, held Saturday in Xiamen, China, delivered a night of record-breaking performances highlighted by standout efforts from Jamaican athletes and a historic run from American hurdler Masai Russell.

One of the biggest stories of the competition came from shot putter Rajindra Campbell, the Olympic bronze medalist who made global headlines recently when World Athletics denied his and three other Jamaican athletes’ requests to switch national allegiance to Turkey. Undeterred by the off-track controversy, Campbell launched a 22.34-meter throw that shaved three centimeters off his own 2024 Jamaican national record, set earlier that year in Croatia. The mark pushed Campbell to second place in the global shot put rankings, outperforming a pair of top American competitors: Jordan Geist, who took silver with a 21.52-meter throw, and Olympic star Ryan Crouser, who notched a season’s best 21.41 meters to round out the top three.

In the women’s 200-meter sprint, Jamaican sprinter Shericka Jackson continued her fine form this season, clocking a new season’s best time that improved on the mark she set just one week prior. Jackson surged ahead of the pack coming off the final turn, pulling away from the field with a smooth, controlled stride to cross the line well clear of her competitors. Her time also broke the existing Xiamen meet record of 22.41 seconds set by American sprinter Anavia Battle in 2024. In a repeat of the previous weekend’s podium, Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas took second place with a 22.04-second run, while Battle earned third with 22.29 seconds.

Long jump delivered its own share of standout results, led by Greek Olympic and world champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, who claimed gold with a season’s best 8.46-meter jump. The mark matched the 2025 global leading distance and broke the previous meet record of 8.18 meters set by China’s Zhang Mingkun last year. Jamaican Olympic and world medalist Tajay Gayle notched a massive personal improvement from his 7.93-meter result at the previous week’s Shanghai-Keqiao meet, leaping to a season’s best 8.32 meters to take second place. Fellow Jamaican Wayne Pinnock finished sixth with a 7.93-meter jump, matching his own season’s best.

In the men’s 110-meter hurdles final, American Jamal Britt took gold with a 13.07-second run that equaled his personal best. Japan’s Rachid Muratake claimed silver with 13.13 seconds, while Jamaica’s Orlando Bennett rounded out the podium with 13.20 seconds, matching his 2025 season’s best.

Jamaica’s Lamara Distin took third place in the women’s high jump, clearing 1.94 meters behind a pair of Ukrainian competitors: gold medalist Yulia Levchenko, who cleared 1.99 meters, and silver medalist Iryna Gerashchenko, who hit 1.97 meters.

The most historic performance of the day came in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, where American Masai Russell delivered one of the fastest times in the history of the sport. Russell crossed the line in 12.14 seconds, beating her own existing American record of 12.17 seconds. The run also shattered both the Xiamen meet record of 12.45 seconds set by Jasmine Camacho-Quinn in 2024 and the overall Diamond League record for the event. Nigerian world record holder Tobi Amusan took silver with a season’s best 12.28 seconds, while Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas broke her own national record for the second consecutive week, clocking 12.37 seconds to take third. Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent finished sixth in the race with 12.64 seconds, and fellow Jamaican Danielle Williams placed seventh with 12.90 seconds, capping a day of strong results for Caribbean track and field in Xiamen.

22 5 月, 2026