In a poignant display of athletic excellence and team spirit, Edwin Allen High School captured its 11th ISSA/GraceKennedy Girls’ Athletics Championships title in a ceremony at the National Stadium on Friday evening. The victory was marked by a profound tribute to their late teammate, Taneisha Gayle, whose memory was honored with a life-sized cutout prominently displayed during the award presentation. GraceKennedy Chief Executive Officer Frank James presided over the ceremony, personally awarding the championship trophy to the Edwin Allen team. The emotional moment underscored how the team had channeled their grief into determination throughout the competition, ultimately prevailing against strong challengers to maintain their dominant position in Jamaican high school athletics. This championship victory represents not just another title for the institution’s impressive record, but a symbolic triumph of perseverance and unity in the face of tragedy, setting a powerful example for young athletes across the nation.
标签： Jamaica
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Brown wants increased stipend paid to senators
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Senator Lambert Brown has reignited a contentious debate by demanding the implementation of a shelved 2023 proposal that would dramatically increase stipends for non-executive senators. The proposed adjustment would elevate their per-sitting compensation from the current $53,000 to $148,000—a substantial 179% increase.
Ironically, this very proposal was previously rescinded by former Finance Minister Dr. Nigel Clarke following objections from Opposition senators themselves. The reversal occurred in September 2023 amid widespread public backlash against substantial salary hikes for politicians.
During deliberations on the Appropriations Bill, Senator Brown, a noted trade unionist, framed his appeal as a matter of fairness. He emphasized that non-executive senators remain the only parliamentary group excluded from recent compensation reviews, alongside certain University of the West Indies employees.
“This transcends partisan politics,” Brown asserted in his address to the finance minister. “I am advocating for the 16 non-executive senators who represent the sole segment within Parliament yet to benefit from the reclassification exercise.”
Jamaica’s Senate comprises 21 members—13 government-appointed and 8 opposition-appointed—with only 5 holding executive positions as cabinet ministers or parliamentary secretaries.
Brown justified the demand by highlighting practical challenges faced by senators, noting that colleagues like Charles Sinclair and Allan Bernard undertake extensive travel from Montego Bay to Kingston for each session. He further contextualized the request against Jamaica’s rising cost of living, citing recent electricity rate increases and transportation costs.
In a parallel economic argument, Brown challenged the government’s forthcoming tax changes on motor vehicle duty concessions for public sector workers. Set to take effect May 1, these adjustments are projected to generate $1.4 billion in revenue through reinstated General Consumption Tax payments while maintaining import duty and special consumption tax exemptions.
Finance Minister Fayval Williams defended the policy shift, stating the original concession no longer aligns with current economic conditions. Brown countered that the revenue gain represents mere “chicken feed” within Jamaica’s $1.4 trillion budget, arguing the government should not squeeze public sector workers for minimal fiscal benefit.
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Lamar Uffar trained for stronger service delivery
Liberty Caribbean and its subsidiary FLOW are revolutionizing customer service excellence through their innovative Technician Pathways Programme, a comprehensive workforce development initiative launched in 2025. This strategic program provides telecommunications technicians with structured training, mentorship, and support systems while they pursue internationally recognized credentials alongside practical field experience.
The program’s impact is demonstrated through the achievement of Lamar Uffar, a FLOW field services technician who recently earned the prestigious Broadband Premises Installer certification from the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE). This globally recognized credential establishes technical standards across the telecommunications industry worldwide. Uffar’s accomplishment positions him among the first technicians in the Caribbean region to achieve certification through this pioneering program.
According to Darron Turnquest, Director of People and Communications at FLOW, this investment in technical education directly enhances service capabilities. “By equipping our technicians with advanced technical knowledge and globally recognized certifications, we’re significantly strengthening our capacity to diagnose network issues more efficiently, improve installation quality, and deliver faster, more reliable support for both households and businesses,” Turnquest stated. “Celebrating achievements like Lamar’s underscores our commitment to investing in our team’s professional growth and development.”
The initiative has gained substantial traction, with 583 technicians across Liberty Caribbean’s markets currently enrolled and actively working toward SCTE certifications. This development is particularly significant given that technicians typically serve as the primary interface between the company and its customer base.
For Uffar, the certification represents both personal accomplishment and advancement for Jamaica’s technical workforce. “This certification stands as a proud milestone that reflects the dedication and training required to deliver optimal service to our customers,” Uffar commented. “The Technician Pathways Programme has enabled me to deepen my technical expertise and enhance my understanding of daily operational systems. This translates to faster issue diagnosis and more reliable connections for customers during field installations and troubleshooting procedures.”
The program forms part of a broader corporate strategy to professionalize field roles while developing a pipeline of highly skilled technical professionals throughout the region. Beyond improving service quality, the initiative creates substantial career advancement opportunities for technical staff. Certified technicians gain access to advanced organizational roles, mentorship positions, and opportunities to contribute to complex regional projects across Liberty Caribbean’s network infrastructure.
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Naomi Cowan’s ‘Welcome to Paradise’ wins JUNO Award for Reggae Recording of the Year
Jamaican-Canadian artist Naomi Cowan has achieved a monumental career milestone with her debut album “Welcome to Paradise” receiving the prestigious Reggae Recording of the Year honor at the 2026 JUNO Awards. The ceremony, marking its 50th anniversary, took place at Hamilton’s TD Coliseum in Ontario, where Cowan accepted the award for her 12-track collection that triumphed over four other nominated works in the category.
During her emotional acceptance speech, Cowan expressed profound gratitude to producer Toddla T, her renowned reggae musician parents Tommy Cowan and Carlene Davis, and her management team. She dedicated the award to the reggae genre itself, stating: ‘It has been the honor of my life to be a reggae artist. Reggae is a genre that has healed thousands of people around the world and has transcended many boundaries.’
The victory marks the tenth time a female artist has won this category throughout the awards’ history. Notable previous winners include Liberty Silver (1985), Lillian Allen (1986, 1989), Carla Marshall (1995), Nana McLean (1997), Sonia Collymore (2003, 2005), Elaine ‘Lil Bit’ Shepherd (2011), and Tome (2021). The category has undergone several name changes since its inception, previously being recognized as Best Reggae/Calypso Recording and Best Reggae Recording.
The ceremony featured touching moments of celebration as Canadian R&B singer Jully Black (of Jamaican descent) and rapper/producer Saukrates—who earlier won Rap Single of the Year—rose to applaud Cowan’s achievement, highlighting the strong Caribbean influence within Canada’s music community.
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World Cup risks being ‘stage for repression’ says Amnesty International
LONDON — Amnesty International has issued a stark warning that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, may transform into a platform for human rights violations. In a comprehensive report titled “Humanity Must Win” released Monday, the prominent human rights organization highlighted critical concerns regarding participant safety and civil liberties.
The report presents a disturbing contrast between FIFA’s promised tournament environment—where all participants “feel safe, included and free to exercise their rights”—and what Amnesty characterizes as deteriorating human rights conditions across host nations. Particular focus falls on the United States, which will host approximately 75% of the tournament’s 104 matches.
Amnesty’s assessment describes the U.S. as experiencing a “human rights emergency,” citing mass deportations, arbitrary detentions, and aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations conducted with “paramilitary-style” tactics. These concerns intensified following ICE’s confirmation that the agency will serve as “a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup,” despite recent controversies including the fatal shooting of two American citizens during Minneapolis protests against ICE raids in January.
The report further notes that no host city has established concrete plans to protect visitors or local communities from potential ICE operations. This security environment has already prompted travel concerns, with fans from four participating nations—Ivory Coast, Haiti, Iran, and Senegal—facing U.S. travel restrictions. Additionally, LGBTQ+ supporter groups from England and continental Europe have announced boycotts over safety concerns, particularly for transgender attendees.
FIFA maintains that the 48-team tournament—the largest in World Cup history—will proceed as scheduled despite geopolitical uncertainties surrounding Iran’s participation. The organization faces criticism for its December 2025 decision to award a “Peace Prize” to President Trump while potentially generating $11 billion from the tournament cycle.
“While FIFA generates record revenues from the 2026 World Cup, fans, communities, players, journalists and workers cannot be made to pay the price,” asserted Steve Cockburn, Amnesty’s head of economic and social justice. “It is these people—not governments, sponsors or FIFA—to whom football belongs, and their rights must be at the centre of the tournament.”
The month-long tournament commences June 11 at Mexico City Stadium, concluding with the final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19.
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Faith, focus, and the future
The formidable financial barriers obstructing higher education for countless aspiring students have been dramatically overcome in the inspiring account of Joshua Gazader, a recent Caribbean Maritime University alumnus. His academic pursuit, once shadowed by monetary constraints, evolved into a profound narrative of perseverance and transformative support, courtesy of the Supreme Ventures Foundation (SVF).
Selected as a beneficiary of SVF’s prestigious 20th-anniversary scholarship in 2021, Gazader emerged from a highly competitive pool of thousands of applicants to become one of only twenty recipients. This critical intervention fundamentally altered his educational trajectory, which he had anticipated would be dominated by student debt and exhaustive work-travel commitments necessary to finance his logistics and supply chain studies.
The scholarship’s impact extended far beyond the elimination of his four-year tuition burden, estimated at over $2 million. It created a comprehensive support system that enabled Gazader to concentrate exclusively on his rigorous academic demands without the distraction of financial pressures. The foundation supplemented financial assistance with professional development initiatives, including mentorship sessions featuring accomplished Jamaican leaders, practical career-building workshops, essential technological resources, and vital support for basic necessities.
The transition to university education presented significant academic challenges that tested Gazader’s resilience, particularly during his first year when he considered abandoning his studies after failing to meet the required GPA standards. The foundation demonstrated exceptional belief in his potential by granting him a second chance—an act of confidence that propelled him to redouble his efforts through spiritual faith and collaborative study sessions with peers.
Gazader’s perseverance culminated in his triumphant graduation ceremony this January, attended by foundation representatives who celebrated his achievement. Now established in the inventory management sector, he is actively working toward his five-year goals of vehicle acquisition and home ownership while aspiring to become an industry leader and inspirational figure for disadvantaged youth.
Reflecting on his journey, Gazader emphasizes the importance of purpose identification, spiritual foundation, and relentless perseverance through obstacles. His story stands as powerful testimony to how targeted educational investment can unleash human potential and create leaders who transform their communities.
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Tropical Cyclone Narelle turns Australian skies a deep red
Western Australia witnessed an extraordinary meteorological spectacle over the weekend as Tropical Cyclone Narelle generated a massive dust storm that plunged entire regions into an eerie blood-red darkness. The phenomenon created surreal visuals across Shark Bay and Denham, where daytime skies turned deep crimson, capturing global attention through viral social media dissemination.
Scientific analysis confirms the extraordinary coloration resulted from specific atmospheric optics. High-density dust particles scattered shorter blue light wavelengths, permitting only longer red wavelengths to penetrate the atmosphere. This Rayleigh scattering effect, amplified by cyclonic conditions, produced the intense reddish hue that many observers initially mistook for digital manipulation.
While the visual phenomenon fascinated scientists and social media users alike, Cyclone Narelle established itself as a historically significant weather event. Marking the first cross-jurisdictional landfall in over two decades, the storm system initially struck Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula on March 20 before traversing the Northern Territory and intensifying over the Indian Ocean. The cyclone ultimately reached Western Australia as a Category 4 system, causing substantial damage across affected regions.
The viral documentation of this event has sparked both scientific discourse and public amazement, highlighting nature’s capacity for producing breathtaking visual phenomena alongside destructive meteorological forces.
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G2K elects first female president
In a landmark decision that reshapes Jamaica’s political landscape, Sashana-Lee Edwards achieved a groundbreaking victory on Sunday by securing the presidency of Generation 2000 (G2K), the influential young professional affiliate of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party. Her election marks the first time a woman has ascended to this leadership position in the organization’s history.
The electoral contest, held during G2K’s annual general meeting at the party headquarters, concluded with Edwards securing a commanding mandate of 40 votes against opponent Newton Harris’s 21 votes. This decisive outcome reflects the membership’s confidence in her visionary leadership capabilities.
Edwards brings to the role an established reputation for disciplined governance and innovative thinking, having previously served as the organization’s general secretary. Her campaign emphasized service excellence, organizational competence, and people-centered development as core principles for G2K’s future trajectory.
In her inaugural address, the newly elected president articulated a clear vision for transformative growth: ‘This election fundamentally centered on service excellence, demonstrated competence, and strengthening our collective mission. We must prioritize our people, expand our movement, and ensure G2K’s continued evolution into a more impactful organization.’
Emphasizing unity as a cornerstone of progress, Edwards extended an inclusive invitation to all members: ‘I stand prepared to serve, lead, and collaborate with every single member. Through collective effort, we will amplify G2K’s influence and ensure our perspectives resonate throughout the nation.’
Political observers have interpreted this leadership transition as signaling a progressive shift within Jamaican politics, particularly in enhancing gender representation and inclusive governance. Outgoing President Shayne Kerr expressed unequivocal support, stating: ‘I extend warm congratulations to President Edwards on her historic achievement. I maintain full confidence in her ability to distinguishably serve and advance G2K’s mission.’
The newly formed leadership team includes Vice Presidents Ricardo Robinson (48 votes), Aaliyah Rodgers (42 votes), Kimone Roper (39 votes), and Chad Rattray (37 votes). This administration is expected to prioritize youth engagement strategies, innovative policy development, and national development initiatives as G2K positions itself for expanded societal impact.
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The relentless innovator
In Jamaica’s rapidly evolving media landscape—shaped by viral content, pandemic disruptions, and digital proliferation—54-year-old Kingston native O’neil ‘iShac’ Harris has emerged as an unlikely pioneer in interactive gaming. With no formal higher education, Harris leveraged self-taught expertise in electronics, video production, and coding to create innovative phygital games that blend physical movement with cognitive challenges.
Harris’s journey began through practical experience: maintaining taxi radios, working in telecommunications, and learning video production at JBC (now TVJ) through sheer immersion. His electronics repair shop serviced musical instruments for prominent bands like Fab Five, while his video editing work with Stage Video honed his technical skills. This diverse background proved foundational when he automated exhibits for the Bob Marley Museum in 2014—an early foray into phygital experiences.
The COVID-19 pandemic became an unexpected catalyst. When Jamaica’s film industry collapsed, Harris secured a cultural project with Red Stripe to develop interactive museum exhibits. Though shelved, the project ignited his passion for creating engaging physical-digital hybrids. Scouring YouTube tutorials and international forums, he taught himself coding and prototype development using scrap materials.
Driven by concern over screen-dominated interactions (‘people having their heads down on the phone all the time’), Harris developed five signature games: MemorySprint (pattern replication under time pressure), LightStriker (reflex-testing light tennis), SmackDat (precision whack-a-mole variant), Catch&Stack, and electronic Tic Tac Toe. These installations have become fixtures at local venues like Jangas Soundbar and Grill, where weekly game nights draw hundreds of participants. Viral TikTok exposure has amplified their reach dramatically.
Beyond entertainment, Harris envisions interactive public parks across Jamaica where communities can connect, compete, and learn together. His creations serve as tools for community-building and skill development, though financial constraints challenge scalability. Harris seeks partners who share his vision for affordable, durable public installations.
Reflecting on his unconventional path, Harris acknowledges underestimating business considerations early on but expresses no regret about his creative focus. His mission remains centered on inspiring next-generation innovators and creating spaces ‘where people have something else to do’ beyond screens. Harris’s story exemplifies how resourcefulness, practical learning, and responsiveness to community needs can drive meaningful technological innovation in evolving digital societies.
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NPG Insurance Brokers Ltd marks 45 years of growth, impact
KINGSTON, Jamaica — National Property & General (NPG) Insurance Brokers Limited commemorates four and a half decades of operation this year, with General Manager Tracy-Ann July affirming the company’s dedication to sustained exponential growth and client satisfaction. Established in 1981 by the late Peter Edward Thomas on Harbour Street in downtown Kingston, the brokerage has expanded its footprint across Jamaica with offices in May Pen, Mandeville, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Port Maria, Morant Bay, and its newest Santa Cruz location. July characterized the 45-year milestone as a testament to the organization’s stability, resilience, and unwavering commitment to excellence, reflecting both the robust foundation established by its founder and the team’s persistent dedication to industry leadership. Thomas, who studied at the United Kingdom’s Leeds University and held the prestigious Associateship of the Chartered Insurance Institute (ACII) qualification, leveraged his overseas training and industry expertise to identify a market need for professional brokerage services. His vision was to create a strong, independent enterprise that would connect clients with optimal insurance solutions. Following his passing in February 2021, leadership transitioned to July, who now oversees 41 team members nationwide. Under her guidance, NPG has continued its legacy while pursuing strategic development. Significant achievements include its evolution from an agency to a fully independent brokerage, enabling greater autonomy in client service. The firm has successfully written and managed major insurance portfolios and participated in large corporate tenders. It offers comprehensive general insurance coverage, including motor, property, liability, marine, and both commercial and personal lines. Collaborating with all major Jamaican general insurance companies and international markets like Lloyd’s of London, NPG ensures clients receive the most competitive coverage options. The company prides itself on delivering customized solutions to a diverse clientele, from small family businesses to major commercial operations, ensuring professional guidance and exceptional service for all. Beyond commercial success, NPG has prioritized community engagement through educational and occupational initiatives. This includes employing summer students, providing industry work experience for youth, and in some cases, supporting students with educational expenses. Embracing technological innovation, the brokerage recently introduced e-commerce solutions, allowing clients to access certain services online. Looking forward, the company plans to further modernize its operational framework for enhanced efficiency. July outlined a forward-looking strategy focused on expanding service offerings, embracing digital solutions, strengthening its market presence, and maintaining its core commitment to excellent customer service across Jamaican communities.