The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), one of the region’s most popular annual sporting events, has launched a unique public health initiative ahead of its upcoming season, partnering with local and regional health agencies to bring free non-communicable disease (NCD) screenings to fans at every tournament venue. All eight host stadiums for this season’s matches, including the well-known Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, will host on-site testing clinics staffed by qualified health professionals throughout the competition, giving cricket fans access to preventive care while they enjoy the sport. NCDs are recognized as one of the most pressing public health challenges across the Caribbean, where rates of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes remain disproportionately high compared to global averages. This screening program is a core part of the league’s long-term commitment to supporting regional public health efforts to address this crisis. The free screenings available to interested fans cover a wide range of key health metrics, including blood pressure measurement, blood glucose testing to flag diabetes risk, Body Mass Index (BMI) assessment, urinalysis, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer risk. In a statement explaining the importance of the new initiative, CPL Chief Executive Officer Pete Russell emphasized that the burden of NCDs extends across the entire Caribbean community. “Non-communicable diseases have touched almost every one of us in some way, whether as patients ourselves or through a loved one,” Russell said. “Being a good corporate citizen means using the platform we’ve built for something bigger than the game itself. Early detection is key to combating non-communicable diseases – this programme puts that principle into practice.” Russell added that the league’s broad regional reach comes with a corresponding social responsibility to contribute to community well-being. “CPL reaches fans in eight territories every season, and we believe that reach comes with a responsibility to give back. Bringing health screening into our stadiums is a simple and practical way to act on that responsibility,” he explained. Public health experts across the region have previously highlighted that improving access to routine preventive screenings is one of the most effective ways to reduce NCD-related illness and death, as early intervention can drastically improve patient outcomes for most chronic conditions.
作者： admin
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“The Answer Has to Be No”: NTUCB Stands Firm on BTL Acquisition of SMART
On August 4, 2026, a major public and labor conflict erupted in Belize City over a planned corporate acquisition, as the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) maintained its unwavering opposition to Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL)’s proposed takeover of SpeedNet Communications, which operates under the brand name SMART.
Opponents of the deal gathered in protest directly outside BTL’s headquarters on St. Thomas Street, raising urgent red flags about four core issues: a lack of procedural transparency, questionable company valuation, risks to market competition, and the absence of meaningful broad public consultation before the BTL board of directors met to deliberate the acquisition. News of the scheduled board meeting quickly mobilized organized labor groups, with NTUCB and its president Ella Waight leading the opposition charge.
In an on-the-ground statement during the protest, Waight confirmed that union leaders only learned the board meeting would move forward on the morning of August 4, after weeks of uncertainty about the timing of the vote. She emphasized that NTUCB’s opposition to the acquisition has not shifted since the beginning of 2026, when a majority of the congress’ 11 affiliated unions voted to reject the takeover. That opposition, she stressed, will remain unchanged no matter what decision the BTL board reaches.
While the official result of the board’s closed-door deliberations had not been released to the public as of the protest, Waight made clear the NTUCB’s non-negotiable position: “The overall finalised decision has to be no.”
Waight argued that key concerns and recommendations raised by labor and other public stakeholders were completely ignored in the lead-up to the board vote. One of the union’s central demands has been a full, multi-year independent audit of SMART’s assets and operations, rather than the limited single-year audit that has been completed to date. Waight questioned the validity of the narrow assessment, noting, “who can assess a company for one year?” As of the protest, that full independent audit had not been carried out.
BTL attempted to address criticism of lack of outreach in a formal letter dated July 31, confirming that stakeholder consultations had been completed and that the acquisition proposal would now be forwarded to Belize’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for final regulatory review. But Waight pushed back hard against that claim, arguing that any consultation that did occur was limited to a small, insider circle of connected interests rather than including all affected parties. “There were only cliques of little consultations that happened,” she said.
Waight dismissed BTL’s response to union concerns as empty and unresponsive, saying “It was irrelevant of the concerns we had. No substance to that answer.” She also revealed that the NTUCB submitted two formal letters to the PUC prior to the BTL board vote, requesting clarity on the regulatory process for the acquisition and details about the commission’s review timeline. As of the protest, the union had not received any reply to either correspondence, a snub that has eroded all trust in the regulatory process among union leaders. “So at this point, we have no trust in them,” Waight said.
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Loved ones remember victims of Anse Cochon boat tragedy
It has been more than 14 days since a devastating late-night boat collision near the coastal community of Anse Cochon claimed four lives, and for grieving family members, surviving passengers, and close friends, the pain of their sudden loss remains raw as they share loving tributes to the victims who never returned home.
The four lives cut short in the tragedy span different ages and hometowns across the island: 21-year-old Mhakeida Nestor from La Fargue, Choiseul; 25-year-old Debbie Dolor from Market Road, Soufrière; and Marley William and Tyrone Paul, both residents of Barons Drive. Among the victims, Paul’s family has opened up about the disbelieving grief that has followed his death.
Dalpha Paul, Tyrone Paul’s sister, recalled the chaotic, heart-wrenching morning she learned her brother had not survived the crash. The collision took place shortly before midnight on Saturday, July 18, while Paul was asleep at home. It was not until the next morning, when she woke to a flood of alarming messages on the WhatsApp messaging platform, that she sensed something was terribly wrong.
“I woke up and saw everybody posting on WhatsApp, so I said let me go down the road because something happened,” Dalpha recounted. By the time she reached the crash site, family members had already confirmed the devastating news. What made the loss even harder to process was the fact that Tyrone was an experienced, skilled swimmer — a detail that left his family holding out hope for hours that he would make it out alive.
“Tyrone can swim. So if they go on shore and you don’t get him, what does that mean? That means Tyrone was gone already,” she said, her voice thick with tears. Remembering her brother’s gentle character, Dalpha described him as a universally loved member of their community whose kindness could not be summed up in words. “The word to describe Tyrone, I don’t think they’ll be able to get it in the dictionary; when it comes to loving, caring – everything in one. Tyrone was the lover boy of the community,” she added, holding back tears.
For survivors who lived through the crash, the terrifying moments immediately after the impact remain vivid and traumatic. Lester Jean, one of the passengers who escaped the collision, recalled that the two vessels, returning from a community party, collided with little warning, throwing the crowded boats into chaos.
“We heard a big noise. People were shouting for help. We didn’t even know if our boat hit them or they hit us. We were all struggling at the same time,” Jean said. In the chaotic aftermath, Jean and other uninjured survivors scrambled to search for passengers thrown into the dark coastal waters, calling out the names of the missing victims—Tyrone, Mhakeida (known to loved ones as Molly), and Debbie—while waiting for first responders to arrive. Jean suffered serious injuries in the crash, requiring multiple stitches for lacerations and losing his prosthetic eye from the force of the impact. Even weeks later, he said, the psychological trauma of that night remains difficult to work through.
Alan Jules, Tyrone Paul’s closest friend, said the ache of losing his constant companion has not faded in the weeks since the crash. “He was my real friend. He was my best friend,” Jules said. “It was a mistake… a terrible mistake.”
The deadly incident unfolded when two passenger vessels, the Ocean Angel and a Mango Tours boat, collided in coastal waters near Anse Cochon just minutes before midnight on July 18. Fourteen other passengers were treated for injuries ranging from minor to severe. Search and rescue teams spent four days scouring the surrounding waters for the missing victims, and the recovery of the bodies of Marley William and Tyrone Paul off the coast of Anse La Raye Bay brought the final death toll to four.
In the wake of the tragedy, local law enforcement has launched a formal investigation into the cause of the collision. To complement the police probe and address broader safety gaps, the national government has established a formal Commission of Inquiry tasked with examining every detail of the incident and proposing actionable reforms to strengthen maritime safety regulations and prevent similar fatal accidents in the future.
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5-Year-Old Caught in Crossfire in San Ignacio
On the evening of August 4, 2026, a routine walk home turned chaotic in San Ignacio Town, when a targeted attack left an innocent 5-year-old boy wounded by stray gunfire. The incident unfolded just after 7:40 p.m., when local law enforcement received multiple emergency calls reporting gunshots along Collins Boulevard.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found 30-year-old Carlton McKoy lying on the ground, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Preliminary investigative findings outline a clear premeditated attack: McKoy had just driven his vehicle onto Collins Boulevard when gunmen stationed in a parked car opened fire on his car, indicating McKoy was the intended target.
In a tragic twist of wrong place, wrong time, the young boy and his mother were traveling along nearby Bullet Tree Road heading home when a stray bullet hit the child. Both McKoy and the injured minor were quickly transported to a local hospital for immediate care. Due to the nature of the child’s injury, he was later transferred to the larger Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) to receive specialized, advanced treatment.
In an official update following the attack, police confirmed that both victims are currently listed in stable condition, a small relief amid the violent incident that has shaken the local community. Authorities have not yet released additional details on potential suspects or motives for the targeted shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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McIntyre announces historic 10% flat income tax rate in $1.125 billion budget
In a landmark announcement delivered to Dominica’s Parliament on Tuesday, Finance Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre has introduced what he calls the most expansive personal income tax reduction in the nation’s history, paired with a total EC$1.125 billion national budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. At the core of the reform is a sweeping shift to a uniform 10% flat income tax rate, a policy set to enter into force on January 1, 2027.
The new single-rate framework will replace Dominica’s current three-bracket progressive tax system, which imposes rates of 15%, 25%, and 35% on different income levels. Crucially, the reform preserves the existing tax-free threshold: individuals earning $30,000 or less annually will still not be required to pay any personal income tax.
McIntyre emphasized that the new tax overhaul builds on over two decades of consistent policy from the ruling Dominica Labour Party administration, which has centered its economic agenda on easing the tax burden for working people and helping residents keep more of their hard-earned income. He provided historical context to frame the scale of the 2027 reform, noting that when the current government first took office in 2000, the nation’s income tax structure carried far higher top rates of 20%, 30%, and 40%, with a tax-free threshold set at just $12,000 annually.
Following Dominica’s steady economic recovery and the successful conclusion of its International Monetary Fund-backed economic stabilization program, the government began rolling out incremental tax relief measures starting in 2009. Those earlier reforms cut the top marginal tax rates to the current 15%, 25%, and 35%, while gradually raising the tax-free threshold from $25,000 to its current $30,000. Over the years, the administration has also introduced a range of additional tax concessions, including expanded deductions for mortgage interest, full deductions for student loan payments, and additional allowances for home and medical insurance premiums. These changes have already lowered tax bills for thousands of workers and removed many low-income Dominicans from the personal income tax system entirely.
“Today, despite a global environment marked by widespread economic uncertainty, this government will again provide relief to further empower the hardworking people of Dominica,” McIntyre told lawmakers during his budget address.
The finance minister framed the new 10% flat rate as an intentional fiscal sacrifice for the government, but one that will deliver tangible, long-term benefits for residents while simplifying the entire tax system and making it far more equitable for all working people. Unlike broad-based tax cuts that disproportionately benefit high earners, this reform retains protections for low-income workers while delivering proportional relief to all residents earning above the $30,000 tax-free threshold.
To help the public understand the immediate impact of the change, McIntyre shared concrete examples of annual and monthly savings for workers at different income levels. A full-time worker earning $48,000 per year ($4,000 monthly) will take home an extra $75 each month, adding up to $900 in additional annual disposable income. For a worker earning $60,000 per year with no additional deductions, monthly tax bills will drop from $458 to just $250, translating to $208 in monthly savings, or roughly $2,500 per year. Higher-earning residents will see even more substantial savings: an individual earning $84,000 annually will gain an extra $541.67 per month, totaling around $6,500 in annual tax savings. For multi-income households, the benefits are cumulative: a family with two working members each earning $4,000 per month will save an extra $150 monthly, or $1,800 per year, before accounting for other applicable deductions.
McIntyre noted that the extra disposable income from the tax cut will be entirely at the discretion of Dominican households, who can put the savings toward covering basic household expenses, paying down mortgage or other consumer debt, boosting health insurance coverage, building personal savings, investing in small local businesses, or funding further education for family members. Ultimately, he said, the tax reform reaffirms the government’s commitment to strengthening household financial stability while driving broad-based economic growth by putting more money directly into the pockets of working Dominicans.
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Record 701 companies join regional agrifood business event, creating US$25.5 million in opportunities
The 13th iteration of the Virtual Agrifood Business Matchmaking Round has wrapped up with landmark results, drawing a record-breaking 701 agrifood industry stakeholders from across Latin America and the Caribbean and unlocking an estimated $25.5 million in new commercial opportunities for participating enterprises.
This annual virtual event is the product of a long-standing collaborative partnership between three major regional and international institutions: the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA). Launched in 2020, the ongoing initiative was designed with a clear core mission: to break down barriers to cross-border trade and strengthen the regional agrifood commerce ecosystem.
The 2026 event brought together a diverse cohort of businesses spanning the entire region. In addition to large representation from Central American nations, participants traveled virtually from key agrifood-producing markets including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru. Demographic breakdowns highlight the event’s inclusive focus: 38 percent of all participating companies are led by women, while entrepreneurs under the age of 40 head 46 percent of participating firms. The majority of attendees, 68 percent, are micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) – businesses that often struggle to access cross-border market connections on their own.
Trade activity at this year’s round was led by high-demand fresh produce, with fresh fruits and vegetables accounting for the largest share of buy-sell transactions. Coffee and cocoa took the second spot as the most actively traded products, alongside other offerings ranging from value-added prepared foods and nutrient-dense healthy snacks to specialized industry services including transportation and logistics, and advisory support for meeting international food quality and safety standards. Beyond immediate transactions, the event also served as a critical networking hub, allowing enterprises to forge new long-term strategic partnerships and scope out untapped customer bases in new regional markets.
Since the virtual matchmaking series launched six years ago, cumulative participation has reached 7,385 supplier companies from across Latin America and the Caribbean. Post-event surveys compiled by IICA show the initiative has generated a total of $309.7 million in projected business opportunities to date, marking consistent growth in both participation and impact with each successive round.
Edith Flores de Molina, Director of SIECA’s Center for Studies on Economic Integration (CEIE), emphasized that the ongoing success of the series underscores the tangible economic value of expanding regional integrated trade. “The results achieved through the thirteen business rounds held to date demonstrate that this type of event promotes regional trade within a framework of inclusion and competitiveness,” Flores de Molina said. “They also enable companies to strengthen commercial ties beyond national borders, expanding their business networks and opening new market opportunities.”
Daniel Rodríguez, a representative from IICA’s Directorate of Technical Cooperation, noted that the steady year-over-year rise in participation confirms the event has cemented its status as one of the region’s premier platforms for connecting across the agrifood supply chain. The event brings together producers, large and small agribusinesses, industry service providers, and commercial buyers into one accessible virtual space, filling a gap in market access for smaller operators.
Pablo Rabczuk, Senior Programme Officer involved in the initiative, added that virtual matchmaking tools address a critical need for MSMEs looking to expand their regional footprint. “Tools such as virtual business matchmaking rounds are essential to encourage companies across the region to invest in regional markets,” Rabczuk said. “At a time of heightened global volatility, there is significant room for growth within the region, and this opportunity should be seized.”
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‘Vessel Not Designed for Sea,’ Says Coast Guard as Investigation Continues
In a developing maritime tragedy off the coast of Belize, authorities have recovered the body of Samuel Chi, a missing fisherman, bringing a grim close to a multi-day search operation that began after two men went missing during a day trip on open water. The recovery, which took place on the morning of August 4, 2026, came roughly 24 hours after Chi’s companion, Albert Vacarro, was pulled from the water alive, albeit in frail condition.
The joint search effort resumed at 5 a.m. that morning, drawing together resources from three key Belizean agencies: the Belize Coast Guard, the Belize Port Authority, and the Belize Police Department. In addition to official search teams, family members of the missing men mobilized five private vessels to join the operation, bringing the total number of search craft to between eight and nine, according to Belize Coast Guard Lieutenant Mark Choc, the service’s Operations Officer.
“At around 9:00 a.m. this morning, the body was located approximately eight miles north of Belize City, roughly four miles southwest of the location where Vacarro was rescued the previous day,” Lieutenant Choc confirmed in a press statement. Following recovery, the remains were transported to Belize Coast Guard headquarters, where they were transferred to the Belize Police Department for forensic examination by the Scenes of Crime unit.
The incident began on Sunday, when Chi and Vacarro set out on a day trip from the Belizean coast, only to lose contact with shore shortly after. Vacarro was located alive on Monday, suffering from dehydration and disorientation, leaving search teams hopeful that Chi would also be found alive. That hope faded with Tuesday’s recovery.
As investigators work to unpack the exact cause of the accident, Lieutenant Choc pointed to a critical error that likely contributed to the tragedy: the type of vessel the pair were using. “The vessel is a riverine vessel. It is designed to be operated exclusively in river systems. It’s not designed to withstand the conditions of open sea,” he explained. “Therefore, this is a contributing factor to more than likely causing the accident to happen.”
The investigation remains ongoing, and one key piece of evidence is still missing: the vessel itself. “We would definitely need to locate the vessel so it can contribute to our investigation,” Choc added, noting that search efforts will continue to locate the missing craft to confirm investigators’ preliminary findings.
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Cubans charged with murder of country man
On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, three Cuban nationals appeared before a Guyanese magistrate to face a joint charge of murder in the death of a 20-year-old fellow Cuban, the Guyana Police Force confirmed in an official statement.
The three accused individuals are 26-year-old barber Alejandro Igalza Rios, also known by the nickname “Papote”, 29-year-old construction worker Juan Pablo Ferrer Perez, and 24-year-old laborer Mairely Felicita Medinas Alvarez. All three list a local address in Timehri, located along Guyana’s East Bank Demerara.
The killing they are accused of committing took place on July 22, 2026, in Diamond, another community on the East Bank Demerara. The victim has been identified as Yudivian Cardenas Amador Almagro. According to his mother Yusmila Amador, she last heard from her son on July 27, when he told her he was traveling to Brazil. He never contacted her again after that conversation, and no further sightings of him have been reported.
Law enforcement officers took the three suspects into custody in a series of arrests carried out between July 29 and July 30, 2026. The formal murder charge was read to the trio by Magistrate Dylon Bess during the arraignment hearing held at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court.
As is standard procedure for indictable murder charges in Guyana, the defendants were not required to enter a plea at this initial hearing. Following the reading of the charge, Magistrate Bess ordered the three accused to be remanded into state custody. Their next scheduled court appearance is set for September 21, 2026, when the case will advance to the next phase of legal proceedings.
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Special education and literacy MOUs boost cooperation
Diplomatic cooperation between Cuba and Grenada has reached a new milestone this week, as senior representatives from both nations gathered at the Cuban Embassy in Grenada to sign two landmark memorandums of understanding focused on expanding bilateral collaboration in the education sector. The new agreements formalize joint work in two critical priority areas: specialized support for learners with disabilities through special education programming, and the rollout of Cuba’s internationally recognized “Yo sí puedo” (“Yes I can”) adult literacy initiative.
Signing the documents on behalf of the Cuban government was Ambassador Yadirys Echenique Paz, who used the signing ceremony to frame the new partnerships as a continuation of Cuba’s long-standing tradition of international solidarity. The ambassador emphasized that these education-focused initiatives are rooted in the Caribbean nation’s core commitment to advancing equitable human development across Grenada, reflecting shared values of regional cooperation and mutual support.
Leading the Grenadian government delegation were Lorraine St Louis Nedd and Elvis Morain, both Permanent Secretaries at Grenada’s Ministry of Education. In their remarks at the event, the two officials underscored the transformative impact the new agreements will have for Grenada’s population, noting that the partnerships are tailored to address unmet local needs and expand access to inclusive learning opportunities for all residents. They went further to highlight that bilateral education cooperation with Cuba has long served as a foundational pillar of Grenada’s national strategy to build a skilled, competitive domestic workforce.
During the celebratory signing event, both sides reaffirmed that the new MOUs open exciting new avenues for expanded joint collaboration beyond the core initiative areas. Key future opportunities identified include joint teacher training programs and the wider adoption of evidence-based education methodologies that have been successfully implemented across Cuba and other Latin American and Caribbean nations.
The signing ceremony held particular symbolic weight, as it takes place in the year that marks the 47th anniversary of the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Grenada. The occasion also provided an opportunity for both parties to reflect on decades of ongoing partnership in education and professional training. For generations, Cuban education support has accompanied young Grenadians through their academic journeys, leaving a lasting mark on the country’s education landscape and human development outcomes.
This report is based on a contributed submission from the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Grenada. NOW Grenada does not take responsibility for contributor opinions, statements, or third-party content included in contributed submissions.
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UEFA daagt FIFA uit na mislukte verkoop van toekomstige WK-inkomsten
A growing rift within global soccer governance has boiled over into open legal conflict, as European soccer’s governing body UEFA has formally confirmed it has sent a legal preservation order to global soccer governing body FIFA, the world’s top soccer organization. The move comes in the wake of the collapsed proposal from FIFA President Gianni Infantino to sell a stake in future World Cup revenue to private investors, a plan that triggered widespread backlash across the global soccer community.
The preservation letter, a formal pre-litigation legal document, orders FIFA to retain all relevant documents, data, and electronic communications related to the plan as potential evidence for future legal action. This step signals that UEFA is actively considering a range of legal responses against FIFA, from binding arbitration to formal complaints filed with global sports regulatory bodies. The document, drafted by international law firm Dechert’s New York office, explicitly warns that the destruction or concealment of relevant evidence could carry severe legal consequences.
Eighteen senior FIFA officials are named in the letter as parties linked to the proposal, including Infantino himself, FIFA Chief Financial Officer Thomas Peyer, and Arsène Wenger, the former Arsenal manager who now leads FIFA’s global soccer development division. Wenger has since publicly stated he had no prior knowledge of the private investment initiative.
Infantino’s controversial proposal, which news reports indicate aimed to raise up to $4.2 billion from private investors including U.S. investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner, sparked global uproar within soccer governing circles almost immediately after details emerged. UEFA emerged as the most vocal opponent of the plan, going so far as to order its 55 member national associations to boycott all FIFA-organized events as long as the proposal remained under active consideration.
As the FIFA presidential election approaches, scheduled for March 2027 in Morocco, a longstanding ally of Infantino, UEFA is already actively working to recruit a rival candidate to challenge the incumbent. The European confederation has publicly stated that Infantino has lost the confidence of the broader global soccer community, adding that “no option is off the table” to end his nearly 11-year tenure as FIFA president, which has been marked by repeated controversy over governance and transparency.
Infantino’s initiative, officially named the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) project, was designed to bring all of FIFA’s commercial and tournament operations under its centralized control through at least 2038, with the promise of more than doubling development funding for FIFA’s 211 member associations. Even within FIFA’s own internal ranks, however, the plan faced fierce pushback: FIFA Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lamour publicly dismissed the project as a one-man initiative and alleged that deception had been used to advance the plan among FIFA staff.
Opposition to the plan and to Infantino’s continued leadership extends far beyond Europe. Both the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) have publicly come out against the proposal. Infantino retains core support from African soccer confederations and the South American confederation CONMEBOL, which is pushing for an expansion of the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams — a policy priority that Infantino has publicly backed.
The political standing of the FIFA president remains deeply uncertain amid the growing backlash. Recent reports claimed Infantino was seeking backing from the U.S. government, including a planned call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but those reports have since been denied. Meanwhile, a growing majority of UEFA’s member associations have begun to withdraw their public and private support for Infantino ahead of the election.
With the candidate nomination deadline set for November 18 — just four months before the March election — what once looked like a guaranteed fourth term for Infantino now appears far from certain. The rift between UEFA and FIFA has become one of the most high-profile governance crises in modern global soccer, raising questions about the future direction of the world’s most popular sport.