分类： society

Dominica Council on Ageing to host forum on seniors’ legal rights and protection

Aging populations across the Caribbean face growing challenges around protection of personal rights, access to essential services, and prevention of abuse — and the Dominica Council on Ageing (DCA) is stepping forward to address these gaps with a upcoming public forum focused on empowering older residents and their support networks.

Scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the conference room of the Dominica Public Service Union, the open forum is targeted at a broad audience: current senior citizens, individuals approaching retirement, professional caregivers, and family members of older adults. Unlike closed, invitation-only policy events, this gathering is open to all interested members of the public, with no admission fee charged to remove barriers to access.

In an official press release announcing the initiative, the DCA laid out two core objectives for the panel discussion. First, the event aims to deliver clear, accessible education on a range of critical issues that impact the daily lives of older Dominicans. These topics span foundational needs including healthcare access, long-term financial security, safe and affordable housing, and the fundamental right of seniors to make their own personal decisions about their care and lives.

Second, the forum is designed to spark constructive dialogue and collective action to improve existing governance for older residents. Organizers noted that the discussion will push for reviews and updates to current legal frameworks that protect older persons, with a specific focus on closing gaps that leave seniors vulnerable to financial exploitation, physical abuse, and neglect. The ultimate goal of these reforms is to guarantee that older adults’ personal wishes and civil rights are fully respected across all areas of life.

To ensure the discussion is informed by diverse, expert perspectives, the DCA has assembled a cross-disciplinary panel of professionals to lead the conversation. Participating experts include two practicing attorneys, Singoalla Blomqvist-Williams and John Elue Charles, who will bring legal insight into existing rights and safeguards; psychiatrist Dr. Nadia Wallace, who will address mental health and autonomy issues; representatives from two major local financial institutions, the National Bank of Dominica (NBD) and the National Co-operative Credit Union (NCCU), who will cover financial protection topics; Mary-Therese Junkere, representing the Pharmaceutical Society of Dominica (PHARCS); and Ainsworth Irish, a representative of the DCA itself.

Organizers emphasize that the forum will deliver more than just information: it will also serve as a launching pad for sustained advocacy. By equipping seniors, their families, and community leaders with knowledge of existing rights, the DCA hopes to build a broader movement for stronger protections that uphold three core values for older Dominicans: dignity, personal safety, and independent living in later life. The council has urged all relevant community groups, including senior organizations and caregiver networks, to attend and contribute to the discussion.

6 7 月, 2026
CDPF investigates apparent suicide in Lagoon, Portsmouth

Authorities from the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF) have launched an active investigation into the sudden death of a 35-year-old man, whose body was found at a residential property in the Lagoon neighborhood of Portsmouth in what appears to be a suicide.

According to official police reports, emergency dispatch received the initial report of the suspected death at roughly 7:54 a.m. local time on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Patrol officers assigned to the Portsmouth Police District were immediately dispatched to the residential location to respond to the call.

When first responders arrived at the scene, they located the deceased individual identified as Maradona Melvon Bruno, a native of Savanne Paille who had been living at the Lagoon address where his body was discovered. A team of specialized law enforcement personnel, including investigators from the CDPF’s Scenes of Crime Unit, soon joined the response to conduct a thorough preliminary forensic examination of the site to gather evidence.

Following the initial assessment, a licensed medical doctor attended the scene and officially pronounced Bruno dead at the location. His remains were transferred to a local funeral home shortly after the on-site investigation concluded, where they will be held until a post-mortem autopsy can be performed to confirm the official cause and manner of death.

As of the latest update, law enforcement has not closed the case, and investigative efforts to fully map out the circumstances leading to Bruno’s death remain ongoing. In a public statement released following the discovery, the CDPF offered its heartfelt sympathies to Bruno’s family, extended family members, and close friends as they navigate this period of loss.

6 7 月, 2026
Nature Island Innovators Robotics Camp to equip Dominican youth with technology and leadership skills

Young Dominicans from all corners of the island are about to get a transformative opportunity to dive into the fast-growing fields of robotics, coding, and creative innovation next week, as the Nature Island Innovators Robotics Camp prepares to kick off at Portsmouth Secondary School. The 6-day event, scheduled to run from July 13 to 18, 2026, is the latest initiative from The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Dominica, organized to arm the next generation with the core competencies they need to thrive in a rapidly digitizing global economy.

In an official press release announcing the camp, organizers outlined that the program will be delivered in partnership with Innovate My World, a group focused on expanding tech access for young people. Unlike traditional classroom learning, the camp will center entirely on immersive, hands-on engagement that gets participants actively building and problem-solving from day one. Attendees will tackle structured robotics engineering challenges, work through interactive coding workshops designed for a range of skill levels, collaborate on group projects that test communication, and participate in targeted activities to boost critical soft skills ranging from adaptability to creative thinking.

Program designers emphasized that the camp serves a dual purpose: beyond building foundational technical knowledge in emerging tech fields, it is explicitly crafted to nurture leadership capacity and other transferable life skills that benefit young people across all career paths.

The event will wrap up on July 18 with a public closing ceremony, where camp participants will showcase the full projects they developed throughout the week to attendees, organizers, and community partners. Every participant will walk away with an official certificate of completion to mark their achievement, while standout contributors will earn special recognition through category-specific awards highlighting innovation, teamwork, and technical skill.

Organizers reiterated that the robotics camp aligns with The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Dominica’s long-standing mission to expand accessible development opportunities for young people across the island and drive inclusive youth growth. The initiative would not have been possible without the collective support of a wide network of local stakeholders, including leading financial institutions the National Development Foundation of Dominica (NDFD), National Cooperative Credit Union (NCCU), National Bank of Dominica (NBD), and Republic Bank, along with local private enterprises J. Astaphans & Company and Fine Foods Inc. Additional backing comes from the regional Caribbean Digital Transformation Project and the national Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports and Community Development, reflecting cross-sector commitment to investing in Dominica’s youth.

6 7 月, 2026
Antigua’s oldest known resident celebrates 103rd birthday

The oldest documented living citizen of Antigua and Barbuda, Irenie Mussington, has marked her 103rd birthday surrounded by love, official recognition and warm tributes from the nation’s highest leaders, family members and countless well-wishers across the country.

Born on July 4, 1923, Mussington’s life has been defined by quiet resilience and persistent hard work from her earliest years. When she was just nine years old, she lost her mother, a devastating loss that forced her to leave formal education just two years later to step into a caregiving role for her injured grandmother. To support herself and her family, she took up work as a domestic helper, shouldering adult responsibilities long before most girls her age.

At 18, Mussington took a bold step to build her own livelihood, launching an independent small business as a street vendor. She started by selling handcrafted homemade sweets, gradually growing her enterprise to include locally produced beverages and clothing items. For more than six decades, she ran her small trading operation out of St. John’s, continuing her work until she retired at the age of 83.

Beyond her professional tenacity, Mussington has built a sprawling, loving family: she is a mother of three, grandmother to nine, and great-grandmother to another nine children. Governor General Sir Rodney Williams lauded Mussington as a shining model of resilience, relentless work ethic and committed service to local communities across the nation. During his weekly public broadcast, Prime Minister Gaston Browne echoed this praise, calling her “a national treasure” and extending his warmest birthday wishes to the centenarian. To commemorate her extraordinary 103-year milestone, the government of Antigua and Barbuda presented Mussington with a 10,000 Eastern Caribbean dollar cheque as a formal recognition of her legacy and lifetime of contribution.

6 7 月, 2026
Bad road blamed in driver’s death

A tragic fatal collision on a deteriorating rural bridge in Central Trinidad has left a community grieving and demanding immediate infrastructure repairs, after a recently married man became the first fatality linked to years of decaying road conditions at the site. On Saturday morning, 42-year-old Jason Ramnanan, a resident of Lange Park, Chaguanas, lost his life at the scene near the Santa Phillipa bridge along Caparo Valley Brasso Road, when his panel van collided head-on with an oncoming truck. Ramnanan, who had just married three weeks prior and was returning home after visiting family in Caparo, left behind a young child. Local residents are convinced that unaddressed road hazards — including a large unpatched pothole dug by utility workers and an uncovered manhole — directly caused the fatal crash. One long-time local resident, who requested anonymity to speak freely to reporters, explained that Saturday’s tragedy was not the first serious incident at the site. Just two weeks earlier, another local driver totaled their car after swerving to avoid the large pothole, which was dug during maintenance work carried out by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA). In the two weeks following that work, WASA never returned to repair the uneven roadway, residents said. Opposite the unpatched pothole, the uncovered manhole has only been secured with makeshift wooden barriers and loose caution tape, a temporary fix that does little to alert oncoming drivers to the hazard. Residents argue that Ramnanan swerved off his expected path to avoid the uncovered manhole, pushing his vehicle directly into the lane of the approaching truck. A second resident confirmed this account, noting that both Ramnanan and the truck driver swerved to avoid separate potholes on their respective sides of the narrow bridge, leading to the fatal collision. First responders were unable to extract Ramnanan from the wreckage before he succumbed to his injuries. Family members at Ramnanan’s home described him as a loving, well-liked self-employed business owner and sales representative, but declined to speak further on the tragedy. Beyond the existing road hazards, the Santa Phillipa bridge itself is already in dangerous condition: it narrows to a single unprotected lane, with no barriers to separate opposing traffic, creating constant risk of head-on collisions. “That hole caused that boy to dead. Fix that hole and fix the bridge. They have to do something now,” the first resident stated. Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath responded to the incident in an interview with reporters, noting that preliminary video evidence reviewed by WASA indicates Ramnanan passed the area of the authority’s prior works, and the collision occurred when both vehicles attempted to cross the narrow bridge at the same time. Padarath added that officials are awaiting the final police investigative report to confirm contributing factors, but confirmed WASA will begin full restoration works at the site starting next week. Ramnanan’s death marked the first of three road fatalities across Trinidad over the weekend. Less than 24 hours before the crash, an unidentifed homeless pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle while crossing the Uriah Butler Highway near the Munroe Road flyover. On Sunday morning, a teenage passenger from Moruga was killed when the vehicle he was riding in crashed into a utility pole along Edward Trace in Basse Terre, leaving the teen dead at the scene. The string of deaths has prompted renewed warnings from Trinidad and Tobago Police Service road safety officials, who note that road fatalities have risen 20% year-over-year, despite increased enforcement and public education campaigns. Sergeant Brent Batson, coordinator of the TTPS Strategic Road Safety Project, said reckless high-risk driving behaviors are the primary driver of the rising fatality rate. Initial investigations into Saturday’s collision indicate one of the drivers rushed to cross the narrow bridge, a decision that had deadly consequences. Batson emphasized that collisions between passenger vehicles and large heavy goods vehicles are almost always fatal for passenger vehicle occupants, making caution the most critical tool for preventing death. “This goes to show the consequence, especially when extra heavy vehicles are involved, you’re talking about a mass of steel that the driver of a car cannot survive an impact against that type of vehicle; the risk isn’t worth it,” Batson said. Batson added that road incidents create multiple victims: even drivers who are not physically injured often suffer long-term psychological trauma that can leave them unable to drive again. As the country enters the peak of the rainy season, which makes slippery roads and hidden hazards even more common, Batson urged all drivers to adopt higher safety standards: slowing down, yielding right of way, ensuring vehicles are properly maintained with functional brakes, tires and wipers, and maintaining safe following distances. Despite police efforts to enforce safety rules and educate the public, many drivers continue to ignore basic safety rules, from wearing seatbelts to using mobile phones behind the wheel, Batson said. “Drivers have to also engage with a higher level of caution, especially when using the roadways,” he added.

6 7 月, 2026
Miracle Rescue: Venezuelan Security Guard Pulled Alive After Eight Days Beneath Earthquake Rubble

Eight days after powerful twin earthquakes flattened a coastal shopping center in northern Venezuela, an extraordinary international rescue effort has yielded a stunning outcome: a 43-year-old security guard, trapped under hundreds of tons of debris, has been brought out alive. The survival story has injected a rare spark of hope into a nation grappling with its deadliest natural disaster in over 100 years.

On June 24, two major quakes registering magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 hit Venezuela’s northern coastal state of La Guaira, collapsing the multi-story Galerías Playa Grande shopping center where Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was on duty. Working in the building’s basement parking lot, Gil Flores took shelter in a small, sturdy concrete security booth that withstood the catastrophic collapse above. The intact booth formed a life-sustaining air pocket, shielding him from crushing debris and giving him a fighting chance at survival.

Over the course of more than 100 hours, rescue teams from seven nations — Venezuela, Costa Rica, Chile, El Salvador, Mexico, Portugal, and the United States — worked relentlessly against stacked odds to reach Gil Flores. The mission was plagued by unstable rubble, ongoing aftershocks that threatened further collapses, and drenching heavy rains that turned the wreckage into a slippery, dangerous work site. Multiple times, newly dug access tunnels caved in, forcing crews to start over and putting the entire operation at risk.

Days into the search, crews first spotted Gil Flores using a specialized telescopic camera, and quickly established communication. Through a narrow shaft drilled into the rubble, they supplied him with clean water and liquid nutrition, extending his survival far beyond the typical 48 to 72-hour window that experts consider the limit for most trapped disaster victims. Remarkably, Gil Flores remained calm throughout the entire ordeal, conversing with rescuers about his family and even making specific requests for flavored hydration drinks as they worked to clear a path to him. Out of concern for his wife’s emotions, he asked rescuers not to alert her he had been located until the rescue was fully complete, fearing she would suffer unnecessary heartbreak if the operation ultimately failed.

When crews finally pulled Gil Flores into the open air on Thursday, the team of first responders erupted in spontaneous applause and hugged one another, celebrating the rare win amid so much loss. Carried on a stretcher to a waiting Red Cross ambulance, Gil Flores emerged from eight days underground with no life-threatening injuries, a outcome rescuers are already calling nothing short of a miracle.

Allan Madrigal, a Costa Rican Red Cross paramedic who was the first to hear Gil Flores calling for help through the rubble, recalled the moment as one of profound emotion. He told reporters he initially doubted his own ears, unsure that any survivor could still be alive days after the collapse. Minyar Collado, another member of the rescue team, added that crews repeatedly reassured the trapped man that they would not leave the site without extracting him.

For Gil Flores’ wife, Gusbimar González, the eight days before the successful rescue were an agonizing wait filled with uncertainty. She told reporters she had lived through days of overwhelming anguish before finally receiving word that her husband was alive and safe.

As search operations continue across La Guaira for additional survivors and victims, the miraculous rescue stands out as a moment of light in a disaster that has brought unparalleled devastation to the country. Venezuelan authorities confirm the twin earthquakes have killed at least 2,595 people, injured more than 11,000, and left tens of thousands of buildings damaged or completely destroyed across the northern region.

6 7 月, 2026
Obductie bevestigt misdrijf na vondst lichaam vrouw aan Suralcoweg

A homicide investigation is underway in the Netherlands after the discovery of an unidentified woman’s body in Rijsdijk, with forensic tests confirming she died from a gunshot wound, local law enforcement confirmed this week.

The remains were first located on Thursday, July 2, by a man collecting leaves in the area off Suralcoweg, a side road near a gravel pit in Rijsdijk. When the man stumbled across the body hidden in vegetation along a dirt side road, he immediately notified authorities, who quickly cordoned off the crime scene and secured the area for forensic processing. On orders from the Public Prosecution Service, the body was transported for a full autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Preliminary and post-mortem examinations have now confirmed the case is a criminal homicide. Investigators told reporters the body was found in an advanced state of decomposition and was partially undressed. A spent bullet casing was recovered a short distance from the remains during the initial sweep of the site, indicating a firearm was discharged at or near the location where the body was dumped. Law enforcement says they are working from the working theory that the woman was killed either at the discovery site or elsewhere before her body was left at the Suralcoweg location.

As of the latest update on July 5, investigators have not yet been able to confirm the identity of the victim. Based on initial forensic analysis, they believe the woman was between 20 and 30 years old, and roughly 150 centimeters tall. Several personal items were recovered alongside the body that investigators hope will help lead to identification, including a pair of glasses, a finger ring, and a single women’s high-heeled shoe. All of these items have been secured for forensic testing.

The Major Crimes Unit is continuing the investigation at full pace, with authorities probing all possible scenarios related to how the crime unfolded and how the victim’s body ended up at the discovery site. In a public appeal issued this week, police urged community members who may have information related to the case, or who spotted any suspicious activity in the Suralcoweg area in the days before the body was found, to come forward immediately. Investigators stressed that even the smallest tip could prove critical to identifying the victim and solving the homicide.

5 7 月, 2026
Currie: zorgvuldige herbeoordeling oorzaak uitstel examenresultaten

Suriname’s Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (OWC) has announced a four-day delay to the release of final havo and vwo exam results, a shift driven not by technical grading processing errors as initially speculated, but by a need to complete a careful reassessment of two mathematics papers, Mathematics 1 and Mathematics Q. The final scores, originally scheduled for publication on July 3, will now be announced publicly on Tuesday, July 7, according to OWC Minister Dirk Currie.

In an official statement shared via the Communication Service of Suriname, Minister Currie clarified that no systemic integrity issues affect the exam results overall. The delay was implemented solely to ensure adjusted grading for the two math exams can be finalized fairly before scores are released to students. Two separate issues were identified in the 2026 math exams: students were found to have been insufficiently prepared for one specific question on the Mathematics 1 paper, while two questions on the Mathematics Q paper were incomplete.

Following the discovery of these exam irregularities, ministry officials held consultations with math instructors and school leadership across the country, after which a decision to adjust the grading framework for both papers was reached. “That is why it became necessary to push back the release of school results by a few days. All adjustments must be completed before Tuesday, which will allow us to publish the final definitive results on that day,” Currie explained.

The minister noted that rare procedural irregularities like these can occasionally occur in large-scale national exam administrations, but stressed that prioritizing fair and thorough assessment must always take precedence over adhering to an arbitrary original timeline. No student should ever be placed at a disadvantage because of flaws in exam design, he emphasized. “We must always remain focused on upholding quality, because what matters most is that we deliver a quality outcome that treats every student fairly,” Currie said.

He added that core principles of equal treatment and procedural fairness were at the center of the decision to delay results. “We have to treat every candidate equally, while also staying true to the fundamental principle of justice for all students taking these high-stakes exams,” Currie stated.

5 7 月, 2026
Murder Accused Hospitalized After an apparent suicide attempt at His Majesty’s Prison

A 24-year-old man facing a murder charge, Jermaine Nicholas, has been hospitalized for urgent medical care after what is widely reported to be a suicide attempt behind bars at His Majesty’s Prison. Information about the incident began circulating publicly this Sunday, confirming that prison staff first responded to the emergency before rushing the accused to an outside medical facility. As of the latest updates, government and prison authorities have not released any official statement confirming the details of the event or disclosing Nicholas’ current health status. The case against Nicholas dates back to a fatal stabbing incident on March 25, which claimed the life of 29-year-old Jahmarley Pierre close to the All Saints traffic intersection. According to official police allegations, the violent confrontation between the two men unfolded just after 5 p.m. that day. Pierre was immediately transported to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre for emergency care, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries at the facility. Following his initial court appearance in connection with Pierre’s death, Nicholas was remanded into full custody at His Majesty’s Prison. The defendant, who lists his address as Ovals, All Saints, was formally denied bail. Under the local judicial system, magistrates lack the legal jurisdiction to grant bail in first-degree murder cases, leaving the accused to await further procedural steps in custody. Nicholas is currently scheduled to reappear at court for upcoming committal proceedings, which will determine if his case will move forward to a full trial. As of press time, the prison administration and national law enforcement agencies have not shared any official comment to confirm or clarify details surrounding the reported in-custody medical emergency.

5 7 月, 2026
Top Warrens Primary pupil earns place at St Michael School

An 11-year-old Barbadian student has secured the top ranking at her private primary campus in this year’s nation-wide secondary school entrance assessment, turning years of focused effort and small personal sacrifices into an acceptance to her first-choice institution. Kierna Edwards, a graduate of Warrens Primary School, will move on to St Michael School in the upcoming academic term, a goal she worked tirelessly to achieve through months of structured preparation.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Kierna opened up about the challenges of balancing exam prep with her daily life, noting that while the process brought occasional stress, her commitment never wavered. “It was a little stressing, but I still got through it,” she reflected.

To shore up her weaker subject areas, Kierna worked one-on-one with private tutor Marion Husbands, who targeted reading comprehension — a skill Kierna initially struggled with — and provided targeted support for mathematics, where she was already showing steady improvement. Beyond extra academics, the young student made the deliberate choice to step back from two of her most beloved extracurricular groups: karate club and K-Kids service club. While the separation left her disappointed at the time, she said the trade-off was always clear. “It made me feel a little sad because it was taking me away from what I enjoyed, but I knew it was worth the studying because at the end of the day, I wanted to get to the school of my choice,” she explained.

That hard-won goal became official earlier this month, when Kierna completed her enrollment registration at St Michael School on Friday. Though she is eager to start the next chapter of her education, the young achiever said saying goodbye to Warrens Primary will be an emotional adjustment. “It makes me feel a little sad because I had a lot of memories from that school and I’ll miss a lot of people, but I still have to accept that I am going on to a different level, and plus I can still visit them,” she said. Looking ahead to her first term at St Michael, Kierna already has plans to rejoin her old activities and pick up new ones, including cheerleading.

Her father, Raj Edwards, shared that prioritizing Kierna’s academic growth has always been a core family commitment, crediting the personalized one-on-one tutoring with helping her refine gaps in her knowledge and build confidence. “I actually got her enrolled in private lessons… just to address the areas she was having issues in… in both math and English,” he said. Raj went on to praise Husbands for her outsized positive influence on Kierna’s progress, adding that he never doubted his daughter’s ability to reach her target. “I expected it, to be honest… she did a bit better than I expected, but I always had full belief in her,” he noted.

Recalling the process of selecting school preferences, Raj said Kierna never wavered in her choice of St Michael School, and he encouraged her to commit fully to that goal. “When I asked her where she wanted to go, she said St Michael’s School. I said, ‘I will not put anything else on the paper because that’s where you’re going. Put all your energy, all your thoughts, everything into going there, and it’s gonna manifest for you,’” he recalled.

Raj now is using his daughter’s success to encourage other parents to take an active, invested role in their children’s education. “Honestly, just invest in your children. It’s time consuming, it’ll cost money, but invest in them. There’s only one chance they have to get set on the path. Spend time, put in the work. And if it’s difficult for you to put in the work, then take them to lessons… but the work has to get put in,” he advised.

To celebrate Kierna’s standout achievement, the family is planning a series of low-key local celebrations: a domestic staycation, a trip to the cinema, an outing to a beach house, and a collection of gifts to reward her hard work. Echoing his long-held confidence in his daughter, Raj added, “I told her I believe in you fully… Anything she wants, she’s gonna get.”

5 7 月, 2026