Carib Scope

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  • Antiguan Schools Invited to Enter CARICOM Agriculture Video Competition

    Antiguan Schools Invited to Enter CARICOM Agriculture Video Competition

    Secondary schools across Antigua and Barbuda have been invited to participate in a region-wide agricultural video competition that offers significant cash rewards for winning teams, launched by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

    The CARICOM Regional High School Youth in Agriculture Video Competition requires participating institutions to craft an original, engaging one-minute video created by students. Entries must center on student-led agricultural production projects, and clearly articulate the critical role that agriculture plays in sustaining local communities, national economies, and the broader Caribbean regional ecosystem. For emerging winners, the rewards are structured as $1,700 for the first-place team, $1,300 for second place, and $1,000 for the third-place finisher.

    According to a statement from the CARICOM Secretariat, the competition serves multiple core strategic goals. Beyond celebrating high-performing agricultural education programs already operating at secondary schools across the region, organizers aim to raise awareness of sustainable farming practices and open young people’s eyes to agriculture as a viable, rewarding professional path and entrepreneurial opportunity. Too often framed as a declining industry, the competition seeks to reframe agriculture as an innovative, essential sector that welcomes young new talent.

    This initiative is not a solo effort by CARICOM: it is a collaborative project developed alongside the CARICOM Youth Advisory Body, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute, and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. This cross-organizational partnership brings together expertise in youth engagement, global agricultural development, regional research, and agricultural cooperation to support the competition’s mission.

    Aspiring participating schools have ample time to prepare their submissions, with a final entry deadline set for September 4, 2026. Full official competition guidelines and all required entry information are currently available for review directly through the CARICOM Secretariat for interested institutions.

  • Senator Beazer Says Freehold Certificates Open New Era for Barbuda

    Senator Beazer Says Freehold Certificates Open New Era for Barbuda

    A historic milestone for land rights on the Caribbean island of Barbuda has opened a transformative new chapter defined by greater self-determination, long-term security, and sustainable growth for the island’s population, a senior senator has announced. For hundreds of years, the people of Barbuda have built their families, livelihoods, and communities on land collectively held under common ownership, a system that has shaped the island’s social fabric for generations. Now, the rollout of official freehold land ownership certificates marks a break from this long-standing arrangement, delivering more than just legally recognized property claims to residents. Speaking on the significance of the occasion, Senator Beazer emphasized that these documents carry far deeper meaning than legal ownership alone. They stand as tangible symbols of the local population’s inherent dignity, generations of resilience in the face of challenges, and the long-awaited realization of their right to hold the land that has sustained their communities for centuries. “This milestone represents more than a legal document; it is a symbol of dignity, resilience and the right of every Barbudan to stand on land that is truly theirs,” Beazer stated. The achievement, Beazer noted, is the product of decades of organized advocacy, unwavering faith in the cause of land reform, and relentless determination from the Barbudan community, and the moment was being celebrated across the entire island alongside residents and advocates. Beyond its symbolic weight, widespread land ownership is expected to unlock tangible economic and social benefits for the community. Securing formal property rights will give residents the foundation to put down stable roots with permanent housing, launch and grow small local businesses, expand domestic agricultural production, and build intergenerational wealth that can be passed down to children and grandchildren, strengthening the island’s long-term prosperity. Beazer also paid tribute to the trailblazers who laid the groundwork for the freehold land process, highlighting figures including Arthur Nibbs, a former Member of Parliament for Barbuda, who was among the first recipients of the new ownership certificates. “Their example lights the path forward for all Barbudans,” Beazer said of the early advocates. Framing the rollout as a moment of shared purpose and collective progress for the entire island, Beazer reaffirmed his ongoing commitment to supporting initiatives that will shape a stronger, more prosperous, and more inclusive Barbuda for all residents. “Together, we will continue to build a Barbuda that is resilient, prosperous and inclusive, where every citizen has the chance to thrive on the land of their birth,” he added.

  • Venezuelan Embassy in Antigua Marks Simón Bolívar’s 243rd Birthday

    Venezuelan Embassy in Antigua Marks Simón Bolívar’s 243rd Birthday

    On a historic Friday in St. John’s, the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela hosted a solemn wreath-laying ceremony to celebrate the 243rd anniversary of the birth of Simón Bolívar, the iconic revolutionary widely known as the South American Liberator. The commemoration centered on celebrating Bolívar’s enduring legacy as a relentless advocate for independence, cross-regional unity, and national sovereignty across every corner of Latin America.

    Diplomatic representatives from the Venezuelan mission placed a ceremonial wreath at the base of a bronze bust of Bolívar, a permanent monument that stands between the flying national flags of both host nation Antigua and Barbuda and Venezuela. This annual gathering is part of a long-running tradition to honor the revered Venezuelan national hero, whose military and political leadership fundamentally reshaped the continent by breaking colonial rule for multiple South American peoples.

    Born on July 24, 1783, Bolívar remains one of the most consequential and studied figures in Latin American history. His groundbreaking leadership of pan-regional independence movements directly led to the formation of six modern sovereign nations: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Panama. Beyond its tribute to a historical icon, this year’s observance also highlighted the deep, long-standing diplomatic ties that bind Caracas and St. John’s, while reaffirming Bolívar’s timeless impact on the region’s ongoing fight for self-determination and collective progress.

  • Valentine Poponne father of Melissa Skerrit has passed away

    Valentine Poponne father of Melissa Skerrit has passed away

    Multiple independent online sources have confirmed the passing of Valentine Poponne, a Dominican businessman and the father of Melissa Poponne-Skerrit, who serves as the Member of Parliament for Roseau Central and is married to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. As of the time of this publication, no further official details surrounding his death – including the cause, date of passing, or funeral arrangements – have been released to the public. Local news outlet Dominica News Online has stated that it will issue a full follow-up report to the public as soon as additional verified information becomes available. The news of his passing has prompted an outpouring of tributes and condolences across social media and local communities, with many remembering his contributions to business and public life in Dominica.

  • Valentine Poponne father of Melissa Skerrit has passed

    Valentine Poponne father of Melissa Skerrit has passed

    Multiple online sources have confirmed the passing of Valentine Poponne, a Dominican businessman and the father of Roseau Central Member of Parliament Melissa Poponne-Skerrit, who is also the wife of Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. As of the time of this report, no further details surrounding Poponne’s death, including the cause or date of passing, have been released to the public. Local media outlet Dominica News Online has stated that it will publish additional updates promptly once more verified information becomes available. Tributes have already begun circulating online, with many extending condolences to the Poponne and Skerrit families during this period of grief. The statement closes with a traditional note of respect: may Valentine Poponne’s soul rest in eternal peace.

  • Jasmine Schofield sets new national record for Dominica and new personal best at Commonwealth Games

    Jasmine Schofield sets new national record for Dominica and new personal best at Commonwealth Games

    At the 2014 Commonwealth Games hosted in Glasgow, Scotland, Dominican competitive swimmer Jasmine Schofield has etched her name into the nation’s sports history books by clocking a new national record time of 2 minutes and 19.16 seconds in the women’s 200m freestyle event. This milestone performance also marks a new personal best for the athlete, edging out her own previous top time of 2:19.66 by half a second. A proven competitor with Olympic experience under her belt, Schofield is not resting on her new achievement. She has already turned her focus to upcoming races, preparing to compete in the 100m freestyle the very next day, followed by the 50m freestyle event scheduled several days later. The Commonwealth Games, a pinnacle multi-sport event held once every four years, brings together the world’s top elite athletes from all Commonwealth member nations across the globe to compete for regional and national glory. Schofield carries on a proud legacy of Dominican athletic excellence: she comes from a family with deep roots in international competitive swimming, as her mother Francilia Agar Schofield also represented Dominica at the global stage, competing at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. For Dominica, Schofield’s new record stands as a bright highlight of the nation’s performance at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, demonstrating the growing strength of the country’s swimming program and the hard work of its top athletes.

  • Vincentian Among The Three Fishermen Missing off Antigua

    Vincentian Among The Three Fishermen Missing off Antigua

    A wide-scale cross-regional search and rescue mission is ongoing in the Eastern Caribbean after three fishermen, including Vincentian native Gregory Questelles, vanished during a planned short-duration fishing expedition departing from Antigua.

    The trio—Questelles, Rowel Martin, and Cleofoster Jarvis—set sail from Port Wharf on their vessel, the Lady Madesha, on July 16. The journey was scheduled to conclude just two days later, but when the men failed to return to port as scheduled, authorities received an official missing persons report on July 20.

    Acting Commander Vaughn Simon of the Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard confirmed that coordinated search efforts have combined both aerial and maritime patrols across waters surrounding Antigua. The operation has received critical support from partner agencies, including the St. Kitts Coast Guard and the local Antigua and Barbuda Search and Rescue team, expanding the scope of the search beyond what local resources could cover independently.

    International coordination has also been activated: the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre based in Guadeloupe has been formally notified of the incident, and navigation alerts have been distributed to all commercial and recreational vessels operating in the maritime zones around Antigua, Barbuda, St. Kitts, Redonda, and South Bank. These alerts ask all passing ships to maintain a heightened lookout for any signs of the missing vessel or its crew.

    As of the latest official update, search teams have not located any debris, wreckage, or trace of the three missing men. Commander Simon emphasized that the Coast Guard maintains regular, compassionate communication with the families of the missing fishermen and has pledged that search operations will continue until every possible avenue for locating the trio has been fully explored.

  • SLBMC Staff Attend Caribbean Cardiology Conference to Strengthen Cardiac Care

    SLBMC Staff Attend Caribbean Cardiology Conference to Strengthen Cardiac Care

    Cardiovascular care providers from Antigua and Barbuda’s Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC) are among the attendees at the 39th Annual Caribbean Cardiology Conference, a key regional gathering that brings together leading heart health specialists to examine the most recent breakthroughs in cardiovascular medical practice.

    This annual conference serves as a critical hub for collaboration across the Caribbean region, uniting practicing physicians, nurses, and a wide range of other healthcare professionals. The core mission of the event is to facilitate open exchange of groundbreaking research, hands-on clinical insights, and innovative new strategies for both preventing and treating cardiovascular disease – one of the leading causes of mortality across much of the Caribbean.

    In an official statement, SLBMC officials emphasized that the decision to send clinical representatives to the event aligns directly with the institution’s long-standing commitment to ongoing professional education for its care teams. The hospital noted that staying abreast of rapid advancements in patient care is a non-negotiable priority for ensuring the community receives gold-standard treatment.

    “Continuing medical education is a foundational pillar of delivering high-quality healthcare to our population,” the hospital statement read. “When our clinical teams stay up to date on the latest peer-reviewed research, widely accepted best practices, and newly emerging treatment modalities, they are far better prepared to meet the diverse cardiovascular care needs of all people living in Antigua and Barbuda.”

    Beyond highlighting the value of the conference itself, SLBMC publicly recognized its participating representatives for their personal dedication to ongoing professional growth and lifelong learning. Hospital leaders confirmed that the practical knowledge and clinical insights the team gains during the conference will directly translate to a stronger, more advanced cardiovascular care program for local patients, improving health outcomes across the nation in the years ahead.

  • Two Antiguan Students Selected for Prestigious Caribbean STEM Programme

    Two Antiguan Students Selected for Prestigious Caribbean STEM Programme

    Two outstanding young students from Antigua and Barbuda have secured coveted positions in the 2026 Student Programme for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE), opening the door for them to collaborate and learn alongside the Caribbean’s most promising emerging STEM talents. The nation’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology made the official announcement this Friday, confirming that Ajenai Charles and Kha-Lique Harris will depart this weekend for Barbados to complete the programme’s intensive residential learning segment. In an official statement released to the public, the ministry extended warm congratulations to the selected pair, praising them as extraordinary young representatives of Antigua and Barbuda who will carry their nation’s pride into an experience of advanced academic study and cross-regional collaborative problem-solving. “We wish them every success as they continue to represent Antigua and Barbuda with pride,” the statement read. SPISE is widely recognized as one of the Caribbean’s most competitive youth STEM initiatives, structured as an immersive, intensive program that integrates rigorous university-level coursework, targeted leadership skill building, and hands-on practical training across all STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The program was developed specifically to equip high-achieving secondary students from across the Caribbean with the foundational skills and networks needed to build successful long-term careers in fast-growing STEM sectors. Both selected students currently pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) at Island Academy International, with distinct academic backgrounds prior to their enrollment: Charles is a graduate of Christ the King High School, while Harris completed his earlier secondary education at St. Joseph’s Academy. Beyond celebrating the individual achievements of Charles and Harris, the ministry emphasized that their selection to the competitive program is a tangible reflection of Antigua and Barbuda’s sustained, long-term investment in advancing academic excellence and nurturing the next generation of homegrown innovators in STEM fields.

  • Carnival Opens Today with T-Shirt Mas Parade Through St. John’s

    Carnival Opens Today with T-Shirt Mas Parade Through St. John’s

    One of the Caribbean’s most anticipated annual cultural celebrations, Antigua Carnival 2026, has officially launched today, starting with the iconic Opening Parade and beloved T-Shirt Mas event that is expected to draw thousands of celebration-goers, talented performers and curious spectators to the capital city of St. John’s. The festivities will run from 2 p.m. through 9 p.m., turning the streets of the capital into a vibrant hub of music, color and cultural heritage.

    The official opening proceedings will convene at Parliament Drive, the site of the old House of Culture, where elaborately decorated floats, world-famous Antiguan steel bands, traditional cultural performers and this year’s carnival pageant contestants will gather ahead of the procession. From this assembly point, the celebration will move through the pre-planned parade route to showcase the energy of Antigua and Barbuda’s cultural identity to onlookers.

    The T-Shirt Mas procession, a popular accessible segment of the carnival open to wide participation, will begin at Old Parham Road, adjacent to the T.N. Kirnon School. The full route winds through key thoroughfares across St. John’s, taking procession participants along Old Parham Road, Simon Bolivar Drive, Factory Road, Parliament Drive, Queen Elizabeth Highway, Independence Avenue, Redcliffe Street, Thames Street and High Street, before looping back to the starting point at Old Parham Road. This route is designed to give as many community members and visitors as possible the chance to watch the festivities from vantage points across the city.

    Event organizers have issued practical guidance for attendees ahead of the event, urging anyone planning to attend to arrive early to secure good viewing positions along the parade route. They have also reminded the public that widespread traffic diversions will be in place across St. John’s throughout the afternoon and evening to accommodate the procession, and road users should plan alternate routes for any travel during this period.

    For attendees seeking elevated experiences, VIP tickets are still available for two major themed carnival events: the Melting Pot cultural showcase and the I Am Woman celebration, which highlights female creators and performers in the carnival community. This year’s 10-day celebration of Antiguan and Barbudan culture operates under the official 2026 theme “Feel the Rhythm,” which was selected to encapsulate the infectious energy, musical heritage and community spirit that defines the annual carnival tradition.