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  • West Indies cautioned over power-play flaws despite unbeaten start

    West Indies cautioned over power-play flaws despite unbeaten start

    The West Indies women’s cricket squad remains undefeated through two group-stage matches at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, but vice-captain Chinelle Henry is not shying away from addressing critical gaps in the team’s performance ahead of their upcoming fixture. Fresh off a nail-biting seven-run win over Scotland in Leeds last Thursday, the side has secured two consecutive victories to hold second place in Group B, trailing only hosts England on net run rate with both nations yet to drop a single match. This strong start keeps the Caribbean side firmly in the hunt for a knockout-stage spot, but Henry has openly flagged power play bowling as a key area requiring urgent adjustment to prepare for harder challenges ahead.

    All-rounder Henry, who missed West Indies’ opening group fixture after picking up an injury in the team’s final pre-tournament warm-up match, was cleared by medical staff to feature against Scotland, and she said her return to the pitch came down to a collective call from the team’s support and leadership groups. “Winning two opening games is undeniably a positive result that has put us in an excellent position in our group,” Henry noted in a post-match press interaction. “As we’ve repeated from the start of the tournament, there are no easy fixtures here – every side brings their best. That means it’s time for us to go back to the practice drawing board and refine our approach.”

    “Our bowling unit needs to sit down and review the first six overs of our innings, figure out what adjustments we can make to get better results out of that power play phase,” she added. “That said, the entire group has performed incredibly well so far, and we just need to keep backing our individual skills and trusting one another as we move forward.”

    Henry emphasized that this edition of the T20 World Cup is shaping up to be one of the most competitive tournaments in the event’s history, with every nation fighting hard to secure wins, making any outcome or victory prediction impossible to make ahead of time. On Sunday, West Indies will shift their full focus to their third group-stage fixture against Sri Lanka in Bristol, where a win would put the side on the cusp of a semi-final berth. Even with this high-stakes encounter on the horizon, Henry said the team is sticking to a pragmatic, game-by-game approach rather than looking ahead to knockout rounds.

    “The group table is still completely wide open, so our only goal is to win every remaining fixture we have, and leave nothing to chance,” Henry explained. “We saw firsthand how hard Scotland pushed us in that last game – every side is hungry to compete. We’re just focusing on taking each match one at a time, and playing our best cricket every time we step out onto the field.”

  • 2026 World Cup : Haiti, outclassed by Brazil, loses [3-0] and is eliminated (video)

    2026 World Cup : Haiti, outclassed by Brazil, loses [3-0] and is eliminated (video)

    In the second Group C match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup held on June 19, 2026 at Philadelphia’s nearly full-capacity Lincoln Financial Field, which drew 68,324 in-person spectators, Brazil’s Selecao secured a critical 3-0 win over Haiti’s national men’s football team, the Grenadiers. The result officially knocks Haiti out of the 2026 tournament, marking their second consecutive loss after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Scotland in their opening group fixture.

    Going into the match, Haitian head coach Sebastien Migné designed a defensive 5-4-1 formation to counter Brazil’s attacking 4-2-3-1 setup led by manager Carlo Ancelotti. Haiti’s resistance crumbled early, after right-back Carlens Arcus picked up a fourth-minute yellow card for an aggressive early challenge. Brazilian striker Matheus Cunha broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, tapping home a precise setup from star winger Vinícius Júnior to put Brazil up 1-0. Cunha doubled his tally 13 minutes later, again connecting with a cross from Vinícius Júnior to extend Brazil’s lead to two goals. Just before halftime, in the third minute of stoppage time, Vinícius Júnior got on the scoresheet himself, converting a brilliant assist from Lucas Paquetá to make the score 3-0, putting the result out of reach before the teams entered the locker room.

    Migné made immediate tactical substitutions at the start of the second half, bringing on Wilson Isidor to replace striker Frantzdy Pierrot and Dany Jean Simon to take over from the yellow-carded Arcus. The adjustments yielded a more balanced second half, with the revised Grenadiers lineup showing more attacking enterprise and defensive discipline, successfully slowing down Brazil’s high-powered attack. Haiti managed to create a small number of promising chances, most notably through left-sided playmaker Jeanricner Bellegarde and striker Josué Casimir, but Brazil’s experienced defensive core led by center-back Marquinhos and goalkeeper Alisson held firm to keep a clean sheet. The full-time score remained 3-0 in Brazil’s favor.

    Despite the elimination, the match highlighted Haiti’s competitive spirit against a top-ranked global opponent. The result also reshapes Group C standings: Brazil bounces back from an opening-match draw with Morocco to claim the top spot in the group with 4 points from two matches, level on points with second-place Morocco, which also holds one win and one draw. Scotland sits in third with 3 points after one win, while Haiti remains at the bottom of the table with zero points from two matches and no goals scored.

    Now eliminated from contention for a spot in the Round of 32, Haiti will wrap up their 2026 World Cup campaign with a final Group C fixture against Morocco on June 24 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, kicking off at 6:00 p.m. local time. The Grenadiers will look to play the role of spoiler in the group’s final match, aiming to end their first World Cup appearance in decades on a positive high note against the 2022 tournament semi-finalists, currently ranked as the top national team in Africa.

  • PSU President Accuses Accountant General of “Passing the Buck”

    PSU President Accuses Accountant General of “Passing the Buck”

    As a national audit ordered by Prime Minister John Briceño moves forward, a public dispute over transparency in controversial government payment records has intensified, with the head of Belize’s largest public sector labor organization leveling sharp criticism at top financial oversight officials.

    The controversy centers on the government’s SmartStream payment platform, where the Public Service Union (PSU) has alleged widespread intentional circumvention of Treasury safeguards: the union claims senior finance officials have systematically split large public contracts into individual payments valued under $10,000, the threshold that triggers mandatory official oversight. This questionable practice has already been linked to nepotism claims involving relatives of Home Affairs Minister Oscar Mira, prompting the PSU to file a formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for full access to the relevant records.

    In the latest development, PSU President Dean Flowers says he has received unsatisfactory responses from both the Office of the Accountant General and the Auditor General, leaving the union no closer to obtaining the public records it is seeking.

    Speaking on the issue, Flowers revealed that the Accountant General’s response essentially defers all responsibility for the request to the Auditor General, a move he describes as blatant buck-passing. “She refused to confirm whether she would even review the SmartStream system, flag the problematic payment patterns used by financial officers, or release the names of the officials involved in these practices,” Flowers explained. The Auditor General, for its part, has echoed a common line: it claims releasing any information to the union would jeopardize the ongoing, prime minister-ordered audit.

    Flowers has rejected this justification outright, arguing that public access to established factual evidence cannot undermine an official investigation. “Evidence is evidence regardless of who holds it,” he noted. The PSU leader also suggested that the coordinated stonewalling from both oversight offices bears the clear mark of legal direction from the Attorney General’s Ministry.

    In a surprising addendum to his criticism, Flowers also voiced disappointment with the response of the Accountant General, a woman appointed to the senior leadership role. The PSU president emphasized that he is a strong proponent of increasing women’s representation in top government positions, but said it is disheartening to see appointees prioritize protecting the existing political status quo over upholding the public’s right to transparency and accountability.

    For its part, the Office of the Accountant General has stated it will cooperate fully with the ongoing government audit, a commitment that has done little to defuse the PSU’s demands for public disclosure of the records tied to the alleged nepotism and rule-breaking.

  • Teachers raise funding concerns over proposed assessment changes

    Teachers raise funding concerns over proposed assessment changes

    As Barbados moves forward with plans to reshape primary education assessment ahead of a 2026 launch, the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) has sounded a critical alarm: the sweeping reform could place unmanageable new financial burdens on education institutions already grappling with critical resource shortages. The union’s leadership is pressing the Ministry of Education Transformation for clear answers on how the government will fund the ambitious transition.

    The proposed changes, currently the subject of ongoing public and stakeholder consultations, are designed to replace the country’s long-standing model of relying on a single high-stakes exit exam for primary school students transitioning to secondary education. Starting in September 2026, the new framework will spread assessment across the final two years of primary school (Class Three and Class Four), splitting grading evenly between continuous in-school assessment and a standardized external exam. Education officials argue the shift will give students more opportunities to showcase their diverse skills, moving beyond the narrow measurement of a single three-hour test to evaluate learners’ growth and abilities over time.

    While BUT President Rudy Lovell acknowledges that the reform’s core goals are well-intentioned and could ultimately deliver benefits to students if executed properly, he emphasizes that transformative change cannot survive on policy vision alone. In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Lovell laid out the stark realities facing most of Barbados’ primary schools: many already operate with severe resource constraints, forcing classroom teachers to routinely cover the cost of basic supplies, teaching aids and learning materials out of their own personal salaries.

    Under the new framework, project-based learning will play a central role in continuous assessment — a model that requires extra materials, upgraded technology, expanded research access, flexible learning spaces and infrastructure to support collaborative student work. Beyond material costs, Lovell notes that continuous assessment also places far greater demands on teachers, requiring additional lesson preparation, specialized professional development, extensive ongoing record-keeping, and consistent cross-school coordination to ensure grading fairness and consistency.

    Against this backdrop, Lovell says policymakers have failed to address the most pressing question: where will the funding come from to support implementation. He has called on the ministry to confirm whether schools will receive increased budget allocations to purchase the materials needed for project-based learning, and whether dedicated funding will be allocated to eliminate the out-of-pocket costs that teachers currently bear. He stresses that education transformation should never force educators to take on extra work without the tools and resources they need to succeed, nor should it put students from underfunded schools at a disadvantage simply because their institution lacks the capacity to roll out the new framework.

    “ If Barbados is serious about transforming education, then funding must be viewed as a central pillar of reform rather than an afterthought,” Lovell said. “ Policymakers must ensure that every school, regardless of size or location, has the resources necessary to deliver the new curriculum and assessment framework successfully.”

    Teachers across the country are also waiting for clear, timely clarity on how these additional demands will be addressed as the 2026 launch date approaches, Lovell added. “ As the nation considers these significant changes, teachers deserve clear answers regarding how the Ministry plans to address the increased demands on schools and ensure that adequate funding accompanies this new initiative,” he said.

    A spokesperson for the Ministry of Education Transformation told Barbados TODAY that the union’s concerns have been formally noted, and consultations with stakeholders remain ongoing through town halls and other community engagements. Once the consultation period concludes and all submitted feedback has been reviewed and analyzed, the ministry will issue a comprehensive public response to address raised concerns.

    The reform is on track to launch with the cohort of students entering Class Three in September 2026, who will become the first group of learners assessed under the new framework. The current Class Three cohort will remain the final group to complete the transition under the existing single-exam model.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Special Prosecutor in Elmer Nah’s Case Speaks to News 5

    EXCLUSIVE: Special Prosecutor in Elmer Nah’s Case Speaks to News 5

    Nearly three and a half years after one of Belmopan’s most brutal mass murders shocked the local community, former police corporal Elmer Nah has been sentenced to three concurrent life terms, with a mandatory 50-year lockup before he can apply for parole. The sentence handed down Friday by Justice Nigel Pilgrim means the convicted killer will not be eligible for release until he reaches at least 90 years of age. Nah was found guilty in May of gunning down three members of the Ramnarace family — Vivian, John, and David Ramnarace — inside their private Belmopan residence on New Year’s Eve 2022. He was also convicted of the attempted murder of a fourth family member, a violent attack that was witnessed by the victim’s five-year-old niece, who was present at the home during the killings.

    In an exclusive interview with News 5 following the sentencing, special prosecutor King’s Counsel Terrence Williams opened up about the emotional weight of the high-profile case, which came across his desk after more than 30 years of his legal career. “For me, although I’ve been in this work now for thirty-odd years, it was a very emotional experience yesterday to hear from her aunt how the young girl has had to cope with losing her mother and father. It is a sadness. I feel assured that she’ll have great family support going forward and will take some solace, some comfort – the family will; the family of the deceased and the injured will take some solace in the verdict,” Williams shared.

    The routine sentencing hearing took an unexpected, highly irregular turn just 10 minutes after proceedings began, when Nah raised his hand to request permission to address the court. Justice Pilgrim initially noted that Nah had already been given the opportunity to make a statement during the prior day’s mitigation hearing, but the convicted man pushed back, claiming his own defense attorney, Dr. Lynden Jones, had failed to properly advise him on the purpose and benefits of participating in the mitigation process. The judge ultimately granted the rare, last-minute request.

    In his unplanned statement to the court, Nah again asserted his innocence, offered generic condolences to the grieving Ramnarace family, and made the explosive claim that another disgraced former police officer was the person responsible for the 2022 killings. He closed his remarks by telling the court, “If I’m to be sentenced to 100 years, I know my conscience is clean.”

    Williams, the special prosecutor, called the outburst a highly unusual development in a criminal trial. “One thing about courthouse matters is that strange things always happen. And this utterance in court is very strange. We had a very long trial where any defence could have been advanced before the court during that trial. It’s a very strange thing,” he told News 5.

    As court bailiffs escorted Nah out of the courtroom following sentencing, a News 5 reporter asked him for comment on his experience with his legal representation. Nah did not mince words, calling his defense “bogus” and claiming his attorney had deliberately sabotaged his case.

    Legal analysts who have followed the case note that Nah’s criticism of his defense counsel’s performance creates a clear potential ground for a future appeal of his conviction and sentence. When asked about the possibility of an appeal, Williams confirmed that any decision to challenge the verdict rests solely with Nah, saying, “The question of appeal is up to him.”

  • Ukraine’s Drone Strategy Exposes Gaps in Russian Air Defences

    Ukraine’s Drone Strategy Exposes Gaps in Russian Air Defences

    On June 19, 2026, Ukraine launched its largest drone assault on Moscow since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, an attack that has brought long-simmering questions about Russia’s ability to protect its sovereign airspace against coordinated unmanned aerial assaults into sharp global focus.

    User-recorded video footage circulating from the Russian capital captured dramatic scenes of conflict within urban areas: Russian soldiers deployed portable anti-aircraft weapons from busy highway corridors, while civilian residents scrambled for emergency shelter as incoming drones and falling defense debris crashed into locations near residential neighborhoods. In one particularly notable misfire, Russian defense sources confirmed that an air-defense missile, launched to intercept an incoming drone, missed its intended target and collided with an oil storage facility, causing damage to the infrastructure.

    Military analysts tracking the evolution of Ukraine’s drone warfare tactics say Kyiv has invested years of systematic development into expanding its domestic and international drone capabilities, pairing production growth with targeted strikes on Russian early-warning radar stations and fixed air-defense launcher sites across occupied and border regions. This gradual strategy has forced Russian military command to stretch its limited air-defense resources across a massive 1,000-plus kilometer front line and deep into Russian core territory, diluting defensive coverage around high-priority domestic targets such as energy infrastructure and government sites.

    Further, defense experts point out a fundamental design flaw in the majority of Russia’s legacy air-defense systems: most were engineered decades ago to counter large, high-fidelity targets such as combat aircraft and ballistic missiles, not the small, low-flying, mass-deployed drones that Ukraine now uses. This mismatch creates an overwhelming effect for Russian defenders: when Kyiv launches salvos of more than 100 drones in a single coordinated attack, defensive systems become overloaded with targets, allowing a portion of the drones to slip through coverage and strike their intended objectives deep inside Russia.

    While Russian official statements consistently claim that the vast majority of incoming Ukrainian drones are intercepted before reaching their targets, the growing frequency of successful attacks on key Russian sites — including central Moscow, St. Petersburg, critical oil storage and refining facilities, and military command outposts — makes clear that Ukraine has steadily improved its ability to penetrate even Russia’s most heavily defended airspace.

    Top defense analysts have issued a clear warning: unless Russian military leadership undertakes a sweeping, comprehensive upgrade of its integrated air-defense network to address the growing threat of mass drone attacks, the country will continue to face repeated incursions and critical infrastructure damage from Kyiv’s evolving unmanned warfare strategy.

  • Are Police Officers the Least Fit of the Three Security Forces?

    Are Police Officers the Least Fit of the Three Security Forces?

    In a public wrap-up event for its annual Police Week celebrations, the Belize Police Department brought hundreds of officers from every district across the nation together for a multi-sport wellness day on June 19, 2026, marking a concrete step to counter long-running public criticism that the force ranks as the least physically fit among Belize’s three national security branches.

    Organized to prioritize the holistic well-being of frontline law enforcement personnel, the day of activity featured a diverse lineup of competitions and recreational events, ranging from team sports including football, basketball, and volleyball, to endurance cycling, formal track-and-field contests, and even the popular tabletop game dominoes. The event, sponsored by leading local provider RF&G Insurance, was intentionally structured not as a high-stakes assessment, but as a much-needed break from the constant, high-pressure demands of everyday policing, according to senior government officials.

    Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, chief executive officer of Belize’s Home Affairs Ministry, told local outlet News 5 that the gathering was designed to give officers space to step away from their regular duties and connect with colleagues outside of operational work. “We found time today to set aside just to have fun,” Bennett noted, framing the sports day as a core component of the department’s broader cultural shift toward proactive wellness support.

    Bennett openly addressed the persistent public narrative that labels Belize’s police officers as the most out of shape among the country’s security forces, confirming that department leadership has already implemented systemic changes to correct this perception and improve overall force fitness. A key new measure is the recent graduation and national deployment of a specialized cohort of full-time physical training instructors, who are now assigned to local units and formations across the country. Their core mandate, Bennett explained, is to embed consistent, structured physical fitness routines and ongoing training programs into every unit’s regular schedule.

    Beyond structural changes to training, Bennett also acknowledged the unique systemic barriers that make consistent fitness and healthy living a challenge for frontline officers. Unlike traditional 9-to-5 occupations, policing requires long, irregular shift rotations that often disrupt regular meal schedules and access to consistent self-care. Officers on duty are frequently limited to whatever food is readily available during their shifts, rather than being able to adhere to structured, nutritious eating plans that support long-term health. “It’s definitely one of those jobs that does not adhere to the routine of time and meal hours,” Bennett explained.

    To address these overlapping challenges, the Belize Police Department is now building a holistic wellness framework that integrates more than just physical training, Bennett confirmed. The new approach explicitly includes targeted nutrition guidance and support to help officers make healthy choices while on shift, as well as expanded mental health resources to address the chronic psychological stress that comes with law enforcement work. Officials say the initiative represents a long-term investment in both officer performance and quality of life, rather than a quick response to public criticism.

  • Grenada tourism push draws Bajan interest

    Grenada tourism push draws Bajan interest

    A new regional tourism push by Grenada is drawing enthusiastic early feedback from Barbadian travelers, with data already pointing to rising cross-island visitor numbers following a slate of targeted promotional events hosted in the Barbadian capital Bridgetown, a senior Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) marketing representative has confirmed.

    Speaking exclusively to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of a business trade exposition hosted at Bridgetown’s popular PureOceans Restaurant, Kwame Hamilton, a marketing assistant with the GTA, outlined that the event brought together local Grenadian tourism stakeholders and Barbadian attendees, who got a first-hand look at the destination’s unique offerings—including opportunities to sample Grenada’s world-famous spice exports and local culinary creations. Hundreds of Barbadian citizens stopped by the exposition’s booths to connect with tourism partners and learn more about vacation, adventure and cultural experiences available on the island, Hamilton added.

    “We created this space to let Barbadians meet directly with our team and local operators, so they can get detailed, up-to-date information about everything Grenada has to offer,” Hamilton said during the event, which was documented by photographer Shamar Blunt.

    The multi-day promotional campaign will extend to a public pop-up activation at Bridgetown’s Worthing Square on Friday, opening the initiative up to even more Barbadians who want to explore what the “Isle of Spice” has to offer. According to Hamilton, the pop-up will serve as another accessible hub for consumers to collect travel information, ask questions, and connect with tourism experts.

    At its core, the campaign is designed to boost public awareness of Grenada’s diverse tourism assets among Barbadian travel agents, prospective visitors, and the general public. Beyond its global reputation as the “Isle of Spice,” Hamilton highlighted that Grenada boasts unspoiled natural landscapes, rich colonial and cultural history, and a wide range of unique leisure experiences that appeal to regional Caribbean travelers.

    Organizers hope that after engaging with the promotional events, Barbadians will leave with a deeper appreciation for all that Grenada has to offer as a travel destination, and will consider it for their next regional getaway.

    Hamilton noted that this type of targeted regional marketing has a proven track record of success. Past similar promotional campaigns have already translated to measurable growth in cross-border travel between the two Caribbean nations, with visitor numbers from Barbados to Grenada posting consistent upward movement in recent years. “After our previous promotions, we saw a clear uptick in traffic between Grenada and Barbados, and our market numbers have been trending up ever since,” Hamilton added.

  • Derde helft WK 2026: VS boekt eerste dubbele WK-overwinning in 96 jaar

    Derde helft WK 2026: VS boekt eerste dubbele WK-overwinning in 96 jaar

    At the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted in Seattle, the United States men’s national team carried the momentum from their impressive opening win over Paraguay into their second group stage match against Australia on June 19. Buoyed by a raucous home crowd at Seattle Stadium, the Americans got off to a flying start, leaving the Socceroos struggling to keep pace for much of the fixture en route to a historic 2-0 victory.

    Right from the opening kickoff, the US pushed high and pressed aggressively, aiming to put Australia on the back foot early. Just five minutes in, forward Folarin Balogun carved open the Australian defense with a clever run, playing a delicate lobed pass into the path of striker Ricardo Pepi that was only just cut out by an alert Socceroos defender. The Americans felt the absence of captain Christian Pulisic, who missed the clash through injury, but his teammates stepped up quickly to fill the void left by their star playmaker.

    The home side broke the deadlock in the first half courtesy of an unfortunate own goal. After Balogun drove into the box and played a low, sharp cross across the six-yard box, Australia’s Cameron Burgess deflected the ball into his own net under pressure, sending the capacity home crowd into raptures. From that point, the US dominated play down both flanks, with dynamic combinations from Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest keeping Australia’s defense constantly pinned back. The Socceroos struggled to find any rhythm against the Americans’ blistering pressing and sharp, accurate passing, with McKennie coming close to doubling the lead shortly after the opening goal, only for his effort to be cleared off the line at the last moment.

    As halftime approached, the US doubled their lead from a set piece. Sergiño Dest took a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, and his powerful low shot deflected off an Australian defender, bouncing into the air towards the back post. Alex Freeman rose above the defense to power a header into the net, sending the stadium into a second wave of celebration. The moment of joy was briefly paused for a VAR check, with match officials needing to confirm that Freeman was not offside when he made the header. After several tense minutes of review, the goal was confirmed to be valid, leaving the home crowd breathing a collective sigh of relief and cementing the US’s 2-0 lead going into halftime.

    Seven minutes of stoppage time were added to the end of the first half, which the US saw out comfortably, with Australia unable to create any clear cut chances before the break. After halftime, Australia manager made three attacking substitutions to inject fresh energy into his side, bringing on Nestory Irankunda, Connor Metcalfe and Jason Geria. The changes immediately turned the tide of the second half, with the Socceroos looking far more dangerous going forward. Irankunda caused constant problems down the right flank, delivering a series of dangerous crosses into the box, while Metcalfe forced US keeper Matt Freese into a smart save with a well-struck long-range effort. Despite their improved attacking output, Australia still could not find a way through the US’s well-organized defense.

    With a two-goal lead to protect, the US adopted a more controlled, possession-based approach in the second half, managing the game tempo effectively while soaking up Australia’s increased pressure. The Socceroos still had several close calls: Irankunda had a strong penalty appeal turned down by the referee, and Volpato saw a powerful effort drift just over the crossbar late in the game.

    German referee Felix Zwayer, the match official, was kept busy throughout the 90 minutes, dishing out multiple yellow cards for hard tackles from both sides, a decision that occasionally drew boos from the crowd. But the most memorable moment of the entire match came in the closing stages, when Zwayer suddenly suffered a cramp and collapsed to the ground. In a heartwarming display of sportsmanship, Balogun immediately went over to help stretch the referee’s calf, while other match officials rushed over to provide assistance. The crowd broke out into warm applause as Zwayer recovered enough to continue the match.

    In the final minutes, US manager Mauricio Pochettino brought on fresh substitutes to see out the game and protect the two-goal lead. When the final whistle blew, the US had secured their second consecutive World Cup win – a feat the nation had not achieved in 96 years. The historic victory keeps the US perfectly positioned to advance out of the group stage, capping off a match filled with attacking passion, fierce competitive fight, and an unexpected moment of sportsmanship that reminded fans of the human side of the beautiful game.

  • Regional climate grant to support drainage and landslide mitigation project in Atkinson

    Regional climate grant to support drainage and landslide mitigation project in Atkinson

    Vulnerable to worsening extreme weather driven by climate change, the small coastal community of Atkinson in Dominica is poised to upgrade its natural hazard protection thanks to a new cross-regional climate initiative led by Caribbean conservation groups. On June 17, 2026, the Dominica National Conservation Trust Fund (DNCTF) and the Atkinson Village Council formalized an agreement to deploy a $5,000 climate resilience contribution from the Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (BPAF), marking a new example of regional cooperation addressing shared climate threats.

    As the local administrator for the funding, DNCTF will oversee the three-month project, which is scheduled to wrap up implementation by September 2026. The initiative targets the most pressing climate-related risks facing Atkinson: recurrent flooding and landslides worsened by outdated drainage infrastructure and eroding hillsides. Planned interventions range from clearing decades of blockages from existing drainage networks and building new French drains in high-erosion zones to completing slope stabilization work and purchasing core equipment for long-term maintenance and future hazard mitigation.

    For years, Atkinson has grappled with intensifying extreme weather impacts that have outpaced the community’s existing protective infrastructure. Frequent heavy rainfall events, amplified by global climate shifts, have triggered repeated flooding, widespread soil erosion, and unstable slope conditions, while inadequate drainage has compounded these threats. These hazards not only put local residents’ safety at risk but also damage critical public infrastructure and undermine the livelihoods that depend on the area’s natural resources.

    Beyond the immediate goal of improving community safety, the project is designed to deliver lasting environmental co-benefits. By cutting down on soil erosion and reducing sediment runoff that pollutes local waterways and nearby coastal ecosystems, the upgrades will help preserve native biodiversity, maintain the health of critical marine and terrestrial habitats, and boost the entire region’s long-term capacity to adapt to climate change.

    DNCTF leadership framed the cross-border partnership as a model for collective climate action across the Caribbean, a region where small island nations share disproportionate climate risk despite contributing the least to global emissions. Dr. Rhonda Linton, DNCTF’s Chief Executive Officer, emphasized that conservation and climate action do not recognize national boundaries. “The support provided by the Bahamas Protected Areas Fund reflects a shared commitment to protecting our environment, strengthening climate resilience, and ensuring that vulnerable communities have the resources needed to adapt and thrive,” Linton said. “It is a powerful reminder that when we invest in nature, we invest in people, livelihoods, and the future of our region.”

    The collaboration between BPAF, DNCTF and the Atkinson Village Council has been widely cited as a replicable example of how targeted regional cooperation can deliver tangible, community-centered climate adaptation. By centering local needs and pooling resources across borders, the partnership demonstrates that small, targeted investments can deliver outsized benefits for frontline communities while safeguarding shared natural resources for generations to come.