International

US to Negotiate with Regional Governments on Hiring of Cuban Doctors

US special envoy to the Caribbean and Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone, says the United States intends to negotiate a mechanism with Caribbean governments regarding the hiring of Cuban doctors.

The US has threatened visa restrictions for nations who benefit from Cuban medical missions. They deem the programme as a form of forced labour and trafficking on the part of the Cuban government.

Several countries in the Caribbean rely heavily on Cuban medical missions to supplement local staff.

The special envoy says the US wants a united voice against human trafficking, in favour of international labour laws. He says they look forward to reaching a deal that allows Caribbean governments to directly hire Cuban doctors.

International

CARNEY’S LIBERAL PARTY VICTORIOUS

Mark Carney’s Liberal Party is projected to win enough seats to form a government in the Canadian elections which were held yesterday, April 28th

The party is still short of the majority but Carney is set to remain Prime Minister of Canada, a post he held for only two months following Justin Trudeau’s resignation.

Media reports state that the spectacular electoral comeback was fuelled in part by US President Donald Trump’s language, the trade war and economic threats.

Meanwhile the conservative leader and Carney’s main rival Pierre Poilievre has been projected to lose his seat.

Results at this time are:

Liberal – 168

Conservative- 144

Bloc Quebecois – 23

International

UK Trade Relationship With EU ‘More Important’ than with US

The UK chancellor has told the BBC that the UK’s trade relationship with the European Union, EU, is arguably “more important” than the one it has with the United States.

Rachel Reeves suggested that moving closer to the EU on trade was a bigger priority, despite her current focus on talks with the US.

After her meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last Friday, Reeves tweeted that both the UK and US want a deal that is “in both our national interests”.

Earlier this week, she signalled the UK could lower tariffs on US car imports from their current 10 per cent to 2.5 per cent as part of a wider deal.

The UK is preparing for a summit with the EU in May in an attempt to “reset” the relationship between the two.

International

CANADIANS GO TO THE POLLS TODAY

Canadians are casting their ballots today Monday April 28th, in a pivotal election that has been completely transformed by US President Donald Trump.

The Conservatives appeared certain to win any contest by a landslide at the start of the year, until Trump’s tariffs and barbs about making Canada the “51st state” upended the country’s politics and injected fresh life into Mark Carney’s Liberal Party.

The final polls suggest the Liberals are slightly ahead, although the race has tightened in the past week and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says his party can win.

The 36-day campaign ended on a sombre note as party leaders responded to the Saturday evening car ramming that killed 11 people in Vancouver.

Carney, the incumbent prime minister, cancelled a stop in Hamilton on Sunday morning to address the nation following the attack, which saw an SUV ram into a crowd gathered for a local Filipino festival.