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‘Integrate or perish’

April 02, 2026 | News
Retired former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has warned the 15-member Caribbean bloc, CARICOM, that it must “integrate or perish” in the face of mounting threats to international law, shifting political dynamics, and economic pressures affecting the region. Speaking at the Norman Manley Law School during the Council of Legal Education’s Distinguished Lecture Series 2026 yesterday evening, Patterson said the regional body risks failure without stronger systems to enforce its decisions.
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Nicola Andrews | Every child must learn…But at what cost?

The inequality of teacher-led extra lessons The phrase “Every child can learn, every child must learn” is widely recognised as a policy mantra developed and adopted by the Jamaican Ministry of Education. This phrase embodies a rights-based and inclusive educational approach, signifying that every child possesses the capacity to learn and that the educational system bears the responsibility to facilitate this learning.
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‘Hurts deeply’: Leon Bailey reflects on World Cup miss for Jamaica

Jamaican winger Leon Bailey has issued an apology to Jamaica after the Reggae Boyz failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In a post on his Instagram account two days after the team’s defeat to the DR Congo national football team, Bailey expressed disappointment that he “couldn’t get us over the line”. “You deserve that moment of celebration, and I wanted nothing more than to give that to you,” he said.
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Dennis Gordon’s JACDEN repays customs duties linked to UHWI tax exemption controversy, PAC chairman discloses

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Julian Robinson says JACDEN Limited, a company owned by People’s National Party Member of Parliament, Dennis Gordon, has repaid funds it saved when the University Hospital of the West Indies (UWHI) misused its tax exemption company to import goods on its behalf. Robinson made the revelation on Wednesday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines programme. “A report was done by customs [and] it identified what the duties are and Mr. Gordon has paid those duties,” he said.

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P. J. Patterson, retired former prime minister.
Published 14 hours ago

‘Integrate or perish’

Retired former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has warned the 15-member Caribbean bloc, CARICOM, that it must “integrate or perish” in the face of mounting threats to international law, shifting political dynamics, and economic pressures affecting the region. Speaking at the Norman Manley Law School during the Council of Legal Education’s Distinguished Lecture Series 2026 yesterday evening, Patterson said the regional body risks failure without stronger systems to enforce its decisions.

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Reggae Boyz head coach Rudolph Speid.
Updated 9 hours ago

SPEID SAYS NO

Rudolph Speid declared that he will not retake the role of Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) technical committee chairman, but remains open to staying on as head coach of the senior Reggae Boyz. Speid has received commendation and criticism in equal measure after the nation’s 2026 World Cup dream ended in Mexico on Tuesday with a defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the FIFA Intercontinental Play-off final, while many critics are calling for him to step aside completely.

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Johnmark Wiggan ministers in song on the Karl Hendrickson Auditorium stage during the launch of his sophomore album ‘By Fire’ last Saturday.
Updated 9 hours ago

Johnmark Wiggan’s ‘By Fire’ launch ignites worship

The Karl Hendrickson Auditorium at Jamaica College became a sanctuary of sound, fire, and purpose last Saturday, as gospel artiste Johnmark Wiggan staged the official launch of his sophomore album, By Fire. And, for Wiggan, seeing the event and most importantly, an atmosphere of worship come alive, “felt like the room understood what this moment was about”.

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Contributed Crews work during the St James blitz to restore hundreds of JPS customers.
Published 14 hours ago

JPS writes off J$3.5b in Hurricane Melissa damage as profit slides

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has written off US$22.3 million — about J$3.5 billion — in assets damaged by Hurricane Melissa last October. The electricity utility said in its audited financials, released on Wednesday, that the charge reflects damage to its property, plant and equipment, primarily within its transmission and distribution network.

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Norjah Witter, account manager, Select Brands, keeps it simple in denim and trainers.
Updated 9 hours ago

Something Extra | Monday

Giving throwback energy with timeless vibes, T.O.K. lit up Fri-Nally last Friday at the Courtyard at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre. After more than a decade away from the Jamaican stage, the group made a highly anticipated return, and they didn’t miss a beat. From the moment they stepped on, it was pure nostalgia, as they brought patrons right back to the early 2000s with an undeniable catalogue of hits that reminded everyone exactly why they remain a staple in the culture. Something Extra brings you the highlights.

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Dr Terrance Drew, prime minister of St Kitts and Nevis and current chair of CARICOM; and Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
Published 14 hours ago

Editorial | CARICOM’s new crisis

Dr Carla Barnett has not been the kind of secretary general of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) this newspaper had hoped for. She has not interpreted her mandate or fashioned her leadership as a transformative force — sometimes being ahead of heads of government, prodding, probing, and engaging the region’s citizens to get the community to do more, faster. To be that kind of secretary general, she would have needed an expansive and creative vision of her role, as established in the CARICOM treaty and set out in her job description.

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