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  • Senator presents motion urging support for dev’t bank

    Senator presents motion urging support for dev’t bank

    Following the New Democratic Party (NDP)’s landslide victory in St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ (SVG) November 27 general election, the new administration has moved forward on one of its core campaign pledges: establishing a dedicated national development bank to unlock broad-based economic growth.

    Government Senator Chelsea Alexander tabled the long-awaited motion before SVG’s Parliament this week, framing the institution as a critical policy tool to strengthen the backbone of the country’s economy — small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Unlike larger economies dominated by multinational conglomerates, SVG’s economic activity is driven by local micro and small businesses, from neighborhood beauty salons and family-owned restaurants to independent food vendors and creative ventures, Alexander noted, highlighting these local enterprises as living testaments to Vincentian resilience and entrepreneurial spirit.

    The push for a dedicated development bank is not a new concept for SVG, and the proposal draws on the country’s decades-long experience with development financing. Prior to 2000, these functions were handled by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Development Corporation (DEVCO), but its overly broad mandate diluted the focus on targeted development lending. In 2000, the then-NDP government established a standalone development bank by law, with a clear mission to support enterprises across agriculture, fishing, tourism, housing and industry. That changed in 2009, when the institution was merged with the former National Commercial Bank to form the current Bank of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, creating a hybrid commercial-development entity. While the merger strengthened the country’s commercial banking sector, Alexander explained, it sidelined the core development mandate: development financing became increasingly narrow over time, leaving early-stage entrepreneurs, high-risk projects and emerging sectors locked out of affordable capital.

    Alexander emphasized that this gap is not a failure of commercial banks, which by design are risk-averse and prioritize profit generation. Instead, it creates a clear need for a specialized public institution focused on bridging market gaps to advance national development. The motion tabled this week does not call for immediate creation of the bank. Instead, it asks Parliament to greenlight a full comprehensive review of SVG’s existing development finance system, after which the government will present a detailed policy paper or draft legislation outlining a modern, targeted development finance framework aligned with the NDP administration’s four core economic pillars: agriculture, the blue economy, tourism, and the new creative and digital economy.

    The proposed bank would fill critical unmet needs across every key sector of SVG’s economy, Alexander argued. For rural communities dependent on farming and fishing, where livelihoods are concentrated in the newly designated special development zones of North Leeward, North Windward and the Southern Grenadines, the bank would provide fair, flexible credit to help farmers purchase modern equipment, scale operations, and compete in regional markets, while enabling fishers to invest in new boats, refrigerated storage, vessel tracking systems and critical communications tools. For the tourism sector, the bank would offer more than just capital: it would also provide targeted technical assistance and training to help small tourism projects succeed. Most notably, the bank would address a growing barrier for young Vincentians entering emerging sectors such as podcasting, social media influencing, graphic design and co-working, where entrepreneurs often do not meet the strict collateral requirements of traditional commercial lenders. By offering flexible funding tailored to these new ventures, Alexander said the institution would invite young people to innovate, reimagine traditional industries, and drive long-term economic diversification.

    Beyond direct lending, the national development bank would serve a range of additional key functions: it would act as a conduit for international and regional development funding, run national outreach initiatives including entrepreneurship internships, and strengthen public-private partnerships to advance sustainable, inclusive growth. Alexander framed the bank as a deliberate departure from a laissez-faire approach to economic growth, noting that the institution would ensure progress is intentionally designed, strategically funded, and equitably shared across all communities, guaranteeing that no sector, region or citizen is left behind.

    When Parliament adjourned for the day Tuesday, debate on the motion had not concluded. By parliamentary rules, debate on private member’s motions must end by 5 p.m. local time. Following the adjournment, Prime Minister Godwin Friday, leader of the NDP, requested that debate be paused until a future date to be announced at a later time. Alexander called for bipartisan support for the measure, noting that a national development bank was a core campaign promise across both major political parties: the NDP made the proposal a central pledge to voters during the 2024 general election, which saw the incumbent Unity Labour Party (ULP) voted out of office in a historic 14-1 split of the 15-seat Parliament.

  • 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.

  • An economic asset for T&T’

    An economic asset for T&T’

    A new milestone for economic development in South Trinidad was marked yesterday, as Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar led a ceremonial sod-turning for the long-awaited $220 million Hilton Garden Inn at South Park, San Fernando. Slated for completion in 2028, the hospitality project is framed by the country’s current United National Congress (UNC) administration as more than a accommodation facility — it is positioned as a transformative long-term economic asset for the nation.

    Speaking at the groundbreaking event, Persad-Bissessar announced that construction will get underway imminently, drawing a sharp contrast between the UNC’s track record of delivery and the unfulfilled promises of the previous People’s National Movement (PNM) government. She emphasized that the current administration has centered its policy agenda on tangible outcomes for citizens, moving away from the pattern of grand announcements with no follow-through that defined the prior tenure.

    The Prime Minister outlined the far-reaching economic benefits the new hotel is expected to deliver. During the construction phase alone, the project is projected to generate approximately 400 on-site jobs, with 150 permanent full-time positions set to be created once the facility opens its doors. Beyond direct employment, Persad-Bissessar noted that the hotel will expand professional training opportunities for workers entering the hospitality sector, and open new supply chain doors for local farmers and small business owners across the region.

    “This is exactly the kind of investment that supports my Government’s commitment to creating sustainable jobs for the population,” Persad-Bissessar told attendees.

    She added that the project’s strategic placement in South Trinidad places it at the heart of a growing national infrastructure corridor surrounded by major regional hubs. Nearby landmarks include the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, the National Aquatic Centre, National Cycling Velodrome, Couva Children’s Hospital, Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Point Lisas Industrial Estate, the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery, and the University of the West Indies Debe campus. This central positioning, she explained, allows the hotel to drive cross-sector economic activity spanning tourism, sports, healthcare, manufacturing, higher education, and general business activity. “This, therefore, is not simply a hotel. It is an economic asset,” she said.

    The Hilton Garden Inn project also serves as a flagship example of the administration’s national Revitalisation Blueprint, an economic development plan that has already drawn nearly 1,000 expressions of interest from investors, with particularly strong demand for waterfront and industrial development opportunities across the country. Persad-Bissessar framed this high level of investor interest as clear proof that the UNC government has pulled Trinidad and Tobago out of a decade of economic stagnation, and is successfully building a policy environment that enables large-scale investment to thrive. The project also fulfills a core manifesto commitment from the UNC, which ran on a platform of delivering economic transformation through job creation, increased investment, and inclusive growth.

    A key focus of the Prime Minister’s remarks was the longstanding underinvestment in South Trinidad, a region she says holds enormous untapped economic potential that the current administration is prioritizing unlocking. “She said her Government was changing that” pattern of neglect.

    Persad-Bissessar also used the event to critique what she called widespread mismanagement of the hospitality sector under the previous PNM administration, highlighting multiple examples of wasted public funds and uncompleted projects. She cited a pool renovation at the Port of Spain Hilton that exceeded $8.5 million in public spending, the non-operational Manta Lodge in Tobago that absorbed millions in investment without opening, public criticism of the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort in 2022, and the permanently unopened hotel component of the National Academy for the Performing Arts that never became operational.

    “That is why this Government approaches projects differently,” she said. “Every dollar must deliver value, and every project must produce real outcomes for the people.”

    To underscore the contrast in governance, Persad-Bissessar pointed to the UNC’s prior track record during its 2010 to 2015 administration, when it completed and opened the Magdalena Grand resort, and secured more than $334 million for the state through a successful arbitration process related to the Hyatt hotel project. She argued that the pattern of unfulfilled promises under the PNM eroded public and investor confidence, listing a half-dozen high-profile hospitality projects announced by the previous government that never moved past the announcement stage: a 2022-launched Four Points by Sheraton hotel in Piarco slated for 2024 completion that never materialized; a $70 million Maracas Bay hotel announced in 2023 that was never finished; a prior 2024 announcement for this very Hilton Garden Inn site that promised 2025 construction that never started; a $500 million Tobago Marriott project announced in 2021 that never came to fruition; and a 2017 San Fernando Hilton project announced that never broke ground.

    Under the current UNC government, Persad-Bissessar said, the process is shifting: projects move from official announcement to active construction to on-schedule completion. “There is a clear difference. Under my UNC Government, we deliver. Our record is proven and unprecedented. Promises made, promises kept,” she said.

  • Municipal cop charged with Eversley’s murder

    Municipal cop charged with Eversley’s murder

    In the wake of a high-profile, shocking killing that has roiled Trinidad and Tobago’s law enforcement community, Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard, SC, has formally authorized criminal charges against a serving municipal police officer connected to the death of acting corporal Anuska Eversley. Late Tuesday, Gaspard issued charging instructions for 28-year-old Jivon Cooper, a resident of Cedar Hill, Claxton Bay, who faces four separate counts: murder, robbery with violence, firearms trafficking, and illegal possession of ammunition. The charges stem from a violent incident that unfolded last Sunday at the San Fernando Municipal Police Station.

    The investigation, which has moved at a rapid pace, was launched after Eversley’s colleagues arrived for duty early Sunday morning and discovered blood seeping out of her on-site quarters. Just after 4:40 a.m., they found the 36-year-old’s lifeless body resting on a mattress inside the station, and her remains were later moved from the facility to King’s Wharf along Lady Hailes Avenue. Following the discovery of Eversley’s death, homicide investigators launched an immediate probe, with Gaspard formalizing charging instructions after closing consultations with senior leads from Homicide Region III, including Superintendent Persad and acting Assistant Superintendent Mahara.

    Beyond the murder of Eversley, the incident exposed a massive security breach at the municipal police facility: investigators confirmed that a large cache of weapons and ammunition was stolen from the station’s secure strongroom. Initial reports peg the stolen stock at more than 100 firearms and 4,000 rounds of ammunition, though law enforcement has already made significant recoveries: to date, officers have seized 43 illegally held firearms and 929 rounds of ammunition connected to the case. In addition to Cooper, nine other suspects remain in police custody pending further investigation, while two people who were detained earlier in the probe have since been released from custody. ACP Surrendra Sagramsingh, the head of the Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service, has also been placed on administrative leave as the investigation into the security breach continues.

    Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro has publicly confirmed the pending charges against Cooper, issuing a strongly worded statement emphasizing that no member of law enforcement is exempt from the rule of law. Guevarro commended the investigative team for its swift, detail-oriented work, noting that the rapid progress reflects the professional standards the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) upholds across all ranks. “Their decisive action brings us closer to justice for the family and colleagues of Acting Corporal of Police Eversley and for a nation traumatised by this deeply troubling act of betrayal,” Guevarro said in the official TTPS release. “The lure of greed and quick money can never justify the betrayal of public trust.”

    Guevarro framed Eversley’s killing inside a police station as an unprecedented “shocking moment to the nation”, highlighting the breach of public trust that accompanied the crime. The commissioner confirmed that the ongoing investigation is being jointly coordinated by Deputy Commissioner of Police Natasha George, Assistant Commissioner of Police Richard Smith, and Senior Superintendent of Police Sean Dhillpaul of the Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region Three, with on-the-ground supervision handled by Supt Persad and the HBI Region Three team. Investigators expect Cooper to make his first court appearance as early as Friday, or early next week at the latest.

    In his statement, Guevarro also reiterated that all officers, regardless of their posting—whether municipal, transit, estate, special reserve, or regular police—are bound by their oath of office to uphold public safety and integrity. “For those who choose corruption and criminality, we will leave no stone unturned to remove you from among the officers who risk their lives daily to protect our citizens and place you instead among those who enjoy State-provided accommodation with reinforced burglar-proofing and 24-hour security,” he said, adding that the TTPS remains fully committed to preserving the integrity of the national police force.

  • No Cabinet reshuffle on the cards’

    No Cabinet reshuffle on the cards’

    On the eve of marking one full year in office, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has confirmed that no immediate Cabinet reshuffle is planned, while offering a candid assessment of her administration’s early progress – most notably a significant drop in national crime rates. The Prime Minister made the announcement Saturday following a sod-turning ceremony for the new Hilton Garden Inn development at South Park in San Fernando, where she fielded questions from reporters on two key topics: the widely speculated restructuring of ministerial portfolios and her government’s performance ahead of its first anniversary.

    When asked about the possibility of reshuffling her Cabinet ahead of the milestone, Persad-Bissessar made her position clear: “There is no reshuffle on the cards at this time.”

    Turning to reflection on her administration’s first 12 months in office, the Prime Minister struck a balanced tone, acknowledging meaningful progress while emphasizing that a large volume of work remains to fulfill campaign pledges to the public. “I think we’ve done a lot. There’s still so much to do…we have many promises to keep… and I’m not shirking from that. I’m looking forward to continue to work for the people of our country,” she said.

    A full comprehensive breakdown of the government’s completed projects and policy achievements over the past year will be delivered by Persad-Bissessar this weekend at a national address hosted by the United National Congress at Couva South Hall. The Prime Minister used her earlier media interaction to highlight one key early win that formed the centerpiece of her party’s election campaign: falling crime statistics.

    Persad-Bissessar noted she is encouraged by consistent downward trends in criminal activity, though she stopped short of declaring victory on the issue, stressing that ongoing work is critical. “Crime was something we campaigned heavily on, and we have some achievements, (but) as I say, much more to do. Murder is down by 42%. Serious crime is down by 30%,” she told reporters. “Crime is down from 600 to whatever it was at the end of last year. And again, this year, so far, from last year to now, that too is down. So, I am very happy about that, but I’m not overjoyed, because I think there’s still much more to do.”

    She also clarified a key distinction in the government’s approach, explaining that the administration has implemented what she calls an “anti-crime plan”, rather than a generic crime plan – a deliberate framing that she said rejects the idea that the status quo works for criminals. “The crime plan is in the hands of the criminals, and the anti-crime plan, as I said, state of emergency (SoE) is one part of it. It is not the be all and end all of it,” she explained.

    Beyond a state of emergency, the government’s multi-pronged anti-crime strategy includes embedding police officers in primary and secondary schools, expanding the total size of the national police service through new recruitment drives, and allocating additional patrol vehicles to frontline law enforcement teams to improve response times. When asked about the long-delayed reform of national firearms legislation, Persad-Bissessar confirmed that policy development is currently ongoing in collaboration with the Law Reform Commission. She added that she has ordered comparative research into regulatory frameworks used in other Commonwealth countries to identify evidence-based models that can be adapted for local use. “Yes, we will reform it,” she confirmed.

  • 5 more officers sent on leave

    5 more officers sent on leave

    Authorities have placed five additional San Fernando Municipal Police Station personnel on administrative leave, ramping up probes into the fatal shooting of acting corporal Anuska Eversley and the brazen theft of dozens of firearms and ammunition from the facility early last week. The Sunday incident has sent shockwaves through Trinidad and Tobago’s law enforcement community, triggering a sweeping internal overhaul even as investigators close in on persons of interest and recover leads on stolen weapons.

    Senior law enforcement sources confirmed to local outlet Express that San Fernando Municipal Police Superintendent Dustan Renn, alongside four constables who were on duty alongside Eversley during the fatal shift, were ordered to take immediate paid leave. In a separate connected development, the contract of Senior Superintendent Cecil Santana, the station’s top command, has been terminated and not renewed. Santana, whose contract officially expired on April 5, had previously received verbal promises of an extension before the high-profile attack, but those guarantees were withdrawn in the wake of the incident, sources said.

    The personnel changes extend beyond the station level: on Tuesday, Municipal Assistant Commissioner of Police Surrendra Sagramsingh was also placed on immediate administrative paid leave via an official letter dated April 21, 2026, issued by the acting permanent secretary at the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government. The correspondence explicitly noted that Sagramsingh’s leave is a precautionary step designed to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, and does not amount to a finding of misconduct or legal liability on his part.

    Investigators have clarified that the officers placed on leave are not automatically classified as suspects in Eversley’s murder or the weapons heist. Instead, the step was taken because all affected personnel had either access to areas of the station central to the probe or held operational responsibility for station security at the time of the attack.

    New details on the attack itself have also emerged from law enforcement sources. Eversley was on duty the night before the killing, Saturday, and offered to secure the downstairs charge room while her two on-duty colleagues rested upstairs. Two additional officers assigned to the shift were working out of a remote sub-office on San Fernando’s Penitence Street at the time, leaving Eversley alone as the only active officer in the main station building.

    Per witness and intelligence accounts, a silver vehicle was parked outside the station compound ahead of the attack. After killing Eversley, the primary suspect signaled for two accomplices waiting in the vehicle to enter the station, where the group stole multiple firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition before fleeing the scene. Investigators have named a known drug addict as the prime suspect and alleged mastermind behind the operation.

    Authorities confirmed they have developed credible intelligence on the location of at least some of the stolen weapons, and have pledged to apprehend any persons found to be aiding or sheltering the suspects involved in the crime.

    The security breach has sparked widespread public and political concern over gaps in internal police station security, and the severe risk that stolen law enforcement firearms could fall into the hands of criminal gangs and be used for additional violent crime. The incident has also intensified public pressure on Trinidad and Tobago’s national police service to deliver a full accounting of how the brazen attack on one of its own facilities was able to occur.

  • ‘Some stolen police guns sold for $10,000 each’

    ‘Some stolen police guns sold for $10,000 each’

    Nearly a week after a deadly attack on the San Fernando Municipal Police Station left an acting officer dead and over 100 firearms stolen, investigators tracking the missing weapons have received verified intelligence showing that several stolen Glock pistols have already been sold to criminal networks for as much as $10,000 per unit.

    Multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the ongoing probe have confirmed to local media that a Central Trinidad-based businessman, now considered a key person of interest, has fled to avoid arrest. Authorities allege the businessman organized the offloading of multiple stolen firearms and rounds of ammunition to two separate criminal kingpins in the last two days – one based in San Fernando, and another operating out of the Enterprise community.

    The getaway vehicle used to move the stolen weaponry out of the Claxton Bay region was identified as a Kia sedan registered to the fugitive businessman, which remains unaccounted for as of investigators’ latest update.

    Despite the setback of the missing suspect and vehicle, the investigation has recorded small wins: several persons already detained in connection with the heist have begun cooperating with authorities, providing new details that could help law enforcement recover the remaining missing stockpile.

    Investigators add the businessman has long been linked to organized criminal groups, and they are confident he was directly involved in smuggling the stolen weapons out of the police station’s secure armory.

    So far, authorities have recovered 43 of the stolen firearms. Twenty-two of those were found buried in a shallow pit at the Forres Park landfill, while the second cache of 21 guns and additional ammunition was seized during a routine highway stop near the Claxton Bay flyover on Tuesday. The stop led to the arrest of three men and the seizure of their vehicle, a white Kia K2700.

    A breakdown of the recovered weapons shows the first search yielded 10 Glock pistols, 10 M&P pistols, one Browning pistol, one Smith & Wesson pistol, and 612 rounds of 9mm ammunition. The second seizure added 14 more Glock pistols, a Benelli shotgun, one Sig MPX submachine gun, and an additional 288 rounds of 9mm ammunition to the recovered stock.

    Initial estimates immediately after the attack put the number of stolen firearms at 62, taken from the station’s secure strongroom. However, Assistant Commissioner of Police Surrendra Sagramsingh, head of the Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service, later issued a correction updating the total number of missing weapons to more than 100, meaning the majority of the stolen firearms remain unaccounted for.

  • Dominican Republic reduces secondary school dropout rate to 5.7%

    Dominican Republic reduces secondary school dropout rate to 5.7%

    Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – The country’s Ministry of Education has announced encouraging progress in secondary education retention, with the national dropout rate falling from 6.3% during the 2020–2021 academic year to 5.7% in the 2024–2025 school cycle. Education authorities attribute this gradual improvement to a suite of coordinated student retention policies and expanded systemic support designed to keep learners enrolled through the full academic year.

    Officials confirm the downward trend in dropouts directly stems from targeted interventions that address the root causes of early school leaving, all aligned with a national education strategic roadmap focused on bolstering continuous enrollment and academic progress. Education Minister Luis Miguel De Camps emphasized that strengthening student retention remains a non-negotiable core pillar of the current administration’s education policy. The ministry has centered its efforts on three key priorities: expanding access to secondary education, lifting overall learning quality, and expanding wrap-around support for learners at every stage of their academic careers.

    Beyond the falling dropout rate, the ministry also highlighted a concurrent improvement in secondary school promotion rates, signaling that more learners are advancing to the next grade without unnecessary delays or interruptions to their education. This overall trend, according to education officials, points to growing internal efficiency within the country’s secondary education system and the creation of more stable, accessible learning pathways for diverse groups of students.

    To sustain these gains and expand retention efforts, the Dominican government has scaled up access to technical-professional education and arts education programs, building clear connections between secondary schooling and future employment opportunities for graduates. Additional targeted initiatives include the “Secondary Advances” program, which centers on improving both quality and equity across all secondary education institutions, and the national “I Choose to Learn” public awareness campaign, which encourages out-of-school young people and adults to re-enroll and complete their secondary studies.

  • Senator Isalean Phillip named to the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Young Global Leaders

    Senator Isalean Phillip named to the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Young Global Leaders

    In an announcement that highlights the rising influence of Caribbean leadership on the global stage, Saint Kitts and Nevis Senator and Minister of State Isalean Phillip has been named to the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Class of Young Global Leaders, the WEF confirmed in an official announcement posted to its website on April 16, 2026.

    Phillip, who serves as Minister of State for Social Development and Gender Affairs, with oversight of the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Ageing and Disability, is one of just six Caribbean leaders selected to join this year’s cohort of 118 emerging leaders under the age of 40. The 2026 group draws accomplished change-makers from more than 50 countries across sectors including academia, private business, sports, civil society, government, arts and culture, social entrepreneurship, and media.

    The Young Global Leaders initiative, launched by the WEF to identify and elevate next-generation leadership, recognizes trailblazers who demonstrate unique capacity to bring fresh perspectives, adaptive problem-solving, and courageous leadership amid global uncertainty. With this appointment, Phillip becomes part of a sprawling global network of more than 1,400 active leaders from over 120 nations, all focused on collaborative leadership development and collective action to address pressing transnational challenges.

    Throughout her tenure in the Saint Kitts and Nevis government, Phillip has centered her policy agenda on advancing equity, social protection, and inclusive governance. Under her direction, the ministry has advanced landmark updates to the country’s child protection frameworks, creating stronger safeguards for vulnerable children, and expanded accessible opportunities for meaningful social engagement for senior citizens. A lifelong advocate for marginalized communities, she has consistently pushed for expanded rights and accessibility for people living with disabilities, and has made embedding youth voices in national policy and decision-making a core priority of her work.

    The official appointment was announced to local audiences by the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS) in a press release distributed from Basseterre on April 23, 2026.