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  • Sir McChesney George Student Joins Junior Chef Academy Internship at Galley Bay Resort

    Sir McChesney George Student Joins Junior Chef Academy Internship at Galley Bay Resort

    A young culinary talent from Antigua and Barbuda has earned a coveted spot in one of the region’s most promising youth hospitality training programs, marking a key step forward for the 2026 iteration of the Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy.

    Justine Griffin, a student at Sir McChesney George Secondary School, has been officially introduced as the eighth participant selected for the academy. Over the coming five weeks, she will complete a structured culinary internship at the acclaimed Galley Bay Resort and Spa, where she will work directly under the mentorship of the resort’s experienced Executive Chef Guven Uyanik.

    The internship period is scheduled to run from July 13 through August 21, giving Griffin more than a month of immersive, on-the-job learning in a fast-paced professional kitchen environment. During this time, she will not only refine her existing cooking techniques but also gain first-hand insight into kitchen operations, food safety standards, and customer service that can only be learned through hands-on practice, all while receiving guidance from seasoned culinary and hospitality professionals.

    The program will wrap up with a high-stakes showcase of the participants’ newly honed skills: a public cook-off competition set to take place between August 25 and 28. This competitive event will be followed by an official closing ceremony on September 3, where achievements will be celebrated and awards will be presented.

    At the end of the entire program, one standout participant will be crowned the academy’s Top Junior Chef. This title comes with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: the winner will earn the right to represent Antigua and Barbuda at the 2027 Junior Lit’l Chef Camp hosted in the Turks and Caicos Islands. This international opportunity is made possible through a collaborative partnership between the academy’s organizers and the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association.

    Program organizers have emphasized that the core mission of the Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy extends far beyond a single cooking competition. The initiative was created specifically to identify and nurture emerging young culinary talent from local secondary schools, giving participating students access to structured practical training that is rarely available to young learners outside of post-secondary education. It also exposes students to the wide range of career pathways available in the thriving hospitality and tourism sector, a core pillar of Antigua and Barbuda’s national economy.

    The 2026 edition of the Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy is jointly presented by three supporting partners: the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association, the Ted Isaac Family, and Global Ports Holding, which operates Antigua Cruise Port.

  • MP Congratulates Xclusive Ballaz on Gray’s Green Community League Triumph

    MP Congratulates Xclusive Ballaz on Gray’s Green Community League Triumph

    In a feel-good moment for grassroots football in the region, a sitting Member of Parliament has extended formal congratulations to Xclusive Ballaz, the underdog squad that claimed the top prize at this year’s Gray’s Green Community League.

    The annual neighborhood soccer tournament, which brings together amateur teams from across the Gray’s Green surrounding area, wrapped up its final match over the weekend, with Xclusive Ballaz pulling off a hard-fought victory against a more fancied opponent to take home the trophy. The competition, now in its eighth year, has grown into a beloved local tradition, offering recreational players of all ages a platform to showcase their skills and build connections across the community.

    In a statement released following the final whistle, the MP highlighted the critical role that community-level sports play in fostering social cohesion, encouraging healthy active lifestyles, and nurturing young athletic talent. They praised the entire Xclusive Ballaz squad for their discipline, teamwork, and consistent performance throughout the tournament, noting that their journey from a relatively untested side to league champions serves as an inspiring example for other amateur athletes across the area.

    The MP also extended recognition to the tournament organizers and all participating teams for their work in making this year’s Gray’s Green Community League a success, calling attention to the volunteer effort that goes into running the annual event. Representatives of Xclusive Ballaz have said the team plans to hold a small celebration with local residents in the coming days to share their win with the community that supported them throughout the competition.

  • Dominica looks to build on record cruise season with stakeholders meeting

    Dominica looks to build on record cruise season with stakeholders meeting

    A three-day gathering focused on advancing Dominica’s cruise tourism sector, the Business Cruise Stakeholders Symposium, kicked off on Monday at the Goodwill Parish Hall, bringing together local industry players and leading global cruise sector experts. Hosted jointly by the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) and the island nation’s Ministry of Tourism, the event will run daily from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through Wednesday, July 29, 2026.

    The symposium comes on the heels of Dominica’s most successful cruise season in history, a milestone that delivered impressive growth for the country’s key tourism sector. Monelle Alexis, the DDA’s communication and public relations specialist, shared that the just-concluded season drew nearly 410,000 passengers across 250 vessels calling at the island’s ports, a figure that set a new benchmark for Dominica’s cruise industry.

    Against this backdrop of historic success, local tourism leaders organized the symposium to translate this momentum into long-term, sustainable growth for the sector. Alexis noted that the event intentionally brings together a diverse mix of participants: local on-the-ground tourism operators, regional tourism bodies, and top international cruise industry analysts and strategists. Over the three days, attendees will engage in structured discussions on three core priority areas: rapidly shifting global cruise trends, evolving demands and expectations of modern cruise visitors, and actionable strategies to solidify and expand Dominica’s competitive standing in the fast-growing Caribbean cruise tourism market.

    Organizers have explicitly called on all local stakeholders that interact with cruise visitors to participate in the event, including tour operators, taxi service providers, local goods vendors, managers of tourist attractions, and any other business partners that contribute to the cruise visitor experience. The inclusive approach to participation is designed to ensure that all segments of Dominica’s tourism ecosystem align on shared goals to boost visitor satisfaction and drive greater economic returns from cruise tourism.

  • Saint Lucia to benefit from new Caribbean infrastructure facility

    Saint Lucia to benefit from new Caribbean infrastructure facility

    Four Eastern Caribbean nations are positioned to gain transformative support for their climate action goals through a new regional partnership designed to streamline the delivery of climate-resilient public infrastructure projects.

    The collaborative program, dubbed the Caribbean Resilient Infrastructure Implementation and Skills Exchange (RIISE) Facility, was formalized via an agreement between Global Affairs Canada and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Funded entirely by the Government of Canada and operated under UNOPS management, the initiative will roll out first to four target countries: Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. A dedicated regional secretariat based in Bridgetown, Barbados, will manage incoming support requests from participating governments, coordinate logistics, and mobilize vetted specialized technical expertise to address on-the-ground project bottlenecks.

    Brenda Wills, Canada’s High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, emphasized that the new facility aligns with Canada’s long-standing diplomatic and development commitment to bolstering climate resilience across the Caribbean, a region disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change despite contributing minimally to global emissions. “Canada is proud to support RIISE as part of our longstanding commitment to strengthening climate resilience across the Caribbean,” Wills said. “By helping governments deliver resilient infrastructure more effectively, build local capacity and promote specialised expertise across the region, RIISE will generate lasting benefits for Caribbean communities while deepening the strong ties between Canada and the region.”

    Partners involved in the initiative note that while Caribbean governments have already laid out ambitious national agendas for climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure development, a large share of planned projects struggle to progress past planning stages due to systemic implementation barriers, including limited access to specialized technical skills, gaps in local project management capacity, and fragmented regional knowledge sharing.

    Giuseppe Mancinelli, UNOPS Director for Barbados and Caribbean Coordinator, explained that RIISE was developed directly in response to repeated requests from Caribbean national governments for practical, implementation-focused support that fills gaps left by existing development programs. “Caribbean governments have clear priorities and an ambitious vision for resilient and sustainable development. RIISE will provide timely access to the specialised expertise they need to overcome implementation challenges and turn those priorities into tangible results for communities. At the same time, it will strengthen national capacities and foster greater regional collaboration,” Mancinelli said.

    Unlike many existing climate infrastructure programs that focus primarily on financing or early-stage project planning, RIISE centers its support on the critical implementation phase of projects, working to complement rather than replace existing funding and preparation mechanisms. The facility will deliver customized support aligned with each participating government’s specific needs, including short-term targeted technical advice, temporary deployment of experienced infrastructure specialists, and structured cross-border knowledge and skills exchange programs.

    Participating governments have been advised to engage with the RIISE coordination team early in the project planning process to unlock initial support as the program gets off the ground. The initiative is scheduled for an official public launch on September 14, 2026, during the Caribbean Infrastructure Forum (CARIF) set to take place in Miami.

  • Saint Lucian boxers prepare for CAC Games with Guyana trip

    Saint Lucian boxers prepare for CAC Games with Guyana trip

    As the historic 100th edition of the Central American & Caribbean Games approaches, Saint Lucia’s elite boxing team is set to depart this week for Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where they will vie for regional honors. The trio of competitors wrapped up an intensive, collaborative pre-tournament training camp in Georgetown, Guyana, designed to sharpen their skills and build cohesion ahead of the high-stakes competition.

    Leading the Saint Lucian contingent is 19-year-old light heavyweight John Didier, a rising star from Vieux Fort who already made history for his nation earlier this year. Didier became the first boxer from Saint Lucia to advance beyond the opening round at the IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships, a feat he achieved at the 2025 tournament held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Joining Didier is fellow 19-year-old Danaii Cooman, the reigning super heavyweight champion from the 2024 Caribbean Championships, who enters the CAC Games as one of the region’s top young contenders in his weight class. Rounding out the squad is team captain Khygan “The Hitman” Mortley, a seasoned middleweight who celebrated his 32nd birthday in January and brings decades of competitive experience to the young team.

    All three boxers are scheduled to compete at Combat Pavilion No. 2, located within Santo Domingo’s iconic Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte sports complex. Their five-day pre-departure training camp, led by Saint Lucian head coach Conrad Fredericks, kicked off on July 16 in Guyana, marking a new milestone in regional boxing cooperation.

    David Christopher, president of the Saint Lucia Boxing Association and head of the nation’s 2026 CAC Games delegation, emphasized that the cross-border training camp represents far more than preparation for a single tournament. It lays the groundwork for a long-term strategic partnership between the Saint Lucia Boxing Association and the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA).

    The initiative for the joint camp grew out of diplomatic exchanges during a recent high-profile regional gathering: when Guyanese President Irfaan Ali traveled to Saint Lucia for the CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting, discussions between regional leaders and sporting officials paved the way for the collaborative training opportunity. During his visit, President Ali also engaged with members of the Guyanese community resident in Saint Lucia, strengthening people-to-people ties between the two Caribbean nations.

    “I want to thank President Ali, and my good friend GBA president Mr Steve Ninvalle, for making this camp happen. We are grateful for the support,” Christopher shared in comments after the camp concluded. “It is important for Caribbean countries to work together. By sharing resources, knowledge and opportunities, we can all become stronger and better prepared for international competition.”

    Throughout their stay in Georgetown, the Saint Lucian boxers trained side-by-side with Guyana’s own CAC Games squad, which features standout fighters Terron Wintz, Desmond Amsterdam and Colin Lewis. Both groups benefited from the expertise of two veteran Guyanese boxing coaches, Francisco Roldan and Jeff Roberts, who led joint sessions and shared technical insight with all competitors. The shared training environment allowed young boxers from both nations to learn from one another’s styles, build camaraderie, and prepare collectively for the challenge of the regional games.

  • The Old Capital Is Now Tsunami-Ready, What Does That Mean for You?

    The Old Capital Is Now Tsunami-Ready, What Does That Mean for You?

    After nearly eight years of incremental planning, hands-on training, and widespread public outreach, Belize’s former capital city Belize City has formally received the UNESCO Tsunami-Ready designation, marking a major milestone in Caribbean coastal disaster risk reduction. As the 23rd community in the Caribbean region to meet the strict international preparedness standard, the milestone shines a spotlight on Belize’s years-long push to protect its vulnerable coastal population from one of the region’s deadliest natural hazards.

    The journey to recognition has not been smooth. The initiative first launched in 2018, starting with preliminary hazard modeling and the drafting of public evacuation maps, but progress stalled soon after the initial phase. Christa von Hillebrandt-Andrade, Deputy Director of the International Tsunami Information Center-Caribbean Office, explained that the extended delay nearly cost Belize the designation entirely. With U.S. funding for the project set to expire, the international team was prepared to redirect its support to another community that ultimately secured its own Tsunami-Ready status in Belize’s place.

    It was not until 2024 that momentum reignited, when Belize’s national and municipal authorities — including the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO), the National Meteorological Service (NMS), and the Belize City Council — restarted collaboration with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service to push the project across the finish line.

    Today, Belize City boasts a completed network of marked evacuation assembly points and clear directional signage installed across all high-risk coastal zones of the city. Henry Charles Usher, Belize’s Minister of Disaster Risk Management, clarified the function of these new gathering points for local residents: Designated staff from the Belize City Council, the City Emergency Management Organization (CEMO), and NEMO will be on site to coordinate crowds and guide evacuees to safe zones during an emergency, though transportation to the final safe areas is not guaranteed to be available for all evacuees.

    Despite the celebratory milestone, both national officials and international partners emphasize that the designation does not eliminate Belize City’s inherent tsunami risk, nor does it mark the end of preparedness work. “This is really just the beginning of the process,” Usher noted. “This is all about continuing to be ready, continuing that community engagement, preparedness, and education and awareness when it comes to tsunami.”

    Looking ahead, the government plans to expand the Tsunami-Ready framework beyond Belize City to build coordinated disaster preparedness across the entire country, with ongoing investment in public education, infrastructure upgrades, and community engagement to keep coastal populations safe as climate change increases the risk of extreme coastal events globally.

  • Flow partners with Grenada Green Group

    Flow partners with Grenada Green Group

    A new collaborative environmental project is taking root across Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, aiming to cut plastic pollution and embed sustainable habits among young people through a school-centered recycling program.

    Flow Grenada, operating with financial backing from the Liberty Caribbean Foundation—the philanthropic branch of parent company Liberty Caribbean—has formally partnered with local environmental advocacy group Grenada Green Group (G3) to deliver the initiative. The partnership marked its official launch with the installation of the first custom-engineered plastic bottle recycling bin at St John’s Christian Secondary School, the first of 10 planned bins that will roll out to secondary schools across the three islands in the coming months.

    Unlike standard waste containers, the custom-designed bins are built to enable efficient, safe collection and sorting of plastic waste, creating a structured system to keep plastic out of community spaces and vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems. The program will also help alleviate strain on the Perseverance dump, which has long operated beyond its intended capacity to handle Grenada’s growing waste output.

    The Liberty Caribbean Foundation has awarded G3 a $10,000 grant to cover all costs related to the bins’ design, manufacturing, and on-site installation. Beyond the physical infrastructure, the funding also supports extended outreach efforts to boost environmental literacy and teach responsible waste management practices to both students and their surrounding local communities.

    Rose-Anne Douglas-Hughes, Marketing and Communications Executive at Flow Grenada, emphasized that the company’s commitment to community impact extends far beyond its core telecommunications services. “At Flow, connecting communities goes beyond technology. We believe in creating opportunities that inspire positive change,” Douglas-Hughes explained. “Through this partnership with the Grenada Green Group, and with the generous support of the Liberty Caribbean Foundation, we are empowering students to become environmental champions while helping to reduce plastic waste across our islands. Every bottle recycled is one less bottle polluting our communities and marine environment.”

    Founded in 2025, G3 already manages a network of 45 recycling bins across Grenada and Carriacou. The organization’s leadership called the new partnership a major milestone in advancing its mission to build a cleaner, more sustainable nation. The school-focused program is designed to give students direct ownership of environmental stewardship: by participating in regular plastic bottle collection and recycling, and learning about the long-term ecological damage of unmanaged plastic pollution, young people are positioned to drive change beyond the school gates. The initiative also aims to encourage whole families and neighboring communities to adopt more eco-friendly daily habits.

    After the installation at St John’s Christian Secondary School, the remaining nine bins will be placed at partner schools in phases over the coming months. Each participating institution will act as a local environmental ambassador, showcasing how coordinated, small-scale collective action can deliver tangible, long-lasting benefits for the islands’ ecosystems. The collaboration aligns with core institutional priorities for both Flow and the Liberty Caribbean Foundation, which have centered their community investment on expanding access to environmental education, advancing climate and sustainability action, and driving inclusive local development. By empowering a new generation of environmentally aware citizens, partners project the initiative will make a meaningful, lasting contribution to protecting Grenada’s iconic natural landscapes and marine biodiversity for years to come.

  • Catholic Diocese of St. John’s–Basseterre Mourns Death of Barbadian Priest Fr. Leonard Alfonso

    Catholic Diocese of St. John’s–Basseterre Mourns Death of Barbadian Priest Fr. Leonard Alfonso

    The Catholic community across the Eastern Caribbean is united in grief this week, after the passing of veteran Barbadian priest Fr. Leonard Alfonso, who died Monday morning at Barbados’ main public healthcare facility, Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Fr. Alfonso had been managing an ongoing illness prior to his death, bringing to a close a life dedicated to pastoral service that spanned four decades.

    Following the announcement of his death from the Diocese of Bridgetown, the neighboring Roman Catholic Diocese of St. John’s–Basseterre has issued an official statement of condolence, joining in national mourning for the beloved cleric. In the message, Bishop Robert Llanos, alongside all clergy, religious orders, and lay faithful of the St. John’s–Basseterre Diocese, extended heartfelt sympathies to the Diocese of Bridgetown and its leader, the Most Reverend Neil Scantlebury.
    The statement also directed words of comfort to Fr. Alfonso’s extended family, close friends, and all those who held him dear, as they navigate the loss of a spiritual leader and beloved community figure. Closing with a traditional Catholic prayer for the dead, the diocese wrote: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen. Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, pray for him.”

    Records from the Diocese of Bridgetown confirm Fr. Alfonso was 88 years old at the time of his passing. His four decades of priesthood represented a longstanding commitment to growing and sustaining the Catholic Church’s mission across Barbados, leaving a lasting legacy of service to local faith communities. In its message, the Diocese of St. John’s–Basseterre reaffirmed its full solidarity with the Catholic Church in Barbados throughout this period of mourning.

  • “You Are NEMO”: Orange Walk Rural Gets 23 New CERT First Responders

    “You Are NEMO”: Orange Walk Rural Gets 23 New CERT First Responders

    On a Thursday in late July 2026, 23 residents from two rural villages in Orange Walk, Belize – San Antonio and Santa Cruz – marked a major milestone for local disaster preparedness by graduating as the nation’s second cohort of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members. Unlike professional emergency personnel who often require travel time to reach rural communities, these newly trained first responders are based directly in the villages they serve, ready to step into action immediately after an emergency strikes, before external professional support can arrive.

    Over the course of their training, participants mastered a broad suite of critical emergency skills ranging from foundational disaster preparedness and life-saving first aid to fire safety protocols, light search and rescue operations, emergency radio communications, and post-disaster damage assessment. Program organizers intentionally designed the cohort to include diverse representation across the community: members from local education institutions, public health services, village councils, youth groups, and independent community residents all participated, reflecting a core belief that meaningful community resilience can only be built when every segment of a community contributes.

    Andrea Grosvenor, Business Development Manager at the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), which provided technical support for the initiative, emphasized the inclusive vision behind the project. “This project intentionally brought together representatives from the education and health sectors, village councils, youth, and other community members, recognising that resilience requires the participation of the entire community,” Grosvenor explained.

    Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator for Belize’s National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), which led the implementation of the CERT program, framed the expansion of community first responder teams as a cornerstone of national efforts to build safer, more self-reliant communities. Speaking directly to the graduating class, Mendez noted that the training was far from easy, requiring commitment, collaborative teamwork, and courage from all participants. “Community resilience starts here at the community where you are going to be able to help each other first before help arrives,” he told graduates, reminding them “Remember that you are NEMO” – a nod to their role as the first line of emergency response for their home communities.

    Abdiel Teyul, Chairman of San Antonio Village, spoke on behalf of all 23 graduates, highlighting the transformative impact the team will have for the two neighboring villages. Located in a region vulnerable to seasonal hurricanes and flooding, Teyul explained that the trained cohort leaves San Antonio and Santa Cruz far better equipped to handle emergency events before outside help arrives. He urged his fellow graduates to keep their core mission front of mind: “Remember to always serve with empathy, with the safety of lives as a priority.”

    To support the new responders in their work, each graduate received a personalized emergency response kit for on-the-ground use. The village councils of both San Antonio and Santa Cruz also received dedicated coordination equipment to strengthen their ability to organize local response efforts during large-scale disasters.

    The CERT training program is funded by the European Union under the Building Resilience to Climate and Hazard Impacts in the Caribbean (BRICS) programme, marking a key investment in regional climate adaptation and community safety. This 2026 graduating cohort from Orange Walk follows the first ever CERT graduation, which took place in Toledo district last year, as NEMO continues to roll out community-focused emergency response capacity across the country.

  • Robinhood deny La Clery a CFU quarterfinal berth

    Robinhood deny La Clery a CFU quarterfinal berth

    La Clery’s run in the 2024 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Shield came to an early close on Saturday evening, as the Saint Lucian side suffered a 2-0 defeat to former tournament winners SV Robinhood at Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago’s iconic Hasely Crawford Stadium. The two-time champions of the Saint Lucia Semi-Professional League were knocked out in the tournament’s Round of 16, bringing their regional competition journey to an end.

    The match carried special contextual significance, as it was held just 24 hours after the 50th anniversary of Hasely Crawford’s historic 100m gold medal win at the 1974 Olympic Games — the first Olympic gold medal ever secured by a Trinidad and Tobago athlete. The venue, renamed to honor Crawford’s legacy, provided a fitting backdrop for top-tier regional club football on this milestone weekend.

    La Clery earned their spot in the Round of 16 after a qualifying victory over Anguilla’s Roaring Lions, but they could not overcome a fast-starting Robinhood side. The Surinamese champions, who dominated regional football in 2023 by claiming both the CFU Club Shield title and the inaugural Concacaf Caribbean Cup, got off to a blistering start against the Saint Lucians. Robinhood broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in just the 11th minute of play, before forward Gilberto Cronie doubled the side’s advantage only seven minutes later. The two early goals proved enough to see the former champions through, with La Clery unable to claw back into the match.

    This knockout result marks the second time in two years that a Saint Lucian club has fallen to Robinhood in CFU competition. In 2023, the Suriname side secured a lopsided 5-0 victory over Saint Lucia’s B1 FC on their way to lifting that year’s trophy.

    Robinhood is not the only side to secure a spot in the quarterfinals from this round of play. Guyana’s top club Slingerz FC and Barbados champions Weymouth Wales also claimed wins in their respective Round of 16 matches to book their places in the final eight of the competition.