标签： Antigua and Barbuda

A vulnerable family living in Yorkshire has been given a fresh start, moving into a fully updated home after a months-long collective renovation effort led by the non-profit group HAPI. The transformative project would not have been possible without coordinated support from a wide cross-section of partners, ranging from senior government leaders to local volunteers and even incarcerated contributors.

In a public statement acknowledging the widespread collaboration, HAPI officially recognized the critical backing provided by Prime Minister Gaston Browne and his entire administration. Three cabinet members – Ministers Rawdon Turner, Charles Fernandez, and Mary Baltimore – were singled out for their hands-on involvement in moving the project forward. Additional institutional support came from the national Social Protection Board, while inmates from His Majesty’s Prison contributed hours of labor and organizational help to complete the renovation work.

One local private donor also received special commendation for his contribution to the project: Tony Greener, who generously donated all new windows and doors that form a key part of the home’s updated structure. Visual documentation shared alongside the HAPI announcement offers a striking before-and-after look at the property, showing its dramatic transition from a dilapidated, weathered building unsafe for long-term occupancy to a warm, code-compliant residence ready for the family to move into.

Inspector Raguette, a representative of HAPI, reaffirmed the organization’s long-standing core mission in the wake of the project’s completion. He noted that HAPI’s model focuses on incremental, person-centered community impact, aiming to change lives one safe home at a time by targeting assistance to low-income and vulnerable families struggling with inadequate housing. This latest completed renovation marks another milestone in that ongoing mission, Raguette added, and serves as a demonstration of what collective cross-sector collaboration can achieve for communities in need.

For nearly a quarter of a century, Corporal Jermaine Samuel has served as a dedicated law enforcement officer with the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda. When he is not on duty protecting communities, he is known across the country as a beloved Calypso performer who goes by the stage name “King Singing Sudden.” Now, this multi-talented public servant has reached a groundbreaking professional milestone: he has successfully earned his Legal Education Certificate from the Eugene Dupuch Law School under the Council of Legal Education in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, marking the completion of his formal legal studies.

Samuel’s journey to the legal profession has been defined by consistent discipline and relentless commitment to excellence, traits that have long defined his 24-year career in policing. Throughout his decades of service, he has built deep specialized expertise in prosecution work, and currently holds a posting with the Royal Police Force’s Criminal Investigation Department, where his insights and contributions remain highly valued by colleagues and leadership alike.

This latest achievement builds on a long record of academic distinction that Samuel has accumulated alongside his full-time law enforcement duties. Before earning his Legal Education Certificate, he already graduated with an honors Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Wales, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the University of Wolverhampton. He has also been admitted as a member of the prestigious Middle Temple, one of the four Inns of Court in the United Kingdom that train barristers. This extended academic journey speaks not just to his intellectual rigor, but to his deeply held dedication to advancing equal justice and upholding the rule of law across Antigua and Barbuda.

Today, Samuel holds the status of Attorney in Waiting, and is preparing to receive his official call to the Bar of Antigua and Barbuda. Local legal and law enforcement communities widely anticipate that he will bring his decades of on-the-ground public service experience to his new legal career, making meaningful, lasting contributions to the nation’s courts and broader justice system for years to come.

Authorities in the Caribbean have opened a formal investigation into a sophisticated fraudulent website that has been illegally impersonating the University of the West Indies (UWI), one of the region’s most prestigious higher education institutions. The fake platform, which closely mimics the official UWI online interface, has raised serious alarms among university administrators and law enforcement officials over potential harm to prospective students, current enrollees, and the institution’s long-standing reputation.

According to initial alerts issued by UWI’s official communications team, the scammers behind the counterfeit site have been targeting individuals seeking admission to the university, falsely advertising fraudulent degree programs, scholarship opportunities, and application processing services in exchange for illegal payments. The fake website replicates key visual elements of the legitimate UWI site, including official logos, campus imagery, and departmental branding, making it difficult for inexperienced web users to distinguish between the real and fraudulent platforms.

UWI has confirmed that it is working closely with national cybercrime units, internet regulatory bodies, and global domain name registrars to identify the perpetrators behind the scheme, take the fake website offline, and prevent similar copycat platforms from emerging in the future. University officials have also issued a public warning urging all prospective and current students to verify the authenticity of any website claiming to represent UWI before sharing personal identifiable information or making any form of financial transaction.

Cybersecurity experts note that this type of educational impersonation scam has grown increasingly common globally, as more students turn to online platforms to research and apply for higher education opportunities. Scammers often exploit the reputation of well-respected institutions to steal funds, collect sensitive personal data for identity theft, and damage the standing of the universities they impersonate. UWI has stated that it will update the public on the progress of the investigation as more information becomes available, and is advising anyone who has interacted with the fake website to report the incident to local law enforcement immediately.

Over three days of collaborative dialogue and strategic planning in Antigua and Barbuda, representatives from local trade unions and marginalized interest groups have finalized a foundational workshop centered on rolling out protections outlined in the International Labour Organization’s landmark Convention 190, which addresses the persistent crisis of violence and harassment in workplaces globally.

This capacity-building initiative was organized and led by two international advocacy organizations: Public Services International, a global federation of public service trade unions, and the FNV Rainbow Network, a Dutch network focused on advancing queer inclusion within labor movements. The core objective of the gathering extended beyond basic implementation of ILO standards, aiming to embed stronger protections and recognition for LGBTIQA+ workers across public sector unions throughout the Caribbean region.

Throughout the three-day program, attendees participated in a range of interactive activities, from open panel discussions on regional challenges to peer knowledge-sharing sessions that highlighted successful inclusion initiatives from different island nations. Working groups collaborated to map out actionable, context-specific strategies that unions can adopt to prevent workplace violence and harassment targeting marginalized workers, with a particular focus on queer and gender-diverse employees who face disproportionate risk of mistreatment.

Officials from the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union noted that the workshop placed consistent emphasis on cultivating work cultures that center dignity and equal respect for every staff member, no matter their racial background, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics.

As a key milestone in broader regional labor reform efforts, the gathering united cross-sector stakeholders around a shared commitment to advancing systemic fairness, intersectional equality, broader social inclusion, and dignified working conditions across all Caribbean nations. Participants left the workshop with new tools, partnerships, and clear action plans to advance these goals in their respective local and national unions.