Carib Scope

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  • Integrity Commission To Investigate ‘The Mira MIllions’

    Integrity Commission To Investigate ‘The Mira MIllions’

    In a high-stakes development that has gripped Belize’s political landscape, the country’s Integrity Commission has formally announced it will open an investigation into allegations of improper government payments tied to Oscar Mira, the area representative for Belmopan. The probe stems from a formal complaint filed one week prior by Edward Broaster, the caretaker for the United Democratic Party (UDP) in Belize Rural Central, and centers on suspicious transactions from the Ministry of Defence.

    Broaster’s complaint includes dozens of official invoices documenting payments issued to two entities linked to Mira: Jenny Mira and MP Farms. The filing explicitly alleges violations of Belize’s Finance and Audit Reform Act, a key piece of legislation designed to enforce transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.

    Speaking exclusively to local outlet News 5, Broaster confirmed he received official correspondence from the Integrity Commission confirming receipt of his complaint and the commission’s plan to move forward with a full inquiry. Broaster emphasized that the commission’s willingness to act is a critical validation of Belize’s accountability framework, noting that “the process works” at a time when public interest in the case continues to build. With so much attention from the Belizean public, he added, it was essential for the commission to formally acknowledge the allegations and commit to a full review.

    Despite framing the commission’s decision as a positive step for transparency, Broaster rejected framing the development as a political win. He stressed that the core goal of the complaint has always been to uncover whether public money was handled in accordance with the law, not to score partisan political points. “I am not going to speak to any victory,” Broaster said. “The fact of the matter is that we are alleging the financial act has been breached.” He described the documented payments as deeply irregular, arguing that Belize’s taxpayers have an inherent right to full answers and clear accountability for how their public money is allocated and spent.

    In addition to confirming the investigation, the Integrity Commission has extended an invitation to Broaster to expand and strengthen his complaint. The regulatory body has given Broaster a 30-day window to submit additional supporting evidence and identify relevant witnesses for the inquiry. Broaster said he expects no delays or barriers to meeting this deadline, pointing to the large volume of information that has already entered the public domain over the past several weeks. “I am sure we will be able to gather more evidence and present it to the Integrity Commission,” he added, signaling his confidence in the strength of the allegations moving forward.

  • Veteran farmer: Blame middlemen for high food prices

    Veteran farmer: Blame middlemen for high food prices

    At a major national agricultural policy colloquium held this week, a decades-long Barbadian food producer has issued a stark warning about the unsustainable profit inequality plaguing the country’s agricultural supply chain, arguing that outsized markups taken by middlemen are pushing small-scale and new farmers out of business at an alarming rate.

    Richard Armstrong, founder of St Philip-based Armag Farms, which has specialized in yam and sweet potato production for over 40 years, laid out the crisis to delegates at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Nutritional Security’s *Looking Forward: Agriculture 2030* forum on Monday. He emphasized that the current distribution model leaves primary producers with far too small a share of the final retail price of their goods, eroding the economic viability of farming across the island.

    “The full value of the food we grow never makes its way back to the farmer working the land,” Armstrong said. “Too much of the profit is siphoned off by intermediaries along the supply chain, while producers bear all the cost and risk.”

    Armstrong noted that the problem is not unique to Barbados, but warned that without urgent intervention, the country will see a growing exodus of farmers, threatening domestic food security. To back his claim, he cited data from a Caribbean Development Bank study showing that only 20 percent of new farming operations survive past their first five years. He also pointed to his own business’s experience: Armag Farms previously expanded into agro-processing, but ultimately abandoned the segment after it became financially unviable, as processors demanded that farmers absorb extra costs to protect processor profits.

    “Agro-processing, pack houses and all the infrastructure people talk about are necessary, but every step along the chain adds cost — and every new player wants their cut of the profit. That cut always comes out of the farmer’s share,” he explained. “For agro-processors to hit their profit targets, the farmer is the one left taking the loss.”

    Armstrong also pushed back against the long-standing policy focus on keeping consumer retail prices low, which he says disproportionately shifts financial pressure onto producers. He shared a recent firsthand example to illustrate the scale of the markup gap: sweet potatoes that left his farm at a farmgate price of $2.62 per pound were later retailed to consumers for nearly $5 per pound, almost a 90 percent markup.

    “Look at that markup. The middleman takes all that extra profit, and the farmer is the one left squeezed,” he said, adding that dozens of young new farmers have confided in him that low farmgate prices have put their entire agricultural careers at risk. “Young producers come to me all the time saying they can’t make a living. They sell their crops to a vendor for pennies on the dollar, then see that same vendor selling the produce in town for four, five, even six times the price they got paid.”

    Senior Ministry of Agriculture officials have echoed Armstrong’s assessment, acknowledging that a significant imbalance exists between farmgate prices and final consumer costs. Sherlock King, the ministry’s Manager of Markets, confirmed that while not all vendors engage in excessive markup practices, the gap between what farmers earn and what consumers pay has reached “huge imbalances.”

    Speaking to Barbados TODAY after the colloquium, King noted that vendors are fully entitled to earn a profit and cover legitimate overheads including transportation, storage and produce spoilage. But he added that vendors have a shared responsibility to balance their own earnings with accessibility of healthy food for consumers, and fair compensation for farmers.

    King said the ministry is not pushing for strict government price controls, instead focusing on educational outreach to help vendors adopt pricing strategies that deliver fair returns for all stakeholders. “The idea is to help vendors understand that if they keep prices reasonable instead of chasing excessive short-term profits, they can move higher volumes of product,” he explained. “When that happens, everyone wins: consumers get affordable healthy food, vendors move more product and earn consistent returns, and farmers get a fairer price that lets them stay in business.”

    King cited other examples of the extreme markup gap, noting that during tomato gluts, farmers sometimes sell produce for as little as 50 cents per pound at the farmgate, only for the same tomatoes to retail for $2.50 per pound to end consumers. The ministry’s intervention, King said, aims to correct this imbalance and build a more sustainable, equitable agricultural supply chain for Barbados.

  • Nun Detained by ICE While Walking to Mass is Released

    Nun Detained by ICE While Walking to Mass is Released

    In a high-profile incident that has reignited debate over U.S. immigration enforcement policies, a Catholic nurse nun detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while en route to Sunday Mass in South Texas has been freed from custody, according to reporting from NBC News.

    Sister Leticia Ugboaja was taken into custody on Sunday in McAllen, Texas, a community located just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. At the time of her arrest, she was wearing her formal religious habit and walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Parish to attend the weekly communion service.

    Beyond her religious role, Sister Ugboaja has deep roots in the local South Texas community. She is a professed member of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy congregation, serves as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at her parish, and works full-time as a registered nurse for the South Texas Health System. Prior to her current role, she spent 10 years working as a certified nursing assistant at DHR Health in nearby Edinburg, caring for thousands of local patients over the course of her decade-long tenure.

    News of the arrest spread rapidly after leaders of the McAllen parish shared details of the incident across social media platforms, drawing widespread condemnation and public attention. The outcry prompted multiple members of the U.S. Congress to intervene, including Representative Monica de la Cruz, who reached out directly to federal ICE and Department of Homeland Security officials to advocate for Sister Ugboaja’s release.

    “We are grateful for the quick response of local representatives who reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to get her released from custody,” said Brenda Riojas, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Brownsville, which oversees the McAllen parish.

    The detention of Sister Ugboaja comes amid a broader expansion of immigration enforcement operations under the second Trump administration, which has increasingly targeted enforcement activities in locations that have long been considered sensitive sites, including houses of worship, schools, and medical facilities. The incident has raised new questions among religious and civil liberties groups about the scope of current enforcement policies and their impact on long-term residents and community leaders across border regions.

  • Antiguans urged to be on the look out for wanted man from St. Kitts

    Antiguans urged to be on the look out for wanted man from St. Kitts

    Law enforcement agencies in the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis have issued an official public wanted notice for 44-year-old Rohan Mullings, a resident of Pond’s Pasture on the island of St Kitts. The bulletin was released as part of an active criminal investigation that is currently ongoing in the country.

    According to credible information from well-placed sources within regional law enforcement, Mullings is believed to have crossed the Caribbean border and is currently residing in the neighboring island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Local police have issued a clear public warning: any member of the general public who encounters Mullings or recognizes him from the bulletin should not attempt to confront or apprehend him, as he is considered a potentially dangerous person of interest in the case.

    Instead of taking matters into their own hands, authorities are urging anyone with relevant information on Mullings’ current location to share what they know with the appropriate law enforcement entities. Possible reporting channels include the Criminal Investigations Department of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, the regional Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-TIPS (8477), or any staff at the closest local police station.

    To encourage more people to come forward with accurate information without fear of retaliation, law enforcement officials have confirmed that every tip provided will be handled with the strictest possible confidentiality. This policy is designed to protect the identity of witnesses and help advance the ongoing investigation into Mullings’ alleged criminal activity.

  • State to transfer 224 more homes to long-term tenants

    State to transfer 224 more homes to long-term tenants

    Barbados’ House of Assembly has approved a landmark piece of legislation that will transfer ownership of 224 state-constructed residential properties directly to long-term tenant families, marking the second major phase of a national initiative to turn decades of rental occupancy into full outright home ownership. This latest approval pushes the total number of properties transferred under the programme to 428 within just three months, dramatically accelerating a policy push designed to deliver tangible wealth to ordinary households across the country.

    Officially titled the State Acquisition and Vesting of Property Number 2 Bill, the legislation paves the way for title transfers for homes spread across seven residential estates: Eden Lodge, Haynesville, Silver Hill, Deacons Farm, Bonnetts, Grazettes and Wotton. According to Housing Minister Chris Gibbs, this round of transfers will mark the first time residents in areas including Eden Lodge have received formal legal titles to the homes they have occupied for generations.

    The first round of the current accelerated programme, concluded three months prior, transferred ownership of 204 state homes. Combined with this latest batch of 224, the government has moved more than 400 properties into private hands in a single quarter – a pace that Minister Gibbs says outstrips the slow progress of earlier policy efforts.

    Minister Gibbs framed the new legislation as a cornerstone of the government’s commitment to advancing social equity and building lasting intergenerational wealth for Barbadian families. Unlike prior efforts that relied on slow, convoluted administrative processes, the current programme leverages existing constitutional powers to acquire the properties for public benefit and transfer titles directly to eligible residents, cutting through the bureaucratic red tape that delayed past initiatives.

    “This reaffirms the government’s unwavering commitment to place property ownership into the hands of ordinary Barbadians,” Gibbs told the legislative chamber during debate. “Because of this government, housing policy does not end when we build a house. Housing policy is complete when a family owns its home.”

    Gibbs drew a clear contrast between the current administration’s progress and the 2013 Tenanties Transfer of Terraced Units Act, which saw only 597 home transfers completed over the course of 12 years between 2013 and 2025. The current programme has nearly matched that 12-year total in just three months, a shift Gibbs calls a testament to the government’s innovative, people-centered approach to policy.

    “In three months, we’ve reduced that backlog,” Gibbs said. “This administration, this government is about innovative ways to further our agenda to help people, to empower people in this country. We’ve found ways to empower people, and this is but another way to do so, simple but transformational.”

    To address ongoing concerns raised by residents and community stakeholders about public infrastructure and neighboring property rights, the legislation includes explicit protections for community interests. It preserves public access rights to common areas, protects utility corridors and legal easements, and upholds the residential zoning of the affected areas while safeguarding the property rights of adjacent landowners.

    The National Housing Corporation will also provide transitional support to new homeowners as they make the shift from renting to owning, including guidance on routine property maintenance and navigating residential insurance requirements, Gibbs confirmed. He extended recognition to public servants across the Land Registry, the Land and Surveys Department, and the National Housing Corporation for their work verifying resident eligibility and processing the hundreds of new title documents.

    Minister Gibbs added that the government stands ready to introduce a third phase of the programme if needed, to ensure that every eligible resident across the country has the opportunity to gain ownership of their long-term occupied home.

    “Every title we transfer is another Barbadian family moving from tenancy to ownership, from uncertainty to security, from shelter to wealth,” Gibbs said. “Governments are remembered for the buildings that they construct, but the truly transformative governments are remembered for the assets that they place in the hands of their people.”

  • Jaguar Attacks Dogs in Hattieville

    Jaguar Attacks Dogs in Hattieville

    A rogue jaguar has sparked fear among residents of the small Belizean village of Hattieville after carrying out two unprovoked attacks on domestic dogs over a single weekend, leaving one canine dead and prompting wildlife authorities to launch a capture operation. Local residents reported the back-to-back incidents to regional law enforcement and wildlife management officials earlier this week, after the large predator ventured into populated residential areas twice in two days.

    The first encounter unfolded early Friday morning, when the jaguar slipped into a residential yard and targeted a local pet dog. One resident, who asked to remain unnamed, shared that the animal initiated an immediate attack, triggering a vicious struggle that stretched on for between 35 and 45 minutes. By the time the confrontation ended, the dog had succumbed to its injuries. In the chaos of the attack, the jaguar also caused significant damage to a parked vehicle on the property. Initially, the dog’s owners dismissed the commotion as nothing more than a routine scuffle between their pets and a stray neighborhood cat, never expecting a wild big cat had entered their yard.

    Surprisingly, the jaguar returned to the same residential area at roughly the same time on Saturday morning, launching a second attack on a group of domestic dogs. This time, however, the five dogs present banded together to fend off the predator, successfully confronting the jaguar and chasing it off into the surrounding vegetation before it could cause any fatal harm.

    It was not until Monday that villagers formally submitted reports of both incidents to Hattieville Police Department and the Belize Forest Department, the government agency tasked with managing native wildlife and human-wildlife conflict. Officials from the department quickly traveled to the village to assess the situation, and by Tuesday morning, a large cage trap had been deployed at the site of the attacks in a bid to capture the roaming jaguar and resolve the ongoing threat to village residents and their pets. Local authorities have not yet announced any updates on whether the animal has been captured, and residents have been advised to remain vigilant when outdoors, especially during early morning hours when the jaguar has previously struck.

  • Jumby Bay Orders Swift Removal of Seaweed Following Environmental Complaints

    Jumby Bay Orders Swift Removal of Seaweed Following Environmental Complaints

    A popular resort on Antigua has moved quickly to address community anger over improper seaweed disposal, announcing immediate action to clear the illegally dumped material near the town of Parham. Jumby Bay Resort confirmed that it has issued a direct order to its contracted work team to remove the seaweed, a response triggered by widespread concerns from local residents about the environmental and public health impacts of the unregulated dumping. In an official public statement released this week, executive leadership at the resort said the issue was raised in a formal consultation with Rawdon Turner, Antigua’s Minister of Social and Urban Transformation, during a meeting held Tuesday morning. Resort management emphasized that it moved without hesitation as soon as internal leaders became aware of the inappropriate disposal, noting that the contractor responsible for the seaweed transport and placement has been explicitly told to complete the full cleanup without any delay. Beyond the immediate cleanup order, the resort announced that new, stricter monitoring protocols will be put in place going forward to ensure all future operations align fully with Antigua’s national environmental protection standards. In a gesture of accountability, Jumby Bay’s team also formally validated the concerns raised by nearby residents, reaffirming its long-standing pledge to preserve Antigua’s natural coastal ecosystems and nurture collaborative, positive relationships with all neighboring local communities. The resort’s statement comes on the heels of growing public pushback over the dumping, which had spurred widespread community calls not just for removal of the existing seaweed pile, but for tighter regulatory oversight of coastal waste disposal across the island. Sargassum seaweed influxes have become an increasingly common challenge for Caribbean coastal communities in recent years, with improper disposal creating risks of water contamination, foul odors, and harm to local marine habitats when not managed according to official guidelines.

  • Over 1,300 Deaths Linked to Heatwave in Europe

    Over 1,300 Deaths Linked to Heatwave in Europe

    In what has become one of the deadliest early summer heat events in recent European history, a sprawling extreme heatwave sweeping across the continent has been connected to more than 1,300 excess deaths as of late June 2026, according to global health officials. The World Health Organization’s top leader has sounded an urgent alarm over the deadly conditions, highlighting a critical flaw in European infrastructure that has left populations vulnerable to rapidly climbing temperatures.

    Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, shared the warning in a public post on the social platform X, noting that most residential buildings, commercial workplaces and educational facilities across Europe were never designed to withstand the unprecedented high temperatures that climate change has made increasingly common.

    The heatwave has already smashed national temperature records across multiple Central and Western European nations. Germany has marked three straight days of all-time high temperature readings, with a peak of 41.7°C recorded in the country’s eastern region. Neighboring Czechia has recorded temperatures as high as 41.1°C during the event, while Poland hit a new national all-time high of 40.5°C.

    France has seen some of the steepest rises in mortality tied to the heat. The country’s health ministry confirmed that roughly 1,000 more people than the seasonal average have died since just the prior Wednesday. The sharpest increase in fatalities has been among people over the age of 65, and the number of people dying at home has jumped 40% compared to typical periods. French officials have also recorded at least 74 drowning deaths since the heatwave began, most occurring when people attempted to cool off in natural bodies of water like rivers and lakes.

    Meteorologists have explained the extreme conditions are driven by a persistent “heat dome” weather pattern. This phenomenon occurs when a large mass of high-pressure air becomes trapped over a region. The high-pressure system causes air to sink toward the surface, where it compresses and warms up. The system also blocks the formation of cooling clouds, allowing solar radiation to continue heating the ground and push temperatures even higher over time.

  • Derde helft WK 2026: Noorwegen met 2-1 over Ivoorkust nog net naar volgende ronde

    Derde helft WK 2026: Noorwegen met 2-1 over Ivoorkust nog net naar volgende ronde

    A dramatic late finish at the men’s World Cup saw Norway secure a spot in the round of 16 on Monday, courtesy of a late match-winning goal from star striker Erling Haaland that sealed a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast. With the fixture seemingly on course to go to extra time after both sides had settled into a 1-1 draw, Haaland struck with just four minutes left on the clock to break Ivory Coast’s brave resistance and book his nation’s place in the knockout stage.

    From the opening kickoff, Ivory Coast dominated possession and put together sharp, organized build-up play that forced Norway to drop deep into their own half to avoid conceding an early opener. The African side wasted no time creating their first clear chance: as early as the 7th minute, Nicolas Pépé found himself unmarked behind Norway’s defensive line, but he stumbled the opportunity after being caught off guard by the space he had been afforded. In the 21st minute, Ghislain Konan had another promising opening to put Ivory Coast ahead, but his effort drifted just wide of the right post.

    After the mandatory hydration break, Pépé was handed another golden opportunity, this time from a perfectly weighted through ball by Yan Diomandé. Once again, the winger failed to convert, letting Norway off the hook. Norway’s first clear chance did not come until the 37th minute, when Alexander Sørloth picked out Haaland inside the box, but the Manchester City striker’s header lacked the power needed to beat Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana. Two minutes later, Antonio Nusa broke the deadlock with a well-placed diagonal shot that beat Fofana at his near post, putting Norway ahead 1-0. Haaland thought he had doubled Norway’s lead just moments before halftime, but Ibrahim Sangaré made a critical goal-line block to keep the scoreline at 1-0 going into the break.

    In the second half, Ivory Coast continued to push for an equalizer, and came close in the 55th minute when Pépé’s shot was blocked by Norway’s goalkeeper. The African side finally got their equalizer in the 74th minute, when substitute Ahmad Diollo pulled off a spectacular individual run before finishing with a clinical strike to level the score at 1-1. Over the following 12 minutes, both sides traded half-chances but neither could find a decisive breakthrough, leaving most observers expecting 30 minutes of extra time to decide the winner.

    That was until the 86th minute, when Haaland – who had been largely quiet throughout the match up to that point – was on hand to tap home a low cross from close range, securing a 2-1 win for Norway. The result means Norway progresses to the tournament’s round of 16, while Ivory Coast, despite a valiant and energetic performance, exits the competition, punished for their profligacy in front of goal that saw them waste multiple clear chances throughout the 90 minutes.

  • Jogi uit vergaderzaal gezet na uitlatingen over voorzitter Adhin

    Jogi uit vergaderzaal gezet na uitlatingen over voorzitter Adhin

    A scheduled budget debate in Suriname’s National Assembly was abruptly halted Wednesday after a sitting lawmaker refused to comply with a direct order from the body’s top leader, sparking a rare public display of partisan friction that delayed proceedings for nearly an hour.

    The confrontation began when Mahinder Jogi, a parliamentarian from the ruling VHP party, raised unsubstantiated allegations of misconduct against the Management Institute Land Registration and Land Information System (MI-GLIS), a body under the Ministry of Land and Forest Management. During the second round of debate on the ministry’s annual budget, Jogi presented claims based on unsourced information he said he had received, accusing the agency’s new leadership of nepotistic family appointments and unauthorized procurement of an official vehicle. He directed these questions directly to Minister Stanley Soeropawiro, demanding public clarification on the alleged mispractices.

    Assembly Speaker Ashwin Adhin intervened quickly to call Jogi to order, asking the lawmaker to provide documentary evidence to back up his public claims. When Jogi declined to produce proof, noting he only sought answers from the minister rather than making formal confirmed accusations, Adhin ruled that unsubstantiated allegations could not be permitted in official parliamentary proceedings, and ordered Jogi to retract his comments.

    Jogi rejected the speaker’s ruling outright, escalating the confrontation with harsh personal criticism of Adhin’s leadership. In remarks captured on the assembly floor, Jogi publicly labeled Adhin the “worst speaker in [the National Assembly’s] history,” and added an off-mic remark calling Adhin “worthless.”

    Leadership from multiple opposition and ruling party factions rallied to Adhin’s support. Jerrel Pawiroredjo, leader of the NPS opposition faction, joined other assembly members in backing the speaker’s position, emphasizing that parliament has a fundamental responsibility to handle unconfirmed information with extreme care, and that unproven public accusations against public officials violate the body’s procedural rules.

    To defuse the growing tension, Adhin agreed to a recess requested by VHP faction leader Asis Gajadien, who attempted to negotiate a resolution with Jogi behind closed doors. When the assembly reconvened, Jogi still refused to clarify which remarks he was ordered to retract, and declined to comply with Adhin’s order to leave the debating chamber.

    In a move to avoid further public escalation, Adhin declined to call in law enforcement to remove Jogi, out of respect for his status as an elected representative. Instead, he asked the lawmaker’s own party colleagues and Assembly Vice President Ronnie Brunswijk to mediate the dispute. After private talks with Brunswijk, Jogi ultimately agreed to exit the chamber voluntarily, allowing the budget debate to resume its scheduled business.

    The public disruption is one of the most high-profile parliamentary clashes in Suriname in recent months, highlighting growing tensions over procedural accountability and partisan conduct amid ongoing budget negotiations for the 2026 fiscal cycle.