Ernie Smith dies at 80 The music fraternity is mourning the passing of legendary singer Ernie Smith, who died on Thursday evening at a hospital in Florida. “He’s gone. He’s no longer with us,” his wife, Claudette Bailey-Smith, told The Gleaner. Earlier on Thursday, Bailey-Smith had shared that the beloved reggae and folk singer, who underwent surgery on Sunday, had been experiencing health challenges since June last year.
BLOCKED! Shockwaves rippled through the global track and field community – particularly in Jamaica – after World Athletics (WA) on Thursday blocked the transfer of allegiance to Türkiye for 11 professional athletes in an unprecedented ruling. WA said the move, first revealed in June 2024, amounted to a coordinated state recruitment effort driven by financial inducements, with athletes lacking any genuine connection to Türkiye. The governing body argued that such arrangements undermine eligibility rules and threaten the integrity of international competition.
‘We’re tired of it’ A 29th birthday celebration in Trench Town turned into a night of fear and trauma on Wednesday after police officers descended on a family gathering, detained the celebrant, and allegedly discharged high-powered weapons. Residents were left angered, shaken, and demanding answers. The incident unfolded along West Road in Federal Gardens, where relatives and friends had gathered in a yard to mark what should have been a joyful milestone. Instead, the night ended in chaos.
IAJ raises alarm over up to 100% jump in insurance industry fees Executive Director of the Insurance Association of Jamaica (IAJ) Everton McFarlane says players in the insurance industry are concerned about the magnitude of increase in insurance fees, in some instances as high as 100 per cent, which was approved on Thursday by the Regulations Committee of Parliament. Asked whether insurance companies are likely to pass on the increase to consumers, McFarlane told The Gleaner that it would be left up to individual entities to make that decision.
Shorter trips, higher prices Rising oil prices are taking a toll on Jamaican fishermen, forcing many to make shorter trips out to sea and to increase the price of their catch to cope with the escalating fuel expenses. “It rough man. It rough pon fisherman,” 56-year-old Alton Foster told The Gleaner. “Sometime mi deh ya and mi haffi a think bad bad right ya now ‘cause mi cya manage di price a gas.”
Dr Roger Hunter’s suspension overturned The Medical Appeals Tribunal has set aside the suspension of neurosurgeon Dr Roger Hunter just under a year after it was imposed by the Medical Council of Jamaica in May 2025. The three-member panel of Ambassador Kathryn Phipps, Dr Norda Clare-Pascoe, and Chantal Simpson ordered that Hunter’s practising certificate be restored. The ruling, handed down on Wednesday, followed submissions by Hunter’s attorney, Hugh Wildman, and the attorney for the Medical Council, Ransford Braham, KC.
Cornwall College Cadet Unit gets $400K to revive drum corps WESTERN BUREAU: The Cornwall College Cadet Unit, which is a part of the Fourth Battalion of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF), has been gifted a $400,000 donation by the Freemason Association of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands towards purchasing equipment to revive its marching band. Leroy Grey, the assistant district grand master of the association, said the donation forms part of the organisation’s ongoing effort to support youth development and community initiatives.
Fuel fallout The removal of the fuel price cap at Petrojam, the state-owned oil refinery, will trigger an increase in the price of basic food items and some essential goods and services across several sectors, an economist has warned. The cap prevented fuel prices in Jamaica from increasing or decreasing beyond $4.50 per litre each week. It will be replaced by a new three-tiered system which will see petroleum prices being more closely aligned to global price movements, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz disclosed yesterday.
30-y-o arrest warrant found on file Courtney Anderson’s trip to the Half-Way Tree Court on Tuesday was supposed to end a 20-year wait for documents confirming the dismissal of a 1996 case against him — the final step needed to begin the expungement of his record. Instead, the man who walked in “with the confidence of a lion” left shaken “like a frightened rabbit”, empty-handed and facing a shocking revelation.
Vigilance urged in keeping eye open for hand, foot and mouth disease Western Bureau: With the nation now in one of the windows associated with the emergence of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), health officials are urging parents, caregivers, and educators to remain alert and proactive, even in the absence of confirmed cases.