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MISSING: Aaliyah Patricia Phillips

Sherrylyn Clarke
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MISSING: Aaliyah Patricia Phillips

Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing girl Aaliyah Patricia Phillips, 14 years, of Villa Road, Brittons Hill, St Michael.

She left home on Wednesday, August 5 between midnight and 7 a.m.

Phillips is approximately 5’5” tall, of medium build and has a dark brown complexion. When last seen, her hair was in long straight, weaved braids, styled into a single ponytail. She wears brown-framed spectacles – one of the arms is broken (unknown side) and is secured by the use of tape. She speaks with a soft Bajan accent.

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Aaliyah Patricia Phillips, is asked to contact the Hastings/Worthing Police Station at 430-7608 or 430-7614, Police Emergency at 211, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIPS (8477), or any police station. (PR/SAT)

Boisterous visitors must pay for damage

Sherrylyn Clarke
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Boisterous visitors must pay for damage

By Sandra Downes

Magistrate Jared Richards assured an accused man on Wednesday that no damages will be paid to him “as a result of injuries which came about because of your own doing”.

He was responding to a question from Shawn Shakeel Shepherd, 33, a home health aide from New York, who was in the dock of the District “A” Traffic Court. He, along with Ajani Shaw, 36, a security guard, also from New York and who stays at The Grotto in Dalkeith, St Michael, when he is in Barbados, confessed to assaulting Michael Thompson on July 31 and causing him actual bodily harm.

Shepherd also admitted to intentionally damaging a shelf belonging to ANSR Investment Limited, or was reckless as to whether it would be damaged.

When they first attended court last week, the men were granted $2 500 bail, their passports confiscated and ordered to return to the court on Wednesday.

The court heard that Thompson is a security officer who works at ANSL Investments Limited in Worthing, Christ Church. On the date, he saw two men and a woman enter the automart and one of them (Shepherd), who appeared intoxicated, took up a doughnut and started eating it in the store.

Thompson went over and told him he was not allowed to do so and that it was a pay-first system. Shepherd started misbehaving and answering loudly. He continued to do so and Shaw joined in at this point.

Shepherd then went and sat on a refrigerator which stored ice cream. Again the guard went to him and instructed him not to sit there. Shepherd got up, walked over to a shelf and leaned over on it. The shelf broke.

Thompson went to Shepherd once more, this time informing him that he would have to pay for the shelf. Both visitors began cursing and became extremely boisterous, and as Thompson was escorting the men outside, Shaw punched him. The guard and Shaw started fighting but then Shepherd joined in and both men started hitting the guard about the body.

Magistrate Richards ordered the men to pay $2 470 in compensation to the store owner, to cover the $2 220 quoted for repairs to the shelf, and for soft tissue injuries which Thompson sustained.

He told the two: “You have gone through a little ordeal in a foreign country. I hope cooler heads can prevail when next you are faced with a situation like this . . . . In Barbados we have a saying that ‘trouble don’t set up like rain’.”

He gave the visitors, who come to Barbados regularly, a reprimand and discharge, and explained to them that it meant they would have no criminal record.

AG: Bid to block extradition failed

Maria Bradshaw
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AG: Bid to block extradition failed

The man who was extradited from Barbados to the United Kingdom (UK) last week failed in his bid to block the order just hours before he left Barbados.

Attorney General Wilfred Abrahams told the Weekend Nation that an application for habeas corpus was heard and dismissed by Justice Elwood Watts on July 30, the same day Jason McEdwin Forde left the jurisdiction.

Forde, a former mental health nurse, was wanted in the UK on sexual assault charges stemming from an incident which allegedly took place more than 20 years ago at a hospital where he worked and which involved a mental health patient. Reports indicated that he came to Barbados which resulted in years-long extradition proceedings by authorities in the UK to get him back there.

Asked about the process involved, Abrahams explained that then Magistrate Graveney Bannister signed a warrant of committal dated November 20, 2015. Then Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite also signed an order of surrender dated December 15, 2015. However, Forde, through his attorney Hal Gollop, KC, filed an application for judicial review which was heard and dismissed by Justice Cecil McCarthy on October 24, 2025. That was followed by a 21-day stay.

Abrahams said Forde subsequently filed an appeal which was never served on the State.

“On 30th July, 2026, the day he left the jurisdiction, an application for habeas corpus was heard by Justice Watts and dismissed. Forde was then turned over to UK authorities and left the country in their custody,” he added.

On his arrival in the UK, Forde, a mechanic, of Chancery Lane, Christ Church, was immediately taken to the Westminster Magistrates’ Court where he was slapped with eight charges:

• One count of sexual intercourse with a woman who was mentally disordered, under the Sexual Offences Act 1956;

• One count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a patient, under the Mental Health Act 1959;

• Two counts of sexual activity involving penetration with a mentally disordered person, under the Sexual Offences Act 2003; 

• Two counts of a care worker engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a mentally disordered person, under the Sexual Offences Act 2003; 

• One count of non-penetrative sexual activity with a mentally disordered person, under the Sexual Offences Act 2003; and

• One count of a care worker engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a mentally disordered person, under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. (MB)

Walters: Revamp work permit system

Nationnews Desk
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Walters: Revamp work permit system

Opposition Senator Ryan Walters is calling for a comprehensive overhaul of Barbados’ work permit regime, arguing that permits are being granted for jobs that qualified Barbadians are capable of filling.

Contributing to debate in the Senate on Wednesday on the Protection of Wages Bill, 2026, Walters said he had observed advertisements seeking work permits for positions including warehouse clerks, store supervisors and even cell phone repair technicians.

“I think it is a disgrace, in 2026, that we should see this level of applications for work permits for these skill sets and these jobs,” he said.

The Democratic Labour Party senator added that he had also seen applications for leadership positions within the hotel industry, saying the trend highlighted the need for tighter controls on the work permit process.

“I think this is an opportunity for this Government for revamping the work permit regime in this country,” he said.

“I think we need to revamp this work permit regime to tighten the application process even before it becomes an application, to give direction to employers.”

Turning to the Protection of Wages Bill, Walters voiced support for the legislation, which is intended to strengthen employees’ rights, including ensuring workers are paid outstanding wages if a business becomes insolvent.

“The Bill requires a level of support. When a person works they expect to be paid,” he said.

However, the Opposition senator argued that stronger enforcement was also needed to ensure employers complied with National Insurance Scheme (NIS) requirements.

He urged Government to take action against businesses that failed to register employees with the NIS.

“Every employee in this country should be contributing to the National Insurance Scheme,” he said. (HH)

Crackdown on Two Sons

Maria Bradshaw
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Crackdown on Two Sons

A multi-ministry crackdown has forced the temporary closure of one of Barbados’ oldest funeral homes.

This action has left Government trying to remove 17 unclaimed bodies amid concerning allegations that residents were being affected by embalming chemicals.

In an emergency hearing at the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Chief Justice The Most Honourable Leslie Haynes granted a High Court injunction sought by the Ministry of Health, effectively slamming the doors shut on the mortuary operations of Two Sons Funeral Home for the next six weeks.

Present at the hearing was Chief Medical Officer Dr The Most Honourable Kenneth George, Deputy Solicitor General Marsha Lougheed, and other high-ranking health officials. Representing the embattled funeral home was its managing director, Tisha Smith.

Located at Stadium Road, Bush Hall, St Michael, Two Sons has been a fixture on the island’s funeral landscape since 1979.

The Weekend Nation understands that the court action was triggered by long-standing, desperate complaints from some residents living in an apartment complex adjacent to the funeral home. The complex and the funeral home are owned by retired funeral director Lloyd Smith, who is also an attorney-at-law.

Residents have long protested that their living conditions have been rendered unbearable by the pungent, overpowering smell of formaldehyde, the highly toxic chemical used by morticians to halt the decay of and disinfect human remains.

When contacted for comment on Wednesday, the elder Smith said: “I don’t know what you are talking about.” (MB)

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Media blitz ‘to raise Barbados’ profile’

Carlos Atwell
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Media blitz ‘to raise Barbados’ profile’

Foreign and regional media had a profound impact on this year’s Crop Over Festival.

Minister of Tourism and International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill recently said the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) had spearheaded a major media blitz which would only increase Barbados’ reputation as a preferred destination.

“The BTMI-led media team had more than 50 international journalists, content creators and other media representatives on island, who
already have the built-in networks and audiences we need to reach. These media representatives were given an immersion beyond the festival to see what we have to offer on island. 

“They covered everything from band house preparations to the return of Party Monarch, Junior Monarch, Junior Kadooment and the last lap activities. They interviewed historians, artisans, artistes and cultural practitioners so global audiences could understand the true historical depth of the festival,” he said.

Gooding-Edghill said this was not the extent of the initiative, as the invited media and influencers got hands-on experience with local culture.

“The BTMI continued its specialised ‘Culture Day’ with the media and influencers getting first-hand experiences, learning the significance of our stilt walkers and Mother Sally, trying their hand at T-shirt cutting and diving into the art of mixology, which further solidifies Barbados’ global status as the Birthplace of Rum. The exposure of media and travel professionals on island helps us to tell Barbados’ story and to motivate would-be travellers to visit the island,” he said.  

As for those visitors, the minister said, while Crop Over continued to drive an influx of visitors from the Caribbean and North America, he declined to speak to exact figures until the official statistics were published. However, he said early indicators revealed some visitors were extending their stays in Barbados after Crop Over. 

“I extend a special thank you to our hotel partners, some of whom brought in their own travel groups to complement the efforts of the BTMI. This kind of collaboration goes a long way in positioning Barbados as a leading destination and it is fantastic for stakeholder engagement across the tourism sector.  

“I want to thank all our partners and stakeholders who supported the destination and I am incredibly optimistic that we will see
these benefits materialised in the months ahead and well before Crop Over 2027,” he said, adding BTMI officers in Barbados’ external markets were already gearing up to intensify their Crop Over promotions for next year.
(CA)

No plans to raise bottle refund

Carlos Atwell
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No plans to raise bottle refund

Any attempt to increase the amount of money refunded for bottles will only negatively affect the cost of living.

This is according to Minister of Energy, Business Development and Commerce Kerrie Symmonds. He was responding to issues raised with the Returnable Containers Act and proposals to enhance it by founder of Keep Barbados Clean, Peter Bynoe, recently

Symmonds, a Senior Minister, said there was no plan to make such changes at this time.

“As Commerce Minister, my position is that the legislation mandates that any retailer selling beverages for off-site consumption must accept the returned empty containers and pay the statutory cash refunds. Therefore, it is a common-sense proposition that any increase in the amount of money to be refunded on any container will also mean a knock-on effect for participating businesses across the entire economy,” he said.

He explained that the Act was vested in the Ministry of Environment and its operations were now carried out by the Ministry of Health, even though commerce officers conducted the inspections. He said things would also look bleak should any increase in the deposit fee be paid upon entry into Barbados.

“Equally, if the proposed solution is that there should be an increased deposit on every returnable container, and that this deposit should be paid at the point of entry into the country, then that is also problematic. It is unlikely that any importer/wholesaler is going to absorb that increase, and so it is ultimately going to be passed on to the consumer. 

“That creates a cost of living issue. Inflation is already a major concern for every household in the country. Global economic uncertainties are driving up prices of goods across the world and Barbados is no exception. So as far as I am concerned, I am not inclined to support any such proposal that would likely result in the cost to consumers being increased at this time,” the minister said. 

Bynoe had charged that the Act was not being properly enforced and while entities such as B’s Recycling could be placed at a disadvantage, increasing the money for returned bottles could help.

“If the Act is enforced at ten cents a bottle, [B’s Recycling] will complain that [they] can’t make any money because really there’s not that much money in recycled plastic. So the other option is to increase the deposit because in the old days, people used to get 25 cents per glass bottle. 

“So if you had a 25-cent deposit, ten cents could go to [B’s] and the customer then could get back 15 cents. So it’d be more of an incentive, or even if it was 20 cents, the customer could get ten cents, [B’s] would get ten cents. [They] would still make money by shipping it out and recycling it and doing the right thing, and then the customer would get
back something.” 

He added: “Obviously, the more money the customer gets back, the more they will bother to recycle. Right now, I see a lot of Coke and Sprite bottles beside the road because people can’t be bothered, so technically 25 cents would be better, but that’s just my idea.”

Th environmentalist’s proposals included:

• The bottle deposit should be collected when the bottles first enter the Barbadian market.

• For imported bottles: The deposit should be collected at the point of importation, and the money should be placed into a dedicated returnable-container fund.

• For bottles manufactured in Barbados: The deposit should be collected when the bottles are sold by the manufacturer, and this money should also be placed into the same dedicated fund.

• Consumers should be entitled to return eligible bottles to approved distributors, retailers or bottle depots and receive the full refund of
ten cents.

• Distributors, retailers and bottle depots should then be reimbursed from the dedicated fund for the refunds they pay to consumers. This would remove confusion over which company originally imported or distributed each bottle. It would also ensure that the deposit money is available before the bottle is sold and remains available until the bottle is returned.

Central Bank: Viral BiMPay voice note is false

Nationnews Desk
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Central Bank: Viral BiMPay voice note is false

The Central Bank of Barbados says it is aware of a voice note currently circulating on WhatsApp containing false and misleading claims about Barbados’ instant payments system, BiMPay.

A release from the Central Bank today states that the recording makes several inaccurate assertions, including that individuals are no longer able to receive funds from overseas through services such as PayPal unless they have BiMPay, that domestic transfers are deliberately being slowed for persons who do not use BiMPay, and that the Central Bank is forcing or coercing members of the public to adopt the service.

These claims, the Bank said, are entirely false.

“BiMPay is a domestic payment system that facilitates instant electronic payments between participating financial institutions within Barbados. It does not process international money transfers or remittances and has no impact on services such as PayPal or other overseas payment platforms. The ability to send or receive funds internationally is not dependent on whether an individual has the BiMPay wallet.

“The Central Bank has not instructed banks, credit unions or payment service providers to slow or restrict any existing payment services for customers who choose not to use BiMPay. There has been no policy or directive to delay domestic transfers in order to encourage adoption of the system.

“BiMPay is Barbados’ national instant payments infrastructure. It enables participating financial institutions to exchange payments securely in real time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The BiMPay wallet is simply one optional way of accessing that infrastructure. Customers may also access BiMPay through the digital banking applications or payment services offered by participating financial institutions”.

The Central Bank says it categorically rejects suggestions that it is forcing, manipulating or coercing members of the public into using BiMPay. The introduction of the national instant payments system is intended to expand consumer choice by providing an additional payment option alongside existing electronic payment services. Individuals remain free to choose the payment methods and digital channels that best meet their needs.

“The Central Bank encourages members of the public to exercise caution when receiving or sharing unverified information on social media and messaging platforms. Before forwarding messages or acting on claims about the financial system, individuals should verify the information through the Central Bank’s official communication channels or with their financial institution,” according to the statement. (PR)

Dominica targets 100 000 population with New Renewal Initiative

Nationnews Desk
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Dominica targets 100 000 population with New Renewal Initiative

ROSEAU –  The Dominica government says it will establish a National Population Renewal and Global Dominican Engagement Programme as part of  the policy towards increasing the island’s  population to 100 000 by 2040.

Finance Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre said the schools, health services, businesses, housing and communities all require a sufficient resident population and access to the skills needed to support national growth.

“The Dominican family extends far beyond our shores. It includes citizens who migrated, their children and grandchildren, and others who retain a connection to Dominica through family and culture. They have acquired valuable skills, professional experience, business networks and capital”

McIntyre, who presented the government’s EC$1.15 billion (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) fiscal package on Tuesday, said as the economy is transformed by the international airport, geothermal energy, the marina, expanded tourism, modern infrastructure and new investment opportunities, “we want them to know that this is an ideal time to return home.

“Our vision also extends to investors, retirees, CBI citizens, remote workers, entrepreneurs, skilled professionals, many of whom are looking for safe, stable and welcoming places to live, invest and spend more of their time.’

McIntyre said that the government will therefore establish a National Population Renewal and Global Dominican Engagement Programme to address three related needs, namely, rebuilding the resident population, reduce the skills gap and create practical ways for the wider Dominican family to return, invest, serve and settle here.

He said that this year the government will begin to implement the Citizenship through a Dominican Grandparent programme and that the necessary legislation will be taken to Parliament to allow a person with at least one grandparent born in Dominica to apply to become a citizen, subject to proof of ancestry, identity, and good character—beginning January 1, 2027.

“Many descendants are now two or three generations removed from the island but still retain a strong family connection. Citizenship can encourage them to participate more fully in national life—visit more often, restore family property, establish businesses, and invest. It can also widen the pool of people eligible to represent Dominica in sport and other fields.” (CMC)

Some reap strong Crop Over sales 

Josue Ramirez Nelson
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Some reap strong Crop Over sales 

Some stores in The City reaped a bountiful Crop Over as party-goers outfitted themselves in the latest styles and fashion for the season of celebration.

At City Selection in City Centre Mall, store clerk Sonia Douglas said sales picked up significantly from the beginning of July, with sandals, stilettos and other accessories being top of the list.

“For this season, we had a lot of the stilettos, the sandals for the Foreday (Mornin’) and the fetes. The flats took the majority of the sales and the accessories as well, like the earrings. We didn’t have sneakers, but a lot of people came asking for sneakers. Yeah, it wasn’t bad because the sales picked up from the beginning of July right on to last week,” she said.

At Dallas Discounts on Swan Street, store manager Carol Ann Bernard said that from the end of June things were on the up.

“Most of our hot items were jeans pants, short pants and jeans tops. There was a significant difference this year compared to the past; it was a lot better in terms of sales. I guess with our store in particular, it had to do with our buy one, get one free sale. We don’t usually do it for this season but we had it this year, so sales were significant,” she told the DAILY NATION.

At Martindale’s, also in City Centre, a store clerk, who asked not to be named, said there was a spike in sales as the last lap of Crop Over approached.

“Everybody is going out to garden parties and that kind of thing, so we sold a lot of pant suits and dresses,” she explained. 

Director of Sole Addiction, Nancy Noumeh, said sales picked up around the middle of last week, with people opting for comfort over style. 

“People invest more in comfort, so a lot of sneakers. You do get a lot of people buying heels but this year the vibe was more comfort, so nobody was going for high heels,” she said. (JRN) 

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