Carib Scope

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  • Magnitude 3.6 Earthquake Recorded Northeast of Antigua

    Magnitude 3.6 Earthquake Recorded Northeast of Antigua

    A light 3.6-magnitude earthquake has been confirmed in waters northeast of Antigua by the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI SRC), the region’s leading authority on seismic activity, in a statement released over the weekend.

    According to the UWI SRC’s initial monitoring data, the tremor struck at roughly 9:10 p.m. local time on Friday, registering a depth of 14 kilometres beneath the ocean surface. Preliminary geolocation calculations place the epicenter at coordinates 17.57 degrees north latitude and 61.73 degrees west longitude.

    This positioning puts the earthquake approximately 52 kilometres north-northeast of St. John’s, the capital city of Antigua and Barbuda. Beyond Antigua’s territorial waters, the epicenter also sits 101 kilometres northeast of Brades, the administrative center of Montserrat, and 115 kilometres east-northeast of Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis.

    The UWI SRC emphasized that the current epicenter location was generated automatically by pre-programmed computer processing algorithms. Before final data is published, the location and other key parameters of the earthquake will undergo manual review and potential adjustment by the center’s team of expert seismologists as part of standard quality control processes.

  • CDEMA ‘learned’ Hurricane Melissa lessons

    CDEMA ‘learned’ Hurricane Melissa lessons

    Against a backdrop of intensifying climate-fueled natural hazards, shifting global geopolitics, and dwindling international financial support, Caribbean nations are launching a complete overhaul of their 10-year regional disaster management framework. The shift comes after hard lessons learned from the widespread destruction of Hurricane Melissa, pushing regional authorities to abandon the long-held focus on post-disaster recovery and adopt a proactive pre-event planning model.

    Over two days of intensive consultations held at Barbados’ Accra Beach Hotel & Spa, representatives from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency’s (CDEMA) 20 member states gathered to revise the Comprehensive Disaster Management Strategy, a foundational policy first rolled out in 2014. CDEMA Executive Director Elizabeth Riley explained in an interview with Barbados TODAY that the original framework is no longer fit for purpose, as both hazard patterns and global operating conditions have transformed dramatically over the past decade.

    “We recognise that since the start of this iteration of the strategy in 2014, there have been a lot of changes,” Riley noted. “These changes have been related to the hazards themselves, which have become a lot more complex, but also related to the geopolitical environment, which has become a lot more challenging.” Climate change stands as one of the most transformative drivers, Riley confirmed, linking rising global temperatures to a sharp uptick in both the frequency and severity of destructive weather events across the Caribbean. Compounding this growing risk is a steady decline in international funding earmarked for regional disaster management programs, stretching already thin national and regional budgets even further.

    One high-priority emerging issue being integrated into the updated strategy is disaster-induced human displacement, a crisis that has become far more common in recent years. Riley pointed to two recent major events that underscore the urgency of this challenge: Hurricane Melissa, which displaced thousands of residents in Jamaica, and the 2021 eruption of the La Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which forced roughly 20,000 people to flee their homes. “This is a feature we’re seeing a lot more frequently, and we’re discussing how do we integrate these types of issues now into our planning,” she said.

    A core focus of the regional workshop was reimagining disaster recovery systems, with Riley emphasizing that the region can no longer afford to develop recovery plans only after a catastrophe hits. Instead, she argued, all member states need to have detailed, actionable recovery frameworks in place well before storms or other disasters make landfall. “We’re discussing modalities by which we can better assist countries to prepare for the recovery processes ahead of time and ensuring that that is treated not after the actual disaster takes place,” Riley explained.

    Hurricane Melissa, which swept through the Caribbean recently, provided a critical real-world test of existing regional coordination and response protocols, Riley said. In March, CDEMA assembled a cross-regional after-action review to assess the performance of the agency’s response mechanism, with a particular focus on strengthening coordination with new international humanitarian partners operating in the region and streamlining emergency logistics support.

    Riley also highlighted the successful first deployment of the CDEMA-World Food Programme logistics hub, which launched in Barbados in 2023, during the Hurricane Melissa response. “We reviewed how the operations of that hub went forward, the timeliness of the support, and the type of logistics support provided,” she said, adding that insights from this first activation will be used to refine the hub’s operations for future emergencies.

    Looking ahead to the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially kicks off on June 1, Riley urged residents across the region to participate in the agency’s annual pre-season press conference, scheduled for 10 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 28. The event will bring together regional officials to share the latest seasonal hurricane forecasts and outline key preparedness steps that households and communities can take to get ready before the first storm of the season forms.

  • Jet free to leave after security scare

    Jet free to leave after security scare

    A tense 24-hour standoff at Trinidad’s Piarco International Airport concluded Sunday with authorities granting departure clearance to an Ukrainian-crewed cargo jet that landed for a refuelling stop carrying undeclared industrial explosives, officials have confirmed. The aircraft, a Soviet-era Antonov An-12BP registered as flight CVK-7078, touched down at the airport just after 6 p.m. local time Thursday, arriving from the Bahamas en route to Cape Verde, with its final destination of Libya.

    As is standard for technical stopovers — brief landings for operational needs such as refuelling, crew changes or maintenance rather than passenger or cargo handling — the eight-person crew submitted general declarations to local ground handling agents. On their cargo documentation, the crew marked the cargo load as “nil”, meaning no cargo was being carried for the duration of the flight segment. This inaccurate reporting raised immediate red flags for on-site immigration officers, who quickly alerted Trinidad and Tobago Customs and Excise Division officials to launch an inspection.

    A detailed search of the aircraft’s cargo hold uncovered 7,656 kilograms of industrial explosives marked as “Oilwell explosives”, classified under the UN dangerous goods code UN0440. Further review of the plane’s documentation confirmed the shipment originated in Houston, Texas, and was bound for Libyan end-users. In line with international aviation security regulations, all hazardous goods must be formally declared to destination and transit authorities to ensure proper handling and mitigate public safety risks.

    Following the discovery, the aircraft was immediately secured and impounded, with the full crew taken into custody for questioning by a multi-agency task force including local and international security partners. The joint investigation team included Trinidad’s Customs and Excise Division, the Airports Authority Police Force, the national Special Branch intelligence unit, the Caribbean-based aviation security coalition AIRCOP, and United States border investigators, among other national security stakeholders.

    During a sitting of Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament Friday, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander addressed growing public concerns over the incident, responding to an urgent question from Opposition Member of Parliament Marvin Gonzales. Gonzales asked what immediate security measures had been put in place to protect airport staff and the general public after reports of the explosives-laden plane circulated. Alexander confirmed that the plane carrying several tonnes of undeclared dangerous goods had been impounded shortly after arrival, and that investigations were being carried out in coordination with the national Police Service, intelligence agencies and the Ministry of Defence.

    When asked by Gonzales whether there was any active threat to Trinidad and Tobago citizens, Alexander stressed that the situation remained fully under control and posed no danger to the public. Earlier Friday, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) released a public statement echoing that assurance, noting that ongoing enhanced security protocols under the country’s current State of Emergency allowed routine checks to catch the documentation irregularities before any risk emerged.

    “In keeping with the heightened security posture under the ongoing State of Emergency, routine checks identified irregularities requiring immediate precautionary action. The aircraft was secured, the crew accounted for, and all relevant national security units activated in accordance with established protocols,” the TTPS statement read. The agency added that at no point did the aircraft or its cargo pose a threat to the travelling public, airport operations, or the broader Trinidadian public, noting “the situation remained calm, controlled, and professionally managed.”

    After completing extensive inquiries and threat assessments, the joint investigative team determined that no criminal liability could be assigned to the pilot or the eight-member crew. In an official announcement released shortly before 7 p.m. Friday, the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago confirmed that formal departure clearance had been granted, allowing the plane and crew to continue their planned journey. Officials declined to share further details on the investigation, citing intelligence confidentiality requirements and international security information-sharing agreements.

  • Public Works and the World Bank are discussing road infrastructure in Haiti

    Public Works and the World Bank are discussing road infrastructure in Haiti

    On May 16, 2026, top Haitian infrastructure officials and World Bank leadership gathered in Cap-Haitien for a critical working session to review progress and map the future of one of the country’s largest contemporary road infrastructure programs, the Haiti Resilient Corridors Project (P504115). The meeting, hosted by Haitian Minister of Public Works Engineer Joseph Almathe Pierre Louis, included World Bank Country Manager for Haiti Anne Lucie Lefèvre and her team of technical advisors, coming as part of the Haitian government’s broader national infrastructure modernization push.

    At the core of this public-private partnership is a mission to overhaul Haiti’s transportation network to boost inclusive economic growth and climate resilience. The initiative’s primary goal is to lift the rural accessibility index, a key metric that directly impacts connectivity between agricultural heartlands and major consumer markets. The project follows a two-pronged strategic framework: first, targeted upgrades to rural road networks across Haiti’s southern peninsula to streamline the movement of agricultural and commercial goods; second, large-scale rehabilitation and modernization works on critical national arterial routes, including National Road 2, National Road 6, and Departmental Road 41.

    During the talks, Minister Pierre Louis pushed for an expansion of the program to Haiti’s Northwest department, framing the extension as a key step toward advancing territorial equity across the country. The proposed addition would specifically address the longstanding isolation of Port-de-Paix, constructing climate-resilient road infrastructure to protect the city’s connectivity against extreme weather events that have repeatedly damaged Haitian transport networks in recent years.

    The delegation also turned its attention to urgent urban mobility needs in Cap-Haitien, one of Haiti’s most historic population centers. Talks centered on the planned development of the Barrière Bouteille/Morne Rouge corridor, a key gateway to the city. Technical teams confirmed that feasibility and design studies for this high-priority urban project are on track to wrap up within three months, clearing the way for construction that will ease chronic congestion and improve traffic flow at the city’s main northern entrance.

    Anne Lucie Lefèvre commended the Haitian government’s clear, forward-looking vision for infrastructure development, noting that the deepened collaboration between the World Bank and Haitian authorities marks a meaningful turning point for the country’s sustainable development goals. Minister Pierre Louis emphasized that the talks went far beyond routine project checks, advocating for a new wave of more transformative interventions that will reconfigure Haiti’s national connectivity for long-term growth. As technical teams begin work on feasibility assessments for the proposed Northwest extension, the minister reaffirmed the government’s ongoing commitment to partnering with international development bodies to build a more resilient, accessible, and secure national road network that serves communities across every region of Haiti.

  • Overleg tussen presidenten Simons en Ali over economie en wateroverlast

    Overleg tussen presidenten Simons en Ali over economie en wateroverlast

    In a recent virtual high-level meeting held on 15 May, the heads of state of neighboring South American nations Suriname and Guyana convened to address pressing shared challenges and advance bilateral collaboration, bringing renewed momentum to regional integration efforts.

    Suriname President Jennifer Simons and Guyana President Irfaan Ali centered a large portion of their discussion on the growing, interconnected impacts of climate change that have recently disrupted both countries, particularly the severe flooding events that have impacted communities and infrastructure across border regions. Both leaders emphasized that climate-driven hazards do not recognize national boundaries, making coordinated cross-border action a necessity rather than an option. To move this agenda forward, the two presidents agreed that their respective public works ministries will hold follow-up technical-level consultations to coordinate infrastructure adaptations and collective flood mitigation strategies.

    Beyond climate and disaster response, the summit also focused heavily on deepening bilateral socioeconomic cooperation across multiple strategic sectors. Oil and gas, a rapidly growing industry that has transformed Guyana’s economy in recent years and holds significant untapped potential for Suriname, was highlighted as a key area for mutually beneficial partnership that can drive long-term sustainable growth for both nations. The meeting also covered other core cross-border issues, including fisheries management and commercial navigation access along the Corantijn River, which forms the shared border between the two countries. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing constructive, dialogue-driven solutions rooted in mutual respect that prioritize the well-being of all citizens on both sides of the border.

    A major long-term infrastructure priority, the construction of a fixed bridge connecting Suriname and Guyana, also featured prominently on the summit agenda. Leaders from both nations framed the permanent cross-river connection as a transformative project that will unlock new opportunities for expanded bilateral trade, grow cross-border tourism, strengthen regional integration, and accelerate inclusive economic development across the region. President Simons noted that following the completion of internal national consultations, additional talks will be held to advance all agenda items, ensuring that next steps are planned carefully through joint collaboration.

    As a concrete outcome of the productive talks, the two countries agreed to hold the next meeting of the Suriname-Guyana Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Platform in the near term. They also committed to actively engaging the private sector in all future cooperation processes, recognizing the central role that entrepreneurs and investors play in driving sustained economic development and job creation in both countries.

    According to Suriname’s Communication Service, the entire meeting took place in a warm, constructive atmosphere that reaffirmed the deep historical ties and longstanding positive bilateral relationship between the two neighboring nations.

  • ILO News: Haiti and ILO sign two-year country programme to advance decent work and social dialogue

    ILO News: Haiti and ILO sign two-year country programme to advance decent work and social dialogue

    In a landmark collaborative step aimed at addressing deep-seated labor and socioeconomic challenges in Haiti, government, employer, and worker representatives formalized a two-year national decent work program with the International Labour Organization (ILO) during a signing ceremony held May 14, 2026 at the ILO Caribbean Office in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

    The agreement was signed by a cross-section of key stakeholders: Haiti’s Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Marc Elie Nelson represented the Haitian government; Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH) president Maulik Radia stood in for national employer groups; Yvel Admettre, Secretary General of the Confederation of Public and Private Sector Workers, and Louis Fignole St Cyr, General Secretary of the Autonomous Central of Haitian Workers, signed on behalf of Haitian workers; and Joni Musabayana, Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, completed the signing for the ILO. Additional Haitian stakeholders joined the working sessions that preceded the signing remotely from Port-au-Prince, where the full delegation and ILO technical teams spent a full day refining program details, aligning priorities, and building consensus on how to structure existing and new development interventions to meet national goals. The finalized framework has already secured formal approval from Haiti’s Office of the Prime Minister, creating a shared roadmap for ILO technical cooperation across 2026 and 2027. This program marks the first national initiative developed under the ILO Caribbean Office’s recently expanded mandate, which added Haiti to its portfolio in a January 2026 restructuring designed to boost regional alignment and responsive support for the country.

    The program is built around four core priorities, all identified through inclusive tripartite consultation between Haiti’s three key labor sector groups. First, the initiative will work to revitalize national social dialogue, including reactivating dormant national tripartite coordination mechanisms and strengthening protections for core fundamental principles and rights at work. Second, it will support improvements to national labor governance, through upgrades to labor administration and inspection systems, expanded access to fair labor dispute resolution, and tripartite-led reform of Haiti’s national Labor Code. Third, the program will expand access to viable employment and livelihood opportunities, with targeted support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), expanded national skills development programs, and intentional inclusion of marginalized groups including youth, women, internally displaced persons, and workers employed in the informal economy. Fourth, the framework will strengthen national social protection systems, supporting institutional reforms for key social security bodies and working toward the gradual expansion of coverage to informal sector workers who currently lack protection. Cross-cutting priorities including gender equality, youth inclusion, conflict sensitivity, and climate-responsive employment and enterprise development are integrated across all four program pillars.

    Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Nelson confirmed the Haitian government’s full political backing for the program and announced that implementation would begin without delay. “The government, through the Prime Minister, has approved the proposal submitted, thereby marking an important milestone in this preparatory process,” Nelson said, praising the collaborative spirit that shaped the weeks of discussion leading up to the signing. He thanked Musabayana and all participating stakeholders for their commitment and high-quality input, adding that his technical team would immediately begin work on initial program documentation to keep the initiative on track for upcoming international labor governance processes.

    Musabayana emphasized that the program’s tripartite foundation is its greatest strength, noting that Haitian stakeholders led the process of defining their own priorities. “Haiti’s tripartite constituents have shown real leadership in defining what support they need and on what terms. This programme of work is built on that ownership. Our role as the Caribbean Office is to turn these commitments into results that Haitian workers and enterprises can feel – more productive dialogue, stronger institutions, and more decent jobs,” he said.

    ADIH President Radia framed the agreement as a rare show of cross-sector unity amid Haiti’s ongoing political and socioeconomic crisis. “Haiti, as everybody knows, is going through a major crisis. And in a crisis, when we come together as a unity, it is very positive. This brings all sectors of the country together and will allow us to work in a very formal but cooperative way,” he added.

    Worker representatives highlighted the historic nature of the new framework. Louis Fignole St Cyr noted, “It is extraordinary and it is historic. The social dialogue championed by the ILO has become a backbone for us, a foundation for the labour movement in Haiti and for trade union organizations to function within tripartism.” Yvel Admettre called for sustained momentum to embed collaborative dialogue as a core part of Haitian labor governance: “We must build a culture of dialogue. Without that culture, you will not always feel the need to come together to talk. With dialogue, we know we can find solutions even in the most difficult situations. I hope this will be a beginning, not an end.”

    The new program opens a fresh chapter in ILO’s cooperation with Haiti, which comes on the heels of the January 2026 decision to reassign Haiti to the Port of Spain-based ILO Caribbean Office, a shift designed to strengthen regional alignment and responsiveness to Haitian needs. As a founding member of the ILO since the organization’s creation in 1919, Haiti has ratified 25 ILO conventions, including eight of the organization’s 10 core Fundamental Conventions. This new national program builds on longstanding normative commitments to turn those standards into tangible, on-the-ground results for Haitian workers and employers over the next two years.

    In advance of the signing, the week-long working visit also included peer learning exchanges for the Haitian delegation with Trinidad and Tobago’s labor market institutions, including the Ministry of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development, the National Trade Union Centre, and the Employers Consultative Association. The exchanges allowed Haitian stakeholders to study good practices and lessons learned from Trinidad and Tobago’s experience in advancing social dialogue and national labor governance.

    Implementation of the program is set to begin immediately. The ILO Caribbean Office will deploy technical expertise through its existing Decent Work Team and ongoing projects in Haiti, working in close coordination with United Nations agency partners, bilateral donor governments, and Haitian national institutions. A tripartite national steering committee will oversee ongoing progress, and annual strategic reviews will be conducted to track outcomes and adjust priorities as needed. The full program is aligned with the 2025 Punta Cana Declaration for democracy, peace, decent work and social dialogue, ILO Recommendation No. 205 on Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Haiti covering 2023 to 2028.

  • BRICS-top eindigt zonder gezamenlijke verklaring door verdeeldheid over oorlog in Iran

    BRICS-top eindigt zonder gezamenlijke verklaring door verdeeldheid over oorlog in Iran

    A high-stokes 2026 BRICS gathering hosted by New Delhi has wrapped up its two-day deliberations without the bloc’s traditional joint closing statement, laid bare by deep internal divisions over the ongoing conflict involving Iran that have pitted new bloc members against one another.

    The 9-nation bloc, which expanded in 2024 to include both Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), could not overcome irreconcilable disagreements over how to frame the regional war that has spilled into cross-border attacks. Iran pushed the bloc to formally condemn military operations conducted by the United States and Israel against the country, and publicly accused the UAE — a key U.S. regional ally — of direct involvement in offensive military actions against Tehran. Since the conflict erupted in late February, Iran has launched repeated drone and missile strikes targeting UAE territory, a response that has ratcheted up tensions across the Persian Gulf.

    Speaking after the talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed that a single BRICS member state had blocked the finalization of a shared statement, stopping short of explicitly naming the UAE. He clarified that Iran’s strikes on UAE soil have exclusively targeted U.S. military assets positioned in the country, adding that he holds out hope for greater consensus on the need for regional peaceful coexistence when the bloc holds its next full summit later this year.

    As the 2026 chair of BRICS, India released a chair’s summary to wrap up the meeting, a document that openly acknowledged the divergent stances held by member states on the escalating Middle East crisis. Despite the core rift, all members reaffirmed shared commitments to open dialogue, respect for national sovereignty, adherence to international law, unimpeded access for global shipping through key international waterways, and the protection of civilian infrastructure and civilian lives.

    In a notable point of near-consensus, the bloc collectively reaffirmed the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Even this position, however, faced pushback, with one member state objecting to specific clauses of the summary related to the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

    Beyond the regional conflict, the meeting reaffirmed the bloc’s collective commitment to maintaining unity among emerging market and developing economies to address shared global challenges. These challenges include rising geopolitical tensions, global economic slowdown, rapid technological transformation, rising trade protectionism, and growing global migration pressure.

    For host nation India, the conflict carries immediate tangible economic and human costs. As the world’s third-largest importer of crude oil, India is heavily exposed to disruptions in Persian Gulf energy supplies. Iran’s effective de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — the global chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass — has directly impacted India’s energy security. This week alone, Iranian strikes have left at least three Indian seafarers dead and sank one Indian-flagged commercial vessel in the region.

    During a recent brief stopover in the UAE, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly condemned Iranian strikes on Gulf nations, and praised the UAE for its restraint and courage amid the ongoing period of heightened regional tension.

  • Powerful 6.0 earthquake rattles Eastern Caribbean

    Powerful 6.0 earthquake rattles Eastern Caribbean

    A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake shook multiple island nations and territories across the eastern Caribbean region early Saturday, according to regional correspondents. The seismic event sent tremors across a wide swathe of the Caribbean archipelago, touching 16 distinct areas including the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Caribbean Netherlands, Saint Barthélemy, Antigua and Barbuda, and Anguilla.

    Geological measurements placed the quake’s epicenter approximately 43.5 miles off the coast of Codrington, a small village located on Barbuda, one half of the dual-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. The tremor struck at approximately 10:50 a.m. local time, prompting widespread alerts across the region.

    In updated official statements following the event, authorities confirmed that no casualties or structural damage have been reported across any of the affected areas. Additionally, regional disaster management agencies have ruled out any risk of a tsunami triggered by the earthquake, easing public concerns over secondary coastal hazards.

  • Israel strikes south Lebanon day after ceasefire extension

    Israel strikes south Lebanon day after ceasefire extension

    BEIRUT, LEBANON – Just one day after Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend a fragile six-week-old ceasefire for another 45 days, the Israeli military launched a sweeping wave of airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Saturday, deepening despair among tens of thousands of already displaced Lebanese residents and casting severe doubt over the future of the truce.

    Israeli officials confirmed the strikes were targeting positions held by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Ahead of the bombardment, Israeli authorities issued an evacuation order covering nine southern Lebanese villages, triggering a new wave of civilian flight. Lebanon’s state-owned National News Agency documented strikes hitting more than 24 villages across the region, with one strike landing more than 31 miles from the Israeli-Lebanese border. Local media reported that hundreds of additional residents have fled north, seeking safety in the coastal city of Sidon and the capital Beirut.

    The ceasefire, which originally took effect on April 17, has been rattled by near-constant violations from both sides since its implementation. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement Saturday welcoming the truce extension, calling on all involved parties to honor the cessation of hostilities in full. But the agreement has done little to halt active clashes: Israel has maintained consistent strike operations inside Lebanese territory and continues to hold territory along the shared border, while Hezbollah has launched regular retaliatory attacks targeting northern Israel and Israeli military positions inside southern Lebanon – including multiple claimed assaults on Saturday.

    According to data from Lebanese authorities, more than 2,900 people have been killed in Lebanon in Israeli attacks since cross-border hostilities erupted in March. More than 400 of those deaths have occurred since the original April ceasefire went into force. For its part, Israel has confirmed 19 of its soldiers have been killed in confrontations with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

    Saturday’s strikes follow indirect negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese envoys in Washington, the latest round of talks following the first direct discussions between the two nations – which have never maintained formal diplomatic relations – in decades earlier last month. Those talks produced the agreement to extend the ceasefire, but the deal has split Lebanese political and armed factions.

    Hezbollah has rejected the US-facilitated negotiations, and issued a statement Saturday condemning the proposed security framework as a new series of unauthorized concessions made by the Lebanese government to Israel. “Many Lebanese see the extension of the ceasefire through this track as an extension of their ongoing killing and a cover for the aggression on them and their homeland,” the group’s statement read. In justifying its Saturday attack on Israeli troops in the southern Lebanese town of Khiam, Hezbollah said the action was a response to repeated Israeli ceasefire violations and attacks on southern Lebanese villages.

    For the tens of thousands of Lebanese displaced from the south by months of fighting, the gap between the announced truce extension and ongoing deadly attacks has eroded any remaining faith in the agreement. “This is not a truce as long as Israeli attacks continue against the south and its people, with deaths, injuries and destruction,” said Ali Salameh, 60, a displaced resident sheltering in a Beirut school since the war began. Many other displaced residents echoed this frustration, saying they backed Hezbollah’s continued resistance to Israeli attacks. “What kind of a truce is this when they have just threatened villages and people are being displaced? Where is the state? We stand only with the resistance,” said Nawal Mezhir, another displaced southerner.

    Lebanon’s Washington-based negotiating delegation struck a more optimistic tone in its statement Friday, welcoming the truce extension and the new US-facilitated security track. The delegation said the agreement “provides critical breathing space for our citizens, reinforce state institutions and advance a political pathway toward lasting stability.”

    The current round of cross-border hostilities began on March 2, when Hezbollah launched a large rocket barrage against Israel in retaliation for the killing of a top Iranian commander. Even before Saturday’s large-scale strikes, violence had continued through the ceasefire period: on Friday, a day before the extension was finalized, Israeli jets struck the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre, near the city’s famous ancient ruins. An AFP correspondent on the ground documented extensive destruction to the targeted neighborhood. Ibrahim Kahwaji, a tailor who suffered a leg wound in the strike, described the campaign as a deliberate effort to force civilians out of southern Lebanon. “They are emptying the south of its population… It’s a real occupation. We want a solution,” Kahwaji said.

  • Jamaica’s recovery takes centre stage as LSE alumni celebrate 130 years

    Jamaica’s recovery takes centre stage as LSE alumni celebrate 130 years

    To mark the 130th anniversary of the London School of Economics (LSE), the university’s Jamaica Alumni Chapter joined forces with NCB Capital Markets Limited to host a high-stakes leadership dialogue last week at Kingston’s popular Danya’s Coffee Barrel. The gathering brought together two top foreign diplomats stationed in Jamaica, senior financial sector leaders and local LSE graduates for a wide-ranging discussion covering career development, bilateral ties and the island’s post-disaster recovery and long-term growth trajectory.

    Both British High Commissioner to Jamaica Alicia Herbert and Canadian High Commissioner to Mark Berman, who are LSE alumni, opened up about how their time at the prestigious London institution shaped their careers in global diplomacy, before exchanging insights with fellow graduates on the decades of strong diplomatic ties their respective countries have maintained with Jamaica, and laying out shared visions for future collaboration.

    Berman outlined an optimistic outlook for Jamaica’s progress, pointing to the Jamaican government’s existing strategic plans to modernize the national agricultural sector and shift it toward a more technology-driven model. In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which hit the island in late October 2025, the newly established National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) is already overseeing recovery and resilience-focused infrastructure investments. Berman noted that this post-disaster context opens a unique window to build back better, with Canada positioned to contribute through both public sector funding and private sector investment.

    For Herbert, Hurricane Melissa made landfall just weeks after she officially began her posting as Britain’s top diplomat to Jamaica, which has placed climate resilience and sustainable development at the very top of her policy priorities. These priorities will guide all British development cooperation with Jamaica throughout her tenure. She argued that the widespread devastation caused by the storm has pushed national discussions of resilience into the mainstream, forcing stakeholders across government and the private sector to ask critical questions: What defines truly resilient infrastructure? What structural changes are needed to build a shock-resistant national economy? Far from being just a disaster, Herbert framed Hurricane Melissa as a potential turning point that could shift Jamaica onto a more sustainable long-term development path.

    Dr. Leo-Rey Gordon, head of economic and financial research and analysis at Jamaica’s National Commercial Bank, also spoke at the event, extending congratulations to LSE on 130 years of impactful global engagement and its longstanding productive connections with the Caribbean region. He noted that NCB Capital Markets was proud to partner on the anniversary event, highlighting that LSE has built a century-long legacy of nurturing global thinkers and leaders who prioritize building strong, effective institutions that drive inclusive, sustainable growth.

    Gordon added that the cross-sector leadership dialogue reinforced a core shared principle: innovation, cross-stakeholder collaboration, and purpose-driven global-local partnerships are all essential drivers of national advancement. This focus aligns directly with NCB Capital Markets’ own core strategic priorities, he said, as the institution works alongside public and private partners to build a stronger, more prosperous Jamaica.

    The event closed with attendees reaffirming their commitment to leveraging alumni networks and international partnerships to support Jamaica’s development goals in the wake of climate shocks and ongoing global economic shifts.