Politics
2457 articles
Caribbean Leaders Unite to Defend Citizenship by Investment Programmes Against EU Pressure
Caribbean heads of government met in Dominica on July 10 to adopt a unified stance on the EU's scrutiny of Citizenship by Investment programmes, announcing a planned high-level diplomatic mission to Brussels. As reported by Antigua News Room, the leaders defended CBI revenues as essential to their nations' development while pledging continued engagement with European partners.
Government Grants EC$10,000 Each to Families of Two Centenarians
The Ministry of Social and Urban Transformation has presented EC$10,000 burial assistance grants to the families of two recently deceased centenarians, Denzil O'Brien Cummins and Laurna Agatha Mills, under the Government's Centenarian Assistance Programme.
CHOGM Security Exercise Stronghold Declared Success Ahead of Major Summit
The CHOGM National Security Planning Committee has declared Exercise STRONGHOLD a success following the three-day national security drill held July 8 to 10, praising the public, security agencies, and business community for their cooperation ahead of this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Exercise STRONGHOLD Declared a Success as Antigua Prepares for CHOGM 2026
The CHOGM National Security Planning Committee has declared Exercise STRONGHOLD a success following the three-day national security drill held July 8 to 10, praising the public, security agencies, and business community for their cooperation ahead of CHOGM 2026.
Antigua and Barbuda Makes Historic First UN Secretary-General Nomination Since Independence
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced that Antigua and Barbuda has formally nominated María Fernanda Espinosa for UN Secretary-General, marking the first time since Independence the country has put forward a candidate for the world's highest diplomatic office. The announcement followed the 51st CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in Saint Lucia.
Antigua Conducts Major Security Lockdown Drill Ahead of CHOGM 2026
Antiguan authorities carried out a large-scale security simulation in St. John's on Friday, temporarily locking down key government facilities and restricting traffic as part of preparations for CHOGM 2026. The drill, which ran from 06:00 to midday, tested emergency response and coordination between security agencies.
St. John's Locked Down for CHOGM 2026 Security Simulation Exercise
The Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda has imposed a hard lockdown across parts of St. John's from 6:00 a.m. to noon today as part of a major security simulation exercise ahead of CHOGM 2026. Several key government institutions are inaccessible during the exercise, with police urging the public to avoid the restricted zone.
LETTER: EU's CBI Ultimatum Is Economic Aggression Against Caribbean Sovereignty
In a letter published by Antigua News Room, commentator Mike Browne argues that the EU's 2028 deadline to eliminate Citizenship by Investment programmes in the Eastern Caribbean represents economic coercion, not a genuine security measure, and calls on Brussels to provide credible alternative revenue pathways before demanding abolition.
CIP Nations to Meet Friday on Unified Response to EU Visa Ultimatum
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced that CIP-operating nations will meet Friday to craft a joint response to the EU, following a formal request that Antigua and Barbuda phase out its citizenship by investment programme by 2028. The EU's revised visa suspension mechanism now treats the mere operation of such schemes as grounds for suspending visa-free access.
Hughes: US Dictated Deportee Deal, Antigua and Barbuda Never Truly Negotiated
UPP Senator Chester Hughes has accused the Browne administration of accepting rather than negotiating Antigua and Barbuda's third-country deportee arrangement with the United States, arguing the country was presented with terms and that the public was kept in the dark until after the MOU was signed.
Pringle Calls TCN White Paper a 'Legal Trap,' Demands Release of MOU
Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle has described the government's white paper on third-country nationals as a "legal trap," warning that the absence of a refugee act leaves transferred individuals with no legal resolution. Pringle is demanding the release of the underlying MOU and US operating procedures before Parliament debates the matter next week.
Ex-Police Chief Warns Antigua Unprepared to Accept Third-Country Deportees
Former Assistant Commissioner of Police Nuffield Burnette has warned that Antigua and Barbuda is ill-equipped to receive third-country deportees from the United States, citing existing policing failures and the absence of laws to accommodate asylum seekers and refugees. Burnette made the remarks at a UPP town hall meeting examining the government's White Paper on the proposed arrangement.
Pringle Accuses Government of Caving to US Terms on Deportee Deal
Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle has accused the Browne administration of failing to negotiate favorable terms in a proposed US deportee agreement, arguing that the government committed Antigua and Barbuda to the arrangement without securing key protections or releasing the MOU to the public.
Pringle: Antigua Lacks Legal Framework to Handle Third-Country Deportees
Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle is warning that Antigua and Barbuda lacks the legal framework and institutional capacity to manage third-country deportees under a proposed arrangement with the United States. Speaking at a UPP town hall, Pringle said the government's own White Paper acknowledges critical gaps in legislation and public service capacity.
Eastern Caribbean Nations Face 2028 Deadline to Wind Down Citizenship by Investment Programs
The European Commission has formally requested that five Eastern Caribbean nations, including Antigua and Barbuda, phase out their Citizenship by Investment programs by June 2028 — a deadline that puts billions in public revenue at stake and forces a reckoning over what comes next. A new commentary examines both sides of the dispute and argues the region's creation of a unified regulatory authority deserves recognition as a foundation for negotiation.
PM Browne Pushes for Shared OECS ICT Network to Cut Broadband Costs
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called for a shared OECS ICT network underpinned by subsea fibre-optic cables, with discussions reportedly underway with the European Union to make broadband services more affordable across the Eastern Caribbean.
PM Browne Calls on ECCB to Deploy Reserves for Regional Development Push
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called on the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank to deploy five to eight percent of its foreign reserves to finance regional development, including renewable energy projects, as part of the ECCB's "Big Push" initiative to double the size of the Eastern Caribbean economy. According to Antigua News Room, Browne made the proposal at the 113th ECCB Monetary Council meeting in Dominica on Thursday.
Advocates Push for Junk Food Marketing Restrictions Around Antigua Schools
Youth advocates with the Healthy Caribbean Coalition are urging Antigua and Barbuda to regulate junk food marketing around schools, arguing it warrants the same legislative scrutiny applied to tobacco and alcohol. The country is reportedly developing school nutrition policies similar to those already implemented in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.
Officials Appeal for Public Cooperation as Exercise Stronghold Day 2 Begins
Security forces and stakeholders have launched Day 2 of Exercise Stronghold, a pre-CHOGM readiness drill involving a 'hard-lockdown' of Antigua's Red Zone. Officials, including Foreign Minister E.P. Chet Greene, are urging public patience and cooperation as temporary traffic and access restrictions take effect.
PM Browne Pushes Bold Plan to Double Eastern Caribbean Economies in Seven Years
Prime Minister Gaston Browne addressed the ECCB Monetary Council Meeting in Dominica on July 9th, championing a regional "Big Push" strategy to double the size of Eastern Caribbean economies within seven years. Key proposals include innovative financing mechanisms, a regional airline, renewable energy investment and the use of dormant bank balances for development funding.