作者: admin

  • KTV Remix Crowns Its Season Eight Champion

    KTV Remix Crowns Its Season Eight Champion

    On the night of August 26, 2026, a nationwide power outage swept across Belize, casting entire communities into sudden darkness. But for hundreds of loyal KTV The Remix fans gathered at Belize City’s iconic Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts, the unexpected blackout was far from enough to dim the excitement of the talent competition’s season eight finale. Packed shoulder to shoulder inside the venue, the crowd kept the energy high as the final three contestants waited to hear who would walk away with the grand title and $10,000 top prize.

    After weeks of grueling auditions, weekly live performances, and public voting that had whittled an initial field of hundreds down to just 12, and eventually three finalists – country artist Trevet Campos, soulful performer Tiana Sterling, and missionary Judson Baker – host Williams Neal finally opened the envelope to announce the winner. “Finishing in first place which means the grand champion of KTV The Remix Season Eight is Trevet Campos,” he declared to raucous cheers from Campos’ supporters.

    For Campos, a Belizean country artist with a background in cattle ranching, the victory almost never happened. A last-minute accident on the day of his initial audition nearly forced him to miss the cut. Speaking after his win, Campos recalled the chaotic morning that almost derailed his competition journey: “The day I’m late for my picture. I da like, ‘Man, I hope they people ya noh dash me out of this competition,’ you know? But, you know, I had a accident and you know I called and made arrangements to but ah de ya now.”

    Despite the early setback, organizers made an exception for Campos, and he went on to win over both judges and voters week after week to earn his spot in the finale. The rising star credited his family – particularly his mother, who he affectionately calls his “momager” – for pushing him to join the competition. “They’re everything. If it wasn’t because of my mom, my family, my aunt and you know my dad, and you know, my sponsors. It never mi wa be possible. And especially my mom, you know, she’s the one that pushed me,” he said, adding that he still feels overwhelmed by the victory. “It’s a overwhelming feeling. I don’t know how to feel right now.”

    Campos plans to put his $10,000 prize to work first by expanding his cattle operation, before investing further in his music career. “Well I gwen buy some cow. Then after that I’ll, you know, try pursue the music career. So I just ask for the same support that my fans gave me on the show,” he said.

    While the top prize went to Campos, the other two finalists said they left the competition with no regrets. First runner-up Tiana Sterling said she focused on enjoying the experience rather than fixating on winning. “I had fun while doing it, and I never make it like beat me up to the point as to whereby I feel defeated. I just feel energetic, and I feel happy with the result, and I just glad for the season,” she said.

    Third-place finisher Judson Baker, a missionary who moved to Belize from abroad, said the competition gave him an unexpected gift: widespread recognition across the country. “I feel like I’ve gone from being, like, you know, ‘Who’s this, who’s this white guy in Public? Is this a tourist or what?’ Now people recognize me. People know my face. People know my name so I’m honored by that. You know, I never – when I came to Belize I never would’ve expected that,” he shared.

    Even with the unplanned national blackout creating chaos across the country, Belize’s longest-running premier televised talent competition once again delivered a memorable finale full of joy, inspiring personal journeys, and breakout new stars. Great Belize Media, the broadcaster behind the series, has already teased future local entertainment productions for audiences across the country. Reporting from the Bliss Centre, Shane Williams for News Five.

  • Regio Midden telt dit jaar 95 meldingen van vermissing

    Regio Midden telt dit jaar 95 meldingen van vermissing

    As of late August 2024, law enforcement in Suriname’s Central Region has disclosed updated official statistics on missing person cases for the year, revealing a notable concentration of juvenile cases that has sparked public and official attention.

    During a press briefing held Wednesday, Sharveen Koelfat, head inspector and regional commander of the Central Region for the Korps Politie Suriname (KPS), Suriname’s national police corps, announced that a total of 95 missing person reports had been registered across the region since the start of the year. Of these reports, 38 involved adult individuals and 57 involved minors. As of the day of the press conference, 12 people remain unaccounted for: eight adults and four minors. Koelfat emphasized that the total 95 figure does not mean all reported individuals are still missing, clarifying that the vast majority of people reported missing have already been located safely or have returned to their homes on their own.

    The KPS has flagged the disproportionately high number of missing minors as a key point of concern. Police officials noted that missing person cases in the region stem from a range of different root causes. In the majority of recorded incidents, domestic conflict and household issues drive people to leave their residences voluntarily, and many of these individuals return within a few days of their departure.

    For minor missing persons, however, there is an additional risk of kidnapping that requires official investigation. Whenever a minor is reported missing, law enforcement launches an immediate probe to determine whether any criminal offenses have occurred. In the country’s interior hinterland regions, another common cause of disappearances is people getting lost while traveling through remote, undeveloped terrain.

    Police have stressed that not every missing person report is automatically linked to criminal activity. But whenever credible evidence or indicators of foul play emerge, a full criminal investigation is launched immediately to locate the missing individual and hold any responsible parties accountable.

  • CXC invigilators await fees as ministry targets mid-September clearance

    CXC invigilators await fees as ministry targets mid-September clearance

    Across Barbados, more than 900 temporary workers who served as invigilators, supervisors and examiners for this year’s May-June CXC examinations – including the CSEC and CAPE assessments – are still waiting for their earned compensation. The country’s Ministry of Education Transformation has confirmed that while initial payments have already been disbursed, a full verification and auditing process is required before all funds can be released, setting a mid-September deadline for settling all confirmed, error-free claims.

    Permanent Secretary Kim Belle, in an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY, outlined the complexities behind the delayed payments. She explained that the 900-plus claims do not translate to one claim per worker, as many individual invigilators submitted multiple claims for different exam sessions they oversaw. Claims begin flowing into the ministry in July immediately after the conclusion of the exam period, but automatic payment is not possible: every submission must be cross-checked and audited to ensure the amount requested matches the actual hours worked and services rendered.

    “Processing doesn’t stop when a claim is submitted,” Belle noted. “We have to review every line to make sure we’re paying the correct amount for the work that was actually done. Only after that verification is complete can we move forward with disbursement.”

    While all verified, “clean” claims are on track to be settled by mid-September, a share of submissions contain discrepancies that will extend processing times, potentially into November in the most complex cases. The most common discrepancy involves mismatches between the work hours invigilators reported on their claim forms and the hours logged by senior exam supervisors. Resolving these issues requires reaching out to individual workers for additional confirmation, a process that can involve multiple rounds of back-and-forth communication.

    New invigilators face additional delays for a separate reason: the ministry must first create a new profile for them in its central accounting system before any payment can be processed, adding an extra step that established workers already in the system do not require.

    For many of the unpaid workers, most of whom are unemployed people relying on this seasonal exam work to cover basic living costs, the delay has created significant financial strain ahead of the new academic year. One unpaid invigilator, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed deep frustration with the ongoing holdup and lack of clear communication from authorities.

    “We unemployed people worked all through May and June for these exams, and we still haven’t seen a cent,” the worker said. “Every time we call the ministry or the CXC council, we just get another excuse. We have school supplies and new uniforms to buy for our kids, household bills to cover – what are we supposed to do? The people who process these payments get their full salaries every month, but we check our bank accounts over and over for money that never comes.”

    Belle pushed back on the timeline for the most extreme cases, emphasizing that November only represents a worst-case scenario for disputed claims, and she remains confident that the vast majority of payments will be finalized far earlier. “For the most part, these payments should be completed very soon,” Belle said. “I really don’t want us to have to go all the way to November. Right now, we’re on track to wrap up all confirmed claims by mid-September as planned.”

  • US Pauses Visa Appointments Worldwide for Staff Training

    US Pauses Visa Appointments Worldwide for Staff Training

    The administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump has implemented a temporary pause on a portion of non-immigrant and immigrant visa appointment scheduling across all U.S. diplomatic missions overseas, to make space for a mandatory worldwide training initiative for consular staff tasked with evaluating visa applications. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State confirmed the scheduling adjustment, noting that the training program was developed to standardize and strengthen the review process for every visa candidate, ensuring uniform, thorough assessments across all global consular locations. A core component of the new training curriculum centers on training officers to more accurately identify applicants who officials assess have a high probability of relying on U.S. government public assistance programs after entering the country. This temporary service disruption comes as the Trump administration ramps up a broader, aggressive campaign to restrict immigration to the United States. The broader crackdown includes new provisions for revoking existing visas and green cards, plus the introduction of far more stringent background and eligibility checks for all new immigration and travel applications. Not all of the administration’s immigration policy moves have survived legal scrutiny, however. Multiple legal challenges have been brought against a range of new restrictions, and in a recent high-profile ruling, a federal judge invalidated a Trump administration policy that would have halted all immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 nations. The judge ruled that then-Secretary of State Marco Rubio had overstepped the legal authority granted to his position by Congress when implementing the suspension.

  • PBN’s Platinum FM Earns Praise for CPL 2026 Local Coverage

    PBN’s Platinum FM Earns Praise for CPL 2026 Local Coverage

    As the 2026 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) progresses across regional host venues, a local radio outlet in Antigua and Barbuda has emerged as a standout partner for its standout match coverage. Platinum FM, the primary radio division of the Pointe Broadcasting Network (PBN), has received widespread praise from tournament organizers for its comprehensive reporting of the competition’s Antigua-based fixtures.

    Raul DeSouza, CPL’s Executive Producer of Radio Coverage, offered particularly high marks for the station’s on-location broadcast team. In his remarks, DeSouza noted that the quality and unwavering consistency of Platinum FM’s output during the Antigua leg of the tournament ranks among the strongest work delivered by any of the league’s territorial partner stations this season.

    “What stood out most about Platinum FM’s coverage was the combination of infectious energy, sharp professionalism, and an authentic connection with local cricket fans,” DeSouza explained. “Their commentary team didn’t just call every play on the pitch — they captured the electric atmosphere and passionate energy of the crowd packed into Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. That immersive, community-focused style is exactly what regional cricket broadcasting should aspire to.”

    DeSouza went on to highlight specific elements of Platinum FM’s coverage that elevated its work above other partners. The station’s detailed ball-by-ball commentary, in-depth pre-match build-up discussions and post-match breakdowns, and interactive segments that put listener voices front and center were all called out as key strengths. Beyond that, he emphasized that Platinum FM’s accessible broadcasts have played a critical role in expanding the tournament’s reach, bringing live CPL action to thousands of local listeners who are unable to attend matches at the stadium in person.

    Leadership at PBN welcomed the recognition from CPL organizers, framing the honor as a direct reflection of the media network’s long-term commitment to growing its sports broadcasting capabilities. Luther Lee, Chairman of PBN’s Board of Management, and General Manager Eldean Eudelle both echoed that the accolade reinforces the value of the network’s investments in talent, technology, and local sports content.

    With the 2026 CPL still underway and set to visit multiple other Caribbean nations through the end of the season, tournament officials have confirmed that Platinum FM will remain a key broadcast partner for the remainder of the competition. The station is expected to continue delivering its signature comprehensive coverage for CPL fans both in Antigua and Barbuda and across the wider global listener base.

  • Police engage children at Chances home on safe choices and positive decision-making

    Police engage children at Chances home on safe choices and positive decision-making

    On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (CDPF) extended its ongoing youth engagement work with a hands-on, interactive visit to Chances, an emergency shelter and care facility serving vulnerable children and youth across the island. This outing marked the latest activity under the force’s flagship Community Policing Initiative, carried out by members of the specialized Community Oriented Policing Unit, which aims to build trust between law enforcement and local communities through open dialogue and targeted education.

    During the structured educational session, officers led age-appropriate discussions focused on equipping young attendees with the tools to make safe, responsible choices in their daily lives. Key topics covered included the long-term physical and social harms of underage drug and alcohol use, evidence-based strategies for navigating harmful peer pressure, practical steps to walk away from unsafe situations, the importance of respecting community and institutional rules, and how small individual decisions can shape long-term life outcomes. Beyond practical life skills, officers also took time to demystify the role of police in modern society, explaining clearly how law enforcement works to protect and serve all community members, including young people.

    Feedback from the session was overwhelmingly positive: both the children staying at the facility and their on-site caretakers joined discussions actively, sharing personal concerns and asking questions openly. By the end of the visit, many participating children shared that they had gained new, useful information that addressed lingering uncertainties they had not previously had the chance to ask about. Multiple attendees requested that the CDPF organize similar interactive sessions on a regular basis.

    The visit closed with an informal, lighthearted activity that left a lasting impression on the young participants: children lined up eagerly to try on official police caps, getting a small taste of what a career in law enforcement might look like. According to officers present, several children shared that they had developed a new interest in becoming police officers when they grew up.

    Throughout the entire session, the core guiding message was repeated to reinforce the session’s purpose: “SAFE CHOICES, SAFER FUTURE!” The CDPF confirmed that this outreach is just one part of a sustained island-wide effort to educate young Dominicans, inspire positive life trajectories, and strengthen the collaborative relationship between law enforcement and the next generation of community members. The Community Policing Team has formally pledged to continue rolling out these accessible, engaging educational sessions in communities and care facilities across Dominica in the coming months.

  • Trump: ‘Geen haast’ met terugkeer Iran aan onderhandelingstafel

    Trump: ‘Geen haast’ met terugkeer Iran aan onderhandelingstafel

    More than five months after the United States launched open conflict with Iran, former U.S. President Donald Trump has stated he has no set timeline for Tehran’s return to diplomatic negotiations to resolve the ongoing standoff. Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Trump emphasized that he is in no hurry to force a diplomatic breakthrough, pushing back against questions about how much time his administration is willing to give Iran to come back to the negotiating table.

    Trump pointed to what he called “major successes” for U.S. pressure on the Iranian government, highlighting the severe economic turmoil currently crippling the country: sky-high inflation, a collapsed domestic economy, and harsh government crackdowns on internal protest movements. This new stance marks a clear departure from Trump’s earlier comments shortly after the conflict began in late February, when he predicted the entire standoff would be resolved within just four to six weeks.

    Diplomatic progress has stalled since a 60-day memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran expired earlier this month without an extension. That agreement, reached back in June, was designed to address key sticking points including freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of U.S. economic sanctions, and the launch of new talks over Iran’s nuclear program.

    Just days before Trump’s latest comments, the White House announced a new round of sweeping, toughened sanctions targeting Iran and 60 third-party companies around the globe that conduct business with the Islamic Republic. U.S. officials have described this fresh pressure campaign as “economic D-Day,” with the administration officially naming the initiative “Operation Economic Outcast.”

    The current open conflict between the U.S. and Iran officially erupted in late February, capping off years of steadily escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear activities, its regional influence projections, and long-running international sanctions. The U.S. has combined military moves and economic pressure to force concessions from Tehran, a strategy that has been met with Iranian countermeasures and sent regional volatility soaring across the Middle East.

    Today, the complex, high-stakes standoff continues to threaten broader regional stability, while diplomatic efforts to find a negotiated solution move forward at a painstakingly slow pace. Trump’s rejection of a fixed negotiation timeline reflects a deliberate strategic shift toward patience: the administration is continuing to ramp up economic pressure on Iran while refusing to tie itself to any rigid deadline for diplomacy to produce results.

  • Nine Young Gymnasts Compete at Copa Quetzal, Bring Home 24 Medals

    Nine Young Gymnasts Compete at Copa Quetzal, Bring Home 24 Medals

    A small but mighty team of nine young female gymnasts from Belize has turned an unexpected competition opportunity into a historic haul of medals, bringing home 24 awards and six trophies from the 2026 Copa Quetzal international gymnastics tournament held in Guatemala City between August 19 and 22.

    Competing under the banner of Belize’s SESA Gymnastics and the national Gymnastics Federation, the young athletes delivered standout performances across their divisions, securing four gold medals, eight silver medals, and 12 bronze medals overall. All six trophies awarded to the team recognize gymnasts who ranked in the top three across their respective competitive categories.

    What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that the tournament was never part of the team’s original 2026 competition schedule. According to SESA’s head coach Susen Bedran, the timing of Copa Quetzal, held during the Northern Hemisphere summer break, created a unique opening for student gymnasts who balance training with school commitments to participate in international competition.

    Many of the team members had struggled to maintain consistent training through the academic year, with school responsibilities forcing some to miss practice sessions or attend classes only sporadically. When the opportunity to compete arose in mid-year, the coaching staff made the call to launch an intensive preparation block in July, requiring the young gymnasts to train in the gym virtually every day leading up to the August tournament.

    “In July, we really pushed. They had gym like every day in July to get ready for this competition in August,” Bedran explained in a post-competition statement, noting that the athletes’ extraordinary dedication allowed them to master full routines and get competition-ready in the condensed timeline. Beyond the impressive medal count, Bedran emphasized that the greatest success of the team lies in the personal growth the gymnasts achieved over the preparation process.

    “We’re definitely proud of the girls,” the coach said. “As a coach, you know where they started, you know where their weaknesses are. You know where their strengths are.” She added that seeing the young athletes overcome long-standing challenges and deliver strong performances in events they had previously struggled with was just as rewarding as the team’s overall medal haul.

    Even after arriving in Guatemala for the tournament, the team maintained their training discipline: several gymnasts booked extra practice sessions at a local gym both before and after their competitive events to refine their routines. Bedran emphasized that regardless of final placement, the international experience itself provided invaluable competitive exposure that will benefit the young gymnasts in future events.

    This year’s tournament marks SESA Gymnastics’ second appearance at Copa Quetzal, following their debut participation in 2024. Comparing the team’s 2026 performance to their first outing two years ago, Bedran confirmed that the program has recorded clear, measurable improvement across all levels of competition, pointing to a bright future for young gymnastics development in Belize.

  • China-Nepal floods leave more than 150 dead, hundreds missing

    China-Nepal floods leave more than 150 dead, hundreds missing

    A devastating natural disaster has unfolded across the China-Nepal border, where catastrophic flash flooding has claimed the lives of more than 150 people and left hundreds unaccounted for, according to multiple international news reports. The unfolding crisis began when a massive landslide blocked the course of the Bhote Koshi River, sending a powerful wall of water surging downstream from Tibet into Nepali territory. Glaciologists suggest the initial landslide may have been triggered or amplified by a collapsing glacier that broke free from its mountain hold and crashed into the valley below.

    The scale of human impact is staggering. On the Chinese side of the border, official state media has confirmed three fatalities and 265 people missing in the Tibet Autonomous Region. A destructive mudslide also hit Gyirong Port, a key border crossing, prompting Chinese President Xi Jinping to order all-out search and rescue operations to locate trapped and missing people. Dramatic aerial footage captured by rescuers shows floodwaters engulfing entire rural villages, with military helicopters deployed to pluck stranded survivors who had climbed onto rooftops to escape the rising current.

    Among the missing are dozens of foreign nationals, drawn to the region which is a popular destination for Himalayan trekkers and religious pilgrims. Citing Nepal’s national tourist board, BBC News reports that more than 100 Indian nationals, 33 UK citizens, and between 47 and 54 Americans are among those unaccounted for, alongside more than 100 local Nepali people. Nepali police officers, army personnel, and utility workers who were responding to the initial disaster are also counted among the missing.

    As cross-border rescue teams continue working around the clock to locate survivors and assess the full scope of the destruction, authorities are warning of an imminent second flood that could worsen the crisis. Qianggong Zhang, head of climate and environmental risks at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, told AFP that a large blockage from the original landslide remains stuck in the river upstream along the shared border, creating conditions for another downstream water surge.

  • Munro‑Knight targets farm contracts, eyes export markets

    Munro‑Knight targets farm contracts, eyes export markets

    Barbados is advancing a sweeping initiative to connect local small-scale farmers with more stable, lucrative markets, with senior government officials announcing plans to expand formal purchase agreements between agricultural producers and the island’s leading retail chains. The policy push comes as part of the administration’s broader effort to strengthen domestic agricultural output, grow the national agro-processing sector, and unlock new international export opportunities for Barbadian produce.

    Agriculture Minister Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight shared details of the plan in an interview with Barbados TODAY, on the sidelines of the early-September reopening of Massy Stores’ Worthing location in Christ Church. The initiative aligns with a directive from Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who used the reopening event to call for formal farmer purchase agreements to be institutionalized as a permanent, standard component of supermarket operations across the country.

    Currently, more than 50 active purchase agreements are already in place for smallholder farmers through the Farmers Enfranchisement and Empowerment Drive (FEED), a program run by the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC). During the reopening, Prime Minister Mottley emphasized that farmers cannot reasonably be expected to scale up production without guaranteed demand from major buyers. To back the policy, she committed that the government will allocate $2 million in quarterly funding to support the expansion of these purchasing arrangements.

    Moving forward, BADMC will partner with Export Barbados alongside Massy Stores and other retail stakeholders to foster growth in Barbados’ emerging agro-processing industry. Munro-Knight acknowledged that the current framework for contract approval and buy-in still requires refinement to operate more efficiently, noting that streamlining administrative processes remains a key priority for the government.

    In addition to expanding retail partnerships, BADMC has been directed to increase purchasing opportunities for producers through its in-house pack house facility. Working with Export Barbados and Minister Jonathan Reid, the government is currently negotiating formal supply agreements with large regional supermarket chains including Massy and Popular, with plans to onboard additional major buyers in the coming months.

    Beyond Barbados’ domestic market, the administration is actively targeting international export opportunities, a critical shift given the small size of the island’s local consumer base. To advance this goal, the government will convene a dedicated technical expert working group tasked with identifying high-potential foreign markets, mapping out which crops can be produced at commercial scale locally, targeting strategic public and private investment, and outlining pathways to access these new overseas markets.

    Munro-Knight stressed that building a robust, sustainable export sector for Barbadian fresh produce will not happen overnight, and urged local farmers to remain patient as the government works through the required regulatory, infrastructure and market development steps. She noted that meeting international quality standards, completing mandatory product testing, and maintaining consistent year-round production are all non-negotiable requirements to successfully enter and compete in global export markets.