Commentary
January 18, 2026
Garth Rattray | The Sargassum seaweed can be useful
Recently, I saw a short documentary on the Sargassum seaweed ‘invasion’ of the Caribbean Sea. Then I recalled that my wife and several of her relatives encountered mounds of the seaweed on the beach…
January 18, 2026
Orville Taylor | Jamaica: Our bed of roses
One of the stupidest expressions used regularly is “Life is not a bed of roses” When our relatives and friends migrate north, they often say it in reference to ‘Farrin’. Now, every Jamaican knows that…
January 17, 2026
Editorial | Prioritise earthquake readiness
Especially after the ruin left by Hurricane Melissa last October, it is understandable that, in the context of disaster preparedness, the attention of most Jamaicans is on hurricanes. The authorities,…
January 17, 2026
Tony Deyal and Zeno Constance | Trini back in town or what?
My son, Zubin, came for Christmas but then took us to Barbados for nine days, including the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026. He and his sister were born in Barbados and so are ‘Bajans’ and very…
January 17, 2026
Ronald Sanders | Visa restrictions and cost of Caribbean disunity
When powerful states act, small states are tempted to personalise the action. When small states fragment, powerful states do not need to explain themselves. That is the lesson CARICOM should draw from…
January 16, 2026
Editorial | Not surprised by UHWI
Sadly, this newspaper can’t claim to be surprised by the auditor general’s findings of seeming flagrant disregard for the government’s procurement rules, and possible corruption, involving hundreds of…
January 16, 2026
Peter Espeut | The myth of independence
In 1975 – more than 50 years ago – UWI political scientist Louis Lindsay published an article titled “The Myth of Independence: Middle Class Politics and Non-Mobilization in Jamaica”. It caused a…
January 16, 2026
Kristen Gyles | Waking up from the American dream
How many Jamaicans still can’t wake up from the American dream they have been chasing? Despite every effort of the United States (US) government to make it clear that certain classes of immigrants are…
January 16, 2026
Government cash grants after Hurricane Melissa shift focus to how homes are rebuilt
Jamaica is likkle, but we are talwah. The saying reflects generations of endurance, rebuilding, and resilience. But toughness alone does not stop a hurricane. What reduces damage is preparation, sound…