World News

Jamaican authorities say they plan to introduce a biometric system for passenger checks at the Sangster International Airport (SIA) in the coming winter. In Singapore, a similar system is already in place, and performing well enough that legislators are considering eliminating passport checks.

The Montego Bay Jamaica (MBJ) Airports Limited Chief Executive Officer Shane Munroe was said to have made the announcement recently, saying the novelty is intended to facilitate boarding and bag-drop processes for passengers travelling through the SIA as well as enhance checkpoint security. With the system, passengers will be able to check in from their mobile devices before proceeding to biometric kiosks installed at different counters in the airport for identity verification.

U.S. President Joe Biden on July 25 — what should have been Emmett Till’s 82nd birthday — signed a proclamation creating the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument.

Till, a Black Chicago native, was 14 years old in 1955 when at least two white men lynched him in segregated Mississippi after a white woman accused him of flirting with her. Nobody was held legally accountable for Till’s murder, a tragedy that helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement.

When the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965, a new era began in the United States. With a stroke of his pen, Johnson struck down discriminatory voting practices that had been adopted — primarily in Southern states — to disenfranchise African Americans.

Those practices, many dating back to the end of the U.S. Civil War in 1865, included the imposition of literacy tests and poll taxes that often-blocked Black citizens from exercising their right to vote, as guaranteed under the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Following on the heels of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex or national origin, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped to solidify the gains of the U.S. civil rights movement.

In the summer of 2022, Jamaica’s Opposition Leader Mark Golding was a trustee or director of at least five non-profits – one in the U.K., where his father was born, and four in Jamaica. But while the U.K.-based organisation has been in good standing with the charity authority there, all four in Jamaica were outstanding on their filings at the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) for multiple years.

 The World Jewish Congress, as part of its work with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund to fight antisemitism and promote Jewish life, praised the team for participating Friday in a project at the San Diego Jewish Academy that memorializes children killed in the Holocaust. The German soccer club, commonly known as BVB, had trained for much of last week on the grounds of the San Diego Jewish Academy, as part of its U.S. tour. 

Dr. Sultan Al-Jaber, COP28 President-Designate and Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), have called upon G20 nations to take a greater leadership role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. With only 125 days to go, the leaders today issued a joint statement on the sidelines of the G20 ministerial meeting in Chennai, calling on G20 nations to "lead the way" on delivering a positive outcome on mitigation at the COP28 climate conference this year.

Hapuna Beach recorded the cleanest air in America. Located in the rolling hills of South Kohala on Hawaii‘s Big Island, Kamuela is cowboy country. Also known by its original Hawaiian name of “Waimea.”

Popular vacation destinations in Hawaii and Alaska emerged as oases of fresh air, according to research conducted by Biosource.

The United States has rejoined the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) after a nearly 5-year absence, becoming its 194th member state. UNESCO helps protect the world’s cultural and national heritage by designating World Heritage sites. It also plays a key role in promoting international cooperation in education, science, culture, technology and freedom of the press.

Following its launch at the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) in 2021, the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge (“Pledge”) has mobilized an additional USD 215 million in commitments from the private sector. In total, the Pledge has mobilised nearly USD 560 million from 46 companies towards the zero-hunger goal. To ensure the integrity of the Pledge, it is also announcing the launch of its new reporting framework and first reporting process.

Africa's largest economy, Nigeria, is in the process of introducing new banknotes for the first time in more than 20 years. The move is an attempt to reignite confidence in the currency, the naira, which is under severe pressure. With inflation at more than 20%, people are struggling to cope with the rising cost of living. It is leading to the largest exodus of young professionals in years.

Fashion designer Oroma Cookey Gam left Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos, with her young family a year ago for the UK capital, London. Her husband and business partner Osione, an artist, was granted a Global Talent visa, which enables leaders in academia, arts and culture, as well as digital technology to work in the UK.

Jamaica’s Opposition Leader Mark Golding was a trustee or director of at least five non-profits – one in the U.K., where his father was born, and four in Jamaica.

But while the U.K.-based organisation has been in good standing with the charity authority there, all four in Jamaica were outstanding on their filings at the Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ) for multiple years. One was so delinquent - for more than 15 years - the COJ recently removed it from the register of companies.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the recent visit by CARICOM’s Eminent Persons Group (EPG) to Haiti, which met with various Haitian leaders, regrettably did not yield any conclusive results.

The EPG is made up former prime ministers Perry Christie, from The Bahamas;  Dr. Kenny Anthony of Saint Lucia, and Bruce Golding of Jamaica. They visited Haiti from July 12 to 15 and met with Haitian stakeholders to support dialogue on finding a solution to the ongoing crises facing the country, elections and governance.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial, alongside the G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting, COP28 President Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber urged countries to join the global cooling pledge, a partnership between the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the COP28 Presidency, announced earlier in the year.

The Pentagon says it considers army private Travis King to be "absent without leave" in North Korea after he crossed the border during a tour. Officials also admitted they had no idea of his condition or where he was being held. Earlier the White House said the US had tried to contact Pyongyang through "multiple channels" but had had no response.

Sophia Duleep Singh, a princess who fought for women's voting rights in the UK, remains a little-known figure in India, the country of her ancestry. In 1910, she was part of a delegation of 300 suffragettes who marched towards the parliament in London, seeking an audience with then Prime Minister HH Asquith.

But Asquith refused to meet the women and the demonstration turned violent as policemen and men in the crowd outside the building beat them. Many of the demonstrators were seriously injured and the day came to be called Black Friday in the UK.

Forbes magazine has highlighted Ana Carolina Briones Pereyra, Secretary General of the Central American Tourism Promotion Agency (CATA) as one of the 100 most powerful women in Central America, in its 2023 issue. The prestigious list is made up of diverse business leaders, engineers, scientists, athletes, activists, politicians and even futurists, whose work is leading the processes of equality and inclusion in the region.