A 24-year-old man facing a murder charge, Jermaine Nicholas, has been hospitalized for urgent medical care after what is widely reported to be a suicide attempt behind bars at His Majesty’s Prison. Information about the incident began circulating publicly this Sunday, confirming that prison staff first responded to the emergency before rushing the accused to an outside medical facility. As of the latest updates, government and prison authorities have not released any official statement confirming the details of the event or disclosing Nicholas’ current health status. The case against Nicholas dates back to a fatal stabbing incident on March 25, which claimed the life of 29-year-old Jahmarley Pierre close to the All Saints traffic intersection. According to official police allegations, the violent confrontation between the two men unfolded just after 5 p.m. that day. Pierre was immediately transported to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre for emergency care, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries at the facility. Following his initial court appearance in connection with Pierre’s death, Nicholas was remanded into full custody at His Majesty’s Prison. The defendant, who lists his address as Ovals, All Saints, was formally denied bail. Under the local judicial system, magistrates lack the legal jurisdiction to grant bail in first-degree murder cases, leaving the accused to await further procedural steps in custody. Nicholas is currently scheduled to reappear at court for upcoming committal proceedings, which will determine if his case will move forward to a full trial. As of press time, the prison administration and national law enforcement agencies have not shared any official comment to confirm or clarify details surrounding the reported in-custody medical emergency.
作者： admin
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Martinique joins CARICOM
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has expanded its roster of associate members, marking a new milestone in the regional bloc’s decades-long integration project. Martinique has formally joined as the seventh associate member of the bloc, with its membership taking full effect on June 16, 2026.
The path to Martinique’s accession stretches back more than a year. In February 2025, regional leaders signed the agreement granting Martinique associate membership status. The process reached its final stage in June 2026, when the Government of the French Republic officially submitted the required Instrument of Accession to CARICOM. This step also cleared the legal hurdle for the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of CARICOM to enter into force, removing all remaining barriers to Martinique’s formal admission.
With its new status confirmed, Martinique is now set to take part in the Fifty-first Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, scheduled to run from July 5 to 8 in Saint Lucia. This participation will give the new associate member an early voice in shaping the regional bloc’s ongoing policy and cooperation priorities.
To understand the significance of this expansion, it is important to contextualize CARICOM’s history and mission. Founded on July 4, 1973, through the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, the regional community revised its founding agreement in 2001 to lay the groundwork for a unified single market and economy. Prior to Martinique’s admission, the bloc counted 15 full member states and six associate members, serving a total population of roughly 16 million people. Notably, 60% of CARICOM’s population is under the age of 30, giving the bloc a distinctly young demographic profile.
CARICOM’s work is structured around four core pillars: deepening economic integration across the region, coordinating collective foreign policy for member states, advancing human and social development, and strengthening cross-border security cooperation. The bloc’s overarching vision is to build a unified, inclusive, and resilient community powered by knowledge, innovation, excellence, and productivity. It aims to stand as a competitive, cohesive force in the global economy, where every citizen enjoys security, equal access to opportunity, guaranteed human rights, and social justice, and can share in the community’s collective economic, social, and cultural prosperity.
Widely recognized as one of the most successful examples of regional integration among developing nations, CARICOM maintains its central administrative body, the CARICOM Secretariat, headquartered in Georgetown, Guyana. Martinique’s admission is the latest step in the bloc’s gradual expansion, reflecting ongoing demand for deeper cooperation across the Caribbean region.
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CARICOM Road Run/Walk celebrates Caribbean unity as Dominica delivers strong performances
On Sunday, July 5, the coastal town of Gros Islet, Saint Lucia played host to the 19th edition of the CARICOM Road Run/Walk, a landmark regional athletic event that brought over 250 competitors spanning 15 Caribbean countries and territories together. Held as an official pre-meeting activity for the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM – running July 5 to 8 under the chairmanship of Saint Lucia Prime Minister and CARICOM Chair Philip J. Pierre – the event served as both a celebration of Caribbean athletic excellence and a demonstration of cross-border regional unity.
Competitors ranging from professional elite athletes to amateur recreational runners took to the course, with standout performances from athletes across the bloc. In the highly competitive Elite 10K Men’s division, Jamaica’s Garfield Gordon claimed the top spot and the prestigious CARICOM Chairman’s Trophy, followed by Odida Parkinson of Guyana in second and Kamar Thomas of Antigua and Barbuda in third. For the Elite 10K Women’s category, Barbados’ Carlie Robinson took home the CARICOM Secretary-General’s Trophy and first place honors, with Attoya Harvey of Guyana and Alexia John of Trinidad and Tobago rounding out the top three positions.
Representing the Commonwealth of Dominica, which officially dispatched its team through the national Ministry of Sports, two athletes delivered strong results that cemented the country’s growing profile in regional distance running. Curvin Leatham crossed the Elite 10K finish line in an impressive 37 minutes and 24 seconds, securing 7th place overall out of 309 competing athletes. In the Local 10K division, Raedian Felix posted a time of 43 minutes 25 seconds to earn 10th place among 65 runners, further boosting Dominica’s solid showing at the event.
In opening remarks ahead of the award ceremony, Saint Lucia’s Minister for Education, Youth Development, Sports and Digital Transformation Kenson Casimir – speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Pierre – framed the event as far more than a simple athletic competition. “This run/walk is more than a race. It is a celebration of health, discipline, unity, community spirit, and Caribbean friendship,” Casimir said. “It reminds us that CARICOM is not only about the meetings of Heads of Government, policy discussions and regional decisions. CARICOM is about people. It’s about athletes, our families, young people, our communities, and the shared Caribbean identity that connects us across borders. Today, every participant has contributed to that spirit. You are part of something meaningful. You have helped demonstrate the strength, energy and togetherness of our Caribbean Community.”
Beyond unity and athletic achievement, the event also advanced a critical public health priority for the Caribbean bloc. CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett highlighted that the Road Run/Walk aligns with the community’s ongoing campaign to address the sharp rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the region by encouraging regular physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits.
“Across our Community, we have a very high incidence of non-communicable diseases, and we know that healthier lifestyles make it easier for us to manage these conditions and to prevent them,” Barnett explained. “Our numbers are on the high side in terms of the incidence of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. I encourage everyone in the Community to continue to be active, to exercise and to live active lifestyles.”
The ceremony saw top honors presented by key regional leaders: Minister Casimir awarded the CARICOM Chairman’s Trophy and other elite men’s prizes, while Secretary-General Barnett presented the Secretary-General’s Trophy to the top female elite competitor. In attendance for the event were CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Armstrong Alexis, along with three Assistant Secretaries-General covering key portfolios: Alison Drayton for Human and Social Development, Elizabeth Solomon for Foreign and Community Relations, and Dr. Wendell Samuel for Economic Integration, Innovation and Development, alongside other senior CARICOM and Saint Lucian government officials.
The strong performances from Dominica’s Leatham and Felix added to the spirit of regional excellence that defined the 2024 event, underscoring the country’s ongoing commitment to expanding sports development and advancing public health priorities across the Caribbean Community.
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July 4: CARICOM Day as a Caribbean national holiday?
Five years after a public call to action was first published in Jamaica’s *Jamaica Gleaner*, Caribbean policymakers are once again being urged to revisit a long-overlooked question: why has CARICOM Day not been designated a universal national holiday across all member states of the Caribbean Community?
The date at the center of this discussion is 4 July 1973, when four trailblazing regional leaders — Errol Barrow of Barbados, Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Michael Manley of Jamaica, and Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago — gathered in Chaguaramas to sign the foundational Treaty of Chaguaramas. That historic agreement gave birth to the Caribbean Community, launching the most ambitious regional integration project ever undertaken by small developing states globally. Far from a trivial historical marker, this date marks the birth of the Caribbean regional identity, forging a shared community out of many distinct nations.
Public national holidays serve a purpose that extends far beyond honoring the past. They are deliberate tools for strengthening present-day social cohesion and shaping collective future identity. Across the world, key national observances from Independence Day to Emancipation Day give societies an opportunity to reaffirm shared core values, preserve collective collective memory, and nurture intergenerational belonging and continuity. These annual moments remind citizens not just of what happened on a historic date, but why it matters, and who they are as a connected people.
Today, the Caribbean Community holds a unique, contradictory position: it has built most of the structural attributes of a unified economic space, with shared regional institutions, a common legal heritage, interconnected educational systems, and an increasingly integrated single market. Yet it lacks a collective, simultaneous annual moment to celebrate the regional integration project that made all these achievements possible. Designating CARICOM Day as a universal public holiday would fill this critical gap in regional life.
Cohesive communities are built not just on geography and institutions, but on shared symbols, traditions and rituals. Long-term sustainability of any communal project relies on regular moments that let citizens see themselves as part of a shared undertaking. A universal CARICOM Day observance would create exactly this kind of moment. Instead of drawing a boundary on a map, it would carve out a shared space in time, setting aside one day each year for all Caribbean people to reflect on the regional integration project and the shared aspirations that continue to drive it forward.
Coincidentally, the 4 July date that marks CARICOM’s founding also aligns with the United States’ annual celebration of its 250th anniversary of independence this year. As Americans gather annually to mark the birth of their nation, Caribbean people have a ready-made opportunity on the same date to reflect on the birth and ongoing evolution of their own regional community.
The founding leaders who gathered in Chaguaramas half a century ago understood that regional integration would not be a quick project, but a multi-generational undertaking. The vision they launched has been carried forward by successive waves of regional leadership: P.J. Patterson, Basdeo Panday, Owen Arthur, and Bharrat Jagdeo advanced economic integration and strengthened regional institutions in the decades after founding, while contemporary leaders including Kenny Anthony, Patrick Manning, Ralph Gonsalves, and Mia Mottley have continued to champion cross-border cooperation, adapting the integration movement to meet 21st century challenges. CARICOM is not the achievement of one generation; it is a shared inheritance for all Caribbean people, past and future.
An annual regional holiday would give Caribbean people a regular chance to reflect both on how far the integration project has come, and how much work remains ahead. CARICOM has endured and matured through changing national governments, economic volatility, devastating natural disasters, and shifting global power dynamics. It has persisted because its core idea remains as compelling today as it was in 1973: that cooperation across diverse Caribbean nations, despite differing histories and ancestries, delivers greater welfare, security, and shared prosperity than any small state can achieve alone.
Two decades ago, the entry into force of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and the launch of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) marked a major milestone in the realization of that founding vision. Today, Caribbean nationals enjoy opportunities that were unimaginable to earlier generations: citizens can travel freely across member states, establish cross-border businesses, offer services across regional borders, pursue employment outside their home country, and invest across the Caribbean. The movement toward full free movement of all CARICOM nationals continues to advance, with each step reinforcing a simple, powerful truth: every citizen of a CARICOM member state is also a citizen of the wider Caribbean Community. The CARICOM passport stands as a visible, powerful symbol of that shared identity.
Regional integration institutions have also become one of the Caribbean’s greatest collective strengths. The University of the West Indies has educated generations of regional leaders, scholars, professionals, and public servants. The Caribbean Examinations Council offers qualifications recognized across the region and around the globe. The Caribbean Development Bank has financed critical development projects across all member states. The Caribbean Public Health Agency strengthened collective regional response during public health emergencies, while the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency coordinates cross-border disaster relief when hurricanes and other crises strike.
As President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), I can speak to the role of this institution as both the highest appellate court for participating member states and the judicial guardian of the rights enshrined in the CARICOM framework. The CCJ holds a unique mandate to adjudicate matters that shape Caribbean life, and it has made significant progress in ruling on cases that touch the daily lives of people across the region. The court belongs to the people of the Caribbean, a truth embodied in its official motto: “One People. One Region. One Court.” All Caribbean residents are invited to engage with the court, whether through an in-person visit to its Port-of-Spain headquarters or via its official website and social media channels, to learn more about its work and how it impacts communities from Kingston to Georgetown.
These far-reaching integration achievements should never be taken for granted. That makes the case for a universal CARICOM Day holiday even more pressing.
The proposed universal holiday would be observed on 4 July each year, with a fallback to the first Monday in July when the date falls on a weekend (for 2026, that would be 6 July). It would be far more than just an extra day off or a remembrance of the past. It would act as a catalyst for regional education: giving schools a clear occasion to teach the history of regional integration, allowing national governments to highlight the impact and achievements of shared regional institutions, giving businesses and civil society space to celebrate Caribbean enterprise and innovation, and inviting individual citizens to reflect on the shared inheritance that binds all Caribbean people together.
Currently, only two CARICOM member states — Antigua and Barbuda, and Guyana — already recognize CARICOM Day as a formal public holiday. Their experience proves that universal recognition is both practical and appropriate for the entire region.
Caribbean policymakers are urged not to let another five years pass without taking serious action to establish a universal CARICOM Day holiday that celebrates the region’s shared history and collective future. Every 4 July, all Caribbean people deserve the chance to pause, celebrate the gains we have made together, reflect on our shared journey, and renew our commitment to the regional integration project. At the end of the day, regional solidarity is our most valuable shared asset — imperfections and all.
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LIVE: Opening Ceremony of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM
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Jamaica wint CARICOM-voorzitterstrofee tijdens 19e Road Run/Walk
Ahead of the 51st regular CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government, regional athletes and recreational runners gathered in Saint Lucia for the 19th edition of the annual CARICOM Road Run/Walk, where Jamaica’s Garfield Gordon and Barbados’ Carlie Robinson secured the event’s top individual honors.
Held in Gros Islet from July 5-8 alongside the leadership summit, the 2025 event drew more than 250 participants spanning professional competitors, hobbyist runners and amateur walkers from 15 Caribbean countries and territories. Gordon crossed the finish line first in the men’s 10-kilometer race to take home the CARICOM Chairman’s Trophy, while Robinson claimed victory in the women’s division to earn the Secretary-General’s Trophy.
Regional neighbors followed closely behind the winners on the podium. In the men’s division, Guyana’s Odida Parkinson finished second, and Antigua and Barbuda’s Kamar Thomas took third place. For the women’s competition, Guyana’s Attoya Harvey claimed second spot, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Alexia John rounded out the top three.
Beyond athletic competition, event organizers and regional leaders framed the Road Run/Walk as far more than a race, positioning it as a cornerstone event that celebrates Caribbean unity and advances public health priorities across the bloc. Speaking on behalf of current CARICOM Chair and Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, Saint Lucia’s Minister of Education, Youth Development, Sport and Digital Transformation Kenson Casimir emphasized the event’s deeper meaning during the awards ceremony.
“This gathering is not just about speed or trophies. It stands as a symbol of health, discipline, solidarity and the interconnectedness that binds our entire Caribbean region,” Casimir said. “CARICOM is not only about heads of government meetings and policy decisions. It is first and foremost about our people, our communities, and the shared Caribbean identity that unites us all.”
CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, who joined participants for a group photo ahead of the award ceremony, echoed this sentiment and highlighted the event’s critical public health mission. She noted that non-communicable diseases including hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease have seen sharp prevalence growth across the Caribbean region, making active lifestyle promotion a key priority for the bloc. By encouraging regular physical activity and healthy eating through events like the Road Run/Walk, CARICOM aims to drive down rates of these preventable conditions across member states.
Following the race, Barnett presented the Secretary-General’s Trophy to women’s champion Robinson, while Casimir awarded the Chairman’s Trophy to Gordon. The competition sets the stage for four days of high-level talks at the 51st CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government, where regional leaders will deliberate on pressing priorities including deeper regional integration, expanded economic cooperation, cross-border security, and other key issues affecting the Caribbean Community.
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Flow welcomes students to Summer Internship Programme
As part of its long-term commitment to growing the next generation of regional industry professionals, Caribbean connectivity leader Flow has kicked off its highly anticipated 2026 Summer Internship Programme, welcoming nine emerging young talents from educational institutions across Barbados. The month-long initiative is designed to give participants immersive, hands-on work experience that bridges academic learning and real-world professional practice, all under the mentorship of Flow’s seasoned industry experts.
The cohort selected for this year’s programme includes Chalande Headley, Tajei Greenidge, Aria Hill, Xavion Jordan, Naomi Simpson, Princess Callender, Kamal Ifill, Ajani Power and Joshua Waithe. Each intern has been placed in one of Flow’s core business departments, spanning Supply Chain, Marketing, Corporate Communications, Finance, Business-to-Consumer Sales, Business-to-Business Sales, Technology and Customer Experience, allowing them to contribute directly to ongoing company projects that expand and improve connectivity access across the Caribbean region. The programme will run through the full month of July, building on an official launch that took place June 29 with a structured orientation session.
The opening orientation was led by Melissa Sharif, Flow’s Senior Manager of People, with additional support from across the company’s Senior Leadership Team, including Finance Director Ryan Kranpradie, Marketing Manager Damian Mascoll and Senior Communications Manager Toni Yarde. The event began with an interactive icebreaker activity, where interns shared personal and academic backgrounds and read positive affirmations pulled from a custom “positive pickle” jar, helping to ease the transition into the professional work environment. Following the introductory activity, senior leaders delivered practical career advice and actionable guidance to set the interns up for success.
In his opening remarks to the cohort, Desron Bynoe, Flow’s Vice President and General Manager, encouraged participants to lean into curiosity and take full advantage of the developmental opportunity. “Ask questions, be curious, be humble and seize this valuable opportunity,” Bynoe said. “Don’t be afraid to take shots because it is in taking shots that you learn how to score and become a prolific goal scorer. Be very curious because it is through curiosity that you grow.”
Adding a personal perspective to the guidance, Xavier Jeffrey, Flow’s Senior Manager of Retail Sales, who launched his own career at Flow as an intern, shared his own early-career journey with the group. “Don’t be scared to get it wrong or make mistakes. I was in your position many years ago. This is the time to learn,” Jeffrey said. “Flow is a supportive and encouraging environment with friendly people who are here to guide and encourage you.”
Over the five weeks of the programme, interns will take part in a mix of project work, skills-based learning activities and professional enrichment sessions led by experts across every level of the company. To cap off the experience, the cohort will wrap up the internship by planning and executing a community outreach project, giving participants the chance to give back to local communities while demonstrating the collaborative and project management skills they have developed during their time in the programme.
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WPA calls for nationwide protest against unlimited benefits for former presidents
On the eve of CARICOM Day, Guyana’s main opposition-aligned Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has issued a nationwide call for peaceful public demonstrations to push back against the Irfaan Ali administration’s proposed legislation that would restore uncapped financial and service benefits to all former Guyanese presidents. The protest, scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m. local time on July 6, will center on a main gathering at Church of God Road in Buxton, with organizers urging civic and community groups across all regions of the country to host parallel peaceful demonstrations in their own localities.
WPA executive member Kidackie Amsterdam made the announcement during an appearance on the *Politics 101* program hosted by Dr. David Hinds, appealing for cross-sector participation from trade unions, religious institutions, youth organizations, private sector leaders, and other civil society groups to join the demonstration. The core target of the protest is the *Former Presidents’ Facilities and Benefits Bill 2026*, which the current administration has introduced to repeal the 2015 benefits act implemented by the former APNU+AFC government that placed strict caps on all post-presidency benefits.
Amsterdam laid out the high projected cost of the proposed legislation, estimating that the three living former presidents – Samuel Hinds, Bharrat Jagdeo, and Donald Ramotar – would drain an additional 100 million to 200 million Guyanese dollars annually from public coffers, on top of the existing arrangement that grants former presidents seven-eighths of the sitting president’s 3 million-plus GY$ annual salary. He drew a sharp contrast between this proposed generous spending and the struggles of ordinary Guyanese, noting that the country’s more than 76,000 senior citizens receive just 46,000 GY$ per month in old age pension. Former President David Granger, the fourth living former head of state, currently travels to Cuba for ongoing specialized medical care under existing benefits provisions.
Joining Amsterdam on the program, former PNCR executive member Annette Ferguson threw her full support behind the protest, rejecting the proposal that the bill be sent to a bipartisan parliamentary select committee for review – a position put forward by PNCR executive and APNU parliamentarian Ganesh Mahipaul. Ferguson argued that the bill is unconscionable and imposes an unfair extra financial burden on Guyanese citizens already grappling with soaring cost of living, underfunded public healthcare, and underresourced education systems. She also recalled that a nearly identical uncapped benefits bill was pushed through by the Jagdeo administration in 2009, despite widespread public outcry from civil society and the then-opposition.
Notably, the broader A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition, which counts the WPA as a member, has not formally backed public protests against the bill. But the WPA has framed the demonstration as a non-partisan push to scrap legislation it argues would place an unnecessary drain on public finances at a time when most Guyanese are struggling to cover basic living costs.
Key provisions of the 2026 bill that have sparked outrage would eliminate nearly all restrictions on former presidents’ benefits. Under the proposed law, former presidents would be exempt from all income taxes, just like the sitting head of state. Critically, the legislation would grant unlimited benefits regardless of whether a former president engages in private business, paid employment, or even if they are convicted of a criminal offense that results in a prison sentence.
The 2015 law currently in effect – which the Ali administration is moving to repeal – puts clear limits on all public spending for former presidents. It caps combined monthly utility costs (water, electricity, telephone) at 25,000 GY$ per former president, limits medical expense reimbursement to 200,000 GY$ annually for the former president, their spouse, and minor children, and restricts reimbursement to care received at domestic public health facilities unless the required treatment is not available locally. The 2015 framework also limits personal security to no more than two full-time personnel, caps state-provided motor vehicles at two, and provides an annual vacation allowance equal to two first-class return airfares, aligned with the terms offered to Supreme Court judges.
Amsterdam emphasized that the WPA does not oppose treating former presidents with dignity and reasonable respect, but argues any benefits must be balanced against the country’s pressing economic needs and the constraints facing ordinary taxpayers. He warned that the cumulative long-term cost to the national treasury of the uncapped benefits could run into hundreds of millions of Guyanese dollars, diverting critical funds from far more urgent national priorities. Those priorities, he said, should include higher wages and benefits for teachers, nurses, police officers and other public servants, expanded public healthcare access, increased support for pensioners and people living with disabilities, expanded school feeding programs, critical infrastructure upgrades, youth employment programs, and financial support for the agriculture sector and small businesses.
“This is a question of national priorities,” Amsterdam said. “Public office is a privilege of service, not a pathway to unlimited taxpayer-funded privileges after leaving office. This demonstration is not about personalities or partisan politics – it is about protecting the public purse and demanding responsible governance.”
He criticized the government for using its parliamentary majority to advance a policy that ordinary Guyanese never asked for and cannot afford, arguing that the proposed legislation is completely out of touch with the daily economic realities facing most citizens. “Every additional dollar committed to generous post-office benefits is a dollar unavailable for urgent national priorities,” he noted.
Amsterdam closed with an appeal to all Guyanese, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, or religious background, to join the peaceful, lawful demonstrations across the country. “Let us demonstrate peacefully, lawfully and respectfully. Let us send a clear message that Guyana’s wealth belongs to all Guyanese and should first be used to improve the quality of life of the people,” he said.
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Antigua and Barbuda Hosts Major Regional Intelligence Meeting
From July 1 to 3, 2026, the capital city of St. John’s in Antigua and Barbuda welcomed 32 senior intelligence representatives from all Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states, alongside delegates from seven regional and global partner organizations, for the 35th annual gathering of the Standing Committee of Regional Intelligence Heads — one of the Caribbean’s most high-stakes and influential security cooperation events. Organized jointly by the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) and Antigua and Barbuda’s Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy (ONDCP), the three-day summit centered on aligning regional strategies to counter the growing wave of cross-border security threats endangering Caribbean communities.
At the official opening ceremony, Antigua and Barbuda’s Attorney General, the Honourable Sir Steadroy C. Benjamin, delivered a keynote address on behalf of Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who was unable to attend the event. In his pre-recorded message, Prime Minister Browne stressed a core, unifying principle for the gathering: regional security is a collective responsibility. No single Caribbean nation has the resources or reach to defeat transnational organised criminal networks on its own, he emphasized, noting that coordinated action and information sharing are non-negotiable for protecting regional stability. Browne also drew a direct connection between the summit’s outcomes and Antigua and Barbuda’s upcoming hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2026), scheduled for November this year. A robust, coordinated regional intelligence framework, he argued, is the critical foundation for delivering a safe, secure, and successful landmark global event.
Over the course of the summit, intelligence leaders conducted deep dives into the full spectrum of urgent security challenges facing the region. Beyond long-standing threats including drug trafficking, illicit weapons smuggling, irregular migration, and the persistent risk of terrorism and violent extremism, delegates zeroed in on one rapidly growing menace that has emerged as a top priority: cyber-enabled organised fraud. Delegates unanimously agreed that cyber fraud is no longer a peripheral financial issue or a minor nuisance for consumers. It has evolved into a highly sophisticated, globally coordinated criminal industry that drains life savings from working-class Caribbean households and generates billions in illicit revenue that funds other serious criminal operations across the region.
A key focal point of the gathering was a dedicated working session with representatives from regional and international partner organisations, which reinforced the summit’s core theme: countering transnational crime demands collaboration that extends beyond national and even regional borders. By the close of the meeting, delegates reached a consensus on three key priority actions: strengthening real-time cross-border intelligence sharing, deepening existing strategic partnerships between member states and external stakeholders, and leveraging advanced financial intelligence tools to trace and disrupt the money flows that sustain transnational criminal networks.
The summit was chaired by ONDCP Director Lieutenant Colonel Edward Croft, who concluded his tenure in the role at the close of the event. CARICOM IMPACS Executive Director Lieutenant Colonel Michael Jones publicly praised Croft for his steady, insightful leadership throughout the proceedings and highlighted his decades of dedicated service that have delivered tangible, lasting improvements to regional security across the Caribbean. For Antigua and Barbuda, hosting the 35th meeting marks a meaningful milestone in the nation’s commitment to regional cooperation, with the summit successfully advancing collective action to build a safer, more secure future for all CARICOM member states.
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Top Warrens Primary pupil earns place at St Michael School
An 11-year-old Barbadian student has secured the top ranking at her private primary campus in this year’s nation-wide secondary school entrance assessment, turning years of focused effort and small personal sacrifices into an acceptance to her first-choice institution. Kierna Edwards, a graduate of Warrens Primary School, will move on to St Michael School in the upcoming academic term, a goal she worked tirelessly to achieve through months of structured preparation.
In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Kierna opened up about the challenges of balancing exam prep with her daily life, noting that while the process brought occasional stress, her commitment never wavered. “It was a little stressing, but I still got through it,” she reflected.
To shore up her weaker subject areas, Kierna worked one-on-one with private tutor Marion Husbands, who targeted reading comprehension — a skill Kierna initially struggled with — and provided targeted support for mathematics, where she was already showing steady improvement. Beyond extra academics, the young student made the deliberate choice to step back from two of her most beloved extracurricular groups: karate club and K-Kids service club. While the separation left her disappointed at the time, she said the trade-off was always clear. “It made me feel a little sad because it was taking me away from what I enjoyed, but I knew it was worth the studying because at the end of the day, I wanted to get to the school of my choice,” she explained.
That hard-won goal became official earlier this month, when Kierna completed her enrollment registration at St Michael School on Friday. Though she is eager to start the next chapter of her education, the young achiever said saying goodbye to Warrens Primary will be an emotional adjustment. “It makes me feel a little sad because I had a lot of memories from that school and I’ll miss a lot of people, but I still have to accept that I am going on to a different level, and plus I can still visit them,” she said. Looking ahead to her first term at St Michael, Kierna already has plans to rejoin her old activities and pick up new ones, including cheerleading.
Her father, Raj Edwards, shared that prioritizing Kierna’s academic growth has always been a core family commitment, crediting the personalized one-on-one tutoring with helping her refine gaps in her knowledge and build confidence. “I actually got her enrolled in private lessons… just to address the areas she was having issues in… in both math and English,” he said. Raj went on to praise Husbands for her outsized positive influence on Kierna’s progress, adding that he never doubted his daughter’s ability to reach her target. “I expected it, to be honest… she did a bit better than I expected, but I always had full belief in her,” he noted.
Recalling the process of selecting school preferences, Raj said Kierna never wavered in her choice of St Michael School, and he encouraged her to commit fully to that goal. “When I asked her where she wanted to go, she said St Michael’s School. I said, ‘I will not put anything else on the paper because that’s where you’re going. Put all your energy, all your thoughts, everything into going there, and it’s gonna manifest for you,’” he recalled.
Raj now is using his daughter’s success to encourage other parents to take an active, invested role in their children’s education. “Honestly, just invest in your children. It’s time consuming, it’ll cost money, but invest in them. There’s only one chance they have to get set on the path. Spend time, put in the work. And if it’s difficult for you to put in the work, then take them to lessons… but the work has to get put in,” he advised.
To celebrate Kierna’s standout achievement, the family is planning a series of low-key local celebrations: a domestic staycation, a trip to the cinema, an outing to a beach house, and a collection of gifts to reward her hard work. Echoing his long-held confidence in his daughter, Raj added, “I told her I believe in you fully… Anything she wants, she’s gonna get.”