Jamaica Observer

LAGOS, Nigeria (AFP)—The Nigerian military said Sunday it had rescued 31 worshippers seized from Easter celebrations in northwestern Kaduna state, though at least five others were killed, as the country's security comes increasingly under international scrutiny. Gunmen raided a Catholic and an evangelical church, the Christian Association of Nigeria chairman for Kaduna state Caleb Bawa Ma'aji told AFP. The kidnapping at a village located around 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of the capital, A

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Opposition Leader Mark Golding has announced that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JACDEN Dennis Gordon has been instructed to step aside from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the shadow cabinet amid ongoing investigations. This after JACDEN was named in an Auditor General’s report for unlawfully benefiting from the University Hospital of the West Indies’ tax-exempt status. Young Jamaica renews call for Dennis Gordon and Julian Robinson’s resignation “Based on the fac

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Rupie Edwards, the singer/producer who entered the British national chart in 1975 with Irie Feelings (Skanga), was laid to rest on Thursday, April 2, in Beckton, east London. Dennis Alcapone, his friend of over 50 years, earlier confirmed Edwards’ death but said details of his passing are scanty. Edwards started his career as a singer in the early 1960s, recording songs as a solo act, then with harmony groups The Ambassadors and The Virtues. He branched out into production la

KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Jamaican government has promised a delegate-friendly atmosphere for the Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, scheduled for June 14-18 at the Montego Bay Conference Centre in St James. It will be held under the theme, ‘Diaspora Patnerships: Re-Building A More Climate-Resilient Jamaica'. Alando Terrelonge, state minister in the ministry of foreign affairs, said technology will play an even greater role in the conference, which attracts Jamaicans from major Diaspora markets

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Jamaica added five more medals- a gold, two silver and two bronze- on Sunday morning’s session at the 53rd Carifta Games, being held at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St George’s, Grenada. Jamaica increased their medal tally to 27-nine gold, 11 silver and seven bronze- followed by Trinidad and Tobago with 14 medals- four gold, six silver and four bronze, just ahead of the Bahamas with three gold, five silver and six bronze, while Guyana are on five medals with three gol

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP)—Leeds reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 39 years as they survived a dramatic penalty shoot-out after squandering a two-goal lead in a thrilling clash with West Ham on Sunday. Daniel Farke's side were moments away from victory at the London Stadium after Ao Tanaka's first-half goal and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's second-half penalty put them in control. But West Ham staged a stoppage-time rally as Mateus Fernandes reduced the deficit before Axel Disas

KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) continues to strengthen its position on the regional stage as Jamaica participates in a three-week run of international table tennis which started on April 4, and runs until April 25. The period will see national representation across the Caribbean and Central American Table Tennis (CAC) Championships and senior events, alongside the country’s rising talent competing in the Under-19 and Under-15 categories in Santo Domingo, Dominican

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica’s re-engagement with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 cricket tournament will bolster sports tourism and stimulate economic activity nationwide. Speaking during a recent press briefing at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, Bartlett welcomed the development as a significant milestone for cricket in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. He underscored the broader significance of cricket, highlighting its contributions bey

NEW YORK, United States (CMC)–Amnesty International has condemned what it describes as a “widespread failure” by Haitian authorities and the international community to protect civilians, following a deadly massacre in the Artibonite region. The international human rights watchdog was responding to the March 29 attack in Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite, reportedly carried out by the violent “Gran Grif” gang. Astrid Valencia, Amnesty’s deputy director for research in the Americas, said the killin

KINGSTON, Jamaica— Prolific music producer Seanizzle who is best known for the monster One Day rhythm, is celebrating the success of one of his latest productions, the song The Little Things, which was recorded by singer D’Yani. On Friday, The Little Things topped the US iTunes Reggae singles and music video charts. In an interview with Observer Online on Saturday, Seanizzle shared his reaction to the song’s early success. “Grateful doesn’t even begin to cover how I’m feeling. The song is ver

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Fifty-four-year old Dr Sandra Swaby, who made it to the top five in the 2024 Miss Universe Jamaica beauty pageant, was on Saturday night named first runner-up in the Queen of the World Pageant. The Queen of the World pageant took place at the Symphony Space Jay Sharpe Theatre in Manhattan, New York. Observer Online caught up with Dr Swaby earlier Sunday and she was ecstatic about her participation in the pageant, which saw more than 25 countries participating. Dr Sandra Swab

KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) says the Inspectorate and Professional Oversight Bureau (IPROB) is investigating an incident where a police officer was seen in a viral video in a physical confrontation with an elderly man in Tawes Pen, St Catherine. The JCF in an update on Sunday said the officer has been placed on interdiction pending the outcome of the investigation. "The JCF does not condone any form of misconduct or abuse of authority by its members, and the actions

ST ANN, Jamaica — The energy of Vacae Weekend 2026 continued to build on Saturday with the successful staging of Pic-Nic Beach Club, where dancehall’s shining star Armanii delivered a standout performance that had the ladies firmly at the centre of the experience. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Plantation Cove, Pic-Nic transformed the venue into a sea of pink, as patrons embraced the event’s signature aesthetic and immersive décor, creating one of the most visually striking moments of the

MEMBER of Parliament for St Andrew East Central Dennis Gordon has rejected calls for his resignation and scoffed at claims that he scammed the State out of millions of dollars when his company, JACDEN Limited, benefited from the University Hospital of the West Indies’ (UHWI’s) tax-exempt status. In his first full media interview since the matter was raised in a report from the Auditor General’s Department (AGD) in January, Gordon told the Jamaica Observer that the calls for his resignation are

FORMER Jamaica Prime Minister and respected Caribbean statesman PJ Patterson last Wednesday reminded the region’s leaders of the value of maintaining strategic alliances and unity of purpose, cautioning that the gap between the enforcement of domestic law and respect for international law continues to widen. “It is time to revisit the relationships between our Caribbean archipelago and Latin America,” Patterson advised in his Norman Manley Distinguished Lecture at The University of West Indies,

Palm Sunday evening was well spent in the presence of the Diocesan Festival Choir for what they dubbed ‘Hosanna to Hallelujah’. Under the baton of conductor Audley Davidson, choir and chamber orchestra thrilled those gathered inside St Augustine’s Chapel on the North Street campus of Kingston College. The late afternoon programme opened with Hosanna to the Son of David by Arthur Hastings. The full sound of the near-20 ensemble enveloped the space with its grandness as the ears were treated to

THE declining birth rate problem being experienced by Jamaica, which has led to what experts describe as an ageing population, is being compounded by a growth in single-person households. This is according to the 2023 edition of the Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions (JSLC), a publication of the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (Statin). The survey has tracked the decline in the average size of the Jamaican household since 2017, stating that it was “clear

Jamaica surged to the top of the medal count at the 53rd Carifta Games, winning 20 medals, consisting of eight gold, eight silver, and four bronze, on the opening day at the Kirani James Stadium in St George’s, Grenada. Jamaican sprinter Shanoya Douglas overcame a slow start to win gold in the Girls’ Under-20 100m in 11.13 seconds (-0.8 m/s), while her teammate Natrece East took bronze in 11.41. Alexxe Henry of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) claimed silver in 11.39. In the Boys’ Under-20 100m,

In harmony with the Easter spirit, lilies flourish as icons of rebirth and vitality. This season, Style Observer Gardening (SOG) honours the Easter lily, celebrating its role as a symbol of renewal. In Christianity, the Easter lily is revered as the ‘white apostle of hope’, embodying purity and new beginnings. These themes are poignantly mirrored in the flower’s unique life cycle. Spending years dormant underground before emerging into the light, it serves as a botanical parallel to Jesus’s dea

THOUGH physically confined behind bars, with an estimated 60 inmates across 10 correctional facilities giving their lives to Christ during crusades and other religious activities yearly, prisoners are experiencing a different kind of freedom. Head chaplain for the Department of Correctional Services Reverend Ricardo Taylor says his colleagues have reported that Bible studies and prayer meetings within correctional facilities are drawing crowds that rival those of traditional church gatherings —