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  • Historic bronze for Barbados at Worldskills Shanghai

    Historic bronze for Barbados at Worldskills Shanghai

    At the 2026 WorldSkills Competition held in Shanghai, a historic milestone has been achieved for the Caribbean nation of Barbados. 22-year-old skilled competitor Khajon Albert has secured the country’s first medal in the history of the global event, taking home bronze in the newly introduced Intelligent Security Technology category.

    Barbados’ participation in the WorldSkills Competition stretches back less than a decade, with 2026 marking the fifth consecutive appearance of Team Barbados on this international stage. Dario Walcott, the official technical delegate leading the country’s delegation, called Albert’s win a watershed moment for Barbados’ growing skills development ecosystem.

    “This is an unparalleled occasion for our country, for our entire delegation, and most of all, for Khajon,” Walcott shared in an interview immediately after the medal ceremony. “We’ve competed at every iteration of the competition since 2017, never before standing on the podium. This year, we’re competing in a brand-new skill category that’s never been featured at WorldSkills before, and to leave with a medal? It’s beyond what many of us dared to hope for. I genuinely can’t put how proud I am into words.”

    Beyond celebrating the historic medal, Walcott emphasized how the achievement highlights the impact of aligning local skills training with global industry standards. He credited a long-standing international partnership with supporting the team’s preparation over months of rigorous training, extending gratitude to all stakeholders who contributed to the success—from on-site experts and fellow competitors to administrative staff working behind the scenes from Barbados.

    For Albert himself, the bronze medal is the culmination of an intense, transformative journey competing against the world’s top young skilled professionals. The competitor echoed Walcott’s pride in the entire Team Barbados contingent, highlighting the collective dedication that has driven every member of the delegation throughout the event.

    “I’m so proud of every single person on this team,” Albert said. “Every competitor brought their absolute best, poured their heart into their work, and that collective effort made this moment possible. None of this would have happened without that shared passion.”

    Albert also extended heartfelt thanks to his personal support network, crediting his friends, family and loved ones for providing constant encouragement and calm through the high-pressure competition. Looking ahead, the young bronze medalist says he is already eager to build on this experience and pursue new challenges in his professional career.

    “I’ve loved every minute of this, even through the pressure,” Albert noted. “I would jump at the chance to compete again, and now I’m ready to move into my next chapter with this incredible memory behind me.”

    The groundbreaking win is expected to drive greater investment in skills training across Barbados, inspiring a new generation of young workers to compete and excel on the global stage.

  • Magnitude 3.6 Earthquake Recorded Northeast of Antigua

    Magnitude 3.6 Earthquake Recorded Northeast of Antigua

    A moderate 3.6-magnitude seismic event has been registered in waters northeast of the Caribbean nation of Antigua on Sunday afternoon, according to an early announcement from the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre.

    The geological disturbance struck at 3:10 p.m. local time, with its epicenter positioned roughly 81 kilometers outside the capital city of St. John’s in a northeastern direction. Experts from the centre estimate the earthquake originated at a depth of 10 kilometers below the Earth’s surface.

    In a note accompanying the preliminary data, the research centre confirmed that the current coordinates and magnitude measurements were generated through automated computational systems. As such, these figures are not final and may be adjusted following manual review and verification by professional seismic analysts.

    Antigua and surrounding Caribbean islands sit within a seismically active region along the boundary of the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates, making small to moderate quakes a relatively regular occurrence. No reports of damage or injuries have been released in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s tremor.

  • Bouva bespreekt met Cuba samenwerking landbouw en zonne-energie

    Bouva bespreekt met Cuba samenwerking landbouw en zonne-energie

    On the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, top diplomatic officials from Suriname and Cuba have held a high-stakes bilateral meeting focused on unlocking new avenues for deepened cross-national cooperation across critical priority sectors. The gathering brought together Suriname’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation Melvin Bouva and his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, to review long-standing ties between the two nations and map out future areas of collaboration.

    Minister Bouva opened the discussion by expressing sincere appreciation for the decades-long partnership between Suriname and Cuba, highlighting the tangible contributions the alliance has already delivered to both peoples. He specifically cited the critical work of Cuban professional experts deployed to Suriname over the years, as well as the ongoing educational opportunities that Cuban institutions extend to Surinamese students seeking advanced training.

    Building on this foundation of collaboration, Bouva put forward a proposal to expand joint work in the agricultural sector, with a core focus on skills training, cross-border knowledge sharing, and joint efforts to strengthen regional food security. The two ministers also turned their attention to pressing energy challenges, with Rodríguez updating his Surinamese counterpart on the ongoing economic and energy difficulties that Cuba currently faces, including the tangible impacts these hardships have on the daily lives of ordinary Cuban citizens. Amid this discussion, the pair explored potential cooperation in the solar energy space, a growing renewable sector that could help both nations advance their sustainability and energy security goals.

    As Bouva currently serves as Chair of the CARICOM Council of Foreign Ministers, he also used the meeting to raise shared regional concerns regarding the situation of the Cuban people, and called for targeted attention to the needs of CARICOM-region students currently residing and studying in Cuba. Bouva emphasized that peaceful diplomatic dialogue remains the foundational path to advancing solutions that deliver tangible benefits to all communities across the Caribbean, and reiterated the region’s commitment to constructive engagement.

    Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining open, regular communication and will continue mapping additional areas for expanded collaboration. All future joint work will be rooted in a shared goal: delivering concrete, meaningful benefits to the populations of both Suriname and Cuba.

  • VOICE NOTE: PM Browne Calls Prison Voice Recording ‘Chilling’ as He Pushes Tougher Sentences

    VOICE NOTE: PM Browne Calls Prison Voice Recording ‘Chilling’ as He Pushes Tougher Sentences

    Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has doubled down on his push for stricter mandatory minimum sentences for gun-related offenses, saying a recently circulated voice recording allegedly captured from prison inmates has only reinforced his belief that current sentencing practices are far too lenient.

    Speaking during an appearance on the Pointe FM current affairs program *Browne and Browne Show* this past Saturday, Browne characterized the leaked audio as deeply disturbing, describing it as both “chilling” and “horrifying.” According to his account of the recording, the individuals speaking on the tape openly discussed waiting out their short current prison sentences before immediately returning to violent criminal activity once released.

    Browne used the emergence of this recording to bolster his argument that the Caribbean nation’s criminal justice system is failing to curb gun violence by allowing dangerous offenders to return to the streets far too quickly after sentencing. He confirmed that his administration is preparing to table new legislation in national Parliament that will formalize mandatory minimum prison sentences for all gun-related crimes, a move that comes amid open criticism from the prime minister of what he views as consistently lenient sentencing decisions handed down by the country’s judicial branch.

    In a nod to the need for a holistic approach to curbing youth violence, Browne stressed that harsher prison sentences alone will not solve the nation’s growing gun crime crisis. He issued a public call for collective action, urging parents, faith institutions including churches, local business owners, and community-based organizations to collaborate on efforts to guide at-risk young people away from cycles of violence and criminal activity before they become involved in serious offenses.

    Notably, Browne did not disclose key details about the recording during his broadcast: he declined to name the speakers alleged to be on the audio, and provided no verifiable evidence confirming when or where the recording was captured. To date, neither the origin of the recording nor the identities of the people purported to be speaking on it have undergone independent verification by third-party outlets or investigators.

  • Antiguan Business Community Mourns Samuel Doumith

    Antiguan Business Community Mourns Samuel Doumith

    A well-respected leader in Antigua’s tight-knit business circles, Samuel Doumith, has died following a period of illness, leaving behind a network of grieving family and community members.

    Doumith is survived by his loving wife, Lousin, his two sons Aidian and Adam, and his mother Laila Hadeed Doumith. He also leaves four siblings: Salomon, Sylvana, Samir and Simon. His father, Aziz Doumith, preceded him in death.

    For friends and extended family wishing to pay their respects and share condolences with the Doumith family, visiting hours have been scheduled at the Whitehall, Pennsylvania, residence of Issam and Sylvana Sabini, located at 1140 Wolf Street. The home will open to guests on Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and will again welcome visitors on Monday between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. to accommodate those with conflicting schedules.

  • Mother Receives Kidney From Daughter in SLBMC’s 14th Transplant

    Mother Receives Kidney From Daughter in SLBMC’s 14th Transplant

    A landmark living-donor kidney transplant has been completed at Antigua and Barbuda’s Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC), where a 26-year-old daughter gave the gift of life to her 49-year-old mother in an operation carried out on September 25. Hospital officials confirmed that both the donor and recipient are in stable condition and progressing well post-surgery, currently under close medical monitoring as they begin their recovery journeys. This successful procedure marks the 14th kidney transplant completed in the hospital’s growing transplant program.

    The multidisciplinary surgical team was led by Dr. Obi Ekwenna, a specialist in abdominal transplant and urologic surgery, working alongside Dr. Ian Thomas, a transplant nephrologist, and a broad team of allied medical professionals to bring the procedure to a successful outcome. In comments following the surgery, Dr. Thomas emphasized that the national organ shortage continues to leave many patients waiting for life-saving transplants, and he urged more members of the public to consider becoming living kidney donors. He also clarified that potential donors are not required to be biologically related to or matched with a specific recipient, opening the door for more altruistic donations from willing community members.

    The SLBMC transplant program has received long-term backing from Antigua and Barbuda’s Medical Benefits Scheme, which has supported the development and expansion of local transplant services over the past decade. The most recent procedure also received critical financial support from the Antigua and Barbuda Renal Society, which partners with the public hospital to advance renal care across the nation. Looking ahead, the program is on track to celebrate its 10-year anniversary of providing life-saving transplants to local patients in 2027.

  • 800,000 attend Pope Leo’s first visit to France in almost 20 years

    800,000 attend Pope Leo’s first visit to France in almost 20 years

    In a landmark display of religious devotion that underscores the Catholic Church’s lasting hold on public life in France, an estimated 800,000 worshippers and pilgrims packed central Lourdes to attend Pope Leo XIV’s open-air mass, CBS News has confirmed. The Saturday service marked the pontiff’s first public mass in the country in nearly 20 years, drawing followers from across France and neighboring European nations to the iconic gathering space. The massive turnout has sparked renewed discussion about the role of faith in a traditionally secular Western nation, at a time when regular weekly church attendance has fallen steadily across most of the continent. While France has maintained a strict legal separation of church and state for more than a century, the sheer scale of the crowd for Pope Leo XIV’s mass offers clear evidence that the Catholic Church remains a powerful cultural and social force in the country, defying broader regional trends of declining religious participation.

  • Suriname en Panama bespreken visumvrij reizen en nauwere samenwerking

    Suriname en Panama bespreken visumvrij reizen en nauwere samenwerking

    On the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Suriname President Jennifer Simons and her Panamanian counterpart José Raúl Mulino Quintero held a high-level meeting to advance bilateral relations between the two Caribbean and Central American nations, agreeing to a sweeping agenda of cooperation covering travel facilitation, political dialogue, climate action and economic integration.

    Following the discussions, the foreign ministers of both countries formalized one key agreement by signing a Memorandum of Understanding that establishes a permanent structured political consultation mechanism. This new framework will create a regular channel for Suriname and Panama to align their positions on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues, laying a solid institutional foundation for long-term engagement.

    Travel liberalization emerged as a top priority on the meeting’s agenda. Suriname has already completed all domestic parliamentary procedures for a visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports, and leaders are working to finalize remaining formalities to extend visa-free access to all ordinary national passport holders from both countries. The ultimate goal of this reform is to remove longstanding barriers to cross-border movement, making travel far more accessible for ordinary citizens of both nations.

    Another key topic of discussion was the strategic value of the air route connecting Suriname’s capital Paramaribo and Panama’s capital Panama City. President Simons noted that this connection is far more than a commercial air corridor; it serves as a critical gateway for Suriname to access other markets across North, Central and South America. Suriname aims to leverage this route more effectively to grow bilateral trade, boost tourism, attract foreign investment, expand cargo operations and deepen business-to-business connections between the two countries. Simons added that Panama’s unique position as a global logistics and commercial hub makes it an ideal strategic platform for Suriname to expand its economic and political outreach across Central America and the wider Latin American region.

    Climate change cooperation was also a central focus of the talks, as both nations share a unique status as part of a small global group of carbon-negative countries. Currently, Suriname and Panama collaborate on climate action within the G-Zero Alliance alongside Bhutan and Madagascar. Simons called for the alliance to move forward by setting clearer collective priorities and expanding membership to include other like-minded nations committed to ambitious climate action.

    “We need to take the next step: identifying our shared priorities within the G-Zero Alliance, reaching out to like-minded partners across all regions to support this initiative, and deliver tangible outcomes,” Simons stated. Beyond internal alliance coordination, Suriname views this partnership as a platform to advocate for a more equitable global climate finance system, one that gives developing nations greater flexibility to pursue economic development while upholding their climate and environmental responsibilities.

    Closing the meeting, Simons emphasized that the two nations now have a historic opportunity to translate their already positive diplomatic relations into tangible benefits for their populations. “We currently have the chance to convert our excellent bilateral relations into greater connectivity, stronger trade and investment flows, closer political dialogue, and practical cooperation that delivers real results for our people,” she said, confirming her commitment to working closely with President Mulino to continue deepening the bilateral partnership between Suriname and Panama.

  • Dominican Chocolate Festival to showcase more than 18 local brands in Santiago

    Dominican Chocolate Festival to showcase more than 18 local brands in Santiago

    The Dominican Republic’s beloved annual celebration of artisanal chocolate is gearing up for its sixth iteration, with the Dominican Chocolate Festival scheduled to open its doors at Santiago’s Ágora Santiago Center on October 17 and 18. This two-day immersive event is designed to connect local chocolate producers, emerging and established brands, and chocolate lovers from across the country and beyond, shining a bright spotlight on the nation’s fast-growing cocoa and chocolate sector.

    Over the course of the weekend, more than 18 homegrown Dominican chocolate brands will set up exhibits at the venue, showcasing a wide range of premium treats crafted entirely from locally harvested cocoa. Beyond product displays, the festival is packed with interactive experiences for attendees of all ages: guided chocolate tastings that let visitors sample distinct flavor profiles from different growing regions, live cooking demonstrations that show how to incorporate Dominican chocolate into innovative dishes, fun hands-on activities for young attendees, and educational workshops that break down every step of cocoa cultivation and chocolate production, from bean to bar.

    A key highlight of this year’s event is a special recognition ceremony honoring the Dominican Association of Chocolate Makers (Adochoco) and all participating brands for their ongoing work to strengthen and grow the country’s chocolate industry on both domestic and global stages.

    The 2025 festival arrives at a moment of significant expansion for the Dominican cocoa sector, which has carved out a growing reputation in international markets, particularly for its high-quality organic output. New data from the Dominican Ministry of Agriculture shows that the country produced a total of 85,300 tons of cocoa in 2025, with more than half – 51% of the total harvest – classified as certified organic. As of 2025, the sector counts roughly 42,000 registered cocoa producers across the country, with approximately 2.75 million tareas of farmland cultivated under sustainable agroforestry systems, a practice that supports both biodiversity and long-term crop health.

    Organizers outline that the core mission of the festival goes beyond celebration: it aims to bridge the gap between consumers and the full cocoa production chain, giving much-deserved greater visibility to Dominican chocolatiers and their value-added products made from 100% national cocoa. The event is a collaborative effort between the Dominican Environmental Consortium, International Trade Center, Ágora, Mediáticos Comunicación Consultores, and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM), with additional backing from industry partners Cortés Hermanos, Zorzal Cacao, the Dominican Association of Chefs, and the Ministry of Agriculture.

  • Santo Domingo’s Chinatown hosts Mid-Autumn Festival celebrating Chinese culture

    Santo Domingo’s Chinatown hosts Mid-Autumn Festival celebrating Chinese culture

    On a recent gathering in the heart of Santo Domingo’s historic Chinatown, hundreds of attendees spanning the local Chinese community, diplomatic officials, local Dominican families, small business owners and non-profit representatives came together to mark the centuries-old traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, turning the annual cultural event into a vibrant celebration of shared history and growing bilateral connection between the Dominican Republic and China.

    Organized jointly by two leading local community groups — the Flor Para Todos Foundation and the Chinese Colony Center in the Dominican Republic — the celebration drew high-profile participation, including Chinese Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Chen Luning, leadership from the Fujian General Chamber of Commerce, and delegates from multiple Chinese community associations active across the country.

    Leading the opening remarks for the event was Rosa NG, who serves as president of the Flor Para Todos Foundation and is widely recognized as the founding visionary of Santo Domingo’s modern Chinatown. In her address, NG centered the deep roots of Chinese presence in the Dominican Republic, tracing the community’s lineage back more than 160 years to the first wave of immigrants who arrived on Dominican shores.

    NG reflected on the origins of the community, noting that the earliest Chinese settlers fled poverty and widespread conflict in their home country to seek new economic opportunity in the Dominican Republic. Over generations, she emphasized, the core values that carried those first immigrants — hard work, mutual solidarity, personal discipline, and a deep commitment to family unity — have remained the foundation of the community’s growth and contribution to Dominican national life.

    Unlike closed ethnic enclaves that exist in many global cities, Santo Domingo’s Chinatown has intentionally evolved as a cross-cultural meeting ground for all residents and visitors, NG explained. Today, the bustling corridor stands as a one-of-a-kind multicultural destination where traditional Chinese customs, authentic Asian gastronomy, local Dominican commerce, and cross-cultural public events merge to create a shared public space that welcomes everyone.

    This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival embodied that inclusive spirit through a full slate of programming that showcased Chinese cultural heritage for attendees of all backgrounds. The event featured energetic traditional lion and dragon dance performances, live sets of classic Chinese folk music, interactive children’s cultural activities, and a series of art and craft displays that highlighted different regional traditions from across China.

    Beyond the celebration of culture, organizers also used the event to highlight the diverse contributions Chinese community organizations have made to broader Dominican society, extending far beyond the business sector. These contributions range from ongoing cultural education initiatives to targeted community assistance programs that provide support to vulnerable Dominican groups regardless of ethnic background.

    As a prominent example of the deep culinary and cultural fusion that has developed between the two communities, NG pointed to the widespread popularity of local Chinese-owned eateries known colloquially across the Dominican Republic as “pica pollos” — a beloved local dining staple that blends Chinese cooking techniques with Dominican flavor preferences.

    In a nod to the Mid-Autumn Festival’s traditional focus on generosity and shared goodwill, the Fujian General Chamber of Commerce donated hundreds of gifts to local community members, distributed during the event to attendees and families in the surrounding neighborhood. Many of the day’s activities were also designed to strengthen connections between longstanding community members and newer arrivals to the area.

    For context, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also widely referred to as the Moon Festival, is one of the most important traditional holidays in Chinese culture, historically centered on family reunions, expressions of gratitude for the year’s harvest, and the sharing of good wishes for health and prosperity among loved ones. In Santo Domingo, the annual celebration has gradually expanded beyond the Chinese community to become a major public event that promotes cross-cultural exchange and deepens people-to-people ties between the Dominican Republic and China.

    Looking ahead to future projects, NG used the festival as a platform to announce new community-led plans to revitalize underused public spaces and upgrade aging infrastructure in the neighborhoods surrounding Chinatown. The revitalization project aims to create larger, more accessible public venues to host expanded cultural activities, including future Chinese New Year celebrations that can draw even more attendees from across Santo Domingo.

    As the day’s events came to a close, organizers closed the celebration with a unified message of cross-community unity and ongoing cooperation, reaffirming the central role that Santo Domingo’s Chinatown plays as a vital cultural and social hub for both the Chinese community and the broader Santo Domingo public.