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Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall weds longtime partner

Nationnews Desk
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Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall weds longtime partner

“Sex and the City” star Kim Cattrall has married her longtime partner, Russell Thomas, in an intimate wedding ceremony in London.

The actress and the British audio engineer tied the knot at Chelsea Old Town Hall in the presence of just 12 guests on Thursday, according to People magazine.

The 69-year-old bride wore a Dior suit, styled by SATC costume designer Patricia Field. She paired the outfit with Cornelia James gloves and a hat designed by Philip Treacy, People reported.

On Friday, Cattrall shared a black-and-white photo of herself and her now-husband kissing at the ceremony in an Instagram post.

“Congratulations beautifuls!” commented Australian model Gabriella Brooks, who announced her engagement to Liam Hemsworth with a picture on Instagram in September, under the post.

“Beautiful,” commented TV “Supernanny” Jo Frost under an announcement of the wedding in an Instagram post by People on Thursday. “Congratulations to you both.”

Speaking on ITV’s “Piers Morgan’s Life Stories” in 2017, Cattrall said she met Russell when he was working at the BBC, “and we liked each other.”

The encounter happened in 2016, when Cattrall appeared on an episode of BBC Radio 4’s “Woman’s Hour” to talk about her struggle with insomnia.

“He followed me and I followed him” on Twitter, now X, and “he direct messaged me,” she told Morgan, adding that he is a “great guy.”

However, when Cattrall, who has been married three times prior, was asked if she would get married again, she said, “I think that you could not get married and be an incurable romantic. I don’t see a real need for it.”

It’s clear that time has worked its magic. “We’ve been together almost ten years now,” she told The Times in June. “And we’ve had a blast. We’ve just had so much fun.”

CNN has reached out to Cattrall’s representatives for further comment. (CNN)

Hope takes spotlight with century

Philip Spooner
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Hope takes spotlight with century

Shai Hope’s superb century steered West Indies to 212-4 in a mammoth chase of 531 on the fourth day of the opening Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Friday (Thursday night Barbados Time).

Wearing sunglasses after suffering an eye infection, Hope finished the day on 116 not out with 15 fours and a six. It follows up his 56 in the first innings and another top-class century against India in the previous Test in New Delhi in October.

Hope has so far added an unbroken 140-run stand with Justin Greaves for fifth wicket against a New Zealand attack depleted by injuries to fast bowlers Nathan Smith and Matt Henry. Greaves was also diligent in his approach and will resume the final day on 55 with West Indies still 319 behind their target.

“They (eyes) are much better than they were a couple of days ago, but still not where I want to be, but I guess I’m seeing it well enough to be hitting the ball,” Hope said of his infection. “Justin is a quality all-rounder, certainly showing that he’s an elite international cricketer now, not just with ball in hand, but certainly showing that with the bat and then in the field.”

Hope added: “I don’t want to give away too much but it’s just about understanding what you have to do to overcome a situation. They’ve got quality bowlers in Test cricket, nobody’s a walkover in this format.” Hope said.

Earlier, New Zealand declared their innings on 466-8 and set West Indies a huge victory target. Kemar Roach claimed three lower-order wickets to finish with figures of 5-78 – his 12th five-wicket haul of his Test career to move to 291 career wickets.

Jacob Duffy then struck after the lunch break by dismissing both West Indies openers John Campbell and Tagenarine Chanderpaul. Off-spinner Michael Bracewell removed Alick Athanaze and Henry sent back captain Roston Chase to reduce West Indies to 72-4.

Hope appeared to have no problem in sighting the ball as he soldiered on to bring up his fourth Test hundred. New Zealand’s Smith, who bowled 15 overs in the West Indies first innings, was ruled out of the rest of the match with a side strain and Henry could not bowl after tea and was sent to hospital for scans on his calf.

WIBISCO’s profits dip in difficult year

Shawn Cumberbatch
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WIBISCO’s profits dip in difficult year

The West India Biscuit Company Limited’s (WIBISCO) profitability has declined following what its chairman Chloe Bermudez has called a difficult year impacted by “significant operational challenges”.

WIBISCO’s main operational problem in 2025 was advanced packaging equipment taking four months to be commissioned and optimised instead of the originally estimated one month.

Bermudez also reported that the regional food manufacturing sector “faced headwinds during the year, including supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures on raw materials, and heightened competition across Caribbean markets”.

Her report to shareholders accompanied the biscuit manufacturer’s condensed financial statements for the fiscal year ended August 31.

“WIBISCO’s sales showed an improvement of 4.7 per cent over the prior year. Gross profit, however, fell by $528 000 year-on-year, and net income declined $808 000 to $9.3 million versus $10.2 million in the prior year,” the chairman said.

“The company faced significant operational challenges during financial year 2025, and while the results are not as we would like, the management has now overcome these hurdles and anticipates a return to growth in net income in financial year 2026.”

The chairman said that WIBISCO installed and commissioned advanced packaging equipment on its cookie production line during the year and this turned out to be much more challenging that originally expected.

“What was initially projected as a four week period for commissioning and optimisation was extended to 16 weeks, due to technical complexities in integrating the new equipment with existing production systems and longer than anticipated fine tuning requirements to achieve target specifications,” Bermudez explained.

“This delay directly impacted revenue and profitability in two ways. First, reduced production capacity during the extended commissioning period limited our ability to meet strong market demand, particularly during peak seasonal periods.

“Secondly, the equipment operated at sub-optimal efficiency during the learning curve period, resulting in higher unit costs and production waste.”

She said management’s response to these challenges “has been comprehensive and decisive. The equipment is now fully operational and producing at design specifications, with line efficiency exceeding pre-upgrade levels”.

“They have implemented enhanced project management protocols for future capital investments to ensure more accurate timeline projections and better risk mitigation. Their technical team has completed comprehensive training on the new equipment, positioning us to capture the full efficiency benefits in the year ahead,” the chairman shared.

Bermudez also told shareholders that despite a challenging year for the regional food manufacturing sector, the company “maintained its market leadership position through brand strength, product quality, and operational resilience”.

“Our strategic investments in equipment modernisation, while temporarily constraining production capacity, positions us for enhanced efficiency and scalability in the years ahead. These short term operational challenges should be viewed within the context of building long term competitive advantage,” she stated.

The official said that in October WIBISCO successfully completed its FSSC 22000 re-certification, which “validates our comprehensive approach to food safety, from raw material sourcing through manufacturing, packaging, and distribution”.

This certification “provides competitive advantage in both domestic and export markets, particularly as international buyers increasingly require rigorous food safety credentials from suppliers”, Bermudez added.

While the past year presented operational challenges that constrained WIBISCO’s financial performance, she said officials were confident about the company’s competitive position and growth trajectory in the 2026 fiscal year which began on September 1.

“Our upgraded production capabilities, strong brand portfolio, robust balance sheet and experienced management team position us well to capitalise on market opportunities and deliver improved results. Therefore, in recognition of shareholder value, the board of directors has approved a final dividend of 75 cents per share,” Bermudez announced. (SC)

GraceKennedy expands Barbados dealings

Shawn Cumberbatch
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GraceKennedy expands Barbados dealings

Jamaican food and financial services conglomerate GraceKennedy Limited (GK) is growing its business dealings with Barbados as part of its Caribbean expansion strategy.

GK group chief executive officer (CEO) Frank James signalled this to investors last Tuesday when the Kingston-based company held an online briefing to report on its financial results for the nine months ended September 30.

GK and Barbados group Cave Shepherd & Company Limited own merchant bank SigniaGlobe Financial Group Inc., an enterprise which James said continued to perform well and was in expansion mode.

The CEO also shared that his group had started exporting its Caterine’s Peak water product to Barbados and was preparing to offer its Scotia Protector insurance product here.

“Signia has been doing really well, it’s part of that banking and investments growth that we showed . . . where our joint venture businesses and associated companies are doing well,”  he noted.

“So Signia continues to do well, and we continue to support that business and I went and met with the Signia team earlier this year, and they have some exciting growth plans.

“As a publicly traded company, I can’t share with you yet about any potential investments, but . . . we have gone into Barbados this year with our Catherine’s Peak water and Barbados is one of the territories that we will be entering with our ScotiaProtect expansion.”

In April 2023, GK completed its acquisition of Scotia Insurance Caribbean Limited and rebranded the company as GK Life. It offers credit protection insurance via Scotia Protect.

“I’m very, very pleased to announce that we are going to be expanding that partnership with Scotiabank into three new territories, Bahamas, Barbados and Turks and Caicos, and that will happen in early 2026 pending regulatory approval,” he shared.

“This is a big move, and we’re very happy that we’ll be moving from one country to four countries by the beginning of 2026 with this partnership that continues to grow for us. So [I am] very excited about expanding that partnership into those territories.”

James explained that “we do not have GK General Insurance subsidiaries in those new markets that I mentioned, but we do have arrangements in those markets to be able to support that business through our GK General Insurance Company here in Jamaica”.

On Catherine’s Peak water exports, he said: “We have added Barbados, and we had already been exporting to Antigua, so we have Cayman, Barbados and Antigua in addition to Jamaica. And we expect . . . two additional territories before the end of the year.”

GK reported a revenue of $1.67 billion, a 5.93 per cent increase, for the nine months ended September 30.

Profit before tax at the end of that period was $111.5 million, compared with $120.6 million in the same time last year. Net profit attributable to stockholders was $76.2 million, a decline of 7.74 per cent.

GK officials said the full impact of Hurricane Melissa on its operations and financial performance was still being assessed. The group has launched a $2.5 million Hurricane Melissa relief programme in conjunction with several of its business partners. (SC)

Lord Zenn making splash as playwright 

Nationnews Desk
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Lord Zenn making splash as playwright 

Jherad “Lord Zenn” Alleyne is back on stage for his playwriting debut, Scam-Uh-Life, presented by the National Cultural Foundation.

 From Saturday, December 13, to Sunday, December 21, 2025, the comedic stage play will take place on Saturdays and Sundays at the Queen’s Park Steel Shed. 

This Barbadian stage play is written and directed by Jherad “Lord Zenn” Alleyne, and features a dynamic cast (in order of appearance): Shakira Forde, Alleyne, Kraigg Carrington, Yolanda Holder, Philip Eno and Janine White.

The synopsis of the play is that the main character, Kenroy, has big dreams to break the cycle of barely getting by – if he can get to his last day of training. 

Somewhere between a comedy show and a romantic drama with the fast pace of an action film, this genre-bending production dives into the complexity and humour of staying afloat amid the rising cost of living, unexpected interruptions, and nosy neighbours in Barbados.

This isn’t Alleyne’s first foray into independent production. In 2017, he produced, co-directed, and starred in Good Looking, which was written and co-directed by Annette Alleyne. He and his team sold out seven shows at the Barbados Community College Liberal Arts Theatre, affirming Alleyne’s ability to produce high-quality, culturally resonant theatre.

 In addition to his training and performances, Alleyne’s foundation in theatre and performance began at
NIFCA as a 2006-2008 Alfred Pragnell Shield for Acting awardee, and continued with his time as a Laff-It-Off cast member in 2009.

In 2023, Alleyne was accepted into the “Writing for Performance” project by the Royal Court Theatre in London in partnership with Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts; The Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados; and the British Council. This year-long programme worked with emerging writers in Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. 

Alleyne used this time to develop and submit Scam-Uh-Life for a staged reading at the Edna Manley College in Kingston. It was met with a positive reception and led to the Royal Court Theatre selecting the play to represent the Caribbean cohort in the New Plays: International Series in January 2024.

In her review of the London performance for The Rendition, Melody Adebisi wrote: “[Alleyne’s script is] riotous, and each character adds a different nuance to the reality of life as an everyday person in Barbados . . . Alleyne’s play tackles debates concerning the morality of capitalism in the global south, masculinity, infidelity, generational differences and mental health in Barbados all whilst remaining sensationally dramatic and comical.”

Alleyne is a Barbadian artiste with a robust background in dramatic arts, comedy, social media content creation, radio broadcasting, live event production, and music. His 16 years of training include a bachelor of arts in acting from Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, United Kingdom, and the Comedy Writing & Performance Programme at Humber College in Toronto, Canada. 

Alleyne is known best for his social media content creation under the alias Lord Zenn, where he has captured the pulse of Barbadian and Caribbean culture in dozens of online videos since 2015.
His work has found resonance with an intergenerational Barbadian and broader Caribbean audience in large part due to his ability to adapt his artistry to the times. (PR)

US military sinks another alleged drug boat

Nationnews Desk
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US military sinks another alleged drug boat

The US military on Thursday struck another alleged drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific, as the Trump administration comes under mounting scrutiny and criticism over the attacks.

The “lethal kinetic strike” killed four men, US Southern Command said in a statement, saying it was at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

On X, US Southern Command published a 21-second black-and-white video of the Thursday strike, showing a top-down view of a boat travelling on the ocean. At about the six-second mark of the video, the boat erupts in flames.

“The vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific,” the US Southern Command said.

It is the 22nd attack by the Trump administration on vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, killing more than 86 people, and the latest since November 15.

The Trump administration has been attacking boats since September 2, alleging they were operated by a designated terrorist organisation.

No proof of ties to a terrorist organisation has been made public.

President Donald Trump, via executive order, has listed eight drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specifically Designate Global Terrorists. His administration says the strikes protect Americans from the drugs on the boats, which are operated by drug cartels it is in armed conflict with.

Since the first strike, criticism has been mounting against the Trump administration. Domestic lawmakers and critics question the legality of the attacks, stating lethal military force is lawful only during an armed conflict or in self-defense against an imminent threat, while drug trafficking is a law enforcement issue.

Internationally, United Nations experts have described the attacks as extrajudicial killings and the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has accused Trump of murder for killing a Colombian fisherman in one of the early strikes.

Colombia, Britain and other allies have reportedly either suspended or limited some intelligence sharing with the United States or have distancing themselves militarily from Washington because of the strikes. (UPI)

BLA opens door to approved garages

Josue Ramirez Nelson
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BLA opens door to approved garages

Motorists desperate to have their vehicles inspected can now turn to a list of approved garages, from today, as the Barbados Licensing Authority (BLA) moves to ease the crushing congestion that has plagued its Pine, St Michael headquarters since October’s system crash.

Chief Licensing Officer Treca McCarthy-Broomes confirmed last night, that customers may “proceed to any one of the approved garages” for inspections, describing the measure as a key step to relieving the long waits and repeated trips that have frustrated thousands of vehicle owners.

The list of approved garages includes well-known and established companies such as Nassco, Courtesy, Ansa, Inchcape and United Commercial Autoworks Ltd, among others, which are named in the Road Traffic Approved Garages Designated Order 2025.

The roll-out comes as the BLA continues battling the aftermath of an electrical failure that crippled its outdated IT infrastructure, a collapse that left core licensing and registration services barely functional. (JRN/NS)

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Lynch tops Rep Ya Region

Stefan Walker
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Lynch tops Rep Ya Region

The 2025 Rep Ya Region was more than just drifting. 

It was a showcase of style and car fashion as enthusiasts came together to celebrate vehicles and demonstrate their car handling skills last weekend at the Bushy Park Racing Circuit.

The event was a component of the 2025 Motor Racing Festival, where car enthusiasts and those who love car customisation gathered together to showcase their hard work and to display their style on their vehicles. 

It was hosted by the Rep Ya Ride (RYR) crew, and as the BARL Time Attack came to an end, the cars rolled out.

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230 days left for killer

Nationnews Desk
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230 days left for killer

The man who killed homeless woman Shirley Rogers seven years ago, has 230 days more to spend behind bars.

When Sean Christopher Inniss, 51, of Taylor’s Gap, Hindsbury Road, and 1st Avenue Prescod Bottom, Bank Hall, both in St Michael, returned to Supreme Court No. 2A yesterday for sentencing, Justice Elwood Watts used a starting point of 12 years in prison. After deductions for Inniss’ early guilty plea, time spent on remand and the delay in the case coming to trial, the convicted man was left with less than a year to go.

On June 30 this year, he had pleaded guilty to manslaughter of Rogers sometime between February 13 and 14, 2018. She died on a bench opposite Savings Plus Supermarket, after receiving a single slash to the throat. 

Prosecutor State Counsel Dr Zoe King had previously told the court that on February 14, 2018, the police emergency line received a call about an elderly lady lying on a bench on Princess Alice Highway, The City, covered with a blood-soaked blanket.  (SD)

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Run Barbados Race Day postponed due to waterlogged track

Barry Alleyne
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Run Barbados Race Day postponed due to waterlogged track

Horse racing fans will be a disappointed bunch this evening.

That’s because the Barbados Turf Club (BTC) postponed tomorrow’s day-night programme scheduled to be held at the Garrison Savannah.

In a press release issued today, the BTC The Barbados Turf Club revealed that after an inspection of the turf course at 3.30 p.m. today, Stewards determined that due to the intermittent heavy rainfall experienced during this week, the track was severely waterlogged.

“Having also tested select areas with the going stick, readings indicate that there has been little to no improvement during the day in spite of sunshine and strong winds. Accordingly, the Stewards have taken into consideration the safety of the horses and jockeys, as well as the potential for further extensive damage to the racing surface, which has already come under significant strain over the past two race days, decided to postpone the Run Barbados Fun Mile Race Day,” the release added.

The matter has been referred to the BTC’s Board of Directors who will determine whether to reschedule or cancel the race day. (PR/BA)

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