Vaneta Trotman, 52, of Rockhampton Road, Grazettes, who was reported missing on Friday, has been safely located, the Barbados Police Service confirmed.
Four displaced, two injured in Skeete’s Road fire
Four occupants have been displaced and two others sustained injuries after a fire at Skeete’s Road, Bank Hall. St Michael, early this morning.
Divisional Officer Marlon Small said they received the call just before 9 a.m., and responded with three appliances from the Bridgetown Fire Station, including two water tenders and one tanker. A total of 13 officers, including Small, attended the scene.
The incident marks the 17th house fire reported this year, prompting the Barbados Fire Service to urge residents to remain vigilant in the home.
“When leaving home, make sure all appliances are shut down,” Small advised. “Even when at home, if you feel tired, avoid cooking or using potentially hazardous equipment.”
Small also thanked community members who helped contain the fire and alerted them promptly, helping to prevent the blaze from spreading to neighbouring structures.
None of the affected homes are currently livable, with the properties extensively damaged. The Reintegration and Rehabilitation Unit has been contacted and is on site to assist displaced occupants.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing. Small said crews are still cooling down hot spots and a formal investigation will follow once the area is secure.
No tsunami threat to Barbados after 6.9 magnitude earthquake
The Barbados Meteorological Services (BMS) has advised that there is no tsunami threat to Barbados following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake recorded this morning.
According to the BMS, the earthquake occurred at approximately 8:17 a.m. today near the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Authorities stressed that there are no tsunami watches or warnings in effect for Barbados and no impacts are expected.
Preliminary data from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center indicated the earthquake occurred at a depth of 1 kilometre, with coordinates of 23.8°N and 45.8°W.
The BMS said the alert level remains GREEN and the information statement was issued to keep the public informed while preventing unnecessary concern or evacuation. (BMS)
Police searching for escaped prisoner following court incident
Update
Jadon O’Neal Branker, 22, of 6th Avenue, Kendal Crescent, Christ Church, who escaped lawful custody on Friday, has been returned to police custody.
Branker, the subject of an “Escaped Prisoner” bulletin issued earlier today, voluntarily presented himself to the Oistins Police Station and is now assisting authorities with their investigations.
The Barbados Police Service thanked the public and the media for their assistance in locating Branker.
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Earlier story
Police are searching for 22-year-old Jadon O’Neal Branker, who escaped lawful custody while at the Oistins Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Branker, of 6th Avenue, Kendal Crescent, is described as approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, of brown complexion, and stocky build. At the time of his escape, he was wearing a blue shirt and blue pants.
The Barbados Police Service is appealing to members of the public for assistance in locating him. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Oistins Police Station at 418-2612 or 418-2606, Police Emergency at 211, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477, or the nearest police station.
Health Ministry monitoring meningitis outbreak in UK
The Ministry of Health and Wellness says it will continue to monitor the Meningococcal Disease (Meningitis) Outbreak in the United Kingdom (UK), while noting that the risk for Barbados is low.
The most current information indicates that only persons in Canterbury, Kent have been affected by this outbreak, with the first case detected on March 1, 2026. And, of the 27 total cases reported as of March 18, this year, 26 persons have been hospitalised and there have been two deaths.
Additionally, 9 of the 15 confirmed cases have been identified as meningococcal group B (MenB). The risk to the wider population of the UK is low.
Meningococcal disease can begin with flu-like symptoms but may deteriorate rapidly. Key symptoms include:
- Sudden-onset high fever
- Severe headache
- Discomfort and sensitivity to light (photophobia)
- Vomiting, severe diarrhoea, or abdominal pain
- Painful joints
- Pale or blotchy skin; very cold hands and feet
- Fitting (seizures), or drowsiness progressing to coma
Meningitis is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Bacterial meningitis is rarer but more serious than viral meningitis. Infections that cause the disease can be spread through:
- sneezing
- coughing
- kissing
It is usually caught from people who carry these viruses or bacteria in their nose or throat but are not ill themselves. It can also be caught from someone with meningitis, but this is less common.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness reminds persons that they must practise good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, and ensure that their vaccines are up to date. (BGIS)
Charles F. Broome closes early due to cleaning odours
Classes at the Charles F. Broome Memorial Primary School ended early today after complaints of lingering odours following industrial cleaning.
The Ministry of Education Transformation said that while the school had been prepared for classes, some areas continued to have strong odours, which led to discomfort among teachers and staff.
As a result, the decision was taken to close the school early to allow additional time for the odours to dissipate. Parents were asked to collect their children at noon, and the school remained closed for the rest of the day.
The Ministry apologised for the inconvenience caused by the early closure. (MEdT)
Jamaica grabs two silver medals at World Indoors
Jamaica became the first English speaking Caribbean country to secure medals at the World Athletics Indoor Championships at the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena in Torun, Poland.
Kishane Thompson ran his fastest-ever time in an indoor 60 metres to grab the silver medal on Friday night.
Earlier in the afternoon Jordan Scott also won a silver medal in the men’s triple jump. He leapt to 17.33 metres. He became the first Jamaican man to earn a medal in the triple jump.
Scott, who was fifth at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, gradually improved on his first three jumps starting with 17.29 metres, then going to 17.30m, then 17.33m before fouling his fourth jump.
Thompson clocked a personal best time and national record of 6.45 seconds to finish second behind winner Jordan Anthony of the USA, who sped to victory in a world-leading time of 6.41 seconds.
Trayvon Bromell, the pre-race favourite, finished third in 6.45 seconds.
The other Jamaican in the final, Bryan Levell was a disappointing seventh in 7.69 seconds.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards booked his spot in the final of the men’s 400 metres after finishing third in Heat 2 in 45.87 seconds.
On Saturday, Julien Alfred, the Olympic champion in the 100 meters, will compete in the women’s 60-metre dash. She is scheduled to run the first round at 6:20am (Barbados Time).
The second round will run at 3:10pm and the final slated for 4:20pm. (PS)
ICAB brings Budget home
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Barbados (ICAB) is urging Barbadians to look beyond headline figures from the 2026 Budgetary Proposals and Financial Statement, stressing that understanding how the measures affected everyday living is critical as households navigate rising costs.
During its weekly radio programme Talking Business on Wednesday, the organisation broke down key elements of the Budget delivered in the House of Assembly by Minister of Finance Ryan Straughn on Monday, focusing on what they mean in practical terms for consumers and businesses.
Chief executive officer of ICAB, Lisa Padmore, said that while summaries of the Budget are widely circulated, many people still struggle to interpret how policies will influence their day-to-day expenses.
Among the most immediate measures is temporary support for electricity bills. ICAB explained that although consumers may still see increases due to global fuel price volatility, the Government’s intervention is designed to slow the rate of those increases rather than eliminate them altogether.
Similarly, the continuation of VAT caps and excise tax controls on gasoline and diesel is intended to cushion the impact of high oil prices. ICAB noted that these measures will not necessarily reduce prices at the pump but should help prevent sudden spikes that would place additional strain on households and businesses.
The body also pointed to adjustments in customs charges, particularly the temporary approach to calculating import duties. By limiting the freight component used in valuations, the policy aims to ease upward pressure on supermarket prices, though ICAB cautioned that it does not guarantee immediate reductions on shelves.
Tax changes were another area highlighted, with increases in certain tax credits and slight reductions in personal income tax rates for some income groups. According to ICAB, these adjustments could leave low- to middle-income earners with more disposable income, offering modest relief amid inflationary pressures.
Targeted social support also features in the Budget, including a temporary monthly payment for seniors below a defined income threshold, including those without pensions. ICAB said this measure is particularly important as older citizens face rising costs for essential goods and services.
Other initiatives include a grant for families with multiple births, aimed at easing the concentrated financial burden of raising twins or triplets, and the introduction of a Child Wealth Fund. Under that programme, each child born since November 2021 will receive a $5 000 investment held in trust until adulthood, a move ICAB described as a long-term strategy to promote wealth creation and reduce inequality.
However, Padmore stressed that the effectiveness of these measures will depend heavily on timely and clear implementation.
“Businesses need clarity to plan, taxpayers need accurate filing guidance, financial institutions require updated rules, and households depend on predictable timelines,” she said. ( BA/PR)
Chuck Norris, macho star of ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’, dies at 86
Chuck Norris, the former martial arts champion and 1980s action-film hero who fought the bad guys in “Code of Silence,” “Missing in Action” and “The Delta Force” and upheld the law in the TV series “Walker, Texas Ranger,” died on Thursday, his family said in a statement on his Instagram account on Friday.
“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the statement read.
The six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate Champion, whose tough-guy image inspired satirical “facts” that made him an Internet phenomenon, had been hospitalized in Hawaii on Thursday, Variety reported.
Norris starred in more than two dozen films portraying silent loners, soldiers, lawmen, veterans and All-American heroes who captured criminals, released prisoners of war, rescued hostages and battled terrorists.
With his roundhouse kicks he fought martial arts icon Bruce Lee in Rome’s Colosseum in his 1973 film debut “The Way of the Dragon.” Along with actor Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis he helped defeat villain Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 2012 blockbuster “The Expendables 2.”
Time magazine described him as “the ultimate tough guy.”
“In his strictly wham-bam B-movie genre, Norris, a former karate champion, has become the undisputed superstar,” it said in 1985.
Norris dodged bullets, landed kicks squarely on an opponent’s jaw and dismissed multiple villains at a time in his action-packed films.
His macho image made him a hit at the box office and on the small screen. From 1993 to 2001, he played Sergeant Cordell Walker, an upstanding lawman, former Marine and martial arts expert in “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
The bearded actor, writer and producer became an online cult hero in 2005 when an American student created what became Chuck Norris Facts, online jokes about the actor’s physical prowess and masculinity that became a viral sensation and inspired several books.
Among the most popular were “Chuck Norris has a mug of nails instead of coffee in the morning” and “Chuck Norris doesn’t do push-ups; he pushes the Earth down.”
Carlos Ray Norris was born on March 10, 1940 in Ryan, Oklahoma, the oldest of three brothers. The family moved to California after his parents divorced.
He was extremely quiet and introverted, which he attributed to his father’s alcoholism and the family’s poverty.
“In school I was shy and inhibited,” Norris wrote in his 2004 memoir “Against All Odds: My Story.” “If the teacher asked me to recite something aloud in front of the class, I would just shake my head no.”
Norris was also not a natural athlete. He had to train remarkably hard to become a martial arts champion, he said. After graduating from school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1958. While stationed in South Korea, he learned Tang Soo Do, a form of karate, and other martial arts.
The future film star started teaching martial arts in California after his discharge. He also won major competitions. Actor Steve McQueen, who was one of Norris’ students, encouraged him to try acting.
“He told me that I should think about projecting a presence, and never do a part that had a lot of dialogue,” Norris told the New York Times in a 1985 interview.
“He told me, ‘Movies are visual, and when you try to verbalize something, you’re going to lose the audience.'”
Norris’ films grossed millions and made him a popular figure among the U.S. military. He visited Iraq in 2006 and 2007 to show his support for American troops.
In 1990, he founded his own martial arts discipline, Chun Kuk Do, and established the nonprofit organization, Kickstart Kids, to teach children martial arts and self-esteem.
A patriot, Conservative and devout Christian, he worked with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and was a contributor to WorldNetDaily, a far-right news and aggregator website.
In addition to his best-selling memoir, Norris published “The Secret of Inner Strength – My Story,” his guide to self-improvement, as well as several books on fitness and martial arts and two novels – 2006’s “The Justice Riders” and its sequel, “A Threat to Justice.”
He was married twice and had five children.
Norris defended his films to critics who claimed they promoted violence. If they are well written, he said, action films can tell a story as effectively as any drama or romance.
“It’s how it’s done. I don’t advocate violence for violence’s sake,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 1994. “What people hang on to is that the good guy wins in the end.” (Reuters)
Man remanded on firearm and ammunition charges
A St. Michael man has been remanded to prison after appearing in court on firearm-related charges.
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Keimar Orlando Payne, 42, of 1st Avenue, Eckstein Village, was arrested and formally charged with possession of a firearm and possession of eight rounds of ammunition in connection with an incident on March 14, 2026.
Payne appeared before Chief Magistrate Deidre McKenna in the Oistins Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, March 19, where he was not required to plead to the indictable offences. He was remanded to the Barbados Prison Service at Dodds.
The matter has been transferred to the District ‘A’ Criminal Court No. 2 and is scheduled to be heard on April 16, 2026.