Jamaica Observer

The National Minimum Wage will be increased by $1,000 to $17,000 per week effective July 1. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/bud…

The issue of witnesses being able to view accused men as they are being brought into court was addressed by Justice Dale Palmer on Thursday in the Supreme Court trial of Tesha Miller and 24 other alleged members of a faction of the Klansman gang. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/jud…

Basketball superstar LeBron James tied the NBA record for most regular-season games played as his Los Angeles Lakers took on the Miami Heat on Thursday. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/leb…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced plans for two new recreational parks, including one already in development in Manchester and another proposed for Kingston and St Andrew. The Manchester park is currently being finalised, with discussions ongoing with the local municipality regarding its location. Holness also revealed that discussions have begun with the Governor-General on developing a park on sections of King’s House lands. The proposed space is expected to cater especially to seniors, providing “a place where they can exercise and walk securely.” The National Housing Trust (NHT) will be responsible for the development of the parks. #JamaicaObserver #BudgetDebate #AndrewHolness #NHT #Kingston

Mt Pleasant FA have made five changes to the team that was beaten 3-0 in last week’s Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 first leg game against MLS Team LA Galaxy for Thursday’s return leg at the National Stadium. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/mt-…

A French appeals court Thursday rejected the government's demand to temporarily suspend a section of Shein's website in France after the discovery that it was selling weapons, banned medications and childlike sex dolls. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/fre…

Racing United reclaimed second place in the Jamaica Premier League on Thursday after beating Chapelton Maroons 3-0 in their third-round game played at Ferdie Neita Park. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/rac…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness took a swipe at Opposition Leader Mark Golding during his Budget Debate presentation, questioning his judgment over a recent remark on water prices. Referencing Golding’s statement that water costs more than gas, Holness responded: “Why would the leader of the opposition go and buy water that costs more than gas when there are other options that are more economical?” “To me, it tells me that I wouldn’t trust him with managing my economy,” the Prime Minister added. #JamaicaObserver #BudgetDebate #AndrewHolness #MarkGolding #Jamaica

The Jamaica Observer understands that winger Leon Bailey will be part of the Reggae Boyz squad for next week’s FIFA World Cup Playoffs, ending an eight-month absence. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/bai…

Students from the Salvation Army School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Lister Mair Gilby School for the Deaf walked away with top awards of the inaugural UWI-UNICEF Special Mathematical Olympiad Champions 2026 on Thursday jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/spe…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has dismissed concerns about the management of National Housing Trust (NHT) funds, insisting there has been “no issue of misuse or mismanagement” under his administration. Addressing the Budget Debate, Holness argued that Jamaica’s housing challenge is not financial, but structural. “Jamaica’s housing crisis is not a financing crisis, it is a supply crisis,” he said, noting that increasing housing stock requires land, infrastructure, approvals, and construction capacity, not just funding. He also clarified that while the NHT transfers approximately $11.4 billion gross to the Government, the net figure is closer to $7 to $7.5 billion after statutory deductions. “The NHT remains a solid, well-capitalized body that is not a fiscal risk to the government,” Holness added, maintaining that the agency has not been impaired in meeting mortgage demand, even at 0% interest rates. #JamaicaObserver #BudgetDebate #AndrewHolness #NHT #HousingCrisis #Jamaica

A Cuban activist jailed for putting up anti-government posters and defacing a Fidel Castro billboard suffered cardiac arrest after 48 days on hunger strike, NGOs said Thursday. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/jai…

A punishing heat wave was gripping the western United States (US) on Thursday, with parts of the region logging record temperatures even though it is still winter. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/rec…

The United States (US) dollar on Thursday, March 19, ended trading at $158.65, up by eight cents, according to the Bank of Jamaica’s daily exchange trading summary. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/for…

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says Kingston’s main flood defense, the Sandy Gully, is in urgent need of major upgrades. “The metropolitan area is urgently in need of serious work on critical drainage infrastructure… that is the Sandy Gully,” Holness said, noting the system was built “over 60 years ago” and “has not had any overall overhaul.” He explained that rainfall from the hills of St Andrew flows into the gully, preventing flooding across the Kingston plains. “If it doesn’t get into the Sandy Gully, it will flood the Kingston plain,” he warned. While the gully was not damaged by Hurricane Elsa, Holness said aging supporting infrastructure is now “falling apart.” Under the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NARA), he announced that “the reconstruction of the Sandy Gully will be a major project” as Jamaica strengthens its resilience post-Hurricane Melissa. #JamaicaObserver #BudgetDebate #AndrewHolness #SandyGully #Kingston

The Bill to establish the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) that will drive the major reconstruction projects post-Hurricane Melissa was tabled in the House of Representatives on Thursday by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/bud…

Dancehall artiste 450 will be launching his very own condom brand called 4intimacy, which features three condoms named after some of his tracks. These include Addicted (ultra thin), Pleasure (super lubricated) and Wild n Rich (ribbed textured). jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/450…

Amid growing criticism, especially since the ending of the 50-year-old Cuban medical mission in Jamaica, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness is defending the foreign policy of his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Government. jamaicaobserver.com/2026/03/19/bud…