Barbados was in action on day one of the FIRST Global Challenge – a yearly Olympics-style robotics competition. It was a team effort as Barbados was paired with USA and Cabo Verde to come up against Serbia, Armenia and Aruba. The four-day event opened Thursday in Athens, Greece with the Parade of Nations ceremony which featured over 190 countries and territories. The competition assesses the technical capabilities, problem-solving skills and teamwork of young participants in science, technology, engineering, and mathematic. Team Barbados is mentored by Matthew Douglas, an Electronics and Electrical Technology teacher at the Combermere School. The Assistant Mentor is Tyrese Boyce, who represented Barbados as a student from 2018.

In light of the ongoing wars and their impact, Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has called for a global reset on peace. Addressing the UN General Assembly, she says the silence on the war in Sudan is unacceptable and she also called attention to conflicts in Myanmar, Ukraine and Israel’s war in Palestine, which has now spread to Lebanon. She says these conflicts are but the tip of an iceberg of death, violence and instability robbing the global community of resources. Ms. Mottley says the root causes of these wars must be addressed. She welcomed the inclusion of Palestine at the UN General Assembly and called for the country’s full integration into the international community.

Global leaders have approved a political declaration during a High-Level Meeting at the United Nations committing to a clear set of targets and actions on antimicrobial resistance. Leaders have pledged to reduce by 10 percent deaths from drug-resistant bacteria over the next six years. Thursday’s milestone statement, the first on the topic since 2016, also pledges to raise 100 million to fund the updating of countries’ AMR action plans and their implementation. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley acknowledged the team effort, noting it is a major achievement. She says it’s an impressive blueprint for action, telling countries the hard work starts tomorrow. Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus extended gratitude to Ms. Mottley for her leadership and elevating AMR on the global stage. He warned no country is immune from the threat of AMR.