Nicholas Andre McIntosh, 26, of Sargeant Street, St John, appeared in the District “D” Court, Cane Garden, St Thomas, today, charged with the murder of Tameah Ramdass.
Ramdass was killed on April 9, 2021.
McIntosh was remanded until September 15 by Magistrate Deborah Beckles.
Police have charged a third man in connection with the April 9, 2021 murder of Tamesh Ramdas.
He is Nicholas Andre McIntosh, 26, of Sargeant Street, St John, who was the subject of a wanted bulletin days after the murder. He was 21 years old at the time and after evading police for five years, last Saturday presented himself to District ‘E’ Police Station, accompanied by an attorney-at-law.
McIntosh is scheduled to appear in the District ‘F’ Magistrates’ Court tomorrow.
Police previously charged Akinola Nolan Cumberbatch of Lammings Housing Area, St Joseph, in April 2021 and Dontai Doren Harding, also of Sargeant Street, in June 2022.
In the release at the time of his death, police said Ramdas, a 22-year-old Guyanese national, was among a group of men liming at Sugar Hill Road, St Joseph, when at least two other men passed by and opened fire on them. He fell and was later pronounced dead at the scene by a medical doctor. (PR/SAT)
Five Barbadians have been named in a squad of 22 of the Caribbean’s promising young female cricketers as Cricket West Indies (CWI) steps up preparations for the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2027.
Eboni Brathwaite, Zaniyah Bruce, Sabriel Headley, Theanny Herbert Mayers and Jadaeya Holder have been given an immediate opportunity to build on their performances in the recently concluded Rising Stars Women’s Under-19 Championship.
The players have transitioned directly from the successful regional tournament into a two-week High-Performance Camp in Antigua, which began on August 17 and runs until August 29. The initiative is part of CWI’s deliberate approach to identifying, developing and preparing the next generation of West Indies women cricketers for the demands of international competition.
The Rising Stars Women’s Under-19 Championship, which concluded on August 15, provided CWI’s High-Performance team with an opportunity to assess the region’s leading young talent in a competitive environment. Selection for the camp was based on a combination of on-field performances and technical assessments, age eligibility for the 2027 World Cup, tactical awareness, temperament and competitiveness, fitness and the overall balance and composition of the squad.
The programme will focus on technical, tactical, physical and mental development, while providing the players with greater exposure to the standards, intensity and expectations associated with progressing to the international level.
CWI High-Performance Manager Dwain Gill said the immediate transition from regional competition into a high-performance environment was intentional and important to the players’ development.
“The Rising Stars Championship gave us a valuable opportunity to see these players compete, respond to pressure and demonstrate their potential in a regional environment. We did not want that assessment process to end with the tournament. Bringing the selected players directly into camp allows us to build on what we have seen, work more closely with them and begin addressing the areas that will be critical to their progression. This is an important first step in building a group that can be competitive at the 2027 World Cup, while also developing players who can contribute to West Indies women’s cricket beyond the Under-19 level.”
The camp will also extend beyond on-field development, continuing CWI’s broader commitment to preparing young cricketers for the demands of high-performance sport and professional cricket. Educational and development sessions will address areas relevant to their personal and professional growth.
On the field, the players will work with several members of CWI’s High-Performance coaching staff, led by Senior Women’s Assistant Coach Ryan Austin, alongside Shane Dowrich, who has been part of the West Indies Women’s recent assignments, including the ICC T20 World Cup in England and Wales, and West Indies Academy Head Coach Ramesh Subasinghe.
President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman – a US ally – if it “gets in the way” of his administration’s own talks with Iran, Fox News reports.
The US and Oman have separately been negotiating with Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that is vital to the global economy. It has been largely closed for nearly six months during the US-Iran war.
A reporter for Fox said the US president made the threat to Oman while using an expletive during a phone interview.
Earlier in the day, Iranian officials said they were close to finalising a deal with Oman. Meanwhile, the future of talks between the US and Iran is unclear as a 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two sides is expiring.
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran in February, Tehran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz – through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes. Reopening it has been a key point of discussion.
Oman borders the southern side of the Strait and says it is a neutral country in this conflict. However it has suffered a number of strikes from Iran and is now playing a key role in negotiating with Tehran to reopen the waterway.
Washington has pursued its own efforts to secure the reopening. Fox reporter Trey Yingst quoted Trump as saying: “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them.”
During the same interview with Fox, Trump also said the US had a direct backchannel with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is a major military, economic and political force in Iran.
An IRGC spokesman denied Trump’s claim.
A spokesman told semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim News: “There are no talks taking place between IRGC officials and the Americans, and this lie by Trump is merely fantasies caused by the delusions and nightmares he has suffered as a result of defeat and desperation in the war.”
Trump made his threat to Oman a few hours after Iran had said the two countries had reached an agreement for ships to travel through the Strait.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters “an understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route”.
He added that both sides would finalise the details before issuing a joint statement. Oman has previously described these talks as positive.
Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a full reopening was dependant on Iran receiving compensation from the US for what Tehran described as violations of the MoU.
Reuters – citing an Iranian official – previously reported that Tehran was seeking fees of between 5% and 7% of the price of cargoes from vessels who travel through the Strait.
While Trump said in his call with Fox that he had a direct backchannel with the IRGC, he said he was in no hurry to bring the war to a close.
“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” he was quoted as saying. “I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry.”
The Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran, signed on 18 June, was designed to bring about a ceasefire and at least partly reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But it fell apart a short time later when both sides resumed strikes.
On 8 July, Trump said the ceasefire was “over” and blasted Iran’s leadership as “scum” and “cuckoo” after fresh exchanges of fire.
As the MoU neared its formal expiry on Monday, Trump posted on his Truth Social network: “The number one goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a nuclear weapon.” (BBC News)
The Central Bank of Barbados has seized management and control of Zeemoney (Barbados) Limited, citing concerns over the company’s financial position and business practices.
The action took effect today under Section 59 of the Financial Institutions Act, Cap. 324A.
According to a notice issued by the Central Bank, the move was taken to protect Zeemoney’s creditors, amid concerns that the company is unlikely to meet its financial obligations.
The Bank also said Zeemoney had not maintained high standards of financial probity or was not following sound business practices.
As a result, the powers of Zeemoney’s directors, officers and management to manage or deal with the company’s business, affairs or assets have been suspended and vested in the Central Bank and persons authorised by it.
The company’s licensed business, including all money or value transmission services, remains suspended.
The Central Bank said it intends to apply to the High Court for the compulsory winding-up of Zeemoney.
Customers and creditors have been advised to retain records relating to their accounts, transactions and claims. The Bank said it will provide further information on the process for verifying balances and submitting claims as the resolution process continues.
“No person should make any new payment to Zeemoney or act on any payment or refund instruction unless expressed by the Central Bank of Barbados,” the release said.
The Bank suspended Zeemoney’s licence from May 25 to June 4 this year and the company subsequently shut down operations. It was a subsidiary of Zeepay, which was founded by Ghanaian businessman Andrew Takyi-Appiah in 2015. It started operations in Barbados in 2022.
The High Court in Ghana recently seized his home after ordering him to pay a settlement of US $11.6 million. The fintech company offered remittance services, mobile money, digital transfers and wallet and payment services.
He translated poor science grades through the “grind” of his renewed determination to become a data and artificial intelligence (AI) specialist.
Though veterinary medicine caught his attention from early, his strength in the sciences was not as solid as it should have been, so he opted to mix it with business.
That, however, mattered little, because Quinn Weekes recalled getting “some really bad grades”. In sharing the distressing information with his then girlfriend, she told him that it was not surprising.
Quinn knew that he was not living up to his true potential and he intended to correct it.
So deep was his conviction that while working at a gym, he carried a maths book to work daily and pored over it with one view in mind – to succeed this time around.
“I did not intend to repeat what happened previously in my academic life,” Quinn told the DAILY NATION.
As he scanned YouTube, he came across a video about the global financial crisis and it further inspired him to pursue a course of study in economics and finance.
On completion of his studies, he worked as an economist at the Central Bank, and it was there he discovered that his love was not restricted to economics, but incorporated data science.
As Quinn broadened his horizons, he changed jobs. In so doing, he saw several opportunities at the new company, including establishing data science teams.
For him, it was a dream come true. “I wrote a proposal to the CFO, but in agreeing to it [in theory], she set one condition – I had to prove the concept in a couple months.” He worked 18-hour “daily grinds” with great passion to gain approval for a concept he believed in. And, in two months so too did his boss, and it was approved.
For several years, Quinn, by dint of his commitment, steadily climbed the corporate ladder and built a career in the chosen field. As his stars aligned, he founded Infolytics which provides data and AI support to governments across the region. Touting the benefits of AI, the business executive is hoping to use it to the advantage of small resource constraints in countries like Barbados and the region, to achieve a level of productivity similar to that of more developed countries. “Most of the time you may be in a department of two, but have to produce as though you were in a department of ten, so AI now allows you to do that.”
Addressing fears about job losses, he said one principal factor is that AI would replace the types of jobs people do, while making a distinction between any fallout in constrained economies like Barbados and that of the developed world.
The executive said precise projections for the future would be unrealistic, while acknowledging that trends would be based on assumptions.
“If we were good at projections we would not have financial crises and all of those different types of things.”
Pointing to those at the forefront of AI, Quinn said that they too are mindblown with the progress that they are making “so it shows that no one really knows exactly where it would take us”.
Cross-referencing the introduction of computers, the data specialist said no one expected the birth of the Internet or social media which created a whole new concept for marketing and influencers and brought “a huge set of jobs”.
Seeing it as a crucial and pivotal moment for the implementing of AI, he said that the face of doing business would change, but he does not envisage a dark and gloomy future.
He, however, noted that there is a need for an overhaul of the job space relative to worker contracts and their descriptions as they transition.
In looking towards the future, the corporate executive concluded that his ultimate aim is to help governments solve problems relative to cost of living and finding ways to utilise technology for the betterment of society.
The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) says it is not opposed to education reform, but wants Government and the Ministry of Education Transformation to explain how proposed changes to placement into secondary school will be implemented.
In a statement yesterday by its spokesperson on education Quincy Jones, the party supported the announcement to delay the use of continuous assessment and stick with the current Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE). To do otherwise, it added, would be to ignore the concerns raised by educators and parents, and without the necessary consultation and preparation needed for such a major change.
Last Friday on the ministry’s YouTube channel, Minister Chad Blackman issued a statement announcing students in Classes 3 and 4 would continue to be tested under the BSSEE, while those in Class 2 would have three full years of preparation under a proposed continuous assessment model.
“Education policy must never be driven by political deadlines or the need to announce something new. Our children are not experiments and Barbados’ education system cannot be treated as a laboratory for untested ideas,” Jones stated.
Accountability
“The Democratic Labour Party is not opposed to education reform. We believe reform is necessary, but we are opposed to rushed reform without adequate preparation, consultation, evidence, resources and accountability. Replacing one system with another simply because the existing system is old or a new approach sounds modern is not genuine reform.”
Jones, a teacher, said the BSSEE, also known as the Common Entrance or 11-Plus, had weaknesses and should be reviewed, but “fundamentally changing it without first establishing a credible, fair and transparent alternative would be irresponsible”.
Among the questions to be answered, the DLP said, were:
• How would the assessment system work?
• Would it be standardised across schools?
• Who would moderate?
• Would teachers be trained?
• How would differences be addressed?
• How would children with special needs be accommodated?
• How could parents challenge an assessment they believe was inaccurate?
• What guarantees should Government provide to guarantee that every child had a fair opportunity?
The DLP’s solution to the challenges facing education would be addressed over five years, Jones said in the release, through a process that would include listening to concerns and solutions from all stakeholders, conducting a comprehensive review of the sector and establishing a vision for the next ten to 15 years.
Early screening
“The DLP believes the BSSEE should be reformed, not simply abolished. A stronger secondary school placement system could combine standardised national assessments, continuous classroom assessment, literacy and numeracy benchmarks, student progress over time, teacher assessments and appropriate consideration for special educational needs. Parents and students must also have access to clear and reliable information.”
Buttressing the DLP’s proposal would be the establishment of an Early Literacy And Numeracy Guarantee supported by early screening, individual learning profiles, targeted intervention, after-school academic support and summer learning programmes.
It said there would also be the introduction of a comprehensive Teacher Development And Support Programme providing continuous professional development in assessment, special education, classroom management and digital learning.
“Teachers cannot be expected to deliver transformational change without the training, resources and professional support to do so,” Jones said.
He added the curriculum would be modernised to place more emphasis on STEM, artificial intelligence and digital literacy, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, coding, climate and environmental education, technical and vocational education, agriculture and food security, the creative industries, civics and citizenship, and Caribbean history and culture.
Under the system proposed by the DLP, students would also have increased opportunities to excel in sport, music, art, technology, technical education and entrepreneurship “because every child will not follow the same path, and the education system must recognise and support different forms of talent and achievement”.
Finally, an independent National Education Council would be set up to provide continuity in executing the education policy, the party stated.
(SAT/PR)
Kemar Stephen Romel Wharton, who was the subject of a “Wanted Man” bulletin issued on Thursday, August 13, is now in police custody.
Wharton presented himself to District ‘A’ Police Station on Sunday, August 16, accompanied by an attorney-at-law.
He is currently assisting police personnel with their investigations.
The Barbados Police Service thanked the public and media for their assistance in the matter.
Barbados Tridents beat Saint Lucia Kings by nine runs in a close encounter on Sunday night to go top of the points table in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
The Tridents were led by a match-winning knock of 61 off 31 balls by Sherfane Rutherford, who won the Man-of-the-Match award. He hammered four sixes in the last five overs to lift the visitors to 177-5 off 18 overs after the match was reduced by heavy rain.
It was a superb birthday performance by Rutherford, who turned 28 two days ago. He shared a crucial fourth wicket partnership of 79 with Rivaldo Clarke, who supported well with 23 off 17 balls.
Earlier opener Brandon King, with a steady start of 39 off 28 balls and left-hander Quinton deKock, with a sizzling 38 off 15 balls provided the perfect platform. In reply, the Kings were limited to 168-7 off their 18 overs.
The Bajans now have back-to-back wins following their victory over Jamaica Kingsmen by five runs last week at Sabina Park in Kingston. Rutherford also starred in that match with 50 not out. He is now fourth on the batting charts for this season with 111 runs at the best average of 111 and the best strike rate of 188. This has been a remarkable turnaround as he did not score a half-century in 2024 or 2025.
The tournament continues on Tuesday night when the Jamaica Kingsmen host St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at Sabina Park in Kingston.
The Tridents will now travel to Antigua and have a period of rest and training, before their next match which is a week away. They face the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons on Tuesday, August 25 under the floodlights at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium at 7pm. (PS)
Barbados’ financial system is stable but local regulators are warning that global risks have intensified, increasing the likelihood of adverse spillovers into the domestic economy.
This is detailed in the 2025 Financial Stability Report (FSR) published by the Central Bank and the Financial Services Commission (FSC).
Geopolitical uncertainty, climate risk, and cyber and artificial intelligence risks were identified as the key threats to financial system stability.
In the report, which covers all of 2025 and this year as of July 20, Central Bank Governor Dr The Most Honourable Kevin Greenidge, and FSC chief executive officer Warrick Ward, said the analysis shows a financial system “that remains sound in aggregate, but one in which the margin for error narrowed over the year”.
“That combination argues for preserving aggregate buffers and rebuilding institution – specific headroom where it weakened, while concentrating supervisory attention on the institutions identified by our testing,” they added.
Information on the total assets of pension funds were not available, but when those of commercial banks, insurance companies, finance companies, credit unions and mutual funds were combined, total assets in the system were $28.6 billion at the end of last year.
This was up from $27.5 billion in 2024, excluding pension funds’ total assets. Commercial banks continue to dominate the asset base, holding $16.2 billion in 2025, up from $15.6 billion in 2024.
The report said financial system stability was supported by improving asset quality, positive earnings among deposit-taking institutions, and capital and liquidity buffers that remained adequate at the aggregate level.
It added, however, that “the direction of risk . . . became less favourable”.
“Deposit growth slowed while credit continued to expand, commercial banks’ capital adequacy and leverage declined, real estate and large-borrower concentrations remained material, credit union profitability weakened, and stress tests exposed capital, liquidity, interest rate and concentration vulnerabilities at a small number of institutions,” the publication elaborated.
“These developments do not indicate system-wide distress, but they have narrowed the margin for error and require stronger institution-specific supervision, preservation of capital and liquidity buffers, and closer monitoring of interconnectedness, climate, cyber and market risks.”
Regulators noted in the FSR that Barbados’ economic structure “amplifies the transmission of external shocks into financial sector vulnerabilities”.
‘Strong reliance’
“The principle features are a strong reliance on tourism and external demand, high import dependence for essential goods, and the concentration of economic activity and credit exposure in coastal areas,” the report explained.
“Increasing digitalisation and the growing interconnectedness of financial infrastructure, including payment and settlement systems, heighten exposure to operational risk.”
It added that during 2025 financial institutions’ balance sheets “reduced the headroom available to absorb such shocks in parts of the system.
“Credit expanded at its fastest pace in over a decade while deposit growth slowed to 2.9 per cent, commercial banks’ capital adequacy ratio declined from 21.2 per cent to 19 per cent, and the leverage ratio from 12 per cent to 10.9 per cent, and provisioning coverage of non-performing loans eased.
“Concentration risk remained material, with mortgages accounting for close to half of deposittaking institution loan portfolios and large-borrower exposures continuing to test capital under stress.”
It continued: “Credit union profitability weakened. Other indicators moved in the opposite direction: credit quality strengthened across every major borrower segment, aggregate liquidity remained adequate, finance company capital improved, and the recapitalisation need identified under the severe stress scenario fell relative to the previous exercise.
“Taken together, these developments left aggregate resilience adequate but reduced headroom in parts of the system, particularly among commercial banks and selected credit unions.”
Using balance sheet data up to the end of last year, the Central Bank and the FSC conducted what the report called “forward-looking stress tests over the 2026 to 2028 horizon”, covering commercial banks, finance companies and credit unions.
“Aggregate capital remained above the applicable thresholds under the baseline and adverse scenarios, although vulnerabilities emerged at a small number of institutions, including under the baseline,” the report outlined.
“The exercises assessed the effects of macroeconomic, large exposure, liquidity and interest rate shocks on deposit-taking institutions, examining credit quality, profitability and capital adequacy.”
(SC)
