分类： Business

The Prices and Consumer Affairs Division is advising the public that Nissan is recalling more than 480,000 vehicles across the U.S. and Canada due to potential manufacturing defects that could cause the engine to lose power while in use.

According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Nissan said it had identified bearing failures in certain vehicles.

The recall affects certain vehicles of the following models with 3-cylinder 1.5L or 4-cylinder 2.0L variable compression (VC) turbo engines:

∙ 2019-2020 Altima

∙ 2019-2022 Infiniti QX50

∙ 2021-2024 Rogue

∙ 2022 Infiniti QX55

The engines of the affected vehicles may have manufacturing defects in their bearings, which can lead to engine damage and possibly engine failure while driving, NHTSA warns.

According to the NHTSA, bearing failures gradually progress over time, and drivers may have advanced warning of an engine problem. Warning signs include “abnormal noise from the engine compartment, rough running, malfunction indicator lights (MIL) and warning messages in the instrument cluster,” the recall states.

The division is aware that the local authorized Nissan dealer primarily imports vehicles from Japan.

However, consumers in Antigua and Barbuda do import vehicles personally. Owners of Nissan of the above Nissan models purchased from the U.S. or Canada, should be especially vigilant and check if their vehicles are affected.

To check if a vehicle is affected by the recall, owners can contact Nissan’s customer service line at 800- 647-7261 or Infiniti’s customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

Owners can also contact the NHTSA Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-888-275-9171), or go to NHTSA | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Consumers may also contact the Prices and Consumer Affairs Division at 462-4347, via email at consumeraffairs@ab.gov.ag, or visit their website at consumeraffairs.gov.ag for additional information or assistance.

Caribbean Airlines announces that effective August 15, 2025, customers will enjoy non-stop service between Dominica and Puerto Rico, up to 3 times weekly.

Additionally, the airline has increased non-stop flights between Dominica and Trinidad as part of its enhanced commercial schedule. These additional flights facilitate seamless on-ward connections to/from New York.

BETWEEN DOMINICA AND PUERTO RICO– STARTING AUGUST 15

BETWEEN DOMINICA AND TRINDAD – STARTING AUGUST 15

BETWEEN DOMINICA AND NEW YORK – STARTING AUGUST 15

These flights are available for booking via the airline’s website, Call Center and its travel partners.

This latest adjustment reflects the airline’s continued commitment to respond to customer feedback and regional travel needs. The updated schedule will make travel between Dominica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and New York easier and more convenient, supporting business, leisure, and cultural exchange across the region.

Garvin Medera, CEO of Caribbean Airlines, stated: “These schedule enhancements are a direct response to market demand and feedback from our valued customers. At Caribbean Airlines, we are focused on delivering a consistent and reliable product and fulfilling our mandate to improve connectivity throughout the Caribbean.”

Caribbean Airlines will roll out further schedule updates in the coming days and customers can look out for more convenient travel options starting this summer season. Visit www.caribbean-airlines.com and follow the airline’s social media platforms for the latest news and updates.

As the busy July-August vacation period gets underway, customers are reminded to register for flight notifications www.caribbean-airlines.com/#/caribbean-flight-notifications to stay updated on travel information.

Digicel has announced the immediate closure of its regional news platform Loop News and will wind down sports broadcaster SportsMax by 8 August, signalling a major shift in the telecoms firm’s media strategy.

The company said the decision forms part of a broader move away from consumer-facing content toward a focus on digital enterprise solutions, including services through Trend Media and the recently acquired Symptai.

Launched in 2014, Loop News built a strong regional following and won several journalism awards. SportsMax, founded in 2002, became a staple for Caribbean sports content and helped launch the careers of many broadcasters.

In a farewell statement, Loop said: “After 11 years of proudly serving the Caribbean as a trusted media partner, Loop News is today announcing the end of our operations.”

Digicel confirmed that all affected staff have been informed and will receive transition support in accordance with local labour laws.

The company thanked audiences and employees for their support, calling the closures “a difficult but necessary step” to deliver greater value in its evolving business model.

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) is commemorating 49 years of the EC dollar being pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of EC$2.70 to US$1.00.

Governor, Timothy N. J. Antoine says, “this is a tremendous achievement by the collection of Small Island Development States (SIDS) of which we ought to be justifiably proud.”

The Governor praised the important decision the framers and founders took on 7 July 1976 to move the peg from the pound sterling to the US dollar, as the United States had become the region’s major trading partner at the time. “What the decision has done more than anything is to allow us to enjoy relatively low inflation,” Governor Antione said. “Typically, over the 49 years, inflation has been between two and three per cent on average, except for years like in 2022, during the pandemic, when it went to nine per cent,” the Governor added.

Apart from enjoying relatively low inflation, Governor Antoine says that the peg also gives confidence in the strength of the EC dollar. “It sends a very important signal not only to locals, citizens and residents but also to investors,” he said. Additionally, there are no exchange rate controls, this, Governor Antoine explains, means that “when you need foreign exchange, you go to your bank and if the commercial banks do not have it, then they can buy it from the Central Bank which keeps a ready and ample stock of reserves at all times.”

Forty-nine years of monetary stability is therefore a wonderful achievement by the governments and people of Eastern Caribbean Currency Union and long may that continue, Governor Antoine says.

On June 25, 2025, the Antigua & Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association (ABHTA) proudly hosted its inaugural People and Culture Retreat, bringing together HR professionals, People Managers, and industry stakeholders for a dynamic day of education, empowerment, and strategic insight.

MORNING SESSION

Morning Session focused on Navigating the Collective Agreement and Labour Code, Moderated by Celia Roberts Morgan.

The morning panel featured:

• Chester Hughes, Deputy General Secretary, Antigua Barbuda Workers Union

• Lisa John Weste, Attorney-at-Law, Thomas, John & Weste

• Hollis Francis, Attorney-at-Law, HEF Law

The panelist explored current Collective Agreement negotiations and how HR teams can navigate key issues like:

– Public holiday entitlements

– Meal allowances

– Staff probation & disciplinary policies

– Standardizing employee handbooks (launching Q4 2025)

Participants also addressed operational challenges facing People Managers today, including probationary periods, harassment, marijuana usage, absenteeism, and the ongoing need for staff training.

Mr. Chester Hughes urged HR professionals to become deeply familiar with both the Collective Agreement and the Labour Code, noting that this knowledge is crucial to maintaining compliant, effective, and employee-centered operations.

AFTERNOON SESSION

Afternoon Session focused on Mental Wellness and Wellness as a Business Strategy, moderated by Laurie Louard,

The afternoon session featured presentations from:

• Dr. Teri-Ann Joseph, Deputy Chief Medical Officer

• Isha Joseph-Moore, Executive Head of People & Culture, Jumby Bay Island

• Chester Hughes, ABWU

• Harriet Warner, Counselor

• Jamion Knight, International Psychotherapist and former United Nations Official

Tackling Absenteeism: A Sector-Wide Wake-Up Call

The afternoon retreat began with a compelling look at absenteeism, led by Isha Joseph-Moore (Executive Head of People & Culture, Jumby Bay Island) and Chester Hughes (Deputy General Secretary, ABWU), who shared sobering statistics that revealed the scale of the issue:

📊 Based on a sample of just 7 ABHTA member properties:

• Sample size: 892 employees

• Over 6,000 workdays lost

• Financial impact: EC $1.4 million

They emphasized that absenteeism is not just a financial concern—but a workforce development issue. They called for a tripartite approach between Industry, Government, and the Education Sector to combat its root causes.

🧘‍♀️ Actionable Wellness Strategies

Harriet Warner shared tools employers can implement immediately:

– Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)

– Normalize mental health conversations

– Workplace social events that include family

– Flexible scheduling for parents

– 5–10 minute mental health breaks

– Wellness check-ins during team huddles

– New staff mentorship programs

– Workplace wellness & sports clubs

– Calm spaces for private conversation

Medical Insights: The Cost of Mental Illness

Dr. Teri-Ann Joseph presented critical data on the global and local cost of untreated mental illness:

• 1 in 5 employees experience a mental health issue

• Many hide their diagnosis out of fear of discrimination

• Mental illness is understood poorly, heavily stigmatized, and deeply disabling

• Global cost of mental health issues:

o $2.5 trillion in 2017, projected to rise to $6 trillion by 2030 (WHO)

• Workplace stress and depression remain leading causes of lost productivity, increased sick leave, and early retirement

🧍‍♂️ Men’s Mental Health & Safe Spaces

Jamion Knight delivered a powerful call to action: support men’s mental health through Psychological First Aid frameworks and intentionally created safe spaces where vulnerability is met with respect, not judgment.

From Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) to shift adjustments for working parents, speakers shared tools to help organizations build more supportive, engaged, and emotionally intelligent teams.

The retreat was overwhelmingly well-received, with participants commending the honest dialogue and practical tools presented throughout the day. Attendees have called for similar events to be hosted more frequently.

The ABHTA is pleased to announce that a follow-up People and Culture Retreat is being planned for October 2025, continuing its commitment to “Investing in People, Powering the Future.”

The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has published its 2024-2025 Annual Report, which highlights the Central Bank’s efforts to maintain monetary and financial stability; promote financial inclusion and literacy; safeguard financial consumer protection; improve two-way engagement with stakeholders; and strengthen the governance of Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CBI/CIP).

“A Year of Implementation, Impact, No Excuses” was the guiding principle as the Bank executed its mandate for the 2024-2025 Financial Year, which ended 31 March 2025. The Bank’s foreign reserves grew and the backing of the EC dollar remained very strong. The ECCB recorded a net profit of EC$126.2 million for the year ended 31 March 2025 — the highest in the history of the Central Bank. This profit represents a 57.0 per cent increase over the previous record of $80.2 million achieved in 2024.

In pursuit of its mission to advance the good of the people of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), maintain monetary and financial stability, and promote growth and development, the ECCB achieved several key strategic objectives as set out in its 2022 – 2026 Strategic Plan.

ECCB member countries began to enact the Banking Amendment Bill (2024), which the ECCB drafted to facilitate market conduct regulation and financial consumer protection for customers of Licensed Financial Institutions (LFIs) under the Banking Act (2015). Key provisions of the Bill include: (i) the establishment of a Basic Bank Account to make it easier for the unbanked and underserved to open bank accounts; and (ii) the establishment of the Office of Financial Conduct and Inclusion to support financial consumer protection and increase financial literacy.

In October 2024, the ECCB received approval from the Monetary Council for the establishment of the Eastern Caribbean Financial Standards Board (ECFSB). The ECFSB is a proposed integrated regulator that will provide microprudential regulation and financial consumer protection for the non-bank financial sector inclusive of credit unions and insurers in a partnership between the ECCB and national financial regulators. The ECCB is currently engaged in country consultations on the design elements of the ECFSB, as well as the finalisation of the Insurance and Pensions Bill and the establishment of Deposit Insurance.

In promoting financial inclusion and faster access to credit, the ECCB actively supported the operational launch of EveryData Credit Bureau in the ECCU through public education and awareness initiatives and regulatory oversight. In September 2024, Antigua and Barbuda became the first ECCB member country to officially go live on the ECCU credit bureau system, marking a critical milestone in the region’s credit reporting framework.

In his Foreword to the 2024-2025 Annual Report, Governor of the ECCB, Timothy N.J. Antoine, says the Bank continued to work to ensure the sustainability of the five CBI/CIP Programmes in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), “given their importance to the fiscal and economic resilience of member countries.” The ECCB leads the Interim Regulatory Commission (IRC), a regional working group spearheading the establishment of an enabling CBI/CIP legal framework that is expected to become law by the end of 2025. The IRC, which the Governor currently chairs, has held consultations with key stakeholders in the CBI/CIP industry including government, leaders of opposition, local agents, developers, financial intelligence units, banks and international partners, such as the USA, UK and European Union.

The ECCB’s 2024-2025 Independent Auditors’ Report and Financial Statements are available on the Bank’s website and social media platforms.