Auditor General launches school bus probe Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis has initiated a probe into the Ministry of Energy, Transport & Telecommunications’ (METT) $1.4-billion acquisition of 110 used school buses amid public concerns over the procurement process. The buses were imported from the United States as part of the Government’s National Rural School Bus Programme.
Crude cushion Finance and the Public Service Minister Fayval Williams has sought to allay fears that rising oil prices on the global market would affect Jamaica’s ability to import the essential product, arguing yesterday that the country has strong Net International Reserves (NIR) covering 36 weeks of imports.
Government to bolster support for small businesses Following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Melissa and the debilitating effects on the small-business sector, the Government has indicated that it will be seeking to strengthen support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Fayval Williams, minister of finance and the public service, made the announcement as she opened the 2026-2027 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives yesterday.
Apparent police diary discrepancies put Clansman trial on two-week hold Administrative matters relating to police diary entries and a change of defence counsel for one of the accused forced an early adjournment in the ongoing Clansman Gang trial in the Home Circuit Court yesterday. The matter involves alleged gang leader Tesha Miller, who is indicted alongside 24 other men in connection with activities linked to the reputed Clansman Gang.
Retired cop helping youth rise above hurt Against the background of continued instances of violence in Jamaican schools, a 10-week initiative aimed at combating violence and providing support to the nation’s youth and their families is now under way at Belair High School in Manchester. The programme, dubbed ‘Rising Above Our Hurt’, is the brainchild of retired Police Superintendent Oberlene Smith-Whyte, with the support of the Rotary Club of Mandeville, Rotary Club of Manor Park, and Rotary Activators of North America and the Caribbean.
Registration open for 11th Biennial Diaspora Conference Registration for the 11th Biennial Diaspora Conference, set for the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James, is now open. In a ‘Save the Date’ announcement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, which has jurisdiction for the Jamaican Diaspora, confirmed a previous Gleaner report that the diaspora conference would take place at the convention centre from June 14 to June 18. June 16 will be recognised as Diaspora Day –a day of service.
Judge to rule on keeping witness’s evidence in murder case against cops The judge in the trial of six policemen accused of murder has reserved her decision on whether she will allow the evidence of a key prosecution witness. The media has been barred from disclosing the name of the female witness. Hugh Wildman, the attorney representing one of the policemen, filed an application asking presiding Judge Sonia Bertram Linton to omit the evidence of the witness from the trial. The attorneys for two other defendants adopted Wildman’s submissions.
Veteran educator chosen to lead Hanover JPs’ association Western Bureau: Veteran educator Sandrene Hill-Sherwood, a long-serving teacher at the Sandy Bay Primary School, is the new chairperson for the Hanover Justices of the Peace Association (HJPA) after being elected at that body’s recent annual general meeting (AGM). Hill-Sherwood, with more than 20 years of experience as a classroom teacher and 10 years serving as a justice of the peace in the parish, was elected unopposed during the AGM held at Lucea’s United Church Hall.
Cambridge gets a refreshing taste of Operation GRACE WESTERN BUREAU: Residents of Cambridge and surrounding communities in St James, many of whom are still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Melissa, recently got some much-needed infrastructural, medical and psychosocial support last Saturday, thanks to the Northgate Youth and Family Development Foundation’s (NYFDF) Operation Grace initiative.
Cuban exit backup plan The Ministry of Health and Wellness is making a plea for the public’s patience and cooperation as it assesses the islandwide impact, and implements contingencies to mitigate disruptions caused by the impending severance of ties with Cuban health professionals providing their services in Jamaica. At the start of this month, there were 260 Cuban healthcare workers in the public healthcare system, the bulk of whom operate in the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), which is served by 97 of them, according to data from the ministry.