Jamaica Gleaner Lead Stories

1. Diet drink dilemma

   Member of Parliament for St Catherine South East Dr Alfred Dawes is raising concern that the special consumption tax on non-alcoholic sweetened beverages will also affect diet drinks, which are a healthier substitute for consumers. “You are taxing persons who are trying to make healthier choices,” said Dawes, who is also the opposition spokesman on health.

2. Witness to deadly police shooting never expected she’d end up in court

   A prosecution eyewitness in the trial of six policemen charged in the 2013 fatal shooting of three men on Acadia Drive in St Andrew told the Home Circuit Court yesterday that she had no intention of testifying and was “extremely surprised” when she was later called as a witness in the case.

3. HEALTHCARE HEARTBREAK: Tufton seeks to assure that contingencies in place to counter announced shutdown of 50-y-o bilateral agreement that allowed Cuban doctors to fill gaps in sector

   Jamaica has closed the door on a 49-year-old bilateral arrangement with Cuba that sent hundreds of Cuban professionals to the island to bolster health infrastructure, bringing services to remote communities. Confirmation of the termination of the programme came Thursday, via a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. Three senior medical professionals who contacted The Gleaner after the news broke expressed regret and “great pain”, though they admitted that “the writing has been on the wall for several years”.

4. Chief scout calls for young people to live values every day

   WESTERN BUREAU: Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, the chief scout of Jamaica, is calling for young Jamaicans to embrace the principles of scouting, not just in uniform but in their daily lives. Addressing the Annual Public Meeting of the Scout Association of Jamaica at King’s House in St Andrew as part of the celebration of Scout Week 2026, Sir Patrick encouraged Scouts of all ages to translate lessons learned in the movement into good citizenship.

5. School shelter strain

   Acting Principal of Godfrey Stewart High School Stacey-Ann Ottey Clarke says the school’s administration is disappointed after state agencies failed to honour a January deadline to remove hurricane-impacted shelterees from the school’s compound. A total of 10 people are still being housed at the school, down from 300 in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, the Category 5 storm that ravaged the island on October 28 last year and displaced thousands.

6. Mureen James shines in Berlin with two global hospitality honours

   Berlin, Germany: Jamaican tourism executive Mureen James stood among some of the most influential figures in global tourism in Berlin on Tuesday as she accepted two honours at the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) International Travel Awards, held during the global travel trade exhibition ITB Berlin.

7. Campbell: $787m ROOFS allocation in Westmoreland undermined by transportation burden

   WESTERN BUREAU: Dr Dayton Campbell, the member of parliament for Westmoreland Eastern, says the Government’s Restoration of Owner and Occupant Family Shelter (ROOFS) Programme is poorly conceived, logistically, as some hurricane victims are forced to travel long distances and absorb hefty transportation costs to access building material. The programme, with an initial allocation of J$10 billion, was launched as Jamaica’s largest housing-recovery initiative in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. The programme is a central component of the national Shelter Recovery Programme.

8. Budget probe

   As members of parliament (MPs) gear up to pose questions to portfolio ministers today about the Government’s $1.4-trillion Budget during a two-day meeting of Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee, two sector groups have highlighted issues they want addressed during the deliberations.

9. ... Gaps trigger credibility concerns from fiscal commissioner

   Fiscal Commissioner Courtney Williams has raised questions about the credibility of aspects of the Government’s 2026-2027 Budget in his Economic and Fiscal Assessment Report (EFAR). In his assessment of the Government’s macroeconomic and fiscal forecasts, the career economist said Jamaica’s fiscal policy remains broadly sustainable, supported by a resilient Fiscal Responsibility Framework and significant disaster-risk financing layers.

10. Witness admits she didn’t see all details described in joint statement with partner

    A prosecution witness yesterday insisted that although she and her partner witnessed parts of the fatal shooting of three men on Acadia Drive in St Andrew in 2013, and later composed a letter about the incident, some details in the document were based on her partner’s observations and not her own. The witness made the clarification as she came under intense cross-examination from defence attorney Hugh Wildman in the Home Circuit Court during the ongoing trial of six policemen charged in connection with the incident.