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  • WFP warns of worsening hunger crisis in Haiti

    WFP warns of worsening hunger crisis in Haiti

    NEW YORK — As Haiti grapples with a decade-long collapse of social and economic stability, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a stark new alert: more than 5.8 million Haitians — nearly 52 percent of the entire national population — are now trapped in crisis-level food insecurity or even more catastrophic conditions.

    Of this vulnerable group, over 1.8 million people have already fallen into emergency food insecurity, a classification that means they can no longer cover their most basic caloric needs and have exhausted nearly all of their limited savings, assets and coping strategies to survive.

    Right now, WFP is stretched thin delivering life-sustaining support to roughly 2.7 million Haitians across the country. The organization’s programming includes emergency food distributions for displaced and acutely hungry populations, school meal programs to keep children in education, targeted social protection payments for the most vulnerable households, and capacity-building support to local small-scale farmers to boost domestic food production.

    Despite these ongoing efforts, WFP’s leadership in Haiti is sounding the alarm that current progress is precarious at best. Wanja Kaaria, WFP’s Country Director for Haiti, warned that soaring global and domestic fuel prices, paired with skyrocketing staple food costs, could erase any small gains made in recent months in a matter of weeks. For families already teetering on the edge of collapse, these price spikes would push millions deeper into hunger and destitution.

    The current emergency did not emerge overnight. WFP officials report that Haiti’s food security crisis has steadily deteriorated for almost 10 years, driven by a toxic combination of persistent armed gang violence, prolonged political instability, crippling economic recession, and repeated climate disasters including catastrophic hurricanes that destroy crops and infrastructure. More recently, escalating gang attacks have added a new layer of crisis, fueling widespread displacement that further disrupts food supply chains and pushes vulnerable communities from their homes.

    Just in recent weeks, coordinated attacks in Haiti’s South-East department forced more than 1,300 people to flee their homes, marking the first large-scale displacement event recorded in that previously relatively stable region. Across the entire country, the total number of internally displaced Haitians now tops 1.4 million. Hundreds of thousands of these displaced people are living in overcrowded, unsanitary emergency shelters, most concentrated in the capital Port-au-Prince, where access to clean water, sanitation and food is already severely limited.

    To prevent the crisis from expanding into a full-scale famine, WFP is calling for urgent international action and funding. The organization says it requires $332 million over the next 12 months to maintain its existing life-saving operations and expand support to reach the growing number of hungry Haitians. The broader UN-coordinated humanitarian response plan for Haiti, which totals $880 million to cover all emergency needs across the country, is currently less than 20 percent funded, leaving massive gaps in aid delivery.

    In closing, WFP emphasized that addressing the hunger crisis is a foundational step toward restoring any semblance of long-term stability to Haiti. “Peace cannot take root when families go to bed every night not knowing where their next meal will come from,” the agency noted, stressing that investment in food security is as critical to peacebuilding as efforts to resolve political conflict and end gang violence.

  • PM doubles down on need to import skilled workers

    PM doubles down on need to import skilled workers

    Jamaica’s Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness has publicly reaffirmed that the Caribbean nation is actively considering bringing skilled workers from international markets to address a critical labor gap that threatens to derail the country’s post-disaster reconstruction and long-term economic growth agenda after Hurricane Melissa.

    Speaking at the one-day Recover Better Conference, hosted by Jamaica’s Consulate General in New York last Thursday, Holness framed the incoming labor question not as a matter of if Jamaica would turn to overseas workers, but when. The gathering was convened to unite Jamaican diaspora members and key industry stakeholders to mobilize cross-border capital, professional expertise, and collaborative partnerships to support recovery efforts after the Category 5 storm that swept across portions of the island last October, leaving widespread destruction in its wake.

    One of the conference attendees, David Mullings, founder and CEO of Blue Mahoe Capital – a leading Jamaican housing developer with active projects across the island – laid bare the severity of the skilled labor shortage for the country’s construction and development sectors. Mullings, whose firm raises capital from U.S. investors, recently completed a 700-unit residential development in Old Harbour, St. Catherine, valued at US$17.5 million, and is currently preparing for an initial public listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange.

    Mullings told the audience that he recently polled one of Jamaica’s largest affordable housing developers on the single biggest barrier to scaling operations, even with unlimited access to new capital. The overwhelming answer, he confirmed, was a lack of available skilled workers. “No matter how much capital we inject into the market, even if we have all the construction materials, all the structural steel, all the operational systems we could need, we still can’t move projects forward at the pace we need,” Mullings added.

    In response, Prime Minister Holness outlined the structural context driving the labor shortage: Jamaica currently holds a 3.5% national unemployment rate, meaning the country has effectively reached full employment – a historic milestone that has been sustained for nearly a decade. Even with this record low unemployment, the national labor force participation rate sits at roughly 67%. Holness explained that the gap does not reflect a lack of working-age people, but rather structural barriers: many working-age adults remain out of the workforce to fulfill unpaid care responsibilities for family members, while a large share of unemployed workers lack the specialized skills required for open construction and development roles.

    “This is the first time we have hit this mark in our history, and it is not a temporary blip – we have maintained near-full employment for almost 10 years, which means labor scarcity is a persistent, structural challenge we have to address,” Holness told delegates. “We do have people who can work, but many are tied up in the unpaid care economy, staying home to care for family, or are not choosing to enter the formal labor market. At the same time, we still have a large group of people who are out of work or unemployable specifically because they do not have the specialized training that industries need. Our first job is to bring those people into training programs to prepare them for these roles.”

    Holness emphasized that the Jamaican government will put local workers at the center of all policy planning around labor, even as it moves forward with plans to allow targeted overseas labor inflows. “There is a vigorous national debate around importing labor right now, so let me be perfectly clear: the government’s top priority is upskilling and empowering Jamaican workers first. But we cannot afford to turn down critical economic opportunities while we train our local workforce. While we scale up training programs, we may need to adopt strategic, targeted measures to let industries access the skilled labor they need to keep operating and growing.”

    If overseas workers are brought in, Holness mandated that any scheme must include a mandatory skills transfer component, to ensure local workers learn new specialized skills from incoming laborers and can eventually fill the gaps permanently. “This is not a plan to bring foreign workers in to permanently take local jobs,” he explained. “It is a temporary measure to keep projects moving while we train our own people to step into those roles over time.”

    Looking beyond the immediate post-hurricane recovery, Holness argued that Jamaica’s long-term development vision cannot be achieved with the country’s current population of 2.8 million. To build a thriving nation that attracts people to live, raise families and retire, Holness said Jamaica should plan to grow its population to between 5 and 7 million, which will require proactive immigration and labor policies paired with investments in governance, public safety, healthcare, and infrastructure. “That is the future we are building. But we always remember: we build first for Jamaicans, so that Jamaicans can thrive. It is that prosperity and happiness that creates the open, welcoming culture that lets us embrace new people who come to join our nation.”

    Holness closed by reaffirming the government’s commitment to scaling up local skills training, but stressed that delaying action on the skilled labor gap would cost Jamaica critical economic growth opportunities that cannot be recovered. “We are ramping up our training efforts, but we cannot keep passing up the economic opportunities that are right in front of us just because we lack skilled workers in key sectors right now,” he said.

  • Kishane Thompson pulls out of Velocity Fest 19

    Kishane Thompson pulls out of Velocity Fest 19

    One of track and field’s rising sprint stars, Kishane Thompson — an Olympic and World Championships 100m silver medalist — has pulled out of the men’s 200m event at this Sunday’s Velocity Fest 19, held at Kingston’s National Stadium. Event organizers have not yet released any details surrounding the cause of his late withdrawal.

    Now in its 19th iteration, Velocity Fest has grown into a truly international invitational meet, with athletes representing more than a dozen countries across North America, the Caribbean, Europe, and beyond set to compete. Alongside host nation Jamaica, competitors from Great Britain, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Haiti, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands have all registered for the day’s events, which are scheduled to get underway at 4:00 pm local time.

    Despite Thompson’s absence from the 200m, the event remains stacked with world-class sprint talent that will give track fans plenty to cheer for. Headlining the men’s 200m field is 2025 100m world champion Oblique Seville and 2023 400m world champion Antonio Watson, who will both test their speed over the half-lap distance. Also set to start is Adrian Kerr, a World Championships 200m semi-finalist who ran a personal best of 20.08 seconds at the global championships, plus 2024 World Indoor 60m bronze medalist Ackeem Blake.

    In the premier men’s 100m, Olympic 200m bronze medalist Bryan Levell tops the entry list, drawing a deep international field that includes British sprint star Zharnel Hughes, Mario Burke of Barbados, McKish Compton of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jelani Ellison of Canada’s Flying Angels club, and top Jamaican sprinters Bwouwahjgie Nkrumie, Kadrian Goldson, and Rohan Watson. Rounding out the field are Guyana’s Sachn Dennis and Emmanuel Archibald.

    On the women’s side, two-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah leads the 100m field, where she will go head-to-head with a mix of veteran and emerging sprinters including Jonielle Smith, Jodean Williams, Natasha Morrison, Levanya Williams, Theianna-Lee Terrelonge, and teenage rising star Shevi-Anne Shim of Jamaica’s Immaculate High School. The women’s 200m will feature dynamic sibling duo Tia and Tina Clayton, alongside fellow young sprint talent Alana Reed and top sprint hurdler Ackera Nugent.

    Middle-distance sprint action also boasts elite talent: the men’s 400m features Roshane Symister of Trinidad and Tobago matched up against Jamaica’s Jeremy Bembridge, Deandre Watkins, and Marcinho Rose, while the women’s 400m will see world-class sprinter Shericka Jackson compete alongside Janielle Josephs, Shian Salmon, and Sada Williams of Barbados.

  • Consultation controversy

    Consultation controversy

    A public dispute has erupted between Jamaica’s insurance sector and the country’s top financial regulator over planned industry-wide fee increases, with the Insurance Association of Jamaica (IAJ) formally opposing the proposal over claims of a severely flawed consultation process and systemic lack of transparency.

    At the heart of the conflict is a fundamental disagreement over whether the Financial Services Commission (FSC), Jamaica’s financial regulator, properly engaged the industry before submitting the fee changes to Parliament’s Regulations Committee for approval. IAJ Executive Director Everton McFarlane told the Jamaica Observer in an interview Friday that critical FSC financial data was withheld from industry stakeholders during pre-submission talks, leaving insurance providers unable to conduct a thorough assessment of the proposed hikes or deliver a meaningful, informed response to policymakers.

    McFarlane emphasized that the FSC’s financial statements have been chronically out of date throughout the consultation period, making it impossible for the industry to verify whether the requested fee increase is reasonable or justified. “Our position is clear: we cannot support this increase in its current form,” McFarlane stated. “We asked for detailed data to help us understand the reasoning behind the proposal, but we received nothing. Without up-to-date FSC accounts, we have no way to measure how much the regulator’s operating costs have risen — how can we be expected to judge if this hike is fair?”

    The IAJ further revealed that transparency issues extend beyond closed-door consultations: the FSC has not published a full annual report with audited financial statements on its official website since the 2021 fiscal year, creating what McFarlane describes as critical gaps in public accountability that amplify the industry’s concerns. He added that while the association recognizes the FSC requires stable funding to carry out its regulatory mandate, the current process is unfair. “Fairness demands balance, not imposing increases just because the regulator has the authority to do so. We expected open, ongoing dialogue, not a rushed push for approval,” McFarlane said.

    These claims stand in direct opposition to statements from FSC Executive Director Lieutenant Colonel Keron Burrell, who told the parliamentary committee Thursday that the regulator had conducted consistent, productive engagement with insurance industry representatives throughout the process. Burrell defended the proposed increases, noting that the FSC has not raised industry fees in 18 years, and that the regulator has already adjusted its timeline in response to industry disruptions caused by extreme weather events, including 2024’s Hurricane Beryl. He also reaffirmed that the FSC held multiple consultation events and ongoing discussions with stakeholders over an extended period.

    Beyond the procedural dispute, the IAJ is challenging the substantive justification for the fee hikes. Burrell told the committee that Jamaica’s insurance sector has grown dramatically since the FSC’s founding in 2008, expanding from $170 billion in total assets to more than $728 billion over 18 years, arguing that the larger, evolving sector requires increased regulatory funding.

    But McFarlane pushed back on that logic, noting that the FSC’s existing fee structure is already tied to the total value of the sector’s assets. As the industry grows, the regulator’s annual revenue automatically increases alongside asset values. McFarlane argued that this organic growth has already outpaced inflation over the past 18 years, meaning the current funding shortfall cited by the FSC is not the result of outdated fee rates, but rather poor management of existing revenue. He also rejected claims that the insurance sector has become significantly more complex to regulate, noting that most core products remain unchanged, and the sector is already well-capitalized, highly liquid, and governed by strict existing capital and investment rules.

    McFarlane also raised alarm over the scale and timing of the proposed increases, which he said include some hikes of more than 100 percent. He warned that the steep increases would impose an unsustainable heavy burden on insurance companies that are still working to recover from financial losses caused by recent severe weather events that have impacted the island.

    The IAJ is now calling for renewed, transparent dialogue between the two sides, and is asking policymakers to consider either delaying the implementation of the fee increases or rolling them out in a gradual phased approach. “Any adjustment to industry fees must be fair, and it must be properly explained to all stakeholders,” McFarlane said.

    The disagreement played out publicly during Thursday’s parliamentary committee deliberations, when Kingston Central Member of Parliament Donovan Williams pressed Burrell on whether the industry would publicly oppose the proposal. Asked whether he expected to see public pushback in headlines after the meeting, Burrell acknowledged the issue is sensitive and that public pushback was possible, but stood by the FSC’s process.

  • Teen charged after ‘confessing’ to beating homeless man with board in Port Maria

    Teen charged after ‘confessing’ to beating homeless man with board in Port Maria

    In the northern Jamaican parish of St Mary, a violent assault on a vulnerable homeless elder has ended with one juvenile suspect in police custody, as law enforcement continues a manhunt for a second attacker. The case dates back to the early hours of April 1 this year, when emergency responders were dispatched to the Port Maria Market area following a disturbing report: a 70-year-old man had been found lying unconscious on the ground, suffering from a critical head wound.

    When officers arrived at the scene, they found the victim bleeding heavily from a deep blunt-force injury to his skull. Emergency medical teams immediately transported him to the local Port Maria Hospital, where he was admitted in critical condition. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was later transferred to the larger Kingston Public Hospital to receive specialized, ongoing care. Police confirmed that forensic and medical examinations matched the victim’s wounds to blunt force trauma consistent with being struck by a hard object.

    Two weeks after the attack, on April 14, 2026, Jamaican law enforcement captured the 16-year-old suspect during a targeted operation. Per Jamaican legal protections for minors, the teen’s name and other identifying details have not been released to the public. The suspect was questioned in the presence of his legal representation, and during that interrogation, he openly admitted his role in the assault. According to official police statements, the teen confessed that he and an unidentified accomplice attacked the elderly man while he slept near the market, beating him with a wooden board. Two days after his arrest, on Thursday, the juvenile was formally charged with wounding with intent.

    Investigations remain active as the St Mary Police division works to track down and arrest the second suspect who has not yet been taken into custody. Local authorities have issued a public appeal for any community member with information related to the attack, the suspect’s identity, or his current whereabouts to come forward. Tips can be submitted directly to the Port Maria Police station via two dedicated phone lines at 876-994-4222 or 876-333-9530, or anonymously through Jamaica’s Crime Stop hotline at 311.

    Shortly after the assault occurred, Desmond McKenzie, Jamaica’s Local Government Minister, publicly condemned the unprovoked attack on the homeless man. McKenzie called for full collaboration between the Jamaican public and law enforcement to ensure both attackers are quickly apprehended and held accountable for their actions.

  • New cannabis rules remove barriers for small farmers, says CLA head

    New cannabis rules remove barriers for small farmers, says CLA head

    Jamaica has rolled out landmark updates to its medicinal cannabis regulatory framework, designed to tear down long-standing barriers for small-scale producers and strengthen the nation’s competitiveness in the fast-growing global medical cannabis market, top industry regulators and government officials confirmed this week.

    The changes, formally launched Thursday at an event hosted at the AC Hotel in St Andrew, build on the foundation laid by the 2015 Dangerous Drugs Act amendment, which first established a formal licensing system for cannabis used in medical, therapeutic, and scientific research. Speaking at the launch, Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA) CEO Farrah Blake explained that the revisions were developed after months of collaborative input from across the industry, to address shifting global demand and fix gaps in the previous interim regulatory system.

    “To keep pace with evolving global trends and build a more inclusive, efficient regulatory environment, updating our earlier interim rules was a critical step,” Blake noted. “Through open stakeholder discussions that included on-the-ground feedback, constructive criticism, and problem identification, we landed on changes that modernize our legislative structure, streamline administrative processes, and expand industry participation — all while keeping Jamaica aligned with its international obligations.”

    At the core of the reforms are two new no-fee special permit categories tailored specifically to lower the bar for small and traditional Jamaican farmers, who have long been locked out of the formal regulated market due to high costs and complex bureaucracy. The first, the Special Community Permit, allows farmers to operate as a collective rather than as individual producers, eliminating steep application fees and reducing financial barriers to entry. Unlike previous requirements, permit holders do not need to base all operations on a single contiguous plot of land, and participants gain full access to technical support from the CLA’s Cannabis Specialisation Unit, as well as the right to sell cannabis through licensed domestic market channels. Most notably, Blake emphasized, the permit carries zero application or administrative fees.

    The second new offering, the Traditional Cultivator Special Permit, provides a structured two-year transitional window for small farmers to integrate into the regulated system. During this period, producers have time to build the operational capacity required to upgrade to a full tier-one cultivation license, while still enjoying access to technical support, licensed domestic sales channels, and fee-free entry, mirroring the benefits of the community permit.

    Beyond the new permit programs, the regulatory overhaul includes a suite of additional administrative changes designed to make operating in the industry smoother for all participants. Industry employees will now receive official identification cards that let them move between different employers without requiring new authorization from the CLA, cutting down on red tape for both workers and businesses. All license tenures have been standardized to a uniform three-year term, and rules now allow operators to continue running their businesses uninterrupted during license renewal periods, eliminating gaps in operation that previously created uncertainty. Applicants also now have access to flexible payment plans for license fees, and operational requirements have been updated to include uniform national fencing standards, as well as formal authorization for licensed retailers to deliver cannabis directly to patients and approved caregivers.

    Delano Seiveright, State Minister in Jamaica’s Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, who delivered the event’s keynote address, told the Jamaica Observer that the core goal of the amendments is to break down historic barriers and broaden participation across the sector. “Previously, bureaucracy was overly burdensome, costs were seen as too high, and there were far too many layers of administrative process that frustrated small producers looking to enter the legitimate market,” Seiveright explained. “Our top priority with these updates is to expand access. We want to see far more micro and small farmers take part in the legal industry.”

    The reforms, he added, are part of a broader national strategy to drive inclusive, sustainable growth across Jamaica’s emerging medicinal cannabis sector. “We have pushed through these amendments, which are now officially gazetted into law, that allow farmers to enter through community groups, transitional permits, and special access programs. They can organize as cooperatives, enter the regulated space, and pay no fees at all for that initial engagement,” Seiveright said. “At its core, this is about expanding access and ensuring micro and small players have a meaningful, significant role in the industry.”

    Seiveright also framed the regulatory updates as a key step in the government’s ongoing push to position Jamaica as a leading, trusted player in the global medicinal cannabis market. “We are actively engaging with international partners to build our country as a competitive, respected participant in the global market,” he said. “With the right standards, robust quality assurance, and targeted innovation, we can expand our reach beyond our borders and bring Jamaican cannabis products to the world stage.”

  • SCENT-SATIONAL! Jamaican model Dru Campbell in new Loewe fragrance campaign

    SCENT-SATIONAL! Jamaican model Dru Campbell in new Loewe fragrance campaign

    Two years after making her runway debut, Jamaican modeling star Dru Campbell has hit another career milestone, landing her first global fragrance campaign with iconic Spanish luxury fashion brand Loewe. The 19-year-old, who is signed to talent agency SAINT International, is the latest face of Loewe’s Spring 2026 Landscape fragrance collection, marking her third major global advertising campaign following high-profile gigs with Dior and Alexander McQueen in 2024.

    Raised in Clarendon’s Belmont District, Campbell opened up about her excitement over the new role in an interview with Observer Online, saying the opportunity to lead a major fragrance campaign as an international model feels like an incredible career achievement. “It feels amazing having my first fragrance campaign as an international model, and it will be good for my career moving forward. I hope it will not be my last,” she shared.

    Shot against the dramatic natural backdrop of the Canary Islands back in February, the full campaign blends still photography from lensman Peter Jordanov and moving footage from videographer Marc Dimitrov. The collection’s concept draws on the diverse, rugged terrain of Spain — from rolling fertile plains to jagged mountain ranges and stark mineral landforms — to reflect the distinct botanical roots of the collection’s six individual perfumes. For Campbell’s part, she features as the face of Loewe’s Solo Ella Elixir fragrance, captured in soft, golden light as the sun rises over the horizon.

    The rising model recalled the shoot as a joyful, collaborative creative experience, noting her longstanding professional connection to the luxury brand. “It was a super-fun shoot with Marc and Peter. Getting into character to portray the vision they had made for an exciting day,” she said. Campbell has already walked in Loewe’s runway presentations four times during Paris Fashion Week, and counts the brand among her favorite industry partners. “Ashley Brokaw and her casting team have always been supportive and I am grateful for that,” she added.

    Founded in 1846 by a collective of Spanish artisans, Loewe has grown into one of the world’s most respected luxury labels, celebrated globally for its premium leather goods, high-end ready-to-wear lines and coveted accessories. This new campaign adds to Campbell’s rapidly growing list of career wins: last year, she co-starred in Dior’s pre-fall 2025 womenswear collection campaign, shot on location in Japan, and also featured in Alexander McQueen’s Autumn/Winter pre-collection campaign.

    Currently ranked among the world’s top 50 models by leading industry resource models.com, Campbell’s rapid ascent has drawn widespread praise from her team at SAINT International. Deiwght Peters, CEO of SAINT International who has guided Campbell’s career from its earliest stages, says the new Loewe campaign is a direct result of the young model’s consistent effort and dedication.

    “Dru has been an exceptionally driven, focused model since she launched on the Prada runway at Milan Fashion Week only two years ago,” Peters explained. “She’s built a solid reputation in the industry for her disposition, charm, and strong looks. She’s barely touched the tip of the greatness that awaits her.”

  • FINISH THE JOB!

    FINISH THE JOB!

    As kick-off approaches for their make-or-break Concacaf Women’s Qualifier group stage finale, Jamaica’s senior women’s national team — the Reggae Girlz — have arrived at the National Stadium in peak form, with head coach Hubert Busby bullish about his squad’s chances and calling for clinical execution when the match gets underway at 7:00 pm Saturday.

    Since the team’s previous victory over Antigua and Barbuda, Busby has observed a clear upward shift in energy and competitiveness within the squad. Training sessions have been sharp, high-intensity, and marked by fierce competition for starting spots, setting the stage for a critical showdown that will decide Group B’s top seed.

    Busby noted that the short break following the last qualifying match gave players a much-needed opportunity to recharge, which has translated to elevated focus and energy in recent training sessions. “The training sessions since our last win have been very good, very lively, and very competitive, which have been great to see,” the head coach said in a pre-match press briefing. “The players have gotten a little chance to take time off and recharge and I think that has done them wonders because they have been back in training and the energy has been high, the focus has been good, and so may that continue.”

    The stakes of the encounter could not be clearer. Entering the final group match, the Reggae Girlz hold an unblemished record: three wins from three matches, giving them nine points and the top spot in Group B. Guyana and Nicaragua trail three points behind on six points apiece, while Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica sit at the bottom of the table with one point each.

    For Jamaica, any result other than a loss will lock in their position as Group B winners. For Guyana, a major upset victory by a wide margin is the only path to securing first place, thanks to the Reggae Girlz’ dominant 23-goal goal difference, compared to Guyana’s five. Busby is under no illusions about the challenge his side will face Saturday. “Guyana is a strong, organised team,” he said. “Mathematically they’re not out, and so we are expecting a very challenging match from them. They are an organised group, they look to come here looking to impose their will on us, as well, and it is for us to really go about ensuring that we stick to our tactical plan.”

    A rare advantage for the Reggae Girlz heading into this qualifying window has been the extended time the coaching staff has gotten to work with the full squad on the training pitch. Unlike most previous windows, where the team only convenes three days before a match before dispersing immediately after, this camp has allowed days of focused preparation to refine tactics and align the team’s game plan. “Truth to be told, we have not had this amount of time to really work with the team at all,” Busby admitted. “It is usually we got in, match day minus three, play the game and then right after the game we are out. So we have had some time in there to work on our match plan, implement some of the things that are pertaining to our playing module which has been good.”

    The coaching and medical staff have also prioritized managing player workload to avoid fatigue ahead of the decisive match, carefully balancing focused training sessions with adequate recovery time. “I think what we also have to do is to be able to manage their playing and training loads, even though we have a lot of time with them making sure they get the adequate rest,” Busby said. “We were able to do that well and credit to our medical staff and our high-performing staff because that allows us to look at a few things, tweak a few things and make sure the players have all the information that they need.”

    With all preparation complete, the match will come down to 90 minutes of play in front of a home crowd. “We respect what they [Guyana] need to do but it’s really about us looking to go out there and executing the things we want to do on our home pitch. So it is a good leeway into this last game, for sure,” Busby said.

    Senior defender Deneisha Blackwood said the team plans to set a dominant tone from the moment they step onto the pitch for warm-ups, aiming to establish psychological advantage before kick-off. “I think going into this final one as players and senior players is just making sure we are setting the standard even from the warm-ups,” Blackwood said. “You know as always the other team’s coaches will be watching the warm-ups and so we want to make them fear us from then, make them see how we are warming up, see how we are approaching the warm-ups. And so the standard is set there and then I think going into the game is just quality and pride and dominating the game.”

    Only the six group winners across the qualifying stage will advance to the Concacaf Women’s Championship scheduled for later this year. The Reggae Girlz held their final training session at the National Stadium on Friday, with key players including Khadija Shaw and Allyson Swaby taking part in preparations.

  • Man Utd beat Chelsea as Spurs stunned by Brighton equaliser

    Man Utd beat Chelsea as Spurs stunned by Brighton equaliser

    LONDON — A dramatic day of English Premier League action on Saturday reshaped the race for Champions League qualification and the battle against relegation, delivering high-stakes results that sent shockwaves through the top flight.

    In the headline fixture at Stamford Bridge, Matheus Cunha’s first-half finish handed Manchester United a crucial 1-0 victory over Chelsea, pushing the Red Devils to the brink of securing a spot in Europe’s elite club competition after two seasons of missing out. Under interim manager Michael Carrick, United have mounted a stunning late-season surge that has pulled them clear of their rivals for a top-four finish. Cunha slotted home a precise cross from Bruno Fernandes on the stroke of halftime, opening a commanding 10-point gap between United in third place and Chelsea, who now sit in sixth.

    Chelsea, already reeling from three consecutive league defeats, could not capitalize on United’s depleted backline, which was missing key players to injury and suspension. The Blues’ fourth straight loss has now effectively ended any lingering hopes they had of qualifying for the Champions League this campaign. Post-match, Carrick praised his side’s disciplined performance against a tough opponent, noting the result was a massive milestone for the club’s season.

    At the opposite end of the league table, Tottenham Hotspur’s fight for survival suffered a devastating late blow, as the north London club twice threw away a lead to draw 2-2 with Brighton & Hove Albion, leaving them stuck in the relegation zone. In what was new manager Roberto De Zerbi’s first home match in charge, Tottenham looked set to secure their first league win in 15 outings, only for Brighton forward Georginio Rutter to fire home a equalizer just five minutes into stoppage time.

    The chaotic encounter saw Pedro Porro’s opening header canceled out by a spectacular volley from Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma in first-half added time. A stunning strike from Xavi Simons 13 minutes from full time looked to have sealed all three points for Spurs, silencing the visiting fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But the home crowd’s celebration was cut short when Jan Paul van Hecke outmuscled defender Kevin Danso to square the ball to Rutter, who blasted his shot into the top corner of the net to salvage a point for Brighton.

    The draw leaves Tottenham just one point behind 17th-place West Ham United in the relegation battle, though the Hammers hold a game in hand that could extend their advantage when they visit Crystal Palace on Monday. Speaking after the match, De Zerbi remained defiant, insisting his side can still secure survival with five matches and 15 points still left to play for.

    Brighton’s late equalizer also unexpectedly spared Wolverhampton Wanderers from officially dropping out of the top flight this weekend, though Wolves’ eight-year run in the Premier League appears all but over after a 3-0 away defeat to Leeds United. Fresh off their historic first away win over Manchester United at Old Trafford since 1981, Leeds have all but confirmed their own top-flight survival in their first season back after promotion. Goals from James Justin and Noah Okafor in quick succession just two minutes apart in the first half put Leeds in control, before a late stoppage-time penalty from Dominic Calvert-Lewin rounded off the win.

    Leeds’ strong season defies a recent trend in the Premier League that has seen all three newly promoted clubs relegated straight back to the Championship after one season. Along with Leeds, fellow promoted side Sunderland has also impressed this campaign, while Daniel Farke’s Leeds side is still in with a chance of reaching the FA Cup final for the first time since 1973, with a semi-final clash against Chelsea scheduled for next weekend.

    In another surprise result, Bournemouth piled additional pressure on under-fire Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe with a 2-1 away win at St James’ Park. The Cherries, who recently confirmed manager Andoni Iraola will leave the club at the end of the season, extended their unbeaten Premier League run to 13 matches, with goals from Marcus Tavernier and Adrien Truffert securing the three points. The result lifts Bournemouth to eighth in the table, just four points adrift of the top four Champions League places. In contrast, Newcastle remains stuck in 14th, with their own hopes of qualifying for European football next season effectively ended.

    In west London’s local derby, Brentford missed the chance to overtake Chelsea into sixth place after being held to a goalless draw by neighbors Fulham. All eyes now turn to Sunday’s blockbuster title decider, where league leaders Arsenal will travel to face defending champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Mikel Arteta’s Gunners hold a six-point lead at the top of the table, but Pep Guardiola’s City hold a game in hand and will have home advantage for a clash that could ultimately decide who lifts the Premier League trophy this season.

  • NEPA signs MOU with SRC, Forestry to conserve endemic and threatened plant species

    NEPA signs MOU with SRC, Forestry to conserve endemic and threatened plant species

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Three leading Jamaican environmental and scientific agencies have formalized a landmark collaborative partnership aimed at reversing the decline of the island nation’s unique native plant life, signing two landmark memoranda of understanding (MOUs) to unify their expertise, resources and conservation efforts. Jamaica’s National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) entered into the separate agreements with the Scientific Research Council (SRC) and the Forestry Department (FD), creating a coordinated framework for research, propagation, habitat restoration and public outreach centered on protecting the country’s endemic and at-risk plant species.

    Jamaica holds a globally significant distinction as the fifth-ranked island worldwide for rates of plant endemism, meaning a large share of its native flora is found nowhere else on Earth. But this unique biological heritage is increasingly under pressure: leading environmental officials warn that climate change, unregulated pollution, rapid landscape development, and unsustainable harvesting have pushed dozens of native species toward extinction, eroding the island’s biodiversity and threatening the ecological, cultural and economic benefits native plants provide.

    Addressing the urgency of the new partnership, NEPA Chief Executive Officer Leonard Francis noted that accelerating development has reshaped Jamaica’s natural landscapes in recent decades, putting unprecedented strain on native plant populations. Francis emphasized that every plant species is an irreplaceable piece of Jamaica’s natural heritage, which contributes an estimated billions of dollars to the national economy. Losing any endemic species, he argued, is a permanent loss for the country that can never be reversed.

    NEPA Deputy CEO Anthony McKenzie, who leads the agency’s environmental management and sustainability division, echoed that warning, stressing that the MOU signing comes at a critical moment for Jamaica’s biodiversity. McKenzie named climate change and widespread pollution as the two biggest drivers of biodiversity decline across the island, adding that urgent coordinated action is the only way to preserve the country’s standing as a global hotspot of unique plant life.

    Under the terms of the new partnership, the three agencies will work together to identify high-priority species for propagation and conservation, with selection based on national biodiversity goals, conservation urgency, and technical feasibility of recovery efforts. SRC Executive Director Dr. Charah Watson emphasized that cutting-edge scientific research will be central to the initiative, noting that innovative propagation methods including tissue culture will allow conservationists to scale up production of at-risk species for restoration. Watson framed the partnership as an investment in future generations, noting that Jamaica’s natural resources must be carefully protected and leveraged to ensure coming Jamaicans can benefit from the island’s unique natural heritage.

    Forestry Department CEO Ainsley Henry highlighted the untapped potential of Jamaica’s native flora for medical innovation, recalling childhood observations of how many common modern pharmaceuticals trace their origins to wild plant species. Henry underscored his agency’s full commitment to the partnership, noting that coordinated conservation and restoration work supports not only Jamaica’s national biodiversity targets but also global efforts to halt planetary biodiversity loss and build community resilience to climate change.

    The first high-priority target for the new partnership is the Lignum vitae, Jamaica’s iconic national flower, which is currently listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and protected under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Long-term population surveys conducted by NEPA between 2007 and 2024 confirm that Lignum vitae numbers have continued to decline steadily across the island, driven by land clearing for development, illegal harvesting, hurricane damage, drought and other climate-related impacts, making urgent intervention a critical priority.

    To build public support for Lignum vitae conservation, NEPA launched the Lignum vitae in Schools campaign in January 2024, an outreach initiative designed to raise awareness of the species’ ecological and cultural importance and encourage planting across school campuses and local communities. Three schools have already participated in the pilot phase of the program: Sheffield Primary and Negril Primary in Westmoreland, and St Hugh’s Preparatory in Kingston. NEPA is now calling on additional schools interested in joining the program to reach out to the agency via phone at (876) 754-7540 or email at pubed@nepa.gov.jm.

    NEPA’s CEO Francis stressed that biodiversity conservation is not a responsibility limited to government agencies, saying that every Jamaican has a role to play in protecting the country’s natural heritage. “We have a sacred duty to ensure that every single species, every single plant, survives in perpetuity,” Francis said, framing the new partnership as a critical step forward in fulfilling that obligation.