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  • What Will The Briceño Administration Do With Cuban Doctors?

    What Will The Briceño Administration Do With Cuban Doctors?

    As a decades-old bilateral medical cooperation agreement between Belize and Cuba reaches its end date, the Briceño administration is actively pursuing new frameworks to keep 92 Cuban medical professionals — including 45 practicing physicians — working within Belize’s public health system, Foreign Affairs Minister Francis Fonseca has confirmed.

    Fonseca told reporters this week that the national Cabinet has formally directed his ministry and the Ministry of Health and Wellness to develop alternative arrangements to extend the doctors’ tenure in the country, underscoring the irreplaceable role the Cuban medical team plays in closing critical care gaps across Belize. “They are a cornerstone of our health system, particularly for underserved rural communities that have long struggled to attract permanent local medical staff,” Fonseca said of the contingent that has served under the agreement for years.

    The original cooperation deal has already expired, so any extension of the doctors’ work will require a new legally binding agreement between Belize City and Havana. Negotiations between the two governments are currently underway to hash out mutually acceptable terms for the continued deployment, with Belize’s top priority being preserving the current medical presence.

    Beyond the discussions around Cuban medical staff, the Belizean government is also grappling with a separate, persistent shortage of nursing professionals across the country. To address this gap, Fonseca said health authorities are evaluating international recruitment options, with nursing candidates from the Philippines and Nicaragua currently under active consideration.

    Belize’s push to retain Cuban doctors comes as a notable shift from recent regional trends. Several neighboring and nearby Latin American and Caribbean nations, including Jamaica, Guatemala, Guyana, and Honduras, have already moved to end their own similar Cuban medical cooperation programs, phasing out stationed Cuban medical personnel over recent months. No final decision has been signed off on by Belize’s Cabinet yet, but government leadership has made clear that retaining the medical contingent is its core negotiating goal.

  • New Political Party The Antigua and Barbuda National Congress Will Not Contest April 30 General Election

    New Political Party The Antigua and Barbuda National Congress Will Not Contest April 30 General Election

    The Antigua & Barbuda National Congress (ABNC), a newly formed political entity in the twin-island nation, has announced that it will not put forward candidates to contest the country’s upcoming General Elections scheduled for April 30, 2026.

    In an official statement outlining the decision, the party emphasized that as a still-growing political organization, it is prioritizing ongoing organizational development, community outreach, and strategic preparation ahead of any future electoral bid. The group says it is committed to building a solid foundation that will allow it to serve the people of Antigua and Barbuda effectively, rooted in the promise of consistent, steadfast leadership that aligns with the public’s needs.

    The statement also addressed the constitutional power held by current Prime Minister Gaston Browne to call early elections, a move that has sparked low-level debate around electoral timing in the country. While the ABNC acknowledged that Browne acts within his legal authority when it comes to calling elections ahead of schedule, the party stressed that any electoral process must first and foremost center the interests of the general public, rather than be shaped by political expediency or opportunistic timing that benefits incumbent parties.

    Looking ahead, the ABNC says it remains optimistic about its long-term political prospects, and holds onto hope for a future where it can earn the public’s trust and deliver tangible, meaningful change to the country that improves outcomes for all residents of Antigua and Barbuda.

  • PM Tells ABCAS Students They Must Prepare to Lead Antigua and Barbuda’s Next Phase

    PM Tells ABCAS Students They Must Prepare to Lead Antigua and Barbuda’s Next Phase

    In a forward-looking interactive session with students and faculty at the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS), Prime Minister Gaston Browne has issued a urgent call to the nation’s emerging young talent: start building the skills and mindset needed to lead the country now, as a generational handover of power is rapidly approaching. Unlike traditional formal lectures from political figures, Browne designed the event to facilitate open, two-way dialogue, inviting students to critically examine the sitting government’s track record and hold leadership accountable to standards of good governance.\n\nBrowne framed the discussion as a hands-on extension of the students’ academic training, telling attendees that they should not hesitate to scrutinize whether the current administration upholds core good governance principles. He emphasized that the long-term trajectory of Antigua and Barbuda hinges entirely on how well young people prepare today to step into senior roles across both the public and private sectors.\n\nThe prime minister pointed to the shifting demographic of the nation’s current ruling class, noting that most sitting government leaders are now in their 50s and 60s, moving into the final phase of their professional careers. An orderly, successful succession of leadership is therefore unavoidable, and young people must be ready to fill those roles when the time comes. Browne connected this generational transition to the government’s broader national “Renaissance” agenda, an initiative aimed at pushing Antigua and Barbuda to new heights of sustainable progress and development.\n\nAt the heart of this long-term development push, Browne stressed, is a commitment to inclusive, equitable governance for all segments of society. He highlighted ongoing social programs that support the nation’s most vulnerable communities as an example of this approach, reminding future leaders that no citizen can be left behind in national progress. He urged ABCAS students to embrace their identity as the country’s emerging leadership cohort, framing them as the next generation of skilled professionals who will steer the nation’s management.\n\nBrowne went beyond academic achievement to outline core non-technical skills that young leaders must cultivate, arguing that technical knowledge alone is insufficient to succeed in top roles. Discipline, confidence, and strong communication abilities are non-negotiable, he explained: even students with exceptional hard skills will struggle to lead if they lack the confidence to communicate clearly and decisively. He also advised students approaching the workforce to prioritize gaining experience, encouraging them to take available roles while working toward their ideal positions, rather than waiting for the perfect opportunity to fall into place.\n\nThis campus engagement is part of a sustained effort by the Antigua and Barbuda government to build connections with young citizens and foster greater youth participation in the country’s ongoing national development work.

  • 16 RSS Officers complete International Leadership and Management (Gold) Course

    16 RSS Officers complete International Leadership and Management (Gold) Course

    Sixteen senior law enforcement officers drawn from member countries of the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) have crossed the finish line of a rigorous elite International Leadership and Management (Gold) Course, a joint initiative between the RSS Training Institute and the United Kingdom’s Durham Constabulary.

    The three-week intensive training programme was tailored exclusively for top-tier policing leaders, including Senior Superintendents, Division Commanders and Assistant Commissioners, with a core mission to elevate strategic leadership capacity across the entire regional security network. For senior officers stepping into the highest executive ranks of their respective agencies, the course filled critical gaps in skills needed to navigate modern, complex security challenges.

    A formal closing ceremony to mark the milestone took place Thursday, April 2 at RSS headquarters, where graduating officers received their completion certificates and official commendations from senior RSS leadership. Addressing the cohort during the ceremony, RSS Deputy Executive Director Atlee Rodney urged the new graduates to carry forward the skills and values they gained to continue serving regional populations with unwavering commitment and dedication.

    Rodney stressed that the leadership capabilities these officers developed will be a cornerstone for both their individual agencies and the RSS collective as a whole, as the region works to tackle growing social challenges and advance the well-being of all citizens. He also reaffirmed the RSS Training Institute’s long-term commitment to rolling out programming that adapts to the changing security needs of member states, while deepening strategic partnerships like its ongoing collaboration with Durham Constabulary to continuously improve regional policing standards.

    The featured keynote address for the ceremony was delivered by Randy Connaught, Commissioner of the Royal Grenada Police Force, who centered his remarks on the intricate strategic and political landscape that senior police executives must navigate while carrying out their public duties.

    “My charge to you is to master what is perhaps the most delicate and critical skill of executive leadership — managing the expectations of the political directorate,” Connaught told the graduates. “This is not about being political. It is not about partisanship. It is about managing a relationship that is constitutionally vital, operationally impactful and perpetually challenging. As Gold leaders, you are no longer just guardians of public safety; you are also stewards of public trust and key advisors to the government of the day.”

    Connaught went on to outline three core pillars of ethical, effective senior policing leadership grounded in the curriculum the cohort completed during the course. The first pillar, he said, is “Educate, Don’t Just Execute.” As policing experts, senior leaders are not meant to blindly carry out politically motivated directives, but to act as expert guides. When a new minister calls for a rapid, high-visibility crackdown on complex issues such as gang violence or youth offending, officers must resist the impulse to simply comply. Instead, they should lean into the problem-solving ethos Durham Constabulary calls the “Durham Difference,” explaining the necessity of threat assessments, community impact evaluations, and ethical decision-making to deliver legitimate, long-lasting public safety outcomes.

    “You are not there to decide national policy that belongs to the government, but you are constitutionally bound to ensure that any such decision is made with the full understanding of the policing consequences. Your advice may be the difference between a politically expedient decision and a sustainable, safe outcome,” Connaught argued.

    The second pillar Connaught introduced is “Be the Corporate Memory, not the Political Actor,” which highlights the non-partisan nature of policing and the importance of institutional integrity and continuity. “Integrity is your shield. Politicians come and go. Elections are cyclical. But the police service is an enduring institution. Your loyalty is not to the individual in the ministerial office, but to the office itself, to the law, and to the people you serve,” he said.

    Finally, Connaught addressed the persistent challenge of balancing external expectations with limited operational resources in his third pillar: “Manage the Cycle of Expectations vs Capability.” “Perhaps the greatest source of tension lies in the mismatch between political expectation and operational capability. A political promise made during a campaign can create an expectation in the public that the police have a magic wand. Your job is to be an honest broker of capability… You must be able to demonstrate, with data and candour, the direct link between resources, funding, personnel, technology, well-being support and outcomes.”

    In closing, he encouraged graduates to bring a spirit of innovation and critical thinking to their leadership roles, noting that the “Durham Difference” centers on rethinking outdated approaches and using problem-solving to drive tangible, positive change. He urged the cohort to bring this approach to the critical relationship between police institutions and political leadership across the region.

    This report was originally published by NOW Grenada, which notes that it is not responsible for the opinions and statements shared by contributors to its platform.

  • Governments Are Starting to Ban Children from Social Media. Here is why.

    Governments Are Starting to Ban Children from Social Media. Here is why.

    A growing global movement to restrict underage access to social media is accelerating, driven by mounting public and policy concerns over the documented harms of excessive platform use on children’s mental health and development. The most recent policy action comes from Greece, where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has formally announced a nationwide ban on social media access for all children under the age of 15, set to take effect on January 1, 2027.

    Mitsotakis framed the policy as a targeted response to three growing crises linked to unregulated social media use among minors: rising youth anxiety rates, disordered sleep patterns, and the intentionally addictive design of most major online platforms. In a public video address addressing young people directly, the prime minister emphasized that extended screen time on social media prevents the developing brain from getting the adequate rest it needs to grow and function properly. Greek officials note that the policy emerged in response to widespread parental advocacy, with thousands of caregivers raising alarms about children staying up late scrolling through platforms, struggling with unmanaged anxiety, and prioritizing social media engagement over in-person activities and schoolwork.

    Public opinion in Greece strongly backs the new restriction, according to a recent poll conducted by ALCO. The survey found that nearly 80 percent of respondents support the under-15 ban, reflecting broad public agreement on the need for regulatory intervention. This is not Greece’s first step to curb childhood social media overuse: the country has already implemented full bans on mobile phone use in primary and secondary schools, and rolled out parental control tools to help families monitor and limit children’s platform time.

    Greece is far from the only nation advancing these restrictions, as policymakers around the world increasingly prioritize protecting minors from social media harms. Australia led the global movement in 2025, becoming the first country in the world to implement a total block on social media access for children under 16. Since then, a growing list of European nations have moved to draft similar rules, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria, and Slovenia.

    In the United Kingdom, policymakers have already launched an empirical trial to test the impact of targeted social media limits. Roughly 300 teenagers are participating in a six-week study that places capped time limits on participants’ social media use, with researchers tracking how the restrictions affect sleep quality, academic performance, and family dynamics. The data collected from this trial will inform the drafting of the UK’s future national regulations.

    The momentum for regulatory action has also been boosted by a landmark U.S. legal ruling from recent months. A U.S. court found Meta Platforms and YouTube legally liable in a high-profile case over social media addiction, ruling that the companies deliberately designed their platforms with algorithmic features intended to hook young users, resulting in proven harm to the plaintiff’s mental health. That ruling has set a legal precedent that strengthens the case for government regulation around the world, as policymakers point to the court’s finding that platforms are actively engineering products that harm children.

  • Michael Joseph targets St John’s Rural West seat with youth-focused agenda

    Michael Joseph targets St John’s Rural West seat with youth-focused agenda

    As Antigua and Barbuda prepares for its upcoming general election, Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) candidate Michael Joseph has expressed strong confidence in securing victory in the competitive St John’s Rural West constituency, anchoring his upcoming campaign around three core pillars: targeted youth development, improved educational outcomes, and expanded inclusive economic opportunity.

    In remarks outlining his campaign vision, Joseph framed the upcoming contest as a step toward what he calls a “new era” for the twin-island nation. He says he is eager to connect directly with registered constituents, hold open discussions about their unaddressed concerns, and lay out a clear roadmap for tangible progress in the region. His full policy manifesto, scheduled for official unveiling this Friday, will center disproportionately on strategic investment in the constituency’s young population, with a specific focus on reversing underperformance in foundational core subjects: mathematics and English.

    Joseph highlighted that while weak academic outcomes in these critical subjects are a widespread challenge across Antigua and Barbuda, the gap is far more pronounced in St John’s Rural West. To address this, he has proposed partnering closely with local schools to roll out targeted, additional support for students, including supplementary tutoring sessions for students working toward their Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) qualifications. The initiative is designed to boost exam results and strengthen young people’s long-term job prospects in an increasingly competitive regional labor market.

    Beyond education, Joseph’s policy platform includes a suite of additional proposals aimed at raising living standards across the constituency. These include expanded affordable housing projects, upgrades to core local infrastructure, and dedicated entrepreneurship programs that will help young aspiring business owners access startup capital and build long-lasting, sustainable local enterprises.

    The candidate also notes that his campaign has already seen a notable surge in grassroots support across the constituency, including public backing from a number of voters who have previously supported opposition parties. Drawing a contrast with the sitting incumbent for the seat, Joseph argues that he is not weighed down by an established, and in his view underdelivering, track record in office. Instead, he points to two years of community work that have already demonstrated his ability to deliver results for local residents.

    “I’m very confident,” Joseph stated, confirming his belief that voters across St John’s Rural West are ready to give him the opportunity to represent them in the upcoming election.

  • COMMENTARY: We just imported more ICE vehicles, now let’s electrify Dominica faster—not slower

    COMMENTARY: We just imported more ICE vehicles, now let’s electrify Dominica faster—not slower

    As a small island nation with a licensed on-road vehicle fleet of roughly 40,000 units, Dominica faces a persistent, structural drain on its foreign exchange reserves that ties directly to its reliance on imported fossil fuels for transport and power generation. In 2023 alone, the country spent US$56.3 million on imported mineral fuels and oils, US$52.26 million of which went to refined non-crude petroleum. Half of that total import bill funded land transport, with the remainder covering diesel-powered electricity generation—a massive expenditure for a small national economy that has only grown since new fuel price hikes took effect on March 30, 2026.

  • ‘Why pay somebody to eat?’: Chamber blasts PLP lunch plan

    ‘Why pay somebody to eat?’: Chamber blasts PLP lunch plan

    As the Bahamas’ Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) rolls out a sweeping slate of new labor protections in its pre-election \”Blueprint for Progress\”, a top business leader has launched sharp criticism of several key provisions, drawing attention to the ongoing tension between worker welfare and private sector operational costs. The opposition party unveiled the full package of labor pledges during a public event Wednesday evening, which includes a range of policy changes aimed at improving working conditions across the country: a mandatory one-hour paid lunch break for any shift 8 hours or longer, a legal requirement of 8 hours of rest between consecutive shifts, capped probation periods for new hires, three annual paid mental wellness days that do not require a doctor’s note, expanded paid parental leave for new parents, and legal mandates for workplaces to provide dedicated private space for breastfeeding employees.\n\nPeter Goudie, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce’s top labor committee official, made his opposition clear to the most high-profile proposal on the list. In blunt remarks, he argued that forcing businesses to compensate workers for meal time is an unnecessary overreach of government power. \”I don’t agree with that at all. Why I gotta pay somebody to eat food?\” Goudie stated, noting that while many businesses already choose to offer paid breaks voluntarily, that does not mean the policy needs to be codified into law. \”I’m a strong believer that you get paid for what you work. That’s my personal belief, and paying me to eat food, I got a problem with that.\”\n\nGoudie also targeted the PLP’s 8-hour rest period mandate between shifts, arguing that the rule would actually harm workers who want to pick up extra hours to earn overtime pay. He specifically called out how the restriction would disproportionately impact younger workers who are often more willing to work extra shifts to boost their income. \”Especially if I’m a young man… and I want to work overtime, and I have an opportunity, and you’re telling me I can’t work overtime? Not sure I agree with that,\” he explained, adding that the rule would remove worker choice instead of protecting employee welfare.\n\nThe third policy the chamber official raised concerns about was the proposed three annual mental wellness days without mandatory doctor verification. Goudie argued that the lack of formal medical check requirements would leave the policy open to abuse by workers, saying that employers would have no way to confirm whether the leave is being used for a legitimate mental health need. \”People just say, oh I am going to take a day off today, it’s a mental health day, I’m having a mental health day, and who decides that? I have a problem with that,\” he noted, adding that all medical-related leave should require an official diagnosis to prevent misuse.\n\nNot all of the PLP’s labor proposals faced pushback from Goudie. He expressed broad support for the party’s family-focused leave changes, including the plan to increase paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 14 weeks and introduce two weeks of paid paternity leave for new fathers. On the maternity leave expansion, he noted, \”We don’t have a big problem with that because the more time the mother spends with the child, the better the child is going to be at the end of the day.\” He called the new paternity leave requirement \”no big deal\” and acknowledged that the breastfeeding accommodation mandate is already proven to work in other Caribbean nations including Barbados, calling it a feasible policy that would only require minor adjustments for local businesses.\n\nEven for these broadly supported policies, however, Goudie raised a critical caveat: small businesses with fewer than 10 employees would face disproportionate strain from expanded mandatory leave. \”If you only got two to ten employees, and you keep increasing time off from work, it gets rough on a small business,\” he explained. \”They just don’t have the personnel, so they’ve got to go out and find somebody else to hire while these people are out, and that’s a tough one.\”

  • Jamaica and UK strengthen partnership on digital records, information management

    Jamaica and UK strengthen partnership on digital records, information management

    In Kingston, Jamaica, a landmark two-day professional development initiative focused on modern records and digital preservation has concluded successfully, brought to life through a cross-border partnership between the UK Government, Jamaica’s Archives and Records Department (JARD) – a division of the country’s Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information – and the United Kingdom’s National Archives (TNA).

    The gathering drew a diverse cohort of archival and public sector stakeholders from across Jamaica, alongside a group of archival professionals from multiple neighboring Caribbean island nations. Over the two-day program, experts from TNA led interactive training sessions covering critical modern archival topics: cutting-edge best practices for digital asset preservation, robust cybersecurity protocols for archival collections, specialized strategies for conserving audiovisual heritage, and robust frameworks for protecting national records amid the growing complexity of a globally connected digital landscape.

    This collaborative project represents a meaningful milestone in advancing Jamaica’s ongoing work to build a more secure, transparent, and resilient national information management system. By upgrading archival infrastructure and expertise, the initiative ensures that Jamaica’s invaluable institutional memory – the collective documentation of the nation’s governance, history, and identity – will be safeguarded for both current communities and future generations.

    A core objective of the workshop was to strengthen public sector governance by upgrading standards for records and information management. Program leaders emphasized that protecting national archival collections is a shared responsibility across government institutions, one that must balance rigorous protection of document integrity with equitable public access to historical and official information. Through structured knowledge sharing between UK and Jamaican archival experts, participants worked through hands-on exercises to test practical tools and develop targeted strategies to address the rapidly evolving challenges that digital transformation has created for the archival sector.

    The training program was delivered during a working visit to Jamaica by a team of TNA specialists including Juliette Desplat, Alexander Forbes, and Stephen Daly, who joined Alicia Herbert, the British High Commissioner to Jamaica, for the official opening of the seminar.

    In her opening remarks, High Commissioner Herbert stressed the foundational value of this bilateral partnership and the critical importance of responsible information stewardship in the 21st century. “This partnership reflects the very spirit of what we are here to discuss: connection, cooperation, and the responsible stewardship of information in an increasingly digital age,” Herbert explained. “The way we manage, protect, and use records speaks directly to the integrity of our institutions, the trust of our citizens, and the resilience of our societies. Records management is no longer a back-office function – it is central to governance, security, and accountability.”

    Meanwhile, Dr. Dana Morris Dixon, Jamaica’s Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, framed the work of archival preservation as a matter of urgent national importance, particularly in light of the increasing frequency of climate-fueled natural disasters that threaten physical and digital documentary collections across the Caribbean. “The preservation of our records is, in a very real sense, about preserving our history. Without our history, we cannot tell our story. This work is not administrative busy work – it is important national work. Strengthening how we preserve our records ensures that Jamaica’s story, identity, and institutional memory are protected for generations to come,” Dr. Dixon noted.

    Juliette Desplat, a senior expert from TNA, drew attention to a little-discussed but growing threat facing archival institutions worldwide: the accelerating erosion of digital heritage. “We are faced with a silent crisis – the fragility of our digital heritage,” Desplat explained. “Without deliberate preservation, vital information risks being lost to time. Greater collaboration allows us to respond to these challenges and ensure that archives remain essential resources for democracy and future generations.”

    By the close of the seminar, participants and organizers reaffirmed that the program has reinforced the long-standing value of UK-Jamaica bilateral cooperation. The partnership advances shared goals of stronger governance, greater climate and digital resilience for national institutions, and the permanent preservation of both shared Caribbean-British and individual national histories for future generations.

  • PNPYO calls out double standards in ethics committee actions, demands equal scrutiny for JLP MPs

    PNPYO calls out double standards in ethics committee actions, demands equal scrutiny for JLP MPs

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — A leading youth wing of one of Jamaica’s major political parties has sounded the alarm over what it calls a growing pattern of unequal enforcement by the country’s parliamentary Ethics Committee, after revelations that a sitting lawmaker will be called to answer for an alleged violation that the full House of Representatives already closed years prior.

    The People’s National Party Youth Organisation (PNPYO) has issued a formal statement decrying the committee’s latest move, with the organization’s General Secretary Peta-Gay Ferguson arguing the decision exposes a deeply troubling bias in how the body pursues ethical violations.

    Ferguson emphasized that the case in question has already gone through the full procedural process: it was investigated, a full report was submitted to the entire House, and the matter was formally closed via a legislative motion. She stressed that reviving the closed case without clear, compelling new evidence is not legitimate oversight — it is an unacceptable overreach of the committee’s authority that erodes the integrity of parliamentary procedure.

    Beyond attacking the decision to reopen the settled matter, Ferguson challenged the committee to expand its scope of investigations if it is truly committed to upholding accountability across parliament. She pointed to a list of high-profile current government officials, including Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, Dr Christopher Tufton, Donovan Williams, Robert Montague, and Daryl Vaz, all of whom have been tied to ongoing public allegations of misuse of public and charitable funds. Ferguson said the fact that the Ethics Committee has not moved to summon any of these officials, while moving to reopen a closed case against another, makes the committee’s priorities impossible to ignore for Jamaican voters. “Jamaicans are not blind to the disparity,” she added.

    Ferguson warned that this inconsistent, selective approach to ethics enforcement carries severe long-term costs, particularly by eroding public trust in the state institutions designed to uphold integrity in public office. She specifically noted that young Jamaicans, who represent the future of the country’s democracy, are paying close attention to which cases are aggressively pursued and which are quietly swept under the rug. “That kind of inconsistency erodes confidence in the very systems meant to ensure fairness and accountability,” she said.

    The PNPYO secretary maintained that ethical accountability cannot be tailored to fit political goals, targeting political opponents while shielding allies. For the Ethics Committee to retain any remaining public credibility, Ferguson argued, it must prove that parliamentary rules apply equally to every representative, regardless of party affiliation or position. “There must be no sacred cows, no protected names and no double standard,” she asserted.

    In closing, the PNPYO issued a formal call for the Ethics Committee to adopt a fair, fully transparent, and even-handed approach to all ethical complaints brought before parliament, noting that accountability should never be a political weapon used to attack opponents while protecting allies. For the body to carry out its core mission, it must operate on consistent, unwavering principle that is above political reproach. “Jamaica deserves nothing less,” Ferguson concluded.