GRENADA-ENERGY-Grenada proposes tri-lateral energy commission with Venezuela and St. Vincent and the Grenadines

The Grenada government is proposing that a tri-lateral joint commission be established with Venezuela and St Vincent and the Grenadines to guide the process for demarcating maritime boundaries.

‘Grenada has also started an initiative to delimit the maritime boundaries with Venezuela and with St Vincent and the Grenadines. We completed the process you know with Trinidad and Tobago back in 2012, we have never been clear on what is the boundary between Grenada and Venezuela and what is the boundary between St Vincent and Grenada,’ said Nazim Burke, chairman of Grenada’s oil and gas Technical Working Group (TWG).

Burke, a former finance minister, providing an update on the TWG activities during a town hall meeting here, said that Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has already submitted the tri-lateral proposal to the leaders of the two other countries.

‘What has happened is that our prime minister has put forward a proposal to the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Prime Minister of St Vincent for the establishment of a trilateral commission, a joint trilateral commission that will be comprise of ten people,’ he said.

‘In essence there will be three people from each of the three countries and a chairman from another country that will guide this process and work towards the completion of the boundaries between our three countries,’ he said, adding that leasing property whether on land or sea would require the owner knowing the boundary.

‘It is a very important step as well because you cannot go about leasing out land to people without knowing where your boundary is, you cannot go about leasing out maritime space to people without knowing where your boundaries are,’ he said.

Burke told the town hall meeting that during the pass six months the TWG members have been holding discussions with relevant stakeholders, including Trinidad and Tobago and other companies, which have conducted research and have spatial vector data in their possession about Grenada’s oil and gas.

In September, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to extend their existing cooperation in the energy sector and announced plans to signing a date use agreement.

A joint statement issued following talks in Port of Spain between Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell and Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, noted that the two countries ‘ are desirous of continuing co-operation in the energy sector’.

The statement noted that in 2012, the two countries had executed a framework agreement concerning energy sector co-operation for a 10 year period from September 3 that year ‘ with automatic renewal pursuant to Article 10 of the Agreement and therefore is still in force’.

The statement said as a result, Trinidad and Tobago ‘will seek approval and communicate’ to Grenada, the members of the Steering Committee for Trinidad and Tobago ‘in the next three weeks, to activate discussions in the matter.

The statement said that Port of Spain will also be collaborating with a TWG to assist with development of a regulatory framework for the petroleum sector in Grenada and also extend technical persons who can review the study and work being done by the consultants.

IMD report: A wake-upcall for PHL educationand talent development

The 2025 IMD World Talent Report’s humiliating placement of the Philippines-64th out of 69 economies-should be read not as a dry ranking but as an urgent wake-up call. Behind the number lies a clear and avoidable truth: when a nation fails to secure foundational literacy and numeracy for its children, it is not merely failing classrooms-it is hobbling its economy, its social mobility and its place in the world.

Education is the scaffolding on which all other national ambitions are built. The decisions, policies and budgets that produced our current state of affairs were not the work of one administration; they are the accumulated result of decades of underinvestment and neglect. Yet that is no excuse-it is precisely why decisive, comprehensive reform must begin now.

The data is stark: nine out of 10 children can’t read a simple text by age 10, and functional literacy is only 71 percent for those aged 10-64. This skills gap explains why companies struggle to find qualified hires, why training programs fail, and talent pipelines dry up just when the world is competing fiercely for them.

Comparisons with our Southeast Asian neighbors raise concerns. The Philippines, once a model, is now lagging behind Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, which have invested consistently in education and training. Talent is developed through ongoing investment in schools, teachers, curricula, and institutions that focus on learning outcomes.

Educational reform must urgently prioritize early literacy and numeracy to build foundational skills. A national campaign should promote mastery in these subjects through clear benchmarks, nationwide assessments, and resource allocation to vulnerable schools. This focus ensures all students, regardless of background, have access to quality education.

Investing in teachers and instructional quality is equally essential. This includes providing competitive salaries, comprehensive training, and resources that reflect teaching as a respected profession.

Accountability measures should be strengthened to ensure funding goes to interventions that improve learning outcomes, with clear metrics for monitoring. It’s also essential to align technical-vocational education with basic literacy and numeracy, as skills training can’t replace foundational knowledge.

The political will to implement changes needs to be sustained over the long term. Education reforms require continuity across electoral cycles; they demand courageous choices about budgets, teacher management and curricular focus. Short-term political gains or headline programs will not reverse decades of learning loss.

The narrative must shift to view education as a strategic national investment rather than a bureaucratic function. Parents, teachers, business leaders, and policymakers should focus on one key question: Are our children learning the basics to thrive in life and work? If not, the nation must recognize this as a shared emergency.

We have the talent and potential to be a regional and global contender, but we must actively develop it. The choice is clear: invest in education now or risk a generation of Filipinos facing underemployment and lost opportunities. The future hinges on the literacy and numeracy skills developed in today’s classrooms. Ignoring this is a risk we cannot afford to take.

SURINAME-TRAGEDY-Police arrest one person as baby stabbed to death

Police have arrested one person after a one year-old baby died after being stabbed during a domestic violence situation on Thursday night.

Police said that they went to the scene at Cocobiacoweg on the outskirts of the capital, after a report had been made that a man was assaulting his wife and children, armed with a knife.

They said that upon arrival, officers and paramedics encountered a harrowing scene, where the baby had suffered stab wounds and died despite prompt medical attention

The police said that the suspect, a cousin of the child’s father, was arrested at the scene and that the mother and any other people involved were treated by emergency services.

Police say they are conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of the child and have included several agencies, including the Child Protection Services and Victim Support.

’We treasure the region’s designation as a zone of peace.’

Guyana’s ambassador to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Friday said that the Caribbean ‘treasures the region as a zone of peace’ even as it supports efforts by the United States to deal with narco-trafficking.

She told the United Nations Security Council discussing the Unites States’ military actions in the Caribbean that Guyana has joined several Caribbean countries in strengthening its response ‘to new and emerging drug threats by launching an early warning system designed to detect, assess and respond swiftly to new active substances and strengthen our overall public health and national security frameworks’.

She said while international regional and bilateral cooperation has been crucial in dismantling the trafficking networks that exploit Guyana as a trans-shipment point for cocaine and ither narcotics.

‘it is in this spirit that Guyana continues to advocate for strengthen partnerships and cooperation among countries and regional and international organizations. Such partnerships must be rooted in the rule of law and international legal frameworks ensuring a unified and lawful approach to combating drug trafficking and related crimes.

Sarawak: The capital of Business event legacies

I just came from Kuching, Sarawak, a Malaysian state on Borneo Island. Upon invitation from the Business Events Sarawak (BE Sarawak), I spoke on behalf of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE) at their four-in-one ‘Legacy 360’ conference and exhibition that comprises the ‘Legacy 360 Education Programme,’ the ‘Legacy Events Advocacy Policy,’ or Leap, summit, the ‘Borneo Inspires Legacy’ (Bila) awards and the ‘Kind Borneo’ expo.

Once again blazing the trail in the global business events landscape, Sarawak is positioning itself as the ‘Business Event Legacy Capital of Southeast Asia.’ Through the ‘Legacy 360’ framework and its Leap Summit, ‘BE Sarawak’ has set a powerful benchmark on how events can create lasting, meaningful impact beyond economic returns.

The ‘Legacy 360’ Initiative redefines the role of business events. Instead of being one-off gatherings, conferences, and exhibitions are seen as platforms that generate social, economic, and environmental value long after the final session ends. This approach aligns with Sarawak’s ‘Post-Covid Development Strategy 2030’ (PCDS 2030), which envisions a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable future, driven by innovation and knowledge. By connecting events to the State’s development priorities such as talent upskilling, green growth, and community well-being, Sarawak ensures that every meeting contributes to its broader transformation journey.

Through ‘Legacy 360,’ ‘BE Sarawak’ measures event success, not just in delegate numbers or tourism receipts, but in impact legacies such as policy changes, research collaborations, environmental stewardship, and community empowerment. It is an intentional, structured approach to turning business events into catalysts for long-term change.

The Leap Summit, launched alongside ‘Legacy 360,’ further amplifies this mission by convening policymakers, industry leaders, and association executives to champion advocacy, partnerships, and sustainable event policies. The Leap Summit has produced the ‘Borneo Legacy Declaration,’ a purpose-based and principle-based framework highlighting business events as catalysts and enablers for change.

Sarawak’s leadership in this field is significant. It is not only Southeast Asia’s first destination to formalize a business events legacy framework but also a model for how regional governments can integrate the meetings industry into their strategic development agenda. By doing so, Sarawak elevates business events from being a tourism component to a separate sector in itself and driver of progress, shaping industries, influencing public policy, and empowering communities.

Business events, when designed with legacy in mind, can shape the future of industry sectors, from healthcare and education to sustainability and creative industries. They foster cross-sector collaboration, knowledge transfer, and social innovation. They can inspire behavior change, such as reducing waste, promoting inclusivity, and encouraging responsible travel. Ultimately, they leave behind something more enduring than memories: they leave impact.

For association leaders, Sarawak’s legacy-driven strategy offers a timely lesson. In a post-pandemic world where relevance and resilience are paramount, associations must go beyond delivering events: they must create meaning. By embedding legacy goals into their programs, associations can align their events with community needs, national priorities, and global sustainability goals. This not only strengthens their societal value but also secures their future relevance.

Sarawak’s journey demonstrates what’s possible when vision, collaboration, and purpose converge. Through ‘Legacy 360’ and Leap, it has transformed business events into instruments of inclusive growth and environmental stewardship.

BERMUDA-CLIMATE-New initiative to ensure greater Caribbean youth participation on climate change issues

The Jamaica-based United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Multi Country Office has announced a strategic collaboration with the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI)that will enhance the Caribbean representation and expand youth engagement opportunities on climate action.

It said that the collaboration will allow for greater participation at Bermuda’s fifth annual Youth Climate Summit (YCS) being hosted by BUEI from November 17 – 22 this year.

The conference will follow the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and according to officials YCS, one of BUEI’s most impactful signature educational programmes, is now positioned as one of its COP30-affiliated dialogues in the region.

The UNDP said that this innovative partnership combines YCS’s proven record of empowering young climate advocates with UNDP’s Climate Promise global programme to advance scaled-up climate action whilst promoting the UNDP Multi Country Office’s Ready Set Great initiative, an empowerment and advocacy movement facilitating youth-led solutions to the greatest challenges facing young people.

‘The impactful collaboration between BUEI and UNDP paves the way for Caribbean youth ages 13 to 22 years who live outside Bermuda to register as virtual delegates in the Bermuda Youth Climate Summit via UNDP’s readysetgreatja.com website. As virtual delegates, participants will gain access to YCS virtual sessions scheduled for the first three days of the Summit, plus alumni masterclasses scheduled on day four,’ it added.

‘This partnership significantly broadens YCS’s reach throughout the Caribbean, with UNDP encouraging virtual participation in the Summit from Ready Set Great participants and young people engaged in environmental programmes across their network.

‘The collaboration creates new opportunities to build meaningful connections between like-minded students within the region while maintaining YCS’s authentic, youth-driven approach,’ the UNDP said, adding that ‘the partnership also reflects the growing recognition of YCS’s impact in the youth climate space whilst providing UNDP with a platform to continue engaging young environmental advocates across the Caribbean and beyond’.

UNDP Resident Representative Dr Kishan Khoday said the critical nature of the climate emergency facing island nations and communities requires strategic youth engagement and mentorship for a climate ready future.

‘As the world looks to COP 30 for an ambitious vision, our youth advocates must be proactive and forward thinking, ensuring their voices are heard in corridors of power. UNDP therefore welcomes this opportunity to work with the powerful Bermuda Youth Climate Summit on amplifying youth advocacy and action on climate change throughout the region.

‘By facilitating the partnership between the Bermuda event and the Ready Set Great platform we are creating synergies that can only strengthen youth action, youth voices and youth impact in the Caribbean. UNDP feels it is vitally important to provide these opportunities, listen, learn and support, to advance the important cause of climate resilience within vulnerable island communities,’ Khoday said.

BUEI chief executive officer, Traci Burgess, said BUEI is excited to expand YCS throughout the Caribbean and connect like-minded young people, many of whom face similar climate challenges living in small island nations that are on the front lines of battling climate change.

‘Partnering with UNDP allows BUEI and YCS to expand our educational impact and make greater contributions to developing change makers who will be better prepared to use their voices in advocating for a healthier future. This significant collaboration provides substantial opportunities for youth from Bermuda and around the region to connect, educate, and inspire each other’.

ATHLETICS-SAINT LUCIA-London inks sponsorship deal with PUMA

Rising track star Naomi London has become the second Saint Lucian track and field athlete to ink a sponsorship deal with German sportswear giants PUMA.

The 18-year-old London made the announcement on Friday, joining Olympic gold medalist and World Championship bronze medalist Julien Alfred as an ambassador at the third largest sportswear manufacturer in the world.

In a post on social media, an excited London said, ‘Oh to be a PUMA GIRL. Blessed and thankful to join the PUMA family.’

It is the latest major accomplishment by the young sprinter, who is having a breakout season.

London, a 2023 double CARIFTA silver medalist, broke Alfred’s national junior record in March when she clocked 11.23 seconds in the 100 metres at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

Two months later she ran a wind-aided 11.09 at the Texas State Twilight Last Chance Meet to become the fifth-fastest teenager in the world under all conditions for 2025.

Earlier this year London became a brand ambassador for the nation’s biggest bank, Bank of Saint Lucia.

She is already among the early favourites for gold in the Under-20 girls’ 100m at the 2026 CARIFTA Games after missing the last two editions through injury.

Impeachment complaint vs PBBM? No such thing, says Speaker Dy

SPEAKER Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III on Friday played down rumors of an impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., saying the House of Representatives is instead focused on addressing urgent national issues-particularly the welfare of farmers and the stabilization of rice prices.

Dy, in an interview, clarified that no such complaint had been received by the House. Dasmariñas City Rep. Francisco ‘Kiko’ Barzaga said he would file an impeachment complaint against President Marcos.

‘We haven’t received anything yet, but as you know, we have many other matters that need our attention,’ Dy said.

‘We have many problems in our country, and we should focus first on addressing them. You can see the struggles of our farmers-that’s what we’re really working on right now,’ Dy added.

The Speaker said his immediate focus is on measures to help the agricultural sector, particularly amid the sharp decline in palay prices brought about by excessive rice importation and reduced tariffs.

Dy said he recently met with Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, along with officials from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the National Food Authority (NFA), and several local chief executives, to discuss urgent interventions for the sector.

Among the proposals raised were restoring the rice import tariff from 15 percent to 35 percent, limiting rice importation, and directing government agencies-especially the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-to prioritize locally produced rice in their procurement.

He said all parties agreed that the government should buy local rice instead of imported stocks. ‘If possible, all government agencies, especially the DSWD, should refrain from buying imported rice. The government must purchase locally produced rice,’ Dy said.

‘We haven’t received anything yet, but as you know, we have many other matters that need our attention,’ he said.

The Speaker assured the public that under his leadership, the House will continue to focus on policies that support farmers, strengthen food security, uphold accountability, and deliver tangible results for Filipinos.

GUYANA-FINANCE-UK to increase aid capacity to Guyana

The Guyana government has welcomed the United Kingdom Export Finance’s (UKEF) decision to increase its financing capacity for Guyana from £2.1 billion to £3 billion (One £=US$1.32 cents).

Finance Minister Dr. Ashni K. Singh, has hailed the significant increase as a powerful signal of London’s ‘strong and growing confidence’ in Guyana’s robust economic trajectory.

The announcement by the UK government follows a recent high-level meeting between President Irfaan Ali, and a visiting delegation that included representatives from UKEF and the Deputy Trade Commissioner for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jonathan Knott.

‘The enhanced support from UKEF is expected to assist in ramping up development in priority sectors identified by the Government of Guyana over the next five years. Furthermore, Guyana’s private sector is also expected to benefit from additional financing to expand their operations and form strategic partnership with British companies,’ according to a government statement issued here.

It quoted Singh as expressing gratitude on behalf of the Guyana government for Britain’s support over the years, ‘which has been instrumental in fostering collaboration between the two nations, as Guyana continues to accelerate its development and solidify its position as a leading investment hub in the region’.

CRICKET-IND/WIS-CLOSE India (318-2) vs West Indies – 1st day, 2nd Test

India reached 318 for two against the West Indies at the close of play on the opening day of the second Test here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.

INDIA 318-2 in 90 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 173 not out, Sai Sudharsan 87, KL Rahul 38, Shubman Gill 20 not out; Jomel Warrican 2-60).