标签： Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s intellectual sports community has embarked on an ambitious national initiative with the formal launch of the 2026 Strategic Thinkers Campaign by the Jamaica Draughts Association (JDA). The campaign debuted at a competitive gathering hosted at the Junction Draughts Club in St. Elizabeth, attracting over 65 participants comprising elite players and distinguished personalities from across the draughts community.

The event showcased exceptional talent, notably featuring Shavier Jaddo, the JDA’s National Youth Champion, who delivered a commanding performance. Jaddo secured a decisive 6-0 victory against Justin Angus in traditional Jamaican Draughts and triumphed 2-0 over Samuel Peirce in International Draughts-100. These wins reinforce his status as the premier Under-20 Jamaican draughts competitor.

International Grandmaster Wayne Reid, who holds multiple titles including 2025 JDA National Champion and 2017 Pan-American Champion, demonstrated his expertise with a 6-0 win against Samuel Peirce in Jamaican Draughts-64. Peirce faced additional challenges, suffering another 6-0 defeat against Top Master Jermaine Delattibudiere.

The JDA has announced its selection of national representatives for international competitions, with Reid, Federation Master Jermaine Hutchinson, Delattibudiere, and Jaddo chosen to compete in the forthcoming Pan American Championships.

Beyond competition, the Association emphasizes the cognitive benefits of draughts, citing documented improvements in strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and mathematical proficiency among youth participants. In February, the JDA will establish two new draughts clubs at Iona and Brown’s Town High Schools, implementing specialized training programs designed to enhance critical thinking skills.

The Association’s 2026 calendar includes significant international engagements, notably the 10×10 Pan-American Championship in Suriname this April and the American Pool Checkers Association National Tournament scheduled for July in Memphis, Tennessee. The next local event will be held at Sabina Park’s Stingers Camp with partial sponsorship from Caribbean Jewellers Limited. The JDA continues to seek additional sponsorship partnerships to support the expansion of draughts throughout Jamaica.

MINNEAPOLIS, United States – A Mexican family residing in Minneapolis has become virtual prisoners within their own home amid escalating immigration enforcement operations. For two consecutive months, Ana, Carlos, and their son Luis have remained barricaded indoors, their curtains perpetually drawn and doors reinforced with metal bars against potential intrusion.

The family, who have called this Midwestern city home for over a decade, describe their American dream transforming into a nightmare under the current administration’s policies. Their confinement follows the fatal shooting of two US citizens by federal immigration agents last month, creating an atmosphere of pervasive fear within immigrant communities.

Ana, 47, expressed the psychological toll of their situation: “It’s inhuman to live like this, a prisoner in your own home.” The mother of four lives in constant anxiety, particularly concerning her US-born children who venture outside. “I’m always afraid that even though they’re citizens, they won’t be respected and that they could be taken away just because of the color of their skin,” she revealed, her voice trembling with emotion.

The family has developed security protocols requiring children to text before returning home. Fifteen-year-old Luis, born in Mexico, watches wistfully as his siblings move freely while his world has shrunk to their apartment walls. His greatest aspiration is simply to walk to the fast-food restaurant “right down the street — when things get better.”

Carlos, the family patriarch, expresses outrage at their predicament. Despite working legally installing granite countertops and paying nearly $11,000 in legal fees for visa applications, their immigration process has stalled for nearly three years. Both parents possess work permits, but these documents no longer provide protection against arrest or deportation under current enforcement practices.

“When we realized Trump had removed the protection against deportation, we felt as if he swindled us,” Carlos stated. “I don’t think we deserve this. We haven’t done anything wrong. We are not criminals.”

The operations, known as “Operation Metro Surge,” have seen masked federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) conducting street sweeps in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Statistics from similar operations in Los Angeles last summer indicated more than half of detained immigrants had no criminal record.

The financial impact has been devastating. Previously earning $6,000 monthly between Carlos’s job and Ana’s work as a cook or cashier, the family now has no income since December. They recently borrowed $1,500 to cover January’s $2,200 rent, with no solution for February in sight.

As the raids continue, Carlos voices the dread shared by many immigrants: “What if it never stops? The president has three years to go, three years is a long time.” Despite the hardship, Ana acknowledges that her children’s dreams remain their anchor to America, even as she occasionally imagines returning to Mexico.

Jamaica’s Supreme Court is poised to commence the landmark trial of alleged Klansman gang leader Tesha Miller and 24 co-defendants this Wednesday, following contentious legal arguments over disclosure protocols and adjournment requests. Presiding Judge Justice Dale Palmer, operating without a jury, will oversee proceedings that follow a delayed start initially scheduled for February 2nd.

The trial’s commencement was deferred after defense attorney John-Mark Reid raised constitutional concerns regarding electronic evidence disclosure. Representing defendant Kemar Miller, Reid argued that the prosecution’s ‘ever-expanding electronic disclosure database’ risked compromising his client’s right to adequate trial preparation. He petitioned the court to mandate Crown compliance with procedural guidelines, asserting that the defense required sufficient time to review voluminous evidence and consult with clients.

Prosecution counsel countered that all available evidence had been properly disclosed, noting that while investigations began in March 2023, the current prosecution team only received assignment in November 2025. The lead prosecutor emphasized efforts to streamline electronic disclosure while maintaining legal compliance.

The adjournment request faced opposition from defense attorney Sasha-Kay Shaw, representing detained defendant Geovaughni McDonald, who expressed her client’s eagerness for trial commencement after prolonged incarceration.

Justice Palmer’s ruling acknowledged case complexity while emphasizing judicial efficiency: ‘Significant resources have been deployed—time allotted, a judge assigned. To adjourn protractedly may see us next year in the same place.’ The justice limited any delay to a brief recess, scheduling opening arguments for February 4th, 2026.

The trial addresses charges under Jamaica’s anti-gang legislation, with defendants accused of murder, conspiracy to murder, armed robbery, and firearms offenses occurring between August 2017 and August 2022 in St. Catherine. Miller, already serving a 38-year sentence for the 2008 murder of Jamaica Urban Transit Company Chairman Douglas Chambers, faces additional leadership charges regarding criminal organization activities.

Concurrent matters include pending media reporting restrictions and bail extensions for defendant Paul Robinson, a medical doctor, while remaining defendants remain remanded in custody.

SAO PAULO, Brazil – A tragic bus accident has claimed the lives of at least 16 individuals, including four children, following a religious pilgrimage in northeastern Brazil. The catastrophic event occurred on Tuesday when the vehicle veered off a curved roadway and overturned in the rural interior of Alagoas state.

Official reports indicate the bus was transporting approximately 60 passengers returning from celebrations honoring Our Lady of Candelaria, an annual religious festival in Ceara state that draws massive devotion every February 2. The impact ejected numerous passengers while trapping others beneath the wreckage in what rescue officials described as an exceptionally severe collision.

Colonel Andre Madeiro, director of the Alagoas Aviation Department who participated in emergency operations, provided harrowing details at a press conference. “The bus departed the road on a curve, overturned completely, and ejected multiple victims,” he stated. “Others were critically trapped beneath the vehicle. This was a profoundly severe accident, even by atypical standards.”

The Alagoas regional government confirmed the fatalities included seven women, five men, and four children, noting the investigation remains ongoing due to the “highly complex” nature of the incident. Survivors, including one critically injured child, were transported to local hospitals where they remain under medical supervision.

In response to the tragedy, Alagoas Governor Paulo Dantas declared three official days of mourning. “I extend my deepest solidarity to families and friends enduring this moment of immense sorrow,” Dantas expressed via social media platform X.

This incident highlights Brazil’s ongoing struggle with roadway safety, coming just months after 17 fatalities occurred in a similar bus accident in Pernambuco state last October when a driver lost control of the vehicle.