Energy Minister Daryl Vaz yesterday welcomed the settlement of a defamation lawsuit between himself and People’s National Party (PNP) General Secretary Dayton Campbell, describing it as vindication from what he called a “politically orchestrated rumour” that began four decades ago.

For St Ann poultry farmer Marcia Bygrave, collecting 50 broiler chicks at the Port Rhoades Sports Club recently was more than the start of another rearing cycle. It marked the beginning of a new chapter. Bygrave said the support gave her renewed purpose and a realistic opportunity to earn an income.

Veteran attorney and Pan-Africanist Bert Samuels on Sunday opened the Kumasi African Museum – a repository of Black history – at his Belvedere, St Andrew home and, in an emotionally charged moment, dedicated it to his young son, charging him with the responsibility of safeguarding its legacy and future.

Three years ago, while working at a supermarket in Black River, St Elizabeth, Javier Farquharson received a flyer about the robotics programme at the HEART/NSTA Trust Derrick Rochester Southwest Campus in Junction. Intrigued, he decided to find out more.

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders have turned to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) for a legal review of the process used to reappoint Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett after pushback from Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

A member of the Upper House has joined the ranks of parliamentarians who are currently under investigation for potential illicit enrichment and or submitting false information to Jamaica’s principal anti-corruption body.

NEW YORK: Jamaicans across the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will not have the annual Jamaica Independence Gala to attend this year. Ariel Bowen, the officer in charge of the Jamaican Consulate in New York, confirmed the news to The Gleaner.

WESTERN BUREAU: Some 30 students were given a lesson on how to embark on profitable businesses by hotelier Christopher Issa during last Friday’s awards ceremony, which brought the curtains down on the recently concluded Hanover Youth Entrepreneur Programme.

WESTERN BUREAU: In a move aimed at expanding support for small businesses, the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) will be relaunching its Growth and Expansion of MsMes through Innovation and Capacity-building (GEMINI) Programme , after reviewing shortcomings identified during the programme’s pilot phase.

The Chinese Embassy has broken its silence on a United States-backed security assessment of Jamaica’s major ports, warning that while it has no objection to Jamaica-US cooperation, it will act to protect the interests of Chinese companies operating on the island.

A major diplomatic rift has opened within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leadership amid the reappointment of Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett, with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar insisting that the matter be brought to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

They came as the Cinderellas of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, but by the end of the first round, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) ‑ the tiny archipelago in the central Atlantic Ocean off the West African coast – had become the darling of the competition being hosted across Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Vendors and small-scale farmers in Clarendon are being encouraged to organise themselves and take advantage of new licensing arrangements designed to make it easier and more affordable to enter Jamaica’s regulated medicinal cannabis industry.

Project STAR, the social and economic transformation initiative that targets under-resourced and under-served communities across Jamaica, will continue beyond its original five-year timeline after independent evaluations found that the programme has been delivering measurable results and remains faithful to its development model.

WESTERN BUREAU: The Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA) has joined residents of western Jamaica in expressing displeasure that the timeline for the completion of the St James-based Cornwall Regional Hospital’s (CRH) 10-year-long restoration has been extended to as late as March 2027.

Leaving a lasting legacy and playing a significant role in taking Jamaica’s track and field to dizzying heights, Stephen ‘Franno’ Francis is being remembered with superlatives by his peers, athletes, track and field fans, administrators and the political directorate following his passing on Saturday night.

Nearly a decade after sugar workers were temporarily moved into the Golden Grove housing development to shelter from Hurricane Matthew, some say they remain in legal limbo without titles to the properties they were “forced” to finish equipping themselves.

In 1999, Time magazine named Bob Marley’s album Exodus as the greatest album of the 20th century. The title comes from the second book of the Bible, which tells the story of the Israelites refusing to accept slavery, and G-d leading them to freedom. Biblical themes of breaking free from Babylon, the journey to Zion, and all of us being G-d’s creations, abound in Bob’s music.

WESTERN BUREAU: For Westmoreland pig farmer Michael Murphy, the numbers no longer add up. Every month, he must find $100,000 to repay a loan. Every week, he spends roughly $300,000 on feed alone. Yet the price he receives for his pigs has remained virtually unchanged for years.

Fourth-form Jonathan Grant High School student Alexander Ashley had a revelation when he completed his first term in grade 10. Although he did very well in his take-home assignments, the final grades on his report card from the St Catherine-based institution painted a very different picture.

WESTERN BUREAU: For 38 days, South Africa was an adventure for 24-year-old Jamaican digital nomad Kadeem Leslie. In the final week, it became a country he could not wait to leave. Leslie, a Kingston-born author and entrepreneur who has been travelling the world full-time, arrived in South Africa on May 17, eager to explore a country he had long admired for its history, beauty, and cultural power.

Nearly a decade after sugar workers were temporarily moved into the Golden Grove housing development to shelter from Hurricane Matthew, some say they remain in legal limbo without titles to the properties they were “forced” to finish equipping themselves.

WESTERN BUREAU: With Dream Weekend set to debut in Montego Bay, St James, Senior Superintendent of Police Eron Samuels is urging media houses to provide greater context when reporting crime statistics, insisting St James’ security gains deserve equal attention. Addressing Wednesday night’s Dream Weekend launch at Pier One, Samuels took issue with what he said was the way St James’ crime figures were sometimes presented, arguing that comparisons with the Corporate Area failed to account for Kingston being divided into six police divisions while St James comprises only one.

WESTERN BUREAU: A challenge has been issued to Jamaica’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to professionalise their operations and aggressively pursue government contracts. Addressing an MSME Procurement Project Launch and Boot Camp in Montego Bay, St James, yesterday, Montego Bay Mayor Richard Vernon said the initiative was aimed at strengthening Jamaica’s economy by expanding opportunities for small businesses through the Government’s policy that reserves 20 per cent of eligible public contracts for MSMEs.

A man sentenced to 18 years and six months in prison for sexually assaulting his two young female relatives, aged six and eight, in Manchester more than seven years ago, is to serve nearly the full term before becoming eligible for parole.

A Jamaican-American advocate has formally requested that members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation launch an inquiry into the third-country nationals (TCN) agreement signed between Jamaica and the United States (US). In a letter sent to federal lawmakers, New Jersey constituent Patrick Beckford asked US senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim, as well as Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, to demand full transparency from the US Department of State about the memorandum of understanding (MOU) governing the transfer, housing, and screening of migrant populations.

WESTERN BUREAU: The Government has committed to ensuring that micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) benefit from the billions of dollars being spent on public contracts, with Finance Minister Fayval Williams indicating that plans are being put in place to end the era of government procurement being reserved primarily for large established companies.

WESTERN BUREAU: Dream Weekend will introduce a dedicated ride-hailing app, 500 authorised vehicles, and fixed US$5 per-person fares as organisers seek to improve transportation and ease traffic congestion for thousands of patrons attending this year’s festival in Montego Bay, St James.

A St Catherine farmer has been charged with murder after allegedly attacking a bus driver with a pitchfork in Bois Content district in Old Harbour, St Catherine, on Wednesday night.

Another 39 outstanding Jamaicans have been honoured with the prestigious Governor-General’s Achievement Awards (GGAA) by Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen.

Despite having just nine graduates this year, Grove Primary and Infant School in St Andrew marked the occasion in style, with the establishment of a scholarship fund by a past student and the merging of its prizegiving function into the commencement ceremony.

It will cost taxpayers around $25 billion to execute the next phase of the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) project. Amid growing discontent over the state of the island’s road network, the Government, yesterday, launched the main road component of the SPARK programme. The transition into SPARK’s next phase follows the initial iteration, which is still ongoing and focuses on community roads.

Despite handling nearly 600,000 fewer passengers during the first five months of the year, Sangster International Airport is pressing ahead with a major expansion programme as it prepares for an expected rebound in visitor demand.

Medical chief of staff at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), Dr Carl Bruce, has rejected allegations that he assaulted colleague Dr Roger Hunter during a 2007 incident, describing the claims as “a complete falsification” while branding Hunter “mentally unstable”.

WESTERN BUREAU Driven by their love for Montego Bay and St James and their desire to lend a helping hand in times of need, a group of successful Montego Bay natives, some based overseas, have come together to create a non-profit entity dubbed MoBay Stronger Foundation Limited.