Carib Scope

作者： admin

  • Barbados swimmers show promise at Goodwill Championships

    Barbados swimmers show promise at Goodwill Championships

    A squad of young Barbadian swimmers has wrapped up competition at the 30th edition of the Goodwill Swimming Championships hosted in Trinidad, returning home with a fourth-place overall finish and a haul of medals that team leadership says signals strong long-term growth for the country’s swimming program.

    Led by team manager Stacy Blunt, the delegation collected a total of 58 medals across age-group divisions: 15 gold, 20 silver, and 23 bronze. This marked a repeat of the team’s fourth-place ranking from the 2023 championships, though the total medal count dropped slightly from 69 a year prior. Blunt emphasized that the lower total did not reflect a dip in effort or commitment from the young competitors. Every athlete brought their full effort to every race, prioritizing the team’s collective success throughout the five-day regional event, she noted.

    Multiple rising athletes delivered standout performances that caught coaching staff attention. One of the most impressive showings came from 11 to 12 age-group competitor Ziya Philips, who reached the podium in all seven of her events and set new personal best times in every single race. Philips ended the championships as the second-ranked overall swimmer in her division. Other top performers included Liam Courtenay, who took third overall in the 9-10 boys’ division, Darren Anka who claimed third in the 13-14 boys’ category, and Amaya Harrison who finished second overall among 15-17 girls.

    Blunt explained that the team was selected with intentional long-term development as the core goal, rather than prioritizing a high medal count at Goodwill. The annual regional championships serve as a critical scouting opportunity to identify emerging talent with the potential to qualify for and compete at the 2025 CARIFTA Games, scheduled to take place next April. With athletes ranging from the 8-and-under division all the way up to the 15-17 age group, the Goodwill delegation gave coaching staff a full view of the talent pipeline progressing through Barbados’ youth system, Blunt added.

    Now that the team has returned to Barbados, swimmers will head back to their local clubs and resume their structured daily training routines, which include dedicated morning and afternoon practice sessions. The next 12 months bring a packed competition schedule to continue honing their skills and earn qualifying spots for CARIFTA: the domestic calendar includes interscholastic championships set for November, the Short Course National Championships in December, and the Long Course National Championships in February, alongside regular inter-club meets. A small selected group of top contenders will also travel to qualifying meets in Trinidad and Jamaica, which are officially recognized as CARIFTA qualifying events.

    Blunt closed by extending gratitude to key stakeholders that made the Goodwill trip possible: the Barbados Aquatic Sports Association for creating development opportunities for youth swimmers, and the parents, guardians, and supporters who traveled to Trinidad to cheer on the team. Reflecting on Barbados’ swimming performance across 2024 as a whole, Blunt said the sport continues to deliver encouraging results at every level of competition. The country performed strongly at this year’s CARIFTA Games, and a number of Barbadian swimmers also earned spots to compete at both the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games and the Commonwealth Games in 2024.

    “Right now, the standard of competitive swimming in Barbados sits at a very high level,” Blunt said. “We have a cohort of exceptional coaches who are consistently working to prepare these young swimmers, not just for regional competitions like Goodwill and CARIFTA, but for the highest level of international competition as well. I can say without a doubt that swimming in Barbados is in very good hands.”

  • Suarez Circus settles into Garrison Savannah

    Suarez Circus settles into Garrison Savannah

    After a weeks-long disruption triggered by regulatory questions over its original performance space, the beloved Suarez Brothers’ Circus is set to raise its curtain for opening night Friday at 7 p.m. at its new home: Barbados’ Garrison Savannah. What began as a planned run at The Belle venue came to an abrupt halt earlier this month, when multiple government agencies raised concerns over the process that granted the circus approval to operate at its original site. The regulatory inquiry forced a sudden temporary shutdown and a urgent hunt for a new space that could accommodate the traveling performance group, a search that ultimately led to an agreement with the Barbados Turf Club, which manages the Garrison Savannah.

    In an interview with Barbados TODAY Friday, as crews put the final touches on tent setup, seating arrangements and performance rigging at the new site, circus manager Ivan Suarez confirmed that all regulatory hurdles have been cleared. Representatives from four key government bodies — public health, planning and development, the fire service, and local police — completed a full inspection of the Garrison Savannah site Thursday, and signed off on the venue to allow performances to begin immediately. “Everything went well. They gave us a green light to start today,” Suarez shared in a statement Friday.

    Suarez expressed deep gratitude for the outpouring of support from Barbadian audiences throughout the uncertainty, noting that many ticketholders opted to keep their pre-purchased tickets rather than requesting refunds during the shutdown. “We are very grateful for all the people from Barbados because of the support that we get during these days after the shutdown in Belle,” he said. “Some people bought tickets and just held on to them to wait until we had our reopening. We really appreciate that.” He also extended thanks to the Barbados Turf Club, which stepped up to accommodate the circus on short notice despite already being in active preparations for upcoming scheduled horse racing events at the Savannah.

    The only disruption to the new performance schedule comes this Saturday, when pre-planned horse racing will take priority at the venue, forcing the cancellation of the day’s planned show. Starting Sunday, however, regular performances will resume on a fixed schedule: 7 p.m. shows on weekdays, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. performances on Saturdays, and three shows daily at 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sundays.

    Currently, the Suarez Brothers’ Circus is scheduled to remain in Barbados through September 20, before continuing its Caribbean tour to the Dominican Republic. But Suarez revealed that organizers are in talks to extend their stay on the island and add extra performances for audiences. He also moved to clear up misinformation that spread through other media outlets earlier this week, which claimed he had suggested the circus would never return to Barbados after the regulatory difficulties of this visit. “I never said that we don’t plan to come back,” Suarez clarified. “We don’t know when we’re going to come back, but if we plan to come to Barbados, it will be part of the Caribbean tour.”

    With all preparations complete, Suarez extended an open invitation to audiences across the island to attend the circus during its run at the new venue: “We would like to invite all the people from Barbados to come and enjoy our show during the period that we are going to stay here.”

  • Khalid Shabazz Calls for Justice and Accountability Over Son’s Death

    Khalid Shabazz Calls for Justice and Accountability Over Son’s Death

    On the heels of a well-attended “Justice for Rashawn” demonstration held Thursday outside His Majesty’s Prison 1735 and the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Khalid Shabazz is intensifying his years-long fight to uncover the full truth surrounding his son Rashawn Shabazz’s death while in state custody.

    More than 50 activists and community supporters joined the initial public protest, and event organizers confirm that dozens of additional residents arrived after the official march concluded to express solidarity and sign up to participate in upcoming advocacy actions. For the bereaved father, however, this movement has never been limited to a single demonstration — it has grown into a broader push for systemic change that extends far beyond his own family’s search for closure.

    Rashawn died shortly following an altercation with law enforcement during his time in state custody, leaving his relatives with no clear, official account of the events that led to his passing. Remembered by his father as a gentle, big-hearted young man who adored children and dedicated his free time to supporting neighbors in his community, Khalid says he is determined to cement that public image of his son, even as unanswered questions about his death continue to hang over the case.

    Khalid’s campaign has expanded to address two overlapping crises affecting Antigua and Barbuda: the lack of transparency for families of people who die or go missing while in state care, and deep, long-standing shortcomings in the country’s mental health care system. He notes that hundreds of families across the twin-island nation still wait years, even decades, for official updates about their lost loved ones, and says public authorities have a binding moral and legal obligation to deliver clear, timely information to these grieving households.

    Mental health reform sits at the core of his advocacy, shaped directly by his son’s lived experience. Rashawn lived with a documented mental health condition that sometimes led him to stop taking his medication, triggering episodes that required targeted, professional care and long-term management. According to Khalid, late Magistrate Conliffe Clarke had formally ordered Rashawn to be placed in residential care at Clare Vue Psychiatric Hospital, but he was ultimately released early due to widespread overcrowding and a lack of available long-term accommodation for patients.

    That outcome, Khalid argues, lays bare the urgent need for sweeping overhauls to how the nation supports people living with mental illness. He is calling for the construction of adequate, accessible treatment facilities, expanded training for all personnel working in mental health care, and a shift away from ad-hoc, temporary fixes that leave vulnerable patients without consistent support.

    As things stand, the Shabazz family remains in limbo, waiting for official updates on the investigation into Rashawn’s death. A formal inquest is already underway, with a post-mortem examination planned, but Khalid is demanding a fully independent investigation into the full chain of circumstances that led to his son’s death. He stresses that because Rashawn died while in state custody, his family is owed a process that is fully transparent, fair, and uncompromising in its pursuit of the truth.

    He is also pushing for greater accountability for public officials, arguing that leaders and civil servants must face meaningful consequences when they fail to fulfill the core responsibilities entrusted to them by the public. What began as a personal quest for justice for his son has become a movement for all marginalized families across Antigua and Barbuda: for those still waiting for answers about lost loved ones, and for all people who rely on state institutions for care and support.

    As official investigations move forward at a slow pace, Khalid says he remains unshakable in his commitment. He will not stop until he secures full justice and clear answers for Rashawn, and will continue pushing for the systemic reforms that he believes are necessary to stop another family from enduring the same senseless pain that his has.

  • Wadadli Superhero Community Outreach Initiative donated two cases of toilet paper to the National Public Library

    Wadadli Superhero Community Outreach Initiative donated two cases of toilet paper to the National Public Library

    On August 20, a local community-focused organization continued its long-running mission of lifting up Antigua and Barbuda’s neighborhoods, in partnership with a youth summer program that is reshaping how young people learn civic responsibility. Led by founder Peetron Thomas, the Wadadli Superhero Community Outreach Initiative welcomed dozens of WORK FU UM Summer Camp participants to join its latest service activity, which centered on supporting one of the nation’s most beloved public institutions: the National Public Library.

    By the end of the day, the group presented the library with two full cases of toilet paper, a donation that addresses a day-to-day operational need for the facility that serves readers of all ages across the country. For the summer camp, the activity was far more than a simple donation drop-off: it was a core part of the camp’s intentional curriculum that pushes young people to step outside the boundaries of traditional classroom learning and engage directly with their communities.

    Rather than learning about civic duty from textbooks, campers got the chance to see firsthand how small, collective acts of giving can make a tangible difference for local organizations that hold the community together. The experience left campers with a practical understanding of personal responsibility, the value of service, and the critical role that shared public institutions play in everyday community life.

    This donation aligns with the Wadadli Superhero Initiative’s core mission, which it sums up in its enduring motto: “Where Service Becomes Superpower.” From its founding, the organization has worked to turn individual acts of volunteerism and giving into sustained, meaningful change that benefits local residents, nonprofits, and community groups across the region. By partnering with youth programs like the WORK FU UM Summer Camp, the initiative is also building a new generation of engaged community members who will carry forward the culture of service for years to come.

  • Trump’s 75-country immigrant visa ban struck down by judge

    Trump’s 75-country immigrant visa ban struck down by judge

    A federal judge in Manhattan has dealt a fresh blow to the Trump administration’s restrictive immigration agenda, striking down a sweeping visa ban that barred the issuance of most permanent immigrant visas to applicants from 75 countries around the globe. In a ruling issued Friday, Judge Jeannette Vargas of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York found the policy exceeded the statutory authority of the Secretary of State and directly contradicts existing U.S. immigration law.

    The controversial policy first rolled out in January by the State Department, which targeted nations accounting for nearly 40 percent of the world’s population. Major countries included in the ban were Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Somalia, and Russia, with the full list spanning the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. A large majority of the countries on the list are non-European, and it includes several key U.S. international partners, such as Jordan, Egypt, and Georgia. State Department officials justified the ban by claiming it would block entry to immigrants who would allegedly rely on public welfare and government assistance, building its country list using data showing more than 30 percent of immigrant households from the targeted nations received some form of public benefit.

    The ban only applied to permanent-residence immigrant visas for people reuniting with family members or accepting employment in the U.S., and did not restrict temporary nonimmigrant visas for tourists, students, or business travelers. But internal guidance from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, distributed via a cable to all U.S. diplomatic and consular posts and entered into the court record, required officers to reject all qualifying applications from the 75 countries regardless of individual circumstances. Even when applicants submitted additional evidence proving they could support themselves and would not become dependent on government aid, the policy still mandated automatic rejection. “The outcome is predetermined,” Vargas wrote in her ruling. “The visa will be refused.”

    Under longstanding U.S. immigration law, a prospective immigrant can only be denied entry on public charge grounds — the classification for people deemed likely to depend on government support — after a consular officer conducts an individualized assessment of the applicant’s personal finances, age, health, professional skills, and family situation. Vargas ruled that the blanket country-wide ban violated this requirement, as it forced automatic rejections even for self-sufficient applicants solely based on their country of origin. The judge also found the policy ran afoul of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which explicitly prohibits nationality-based discrimination in visa issuance, and violated a separate provision that bars the Secretary of State from dictating individual case decisions to consular officers.

    The lawsuit challenging the ban was brought by 11 plaintiffs, including six U.S. citizens who had filed family-based visa petitions for relatives in Ghana, Jamaica, Guatemala, and Ethiopia, and five Colombian applicants seeking employment-based visas. One of the Colombian plaintiffs had already received a formal visa denial that explicitly cited the contested policy.

    In defending the policy, the Trump administration’s legal team pointed to a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the third iteration of Trump’s first-term travel ban targeting multiple majority-Muslim nations. But Vargas drew a clear distinction between the two policies, noting that the 2018 case centered on the president’s statutory authority to screen who may enter the country, while the current case addressed the Secretary of State’s authority to set rules for visa eligibility itself. The administration did score one narrow victory in the ruling, as Vargas agreed the policy did not qualify as a formal regulation requiring advance public comment before implementation.

    Friday’s ruling reverses all visa denials that were based solely on the country-wide ban, though denials grounded in other independent legal grounds will remain in place. As a result, the exact number of visa decisions that will be overturned remains unclear. Vargas, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, has given both parties until September 11 to submit proposals for resolving the remaining portions of the case. The Trump administration has the option to appeal the ruling to a higher federal court. CNN has reached out to the Department of Justice and the White House to request comment on the decision, and no official response has been released as of the ruling’s publication.

  • Ruim SRD 1,4 milard derving door brandstofcap en maakt loonsverhoging haast onmogelijk

    Ruim SRD 1,4 milard derving door brandstofcap en maakt loonsverhoging haast onmogelijk

    Suriname’s government is currently grappling with a growing fiscal crisis triggered by its temporary fuel price cap policy, which has already cost the state an estimated 1.4 billion Surinamese dollars (SRD) in foregone revenue, according to Finance and Planning Minister Adelien Wijnerman. With monthly costs of the subsidy running at roughly SRD 350 million, authorities are now actively evaluating when and how to phase out the price control measure, tying any final decision to ongoing wage negotiations with the country’s labor unions.

    The temporary fuel price cap was implemented to shield consumers from full volatility in global energy markets, requiring the state to cover the gap between the subsidized retail price and the actual market price determined by international trends. Wijnerman confirmed that cumulative costs of the policy have now hit the SRD 1.4 billion mark, prompting the cabinet to explore two possible paths: an immediate full elimination of the cap, or a gradual phased reduction. No final timeline for the change has been set, as the government is still working with President Jennifer Simons to identify an optimal window for the policy shift, with global fuel price trends serving as a core deciding factor.

    As of now, Wijnerman noted, international market forecasts do not point to fuel prices falling in the near term, meaning there is no expectation that a delayed policy shift would result in lower consumer costs when the cap is eventually lifted. The final retail price after the cap is removed will only be set once the change is implemented, aligned with prevailing global prices at that time.

    The situation is complicated by parallel negotiations over public sector wage increases between the government and national labor unions. The administration has already tabled an initial offer to unions, with talks set to resume next Monday when a counterproposal from labor groups is expected. Wijnerman declined to comment on the specific fiscal impact of any potential wage deal while negotiations remain ongoing, but made clear that the fuel price cap and wage hike demands cannot be separated: the government cannot afford to sustain both policies simultaneously.

    She acknowledged that unions’ concerns align with this reality: if the fuel price cap is lifted and pump prices rise, any wage increase awarded to public workers would immediately be eroded by higher energy and transportation costs. “The first point the unions make is that if you remove the cap and give us a wage increase on the other side, it means nothing,” Wijnerman explained.

    This forced linkage means the government is carefully weighing the timing of any change to fuel policy, and plans to launch a full public communication campaign to explain how removing the cap will impact consumer pump prices. The administration now faces a balancing act between fiscal stability and social welfare: continuing the cap protects household purchasing power from global price shocks but imposes a crippling monthly drain on state finances, while eliminating the cap would free up much-needed fiscal room for the government but put downward pressure on consumer buying power and potentially negate much of the impact of a negotiated wage increase. Wijnerman emphasized that both the fuel price cap review and ongoing wage negotiations are top-priority issues for the Ministry of Finance at present.

  • PNM rift deepens

    PNM rift deepens

    Long-simmering internal tensions within the People’s National Movement (PNM) San Fernando East constituency boiled over into public view this week, after the local executive directly rejected a directive from top party leadership and launched a pointed public counterattack against sitting Member of Parliament Brian Manning. The conflict was ignited when Manning took to his personal Facebook page Wednesday to air a series of sharp grievances against the constituency executive and its chair, Patricia Alexis.

    Within 24 hours of Manning’s public post, national PNM chairman Marvin Gonzales stepped in to de-escalate the dispute, releasing an official statement on the party’s public Facebook page that warned all party members against airing internal disagreements in the public sphere. Gonzales clarified that the leadership had already taken steps to address the specific claims Manning raised against Alexis, and was guiding the matter through the party’s established internal processes.

    Gonzales’ attempt to contain the conflict behind closed doors failed, however. By Thursday evening, the San Fernando East constituency executive released its own public statement via Facebook, pushing back aggressively against Manning’s allegations. The executive noted that it normally adheres to longstanding party norms that keep internal disagreements within party structures, but argued that Manning’s actions had left it no choice but to respond publicly. It pointed specifically to Manning’s choice to name Alexis directly, repeat what it called unproven damaging claims, and push for a public judgment on a matter that was already under active review by the national party leadership, which it said demanded a forceful response.

    The executive pushed back against any implication that it avoids transparency or accountability, countering that Alexis has already fully cooperated with the ongoing internal investigation, voluntarily submitted to the party’s processes, and declined to use media influence to sway the inquiry’s outcome. The executive confirmed that the national party had already assembled a formal investigative team with clear, approved terms of reference. That team has already held interviews with Manning, Alexis, and witnesses from both sides of the dispute, and has submitted a full report of its findings and policy recommendations to the PNM leadership and General Council. The executive confirmed that party leadership is currently moving forward with implementing the report’s recommendations.

    In a sharp rebuke of Manning, the executive claimed the MP has only been willing to accept an internal investigation that operates on his own personal terms. “Personal preference is not proof of unfairness,” the statement read, adding that “He cannot demand due process while publicly undermining that process because it is not proceeding exclusively on his terms.”

    The executive also accused Manning of reviving old, unproven allegations first circulated by the opposition United National Congress — claims that have never been validated by any public factual finding — to question Alexis’ and the executive’s collective integrity. The statement called this tactic “dangerous and profoundly irresponsible,” noting that “A disclaimer cannot erase the reputational damage caused by calculated innuendo.”

    The executive reminded the public that back in November 2024, the large majority of its local party groups and the full executive endorsed Manning as the PNM candidate for the 2025 general election. “The same executive whose support was welcomed when it secured his nomination cannot suddenly become untrustworthy because it refuses to surrender its independence,” the statement said.

    Turning to electoral performance, the executive noted that the PNM won the San Fernando East seat by a comfortable 5,173-vote margin in the 2020 general election. After a full recount in the 2025 contest, that majority collapsed to just 673 votes. While the executive acknowledged that broader national political shifts contributed to this decline, it urged Manning to examine his own performance as a representative and local party leader, rather than shifting blame to local party members who helped him hold the seat. “A leader confronted by that level of electoral decline should begin with introspection and not scapegoating the volunteers and officers who helped him retain his seat,” it said.

    The executive pushed back on Manning’s calls for open democratic process, questioning why he refuses to allow the PNM’s own internal democratic structures and membership judgment to run their course. “Is the real concern that, without the support of the current executive he now attacks, his own political standing may be considerably less secure than he wishes to admit?” the statement asked. It emphasized that democracy does not require members to only accept a process when they control its terms or are guaranteed a favorable outcome.

    In one of the most pointed segments of the statement, the executive referenced the legacy of Patrick Manning, the late iconic PNM leader and former MP for San Fernando East, who is Brian Manning’s father. “The late honourable Patrick Manning’s legacy was earned through discipline, service, accessibility and performance. That legacy cannot be reduced to a surname, nor can it be used as a shield against accountability. Heritage is not a substitute for leadership,” it read.

    The executive closed by reiterating its commitment to the PNM’s internal processes: it does not claim to be perfect, nor does it seek to shield any member from legitimate scrutiny, and it has fully cooperated with the national leadership’s investigation, a commitment it says will continue. “What we will not accept, is the use of mischievous political allegations to discredit our members or divert attention from failures of representation and leadership,” the statement concluded. “San Fernando East is greater than any one officeholder, personality or surname. Our responsibility remains service to the people, loyalty to the Party and respect for the democratic institutions upon which the People’s National Movement was built.”

  • HDC $191m project faces scrutiny

    HDC $191m project faces scrutiny

    A $191 million state-led housing development earmarked for one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most violent gang-controlled areas has been thrown into chaos and scrutiny, after a sitting cabinet minister publicly questioned the integrity of its procurement process and the fundamental wisdom of building residential units in the high-risk zone. Phillip Edward Alexander, Minister in the Ministry of Housing, laid out a series of damning questions during a press briefing held on the paused construction site at Citrus Close, Laventille, a piece of territory long contested by rival gangs from Beetham and Laventille. This plot, previously owned by the Citrus Growers Association, is classified by local law enforcement as a “hot zone” for ongoing violent gang conflict, a context Alexander says makes the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration’s decision to proceed with housing development deeply irresponsible. Under the previous PNM government, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) advanced plans to build 10 multi-unit structures holding a total of 191 apartments at the site, awarding the main construction contract to Wood Green Construction Services for $191.275 million. The bidding process, however, raises immediate red flags: Alexander confirmed that two firms, Wood Green and Rainbow Construction, made it to the final tender round, with Rainbow submitting a bid of just $137.244 million – a full $54 million lower than the winning offer from Wood Green. Initially, the contract was awarded to the lower-bidding Rainbow, but the HDC’s own Procurement and Disposal Advisory Committee reversed that decision and handed the work to the more expensive Wood Green. In a May 2024 letter obtained by Alexander and addressed to the Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR), Rainbow formally challenged the revised award, arguing that awarding the contract to a bidder $54 million more expensive constituted blatant public fund waste and unauthorized overspending. The letter was submitted during the mandatory standstill period after the contract award, and the OPR promised to launch a formal investigation within a year of receiving the complaint. Now, two years after that pledge of inquiry, Alexander says no findings or conclusions have been released, pointing to what he calls a suspicious double standard from the regulator that is currently far more active in scrutinizing HDC operations today than it was when this alleged irregularity was reported. Compounding the procurement concerns are questions about the project’s broader viability and safety. Alexander argues that building residential units in an active gang conflict hot zone puts future residents at unnecessary, severe risk of violence. He also questioned the project’s economic logic, noting that development costs are drastically out of line with local land values in the area. Per Alexander’s calculations, the per-unit cost is so high that the units cannot be sold at a price that recoups public investment; if rented instead, it would take taxpayers more than two centuries to recover the full $191 million outlay. As of the press conference, all construction work at the site has been halted, and Alexander confirmed that the current government has no clear path forward for the stalled development, leaving the project’s future entirely up in the air. Local media outlet the Express attempted to reach Wood Green Construction Services for comment via contact information listed on the firm’s official Facebook page, but has not received any response to requests for statement as of publication.

  • Rehan earns ten CAPE Grade Ones

    Rehan earns ten CAPE Grade Ones

    For 18-year-old Rehan Ali, an extraordinary academic feat of earning ten top grades in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) was not born solely from cramming or endless study marathons. Instead, the recent Naparima College graduate, who is set to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a doctor at The University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine this September, credits his success to a deliberate combination of intellectual curiosity, consistent discipline, and intentional strategies to avoid academic burnout.

    Over his two years in Form Six, Ali sat for ten CAPE examinations and walked away with all-A profiles in nine subjects, spanning a diverse range of disciplines from Biology, Chemistry, and Physics to Building and Mechanical Engineering Drawing (BMED), Caribbean Studies, and Communication Studies. In an exclusive interview with local outlet Express on Thursday, he opened up about the structured, intentional preparation routine that carried him to this outstanding outcome.

    Rather than overwhelming himself by attempting to master every subject at once, Ali adopted a paced approach: he focused on one subject per day, working steadily through the official syllabus before supplementing his in-class learning with additional resources. These included advanced textbooks, educational YouTube tutorials, modern artificial intelligence study tools, and one-on-one guidance from his experienced teachers. Ali emphasized that setting small, achievable daily goals was the foundation of his consistent progress, rather than relying on last-minute cramming ahead of exams. He also urged future CAPE candidates to center conceptual understanding over rote memorization, a habit he cultivated by constantly asking “why” whenever he learned new material to deepen his grasp of core ideas.

    Ali did not shy away from sharing the challenges he faced along the way. The jump in academic workload from the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) to CAPE was far steeper than many students expect, and during his first CAPE unit, Ali came dangerously close to full mental burnout. It was his inherent passion for the natural sciences that pulled him through the slump, he explained. “My passion for the natural sciences made learning less of a chore and genuinely interesting, and I’d definitely advise students to choose subjects they enjoy,” he noted. “If it wasn’t for that sense of curiosity and interest, studying consistently would have become extremely difficult.”

    Even with his love of science, two subjects stood out as particularly grueling: BMED and Caribbean Studies. Ali recalled that these two courses demanded far more time and dedication than any of his other subjects, bringing moments of frustration and self-doubt along the way. Of all his accomplishments, he says achieving a distinction in Caribbean Studies means the most to him, as the high-volume, conceptually distinct subject pushed him further than he expected. The reward of a top grade after months of hard work made the effort all the more fulfilling.

    Determined not to repeat the burnout risk he faced in Unit One, Ali redesigned his approach for Unit Two to prioritize work-life balance over nonstop studying. He remained an active member of multiple school clubs, competed on Naparima College’s badminton and swimming teams, and carved out regular time for family, friends, video games, and casual social gatherings to recharge outside of academics. Even with these healthy outlets, exam season still brought moments of overwhelm, but Ali stayed motivated by two core goals: making his family proud and advancing toward his medical career. Ultimately, he says his greatest drive came from an internal desire to test his own limits and see what he could achieve with his full effort.

    To hit that goal, Ali made intentional sacrifices, cutting back on time spent gaming and scrolling through social media to free up space for his studies. He also developed a simple mindset trick to manage pre-exam anxiety: before every test, he reminded himself that once he had prepared as thoroughly as possible, he could not ask any more of himself. “I told myself that if I felt that I prepared as best as I could, there was nothing more that I could do, as I cannot do better than my best,” he explained. This perspective kept exam-night anxiety in check and eliminated post-test regret, letting him move forward to his next exam with clarity.

    Looking back on his seven years at Naparima College, Ali says the institution shaped him far beyond his academic transcript. Beyond classroom learning, the school taught him the value of community service, collaborative teamwork, and intentional time management, and connected him with lifelong friends who pushed him to aim higher. “I cannot select a single favourite memory, but I will miss the fun, interactive classes, the teachers, the clubs and the sports teams that I was a part of during my seven years at Naparima College,” he said.

    Ali was quick to credit his support network for making his success possible. He singled out his parents, Hafiz and Laura Ali, and his sister Saheli, who made significant personal sacrifices to support his academic journey, helping him stay focused while recognizing when he needed rest and emotional support. He also expressed deep gratitude to his teachers, who dedicated extra time and effort to support his learning beyond their required duties. “I attribute a large portion of my success to them, as well as my teachers and my school,” he said.

    In a joint statement, Hafiz and Laura Ali said they beamed with pride not just for their son’s academic achievements, but for the person he has become. “We are so very proud of Rehan, and by that I mean not only his achievements but, more importantly, the person,” they said. “His determination to succeed is nothing short of remarkable. He has always been a very curious child, always wanting to know ‘why’ and challenging every answer. It is a blessing and a joy to witness his determination, growth, development and commitment to achieving his goals, while remaining caring, humble and always offering to help and support those near and dear to him.”

  • NGC ‘broken’ before board took office

    NGC ‘broken’ before board took office

    When the new board of directors took the reins of Trinidad and Tobago’s National Gas Company (NGC) in July 2025, the state-owned energy firm was in critical financial disrepair. Six months later, what once looked like a failing enterprise has emerged as one of the country’s fastest-rotating revenue wheels, capping 2025 with the strongest full-year financial results the company has recorded in more than 10 years.

    The game-changing results were officially unveiled this week at a presentation of NGC’s 2025 summary consolidated financial statements, held at Port of Spain’s Hyatt Regency Trinidad, where NGC Chairman Gerald Ramdeen walked stakeholders through the dramatic reversal of fortune. For the 12 months ending December 31, 2025, the company posted a $3.46 billion profit after tax – a 111% jump from the $1.64 billion profit recorded in 2024. Key performance metrics across the board also saw remarkable improvement: return on assets doubled from 4% to 8%, while return on equity climbed from 7% to 13% as the company strengthened its balance sheet with higher total assets, expanded equity reserves, increased cash holdings and a reduced gearing ratio. Adjusted EBITDA margin hit a solid 24%, reflecting broad-based operational improvement alongside the financial rebound.

    Ramdeen detailed the combination of aggressive structural reforms and targeted operational fixes that delivered the rapid turnaround. When the new leadership stepped in, annual operating expenses hit $1.7 billion – nearly matching the entire $1.6 billion annual profit the company had generated the year prior, creating an unsustainable financial model that left the company essentially broken. Within just six months, the new board cut more than $500 million in annual operating expenses, establishing a far leaner, more efficient operating base that Ramdeen says will deliver recurring annual benefits for years to come.

    Beyond cost cutting, the company overhauled its financial and commercial practices to address long-standing mismanagement. A 24-inch cross-country pipeline, which had sat idle for four and a half years and cost the country an estimated $1.5 billion in lost revenue, was fully repaired within six months of the new board taking office. Leadership also tightened foreign exchange and credit policies, ending a more than two-year informal overdraft of over US$100 million extended to a private downstream customer. That customer had previously paid for gas in Trinidad and Tobago dollars, even as NGC was forced to purchase that same supply from upstream providers in US dollars – an arrangement that created constant currency pressure on the company’s balance sheet, a practice Ramdeen confirmed has been permanently ended.

    The turnaround effort also benefited from unprecedented cross-government collaboration, Ramdeen noted. Close coordination between NGC, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, the Ministry of Finance, and the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago cleared regulatory and financial bottlenecks that had hampered progress for years. “The synergy that exists today between the different departments of Government, the regulator of the financial system and the Ministry of Energy is like nothing that has ever been done before in this country,” Ramdeen told attendees.

    Ramdeen added that the company also shifted its recruitment strategy to bring in new leadership aligned with the firm’s updated strategic vision, a change that helped rebuild commercial and operational momentum across the entire natural gas value chain. He attributed the strong 2025 results to three core drivers: higher revenue from natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas liquids (NGL) operations; deep structural cost containment; and positive valuation adjustments for the company’s asset base. “The year marked a transformation in how the group created and protected value, allocated capital and managed performance,” he said.

    Far from viewing the turnaround as a finished project, Ramdeen framed the 2025 results as just the first step in a broader expansion strategy that will reposition NGC as a fully integrated energy player across the entire value chain. For decades, NGC has operated primarily as a midstream gas firm focused on transporting and processing natural gas. Under the new vision, the company will build a major presence across upstream exploration and production, retain its core midstream operations, and expand into downstream energy markets.

    The ultimate goal, Ramdeen said, is to reestablish NGC as the leading energy company not only in Trinidad and Tobago, but across the Caribbean and Latin America – a target the leadership intends to hit within its current term. The company is already on the cusp of major strategic decisions that will reshape the country’s energy sector for coming generations, he added, with plans to solidify NGC’s position as the country’s top contributor to government revenue. “We have only started; the work has just begun,” Ramdeen said.