THE RECOMMENDATION of the Jamaica Horticultural Society that the lignum vitae should be the floral emblem of Jamaica was adopted by the select committee in the House of Representatives after due consideration, and it went on to suggest that the...

THE COAT of arms was granted to Jamaica in 1661 under a royal warrant. The original was designed by William Sancroft, then Archbishop of Canterbury. The design was changed a few times, including in 1906, 1957 and 1962. The crocodile standing on a...

Sixty three years ago, our island home, Jamaica, dared to be bold. On August 6, 1962, Jamaica raised its flag for the first time and declared to the world that we would chart our own course and write our own history. Our journey began long before...

Today, we mark 63 years since our beloved country declared our independence to the world, raised our glorious black, green and gold flag for the first time and declared that this land, our land, would be home to a nation of free people, charting...

As we mark the 63rd anniversary of our Independence, we pause to give thanks to Almighty God—for His continued guidance, for the journey we have travelled, and for the resilience, creativity, and determination that define us as a people. On August...

The lives of two retired healthcare professionals who devoted their careers to Alexandria Community Hospital in St Ann stand as enduring testaments to the profound impact workers have on their communities. Though separated by generations, Aylete...

My fellow Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica, As we celebrate the 63rd anniversary of our nation’s Independence, let us embrace this year’s theme: “Be Proud, Be Bold in the Black Green and Gold.” It is both a tribute to our past and a call to action...

Flag-raising ceremonies, church services, galas and a parade are just some of the activities in which Jamaicans across the United States will participate as they gear up to mark their homeland’s 63rd anniversary of Independence. The Jamaican...

Carson Campbell’s parents, Iran and Lotoya Campbell, emitted echoes of the slang term “bright from him born” as they spoke glowingly about their son’s academic achievement in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examination that earned him a government...

AFTER CENTURIES of colonial rule by Britain, Jamaica was finally going to be an Independent nation in 1962. And, an Independent nation would have to have its own national emblems. Independence was to be in August, so the Government had to have...

The Indian High Commission (IHC) in Jamaica has continued its journey of offering free healthcare to communities across Jamaica by teaming up with the Beecher Town Give Back Association (BTGBA), to the benefit of residents in that St Ann community...

The Beecher Town Give Back Association (BTGBA) conducted a major cleaning up of the Beecher Town cemetery over the past week as the group returned to its beloved St Ann community once more to contribute. The next step, a project which has already...

Stakeholders are lauding the perseverance, resilience, and the unwavering spirit of Jamaica’s farmers as the Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show returned to its traditional three-day format, following a scaled-down event in 2024 because...

Travelling along Michael Manley Boulevard, I saw a most impressive house that seemed like a great house and decided to investigate it. In this investigation, I discovered the community of Springfield-on-Sea in now Springfield Gardens in East...

Popular social media influencer Dan Dan has been selected to participate in an exchange programme funded by the Indian government that will see him representing Jamaica in the South Asian nation. The viral content creator, whose real name is Danar...

Hello, mi neighbour! Time and place felt wrong for such uproarus laughter, but onlookers could not control their emotions at the Traffic Court. While a gentleman who was found guilty of a traffic offence was being escorted to the cashier to pay the...

Opposition Senator and People’s National Party (PNP) spokesman on education, Damion Crawford, has issued a stark promise: if given the opportunity to lead the Ministry of Education, the system will either be fixed – or he will die. In an interview...

Declaring that he has “unfinished business” in Clarendon North Western, former Member of Parliament Richard Azan is mounting a campaign to energise the People’s National Party (PNP) base and secure a return to Parliament. “We working with them,...

Former senator Warren Newby, the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) standard-bearer in Clarendon North Western, says he has unified the party following the tenure of Phillip Henriques and is now focused on proving he’s the right choice for the upcoming...

Disenchanted with what they describe as lacklustre representation from outgoing Member of Parliament (MP) Phillip Henriques of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), many voters in Clarendon North Western are now weighing whether to return to former MP...

WESTERN BUREAU: When Keisha Smith began her career as a child safeguarding social worker in the Caribbean, she held tightly to the belief that she could change the world. But experience soon reminded her of something far more compelling. “...

JAHMEL BROWN has faced significant challenges because of his age, socio-economic status, and geographic location, which were influenced by his upbringing in Tower Hill, an inner-city community in St Andrew, Jamaica. Brown has witnessed first-hand...

WESTERN BUREAU: Darwin Telemaque, chairman of the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC), says CARICOM is gridlocked logistically, as a result of systemic disconnection and outdated colonial-era regulations. Telemaque, who was speaking...

ON TUESDAY, August 5, the Institute of Travel and Tourism of The Gambia (ITTOG) and Western Hospitality Institute (WHI) in Montego Bay, St James will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) virtually for institutional collaboration, in a...

GROWING UP, Toni-Ann Morris witnessed people working hard with limited resources. Based on her innate desire to succeed, she did not just want to be employed, but to create opportunities for others to achieve their goals as well. Along with the...

WESTERN BUREAU: Dr Erja Askola, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Jamaica, Belize and The Bahamas, is calling on Caribbean stakeholders to fully embrace the region’s trade and investment relationship with Europe, describing it as “one of the...

WESTERN BUREAU: The St James Municipal Corporation [StJMC] on Wednesday, signed a $23-million contract with Homer Davis, member of parliament for St James Southern, for a road rehabilitation project in Richmond Hill, Catadupa. The project, which...

Emancipation Day marks a turning point in our collective history. August morning in 1838 ended a chapter of black chattel and enslavement, but it did not terminate the pernicious and oppressive divide of imperial rule. This unique anniversary is a...

Today, we join together in solemn reflection and in powerful celebration as we observe Emancipation Day, 2025 - a sacred day in our nation’s history when we honour the courage, resistance and unyielding spirit of those who came before us and fought...

Today holds profound meaning and solemn pride. It is a moment of reverence, remembrance, reflection, and reaffirmation. A day when we pause to honour the struggle, suffering, and sacrifice of our ancestors, while also drawing inspiration from their...

Goblin Hill, Portland: Certified orthopaedic spine surgeon and entrepreneur, Dr Kingsley Chin, is encouraging young women, who have enrolled in a mentorship programme in Portland, to adopt a positive attitude and to work towards achieving their...

WESTERN BUREAU: RESPECTED POLLSTERS Don Anderson, and social commentator Kay Osborne are not impressed with the attitude of Christians towards local politics, saying they are largely silent when it comes to participating in the political process or...

FROM THE Americas to England, the free African man, Olaudah Equiano, returned. Eventually, he became involved in the movement to abolish the slave trade and slavery itself. The religious group, The Quakers, were the main antislavery agitators at...

ADVANCEMENTS IN technology wait for no one. The Industrial Revolution bypassed many societies, and today, they remain low-productivity economies. The Internet revolution missed many also. Today they are forced to catch up. While the Internet...