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  • UN reporting wave of displacement in Haiti following recent criminal gang attacks

    UN reporting wave of displacement in Haiti following recent criminal gang attacks

    NEW YORK – The United Nations has issued an urgent update confirming that a fresh surge of brutal gang violence in Haiti’s northern Artibonite department has driven a new wave of mass displacement across the crisis-stricken Caribbean nation.

    The bloodshed unfolded in late March, when armed assailants linked to the Gran Grif gang—one of Haiti’s most powerful and feared criminal groups—launched coordinated assaults on communities in Jean-Denis. According to preliminary on-the-ground reports, the attacks left at least 16 civilians dead and dozens more wounded, shocking local populations and triggering immediate panic-driven flight.

    Initial assessments pegged the number of newly displaced people at more than 6,000, but updated figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) released by the UN now put the total number of people displaced by this recent outbreak of violence above 13,000.

    In a press briefing Tuesday at UN Headquarters in New York, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric shared details from humanitarian teams operating in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, noting that 80 percent of the displaced have found temporary shelter with host families across safer regions of the country. The remaining 20 percent are now residing in 16 informal displacement sites, where basic supplies and services are already stretched thin.

    “Humanitarian teams from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are working alongside Haitian national authorities and local partner organizations to deliver life-saving support to vulnerable populations,” Dujarric said. “But persistent access constraints, widespread insecurity, and critically limited funding are severely hampering our ability to scale up the response to meet growing need.”

    The international community has already spoken out against the latest attacks, with both the United States and Canada issuing formal condemnations of the gang violence that continues to destabilize Haiti.

    This new crisis comes amid a years-long collapse of public security across Haiti, a French-speaking member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom). Widespread gang domination and escalating violence have plagued the country since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, leaving millions of Haitians facing acute food insecurity, lack of access to basic healthcare, and persistent threat of violence. Millions have been displaced nationwide since the security collapse began.

  • Treasure Beach gets major waste management boost with SPM, BREDS partnership

    Treasure Beach gets major waste management boost with SPM, BREDS partnership

    On a sunny Wednesday in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, one of the island’s most beloved community-focused tourism destinations took a meaningful leap forward in environmental stewardship with the official launch of the “Let’s Keep Treasure Beach Clean” project. The initiative is the product of a collaborative partnership between SPM Waste Management Limited, one of Jamaica’s leading waste management service providers, and the BREDS Treasure Beach Foundation, a local non-profit organization dedicated to advancing community well-being and conservation in the area.

    The launch event was hosted at Kingfish Plaza, located in the scenic coastal district of Calabash Bay, drawing together local business owners, community leaders, government representatives, and residents to mark the start of the program. At its core, the project is designed to do two key things: boost compliance with sustainable waste management practices among both local households and commercial operators, and meet the rising infrastructure needs of Treasure Beach’s fast-growing community tourism sector, which draws thousands of eco-conscious travelers to the area each year.

    One of the most tangible first actions of the initiative was the unveiling of roughly 100 custom garbage drums, which will be distributed to a wide range of community stakeholders in the coming weeks. These new containers are engineered to improve waste containment across the region, cutting down on litter that can wash into coastal ecosystems and make regular waste collection routes far more efficient for sanitation teams.

    Speaking to assembled attendees at the launch, Mayor Richard Solomon emphasized that a consistently clean, unspoiled natural environment is the backbone of Treasure Beach’s ongoing appeal as a top tourism destination. “As our community continues to expand, especially in the small-scale cottage accommodation sector that is central to our tourism model, we cannot afford to let our guard down when it comes to protecting the landscapes and shorelines that draw visitors here,” Solomon told the crowd. “Keeping our home clean is a responsibility that falls on every single one of us, and it directly shapes both our economic prosperity and our quality of life.”

    Sheldon Smith, Regional Operations Manager at SPM Waste Management Limited, used his address to call for a lasting shift in how local residents think about waste disposal. Smith explained that improper disposal habits—including illegal dumping and incorrect waste sorting—place unnecessary extra strain on municipal and private waste collection systems, stretching resources thin and reducing service quality for the entire community. “Waste management isn’t just a job for sanitation trucks and collection officers,” Smith noted. “It starts with every individual making the right choice about how and where they throw away their trash. Every person has a part to play in keeping our shared community clean.”

    Jason Henzel, chairman of the BREDS Treasure Beach Foundation, framed the new initiative as a critical step to protecting the unique community-led tourism legacy that has made Treasure Beach a global model for sustainable travel. “Treasure Beach has been a standard-bearer for responsible community tourism for decades, built on the vision of early pioneers like Desmond Henry who saw the value of growing tourism without sacrificing our natural home,” Henzel said. “This partnership between the private sector and local community groups ensures that as we welcome more visitors and grow our local economy, we do it in a way that protects what makes this place special.”

    Delroy Williams, State Minister in Jamaica’s Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, also attended the launch and praised the cross-sector collaboration between the private company and local non-profit. Williams highlighted that the project aligns perfectly with the Jamaican government’s broader national goals to upgrade public services and improve community infrastructure across the island. He also shared that ongoing national economic growth will allow the government to allocate more resources to waste management and public service delivery in communities across Jamaica in the coming months.

    Overall, the launch of “Let’s Keep Treasure Beach Clean” represents a key investment in both long-term environmental protection and inclusive local economic development. It serves as a reminder of how cross-sector partnerships and active public participation can work together to preserve Jamaica’s unique natural and built environments for future generations.

  • Kintyre shareholders say NYSE plans unaffected by VM legal dispute

    Kintyre shareholders say NYSE plans unaffected by VM legal dispute

    KINGSTON, JAMAICA – Amid ongoing legal proceedings tied to collateral shares involving VM Investments Limited, the controlling shareholder group of Kintyre Holdings (JA) Limited has publicly clarified that its proposed international corporate restructuring and pursuit of a New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listing remain fully on track.

    In an official statement released on April 2, the group emphasized that it is not a named party to any litigation against VM Investments, even though the current dispute centers on share pledges held by entities connected to the controlling shareholder bloc. The proposed restructuring, the group explained, is limited exclusively to rearranging ownership stakes within the controlling group, and does not alter the operational or corporate structure of Kintyre Holdings (JA) Limited itself.

    To date, the shareholder group has not provided clear guidance on how existing debt obligations tied to the pledged shares will be addressed as part of the proposed reorganization. The statement explicitly carved out VM Investments’ holdings from the restructuring plan, noting that any shares held by VM are bound by separate existing contractual arrangements, outstanding security charges, and the ongoing court dispute – none of which are included in the new international holding structure or the reorganization effort.

    The clarification comes as Kintyre Holdings grapples with a massive $504.58 million outstanding debt, secured by share pledges that were valued far higher when the loan was originated. Currently, Kintyre’s stock trades at roughly $0.35 per share, a steep drop from the valuation that backed the collateral. This sharp decline has created a major gap between the current market value of the pledged shares and the outstanding loan balance, leaving market observers uncertain how much of the total debt will ultimately be recoverable by creditors.

    The shareholder group said the clarification was necessary after recent public comments connected to the legal dispute created widespread confusion about the group’s intentions and role in the process. It added that legal counsel has already been engaged to review recent statements and evaluate potential legal action against parties spreading misleading information.

    Despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the share dispute, the controlling bloc reaffirmed its long-term commitment to building a global investment holding firm with a operational footprint across the Caribbean and Latin America. To back up its confidence in the business, the group pointed to strong recent operating results: the company now holds total assets in excess of $15 million, and posted record-breaking profitability in 2025, marking a solid upward growth trajectory. The group also made clear it will aggressively push back against any attempts to disrupt or mischaracterize its restructuring and listing plans.

  • UPDATE: Second victim dies in Spur Tree Hill crash

    UPDATE: Second victim dies in Spur Tree Hill crash

    A devastating early-morning crash on Jamaica’s Spur Tree Hill has now claimed two lives, law enforcement officials have confirmed. The fatal incident unfolded shortly before 5 a.m. on Tuesday, when a tractor-trailer loaded with cement veered over a steep precipice along the Manchester roadway, rolling multiple times before coming to a stop.

    Both people inside the vehicle were thrown from the cab during the violent sequence of the crash. First responders from the Mandeville Fire Station were immediately dispatched to the accident site to extract the injured victims, who were rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency care.

    The female passenger was pronounced dead by medical staff upon her arrival at the facility, while the driver, 25-year-old Jordan Sterling, was admitted for urgent treatment of his critical injuries. Despite medical interventions, Sterling later succumbed to his wounds, bringing the total death toll from the crash to two.

    Local authorities have not yet released additional details on potential contributing factors to the crash, including road conditions at the time of the incident or whether speed or mechanical failure played a role. Investigations into the exact circumstances of the accident remain ongoing.

  • Mother turns own tragedy into Easter hope for grieving children

    Mother turns own tragedy into Easter hope for grieving children

    For children navigating the devastating grief of losing a father to homicide, the Easter holiday can feel like an empty, painful reminder of what they have lost. This year, however, a community-driven collaboration between a local entrepreneur and a support organization turned that emptiness into a tangible expression of care, delivering hand-prepared Easter baskets to 30 grieving families to lift their spirits.

    The project grew from personal heartache turned purpose. Back in September 2023, Shantavia Cooper-Rolle’s twin daughters faced an unimaginable upheaval as they prepared to start their final year of high school: their father was killed in a murder. The tragedy plunged the teenagers into a dark period of grief, but with consistent support from their family, they slowly found a way to move forward. Today, both young women attend college on multiple academic scholarships, a testament to their resilience.

    Drawing from her own family’s experience, Cooper-Rolle, who owns the small gift and snack business 2S Snacks & More, felt called to give back to other families walking this same path this Easter. She partnered with Families of All Murder Victims (FOAM), a grassroots organization led by president Khandi Gibson that supports people impacted by homicide, to curate and distribute 30 special Easter baskets for children who lost their fathers to murder.

    As Cooper-Rolle delivered the baskets to homes across the community, she was met with tears of gratitude and shared vulnerability. Many of the single mothers receiving the gifts asked her how she had managed to cope after her own daughters’ loss. In response, Cooper-Rolle offered gentle, honest perspective that rejected the idea that grief can be fully “overcome.” She encouraged the mothers to take advantage of school counseling services for their children, and to extend grace to themselves as they navigate each day. “It’s nothing to be overcome. You learn every day. It’s something you take with you. It’s not something that’s going to go away,” she explained. “We just have to learn how to deal with this, hopefully, try to remember the memories.”

    One moment in particular stuck with Cooper-Rolle: when a young child was brought outside to receive her basket, her face lit up with unfiltered excitement. “That filled my heart,” Cooper-Rolle said of the interaction.

    For Gibson and the FOAM organization, moments like that highlight why small, intentional gestures of care matter so much, especially during holidays when families traditionally gather. Gibson noted that childhood is shaped by small, joyful holiday traditions, and no child should be left out of that joy because of tragedy. “I thought it was very important because, you know, children look up to their fathers and their mothers. Everybody expect Christmas baskets, especially if you’re a child, that’s what we grew up on,” Gibson said. Through initiatives like this Easter basket drive, FOAM aims to remind every grieving child that they are seen, loved, and appreciated, even in the middle of overwhelming pain.

  • Kamla says process used to re-appoint Caricom SG could have long term effects for Trinidadians

    Kamla says process used to re-appoint Caricom SG could have long term effects for Trinidadians

    A deepening rift has emerged within the 15-member Caribbean Community (Caricom) over the controversial reappointment of Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett, with Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar launching a fierce public campaign demanding full procedural transparency and threatening ongoing pushback against the regional bloc until her demands are met.

    Persad-Bissessar has labeled the process that led to Barnett’s second five-year term as a “surreptitious and odious” affair that carries lasting consequences for the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean nation that contributes 22% of Caricom’s total annual operating budget. In a public statement published to her official Facebook page, the prime minister reiterated her call for the regional integration body to open its books on the reappointment, stressing that her administration will offer no reprieve to Caricom or its secretariat until the matter is resolved in a fully transparent manner.

    “This is not a routine administrative appointment. It shapes the trajectory of Trinidad and Tobago’s economy, national security, regional integration progress, and foreign policy over the next five years, which means it directly impacts the well-being of every one of my citizens,” Persad-Bissessar wrote. “I will pursue this issue mercilessly, relentlessly, and unapologetically in public until we get the transparency that we are owed.”

    The controversy first came to a head at Caricom’s heads of government summit held last month in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis. Shortly after the meeting closed, Caricom chairman and St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew announced in a short official statement that Barnett had secured the required majority of votes from regional leaders to earn reappointment.

    But Trinidad and Tobago has pushed back hard against the outcome, asserting that the country was deliberately excluded from the closed-door deliberations that led to the vote. Port of Spain also confirms that two other member states, Antigua and Barbuda and The Bahamas, were similarly absent from the talks.

    Speaking to Trinidad and Tobago’s parliament last month, the country’s Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Sean Sobers stressed, “I state clearly for the official record: Trinidad and Tobago was never invited, by email, phone, or in person, to the meeting where this decision was taken.”

    Persad-Bissessar, who departed the Basseterre summit before the heads of government retreat on neighboring Nevis where the vote was held, confirmed that Sobers sent an official letter to Drew on March 25 formally registering Trinidad and Tobago’s objection to Barnett’s reappointment.

    The core of Trinidad and Tobago’s complaint centers on procedural violations of Caricom’s governing rules. Persad-Bissessar explained that the reappointment was never added to the provisional agenda for the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, was never discussed during open plenary sessions, and was only addressed during the restricted retreat, from which official representatives of Trinidad and Tobago and other member states were barred.

    “This process raises serious questions about a deliberate effort to circumvent established rules and push through Barnett’s reappointment through improper channels,” the prime minister said. She added that under Article 24 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the Conference of Heads of Government must formally consider and approve all Secretary-General appointments, a requirement the current process failed to meet.

    In pursuit of clarification, the Trinidad and Tobago government sent two additional official letters on March 31, 2026: one addressed to Drew, and a second directly to Barnett. The letters request granular details including when the reappointment was added to meeting agendas, what communications were sent to all member states, whether governments were notified of the outcome after the summit’s joint communiqué and closing press conference, and whether any draft decision was circulated confidentially after the retreat. The government also asked for an explanation for any secrecy surrounding the process, noting that preserving member states’ trust in Caricom’s procedural rules and collective decision-making system is critical to the bloc’s function.

    On the same day, the Permanent Secretary at Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs sent a separate formal request to Janice Miller, Chef-de-Cabinet in the Office of the Secretary-General, seeking clarification and supporting documentation related to the reappointment. That letter pointed out that past reappointments, including the 2016 selection process, fully followed established procedures, with all decisions properly recorded and reflecting the input of all heads of government. The Permanent Secretary emphasized that the 2026 process appears to deviate significantly from Caricom’s agreed rules of procedure.

    As of the publication of Persad-Bissessar’s latest statement, the Trinidad and Tobago government has yet to receive any response to its requests. “The people of Trinidad and Tobago fund nearly a quarter of Caricom’s budget. They deserve transparency, accountability, and full respect for the rules all members agreed to follow,” Persad-Bissessar added.

    Barnett first took office as Caricom’s eighth Secretary-General on August 15, 2021, after being unanimously appointed by regional leaders for her first term.

  • Family holds out hope a year after father vanishes at sea

    Family holds out hope a year after father vanishes at sea

    It has been 365 days since 32-year-old Emmanuel Bain, a father of two young boys, vanished off the waters of the Bahamas, and his loved ones have refused to let go of the belief that he will come home alive.

    Bain, who owned a local car wash and was an experienced jet ski enthusiast with a lifelong passion for the ocean, was last spotted on April 6, 2025, near Coral Cay. According to family accounts, he went missing while attempting to recover his drifting jet ski. In the 12 months that have followed, his relatives have been trapped in agonizing uncertainty, with no clear answers about the circumstances that led to his disappearance.

    A core point of conflict has emerged between the family and law enforcement: a senior family member, who requested anonymity to speak freely about the sensitive case, claims that Bahamian police never launched an official search operation for Bain. The relative explained that Bain’s mother filed a missing person report with the Central Detective Unit just 24 hours after he was last seen, but the family has yet to receive any formal updates on the case’s progress from authorities. Even basic missing person outreach steps were never taken, the family alleges: “They never even posted a picture of him,” the relative said, referencing Royal Bahamas Police Force’s standard missing person public notices.

    Frustrated by the lack of official action, Bain’s relatives took matters into their own hands, organizing multiple independent search missions across coastal areas near Saunders Beach and the surrounding waters. Despite weeks of combing the shoreline and ocean, these private efforts turned up no clues that could help locate Bain or shed light on what happened to him the day he went missing.

    Before his disappearance, Bain led a quiet, rooted life in the community: he leaves behind a fiancé and two sons, aged five and seven. The endless uncertainty of his case has inflicted a devastating emotional toll on the entire family, a weight that has only grown heavier as the one-year anniversary passed without answers.

    Even after a full year without any sign of Bain, his family’s hope remains unshaken. They continue to gather daily to pray for his safe return, holding onto the dream that he will walk back into their lives. “Every day we sit down through here we pray he come walking through,” the relative shared. “We always say we pray he come walking through Nassau Street. That’s the things we asked for, we just want to see him.”

    When asked if the family has accepted the possibility that Bain may not have survived, the relative rejected that idea outright. “I don’t even want to believe that even though it’s been a year,” she said, emphasizing that the family will hold out hope until they have definitive answers.

    In response to the family’s allegations, The Bahamas Tribune reached out to Royal Bahamas Police Force press liaison Chief Superintendent Sheria King for comment. King stated that she had been advised the missing person case was never formally reported to police, a claim that Bain’s family continues to firmly dispute.

  • American woman missing after falling overboard

    American woman missing after falling overboard

    A multi-agency search and rescue mission is actively ongoing after a 56-year-old American woman went missing overboard from a small dinghy during a night voyage in the waters off Abaco, The Bahamas, with authorities from both The Bahamas and the United States coordinating their response efforts.

    The incident unfolded on Saturday evening, when Lynette Hooker and her 58-year-old husband Brian Hooker departed from Hope Town at approximately 7:30 p.m. The pair, confirmed by international media reports to be residents of Onsted, Michigan, were traveling on an 8-foot dinghy en route to their personal yacht, named Soulmate, anchored near Elbow Cay.

    According to official statements from Bahamian law enforcement, accounts from Brian Hooker indicate that Lynette fell overboard while she was holding the vessel’s ignition keys. The accidental fall cut power to the dinghy’s engine immediately, leaving the craft adrift as strong ocean currents pulled Lynette away from the boat before her husband could intervene. Brian quickly lost sight of her in the dark night conditions.

    Stranded without a working engine, Brian Hooker was forced to paddle the small dinghy to shore manually, a journey that took more than eight hours. He did not reach the Marsh Harbour Boat Yard until around 4 a.m. on Sunday, where he immediately notified on-site staff, who in turn contacted Bahamian police to launch the official response.

    Since receiving the alert, multiple Bahamian agencies have joined the search effort, including local police units, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, and the Hope Town Fire & Rescue department. Search teams have been combing the surrounding coastal and open waters near the incident site for any sign of Lynette Hooker.

    A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State confirmed that U.S. authorities are aware of the incident and are actively working alongside Bahamian counterparts to provide all necessary assistance to the operation. As of the latest update, investigations and search efforts remain ongoing, with no new information on Lynette Hooker’s status released to the public.

  • Ian Sweetness and Ti’a Smith team up for ‘I’m in Love’ remake

    Ian Sweetness and Ti’a Smith team up for ‘I’m in Love’ remake

    For Jamaican singer Ian Sweetness, admiration for legendary reggae artist Beres Hammond has burned for more than 50 years, stretching all the way back to the 1970s when Hammond was building his reputation with soul-infused rockers like the iconic hit *I’m in Love*. That long-running appreciation has now come to fruition, as Sweetness has teamed up with fellow vocalist Ti’a Smith to deliver a fresh take on the classic track for Philadelphia-based label Wildfire Records, helmed by producer Earl Messam.

    The original version of *I’m in Love*, which first hit airwaves in 1979, was produced by iconic Jamaican producer Joe Gibbs. It quickly became a breakout hit, holding the number one spot for multiple consecutive weeks on the official top 20 charts of Jamaica’s two competing leading radio broadcasters, Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation and Radio Jamaica. For Sweetness, taking on such a beloved, well-known track was no small undertaking.

    “It is a tough tune, and I decided to just do it over, but with a lady vocalist. We did our best to do Beres’ work justice because he is an artist I deeply respect,” Sweetness explained of the collaboration. The new reimagined version of *I’m in Love* is featured on *Champions In Action*, a 2025 compilation album released by Wildfire Records that gathers new work from a roster of contemporary reggae artists.

    The 1979 hit marked a pivotal early moment in Hammond’s decades-long career, foreshadowing the string of successful releases that would cement his status as a reggae legend. In the pre-dancehall era of his career, Hammond balanced uptempo rockers with soulful ballads including *One Step Ahead* and *Got to Get Away*. When his career exploded into mainstream acclaim throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with smash hits such as *What One Dance Can Do*, *Putting up Resistance*, and *Step Aside*, Sweetness’ admiration only grew deeper.

    “What draws me to Beres’ work is how he sings with such raw, authentic soul. I have always been attracted to any art or artist that carries that kind of genuine soul and energy,” Sweetness said.

    Raised in East Kingston, a neighborhood that was a core hub of Jamaica’s iconic vibrant sound system culture, Sweetness cut his teeth in an environment that nurtured reggae talent from an early age. Hammond is not the only legendary reggae figure to shape his artistic style: he counts iconic fellow Jamaican singer Dennis Brown as another major influence, and previously cut a cover of Brown’s classic take on *Ain’t That Loving You* for Messam as well.

  • Former Migos rapper Offset wounded in shooting

    Former Migos rapper Offset wounded in shooting

    In a shocking incident that has sent ripples through the global hip-hop community, Grammy-nominated rapper Offset — best known as one third of the iconic Atlanta rap trio Migos — is recovering in a South Florida hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound near a Seminole Tribe casino, multiple entertainment and law enforcement sources have confirmed.

    The 34-year-old artist, whose legal name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, was in stable condition and receiving close medical observation at a facility in Hollywood, Florida, according to a spokesperson who spoke to celebrity news outlet TMZ. Law enforcement from the Seminole Police Department confirmed to Agence France-Presse that a shooting did occur in the area during the evening of Monday, though officials declined to publicly confirm the identity of the person struck by gunfire, consistent with ongoing investigative protocols.

    Witness accounts shared with TMZ paint a sudden, jarring picture of the incident: just moments before the shooting, Offset was in good spirits, smiling and engaging with fans who had approached him at the casino property.

    The shooting marks another devastating chapter of gun violence tied to the Migos collective, which permanently disbanded in 2022 following the fatal shooting of founding member Takeoff. Takeoff, 28 at the time of his death, was killed in a shooting at a private event in downtown Houston, Texas, a tragedy that cut short the life of one of the genre’s most promising young stars.

    Migos first catapulted to mainstream fame in 2013 on the back of their viral breakout hit *Versace*, which received a career-changing co-sign from global superstar Drake when he remixed the track. The trio went on to cement their status as 2010s rap royalty, collaborating with Drake again on the 2018 hit *Walk It Talk It*, and scoring their first Billboard Hot 100 number one single in 2016 with the cultural touchstone *Bad and Boujee*.

    Outside of his music career, Offset has long been in the public eye for his high-profile relationship with fellow chart-topping rapper Cardi B. The couple, who share three children together, finalized their split in 2024 after several years of on-again, off-again public separation.

    As of Tuesday, no further details have been released about potential suspects, motives for the shooting, or the exact extent of Offset’s injuries beyond the confirmation that he is in stable condition.