When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Jamaica

This Happened

This Happened — August 16: Usain Bolt Breaks Own World Record

Usain Bolt sets a new world record of 9.58 seconds for the 100-meter dash on this day in 2009.

Get This Happened straight to your inbox ✉️ each day! Sign up here.

Watch VideoShow less

This Happened - February 6: Birth Of A Jamaican Icon

On this day in 1945, Bob Marley was born. He is considered one of the most influential musicians of all time.

Get This Happened straight to your inbox ✉️ each day! Sign up here.

Keep reading...Show less

LGBTQ+ International: Argentine Trans Icon Murder, Fleeing Russia, Bad Bunny Kiss — And The Week’s Other Top News

Welcome to Worldcrunch’s LGBTQ+ International. We bring you up-to-speed each week on a topic you may follow closely at home, but can now see from different places and perspectives around the world. Discover the latest news on everything LGBTQ+ — from all corners of the planet. All in one smooth scroll!

This week featuring:

Keep reading...Show less

The Ital Diet, A Rastafarian Recipe For Eating Right

For a combination of spiritual and political reasons, Rastas developed a diet based on healthy, local ingredients that was a precursor, it turns out, to some current food trends.

Bob Marley used to drink a strange beverage every morning made of a reddish colored seaweed known as Irish moss, so named because it's thought to have been introduced in Jamaica in the 17th century by Irish immigrant workers. The algae has been growing on the coast ever since.

The drink derived from it, known for its high content of vitamins, iron and calcium, is now marketed in a ready-to-consume version. It has little to do with the brew that was so dear to the king of reggae. Either way, the Irish moss beverage is part of what's known as the "ital diet," which was born with the Rastafari movement in the 1930s.

Keep reading...Show less
blog

A Bolt Of Olympic History

SPOTLIGHT: A BOLT OF OLYMPIC HISTORY THAT WILL LAST

Last week, it was Michael Phelps reminding us that the Olympics are more than a passing photo op or filler for your Facebook feed. The American swimmer's 12th individual medal matched a record of another famous Olympic athlete — from more than 2,100 years ago! Leonidas of Rhodes, a runner, had won 12 solo medals at four Games between 164 and 152 BC, considered one of the world's oldest records.


Last night it was Usain Bolt's chance to reach for Olympic "immortality," taking home his third straight 100-meter dash title. In a year littered with doping scandals, some athletes can still achieve legendary status through sheer talent alone. The 9.81 seconds it took him to complete 100 meters in yesterday's final, was actually the slowest of the three winning Olympic results for the now 29-year-old Jamaican star. But perhaps it was victory that carried the most meaning. "It wasn't the perfect race, but the fact is I won," he told reporters after the race.


Bolt was bullish about his chances to add to his legend, ahead of the 200m and 4x100m relay events later this week, aiming for a "triple triple" of three gold medals in three sprints in three consecutive Games. The crowning of the "fastest man on earth" is perhaps the singular defining moment for each Olympics. Doing it three Games running is a feat (and feet!) for the ages.

Watch VideoShow less
Economy
Yves Eudes

Legalizing It In Jamaica: Marijuana Laws Mellow In Land Of Rasta

OLD HARBOUR — Jerry and his brother Steve, both in their thirties, thin and gnarled, are farmers without land. They live in Old Harbour, a dusty village in Saint Catherine Parish, an hour west of the capital Kingston, and rent small plots from area landlords and grow fruits and vegetables that they sell on the markets. They also cultivate ganja, the local name for cannabis.

Ganja growing is a widespread activity in Jamaica for the simple reason that the majority of people here consume the product. And yet, until April, it was strictly prohibited.

Watch VideoShow less
blog

Extra! Usain Bolt Retains World Title By A Whisker

Jamaican running legend Usain Bolt defended his 100-meter title Sunday at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, finishing in 9.79 seconds.

Watch VideoShow less
Future
Jean-François Toussaint

Why Jamaicans Are The Sprint Kings: A Scientific and Historical Explanation

The athletic potential of a nation relies on several cultural, social, biological, genetic and environmental factors. These are hard to dissociate and their role only partly explain the current Jamaican hegemony.

First let me remind you that dignity, tolerance and respect are the best values and must serve here as guidelines. Exposing the correlations between the factors should not lead to any dubious interpretation - openly racist or even underhandedly discriminatory.

Watch VideoShow less
EXPLORE OTHER TOPICS
chinaitalyusafrancegermany