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  • Voter ID Replacement Programme Passes 60% Completion in Antigua and Barbuda

    Voter ID Replacement Programme Passes 60% Completion in Antigua and Barbuda

    A national voter identification card replacement program in Antigua and Barbuda has crossed the 60% completion threshold, according to the latest official data published by the country’s Electoral Commission. The commission’s April 2026 performance report reveals that a total of 31,391 applications have been fully processed since the initiative launched, with 8,040 of those applications completed in the month of April alone. This brings the nationwide completion rate to roughly 61% of all registered voters.

    Progress across the country’s 17 parliamentary constituencies has been far from uniform, with some regions recording far higher uptake than others. The constituency of St Peter leads all regions with an impressive 91% completion rate, outpacing every other area by a significant margin. Behind St Peter, the island of Barbuda sits in second place with a 78% completion rate, followed closely by St Philip North at 76%. All Saints West and St Mary’s South also rank among the top-performing regions, with both hitting or surpassing the 67% completion mark.

    Despite the strong overall national figure and high performance in several constituencies, a handful of regions are still lagging behind the national average. Both St John’s Rural South and St Mary’s North have recorded completion rates just under the 60% threshold, while St John’s City West is sitting exactly at the national average of 61%. These disparities highlight uneven outreach and participation across different parts of the twin-island nation.

    A closer look at daily processing data from the third week of April, spanning 19 to 25 April, reveals a clear pattern in workflow. Over the seven-day period, electoral officials processed 1,088 replacement ID applications. Processing activity peaked during the first half of the week, with 393 applications logged on 20 April and 335 more processed the following day. However, activity slowed dramatically over the weekend, with no applications processed between 23 April and 25 April.

    In addition to slowing weekend activity, the data also shows that the rate of new applicants joining the replacement program has dropped off in recent weeks. During that same 19–25 April period, only 148 new applications were submitted by eligible voters. This trend indicates that while officials continue to process existing applications at a steady pace, the pool of voters who have not yet initiated the replacement process is shrinking.

    To date, the Electoral Commission has not announced a firm deadline for voters to complete their ID card replacements, but officials have repeatedly urged all eligible registered voters to complete the process as soon as possible. The new, updated voter identification cards are designed to serve as a core authentication tool for all future electoral events in Antigua and Barbuda, streamlining check-in processes and strengthening the integrity of the country’s democratic processes.

  • Reparatiebedrijf Sardha doet aangifte tegen ‘Newara’ om vermeende facturen Canawaima

    Reparatiebedrijf Sardha doet aangifte tegen ‘Newara’ om vermeende facturen Canawaima

    A Surinamese repair company has launched formal legal action against a local politician, accusing him of defamation, slander, and document forgery, in a case that has amplified existing tensions over mismanagement allegations at a state-owned enterprise. On Wednesday, M.J. Sardha, a family-owned repair business based in Nickerie, filed the police report against Newalsing Nankoesing, a prominent local politician widely known by his nickname Newara.

    The conflict stems from a live social media broadcast hosted by Nankoesing, where he presented what he claimed were three official invoices from M.J. Sardha totaling more than 500,000 Surinamese dollars for work completed for Canawaima Management Company, the state-run port and ferry management firm. During the stream, Nankoesing also made public claims that Richenel Vrieze, president commissioner of Canawaima, holds hidden financial interests in M.J. Sardha, and that the business is officially registered under Vrieze’s wife’s name.

    Shaijad Sharda, legal representative for M.J. Sardha and son of the company’s owner, has forcefully refuted all of these accusations. In an interview with local outlet Starnieuws, Sharda made clear that the company never created or submitted the invoices Nankoesing displayed to Canawaima’s leadership. The business had no prior knowledge of the documents until they were spread publicly on social media, he added.

    Sharda did confirm that M.J. Sardha has carried out legitimate, contracted work for Canawaima, including major repair work on a ferry engine that remained ongoing until the controversy broke. All of the firm’s work for the state company was completed following standard transparent procurement and contracting procedures, he emphasized, pushing back on the insinuations of nepotism and conflicts of interest.

    “There is no family connection whatsoever to Mr. Vrieze. His wife does not work for our company, nor is she any relation to our family,” Sharda stated in the interview. He added that Nankoesing’s unsubstantiated claims have caused severe, lasting damage to the company’s reputation and disrupted its day-to-day operations, leaving the business with no choice but to pursue legal action.

    The legal filing comes amid a growing crisis over governance at Canawaima, with multiple officials raising alarms about ongoing irregularities at the state-owned firm. Previously, Dayanand Dwarka, chair of the union representing Canawaima workers, publicly confirmed the existence of the disputed invoices and backed claims of widespread mismanagement at the company. Separately, Lesley Daniël, Canawaima’s terminal manager, submitted a formal written report to Raymond Landveld, Suriname’s Minister of Transport, Communication and Tourism, detailing a range of alleged irregularities – including instances where the Board of Commissioners carried out operational activities that fall outside its official mandate.

    In response to the growing allegations, Minister Landveld has already announced a full overhaul of Canawaima’s leadership, confirming that the entire existing Board of Commissioners will be replaced. The new board is scheduled to be officially appointed the day after the defamation report was filed, and the minister has also ordered a full independent investigation into potential corrupt activities within the state-owned enterprise.

  • Nieuwe Raad van Commissarissen Canawaima wordt vandaag benoemd na ophef

    Nieuwe Raad van Commissarissen Canawaima wordt vandaag benoemd na ophef

    On April 23, the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Tourism of Suriname announced that a new Supervisory Board (Raad van Commissarissen, RvC) will be officially installed at the Canawaima Management Company (CMC) on the same day, according to Minister Raymond Landveld.

    CMC operates the critical ferry connection between Suriname’s South Drain and neighboring Guyana, a key transit link for cross-border travel and trade between the two South American nations. The major leadership reshuffle comes on the heels of public, serious allegations of conflict of interest that rocked the outgoing supervisory body.

    Per local media outlet Starnieuws’ verified sources, the new board will be led by Naraindeth Seopershad as president-commissioner, with Prakash Raghoebiren and Fandi Bogor joining as sitting members. The three members of the previous board – chair Richenel Vrieze, Abdul Madhar, and Edgar van Genderen – have been notified of the change, though their formal resignation process has not yet been fully completed.

    The decision to replace the entire supervisory board was reached following closed consultations between Minister Landveld and Suriname’s President Jennifer Simons. The process accelerated dramatically after the CMC workers’ union, headed by Dayanand Dwarka, formally withdrew its confidence in the old board’s leadership.

    The union had initially planned to launch industrial action to push for leadership changes, but ultimately called off the protests after reaching an agreement with Minister Landveld. The union made the concession to avoid disrupting ferry services, which would have harmed passengers relying on the cross-border connection. In return, Landveld committed to rapid intervention to address the union’s concerns – a promise that has now resulted in the full replacement of the supervisory board.

    As of the announcement, outgoing board members have not yet received a formal hearing from the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Tourism (TCT) or the President’s Cabinet, nor have they been placed on administrative leave pending the finalization of the transition.

  • Hurricane Power Athletics Club announces record turnout for 5th Annual 10K/5K Run & Walk and 2K Kids Competition

    Hurricane Power Athletics Club announces record turnout for 5th Annual 10K/5K Run & Walk and 2K Kids Competition

    Organizers based in St. John’s, Antigua have announced an unprecedented milestone for one of the island’s most anticipated community fitness events: the Hurricane Power Athletics Club confirms that pre-registrations for its 5th Annual 10K/5K Run & Walk alongside the 2K Kids competition have already hit a record high, months ahead of the event’s scheduled date of Sunday, 26 April 2026.

    The event will kick off bright and early at 6:30 a.m. local time, with all races starting and ending at the popular YASCO Grounds venue. The marked race route follows a clearly defined loop for participants: competitors will travel up Old Parham Road before turning right onto Sir Sibley Wallen Highway, then take a left onto Factory Road, before completing their race by reversing back along the same path to the finish line at YASCO Grounds.

    To make the event accessible to athletes of all ages, the organizing committee has structured tiered registration pricing that accommodates different age groups. Participants aged 16 and older will pay a $30 registration fee, while runners between 13 and 16 years old will pay a reduced rate of $20. Children aged 12 and under, competing in the 2K Kids event, will only pay $15 to take part.

    Unlike elite-only races, this annual event is intentionally designed to be inclusive for a wide range of attendees beyond competitive runners. It welcomes professional distance runners seeking a competitive challenge, recreational runners looking to test their fitness, hiking and local sporting clubs, school groups, local business teams, general fitness enthusiasts, families looking for a fun weekend activity, and casual walkers of all ability levels.

    Beyond the satisfaction of crossing the finish line, a range of prizes will be awarded to top performers across multiple categories. In addition to awards for the overall 10K and 5K winners, recognition will be given to top finishers across a wide range of age groups. Special additional prizes are also reserved for the largest participating group, as well as the top-performing club, school, and business entries.

    Anyone interested in registering a team or individual spot, or seeking additional information about race logistics, can contact the organizing committee directly by phone at 773-2089 or 725-8011.

  • Employers Must Allow Paid Time Off for Voting on Polling Day

    Employers Must Allow Paid Time Off for Voting on Polling Day

    As preparations get underway for the 2026 general elections in Antigua and Barbuda, the nation’s independent Electoral Commission has issued a formal public advisory reinforcing critical legal requirements for employers across the country, centered on protecting workers’ right to participate in democratic governance.

    The official reminder draws its authority from Section 34(1) of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, a piece of legislation first enacted in 2001 that enshrines voting access protections for employed voters. Per the statute, every employer operating in Antigua and Barbuda holds a non-negotiable legal duty to grant every eligible voter who is on their payroll a minimum of four consecutive hours of leave on polling day to travel to their polling location and cast their ballot.

    The legislation does not stop at mandating time off: it also explicitly prohibits employers from any form of retaliatory action against workers exercising this right. This includes a complete ban on wage deductions, reduced hours penalties, demotions, or any other adverse employment consequence imposed specifically because an employee takes their legally entitled time to vote.

    According to election officials, this long-standing regulatory provision was crafted to remove one of the most common barriers to electoral participation for working people. For employees with rigid shift schedules, non-flexible work hours, or jobs that pay hourly wages, taking unpaid time off to vote can create significant financial hardship that pushes many to skip casting a ballot entirely. By guaranteeing paid, uninterrupted time to vote, the regulation aims to level the playing field and ensure that every eligible citizen, regardless of their employment circumstances, has an equal and unimpeded opportunity to shape the future of their country through the ballot box.

  • Consumer Raises Concern After Finding Foreign Substance in Apple Juice

    Consumer Raises Concern After Finding Foreign Substance in Apple Juice

    A consumer has ignited widespread discussion about packaged food safety after uncovering an unidentifiable foreign contaminant in a container of Pinehill brand apple juice, leaving the public questioning existing quality control and distribution monitoring standards for retail food products.

    The affected buyer first shared their experience in a regional consumer service online forum, detailing that the unusual substance was settled at the base of a 1-litre sealed carton of the product. According to the information provided by the consumer, the affected juice has a printed expiry date of August 1, 2026, and carries a batch identification code of EY 22:41:21, meaning it is still far from its intended shelf life expiration.

    Visual materials attached to the original forum post clearly show a thick, abnormally discolored solid mass resting inside the already opened juice carton, confirming the consumer’s account of the unexpected contamination. As of the time this report is being published, neither the manufacturing company behind the Pinehill brand nor any of its authorized local distributors have issued an official statement addressing the complaint, nor have they released any preliminary investigation findings related to the incident.

    Industry experts note that food safety incidents involving contamination in pre-packaged beverages can stem from a range of sources. Common causes include unsanitary processing conditions during production, improper temperature or storage handling throughout the distribution chain, or unforeseen premature spoilage that does not align with the printed expiry date. When a formal complaint is lodged with authorities, such cases are routinely taken up for full investigation by local public health agencies or consumer protection departments, which are tasked with determining the root cause and holding responsible parties accountable.

    For consumers who encounter similar situations where they suspect a purchased food or beverage product is contaminated, public health officials routinely issue guidance recommending that individuals immediately preserve the original product packaging, retain all identifying batch and expiration information, and file a formal report with local health or consumer standards agencies to launch an official inquiry.

  • Column: Voeg de daad bij het woord: Kraka Green Guardians baka!

    Column: Voeg de daad bij het woord: Kraka Green Guardians baka!

    A recent 1-0 defeat for NAC Breda at the hands of Go Ahead Eagles has sparked widespread upheaval across Dutch football, with what began as an isolated relegation-battle eligibility dispute quickly escalating into a systemic crisis touching dozens of players, two national football associations and club immigration policies.

    The controversy centers on the eligibility of players representing Suriname’s senior men’s national team, the Green Guardians. What started as a challenge over one reportedly ineligible player in NAC Breda’s squad expanded dramatically, with multiple Suriname international players plying their trade in the Dutch club system facing severe disciplinary action from their employers. For some players, the situation has escalated beyond internal club discipline, requiring them to apply for new work permits just to retain access to club facilities and their playing contracts, creating profound uncertainty over their professional and immigration status in the Netherlands.

    For the players caught in the crossfire, the past weeks have been fraught with confusion and frustration. Many in the Dutch football ecosystem have rushed to judgment without examining the core facts of the case, including one glaring question that has yet to be answered: why is this eligibility issue being raised more than six years after the players first represented Suriname?

    The response from key stakeholders has only deepened the chaos. The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has adopted a hands-off approach, declining to issue formal sanctions or guidance on the dispute. In contrast, Dutch clubs holding contracts with Suriname internationals have implemented harsh, immediate measures. Several players returning from international duty with Suriname were barred from club training and facilities upon their arrival back in the Netherlands. In the most extreme cases, players were referred to the Immigratie en Naturalisatie Dienst (IND), the Dutch immigration service, with their right to reside and work in the Netherlands called into question – even for players who previously held Dutch nationality.

    Most notably, the Surinaamse Voetbal Bond (SVB), the national governing body of Suriname football that has been hardest hit by this controversy, has remained completely silent on the issue more than two weeks after the dispute first erupted. The SVB’s failure to issue a clear public stance has only amplified uncertainty for all involved. Recent observations that Suriname fielded only locally based players for a recent women’s international match has fueled widespread speculation that the SVB may abandon its longstanding policy of calling up Suriname-born professional players based in European leagues, including the Netherlands, moving forward.

    For Dutch clubs, the outcome so far has delivered an unintended win: the dispute has effectively halted the SVB’s practice of calling up players based in the Netherlands, a policy that had frustrated clubs for years due to the long-haul travel required for international fixtures, which left players fatigued and unavailable for club commitments.

    If the SVB continues to refrain from addressing the crisis publicly, the future of its “New Style National Team” project – built around integrating Europe-based Suriname-origin players – will be left hanging by a thread. While thorough investigation of the dispute takes time, a two-week silence rooted in the hope that the controversy will simply fade away is not a viable strategy. No stakeholder benefits from prolonged uncertainty, and even after this crisis resolves, professional players of Suriname origin will almost certainly think twice before agreeing to represent the Green Guardians going forward.

    The SVB does not just owe a public stance to the football community: it has a responsibility to support the players caught in this difficult situation and deliver clear, accurate information to fans and stakeholders. The association needs to match its slogan “w’e kraka Green Guardians baka” with action, rather than hiding from scrutiny. Instead of delivering unchallenged monologues to select media outlets, the SVB must organize a public press conference to provide much-needed clarity on an issue that has divided football communities across the Netherlands and Suriname for weeks.

  • Minister Soeropawiro belooft doorbraak in slepende grondkwestie Mariënburg

    Minister Soeropawiro belooft doorbraak in slepende grondkwestie Mariënburg

    On April 23, a landmark public gathering between senior Surinamese government officials and residents of Mariënburg brought long-simmering land rights issues in the region to the forefront of national policy action, with top leaders announcing an end to delayed talks and the launch of a targeted, case-by-case resolution process.

    Thousands of local residents packed the venue of the meeting, held by the Ministry of Land and Forest Management, after years of waiting for formal clarification on their legal land ownership claims. For decades, Mariënburg residents have navigated systemic uncertainty around land tenure, with repeated unfulfilled promises from previous administrations leaving deep public distrust.

    Opening the meeting, Minister of Land and Forest Management Stanley Soeropawiro delivered a clear, uncompromising message to attendees: the phase of rhetorical commitment is over, and tangible, on-the-ground action is set to begin immediately. “Let me be perfectly clear,” Soeropawiro stated. “If our government can successfully resolve complex challenges like illegal land occupation, there is no credible reason why the decades-long issues in Mariënburg cannot be fixed.”

    Bronto Somohardjo, chair of the Standing Committee on Land Affairs in the National Assembly, echoed the minister’s commitment, drawing a clear distinction between the current administration’s approach and pre-election political performativity criticized by local residents. “We are not here today to play politics,” Somohardjo emphasized. “If that were our goal, we would have followed the same playbook as the VHP: call you in right before an election, hand you a meaningless piece of paper with no legal standing, and disappear. That is not what the people of Mariënburg deserve.”

    Instead of empty promises, the ministry has rolled out a new, community-centered resolution strategy: direct documentation collection and individual case assessment. Local residents have been formally called on to submit all relevant paperwork supporting their claims, including land allocation letters, payment receipts, and formal plot boundary information. Officials will review each dossier individually to develop targeted, long-term structural solutions that resolve tenure uncertainty permanently.

    Soeropawiro framed the public gathering as an official turning point for the region, saying, “The era of waiting and uncertainty must come to an end. We will now work step by step to deliver clarity, justice, and solutions that last.” The ministry’s core priority throughout this process is to rebuild fractured public trust: rather than relying solely on communication, officials have committed to delivering visible, measurable results that address the community’s decades-old grievances.

  • Young Technician, Jamir Cambranes, Found Dead Off Boom/Hattieville Road

    Young Technician, Jamir Cambranes, Found Dead Off Boom/Hattieville Road

    A promising young life in Belize City has been cut short by an apparent senseless killing, leaving family, colleagues, and local community reeling from shock and grief as law enforcement works to unravel the circumstances of the crime.

    Nineteen-year-old Jamir Cambranes, a technician at local firm Mars Distributors, left his Euphrates Avenue home on a bicycle between 7 and 8 p.m. on Tuesday to meet two acquaintances who were traveling in a silver Chevy Equinox. In an uncharacteristic move, he shared his real-time phone location with his girlfriend before the meeting. When three hours passed with no response to repeated calls and text messages, and his location appeared stationary, his girlfriend alerted Cambranes’ older brother.

    The brother immediately rode out to the location marked by the phone’s GPS, ultimately making a grim discovery: Jamir Cambranes’ lifeless body dumped in bushes off the Boom/Hattieville Road. The finding was reported to police just before 2 a.m. on Wednesday, April 22, marking the start of an official homicide investigation.

    “The entire family is completely stumped. This was a young, productive kid, and whoever took him and did this are nothing less than animals,” Alfonso Noble, Cambranes’ uncle, told reporters. He added that the family’s devastating loss is compounded by a disturbing trend playing out across the community: “It’s become the norm now that we’re just grateful to find our loved ones’ bodies. Just last week, another mother said the same thing after her son was killed. This young man did nothing to deserve this.”

    Police confirmed that the silver Chevy Equinox linked to the meeting has been seized as evidence, and investigators are processing the vehicle for forensic clues. In a press briefing, Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith clarified that this vehicle is a separate automobile from the silver Equinox previously sought in connection with the high-profile disappearance of Deborah “Bree” Arthurs, dismissing public speculation connecting the two cases.

    “Our investigation was launched at 1:56 a.m. Wednesday, after Ladyville Crimes Investigation Branch officers received word of the body found along the Boom/Hattieville Road,” Smith explained. “We have confirmed Cambranes left his home before 8 p.m. to meet two people he knew, and the search launched by his family after he failed to respond to calls is what ultimately led to the discovery of his body.”

    Cambranes had been connected to Mars Distributors for nearly six years, starting work at the shop as a young teen before becoming a full official employee once he came of age. His supervisor, John Marsden, said the entire staff is struggling to cope with the sudden loss of a young man they considered family, not just a coworker.

    “Jamir was like a little brother to all of us. Yesterday we saw him, today we’ll never see him walk through that door again. It’s been incredibly hard for everyone to process what happened,” Marsden said. He also described Cambranes as an alert, cautious young man who would never have agreed to go anywhere with people he did not trust: “He knew his surroundings, he could read when something was off. Whoever he went with last night was definitely someone he knew.”

    As of Wednesday evening, police remained in a manhunt for the two Belize City-based suspects believed to be responsible for Cambranes’ killing. The family has publicly demanded urgent answers, calling for a swift conclusion to the investigation to deliver justice for the slain 19-year-old.

  • A Corozal Father is Gunned Down in Front of His Family

    A Corozal Father is Gunned Down in Front of His Family

    On a quiet residential street in northern Belize’s Corozal District, a senseless act of gun violence has torn apart a local family and left an entire community on edge. On the evening of Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 55-year-old Santos Antonio Escobar was gunned down by an unidentified lone attacker while he gathered with close relatives outside his home on Corozal Town’s 5th Street North.

    Local law enforcement launched an immediate investigation into the killing, one of two shootings at the same location in just six weeks. According to Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith, the incident unfolded when a male suspect approached the group socializing outside the residence and fired multiple rounds directly at the gathering. Escobar suffered life-threatening injuries from the gunfire and was rushed immediately to Corozal Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The two other family members with Escobar escaped the attack without physical harm.

    Visible signs of the violence remain etched into the neighborhood days after the attack: dark, dried blood stains mark the ground where Escobar fell, and bullet holes still puncture the wooden fence behind which he stood. Local residents report being deeply unsettled by the attack, noting that this shooting is not an isolated act of violence—an earlier shooting at the exact same location occurred on March 9.

    Investigators have not yet confirmed any connection between the two incidents, though they are actively exploring that line of inquiry. Thus far, no clear motive for the fatal attack has been established. Smith confirmed that law enforcement has recovered multiple surveillance footage recordings from the surrounding area, which investigators hope will yield critical clues to identify and locate the shooter. As of Thursday, police officers have been canvassing the neighborhood, conducting door-to-door interviews with residents and collecting any additional video evidence that could advance the case. No arrests have been announced.

    Corozal Town Mayor Rigo Vellos publicly extended his deepest condolences to the Escobar family, who remembered Santos as a loving father who avoided conflict. Vellos emphasized that the recent wave of gun violence does not align with the community’s core values, and praised local law enforcement for their exhaustive efforts to solve the case and prevent future violence. The mayor issued a urgent plea to young people in the district to lay down their weapons, warning that “if you live by the gun, eventually it comes back haunting you.” He called for unified community action, urging residents to resolve conflicts through dialogue rather than violence to restore safety to Corozal Town’s neighborhoods.

    This report from Shane Williams, News Five, Corozal Town.