Which Caribbean Carnivals are you planning to attend this year? See our World Carnival Calendar.

As travel was abruptly put on hold earlier this year, recent signs of reopenings and restrictions lifting around the world have given sun chasers everywhere a sign of hope that lounging on a white sandy beach while looking out at shimmering turquoise water may not be too far off.

Specifically, the Caribbean islands have laid out their plans for a "new normal" among locals as well as welcoming back visitors after being forced to take a pause as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe.

Notting Hill Carnival has been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

About one million people usually attend the event in west London, which was due to take place on 30 and 31 August.

Organisers said the pandemic meant that calling off the weekend was "the only safe option", but said they were working on holding a celebration on the same weekend in an alternative form.

It is the first time it will not take place in more than 50 years.

A decision on whether Trinidad and Tobago's 2021 Carnival will be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic should be made in the next 90 days, National Carnival Commission chairman Winston Gypsy Peters says.

"We have at least 90 days. I think we can still watch it before we can make a call one way or the other. But the Minister said that we are looking at it and it is fluid," Peters told Guardian Media on Tuesday.

Peters said the country was lucky the festival is not carded until February 2021.

“We are lucky so far that we have three months ahead of us - by then we would have to say whether it is take off, or grounded,” Peters said.

Trinidad and Tobago's confirmed COVID-19 cases remain at 116.

This was confirmed by the Ministry of Health in its 10 am update on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday morning, 1,582 samples have been submitted to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) for testing for COVID-19.

The number of unique patient tests completed is 1,290, while 292 of the total number of samples were repeated tests.

The number of COVID-19 related deaths remains at eight.

Do you want to experience Euphoria or even just a new life experience? Change your plans, take a last minute road trip or add another event to your fete schedule (sleep is for the dead) ... check out Mike's carnival chronicles "Jumpin with Jouvert Mike" at http://bit.ly/1oBzayr
 

Are you up-to-date with your Carnival Prescription? Be sure to get your daily dose of Carnival Tips, Interviews and much more from Rhadi Ferguson, PhD aka The Carnival Doctor. Visit http://bit.ly/1VF5cVe

Harts - June 27th
Passion Carnival - July 12th
TRIBE - July 19th
Ronnie & Caro - July 24th
Fantasy - July 26th
Paparazzi Carnival - July 31st
YUMA - August 9th
ISLADpeople Mas - August 15th

Source: Trinidad Carnival Diary

2014 Groovy Soca Monarch
1st Kerwin Du Bois - Too Real
2nd Machel Montano - Happiest Man Alive
3rd Farmer Nappy - Big People Party
4th Destra - First Time

2014 Power Soca Monarch
1st Machel Montano - Ministry of Road (M.O.R.)
2nd [TIE] Mr. Killa - Rolly Polly
2nd [TIE] Iwer George - Mama Oye
2nd [TIE] Destra - Mash Up

Jamaican singer Tessanne Chin won Season 5 of “The Voice” on Tuesday, beating out fellow team member Will Champlin and Christina Aguilera’s 16-year-old protégé, Jacquie Lee.

Concluding 13 weeks of hard-fought competition, Tessanne scored a second win for her coach Adam Levine after a run of flawless performances — from “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Redemption Song” to her final solo performance on Monday of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.”

Just last week, the competition was an open race, with no clear winner in sight. But after Monday’s final performances, all signs pointed to Tessanne. Of the three songs the finalists performed on Monday, Tessanne’s “I Have Nothing” topped the iTunes singles charts overnight, while “Let It Be,” her duet with her coach, hovered at number three.

South Africa's first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela has died at the age of 95.

Mr Mandela led South Africa's transition from white-minority rule in the 1990s, after 27 years in prison for his political activities.

He had been receiving intensive medical care at home for a lung infection after spending three months in hospital.

Announcing the news on South African national TV, President Jacob Zuma said Mr Mandela was at peace.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Thursday November 21, 2013, CMC – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a warning to persons traveling to Trinidad and Tobago in the wake of recent reports of several Jamaicans having been denied entry into that Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country recent weeks.

"The ministry is concerned at this development and continues to interface with the relevant authorities in Trinidad and Tobago on the matter, including in the light of the Shanique Myrie ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice," said a release issued by the Ministry.