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  • SLOC engages specialist to help develop sports in Saint Lucia

    SLOC engages specialist to help develop sports in Saint Lucia

    A former Olympic athlete from Grenada is set to dedicate the remainder of 2026 to growing grassroots and elite sports infrastructure across Saint Lucia, in a landmark partnership backed by the Pan American Sports Organization (Panam Sports) that aims to elevate the island nation’s athletic performance on the global stage. Richard Britton, a 49-year-old sports methodologist with decades of coaching and competitive experience, will work directly with member federations under the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC) to strengthen existing organizational frameworks and design high-impact development programs.

    Britton’s path to this leadership role began on the track, where he built his foundation as a competitive quarter-miler in his youth. He made history as part of Grenada’s first-ever Olympic delegation, competing in the men’s 4×400-meter relay at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Following his competitive career, he pursued formal advanced training in sports education, earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education, teaching and coaching from Cuba’s prestigious International School of Physical Education and Sports.

    His coaching resume spans more than 15 years of high-level international experience. He first led the Grenada national team at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games, before taking on a 10-plus-year role developing elite athletes with the Dominican Republic national team based in Santo Domingo. During his tenure there, he coached triple jumper Ana José Tima, who went on to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics, a testament to Britton’s ability to nurture world-class talent.

    Britton first traveled to Saint Lucia for a planning visit in early 2026 with Panam Sports’ backing, where SLOC called on its affiliated national federations to submit program and infrastructure details to help shape his work. To date, six governing bodies have submitted presentations: athletics, boxing, table tennis, sailing, swimming and weightlifting. Of these, five are official SLOC affiliates, with weightlifting currently holding non-affiliate status.

    Per an official statement from the SLOC, Britton’s core mandate is to support member federations in expanding and improving their existing operational structures, with the ultimate goal of driving stronger competitive results in international sporting events. He kicked off his on-the-ground work with participating federations on May 1, launching an initial three-month pilot phase. A 30-day comprehensive review will follow the first phase, and if the pilot meets all performance benchmarks, Britton will return to Saint Lucia in September to complete the first phase of the project by the end of December 2026.

  • High Court injunction sought over GFA elections

    High Court injunction sought over GFA elections

    Just four days ahead of the scheduled Grenada Football Association (GFA) leadership elections, a dissident candidate slate has taken the organization’s electoral body to court over claims of systemic procedural unfairness that have blocked their path to contest the poll. Team Duncan, led by principal claimants Roger Duncan and former GFA Technical Director Trevor McIntosh, lodged its application for an interim injunction with the Grenada High Court on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, setting up a last-minute legal showdown that will be heard on 8 May, one day before the vote is set to go ahead.

    At the heart of the legal challenge is a dispute over the GFA’s decision to call an Extraordinary General Congress with just 37 days’ notice, 8 days shorter than the 45-day minimum notice period required under the association’s normal electoral rules. This compressed timeline shrank the window for candidates to assemble their slates and secure mandatory endorsements to just seven days, a disadvantage Team Duncan says was entirely intentional and unreasonable.

    The slate’s court filing outlines multiple additional failures in the electoral process that directly led to their disqualification for failing to meet endorsement requirements. First, the GFA failed to distribute an official register of eligible voting member clubs to competing candidates, leaving Team Duncan unable to clearly identify which clubs were eligible to provide endorsements. Second, endorsement rules required signatures from sitting club presidents, but a number of member clubs have expired leadership terms, drastically reducing the number of valid available endorsers. Third, the GFA provided no explanatory guidance or summary of its governing electoral statutes alongside the initial election notice, leaving candidates unclear on compliance requirements. Finally, Team Duncan says it was given no opportunity to correct deficiencies in its submission after raising concerns about the process with the GFA Secretariat and Electoral Committee.

    As a result of the disqualification, only one slate – that of incumbent president Marlon Glean – has been deemed eligible to contest the election, setting the stage for an uncontested poll that would see the current leadership returned to office automatically without any opposing challenge.

    Team Duncan is asking the High Court to intervene to restore basic fairness to the electoral process. The legal remedies it is seeking include an injunction to delay the scheduled 9 May election, an extended deadline for candidates to submit slates and collect endorsements, the mandatory disclosure of the full official register of eligible voting members, and court declarations that the entire process as conducted violates both the GFA’s own internal statutes and core principles of natural justice.

    In a statement accompanying the legal filing, Team Duncan emphasized that the long-term health and governance of football in Grenada depends on a transparent, inclusive electoral process that gives all eligible candidates a fair chance to participate. The group reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the development of the sport across the country and upholding core values of accountability, fairness and transparent governance in football administration.

  • Vigil for Slain Town Council Workers

    Vigil for Slain Town Council Workers

    A devastating double homicide has shaken the community of San Ignacio, Belize’s Cayo District, after two employed town council security guards were shot and killed in broad daylight early Wednesday morning on May 6, 2026. Local authorities and community leaders have moved quickly to honor the victims, with a public candlelight vigil planned to commemorate their lives and support their grieving families.

    San Ignacio Mayor Earl Trapp confirmed the details of the tragedy in an official announcement, identifying the deceased as 56-year-old Manuel Smith and 42-year-old Fidencia Osgaya. Both victims had just completed an overnight shift securing the San Ignacio public market, ending their work between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Trapp explained that Smith had offered Osgaya a ride home following their shift, a routine act of kindness that ended in unthinkable violence.

    According to initial reports from Belizean law enforcement, the shooting took place shortly after 6 a.m. in the parking area directly in front of Nazarene Primary School. First responders arrived at the scene within minutes to find both victims still inside Smith’s vehicle, each having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel pronounced both victims dead at the location of the attack, and forensic investigators later recovered more than a dozen spent bullet casings from the site for ballistics analysis.

    In a heartfelt statement following the incident, Mayor Trapp extended a formal message of condolence on behalf of the entire San Ignacio Town Council. “I honestly and sincerely, on behalf of every member of our council, want to extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the families of these two beloved workers, who have suffered such an unimaginable loss,” Trapp said.

    To unite the community in mourning and honor the lives of the two fallen employees, Mayor Trapp announced that a public candlelight vigil will be held this Thursday evening at San Ignacio’s Macal Park, running from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Community members are expected to gather in large numbers to pay their respects and stand with the victims’ loved ones during this difficult time.

    As of Wednesday afternoon, law enforcement officials have not named any persons of interest in connection with the double homicide. Investigators have not yet established a clear motive for the attack, and the investigation remains active and ongoing as authorities work to identify and apprehend the perpetrator or perpetrators responsible.

  • Volksgezondheid start landelijke hiv-campagne na stijging besmettingen

    Volksgezondheid start landelijke hiv-campagne na stijging besmettingen

    Public health authorities in Suriname have launched a nationwide awareness campaign aimed at boosting HIV testing rates, responding to a documented increase in new infections and the persistent gap in public awareness of personal HIV status. Spearheaded by the country’s Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Labor, the campaign officially kicked off on May 4 under the core slogan: “Know your status, get tested.”

    Public health officials have flagged a growing, worrying trend: a large share of people living with HIV in the country remain unaware of their infection, putting them at greater risk of unknowingly transmitting the virus to sexual partners and delaying life-saving care. In line with this concern, the campaign prioritizes outreach to sexually active people and those planning to become sexually active, urging couples to get tested together as a shared health responsibility.

    To remove barriers to testing, the campaign has added dozens of new testing sites across the country that offer free, confidential HIV testing administered by licensed healthcare professionals. These new accessible locations join existing testing hubs, including the Dermatology Department at Tourtonnelaan, the Trop Clinic in Geyersvlijt, multiple RGD polyclinics, and Medische Zending care centers. A number of local community organizations are also participating in the initiative, including the Stichting Liefdevolle Handen, Suriname Men United, and the Foundation He&HIV/Pluspunt, to expand reach to underserved groups.

    The Ministry emphasized critical context about HIV care today: while untreated HIV can progress to AIDS and cause life-threatening complications, early detection through regular testing paired with modern treatment can stop further transmission of the virus and drastically improve long-term quality of life for people living with HIV. The campaign closes with a clear public call to action: all community members must take responsibility for their own health and the health of those around them by getting tested and knowing their status.

  • Ted Turner, founder of CNN, dies at 87

    Ted Turner, founder of CNN, dies at 87

    Ted Turner, the trailblazing American media entrepreneur who redefined 20th-century global news broadcasting and left an indelible mark on international philanthropy, has passed away at the age of 87. Turner Enterprises, the business mogul’s holding company, officially confirmed his death in a public statement released Wednesday, as first reported by the news network he built from the ground up, CNN.

    Turner’s most transformative contribution to media came in 1980, when he launched CNN – the world’s first 24-hour continuous cable news network. The groundbreaking venture upended the traditional media landscape, forever changing how audiences around the world access and consume news. Before CNN, breaking events were limited to scheduled evening news blocks; Turner’s model brought live, around-the-clock coverage of global happenings directly to viewers’ homes, turning ordinary audiences into real-time witnesses to history.

    Beyond his revolutionizing work in broadcasting, Turner carved out an equally extraordinary legacy in global philanthropy. In 1998, he made international headlines when he committed a $1 billion personal donation to the United Nations – the largest single individual charitable gift recorded in modern history at that time. He used the donation to found the United Nations Foundation, an organization dedicated to bolstering the UN’s ability to tackle pressing global challenges, advance international peace, and drive sustainable development around the world.

    Current United Nations Secretary-General reflected on Turner’s outsized impact, noting that the entrepreneur placed unwavering faith in the UN’s mission at a critical juncture for global cooperation, and backed that belief with unprecedented financial support. “His $1 billion dollar commitment to the United Nations – and subsequent creation of the United Nations Foundation – represented at the time the largest individual philanthropic gift in modern history,” the Secretary-General said.

    Turner’s decades-long business career also included a major industry milestone in the 1990s, when he sold his sprawling media conglomerate, Turner Broadcasting System – which counted CNN, TNT, and Cartoon Network among its core assets – to media giant Time Warner Inc. According to reporting from The Guardian, the deal cemented Turner’s status as one of the most influential media executives of the modern era.

    Throughout his lifetime, Turner’s groundbreaking work earned him widespread acclaim and industry recognition. In 1991, Time magazine named him its Man of the Year, honoring him for reshaping global information flows and turning viewers in 150 countries into instant witnesses to breaking history. He is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

  • Greaves off to flying start at Cycling Championships

    Greaves off to flying start at Cycling Championships

    A rising star from Barbados has turned heads on the international cycling stage, as junior track cyclist Arielle Greaves delivered a career-defining performance at the Junior Pan American Track Cycling Championships in Mexico on Wednesday morning. Competing in the women’s flying 200m sprint, Greaves smashed her own existing junior national record – a mark she set just one year ago at a competition in Lima, Peru – to secure a spot in the event’s upcoming quarterfinals.

    Greaves crossed the finish line with a blistering time of 11.319 seconds, cutting nearly half a second off her previous national best of 11.800 seconds. The stunning result earned her a third-place finish in the qualifying round, trailing only the Colombian pairing of Manuela Loaiza Zabala and Danna Martinez Mahecha, who topped the qualifying leaderboard with times of 10.747 seconds and 11.054 seconds respectively. Greaves’ top-three finish locks her into the quarterfinal draw, where she is set to go head-to-head against home rider Sofia Lopez Villarreal of Mexico in Heat 3. The quarterfinal race is scheduled to get underway at 5:30 p.m. local Barbados time.

    In a post-qualifying interview, the young cyclist spoke candidly about her excitement and pride in the breakthrough result, noting that months of consistent off-season and training camp work had directly translated to the improved performance. “I’m extremely proud of this achievement. The hard work I’ve put in over the past few months has truly paid off,” Greaves said. “To lower my time from the previous mark I held just a year ago is a direct reflection of the improvements I’ve made. As I go forward into the quarterfinals, I’ll reset my mind and give it all I’ve got.”

    Team manager Deidre Hinkson shared Greaves’ enthusiasm, saying the young rider had already hit the core target the Barbados team set for her ahead of the tournament. “The main goal coming into these Championships was for Arielle to surpass the achievements she accomplished last year in Lima, Peru, and her effort in her very first event clearly demonstrates how much she has improved,” Hinkson explained. She went on to praise Greaves’ coachable mindset, adding, “She’s a strong athlete who is always willing to listen and learn, and that contributes greatly to her overall performance.”

    Elisha Greene, who serves as both the team’s coach and mechanic, echoed Hinkson’s positive assessment, emphasizing the squad’s methodical, race-by-race approach to the championships. “We are taking it event by event. Arielle has put in the work, so once she remains focused, she will continue to do herself and her country proud,” Greene said. Greaves’ record-breaking run has already cemented a milestone moment for Barbadian junior cycling, and all eyes will now turn to the upcoming quarterfinal round to see if the young talent can continue her momentum.

  • [Pre-recorded] Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit Press Conference 6th May 2026

    [Pre-recorded] Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit Press Conference 6th May 2026

    The only content provided for news processing is a sequence of social media sharing prompts: “Share, Tweet, Share, Pin”. No full news story, event details, or core journalistic information is included in the submitted material. These four terms represent common interactive sharing options found on social media platforms, used to allow users to distribute content to their own social networks across different services. Without the actual body of the news report, it is impossible to conduct a full analysis of an event, interview, or announcement. This incomplete submission provides no context, factual details, or newsworthy topics to evaluate or rewrite. Any attempts to create a full news story would be speculative and inconsistent with journalistic accuracy standards.

  • Trinidad & Tobago advances environmental rights with Escazú Agreement implementation, CANARI urges action

    Trinidad & Tobago advances environmental rights with Escazú Agreement implementation, CANARI urges action

    On April 27, 2026, Trinidad and Tobago formally brought the landmark Escazú Agreement into force, drawing a measured, celebratory response from the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), one of the region’s leading organizations focused on equitable natural resource governance. The regional treaty, officially titled the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, marks a turning point for environmental rights across the Caribbean, and CANARI has framed Trinidad and Tobago’s adoption as a major step forward for regional environmental democracy.

    In an official press statement, CANARI echoed the commitment laid out by Trinidad and Tobago’s Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, Dr. the Honourable Kennedy Swaratsingh. The minister framed the country’s accession to the agreement as a deliberate, clear promise to strengthen national environmental governance, boost institutional transparency, and guarantee that all citizens can contribute meaningfully to decisions that shape their local environments.

    While CANARI welcomed the government’s formal commitment and public stance, the organization emphasized that ratification alone is not enough. Moving forward, the country must turn these high-level pledges into concrete, measurable results that improve environmental outcomes for communities across the nation.

    The Escazú Agreement establishes binding legal obligations for member states across three core pillars: guaranteeing public access to government-held environmental information, opening formal environmental decision-making processes to public input, and ensuring accessible judicial pathways for communities harmed by environmental harm. A unique, critical provision of the treaty also requires nations to protect and support environmental human rights defenders, who often face disproportionate risk when advocating for vulnerable communities.

    CANARI’s analysis notes that effective implementation of these provisions requires far more than just adjusting national policy language to align with the treaty. It demands systemic reforms to how government agencies share environmental data with the public, how stakeholders are incorporated into planning processes, and how marginalized communities can access the justice system to address environmental harms.

    These systemic changes, the organization stresses, are foundational to upholding the fundamental human right to a safe, healthy environment. This is particularly urgent for frontline and vulnerable communities, which bear the brunt of environmental degradation and climate impacts across the Caribbean.

    CANARI also expressed approval for one key element of the government’s approach: Minister Swaratsingh’s public acknowledgment that full implementation cannot be achieved by the government alone, and the administration’s stated plan to partner with civil society organizations, community groups and regional bodies throughout the process.

    CANARI views this collaborative, multi-stakeholder framework as essential to ensuring the agreement delivers real, on-the-ground impact for Trinbagonian communities. The organization has reaffirmed its readiness to support the Trinidad and Tobago government in implementation, while continuing its close work with local civil society, community organizations and other stakeholders to center marginalized voices in the process.

    Ultimately, CANARI underscored that the true success of the Escazú Agreement in Trinidad and Tobago will be measured by tangible, visible improvements to everyday people’s lives. Achieving that outcome, the organization notes, will require sustained, consistent political commitment, adequate resourcing for implementation and ongoing, active public participation. Success will not be defined by the act of ratification alone, CANARI says, but by clear, verifiable improvements to national environmental governance and lasting, shared benefits for both citizens and the natural environment.

  • DLP calls on Government to address 11-Plus issues

    DLP calls on Government to address 11-Plus issues

    A political dispute has erupted in Barbados over the administration of the 2024 Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (BSSEE), better known locally as the 11-Plus, after the main opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP) rejected the governing administration’s claims that the high-stakes national test ran smoothly on Tuesday.

    Over 2,700 students across the island sat the exam, which determines secondary school placement for young learners. But in an official statement released Wednesday, DLP’s education spokesperson Quincy Jones pushed back hard against claims from Education Transformation Minister Chad Blackman, who dismissed Tuesday’s disruptions as nothing more than minor administrative hiccups. Jones argued the documented issues on exam day reveal far deeper, systemic failures in the Ministry of Education’s planning and execution that cannot be brushed aside.

    “What Barbados is witnessing is not a slight delay or inconvenience; it is a clear and troubling breakdown in the Ministry’s systems,” Jones emphasized in the statement.

    Jones pointed specifically to verified reports that test packets arrived hours late to one of the island’s key exam hubs, St Michael School, a disruption that impacted hundreds of students drawn from multiple local primary schools. Beyond the late papers, he raised urgent red flags about chaotic, last-minute arrangements for students requiring special testing accommodations, a group that has grown steadily in recent years as education authorities expand accessibility provisions. He also questioned whether exam centers had robust, well-rehearsed emergency protocols in place to respond to on-site medical events involving student test-takers.

    Jones stressed that these failures are not trivial administrative missteps. “[These] are not administrative ‘hiccups.’ They are signs of poor planning, weak execution, and a failure to manage the basic responsibilities of the office,” he said.

    Jones’ criticism came one day after Blackman publicly defended the government’s management of the exam, telling reporters that the 2024 BSSEE was overwhelmingly successful, with only one isolated delay reported at a single center. “There was some delay earlier at the St Michael School, but we’re going to ensure that we look into it,” Blackman told reporters Tuesday, adding that the overall examination process “ran smoothly.”

    But Jones rejected the government’s attempts to downplay the disruptions, noting that the 11-Plus is a high-stakes test that shapes the academic trajectory of every participating student. He added that Barbados has a long track record of successfully administering large-scale national exams, including the regional Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), without the level of chaos and confusion seen during Tuesday’s 11-Plus. The root of the problem, Jones argued, is not flaws in the long-standing exam framework itself, but ineffective political leadership overseeing the process.

    “The Minister cannot hide behind soft language and public relations spin while students sit in uncertainty, teachers scramble for solutions, and parents are left concerned about both fairness and safety,” Jones said.

    The DLP is now formally calling on the Ministry of Education to deliver public, transparent answers to three core questions: what caused the late delivery of examination papers, how prepared are exam centers to accommodate the rising number of students with special needs, and what concrete measures are in place to protect vulnerable candidates during on-site emergencies.

    Jones argued that even individual failures add up to a broken system: “If examination papers are arriving late, if centres are stretched beyond capacity, and if there is no clear communication on how medical emergencies like seizures or diabetic episodes are handled, then the system is failing.”

    He repeated the opposition’s demands for full transparency, asking: “The country deserves clear answers: why were examination papers late? Why was there inadequate preparation for the growing number of students requiring special accommodations? What emergency systems are in place to protect vulnerable students during examinations?”

    Jones closed by noting that Barbadians expect competent governance from their elected leaders, not excuses for mismanagement. He insisted that Minister Blackman must take full personal and political responsibility for the confirmed failures on exam day.

  • Sold-out ‘Pure Jazz: Ladies in Concert’ sets tone for Jazz and Arts Festival

    Sold-out ‘Pure Jazz: Ladies in Concert’ sets tone for Jazz and Arts Festival

    The highly anticipated Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival kicked off its flagship main stage schedule on Tuesday, May 5, treating a capacity crowd to an evening of world-class jazz performances anchored by stirring melodies, rich instrumental layers, and standout vocal talent. Marking a new milestone for the festival, the opening main stage slot introduced the inaugural edition of Pure Jazz, a specially curated two-part series that spotlighted leading female jazz artists on opening night, with an all-male headline showcase scheduled to follow this Thursday at the same iconic venue: The Pavilion on the Ramp in Rodney Bay.

    As ticketholders filed into the sun-dappled venue and filled every available seat, local artist Camille Charlemagne stepped into the spotlight first as the evening’s opening act. With effortless poise and a carefully selected set list, Charlemagne delivered a smooth, approachable performance that balanced auditory delight with understated stage presence, immediately setting a warm, inviting tone for the rest of the night.

    Next up for the growing, already energized audience was Leandra Modeste, a rising talent hailing from Vieux Fort. Modeste wowed the crowd with extraordinary vocal control, delivering powerful yet fluid melodic runs that blended perfectly with the backing of a veteran, industry-seasoned band. By the end of her set, she earned a roaring standing ovation from attendees, solidifying her growing reputation as one of the most exciting emerging jazz artists in Saint Lucia.

    By the time Chantal Esdelle and her ensemble Moyenne made their way to the stage, The Pavilion had reached its full sold-out capacity. The group crafted a mesmerizing, intricately layered sound that wove together piano melodies, steel pan notes, deep basslines, and dynamic percussion, accented by haunting, chant-inflected vocal work. The immersive arrangement held the entire audience completely captive, silencing the room for minutes before breaking into rapturous, well-earned applause at the set’s close.

    Closing out the landmark opening night was four-time Grammy Award-winning international jazz star Esperanza Spalding, who took the stage with an infectious radiance that blended unbridled joy with sophisticated, masterful musicality. Moving fluidly between bass, guitar, and lead vocals, Spalding paired her famously smooth, honeyed tone with the playful, genre-bending stage style that has made her one of the most recognizable figures in modern global jazz.

    Overall, the all-female Pure Jazz opening night delivered a spectacular, memorable launch to the festival’s main stage programming. The groundbreaking first installment of the series set a remarkably high bar for the rest of the event, hinting that the upcoming all-male showcase and remaining festival performances could deliver even more standout moments if the opening night momentum holds through the event’s run.