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  • Japan Hit by 7.7 Quake, Stronger Aftershock Threat Looms

    Japan Hit by 7.7 Quake, Stronger Aftershock Threat Looms

    On a Monday afternoon local time, at 4:53 p.m. on April 20, 2026, a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake jolted the offshore region of Japan’s northeastern coast, sending shockwaves that rippled across hundreds of kilometers and rattled structures all the way to the capital, Tokyo, according to local Japanese media reports.

    Immediately after the tectonic event, Japanese authorities issued a full tsunami warning, forecasting that surges could reach as high as 3 meters and prompting urgent mass evacuation orders for communities along the country’s Pacific coastline. Roughly two hours after the initial quake, monitoring stations recorded maximum tsunami waves of just 80 centimeters, a far smaller impact than initial projections, leading officials to downgrade and ultimately lift the formal tsunami warning.

    Despite the easing of tsunami-related fears, Japan’s Meteorological Agency has stressed that significant danger remains, issuing a stark alert that the region faces a high probability of a major aftershock measuring magnitude 8.0 or higher within the seven-day period following the initial quake. Such a powerful aftershock could trigger renewed structural damage, landslides, and even renewed tsunami activity in vulnerable coastal areas.

    Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed that the national government’s crisis management team was activated within minutes of the first tremor, with survey teams currently deployed across affected regions to tally the full scale of damage and confirm any casualties. In an official press briefing shortly after the quake, Takaichi urged ongoing caution for residents in at-risk zones, saying, “For those of you who live in areas for which the warnings have been issued, please evacuate to higher, safer places.”

    Disruptions from the quake have already been documented: high-speed bullet train services across northeastern routes were suspended following the seismic event, and roughly 100 residential properties lost power in affected areas. While low-level tsunami advisories remain in effect for parts of the Japanese archipelago, the most immediate concern for authorities now is preparing for potential large aftershocks.

    This seismic event comes against the backdrop of Japan’s long history of devastating earthquakes. The country’s deadliest recent quake struck in 2011, when a massive offshore tremor triggered a catastrophic tsunami that claimed the lives of more than 18,000 people and caused the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Japanese authorities have built one of the world’s most advanced early warning and disaster preparedness systems in the years since that disaster, though the threat of large seismic events remains an ever-present risk for the island nation.

  • Mexico pyramid shooter planned attack, fixated on US massacre

    Mexico pyramid shooter planned attack, fixated on US massacre

    MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Authorities have confirmed that a deadly mass shooting that left one Canadian tourist dead and 13 other people injured at Mexico’s iconic Teotihuacan archaeological site was carefully planned days in advance, with evidence pointing to radicalization inspired by a notorious 1990s United States massacre. The attack, which unfolded on Monday at the UNESCO World Heritage site, comes just weeks before Mexico hosts multiple matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, prompting immediate calls for sweeping security overhauls at tourist destinations nationwide.

  • 60 years since Selassie’s visit: Some notable Jamaicans who crossed paths with the Emperor

    60 years since Selassie’s visit: Some notable Jamaicans who crossed paths with the Emperor

    April 21 marks six decades since one of the most culturally transformative visits to Jamaican soil: the state arrival of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I. When the small-statured monarch touched down at Kingston’s then-Palisadoes Airport, tens of thousands of onlookers flooded the tarmac to catch a sight of him — among them throngs of passionate Rastafarians, who have long revered Selassie I as the divine incarnation of God.

    Selassie I’s four-day Jamaican tour in 1966 formed part of a broader Caribbean itinerary, which included stops in Trinidad and Tobago ahead of his Jamaica visit, followed by a trip to Haiti after departing Kingston. For Jamaica’s large Rastafarian community, the visit was far more than a routine diplomatic stopover: the movement’s beliefs center on Selassie I as the Supreme Being, tracing his ancestral lineage directly back to the biblical King Solomon.

    The groundwork for the Emperor’s visit was laid years earlier, rooted in growing cultural and political connection between Jamaica’s Rastafarian community and Ethiopia. In 1960, Rastafarian leaders partnered with three academics from the University of the West Indies (UWI) — M G Smith, Roy Augier, and Rex Nettleford — to conduct the first formal major study of the Rastafarian movement. The following year, the Jamaican government authorized a three-person Rastafarian delegation, including Mortimo Planno, Douglas Mack, and Philmore Alvaranga, to conduct a fact-finding mission to Africa, where the group met Selassie I in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. A second government-funded technical research delegation also traveled to the continent that same year, deepening the ties that would lead to Selassie I’s historic 1966 visit.

    For context, Haile Selassie I was crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in 1930, ruled the East African nation for more than four decades, and was ultimately overthrown by a communist military junta in September 1974. He died in state custody in August 1975 at the age of 83. To mark the 60th anniversary of the Jamaican visit, Jamaica’s Observer Online collected firsthand recollections from figures who either met or witnessed the Emperor during his 1966 tour. Below are their accounts, which preserve the enduring cultural impact of the visit:

    ### Mortimo Planno
    Born in Cuba, Planno was one of the founding pioneers of the Jamaican Rastafarian movement, best known for his revolutionary open-air “binghi” teaching gatherings in Kingston’s iconic Trench Town neighborhood. Many of his students went on to become global reggae legends, including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer (born Bunny Livingston), the core members of The Wailers. Planno was part of the 1961 Jamaican government-sanctioned delegation that met Selassie I in Addis Ababa, and during the 1966 arrival, he was the figure who greeted the Emperor at the aircraft door to guide him down the stairs to Jamaican soil. Planno, widely known by his Rastafarian name Kumi, died in 2006 at the age of 76.

    ### Justice Ronald Small
    Born to parents who were followers of the pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey, Ronald Small made history as Jamaica’s first Black Supreme Court justice. On April 21, 1966, he was the first person scheduled to greet Selassie I at an official reception at King’s House, Jamaica’s official government residence. His youngest son, Robin “Jerry” Small, who was 18 and a practicing Rastafarian at the time of the visit, told Observer Online that Selassie I personally extended an invitation for his father to visit Ethiopia — an invitation Justice Small never acted on. Jerry Small recalled, “He told me that was the biggest mistake of his life. He said meeting Selassie was the proudest moment of his life.” Two of Justice Small’s other sons, Hugh and Richard, went on to become prominent Jamaican lawyers. He died in 2005 at 97 years old.

    ### Bruce Golding
    During Selassie I’s visit, Bruce Golding was a student and head boy at Jamaica College, one of the island’s most prestigious secondary schools, which hosted a brief stop by the Emperor on April 22, 1966. Golding would go on to become a Member of Parliament and serve as Jamaica’s Prime Minister from 2007 to 2011. Recalling the visit in a 2021 interview with the Jamaica Observer, Golding explained: “In my day, the head boy had significant authority as well as responsibility in terms of discipline. Not only was I informed of the visit, but I was involved and we greeted His Imperial Majesty as he stepped out of his vehicle. He didn’t spend a long time. As a matter of fact, he was on his way to the University of the West Indies. He inspected a guard of honour of the cadet corps and when he was leaving, I said, ‘Three cheers for the Emperor!’”

    ### Dr Peter Phillips
    Dr. Phillips was a sixth-form student at Jamaica College when Selassie I stopped at the campus, the alma mater of former Jamaican Prime Minister Norman Manley and other national luminaries. In a 2020 interview with the Jamaica Observer, he reflected on the immediate impact of seeing the Emperor: “We were just there mesmerised by the very powerful presence of this African monarch. One of the things that the visit did was to impel us to learn more, and part of that learning more was through contact with Rastafarians in Jamaica.” Shortly after graduating from Jamaica College, Phillips converted to Rastafarianism. He went on to become a UWI lecturer, a cabinet minister for the People’s National Party, and eventually led the opposition party until 2020.

    ### Copeland Forbes
    Forbes, a member of the Boy Scouts of Jamaica, was assigned the official role of opening the car door for Selassie I throughout the visit — a role he had previously filled for Britain’s Princess Margaret during Jamaica’s 1962 independence ceremony at the National Stadium. Recalling the chaotic, joyful scenes at Palisadoes Airport in an interview with American author David Katz, Forbes described the arrival as a nearly spiritual experience: “That experience is something I will never forget. I don’t know if you want to call it a miracle, but it was raining heavy, and when the plane popped over the clouds, the sun came out. When the plane touched down on the runway, the pilot pulled the window open and put out an Ethiopian flag, and the plane was surrounded by hundreds; I saw people leaning up by the plane wheel, smoking a chalice, and drum beating, so the official welcome party had to be abandoned.” After the visit, Forbes became a leading figure in the global reggae industry, managing iconic acts including Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Black Uhuru, Dennis Brown, and Luciano.

    ### Fred Locks
    At 16 years old, the aspiring reggae singer was living in East Kingston’s Harbour View neighborhood when he heard the radio announcement that Selassie I’s motorcade was approaching the local Harbour View roundabout. Overcome with excitement as the procession arrived, Locks recalled running into the street to get within five yards of the Emperor, who returned the moment with a warm salute. “I find myself running and reached out like five yards in front of him. And His Majesty was saluting, and I was hearing in my head, ‘Oh ye of so little faith’. I said, ‘wow! I was astonished, I couldn’t think straight. I didn’t want to go home,’” he remembered. Locks went on to build a successful decades-long career in reggae, and his 1975 anthem *Black Star Liner*, centered on the Rastafarian call for repatriation to Africa, remains one of the genre’s most iconic tracks.

  • War in the Middle East: Latest developments

    War in the Middle East: Latest developments

    Fresh developments across multiple fronts of the ongoing Middle East conflict have sent shockwaves through global energy markets and spurred a flurry of diplomatic activity this week, with key players jockeying to de-escalate tensions or press their strategic advantages.

    The most high-profile announcement came from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who took to social media to harden Washington’s position on its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Trump stated that the trade restrictions would remain in place indefinitely until Tehran signs a comprehensive peace agreement to end regional hostilities. He emphasized that the blockade is already inflicting severe economic harm on Iran, claiming the country loses roughly $500 million in daily revenue — a figure Trump described as unsustainable even over a short time frame.

    On the diplomatic front, the U.S. is moving forward with two separate rounds of negotiations aimed at defusing parallel conflicts in the region. A senior anonymous State Department official confirmed to AFP that Washington will host new direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese negotiators on Thursday. This upcoming meeting follows an earlier round of discussions that laid the groundwork for a currently fragile ceasefire along the Israel-Lebanon border. The official reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to supporting good-faith negotiations between the two sovereign governments.

    Separately, a source familiar with U.S. planning told AFP that an American delegation will travel to Pakistan in the near future for a new round of peace talks with Iranian representatives. However, Iranian officials have not yet confirmed whether they will participate in the negotiations, leaving the next step in the diplomatic process uncertain.

    French President Emmanuel Macron has weighed in on one of the conflict’s most contentious flashpoints: the blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for 20% of the world’s daily oil trade. Macron called the simultaneous blockades imposed by both Iran and the United States a mistake on both sides, signaling Paris’ concern over the threat the standoff poses to global energy security.

    Those concerns became a reality on Monday, when global oil prices spiked nearly 6% in response to two consecutive days of escalating tensions near the strait. Over the weekend, Iran reclosed the strategic waterway to commercial traffic, and shortly after, the U.S. Navy fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship just outside the strait’s boundaries. By Monday’s market close, Brent crude had climbed to $94 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate hit $86 per barrel, marking one of the sharpest single-day increases in global energy prices in recent months.

    As a major global energy consumer and the top purchaser of Iranian crude oil, China has officially voiced concern over the recent escalation. In a phone call with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for maintaining unobstructed normal commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and urged all involved parties to return to the negotiating table to resolve their differences through dialogue.

  • BVI and ECLAC leaders urge faster action on Sustainable Development Goals at regional forum

    BVI and ECLAC leaders urge faster action on Sustainable Development Goals at regional forum

    Against the backdrop of the recently concluded 9th Meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development in Santiago, Chile, senior representatives from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the British Virgin Islands (BVI) held a critical bilateral discussion focused on accelerating sustainable development across the region. The meeting brought together Benito Wheatley, BVI Special Envoy and Vice Chair of ECLAC’s 40th Session, and ECLAC Executive Secretary José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, as part of ECLAC’s ongoing cross-regional engagement work.

    According to an official press statement released by the BVI government, both leaders converged on a shared urgent message: global progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the region is severely off track, with just 19% of targets currently implemented. With only four years remaining until the 2030 deadline for full SDG adoption, the pair emphasized that immediate, coordinated action is required to close the existing gap.

    Wheatley opened the discussion by commending ECLAC and Salazar-Xirinachs for the body’s consistent, targeted focus on addressing persistent regional development gaps and rolling out inclusive productive development strategies. He noted that when these frameworks are adopted and adapted by national governments across Latin America and the Caribbean, they can unlock transformative, tangible economic and social progress that benefits marginalized and vulnerable communities across the region.

    The BVI envoy also went on to stress the growing importance of expanding technical cooperation across the Latin America and Caribbean region, particularly in three high-priority areas: climate and disaster resilience, cross-border investment, and accessible technology transfer. He highlighted that most regional economies are operating with extremely constrained fiscal space, driven primarily by heavy national debt loads and repeated emergency spending required to respond to unforeseen external shocks. In this context, targeted investment has become one of the most critical tools for sustaining long-term, inclusive growth across the subregion, he added.

    Responding to Wheatley’s remarks, Salazar-Xirinachs reaffirmed ECLAC’s longstanding commitment to supporting sustainable development efforts in the BVI and all Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS). He pushed back against the narrative that middle-income classification – a category that includes most Caribbean nations – eliminates the need for continued international support. For SIDS, which face outsized vulnerability to climate disasters and global economic volatility, sustained international assistance remains non-negotiable for advancing the SDGs, he noted.

    Salazar-Xirinachs also recognized the BVI’s active leadership role during the recent Forum meeting. In his capacity as Vice Chair of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee, Wheatley led a dedicated Caribbean-focused panel exploring the implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS through expanded South-South cooperation.

    Closing the discussion, Wheatley reaffirmed the BVI’s unwavering commitment to both regional collaboration and the global sustainable development agenda. “Through our various leadership roles within UN ECLAC, the British Virgin Islands will continue to advocate for the Caribbean to ensure the subregion’s priorities, including climate resilience, are taken into account in the inter-governmental deliberations of the wider region on the 2030 Agenda, and that there is closer collaboration between the Caribbean and Latin America on the implementation of the SDGs in the remaining period,” he stated.

    The 9th Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development was hosted in the Chilean capital from April 13 to 16, 2026, bringing together hundreds of government officials, UN representatives, and civil society stakeholders to align on sustainable development action.

  • Japan versoepelt tsunami-waarschuwing na aardbeving met kracht van 7,7

    Japan versoepelt tsunami-waarschuwing na aardbeving met kracht van 7,7

    On April 20, 2026, a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake jolted the northeast coast of Japan, prompting immediate emergency measures across the affected region. The seismic event struck at 16:53 local time, with its epicenter located 20 kilometers beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean, registering an intensity of “above 5” on Japan’s domestic seismic scale — strong enough to complicate walking and cause unreinforced concrete walls to collapse.

    Immediately after the quake, Japanese meteorological authorities issued a full tsunami warning, projecting that waves as high as 3 meters could crash into low-lying coastal communities. Two hours after the initial tremor, however, the largest tsunami wave recorded reached just 80 centimeters, leading officials to downgrade the alert to an advisory level. Government spokesperson Minoru Kihara confirmed in an early press briefing that as of the initial assessment, no reports of casualties or major infrastructure damage had been received.

    Evacuation orders were swiftly issued to thousands of residents in multiple port cities, including Otsuchi and Kamaishi — two communities that were devastated by the catastrophic 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. In the wake of the main quake, temporary disruptions to transportation rolled out across the region: all bullet train services were suspended, and several major highways were closed to prevent accidents from aftershocks. No operating nuclear power plants are located in the affected area, and operators Hokkaido Electric Power and Tohoku Electric Power reported no anomalies at their idled facilities in the region, easing fears of a repeat of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

    Despite the initial lack of severe harm, Japanese officials have warned the public to remain on high alert in the coming week. The Japan Meteorological Agency notes that the probability of a follow-up major earthquake measuring magnitude 8 or higher has risen from the typical 0.1% to approximately 1% in the seven days after the 7.7-magnitude event. A senior government official emphasized the critical need for ongoing preparation, urging residents: “Protect your own life and take preventive measures.”

    Japan sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region marked by frequent volcanic and seismic activity, making it one of the most earthquake-prone countries on Earth. On average, the country experiences a seismic event every five minutes, and it accounts for roughly 20% of all magnitude 6.0 or higher earthquakes recorded globally. This long history of seismic risk has shaped the country’s strict emergency preparedness protocols, which were activated within minutes of Monday’s tremor.

  • Grateful Grenada launches month-long campaign to support Cuba

    Grateful Grenada launches month-long campaign to support Cuba

    A new nationwide solidarity campaign has kicked off in Grenada, inviting people from every corner of the island nation to give back to Cuba in a show of gratitude for decades of support, as the Caribbean country navigates persistent economic headwinds. Tied to the 47th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, the month-long initiative, formally named “Grateful Grenada Gives Back to Cuba,” is set to run from April 14 to May 14, 2026, and is spearheaded by a local civic coalition called Coordinators of Citizens for Cuba, led by Dr. Malachy Dottin, King’s Counsel Ruggles Ferguson, and Dr. Sonia Nixon.

    At the official launch event held at Pier 57 on April 14, lead organizer Ferguson emphasized that the campaign is far more than a simple charity drive: it is a long-overdue moral obligation rooted in 47 years of unwavering partnership between the two states. “For nearly half a century, Cuba has extended selfless support to Grenada, leaving no Grenadian untouched by that solidarity, directly or indirectly,” Ferguson noted, pointing to landmark contributions that have shaped modern Grenada. These include the construction of the country’s key infrastructure hub, Maurice Bishop International Airport, and hundreds of educational scholarships that have opened doors for generations of Grenadian students.

    Organizers designed the campaign to be accessible to all members of society, with a diverse calendar of fundraising activities spanning every parish, including the smaller island territories of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. Churches have already stepped into a central coordinating role, launching targeted donation collections the weekend of April 18–19, with ongoing collection drives planned at congregations across the country every weekend for the duration of the campaign. Beyond faith groups, the trade union movement has also committed to participation, planning special donation drives during May Day celebrations in Carriacou on May 1, while unions and other civil society organizations have been encouraged to host community fundraisers ranging from breakfasts to charity luncheons.

    Two major flagship events are already on the official calendar: a fundraising dinner at the Grenada Trade Centre scheduled for May 6, followed by a solidarity concert at the same venue three days later on May 9. Additional community-led activities are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks as more local groups sign on to participate.

    Ferguson said the goal of the citizen-led initiative is not only to collect much-needed financial and material aid for Cuba, but also to build a regional movement of solidarity. “We want every Grenadian to have the chance to contribute, and to inspire civil society organizations across the OECS and the wider Caribbean to launch similar efforts,” he explained. Calling on all Grenadians to turn out for the campaign, Ferguson stressed that collective action matters far more than large individual donations. Even though Grenada is not a wealthy nation with vast resources, the people of the country owe Cuba a debt of gratitude that can be repaid through collective solidarity. The campaign’s theme encapsulates this sentiment, framing the effort as a collective expression of gratitude for Cuba’s decades of support.

    Launched as a grassroots, citizen-led undertaking, the initiative aims to mobilize contributions from every sector of Grenadian society, bridging public, private, and civic groups to stand in solidarity with Cuba amid its ongoing economic challenges.

  • Blokkade Straat van Hormuz remt Iran-VS gesprekken

    Blokkade Straat van Hormuz remt Iran-VS gesprekken

    Tensions between Iran and the United States have reached a new boiling point in the Middle East, with Tehran issuing a non-negotiable precondition for the next round of planned peace talks set to take place in Islamabad, multiple informed sources have confirmed. Iran will only participate in the negotiations if Washington immediately lifts its ongoing naval blockade of Iranian ports, a position that has been formally backed by both a senior insider source speaking to Al Jazeera and Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan.

    Pakistan, which is facilitating the proposed talks, has launched intensive diplomatic outreach to push for Iran’s participation: both the country’s prime minister and foreign minister have held direct talks with Iran’s president and foreign minister to persuade Tehran to join the dialogue, while Iran’s Supreme National Security Council convened a special meeting to deliberate on the decision. Despite these diplomatic efforts, deep skepticism persists across Tehran’s leadership. Iranian officials and insiders warn that the talks could drag on indefinitely without any concrete progress on two core demands: the full lifting of crippling Western sanctions and the unfreezing of billions of dollars in Iranian assets held overseas. Additional distrust stems from past negotiation rounds, which were ultimately followed by joint US-Israeli military conflict, leading Iranian sources to frame the current talks proposal as a potential strategic distraction rather than a genuine path to peace. Official Iranian state media has further underscored this position, with the state news agency IRIB confirming that Tehran currently has no plans to attend the next round of talks, while other local outlets point to the ongoing blockade and what they call Washington’s “unreasonable and unrealistic demands” as major barriers to any productive dialogue.

    The diplomatic standoff has been compounded by a recent military escalation, announced by former US President Donald Trump: US forces seized an Iranian cargo vessel, the Touska, as it attempted to pass through the US blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. According to Trump, the vessel’s crew ignored repeated warnings from a US guided-missile destroyer operating in the Gulf of Oman, prompting US forces to damage the ship’s engine room before US Marines boarded and seized the vessel.

    In response to what Tehran calls “armed piracy” by the US, Iran’s military has issued a formal warning of imminent retaliation. A spokesperson for the Khatam Al-Anbiya military command told Iranian news agency ISNA that the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond soon and carry out retribution for the US military action.

    The escalating tensions have already sent shockwaves through global energy markets, driving a sharp spike in international crude oil prices. On Monday, the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) jumped 7.5% to settle at $90.17 per barrel, while the global benchmark Brent crude rose 6.5% to hit $96.27 per barrel. Data from shipping analytics firm Kpler shows that more than 20 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, the highest daily volume since March 1, including five vessels carrying Iranian cargoes such as oil products and metals.

    The ongoing crisis carries sweeping global economic consequences, as the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical chokepoints for global energy trade. Before the current blockade was imposed, roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil supply passed through the waterway. The recent escalation-driven jump in oil prices is already fueling broader inflationary pressures, pushing up costs for consumers across every continent. Higher fuel prices trigger a cascading effect across global supply chains, raising operating costs for transportation and manufacturing sectors that are core to global economic growth, a dynamic that many economists warn could slow overall global expansion. Oil-importing developing nations are disproportionately vulnerable to these price spikes, with the potential to exacerbate existing domestic political and social unrest. Global markets and businesses are already reacting to the heightened uncertainty, with persistent price increases putting additional pressure on household budgets and pushing up costs for nearly all goods and services. For central banks around the world, this creates a difficult policy balancing act between supporting stagnant economic growth and taming persistent rising prices.

  • FLASH : Sunrise Airways suspends its flights to and from Port-au-Prince

    FLASH : Sunrise Airways suspends its flights to and from Port-au-Prince

    On Monday, April 20, 2026, Haiti-based regional carrier Sunrise Airways announced an immediate suspension of all inbound and outbound air services connecting to Port-au-Prince, set to remain in effect for the rest of the day. The suspension comes in direct response to rapidly worsening security conditions in the immediate surrounding area of Port-au-Prince’s main air hub, Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

    In an official statement released to the public, partner organizations, and its customer base, the airline emphasized that the safety and well-being of passengers, flight crew, and all ground personnel are its non-negotiable top priority, justifying the sudden operational pause.

    Sunrise Airways has acknowledged that the unplanned disruption will create significant inconvenience for travelers with scheduled journeys, and it has apologized for the disruption. The airline is urging all passengers affected by the service suspension to reach out directly via phone or email to access support, arrange alternative flight bookings, or obtain the latest updates on their itineraries. Travelers who booked through third-party travel agencies are also advised to contact their service providers for additional assistance.

    As the situation around the capital’s airport remains unstable, Sunrise Airways confirmed it is maintaining constant communication and coordination with Haitian local authorities to track developments on the ground. The company says it will issue public updates as soon as security conditions improve enough to allow for a safe resumption of normal flight operations to and from Port-au-Prince.

    For customer inquiries, the airline has published multiple contact channels: a local hotline for callers within Haiti at +509 28 11 22 22, with a dedicated short code *606 for Digicel network users; a toll-free contact line for callers in the United States and other international locations at +1 877 652 0202; and a dedicated email address for reservation inquiries at reservations@sunriseairways.net.

  • Montreal : The FNE invites the Haitian diaspora to engage in an educational project for Haiti

    Montreal : The FNE invites the Haitian diaspora to engage in an educational project for Haiti

    MONTREAL – Between April 17 and 19, 2026, the La Renaissance Convention Centre played host to the 8th annual International Days of the Haitian Diaspora (JIDH 2026), a three-day collaborative summit that gathered cross-sector stakeholders united around a single shared mission: unlocking tangible, actionable pathways to drive long-term change for Haiti. As the lead partner for this year’s edition, Haiti’s National Education Fund (FNE) positioned the event as a critical platform to rally the global Haitian diaspora around a new, education-centered vision for national progress, bringing a high-level delegation led by Director General Elysé Colagene to lead discussions.

    For decades, the global Haitian diaspora has been recognized primarily for its critical financial remittances that support households and local economies across the country. But at JIDH 2026, FNE leaders made the case that the diaspora’s contribution can no longer be limited to monetary support. With deep professional expertise, global connections, and proven talent across education, technology, and institutional development, the community is uniquely positioned to drive systemic modernization of Haiti’s public education system – a transformation FNE frames as the foundational pillar of sustainable national development.

    In multiple addresses to summit attendees, Colagene stressed that scattered, uncoordinated diaspora initiatives have historically limited their impact on Haiti’s education sector. Instead, he argued for embedding diaspora leadership into a formal, cohesive national strategy that aligns contributions with clear, measurable outcomes. “Our goal is not just to mobilize the diaspora – it is to center their skills and perspective in every step of our work to deliver real change to Haitian students and educators,” Colagene stated, calling for strengthened alignment between Haitian public institutions, international technical partners, and diaspora-led expertise networks.

    Summit discussions centered on three core priorities for collaborative action: expanding inclusive talent development for Haitian educators and students, integrating digital technology into classroom learning to expand access to high-quality resources, and building formal, sustainable mechanisms for cross-border skills transfer. FNE representatives emphasized that building structured, coordinated frameworks for these efforts is key to avoiding the fragmentation of initiatives that has weakened past education improvement projects, ensuring every contribution advances shared national goals.

    Beyond plenary sessions and working groups, the FNE delegation held a series of closed-door bilateral meetings with key diaspora leaders and stakeholder organizations to lay the groundwork for new cooperative projects. The talks identified multiple new opportunities for partnership in educator training, educational innovation, and institutional capacity strengthening, setting the stage for formal collaborations to launch in the coming months.