标签： Antigua and Barbuda

A theft investigation is now underway in Belmont, after a power drill was reported stolen from a local unfinished building last week, law enforcement officials confirmed.

Authorities have narrowed down the window of the incident to a 19-hour period stretching from noon on June 18 to 7 a.m. on June 19. According to case details, the perpetrator or perpetrators behind the burglary gained unauthorized access to the construction site by forcing open a deadbolt lock fitted to a metal door on the building’s northern side. Once inside, the thieves removed the power drill from an interior work table before leaving the property through the same entry point they had compromised.

Following the report of the missing tool, law enforcement officers carried out a thorough search of the neighborhood and surrounding areas surrounding the construction site in an attempt to recover the stolen property. As of the latest update, that search has not turned up any trace of the drill, and officials have not yet released an official valuation for the stolen equipment. The Belmont Police Department says the investigation remains active, with detectives continuing to follow up on any potential leads to identify the culprit and recover the missing tool.

Against a backdrop of growing focus on bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world professional success, the Antigua and Barbuda Accreditation Advisory Society (ABCAS) has brought together a diverse cross-section of education and industry leaders for its inaugural Pathways Summit, a targeted initiative designed to equip graduating students with the tools they need to thrive in their next life stages. The opening ceremony of the gathering kicked off with keynote opening addresses from two of ABCAS’ top leaders: Dr. E. Jonah Greene, the organization’s president, and Dr. Vernon Solomon, chair of the ABCAS Board of Trustees. A wide range of senior stakeholders and distinguished guests from across the nation’s education and private sectors joined the ceremony, including Dr. Na-Ajele Williams-Buffonge, ABCAS vice president, Dalso Henry, permanent secretary of Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Education, the full body of ABCAS Board members, and official delegations from leading local educational institutions including The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, the national Board of Education, and the Antigua and Barbuda Accreditation Board. Unlike traditional graduation events that focus solely on celebrating academic achievement, the Pathways Summit centered on practical, actionable skill-building for graduands navigating the transition out of higher education. Attendees gained actionable insights across four critical areas that directly impact post-graduation success: workplace readiness, personal financial management, mental and physical wellness, and launching new entrepreneurial ventures. To ground discussions in real industry experience, Carlene Spencer, learning and development manager at the major local resort Sandals Grande Antigua, shared on-the-ground perspectives on the core competencies and soft skills that modern employers prioritize when evaluating new hires. For his part, Kurt Jno Baptiste led an interactive, engaging workshop focused on building long-term financial empowerment, a skill rarely covered in standard academic curricula. Beyond structured presentations and workshops, the summit created dedicated space for graduands to network one-on-one with representatives from local universities, top regional employers, established entrepreneurs, and public and private support organizations. This direct engagement gave attendees unparalleled access to curated information, tailored resources, and clear pathways to advanced education, employment, and self-employment that they can leverage immediately after graduation. For ABCAS, the Pathways Summit is far more than a one-off event: it is a core manifestation of the organization’s long-standing institutional commitment to student success. Rather than only supporting students through their graduation requirements, ABCAS aims to prepare learners for sustainable, fulfilling careers, successful entrepreneurial ventures, and ongoing lifelong learning as they enter the next chapter of their personal and professional lives.

A recent gathering of the Airlines and Aviation Section of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union (ABWU) has shone a spotlight on two pressing workplace issues: unfair forced leave policies and underrepresentation of aviation workers, prompting union leadership to commit to targeted action for employee protections.

The meeting, which brought together top union officials and frontline shop stewards, served as a collaborative space for delegates to surface on-the-job grievances, review shifting dynamics across the country’s aviation sector, and map out collective strategies to advance worker rights. The most heated grievances centered on two vacation-related violations by one unidentified aviation employer: unjustified vacation blackouts and coercive forced leave.

Workers reported that the company blocks employees from taking leave during their preferred time blocks, even when staff submit formal requests with ample advance notice. In addition, multiple delegates shared accounts of workers being forcibly removed from company premises and ordered to take unscheduled leave against their will.

Responding to these allegations, ABWU General Secretary David Massiah made a public commitment to push back against what he calls the company’s unlawful, one-sided policy. He emphasized that the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Code explicitly requires mutual consent from both employers and employees when finalizing vacation scheduling, meaning the company’s current practices violate national labor legislation.

Beyond addressing immediate labor violations, the meeting also prioritized a long-term goal: growing union density across the entire local aviation sector. Section Chair Steveroy Phillip outlined that expanding membership is critical to ensuring more aviation workers can access the robust protections and benefits locked in through collective bargaining agreements.

“Our core priority right now is unionizing the ground handling staff at the airport, so they can secure the same fair terms and protections that the rest of us already enjoy,” Phillip said in remarks during the meeting. “We are calling on every current member to reach out to an unorganized colleague, talk to them about the value of our union, and help us build a stronger collective voice for all aviation workers.”

Phillip also addressed a third ongoing grievance: some employers have refused to grant workers scheduled time off to participate in official union activities, a practice he confirmed constitutes a clear violation of existing collective bargaining agreements between the union and sector employers.

Despite the range of challenges laid out during the meeting, Phillip struck an optimistic tone about the section’s growth trajectory. He noted that participation in union activities has been steadily increasing as the organization prepares for its 59th Annual General Conference, set to take place this coming September, and expects this upward trend to continue in the coming months.

A moment that should have been full of pride and celebration for graduating students and their loved ones turned into chaotic disorder over the weekend, when a large-scale physical altercation erupted among people attending the milestone event.
Witnesses recorded footage of the clash, which quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing thousands of comments and reactions from internet users around the country. As of the latest update, law enforcement and event organizers have not released any details about the root cause of the confrontation, leaving many unanswered questions for the public. Officials also have not confirmed whether any people involved sustained injuries during the brawl, nor have they shared updates on potential arrests or the launch of a formal investigation into how the violence unfolded.
For many communities, graduation ceremonies represent one of the most significant coming-of-age events, honoring years of hard work and academic achievement by students. The unnecessary outbreak of violence at this celebratory gathering has sparked significant disappointment and concern across online spaces, with many commentators noting that the ugly incident completely overshadowed the positive achievements of the graduates who had earned their moment in the spotlight.