Carib Scope

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  • PDA removes unauthorised structures in Tanteen and Port Highway

    PDA removes unauthorised structures in Tanteen and Port Highway

    Grenada’s Planning and Development Authority (PDA) has successfully completed an enforcement operation to dismantle three unapproved roadside vending structures in the Tanteen area on the morning of April 2, 2026. The action forms part of the authority’s stepped-up, phased strategy to curb the growing spread of unauthorised informal vending constructions along public roadways. The operation got underway just after 9 a.m., and every step of the process aligned fully with the regulatory framework laid out in the 2016 Planning and Development Authority Act.

    Two of the removed structures were small wooden vending stalls positioned near the Tanteen Roundabout, adjacent to the T A Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) campus. The third unauthorised construction, which had only been erected recently along Tanteen’s Port Highway, was located less than one foot away from the entrance to the Tanteen Playing Field. According to the PDA, this placement created clear hazards: it blocked public access to the recreational facility and raised significant safety concerns for both pedestrians and vehicle traffic moving through the area.

    Prior to launching the removal exercise, the PDA confirmed that all mandatory legal and compliance protocols had been completed in full, as required by existing regulations. In a public statement released following the operation, the authority is renewing its call for all residents and vendors to secure official planning permission before constructing any structure, especially those built on public land or within road reserve zones. The PDA emphasized that unapproved developments carry multiple risks, ranging from impaired public access to increased safety hazards, and ultimately disrupt the government’s work to advance orderly, sustainable development across the island.

    The PDA also extended formal recognition and thanks to its cross-agency stakeholder partners that supported the operation, including the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF), the Anti-Squatting Unit under the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Grenada Solid Waste Management Authority. The authority noted that ongoing inter-agency collaboration has been critical to the success of its ongoing efforts to enforce planning regulations. The statement concluded by reaffirming the PDA’s long-term commitment to upholding the core principles of safe, sustainable, and properly regulated development across all of Grenada.

    As per standard publishing protocols for local outlet NOW Grenada, the publication notes it is not liable for any opinions, statements or third-party content included in contributor submissions, and provides a channel for users to report any instances of abuse related to posted content.

  • Bumper crowds witness finale to Oistins Fish Festival

    Bumper crowds witness finale to Oistins Fish Festival

    This weekend, the centuries-old coastal fishing community of Oistins in Barbados buzzed with electric excitement and friendly competitive spirit as the decades-old annual Oistins Fish Festival wrapped up its multi-day schedule with a dramatic final day of events. Held to honor Barbados’ deep-rooted connection to maritime fishing traditions, the closing day brought together seasoned local competitors and enthusiastic first-time participants, all testing their craft across a lineup of traditional contests that draw crowds of locals and international tourists year after year. Thousands of onlookers packed the village streets and waterfront to cheer on competitors, soaking up the lively atmosphere that has made the festival a beloved cultural staple for generations.

    The day of competitions opened with the iconic Tray Balancing contest, an event that nods to Oistins’ long history as a bustling open-air fishing market, where vendors historically carried freshly caught produce and seafood to customers on their heads. Contestants were tasked with traversing a marked obstacle course while holding full wooden trays on their heads, forbidden from using their hands to steady the load. Many spectators gasped as competitors navigated tight turns and uneven ground, with most participants dropping their trays long before reaching the finish line. In the end, Alicia Arthur claimed the top prize, moving through the course with unshakable poise and steady grace that outmatched every other contender and left her rivals far behind.

    Next up was the popular egg and spoon race, a lighthearted warm-up for the more rigorous seaside competitions that followed. In a tense final stretch that kept the crowd on their feet, Simran Persad, a Trinidadian student studying at the University of the West Indies, crossed the finish line first to take the win, capping off a nail-biting close that came down to less than a second between the top two runners.

    As the crowd shifted down to Oistins’ sun-dappled waterfront for the festival’s core technical competitions, the energy of the day grew even more intense. First on the waterfront schedule was the Dolphin Skinning contest, where the audience fixed their attention on defending champion Tyrone Shorey, who came into the event looking to extend his long winning streak. Despite a determined early challenge from competitor Roy, who pushed an unprecedented fast pace from the start, Shorey’s signature clinical precision and years of experience proved unbeatable. Working at blistering speed with barely a pause to catch his breath, he skinned his catch in a new event record time, successfully retaining his championship title.

    The technical competitions concluded with the Flying Fish De-boning contest, a tribute to the specialized skill required to prepare flying fish – Barbados’ national dish – for traditional recipes. This year, seasoned veteran Jackie Norgrove once again outperformed every competitor in the field, securing her fifth career win at the festival, with her first win stretching back to 2012. When asked about her impressive 14-year winning streak, which includes titles in 2012, 2013, 2018, 2025, and now 2026, Norgrove brushed off praise, noting that the task is a regular part of daily life for her. “It’s a normal day-to-day thing, so it just comes naturally now,” she said after the win. “It feels very good to take the title again this year.”

    But the undisputed highlight of the entire final day came in the afternoon, with the festival’s legendary Greasy Pole competition – a grueling test of strength, coordination, and collective willpower that pits teams against each other to scale a 30-foot wooden mast heavily coated in grease, with the winning team claiming a prize waiting at the top. This year, competitor Joshua Drayton made history when he successfully reached the summit to claim victory for his team. Speaking after he climbed back down to the cheering crowd, Drayton credited his team’s careful planning rather than individual strength for the win. “Teamwork makes the job work easier,” he explained. “Once you’ve got a good team and understanding, you make the job easy. We didn’t just come with a plan; we executed the plan. The strategy was to get a firm foundation, a strong middle, and let the lightest and shortest man go to the top.”

    As golden hour fell over the Oistins jetty and the sun dipped below the Caribbean horizon, the festival closed with live local music, shared feasts of fresh seafood, and community-wide celebrations. For attendees and organizers alike, the 2026 Oistins Fish Festival marked another successful year of honoring the working fishermen and women who have long been the backbone of both Oistins’ community and Barbados’ fishing industry, keeping centuries-old cultural traditions alive for new generations.

  • Eervolle staatscrematie voor gewezen president Chan Santokhi te Uitkijk

    Eervolle staatscrematie voor gewezen president Chan Santokhi te Uitkijk

    On April 7, the nation of Suriname gathered to lay former president and Chairman of the Progressive People’s Party (VHP) Chan Santokhi to rest in a historic state cremation held at Uitkijk, a site where Santokhi contributed decades of public service. Santokhi died unexpectedly on March 30 at the age of 67, leaving a profound gap felt across the country and far beyond its borders.

    The day of remembrance began long before the final ceremony, starting in the early hours at the Poese mortuary. The funeral procession made its way through meaningful stops across the nation: Santokhi’s personal residence in Lelydorp, the Ministry of Justice and Police, the National Assembly, a local Boy Scouts facility, and finally the VHP party headquarters known as “De Olifant”. The official formal memorial service was hosted at De Olifant, where sitting Suriname President Jennifer Simons joined heads of state from Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Curaçao to share eulogies honoring Santokhi’s life and legacy.

    Along the entire route of the hearse, thousands of ordinary Surinamese residents lined the streets to pay their final respects. Many carried Surinamese national flags and VHP party banners, bringing flowers and colorful confetti to bid farewell to the leader they had admired. Tears flowed freely among attendees from all walks of life, as the public grief reflected the deep respect Santokhi had earned during his decades of public service.

    When the procession reached Uitkijk, uniformed military personnel received the hearse to launch a solemn funeral procession. A military military band provided moving, dignified musical accompaniment, as family members, close friends, and official guests walked behind the casket to the open-air cremation site. The casket itself was crafted with intentional, touching detail: it featured a glass top that allowed mourners a final view of Santokhi, who rested peacefully in a three-piece suit paired with his signature bright orange tie, lined with soft white satin that lent the entire space an air of quiet serenity and dignity.

    Notably, the Uitkijk venue hosted this event under the covered cremation infrastructure that Santokhi personally approved and advanced during the final months of his presidential term. That infrastructure, a policy priority he championed to improve public access to dignified end-of-life services, served as a tangible reminder of his commitment to improving life for Surinamese people just one last time on the day of his funeral. This marked the first time a state cremation had ever been held at the Uitkijk location.

    After the casket was carried to the cremation site, an honor guard stood watch over the casket, which was draped in the Surinamese national flag. Following a ceremonial gun salute, the folded national flag was formally presented to Santokhi’s widow, Mellisa, bringing the official state ceremonies to a close. The cremation then proceeded, returning Santokhi’s remains to nature as crowds of mourners looked on in quiet grief. High-level diplomatic attendees also included Guyanese President Irfaan Ali, the Prime Minister of Curaçao, and members of the international diplomatic corps, a testament to Santokhi’s widespread regional influence and respect across the international community.

  • Court orders Patrice Roberts to pay US$

    Court orders Patrice Roberts to pay US$

    A long-running legal dispute between popular soca recording artist Patrice Roberts and her former management company, Soca Bookings Incorporated, has reached a partial settlement in Trinidad’s High Court, with the artist ordered to pay just over $30,000 in compensation while securing a $9,000 payout in her own counterclaim for unpaid royalties.

    The conflict traces back to an oral management agreement struck between the Canadian-based company and Roberts back in February 2015. Under the terms of that informal arrangement, Soca Bookings agreed to provide a full suite of artist management support, including securing performance bookings, building Roberts’ public brand, organizing recording projects and expanding her reach through international promotional campaigns.

    When the relationship between the two parties broke down, Soca Bookings launched a legal suit seeking compensation for unpaid management fees for services delivered between 2015 and 2017. While both sides never disputed that a basic contractual arrangement existed, the core point of contention centered on one critical, unwritten term: when were management fees due to be paid? The company insisted fees were payable immediately for all work completed, while Roberts argued fees were only due once the business partnership turned a profit.

    In his ruling delivered Tuesday, Justice Robin Mohammed sided with Roberts on that core question, finding the company failed to produce evidence that the profitability threshold for triggering fee payments had ever been met. “The management fees were only payable once the venture became profitable and the Claimant has not established…that that threshold was ever reached,” the judge wrote in his judgment.

    Even with that finding, the judge ruled that the principle of quantum meruit— a legal doctrine that requires compensation for work performed where a recipient has benefited from that work— meant Roberts could not walk away without compensating the firm for its services. “She retained all financial benefits… and in those circumstances cannot in equity be permitted to benefit from the Claimant’s work without compensating it,” Justice Mohammed added.

    The court ultimately awarded Soca Bookings $22,535 for rendered management services, plus an additional $8,200 to cover verified loans and advances the firm had extended to Roberts during their partnership. That brought the total award to the company to $30,735. A separate claim for $11,600 tied to expenses for a music video shoot was thrown out, after the court ruled the firm had not produced sufficient evidence to prove it had covered those costs.

    On the other side of the dispute, Roberts won her counterclaim alleging that Soca Bookings had collected digital streaming and sales royalties on her behalf but never passed those earnings to her. Trial evidence contradicted the company’s earlier denials that it had received the funds, and with no complete formal financial records available to calculate the exact amount owed, the court approved $9,000 as the most reasonable estimate of the unpaid proceeds, awarding that sum to Roberts.

    Both parties were also awarded pre-judgment interest and legal costs. Justice Mohammed ruled that the opposing awards could be set off against one another, resulting in a net payment from Roberts to her former management of $25,104.12, plus TT$26,983.71 in cost awards.

    Soca Bookings was represented in court by attorneys Tara Thompson, Gideon McMaster and Joel Roper, while Roberts was represented by Sterling John and Shelly Clarke.

    In closing the case, Justice Mohammed used the ruling to highlight a widespread risk in the entertainment industry: the dangers of relying on unwritten, informal business agreements. The judge noted that the entire costly and time-consuming dispute could almost certainly have been avoided if the two sides had formalized their agreement with a clear, signed written contract before starting their working relationship.

  • Father of Three Missing in Dangriga After Home Found Ransacked

    Father of Three Missing in Dangriga After Home Found Ransacked

    In Dangriga Town, a growing sense of unease has taken hold as family members launch a frantic search for Jericho Humes, a 38-year-old father of three who vanished under deeply suspicious circumstances that left his home ransacked and disturbed.

    According to close relatives, the last confirmed sighting of Humes came in the early hours of Wednesday, when he left his residence reportedly en route to his workplace. When days passed without contact from him, concerned family members traveled to his home to check on his welfare, and what they found inside has left them deeply alarmed.

    The property showed clear signs of a violent disturbance: glass panes in the home’s windows were shattered, the front door was heavily damaged, Humes’ clothing was strewn haphazardly across the floor of every room, and a pot of cooked rice that he had prepared before his disappearance was left uneaten, going bad over the days he was gone. Most chillingly, one of the caps Humes had been wearing the morning he was last seen was found partially burned inside the home.

    In an interview with local media, Humes’ brother Jose Humes shared his growing fear for his sibling’s safety. “I really worry because something is strange here,” he said. “When we went through the house yesterday, we couldn’t find even his machete, his rubber boots, any of his everyday clothes – all those basic things he keeps at home are gone.”

    Clarissa Torres, Humes’ niece, also described the chaotic, upsetting scene she encountered when she joined family members to check the home. “The window was broken in, the door was broken into, and the sheet rack was broken into four pieces,” Torres recounted. “His clothes were flung all over the place. He had cooked rice ready to eat, and he didn’t even touch it. It’s just not like him to leave things like this.”

    After days of unsuccessful attempts to reach Humes and their disturbing discovery at his property, the family formally filed a missing person report with the Belize Police Department on Monday. As of press time, law enforcement has not released any public updates on the investigation into Humes’ disappearance, and community members have joined the family’s call for any member of the public with information about his whereabouts to come forward to authorities.

  • ‘Get a grip’: Iraanse ambassades bespotten Trumps grove dreiging

    ‘Get a grip’: Iraanse ambassades bespotten Trumps grove dreiging

    Tensions in the Middle East have escalated sharply after former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a profanity-laced threat targeting Iran over access to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, drawing a uniquely satirical response from Iranian diplomatic missions across the globe. On April 5, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to release a bombastic threat that immediately sparked international outcry, writing: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****** Strait, you crazy b*******, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” This aggressive rhetoric was not an isolated incident; it followed an earlier warning from Trump that he would bomb Iran back to the “Stone Age” if the country refused to agree to a deal reopening the Strait, a critical waterway for global oil trade that carries roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil consumption.

  • Red Carpet Welcome For Team Antigua and Barbuda

    Red Carpet Welcome For Team Antigua and Barbuda

    Publicly available information confirms that a red carpet welcome is scheduled to be held for Team Antigua and Barbuda, though full details on the event context, participating members and the occasion for the welcome remain undisclosed in the provided source material. No additional specifics on the location, timing, or purpose of the red carpet event have been released for public reporting at this stage.

  • Delegation from China Conducts Feasibility Study on the Development of Marine Spatial Planning in Antigua and Barbuda

    Delegation from China Conducts Feasibility Study on the Development of Marine Spatial Planning in Antigua and Barbuda

    A technical delegation from China has recently arrived in the twin-island Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda to carry out on-the-ground feasibility research for the future development of a comprehensive national marine spatial planning framework. This initiative grows out of a broader bilateral cooperation agreement focused on ocean governance and sustainable blue economy development, signed by the two governments in recent years.

    During their in-country visit, the Chinese team of marine scientists, spatial planners and policy advisors conducted field surveys across key coastal and offshore areas of Antigua, as well as the smaller sister island of Barbuda. They held multiple rounds of productive working sessions with senior officials from Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, and national planning agency, collecting baseline data on local ocean use, fisheries activities, coastal tourism development, marine conservation priorities, and existing infrastructure.

    Antigua and Barbuda, a small island developing state heavily dependent on marine resources for its national economy and livelihoods, has long faced growing challenges including overlapping ocean use conflicts, climate change-driven coastal erosion, and declining fish stocks. The government has identified establishing a science-based marine spatial planning system as a critical step to better manage its exclusive economic zone, protect critical marine ecosystems, unlock sustainable economic opportunities from the blue economy, and advance its national climate adaptation goals.

    Through this feasibility study, the Chinese delegation aims to assess the current state of ocean management capacity in Antigua and Barbuda, identify key gaps in data, policy and institutional frameworks, and lay the groundwork for a customized, context-appropriate marine spatial planning system that aligns with the country’s national development priorities. Both sides have emphasized that the cooperation is fully demand-driven, respects the national sovereignty and development priorities of Antigua and Barbuda, and aims to deliver tangible benefits for local communities dependent on marine resources.

    At the conclusion of the initial assessment phase, the Chinese delegation is expected to present a preliminary feasibility report to the government of Antigua and Barbuda, outlining potential next steps for technical cooperation, capacity building for local planning officials, and future implementation support. This project adds to a growing portfolio of South-South cooperation projects between China and Caribbean small island developing states focused on climate resilience and sustainable ocean development.

  • Oldest Centenarian in Dominica Dies at 108

    Oldest Centenarian in Dominica Dies at 108

    The Dominica Council on Ageing Inc. (DCOA) has confirmed the death of Asher Timothy, the Caribbean nation’s oldest recorded centenarian, who died at his latest residence at the Dominica Infirmary at 108 years old. Hailing from the northern town of Marigot, Timothy leaves behind a lasting legacy that extends far beyond his extraordinary milestone of longevity.

    Shortly before his passing, Timothy had been moved to the Dominica Infirmary for ongoing care. In an official statement released this week, the DCOA lauded Timothy as a powerful emblem of resilience, whose decades-long life stood as a testament to the quiet strength that defines Dominica’s elderly community. Officials noted that his journey through more than a century of change, from colonial era shifts to modern island development, mirrored the perseverance of the older generations who shaped the country’s social and cultural fabric.

    News of Timothy’s death has resonated deeply across the island, with particularly profound grief felt throughout the close-knit Marigot community where he lived for most of his life. Residents and local leaders alike have shared recollections of his quiet wisdom and steady presence, which made him a beloved figure across generations of local families.

    The DCOA has formally extended its deepest condolences to Timothy’s immediate family, friends, and all who knew him over his long life. Beyond mourning his passing, the organization is using Timothy’s legacy to prompt national reflection on the invaluable contributions that senior citizens make to Dominican life. Officials emphasized that he is remembered not just for his unusual lifespan, but for the example of endurance, quiet commitment, and community connection he modeled for all Dominicans.

  • Half of Haiti’s Gangs Made Up of Children

    Half of Haiti’s Gangs Made Up of Children

    As a multinational security force approved by the United Nations begins deploying to Haiti to crack down on rampant gang violence, a devastating new statistic has emerged that lays bare the scale of the country’s humanitarian and security crisis: children now account for roughly 50 percent of all members of armed gangs across the nation.

    Data compiled by monitoring groups shows that at least 302 minors were recruited by gangs in 2024 alone, and the vast majority of these underage recruits are thrust directly into frontline combat roles. The newly arriving UN-authorized Gang Suppression Force (GSF) is set to eventually field up to 5,500 personnel, with a core mandate to support overstretched Haitian national police in retaking territory controlled by armed groups.

    UNICEF’s latest assessment reveals that gang recruitment of children skyrocketed by 200 percent in 2025, a surge driven by three overlapping root causes: widespread systemic poverty, mass youth homelessness, and coordinated social media campaigns that deliberately glorify gang culture to lure vulnerable young people. Many children are enticed into joining with basic promises of regular meals, safe shelter, and steady cash payments. Others face forced conscription at the hands of gang recruiters, and some are even handed over to gangs by families pushed to desperation by extreme economic hardship. UN field research found that payments to families or child recruits themselves range from $100 to $700, depending on the dangerousness of the role the child is expected to fill.

    International humanitarian organizations have issued urgent warnings that the expansion of security operations against gangs will likely lead to underage recruits being deliberately pushed to the frontlines by gang leaders, putting thousands of children at immediate risk of death or serious injury. Human rights experts have also raised grave alarms about the treatment of detained children with alleged gang ties, documenting that dozens of minors accused of gang affiliation have been extrajudicially killed since 2022.

    In response to the crisis, UNICEF is calling on Haitian authorities and deploying GSF personnel to adhere to a UN-endorsed handover protocol that requires any captured or surrendered underage recruits to be transferred to child welfare agencies, rather than being detained or punished like adult criminal combatants. The agency notes that its existing community-based reintegration program has already supported more than 500 former child gang recruits to transition back to peaceful civilian life, offering a proven model for addressing the crisis if supported by international and local stakeholders.