By| ANTONIO DEY | HGP Nightly News|
CARICOM: St. Lucia PM Calls for “Telephone Diplomacy” Amid Leadership Row
CASTRIES, ST. LUCIA — Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre is urging his fellow Caribbean leaders to pick up the phone and stop the public “drama” currently threatening the unity of the regional bloc. Addressing the ongoing dispute over the reappointment of Dr. Carla Barnett as CARICOM Secretary-General, Pierre shied away from taking sides, instead advocating for direct communication.
- “Use the Phone”: “I really wish CARICOM prime ministers would speak more to each other,” Pierre stated during a Cabinet press conference. “A phone call… that’s what I want to see. I don’t want to get involved in that to create more drama.”
- The “Uninvited” Claim: The controversy intensified over the weekend as Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar publicly dismissed a clarification from CARICOM Chairman Dr. Terrance Drew. Dr. Drew maintained that Port of Spain was not excluded from the retreat where the decision was made.
- The Minutes Demand: Persad-Bissessar has now taken to social media to demand “time-stamped” copies of the meeting minutes and official documents, insisting that Trinidad and Tobago was “deliberately uninvited” to the crucial session.
Jamaica: Domestic Disputes Driving Violent Crime Surge in Clarendon
CLARENDON, JAMAICA — Police in the parish of Clarendon are sounding the alarm over a “troubling trend,” revealing that the vast majority of homicides this year are not gang-related, but the result of domestic conflict.
- The Statistics: Of the 13 murders recorded in the parish since January 1st, a staggering nine have been directly linked to domestic violence—many involving intimate partners.
- Breaking the Cycle: Inspector Graham Evangelist noted that while only one murder this year has been classified as gang-related, the surge in domestic fatalities is a major hurdle in the police’s goal to keep the parish’s annual murder count under 50.
- Police Strategy: The Clarendon Police are reportedly pivoting their community safety strategy to focus more on conflict resolution and domestic intervention to curb the violence before it turns fatal.
International: US Blockade Begins as Sanctioned Ships Breach Strait of Hormuz
THE PERSIAN GULF — Despite the official commencement of a high-stakes U.S. naval blockade on Monday, several Iran-linked vessels have successfully navigated the Strait of Hormuz, raising questions about the immediate effectiveness of the operation.
- The Breach: Analysis from BBC Verify shows at least four Iran-linked ships, including the sanctioned tanker Murlikishan and the bulk carrier Christianna, crossed the Strait on Tuesday. Experts suggest these vessels may be using “spoofing” technology to broadcast false GPS coordinates and evade detection.
- The Blockade Rules: The U.S. military, acting on orders from Vice-President JD Vance, has stated it will only block traffic to and from Iranian ports. Commercial vessels heading to non-Iranian ports in the Gulf are reportedly being allowed through to avoid a total collapse of global trade.
- Global Condemnation: China’s Foreign Ministry has slammed the move as “dangerous and irresponsible,” warning that the blockade—which Vance dubbed a response to Iranian “economic terrorism”—will only exacerbate regional tensions. Iran has officially labeled the blockade a “blatant violation of its national sovereignty.”
