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  • Malecón Center: detached cornice was non-structural

    Malecón Center: detached cornice was non-structural

    A partial structural failure has occurred at one of Santo Domingo’s prominent landmarks after intense weather swept through the Dominican capital on Monday afternoon. The Board of Directors of Malecón Center confirmed that a decorative cornice broke free from the building’s north-facing exterior, brought down by the harsh meteorological conditions that impacted the region that day.

    In an official public announcement, the facility’s administration moved quickly to reassure the public and residents about the nature of the damage. The fallen element, they explained, is a decorative plaster feature included in the building’s original architectural plans, and never formed a core part of the property’s load-bearing structural system. This key distinction means the incident does not compromise the overall stability of Malecón Center, and poses no ongoing threat to people who live in or visit the space.

    While no people were harmed in the collapse, the falling debris did cause limited material damage to the property. The condominium’s in-house technical team is currently conducting a full on-site assessment to map out the full extent of the harm, and will move forward with all necessary restoration work once the evaluation is complete.

    The Board of Directors used the statement to reaffirm its long-standing commitment to three core priorities: maintaining rigorous safety standards across the facility, carrying out consistent proactive upkeep, and keeping residents fully informed of all relevant developments. It also extended its gratitude to property residents for their patience and collaboration as the repair process gets underway.

  • “Ask up there, not me,” chair says after FSC blunder

    “Ask up there, not me,” chair says after FSC blunder

    In a landmark 77-page written judgment delivered last Friday, High Court Justice Dr. H Patrick Wells has thrown out a bid by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) to force the liquidation of local general insurer Equity Insurance Company Ltd, ruling the regulator failed to meet the legal threshold for its request and that pushing forward with winding-up proceedings now would fatally undermine an ongoing statutory appeal process launched by the company. The ruling leaves the door open for the FSC to re-file its application at a later date, with Justice Wells noting the regulator may renew its request at the earliest once the pending appeal before the FSC’s own Appeals Tribunal reaches a final resolution. He further added that if the tribunal experiences unreasonable delays in concluding the case, the FSC retains the right to approach the High Court for procedural directions.

    The dispute between the regulator and Equity Insurance stretches back to August of last year, when the FSC seized operational control of the company and moved to revoke its general insurance license, citing long-unresolved violations of multiple financial sector regulations and what the commission described as ongoing risks to the interests of the insurer’s policyholders. Equity Insurance contested that decision, arguing the FSC’s action violated fundamental due process requirements, and launched a statutory appeal to the recently established FSC Appeals Tribunal, which is currently reviewing the challenge.

    Outlining the core legal reasoning behind his ruling in a five-point conclusion, Justice Wells clarified that the commission is not legally required to proceed under Section 57 of the Insurance Act, noting the regulator’s choice to pursue winding-up under Section 56 of the legislation was a discretionary decision it was entitled to make, despite knowing the associated legal requirements. He also struck down the FSC’s key legal argument that the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act governs any liquidation of Equity Insurance, pointing out that insurance firms are explicitly excluded from the scope of that act under the statutory definition of “corporation” laid out in Section 2 of the legislation.

    Most critically, the justice found the FSC had failed to establish a prima facie case sufficient to convince the court to grant leave for a winding-up petition. “There are substantial and genuine disputes on the alleged facts that challenge the basic premise of the reasons for seeking leave to present a winding-up petition,” the ruling read, noting that the lawfulness and reasonableness of the FSC’s decision to revoke Equity Insurance’s license remains the central question before the Appeals Tribunal. Justice Wells emphasized the tribunal is a statutory body explicitly created by parliament to hear appeals from regulated entities aggrieved by FSC decisions, and overriding that process would not only deny Equity Insurance access to justice, but also erode the institutional integrity of the tribunal, rendering its statutorily mandated proceedings meaningless.

    The judge further added that nearly all of the core factual claims the FSC relies on to support its winding-up bid are already being challenged in two active legal processes: the appeal before the FSC Appeals Tribunal and separate pending judicial review proceedings in the High Court. On the procedural matter of security for costs, Justice Wells explained that the question only arises if the court first determines the FSC has successfully established its case for leave. Once that threshold is met, the court sets a reasonable amount for security, and leave is only finalized once the security is provided; failure to meet the requirement results in leave being denied. He added that courts retain the discretion to accept a formal undertaking as security in exceptional circumstances, even if the practice is uncommon.

    The ruling also confirms a prior decision from the FSC Appeals Tribunal handed down during a March 12 case management conference, where tribunal chair and retired High Court judge Christopher Blackman rejected the FSC’s request to suspend Equity Insurance’s appeal. Blackman noted the FSC had been aware of the opportunity to request a suspension from the High Court prior to appearing before the tribunal, and had chosen not to do so, meaning the tribunal could not grant the stay at that stage. “If they wanted me to stop, they should have asked the High Court. If the High Court had issued an order, so be it. But don’t pass up the opportunity to go to the higher court, and then come back to me. No, sir. You went up there. Ask up there. Don’t ask me,” Blackman said at the time.

    The FSC Appeals Tribunal is scheduled to hold its next procedural session on April 30 at 10 a.m., where members will review progress of the case to date, set a timeline going forward, and schedule a hearing for the substantive appeal, which is expected to take place between late May and early July. In addition to dismissing the winding-up bid, Justice Wells awarded costs to Equity Insurance, with the final amount to be agreed by both parties or assessed by the court if no agreement is reached. Senior Counsel Larry Smith, Alrick Scott SC and T’Shara Seal are representing Equity Insurance in the proceedings, while Garth Patterson SC appears for the FSC.

  • Some fuel arrive in Guyana, more expected- PM Phillips

    Some fuel arrive in Guyana, more expected- PM Phillips

    On Monday, 13 April 2026, widespread panic buying of fuel broke out across Guyana, leaving queues stretching for blocks outside filling stations and empty pumps at many outlets, prompting the country’s top leadership to step forward to reassure the public that the temporary disruption would be resolved quickly with ample new supplies already arriving.

    Widespread stockpiling was triggered after a major fuel shipment delay for SOL, the operator of Mobil-branded fuel outlets across the country, left its stations completely out of gasoline and diesel. According to President Irfaan Ali, the delay occurred after one of SOL’s petroleum tankers lost its anchorage and was forced to return to port, disrupting the scheduled delivery timeline. Prime Minister Mark Phillips, addressing the public Monday night, confirmed that the delayed shipment has now arrived in Guyana and is currently being offloaded to distribution networks.

    The Prime Minister emphasized that there is no justification for ongoing panic buying or hoarding, noting that multiple importers have already landed large volumes of fuel and additional large consignments are scheduled to arrive through the first half of this week. Detailed arrival schedules for all major national fuel suppliers confirm that new supplies are already entering the market:

    On Monday 13 April at 2 p.m., Rubis Guyana Inc. took delivery of 10,000 barrels of gasoline, 6,700 barrels of low-sulphur diesel, and 4,500 barrels of ultra-low-sulphur diesel, alongside 3,000 barrels of gasoline and 14,000 barrels of diesel that arrived for SOL. Offloading for these shipments began immediately, with distribution rolling out to filling stations by Monday evening.

    Looking ahead, SOL is scheduled to receive an additional 12,000 barrels of gasoline and 6,000 barrels of diesel at 2:20 p.m. on 14 April. Rubis will take another 10,000 barrels of gasoline, 18,000 barrels of diesel, and 3,000 barrels of avjet at 3 p.m. the same day. For Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL), two large shipments carrying a combined 21,000 barrels of gasoline and 9,000 barrels of diesel are scheduled to arrive and begin offloading on the morning of Thursday 15 April.

    With the supply shortage prompting many consumers to stockpile fuel in unsafe plastic containers, the Prime Minister issued a critical public safety warning. He reminded Guyanese that all petroleum products are highly flammable, and storing fuel in unapproved, non-industrial containers creates severe fire hazards that can lead to catastrophic injury, loss of life, and widespread property damage.

    Phillips added that the Guyana government will maintain close oversight of the fuel market through the resolution of the disruption, and will implement all necessary measures to ensure consistent, reliable access to fuel for all consumers across the country.

    Monday’s unprecedented long queues at filling stations marked the most severe public panic over fuel supplies the country has seen since the 1980s, when Guyana faced a crippling foreign exchange crisis and broad economic recession that left critical goods in short supply.

  • Gazcue hit hard by sudden storm, dozens of vehicles affected

    Gazcue hit hard by sudden storm, dozens of vehicles affected

    On Monday afternoon, an unanticipated severe weather system characterized by torrential rainfall, large hail and destructive wind gusts barreled through Santo Domingo’s National District, leaving a trail of extensive destruction that hit the Gazcue neighborhood particularly hard. The fast-intensifying storm caught local residents off guard, triggering a series of disruptions that upended daily life across the affected area.

    Strong wind gusts reached enough force to uproot fully grown trees, sending the massive vegetation crashing onto public roadways and parked or moving vehicles. The blockages immediately snarled traffic, leaving commuters and local residents stranded for extended periods and creating chaotic, high-tension conditions across the sector. Multiple residential properties also reported substantial material damage: shattered window panes were widespread, and outdoor structures including awnings and backyard gazebos were completely destroyed by the powerful winds. Loose debris and household items were scattered across yards and streets by the gusts, adding to the cleanup burden facing the community.

    In addition to structural and property damage, the severe weather knocked out critical electrical infrastructure, leaving the vast majority of Gazcue without power immediately after the storm passed. Local utility companies quickly dispatched response teams to the area to conduct full damage assessments and begin restoration work. As of the latest updates, emergency management officials have confirmed that no storm-related injuries have been reported, though fallen tree debris continues to cause major traffic congestion throughout the neighborhood as cleanup efforts proceed.

  • Republic Bank introduceert online rekening openen via RepublicOnboard

    Republic Bank introduceert online rekening openen via RepublicOnboard

    In a major push to modernize retail banking services and enhance customer accessibility, Republic Bank has announced the launch of a groundbreaking end-to-end digital account opening platform named RepublicOnboard, announced in a recent public statement dated April 13.

    Unlike traditional account opening processes that require mandatory in-person visits to a bank branch, the new solution empowers customers to complete their entire application from any location, at any time. Every step of the journey, from initial application submission to identity verification, is conducted completely online, cutting out lengthy wait times and paperwork that have long frustrated banking customers.

    To complete their application, users simply upload digital copies of required documentation, including government-issued proof of identity, confirmation of residential address, and income information if available. Identity verification is finalized through a secure, encrypted selfie-check process that matches the user’s photo to their official identity document. Republic Bank confirmed that the new platform is directly integrated with its core banking infrastructure, a design choice that guarantees both high-level security for user data and a smooth, efficient onboarding experience. As an added convenience, customers are automatically enrolled in the bank’s existing digital banking services, including online banking and mobile banking apps, immediately after their account is approved.

    The platform offers customers a range of account options to suit different needs, including the no-monthly-fee e-free checking account, a standard giro account, and a personal savings account. The e-free option, which charges no recurring monthly maintenance costs, is expected to be particularly popular among consumers who rely almost exclusively on digital banking services and have little need for in-branch support.
    Republic Bank also emphasized that its existing ATM services will remain fully operational for customers following the launch. Account holders can still withdraw funds in both Surinamese dollars (SRD) and United States dollars (USD), with a daily withdrawal limit of SRD 20,000 that carries no extra transaction fees.

    Industry observers note that the launch of RepublicOnboard marks a key milestone in Republic Bank’s broader strategy to expand digital transformation and customer-centric service delivery across the regional banking sector. The move aligns with a global industry trend toward fully digital banking experiences, as financial institutions compete to meet rising consumer expectations for flexible, accessible financial services.

  • BAM: Safeguard Foreday Morning

    BAM: Safeguard Foreday Morning

    As Barbados’ beloved annual Crop Over festival approaches, a leading cultural organization is sounding the alarm over growing threats to one of the celebration’s most iconic centerpieces, calling for urgent regulatory action to safeguard the island’s cultural and tourism heritage.

    Bryan Worrell, head of the Barbados Association of Masqueraders (BAM), has renewed his organization’s appeal to national cultural authorities to protect the legacy of Foreday Morning and other signature Crop Over events, amid mounting concerns that unregulated private parties are siphoning attendees away from the flagship j’ouvert celebration. These concerns are widely shared among the roughly 40 official Foreday Morning band leaders, who have formally submitted a petition to the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) and the Ministry of Culture to address the issue. Since the petition was filed, Worrell confirmed that ongoing discussions are underway to develop a formal, long-term solution to the mounting pressure on official events.

    At the core of BAM’s proposal is the creation of a national registry for official cultural events on Barbados’ national calendar. Worrell argues that key fixtures including Foreday Morning, Grand Kadooment and Bridgetown Market deserve special protected status to limit direct competition from private events. He warned that the current threat to Foreday Morning is not an isolated issue: without intervention, other major Crop Over attractions could face the same erosion of attendance in coming years.

    “What’s to say that in another year or two that Grand Kadooment doesn’t come under the same threat that Foreday Morning is?” Worrell posed in an interview with reporters. He emphasized that BAM’s objection centers on private events holding their activities on the exact same night as official Foreday Morning, which splits the reveller base and undermines the long-standing traditional celebration.

    While much of the recent public attention has focused on Twisted Entertainment, the organizer of the popular Tipsy Music Festival that launched a competing private jump this year, Worrell stressed that the problem is systemic. Over the past several years, there has been a steady rise in the number of private foreday-style events, with another new private gathering, Stain’d, announced for this year backed by Vida by Esquire (VXE) and other local partners.

    Worrell explained that two potential paths forward exist to resolve the conflict: establishing the protected national event registry, or updating national legislation to formalize protections for official cultural events. In the near term, however, BAM is focused on brokering a voluntary agreement to shift competing private events to different dates, an arrangement that would protect the livelihoods of the dozens of small businesses and band leaders that organize the official Foreday Morning celebration each year.

    Addressing a common talking point from supporters of private events – claims that official Foreday Morning is unsafe for attendees – Worrell pushed back firmly, noting that there is no empirical evidence to back up these assertions. He pointed to more than a decade without any major reported safety incidents at the official event, and outlined the layered security framework that is already in place to protect participants.

    “Each registered band has its own security, along with the police service, along with the BDF on the route, along with excellent lighting… ambulance services are there to respond, so we have everything in place that will make your event safe and sound,” Worrell explained.

    Beyond preserving cultural tradition, Worrell emphasized that Foreday Morning is a critical economic and tourism asset for Barbados, drawing large numbers of international visitors who specifically travel to the island to experience the authentic cultural event. “That’s why we feel so strongly about it…as one of the highlighted events on the calendar that it should [have] that additional protection to ensure that it lives on,” he said.

    When reached for comment on the ongoing negotiations between BAM and cultural authorities, Akil Franklin, corporate communications specialist at the NCF, declined to provide any statement on the status of talks.

  • Barbados-based publishing company to attend international children’s book fair

    Barbados-based publishing company to attend international children’s book fair

    For the first time in the 63-year history of the world’s most prestigious children’s publishing event, the Caribbean region will have an official, dedicated collective presence at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF), running April 13–16 at the Bologna Exhibition Centre in Italy. Barbados-founded Beyond Publishing Caribbean, a 12-year-old independent publishing house focused on elevating Caribbean storytelling, will lead the newly formed Caribbean Collective delegation alongside two other leading regional cultural figures: Latoya West-Blackwood, founder and director of the Jamaica Book Festival, and Jeunanne Alkins, a Trinidad and Tobago-based publisher and founder of Everything Slight Pepper.

    Widely recognized as the globe’s largest professional gathering focused exclusively on children’s publishing, illustration, intellectual property rights, licensing, and multimedia children’s content, BCBF draws thousands of industry leaders, creators, and publishers from every corner of the world, offering an unmatched platform for global collaboration and exposure. Beyond Publishing Caribbean co-founder Delvin Howell emphasized that the Caribbean Collective’s invitation marks a historic milestone for the region’s creative industry, framing the participation as a transformative step forward for putting Caribbean publishing on the global map.

    “This is a historic event, where for the first time the Caribbean will have such presence in this space,” Howell shared. “It is a large step towards presenting Barbadian and Caribbean publishing to the world.”

    Founded in 2012, Beyond Publishing Caribbean has built its reputation on producing high-quality comics and illustrated novels rooted in authentic Caribbean experiences, while holding its work to the same production and storytelling standards as major international publishing houses. At BCBF, the company will showcase its full catalogue of titles, highlighting three standout works that demonstrate the breadth of Caribbean storytelling:
    – *Loose Change*, an action-packed battle comic series set in a Caribbean business school, designed to teach financial literacy and encourage young people to pursue entrepreneurship;
    – *Crossroads*, a gritty, socially conscious title that explores urgent community challenges including gun violence, bullying, and domestic abuse, a project previously supported by the United States Embassy to drive public awareness;
    – *Offset*, a genre-bending comic inspired by traditional Caribbean folklore, set in an alternate-universe version of Barbados.

    The Caribbean Collective will exhibit in BCBF’s popular Comics Corner, a dedicated space for graphic storytelling that will place the regional creators alongside some of the biggest names in the global comics industry, including major players Image Comics, Boom Studios, Kodansha, Viz Media, and Scholastic. Howell said the opportunity to exhibit alongside these industry giants is a major validation of Caribbean creative talent, and the team plans to leverage the platform to build lasting professional connections with international publishers, agents, and creators.

    Beyond Publishing Caribbean has previously showcased its work at regional cultural events, including participating in the Creative Caribbean delegation at CARIFESTA 2025, but Howell noted that BCBF marks the company’s first official exhibiting slot at an international publishing event of this scale. From its earliest days, the press has centered a simple but powerful mission: to compete with top international titles while remaining unapologetically rooted in Caribbean culture, unique characters, and local ways of life.

    “From the beginning, Beyond Publishing Caribbean has made the global standard of storytelling, production and artwork our bare minimum,” Howell said. “We aimed to compete with any major title from overseas while also being true to our culture, characters and way of life.”

    First launched in 1963, the annual Bologna Children’s Book Fair has grown into the cornerstone event of the global children’s publishing industry. The 2026 edition of the fair has already announced its visual theme, “Faces, Features and Portraits”, as the event continues to evolve to reflect shifting trends in children’s media and storytelling.

  • Pinelands, Bulls, Lakers, Celtics in winners’ row

    Pinelands, Bulls, Lakers, Celtics in winners’ row

    The latest matchweek of the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association’s Premier League delivered four distinct outcomes across the Sunday fixture slate, with dominant performances and standout individual scoring taking center stage at the Barbados Community College host venue.

    Opening the day’s competition, KFC Pinelands secured a lopsided 18-point win over NSC Tridents, finalizing the score at 78-60. Adriel Brathwaite anchored Pinelands’ offensive output, leading all teammates with 19 total points, while the squad boasted four players hitting double-digit scoring totals. Forward Carl Thorpe chipped in 18 points, and both Rachad Hall and Khenti Morris added 14 points each to round out the balanced offensive attack. For the defeated Tridents, Zane Gaskin put up a team-high 18 points, with Bronson Gibson-D’ermo contributing 12 points in the losing effort.

    In the afternoon’s second matchup, Burger King Clapham Bulls pulled away for a comfortable 107-85 victory against Warrens All Stars. Brothers Rasheed Maynard and Simeon Maynard turned in matching 16-point performances to pace the Bulls’ winning effort. Even though Warrens All Stars guard Delan Willie recorded the highest individual scoring total of the entire game with 21 points, his side could not overcome the Bulls’ coordinated team play and fell short by 22 points.

    The third contest of the day saw Island Care Ambulance Service hold off a late push from PremiumFit Bears to claim a 71-61 win. The winning squad got a double-digit scoring boost from guard Tyreke Harewood, who dropped 18 points, and forward Keefe Birkett, who added 13 points to secure the 10-point victory. Despite a career-best outing from PremiumFit’s Antoine Winter, who scored a game-high 32 points, the Bears could not overcome a lack of consistent supporting scoring and dropped the fixture.

    Closing out the Sunday game schedule, C.A.M Smart Assurance City United Celtics defeated Fusionz Boutique Station Hill Cavaliers by a 16-point margin, closing the game out at 94-78. Swingman Theo Greenidge led all Celtics scorers with 28 points, while guard Kiserian Adams contributed 20 points and forward Deroni Hurly added 18 points to the winning total. Deveron Knight topped the scoring chart for the Cavaliers with 19 points in the loss.

  • ANN: Dominica sits on top of Windward Under-19 cricket after two matches

    ANN: Dominica sits on top of Windward Under-19 cricket after two matches

    DOMINICA, ROSEAU – As the 2026 WINLOTT/Windward Islands Under-19 Cricket Tournament unfolds on home soil, Dominica has surged to the top of the tournament standings following the completion of the first two rounds of group play. After earning two wins from their two opening matches, the host side currently holds a total of 4 points alongside an impressive net run rate of 2.695, putting them clear of competing teams at the early stage of the tournament.

    The battle for the second position on the leaderboard has been a tight contest between Saint Lucia and Grenada. Both teams have posted identical results through their first two matches, picking up one win and one loss apiece to leave them tied on 2 points each. The tiebreaker of net run rate ultimately placed Saint Lucia in the second spot, as the side holds a positive net run rate of 1.682, far outperforming Grenada’s negative net run rate of minus 1.188.

    This early tournament lead marks a strong opening showing for the young Dominica side, as they look to maintain their form through the remainder of the regional youth cricket competition, with more matches scheduled to determine the overall tournament champion in the coming rounds. [Photo: Shamel Hillaire (centre) celebrating the fall of another wicket, credit to WINLOTT – Robertson S. Henry]

  • He Won Over $300,000 in Mega Bingo

    He Won Over $300,000 in Mega Bingo

    A lucky yet methodic bingo player has walked away with a life-changing $370,000 Mega Bingo jackpot, crediting his long-term patience rather than pure random luck for the huge windfall, announced on April 13, 2026.

    After mandatory tax deductions, the winner takes home a net sum of approximately $315,000, a payout that has already reshaped his near-term financial plans. In a reflection on his winning strategy, the player shared that he has held fast to the same ticket number combination for years, even through a long break from playing the game.

    “I started purchasing Mega Bingo tickets when the game first launched, but I took an extended break from playing before I came back to it,” he explained. “Ever since I returned, I’ve bought the same exact ticket every time without ever changing the numbers. That consistency paid off in the end.”

    Now that the jackpot is secured, the winner says he has no plans to rush into reckless spending. Instead, his top priority is using the funds to support his mother and other loved ones who have supported him over the years. He emphasized that he intends to avoid impulsive financial decisions, noting that unplanned spending can drain even a large windfall faster than many people expect.

    As of press time, the report of the win has garnered more than 200 views from readers following the story.