Eighty years after Universal Adult Suffrage was granted to Jamaicans on November 20, 1944, voter disengagement has become a serious issue. While every Jamaican over 21 years old, who is not incarcerated or mentally incapacitated, has the right to...
Retired former Prime Minister P. J. Patterson last Tuesday praised Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley as the Caribbean’s fiercest advocate for social and economic justice, noting that no one since his predecessor, Michael Manley, has been as...
Five months shy of its 50th anniversary, the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) has ruled on 3,465 cases and remains active with nearly 70 ongoing matters, despite reduced public attention, according to Chairman Errol Miller. Established under the...
The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) has rejected claims that it terminated the services of former fireman Dwain Brown without due process following a criminal conviction over a decade ago. Brown was convicted in November 2009 for a criminal offence and...
The incessant bites from mosquitoes are the least of Principal Debbie Hutchinson’s worries. Since taking the helm of Grove Town Primary and Infant School in Manchester in 2020, Hutchinson, alongside her staff and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA...
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Chairman Robert Montague says the ruling party remains upbeat as thousands of party delegates and supporters will gather at the National Arena today to celebrate the party’s achievements, hear plans for the future, and...
More than a decade since he was dismissed from the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) after a criminal conviction that has now been overturned, Dwain Brown is fighting for reinstatement. He was convicted in the then St Thomas Resident Magistrate’s Court in...
When David Jureidini was born nearly 13 years ago, he met all the typical milestones for his first 18 months. But then, he suddenly stopped communicating, retreating into his own world, leaving his parents concerned and searching for answers until...
The dismissals in June and September of two senior Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) managers have raised serious concerns, prompting three trade unions to seek the intervention of Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie. The first dismissal occurred...
The atmosphere was heavy with a palpable sadness early last Tuesday morning as Dr Nigel Clarke, Jamaica’s former finance minister, faced his last day in office. Just 48 hours before he was set to step into his role as deputy managing director of...
Despite year-on-year declines in all major categories across the island, crime and violence continue to be the foremost concern for Jamaicans. Up to October 12, police statistics showed that murders have fallen by 19.2 per cent since January when...
Almost three decades have passed since Jamaica conducted its last national enumeration exercise, and 20 years since addresses were reverified. Officials are now raising concerns that a new enumeration is needed to provide the country with its most...
Three years ago, Mickel Jackson stepped into the role of executive director of the 25-year-old Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ), succeeding a legacy of formidable Jamaicans who have championed the rights of the voiceless and underrepresented. With a...
The political spotlight is firmly on Manchester, the central Jamaica parish where the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) are bracing for an intense showdown. The PNP aims to win all four parliamentary...
The National Democratic Movement (NDM), the most recognisable small party in Jamaica over the past 50 years, may not field candidates in future elections unless it emerges from its current political coma. This is the view of Michael Williams, one...
While the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) intends to hold on to the nine of 15 constituencies it currently has in Kingston and St Andrew, the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) believes it has a shot at at least three of four it believes are in...
Dr Maziki Thame believes it is unfortunate that partisanship appears to be clouding objective reality as Jamaicans react to the findings of an Integrity Commission (IC) investigative report following a yearslong illicit enrichment probe triggered...
With no overseas guest set to address the public session of the People’s National Party (PNP) 86th annual conference today, President Mark Jefferson Golding will take the spotlight. This event might be the final major gathering of this magnitude...
Once thought of as an ailment predominantly affecting older adults, strokes are now increasingly impacting younger Jamaicans, including those in their 30s. Local experts have identified this trend of patients over 18 having this affliction as ‘...
With speculation rife that Prime Minister Andrew Holness will call the next general election before September 2025, the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) says its house is in order as it prepares for its annual conference next weekend. PNP...
The urgency to prepare for the new academic year was clear at several schools in southern Manchester last week. Many were still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, which had caused significant damage to their facilities. School...
Sixteen years after Jamaica and the European Union (EU) struck a duty-free deal, shelves devoid of each other’s goods on both sides have left former EU Ambassador Marianne Van Steen and local business leaders disheartened. Van Steen, whose tour of...
European Union (EU) Ambassador Marianne Van Steen concluded her tour of duty on August 7, heading back to Brussels with a pledge to enhance EU- Caribbean partnerships as she maintains a keen interest in the region in a new post that will keep her...
Medical social workers (MSWs) at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) are wilting under the weight of thousands of case files as they support patients through trauma and recovery, relying on each other for emotional strength when the...
The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) is grappling with a staggering $16 billion in unpaid debt accumulated over more than a decade from chargeable services provided to hundreds of patients. The St Andrew-based teaching hospital is not...
