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  • Granman Matuariërs slaat alarm over illegale activiteiten in Matawai-gebied

    Granman Matuariërs slaat alarm over illegale activiteiten in Matawai-gebied

    On April 23, Lesley Valentijn, the paramount chief of the Matuari people, has formally notified the Surinamese government of rampant, unregulated illegal activity across the Matawai region, with the most severe violations occurring in the community’s protected forest reserve and along the upper banks of the Boven-Saramacca River.

    In an official correspondence addressed to Harish Monorath, Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Police, the traditional governing authority reported that it has received consistent, multiple reports of unauthorized incursions over recent months. Outside actors are entering the restricted community territory without the explicit consent of the Matawai people to engage in poaching, unlicensed hunting, and illegal fishing, activities that directly threaten the region’s ecological balance and the community’s livelihoods.

    Valentijn emphasized that the steady wave of incursions has created a growing climate of insecurity for local residents. Beyond the wildlife violations, the traditional authority also documented dozens of unauthorized vehicles and speedboats entering the region, all carrying out activities that have been described as “discreditable and unlawful.” The Matawai community is now calling on national law enforcement and government bodies to launch an urgent intervention to halt these activities and restore safety and order to their traditional lands.

    In addition to requesting state action, the traditional Matawai governing authority has announced it will implement its own localized measures to curb unauthorized access. A key planned step is the installation of a barrier gate along the main access road to block unapproved entry into the protected area. According to Valentijn, any individual who still enters the territory without formal permission will be held fully accountable for any consequences that arise from their unauthorized presence.

    The traditional leadership stressed that it, alongside the broader Matawai community, will not hesitate to penalize violators in accordance with established customary law that governs the region. Copies of the official letter have also been forwarded to Suriname’s Minister of Defense, the Minister of Regional Development, and the district commissioner of Boven-Saramacca to ensure all relevant governing bodies are aware of the escalating situation.

  • “No Further Negotiation”: Perez on Caye Caulker Police Station Dispute

    “No Further Negotiation”: Perez on Caye Caulker Police Station Dispute

    Months of growing public tension over the planned new Caye Caulker police station in Belize reached a decisive turning point on April 23, 2026, when Andre Perez, Area Representative for Belize Rural South, announced an end to all further negotiations on the controversial project.

    Perez confirmed that the project’s path forward was finalized following closed consultations between multiple top governing bodies, including Prime Minister’s office, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Caye Caulker Village Council, and his own representative office. Once the formal agreement was reached, the broader community was notified of the outcome, and discussions have now been closed permanently.

    “As consultations have concluded, there will be no further negotiation,” Perez stated in his official address to local media. Despite shutting down additional talks, Perez noted that he remains committed to backing the infrastructure project while continuing to acknowledge and address valid concerns raised by Caye Caulker residents.

    The final call to move forward with construction comes after weeks of fierce public pushback from island residents and opposition political figures. The most prominent criticism came Wednesday from Gabriel Zetina, a senator representing the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), who accused Perez of deceiving local residents and conducting government business with no transparency. Zetina argued that sustained public pressure and street protests were the only reason the proposal was forced into public view, rather than being approved behind closed doors.

    “If the people of Caye Caulker had not stood up, risen together, and took to the street to protest, you best believe the ruling People’s United Party (PUP) would have sold that land,” Zetina claimed in his remarks.

    Local governing officials have also joined the opposition effort: the Caye Caulker Village Council launched a public petition just last Friday, aimed at triggering a binding community referendum to decide the future of the disputed land. The petition frame effort as a push to “save the police station as a community,” reflecting widespread disagreement over the site selected for the new facility.

    Perez pushed back on this opposition in his comments to News 5, insisting that the decision to resume construction aligns with the input the government has received from the community. “Basically we are listening to the concerns and what the village of Caye Caulker wants. They want the police station to proceed…. And as such we decided that we will move forward and construction will resume,” he explained.

  • First Citizens back as title sponsor for King of the Hill

    First Citizens back as title sponsor for King of the Hill

    Barbados’ iconic motorsport community has received a major boost, with regional financial group First Citizens confirming it will return as title sponsor of the annual King of the Hill rally event for the fifth consecutive year. The Barbados Rally Club (BRC) made the official announcement Thursday, also sharing that the 2025 running of the event, scheduled for May 24, will mark the fourth time the competition has been hosted at the fan-favorite 4-kilometer Stewarts Hill stage, located on the island’s southeastern coast.

    King of the Hill, first launched in 2008, serves a critical role in Barbados’ motorsport calendar: it sets the starting running order for Rally Barbados, the island’s premier annual rally competition held the following weekend. First Citizens has held the title sponsorship rights to the event since 2020, marking a multi-year commitment to growing Caribbean motorsport.

    Beyond its home base of Trinidad and Tobago, First Citizens has built a widespread regional presence across the Eastern Caribbean, with operations in Barbados, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Costa Rica.

    Event director Neil Barnard expressed enthusiasm for both the continued sponsorship and the return to the beloved Stewarts Hill venue. “It’s fantastic to have First Citizens back on board as we return to Stewarts Hill in St Philip,” Barnard said. “It’s a real fan favourite and seeing the cars coming down the Thicket straight to turn left up the hill is always spectacular.”

    Claire Jordan, CEO of First Citizens, reaffirmed the financial group’s long-term commitment to the rally and its community impact. “Since we began this partnership, our goal has been simple: to help elevate this event into an experience that inspires both competitors and spectators alike,” Jordan explained. “Our shared vision is that King of the Hill continues to bring international exposure to Barbados’s vibrant motorsport community and supports economic opportunity for our people.”

    The 2024 edition of the event saw Stuart Maloney claim the victory behind the wheel of a Skoda Fabia Rally2, making him the fourth distinct winner of the event since First Citizens took over title sponsorship in 2020.

    King of the Hill has a rich 17-year history of venue changes across Barbados. The inaugural 2008 event was hosted at Turners Hall in St. Andrew, before the competition moved to its first stint at Stewarts Hill, then to Sailor Gully in St. Peter. From 2011 to 2018, the event found a semi-permanent home at Hangmans Hill in St. Thomas, with a one-off move to Luke Hill in St. Lucy in 2013. Following two additional years at Stewarts Hill, the 2021 event was canceled entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2022 and 2024, the event split its hosting between St. Thomas and a stage passing Society Plantation in St. John, before this year’s return to Stewarts Hill.

  • Williams set to defend Commonwealth Games title

    Williams set to defend Commonwealth Games title

    Barbadian sprint sensation Sada Williams, the reigning women’s 400m Commonwealth Games champion and current Games record holder, has confirmed she will return to compete for back-to-back titles at this summer’s 2024 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The decorated Olympian and two-time world championship bronze medalist made the announcement fresh off her latest 400m victory at Jamaica’s Velocity Fest last weekend, locking in her spot for the multi-sport event running from July 23 to August 2.

    For Williams, the opportunity to repeat her 2022 Birmingham triumph and deliver another gold medal to her home nation carries special meaning. “To repeat that (winning the Commonwealth title) and give my country another gold medal, that would be really great,” Williams shared following her Velocity Fest win.

    Details on Barbados’ full competing delegation remain under wraps, however, as the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) navigates an unexpected scheduling conflict between the 2024 Commonwealth Games and this year’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games. BOA President Sandra Osbourne, who also serves as Vice-president of Commonwealth Sport, shared the latest update during a facility tour of the BOA headquarters by Commonwealth Sport executives this Wednesday.

    Osbourne confirmed that while Williams’ participation is settled, the full Barbadian roster will not be finalized until closer to the late-June entry deadline. “It is our understanding that Sada is going to be there to defend her gold medal, but it’s kind of too early to say what our team will look like because the entry by name deadline is near the end of June, so we don’t know exactly what the team will look like. We have a long list but we are really not in a position at this point to say who will actually compete,” Osbourne explained.

    The overlapping timing of the two major regional and international competitions has added unforeseen complexity to BOA’s planning, as organizers work to split athletes and staff between the two events. “That has created a level of complexity, whereby we have to manage two sets of teams, who goes where, and it’s not been easy,” Osbourne said. She noted that the scheduling conflict stemmed from the late awarding of the 2024 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, which left organizers with limited options to secure a spot on the international sports calendar.

    Despite the logistical hurdles, Osbourne emphasized that Barbados will not be put at a disadvantage by the overlapping schedule. The BOA has allocated dedicated leadership for both events, including separate chef de mission and deputy roles for the Commonwealth Games and CAC Games, allowing the association to split resources effectively. “We have enough resources that we have been able to have a dedicated chef and deputy chef for Commonwealth Games as well as for CAC and we will split our teams and cover both to the best of our ability. I am confident that there will be no difference in terms of our participation and readiness for either of those games,” Osbourne maintained.

    Charles Griffith, Barbados’ Minister of Youth, Sport and Community Empowerment, who joined the Commonwealth Sport executive tour, expressed confidence in the nation’s athletes ahead of the Glasgow Games. Griffith highlighted Williams’ proven track record of success, alongside the rising form of other Barbadian athletes competing across multiple disciplines, predicting a strong showing for the delegation in Scotland.

    “I know that Sada Williams, she flew the flag in terms of getting us that coveted medal [in 2022] and based on the performances that we saw coming out of Grenada and then there are some other athletes who are plying their trade in different disciplines, I suspect that we will have a very good showing in Glasgow. I look forward to that because it can only bring more joy and pleasure to the country,” Griffith said.

  • Toyota Recall of 73,528 Vehicles Extends to Antigua Over Reverse Warning Sound Defect

    Toyota Recall of 73,528 Vehicles Extends to Antigua Over Reverse Warning Sound Defect

    Automotive giant Toyota has launched a wide-ranging safety recall affecting 73,528 units of its 2023 to 2025 model year Corolla Cross Hybrid vehicles, prompted by a flaw that leaves the reverse pedestrian warning system too quiet to meet U.S. federal safety requirements.

    The core issue identified by regulators is that when the affected vehicles operate in reverse, the mandatory warning sound designed to alert nearby pedestrians to the moving vehicle fails to meet the minimum volume threshold. This shortcoming directly violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 141, a regulation that establishes mandatory minimum sound output requirements for all hybrid and electric vehicles sold in the country, meant to protect pedestrians who may not hear the nearly silent powertrains of these low-emission vehicles.

    The recall campaign has been assigned two official identifying numbers, 26TB08 and 26TA08, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the top U.S. regulator for road vehicle safety.

    To resolve the defect at no cost to vehicle owners, authorized Toyota dealerships will install a free software update that adjusts the volume of the pedestrian warning system to bring it into compliance with federal standards. Official notification letters about the recall are scheduled to be mailed out to registered vehicle owners by the end of May 2026.

    The Prices and Consumer Affairs Division, which first announced the recall advisory to the public, has reminded consumers that U.S. consumer protection law explicitly states that vehicle owners cannot be charged for any repair work completed as part of a manufacturer-initiated safety recall. Consumers seeking additional information or support regarding the recall can reach out to the division through its official portal at consumeraffairs.gov.ag.

  • Saint Lucia earns more medals in regional table tennis

    Saint Lucia earns more medals in regional table tennis

    The small Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia’s table tennis community is basking in an unprecedented wave of success, after its young athletes claimed four medals across disciplines at the 2025 ITTF-Americas Caribbean Youth Championships, hosted in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The historic achievement carries extra meaning for local fans, as the medal haul landed right alongside the global celebration of World Table Tennis Day on April 23.

    The Saint Lucian delegation got off to a strong start early in the tournament, locking in a bronze medal with a third-place finish in the men’s team event. Over the following two days of competition at Parque del Este, the young competitors added three more medals to their tally, including one regional title: the women’s doubles gold, plus bronze medals in both the Under-15 boys’ singles and Under-19 girls’ singles events.

    The standout performer of the delegation was 19-year-old Shatal Charles, who walked away from the tournament with two medals. Partnering with Stuti Kashyap – the top-ranked female youth player in the Caribbean region, representing Antigua & Barbuda – Charles claimed the women’s doubles gold in a dramatic five-set final against Trinidad and Tobago’s Chloe Fraser and Jordan Thong. The pair dropped the second and third sets after taking the opening match, but rallied to win the final two sets comfortably, closing out the 3-2 victory with set scores of 13-11, 10-12, 10-12, 11-3, 11-4.

    Their path to the final was equally impressive. In the quarterfinals, they delivered a dominant 3-0 sweep over Curacao’s Mikha Boekhoudt and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jannah Mohammed, winning all three sets by comfortable margins. They followed that up with a 3-1 semi-final win over the home crowd’s favorites Eduanni Mercedes De La Cruz Figueroa and Yesmeily Guerrero of the Dominican Republic to secure their spot in the title match.

    In addition to her doubles gold, Charles earned a bronze medal in the Under-19 girls’ singles event, turning in a series of gritty comeback wins against higher-ranked opponents to advance deep into the competition. After an opening-round loss to Fraser on the tournament’s first day, Charles rebounded quickly, pulling out a tense 3-2 win against the Dominican Republic’s Yandra Arianna Mejia. She followed that with a nail-biting 4-3 win over Guerrero in the Round of 16, then notched another 4-3 victory against Naymaris Hernandez Martinez – a former Caribbean Under-15 champion from Puerto Rico – to advance to the singles semi-finals.

    Saint Lucia’s head coach Chris Wells praised Charles’ mental resilience following the run, noting that she had defeated two opponents who had beaten her handily in past tournaments. “Shatal had two very tough matches,” Wells explained. “The first match versus the Dominican Republic player was a girl that destroyed her in straight sets two years ago. The second girl from Puerto Rico was a former Caribbean Under-15 Champion. Last year, Shatal lost in quarterfinals.”

    Though Charles dropped the semi-final match 4-0 to her doubles partner Kashyap, her semi-final finish secured her a bronze medal, marking a massive personal and national milestone for the young athlete. She has already signaled her intent to return to the regional championships in 2027, targeting even stronger results.

    Fifteen-year-old Leshon Francis was another standout for Saint Lucia, adding an individual bronze medal in the Under-15 boys’ singles to the team bronze he earned earlier in the tournament. Francis dominated his qualifying group, sweeping three straight matches 3-0 against Nyal Bushell of Barbados, Ajani Spencer of Jamaica, and Ysminsky Sosa of the Dominican Republic to top the group standings and advance to knockout play.

    His strong form carried into the knockout rounds: he delivered another 3-0 sweep of the Dominican Republic’s Rommel Pepen in the Round of 16, then notched a 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic’s Edwin Ventura to reach the semi-finals. Francis’ run ended there with a 3-0 loss to Puerto Rico’s Matthew Cao, but his semi-final finish earned him a well-deserved bronze medal.

    Two other Saint Lucian competitors turned in strong performances despite not winning medals: Manie Eleuthere topped his preliminary group to advance to the quarterfinals of the Under-19 boys’ singles event, where he fell 4-0 to defending champion Rafael Cabrera of the Dominican Republic. Khamari Harris failed to advance out of group play in singles, but paired with Mekhi Simmons of Antigua & Barbuda to reach the quarterfinals of the boys’ doubles event.

    For a small island nation with a relatively small table tennis program, the four-medal haul marks one of the strongest showings in Saint Lucia’s youth table tennis history, and has given the local community a major boost as it celebrates World Table Tennis Day this year.

  • Female interest in ICT careers growing

    Female interest in ICT careers growing

    A growing number of school-aged girls across Barbados are increasingly drawn to careers in information and communication technology (ICT), marking a significant shift in a sector long dominated by male professionals, according to the country’s Data Protection Commissioner Lisa Greaves. Greaves shared the update with reporters on the sidelines of 2024’s Girls in ICT Day, an annual global event hosted this year under the forward-looking theme “AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future”. This year marks only the second time the Caribbean nation has hosted the in-person event, and organizers are already seeing measurable progress in changing entrenched cultural perceptions about technology careers. “For generations, ICT has been viewed as a male-centric field, so the core goal of this initiative is to open young girls’ eyes to the range of rewarding career pathways available to them in the sector and help them build early interest,” Greaves explained in her remarks. “We want to empower young women to see ICT as a viable, exciting career option for them, to imagine themselves as innovators and active architects of the digital future we all share.” What makes this growing interest particularly notable is the consistent upward trend in participation that organizers have tracked since the first event. Greaves confirmed that interest has climbed steadily year over year, with a stark jump in attendance that signals a broader cultural shift among young Barbadians engaging with tech-focused opportunities. “We’ve definitely seen a clear uptick in interest,” she noted. “Last year, our numbers were much lower, and each year the event gets bigger. Whenever we visit local schools to talk about ICT, both boys and girls come away energized and curious about the career options available.” Beyond growing attendance, the nature of the interest is also expanding: girls are no longer only looking at traditional technology roles, they are increasingly exploring newer, creative career tracks across the digital ecosystem. Popular areas of interest now include social media-focused ICT applications for digital marketing, influencer content creation, and cybersecurity, alongside longstanding core roles like database administration and chief technology officer positions that remain in high demand across industries. To put the growth in perspective, Greaves revealed that just 40 girls attended the event in 2023, while more than 100 participated in 2024’s activities. This expanding interest does not happen by accident, Greaves added: the upward trend is supported by a year-round suite of outreach initiatives designed to keep ICT accessible and top of mind for students across the island. Alongside the annual Girls in ICT Day, organizers host a yearly Science Festival that centers technology engagement, as well as school road shows that travel across the country to connect with students directly. In total, three to four dedicated outreach programs roll out every year to nurture growing curiosity about the sector. Thursday’s 2024 event gathered around 100 students from 10 different secondary schools across Barbados, giving attendees hands-on, interactive exposure to a wide range of cutting-edge emerging technologies. Participants got to test immersive virtual reality systems, practice foundational coding skills, and watch live demonstrations of real-world cybersecurity investigation work. The day’s activities also included interactive drone flight exercises, basic robotics challenges, and even water robotics projects, which helped students understand how ICT principles apply to a diverse range of sectors and real-world use cases, from environmental management to engineering.

  • Lexus Recalls Vehicles Due to fuel pump failure

    Lexus Recalls Vehicles Due to fuel pump failure

    A critical safety recall has been issued for more than 9,000 Lexus vehicles manufactured by Toyota, after regulators confirmed a potentially dangerous defect that could cause sudden engine stalling and increase the risk of road accidents. The recall, announced jointly by the Prices and Consumer Affairs Division and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), impacts a total of 9,139 vehicles across three popular Lexus model lines.

    The core issue centers on a defective fuel pump that can fail unexpectedly during operation. When the component malfunctions, vehicle owners may experience multiple warning signs, including illumination of the dashboard check-engine light, difficulty starting the engine, or sudden stalling while the vehicle is in motion. Sudden stalling at highway speeds or in heavy traffic creates a clear hazard for drivers, passengers, and other road users, increasing the likelihood of collisions.

    The affected models span multiple production years: the 2015 through 2022 Lexus RC, the 2016 through 2020 Lexus GS, and the 2022 Lexus IS. All owners of these included vehicles are eligible to have the faulty fuel pump replaced at no cost through any authorized Toyota Lexus dealership.

    The Prices and Consumer Affairs Division has emphasized that under the provisions of the 2025 Consumer Protection Act, consumers bear no financial responsibility for repairs associated with manufacturer-initiated safety recalls. For owners seeking additional information, further details and assistance are available through the official consumer affairs portal at consumeraffairs.gov.ag.

  • Antigua Consumers Urged to Act as Kia America Recalls 141,000 Carnival Vehicles Over Fire Risk

    Antigua Consumers Urged to Act as Kia America Recalls 141,000 Carnival Vehicles Over Fire Risk

    U.S. consumer safety regulators have issued a public advisory after Kia America announced a widespread safety recall covering roughly 141,000 Kia Carnival sport utility vehicles manufactured between the 2022 and 2026 model years. The core issue identified by the automaker centers on a defective connection between the vehicle’s fuel pipe and fuel rail. This manufacturing flaw can allow fuel to leak from the joint, creating a significant elevated risk of vehicle fire that threatens driver and passenger safety.

    The Prices and Consumer Affairs Division, which issued the public advisory, confirmed that official recall notification letters are scheduled to begin mailing to all registered U.S. vehicle owners starting June 2, 2026. Even with the scheduled mailing timeline, regulators are urging owners of affected Kia Carnival models to take proactive steps to check their vehicles immediately rather than waiting for official correspondence, due to the serious safety hazard posed by the potential fire risk.

    In a key clarification for consumers, the Division emphasized that all repair work completed as part of this manufacturer-initiated safety recall will be provided completely free of charge. Owners will not be required to pay any out-of-pocket costs for parts, labor, or associated services to fix the defective fuel pipe connection. Consumers seeking additional details about the recall or support to schedule a repair can find further information and assistance through the official consumer affairs portal at consumeraffairs.gov.ag.

  • Antigua Consumers Alerted as Ford Motor Company Recalls Over 83,000 Vehicles for Safety Defects

    Antigua Consumers Alerted as Ford Motor Company Recalls Over 83,000 Vehicles for Safety Defects

    Ford Motor Company has launched a wide-ranging safety recall covering more than 83,000 of its latest model-year vehicles to address two distinct, dangerous manufacturing defects that threaten driver, passenger and pedestrian safety, regulators have announced.

    The Prices and Consumer Affairs Division, alongside the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has confirmed that the recall targets two separate hazards: a faulty headlight software function and a defective exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR) valve, each capable of triggering life-threatening situations on the road.

    The first hazard affects 35,772 vehicles built with a flawed Dynamic Bending Light software system. When the system malfunctions, it can misalign vehicle headlights, creating intense glare that blinds oncoming motorists and drastically reduces visibility for other road users. The second, separate defect impacts 47,804 vehicles equipped with a faulty EGR valve; the component can fail unexpectedly, leading to an immediate, sudden loss of drive power while the vehicle is in operation—raising the risk of high-speed collisions and roadway accidents.

    The recall covers a broad range of 2025 and 2026 model vehicles from both the Ford and Lincoln luxury brands. Affected Ford nameplates include the 2025-2026 Explorer, as well as the 2025 Bronco, Bronco Sport, Escape, Maverick, Mustang, and Ranger. Lincoln models included in the recall are the 2025 Corsair and 2025 Nautilus.

    Owners of the recalled 2025-2026 Ford Explorers, the model impacted by the headlight software defect, have two convenient options to obtain a free fix: they can schedule an appointment at any authorized Ford dealership to have the update installed, or they can download and install the corrected software remotely via an over-the-air update directly to their vehicle.

    Regulators stress that all repairs connected to this manufacturer-initiated safety recall are provided at no cost to vehicle owners, with no out-of-pocket charges required for parts or labor. Consumers seeking additional information or to check if their vehicle is included in the recall can visit the official consumer affairs portal at consumeraffairs.gov.ag.