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  • Windies collapse as New Zealand levels ODI series

    Windies collapse as New Zealand levels ODI series

    The second match of the five-match One-Day International series between West Indies and New Zealand delivered a dramatic turnaround at Guyana’s Providence Stadium on Monday, as a devastating bowling performance from the Black Caps flipped the series on its head after the home side’s opening-game win.

    Put into bat first after losing the coin toss, West Indies got off to a promising start, cruising to 66 runs without losing a wicket inside the first 11 overs. What followed was a shocking batting collapse that saw the Caribbean side lose all 10 wickets for just 72 additional runs, being bowled out entirely in the 36th over for a meager total of 138. The destruction was led by left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox, who turned in a match-winning performance to claim five wickets for just 19 runs, earning him Player of the Match honors.

    Only two West Indies batters managed to post scores above 20: opener John Campbell led the scoring with a quick 43 off 41 deliveries, while wicketkeeper Amir Jangoo chipped in with 24. Ackeem Auguste and Keacy Carty added 18 runs each to the total, but wickets fell at consistent intervals throughout the innings, breaking any chance of a competitive total. For New Zealand, Mitchell Santner supported Lennox with 2 wickets for 21 runs, and Michael Bracewell claimed a further 2 wickets for 51 runs to round out the Black Caps’ bowling effort.

    Chasing the low 139-run target, New Zealand stumbled early, losing two wickets in three consecutive deliveries when the score sat at 35. West Indies spinner Khary Pierre picked up two of the early wickets, finishing with 2 for 33, but could not break the Black Caps’ middle-order stand. Tom Latham anchored the successful chase with an unbeaten 37 runs off 61 balls, and Bracewell finished the job not out on 24 from 26 deliveries. New Zealand crossed the winning line in the 33rd over at 141 for 5, securing a comfortable five-wicket victory.

    The result levels the five-match series at 1 win apiece, after West Indies claimed a seven-wicket win in the opening ODI on Saturday. The third match is scheduled to take place this Thursday, giving both sides just two days to reset ahead of the next clash.

    After the match, West Indies captain Shai Hope acknowledged that his side’s batting performance fell well short of the standard required to win. “If we’d put 60-70 more runs it would have been a different game,” Hope told reporters. “Conditions in the Caribbean usually favour the teams batting second, and I’m not someone who wins the toss too often, so batting first is something we need to get a little better at. We need to adapt for the next game and find a way of setting a competitive target.”

    Pierre echoed his captain’s assessment, agreeing that the batting unit left too many runs out on the pitch, but praised his fellow bowlers for keeping the game competitive despite the small total. “We left some runs out there for sure after we got bowled out in 36 overs. I think we could have batted a little more responsibly, rotated the strike a bit more and try to get to 230 – I think that’s a winning score on this track,” Pierre said. “I think it was a really good job by the bowlers defending 138; at no point did we think that we couldn’t have won the game. Coming down to the end it was a bit easy after we didn’t pick up the late wickets, but I think the bowlers fought well.”

    Pierre also noted that Monday’s playing surface was slower than the wicket prepared for the opening match, and expressed confidence that the side can bounce back quickly in the third fixture. “I think all the batsmen know what they are capable of and what they need to do. We’re just gonna do some homework on rotation of strike and stuff like that, go to the nets and have a knock,” he said. “All the guys are confident. We know what’s at stake here. You win some and you lose some, but we need to bounce back, and the next game is a quick turnover.”

  • WK-spelers vertragen start La Liga voor Barcelona en Real Madrid

    WK-spelers vertragen start La Liga voor Barcelona en Real Madrid

    The 2026 FIFA World Cup’s final four stage has triggered an unexpected schedule shake-up for Spain’s top-flight football competition La Liga, forcing two of its most iconic clubs – Barcelona and Real Madrid – to delay the start of their 2026-27 domestic campaigns. The league’s governing body made the call after recognizing that a large share of both clubs’ star squads are still competing in the World Cup’s critical semi-final matches, which require players to remain in peak competitive condition through the tournament’s late stages.

    The first of the 2026 World Cup semi-finals pits France against Spain, scheduled for Tuesday, with the second semi-final between England and Argentina kicking off one day later to decide the second spot in the World Cup final. Multiple high-profile players from La Liga’s two giants feature prominently across these national squads. For host nation Spain, Barcelona young sensation Lamine Yamal and playmaker Dani Olmo are expected to play key roles in their semi-final clash. England, meanwhile, counts Barcelona’s Anthony Gordon and Real Madrid’s Ballon d’Or nominee Jude Bellingham among its core starting lineup. Over on France’s side, Real Madrid’s two biggest recent acquisitions – superstar forward Kylian Mbappé and holding midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni – are central to the French team’s bid to reach a second consecutive World Cup final.

    Originally, the new La Liga season was set to kick off on the weekend of August 15 and 16. Under the original schedule, Barcelona was slated to open its title defense with a home fixture against Athletic Bilbao on that opening weekend. Following the schedule adjustment, this match against Athletic Bilbao has been pushed back to August 27. Instead, Barcelona will now play its first official match of the season against Elche on August 23.

    For Real Madrid, the schedule shift also changes the timeline of a highly anticipated managerial return. The club’s original opening match against Real Sociedad has been rescheduled to August 26. This means José Mourinho, who returned to the Santiago Bernabéu for a second spell as head coach, will now lead Los Blancos in his first match of his new tenure against Espanyol one week later than initially planned.

    Not all La Liga clubs are affected by the change, however. Atlético Madrid, for example, will retain its originally scheduled opening match against Málaga at home on August 19, despite having two key Argentine players – Julián Álvarez and Nahuel Molina – still competing in the World Cup semi-finals. The league did not explain why the Madrid-based side’s fixture was not adjusted.

    The schedule reshuffle underscores the growing impact that the expanded late-year World Cup has on European domestic club competitions. It also highlights the growing collaborative approach between league governing bodies and top European clubs to manage player workload, prioritizing adequate recovery time for stars who spend months competing in international tournaments before the domestic season even begins, to help them hit the ground running once they return to club action.

  • National Solid Waste Management Authority Launches Pre-Carnival Clean-Up of St. John’s City

    National Solid Waste Management Authority Launches Pre-Carnival Clean-Up of St. John’s City

    As Antigua and Barbuda gears up for the highly anticipated 2026 Antigua Carnival under the official theme #Feeltherhythm, two leading local government agencies have partnered to launch a comprehensive city-wide clean-up campaign designed to transform St. John’s into a sparkling, healthy welcoming space for attendees and locals alike. The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has teamed up with the Central Board of Health (CBH) to roll out this intensive pre-event sanitation drive, with careful scheduling crafted to minimize disruption to daily life across the capital city.

    To avoid interfering with regular business operations, daily commutes, and residents’ routines, cleaning crews have adopted an overnight working schedule. Teams are on the ground carrying out work every night from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., and the operation will continue in sequential phases across different districts of the city until all targeted areas are completed. As of mid-July, the initiative has already logged substantial progress across multiple key commercial and residential corridors in the heart of St. John’s. Between July 12 and 13, crews completed deep cleaning work on Newgate Street and Church Street, before moving to Long Street, High Street, and St. Mary’s Street for the following 24-hour work cycle. From July 14 to 15, teams were scheduled to shift their focus to Tanner Street and Redcliffe Street, continuing the phased rollout across the city.

    The multi-faceted clean-up operation covers a wide range of sanitation and aesthetic improvement tasks designed to address long-standing environmental and public health concerns. Core activities include power-washing and clearing clogged storm drains, hauling away accumulated debris and illegal waste dumps, trimming overgrown grass and managing unkempt vegetation, and deep cleaning all public streets and shared outdoor spaces. Once NSWMA crews finish their work in each neighborhood, the Central Board of Health steps in to conduct complementary public health interventions: teams carry out targeted fogging and full disinfection of drains and surrounding areas, as part of the board’s ongoing regional campaign to control mosquito populations and reduce the spread of vector-borne diseases.

    Officials from both agencies note that this cross-departmental collaboration underscores a shared, firm commitment to delivering a safe, clean, and enjoyable carnival experience for everyone. Beyond visiting tourists, the initiative prioritizes the health and comfort of local residents who call St. John’s home, ensuring that long-term infrastructure benefits remain after the carnival festivities conclude. To make the campaign a lasting success, the NSWMA is calling on full public participation in the effort. The agency is urging all residents, business owners, and visitors to dispose of waste properly, avoid littering in streets and drains, and actively contribute to keeping public spaces clean. Officials emphasize that even small individual actions add up to protect the improvements made through the clean-up and sustain a healthy urban environment for all.

    As the initiative continues to expand across St. John’s, the NSWMA plans to release regular public updates. These updates will include notifications of completed work areas, upcoming scheduled cleaning locations, and overall progress reports on the entire campaign, to keep the local community informed and engaged in the lead-up to the 2026 carnival. Together, agencies and residents aim to build a cleaner, healthier, and more beautiful capital city ahead of the popular annual festivities.

  • Windwards Rising Stars suffer second defeat in a row

    Windwards Rising Stars suffer second defeat in a row

    The Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Men’s Under-19 50-Over Championship has delivered another tense round of matches, with the Windward Islands falling to their second consecutive defeat at the hands of Trinidad & Tobago in a tightly contested clash at Antigua & Barbuda’s Coolidge Cricket Ground in St John’s. Despite a standout individual performance from batter Tyler Venner and a disciplined effort in the field from the whole squad, the Windwards could not hold off Trinidad & Tobago’s late push for victory, which ended in a narrow three-wicket win for the twin-island side.

    Windwards captain Theo Edward won the pre-match coin toss and elected to set a target for Trinidad & Tobago by batting first. Edward and opening partner Johnathan Daniel, both hailing from Saint Lucia, put together a solid opening stand of 37 runs to get their innings off to a promising start. Edward’s time at the crease ended early, however, as he was dismissed in the seventh over after posting 13 runs from 14 deliveries. He was followed back to the pavilion just moments later by West Indies Under-19 representative Earsinho Fontaine, who finished his innings with 12 runs.

    Daniel was the next top batter to go, out for 27 runs from 30 balls that included one boundary four and two powerful sixes. By the 20th over, the Windwards had collapsed to 73 runs for the loss of six wickets, with Khavaugn Bartholomew, Aiden Burton and Cody Fontenelle all back in the dressing room after quick dismissals. Just as he did in the team’s opening championship match, Venner stepped up to steady the innings with a calm, patient knock. The batter finished with 62 runs off 96 balls, including three fours and two sixes, marking his second consecutive half-century in the tournament. Useful contributions from Kevin Joseph and Kazado Henry, who both reached double figures, helped the Windwards post a total of 183 runs for nine wickets from their full 50 overs, with Venner the final batter dismissed on the last ball of the innings.

    Venner got the Windwards off to an ideal start in their bowling innings too, removing Trinidad & Tobago opener Zakariyya Mohammed on the very first ball of the chase. Trinidad & Tobago recovered quickly, though, building a solid 39-ball partnership for the second wicket to get their chase back on track. By the time captain Brendan Boodoo was dismissed for a knock of 67, Trinidad & Tobago was cruising at 160 runs for five wickets after 32 overs, well on track to reach the required target.

    Windwards medium pacer Aravinda Bishop turned the tide of the match briefly, picking up three quick wickets to give his side a shot at pulling off an unlikely win. When Trinidad & Tobago lost their seventh wicket on the first ball of the 39th over, the scores were level at 183. Just four deliveries later, Trinidad & Tobago knocked the winning run to secure the three-wicket victory. In other matches from the same round of the championship, Jamaica and defending title holders Barbados both secured wins to start their campaigns.

  • PM Browne Says Country Faces Tough Choice Over Citizenship by Investment

    PM Browne Says Country Faces Tough Choice Over Citizenship by Investment

    The future of Antigua and Barbuda’s high-stakes Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) hangs in the balance, as Prime Minister Gaston Browne has opened the door to a potential full suspension of the scheme if ongoing visa restrictions tied to the initiative continue to hamper the nation’s international access.

    Delivering his remarks before the country’s Parliament on Tuesday, Browne framed the issue as a defining national choice that requires open, inclusive discussion from all sectors of Antiguan and Barbudan society. At its core, the debate pits two critical national priorities against one another: maintaining the valuable visa-free travel access that Antiguan and Barbudan citizens currently enjoy to the United States and the European Union, versus preserving the CIP, which has become a major source of government revenue for the small island nation.

    Browne’s statement comes in direct response to recent regulatory moves from major global blocs. The European Commission has formally ordered Antigua to phase out its CIP entirely by June 1, 2028, under newly implemented visa suspension rules. For its part, the United States has already named the CIP as one of the justifications for imposing restrictions on specific visa categories for Antiguan travelers, creating immediate tangible impacts that the government cannot ignore.

    In a move to build broad consensus around the final decision, Browne confirmed that the national government has launched formal consultations with key industry and civil society stakeholders across the country. The administration aims to solidify a shared position on the programme’s future within a matter of weeks. Browne also noted that he intends to introduce a standalone parliamentary resolution to open a full formal debate on the next steps for the scheme. Closing his remarks, Browne issued a direct challenge to the parliamentary opposition, urging lawmakers to put forward constructive policy solutions instead of limiting their participation to criticism of the existing CIP framework.

  • High Court Acquits Andre Arthurs in 2025 Murder Case

    High Court Acquits Andre Arthurs in 2025 Murder Case

    On a Tuesday session in July 2026, a dramatic conclusion unfolded at the Belize High Court: 28-year-old construction worker Andre Arthurs walked free after being acquitted of the 2025 murder of 33-year-old Mark Usher Jr. in Belize City.

    Usher was killed in a public shooting at the intersection of Jabiru Street and Fabers Road in March 2025, a case that has dragged on for more than a year. Arthurs, a resident of the Fabers Road area, had been held in pre-trial detention after being formally charged with the fatal shooting. But the prosecution’s case quickly unraveled in court over a series of critical evidential gaps that the Crown could not resolve.

    Presiding over the case, Justice Nigel Pilgrim delivered the not-guilty verdict after ruling that the prosecution failed to meet the required legal standard of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The entire prosecution’s argument rested almost entirely on the identification testimony of Interdiction Police Officer Lawrence Martinez. Martinez told the court that moments after the shooting, he observed a man in a blue shirt riding a bicycle away from the crime scene. He later picked Arthurs out during a group identification procedure.

    While Justice Pilgrim acknowledged that Martinez appeared to be a sincere and credible witness on the stand, major procedural flaws in the identification process created unavoidable doubt. The court learned that the prosecution never provided evidence confirming that other participants in the identification lineup matched Arthurs’ core physical characteristics, including height, skin tone, age, and general build. Without that critical alignment, the court could not confirm that the identification was not a result of improper suggestion or chance.

    The evidential deficiencies extended far beyond the flawed identification process. Investigators never tested Arthurs’ hands for gunshot residue, a standard step in most shooting investigations that could have tied him to the weapon. The prosecution also failed to produce any DNA evidence linking Arthurs to the crime, never recovered the alleged firearm used in the shooting, and never obtained a search warrant to connect the reported blue shirt to Arthurs. Even the suspect’s abandoned bicycle, a key piece of physical evidence described by the officer, was never properly accounted for in the investigation, leaving a host of unanswered questions about its connection to the case.

    Justice Pilgrim emphasized in his ruling that the Crown bears the legal burden of proving every element of a criminal charge beyond a reasonable doubt. In this case, that meant confirming beyond question that the identification evidence was reliable enough to conclude Arthurs was the shooter. Without that certainty, any guilty conviction would be legally unsound.

    Throughout the entire trial, Arthurs repeatedly maintained his innocence. He told the court that at the time of the shooting, he was at his home hosting a barbecue with friends, placing him far from the crime scene. After the verdict was read, Arthurs left the courthouse surrounded by supporting relatives, a free man after more than a year of legal uncertainty. Mark Usher Jr.’s mother, who attended the ruling to hear the outcome, left the courthouse shortly after the verdict was announced. Andre Arthurs was represented throughout the proceedings by defense attorney Simeon Sampson.

  • BOA: CAC, Commonwealth Games campaign to cost $2.5 million

    BOA: CAC, Commonwealth Games campaign to cost $2.5 million

    Barbados’ Olympic governing body is bracing for a massive $2.5 million expenditure to send its national athletic delegations to two back-to-back elite international multi-sport competitions this summer, a senior association official has confirmed. Cameron Burke, vice-president of the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA), made the financial revelation this past Sunday during an official ceremony held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, where the organization publicly introduced the full rosters of athletes set to represent the Caribbean island nation.

    This year’s competition schedule marks a notable milestone for Barbados’ athletic program: the country is fielding one of its largest Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games delegations in over 20 years. A total of 141 athletes are scheduled to compete across 24 different sporting disciplines at the CAC Games, hosted by the Dominican Republic, from July 24 through August 8. Following the conclusion of that event, an additional 21 Barbadian athletes will travel to Scotland to compete in six disciplines at the Commonwealth Games just weeks later.

    Burke emphasized that the unusual timing of the two premier events, falling within a narrow several-week window, has created unprecedented strain on the BOA’s operations. Beyond the steep financial burden of sending two large squads overseas for extended international competition, the organization has also had to navigate complex logistical obstacles to coordinate travel, accommodation, training, and staff support for both groups simultaneously. The BOA is now working to finalize remaining preparations to ensure its athletes can compete at their best despite these challenges.

  • Murder Case Against Dexter Scotland Dismissed After No-Case Submission

    Murder Case Against Dexter Scotland Dismissed After No-Case Submission

    In a landmark ruling that has drawn attention to the standards of evidence in criminal prosecutions, a High Court judge has dismissed the entire murder case against Dexter Scotland, after ruling in favor of a defense no-case submission. The case centered on the fatal shooting of Jahfari Isaac, with Scotland arguing from the outset that the killing was an act of legitimate self-defense.

    Justice Ann Marie Smith, who presided over the trial, delivered a clear judgment that the prosecution team led by the Crown failed to meet the legal threshold required to disprove Scotland’s self-defense claim. In her written ruling, Justice Smith emphasized that the available evidence presented in court had properly raised the question of self-defense, and the prosecution had not successfully demonstrated that the killing was an unlawful act.

    The defense’s core argument held that Scotland opened fire on Isaac only after forming a genuine reasonable belief that his life was in immediate danger: Scotland claimed Isaac appeared to be reaching for a concealed firearm, leaving him no option but to act to protect himself.

    Beyond the failure to disprove self-defense, Justice Smith also pointed to multiple critical shortcomings in the prosecution’s evidence. These gaps include the complete absence of professional ballistics analysis to link the weapon to the shooting, as well as gunshot residue test results that could not be independently verified or confirmed to meet evidentiary standards.

    Following the judge’s dismissal of the case, prosecution officials have publicly confirmed they intend to challenge the ruling through an appeal process, setting the stage for further legal proceedings over the fatal shooting.

  • “The Drums Are Silent”: Music Producer Kendoyll Simpson Dies After Cancer Battle

    “The Drums Are Silent”: Music Producer Kendoyll Simpson Dies After Cancer Battle

    The Belizean music industry is engulfed in grief this week following the passing of legendary producer and audio engineer Kendoyll Simpson, known professionally as KSBEATS, who lost his two-year private battle with cancer on Sunday. In an official public statement, Simpson’s partner Anika Perez shared new details about the producer’s final years, revealing that Simpson made the deliberate choice to keep his cancer diagnosis and treatment journey hidden from the public.

    As a deeply private individual, Simpson chose not to disclose his illness to avoid causing worry and sorrow for his loved ones, fans, and colleagues within the music community. Perez added that Simpson also rejected public attention out of concern that pity from others would erode his mental strength and disrupt his ability to keep creating the music he dedicated his life to. Throughout his illness, Simpson remained committed to his craft, continuing to write and produce music up until his body could no longer sustain his work.

    “While this news may come as a shock to many, we simply honored and respected his wishes throughout his battle,” Perez noted in her statement. Tributes to Simpson have begun to spread across Belize’s music scene, where the 20-plus year veteran built a legacy as one of the country’s most skilled and respected production talents. His discography crossed multiple musical genres and extended beyond Belize’s borders, as he collaborated with artists across the Central American region and played a foundational role in shaping the modern sound of Belizean music.

    Beyond his professional contributions, Simpson leaves behind his 10-year-old daughter, whom Perez described as the object of his deepest love. In a poignant closing to her statement, Perez paid tribute to Simpson’s enduring impact: “The drums are silent, but your rhythm lives on in every life you’ve touched.” The Belizean music community has already begun celebrating Simpson’s life and career, highlighting both his extraordinary talent as a producer and his quiet resilience in the face of his illness.

  • Spain announces visa free travel for Trinidad and Tobago

    Spain announces visa free travel for Trinidad and Tobago

    BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – In a significant policy shift aimed at boosting tourism and cross-border connections, Spain announced Wednesday it has included nine Caribbean Community (Caricom) member states among 60 global nations whose citizens can now enter the country without a visa for short-term stays.

    The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid released the official list of newly added countries, identifying the nine Caricom nations as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Notably, five other Caricom members – Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, Belize, and Haiti – were left off the revised visa-free roster, their citizens still required to complete the standard Schengen visa application process.

    Beyond the Caribbean bloc, the Spanish government also extended visa-free access to ordinary passport holders from eight African countries for stays not exceeding 90 days. The African nations added to the list are Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius, Seychelles, Cape Verde, and Rwanda. Travelers from these countries are now permitted to enter not only Spain but the entire Schengen Area without prior visa approval, marking a major easing of travel restrictions.

    The new visa-free arrangement covers all short-term visits, including leisure tourism, business engagements, and personal trips, within the 90-day limit across any 180-day rolling period – the standard timeframe for Schengen Area short stays.

    The policy change leaves the status quo unchanged for most other Caribbean and African nations, whose citizens will still need to obtain a valid Schengen visa before departing for Spain or any other participating country in the border-free Schengen zone. Regional tourism officials across the Caribbean have already signaled cautious optimism that the change could drive increased visitor arrivals from the nine qualifying nations, supporting the recovery of the region’s tourism-dependent economies after years of global travel disruptions.