Carib Scope

分类： society

  • Fake Website Impersonating UWI Under Investigation

    Fake Website Impersonating UWI Under Investigation

    Authorities in the Caribbean have opened a formal investigation into a sophisticated fraudulent website that has been illegally impersonating the University of the West Indies (UWI), one of the region’s most prestigious higher education institutions. The fake platform, which closely mimics the official UWI online interface, has raised serious alarms among university administrators and law enforcement officials over potential harm to prospective students, current enrollees, and the institution’s long-standing reputation.

    According to initial alerts issued by UWI’s official communications team, the scammers behind the counterfeit site have been targeting individuals seeking admission to the university, falsely advertising fraudulent degree programs, scholarship opportunities, and application processing services in exchange for illegal payments. The fake website replicates key visual elements of the legitimate UWI site, including official logos, campus imagery, and departmental branding, making it difficult for inexperienced web users to distinguish between the real and fraudulent platforms.

    UWI has confirmed that it is working closely with national cybercrime units, internet regulatory bodies, and global domain name registrars to identify the perpetrators behind the scheme, take the fake website offline, and prevent similar copycat platforms from emerging in the future. University officials have also issued a public warning urging all prospective and current students to verify the authenticity of any website claiming to represent UWI before sharing personal identifiable information or making any form of financial transaction.

    Cybersecurity experts note that this type of educational impersonation scam has grown increasingly common globally, as more students turn to online platforms to research and apply for higher education opportunities. Scammers often exploit the reputation of well-respected institutions to steal funds, collect sensitive personal data for identity theft, and damage the standing of the universities they impersonate. UWI has stated that it will update the public on the progress of the investigation as more information becomes available, and is advising anyone who has interacted with the fake website to report the incident to local law enforcement immediately.

  • Trade Unions Conclude Workshop on Preventing Workplace Violence and Harassment

    Trade Unions Conclude Workshop on Preventing Workplace Violence and Harassment

    Over three days of collaborative dialogue and strategic planning in Antigua and Barbuda, representatives from local trade unions and marginalized interest groups have finalized a foundational workshop centered on rolling out protections outlined in the International Labour Organization’s landmark Convention 190, which addresses the persistent crisis of violence and harassment in workplaces globally.

    This capacity-building initiative was organized and led by two international advocacy organizations: Public Services International, a global federation of public service trade unions, and the FNV Rainbow Network, a Dutch network focused on advancing queer inclusion within labor movements. The core objective of the gathering extended beyond basic implementation of ILO standards, aiming to embed stronger protections and recognition for LGBTIQA+ workers across public sector unions throughout the Caribbean region.

    Throughout the three-day program, attendees participated in a range of interactive activities, from open panel discussions on regional challenges to peer knowledge-sharing sessions that highlighted successful inclusion initiatives from different island nations. Working groups collaborated to map out actionable, context-specific strategies that unions can adopt to prevent workplace violence and harassment targeting marginalized workers, with a particular focus on queer and gender-diverse employees who face disproportionate risk of mistreatment.

    Officials from the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union noted that the workshop placed consistent emphasis on cultivating work cultures that center dignity and equal respect for every staff member, no matter their racial background, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics.

    As a key milestone in broader regional labor reform efforts, the gathering united cross-sector stakeholders around a shared commitment to advancing systemic fairness, intersectional equality, broader social inclusion, and dignified working conditions across all Caribbean nations. Participants left the workshop with new tools, partnerships, and clear action plans to advance these goals in their respective local and national unions.

  • Muriel Gibbons celebrates 100th birthday

    Muriel Gibbons celebrates 100th birthday

    Against all medical odds, after a devastating health scare that left her large family bracing for the worst earlier this year, Muriel Gibbons officially marked the extraordinary milestone of turning 100 years old this Thursday. Surrounded by generations of loved ones, close friends, and a high-ranking national leader at her long-time residence in Ashton Hall, St Peter, the newly-minted centenarian marked the momentous occasion with quiet joy and warm celebration.

    Acting President of Barbados, Reverend Dr. Jeffrey Gibson, joined the Gibbons family for the birthday festivities, adding official recognition to the community celebration of Gibbons’ life and legacy. Though the 100-year-old remained softly reserved throughout the gathering, family members confirmed she clearly relished the outpouring of affection, surrounded by dozens of relatives who shared stories, toasts, and heartfelt well-wishes in her honor.

    For Gibbons’ kin, the celebration carries far more weight than a standard centennial birthday. In January of this year, Gibbons suffered a sudden stroke that left the family fearing they would lose their beloved matriarch before she could reach the 100-year milestone she had long hoped to see. Rather than placing her in institutional care, the entire family rallied together to care for Gibbons at her home, taking turns around the clock to support her recovery. Against all expectations, the resilient Gibbons pulled through, defying the family’s darkest fears to walk into her 100th birthday celebration.

    Marva Griffith, Gibbons’ fifth-born child and one of her 13 children, opened up about the emotional journey the family has taken this year. “I’m so excited,” she shared during the celebration. “She wanted this, but she got ill in January, she had a stroke, so we thought that she would not have made it so far. But we kept her home and we looked after her. She’s good. She doesn’t give any trouble and we take turns as a family looking after her.”

    Griffith went on to credit her mother’s unshakeable resilience and lifelong work ethic as the foundation for the entire family’s success and close bond. A single mother who worked for decades as an agricultural laborer to provide for her large brood, Gibbons leaned on the support of both her own parents and her late partner’s parents to raise her children, instilling core values of hard work and discipline that still shape the family today.

    “She worked hard. She was an agricultural labourer and a single mother, and my grandparents, maternal and paternal, helped us a lot. We are what we are today because of her,” Griffith said, adding that strict but loving discipline was a cornerstone of the family’s upbringing. “As for our parents, they believed in discipline. In those days, you had to explain yourself if you did anything wrong.”

    Gibbons’ son Jerry Gibbons also shared an emotional tribute to his mother, describing her as a lifelong source of guidance, wisdom, and unwavering support. “I spent a lot of time with my mother. She’s my guide, my advisor, and I love her a lot,” he said. The experience of raising his own children gave Jerry a new perspective on the depth of a mother’s love for a large family. “When I became a father, I realised that you love each of your children differently, but you love all of them the same.”

    He also recalled the small, foundational life lessons his mother taught him over decades, from how to cook a meal to how to navigate life’s challenges. For Jerry and the rest of the family, the wish is simple: they hope Gibbons continues to thrive for many more years to come. “I wish her a happy 100th birthday and I hope that she stays around to be more than 100 for sure,” he said.

  • WEATHER (6:00 AM, July 4): Partly cloudy to cloudy, hazy and breezy with a few showers

    WEATHER (6:00 AM, July 4): Partly cloudy to cloudy, hazy and breezy with a few showers

    As the next 24-hour forecast period unfolds, a persistent Atlantic high-pressure system will remain the dominant weather feature governing conditions across the region. Today, skies are projected to range from partly cloudy to fully overcast, with a small number of brief showers popping up in isolated areas. Overnight, this pattern will shift slightly to bring more scattered shower activity across a broader swath of the area. For the entire duration of the weekend, consistent breezy conditions will remain a constant feature of the local weather.

    Beyond temperature and precipitation patterns, a major air quality concern is unfolding this week: a thick, widespread plume of Saharan dust is traversing the region, and it is expected to keep air quality in the moderate to unhealthy range all the way through next week. Public health officials are urging vulnerable groups who face heightened sensitivity to particulate dust — including people living with asthma, those who experience chronic allergies, and anyone managing other respiratory or skin conditions — to consistently follow recommended protective precautions to avoid adverse health reactions. For individuals working or traveling on local waterways, low visibility driven by the dust plume creates additional navigational hazards, so authorities have advised all mariners to ensure they carry fully functional electronic navigation tools for the duration of the event.

    Coastal areas are also facing elevated marine hazards over the weekend, with wave heights projected to climb sharply across both the western and eastern coastlines. Along the western coast, waves are expected to build to nearly 5 feet, while open waters off the eastern coast could see waves reach as high as 8 feet. In response to these dangerous conditions, emergency management officials are reminding small watercraft operators and recreational sea swimmers to closely track changing marine conditions throughout the weekend and exercise heightened caution when entering the water.

  • Triumph amid tragic loss

    Triumph amid tragic loss

    For one Trinidadian family, the long-awaited release of Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) results brought a bittersweet moment: a brilliant academic achievement that should have been a cause for full celebration is instead marked by the gaping absence of a father killed just hours after his daughter sat for the high-stakes exam.

    Rajkumar Pope, a 45-year-old engineering supervisor at Trinidad’s Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and father of two, was killed in a fatal altercation at a local community shop in Friendship Village, Golconda, just outside San Fernando on March 26. The tragedy unfolded on the very day his younger daughter completed her SEA, the standardized exam that determines placement into Trinidad’s secondary schools.

    On the day of the attack, Pope and his family had enjoyed a quiet outing together: after picking up his daughter following her exam, they collected their 17-year-old son, browsed local malls in San Fernando, and headed home. It was only when they stopped at a neighborhood shop at 6:25 p.m. to buy bread that the violent confrontation broke out.

    Circulated security camera footage of the incident shows a 17-year-old male and an older man with an infant waiting inside the shop moments before Pope entered. When Pope walked past the teen inside the store, an unprovoked attack began, with both men exchanging blows before the fight ended after several seconds and Pope left the shop.

    Pope returned to his home unharmed at first, but collapsed later that night. Emergency paramedics rushed him to San Fernando General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead just over three hours after the attack, at 9:30 p.m. A post-mortem examination later confirmed his death was caused by a combination of blunt force trauma from the beating and pre-existing heart complications.

    Following the killing, the 17-year-old suspect was arrested, charged with Pope’s murder, and remanded into custody to await trial.

    In an interview with local outlet *Express* this week, Pope’s widow Annie Pope opened up about the family’s months-long struggle to navigate crippling grief while celebrating their daughter’s hard-won academic successes. For the family, every milestone – from June’s Father’s Day, their first without Pope, to their wedding anniversary, to the recent SEA results release – has been marked by equal parts pride and sorrow.

    Just days after Father’s Day, Pope’s daughter graduated as valedictorian from Jordan Hill Presbyterian School in Princes Town, a crowning achievement that would have brought enormous joy to the father who was her biggest cheerleader.
    “Her daddy was her biggest supporter. He should have been there to see her receive that honour. He would have been so proud,” Annie said, her voice breaking as she recalled her husband’s constant encouragement of their daughter’s academic goals.
    That same ache resurfaced when SEA results were officially released this month. Pope had long prioritized his children’s education, and had been eagerly anticipating his daughter’s transition into secondary school after her exam. Annie said that even in his absence, the family holds onto his support and love.
    “His children’s education was very important. He’s not here, but she has his blessings and he will always be with her. I told her no matter what, he will always be there with you and he will be rooting for you. He knew she worked very hard and that she would do well. He was looking forward to her continuing on her journey into secondary school,” she said.
    Annie added that her daughter is excited to start her new secondary school and meet new classmates, and carries with her the final encouragement her father gave her on exam day. “The last thing he told her that day was that he was proud of her.”
    Though the family is doing their best to cope with the tragedy and move forward, the void left by Pope’s sudden, senseless death remains, turning every hard-won win into a reminder of the man who is no longer there to share in the joy.

  • ABEMS Congratulates Acting Clinical Director Brandon Browne on Master’s Degree

    ABEMS Congratulates Acting Clinical Director Brandon Browne on Master’s Degree

    A key leader in Antigua and Barbuda’s emergency healthcare system has reached a major new professional milestone, with Acting Clinical Director of the Antigua and Barbuda Emergency Medical Services (ABEMS) Brandon Browne officially graduating with a Master’s Degree in Acute Medicine from the University of South Wales, located in the United Kingdom.

    Browne’s core role at ABEMS centers on delivering clinical direction and strategic leadership for the nation’s emergency medical response network. This postgraduate qualification adds a new layer of specialized expertise to his already established professional profile, marking a significant step forward in his ongoing academic and clinical career development.

    Leadership at ABEMS has highlighted that the advanced specialized training Browne completed will translate directly to tangible improvements for the organization. It will bolster ABEMS’ overall clinical capacity, allowing the agency to raise the quality of emergency medical care delivered to communities across both Antigua and Barbuda.

    The agency emphasized that Browne’s successful completion of the master’s program is a clear reflection of his personal dedication to continuous professional growth and the advancement of evidence-based acute care in the country. The specialized knowledge and hands-on clinical expertise he gained through the course will deliver widespread benefits, not only for ABEMS as an institution but, more critically, for every patient that relies on the agency’s emergency services.

    Looking ahead, ABEMS leadership expressed confidence that Browne will leverage his advanced qualification and clinical leadership skills to continue driving up standards for emergency medical care across Antigua and Barbuda, benefiting both frontline response teams and the public the agency serves.

  • Vuilophaal Paramaribo en Wanica voortaan vanaf 17:00 uur

    Vuilophaal Paramaribo en Wanica voortaan vanaf 17:00 uur

    Starting Monday, July 6, the Suriname Directorate of Public Greenery and Waste Management (OGA) is rolling out a sweeping overhaul of residential waste collection services across the districts of Paramaribo and Wanica, centered on a major shift in collection timing and redesigned service zones. The updated framework moves the daily start of household waste collection to 5:00 p.m. local time, a change designed to cut longstanding customer complaints and boost overall service efficiency, according to acting OGA director Anwar Moenne.

    In an interview with local outlet Starnieuws, Moenne explained that the service changes come after the waste collection contracts for Paramaribo and Wanica were recently put out for new tender. As part of the re-tendering process, agency officials redrew service coverage zones to better align with population density and route logistics. The 5:00 p.m. start time was not a random adjustment: the choice was rooted in years of operational experience and addresses two key pain points of the old schedule.

    First, the later timing gives local residents the chance to place their waste curbside after they finish work for the day, eliminating the need for many to leave trash out overnight before collection. Second, it removes large waste collection trucks from busy city and suburban routes during the morning rush hour, a shift that Moenne says will improve overall road traffic flow and let collection crews complete their work more quickly without getting stuck in congestion.

    To ensure the new system delivers on promised improvements, Moenne confirmed that the OGA will enforce strict oversight of contracted collection firms to guarantee they adhere to all agreed terms and scheduling requirements. The enhanced monitoring is intended to prevent a repeat of past service failures, which left uncollected waste piling up in multiple neighborhoods for days at a time.

    In addition to regulatory changes for contractors, Moenne is calling on local residents to adapt their own habits to support the new system. He specifically urged households to use designated waste bins instead of unsecured plastic trash bags. This simple adjustment, he noted, prevents stray dogs from tearing open bags and spreading garbage across streets, which degrades local living environments and adds unnecessary work for collection crews.

    In a public notice released ahead of the launch, the OGA reminded all residents of Paramaribo and Wanica that they must have their household waste placed curbside by 5:00 p.m. on their regular scheduled collection day. The agency also asked residents to pay attention to whether collection trucks cover all streets and alleys in their area. If a street is missed during collection, residents can report the issue to the OGA’s Waste Collection and Processing Department the following working day.

  • NTUCB Launching Documentary on Sixty Years of Advocacy

    NTUCB Launching Documentary on Sixty Years of Advocacy

    As one of the most influential advocacy bodies for working people in Belize, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) is preparing to mark a major historic milestone this July: six decades of fighting for fair labor rights, stronger workplace protections, and meaningful worker representation in national policy discussions. To celebrate this 60-year legacy of collective action, the organization has planned a series of anniversary events headlined by the world premiere of an original documentary chronicling its journey of labor advocacy, collective bargaining and tripartite social dialogue across generations.

  • Ombudsman Report Finds Excessive Force in 2025 Prison Shooting

    Ombudsman Report Finds Excessive Force in 2025 Prison Shooting

    On July 3, 2026, a damning posthumous final report from retired former Belize Ombudsman Major Gilbert Swaso has brought critical systemic failures at Belize Central Prison to public attention, centered on a 2025 shooting that left an inmate permanently disabled. The incident in question occurred in August 2025, when inmate Nyere Parchue attempted to escape the facility. Prison officers opened fire on Parchue during the attempt, resulting in a permanent spinal injury that left him paralyzed. After a two-month investigation launched immediately after the shooting, Swaso’s team has confirmed that the force used by officers far exceeded what was legally and ethically justified. Prison officials have long justified the use of lethal force against escaping inmates under Section 39 of the Belize Central Prison Act, which the institution claims codifies a right to use deadly gunfire in escape scenarios. Swaso acknowledged that this statutory allowance exists on paper, but emphasized that the law must be interpreted to require lethal force only as a last resort when no other options are available. In this specific case, the investigation found that multiple non-lethal resources and alternative intervention strategies were available to responding officers at the time of Parchue’s escape attempt. As such, the lethal gunfire used was disproportionate to the threat and could have been entirely avoided, the report concluded. Beyond the excessive use of force, the investigation also uncovered deep, systemic gaps across three critical areas of prison operations: inadequate protocols for use of force, delayed and uncoordinated emergency medical response for injured inmates, and a complete lack of effective internal oversight over guard conduct. To address these failures, the report puts forward three core recommendations: expanded, regular training for prison personnel on proportional use of force, widespread deployment of non-lethal weapons for response to incidents like escape attempts, and the implementation of stronger accountability mechanisms to penalize unjustified use of force. Despite the clear findings and actionable recommendations published nearly a year after the incident, key questions about reform and accountability remain unresolved as of the 2026 report release. The most pressing barrier to follow-through is the fact that the Office of the Ombudsman, the only body legally empowered to launch, oversee, and enforce investigations into institutional misconduct, has been completely vacant since December 2025. Under the current Ombudsman Act, only the sitting Ombudsman has the legal authority to initiate, continue, or conclude investigations into complaints. Ombudsman office staff can only receive and log complaints, with no power to advance investigations or push for response from state institutions. Swaso, who left office at the end of 2025, confirmed that even if the prison has submitted a response to his final report, sitting staff lack the authority to act on it, leaving the entire reform process in limbo. This transcript is adapted from an evening television news broadcast original to the outlet.

  • Christopher Noble Gets Expanded Crime-Fighting Role

    Christopher Noble Gets Expanded Crime-Fighting Role

    Two weeks following the appointment of Julius Espat as Belize’s new Minister of Home Affairs, the Belize Police Department is launching a transformative initiative to combat violent crime: a specialized interdivisional task force that also brings a major leadership shakeup to the country’s top law enforcement agency.

    The new operational body, named the Violence Prevention and Enforcement Team, merges seasoned personnel from two existing Special Patrol Unit detachments, one based in Belize’s Eastern Division and the other in the popular coastal community of San Pedro. The team will be directly commanded by Assistant Superintendent of Police Rodney Jones, who in turn will report to Senior Superintendent Christopher Noble — a veteran officer whose remit has just been expanded dramatically to oversee three of the department’s most critical anti-crime units.

    Before the restructuring, Noble led just one specialized unit, the Leadership Intervention Unit. His new portfolio adds two high-priority commands: the Gang Intelligence, Investigation and Interdiction Unit, and now the newly formed Violence Prevention and Enforcement Team. This consolidation places the full spectrum of violence intervention, gang-focused intelligence, and targeted enforcement operations under a single, unified leadership structure.

    In an official circular distributed to all department heads, Commissioner of Police Dr. Richard Rosado outlined the core mandate of the new task force: it will center its work on identifying and monitoring high-risk offenders, combining proactive preventative patrols, sustained outreach to local communities, and concentrated enforcement actions to disrupt potential violence before it occurs.

    Law enforcement leadership anticipates that grouping these three key units under Noble’s centralized command will deliver tangible improvements to Belize’s anti-crime response. By streamlining interunit coordination, breaking down traditional information silos to strengthen cross-team intelligence sharing, and creating a clearer chain of command, the restructuring is designed to make the police’s response to violent crime faster, more targeted, and more effective.

    This report is adapted from a transcript of an evening television newscast, with original Kriol-language remarks transcribed using a standardized spelling system for accuracy.