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  • Shaveesa Gasper Among Seven Delegates Unveiled for Queen of Carnival 2026 Competition

    Shaveesa Gasper Among Seven Delegates Unveiled for Queen of Carnival 2026 Competition

    One of the most anticipated annual cultural events in Antigua and Barbuda, the iconic Queen of Carnival Competition, has taken a major step forward with the official reveal of its 2026 competitor lineup. Event organizers have confirmed seven delegates who will compete for the prestigious crown, with the 2026 edition centered around the evocative theme “Rhythm of a Queen: The Beat of Her Journey.”

    This public announcement comes after a rigorous multi-stage selection process, where organizers evaluated hundreds of aspiring contestants to narrow down the final field of contenders vying for one of the Caribbean nation’s most celebrated carnival titles. Each of the seven finalists brings a unique background, skill set, and personal story to the competition.

    The 2026 lineup opens with Denesha Samuel, an alumna of Clare Hall Secondary School who identifies as an outgoing extrovert and one half of an identical twin pair. Next is Kenesha James, a graduate of Antigua State College who continued her higher education at the University of the West Indies; James counts open-water swimming among her greatest passions, with a deep lifelong connection to the ocean. Queenela Williams, another Antigua State College graduate, has a strong creative streak, having once designed and built a wearable top entirely out of fresh live flowers for an art project. St. Anthony’s Secondary School graduate Christine Powell developed a self-taught knack for garment design and sewing, building her craft through independent practice and experimentation.

    Rounding out the field are three additional competitors with distinct interests: Shaveesa Gasper, a graduate of Jamaica’s Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts who is well-known for her love of coastal living and coconut culture; Aaliyah Taylor, an alumna of Florida International University who previously competed in the Junior Calypso Competition under the performance alias “Singing Lily;” and Zaine Frederick, a graduate of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus and an avid basketball fan who publicly supports NBA superstar LeBron James.

    Organizers emphasized that the 2026 cohort reflects a rich diversity of talents, backgrounds, and personal interests that align with the competition’s core mission. A staple of Antigua Carnival for decades, the Queen of Carnival Competition is far more than a beauty pageant: it offers emerging young leaders a platform to demonstrate their critical thinking, creative vision, performance skill, and command of a live audience.

    In the months leading up to the main competition, the seven delegates will take part in a full slate of community engagements, public appearances, and pre-event activities designed to prepare them for the final showdown. As planning for the 2026 Antigua Carnival continues, organizers noted that further details regarding competition scheduling, event locations, and ticket information will be released to the public in the coming weeks.

  • OPINION: Antigua and Barbuda Lost For Good

    OPINION: Antigua and Barbuda Lost For Good

    The painful, centuries-long dispossession of Indigenous American peoples stands as one of the darkest chapters in Western hemisphere history. What began with the welcome of foreign settlers eventually ended in the systematic seizure of Native lands — through brute force, calculated deception, and the full endorsement of state governments controlled by the growing immigrant population. What followed was a cultural collapse: from the Trail of Tears, the deadly 1830s forced relocation under President Andrew Jackson that killed thousands of Indigenous people in winter’s freezing conditions, to the modern reality of reservations plagued by systemic poverty, rampant addiction, political corruption, underfunded education, elevated rates of violent crime, and persistent erasure of traditional identity. Today, Indigenous Americans face disproportionately high rates of mental illness, hold the lowest-waging jobs in their regions, and have largely faded from mainstream public consciousness, their once-vibrant cultures reduced to marginalized stereotypes. As the old adage warns: those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it. For the people of Antigua and Barbuda, this warning is not abstract history — it is an unfolding crisis that current leaders are ignoring, at the cost of the nation’s very identity.

  • Antigua Cup Promises Excitement, Talent Exposure

    Antigua Cup Promises Excitement, Talent Exposure

    Organized by the Young Warriors Football Club, one of Antigua’s leading grassroots soccer development groups, the highly anticipated third edition of the Antigua Cup International Youth Tournament is scheduled to take place between July 5 and 12, 2026. All matches will be hosted at the Buckley’s Primary School Playing Field, located in the quiet community of Buckley’s Village.

    Marketed as the most thrilling youth soccer showcase of the summer season, the Antigua Cup has built a strong regional and international reputation over its first two stagings, drawing competitive teams from both Antigua and overseas locations. As of the latest announcement from organizers, with 35 days remaining until the first match kicks off, dozens of squads have already locked in their spots across the tournament’s five core boys’ age divisions: under-9, under-11, under-13, under-15, and under-17.

    In a push to expand opportunities for female youth athletes, event planners have made targeted outreach a priority this year to grow participation in the newly expanded girls’ division, which will feature three age groups: under-11, under-15, and under-19.

    For clubs and youth teams interested in competing, the registration window for both boys’ and girls’ divisions remains open until June 15, when sign-ups will officially close. No late applications will be accepted after this deadline, according to the official statement from the organizing committee.

    In a formal press release shared by Young Warriors, club representatives noted, “We are thrilled to welcome another cohort of talented young players to Antigua for a full week of high-intensity, exciting football. This tournament is as much about giving emerging talent valuable exposure to elite competition as it is about celebrating the sport we love.”

    To reward outstanding performance, the organizing committee has put together a robust awards structure: the first-place, second-place, and third-place teams from every age group in both divisions will take home custom trophies. Beyond team honors, individual accolades will also be awarded to the standout goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, and top goal scorer in each age category.

    With the men’s FIFA World Cup set to get underway just months before the Antigua Cup, excitement is already building across Antigua and the wider Caribbean region. Young local players and visiting squads alike are already gearing up to test their skills on the pitch, tapping into the global buzz surrounding the world’s biggest soccer event to fuel their preparation for the tournament.

  • Constructive Dismissal: Employees Must Know Their Rights

    Constructive Dismissal: Employees Must Know Their Rights

    For months, workers across multiple workplaces have been quietly coming forward with alarming accounts of unfair, hostile treatment on the job. Far too many suffer in silence, held back by a widespread misconception: that only formal termination by an employer leaves workers eligible for legal protection. This harmful misunderstanding leaves vulnerable employees stuck between enduring abuse and giving up any chance of legal recourse – but this is not how employment law actually works.

    A little-known but well-established legal principle called constructive dismissal exists to address exactly these scenarios. Under this framework, if an employer’s behavior creates a working environment so unbearable, demeaning, hostile or fundamentally unfair that a worker has no real choice but to resign, the law can recognize that forced resignation as equivalent to an unlawful employer dismissal. This is not some untested theoretical concept: it has been firmly codified through binding industrial court precedent.

    The 2012 landmark case *Wayne Weaver v St. James’s Club*, case reference 35, laid out clear, enduring legal standards that define when a constructive dismissal claim is valid. The court ruled that four conditions must be met for a claim to hold: first, the employer’s actions must show they have no intention of upholding their end of the employment contract; second, that their behavior has severely undermined or completely destroyed the core contractual employment relationship; third, that the worker’s decision to resign is directly caused by the employer’s unacceptable conduct; and fourth, that the worker does not continue in their role for so long after the problematic behavior that this could be interpreted as acceptance of the unfair treatment.

    These established legal guidelines fill a critical gap in worker protection, because many employees still do not understand that an employer can effectively end an employment relationship without ever issuing a formal termination letter. A wide range of common workplace abuses qualify as potential grounds for a constructive dismissal claim. These include repeated bullying and harassment, public humiliation, arbitrary demotion without cause, unapproved cuts to pay, targeting workers for retaliation after they file formal complaints, unfair disciplinary action, sudden unilateral changes to core terms of employment, and any behavior that erodes or destroys the mutual trust and confidence required for an employment relationship.

    In many reported cases, workers face tactics explicitly designed to push them into resigning voluntarily: constant threats of termination, unfair targeting after they speak up about wrongdoing, deliberate social and professional isolation in the workplace, and pressure to resign to avoid the employer facing liability for an unfair dismissal claim.

    For employers, this legal framework carries an important reminder: while managerial authority is a standard part of business operations, that authority is not unlimited. All workplace decisions and actions must be carried out fairly, reasonably, and in full alignment with national labour codes, foundational principles of natural justice, and widely accepted good practices for industrial relations.

    For employees considering filing a constructive dismissal claim, there is a key caveat: these claims depend heavily on solid evidence to succeed. Workers who experience persistent unfair or hostile treatment are therefore advised to systematically document all relevant incidents, preserve all work-related correspondence, take detailed notes of any relevant meetings, and consult an experienced employment law professional before moving forward with resignation.

  • LISTEN: Senator Shoul Says Wehner Is on His ‘Hit List’ After Observer Radio Interview

    LISTEN: Senator Shoul Says Wehner Is on His ‘Hit List’ After Observer Radio Interview

    A fresh political feud has erupted in Antigua and Barbuda’s Senate following a contentious parliamentary walkout last week, with a ruling party senator declaring a first-term opposition legislator has landed himself on his political “hit list” after public criticism of the governing administration and the Senate’s top official.

    Government senator Philip Shoul recently opened up about the falling-out during an on-air discussion on local outlet Pointe FM, explaining that he initially extended an olive branch to new opposition Senator Jonathan Wehner when the rookie lawmaker took up his post. Shoul said he had been willing to give Wehner space to find his footing as a first-term parliamentarian, even encouraging him to carve out an independent political identity. “I looked across the aisle and I said to him, ‘Do me a favor. I’m really happy that you’re here. You’re young. You have a lot of potential. Be your own man,’” Shoul recalled of his initial outreach.

    That goodwill, however, evaporated within hours of Wehner’s swearing-in ceremony, according to Shoul. The new opposition senator appeared on local Observer Radio that same afternoon, where he delivered sharp public rebukes of the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) and Senate President Alincia Williams-Grant. Wehner later joined other opposition lawmakers in walking out of the parliamentary session, part of a larger protest over a procedural dispute involving Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle, who attempted to participate in a joint sitting before completing his required oath of allegiance.

    Shoul argues that Wehner’s choice to publicly criticize Williams-Grant – the same Senate president he will have to work with for the duration of his term – was a unnecessary and unwise misstep. The public attack, he said, has completely changed his approach to the young politician. “You know, if this young man had one ounce of sense, right? Because I also know right now he’s on my hit list. That’s what I say right now,” Shoul stated firmly.

    Previously, Shoul said he had planned to hold back from challenging Wehner during his first major address to the Senate, a common courtesy extended to new parliamentarians making their maiden parliamentary contributions. But that plan is now off the table, he confirmed. “I had planned to leave him in his maiden presentation, right? Just leave him alone. But I’m not going to do it,” he added.

    Beyond the procedural dispute, Shoul also pushed back against Wehner’s recent criticism of the ABLP administration’s budget estimates, dismissing the opposition lawmaker’s comments as uninformed. “He talks about budget estimates — that’s his favorite word. He doesn’t understand what a budget estimate is,” Shoul claimed.

    The latest exchange of barbs marks a deepening of the political tensions that grew out of last week’s walkout, which has already sparked an ongoing war of words between government and opposition figures over how parliamentary proceedings were handled during the opening session.

  • Govt expands hurricane strap programme to strengthen roofs

    Govt expands hurricane strap programme to strengthen roofs

    As climate change drives more rapid and extreme storm intensification across the Atlantic, the government of Barbados is moving to scale up a life-saving public initiative designed to strengthen residential infrastructure against hurricane-force winds. The free hurricane strap installation program, which has already improved the structural resilience of more than 2,000 Barbadian households, has drawn $300,000 in government funding since its launch in November 2022, Minister of Home Affairs and Information Gregory Nicholls confirmed during Monday’s 2026 Atlantic hurricane season outlook event.

    The program is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Home Affairs, which leads national disaster preparedness strategy, and the Ministry of Housing, Lands, and Maintenance. Nicholls emphasized that the initiative targets vulnerable homeowners who lack the financial means or access to purchase and install the critical roof-securing hardware themselves, while wealthier households are still encouraged to source the straps independently if they are able.

    “Every carpenter, builder, and contractor in the industry will confirm how critical roof strapping is to holding a structure together during severe storms,” Nicholls said. “Our goal is to build resilience from the ground up, starting at the individual homeowner level. For those who cannot afford this protection, we are delivering it for free. Trained teams are still available across the island to complete installations for qualifying homeowners who have yet to access the program.”

    To expand reach and public participation, Nicholls announced a new public awareness partnership between the Government Information Service and the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), aimed at educating more Barbadians about the program’s benefits and eligibility requirements.

    Alongside highlighting the program, Nicholls raised pointed concerns about shifting residential construction trends that have weakened Barbados’ overall hurricane preparedness. For decades, Barbadian home design favored gable-shaped roofs with wide overhangs, engineered to redirect air pressure evenly across a structure during high winds, reducing the risk of roof lift or structural failure. In recent decades, however, many modern home builders have abandoned this proven design, creating new stock of housing that is far more vulnerable to damage during intense storms.

    Nicholls framed the strap program as one core component of a broader government strategy to reverse this trend and boost household-level resilience across the island. The initiative has grown increasingly urgent as meteorologists document a troubling new pattern of rapid storm intensification, a trend that leaves communities with far less time to prepare for extreme weather. Barbados Meteorological Services director Sabu Best has previously observed that tropical storms that were once days from strengthening can now jump to Category 5 intensity in just 24 hours – a rate of intensification rarely seen in previous decades.

    While the government acknowledges it cannot make every home on the island completely impervious to hurricane damage, Nicholls stressed that proactive investment in small, low-cost upgrades like roof strapping will drastically reduce casualty and damage totals when the next major storm makes landfall. “We cannot stop intense hurricanes from forming, but we can take concrete action today to protect our people and their homes,” he added.

  • WATCH: 41-Year-Old British-Antiguan Whylee O’Brien Attains Combat Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt

    WATCH: 41-Year-Old British-Antiguan Whylee O’Brien Attains Combat Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt

    For 41-year-old British-Antiguan Whylee O’Brien, a years-long journey of grueling training, unshakable discipline, and relentless commitment has reached a historic milestone: the award of a Combat Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Hailing from New Winthropes Village, O’Brien’s hard-won achievement has sparked widespread celebration across his tight-knit family and the broader Antiguan community, who have long watched him pursue this goal with steady determination.
    O’Brien carries a legacy of excellence in his family lineage: he is the great-grandson of the late Mary Henry, a beloved community figure known affectionately to many as “Mem”, and the nephew of celebrated Antiguan writer William Henry. His historic black belt win adds a notable new chapter to a family tradition defined by resilience, dedication, and outstanding achievement across generations.
    Earning a black belt stands as one of the most respected and challenging milestones in global martial arts, demanding far more than just elite physical technique. Candidates must cultivate exceptional mental fortitude, rigorous self-discipline, unwavering focus, and a deep-rooted respect for the art, their training partners, and their instructors. Over more than a decade of consistent practice, O’Brien has embodied all of these core values, turning in thousands of hours of mat work to refine his skills and push past personal and physical obstacles.
    Family members who have supported O’Brien throughout his journey describe him as naturally focused, tirelessly hardworking, and unwaveringly determined—traits that allowed him to push through setbacks and stay aligned with his long-term goal of reaching black belt status. His accomplishment does more than mark a personal victory: it serves as a powerful reminder of how consistent discipline and patient effort can unlock extraordinary results, even for the most ambitious goals.
    At a moment when young people across Antigua and Barbuda crave relatable, grounded positive role models, O’Brien’s journey stands out as a source of widespread inspiration. His success proves that with sustained commitment, patience, and a willingness to put in daily work, even the most daunting personal goals are within reach.
    The milestone has filled his family, friends, and long-time supporters with immense collective pride, all of whom have followed his growth from a new martial arts student to a black belt credentialed practitioner. As he accepts this well-earned recognition, O’Brien stands as a powerful testament to the raw talent and untapped potential of young people across Antigua and Barbuda.
    His family has issued a public statement extending warm congratulations to O’Brien on claiming this prestigious honor, and expressing their excitement to see what he achieves next in both his martial arts career and personal pursuits outside the dojo. O’Brien and his family also extended special public recognition and deepest gratitude to his long-time trainer, Kevin O’Hagan, whose guidance and mentorship were instrumental to reaching this milestone. In the end, O’Brien’s achievement is not just a personal win—it is a moment of national pride for the entire Antiguan community.

  • Cancer Centre Could Open by End of June, Health Minister Says

    Cancer Centre Could Open by End of June, Health Minister Says

    Antigua and Barbuda’s first dedicated, in-country cancer treatment centre is on track to welcome its first patients by the end of June, the nation’s Health Minister Michael Joseph has announced, a development poised to cut heavy government spending on overseas medical care and expand life-saving access for local residents.

    Speaking during an interview with Pointe FM’s popular current affairs show *On Pointe*, Minister Joseph emphasized that advancing the long-delayed launch of the facility has become a top priority for his ministry, as the government continues to face crippling annual costs from sending patients abroad for life-sustaining cancer care.

    “When the project was brought forward for discussion in Cabinet, I was given a clear timeline: the centre will be ready to open by the end of June,” Joseph told listeners.

    The minister shared new details highlighting just how pressing the need for a local treatment hub has become, revealing that in the past two weeks alone, his government has approved roughly $200,000 in public assistance to cover treatment costs for Antiguan and Barbudan cancer patients receiving care in Colombia.

    “Going over the approval protocols, I signed off on around $200,000 in just the last fortnight to support people currently undergoing treatment outside our borders,” he explained.

    Those staggering short-term costs underscore the urgent need to bring cancer care home, Joseph argued. When extrapolated over a full year, even the two-week spending figure illustrates how much public funding could be redirected to other critical healthcare needs once the centre is operational.

    “If we can deliver most of these treatments right here at home, we can cut those massive outbound expenses significantly,” he noted.

    Beyond easing the government’s fiscal burden, the in-country centre will remove major barriers to care for local residents, many of whom face additional stress and logistical challenges from having to travel abroad for treatment, away from their families and support systems.

    Looking ahead, the facility also has the potential to expand access to cancer care across the entire region, Joseph said. Eventually, the centre could accept patients from other member nations of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), extending its public health impact far beyond Antigua and Barbuda’s borders.

    The cancer centre is just one of several transformative healthcare projects the Ministry of Health is currently advancing, the minister added. Other key initiatives in the pipeline include the development of a new cardiac care unit and major expansions to the country’s public mental health services. For the coming months, however, launching the cancer treatment hub remains the ministry’s top near-term objective.

  • Margaret Price Findlay appointed the 14th Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

    Margaret Price Findlay appointed the 14th Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

    The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) has made a historic official announcement: His Majesty King Charles III, via formal letters patent, has named Her Ladyship the Honourable Madam Margaret Price Findlay as the 14th Chief Justice of the regional judicial body. The appointment is scheduled to take effect on April 9, 2026.

    Findlay will step into the top judicial role after a decades-long distinguished career spanning legal practice and judicial service across the Eastern Caribbean sub-region. Her career has been widely recognized for its consistent adherence to robust legal reasoning, exemplary public service, and an unshakable commitment to upholding equal justice for all communities in the region.

    As Chief Justice, Findlay will assume core responsibilities for strategic judicial leadership and comprehensive administrative oversight of the ECSC. The court serves a total of nine jurisdictions under the umbrella of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS): six fully independent member states and three British Overseas Territories.

    This appointment is far more than a routine leadership transition: it represents a landmark milestone for the ECSC and the broader Eastern Caribbean region in advancing judicial excellence, deepening cross-jurisdictional regional cooperation, and strengthening the foundation of the rule of law across the sub-region. Findlay’s ascent to the highest judicial office in the region is a direct reflection of her extraordinary long-term contributions to the regional judiciary and her proven track record of dedicated service to both justice and regional integration.

    Leadership of the ECSC has expressed full confidence that under Findlay’s stewardship, the court will continue to uphold and advance the highest standards of judicial integrity, excellence, and adaptive innovation to meet the evolving legal needs of the region.

  • State-owned Morgue Among Health Ministry Priorities, Joseph Reveals

    State-owned Morgue Among Health Ministry Priorities, Joseph Reveals

    In a recent public address on Pointe FM’s current affairs program *On Pointe*, Health Minister Michael Joseph has outlined a key infrastructure initiative aimed at overhauling the nation’s healthcare system: the establishment and operationalization of the country’s first dedicated public morgue, paired with a fully functional new autopsy suite. For years, the government has been forced to rely on private funeral homes to store deceased individuals awaiting post-mortem examination or burial, a arrangement that has steadily drained public health funds. According to Joseph, the new public facility will eliminate these recurring, unplanned expenditures, freeing up critical budget allocations that can be redirected to underfunded, high-priority areas of the healthcare sector. The minister emphasized that the morgue project is just one piece of a broader, multi-pronged strategy by the Ministry of Health to boost system-wide efficiency, optimize the use of limited public resources, and expand access to essential care services. Beyond the morgue and autopsy suite, the ministry is currently advancing several other transformative healthcare projects, including the upcoming opening of a dedicated cancer treatment center, long-term development plans for a new cardiac care unit, expanded access to community mental health services, and the construction of a specialized cognitive behavioral treatment center. As of the minister’s announcement, no official timeline has been released for the completion and opening of the new public morgue.