标签： Antigua and Barbuda

Ahead of this weekend’s landmark gathering for one of the Caribbean’s most enduring labor organizations, veteran Jamaican trade unionist and sitting senator Kavan A. Gayle, C.D., has been confirmed as the featured keynote speaker for the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU) 59th Annual Delegates Conference, scheduled to kick off Sunday. With a professional legacy spanning more than 30 years in the global labor movement, Gayle has built a reputation as a trusted, knowledgeable strategist focused on advancing worker rights, especially for employees across the services sector.

Since 2007, Gayle has held the role of President-General of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), Jamaica’s largest trade union, balancing that post with a legislative position as a Government Senator in the Jamaican Parliament. His wide-ranging areas of expertise cover critical pillars of organized labor: industrial relations, core trade union practice, executive leadership, collective negotiation and arbitration, workforce performance and productivity management, government and legislative affairs, and business ethics.

Beyond his national work, Gayle plays an active role in global labor governance, holding a seat as a Regional Executive Member of Union Network International (UNI) and serving on the World Executive Committee of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), two of the world’s largest global trade union federations.

This year’s two-day ABWU conference carries the theme “Celebrating 59 Years of Stewardship: Embracing the Changes and Preparing for the Future World of Work.” The gathering will bring together elected delegates and industry observers from across the region for a collaborative agenda focused on two core goals: reflecting on the union’s 59-year track record of advocating for worker interests, and conducting a forward-looking analysis of the shifting economic, technological, and regulatory trends reshaping modern workplaces and the global labor movement. Attendees will engage in deliberations around how organized labor can adapt its strategies to meet emerging challenges and protect worker rights in a rapidly evolving labor landscape.

As Antigua’s newly crowned 2026 Groovy Soca King, Lennard “Young Lyrics” Henry is turning his growing local fame into tangible good for the community that raised him. Last week, the celebrated soca artist led his team in a heartfelt donation drive at Seaview Farm Primary School, his own educational starting point, delivering school supplies and critical daily items to more than 100 students just as they kicked off the new academic year.

For Young Lyrics, the visit was far more than a charity stop—it was a full-circle homecoming. Having walked the same halls as the current students decades earlier, he said the experience of returning to lift up the next generation carried deep personal meaning. “I know firsthand what it means to have people in your corner who believe in you and push you to keep going when things get hard,” he shared during the event. “These kids are our community’s future. If I can do even one small thing to give them a stronger, smoother start to their school year, it’s worth every bit of effort to me.”

The donation drive aligns with the artist’s expanding public commitment to youth empowerment and educational support, a core pillar of his community engagement as his professional career grows. Beyond dropping off supplies, Young Lyrics spent hours connecting with students, encouraging them to hold fast to their dreams and believe in their own potential, even when their goals feel out of reach. He also treated the excited student body to an intimate, high-energy performance of his hit soca tracks, giving them a chance to see the reigning Carnival champion outside of the big stage, as a local kid who made good and came back to lift others up.

Seaview Farm Primary School principal Sonilda Burton praised the initiative, emphasizing the unique impact that successful alumni can have on current students. “We are so grateful that Young Lyrics didn’t forget where he came from, and that he chose to invest in our students this academic year,” Burton said. “This donation won’t just help the kids and their families with everyday school needs—it will also show them what’s possible. When a former student who sat in these same classrooms comes back as a successful artist, it proves to our kids that they can achieve their own goals too. That inspiration is just as valuable as the supplies we received.”

Students greeted the artist and his donation with wide enthusiasm, cheering through his performance and reacting with joy to the supplies that will help them participate fully in classes this year. For Young Lyrics, the event marks another step in his ongoing mission to tie his professional success to community good. As his profile rises both in Antigua and beyond, the soca star says he plans to continue centering youth outreach, arguing that true success is not measured by the size of the stages you perform on, but by the number of lives you can lift up along the way.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda – In a significant development in a high-profile local homicide case, the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda has confirmed that 18-year-old David McDonald, a resident of Golden Grove, has been taken into custody and formally charged with the murder of 60-year-old Mordecai Eleazer Francis, a well-known business owner from Swetes.

The fatal incident unfolded on the morning of Thursday, July 23, 2026, at Francis’ own business location, Risk Takers Supermarket, located in Freeman’s Village. At roughly 8:30 a.m. that day, emergency dispatch received an anonymous report of a shooting at the supermarket, and uniformed officers were immediately dispatched to the scene. When law enforcement arrived, they found Francis unresponsive inside the store, with clear evidence of multiple gunshot wounds. First responders attempted lifesaving measures but were unable to revive him.

Following the incident, the case was prioritized and assigned to the department’s Serious Crimes Unit, with additional support from senior investigators across the Criminal Investigations Department. For nearly two months, detectives worked through leads, interviewed witnesses, and processed forensic evidence collected from the crime scene, gradually building a case against the suspect.

As a result of the comprehensive investigative work, McDonald was taken into police custody recently and has now been officially charged with one count of murder. Police officials confirmed that the defendant is scheduled to make his first court appearance before a local magistrate sometime this week, marking the first formal step in the legal process.

In a media statement released Tuesday, September 15, 2026, through the force’s Office of Strategic Communications (STRATCOM), the Police Administration extended public gratitude to community members across Antigua for their ongoing cooperation and assistance throughout the investigation. Officials noted that public tips and willingness to share information were critical to moving the case forward, and encouraged continued collaboration with law enforcement to address violent crime across the islands.

Law enforcement and the vehicle’s owner have issued a public appeal for community assistance in locating a stolen car, with a substantial $4,000 cash reward promised to anyone who provides details that result in the vehicle’s safe recovery. The stolen automobile is a 2010 model of Honda Fit, recognizable by its distinct purple exterior, and carries the registration plate number A75471. According to the latest available information, the vehicle was most recently spotted in the Clear Hall district, specifically in the vicinity of Clear Hall Secondary School. Officials are urging any resident who may have seen the car in recent days, or who holds any tip that could help investigators pinpoint its current location, to reach out with their information as quickly as possible. There are two contact channels available for people to share details: interested parties can either connect directly with local law enforcement, or reach the vehicle’s owner directly at the phone number 725-1359. In a critical safety advisory, members of the public have been strongly warned against taking any independent action in relation to the stolen vehicle. Authorities emphasize that civilians should not approach or attempt to confront anyone they believe may be connected to the stolen car, to avoid the risk of violence or unnecessary harm. Instead, all members of the public are instructed to pass any information they have to trained police officers, who will handle the recovery process. The $4,000 reward will only be disbursed after the stolen Honda Fit is successfully recovered, confirming the validity of the information provided.