The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already delivered one of its most stunning upsets, as underdog Paraguay ousted four-time tournament champion Germany from the Round of 32 on Monday evening, securing a historic 4-3 penalty shootout win after 120 minutes of play ended in a 1-1 draw. The result sends the unheralded South American side through to the quarter-finals, while bringing an unexpectedly early tournament exit for one of men’s football’s most decorated powerhouses. Long after the final whistle, Paraguayan star Julio César Enciso, a player celebrated for his tireless work ethic, could not contain his tears of joy, a raw, unfiltered reaction to the achievement that will go down in World Cup folklore. This upset is exactly why the World Cup remains widely regarded as the most captivating sports tournament on the planet. Every four years, smaller footballing nations earn the chance to test themselves against the sport’s established heavyweights. On paper, Germany boasts far more individual quality, deeper squad depth, and a far richer footballing legacy than Paraguay. But 90 minutes, or in this case 120 minutes of regulation and extra time, does not care for historical prestige, budget size or established reputation. Out on the pitch, only effort, tactical discipline, collective belief, and a willingness to fight for every inch of grass count – and that is exactly what Paraguay demonstrated from the final whistle. From the opening kickoff, Paraguay made clear they had not traveled to Boston to simply make up the numbers. With a tightly organized defensive structure, relentless aggression in duels, and dangerous counter-attacking transitions, they grabbed a surprising 1-0 lead before halftime. Germany, which entered the knockout stage as Group E winners, struggled from the start to break down Paraguay’s compact defensive block. After halftime, Germany ramped up the pressure, keeping the ball almost exclusively on Paraguay’s half of the pitch for long stretches, and eventually earned an equalizer that leveled the score. The four-time champions sensed momentum and looked poised to turn the match around in their favor, but Paraguay held firm. The two sides remained deadlocked even after extra time, with the match hanging on a knife edge through both additional 15-minute halves. In the first period of extra time, Germany thought it had netted the go-ahead 2-1 goal, but their celebration was cut short when VAR intervened to disallow the strike. The decision kept Paraguay in the match, and the underdog drew new confidence from the call. After the first five penalty kicks for each side failed to produce a winner, with both teams converting three and missing two, the shootout moved to sudden death. It was there that fortune turned against Germany. A German player missed from the spot, and Paraguay’s next taker kept his cool to slot home the decisive penalty. At that moment, wild celebrations erupted for the Paraguayan camp, while the German players collapsed on the pitch, stunned by their early exit. For Paraguay, this victory means far more than just a spot in the next round. It once again proves that nations not traditionally counted among the global elite can defeat the biggest footballing powerhouses when they play as a cohesive unit, stick to their game plan, and refuse to quit. The World Cup remains the ultimate stage where underdog dreams can become reality, and the line between favorite and outsider can be surprisingly thin. For Germany, however, the early exit brings profound disappointment. The side fought back to level the match in the second half, and even had what looked like a winning goal in extra time before the VAR call, but ultimately saw a campaign that began with sky-high expectations end in heartbreak during a tense penalty shootout. Paraguay now prepares for its historic quarter-final, while Germany is left with the painful realization that even the most decorated football powerhouses are not immune to the magic of the underdog at a World Cup.
作者： admin
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Eight Antiguans Rescued After Boat Begins Sinking Off Antigua
A maritime emergency off the coast of the Eastern Caribbean ended in a successful rescue Monday morning, when eight Antiguan travelers were pulled to safety after their vessel began sinking mid-voyage. The group was returning to their home country of Antigua from the neighboring island of St. Kitts when the boat began to take on water and lose buoyancy.
When the distress call went out, the passengers were positioned roughly 19 miles from the coast of Antigua, far enough from shore to put their lives at serious risk. The owner of local tourism operation Aventure Antigua, Eli Fuller, was among the first to receive the emergency alert and mobilized his team to launch an immediate rescue response.
By the time Fuller and his crew reached the scene of the incident, the eight passengers were already attempting to clamber aboard a separate nearby vessel in a desperate bid to escape the sinking craft. Fuller’s team quickly intervened, bringing all eight travelers safely aboard their own boat before beginning the trip back to Antigua’s shore.
The joint rescue effort was reinforced by two official national bodies: the Antigua and Barbuda Search and Rescue (ABSAR) team and the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Coast Guard, both of which provided additional support to coordinate the operation and ensure no one was left behind.
In the aftermath of the harrowing experience, all eight passengers have been confirmed to be in good condition. While they were understandably shaken by the life-threatening incident, none suffered any physical injuries during the sinking or the subsequent rescue.
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$272m pipeline targets infrastructure, technology, growth
Barbados’ newly appointed Minister of Agriculture Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight has laid out an ambitious, long-term strategic roadmap to reposition the agriculture sector from a overlooked production activity to a foundational pillar of national stability, backed by sweeping systemic reforms, expanded technical capabilities and an estimated $272 million in prioritized public investment. The plan, officially branded Agriculture 2030, was presented to industry stakeholders during a breakfast colloquium hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Nutritional Security at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre this Monday.
Dr. Munro-Knight, who assumed the agriculture portfolio after the February 11 general election, told attendees that national dialogue around agriculture has long been unnecessarily narrow, limited to just open-field crop production, which has shrunk the sector’s perceived and actual role in national life. Instead, she emphasized that agriculture is inextricably tied to three critical national priorities: long-term resilience, public health, and national security. “It’s not just about growing food,” she explained to gathered stakeholders. “It’s a national resilience conversation. It’s a health conversation. It’s a national security conversation.”
After taking office, the minister opted to delay quick, reactive policy changes to instead spend months consulting directly with farmers, ministry staff, and other interest groups to identify root causes of persistent sector challenges. She noted that while she faced pressure to roll out immediate changes, rushed action would only address surface-level issues without fixing deep-seated systemic problems. “When I came into the ministry, I was inundated with calls about what people wanted to see, what we needed to immediately… but I wanted to make sure that I resisted that notion of responding immediately because what happens at a systems level is you end up putting out fires, but you don’t deal with the root,” she said. Persistent problems including crop and livestock theft, destructive foraging by wild monkeys, declining soil fertility, and widespread pest damage are all examples of long-standing issues that demand coordinated, sustained action rather than short-term fixes, she added.
The Agriculture 2030 transformation strategy is built on four core pillars, starting with internal restructuring of the Ministry of Agriculture itself. “My first pillar… my starting point is I need to get my house right,” Dr. Munro-Knight stated. Internal reviews of existing projects and programs are already underway, with efforts focused on upgrading outdated internal processes via digital transformation, realigning human resource allocations, and making the ministry more responsive to the needs of farmers and industry participants. Several ongoing digital initiatives were highlighted during the colloquium, including a new centralized agricultural portal, expanded online services, and data-driven decision support tools that boost service delivery and open new market access for small producers. The newly launched Agridata platform was a key showcase: the tool centralizes market price data, production contract opportunities, harvest forecasts, and national agricultural statistics in a single accessible hub for all farmers.
While Dr. Munro-Knight praised the existing ministry staff for their commitment and subject-matter expertise, she emphasized that the current technical capacity is insufficient to support scaled growth. Currently, only 18 extension officers serve the entire island’s farming community. “We’re just not enough,” she said. “If I’m asking again for delivery at scale, I need to make sure that the ministry has the technical resources.”
The strategy’s second pillar centers on reconnecting ordinary Barbadians to agriculture, shifting public perception to recognize the sector’s full value. “I don’t believe that the average Barbadian has really connected with the value of agriculture,” the minister explained. “So part of that hearts and minds concept is about how do we reconnect Barbadians with the notion of agriculture and what we grow and the value of it.” To build this public connection, the ministry is developing youth outreach initiatives including tertiary-level agricultural internships, summer immersive programs that introduce young people to farming and agribusiness, and partnerships with primary and secondary schools to expand agricultural education and youth entrepreneurship training.
A third core pillar focuses on building industry-wide capacity through expanded technical support, broader adoption of agricultural technology, upgraded staff training, and strengthened quality assurance and regulatory frameworks to boost farmer support and overall sector competitiveness. Dr. Munro-Knight revealed that updated draft legislation regulating pesticide use, alongside new animal health and welfare laws, are already being prepared to modernize the country’s outdated regulatory system. The ministry will also prioritize risk management, with new targeted initiatives to crack down on persistent praedial larceny set to be announced in the near future. New governance and accountability measures will also be integrated into all programs to improve strategic planning and ensure public investment delivers transparent, measurable outcomes.
The final pillar of the roadmap is a major infrastructure investment and innovation agenda designed to modernize aging agricultural infrastructure and lay the groundwork for long-term, sustainable growth. The Barbadian government has already earmarked approximately $272 million (US$136 million) for high-priority infrastructure projects, including cold-chain storage networks, an export-certified produce packhouse, expanded agricultural laboratory services, revival of domestic cotton production, expansion of the Black Belly sheep industry, and other initiatives targeted at boosting sector productivity and global competitiveness. “All of these things are actively being worked on. All of these things are part of the flight path and on the way to be delivered,” the minister confirmed.
Despite the government’s aggressive investment and reform plan, Dr. Munro-Knight stressed that successful transformation of the sector will require collective action beyond the ministry. “Agriculture, food security, resilience, health – those are not just a ministry’s effort to deliver,” she said. “It has to be a holistic frame for delivery.”
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DOE: Shilling Wata Ban Not Off the Table, But Consultation Comes First
As public pressure mounts to address Belize’s persistent plastic pollution crisis, the nation’s Department of the Environment (DOE) has offered a measured response to widespread calls for a ban on single-use plastic water pouches, emphasizing that stakeholder consultation will precede any final policy decision rather than an immediate outright ban. The proposal for a national ban has been pushed forward by a coalition of more than 40 environmental and community organizations, which identify the small, lightweight water pouches as one of the most pervasive and intractable forms of plastic waste plaguing the country. Single-use water pouches were notably omitted from Belize’s 2022 national plastic ban, which targeted other common single-use plastic items including drinking cups, straws, disposable plates, and multiple categories of plastic shopping bags, leaving the pouch industry unregulated for years. Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai, in an interview with local outlet News 5, outlined that the DOE cannot unilaterally implement such a far-reaching policy change, as top-down decision-making would lack the transparency required for fair and effective regulation. Under the department’s planned process, officials will hold one-on-one consultations with all 36 companies that currently import single-use water pouches into Belize, along with any domestic manufacturers operating in the sector. During these meetings, the DOE will lay out its proposal for policy change, solicit direct feedback from business leaders, and assess how a potential ban or phase-out would impact each company’s operations, supply chains, and financial standing. Once all input has been collected and analyzed, the department will move forward with a final determination on whether to implement a ban. Mai also confirmed that the DOE is already enforcing existing plastic product regulations, which require all plastic goods sold in Belize to contain a minimum of 50% biodegradable material. To give manufacturers and importers time to make the necessary capital investments to meet this standard, the DOE has set a final compliance deadline of December 2026, a timeline that agency officials view as reasonable and manageable for industry stakeholders. For environmental advocates pushing for immediate action to cut plastic pollution, the DOE’s response represents a incremental but potentially meaningful step toward addressing a major waste management challenge that has impacted Belize’s ecosystems, coastlines, and communities.
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Hurricane shelter readiness ‘strengthened’ ahead of 2026 season
As the Atlantic hurricane season approaches, Barbados has wrapped up extensive upgrades to its nationwide network of emergency hurricane shelters, putting contingency plans in place to preserve response capacity even with limited temporary facility closures, according to Home Affairs and Information Minister Gregory Nicholls. In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY, Nicholls outlined the full scope of pre-season preparedness work, confirming that the island’s shelter system has seen substantial improvements over recent months.
Much of the renovation and readiness work was led by the Ministry of Education Transformation, Nicholls said, crediting the department for delivering on key infrastructure targets ahead of the season. The upgrades have allowed the government to reopen the majority of former Category 1 shelters that were previously offline, bringing much needed additional capacity to the island’s emergency response network. Only one to two shelters remain out of service this season, as they undergo structural retrofitting and long-term renovations that cannot be completed before the first storm threats emerge. To offset this small reduction in available space, government agencies have already secured vetted alternative locations that maintain the island’s total emergency shelter capacity at required levels.
Beyond just opening available spaces, authorities have completed full inspections and preparations of all critical life-support infrastructure at active shelters. Every designated facility has topped up potable water storage tanks, and all backup diesel generators have been tested, fueled, and confirmed to be fully operational, Nicholls added. Officials have also ticked every item off an extensive preparedness checklist developed for the season, a milestone the minister attributed to coordinated work across multiple government departments.
While infrastructure preparations are largely complete, Nicholls highlighted one ongoing priority that requires broader community buy-in: expanding the pool of volunteer emergency responders across all of Barbados’ local districts. Community volunteers form the backbone of local disaster coordination and response, but the current workforce faces gaps that put response efforts at risk. “If those existing volunteers are incapacitated in an emergency, then who fills the gap?” Nicholls asked, emphasizing the urgent need to recruit and train new volunteers at the community level to strengthen disaster planning operations.
The government is also working on long-term improvements to its core disaster response frameworks, alongside deepening cooperation with regional emergency management bodies. “Logistical planning can also always be improved, and that is what we’re working on to refine those plans, modernise our systems, and make sure that we are able and ready to respond,” Nicholls explained. Fresh from attending the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Council of Ministers meeting in Trinidad, he noted that Barbados continues to receive critical technical and operational support from the regional agency, strengthening the country’s own preparedness efforts.
In closing, Nicholls stressed that government preparedness alone is not enough to keep Barbadians safe during hurricane season, calling for individual action from all residents to reduce collective risk. “We’re working hard to make sure that all these things are done to keep Barbadians safe… but at the end of the day it’s going to require individual participation, individual vigilance,” he said. The minister urged local communities and households to complete basic pre-season risk reduction measures, including clearing drainage pathways, trimming overgrown tree branches, and removing accumulated debris from gullies. These simple steps cut the risk of dangerous flying projectiles during high winds and reduce widespread flooding during severe storm events, he added.
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Family, friends celebrate centenarian Ruby Nicholas
Over the last weekend of June 2026, the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia gathered to honor one of its newest centenarians, Ruby Nicholas, who marked her 100th birthday on June 26 with two days of joyful celebrations surrounded by loved ones and community leaders.
Born in the rural community of Choiseul to parents Flo and George Nicholas, Ruby grew up helping work her family’s farm while attending Riviere Doree Combined School. One of 12 siblings, she raised nine children of her own: three born in her hometown Choiseul, with the remaining six arriving after her move to the capital city of Castries, where she spent most of her adult life. Two of her children, Alma Mathurin, Keith Nicholas and Randy Nicholas, have predeceased her.
After relocating to Castries, Ruby began her working life as a domestic helper before building a reputation as a skilled seamstress across neighborhoods including Bishop’s Gap, Marchand and Water Works. Her final formal position was with the James family at La Toc. To supplement her income and support her large family, she also ran a small side business selling frozen treats and soft drinks to local customers. Beyond raising her own children, Ruby frequently opened her home and her heart to care for other children in the community, often offering her time for free out of pure generosity.
A lifelong devout member of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Ruby’s centenary celebrations kicked off with a special service at the church on her actual birthday. Archdeacon Christian Glasgow centered his remarks on Ruby’s unwavering faith, drawing from the Gospel verse Matthew 6:33, which calls believers to seek God’s kingdom first. He noted that Ruby has lived this principle throughout her life, and the blessing of reaching 100 years is a reflection of that commitment. Officials from Saint Lucia’s Department of Equity and Elderly Affairs also attended the service, presenting Ruby with a commemorative plaque and a bouquet of flowers to honor her milestone.
The following day, a larger public celebration was held at the St Joseph’s Convent auditorium, drawing guests from across Saint Lucia and abroad, including Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, who grew up in Water Works and has known Ruby since childhood.
Speaking on behalf of the family at the celebration, Ruby’s son Tony Nicholas shared insights into his mother’s character and long life. He highlighted her constant generosity, deep kindness, and consistent habit of putting faith first. Even in her 90s, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ruby walked to Castries Market every Saturday and attended church services every Sunday without fail. She raised her children to prioritize prayer, avoid envy, and practice love for both neighbors and themselves, while intentionally never forcing her views on religion or politics onto any of her children.
Tony also shared small, beloved details of his mother’s life: she remains an avid reader of both books and her Bible, listens to radio daily, loves local Saint Lucian dishes including sweet potatoes, macambo, pigeon peas, pork and saltfish, and enjoys a small capful of Stone’s Ginger wine each night before bed – a routine many guests joked could be her secret to healthy aging.
When asked by a reporter from Radio 100 how she felt marking her 100th birthday, Ruby expressed pure joy at being surrounded by so many loved ones, including some she had not seen in many years. She shared her simple, timeless advice for a long and fulfilling life: choose early to live well, work hard, hold fast to your faith, and make time to enjoy life. Recalling her own youth, she noted that even as a working teenager, she made time to go to community dances and embrace joy.
Prime Minister Pierre offered his warm congratulations to the centenarian, joking that he was eager to learn her “recipe” for good health so he could match her vitality when he reaches 100. He wished Ruby many more happy, healthy years ahead. The Saturday celebration featured joyful Gospel performances from local artists including Brandon and Cindy from Streams of Power Ministry, Sally Elwin, TC Brown and the Silver Shadow Dancers.
In the days following the celebration, Ruby has continued to receive dozens of congratulatory messages from across the island, and has extended her thanks to everyone who took part in marking her milestone, from event organizers to attending guests and those who called or sent well wishes from afar.
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Jaguar or Something Else? Officials Investigate Livestock Attacks
In the rural community of Buena Vista Village, located in Belize’s Cayo District, a string of unexpected livestock killings has launched a formal wildlife investigation, with local officials working to confirm whether a jaguar is the culprit behind the attacks that unfolded last Tuesday.
The incident came to light after a local farmer, who had already lost multiple head of livestock to the unknown predator, reported his suspicion that a jaguar was responsible to conservation authorities. In response, a specialized investigation team from the Corozal Sustainable Future Initiative (CSFI) was immediately deployed to the affected farm to conduct a thorough on-site assessment.
Rejecting the common impulse to jump to conclusions based on initial farmer suspicions, the CSFI team prioritized evidence-based inquiry. Investigators carefully documented all physical evidence left at the attack sites, including tracks, bite marks, and trail signs, before installing motion-activated camera monitoring systems across the farm and surrounding border areas to track animal movement. This systematic approach is designed to pinpoint the exact species responsible, rather than relying on unsubstantiated assumptions.
In a public statement shared via social media, CSFI emphasized that evidence-based conclusions are a core principle of all human-wildlife conflict investigations. “As with all conflict cases, it is important that conclusions are based on evidence rather than assumptions,” the organization noted, highlighting the need for careful assessment to protect both local livelihoods and vulnerable wildlife populations.
During their visit, the investigation team also held meetings with the affected farmer and a nearby landowner to walk through the investigation process, address community concerns, and outline proven strategies to reduce the risk of future attacks. The discussion also touched on the underlying driver of increasing human-wildlife encounters in the region: ongoing deforestation and widespread habitat loss are forcing native wildlife, including big cats like jaguars, to range closer to agricultural lands and populated communities in search of food and territory.
The Belize Forest Department has partnered with CSFI on the investigation, and both agencies have reiterated that no determination of jaguar involvement will be made until all collected evidence is analyzed. The probe remains ongoing as officials continue to review monitoring data and on-site evidence to reach a definitive conclusion.
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Which High School Will Dominate the Super Nationals 2026?
On the morning of June 29, 2026, the Belize City Civic Center buzzed with youthful energy as the high school division of Belize’s most anticipated youth sporting event, Super Nationals 2026, officially launched. Hundreds of the nation’s top high school athletes marched through the venue alongside their district delegations, each squad clad in their signature uniform colors to proudly represent their home regions: Corozal in soft pink, Orange Walk in bold orange, Belize district in deep blue, Cayo in sleek black, Stann Creek in bright yellow, and Toledo in rich forest green. Following a rousing opening ceremony, competitors are set to compete for national titles across four core sporting categories: volleyball, basketball, football, and track and field athletics.
Organized by the National Sports Council of Belize, Super Nationals holds the distinction of being the country’s premier national youth sporting event, a groundbreaking initiative created with three core goals: to raise the profile of school sports across the nation, to spot emerging athletic talent early in their careers, and to open doors to life-changing opportunities for young competitors, including university athletic scholarships and spots on international Belizean sports teams. This year’s event is split into two phases: the primary school division concluded its competition last week, while the high school tournament will run through July 3, giving athletes five full days of competitive play to claim top honors.
In pre-competition remarks, Devin Daly, Minister of State for Youth and Sports, drew on his own experience as an athlete to share advice with competitors of all ages. For primary school participants who competed last week, Daly outlined his three “Cs of success” that he says underpin all athletic achievement: “Communication, Commitment and Consistency. Success will not come overnight. You have to try at it every single day.”
Speaking directly to the high school athletes gathered at the opening ceremony, Daly offered a more pointed message about resilience and work ethic that resonated across the venue. “Can you discover what your true grit is? Some of the most talented athletes in the world came from troubled homes, hard circumstances, and humble beginnings, and truthfully, those are the things that really make the story much more valuable and memorable,” he said. The minister also emphasized that athlete dedication is the most critical component of growing Belizean sports, noting that public and private investment in facilities, equipment, and coaching can only go so far without matching effort from competitors. “We could spend all the money allotted to sports, make all the facilities pretty, have the best equipment, and bring in high-level coaches, but if the athletes don’t match that investment, we’re not going anywhere,” he explained. “So, my challenge to the athletes is, ‘What are you doing when nobody is watching?’”
Kaya Cattouse, National Sports Council Coordinator, expanded on the purpose of the event beyond raw competition, reminding athletes that the week holds transformative lessons that extend far beyond final scores and medals. “You were selected because you earned it; the coaches believed in you, your district believed in you, and now for the remainder of this week, this is your moment,” she told the gathered competitors. She added that sports shape character that serves athletes off the pitch and court: “There will be victories, challenges and moments that test you, but remember this: sport has never only been about winning; it teaches discipline, sacrifice, resilience, and sport teaches us to rise every single time we are challenged and not just on the court or on the field, but it transfers to every part of our daily lives.”
As the first matches and qualifying rounds get underway, the question on the mind of every athlete, coach, and spectator across the country remains the same: which district will claim the most titles and emerge as the dominant force at Super Nationals 2026?
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OECS celebrates 172 graduates of regional digital skills scholarship programme
In a landmark virtual ceremony held on May 20, 2026, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission formally celebrated the achievements of 172 professionals who successfully completed its year-long Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme, a World Bank-backed initiative aimed at boosting regional digital competitiveness. All graduates walked away with internationally recognized industry certifications, marking a major milestone in the Caribbean’s push to build a tech-ready workforce.
The scholarship program, a core component of the $150 million World Bank-funded Caribbean Digital Transformation Project (CARDTP), is coordinated by the OECS Commission and delivered in partnership with The University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus. Designed to bridge the regional digital skills gap and prepare local workers for roles in the fast-growing global digital economy, the initiative brought together recipients, program partners and stakeholders from across the region for the virtual recognition event.
Speaking in her opening remarks at the ceremony, Sisera Simon, Head of the Human and Social Division at the OECS Commission, emphasized that strengthening regional digital capacity is no longer a discretionary goal but a non-negotiable foundation for long-term sustainable development. “In a world defined by rapid technological change, ensuring our citizens are equipped to thrive in the digital economy is not a matter of choice but a necessity for sustainable development,” Simon stated. She added that the program reflects the OECS’s long-standing vision to empower every citizen and institution across member states to compete on the global stage, highlighting the success of cross-regional collaboration, strategic multi-stakeholder partnerships and targeted human capital investment in driving impact. “When we provide our citizens with access to quality training, mentorship and emerging digital opportunities, they are fully capable of excelling in highly competitive global spaces,” she noted.
Dr. Francis Severin, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UWI Global Campus, echoed Simon’s remarks, praising graduates for their dedication and proving that Caribbean professionals can compete and lead in technology-focused sectors. “Through your dedication, discipline and resilience, you have demonstrated that Caribbean citizens are prepared to lead in areas such as digital innovation, technology-enabled entrepreneurship, data literacy and emerging digital industries,” Severin said. He stressed that advanced digital expertise has become a fundamental requirement for economic growth, noting that “We cannot risk becoming overwhelmed by rapid change in these areas. We believe strongly that education must not only respond to change but must also empower our people to shape the future of the Caribbean.”
One of the most anticipated moments of the ceremony came from graduate Shazelle Isaacs Burke, who shared her personal and professional transformation through the program. Burke highlighted that the curriculum went far beyond theoretical learning, pushing participants to apply new skills to their careers and daily lives. “What stood out most is that the programme was not solely focused on theory. The assignments and reading materials challenged us to apply what we learnt not only in our careers but also in our daily life and personal development,” Burke explained. She applauded organizers for launching the initiative, noting that “every one of us is leaving this programme with valuable lessons, new skills and greater confidence in ourselves. I hope the seeds planted through this programme continue to grow, producing opportunities, success and personal advancement for years to come.”
Dr. Karin Rosemin, Scholarship Management Team Lead at UWI Global Campus, later walked attendees through the program’s structure, noting that beyond core coursework, participants gained access to one-on-one mentorship, collaborative group projects, and for students in relevant fields, professional memberships with leading global industry bodies including the Project Management Institute.
In a major announcement during the ceremony, organizers unveiled the new OECS Digital Skills Bank, a centralized online platform that will host profiles of all certified program graduates. The repository is designed to connect trained digital professionals with regional and international employers seeking verified digital expertise, with the broader goal of strengthening the Caribbean’s overall digital talent pool and reducing mismatches between skilled workers and open employment opportunities.
The OECS Commission reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to advancing digital workforce development through the Caribbean Digital Transformation Project, noting that the initiative will continue to support the upskilling of regional workers to meet the evolving demands of the global digital economy. To expand this impact, the commission also announced that applications for the second cohort of the Advanced Digital Skills Scholarship Programme will open in summer 2026, with full program details to be published on the OECS online pressroom in the coming months.
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Official funeral for Dr Shelly-Ann Latoya Cox
A respected leader in Barbados’ fisheries sector, 38-year-old Chief Fisheries Officer Dr Shelly-Ann Latoya Cox, will be honored with an official state-sanctioned funeral on Monday, July 13, following her unexpected passing last month. The official funeral service is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. at the Wildey Gymnasium, and a private cremation ceremony will be held for close family and loved ones after the public service. For community members wishing to pay their respects ahead of the funeral, a public viewing will be held on Sunday, July 12, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Lyndhurst Funeral Home Chapel located on Passage Road in St Michael. Condolence books will also be available at the chapel during the viewing hours for members of the public to sign and leave messages of sympathy for Cox’s family, friends and colleagues. Cox stepped into the senior role of Chief Fisheries Officer earlier this year, assuming her official duties in January 2023, and served the nation’s fishing industry for just five months before her death on June 13. The announcement of Cox’s funeral arrangements was made jointly by the Cabinet Office and the Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS).