标签： Antigua and Barbuda

A lucky telecommunications customer is celebrating this week after taking home one of the top prizes in Flow’s highly anticipated Riddim and Rewards promotion. Nickie Ambrose, a local consumer who participated in the regional telecom provider’s seasonal campaign, was officially announced as the winner of a brand-new Chromebook laptop, a prize designed to support both personal productivity and digital connectivity for the recipient.

Flow, a leading Caribbean telecommunications firm that specializes in mobile, broadband and digital entertainment services, launched the Riddim and Rewards promotion to engage its existing customer base and reward loyal users for their ongoing support. The campaign, which blends the region’s rich musical culture (highlighted by the “Riddim” naming convention, a nod to Caribbean rhythm and musical heritage) with tangible consumer incentives, has generated widespread participation across all of the company’s operating markets since it launched earlier this year.

To enter the promotion, customers were required to meet simple eligibility requirements, typically including maintaining an active prepaid or postpaid service account with Flow and completing qualifying activities such as recharging a mobile account or purchasing a qualifying subscription add-on. Each qualifying action entered participants into a random drawing for a range of prizes, from top-tier electronics like the Chromebook to gift cards, mobile data bonuses, and other experiential rewards tied to local entertainment events.

In a statement released following the prize announcement, representatives from Flow congratulated Ambrose on her win, noting that promotions like Riddim and Rewards are a core part of the company’s commitment to giving back to the communities it serves. The company also confirmed that additional prize drawings are scheduled for the remaining duration of the campaign, encouraging all eligible customers who have not yet participated to complete their qualifying activities for a chance to claim their own rewards before the promotion concludes.

Ambrose has expressed her excitement about the win, sharing that the new Chromebook will be put to immediate use for both personal work and family digital needs. Local community members have also extended congratulations to the winner, with many noting that the promotion provides a fun, accessible way for customers to earn extra benefits from their regular telecommunications services.

The Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is mourning the loss of one of its most towering public and private figures, Sir Aziz Fares Hadeed KCMG, CBE, who passed away on 23 May 2026 at the age of 79. In an official statement released after his death, the Hadeed family has paid loving tribute to their patriarch, celebrating a life spent in relentless service to leadership, community progress and national growth that left an unerasable imprint on both Antigua and Barbuda and the broader Caribbean region.

Widely celebrated as one of the most influential businessmen and philanthropists in the country, Sir Aziz steered the Hadeed Group of Companies as Executive Chairman to grow into one of the largest corporate conglomerates in the Eastern Caribbean. Under his direction, the group drove substantial economic expansion across the region, created thousands of stable jobs for local workers, and laid foundational groundwork for decades of private sector development. His influence stretched far beyond the boardroom, however: he was equally respected as a diplomat, dedicated public servant and passionate advocate for community uplift, with major contributions to advancing public education, expanding philanthropic access for marginalized groups, and strengthening civic institutions across Antigua and Barbuda.

Over his decades of service, Sir Aziz earned some of the world’s most prestigious honors in recognition of his work. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2016 for his contributions to commerce and public life, and just earlier this year, he was elevated to the rank of Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) — one of the highest distinctions awarded for outstanding public and international service.

The family expressed deep gratitude to the general public for the outpouring of prayers, affection and support they have received in the wake of Sir Aziz’s passing, noting that his lifelong commitment to leaving communities better than he found them will endure as a core part of his legacy. “We honour and celebrate the extraordinary life and legacy of our beloved patriarch,” the statement reads.

As tributes continue to arrive from across Antigua and Barbuda and neighboring Caribbean nations, those who worked with Sir Aziz and benefited from his initiatives remember him as a transformative leader. His work reshaped the country’s business ecosystem, expanded access to educational opportunity, and lifted up countless communities through targeted philanthropy and public service. The family emphasized that his core values of integrity, radical compassion and selfless service will continue to inspire all who were touched by his work for generations to come.

A landmark environmental initiative in Antigua and Barbuda has turned more than 100,000 discarded plastic bottle caps into durable public seating, marking a major win for community-led ocean conservation and waste reduction efforts.

The West Indies Sail Heritage Foundation, the organization leading the project, announced the milestone as part of its ongoing Ocean Love No Plastic No Waste programme. Instead of allowing single-use plastic caps to end up in landfills or leak into surrounding oceans, the initiative has repurposed the collected waste into sturdy, long-lasting benches that now serve eight local schools and youth organizations across the twin-island nation. Beneficiaries of the donations include Sea View Farm Primary School, Newfield Primary School, Cobbs Cross Primary School, the Antigua & Barbuda Girl Guides Association, Cedar Grove Primary School, Potters Primary School, Jennings Secondary School and Buckleys Primary School.

Every finished bench incorporates a minimum of 12,000 recycled plastic caps, turning a common everyday waste item into a functional public asset that will serve communities for years. Beyond providing useful seating, the project is designed to blend tangible conservation action with hands-on environmental education for young people. Through the programme, participating students learn core lessons about plastic pollution, marine ecosystem protection, and the four key principles of sustainable waste management: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Refuse. The initiative encourages young participants to reframe their understanding of waste, teaching them that materials most people throw away can be transformed into valuable, useful resources.

For the foundation and local communities, these benches are far more than just a place to sit. They serve as constant, visible reminders of what collective community action can accomplish when groups unite to cut waste and protect shared natural spaces. Every bottle cap kept out of the waste stream is one less piece of plastic that risks contaminating local coastlines, harming marine life, or damaging the island nation’s sensitive ecosystems that rely on clean oceans for tourism and livelihoods.

The success of the milestone would not have been possible without external support, and the West Indies Sail Heritage Foundation has publicly thanked its core partners and sponsors: the Sandals Foundation, CCRIF SPC, and the French Embassy in Saint Lucia. Their funding and logistical backing have made both the collection drive and the distribution of the upcycled benches possible.

Looking ahead, the Ocean Love No Plastic No Waste programme is set to continue expanding through 2026 and 2027, bringing environmental education workshops, plastic collection drives, and upcycling projects to even more young people across Antigua and Barbuda. The foundation’s long-term goal is to inspire the next generation of environmental leaders to rethink their relationship with plastic, develop creative local solutions to waste challenges, and launch their own community initiatives to keep plastic out of oceans and natural areas.

By turning tiny, often overlooked discarded bottle caps into lasting public infrastructure, the programme offers a powerful example of how small, individual actions can add up to large, meaningful environmental change. The foundation invites community members and local groups to join the effort, emphasizing that collective action can turn waste into opportunity and build a cleaner, more environmentally resilient future for Antigua and Barbuda.

A bold shopkeeper in the All Saints district has become a local hero after successfully fending off an attempted chain-snatching incident that unfolded on the shop floor earlier this week.

Local law enforcement sources confirm that the incident began when an unidentified suspect entered the small independent retail outlet under the pretense of browsing merchandise. Once inside, the individual suddenly lunged toward the owner, reaching for the gold chain the shopkeeper was wearing around their neck in a blatant attempt to steal the valuable piece of jewelry.

Witnesses who were inside the store at the time of the attack described the shopkeeper as acting quickly and decisively, refusing to surrender to the robber’s demands. Instead of complying, the owner pushed back against the suspect, shouting to draw attention from passersby and engaging in a brief physical struggle that threw the attacker off balance.

The unexpected resistance caught the would-be thief off guard. Within seconds, the suspect realized they would not be able to seize the chain and escape easily, and fled the premises on foot before any bystanders could block their exit. Emergency responders and police were called to the scene immediately after the incident, launching a search operation for the suspect that remains ongoing as of press time.

The shopkeeper, who has operated their small business in the All Saints area for more than 12 years, sustained only minor scrapes during the struggle and was able to reopen the store the following day. In a brief interview with local media, the owner emphasized that they wanted to send a message that small business owners will not stand idly by while criminals target them or their community.

Local residents have rallied around the shopkeeper, praising their courage in the face of danger. Neighborhood safety organizers have noted that the incident highlights ongoing concerns about street-level petty crime in the area, and are calling for increased police patrols to reassure local business owners and shoppers.