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Opposition criticises gov’t on tax on short-term rentals

April 29, 2026 | News
The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is accusing the Government of acting “like a thief in the night” after it approved tax measures that will impose General Consumption Tax (GCT) on short-term rental accommodations, including Airbnb-style properties, in the early hours of Wednesday morning during a marathon parliamentary sitting. Opposition Spokesperson on Tourism and Linkages, Andrea Purkiss, has condemned the Government for acting without public debate or consultation.
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Opposition criticises gov’t on tax on short-term rentals

The Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) is accusing the Government of acting “like a thief in the night” after it approved tax measures that will impose General Consumption Tax (GCT) on short-term rental accommodations, including Airbnb-style properties, in the early hours of Wednesday morning during a marathon parliamentary sitting. Opposition Spokesperson on Tourism and Linkages, Andrea Purkiss, has condemned the Government for acting without public debate or consultation.

Gov’t to establish river and cays management authorities under NEPA

The Government plans to establish a River Management Authority and a Cays Management Authority within the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA). This was announced by Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, Matthew Samuda, during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The River Management Authority will focus on risk mapping and early warning, sediment and debris management, and enforcement against encroachment.

Families of Canada school shooting victims sue OpenAI over shooter’s use of ChatGPT

The families of victims of a school shooting in a Canadian Rockies town are suing artificial intelligence company OpenAI in US federal court, seeking to hold the ChatGPT maker responsible for failing to alert police to the shooter’s alarming interactions with the chatbot. A lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of 12-year-old Maya Gebala, who was critically injured in the February shooting, is among the first of dozens of cases that families in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia are planning with claims alleging wrongful death, negligence and product liability.
Opposition Spokesman on Education Damion Crawford.
Published 18 hours ago

SCHOOL RIGHTS CHALLENGE

Arguing that Jamaica’s education system was gradually collapsing, Opposition Spokesman on Education Damion Crawford on Tuesday announced that he has taken the Government to court to defend the constitutional rights of children at the pre-primary and primary levels.

Sports

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Monica Bosiljevac of Real Mona FC (left) is embraced by her teammate Alexia Evans after scoring a goal during the Jamaica Women’s Premier League fixture against UWI women’s FC at UWI Mona Bowl on Saturday.
Published 18 hours ago

‘I just love playing football’

When Monica Bosiljevac stepped away from football as a player over a decade ago, she did not foresee lacing up her boots to compete for Real Mona in their return to the Jamaica Women’s Premier League (JWPL) this season. Bosiljevac’s journey to being the heart of Real Mona’s midfield is a story of life’s twists and turns, her love for football, and her connection to a team that needed her experience in the squad.

Entertainment

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Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor, record producer,singer and songwriter was among the specially invited guests at ONErpm Celebration held on Saturday at The Courtyard, Louise Bennett Garden Theatre, Hope Road.
April 28, 2026

Stephen ‘Di Genius’ writes a new chapter with ‘Hill and Gully’ riddim

Multi-Grammy Award-winning producer, Stephen ‘Di Genius’ McGregor , is excited about his newest riddim, Hill and Gully, which is a spin-off of the original mento song and riddim of the same name. “I was just trying to tap into Jamaican culture on a deeper level, and I thought that no one really went into mento and that kind of thing. So, I wanted to see how I could merge that world with like the new people and kind of just reintroduce that part of the culture,” McGregor told The Gleaner.

Business

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A view of the plant operated by Caribbean Cement Company Limited, a subsidiary of global building materials corporation Cemex, which recently spent US$42 million on the expansion to grow capacity at the Rockfort, Kingston-based complex. The debottleneck pr
Published 18 hours ago

Caribbean Cement annual output fell to five-year low

The kiln expansion at Caribbean Cement Company Limited (CCCL) failed to lift output past one million tonnes in 2025 as production dipped below 2020 pandemic levels, according to data in its annual report. Going forward, operations could see “uncertainty” with higher input costs due to oil shocks caused by the US-Iran war, the annual report warns. Its kiln – the equivalent of an industrial furnace – was completed and commissioned in April–May 2025, after which Hurricane Melissa struck last October, causing temporary disruptions.

Lifestyle

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D Dr Anna Law is all smiles with patient Chey Swaby (left), continuing her commitment to personalised care.
Updated 14 hours ago

The Smile Architect: Dr Anna Law marks 30 years of Align Orthodontics

When Dr Anna Law returned to Jamaica in the mid-1990s, she stood out as one of the few women practising orthodontics locally. Trained in the United States at Tufts University and the University of Washington, she came back with strong credentials and a clear sense of direction. Three decades later, that purpose has built one of Kingston’s most respected orthodontic practices, Align Orthodontics. At a time when awareness of specialist dental care was still developing, Law transformed the practice into a trusted name for the profession.

Commentary

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Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness (centre); Dr Carla Barnett (left), secretary general of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM);  and Dr Amstrong Alexis, deputy secretary general of CARICOM, during a Plenary Business Session at the 49th Regular Meeting of the C
Published 18 hours ago

Editorial | Searching for an SG

It is urgent that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) engineer a sensible solution to the impasse over the extension of the mandate of its secretary general, Carla Barnett. At this point, that solution increasingly appears to be Dr Barnett’s dignified exit from the post.

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