Jamaica News

Coronavirus prank forces Jamaica-bound flight back to Canada By AFP Ottawa - A passenger jet taking winter-weary Canadians to Jamaica for a sunny holiday was forced to turn back after a passenger falsely claimed to have the coronavirus, the airline said Tuesday.

Major quake hits Caribbean, triggering evacuations By AFP Miami - A major 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Tuesday in the Caribbean between Jamaica and Cuba, triggering a brief tsunami alert and sending hundreds of people pouring onto the streets of Havana.

'I obeyed like a robot': Abuse survivor tells of predator priest By AFP Paris - Denise Buchanan was 17 when she was raped by a seminarian who continued to abuse her when he became a priest in her native Jamaica. The Catholic Church, she says, has offered her nothing but their "prayers".

Jamaica seeks world heritage status for reggae By AFP Paris - Jamaica is bidding to have reggae music admitted to a list of global cultural treasures worthy of protection, the UN's cultural agency UNESCO announced on Tuesday.

Hollywood plans Bob Marley biopic By AFP New York - The story of Bob Marley, the Jamaican superstar who in his short life brought reggae into the global mainstream, is set to become a Hollywood biopic.

'I can't be illegal!': Windrush Britons haunted by deportation threat By AFP London - Half a century after emigrating to Britain, Anthony Bryan decided it was time to go abroad. But the decision set off a bureaucratic nightmare that saw him lose his job, detained twice and almost deported to Jamaica.

US mulls how to shield Caribbean if Venezuela oil cut By AFP Kingston - After preparing Latin American allies for possible US oil sanctions against Venezuela, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited the Caribbean on Wednesday to discuss the aftermath of such a move.

Tillerson to rally Americas, amid Venezuela crisis By AFP Washington - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to embark on his first major tour of Central and South America this week as a worried region watches Venezuela's slide into crisis.

Jamaica declares emergency over parts of island as gun crime soars By AFP Montego Bay - Jamaica has declared a state of emergency in the island's second city Montego Bay, where authorities are battling to stem a wave of killings.

Review: Jeff Timmons hosts and performs at Club Amazura in New York Special By Markos Papadatos Jamaica - On July 2, Jeff Timmons from 98 Degrees hosted and performed at Club Amazura in Jamaica, New York, as part of 90's Jukebox.

Review: Jeff Timmons puts on upbeat holiday show at Resorts World Casino Special By Markos Papadatos Jamaica - Jeff Timmons from 98 Degrees returned to Resorts World Casino's Bar 360 in Jamaica, Queens, for a special holiday performance.

Amnesty slams unlawful killings by Jamaican police By AFP Miami - Amnesty International criticized the Jamaican authorities on Wednesday for a large number of unlawful killings carried out by police and their intimidation of victims' families.

Hurricane Matthew now strongest Hurricane since Felix in 2007 By Karen Graham Hurricane Matthew became a major storm earlier on Friday and quickly intensified through the day. Matthew is now a Category 5 storm and has become a threat to Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti and the Bahamas.

Brilliant 'batty boy' challenging Caribbean homophobia By AFP Paris - He's brilliant and charismatic and should be one of Jamaica's heroes up there on the pedestal with Usain Bolt and the reggae and dancehall stars who stand in the long shadow of Bob Marley.

Delight as jazz giants return to small Swiss town of Montreux By AFP Montreux - As saxophone supremo Charles Lloyd pushes out a cascade of soaring notes, jazz aficionados in Montreux sway in rapture.

Review: Jeff Timmons fantastic at Resorts World Casino in New York Special By Markos Papadatos Jamaica - On June 18, Grammy-nominated pop artist Jeff Timmons performed a solo show at Resorts World Casino's Bar 360 in Jamaica, New York, for a good turnout.

Bolivian leader visits embattled Venezuelan counterpart By AFP Caracas - Bolivian President Evo Morales made a brief visit to Venezuela on the weekend during which he reiterated support for his embattled ally, Nicolas Maduro, state media reported.

'Soul-reggae crossover sensation' Natty is back Special By Adrian Peel London - Born in San Francisco, a UK resident since the age of one, Natty scored a Top 20 hit in 2008 with his debut LP 'Man Like I.' Digital Journal asked him all about the follow-up 'Release the Fear.'

Jamaicans prepare for election with economy key issue By AFP Montego Bay - Jamaicans head to the polls Thursday, with economic concerns the top election issue in the Caribbean country where youth unemployment hovers around 40 percent.

Neville Staple: Interview with the Original Rude Boy Special By Adrian Peel Digital Journal listened to some interesting revelations from the former Specials man when he reflected on life in and out of the iconic ska septet.

Jamaica's Blue and John Crow Mountains named World Heritage site By Karen Graham Kingston - In a first for the Caribbean country, Jamaica's beautiful Blue and John Crow Mountains were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site on Saturday during the World Heritage committee's 39th annual meeting in Bonn, Germany.

Obama visits Jamaica, takes in Bob Marley museum By AFP Kingston - Barack Obama became the first sitting US president to set foot in Jamaica since 1982 -- and made some time for the late reggae legend Bob Marley.

Jamaican gays, transgenders face unchecked abuse By AFP Miami - Jamaican police are not doing enough to protect gay and transgender people who "live in constant fear," as incidents of extreme violence and even murder go unchecked, according to a report Tuesday.

Private U.S. plane with unresponsive pilot crashes off Jamaica By David Silverberg According to officials, a private U.S. plane that took off from the Greater Rochester International Airport in New York this morning has crashed into the ocean off Jamaica. There was no immediate information about the people on board.

Jamaica moves to decriminalize marijuana possession By AFP Kingston - Marijuana possession is currently illegal in Jamaica but that could soon change.

Chikungunya virus gallops across Caribbean; may hit United States By Megan Hamilton Oranjestad - Chikungunya virus is spread by mosquitoes and has been galloping across the Caribbean. Experts say that it's likely to hit the U.S.

Campbell-Brown named in Jamaica team for world indoors By Reuters Veronica Campbell-Brown was included in Jamaica's 23-member team for the world indoor championships on Tuesday, a day after being cleared of a doping violation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Bolt in a bobsleigh? Call me, says Jamaican Watts By Reuters Winston Watts is soaking up every moment of his latest Olympic experience with the world fascinated by the resurrection of Jamaican bobsleigh, but a phone call from Usain Bolt would be the i

Lost luggage leaves Jamaican bob team looking for favors By Reuters Just like in the film 'Cool Runnings', Jamaica's bobsleigh team are going to have to rely on their opponents' goodwill to get them down the run after their luggage and equipment were lost en route to Russia.

New video surfaces of Rob Ford allegedly drunk in Toronto By Michael Thomas Toronto - A new video, reportedly shot at a restaurant in the Rexdale area of Toronto last night, shows Rob Ford mumbling incoherently and in a mimicked Jamaican accent, as well as lashing out at Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair.

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