HAVANA, Cuba — Cuba’s central bank announced Wednesday that all Visa and Mastercard payment operations across the island will be halted this weekend, after sweeping United States economic sanctions pushed a key international processing bank to cut off its business relationship with a Cuban state-affiliated financial entity. In an official public statement, the central bank confirmed that it received formal notification of the exit on June 2. The processing bank, which has overseen all Visa and Mastercard card-based transactions within Cuba’s borders, said it would end its contractual agreement with Fincimex SA, the entity designated to manage these international card payments for the Cuban government. Fincimex operates as the financial subsidiary of GAESA, a large military-led conglomerate that has long been targeted by US economic sanctions imposed on Cuba. This development marks another significant disruption to Cuba’s access to global financial networks, exacerbating existing economic pressures that have limited the country’s ability to facilitate international commerce and serve foreign visitors who rely on global card payments during their stay. The suspension comes as US sanctions on Cuban entities remain in place, with little indication of near-term adjustments to the long-standing restrictive trade and financial policy. Cuban financial officials have not yet announced an alternative workaround for processing international card payments, leaving many in the tourism and commercial sectors bracing for new disruptions.
标签： Jamaica
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49 million cyber attacks trigger push for new law
Against a alarming four-fold surge in cyber attack attempts targeting Jamaica over the past two years, the Jamaican government has launched a comprehensive national initiative to strengthen the country’s cyber defenses, including a binding new cybersecurity law and a dedicated coordination council.
The alarming escalation of threats saw more than 49 million attempted cyber intrusions recorded across Jamaica last year, a sharp jump from just 12 million documented attacks in 2022. Critical government systems have been the primary target of bad actors, with one high-profile breach of a major government digital platform already exposing the sensitive personal data of hundreds of thousands of Jamaican citizens.
Dr. Andrew Wheatley, Jamaica’s Minister with oversight for science, technology and special projects, outlined the full scope of the government’s response during an address to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, as part of the body’s annual sectoral debate. Central to the new plan is the creation of the National Cybersecurity Coordination and Assurance Council (NCCAC), a time-bound central authority embedded within the Office of the Prime Minister that will operate with a 24-month mandate, reporting to the Prime Minister through Wheatley.
Wheatley emphasized that the new body is not intended to expand government bureaucracy, but to act as a unifying engine to align existing national cybersecurity resources. “Its specific mandate is to take every cybersecurity asset Jamaica already possesses — every standard, every plan, every unit, every dollar of investment — and convert them into a coordinated, accountable, measurable national capability,” he explained to lawmakers.
Foundational work on the new national Cybersecurity Act is already complete, with a full legislative drafting matrix finalized in July 2024 as part of preparations for a multi-million dollar investment programme backed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Under the government’s rolling implementation timeline, a full policy and legislative gap assessment will be wrapped up within the first four months of the new governance framework, with final drafting instructions completed by month six. Cabinet is scheduled to receive the full legislative package for review between months nine and 12.
Once enacted, the new law will formally codify the existence of the National Cybersecurity Directorate, enshrining Jamaica’s permanent cybersecurity authority in statute. This legal foundation ensures that “no future change in Administration can quietly dismantle” the country’s core cyber defense infrastructure, Wheatley noted. The legislation will also introduce a formal regulatory framework for identifying and protecting critical information infrastructure — the digital systems whose disruption would cause catastrophic harm to core national functions including energy distribution, banking, telecommunications, public health services and government operations.
Key provisions of the new law will require all regulated sectors to meet mandatory minimum cybersecurity standards, grant the directorate enforcement authority to ensure compliance, mandate timely reporting of cyber incidents, establish rules for responsible disclosure of system vulnerabilities, and formalize regulation for private cybersecurity service providers operating within Jamaica’s borders.
The urgency of the reforms is underscored by long-standing gaps in Jamaica’s cyber maturity. A 2012 national assessment rated the country’s cyber defense capacity at just 40% of the maximum benchmark score, a stark contrast to the 70% score achieved by the region’s leading cyber-secure nation. “The gap is real, it is structural and it must be closed,” Wheatley told the House.
In recent years, the government has already laid critical groundwork for the overhaul: the Jamaica Cyber Security Standards Framework is complete, the National Cyber Instant Response Plan has undergone successful testing and is ready for deployment, and US$10 million in funding has been secured through the IDB- and USAID-backed Strengthening Cyber Security in Jamaica Project. The initiative is formally approved and will roll out through 2029.
With the expiration of the 2021-2025 National Cyber Security Strategy, the government is preparing to launch its third iteration of the national strategy, replacing the outgoing plan that succeeded the 2015 framework and “has served Jamaica well,” according to Wheatley. The original five-pillar structure focused on protection, deterrence, capacity building, cross-sector partnership and governance, but the evolving threat landscape demands a revised approach.
“Artificial intelligence is now being weaponised by attackers; supply chain compromise has become the primary concern of large organisations globally; critical information infrastructure protection has moved from aspiration to operational necessity,” Wheatley said. He also highlighted that extreme weather events like Hurricane Melissa have made clear that cybersecurity and national disaster resilience are inextricably linked, not separate policy areas.
Closing his address, Wheatley assured lawmakers that Jamaica is on track to launch its third national cybersecurity strategy built on stronger institutional foundations, clearer governance structures, and anchored by a permanent, statutory national cybersecurity directorate leading the country’s defense against growing digital threats.
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Current, ex-JP granted bail in Manchester forgery case
MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Two men facing a raft of criminal charges tied to an alleged driver’s license fraud scheme have been released on bail following a Wednesday hearing at the Manchester Parish Court.
The accused are 46-year-old Marvin Dean, a retired justice of the peace (JP) who resides in Manchester’s Cross Keys and Newport communities, and 64-year-old Dudley Powell, a sitting JP and active businessman based in Glenco, Spalding, along the shared border of Clarendon and Manchester parishes. Both men were charged last week following a coordinated police operation that took place at the Island Traffic Authority’s Mandeville Service Hub on May 18, where authorities took them into custody.
Presiding judge Monique Harrison set bail at $600,000 for Dean and $400,000 for Powell, with strict pretrial conditions attached to their release. As part of the bail agreement, Dean is required to check in with officers at the Newport Police Station every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while Powell must complete the same check-in protocol at the Spalding Police Station on the same scheduled days. Both men have been ordered to surrender all valid travel documents, and Jamaican authorities have issued a formal stop order across all national ports of entry and exit to block any attempt to leave the country ahead of trial.
Legal representation for the hearing was split between local attorneys: Odane Marston appeared on behalf of Powell, while Rodain Richardson and Amy Dunkley represented Dean.
The charges against the pair stem from allegations that they posed as licensed medical doctors to illegally sign off on mandatory health checks required for new driver’s license applications. Investigators filed 12 separate criminal charges against Dean last Thursday, including impersonating a medical professional, forgery of government and notary public seals, uttering forged documents, possession of falsified official paperwork, cheating public revenue, obtaining funds through false pretenses, conspiracy, attempted bribery, and possession of forged official stamps.
Powell was arraigned on four distinct charges the following day: cheating public revenue, conspiracy to commit fraud, misuse of an official seal for unlawful activity, and misconduct in public office, a charge tied to his ongoing role as a sitting justice of the peace.
The case is scheduled to return to Manchester Parish Court for a next hearing on July 1, as the investigation into the alleged fraud ring continues.
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Manchester 80% ready for hurricane season, says mayor
MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Seven months after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa left significant damage across the northern portion of the Jamaican parish of Manchester, local municipal leaders have confirmed that pre-season mitigation work is well underway to ready the region for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially kicked off this Monday.
Donovan Mitchell, chairman of the Manchester Municipal Corporation and mayor of Mandeville, shared updates on preparedness efforts in an interview with the Jamaica Observer, emphasizing that the local government has taken a proactive approach to risk reduction ahead of the season’s historically most active late period.
“We know the first two to three months of hurricane season are typically not very active, but activity picks up sharply as we move into the later months. Our goal is to have every measure in place long before a storm threat arrives, so we are fully ready for any outcome,” Mitchell explained. “Right now, Manchester is roughly 80 percent prepared. We are confident we can respond effectively if any storm impacts our parish this year.”
Mitchell recalled that while the municipality had preparation measures in place ahead of last year’s storm, Melissa, which made landfall on October 28, brought unprecedented, unexpected damage that tested local response capacity.
In this year’s preparedness push, the municipal government has prioritized inspecting and repairing emergency public shelters across the parish. Of the original 86 shelters the parish once maintained, 55 are now certified ready for use, while the remaining 31 sustained irreversible or complex damage during Melissa and have not yet been restored. All active shelters now feature accessible ramps to accommodate people with physical disabilities, and a specialized shelter for vulnerable people with mental health conditions will be hosted at Mandeville Primary School, which has been fully retrofitted for this purpose. Administrators are also updating the roster of shelter managers, noting that while some long-serving managers have retired, replacement staff have already been lined up to fill any gaps ahead of a storm event.
The parish’s central warehouse for pre-positioned hurricane relief supplies has also been fully repaired following damage from last year’s storm. Mitchell noted that this storage facility is critical to the local response, as municipal teams act as first responders in the immediate aftermath of a storm. Having emergency supplies on site ensures the parish can support residents even if national government agencies are delayed in reaching Manchester due to widespread damage across other regions of the country.
Later this week, on Thursday, the municipality will host a meeting of its Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Committee, with all key local disaster response stakeholders invited to attend to align coordination plans ahead of the season. Specialized response equipment is already on standby for rapid deployment if needed.
Funding from the Ministry of Local Government has allowed the parish to ramp up drain cleaning work across Manchester, with a major push scheduled to begin across the parish in June. The municipality has also prioritized repairs to parochial roads, which fall under its jurisdiction (main national roads are managed by the National Works Agency and national government lawmakers).
Currently, repair work is ongoing on Mollison Road near Christiana, which collapsed during last year’s hurricane. Restoring this road is a top priority, as it would cut off access to roughly 1,000 local residents if left unrepaired ahead of the new season. Mitchell added that most other parochial roads are already in good condition, following recently completed repairs on high-traffic routes including McKinley Road, Brumalia Road, Wint Road, and Ward Avenue, all of which are heavily used by motorists traveling to and from Mandeville. Local city councilors are conducting individual assessments of roads in their districts to address any remaining hazards.
The municipality is currently in discussions with Desmond McKenzie, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, to secure additional funding for remaining repair and preparedness projects, and is awaiting a response on further support.
Beyond municipal-led work, Mitchell is calling on local residents to take personal responsibility for maintaining clear drains near their homes after municipal crews complete cleaning. The municipal government enforces a zero-tolerance policy for blocked drains, which are a major cause of preventable flooding during hurricane events. Crews are already conducting inspections of drains that cross private property to address illegal encroachment or blockages, and Mitchell urged residents to avoid dumping plastic, garbage, or other debris in drainage infrastructure.
Mitchell also highlighted specific ongoing risks from roadside garages and active construction sites, where operators frequently dump building materials including sand and marl along road shoulders. Heavy rain can wash these materials into drains, causing widespread blockages. Under the Parochial Roads Act, the municipal council has the authority to set time limits for temporary placement of construction materials on public roads. If operators fail to remove materials after receiving official notice, the council will remove the materials at the operator’s expense. The mayor also issued a warning for residents to remove derelict vehicles that block drainage pathways, particularly along roads used for informal garages, noting that unclaimed vehicles will be removed by the council ahead of the storm season.
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Trinidad and Tobago welcomes election to UN Security Council
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – In a landmark victory for the small Caribbean nation, Trinidad and Tobago’s government has celebrated its successful election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a win officials frame as a transformative step to amplify the country’s influence in global diplomatic circles.
Elected during a vote of the United Nations General Assembly, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) member will hold the two-year post from 2027 through 2028. Out of votes cast, Trinidad and Tobago earned 181 endorsements, a total that easily cleared the mandatory two-thirds majority threshold required to claim the seat. As the sole candidate put forward by the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC), the nation faced no competing challengers for the opening, and will officially take up its responsibilities on January 1, 2027.
In an official statement released Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs emphasized that the Security Council seat will create expanded opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago to contribute meaningfully to high-stakes global conversations spanning peacebuilding, international security, sustainable development, and cross-border cooperation. Beyond bolstering the country’s participation in global governance, the ministry noted the appointment will strengthen Trinidad and Tobago’s diplomatic standing, boost its clout among the international community, and unlock new pathways to build strategic partnerships and deepen engagement with nations across the globe.
This is not Trinidad and Tobago’s first turn at the Security Council table: the country previously held a non-permanent seat for the 1985–1986 term. Notably, the government confirmed that the nation earned the full support of all five permanent members of the Security Council – the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia – in its campaign.
Trinidad and Tobago is the latest Caricom nation to claim a spot on the powerful UN body. The most recent previous holder from the regional bloc was St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which served the 2020–2021 term from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021.
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Campbell urges disaster recovery fund for agri/fisheries sectors
Jamaica’s Opposition spokesperson for agriculture and fisheries, Dr Dayton Campbell, is pushing the government to establish a permanent dedicated fund to deliver rapid relief to farmers and fishers whose livelihoods are damaged by natural disasters and extreme weather events. Dr Campbell, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Eastern, laid out this proposal during a sectoral debate session in Jamaica’s House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Campbell emphasized that Jamaica can no longer rely on ad-hoc relief mechanisms created after disaster strikes. Too often in the past, disaster support for agricultural producers has only been assembled following major events like hurricanes, floods or droughts, requiring rushed cabinet approvals and dependent on last-minute budget reallocations from the Ministry of Finance. By the time emergency funding is approved, many small producers have already lost their entire livelihoods, he argued.
Instead of this reactive model, Campbell proposed a standing national disaster recovery fund that receives annual allocations through the regular national budget, keeping it ready for immediate activation whenever the agriculture or fisheries sectors are hit by a climate event or disaster. Jamaica has long known it faces consistent climate risks including hurricanes, prolonged droughts, severe flooding, landslides, storm surges and outbreak of livestock and crop diseases, he noted. It is irresponsible to continue responding to these predictable, recurring risks with improvised, last-minute systems, the opposition lawmaker added.
Given the critical role that agriculture and fisheries play in upholding Jamaica’s national food security, Campbell stressed that the government cannot afford to delay planning until after damage is already done. A proactive, rather than reactive, approach is needed, and a permanent fund will shift the country’s disaster response from chaotic reaction to structured readiness, he explained. With a pre-funded permanent mechanism in place, the government will be able to deliver timely support to affected producers without forcing them to wait months for special budget allocations, supplementary funding approvals or public emergency appeals.
To guarantee operational accountability and readiness, Campbell proposed that the fund’s activation be guided by clear, pre-defined eligibility and trigger criteria. For example, the fund would automatically be unlocked when a verified extreme event causes sector damage that exceeds a pre-set threshold, with damage confirmation provided by official bodies such as the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management or the relevant government ministry. Having clear protocols and damage thresholds in place will give agricultural and fisheries producers greater confidence that support will arrive quickly and predictably through a transparent, established system when disaster hits, Campbell said.
Outlining five core objectives for the fund, Campbell first called for it to provide targeted emergency grants to small-scale farmers and fishers that have verified losses. One-size-fits-all support is inadequate, he noted: a farmer losing grain crops faces a different set of losses than one losing livestock, irrigation infrastructure, greenhouses or farm buildings, just as a fisher losing traps has different needs than one losing an entire boat, engine or full set of fishing gear.
Second, the fund should cover the replacement of critical productive assets required for producers to restart their work. For farmers, this would include tools, irrigation systems, water storage tanks, fencing, greenhouse building materials, livestock housing, farm machinery, seeds, seedlings, fertilizer, animal feed and livestock medication. For fishers, covered assets would include boats, engines, nets, traps, required safety equipment, coolers, storage containers and all other gear needed to return to fishing safely and in compliance with national regulations.
Third, Campbell recommended the fund provide temporary livelihood support to producers whose incomes are fully disrupted by disaster, while the fourth core objective would be to support rapid replanting of crops and restocking of livestock to speed up the sector’s recovery. The fifth and final objective would be to subsidize affordable insurance products for small farmers and fishers, including parametric insurance coverage tailored to common climate risks like hurricanes, drought and excessive rainfall.
Campbell stressed that for the fund to deliver on its promises, it must be well-structured, fully transparent and earn the trust of the producers it is designed to serve. It must not become another vague, discretionary programme plagued by delays or political favoritism, he said. Instead, it must operate according to clear rules, public timelines and formal accountability frameworks. Eligibility criteria must be published publicly, so that all farmers and fishers can understand who qualifies for support, what types of losses are covered, what documentation is required to file a claim, and what forms of support are available to them. The public must also have clear information on whether assistance will come in the form of grants, subsidies, low-interest loans, or a mix of these options, with an application process that is simple, accessible and responsive to the needs of struggling producers, Campbell added.
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JUTC is official transportation partner for Reggae Sumfest 2026
In an official announcement released this Wednesday, Jamaica’s state-owned public transit provider, the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), has locked in its role as the primary transportation partner for the highly anticipated 2026 edition of Reggae Sumfest, one of the Caribbean’s most iconic cultural and musical events.
Under the new partnership, JUTC will roll out tailored, dedicated transit services for all festival attendees traveling to and from the event venue, located at Richmond Estate in the parish of St Ann. For Nathalia Palomino, JUTC’s Marketing and Sales Manager, the collaboration is far more than a transit arrangement—it is a reflection of the company’s core mission to deliver safe, consistent, and accessible mobility options, while actively supporting Jamaica’s world-renowned cultural creative sector.
To streamline the attendee experience, JUTC will operate structured round-trip routes departing from major hubs across the island. This service model is designed to cut down on the event-related traffic congestion that has plagued past festivals, and eliminate the stress of securing scarce parking spots near the venue, letting festival-goers focus on enjoying the performances rather than navigating travel headaches.
“At JUTC, we constantly pursue new creative partnerships that let us connect Jamaicans with the experiences they care about most, in a safe and hassle-free way,” Palomino shared in a press statement. “This partnership with Reggae Sumfest 2026 lets attendees fully immerse themselves in the music and festivities, while we handle all the logistics of getting them there and back. We’re thrilled to play our part in making this year’s festival the most memorable one yet.”
A key modern upgrade to the service is a fully digital booking and payment process hosted through the GK1 mobile application. This system allows attendees to reserve and pay for their transit packages well in advance, removing the uncertainty that comes with last-minute travel arrangements. Palomino noted that the streamlined digital workflow not only adds extra convenience for users planning their festival trip, but also ensures a quick, smooth boarding process on the day of departure.
To incentivize early bookings, JUTC is offering a limited-time promotion for early birds: the first 200 attendees to reserve their seats will receive a J$1,000 discount on their full transit package, bringing down costs and making the event more accessible for music fans across the country.
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INSIDE LASCO’S POST-LASCELLES PLAN
More than two years have passed since the passing of LASCO founder Lascelles Chin, and the Jamaican diversified corporate group is finally putting in place a formalized long-term leadership framework to transition out of the founder era, promoting veteran insider Dr Eileen Chin to expanded executive roles as it lays the groundwork for its next chapter of expansion.
Dr Chin, the founder’s widow and a decades-long LASCO executive, was officially appointed deputy executive chairman of LASCO Manufacturing Limited and LASCO Distributors Limited on May 26. Her appointment to the same role at the group’s third core subsidiary, LASCO Financial Services, is set to be confirmed at a scheduled June 17 board meeting. The confirmation was delayed after the financial unit’s auditors requested extra time to finalize its 2026 full-year financial audit.
The promotions place Dr Chin, who has climbed the ranks at LASCO over more than 25 years, at the heart of the group’s push to solidify leadership continuity across its three core business lines, which collectively generated more than JMD 44 billion in total annual revenue last fiscal year. For Dr Chin, the top immediate priority is building a robust leadership pipeline across every organizational level to ensure multi-generational success, rather than relying on a single figure to steer the conglomerate.
“LASCO’s future cannot rest on any single individual,” Dr Chin shared in an interview with the Jamaica Observer, followed by written responses outlining her appointment and long-term vision for the group. “It must be built on strong leadership at every level, a culture of accountability and innovation, disciplined execution, and an unwavering commitment to the customers and communities we serve.”
She emphasized that succession planning is far more than identifying a single successor for the founder. “Succession planning is not about identifying one person to replace another. It is about ensuring that the organisation has a strong pipeline of capable leaders at every level.”
Previously a board director across group companies, Dr Chin’s new expanded role will see her take direct operational responsibility, with duties split between her and current Executive Chairman James Rawle. “The chairman and I will be agreeing on what portfolio of the operation I will be looking after,” she explained.
LASCO’s three core business lines currently face vastly different market conditions, underscoring the complexity of the leadership team’s task:
– LASCO Manufacturing remains the group’s star performer. For the 12 months ending March 31, 2026, the subsidiary reported a record net profit of JMD 2.76 billion, a 7.6% year-over-year increase, while total revenue climbed to JMD 12.69 billion. The firm also recently launched a new high-speed beverage and water filling line as part of an ongoing capital investment program to boost production capacity and operational efficiency.
– LASCO Distributors is the group’s largest business by revenue, posting full-year sales of JMD 31.67 billion, but its net profit fell 20.6% year-over-year to JMD 1.06 billion. Rising operating costs, increased marketing spending, and ongoing capital investments compressed margins during the period. The subsidiary is currently investing heavily in expanding its White Marl warehouse, a project management expects to improve long-term logistics efficiency and support future sales growth.
– LASCO Financial Services is navigating a turnaround following a period of declining profitability. While its most recent full audited results showed a sharp profit drop, updated nine-month results ending December 31, 2025, indicate a recovery is underway: operating profit jumped 166% to JMD 213.3 million as lending activity expanded, pushing the firm back into the black. Total loans and receivables grew from JMD 1.49 billion a year earlier to roughly JMD 2.18 billion, signaling a strategic shift toward growing core lending operations.
Dr Chin’s path to the top of LASCO’s leadership structure began far from the corporate boardroom. Born in Cuba, she enrolled in medical school at 16 and trained as a physician and researcher before relocating to Jamaica in 1998. She joined LASCO the following year, starting with entry-level work including product label editing, translations, and export coordination, learning the business from the ground up. She later earned an MBA, held leadership roles across exports, product development and manufacturing operations, and eventually rose to become managing director of LASCO Manufacturing, where she delivered record annual earnings last fiscal year. She has been part of LASCO’s journey from a small local player to a diversified publicly listed conglomerate.
Her appointment also cements the continued involvement of the founding family in the business. The Estate of Lascelles Chin remains one of the largest shareholders across all three LASCO subsidiaries, holding roughly 30% of LASCO Manufacturing and LASCO Financial Services, and just under 29% of LASCO Distributors. Key co-shareholders include East West (St Lucia) Limited and Mayberry Jamaican Equities Limited, and Dr Chin also holds personal equity stakes in each group company.
Outlining her long-term growth strategy to Business Observer, Dr Chin laid out four core pillars: expanded export reach, new product development, a push into higher-value offerings, and targeted strategic acquisitions.
Despite decades of expansion across Caribbean and North American markets, exports currently account for only 4% of the group’s total revenue, leaving massive untapped growth potential. “The biggest opportunity now, just the low-hanging fruit, is expanding export,” she said.
The company plans to deepen its market share across the Caribbean, pursue further growth in the United States and Canada, and rebuild its presence in Central American markets including Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama and Belize, where LASCO products already have strong existing brand recognition. “Those markets provide an opportunity to build on existing brand awareness while creating a platform for broader regional expansion over time,” she noted.
Beyond exports, LASKO will continue pursuing organic growth through new product launches and extensions of its existing portfolio. “What we have been doing is also looking at new ideas. There is a lot of other things that we could expand on through the organic growth of the company,” she said. The firm is also exploring opportunities in higher-margin product categories including functional food and beverages to diversify its product mix and boost overall profitability.
Historically, LASCO’s growth has been driven almost entirely by organic expansion, but Dr Chin said the group is now open to evaluating targeted acquisition opportunities that align with its core operations. “We are not interested in acquisitions simply for the sake of growth or scale. Any business we pursue must be strategically meaningful, aligned with our core operations, and capable of strengthening our capabilities, extending our market reach, or enhancing our product portfolio,” she explained. “Our ambition is not simply to build a larger company, but to build a stronger, more diversified and more internationally competitive Jamaican enterprise.”
Looking ahead, Dr Chin identified one of the most pressing long-term risks not just for LASCO, but for all of Jamaican industry: a growing shortage of skilled specialized talent. As manufacturing equipment, automation and digital technologies grow more advanced, she argued, the domestic supply of qualified workers has failed to keep pace. “If you look at the manufacturing industry, equipment and machinery have become much more sophisticated. You need people with more skill. More technical skill,” she said.
This skills gap extends to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, she added: “AI is coming on-board. We need more people that understand it, that are trained in AI and how to use it to drive efficiencies.”
Dr Chin argued that a disconnect between Jamaica’s education system and the evolving needs of modern industry is the root cause of the constrained talent pool. While the entrepreneurial culture that Lascelles Chin built remains one of the group’s greatest strengths, preserving that legacy requires adaptive change, not just maintaining the status quo.
“The greatest threat is not adapting quickly enough to a world that is changing at an unprecedented pace,” she said. “Companies that fail to anticipate and respond to these changes risk losing relevance over time.”
For LASCO, the core challenge now is turning this philosophy into action, building an organization that can sustain long-term growth, solid leadership continuity, and global competitiveness long after the founder era.
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Red Hills El Clasico returns with bigger stakes
One of Jamaica’s most anticipated community grassroots football competitions is preparing to throw open its doors next month, drawing squads and fans from across St Andrew and surrounding regions. The Red Hills El Clasico Corner League is scheduled to launch its 2026 edition on June 7 at the Belvedere Sports Complex, located in the heart of Red Hills, St Andrew. Over the course of 12 weeks, 10 local teams will compete in a grueling contest that wraps up on August 23, with the top performers walking away with a combined total of more than $600,000 in cash and other prizes.
In the years since its launch, the community-run tournament has cemented its status as one of the most beloved premier local sporting events in the area. It consistently draws skilled up-and-coming players and thousands of passionate supporters, not just from Red Hills itself, but from neighboring communities across the region.
Heading into the new season, all eyes will be on defending champions Gusman, who will enter the tournament gunning to hold onto their title after a dominant 2025 campaign. Standing directly in their path will be last year’s beaten finalists, Mosquito Valley, a squad hungry to improve on their previous performance and lift the championship trophy for the first time.
The eight other teams joining the title fight are Belvedere, East Kirkland Heights, Happy Grove, Rock Hall, Walkers Hill, Package, Sterling Castle, and Coopers Hill. Every side arriving at the complex this year will share the same core goal: upset the reigning champions and claim the coveted league crown for their own community.
This year’s installment has secured unprecedented backing from a expanding roster of corporate and institutional sponsors, a clear marker of the tournament’s growing popularity and deep cultural impact across the region. The 2026 sponsor lineup includes major local and national partners: the Sports Development Foundation (SDF), Universal Service Fund (USF), Foska Oats, Lucozade Sport, Double 7, Lion Pride, Romeich Entertainment, CB Cabling, and Chicken N Tings.
For event organizers, the tournament has always been about far more than just 90 minutes of football. Shane Clarke, manager of the Red Hills United Football Club (RHUFC), which oversees the competition, explained that the event fills a critical dual role: it gives talented young local players a high-profile platform to display their skills to a wider audience, while also fostering connection and cohesion across the area’s diverse communities.
“This event is geared towards bringing out and showing the young talents, and of course, building a vibe in the community as usual,” Clarke told local outlet Observer online. Clarke added that the overwhelming success of previous years’ tournaments directly helped organizers attract more high-profile corporate partners for the 2026 competition. “This year we have some major sponsors. Some sponsors saw last year’s staging and wanted to be a part of it this year,” he explained.
With expanded financial backing, a larger prize pool, and one of the most competitive fields in the tournament’s history, event organizers are gearing up for what they say will be the most exciting installment of the league to date. “It is going to be the best staging yet from what we’re seeing, so far… it’s going to be 12 weeks of intense competition and a nice little vibe up in the place,” Clarke said.
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R&B legend Peabo Bryson dies at age 75
The world of rhythm and blues is mourning the loss of one of its most beloved voices: Peabo Bryson, the Grammy-winning singer behind some of Disney’s most iconic animated film themes, has died at the age of 75. His family confirmed in an official statement that Bryson passed away peacefully at 5:00 pm ET on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, with his loved ones and closest friends by his side, less than one month after he celebrated his 75th birthday. His death comes just two days after the public learned he had suffered a recent stroke.
Born Robert Peapo Bryson in Greenville, South Carolina, Bryson built a decades-spanning career that cemented his place as one of the most celebrated R&B balladeers of his generation. He got his start in professional performing as a teenager, singing backup vocals for a local South Carolina group called Al Freeman and the Upsetters — a band he later described as “terrible” in an interview with *Soul* magazine. It was during this early period that Freeman’s difficulty pronouncing his birth name “Peapo” led him to adopt the stage name Peabo, the moniker that would become known to fans worldwide.
Bryson’s first major break came when he joined the touring ensemble Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display, which performed across the historic Chitlin’ Circuit of Black-owned venues in the 1970s. Talent scouts from Bang Records caught one of the group’s sets, were instantly drawn to Bryson’s smooth baritone, and signed him as a solo artist. He released his self-titled debut album *Peabo* with the label in 1976, then moved to Capitol Records to expand his career. By 1978, he landed his first Top 10 hit on the Billboard R&B chart with *Reaching for the Sky*, kicking off a steady streak of commercial and critical success.
Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Bryson solidified his reputation as one of the most in-demand duet partners in the industry. His 1979 collaboration with Natalie Cole, *Gimme Some Time*, reached No. 8 on the R&B chart, followed by their 1980 track *What You Won’t Do for Love* which hit No. 16 on the same chart. He went on to record a string of successful duets with Roberta Flack, starting with 1980’s *Make the World Stand Still* and leading to their joint 1983 album *Born to Love*. Their hit *Tonight, I Celebrate My Love* reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of Bryson’s most recognizable solo-era hits.
Bryson’s greatest mainstream success came from his work with Disney on two of its most beloved animated feature films. In 1991, he recorded *Beauty and the Beast*, the title theme for Disney’s animated classic, alongside Celine Dion — the track earned him his first Grammy Award. The following year, he paired with Regina Belle for *A Whole New World*, the signature theme from *Aladdin*. The duet made history as the first song from an animated feature film to claim the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and it went on to win Bryson his second Grammy. Over the full span of his career, Bryson released more than 20 full-length studio albums, leaving behind a sprawling discography of hits that includes fan favorites *As Long As There’s Christmas* and *You’re Looking Like Love to Me*.
Beyond his early health scare from a stroke that preceded his death, Bryson had previously suffered a heart attack in 2019, but made a full recovery and returned to performing in the years that followed. In their statement, Bryson’s family thanked fans for the overwhelming outpouring of support and love following news of his passing, noting that his five-decade career provided a soundtrack for some of life’s most meaningful moments.
“For more than five decades, Peabo’s extraordinary voice served as the soundtrack to some of life’s most cherished moments. His music carried generations through joyful celebrations, great love stories and enduring moments of comfort and inspiration, creating a legacy that will forever live in the hearts of those who loved him and the countless lives he touched through song,” the statement read. Bryson is survived by his wife and two children.