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  • Stacey Mirander wows ‘Journey to Kingston’ showcase in Miramar, Florida

    Stacey Mirander wows ‘Journey to Kingston’ showcase in Miramar, Florida

    Inside South Florida’s Miramar Cultural Center, a sudden collective intake of breath rippled through the sold-out crowd of reggae fans on the opening night of Spragga Benz’s ‘Journey to Kingston’ birthday concert series. As three attendees lifted a visibly stunned Stacey Mirander onto the venue’s stage, even the most seasoned concertgoers in the audience had little idea they were about to witness a landmark moment in the young artist’s burgeoning career.

    Mirander was quickly greeted by two familiar figures: Miramar City Commissioner Maxwell B. Chambers and the event’s honoree, legendary reggae-dancehall performer Spragga Benz, confirming the surprise appearance was carefully planned months in advance. As anticipation swelled across the auditorium, the rising singer waited patiently for opening act Laa Lee to wrap his set before stepping to the center of the stage to claim her microphone.

    In a bold, memorable choice, Mirander launched into her original composition *Oh Mother Earth* completely a cappella, no instrumental backing to soften her first big public performance. Her raw, clear vocals cut through the hush of the room immediately, holding every audience member’s attention and earning an early wave of enthusiastic cheers. Within moments, the event’s core backing group, the Ruff Kut Band, joined in, followed by a team of background vocalists, expanding the intimate solo opening into a full, sweeping reggae production that had the entire crowd swaying along to the rhythm.

    For Mirander, this unplanned-by-the-audience but long-awaited set marked the biggest milestone of her young career: it was the first time she had ever performed live alongside a full band in front of a ticketed audience. Speaking after the performance, the singer described the moment as a years-in-the-making dream come to life. “It was a moment I had been waiting for, a dream unfolding in real time, and I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity,” she said. “Happy birthday to Spragga Benz for sharing such a special moment with so many people on a day meant to celebrate him.”

    Only a few days prior, Mirander had completed her very first full-band rehearsal for the performance, and she noted that the energy of the live crowd far exceeded any expectation she held. “I could feel the energy in the room and the spirit of reggae music flowing through me,” she explained. The stripped-back, emotion-driven track *Oh Mother Earth* will serve as a centerpiece of her upcoming debut studio album, a project she says she hopes will introduce her unique take on reggae to a global fanbase.

    The opening night of the ‘Journey to Kingston’ series drew one of the most stacked lineups of reggae and dancehall talent assembled in South Florida this year. Alongside Spragga Benz and surprise guest Mirander, the bill featured iconic and rising performers including Wayne Wonder, Agent Sasco, Everton Blender, Ky-Mani Marley, Yohan Marley, Bugle and Lici Soul. To add a unique layer to the celebration, performers were backed by not only the Ruff Kut Band but also the Florida Memorial University Orchestra, blending classic reggae grooves with lush, sweeping orchestral arrangements that reimagined classic tracks for the audience.

    As the first stop on a multi-city tour, the Florida opening set the tone for a series designed to celebrate reggae’s enduring cultural impact across the world. After the Florida launch, the ‘Journey to Kingston’ series will travel next to Philadelphia for a second show, before wrapping with a grand final performance in the genre’s birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica, where artists and fans from across the globe will gather to honor the legacy and ongoing evolution of reggae music.

  • Knotty Royal celebrates Jamaica’s heritage with new single ‘Doctor Bird’

    Knotty Royal celebrates Jamaica’s heritage with new single ‘Doctor Bird’

    For reggae artists based in the Jamaican diaspora, keeping cultural connection alive while carving out a global career often demands equal parts passion and persistence. For Canada-based reggae performer Knotty Royal, that dedication has translated into his vibrant new single *Doctor Bird*, a love letter to Jamaica’s centuries-long history, one-of-a-kind culture, and stunning natural landscapes, built atop the iconic, fan-favorite Hill and Gully Riddim.

    The creative seed for the track was planted more than a decade ago, during a 2010 trip to Jamaica. While visiting the island, a family member shared long-held stories of Christopher Columbus’s first arrival on Jamaican shores, a narrative that stuck with Knotty Royal for years. The concept finally crystallized when he encountered the Hill and Gully Riddim, and the long-stored story merged seamlessly with the rhythm to form the backbone of the new track. “That story stuck to me like cedar stain,” Knotty Royal shared in a recent interview. “When I heard the riddim, the story and the music came together in my mind.”

    Unlike many contemporary reggae tracks that lean into commercial trends, *Doctor Bird* centers on celebrating Jamaica’s global influence while shining a light on the island’s unrivaled natural scenery and deep cultural legacy. Knotty Royal set out to reframe popular global perceptions of the nation, emphasizing its role as a source of enduring positive energy for audiences worldwide. “I want listeners to understand that Jamaica is a positive force in the world,” he explained. “People look to us for positive vibes, and our landscape and culture are beautiful and incomparable.”

    What drew the artist to the Hill and Gully Riddim in particular was its uncompromising authenticity. The rhythm’s rooted, homegrown sound perfectly embodies Jamaica’s national motto “Out of Many, One People,” a unifying identity that resonated deeply with Knotty Royal’s own connection to the island. Currently, the artist holds out hope that renowned Jamaican producer Stephen McGregor, widely known by his stage name Di Genius, will offer an official endorsement of the track, a move that could amplify its reach exponentially. For Knotty Royal, the intersection of artistic expression and industry strategy is key to creating lasting impact: “Music is both entertainment and business. When those two things come together, great things can happen,” he noted.

    Since its launch, *Doctor Bird* has earned overwhelmingly positive feedback from reggae fans around the world. Many listeners have gone so far as to suggest the track enter the 2026 Jamaica Festival Song Competition, a testament to its resonance with audiences who value authentic Jamaican cultural expression. Even based thousands of miles away in Canada, Knotty Royal has never let his connection to Jamaica fade. He stays actively engaged with the local music scene by tuning into Jamaican radio stations regularly, keeping up with new releases and industry shifts to stay rooted in the culture that inspires his work.

    Knotty Royal’s path as a reggae artist has been shaped by lifelong passions for reading, faith, and music from his earliest years. Building a career in the reggae industry from outside Jamaica comes with unique hurdles, but the artist maintains that Jamaica remains the ultimate test of an artist’s credibility, for both reggae and dancehall creators alike. “If you buss in Jamaica, you buss in the world,” he affirmed.

    He also argues that the rising popularity of the Hill and Gully movement signals a broader global shift: audiences are increasingly seeking out authentic Jamaican culture and uplifting, positive music, moving away from overly polished, commercialized sounds. Looking beyond his latest release, Knotty Royal has a full slate of new projects in the works, including upcoming singles *Rip & Run Off*, *Learn Time*, *Motivation*, and *Run*. He is also continuing to promote *Holy Mountain*, his debut full-length album released in 2024.

    Moving forward, the artist’s goals are clear: he aims to secure wider radio play for his work, grow his international fanbase, and keep creating music that weaves together his faith, personal background, and core Jamaican identity. *Doctor Bird* is available for streaming now on all major platforms, including YouTube and Spotify.

  • 300 more container homes to arrive today

    300 more container homes to arrive today

    Nearly eight months after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa devastated coastal and southern communities across Jamaica, the Jamaican government is continuing its rolling delivery of prefabricated container housing for displaced storm survivors, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has confirmed. Speaking Thursday at a National Housing Trust (NHT) event marking the handover of 27 serviced residential lots in Malvern, St Elizabeth — one of the parishes hardest hit by the 2023 storm — Holness announced that an additional 300 modular container homes will arrive on Jamaican shores Friday. This shipment follows an earlier delivery of 1,200 units already in the country, with the remaining 1,000 of the total 2,500 pre-ordered units scheduled to arrive by July. The NHT has already allocated more than US$29 million to acquire this full fleet of semi-permanent housing solutions, which will serve as core government support for residents forced to relocate from severely damaged storm zones and those who lost all their property and cannot afford to rebuild. St Elizabeth will be a primary beneficiary of the new housing, Holness confirmed, with the hard-hit coastal community of Parottee earmarked for a full, community-wide relocation. Following a post-storm assessment, Holness noted that rebuilding homes in the erosion-prone coastal zone of Parottee would cost far more than replacing the damaged structures with the new modular container units, making full relocation the most practical and cost-effective path forward. The prime minister emphasized that the relocation process will center resident input at every stage, with commitments to protect local livelihoods, preserve the value of residents’ existing assets, and uphold the dignity of all affected community members. Multiple government agencies will partner to deliver the initiative: the NHT, Urban Development Corporation, and St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation will lead on-the-ground implementation, while the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) will coordinate cross-agency work to speed up delivery for displaced households. Displaced residents currently sheltering at Petersfield High School will also receive the new container homes, and the NHT has already identified two sites in Westmoreland parish for clustered semi-permanent housing developments. Beyond immediate disaster response, Holness said the government will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the container housing model to explore whether it can be scaled up for wider use across Jamaica, including the development of accessible long-term financing mechanisms. The study will examine not just the structural practicality of the units, but also their social impact, tracking how access to secure stable housing changes residents’ daily lives and long-term outcomes. Five deployment sites have been confirmed across the island, with scattered units assigned through the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, and the NHT is currently funding construction of foundation bases for all semi-permanent units. During his remarks, Holness also addressed ongoing public criticism over the still largely unspent $1.4 billion in private hurricane relief donations. He pushed back against critics, noting that the government has already allocated almost $67 billion in public funds to cover immediate disaster relief needs for affected Jamaicans. The administration has intentionally held the donated funds to allocate them to tangible, long-lasting, traceable recovery projects rather than spending them on short-term relief that would leave no lasting public record, he explained. Holness framed this deliberate approach as a key departure from past administrations’ handling of disaster relief, arguing that donors will be able to see exactly how their contributions are used in the form of visible, permanent housing for storm survivors, rather than the unrecorded distribution of short-term food grants that leave no lasting public benefit. “That is what distinguishes my administration from administrations of the past. We make wise financial decisions,” Holness said, adding that there is no excuse for the deliberate, transparent approach the government is taking.

  • 7-y-o boy fatally stabbed, grandmother injured in Guyana home attack

    7-y-o boy fatally stabbed, grandmother injured in Guyana home attack

    GEORGETOWN, Guyana – A brutal early morning home invasion on the East Bank Essequibo coast has left a 7-year-old primary school student dead and his disabled 71-year-old grandmother hospitalized, with law enforcement officials now launching a widespread manhunt for the lone attacker.

    The young victim has been identified as Adriel Aftab Mohamed, a student at Zeelugt Primary School who lived with his family in the Zeelugt New Housing Scheme, the residential neighborhood where the horrific attack unfolded shortly after midnight Friday. At the time of the break-in, only the child and his elderly grandmother were inside the property, according to preliminary details shared by local media.

    Investigators say the pair likely woke to discover the unidentified intruder inside their home and attempted to sound an alarm to draw help, prompting the suspect to launch a fatal violent attack. The young boy died at the scene from multiple stab wounds, while his grandmother, who lives with a disability, suffered serious stab injuries that required urgent medical intervention. She remains in a hospital care facility as of Friday, receiving treatment for her wounds.

    Wendell Blanhum, Deputy Commissioner of Police and the country’s Crime Chief, confirmed that investigative teams have prioritized the case and are actively tracking down leads to apprehend the person believed to be responsible for the violent incident. Local law enforcement has not yet released any detailed description of the suspect or possible motives for the home invasion, and official investigations remain ongoing as authorities work to piece together the full sequence of events.

    The killing has sent shockwaves through the small, close-knit Zeelugt community, where residents have expressed outrage and sorrow over the senseless violence against a child and a vulnerable elderly resident.

  • Afreximbank pitches trade and investment financing to Jamaica in inaugural roadshow

    Afreximbank pitches trade and investment financing to Jamaica in inaugural roadshow

    In a landmark step to deepen economic ties between the Caribbean region and the African continent, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has launched its first-ever investment and trade roadshow in Kingston, Jamaica. This high-profile engagement on June 2 marks just months after Jamaica formally joined Afreximbank’s Partnership Agreement, and comes on the heels of the pan-African financial institution’s approval of a massive $5 billion regional financing facility that allocates critical capital to Jamaica and other Caribbean nations.

    Branded under the theme “Empowering Jamaica’s Growth: Catalysing Trade, Investment and Industrialisation through Tailored Afreximbank Solutions”, the one-day event gathered a diverse cross-section of stakeholders, from senior Jamaican government policymakers to leading private-sector business executives and representatives from the country’s top financial institutions. The gathering served dual purposes: it introduced Afreximbank’s full suite of trade financing, direct investment, and strategic advisory offerings to local market participants, while also giving Afreximbank leadership the chance to map out Jamaica’s core development goals, capital gaps, and untapped investment prospects.

    Speaking at the event, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and Public Service Fayval Williams emphasized that the bilateral partnership between the island nation and Afreximbank is growing at an accelerating pace as the bank expands its regional footprint across the Caribbean. Williams noted, “It is clear that the partnership between Afreximbank and Jamaica continues to strengthen.” She urged local public and private institutions to proactively deepen their collaboration with the Cairo-based lender to unlock new cross-continental commercial opportunities that can drive inclusive growth.

    Eric Monchu Intong, Afreximbank’s Group Managing Director for Client Relations and Regional Office Operations, framed intentional industrial development as the foundational pillar for both long-term sustainable economic expansion and increased cross-border trade between the two regions. “To trade successfully with Global Africa, we must first produce,” Intong stated. He highlighted that strategic investments in key infrastructure such as industrial parks, special economic zones, and modern manufacturing capacity would position Jamaica to cut its overreliance on foreign imports, grow its exports of high-value goods, and generate much-needed new jobs for Jamaican workers.

    Following the conclusion of the roadshow, Afreximbank announced that the engagement had significantly enhanced its understanding of Jamaica’s unique business landscape. These insights, the bank confirmed, will inform the design of customized financing and investment products aligned specifically with Jamaica’s national development needs. Afreximbank also reaffirmed its long-term commitment to growing two-way trade and investment flows between Africa and the Caribbean by expanding local access to affordable trade finance, patient investment capital, and expert strategic advisory support.

  • Pay up!

    Pay up!

    Seven months after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa carved a path of destruction across multiple regions of Jamaica, mounting frustration over glacial insurance claim settlements has drawn public intervention from the country’s top leadership. During a public handing-over ceremony for 27 residential service lots in Malvern, St Elizabeth on Thursday, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness publicly called on private insurance providers to accelerate payout processing, framing timely claim resolution as an indispensable pillar of the island’s post-disaster national recovery effort.

    In his remarks, Holness drew a sharp contrast between the performance of private insurers and the state-run National Housing Trust (NHT), which he lauded for its rapid progress on Hurricane Melissa-related claims for mortgaged properties. To date, the NHT has processed 3,835 claims with a total assessed value of $7 billion. After accounting for policy deductibles, the agency is expected to disburse approximately $6 billion in payouts, with $2.85 billion already released to claimants via a phased disbursement structure — representing nearly half of the total eligible claims, according to Holness.

    While the prime minister highlighted the NHT as a model of swift disaster response, the agency has not escaped criticism entirely, with a subset of mortgagors still waiting for updates on their pending applications. Holness acknowledged the backlog, noting that processing remains ongoing across all outstanding claims.

    The prime minister’s public call to action follows weeks of growing complaints from both individual property owners and business leaders across Jamaica, who say seven months without settlement has left many families and enterprises in crippling financial limbo. Holness confirmed he has received hundreds of personal testimonials from claimants who have completed damage assessments but have yet to receive any communication or payout from their private insurers.

    Business leaders have repeatedly warned that prolonged delays threaten the long-term survival of storm-impacted enterprises. In a May interview with Business Observer, Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Jason Russell emphasized that slow claim settlements directly undermine a company’s ability to retain employees, fulfill payment obligations to suppliers, and resume normal operations post-disaster. “We’re talking about the life and death of a business. A business can’t wait a year to get paid,” Russell noted.

    Individual business owners have also gone public with their experiences to highlight systemic failures in the private insurance sector. In a letter to the editor published in Wednesday’s Jamaica Observer, Andrew Houston Moncure, managing director of Westmoreland-based Bluefields Bay Villas & Suites, detailed his family’s seven-month struggle to get updates on their property damage claim, saying they have received nothing but “silence” from their insurer’s loss adjuster since November last year.

    Houston Moncure clarified that he and his family do not expect an unreasonably fast resolution for complex claims, acknowledging that Hurricane Melissa created an unprecedented backlog that stretched industry resources thin across the hardest-hit parishes like Westmoreland, where thousands of structures were destroyed. Instead, he is calling for basic, consistent communication from providers — a standard he says his family’s long-time insurer has failed to meet, even as the family led local recovery efforts for their community without waiting for their own claim payout.

    The business owner also pointed to existing Jamaican regulations that mandate timely claim settlement: Regulation 135 of the country’s Insurance Regulations requires providers to resolve all valid claims within 30 days of meeting payment conditions, with statutory interest added for late payments. The Financial Services Commission’s 2022 Market Conduct Rules further require insurers and their intermediaries to settle claims fairly, without undue delay, and via transparent, efficient processes.

    Top industry leaders have already acknowledged the widespread delays constitute a major failure of the private insurance sector. During a panel discussion at the Insurance Association of Jamaica’s annual business conference in May, BCIC CEO Peter Levy described the industry’s slow post-Melissa response as a “significant failure”.

    Levy, however, outlined significant operational and logistical challenges that providers faced in the immediate aftermath of the storm. In the storm’s wake, key transportation routes were blocked, national communication infrastructure was disabled, and even independent contractors tasked with preparing damage estimates were themselves dealing with personal storm damage. The unprecedented volume of claims left the entire industry stretched beyond its existing resource capacity, he added.

    In response to the breakdown, the Jamaican insurance industry has launched a full review of its disaster response protocols to identify gaps and implement critical changes ahead of future catastrophic weather events. Key areas under review include loosening some verification requirements during large-scale disasters and streamlining processing for claims where loss estimates fall within a pre-defined reasonable range, with the goal of cutting down overall payout timelines for most claimants.

  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso actor Anthony Head dies aged 72

    Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ted Lasso actor Anthony Head dies aged 72

    LONDON – Beloved British stage and screen actor Anthony Head, whose decades-long career included iconic roles in two hit television series *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* and *Ted Lasso*, has passed away at the age of 72. His family confirmed the news in an official statement shared with media on Friday.

    Head built a lasting legacy in the entertainment industry, with one of his most celebrated roles coming as the dry-witted, fatherly librarian Rupert Giles on the 1997–2003 cult supernatural drama *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, which starred Sarah Michelle Gellar in the lead role. A skilled performer equally comfortable on screen and on stage, he also maintained a parallel career as a trained singer with a well-regarded baritone vocal range, and was the older brother of celebrated recording artist Murray Head.

    In a moving statement released through PA News Agency, Head’s two daughters, Emily and Daisy Head — both of whom followed their father into acting — shared the details of his passing. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the death of our extraordinary father, Anthony Head,” they wrote. “He passed away peacefully of complications due to pneumonia, surrounded by his family. It has been, and forever will be, an honour and a privilege to be his daughters, and to have witnessed firsthand the impact both he and his work have had on so many.”

    Head first rose to mainstream public attention in his native United Kingdom back in the 1980s, thanks to a massively popular recurring advertising campaign for coffee that ran for six years between 1987 and 1993. In the ads, Head and co-star Sharon Maughan portrayed a couple who struck up a romantic connection over a shared cup of coffee, turning the pair into household names across the country.

    In the final years of his career, Head enjoyed a career resurgence with a fan-favorite recurring role on the hit Apple TV+ football comedy *Ted Lasso*, where he played Rupert Mannion, the arrogant former owner of AFC Richmond and ex-husband of Rebecca Welton, the lead character played by Hannah Waddingham. The role introduced Head to a whole new generation of viewers, decades after he first rose to fame.
    Head was predeceased by his long-term partner Sarah Fisher, a horse sanctuary operator who passed away in December 2023 at the age of 61.

  • Power outages reported across several parishes

    Power outages reported across several parishes

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — A sudden wave of power blackouts has swept across multiple parishes across Jamaica, cutting electricity supply to countless residential and commercial areas across the island nation. As local communities grapple with disrupted daily routines, attempts to reach the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) — the country’s main electricity provider — for clarification on what triggered the outages and when service can be expected to be fully restored have gone unanswered so far.

    The utility company has not yet released any formal public statement addressing the widespread service interruptions, leaving affected residents and business owners without clear guidance on how long the disruption will last. Local media outlets are continuing to monitor developments on this unfolding event, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available from company officials.

  • Megan’s moment

    Megan’s moment

    The 2025 Diamond League circuit’s fourth stop, the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome, delivered a stunning night of sprint and field action Thursday, headlined by Jamaican national champion and Olympic medalist Megan Simmonds who notched her first-ever Diamond League race win and opened up about rediscovering her joy for the sport. Simmonds clocked a 2025 season-best time of 12.50 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles, holding off a star-studded field to claim the top spot despite a 0.8m/s headwind. Former world record holder Kendra Harrison of the United States finished just 0.04 seconds behind to take silver, while the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser rounded out the top three with a 12.58-second run, and Jamaican Danielle Williams notched a season best of 12.69 seconds to finish fifth.

    In addition to Simmonds’ breakthrough victory, six other Jamaican athletes earned podium finishes at the iconic Rome Olympic Stadium, capping a strong showing for the Caribbean track powerhouse. Orlando Bennett claimed second place in the men’s 110m hurdles, while Jordan Scott and Jaydon Hibbert took second and third respectively in the men’s triple jump. Nickisha Pryce (women’s 400m), Rushell Clayton (women’s 400m hurdles) and Romaine Beckford (men’s high jump) all secured third-place finishes to add to Jamaica’s medal haul.

    Speaking after her win, Simmonds opened up about her mental reset and journey back to her competitive roots, saying she has reconnected with her core identity as an athlete after drifting from the sport early in her career. A training stint ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games with a high-performance group helped her reset her mindset, she said, and now she is in the best mental place of her career. “Early in my career, the surroundings took me away from who I am but going to Tokyo, training in a fantastic group, I came back to who I am. I am excited and I am winning races. There is no better feeling. I am living a dream right now,” she said.

    Simmonds dedicated her 2025 season to fans and used her victory to send a message to critics who doubted her potential. “This is for everybody who have told you that you could not do it and who didn’t believe in you. You need to believe in yourself. This season is for my fans,” she said, adding that she is taking a gradual approach to the long season, with faster times still to come. “The season is long so we are taking it step by step and day by day. Always, when I step to the start line, I think I have ten opportunities to do well and show what I am capable of. This is who I am.”

    In the men’s triple jump, world rankings leader Jordan Scott suffered his first loss of the 2025 season, but pushed to a 17.33m mark in the final round to secure second place, while teammate Hibbert landed a season-best 17.02m to take third. Host nation Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez claimed his third consecutive Rome Diamond League title with a season-best 17.59m jump. Scott acknowledged it was not his strongest performance, but noted the result gave him clear insight to adjust ahead of upcoming meets. “It took a lot of adjustment today to get to 17.33m, more than I would generally like. I have a bit of an idea where I am now and I know what to work on next. This is a good distance I jumped today, although not where I wanted to be today,” he said.

    In the men’s 110m hurdles, reigning Jamaican national champion Orlando Bennett finished second with a 13.31-second run, trailing American Trey Cunningham who set a new world-leading personal best and meeting record of 12.98 seconds. Bennett revealed after the race that he plans to skip the upcoming JAAA National Senior Championships scheduled for June 18-21, and will therefore miss the July Commonwealth Games, as he prioritizes staying on the Diamond League circuit this season. He is set to compete at the next Diamond League stop in Doha on June 19, before returning to Jamaica for rest. “This is an off-season for me so my goals are staying in the circuit and getting good times and good rewards,” he explained, noting that cool temperatures and back-to-back races impacted his performance in Rome. “I do not know if this was a good race, it was not really the best. I just tried to get through the race and through the hurdles. I came here to execute and I really did.”

    Other top finishes for Jamaican athletes included Pryce’s third-place 49.80-second season best in the women’s 400m, where Norway’s Henriette Jaeger took gold and Czechia’s Lurdes Gloria Manuel took silver with a personal best 49.77. Clayton lowered her own season best to 53.14 seconds to take third in the women’s 400m hurdles, where Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova notched a consecutive win, a new national record and world lead of 52.58 seconds. In the men’s high jump, Beckford cleared 2.23m to take third, matching the height of second-place finisher Erik Portillo of Mexico, while Italy’s Matteo Sioli won gold with a 2.28m clearance. Additional Jamaican results saw Tajay Gayle take fourth in the men’s long jump, Rajindra Campbell fifth in the men’s shot put, Ackeem Blake seventh in the men’s 100m—an event won by American Noah Lyles in 9.88 seconds.

  • WATCH: Six charged in Mandeville highway vending clampdown

    WATCH: Six charged in Mandeville highway vending clampdown

    MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A coordinated law enforcement operation targeting unregulated street vending along Jamaica’s Winston Jones Highway in Mandeville concluded on Thursday with six vendors arrested and formally charged with violating the island’s Towns and Communities Act. Five additional vendors caught in the clampdown received official warnings, local law enforcement confirmed this week.

    The multi-agency sweep was carried out jointly by personnel from the Manchester Municipal police force, the Area Three Agricultural Protection Branch, and the central Manchester police command. According to law enforcement officials, the enforcement action is part of a broader ongoing push to reestablish public safety and orderly movement across Mandeville and its surrounding neighborhoods.

    Unregulated roadside vending has grown increasingly prevalent in recent months along the busy highway corridor, particularly near the Williamsfield and New Green roundabouts. The unchecked activity has created significant traffic disruption, slowing vehicle flow through key junctions and raising major safety concerns for both motorists and vendors themselves.

    A senior anonymous police source explained the urgency of the intervention, noting that many vendors have been stepping directly onto the active lanes of the Winston Jones Highway to approach moving vehicles to sell their goods. This dangerous practice puts both vendors and drivers at severe risk of collisions, the source added.

    In the wake of the operation, law enforcement is calling on all local vendors to move their operations to the officially designated Mandeville Market, where dedicated vending space is available. Police also reminded all vendors operating in the region that they are required to comply with all existing public health and workplace safety regulations to protect both vendors and customers.