Radio ‘godfather’
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Wilmot Perkins, a veteran Jamaican journalist considered the island’s “godfather of talk radio,” has died. He was 80. Perkins died Friday at his home after a brief illness, according to statements from his former employers. The…
Jamaicans must adopt culture of tolerance and healing
Jamaican Minister of Justice, Senator the Hon. Mark Golding says it is important for Jamaicans to adopt a culture of tolerance and healing, as the country celebrates its 50th year of Independence from Colonial rule. He explained that part of…
Dump fire
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Acrid smoke from a fire at a sprawling trash dump blanketed swaths of Jamaica’s capital Thursday, and officials warned people to stay indoors to avoid exposure to potentially dangerous pollutants. Jamaica’s emergency management office said it…
Jamaica government destroys 2,000 guns in furnace
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Roughly 2,000 firearms were melted down in a blazing furnace Tuesday as part of an effort designed to combat gun trafficking and corruption in Jamaica while reducing violent crime. Police, government and U.N. officials destroyed pistols…
Jamaica police pushed to reduce police killings
NEGRIL, Jamaica (AP) — Every day, Richard Hill has to pass the bullet-scarred courtyard outside his home where he saw his 47-year-old brother gunned down at point-blank range by a police officer. That Thursday more than a year ago, police…
Pioneer of rap reggae, King Stitt, dies at 72
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — King Stitt, a pioneer in rap reggae, died Tuesday in his Caribbean homeland of Jamaica. He was 72. Stitt died at his home in the capital of Kingston after a long fight with prostate cancer and…
Jamaica launches emergency jobs initiative
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Jamaica’s month-old government on Wednesday launched the first phase of an emergency jobs programme that was the centerpiece of its winning election campaign. The government formed by the People’s National Party said some 700 jobless people will…
Renowned Jamaica producer Winston Riley dies at 65
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Winston Riley, an innovative reggae musician and producer, has died of complications from a gunshot wound to the head. He was 65. Riley died Thursday at University Hospital of the West Indies, where he had been…
Grieving daughter suspended for Facebook comments
Mum-of-two Zoe Bennett, 35, who works for the Jamaican Tourist Board, faces a disciplinary probe over comments she made after her dad, Errol, was brutally murdered in a machete attack on the Caribbean island. Zoe, who is pregnant, received an email…
New PM wants to break ties
Jamaica’s new prime minister has declared that “the time has come” for her country to break its ties to the monarchy. In her inaugural address, Portia Simpson Miller, first paid tribute to the Queen: “I love the Queen. She is…
