As the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup enters its decisive group stage phase, West Indies head coach Shane Deitz has expressed quiet confidence that his squad can secure a coveted semi-final berth this weekend, even after a late setback denied them an early qualification.\n\nDeitz opened up to reporters on the eve of Saturday’s high-stakes Group Two showdown with Ireland, noting that the team always saw a direct fight for a knockout spot as a favorable outcome heading into the tournament. A 2024 loss to England on Wednesday left the Caribbean side in a position where a single win against Ireland will seal their place in the final four of the global competition. Even if the side drops Saturday’s match, they still retain a narrow path to advancement: they will move on if England defeats New Zealand in the group’s other final fixture.\n\nDespite the disappointing result against England, Deitz says his players have not lost momentum heading into the all-or-nothing match. “We’ve got a chance to win one game to get into the semi-final and you can’t ask for much more than that, so the journey’s been great,” the coach said. “We’ve played some good cricket, but we’ve still got areas we need to improve on, and I think if we could play the perfect game, we’re gonna have a good chance of winning tomorrow. Hopefully we can progress and then we’ll worry about playing the next game.”\n\nHistory offers mixed indicators for Saturday’s clash: Ireland claimed a win against the West Indies in a T20 meeting between the two sides earlier this April, but the West Indies hold a dominant 4-1 advantage in overall head-to-head results in the format.\n\nFor the West Indies program, reaching the semi-finals of this year’s tournament would mark a significant milestone, Deitz argued, pointing to the unprecedented competitiveness of the 2024 World Cup and unfamiliar playing conditions that have challenged his side. “This has been a really tough World Cup. A lot of teams are competitive and in conditions that we’re not used to, so for us to make the semi-finals it’d be a massive achievement by the girls,” he said. “All the staff have put a lot of hard work and prep into this, so it’ll be just a great reward for the amount of blood, sweat and tears we’ve put into the last six months.”\n\nLooking ahead to the match against Ireland, Deitz pinpointed the team’s bowling unit as the key area that needs improvement to lock in the win. In the loss to England, he explained, sloppy bowling in the power play allowed the European side to jump out to an early, unassailable lead that the West Indies could not recover from.\n\n“I thought the England game we bowled pretty poorly and (in) the power play let them get away to a flyer. We need to bowl much tighter in that power play and try to get ahead of the game and then control the middle overs a bit more with our spinners,” Deitz said. “In particular, we really gotta start well with the ball and make sure we get on top. Getting a couple of early wickets in the power play is really crucial in these conditions, because once the team gets away they’re hard to pull back. That’s probably the biggest area we need to improve on for tomorrow.”
作者： admin
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New CARICOM initiative to build youth leadership capacity across the Caribbean
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has kicked off a groundbreaking regional capacity-building initiative designed to elevate youth development work across the bloc, with an estimated 180 youth-focused professionals set to gain critical skills over the next 24 months.
Officially launched in June 2026 under the full title “Strengthening the Youth Development Landscape: A Capacity Building Programme for Strategic and Sustainable Action,” the programme targets youth directors, frontline youth officers, and community youth leaders from all CARICOM member states, according to an official press release from the CARICOM Secretariat.
Delivered entirely through online platforms to ensure broad accessibility across the geographically scattered Caribbean region, the training curriculum focuses on equipping participants with hands-on, practical expertise to build, run, and maintain high-impact youth-focused initiatives. Core training modules cover a wide range of in-demand skills, including end-to-end project design, compelling grant proposal development, systematic project monitoring and evaluation, adaptive leadership development, mental health first aid for young populations, and strategic use of social media to boost youth engagement.
The CARICOM Secretariat notes that the new programme was developed in direct response to two key trends shaping the region’s youth sector: rapidly shifting challenges facing Caribbean young people, and rising demand from member states for stronger institutional and professional capacity to address those challenges.
Michele Small Bartley, the CARICOM Secretariat’s Youth Development Programme Manager, underscored the critical value of investing in the professionals who directly design and deliver youth services across the region. “As youth development issues continue to emerge and become more complex, there is a growing need to equip key youth stakeholders with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools required to design, implement, monitor, and sustain effective programmes and interventions that respond to the needs of our young people,” Bartley explained in the press statement.
Beyond upskilling individual practitioners, the initiative is also strategically aligned to advance broader regional youth development goals: it supports the rollout of the updated CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP) and the regional Youth Development Index, while working to strengthen the institutional frameworks of youth-serving organizations across all member states.
Looking ahead, the CARICOM Secretariat outlines a clear long-term vision for the programme: to build a connected, well-resourced network of youth practitioners who have the skills and resources to lead innovative, sustainable youth programmes, and advance a resilient, forward-thinking youth development agenda that meets the evolving needs of Caribbean communities for years to come.
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Grenada strengthens digital resilience
Against a backdrop of growing climate-driven natural hazard risk across the Eastern Caribbean, Grenada is advancing its digital transformation and public safety goals through active participation in the Regional Cell Broadcast Emergency Warning System (CB-EWS) initiative, a collaborative regional project designed to strengthen disaster preparedness and community protection via cutting-edge telecommunications infrastructure.
In June 9–10, 2026, Grenada welcomed senior officials and technical experts from across the region to a landmark Validation Workshop for the CB-EWS project, co-hosted alongside regional partners. Attendees included delegations from five participating Eastern Caribbean nations: Dominica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as representatives from regional intergovernmental bodies and international technical specialists.
Opening the official proceedings, Grenada’s Minister for Digital Transformation Hon. Ron Redhead extended a welcome to all gathered participants, and reaffirmed the Grenadian government’s unwavering commitment to harnessing digital innovation to upgrade public services, boost national resilience against crises, and protect both civilian lives and critical property.
The regional CB-EWS initiative is led jointly by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Bank, with regional coordination managed by the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU). It forms a core component of the ITU’s global contribution to the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, an ambitious global effort that aims to deliver universal coverage of effective multi-hazard early warning systems for every population on Earth by 2027.
The two-day Validation Workshop marked a key milestone in the project timeline, giving participating member states the opportunity to review and sign off on the proposed technical, regulatory, and operational framework for rolling out the unified regional cell broadcast system. A core guiding principle baked into the framework preserves full national sovereignty over domestic emergency alert issuing processes, ensuring no country cedes authority over its own crisis response.
Globally, cell broadcast technology is widely recognized as one of the most rapid and reliable methods for delivering mass emergency alerts to the public. Unlike conventional SMS alerts, which are routed individually to each device, cell broadcast pushes simultaneous alerts to every compatible mobile device connected to cell towers within a defined geographic area. Because alerts transmit directly from the cellular infrastructure, messages reach recipients in seconds—even during peak network congestion that often occurs in the immediate aftermath of major disasters, when communication demand surges.
The system is engineered to deliver fast, targeted warnings for a full spectrum of threats, from hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and floods to hazardous material releases, public safety emergencies and other events requiring immediate public action. A key accessibility feature of the technology is that it requires no action from end users: there is no need to subscribe to a separate alert service, download a dedicated mobile application, or share personal contact information with authorities. Cell broadcast also upholds strict user privacy protections, as the technology does not collect or process any personal user data, including phone numbers, subscriber identities, or individual location data.
Another major advantage of the system is its geotargeting capability. Alerts are only delivered to mobile devices located within the boundaries of the affected area, allowing emergency managers to share accurate, timely, location-specific information with at-risk communities without triggering unnecessary panic or disruption in adjacent unaffected regions. The system also automatically reaches travelers and tourists roaming on local cellular networks, regardless of their home country, closing a critical gap in emergency outreach that many legacy alert systems leave unaddressed.
Workshop discussions confirmed broad, cross-regional buy-in for the initiative, and aligned participating nations on a set of core guiding principles that will shape the project’s implementation phase.
Attendees reached a consensus that the authority to issue national emergency alerts will remain exclusively with each country’s officially designated national emergency management body, aligned with existing domestic legislation and institutional mandates. While regional coordination mechanisms will be established for transboundary hazards that impact multiple nations simultaneously, all alert authorization will remain a core national responsibility.
Delegates from national telecommunications regulatory commissions further emphasized requirements for the system to be secure, resilient, and built on open international standards. Particular priority was placed on robust cybersecurity safeguards, strong authentication protocols for alert originators, clearly documented operational protocols, and vendor-agnostic technology standards that avoid lock-in to proprietary systems while ensuring long-term cross-border interoperability between all participating member states.
Workshop sessions also addressed practical long-term considerations, including sustainable operational funding, regional hosting arrangements, regulatory preparedness across national jurisdictions, and alignment of the system framework with evolving regional data protection laws.
For Grenada, the CB-EWS project represents a major milestone in the country’s multi-year Digital Transformation Agenda. The initiative demonstrates how digital innovation can deliver dual benefits: advancing economic development and modernizing government services, while also strengthening national crisis resilience and protecting civilian lives.
The project integrates seamlessly with Grenada’s broader digital transformation portfolio, which includes expanding resilient broadband infrastructure, upgrading national cybersecurity capacity, modernizing digital public services, rolling out national digital identity systems, enhancing critical communications networks, improving national disaster risk management frameworks, and building an inclusive, secure digital economy.
Recent regional events, including the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl and other recurring natural hazards across the Caribbean, have underscored the urgent need for resilient communications infrastructure that can reach all segments of the population within seconds of a crisis unfolding. The CB-EWS will become a core component of Grenada’s national resilience framework, ensuring that both residents and visitors can access timely, trusted, actionable emergency information whenever lives are in immediate danger.
Looking ahead, the next phase of the project will see each participating country conduct detailed national assessments of technical, legal, regulatory, and operational requirements for implementation. National telecommunications regulators will continue collaborating with national disaster management offices, national governments, local mobile network operators, and regional partners to finalize system design and roll out arrangements.
The Government of Grenada has publicly expressed its gratitude to all stakeholders involved in the initiative, including the ITU, the World Bank, the CTU, participating OECS member states, national disaster management agencies, national telecommunications regulators, mobile network operators, and other contributing partners whose collaborative effort is advancing emergency preparedness and digital resilience across the Eastern Caribbean.
As Grenada continues working toward its goal of becoming a modern, digitally connected nation, the CB-EWS initiative illustrates a core truth about intentional digital transformation: it is about far more than rolling out new technology. It is about leveraging innovation to build safer, more resilient communities, protect vulnerable lives, and improve quality of life for all citizens.
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331 Million Drug Users Worldwide, And the Market Is Evolving
In its newly released 2026 World Drug Report, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has sounded a urgent alarm over a staggering global surge in illegal drug use, alongside a rapidly evolving, tech-enabled illicit drug trade that is outpacing regulatory and law enforcement responses worldwide.
Based on 2024 data compiled for the report, an estimated 331 million people around the globe used an illegal substance – that marks a 34% increase over the past ten years, meaning one in every 16 people on Earth now engages in illegal drug use. Cannabis retains its position as the most consumed illicit drug, with a 40% decade-long jump bringing its global user count to 256 million. Cocaine use has also expanded by more than 33%, with roughly 25 million people using the drug worldwide today.
UNODC Executive Director Monica Juma emphasized the growing severity of the crisis, noting that the market is now flooded with an unprecedented wave of new, often more potent and dangerous drug variants. “Millions of premature deaths and healthy years of life are needlessly lost to drug use. Beyond the public health toll, drug trafficking networks are actively distorting national and regional economies,” Juma stated. “The need to prioritize shutting down transnational organized crime groups involved in the drug trade has never been more urgent.”
The report details how the global illicit drug trade has fundamentally reinvented its operations to evade authorities. Seizure data from 2024 shows five times more unique drug types are being intercepted than in the pre-2000 era, with 755 new psychoactive substances currently circulating in global markets – 118 of which were identified for the first time in the latest reporting cycle. Traffickers continuously engineer new synthetic formulations to exploit regulatory loopholes and avoid traditional detection methods.
The most transformative shift documented in the report is the integration of mainstream digital technology into drug trafficking operations. In 2024 surveys, 19% of European respondents reported purchasing illicit drugs via mainstream social media platforms – a figure that surpasses dark web purchases by 4 percentage points, with the trend particularly pronounced among younger consumers.
Against this concerning overall trend, the report identifies an emerging countertrend in several high-income nations: adolescent use of cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco is declining, while more young people now perceive cannabis as a harmful substance. This marks a significant reversal of decades-long trends, which the report attributes to multiple factors: the proliferation of new consumer products, the rising popularity of vaping, and shifts in social behavior brought on by increased screen time for social media and gaming, as well as reduced in-person peer interaction after hours. These changes appear to be quietly displacing traditional drug-using behaviors among younger generations in these countries.
The report also highlights a stark gender gap in patterns of drug use across the globe. Overall, men are roughly three times more likely to use illegal drugs than women, with men more likely to start use at an earlier age, driven largely by peer pressure and sensation-seeking tendencies. For women, however, the patterns are far more concerning: women progress to drug dependence much faster than men, a phenomenon researchers term the “telescoping effect,” and many women turn to drug use as a form of self-medication for unaddressed mental health conditions or chronic pain. Among women who use drugs, ecstasy is the most common substance of choice, followed by amphetamines.
For small Central American nation Belize, the report places it within the Americas region, which is home to an estimated 105 million illegal drug users total. As trafficking networks restructure their routes and seek out new unpenetrated markets, small nations like Belize face growing pressure and cannot remain insulated from the negative impacts of the expanding global drug trade, the report notes.
To address the rapidly shifting dynamics of the global drug crisis, the UNODC report calls for urgent coordinated action: stronger law enforcement deterrence, expanded cross-border intelligence sharing, joint transnational operations against criminal networks, and increased sustained investment in prevention programs and evidence-based addiction treatment. As the illicit drug trade continues to innovate and expand, the open question remains: can global law enforcement, public health systems, and policymakers adapt quickly enough to counter the threat?
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Derde helft WK 2026: Dembélé schittert, onstuitbaar Frankrijk verslaat Noorwegen
The 2026 FIFA World Cup’s Group I stage delivered a blockbuster clash on matchday three, as an in-form France side faced an undefeated Norway at Boston Stadium. Both teams entered the game chasing top spot in the group, with the prize of a more favorable knockout round draw on the line. When the final whistle blew, France secured a dominant 4-1 victory to lock in their position as Group I winners, courtesy of a historic early hattrick from winger Ousmane Dembélé.
France got off to a blistering start that set the tone for the entire first half. Just 25 seconds into the match, Kylian Mbappé fired a powerful effort that crashed off the crossbar, forcing Norwegian goalkeeper Egil Selvik into an outstanding reflex save. Mbappé terrorized Norway’s backline from the opening whistle, dropping deep and stretching the defense to create space for his attacking teammates. That pressure paid off in the 7th minute, when Mbappé played a perfectly weighted through ball to Dembélé, who slotted a controlled, fierce finish past Selvik to open the scoring.
The French attacking floodgates did not take long to open further. Thirteen minutes after Dembélé’s opener, he doubled France’s lead with a spectacular strike, with the referee waving play on despite a light challenge on a Norwegian defender in the build-up. Norway refused to cave in quickly, however, and hit back in the 22nd minute: Thelo Aasgaard produced a clever individual run, and his shot deflected off a French defender to wrongfoot Maignan, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
But Les Bleus’ attacking momentum was unstoppable. Only 10 minutes after Norway’s equalizer, Dembélé completed his hattrick with an elegant curled finish into the far corner, beating Selvik all ends up. With this treble, scored in just 32 minutes of game time, Dembélé notched the third hattrick of the 2026 World Cup, joining an elite group of players to achieve the feat at this tournament: Lionel Messi scored a hattrick in Argentina’s opening match against Algeria, while Jonathan David hit three for Canada in their 6-0 rout of Qatar. Dembélé’s 32-minute hattrick is also the second-fastest in World Cup history, trailing only Erich Probst’s 24-minute treble scored at the 1954 tournament.
The first half was an end-to-end spectacle of attacking football. Norway created several good chances of their own but failed to convert their opportunities, and France’s crisp combination play could easily have seen them run up a far larger margin by halftime. Selvik pulled off a string of impressive saves to keep Norway in the contest, as Dembélé and Mbappé continued to carve open the Norwegian defense. The two sides went into the break with France holding a 3-1 lead, having produced a display of fast, creative, energetic football that outclassed their opponents, even as Norway demonstrated clear resilience.
The second half delivered a defining moment just moments after kickoff, when Norway was awarded a penalty after Theo Hernandez fouled Oscar Aasgaard Bobb inside the 18-yard box. It was a golden chance for Norway to pull back to 3-2 and reignite their challenge for the group lead, but French goalkeeper Mike Maignan dived sharply to his right to save Jørgen Strand Larsen’s weak effort. The missed penalty proved a turning point that effectively ended Norway’s hopes of a comeback.
Norway continued to push for an opening and earned another good chance from a corner, but Maignan was on hand again to make a fine save and keep his sheet clean for the remainder of the game. At the other end, Mbappé almost added a goal of his own, firing a superb long-range effort just wide of the post after cutting inside on his right foot. After an hour of dominating play, Mbappé – who already had two assists to his name – was substituted off to rest, alongside Jules Koundé, with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Malo Gusto coming on in their places. France subsequently dropped their tempo, content to manage the game and see out the win.
Even with a slower, less energetic second-half performance, France’s quality never came into question. With the win, France completed a clean sweep of three group stage victories – a feat they had not achieved since winning the 1998 World Cup on home soil, sending a clear warning to every other title contender in the tournament.
In stoppage time, France added a fourth goal to cap off the dominant win. Paris Saint-Germain substitute forward Desire Doue nodded a pinpoint cross from Bradley Barcola into the back of the net, setting the final score at 4-1.
Norway, who rested star striker Erling Haaland ahead of the knockout stage, put up a valiant fight but were ultimately outmatched by France’s attacking firepower. While France progresses as Group I winners, Norway also advanced to the knockout round, where they will face Côte d’Ivoire in the first knockout match.
So far at the 2026 World Cup, France has cemented its status as the team to beat: quick, technically gifted, and with an attacking line that has outclassed every opponent they have faced. The big question remaining now is whether Didier Deschamps’ side can maintain this blistering form through the knockout stage, where the toughest tests of the tournament still await.
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Strong UWI presence in inaugural Global Digital Infrastructure Fellowship
A major milestone for Caribbean digital development has emerged, as nearly three dozen individuals affiliated with the University of the West Indies (UWI) have been selected for the first-ever Resilient Global Digital Infrastructure (GDI) Fellowship. The achievement cements UWI’s growing reputation as a leading hub for digital innovation across the Caribbean region. Per an official press statement from the university, half of all Caribbean participants selected for the inaugural cohort have formal ties to UWI, a standout result drawn from a pool of hundreds of competitive regional applicants.
Breaking down the successful selections, 16 are currently part of the UWI community: 10 undergraduate students, three postgraduate students, and three faculty and staff members. An additional four UWI graduates also earned coveted spots in this globally recognized professional development program.
The Resilient GDI Fellowship is a collaborative initiative led by the SubOptic Foundation, in partnership with industry specialists and academic researchers from the University of California, Berkeley’s Global Digital Infrastructure program. Designed to bridge cross-sector knowledge gaps, the program brings together participants from a wide spectrum of academic and professional fields – including engineering, law, public policy, economics, media, and the social sciences. Over the course of the program, fellows will collaborate to explore frameworks for designing, governing, and reinforcing robust global digital infrastructure that meets long-term future needs.
A core mission of the initiative is to build specialized local expertise in strategically critical regions like the Caribbean, where consistent, resilient digital connectivity has become an increasingly indispensable asset for social and economic progress. Sandrea Maynard, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs at UWI, emphasized the transformative role of digital infrastructure for the Caribbean.
“Digital infrastructure is foundational to the future of our region. It underpins teaching and learning, research, innovation, governance, resilience, and economic development,” Maynard said. “UWI’s strong representation in this fellowship reflects both the quality of our people and the importance of investing in the systems and skills that will shape the Caribbean’s digital future.”
Maynard added that the large contingent of UWI participants in the fellowship underscores the institution’s commitment to ensuring Caribbean voices, knowledge, and perspectives shape global conversations around digital infrastructure planning, digital sovereignty, and equitable sustainable development.
After engaging with prospective fellows across the Caribbean, Iago Bojczuk, a Research Associate at UC Berkeley, praised the high calibre of regional applicants selected for the cohort. “The enthusiasm and knowledge that the Fellows have brought to the programme so far speak to the immense potential that exists across the Caribbean region,” Bojczuk said. “Their diverse backgrounds and commitment to meaningful connectivity demonstrate what is possible when emerging leaders are empowered to shape the future of global digital infrastructure. Their engagement highlights that resilience must be grounded in equity and sustainability—central pillars of our Global Digital Infrastructure Certificate.”
Moving forward, the SubOptic Foundation and UC Berkeley GDI program team will guide participating fellows through a structured curriculum that combines targeted skills training, cross-regional collaborative projects, and hands-on applied research. The ultimate goal of the initiative is to strengthen the development of resilient, inclusive, future-ready digital infrastructure systems across the Caribbean and other strategically important regions. UWI closed its announcement by extending formal congratulations to all selected fellows and reaffirming its ongoing commitment to partnering with global institutions to advance Caribbean regional leadership in digital infrastructure, innovation, and technology development.
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Shane David–Joseph, of Grenadian heritage, shines in world premiere of ‘Driftwood’
As Britain swelters through a record-breaking June heatwave, with temperatures hitting a new all-time June high of 36.7°C, London audiences are escaping the heat in air-conditioned comfort while diving into a searing, immersive tropical story at Kiln Theatre. The sold-out hit *Driftwood*, Trinidadian writer Martina Laird’s first professionally produced full-length drama, has been drawing packed houses to its world premiere run, which wraps up on July 4, 2026.
Boasting a stellar cast led by *Bridgerton* star Martins Imhangbe, the play centers on Imhangbe’s character Diamond, a restless, resourceful man who travels from his rural hometown in Mayaro to Trinidad’s capital Port of Spain to confront Pearl, the mother who abandoned him as an infant. Set within the walls of ALMA, a gritty Port of Spain gentleman’s club that leans more into downtown rum shop energy than traditional British elite drinking culture, the venue doubles as the home of Pearl and her daughter Ruby. The aging Pearl spends most of her nights away at political rallies for independence leader Eric Williams, who would go on to become the first prime minister of independent Trinidad and Tobago, leaving the sharp, charismatic Ruby to host ALMA’s wealthy guests. Ruby, alongside her ally Seldom – an Indo-Trinidadian police officer with a penchant for off-the-books side work – runs clever honey traps for intoxicated foreign visitors… until Diamond’s unexpected arrival upends their fragile routine.
Seldom, played by Grenadian-British actor Shane David-Joseph, emerges as the play’s quiet moral core, a charming, quick-witted figure who operates in gray areas but adheres to a quiet code of honor even as every other character pursues their own self-serving ends. David-Joseph, whose family roots span both sides of Grenada, shared what the role meant to him as an artist of Caribbean heritage: this marks the first time in his career he has gotten to bring a fully realized Caribbean character to a major UK stage, delivering lines in the regional patois he grew up hearing from his family, who moved to the UK as part of the Windrush generation. For David-Joseph, the opportunity to portray an Indo-Caribbean character – a group underrepresented in mainstream British media – makes the role even more meaningful.
“I am honoured to be playing Seldom, in Martina Laird’s wonderful play *Driftwood*. This is the first time in my career I’ve had the opportunity to bring a Caribbean character to life on stage. And it feels great. To speak these words and phrases that I’ve been blessed to hear all my life, on a stage in the UK is amazing. On top of this, being able to portray someone from the Indo-Caribbean community, a community that doesn’t always get depicted in mainstream media, is also wonderful. I hope I’ve done my family, Grenada, and the whole of the Caribbean community proud,” David-Joseph said.
Beyond its intimate family drama, *Driftwood* layers in sharp geopolitical commentary that echoes modern Caribbean politics. When American soldier Tom, invited to ALMA by Diamond, convinces Diamond to let him install undisclosed “equipment” in the venue’s back room – a move that echoes the 2025 agreement by the Trinidad and Tobago government to allow U.S. military radar installation at Tobago’s airport, and the widespread public protests that greeted a similar U.S. request in Grenada late last year.
Laird, who wrote the script years before these real-world events, cleverly frames ALMA as a metaphor for colonial Trinidad itself, with the property still owned by a British elder who reaps all its profits, mirroring colonial extraction. Tom’s cozy relationship with the British landowner nods to the U.S.-UK “special relationship” that has long shaped geopolitics in the Caribbean, and the play’s slow unspooling of disaster from the secret equipment serves as a quiet warning about the dangers of foreign powers using Caribbean nations as their backyard, echoing the Monroe Doctrine without ever naming it explicitly.
Produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in partnership with Kiln Theatre, after an initial run at RSC’s The Other Place in Stratford-Upon-Avon, *Driftwood* has earned universal acclaim for its sharp writing, flawless ensemble performances, and incisive blend of personal and political storytelling. The run closes on July 4, 2026 – a date that carries its own irony, coming on the U.S.’s 250th Independence Day, making it a particularly timely must-see for audiences of all backgrounds, from Caribbean communities in London to American and British visitors eager to engage with a nuanced, unflinching take on Caribbean history and its ongoing legacy.
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Derde helft WK 2026: Senegal haalt uit tegen Irak en houdt WK-droom levend
After two underwhelming opening defeats in their 2026 World Cup group stage campaign, Senegal bounced back in spectacular fashion on June 26, dismantling Iraq by a 5-0 margin to breathe new life into their knockout stage hopes. The African side delivered a statement performance that answered growing critics after back-to-back losses to France and Norway, putting in a dominant display that showcased their attacking firepower to the world.
The match got off to a blistering start for Senegal, who broke the deadlock as early as the 4th minute. Midfielder H. Diarra slotted home the opening goal after a well-crafted build-up play from winger A. Seck, putting Iraq on the back foot from the opening whistle. Iraq’s hopes of a competitive result suffered a catastrophic blow just nine minutes later, when defender R. Sulaka was shown a straight red card, leaving his side down to 10 men against a far more threatening Senegal side.
With a numerical advantage, Senegal gradually took control of possession and territory, but could only add one goal to their tally in the first half, going into the halftime break with a narrow 1-0 lead. That narrow margin quickly exploded into an unassailable advantage after the interval, as Senegal opened the floodgates against their tiring 10-man opponents. I. Sarr doubled the lead in the 56th minute, and just three minutes later, P. Gueye fired home a third to put the result beyond any doubt. Gueye struck again in the 71st minute to make it 4-0, and Senegal rounded off the scoring late on to seal a comprehensive 5-0 victory.
For Iraq, the defeat brings an early and disappointing end to their World Cup journey. The side struggled to cope with Senegal’s relentless pressure from the opening minutes, and after Sulaka’s early red card, the match became a battle to limit the damage rather than compete for three points. Even so, Iraq’s participation in the tournament carried broader meaning beyond the result, representing a nation for which football has long been a source of collective joy and identity far beyond the sport itself.
For Senegal, the lopsided win is far more than just a final group stage confidence boost. The African side finished the group stage with three points from three matches, and the five-goal haul drastically improved their goal difference, putting them firmly in contention for one of the best third-placed spots that secure progression to the knockout round. Beyond the table standings, the dominant win allowed Senegal to restore pride after two tough opening matches, proving they still retain the pace, physical strength, and attacking quality that made them a feared side entering the tournament. Now, after doing everything they could to secure their place, Senegal will wait to see if their improved goal difference is enough to see them advance to the next stage of the competition.
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Monorath: Door Jones aangehaalde zaak ligt bij JIT onder gezag van Openbaar Ministerie
A routine budget debate in Suriname’s National Assembly was thrown into disarray Wednesday afternoon after an opposition parliamentarian brought forward explosive corruption allegations against the country’s police anti-corruption unit, triggering a temporary suspension of proceedings and a formal commitment from the justice minister to deliver a full update to lawmakers early next week.
NDP Member of Parliament Ebu Jones claimed during the debate that he held concrete evidence of wrongdoing by the Corruption Investigation Unit (COT) of the Suriname Police Corps, forcing Assembly Speaker Ashwin Adhin to suspend the meeting to allow Minister of Justice and Police Harish Monorath time to verify Jones’ claims. When the session resumed after the break, Monorath clarified a key point of jurisdiction that undermines the core of Jones’ immediate allegations: the specific case Jones referenced is not being handled by the COT at all.
Instead, the case falls under the purview of the Judicial Intervention Team (JIT), a specialized investigative unit that operates under the direct authority of the Public Prosecution Service (OM), not the national police. This jurisdictional split means the COT does not have direct access to updates on the case’s progress, Monorath explained. “The JIT falls under the Public Prosecution Service and is overseen by the prosecutor-general, so the COT does not hold direct information on the processing and conclusion of the referenced case,” the minister stated.
Monorath further acknowledged long-standing challenges within the Suriname Police Corps that the government is actively working to address. “We have stated on multiple occasions that we are grappling with serious integrity issues within the force,” he said. “We work every day to restructure the corps so that it becomes safer and healthier from the inside out.” While police hold responsibility for investigating criminal offenses, prosecution of those cases falls to the Public Prosecution Service and the prosecutor-general, he added, outlining the clear separation of duties in the country’s justice system.
Following the minister’s initial clarification, NDP parliamentary leader Rabin Parmessar proposed that Monorath coordinate with the Public Prosecution Service over the weekend to gather full details on the case, then present a comprehensive update to the National Assembly on Monday. Parmessar noted that the allegations directly impact public and parliamentary trust in corruption investigation and prosecution processes, making full transparency a critical priority. Monorath accepted the proposal, confirming that the government will continue its fact-finding over the coming days and provide lawmakers with as detailed a brief as possible on Monday.
After receiving this formal commitment, Assembly Speaker Adhin ordered the resumption of the suspended budget debate, and requested that Jones set aside further discussion of the allegations until the government delivers its findings to the legislature.
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Jones beschuldigt anti-corruptie-unit van corruptie; DNA geschorst voor onderzoek
A dramatic bombshell dropped during Suriname’s National Assembly budget debate on June 26, forcing an immediate suspension of proceedings after opposition NDP member of parliament Ebu Jones leveled serious corruption allegations against a serving officer in the Suriname Police Force’s anti-corruption unit.
Jones told the plenary that he holds concrete evidence proving the senior unit official demanded a $7,000 bribe from a local entrepreneur in exchange for dropping an active investigation into alleged corruption at the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV). The lawmaker emphasized he did not make the accusation lightly, confirming he has secured audio recordings, screenshot evidence, voice messages, and an official police report numbered 131/2025 to back up his claims. A report against the officer has already been filed with authorities, Jones added, and despite the formal complaint, the implicated official remains on active duty within the anti-corruption unit. “When I speak, I do not speak without basis,” Jones told the assembled parliamentarians.
Following the explosive allegations, Assembly Speaker Ashwin Adhin pushed Jones to confirm he would hand over all supporting evidence to the government for investigation, which the lawmaker agreed to do. Jones noted that relevant authorities already have access to the materials related to the complaint.
Responding on behalf of the Suriname government, Minister André Misiekaba called the allegations far-reaching and stressed the administration cannot ignore claims of misconduct within a key police anti-corruption body. He urged Jones to immediately transfer all evidence to the government, while drawing a clear distinction: even if one officer is found to have acted improperly, this does not mean the entire anti-corruption unit is corrupt. Misiekaba confirmed that Minister of Justice and Police Kenneth Amoksi has already received an immediate order to launch a verification of all information Jones presented.
After confirming Jones had shared sufficient concrete detail to warrant a full formal investigation, Speaker Adhin approved a proposal from the National Assembly to suspend the ongoing budget debate. The suspension gives the government time to complete its probe, with an official response expected when the budget debate resumes at a later point, expected during the same parliamentary sitting.