Shan Andrew Babb was remanded to Barbados Prison Service (Dodds) when he appeared in the District ‘A’ Criminal Court today.
Babb, 24, of Gays, St Peter, was charged with possession of a firearm and 15 rounds of ammunition, both alleged to have occurred on April 6.
He was not required to plead to the indictable offence and acting Chief Magistrate Douglas Frederick remanded him until May 7, when the matter will be transferred to Holetown Magistrates’ Court. (PR/SAT)
NEW YORK – Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs are expected to tell an appeals court on Thursday the judge who oversaw the hip-hop mogul’s sex crimes trial should not have considered evidence that he abused and threatened former girlfriends in sentencing him to more than four years in prison for his conviction on prostitution charges.
Combs, 56, is asking the Manhattan-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn both his conviction and sentence. Combs is serving his sentence at a low-security federal prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey.
His seven-week trial last year in Manhattan federal court centered on drug-fueled and days-long sexual performances, sometimes called “Freak Offs,” between two former girlfriends of Combs and male sex workers. Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, was found guilty by a jury on July 2, 2025, on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
But jurors acquitted him on more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges related to allegedly forcing the two former girlfriends – rhythm and blues singer Casandra Ventura and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane – to take part in the encounters while he watched, masturbated and sometimes filmed.
At Thursday’s hearing before a 2nd Circuit three-judge panel, defense lawyer Alexandra Shapiro is expected to argue that his conviction on prostitution charges should be overturned because he was alleged to have watched his former girlfriends have sex with paid escorts but did not take part himself.
In challenging the sentence, Shapiro is expected to argue that US District Judge Arun Subramanian improperly considered conduct related to the counts for which Combs was acquitted in sentencing him to 50 months in prison on October 3, 2025.
Shapiro has said the judge should not have considered evidence that Combs threatened to release an explicit video of Ventura and threatened to cut off rent payments for Jane in deciding on the sentence.
“It was unlawful, unconstitutional and a perversion of justice to sentence Combs as if the jury had found him guilty of sex trafficking and RICO,” Shapiro wrote in court filing, referring to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
In response, prosecutor Christy Slavik said in a court filing that Subramanian was right to consider evidence of threats and abuse by Combs toward his former girlfriends, even though he was acquitted of sex trafficking, because that conduct was relevant to the prostitution counts.
“According to Combs, the District Court should have closed its eyes to how he carried out his Mann Act offenses and abused his victims,” Slavik wrote, referring to the federal law criminalising transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs has acknowledged abusing his former girlfriends. But he has said incidents of what he called domestic violence were separate from the sexual performances at issue in the case, which he said were consensual.
He is currently due to be released from prison on April 15, 2028, Bureau of Prisons records show. (Reuters)
Barbados stamped its authority on the 2026 CARIFTA Aquatic Championships in Martinique with a dazzling display of gold-medal excellence, emerging as arguably the most dominant nation in the pool despite finishing fourth overall when the final standings were tallied Tuesday night.
The Barbadian swimmers amassed 47 medals – 23 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze – with their glittering gold tally standing above all rivals.
Indeed, Barbados secured more gold medals than eventual champions the Bahamas, underlining the team’s elite finishing ability and consistency at the highest level of regional competition.
While the Bahamas claimed the overall title with 55 medals (21 gold, 13 silver, 21 bronze) and topped the points standings with 795, Barbados’ 23 gold medals told a powerful story of excellence. Trinidad and Tobago were third overall with 59 medals, including 20 golds, while Jamaica placed second on points with 754.50.
Barbados finished fourth on 638.50 points, illustrating how the scoring system masked what was otherwise a commanding performance at the top of the podium.
Entering the final day with 34 medals, Barbados produced a strong closing surge, adding 13 more to cap a memorable campaign.
That push was led by Christian Vanderpool, who delivered a championship-winning performance in the Boys’ 11-12 division. He secured gold in the 400 metres freestyle in 4:40.05, leading a Barbados one-three finish with teammate Zachary Ladipo, who claimed bronze.
Vanderpool then captured another gold in the 100 metres breaststroke in 1:16.48 and later anchored the 200 metres freestyle relay team, alongside Ladipo, Joshua Parris and Keniel Ledgister, to victory in 1:52.33. The quartet was also crowned the top team in their age group.
Miheal Sobers added to the golden momentum in the 13-14 Boys’ category, touching first in the 200 backstroke in 2:20.61 after earlier securing silver in the 400 freestyle. Heidi Stoute was equally impressive, winning the 15-17 Girls’ 400 freestyle in 4:33.75 before teaming up with Jiaya Simmons, Toria Alleyne and Ayoka Martin to claim gold in the 200 freestyle relay.
Ladipo also enjoyed individual success, capturing gold in the 200 backstroke, while Gabriella Babb contributed with a silver and bronze in her events. Kaija Eastmond added another podium finish with bronze in the 50 metres freestyle.
The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) has expressed support for the Government’s plans to construct flyovers and widen roads to ease the growing traffic congestion.
With more than 180 000 vehicles currently registered on the island and anticipated increases from measures promoting electric vehicle imports, CTUSAB recently warned that traffic density could worsen unless proactive steps were taken.
Highlighting the need for a long-term solution, CTUSAB urged that a national traffic management plan be integrated into broader urban and rural development strategies.
“Alignment of land use, property development and transport planning are critical to creating an efficient system,” the congress said in a press statement.
While admitting that flyover and road-widening projects would take time to implement, CTUSAB called for immediate action to address existing traffic nuisances. Of particular concern are unsafe practices by mini-bus and route taxi (ZR) operators whose disregard for designated laybys, often bringing traffic to a halt.
The congress also cited the practice of “dragging,” where vehicles deliberately slowed traffic and also practised indiscriminate stopping for passenger pick-ups.
It added that traffic disruptions were further compounded by garbage collection by the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) during peak hours and roadworks that reduce lanes during busy periods. CTUSAB suggested that road maintenance be scheduled in the evenings, between 7 p.m. and midnight to minimise disruption.
The congress stressed that persistent traffic congestion directly affected workers, increasing stress, reducing work-life balance and lowering workplace productivity.
Lower-income commuters, who rely heavily on public transport, were particularly impacted, the statement noted. CTUSAB argued that any national traffic strategy must prioritise worker welfare, efficiency, and mobility, recognising the link between effective transportation, economic performance and social stability.
CTUSAB plans to present solutions to the Minister of Transport and Works Kirk Humphrey, urging immediate steps to mitigate congestion and reducing the loss of productive time on Barbados’ roads. (BA/PR)
American Airlines is hiking checked baggage fees for domestic and short-haul international destinations and trimming some perks for economy fliers, as soaring jet fuel costs squeeze the global aviation sector.
It is one of the last major US-based carriers to take steps to protect its margins as operating costs rise due to higher jet fuel prices, driven by tensions in the Middle East that disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of global oil flows.
Jet fuel, which averaged at about $85 to $90 a barrel in February before the Iran war started, has surged to around $209 per barrel globally, according to the International Air Transport Association.
American Airlines said it would raise the fee by $10 each for the first and the second checked bag for travellers booking domestic and short-haul international flights, starting Thursday.
It has also increased the cost of a third checked bag by $50 to $200 for the travellers, although that pricing structure was already in place for some locations, such as Canada.
American Airlines has also outlined an additional $5 bump on checked bags for customers flying with basic economy tickets, effective from May 18.
Basic economy fliers will also be charged a fee to select a seat and will not be eligible for complimentary system-wide upgrades on flights from May 18.
Meanwhile, travellers who purchase tickets in premium cabins will continue to receive free baggage on both domestic and international flights, American added. (Reuters)
Barbados’ rising tide in regional athletics is no accident, says the head of this country’s athletic organisation.
President of the Athletics Association of Barbados (AAB), Noel Lynch, believes it is the product of deliberate planning, resilience, and a bold vision for the future.
The former Olympian believes the country’s recent performance at the CARIFTA Games in Grenada over the last Easter weekend signals not just progress, but the beginning of a sustained climb back to regional prominence.
Fresh off a 17-medal haul, Lynch was quick to praise the athletes while also grounding the achievement in a broader developmental context.
“The achievements speak for themselves,” he said. “But obviously we need to look to the future. A lot of what you’re seeing now has come out of a vision and a plan. It didn’t happen by magic,” he added while attending a specially arranged meet-and-greet with the athletes hosted by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley at her official residence, Ilaro Court, yesterday.
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PORT OF SPAIN – Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday said that a Trinidad and Tobago delegation is to visit Venezuela shortly “to ensure we get our just share of the oil and gas that we partly own”.
Addressing a handing over ceremony for six fire tenders in Penal in south Trinidad, Prime Persad-Bissessar told the audience “we’ve been working really hard with the government of the United States and other governments and that shortly a diplomatic delegation will depart … to go to Venezuela to ensure we get our just share of the oil and gas that we partly own through the NGC (National Gas Company)”.
“And so whilst we look to safety and security in this sense we are looking for your safety and security in economic space which is very important,” she added.
Last week, the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago said that the country’s natural gas sector could receive a meaningful boost from 2027 as regional cooperation gains momentum and a new wave of upstream projects led by bp and Shell moves towards first gas.
It said that these developments are expected to provide welcome relief to the downstream sector and improve feedgas availability for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) operations.
“While they may not fully close the country’s supply gap, they create a stronger platform for growth and reinforce the importance of cross-border gas as part of a longer-term solution,” the Chamber said.
It said that Atlantic LNG has operated below its installed capacity of 33 million cubic metres in recent years as feedgas shortages reduced utilisation and contributed to the shutdown of Train 1 in 2020.
“But that spare capacity also highlights the upside available to Trinidad and Tobago as new gas volumes come into the system and existing infrastructure can be put to fuller use,” the chamber added.
It said rather than simply filling a shortfall, Venezuelan gas can be seen as a strategic complement to domestic production and a way to extend the life and value of Trinidad and Tobago’s LNG and petrochemical industries.
Energy Minister Roodal Moonilal said in March that the US energy company, Chevron had reached out for discussions on cooperation in the energy sector, “not just exploration and production, but some matters pertaining to storage,” and that he had previously discussed using Trinidad and Tobago as a hub for shipments of oil from Venezuela.
Moonilal also said the closure of the refinery had forced Trinidad and Tobago to buy liquid fuels and that a working Guaracara refinery would have been a “true windfall” in the current price environment. (CMC)
Ta’ Shawn Griffith will pay $17 000 in fines for having a gun and ammunition six years ago.
The 1st Avenue Alleyne Land, Bush Hall, St Michael resident, who was 19 years old at the time of the offences, returned to Supreme Court No. 2A before Justice Elwood Watts yesterday, for sentencing. Griffith pleaded guilty in October 2025, to unlawfully having a firearm and five bullets on February 7, 2020.
Justice Watts imposed a $12 000 forthwith fine for the firearm, which was paid, and a further $5 000 fine for the ammunition, which Griffith must pay in nine months.
The court’s starting point of eight years for the gun was reduced by one year for mitigating factors and one third more for his early guilty plea, leaving 1703 days. After crediting Griffith with the 932 days spent on remand, a total of 771 days were left. The court then substituted those days for a $12 000 forthwith fine.
That would be the time the convicted man would have had to spend if the $12 000 was not paid. It will also apply to the lesser fine if that is unpaid at the end of nine months. (SD)
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LOS ANGELES – A drug dealer dubbed the “Ketamine Queen” was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison in connection with “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s 2023 death, including her role in supplying the dose of the powerful anesthetic that killed the actor.
Jasveen Sangha, who admitted to running a “stash house” for illegal narcotics out of her home in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in September to five felony drug counts stemming from Perry’s death at age 54.
Sangha, wearing beige prison garb for the hearing in Los Angeles federal court, expressed remorse for her role in Perry’s death in a statement she delivered before being sentenced.
“I take full responsibility for my actions. These were horrible choices that ultimately proved tragic,” Sangha, 42, told US District Judge Sherilyn Garnett.
The judge imposed a 15-year term, as federal prosecutors had recommended. The dual US-British citizen had faced a possible sentence of up to 65 years.
Sangha’s sentence was harsher than those given to two physicians already sentenced in the case. Two more convicted co-defendants – another drug dealer and Perry’s former personal assistant – have yet to be sentenced.
The defense had urged Garnett to limit Sangha’s sentence to time already served since her 2024 arrest, about one year and eight months. (Reuters)
DUBAI/BEIRUT – Israel bombed more targets in Lebanon on Thursday, putting the Middle East ceasefire in further jeopardy after its biggest attacks of the war on its neighbour killed more than 250 people and threatened to torpedo Donald Trump’s truce from the outset.
Iranian negotiators were expected to set off later on Thursday for Pakistan for the first peace talks of the war, due to meet a US delegation on Saturday.
But there was no sign Iran had lifted its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused the worst disruption to global energy supplies in history. Tehran said there would be no deal as long as Israel was striking Lebanon.
The shortage drove the price that European and Asian refineries pay for oil to record levels near $150 a barrel, with even higher prices for some products such as jet fuel.
Israel, which invaded Lebanon last month in parallel with the war on Iran to root out the armed group Hezbollah, Tehran’s ally, says its actions there are not covered by the ceasefire announced late on Tuesday by Trump.
Washington has also said Lebanon is not covered by the truce, but Iran and Pakistan, which acted as mediator, say it was explicitly part of the deal. A host of countries, including Britain and France, said the truce should extend to Lebanon.
A Pakistani source with knowledge of the discussions said Pakistan was working on ceasefires for Lebanon and Yemen: “It will be discussed during the (upcoming) talks and we will settle it.” (Reuters)
