In a major announcement from its Paris presentation Tuesday, Japanese gaming powerhouse Nintendo has confirmed that a brand-new remake of its genre-defining 1998 action-adventure masterpiece *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time* is in development for the company’s upcoming Switch 2 console. The reveal came during a pre-recorded livestream showcasing Nintendo’s pipeline of upcoming releases, though company representatives shared only limited details about the highly anticipated project, confirming only that the title will launch sometime this year to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the entire *Legend of Zelda* franchise. When the original version of Ocarina of Time launched for the Nintendo 64 console in 1998, it revolutionized the global gaming industry. It introduced players to an unprecedentedly immersive, intricately detailed open 3D world and a groundbreaking combat mechanic that let players lock on to individual enemies— a feature that is now a universal standard across nearly all 3D action and adventure games today. The game follows its iconic green-tunic-clad hero Link on a sprawling adventure that bends time itself, splitting his journey between childhood and adulthood, as he battles the dark tyrant Ganondorf to rescue Princess Zelda and save the kingdom of Hyrule from destruction. For decades, *Ocarina of Time* has retained its reputation as one of the greatest video games ever created, consistently topping “best games of all time” lists from leading gaming publications and holding a nearly perfect 99% aggregate critic score on the review platform Metacritic. This is not the first time Nintendo has revisited the classic title: back in 2011, the company released an updated remake for its Nintendo 3DS handheld console, which reworked the original’s low-polygon graphics to leverage the device’s stereoscopic 3D display technology. The entire *Legend of Zelda* franchise has grown into one of Nintendo’s most successful and enduring intellectual properties, with global sales of all series entries topping 140 million units to date. The most recent mainline installment, 2023’s *The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom*, became the fastest-selling game in franchise history, cementing the series’ ongoing popularity decades after its debut. Beyond the new game remake, Nintendo is expanding the Zelda franchise beyond interactive entertainment: a big-budget live-action *Legend of Zelda* feature film is currently in production and scheduled to hit theaters worldwide in April 2027.
标签： Jamaica
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Hadeed family gains stake in GENAC
KINGSTON, JAMAICA – A major shift in ownership structure has reshaped Jamaica’s leading general insurance provider, General Accident Insurance Company Jamaica Limited (GENAC), after the Hadeed family-controlled CGH Limited secured a substantial stake in the company as part of the sale of Trinidad-based Beacon Insurance Company Limited. The transaction, which was formally disclosed in a regulatory filing released on May 28, has positioned the Hadeed family as the second-largest shareholder in the Jamaican insurer, marking one of the most significant regional insurance industry moves in recent months.
Per the terms of the deal, CGH received a total allocation of 150,021,478 new ordinary shares and 9,700 new redeemable preference shares in GENAC. This share issuance serves as full consideration for the acquisition of Beacon by Musson (Jamaica) Limited, which closed the purchase of the general insurer on October 31 of last year. Following the transaction, CGH now holds a 12.70% stake in GENAC’s total issued ordinary shares, while majority owner Musson has seen its ownership stake drop from 80% to 69.84% of the company’s ordinary shares. Corporate records confirm that CGH is majority-owned by Gerald Hadeed, who holds 66.6% of the holding company, with the remaining 33.4% controlled by Christian Hadeed. In addition to the new stake, both Christian Hadeed and Beacon’s current Chief Executive Officer Christopher Woodhams were appointed to GENAC’s board of directors on May 19, giving the Hadeed group direct representation in the company’s governance.
Industry observers note that the transaction structure is layered for long-term strategic purposes: while Musson currently holds full ownership of Beacon following its original purchase, GENAC has planned a subsequent acquisition of the Trinidadian insurer from its parent company at a future date. Once this final acquisition step is completed, GENAC will hold a 70% controlling stake in Beacon, with Musson retaining a 30% minority stake in the regional carrier.
In its official disclosure to regulators, GENAC confirmed that key components of the final acquisition are still pending, noting that the transaction remains subject to final regulatory approval from the governing bodies overseeing Beacon’s operations in Trinidad. Until that approval is secured, the final transfer of Beacon’s ownership cannot move forward.
Valuation data from Jamaica’s Companies Office puts the ascribed value of the newly issued shares at J$6.32 per ordinary share and US$1,000 per redeemable preference share. That valuation means the newly issued ordinary shares allocated to CGH carry a total worth of J$948.14 million, while the preference shares are valued at US$9.7 million, equal to roughly J$1.51 billion at current exchange rates.
The news of the ownership restructuring has already had a visible impact on GENAC’s performance on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE). The company’s share price jumped 14% in trading on Tuesday, closing at J$9.15 per share. That gain pushes the insurer’s year-to-date increase in share value to 48% so far in 2026, giving GENAC a total market capitalization of J$9.44 billion as of the close of trading Tuesday.
Notably, the change in GENAC’s total issued share count has not yet been updated on JSE trading records. Once the newly issued shares are formally converted to standard stock units, the company’s total issued ordinary share count will rise to 1,181,271,478 outstanding ordinary shares. The update is expected to be reflected in exchange records as soon as all post-transaction administrative steps are completed.
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Dancehall artiste Munga Honorable’s murder trial gets underway
After years of repeated postponements and procedural disruptions caused by witness relocation, the long-awaited murder trial involving prominent Jamaican dancehall performer Munga Honorable and his co-defendant Sheridan Gordon finally commenced at Kingston’s Home Circuit Court on Monday.
The 48-year-old artist, legally named Damian Rhoden, and Gordon stand accused of the 2017 fatal shooting of Cleveland Smith, a 39-year-old resident of the Ackee Walk neighborhood in St Andrew. Court documents confirm Smith is the cousin of fellow dancehall entertainer Mr Vegas, a detail that has drawn widespread public attention to the case since it was first filed.
On the opening day of proceedings, the prosecution’s first eyewitness took the stand to give her account of the 2017 incident. Under oath, she told the court that she clearly observed both Rhoden and Gordon open fire on Smith as he rode his bicycle through the neighborhood. She testified that after the barrage of bullets stopped, Smith remained motionless on the ground beside his vehicle, leaving no doubt of the severity of his injuries.
Ahead of the midday adjournment for lunch, the judge revoked bail that had been granted to both defendants shortly after their initial arrest in 2017. Court observers from the Jamaica Observer witnessed the two men being led out of the courtroom in shared handcuffs, escorted by two armed officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The artist was documented moving at a slow pace as he exited the building, with both men remaining in cuffs when they returned to the court for afternoon proceedings.
When the session drew to a close for the day, lead defense attorney Christopher Townsend formally petitioned the judge to reverse the bail revocation, noting that the pair had complied with all bail conditions for nearly seven years without incident. The judge granted the defense’s request, extending bail for both defendants until the trial resumes this Thursday.
The official police account of the 2017 incident states that Smith was confronted by a group of armed men while he attended a local community entertainment event. Authorities allege that a confrontation broke out between Smith and the group, during which he was struck by multiple gunshots. He was immediately transported to Kingston Public Hospital by emergency responders, but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the facility. The case has remained a high-profile topic in Jamaica’s entertainment community for nearly a decade, with the trial’s opening marking a major milestone in the legal process.
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Mailpac opens Barbican location in bid to ‘revolutionize customer experience’
Jamaica’s longest-running and most trusted delivery services provider Mailpac has launched its strategically positioned new branch in Barbican, St Andrew, marking the first step in a company-wide transformation aimed at redefining package shipping and collection experiences for Jamaican consumers. In an official statement released Tuesday, the brand framed the opening of this new location as the start of a bold new era for the decades-old delivery enterprise. Operating in an increasingly saturated market dominated by generic, one-size-fits-all delivery solutions, Mailpac says the future of parcel services goes far beyond simply moving packages from origin to destination. Instead, the company argues that successful delivery providers must integrate their services seamlessly into customers’ daily routines, delivering higher convenience, greater efficiency, and more affordable pricing than existing offerings. The new Barbican outlet is the first tangible demonstration of this customer-centric vision put into practice. Photos from the launch event show Mailpac Chief Operating Officer Everton Jhulur and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mark Gonzales posing outside the newly opened branch, with the full local team already on site ready to serve customers. Per the company’s release, the new location was intentionally placed in one of Kingston’s most dynamic and fast-growing lifestyle-focused communities. It sits adjacent to popular local amenities including pickleball courts, fitness and wellness centers, and a range of everyday retail and service spots that residents already visit regularly. A key differentiator for the Barbican branch is its extended operating hours, closing at 7:00 PM daily to accommodate customers’ busy schedules. This extended window means shoppers can collect their parcels on their own time, whether that is after finishing work, wrapping up a workout, or completing other daily errands, without having to rearrange their entire day around a rigid pickup schedule. In remarks on the launch, Dr. Gonzales emphasized what sets Mailpac apart from newer, smaller competitors in the crowded delivery space: decades of earned consumer trust and deep institutional expertise that the brand brings to every new strategic move. “We have never been a company that rests on past success. Every few years, we take an honest look at where the market is heading, and we evolve to meet customers’ changing needs. The Barbican branch is a perfect example of that approach,” Dr. Gonzales explained. He noted that the delivery market is currently filled with providers offering identical services in identical ways, but today’s Jamaican customers are busy, dynamic people who deserve a service that fits around their lives, not the other way around. “Barbican is just the first step. Extended operating hours, locations integrated into popular lifestyle hubs, and an unwavering focus on convenience, efficiency, and value: this is the direction we are moving as a company, and we have only just gotten started,” the CEO added. Mailpac confirmed that it is re-evaluating every customer touchpoint across its network, from outlet placement to operating hours, drawing on its decades of local industry knowledge and brand trust to guide its overhaul. In the coming months, the company says customers can expect more announcements as it rolls out its full suite of next-generation customer experience initiatives across Jamaica.
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CIBC Caribbean launches Google Pay in Jamaica
KINGSTON, Jamaica — As big tech giant Google accelerates its expansion of contactless digital payment infrastructure across the Caribbean region, CIBC Caribbean has become the latest financial institution to roll out Google Pay integration, with a phased rollout that introduces differing access rules across its regional footprint. The launch marks another key milestone in the Caribbean’s gradual shift toward modern cashless payment systems, even as local market challenges remain to full adoption.
Google Pay, the contactless payment tool hosted within Google’s Wallet mobile application, allows users to link their existing debit or credit cards directly to their Android devices. The platform’s core value proposition lies in its security model: through a tokenisation process, actual bank card details are never shared with merchants during transactions, cutting down the risk of card data theft and fraud. Users can complete both online checkout and in-person contactless payments with just a tap of their smartphone.
Per CIBC Caribbean’s official announcement, Jennifer Fuller, the bank’s director of enterprise payments, cards and merchant services, framed the launch as a key step in the bank’s ongoing digital transformation strategy. “Introducing Google Wallet support for clients reflects CIBC Caribbean’s ongoing commitment to delivering innovative client-centred digital banking solutions and is another important step in enhancing the digital banking experience for our clients,” Fuller stated in the press release.
For Jamaican CIBC Caribbean customers, the launch brings immediate access to Google Pay for all Visa and Mastercard credit cards, which can be added to the Google Wallet app on any Android device for instant use. However, the country faces a unique limitation not seen in other CIBC Caribbean markets: Jamaican users will not be able to link their debit cards to the service for the foreseeable future. To date, Jamaica is the only market in the bank’s footprint where this restriction is in place.
By contrast, CIBC Caribbean customers in four other regional markets — Barbados, The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and Trinidad & Tobago — enjoy full access, with the ability to add both debit and credit cards to their Google Wallet accounts. The bank confirmed that it plans to gradually roll out the service to its five remaining Caribbean operating territories in the coming months, following a controlled, phased rollout schedule.
“Adding Google Pay supports our focus on convenience, security and innovation, while allowing us to roll out this service in a phased and controlled manner across our markets. Our clients expect modern payment options that fit their lifestyles, and Google Pay delivers exactly that,” Fuller added, explaining the bank’s incremental approach to the regional launch.
CIBC Caribbean’s entry into Google Pay comes as part of a broader regional push by Google to expand its digital payment services across Caribbean nations. Other major local banks have already beat CIBC Caribbean to the launch in multiple markets: Commonwealth Bank Limited rolled out the service to its Bahamian customers in November 2025, and Trinidad-based First Citizens Bank Limited launched its own Google Pay support just one month later, in December 2025.
Prior to CIBC Caribbean’s rollout, the Cayman Islands already had four local banks offering Google Pay to their customers. Across the Dominican Republic, 12 different banks now support the service, with Scotiabank customers in both the Cayman Islands and Dominican Republic already able to link their cards to the platform.
Digital wallet expansion in Jamaica is not limited to Google Pay, either. Rival digital payment service Apple Pay has also been in the works for the Jamaican market. The Bank of Nova Scotia Jamaica Limited first announced plans to launch Apple Pay in late 2024, and during the Scotia Group Jamaica Limited annual general meeting held on March 4 this year, President and CEO Audrey Tugwell Henry confirmed to shareholders that the launch is still on track for late 2026. Sagicor Bank Jamaica Limited CEO Chorvelle Johnson Cunningham also told investors during a May 20 briefing that supporting Apple Pay, tokenisation and other modern digital payment tools is a core short-to-medium term priority for the institution.
Despite the growing momentum from banks to roll out these modern payment options, full adoption across the region still faces a notable barrier: pushback from local merchants. A July 2024 survey by the Jamaica Observer found that while the three major Jamaican banks confirmed their digital wallet systems are secure and had not received high volumes of customer fraud disputes, many local merchants have publicly posted signs refusing to accept digital wallet payments at their businesses, slowing the uptake of the new payment method among consumers.
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Long jumper Robinson happy with 3rd-place finish on Diamond League debut
Emerging Jamaican long jump talent Nia Robinson has opened a new, promising chapter in her professional career, claiming a third-place finish in the women’s long jump at the Bauhaus-Galan Wanda Diamond League meet, held Sunday at Stockholm’s iconic Olympiastadion. What makes the result even more remarkable is that Robinson only received the last-minute call-up to compete at the prestigious track and field event just four days before the competition kicked off.
In a tightly contested final marked by strong tailwinds, Robinson notched a wind-assisted personal best leap of 6.80m, with the wind reading at 2.4m/s above the allowable limit. The event title went to France’s Hilary Kpatcha, who took gold with a 6.85m wind-aided jump, while Italy’s Larissa Iapichino claimed silver by just one centimeter with a 6.84m effort, also boosted by favorable wind conditions. Beyond her wind-aided result, Robinson delivered a standout wind-legal jump of 6.78m, which marks her new personal best for outdoor wind-legal competitions — a key milestone that signals her steady upward trajectory.
This podium finish comes just one week after Robinson also claimed third place at the prestigious Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland, marking back-to-back top-three results on the elite international circuit that have cemented her status as one of track and field’s rising stars. Despite this being her first ever appearance at a Diamond League event, Robinson said she felt no extra pressure going into the competition.
Speaking exclusively to the Jamaica Observer after her final jump, the 20-something athlete shared her calm approach to the high-profile debut: “Honestly, I wasn’t nervous even though it was my first time competing in DL. I told myself I was going to treat it like any other meet, because that’s what it is — a regular meet with a bigger title attached to it. That mindset helped me stay relaxed and focused on what I needed to do.”
What makes Robinson’s performance even more inspiring is the personal grief she navigated to reach the Stockholm podium. She revealed that she is still mourning the sudden passing of a former high school teammate and close friend just one week before the meet, calling the past few days an emotionally rough period. Even so, she framed the Stockholm result as an important step in her long-term growth as an athlete.
“I’m satisfied with the performance. I know this is a process, and each week I continue to improve. I’m very grateful… because it’s been a rough few days losing my high school teammate/friend. And I haven’t set a personal best since 2023, so seeing myself progress through the rounds and improve from meet to meet is encouraging. I know there’s still more in me so we’re going to keep building, brick by brick, meet by meet,” she said.
Looking ahead, Robinson has laid out clear, ambitious goals for the 2024 season. Her immediate priority is earning a spot on Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games team, which requires a top-two finish at the Jamaican National Trials, scheduled to run June 18-21 at Kingston’s National Stadium. “Placing in the top two at the Jamaica championships is my immediate goal,” she confirmed. After the national trials, she will turn her focus to the Commonwealth Games set to take place between July and August, before targeting qualification for the Diamond League Ultimate Championships in September.
Her long-term career target is equally clear: Robinson aims to become only the third Jamaican woman ever to record a wind-legal 7.00m long jump, a milestone that would confirm her place among the world’s elite jumpers. “As always, the ultimate goal is to jump 7.00m, because until I do that I won’t be satisfied — and even when I reach that mark, I’ll still be chasing more, so I am super thankful. Just a ghetto girl from Clarke Street, Mount Salem in St James, going on God’s timing!” she said.
Robinson was the only Jamaican athlete to secure a podium position at the Stockholm meet. In other Jamaican results, rising discus throw star Roje Stona just missed out on a top-three finish, taking fourth place with a best throw of 66.42m. The men’s discus title went to home crowd favorite Daniel Stahl, the reigning Olympic and World champion, who threw a season’s best 69.60m to claim gold. Australia’s world leader Matthew Denny took silver with 69.02m, while Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh rounded out the podium with 67.67m.
In the women’s shot put, Jamaican star Danniel Thomas-Dodd placed sixth after a busy schedule that saw her compete in three different countries across eight days. She managed just one valid throw of 18.56m, as Dutch world leader Jessica Schilder took gold with a new meet record of 20.89m. American Chase Jackson took silver with 19.91m, and Canada’s Sarah Mitton claimed bronze with 19.89m.
In the men’s 400m hurdles, a non-Diamond League event at the Bauhaus-Galan, Jamaican runner Assinie Wilson also competed through a packed fixture list, having run four races in just over a week. He crossed the line in seventh place with a time of 49.13 seconds. The race was won by Brazil’s world leader Alison dos Santos in 47.11 seconds, with compatriot Mattheus Lima taking silver in a personal best 47.37, and Germany’s Emil Agyekum claiming bronze with a lifetime best 47.72.
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FOP, Give Back Jamaica strengthen communities through education and healthcare outreach
In a powerful display of collective purpose and community impact, two Jamaican community organizations – Friends of Porus (FOP) and Give Back Jamaica (GBJ) – have wrapped up a multi-faceted outreach mission in May 2026 that delivered critical support to students, healthcare providers and rural families across the island. The initiative paired targeted literacy advancement for young primary school learners with the donation of life-saving medical supplies to under-resourced rural health facilities, addressing two of the most pressing needs for marginalized Jamaican communities.
The educational pillar of the mission aligned with Jamaica’s annual Read Across Jamaica Week, and expanded FOP and GBJ’s reach through a new collaboration with Winsome Wishes for Kids, a 2020-founded nonprofit focused on closing literacy gaps for Jamaican children. Over its five years of operation, Winsome Wishes has built a strong reputation for delivering tangible results by providing tailored learning resources and targeted support to students struggling with academic barriers, making the organization a natural partner for the literacy drive.
For Friends of Porus, expanding access to educational tools remains a core organizational priority, according to FOP Vice President Vassell Ogilvie, who also serves as founder and CEO of New York-based Hudson Valley Dynamic Counseling, the primary funder of the 2026 mission. “Education is far more than textbooks and lessons – it is the most transformative gift we can offer a young person,” Ogilvie shared in an interview during the outreach. “When we put locally authored books in the hands of Jamaican children, we are not just teaching them to read. We are opening doors to new opportunities, sparking their imagination, and laying the foundation for lifelong success. Every child, regardless of their geographic or economic circumstances, deserves the tools to learn, grow and chase dreams bigger than their current surroundings. Participating in Read Across Jamaica Week is not just a one-time donation drive – it is an investment in the future of our nation.”
Ogilvie also credited GBJ President Hopeton Brown for forging the cross-organizational partnership that made the widespread impact possible. “Meaningful community change never happens in isolation. It only comes when groups set aside individual goals and come together around a shared mission to lift people up,” he noted. “We are deeply grateful to Mr. Brown and the entire GBJ team for creating spaces for organizations like Friends of Porus to contribute to collective service for the Jamaican people. These partnerships let us extend our reach far beyond what we could accomplish alone, so we can make a real difference where need is greatest.”
Three rural primary schools – Broadleaf Primary School, Harmons Primary School, and Porus Primary School – were selected as beneficiaries of the literacy initiative. Each institution received a curated collection of books written by Jamaican scholars, donated to the schools’ libraries to expand student access to diverse, locally relevant reading material. All book acquisition and distribution costs were fully covered by Friends of Porus as part of the organization’s ongoing commitment to advancing educational equity across rural Jamaica.
After completing school visits and book presentations, the joint delegation shifted its focus to strengthening rural healthcare, delivering a large shipment of much-needed medical supplies to two community facilities: the Bog Walk Health Centre in St Catherine and the Porus Health Clinic in Manchester.
The first healthcare stop at Bog Walk Health Centre drew widespread local media attention, with popular broadcaster Roger Hasfal covering the donation live on IRIE FM’s long-running community program *Come In Unity*. During the segment, Hasfal interviewed frontline healthcare workers and special guest Eric Donaldson, the iconic Jamaican reggae artist and GBJ’s official celebrity ambassador. Widely known as Jamaica’s “King of Festival Songs” and creator of the global classic *Cherry Oh Baby*, Donaldson has long used his platform to advance charitable work that benefits communities across the island, and he joined the delegation to highlight the importance of the outreach mission.
The following day, the team traveled to the Porus Health Clinic, where a second shipment of medical supplies was delivered to clinic staff, who greeted the donation with gratitude for the support that will directly benefit thousands of local residents relying on the facility for care. All medical supplies distributed across both sites were shipped from the United States and fully funded by Hudson Valley Dynamic Counseling. Organizers also extended special recognition to individual donors, particularly Beverly Graham, whose significant financial contribution was a key factor in the initiative’s overall success.
Leaders from both FOP and GBJ reaffirmed their long-term commitment to advancing educational equity, strengthening rural healthcare systems, and building sustainable cross-organization partnerships that drive lasting positive change for Jamaicans across all regions of the island. As the two groups plan their next round of outreach, they say they hope their work will inspire other individuals and organizations across Jamaica and the diaspora to invest in community development, proving that collective action around a shared purpose can deliver meaningful, transformative change for those who need it most.
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Texas teen Karmelo Anthony found guilty of murder in death of Austin Metcalf
A guilty murder verdict handed down Tuesday against an American teenager has reignited long-simmering national conversations about self-defense claims, racial inequity in the criminal justice system, and security on K-12 campuses in a high-stakes case that has divided public opinion across the U.S.
Now 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony, a Black teenager, was found guilty of fatally stabbing 17-year-old white teen Austin Metcalf. The deadly confrontation unfolded on the grounds of a high school stadium located in a Dallas, Texas suburban neighborhood during a track and field competition held in April 2025. As reported by the Associated Press, the violent altercation grew out of a minor disagreement over whether Anthony was permitted to stay under a weather shelter tent belonging to Metcalf’s team amid heavy rainfall that day.
Prosecutors pushed the narrative that the fatal stabbing was an unprovoked and unjustified attack, with no legal basis for a self-defense claim. Conversely, Anthony’s defense team maintained throughout the trial that their client reasonably perceived an immediate threat to his own safety after the two teens engaged in physical contact, arguing he acted only to protect himself from harm.
From the earliest days after the killing, the case gained extraordinary national traction. Much of this attention stemmed from viral social media posts that framed the confrontation through a racial lens, accelerating its spread beyond local circles and into mainstream national discourse. In the immediate wake of the guilty verdict, widespread outrage has erupted among Black American communities across social media platforms, with many questioning the fairness of the conviction and highlighting what they see as persistent racial bias in how self-defense claims are treated in the U.S. judicial system.
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Megan, the fighter
After a shaky period of career uncertainty and injury setbacks, Jamaican sprint hurdles veteran Megan Simmonds has emerged as a dominant force early in the 2026 track and field season, crediting a pivotal training camp switch and a personal rebrand for rediscovering the competitor and person she once was.
The 32-year-old, a bronze medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, has kicked off her 2026 campaign with three consecutive wins across two continents. Her standout performance came last Thursday at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, the Rome stop of the Diamond League tour, where she clocked a new season-best 12.50 seconds to claim gold in the women’s 100m hurdles. That mark catapulted her to sixth place on the global rankings for fastest women in the event this year. Just three days later, she followed up that win with another first-place finish at Poland’s Halina Konopacka Classic, crossing the finish line in 12.79 seconds to extend her undefeated streak.
This resurgence comes on the heels of a devastating 2025 season, where a hamstring injury forced Simmonds to withdraw from the World Athletics Championships in Japan, ending her year prematurely. At the close of last season, she made the difficult decision to leave the Reynaldo Walcott-led Elite Performance Track Club, her long-time training base, and join the training group helmed by Rolando “Lonnie” Greene, a Bahamian coach who leads the University of Kentucky’s track and field program. Greene’s stable already includes two of the sport’s biggest stars: 2024 Paris Olympic 100m hurdles gold medalist Masai Russell, and three-time consecutive World Indoor 60m hurdles champion Devynne Charlton.
For Simmonds, the career shake-up has been far more than just a change of coaching – it has healed a years-long mental slump that left her feeling disconnected from her own identity. “This whole experience has been serendipitous. I feel like I lost myself when I became a pro. I felt like I had to become somebody who I wasn’t, and moving to this team, I feel like it’s just brought me back to who I am,” she told outlet The Inside Lane. “It’s brought me back to just Megan, the fighter, the champion, the creator.”
Training alongside two of the sport’s elite athletes has only amplified that positive shift. Russell, an American, currently holds the title of the second-fastest 100m hurdler in history, clocking 12.14 seconds last month – just 0.02 seconds off Tobi Amusan’s 2022 world record. Charlton, the Bahamian sprint star, most recently claimed her third straight World Indoor 60m hurdles title in March in Poland, where she matched her own existing world record in the event. Simmonds says daily training alongside these driven, unapologetic competitors has reignited her love for both the sport and herself.
“Being around these ladies brought me back to who I was — they live unapologetically, they train unapologetically, they give their all and it’s a dream come true every single day to train with these ladies,” she said. “I tell them every single time that I am so happy to be here, I’m so grateful to be here, I’m so happy that you guys welcomed me with open arms.”
The reset has also extended to a personal change: after competing under the name Megan Tapper for nearly a decade, Simmonds has reverted to her maiden name, a shift she says represents a break from her past and a step into a new chapter. “It was just a moment where I realised I needed the change. It was time to step out of who I was. It was time to shake off the past and step into what God has prepared for me,” she explained.
Drawing from her own journey of overcoming injury, self-doubt, and mid-career upheaval, Simmonds now shares an encouraging message for underdogs everywhere. “This season is a new season and it’s for everyone who they told you that you couldn’t do it. For everyone who you have nobody to believe in you — you’re doing it for yourself, you’re believing in yourself. It is absolutely possible [because] you’re seeing me doing it. I’m 32 and barely five feet and I’m doing it, so you can absolutely do it too.”
Simmonds acknowledges the 2025 season’s heartbreak was exactly the push she needed to embrace the uncomfortable changes that have led to her current success. “I was not ready for this big change, but you guys knew what happened in Japan last year. God was like, yes, you’re comfortable but you need to be uncomfortable to get where I want you to be, to get where you need to be,” she said. “So I had no other option but to listen and to change and to get uncomfortable and in doing that, I became the most comfortable I’ve ever been in my life.”
Looking ahead, Simmonds will next compete to defend her national title at the Jamaican Senior Championships later this month, as she keeps her eyes set on the upcoming Commonwealth Games scheduled for July. Her hot early-season form has positioned her as one to watch on the global track circuit this year, as she continues to build on her career renaissance.
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ITA launches major recruitment drive as transition to statutory body gathers pace
KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a landmark step to reshape the country’s traffic management ecosystem, Jamaica’s Island Traffic Authority (ITA) has rolled out one of the most expansive hiring initiatives in recent memory, opening more than 30 vacancies to build out its operational capacity following a broadened mandate under the new Road Traffic Act.
The open positions cut across nearly every core function of the organization, ranging from senior leadership roles in management, finance, legal services, and human resources to frontline operational posts in transport, procurement, communications, and records management. This cross-departmental hiring push signals a deliberate, large-scale expansion of both the ITA’s administrative capacity and regulatory reach, as the agency transitions out of its old institutional structure.
When questioned by local media outlet Observer Online, ITA representatives confirmed that the recruitment drive is a core component of the agency’s institutional transition: moving from a subordinate department within the Ministry of Transport and Mining to an independent statutory body, a structural change mandated by the 2018 Road Traffic Act.
“The roles we are filling align directly with the mandate laid out in the 2018 Road Traffic Act, which formally established the ITA as a standalone statutory body tasked with carrying out the expanded functions outlined in the legislation,” the authority stated in an official response. It added further context, clarifying that the shift formally ends its decades-long status as a department within the national ministry that oversaw transport and energy portfolios.
To support this entirely new organizational structure and allow the ITA to fully carry out all responsibilities assigned by the new law, the agency must build out entirely new departments and fill key leadership positions that did not exist under its previous structure. The list of open senior roles includes directors for human resource management and development, finance and accounting, as well as specialized posts such as senior internal auditor, legal officer, communications officer, senior financial accountant, payroll manager, transport manager, and senior public procurement officer, among others.
Ultimately, the overarching goal of these new appointments is to reinforce the ITA’s operational foundations and raise the quality of services it provides to Jamaican motorists and the general public. “These hires will strengthen the ITA’s overall capacity, streamline internal operations, and improve service delivery to the public by ensuring the organization has the full resources it needs to meet its regulatory and administrative obligations,” the authority explained.
The 2018 Road Traffic Act, which began phased implementation across Jamaica starting in 2022, not only redefined the ITA’s institutional status but also vastly expanded its scope of responsibilities, while modernizing the country’s entire national traffic management regulatory framework. Long known primarily for its core work conducting motor vehicle fitness inspections and mandatory driver testing, the ITA now holds expanded responsibility for regulating national vehicle emission and safety standards, leading nationwide road safety public initiatives, and carrying out a broad suite of new administrative and enforcement functions connected to Jamaica’s entire transportation network.
The sheer size of the current recruitment exercise makes clear that the ITA is now accelerating its work to put these new mandated responsibilities into practice, by building a more robust, full-capacity organizational structure capable of handling its expanded remit. The application window for all advertised positions closed last week, with the ITA expected to announce final appointments in the coming months as it completes its transition.