News

A serious health problem is looming as several persons have being catching fish in sewage ponds near Old Harbour and selling them to unsuspecting customers. these persons are fishing at ponds located at Old Harbour Villa, St Catherine. "This is not a joking thing when mi say man wid hook and line a catch out the fish and go sell them and dat can't be right at all," one concerned female said. Other persons during interviews expressed similar views and added that it's hoped that the practice will be prevented by authorities "Health problems can occur. It is not to be taken lightly, there might be a condition called oral-faecal transmission and that can result in a form of hepatitis," Dr Notice said He added that the fish...

SHANGHAI, China (AP) Jamaica's Usain Bolt has won the 200 meters at the Diamond League meet in Shanghai with a time of 19.76 seconds. The reigning world and Olympic champion over 100 and 200 meters was never tested Sunday, looking relaxed as he finished ahead of Americans Angelo Taylor, second in 20.34, and Ryan Bailey, third in 20.43. The win continues Bolt's strong start to this season that began with a year's best 9.86 seconds in capturing the 100 at Daegu in South Korea on Wednesday. Earlier in the Shanghai meet, Carmelita Jeter of the United States claimed victory in the women's 100 meters with a time of 11.09.

The ultra-modern music recording studio in Aburi in the Eastern Region of ghana belonging to Rita Marley, wife of the late reggae music icon Bob Marley, has been gutted by fire. The cause of the fire is unknown but sources close to Mrs Marley say it may have been caused by an electrical fault. The multi-million-dollar studio - also the store house of most of Bob Marleys original tapes - was due for commissioning late last year but the event had to be postponed to allow Mrs Marley to attend to some personal issues in the USA. Source:Myjoyonline.com

The U.S. State Department warned Friday of the threat of civil unrest in Jamaica amid reports that criminal gangs were massing in Kingston and the military was mobilizing. "The possibility exists for violence and/or civil unrest in the greater Kingston metropolitan area,"."There are unconfirmed reports of criminal gang members amassing in the Kingston area, as well as mobilization of Jamaican defence forces" the State Department said. The British High Commission posted on its website "Due to ongoing political developments, there is an increased risk of civil disorder and street violence in Kingston and possibly other urban areas in Jamaica. UK citizens are urged to take extra care when travelling away from their homes or hotels,"...

An Air India Express plane from Dubai overshot the table-top runway at the Mangalore airport on Saturday morning and plunged over a cliff into a wooded valley, killing 158 persons. There were 160 passengers and six crew members on board Flight IX-812. The passengers included 137 adults, 19 children and 4 infants. Eight passengers survived miraculously. The plane burst into flames after the crash, which occurred at 6.10 a.m. The captain of the flight, Z. Glusica, a British national of Serbian origin, and his co-pilot H.S. Ahluwalia are among the dead. Nine passengers did not board the flight, according to the manifest. Their were two survivors Mohammad Usman and Joel Prathap D'Souza. The reasons for the crash are as yet unclear...

How does one put a price on human suffering? One should probably ask Elin Nordegren for advice: She's demanding $750 million from Tiger Woods in divorce negotiations. That is some pricey misery. Plus, Elin isn't agreeing to Tiger's demands for a confidentiality clause that would prevent her from writing a book or devloping a mini-series or line of collectible plates based on the scandal. Unsuprisingly, the Daily News reports that negotiations "have turned extremely testy."

(Photo: police) The Police is warning residents of Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town in West Kingston that it has "no desire to engaged in armed conflict". Residents are seeking to protect local don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke are creating Military-type fortification using sandbags and single concertina wire fencing in Tivoli Courts. Police say this provides positions of fire as sandbags create a stabilising platform for the firing of high-powered weapons. (Photo: police) The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) release a statement today stating "The Police are reminding all citizens that the setting-up of barricades is illegal as the security forces must have unfettered access to pursue their lawful duties in any community in Jamaica...

A judge issued a warrant for Lindsay Lohan’s arrest and set bail at $100,000 on Thursday after the actress failed to show up for a mandatory court hearing in Los Angeles, The Associated Press reported. Ms. Lohan, left, went to Cannes for the film festival there, and, according to her lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, her passport was stolen, preventing her from returning to the United States in time for her hearing. Judge Marsha Revel of Los Angeles County Superior Court also revoked Ms. Lohan’s probation, which she had been on after two arrests in 2007 on charges of drunken driving. Mr. Holley said Ms. Lohan would be back in the United States by Friday evening. If she makes bail, the judge has stipulated that she will be prohibited from...

Classrooms emptied and business owners pulled down their shutters this week as the word spread that the Jamaican government had finally signed an extradition request from the United States for alleged gang leader Christopher "Dudus" Coke. The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has called out the National Reserve after thugs in west Kingston yesterday stated their intention to defend the 'President' when they opened fire on a team of soldiers attempting to enter Denham Town. The members of the National Reserve have been asked to report for duty at 6 p.m. today and be prepared to go into action as tension rises in sections of the Corporate Area. The government is trying to secure areas for West Kingston students who have to sit the CAPE and...

Photo by Garfield Robinson Jamaica Observer - 'Bounty Killer' and 'church' were two words that just didn't sound as if they should be in the same sentence ... and so very close together. Anyway, the story was that Miss Ivy -- Bounty's beloved mother and an upright Christian lady -- had ordered her son Rodney, to be present at her church yesterday morning. And, as the source pointed out, "If Miss Ivy say him fi come a church, him haffi come." Needless to say, Bounty, and his entourage, was present and on time at Miss Ivy's place of worship, the Agape Christian Fellowship Church in Gregory Park, St Catherine. Dressed in his trademark 'full black' and looking none the worse for his 10-day stint in police lock-up, from which he...

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) Police in Jamaica say a man accused of slashing the throat of a sleeping 5-year-old boy may have done it to get back at the boy's father. Constable Ainsley Beckford says 34-year-old Jermaine Gushman has been charged with murder in the killing. He has pleaded not guilty. Police say someone broke into the boy's home May 2. They say a long-standing dispute between Gushman and the boy's father may have prompted the killing but did not release more details. The boy's father was at a nearby store when the killing occurred. It is unclear if Gushman has an attorney. The murder charge was announced Friday.

Usain Bolt ran his way to victory in his first major meet of the season cruising to 100m victory at the IAAF World Challenge in Daegu, South Korea. Usain Bolt barely broke sweat as he sauntered home in 9.86 seconds, easing down the gears but still finishing ahead Michael Frater and Mike Rodgers, second and third respectively, to clock the fastest legal time in the world this year. The meet served as a warm-up to Bolt's Diamond League debut on Sunday in Shanghai, where he will compete over 200m, while later in the season he is due to clash with Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay.

A warrant for the arrest of Tivoli Gardens strongman, Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke was signed this morning by a Resident Magistrate.The warrant gives the police Fugitive Apprehension Team the power to collar Coke who is wanted in the United States on drug and gun running charges. Coke’s stronghold of Tivoli Gardens and Denham in West Kingston has been barricaded by his supporters who say they fear an invasion from the security forces. Source: Jamaica Observer

Reports from the Constabulary News Network, (CNN), confirm that the house of dancehall deejay Mad Cobra, in Portmore, St. Catherine, was attacked and shot up late last night. The deejay was home at the time of the attack but no one was injured. There is speculation that last night’s attack is related to the incident last week, where Cobra was shot and injured by unknown assailants who were reportedly offended because the deejay shine his car lights on them.

My fellow Jamaicans..I have spent the last several days in deep contemplation about the issues that have caused so much anxiety throughout the society including the reaction to my statement in Parliament last Tuesday and the events and circumstances that led up to it. I have listened very carefully to the views expressed by members of the public. I have also consulted with my Cabinet and parliamentary members, the party organization and various civil society groups. I thank those who have expressed their support and have urged me to find a way to deal with these matters and to put them behind. I respect the views of those who feel that, in the circumstances, I should step aside. I have asked God to guide me in my response and the...

Aiyana Jones, a 7 year-old girl who was sound asleep in the sofa of their family apartment’s living was shot dead by a Detroit Police who was looking for a homicide suspect. The police came busting through the door and an officials gun went off hitting Aiyana Jones in the neck. Aiyana Jones’ father told Detroit News that he just tucked in Aiyana covering her with her favorite Disney blanket and then went to bed early. After a while he heard a flash grenade and the a gunshot went off. He then quickly rushed to the living room and then the police forced him to ground with his face on Aiyana Jones blood. The Police official who shot Aiyana Jones was put into administrative leave and the shooting is still being investigated. Detroit...

One of the main suspect in the shooting of Voicemail artist O’Neil Edwards, was found dead in the Chancery Hall community this afternoon, Police said the unidentified man managed to escape checkpoints set up to nab him several hours earlier. Edwards’ cellular phone was found in the dead man’s possession. Meanwhile a second suspect was picked up by the Manchester Police in that parish last night and is being transported to Kingston where he will be questioned. Oniel Edwards is still critical condition and he remains hospitalised.

Last fall, the blue-chip law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips signed a $400,000 contract to lobby on behalf of the government of Jamaica, spending the next several months talking with the White House and other administration officials about why the United States should not extradite an accused Kingston drug kingpin Christopher 'Dudus' Coke. According to Justice Department records filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Manatt signed the contract to represent the government of Jamaica on Oct. 1, about a month after Coke's indictment was unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The unusual arrangement has fallen apart amid a flurry of charges and counter charges that...

I was inquiring with Empress from Youthman Promotion Sound in which Sugar Minott is the owner, on the status of Lincoln “Sugar” Minott health. I was then informed that he did not have a heart attack, however he wasn't feeling well. "I spoke to him on Saturday and as I called him he said, Empress di people dem ah try make it look like me a drop out" said Empress referring to the rumor that he had a heart attack. Sugar Minott said "he wasn’t feeling well but I did not have a heart attack” and tell my fans "bugga naw guh nuh weh". Due to the fact that he wasn't feeling well and didn't want to disappoint his fans in Canada, he asked his daughter Pashion to do his catalogue for his show in Toronto, Canada. Empress stated that "sugar...

Ewart "Mad Cobra" Brown was shot and injured tonight in the Braeton Phase 1 Community, Portmore Jamaica. It is said that Mad Cobra and a group of men had an dispute,which result in the deejay being shot. The deejay was rush and admitted to the Spanish Town Hospital and currently being treated for a gunshot wound to the chest. It is said that Mad Cobra is out of surgery and is stable condition.