Carib Scope

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  • TSTT drops Cox as acting CEO

    TSTT drops Cox as acting CEO

    In a sudden leadership restructuring at Trinidad and Tobago’s majority state-owned telecommunications giant Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd (TSTT), Keino Cox has been replaced as acting chief executive officer after just over 13 months in the role, with industry veteran Reza Hosein tapped to step into the top position effective immediately.

    By Thursday evening, updates to TSTT’s official leadership page had already removed Cox from the company’s executive roster and listed Hosein as the new acting CEO. Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath confirmed the transition in a phone interview with the Express, noting that the TSTT board of directors convened a meeting earlier the same day to review Cox’s performance appraisal and ultimately voted against renewing his temporary appointment.

    Cox’s tenure as acting CEO was approved via a specific board resolution that was set to expire on July 31, 2026. Following that expiration, the board opted not to extend his mandate, Padarath explained. “I spoke with the chairman of TSTT a few minutes ago, he advised me that there was a board meeting this afternoon, which ended after 6 p.m., and the board took the decision to appoint Mr Reza Hosein as the new acting chief executive officer of TSTT,” Padarath shared. “Keino Cox’s appointment as acting chief executive officer came to an end on July 31, 2026. Mr Cox was appointed through a board resolution, and after a review or consideration and an appraisal, the board took the decision to appoint Mr Hosein to act instead of continuing with Mr Cox.”

    Padarath added that he has requested a full briefing on the specific details that drove the leadership change, but emphasized that Cox’s formal authority to serve in the role had already reached its scheduled end. “And upon the expiration, the board met, they considered several different issues, which I am waiting to be briefed on by the board, and they decided to go with Mr Reza Hosein to lead the company at this time,” he said.

    The minister also addressed ongoing concerns around uncertainty at Amplia Communications, TSTT’s subsidiary, where media reports have claimed employees are left in limbo amid plans to end the company’s operating contract. Padarath confirmed he had raised questions about the situation with the TSTT board, only to be informed that the proposed move was brought forward unilaterally without board approval, and that the body has not yet discussed the matter officially, with legal review currently underway.

    Cox first stepped into the acting CEO role in July of the previous year, taking over from outgoing CEO Kent Western when he was serving as substantive assistant vice-president of Emerging Services and Innovation. When contacted by reporters Thursday evening, Cox declined to comment beyond the official statement released by TSTT.

    In its official announcement of the leadership transition, TSTT outlined Hosein’s immediate priorities as acting CEO: sustaining organizational momentum, accelerating progress against the company’s core strategic goals, and driving its ongoing transformation from a traditional telecommunications provider to a full technology-focused enterprise. The company says this transformation leverages cutting-edge technology, expanded digital capabilities, and innovation to boost customer value, improve operational performance, open new diversified revenue streams, and position TSTT for long-term sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive digital market.

    Hosein, who boasts 27 years of specialized experience in the telecommunications sector, joined TSTT’s senior leadership team just last month, when he took over as vice-president of technology following the departure of Rattan Boodram. His career at TSTT has spanned leadership roles across nearly every critical business segment, including technology, residential services, wireless solutions, consumer sales, service delivery and assurance, customer experience, and marketing. This cross-functional experience has given him a holistic, enterprise-wide understanding of TSTT’s operations and the core strategic, technological, commercial, and customer-focused demands shaping the company’s future, the release noted.

    Kern Dass, chairman of TSTT’s board of directors, expressed full confidence in the new acting CEO in a statement accompanying the announcement. “The board welcomes Reza to the role of Acting Chief Executive Officer and is confident in his leadership as TSTT continues to advance its strategic priorities and accelerate its transformation from a Telco to a TechCo,” Dass said. “His extensive experience across technology, commercial operations and customer experience will be important as the Company strengthens its digital capabilities, drives innovation and delivers greater value for our customers and stakeholders.”

    In his first public comment since the appointment, Hosein said he was honored to take on the top leadership role. “I am honoured to assume the role of Acting Chief Executive Officer. I look forward to working with our employees and stakeholders to build on the work underway, maintain our focus on our customers and continue advancing the Company’s strategic priorities,” he said.

    The leadership transition comes as TSTT navigates two key industry moments: a public standoff with the Communications Workers Union (CWU) over a disputed 10% wage increase for employees, and a historic high in financial performance. Just last month, TSTT and its Amplia subsidiary reported the group’s strongest full-year financial results in 17 years. For the 12-month period ending March 31, 2026, the company posted an after-tax profit of $214 million, marking a 103% jump from the prior year’s after-tax profit of $106 million recorded in 2025.

    The current TSTT board, chaired by Dass, recently added a new member when Daniel Thornhill was appointed to the director role just last week. He joins sitting directors Cassilina Kelshall and Randy Ramtahal on the governing body.

  • Boys Continue to Fall Behind Girls at CSEC and CAPE Levels

    Boys Continue to Fall Behind Girls at CSEC and CAPE Levels

    A newly released analysis of 2026 Caribbean regional examination data has confirmed a steadily widening gender participation gap across the education system, with male enrollment dropping sharply as students progress from early secondary schooling to advanced post-secondary assessments.

    Data published by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) lays bare the scale of the disparity: for the 2026 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), the highest-level assessment offered by the council, women made up 62 percent of all registered candidates, leaving men accounting for just 38 percent of the total test-taking pool. At the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level, a qualification for students completing upper secondary school, the gap remains significant, with women representing 59 percent of candidates and men 41 percent.

    Dr. Nicole Manning, CXC’s Director of Operations, outlined these findings during the official launch of the May–June 2026 examination results hosted in Anguilla on Tuesday. She emphasized that the imbalance is not present at the earliest stages of education: enrollment at the primary level remains nearly equal between boys and girls, and even in the first three years of secondary school, the divide remains narrow. For the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC), which is typically taken by early secondary students, men actually hold a slight advantage, making up 52 percent of candidates compared to 48 percent for women.

    This demographic breakdown confirms that the gender gap emerges and expands at later stages of the Caribbean education pipeline. Fewer boys continue their academic careers through upper secondary school and on to the advanced CAPE assessments required for university admission. Manning summed up the trend, noting “It gets less and less as you go higher.”

    CXC has not pinpointed a single root cause for the shrinking male participation in advanced examinations, but the council is calling for urgent, coordinated action across the region’s education sector. Manning stressed that the ongoing trend demands targeted attention from education authorities across all Caribbean territories, and urged educators and policymakers to collaborate on two key goals: first, conducting a deeper, evidence-based investigation into the underlying factors driving male disengagement from advanced education, and second, implementing targeted strategies to keep boys invested in academic study as they progress through secondary school.

    It is important to note that the published data only reflects the proportion of male and female candidates registered for the assessments, and does not include a comparison of pass or performance rates between the two groups.

  • AI Misuse Recorded in CXC Examinations for the First Time

    AI Misuse Recorded in CXC Examinations for the First Time

    For the first time in its history, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has formally recorded misuse of artificial intelligence as an official examination irregularity, marking an uncharted new challenge to safeguarding the fairness and credibility of regional secondary and post-secondary assessments. The revelation was made public this week by CXC Director of Operations Dr. Nicole Manning during the official launch of the May-June 2026 examination results, held in Anguilla on Tuesday. Describing the development as a groundbreaking shift in exam misconduct trends, Manning emphasized that the classification of AI misuse as a formal irregularity has never occurred in any prior exam cycle. While unauthorized electronic devices remain the most prevalent form of rule-breaking documented by the council, followed by candidate collusion and the possession of prohibited study materials, AI-facilitated cheating has now emerged as a rapidly growing concern. Collusion, which encompasses unauthorized collaboration between test-takers and illicit sharing of answers during assessments, and the use of forbidden materials or devices both allow students to access exam content outside the bounds of official testing rules, just as improperly used generative AI can generate full answers that are not the candidate’s own work. Overall, the CXC documented 128 confirmed examination irregularities across the 2026 May-June exam cycle, a sharp increase from the 80 cases recorded in the prior equivalent testing period. Manning added that a subset of candidates have repeated misconduct across multiple different examinations, compounding integrity risks for the region’s assessment system. Students found guilty of confirmed examination irregularities face serious penalties, ranging from cancellation of their exam grades to permanent disqualification from future CXC assessments. The first formal recording of AI misuse comes at a time when education institutions and testing bodies across the Caribbean are navigating the rapid expansion of accessible generative AI tools. While this technology offers tangible benefits for supporting personalized learning and streamlining instructional tasks, it has also sparked widespread alarm over its potential to enable cheating, erode long-held norms of academic integrity, threaten student privacy, and make it far more difficult to verify that submitted work is actually the product of a candidate’s own knowledge and effort. In response to this evolving challenge, Manning confirmed that the CXC has already proactively developed formal standards and comprehensive guidelines designed to govern responsible AI use within education and formal assessment contexts. The council has distributed these guidance materials to all regional ministries of education, and is actively encouraging primary and secondary school leaders across the Caribbean to adopt context-appropriate institutional policies that align with the CXC framework. Beyond addressing cheating risks, Manning also issued a critical public warning to students about broader privacy hazards associated with unregulated AI use: she urged test-takers to avoid entering personally identifiable information into unvetted AI tools and unsecure online platforms, noting that careless sharing of personal data can leave students vulnerable to identity theft, data breaches, and misuse of their private information by third parties. To balance innovation and integrity, the CXC is calling on regional educators to integrate lessons about responsible AI use into their regular curricula, teaching students how to leverage the technology as a legitimate learning tool while ensuring its application never undermines the fairness and public trust that underpin the Caribbean’s regional examination system.

  • WHO: Ebola-uitbraak in DR Congo ‘wereldwijde noodsituatie’

    WHO: Ebola-uitbraak in DR Congo ‘wereldwijde noodsituatie’

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains an active global public health emergency, with the death toll already surpassing 2,300 to make it the deadliest outbreak in the country’s recorded history.
    As of the latest official update, the outbreak has confirmed more than 5,000 infections, and the mortality rate continues to climb. During an emergency meeting held Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the epidemic is still far from being contained, noting that the virus gained a substantial head start before response efforts were scaled, and response teams are still working to close that gap. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak the DRC has faced, and it has already claimed more lives than the 2018-2020 DRC outbreak that previously held the grim title of the nation’s deadliest.
    A top-level concern for responders is the specific viral strain driving this outbreak: the Bundibugyo strain, for which no fully approved vaccine or targeted treatment is currently available to the public. Compounding these challenges are multiple systemic barriers that slow containment work: ongoing armed conflict in the mineral-rich eastern regions where the outbreak is concentrated, deep-seated community distrust of outside aid workers, widespread misinformation about the virus, and traditional cultural practices that can increase transmission risk.
    Tedros added that the virus is spreading at an unprecedented rate, and a large share of active transmission chains have not yet been traced and documented. “The epidemic will not end until every single transmission chain is identified and broken,” he stressed.
    Responders have shifted to a targeted new strategy focused on motorcycle taxi drivers, who often transport sick patients and deceased bodies across communities, making them unknowing key nodes in the virus’s spread. Rather than cracking down on this critical local transport network, WHO officials are now recruiting motorcycle drivers to serve as community monitors and frontline outreach workers, alongside expanding access to hygiene supplies and personal protective equipment across at-risk areas.
    While the outbreak was only formally confirmed by public health officials on May 17, genetic sequencing of viral samples shows the virus had already begun circulating undetected in local communities as early as February, allowing it to establish transmission chains before any response began.
    A glimmer of progress has emerged on the vaccine front: the first human volunteer recently received an experimental Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Hundreds of thousands of doses of the candidate vaccine have already been manufactured in India, and the full stockpile could be deployed immediately to the DRC if ongoing clinical trials confirm the vaccine is safe and effective.
    In closing, the WHO issued an urgent appeal to the global international community to scale up funding, personnel, and logistical support for response efforts, stressing that coordinated action is needed now to stop the outbreak from spreading beyond the DRC’s borders and becoming a larger regional or global crisis.

  • OPINION: It’s Time We Recognize Antigua Carnival’s Unsung Heroes

    OPINION: It’s Time We Recognize Antigua Carnival’s Unsung Heroes

    The confetti has settled and the calypso beats have faded after another hugely successful edition of Antigua’s annual Carnival, and now the traditional cycle of post-event gratitude is underway. Every year, well-earned public praise flows to the Antigua and Barbuda Festival Commission, the island nation’s police force and defense force, emergency response teams, media partners, local vendors, corporate sponsors, and the throngs of international visitors who turn out to celebrate the island’s cultural heritage. But one critical group remains conspicuously absent from most shout-outs: the unsung Parade Marshals, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep every event safe and running on schedule.

    Long before the first costumed mas band steps onto the parade route, while most revelers are still preparing for the day’s celebrations, marshals are already on site. They spend hours coordinating band positions, liaising with event organizers, troubleshooting early logistical issues, mapping crowd control strategies, and prepping for any unexpected crises that might emerge. They stay at their posts from the first light of dawn until the final band crosses the finish line, long after most spectators have headed home for the night.

    Contrary to common public misconception, the role of a parade marshal extends far beyond walking alongside bands or directing vehicle traffic. Tasked with preserving the flow and structural integrity of the entire procession, marshals collaborate constantly with police officers, emergency medical teams, band leaders, and other event stakeholders. They maintain constant situational awareness, making split-second real-time decisions to keep the parade moving safely and efficiently for participants and onlookers alike.

    What remains widely unacknowledged, however, are the hardships and unfair treatment many marshals endure while carrying out their duties. It is not uncommon for marshals to face verbal abuse from spectators who resent being asked to move out of restricted areas, or who disagree with on-the-spot calls marshals must make to keep the event on track. In more extreme cases, they have been subjected to aggressive behavior and even physical confrontation, simply for doing the job they volunteered to do. Even more disheartening is the unfair blame they absorb for parade delays that are not their fault.

    A core part of a marshal’s mandate is to keep the procession moving at a consistent, manageable pace. But there are repeated instances where mas camps, bands, or individual participants deliberately slow their pace or hold up the procession, creating large, disruptive gaps between parade sections. When marshals’ repeated instructions to keep moving are ignored, the resulting delays are often wrongfully blamed on the marshals who tried to prevent them. This double standard raises a fair question: how can marshals be expected to deliver a seamless parade when participants deliberately refuse to cooperate with official guidance?

    Marshals cannot be in every section of the parade at once, nor can they physically force groups of participants to adhere to the required pace. Their authority is limited to communicating instructions, monitoring progress, reporting issues, and intervening when appropriate. A successful parade ultimately depends on the cooperation of every group involved: bands, mas camps, participants, spectators, and organizers. It is fundamentally unfair to place all blame for delays on marshals when disruptions stem from parties that refuse to follow established event protocols.

    Even in the face of these constant challenges, marshals continue to show up year after year. They work for hours under the scorching Caribbean sun, they pull all-night shifts during multi-day events, they walk miles along the parade route, they de-escalate tense confrontations between uncooperative spectators and participants, and they often put themselves in harm’s way to protect other attendees when crises arise.

    When the last band completes its route, when crowds disperse and the street cleanup begins, marshals are still hard at work. Their responsibilities do not end when the music stops; they remain on post until every final task is complete and the entire parade operation is wrapped up. The bitter irony of their role is that when they do their job perfectly, their work goes entirely unnoticed. If the parade runs smoothly, everyone simply enjoys the festivities without a second thought for the coordination that made it possible. If something goes wrong, however, marshals are often the first to face public criticism. To be clear, the marshals themselves acknowledge that there is always room for improvement, and teams work every year to refine training and processes for the next event.

    Despite this, the public attitude toward parade marshals is long overdue for a shift. Public recognition for Carnival contributors should not be reserved only for those whose work is visible from the sidewalk. It must extend to the behind-the-scenes workers who keep the entire festival running safely and efficiently. Parade Marshals deserve widespread appreciation not just for the countless hours they dedicate to the event, but for the abuse they endure, the high-pressure situations they navigate, and the personal risks they take to deliver a successful celebration.

    As Antigua and Barbuda celebrates the conclusion of another successful Carnival, it is time to ask why the people responsible for keeping parades safe, organized, and on schedule are so often left off the list of publicly thanked contributors. This piece, written by a former parade marshal who has experienced these challenges firsthand, is a tribute: to every marshal who reported for duty before sunrise, who stayed on post for endless hours, who managed difficult confrontations, who absorbed unfair criticism, who faced verbal or physical aggression, and never wavered in their commitment to getting the job done: thank you.

    Your work matters. You are not just people in vests walking along a parade route; you are an essential cog in the machinery that makes Antigua Carnival the beloved celebration it is today. It is long past time that the nation recognizes Parade Marshals not as an afterthought, but as the indispensable, foundational part of Carnival that they truly are.

  • MP Michael Joseph Encourages Constituents to Take Advantage of Free Eye Screenings

    MP Michael Joseph Encourages Constituents to Take Advantage of Free Eye Screenings

    A proactive public health initiative is bringing no-cost vision care to residents of Michael Joseph’s parliamentary constituency, with the lawmaker urging locals — especially those aged 40 and above — to seize the opportunity to get their eyes checked at the Knuckle Block Community Centre. The screening program is already up and running at the venue, and will remain open to the public for a full two weeks, giving all interested residents ample time to fit a visit into their schedules.

    Beyond complimentary vision tests, the initiative also extends a key additional benefit: any participant found to require reading glasses will receive their new pairs at zero charge, removing financial barriers to essential vision care for community members. In a statement shared this week, MP Joseph expressed his satisfaction with the early turnout for the program, noting that he is encouraged to see constituents already taking advantage of the accessible health resource.

    Joseph is urging local residents to spread the word about the initiative, encouraging constituents to reach out to older family members, neighbors and friends who may benefit from the free screenings to remind them of the opportunity. “Taking care of our health starts with taking advantage of the resources available to us,” Joseph emphasized, adding that prioritizing regular vision checks is a critical step for residents to protect both their short-term and long-term eye and overall health.

  • Parham Fisheries Complex Gets Major Clean-Up Through Joint Effort

    Parham Fisheries Complex Gets Major Clean-Up Through Joint Effort

    A years-long problem of accumulated waste at the Parham Fisheries Complex has been addressed through a landmark collaborative clean-up initiative that brought together government fisheries officials, local parliamentary representatives, and inmate volunteers from His Majesty’s Prison. The targeted effort, which was led on the ground by the complex’s own manager Piet Jeffrey, marks the latest in a series of attempts to upgrade the popular fishing hub that serves dozens of local fishermen and industry workers daily. According to Randy Baltimore, the Member of Parliament for the St. Philip’s North constituency where the facility is located, the project brought together stakeholders from across the region to achieve a shared goal of revitalizing public space. When crews completed the multi-day work, photographs documented the massive haul of discarded fishing equipment, general debris and accumulated waste that was cleared out of underused and public areas of the complex. Baltimore, whose office coordinated part of the logistics for the initiative, offered high praise for every group and individual that contributed to the project’s success. He emphasized that the cross-sector partnership that made the clean-up possible stands as a powerful model for future community improvement projects across the constituency. Beyond clearing tons of unsightly and potentially hazardous waste, Baltimore noted that the project has transformed the complex into a far cleaner, more inviting space for working fishermen, on-site staff, and any other visitors who access the facility on a regular basis. “Thank you to Mr Jeffrey and everyone who rolled up their sleeves and got the job done,” Baltimore said in a statement following the completion of the work. The successful clean-up addresses longstanding community concerns that have been raised about waste accumulation and declining facility conditions at the complex over the past several years. Looking ahead, Baltimore confirmed that more infrastructure improvement and community-focused projects are planned for the St. Philip’s North constituency as local leaders continue to address resident needs and upgrade public assets.

  • PM meets police top brass, vows to ‘stick with it’ until crime problem solved

    PM meets police top brass, vows to ‘stick with it’ until crime problem solved

    St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Godwin Friday has launched urgent, coordinated action to curb a sharp, unacceptable rise in gun violence across the nation, convening a high-level security summit with the country’s top law enforcement leaders to map out a strategic response.

    Speaking to reporters in Kingstown Tuesday, shortly after concluding an official visit to Taiwan, Friday disclosed that the closed-door meeting — held roughly two weeks prior on the island of Bequia — brought together the highest-ranking command of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, senior Coast Guard leadership, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security St. Clair Leacock, and Leacock’s permanent secretary. The gathering centered on the growing public anxiety over the spike in shootings and widespread feelings of insecurity that have shaken communities in recent weeks.

    To signal a clear shift in the government’s approach to public safety, Friday confirmed that his administration has already implemented leadership reshuffling at the very top of the national police force. On Monday, Trevor “Buju” Bailey was appointed acting Commissioner of Police, replacing Enville Williams who is currently on seven months of paid leave. Junior Simmons will serve as acting Deputy Commissioner, while Brenton Smith has taken on the role of acting Assistant Commissioner. These leadership changes took effect immediately after a violent weekend that saw three separate shooting incidents in Kingstown leave two women wounded, followed by a fatal shooting early Tuesday that left one man dead in an abandoned building directly across from His Majesty’s Prison on Kingstown’s White Chapel Road.

    Friday openly acknowledged that the string of violent attacks has amplified public fear and placed his administration’s security record under intense public scrutiny. While he reaffirmed the government’s full commitment to directly confronting the national crime crisis, he warned that translating policy commitments into tangible, visible public safety improvements will require time.

    Among the most pressing issues discussed at the Bequia summit, the prime minister highlighted the unregulated flow of illegal firearms into the country as a particularly urgent threat. “We don’t manufacture them here, yet anybody who wants a gun seems to be able to get one. This has to end,” he stated. Friday added that law enforcement already holds intelligence on key entry points for these illegal weapons, and the government is now finalizing a targeted plan to crack down on smuggling networks, prioritizing strengthened border control and interdiction of illegal gun shipments. He declined to share sensitive operational details, but stressed that halting the inflow of illegal firearms is a non-negotiable core priority.

    For Friday, guaranteeing public safety is the most fundamental obligation a government owes its citizens. “The first thing that a government owes its citizens is security,” he said, expanding on this core principle: “We are responsible for creating an environment where these violent incidents don’t happen, and that if they do occur, perpetrators are quickly apprehended, prosecuted, and jailed.”

    The prime minister also emphasized that solving the long-standing crime crisis will require more than just law enforcement action — it demands a whole-of-society approach. He announced plans to convene a national dialogue with political leaders across the aisle and civil society stakeholders at an appropriate time to align on a unified national strategy to tackle violence. “We can’t allow a situation where people are afraid to leave their homes. How can a country function that way?” he noted, underscoring the high stakes of the current crisis.

    When asked about his past criticism of the previous administration’s handling of rising crime during his time in opposition, Friday pushed back against claims of inconsistent rhetoric. “When I speak in opposition, I don’t speak with a forked tongue,” he said. “What I said then, I stand by now; it is just shaped by the different facts and circumstances of holding office.” He did acknowledge that timelines for progress he outlined while in opposition may need adjustment, and pledged to be transparent with the public if deadlines shift: “If the timeline changes, I will come to the public and explain why, and reasonable people will understand that.” On the question of accountability, he was unambiguous: “You asked if we are responsible. Of course we are. We hold the office of national security, so we are responsible for building a safe society.”

    Friday also pointed to systemic impunity for violent offenders as one of the most damaging weaknesses in the current security system. Restoring public trust, he argued, depends on establishing a consistent track record of arrests, prosecutions, and convictions for serious violent crimes — something the public has not consistently seen in recent years.

    International assistance, including security support from Taiwan, will play a supporting role in the national strategy, but Friday stressed that all foreign aid must be aligned directly with St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ domestic priorities. During his recent visit to Taiwan, security cooperation was discussed, with Taipei already providing some equipment and hosting training for Vincentian law enforcement officers. However, Friday argued that ad hoc donations of surplus equipment — such as secondhand vehicles or extra bulletproof vests — while useful, do not address the most urgent needs of the current crime-fighting plan. “We have to be clear: these are our priorities, this is our national plan, how can your support help us meet these goals?” he said. He expressed confidence that Taiwan will align its support with the nation’s formal strategy once it is finalized, and emphasized that the government will not relent until the crisis is resolved: “Until the problem is gone, we don’t back off. This isn’t a six-month quick fix; we stick with it until we get results.”

    Ultimately, Friday said his mission as prime minister is to acknowledge the public’s widespread fear of violence and deliver decisive action to restore safety. He added that voters will ultimately judge his administration on whether it delivers on its promises: reducing violent crime, stemming the flow of illegal guns, strengthening policing institutions, and ending the culture of impunity that has allowed violent offenders to act without consequence.

  • LETTER: Who Is Responsible for Monitoring Heavy-Duty Truck Drivers?

    LETTER: Who Is Responsible for Monitoring Heavy-Duty Truck Drivers?

    A concerned member of the public has issued an urgent appeal to Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Public Works, demanding immediate action to address the growing risk of reckless driving among operators of heavy-duty material haulage trucks. The question being pressed to transportation and public works regulators is clear: Which government body holds accountability for verifying that all drivers of large trucks transporting sand, construction aggregate and other bulk materials hold valid professional licensing, complete required safety training, and adhere to responsible road practices at all times?

    Witnesses report that a number of these massive heavy vehicles have been observed operating in aggressively reckless patterns on public roads, creating a terrifying hazard for all other road users. Unlike standard passenger vehicles, these multi-ton haulage trucks carry enormous potential for catastrophic harm: even a minor collision involving one of these machines can result in severe infrastructure damage, life-altering injuries, and fatalities for anyone sharing the road.

    The appeal lays out three critical accountability questions that regulators have yet to address publicly. First, is there consistent, formal monitoring in place to oversee the conduct of these truck drivers? Second, are routine checks conducted to confirm that every operator holds up-to-date licensing, completed mandatory safety training, and maintains a clean record of safe driving practices? Third, are meaningful penalties enforced when drivers are caught violating road safety rules, to deter future dangerous behavior?

    The person raising the alarm emphasizes that this call for action is not an attack on individual drivers, but a grassroots push to protect general public safety across the nation’s road networks. They stress that waiting for a catastrophic fatal accident to occur before implementing oversight is an unacceptable approach that puts countless innocent lives at unnecessary risk.

    In closing, the appeal urges the Ministry of Public Works to launch a full review of haulage truck driver oversight immediately, before preventable harm occurs. All road users, from pedestrians to passenger vehicle drivers, deserve equal access to safe public infrastructure — a right that is currently being undermined by unregulated dangerous operation of heavy commercial vehicles.

  • The complete collection of Selected Works of Fidel Castro Ruz is now available for download

    The complete collection of Selected Works of Fidel Castro Ruz is now available for download

    A landmark archival project preserving the legacy of Cuban revolutionary history has been made available to global audiences this week, as the Fidel Castro Center launches a fully annotated digital edition of *Selected Works of Fidel Castro Ruz* that can be downloaded by the public completely free of charge.

    Spanning an extraordinary 76 years of the Cuban leader’s public life, from 1940 to 2016, the collection comprises 23 comprehensive volumes that gather together every form of Fidel Castro’s public output: from landmark speeches and parliamentary interventions to intimate public letters, broadcast interviews, official messages, published articles, and transcripts of key public appearances. Carefully curated for academic accessibility and historical accuracy, the edition includes a preface written by Raúl Castro Ruz, former Cuban leader and brother of Fidel Castro, and every text included carries detailed scholarly annotations to contextualize its contents.

    Each volume is structured to support deeper understanding of the historical period it covers, with an introductory essay outlining the key political and social events of the era, plus comprehensive analytical, name, and geographic indexes to help researchers navigate the material. A separate supplementary booklet adds consolidated general indexes and a subject guide for the entire collection, creating a structured resource for anyone studying Cuban history and revolutionary thought. The footnotes included throughout the work clarify references to key people, locations, political institutions, and historical events that may not be familiar to contemporary readers.

    Of particular historical interest is the 23rd and final volume, which devotes extensive space to primary documents chronicling the close personal and political friendship between Fidel Castro and former Venezuelan Bolivarian leader Hugo Chávez. The materials included in this section stand as a permanent archival record of the deep fraternal political and national ties that bound the Cuban and Venezuelan movements together.

    The Fidel Castro Center, a leading Cuban academic institution focused on preserving and studying the legacy of the Cuban revolution, confirmed the release of the digital collection in an official announcement, noting that the project is designed to make an essential primary source on 20th and 21st century Cuban history available to all people, rather than restricting access to specialized academic archives. The complete collection is currently hosted for public download via an open-access Google Drive folder, allowing anyone from independent researchers to casual readers to access the full 23 volumes without cost or access barriers.