Former Air J plane bombed in Iran - Pilot recalls good times flying ‘Mike Papa’ from Jamaica to UK, wants reintroduction of national airline When the Israeli Air Force reported the destruction of Iran’s presidential VIP Airbus A340-300 often dubbed ‘Iran Force One’ during a military strike in Iran in March of this year, the repercussions were felt beyond the Middle East, reaching Kingston, Jamaica. The long-range jet was once in the fleet of the now-defunct Air Jamaica. And for veteran aircraft pilot Edward Miller, who regularly captained the airplane on flights from Jamaica to London and Manchester in the United Kingdom, news of its demise hit a personal chord.
PAC questions NWC’s financial viability Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis has disclosed that as at March 2026, total receivables of the National Water Commission (NWC) is $23.88 billion. However, eyebrows were raised when it was highlighted that of the nearly $24 billion in receivables, the NWC has made provision for bad debt in the sum of $19.3 billion. Provision for bad debt is an accounting estimate of the portion of accounts receivable that a company expects customers will fail to pay.
Court delays first hearing of Wheatley’s challenge to IC prosecution The first hearing of Cabinet Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley’s challenge against the Integrity Commission’s (IC) decision to prosecute him for alleged illicit enrichment and other corruption-related offences has been rescheduled for November 12 in the Supreme Court. The matter, which was scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed to allow the attorney general to be served with the claim. Wheatley was, in July, granted leave for a judicial review of the Integrity Commission’s decision.
Attorney calls for land court to address mounting disputes WESTERN BUREAU: Attorney-at-law Gloria Brownand is calling for a specialised land court to tackle Jamaica’s growing backlog of property disputes, arguing that cases involving the country’s most valuable resource are taking too long to be resolved. Brown, a former host of ‘Land Solutions’ on Power 106 FM, made the call while was delivering the keynote address at a recent World Habitat Day Conference in Montego Bay. She said the dedicated court would tackle the growing volume and complexity of land cases.
Bartlett pushes visitor-backed fund to protect Caribbean tourism GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is proposing a visitor-backed fund to help protect the Caribbean’s tourism industry from future shocks. The proposed Caribbean Tourism Resilience Fund bears similarities to Jamaica’s Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), which is also financed by fees collected from visitors.
Falmouth Hospital to benefit from $21m Island Challenge fundraiser The paediatric and neonatal unit at Falmouth Public General Hospital is set to receive critical medical equipment following the successful completion of the Sandals Foundation Island Challenge, which raised its target of £100,000 ($21 million). The four-day endurance fundraising event concluded on Monday at Clifton Mount in the Blue Mountain range, with some 30 participants from the United Kingdom and 16 local challengers completing a series of activities across the island in support of neonatal and paediatric healthcare services.
JCF FREED IN FATAL RUN - Court tosses father’s negligence case after son collapsed, died during recruitment test A father has lost his negligence claim against the State over the death of his son, who collapsed during a physical assessment for recruitment to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) five years ago. Supreme Court Justice Sonya Wint-Blair dismissed the claim, finding that the evidence did not prove that the JCF was negligent or that its recruitment procedures caused the aspiring recruit’s death.
Doctors’ pay fight ends in major win Following the Industrial Disputes Tribunal’s landmark ruling in favour of doctors in their long-running allowances dispute with the State, senior trade unionist Lambert Brown says the medical practitioners are ready to meet with the Government to implement the award. In a quick response on Monday, Brown said the doctors were pleased with the outcome. “We receive the award [ruling] just after 4 p.m. and we can confirm that award is in favour of the doctors and the two issues before the tribunal,” he said.
Calls for more training, better support for teachers A call is being made for greater investment in teacher training institutions, with Dr Ashburn Pinnock, president of The Mico University College, arguing that while teacher preparation is evolving, it is not always keeping pace with the complexities of the modern classroom.
Reid trial rolls on despite lawyers’ absence A judge on Monday did not allow the absence of defence attorney Hugh Wildman to delay the resumption of the oft-delayed fraud trial involving former Education Minister Ruel Reid. Wildman is the attorney for one of Reid’s co-accused, former Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) President Professor Fritz Pinnock. Senior Parish Court Judge Sanchia Burrell revealed that the attorney sent an email at 4:57 p.m. last Friday, indicating that he could not be present because of two other cases he had in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.