The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) has decided to maintain its key interest rate at 5.75%, defying market expectations for a rate cut. This decision, announced by Governor Richard Byles, reflects the central bank’s focus on medium-term inflation risks and robust domestic demand, despite recent low inflation figures. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) unanimously agreed to hold the rate, emphasizing the importance of core inflation, which remains at 4.2%, within the target range. This core figure, which excludes volatile food and fuel prices, indicates persistent underlying price pressures, particularly in the services sector. The BOJ attributes the low headline inflation of 1.2% to temporary factors such as increased agricultural production post-Hurricane Beryl and reduced public transport fare impacts. The bank’s hawkish stance aims to manage domestic demand and anchor inflation expectations, supported by a tight labor market and elevated wage growth. The economy is projected to grow between 1% and 3% in fiscal year 2025/26, driven by expansions in Agriculture, Mining, and Tourism. External risks, including potential U.S. tariff increases and geopolitical tensions, also informed the BOJ’s cautious approach. The next policy decision is scheduled for November 20, 2025, allowing time for reassessment of economic data.
标签： Jamaica
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Colombia gives chunk of druglord Escobar’s ranch to conflict victims
In a significant move toward social justice, Colombia has reallocated a portion of the late drug lord Pablo Escobar’s sprawling Hacienda Napoles estate to women impacted by the nation’s prolonged armed conflict. President Gustavo Petro announced the decision on Wednesday, marking a step in the government’s efforts to address historical inequalities tied to land ownership. The 120-hectare parcel, once a symbol of Escobar’s immense wealth and power, has been granted to local women farmers who were previously evicted from the land despite receiving a loan from the Puerto Triunfo municipality in 2017. Escobar, the infamous leader of the Medellin Cartel, amassed a fortune estimated at $25 billion in the 1980s. His 4,000-hectare estate, complete with exotic animals like hippos, became a notorious emblem of his criminal empire. After his death in 1993, the property was converted into a theme park, attracting tourists with its zoo and replica plane—a nod to his drug-smuggling operations. The government’s decision aligns with Petro’s broader land reform initiative, which seeks to redistribute thousands of hectares, including properties once owned by drug traffickers, to rural Colombians. While tourism operators have opposed the estate’s division, citing its economic benefits, the move has been celebrated by beneficiaries like Millinery Correa, who expressed hope and gratitude for the land allocation. Additionally, the estate’s hippo population, now numbering around 150, has been declared an invasive species, with plans underway to relocate 70 of them to overseas sanctuaries.
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UWI Integration hosts King & Queen of Integration talent series
The University of the West Indies (UWI) in Kingston, Jamaica, has ushered in the new academic year with a fresh twist on its beloved weekly event, Integration Thursdays. Organized by the UWI Guild of Students, this year’s edition features a five-week talent competition titled ‘King & Queen of Integration,’ designed to spotlight the artistic abilities of students while fostering campus engagement. The event kicked off on September 24 at the Students’ Union and will culminate in a grand finale with cash prizes and other rewards for the winners.
Tajay Gardner, a member of the UWI Guild Cultural and Entertainment Affairs Committee (CEAC), emphasized the initiative’s dual purpose. ‘The Kings and Queens of Integration provides a platform for student artists to refine their craft while enhancing student participation,’ Gardner explained to Observer Online. The competition will consist of five elimination rounds, with two participants eliminated each week. The final two contenders will face off in the grand finale, where winners will be determined by audience reactions and a panel of judges.
The opening night showcased nine talented performers, offering a glimpse of the creativity to come. Among them was Jalon ‘Splxntak’ Lambert, a Humanities and Education student from Taylor Hall, who expressed his enthusiasm for the competition. ‘This is our time to shine. I’ve been writing music and poetry since high school, and I’m ready to show the world what I can do,’ Lambert shared. Similarly, Zineil ‘Flowmatic’ Blackwood, a Literature and Publishing student from Preston Hall, sees the event as an opportunity to hone his skills. ‘I’m here to develop my artistry, vocals, and lyrical abilities,’ he stated.
The competition also features Jada-Lee Dawkins, the sole female participant and a Social Sciences student with aspirations of becoming an R&B singer. ‘This platform offers the exposure I need to pursue my dreams,’ she said. Other participants, like Peter Jaun ‘Kod3’ Palmer and Kaheil ‘KJ’ Brown, view the event as a stepping stone to improve their craft and build a foundation for their artistic careers. ‘I’ve always been passionate about music, and this competition is the perfect vehicle to grow and learn,’ Brown added.
With its blend of talent, creativity, and community spirit, the ‘King & Queen of Integration’ series promises to be a highlight of UWI’s academic calendar, offering students a chance to shine while enriching campus culture.
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US shutdown frustrates tourists in Washington
A group of enthusiastic 10- and 11-year-old students from Georgia faced disappointment on Wednesday as their much-anticipated tour of the US Congress was abruptly canceled due to a government shutdown. The shutdown, which began at midnight, has led to the closure of numerous federal departments and agencies, leaving thousands of public sector workers furloughed. This occurred after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on a funding deal to sustain government operations.
Cami Hamlin, the principal of Springdale Elementary School, expressed her frustration, noting the irony of the situation. ‘It’s unfortunate as we’ve been teaching the kids they’ve got to manage their own budget,’ she remarked, standing in front of the Congress building with dozens of other tourists. The shutdown, triggered by a political deadlock between President Donald Trump’s Republicans and opposing Democrats, has particularly impacted Washington, D.C., where the federal government is the largest employer and operates many popular tourist attractions.
Key landmarks such as the Washington Monument were closed to visitors on Wednesday due to staff shortages. However, institutions like the Smithsonian, which manages museums and the National Zoo, will remain open until Monday using prior-year funds. Tourists like Martine Ruaud from Bordeaux, France, expressed their disappointment. ‘There is so much to see and it’s annoying if tourists can’t come because there’s no staff,’ she said, adding, ‘It would be a shame if the country closed itself off.’
This shutdown marks the first since a record 35-day stalemate in 2019 during Trump’s first term. It comes as the president seeks to advance a hard-right agenda opposed by Democrats, particularly focusing on expiring healthcare subsidies that Democrats want reinstated in the federal budget. Visitors like Terese Johnston from California voiced their frustration with the political impasse. ‘I think our government needs to learn how to work together for the people,’ she said. ‘This should have been resolved a long time ago, and we should never come to this position.’
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Guyanese national convicted of stealing American-funded aid
In a significant development, U.S. authorities have concluded a years-long investigation, unsealing an indictment in the District of South Carolina against two foreign nationals for conspiring to illegally divert U.S.-funded global health commodities. The defendants, Eric Ndungu Mwangi, a 40-year-old Kenyan national, and Davendra Rampersaud, a 42-year-old Guyanese national, along with their associated businesses, were charged in a 2021 superseding indictment by a federal grand jury. The indictment was initially sealed to safeguard the ongoing investigation, which was spearheaded by the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The investigation centered on the KEMSA Medical Commodities Programme (MCP), a USAID-funded initiative with a budget of approximately $650 million. The KEMSA MCP aimed to establish a secure and sustainable supply chain management system for HIV/AIDS commodities in Kenya, while also supporting the warehousing and distribution of family planning, nutrition, and malaria supplies. However, beginning in 2014, Mwangi and his company, Linear Diagnostics (LD), systematically stole HIV test kits and other commodities intended for KEMSA. These stolen goods were then sold to Rampersaud and his Guyanese company, Caribbean Medical Supplies, Inc. (CMS).
In 2015, Rampersaud fraudulently obtained a ‘Letter of Authority,’ enabling him to secure a lucrative, sole-source contract with the Guyana Ministry of Health for the illegally acquired products. Between 2015 and 2019, Rampersaud allegedly paid Mwangi over $177,000 for the diverted medical supplies, including the stolen, USAID-funded HIV test kits meant for Kenya. Rampersaud further profited by selling these stolen health commodities to the Guyanese government. Additionally, he and his company acquired and sold test kits stolen from another separate USAID programme.
U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina described the investigation as ‘incredibly complicated, spanning years and an ocean,’ emphasizing that the defendants ‘jeopardised a vital public health mission and caused a significant loss to the American taxpayers.’
In February 2021, Kenyan authorities arrested Mwangi on charges related to theft and fraud. He is currently awaiting trial in Kenya and faces up to 20 years in prison, fines, and supervised release on the American charges. Rampersaud was arrested in January 2023 during a flight layover in Miami, en route to Guyana. He was transported to Charleston, South Carolina, where he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and stealing or converting health commodities funded by USAID. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Rampersaud, crediting him for time served, and imposed a three-year supervised release term and an $84,000 fine.
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Vybz Kartel earns fourth Billboard song entry on Travis Scott’s PBT
Jamaican dancehall icon Vybz Kartel has achieved his fourth Billboard charting song with ‘PBT,’ a collaboration featuring American rapper Travis Scott and South African singer Tyla. The track climbed from #23 to #18 on this week’s Billboard Rhythmic Airplay chart, marking its steady rise since its debut at #38 on August 16, 2025. Kartel’s previous Billboard entries include ‘Pon De Floor’ with Major Lazer, ‘Ramping Shop’ with Spice, and the gold-certified hit ‘Fever.’ ‘PBT’ is part of the 17-track ‘Jackboys 2’ compilation album, released on July 13 by Cactus Jack Records and Epic Records. The album, featuring artists like Future, Playboi Carti, and 21 Savage, topped the Billboard 200 with 232,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. Meanwhile, Sean Paul’s ‘Ginger’ holds steady at #14 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart, while Mariah Carey’s ‘Sugar Sweet’ slips to #32. On the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, Bumpin Uglies debuted at #7 with ‘Crawling Up the Wall,’ their sixth entry since their 2018 chart-topper ‘Beast from the East.’ Legendary acts like Bob Marley and the Wailers continue to dominate, with ‘Legend’ logging 298 non-consecutive weeks at #1. Regional charts also saw movement, with Khago’s ‘2 Time’ maintaining its #1 spot for a third week.
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Million-year-old skull could change human evolution timeline
A groundbreaking study published on Friday has revealed that humans may have diverged from our ancient ancestors 400,000 years earlier than previously believed, and in Asia rather than Africa. The findings, based on a digital reconstruction of a million-year-old skull discovered in China in 1990, could reshape our understanding of human evolution and resolve the so-called ‘Muddle in the Middle’ period of human history. The skull, labeled Yunxian 2, was initially thought to belong to Homo erectus, an early human ancestor. However, advanced reconstruction technologies, including CT scanning and virtual modeling, revealed features more closely aligned with later species such as Homo longi and Homo sapiens. Chris Stringer, an anthropologist at London’s Natural History Museum and a member of the research team, stated, ‘This changes a lot of thinking. It suggests that by one million years ago, our ancestors had already split into distinct groups, pointing to a much earlier and more complex evolutionary split than previously believed.’ The study, published in the journal Science, also challenges the long-held assumption that early humans dispersed exclusively from Africa. Michael Petraglia, director of Griffith University’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, noted, ‘There’s a big change potentially happening here, where east Asia is now playing a very key role in hominin evolution.’ However, some experts remain skeptical, cautioning that the findings are likely to be disputed. Andy Herries, an archaeologist at La Trobe University, argued that fossil morphology alone may not be a reliable indicator of human evolution, emphasizing the importance of genetic analysis. The study underscores the complexity of human origins and highlights the need for further research to unravel the mysteries of our evolutionary past.
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Antiguan reggae artiste Jaygo completes studies at UWI, releases new single
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jaygo, the Antiguan reggae artiste and recent law school graduate, has seamlessly blended his dual passions for music and law, creating a unique narrative that reflects his deep connection to Caribbean culture. Born Jamal Gordon, Jaygo pursued legal studies at the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, where he immersed himself in the island’s vibrant culture while excelling academically.
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Chief Justice pays tribute to late Judge Ruth Lawrence
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaican legal community is in mourning following the passing of Judge Ruth Lawrence, a revered figure whose career was defined by unwavering integrity, profound compassion, and an unyielding commitment to justice. Chief Justice Bryan Sykes, in a heartfelt statement issued on Wednesday, expressed profound grief over her death, calling it “a profound loss to our judicial system and to all who had the privilege of knowing her.” Sykes also conveyed his deepest condolences on behalf of the judiciary to Lawrence’s family, colleagues, and friends.
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Adult film actor Austin Wolf sentenced to 19 years in prison for child sexual exploitation
Justin Heath Smith, widely known by his stage name Austin Wolf, has been handed a 19-year prison sentence for his involvement in luring minors into illegal sexual activities and engaging in prohibited sexual conduct. The 44-year-old adult film actor was also ordered to undergo 10 years of supervised release and pay a $40,000 fine. The sentencing was delivered by US District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who oversaw Smith’s guilty plea. US Attorney Jay Clayton emphasized the severity of Smith’s crimes, stating, ‘Justin Heath Smith’s crimes against children are horrible. He targeted kids as young as seven, and every New Yorker wants him off our streets for as long as possible.’ Smith’s actions included arranging meetings with minors for sexual exploitation, recording illicit encounters, and distributing child pornography. Investigations revealed that Smith possessed over 1,291 files of child pornography, some depicting infants and toddlers. His arrest followed a federal search warrant executed at his residence, preventing a planned encounter with a purported seven-year-old child. Smith’s case underscores the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat child exploitation and protect vulnerable minors.