LAST SHOT It shall be now or never for the Reggae Boyz, when they take their final kick at qualifying for this summer’s FIFA Men’s World Cup against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today. Match time is 4 p.m. Mexico’s Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Guadalajara, will host the winner-takes-all Intercontinental final, which ultimately rewards a spot in the 48-nation global championship to be hosted jointly by Concacaf nations the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Killing spree A 21-year-old police constable is at the centre of a murder-for-hire investigation that has rocked the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), after he was slapped with charges for three homicides committed within a 48-hour period across two parishes.
‘We’ve always done well’ Jamaica College (JC) Principal Wayne Robinson said the school’s latest ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ Championships triumph is more than a title; it is another marker of a school firing on all fronts. The Old Hope Road, St Andrew-based institution secured its 23rd hold on the Mortimer Geddes Trophy with a commanding 345 points last Saturday, finishing ahead of Kingston College (282) and Calabar High (169.3). It marks their second title in six years and the first under head coach Duane Johnson. But for Robinson, Champs is only part of the story.
Edwin Allen celebrates resilient Champs team Edwin Allen High School turned Frankfield blue yesterday, celebrating their 11th ISSA/raceKennedy Girls’ Athletics Championships title with a high-energy campus rally and street parade. Students and supporters packed the school grounds before marching through the Clarendon town, filling the air with music, whistles, and vuvuzelas in a celebration that stretched over three hours. Principal Jermaine Harris set the tone. Dressed in school colours and waving a blue flag, he was introduced to roaring cheers with Vybz Kartel’s We Nuh Fraid A Nobody.
UHWI in hot seat at PAC The University Hospital of the West Indies’ (UHWI) so-called procurement scandal takes centre stage today as Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is expected to drill down to unveil additional details into the multimillion-dollar breaches that were uncovered in an audit of the health facility by the auditor general earlier this year.
Long lines for HIV testing mark UTech Health Fair Long lines formed early for HIV testing at this year’s Health Promotion Fair hosted by the College of Health Sciences at the University of Technology, Jamaica – signalling both concern and curiosity among attendees. Staged at the university’s Caribbean Sculpture Park, the event featured eight booths covering areas such as mental health and emotional wellness, nutrition, drug awareness and prevention, environmental health, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and disaster management.
Gov’t launches US$50m project for climate-resilient farming A multibillion-dollar project designed by the Government to harden the country’s agriculture sector against climate shocks is expected to boost nearly 15,000 farmers in the first year, officials have announced. The benefits include grant funding to help farmers recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, as well as training and capacity-building in greenhouse technology.
‘Day of reckoning’ Declaring that no act of violence will go unanswered, Pastor Adolphus Smith yesterday warned that there will be “a day of reckoning” as he addressed mourners at the funeral of slain Denham Town shopkeeper Kerrio ‘Boyu’ Pinnock. “All those who believe they are going to get away with their ungodly deeds and their dirty deeds, they better think again,” he said. “For the Bible says that every knee shall bow and everyone will have to answer to God for what they have done.”
A prayer for Anna A Trelawny mother who gave birth six months ago to a baby with Trisomy 13, or Patau syndrome, has come forward to share aspects of the family’s journey with the child, who is currently hospitalised. Babies affected by Patau syndrome have a low life expectancy, with up to 95 per cent dying within the first year. However, for six-month-old Anna-Olivia Gardener, there are high hopes that she will be a blessed exception and go on to live a life as close to normal as possible.
Dental surgeons grit teeth over classification delay The Union of Clerical Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE) is blaming systemic “inertia” for the protracted delay in correcting an anomaly affecting registered dental surgeons. The union, as part of its efforts to press the ministries of health and wellness and finance to bring action to the signed agreement, has issued a notice of industrial action.