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  • ‘Bredda Dawg’ sets Monday date with cops after claims he has issued death threats

    ‘Bredda Dawg’ sets Monday date with cops after claims he has issued death threats

    A high-stakes situation unfolding in eastern Jamaica has taken an unexpected turn, as the attorney for an accused gang leader says his client will voluntarily turn himself in to Portland law enforcement next week, pushing back against widespread claims that he threatened to kill local police officers.

    The chain of events began in the early hours of Wednesday, when members of the Portland Police Division fatally shot two men identified as 21-year-old Troy McKenzie and 21-year-old Marlon Lewis in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood. Law enforcement officials report the shooting occurred during an exchange of gunfire with the pair, who they say are linked to the Corporate Area-based Gully Gang. Following the confrontation, officers recovered two unregistered firearms from the scene.

    Within hours of the shooting, reports began to spread that 39-year-old Marious Alanzo Davis — more widely known by his alias “Bredda Dog” and alleged to be a leading figure in the gang — had been spotted near the Port Antonio Police Station and had publicly vowed retaliation against officers for the killings. By Friday, Portland police had been placed on heightened security alert over fears of imminent attacks on members of the force. Unverified posts circulating widely on social media attached Davis’s image to the claims of threats against police.

    But Davis’s newly retained legal counsel, attorney Rodain Richardson, has forcefully rejected these accusations, speaking publicly to the *Jamaica Observer* on Friday. Richardson says Davis, who is described as a working poultry farmer operating a legitimate business, had no connection to any threats against the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and is ready to cooperate with authorities to clear his name.

    “We are strongly refuting the claims that Mr Davis has made threats against the Jamaica Constabulary Force and intends to allow his name to be cleared in the appropriate manner,” Richardson stated in the interview. “I find this development to be quite curious. We intend to get a full appreciation at the appropriate time as to what exactly is unfolding. Mr Davis has no involvement with respect to any threat being made.”

    Richardson also pushed back against recent media coverage that labeled his client a wanted man and linked him to a string of serious criminal cases spanning Jamaica and the United States. He emphasized that Davis is a law-abiding, contributing member of Jamaican society, noting that his client currently runs a small poultry operation selling chickens to local buyers.

    “Anything of note about his past is just that — his past,” Richardson added. After seeing the widespread negative reports about him, Davis reached out to his attorney directly to arrange a voluntary surrender. Richardson subsequently negotiated a time and location with a Portland division superintendent, and the pair will attend the Port Antonio Police Station on Monday to complete the process and address all allegations formally.

  • Man City late show beats Southampton to reach FA Cup final

    Man City late show beats Southampton to reach FA Cup final

    LONDON – In a dramatic FA Cup semi-final clash at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, Manchester City engineered a late, thrilling comeback to defeat Championship side Southampton 2-1, securing their spot in the 2024 FA Cup final and keeping their dream of a historic domestic treble alive.

    Southampton, a second-tier side that had already dumped Premier League title contenders Arsenal out of the competition in the previous round, came within minutes of pulling off another massive upset. With just 11 minutes left on the clock, midfielder Finn Azaz produced a moment of magic to put the Saints ahead: after collecting a perfectly weighted pass from Kuryu Matsuki, Azaz spun away from his marker and unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top corner of the net, sending Southampton’s loyal fanbase into delirium. The result looked set to repeat the quarter-final upset that saw Arsenal crash out of the tournament, leaving City on the brink of elimination.

    But Manchester City, even with a heavily rotated starting lineup, showed the champion’s grit that has defined Pep Guardiola’s tenure. Guardiola had made eight changes to the side that climbed to the top of the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Burnley just three days earlier, resting key stars including Erling Haaland, Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku. The rotated side struggled to find rhythm in the first half, with Southampton having an early goal from Leo Scienza ruled out for offside, while Omar Marmoush – starting in place of Haaland – wasted City’s best first-half chance, spooning his effort over the bar.

    After the break, City stepped up their intensity long before Guardiola turned to his bench to bring on his reserved first-team attackers. Haaland replaced Marmoush shortly after the hour mark, followed by Doku, Savinho and Nico O’Reilly, as City sought to break down Southampton’s well-organized, deep-lying defence. After Azaz gave Southampton the shock lead, it took just minutes for City to respond. Doku, one of the substitute introductions, hit a low effort from the edge of the penalty area that deflected off Southampton defender James Bree, wrong-footing goalkeeper Daniel Peretz and finding the back of the net to level the score.

    Three minutes before full time, City completed their comeback. Winger Nico Gonzalez picked up the ball 25 yards from goal and rifled a thunderous long-range strike past Peretz, putting City ahead for good. In stoppage time, Southampton pushed everything forward, with Peretz even venturing forward for a late set piece in a bid to force an equaliser, leaving his goal wide open. Savinho had an open goal to add a third for City, but Matsuki raced back to make a goal-line clearance, denying the Premier League side a more flattering scoreline.

    The result brings an end to Southampton’s impressive 20-match unbeaten run across all competitions, a streak that has lifted them into strong contention for an immediate return to the Premier League via automatic promotion this season. While Southampton can hold their heads high after pushing the treble-chasing champions to the brink, they will be left to rue what could have been, missing out on their first FA Cup final appearance since 2003.

    For Manchester City, the win makes them the first club in English football history to reach four consecutive FA Cup finals. Guardiola’s side remain firmly on track to match their own 2018/19 historic achievement, when they became the first and only English side to claim a domestic treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup. With City already through to the FA Cup final and still top of the Premier League table, that historic repeat is now just a few wins away.

  • Woman slain outside church had been receiving death threats, says friend

    Woman slain outside church had been receiving death threats, says friend

    MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — A shocking act of gun violence has cut short the life of a 38-year-old Jamaican woman who was gunned down Wednesday afternoon while selling books on the grounds of a prominent church in this western Jamaican city, with investigators now pointing to a dispute over property inherited from her recently deceased husband as a leading line of inquiry.

    Cora Thompson was attacked just after 2:00 pm outside the Montego Bay New Testament Church of God on Water Lane, where she had been an active, committed member for five years and served as a choir singer. At the time of the shooting, congregants inside were holding a live-streamed fasting and prayer service, and the echo of at least five gunshots sent the gathering into shock and disbelief.

    A close anonymous friend of Thompson confirmed to local publication Jamaica Observer on Friday that Thompson had been targeted with repeated threats before her killing. According to the friend, at least three separate death threats had been made against Thompson in the period leading up to the attack.

    While Jamaica’s police force has not publicly confirmed the existence of these threats, a senior officer involved in the ongoing investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Observer that domestic dispute rooted in contested assets is the primary direction detectives are leaning toward. The officer added that investigators are focusing on property and assets linked to Thompson’s late husband, who died recently of undisclosed natural causes and was scheduled to be laid to rest this weekend.

    Family members, who have requested privacy amid their grief, remembered Thompson as a gentle, giving person who avoided conflict at all costs. A cousin described her as someone who would choose to walk away from any confrontation rather than engage. Those close to her also noted she was a quiet, devout Christian who spent much of her time engaged with church activities. Bishop Ruel Robinson, senior pastor of the Montego Bay New Testament Church of God, echoed those tributes, calling Thompson a high-spirited, cooperative and supportive community member who got along well with nearly everyone she met.

    Thompson, a native of Roehampton in southern St James who most recently resided in central Montego Bay’s Humber Avenue, is survived by her 12-year-old son, who is now in the care of Thompson’s grieving mother.

    The killing marks the second time in recent years that a woman has been murdered on the grounds of a house of worship in western Jamaica, and the two cases bear striking, unsettling similarities. In January 2021, Andrea Lowe-Garwood was shot and killed while worshipping inside the Agape Christian Fellowship Church in Falmouth, Trelawny. Like Thompson, Lowe-Garwood’s death was immediately linked to disputes over her late husband’s property and possessions.

    In that 2021 case, Lowe-Garwood’s stepson Javon Garwood was charged with contracting gunman Dwight Bingham and getaway driver Leon Hines to carry out the killing. Bingham and Hines both pleaded guilty to their roles in the crime and agreed to testify against Garwood, but Bingham later withdrew his cooperation, leading to a jury acquittal for Garwood. Bingham was ultimately sentenced to 45 years in prison for the murder, while Hines received a six-year sentence as an accessory after the fact.

  • PJ Patterson Institute to launch Lorna Goodison’s Caribbean reimagining of Dante’s Inferno

    PJ Patterson Institute to launch Lorna Goodison’s Caribbean reimagining of Dante’s Inferno

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — More than 20 years in the making, one of the most transformative projects in modern Caribbean literature is preparing for its official public debut. The PJ Patterson Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy will host the launch of Lorna Goodison’s *Dante’s Inferno: A New Translation* on the evening of May 6, 2026, in the main library’s multifunctional room at the University of the West Indies Mona campus, the institute announced in an official statement released Saturday.

  • Bare Skinz lights up Negril

    Bare Skinz lights up Negril

    Last Saturday, Jamaica’s iconic Negril 7-mile beach gained a new milestone in its ongoing entertainment resurgence, as the highly anticipated Bare Skinz event turned the sun-soaked shores of Wavz Beach into a vibrant, energy-charged celebration of Caribbean dancehall culture. Organized by Damage Musiq Group, the one-night showcase was designed not just to deliver world-class live entertainment to attendees, but to reinforce Negril’s long-held reputation as one of the Caribbean’s premier must-visit locations for large-scale music events.

  • Yaksta and The Carey James collab on ‘Strength of a Lion’

    Yaksta and The Carey James collab on ‘Strength of a Lion’

    Jamaican reggae’s fastest-growing new talent, Carey James, has joined forces with established reggae performer Yaksta and in-demand producer Spyda Meng to release their highly anticipated collaborative single, *Strength of a Lion*.

    Dropped to digital platforms on April 17 through independent imprint Pondemik Records, the track has already crossed a major milestone, racking up more than 150,000 global streams in its early window of release, a clear sign of its resonance with reggae fans worldwide.

    Crafted around sharp, thoughtful social commentary, the song pairs clever, purpose-driven lyrics with a lush, roots-reggae rooted instrumental built by Spyda Meng. The production strikes a careful balance between vintage reggae authenticity and contemporary sonic styling, blending hard-hitting, unapologetic reggae energy with modern production flourishes to carry a core message of personal resilience, unshakable faith, and steady perseverance through hardship.

    Yaksta, a fan favorite celebrated for his raw, socially conscious delivery and heartfelt, authentic storytelling, brings new layers of gravity and credibility to the collaboration. His distinctive vocal style complements the commanding, confident presence that Carey James brings to the track, creating a dynamic chemistry that elevates the entire record.

    Anchored by an anthemic hook that repeats the plea for “the strength of a lion”, the track speaks directly to the experience of pushing through personal and collective struggle, and maintaining mental fortitude when facing hardship. Its intentional lyrics tackle systemic inequality, ongoing global conflict, and rising social division, expanding the song’s scope from a personal mantra to a unifying call for global peace. It places particular focus on nations across the African continent, closing with a clear plea for “no more war”.

    Overall, the three collaborators have created a bold, timely artistic statement rooted in reggae’s cultural legacy of social awareness and collective strength. *Strength of a Lion* is currently available for streaming and download on all major digital music platforms worldwide.

  • Amaziyah The Great tracks Crime and Violence

    Amaziyah The Great tracks Crime and Violence

    Acclaimed Jamaican artist Craig Kirkland, better known by his stage name Amaziyah The Great, has expanded his creative discography with the launch of a brand-new single titled *Crime and Violence*, now available to stream across all major digital music platforms. A multi-talented creative force, Kirkland holds credits as an international recording artist, published poet, author, and award-winning filmmaker, and his latest work draws directly from the lived economic and social hardship he has witnessed among his loved ones and community.

    In a statement discussing the inspiration behind the new track, Kirkland explained that the struggles of his parents, the uncertainty his children have faced, and the barriers encountered by his talented but underemployed friends and peers left him determined to push for meaningful change and a path to collective prosperity. This personal connection to community struggle has anchored much of his work throughout his decades-long career in entertainment.

    Performance has long been second nature for Kirkland, who cut his teeth performing across his home country of Jamaica long before expanding his reach internationally. Early in his career, he was a regular act at community events in his hometown of Frazer’s Content, Spanish Town, St Catherine, and went on to grace the stage of major regional events including GT Taylor’s iconic Reggae Christmas Extravaganza and Yasus Afari’s Poetry Festival. His international touring journey has taken him across the United States, with memorable sets at Pawtucket Poetry in Rhode Island — where he first met his wife Lori — and the Boston Jerk Fest in Massachusetts, among other stops across the Northeast.

    Years of consistent, grassroots work in the industry are now earning Kirkland growing mainstream acclaim. Most recently, he secured his third nomination to the prestigious International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA), adding to a growing list of career honors. Up next, he is slated to compete for an award at the 2025 National Spoken Word Awards in Chicago, marking another milestone in his cross-genre creative journey.

    Looking ahead, Kirkland says his current focus is on expanding his catalog of original music and poetry recordings to serve his growing global fanbase, with a special shoutout to the TikTok community that has become a major source of inspiration and support for his work. He also plans to return to his Jamaican roots to reconnect with local audiences, re-establish his presence in his home country, and update fans on his upcoming projects. All upcoming releases will drop under his own independent production banner, Great Amazement Multimedia Entertainment LLC, with distribution handled by Distrokid and publishing support from BMI, after Kirkland recently signed on with the performance rights organization.

    In a closing appeal to the Jamaican diaspora, Kirkland urged widespread support for homegrown, authentic Jamaican creative talent, emphasizing that independent artists deserve more recognition for their work. Confident about what lies ahead, he noted, “More greatness is yet to come.”

  • IShowSpeed kicks off Caribbean tour in Trinidad

    IShowSpeed kicks off Caribbean tour in Trinidad

    One of America’s biggest breakout online content creators, IShowSpeed, has launched his highly anticipated Caribbean tour, launching the global excursion with a high-octane opening stop in Trinidad and Tobago. On Saturday, the viral streamer brought his trademark unfiltered, high-energy live performance directly out of the studio and onto local streets, giving fans an up-close, in-person experience of the content that has made him a global household name.

    This Caribbean leg of his worldwide touring schedule marks the latest in a string of successful international outings for the creator, who has already drawn massive crowds and millions of concurrent online viewers from treks across Africa, Europe, and Latin America in previous years. Unlike traditional studio-based streams, this tour is built around on-location, real-time content creation that centers direct engagement with local fan bases across the region’s island nations.

    Over the course of the tour, IShowSpeed will make stops at 15 separate Caribbean countries and territories. Beyond the opening destination of Trinidad and Tobago, the confirmed upcoming stops include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each stop is expected to feature unique live content tailored to the local area, building on the creator’s reputation for spontaneous, unscripted entertainment that resonates with millions of young viewers across the globe.

  • Carlene Davis toasts IRAWMA nomination

    Carlene Davis toasts IRAWMA nomination

    Veteran Jamaican gospel reggae performer Carlene Davis has expressed profound humility and gratitude after securing a nomination in the Best Gospel Entertainer category for the 2026 International Reggae & World Music Awards (IRAWMA), one of the most prestigious global honors for reggae and world music creators. The 2026 IRAWMA ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 17 at the Lauderdale Performing Arts Center in South Florida, drawing hundreds of industry professionals, fans, and artists from across the globe.

    In an exclusive reflection on her nomination, Davis shared that recognition from the IRAWMA holds special meaning, not just for her career but for the broader gospel music community. “Nominations are a part of life, something that happens based on how people see things and not necessarily what you expect,” she explained. “I do appreciate the nomination, especially from where the message of the gospel is recognised and is so necessary in our society. So much so that the organisers of IRAWMA would give the gospel of Jesus Christ a category.” Davis joins seven other talented nominees in the category, including DJ Nicholas, Kevin Downswell, Papa San, Judith Gayle, Prince Saj, and Jason Mighty.

    For the veteran performer, this latest nomination carries far more symbolic weight than just a shot at another trophy. Davis framed the recognition as a quiet, powerful reminder of hope amid uncertain times. “It means, ‘As long as there is life there is hope,’ according to how the Holy Spirit guides us through all truth…” she said.

    Davis’ history with the IRAWMA stretches back decades, long before the awards adopted their current name. Her first nominations and wins date back to the 1980s, when the ceremony was known as Martin’s International Reggae Music Awards. Over the years, she has taken home honors in categories ranging from Best Female Vocalist and Best Music Video to Best Gospel Oriented Entertainer, and claimed the 1992 award for Best Gospel Album. Most recently, she earned the IRAWMA Best Gospel Album award in 2015 for her critically acclaimed project *Dripping Blood*.

    Despite her long track record of industry recognition, Davis says she enters this nomination cycle with a grounded perspective: she already considers herself a winner. A self-described non-competitive artist by nature, Davis pointed to her faith as the source of her contentment. “By being nominated in this international event that gives recognition to persons in the music industry on a global level, I am already a winner, being a part of the Kingdom of God,” she said. “And if Carlene Davis wins, it is a victory for the kingdom; and for that I say to God be the glory.”

    The coming year has already been a busy one for Davis, who has been actively ministering across the globe in recent months. Her tour schedule has taken her across the Caribbean, with stops in Barbados, St Lucia, Dominica, and Guyana, as well as multiple performances across the United States and her home country of Jamaica. This year also saw her minister to audiences on the Love & Harmony Cruise on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026.

    Davis has continued to release new work in recent years, most recently co-producing and releasing the full project *Songs of Zion* and the single *Holy Forever* under the Glory Music label, distributed through VPal Music. One of her recent singles, *No Regrets*, earned the honor of Outstanding Reggae Recording of 2025 at The Marlin’s Awards held in the Bahamas. In addition to her IRAWMA nomination, Davis added another major career honor in early 2026, when she received the Marcus Garvey Iconic Award from the Commission of the City of Miramar, Florida, back in February.

  • NHT hurricane relief moratorium ends on April 30

    NHT hurricane relief moratorium ends on April 30

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — In the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s destructive path across Jamaica last year, the National Housing Trust (NHT) rolled out a six-month emergency mortgage relief program to give storm-battered homeowners breathing room to rebuild. That temporary initiative is now scheduled to wrap up formally on April 30, with regular monthly payments set to resume starting May 1, the state housing agency has announced. But officials have stressed that support will remain accessible for borrowers whose properties are still grappling with major storm damage.\n\nSpeaking on behalf of the NHT, Dr. Suzanne Wynter, the organization’s General Manager for Loan Management, outlined that the relief program will not close the door on support for those still in crisis. Homeowners whose properties remain uninhabitable or have sustained catastrophic damage that has not yet been repaired may qualify for an extra three-month freeze on their required mortgage payments. For borrowers in the worst-hit planned communities — including Brompton in the parish of St. Elizabeth and Union Acres in St. James — the three-month extension will be added to customer accounts automatically, with no additional action required from eligible mortgagors.\n\nFor homeowners outside these designated hard-hit areas who believe they meet the eligibility criteria for an extended moratorium, the NHT requires a short application submitted through the agency’s official public website. Dr. Wynter emphasized that applicants should submit their requests as early as possible, ideally before the original moratorium expires on May 1, to avoid the risk of their accounts being marked as overdue after the deadline passes. The NHT has set a final application cutoff date of June 30, 2026, giving eligible borrowers ample time to complete and submit their materials.\n\nDr. Wynter also clarified key financial details of the relief program that borrowers should prepare for ahead of the May 1 resumption of payments. While all interest charges were fully waived during the original six-month moratorium period, principal balances and required insurance premiums continued to accumulate over the freeze period. These accrued unpaid amounts will be added to borrowers’ total outstanding loan balances, which will then be recalculated across the remaining term of the mortgage. As a result, many homeowners can expect to see a modest increase in their monthly payment amounts once the new repayment schedule takes effect.\n\nThe NHT will mail formal notifications to all mortgagors in May that outline the revised payment terms and updated monthly amounts, Wynter confirmed. Until those official notices are delivered and new figures are finalized, the agency encourages borrowers to continue making payments equal to their pre-moratorium monthly amount to avoid falling behind unexpectedly.\n\nFor borrowers who continue to face financial hardship following the storm but do not meet the eligibility requirements for the extended hurricane-specific moratorium, the NHT has urged them to explore support through the agency’s existing Special Assistance Programme. This long-standing initiative offers a flexible menu of relief options tailored to individual circumstances, including temporary payment freezes, reduced mortgage interest rates, extended overall loan terms to lower monthly costs, and structured partial payment plans. Dr. Wynter urged any homeowner who anticipates struggling to resume their regular mortgage payments to reach out to the NHT proactively at the earliest opportunity.\n\n“It is important that customers assess their ability to resume payments and, where necessary, engage the NHT as soon as possible so that we can provide the appropriate support,” she said.\n\nLaunched immediately in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, the original six-month relief moratorium provided payment relief to more than 30,000 NHT mortgagors across the island. The program was designed to let displaced and damaged homeowners focus their limited financial resources on urgent home repairs and recovery efforts, rather than prioritizing immediate mortgage obligations during a period of crisis.