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  • CDB pledges US$1 million to Venezuela earthquake recovery fund

    CDB pledges US$1 million to Venezuela earthquake recovery fund

    A devastating series of earthquakes that struck Venezuela in late June 2026 has prompted an outpouring of regional solidarity, with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) approving a $1 million contribution to support the country’s recovery and reconstruction.

    The June 24 quakes left a tragic trail of destruction across multiple regions of Venezuela, claiming lives, forcing thousands of residents from their homes, and causing severe damage to critical public and private infrastructure. Just 48 hours after the disaster struck, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) moved quickly to establish a dedicated Venezuela Recovery and Reconstruction Fund, designed to centralize international donations and coordinate relief efforts in line with priorities set by the Venezuelan government. The fund is structured to provide a transparent, accountable framework for governments, multilateral institutions, and other partner organizations to channel support to recovery initiatives.

    CDB’s Board of Directors has formally approved the $1 million pledge, which will be deposited into CAF’s dedicated fund, the regional bank confirmed in an official press statement. For CDB, the contribution is more than just humanitarian assistance — it is a reaffirmation of longstanding regional ties and the importance of collective action when neighboring nations face crisis.

    “In the immediate aftermath of this tragedy, the Caribbean Development Bank determined that we had to respond,” said CDB President Daniel M. Best. “Venezuela is a longstanding member of our institution and a country that has consistently and meaningfully supported the people and nations of the Caribbean over many decades. At this moment of profound loss and hardship, it is important that we stand in solidarity with the Government and people of Venezuela and provide support as they begin the challenging process of rebuilding.”

    Best praised the CDB Board of Directors for their swift approval of the contribution, noting that the partnership with CAF sets a powerful example of collaborative action among multilateral institutions during humanitarian emergencies. “Our collaboration with CAF through their recovery mechanism demonstrates how multilateral institutions can work together innovatively to respond effectively to humanitarian crises and support long-term recovery,” he added. “Equally important, this initiative provides an opportunity for the Bank to support a regional non-borrowing member in its time of greatest need, reaffirming that regional solidarity extends beyond traditional financing relationships.”

    CAF Executive President Sergio Díaz-Granados welcomed CDB’s landmark contribution, expressing hope that the pledge will encourage other international and regional partners to commit resources to the recovery effort. “We deeply welcome and thank the Caribbean Development Bank for this historic $1 million contribution to our Recovery and Reconstruction Fund,” Díaz-Granados said. “This contribution will directly support priority recovery efforts, and we hope it inspires other partners to join this collective endeavour. Our commitment is to ensure that every dollar entrusted to this Fund translates into tangible relief and lasting reconstruction for the Venezuelan people.”

    Venezuela’s CDB Governor, Ambassador Raúl Octavio Li Causi Perez, also extended gratitude for the show of regional solidarity. “As Governor of the Caribbean Development Bank for Venezuela, I wish to express our sincere appreciation to the Bank’s Board of Directors, its President, and all CDB member countries for this extraordinary demonstration of solidarity with the people of Venezuela,” Ambassador Li Causi Perez said. “This contribution reaffirms that regional cooperation and integration are at their strongest when they respond to moments of greatest need.”

    He added: “Venezuela deeply values this expression of confidence and support, which will contribute to the recovery and reconstruction of the affected communities. We receive it with gratitude and with the conviction that, together with our Caribbean partners and institutions such as the Caribbean Development Bank and CAF, we will continue advancing a shared agenda founded on solidarity, resilience, and sustainable regional development.”

    Per CAF’s framework, the recovery fund will allocate financing across three core areas: immediate emergency and humanitarian aid for affected communities, restoration of critical essential services and damaged infrastructure, and long-term projects designed to boost recovery speed, reconstruction quality, and community resilience against future disasters.

  • CASAS: Onjuiste documenten vertraagden inzet vervangend SLM-toestel

    CASAS: Onjuiste documenten vertraagden inzet vervangend SLM-toestel

    Paramaribo, Suriname – A planned operational disruption for national carrier Surinam Airways (SLM) has thrown hundreds of stranded passengers into travel limbo, after the country’s civil aviation safety regulator rejected an initial request to deploy a leased replacement aircraft due to incomplete and inaccurate paperwork.

    The Civil Aviation Safety Authority Suriname (CASAS) released an official statement on Monday responding to widespread public coverage of SLM’s service disruptions and the airline’s push to bring in a substitute plane to repatriate passengers left stranded by the incident. In its statement, the regulator acknowledged the significant inconvenience and discomfort the disruption has caused affected travelers, and understands the urgency of finding a fast resolution to get passengers back on their journeys.

    However, CASAS emphasized that as the country’s national civil aviation oversight body, it bears a statutory responsibility to enforce strict aviation safety standards across all commercial flight operations. For the agency, passenger safety must remain the top non-negotiable priority at all times, meaning every flight requiring regulatory approval must meet all applicable legal safety requirements before it can enter service.

    Under Suriname’s aviation regulations, any operator seeking to deploy a leased replacement aircraft must submit all legally required documentation and operational data to CASAS for pre-approval inspection and assessment. In SLM’s case, the paperwork submitted by the airline failed to meet this standard: the submitted package was incomplete and contained incorrect data that left regulators unable to conduct a full safety verification. As a result, CASAS could not grant approval in good faith without compromising its safety mandate.

    The regulator confirmed Monday afternoon that it had received the corrected documentation from SLM, allowing the paused assessment process to resume and all required safety checks to be completed. The official statement did not explicitly confirm whether final approval had already been granted to the airline as of Monday afternoon.

    CASAS reiterated that it deeply regrets the difficult situation stranded passengers currently face, but made clear that it will not relax its safety oversight commitments to speed up processing, reaffirming that passenger protection will remain its core guiding principle in all regulatory decisions.

  • Zware aardbeving met kracht van 7,4 treft west-Colombia: minstens 111 doden en enorme schade

    Zware aardbeving met kracht van 7,4 treft west-Colombia: minstens 111 doden en enorme schade

    On Monday, August 10, 2026, a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked western Colombia, leaving at least 111 people dead and causing severe damage to hundreds of structures across the affected region. The newly inaugurated Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella quickly declared a state of emergency to speed up rescue operations and recovery work, announcing he would personally visit the disaster zone, which is concentrated largely around the rural Chocó region.

    According to both the U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia’s national seismological service, the quake’s epicenter was located in San José del Palmar, a community of roughly 4,800 residents in Chocó Province, approximately 400 kilometers west of the capital Bogotá. The tremor originated at a depth of 107 kilometers, and shaking was felt as far as neighboring Ecuador and Panama, though those countries reported only minimal damage.

    Two of Colombia’s departments, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca, suffered the worst impacts. In Risaralda, home to the major city of Pereira, at least 40 people lost their lives. Valle del Cauca, which includes the large urban center of Cali, recorded 27 fatalities, three of whom were children. Nine deaths were confirmed in Chocó itself, two in Caldas, and one in Antioquia, alongside dozens of injuries across all affected areas.

    Major cities including Pereira, Quibdó, Cali and Manizales all reported extensive structural damage. In Pereira, the ceiling of the local airport collapsed, triggering panic among traveling passengers. Pereira Mayor Mauricio Salazar confirmed at least 18 local deaths and noted that many people remained trapped beneath collapsed buildings. In Manizales, one tower of the city’s iconic neo-Gothic cathedral crumbled, prompting Mayor Jorge Eduardo Rojas to urge all residents to remain outdoors amid ongoing fears of aftershocks.

    Colombia’s Geological Institute confirmed this earthquake is the strongest to hit the country in the past 10 years. Two aftershocks, measuring magnitude 2.8 and 4.8 respectively, followed the initial major tremor. Flight operations were suspended at multiple regional airports across the impacted zone, including those in Manizales, Quibdó, Armenia, Cartago, Buenaventura and Pereira.

    The Pacific coastal region of Colombia where the quake struck sits along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped zone circling the Pacific Ocean where roughly 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes occur. Compounding challenges for rescue teams, Chocó is one of Colombia’s poorest and most remote regions, largely covered in dense jungle and only accessible by boat or small plane, a geographic barrier that complicates delivery of emergency aid.

    This disaster comes just weeks after two devastating earthquakes hit neighboring Venezuela in late June that killed more than 5,000 people, deepening the sense of shared tragedy for communities across the Andean region. Notably, President de la Espriella, who was only sworn into office last weekend, has taken personal command of the national disaster response. In an address to the nation, he reassured affected residents that the Colombian state is taking urgent action, saying, “You are not alone in this.”

    International offers of support and condolences began rolling in quickly from across the globe. Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador and the United States have all extended sympathy and pledged emergency assistance. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on social media that the U.S. government is monitoring the situation closely and stands ready to support Colombia’s response efforts. The United Nations also confirmed it is prepared to deploy aid and technical support to the disaster zone.

    For residents of western Colombia, the quake was a terrifying, unprecedented experience. Jorge Moncayo, a taxi driver based in Cali, described the experience: “My entire house was shaking. I have never felt an earthquake this strong in my life. We thank God we are alive.”

    While minor seismic activity is relatively common across Colombia, major quakes above magnitude 6.0 are rare. The deadliest seismic event in recent Colombian history was a 6.2-magnitude quake near Armenia in 1999 that killed more than 1,100 people. Authorities have warned residents that additional aftershocks remain possible over the coming days. Currently, emergency response efforts are focused on three core priorities: searching for trapped survivors, providing urgent medical care to the injured, and repairing critical damaged infrastructure in the hardest-hit communities.

  • Message from CARICOM Secretary-General International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 9 August 2026

    Message from CARICOM Secretary-General International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 9 August 2026

    On August 9, 2026, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) joined the global community in marking the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, issuing an official statement that celebrates the enduring legacy, remarkable resilience, and irreplaceable contributions of Indigenous communities across the Caribbean region and the globe.

    In the statement released by CARICOM’s Secretary-General, the bloc emphasized that the wisdom, cultural traditions, and ongoing contributions of Caribbean Indigenous peoples form a foundational pillar of the region’s shared collective history. Meaningful inclusion of Indigenous voices, leadership, and equitable economic advancement, the statement notes, is non-negotiable for building a fair, sustainable CARICOM that serves all its members.

    This year, the United Nations selected the theme “Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being” for the international observance, a focus that CARICOM echoed in its message. The bloc underscored the critical role that Indigenous midwives play as stewards of intergenerational ancestral knowledge, trusted community caregivers, and defenders of cultural tradition. Passed down through hundreds of years, this embodied knowledge reflects a holistic worldview that connects human health, cultural identity, and the interdependence of people, culture, and the natural world — a framework that continues to strengthen Caribbean families and local communities.

    As the original stewards of the Caribbean’s lands, ecosystems, and natural resources, Indigenous peoples carry deep, place-based knowledge of sustainable agriculture, traditional healing practices, endangered languages, unique cultural expressions, and community-centered governance systems. CARICOM stressed that this knowledge continues to enrich Caribbean societies and reinforce the region’s shared collective identity. Across CARICOM member states, Indigenous communities have worked tirelessly to preserve traditions that link current and future generations to the Caribbean’s ancient heritage, while offering critical, timely insights into environmental stewardship and sustainable development — insights that grow ever more urgent amid accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss, crises that disproportionately harm marginalized Indigenous communities across the region.

    The statement also pointed to CARICOM’s recently relaunched Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice: A Manifesto for the Coming Enlightenment, which elevates a longstanding call for the establishment of an Indigenous Peoples Development Programme. The initiative is designed to create thriving Indigenous communities across the Caribbean by expanding access to social and economic development opportunities. CARICOM emphasized that advancing equity for Indigenous peoples requires sustained, meaningful dialogue and policy frameworks that center and uphold the inherent rights, dignity, and self-determined aspirations of Indigenous communities.

    As the region marked the 2026 observance, CARICOM closed its message with a call to action: to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of Caribbean Indigenous communities, honor the vital work of Indigenous midwives and all Indigenous knowledge holders, and renew collective commitment to protecting Indigenous rights and advancing full, equal participation of Indigenous peoples in every sphere of Caribbean public life. The statement ended with a formal greeting: Happy International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples!

  • COMMENTARY: The African Queen Who Would Not Be Defeated by the Mighty Roman Empire

    COMMENTARY: The African Queen Who Would Not Be Defeated by the Mighty Roman Empire

    For centuries, popular culture has reduced Cleopatra VII, the last active pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt, to a caricature: a seductive ruler who used her charm to manipulate powerful men. But modern historical re-evaluation is reshaping that narrative, framing her instead as a brilliant, resilient leader who fought to preserve her kingdom’s independence against the overwhelming military and political power of the Roman Empire.

    Born in 69 BCE into the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great’s conquests, Cleopatra inherited a kingdom facing mounting pressure from Rome, a rising superpower that had already begun gobbling up territories across the Mediterranean. Unlike her predecessors, she mastered the Egyptian language, cultivated ties with native Egyptian elites, and positioned herself as a defender of traditional Egyptian royal and religious institutions—moves that solidified her domestic support at a time of internal political unrest.

    Her confrontations with Rome were not driven by personal ambition alone, but by a urgent need to protect Egypt’s sovereignty. When Julius Caesar invaded Egypt in 48 BCE during a civil war, Cleopatra did not surrender. Instead, she orchestrated a daring meeting with Caesar, leveraging her political acumen to secure her hold on the throne and win concessions that protected Egypt’s autonomy for another decade. After Caesar’s assassination, she aligned with Mark Antony in a bid to maintain her kingdom’s independence against Octavian, who would later become Augustus, the first Roman emperor.

    The 31 BCE Battle of Actium marked a turning point: Cleopatra and Antony’s combined forces were defeated by Octavian’s larger, better-organized navy. Rather than surrendering to being paraded through the streets of Rome as a captive trophy, Cleopatra chose death in 30 BCE, ending three centuries of Ptolemaic rule and turning Egypt into a Roman province. Even in defeat, her refusal to be broken by Rome cemented her legacy as a ruler who prioritized her kingdom’s dignity over personal survival.

    Today, historians argue that Cleopatra’s legacy has been distorted by Roman propaganda, which portrayed her as a dangerous foreign threat to Roman virtue. The truth, they say, is that she was a skilled diplomat, a shrewd military strategist, and a leader who fought longer and harder than any other contemporary ruler to stop Rome from dominating the eastern Mediterranean. For thousands of years, her story has captivated the world—not just for the romantic myths that surround her life, but for the enduring image of a small kingdom’s queen standing firm against a global superpower that could not force her to submit.

  • Dominican government opens collection center for earthquake aid to Colombia

    Dominican government opens collection center for earthquake aid to Colombia

    In a show of regional solidarity following Colombia’s devastating earthquake, the government of the Dominican Republic has formally announced it will provide critical humanitarian assistance to impacted communities, responding to an initial international appeal for support issued by Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    To turn this commitment into tangible action, the Dominican Ministry of Defense has established a dedicated centralized donation collection point at the Dominican Navy’s iconic “27 de Febrero” Naval Base. The facility is strategically located on Avenida España in Punta Torrecilla, Sans Soucí, in the eastern district of Santo Domingo, making it accessible for members of the public and local organizations wishing to contribute.

    The collection center will run on a daily operating schedule, open to donors from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Authorities have outlined the most urgently needed items to support relief operations, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, sterile medical supplies, canned goods and other non-perishable food products, oral hydration fluids, non-perishable dry goods, and wet hygiene wipes—all supplies that are in critically short supply in earthquake-hit regions.

    Specially trained assigned personnel will manage the entire process at the center, from receiving incoming donations to sorting, categorizing, and securely storing all contributions before they are shipped to Colombia as part of the coordinated international humanitarian response.

    For individuals, nonprofits, or local businesses seeking to coordinate large-scale donations or clarify any questions about contributing, a dedicated contact line has been set up: 829-762-2054.

    In a formal statement, the Dominican government emphasized that this solidarity initiative underscores the longstanding ties between the Dominican Republic and the Colombian people, and reaffirms the country’s unwavering commitment to standing with Colombia during its emergency response and post-disaster relief work.

  • COE places Greater Santo Domingo and San Cristóbal under green alert

    COE places Greater Santo Domingo and San Cristóbal under green alert

    On Tuesday, authorities in the Dominican Republic activated a green alert for the country’s two most populated regions — Greater Santo Domingo and San Cristóbal — as an approaching tropical wave is set to bring widespread wet weather across multiple parts of the island nation.

    Forecasts predict the most intense precipitation will hit the two alerted regions by Tuesday afternoon, with conditions ranging from steady moderate downpours to heavy thunderstorms accompanied by sudden gusty winds. While the highest impact is concentrated in Greater Santo Domingo and San Cristóbal, rainy weather is also expected to extend across a swath of eastern and southern provinces, including La Altagracia, El Seibo, Hato Mayor, La Romana, Monte Plata, and San José de Ocoa, among other localities.

    Beyond the immediate tropical wave affecting the country, the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet) has launched continuous monitoring of three separate atmospheric systems developing across the Atlantic Ocean that have the potential to strengthen into tropical weather events.

    Per the agency’s latest forecast update, one low-pressure system positioned roughly 500 miles southwest of the Cape Verde Islands carries a 70% probability of developing into a tropical cyclone over the coming seven-day period. The other two systems being tracked include a scattered, disorganized cluster of showers and thunderstorms linked to a separate tropical wave located around 600 miles east of the Windward Islands, and a low-pressure trough situated several hundred miles northeast of Bermuda that is also generating active rainy and stormy conditions.

  • Powerful earthquake sparks evacuations in Colombia

    Powerful earthquake sparks evacuations in Colombia

    A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake jolted western Colombia early Monday, according to preliminary measurements from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), with shaking detected across dozens of major and regional cities spanning the South American nation.

    The USGS pinpointed the earthquake’s epicenter in San José del Palmar, a municipality located in Colombia’s northwestern department of Chocó. The temblor struck at 7:34 a.m. local time — 8:34 a.m. Eastern Time in Miami — at a depth of 10 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface, roughly 280 kilometers west of Colombia’s capital city Bogotá.

    Local authorities have already confirmed casualties and damage in the hardest-hit region. Nubia Carolina Córdoba Curi, governor of Chocó department, stated that Quibdó, the department’s capital, has recorded multiple injured residents and severe structural damage to public and private buildings. She also voiced urgent concern over the risk of destructive aftershocks in the coming hours and days, a common secondary hazard following large seismic events.

    Even hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter, the earthquake’s effects were clearly felt. In Bogotá, shaking was strong enough to trigger building alarms across the capital, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate multi-story structures and gather on city streets as a safety precaution. As of Monday morning, Bogotá Mayor Carlos Galán updated the public via social media platform X that no injuries or major structural failures had been reported in the capital, with only minor damage limited to small cracks in some buildings.

    As emergency response teams begin assessing the full scope of damage and casualties across affected regions, this story remains developing and will be updated as new official information becomes available.

  • Police Seek Information After Zhang Yida Shot at Crabbs Peninsula

    Police Seek Information After Zhang Yida Shot at Crabbs Peninsula

    ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda – August 10, 2026 – Authorities from the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda are continuing their active probe into a shooting that left a 59-year-old man injured at the Crabbs Peninsula over the weekend. The incident, which unfolded at the Yida Special Economic Zone, prompted an immediate law enforcement response after emergency reports were received, and investigators are now working to piece together the full sequence of events that led to the attack.

    According to official police records, the first alert about the shooting came in at approximately 4:15 p.m. local time on Sunday, August 9. Within minutes of receiving the report, patrol officers from the Parham Police Station, alongside specialist personnel from other relevant police departments, were dispatched to the scene to secure the area and begin on-site evidence collection. Once they arrived, first responders coordinated medical evacuation for the victim, identified as 59-year-old Zhang Yida, who was swiftly transferred to the island’s main public healthcare facility, the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre.

    Hospital officials confirmed that Zhang is being treated for two gunshot wounds to his upper body. As of the latest police update on Monday, he remains admitted for observation and ongoing care, with his current condition listed as stable. Law enforcement has not yet released additional details about possible motives for the shooting, nor have they announced any suspects taken into custody in connection with the attack as the investigation remains in its active phase.

    To advance the probe, the Royal Police Force’s Office of Strategic Communications has issued a public appeal for community assistance. Investigators are asking any individual who was present in the Crabbs Peninsula area at the time of the incident, or who holds any information—no matter how small it may seem—that could help identify the perpetrator or clarify the circumstances of the shooting, to contact authorities immediately.

    Members of the public with relevant information have multiple confidential channels to reach out. They can contact the Antigua and Barbuda Criminal Investigations Department directly at either 462-3913 or 462-3914, reach the district duty desk at the Parham Police Station at 463-2060, or submit anonymous tips through the independent Crimestoppers hotline at 800-TIPS (8477), which allows informants to share information without revealing their identity.

  • YIDA Zone Shooting Believed to Be Robbery Attempt; Zhang Recovering

    YIDA Zone Shooting Believed to Be Robbery Attempt; Zhang Recovering

    A prominent Chinese investor has been hospitalized after sustaining two gunshot wounds during a suspected robbery at a Crabbs-based warehouse in Antigua and Barbuda, according to initial reporting obtained by Antigua.news.

    Yida Zhang, head of Yida International Investment Antigua Limited, is currently receiving ongoing care at the island nation’s primary public hospital, Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre. Medical sources familiar with his condition confirm that the investor is in stable condition, with strong and consistent vital signs, and clinical teams expect he will make a full recovery. While the gunshots penetrated Zhang’s lung tissue, medical officials say the critical organ damage was avoided as his heart was not struck by the gunfire.

    The targeted warehouse sits within the boundaries of the YIDA Special Economic Zone, a large-scale development project spearheaded by Zhang’s company. At this early stage of the investigation, local law enforcement has not yet mapped out the complete timeline of the incident. Detectives are still working to identify the perpetrator or perpetrators of the attack, and have not confirmed whether robbery was indeed the driving motive behind the shooting.

    Over the past 10 years, Zhang has led multiple major infrastructure and economic development initiatives across Antigua and Barbuda, establishing his firm as one of the most high-profile foreign investors in the country’s growing special economic zone sector.