Paramaribo, 10 November – Surinamese national telecommunications provider Telesur confirmed that roughly 20,000 of its subscribers lost access to voice, internet and data services for an extended period on Sunday 8 November, after a third-party construction contractor accidentally severed a core underground fibre optic trunk line during excavation work along Indira Gandhiweg. The incident marks the second consecutive weekend that widespread, service-disrupting network damage caused by external parties has impacted the telecom operator’s user base. The damage occurred when excavation crews working at a nearby construction site for a new building struck the high-capacity main fibre optic cable, triggering cascading service failures across a large swathe of the surrounding service area. Telesur’s operational leadership noted that the past several weeks have seen a sharp uptick in avoidable harm to its critical digital infrastructure, extending beyond careless digging incidents to include deliberate acts of vandalism targeting fibre lines and motor vehicle collisions that have toppled multiple telecom transmission towers. These recurring disruptions have not only created major inconvenience for residential and business subscribers who rely on stable connectivity for remote work, education, emergency communications and daily personal use, but have also driven up unbudgeted, substantial repair and restoration costs for the firm. Telesur has formally stated it will pursue full legal and financial recourse against all responsible parties to recoup the full value of these rising recovery expenses. As a proactive preventive measure, the operator is issuing a public advisory to all construction contractors, project managers and property developers operating near public roadways to reach out to Telesur before commencing any excavation work, to obtain accurate mapping of underground cable routes and avoid accidental strikes. The company added that its technical teams prioritize rapid restoration of full service at all times, and it deeply recognizes the severe negative impact unplanned outages have on users who depend on consistent telecommunications access for their daily livelihoods.
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Mother Pleads for End to Violence
On November 10, 2026, Belize City officials confirmed 29-year-old Charles Middleton as the second fatality stemming from a brazen October 31 gang-related shooting in the Taylor’s Alley corridor adjacent to Cemetery Road. The attack unfolded when unidentified armed assailants opened fire on a gathering of local men, instantly killing 31-year-old Charles Nolberto and leaving two additional residents, 32-year-old Cesario Choco and 43-year-old Clifford Olivera, with life-altering gunshot wounds. Middleton clung to life for nearly 10 days receiving emergency medical care before succumbing to his critical injuries. During a weekly public police briefing last Monday, Assistant Superintendent of Police Stacy Smith formally tied the deadly attack to ongoing turf conflicts between rival criminal gangs operating in the Belize District. Middleton’s mother, 47-year-old Stephony Neal, is now navigating overwhelming, disorienting grief while issuing a heartfelt public plea for all community members to reject cycles of retaliation and end the wave of unrelenting gun violence tearing through local neighborhoods. “I prayed day and night, every hour in between, not just for my own children but for every family in this country,” Neal shared through tearful remarks to local reporters. “I beg God to lay a healing hand over all of us, because this senseless killing has become a deadly, unbreakable trend. Belize needs it. Every single one of us needs this violence to stop.” Neal emphasized that she harbors no desire for retaliation, despite her devastating loss, and that her only immediate priorities are laying her son to rest in a peaceful, dignified ceremony and taking extra precautions to keep her remaining family members safe. Court and police records confirm Middleton had previously survived a 2012 mass shooting in the exact same Taylor’s Alley location that left six people wounded. He and surviving shooting victim Cesario Choco had also been arrested and charged in 2015 for the murder of Hattieville taxi driver Patrick Dean Spencer, but the pair were fully acquitted after the prosecution’s entire case fell apart when all key eyewitnesses recanted their previously submitted statements and refused to testify in court.
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Perreira sees encouraging signs of West Indies revival
Long-serving Caribbean cricket commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira has issued a measured reality check for the West Indies men’s Test squad, days after the team secured a 1-0 series triumph on Bangladeshi soil, noting that while the side has posted tangible, promising strides in recent outings, it remains far from the sustained resurgence needed to compete with the world’s top-ranked test nations.
Perreira, speaking to Barbados TODAY, emphasized that the hard-fought away series win, where the hosts claimed the opening fixture before the two sides played out a draw in the second and final match, is a positive milestone but not proof that the program has fully reversed its years-long slump in elite international cricket. “We have seen steady, incremental progress, but we cannot afford to declare we have turned the corner just yet,” Perreira explained. “We need to prove we can go toe-to-toe with the top five or six ranked test sides, both on home turf and in hostile away conditions, before that claim holds real weight.”
A core priority for the regional cricket board, Perreira stressed, is investing in structured, layered talent development pipelines that run from Under-19 youth academies through national A-team squads, to ensure the current wave of emerging senior players has a consistent stream of skilled, well-prepared backups pushing for selection.
Looking back at the Bangladesh tour, Perreira noted that very few touring nations manage to secure positive results on Bangladesh’s notoriously spin-friendly turning pitches, and the West Indies side overcame a handful of key mid-series injuries to outperform the hosts for large stretches of the campaign, particularly with their bowling unit. While the team missed out on a 2-0 clean sweep after settling for a draw in the final fixture, he framed the overall performance as a highly respectable outcome.
The batting line-up emerged as the most clear bright spot of the series, with Amir Jangoo leading the run charts for the visitors with 172 runs at an exceptional average of 86.00. Rookie batsman Kevin Wickham turned heads in his Test debut, notching half-centuries in both of his innings to finish the series with a 69.50 average. Kavem Hodge, John Campbell and Brandon King all posted averages north of 50, while skipper Roston Chase averaged 43 and all-rounder Justin Greaves put up a solid 35.33 with the bat. Perreira noted that the unprecedented depth of form across the batting order has already created healthy competition for starting spots, with selectors now facing genuine, tough choices over opening batsman and number three positions for upcoming fixtures. He singled out Wickham’s poised debut as reminiscent of legendary West Indies wicketkeeper Jeff Dujon’s breakout performance in Australia after earning his first call-up, and noted Jangoo’s all-format skill set makes him a long-term asset for the side, though he recommended the young batsman prioritize Test and ODI cricket in the near term to refine his game.
Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican took home Player-of-the-Series honors after bagging 16 wickets across the two matches, a feat Perreira said would push fellow spinner Gudakesh Motie to refine his line and control to compete for a regular spot, noting Motie’s natural strengths shine brightest on the harder, faster pitches common across the Caribbean.
While Greaves earned high praise for his reliable contributions with both bat and ball, Perreira flagged underperformance from the pace bowling unit as a key area for urgent improvement. He expressed particular disappointment with leading fast bowler Shamar Joseph, and to a lesser extent Jayden Seales, saying the two young pace prospects failed to hit the consistent, precise line and length required to limit run leaks on Bangladesh’s slow, turning surfaces. “We need to conduct a full, targeted review of our fast bowling development programs right now, to build the consistency our bowling attack needs to take on the world’s best sides,” Perreira said.
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NTUCB Wants 25% Tax Removed From Retirees’ Severance Pay
On November 10, 2026, Belize’s leading umbrella labor organization, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB), has formally submitted a formal policy request to Prime Minister and Minister of Finance John Briceno, calling for the complete elimination of the 25 percent income tax currently levied on workers’ severance payouts, NTUCB president Ella Waight confirmed in an interview with local outlet News 5. Waight emphasized that the existing tax framework for severance pay is inherently inequitable, as a subset of private and public sector entities already hold special exemptions that shield their departing employees from the 25 percent deduction, while rank-and-file workers across most other industries are subject to the full levy. The union is demanding that this preferential tax-exempt status be extended universally to all workers who exit employment due to permanent disability, company-led retrenchment, or formal retirement, rather than remaining a privileged carve-out limited to a small group. Waight outlined that the tax deduction lands at an exceptionally financially vulnerable juncture for departing workers: after decades of full-time employment, retirees typically transition abruptly from a steady monthly salary to relying on a combination of their one-time severance payout and modest Social Security pension, with many low-income workers only eligible for a minimal Social Security grant that barely covers basic living costs. “Our core objective is to make this system fair for everyone, no exceptions, so that no worker who has dedicated years to the national workforce is forced to sacrifice a quarter of their hard-earned severance right when they need those funds most to transition to post-work life,” Waight stated, adding that dignified post-employment living standards for aging and displaced workers are a core priority for the union. The NTUCB is now formally calling on the Ministry of Finance to launch an immediate review of its existing severance tax policy, and to revise the regulation to extend full tax exemption on all severance payouts to eligible workers nationwide.
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Cancer awareness unveiling ceremony at Spiceland Mall
The Grenada Food and Nutrition Council (GFNC) has announced plans to host a dedicated cancer awareness unveiling ceremony on Friday, November 13, 2026, running from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Spiceland Mall in Morne Rouge, St. George. This community-focused public health initiative is designed to elevate widespread public understanding of cancer prevention and support resources, while creating a collective space for local residents to demonstrate compassion, offer encouragement, and stand in solidarity with all individuals and households navigating the challenges of a cancer diagnosis. During the 30-minute public event, all in-person attendees will be invited to add their signature to a custom-designed awareness standee immediately following its official unveiling. The interactive display will remain on public exhibition at Spiceland Mall for an extended period after the ceremony, giving all mall visitors the chance to add their own signature and show their support for local cancer communities. GFNC leadership notes that every signature on the standee will act as a tangible, visible reminder to people undergoing cancer treatment and their loved ones that they do not have to face their health journey in isolation. The organization is calling on all local community members to participate in the initiative to expand public cancer awareness, foster collective strength for affected groups, and reinforce the message that no one navigating a cancer diagnosis is alone. This announcement is distributed on behalf of GFNC by NOW Grenada, which notes it bears no responsibility for the statements and content presented by contributing organizations, with a public reporting channel available for any cases of content misuse.
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Van woord naar daad: president Simons geeft richting aan Kenki a Systeem
On November 10, local political and policy analysts outlined the far-reaching implications of a landmark executive order issued by Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, which mandates an immediate halt to all imports of Jin Chan, a chemical agent widely used in informal and artisanal gold mining operations across the country’s interior. The directive, formally communicated to Minister of Economic Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation Andrew Baasaron on November 2, 2026, was triggered by verified public reports of suspected water contamination in the remote Godo Olo community, where unregulated use of the gold processing compound has sparked widespread alarm among local residents. Notably, the president opted to roll out the preventive restriction without waiting for full final results of ongoing environmental impact assessments, a deliberate policy choice prioritizing community safety over bureaucratic delay. The impetus for the action traces back to a community consultation, locally known as a liba krutu, held in Dritabiki on November 1, where representatives of the Aucaanse Maroon community explicitly shared their fears over potential harm to local water sources and fragile forest ecosystems with a visiting presidential delegation. This marks a rare and explicit integration of Indigenous and traditional community feedback into top-level national executive decision-making, moving beyond longstanding token gestures of stakeholder engagement to embed rural voices directly in regulatory action. The policy framework behind the ban aligns closely with the administration’s flagship Kenki a Systeem governance reform agenda, which aims to translate rhetorical commitments to accountable, proactive public leadership into tangible, actionable policies. While formal legal drafting for the import restriction, protocols for managing existing stockpiles of Jin Chan, and follow-up regulatory guidelines for the gold mining sector are still being finalized, the directive has already assigned clear, line-of-sight accountability to the economic affairs ministry for full implementation. For Suriname’s gold sector, a cornerstone of national GDP and livelihood for tens of thousands of artisanal miners, the measure does not represent a blanket clampdown on extractive activity, but rather a deliberate effort to reconcile economic development priorities with non-negotiable ecological protection for interior communities whose daily subsistence is directly tied to intact river systems and forest habitats. Ongoing sample collection and analysis led by the national Environmental Crime Unit and National Environment Agency will generate evidence to inform follow-up policies, creating a formal, structured bridge between empirical scientific research, regulatory enforcement, and high-level political decision-making. Administration officials have framed the Jin Chan ban as a pilot model for cross-ministerial collaboration, breaking down longstanding silos between economic planning, environmental protection, and public safety agencies to deliver coordinated governance outcomes. If followed through with clear, enforceable rules for sustainable gold extraction, robust independent monitoring, and sustained investment in interior ecosystem protection, the intervention could establish a lasting new precedent for Suriname’s national environmental governance, embedding the core principle that preventive action to safeguard public and ecological health takes priority over waiting for irreversible harm to occur.
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Another Union Leader Backs Senator Dennison’s One-Man Protest
In a landmark show of cross-union solidarity, the leadership of Belize’s Public Service Union (PSU) has formally pledged unreserved support for Senator Glenfield Dennison’s sustained solo public demonstrations, now entering their second week across high-traffic zones in Belize City. Dubbed by Dennison himself as a grassroots “education campaign” rather than a conventional protest, the daily street actions are already resonating deeply with ordinary residents, according to PSU President Dean Flowers.
“From where we stand, this campaign is driving tangible impact,” Flowers stated in a recent public address. “Senator Dennison is prompting everyday Belizeans to hit pause on their busy routines, stop, and critically engage with the core concerns he is amplifying to the public.” Flowers clarified that while Dennison is a longstanding PSU member, his ongoing street outreach is being conducted primarily in his official capacity as an elected senator. He also issued a firm commitment that union members will turn out in full force to join Dennison the moment his demonstrations extend to the national capital of Belmopan.
This latest endorsement follows closely on the heels of a formal statement of support from National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) President Ella Waight, who last week emphasized that peaceful protest is a constitutionally enshrined right for every Belizean. Waight went on to encourage all residents with unaddressed grievances related to public services, cost of living, or administrative oversight to exercise that legal right to make their voices heard. “There is no barrier for any Belizean to pick up a sign and say clearly, ‘My water bill is exorbitant, and the government needs to take action’,” Waight noted. Building on the momentum of Dennison’s solo campaign, the NTUCB has now formally announced a coordinated mass public protest scheduled to take place this coming Friday in Belmopan, inviting all concerned citizens to participate.
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Gov’t explains how it will pay for students’ 2027 CXC subjects
In a formal circular dispatched to all secondary school and technical institute principals across the jurisdiction, the national Ministry of Education has rolled out a structured mandate requiring all educational institutions to submit a verified roster of students slated to sit the 2027 Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) suite of qualifications — including CSEC, CTEC, and CVQ programmes — to central government for full state coverage of their associated exam fees. This initiative fulfills a key campaign pledge the ruling New Democratic Party (NDP) unveiled ahead of the November 2025 general election, where the party promised to eliminate end-of-secondary-school examination costs for eligible students if re-elected to office. Under the official policy framework, the government will cover all standard CXC entry administrative fees and per-subject charges for every approved candidate, processed in full coordination with the local CXC Registrar’s office. A hard aggregate cap of nine funded subjects per student has been established, with the rule clarifying that this nine-subject limit functions as a maximum ceiling rather than a mandatory target. Education officials emphasized that schools must only register students for subjects for which they have received full targeted instruction, with eligibility confirmed via internal assessment performance data, completed school-based coursework, and verified progress on all practical SBA requirements. No educational institution is permitted to collect any fees from parents or legal guardians for exam entries that fall within this government-funded scope. Students who wish to register for additional subjects beyond the nine-subject threshold may do so, but all associated costs for these extra qualifications must be paid directly to the national treasury via the CXC Local Registrar, with these supplementary entries required to be clearly flagged in a separate section of the submission cover letter to avoid processing confusion. The policy explicitly excludes several categories of costs and candidates from state coverage: fees for CCSLC qualifications fall entirely to the student and their family, and all late entry surcharges or penalty fees stemming from delayed submissions or incorrect application details will not be reimbursed by public funds. Eligibility for the fully funded scheme is restricted exclusively to students who are actively enrolled and in regular attendance at a registered secondary school or technical institute at the time of official CXC registration. Candidates retaking a previously attempted subject, as well as all private, non-enrolled exam candidates, are not eligible for the government fee subsidy. Every submitted student entry roster will be cross-referenced and validated against the official institutional student attendance register, and the principal or institutional head is required to sign and date all submission documentation, issuing a formal legal certification that every listed candidate meets attendance requirements, their registered subjects align with their completed coursework and instructional progress, and no subsidized student has been assigned more than the nine allowed funded exam entries.
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Ministry of Education Investigating Confrontation Involving Secondary School Students
A formal probe has been launched by the national Education Ministry following a reported physical and verbal confrontation between student groups from Jennings Secondary School and Princess Margaret Secondary School, according to official preliminary notices released Tuesday. At this early stage of the inquiry, investigators have not yet been able to verify the full sequence of events that sparked the altercation, nor have they confirmed reports of any student sustaining physical injuries during the incident. The unplanned clash has sparked widespread alarm among local school administrators, parent associations, and community stakeholders, who are flagging two key pressing concerns: first, the adequacy of existing student safety and campus discipline frameworks to prevent inter-group conflict, and second, the unique hazard presented by the steep, uneven public terrain that sits between the two school campuses, which could lead to far more serious accidental harm if future confrontations spill outside supervised school grounds. As of the latest update, no formal disciplinary measures have been issued against any students identified as participants in the incident, as ministry officials state they will base all consequent actions on verified evidence collected throughout the fact-finding process. Education department spokespersons have confirmed that additional public updates will be released in the coming days as the investigation progresses to full completion.
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Post-retirement extensions can narrow job openings for young people – minister
During a recent appearance on the New Times broadcast, Kaschaka Cupid — the newly elected Member of Parliament for West St. George and joint minister of youth, sports, culture, and creative industries — laid out a targeted policy critique of longstanding public service employment practices in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, warning that routine post-retirement work extensions for veteran civil servants are creating systemic bottlenecks that lock young, qualified Vincentians out of formal public sector roles. A 20-plus year veteran of the public service himself before winning office in the November 2025 general election, Cupid noted his frontline experience navigating government administrative structures gave him intimate insight into long-unaddressed staffing gaps that have pushed youth unemployment to the top of his policy priority list. He shared a recent, on-the-ground interaction from his constituency that underscored the urgency of the issue: just hours before the interview, a group of unemployed young residents had visited his office to detail their ongoing struggles to secure stable, meaningful formal work, a frustration he says is amplified by practices that retain aging civil servants past the official retirement age, often for one or two year contract extensions. Cupid acknowledged that existing public service regulations formally allow for these post-retirement extensions, and conceded that specialized, technical roles — such as senior information technology positions that rely on rare, niche institutional expertise — do require consistent operational continuity to avoid service disruptions. But he pushed back against the default, unplanned practice of extending veteran staff contracts as a last-minute fix for unfilled vacancies, arguing that this ad-hoc approach eliminates entry points for young job seekers who have been waiting to advance into public service roles. As a solution, he proposed a formal, proactive cross-agency succession planning framework that requires government departments to identify and train junior successor candidates years before senior specialized staff reach retirement age, allowing incoming employees to shadow and learn directly from veteran colleagues while the latter are still on full active duty. This structured handover, he explained, would eliminate the last-minute scrambling to fill critical posts that currently leads many departments to fall back on post-retirement extensions, while creating clear, predictable promotion pipelines for young, unemployed Vincentians. Cupid framed the gap in formal succession planning as a legacy of the former Unity Labour Party administration, which held power for nearly 25 years before being voted out of office in November 2025, and noted that this staffing inefficiency is just one of multiple structural challenges the year-old New Democratic Party government is working to resolve. He also observed that public service operational norms differ drastically from private sector workforce practices, meaning targeted restructuring of outdated civil service protocols will be required to roll out the new succession framework, with meaningful changes expected to be rolled out incrementally over time.