Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness.

GROUNDED - PNP questions fiscal restraint amid travel ban, NaRRA Spending

The People’s National Party (PNP) is questioning whether the Government’s ban on official overseas travel is a genuine cost-cutting measure or a public relations exercise, given millions of dollars committed to the newly established National Agency for Reconstruction and Resilience (NaRRA). The moratorium, announced in an October 21 memorandum from Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness to government ministers and ministers of state, took effect immediately and will remain in place until March 31, 2027.

24 Oct, 2026 0

World News

VIEW ALL
Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (right) who is running for reelection, gestures as opposition presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro stands beside him during a televised presidential debate one week before the runoff election in Sao Paulo, Braz

Election could help shape Amazon’s future

SAO PAULO (AP): While Brazil’s presi-dential candidates have not made policy of the Amazon a major campaign topic, climate scientists and environmentalists say the winner of Sunday’s race could determine whether, and how soon, the world’s largest rainforest could reach a “tipping point”.

24 Oct, 2026 0

Sports

VIEW ALL
 Mount Pleasant head coach Theodore Whitmore (second left) looks on as his players celebrate their second goal against Club Sando of Trinidad and Tobago at Sabina Park on Thursday night.

Champions Cup a massive milestone for Mt Pleasant

Mount Pleasant Football Academy head coach Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore said qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup for a second-straight season is a massive milestone for the St Ann-based club. Mt Pleasant booked their spot in the Champions Cup after advancing to the final of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup. They defeated Trinidadian outfit Club Sando 3-1 on aggregate after a 2-0 win in the second leg at Sabina Park on Thursday. The two teams had earlier played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Trinidad last week.

24 Oct, 2026 Gregory Bryce/Staff Reporter 0

Entertainment

VIEW ALL
Posing for the camera at the launch of the Treasure Beach Food, Rum and Reggae Festival on Tuesday at 10A West Kings House Road in St Andrew are (from left) festival co-director Gregory Wright, reggae artistes Protoje and Lila Iké and co-director Jason He

Plenty in store for three-day Treasure Beach festival

Celebrating St Elizabeth’s farmers remains central to the vision of the Treasure Beach Food, Rum & Reggae Festival, which organisers are set to bring back to the south coast from November 6 to 8, following last year’s Hurricane Melissa relief benefit staging. At the festival’s media launch, held at 10A West Kings House Road on Tuesday, co-directors Jason Henzell and Gregory Wright outlined plans for the three-day staging, which will feature reggae artistes Protoje and Lila Iké, alongside a programme of food, rum and cultural experiences.

24 Oct, 2026 O’brian Wynter/ Gleaner Writer 0

Business

VIEW ALL
Ricardo Hutchinson, chairman of Portland JSX Limited.

Portland JSX posts largest loss at US$9.4m as fund future remains unclear

Portland JSX Ltd (PJX), the private equity fund that mirrors a larger fund controlled by businessman Michael Lee-Chin, recorded its largest annual loss since inception. Its performance reflected continued weakness in capital markets, which drove steep valuation declines across its investment portfolio, resulting in a US$9.4-million net loss for its year-end, more than double the year-earlier loss.

23 Oct, 2026 0

Videos

Lifestyle

VIEW ALL
Cara Fraser (left) looks on as Appleton Estate Master Blender Dr Joy Spence speaks about the inspiration behind the Joy Spence Appleton Estate Scholarship in Chemistry and its role in creating opportunities for aspiring chemists during Joy45, a celebration

GoodHeart | Cara Fraser receives inaugural Joy Spence chemistry scholarship

For University of the West Indies (UWI) student Cara Fraser, being named the inaugural recipient of the Joy Spence Appleton Estate Scholarship in Chemistry is both an affirmation of her potential and a source of relief for her family as she works towards her academic ambitions. The Kingston native, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Food Chemistry, will have her tuition covered for the remaining two years of her studies, provided she maintains a GPA of 3.6 or higher.

24 Oct, 2026 0

Commentary

VIEW ALL
Comments

Editorial | New class of disasters

In an echo of the early Cold War days when people in the West stocked home bunkers in case of nuclear war, Britain this week advised its citizens to store at least three days of food, water and cash in the event of emergencies. In this, the UK has joined a raft of European countries, as well as the United States, in telling people to be prepared for situations where normal services either don’t work for short periods or face near total collapse.

24 Oct, 2026 0