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PM opens Hope Agricultural Institute

Tonisha Rock-Yaw
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PM opens Hope Agricultural Institute

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley says the Hope Agricultural Training Institute at Hope Plantation, St Lucy will play a critical role in strengthening Barbados’ food security, climate resilience and public health.

Speaking at the handover ceremony for the China-funded facility, Mottley stressed that modern agricultural training, access to water and innovation were essential as the country confronts climate change and rising rates of diabetes and kidney disease.

She also announced that 100 acres of land would be made available to young people for agricultural production, while government moved ahead with plans for a desalination plant anchored by the Barbados Water Authority, as well as opportunities for Barbadians to invest and benefit.

The facility was constructed under grant funding of BDS $40 million from the People’s Republic of China.

The Prime Minister thanked the Government and people of China for their continued partnership, describing the institute as a major step toward a more resilient, sustainable and healthier Barbados. (TRY)

Doctor on assault charge

Heather-Lynn Evanson
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Doctor on assault charge

A doctor on an assault charge was released on bail when he appeared in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Dr Sherwin Ivor Benskin, 59, of Western Avenue, Fort George Heights, St Michael, pleaded not guilty to unlawfully assaulting Charlene King, occasioning her actual bodily harm, on January 26.

There was no objection to bail and Magistrate Manila Renee released him with a surety of $2 500.

The accused will reappear in court on July 2.

We’re working for ordinary Bajans, says Symmonds

Natanga Smith
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We’re working for ordinary Bajans, says Symmonds

Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate for St James Central, Kerrie Symmonds, has urged voters to back the party’s slate, arguing that its economic record and new housing and small-business initiatives mark a decisive shift toward empowering ordinary Barbadians.

Speaking at a political meeting at Wotton Playing Field, Christ Church on Sunday night, Symmonds told supporters that communities across the island shared the same struggles and aspirations. 

“If you know Haynesville, you know Haynesville look a lot like this and if you know Redmans Village, you know Redmans Village look a lot like here.”

He said the BLP, led by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, was prepared to take Barbados “where no other party” was willing, but stressed that doing so required returning the party to office.

A major focus of Symmonds’ address was a strong appeal for the re-election of Ryan Straughn, the BLP candidate for Christ Church East Central. Describing Straughn as “a brilliant young man” and “very capable”, Symmonds told the crowd: “I want to stop at this point to beg you to put Ryan Straughn back in the people’s Parliament.”

He credited Straughn with helping to stabilise an economy the BLP inherited in 2018. 

“From Day 1, when we came into Government, the cupboard was bare. There was nothing there,” Symmonds said, adding that Barbados was then “the third most indebted country on planet Earth”.

Pointing to improvements since then, he noted that public debt had been reduced from about 178 per cent of GDP to roughly 98 per cent, while foreign exchange reserves had grown from “three weeks of import money” to more than 30 weeks. He also highlighted labour market gains, telling supporters that unemployment, once in the double digits, now stood at about 6.1 per cent  . . . “the lowest it has ever been in the history of this country.”

Estwick knocks Govt for signing deal

Nationnews Desk
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Estwick knocks Govt for signing deal

Democratic Labour Party candidate for St Philip West Dr David Estwick has raised alarm over the types of international agreements Government has signed on to which run counter to the traditional values of Barbados.

Estwick, a former cabinet member, was speaking at his party’s political meeting at Rices, St Philip, on Saturday night.

He also touched on other issues such as traffic congestion leading to Six Roads, St Philip, and making it a special development area, and the process in becoming a Barbadian vis-à-vis the controversy of having a digital identification card to vote.

“I want to tell you about an agreement that this Government has signed. An agreement that is an attempt to introduce European values in this country. This agreement is known as the Samoa Agreement. And in the Samoa Agreement … It mandates that Barbados is required to provide access to comprehensive sexual education and under article 80.3, Barbados is to advance LGBTQ ideology in concert with the principle of non-discrimination and human rights, are provided … autonomous sexual rights for your children, and provide sexual education for children,” he said.

Estwick said minors do not have the mental capacity to make decisions regarding their own sexuality and treatment.

“Regarding comprehensive sexual education, the Samoa Agreement proposes that between the age of zero and four years old, private schools in Barbados should introduce knowledge about masturbation… This is the time where your children should be taught the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. This is the time where your children should be taught about ethics and behaviour. This is the time where your children should be introduced to a computer so that they can use it for learning, and exposed to the basics of how that computer can help them develop themselves,” Estwick said.

He also spoke to a European Union agenda that is introducing values which are alien to Barbados.

“We don’t need parenting lessons from the European Union. And I said without reservation, that the state should not become the parent of our children. They went and signed an agreement that allowed the country to opt out of implementation. They refuse to implement the section that would have given them the right to opt out . . . . And I want every Barbadian to go and read up on this Samoa Agreement yourself,”  Estwick said. (JS)

PM’s cry: Come out and vote

Antoinette Connell
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PM’s cry: Come out and vote

Come out and vote, urged leader of the Barbados Labour Party, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, on Monday night.

Polls and discussions on the February 11 General Election, along with leadership, have focused on the undecided voters and voter apathy. A Nation/Starcom commissioned poll conducted in mid-January revealed nearly half of the electorate is either uncertain or has no plans to vote.

Mottley, on a platform mounted at Bush Hall Yard Gap, St Michael, in support of BLP St Michael Central candidate Tyra Trotman, said the team was ready to have a doubly red Valentine’s Day celebration. 

“But that can only happen if people come out and vote and for the next seven, eight days, that is going to be my singular message. Whatever else I talk about, it is about getting people to understand that without the vote, there is nothing.

“There is no ballot box that opens up with any votes. It starts with zero and it’s like I heard someone using the analogy, no matter how great a century, Shai Hope could make a double-century tonight but that is tonight and [if] he doesn’t make it tomorrow you can’t get nowhere,” she said.

Mottley told those on hand that similarly, no matter how many times they have voted for her or any other candidates, that was inthe past.

“It is the next polling day that matters and I want to speak to you because in many respects, the manifesto of the Barbados Labour Party has been influenced by you,” Mottley said to the party faithful gathered in the area, which adjoins her St Michael North East constituency.

She went on to highlight some of the initiatives listed in the just launched manifesto, including the $1 700 annual reverse tax credit for those earning up to $25 000.

She said 18 000 people have gotten back every cent in tax paid yearly from 2020 to 2025.

Kirk Humphrey, candidate for St Michael South, said the DLP was an organisation of delusion and panic, asking voters to believe that a country that has 18 consecutive quarters of growth under the BLP administration is worse off than a country that had every consecutive downgrade after downgrade under the DLP.

He credited the BLP with passing the Child Protection Bill while others were marching in protest.

“They then said that that bill had something to do with LGBTQ+ rights. It has nothing at all to do with anything to do with LGBTQ+. A grown man or a grown woman can do what they want to do and it’s not my business but it’s not the case for children and it’s not written into our legislation,” Humphrey said. (AC)

Haiti among priority countries for WHO billion-dollar appeal

Nationnews Desk
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Haiti among priority countries for WHO billion-dollar appeal

GENEVA – The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched its 2026 global appeal for nearly one billion US dollars to ensure that millions of people living in humanitarian crises and conflicts can access health care.

The WHO said that the priority emergency response areas will include Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Myanmar, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.

Efforts will also address ongoing outbreaks of cholera and mpox

“Renewed commitments and solidarity are urgently needed to protect and support the people living in the most fragile and vulnerable settings,” WHO said.

“This appeal is a call to stand with people living through conflict, displacement and disaster to give them not just services, but the confidence that the world has not turned its back on them,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The WHO said that the 2026 appeal seeks to respond to 36 emergencies worldwide, including 14 “grade 3” crises requiring the highest level of organisational response at a time of stinging funding cuts as humanitarian and health financing is experiencing its sharpest decline in a decade.

“Around one quarter of a billion people are living through humanitarian crises that have stripped away safety, shelter and access to health care (while) global defence spending now exceeds US$2.5 trillion a year,” Tedros said at the launch in Geneva.

WHO said that with the requested resources, it can sustain lifesaving care in the world’s most severe emergencies while “building a bridge towards peace”, said the lead agency for health response in humanitarian settings, which coordinates more than 1 500 partners across 24 crisis settings globally, ensuring that national authorities and local partners remain at the centre of emergency efforts.

“It is not charity. It is a strategic investment in health and security. Access to health care restores dignity, stabilises communities and offers a pathway toward recovery, said Ghebreyesus.

As global humanitarian financing continues to contract, the WHO said that the 2026 appeal comes at a time of converging global pressures as protracted conflicts, escalating climate change impacts and recurrent infectious disease outbreaks drive increasing demand for health emergency support.

With shrinking funding, WHO and other humanitarian partners have been “forced to make difficult choices” to prioritise the most critical interventions, the UN agency said, adding that what remains are the most impactful activities, including keeping essential health facilities operational, delivering emergency medical supplies and trauma care, preventing and responding to outbreaks, restoring routine immunisation and ensuring access to sexual and reproductive, maternal and child health services in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

In 2025, WHO and partners supported 30 million people funded through its annual emergency appeal. Last year, humanitarian funding fell below 2016 levels, leaving WHO and partners able to reach only one third of the 81 million people originally targeted to receive humanitarian health assistance. (CMC)

Jill Biden’s ex-husband charged with murder

Nationnews Desk
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Jill Biden’s ex-husband charged with murder

The ex-husband of former first lady Dr. Jill Biden has been indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of his current wife, authorities said Tuesday.

William Stevenson, 77, was arrested in connection with the death of his wife 64-year-old Linda Stevenson, who was found unresponsive in December inside a home in New Castle County, Delaware, police said.

He was arraigned and is being held at Howard Young Correctional Institution after he was unable to post a $500,000 cash bail. It’s unclear if he has legal representation at this time.

Stevenson was married to Biden from 1970 until their divorce in 1975. “Looking back, it may seem like that relationship was a mistake of youth,” Biden wrote in her 2019 memoir. “But there was a time when I truly believed we were destined for each other.

The Biden post-presidential office declined to comment about Stevenson’s arrest and charges.

Authorities found Linda Stevenson unresponsive at the couple’s home on December 28 after receiving a call about a domestic dispute, police said in their initial statement. Police did not share more details about their investigation or Linda Stevenson’s cause or manner of death.

Linda Stevenson was described as a “deeply family-oriented” person who enjoyed taking vacations with her daughter and granddaughter, and cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles, according to her obituary.

In recent years, she founded a bookkeeping business and became friends with many of her clients.

“Linda will be remembered as tenacious, kind-hearted, and fiercely loyal,” the obituary said. “Her strength, resilience, and unwavering love for her family and friends will never be forgotten, and her absence will be felt deeply by all who knew her.” (CNN)

CariCOF warns of severe weather activity

Nationnews Desk
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CariCOF warns of severe weather activity

The Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) Tuesday said that the continued unusual warmth in the Tropical North Atlantic Ocean will result in the occurrence of severe weather activity as early as April.

CariCOF in its latest edition of Caribbean Climate Outlooks covering the three-month period, February to April, said that the severe weather will occur in southern Belize, the Guianas, the Greater Antilles and mountainous areas of the Lesser Antilles, implying high or even extremely high potential for flooding, flash floods, cascading hazards and associated impacts after March.

CariCOF said that this part of the Caribbean Dry Season includes its annual peak in March as well as the transition out of the cool and into the heat season.

The continued, unusual warmth in the Tropical North Atlantic Ocean will also result in short dry spells increase in frequency, particularly in the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) and Lesser Antilles as well as comfortable temperatures in February making way to episodes of heat discomfort by March in inland portions of Belize, the Guianas and Trinidad.

It said elsewhere rainfall totals are unlikely to mitigate long-term drought impacts in the ABC Islands, St Kitts and Nevis and the Windward Islands caused by large rainfall deficits during the 2025 Wet Season.

Rainfall totals from February to April are likely to be the usual or higher in the ABC Islands, The Bahamas, Barbados, Grand Cayman, Trinidad and Tobago and the Windward Islands.

CariCOF notes that short term drought is evolving in northern Haiti, St. Kitts and St.Lucia and might possibly develop in or continue the northwestern Bahamas, northern Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Martinique St. Martin and St. Barts.

Long term drought is imminent in the ABC Islands, Grenada and St Lucia and is evolving in Dominica, Martinique and St Kitts. (CMC)

‘Caricom trade reset critical’

Shawn Cumberbatch
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‘Caricom trade reset critical’

Barbados and other CARICOM economies must this year pursue regional cooperation as a strategic response following “a tumultuous year in regional and global trade”.

That reality has been outlined by Ambassador Wayne McCook, Assistant Secretary-General, CARICOM Single Market and Trade.

He said that the rules-based international system that underpinned decades of global economic growth was undergoing more than a stress test.

“Trade tensions, supply chain disruptions and a surge in economic nationalism and protectionist policies are driving global fragmentation and creating uncertainty for governments and businesses alike,” the senior CARICOM official noted.

“In looking at these challenges CARICOM Heads of Government have stressed the importance of enhancing our intra-regional trade, safeguarding the region’s trade relations with its major trading partner the United States, and deepening and diversifying our bilateral trade relations.”

McCook was a panellist discussing Prospects For International Trade In 2026 In The Context Of The Changing Global Geopolitical And Economic Landscape – Impact On Trade And The Challenges And Opportunities For The Caribbean And Latin America.

The discussion was held last Wednesday at the World Trade Centre in Georgetown, Guyana.

McCook said that CARICOM member states must pursue a multi-pronged approach in response to the major trade upheaval. His specific recommendations were: Reinforcing internal markets: We must diversify our supply chains and strengthen intra-regional trade.

Global diversification: We are exploring new circles of trade and economic integration, looking beyond traditional alliances to Brazil, India, and the African Union Members.

 Strengthen existing relationships: We have existing trade arranges partners including the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Cuba Individual Members have partial scope agreements with partners including Chile, El Salvador and Brazil to name a few.”

McCook stated: “We must turn these market access opportunities into real and effective market presence. This will demand serious work on our supply side and a determined push for innovation, productivity and competitiveness.

“Address competiveness and supply side challenges by addressing non-tariff barriers and accelerating our regional and national agriculture and industrial policy initiatives in close partnership with the private sector.

On the need to strengthen regionalism as a strategic response, McCook said that “the push for expanded production and competitiveness in agricultural and industrial products is being supported by serious policy efforts”

“We must at the same time continue to strengthen our intra-regional trade arrangements. This will include completing the updating of our Common External Tariff and Rules Of Origin and aligning the industrial and agriculture policies with our trade policy in intentional ways,” he said.

“Additionally, work on regional services policies, removal of non-tariff barriers, addressing transport and logistics and advancing the digital agenda will help us build resilience and navigate the shocks ahead in 2026.”

He added: “On the bilateral front, starting with the US our major trading partner, we will anticipate discussions on the framework for our future trade relationship bearing in mind the fact that the Caribbean Basin Initiative remains in place despite the suspension of the tariff benefits at this time.

“We are prepared for constructive dialogue at the technical and political levels and value our consultations with the USTR on the ongoing trade relationship.

“We will continue to take deliberate steps to invigorate our bilateral trade agenda both with respect to existing bilateral trade agreements and outreach to other key partners such as Brazil, India and Africa, beginning with the completion of our negotiations with Colombia for an updated Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement,” McCook shared.

He stressed that “notwithstanding the difficult path ahead, this region is resilient”.

“We have navigated choppy waters before, and there is every confidence that in 2026 with solid partnerships and strong private sector engagement we will weather the storms and build a stronger and more resilient region contributing to a stronger and more resilient hemisphere and an effective multilateral trading system,” McCook said. 

Canal sparks dengue fears

Diara Springer
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Canal sparks dengue fears

Some residents near the canal behind Westbury Primary School in The City are calling for urgent action, saying months of neglect have turned the waterway into a breeding ground for mosquitoes, raising serious health concerns in the community.

A woman who gave her name only as Caroline described the mosquito problem affecting her family. 

“Let me tell you, I had a whole line full of marks down my arm two weeks ago. My whole arm, they bite up,” she said, her frustration evident. 

She added that the situation had taken a toll on her household’s health, with her son still recovering from dengue fever. 

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