ZIZ Midday News - May 15, 2026

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:37][music] >> In the top stories, Old Road United Jets defeated St. Peters 1-0 last night in game one of the SKNFA final four championship series.

[00:01:01]Antigua and Barbuda is moving to make Spanish its official second language.

[00:01:06]And health officials have declared a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

[00:01:12]Hello and welcome to today's ZIZ midday major newscast. Today is Friday, the 15th day of May, and I am Jasmine Thomas.

[00:01:21]Old Road United Jets took game one of the SKNFA final four championship series with a 1-0 victory over St. Peters on Thursday night at the NGB Technical Center. Old Road came close to opening the scoring in the 28th minute, but a deflected effort went wide of the target.

[00:01:41]St. Peters also created chances of their own in the first half, but failed to find the back of the net. Old Road continued to apply pressure in the second half as they pushed for the opening goal.

[00:01:57]Their breakthrough finally came in the 79th minute when Tequanny Williams scored the winner to give Old Road the advantage in the series. Game two of the best of three finals is set for Sunday.

[00:02:11]And St. Kitts and Nevis is joining the rest of the world in observing the International Day of Families today.

[00:02:18]In a message marking the occasion, Minister of State with responsibility for Social Development, Hazel Phillip said families remain the foundation of the Federation and they play a critical role in building stronger communities.

[00:02:32]Today, May 15th, [music] we do more than mark a date on the calendar. We honor the heartbeat of our nation.

[00:02:41]>> [music] >> Because before there is ever a school, before there is a workplace, before there is a community or a country, there is the family.

[00:02:51]And it is within families that lives are shaped in love, in struggle, [music] in sacrifice, and in hope. Today This year's International Day of Families is being observed under the United Nations theme, Families, Inequalities, and the Child Well-being. Minister Phillip said the observance highlights the need to make children's well-being a national priority regardless of family structure.

[00:03:20]According to this year's theme, [music] Families, Inequalities, and Child Well-being, we are called to face a truth that we [music] cannot afford to ignore.

[00:03:31]Not all families start from the same place, but that every [music] child carries the same promise of potential.

[00:03:39]In our Federation, >> [music] >> there are families that disproportionately feel the weight of inequality. Whether that's due to economic pressure, [music] social stress, the impact of community crime and violence.

[00:03:54]These realities do not simply stay outside the home, but they enter our living rooms, they affect our children's sense of safety, their focus, and their [music] future.

[00:04:06]The Minister also commended community organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders for their contributions to family development. She said the government will continue working to support families and strengthen communities.

[00:04:21]These groups are not supplementary to this mission. [music] They are central to it.

[00:04:27]As a government, we recognize this and we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening [music] these partnerships because no policy, program, and no institution alone can succeed without the [music] trust and reach of community and community-based volunteers.

[00:04:46]So, today >> [music] >> is not only a moment of reflection, but it is moment of resolve.

[00:04:52]>> [music] >> A resolve to protect our children more deliberately. A resolve to stand with our families more consistently and offer more support. A resolve to empower communities more meaningfully.

[00:05:05]And a resolve to confront inequality and violence not with silence, but with [music] partnership and action from all community.

[00:05:15]I'm Minister Isalean Phillip.

[00:05:17]Students from six secondary schools on St. Kitts gathered at the Marriott Resort today for the 2026 Tourism Youth Congress.

[00:05:26]Jah Hendrickson, who attended, filed this report. The 2026 Tourism Youth Congress brought students, educators, and tourism officials together at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort under the theme empowering youth, shaping our tourism future.

[00:05:44]Representatives from six secondary schools took part in the competition which tested their tourism knowledge, presentation skills, and public speaking abilities. The participating schools were the Basseterre High School, Washington Archibald High School, Cayon High School, Charles E. Mills Secondary School, Dr. Denzil L. Douglas Secondary School, and the Verchilds High School.

[00:06:09]In the end, the Washington Archibald High School emerged as this year's winner. The winning student, Rayna Martin, described the experience as both nerve-wracking and rewarding. I was definitely feeling very nervous because I was also dealing with school and a few CXC subjects, but I was also excited as I know that this is a wonderful opportunity for me.

[00:06:31]Martin said she was excited to see her hard work pay off. I feel excited. I feel like I want to jump up and down.

[00:06:38]I'm so happy. And I'm just really glad that what I wanted actually happened.

[00:06:43]Last year's winner, Mary Scholesford of the Immaculate Conception Catholic School, offered congratulations following the announcement of the results.

[00:06:52]Supporters from the Washington Archibald High School celebrated the victory, including their teacher, Ms. Sarah Bass, who held preparations for the competition. To be quite honest, we hadn't had a lot of time to practice because Rayna, the student, she had to do some CXC subjects.

[00:07:14]As a result, we had a couple days to practice, a short time to write the speech, and a short time to finalize her presentation for this morning. The team said that they were pleased with the outcome despite having a short preparation period. Martin also offered words of encouragement to the other participants. Well, it was great meeting everyone as we all connected, and congratulations to everyone, whether you won or not, we all did an amazing job.

[00:07:44]Reporting for Z A Z News, I am Zai Hendrickson.

[00:07:49]Thank you, Zai.

[00:07:50]And now for a look at news on the regional scene. The government of Antigua and Barbuda has approved plans to make Spanish the country's official second language as part of a broader education reform.

[00:08:04]The decision approved by cabinet this week will see Spanish introduced as a core subject from preschool through secondary school. Officials say the move is aimed at better preparing citizens for economic, diplomatic, and cultural opportunities across Latin America and the Caribbean. Cabinet also pointed to Antigua and Barbuda's close relationship with the Dominican Republic and the contribution of the Dominican community to national development. The government has also approved a new Dominican Republic integration program known as DRIP, which will support cooperation in areas including tourism, education, trade, and investment. A Spanish language desk will also be established within the office of the Prime Minister to assist Spanish-speaking residents with government services and community integration.

[00:08:59]Officials say the initiative forms part of a wider effort to modernize education and strengthen regional connections.

[00:09:10]And Guyana and the Dominican Republic are moving to deepen cooperation in oil, gas, and energy following high-level talks held in Georgetown. Guyanese President Dr. Irfaan Ali met with Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader and a senior delegation on Thursday to discuss expanding partnerships in energy, petrochemicals, agriculture, and regional energy security. The talks included discussions on possible joint investments in Guyana's oil and gas sector, including interest in the Berbice block, refinery development, and the petrochemical production.

[00:09:52]President Ali said the engagement builds on discussions that began in 2023 and forms part of a long-term strategy to strengthen energy and supply security across the region. He also pointed to Guyana's gas-to-energy project at Wales as an area with strong potential for private sector collaboration between both countries. Officials from both sides said business partnerships between Guyana and the Dominican Republic continue to expand, particularly in the energy, agriculture, and petrochemical sectors. The meeting ended with both countries reaffirming their commitment to closer economic relations and greater regional energy cooperation.

[00:10:43]And now for a look at news on the international scene. Africa's top health agency has declared an Ebola outbreak in the eastern Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says around 246 cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in the gold mining towns of Mongwala and Ruampara.

[00:11:12]Officials say the outbreak has raised concern over possible further spread due to population movement between the affected areas and neighboring countries, including Uganda and South Sudan.

[00:11:26]Preliminary tests conducted in the capital, Kinshasa, detected the Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples analyzed, while additional testing continues to identify the strain. Health authorities say early symptoms of Ebola include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, and rashes and bleeding. The World Health Organization says the virus spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and has an average fatality rate of around 50%. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the virus was first discovered there in 1976.

[00:12:15]Officials are urging residents in affected communities to follow health guidelines as response efforts continues.

[00:12:25]And the United States President Donald Trump has wrapped up a two-day summit in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with both leaders describing the talks as positive despite no major trade agreements being formally announced.

[00:12:42]The discussions covered trade, energy, agriculture, technology, and future investment cooperation between the world's two largest economies. Trump claimed that China had agreed to purchase 200 Boeing aircraft with the possibility of hundreds more, although Chinese officials have not publicly confirmed the deal.

[00:13:07]The US President also said China would increase purchases of American soybeans, a move expected to benefit US farmers.

[00:13:16]Artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and energy security were also discussed during the summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping said stable relations between China and the United States should continue to be built on cooperation and mutual benefit. Taiwan remained a major issue during the talks with Xi warning that mismanaging the issue could increase tensions between both countries. The White House said the two sides also agreed to create a new board of trade to help manage economic relations without reopening tariff negotiations.

[00:13:55]President Trump has since invited Xi to visit the White House in September as discussions between both countries continue.

[00:14:05]We now take a look at the weather.

[00:14:07]Partly cloudy conditions are expected across St. Kitts and Nevis over the next 24 hours with a moderate chance of brief passing showers. Today's high temperature will reach 32° C or 90° F while the overnight low is expected to be 23° C or 73° F while the overnight low Forecasters say shallow low-level moisture moving through the area on a moderate to fresh wind flow could trigger occasional showers across the islands. Today will be partly sunny in general with a 40% or moderate chance of a brief passing shower.

[00:14:47]Tonight will be fair to partly cloudy with a 40% or moderate chance of a brief overnight shower. Winds will be from the east-northeast at 11 to 30 km/h or 7 to 18 mph. Seas will range between 1.2 and 1.8 m or 4 to 6 ft. Sunset this evening will be at approximately 25 minutes before 7:00 with sunrise tomorrow at about 20 minutes before 6:00.

[00:15:16]And that brings us to the end of the midday major newscast. Join us this evening for these stories and more.

[00:15:23]Thank you for tuning in. I'm Jasmine Thomas. God bless you.

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