标签： Jamaica

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Hamilton claims his first Ferrari win at Barcelona Grand Prix

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya played host to a dramatic, history-making turn in the 2025 Formula One season on Sunday, as seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton claimed his maiden victory since joining Ferrari, snapping championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s dominant five-race winning run in the process.

Forty-one-year-old Hamilton, who had not stood atop an F1 podium for nearly two years, delivered a masterclass in control and speed across the 66-lap race, crossing the finish line with a comfortable 19-second gap over second-place George Russell of Mercedes. Lando Norris of McLaren rounded out the results to secure an all-British top three, a rare and celebrated outcome for British motorsport fans.

Antonelli, the young Italian who had dominated the preceding five Grands Prix to build a sizeable lead in the Drivers’ Championship, saw his race unravel in the final stages. A sudden, unexpected technical failure forced him to retire from the event before he could cross the finish line, a devastating end to what had shaped up to be another strong showing for the teenager.

The retirement drastically reshaped the championship standings. Hamilton’s win cuts Antonelli’s overall lead to just 41 points with multiple races remaining on the calendar, opening the title fight back up for the veteran contender. For Russell, the pre-season favorite to claim this year’s crown, the result brought a mix of relief and renewed motivation. The Mercedes driver had arrived in Montmeló openly lamenting a string of bad luck that had derailed his recent form, and he benefited from Antonelli’s misfortune to close the gap to the young Italian to 53 points.

In an emotional post-race message over team radio, Hamilton paid tribute to the Ferrari squad and the legions of fans that have stood by him through his two-year dry spell. “You have helped me so much to achieve this dream, I cannot thank you enough,” Hamilton said. “To the fans, thank you for reminding me who I am. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Russell offered a measured take on his second-place finish, acknowledging the step forward for his team while conceding that Ferrari’s pace was unmatched on Sunday. “Good to be back on the podium and have a clean race, but Ferrari were mighty today so we need to keep pushing,” Russell told reporters. “The last stints were difficult, but it’s good to be back here. The pace today was insane from Lewis, they are coming I think.”

The result marks a pivotal turning point in the season, proving that the 41-year-old Hamilton remains a force to be reckoned with at the pinnacle of motorsport, and setting up a tense title battle for the remaining races.

13 6 月, 2026
Japan snatch 2-2 draw with Netherlands in World Cup Group F

In a heart-pounding Group F World Cup encounter held Sunday at Arlington, Texas’ AT&T Stadium, Japan pulled off a stunning late comeback to force a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, with midfielder Daichi Kamada netting a dramatic 88th-minute equalizing header. The match, which kept fans on the edge of their seats from the first whistle to the final minutes, saw the Japanese side twice rally back from deficits to claim a hard-earned point in the group stage standings.

The deadlock held through the first half, with both sides trading defensive stops and limited attacking chances, until Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk, the star defender of Liverpool, broke the open the scoring in the 51st minute. The towering centre-back put the Oranje ahead with a well-placed finish, giving his side the momentum heading into the final half-hour of play.

Japan responded quickly, however. Just six minutes after van Dijk’s opener, Japanese winger Keito Nakamura found the back of the net to level the score at 1-1, setting the stage for a tense back-and-forth finish. The Netherlands retook the lead in the 64th minute, when Crysencio Summerville’s clinical strike put the Oranje up 2-1, putting Japan on the brink of a group stage defeat.

But Kamada, who plies his club trade with Premier League side Crystal Palace, had other plans. In the closing minutes of regulation time, the Japanese playmaker rose above the Dutch defence to connect with a cross, sending a pinpoint header past the Netherlands’ goalkeeper and securing a precious equalizer that preserved a point for Hajime Moriyasu’s Blue Samurai. The dramatic result leaves both teams with one point from their opening group clash, setting up high-stakes final two group matches for both sides as they chase a spot in the knockout stage.

13 6 月, 2026
Jamaican-born pilot Beth Powell wins at Cannes Film Festival for Bessie Coleman documentary

A documentary chronicling the trailblazing life of aviation pioneer Bessie Coleman has earned a prestigious industry accolade, cementing its place as a standout work of inclusive historical storytelling. *Discovering Bessie Coleman*, created by Jamaican-born pilot and filmmaker Beth Powell, took home the award for Best Documentary in the Short Film Showcase at the 2026 Diversity in Cannes Film Festival Showcase.

Coleman made history as the first woman of both African American and Native American descent to earn a commercial pilot license, breaking racial and gender barriers in early aviation that had long excluded women and people of color. The 2024 documentary, directed by Powell and produced by veteran producer Lorna Chin, centers on preserving Coleman’s legacy and highlighting her lasting impact on underrepresented groups in aviation and beyond.

In a celebratory Instagram post following the Cannes win, Chin shared the backstory of how the project came to life. She recalled that Powell first approached her with the concept for a Coleman-focused documentary in 2023, kicking off a 12-month collaborative process to shape the narrative. “We developed the story over the course of a year, eventually deciding to lean into a Jamaican storytelling style,” Chin explained in her post, noting that the creative direction helped bring a unique, intimate perspective to Coleman’s story.

Beyond its Cannes recognition, the documentary has already reached a global audience through a major in-flight entertainment partnership. It is currently featured as part of the American Black Film Festival showcase on American Airlines’ in-flight entertainment platform, introducing Coleman’s extraordinary journey to millions of air travelers across the world.

The Cannes event also brought a second honor for Powell: she was awarded the esteemed Better World Award, in recognition of her commitment to creating purpose-driven film that advances social impact and elevates under-told stories. The dual recognition underscores the growing demand for inclusive historical content that re-centers figures long overlooked by mainstream historical narratives.

13 6 月, 2026
US-Iran peace deal announced with ‘permanent’ end to military action

After more than three months of open conflict that roiled global energy markets and raised fears of a wider regional war, a landmark peace agreement between the United States and Iran has been reached, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who led the mediation effort, announced Sunday. The deal mandates an immediate and permanent halt to all military operations across every active front, including the ongoing confrontation in Lebanon between Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah.

Sharif confirmed the breakthrough in an official post on X, stating that the agreement is fully finalized and a formal signing ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 19 in Switzerland. He extended gratitude to both American and Iranian negotiating teams for choosing diplomatic dialogue over continued confrontation, and also acknowledged the supportive mediation roles played by leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey in facilitating the talks.

Shortly after Sharif’s announcement, US President Donald Trump – marking his 80th birthday on Sunday – issued his own official confirmation of the deal. In his statement, Trump announced he had authorized the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping and the immediate lifting of the US naval blockade that had been imposed on Iranian ports in response to Iran’s earlier closure of the strategic waterway. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” Trump said in the address.

The road to Sunday’s announcement was marked by last-minute turbulence that nearly derailed the agreement. Just hours before the confirmation, an Israeli airstrike targeting Hezbollah strongholds in the suburbs of Beirut – an action Iran had warned would derail diplomatic progress – left Tehran refusing to issue a formal confirmation of the deal and declined to share a clear timeline for finalizing an agreement. Earlier Sunday, Trump himself publicly blamed Israel for the delay, saying the uncoordinated strike had pushed back progress on the agreement.

This is not the first time an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs has disrupted ceasefire efforts. A similar attack earlier this year triggered a sharp escalation: Iran responded with a massive barrage of retaliatory missiles, and Israel launched follow-up strikes, breaking a weeks-long quiet that had held since April.

Tehran has consistently maintained that any final peace agreement must address the parallel conflict in Lebanon, where Israel has waged a months-long military campaign against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group. The current round of conflict erupted in late February, when US and Israeli forces launched joint strikes on Iranian targets. Iran retaliated with attacks on Israel and regional US allies, and effectively shut down all commercial ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz – the world’s most critical chokepoint for global oil and natural gas supplies, which carries roughly a fifth of the world’s daily oil consumption. In response, the US imposed a full naval blockade on traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, escalating the economic and military standoff.

13 6 月, 2026
PM vindicated in ‘unspent’ hurricane relief funds, says Montague

KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a recent address to the country’s House of Representatives during the annual Sectoral Debate last week, Robert Montague, Jamaica’s Minister of Land and Settlements, has pushed back against widespread public criticism of the government’s management of Hurricane Melissa disaster relief donations, arguing that the Auditor General’s independent report vindicates the Prime Minister’s earlier decision to launch the audit.

The controversy ignited after a real-time audit tabled in Parliament on May 12 revealed a stark gap in fund disbursement: by February 23, 2026, Jamaica’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) had only spent $26.2 million of the $1.44 billion in donated relief funds collected for survivors of Hurricane Melissa — a mere 1.8% of the total pledged. The catastrophic storm left thousands displaced, destroyed critical agricultural infrastructure, and triggered prolonged shortages of food and basic public services across hard-hit regions of the island.

Speaking during his scheduled policy presentation on June 9, Montague pushed back against claims of mismanagement, emphasizing that the audit never raised red flags over missing or misappropriated funds. He acknowledged that disbursement has progressed slower than initially projected, attributing the delay to untested new protocols and the unprecedented scale of the disaster that left Jamaican officials navigating uncharted operational territory.

Crucially, Montague stressed that every dollar of donations from Jamaican citizens, international partners, foreign donors, private companies, and aid agencies has been fully accounted for, a outcome he says reflects well on the country’s governance. “This is a proud moment in our journey as a young nation,” Montague told lawmakers. “Even in the wake of the most devastating weather event we have faced in recent memory, we can stand tall and confirm that no irregularities have been found in the management of these public donations.”

Montague went on to praise the Prime Minister directly, saying the audit’s findings confirm the wisdom of the leadership’s decision to support the transparent review. The minister added that beyond clearing the government of wrongdoing, the audit also identified structural gaps and procedural weaknesses in disaster relief fund management — changes the Prime Minister has already moved to implement, per Montague.

Montague framed the report as a watershed moment for public accountability across all Jamaican institutions, noting that the audit’s transparency sets a standard not just for government agencies, but for the private charities and non-governmental organizations that also received disaster relief funds. He called on all entities that accepted donations to publish full breakdowns of how much they have received, spent, and still hold, as well as clear plans for remaining funds, arguing that accountability is a shared responsibility for all groups working in the public interest. “The report is good for Jamaica,” Montague insisted. “It proves that the government can account for money donated to help its people, and it lights the path for all other organizations to follow.”

13 6 月, 2026
WATCH: St Elizabeth police appeal for use of domestic violence centre amid deadly family dispute

ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — A brutal early-morning attack that left one young man dead and two other family members critically injured has spurred top local law enforcement to urge parish residents to pursue peaceful solutions for personal and domestic conflicts, rather than letting tensions escalate into lethal violence. The incident unfolded Saturday in the quiet community of Stephenson Town, located near Southfield in the parish of St Elizabeth, when a 19-year-old local resident allegedly attacked his two brothers and their mother with a machete at their shared family home. According to official police accounts, the violence broke out shortly before 1 a.m. 31-year-old Travis Williams, a local laborer and Stephenson Town resident, suffered multiple severe slash wounds across his body and was pronounced dead at the scene. The 19-year-old suspect’s 14-year-old brother and 43-year-old mother were rushed to nearby medical facilities with life-threatening injuries, and remained in critical condition following the attack. Law enforcement officials took the 19-year-old suspect into custody shortly after the incident. On Sunday, Superintendent Coleridge Minto, head of the St Elizabeth Police Division, spoke publicly about the tragedy to highlight a gap that many residents are missing: a free, professional support resource already available to help de-escalate domestic and interpersonal conflicts before they turn deadly. Minto emphasized that this fatal attack is just the latest in a disturbing trend of violence driven by unresolved personal disputes sweeping the parish so far this year. To date, St Elizabeth has recorded 14 homicide cases in the current year, and nearly 60% of those deaths can be traced back to interpersonal conflict or domestic abuse, according to police data. “The most recent murder stems from a family dispute. I continue to speak to persons in the parish that the division has a domestic violence intervention centre, it is located in Santa Cruz right at the police station and so persons who have conflicts, disputes that they are unable to solve, we encourage them and appeal to them to seek the services of the police,” Minto stated during his Sunday address in Santa Cruz. The intervention center, Minto confirmed, staffs a team of fully trained professionals specifically prepared to support families and individuals navigating contentious domestic conflicts. “There are trained individuals at this location that are willing and ready to assist persons with domestic disputes, it is quite unfortunate this situation which unfolded,” he added. Minto’s public appeal comes as local law enforcement works to curb the rising tide of preventable violence linked to unresolved domestic tension in the parish, pushing residents to reach out for support rather than resorting to violence when disputes arise.

13 6 月, 2026
Audrey Marks reacquires Digicel’s 80 per cent stake in Paymaster parent

KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a landmark deal reshaping Jamaica’s fintech landscape, Audrey Marks, founder of leading Jamaican payment services provider Paymaster, has bought back Digicel’s 80 percent controlling stake in APM Holdings Limited, the parent company of Paymaster. The transaction hands full ownership control back to the firm’s original founder nearly three decades after Marks first launched the business.

Specific financial details of the acquisition have not been made public per the terms of the deal.

Company representatives confirmed the transaction concludes negotiations that first kicked off in 2024, preceding Marks’ appointment to her current dual roles as Jamaica’s Minister of Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, and Member of Parliament for Manchester North Eastern.

Marks first founded Paymaster back in 1997, building the business from its early days to become a cornerstone of Jamaica’s transaction services ecosystem. Today, the company delivers a wide range of services including bill payment processing and general transaction solutions for individual consumers, private businesses and government agencies across the island, operating via a sprawling network of physical locations spanning every major region of Jamaica.

In an official statement following the deal’s closure, Marks noted that the acquisition puts the company in a position to leverage its decades-long market presence as it pursues new expansion opportunities in the fast-evolving, technology-first global payments industry. “This transaction allows the company to build on its strong foundation while positioning for future growth opportunities in an increasingly technology-driven environment,” Marks said.

To accommodate Marks’ ongoing public sector responsibilities, Paymaster announced it will onboard dedicated strategic management support to oversee company operations. This new governance framework is designed to deliver robust operational oversight, strengthen corporate governance standards, and guide the company’s upcoming modernization initiative.

The firm has moved to reassure stakeholders that day-to-day business operations will continue without any disruption throughout the ownership transition. Customers, billing partners, agent networks and other third-party partners can expect no changes to existing service offerings in the coming months.

Paymaster also issued a public note of gratitude to Digicel for its years of collaboration and partnership during its time as majority shareholder. As of the latest announcement, the company has not released further details regarding planned capital investments, updated long-term management structure, or a concrete timeline for the proposed modernization process.

13 6 月, 2026
WATCH: Bike crash ends in flames on North South Highway

A dramatic early incident unfolded on Jamaica’s North South Highway Sunday, when a collision left one motorcyclist hospitalized and his vehicle engulfed in flames. The crash occurred just steps from the Moneague toll exit, in the vicinity of St Catherine, as the victim rode alongside a larger group of fellow motorcyclists.

According to initial on-scene reports, the motorcyclist lost control of his vehicle and collided forcefully with a roadside traffic sign, knocking the structure completely off its foundation. Moments after the impact, the motorcycle caught fire, sending flames billowing across the shoulder of the highway.

Local law enforcement officers who were present or arrived quickly at the scene stepped in to aid the injured rider, transporting him directly to nearby Linstead Hospital for urgent medical care. As of the first public updates following the incident, medical authorities have not released any detailed information about the motorcyclist’s current condition or the extent of his injuries. Raw footage captured at the crash site shortly after the collision has been made available for public viewing.

13 6 月, 2026
Ripton opens US$15.5 million Rogers Commercial Centre on Lady Musgrave Road

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A landmark new mixed-use business hub has officially launched in the heart of Jamaica’s capital, representing one of the largest injections of private capital into Kingston’s commercial landscape in recent memory. Ripton International Capital Holdings Limited has opened the doors to the Rogers Commercial Centre, a $15.5 million development located at 56–58 Lady Musgrave Road, drawing a high-profile gathering of top government officials, business leaders, and civic stakeholders to mark the occasion.

Among the attendees in attendance for the opening ceremony were Aubyn Hill, Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce; Delano Seivright, State Minister in the same ministry; Andrew Swaby, Mayor of Kingston; Commissioner of Police Dr Kevin Blake; and prominent local businessman Norman Horne, Founder and Executive Chairman of ARC Manufacturing Limited. Popular media figure Khadine “Miss Kitty” Wilkinson led the event as master of ceremonies.

The finished project is the brainchild and property of Jamaican entrepreneur Fritzwarien “Ripton” Rogers, who developed the centre over approximately two years. Local financial institution JMMB provided the project financing, while ARC Manufacturing Limited supplied all core building materials for the construction phase.

Speaking on behalf of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation, Mayor Andrew Swaby opened his remarks by extending congratulations to the entire project team, framing the new development as clear proof that Kingston continues to draw strong interest from domestic and international investors. “Today marks more than the unveiling of a new building,” Swaby told the gathered crowd. “It represents vision, determination, confidence and a firm belief in the future of our city.”

The Mayor highlighted the project’s far-reaching economic benefits beyond its physical footprint: during the two-year construction period, the development created work for more than 600 local workers, and it will sustain ongoing new employment through its diverse roster of tenants, which span retail, food and beverage, healthcare, wellness, automotive services, and professional consulting. Swaby added that the modern development is a standout addition to the bustling Lady Musgrave Road commercial corridor, and emphasized that “Kingston is open for business.”

Minister Hill also praised the project, positioning it as a powerful example of what Jamaican entrepreneurs can deliver when given access to the right support. He used the platform to issue a call to other local contractors, urging them to scale up their operations to be able to compete for larger national infrastructure and development projects. Hill noted that billions in new financing is currently flowing into Jamaica from multilateral development partners including the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and a significant portion of these funds must be allocated to private sector organizations. For smaller contractors that lack the capacity to take on large projects on their own, Hill encouraged collaborative partnerships to help them meet qualification requirements. “Ripton, you can be in the game, and other contractors like Ripton can be in the game,” he emphasized.

Norman Horne, whose ARC Manufacturing supplied building materials for the project and who has counted Rogers as a close personal friend for decades, told the audience that the centre’s significance reaches far beyond its 300,000 total square feet of space. “Rogers Commercial Centre is a statement,” Horne said. “A statement that Jamaican business can create world-class development. A statement of confidence in Jamaica.”

Like both Rogers and Hill, Horne hails from Jamaica’s parish of St Elizabeth, and he noted that the successful partnership behind the project was built on decades of mutual trust, respect, and integrity. “Jamaica needs more people like Ripton who are willing to dream big, invest big and build big,” Horne added.

For developer Ripton Rogers, the official opening marked the fulfillment of a personal and professional dream that he first conceived two and a half years ago. Born in Jamaica and raised in Canada, Rogers explained that he chose to return to his home country to invest and contribute to local economic growth. “I wanted to show the little boy from St Elizabeth that you could come this far and achieve anything,” he shared. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, it doesn’t matter what your background is. If you put your mind to it and work hard, you can achieve anything.”

Rogers explained that naming the development after his family was a deliberate choice, intended to honor the long commercial history of the Lady Musgrave Road corridor, a connection that both he and Minister Hill highlighted during the ceremony. He extended heartfelt gratitude to all of his partners, financial advisors, financers, and family members who supported the project through its entire development cycle, saving special recognition for his father for his ongoing encouragement.

Spread across 56 individual commercial units, the Rogers Commercial Centre offers 100,000 square feet of leasable space and a total of 300,000 square feet including basement parking and supporting infrastructure. Remarkably, the development hit 99% occupancy even before its official opening, and once all tenants are fully operational, it is projected to support approximately 400 permanent full-time jobs. Rogers shared his vision for the hub to grow into one of Kingston’s top destinations for entertainment, wellness, and modern lifestyle offerings, saying “I want it to be the hip strip for Kingston.”

Looking ahead, Rogers has an aggressive pipeline of new development projects planned across Jamaica: he is set to expand into the hospitality sector with new projects in the popular resort town of Ocho Rios, and roughly half a dozen additional new developments are on track to be completed over the next two years.

13 6 月, 2026
Six killed as helicopters collide in Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — A devastating mid-air collision between two helicopters left at least six people dead Sunday in Rio de Janeiro’s western suburb of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, local fire department officials confirmed. Both aircraft plummeted into the open-air parking lot of a local electric vehicle dealership after the crash, triggering an intense blaze that consumed at least 20 parked cars.

Early official statements from Rio’s fire department confirm all six fatalities were crew members on board the two collided helicopters. Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere also confirmed that one of the aircraft carried foreign nationals, though he declined to release additional details including nationalities or identities of those on board as of Sunday afternoon.

Speaking to reporters on the scene, fire service spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Contreiras noted that investigators still lack a clear timeline of how the accident unfolded. “Aircraft debris is scattered across hundreds of meters of the surrounding area, so all details we have at this moment remain preliminary,” Contreiras explained. “To piece together an accurate account of what led to the collision, we need to recover on-board flight recordings and review witness footage captured at the scene.”

Search and recovery teams documented one helicopter, carrying five crew members, that came to rest among the dealership’s electric vehicles and was immediately engulfed in flames; all five people on board were pronounced dead at the scene. The second helicopter, which crashed roughly 100 meters from the dealership lot, carried only a pilot, who also did not survive the impact.

Local media published images from the crash site within hours, showing a thick column of black smoke billowing hundreds of meters above the dealership, as multiple vehicles burned continuously through the initial response effort.

In a surprising silver lining, Contreiras emphasized that the crash location, an open parking lot away from crowded residential areas, prevented a far deadlier outcome. “Given the density of surrounding homes in this part of the suburb, the accident could have resulted in far greater loss of life on the ground,” he said.

First responders faced unique challenges tackling the blaze, Contreiras added, due to the large number of electric vehicles that caught fire. Lithium-ion batteries that power most electric vehicles create unusual hazards for fire crews: when ignited, they release toxic fumes, drive up blaze temperatures far faster than traditional fuel fires, and require vastly more water to fully extinguish. “Putting out a single electric vehicle battery fire requires three to four times the water needed for a conventional gasoline car fire,” Contreiras noted.

This collision marks the latest in a string of aviation accidents in Brazil, a continental-sized nation that ranks as the world’s fifth largest by geographic area, where small aircraft are a common mode of transit across vast distances. Just one month prior, a small fixed-wing plane crashed into a residential building in the southeastern Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, killing both the pilot and co-pilot on board.

Preliminary data from Brazil’s Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) shows that 84 aviation accidents have been recorded across the country in 2026 prior to Sunday’s collision, with 25 total fatalities recorded in those incidents.

13 6 月, 2026