KINGSTON, Jamaica, May 20, CMC – The Jamaican economy contracted by an estimated 5.9 per cent during the January to March 2026 quarter, compared with the corresponding quarter of 2025, the director general of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIO) Dr Wayne Henry said on Wednesday. He told reporters that the performance for the review […]

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, May 20, CMC – Cuba on Wednesday condemned “in the strongest terms”  what it described as the despicable accusation by the United States Department of Justice against former president Raul Castro. Washington announced criminal charges against the 94-year-old brother of revolutionist Fidel Castro, in what political observers say is the latest escalation […]

A historic moment for Britain’s railway was marked today (21 May 2026), as the first Great British Railways (GBR) branded train was unveiled in Brighton. Whether it’s building sandcastles, fish and chips on the pier or a staycation, rail travellers to the south and southeast this long weekend can catch a glimpse of the striking […]

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today launched a public consultation on a proposed new Rare Disease Therapies Framework that would introduce significant regulatory innovation to the UK’s rare disease landscape – and the MHRA is calling on the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries to play a central role in shaping the final framework. The draft framework sets out a technology-agnostic regulatory […]

Today, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) launches a landmark public consultation on a proposed new regulatory framework that will spearhead the development of rare disease treatment in the UK. This framework – which sets out a new model for how rare disease therapies for individuals could be tested, licensed and monitored – […]

Frankfort, Ky. – Gov. Andy Beshear is celebrating the best first quarter in Kentucky history for economic investment, bringing the total secured under his leadership to over $50 billion and creating more than 70,000 new jobs. The Governor’s administration has also secured the highest three-year average for new wages in state history, with the 2025 average […]

Today, the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) approved Louisiana’s Returning Education to the States Waiver, empowering State education officials with greater discretion over their federal education dollars. Louisiana is the second state to receive this waiver, which will allow state leaders to focus federal dollars on efforts that best improve student academic achievement. Louisiana’s […]

Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) initiated a directed investigation into Loudoun County Public Schools (Loudoun) in Virginia amid reports that a high school student may have taken photos and videos of dozens of underage students in school bathroom stalls over the course of three years. The investigation will determine […]

On May 20, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced the first use of a new tool in the Department’s more assertive global approach to protecting the U.S. fishing industry and global fish resources. The Department is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on 26 foreign nationals responsible for, complicit in, facilitating, or benefiting from […]