US, Iran to talk Sunday as Tehran says it closed Strait of Hormuz again

TYRE, Lebanon (AP):

United States and Iranian negotiators headed to a Swiss venue Saturday for talks on adding key details to their interim agreement to halt the war, hours after Tehran said it closed the Strait of Hormuz because of Israel's attacks in Lebanon and warned that little might be achieved if the fighting doesn't stop.

US President Donald Trump, in response, unleashed a new threat to impose American tolls in the crucial waterway if a final deal with Iran isn't reached in 60 days, saying the money would be for "services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East". The agreement calls for toll-free travel for 60 days.

The announcements indicated a rough start to the technical-level talks that key mediator Pakistan said will begin Sunday, with Qatari mediators also participating.

US Vice President J.D. Vance left for Switzerland on Saturday evening, just as Iranian state TV posted video showing Iran's negotiators arriving there. They are led by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and include Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and central bank and oil officials, among others. The deal calls for billions of dollars of Iran's assets to be unfrozen.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir also left for Switzerland late Saturday.

Talks were meant to start Friday, but the Iranians canceled plans to attend because of escalating fighting in Lebanon. Negotiators for the US and Qatar, with help from Iran, worked out an agreement between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group to tamp down hostilities, according to U.S. and regional officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Vance told reporters he would be in Switzerland "for a day or two" but was optimistic about making progress in talks about Iran's nuclear programme and on a ceasefire in southern Lebanon. He earlier confirmed that top negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland.

But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told state TV that negotiations toward a final agreement will begin once key commitments are upheld. If they are not, "the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardized."

The strait once again becomes a challenge

The strait has emerged again as a focus. Iran's joint military command said it was closed because of the US "clear breach of its commitments" by failing to end the war. The interim deal is meant to stop fighting on all fronts, including Lebanon.

The US disputed Iran's announcement.

NEWS BRIEFS - Ewarton man charged after fatal WCup dispute

The police have charged the man accused of fatally stabbing his nephew during a dispute over the volume of a television during a World Cup football match.

Twenty-five-year-old Chad Campbell, a labourer of Ewarton, St Catherine, was charged with murder on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as 23-year-old Lamar Mullings, also of Ewarton.

A court date is being finalised for his appearance.

The charge stems from an incident about 8 p.m. on June 17, at Campbell's home in Ewarton.

It is alleged that a dispute developed between Campbell and Mullings after the latter requested that the television volume be turned down.

The request was reportedly refused, and a physical altercation ensued. 

During the tussle, Campbell allegedly used a knife to inflict a wound to Mullings' chest.

Mullings was assisted to the Linstead Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police urge caution when buying beef

The Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Agricultural Protection Branch (APB) is warning the public to exercise caution when purchasing beef following the illegal slaughter of eight cows in Clarendon between Friday and Saturday.

Reports from the Area 3 APB Team are that about 1:30 am Saturday, a farmer discovered that eight of his cows had been stolen. The animals were later discovered slaughtered near the P.J. Patterson Highway in the vicinity of St Jago Road and Duke Street in Clarendon.

The perpetrators have not been apprehended, and investigations into the matter are ongoing.

The APB is warning the public against purchasing beef from unknown or unverified sources within the area, as the illegally slaughtered animals did not undergo the mandatory veterinary inspection required to determine their suitability for human consumption.

NHF announces more subsidies for cardiovascular medications

The National Health Fund (NHF) has increased subsidies on 18 cardiovascular drug items, with increases ranging from $40 to more than $200 per tablet/capsule.

These adjustments provide immediate financial relief for patients prescribed critical cholesterol-lowering and lipid-regulating medications, as well as treatments for ischaemic heart disease and hypertension, the NHF said in a press release.

According to the NHF, since the beginning of the year, the Fund has also added 11 new drug labels and increased subsidies for 207 hypertension drug items by an average of 10 per cent to 20 per cent. 

These strategic increases were implemented to ensure that average hypertension subsidies now cover roughly 50 per cent of the total cost of these medications, directly softening the impact of rising prices for beneficiaries, the NHF said, adding that this targeted support is vital, as hypertension remains the most prevalent chronic condition on the NHFCard programme and a primary driver of cardiovascular disease.