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  • Thirty-one Jamaicans qualify for individual events as NCAA champs start on Wednesday

    Thirty-one Jamaicans qualify for individual events as NCAA champs start on Wednesday

    As the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Track and Field Championships prepare to kick off Wednesday at Eugene Oregon’s iconic Hayward Field, more than 30 Jamaican student-athletes have secured spots in individual event finals, bringing a mix of returning experience and historic firsts to this season-ending marquee collegiate competition.

    A full dozen of this year’s Jamaican finalists already earned final stage berths at the 2023 championships, bringing valuable high-stakes experience to their teams. The group is headlined by two standout returning competitors: University of Oklahoma’s Ralford Mullings, the defending men’s discus champion, and University of Georgia’s Dejanae Oakley, who claimed a silver medal in the 2023 women’s 400-meter. Both athletes are poised to chase new honors for their universities as the U.S. college track season wraps up.

    Two Jamaican athletes have qualified for two individual finals this year. Clemson University’s Shanate Foreman, the top-ranked competitor in women’s triple jump, also earned a spot in the women’s long jump. Meanwhile, University of Florida sprinter Gabrielle Matthews will contend for titles in both the women’s 100-meter and 200-meter events.

    One of the most notable milestones for the Jamaican contingent this year is a historic first: for the first time since the championships’ inception, Jamaican athletes have qualified for the men’s javelin throw final. Additionally, the group fields an unusually strong six athletes in the men’s discus throw, making it the most heavily represented event for Jamaican competitors this year.

    The competition schedule splits men’s and women’s events across the four-day meet: men’s action will take place on Wednesday and Friday, while women’s events are scheduled for Thursday and Saturday. All track events from 100 meters through 1500 meters will feature two rounds of competition, while all field events, 3000-meter steeplechase, and the 5000-meter and 10000-meter distance events will run as direct finals with no preliminary rounds.

    History will be made on opening day itself, when University of Louisiana’s Jermar Ferguson and Mount St. Mary’s University’s Brandon Falconer line up for the men’s javelin throw, marking the first-ever appearance of Jamaican athletes in that discipline at the championships. Also competing on Wednesday will be Louisiana State University’s Jordan Turner, who will contest the men’s long jump.

    Local favorite Kobe Lawrence of the host University of Oregon will aim to improve on his fourth-place finish in last year’s men’s shot put, where he will be joined by first-time national championship qualifier Shaiquan Dunn of the University of Texas.

    The University of Arkansas will send a strong duo to the men’s 800-meter: returning finalists Rivaldo Marshall and Tyrice Taylor, both of whom are considered legitimate contenders for the national title. Marshall, the 2024 NCAA Indoor Nationals champion, took third place in this event last year, while Taylor finished eighth.

    In the men’s 110-meter hurdles, Baylor University’s Demario Prince, who finished fifth in 2023, will aim to climb the podium and secure a spot in this year’s final, alongside fellow Jamaican Jerome Campbell of the University of Arkansas. Rounding out the men’s Jamaican competitors, Kimar Farquharson of Texas A&M University—formerly an 800-meter specialist—is the only Jamaican qualifier in the men’s 400-meter this year.

  • 20-y-o med student is MUJ KSA

    20-y-o med student is MUJ KSA

    In a glittering ceremony held last Saturday night at Wolmer’s Boys’ High School’s Douglas Orane Auditorium, history was made as Hannah Collings-Myers, representing Digita Properties Limited, claimed the title of the first-ever Miss Universe Jamaica Kingston & St Andrew. The 20-year-old medical sciences student from The University of the West Indies was just as shocked as the gathered audience when her name was announced as the inaugural winner, marking the culmination of months of rigorous preparation and personal growth.

    Collings-Myers’ pageant journey began two years earlier, when Jermane Blair, franchise manager for the Miss Universe Jamaica Kingston & St Andrew competition, first spotted her at a local fashion show and encouraged her to enter. Speaking to Jamaica Observer shortly after the midnight coronation, the new queen shared her surprise and gratitude for the experience. “Surprise, yes, I am. This journey has been terrifying; I have been so scared to do everything, but I’ve put my best foot forward, and I don’t know why I’m so surprised to see that it came with good results. But I guess that it just wasn’t what I expected, but I’m extremely happy with the results,” she said.

    Looking back on the intensive training and preparation that led her to the crown, Collings-Myers emphasized that the competition offered far more than a title—it was a life-changing opportunity for self-discovery. “The training was definitely hard, lots of long days, but it was worth it. I have taken away a new sense of self. I was so unsure about coming into this competition, and the fact that I came here, put my best out and could win, it shows me that I am much more than I think I am,” she explained. She added that while Blair sparked her initial interest, she chose to see the competition through because it offered a chance to step out of her comfort zone and grow as a person—an outcome she says she has fully achieved.

    Blair, who first recognized Collings-Myers’ unique potential two years prior, shared his pride in the new queen’s achievement. “I met Hannah at a fashion show two years ago and I thought that she was so beautiful. Her way of communicating was just so mature, and her responses were so intellectual. I reached out to her and encouraged her to enter, but she decided to enter this year, and she did the work, and look at her now — she is the new queen tonight,” he said enthusiastically.

    Originally from Manchester, Jamaica, Collings-Myers previously resided in Montego Bay before relocating to Kingston to complete sixth form at Immaculate Conception High School in St Andrew, putting her in the region eligible for the new competition.

    The historic event kicked off just after 8 p.m. with a high-energy opening number that captivated the sold-out audience. Twenty-one competing contestants first introduced themselves to the judges and crowd, before the field was narrowed down to a top 14 semi-finalists: Leighann Dacres-Jones (Miss Mt Sinai Dental and Implant Centre), Shanika Scott (Miss Island Gully Falls Ltd), Rachel Newman (Miss Carefree), Collings-Myers, Shaniece Douglas (Miss Janga’s Soundbar and Grill), Daenya Anderson (Miss Covenant Insurance Brokers Ltd), Shanya Francis (Miss Caribbean Glass Company), Claire Schwapp (Miss STL Solar), Ottavia Bradshaw (Miss Jarrett Auto Parts), Tiyana Mowatt (Miss Saxby), Ruesheen Ricketts (Miss Advance Integrated Systems), Akanke Scott (Miss VM Group), Calethia Campbell (Miss Orion Loss Adjusters), and Tenneil Sewell (Miss Legend Beer).

    Next came the fan-favorite swimwear segment, where competitors showcased designs from Jamaican brand Kaydian Nicely Exclusive, dazzling the crowd before judges cut the field once more to a top 11. Advancing contestants included Dacres-Jones, Akanke Scott, Shanika Scott, Sewell, Schwapp, Ricketts, Mowatt, Douglas, Francis, Newman, and Collings-Myers.

    Between competitive segments, the audience enjoyed standout performances from the Laud Dance Ministry and recording artist Alicia Taylor, before the semi-finalists took the stage in elegant evening wear from designer Atelier Dermoth Williams. Another elimination followed the evening wear round, narrowing the competition down to just three finalists who advanced to the grueling final interview round: Collings-Myers, Mowatt, and Douglas.

    Before the final winner was announced, the competition awarded a series of sectional prizes to recognize standout contestants: Abigail Barnes (Miss Bailey’s Food and Beverage) took home the Most Congenial title; Calethia Campbell won the Altruism Award; Leighann Dacres-Jones claimed both the People’s Choice Award and Best in Swimwear; Shanika Scott won Best in Evening Gown; Shaniece Douglas was named Most Photogenic; and Tiyana Mowatt received the Essence of Style Award.

    When the final results were announced, Collings-Myers claimed the inaugural crown, with Tiyana Mowatt, a practicing medical doctor, securing second place as first runner-up, and Shaniece Douglas finishing in third place. In a major announcement at the close of the event, organizers confirmed that Collings-Myers and both of her runners-up will receive an automatic spot in the national finals of the Miss Universe Jamaica competition, where they will go on to compete for the chance to represent Jamaica at the global Miss Universe pageant.

  • Serena Williams makes winning return in Queen’s Club doubles

    Serena Williams makes winning return in Queen’s Club doubles

    Tennis fans around the world held their breath on Tuesday as 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams made a fairy-tale return to competitive tennis, picking up a first-round doubles win alongside teenage Canadian partner Victoria Mboko at London’s iconic Queen’s Club grass-court tournament. The 44-year-old American legend had not stepped onto a competitive court in 1,375 days, following her 2022 exit from the sport at the US Open, when she hinted she was “evolving away” from professional tennis. Her surprise announcement just 24 hours before the match that she would compete sent shockwaves through the global tennis community, with fans and analysts alike debating whether the all-time great could recapture even a fraction of her dominant past form.

    Walking out into the sold-out Andy Murray Arena to a standing ovation, with fans waving “Welcome back Serena” signs and former Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn watching from the stands, Williams cut a focused figure. Dressed in a crisp white top and pastel pink skirt, she acknowledged the crowd only with a quick wave before turning her attention to the match, her husband Alexis Ohanian and two young daughters Olympia and Adira watching on from the stands.

    The opening moments of the match hinted at rust after years away: Williams did not touch a ball on the first point, and put her first volley into the net on the second. But it took barely a point for the tennis icon to remind everyone of her legendary class, hitting a clean volley winner to get her comeback off the mark. From there, the match became a reminder of why Williams is widely considered the greatest women’s player of all time. She unleashed her trademark thunderous serve, hitting one unreturnable 120mph delivery late in the first set that drew roars from the crowd, and her fierce groundstrokes cut through rallies with the precision and power that defined her career. When a ferocious smash secured a break to put her side up 4-1 in the first set, Williams celebrated with a clenched fist—her competitive edge completely undimmed by time away from the sport.

    The pair fought through a tight first set, winning the tie-break 7-2 to take the opening lead against the tournament’s third seeds Erin Routliffe and Nicole Melichar-Martinez. In the second set, 19-year-old Mboko stepped up, landing winner after winner and earning impressed fist-bumps from her legendary partner, before Williams sealed the 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 victory with one of her signature lethal serves. After the match, Williams spoke openly about her joy at returning to the court she had never previously competed on, noting that the historic Queen’s Club had long been an all-male event for top singles players. “I had nothing better to do! I got tired of sitting at home. My kids are out of school for the summer, so why not?” she joked, adding that playing alongside Mboko had been “so fun” and that competing at the iconic venue felt “really special.”

    Williams already has her next competitive stop lined up: she is set to compete in doubles at the Berlin Open from June 15 to 21. While she downplayed rumors of a full return to singles competition over the weekend, her dominant first-up performance has sparked intense speculation about a potential appearance at Wimbledon, which kicks off later in June. A seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, Williams has said the chance to play in front of her children was the key motivation for her surprise comeback, and the prospect of stepping back onto the All England Club grass appears far too tempting for the legend to turn down—especially if her winning run at Queen’s continues.

  • US strikes Iran after Apache helicopter downing

    US strikes Iran after Apache helicopter downing

    In a sudden escalation of Middle East tensions, United States military forces launched targeted self-defense strikes against Iran on Tuesday, an act President Donald Trump framed as proportional retaliation for the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter by Iranian forces a day earlier. The announcement of the strikes came directly from Trump during a telephone interview with ABC News, where he emphasized that the US response would be forceful and decisive. “I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that’s what this one is,” Trump told the outlet.

    US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the operation in an official statement, noting that strikes commenced at 5 pm Eastern Time (2100 GMT) on the direct order of the US Commander in Chief, framing the action as a measured response to unprovoked Iranian aggression. Local Iranian media reported hearing multiple explosions along Iran’s southern coast, located in close proximity to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy trade.

    The escalation catches regional diplomacy at a fragile moment: just hours before announcing the strikes, Trump had publicly claimed that negotiations to end the ongoing Middle East war were in their final stages, a comment he has repeated repeatedly over the past several weeks. A fragile ceasefire between major warring parties has been in effect since April 8, but the truce was severely tested over the weekend when Iran and Israel resumed cross-border attacks before both sides announced separate halts to hostilities.

    Despite the bilateral pause between Iran and Israel, Israeli airstrikes have continued unabated in southern Lebanon, where tensions have simmered since March. On Tuesday alone, Lebanese officials confirmed 11 civilian and combatant deaths in Israeli airstrikes on the historic coastal city of Tyre. The Israeli military further issued a mandatory evacuation order for the entire city, triggering a mass exodus of residents. An AFP correspondent on the ground observed heavy traffic northward out of the city, with displaced residents, including those from Tyre’s historic Christian quarter, fleeing for safety. Further north in the coastal city of Sidon, another AFP correspondent saw new arrivals from Tyre carrying only the belongings they could strap hastily to the roofs of their vehicles.

    Tehran has long maintained that any permanent end to the broader regional conflict must include a formal truce in Lebanon, which was drawn into the war after Iran-backed Hezbollah militants began rocket exchanges with Israel on March 2. Israel responded with a sustained campaign of airstrikes and a limited ground incursion that has killed more than 3,600 people in southern Lebanon to date, and daily fire exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah have continued despite the broader regional ceasefire.

    In the wake of the US strikes, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a stark warning to foreign military forces operating in and around the Strait of Hormuz, urging them to withdraw from the area to avoid accidental harm. “Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk on account of their own human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire,” Araghchi said. He emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz is not international waters, but is jointly administered and shared between Iran and Oman. “To reduce risk, best solution is for them to leave. We prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too,” he added.

    The downed Apache helicopter marks the second crewed US aircraft confirmed shot down by Iran since the outbreak of the current war, following the loss of an F-15 fighter jet in April. CENTCOM confirmed that both crew members on board the helicopter were rescued within approximately two hours of the crash, which occurred near the Omani coast, and that both are currently in stable condition. A naval surface drone assisted in the rescue operation, a CENTCOM spokesperson confirmed in a post on the social platform X.

    The renewed open conflict between the US and Iran has already sent ripples through global energy markets, which are highly sensitive to disruptions of the Strait of Hormuz, the route through which roughly one-fifth of all global oil supplies pass daily. Washington’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports has already limited regional shipping capacity. Shortly before Asian markets opened for trading on Wednesday, following news of the US strikes, West Texas Intermediate, the primary US oil price benchmark, jumped 1.4 percent to reach $89.40 per barrel. The price increase reverses a recent retreat that followed Trump’s repeated hints that a diplomatic deal with Iran could be reached within days.

  • ‘Deliberately misleading’

    ‘Deliberately misleading’

    A sharp political dispute has erupted in Jamaica over national water infrastructure energy resilience, after the opposition’s water spokesperson accused the ruling government of failing to adopt solar power to protect the National Water Commission (NWC) from widespread outages caused by Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) grid failures.

    Ian Hayles, the opposition’s shadow minister for water, made his claims in a public statement released Sunday, days after a full JPS grid shutdown left much of the country without power. Hayles argued that the NWC’s heavy dependence on JPS for powering its water distribution networks creates a dangerous public vulnerability, framing the government’s inaction on a transition to solar and advanced renewables for critical NWC infrastructure as more than an oversight — it is a full-blown governance crisis that endangers public health, the critical tourism sector, and daily life for Jamaicans across densely populated communities nationwide. He called for the immediate rollout of a policy shifting critical NWC infrastructure to renewable energy, and demanded the government table a full, sector-wide energy resilience plan in the current parliamentary session.

    But Matthew Samuda, Jamaica’s incumbent Minister of Water, has pushed back hard against Hayles’ accusations, dismissing the claim as either deliberately misleading or born of willful ignorance. In an exclusive interview with Jamaica Observer on Monday, Samuda detailed the multiple ongoing and completed initiatives the government has already launched to boost NWC’s resilience to power disruptions, noting that the administration has already invested billions in upgrading the water network’s energy infrastructure since 2024.

    Following the passage of Hurricane Beryl, which caused widespread damage across south-western Jamaica in 2024, the government installed 31 large-scale backup generators at key NWC facilities across the country, as part of a program targeting 110 critical water systems that serve more than 70 percent of the NWC’s total customer base. To date, Samuda confirmed, $1 billion Jamaican dollars have already been allocated and spent on this generator initiative.

    Beyond backup generation, Samuda added, the government is already midway through an $850 million energy upgrade project for the NWC, a plan he first outlined publicly during his sectoral parliamentary address in April. He pointed out that Hayles, who represents the Westmoreland Western constituency, should already be aware of the ongoing upgrades, as work is actively taking place within his own electoral district. Samuda specifically referenced the Logwood water facility that supplies the major tourism hub of Negril, where the government installed a new backup generator after the original unit was destroyed by vandalism following Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, and has already purchased a replacement generator to restore full resilience to the site.

    Addressing Hayles’ core claim that expanded solar adoption would have prevented the widespread water outages during the recent island-wide JPS blackout, Samuda pushed back on the feasibility of a full transition to renewables for the entire NWC network. He explained that strict constraints on available land and the steep upfront capital costs of large-scale solar infrastructure make a complete shift away from JPS impractical for all pumping systems. Samuda noted that the NWC’s monthly energy bill to JPS already hovers around $1 billion, depending on global fuel prices, and any full shift to off-grid renewables would only pass those massive costs onto Jamaican consumers, rather than eliminating them. That said, he acknowledged the government’s ongoing commitment to driving down energy costs for the NWC.

    Samuda clarified that the government is already implementing solar solutions at multiple NWC facilities, alongside other efficiency upgrades: the agency is retrofitting its oldest, least efficient pumps to cut energy use, rewiring aging facilities to reduce on-site energy loss, and powering NWC administrative offices with solar to lower operating costs and extend operational hours during outages. He also revealed that work is already underway to convert the Mona Reservoir in St. Andrew into a utility-scale renewable energy facility, with a private investor already committed to the project and more than US$60 million allocated for development.

    In addition to outlining the government’s progress, Samuda challenged Hayles, who served as State Minister for Water in the previous People’s National Party (PNP) administration between 2012 and 2016, to disclose what energy resilience investments the opposition completed during its time in office. Samuda argued that there is no public record of any significant generator purchases or solar panel installations by the PNP government during Hayles’ tenure, even as solar technology became widely adopted across Jamaica starting in 2009. He added that unrealistic calls for an immediate full transition ignore the country’s current fiscal constraints, noting that the government is committed to annual incremental investments until full energy resilience for the NWC is achieved, and there are no unexplained delays in the ongoing rollout. Samuda concluded that Hayles’ criticisms are nothing more than opportunistic political point-scoring that ignores the actual progress already being delivered.

  • Bog Walk Gorge closed after major shooting incident

    Bog Walk Gorge closed after major shooting incident

    Residents and commuters in St Catherine, Jamaica, are facing unexpected travel disruptions after a large-scale shooting incident shut down the key Bog Walk Gorge corridor on Tuesday afternoon. Senior law enforcement official Hopeton Nicholson, head of the local police division as Senior Superintendent, has publicly confirmed the shooting took place, but could not share additional specific information about the event in his initial statement. Uncorroborated accounts obtained by Observer Online suggest the violence unfolded as an exchange of gunfire between serving police officers and unidentified armed gunmen, with multiple people sustaining injuries in the crossfire. Local authorities have not yet verified these claims, and public outlets continue to wait for official confirmation of the shootout details, casualty count, and potential motives behind the incident. The Bog Walk Gorge will remain closed to all traffic until further notice as law enforcement personnel secure the area and begin their investigation into the shooting. More updates are expected to be released to the public as new information becomes available.

  • Catherine Hall Health Centre reopens following Hurricane Melissa closure

    Catherine Hall Health Centre reopens following Hurricane Melissa closure

    ST JAMES, Jamaica — Nearly one year after Hurricane Melissa tore through western Jamaica, leaving widespread destruction to critical public infrastructure, the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) has announced the long-awaited reopening of the Catherine Hall Health Centre, following the successful completion of full rehabilitation works.

    This milestone marks a major step forward for the WRHA’s region-wide recovery initiative, launched in the immediate aftermath of the storm to repair damaged healthcare facilities and restore access to care for local communities across St James, Hanover, Trelawny, and Westmoreland.

    When Hurricane Melissa made landfall, it disrupted operations at more than a dozen regional health facilities, forcing temporary closures and requiring rapid contingency planning to keep essential care accessible. Throughout the recovery process, the WRHA prioritized rolling out interim service arrangements while steadily advancing permanent repairs to bring damaged facilities back online.

    The Catherine Hall Health Centre is a cornerstone of primary care for the local community, serving thousands of residents every year across a wide range of critical services. Its offerings include general medical consultations, specialized wound care, maternal and child health programs, prescription pharmacy services, family planning support, and adolescent health initiatives. Before the storm, it was the first point of care for most residents of the Catherine Hall neighborhood and surrounding areas.

    Lennox Wallace, Parish Manager for St James Health Services, called the reopening a landmark moment for the region’s healthcare sector. “The reopening of this centre is a testament to the resilience of our healthcare system and the unwavering commitment of the WRHA to the communities we serve,” Wallace explained. “Hurricane Melissa presented unprecedented challenges, but through cross-team collaboration, relentless determination, and critical support from our local and regional stakeholders, we have not just repaired the facility – we have rebuilt stronger. We are thrilled to welcome patients back through these doors and reaffirm our promise to deliver high-quality care to every person who walks in.”

    Since the storm passed, the WRHA has rolled out an extensive portfolio of recovery projects across western Jamaica. Beyond structural repairs to damaged facilities, the authority has focused on upgrading core infrastructure, reinforcing buildings to withstand future extreme weather events, and maintaining continuous service access via temporary clinical setups while permanent rehabilitation was completed. These efforts ensured residents never lost access to essential care throughout the rebuilding process.

    Deveta McLaren, Acting Regional Director of the WRHA, emphasized that the project goes far beyond restoring a single healthcare facility. “This reopening is another critical milestone on our region-wide recovery journey,” McLaren said. “We remain focused on not just restoring our existing facilities, but enhancing them to meet the growing needs of our communities. Our recovery efforts have never been only about fixing damaged buildings – they have been about strengthening our overall capacity to respond to crises and serve residents when they need us most.”

    Local residents have been encouraged to resume using the Catherine Hall Health Centre’s full range of services, and public health officials are urging community members to continue prioritizing preventive care and routine wellness checks that many delayed during the facility’s closure.

  • Jamaica Empress franchise joins expanded 2026 Women’s CPL

    Jamaica Empress franchise joins expanded 2026 Women’s CPL

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Organizers of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) have announced Jamaica Empress as the fourth confirmed franchise for the 2026 edition of the elite women’s T20 cricket tournament, marking a key expansion milestone for the rapidly growing competition. The new side will line up against three consecutive defending champions Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders when all matches kick off at Barbados’ legendary Kensington Oval from September 5 to 17 this year.

    All eight fixtures of the 2026 tournament will be hosted at the iconic Bridgetown venue, a ground with deep roots in Caribbean cricket history that has drawn thousands of fans for top international and regional competitions for decades. Looking beyond the 2026 season, WCPL leaders have laid out ambitious plans to grow the tournament into a truly global event. A formal WCPL statement revealed that by 2027, the competition is set to welcome additional franchises from outside the Caribbean region, opening the door for international teams and players to compete and raising the WCPL’s profile on the world stage.

    Barbados Tridents enter the 2026 tournament on an unprecedented winning streak, having claimed back-to-back-to-back titles in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and will be gunning for a fourth consecutive crown. The Trinbago Knight Riders hold the distinction of winning the tournament’s inaugural edition back in 2022. The tournament opens on September 5 with a blockbuster opening clash between the Tridents and the Knight Riders, while new entrants Jamaica Empress will make their highly anticipated debut the following day against Guyana Amazon Warriors.

    WCPL Chief Executive Officer Pete Russell emphasized that the competition’s impact extends far beyond the boundary rope. “The WCPL is about much more than what happens on the field. We are creating a platform where women can be celebrated, communities can come together, and young girls can see clear pathways to success in sport and beyond,” Russell said, highlighting the league’s core social mission to advance women’s cricket across the region.

    Barbados Tridents captain Hayley Matthews, who missed the 2025 tournament due to an injury, echoed Russell’s sentiments, praising the tournament for the transformative change it has brought to women’s cricket in the Caribbean. “I’ve seen first-hand the impact of WCPL on women across the region. It’s powerful and far-reaching. It illuminates the potential in every girl, giving them not just visibility, but something to believe in and a dream to chase,” Matthews said.

    The full 2026 WCPL fixture list is as follows:
    September 5 – Barbados Tridents vs Trinbago Knight Riders
    September 6 – Jamaica Empress vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
    September 10 – Trinbago Knight Riders vs Jamaica Empress
    September 12 – Trinbago Knight Riders vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
    September 12 – Barbados Tridents vs Jamaica Empress
    September 13 – Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Barbados Tridents
    September 16 – Play-off (2nd placed team vs 3rd placed team)
    September 17 – Tournament Final

  • TAJ urges customers to remain vigilant against online scams

    TAJ urges customers to remain vigilant against online scams

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — In the wake of two coordinated recent scam attempts targeting residents conducting public financial transactions online, Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) has issued an urgent public advisory urging heightened vigilance against fraudsters seeking to steal sensitive personal data and illicitly collect payments through fake digital channels.

    The official warning comes after TAJ investigators uncovered two distinct malicious schemes in recent weeks: one centered on a fraudulent website that falsely advertised itself as a platform for processing traffic ticket fine payments, and a second effort to deceive Jamaican taxpayers during the annual income tax filing season, a period when residents are already active in submitting personal information and payments online.

    To help the public avoid falling victim to these scams, TAJ has stressed that the only verified official domain for all of its online services is https://www.jamaicatax.gov.jm. The agency reminded users that they should always navigate directly to this address rather than clicking unsolicited links from unknown senders when completing any transaction or submitting information to the tax authority.

    In an effort to reassure users of the safety of its official digital infrastructure, TAJ confirmed that all its online services are hosted on a heavily secured platform built with multiple overlapping security layers. These safeguards are specifically engineered to shield taxpayer data and financial transactions from unauthorized access when users access services through the official portal.

    “These protective measures work continuously to keep sensitive personal data and financial transactions secure when customers access our services through the official TAJ website,” a TAJ spokesperson said in the official advisory. “Customers are strongly encouraged to double-check website addresses before clicking any links or entering private information online. We also want to remind the public that TAJ never sends links via email or text messages that direct users to make payments, submit sensitive personal data, or access our online services.”

    All legitimate online transactions with the agency must be completed by navigating directly to the official TAJ website and locating the required service through the portal’s built-in navigation, the organization added.

    TAJ is urging any member of the public who encounters suspicious messages, fake websites, or unsolicited communications claiming to represent the agency to avoid interacting with the content and report the incident to authorities immediately. For users who are unsure about the legitimacy of any communication claiming to come from TAJ, the agency advises contacting its official Customer Care Centre directly at 888-TAX-HELP (888-829-4357) to verify information before sharing any personal data or completing any payment.

  • WATCH: ‘We not leaving Parottee’

    WATCH: ‘We not leaving Parottee’

    In the hurricane-battered coastal community of Parottee, St Elizabeth, Jamaica, a deep rift has emerged between the national government and long-time locals over a proposed mandatory relocation initiative launched in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness first outlined the government’s plan last Thursday during an official event where the National Housing Trust (NHT) handed over 27 new service lots to residents in Malvern, St. Elizabeth.

    Holness framed the relocation as a targeted support measure for Parottee, one of the communities hardest hit by the storm. He argued that full reconstruction of the coastal settlement would ultimately cost far more than the value of the properties the government aims to assist, making the move to pre-fabricated container housing a fiscally and practically sound option. In his remarks, the prime minister emphasized that the government is committed to protecting residents’ livelihoods, asset values and personal dignity throughout the process, adding that relocation would be a collaborative, step-by-step process rather than a rushed, overnight transition.

    The initiative will be delivered through a multi-agency partnership between the NHT, the Urban Development Corporation and the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, with the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) taking on a central coordinating role to align efforts and speed up support for displaced residents.

    But the plan has been met with staunch pushback from core members of the Parottee community, whose lives and livelihoods are deeply tied to the coastal landscape. Three local fishermen and tourism operators — Ridge Harvey, owner of Captain Ridge Boat Tours, Anthony Sinclair, and Wesley Bent — have publicly rejected the proposal, saying they will not leave the only home many of them have known for generations.

    Harvey, a third-generation fisherman, pointed out that the vast majority of Parottee residents rely on fishing and coastal tourism, including boat tours to popular local attraction Pelican Bar, for their daily income. He criticized the proposed container homes as unsuitable and noted that many residents have already begun rebuilding their damaged properties on their own, with some even expanding their homes from damaged original foundations to larger, multi-bedroom structures. For Harvey, relocating residents after they have already endured the trauma of the hurricane is an unnecessary, harmful disruption. He also called out the government for failing to hold community consultations before announcing the plan, noting that the prime minister only visited the community in the storm’s immediate aftermath to survey fatalities and infrastructure damage, not to discuss long-term relocation with residents. Parottee, he added, is a large, spread-out community encompassing Parottee Beach, Hill Top and Spice Grove, and no segment of the community was included in pre-announcement planning.

    Bent, a fisherman with nearly 50 years of experience working Parottee’s waters, echoed Harvey’s concerns. Even after losing his home and boat to Hurricane Melissa, Bent said relocating would cut off his only source of income. The proposed relocation site, the nearby inland community of Fullerswood, is an arid area suited only for farming — a trade none of the coastal residents have experience in. “If we relocate from here, we won’t have any income. Here we will survive with our daily hustling,” Bent explained.

    Sinclair, another long-time fisherman who has built his life in Parottee after moving from Old Harbour, shared the same stance. His home was destroyed in the storm, but he is already rebuilding on his current plot and has no intention of leaving. “When I heard the report I decided that I have to come out and speak,” he said.

    The standoff highlights the tension between government risk mitigation and disaster recovery planning and the deep cultural and economic ties that bind coastal communities to their traditional lands.