分类： politics

WASHINGTON D.C. – In an eleventh-hour announcement that defused soaring regional tensions just hours before planned military action, former US President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday that he had consented to a two-week pause in airstrikes against Iran, conditional on Tehran fully reopening the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz under a tentative bilateral ceasefire agreement.

In a social media post shared just 60 minutes ahead of the self-imposed deadline for launching what he had previously described as catastrophic attacks on the Islamic Republic, Trump outlined the clear terms of the pause: “Subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks.”

He emphasized that the arrangement marks a reciprocal cessation of hostilities, writing, “This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!”

Justifying the decision to hold off on military action, Trump stated that US forces had already surpassed all initial military objectives. He added that negotiations toward a long-term peace deal with Iran and broader stability across the Middle East were already far advanced, noting that Tehran had submitted a 10-point proposal that Washington views as a viable foundation for final talks.

The breakthrough announcement followed a last-minute diplomatic initiative from Pakistan, which stepped in to mediate and prevent the outbreak of large-scale US military operations. In the lead-up to the deal, Trump had issued a stark warning that an failure to reach an agreement would lead to the collapse of an entire civilization.

Expanding on the purpose of the 14-day window, Trump added that nearly all longstanding points of disagreement between the two nations had already been resolved. The pause, he said, would simply give negotiating teams time to finalize and formalize the full agreement.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s primary law enforcement agency, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), has emerged from a sweeping, years-long overhaul of its institutional culture, infrastructure and operational systems, with senior government officials confirming that more than 7,100 new recruits have joined the organization since 2018. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace Dr. Horace Chang shared these updates during last week’s Passing Out Parade and Awards Ceremony, held at the National Police College of Jamaica in St. Catherine to honor graduates from the JCF’s 163rd and 164th training batches. Addressing the 295 newly minted officers, Chang framed the JCF as a vastly different institution than its colonial-era predecessor, positioning it as a growing hub of professional opportunity for young Jamaicans seeking public service careers. “You are joining a force that has undergone one of the most significant transformations in its history,” Chang told the graduating class. “You’re not entering the force of old – an institution that in its original design reflected a coercive colonial model of policing… one that often seemed as distant from and at times repressive to the very community it was meant to serve. That chapter is behind us. You are joining a force that has been deliberately transformed to reflect its true purpose – to serve and protect – grounded in genuine partnership with the people.” For decades, the JCF grappled with deep-seated structural challenges left over from its legacy: outdated training facilities, chronic under-resourcing, substandard working conditions for officers, and limited paths for career advancement. Chang emphasized that the current government has tackled these issues directly, rolling out targeted policy reforms and committing sustained public investment to rebuild the force from the inside out. “Today, you are stepping into a modern, professional and increasingly respected law-enforcement institution,” he said. “We have restructured the compensation for police officers, ensuring that those who serve and protect are better rewarded for their sacrifice. We have strengthened staff welfare arrangements, recognizing that a motivated and supported officer is a more effective officer.” To combat long-standing barriers to promotion that previously blocked advancement for mid-career officers, the government implemented a transparent, merit-based promotion system that has already elevated more than 2,200 officers across the force over the past three years. This includes promotions for more than 250 senior gazetted-rank officers, a shift designed to build a forward-thinking leadership pipeline that aligns with the JCF’s modernized mission. “We have established clear pathways for advancement so that your progress within the force is determined by merit, discipline and performance,” Chang noted. “Today, the JCF is the model police force of the Caribbean and, indeed, almost the entire Western Hemisphere, as they have confronted the legacy issues, and positioned themselves to be one of the finest and most successful police force in the region.” The government has also prioritized long-term human capital development, expanding recruitment outreach and boosting the JCF’s training capacity to accommodate larger incoming cohorts. New accredited training programs have been introduced that go beyond foundational physical skills, emphasizing the critical thinking, cultural competency and ethical decision-making required for 21st-century community-oriented policing. These investments have created a more inclusive, professional force that aligns with Jamaica’s goals of improving public safety and building trust between law enforcement and local communities.

A deepening rift has emerged within the 15-member Caribbean Community (Caricom) over the controversial reappointment of Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett, with Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar launching a fierce public campaign demanding full procedural transparency and threatening ongoing pushback against the regional bloc until her demands are met.

Persad-Bissessar has labeled the process that led to Barnett’s second five-year term as a “surreptitious and odious” affair that carries lasting consequences for the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean nation that contributes 22% of Caricom’s total annual operating budget. In a public statement published to her official Facebook page, the prime minister reiterated her call for the regional integration body to open its books on the reappointment, stressing that her administration will offer no reprieve to Caricom or its secretariat until the matter is resolved in a fully transparent manner.

“This is not a routine administrative appointment. It shapes the trajectory of Trinidad and Tobago’s economy, national security, regional integration progress, and foreign policy over the next five years, which means it directly impacts the well-being of every one of my citizens,” Persad-Bissessar wrote. “I will pursue this issue mercilessly, relentlessly, and unapologetically in public until we get the transparency that we are owed.”

The controversy first came to a head at Caricom’s heads of government summit held last month in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis. Shortly after the meeting closed, Caricom chairman and St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew announced in a short official statement that Barnett had secured the required majority of votes from regional leaders to earn reappointment.

But Trinidad and Tobago has pushed back hard against the outcome, asserting that the country was deliberately excluded from the closed-door deliberations that led to the vote. Port of Spain also confirms that two other member states, Antigua and Barbuda and The Bahamas, were similarly absent from the talks.

Speaking to Trinidad and Tobago’s parliament last month, the country’s Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Sean Sobers stressed, “I state clearly for the official record: Trinidad and Tobago was never invited, by email, phone, or in person, to the meeting where this decision was taken.”

Persad-Bissessar, who departed the Basseterre summit before the heads of government retreat on neighboring Nevis where the vote was held, confirmed that Sobers sent an official letter to Drew on March 25 formally registering Trinidad and Tobago’s objection to Barnett’s reappointment.

The core of Trinidad and Tobago’s complaint centers on procedural violations of Caricom’s governing rules. Persad-Bissessar explained that the reappointment was never added to the provisional agenda for the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, was never discussed during open plenary sessions, and was only addressed during the restricted retreat, from which official representatives of Trinidad and Tobago and other member states were barred.

“This process raises serious questions about a deliberate effort to circumvent established rules and push through Barnett’s reappointment through improper channels,” the prime minister said. She added that under Article 24 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the Conference of Heads of Government must formally consider and approve all Secretary-General appointments, a requirement the current process failed to meet.

In pursuit of clarification, the Trinidad and Tobago government sent two additional official letters on March 31, 2026: one addressed to Drew, and a second directly to Barnett. The letters request granular details including when the reappointment was added to meeting agendas, what communications were sent to all member states, whether governments were notified of the outcome after the summit’s joint communiqué and closing press conference, and whether any draft decision was circulated confidentially after the retreat. The government also asked for an explanation for any secrecy surrounding the process, noting that preserving member states’ trust in Caricom’s procedural rules and collective decision-making system is critical to the bloc’s function.

On the same day, the Permanent Secretary at Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs sent a separate formal request to Janice Miller, Chef-de-Cabinet in the Office of the Secretary-General, seeking clarification and supporting documentation related to the reappointment. That letter pointed out that past reappointments, including the 2016 selection process, fully followed established procedures, with all decisions properly recorded and reflecting the input of all heads of government. The Permanent Secretary emphasized that the 2026 process appears to deviate significantly from Caricom’s agreed rules of procedure.

As of the publication of Persad-Bissessar’s latest statement, the Trinidad and Tobago government has yet to receive any response to its requests. “The people of Trinidad and Tobago fund nearly a quarter of Caricom’s budget. They deserve transparency, accountability, and full respect for the rules all members agreed to follow,” Persad-Bissessar added.

Barnett first took office as Caricom’s eighth Secretary-General on August 15, 2021, after being unanimously appointed by regional leaders for her first term.

Following two successive hurricane disruptions that pushed back the original completion timeline, Jamaica’s Minister with responsibility for works Robert Morgan has reaffirmed that the transformative Montego Bay Perimeter Road infrastructure initiative remains on schedule to meet its revised September 2026 delivery date, built with cutting-edge climate-resilient engineering to withstand extreme weather. In an exclusive interview with Jamaica Observer on Monday, Morgan laid out the phased completion timeline and updated the public on the project’s current status, funding security and storm preparedness measures. “I’m very confident…We are on time for September. We are working to have West Green Avenue completed by September and then next year Barnett Street, and we’ll have the Long Hill Bypass as well, which is an addition to the Montego Bay Perimeter Road project,” Morgan stated. Currently managed by Jamaica’s National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC) and executed by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), the large-scale infrastructure project carries an estimated total price tag of US$354 million. Its full scope includes a 15-kilometer Montego Bay Bypass, an 11-kilometer Long Hill Bypass, comprehensive structural upgrades to two existing urban corridors (Barnett Street and West Green Avenue), and the construction of a new 180-meter bridge spanning the Montego River. As recently as an October 2025 site tour of the project’s Bogue segment, Morgan had announced that work was progressing ahead of schedule and on track to wrap up as early as May 2026. That original updated timeline was derailed by two consecutive extreme weather events: Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall in June 2024, and the more recent Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica on October 28, 2025. Category 5 Hurricane Beryl alone inflicted an estimated US$79 million in damage to uncompleted sections of the project, but Morgan noted that comprehensive insurance coverage has mitigated the majority of the financial impact of the storm damage. “As a matter of fact, we started paving last year and would have been further ahead if it wasn’t for the rains and the hurricane, because we would have started paving last year and started putting up safety barriers and so on,” he explained. When questioned whether ongoing storm risk during the upcoming hurricane season could further derail the revised September 2026 deadline, Morgan highlighted that the project’s design marks a fundamental shift in how major transportation infrastructure is engineered across Jamaica, developed specifically to address growing climate change-driven extreme weather risks. “I think the design and engineering that we used for the perimeter road, and also what we’re using for the Long Hill Bypass, are so much different from what we traditionally use. They have been built for resilience. So a lot of the work that is going on now is pretty much final-leg infrastructure. We have already done the base course and the running course is what is being put on now, finishing some drainage and some hillside protection and so on,” Morgan explained. He added that the robust, climate-adapted design means the project is well-protected against routine rainfall and moderate storm events, even as the region enters peak hurricane season. “So we do not expect general rains to have any significant impact on the road. I mean, if we have a Category 5 again, that might be a different conversation, but we’re hoping and praying that we don’t have one of those events before it’s completed,” the minister said. On the topic of project financing, Morgan confirmed that the Jamaican government maintains a stable fiscal position to see the initiative through to completion. “We have received the allocation for the completion of it in the current budget. There may be some changes that may be made one way or the other as the year goes by, but we are pretty confident in the funding arrangements through the Ministry of Finance,” he said. Under the revised phased completion schedule, the Montego Bay Bypass and West Green Avenue segments are now targeted for completion by September 2026. Upgrades to Barnett Street are projected to be finished by April 2027, with the added Long Hill Bypass segment wrapping up construction the following month, in May 2027. As of the latest update, crews are currently carrying out concrete casting work on the new Barnett Street Bridge, with paving and final infrastructure works ongoing across multiple segments of the project.