Suriname is set to take a major step forward in expanding its digital connectivity infrastructure, with the country on the verge of securing its second fully independent international fiber-optic link. State-owned telecommunications provider Telesur is scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday with SPLANG, a French Guiana-based infrastructure firm, laying the formal groundwork for Suriname’s connection to the new Lum@Link submarine cable system. The partnership marks a critical milestone in the South American nation’s push to strengthen its digital backbone and meet growing demand for reliable international internet access. The new route will grant Suriname access to global digital networks through French Guiana, connecting the country directly to network endpoints in Brazil and Europe. This additional connection will not only boost the overall reliability of Suriname’s international internet services but also unlock much-needed extra capacity for business operations, government services, and everyday consumer use across the country. The historic MoU will be signed by Doric Ramlakhan, Chief Executive Officer of Telesur, and Marie-Lucienne Rattier, Chief Executive Officer of SPLANG. Under the terms of the preliminary agreement, Telesur will gain access to capacity on the 2,180-kilometer Lum@Link submarine fiber-optic cable, which links Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana, to Fortaleza on Brazil’s northeast coast. From Fortaleza, the network connects to the existing EllaLink cable system, which stretches all the way to Sines, Portugal. Launched in 2021, EllaLink already provides a direct high-capacity digital connection between South America and Europe, eliminating the need for data routing through North American network hubs. For Telesur, the new partnership aligns directly with Suriname’s national digital strategy, which prioritizes upgrading and expanding the country’s digital infrastructure to support long-term economic and social development. By adding the Lum@Link route alongside Suriname’s existing single international connection, the country will gain critical network redundancy, significantly reducing the risk of total international internet outage if the primary connection experiences disruptions. This redundancy will translate to higher overall network reliability and expanded international capacity to support growing demand from all user groups. Beyond the Lum@Link partnership, Telesur is already advancing long-term plans to develop its own direct branch of the EllaLink international fiber-optic network that would run to Suriname. If completed, this project would grant Suriname a fully direct independent connection to the global submarine cable network, removing the intermediate routing through neighboring territories. As part of the preliminary MoU, SPLANG has already reserved international capacity on the segments between Cayenne and Fortaleza, as well as between Cayenne and Sines, contingent on the finalization of formal binding agreements between the two firms. Additionally, the deal names Telesur as SPLANG’s preferred partner for wholesale connectivity services across the Suriname market, cementing a long-term strategic collaboration between the two telecommunications entities.
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Rugby 7’s team tipped to do well at CAC Games
As the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Rugby Sevens Championships draw near, the Barbados Rugby Football Union (BRFU) is projecting a solid performance from its men’s national side, set to compete in the Dominican Republic starting July 24. Kathryn Daniel, the BRFU’s public relations officer, has voiced cautious optimism about the squad’s prospects, highlighting a rare mix of veteran experience and youthful energy that she believes will give the team an edge against regional opponents.
Daniel noted that the majority of the 12-member roster is made up of athletes who have competed at the regional level for multiple years, while still remaining in the peak physical window of their rugby careers. Only a small handful of rising talents, including young prospect Malique Broomes, break the trend of seasoned campaigners. She also pointed out unique team dynamics, with cousins Jaden Howell and Simon John both earning spots in the final traveling squad, while declining to reveal full strategic details that could give opponents an advantage. According to Daniel, the roster is packed with underrated talent and targeted skills that translate perfectly to the fast-paced sevens format.
She highlighted individual standout traits across the side, calling out winger Christopher Blades for his exceptional pace and agility on the pitch, and forward Jeremy Nelson for his elite level of fitness that allows him to maintain high intensity through full matches. A key asset Daniel emphasized is the team’s long-standing chemistry: most core players have competed alongside one another for several years, creating an on-field cohesion that many newer squads cannot match.
Confidence in the team’s performance comes off the back of recent impressive results in the 15-a-side format of the game, which Daniel hopes will translate to the shorter, faster sevens format. Just a few weeks prior, the Barbados 15s side dominated St. Vincent by a lopsided 68-0 scoreline. They followed that upset with a win over Guyana’s renowned “Green Machine” side – only the second time Barbados has beaten Guyana in more than a decade. Daniel credited these positive results to the squad’s intensive off-season training program, which has focused on raising the technical and physical standard of play across the board.
Admittedly, the team suffered a recent loss to higher-ranked Cayman Islands in a warm-up fixture, but Daniel stressed that the underdog Bajan side put up a far more competitive fight than many analysts expected. That solid showing against a higher-caliber opponent, she argued, is proof that the team is already performing at a level that can surprise favorites at the CAC Championships. The full traveling roster for the tournament includes: Christopher Blades, Malique Broomes, Rajiv Grant, Jaden Howell, Simon John, Cadeem Knight, Daniel Martyn, Jeremy Nelson, Enrique Oxley, Noah Paskins, D’Andre Phillips and Sean Ward.
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Antigua and Barbuda Sprinters Reach NACAC Finals in Mexico
The North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Athletics Championships, hosted in Tlaxcala, Mexico, got off to a promising start for the small Caribbean delegation of Antigua and Barbuda, with three of its young sprinters and middle-distance runners securing spots in event finals in the opening rounds of competition.
First among the advancing athletes was 23-and-under sprinter Geolyna Dowdye, who claimed victory in her women’s 100-meter semifinal with a time of 11.54 seconds to punch her ticket to the final round. In the championship final, Dowdye delivered an even faster performance, crossing the finish line in 11.27 seconds to take fourth place overall.
In the men’s Under-23 100-meter discipline, Dwayne Fleming also earned a place in the final after a strong showing in his preliminary heat. Fleming clocked 10.40 seconds to secure third position in his heat, enough to advance to the final round. Fellow Antiguan sprinter Kasiya Daley put up a time of 10.62 seconds in Heat 1, but fell short of the cut-off to move on to the next stage.
The Antigua and Barbuda Athletics Association (ABAA) later shared an update on Fleming’s final performance: the young sprinter had jumped out to an early lead at the 40-meter mark of the final, but began experiencing unexpected physical discomfort midway through the race. The issue derailed his momentum and ultimately kept him from contending for a podium finish.
Tyra Fenton was the third Antiguan athlete to lock in a final spot in early competition, finishing third in Heat 1 of the girls’ Under-18 400-meter heats with a time of 56.27 seconds. Her final race is scheduled to take place on Saturday.
Not all Antiguan competitors advanced out of the preliminary rounds, however. Kettia Ambrose finished fifth in Heat 2 of the women’s Under-23 400-meter event with a time of 55.69 seconds, a result that left her just outside of qualification for the final.
As the multi-day championships progress, the Antigua and Barbuda delegation still has multiple opportunities to earn strong results. Fenton is set to compete in her 400-meter final in the coming days, while Dowdye, Fenton and Daley are all scheduled to participate in the preliminary heats of the 200-meter events. Additionally, Craig Prendergast will contest the men’s Under-23 400-meter hurdles final for the national team.
In a statement released after the first round of competition, the ABAA extended well wishes to Fleming for a quick recovery from the discomfort he experienced during the 100-meter final. The association also reaffirmed its full ongoing support for the entire Antigua and Barbuda national team for the remainder of the championships.
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Daytime crop thefts rise as farmers report growing fear
Across Barbados, agricultural producers are grappling with a dangerous evolution of farm theft, with criminals increasingly brazenly carrying out their illegal activities in broad daylight. This shift has sparked heightened anxiety among farm workers and pushed government agencies and law enforcement to overhaul existing strategies for combating the pervasive crime known as praedial larceny.
The disturbing new pattern of theft came to light during an overnight crop patrol that included Barbados’ Minister of Agriculture Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight, officers from the Barbados Police Service, and ministry staff. During on-site conversations with farmers along the patrol route, producers shared that thieves now target cultivated fields at every hour of day and night, ending the long-held assumption that farm crime only occurs under cover of darkness.
Paul Lucas, Chief Agricultural Officer, emphasized that the daytime theft trend marks a critical turning point in the crisis. “That puts a whole new dimension to things because usually you would expect that thieves would hit at night, but because of how the situation has changed, we recognise that it has to be a very coordinated operation,” Lucas explained. He argued that effectively addressing the theft of crops and livestock will only be possible through far stronger collaboration between farming communities, law enforcement, the Ministry of Agriculture, and other relevant stakeholders. Echoing the organized tactics that thieves have adopted, Lucas said: “In the same way in which the thieves are coordinating themselves, I believe it’s important for us now to step up and create those important linkages where we could actually address this issue.”
For Ron Hope, manager of Valley Island Farm, the shifting tactics of praedial larceny have created damage that extends far beyond the direct financial loss of stolen produce. “Praedial larceny has been a bugbear, eye sore, finger sore, every kind of sore for this farm,” Hope said. He detailed how the crime has hit farm profitability, disrupted daily life for his family and staff, and created a climate of fear that makes workers hesitant to report for duty after daytime theft incidents. “It affects my profitability. It affects my general living on the farm as it relates to my family, workers being scared to come to work, because we had praedial larceny during the day as well. It’s terrible, terrible… I can’t say how terrible it is as it relates to how the farm is run and how everything operates around here,” he added.
Despite the severity of the crisis, Hope framed the agriculture minister’s decision to join the overnight patrol as a promising step forward. “This is the best approach. Who feels it knows it, and the fact that the minister and others have come out and tried to really understand how praedial larceny is affecting the farmer, it will also go a long way in finding a better solution against praedial larceny,” he said.
Senior Constable Kirk Straker, a member of the four-month-old Crop Patrol Unit, noted that building open, trusted relationships with farmers has been the foundation of the unit’s early work. “You would have heard the farmers interact with me and my team, and the farmers would call me directly, even sometimes before they even called the police, because of the interest we have in farming,” Straker explained. “As long as the farmers plug into the police on the crop patrol and let them know where their crops are when they are reaping, we can do a great job.”
Straker reported early progress in some districts, noting that reported theft incidents have declined this year, one suspect has already been formally charged, and investigators are closing in on another case tied to recent thefts. He emphasized that proactive intelligence gathering remains the core of the unit’s work, especially as criminals continuously adjust their tactics to exploit gaps in oversight.
To cut off the black market for stolen produce, police have ramped up scrutiny of the official certificates that verify legal crop purchases. “We already have something in place relative to the consumers buying stolen produce,” Straker said. “But we have to even watch that because a person… could use a certificate from last week and steal something and use it for this week.” Officers’ on-the-ground knowledge of different crop varieties also helps them spot inconsistencies during investigations: “If you said that you bought this type of potato when I know that the farmer is missing another type of potato, I would know how to operate because I have an idea of different varieties of potatoes… cucumbers… melons. So you have to show interest.”
As criminals continue to adapt their methods to avoid detection, Lucas confirmed that Barbadian authorities will also adjust their approach, prioritizing expanded cross-agency coordination and information sharing to protect farmers and secure the country’s domestic food supply.
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LETTER: The Gruesome Truth of Being Disabled: When Justice Is Delayed, the Poor Pay the Price
For more than five years, Joshuanette Francis weathered constant uncertainty, endless legal back-and-forth, repeated medical assessments, stalled negotiations, crippling emotional fatigue, and devastating financial strain before headlines announced her legal win at the Industrial Court of Antigua and Barbuda. While most observers saw the ruling as the end of her grueling employment dispute, Francis sees it as the opening of a new battle. Her experience stretches far beyond a single workplace conflict: it exposes the hidden barriers facing low-income, disabled workers fighting to enforce their rights, and the heavy human toll of delayed, exclusionary justice.
Francis was far from an underperforming employee. Records from her former employer’s own Human Resources team confirmed she was a skilled, dedicated worker, who climbed the ranks from part-time entry-level staff to a full-time Junior Supervisor through consistent effort. Like many young working people in Antigua and Barbuda, Francis held multiple jobs, made constant personal sacrifices, and clung to the belief that hard work would deliver long-term financial stability. There were even nights she slept under the deck at her workplace because commuting home was not logistically or financially possible, all to build a more secure future for herself and her family.
The case also spotlights systemic flaws in how medical information is handled for disabled workers. Court documents show that additional medical tests were recommended to assess Francis’ condition, but key evaluations were never completed before the company made the decision to terminate her employment. Francis also questions how sensitive details of her medical care were shared with her employer before she herself received the results. For disability rights advocates, these concerns are not unique to one case: they point to broader failures to uphold patient autonomy, and a persistent pattern of sidelining disabled people in decisions that shape their own health and livelihoods.
The intersection of pregnancy, new motherhood, disability, and legal battle made Francis’ experience exponentially harder. She spent years navigating depression, chronic uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion while balancing the demands of pregnancy, early parenthood, and disability alongside her unresolved legal fight. Mental health experts have long documented that prolonged unemployment, financial instability, and extended legal uncertainty cause severe, long-lasting damage to emotional well-being, and Francis says the unique struggles of women managing overlapping crises deserve far more public attention and support.
The financial damage of her unfair dismissal extended far beyond the immediate loss of a paycheck. After years of saving, working multiple shifts, and cutting personal expenses, Francis had twice been approved for a mortgage and saved the full EC$12,000 deposit required to purchase her first home. Losing her job meant losing that opportunity forever. While the Industrial Court ultimately awarded her compensation, Francis says no payout can make up for the lost chance at homeownership and the stable future she had hoped to build for her son. “The court award cannot replace the house I never got,” she emphasized.
In May 2026, the Industrial Court issued a ruling in Francis’ favor, calling her dismissal “harsh, oppressive and wholly contrary to good industrial relations practice” and confirming she had been denied “basic dignity.” While this marked a formal legal victory, it did not bring the closure Francis had spent five years waiting for. Instead, it uncovered a little-discussed flaw in the justice system that leaves many working-class winners with no way to collect on court judgments.
Contrary to common public assumption, a favorable court ruling does not automatically trigger payment from the losing party. When the employer failed to pay the awarded compensation by the court’s deadline, Francis was told she would have to file a new enforcement application with the Industrial Court, demanding action over the employer’s non-compliance. This new application comes with an additional filing fee of roughly EC$1,500, and will require scheduling a new hearing that could be delayed for months or longer due to overloaded court calendars.
Even if the court finds the employer in contempt of the original ruling, payment is still not guaranteed. Further enforcement steps, including applications to the High Court, may be required, and every additional step adds new legal costs, more months of waiting, and further emotional drain. Francis argues this gap in the justice system is one of its most damaging weaknesses: a worker who has already spent years proving their case is forced to spend even more money just to enforce a ruling that already confirms their rights.
Her experience opens a critical public policy question: who can actually afford justice in Antigua and Barbuda today? Large corporations have dedicated legal teams, deep financial reserves, and the capacity to outlast prolonged litigation. Ordinary working people rarely have that privilege. Many have already lost their primary income, are raising children alone, or are already burdened with medical debt related to their disabilities. Every extra filing fee, every lawyer consultation, every additional court appearance adds another insurmountable barrier between working people and the justice the court has already awarded them.
For disabled workers, these barriers are even steeper. The disability itself is often the smallest part of the struggle; the greatest burden comes from the systemic barriers that surround disabled people. It is the uncertainty of whether employers will value your ability before focusing on your diagnosis. It is the anxiety of wondering if medical decisions will be made with you, rather than about you. It is the impossible task of paying for medical assessments, transportation, and legal fees after losing your job. It is the constant need to prove that a disability does not reduce your value, your intelligence, or your ability to contribute to your community.
Francis says her case makes clear that disability rights cannot be reduced to physical accessibility accommodations like ramps, accessible restrooms, or reserved parking spots. True disability rights also require equal access to employment, fair treatment in the workplace, patient-centered medical processes, and meaningful access to justice for disabled people who experience discrimination. She notes that while Antigua and Barbuda passed landmark disability legislation in 2017, many of the key protective mechanisms outlined in that law have still not been implemented years later. Stronger institutional protections, she argues, are needed to ensure disabled people receive fair treatment before disputes escalate into years-long legal battles.
Ultimately, Francis says her fight is no longer just for herself. It is for every working person who cannot afford to keep pushing for justice. For every parent fighting to protect their family’s future. For every disabled person who lives in fear that a diagnosis will derail their dreams. It forces a reckoning over whether justice should depend on a person’s bank account, and whether a court judgment has any real meaning if it remains out of reach for ordinary citizens. Her greatest hope is that by sharing her story, future generations — especially young disabled people — will inherit a society where dignity is guaranteed, justice is accessible to all, and no one is forced to spend years fighting just to have their basic rights recognized.
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COMMENTARY: You call it gwiyav…I call it guava!
Across the Caribbean island of Dominica, the common guava (scientific name *Psidium guajava*) is far more than just a beloved local fruit—it is woven into the fabric of the island’s cultural traditions, ecological systems, culinary practices, and childhood memories, holding a unique place in Dominican life that few other native plants can claim.
Guava trees exhibit natural diversity in their produce: fruits grow in three distinct shapes—round, oval, and the pear-like “long-necked” form that is a popular hybrid variety. Interestingly, trees that once produced pink-fleshed guavas can spontaneously shift to bearing white-fleshed fruits over time. Grafted commercial varieties grow to roughly the size of a small grapefruit, while the pre-Hurricane Maria Botanic Gardens long hosted a thriving stand of the distinctive long-necked cultivar that was a local landmark.
Ecologically, guava trees support Dominica’s native wildlife in critical ways. When the trees bloom, honeybees and butterflies flock to their flowers to collect nutrient-rich nectar, while ripe fruits become a vital food source for frugivorous bats and a wide range of native small birds, forming a key link in the island’s tropical food web.
Culturally, the guava has been immortalized in Dominican folk music. In the early 1970s, renowned local songwriter Jean Lawrence referenced the fruit’s iconic sweet aroma in the popular folk track *Tout Sa Andan’y* performed by Siffleur Montagne, with lyrics comparing the scent of ripe guava and pineapple to life’s simple pleasures.
In Dominican kitchens, guava is a staple ingredient that shines in countless beloved recipes. For generations, families have turned ripe guavas into refreshing, ice-cold juice enjoyed with breakfast or lunch, and transformed the sweet, tangy fruit into rich guava cheese, silky jelly, thick jam, and flaky guava tarts. Guava-flavored ice cream also remains a perennial favorite treat for locals and visitors alike.
Beyond the kitchen, guava plays a longstanding role in Dominican traditional herbal medicine. An herbal tea brewed from young guava leaves is a widely used home remedy for diarrhea, valued for its ability to calm upset stomachs and soothe irritated intestinal tracts.
For generations of Dominican children, guavas were more than food—they were raw materials for endless imaginative play. Unripe small green guavas served as homemade marbles, while half-ripe fruits were carved into rubber tires for hand-built toy cars, which were often framed from empty cocoa pods or repurposed plastic bottles. Ripe guavas were hollowed out and shaped into tiny play baskets, bowls, and calabash containers that children could snack on after finishing their games. Older boys even mimicked adult men by rolling large guava leaves into tight, sun-dried “pretend cigarettes” to smoke during play. Dense guava wood was also carved into spinning tops for traditional top games, while mature guava branches and stems were processed by adults into high-quality cooking charcoal. Even the tree itself offers a valuable community benefit: with its broad, umbrella-shaped canopy, a mature guava provides cool, welcome shade on hot, sunny days. A fruiting guava tree at the Dominica Botanic Gardens still acts as a popular informal gathering spot, offering free snacks and a cool rest stop for visitors.
Guava also contributed to traditional body care practices before modern personal care products became widespread on the island. Dominican grandmothers recall that fine ground guava charcoal and soft guava twigs were used as a homemade tooth-cleaning tool: one end of a small twig was pounded with a stone to soften it, then used to scrub teeth and clean between teeth, just as a modern toothbrush does.
The fruit’s cultural significance is even reflected in local business: for decades, one of Roseau’s most popular downtown dining spots was named Guiyave Restaurant, after the local word for guava. Patrons could enjoy a filling local meal on the restaurant’s veranda while watching street life unfold below.
Dominica is also home to a second guava species, *Psidium cattleyanum*, commonly known as cherry guava. Though many locals mistakenly call it “guava cherry” due to its small, cherry-like appearance, it is a true guava rather than a member of the cherry family. Two cherry guava varieties grow on the island: the widespread red cherry guava and the less common yellow variety. Visitors curious to try something new can seek out cold bottles of sweet cherry guava juice from local street vendors, for a uniquely Dominican taste experience.
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Guyanese man admits to firebombing houses of worship in Queens, New York
A 36-year-old Guyanese national residing in the U.S. has pleaded responsible to orchestrating a coordinated series of Molotov cocktail attacks that targeted religious sites and commercial businesses across New York City, court documents and law enforcement officials confirm. The suspect, Yogesh Sayrange, already had an open arrest warrant for an unrelated prior charge of threatening to behead another person at the time of his capture, local outlet ABC7 New York first reported.
Sayrange made his first formal appearance before a federal court Thursday, where he was arraigned in connection with the June 25 firebombing of a Brooklyn smoke shop located on Fulton Street. Federal prosecutors have laid out that Sayrange has been living in the United States unlawfully after immigration protections granted to him when he entered the country as a minor expired. He told investigators he currently has a pending application to renew his status under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the program that offers temporary protection from deportation for eligible people who arrived in the U.S. as children.
During questioning, Sayrange openly confessed to carrying out the targeted attacks, explicitly stating to law enforcement: “Yes, I f-ing firebombed them. They’re Muslims, scum and terrorists.” This admission has confirmed authorities’ working theory that the attacks were driven by religious bigotry.
Investigators now link Sayrange to a total of seven separate arson incidents dating back to late June, with the vast majority of the attacks targeting houses of worship representing multiple faiths, alongside a small number of commercial properties. The final trio of attacks unfolded late Wednesday night in Queens, just hours before Sayrange’s arrest.
According to police accounts, at approximately 11:35 p.m., Sayrange allegedly threw a homemade Molotov cocktail at the main entrance of Iglesia Bautista El Mesias, a Baptist church located on 75th Street in the Ozone Park neighborhood. Surveillance footage obtained by investigators captures Sayrange speaking with a group of men standing outside the church moments before he ignited and threw the incendiary device. Prosecutors say that prior to launching the attack, Sayrange asked the assembled men: “Do you want this institution to be turned into a mosque?”
The homemade incendiary bounced off the solid wood church door before detonating on the adjacent pavement, leaving the church building completely undamaged. No people inside or outside the church were harmed in the attempt.
Immediately after the first attack, investigators say Sayrange traveled less than a mile to a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses on 78th Street in Woodhaven, where he threw a second Molotov cocktail at the building. Similar to the first attack, this device also bounced off the exterior wall and exploded on the ground, causing no structural damage or injuries.
A third attack was reported shortly after at a nearby ambulette company located on Rockaway Boulevard in Cypress Hills. Late-shift mechanics working at the facility told police they saw a firebomb land in the company’s parking lot. One mechanic who witnessed the event recounted, “We heard like a little bang. I go outside. The floor was on fire.”
Remarkably, none of the seven linked attacks resulted in any injuries to civilians, law enforcement or bystanders. Law enforcement apprehended Sayrange within minutes of the final Queens attack, and officers recovered two unused, fully assembled Molotov cocktails from his personal bag when he was taken into custody. When prosecutors asked about the unused devices following his arrest, Sayrange again openly admitted his plans, responding: “I had two more in my bag. I was going to finish the job.”
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Hockey teams included in CAC Games squad
The Barbados Olympic Association has finalized the full roster of its national delegation heading to the 2026 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, set to run from July 24 to August 8 in Santo Domingo, confirming a 201-strong contingent that will include both men’s and women’s national hockey teams.
Announced in a public release Friday, the latest wave of confirmed participants adds 53 athletes and 11 medical and administrative support staff to the previously announced delegation lineup, rounding out the full team across seven competitive sports: hockey, karate, sailing, shooting, weightlifting, and wrestling. The cohort includes several seasoned veterans who carried Barbados’ flag at the 2023 edition of the regional multi-sport event, including veteran sharpshooter Dave Seale, women’s senior hockey defender Nakisha Downes-Whittaker, and men’s hockey team captain Che Roach, bringing valuable high-stakes competition experience to the young squad.
Leading the entire delegation is Chef de Mission Dr. Adrian Lorde, with a structured leadership and support team designed to keep athletes primed for peak performance. Mona Alleyne serves as Deputy Chef de Mission, while Glyne Clarke fills the role of delegation administrator. The on-site medical team, a critical component of preparation and recovery for multi-day competitions, is headed by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ingrid Burrowes, supported by a second physician Dr. Chloe Thompson, four physiotherapists, and two licensed massage therapists.
In comments following the roster announcement, Dr. Lorde emphasized that a robust behind-the-scenes support network is non-negotiable for delegations competing in large-scale regional events like the CAC Games. “With a delegation of this size, having a strong sports medicine and administrative team backing our athletes is an absolute necessity to manage the significant physical demands of back-to-back competition,” Dr. Lorde explained. “Our medical officers, physiotherapists, and massage therapists rank among the most skilled practitioners in the Caribbean, and their specialized expertise will ensure every member of Team Barbados is fully prepared, healthy, and protected both during competition and in recovery.”
The full roster of athletes confirmed in Friday’s announcement breaks down as follows: The 16-member men’s hockey team includes Marlon Daniel, Samuel Davis, Khodi Gibson, James Godding, Jerome Harewood, Jules Inniss, Stephen Morris, Taurean Phillips, Che Roach, Ahijah Springer, Dominic Toppin, Tyrese Weekes, Shakeel Wharton, Javier Wharton, Kanye Wharton, and Raghnall Yarde-Deane. The 16-member women’s hockey team features Keimah Alleyne, Kenya Alleyne, Anaya Alleyne-Germain, Takirsha Cambridge, Venessa Chewitt, Sterre De Koning, Nakira Downes, Nakisha Downes-Whittaker, D’Jamila Edwards, Neviandra Greenidge, Aliyah Griffith, Jada Prescod, Reiann Stoute, Iana Strickland, Gabriel Williams, and Ayanna Wilson.
Single karate competitor Ric-Anne Brathwaite will represent Barbados in that discipline, while four sailors—Amabel Chase, Scott Gittens, Savannah Stuart, and Joseph Whelan—will compete in sailing events. Six shooters, including Dave Seale, will join the lineup: Tesonna Alleyne, Michelle Elliot, Brodella Ramchere, Seale, Calleah Walcott, and Camara Williams. Five weightlifters—Quontana Clarke, Chelsea Goodridge, Daniel Griffith, Elijah-Phoenix Mahy, and Khalil Roberts—will compete in weightlifting, and five wrestlers—Shaquille Agard, Matthew Arindell, Justin Boyce, Emmerson Hurley, and Nathan Pond—round out the confirmed athletic roster.
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Greene Says Antigua and Barbuda Ready for CHOGM 2026 After National Simulation
The twin-island Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda has officially announced it is fully prepared to welcome global leaders for the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), following the completion of a comprehensive nationwide readiness exercise designed to test the country’s operational capacity for the high-stakes international gathering.
Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene, the country’s top diplomatic official, confirmed the positive outcome of the simulation while currently on official government travel in Peru. Though he was not present on the ground during the exercise held Friday, Greene remained closely connected to the proceedings, receiving real-time live updates and detailed reports from local government and event coordinating officials throughout the day.
The large-scale drill was structured to evaluate every critical operational domain required to host a major summit of global leaders, ranging from cross-agency security protocols and rapid emergency response systems to complex logistics coordination and timely public communication frameworks.
In his remarks following the exercise, Greene characterized the simulation as rigorous, a necessary step in preparation, and ultimately a resounding success. He emphasized that the drill served as tangible proof that Antigua and Barbuda has developed the full capability to pull off a major international event of this scale smoothly and effectively.
Greene extended his gratitude to residents of Antigua and Barbuda for their understanding and patience during the exercise, which required temporary service disruptions in some areas to accommodate the drill. He also offered specific praise to the collective group of stakeholders involved, highlighting the outstanding professionalism and seamless coordination displayed by law enforcement officers, emergency response teams, dedicated CHOGM planning personnel, and national disaster management agencies. Additionally, he commended local media outlets for their consistent, clear work to keep the general public updated on the exercise’s progress and any related impacts throughout the day.
The minister stressed that the successful completion of this simulation provides clear confirmation that Antigua and Barbuda has already put in place all the required infrastructure, trained personnel, and operational systems needed to successfully host the gathering of Commonwealth heads of government in 2026. When the summit convenes next year, it will bring together leaders from across the 56-nation Commonwealth bloc to deliberate on a wide range of pressing regional and global policy challenges.
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Fourth time’s a charm: Pollster Wickham toasts aunt’s 100th birthday
Surrounded by close family and lifelong friends, Sylvia Ometa Maxwell — known to all who love her as “Aunt Sylvia” — rang in her 100th birthday on July 9 in a celebration full of warm laughter, shared stories, and cherished moments together. This joyful centenary marks far more than a personal milestone: it adds another entry to the Maxwell family’s extraordinary legacy of longevity, becoming the fourth time a member of the extended family has lived to reach 100 years of age. For her nephew, noted regional pollster and political scientist Peter Wickham, it is also the second 100th birthday he has celebrated with a family member this year alone.
Wickham shared the full story of his family’s unique record of long life, detailing that this birthday marks the fourth centenarian in their extended lineage. “On Sylvia’s side, she had a sister who lived to 102. On my father’s side, we had an aunt who lived to 107, and most recently another aunt who reached 100,” he explained. “So this is the fourth.” As he paid tribute to his aunt, Wickham highlighted her calm, laid-back temperament that has defined her entire life, crediting it as a core part of her long, healthy life. “Of the four aunts that helped to raise us, she was always the one that was less concerned about everything. If you ever got into trouble, she was the one you preferred to find you because she didn’t worry about a lot. She lived a relatively stress-free life, and we’re grateful to have her with us still.”
Born in 1926 as the youngest of five children to James A. and Caroline Maxwell, Sylvia has faced hardship from the earliest days of her life: her mother passed away unexpectedly just one year after she was born, leaving her to be raised by her maternal grandmother Golda and her older sister Elaine. Today, she is the only one of her five siblings still alive.
Sylvia cut her teeth academically at Maude Haynes Private School, before moving on to Queen’s College in 1937, where she quickly stood out as a talented athlete, with netball standing as her particular strength. After completing her education, she built a respected, decades-long career at the West Indies Cane Breeding Station, which operated under the Sugar Association of the Caribbean. She worked her way up through the organization to the senior role of Administrative Assistant, before retiring from her professional duties in 1987.
Beyond her career, Sylvia built a reputation among loved ones for her wide range of vibrant passions, from travel and cooking experimentation to a lifelong love of fashion that continues to this day. Wickham recalled with fond amusement her legendary endurance when it came to shopping trips, a hobby that required him to tag along as her bag carrier for hours on end. “She was a shopper. That was not of very much interest to me because I would always carry the bags, but she had a significant intestinal fortitude when it comes to shopping. She walked for hours and hours. She loved fashion, and that was her thing. Her wardrobe was quite extensive back in the day.” She was also a dedicated regular viewer of CNN’s iconic weekly fashion program *Style with Elsa Klensch*, and enjoyed testing new recipes in her kitchen for decades.
What makes Sylvia’s milestone even more remarkable is that she has reached 100 years of age with no diagnosed non-communicable diseases, a healthy outcome that Wickham attributes to both her low-stress approach to life and her consistent commitment to moderation in all things. “She has always had a little bit of pressure, but I often felt it had more to do with diet than with stress, because she didn’t really take on stress. Relatively healthy lifestyle, avoiding excess in many things, and moderation—but she would have a glass of Bailey’s every once in a while. Nothing too excessive.”
A devout lifelong member of James Street Methodist Church, Sylvia was christened at the congregation the same year she was born, and sat in the same family pew for decades. She currently resides in Wanstead, where she lives with her caregiver Tresha.