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  • ABFA Congratulates U14 Goalkeeper Coach Oscar Lake on Completing FIFA Workshop

    ABFA Congratulates U14 Goalkeeper Coach Oscar Lake on Completing FIFA Workshop

    The Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) has publicly celebrated a key career milestone for one of its rising young coaching leaders, after national Under-14 goalkeeper coach Oscar Lake successfully graduated from the prestigious FIFA Elite Youth Goalkeeper Coaches Workshop held in the Dominican Republic.

    The five-day intensive training program, which ran from August 17 to August 21, was curated and led by a team of senior FIFA-certified football educators. Designed to push the boundaries of professional development for emerging youth goalkeeper specialists, the workshop covered cutting-edge training methodologies, injury prevention protocols, psychological development for young athletes, and modern tactical approaches specific to the goalkeeper position at youth levels.

    In an official statement shared by the governing body, ABFA officials emphasized that the immersive program gave Lake invaluable hands-on experience and access to elite-level educational resources that will directly bolster his ability to nurture the next generation of goalkeeping talent in Antigua and Barbuda. For Lake, the certification represents more than a professional achievement – it is a stepping stone that will allow him to apply evidence-based, global best practices to his work with the country’s top youth prospects.

    The ABFA framed Lake’s successful completion of the workshop as a core example of the organization’s long-term strategic vision for growing football across the twin-island nation. The association stressed that sustained, targeted investment in coaching education is non-negotiable for elevating the standard of the sport at all levels, from grassroots youth academies to the senior national team. “Investing in our coaches. Developing our game. Building the future,” the ABFA said in its formal declaration, summing up the organization’s commitment to continuous improvement and grassroots development.

  • Dennery, Soufriere move into SPFL top 3

    Dennery, Soufriere move into SPFL top 3

    After a break in competitive play, the Saint Lucia Semi-Professional Football League (SPFL) Tier 1 returned to the pitch on Sunday at Gros Islet’s iconic Francis Baba Lastic Grounds, delivering two tightly contested matches that reshaped the early-season league standings. Two sides climbed the rankings by the end of the matchday: Dennery secured a scrappy 2-1 victory to jump into second place, while Soufriere battled to a 1-1 draw against Mabouya Valley that lifted them to third in the table.

    Going into Sunday’s fixtures, Dennery sat fifth in the Tier 1 rankings, level on points with Canaries but holding a narrow advantage on goal difference. What unfolded was a back-and-forth contest that ended with a fortunate but decisive win for the east coast side. Dennery dominated the opening 40 minutes of play, and their early pressure paid off just before halftime when forward Jamie Prospere scored a spectacular acrobatic finish to put his side ahead going into the break.

    After the restart, Dennery stepped off the gas, allowing Canaries to mount sustained attacking pressure down the right wing. With 30 minutes left to play, Canaries capitalized on the momentum shift: Mcathur Louis won possession just inside the 18-yard box and played a clinical pass to Cassius Joseph, who dribbled past a defender and fired a pinpoint strike into the far corner of the net to equalize.

    Six minutes after Canaries drew level, Dennery reclaimed the lead for good through a lucky deflection. A corner kick from Kurt Frederick found defender Newton Marshall inside the six-yard box, and Marshall’s header bounced off Mabouya Valley’s Oneal Toussaint for an own goal that sealed the 2-1 final score.

    The second match of the day delivered even more drama, as Soufriere went into the match sitting fourth in the standings on goal difference, with goalkeeper Maju Riviere set to celebrate his birthday between the posts. Riviere’s day took an unexpected turn in the 41st minute, when he left his 18-yard box and handled the ball to stop a clear goal-scoring opportunity for Mabouya Valley. The referee issued an immediate red card, forcing Soufriere to play the remaining 50+ minutes of the match with just 10 men.

    Against all odds, Soufriere retook the momentum just before halftime, when Mahvy Rismay scored to put the 10-man side ahead. For more than 20 minutes after the restart, Soufriere held firm in a disciplined defensive display to protect their lead, but Mabouya Valley finally broke through in the 67th minute. Torian Joseph converted a rapid counterattack to score his second goal of the 2026 season, leveling the score at 1-1, where it would remain for the rest of the match.

    Despite the draw, Mabouya Valley’s star striker William Cenac retained his position as the league’s top goalscorer, even though he failed to find the back of the net for the first time this campaign. Sunday’s results have shaken up the Tier 1 table, with more action set to come at the same venue, Francis Baba Lastic Grounds, on Tuesday, August 25. The upcoming matchday will feature a clash between Vieux Fort North and undefeated league leaders Vieux Fort South, scheduled to kick off at 9 p.m. local time.

  • Specialist Dialysis Staff Begin Arriving on Nevis as Unit Nears Completion

    Specialist Dialysis Staff Begin Arriving on Nevis as Unit Nears Completion

    Four highly specialized healthcare workers have touched down on the Caribbean island of Nevis, marking a critical milestone in the long-awaited launch of the territory’s first-ever dedicated dialysis unit at Alexandra Hospital, set to open later this year. The new arrivals include three haemodialysis nurses recruited from the Philippines, each holding specialized certification and years of hands-on clinical experience treating patients with chronic kidney disease, alongside a trained biomedical technician tasked with maintaining the unit’s advanced medical machinery and supporting broader clinical operations across the Ministry of Health. In an official welcome ceremony hosted by the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), Honourable Senator Jahnel Nisbett, Nevis’ Minister of Health, formally greeted the new team members, who will join the growing care cohort for the upcoming facility. “The arrival of these skilled professionals isn’t just another hiring milestone—it means every key piece of our plan is finally coming together,” Nisbett said during the event. “Construction and equipment are important, but you can’t deliver safe, high-quality renal care without people who have the right expertise. For our residents who currently travel multiple times a week to St. Kitts for life-sustaining treatment, that burdensome routine will soon be a thing of the past.” The unit’s construction remains on schedule for full completion by the end of the third quarter of 2026. Once operational, the facility will feature five cutting-edge dialysis treatment stations and will have capacity to care for up to 20 local patients at any given time. Currently, nine Nevisians rely on regular dialysis treatment, eight of whom receive financial support from the NIA to access off-island care in neighboring St. Kitts—a burden that the new unit will eliminate entirely. NIA Premier Mark Brantley recently confirmed that all specialized medical equipment for the unit has already been purchased, delivered to Nevis, and secured in storage ahead of installation. Brantley also emphasized the administration’s intentional investment in building a multidisciplinary care team to support the facility long-term, which will include a full-time nephrologist, a specialized haemodialysis nurse manager, and additional allied health support staff to ensure consistent, exceptional care for patients living with chronic kidney disease. The entire $1.3 million USD project, covering facility construction, staff recruitment, and the first two years of operating costs, is fully funded by a grant from developer Olivier Janssens and his team through the Destiny Special Sustainability Zone (SSZ) Project. Local health officials and NIA leaders project that the new unit will transform access to renal care on Nevis, bringing life-sustaining specialized treatment directly to local patients, eliminating the stress, cost, and logistical burden of frequent cross-island travel, and improving long-term health outcomes for the island’s chronic kidney disease community.

  • Hon. Brand Urges Disaster Management Campers to Become Safety Ambassadors

    Hon. Brand Urges Disaster Management Campers to Become Safety Ambassadors

    CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS – August 24, 2026 – When the curtains closed on the Nevis Disaster Management Department’s (NDMD) 2026 Summer Safety Camp on August 21, the island’s top official for disaster management left 75 young participants with a clear mission: carry the safety knowledge they gained into every corner of their communities.

    Hosted under the slogan “Be Safe. Be Smart. Be Ready,” the two-week educational program ran from August 10 to 21 at the Malcolm Guishard Recreation Park, bringing together children ages 5 to 15 for interactive learning that blended hands-on skill-building with recreational and cultural activities. Hon. Spencer Brand, Minister for Disaster Management and the Environment with the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), used the closing ceremony to challenge attendees to become safety ambassadors for the people around them.

    “Many of the skills we train for at the NDMD are skills we hope we will never have to use,” Brand told the gathered campers and staff. “But if the time ever comes when you need to act on what you’ve learned here, I want you to have the confidence to step up and make a difference. Don’t keep this knowledge to yourselves – share it in your homes, your classrooms, your churches, your playgrounds, and your neighborhoods. Pass what you’ve learned on to everyone you meet.”

    Unlike traditional classroom learning, the 2026 camp designed its curriculum to give young people practical, actionable expertise across a range of critical safety and wellness topics. Over two weeks, campers completed training in road safety, fire prevention and emergency drills, basic first aid and CPR, disaster response protocols, food nutrition, and radio communications. The program also balanced learning with outdoor and creative activities, including guided hiking trips, arts and crafts projects, community exploration tours, and educational visits to local heritage sites to connect young participants to Nevis’s cultural history.

    Brand emphasized that the holistic curriculum was crafted to do more than just teach emergency skills: it is intended to support the long-term personal and community development of Nevis’s younger generation. “The NDMD worked to expose you to experiences that help you grow up in a healthy, uplifting environment that benefits you, your families, and our entire island,” he explained. “Everything you’ve learned here helps protect you, your loved ones, and our whole community.”

    The annual Summer Safety Camp is a cornerstone of the NDMD’s public outreach strategy, focused on building a culture of disaster preparedness and community resilience starting from childhood. Brand praised the NDMD staff for their ongoing dedication to organizing the yearly program, noting that equipping young people with life-saving skills creates a safer foundation for the entire island. He also extended gratitude to the camp’s key partner, Bank of Nevis Ltd., whose sponsorship made the 2026 program possible, and thanked parents across Nevis for trusting the NDMD with their children’s development.

    “This camp isn’t just a two-week activity for kids,” Brand added. “It’s an investment in a safer, more prepared Nevis, and every participant gets to carry that investment forward into their communities.”

  • The Trial of Hamilton and Nelson this Saturday, August 29 at 6pm

    The Trial of Hamilton and Nelson this Saturday, August 29 at 6pm

    CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – August 24, 2026 – Local tourism operator Nevis Sun Tours is set to launch its 2026-2027 inaugural performance season this weekend with a groundbreaking new theatrical production that re-examines two of history’s most iconic figures through a modern, interactive lens.

    *The Trial of Hamilton and Nelson*, an original courtroom-style production conceived for Nevis’ unique historical landscape, will hold its first public performance at 6 p.m. on Saturday, August 29 at Charlestown’s Malcolm Guishard Center. The production interrogates the complicated, far-reaching legacies of Alexander Hamilton and Admiral Horatio Nelson – two men who spent their formative early years on the Caribbean island of Nevis – through a structured legal debate that pushes audiences to confront how the pair’s choices still resonate across the Caribbean, the United States, and global affairs today.

    Unlike traditional historical dramas that center the famous figures themselves, *The Trial of Hamilton and Nelson* leaves Hamilton and Nelson off the stage. Their lives, career decisions, and historical impacts are instead debated by opposing legal teams, who lay out four core charges against the two men. Those charges include an examination of their enduring emotional ties to Nevis, their involvement in expansionist and revolutionary wars, their well-documented marital scandals, and their complicity in the transatlantic system of chattel slavery.

    What makes the production uniquely interactive is its role for attendees: every member of the audience steps into the role of the jury, ultimately casting a verdict on which of the two figures carries greater culpability for the harms outlined in the charges. The format blends rigorous historical research with dynamic theatrical storytelling, creating space for lively post-performance debate and challenging popular contemporary narratives about Hamilton and Nelson’s public legacies.

    The project has already garnered international attention ahead of its debut, with features in major outlets including *The New York Post*, NPR’s *Journeys of Discovery* based in California, and the popular travel and lifestyle podcast TripCast360. Beyond its media traction, the production also prioritizes local creative development, providing paid performance and behind-the-scenes opportunities for Nevisian actors and artists.

    This weekend’s opening performance marks the first installment of a season-long series that will expand on different dimensions of Hamilton and Nelson’s legacies in future shows. Tickets for the August 29 debut are available for purchase now through three channels: the official Nevis Sun Tours website, the on-island Alexander Hamilton Museum, and Charlestown’s Sip on the Square venue.

  • NBD recognizes ten students with Bright Future scholarships

    NBD recognizes ten students with Bright Future scholarships

    The National Bank of Dominica Ltd. (NBD) has marked a major milestone in its commitment to youth development, honoring 10 outstanding local students through its flagship Bright Future Scholarship Program while unveiling an updated iteration of the initiative designed to widen educational access and lift up aspiring learners across the island nation.

    The recent scholarship award ceremony brought together a cross-section of stakeholders: the newly selected recipients, their family members, local education leaders, and senior NBD staff, all gathering to celebrate the students’ proven track records of academic excellence, persistence in the face of challenges, demonstrated leadership capability, and unwavering dedication to achieving their goals. This year’s honorees are Akira Faustin, Anola Ducreay, Eden Nesty, Kellis Delsol, Maya Royer, Amelie Adams, Ashanti Darroux, Byron Barrie, Jaybee Fanfan and Malachi Christmas. With their selection, these young scholars join a rapidly expanding network of emerging Dominican leaders supported by NBD’s sustained investment in education and youth empowerment.

    In an official press statement, NBD explained that the revised program framework was crafted to deliver more targeted financial support and moral encouragement to high-achieving, deserving students from across Dominica. By addressing common financial barriers that often prevent promising young people from accessing continuing education, the bank aims to create more clear pathways for long-term professional and personal success for Dominican youth.

    Marketing Manager Michelle Joseph emphasized the far-reaching impact of the program beyond just financial aid, framing it as a core investment in Dominica’s long-term prosperity. “At NBD, we believe that education is one of the most powerful investments we can make in our nation’s future,” Joseph said. “The Bright Future Scholarship Program represents more than financial assistance. It is a commitment to empowering young people, unlocking potential, and creating opportunities for success. Today, we celebrate not only academic achievement but also the promise and possibilities that each scholarship recipient brings to Dominica’s future.”

    Deputy General Manager Cedric Charles echoed this sentiment, noting that the 10 selected recipients embody the drive and ambition that will drive Dominica’s national progress for decades to come. “These scholarships reflect NBD’s enduring commitment to supporting the communities we serve. We recognize that behind every outstanding student is a story of hard work, determination, and sacrifice,” Charles shared. “By investing in these young achievers, we are helping to develop future leaders, professionals, and innovators who will contribute meaningfully to the social and economic development of Dominica. We are proud to play a role in their educational journey and look forward to witnessing their continued success.”

    NBD board director Jodie Luke also offered remarks, commending the students for their demonstrated resilience, self-discipline, and relentless pursuit of excellence, and urging them to seize the new opportunities ahead with confidence and clear purpose. According to NBD’s official release, both the scholarship recipients and their families have expressed profound gratitude for the support, noting that the award will reshape their long-term educational and career trajectories in profoundly positive ways.

    Amelie Adams, one of this year’s selected scholars, shared her personal reaction to the honor: “I am truly grateful to NBD for this opportunity. This scholarship is an investment in my future and serves as a reminder that hard work and dedication can open doors. I am committed to making the most of this opportunity and pursuing my goals with determination.” The award solidifies NBD’s long-standing track record of investing in Dominican youth, and reinforces the institution’s core mission of strengthening local communities through expanded educational opportunity.

  • South Sudan steps up Ebola preparedness as DRC outbreak raises border concerns

    South Sudan steps up Ebola preparedness as DRC outbreak raises border concerns

    In a week marked by multiple overlapping global humanitarian and health challenges, South Sudan has moved quickly to strengthen Ebola outbreak preparedness, after an ongoing Ebola epidemic in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) sparked fears of cross-border transmission. As of the latest update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), no confirmed or suspected Ebola cases have been detected inside South Sudan’s borders. However, frequent unregulated cross-border population movement between the two countries has created a persistent high risk of the virus spreading, prompting urgent preventive action.

    Leading the preparedness drive are South Sudan’s Ministry of Health and National Public Health Institute, which have rolled out a comprehensive set of preventive measures in partnership with the UN and a network of global humanitarian organizations. These interventions include expanding active disease surveillance across high-risk border regions, implementing mandatory temperature and symptom screening at all official entry points, prepping treatment centers and isolation wards to handle potential cases, training frontline health workers in Ebola detection and infection control, stockpiling critical personal protective equipment and medical supplies, and running public education campaigns via community radio and social media to inform residents of early warning signs and safety protocols.

    To directly evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing preparedness work, Ramathan Balakrishnan, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, recently conducted on-site assessments of high-risk zones in Central and Western Equatoria, the country’s southern border regions closest to the DRC’s outbreak area. The UN has also issued a renewed call to protect frontline humanitarian staff operating in border regions, following a dangerous abduction incident earlier this month. On August 11, four aid workers were seized by unidentified armed gunmen while transporting life-saving Ebola response supplies to the border town of Libogo; all four were later released unharmed, according to recent reports.

    In a separate briefing to the UN Security Council this week, senior UN officials outlined the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where ongoing armed conflict has pushed millions of people to the brink of survival. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, told the Council that the UN is backing ongoing diplomatic efforts led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to negotiate a lasting humanitarian truce that would allow aid to reach cut-off populations. The UN is also collaborating closely with regional and multilateral bodies including the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States and the European Union to advance a negotiated political solution to the year-long conflict.

    Pekka Haavisto, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, has ramped up diplomatic engagement with all warring parties, prioritizing immediate cessation of hostilities and confidence-building measures ahead of formal talks. Haavisto is expected to travel to Sudan in the coming days to advance these diplomatic efforts. In a remote briefing to the Security Council from Istanbul, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher characterized the current humanitarian situation across Sudan as catastrophic, noting that more than two-thirds of the country’s 48 million people now require life-saving humanitarian assistance to survive. Fletcher emphasized that urgent action is needed to protect civilian populations and de-escalate fighting across the country.

    Despite severe access constraints caused by ongoing conflict, fuel shortages and insecurity, humanitarian agencies have continued to scale up life-saving support where possible. In July alone, the World Food Programme delivered food and cash assistance to roughly 320,000 vulnerable people across Sudan’s Kordofan region, where food insecurity has reached catastrophic levels. After weeks of disruptions caused by fighting and supply chain blockages, food distributions resumed in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, and surrounding communities. By the end of July, more than 58,000 internally displaced people had received emergency food assistance, and local aid operations are delivering approximately two million liters of safe drinking water daily to 133,000 residents in El Obeid.

    Even with these incremental gains, the UN has warned that the response is severely underfunded, putting millions of lives at risk. Sudan’s 2026 humanitarian response plan is only 41 percent funded, with just $1.2 billion raised of the $2.9 billion required to meet critical needs across the country.

    In a final development, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement this week expressing deep alarm over escalating civilian casualties from airstrikes in Myanmar, including a reported attack on a monastery in the Sagaing region on August 21. The military strike reportedly killed at least 14 unarmed civilians and wounded multiple others, drawing widespread international condemnation.

  • Winair Celebrates 65 Years of Connecting the Caribbean

    Winair Celebrates 65 Years of Connecting the Caribbean

    In Simpson Bay, St. Maarten, Windward Islands Airways International N.V. (Winair) marked a major milestone in August 2026: its 65th year of connecting communities across the Caribbean. The regional airline hosted a special stakeholder gala that brought together a cross-section of supporters, from local government leaders and aviation industry partners to tourism stakeholders, business executives, shareholders, long-time employees, and friends of the airline, to honor six and a half decades of service and partnership.

    The event served a dual purpose: it celebrated the airline’s decades-long evolution while also extending sincere gratitude to every person and organization that have shaped Winair since its founding in 1961. Attendees gathered to reflect on the airline’s transformative history, honor the early pioneers who laid its foundational infrastructure, and recognize the current generation of workers, partners, and stakeholders that continue to drive the company forward today.

    Winair’s origin story traces back to August 24, 1961, when two pioneering aviators, Georges Émilien Gréaux and Hippolyte “Faustin” Lédée, partnered with prominent St. Maarten businessman Norman “Chester” Wathey to turn a shared, ambitious vision into reality. Their goal was straightforward but game-changing for the region: to build a reliable air transportation network linking the scattered islands of the Caribbean.

    That vision quickly gained momentum. Just two years after its founding, in 1963, Winair launched regularly scheduled service to Saba, becoming the first commercial airline to offer consistent scheduled flights to the small island. Two years later, in 1965, the airline added the now-famous De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter to its fleet. The aircraft quickly became synonymous with Winair’s brand identity, perfectly engineered to navigate the short runways and challenging terrain that define many of the Caribbean’s small island airports.

    As a centerpiece of the 65th anniversary celebration, Winair extended special recognition to the descendants of the Wathey, Lédée, and Gréaux families, honoring the founders’ vision, courage, and entrepreneurial spirit that remains a core part of the airline’s identity to this day.

    The official anniversary program featured opening remarks from key industry and government leaders, including Winair CEO Hans van de Velde, St. Maarten’s Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Grisha Heyliger, Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina, and Parliament President Sarah Wescot-Williams. Each speaker highlighted not just Winair’s impressive 65-year run, but its outsize importance to the economic and social fabric of St. Maarten and the broader Caribbean region.

    “For 65 years, Winair has connected more than destinations. We have connected families, communities, businesses and opportunities,” said Hans van de Velde, Chief Executive Officer of Winair. “Reaching this milestone is something we are extremely proud of, but we did not reach it alone. Our employees, passengers, shareholders, governments, airports, partners and stakeholders have all been part of this journey. This celebration was our opportunity to say thank you.”

    Through 65 years of operation, Winair has navigated massive shifts across the aviation industry and the Caribbean region. The airline steadily expanded its route network, upgraded its fleet with modern aircraft, and forged strategic partnerships that strengthened both regional and global connectivity. It has also weathered some of the most severe crises the Caribbean has faced in modern history, from volatile economic cycles and devastating category 5 hurricanes to the unprecedented global collapse of aviation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Winair’s resilience has been one of its defining characteristics. After the destructive landfall of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, the airline restored service to nearly all its destinations in just eight weeks, playing a critical role in the region’s recovery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company again demonstrated its ability to adapt, navigating one of the most turbulent periods in aviation history and emerging positioned to rebuild and grow its operations.

    Today, Winair operates more than 25,000 commercial flights per year, carries over 330,000 passengers annually, and maintains a mixed fleet that includes its iconic Twin Otters alongside larger ATR 42 turboprop aircraft to serve growing passenger demand. Despite all the changes over six and a half decades, Winair’s core mission has remained unchanged: to deliver safe, reliable air connections between scattered Caribbean communities.

    Unlike many corporate anniversary events that focus solely on organizational achievements, Winair’s 65th celebration centered the stakeholders that made its success possible. Partners and guests from across the Caribbean and around the globe gathered for an evening of recognition, relationship-building, and celebration. The event created space to strengthen long-standing partnerships, forge new industry connections, and honor the many organizations and individual contributors that have supported Winair through decades of change.

    A key focus of the night was also honoring the generations of Winair employees that have kept the airline flying for 65 years, from frontline pilots and cabin crew to maintenance technicians, operations teams, customer service representatives, and the countless behind-the-scenes staff that keep operations running smoothly every day.

    Sixty-five years after three pioneers launched a radical new vision for connecting the Caribbean islands, that original idea continues to thrive. Aircraft have been upgraded, the route network has expanded dramatically, and multiple generations of passengers and employees have passed through the airline’s doors. But the core purpose that launched Winair — connecting people across the Caribbean — remains the same.

    While the celebration honored Winair’s rich history, it also served as a launch point for the company’s next chapter. Looking ahead, Winair plans to continue strengthening regional connectivity, investing in its workforce and infrastructure, and growing the strategic partnerships that will support its expansion for decades to come. As the airline’s milestone messaging puts it: 65 years. Countless journeys. One Caribbean.

  • Suriname en Filipijnen willen economische banden versterken

    Suriname en Filipijnen willen economische banden versterken

    In a high-level diplomatic meeting focused on agricultural cooperation, Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Mike Noersalim and Philippine Ambassador Patrick John have reaffirmed their two nations’ shared commitment to deepening economic ties and advancing inclusive sustainable development across the agri-food sector.

    The bilateral discussion covered a wide range of promising collaborative opportunities across key agricultural sub-sectors, including rice production improvement, sustainable aquaculture expansion, and the adoption of cutting-edge agri-technological innovation. Minister Noersalim outlined Suriname’s ongoing strategy to strengthen its domestic agricultural industry, noting that the country is prioritizing innovative policy frameworks and strategic global partnerships to drive sector growth.

    Noersalim emphasized that both nations stand to gain from aligned cooperation on three core priorities: boosting regional food security, scaling up climate-friendly and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices, and supporting the expansion of local agri-based industries. He noted that these collaborative efforts are designed to deliver broad-based benefits not just for national economies, but for everyday populations in both Suriname and the Philippines. “We firmly hold that cross-border collaboration is the foundation of long-term sustainable growth,” Noersalim stated during the meeting. “Suriname has ambitious targets to modernize and decarbonize our agricultural sector, and with strategic partners like the Philippines, we can accelerate our progress toward these goals.”

    For his part, Ambassador John expressed strong optimism about the future of the bilateral agricultural partnership, confirming that the Philippine government is fully committed to supporting the implementation of all agreed-upon initiatives. The ambassador highlighted Suriname’s significant untapped potential in agricultural development and sustainable fisheries, adding that the Philippines is eager to share its accumulated technical knowledge and proven agricultural technologies to advance shared objectives. “We are ready to work side by side with Suriname to improve food security across our regions and deepen the economic bonds that connect our two countries,” John said.

    Looking ahead, working groups from both nations will develop concrete action plans over the coming months to map out how the Philippines can deploy its resources, expertise, and technology to help Suriname meet its agricultural development targets. “This partnership will allow us to transform our agricultural sectors and unlock inclusive, long-term sustainable growth for both our peoples,” John added.

  • Police Recover 59 Rounds of Assorted Ammunition in New Road

    Police Recover 59 Rounds of Assorted Ammunition in New Road

    A multi-agency security sweep conducted in late July in the New Road district of Basseterre, St. Kitts has taken dozens of unauthorized rounds of ammunition off local streets, law enforcement officials confirmed this week.

    The recovery operation, carried out July 28, 2026, brought together four specialized security units to comb the area: the Anti-Narcotics Unit and Special Services Unit of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF), the Joint Security Operational Tactical Team (JSOTT), and the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force (SKNDF). Acting on operational intelligence, teams searched a vacant plot along Agnes Skerritt Street, where they uncovered the cache of unregistered ammunition.

    A breakdown of the seized ordnance shows a broad mix of calibers commonly used in handguns and semi-automatic weapons: 15 9mm rounds, 10 .23 caliber rounds, 17 .38 Special rounds, 8 .40 caliber rounds, 6 .45 caliber rounds, and 3 7.62mm rounds.

    Following the discovery, the RSCNPF’s Crime Scene Unit processed the vacant lot to collect forensic evidence, and all recovered ammunition was moved into secure police custody for further examination. As of the latest public update, no suspects have been taken into custody in connection with the cache, and active investigations are ongoing to trace the origin of the ammunition and identify any individuals linked to it.