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  • Communities welcome plan

    Communities welcome plan

    Across several residential and commercial communities in Trinidad, local residents and business owners are reacting to a new national crime-fighting plan: the government’s rollout of 30 joint army-police outposts spread across the country. During on-the-ground interviews with the Express in communities including Acono Road in Maracas Valley-St Joseph, zones adjacent to the Grand Bazaar Interchange, and Kelly Village in Caroni, most stakeholders expressed broad support for the initiative, even as many raised pointed questions about its implementation and potential unintended consequences.

    On Acono Road, a taxi driver who goes by Malcolm questioned why existing local police officers could not already carry out the increased patrol duties that the new posts are designed to deliver. “I am not saying current officers are doing nothing,” he explained. “If they are already based at the nearby station, they could carry out these same daytime patrols right now.” Malcolm also raised a key concern that the visible security presence could unfairly stigmatize his community, which relies heavily on tourism. The area is a popular starting point for hikes to Maracas Bay and local waterfalls, and hosts private events like wedding receptions for visitors. “An army and police post might make visitors think this is a dangerous place, and that could hurt the local economy that depends on tourism,” he added.

    Despite Malcolm’s concerns, many other residents in the area welcomed the new security measure. A woman at Acono Junction called the plan a positive step, saying it could deter criminal groups from roaming freely and ultimately bring down local crime rates. A man who was gathered with a group of nearby residents also backed the initiative, noting that while he still lacks details on how the posts will operate, the idea makes sense. He argued that consistent, active patrols would push loitering individuals with criminal intent out of the area and crack down on open drug dealing. Other locals said they reserve final judgment until they see how the initiative is carried out, with many emphasizing that officers need to leave the posts to conduct active patrols rather than staying stationary on-site. Steve Villaroel, a local resident, framed the plan as a net positive, noting that most criminal activity in the area is carried out by outsiders, and the posts would help residents feel safer.

    In Kelly Village, at a roundabout off the Southern Main Road, poultry vendor John Ramlal also threw his support behind increased permanent security presence, while adding a key recommendation that all officers deployed to the posts should wear body cameras. “Body cameras would help hold everyone accountable,” Ramlal explained. “Good citizens will feel safer, and criminals will be deterred from operating here. We already see how visible police presence improves the area – whenever officers park near the Beetham, traffic flows far more smoothly.” Ramlal added that Kelly Village has struggled with violent crime for years, including shootings in public areas, and has long needed a permanent police footprint. “The area has gotten a bad reputation because of crime, but beyond that it is a nice, convenient place to live,” he said. “A permanent post will help us feel protected again.”

    Ornamental plant vendor Felix Hernandez, who operates along Caroni South Bank Road, echoed Ramlal’s support, saying the area has long dealt with persistent crime issues and the new posts are a much-needed intervention. Business owners in the nearby Bamboo community shared similar positive views. A local food vendor, who keeps his stall open until 2 a.m., said already frequent police patrols have had a clear positive impact for late-shift businesses. “I have operated here for 15 years, and thank God I have never been robbed, which I credit to the consistent patrols we already get,” he said. “A permanent post will only drive crime down further.” An employee at a local pizza outlet also supported the plan, noting that response times for emergency police calls are often unacceptably slow in the area, and a local post would cut down on wait times for help when incidents occur.

    Overall, while community members raised legitimate questions about operational details and potential negative impacts, the overwhelming reaction from the communities visited was approval of the government’s new crime-fighting push.

  • Grote internationale operatie tegen milieumisdrijven in Amazoneregio

    Grote internationale operatie tegen milieumisdrijven in Amazoneregio

    In one of the largest coordinated law enforcement operations targeting environmental crime in the world’s largest tropical rainforest, police forces from five Amazon basin nations — Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru — have arrested hundreds of people and seized massive volumes of illegal timber, minerals, and rescued thousands of trafficked animals.

    Called Operation Green Shield 2026, the initiative ran from July 15 to 31, deploying more than 3,600 officers to crack down on a range of illicit activities including illegal mining, unregulated logging, wildlife trafficking, fuel smuggling and land grabbing. Across 1,045 separate field operations carried out across remote border and riverine regions of the Amazon, authorities recorded 839 arrests, according to official operation data.

    Among the major seizures, law enforcement agents confiscated over 280,000 cubic meters of illegally harvested timber — a volume large enough to fill roughly 110 Olympic-sized swimming pools. They also seized more than 195 tons of illegally extracted minerals, including gold, coal, iron and copper, along with heavy equipment used for unlicensed mining. In addition to targeting timber and mineral poaching, the operation rescued more than 3,000 live trafficked wild animals, and recovered the remains of at least 430 dead animals destined for the illegal wildlife trade. The rescued animals span a wide range of species, from snakes and birds to lizards and freshwater fish. The attached photo, taken near Paimado, Colombia, shows clear deforestation along the Quito River caused by unregulated illegal mining activity in the region.

    Environmental crime has emerged as one of the most profitable illegal industries in the Amazon basin, driven by relentless global demand for gold, tropical hardwood, and exotic wildlife. Criminal networks often combine illegal mining, logging and wildlife trafficking, sharing cross-border smuggling routes and transnational financial networks to evade authorities. These groups frequently move people and contraband between national jurisdictions to avoid detection and prosecution, making coordinated international cooperation an absolute necessity to combat the threat, law enforcement leaders emphasize.

    Operation Green Shield 2026 was coordinated from Bogotá, Colombia, by the International Initiative of Law Enforcement for Climate (I2LEC), an initiative launched in 2023 by the United Arab Emirates in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The organization’s core mission is to strengthen cross-border collaboration to disrupt and dismantle environmental crime networks.

    This year’s operation builds on a similar successful coordinated campaign held in 2025, when four Amazon nations joined forces to share intelligence and launch simultaneous cross-border action against environmental crime. For 2026, Bolivia joined the partnership, expanding the operation’s reach into new areas of the basin.

    Colonel Dana Humaid, director of international affairs at the UAE Ministry of Interior, noted that the operation’s outcomes demonstrate that joint collective action is far more effective at countering transnational crime than unilateral national enforcement. The total estimated value of all seized contraband from the operation exceeds $280 million, according to official estimates.

    General William Oswaldo Rincón Zambrano, head of the Colombian National Police, underlined that the operation proves that shared intelligence can be translated into coordinated, impactful enforcement action across multiple jurisdictions. His Peruvian counterpart, General J. Manuel Cruz Chamba, reiterated that environmental crime does not respect international borders, so sustained cross-border collaboration is an indispensable tool to protect the Amazon ecosystem.

  • Suriname Ambassador urges stronger regional action against human trafficking

    Suriname Ambassador urges stronger regional action against human trafficking

    On the occasion of the United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, marked during a formal meeting of the Organization of American States Permanent Council at its Washington D.C. headquarters, Suriname’s top envoy to the hemispheric body has issued an urgent call for stepped-up collective action to dismantle transnational human trafficking networks operating across the Caribbean and Americas.

    Ambassador Marlon Faisal Mohamed-Hoesien, Suriname’s Permanent Representative to the OAS and current Chair of the CARICOM Caucus, used the high-profile platform to highlight the unique structural vulnerabilities that make Caribbean nations particularly attractive to criminal trafficking groups. While he praised existing regional and hemispheric efforts to curb the crime, he stressed that the evolving nature of human trafficking demands far more coordinated, cross-border collaboration to address gaps in protection and regulation.

    In his address to the council, the ambassador framed all forms of human trafficking—including sexual exploitation, forced labor, and every other iteration of modern slavery—as an egregious violation of fundamental human rights that cannot be overlooked, accepted, or downplayed by member states. He explained that for Caribbean nations, weak maritime border controls and widespread economic fragility have turned the region into both a key transit corridor and an end destination for criminal trafficking operations.

    Beyond long-standing challenges, Mohamed-Hoesien drew attention to the emerging threat of digital exploitation, noting that the rapid expansion of digital economic activity across small island and low-lying coastal Caribbean states has far outpaced the development of regulatory frameworks. This regulatory gap has created an opening that transnational criminal networks are actively exploiting to expand their operations, he said. Unlike traditional trafficking models that rely on physical border crossings, criminal syndicates now use digital platforms to recruit vulnerable people, move victims across borders undetected, and turn the internet into an unregulated marketplace where vulnerable people are sold to the highest bidder.

    The ambassador added that pre-existing socioeconomic stressors—including widespread poverty, systemic inequality, irregular migration, high rates of gender-based violence, and displacement driven by climate change and natural disasters—have further increased the vulnerability of communities across the region. He specifically noted that women and children bear the disproportionate brunt of modern trafficking, facing elevated risks of online recruitment, grooming, and digital exploitation at the hands of criminal networks.

    Despite these growing challenges, Mohamed-Hoesien acknowledged the proactive steps already being taken by regional authorities to raise public awareness and strengthen survivor protection measures. He highlighted the critical work of multistakeholder bodies such as the Caribbean Coalition Against Trafficking in Persons, which brings together national governments, law enforcement agencies, and civil society organizations to align anti-trafficking strategies and disrupt network operations. He also emphasized that robust cybersecurity infrastructure is an indispensable component of any effective modern anti-trafficking framework, given the growing role of digital platforms in criminal activity.

    Closing his address, the ambassador issued a formal call to both regional bodies and international partners to deepen collaboration and deliver concrete, actionable commitments to counter human trafficking in all its traditional and evolving forms, ensuring better protection for vulnerable communities and stronger accountability for criminal actors.

  • CPL to honour Sir Garfield Sobers with minute’s applause across tournament

    CPL to honour Sir Garfield Sobers with minute’s applause across tournament

    The 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is set to honor the legacy of iconic cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers, universally celebrated as the greatest all-rounder in the history of the sport, with a coordinated one-minute applause ahead of the opening match at every host venue across the tournament this season.

    This commemorative gesture will take place once in each Caribbean territory that hosts CPL matches, ensuring that cricket supporters in every nation on the tournament’s circuit get an opportunity to pay their respects to Sir Garfield’s life and indelible impact on the sport. For countless fans across the region, this gathering will mark the first public chance to collectively acknowledge how deeply Sir Garfield’s contributions to Caribbean cricket shaped their love of the game, uniting crowds in celebration of the man who redefined what Caribbean cricket could achieve on the global stage.

    Sir Garfield Sobers passed away on July 17, 2026, at his home in Saint Michael, Barbados, at the age of 89. Over his storied 20-year international career spanning 1954 to 1974, he represented the West Indies in 93 Test matches, amassing 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78 including 26 centuries, and claiming 235 wickets. His record-breaking unbeaten 365 runs against Pakistan in 1958 held the title of the highest individual Test score for 36 years, and he made history as the first batsman ever to hit six sixes in a single over in first-class cricket, a legendary feat he accomplished playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan in 1968. He also served as captain of the West Indies national team from 1965 to 1972.

    “Sir Garfield Sobers did not just play cricket, he defined what was possible in the sport,” said Pete Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Republic Bank CPL, in a statement announcing the tribute. “He gave West Indies cricket its identity on the world stage and inspired generations of players across the region to believe in their own greatness. It is only fitting that every ground we play on this season pauses to honour him.”

    Beyond the pre-match applause, the CPL has confirmed it will roll out additional tributes to Sir Garfield’s decades of contributions to West Indies and global cricket throughout the 2026 season, including special recognition at the tournament final, which will be held this year at Kensington Oval in Barbados, Sir Garfield’s beloved home ground.

  • Government extends temporary relief measures to cushion rising fuel and shipping costs

    Government extends temporary relief measures to cushion rising fuel and shipping costs

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — In a proactive move to shield local households and businesses from persistent global economic headwinds, the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis has greenlit an extension of its temporary cost-of-living relief program through September 30, 2026. The announcement was made official by Cabinet Secretary Dr Marcus L Natta during the July 28 Post-Cabinet Briefing.

    The relief initiative was first rolled out earlier this year as an emergency policy response to skyrocketing international fuel and shipping rates. The original price surge stemmed from prolonged geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which have disrupted global supply chains and sent ripple effects through every corner of the global economy, driving up the cost of living for households and raising operating expenses for domestic businesses. For the period between April 30 and July 31 2026, the cabinet rolled out a package of targeted temporary fiscal adjustments designed to lower the cost of imported goods and cool inflationary pressure on fuel prices across the federation.

    After reviewing economic conditions on the advice of the Ministry of Finance, the cabinet has approved extending the full set of existing relief measures from August 1 through the end of September, with all original terms and conditions remaining unchanged. The extended package retains three core provisions: a 50 percent cut to the excise tax for qualifying gasoline, a 50 percent reduction in customs service charges for gasoline imports, and the exclusion of shipper-imposed surcharges from the base calculation for customs taxes and import duties.

    The original program was scheduled to expire on July 31, 2026. However, ongoing geopolitical shifts have kept international fuel markets volatile and shipping costs unpredictable, prolonging the inflationary pressures that weigh on consumers and business operators across Saint Kitts and Nevis. Faced with this sustained uncertainty, government officials characterized the extension as a prudent policy choice to ensure residents and enterprises continue to receive tangible, meaningful support.

    Authorities note the extended relief will deliver targeted support to both domestic consumers and business owners, sustain ongoing local economic activity, and help soften the blow of elevated global energy and logistics costs on the federation’s domestic economy. The government of Saint Kitts and Nevis reaffirmed its commitment to continuing close monitoring of global economic trends, and pledged to take timely, responsible policy action whenever necessary to protect the economic well-being of its population.

  • WMO Warns Intensifying El Niño to Drive Hotter Temperatures, Drought Through October

    WMO Warns Intensifying El Niño to Drive Hotter Temperatures, Drought Through October

    As communities across North America, Europe and the Caribbean grapple with ongoing record-breaking heatwaves and growing climate disruption, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a stark warning: intensifying El Niño conditions are set to shape global weather patterns through at least the end of October 2026, raising the probability of widespread above-average temperatures and severe disruptions to global rainfall cycles.

    The updated advisory arrives at a moment when extreme heat is already battering multiple regions, with parts of the U.S., Canada, France, Germany and Italy hitting all-time or near-record high temperatures. This relentless heat has in turn sparked extensive wildfires that have claimed lives and destroyed vast swathes of land across several continents.

    In its latest official El Niño outlook published in August 2026, the WMO confirmed that the climate pattern will continue gaining strength through the August–October 2026 window. “El Niño is expected to dominate global climate patterns in the August-October 2026 season, increasing the likelihood of above-normal temperatures across much of the world and driving significant shifts in rainfall patterns,” the agency stated.

    WMO experts added that the strengthening El Niño, when combined with already abnormally warm global ocean temperatures and the forecast formation of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, will amplify weather disruptions across the globe in the coming months. The resulting rainfall pattern aligns with the traditional El Niño signature: some regions will face far wetter conditions than average, while many others will see a sharp jump in drought risk.

    Top climate forecasting centers from around the world project that seasonal average sea surface temperature anomalies in key El Niño monitoring zones will surpass 2.9°C. Alongside this, a positive Indian Ocean Dipole—where western Indian Ocean waters warm beyond average while eastern Indian Ocean waters cool— is also on track to develop. Combined, these interconnected climate drivers will drastically increase the likelihood of drought, flooding and wildfires, especially across the Indian Ocean Basin. Meanwhile, tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures are also predicted to stay well above long-term averages.

    For Caribbean nations, the forecast has prompted urgent calls for preparation, as many territories have already recorded months of below-average rainfall. Governments and residents are being urged to enact early water conservation measures to avoid a full-blown water security crisis.

    In the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, officials have already activated a national drought watch, implementing restrictions on non-essential water use including garden watering and vehicle washing with hoses to protect shrinking reservoir supplies. Senior Meteorological Officer Elmer Burke told reporters in a June press briefing that rainfall across the country has fallen drastically short of long-term averages.

    “As we know, St. Kitts and Nevis, similar to other Caribbean countries, have been facing impacts of drought for the past few months to varying degrees,” Burke explained. “Based on rainfall totals observed at the RLB International Airport up to the end of May, we have recorded 8.66 inches of rainfall compared with our long-term average of 15.5 inches for the same period. That represents a deficit of 6.84 inches, meaning the Federation has received only about 56 per cent of its normal rainfall through the end of May, based on climatological data from 1990 to 2020.”

    The dry trend worsened through June, when just 0.05 inches (1.3 millimetres) of rain was recorded at RLB International Airport—far below the typical June average of 3.41 inches. Burke warned that even though the Atlantic hurricane season can bring heavy rain events, these isolated downpours are unlikely to reverse the overall dry pattern gripping the region.

    “We are not saying that there won’t be any heavy rainfall events during the hurricane season, but based on the major climatic drivers, the overall trend is for below-normal rainfall across the region during this period,” he said. If dry conditions persist, the country could be forced to implement formal water rationing to protect critical supplies.

    El Niño is a naturally occurring climate cycle that emerges every two to seven years, typically lasting between nine and 12 months. It generally begins forming between March and June, peaks between November and February, and exerts its strongest influence on global temperatures in the year after it first develops.

    The severity and impacts of each El Niño event vary based on a range of factors, including its strength, duration, timing, and how it interacts with other climate systems such as the Indian Ocean Dipole. While some regions gain extra rainfall, others face extended dry spells and elevated wildfire risk. It is important to note that extreme weather events can also occur during neutral ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) conditions. The WMO classifies El Niño events as weak, moderate, strong or very strong; while the term “super El Niño” is widely used in public discourse, it is not part of the organization’s official classification framework.

  • PAHO calls for stronger safeguards against digital marketing that undermines breastfeeding

    PAHO calls for stronger safeguards against digital marketing that undermines breastfeeding

    Ahead of 2026 World Breastfeeding Week, held from 1 to 7 August, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued an urgent call to countries across the Americas to ramp up protections for new and expecting families against the booming, increasingly sophisticated digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes that threatens to undermine global breastfeeding progress. The call comes as public health data reveals that the digital transformation of consumer marketing has created new, underregulated barriers to evidence-based infant feeding decision-making, at a time when regional breastfeeding rates still fall far short of global public health targets.

    Breastfeeding is universally recognized by global health authorities as one of the most impactful public health interventions available. It delivers optimal nutrition to infants, boosts their developing immune systems, cuts long-term risk of chronic and acute illness, and supports healthy physical and cognitive growth. For birthing parents, it also carries significant long and short-term health benefits, from reduced postpartum complication risk to lower rates of certain chronic diseases. Despite these well-documented advantages, current regional data shows that only 43 percent of infants in Latin America and the Caribbean are exclusively breastfed for their first six months of life – a figure that sits well below the World Health Organization’s 2030 global target of 60 percent exclusive breastfeeding.

    PAHO officials warn that the unregulated digital marketing of breast-milk substitutes has emerged as a major, underaddressed driver of this gap. Unlike traditional print or broadcast advertising, modern digital marketing tactics operate largely outside public and regulatory scrutiny. Brands leverage personalized algorithms, artificial intelligence, social media platforms, and influencer partnerships to target vulnerable groups: pregnant people, new mothers, and primary caregivers with hyper-specific, tailored messaging that often contradicts evidence-based public health guidance. According to regional researchers, more than 80 percent of all marketing for breast-milk substitutes now takes place across digital channels, making this the primary space where families encounter commercial messaging around infant feeding.

    New data presented at a recent PAHO regional seminar on breastfeeding protection underscores the scale of the regulatory gap. Just 45 percent of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have implemented national measures aligned with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, the global framework first adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1981 to restrict inappropriate marketing of infant formula and other substitutes. Only two nations, Brazil and Argentina, have achieved full substantial alignment with the Code, while many small Caribbean nations still lack any specific national legislation governing breast-milk substitute marketing. Even in countries with existing regulations, regional monitoring found widespread potential violations across social media platforms, brand websites, and other digital channels, where the vast majority of modern marketing activity now occurs.

    Research from the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) confirms the tangible public health harm of this unregulated activity. Studies conducted across Central America found that caregiver exposure to digital marketing for breast-milk substitutes is directly linked to higher rates of early formula use, and cuts the likelihood that a child will be breastfed beyond 12 months by nearly 50 percent. “Marketing and promotion of commercial milk formula products have evolved, and the digital environment remains a regulatory gap that has yet to be adequately addressed,” noted Mónica Mazariegos, an INCAP researcher. “Digital strategies allow companies to reach mothers, fathers, and caregivers frequently and with highly personalized advertising.”

    In response to the evolving threat, the World Health Assembly recently updated its guidance, expanding the scope of the International Code to explicitly cover modern digital marketing practices, including social media campaigns, content creator partnerships, influencer endorsements, and online platform advertising. Experts at the PAHO regional seminar outlined a multi-pronged approach to address the crisis: updating national legislation to explicitly extend marketing restrictions to digital channels, building more robust monitoring and enforcement systems, leveraging new digital tools to proactively detect regulatory violations, and strengthening cross-border regional cooperation to tackle marketing that easily moves between national jurisdictions. Participants also highlighted the critical need for stronger personal data protections and greater transparency around how digital targeted advertising operates, to prevent brands from exploiting personal health data to target vulnerable families.

    PAHO emphasizes that regulatory action to restrict harmful marketing must be paired with direct public health support for breastfeeding families. This includes expanded access to evidence-based breastfeeding counselling, workplace and social policies that enable women to breastfeed for the WHO-recommended six months of exclusive breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding up to two years and beyond, and community support services that help families navigate challenges. “Breastfeeding is far more than an individual choice. It is one of the most effective ways to give children the best possible start in life,” explained Vanessa Garcia Larsen, Chief of PAHO’s Risk Factors Unit. “In the digital age, protecting breastfeeding also means protecting families from commercial practices that may influence their decisions.”

    The ultimate goal of these reforms, Garcia Larsen added, is to ensure that all families have access to objective, evidence-based infant feeding information, free from inappropriate commercial influence. As part of 2026 World Breastfeeding Week, which carries the theme “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” PAHO will host a virtual regional seminar on August 7 to bring together policymakers, researchers, and public health practitioners to share successful strategies for strengthening breastfeeding policies and support programs across the Americas.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Falcons Complete Camp Ahead of CPL 2026 Opener

    Antigua and Barbuda Falcons Complete Camp Ahead of CPL 2026 Opener

    The 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is just around the corner, and the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons have officially kicked off their campaign journey, departing their home nation on Wednesday for St. Vincent and the Grenadines to compete in the upcoming T20 tournament.

    The Falcons’ first test of the new season will come against an expansion side, the newly launched Jamaica Kingsmen, in the season’s opening fixture on August 7. The clash will get underway at 7 p.m. local time at Kingstown’s Arnos Vale Stadium, marking a historic milestone for the host nation: this is the first time St. Vincent and the Grenadines has ever been selected to host official CPL matches.

    In the lead-up to their departure, the Falcons’ full core squad gathered at Antigua’s Liberta Sports Club in Ball Beef for a rigorous four-day preseason training camp, designed to get the team match-ready ahead of the opening round. The intensive camp created a dedicated space for players and coaching staff to align on strategy, evaluate individual and group preparations, and build the on- and off-field cohesion that top-tier T20 competition demands.

    Speaking on the value of the preseason gathering, Falcons head coach Paul Nixon emphasized that the four-day block did far more than refine on-field technique. “The impact of an in-person preseason camp can’t be overstated,” Nixon explained. “It’s where players and coaching staff build real relationships and trust with one another. We have meaningful conversations, we build collective confidence, and players get accustomed to the local pitch surfaces they’ll compete on later. This camp lays the foundation for our team culture, so we can move into the tournament as a unified group. It lets players learn each other’s playing styles, and it also gives the coaching staff the chance to get to know our players as people, not just athletes.”

    Sabrina Webster, the Falcons’ Head of Operations, echoed Nixon’s comments, noting that the training camp was a non-negotiable part of the franchise’s full-season preparation strategy. “This camp is critical because it guarantees our players are physically and mentally prepared to step onto the pitch when the tournament starts,” Webster said. “It gives them dedicated time to work together, develop a shared understanding of how each person operates, and build the team synergy that wins close matches. That synergy is exactly what we’ve been working to build ahead of this campaign.”

    Beyond training, the camp also strengthened the Falcons’ long-standing ties to the Liberta community, a tightly knit cricket-loving region that has deep connections to the franchise. Several key members of the Falcons organization hail from Liberta: star players Rahkeem Cornwall and Karima Gore, assistant coach Wilden Cornwall, and legendary bowling coach Sir Curtly Ambrose all count the community as their home.

    The president of Liberta Sports Club, who also serves as the venue’s lead curator, shared that the entire community was honored to host the Falcons for their preseason preparations. “We were incredibly proud that the franchise chose our facility for their camp,” he said. “I can also say the team was really pleased with the quality of our pitches and the entire facility — they were very impressed. There was even talk about returning here for future preseason camps, which is a huge compliment to our work.”

    The decision to base preseason preparations in Liberta also highlights the Falcons’ ongoing commitment to deepening connections with communities across Antigua and Barbuda, rather than centering all operations solely in major population centers. The club president, Benjamin, shared his optimistic outlook for the Falcons’ 2026 campaign after watching the team train over the four days. “Based on what I’ve seen here, I believe the Falcons are set up for a really good season,” Benjamin said. “They’ve added exciting new signings, and they’ve retained a lot of key talent from last year’s squad. Obviously T20 cricket is incredibly dynamic — one bad over can change the course of your whole tournament. But the energy and focus I’ve seen from the team over these last four days tells me they’re hungry for this season, and they’re leaving Antigua in great form.”

    After the opening match against the Jamaica Kingsmen, the Falcons will remain at Arnos Vale Stadium for their second fixture on August 9, where they will face off against the St. Lucia Kings. The team will then return home to Antigua to host four consecutive home matches between August 20 and 25 at the iconic Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, marketed by the franchise as the “Home of Party Cricket,” where fans can experience the unique blend of elite cricket and Caribbean celebration the team is known for.

    For the 2026 campaign, the Falcons have adopted the fan-focused theme “Come for the Fete. Stay for the Match,” which reflects the franchise’s goal of blending top-tier competitive cricket with authentic Antiguan and Barbudan cultural celebration for all attendees. Even before the team returns home for their home stand, the celebration will kick off early with two official watch parties hosted at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium’s Party Stand, starting at 6 p.m. local time on August 7 and August 9, for fans who want to cheer on the Falcons together during their opening fixtures in St. Vincent.

  • Leisure : Did you know ? #47

    Leisure : Did you know ? #47

    Haiti-based digital media outlet HaitiLibre has expanded its popular twice-weekly general knowledge quiz segment, “Did You Know?”, with 30 brand-new interactive games added to its Quiz.HaitiLibre platform as of August 1, 2026. The monthly expansion brings the total number of available quizzes to 210, with new content added on a consistent monthly basis to engage curious learners of all backgrounds.\n\nIn the 47th installment of the “Did You Know?” series, the platform clarified a widespread terminology mix-up between two often-confused coastal natural phenomena: tidal waves and tsunamis. Many people incorrectly use the term “tidal wave” to describe tsunamis, the powerful destructive waves triggered exclusively by underground geological activity such as underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or seabed collapses. In reality, a true tidal wave — also called a storm surge — is an extreme weather-driven event entirely separate from geological activity.\n\nTidal waves form during intense maritime storms or tropical cyclones, when a combination of extremely low atmospheric pressure and strong gale-force winds pushes ocean water far above normal levels, driving the surge inland onto low-lying coastal territories. The event causes a rapid, temporary inundation of coastal land that often overwhelms protective seawalls and dykes. The destructive potential of a tidal wave increases dramatically when it coincides with an astronomical high tide: repeated wave impacts can breach coastal flood defenses, leading to severe saltwater flooding that destroys residential structures and leaves permanent salt contamination in coastal farmland.\n\nThe Quiz.HaitiLibre platform is designed to be accessible to all audiences, with free access that does not require user registration, three adjustable difficulty levels (easy, intermediate, and hard) for every quiz, and full support for both French and English languages. The platform covers a wide range of topics, from local Haitian current affairs and culture to global general knowledge, with an expert-level section for users seeking more challenging content. After completing each quiz, users can leave feedback via a comment form to help improve the platform, and are encouraged to share the resource with family and friends to foster collective learning. Visitors can access the full collection of quizzes, including all past installments of the “Did You Know?” series, at the platform’s official English website: https://quiz.haitilibre.com/en.

  • Chef Nadine Now Becomes Official Judging panel for the annual Caribbean Baking Awards

    Chef Nadine Now Becomes Official Judging panel for the annual Caribbean Baking Awards

    The Caribbean Baking Awards, a prestigious event celebrating baking excellence across the region, has formally introduced its official international judging panel during a recent interview with RAW CARIBBEAN TV’s Small Island Big Vibes series, hosted in St. Maarten. The event’s co-founders, Shanda Webster–Glasgow and Craig Glasgow, made the official announcement, confirming that a handpicked group of top culinary talents from across the Caribbean and North America will oversee the competition, upholding rigorous world-class standards for every round of judging.

    The assembled panel brings together diverse culinary expertise from four different regions. Joining the judging team are Antigua and Barbuda’s own Chef Nadine Anthony, Chef Dominic Dart who has roots in both Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, Sint Maarten’s local standout Chef Kareem Brooks, and acclaimed celebrity chef Lincoln Alexander, who travels to the panel from the United States. Each judge was selected for their established reputation in the culinary industry and their deep understanding of Caribbean baking traditions and innovation.

    Of the panel members, Chef Nadine Anthony brings decades of specialized experience in baking education to the role. For more than a quarter century, Anthony has worked in culinary education, and over the last 11 years, she has focused specifically on teaching, supporting, and evaluating baking and cake decorating skills for learners of all ages, from young students to adult hobbyists and aspiring professionals. Beyond technical instruction, she has dedicated her career to building inclusive, supportive learning environments that help learners thrive, extending her mentorship to the floral design industry alongside her baking work.

    As an educator, Anthony prioritizes building both strong theoretical knowledge and practical vocational skills that prepare her students for real careers in the baking and confectionery decorating sectors. Her instructional approach combines hands-on training with foundational theory, working to build not just technical ability, but the confidence and creative inspiration needed to build a lasting career in the industry. A core belief shapes her teaching philosophy: that every learner carries the potential to succeed, even if they need a second chance to unlock their skills. This student-centered approach has defined her decades-long career, and her impact is visible across Antigua today, where many of her former students have gone on to launch their own successful baking and food businesses.