By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News
Barbados PM Rejects Claims That Minimum Wage Increase Will Raise Food Prices
In Barbados, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has rejected claims that the recent minimum wage increase will result in higher food prices. Speaking in the House of Assembly, Mottley said such claims are misleading and fail to consider government policies aimed at reducing the cost of living.
Her remarks were in response to businessman Andrew Bynoe, Managing Director of A1 Supermarkets, who warned that businesses may pass the June 1 wage increase on to consumers. Mottley countered by noting that corporate tax cuts never resulted in lower prices, urging businesses instead to adjust their profit margins.
“I completely reject the assertion that food prices must increase because of the minimum wage,” Mottley stated.
She pointed to freight subsidies and economic support programs as evidence of the government’s commitment to absorbing inflationary shocks.
Trinidad: Second Suspect in Attempted Murder of Prison Officer Dies from Injuries
In Trinidad and Tobago, a second suspect in the attempted murder of prison officer Goendra Balabin has died.
Jesse Belfon, believed to have been the shooter, succumbed to injuries sustained after he was thrown from a getaway car during the June 20 ambush on Orange Grove Road. A third suspect, identified at the scene, is now being sought by authorities.
Officer Balabin, 38, was shot multiple times and remains hospitalized with serious injuries, including fractures, and is awaiting hip replacement surgery. Police believe the attack may be linked to a previous conflict involving a relative of an inmate at Balabin’s place of work.
Gaza: Israel Halts Northern Aid as Humanitarian Access Faces Scrutiny
In international news, Israel has suspended humanitarian aid deliveries to northern Gaza following reports that Hamas operatives may have seized supplies. Aid deliveries to the southern region of Gaza continue, officials confirmed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to develop a plan to prevent aid diversion. A video surfaced showing armed men riding on aid trucks, prompting increased scrutiny of relief distribution.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is supported by both the U.S. and Israel, remains the only organization permitted to deliver aid at this time. A spokesperson confirmed that the group was exempt from the two-day suspension and continued distribution efforts on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the High Commission for Tribal Affairs in Gaza claimed local clans, not Hamas, were protecting the trucks. The militant group, which has ruled Gaza for more than two decades but has lost territorial control due to the conflict, has denied any involvement in the reported aid seizures.
