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St. John Hospice Maps Path Forward at Government House AGM
The St. John Hospice held its Annual General Meeting at Government House on July 9, reporting a modest operating surplus and outlining plans to expand fundraising and public outreach. Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams praised the organisation's governance and urged the public to support what he called an indispensable national asset.
UWI Global Campus Programme Marks Ten Years of Empowering Barbadian Youth
The UWI Global Campus Alumni Office has celebrated the tenth anniversary of its PTFTC-TCL youth development programme, honouring 149 graduates and announcing that students will soon be eligible to earn regionally recognised Core Skills certifications. Over a decade, the initiative has transformed the lives of more than 1,800 Barbadian secondary school students.
CARICOM Leaders and Private Sector Agree on Concrete Steps to Tackle Regional Cost of Living
CARICOM Heads of Government and regional private sector leaders meeting in Saint Lucia have agreed on concrete, time-bound measures to tackle the Caribbean's rising cost of living, including a September 2026 deadline for a regional ferry framework and potential savings of USD 2.0 billion through import diversification. The second High-Level Breakfast Dialogue also endorsed working groups to ensure accountability in implementing the agreed agenda.
APUA Credit Union Workers Stage Sit-In Amid Workplace Grievances
Employees of the APUA Cooperative Credit Union staged a sit-in Monday morning over workplace concerns, just over a year after management and the Antigua and Barbuda Workers' Union signed their first collective agreement. Office Manager Melissa Southwell declined to comment when contacted by reporters.
St. John's Hospice Holds AGM at Government House, Charts Path Forward
St. John's Hospice held its Annual General Meeting at Government House on July 9, 2026, with Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams and Lady Williams in attendance as Patrons. The Board reviewed a year of sound financial performance and discussed strategies to strengthen fundraising and expand public support for the hospice's end-of-life care mission.
APUA Makes Progress on Crabbs Water Storage Tank Rehabilitation
The Antigua Public Utilities Authority reports that rehabilitation of the 1.5 million imperial gallon Crabbs water storage tank is advancing, with contractors completing the first interior coat and undertaking base replacement and corrosion-protection works.
PM Browne Calls on ECCB to Channel Reserves into Regional Development
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has proposed that the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank allocate five to eight percent of its foreign reserves toward regional development projects, including renewable energy and infrastructure. The proposal, made at the ECCB Monetary Council meeting in Dominica, is tied to the bank's broader "Big Push" initiative to double the size of the Eastern Caribbean economy within seven years.
ABWU Renews Push for National Severance Fund After Cost Pro Closure
The Antigua and Barbuda Workers' Union is calling on the government to legislate a national severance protection fund following the sudden closure of Cost Pro Supermarket at the Woods Mall. General Secretary David Massiah says the shutdown highlights the urgent need to safeguard workers from unexpected job losses.
ABWU Notifies Labour Ministry Over Cost Pro's Abrupt Closure and Unsigned Termination Letters
The Antigua and Barbuda Workers' Union has formally alerted the Ministry of Labour following the sudden closure of Cost Pro supermarket, citing unsigned termination letters and uncertainty over whether workers will receive owed payments by the July 17th deadline. The union has pledged to pursue court action if necessary to secure all statutory entitlements for affected employees.
Airport Authority to Fell Three Mahogany Trees in Final Push to Complete $50M Runway Upgrade
The Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority will remove three mahogany trees along the Sir George Walter Highway on Sunday as the US$50 million VC Bird International Airport runway rehabilitation project enters its final phase. The trees have been found to obstruct the Air Traffic Control Tower's sightlines and show signs of termite infestation and structural deterioration.
Airport Authority to Remove Three Mahogany Trees Along Airport Highway for Aviation Safety
The Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority will remove three Mahogany trees along the Sir George Walter Highway this Sunday, citing critical aviation safety requirements as the US$50 million airfield rehabilitation project nears completion. A forestry assessment also found the trees structurally compromised by termite activity, posing additional risk to road users and airport personnel.
ECCB Doubles Food Security Commitment to EC$50 Million with New Grant Approval
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank's Monetary Council has approved a further EC$25 million grant for food and nutrition security, doubling its total commitment to the initiative to EC$50 million. The funding was approved at the Council's 113th meeting in Dominica as part of the ECCB's "Big Push" economic strategy.
Antigua, CARICOM Nations to Explore Regional Insurance Plan for Hotels and Hospitals
Caribbean leaders, including Antigua and Barbuda, have agreed to explore a regional insurance strategy to expand catastrophe coverage for hotels, hospitals and other critical infrastructure. A dedicated CARICOM Reinsurance Task Force will be established to advance the initiative.
ECCB Warns Global Uncertainty Threatens Tourism and Economic Growth in Eastern Caribbean
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank's Monetary Council has warned that geopolitical tensions, oil price volatility and global trade uncertainty could slow tourism and economic growth across the region, even as visitor arrivals rose 9 percent in early 2026.
ECCB Pushes Forward on Instant Cross-Border Payments for Caribbean Region
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank's Monetary Council has received updates on two major payment initiatives — the CAPSS Pilot and Fast Payment System — designed to enable instant cross-border transactions and expand financial inclusion across the Caribbean. As reported by Antigua News Room, both projects are flagship components of the ECCB's "Big Push" economic strategy.
Regional CBI Regulatory Authority on Track for September 2026 Launch
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank's Monetary Council has confirmed that the new regional citizenship by investment regulatory authority, ECCIRA, remains on track to launch in September 2026. The update follows the Council's 113th meeting in Dominica, where regional finance ministers reviewed progress on the initiative.
PM Browne Champions Plan to Double Eastern Caribbean Economy in Seven Years
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has endorsed a regional plan to double the Eastern Caribbean economy to EC$50 billion within seven years, backing ECCB Governor Timothy Antoine's "Big Push" vision at this week's Monetary Council meeting in Dominica. The initiative includes a newly approved ECCB Strategic Plan for 2026–2031 and a proposed regional airline, OECS Air.
Agriculture Ministry Interns Get Hands-On Poultry Training at Local Farms
Interns in the Ministry of Agriculture's Summer Internship Programme visited Pelle Farm and the All Saints Secondary School Farm this week, gaining hands-on experience in poultry breeds, production methods and food safety practices. The field visit formed part of a broader programme designed to build technical agricultural skills and encourage youth interest in the sector.
Agriculture Ministry Interns Get Hands-On Poultry Training at Local Farms
The Ministry of Agriculture's Summer Internship Programme took participants to Pelle Farm and the All Saints Secondary School Farm this week, where interns received hands-on training in poultry breeds, production methods, breeding practices and food safety as part of the programme's ongoing field activities.
ABWU Backs Displaced Costpro Workers, Demands Severance Protection Law
The Antigua and Barbuda Workers' Union has pledged to pursue all legal avenues to secure severance and other entitlements for over 100 workers displaced by the sudden closure of Costpro Supermarket. The union has also renewed its call on the government to enact Severance Protection Legislation to prevent workers from facing similar uncertainty in the future.