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  • WAA, Prevo Cinemall to open ‘The Anatomy of Self’ art exhibition

    WAA, Prevo Cinemall to open ‘The Anatomy of Self’ art exhibition

    Dominica’s Waitukubuli Artist Association (WAA) and local entertainment venue Prevo Cinemall are set to launch a thought-provoking group art exhibition that delves into the multifaceted nature of human identity. Titled “The Anatomy of Self”, the exhibition will open its doors to the public on October 17, 2026, in Roseau, and remain on display through December 11.

    This collaborative project marks the third joint initiative between the two organizations, building on the success of two previous popular exhibitions: 2024–2025’s “Echoes of Resilience” and 2025’s “Paradise of Colours and Expressions”. This year’s exhibition brings together a diverse collection of works spanning multiple mediums, including painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and large-scale installation. Each piece explores the complex forces that shape who we are, from personal history and collective cultural heritage to intimate relationships, core memories, and unique lived experiences. Curators designed the exhibition to challenge visitors to move beyond conventional, rigid definitions of identity and encourage deep reflection on the varied ways individuals understand and express their sense of self.

    In a joint statement released to the press, WAA Executive Director Marica Honychurch emphasized the core mission of the project. “This exhibition brings together diverse artistic voices, perspectives and experiences to create something beautiful. We hope our audience enjoys the journey and connects with the creativity that each artist brings to the collective,” she said. Beyond showcasing compelling art, the initiative reflects the longstanding commitment of both partners to create accessible platforms for Dominican artists to share their work, and to fuel public conversations about culture, belonging, national history, and contemporary life on the island.

    For Prevo Cinemall, the partnership is a key step in advancing its goal to establish the venue as Dominica’s leading Heritage Hub dedicated to artistic expression and community connection. Prevo Cinemall General Manager Vanessa Prevost noted that the new dedicated art gallery and exposition hall that will host “The Anatomy of Self” represents a major milestone in that journey. The exhibition will also be integrated into Prevo Cinemall’s 2026 Shopping Festival, creating a unique cross-sector experience that combines fine arts, cinema, retail, dining, and social gathering for attendees.

    To extend public engagement beyond the gallery walls, the organizers have planned a full lineup of interactive fringe activities running alongside the main exhibition. Scheduled events include hands-on watercolour workshops led by Aaron Hamilton and clay workshops with Antonio Toledo, an evening of outdoor spoken word performance called “Lyrics Under the Stars”, an improv theatre show from local troupe Mission Improvable, and a pop-up book club discussion with author Robert de la Chevotière about his acclaimed work *Tall Is Her Body*. A plant-dye art workshop titled “Rooted in Colour”, led by Carol Sorhaindo, and a panel discussion exploring the theme of identity from multiple cultural and social perspectives are also on the schedule. A full event calendar with dates and registration details will be published in the coming weeks.

    The exhibition is open to all members of the public, including local students, regional art enthusiasts, and international visitors to Dominica. Attendees are invited to support participating local artists by purchasing original artworks directly from the exhibition. Operating hours are 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM from Monday to Friday, and 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturdays; the gallery will be closed on Sundays.

    WAA has expressed its sincere gratitude to all sponsors and patrons who made the exhibition possible, with special recognition given to lead partners the National Bank of Dominica and the Gems Foundation. Additional supporting partners include Dominicanewsonline (DNO), 100% Green Inc., Black Island Girl Multimedia, Campbell’s, and Kairi FM.

  • O’Neil urges regional sharing of ballistic evidence to track guns across borders

    O’Neil urges regional sharing of ballistic evidence to track guns across borders

    During parliamentary debate over the landmark 2026 Firearms Amendment Bill, government Senator Shaquan O’Neil has made a urgent push for sustained cross-border ballistic evidence collaboration across the Caribbean, warning that unregulated illegal firearms easily traverse national boundaries and leave a trail of violent crime across multiple jurisdictions.

    O’Neil’s remarks came amid growing domestic calls for Antigua and Barbuda to build its own fully operational national forensic laboratory. While he explicitly acknowledged the critical value of investing in local forensic capabilities, he stressed that expanding domestic infrastructure must not weaken existing regional intelligence and evidence sharing partnerships.

    “Guns cannot speak for themselves or reveal their own criminal history,” O’Neil noted, pointing to current ballistic testing partnerships with facilities in Jamaica as a model for effective cooperation. He explained that shared ballistic data allows investigators to connect a weapon recovered in one Caribbean nation to shootings, homicides and robberies committed in others, using the example that a firearm discharged in Barbuda could easily be trafficked across waters to St. Kitts, and eventually on to Jamaica for use in additional crimes.

    This interconnectedness, O’Neil argued, means regional gun violence cannot be treated as a collection of isolated national problems. Firearm trafficking networks and criminal operations do not respect national borders, so law enforcement responses must also operate across those lines. A weapon recovered on Antigua and Barbuda’s soil could be linked to multiple violent offenses in other countries, just as evidence collected overseas could help local investigators break open long-standing cases, he added.

    The senator also emphasized that gun crime involves far more actors than just those who pull the trigger. Many people contribute to violent offenses by supplying, renting, or selling illegal weapons, while others act as masterminds planning and directing criminal operations. He welcomed the 2026 bill’s targeted provisions targeting these secondary actors, noting that effective firearm regulation must reach beyond frontline gunmen to dismantle the entire criminal ecosystem.

    O’Neil claimed that 80% to 90% of individuals involved in gun-related offenses in the country are repeat offenders, though he did not release supporting data for this estimate during the debate. He acknowledged that strengthened legislation alone is not a silver bullet for curbing gun violence, framing the proposed amendments as only “fixing one portion of the pipe” that establishes the necessary legal framework for courts to adjudicate cases.

    He also raised concerns about inconsistent sentencing for gun offenses, pointing to a reported case where a repeat firearms offender received just 18 months in custody, while a separate defendant charged with contraband possession received a three-year sentence. “When you see these sorts of disproportionate sentences, it really makes you wonder, what are we doing as a society?” he said.

    Voicing deep frustration with the persistent cycle of gun-related violence in the country, O’Neil stated, “I am sick of it,” referencing the steady stream of reports of armed robberies and shootings. He noted that many suspects in recent cases are from his own age group, and expressed alarm over the increasingly sophisticated and powerful weapons being openly displayed by criminals on social media and in circulating videos.

    Criminal activity in the region has evolved into increasingly organized operations, O’Neil warned, with criminal networks expanding their reach and running illegal gun trafficking as a profitable business. While young people may be drawn into these networks through peer pressure, gang affiliation, or a desire for status, the broader enterprise relies on systematic planning, financing, and cross-border weapons movement. “Criminals are getting smarter,” he said. “They’re expanding their criminal network.”

    The bill explicitly lists prohibited weapons that include automatic firearms, artillery, grenades, bombs, missiles, and weapons designed to discharge harmful liquids or gases. O’Neil warned that Antigua and Barbuda must proactively prepare for the risk that criminal organizations could eventually access weapons capable of causing mass casualties.

    On the topic of licensed firearms, O’Neil shared that he initially raised concerns over potential harsh penalties for licensed gun owners whose permits expire. But after acknowledging that even legally licensed weapons have been used to commit crimes, he supported holding deliberately noncompliant owners accountable, while calling for clear differentiation between intentional license violations and accidental, innocent lapses in renewal.

    O’Neil closed his remarks by praising law enforcement officers and members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force for their robust security operations during the recent Carnival season, including targeted bag searches at crowded public events. These visible security measures, he said, not only deterred individuals from bringing weapons and prohibited items into large gatherings, but also gave the public greater confidence and a sense of safety. He did, however, question the contents of backpacks carried by young men in circulating nighttime videos, asking, “What do you have in your bag—a gun, a knife, something that could potentially cause mass destruction in our community?” This increased scrutiny, he argued, is a necessary response to the changing nature of security threats in the region.

    Ultimately, O’Neil expressed support for the 2026 Firearms Amendment Bill, while stressing that the legislation will only deliver meaningful results if paired with consistent enforcement, strategic investment in domestic forensic capacity, and sustained cross-border collaboration with other Caribbean nations. Strengthening local forensic capabilities is an important goal, he concluded, but regional ballistic evidence sharing remains an irreplaceable tool to trace weapon movements, connect linked crimes, and dismantle the transnational networks that traffic illegal firearms across the Caribbean.

  • Diddy injured in prison fight with Jamaican drug lord

    Diddy injured in prison fight with Jamaican drug lord

    A high-stakes altercation inside a federal correctional facility has left prominent music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs with a head injury, according to a bombshell report from celebrity and entertainment news outlet TMZ. Citing multiple anonymous sources within the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Fort Dix in New Jersey, TMZ broke the story Wednesday, detailing the confrontation that unfolded between Combs and convicted Jamaican drug kingpin Christopher “Dudus” Coke this past Friday.

    Per the outlet’s account, the clash traces its origin to an earlier NBC News report that shed light on Combs’ life while incarcerated. The story sparked widespread frustration among the facility’s inmate population, TMZ’s sources claim, and ultimately prompted prison administrators to launch at least two separate search operations. During these raids, correctional staff seized contraband cellphones from multiple inmates — including one device that belonged to Coke.

    Coke, who has been serving a 23-year federal sentence stemming from his 2012 conviction on drug and weapons charges, reportedly held Combs responsible for the increased scrutiny and loss of his unauthorized cellphone privilege. The confrontation escalated into a physical fight that left Combs with a head injury, the report says. By early Saturday, Combs was transported to an off-site medical center to receive treatment for the injury.

    In the aftermath of the fight, prison officials disciplined both men by assigning them to two-week stays in the facility’s Special Housing Unit, a restricted, isolated housing space commonly used for disciplinary placement. Notably, Combs was already being held in the Special Housing Unit before the altercation, and the confrontation is said to have broken out during the rapper-mogul’s scheduled daily recreation break.

    It is important to note that the entire account published by TMZ relies entirely on unnamed, off-the-record sources within the prison. As of the report’s publication, no official confirmation of the incident has been issued by representatives of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and no official comments have been obtained from legal or public representatives for either Combs or Coke to verify or respond to the allegations.

  • Hope, Paul deliver series lifeline

    Hope, Paul deliver series lifeline

    The West Indies men’s cricket team has kept its five-match T20 International series title hopes alive, securing a dramatic 24-run win over India in Hyderabad on Wednesday, led by a match-winning century from captain Shai Hope and a career-defining five-wicket haul from fast bowler Keemo Paul. The result levels the overall series at two wins apiece, with a winner-takes-all final clash scheduled to take place in Bengaluru this coming Saturday.

    The match began with West Indies batting first, after a pre-match toss, and the visitors made two key squad changes heading into the must-win fixture. Opener Kamil Pooran was dropped to make way for Jewel Andrew, while pace bowler Romario Shepherd made his return to the side following a recent injury spell, replacing Quentin Sampson who missed out on selection. Andrew got the innings off to a blistering start alongside Hope, with the opening pair putting on 52 runs inside the first five overs before Andrew was dismissed for 21 runs off 16 deliveries. Shimron Hetmyer followed with a quickfire 33 from just 12 balls before he was sent back to the pavilion, moving West Indies to 110 for 2 by the ninth over.

    While Hope anchored the innings with a masterclass display of power batting that has cemented his status as the standout player of the entire tour, middle-order batsman Rovman Powell contributed a useful 24 runs, and Sherfane Rutherford extended his excellent run of form across the series with an unbeaten 49 from 26 balls, including four fours and three sixes. Entering the final two balls of the innings, Hope needed 11 more runs to reach his century, and the captain delivered under pressure, smashing back-to-back sixes to finish unbeaten on 102 runs off just 50 deliveries. The knock included four fours and nine sixes, marking Hope’s third T20 International century for West Indies and breaking a three-way tie for most T20I centuries alongside West Indian legends Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis. Hope’s extraordinary form across the entire tour speaks for itself: he notched 278 runs at an average of 139 during the preceding three-match ODI series, and has now scored 261 runs across four T20Is at an average of 130.5, earning him a well-deserved Player-of-the-Match award for his performance in Hyderabad.

    Chasing a target of 248 runs to claim the series lead, India got off to a flying start, reaching 60 runs without losing a wicket in the opening overs. Opener Sanju Samson was in devastating form, blasting 56 runs from just 23 deliveries that included six fours and four sixes, before Keemo Paul claimed his wicket with the very first ball of his bowling spell. Samson would be the first of five wickets for Paul, who finished with incredible figures of five wickets for just 41 runs. Paul quickly followed up by dismissing Ishan Kishan for six runs, and in the ninth over, Shamar Springer removed Indian captain Shreyas Iyer for 16, leaving the hosts reeling at 97 for three wickets.

    Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie turned the match firmly in West Indies’ favor in the 12th over, claiming two key wickets in as many deliveries. He first dismissed Abhishek Sharma for 29 runs, then outfoxed Naman Dhir on the very next ball, with Dhir stumped by wicketkeeper Hope. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy mounted a late resistance with 41 runs from 20 deliveries, before he became another of Paul’s victims. Paul would go on to also claim the wickets of Axar Patel and Prince Yadav, wrapping up India’s innings. Motie finished with solid supporting figures of two wickets for 13 runs, while Springer and Shepherd each picked up one wicket apiece. India were eventually bowled out for 223 runs with three balls remaining in their innings, sealing a 24-run victory for the visitors.

    With the series now all square at 2-2, all attention will turn to Bengaluru this weekend, where the two sides will face off in a decider to determine who claims the T20I series title.

  • Taiwan Foreign Minister Warns EU: Dependence on China Is a Threat to European Freedom

    Taiwan Foreign Minister Warns EU: Dependence on China Is a Threat to European Freedom

    Ahead of a critical European Union summit where trade relations with Beijing will top the agenda, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung has issued a stark warning to EU leaders: over-reliance on Chinese supply chains poses a direct threat to Europe’s core values of freedom and self-determination.

    Lin delivered the remarks during an address at this week’s Warsaw Security Forum held in Poland, just two days ahead of the October 16 Brussels summit where EU heads of state and government will gather to discuss strategies to cut the bloc’s large trade deficit with China and reduce exposure to Beijing in strategically sensitive sectors.

    “China’s authoritarian system of governance is fundamentally incompatible with the democratic framework that underpins European society,” Lin told attendees. “As a result, growing dependence on Chinese suppliers is not just a vulnerability for the European economy—it is an existential threat to European freedom and sovereignty itself. A Europe that is vulnerable to coercion through its supply chains is a Europe that has already ceded a portion of its liberty to outside forces.”

    Beyond his warning about China, Lin emphasized that deepening trade ties with Taiwan would deliver tangible benefits to European economies. “Taiwan and Europe are united by shared foundational values: democracy, individual freedom, universal human rights, and respect for the rule of law,” he noted. “The Taiwanese model of innovation-driven development has long powered growth and prosperity in Silicon Valley, and we are ready to bring that same dynamism to European markets.”

    The speech marks another milestone in Taiwan’s effort to build closer formal and informal ties with European nations, a push that has gained new momentum following Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today, Europe faces growing frictions with China over multiple issues, including a persistently lopsided trade balance and widespread international concerns that Beijing provides diplomatic and material support to Moscow amid its war in Ukraine.

    Notably, Lin’s trip to Poland is part of a broader shift in Taiwanese diplomatic outreach to Europe. For decades, Beijing lobbied heavily to block visits by Taiwanese foreign ministers to European capitals, and such trips were extremely rare. Since assuming office more than two years ago, however, Lin has made multiple visits to European countries, including this trip to Poland. Poland, like the vast majority of countries around the world, does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, in deference to Beijing’s claims over the self-governing island.

    Beijing routinely denounces overseas trips by Taiwanese elected officials and has refused to engage in formal talks with current Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, whom it labels a “separatist.” For its part, Taiwan’s democratically elected government rejects Beijing’s claims of sovereignty over the island, and maintains that it has the right to engage in diplomatic and people-to-people exchanges with all countries on the basis of equal standing.

  • Weekly reporting committee to address hospital doctors’ pay issues announced by Skerrit

    Weekly reporting committee to address hospital doctors’ pay issues announced by Skerrit

    In response to recent industrial action by medical staff over unpaid salaries and allowances, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica has announced the formation of a dedicated weekly committee to tackle long-standing workplace issues affecting doctors and nurses at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital (DCFH). The new oversight mechanism will require the panel to submit regular weekly progress updates directly to the prime minister, alongside monthly in-person meetings to review action items.

    The announcement came during a scheduled meeting with senior health officials on Wednesday, and marks the government’s formal policy response to protest action held by DCFH doctors earlier this week, which was triggered by unfulfilled pay and allowance commitments. Skerrit emphasized that the administration remains fully committed to resolving all outstanding concerns, with the core goal of allowing medical professionals to redirect their focus from administrative grievances to delivering high-quality patient care.

    Addressing widespread public misinformation around the scope of the payment issue, Skerrit clarified that contrary to circulating claims that 70 to 80 doctors were affected, only 15 to 16 medical professionals working under the Dominica Hospital Authority have experienced pay discrepancies. To prevent similar disruptions going forward, the prime minister confirmed a permanent administrative adjustment: starting in October, all DCFH doctors will receive their salaries directly from the national government, bypassing intermediate administrative bodies. Active investigations are already underway into the specific case of four doctors who did not receive their entitled allowances in a recent pay cycle.

    The newly created committee will bring together key stakeholders from across the hospital’s governance structure: representatives from DCFH’s Board of Management, the Dominica Hospital Authority board, the authority’s chief executive officer, and official union representatives. In a key inclusion to center frontline perspectives, Skerrit has also mandated direct representation from practicing doctors, ensuring that the panel’s deliberations are grounded in the day-to-day realities of working at the facility and can develop practical, targeted solutions.

    Beyond the new committee structure, Skerrit has called for a strengthened leadership role for the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in hospital administration and public healthcare delivery. He recommended that the CMO hold more frequent regular check-ins with doctors and nursing staff, a change designed to identify and address emerging grievances early before they escalate into larger, prolonged disputes.

    Skerrit attributed many of the current challenges to gaps in communication between relevant authorities and the administrative division of the Ministry of Health. He noted that the new regular meeting cadence and clearer, more transparent communication channels should resolve existing misunderstandings and clear up backlogged outstanding issues quickly.

    The prime minister stressed that the public should not alarm over the continuity of healthcare services across Dominica, noting that a collaborative, collective approach among all stakeholders will deliver rapid resolutions to the identified problems. He extended gratitude to all parties involved in the process, including DCFH doctors, the Ministry of Health, the hospital’s Board of Management, and the relevant union, specifically commending union leadership for their respectful, constructive approach to navigating the dispute.

    Acknowledging that healthcare administration will continue to face new challenges over time, Skerrit said the ultimate objective of these reforms is to build a durable, responsive system that can address emerging concerns in the shortest possible timeframe.

  • Mexico Orders Meta, TikTok, X to Shield Minors From Violent, Sexual Content

    Mexico Orders Meta, TikTok, X to Shield Minors From Violent, Sexual Content

    In a landmark move to safeguard young internet users, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has signed an official decree that forces major global digital platforms — including Meta, TikTok, and X — to implement strict protections shielding minors from violent, sexual, and harmful online content, according to reporting from Al Jazeera.

    Under the terms of the new executive order, digital platforms are required to build age-appropriate content restrictions into their core design, limiting minor users’ access to material depicting violence, harassment, and sexual abuse. The regulation also mandates that platforms must remove high-risk content from minor accounts without delay. Luisa Maria Alcalde, a senior government advisor, confirmed that platforms have been given a 30-day window to bring their operations into full compliance with the new rules.

    President Sheinbaum has made clear that the Mexican government will move forward to codify the order into permanent legislation if companies fail to meet the compliance requirements, adding enforcement penalties for non-compliant entities. “If no progress is made, it would become a law,” Sheinbaum stated, explaining that the core objective of the policy is to force platforms to accept shared responsibility for the content they host and distribute to young users.

    “The goal is for digital platforms to take on some of the responsibility and refrain from disseminating, promoting, or spreading content related to this type of information — including criminal acts or violent behaviour,” the president added.

    The new decree comes in direct response to a deadly high school attack that shook northern Mexico earlier this month. In early October, two 18-year-olds carried out a shooting at their former high school in the state of Coahuila, leaving one person dead and three others injured. Authorities have not publicly confirmed a direct link between the attack and harmful online content, but the incident accelerated the government’s push for stricter online child protection regulations.

    Mexican officials confirmed they have already held preliminary talks on the new rules with representatives from 7 major technology companies: Meta, Microsoft, Apple, TikTok, Google, X, and Huawei. As of October 14, none of the companies had issued a public response to requests for comment from Reuters.

    Mexico’s regulatory action is part of a growing global trend of governments tightening online protections for minors. In recent years, European and Australian governments have rolled out stricter oversight regimes for digital platforms, while multiple U.S. states have advanced their own child safety legislation. Brazil has also introduced new rules to strengthen online protections for young people. As Reuters notes, this global wave of regulation has sparked ongoing debate over how to balance the critical goal of protecting minors with the equally important commitments to upholding personal privacy and freedom of expression online.

  • ICE Says It Arrested Belizean Convicted of Child Sex Abuse in New York

    ICE Says It Arrested Belizean Convicted of Child Sex Abuse in New York

    In a recent public announcement made October 14, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed the arrest of a Belizean national with a prior conviction for child sexual abuse involving a victim under 11 years old, who was residing in the United States illegally.

    The agency identified the arrested man as Angel Agusto De Leon. Via an official post on its public Facebook page, ICE confirmed that De Leon had no legal authorization to be present in the country. Court records cited by ICE show De Leon was previously convicted on two separate charges: “acting in a manner that injures a child less than 17” and first-degree sexual abuse, defined as sexual contact with an individual younger than 11 years old.

    Notably, ICE has declined to release key procedural and background details about the case: the agency has not confirmed the exact date or location of the arrest within New York state, De Leon’s current age, the timing of his prior conviction, or the length of the sentence he served for the child abuse offenses. It also has not outlined next steps for his immigration or criminal case, leaving many basic questions unanswered.

    De Leon was not taken into custody as part of an isolated operation. He is one of 11 people arrested across New York in this specific enforcement action, all labeled by ICE as “criminal illegal aliens.” The group includes nationals from seven countries beyond Belize: Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, Venezuela, China, and El Salvador. ICE reports that all 11 individuals either have prior criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, covering offenses ranging from kidnapping and sexual violence to assault and weapons violations.

    The enforcement operation has become a flashpoint in the ongoing national and local debate over U.S. immigration enforcement and sanctuary city policies. ICE explicitly framed the arrests as a direct rebuke of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other so-called “sanctuary politicians,” who the agency argues prioritize releasing individuals it classifies as dangerous criminals back into public communities instead of cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

  • Central Bank Warns of Scam Calls Using Google Meet

    Central Bank Warns of Scam Calls Using Google Meet

    In a fresh public alert issued on October 14, 2026, the Central Bank of Belize has sounded the alarm over a growing scam operation that uses Google Meet to defraud innocent residents. The regulatory institution confirmed it has received multiple recent reports from community members about unsolicited contacts where scammers impersonate official bank representatives through the video conferencing platform.

    The central bank emphasized that these communications are completely fraudulent, and members of the public should never place trust in the claims made by these unknown callers. The scam operates by building false credibility, then manipulating targets into sharing highly sensitive personal and financial data that can be used for identity theft, unauthorized fund withdrawals, and other financial crimes.

    To help residents protect themselves from falling victim, the institution has outlined clear safety guidance. It warned against disclosing any private information including online banking passwords, ATM PINs, full bank account details, credit card numbers, and other sensitive financial credentials to anyone who reaches out unexpectedly. Even if a caller claims to work for the Central Bank of Belize, recipients of unsolicited contacts are advised not to continue the conversation or engage with the scammer in any way. If an individual finds themselves on a suspicious call or pre-scheduled Google Meet with an unverified party claiming bank affiliation, the central bank advises ending the interaction immediately.

    A key clarification from the institution addresses a core part of the scam: the Central Bank of Belize confirms it never initiates unsolicited calls or online meetings with members of the public to request sensitive financial information, banking credentials, or personal identifying data. Any communication that makes such requests is by definition fraudulent, the bank added.

    To expand the reach of this warning and protect more community members, the central bank is encouraging all residents to share this advisory with their family members, friends, and colleagues, particularly vulnerable groups like elderly residents who may be more likely to fall for such impersonation scams.

  • NIME Belize Prepares Women Entrepreneurs for Business Growth

    NIME Belize Prepares Women Entrepreneurs for Business Growth

    In a milestone for women-led economic development in Belize, more than 100 women entrepreneurs have wrapped up the three-month accelerator training phase of a targeted business growth program run by local non-profit initiative NIME Belize. The cohort is now set to advance to the next stage of the program, which includes personalized one-on-one mentorship, professional networking opportunities, and pathways to access critical seed capital to scale their operations.

    The recent graduation ceremony celebrated the end of the intensive foundational training, which was crafted to equip participants with practical, actionable skills to strengthen their existing ventures. Core training modules covered key areas including strategic business management, robust financial literacy, targeted marketing planning, and expansion strategy development – gaps that often hold small women-owned businesses back from sustainable growth.

    Katia Montenegro-Hoare, founder and president of NIME Belize, outlined the program’s trajectory following the accelerator phase. Roughly 100 graduates will move into the mentorship and networking segment, which is designed to provide ongoing tailored support beyond the initial classroom-style training. “The next move is mentorship and networking, whereby women will be engaging in one-to-one mentorship,” Montenegro-Hoare explained, adding that a core long-term goal of the initiative is to build a cohesive, supportive community for women entrepreneurs at every stage of their business journey. Within this community, members can connect with industry organizations, access ongoing resources, and build collaborative partnerships with fellow female business owners.

    Dr. Yassmin Andrews, the program’s lead mentorship consultant, detailed how the matching process will work to maximize impact: participants will be paired with experienced industry mentors based on the specific niche of goods or services their businesses offer. The mentorship phase will also tackle two of the most common barriers facing new and growing women-led enterprises: helping participants refine formal, fund-ready business plans and complete official business registration – both critical steps to building legally compliant and investment-ready ventures.
    Andrews noted that access to capital and well-developed business plans are two of the most common gaps that prevent women entrepreneurs from scaling, and these challenges will be the central focus of the upcoming phase.

    For Benita Keme-Palacio, owner of Belizean fitness business Curves Royale, the accelerator phase has already delivered transformative results. She shared that the program helped her map out clear, actionable steps to restructure her growing business, a goal she had struggled to advance on her own. “I’m trying to reform it, and this has definitely helped me know how or what are the steps to do that, as well as having guidance,” she said.

    Beyond practical skills, Keme-Palacio highlighted the community of peers the program fostered as one of its most valuable outcomes. “The sisterhood in this program has been immensely beautiful. I’ve met so many wonderful women,” she explained. Participants maintain an active group chat where they share business challenges and wins, exchange tips, and refer new customers to fellow members’ businesses.

    Keme-Palacio encouraged all women considering applying for future iterations of the program to take the opportunity, noting that even those who do not complete the full program still leave with actionable, valuable knowledge that can benefit their businesses long-term. “Even if you don’t finish the course, you will leave with so much information that you can look back on and use when you’re ready to try again. But you don’t lose anything by applying. You will learn so much,” she said.

    As the cohort transitions into the next phase, NIME Belize’s overarching goal remains focused on helping these women entrepreneurs solidify their businesses, expand their professional networks, and position themselves to secure the capital they need to scale, create local jobs, and drive inclusive economic growth across Belize.