Carib Scope

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  • Fatima Parish Father vs Son Football Match

    Fatima Parish Father vs Son Football Match

    The small, tight-knit community of Fatima Parish is gearing up for one of its most anticipated annual sporting traditions: the Father vs. Son Football Match. This long-running event, which brings together multiple generations of local families, has grown far beyond a simple recreational game to become a beloved cornerstone of the parish’s social calendar.

    Every year, players of all ages sign up to take the pitch—teenage sons hungry to prove their speed and strength against their dads, and middle-aged and even older fathers eager to hold their own against the younger generation, leaning on years of experience and local football know-how. The match draws hundreds of spectators from across the parish, with families spreading out blankets along the sidelines, cheering on their loved ones and enjoying a day of community connection.

    Organized by volunteer leaders from the Fatima Parish sports ministry, the event is designed to foster intergenerational bonding, encourage healthy physical activity, and raise small funds for parish youth programs. While the scoreboard keeps track of goals throughout the afternoon, organizers emphasize that the real win is the chance for fathers and sons to share the field, create lasting memories, and strengthen the ties that hold the community together. After the final whistle, both teams and attendees gather for a community picnic, where stories from the match are shared and new rivalries for next year’s game are already teased.

  • ExxonMobil’s nominee for US$214 million cost oil maybe in conflict of interest

    ExxonMobil’s nominee for US$214 million cost oil maybe in conflict of interest

    On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited declined to address public questions surrounding its proposed nominee for a neutral sole expert tasked with resolving a long-running $214 million cost oil dispute tied to exploration activities between 1999 and 2017, while openly signaling the deadlocked issue may soon head to international arbitration.

    The disagreement first emerged in 2019, when a formal audit conducted by UK-based industry firm IHS Markit found major irregularities in the claimed costs: $34.34 million of the total claims were deemed ineligible for classification as cost oil, and a further $180 million lacked any supporting documentation to back up the expenditures. Industry sources familiar with the negotiations confirmed that ExxonMobil has repeatedly pushed for its own preferred candidate to oversee the resolution process, despite the dispute entering its seventh year of stalled talks with the Guyanese government.

    During a press briefing Tuesday, John Cullen, ExxonMobil Guyana’s Vice President and Business Services Manager, dodged direct questions asking whether conflict of interest concerns over the company’s chosen nominee is one of the core obstacles to reaching a negotiated resolution. Cullen only outlined general criteria for the role, noting that any selected sole expert is required to meet a set of pre-agreed qualifications acceptable to both parties. “Objectivity is one of them. That is one of the criteria that we are discussing with the government, as well as experience, relevant experience, which is another key factor,” he told reporters.

    Cullen sidestepped multiple follow-up inquiries about the impasse over selecting the expert, stating only that the company and the Guyanese government are continuing to work “very diligently” to identify a candidate that all sides can agree on. Despite this, he openly hinted that arbitration at the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is the most likely next step if the deadlock persists. “If we’re unable to arrive at a mutual selection, that can be referred to the ICC to make the selection, which very well may be the next step in the process,” Cullen said.

    The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the South American nation’s national tax body, has already taken a hard line on the dispute, ruling out any adjustments to the disputed cost figures laid out in the 2019 audit. This position comes in direct response to ExxonMobil’s argument that the full $214 million should not be classified as cost oil.

    For context, total exploration spending across the Stabroek Block between 1999 and 2017 added up to $1.6 billion. If ExxonMobil concedes that the $214 million cannot be counted as cost oil, Guyana will be entitled to half of that sum – equal to $107 million – with the remaining portion distributed to the Stabroek Block co-venturers: ExxonMobil itself, US energy firm Hess, and China National Overseas Oil Company (CNOOC).

  • Taj Weekes lends voice to climate justice campaign in new animated music video

    Taj Weekes lends voice to climate justice campaign in new animated music video

    To mark this year’s World Environment Day, renowned Saint Lucian reggae musician Taj Weekes has launched a groundbreaking creative project that merges original music and hand-crafted animation to put a much-needed spotlight on the escalating climate crisis facing Caribbean small island nations.

    Titled *Climate Justice*, the animated music video made its official premiere on June 5 as the flagship offering of the Caribbean Climate Justice Project, a regional initiative designed to center Caribbean perspectives in global climate conversations. Unlike traditional policy-focused climate outreach, the production weaves together original musical composition, vivid animated storytelling, and generations-old Caribbean narrative traditions to illustrate a stark, often overlooked truth: Small Island Developing States (SIDS) bear the brunt of climate change impacts despite contributing almost nothing to global greenhouse gas emissions.

    Written and performed by Weekes himself, the track and accompanying visuals dive deep into three interconnected core themes: the acute environmental vulnerability that defines daily life for many Caribbean communities, the quiet resilience that island populations have cultivated in the face of constant climate threats, and the urgent need for coordinated global collective action to address systemic climate inequity. The animation itself was produced entirely locally by Saint Lucia’s own Malfinis Film & Animation Studios, led by creative director Milton Branford, keeping creative ownership of the story within the region it describes.

    Dr. James Fletcher, founder of the Caribbean Climate Justice Project, explained that the initiative was built on a simple but powerful idea: culture and creativity can make the often complex and abstract concept of climate justice far more accessible and engaging, especially for younger generations who will inherit the impacts of today’s climate inaction. “The Caribbean continues to experience some of the most severe consequences of climate change despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions,” Fletcher noted, emphasizing that the project’s creative approach helps turn abstract policy talk into a relatable human story.

    The World Environment Day launch event for the video extended beyond the music video premiere, featuring additional cultural programming that highlighted Caribbean artistic responses to climate change. Saint Lucian award-winning poet Kendel Hippolyte delivered a special poetry presentation centered on climate themes, while visual artist Jonathan Gladding unveiled a new large-scale painting that explores the meaning of climate justice for island communities.

    Organizers of the initiative emphasize that the *Climate Justice* video is more than a one-off artistic work: it is a core component of a broader regional effort to deepen public understanding of climate equity issues and amplify underrepresented Caribbean voices in both regional and international climate policy discussions. To extend the project’s reach, organizers are actively encouraging individuals, primary and secondary schools, and non-profit and community organizations across the Caribbean to adopt the video as both an educational resource and an advocacy tool to push for more ambitious global climate action.

  • CWI names squad for T20 Series against Sri Lanka

    CWI names squad for T20 Series against Sri Lanka

    Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced a reshuffled 15-player squad for the upcoming three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series against Sri Lanka, bringing three uncapped or emerging talents into the fold while moving aside three players who featured in the team’s recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign. Young prospects Shamar Springer, Jewel Andrew and Ackeem Auguste have earned their call-ups to the senior national side, replacing Johnson Charles, Quentin Sampson and Jayden Seales – all of whom were part of the West Indies squad for the World Cup held in India late last year.

    One key absence from the T20I roster is experienced fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who has been rested from the short-format series as part of CWI’s structured workload management strategy. Instead of competing in the T20Is, Joseph will dedicate this period to focused training and preparation for the two-match Test series that will follow the T20I leg, scheduled to be hosted in Antigua.

    Another fast bowler, Shamar Joseph, departed the West Indies camp early ahead of the third One Day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka for personal matters. CWI confirmed that the paceman is on track to rejoin the squad ahead of the T20I series, which gets underway at Kingston’s iconic Sabina Park on June 11. The team will begin formal pre-series preparations on June 9.

    West Indies head coach Daren Sammy framed the upcoming series as a critical milestone for the side in their post-World Cup rebuilding phase. He emphasized that the matches will give the newly adjusted squad a valuable chance to connect with home fans and deliver the dynamic, engaging brand of cricket that the region is known for globally. “This series is our first major assignment on home soil since the World Cup in India, where our side showed the passion, fight and collective spirit that has always been the backbone of West Indies cricket,” Sammy shared in an official statement released by CWI. “Our priority right now is to build on the strong foundations we laid at the World Cup, keep developing our cohesion as a unit, and make our supporters proud with the intensity and heart we bring against Sri Lanka.”

    The full finalized T20I squad for the series against Sri Lanka is: Shai Hope (captain), Jewel Andrew, Ackeem Auguste, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, and Shamar Springer.

  • CARICOM athletes to gather in St Lucia for 19th Road Run/Walk focused on health and unity

    CARICOM athletes to gather in St Lucia for 19th Road Run/Walk focused on health and unity

    Thousands of athletes and casual participants from across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are gearing up to converge on the northern coast of Saint Lucia for the 19th iteration of the organization’s iconic Road Run/Walk, a flagship regional event timed to precede the bloc’s annual leadership summit. Scheduled to kick off at 6:30 a.m. EST on Sunday, July 5, 2026, the entire race route will center on the popular Rodney Bay tourist district, with both the starting line and finish line located adjacent to the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, which will serve as the main staging hub for all event activities.

    Organizers have designed an inclusive lineup of race categories to accommodate competitors of all skill levels and backgrounds, building on the event’s longstanding mission to expand access to recreational physical activity across the region. Elite professional runners representing CARICOM member states will compete in the headline 10-kilometer elite race, while amateur and recreational participants can register for the open 10-kilometer run, open 5-kilometer run, or open 5-kilometer walk. In a push for greater accessibility, event organizers have explicitly confirmed that athletes with disabilities are invited and encouraged to join the 5-kilometer run and walk competitions.

    More than just a sporting competition, the 2026 Road Run/Walk is a key pre-summit outreach event tied to the 51st Regular Meeting of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government, which will be hosted by Saint Lucia under the chairmanship of the island nation’s Prime Minister, the Honourable Philip J. Pierre. The event itself is rooted in a 19-year-old regional health commitment that dates back to 2007, when CARICOM leaders formally adopted the Port-of-Spain Declaration, a landmark policy agreement that centered on tackling the growing public health crisis of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across the Caribbean.

    That framework laid out a coordinated, cross-sector strategy for NCD prevention and treatment, calling for unified action from national governments, private sector stakeholders, civil society organizations, and international development agencies to address what remains one of the most pressing public health threats in the region. Speaking ahead of the 2026 event, CARICOM Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett emphasized that the Road Run/Walk serves as a tangible demonstration of the bloc’s collective commitment to this shared goal.

    “ The CARICOM Run/Walk demonstrates our collective commitment to healthier lifestyles. By choosing nutritious foods and staying active, we can confront the shared challenge of non-communicable diseases and create a healthier, more resilient Caribbean for all,” Dr. Barnett said.

    To reward top competitors, organizers have put together a lineup of competitive prizes for top finishers across all categories. Both the men’s and women’s champions of the Elite 10K will take home a $1,000 USD cash prize, with additional cash awards going to second and third place finishers in both gender divisions. For the 5K events, trophies will be presented to the top three finishers in the men’s, women’s, and athletes with disabilities divisions. Event organizers will also honor the oldest and youngest male and female participants who successfully cross the finish line to complete their course.

    The 18th edition of the CARICOM Road Run/Walk was hosted in 2025 by Jamaica, where the event was held in Rose Hall, Montego Bay, continuing the tradition of rotating the annual event across CARICOM member states to expand regional engagement.

  • ‘Our History Will Not Be Erased’: Kriol Council Joins Land Rights Fight

    ‘Our History Will Not Be Erased’: Kriol Council Joins Land Rights Fight

    In a significant development amplifying the growing push for ancestral land rights in Belize, the National Kriol Council has formally entered the national debate, demanding an end to the systemic exclusion of Kriol communities from critical conversations over territory, cultural heritage, and formal indigenous recognition.

    Kriol communities position themselves as one of the foundational population groups of Belize, with well-documented evidence of continuous historical presence, long-term territorial occupation, generations of cultural stewardship, and organized political agency that stretches back centuries before later waves of migration arrived on Belizean soil, the council emphasized in its official statement released Monday.

    The council’s decision to add its voice to the movement comes just days after two other major Indigenous groups, the Maya and Garifuna peoples, announced a public coalition to advance their shared demands for protection of ancestral land claims across southern Belize. That coalition has already been at the forefront of pushback against government-led boundary-redrawing initiatives in the high-profile Sittee River-Hopkins dispute, one of the most contentious ongoing land conflicts in the region.

    Across more than a dozen Kriol ancestral communities—including major population centers like Placencia, Gales Point Manatee, Belize City, and Punta Gorda—the council warned that no Kriol community should face exclusion, forced displacement, arbitrary reclassification, or administrative reduction of their land rights without prior, meaningful consultation and formal legal recognition of their centuries-long historical occupancy.

    The council anchors its land rights claims in binding international legal frameworks, specifically citing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Belize’s own constitutional guarantees of equal treatment under the law, and regional legal precedents that have formally affirmed the collective territorial rights of Afro-descendant Indigenous peoples.

    “No community that has maintained a continuous, documented presence on this land for centuries should be forced to repeatedly defend its very existence in the face of intentional historical omission or political convenience for current ruling interests,” the statement added.

    The council explicitly rejected what it frames as ongoing efforts to erase, subordinate, or invalidate the unique historical and Indigenous status of Kriol communities across Belize. It has issued a clear call to the Belizean government: implement formal constitutional safeguards to recognize and protect Kriol ancestral communities, and codify their undeniable historical ties to the lands they have stewarded for generations.

    “Our communities are not invisible. Our history will not be erased,” the statement concluded, marking a firm new front in Belize’s expanding movement for Indigenous land justice.

  • Tropical Storm Cristina Forms Off Nicaragua

    Tropical Storm Cristina Forms Off Nicaragua

    The 2026 Eastern Pacific hurricane season has produced its second named storm, and the first tropical hazard for Central America, as Tropical Storm Cristina formed off Nicaragua’s Pacific coastline over the weekend. Upgraded from Tropical Depression Three-E by the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) on Monday afternoon, the system has already triggered official warnings across a wide stretch of the region’s Pacific shoreline.

    As of the NHC’s latest update, Cristina is positioned roughly 105 miles west-northwest of Nicaragua’s capital Managua. The storm currently carries maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour and is creeping northeastward at just 3 miles per hour, a glacial pace that has raised concerns among forecasters and local emergency management teams. A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect for the entire Pacific coast from Nicaragua’s Puerto Sandino northward to the border crossing between Guatemala and El Salvador.

    Authorities across Nicaragua and El Salvador have activated continuous monitoring protocols, as current projections show the system will remain stalled near the Central American coastline for multiple days. The primary danger posed by Cristina is not extreme wind, but extreme precipitation: forecasters warn that prolonged, heavy rainfall will sweep through parts of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala through the middle of the week, creating conditions for life-threatening flash flooding and catastrophic landslides.

    The NHC projects widespread rainfall accumulations between 4 and 8 inches across the region, with isolated, hard-hit areas seeing as much as 12 inches of rain. Low-lying coastal communities and mountainous villages, which are particularly prone to soil displacement and flash inundation, have been flagged as the most vulnerable populations. While meteorologists predict Cristina will slowly weaken in strength by midweek, its unusually slow forward movement means the threat of sustained rainfall will be stretched out across days, amplifying the risk of weather-related disasters.

    Cristina marks the second named storm of the 2026 Eastern Pacific hurricane season, following closely on the heels of Tropical Storm Boris. That earlier system formed off Mexico’s Pacific coast, moved inland over southern Mexico, and dissipated fully by Tuesday.

  • One Stop Employment Centre to Relocate Temporarily to Labour Department Headquarters

    One Stop Employment Centre to Relocate Temporarily to Labour Department Headquarters

    A key public employment service facility is set to change its address in the near future, bringing adjustments to how residents access career support services. Starting June 15, 2026, the One Stop Employment Centre (OSEC) will operate from a temporary home at the Labour Department Headquarters, located at the intersection of Thames and Long Streets. The planned relocation was first announced to the public via an official statement released by the Labour Department this past Tuesday.

    According to department representatives, the move is not a permanent rearrangement, but a required step to carry out much-needed structural and systems maintenance at OSEC’s current facility. The aging of the current building’s infrastructure has created a need for targeted upgrades that can only be completed safely if the centre’s daily operations are moved off-site. To ensure that the public does not face gaps in critical employment support, all of OSEC’s regular services will remain fully operational throughout the maintenance period, based out of the ground floor of the Labour Department’s central headquarters.

    Throughout the duration of the temporary relocation, the Labour Department has advised all residents to direct all in-person visits and official correspondence to the new headquarters address. No walk-ins or mail will be accepted at the original OSEC location after the move takes effect next year. The department extended a formal apology for any disruptions or accessibility changes that the relocation may cause for service users, and expressed sincere gratitude to the public for their patience, cooperation and understanding as the necessary upgrade work proceeds. A timeline for OSEC’s return to its original location has not yet been released, with the department noting that further updates will be shared once maintenance is completed.

  • ‘No child should live in fear’

    ‘No child should live in fear’

    A senseless act of violence has plunged the small southern community of Erin, Trinidad and Tobago, into grief and anger, after the brutal murder of 12-year-old elementary school student Mercedez Layne. Her battered body was discovered in dense off-road bushes just hours after she was reported missing, leaving her family, peers and the entire nation reeling from the avoidable tragedy.

    According to official police reports, Mercedez’s grandfather, Morriso Gastoigne, filed a missing person report at approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday. He told investigators that he last saw his granddaughter around 11:30 a.m. that same day, when she got into a pink station wagon driven by an unidentified man. The driver was reportedly traveling toward Mercedez’s home along Los Iros Beach Road, but the child never reached her destination. At roughly 6:43 a.m. on Sunday, search teams located Mercedez’s remains in bushes off Carapal Road, Erin. She was found lying face down, wearing only a green t-shirt, with the lower half of her body unclothed. Investigators recovered a number of pieces of evidence near the site, including the child’s missing underwear and shorts, a pack of Ramen noodles, an unopened packet of cigarettes, a circular segment of wood and a shattered beer bottle.

    A post-mortem autopsy conducted by forensic officials confirmed that Mercedez died as a result of severe blunt force trauma to the head. In the days following the discovery of her body, the entire community has been united in mourning. Mercedez was a Standard Four student at Erin RC School, where faculty and fellow students described her as a bright, warm-hearted child who brought joy to everyone she met. The entire school community has been left distraught by her sudden, violent death. Neighboring Siparia Road KPA School also joined in tribute on Monday, holding a coordinated moment of silence at 12:30 p.m. to honor Mercedez’s memory. In a public statement posted after the service, school leaders explained that the reflection period included meditation, communal prayer and the singing of Bhajans, as the community extended collective condolences to Mercedez’s grieving family. Following the tribute, Siparia Road KPA School held mandatory safety briefings for all students to reinforce personal safety awareness, and issued a public appeal to all guardians across the country to prioritize constant vigilance over children’s well-being.

    Public outrage has grown rapidly over the past two days, as citizens demand answers for how another innocent child’s life was cut short by violence. The Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago has responded by issuing an official media statement calling for an exhaustive, transparent investigation into every aspect of Mercedez’s death. The Authority urged the national justice system to leave no stone unturned in the investigation, and to ensure that every individual responsible for the child’s murder is held fully accountable under the country’s laws. Beyond the immediate investigation, the Authority also called for long-term systemic action to protect children across the nation, urging expanded public education campaigns and public awareness initiatives designed to build safer, more supportive environments for all young people. To encourage community participation in child protection, the Authority has reminded the public that anyone with concerns about a child’s safety can report their suspicions directly to police via the 999 emergency line, or to the Children’s Authority via its dedicated hotline at 996.

    As investigators continue to process evidence and follow leads in the case, the tragedy has reignited longstanding national conversations about child safety and the prevention of violent crime against minors in Trinidad and Tobago.

  • Tharp breaks 110m hurdles world record in NCAA prelims

    Tharp breaks 110m hurdles world record in NCAA prelims

    In a stunning upset that has sent shockwaves through the global track and field community, 19-year-old Auburn University athlete Ja’Kobe Tharp delivered a history-making performance on Wednesday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held in Eugene, Oregon. Competing in the preliminary round of the men’s 110m hurdles — a stage where many athletes hold back to conserve energy for the later, high-stakes final — Tharp defied all expectations and crossed the finish line in a wind-legal 12.75 seconds, with a tailwind reading of +1.0m/s that meets international track and field standards for record validation.

    This blistering time lowers the previous men’s 110m hurdles world record, marking one of the most unexpected record-breaking feats in recent NCAA athletics history. Prior to this race, Tharp was not widely ranked as the favorite to claim a world record, making his preliminary round achievement even more surprising to fans and analysts alike.

    By securing his spot in the event’s final with his historic run, Tharp now has a rare opportunity to cap off his already groundbreaking achievement with an NCAA national title. Track and field fans around the world are already turning their attention to the upcoming final, waiting to see if Tharp can repeat his dominant performance and further cement his place in athletics history.