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  • CPL ticket sales gain momentum

    CPL ticket sales gain momentum

    The 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is seeing extraordinary demand for match tickets at Bridgetown’s iconic Kensington Oval, where Barbados will play host to a critical stretch of the tournament including the highly anticipated playoffs and championship decider. Christine Charles, Chief Marketing Officer of the CPL, shared details of the overwhelming public interest in an interview with Barbados TODAY, noting that the event has generated unprecedented excitement among local and visiting cricket fans alike.

    Charles explained that the intense enthusiasm stems from Barbados being selected to host the tournament’s final knockout stages, giving local supporters double the action to cheer on compared to typical tournament editions. “Barbadians have really thrown their support behind this year’s event, and the energy across the island is palpable,” she said. “Having the playoffs and final right here at Kensington Oval means more cricket, more excitement, and more reason for fans to get invested.”

    In addition to the men’s tournament, Kensington Oval will also serve as the home venue for the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL), where the Barbados Tridents enter the competition as three-time defending champions. Charles highlighted that the women’s competition has already drawn strong crowds, and she urged even more spectators to turn out to support the athletes. “The women’s game has been incredible to watch this year, and they’ve already gotten great support from fans on the ground,” Charles noted. “But every cheer makes a difference. This is going to be a hard-fought battle for the title, and they deserve every bit of the crowd’s backing.”

    Beyond the on-field action, Charles emphasized that the dual CPL and WCPL tournaments are set to deliver a substantial economic boost to Barbados, though she declined to share specific financial projections. She pointed to three key areas of economic benefit: increased local job opportunities tied to the tournament, full hotel occupancy from visiting fans, and a welcome uptick in tourism arrivals at a traditionally slow period on the island’s calendar.

    “Right now we’re in the lull just after the annual Crop Over festival, so this event could not have come at a better time to keep visitor numbers up,” Charles explained. “We’re actively encouraging cricket and sports fans from across the Caribbean and around the globe to make the trip to Barbados for the tournament. It’s a beautiful island with so much to offer, and this is the perfect time to experience it.”

    The men’s CPL final is scheduled to take place on September 20, and organizers have added a new high-profile attraction to the lead-up of the championship match: the “Live and Louder” mega concert, set for September 19 at Barbados’ Botanical Gardens. Charles explained that the concert was developed to expand the fan experience beyond cricket, leaning into the CPL’s long-standing reputation as “the greatest party in sport.”

    “Every day, we have hundreds of fans coming through to buy match tickets, and we wanted to give them even more to look forward to,” Charles said. “The Live and Louder mega concert will bring that unbeatable big-party atmosphere that the CPL is known for, giving music lovers and sports fans alike a full weekend of energy and fun.”

    The concert boasts a star-studded lineup of international and regional talent, headlined by dancehall icon Movado. Additional confirmed acts include British R&B singer Estelle, Jamaican dancehall star Mr Vegas, and Caribbean music favorite Chris Martin, with more surprise guests set to be announced ahead of the event. Tickets for both the concert and tournament matches are available for purchase now at the dedicated ticket booth located outside Kensington Oval.

    Organizers have dubbed the back-to-back match and concert weekend the “CPL Mega Weekend,” built to deliver nonstop energy for attendees from opening pitch to closing encore. “We built this weekend for everyone who loves great sport, great music, and great vibes,” Charles added. “We want everyone to come out on September 19 and be part of what’s set to be an unforgettable experience.”

  • Wesley Hall pupils sent home amid paving delays, sewer leak

    Wesley Hall pupils sent home amid paving delays, sewer leak

    The first day of the 2025 academic term at one of the nation’s most historic primary institutions got off to an unexpected start, as Wesley Hall Junior School dismissed all students and staff just hours after the morning bell, sending the entire school community home early over unresolved construction hazards. The abrupt shutdown stemmed from two overlapping issues: a contractor delay on critical campus paving works and an emergency unplanned underground sewer line repair that pushed back the entire renovation timeline, leaving large swathes of the campus riddled with air-borne dust and unsafe, unpaved surfaces.

    The sweeping full-campus renovation project at Wesley Hall Junior School, which first broke ground in September of last year, was launched to address long-standing structural decay in the school’s iconic two-story main building. Over the 12-month construction period, work crews have completely gutted and reconstructed the aging structure, converted underused empty spaces into new modern learning facilities, and ended the decades-long practice of holding regular scheduled classes in the school’s main assembly hall. The project’s core goal is to deliver a vastly upgraded learning and working environment for both students and teaching staff, with improvements including fully renovated staff housing, a repositioned modern principal’s office at the main entrance, and restored dedicated space for assemblies and school events in the main hall as originally designed.

    According to Kim Belle, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education Transformation, the timeline disruption began when construction crews conducting pre-paving groundwork discovered a broken sewer line running directly beneath the school’s main entrance driveway and rear parking lot. Project leaders made the call to prioritize repairing the damaged line before laying asphalt to avoid the need for costly, disruptive digging after paving was complete. The contractor had given a formal commitment to finish all paving work over the final weekend before term began, but the unplanned sewer repair pushed that deadline past the start of school.

    By the time education officials conducted an on-site inspection on the first morning of term, large sections of the entrance, driveway and parking lot remained covered in exposed dirt and loose construction aggregate. With loose material expected to be kicked up by vehicle traffic and wind, creating significant hazardous dust conditions across the campus, officials made the decision to send students and staff home immediately to complete the outstanding works. Belle added that beyond the unfinished paving, final post-construction quality checks, widely referred to in the construction industry as “snagging”, were still incomplete in multiple indoor areas of the renovated campus.

    In the hours following the early dismissal, ministry officials ordered the contractor to move all heavy equipment back onto the empty campus immediately to finish paving while the site was clear. Project lead Mr De Freitas has given a formal commitment that all outstanding works, including both paving and internal snagging, will be fully completed by the end of Tuesday. Officials also noted that the revised campus layout, which added multiple new classrooms, caused minor confusion for returning students who were unable to find their reallocated rooms on the first morning, a temporary issue that will be resolved once the construction wraps up.

    Despite the messy opening-day disruption, Belle shared that most parents who visited the campus on the first morning expressed overwhelming satisfaction with the scale of upgrades delivered by the renovation project. Many of the visiting parents were alumni of the school, who could directly compare the renovated facility to the dilapidated campus they attended, and praised the improvements to learning spaces. Ministry officials confirmed that regular classes are currently scheduled to resume on Wednesday morning, barring any further unexpected delays from the contractor.

  • Education : 2026-2027 School Year

    Education : 2026-2027 School Year

    On September 7, 2026, Haiti kicked off its 2026-2027 academic year with an official launch ceremony hosted at Horatius Laventure High School, located in the Delmas 75 district. Standing at the forefront of the event was National Education Minister Vijonet Déméro, who unveiled the year’s core guiding theme: *Yon lekòl pou tout moun*, translated as “One School for Everyone”. This thematic framework anchors the new school year in the foundational values of inclusive access, non-discrimination, and equal educational opportunity, with a central policy goal of guaranteeing quality education access for every child across the country.

    In his opening address, Minister Déméro extended warm wishes for success and peace to all members of Haiti’s national education community, from students and educators to families and institutional partners. Directing his remarks to students, he encouraged the next generation to embrace new discoveries, prioritize consistent learning, and pursue personal growth throughout the year, noting that young Haitians are the backbone of the nation’s future. For teachers and school principals, he extended sincere gratitude for their unwavering dedication to knowledge transmission and youth mentorship, recognizing their irreplaceable role in shaping the country’s upcoming generations. He also commended parents for their persistent courage, daily sacrifices, and critical partnership in supporting children’s educational journeys, and thanked national and international partners—including multilateral organizations, education unions, and civil society groups—for their ongoing collaboration to turn the year’s inclusive vision into tangible change.

    Minister Déméro emphasized a core policy priority for the 2026-2027 year: reframing national education systems to center students and their learning needs above all else. He reaffirmed the Haitian government’s full commitment to strengthening the national education sector through a suite of targeted interventions. These key actions include filling vacant teaching positions through new appointments, distributing free textbooks and school uniforms to students in need, expanding the national Education Cash Transfer program to deliver direct financial support to low-income families, upgrading infrastructure to improve overall learning conditions, expanding access to digital educational technology, and scaling up academic and career guidance services to help students plan for their futures.

    International development partners joined the government in reaffirming their long-term commitment to advancing education in Haiti. Geetanjali Narayan, the UNICEF Representative in Haiti, outlined a series of planned support measures focused on maintaining uninterrupted education access across crisis-affected regions, supporting children displaced by ongoing instability, strengthening child protection frameworks in schools, and guaranteeing the physical and mental well-being of all students. Lauren Landis, Representative of the World Food Programme (WFP), echoed this commitment, highlighting the transformative role of school meal programs as a catalyst for social protection, improved academic outcomes, and local economic development. WFP’s key ongoing initiative focuses on increasing the share of local agricultural products sourced for school canteens, creating a dual benefit that supports smallholder farmers while improving the nutritional quality of meals for students.

    Beyond the central launch event in Delmas 75, coordinated back-to-school opening ceremonies were held at all 10 of Haiti’s Departmental Directorates of Education, marking a unified national kickoff to the 2026-2027 academic year.

  • YWCA to expand youth, community empowerment programmes

    YWCA to expand youth, community empowerment programmes

    After years of disrupted operations stemming from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Barbados is launching an ambitious organizational revitalization effort centered on expanded, holistic programming for youth and community empowerment. Newly installed president Onika Crawford has laid out a clear, forward-looking strategic vision that will see the rollout of a suite of new and updated initiatives within the next 60 days.

    Crawford’s new leadership framework reorganizes YWCA’s work across three interconnected core pillars, each tailored to address distinct community needs. The first pillar, Y Youth, builds on the organization’s longstanding legacy of youth engagement by expanding beyond popular existing programs, including summer camps and a community reading initiative, to add targeted training for skills development and growth mindset building. This pillar aims to support young people from childhood through adolescence to build foundational tools for long-term success.

    The second pillar, Y Cares, anchors the organization’s commitment to local community outreach and direct service. Core programs under this framework include the existing children’s breakfast initiative, which addresses food insecurity for young residents, alongside new efforts like care package distribution for vulnerable community members and targeted neighborhood development projects that meet locally identified needs.

    The third pillar, Y Grows, focuses on hands-on personal and professional skill building that creates tangible economic and personal value for participants. Programming here will include training in practical trades and creative arts, spanning small-scale agriculture, sewing, handcrafted basket weaving, and floral arranging, giving community members opportunities to develop new hobbies, supplement income, or launch small local businesses.

    At its core, the revitalization effort is designed to foster holistic personal growth across all age groups, from children to adult community members, a priority the new board of directors has centered since taking office. Like many community-focused nonprofits around the world, the Barbados YWCA saw a significant decline in in-person programming and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting a period of organizational rebuilding to meet current community needs. To bring this expanded vision to life, Crawford is calling on members of the public to contribute as new volunteers or provide corporate and community sponsorship to support the rollout of new programs. She noted that any contribution, no matter the size, that can add value to the organization’s community mission is welcome.

    While final logistics for several initiatives are still being finalized, Crawford confirmed that most of the planned programs are on track to launch within one to two months of the announcement. Founded in 1950, the Barbados YWCA is an affiliate of World YWCA, a global movement that advances the empowerment of women and girls across more than 100 countries worldwide.

  • Saint Lucia’s Miss Universe delegate ready to defy the odds

    Saint Lucia’s Miss Universe delegate ready to defy the odds

    For decades, the Miss Universe pageant enforced strict eligibility criteria that locked countless women out of the opportunity to compete on the global stage, shutting the door on lifelong dreams for those who did not fit narrow, outdated molds. For Bernella Velinor, a native of the coastal Saint Lucian community of Dennery, that dream appeared to have slipped away forever — until sweeping rule reforms opened it back up.

    Velinor will now take her place as Saint Lucia’s official representative at the 75th Miss Universe competition, scheduled for November 24 in Puerto Rico, and she has approached this once-in-a-lifetime chance with unwavering determination to challenge long-held stereotypes.

    Speaking in an interview with St Lucia Times, Velinor recalled how the global COVID-19 pandemic derailed her plans at the moment she felt ready to compete. When pandemic restrictions lifted, she discovered she was no longer eligible under the pageant’s old rules, having crossed the previous upper age limit of 28. Before 2023, contestants were required to be between 18 and 28 years old, unmarried, and without children — barriers that excluded large groups of adult women from participating. In a historic shift toward inclusivity, pageant organizers first relaxed these restrictions in 2023, opening competition to married, divorced, pregnant women and mothers. Then, in 2024, organizers scrapped the upper age limit entirely, making any adult woman aged 18 or older eligible to compete.

    Velinor celebrated the elimination of these restrictive criteria, noting that the changes align with a global shift toward women’s empowerment that challenges outdated social norms. “Age does not limit one’s ability, and I am happy that these restrictions were lifted, as it speaks to empowering women and the shift the world is witnessing as to the capabilities of individuals which now defies some of the norms we were accustomed to. So hey, I am ready to defy the odds,” she said.

    Velinor earned her spot at the global competition on June 27, after outperforming 11 other contestants across multiple stages of Saint Lucia’s national selection process. This win marks the realization of a decades-long ambition: she has competed in local and regional pageants for years, taking home the title of Miss Easterval in Union Island, St Vincent and the Grenadines back in 2017. A seasoned hospitality professional, Velinor currently works as a concierge supervisor at Secrets Resorts, and identifies deeply with her Caribbean island roots. She says she is incredibly proud of her Saint Lucian heritage and eager to showcase her home country to a global audience.

    Beyond the glamour of the competition, Velinor says the Miss Universe platform allows her to combine all her greatest passions: modeling, fashion, professional networking, and advocacy work for vulnerable communities. Her core advocacy initiative centers on raising public awareness of domestic violence and sexual abuse, issues that she emphasizes impact people of all genders. “Grooming young men to live in harmony with women is what we want,” she explained.

    As she makes final preparations to travel to Puerto Rico in early November, Velinor remains firmly focused on her mission, aware that she will be carrying the hopes and identity of her entire island nation, not just her own personal ambition.

    Joycie Mederick, a representative of Cinnamon Productions — the local franchise holder that organizes Saint Lucia’s Miss Universe selection process — noted that 2024 marks the company’s 10th year overseeing the national competition. “I think it is fair to say that we have been one of the more consistent franchise holders for the Miss Universe pageant in the region, and every year we make it our duty despite the challenges and limited resources to give these ladies what can be a life changing opportunity,” Mederick told St Lucia Times.

    Mederick explained that the national selection process kicks off every January, when the organization puts out a public call for candidates interested in representing Saint Lucia at the global competition. “It is from there that we begin to groom and coach the young women who apply or show interest and we culminate with the final selection which was in June this year,” she said. For Cinnamon Productions, the pageant is more than a beauty competition: it is a chance to share Saint Lucia’s unique cultural and social identity with the world. The organization has recently expanded its leadership team, and with greater community and private sector support, it believes a Saint Lucian contestant can earn a top spot on the Miss Universe global stage.

  • Students urged to remain steadfast as new school year begins

    Students urged to remain steadfast as new school year begins

    The 2026-2027 academic year has officially launched across Barbadian primary and secondary schools, with campus leaders rolling out targeted upgrades, new programs, and motivational messages designed to support student growth and success. Two neighboring schools, Springer Memorial Secondary School and Charles F. Broome Memorial Primary School, are leading the way with changes that address curriculum structure, student well-being, and community engagement.

    At Springer Memorial School, returning students were greeted by principal Sonja Goodridge on Monday, who urged the student body to embrace the school’s continuing mantra of “steadfast and motivated” for the coming year. First adopted in 2025-2026, the theme was retained after both teaching staff and students asked to keep it, citing its positive impact on campus culture. Goodridge explained that the mantra is intended to empower students to believe in their ability to overcome any challenge they may face academically or personally. “We want them to remain unwavering in whatever they’re doing and just continue to be steadfast but to be motivated as well to excel, not just motivated to come to school, but come to school and add value as well,” Goodridge told the assembled student body.

    Beyond reinforcing a positive campus mindset, Goodridge encouraged students to fully participate in the school community by taking advantage of extracurricular opportunities and making the most of their secondary school years. “I keep telling them these are the best days they will ever have, and we want to ensure that when you pass through the Springer Memorial gates that you have had a good experience,” she said. Despite scattered early morning showers on the first day of term, Goodridge reported that the return to campus went smoothly, with most students showing up in the school’s well-known regulation uniform and displaying visible excitement to be back. “The children seemed eager, they seemed excited to be here and I’m pleased basically with what I’ve seen. I think it augurs well for our future,” she noted.

    A key focus of this year’s changes at Springer Memorial is improving overall student outcomes through targeted curriculum and structural reforms. Following a comprehensive curriculum review, the school has introduced two key adjustments: business and tourism coursework for third-form students, and a new tourism stream for senior students. Administrators have also reintroduced a room-based system that converts each classroom into a subject-specific resource hub, making learning materials more accessible and tailored to each course. The school has also shifted from its previous scheduling model to a 40-period week, a change designed to create space for the new Community Service Learning (CSL) requirement without reducing instructional time for core academic subjects.

    Next door at Charles F. Broome Memorial Primary School, principal Paula Toppin opened the term by highlighting the benefits of the government’s newly introduced National School Breakfast Programme, which will provide nutritious morning meals to students who arrive at school hungry, particularly those who leave home early for their commute. Toppin expressed gratitude to the government for the initiative, saying it addresses a critical need for supporting student well-being and academic readiness. “I am particularly pleased to have the national nutritional policy extended to the breakfast programme and I’m really happy that the students at my school who may come to school a little hungry, because some of them leave home early, will get that nutritional start to the day,” she said.

    Toppin also shared her excitement for the new term, noting that school staff spent weeks over the planning period preparing a range of engaging new programs for students. She emphasized her commitment to building on Charles F. Broome Memorial Primary’s existing reputation for academic excellence, working in partnership with staff, parents, and the wider school community to maintain high standards of teaching and learning. “I am truly happy to be back at the plant working with my staff, the parents, and all the students to ensure our level of success continues. We have lots of exciting programmes planned this school year and we’ve been working really hard during the planning week to bring all of these plans to fruition,” Toppin said.

  • Late Guyana President Burnham’s daughter among lawyers petitioning King Charles for slavery reparations

    Late Guyana President Burnham’s daughter among lawyers petitioning King Charles for slavery reparations

    On Tuesday, 8 September 2026, a landmark legal action targeting historical transatlantic chattel slavery entered a new phase when a team of three high-profile lawyers led in part by Ulele Burnham submitted an unprecedented reparations petition on behalf of the Jamaican government to King Charles III.

    Ulele Burnham carries deep regional political heritage: she is the daughter of Guyana’s iconic founding leader Forbes Burnham, who established the People’s National Congress, led the South American nation to independence from Britain in 1966, and served as its first executive president from 1980 until his death in 1985. Based at the UK’s renowned Doughty Street Chambers, Ulele Burnham is a widely respected legal expert, ranked as a Band 1 Court of Protection practitioner by Chambers and Partners 2026, with extensive experience in equality and anti-discrimination law. She joins co-counsel Edward Fitzgerald KC and Harj Narulla on the legal team, instructed by Lawrence Cartier of Keystone Law.

    Doughty Street Chambers has framed the filing as a defining, never-before-seen milestone in the decades-long global movement for reparatory justice for victims of slavery and their descendants. A high-level Jamaican government delegation traveled to London to formally submit the petition, which invokes a little-used special jurisdiction granted to the British monarch under the 1833 Judicial Committee Act. This statute allows the King to refer questions of significant legal and constitutional importance to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the body that serves as the final appellate court for several Commonwealth nations including Jamaica.

    Buckingham Palace confirmed receipt of the filing in an official statement, noting that the Jamaican government is seeking to have the petition considered by the Judicial Committee. “We understand the Jamaican government is seeking a petition to be heard before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council,” a palace spokesperson stated. “The process for seeking a petition is to lodge it with the Judicial Committee so that referral under section four of the 1833 Act can be considered. We also understand the Jamaican representatives will be received by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for bilateral discussions.”

    The petition asks King Charles, in his capacity as Jamaica’s formal Head of State, to refer three core legal questions to the Judicial Committee for advisory determination: First, whether the mass abduction of African peoples, their forced transatlantic transport, and their enslavement as property in Jamaica was ever legal under English common law. Second, whether these same acts constituted, and remain, a violation of international law. Third, whether the United Kingdom holds a binding legal obligation to deliver reparations to the people of Jamaica for the ongoing harms of slavery.

    This historic legal move has already garnered broad global and regional endorsement. Every head of government across the 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has publicly backed the petition. Last month, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama also expressed his public support during an address to the Jamaican parliament, and reaffirmed that backing in subsequent official correspondence with the Jamaican government.

    The filing comes amid a growing global momentum for slavery reparations, marked by two major recent international actions. In March 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted landmark Resolution RES/80/250, which formally designated transatlantic chattel slavery as “the gravest crime against humanity” in international law. Just over a month prior to the petition filing, on 31 August 2026, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) released General Recommendation No. 40, a landmark guidance document that outlines reparatory justice frameworks for addressing the persistent harms of colonialism, the transatlantic slave trade, and racialized chattel slavery.

    King Charles will now review the petition and determine whether to refer the three legal questions to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for formal consideration. Legal observers note that whatever the monarch’s decision, the filing itself marks a watershed moment for the global reparations movement, bringing the legal question of accountability for historical slavery into one of the world’s most established legal forums.

  • Derelict vehicle removal continues

    Derelict vehicle removal continues

    Municipal code enforcement teams are pressing forward with a coordinated, months-long initiative to remove abandoned and derelict vehicles from city streets, residential neighborhoods, and public right-of-ways across the region. The campaign, launched earlier this year in response to growing complaints from local residents, targets vehicles that have been left immobile for extended periods, often creating navigational hazards for pedestrians and drivers, attracting illegal dumping, and dragging down neighborhood property values.

    Local code enforcement officials confirmed this week that teams have already removed more than 320 unclaimed vehicles since the initiative began, with work scheduled to continue through the end of the calendar year to clear remaining flagged vehicles. Under the city’s current regulations, vehicle owners are given a 14-day public notice period to move or register their immobile vehicles before removal teams are dispatched. Impounded vehicles are held for an additional 30 days to allow owners to reclaim them, after which unclaimed units are sold at auction or sent to licensed junkyards for environmentally responsible recycling.

    Community leaders have voiced widespread support for the effort, noting that derelict vehicles have long been a top quality-of-life concern for residents in many working-class neighborhoods. Many residents have reported that abandoned cars often become gathering spots for unauthorized activity, collect standing water that can breed mosquitoes, and block access to curb ramps for people with mobility disabilities. City officials added that the ongoing removal work also creates additional space for legal on-street parking, a critical benefit in dense urban neighborhoods where parking is already at a premium.

    Moving forward, the city plans to implement a new weekly reporting system that allows residents to easily report suspected derelict vehicles through a dedicated mobile app and city website, with a 48-hour response window for code officers to inspect flagged vehicles. Officials noted that the ongoing removal campaign is not just a one-time cleanup effort, but part of a broader long-term strategy to maintain clean, safe public spaces across all city neighborhoods.

  • Burning Flames Highway Repairs Targeted for Completion Before CHOGM

    Burning Flames Highway Repairs Targeted for Completion Before CHOGM

    As Antigua and Barbuda prepares to welcome global leaders for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the country’s top official has outlined an aggressive timeline to finish critical infrastructure upgrades on one of its busiest thoroughfares. Prime Minister Gaston Browne recently confirmed that major repairs to the heavily used Burning Flames Highway are on track to be wrapped up before the high-profile diplomatic gathering kicks off, marking a key milestone in the government’s island-wide road rehabilitation initiative.\n\nSpeaking during an appearance on the local Browne and Browne Show, Browne revealed that a regional construction enterprise has tabled an 8 million Eastern Caribbean dollar bid for the repair contract, a figure that aligns closely with cost projections compiled by the nation’s Public Works Department. According to the prime minister, the selected unnamed firm could mobilize and break ground on the project within just a few weeks, putting the timeline for pre-CHOGM completion within reach.\n\n“ We have a regional firm that should be starting on the Burning Flames Highway very shortly, ” Browne told listeners. “ I think they have put in a bid for about $8 million to repair that road. ” While Browne confirmed that completion “ possibly ” will be achieved in advance of the international summit, he stopped short of releasing a binding, detailed construction schedule. He also did not disclose whether the 8 million Eastern Caribbean dollar bid has secured final government approval, nor did he release the identity of the regional contractor selected for the job.\n\nThe Burning Flames Highway upgrade is just one component of a far broader government-led effort to overhaul Antigua and Barbuda’s road network, which includes both major arterial routes and smaller local community roads. Browne added that two additional key corridors – Anchorage Road and Factory Road – have also been flagged for necessary repair work, while active construction is already ongoing on community roads across the southern region of Antigua.\n\nGovernment officials have indicated that additional details, including a formal groundbreaking date and final contract confirmation, will be released to the public once all contractual arrangements have been finalized. The infrastructure push comes as Antigua and Barbuda gears up to host international delegates for CHOGM, a major diplomatic event that will put the small Caribbean nation in the global spotlight, making timely completion of critical transport upgrades a top policy priority for the Browne administration.

  • Sterke Surinaamse damdelegatie naar Tobago Open 2026

    Sterke Surinaamse damdelegatie naar Tobago Open 2026

    The highly anticipated 2026 Tobago Open international draughts tournament, set to kick off on September 9 and run through September 18 in Trinidad and Tobago, will feature one of its largest regional delegations in recent years from Suriname. The South American nation is sending a 14-player squad packed with title-holding talent, headlined by current Suriname national champion and Federation Master (MF) Gerson Bendt. Joining Bendt in the competitive lineup are national runner-up MF Arwien Bhagwandas and former national champion Grand Master International (GMI) Guno Burleson, alongside a roster of experienced and rising players that includes MF Niaaz Salarbaks, Phavan Basdewsing, MF Arief Salarbaks, MF Santosh Bhagwandas, candidate Federation Master (cMF) Debipersad Sharvan, MF Stanley Moetoer, MF Rinaldo Kemnaad, MF Marcel Oostburg, Cliff Karijdrono, and Ramanand Gangaram Panday. In total, Suriname’s delegation boasts eight Federation Masters, one International Grand Master, one candidate Federation Master, and four untitled emerging competitors.

    With a total prize pool of $45,000 USD up for grabs, the 2026 Tobago Open has drawn a stacked global field of elite draughts talent from around the world. Leading the pack of international contenders is current world champion Jan Groenendijk of the Netherlands, who will be joined by his compatriots Jitse Slump and Grand Master Martijn van IJzendoorn — a top player who shares Surinamese heritage. The tournament also welcomes women’s world champion Viktoriia Motrichko, as well as decorated former world champions Alexander Shvartsman and Guntis Valneris, alongside a host of strong contenders from across the Pan-American region.

    Tournament organizers project a final participant count of roughly 70 players hailing from 18 different countries, with approximately 40 of those competitors holding official international draughts titles. For Suriname’s squad, the Tobago Open represents far more than a shot at a top tournament finish. It offers a rare, valuable opportunity for the nation’s players — both seasoned champions and up-and-coming talent — to gain high-stakes international match experience competing against some of the strongest draughts athletes on the planet, helping to grow the sport’s profile and competitive standing in Suriname for years to come.