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  • Forde, Pooran script big Kings win

    Forde, Pooran script big Kings win

    The 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) delivered a thrilling Friday night contest at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Ground, where home crowd support lifted the Saint Lucia Kings to a memorable six-wicket victory over the Jamaica Kingsmen, with a full 10 deliveries still to spare. The result not only sent fans streaming toward the exits in high spirits after a dramatic match, but also kept Saint Lucia’s postseason ambitions firmly intact, pushing the Kings to the top of the league table with six points from six outings, split evenly between three wins and three losses including two consecutive defeats entering the fixture.

    The Jamaica Kingsmen arrived at the ground in strong form, having notched two straight wins on their home turf ahead of the cross-island clash. After a shaky opening to their innings, the visitors posted a competitive total of 169 for nine wickets from their full 20 overs. The Kingsmen struggled through the powerplay, mustering just 55 runs for the loss of five wickets, but a steady middle-overs recovery yielded 76 runs for the loss of just two wickets, before a late flurry of hitting pushed them past the 165-mark. They added 38 runs for two wickets in the final four overs, with both late wickets falling in the last six balls of the innings. In total, the Kingsmen racked up 92 runs from boundaries, including 10 sixes and eight fours, led by a polished even half-century from opener Keacy Carty off 45 deliveries. Late innings fireworks from Andre Russell, who scored 25 runs off 15 balls, and Odean Smith, with 27 off 17, helped accelerate the total to a challenging mark for the hosts.

    It was 24-year-old Barbadian fast bowler Matthew Forde who stole the bowling spotlight for Saint Lucia, delivering a historic performance of five wickets for 31 runs from his four overs. This marked the first five-wicket haul ever recorded at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Ground in CPL history, and also made Forde the youngest player to ever claim the landmark in the league. With 12 wickets total through the first stage of the 2026 tournament, Forde now sits atop the competition’s wicket-taker rankings heading into the next round of fixtures.

    Chasing a target of 170 runs for victory, the Saint Lucia Kings got off to a cautious start, managing only 39 runs for the loss of one wicket through the first six powerplay overs as Jamaica captain Rovman Powell’s rotating bowling strategy put the hosts under pressure. A match-changing 66-run partnership between newcomer John Campbell and wicketkeeper-batsman Kamil Pooran for the second wicket dragged Saint Lucia back into contention, moving the score to 91 for two. Through the middle overs, the hosts continued to chip away at the target, reaching 147 for three at the end of the 16th over, four runs ahead of the Kingsmen’s scoring rate at the same stage of their innings.

    With the game in the balance, Pooran joined forces with newly signed South African allrounder Obus Pienaar, who joined the Saint Lucia squad only on Friday, to seal the win. The pair put together an unbeaten match-winning partnership of 57 runs from just 27 deliveries, guiding the Kings across the finish line with overs to spare. Pooran finished unbeaten on 48 off 49 balls, while Pienaar produced a blistering cameo of 34 runs off only 14 deliveries to close out the victory.

    Speaking after the historic win, Forde credited the home crowd for the team’s success, saying, “I just want to say, ‘Thank you’ to the crowd. We owe it to them. They held up their side of the bargain, so I’m really happy to get a victory today for them. For me, it’s about sticking to that six-to-eight-metre length. There are some games where it’s not going to work, but for me, if it happens three out of five games, it’s just about keeping myself in check for the other two games and staying grounded, trusting the process, trusting my abilities.”

    Forde, who counts Saint Lucia as a second home, added an emotional tribute to his family in attendance: “Saint Lucia is my second home. I love it here. It’s the only place I’d rather be other than Barbados. To have my family here, my dad is in the stands as well. I just want to give a shout-out to him. He’s always here for every game. I love you, big guy. But yeah, I’m getting goosebumps now because there’s no better feeling than playing at home and playing in front of your home people.”

    Looking ahead, the Saint Lucia Kings will hit the road this weekend to travel to Trinidad & Tobago, where they are scheduled to face defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders next Wednesday in Port of Spain for their next league fixture.

  • One Family Programme Delivers Back‑to‑School Relief

    One Family Programme Delivers Back‑to‑School Relief

    Ahead of the 2026 academic term, Barbados’ One Family Programme has rolled out its annual Back-to-School initiative, pulling together more than $400,000 in donated educational materials to lift up approximately 2,000 children from low-income, vulnerable households across the island. A collaboration between the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs-led programme, local retailer Pages Bookstore, and a network of community and private sector partners, the drive will distribute textbooks, stationery, and essential school supplies to students from the programme’s 1,000 registered at-risk families. Details of the effort were shared during a press briefing hosted Friday at the ministry’s Warrens Office Complex headquarters, where programme leaders outlined the scope of the work and highlighted the power of cross-sector partnership to address equity gaps in education. Nicole Daniel, Social Development Project Manager for the One Family Programme, explained that the initiative is tailored to the 2,000 school-aged children living in the programme’s beneficiary households, a group that makes up a third of the roughly 6,000 total people supported by the scheme. The student population breaks down across three key education levels: 950 children currently enrolled in primary school, 150 recent graduates of the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination preparing to transition to secondary education, and roughly 1,000 students already attending secondary school. Daniel opened the briefing to pull back the curtain on the months of behind-the-scenes coordination that goes into preparing the distribution, emphasizing that every item delivered to families comes through donations from committed partners and sponsors. She extended special recognition to the volunteers that have supported the effort, including members of the Kiwanis Club of Pride of Barbados, noting that the initiative itself is a demonstration of how collective action can create meaningful change for vulnerable communities. “This just shows how good and how key and how critical partnership is in this programme,” Daniel said, urging more individuals and local organizations to continue contributing to the ongoing effort to support families across the island. Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Adrian Forde echoed Daniel’s emphasis on collaboration and investment in equitable education. Confirming the total value of donated supplies exceeds $400,000, Forde stressed that investing in accessible education is one of the most impactful ways to uplift Barbados’ young people. “Education is priceless,” Forde said. “The opportunity to have that education must be a right. It is not a privilege; it is a right.” While the 2026 initiative is on track to support 2,000 children ahead of the new school year, Forde shared a vision for expanding the programme to reach even more vulnerable students in future cycles. That expansion, he noted, depends entirely on growing the network of cross-sector partners invested in the mission. “We can only do it if there are partnerships created,” he said. Forde thanked the non-governmental organizations, local businesses, and individual supporters that have already contributed to the 2026 drive, and issued a call for additional private sector entities to join the effort. Framing the work around the programme’s core mission of collective care, Forded added: “We are one big family here with one single focus, one drive, and that is to develop the best citizens in Barbados.”

  • $37,000 fine for Mahaut woman in Woodbridge Bay ammunition case

    $37,000 fine for Mahaut woman in Woodbridge Bay ammunition case

    A resident of Mahaut, Dominica has been sentenced to a $37,000 fine after entering a guilty plea for weapons-related offenses uncovered during a seizure operation at the island nation’s Woodbridge Bay Port. Mara Detouche was taken into law enforcement custody on August 20, alongside a second woman also from Mahaut, after customs and police investigators found 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition and two firearm magazines hidden inside a shipping barrel during a routine inspection of cargo moving through the port.

    Following her arrest, Detouche appeared before a Dominican court to answer the charges, formally admitting responsibility for her role in the incident. In a departure from immediate custodial sentencing, the court granted the defendant permission to settle the fine through structured installment payments. The first payment is scheduled to begin next week, with a final deadline of November 30, 2026, to pay the full fine amount. Court documents outline that failure to adhere to the agreed payment schedule could result in a prison sentence of up to nine years for Detouche.

    Notably, all charges against the second woman detained during the August 20 police operation have been dropped, with prosecutors confirming that proceedings against her have been formally discontinued. The entire case emerged from a long-running probe by the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force focused on curbing the illegal movement of ammunition and unregulated firearm parts through the country’s primary seaport. Law enforcement officials have not released additional details on the intended destination of the seized weapons components, nor whether additional arrests are expected as the investigation continues.

  • Women march into Pan-Am squash quarter-finals

    Women march into Pan-Am squash quarter-finals

    The 27th Pan-American Senior Squash Championships, hosted in Asuncion, Paraguay, delivered exciting results for Caribbean squash nations on Thursday, as Barbados’ women’s team punched their ticket to the competition’s quarter-final stage with a dominant 2-0 win over regional rival Guyana.

    Fresh off a strong showing at the CAC Championships held in the Dominican Republic just prior to this tournament, the Barbadian women carried their red-hot international form into the cross-Caribbean clash. Eboni Atherley set the tone for the match early, securing a straight-game win over Guyana’s Kirsten Gomes with set scores of 11-8, 11-5, and 11-4 to put Barbados on the board first.

    The victory was soon sealed by Margot Prow, the newly crowned CAC champion, who also claimed a straight-game win against Ashley Khalil. Prow’s 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 win locked in the 2-0 advantage for Barbados, making the scheduled third singles match between Meagan Best of Barbados and Guyana’s Mary Fung-A-Fat unnecessary. The match was ultimately scratched from the schedule.

    While the women’s team celebrated their quarter-final qualification, Barbados’ men’s squad also earned a spot in the tournament’s round of 16 after a hard-fought 2-1 win against the Dominican Republic. Shawn Simpson opened the men’s tie with a convincing straight-game victory over Jesus Pena, finishing with set scores of 11-2, 11-6, 11-8. The balance of the tie shifted, however, when Barbados’ top-ranked competitor Khamal Cumberbatch dropped a grueling five-game battle against Christopher Fernandez. The 51-minute match ended 7-11, 11-3, 7-11, 12-10, 11-13, leaving the overall tie tied at one win apiece.

    It fell to Darien Benn to secure the men’s progression, and he delivered a dominant straight-game performance against Amado Hernandez, winning 11-5, 11-4, 11-8 to lock in Barbados’ spot in the round of 16. The men’s campaign hit a speed bump later the same day, however, when they faced a formidable host nation Peru side and fell 2-0. Alex Stewart lost in straight sets to Thiago Cabrejos (3-11, 5-11, 1-11), while Cumberbatch dropped another straight-game match to Alonso Escudero, with set scores of 8-11, 4-11, 6-11.

  • Port Officer Granted $40,000 Bail in Cannabis Possession Case

    Port Officer Granted $40,000 Bail in Cannabis Possession Case

    A port employee based in Loubiere, Dominica has been released on bail following his arrest on suspicion of possessing cannabis with an estimated total street value close to $50,000.

    Alistair Bert Riviere-Alfred, a 52-year-old port officer who resides in Madrelle, Loubiere, was taken into custody at the island’s Woodbridge Bay Port on August 18 at the conclusion of a targeted police investigation into illicit drug activity. Officers from the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force led the probe, which ultimately led to two separate possession charges being filed against the suspect after authorities uncovered two stashes of the controlled substance.

    Investigators confirmed that the first cache of cannabis was found hidden inside a shipping barrel stored on port grounds, while the second quantity was seized during a search of Riviere-Alfred’s private residential property. Combined, the two batches are valued at nearly $50,000 on the local illegal drug market, according to initial police assessments.

    Riviere-Alfred made his first court appearance on Friday, August 21, where the full criminal allegations against him were formally read by court officials. Following the hearing, the presiding judge granted the suspect release on conditional bail set at $40,000 as the legal process moves forward. As with all criminal cases, the charges against Riviere-Alfred remain unproven accusations, and he is presumed innocent until a court delivers a final verdict on the matter.

  • Shot fired outside Office of the President; warhead recovered near damaged vehicle- police

    Shot fired outside Office of the President; warhead recovered near damaged vehicle- police

    Authorities in Guyana have launched an active investigation after a gunshot was fired near the country’s Office of the President late Friday, leaving an official government vehicle damaged, the Guyana Police Force confirmed in an official update issued Saturday. The disclosure comes from Denis Chabrol, with the latest information timestamped 10:20 a.m. local time on Saturday, August 22, 2026.

    According to police’s official statement, the shooting incident unfolded at approximately 9:15 p.m. Friday in the area surrounding the presidential compound. A serving police officer assigned to duty at the site told investigators they heard what matched the sound of a gunshot originating from the direction of the Square of the Revolution. Following an immediate search of the compound, law enforcement personnel discovered damage to a motor bus officially registered to the Office of the President.

    The bus, which was parked on the compound’s northeastern side facing south, suffered an indentation and surrounding cracks on its windscreen. Investigators also recovered a suspected 9 mm warhead from the ground directly in front of the damaged vehicle, which has been secured for forensic ballistic examination as the probe moves forward. As part of the ongoing investigation, police confirmed that closed-circuit television footage from the area is currently being reviewed to identify potential persons of interest, and multiple individuals have already been brought in for questioning related to the incident.

  • Man confesses to thefts two years after denying charges

    Man confesses to thefts two years after denying charges

    After two years of maintaining his innocence in a string of commercial retail thefts, 53-year-old Fredrick Alfred Haynes has publicly owned up to his crimes in a Barbados courtroom, marking a turning point in both his legal case and his personal battle with drug addiction.

    Residing at Drayton Close in the Christ Church community of Enterprise, Haynes entered guilty pleas to three separate grand larceny charges when his case was called before Acting Chief Magistrate Douglas Frederick at the No. 1 District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court this Friday. In exchange for his honesty and documented efforts to rebuild his life, the magistrate granted Haynes a nine-month peace bond, a lenient sentence that allows him to avoid immediate jail time so long as he abides by the court’s terms. A breach of the bond will trigger an automatic three-month custodial sentence.

    The details of the thefts, laid out in court, date back to April 2024. On April 9, Haynes stole assorted goods including cooking spray, luncheon meat, chicken wings, chicken nuggets and hamburgers with a total value of $110.25 from ANSR Investments Limited, which operates the Esso Worthing service station. Court records show that just nine days later, on April 18, Haynes committed two additional thefts: he took $19.50 worth of corned beef and sausages from Lewis Drug Mart, then walked out of Massy Stores with $105.62 worth of chicken sticks, chicken nuggets, wieners and deodorant.

    The case had been scheduled to go to trial on Friday, and prosecutor Sergeant Victoria Leacock informed the court that proceedings could not proceed as planned because key witness testimony was unavailable. She requested an adjournment to reschedule the trial, but Haynes surprised the court by announcing he wished to end the procedural delay and plead guilty immediately.

    Court investigators outlined how the crimes were uncovered: after ANSR Investments’ managing director received an alert about missing inventory on April 9, the company reviewed on-site security footage, identified Haynes as the perpetrator, and filed an official police report. Haynes was later taken into police custody in connection with the two other retail thefts, and while detained, he voluntarily confessed to the Esso service station theft as well—though he would later reverse that admission before Friday’s hearing.

    Haynes, who has 32 prior criminal convictions on his record, offered the court a raw, honest account of his circumstances when given the chance to speak. “At that time of my life, I was addicted to crack cocaine,” he told the court. “I am very remorseful. I am working now and looking after my son. I made the choice to get clean because I did not want him to see me prickle.”

    Responding to Haynes’ candor and commitment to recovery, Acting Chief Magistrate Frederick noted that the defendant had chosen to unburden his conscience by taking responsibility for his actions. “You are in a different place than you were,” the magistrate said. “I will give you a chance to stay on the straight and narrow.”

    The outcome of the case highlights the criminal justice system’s willingness to offer second chances to offenders who have taken tangible steps to overcome addiction and reintegrate into the community, balancing accountability for past crimes with support for sustained recovery.

  • WIN launches broad-based emergency response initiative; calls for interim GY$800 million payout to those affected by MV Barima ferry tragedy

    WIN launches broad-based emergency response initiative; calls for interim GY$800 million payout to those affected by MV Barima ferry tragedy

    On Friday, one month after the deadly sinking of the MV Barima ferry that left dozens dead and missing off Guyana’s Essequibo Coast, the country’s main opposition party We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) launched a cross-sector emergency support initiative named the Humanitarian Emergency Relief Operation (HERO), centered on aiding survivors, bereaved families and rescued personnel affected by the disaster.

    Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has publicly called on the ruling government to disburse an immediate interim payment of GY$5 million to every survivor, next-of-kin of the deceased, and families of still-missing victims, a payout that would total approximately GY$800 million. Mohamed argued this urgent disbursement would alleviate the severe financial strain and emotional trauma the tragedy has inflicted on affected households. Citing his familiarity with what he claims are the governing administration’s procedural delays, Mohamed urged officials to immediately authorize the central bank to release the funds, stating: “You can call the governor of Bank of Guyana, Mr Gobin Ganga and let him open the safe.”

    The MV Barima, an 87-year-old ferry constructed in Scotland, sank on July 19 while carrying an estimated 179 passengers and crew members. To date, official records confirm 72 fatalities, with 76 people rescued from the incident, the deadliest maritime disaster in recent Guyanese history.

    Speaking at the launch ceremony held at opposition leader Mohamed’s residence in Houston, East Bank Demerara, WIN General Secretary Odessa Primus noted that HERO was designed as an inclusive, non-partisan platform that welcomes participation from other political parties, non-governmental organizations, and civil society groups. Primus emphasized that the initiative prioritizes the needs of Guyanese people above political, religious or sectional divides, built on the principle of collective action to support affected communities through the crisis. The initiative’s immediate interventions, funded by donations from the Guyanese public and diaspora community, include covering school-related costs for children of affected families ahead of the new school year starting in August, providing clinical psychological counselling, and distributing essential care packages and food hampers.

    In addition to humanitarian support, Mohamed confirmed that a team of prominent Guyanese lawyers has already committed to providing pro bono legal representation for tragedy victims, to hold the government accountable and prevent what the opposition claims are unfair practices that sidelined survivors of a previous deadly disaster. Recalling the 2023 Mahdia dormitory fire, where the government reached a GY$5 million per-family compensation agreement with victims’ relatives, Mohamed stated his goal is to prevent the administration from repeating what he frames as unfair treatment of affected families, and to ensure victims’ rights are not violated. The legal team already assembled includes high-profile figures Nigel Hughes, Eusi Anderson, Roysdale Forde, Christopher Ram, Damien Da Silva and Siand Dhurjon, and WIN says it is open to bringing on more volunteer legal representatives to meet demand.

    Senior attorney Christopher Ram accused the government of double standards in its handling of the tragedy, pointing out that the ferry is operated by the state-owned Transport and Harbours Department. Ram argued that if a private entity had been responsible for the disaster, the government would have already imposed severe pressure and penalties on the operator. He noted that existing Guyanese law already mandates compensation for disaster victims, rather than requiring families to beg for charitable handouts, and that public funds including those in the Amerindian fund are available to cover these payments. “We have laws on our books that talk about compensation, not charity. Nobody should be begging for money for you. The government owes a duty to pay it,” Ram said. Echoing the call for immediate interim payouts, Ram sternly warned victims against signing any legal documents that would waive their right to full future compensation: “If they give you money, take the bloody money. Sign nothing. Do not give up your right. If a paper is put before you, get someone to read that paper.” Ram also recommended that victims unify to demand a compensation framework structured to account for individual factors including life expectancy, earning capacity, and the role of the deceased as a household breadwinner or parent, arguing that such a unified, evidence-based demand would leave the government no justifiable ground to refuse. Fellow attorney Damien Da Silva echoed these remarks, confirming the legal team is ready to begin work on behalf of victims immediately.

    Mohamed also reiterated the urgent need to salvage the MV Barima, which rests 40 feet below the ocean surface roughly 10 miles off the Essequibo Coast. He called on the government to draw from the country’s daily oil revenue of GY$6.3 billion to fund the immediate interim compensation payouts, so that victims can begin rebuilding their lives. Earlier in August, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) received expressions of interest from firms for the salvage operation, with requirements to preserve forensic evidence for the upcoming official Commission of Inquiry into the disaster.

    Moving forward, WIN representatives plan to travel directly to Port Kaituma and Mabaruma, the home regions of many victims, to meet with affected families and assess their on-the-ground needs.

  • Senior Games registration off to strong start

    Senior Games registration off to strong start

    Barbados’ annual National Senior Games is gearing up for its 2024 iteration, with early registration numbers already passing the 150-athlete mark, and event leaders projecting a significant jump in sign-ups following the official launch event this Saturday.

    Ytannia Wiggins, a sports advisor leading coordination for the games, shared that the 2024 competition has expanded to include 25 distinct sporting disciplines, and she is urging more Barbadian senior athletes to complete their registration before the event kicks off. “Early registration numbers are already looking really strong, and we fully expect that count to climb steadily after our public launch this Saturday,” Wiggins stated in a press briefing.

    The official launch day will kick off with a ceremonial motorcade that starts at the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs. The procession will wind through multiple local residential communities, stop at Pelican Village, and end at Golden Square Freedom Park, where a day of public festivities will be held for attendees. At the park, visitors will be able to enjoy live entertainment, exhibition matches showcasing a range of competitive sports, and a public dance festival that includes line dancing and Latin dance open sessions.

    For the track and field discipline at the heart of the games, the final round of field events is scheduled to take place on September 19 at Harrison College’s athletic grounds. The track event finals will follow one week later on September 26, hosted at the internationally recognized Usain Bolt Sports Complex. The entire National Senior Games program will wrap up on October 3 with the Active Living Festival, which also serves as the closing event for Barbados’ annual Month of the Elderly celebration.

  • Canawaima tijdelijk uit de vaart na lange files aan beide zijden Corantijn

    Canawaima tijdelijk uit de vaart na lange files aan beide zijden Corantijn

    Cross-border travel and trade between the South American nations of Suriname and Guyana has been plunged into further disruption, as the operator of the vital inter-country ferry service has suspended operations of its flagship vessel for unscheduled planned maintenance amid already massive queues on both sides of the border.

    Long lines of passenger and commercial vehicles have been building up since Friday at crossing points in Guyana and at South Drain on the Surinamese side of the Corantijn River, the natural border that separates the two countries. The persistent congestion had already caused significant headaches for travelers and cargo transporters, before Canawaima Ferry Service Inc. announced Saturday that its M.V. Canawaima ferry will be temporarily pulled out of service starting this weekend to accommodate planned repair and maintenance work.

    The M.V. Canawaima serves as the primary infrastructure connecting the two countries for both passenger movement and cross-border goods trade, making its temporary outage a major blow to already strained travel flows. As of the operator’s announcement, no timeline has been provided for how long the maintenance work will take, or when the vessel will return to active service to clear the growing backlog of waiting vehicles.

    In its public statement, the ferry operator only confirmed that the M.V. Canawaima would halt all crossings effective immediately to carry out the pre-planned work. “As soon as regular ferry services are ready to resume, we will issue an update through all of our official communication channels,” the company said in the statement.

    The operator has urged all passengers, cargo transporters and other regular users of the cross-border link to plan their travel around the temporary suspension and continue monitoring official updates from the company for new information on service resumption.

    The outage announcement leaves thousands of waiting travelers and transporters with no clarity on when the existing massive traffic backlog will be cleared. It also remains unclear what alternative arrangements or support are being put in place for the hundreds of people already stuck in multi-day queues waiting to make the crossing.