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  • ‘Raising the age of consent does not address teen pregnancy’, says Fi We Children Foundation

    ‘Raising the age of consent does not address teen pregnancy’, says Fi We Children Foundation

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — In response to a recent legislative proposal from Jamaica’s opposition education spokesperson to raise the age of sexual consent as a fix for persistent teenage pregnancy rates, the local Fi We Children Foundation (FWCF) has pushed back, arguing that legal adjustment alone cannot resolve this complex social challenge and that policymakers must prioritize evidence-based reproductive health support for young people instead.

    The debate was ignited this week when Opposition Spokesman on Education Damion Crawford presented his call during Tuesday’s Sectoral Debate in Jamaica’s House of Representatives. Crawford urged the government to lift the current age of consent from 16 to 18 years, framing the change as a key measure to cut the country’s high teenage pregnancy incidence.

    Africka Stephens, executive founder of FWCF, pushed back against the proposal in a formal press briefing issued Wednesday, warning that the policy change would do more harm than good for Jamaican youth. “Given the realities of adolescent sexual behaviour in Jamaica, raising the age of consent may risk unnecessarily drawing more young people into the criminal justice system rather than protecting them,” Stephens explained. “Any policy discussion must be grounded in practicality, evidence and the lived experiences of Jamaican youth, not moral panic.”

    FWCF’s position draws on preliminary findings from its ongoing 2024/2025 Youth for Reproductive Justice Project, a research and outreach initiative funded by the European Union and the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS). Through direct community engagement with adolescents across the country, the organization has documented that underage sexual activity is already a widespread reality: many young people begin sexual experimentation before they reach their teenage years, even among those below the current 16-year age of consent threshold.

    Most notably, FWCF’s work found that young people themselves are not calling for harsher criminalization of sexual activity. Instead, they are demanding accessible, stigma-free comprehensive sex education that directly addresses their practical questions and health concerns. Young people want safe, judgment-free spaces to talk about sexual and reproductive health with trusted adults — including medical providers, school guidance counsellors and family members, the foundation emphasized. Raising the age of consent to 18 does nothing to change the existing reality of adolescent sexual activity or reduce unintended pregnancy rates, FWCF added.

    The organization outlined what it argues are evidence-based interventions that would actually drive down teenage pregnancy: widespread access to comprehensive sex education in schools, youth-focused reproductive health centers distributed across every region of Jamaica, free or low-cost family planning resources, and stronger cross-sector collaboration between schools, families, and health care providers. This need is particularly acute in rural Jamaican communities, where access to reproductive health services remains severely limited, the foundation noted. It pointed to existing successful models, such as UNICEF’s Teen Hubs, which have already proven that youth-friendly reproductive health services deliver measurable positive outcomes for adolescents.

    FWCF stressed that teenage pregnancy is not a simple issue that can be resolved by adjusting the age of consent. A range of intersecting structural factors drive rates of unintended adolescent pregnancy, including widespread poverty, systemic social inequities, weak public health governance, limited access to basic health care, and a lack of supportive community and family systems for young people. Addressing these root causes must be the central priority for policymakers, the organization said.

    In closing, FWCF called on Jamaican lawmakers to abandon symbolic, politically popular legal changes that fail to tackle the underlying drivers of teenage pregnancy, and refocus policy on evidence-based interventions that meet the actual needs of young Jamaicans.

  • UPDATE: Government response to trough system impacts -April 28, 2026

    UPDATE: Government response to trough system impacts -April 28, 2026

    In the wake of a damaging trough system that swept across Dominica on Sunday, April 26, 2026, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit’s administration has launched an urgent, on-the-ground relief and recovery operation targeting hard-hit communities in the island’s eastern and northeastern districts. Just one day after the weather event, the prime minister and government representatives continued direct engagement with affected local populations on Monday, April 27, and convened a second emergency Cabinet meeting that same evening to assess unfolding conditions and align coordinated national response efforts. As recovery work progresses, the government has released a detailed roundup of ongoing actions across every critical sector impacted by the disaster. For water and basic necessities, local teams are already distributing potable water to residents of Atkinson and its surrounding neighborhoods. More supply runs are scheduled, with bulk water deliveries set to begin as soon as blocked roadways are cleared, alongside planned distributions of food, waterproof tarpaulins and other life-sustaining essentials to households damaged by the storm. Communications infrastructure took a hit across many isolated communities, leaving internet service unstable or entirely unavailable in multiple areas. To address this gap, the government plans to deploy Starlink satellite internet units to key community hubs, ensuring local residents can maintain critical connections with emergency responders and loved ones. Heavy rainfall from the trough triggered widespread major landslides across eastern and northeastern Dominica, cutting off road access and trapping residents in multiple districts. Heavy construction equipment has been brought in to clear blocked corridors, with full access to Atkinson, Antrizzle and the Kalinago Territory projected to be restored in the near term. For communities including Dix Pas, Tranto, Good Hope, San Sauveur and Petite Soufriere, crews are implementing temporary access fixes at the damaged Calixte bridge to reconnect cut-off neighborhoods. Displaced Atkinson residents have access to prepped temporary shelter facilities, where the government is providing on-site meals, personal care packages and specialized psychosocial support for those impacted by the disaster. At the same time, planning is already underway for long-term housing support for homeowners who lost their properties or sustained catastrophic structural damage. Citing ongoing safety hazards across storm-impacted regions, the government has extended school closures for a dozen campuses in eastern and northeastern Dominica, including Concord Primary, Atkinson Primary, Salybia Primary, Sineku Primary, Castle Bruce Primary, Lighthouse Christian Academy, Temple SDA, San Sauveur Primary, Wesley Primary, Wills Strathmore Stevens (WS Stevens) Primary, Castle Bruce Secondary and North East Comprehensive. Officials will publish new updates on school reopenings once sites are inspected and cleared as safe for students and staff. The storm also disrupted access to agricultural lands across many affected areas, threatening livelihoods for local farming households. The government confirmed that damage assessments are currently ongoing, and direct support for impacted farmers will be rolled out as soon as access to farmlands is restored and damage is fully documented. Clean-up operations are already underway across a dozen hard-hit communities, including Rosalie, Riviere Cyrique, Castle Bruce and Marigot, with teams from the National Employment Programme (NEP) leading debris clearing and sanitation work. Additional NEP crews will be deployed to more remote districts as road access is restored. Throughout the response effort, the Skerrit administration has emphasized that its recovery strategy is centered on rapid, people-first action, with all available resources dedicated to delivering effective, timely support to impacted communities. Officials confirmed that regular public updates will be shared as response and recovery work continues.

  • Chinese Tycoon Buys Pigeon for $1.8 Million

    Chinese Tycoon Buys Pigeon for $1.8 Million

    The world of elite racing pigeons has been flipped on its head by soaring valuations and a growing wave of organized crime, as criminal networks target champion birds worth millions of dollars in what industry insiders have dubbed the “pigeon mafia.”

    To casual observers, racing pigeons are nothing more than ordinary urban birds. But to dedicated breeders, these specially bred *Columba livia domestica* are elite athletes, refined through generations of selective bloodline breeding to complete jaw-dropping long-distance races, flying hundreds of miles home at extraordinary speeds.

    Belgium’s Flemish region, long recognized as the global capital of professional pigeon racing, is where the value of top-tier birds is most apparent. Veteran breeder Tom Van Gaver spent decades curating a collection of 300 carefully bred birds, with a total estimated value of $10 million. One of his most prized specimens was a champion racer named Finn, often called “the Mona Lisa of pigeon racing.” Beyond his own racing wins, Finn was a genetic goldmine: individual offspring from Finn regularly sold for as much as $100,000 apiece.

    But in 2024, Finn disappeared from Van Gaver’s loft overnight. Security camera footage captured an intruder sneaking into the facility and stealing Finn alongside several other top breeding birds. “It’s not about the money,” Van Gaver told *60 Minutes*, which first broke the broader story of organized pigeon crime. “I want my pigeon back.”

    Investigators and industry insiders agree that sophisticated international criminal rings are behind the growing wave of pigeon thefts. Unlike common property theft, these criminals are not just looking to resell stolen birds outright. Instead, they exploit the elite genetics of champion pigeons: stolen birds are used to produce offspring on the black market, which are then sold at premium prices to collectors and breeders looking to improve the quality of their own racing stock without paying full market value for top bloodlines.

    The rise in targeted pigeon thefts directly tracks with the exponential growth of prize money and sales values in the sport over the past decade. Modern high-profile events, particularly popular “one loft races,” draw thousands of competitors from across the globe, with individual entry fees often running hundreds of dollars per bird and total prize pools reaching millions of dollars. In one major Portuguese race, more than 3,000 pigeons competed for a $1.2 million top purse, awarded to the first bird to complete the 300-mile flight back to its home loft.

    This flood of capital has transformed the niche sport into a multi-million-dollar global industry. Online auction platforms now routinely facilitate sales of elite pigeons for six- and even seven-figure sums, with wealthy buyers from China and the Middle East driving record price growth. One Belgian auction firm that specializes in top racing pigeons reportedly processes tens of millions of euros in transactions each year. The current public sales record was set back in 2020, when a Chinese tycoon purchased a single champion pigeon for a staggering $1.8 million.

  • Robbery Reported in Lower Gambles

    Robbery Reported in Lower Gambles

    Local law enforcement has launched an investigation into a reported robbery that took place in the Lower Gambles area in the early hours of today. Officials confirmed the incident was first called in to emergency services at approximately 4:24 a.m., marking the start of what is now an active public appeal for information.

    Investigators have obtained closed-circuit television footage related to the case, which has provided key clues about the suspect’s movements. Evidence from the video indicates the individual made two separate trips to the robbery site before the incident was reported, with the second visit clearly captured on camera. Currently, authorities have not released any additional details about the suspect’s description, the amount of property stolen, or whether anyone was harmed during the event, as the investigation remains in its early stages.

    To speed up the identification process and move the case forward, police are asking any member of the public who may recognize the individual shown in the surveillance footage to reach out to local law enforcement immediately. Even small pieces of information could prove critical to helping investigators identify and apprehend the person responsible for the crime.

  • Lobster, Parrotfish Closed Seasons Begin May 1; Violators Face Fines Up to $50,000

    Lobster, Parrotfish Closed Seasons Begin May 1; Violators Face Fines Up to $50,000

    Regional fisheries regulators have implemented annual closed fishing seasons for two ecologically critical marine species, Caribbean spiny lobster and parrotfish, in a move designed to safeguard spawning populations and support long-term fishery sustainability. The official notice, issued by Chief Fisheries Officer Ian Horsford, outlines that the closed period for Caribbean spiny lobster will run from May 1 through June 30 annually, while the closed season for parrotfish — known locally as “chub” — extends longer, from May 1 through July 31.

    Under the terms of the existing Fisheries Regulations, all fishing-related activity targeting these species is strictly prohibited throughout their respective closed seasons. This blanket ban covers not only catching and harvesting, but also commercial activities including offering the species for sale, purchasing them, and even private possession of any harvested lobster or parrotfish. Even small amounts of the prohibited species held by individuals during the closed window count as a violation of local fishing rules.

    The regulation marks the spawning window for both species, a critical life cycle stage when protecting breeding populations directly boosts future fish stocks and supports the long-term health of local marine ecosystems. Fisheries officials note that allowing these species to reproduce undisturbed helps maintain sustainable catch levels for commercial and recreational fishermen in future seasons, preserving a key food and economic resource for the region.

    Anyone found violating the closed season rules will face legal penalties under local fisheries law. Violators who receive a summary conviction can be fined up to 50,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars (XCD 50,000). Local authorities are calling on community members, fishermen, and seafood businesses to help enforce the ban by reporting any suspected violations directly to the Fisheries Division. Tips and reports can be submitted via phone at 462-1372 or 462-6106. This annual conservation measure reflects ongoing efforts by local fisheries management to balance human use of marine resources with the need to protect vulnerable populations during their most important reproductive period.

  • School closures extended in East and Northeast

    School closures extended in East and Northeast

    A powerful low-pressure trough system that swept across Dominica over the weekend brought extreme weather conditions including torrential downpours, widespread flash flooding and destructive landslides, prompting authorities to order a full day of closure for all educational institutions in the island nation’s East and Northeast districts on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The Dominican Ministry of Education confirmed the measure as a necessary precaution to safeguard the well-being of students and education staff while multi-agency teams work to clear damage and restore critical infrastructure across the hard-hit regions.

    A total of 12 schools across the affected districts are impacted by the closure order, spanning both primary and secondary public and private institutions. The full list includes Concord Primary, Atkinson Primary, Salybia Primary, Sineku Primary, Castle Bruce Primary, Lighthouse Christian Academy, Temple Seventh Day Adventist, San Sauveur Primary, Wesley Primary, Wills Strathmore Stevens (WS Stevens) Primary, Castle Bruce Secondary, and North East Comprehensive.

    Emergency management officials have outlined that the closures stem from widespread unsafe travel conditions across the region. Multiple major road routes connecting key communities have been rendered impassable by landslide debris, while residual floodwaters along low-lying corridors put any non-essential travel at high risk of incident. In response to the infrastructure damage, the Ministry of Public Works has already dispatched a fleet of heavy engineering equipment to cleared blocked roadways and remove loose debris from at-risk slopes.

    To support local residents displaced by the extreme weather event, emergency shelters have been opened and activated in three hard-hit locations: Atkinson, Castle Bruce, and the Kalinago Territory. Utility crews have also been deployed to the most severely impacted neighborhoods to restore disrupted electricity and potable water services, which were knocked offline by flood and landslide damage over the weekend.

    The National Emergency Planning Organization has mobilized its full regional response network to coordinate cross-agency relief efforts, with teams currently conducting systematic assessments of damage to the local agricultural sector, a key economic driver for many rural communities across eastern Dominica. National health services have also been placed on heightened alert to respond to any potential post-flood public health risks, though as of Tuesday morning authorities confirmed that no fatalities or critical injuries have been reported in connection with the weather event.

    With ground conditions remaining unstable across much of the affected region, local authorities have issued a formal advisory urging all residents to stay alert, avoid any travel that is not absolutely necessary, and rely on official government channels for the latest updates on the response effort. The Ministry of Education noted that additional announcements on the timeline for school reopening will be issued only after full safety assessments of campus grounds and access routes are completed to confirm it is safe for students and staff to return.

  • Joseph and Newton Secure Funding for New Community Centres in Five Islands and All Saints

    Joseph and Newton Secure Funding for New Community Centres in Five Islands and All Saints

    Plans to build two modern community hubs in Five Islands Village and All Saints Village have cleared a key funding hurdle, with official financial approval now confirmed, two Antigua Labour Party (ALP) electoral candidates have announced. Michael M. Joseph, who is running for the Five Islands constituency, and Lamin Newton, the ABLP candidate for All Saints, released a joint statement sharing the milestone update on the long-awaited community infrastructure projects.

    As part of a broader targeted strategy to expand public community resources across the region, the two candidates are leading the development efforts for their respective local projects: Joseph oversees progress on the Five Islands facility, while Newton spearheads planning for the center in All Saints Village.

    Once completed, both community centers are designed to function as multipurpose gathering spaces for local residents. The facilities will host a wide range of programming, from open community engagement events and youth-focused recreational and educational activities to targeted social support programs. Organizers say the hubs will fill a critical gap in local public infrastructure, helping to strengthen local support networks and connect residents with resources they need to thrive.

    In their joint announcement, the candidates emphasized that the initiative is rooted in cross-stakeholder collaboration, built around the shared goal of delivering fit-for-purpose public amenities that will drive sustainable, long-term social and community development across both villages. To date, final details on construction start dates, project completion timelines, and specific building plans have not been finalized, and additional updates are expected to be shared with the public in the coming weeks as planning advances.

  • ANNOUNCEMENT: School closures extended in East and North East

    ANNOUNCEMENT: School closures extended in East and North East

    A formal announcement from the national Ministry of Education has confirmed that 12 educational institutions spanning the East and Northeast regions will suspend all in-person operations on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The affected facilities cover both primary and secondary education levels, and include Concord Primary, Atkinson Primary, Salybia Primary, Sineku Primary, Castle Bruce Primary, Lighthouse Christian Academy, Temple SDA, San Sauveur Primary, Wesley Primary, Wills Strathmore Stevens (WS Stevens) Primary, Castle Bruce Secondary, and North East Comprehensive. In the official statement, education officials emphasized that the temporary closure is a proactive safety measure designed to protect the health and well-being of all students, faculty, and non-teaching staff on campus. The closure will remain in effect until local conditions stabilize and are deemed safe enough for the resumption of regular academic activities, authorities added. No additional details on the specific underlying conditions prompting the closure were released alongside the initial announcement.

  • Police Arrest 22-Year-Old Male In Connection With Bomb Threat

    Police Arrest 22-Year-Old Male In Connection With Bomb Threat

    The Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda has confirmed the arrest of a 22-year-old male resident of Old Parham Road in connection with a bomb threat targeting the agency’s central headquarters. The threat was first reported on Monday, triggering an immediate response from law enforcement units across the island nation.

    Officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Task Force took the suspect into custody during a targeted operation launched shortly after 6:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday, April 28. As of the latest official update, the detained individual is cooperating with investigators as they work to unpack the details of the incident, including motive and any potential broader connections to other activities.

    In an official media statement released by the police force’s Office of Strategic Communications (STRATCOM), department leadership emphasized that all threats to public security are treated with the highest level of urgency. The administration reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to protecting the welfare and safety of every citizen and permanent resident across Antigua and Barbuda.

    Authorities note that the investigation is still active and evolving, and additional information will be released to the public once new developments are confirmed in the case.

  • 3 denied bail for Eversley murder

    3 denied bail for Eversley murder

    A high-profile murder case of a serving municipal police officer took another dramatic turn on Tuesday, as three men already charged with killing corporal Anuska Eversley appeared in court to face a raft of new offenses tied to one of the largest illegal firearms caches uncovered in recent memory. All three suspects were denied bail and remanded into custody following the hearing, held before Master Delicia Bethelmy.

    The three accused—28-year-old municipal police officer Jivan “Bigs” Cooper, 20-year-old construction worker Kwame Arnold, and 24-year-old scrap iron dealer Nicholas “Nico” Ramdass, all residents of Claxton Bay—had the charges, formally laid by ASP Maharaj, read aloud in court. The allegations stem from the April 19 killing of Eversley, whose body was discovered inside the Municipal Police Station at King’s Wharf, San Fernando. A post-mortem examination confirmed she died after being strangled and beaten, and her funeral service was held on the same day as the court appearance.

    Beyond the murder charge, the trio is also accused of robbing Eversley of her government-issued service weapons and ammunition, and committing acts of violence against the officer during the fatal attack. The new firearms charges reveal a far larger stockpile of illegal weapons than law enforcement had previously disclosed publicly: 114 pistols, one revolver, six shotguns, two MPX submachine guns, and 173 firearm magazines intended for trafficking, along with a total of 4,395 rounds of assorted ammunition—4,355 9mm rounds, 30 12-gauge shells, and ten .38 caliber rounds. Prior to this court hearing, official police updates to the media had only acknowledged the recovery of 60 weapons and 1,532 rounds of ammunition, marking the first time the full scope of the seized cache has been confirmed.

    None of the accused were required to enter pleas at this stage of the proceedings. Cooper is represented by defense attorney Keith Beckles, while duty counsel Krysan Rambert appeared for Arnold and attorney Perusha Lord represented Ramdass. Both Arnold and Ramdass announced following the hearing that they plan to retain private legal counsel going forward.

    Beckles raised a series of critical procedural concerns during the hearing, centered heavily on widespread pre-trial publicity across social media platforms. He told the court that his client’s driver’s permit was widely circulated online before formal charges were even filed, and Cooper had already been named and sensationalized as the primary suspect in the case. Beckles argued that this pervasive, misleading coverage could taint the jury pool and create irreversible bias against his client. He also questioned significant delays in the submission of the full case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and raised objections to a further detention order issued against Cooper after an initial temporary detention order expired during his pre-trial custody.

    Responding to the defense’s concerns, police prosecutor Reagan Ramanan explained that the July 24 target date for file submission is necessary due to the extraordinary complexity and size of the case. The case file currently includes hundreds of witness statements, physical evidence exhibits, crime scene photographs, video footage, interview transcripts, and a full report from the Cyber Crime Unit, with additional statements still pending. Ramanan also clarified that neither he nor ASP Maharaj had prior knowledge of the additional detention order issued under the Emergency Powers Regulations, as such orders are issued directly by the Minister of Homeland Security.

    Master Bethelmy issued a formal scheduling order outlining next steps for both the prosecution and defense, and ruled that the three accused would reappear for a further hearing on October 15. The court also advised the defendants that they may submit written applications for bail ahead of that date.

    In the wake of Eversley’s killing, Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro submitted a formal recommendation to Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen, calling for a new policy requiring all municipal officers’ firearms to be stored for safekeeping at central police stations before being issued for duty. Ameen subsequently issued a directive ordering all chief executive officers of city, borough, and regional corporations to comply with the new protocol.