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标签： Antigua and Barbuda

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  • Baltimore Sets First 100-Day Targets for Sports and Healthcare Improvements in St. Philip North

    Baltimore Sets First 100-Day Targets for Sports and Healthcare Improvements in St. Philip North

    As the April 30 general election approaches, Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) candidate for the St. Philip North constituency Randy Baltimore has laid out a clear, time-bound set of pledges centered on two key local priorities: upgraded community sports infrastructure and expanded, more accessible healthcare services. Appearing on ABS Television’s voter education series “Know Your Candidates”, Baltimore emphasized that constituents should hold him strictly accountable for delivering on these commitments if he wins re-election.

    Baltimore, who secured a decisive 70% of the vote in last month’s St. Philip North by-election, framed the first 100 days of a new term as a make-or-break window to deliver tangible, visible improvements for local residents. Reaffirming that both sports infrastructure upgrades and polyclinic enhancements remain at the top of his policy agenda, he highlighted that preliminary work on recreational upgrades is already well underway across the constituency.

    To date, new lighting has been installed at existing playing fields in both Willikies and Glanvilles, while a full reconstruction and lighting upgrade of the Newfield basketball court has been finalized. Upcoming projects set to launch imminently include additional lighting for local football pitches and the construction of new public restroom facilities at recreational sites across the constituency, investments designed to expand after-hours access to sports spaces for local youth and community groups.

    On the healthcare front, Baltimore has committed to continuing aggressive advocacy for increased staffing at Glanville’s Polyclinic, a key care provider for St. Philip North and adjacent eastern communities. His core goal is to secure regular on-site placements for a wider range of medical professionals, which would cut wait times, expand on-site service offerings, and make routine and emergency care more accessible for local residents who currently often travel long distances for basic services.

    He also pointed to tangible progress already delivered through his prior advocacy, noting that a new on-site pharmacy has recently opened at the polyclinic, and an ambulance dedicated to serving eastern communities is awaiting deployment. Once in service, Baltimore said the ambulance will drastically cut emergency response times for local residents, a critical improvement for rural communities that have long faced gaps in emergency care access.

    Baltimore explained that his decision to tie pledges to a clear 100-day timeline was intentional, designed to give voters a transparent, measurable benchmark to evaluate his performance if re-elected. Aligning with the accountability mission of the “Know Your Candidates” program, he reiterated that he welcomes public scrutiny of his promise-keeping. “I want the residents of St. Philip’s North to hold me accountable for the promises and for the advocacy of the things that I put forward,” he stated.

  • Ashworth Azille Floats 6-Month ABST Cut to Ease Cost of Living

    Ashworth Azille Floats 6-Month ABST Cut to Ease Cost of Living

    As the April 30 general election campaign in Antigua and Barbuda heats up, cost-of-living struggles have emerged as the defining issue for competing political parties, with United Progressive Party (UPP) St. John’s Rural East candidate Ashworth Azille floating a targeted temporary cut to the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) to deliver meaningful relief to squeezed households. While Azille stressed that the idea is still in exploratory stages and not yet an official, binding party platform commitment, he laid out the framework of the proposal during a recent “Know Your Candidates” interview, noting widespread public demand for immediate, tangible support for consumers.

    Azille’s proposal would slash the current 15% ABST rate to 10% for a six-month period, a window he says is long enough to ease ongoing financial strain on families purchasing groceries and other essential goods. He emphasized that household budgets across the country are already stretched thin by relentless price hikes for basic necessities, leaving many unable to keep up with monthly expenses.

    Unlike the sporadic, one-off measures rolled out by the current administration — such as limited tax-free shopping days — Azille argued that a six-month temporary cut would deliver far more meaningful relief, framing the proposal as a bridge toward longer-term, sustained support for working families. “One-off, sporadic reduction or removal of the ABST may not necessarily serve the purpose… we want to provide long-term relief,” he explained.

    The candidate pushed back against concerns that the tax cut would devastate public revenues, noting that the government has multiple avenues to offset potential losses through fiscal adjustments. He called on the government to follow the same belt-tightening advice it often gives to citizens, pointing to opportunities to cut wasteful public spending, root out bureaucratic inefficiencies, and reevaluate large tax waivers currently granted to private investors as viable ways to balance the government’s books after a temporary tax cut.

    Pressed on whether the proposal could hold up amid ongoing global inflation and volatile international fuel prices, Azille rejected claims that the plan is reckless, noting that a broad cross-functional policy team within the UPP has been refining the proposal and will release a full, detailed cost-benefit analysis before any final decision is made. “We are not being reckless… there is a broad-based policy team that has been working on these proposals,” he said.

    Azille’s proposal lands as cost-of-living issues dominate election discourse, with both major parties rolling out competing policy agendas to win over voters struggling with rising prices. The candidate added that his regular outreach to constituents has made clear just how urgent relief is, but reiterated repeatedly that the plan remains under active review and has not been formally adopted by the UPP. “I do not want persons to walk away… thinking that the United Progressive Party has made a determination to reduce the ABST from 17 to 10%,” he said, emphasizing that all final policy commitments will be grounded in rigorous financial analysis.

  • Turner Says He Helped Reduce Unemployment in St. Peter Through Direct Job Support

    Turner Says He Helped Reduce Unemployment in St. Peter Through Direct Job Support

    As campaigning intensifies ahead of Antigua and Barbuda’s upcoming general election on April 30, Rawdon Turner, the sitting Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) candidate for the St. Peter constituency, is highlighting his hands-on unemployment reduction strategy as a core achievement of his 12 months in office. Turner is currently running to secure a renewed mandate from local voters, with his re-election campaign centered on three foundational policy pillars: expanded employment access, affordable housing development, and upgraded public infrastructure.

    In a recent candidate interview, Turner explained that employment growth and infrastructure expansion have topped his priority list since he took office just over a year ago. Unlike broad, top-down policy proposals that often stop at public announcements, Turner’s approach centered on hyper-local, individual-focused outreach: during months of door-to-door community engagement across the constituency, his team mapped concentrated pockets of unemployment that had been overlooked by broader regional initiatives.

    From that mapping, Turner launched a direct support program that goes far beyond traditional policy promises. The initiative offers one-on-one assistance to jobseekers, including help refining professional resumes, tailored mock interview preparation, and guidance on what roles and employers across the island are currently looking for in candidates. According to Turner, this targeted strategy has already delivered measurable results, allowing him to “chip away significantly” at the total number of unemployed residents in his constituency.

    While Turner emphasized that meaningful progress has been achieved over the past year, he acknowledged that the work to fully address unemployment in St. Peter is far from complete. The incumbent candidate framed his ongoing work as part of a larger, constituency-wide push to expand economic participation for all local residents, arguing that effective employment support cannot be achieved through generic policy statements alone. Instead, he said, lasting change requires sustained, direct engagement with individual jobseekers to address their unique barriers to work. As voters prepare to head to the polls at the end of next month, Turner’s record on unemployment reduction is positioned as a key selling point for his re-election bid.

  • LETTER: Hope Deferred: The Forgotten Cohort of 2025 Midwifery Graduates

    LETTER: Hope Deferred: The Forgotten Cohort of 2025 Midwifery Graduates

    A public letter signed “A Voice for the Voiceless” has exposed a growing crisis in Antigua and Barbuda’s maternal healthcare sector, where dozens of fully trained newly graduated midwives have been stuck for months without the professional licenses required to practice, even as the nation publicly acknowledges a critical shortage of midwifery staff.

    The affected cohort of midwifery students began their specialized training in January 2024. Over 18 months, they navigated the dual challenge of rigorous academic coursework and hands-on clinical requirements, logging hundreds of hours assisting in deliveries to meet the strict eligibility criteria for their final certification exams. After completing the program in August 2025, the group sat for their licensing exams that December and received preliminary passing results in January 2026. All successful candidates submitted their formal licensure applications shortly after, but more than four months later, no licenses have been issued, and no official timeline has been provided to clear the backlog.

    The situation is even more uncertain for graduates who needed to retake portions of their exams earlier this year. To date, these candidates have not received any examination results at all. Repeated inquiries from the midwives to the Antigua and Barbuda Nursing Council and the Ministry of Health have gone unanswered or generated only unhelpful, vague responses, leaving the newly trained professionals feeling disrespected and abandoned. Many are forced to continue working lower-paying roles as general registered nurses, unable to put the advanced specialized skills they spent a year and a half mastering to use.

    This administrative logjam extends beyond first-time license applicants, too. Currently practicing midwives who submitted applications for license renewal are also facing lengthy, unexplained delays, putting additional unnecessary strain on an already stretched maternal healthcare system. The letter also highlights longstanding structural flaws in the current licensing framework: outdated paper permits that degrade quickly, calling for a shift to durable, standardized plastic identification cards aligned with other professional licensing standards, such as driver’s licenses, to better reflect the professionalism and critical importance of the midwifery field.

    What makes the current gridlock especially concerning, the letter argues, is that a new cohort of midwifery students has already begun their training. The writers question how regulators can justify recruiting and investing in new midwives when the system has failed to move forward with qualified candidates who have already completed all requirements. At present, the thousands of hours of hard work, personal sacrifice from the graduates, and public investment in their training are going unused, at a direct cost to the nation’s healthcare capacity.

    The letter frames the issue as far more than a routine administrative backlog. Delays in getting new midwives into practice and keeping existing practicing midwives actively licensed directly undermines the quality of care that expectant mothers and newborns across Antigua and Barbuda can access. Quoting the biblical proverb that “Hope deferred makes the heart sick,” the writers note that the graduates’ hope of a smooth, timely transition into their dream profession has been worn down by ongoing silence and delay.

    In closing, the letter calls on regulators and government officials to act immediately: to release full public transparency around the licensing backlog, publish the outstanding examination results for retake candidates, and speed up processing of all pending first-time and renewal midwifery licenses to address both the needs of the qualified professionals and the national demand for more maternal healthcare staff.

  • Rotary Club of Antigua launches Colours 2026: Welcome to Smurf Village

    Rotary Club of Antigua launches Colours 2026: Welcome to Smurf Village

    The Rotary Club of Antigua is gearing up to host the 17th iteration of its marquee fundraising event, Colours: Welcome to Smurf Village, scheduled for Saturday, July 4, 2026, at the iconic Coolidge Cricket Ground.

    Organizers have rolled out a refreshed lineup of changes for 2026, headlined by adjusted event hours running from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM. This new timing is crafted to guide attendees through a smooth transition from golden-hour sunset to starlit evening, building a immersive, atmospheric experience that sets the event apart from previous years.

    For nearly two decades, Colours has served as the backbone of the Rotary Club of Antigua’s annual community outreach efforts. Every year, the gala unlocks vital funding for a wide range of public service programs spanning the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Proceeds from ticket sales go directly to high-priority initiatives, including the Meals on Wheels food assistance program, youth leadership and development projects, scholarship and classroom resource support for local students, and community-wide public health outreach campaigns.

    The 2026 theme, Welcome to Smurf Village, was intentionally chosen to center the core value of collective community care. The concept leans into the idea of shared responsibility to lift up vulnerable community members, with the “village” framing serving as a metaphor for unity and coordinated collective action. The playful, Smurf-inspired concept adds a creative, approachable twist to the event’s serious philanthropic mission, reinforcing the simple message that strong, resilient communities rely on every member showing up for one another.

    Attendees will get to enjoy a full all-inclusive experience throughout the evening, held in the open-air grounds of the Coolidge Cricket Ground. The event package includes access to premium crafted beverages, a spread of high-quality local and international cuisine, and a carefully curated lineup of musical acts tailored to keep guests entertained from start to finish.

    To lean into the 2026 theme, organizers encourage guests to build outfits around the iconic Smurf color palette of blue, red, and white. They also invite attendees to add playful personal touches, from floral patterns to whimsical village-themed accents, but note there are no strict costume requirements. Personal style and self-expression remain front and center for all guests.

    The Rotary Club of Antigua has publicly emphasized its gratitude for the consistent backing of event sponsors and community partners, whose annual contributions have been instrumental in growing Colours into one of Antigua’s most enduring and impactful charitable fundraisers. The organization also extended recognition to its long-term supporters, including major corporate partners, local media outlets, and cross-sector community stakeholders, whose work each year makes the event possible.

    Now marking its 17th year, Colours has evolved far beyond a simple social gathering. It serves as a bridge connecting local residents and visitors to a greater philanthropic purpose, turning a night of celebration into tangible support for communities across Antigua and Barbuda. Tickets for the 2026 event are currently available for purchase via the TickeTing mobile application, with every ticket purchase directly funding ongoing and future Rotary Club service projects across the islands.

  • Antigua and Barbuda to Host Major Caribbean Youth Leadership Conference After Over 20 Years

    Antigua and Barbuda to Host Major Caribbean Youth Leadership Conference After Over 20 Years

    More than 20 years after last welcoming the event, Antigua and Barbuda is preparing to step into the regional spotlight in June 2026 as the official host of the Rotaract District 7030 Annual Conference. Organized under the distinctive theme “Linked in Wadadli” – a local name for Antigua that nods to the island nation’s cultural identity – this year’s flagship gathering is being spearheaded by the Rotaract Club of Antigua, marking a historic milestone for the country’s youth development community.

    Running from June 25 to 29 at the scenic Pineapple Beach Club, the five-day conference is expected to draw roughly 200 emerging young leaders and industry professionals from across the Caribbean region. For attendees, the event will offer a dynamic mix of programming centered on three core goals: deepening leadership capacity, fostering cross-territory collaboration, and facilitating immersive cultural exchange between neighboring island communities.

    Rotaract District 7030 encompasses a sprawling network of 47 local clubs spread across 16 Caribbean territories, including Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, Dominica, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. As the district’s marquee annual gathering, the conference has long served as the leading regional platform for youth skills training, professional networking, and the co-development of youth-led solutions to pressing shared challenges across the Caribbean.

    The 2026 theme “Linked in Wadadli” was chosen to emphasize three core priorities: meaningful cross-sector connection, celebration of local cultural identity, and deeper regional integration. It frames Antigua and Barbuda as a welcoming central hub where Caribbean young people can build durable cross-territory partnerships, exchange innovative ideas, and strengthen collective leadership capacity to address shared concerns.

    Attendees can expect a diverse schedule of programming, ranging from intensive skill-building leadership training sessions and panel discussions led by industry and civil society experts, to hands-on innovation workshops and structured community service projects. The event will also feature dedicated cultural showcases highlighting the rich diversity of Caribbean heritage, along with targeted networking opportunities designed to help participants build long-lasting professional and personal connections that outlast the conference itself.

    For decades, the annual Rotaract District 7030 Conference has rotated between member territories, drawing an average of 150 to 200 participants each year. Beyond leadership development, the recurring event delivers tangible benefits to host communities, boosting local tourism and hospitality economies while cultivating a growing pipeline of skilled, service-oriented leaders across the region.

    overseeing the 2026 conference planning and execution is District Rotaract Representative Crystal Mohammed, from the Rotaract Club of San Fernando South, supported by local co-chairs Sherwyn Greenidge and Dr. Namadi Belle, both members of the Rotaract Club of Antigua.

    Beyond workshops and networking, the 2026 event has a clear actionable mission: to equip Caribbean young people with practical, job-relevant leadership skills, strengthen formal and informal ties between regional youth groups, and drive measurable positive impact in local communities through service projects aligned with global sustainable development priorities.

    Organizers have extended an open invitation to all members of the public, non-governmental organizations, private sector stakeholders, and other interested parties that wish to support the conference’s work advancing Caribbean youth leadership and regional integration to reach out to the organizing team for partnership opportunities.

  • Sir Richie Richardson Charity Golf Day a Resounding Success

    Sir Richie Richardson Charity Golf Day a Resounding Success

    On April 11, 2026, the highly anticipated Sir Richie Richardson Charity Golf Day concluded with resounding success, bringing together hundreds of stakeholders from across North America, Europe and the Caribbean to support community-focused causes. Former cricket executive and golf advocate Sir Richie Richardson has publicly extended his sincere gratitude to every sponsor, participant and volunteer that contributed to the event’s positive outcomes.

    Unlike standard competitive golf tournaments, this annual gathering was designed to combine friendly on-course competition with collective charitable action, drawing amateur and semi-professional golfers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, St Kitts and Antigua, alongside corporate partners and local community supporters. Over the course of the day, attendees built new connections, enjoyed world-class Caribbean golf courses, and advanced a shared mission of lifting up marginalized and promising young people across the region.

    Thanks to widespread generous donations and enthusiastic participation from all groups involved, the tournament exceeded its initial fundraising goals, bringing in both critical financial support and widespread public awareness for four key community initiatives. All proceeds from the 2026 event have been allocated to programs focused on youth empowerment and educational advancement. Two core beneficiaries are the Striving for Excellence Golf Academy, a training program that supports young Caribbean golfers, and the Kiwanis Bright Minds Project, a regional education initiative that provides scholarships and learning resources to low-income students.

    A portion of funds has also been allocated to support Kimesha Anthony, Antigua and the Caribbean’s former top-ranked women’s golfer, a move that reinforces the event’s longstanding commitment to nurturing homegrown athletic talent across the region.

    In a statement following the tournament, Sir Richie Richardson emphasized the transformative impact of continued community partnership. “Your partnership and generosity continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of many,” he said. “We are truly grateful and look forward to your ongoing support as we work together to strengthen our community.”

    One of the most memorable highlights of the 2026 tournament came from the final results, which saw two academy trainees take the top overall team prize. As President of the Striving for Excellence Golf Academy, Sir Richie shared that he was deeply moved by the outcome. “I was overwhelmed with emotion when it was announced that the overall winning team included 15-year-old Clairmont Carringt and 16-year-old Lovanjo Weekes, both of whom are under the tutelage of Coach Bobby James,” he reflected.

    The 2026 event’s success underscores the power of cross-regional collaboration and shared purpose to drive tangible community change. Organizers have already begun planning for the 2027 Charity Golf Day, with plans to expand participation and increase funding for the supported initiatives in the coming year.

  • Antiguan Kelton Mich Dalso Called to Bar in St. Lucia

    Antiguan Kelton Mich Dalso Called to Bar in St. Lucia

    A rising legal professional from Antigua and Barbuda, Kelton Mich Dalso, is set to reach a landmark career milestone in April 2026 when he is formally called to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court’s St. Lucia Circuit, based in the country’s capital city of Castries.

    Dalso’s qualification to practice across the Caribbean regional court system comes through the framework of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), anchored in the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. This foundational treaty established the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), an integration agreement that Antigua and Barbuda has officially signed onto, allowing eligible legal practitioners from member states to practice across participating jurisdictions.

    This upcoming call to the regional Eastern Caribbean bar follows Dalso’s recent admission to practice in the United Kingdom. As first reported by The Times of London on 28 November 2025, Dalso was among the new practitioners admitted to the Bar of England and Wales during the traditional Michaelmas Call ceremony and reception held at London’s prestigious Gray’s Inn, one of the four historic Inns of Court that regulate bar entry in the UK.

    Dalso’s path to dual admission has been marked by consistent academic and professional achievement. He earned his Bachelor of Laws with Honours (LLB Hons) in August 2020, before going on to complete the required Bar Training Course at the University of the West of England (UWE), where he graduated with a merit classification, a mark of strong academic performance in the rigorous vocational program for barristers.

    Beyond his core qualifications as a barrister, Dalso has built out additional expertise in alternative dispute resolution: he holds professional certifications as a mediator, arbitrator, and advanced negotiator, expanding his capacity to handle a broad range of legal matters both in and out of the courtroom.

    Witnessing the upcoming 2026 call ceremony, a momentous and historic occasion for Dalso’s legal career, will be his wife and two of his sons, who will share in the celebration of his years of preparation and achievement.

  • PM Browne Alleges Opposition Linked to ‘Clandestine’ Pro-LGBTQ Campaign Material

    PM Browne Alleges Opposition Linked to ‘Clandestine’ Pro-LGBTQ Campaign Material

    As general election campaigning gains momentum in Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has ignited a heated political controversy by linking two senior opposition figures to the circulation of unauthorised, digitally created campaign material targeted at LGBTQ voters. Browne named opposition members Jamale Pringle and Harold Lovell as the forces behind the provocative graphic, which frames itself as a pro-inclusion statement on LGBTQ rights ahead of the vote. The altered visual, designed to look like an authentic campaign poster, features a composite image of two men presented as Browne and lawmaker Kendra Beazer sharing a kiss, set against a iconic rainbow pride backdrop decorated with heart motifs. Across the graphic, bold slogans champion LGBTQ inclusion: phrases like “LOVE & UNITY BRING US TOGETHER” and “Make Room for Everyone in Barbuda” are prominently displayed. Additional text explicitly calls for churches to open their doors to same-sex marriage, framing the push for equal rights as a call for national unity “as one family under God,” and closes with the welcoming message: “Barbuda welcome everyone, all a we is family!”. Critics have already pointed out a key gap in Browne’s accusation: the prime minister has not released any concrete evidence to back his claim that the material originated from or is being distributed by Pringle, Lovell or any other faction of the opposition. As of Friday evening, neither Pringle nor Lovell had issued a public response to Browne’s allegations, leaving the opposition’s side of the dispute unrepresented so far. The controversy has landed at a sensitive moment for Antigua and Barbuda’s electoral landscape, as all major parties ramp up outreach to court every key voting bloc ahead of the general election. LGBTQ rights, and especially the debate over same-sex marriage, remain deeply divisive issues in the country. Public opinion is sharply split on the topic, and for decades political candidates and parties have approached public discussion of LGBTQ policy with significant caution to avoid alienating voters on either side of the debate. Political analysts note that the unauthorised poster, regardless of its origin, has added a new polarizing issue to an already tight election race, forcing all parties to take public stances on a topic many have long preferred to avoid.

  • Driver damages fresh concrete as road works continue in Bathlodge

    Driver damages fresh concrete as road works continue in Bathlodge

    An act of disregard for construction zone safety has thrown a wrench into ongoing road improvement works in Bathlodge, after a motorist intentionally broke through clearly marked barriers and drove across uncured, freshly poured concrete. The incident has left infrastructure teams dealing with unexpected damage, pushed back project timelines, and driven up costs for the public works initiative.

    This road upgrade project forms a small part of a nationwide infrastructure program designed to revitalize road networks across multiple communities. From the start of works in Bathlodge, construction teams put in place clear warning signage and physical barriers to block off the section of fresh concrete, which needs sufficient time to fully harden before it can bear vehicle weight.

    In an official public statement, local authorities confirmed that the motorist deliberately crossed the restricted boundary, causing irreversible damage to the uncured surface. Construction officials emphasized that even if a newly paved surface appears dry to the naked eye, it has not finished the curing process and cannot withstand vehicle traffic. Relying on visual inspection alone to judge a surface’s readiness, they noted, often leads to preventable damage like the incident in Bathlodge.

    In the wake of the damage, road work crews have issued an urgent call to all road users—both motorists and pedestrians—to respect all safety protocols at active construction sites. They are urging the public to stick to clearly marked detour routes, follow all posted road signs, and adhere to instructions from on-site construction workers at all times.

    The damage has already forced a delay to the completion of the Bathlodge section of the project, adds unplanned extra costs to the initiative, and disrupts the carefully mapped progress of the wider infrastructure upgrade. Despite this setback, authorities have expressed gratitude for the general public’s ongoing patience and cooperation as they work to complete upgrades that will benefit the community’s road network long-term.