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Commonsense, Not Confrontation: Why Kamla Persad-Bissessar Is Right

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This debate did not start with Donald Trump, and it did not start this month.

For more than a decade, this reporter has had a front-row seat to repeated, urgent calls from across the Caribbean for stronger intervention by the United States in response to gun- and narcotics-fuelled violence that has hollowed out our communities. Long before today’s headlines, leaders warned that transnational gangs were outgunning police, draining public resources and stealing our youngest people.

Much of the public messaging leaned toward calls for fewer guns flowing from the United States, but the practical response from Washington evolved into something else: tactical undergirding of the Caribbean. Training, intelligence sharing, maritime surveillance and joint operations expanded under successive U.S. administrations — Republican and Democrat alike.

Then came Venezuela.

President Nicolás Maduro proved himself an unhinged and destabilising force, openly threatening Guyana’s oil-rich territory and pushing the region to the brink of a conflict no Caribbean state could afford. The United States showed up. The threat of war was blunted. That mattered.

But while geopolitical flames were contained, the narcotics trade exploded.

CARICOM convened emergency meetings on transnational gang violence. Crime became so pervasive that it was formally classified as a public health threat. Entire communities were terrorised. Courts clogged. Police forces stretched beyond capacity.

And now — quietly but noticeably — the tempo has shifted.

While no single forensic study can capture the full picture, it is easily verifiable on the ground that major narcotics busts and trafficking activity have slowed in recent months. Something has changed. Pressure works.

This is the reality Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is responding to.

Her critics accuse her of breaking ranks. What she is actually doing is refusing to indulge in strategic hypocrisy — demanding international help to confront narco-terrorism while appearing to defend or excuse the very networks and actors we have spent years condemning.

Sovereignty is not an insult. The Caribbean invokes it constantly. To deny it to the United States — especially when the policies in question were telegraphed months in advance and remain adjustable — is not diplomacy. It is posturing.

What is most troubling is the region’s selective memory. CARICOM has directed months of rhetorical fire at Trump-era policies, yet when disaster struck — from security crises to Hurricane Melissa — the United States remained one of the region’s most reliable supporters. Outcomes matter more than allegiance theatre.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar is not suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. She is applying commonsense statecraft. She understands that small states do not gain leverage by moral outrage alone, and that credibility is lost when we appear aligned with individuals, regimes or activities we ourselves have deemed a threat.

Her warning to CARICOM is simple and necessary: do not undermine your own cause.

The Caribbean’s fight against narco-violence, corruption and instability has been long, costly and painful. If pressure is finally producing results, we should be wise enough to recognise it — and brave enough to say so.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

Bahamas News

Royal Bahamas Police Force – ARRAIGNMENT NOTICE

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The Bahamas, August 27, 2026 – The Royal Bahamas Police Force wishes to inform members of the public that several individuals are scheduled to appear before the Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 27th August 2026, at 12:00 noon.

The individuals and charges are as follows:

An 18-year-old female is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:

Three (3) counts of Murder
Three (3) counts of Attempted Murder
Three (3) counts of Possession of a Firearm with Intent to Endanger Life
Three (3) counts of Possession of an Unlicensed Firearm
Two (2) counts of Possession of Ammunition
Armed Robbery
Abetment to Armed Robbery
Stealing
Receiving

The charges stem from three separate shooting incidents and an armed robbery that occurred on Friday, 21st August 2026, and Saturday, 22nd August 2026.

The first shooting occurred in the area of Soldier Road and Baillou Hill Road, resulting in the death of a 51-year-old male.

The second shooting occurred in the area of Joe Farrington Road, resulting in the death of a 52-year-old male.

The third shooting occurred in the area of Gladstone Road, resulting in the death of a 36-year-old male.

The armed robbery occurred at a business establishment in the area of Carmichael Road and Baillou Hill Road.

A 21-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on one charge of:

  • Murder

The charge stems from a shooting incident that occurred on Tuesday, 21st July 2026, in the area of Samson Street, Nassau Village, which resulted in the death of a 28-year-old male.

A 32-year-old male is scheduled to be arraigned on the following charges:

  • Murder
  • Attempted Murder

These charges stem from a shooting incident that occurred on Wednesday, 24th December 2025, in the area of Graham Drive, Yellow Elder, which resulted in the death of a 25-year-old male.

 

RBPF, PACD

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Saunders Tells Caribbean Media: Be Seen, Be Heard – But What About TCI

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by Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

PROVIDENCIALES, TCI — In a country where government press conferences are virtually non-existent, ministers are often difficult for journalists to access and regular broadcast television news has disappeared, TCI Innovation, Technology and Energy Minister E. Jay Saunders has challenged Caribbean media to become “impossible to ignore.”

Speaking at the Caribbean Broadcasting Union gathering, Saunders argued that the Caribbean does not have a relevance problem but a “discoverability and positioning problem.”

Discoverability is precisely the issue in Saunders’ home country. Even Government’s own attempts at video news broadcasting have struggled against the realities of consistently producing a daily, weekly or even monthly newscast.

The difficulties confronting TCI media extend well beyond algorithms: limited advertising revenue, underfunding, shortages of trained professionals and insufficient human capacity leave newsrooms struggling for both staff and stamina.

Then there is the reality of operating in one of the region’s smallest societies. Politicians, journalists, advertisers, businesses and the subjects of stories often exist within the same tight economic and social circles. A controversial report that might create a ripple elsewhere can produce a tsunami in TCI, intensifying concerns among journalists about commercial and professional victimisation.

Saunders believes AI can help.

He urged Caribbean media to use the technology to transform one original story into television, radio, web, podcast, social and translated content without multiplying newsroom workload.

He also wants regional journalism structured so AI systems can find, understand and trust Caribbean sources, moving media beyond traditional SEO into Answer Engine Optimisation.

His ultimate message was emphatic: “Use AI not to make Caribbean media more artificial — but to make Caribbean voices more visible.”

For Turks and Caicos media, however, becoming visible may require more than technology. It requires an environment in which journalism can survive.

That last sentence is where I think we land the plane. It acknowledges that EJ actually has some us

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Bahamas News

Bahama Brass Band Invitation Sparks Heritage Debate Ahead of TCI Constitutional Holiday

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Turks and Caicos, August 20, 2026 – The planned participation of the Bahama Brass Band in the Turks and Caicos Islands’ inaugural Constitutional Holiday celebrations on August 30 has sparked public debate over culture, heritage and the historical contributions of Turks and Caicos Islanders abroad.

Organizers defended the invitation, saying the band’s inclusion is intended to highlight the deep historical ties between the two countries and honor Turks and Caicos men who helped establish and develop the institution in Grand Bahama.

According to the organizers, the Bahama Brass Band began in 1955 in Pine Ridge, Freeport, with Turks and Caicos Islanders, including the late Deacon Reuben Hall Sr. of Middle Caicos and Jenkins Williams and Mervin Hendfield of North Caicos, among those who helped build its foundation. The band eventually grew to more than 50 men.

The organizers also pointed to the participation of Turks and Caicos men in The Bahamas’ Independence celebrations on July 10, 1973, arguing that their contributions became part of Bahamian history while maintaining strong connections to their homeland.

Supporters say bringing the band home represents an opportunity to honor those pioneers, showcase their regional influence and expose younger generations to an important part of Turks and Caicos history.

However, concerns raised publicly described the invitation as potentially disrespectful to local culture and heritage. Organizers acknowledged those concerns, apologizing to anyone who felt overlooked or offended, while maintaining that no disrespect was intended.

The committee said the event should ultimately unite rather than divide, presenting the band’s history as evidence of the reach and resilience of Turks and Caicos heritage.

PHOTO CREDIT: Bahamas Brass Band

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