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At least 30 feared dead in crush at Haitian tourist site

Nationnews Desk
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At least 30 feared dead in crush at Haitian tourist site

At least 30 people are feared to have been killed in a stampede at a popular tourist site in Haiti on Saturday.

The incident took place on Saturday during an annual Easter gathering at the Laferrière Citadel, a Unesco World Heritage site, Jean Henri Petit, head of civil protection for Haiti’s Nord department, said, warning the death toll could yet rise.

Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said the incident occurred “during a tourist event attended by many young people” at the site, in the northern town of Milot.

He said an investigation had been launched and “all relevant authorities” mobilised to support those affected.

“The government sends its sincere condolences to the affected families,” Fils-Aimé said in a statement.

The site had been packed with students and visitors after the event – commemorating the 19th Century fortress’s founding – was advertised on social media, local media report, citing officials.

The stampede was said to have started near the entrance to the site and was exacerbated by the onset of heavy rain.

Haiti’s Le Nouvelliste newspaper first reported the death toll, citing Petit. The government statement did not say how many had died.

Citadelle Laferrière, also known as Citadelle Henry, was built by revolutionary Henri Christophe shortly after Haiti gained independence from France.

The stronghold took more than a decade to construct and was a crucial part of a network of fortifications to protect the new Caribbean island nation against attacks. The site has since become a symbol of Haitian independence.

The deadly stampede comes as Haiti grapples with widespread gang violence that has led to thousands being killed. (BBC News)

Stitching Success: How Tia Olton took Barbados to Milan

Nationnews Desk
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Stitching Success: How Tia Olton took Barbados to Milan

When one of Barbados’ top creative directors and designers, Tia Olton, of label TIALANI Fashion Designs left Barbados in February to participate in Milan Fashion Week in Milan, the regional capital of Lombardy, in northern Italy, she was creating history.

It was the first time that a Barbadianbased fashion designer had been given the opportunity to showcase their work at this clothing trade show with clothing designed and made exclusively on the island.

Tia’s designs, offering inclusivity, sustainability, and versatility, while fusing Caribbean resort wear with a 1990’s edgy touch and an aesthetic consisting of a very neutral palette, using materials such as linen, cotton, and cheesecloth, have captivated the hearts of many across the globe.

This designer who, from a child was surrounded by creatives in her immediate and extended family, is still in awe of her success at the February 24-March 2 event which saw her showcasing her work during an independent runway presentation at the Duomo Cathedral Square. This allowed for an open, public-facing showcase.

World of fashion

While she has received many accolades from this event, Tia who launched her TIALANI collection in 2018, directly after graduating with her associate degree in fashion design from the Barbados Community College (BCC), actually used the collection she showcased during her final year studies, to propel her in the world of fashion. Since then, there has been no turning back.

To make her collection known, she built her own website, staged local and regional pop-ups, stocked some of her pieces in local stores, did lots of interviews overseas, worked extremely hard, persevered and even launched a collection twice annually.

“It was a lot of hard work, but I didn’t let that stop me. I put a lot of pitches out there, and even got regional sales.”

All this strategic planning helped to place Tia in the forefront of fashion in Barbados, the region and beyond. In fact, without her being aware, many were taking an interest in her brand.

Coming out of her successful Milan Fashion Week, Tia holds firmly to the view that her success is Barbados’ success in many ways.

In an interview with Easy this week, the 27-year-old former student of Christ Church Foundation, shared that an agency in New York, that had been following her fashion, reached out to her about attending a fashion week to display her designs. It was decided that Milan Fashion Week would be the perfect event. Tia in turn reached out to the

National Cultural Foundation (NCF) and the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), both of whom came onboard and helped in putting Barbados in the spotlight.

“The showcase functioned as a form of cultural diplomacy, positioning Barbados within the global fashion dialogue while reinforcing its identity through design. Barbados now becomes a lifestyle experience. The show also extended beyond fashion, offering an immersive introduction to Barbados as a cultural and lifestyle destination. It gave visibility for Caribbean fashion on the global stage, while elevating Caribbean fashion as a serious player.

International stage

“This event mattered to Barbados as it shows Barbados as a cultural exporter and not just a location. It positioned Barbados as a source of design language, not just a destination, and translated Barbadian heritage into contemporary luxury fashion on an international stage. It also introduced global audiences to Barbados through material storytelling (burlap, doily, craft traditions), rather than tourism clichés.

“In addition,” Tia stressed, “the showcase repositioned Barbados from a travel destination to a cultural export where heritage, materiality, and craftsmanship are translated into contemporary luxury. The presentation signals the viability of Barbados’ fashion industry as an exportdriven sector, opening pathways for international retail, editorial placement, and cross-border partnerships.”

Feedback from her participation was extremely welcoming.

“People were very impressed especially when they heard I was from Barbados. One person told me, “Barbados is so small, but your collection was so big.”

There were other comments, such as: “I love it; very creative.” “I like the collection very much, so modest, so fantasy, so beautiful.” “I like the natural colours, very nice.” “You can go everywhere. It’s just luxury vibes. “ “I love your collection, I am a fashion teacher here, and this collection blew me away.”

Most profound

While this was not Tia’s first international show, it was perhaps her most profound to date.

Having been featured in the December 2024 issue of the respected Travel and Leisure Magazine as one of the Caribbean’s top six fashion designers, one can say that 2024 was extremely kind to this creative. The TIALANI brand was also featured in Cacique Magazine, on board Inter Caribbean Airways It was in June 2024, that Tia was invited to Toronto, Canada by the BTMI and given the opportunity to showcase her work during the Rose Picnic Fashion Show and the Vanguard Fashion Show.

In collaboration with the NCF, she also showcased her collection in Africa at Ghana’s Accra Fashion Week, together with five other Barbadian designers, each of whom showcased their individual brands. She met international fashion designers, and the experience expanded her view of the fashion world.

In July 2024, she was chosen to represent Barbados at the United Nations (UN) Multi-Year Expert Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, where she was part of the discussion on how AI could benefit the creative industry.

Then, in December 2024, she collaborated with Barbadian fashion designer, Lavern and staged a popup for their individual brands.

“We collaborated with Deia Beach Restaurant on the South Coast and incorporated fashion and culinary arts experiences. Persons shopped the collection and indulged in culinary arts at the same time.

“Some people even flew to Barbados to meet me, including a writer from Travel and Leisure Magazine.”

So, what’s next for Tia and her brand?

“There is a new collection and we have been invited back to Milan. We are looking at the options as we continue to grow. We also want to open our first brick and mortar store soon, hopefully on the south coast. There are lots of good things in store.”

Looking back at her successes, Tia had this to say: “Coming from such a small island what we want to achieve sometimes appears unattainable. But reaching out plays a big part in what we do achieve. I did a lot of reaching out. It is also important that one creates opportunities for one’s self and continue pushing. You never know who is watching. There were many people watching me. I definitely believe in my brand and will keep showing up.” (Cheryl Harewood)

Dems question NISSS role

Sherrylyn Clarke
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Dems question NISSS role

While the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) acknowledges initiatives like the Cost of Living Cash Credit are necessary and timely to “cushion the most at-risk in our society”, it is wary of the National Insurance and Social Security Service (NISSS) being used.

Spokesperson on finance and economic affairs, Senator Ryan Walters, said in a statement there could be no question about the intention, but the mechanism can’t be overlooked. The Ministry of Finance will disburse $100 per month to approximately 60 000 Barbadians over the next year.

“The central issue is not whether vulnerable groups deserve support because they absolutely do. The concern is whether the National Insurance Scheme, a fund built on the contributions of Barbadian workers, should be the vehicle through which Government executes its social policy agenda without clear and transparent safeguards,” Walters noted.

He queried whether these funds were being repaid.

Not clear

“Barbadians will recall the Solidarity Allowance programme introduced last year. To date, there has been no clear and comprehensive public accounting confirming whether the NIS has been fully reimbursed for those disbursements. Without that clarity, it is entirely reasonable for contributors to question whether the same approach is now being repeated, placing additional strain on an already challenged fund.”

Walters said there was no doubt the fund was “challenged” – as acknowledged by the current administration. It was also affected by COVID-19 as well as the debt restructuring of 2018, amidst promises it would be recapitalised.

The senator is calling on Government to say whether the fund was indeed recapitalised and to explain the delay in the actuarial review, which was due last year.

“This report is not a routine document; it is one of the most critical financial health checks for the scheme. An actuarial review assesses the long-term sustainability of the fund, evaluating whether it can meet its obligations to current and future pensioners. It examines contribution rates, payout levels, demographic trends and investment performance

to determine whether adjustments are needed to keep the system viable,” Walters said in the statement.

“Importantly, even when released, the pending report will only cover the period up to 2023. In other words, it will not fully capture the most recent policy decisions, economic developments, or new financial obligations now being placed on the Scheme. This makes the call for timely publication even more urgent.

“In the absence of this report, Barbadians are effectively being asked to trust that the system remains stable, without being given the evidence to support that confidence.

“This is why transparency and accountability are paramount.

Clear demonstration

“If the Government is using the NISSS as an administrative channel, then it must clearly demonstrate that every dollar disbursed for social programmes is reimbursed in full and reimbursed on time. There must be a defined and publiclycommunicated mechanism for these transfers, supported by regular reporting so that contributors can see exactly how their funds are being protected.”

Walters said NISSS was “the collective savings of Barbadian workers” to secure pensions and benefits and “using it as a pass-through for Government initiatives without airtight safeguards, risks mismanagement of one of the country’s most important institutions”.

The DLP senator said supporting the vulnerable and protecting the integrity of the NISSS can both happen.

“To achieve this requires more than announcements and feel-good headlines. It requires transparency, timely reporting, and firm guarantees that the burden of social support is carried by Government, where it belongs, and not quietly shifted onto the shoulders of workers through the National Insurance Scheme.” (PR/SAT)

Home for Gun Court identified

Barry Alleyne
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Home for Gun Court identified

A location for the island’s first dedicated Gun Court has been identified after a tour of the Supreme Court Building at Whitepark Road, St Michael, Minister of Legal Affairs and Criminal Justice Michael Lashley revealed yesterday.

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Justin Bieber headlines Coachella with nostalgia-fuelled set

Nationnews Desk
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Justin Bieber headlines Coachella with nostalgia-fuelled set

Justin Bieber made a nostalgia-fuelled return to the major stage as Coachella’s much-anticipated headline act.

The 32-year-old spent much of Saturday night’s gig sitting in front of a laptop and singing to YouTube music videos of his older hits, such as Baby and Never say Never – delighting the crowd in an apparent tribute to the platform on which he was discovered.

He also played some of the home videos that had brought him to the industry’s attention aged 12, pulling them up on the big screen, and appeared to interact with the live comments on the YouTube stream of his set.

It marked the star’s biggest live show in four years, having cancelled his Justice world tour following health issues.

He opened the gig alone on an otherwise empty stage, performing tracks from his 2025 albums Swag and Swag II – before telling the crowd he wanted to take them “on a journey” and reaching back into his archive.

He repeatedly asked the audience: “How far back do you go?”

Bieber also played the clip for which he most recently went viral – and which prompted speculation about his mental state – in which he confronted a photographer and said: “It’s not clocking to you, I’m standing on business.”

Dressed in a hoodie and shorts on a stripped-back stage, Bieber was joined by musical guests including The Kid Laroi, Wizkid, Tems and Dijon.

The star’s wife Hailey Bieber was spotted in the crowd, alongside celebrity couple Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner.

Bieber cancelled his world tour after revealing he was suffering from facial paralysis, after being diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome – a complication from contracting shingles – in 2022.

He released his surprise album Swag in July 2025, and in February performed live at the Grammy Awards.

His Coachella set marked a starker departure from the previous night’s headline act, Sabrina Carpenter, whose Hollywood-themed gig included costume changes, choreography and elaborate stage design.

Colombian pop star Karol G will be Sunday’s headliner at the festival, which takes place over two weekends in the California desert.

It draws more than 100,000 people daily, according to police from the city of Indio, and has been running at Indio’s Empire Polo Club since 2002. (BBC News)

Bassarath: Cricket officials in Barbados knew of CWI’s plans to skip Kensington Oval

Nationnews Desk
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Bassarath: Cricket officials in Barbados knew of CWI’s plans to skip Kensington Oval

Cricket West Indies (CWI) vice-president Azim Bassarath said he is shocked by the response from Barbadian officials regarding Kensington Oval’s exclusion from hosting regional or international matches in 2026.

After it was recently revealed that none of the matches in the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Pakistan would be played at ‘The Mecca’, Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) president, Calvin Hope both spoke out, saying they were disappointed by CWI’s decision.

However, Bassarath has revealed that cricket officials in Barbados were informed months ago of CWI’s plans to host matches in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Antigua and Guyana.

He said it therefore came as a complete shock to hear the complaints from both Mottley and Hope.

“Everyone knows the situation CWI is in at the present time financially. When the board sat and made the decision that we were going to host New Zealand in Guyana for all the white-ball games, we decided that the Pakistan tour would take place in Trinidad, we decided when Sri Lanka comes that they would play all the white-ball in Jamaica and the two Tests in Antigua…and Barbados’ representatives sat in the meeting and not a word of objection came from them.

“So it was very surprising to us to hear afterwards about this talk about no games in Barbados. At the end of the meeting we thought that all the board members were happy and they are satisfied with the recommendations made and I think that we went away from the meeting very comfortable, not knowing that a few months down the road that we were going to hear something of that nature,” Bassarath said during an interview on Isports on i95.5 FM on Thursday. (CMC)

More names added to terrorist watchlist

Antoinette Connell
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More names added to terrorist watchlist

Barbados has added more names to a list of terrorists and terrorist organisations on a UN watchlist while delisting another grouping.

Three advertisements in yesterday’s paper alerted Barbadians to the changes in keeping with the country’s international obligation with the United Nations Security Council Committee which has identified the people as terrorists or an “entity or group associated with, or affiliated to terrorists or acts of terrorism”.

The publishing of the names is also in keeping with the legal requirements.

On Pages 28 and 29 of yesterday’s Saturday Sun the advertisements highlighted the orders given on March 13 and 27 by Chief Justice The Most Honourable Leslie Haynes and on April 2 by Acting Chief Justice Francis Belle.

Haynes varied the court order given in November 2019 against Al-Nusrah Front For the People of the Levant by deleting the designation terrorist or terrorist entity previously associated with it. The delisting means the organisation would no longer be subject to an asset freeze of any property wholly or jointly owned or controlled by it.

On the other hand, Sami, Jasim, MuhammadJaata; Al-Jaburi aka Mustafa Adnan Al-Aziz, Mustafa Adnan al-Azeez, Sami al-Ajuz and Hijji Hamid and others were declared terrorists which would lead to the freezing of associated assets should the group come into contact with Barbados.

A copy of the order is to be served immediately on the Financial Intelligence Unit, while the court “dispense with the requirement for service on the defendants” of the two orders. ( AC)

Forensic lab to open in July

Nationnews Desk
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Forensic lab to open in July

Barbados is still without a fully up and running forensic lab – more than six months after its promised opening.

Months after former Attorney General Dale Marshall said that by September last year the country would have the lab up and running and promised DNA results in 24 hours, Minister of Legal Affairs and Criminal Justice Michael Lashley says July is now the new opening date.

“No longer will the cases be delayed because police officers have to send samples overseas to labs. Many times even when they are sent overseas, the findings do not come back in a timely manner,” Lashley told Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce and those attending the reopening of Haynesville Police Outpost in St James yesterday.

Until such time authorities will continue to undertake the expense of, among other things, sending police officers overseas with specimens for analyses that add to the system of delay in court cases.

The lack of a proper Forensic Science Centre (FSC) has been a frustration for some Barbadians seeking some form of justice with the help of science.

Last year Marshall conceded that for more than a decade, Barbados had to send forensic samples overseas noting that contributed to the backlog of cases.

Yesterday Lashley said sending the samples overseas was not always a guarantee of a timely return and there was also the possibility of contamination.

A senior police source said the out-of-order centre was a cause for concern for The Barbados Police Service as it had to wait on the overseas forensic lab in order to advance cases. In some instances the country had to join the queue to get their samples analysed.

Attorney and criminologist Verla De Peiza, prior to Lashley’s announcement, questioned the practicality of, with the entire Forensic Sciences Centre out of commission, having to send police officers overseas with evidence that required testing, when “we used to have that capability here”.

“This is not just a problem because of our awful homicide record. It is costly; it causes delay in trials and often the trials proceed without the benefit of the forensic evidence. Sudden deaths also require investigation, and families are kept in limbo and waiting, unable to grieve properly,” she stated.

De Peiza, a defence counsel, reasoned that the reopening of the FSC should be a priority and funding must be found to ensure it remained scientifically relevant.

Meanwhile, Lashley in his address, conceded that the forensic centre was an important aspect of the criminal justice system as a lack of findings could affect a case one way or the other.

Last year clinical forensic and emergency medicine expert Dr La-Tonia Arthur said not having a fully functioning forensics lab could be stifling and prolong criminal investigations.

Such a lab, she said, was vital to processing evidence as a crime scene usually yielded different forms of evidence. These included fingerprints, DNA, trace evidence which would take time to obtain confirmatory results.

(AC)

Knifeman calling himself ‘Lucifer’ slashes three at NYC’s Grand Central

Nationnews Desk
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Knifeman calling himself ‘Lucifer’ slashes three at NYC’s Grand Central

A machete-wielding suspect attacked three people at New York City’s Grand Central station before he was fatally shot by police, in a rampage that diverted trains at the nation’s biggest rail hub.

The suspect slashed an 84-year-old man and a 65-year-old man about the head and face and left a 70-year-old woman with cuts to her shoulder in the subway platform attack.

Police said the assailant, 44-year-old Anthony Griffin, ignored repeated demands to drop the weapon and called himself Lucifer.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said “innocent people were attacked in a senseless act of violence”.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised officers for their rapid response and said police body camera footage of the incident would be released.

NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told a news conference the suspect had entered the subway system on Saturday morning at Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue in the borough of Queens.

He boarded the 7 train to Grand Central-42 Street station, where he slashed one person on the platform. The assailant moved upstairs to another platform where he slashed two other people.

One was an 84-year-old man, who suffered significant lacerations to the head and face, and the other was a 65-year-old man, who sustained similar injuries, as well as an open skull fracture, said Commissioner Tisch.

Two transit officers in the vicinity were alerted at 09:40 EDT (13:40 GMT).

“The individual was armed with a large knife, described as a machete, and was behaving erratically, repeatedly stating that he was Lucifer,” said Tisch.

She said the assailant had ignored at least 20 demands to drop the weapon and “advanced towards the officers with the knife extended”.

One officer discharged his weapon, shooting the suspect twice, before they attempted life-saving measures. But the suspect was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

All three victims were taken to hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life threatening. New York police urged residents to avoid the area due to the investigation.

The assailant had three prior arrests, but no Emotionally Disturbed Person (EDP) report history with NYPD, said Tisch. (BBC News)

Speedy Nostradassa returning to track

Nationnews Desk
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Speedy Nostradassa returning to track

The darling of the Garrison Savannah, Nostradassa makes a return to the track today in the 1 100 metres Gordon Lewis Handicap for horses rated 115-90 during the Honouring Former Barbados Turf Club’s Employeees RaceDay.

Set for a 5:30 p.m run-off time on the Barbados Turf Club’s seventh day of its first racing season, the Mr Array owned filly is coming off an injury layoff. Confronting her will be War Beat who is fresh off a third place finish in the Grade 1 Sandy Lane Spa Sprint.

Trained by Richard Deane, Nostradassa, taking 124 pounds will be going after a hattrick having not raced for about three months. Regular rider Jarelle Beckles will once again be in the saddle with the duo moving off from post position six.

Apart from Nostradassa the other speedster in the race is Major Dan, who will re-unite with the experienced Rickey Walcott who was the last jockey to win astride him two starts back.

The David Seale-owned Andrew Nunes-trained bay gelding Major Dan when carrying level weight in the Spa Sprint was a well beaten seventh in the race won by Miss Anya from Enisa.

One to fear most

Major Dan will be around leaving the gates but could struggle to see the race through when the heat is turned on. However, the one that Nostradassa should fear most is the Melrose Racing-owned seven-year-old bay horse War Beat, who is conditioned by trainer Remel Lovell.

Having won his first start at the Garrison on November 1, War Beat then failed to crack a top-three place in his next three outings which included a sixth place finish in the Coolmore “Home of Champions” Stakes and Trophy.

He showed the benefit of pressing the pace in the 1 800 metres route event by finishing fast in the $68 000 sprint in the Sandy Lane Gold Cup.

War Beat (129) will be guided around the track by in-form jockey Rasheed Hughes and that alone is more that enough reason to anticipate another superb effort.

Dancing Prospector was fourth in the Spa and could once again fill one of the minor places here with apprentice Raheem Thorpe in the irons once more. Taking 120 pounds, the John Chandler-owned brown gelding lacks early speed and is a steady closer which can only work in his favour if the speed collapses.

Brilliant News (126) get the services of jockey Delano Lopez and is one of those horses that will need several things to go wrong for him to hit the winner’s enclosure.

He is worth a place wager and the same sentiment is applicable to Brenner Pass whose form or lack of has been trending in the wrong direction.

Apprentice Devonte Abraham is booked and the pair final weight is 123 pounds. The other entrant Show The Money, the property of Mark Goodridge was a no show in the March 7 Spa Sprint.

Despite having the services of apprentice Aaron Daniel and 113 pounds, it is hard to envision the pair will pulling off a major surprise to win here. Post time for the first race is 1:30 p.m.

MY PICKS

Race 1: Soleil Levant Race 2: Dalicia’s Angel Race 3: Ettajamez

Race 4: Barnabas

Race 5: Caribbean Kitten Race 6: Poseidon Race 7: Heidi Marie

Race 8: War Beat

(Lindon Yarde)

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