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  • Trump ally and longtime US Senator Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after sudden illness

    Trump ally and longtime US Senator Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after sudden illness

    Veteran Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the most high-profile figures shaping United States foreign policy and a late-in-career close ally of President Donald Trump, has passed away at age 71 after what his Senate office termed a “brief and sudden illness.”

    Graham’s death was announced shortly after he died at his Washington, D.C., home on Saturday evening. The senior lawmaker had only returned one day prior from an official trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. While Graham’s office has not released an official cause of death, multiple major US media outlets have confirmed that first responders were dispatched to his residence following reports of a cardiac arrest incident.

    President Trump was among the first to issue a public tribute to Graham, remembering the long-serving senator as a “true American Patriot” whose absence will be deeply felt across the country. Speaking exclusively to NBC News, Trump revealed he had spoken with Graham just hours before the senator’s passing. “He sounded great, but a little tired,” Trump said, adding that “[Graham] was a tough cookie in many ways and a good person.”

    First elected to the US House of Representatives before winning a Senate seat in 2002, Graham built a decades-long reputation as one of Washington’s most unapologetic foreign policy hawks. Over his career, he consistently pushed for robust US military intervention across the globe: he backed the 2003 invasion of Iraq in the wake of the September 11 attacks, publicly opposed the 2021 withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, and emerged as one of the most vocal congressional supporters of sweeping military and financial aid packages for Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion. Just one month before his death, Graham made headlines for a televised interview warning that the US would “obliterate” Iran if it attempted to seize control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a statement that aligned with his lifelong hard-line stance on national security issues.

    Graham’s passing came as a sudden shock to political circles in Washington. The senator had shown no visible signs of poor health ahead of his Ukraine trip, and was scheduled to appear as a lead guest on NBC’s flagship Sunday morning public affairs program *Meet the Press* the day after he died.

    A defining throughline of Graham’s later political career was his dramatically shifting relationship with Donald Trump. During the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Graham stood as one of Trump’s most fierce critics, famously labeling the then-candidate a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot” and warning Republican colleagues that nominating Trump would guarantee a general election defeat. In the aftermath of the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, Graham publicly split with Trump, telling the Senate: “Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. I hate it to end this way. All I can say is count me out. Enough is enough.”

    Yet the two political figures gradually repaired their rift. Graham voted to acquit Trump during his second impeachment trial, evolved into one of Trump’s most reliable allies in the Senate, and threw his full weight behind Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign. In a 2023 interview with the BBC, Graham acknowledged Trump’s well-documented flaws but defended his presidency, pointing to his record on border security, conservative judicial appointments, and the 2020 drone strike that killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.

    Tributes have poured in from world leaders in the days following Graham’s death. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Graham one of the State of Israel’s greatest friends in US politics, noting that the senator “understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable.” Zelensky also honored Graham’s unwavering support for Ukraine, releasing a statement thanking him for his consistent backing since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

    Born in the small town of Central, South Carolina, Graham faced devastating personal hardship at a young age: he lost both of his parents while still attending university, and stepped forward to raise his younger sister, whom he later legally adopted. After earning a law degree from the University of South Carolina, Graham launched his professional career as a military lawyer in the US Air Force, later serving in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve before retiring with the rank of colonel.

    Graham never married and had no children. Earlier this year, he secured the Republican nomination to run for a fifth Senate term in the 2026 midterm elections.

    His death creates an unexpected vacancy in the US Senate at a politically pivotal moment for the country. Per South Carolina state law, Republican Governor Henry McMaster will appoint an interim senator to fill the seat through the end of Graham’s current term, with a permanent successor set to be elected by voters in November’s midterms. Prior to Graham’s passing, Republicans held a narrow 53-47 majority in the Senate, meaning the upcoming special election to fill his seat will carry outsize importance in the ongoing battle for partisan control of the upper chamber.

  • DOWASCO: Water Sector Strategic Development Project nears completion after CDB grants deadline extension

    DOWASCO: Water Sector Strategic Development Project nears completion after CDB grants deadline extension

    Dominica’s ambitious national water infrastructure overhaul is moving closer to completion, despite unexpected climate-related disruptions and implementation hurdles, according to the island’s state-owned water utility. The Dominica Water and Sewerage Company Limited (DOWASCO) announced this week that the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has greenlit a six-month extension for the Water Sector Strategic Development Project (WSSDP), pushing the final disbursement deadline from March 30 to September 30, 2026, to give contractors sufficient time to wrap up remaining works and deliver the initiative’s core development goals.

    The multi-component upgrade project has already marked major milestones across its infrastructure components, DOWASCO confirmed in an official press release. Seven of the nine planned Glass-Fused-to-Steel water storage tanks have been fully constructed across six communities: Castle Bruce, Calibishie, Morne Jaune, Grand Fond, Salisbury, and Grand Savanne. Preparatory concrete work for the base of the eighth tank, located in Morne Rachette, was scheduled to kick off by July 8. Once all nine tanks are operational, they will add roughly 1.195 million imperial gallons of collective water storage capacity to the national network, guaranteeing at least two full days of water supply for served communities and drastically boosting the reliability and climate resilience of Dominica’s water system.

    Substantial progress has also been recorded on pipeline installation across the project area. Pressure testing for new pipelines in Castle Bruce is nearly complete, with testing for the Calibishie segment set to start imminently. After successful testing, crews will move forward with pipeline disinfection, transfer of existing service connections, and final road restoration. In the interim, DOWASCO has prioritized temporary trench reinstatement to maintain safety and access for local drivers and residents.

    In the coming weeks, crews will tackle additional key works including river and ravine crossing installations in Coulibistrie and Morne Jaune, as well as the construction of three dedicated pump houses and four chlorinator facilities. Design adjustments to portions of the pipeline network required the ordering of extra pipes and fittings, which are scheduled to arrive in mid-August. Once the materials are delivered, crews will complete the remaining pipeline laying in the Morne Rachette area.

    The project faced an unexpected setback in April 2026, when severe flooding triggered by intense rainfall from a tropical trough system hit Dominica’s east coast. The extreme weather sparked multiple landslides in the Castle Bruce area, where a shift in the course of a Senhouse River tributary caused severe erosion at one tank construction site and damaged the site’s access road. An upstream landslide formed a temporary natural dam that eventually collapsed, sending a large mudslide downstream that left widespread flooding, erosion, and debris deposition in its wake.

    While the extreme weather event damaged one project site, DOWASCO emphasized that the disruption underscores the urgent need for the WSSDP’s core focus on climate-resilient infrastructure. After evaluating multiple engineering solutions, the utility confirmed the optimal path forward is to dismantle the partially completed affected tank and reconstruct it at a new, more geologically secure location on a purpose-built concrete foundation, with disassembly set to begin shortly. Remedial work is already underway to stabilize eroded pipe trenches and repair access roads damaged during the flood event.

    The final phase of the project will focus on raw water intake infrastructure, including the construction of new intakes at Castle Bruce and Coulibistrie, and the rehabilitation of aging existing intakes at Grand Fond and Calibishie. This final set of works will be funded through local counterpart financing from Dominican authorities.

    Funded by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office via the UK Caribbean Infrastructure Fund, the WSSDP is administered by the CDB in partnership with the Government of Dominica and DOWASCO. DOWASCO reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a successful final project, thanking local residents and all stakeholders for their patience and cooperation throughout the multi-year implementation process. Once complete, the initiative will transform Dominica’s water infrastructure, locking in long-term improvements to service reliability, expanded storage capacity, and enhanced climate resilience for the national water supply system.

  • Dr. McIntyre pledges to protect regional stability as he assumes ECCB Monetary Council chairmanship

    Dr. McIntyre pledges to protect regional stability as he assumes ECCB Monetary Council chairmanship

    In a formal handover ceremony held this week at the InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa in Portsmouth, Dominica’s Minister of Finance Dr. Irving McIntyre officially assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Monetary Council, inheriting the role from Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

    With his appointment, Dr. McIntyre has made a public pledge to prioritize protecting the financial welfare of more than 650,000 residents spread across the eight member jurisdictions of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), a bloc that stretches from the northern territory of Anguilla all the way south to Grenada.

    Speaking at the event, Dr. McIntyre opened his remarks by expressing deep humility and gratitude for the trust placed in him and in the government and people of Dominica by fellow council members. He reaffirmed a steadfast commitment to advancing cross-regional collaboration as the foundation of the bloc’s collective success. “On behalf of the Government and the people of the Commonwealth of Dominica, I accept the chairmanship of this distinguished Monetary Council with humility, gratitude, and an unwavering commitment through regional cooperation,” he stated.

    Dr. McIntyre did not shy away from acknowledging the significant headwinds facing the Eastern Caribbean region, noting that growing volatility in global geopolitics and international markets has created widespread economic uncertainty that complicates the bloc’s policy work. Despite these challenges, he emphasized that the member states retain unshakable resolve to protect the currency union’s monetary and financial footing. “Yet amidst these uncertainties, our resolve remains firm,” he said. “Together we will continue to safeguard monetary and financial stability while accelerating the transformation of our economies to deliver sustainable, inclusive and shared prosperity for all our people.”

    The finance minister pointed out that current global conditions create substantial barriers to the region’s long-term economic transformation goals. He shared official projections showing that average economic growth across the ECCU is expected to land just below 3% for both 2026 and 2027, a rate that falls far short of the 7% annual growth the bloc needs to meet the development aspirations of its populations. “This reality demands purposeful and coordinated action,” he added.

    Established as the highest policy-making body of the ECCB, the Monetary Council brings together the finance ministers from each of the ECCU’s eight full members: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The chairmanship of the council rotates on an annual basis, following an alphabetical order of member states to ensure equal opportunity for leadership across the bloc.

    Beyond the leadership handover, the ceremony also marked a milestone in the history of the Eastern Caribbean currency: officials used the event to unveil a fully redesigned collection of EC dollar banknotes and coins. The updated currency series was launched to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the EC dollar’s long-standing fixed exchange rate peg to the United States dollar, a policy that has anchored regional financial stability for half a century.

  • Aspirers Athletics Club adds four more gold medals at Trupial Classic

    Aspirers Athletics Club adds four more gold medals at Trupial Classic

    On the second competition day of the annual Trupial Classic, held on Saturday morning, Dominica’s Aspirers Athletics Club delivered another dominant display of field event prowess, extending its already impressive standing at the tournament by adding 10 total medals to its overall tally, alongside a series of career-best performances from up-and-coming domestic athletes.

    Leading the charge for the club was multi-event standout Khaarim John-Baptiste, who claimed two gold medals across open categories: topping the podium in both open men’s high jump and open men’s long jump. The remaining two gold medals went to Delanie George, who secured first place in the Under-17 boys’ high jump, and Zidan Cornelius, who took top honors in the Under-13 boys’ long jump.

    The Dominican club’s medal haul did not end at gold. Four silver medals were added to the delegation’s count, with podium finishes spread across multiple events. Chantay Joseph earned silver in open girls’ high jump, Khumaar John-Baptiste took second place in open boys’ high jump, Jaden Joseph claimed silver in open boys’ long jump, and Zaiden Cornelius rounded out the silver medal finishes with a runner-up result in the Under-17 boys’ javelin throw.

    Two bronze medals completed the club’s 10-medal haul for the morning session. Omari Caesar notched a third-place finish in the Under-15 boys’ long jump, while Khumaar John-Baptiste capped off an all-around strong individual performance by adding bronze in open boys’ long jump to his earlier silver medal, securing two podium finishes in a single day of competition.

    Beyond the medal haul, the morning session brought landmark personal achievements for several Aspirers athletes, including three new lifetime best results. The most notable of these breakthroughs came from discus thrower Arl Larocque, who had spent months training to break the 40-meter barrier. Competing unopposed in his event, Larocque hit a new personal best of 40.70 meters, finally clearing the long-sought milestone.

    Saturday’s results reinforce Aspirers Athletics Club’s reputation as one of the top-performing teams at the Trupial Classic, with the organization consistently placing among the leaders across a wide range of age groups and field events. The consistent success of its athletes also highlights the steady development of young track and field talent across Dominica, a cohort that has already notched multiple notable results at regional-level competitions throughout 2026.

    Following the conclusion of Saturday morning’s field event schedule, the Aspirers delegation has turned its focus to the afternoon and evening’s relay festival, where the club will look to add even more medals to its tally and extend its winning run at the 2026 Trupial Classic.

  • LIVE: DCOA Panel Discussion on Legal Rights and Protection of Seniors

    LIVE: DCOA Panel Discussion on Legal Rights and Protection of Seniors

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  • COMMENTARY: You call it gwiyav…I call it guava!

    COMMENTARY: You call it gwiyav…I call it guava!

    Across the Caribbean island of Dominica, the common guava (scientific name *Psidium guajava*) is far more than just a beloved local fruit—it is woven into the fabric of the island’s cultural traditions, ecological systems, culinary practices, and childhood memories, holding a unique place in Dominican life that few other native plants can claim.

    Guava trees exhibit natural diversity in their produce: fruits grow in three distinct shapes—round, oval, and the pear-like “long-necked” form that is a popular hybrid variety. Interestingly, trees that once produced pink-fleshed guavas can spontaneously shift to bearing white-fleshed fruits over time. Grafted commercial varieties grow to roughly the size of a small grapefruit, while the pre-Hurricane Maria Botanic Gardens long hosted a thriving stand of the distinctive long-necked cultivar that was a local landmark.

    Ecologically, guava trees support Dominica’s native wildlife in critical ways. When the trees bloom, honeybees and butterflies flock to their flowers to collect nutrient-rich nectar, while ripe fruits become a vital food source for frugivorous bats and a wide range of native small birds, forming a key link in the island’s tropical food web.

    Culturally, the guava has been immortalized in Dominican folk music. In the early 1970s, renowned local songwriter Jean Lawrence referenced the fruit’s iconic sweet aroma in the popular folk track *Tout Sa Andan’y* performed by Siffleur Montagne, with lyrics comparing the scent of ripe guava and pineapple to life’s simple pleasures.

    In Dominican kitchens, guava is a staple ingredient that shines in countless beloved recipes. For generations, families have turned ripe guavas into refreshing, ice-cold juice enjoyed with breakfast or lunch, and transformed the sweet, tangy fruit into rich guava cheese, silky jelly, thick jam, and flaky guava tarts. Guava-flavored ice cream also remains a perennial favorite treat for locals and visitors alike.

    Beyond the kitchen, guava plays a longstanding role in Dominican traditional herbal medicine. An herbal tea brewed from young guava leaves is a widely used home remedy for diarrhea, valued for its ability to calm upset stomachs and soothe irritated intestinal tracts.

    For generations of Dominican children, guavas were more than food—they were raw materials for endless imaginative play. Unripe small green guavas served as homemade marbles, while half-ripe fruits were carved into rubber tires for hand-built toy cars, which were often framed from empty cocoa pods or repurposed plastic bottles. Ripe guavas were hollowed out and shaped into tiny play baskets, bowls, and calabash containers that children could snack on after finishing their games. Older boys even mimicked adult men by rolling large guava leaves into tight, sun-dried “pretend cigarettes” to smoke during play. Dense guava wood was also carved into spinning tops for traditional top games, while mature guava branches and stems were processed by adults into high-quality cooking charcoal. Even the tree itself offers a valuable community benefit: with its broad, umbrella-shaped canopy, a mature guava provides cool, welcome shade on hot, sunny days. A fruiting guava tree at the Dominica Botanic Gardens still acts as a popular informal gathering spot, offering free snacks and a cool rest stop for visitors.

    Guava also contributed to traditional body care practices before modern personal care products became widespread on the island. Dominican grandmothers recall that fine ground guava charcoal and soft guava twigs were used as a homemade tooth-cleaning tool: one end of a small twig was pounded with a stone to soften it, then used to scrub teeth and clean between teeth, just as a modern toothbrush does.

    The fruit’s cultural significance is even reflected in local business: for decades, one of Roseau’s most popular downtown dining spots was named Guiyave Restaurant, after the local word for guava. Patrons could enjoy a filling local meal on the restaurant’s veranda while watching street life unfold below.

    Dominica is also home to a second guava species, *Psidium cattleyanum*, commonly known as cherry guava. Though many locals mistakenly call it “guava cherry” due to its small, cherry-like appearance, it is a true guava rather than a member of the cherry family. Two cherry guava varieties grow on the island: the widespread red cherry guava and the less common yellow variety. Visitors curious to try something new can seek out cold bottles of sweet cherry guava juice from local street vendors, for a uniquely Dominican taste experience.

  • Eastern Caribbean leaders meet in Dominica, unite in response to EU concerns over CBI programmes

    Eastern Caribbean leaders meet in Dominica, unite in response to EU concerns over CBI programmes

    On July 10, high-level government leaders from six Eastern Caribbean nations gathered in Dominica for a critical closed-door meeting focused on addressing growing scrutiny from the European Union over their regional Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs. Chaired by Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica, the summit brought together heads of government from Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines to coordinate a unified strategy amid looming changes to the EU’s visa suspension framework.

    Following hours of deliberation, the participating leaders issued a joint public statement reaffirming their unwavering commitment to upholding the strictest global standards for CBI operations, centered on security, full transparency, uncompromised integrity, and robust good governance. The leaders highlighted that the region has already implemented sweeping structural reforms to strengthen program oversight in recent years. These updates include more rigorous due diligence protocols for all applicants, expanded cross-border information sharing agreements, new mandatory transparency requirements, and the formal establishment of the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority, a centralized body tasked with ongoing monitoring and enforcement.

    In the statement, regional leaders emphasized that CBI programs have grown into an irreplaceable source of development financing for their small island economies. Unlike costly international borrowing, revenue generated by these programs directly funds a wide range of critical national priorities, from climate adaptation and resilience infrastructure that protects coastal communities from extreme weather to post-hurricane disaster recovery, affordable housing initiatives, expanded public healthcare services, education system upgrades, and core transportation infrastructure projects.

    To move the conversation forward constructively, the leaders agreed to ramp up targeted diplomatic engagement with EU institutions. They have scheduled a high-level diplomatic mission to Brussels to meet directly with senior EU officials, where discussions will center on negotiating a balanced, mutually acceptable resolution. The delegation will push for outcomes that address the EU’s security and regulatory concerns while fully acknowledging the unique economic vulnerabilities and urgent development needs of small island developing states.

    Closing the summit, the group of leaders expressed measured confidence that continued constructive dialogue and collaborative problem-solving will deliver practical, long-term solutions that safeguard both the region’s ongoing development progress and the decades-long strategic partnership between Eastern Caribbean states and the European Union.

  • CCJ president meets St Lucia Prime Minister during CARICOM Summit visit

    CCJ president meets St Lucia Prime Minister during CARICOM Summit visit

    On July 5, 2026, as the Caribbean prepared for one of its most important annual regional governance gatherings, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) President Justice Winston Anderson made an official courtesy visit to Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, deepening judicial-government ties across the region. The meeting was held ahead of the opening of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM, which brought regional leaders to the island nation for three days of policy coordination and collective decision-making.

    Justice Anderson was joined during the meeting by Her Ladyship Justice Margaret Price-Findlay, who holds dual senior roles as Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and Commissioner of the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission. Following the courtesy engagement, Anderson took part in the official opening ceremony of the CARICOM Heads of Government summit, an appearance that came at the formal invitation of the conference. This attendance marked the continuation of a longstanding CCJ tradition of engaging with the highest regional political gatherings, reflecting the court’s integrated role in Caribbean governance.

    In an official press statement published after the meeting, the CCJ emphasized that the dialogue was part of the court’s sustained, long-term strategy to strengthen collaborative ties with national governments and domestic judicial bodies across all CARICOM member states. The engagement also aligns directly with the court’s recently launched Strategic Plan for 2025–2032, a guiding document that prioritizes expanding and deepening partnerships between the CCJ and a broad range of regional stakeholders.

    Beyond a formal diplomatic courtesy, the meeting created a dedicated space for open, continued dialogue between the Caribbean’s highest regional court and national political leadership. As Caribbean regional institutions increasingly work in lockstep to advance cross-border integration, sustainable development, and coordinated policy action, such engagements reinforce the shared commitment of judicial and governmental bodies to advancing collective progress across the region.

  • LIVE NOW: Launch of Newtown Youth Development Program

    LIVE NOW: Launch of Newtown Youth Development Program

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  • Student-Athlete Omari Caesar continues development with Trupial Classic opportunity in Curaçao

    Student-Athlete Omari Caesar continues development with Trupial Classic opportunity in Curaçao

    Dominica’s most promising young track and field talent, Omari Caesar, is set to carry the nation’s flag onto the international stage once again as he joins 27 teammates from Portsmouth’s Aspirers Athletics Club for the 35th annual Trupial Classic in Curaçao. The 21 members of the delegation kicked off their competitions on the date of this report, marking the next major milestone in the 14-year-old’s rapidly developing athletic career.

    Fresh off graduating from Roosevelt Douglas Primary School, where he was honored with the prestigious Sportsman of the Year award, Caesar is preparing to enter secondary school this term. For the young student-athlete, this upcoming meet in Curaçao is far more than just another race: it is a chance to test his speed and endurance against some of the region’s top junior competitors, gain critical experience competing at an international standard, and refine his skills ahead of the next phase of his academic and athletic journey.

    Caesar’s path to the Trupial Classic follows a series of historic breakthroughs that cemented his status as one of Caribbean junior athletics’ most exciting prospects. Earlier this year, he earned a spot representing Dominica at the CARIFTA Games, the Caribbean’s most prominent annual junior athletics championship. In doing so, he made history as the first primary school student from Dominica to ever meet the rigorous qualifying standard set by the Dominica Athletics Association Incorporated.

    He first hit the qualifying mark at CARIFTA trials held in Guadeloupe in early March, then backed up that performance two weeks later at a meet in Martinique, where he set a new national under-15 boys’ record in the 3000m race. Beyond his international achievements, Caesar also holds two national primary school titles: he is the reigning record-holder for the boys’ Primary Schools Cross Country finals and the senior boys’ 1200m at the Primary Schools Independence Athletics Championship.

    Organizers and sports officials note that opportunities for overseas competition like the Trupial Classic are invaluable for young athletes at Caesar’s stage of development. While race results are a nice bonus, the experience of competing against higher-caliber opponents, adapting to new environments, learning discipline, building teamwork, and growing confidence are the most meaningful takeaways that will support long-term growth.

    The trip to Curaçao would not have been possible without months of coordinated fundraising efforts, paired with generous support from local sponsors, athletes’ family members, and the broader Portsmouth community. Leading the 28-member Aspirers delegation is head coach Nabi Wallace, who has overseen Caesar’s training and development alongside the club’s other rising stars.

    Visit Nature Magazine, which first documented Caesar’s breakthrough run, highlighted his career trajectory as a model for grassroots sports development in small island nations. The outlet noted that his clear, structured path – from primary school athletic programs to club development, to regional competition at CARIFTA, and now to another international meet ahead of secondary school – provides a blueprint for nurturing young talent across the Caribbean.

    As Caesar prepares for the new challenges of secondary school, where competition will grow more intense and academic responsibilities will increase, sports officials emphasize that long-term development will remain the top priority. For the young rising star, the journey ahead will require continued focused training, consistent support from his family and coaching staff, steady academic performance, and intentional curation of competition opportunities to foster steady growth.