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  • Children’s advocacy group calls for online safety framework amid proposal to restrict social media

    Children’s advocacy group calls for online safety framework amid proposal to restrict social media

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s ongoing discussion around youth digital safety has gained a new layer of input, as the Fi We Children Foundation (FWCF), a prominent local child rights advocacy organization, has pushed back against the narrative that limiting children’s access to social media alone can address growing online threats to young people. The group issued its formal response Monday after Jamaican Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton recently announced the government was exploring new access restrictions for minors on social media platforms.

    While FWCF openly welcomed the government’s growing recognition of the urgent need to address online harm to children, the organization emphasized that incremental access limits cannot deliver the meaningful, long-term protection young Jamaicans need in an increasingly digital world. Today, children interact with digital platforms for education, social connection, and recreation from a young age, making piecemeal restrictions an incomplete solution that fails to address the root causes of online danger.

    Instead, FWCF argues that robust, holistic change is required: this framework must center on updated national legislation, greater corporate accountability from global technology firms, and digital spaces intentionally built around the unique developmental needs and rights of children.

    At the top of the organization’s policy agenda is urgent legislative reform, specifically targeted amendments to Jamaica’s existing Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA). FWCF stresses that existing legal protections for children have not kept pace with rapid technological innovation, and the law must be updated to explicitly codify protections against the full range of modern online harms facing minors, to guarantee children’s equal rights to safety both offline and online.

    FWCF has laid out six core pillars for its proposed regulatory reform, each designed to shift the default of digital platforms from profit-driven engagement to child-centered safety. First, the group requires mandatory age-appropriate design for all major digital services, requiring platforms to prioritize children’s well-being over the business model of maximizing user engagement and addictive scrolling behavior. Second, child accounts must be set to the strongest possible privacy defaults by default, including automatic disabling of location tracking and built-in restrictions on unsolicited contact from unknown users. Third, the commercial collection and use of children’s personal data for behavioral profiling must be banned outright to stop exploitative targeting of minors. Fourth, platform algorithms must be adjusted to prioritize developmentally appropriate, educational, and creative content for children, while actively filtering out harmful material including content promoting self-harm, eating disorders, and sexually explicit content unsuitable for minors. Fifth, technology firms must be assigned a statutory legal duty of care, requiring companies to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate potential harms to children that may arise from their products and services. Finally, independent regulatory oversight must be strengthened, giving government regulators clear authority to conduct compliance audits, enforce existing rules, and deliver meaningful remediation to children when harm does occur.

    The advocacy group also grounded its demands in international human rights framework, noting that the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reaffirmed in 2026 that all fundamental children’s rights recognized under international law apply fully in digital spaces. As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Jamaica is legally bound to uphold two core principles relevant to digital safety: Article 3 requires the state to prioritize the best interests of the child in all policy decisions, while Article 5 mandates respect for children’s evolving capacities as they grow and develop.

    “The digital world should be designed with children in mind,” the FWCF statement said. “Children have the right not only to protection from harm but also to participation, information, privacy, and development in online spaces.”

    The organization closed by urging the Jamaican government to pursue evidence-based policy making that balances the urgent need for child protection with the full spectrum of children’s digital rights. Any new restrictions on child social media access, FWCF emphasized, must be paired with sweeping legal reform and stricter legal obligations for technology companies operating in Jamaica.

    “Every child deserves a safer internet — one built for children, not merely one that excludes them,” FWCF said.

  • Inflation rises to 5.4% as food, restaurant and energy costs climb

    Inflation rises to 5.4% as food, restaurant and energy costs climb

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s cost of living pressures accelerated sharply in May 2026, pushing the country’s annual inflation rate up to 5.4% as households faced steeper bills for staple groceries, restaurant dining, utility services and transportation, official data released by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (Statin) shows.

    The month-over-month consumer price jump came in at 1.5% in May, marking a complete reversal of the 0.3% contraction recorded in April and representing the steepest single-month increase in consumer costs since November 2025. This upward shift pushed the 12-month inflation rate — measured between May 2025 and May 2026 — up from the 4.3% reading recorded in April. While the current figure still falls within the Bank of Jamaica’s official target band of 4% to 6%, it now sits uncomfortably close to the upper limit of the central bank’s tolerance range.

    Food inflation emerged as the dominant force behind the overall price increase. The Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages category registered a 1.9% monthly price jump, fueled almost entirely by sharp increases in locally grown fresh produce. Key staples including tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, ripe bananas and pineapples all saw double-digit proportional increases over the month, pulling the overall index for vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses up 4.8%. The fruit and nuts subcategory rose even faster, posting a 4.7% monthly increase. Smaller but still notable increases were recorded for fish and seafood (1.2%) and meat products (0.9%).

    Beyond grocery shelves, Jamaican consumers also faced significant price hikes when dining out. The Restaurants and Accommodation Services segment saw a 5.7% monthly surge, with the overwhelming majority of this increase traced to higher costs for meals purchased away from home.

    Housing and utility costs also contributed to the upward trend. The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels division recorded a 0.7% monthly increase, driven largely by elevated electricity rates. This upward pressure was partially offset by a temporary reduction in water supply and sewage service charges across much of the country.

    Transportation costs added another layer of pressure to household budgets, rising 0.9% month-over-month. The increase stemmed from higher retail petrol prices and a 3.1% jump in the ongoing cost of operating private passenger vehicles.

    The inflationary increase impacted all regions of Jamaica, but rural households bore the brunt of the price hikes. Statin data shows rural areas recorded a 1.7% monthly inflation rate, outpacing the 1.5% increase seen in other urban centers and the 1.3% rise in the densely populated Greater Kingston Metropolitan Area.

    Over the 12-month period ending in May 2026, cumulative food price inflation reached 8.7% — far outpacing the overall headline inflation rate of 5.4%. The most dramatic annual increase was recorded in the fruit and nuts category, which has soared 34.3% over the past year. Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses have risen 10.4% year-over-year, while fish and seafood prices are up 11.7% from May 2025. Annual price increases for the Restaurants and Accommodation Services segment hit 6.9%, while transportation costs are up 3.1% over the same period.

    Notwithstanding the sharp May increase, Statin noted that the overall consumer price index remains 0.2% lower than its peak level in December 2025, a residual effect of broader price declines recorded in the first months of 2026. In absolute terms, the All-Jamaica Consumer Price Index rose to 149.6 in May, up from 147.4 in April.

  • Thirty-four foetuses found in Polish doctor’s garden

    Thirty-four foetuses found in Polish doctor’s garden

    A high-profile criminal investigation has roiled Poland following the shocking discovery of 34 buried human foetuses in the backyard of a former residence of a 57-year-old medical pathologist, who has since been arrested and placed in pre-trial detention, Polish law enforcement officials confirmed Monday.

    The case, unfolding in the deeply Catholic southeastern region of the country, has sparked fierce public debate amid Poland’s already strict abortion regulations, with many members of the public questioning how a licensed medical professional could access the biological material for unapproved personal use. The pathologist, identified only as Magdalena H. in line with Polish privacy legislation and who has no prior criminal record, is suspected of conducting unauthorized experiments with the foetuses. If convicted on all charges, she faces a maximum sentence of 12 years behind bars.

    Prosecutors have clarified that so far, no evidence has emerged to link the foetuses to illegal abortions. The formal charges brought against the specialist include desecration of human corpses, improper management of medical waste, and illegally abandoning hazardous biological materials in an unregulated site.

    The investigation was launched last week, when construction workers carrying out renovations at the property in the small village of Lutoryż tipped off local prosecutors about the presence of suspicious medical waste. Authorities launched a large-scale search operation involving dozens of police officers, ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs, which uncovered the 34 foetuses buried in the garden.

    District Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Krzysztof Ciechanowski told reporters that the biological material was most likely collected and used by the detained pathologist to conduct private off-site testing. Unnamed sources close to the investigation told Polish outlet Radio Eska that Magdalena H. removed the foetuses from the Rzeszow hospital where she worked during the COVID-19 pandemic to conduct personal research at her private property.

    Alongside the human remains, search teams also recovered tens of thousands of prepared microscope slides, paraffin blocks for tissue sampling, and partial fragments of related medical documentation, Ciechanowski confirmed. The pathologist was taken into custody on Friday, and a court approved a three-month pre-trial detention period to prevent her from interfering with the ongoing investigation.

    After being formally presented with the charges, Magdalena H. did not enter a guilty plea. However, the prosecutor’s spokesman confirmed that she has acknowledged she personally transported the foetuses and other medical waste to the property and buried them herself. Investigators are still working to identify the origins of the foetuses, and have not yet confirmed whether the pathologist acted alone or had accomplices.

  • World Cup ref cleared over ‘white supremacist’ gesture, says FIFA

    World Cup ref cleared over ‘white supremacist’ gesture, says FIFA

    In a recent development out of Los Angeles, global soccer governing body FIFA has issued a formal exoneration for Australian World Cup referee Shaun Evans, closing an investigation into allegations that he displayed a white supremacist hand gesture during a live televised match. The incident unfolded during Sunday’s international fixture between Germany and Curacao, where Evans was serving in the role of support video assistant referee. A broadcast frame captured Evans holding his right thumb and index finger together to create a closed circular shape, a positioning that online social media users quickly linked to a hand signal associated with far-right extremist factions. The widespread social media attention immediately prompted FIFA to launch a formal probe into the conduct of the official, who had been named to the 2022 Qatar World Cup referee panel. Within 24 hours of the allegation emerging, the FIFA Independent Disciplinary Committee completed its review and announced it had uncovered no evidence that Evans violated the organization’s disciplinary code. Responding to the controversy, Evans released a public statement pushing back on the interpretation of his hand movement, emphasizing the action was entirely accidental. He explained that the position of his hand was the result of an involuntary, subconscious muscle twitch, and that he had no awareness he was making the shape while on duty during the match. Evans went on to stress that he never intended to communicate any hateful ideology, signal affiliation with an extremist group, or make any intentional symbolic statement whatsoever. He acknowledged that the visual matched a gesture widely recognized as a hate symbol, and expressed regret that the incident sparked confusion and concern, but stood firm in his assertion that the action was completely unintentional. The swift closing of the case brings an end to a brief but intense controversy that divided opinion among soccer fans and observers online, with many arguing the social media rush to judgment overlooked alternative explanations for the innocuous hand movement.

  • ‘A burden the country cannot afford’

    ‘A burden the country cannot afford’

    Top insurance and public health leaders in Jamaica are sounding the alarm over a pervasive cultural trend of men avoiding routine preventive care, warning that the inaction carries severe personal, familial, and national economic consequences that will cost the country tens of billions of dollars in coming decades if left unaddressed.

    Hugh Reid, managing director of JN Life Insurance and a longstanding men’s health advocate, argues that widespread neglect of regular check-ups and proactive health management is not just a personal health risk—it is a pressing public policy issue that ripples through the entire Jamaican economy. Reid connects low health engagement among men to widespread productivity losses, strained public healthcare infrastructure, and cascaling financial instability for households and the nation alike.

    Chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) including hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol are already widespread across Jamaica, with public health data showing one in three Jamaicans lives with hypertension, one in eight has diabetes, and roughly one third of the population will develop a chronic illness over their lifetime. These conditions are primarily driven by modifiable lifestyle factors such as nutrient-poor diets, sedentary behavior, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption, alongside genetic and age-related risk factors. Ministry of Health and Wellness statistics show 31% of Jamaican men live with hypertension, 14% are obese, and 9% have a confirmed diabetes diagnosis. While these prevalence rates are slightly lower than those recorded among Jamaican women, men’s life expectancy is four years shorter on average, a gap public health experts attribute directly to far lower engagement with preventive care services.

    “These chronic illnesses don’t just put unnecessary strain on our national healthcare system—they can erase decades of hard-earned life savings overnight,” Reid explained. “Too many men fail to recognize that every health choice they make impacts not just their own well-being, but the long-term financial security of their families and the entire country.”

    Reid pointed to longstanding data confirming the trend of delayed care-seeking among Jamaican men. Research from The University of the West Indies shows that 68% of men over the age of 55 had not visited a healthcare provider for a routine check-up in the 12 months prior to the study. Over the same period, 17% of those men were admitted to hospital for preventable conditions, and less than 36% had completed a recommended prostate cancer screening. He also referenced widespread media coverage of preventable hospitalizations for lifestyle-related NCD complications and injury accidents tied to alcohol-impaired driving as further evidence of the crisis, noting that without widespread cultural and behavioral change, the future economic outlook remains grim.

    Reid projected that over the next 15 years, NCDs linked to poor preventive care could cut Jamaica’s workforce productivity by as much as JMD 47 billion, while direct medical costs from cardiovascular disease and diabetes alone could top JMD 29.8 billion. “That is a burden our country simply cannot afford to bear,” he emphasized.

    Compounding the health crisis is a critical gap in financial preparedness, Reid added: Jamaican men are far less likely to hold life insurance or critical illness coverage than women. At JN Life Insurance, for example, female clients outnumber male clients two to one, a disparity that puts households at extreme risk when the primary breadwinner falls ill or passes away prematurely. “Life insurance is more than just a financial product—it is a safety net that protects families from devastating financial collapse when tragedy strikes,” Reid said.

    Backing Reid’s call for urgent action, respected Jamaican physician Dr. Earl Brewster echoed the message that routine preventive screenings are the most effective tool for early detection and successful management of NCDs before they become life-threatening or disabling. “Men need to shift away from the harmful mindset that only seeks care when you are seriously ill, and adopt consistent, proactive health-seeking behaviors,” Dr. Brewster said.

    Currently, Jamaican men have a life expectancy of 72 years, compared to 76 years for women. Health risks for men rise sharply once they reach their 40s, and again in their 60s, but small, consistent changes can drive major improvements in long-term outcomes. “Simple steps like maintaining a healthy body weight, staying physically active, and completing an annual preventive check-up can make a meaningful difference in long-term health outcomes,” Dr. Brewster noted.

    Dr. Brewster recommends that all adult men complete comprehensive annual health assessments, including cardiovascular screening, blood glucose testing, liver and kidney function panels, thyroid testing, vitamin level checks, and PSA screening for prostate cancer. For men over 50, he additionally advises a colonoscopy every 10 years to screen for colorectal cancer. “These screenings are widely available across Jamaica, and most are covered by existing health insurance plans,” he explained. “Early detection makes all the difference for successful treatment, especially for men already living with chronic conditions like hypertension or diabetes.”

    Still, Dr. Brewster acknowledged that deep-rooted cultural attitudes remain one of the biggest barriers to increasing preventive care engagement among men. “There’s an old cultural saying around here that you only see a man at a doctor’s office if he’s already extremely sick, or someone had to carry him there,” he said. “We need to shift that outdated mindset. Men must take responsibility for their own health—not just for their own sake, but for their families and the future of our nation.”

  • Haitian group welcomes US immigrant rights protection task force

    Haitian group welcomes US immigrant rights protection task force

    In a bold rebuke of harsh federal immigration policies, Maryland Governor Wes Moore has signed an executive order launching the Maryland Immigrant Rights Protection Task Force, a move that has earned widespread praise from immigrant advocacy organizations across the country.

    Based in California, the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA), a leading group focused on defending the rights of Haitian and Caribbean immigrant communities, has lauded Moore’s action as a critical stand for justice at a moment when immigrant populations across the United States face growing hostility from the Trump administration.

    The 12-month interagency task force will bring together multiple state bodies, including the Maryland Attorney General’s office, to coordinate cross-system efforts to shield immigrant residents from widespread harm, including fraud, economic exploitation, and systemic discrimination. Speaking to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) from San Diego, HBA Executive Director Guerline Jozef emphasized that the new initiative arrives at an urgent turning point for vulnerable immigrant communities.

    “Across the nation, immigrant groups are facing increasingly sophisticated scams engineered by bad actors who exploit their fear of deportation, on top of the Trump administration’s draconian, racist policies that target and persecute immigrant communities,” Jozef explained. “This task force is both a protection for our communities and a direct response to these harmful actions. Over the next year, its core work will focus on strengthening existing safeguards and enforcing accountability for those who harm immigrants.”

    Jozef commended Moore for taking decisive, proactive action to protect immigrant families, noting that the executive order sends an unmissable message: all people residing in Maryland, regardless of immigration status, deserve dignity, safety, and equal protection under the law. “By proactively addressing the unique challenges immigrant communities face and holding bad actors accountable, Maryland is showing the country what courageous, principled leadership looks like,” she added. She also reaffirmed HBA’s longstanding commitment to partnering with policymakers, community organizers, and local leaders across the U.S. to advance policies that protect the rights and well-being of all immigrants.

    For his part, Governor Moore highlighted the massive, underrecognized contributions that immigrants make to Maryland when he signed the order. Immigrants make up roughly 17% of the state’s total population and account for nearly 22% of Maryland’s entire labor force, meaning they are a core pillar of the state’s economic and social fabric.

    “Despite the enormous contributions immigrants make to our state’s economic, social, and cultural life, many immigrant Marylanders have faced systemic discrimination and substandard access to critical services for decades, from legal support to employment opportunities and housing,” Moore said. “More recently, we have seen a sharp rise in predatory new schemes that target immigrants, who are often too fearful of federal immigration enforcement to report abuse to authorities.”

    The governor stressed that this exploitative activity does not only harm immigrant families—it also undermines fair market competition, distorts local economies, and erodes public safety for all Maryland residents. “Our immigrant communities make Maryland a better, stronger state. I have been clear: we will not stand idly by while bad actors prey on members of our community,” Moore said. “By forming this task force, we are demonstrating the unity and strength of our state when we stand together against injustice.”

    The new executive order follows Moore’s pledge to address the fraud and exploitation of immigrant residents during his annual State of the State address earlier this year. This is not the first pro-immigrant action Moore has taken: earlier in 2025, he signed legislation designating schools and hospitals as “safe spaces” that are off-limits for federal civil immigration enforcement, and banned state and local governments from deputizing local law enforcement to carry out federal immigration actions. In February, Moore also publicly raised objections to the Department of Homeland Security’s plan to develop and operate an ICE detention facility near Williamsport, in a letter sent to then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

    The task force will be chaired by Moore’s own Office of Immigrant Affairs, and its work will center on addressing rising exploitation, strengthening anti-discrimination protections, and coordinating state resources to better serve immigrant communities across Maryland.

  • Uruguay held 1-1 by Saudi Arabia at World Cup

    Uruguay held 1-1 by Saudi Arabia at World Cup

    MIAMI, United States (AFP) — On a scorching hot Monday in South Florida, Uruguay delivered a dominant attacking display against Saudi Arabia but was forced to walk away with a 1-1 draw, throwing the balance of Group H at the World Cup into thrilling uncertainty.

    The deadlock between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia came just hours after one of the most stunning upsets in the history of the men’s World Cup, when European champions Spain could only manage a scoreless 0-0 draw against tournament debutants Cape Verde in the same group.

    Playing in stifling, sweltering conditions that tested the endurance of every player on the pitch, Uruguay controlled large stretches of possession and created the majority of clear scoring opportunities. However, a resilient defensive performance from Saudi Arabia kept the South American side from converting more than one of their chances, securing a share of the points that upends early group stage expectations.

    Back-to-back drawn results across the group’s opening two matches mean that all four teams still have a realistic shot at advancing to the knockout round, with standings deadlocked early on and no side able to claim an early advantage. What was already anticipated to be a competitive group has become one of the most compelling storylines of the tournament’s opening stage, with every upcoming group match set to carry massive stakes for all sides involved.

  • The real mangrove threat

    The real mangrove threat

    TRELAWNY, Coral Spring — When conversations turn to mangrove ecosystem decline, coastal construction and large-scale development are usually the first culprits named. But Jamaica’s top environment official is upending that common narrative, identifying unregulated illegal harvesting for charcoal production as the single greatest threat facing the island’s vital coastal mangrove forests.

    Speaking at the Rotaract District 7020 Conference held Friday at the Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny, Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change Matthew Samuda emphasized that addressing root economic inequality is non-negotiable for protecting these irreplaceable ecosystems. He told attendees that the widespread degradation of Jamaica’s mangroves stems not from residential or commercial development projects, but from the daily pressure of economic hardship that drives local communities to harvest mangrove wood for fuel and charcoal.

    “The biggest issue affecting our mangroves is the illegal cutting of them to be used for firewood,” Samuda said during a question-and-answer session. “If you don’t reduce poverty, mangroves become charcoal, and that’s where we have significant degradation of our mangrove forest.”

    Samuda noted that the worst mangrove loss has been concentrated along Jamaica’s south coast, rather than the tourism-heavy north coast. Hard-hit areas include southern parishes of Clarendon, St Catherine, Manchester, and St Elizabeth — regions that once held extensive mangrove coverage, where the ecosystems serve a critical role in buffering coastal communities from dangerous storm surges during hurricane season. Beyond illegal harvesting, the minister added that poor solid waste management poses a secondary major threat: accumulated trash clogs coastal waterways, preventing the natural mixing of fresh and saltwater that mangroves require to survive and thrive.

    The conversation turned to collaborative solutions after a conference participant asked about opportunities for Rotaract clubs to partner with the government on mangrove nursery development and habitat restoration projects. Samuda warmly welcomed the involvement of service organizations, stressing that the scale of Jamaica’s environmental challenges far outstrips what government agencies can address alone, given existing fiscal and operational constraints.

    “The scale of the environmental challenges we face cannot be managed solely by the Government. Groups like Rotaract are absolutely critical stakeholders if we’re going to mobilise all of society,” he said. He pointed out that community, faith, and civil society groups often outperform government entities in mobilizing grassroots citizen participation in national environmental initiatives.

    Samuda highlighted that core maintenance tasks, such as clearing debris from water canals, regularly exceed the operational capacity of state agencies including the National Works Agency, parish councils, and the National Solid Waste Management Authority. Community-led clean-up drives and volunteer maintenance efforts fill these critical gaps, he said, and he fully supports volunteer-led projects ranging from habitat restoration to mangrove nursery establishment.

    “If there’s an investment that can be made in establishing a mangrove nursery, we would certainly welcome Rotaract as a partner,” Samuda said. “I think there’s a role for Rotaract.”

    He pointed to existing successful restoration projects across the island as models for future collaboration, including initiatives led by the Alligator Head Foundation in Portland and marine biology research and conservation programs at The University of the West Indies. Samuda also noted that Jamaica is a member of the global Mangrove Breakthrough coalition, an international partnership that directs dedicated funding to local restoration projects led by organizations including The UWI, the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (CCAM) in Clarendon, and the Alligator Head Foundation.

  • Kingston Creative bets on Jamaica’s next wave of innovators with ‘Createch Incubator’

    Kingston Creative bets on Jamaica’s next wave of innovators with ‘Createch Incubator’

    In a landmark move to strengthen Jamaica’s fast-growing creative economy and integrate cutting-edge technology into cultural entrepreneurship, Kingston Creative has officially launched the Createch Incubator, a four-month specialized support program tailored for early-stage creative founders. The initiative aims to empower emerging entrepreneurs across Jamaica’s cultural sectors to build purpose-driven, technology-forward businesses by combining hands-on training, expert mentorship, and expanded regional networking opportunities.

    Jamaica’s creative sector already stands as a major pillar of the national economy, contributing an estimated JMD $107 billion annually, equal to 5.1% of the country’s total gross domestic product. Against this backdrop, the Createch Incubator opens its doors to innovators across a wide spectrum of creative fields, including motion picture production, literary arts, visual arts, live performance, fashion design, handmade craft, music, and cultural festivals.

    The program is implemented through Conecta Caribbean, an initiative of the CARIBEquity Facility that receives co-funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Lab and the European Union. It forms part of a broader regional collaborative effort that unites entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs) across 15 Caribbean nations, creating a unified cross-border incubation ecosystem for early-stage ventures.

    Scheduled to run from July through November 2026, the program delivers structured training in core startup fundamentals: from identifying unmet market problems and conducting customer discovery to refining value propositions, designing scalable business models, and building long-term financial sustainability. A key distinguishing feature of Createch is its dedicated practical training in artificial intelligence and other emerging digital tools, equipping creative founders to embed innovative technology into their daily operations and long-term growth strategies.

    The program will conclude with a high-stakes Demo Day pitch competition, where select participating graduates will present their developed ventures to an audience of investors, regional ecosystem partners, and industry stakeholders. Top contenders will win grant funding to accelerate the growth of their businesses.

    Participation is completely free for all selected applicants, with a robust package of benefits included. Successful candidates gain access to one-on-one mentorship from seasoned business and creative professionals, full access to the Bridge for Billions digital entrepreneurship platform, a structured online curriculum, targeted capacity-building workshops, collaborative cohort learning sessions, and exclusive connections to a cross-regional network of fellow founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders.

    Bianca Welds, the newly appointed head of projects and partnerships at Kingston Creative, emphasized the transformative potential of the initiative. “We’re excited to be a part of the Conecta Caribbean initiative, which is helping to standardize startup training across the region,” Welds said. “Createch is the only creative industry incubator in this cohort and Jamaican creatives will benefit tremendously from the regional reach of the programme.”

    Applications for the 2026 Createch Incubator cohort are currently open to eligible early-stage creative entrepreneurs, with all submissions due by June 30, 2026.

  • Jamaica must position itself to take advantage of global advances in science and technology – Terrelonge

    Jamaica must position itself to take advantage of global advances in science and technology – Terrelonge

    MONTEGO BAY, St James — Against a backdrop of accelerating global change across technology, climate action and economic systems, Jamaica’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Alando Terrelonge has laid out a clear roadmap for the island nation: leverage stronger collaboration with its global diaspora and international partners to capitalize on worldwide advances in science, technology and sustainable development.

    Terrelonge shared his vision during opening commencement remarks at the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, hosted this week at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James. He framed rapid global transformation not as a threat, but as a rare opening to drive inclusive national growth and homegrown innovation for Jamaica.

    “Across every continent, we are seeing game-changing breakthroughs in science and technology, forward-thinking new frameworks for sustainable development, and creative partnership models that are rewriting how industries operate and lifting community living standards,” Terrelonge told attendees. “These leaps forward confirm what we have long believed: progress becomes achievable when bold vision is paired with unwavering determination, and when collective action backs national ambition.”

    A core pillar of Terrelonge’s argument centered on the unique strategic value of Jamaica’s diaspora community spread across the globe. He noted that diaspora members hold unmatched potential to bridge Jamaica to global expertise, cutting-edge emerging technologies, untapped international markets and critical new investment streams. Beyond financial and technological links, he added, diaspora leaders have long served as key facilitators of cross-border knowledge sharing and expanded access to global professional and policy networks that can accelerate Jamaica’s development goals.

    Terrelonge emphasized that in an era of increasingly interconnected and complex global challenges, from climate change to economic volatility, innovation cannot thrive in isolation. Meaningful, sustained collaboration across borders and stakeholder groups is non-negotiable for countries like Jamaica to navigate shifting global realities effectively.

    “Our world is undergoing rapid, far-reaching change right now. Technological breakthroughs, economic restructuring, pressing environmental threats, and shifting social norms are all reshaping how we think, live, work, and connect with one another,” he said. “Events like the biennial diaspora conference create irreplaceable space for diverse stakeholders to come together, exchange fresh perspectives, and co-develop practical, actionable solutions to the challenges we share.”

    Moving beyond talk, Terrelonge stressed that the true success of the conference will be measured not by the volume of panels or discussions, but by the tangible action that emerges in the months after the event closes. “The insights and agreements we hammer out here should shape national policy, guide development strategy, inspire new innovation, and deliver real, measurable benefits for all Jamaican people,” he said.

    He urged every conference participant to lean into the week’s activities, including breakout discussions, skills-focused workshops, and structured networking sessions, noting that enduring, impactful partnerships are almost always built through consistent, open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving. This year’s conference runs under the overarching theme “Diaspora Partnerships: Rebuilding a More Climate-Resilient Jamaica”, aligning with global efforts to address climate vulnerability in small island developing states.

    Closing his remarks, Terrelonge expressed measured optimism that the conference will deliver on its promises: it will reinforce long-standing ties between Jamaica and its diaspora, while opening new avenues for productive engagement that benefit the island nation for years to come.