NCB Financial Group reported Q1 net profit of J$5.2 billion for the quarter ended March 2026 — down sharply from J$17 billion in the same period last year. The drop is almost entirely accounted for by a one-time gain in the prior-year quarter from the sale of a Dutch insurance brokerage unit. Stripped of that distortion, the read is normalisation, not deterioration, but the headline number will move retail sentiment regardless.
Tuberculosis has been linked to two inmate deaths at the Hunts Bay Police Station lockup in St Andrew between August 2024 and April 2026, with more than 30 further TB cases registered across state detention facilities over the same period. The story sits at the intersection of custody conditions and public health.
The Senate debate over the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) continues to dominate Gordon House. Opposition Senator Dr Maziki Thame accused the JLP government of autocratic tendencies; Government Senator Marlon Morgan described the PNP’s posture as a “scorched earth strategy.”
The annual Hague Agricultural Show, scheduled for Trelawny next month, has been cancelled for 2026 as organisers focus on helping farmers recover from Hurricane Melissa. It is the second cancellation in four years.
Tradewinds Brief Newsroom.