HIV CARE GAP - AHF calls for strategy to get thousands more on treatment; ministry says social barriers keeping patients away

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Jamaica is calling for urgent action to reach the thousands of people living with HIV in Jamaica who are not receiving treatment. In a statement yesterday, the AHF, which works to expand access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment, sexual and reproductive health services, advocacy, and community-based health education, pointed to national data showing that Jamaica has an estimated 28,000 people living with HIV, approximately 26,500 of whom have been diagnosed. However, only 14,716 – or 53 per cent – are documented as receiving treatment.

16 Oct, 2026 0

World News

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White House press secretary Katie Zacharia speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia leaving job after rocky start

WASHINGTON (AP) — Katie Zacharia is departing as White House press secretary, a person familiar with the matter said Friday, after a short and rocky tenure that was defined by questions about her professional background and lack of polish in fielding questions from journalists. The person, granted anonymity to discuss a personnel decision not yet made public, said Zacharia would be transitioning out of the role.

16 Oct, 2026 0

Sports

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Shaquille Lindo (right) of Mona High School  puts in a firm tackle on Gerveir Grant of Jamaica College during the Walker Cup semi-final match between Jamaica College and Mona High School held on October 10, 2026 at the Stadium East field.

Cloud over Walker Cup final - Mona, KC set for showdown as JC await verdict

The ISSA Walker Cup final will go ahead as scheduled today at Stadium East, but an unresolved appeal by Jamaica College (JC) will cast a shadow over the showdown between Kingston College (KC) and Mona High. The final is set to kick off at 4 p.m., with Mona getting a second chance at the title after being reinstated following JC’s expulsion. JC had advanced to the final after defeating Mona in the semi-final but were subsequently removed after national representative Jamone Lyle, who played in that match, was deemed ineligible to compete in schoolboy football.

16 Oct, 2026 Gregory Bryce/Staff Reporter 0

Entertainment

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Four years after his debut album, ‘Reggaeland’, Yaadcore returns with ‘Rasta Time’, a project rooted in cultural ownership and Rastafari.

5 Questions with Yaadcore

It was as a selector that Rory ‘Yaadcore’ Cha first earned his musical stripes. Having watched his father select on Love People International, he honed his skills early, exploring dancehall before settling in with reggae, with a serving of what was dubbed “revival”.

16 Oct, 2026 Yasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer 0

Business

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A person stands next to the logo of the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, ahead of the meeting at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 9.

IMF trims Jamaica’s 2027 outlook

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lowered its forecast for Jamaica’s economic growth in 2027, signalling a slower rebound than it expected six months ago, even as it upgraded its outlook for 2026. In its October World Economic Outlook (WEO) released this week, the IMF cut its 2027 forecast for Jamaica to 2.4 per cent from the 3.1 per cent forecast in April. At the same time, it raised its projection for 2026 to zero growth from a previously forecast 1.2 per cent contraction.

16 Oct, 2026 0

Videos

Lifestyle

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Assessing the just-wrapped event, Negril Universal Film Festival (NUFF) Founder Gareth Cobran said, “I am happy that all the preparation that we made was worth it”.

A ‘reel’ good time - NUFF delivers four days of film, fellowship and culture

The reviews are in. Audience members attending last weekend’s staging of the Negril Universal Film Festival (NUFF) gave the event an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Feasting on a curated showcase of feature films, shorts and documentaries with a decidedly Afrocentric focus over four days, film enthusiasts and festival first-timers alike offered praise for the communal experience.

16 Oct, 2026 Omar Tomlinson/Contributor 0

Commentary

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Editorial | Extend water-party ban

Given the drought Jamaica has faced, bouts of showers in recent days, associated with a trough in the central Caribbean, are a welcome development. It, however, doesn’t mean that the island is out of the woods. Jamaica remains in a meteorological and hydrological drought. Rainfall is still below historic averages and aquifers are too low to be recharged by quick, sharp showers.

16 Oct, 2026 0