T&T backlash Even as Washington, DC in the United States (US) has reportedly eased conditions allowing individuals to apply for licences to supply Cuba with Venezuelan oil, one of the Caribbean’s leaders has been condemned to the “dustbin of history” for her perceived role in the capture of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro, Cuba’s oil lifeline.
US-Caribbean reboot In a clear signal of renewed diplomatic focus, the United States has pledged to “reinvigorate” ties with CARICOM countries, framing the region’s economic stability and security as “intricately tied” to its own national interests. In an address to CARICOM heads of governments yesterday, and on the heels of the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and a partially lifted oil blockade on Cuba, United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration is aiming to make the region a magnet for inbound investment.
Guilty pleas not intended ahead of joining child diversion programmes – Chuck Some judges appear to be misinterpreting the Child Diversion Act by compelling minors to plead guilty to criminal charges before steering them to intervention programmes, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck has said. The Child Diversion Programme, which is grounded in the Child Diversion Act 2018, seeks to steer children between ages 12 and 17 years old away from the formal criminal justice system in circumstances where they are charged with specific crimes, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Relatives raise concerns over visitation limits at Golden Age Home The relatives of a resident at the Golden Age Home in Vineyard Town, Kingston, are voicing concern over a visitation policy that prevents family members from accessing the wards. The family member, who requested anonymity to protect their loved one’s identity, said the restriction was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and has remained in effect. “The facility is not open to the public, where if I want to go visit her, I am not able to do so,” a relative said.
Last-minute gov’t intervention saves Blenheim civic ceremony for Bustamante Western Bureau: The plan to scale down Tuesday’s annual celebration of National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante’s birthday at his birthplace in Blenheim, Hanover, was averted at the last minute after the Government intervened, providing the funding needed for the traditional civic ceremony.
From cashier to children’s book author Within the span of five years, Franceta Lopez suffered a stillbirth, her home was robbed, she lost her family savings in a bank scam, and she had to deal with the grief of losing two close relatives. During this tumultuous time, she found solace in writing, a childhood hobby that she revived. “I just broke down and was just crying to God, asking Him what is going on in my life, and I need Him to help me, and I felt the inspiration to write,” Lopez told The Gleaner. And that’s what she did.
Media educator bats for including community radio in disaster planning WESTERN BUREAU: Dr Patrick Prendergast, director of the Caribbean School of Media and Communication, is renewing the call for community radio stations to be formally embedded in Jamaica’s disaster communication framework, arguing that trusted information is a lifeline during crisis.
CUBA PIVOT Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has signalled a pivot in Jamaica’s diplomatic stance toward Cuba, calling for a “principled realism” that balances traditional regional solidarity with a demand for democratic reform and open-market transitions. Holness also warned that the growing humanitarian crisis in the Spanish-speaking nation could develop into a regional problem, pointing to a possible immigration threat.
DIVERSITY FILLIP Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has called on CARICOM leaders to abandon the “unrealistic” idea of political uniformity and to reframe national differences as strategic assets that drive regional problem-solving rather than a signal of weakness within the regional bloc.
Court awards pillion $6.5m for injuries after crash A pillion passenger left permanently impaired after a motorcycle collided with a truck transporting an excavator along the Bog Walk main road in St Catherine 12 years ago has been awarded approximately $6.5 million in damages by the Supreme Court. Justice Sonya Wint-Blair, in her judgment last month, ordered $5,900,000 in general damages with interest at three per cent per annum from September 29, 2017, and $565,568 for special damages covering travel and medical expenses with three per cent interest from December 22, 2014, until the date of judgment.