Stephen Francis dies at 64 as Cornwall Hospital delays and St Thomas arrests make headlines

Jamaica is mourning Stephen Francis, the world-renowned sprint coach credited with turning little-known athletes into world champions and Olympic medallists. Francis died on Saturday, one day after celebrating his 64th birthday.

The Jamaica Medical Doctors Association has joined rising criticism over another delay in restoring Cornwall Regional Hospital in St. James, with full completion now pushed to March 2027. Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton said he is still aiming to finish the project by the end of the current financial year and expects the Accident and Emergency Department to reopen by the end of September.

In St. Thomas, a 64-year-old man remains in hospital while two teenage girls, aged 15 and 14, are in police custody. They are suspected of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and simple larceny. Police said the man was attacked after arranging to meet the underage girls for a sexual encounter at a villa in Morant Bay.

Cuba was hit by an island-wide blackout as fuel shortages continued to strain the country's failing power grid. The state electric union said the cause is under investigation.

Jamaica Football Federation President Michael Ricketts said Jamaica's confirmation as one of four co-hosts for the expanded 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup caps more than two years of work and now awaits the government's formal approval. Jamaica will co-host the tournament with the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

Tuesday's forecast calls for partly cloudy skies across eastern parishes in the morning, with mostly sunny and windy conditions elsewhere. During the afternoon, widely scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected across western parishes and some hilly areas.