Carib Scope

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  • Greaves confident ahead of Pan Am Cycling Championships

    Greaves confident ahead of Pan Am Cycling Championships

    Rising Barbadian junior track cycling talent Arielle Greaves has touched down in Veracruz, Mexico, gearing up to compete across three disciplines at the 2025 Junior Pan American Track Cycling Championships, scheduled to run from May 5 to 9.

    Already building a formidable reputation on the global junior cycling circuit, Greaves is entered to compete in the sprint, keirin, and 1km time trial events at the continental championship. Ahead of the opening race day, the young athlete expressed cautious optimism and clear competitive goals for what marks her final year competing in the junior division.

    “I’m incredibly excited to line up at another major international championship,” Greaves shared in pre-event comments. “My training block has been really intensive, filled with high-volume overload work and targeted speed endurance sessions. I feel really prepared and confident heading into my first races here.”

    Greaves outlined two core ambitions for the tournament: first, she hopes to beat her own existing junior national record in the flying 200m, a mark she set during a 2025 competition in Lima, Peru where she clocked 11.800 seconds. Second, she aims to cap her junior career by standing on the podium. “With God’s grace, I want to end my time as a junior by bringing home medals. More than anything, I just want to improve on my last major performance,” she added. The young cyclist also shared words of encouragement for aspiring young female athletes, urging them to embrace challenge and enjoy the process. “Don’t be scared, just go for it, work hard, have fun, and the results will follow,” she said.

    Greaves traveled to Veracruz alongside two support team members: team manager Deidre Hinkson and Trinidad and Tobago-based mechanic Elisha Greene. Speaking from the championship venue to Barbados TODAY, Hinkson confirmed the small Barbadian delegation had settled in smoothly ahead of competition. Local conditions have mirrored the athletes’ home climate so far, with sunny days similar to Barbados, though evenings have brought slightly cooler temperatures.

    Hinkson acknowledged that the Pan American Championships will pose a stiff test, with top-ranked junior riders from cycling powerhouses across South America set to compete. “This is going to be a really competitive event – we’re up against strong delegations from Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, host nation Mexico and more. We know the competition will be extremely high standard across all events,” she explained.

    Despite the tough competition, Hinkson said Greaves enters the tournament in peak form after months of dedicated preparation. For the past several months, Greaves has been based in Trinidad to train, a necessary arrangement due to the ongoing lack of a dedicated velodrome in Barbados – a gap that Hinkson says puts local developing riders at a significant structural disadvantage.

    “Not having a local velodrome is a major loss for our cycling ecosystem. That’s where youth development starts, and without that infrastructure, we’re automatically at a disadvantage,” Hinkson explained. “For Arielle and fellow rider Amber Joseph, that means they have to train overseas to get the high-quality track time they need to compete at this level.”

    Greaves will get her championship campaign underway on May 6, opening with the 200m time trial before moving on to the 1km time trial and keirin events in subsequent days. Heading into the tournament, Hinkson said expectations for the young Barbadian are high, thanks to her consistent training and proven international experience. “She’s in great shape, she’s put in all the work, and we have high hopes for her across all three of her events,” Hinkson added.

  • Man remanded on firearm, ammunition charges

    Man remanded on firearm, ammunition charges

    A 27-year-old male resident of St. Michael, Barbados has been ordered into pre-trial custody at a state prison following his initial court appearance in a weapons-related criminal case. The defendant, Trasuon Romario Roger Alleyne, who lives in the Morris Gap neighborhood along Westbury Road, was taken into police custody and formally charged by investigators from the Barbados Police Service’s elite Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on April 30. The two charges against him include illegal possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of 26 rounds of live ammunition.

    Alleyne made his first court appearance this week on Monday, May 4, before Chief Magistrate Douglas Frederick at the District ‘A’ Criminal Court No. 1. Under the island nation’s legal procedures for serious indictable offenses, Alleyne was not required to enter a formal plea during this initial hearing. Following the brief proceeding, the Chief Magistrate ordered that Alleyne be remanded to the custody of the Barbados Prison Service at the Dodds Correctional Facility, where he will remain behind bars leading up to his next court date.

    The case has been formally transferred from the initial criminal court to the District ‘A’ Traffic Court, with the next procedural hearing scheduled for June 1. As the legal process moves forward, no additional details about the circumstances of the alleged weapons possession or any other context surrounding the arrest have been released by law enforcement officials as of this reporting.

  • Man remanded on theft, traffic charges

    Man remanded on theft, traffic charges

    A 25-year-old resident of Christ Church, Barbados, has been ordered into pretrial custody at Dodds Prison after a court appearance this week, facing a broad suite of criminal charges spanning theft and serious driving violations.

    Nathan Emmanuel Malik Lovell, who lives in the Inch Marlow neighborhood of the parish, was taken into custody and formally indicted by the Barbados Police Service for offenses he is alleged to have committed over a four-day period between April 21 and April 25 this year. The charges against Lovell include the theft of a commercial motor van valued at an estimated 52,000 Barbados dollars, plus a separate count of stealing additional personal property worth $12,340. He also faces counts of possession of criminal apparatus and theft of services, commonly referred to as theft of use.

    Beyond the theft-related allegations, Lovell has additionally been charged with four separate driving offenses: improper overtaking that violates road traffic regulations, failing to bring a vehicle to a stop following a road accident, operating a motor vehicle without the legally required third-party insurance coverage, and driving without holding a valid, current driver’s license issued by Barbados’ transport authorities.

    Lovell made his initial court appearance on Monday, May 4, before Chief Magistrate Douglas Frederick at District ‘A’ Criminal Court No. 1. Under Barbados’ criminal procedure rules, Lovell was not required to enter a plea to the indictable offenses that fall under the court’s jurisdiction. Following the brief hearing, Chief Magistrate Frederick ordered Lovell to be remanded into the custody of the Barbados Prison Service, where he will remain held at the Dodds correctional facility pending his next court date.

    All of the outstanding matters against Lovell, including both the theft and traffic violation charges, have been transferred to the District ‘A’ Traffic Court, with the next procedural hearing scheduled to take place on June 1.

  • US Ambassador Herschel Walker visits Nassau Cruise Port, highlights strong Bahamas–US ties

    US Ambassador Herschel Walker visits Nassau Cruise Port, highlights strong Bahamas–US ties

    Nassau Cruise Port, one of the busiest and most prominent cruise hubs in the Caribbean, recently welcomed a high-profile courtesy visit from the United States’ 14th Ambassador to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Herschel Walker, who was accompanied by his wife Julie Blanchard Walker for the full-day site tour.

    Under the leadership of Nassau Cruise Port CEO and Director Mike Maura Jr., the ambassadorial delegation was guided through the port’s active piers, core operational zones, and public visitor spaces. During the walkthrough, port leadership outlined the complex logistics that keep the facility running smoothly, including how it manages the steady flow of tens of thousands of annual passengers while upholding rigorous global service and safety standards. The tour gave Ambassador Walker an up-close look at the port’s role as a critical economic gateway connecting The Bahamas to North American and international travel markets.

    A core stop on the delegation’s itinerary was the on-site Bahamas Museum of Junkanoo, where the couple immersed themselves in the vibrant, centuries-old cultural tradition that forms a core part of national Bahamian identity. In photos from the visit, Ambassador Walker tried his hand at playing a traditional goatskin drum, joining in the rhythmic practice that is central to Junkanoo street parades and cultural celebrations.

    Beyond operational and cultural tours, the ambassador made time to connect directly with the people that power the port’s visitor experience. He held casual conversations with local small-business vendors, in-demand hair braiders that serve arriving cruise guests, and American leisure travelers already exploring the port’s marketplace. These informal exchanges, port officials noted, underscored the deep, people-centered social and cultural bonds that have defined the U.S.-Bahamas relationship for decades.

    In a press statement following the tour, Maura emphasized that Nassau Cruise Port views itself as an active steward of the bilateral relationship between the two nations. “We were honored to welcome Ambassador Walker to our facility,” Maura said. “The bond between The Bahamas and the United States is truly one-of-a-kind, and we are proud to contribute to strengthening that connection every single day. We take our responsibility very seriously: we safely welcome thousands of U.S. visitors through our gates annually, deliver a standout experience for every guest, and use our platform to showcase the very best of Bahamian culture and world-famous hospitality.”

    The visit also served as a platform for Nassau Cruise Port to highlight three core pillars of its current operational strategy: a sustained commitment to operational excellence that meets global cruise industry standards, a dedication to centering authentic Bahamian cultural representation for visitors rather than performative experiences, and ongoing support for local small entrepreneurs who build unique, memorable interactions for arriving guests. For the U.S. ambassadorial post, the tour offered a chance to engage directly with one of The Bahamas’ most economically important infrastructure assets and reaffirm the strength of bilateral ties between the neighboring nations.

  • Sealy strikes more squash gold in Canada

    Sealy strikes more squash gold in Canada

    Just one month after lifting the trophy at the USA Masters in New York, veteran squash star Mark Sealy extended his incredible winning streak to claim another major regional title, taking top honors in the 60+ division at the Canadian Masters over the weekend. The tournament, hosted at Vancouver’s iconic Arbutus Club, saw the world-ranked number one seed enter the competition with a first-round bye in the round of 16, setting up an early showdown with Quebec’s Yves Tremblay that Sealy dominated in straight sets with final scores of 13-11, 11-7, 11-3.

    Moving into the semi-final round, Sealy faced another tough competitor from Quebec: fourth-seeded hard-hitting left-handed player Marion Gagnon. The Barbadian-born athlete once again showcased his polished form, dismissing Gagnon in another straight-set victory with scores of 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 to earn a spot in the championship match. The final was a highly anticipated rematch of the 2025 title game, pitting Sealy against Ontario’s second-seeded fan favorite Trent Hasse.

    Sealy came out swinging in the opening two games, catching Hasse off-balance with precise placement that exploited gaps in his opponent’s court movement. He took both games comfortably with 11-6 and 11-5 scores, putting him one game away from the title. But Hasse refused to surrender, adjusting his own footwork and mounting a comeback in the third game. An off-kilter Sealy struggled to find his usual rhythm, allowing Hasse to take the third set 11-4 and force an extended match.

    Regrouping during the break between games, Sealy reset his strategy and reclaimed his control of the court in the fourth set. He dominated every rally from the opening point, closing out the match 11-4 to secure his fifth career Canadian Masters title. Post-match, Sealy reflected on the momentum shift of the game: “I played really well in the first two but lost my length in the third, tried to attack too early and he took advantage. So in the break, I told myself I have to hit higher to the back and then attack to the front. I was pleased to take an early lead and close it out in four games.”

    This victory marks a historic milestone for Sealy: it is the first time he has claimed both the USA Masters and Canadian Masters titles in a single competitive season. Reflecting on the achievement, Sealy shared his excitement: “I’m really happy to have won both. Been putting in a lot of movement training and improved my racket work so really pleased to get the results.” He also extended gratitude to his entire support team, including coaches Peter Nicol, Nicol Bunyan, Karen Meakins, Shawn Simpson, and wellness partners Red Zen Pilates and Surfside Wellness, who backed him throughout the season. Sealy is scheduled to return to his home island on Tuesday.

  • Belize’s Journalism Prize Is a Reminder of Why It Matters

    Belize’s Journalism Prize Is a Reminder of Why It Matters

    On the eve of World Press Freedom Day 2026, the University of Belize’s annual Investigative Journalism Prize ceremony unfolded at the iconic Belize City House of Culture, drawing together media practitioners, government representatives, and civil society leaders to celebrate impactful investigative work and shine a spotlight on the escalating threats facing journalists worldwide.

    Opening the event, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Deputy Resident Representative Michael Lund delivered a stark, thought-provoking address that framed press freedom not as a distant ideological concept, but as a foundational pillar of functional democracy and sustainable national development. Lund used the platform to sound the alarm on the growing crisis confronting journalists across every region of the globe, noting that media professionals increasingly face a cascade of threats: from targeted harassment and intimidation campaigns to crippling legal action and persistent economic instability that erodes their ability to hold power to account.

    Since 1993, World Press Freedom Day, marked every year on May 3, has served as a global collective reminder that both governments and civilian societies bear a shared responsibility to protect and defend the right to freedom of expression—a right explicitly codified in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year’s ceremony carried extra weight, coming as independent media outlets across Latin America and the Caribbean face growing pressures to soften coverage of corruption, human rights abuses, and official misconduct.

    The night’s top honor, a $10,000 grand prize, was awarded to the team from 7 News/Tropical Vision Ltd. for their explosive investigation *Taken: The Budna Abduction and the Police Cover-Up*. The three-person reporting team—Jules Vasquez, Brian Castillo, and Denver Fairweather—was recognized for their months-long work exposing a case of official malfeasance that had previously been hidden from public view.

    Two other investigative teams were named finalists and awarded $5,000 each for their outstanding work. Greater Belize Media’s News Five outlet earned recognition for *Stella Maris Child Drowning*, an investigation led by senior reporter Paul Lopez, with contributions from Hipolito Novelo, Darrel Moguel, George Tillett, Joel Wesbey, and Marion Ali. The third finalist came from independent outlet Climate Spotlight, where reporters Marco Lopez and Andre Habet were honored for their deep dive into marine conservation policy, *Marine Protected Areas Are Everybody’s Business*, which examined public access to and stewardship of Belize’s critical coastal ecosystems.

    Organizers also confirmed that the fifth iteration of the annual prize ceremony will be held on May 8, 2027, extending the initiative’s commitment to supporting independent investigative journalism in Belize for another year.

  • TAMCC students participate in film casting and lighting workshop

    TAMCC students participate in film casting and lighting workshop

    A groundbreaking cross-border film collaboration between creative teams from Grenada and New York is bringing transformative, on-the-job film industry training to emerging local creatives and students at Grenada’s T.A. Marryshow Community College (TAMCC), marking a major step forward for skills development and cultural exchange in the Caribbean island’s growing creative sector.

    Hosted on the TAMCC campus on April 27, the inaugural combined casting call and production lighting workshop drew roughly 25 participants, spanning TAMCC arts students and early-career film production practitioners based in Grenada. Unlike traditional classroom-based training sessions, this event was structured as a fully functional working production set, merging hands-on technical instruction with live, real-time casting activity to give participants an immersive look at actual industry workflows.

    Throughout the workshop, attendees got direct access to professional-grade camera and lighting equipment, working side-by-side with experienced filmmakers to set up gear for acting auditions. This practical approach allowed participants to build skills that go far beyond textbook learning, giving them tangible experience that many emerging creatives in small creative ecosystems rarely get access to early in their careers. One participant, J. Mitchell, shared enthusiastic feedback after the session, noting, “I would definitely recommend this to my friends, and if there is an opportunity in the future to come back and showcase my skills, I would absolutely return.”

    The workshop was far more than a standalone training event: it served as an integrated introduction to end-to-end filmmaking. Participants got the chance to light auditioning talent, observe on-set direction from industry professionals, and learn how different production roles collaborate to bring a project to life. By the end of the session, attendees walked away with a holistic working overview of the entire filmmaking process, from performance direction to technical execution.

    Leading the workshop was Karl Bigby, a New York-based cinematographer and filmmaker with Faceless Studios, who brought years of international industry experience to guide local participants. The full initiative is organized through a partnership between multiple regional and international groups: MProjekts Creative Group, helmed by Grenadian creative leader Meschida Philip, took point on coordinating the program and building the partnership with TAMCC’s Department of Arts, Humanities, and General Studies, while the Forrester Creative Renaissance Fund provided coordination and community engagement support. All core producing partners share deep personal and cultural ties to Grenada, a choice that anchors the entire project in authenticity and a commitment to long-term growth for the island’s creative community, rather than a one-off extractive production.

    The workshop is just the first phase of a broader co-production collaboration between the Forrester Creative Renaissance Fund, Faceless Studios, MProjekts Creative Group, and the Grenada Film Company. The partnership is currently supporting two original short films, *Cutting Dead Ends* and *Sunday*, which are now in active pre-production. Both projects center Grenadian actors and creatives, with a mixed local and international crew bringing the stories to life.

    The collaboration will run through April to July 2026, spanning pre-production, principal photography, and structured on-set shadowing and paid internship opportunities exclusively for TAMCC students. This extended engagement ensures that local emerging creatives get ongoing learning opportunities across every stage of the production process, building a pipeline of skilled talent for Grenada’s future film sector.

  • Rising debt burdens disproportionately impact women in developing countries, UN study finds

    Rising debt burdens disproportionately impact women in developing countries, UN study finds

    As sovereign debt levels continue to climb across low- and middle-income economies, new research from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has revealed a stark, underreported truth: women in developing countries are bearing the overwhelming brunt of fiscal austerity measures triggered by rising debt repayment obligations. The findings, drawn from three decades of data collected across 85 nations, paint a clear picture of how existing gender inequalities are amplified by economic strain, with global geopolitical tensions set to push this crisis even further.

  • NCSA ex-manager Tessa Chadderton-Shaw dies

    NCSA ex-manager Tessa Chadderton-Shaw dies

    The Caribbean public health and advocacy community is mourning the loss of one of its most influential leaders, Tessa Chadderton-Shaw, a long-serving mental health and substance abuse educator who died Sunday at Queen Elizabeth Hospital following a short, unexpected illness.

    Chadderton-Shaw leaves behind an unmatched legacy of public service spanning more than three decades, across roles in non-profit leadership, academia, and regional governance. Most notably, she helmed Barbados’ National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) for 14 years, serving as the organization’s manager from August 1996 through March 2010, guiding the body through critical expansion of its public education and prevention mandates.

    Beyond her transformative work at NCSA, Chadderton-Shaw built a reputation as a dedicated educator and skilled project leader across multiple regional institutions. For over 13 years, she held a lectureship at the University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill campus, where she taught courses spanning business administration, project management, and language arts, shaping the careers of hundreds of emerging Caribbean professionals. Her resume also includes senior roles such as special projects coordinator at Barbados Conference Services Limited, project manager for the CARICOM Secretariat, and executive director of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organization (RADO), demonstrating her versatile ability to drive progress across diverse public sectors.

    Current NCSA manager Betty Hunte, who began her career working under Chadderton-Shaw’s leadership, paid heartfelt tribute to her former mentor this week, highlighting her unyielding commitment to public service. Hunte described Chadderton-Shaw’s leadership style as defined by relentless tenacity and unshakable determination, noting that once the trailblazing leader set a goal, no obstacle could stop her from delivering results.

    “When something was decided, we knew it would be done come hell or high water,” Hunte recalled, emphasizing that Chadderton-Shaw was the office’s go-to problem-solver, capable of steering even the most complex, high-stakes initiatives to success. One of her most enduring contributions to Barbados public health, Hunte shared, was a 1990s/2000s fundraising campaign to launch a groundbreaking school-based drug education program. Chadderton-Shaw led the drive to raise $250,000 for the initiative, which created a mobile drug education classroom housed in a converted bus that traveled to every primary school across Barbados. The program remains the only one of its kind in the country decades later, reaching generations of young Barbadians with life-saving prevention information.

    Hunte also recalled Chadderton-Shaw’s relentless work ethic, noting that staff often received calls from her at all hours of the day and night as she clarified details, refined project documents, and pushed to advance the NCSA’s core mandate to reduce substance abuse across Barbados. Even after her retirement from the council, Chadderton-Shaw remained connected to the organization she built: when NCSA celebrated its 21st anniversary, she joined the festivities to be honored for her foundational contributions, an occasion current staff still cherish.

    Chadderton-Shaw is survived by her husband Anthony Shaw and their two daughters, Miah and Haylee. Tributes continue to pour in from across the Caribbean public health and academic communities, honoring a leader whose work transformed substance abuse prevention and education across the region.

  • 59 schools to audition for Calypso and Soca Competition

    59 schools to audition for Calypso and Soca Competition

    One of Saint Lucia’s most anticipated annual youth cultural celebrations is about to kick off, with 59 educational institutions across the island stepping into the spotlight to compete in the National Schools Calypso and Soca Competition’s qualifying auditions.

    Organizers have revealed the full breakdown of participating schools across categories and education levels. For the iconic Calypso genre, a total of 40 schools earned audition spots: 26 from the primary school sector and 14 secondary institutions. The high-energy Soca category draws 23 competing schools, made up of 14 primary schools and 9 secondary schools, all vying for a limited number of places in the grand finals.

    The two-day audition process is scheduled to kick off on Monday, May 5, and wrap up on Tuesday, May 6. During this qualifying stage, each school’s performing group will take the stage to present their act before an expert panel of judges, who will evaluate performances to select which contenders advance to the final competition.

    A diverse cross-section of primary schools from every corner of Saint Lucia will feature in the Calypso category, including well-known campuses like Fond Assau Primary, Vide Bouteille Primary, Les Etangs Combined, Canon Laurie Anglican Primary, and Ave Maria Girls Primary. For the primary school Soca division, participating institutions include Vide Bouteille Primary, Les Etangs Combined, Ciceron RC Combined, Gros Islet Primary, and Carmen Rene Memorial Primary, among others.

    At the secondary education level, multiple top schools are set to compete across both genres. Sir Ira Simmons Secondary, St Joseph’s Convent, Babonneau Secondary, Choiseul Secondary, Ciceron Secondary, and St Mary’s College will field teams in both Calypso and Soca. Additional participating secondary schools include Entrepot Secondary and Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary, rounding out the roster of competing institutions.

    Following the conclusion of auditions, all advancing finalists will gain access to specialized training workshops designed to help them hone their performances, refine their stage presence, and polish their acts ahead of the main competition.

    The schedule for the final events splits competition by education level. The National Primary Schools Calypso and Soca Competition will kick off at 10:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, June 3, while the Secondary Schools Competition will follow two days later on Friday, June 5. Both the primary and secondary final competitions will be hosted at Saint Lucia’s iconic Mindoo Philip Park.

    Ticketing information for the final events has already been released, with discounted pricing for student attendees set at 10 Eastern Caribbean dollars, and general admission tickets priced at 20 Eastern Caribbean dollars.

    Organizers have urged all interested attendees and community members to keep up to date with any adjustments to event schedules, ticketing availability, and connected carnival-related activities by following official competition social media and communication channels. This annual event has long served as a key platform for nurturing young local musical talent and celebrating Saint Lucia’s rich calypso and soca cultural heritage, drawing large crowds of community supporters each year.