Commentary

The SSP Diaries
January 8, 2026

SSP Diaries | Future warnings

PROPERTY INSURANCE I remember when we lived in a wooden house and my parents built a solid concrete structure in the same location subsequently. Leaving home many years later, I reflected on what my…
“A resource is only a blessing when the people can feel it in their daily lives. If Jamaica ever strikes oil, the victory cannot stay on paper or in press releases...This is not the hour for Jamaica to think small. If opportunity comes, we must meet it w
January 8, 2026

What housing affordability really looks like in Jamaica right now

Jamaica is rebuilding. Not in theory. Not in headlines. Not in forecasts imported from somewhere else. But in real time – board by board, block by block, family by family. Hurricane Melissa did not…
Your body loses heat through evaporation, so one of the most important things is to make sure you’re dry at all times.
January 8, 2026

Patrick Jackson | The next viral threats to watch in 2026

A new year might mean new viral threats. Old viruses are constantly evolving. A warming and increasingly populated planet puts humans in contact with more and different viruses. And increased mobility…
Justice Minister Delroy Chuck.
January 7, 2026

Editorial | Decriminalise underage sex

As he has promised, Delroy Chuck should act with urgency in having Parliament decide on decriminalising sex between minors who are close in age. They should.
Government supporters gather for a women’s march to demand the return of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, on Tuesday, January 6, three days after US forces captured him and his wife.
January 7, 2026

Elizabeth Morgan | Are countries in the Western Hemisphere to become more subjugated US satellites?

There are 35 independent countries in the Western Hemisphere, including the Caribbean small island developing states, which signed the agreement establishing the Organization of American States (OAS).…
Protesters rally outside the White House on Saturday, January 3 in Washington, after the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a military operation.
January 7, 2026

Norris R. McDonald |Maduro, Venezuela and god-king Trump’s imperial rampage

Recent developments involving Venezuela raise urgent concerns about whether the United States is once again asserting imperial power over a sovereign nation, this time with unprecedented openness and…
Janiel McEwan, economic consultant
January 7, 2026

Janiel McEwan | Jamaica’s path into 2026: resilience proven, progress pending

As Jamaica awakens to the first days of 2026, the country carries the unmistakable marks of a year that demanded much and gave back hard truths in return. 2025 offered no dramatic turning points or…
“There is a risk that Jamaica treats AI as a technology story, rather than an economic and property story”: Dean Jones, founder of Jamaica Homes.
January 7, 2026

Is Jamaica doing enough on Artificial Intelligence?

Jamaica has formally entered the global conversation on artificial intelligence (AI), with recent government-led policy recommendations and international assessments outlining how the technology could…
The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT.
January 6, 2026

Editorial | Technology, AI in schools

There may indeed be a need for balance between digital technologies and old-style teaching systems in the delivery of education globally. But, even in the absence of credible data on the availability…