Havana, Cuba – Cuba’s Council of State has called an extraordinary third session of the National Assembly of People’s Power, to be held Thursday afternoon during the legislative body’s 10th term. The gathering carries major national significance, as it will bring together parliamentary representatives to evaluate a sweeping set of policy blueprints for economic and social development that were publicly unveiled just days prior by Miguel Diaz-Canel, who serves both as President of Cuba and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC).
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Antigua Cancer Centre Expected to Open for Treatment Services This Fall
After years of planning and development, Antigua and Barbuda is moving closer to launching its first local cancer treatment center, with government officials confirming this week that services are on track to launch by early fall this year. The announcement, delivered during the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing by Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant, outlines that final construction, key staffing recruitment, and specialized equipment preparations are all progressing according to schedule.
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55 Teachers Begin Training to Support Differently-Abled Students
For decades, Belizean families raising children with disabilities and learning differences have grappled with a persistent, systemic gap: a severe shortage of educators trained to meet their children’s unique learning needs. That gap is finally beginning to close, as the country’s Ministry of Education launched a landmark national inclusive education training initiative this week, backed by funding and technical support from two leading global education and development organizations, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Global Partnership for Education.
The initiative kicked off with an inaugural cohort of 55 participants, comprising practicing classroom teachers and veteran Special Education Officers, who are currently undergoing a seven-day intensive in-person training split across two of Belize’s key educational hubs. Trainees split their time between the main campus of the University of Belize in the capital city of Belmopan and the facilities of the ITVET Institute in Belize City, the country’s largest urban center, working with leading education specialists to build core skills in adaptive instruction and inclusive classroom design.
Once participants complete all program requirements and earn their official certification, they will step into new roles as Special and Inclusive Education Coaches tasked with cascading their knowledge across the entire national education system. Unlike traditional one-off training workshops, this scalable coach model is designed to create a sustainable network of trained educators across Belize: each coach will be responsible for training and ongoing mentoring of classroom teachers in their regions, equipping local educators with the skills to develop customized Individual Education Plans for students who require extra support, and adapt classroom spaces, curricula, and teaching methods to welcome and accommodate learners of all abilities.
The intensive in-person kickoff is only the first phase of the initiative. Following the opening week of on-site training, participants will continue their development through a structured program of online coursework and long-term one-on-one mentoring from international inclusive education experts. When fully rolled out, program organizers project that the initiative will ultimately reach and upskill more than 500 teachers across every region of Belize, laying the foundation for a more equitable national education system that leaves no student behind.
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Cricket West Indies Proposes US$6.6 Million Antigua Campus to Drive Cricket Development
Cricket West Indies (CWI), the governing body for cricket across the Caribbean region, has formally put forward an ambitious $6.6 million proposal to build a state-of-the-art regional cricket development campus on the island of Antigua. The planned facility is designed to address longstanding gaps in high-performance training infrastructure, grassroots talent identification, and specialized coaching education that have held back the sport’s growth across the Caribbean. If approved, the campus will be constructed on a sprawling plot of government-allocated land in the north of Antigua, a location chosen for its easy access to international travel links, consistent warm climate ideal for year-round training, and existing proximity to several well-established regional cricket grounds. The proposed facility will include multiple full-size match-quality playing pitches, a specialist bowling and batting center with advanced biomechanical analysis equipment, accommodation for up to 80 emerging players and coaching trainees, a sports science and medicine clinic, and classroom spaces for coaching education and governance courses. CWI officials note that the project will not only elevate the standard of high-performance cricket for men’s, women’s, and youth teams across the West Indies, but also position Antigua as a regional hub for cricket tourism, attracting international teams for pre-tournament training camps and generating sustained economic activity for the island’s hospitality and service sectors. The proposal is currently undergoing review by Antigua and Barbuda’s national planning authorities and potential funding partners, with construction expected to break ground in late 2025 if approved, and full completion targeted for 2027.
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Cabinet Backs Utility Upgrades and Consumer Relief Measures
Facing ongoing global economic uncertainty, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda has given formal approval to a sweeping package of infrastructure and consumer protection measures focused on upgrading the nation’s water supply and telecommunications systems while shielding households and businesses from volatile international market shifts.
During a recent cabinet meeting, senior officials received detailed progress updates on joint infrastructure projects led by the national government and the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA), with water infrastructure expansion topping the priority list. Currently, the country produces roughly 11 million imperial gallons of water daily, and this output is projected to rise steadily as newly built infrastructure is brought online in the coming months.
To address longstanding storage gaps, a broad rehabilitation program is already underway for multiple existing water storage tanks, with most set to resume operations within this year. The plan also includes major upgrades to six tanks located at the country’s Air Force Base: four will undergo full rehabilitation, while two will receive comprehensive modernization, a change that will significantly boost the nation’s total water storage capacity.
In a move to protect consumer purchasing power, cabinet has reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to maintaining a federal subsidy for gasoline prices. Officials confirmed that this policy remains a critical buffer that insulates domestic consumers from sharp swings in global crude oil prices, which have remained highly unpredictable amid ongoing international economic turbulence.
Turning to telecommunications upgrades, the cabinet received updates on multiple ongoing initiatives designed to improve service quality across the country. A key project in the pipeline is the construction of an additional network sub-station, which is expected to substantially boost both mobile network reliability and fixed-line internet speeds for residential and commercial users.
APUA is also moving forward with plans for a bond issuance, a financing mechanism that would provide the capital needed to fund large-scale infrastructure upgrades across both water and telecommunications sectors, with discussions on the structure and launch of the initiative still ongoing.
Significant progress has already been recorded on the national subsea communications cable project, an infrastructure investment that is slated to dramatically strengthen Antigua and Barbuda’s entire communications network by boosting both overall capacity and resilience to outages.
In a long-term planning update, APUA told cabinet that the implementation of mobile number portability is on track to launch by July 2026. Once the policy goes into effect, telecommunications customers across the country will gain the ability to switch providers while retaining their existing phone numbers, giving consumers greater flexibility and fostering increased competition in the domestic market.
Moving forward, government officials emphasized that they will maintain close, ongoing monitoring of global oil market trends, and stand ready to implement additional targeted measures if needed to limit the impact of rising energy costs on local households and business operations.
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SLBMC Staff Hold Memorial Walk to Honour Late Surgeon Dr. Subbiah Radhakrishnan
On a quiet, reflective gathering at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, hundreds of clinical and administrative staff came together to participate in a memorial walk celebrating the life and enduring legacy of Dr. Subbiah Radhakrishnan, a beloved consultant surgeon who left an indelible mark on Antigua and Barbuda’s healthcare system.
The walk drew cross-departmental participation, from attending physicians and bedside nurses to hospital executives and behind-the-scenes support staff, all united by shared memories of the doctor known affectionately to the community as Dr. Krishnan. As participants walked the pre-planned route through the hospital grounds, attendees shared personal anecdotes that highlighted the decades of selfless, dedicated service Dr. Krishnan gave to patients and colleagues across the twin-island nation.
Colleagues universally remembered him for three key traits that defined his decades-long career: exceptional surgical skill that raised the standard of care at the medical centre, unwavering professionalism that set an example for every team member, and a deep, abiding commitment to delivering compassionate, high-quality treatment to every patient he treated. Beyond his clinical work, many younger medical professionals in attendance highlighted his consistent willingness to serve as a mentor, passing down his knowledge, work ethic, and patient-centric approach to the next generation of Antigua and Barbuda’s healthcare workers.
By the end of the event, participants shared that the walk was far more than a ceremonial gathering: it was a fitting tribute to a physician who earned the respect of everyone he worked with, and whose positive influence on the country’s medical community will continue to be felt for generations to come.
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Fathers make a difference through presence and sacrifice
KINGSTON, Jamaica — As the country prepares to mark Father’s Day on June 21, a quiet but profound cultural shift is reshaping understandings of what it means to be a father across Jamaican households and communities. No longer limited to the traditional role of primary breadwinner, modern fatherhood in Jamaica increasingly includes emotional engagement, daily caregiving and consistent, intentional presence even amid the pressures of work and life.
Three Jamaican fathers from different professional backgrounds and age cohorts are illustrative of this changing landscape: 58-year-old Gerald Miller, a health promotion and education officer at the Westmoreland Health Department; 58-year-old Kavanaugh Campbell, a technical officer at the Jamaica Information Service; and 33-year-old Dr. Daren Johnson, a senior advisor and consultant for the Government of Jamaica. For all three men, fatherhood is far more than a one-day annual celebration — it is a lifelong commitment that stands as one of the most meaningful contributions a man can make to his country’s long-term growth.
Dr. Johnson, a younger-generation father from Middle Buxton, St. Ann, has centered active presence as the core of his parenting philosophy. Though he balances multiple high-demand professional roles — including senior government advisor, immigration advocate, college professor and school board chair — he says no title holds more meaning for him than that of “father.” He welcomed his son S’Wayne when he was 22, an experience he describes as the most defining event of his entire life.
“Before S’Wayne, ambition was all about me. Now every decision passes through one question: what does that build for him?” Dr. Johnson explained. Fatherhood, he added, has transformed his character, making him more patient, more purpose-driven and far less self-centered with his time. Even with a packed schedule, he prioritizes small, daily moments with his son: checking in on his school life, traveling together, listening to music, and turning ordinary interactions into opportunities to teach life values. On multiple occasions, he has turned down lucrative professional assignments or left key engagements early to honor his parenting responsibilities.
“Opportunities come back around, but you only get one chance at the moments that shape a child,” he noted. Dr. Johnson hopes to instill faith, integrity, humility and pride in his son’s cultural roots — and he prioritizes modeling these values rather than just speaking about them, well aware that children learn more from parental action than words. He also has an urgent message for fathers who are disconnected from their children: “find your children, give them a little love. Try to make the communication start from there.”
As Jamaica gathers to honor fathers this year, the stories of these three men highlight a national move away from the outdated, narrow framing of fathers as only financial providers toward a fuller, more holistic vision of fatherhood that values emotional investment and active involvement in children’s daily lives.
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Brazil beat Haiti 3-0 in World Cup Group C
PHILADELPHIA, U.S. – In a compelling Group C clash at the World Cup on Friday, Brazil delivered a commanding 3-0 performance against Haiti, tightening its grip on the group standings while eliminating the Caribbean underdog from tournament contention early.
The five-time world champions controlled the tempo of the match from the opening whistle, limiting Haiti to very few dangerous chances on goal. Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha stole the show with a clinical brace, finding the back of the net twice to put his side in a comfortable position before halftime. Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior added a third late in the contest to seal the comprehensive result, putting the cherry on top of a polished team performance.
For Haiti, the defeat marks an early end to their World Cup journey, making them the first team to bow out of this edition of the tournament. For Brazil, the convincing three points move them into a strong position to advance to the knockout stage, boosting their momentum ahead of their final group stage fixture.
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Oblique Seville looks set to defend men’s 100m
KINGSTON, Jamaica — One of the sport’s most exciting young sprinters is one step away from retaining his national crown, after a blistering semi-final performance at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Championships held at Kingston’s National Stadium on Thursday evening.
World 100m champion Oblique Seville delivered the fastest time of the entire semi-final round, clocking a smooth 9.95 seconds with a legal 0.2 meters per second tailwind to take victory in his heat, cementing his status as the overwhelming favorite heading into Friday’s men’s 100m final.
Seville faced an early test from 19-year-old rising star Gary Card, who stayed neck-and-neck with the champion through the first 60 meters of the race. But Seville’s signature closing power allowed him to pull away from the University of Technology competitor in the final stretch, with Card crossing the line in 10.07 seconds to also secure his spot in the 8-man final, which is scheduled to get underway at 9:15 pm local time.
In the second semi-final heat, World Indoor 60m bronze medalist Ackeem Blake claimed the win with a 10.05 second performance, run into a slight headwind of -0.8 m/s. Nishion Ebanks finished second in the heat, clocking an impressive new personal best of 10.18 seconds to punch his ticket to the final.
Four other sprinters joined Seville, Card, Blake and Ebanks in advancing to the title round. Former national champion Rohan Watson secured his final spot with a 10.12 second run in Seville’s heat, while Javari Thomas (10.27s, -0.8m/s) and rising sprinter Bouwahjgie Nkrumie (10.14s) also rounded out the final field after solid semi-final showings.
The national championship 100m final is one of the most anticipated annual events on Jamaica’s sporting calendar, often serving as a key selection event for global championship teams, with all eyes on Seville to see if he can add another national title to his growing world championship resume.
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Morocco beat Scotland to close on World Cup knockouts
FOXBOROUGH, U.S. – In a tightly contested World Cup group stage fixture at Gillette Stadium on Friday, Morocco secured a tense 1-0 victory over Scotland, putting the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists on the cusp of advancing to the knockout phase. The match’s decisive moment came just two minutes after kickoff, when young Moroccan midfielder Ismael Saibari found the back of the net, setting the tone for 88 minutes of high-stakes defending from the Atlas Lions.
By the end of full time, the result pushed Morocco to the top spot in Group C with four points accumulated from their opening two matches. For Scotland, the defeat brought crushing disappointment: a win would have put them in pole position to secure their first ever berth in the World Cup knockout round, a milestone the nation has never managed to reach in its long tournament history. Now the side must wait on the final group round results to see if their knockout hopes can be revived, leaving their dream of progression hanging in the balance.