Latest news with #Dominican
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Canadian tourist mysteriously found dead in Dominican Republic in Sudiksha Konanki-like drowning
Dorian MacDonald, a 38-year-old Canadian tourist, was found dead in the Dominican Republic's popular Puerto Plata resort town, CTV reported. The Nova Scotia resident's death, under mysterious circumstances, comes about three months after University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki's disappearance and presumed drowning in Punta Cana. Dorian MacDonald was found dead in Dominican Republic months after Sudiksha Konanki's presumed drowning (Facebook) According to the CTV report, MacDonald, staying alone at a Puerto Plata hotel, took a late-night walk around 2 AM on June 20, near the beach. An hour later, at approximately 3 AM, a 911 call reported him missing. His body was later discovered, with Dominican authorities classifying the death as a drowning, though specific details remain undisclosed. Read More: 'This is the reality of Canada': Indian woman shares video of massive job fair queues for just 5 positions Police found his body in the water during high tide at 4:15 AM local time. Global Affairs Canada (GAC) spokesperson told CTV News that the department is 'aware of the death of a Canadian citizen in the Dominican Republic', but did not reveal details due to 'privacy considerations'. The 38-year-old's family is yet to issue a statement. GoFundMe set up Tara McKenzie, a close friend, described MacDonald as a 'brother' on a GoFundMe page, raising over $33,000 toward a $40,000 goal for funeral expenses. She highlighted his vibrant personality, noting his 'infectious laugh' and generous spirit. 'The painful reality is now facing the unthinkable task of trying to bring him back to Nova Scotia in a timely manner—to his Mom, his sisters, his family, his people. As much as we know how much he loved D.R (IYKYK) we need him home,' the GoFundMe description reads. Read More: North Korea opens new 'sight spot' in bid to boost tourism | What we know Sudiksha Konanki's case Like MacDonald, Konanki vanished during a pre-dawn beach visit at Riu Republica Resort in Punta Cana on March 6. She was last seen on CCTV at 4:15 AM with Joshua Riibe, who reported being swept by a wave while swimming. Konanki's case saw extensive searches, yet her body wasn't found, prompting her parents to request a death declaration.
San Francisco Chronicle
17 hours ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco convicted of sexually abusing a child and gets a suspended sentence
PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — Suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was convicted of sexually abusing a child and handed a two-year suspended sentence Thursday. Franco was arrested last year after being accused of having a four-month relationship with a girl who was 14 at the time, and of transferring thousands of dollars to her mother to consent to the illegal relationship. Franco, now 24, was found not guilty of charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor and human trafficking. Judge Jakayra Veras García said Franco made a bad decision as she addressed him during the ruling. 'Look at us, Wander,' she said. 'Do not approach minors for sexual purposes. If you don't like people very close to your age, you have to wait your time." Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girl's mother, who was found guilty and will serve the full term. 'Apparently she was the one who thought she was handling the bat in the big leagues,' Veras said of the mother and her request that Franco pay for her daughter's schooling and other expenses. Franco's attorney, Irina Ventura, said she would appeal the judge's ruling: 'Evidently, justice was not done." Meanwhile, prosecutor Luis Martínez said he was pleased with the rulings but did not say whether the government would appeal. Before the three judges issued their unanimous ruling, Veras reviewed the extensive evidence prosecutors presented during trial, including testimony from 31 witnesses. 'This is a somewhat complex process,' Veras said. More than an hour into her presentation, Veras said: 'The court has understood that this minor was manipulated.' As the judge continued her review, Franco looked ahead expressionless, leaning forward at times. Franco, who was once the team's star shortstop, had signed a $182 million, 11-year contract through 2032 in November 2021 but saw his career abruptly halted in August 2023 after authorities in the Dominican Republic announced they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time. In January 2024, authorities arrested Franco in the Dominican Republic. Six months later, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which cut off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave. He was placed on that list because he has not been able to report to the team and would need a new U.S. visa to do so. While Franco awaited trial on conditional release, he was arrested again in November last year following what Dominican authorities called an altercation over a woman's attention. He was charged with illegally carrying a semiautomatic Glock 19 that police said was registered to his uncle. That case is still pending in court. After the ruling, Major League Baseball issued a brief statement noting it had collectively bargained a joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy 'that reflects our commitment to these issues.' 'We are aware of today's verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time,' MLB said. ___
New York Post
18 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Ketel Marte reveals what White Sox fan said to him about dead mom in emotional scene
Ketel Marte recently revealed the details of what went on earlier this week when a White Sox fan yelled at the Diamondbacks second baseman about his late mother. The 22-year-old fan, who was banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks on Wednesday, was ejected during the top of the seventh inning in the Diamondbacks' 4-1 win over the White Sox on Tuesday night while Marte could be seen in tears after the fan heckled him during a pitching change. During an interview with 'Danny Beisbol' on Thursday, Marte explained in Spanish — but was translated through subtitles — that the fan yelled, 'I sent your mom a text last night.' The 31-year-old Dominican's mom, Elpidia Valdez, died in a car crash in the Dominican Republic in 2017. 3 Ketel Marte speaks out after a fan interaction on Tuesday when a White Sox fan made a comment about his late mother. Instagram @dannybeisbol 'What happened was in the seventh inning, I came to bat. I'm ready at the plate and I hear this fan shouting. He was on top of the dugout,' Marte said. 'He yelled at me, saying stuff about my mom. He was like, 'I sent your mom a text last night.' When everything happened with my mom, I was here in Chicago. I was in this city.' Marte said he has dealt with heckling fans before, but had yet to run into a comment about his mom. He said fan behavior is 'getting out of hand.' Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was quick to console Marte, who looked distraught, after the incident. He had initially heard the comments himself, but did not want to repeat what was said to the media. 3 Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. AP Footage was later revealed of Lovullo screaming expletives at the fan, who was seated only a few rows behind the dugout. 'Dumb f–k,' Lovullo appeared to say while pointing toward the fan. 'His mom died, you dumb f–k. Dumb f–k.' 'We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan,' MLB said in a statement. Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, who was also there in the moment, called for a ban following the game. 3 Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (left) and second baseman Ketel Marte (right) celebrate after defeating the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images 'That can't happen,' Perdomo said of the fan's alleged actions. 'Everybody knows how Ketel is. He's fun. He plays the game hard. I feel bad for him. I feel mad about it.' Marte is in his ninth season with Arizona and his 11th in the league since his 2015 debut with the Mariners. This year, he is batting .313 with a 1.012 OPS to follow his big 2024 campaign when he won his first Silver Slugger award and second All-Star nod. He also came in third for NL MVP behind Francisco Lindor and winner Shohei Ohtani.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inside Bouyon: How a Fusion of Local Folk Music & Digitized Instruments Gave Way to Dominica's Fast-Spreading Homegrown Genre
Last summer — and, for what it's worth, this summer as well — Quan, Litleboy and Trilla G's 'Someone Else' was inescapable across the Windward Islands of the Caribbean. Whether you were feting pon di road, out with friends, or humming along to your daily playlist, the song's infectious bouyon drums echoed across the region. Bouyon, the fast-growing genre originating from the island of Dominica, is poised to follow the footsteps of reggae, dancehall, soca and konpa as the next Caribbean genre to garner global attention — yet another major moment for a region that's wining on the precipice of another crossover wave. A mixture of traditional sounds and contemporary instrumentation and grooves, bouyon's origins reflect the generation-bridging essence of its composition. The term 'bouyon' roughly translates to 'soup,' and the pounding, syncopated percussion and high-octane tempos are normally paired with smooth crooners à la 'Someone Else,' or brash chant-adjacent delivery, perfect for a never-ending fete. More from Billboard Michaël Brun Talks Bringing BAYO Fest to Barclays Center Amid Trump Travel Ban & Increased ICE Presence in NYC Ye & Sean Combs' Son King Release 'Never Stop' EP, Including a Song Called 'Diddy Free' Ask Billboard: Here Are the Nos. 1 & 2 Reasons That the Hot 100 Has Been Historic This Month Cornell Phillip, one of the founding members of the bouyon-pioneering WCK Band (Windward Caribbean Kulture), tells Billboard the genre was born out of a few musical families in the mid-late 1970s. His older brother, Daryl Phillip, was a cultural officer, and he had the opportunity to document the traditional rhythms and dances of Dominica. As he brought the bands to the family house to record them, another brother named Ashton was learning how to use his Synchronic Sound System, giving the boys access to speakers, a mixer and other production tools. Ashton also bought a keyboard for Cornell and a bass guitar for Keith, another Phillip brother, once he took note of their musical inclinations. 'Boys being boys, we started to play along with the traditional instruments [that the bands our brother was recording played],' he tells Billboard. 'The boumboum [a hollowed wooden bwa kan] became the bass guitar, the syak and tambal [which are percussive instruments] became the drum machine, and the accordion turned into the keyboard. We couldn't play our own thing, so we joined them in our own way.' The brothers kept up their semi-digitized fusion of cadence-lypso and jing-ping (a kind of Dominican folk music), playing tea parties across the island. By the early-mid 1980s, 'hi-fis had taken over the music scene, and live bands weren't really playing in Dominica,' Phillip explains. 'My brother noticed that void, and we decided to take the other guys [friends from other musically inclined families] in to properly form a band together. That's how it all started.' WCK Band formally debuted with 1988's One More Sway, but it was 1990's Culture Shock, which housed early bouyon hits like 'Dance Floor' and the title track, that proved its breakthrough moment. By 1993's Forever, the band had perfected its bouyon blueprint, using it to craft 'Conch Shell,' one of its biggest hits — perhaps only rivaled by 'Balance Batty,' a timeless smash from 1995's Tou Cho Tou Flam. The band built on its cross-regional success with tours visiting the United States, Canada, Europe and the Caribbean. The group even graced the iconic Apollo Theater during this time. In the following years, bouyon continued its ascent across Dominica and the rest of the Windward Islands, especially Saint Lucia, evolving into subgenres like bouyon-soca and reketeng. Asa Bantan, one of the genre's current leaders and the voice behind hits like 'Wet Fete,' notes that alongside that development came the shift from bands to solo artists. 'If you was not in a band, you couldn't make it,' he says. 'You would have to join a band. But I was the first one [who] came out as a solo artist and took it to another level. [WCK's] 'Balance Batty' was probably the first bouyon crossover hit that reached other islands. Then, Triple K had one with 'Sousse.' [Around 2013], I performed 'Do Something Krazy' on the Ubersoca cruise [an annual seven-night soca festival at sea], and I was the only one there representing bouyon music at the time. When all those different artists heard my riddim, they recognized it was unique and different and wanted to hop on it.' Once soca giants like Bunji Garlin, Fay-Ann Lyons, Problem Child, Mr. Killa, Voice and Machel Montano took note of bouyon, they incorporated the genre into their own releases, like the latter's 2019 Motto-produced 'Issa Vibe.' As soca and bouyon artists began their cultural and sonic exchange, a new class of 'nasty business' bouyon acts emerged, marked by their penchant for 'rawer lyrics,' says Bantan. These artists, like Mr. Ridge, Reo and Nice, employ the same 'rough and commanding,' tone that Bantan, who's been a recording artist for two decades, says is paramount for bouyon vocalists, but their lyricism leans closer to X-rated fare than the socially conscious songwriting of the genre's roots. Today, bouyon is arguably the most popular style of music in Dominica, and its influence can be heard in several tracks from artists across the West Indies, especially during Carnival season. Bantan is probably the most popular stage performer in the genre, with his World Creole Music Festival entrances growing more elaborate each year. 'I've come in through the crowd on a horse as a king, one time I came out of a coffin, and another time I came in on a zip line over 15,000 people,' he reminisces. 'I've also come in an ambulance; I've come in a limousine as the president with bodyguards. Every year, I'm stepping it up another notch, and thousands of people look forward to what I'm going to do.' This year also marked the very first time Dominica hosted a Bouyon Road March competition during Mas Domnik, its annual Carnival celebration. Campaigned for, in part, by Emile Depooter, who previously managed WCK Band and Triple K, the separate bouyon category reflects the genre's growing influence on Carnival season. With just over a third of the vote, 'Rags' — a collaborative track from Trilla G, Shelly and Skinny Fabulous that melodically nods to The Greatest Showman's 'Never Enough' — won the inaugural Bouyon Road March title. Impressively, Shelly, the lead singer of Signal Band, also placed second and third alongside his bandmates with 'Bye Bye Bye' and 'My Band,' respectively. 'We had a lot of criticism over the years that Carnival time is not for Signal Band,' Shelly reflects. 'The consensus was that Carnival is not for us, and we are for the festivals and concerts instead. We made a conscious decision to change that narrative, and we did. When they kept calling our names for the results, that's what we worked hard for.' As bouyon continues its ascent and power players from other genres and islands turn their attention to Dominica, pioneers like Phillip welcome the outside investment, as long as true bouyon artists remain at the forefront. 'We as Dominicans have to be responsible because there is such a thing as fusion, but you have to be careful or you might lose the original form,' Phillip stresses. 'You can put a little R&B influence so that people in the States can relate, but we have to be careful to keep it organic and special to Dominica. We can't think so far outside the box that bouyon is eventually labeled as something else. Hopefully, one day soon our music will have its own classification. Music spreads love, so I want bouyon to go as far as it can — even Mars!' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
New York Post
21 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Will Wander Franco, convicted of sexually assaulting a minor, play in MLB again?
Rays shortstop Wander Franco received a two-year suspended prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing a minor in the Dominican Republic. The ruling has raised questions about the 24-year-old's MLB future. He is on MLB's restricted list and last played Aug. 12, 2023, and it's certainly possible he will not play again in the majors. 4 Dominican Major League Baseball player Wander Franco attends a trial at the Palace of Justice in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic on June 26, 2025. Orlando Barría/EPA/Shutterstock Franco signed a franchise record 11-year, $182 million extension with the Rays in 2021 that can be worth up to $223 million and includes a club option for the 2033 season. Sportico noted how Thursday's ruling affects whether Franco will be allowed to enter the United States since he has a criminal record in a foreign country. Franco reportedly could remain in the United States from 2021-23 due to a visa, and this ruling could affect whether he can obtain another visa. ESPN said it's 'likely' Franco will have trouble getting a visa and he would remain on the restricted list without one. The U.S. Department of State can shoot down a visa application if an applicant has a criminal history, including sexual abuse, per Sportico. 4 wander Franco at his trial on June 26, 2025. AP MLB is still investigating the situation and could levy discipline on Franco. He is not paid while on the restricted list. The league could make him ineligible through its joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, although Franco could appeal such a decision, per Sportico. Franco also was charged in the Dominican Republic for illegal possession of a handgun in June and the case is pending, per ESPN. 4 Wander Franco in 2023. AP 'Major League Baseball is proud to have a collectively bargained Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy that reflects our commitment to these issues,' the league said in a statement released Thursday, per 'We are aware of today's verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.' The Rays could try to void the contract due to Franco violating clauses regarding conduct, with Franco being found guilty for sexually abusing a 14-year-old while he was 21. As Sportico noted, though, that could be a slippery slope, with the Padres losing a battle in 1987 after pitcher LaMarr Hoyt received a 45-day jail sentence. 4 Wander Franco #5 of the Tampa Bay Rays hits a two run homer against the Yankees during a 2023 game. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post Tampa Bay could always just release Franco, although such a decision would almost surely come after the two-year sentence and following any potential MLB discipline. The sides could also attempt to negotiate a buyout. Should Franco become a free agent, it's still uncertain of whether any other teams would be willing to sign him following this conviction. MLB teams have not signed pitcher Trevor Bauer after he received a two-year suspension — eventually reduced to 192 games — following assault allegations. Bauer was not found guilty of a crime and has accused the league owners of being blackballed.
