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  • 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.

  • Economic Impact Assessment Survey for CARIFTA Track and Field Championships 2026

    Economic Impact Assessment Survey for CARIFTA Track and Field Championships 2026

    As Grenada vies to host the 53rd edition of the CARIFTA Track & Field Championships in 2026, local authorities have launched a comprehensive Economic Impact Assessment (EIA) Survey during ongoing preliminary championship activities to evaluate the potential full-range benefits of welcoming the premier regional sporting event.

    The collaborative survey initiative brings together three key national stakeholders: the Macroeconomic Policy Unit within Grenada’s Ministry of Finance, the Grenada National Sports Council (GNSC), and the 2026 CARIFTA National Organising Committee (NOC). This effort is a clear reflection of the Government of Grenada’s dedication to transparent, data-driven planning and public accountability, particularly as the nation works to meet the formal hosting requirements and commitments laid out for the 2026 championships.

    The core mission of the EIA Survey is to systematically quantify and examine both the direct and indirect economic ramifications of staging the 2026 CARIFTA event on Grenada’s economy. The scope of analysis spans multiple impact areas, including measuring total spending from inbound visitors, participating athletic teams, event officials, international media and on-site spectators, alongside assessing broader knock-on effects for local employment levels, cross-sector business activity and overall national revenue growth.

    Aaron Moses, chairperson of the 2026 CARIFTA NOC, explained that the data gathered through the assessment will act as a foundational resource for national and sector-level strategic planning across sport, tourism, transport and hospitality. Beyond immediate planning, Moses noted that the survey findings will also shape future policy development, guide critical fiscal decision-making, and strengthen Grenada’s prospects for bidding on other large-scale international sporting events in years to come. As the assessment remains ongoing, the final results will also establish key performance benchmarks that allow policymakers to compare the economic outcomes of major sporting events hosted in Grenada across different time periods.

    To guarantee a holistic and accurate evaluation, research teams have collected data from a diverse cross-section of stakeholders touched by the event. These groups include casual visitors and event spectators, local and international competing athletes, team officials and accredited event delegates, hotels and small guesthouse accommodation providers, local restaurants, street vendors and small business operators, ground and air transport service providers, as well as event volunteers and temporary event staff. By gathering input from across these varied groups, organisers aim to build a granular, accurate picture of spending trends, service utilisation rates, and how economic benefits circulate through multiple sectors of Grenada’s economy.

    In a public appeal, Moses has urged all selected participants to share open, complete responses throughout the survey process, stressing that broad public cooperation is the only way to capture an accurate, unfiltered picture of the full impact that hosting the 2026 CARIFTA Championships will deliver for the island nation.

  • 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.

  • 21-year-old charged in Conway homicide

    21-year-old charged in Conway homicide

    A weeks-long homicide investigation in Saint Lucia has resulted in a second murder charge being laid against a 21-year-old man in the killing of 29-year-old Michael Zacchaeus Charlery, who was fatally shot in the Conway neighborhood of Castries last March.

    According to an official announcement released by the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) on April 9, 2026, Jeanclaude Regobert was formally processed on April 7 on charges of both murder and attempted murder connected to the shooting. He becomes the second individual to face criminal charges over the incident; 35-year-old Bertwin Eugene was first arrested and arraigned on the same pair of charges on March 31, 2026, shortly after the killing.

    Both Regobert and Eugene appeared for bail hearings at the First District Court following their arrests. Following the proceedings, both suspects were denied bail and remanded into custody at the Bordelais Correctional Facility to await further legal action.

    The timeline of the incident dates back to the evening of March 18, when first responders from the Saint Lucia Fire Service arrived at the Conway scene to find Charlery suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency personnel transported him to the Owen King European Union Hospital for urgent care, but he was pronounced dead by attending medical staff shortly after arrival.

    As the investigation into the circumstances of Charlery’s death remains ongoing, the RSLPF is calling on members of the public with any relevant information about the shooting to come forward to assist with the case. Tips can be submitted directly to the RSLPF Major Crimes Unit by calling 456-3754. Those who wish to remain anonymous can share information via the dedicated Crime Hotline at 555, or through the official RSLPF Crime Hotline mobile application, which is currently available for download on the Google Play Store.

  • Cedricka Williams breaks Tennessee discus record

    Cedricka Williams breaks Tennessee discus record

    A wave of standout performances from Caribbean-born collegiate track and field athletes competing across the United States this weekend delivered historic milestones, long-standing record breaks, and career-best results that have turned heads across the NCAA circuit.

    In Knoxville, Jamaican thrower Cedricka Williams of the University of Tennessee etched her name into the program’s history books at the annual Tennessee Invite on Friday. Claiming victory in the women’s discus event, Williams landed a 60.57-meter throw – a new personal season’s best – that pushed her past a nearly half-century-old school record. The previous mark of 60.56m had stood untouched since it was set by Jane Haist back in 1974, 49 years prior. Williams hit her record-breaking launch in the second round of competition, and her result currently ranks as the second-best discus throw posted by any NCAA athlete so far this outdoor season. A former standout at Jamaica’s Holmwood Technical and Barton County College, Williams’ breakthrough has cemented her status as one of the top throwers in collegiate track this year.

    Down in Waco at the Baylor Invitational, two Louisiana State University athletes put up strong results in the women’s 200-meter dash. Freshman sprinter Skyler Franklin clocked a new program freshman record of 22.99 seconds with a 0.7m/s tailwind to claim third place overall, while fellow LSU competitor Kemba Nelson finished sixth with a time of 23.28 seconds into a 1.7m/s wind.

    Over in Tampa at the South Florida Invitational, Zachary Cox, a former ISSA Champs finalist from Jamaica’s Cornwall College now competing with Boston University, notched two new outdoor personal bests in just his second collegiate outdoor meet. Cox first took fifth place in the men’s 100-meter dash with a 10.36-second run (1.2m/s wind), which marks the second-fastest 100m time in Boston University program history. Shortly after competing on BU’s second-place 4x100m relay team that finished in 40.49 seconds, Cox returned to the track to win the men’s 200m with a 20.98-second run (1.4m/s wind). That result shaved 0.08 seconds off his previous personal best and now ranks as the ninth-fastest 200m in Boston University history.

    At Dartmouth College, former Jamaica College Champs gold medalist J’Voughn Blake notched a solid second-place finish in the men’s 800-meter run, crossing the line in a season-best 1 minute 48.54 seconds. The race marked only Blake’s second competitive outing in nearly a year, after he last competed at the NCAA East Regional in late May of 2023.

    Rounding out the weekend of Caribbean success, Fabrienne Foster of the University of North Texas set two new personal bests at the 44 Farms Invitational hosted by Texas A&M University. Foster placed seventh in the women’s hammer throw with a 51.84m toss, and followed that up with an eighth-place finish in the discus throw, hitting a personal best 48.87m.

  • Shaw’s hat-trick leads Reggae to 4-0 win over Antigua and Barbuda

    Shaw’s hat-trick leads Reggae to 4-0 win over Antigua and Barbuda

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — A dominant individual performance from star forward Khadija “Bunny” Shaw carried Jamaica’s national women’s football team, the Reggae Girlz, to a convincing 4-0 victory over Antigua and Barbuda in Friday’s Concacaf W Championship Group B qualifying match at Kingston’s National Stadium.

    Shaw’s three-goal haul, which pushed her career international goal tally to an impressive 66, combined with a late second-half penalty conversion from defender Deneisha Blackwood, locked in three more points for Jamaica. The result stretched Jamaica’s perfect start to the qualifying campaign to three matches, leaving them atop Group B with a maximum nine points. They now enter their final group fixture against Guyana next week needing only a single draw to secure the group’s top spot.

    Despite the lopsided final scoreline, the Reggae Girlz faced a far more stubborn test than the scoreline suggests. The Jamaican side dominated possession and attacking opportunities, firing a staggering 36 shots toward the Antigua and Barbuda goal without the opposition registering a single attempt on target. Even so, Jamaica hit the woodwork four times and were repeatedly denied by a standout performance from Antiguan goalkeeper Anik Jarvis, who pulled off a string of spectacular saves to keep the scoreline down early in the match.

    The first breakthrough finally came for Jamaica in stoppage time at the end of the first half, when Antigua defender Jessica Powell was called for a foul on Atlanta Primus inside the 18-yard box. Shaw stepped up to convert the resulting penalty, opening the scoring for the hosts just before the halftime whistle.

    Shaw doubled her personal tally and Jamaica’s lead just four minutes into the second half. A perfectly weighted through ball from Kalyssa Van Zanten found Shaw in space behind the Antigua backline; she turned away from her marking defender, fired a low, hard left-footed strike past Jarvis, and put Jamaica up 2-0.

    Six minutes after her second goal, Shaw completed her hat-trick with a well-executed diving header, once again set up by a pinpoint cross from Van Zanten. The goal put the result beyond any doubt for the hosts, who continued to create chances for the rest of the half.

    The scoring wrapped up in second-half stoppage time, when Antigua substitute Kamiellia Hughes was called for a handball inside the box while attempting to block a shot from Blackwood. Blackwood took the penalty herself and converted to cap the 4-0 win, extending Jamaica’s lead at the top of the group heading into the final matchday.

  • Jamaicans in diaspora urged to channel donations to health sector through NHEF

    Jamaicans in diaspora urged to channel donations to health sector through NHEF

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — As the Caribbean nation continues to recover from catastrophic damage caused by 2024’s Hurricane Melissa, a leading public health entity is calling on Jamaican communities living abroad to route all philanthropic contributions to the country’s public health system through its offices, a move designed to guarantee transparent management and efficient delivery of aid.

    Courtney Cephas, Executive Director of the National Healthcare Enhancement Foundation (NHEF), outlined the appeal during an April 8 virtual gathering organized by Oliver Mair, Jamaica’s Consul General based in Miami.

    Cephas clarified that NHEF operates as an official body under Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness, with an explicit core mandate to coordinate and administer all charitable donations intended to strengthen the country’s public health sector. He emphasized that directing contributions straight to NHEF eliminates unnecessary bottlenecks, ensuring that resources reach the intended communities and facilities without avoidable delays.

    Drawing on recent experience to back up his call for centralized coordination, Cephas highlighted NHEF’s key logistical role in disaster response efforts in the months following Hurricane Melissa’s landfall last October. The foundation oversaw distribution of a large share of incoming health-related aid, from visiting medical volunteer missions to mobile field hospitals and donated supplies, working to clear shipments through customs and roll them out across the island rapidly.

    He also took time to recognize the outsized impact of contributions from Jamaican diaspora communities across the southern United States, who have partnered with local health facilities through NHEF’s Adopt-a-Clinic Programme. Of the 59 health centres currently adopted by diaspora groups nationwide, 17 have received support from southern US communities, including six facilities that are funded directly through initiatives led by Consul General Mair’s office.

    Cephas revealed that commitments for these six clinics add up to roughly JMD $18 million, with an additional 11 facilities supported by other southern Jamaican groups holding commitments of around JMD $30 million. In total, Jamaican communities in the southern US have contributed approximately JMD $48 million to upgrade primary healthcare infrastructure across Jamaica.

    These funds have already been put to tangible use, Cephas reported: they have been allocated to purchase essential clinical tools including blood pressure monitors, patient weighing scales and sterilization autoclaves, as well as to upgrade facility infrastructure with new air conditioning, expanded medical storage spaces and more comfortable waiting areas for patients.

    The scale of recovery needed remains massive, however. Cephas confirmed that Hurricane Melissa caused an estimated US$8.8 billion in total damage across Jamaica – a sum equal to 41% of the country’s annual gross domestic product. Western parishes suffered the most severe destruction, and of the 101 health centres assessed after the storm, 65 sustained major or catastrophic damage. Rebuilding efforts are currently underway, with a focus on constructing more climate-resilient facilities that can withstand future extreme weather events.

    Looking ahead, Cephas outlined new avenues for diaspora engagement to support Jamaica’s health sector recovery and expansion. These opportunities include targeted adoption programmes for the health centres that were most heavily damaged by the hurricane, new projects focused on improving maternal and early childhood health services, and an upcoming initiative to expand tele-mental health access across the country.

  • Chentelle Swaby gets 50th cap, starts for Reggae Girlz against Antigua

    Chentelle Swaby gets 50th cap, starts for Reggae Girlz against Antigua

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – A historic milestone is on the horizon for Jamaican women’s football this Friday, as Chantelle Swaby is set to earn her 50th senior cap for the Reggae Girlz when they kick off their Concacaf Women’s World Cup qualifier against Antigua and Barbuda at Kingston’s National Stadium.

    Coming off a hard-fought 3-2 away win over Nicaragua in Managua back in March, the Jamaican technical staff has reshaped their starting eleven for this home fixture, making five total changes to the starting side that secured three points on the road. One of the most notable new inclusions is central defender Tianna Harris, who will make her senior home debut for the Reggae Girlz in the match.

    Joining Harris and milestone-chasing Swaby in the revised starting lineup are winger Olufolasade Adamalekun, defender Kalyssa Van Zanten, defender Allyson Swaby – Chantelle’s teammate and sister – young forward Kameron Simmonds, and attacking midfielder Atlanta Primus, all of whom earned starting nods from the coaching staff.

    The two sides last met in international competition back in 2018, when Jamaica dominated the fixture to secure a lopsided 9-0 victory over Antigua and Barbuda. Friday’s match will give fans a chance to see how Lorne Donaldson’s side has progressed in the years since that encounter, as they push toward qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

    The full starting lineup named by the Jamaican coaching staff is as follows: Rebecca Spencer (goalkeeper), Tianna Harris, Chantelle Swaby, Shania Hayles, Khadija Shaw, Kalyssa Van Zanten, Deneisha Blackwood, Allyson Swaby, Kameron Simmonds, Atlanta Primus, and Olufolasade Adamalekun.

  • 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.