Residents living in the St. Philip’s North region now have a unique opportunity to advance their professional skills through a new scholarship initiative launched by local Member of Parliament Randy Baltimore. The program awards partial and full coverage for short certificate courses administered by the Lifelong Learning Unit at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus. Per a public announcement shared by Baltimore, only a restricted number of awards will be distributed for the institution’s upcoming third-quarter academic session, which is scheduled to kick off on July 5 and wrap up on September 11. Spanning a full 10 weeks of instruction, the slate of courses caters to diverse professional and personal development goals, covering in-demand subjects that align with modern industry needs. Participants can choose from offerings including strategic human resource management, project management, property management, crisis and risk management, organizational leadership, conversational and professional Spanish, retail operations and merchandising, and the practical application of artificial intelligence in contemporary workplace settings. Baltimore has issued a call to action for all local residents who meet eligibility requirements and are interested in claiming one of the limited spots. To be considered for the award, candidates must fully fill out the official application form and compile all requested supporting documentation, submitting the complete package ahead of the firm application deadline. All submissions must be received by 4:30 p.m. local time on June 29, with no late applications accepted for consideration due to the tight timeline for course enrollment and program preparation. This initiative marks part of Baltimore’s ongoing efforts to expand access to upskilling and continuing education opportunities for constituents, helping local workers boost their employability and adapt to shifting labor market demands.
博客
-
WEATHER (6:00 AM, June 24): cloudy skies, scattered showers, possible thunderstorms expected; people in at risk areas urged to be cautious
Regional weather authorities have issued a series of public safety alerts as multiple overlapping hazardous weather conditions are set to impact the area over the coming 24 hours. Forecasters confirm that a tropical wave, carrying excess atmospheric moisture and unstable air masses, will drive weather patterns across the region through the day.
Overnight and into the early morning, the system is expected to bring widespread overcast conditions alongside scattered rain showers. There is also a low but non-negligible risk of isolated thunderstorms breaking out across higher elevation and low-lying flood-prone zones. Officials are urging residents who live in areas vulnerable to flash flooding, landslides, and falling rock debris to stay updated on changing weather conditions and avoid unnecessary travel through high-risk zones through the day. By afternoon, precipitation is expected to taper off to just a few scattered showers, but strong gusty winds will remain a persistent hazard across the region.
Beyond the rain and wind, a growing plume of Saharan dust is projected to push into the region starting this afternoon, carrying significant air quality risks through overnight hours. Forecasters warn that air quality will decline from moderate to unhealthy levels as dust concentrations spike. Vulnerable populations, including individuals with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other pre-existing respiratory conditions, are advised to limit prolonged outdoor exposure and keep medication on hand to manage any unexpected symptoms.
The dust will also cut down on horizontal visibility across both coastal areas and open water, prompting official warnings for commercial and recreational mariners. All boat operators are strongly encouraged to carry fully charged, functioning navigational equipment to avoid accidents while traveling through low-visibility conditions.
Sea conditions will remain unpredictable over the next day, with forecasters noting moderately choppy seas across most of the region’s coastline. Along the area’s western shore, wave heights are expected to peak around 5 feet, while eastern coastlines could see waves reaching up to 8 feet – conditions that pose significant risks to small vessels. A formal Small Craft Advisory remains in effect for all nearshore waters, with officials reminding small boat operators and recreational sea bathers to stay out of hazardous surf and avoid unnecessary offshore activity until conditions improve.
-
Achievement Learning Centre commends Jahmielle Cadette’s success in Grade 6 National Assessment
Four years after joining The Achievement Learning Centre (ALC) at the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic, 12-year-old Jahmielle Cadette has hit a defining academic milestone: passing his national Grade 6 Assessment examinations, earning recognition and praise from the institution that supported his journey.
When Cadette enrolled at ALC in 2021 at age 8, his parents sought an educational environment tailored to nurture both his unique learning requirements and personal social development. What followed was a period of steady, transformative progress that saw the young student overcome systemic barriers brought on by public health rules and grow into a confident, accomplished learner.
The timing of Cadette’s arrival at ALC placed him at the center of one of the most challenging eras for modern education. Strict social distancing mandates and pandemic-related restrictions upended traditional learning for both students and teaching staff across the country. Rather than letting these obstacles derail Cadette’s progress, ALC educators adapted rapidly, rolling out creative, flexible instructional strategies designed to keep Cadette engaged with his coursework and moving steadily toward his academic goals.
Today, after four years of targeted support and consistent effort, Cadette has emerged as a poised, articulate young person with a reputation for his quick creativity, warm sense of humor, and unwaveringly positive outlook. ALC officials note that he has posted consistent, measurable improvement across all core academic subject areas, including Mathematics, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Integrated Science.
Beyond the classroom, Cadette has also made major strides in his social development, building stronger interpersonal skills and a greater awareness of the world around him. He has also cultivated a deep, abiding passion for chess, which has become one of his favorite pastimes.
ALC leadership has publicly celebrated Cadette’s work ethic, resilience, and transformative growth throughout his time at the institution. Teaching and administrative staff say they are deeply proud of what he has accomplished, highlighting the consistent dedication he has brought to his studies every day since he joined the center five years ago.
As Cadette prepares to transition to the next stage of his educational career, ALC has extended warm congratulations to the young achiever. The institution expressed full confidence that he will continue to grow, build on his current success, and excel in all his future academic pursuits as he continues his lifelong learning journey.
-
St Cyprian’s Boys’ celebrates strong results as Kaden Ward earns joint second place islandwide
As one of the last cohorts of students prepare to transition to secondary school under Barbados’ existing placement system, a small private all-boys Anglican primary school is marking an exceptional year of academic and extracurricular achievement. St Cyprian’s Boys’ Primary School is celebrating extraordinary outcomes from the 2024 Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination (BSSEE), headlined by 11-year-old student Kaden Ward who earned joint second place across the entire island. The standout student scored a perfect 100 in Mathematics and 94 in English, for a total combined score of 244.8. He will enroll at his top-choice institution, Harrison College, when the new academic term begins in September.
Principal Dave Layne broke down the school’s impressive collective performance, noting that 30 boys from the school sat this year’s examination. Across the cohort, students posted an average score of 80% in English and 86.6% in Mathematics. Eighteen of the 30 test-takers earned scores above 80% in English, while 17 hit the 90% threshold in Mathematics. Eleven boys scored between 95 and 100 in Mathematics, including three students who achieved perfect marks of 100.
Beyond individual and collective scores, the school saw overwhelming success in matching students to their preferred top secondary institutions. Ten students will move on to Harrison College, one of the island’s most elite secondary schools, and seven will attend The St Michael School, another top-performing Barbadian institution. Overall, 22 of the 30 graduating boys earned placement in one of their top two choice schools, six gained admission to their third-choice school, and only two were placed at their fourth option.
Ward, who described his feeling about the result as simply “I feel great”, attributes his success to consistent discipline and intentional sacrifice. When asked what sacrifices he made to earn his top ranking, the 11-year-old explained he gave up recreational device use on weekends to prioritize his studies. He also emphasized that he could not have achieved the result without consistent support and extra guidance from his teachers throughout the exam preparation period, noting that educators pushed him with challenging practice work and stood by him every step of the way. Ward added that he selected Harrison College as his first choice after visiting the campus on a school tour and immediately connected with the institution’s environment.
Principal Layne noted that the exceptional BSSEE results are just one highlight of what has been an all-around outstanding year for the school. Beyond academics, students have notched major achievements in inter-school sports, visual and performing arts, and a wide range of other extracurricular programs. Layne says the school’s core philosophy centers on the idea that meaningful achievement only comes through consistent, intentional hard work – a value he hopes graduating students will carry with them through the rest of their lives.
As students prepare to make the transition to secondary education, Layne urged the graduating cohort to hold onto the core values they learned during their time at St Cyprian’s: discipline, respect for others and institutions, and a commitment to hard work. These foundational principles, he noted, serve people well across every stage of life. He also encouraged parents to remain actively engaged in their sons’ ongoing educational development, reminding them that consistent involvement and reinforcement of expectations helps students grow into responsible, successful adults.
This year’s BSSEE cohort is among the final groups of students to sit the long-running Common Entrance Examination before Barbados transitions to a new secondary school placement system. When asked about the upcoming changes to the national education structure, Layne expressed confidence that St Cyprian’s and other primary institutions across the island will adapt successfully to the new framework. He noted that all schools are starting the transition on an equal playing field, and that institutions will adjust their approaches to meet the requirements of the new system.
For the moment, however, the entire St Cyprian’s community is focused on celebrating the hard work and success of this year’s graduating class. Layne summed up the school’s core mission, saying that at St Cyprian’s, the goal is always to nurture every student, give them the strongest possible foundational skills, and send them on to secondary school confident that they have the tools they need to thrive at the next stage of their educational journey.
-
PM Browne Says Antigua Near Agreement With U.S. on Third-Country Nationals
As diplomatic discussions between Antigua and Barbuda and the United States on accepting a restricted cohort of third-country nationals removed from U.S. territory progress, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has outlined the small Caribbean nation’s position: it is open to compromise on key terms, but will not backtrack on non-negotiable conditions that protect national sovereignty and public welfare.
Browne shared these remarks Tuesday evening during a celebratory reception hosted by the U.S. Embassy at Jumby Bay, an event held to honor the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. In his address, the prime minister expressed confidence that both sides could finalize a mutually acceptable agreement in the near term.
Contrary to assumptions that the core sticking point in the negotiations is the volume of people to be accepted, Browne clarified that numbers are not the central barrier to a deal. He revealed that Antigua and Barbuda is willing to adjust its current annual cap, raising the limit from 10 individuals to as many as 14 – but only if comprehensive protective safeguards are built into the final arrangement.
Three non-negotiable conditions sit at the heart of the prime minister’s framework. First, any person accepted under the deal must have no criminal record. Second, migrants must bring marketable skills that can contribute positively to Antigua and Barbuda’s national economy. Third, they must not become a drain on the country’s limited public services and resources. Browne emphasized that as a small developing nation, Antigua and Barbuda lacks the capacity to absorb the social and economic burdens that much larger countries are seeking to offload onto regional partners. “If they come in here to be loafers, we don’t want them,” he stated bluntly.
Browne added a fourth critical requirement: all individuals accepted must hold fully valid travel documentation. The prime minister explained that the country wants to avoid being left in the position of hosting stateless people with no official documentation, a situation that would create intractable administrative and social challenges for the small island nation. “We don’t want anybody to come here and say that they don’t have any travel documents and they become stateless if we get stuck with them,” he said.
The negotiations have broader regional context, after media reports revealed that U.S. officials have reached out to multiple Caribbean governments to propose similar arrangements for relocating third-country nationals being deported from the U.S. The issue has since become a topic of widespread discussion across the Caribbean community, as small states assess their ability to accommodate external requests while protecting their own interests.
In closing his remarks, Browne reaffirmed that Antigua and Barbuda remains committed to collaborating with the U.S. to reach a pragmatic, “sensible agreement” – but will never compromise its core national interests to move a deal forward. Karin Sullivan, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, was among the attendees at the Tuesday reception.
-
Community Notice: Masquerade Traditions Art Exhibition
A new community-focused art exhibition centered on Caribbean cultural heritage is open to the public this week, offering free admission to visitors eager to explore the unique masked performance traditions of St. Kitts and Nevis. Running from Tuesday, June 23 through Saturday, June 27, 2026, the Masquerade Traditions Art Exhibition is hosted daily between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. at Shadwell Greathouse, welcoming guests of all ages to engage with the region’s centuries-old cultural practices.
Defined by UNESCO as encompassing all costumed and masked cultural performers, masquerade traditions hold deep cultural significance across St. Kitts and Nevis, and this exhibition brings these traditions to life through curated displays of original artwork, historical artifacts, and archival documents. The showcase aims to preserve and highlight the rich folklore of the federation, making lesser-known cultural heritage accessible to local communities and visitors alike.
In a unique public engagement initiative, event organizers are inviting community members to contribute their own personal materials related to local masquerade traditions for digitization. Guests may bring personal photos, handcrafted artwork, and historical articles to the exhibition venue during opening hours. All contributed items will be scanned on-site, returned immediately to their owners, and added to two permanent public collections: the Department of Cultural Heritage’s local archives, and the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis’ public collection on the Digital Library of the Caribbean, a free online resource hosted at https://dloc.com. This crowdsourcing effort will help expand publicly accessible records of masquerade heritage for future research and cultural preservation.
The exhibition is the product of a collaborative cultural preservation effort between three partner organizations: Bougainvillea Books and Gifts, the St. Kitts and Nevis Department of Cultural Heritage, and HeritEdge Connection. HeritEdge Connection is a Barbados-based non-profit focused specifically on Caribbean cultural heritage, working to expand public access to both physical and intangible cultural assets across the region.
For anyone seeking additional information about the exhibition, organizers can be reached directly by calling Bougainvillea Books and Gifts at (869) 664-2224. The exhibition is free and open to the public all week, closing at 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 27.
-
State housing company says eligibility expanded, not prices
A anonymous prospective homebuyer in Barbados has leveled allegations against state-owned affordable housing developer Home Ownership Providing Energy (HOPE) Inc, claiming that recent adjustments to the program’s income eligibility thresholds have effectively pushed homeownership out of reach for the low-income households the initiative was designed to serve. The accuser, who requested anonymity to avoid professional or social retaliation, told local outlet Barbados TODAY that she was already in the final stages of selecting a property when she learned of the changes to the eligibility framework.
Founded with a non-profit mandate to expand access to attainable housing for lower-income Barbadian workers, HOPE has forcefully and categorically rejected the claimant’s assertions, maintaining that the organization’s core mission and published home pricing structure have remained unaltered since launch.
Chief Sales Officer Nicôle Layne clarified in an official statement to Barbados TODAY that while the government has twice approved Cabinet-backed adjustments to the program’s maximum income cap, the changes were explicitly designed to expand access to homeownership for a wider cross-section of working Barbadians, not to exclude lower-income applicants. The first adjustment, rolled out in October 2022, raised the upper net monthly income limit to BBD $5,000, opening eligibility to frontline public sector workers including nurses, educators and law enforcement officers who previously fell above the old threshold. A second increase, approved by Cabinet in May 2024, raised the cap further to BBD $6,000 net monthly income to accommodate additional middle-income workers across both public and private sectors.
Layne emphasized that these revisions to the income cap have not harmed eligibility for low-income applicants. She laid out the full current qualification criteria for the program: applicants must be at least 18 years of age, a Barbadian citizen or legal resident, hold consistent steady employment for a minimum of two years, have no prior ownership of land or residential property, and earn no more than the current $6,000 net monthly cap after statutory deductions. Layne confirmed that even applicants earning as little as $2,500 net per month remain fully eligible to apply, and are still referred to partnering financial institutions for mortgage assessment per the standard process.
Under HOPE’s current application workflow, qualifying applicants are considered for available homes in the order their completed applications are received. Before a residential lot is allocated, applicants must submit updated financial documentation including a formal mortgage pre-approval certificate and pass a final pre-qualification review. After the applicant selects and is allocated a lot, HOPE issues a formal Intent of Sale letter, after which the applicant secures mortgage financing directly from their chosen lending institution. Layne noted that while HOPE staff provide extensive guidance to applicants throughout the process, final mortgage approval decisions rest exclusively with independent financial institutions and fall outside the organization’s control.
The controversy comes amid a broader period of restructuring and oversight for the embattled housing initiative. In March 2024, then Minister of Housing Dwight Sutherland informed Parliament during the annual Estimates debate that the government had cut nearly $1 million from HOPE’s operating budget as part of a sweeping restructuring effort aimed at addressing documented inefficiencies and widespread public criticism of the program. Later that same year, the initiative faced intense public scrutiny after Prime Minister Mia Mottley publicly acknowledged ongoing “teething problems” in HOPE’s early operations, following the uncovering of troubling operational issues by the ruling administration.
Two separate independent investigations were ultimately authorized: an internal departmental review and a full forensic audit led by Barbados’ Auditor General. In an official response to the Auditor General’s Special Audit, dated April 2, 2025 and included in the public audit report, HOPE acknowledged that the investigation found clear, significant shortcomings in the organization’s early operations, particularly around the ability to deliver new housing in a cost-effective, efficient and timely manner. The company, however, noted that new leadership and the implementation of targeted strategic reforms have addressed these early gaps, and the public can be confident that all identified concerns are being actively remediated.
-
George Calls for Greater Protection of Athletes’ Brands and Sporting Achievements
In a recent keynote address delivered to a global assembly of sports stakeholders, leading sports figure George has laid out an urgent call for sweeping reforms to better protect the commercial brands and competitive achievements of athletes across all levels of professional sport.
Against a backdrop of rising incidents of unauthorized commercial exploitation, uncompensated image rights infringement, and the misappropriation of career milestones for third-party profit, George argues that current regulatory frameworks have failed to keep pace with the rapid growth of digital media and athlete branding. Today’s athletes do not only compete on the field; they build personal brands over decades of dedicated training and competition, often becoming major cultural influencers that generate billions in global economic value. Yet many, particularly emerging and mid-career athletes, lack the resources and legal support to defend their rights when their names, performance records, or likenesses are used without permission.
George highlighted several key gaps in existing protection: many national sports associations do not have standardized rules governing athlete image rights, digital platforms often struggle to enforce takedown requests for unauthorized content that exploits athlete brands, and young athletes from low-income backgrounds are disproportionately vulnerable to having their achievements co-opted by outside entities without fair compensation.
The call to action outlines a multi-pronged path forward: the creation of uniform international standards for athlete intellectual property rights, mandatory brand protection education for young athletes entering professional circuits, improved partnerships between governing bodies, social media platforms and legal organizations to expedite dispute resolution, and the establishment of a dedicated fund to support under-resourced athletes in pursuing legal claims for rights infringement.
Industry observers note that the push for stronger protection comes as the global sports economy continues to expand, with athlete branding and endorsement deals accounting for an increasingly large share of total industry revenue. If adopted, the reforms advocated by George could reshape how athletes benefit from their own work, ensuring that the athletes who dedicate their lives to sporting excellence receive full economic and reputational credit for their achievements.
-
Venezuelan Attorneys Meet With Speaker, Attorney General Over BOI Bank Complaints
On June 22, two legal representatives acting on behalf of a coalition of Venezuelan citizens and business entities held formal talks with top Antigua and Barbuda government officials: House Speaker Sir Osbert Frederick and Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin. The core topic of the closed-door meetings was a series of unresolved complaints centered on BOI Bank Corporation.
Per an official statement released by the legal pair, Lucas Rodriguez Alvarez and Jose Gregorio Sanchez Bueno delivered a cache of documentation to the officials, which they say was collected directly from their clients. The clients have raised pointed red flags over questionable operational practices at the regional financial institution.
The legal team has explicitly called for intervention from Antigua and Barbuda’s state authorities, formally requesting that the national government launch a full review of the bank’s activities to address the growing concerns. The overarching goal of the discussions, the statement confirms, was to secure a formal government-led investigation into the allegations against BOI Bank Corporation.
Notably, the attorneys’ statement did not include any comment or official response from the Attorney General’s Chambers, nor did it offer any indication that investigative proceedings have been approved or initiated. To date, none of the claims laid out by the legal representatives have undergone independent verification to confirm their validity.
-
Sports Minister: Cricket West Indies High Performance Centre as Game-Changer for Antigua and Barbuda
The new Cricket West Indies High Performance Centre (HPC) based in Antigua and Barbuda is positioned to be a transformative catalyst for the twin-island nation’s sports sector and broader economy, according to the country’s Minister of Sports. In an official statement highlighting the strategic significance of the facility, the minister emphasized that the cutting-edge center goes far beyond a simple training ground for emerging cricket talent, positioning the Caribbean nation as a leading regional hub for elite cricket development.
For decades, Antigua and Barbuda has been deeply woven into the legacy of West Indian cricket, producing world-class players and hosting landmark international matches that have drawn global attention to the islands. The new HPC builds on this rich heritage, offering state-of-the-art training infrastructure, modern sports science facilities, and specialized coaching programs designed to nurture young cricketers from across the Caribbean region. It will serve as a centralized hub where promising talents can refine their skills, access professional support, and prepare for international competition at the highest level.
Beyond its direct impact on cricket development, the minister outlined the far-reaching economic and community benefits the facility is expected to deliver. The center is projected to drive increased sports tourism, with visiting teams, cricket officials, and fans traveling to Antigua and Barbuda for training camps, developmental tournaments, and scouting events. This influx of visitors will boost local hospitality, accommodation, transportation, and small business sectors, creating new job opportunities for residents and generating long-term sustainable revenue for the nation.
Local sporting communities have also welcomed the investment, noting that the facility will provide expanded opportunities for young Antiguan and Barbudan cricketers to train alongside elite regional talent without having to travel abroad. The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting the growth of cricket across the region, framing the HPC as a key part of Antigua and Barbuda’s contribution to preserving and strengthening West Indian cricket’s global standing. As the center begins full operations, stakeholders across the sport are optimistic that it will unlock a new generation of top-tier cricketers while delivering lasting positive change to Antigua and Barbuda’s national economy.