Carib Scope

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  • WI Women hunt fourth straight ODI win

    WI Women hunt fourth straight ODI win

    A new chapter of women’s one-day international cricket gets underway in Harare on Thursday, as the West Indies Women take on Zimbabwe in the opening fixture of their six-point ICC Women’s Championship series, with the Caribbean side gunning for a fourth consecutive ODI victory.

    West Indies head into the contest riding high on momentum, having secured three straight wins during their tour of Ireland back in July. That run of form has left them fifth in the latest ICC ODI rankings, a solid position as they push for automatic qualification to the next 50-over World Cup. The hosts, by contrast, enter the series searching for their first win in five consecutive ODI outings against Pakistan and New Zealand, and sit 10th in the global rankings. This series marks a key milestone for Zimbabwe, which is competing in its first year as a full member of the ICC Championship.

    There have been several key changes to the West Indies squad ahead of the series. All-rounder Chinelle Henry has made a full recovery from the injury she sustained during the T20 World Cup in June and is available for selection, star all-rounder Deandra Dottin will miss the entire tour after being granted personal leave. Skipper Hayley Matthews will lead the side through the ODI leg of the tour before stepping away for the subsequent three-match T20 series to take planned leave.

    In pre-series press comments, Matthews emphasized her squad’s excitement to return to international action in Zimbabwe, and warned against underestimating the growing host side. “I think all the girls are happy to be back and are looking forward to the series. Zimbabwe are obviously a growing team in their first year within the ICC championship, so I know they’re certainly going to be coming out hard and playing some really good cricket,” Matthews said. “They are certainly a side that we can’t underestimate, even though they’re pretty new. We’re still going to need to be playing really well to get the results we want.”

    While a series win is the team’s immediate priority, Matthews highlighted that the six championship points on offer are critical to the side’s long-term goal of securing automatic World Cup qualification. A full series sweep would catapult West Indies into a far stronger qualifying position, putting them on track to lock in their spot with strong performances through the rest of 2024 and 2025. “The games here are going to be very important. I think when you look at where we are in the table, automatic qualification for that next World Cup will be very crucial for us. To try to come down here and be able to take all six points, that’s certainly the goal for us,” Matthews explained.

    Matthews also noted that transitioning from the shorter T20 format, which her side has played extensively in recent months, to 50-over cricket should pose no major issues for the experienced squad. “It’s obviously a longer format. You’ve got a bit more time at the crease, so you probably need to be more consistent in areas with the ball. I feel like we’ve certainly played enough ODI cricket as a team that we understand what we want to do and the way we want to go about playing, even though we’ve been on the back of a lot of T20 cricket,” she added.

    For Zimbabwe captain Josephine Nkomo, hosting the series is a momentous occasion, particularly with a young, hungry squad at her disposal. “We’ve got a bunch of youngsters and I’m super excited that I got the opportunity to lead them. What makes it more special is that it’s on home turf,” Nkomo said. The skipper framed her side’s goal simply: compete hard, play positive cricket, and prove that results can come down to performance, not reputation. “The goal is just to compete, just go out there, just be positive [because] at the end of the day, cricket is a game of bat and ball and not names or anything like that,” she explained.

    Nkomo added that the team has had plenty of recent competitive game time, which she believes will help the side turn around its current winless streak and deliver an improved performance in front of home fans. She also made a public appeal for local supporters to turn out in force, noting that fan energy lifted the team during recent matches in Bulawayo. “I would really appreciate it if we could have people coming out to support us. When we played in Bulawayo, we had quite a number of fans turning up, and that was quite a good atmosphere for us, which made us just continue pushing and fighting till the last ball. If we could have some numbers coming through, that would be great,” Nkomo said.

  • Justice Persaud’s US visa ‘sanction’ raises questions of judiciary’s independence- Justice Abel

    Justice Persaud’s US visa ‘sanction’ raises questions of judiciary’s independence- Justice Abel

    On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, a prominent Caribbean legal scholar with deep roots in Guyana delivered a stark warning to delegates at the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association (CMJA) Annual Conference in Kingston, Jamaica. Retired Belize High Court judge Courtney Abel, who currently heads the University of Guyana’s Department of Law and has previously led two of the region’s most influential bar associations, argued that the recent United States decision to block serving Guyanese judge Gino Persaud from transiting through Florida en route to the conference has far-reaching ramifications for judicial independence across small and postcolonial states.

    The incident dates back to last Saturday, when Persaud was barred from boarding his connecting flight by commercial airline staff after his US visa was flagged as under active review. Persaud has remained silent on the episode, but context surrounding the visa move has sparked widespread concern among legal professionals.

    Persaud made a recent high-profile ruling against the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) in a tax evasion case centered on an under-reported luxury Lamborghini import connected to Azruddin Mohamed, Guyana’s current Opposition Leader and a vocal critic of the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic. The Mohamed family, including Azruddin and his father Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, are already the target of US sanctions over allegations of unreported tax on gold exports to the US, and face an 11-count federal grand jury indictment in Florida on charges of wire fraud and mail fraud linked to the Lamborghini scheme. According to the indictment, the Mohameds arranged to falsify the vehicle’s value on customs documents, listing it at $75,300 instead of its actual $680,000 price tag to evade more than $1 million in Guyanese taxes. Persaud ruled against the GRA in the case, and the authority has since appealed the decision. Guyana’s Attorney General Anil Nandlall confirmed Tuesday that the government was dissatisfied with Persaud’s ruling.

    Abel framed the unexplained visa restriction as a de facto sanction against a sitting judge for a politically sensitive ruling. “The United States has not publicly called the measure a sanction. Yet an unexplained restriction imposed by a foreign power upon a serving judge, preventing him from travelling, operates as a sanction in practical effect. A sanction need not announce its name,” Abel told attendees during a panel session focused on growing pressures facing judicial independence and the rule of law.

    While Abel acknowledged that there is no concrete proof linking the visa review to Persaud’s ruling on the Mohamed case, he noted that the timing, political context, and lack of official explanation raise unavoidable questions. “Suspicion is not evidence, but silence is not an answer either,” he said. “The action affecting the judge therefore lies at the meeting point of domestic politics, judicial decision-making and American executive power.”

    In a press briefing Wednesday, US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot clarified that a visa marked “under review” means federal officials in Washington received new information prompting a re-evaluation of an applicant’s eligibility. When asked about the Persaud case, Theriot stated that the US Embassy in Georgetown was not aware of the specific action prior to it being reported.

    In his keynote presentation titled *Who writes the judgment. The Airport Gate The Acting Appointment The Algorithm*, Abel drew on decades of experience as a legal practitioner and judge across Caribbean jurisdictions to outline how subtle pressures on judicial independence operate. He noted that coercive power rarely announces itself openly: instead of overt threats or direct removal, actors often reshape contexts to erode judicial confidence, leaving formal structures of independence intact while quietly shifting outcomes. In the case of visa restrictions, he added, this form of pressure exposes a unique vulnerability for judges in small postcolonial states.

    “A constitution may protect a judge from the executive at home. Who protects the judge from the collateral power of an executive abroad?” Abel asked. He explained that small states operate within a deeply unequal global order, where their judges often rely on transit through major global hubs like the US to attend international legal conferences, professional development, or personal travel. While such immigration actions may be technically lawful under a country’s border rules, and judges do not receive diplomatic immunity for routine travel, the context and silence around the decision create a chilling effect that extends far beyond Persaud himself.

    “The question is larger than Justice Persaud. It concerns the judge who comes next. What message does the unexplained closing of one gate send to every judge who must later approach another?” he said. “When an unexplained exercise of foreign executive power materially affects a serving judge after politically sensitive decisions, at what point does a private immigration matter become a public question of judicial independence?”

    Abel’s remarks have sparked debate among conference delegates over how the global judicial community can protect judicial independence from transnational executive pressure, with many calling for a formal CMJA statement on the incident.

  • Senate passes anti-money laundering amendments ahead of 2027 review

    Senate passes anti-money laundering amendments ahead of 2027 review

    On a Wednesday sitting, the Barbados Senate advanced sweeping legislative changes designed to ramp up enforcement against transnational money laundering and terrorist financing, greenlighting two critical bills ahead of a high-stakes international evaluation scheduled for 2027. The two pieces of legislation—the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Prevention and Control (Amendment) Bill and the Financial Services Commission (Amendment and Validation) Bill—were crafted to bring the Caribbean nation’s regulatory framework in line with evolving global anti-crime standards.

    Addressing the upper legislative chamber, Attorney General Wilfred Abrahams emphasized that falling short of meeting international compliance obligations could push Barbados back onto contentious global grey or blacklists, outcomes that would inflict lasting damage on the country’s financial standing. Abrahams outlined a key shift in the upcoming fifth round of assessments, which will include an on-site inspection by global regulators in June 2027. Unlike the previous evaluation cycle, which focused primarily on whether countries had established the required legal and institutional structures, the upcoming review will center on whether those existing systems deliver tangible, effective results.

    “The last evaluation only required us to have a formal structure in place. This time around, it is not about having the framework—it is about proving that the framework works,” Abrahams explained. “We successfully demonstrated we had the required structure last cycle. Now the global community wants to see just how effective our systems have been in practice.”

    Under the terms of the reform legislation, the country’s Compliance Unit will gain expanded enforcement authority. The bill formalizes the role of Chief Compliance Officer as the permanent head of the unit, granting the position direct oversight responsibility for designated high-risk non-financial businesses and professions. This group includes legal practitioners, accountants, real estate agents, precious metal and gem dealers, and gaming operators.

    Abrahams noted that current regulatory gaps leave authorities without a complete, accurate registry of all professionals operating in these high-risk sectors, a shortcoming that directly undermines enforcement effectiveness. “If you are required to register with the Chief Compliance Officer and you fail to do so, the unit will have the power to suspend your ability to practice,” he said. “Without a clear accounting of who is operating in these sectors, we cannot run an effective compliance regime. Failing to meet these obligations puts our access to international banking networks and foreign exchange markets at serious risk.”

    The revised regulatory framework also shifts supervisory resources to focus on high-risk operations, rather than spreading thin oversight across lower-risk practitioners. Penalties for violations including inadequate record-keeping and failure to report suspicious transactions to the Financial Intelligence Unit will be increased significantly. For unintentional, non-malicious violations, administrative fines will replace criminal prosecutions, streamlining enforcement and reducing unnecessary judicial backlogs.

    The companion Financial Services Commission (Amendment and Validation) Bill strengthens the regulatory body’s enforcement powers, eases compliance with international multilateral memoranda of understanding focused on cross-border information sharing, and retroactively validates fees collected by the commission under previous regulatory orders.

    The legislation did not pass without caution from independent legislators. Independent Senator Andrew Niles warned the chamber that increasingly strict regulations could carry unintended operational consequences for local businesses. He urged the Mia Mottley-led administration to ensure that broad compliance requirements do not lead to systemic gridlock that stifles domestic commercial activity.

    “When we put these strong compliance frameworks in place, they serve an important public purpose, and we understand why they are needed,” Niles said. “But the question remains: how do we translate these national-level rules into functional practice for small operators at the grassroots level? We do not want to see the entire economy paralyzed by overregulation, and we do not want legislation that blocks legitimate businesses from operating.”

    In response to Niles’ concerns, Abrahams moved to reassure the chamber that the government plans to roll out extensive public education campaigns and stakeholder consultations ahead of implementation to ensure a smooth transition. “We will hold wide-ranging consultations with every affected sector to address concerns about the impact and implementation of these new rules,” Abrahams said. “We will also roll out widespread public information campaigns to make sure all parties understand their new obligations. A core part of our preparation includes full, open discussions with all stakeholders, because when international assessors arrive, they will meet directly with these groups to assess our progress.”

  • SpaceX Among Major Sponsors of Commonwealth Business Forum in A&B

    SpaceX Among Major Sponsors of Commonwealth Business Forum in A&B

    The upcoming Commonwealth Business Forum, scheduled to take place in Antigua and Barbuda (A&B), has secured Elon Musk’s aerospace and space transportation company SpaceX as one of its headline sponsors, organizers confirmed in an official announcement this week.

    The high-profile gathering, which brings together business leaders, government policymakers, and innovation stakeholders from across the 56-nation Commonwealth bloc, is focusing this year on expanding global connectivity, advancing technological innovation, and unlocking infrastructure investment across developing small island states. Organizers say SpaceX’s participation as a major sponsor aligns perfectly with the forum’s core priorities, particularly the company’s work in developing satellite internet constellations that aim to bridge the digital divide in remote and underserved regions.

    Commonwealth Business Council officials noted that the inclusion of a leading technology and aerospace firm like SpaceX reflects the shifting focus of global business cooperation toward next-generation industries that can drive inclusive economic growth. Small island developing states such as Antigua and Barbuda have repeatedly identified improved digital connectivity as a critical catalyst for boosting tourism, expanding remote work opportunities, and strengthening climate resilience — all key agenda items for this year’s forum.

    Industry analysts point out that the sponsorship also opens new doors for SpaceX to deepen its partnerships with Commonwealth nations, potentially expanding the adoption of its Starlink satellite internet service across multiple small island economies that have long struggled with limited terrestrial connectivity infrastructure. The forum, expected to host more than 1,000 delegates from around the world, will run alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which is also being held in Antigua and Barbuda this year. Additional major sponsors include multinational banking groups, renewable energy firms, and global technology consultancies, but SpaceX’s backing has drawn particular attention due to the company’s high profile and its disruptive work in both space exploration and global digital infrastructure.

  • $1.06M at centre of new charges in Creators Alliance case

    $1.06M at centre of new charges in Creators Alliance case

    More than 18 months have passed since the high-profile investment platform Creators Alliance abruptly collapsed, leaving thousands of regional investors facing devastating financial losses. Now, the ongoing investigation into the fraudulent scheme has reached a new milestone, with Saint Lucia’s Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) bringing seven fresh money laundering charges against Electra Fernand, a resident of Massade, Gros Islet.

    The newly filed charges center on approximately $1.062 million in illicit funds allegedly tied to the now-defunct Creators Alliance project, and represent a separate line of inquiry from prior charges leveled against Fernand in connection with the scheme.

    Fernand made her first court appearance on the new charges Wednesday at Saint Lucia’s First District Court, where she was granted bail ahead of upcoming legal proceedings. This is not Fernand’s first encounter with regulators over the Creators Alliance case: back in May 2025, she was among six people charged with operating an unlicensed virtual asset business, a violation of the island nation’s Virtual Asset Business Act.

    Of that original group of six defendants, court records show one individual entered a guilty plea in May 2026. The remaining five defendants, including Fernand, remain out on bail as they await trial on the 2025 unlicensed business charges. While those proceedings move forward, FIA investigators have continued to unpack the full scope of alleged financial misconduct linked to Creators Alliance, work that ultimately yielded the seven new money laundering counts against Fernand.

    To understand the context of the charges, it is necessary to revisit the origins of the scheme. Creators Alliance first began soliciting investors across Saint Lucia and the broader Caribbean region starting in June 2024. It marketed itself as a revolutionary digital content platform, where investors could purchase access packages and earn guaranteed returns by creating and uploading short-form videos. Early participants in the scheme did receive small payouts, a common tactic used by fraudulent investment operations to build trust and draw in more capital.

    That narrative quickly unraveled by early 2025. Investor payments stalled abruptly, and within months, the Creators Alliance platform shut down entirely. When the closure came, countless investors were left with no way to recoup the funds they had poured into the project.

    FIA investigators have concluded that Creators Alliance was structured as a pyramid-style scam, a fraudulent model that relies on constant inflows of new investor money to pay returns to early participants, rather than generating legitimate profits. When new investments stopped flowing in, the scheme inevitably collapsed, leaving thousands of people across Saint Lucia and the Caribbean with major financial losses.

    Under Saint Lucia’s current Money Laundering (Prevention) Act, each money laundering charge against Fernand carries a severe maximum penalty: convicted offenders can face fines of up to $1 million, and up to 15 years of imprisonment, or both.

    In the wake of the new charges, FIA has issued a renewed public warning about the risks of unregulated investment offerings. Regulators are urging all members of the public to exercise extreme caution before committing funds to any investment opportunity that is not properly authorized or registered. The agency also advises investors to always seek independent professional financial advice, and to verify the licensing and legitimacy of any investment entity before transferring any money.

  • One Communications’ internet services being restored, repairs to continue tonight

    One Communications’ internet services being restored, repairs to continue tonight

    On Wednesday, 23 September 2026, a widespread outage of fibre and mobile internet services across Guyana was triggered by a routine construction accident, after an excavator operator severed a critical fibre-optic cable tied to the country’s subsea internet infrastructure. The disruption occurred when a contracting agent working on drainage development at a recently transferred plot of land – stretching between Thomas Road and Carifesta Avenue, former site of the Central Radio Service – accidentally sliced through the key cable, according to officials from One Communications, the internet service provider previously known as GTT.

    By Wednesday evening, technical teams had begun the process of restoring connectivity, though the network was still operating at significantly reduced capacity hours after the incident. A company spokesperson confirmed to Demerara Waves Online News that while basic service had been brought back online for all affected users, constrained bandwidth meant many subscribers continued to face frustrating side effects including sluggish connection speeds and constant video buffering.

    Technicians projected that full, pre-outage network capacity would be fully restored by 9:00 PM local time the same day. The outage also impacted secondary digital services, including MMG platforms and mobile top-up services at multiple retail and service locations across the country. One Communications issued a public apology for the unplanned service disruption, thanking customers for their patience during the repair process.

  • Farmer dies in Bexon shooting

    Farmer dies in Bexon shooting

    A quiet agricultural community in Bexon was rocked by violence on Wednesday afternoon, when a midday shooting left a local farmer dead. The victim has been publicly identified by his family members as Cleus Soolal, a grower who cultivated potato crops on the small-scale farm where the incident unfolded.

    A witness who spoke on condition of anonymity to local publication St Lucia Times described the chaotic moments immediately after the attack. According to the eyewitness account, multiple gunshots rang out across the property, with at least one of the volleys matching the distinct sound of automatic machine gun fire. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the observer spotted two masked male suspects fleeing the scene on foot, moving in the direction of a nearby river.

    Local law enforcement responded rapidly to the emergency call. Officers arrived at the farm within a short window after the shooting was reported, and official investigators have formally opened a full probe into the killing to identify the perpetrators and uncover the motive behind the attack. As of the latest update, no suspects have been taken into custody, and police have not yet released additional details about potential lines of inquiry.

  • Man Found dead in Warehouse

    Man Found dead in Warehouse

    A tragic workplace incident has shaken the staff of Chase Supermarket in Antigua, after a Hispanic employee was found unresponsive inside the store’s warehouse, days after he first reported feeling unwell to his colleagues.

    Local outlet Antigua Newsroom received preliminary details of the incident, which indicate that the worker notified teammates that he was experiencing discomfort before taking an over-the-counter pill and returning to his regular duties. For much of the day after that interaction, coworkers were unable to track him down, and growing concern eventually prompted a search of the facility.

    That search led to the discovery of the employee unresponsive in the warehouse section of the supermarket. As of the initial reporting, critical details surrounding the event remain undisclosed: authorities and store management have not released the man’s identity, nor have they shared any confirmed information about the exact cause or circumstances of his death.

    The sudden passing has left the supermarket’s close-knit staff reeling, with colleagues describing feelings of profound shock and deep sadness over the loss of their coworker. Additional updates are expected to be released to the public as more official details become available.

  • Pierre to speak at the UN, meet Saint Lucians in New York

    Pierre to speak at the UN, meet Saint Lucians in New York

    As world leaders prepare to converge in New York for one of the United Nations’ most high-profile annual gatherings, the head of government of the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia is gearing up to deliver his country’s official address to the global body. Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre is scheduled to take the podium at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) during the High-Level Week of the 81st Session this Friday, with an initial speaking slot set for 2:30 p.m. Officials note that this timing remains subject to adjustment based on the flow of ongoing deliberations throughout the session.

    Pierre is in Manhattan to participate in the UNGA General Debate, a core five-day gathering running from September 22 to 26, with an additional plenary session scheduled for September 28. This year’s General Debate centers on the unifying overarching theme: “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All.” The theme sets the agenda for participating heads of state and government, who will convene to debate a range of pressing transnational challenges, from global peace and security to accelerating climate action, advancing inclusive sustainable development, and unlocking critical financing for developing nations.

    Beyond delivering Saint Lucia’s national statement to the assembly, the Prime Minister has a packed schedule of diplomatic engagements during his New York trip, according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister. Pierre will hold bilateral meetings with fellow world leaders to advance discussions on policy priorities that are of core national interest to Saint Lucia.

    Away from formal United Nations proceedings, Pierre will also carve out time to connect with Saint Lucia’s global diaspora. The Saint Lucian Consulate General in New York has organized a public engagement event titled “Engaging the Diaspora: An Audience with Prime Minister the Hon. Philip J. Pierre and the Hon. Alva R. Baptiste, Minister of External Affairs,” which is open to members of the local Saint Lucian community and diaspora members from across the region. The gathering is set to take place on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 4 p.m. at the Friends of Crown Heights community facility in Brooklyn. Following the conclusion of all his scheduled engagements, Pierre is expected to depart New York and return to his home country of Saint Lucia on Sunday afternoon.

  • Triathlon pair competing at Junior World Championships in Spain

    Triathlon pair competing at Junior World Championships in Spain

    Two of Barbados’ brightest young triathlon talents, Alexis Lashley and Luke McIntyre, are set to compete this Thursday at the 202X Junior World Triathlon Championships hosted in Pontevedra, Spain. For supporters back home, Lashley’s swim leg will get underway at 4:15 a.m. Barbados time, with McIntyre starting his race an hour and 30 minutes later at 5:45 a.m. local Barbados time.

    In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY from the Spanish host city, Dr. Garth McIntyre, President of the Barbados Federation of Island Triathletes, shared that the build-up to this elite global competition has gone according to plan for both athletes.

    “Both athletes earned their spots at the championships through a rigorous qualification process at the Americas Triathlon Championship held in Chile earlier this July,” Dr. McIntyre explained. “They have stuck to consistent training schedules through the summer months, completed a solid pre-competition training block, and have not faced any injuries or setbacks that would disrupt their preparation.”

    Since arriving in Pontevedra, the pair have already completed on-site training sessions for both the open water swim and running segments, and are currently out completing a practice bike ride as they finalize their race preparations, Dr. McIntyre added.

    According to the federation president, the race conditions in Pontevedra are expected to be a good fit for the Barbadian duo, though there are some key environmental factors the team is monitoring. The most notable difference from their home training conditions is the wide daily temperature swing in northwestern Spain, where temperatures currently range from a cool 16 degrees Celsius overnight to a warm 32 degrees Celsius during the daytime. Water temperatures currently sit right at the threshold that would allow athletes to wear wetsuits, a rule that permits wetsuit use only below a set water temperature mark.

    “Wetsuits offer competitors a measurable advantage in the water by increasing buoyancy and reducing drag, so nearly all athletes will opt to wear them if the conditions allow. We will just have to wait and see what the official ruling is on race morning,” Dr. McIntyre noted.

    The Junior World Triathlon Championships draws the top under-20 triathletes from across the globe, meaning competition will be among the steepest that Lashley and McIntyre have ever faced. With that context, Dr. McIntyre said the federation holds realistic expectations for the young pair.

    “It might sound like we are downplaying our chances, but our main focus right now is on solid race execution and making the most of every opportunity that comes up during the event,” he explained. “Our core priority for this appearance is athlete development, because both athletes will be eligible to compete again at this same event next year.”

    Dr. McIntyre emphasized that this level of global competition is far more challenging than any event the pair has competed in previously, so no matter what final positions they earn, there will be no disappointment from the Barbadian triathlon community. His main message to the athletes is to embrace the experience, enjoy the race and expand their international competition experience.

    “For both athletes, this championship is essentially a preparatory experience for next year’s event. It gives them a chance to see where they stand against the world’s best and identify what areas they need to improve on going forward,” Dr. McIntyre explained. “Of course, if they exceed expectations and turn in a great performance, we will be absolutely thrilled. But we all know this is a tough field, and a top finish is going to be hard to pull off this time around.”