Bartlett wants clarity - Tourism minister seeks talks on US$3b Sandals-Royal Caribbean deal with eyes on jobs, local suppliers and investment WESTERN BUREAU: Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett wants talks with Sandals Resorts and Royal Caribbean Group on how their new multibillion-dollar partnership will affect Jamaican workers, local suppliers and future investment in the country. His comments come days after Royal Caribbean announced an approximately US$3-billion investments for an equity interest in Sandals and Beaches Resorts as part of a new partnership in the all-inclusive resort business. The companies have announced that Royal Caribbean will make a 50 per cent investment in the partnership.
Levy delay puts millions in revenue at risk, say senators Opposition Senator Ramon Small-Ferguson says the Government’s delay in legislating an increase in the environmental protection levy has cost the country vital revenue, at a time when tax and grant receipts for the April-to-June quarter were already $28.7 billion below budget. The Environmental Protection Levy Act 2026, which was passed in the Senate on Friday, now sets October 1 as the implementation date for an increase in the levy from 0.5 per cent to 0.8 per cent.
‘He was too great to stop at his death’ - JP Samuels Youth Foundation keeps legacy alive For Alex Ward, losing his best friend Jean-Pierre ‘JP’ Samuels felt like losing a brother and a purpose at the same time. Samuels died on September 29, 2025 with so much still ahead of him. The 25-year-old had just finished his master’s degree in corporate finance and was about to start working at a wealth management firm so he could support his mother when he suddenly took ill and died shortly after. But instead of letting his name fade, Ward and a group of Samuels’ closest friends turned their grief into action and launched the JP Samuels Youth Foundation.
Bill blunder - Environmental levy bill withdrawn, replaced after certification cock-up Debate on a bill titled ‘The Environmental Levy Act 2026’ had to be suspended on Friday in the Senate and the proposed statute withdrawn and replaced as the document that was first before the Upper House was not a money bill. This cock-up triggered a stern warning from acting leader of opposition business, Professor Floyd Morris, who described the error as unfortunate. Lengthy presentations were made on the bill and the senators had taken lunch break to resume deliberations.
Why AI has trouble predicting hurricane intensity THE CONVERSATION: Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionised weather forecasting in just a few years, with global AI weather models now able to produce forecasts that rival some of the world’s best physics-based prediction systems. This remarkable progress has been driven by three factors: massive amounts of weather data, advances in AI models, and unprecedented computational power. While most of the current discussion on improving AI for weather focuses on the models or new hardware, the data is crucial.
Hunter fights to quash disciplinary hearing Neurosurgeon Dr Roger Hunter has been granted leave by the Supreme Court to seek judicial review of disciplinary proceedings against him by the Medical Council of Jamaica, which he wants quashed on grounds of bias and improper constitution. Justice Sonia Wint-Blair granted the leave on Monday, allowing Hunter to challenge the legality of the proceedings and the composition of the council hearing his matter.
It’s been an intense hurricane season in the Pacific Tropical storms have spawned in the Pacific in what seems like assembly-line fashion in recent weeks, as El Niño conditions that emerged in June have caused waters to grow warmer than normal, setting off a chain of unusual weather around much of the world. “It’s ramping up to be perhaps the strongest El Niño on record,” University of Miami hurricane expert Brian McNoldy said.
LAKE IN LIMBO As Kari Lake’s nomination to become the next United States (US) ambassador to Jamaica faces uncertainty, one of her predecessors, Don Tapia, has raised concerns about whether she can be trusted to handle sensitive diplomatic discussions. Lake was nominated by US President Donald Trump in May, but her confirmation has been stalled in the Senate, with Senator Thom Tillis blocking the nomination from reaching the Senate floor in August. Her nomination could die if no confirmation takes place before the Senate goes into recess on October 2.
Lawmakers weigh new legal approach to domestic violence Lawmakers on both sides of the Parliament have agreed to explore the possibility of making domestic violence a stand-alone crime amid uncertainty about what would constitute the offence. “I would certainly ask that it be up for discussion,” said Olivia Grange, chairman of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament that is reviewing the Domestic Violence Act, during a meeting on Wednesday. Her suggestion was embraced by government and opposition members of the committee from both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament.
Mining ministry moves to overhaul regulation after audit findings The Ministry of Mining is overhauling its Mines and Geology Division (MGD) after a performance audit exposed significant weaknesses in the regulation, monitoring, and enforcement of mining and quarrying activities. The audit, conducted by the Auditor General’s Department, assessed the MGD’s licensing, monitoring, and enforcement actions between 2019 and 2020 and 2023 and 2024, with figures tracked up to December 2025.