Power & Water Disruption: Jamaica’s islandwide blackout left households and businesses in the dark after lightning-linked damage triggered a “cascading effect,” with JPS reporting phased restoration and water supply still affected for tens of thousands of customers; the OUR has demanded reports from JPS and Energy Minister Daryl Vaz called the outage “unacceptable,” while NWC said major systems are being brought back as tanks are recharged. Housing Finance: In the Senate, Christian Tavares-Finson backed continued NHT withdrawals for budget support but warned drawdowns shouldn’t become permanent, as the bill clears to allow $11.4b over five years. Workforce Development: Jamaica is “future-proofing” jobs via a National Employment Policy partnership with the ILO, aiming to prepare for tech change, climate shocks and the platform economy. Youth & Social Support: Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation gets a $4.5m boost to strengthen programmes for adolescent mothers. Governance & Risk: Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Haiti lowest in the Caribbean, while Jamaica’s own innovation and modern-economy building blocks face criticism in Parliament. Regional Connectivity: New airline interline partnerships in the Eastern Caribbean target smoother travel and less fragmented airlift.