The National Housing Trust (NHT) has funnelled $1.1 billion to private banks to subsidise its External Financing Mortgage Programme (EFMP), a move that effectively outsources its mortgage book to protect a multibillion-dollar housing construction budget. The contributor-funded state-run entity is projected to pay a further $1.3 billion in interest to financial institutions for the 2025-26 fiscal year, it disclosed, following a Sunday Gleaner query.

The police in Clarendon are probing the shooting death of a man in Lionel Town on Friday. He has been identified as 57-year-old Orville Garriques, otherwise called ‘Bugle’, who lived in the area. The police report that about 11:00 a.m., the man was in a section of the community known as Capture Land when explosions were heard. Passers-by summoned the police. On their arrival, the man was found along the roadway with what appeared to be gunshot wounds.

A St Thomas man has been charged after allegedly stabbing his spouse during a domestic dispute that left her hospitalised in serious condition. Twenty-eight-year-old Hadji Thompson, a taxi operator of Duhaney Pen, has been charged with wounding with intent following the incident at his home on Monday, March 30. Reports from the Morant Bay police are that about 8:45 a.m., an argument developed between Thompson and his spouse. During the dispute, he allegedly used a knife to inflict stab wounds to her body.

Jamaica’s steady decline in offender readmission to correctional facilities is being hailed by Executive Director of Stand Up for Jamaica, Carla Gullotta, as a sign of progress, but she argues that stronger efforts are needed to facilitate their reintegration into society. “It [reintegration] remains a big, huge problem. There is a very strong stigma when they apply for the job, and the employer hears that they come from prison, it is most of the time a no-no,” she told The Gleaner.

On the most important weekend in Christianity, which should have been filled with polished pews, floral arrangements, and the echo of choirs beneath sturdy rooftops, many Jamaicans are instead gathering under tarpaulins, in classrooms, or beneath the open skies. And still, they will worship. Months after Hurricane Melissa tore across sections of the island, the damage still feels like a raw, open wound, visible in the twisted zinc, shattered walls, and sanctuaries reduced to memory. But this Easter, something else is just as visible: a stubborn, unyielding faith.

Tensions are high in Coral Spring, Trelawny, as residents of the upscale community push back against a developer’s plan to close a section of road, arguing that it is privately owned and warning that the move would cause significant inconvenience. The standoff between the residents and Gore Developments Limited escalated in a recent virtual meeting where residents voiced their objection to a written notice issued by the company on March 11, indicating its intention to commence roadworks and infrastructure upgrades on Canada Way and Orchid Road in the area.

WESTERN BUREAU: Jamaica’s tourism sector has rebounded to more than 80 per cent of pre-hurricane levels, with the reopening of Half Moon signalling renewed confidence in the island’s post-Melissa recovery. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said the recovery has been driven by the steady return of hotel rooms and visitor arrivals, supported by continued investment in the sector.

Senior trade unionist Senator Lambert Brown this week cautioned that the Government’s move to scrap incentive and emergency duty allowances for doctors who are mandated to work overtime could have a detrimental impact on the health sector should frustrated doctors decide to consider their options. Brown, who was making his closing submission Wednesday on behalf of the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA) to a panel of three adjudicators at the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT), said the medical professionals were just asking to be treated fairly.

A new initiative aimed at tackling market-access challenges facing small farmers in Jamaica is set to roll out through a 90-day corporate farmers’ market pilot programme spearheaded by Reality Focus Limited. The programme was developed in response to long-standing difficulties within the agricultural sector, particularly the challenge small farmers face in securing reliable and consistent markets for their produce, Reality Focus Operations Manager Stephen Richards told The Gleaner.

There were tears on both sides of the aisle as Jamaica College ended a 39-year drought to lift the Television Jamaica (TVJ) Schools’ Challenge Quiz (SCQ) defeating Westwood High School 30 – 28 in a fiercely contested final at the TVJ studios on Thursday.

WESTERN BUREAU: Warning that insurance alone is not enough to safeguard businesses from disaster, Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Jason Russell is urging entrepreneurs to strengthen their financial preparedness and build resilience to withstand unexpected shocks. Russell made the call while addressing final-year business students at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) Western Campus Business Seminar held recently at the Sea Gardens Beach Resort.

Most travellers flying with United Airlines will now pay $10 more to check their luggage beginning on Friday, as rising jet fuel costs driven by the war in the Middle East pushes another major United States carrier to increase fees. Customers travelling in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Latin America will now pay $45 for their first piece of luggage and $55 for their second bag, according to United. “This is the first time in two years the airline has raised bag fees,” United said in a statement.

The Opposition People’s National Party is calling for the Government to address the condition of a bridge in Easington, St Thomas, following the death of a man who fell through the structure today. Opposition Spokesperson on Roads, Richard Azan, has described the incident as a profound failure of duty on the part of the Government. Azan called for a full parliamentary disclosure of all infrastructure spending since Hurricane Melissa last October and an immediate temporary crossing for Easington.

Manchester’s most wanted, Oral Cole, was shot and killed by police on Thursday during an alleged confrontation in Trelawny. According to police reports, a team from Manchester was conducting reconnaissance operations in connection with Cole. According to the police, Cole was linked to multiple crimes in Manchester and was described as a major threat to several communities. Police say Cole was accosted in the Albert Town area and, according to them, opened fire at the officers, who returned fire.

A man today died after falling from a bridge in Easington, St Thomas. Reports are that approximately 10:00 a.m., the man, who is yet to be identified, was attempting to cross the bridge when he fell through a gaping hole, reportedly created by heavy rains from Hurricane Melissa in October last year. He was taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital in the parish, where he was pronounced dead. Minister with responsibility for Works, Robert Nesta Morgan, has expressed deep sadness over the death.

Two men from St Mary have been charged after allegedly using counterfeit United States currency to make purchases at a business establishment in Oracabessa. Charged are 25-year-old shop operator Kevin Farquharson, otherwise called ‘Lewis’, of Clarks Town district, Retreat, and 29-year-old construction worker Robert Gray of Three Hill district, Retreat. Both men have been slapped with charges of possession of counterfeit notes, uttering counterfeit notes, and obtaining goods by false pretence following the incident on Monday, March 30.

WESTERN BUREAU: Gloria Henry, vice-president for business process outsourcing (BPO) and logistics at the Port Authority of Jamaica, says Jamaica’s BPO sector is positioning itself to adapt to rapid technological change, including the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI), while strengthening the country’s workforce to remain competitive in the global services industry.

Six months after Hurricane Melissa battered sections of western Jamaica, hundreds of residents in Westmoreland are still struggling to recover – and for many, a simple food package is making all the difference. With it being Easter this weekend, a time usually marked by family gatherings, church services and celebration, many in the parish are instead facing the harsh reality of going without food, electricity and stable housing.

WESTERN BUREAU: Mark Hart, chairman of the Montego Bay Free Zone Company, has endorsed the Government’s long-term plan to relocate business process outsourcing (BPO) operations from the coastal Freeport peninsula to purpose-built facilities along the new highway corridor. Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, in his recent Budget Debate presentation in Parliament, outlined a sweeping vision for reshaping the economic geography of western Jamaica as major road infrastructure comes on stream.

In keeping with the Education Regulations of 1980, the Jamaica College (JC) student charged with wounding a classmate last Tuesday is to face the personnel committee of the school’s board, principal Wayne Robinson has revealed. Following a statement issued by the board on the March 24 incident – which left one boy with a broken nose and the other arrested – Robinson told The Gleaner that proper procedures will be followed, particularly as the matter could become a legal one.

Retired former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson has warned the 15-member Caribbean bloc, CARICOM, that it must “integrate or perish” in the face of mounting threats to international law, shifting political dynamics, and economic pressures affecting the region. Speaking at the Norman Manley Law School during the Council of Legal Education’s Distinguished Lecture Series 2026 yesterday evening, Patterson said the regional body risks failure without stronger systems to enforce its decisions.

WESTERN BUREAU: Pastor Mary Wildish turned her church into a war room. Tamika Williams opened her home as a lifeline for battered communities. And five months’ pregnant Tiffany Grant introduced ‘Sunday dinner’ to hurricane victims determined to hold on to their dignity. They were among seven honorees from western Jamaica recognised on Sunday as Jamaican Women of Resilience by the Women of Western Jamaica (WOWJa) during a brunch hosted by S Hotel Montego Bay and Sagicor Group.

WESTERN BUREAU: A major clean-up operation at the mouth of the South Gully is bringing renewed focus to proper waste disposal and regular drainage maintenance as Montego Bay prepares for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. The work is being carried out by the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) under the second phase of a national debris management programme introduced after the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa.

A police sergeant, who has been freed of drug-related charges, previously filed multiple complaints internally about sexual harassment by high-ranking police officers and victimisation, her attorney has disclosed. Marcus Goffe, the lawyer representing Sergeant Tamica Taylor, said he believes the complaints fuelled “this escalation of the case”, culminating with the criminal charges filed against his client and her fiancé, Rayon Harris.

The leadership of Jamaica College was meeting up to late last night to deliberate on a violent incident involving students at the Old Hope Road, St Andrew-based institution. The episode left one boy seriously injured and his mother facing medical bills already exceeding a quarter million dollars and still rising.

Taxpayers will have to dig deeper into their pockets to cover the Customs fees waived by the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) when it applied its tax-exemption status to import goods on behalf of at least four private companies. Acting chief executive officer of the UHWI, Eric Hosin, told members of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday that the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) had made it clear that it was the hospital that would have to cover the unpaid taxes and penalties as it had no arrangements with the private companies who benefited.

The University Hospital of the West Indies’ (UHWI) so-called procurement scandal takes centre stage today as Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is expected to drill down to unveil additional details into the multimillion-dollar breaches that were uncovered in an audit of the health facility by the auditor general earlier this year.

Edwin Allen High School turned Frankfield blue yesterday, celebrating their 11th ISSA/raceKennedy Girls’ Athletics Championships title with a high-energy campus rally and street parade. Students and supporters packed the school grounds before marching through the Clarendon town, filling the air with music, whistles, and vuvuzelas in a celebration that stretched over three hours. Principal Jermaine Harris set the tone. Dressed in school colours and waving a blue flag, he was introduced to roaring cheers with Vybz Kartel’s We Nuh Fraid A Nobody.

Jamaica College (JC) Principal Wayne Robinson said the school’s latest ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ Championships triumph is more than a title; it is another marker of a school firing on all fronts. The Old Hope Road, St Andrew-based institution secured its 23rd hold on the Mortimer Geddes Trophy with a commanding 345 points last Saturday, finishing ahead of Kingston College (282) and Calabar High (169.3). It marks their second title in six years and the first under head coach Duane Johnson. But for Robinson, Champs is only part of the story.

A 21-year-old police constable is at the centre of a murder-for-hire investigation that has rocked the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), after he was slapped with charges for three homicides committed within a 48-hour period across two parishes.

It shall be now or never for the Reggae Boyz, when they take their final kick at qualifying for this summer’s FIFA Men’s World Cup against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today. Match time is 4 p.m. Mexico’s Akron Stadium in Zapopan, Guadalajara, will host the winner-takes-all Intercontinental final, which ultimately rewards a spot in the 48-nation global championship to be hosted jointly by Concacaf nations the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) Ocho Rios Runaway Bay Chapter continued its decades-long support of the Mustard Seeds Widow’s Mite facility in St Ann with a donation of $150,000 on Friday. The donation followed the handover of a cheque to Adult and Teen Challenge in February, and marked the JHTA’s commitment to continue its charitable contribution to the wider community. Hurricane Melissa had forced the postponement of the annual children’s treat and cheque donation to the two institutions, which is normally held in December.

St Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation Chairman Donna Parchment Brown has issued a call for Jamaicans, individuals and organisations to come forward and assist students who have not returned to school since Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.

The Union of Clerical Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE) is blaming systemic “inertia” for the protracted delay in correcting an anomaly affecting registered dental surgeons. The union, as part of its efforts to press the ministries of health and wellness and finance to bring action to the signed agreement, has issued a notice of industrial action.

A Trelawny mother who gave birth six months ago to a baby with Trisomy 13, or Patau syndrome, has come forward to share aspects of the family’s journey with the child, who is currently hospitalised. Babies affected by Patau syndrome have a low life expectancy, with up to 95 per cent dying within the first year. However, for six-month-old Anna-Olivia Gardener, there are high hopes that she will be a blessed exception and go on to live a life as close to normal as possible.