Carib Scope

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  • Miriam Blanchard resigns as Roseau North MP due to health concerns

    Miriam Blanchard resigns as Roseau North MP due to health concerns

    In a formal announcement made public on Friday, June 12, 2026, veteran Dominican political leader Miriam Blanchard has officially stepped down from her post as Parliamentary Representative for the Roseau North Constituency, confirming that pressing health concerns have prompted her decision to leave public office.

    The House of Assembly received Blanchard’s formal resignation letter dated June 9, 2026, which formally notified legislative leadership of her intent to vacate her parliamentary seat. For close to 10 years, Blanchard has stood as one of the most influential figures in Dominican politics, holding multiple senior cabinet positions across key government portfolios. Her career in public service included leadership roles overseeing infrastructure, national planning, economic development, labor policy, public service reform, and small business growth across the island nation.

    Among her most notable contributions was her central leadership role in steering the country’s large-scale reconstruction process after Tropical Storm Erika devastated large swathes of Dominica, leaving widespread destruction in its wake. Beyond disaster recovery, Blanchard also played an integral part in advancing dozens of national development initiatives that have shaped the country’s growth trajectory in recent years.

    In an official press statement released by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) shortly after the resignation announcement, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit offered a heartfelt tribute to Blanchard’s decades of commitment to the Dominican people, calling her contributions to the nation extraordinary.

    “As I reflect, I look back with immense gratitude on Miriam’s decision to answer the call to enter public life, choosing to raise her hand and be counted when the country needed selfless service,” Skerrit said in his remarks. He emphasized that throughout her tenure in government, Blanchard served with clear distinction, and maintained unwavering commitment to advancing the nation’s interests even as she privately navigated ongoing health challenges.

    The Prime Minister lauded Blanchard’s well-documented perseverance and deep dedication to public good, noting that she gave every part of herself to serving Dominican communities. He called on the nation’s citizens to stand with Blanchard as she turns her full attention to recovery, adding that now it is the country’s turn to lift her up and hold her in their thoughts and prayers.

    Skerrit also highlighted Blanchard’s relentless advocacy for the residents of her Roseau North constituency, noting she consistently worked to ensure local communities could access and benefit from national development gains. Expressing deep confidence in Blanchard’s well-known strength and resilience, the Prime Minister extended his wishes for comfort and restored health during this period of healing.

    To address the vacancy left by Blanchard’s departure, Skerrit gave formal assurance that constituent services and parliamentary representation for Roseau North will continue without disruption. He also confirmed that a by-election will be held to fill the empty seat within the timeline mandated by Dominica’s Constitution.

    Concluding his tribute, Skerrit said Blanchard’s public service legacy will remain a foundational part of Dominica’s ongoing progress, and pledged ongoing support from both the national government and the Dominica Labour Party for Blanchard and her family as she enters this new phase of her life.

    Joseph Isaac, Speaker of the House of Assembly who formally accepted Blanchard’s resignation letter, also issued a brief statement of thanks. “On behalf of the House of Assembly, I thank Hon. Blanchard for her service to her constituents and to the people of Dominica and wish her very best,” Isaac said.

  • Staat betaalt al ruim SRD 918.000 aan dwangsommen in zaak Baitali

    Staat betaalt al ruim SRD 918.000 aan dwangsommen in zaak Baitali

    A months-long legal dispute between the Suriname government and local construction firm Baitali N.V. over a major IDB-funded infrastructure tender has left the administration squeezed between a binding court ruling and warnings from its international financier, with hundreds of thousands of Surinamese dollars already paid in default penalties. The conflict centers on the rehabilitation of two key arteries: Van ’t Hogerhuysstraat and Slangenhoutstraat, a project backed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

    When bidding opened for the contract in December 2024, five private construction firms submitted formal proposals. Baitali N.V. tabled the lowest bid at roughly $19.3 million USD, but in a surprise decision in March 2025, the Ministry of Public Works and Spatial Planning (OWRO) awarded the contract to Kuldipsingh Infra N.V. for a higher sum of $22.7 million USD.

    Baitali immediately challenged the award, arguing its bid had been wrongfully invalidated and that evaluation criteria had been applied without transparency or objectivity. The firm first filed an objection with the ministry’s internal Project Implementation Unit (PIU), then escalated the complaint directly to the IDB. When Baitali received no adequate response to its claims, it brought the case to Suriname’s civil courts.

    In a subsequent summary judgment, the district court ruled largely in Baitali’s favor, finding the company had been improperly excluded from the tender process. The court’s ruling ordered three key actions: the original award to Kuldipsingh Infra must be withdrawn, the entire tender process must be reopened with Baitali’s bid reinstated as a valid submission, and all work on the project must be halted immediately.

    Though the Surinamese state initially filed an appeal against the court’s decision, the appeal was later withdrawn at the request of OWRO Minister Stephen Tsang, cementing the ruling as a legally binding final judgment. Even after the ruling took effect, however, the state failed to implement its terms promptly, leading to accruing daily penalty fines.

    As of the ministry’s latest public statement released Friday, the state has already paid out 918,450 SRD in accrued penalty fines for the delayed implementation of the court order. The conflict gained an additional layer of complexity when the IDB, the project’s primary funder, issued its own findings: the bank concluded Suriname’s original tender process followed all applicable rules, and it found no evidence of corruption or procedural misconduct. While the IDB stated it would ultimately respect the final decision of Suriname’s domestic authorities, it also explicitly warned that altering the original tender outcome could carry negative consequences for the project’s financing.

    In January 2025, Baitali returned to court to escalate the dispute, arguing the state had still not complied with the binding ruling. The firm is now requesting that daily penalty fines be increased to 1 million SRD per day, and the case remains pending before the district court.

    The impasse has placed the Surinamese government in an unprecedentedly difficult position. On one side, it faces an unappealable court order that requires full compliance under continued penalty. On the other, it relies on the IDB’s financing for the infrastructure project, and the bank has explicitly backed the original tender outcome. The final resolution of the standoff will likely depend heavily on the outcome of Baitali’s ongoing lawsuit seeking stiffer penalties, leaving the future of the long-delayed road project uncertain.

  • Protest being held in support of Cuba

    Protest being held in support of Cuba

    On a coming Saturday, Cuban solidarity activists based in Barbados are set to hold a two-hour public demonstration outside the United States Embassy located in Wildey, St. Michael, to voice their fierce opposition to Washington’s long-running restrictions on the island nation of Cuba.

    Lalu Hanuman, coordinator of the local advocacy group the 13th June 1980 Movement, laid out the core grievances driving the protest. According to Hanuman, the demonstration is specifically organized to condemn what the group frames as the illegal and unethical economic blockade that the United States has imposed on Cuba for decades. In recent months, Hanuman notes, the blockade has severely restricted Cuba’s ability to import critical fuel supplies, which power essential public services ranging from public hospitals and schools to core community infrastructure that residents rely on daily.

    The activist, an attorney by profession with a long record of social advocacy, detailed the devastating human cost of the ongoing restrictions. He explained that the blockade has already pushed Cuba into a humanitarian crisis, with preventable deaths occurring among patients waiting for urgent surgical procedures, and a sharp upward turn in the country’s infant mortality rate that reverses years of public health progress. Beyond the immediate impact of the fuel shortage and broader economic restrictions, Hanuman also called attention to past violent actions by American forces in regional waters, which he says have resulted in the deaths of more than 200 people after boats were targeted and blown up across the Caribbean and Pacific.

    Hanuman is urging all Barbadians who oppose the ongoing blockade and its humanitarian fallout to join the picket, which is scheduled to kick off at 10:00 a.m. local time on Saturday. The demonstration aims to amplify regional calls for an end to the decades-old trade and financial restrictions that have disproportionately harmed ordinary Cuban citizens for generations.

  • Kareem stands by his statements: ‘They wicked, evil and racist’

    Kareem stands by his statements: ‘They wicked, evil and racist’

    A brewing political controversy has taken center stage in Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament this week, after Opposition Member of Parliament for Laventille West Kareem Marcelle doubled down on comments he delivered at a constituency rally Thursday night that triggered fierce online backlash.

    Facing growing calls to retract his remarks over accusations of anti-ethnic rhetoric, Marcelle arrived at Port of Spain’s Red House for Friday’s parliamentary sitting and pushed back firmly against misrepresentation claims. Speaking directly to reporters on the ground, he emphasized that his critical remarks were exclusively targeted at the ruling United National Congress (UNC) administration, not any ethnic or religious community within the nation.

    In an earlier written statement shared across his social media channels, Marcelle refuted the viral misquote that had circulated online, denying he ever claimed “Indian people do not like us… we do not like them.” He clarified that his speech to Laventille West constituents stuck strictly to political critique of the incumbent government’s policies and actions toward opposition-held districts. “This UNC Government, by their words and actions towards our communities, simply do not like us. And guess what? We do not like the UNC either. And I make no apologies for stating that fact,” Marcelle reiterated Friday.

    The PNM (People’s National Movement) MP went on to outline a series of grievances against the ruling administration, claiming UNC officials have systematically targeted opposition-aligned citizens. He alleged the government has slashed funding for corporations controlled by PNM, and terminated or refused to renew employment contracts for thousands of workers suspected of supporting the opposition. Marcelle also accused cabinet ministers of shifting blame for rising national crime rates onto PNM-held constituencies, and recalled that ruling party officials recently labeled PNM supporters attending a public vigil as “vagrants in white jerseys.”

    “Does this sound like a Government that likes or loves people from PNM constituencies? Or does this sound like a Government that simply hates us?” Marcelle asked, framing his criticism as a fair response to years of unequal treatment. He also reaffirmed his campaign pledge to Laventille West voters: if the PNM wins the next government, his first priority will be securing an equitable share of national resources for his constituency, after years of what he calls deliberate underinvestment under UNC rule.

    Marcelle hit back at what he calls the UNC’s coordinated campaign of “fake news and false narratives” twisting his words to stoke racial tension. He stressed that the PNM, founded by Dr Eric Williams, has a long-standing core commitment to representing all races and creeds across Trinidad and Tobago. “I am proud to be part of Dr Eric Williams’ political party called the PNM, a party where we stand with and represent every single creed and race in Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

    Closing his remarks, Marcelle urged his base to ignore what he describes as ruling party propaganda, and reiterated the opposition’s resolve to oust what he labeled a “wicked, evil and racist” UNC government in upcoming elections. While the original speech has gone viral on social media platforms, drawing widespread criticism from observers who argue its wording stokes racial division, Marcelle has maintained consistent denial of any racial intent, repeating that his critique is rooted exclusively in partisan political conflict.

  • FOD seeking major overhaul of public transport system ​

    FOD seeking major overhaul of public transport system ​

    Barbados’ main opposition organization Friends of Democracy (FOD) has launched a far-reaching engagement project targeting long-standing systemic flaws that have undermined safety, professional standards and service consistency across the island nation’s public transport sector.

    Moving beyond traditional partisan criticism, FOD has launched a series of targeted consultations with three key stakeholder groups: daily commuters, established licensed transport operators, and senior industry representatives. The goal of these discussions is to collect on-the-ground insights into the deep-rooted challenges facing the sector, which will inform a concrete, long-term policy blueprint for reform. Jamal Martindale, FOD’s spokesperson for Transport and Works, emphasized that the initiative prioritizes actionable solutions over political rhetoric in a public statement shared this week.

    Early conversations have already centered on one non-negotiable priority: a full overhaul of existing safety protocols to protect both passengers and transport workers. Martindale drew particular attention to the growing proliferation of unlicensed “pirate” transport operators across the island, a trend that creates major public safety gaps due to a lack of legal oversight and valid insurance coverage.

    “Illegal passenger transport must be understood first and foremost as a public safety issue,” Martindale explained. “Passengers who step into unlicensed vehicles often don’t realize they are exposing themselves to catastrophic risk if an accident happens, especially when there is no valid passenger liability insurance in place. Every Barbadian has the right to know that when they board a public transport vehicle, they are riding with a properly licensed, regulated, and insured service.”

    Safety is a two-pronged crisis, Martindale added, noting that legitimate licensed operators face growing threats to their personal security. Drivers and conductors of public service vehicles (PSVs) have reported a sharp, worrying increase in criminal targeting, particularly during late-evening and overnight shifts. Reports of robberies, physical assaults, and other criminal acts against on-duty transport staff have become far too common, he said.

    “We cannot ignore the safety concerns that licensed operators deal with every single day. Reports of robberies, assaults, and other criminal activity continue to harm drivers and conductors, especially when they work evening routes,” Martindale said. “These valid concerns must be taken seriously if we are going to build a safer, more reliable transport system that works for everyone.”

    To address these overlapping safety threats, FOD is calling for urgent modernization of the public transport network’s core security infrastructure. The group is pushing for expanded, high-resolution surveillance systems across high-risk routes and terminals, stronger collaborative security partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, and more robust, fast-acting emergency response mechanisms for operators facing crisis.

    Beyond beefing up general security, FOD argues that accelerating the rollout of contactless, digital fare collection systems will cut down on the amount of physical cash carried by PSV crews, a key factor that makes operators targets for robbery. This simple policy shift, the group says, would act as a powerful deterrent to would-be criminals.

    In addition to physical security, early consultations have revealed widespread demand for higher professional standards across the entire sector. In response, FOD is lobbying to mandate standardized, ongoing training programs for all public transport operators and vehicle owners. The proposed training curriculum would cover a wide range of critical competencies: customer service, emergency first aid, de-escalation and conflict resolution, passenger assistance, basic financial literacy, and public safety awareness.

    “Public transport operators are often the first point of contact for thousands of Barbadians every single day,” Martindale noted. “Because of this vital public role, they need to have all the necessary skills to serve our citizens professionally, safely and effectively.”

    FOD’s review also highlighted a stark equity gap in service distribution across the country. While high-traffic, lucrative urban corridors enjoy frequent, reliable service, rural and geographically peripheral communities are chronically underserved – a problem that grows even worse during off-peak hours, leaving many residents stranded for work, school, or medical appointments. The opposition group stresses that any future restructuring of the public transport network must be rooted in empirical data to guarantee equal access to service for all Barbadians, no matter where they live.

    When it comes to addressing the crisis of unlicensed pirate operators, FOD says it is encouraged by the cooperative stance of existing regulated industry stakeholders. Rather than pushing for a harsh, punitive crackdown on informal operators, the group supports a structured, supportive framework to help unlicensed drivers enter the regulated system through legalization.

    “We are encouraged by the willingness of industry stakeholders to work constructively with individuals currently operating outside of the regulated system,” Martindale said. “We support efforts to help these operators become licensed, insured, and compliant with the law, so that they can contribute positively to the national transportation network while upholding the safety of the travelling public.”

    FOD confirmed that it will ramp up consultation activities across Barbados over the coming weeks, as the group works to finalize a full, comprehensive policy framework for public transport reform. “The men and women who transport thousands of Barbadians to work, school, medical appointments, and back to their homes every day play a critical role in our national economy and in the daily lives of our citizens,” Martindale said. “They deserve our recognition, our full support, and a transportation system that truly works for everyone.”

  • Nieuwjaar op 18 juni erkend als nationale gedenkdag; geen vrije dag

    Nieuwjaar op 18 juni erkend als nationale gedenkdag; geen vrije dag

    In an official announcement made public last Friday, Suriname’s Ministry of Home Affairs has formally recognized Javanese New Year as a national commemorative day, confirming the annual observance will not carry the status of a paid public holiday for 2026.

    Minister of Home Affairs Marinus Bee confirmed that the cabinet’s decision grants this year’s Javanese New Year, which falls on Thursday, June 18, official national commemorative standing. This institutional recognition, the government clarified, is intended to highlight the deep cultural and historical significance of Javanese New Year within Suriname’s diverse multi-ethnic social fabric, marking the first time the observance has been elevated to formal national status.

    Unlike Suriname’s existing national holidays and major commemorative days, Javanese New Year will not be classified as equivalent to a Sunday for scheduling purposes, a designation that automatically triggers time off for public and private sector workers. As a result, government offices, educational institutions, and private businesses will remain open and operate under standard working hours on June 18, unless individual organizations issue separate internal decisions to close for the day.

    For Suriname’s sizeable Javanese community, Javanese New Year is an annual cultural celebration centered on reflection, gratitude, and the ritual marking of a new cycle of life. The decision to grant official recognition comes as the South American nation continues to formalize recognition of cultural traditions tied to its diverse immigrant populations, who have shaped the country’s social and cultural identity since the colonial era.

  • Ireland announces visa requirements for Nicaragua, St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia – effective June 15

    Ireland announces visa requirements for Nicaragua, St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia – effective June 15

    DUBLIN, Ireland – Ireland’s Minister for Migration Colm Brophy has formally announced a major update to the country’s visa policy: starting Monday, June 15, 2026, all nationals of Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia will be required to secure an entry visa before traveling to Ireland. The new rule extends even to holders of diplomatic and service passports, and will also apply to international travelers transiting through Irish airports on route to third-party destinations.

    In his official remarks on the policy shift, Brophy emphasized that the change follows a lengthy period of careful evaluation, and is designed to bring Ireland’s immigration framework into closer alignment with protocols already adopted by the United Kingdom and most European nations. “This is a carefully considered decision that brings Ireland more closely in line with the approach taken in the United Kingdom and across Europe,” Brophy stated.

    Ireland’s visa regulations are subject to ongoing, regular review, with the core goal of striking a delicate balance between two key priorities: upholding robust immigration controls that protect national borders, and preserving access for legitimate travelers seeking to enter Ireland for tourism, employment, education, or family reunification. Brophy reaffirmed that this balance remains at the center of all adjustments to the country’s migration rules.

    The minister also acknowledged that abrupt policy changes can create disruptions for travelers who have already arranged and booked trips to Ireland ahead of the new rules taking effect. To address this concern, the Irish government will roll out dedicated transitional arrangements to support affected individuals as they adjust their travel plans, with officials advising eligible nationals with existing travel bookings to check the official Immigration Service Delivery website for the latest guidance and support.

    This latest adjustment is part of a broader, ongoing effort by Ireland to align its visa policies with standards across the United Kingdom and the European Schengen Area. The government has already implemented other related changes in recent months: earlier this year, it removed the right of appeal for refusals of certain short-stay, or Type C, visas. In 2025, Ireland also introduced new mandatory visa requirements for nationals of four other countries: Eswatini, Lesotho, Nauru, and Trinidad and Tobago.

  • PSU Says Finance Officers are ‘Accomplices to Corruption’

    PSU Says Finance Officers are ‘Accomplices to Corruption’

    In a sharp rebuke of alleged systemic financial misconduct in Belize’s public sector, the Public Service Union (PSU) has launched a formal legal push for transparency, accusing government finance officials of intentionally structuring large payments to evade mandatory oversight and enabling public funds misappropriation. The union’s action, filed June 12, 2026 under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), comes on the heels of explosive reports revealing Jenny Armstrong, sister of incumbent Belmopan Area Representative and Home Affairs Minister Oscar Mira, collected over $1.7 million in government disbursements between 2020 and 2025.

    At the center of the PSU’s allegations is a 2023 transaction that underscores the supposed illicit practice: on September 14 of that year, 12 separate invoices totaling more than $103,000 were approved for Armstrong alone. As the PSU outlines in its official request, breaking a single large payment into a dozen smaller chunks requires manual creation of 12 distinct entries in the government’s SmartStream financial system. The union argues it is extraordinarily improbable that each invoice accurately disclosed that it was just one segment of a larger aggregated payment. If the transaction’s true nature was intentionally omitted from the invoice comment fields, the PSU contends, every entry qualifies as a premeditated false record entered into the government’s official financial infrastructure.

    The alleged scheme is designed to circumvent strict financial controls put in place by the Belize government in 2022. Circular No. 1 of 2022 mandates that any single payment exceeding $10,000 must go through rigorous multi-level oversight, including two separate approval checks by the Treasury Department. By contrast, payments that fall below the $10,000 threshold can be processed entirely internally within individual government ministries and departments, with no external Treasury review. The PSU’s claim is that finance officers are deliberately splitting large payments into sub-$10,000 chunks to skip this mandatory oversight process.

    Notably, the union stops short of placing direct blame on elected ministers, noting that cabinet members do not personally process or approve routine payments. Instead, the full weight of responsibility is placed on the finance officers who enter and sign off on the manipulated invoices. The PSU also notes that department heads and chief executive officers may have ordered finance staff to structure payments in this way, making them complicit in the misconduct.

    In its formal statement, the PSU did not mince words describing the practice: “They are accomplices to corruption. This is not a simple mistake; it is a deliberate and corrupt scheme to steal the public’s money without being caught.”

    Through the FOIA request, the union is seeking a full breadth of records covering a five-year window from April 2021 to March 2026. The requested documents include the identities of all ministries, departments, finance officers, department heads, and CEOs implicated in the payment-splitting practice, as well as the names of all vendors that received these structured disbursements. The PSU has also requested complete copies of all relevant SmartStream invoices, purchase orders, and approval documentation related to the transactions.

    Beyond the information request, the PSU is calling on Belize’s Auditor General to launch a full independent review of government financial records covering the same five-year period, and to publish a complete unredacted report of its findings for the public. In cases where misconduct is confirmed, the union is pushing for immediate suspension or termination of all involved personnel, and referral of the cases to the Belize Police Department and Director of Public Prosecutions to open criminal investigations into potential charges including fraud and abuse of public office.

    The Accountant General, Auditor General, and Contractor General now have 30 days to respond to the FOIA request, with a formal response deadline set for July 10, 2026.

  • Chuck: $608 million in judgment debt against the State settled

    Chuck: $608 million in judgment debt against the State settled

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a major update delivered to Jamaica’s House of Representatives on June 10 during the annual Sectoral Debate, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck has announced that the government disbursed a total of $680 million in outstanding judgment debt payments to claimants across the country over the 2025/2026 fiscal year.

    Speaking to lawmakers, Chuck framed the full disbursement of allocated judgment debt funds as a critical step toward reinforcing the country’s justice system. He noted that meeting these court-ordered financial obligations will give judicial officers greater confidence to deliver timely rulings, moving the nation closer to the government’s core goal of accessible, equitable justice for all Jamaican citizens.

    “As part of our unwavering commitment to delivering justice for every Jamaican, we are pleased to confirm that the Attorney General’s Chambers has fully utilized the budget allocated to cover all judgment debts submitted to the Ministry for disbursement,” Chuck told parliament.

    Beyond judgment debt, Chuck outlined significant progress across the Ministry’s Social Justice Division, which oversees three core public initiatives: Restorative Justice, Child Diversion, and Victim Services. Despite widespread damage to parish-level Justice Centres and court facilities from recent extreme weather, including Hurricane Melissa, the division has maintained its full mandate to deliver alternative conflict resolution and support services to vulnerable communities.

    The division has sustained ongoing training and outreach programs in partnership with faith-based organizations, schools, at-risk communities, and families in need across the island. Most notably, restorative justice tools were deployed to de-escalate conflict during a recent surge in violence in Jamaican schools, an effort implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth, Skills and Information to educate the public on non-violent conflict resolution alternatives.

    Last fiscal year, the program marked Justice Day with special peace education events in four schools across four parishes, reaching thousands of young students with messaging centered on non-violence and community harmony. The Ministry also partnered with the national judiciary to host a three-day targeted sensitization training for sitting judges on key social justice issues, an event that was widely deemed a success by participants.

    In a key modernization push, full digital case management systems are currently being rolled out for both the Child Diversion and Restorative Justice programs. The Child Diversion digitization effort is backed by UNICEF, while the Restorative Justice system upgrade is supported by the Ministry of National Security and Peace through its Citizen Security Secretariat. Chuck explained that the digital overhaul will streamline case tracking, improve the accuracy and reliability of program data, and allow social justice officers to serve clients across a range of settings—from court rooms and office locations to police stations and community outreach sites. To support this shift, the Ministry has also upgraded its core digital infrastructure to enable remote, on-location service delivery.

    Chuck emphasized that even after Hurricane Melissa disrupted operations at justice centers across the island, restorative justice and other social justice programs have continued to strengthen the country’s overall justice framework. Over the past fiscal year, the program’s outreach team trained more than 31,000 Jamaicans on restorative justice principles and hosted 101 hands-on restorative practices workshops, repeated the program’s core public message: “Talk It Out and Not Fight It Out.”

    “ We are proud to report that our restorative justice interventions have resulted in almost 1,700 binding conflict resolution agreements signed by opposing parties, helping to strengthen community cohesion and build sustained peace across the island,” Chuck added.

  • Trump says US-Iran deal to be signed Sunday

    Trump says US-Iran deal to be signed Sunday

    Diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing Middle East war reached a fever pitch Saturday, as conflicting timelines and unresolved core disputes overshadowed growing optimism that weeks of stalled negotiations could soon reach a breakthrough. In a surprise post on his Truth Social platform, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a historic peace agreement with Iran would be signed Sunday, with the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz immediately opened to all global maritime traffic following the deal’s signing.