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Argentina sink England 2-1 to seal clash with Spain

Nationnews Desk
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Argentina sink England 2-1 to seal clash with Spain

ATLANTA – Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez struck late goals to snatch a 2-1 win over England in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday to ​send Lionel Messi’s reigning champions into the weekend showpiece match against Spain.

Just when ‌England appeared set for victory after Anthony Gordon’s second-half goal, Argentina mounted a relentless late siege and got their reward as Fernandez levelled before Martinez completed the turnaround in the 92nd minute with Messi providing the ​pass for the equaliser and the cross for the winner.

The result added another ​unforgettable chapter to one of football’s fiercest rivalries, a contest rich in history, ⁠emotion and tension from the opening whistle.

For England, dreams of a first World Cup final ​since 1966, when they enjoyed their only triumph at the global tournament, were dashed in the ​closing stages, while Argentina celebrated a comeback that kept alive their quest for another world title.

With England inexplicably parked in their own end, an Argentina equaliser felt inevitable and, after waves of late pressure, Fernandez finally ​broke through in the 85th minute when Messi found him in space on the edge ​of the box to fire home from 20 metres past Jordan Pickford into the corner.

Martinez, an 81st-minute substitute, ‌struck ⁠the winner early in added time when Alexis Mac Allister drove a shot off the post that Messi recovered. The 39-year-old talisman drove down the right to send in a brilliant ball for Martinez to head home.

The victory carried particular significance for 39-year-old Messi, who was making ​what is widely expected ​to be the final ⁠World Cup appearance of his glittering career.

For England, the defeat was a devastating blow after matching Argentina for much of the contest.

The Three ​Lions had appeared poised for victory after Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock ​in the ⁠55th minute when Nicolas Tagliafico’s attempted clearance landed at the feet of Declan Rice, who sent a through ball to Morgan Rogers.

Gordon popped up at the back post to guide Rogers’ cross ⁠with his ​instep past goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, sparking bedlam among the ​England players and fans.

But Thomas Tuchel’s side failed to withstand a relentless late assault as Argentina turned the game on ​its head. (Reuters)

Nine Caricom countries no longer need visas for Spain

Nationnews Desk
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Nine Caricom countries no longer need visas for Spain

Spain on Tuesday named nine Caribbean Community (CARICOM)  countries among 60 nations worldwide, whose citizens will not need a visa to enter the European country.

Spain yesterday named nine CARICOM countries among 60 nations worldwide whose citizens will not need a visa to enter the European country.

According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid, they are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The list doesn’t include Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, Belize or Haiti.

The visa-free arrangement applies to tourism, business trips and other short visits of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

However, citizens of most other Caribbean and African countries will still be required to apply for a Schengen visa before travelling to Spain or any other country within the Schengen zone. (CMC)

12 dead, 90 hurt in major air attack on Ukraine

Nationnews Desk
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12 dead, 90 hurt in major air attack on Ukraine

At least 12 people were killed and 90 injured overnight in a major Russian airborne assault on targets across Ukraine, authorities said Wednesday.

The southwestern city of Odessa was hardest hit, with three people killed and six injured after a missile hit a multi-story apartment block during a fifth straight day of missile and drone strikes on the port city that killed at least two other people.

Wednesday’s attack also damaged other civilian and industrial buildings and a gas pipeline, as well as gas infrastructure elsewhere in Odesa away from the province’s capital, according to Governor Oleh Kiper.

“The enemy is deliberately targeting the civilian population and the region’s civilian, industrial, and port infrastructure,” said Kiper.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the attack on Odessa, saying it was targeting port infrastructure, “used for the unloading of petroleum, oil, and lubricants” as well as sites linked to military hardware manufacturing and cargo logistics.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russian forces attacked other regions across the country with two cruise missiles and more than 120 drones but that air defenses managed to shoot down or disable more than four-fifths of the drones.

In the northeast, two people were killed and ten injured in 22 strikes across Kharkiv province, including Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, and three people were killed and 30 were injured in and around the city of Sumy.

The fatalities in Sumy city were the result of a guided bomb attack.

Strikes on Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk killed another four people and injured 44.

Ukraine hit back, claiming its drones struck 20 Russian ships in the Black Sea overnight.

The exchanges coincided with the arrival in Kyiv of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on her 11th visit for talks on ways for the defense industries of Europe and Ukraine to work together, as well as Kyiv’s accession to the European Union and help to get Ukraine through next winter.

“Ukraine has in many ways become a net security provider for Europe. And that also entails a new way of working together. This is why today we’re launching a new EU-Ukraine Defence Industrial Partnership. So we can build more and faster,” von der Leyen said in a post on X on Wednesday.

Recent months have seen a significant escalation of Russian strikes targeting civilian centers of population, Kyiv in particular, while Ukraine has been using its growing drone capabilities to hit Russia’s energy infrastructure, and more recently, Crimea and other occupied territories.

June was Ukraine’s worst for civilian casualties, save for April 2022 just after Russia’s full-scale invasion, with at least 293 killed and almost 2 000 injured, according to a report published Thursday by the United Nations’ human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine. (UPI)

Jada Group gets two barrack licences

Maria Bradshaw
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Jada Group gets two barrack licences

The JADA Group has been issued two barrack licences and has begun relocating migrant workers back to their renovated housing facilities in Black Bess, St Peter.

This comes one week after more than 80 workers were ordered to vacate the premises due to untidy living conditions.

The housing situation came to the attention of Government officials 12 days ago during a construction industry meeting attended by the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU). Following the meeting, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, Minister of Labour Colin Jordan, BWU representatives and health officials inspected the container-type housing. 

The facilities were deemed unfit for habitation, prompting an immediate order for the JADA Group to relocate the workers, sanitise the quarters and secure the required barrack licences from the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

An official at JADA revealed that barrack licences have been issued for one of the facilities at Black Bess and another in St James which houses Colombian and Cuban labourers, while another facility at Black Bess which was occupied by East Indian workers was still being renovated. However, they expect that the licence will be issued this week.

During a visit to the St Peter properties on Friday, a Sunday Sun team observed that renovation work was nearing completion in preparation for the workers’ return. Notable improvements included the replacement of damaged kitchen cupboards, cleaned toilets, new stainless steel stoves and refrigerators, and new faucets installed. 

The interiors of the structures were freshly painted, and new bunk beds and mattresses were also being put in place. Additionally, the occupancy capacity in some sleeping areas was reduced from five workers to four.

Some workers on site expressed satisfaction with their employment and the updated living conditions, pointing out that they had no issues working with the company.

Speaking through a representative, a group of Indian workers said they were happy working for JADA and living in Barbados, adding that they regularly clean their quarters on Sundays.

A representative from JADA Group’s human resources department acknowledged management’s oversight regarding the initial state of the housing. The representative stated the company had relied on the workers to maintain the facilities, which resulted in a decline beyond management’s expectations. The company apologised for the insufficient inspections and committed to implementing regular oversight to ensure the quarters remain clean moving forward.

Jordan and JADA Group management are both expected to release official statements on the matter in the coming days.

Line-up set for Junior Monarch finals

Carlos Atwell
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Line-up set for Junior Monarch finals

The positions are set for this year’s Scotiabank Junior Monarch finals.

Barbados’ young vocalists are ready and raring to go and yesterday they drew for the order of appearance at the Broad Street, Bridgetown branch of Scotiabank.

Event producer Aisha Butcher, the National Cultural Foundation’s (NCF) music officer, spoke of the hard work, discipline and courage
it took for the participants to reach the finals. She told the youth they were part of a legacy which meant more than winning a competition.

“Winning is great, but I want you to think about the legacy you want to leave. This year, we celebrate four decades of the Junior Monarch competition. For 40 years, this stage has introduced Barbados to remarkable young calypsonians who have gone on to shape our culture and entertainment landscape. Some wore the crown, others became unforgettable because of their songwriting, their stagecraft, their originality or the impact of a single performance. They each left something behind; now, it is your turn. Years from now, when someone speaks about the Junior Monarch competition, what do you want them to remember about you?” she asked.

Butcher advised the participants to give their best and to remember their placements were inconsequential.


Here, the finalists for the Soca category after the draw. From left are Avery-Justice Carter – AJ; Jazarie Belgrave – Zarie B, Rohanna Horton – ROH; Khalijah Kellman – Khaleesi; Jade Roach – Leilani; Anastasia Callender – Niara; Kymani Devonish – Mr Showman, and Sephon Sealy – Lil Stathis. (Picture by Shanice King.)

“The number you draw does not determine your outcome; your performance on the night does. When finals night arrives, step onto that stage with confidence. Give your very best, perform with excellence, compete with integrity, conduct yourselves in a manner that, years from now, you can look back on with pride and most importantly, enjoy every moment. The future of this art form is you,” she said.

Manager of premium relationship banking at the Bridgetown branch of Scotiabank, Carla Boyce, congratulated the finalists. 

“It is about preserving and celebrating Barbadian culture, while giving young people a platform to express themselves, develop their talents and grow as future leaders,” she said.

Boyce praised the “parents, guardians, teachers and mentors” who supported the youth as well as the NCF for “creating an environment where young artistes can learn, grow and shine”.

The competition takes place on Saturday at CARIFESTA House in Waterford, St Michael. (CA)

Man charged with stealing rims and tyres at Bushy Park

Nationnews Desk
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Man charged with stealing rims and tyres at Bushy Park

A St Thomas man was granted bail when he appeared in court yesterday charged with the theft of rims and tyres over the weekend.

Zahkari Alexis Neil, 24 years, of 13 Redman Village, pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Magistrate Bernadette John on the two counts, one valued at $700 and the other $600. The vehicles belonged to Shaquon Jones and Jamal Brewster, respectively.

Bail was set at $5 000 and he is scheduled to reappear on September 30, 2026.

The incidents are alleged to have taken place last Sunday at Bushy Park Racing Circuit, Bushy Park, St Philip.

Goal of 12 transplants a year

Antoinette Connell
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Goal of 12 transplants a year

The Human Tissue Transplant Bill, 2026 should see ten to 12 kidney transplants a year, more than doubling what occurs now. 

Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Davidson Ishmael said that the Bill, debated in the House of Assembly yesterday, was important because of the significant jump in life-saving techniques. He held it up as a shining example of the work of a ministry that can actually save lives.

He also revealed that in 20 years, the number of kidney patients had moved from 185 to 300. 

In relation to transplants, the minister said the lives being saved were significant and helped people regain their strength and capabilities, return to being full-time employees, their communities and to mentor young people.

“This Bill comes as a result of us understanding the difficulties confronting our citizens, persons who are living with conditions such as chronic kidney disease; those who may be connected to individuals who are living with renal failure, advanced kidney disease. It’s those persons who, over the years, who have advanced the call, who have advocated strongly, who have energised, who have continued to keep, I would say, the fire under the feet of various administrations to make this Bill a reality today,” he said.

The legislation, Ishmael said, was necessary in relation to people who were alive giving consent, once they were a suitable donor, to save the life of another person.

“But one of the key elements of this new Bill . . .  is found in Part 7 . . . which now offers our people an opportunity to have organs donated [and] receive donated organs from persons who have passed away.

“In fact, Section 23.1 speaks to the various ways that consent can be given, either by the individual, him or herself, before passing, or if that person is incapable of being able to give that directive, the next of kin is sought in order to make that and give that consent. This introduces for us an element of what is called advanced directives.”

He added: “There are many persons, unfortunately, who leave this Earth and who take several healthy organs in tow with them as they leave. This has not really been a reality in our national experience for persons to be willing and able to offer their organs upon their death. But this is something that has been happening all over the world. All over the world, across many different jurisdictions, there’s legislation that allows persons to be able to offer parts of themselves in being able to advance, improve, enhance the life of another person.” 

He explained that while some medical procedures can be followed up with pills and rest, kidney disease was not one of those conditions since those affected might have to be placed on dialysis and change their lifestyle.

“It is a serious and impactful disease. In many cases, they have to spend two, three, sometimes even four days connected to a dialysis machine just so they can filter and clean their bodies. And, in some cases, there are individuals who have to stay on it every single night when they’re doing the home therapy and that’s at least ten hours a night. So therefore, you can imagine the impact on this person’s life,” he told the House.

English decline ‘a concern’

Colville Mounsey
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English decline ‘a concern’

Minister of Finance Ryan Straughn has expressed concern about the decline in this year’s national average English score in the Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination, warning that literacy challenges could limit future opportunities for the country’s children.

Speaking recently at the opening of Babb’s Reading Clinic at the Barbados Community College, he said the national average English score had fallen from 72.5 per cent last year to 64.2 per cent this year.

“I don’t need to tell you that we need to jump-start, kick-start and amplify our efforts,” he told the gathering of parents, educators, sponsors and more than 100 boys enrolled in the five-week programme.

Straughn said Government, through the Ministry of Educational Transformation, was working to address literacy difficulties within the school system, but initiatives such as the reading clinic were also critical to closing the gap.

“These are not just numbers. Behind them are thousands of children and a story that we know we must tell and craft.”

He cautioned against allowing children to believe that their performance in a single examination would determine their future.

“Somewhere, somehow, children may have walked away from that exam thinking and believing something that is actually not true – that one test score will define you for life. It does not.”

The minister said reading was not an ability with which people were automatically born, but a skill developed “one page, one chapter, one book at a time”. He also described literacy as both an educational and economic issue.

“A boy who struggles to read today may struggle to seize the opportunities of tomorrow. The boy who cannot confidently read a job offer, a lease or a business arrangement is not simply lacking ambition; he might grow into a man lacking access,” he said.

Straughn urged parents to take an active role in improving their children’s literacy by encouraging them to read widely and questioning them about what they had read. He recalled that, as a child, his grandmother required him to read the NATION and Advocate newspapers every morning and provide a summary before going to school.

He added the exercise strengthened his ability to understand, remember and question information, and suggested parents could introduce similar activities at home.

Founder and organiser Dr Astra Babb said the clinic had initially set a maximum enrolment of 100 boys this year, but demand had forced organisers to exceed that number, with parents continuing to request places.

She said some parents were confronting the reality that their sons could repeat first form for a second time, while others had children approaching the end of secondary school without being able to read.

“I believe all taxpayers, all parents and all Government educational institutions need to engage in serious introspection. What is it that some of us are not doing correctly?” Babb asked.

She suggested Government consider placing specialist reading teachers in secondary schools, similar to the subject specialists assigned to areas such as biology and chemistry.

“If children are entering secondary school with an extremely limited capacity to read, then perhaps it is time for the Government to place specialist teachers in secondary schools to teach basic reading skills,” she said.

During the programme, the boys will receive 75 hours of reading instruction and related activities. They will be assessed during the first two days and placed in small classes based on their individual needs.

The programme will cover phonics, sentence construction and reading comprehension, while educational tours will be used to help participants discuss, write and read about their experiences. 

Ten teachers and several volunteers will provide instruction, with class sizes generally limited to between ten and 12 boys.

The Barbados Defence Force will also work with participants twice weekly, while Government is providing free meals for the duration of the clinic.

Straughn praised Babb and her team for sustaining the initiative over the past nine years and urged the participants to approach the programme with discipline.

“Reading will open doors, but it is discipline that will keep those doors open,” he said.

Financial markets ‘rebound from Iran war’

Shawn Cumberbatch
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Financial markets ‘rebound from Iran war’

Global financial markets have rebounded from the disruptions caused by the war in Iran and a leading mutual fund manager is reporting that this has been positively reflected in its investment portfolio.

Fortress Fund Managers chief executive officer and chief investment officer Peter Arender recently updated investors on the second quarter performance of the company’s Barbados dollar and United States (US) currency funds, highlighting improved returns across the board.

Arender reflected on what he called “quite a positive quarter for investments in financial markets, including the Fortress funds”.

“For the quarter, the Caribbean Growth Fund was up 5.8 per cent, that puts its one year return at 9.3 per cent. The Caribbean High Interest Fund for the second quarter gained 1.3 per cent and that puts its one year number at 3.1 per cent,” he reported.

“On our US dollar fund side, second quarter, the World Growth Fund gained 6.7 per cent, that puts its one year return at 11 per cent even and on the US dollar fixed income side, the World Fixed Income Fund gained 1.8 per cent in the second quarter and is up 3.1 per cent for the full year.”

Arender said this performance and the overall market rebound “actually goes to show some of the power of having low expectations”.

“Because you can remember back at the end of March, the war in Iran had just started. We had the oil shock, worries about other disruptions to the global economy, not to mention the tragic human things going on, and financial markets that were at a low point at the end of March – so, the end of the first quarter,” he recalled

“Now since then we’ve had a gradual sort of normalisation of things, I guess the worst of the impact of the higher oil prices wasn’t really felt.

“Some of the largest fears didn’t come to pass. And as we sit here now in early July, it seems that things are significantly improved on that front, and oil prices are back down to where they were before the conflict started.”

While calling the Fortress Returns some nice ones, the investment expert, pointed out that the gains “were a little bit behind where some parts of the US market and certainly some parts of the emerging markets gained, especially Korea, this quarter, as in addition to the situation normalising a little bit in the Middle East, we also had investor excitement over the artificial intelligence (AI) build out centred in this particular case on memory chip makers”.

“And so that’s led to a whole bunch of gains in the last quarter, and even over the last several months in some of those areas,” he said.

“We own and have some exposure to some of these stocks, we’ve been surprised by how much they’ve moved and I think some of the adjustments we’re making at the margin in our portfolios over the last little while has been something we’ve called de-frothing.

“Where things have gotten a little frothy, we’ve been taking a little bit off the table, and even though the underlying fundamentals still look positive, the advances in prices have been quite abnormally large.”

Arender also said that Fortress still saw “great value in some of the areas of the stock market that have been beaten down and left behind, areas like software and consumer stocks, where sentiment has certainly not been as positive as it has been in the AI space”.

“So here we sit wondering about the future now. I think that for the rest of the year the markets certainly have shown us how they can work through some noise over the last few months,” he stated.

“Coming up, we’ve got the US midterm elections, inflation will still be a question as oil prices have declined, and we’ll have to see where things settle on how much price advance on the AI stuff was actually justified.

“So from our perspective, steady as she goes, we still own good companies at good prices, and we expect to continue posting positive numbers for the foreseeable future,” Arender said.

The testing first quarter for mutual fund companies in Barbados was reflected in the first quarter outcomes for Fortress funds. At the end of March, the Caribbean Growth Fund declined by 1.7 per cent, the Caribbean High Interest Fund was down 0.3 per cent, and the Caribbean Pension Fund declined between 0.4 per cent and 1.3 per cent.

Other mutual fund companies also reported a difficult first quarter.

For example, the Sagicor (Equity) Fund’s report for the quarter ended March 31 noted that the fund fell by 2.3 per cent and its net asset value decreased to $82.62 as at March 31, 2026, from $84.57 at the end of 2025. Total net assets were reported at $670.6 million at the end of March, compared to $686.7 million as at December 31, 2025.

There was better news for the Sagicor (Bonds) Fund.

The first quarter report for this fund stated: “Sagicor (Bonds) Fund’s net asset value increased to $34.12 as at March 31, 2026, compared to $33.79 as at December 31, 2025. As at March 31, the fund grew by one per cent.

Total net assets were reported at $469.7 million at March 31, compared to $465.2 million at the end of December 2025.

The Sagicor report said that “geopolitical tensions which escalated in the Middle East drove a sell-off¬ in stocks and bonds globally”.

“Commodities were one of the main bright spots during the quarter with the Bloomberg Commodity Index up 24.4 per cent. This uptick was driven by a sharp rise in oil prices following the damage to key energy infrastructure in the Middle East and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” it noted.

Closer to home, the report shared that “the first three months of the year proved to be an exceptional quarter for Jamaican equities with the Jamaica Stock Exchange Index up 8.8 per cent”, while the Eastern Caribbean Stock Exchange Index positively returned 1.4 per cent.

“In contrast, the Barbados Stock Exchange Index fell by 0.6 per cent, and the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange All Composite Index fell by 1.4 per cent respectively,” the report added.

At RF Bank & Trust Barbados in the first quarter, the Premium Income Fund returned 0.3 per cent, while the Strategic Growth Fund was up 0.2 per cent and the Select Balance Fund was up 0.1 per cent.

“Global equity markets had a difficult first quarter of 2026. US equities fell 4.3 per cent, the weakest quarter for large caps since 2022,” RF said.

“Markets started the year positively, supported by solid economic fundamentals, but US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February disrupted oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz, triggering an energy price surge and broad risk-off sentiment that dominated markets through March”.

It added that Global government bond markets “faced a turbulent quarter, with yields rising broadly as the Middle East conflict stoked inflation fears and prompted a significant repricing of interest rate expectations”.

 Sada lowers 200m national record

Nationnews Desk
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 Sada lowers 200m national record

Barbadian sprint star Sada Williams produced another landmark performance yesterday, lowering her own national record in the women’s 200 metres to 22.55 seconds at the Gyulai István Memorial in Budapest. 

Williams, a double World Championships bronze medallist and reigning Commonwealth Games 400 metres champion, finished fourth in a high-calibre field at the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix as she continued her preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. 

The race was won by American Olympic champion Gabby Thomas in 21.83 seconds, with compatriots Kayla White second in 21.92 seconds and Anavia Battle third in 22.21 seconds. 

Williams, competing against one of the strongest 200m line-ups assembled outside the Diamond League this season, held her own in fourth and emerged with the most significant  takeaway of the evening, a new national record in an event in which she has steadily improved despite being best known internationally as a 400m specialist. (NM)

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