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  • Migrant child drowns, two missing

    Migrant child drowns, two missing

    A devastating maritime tragedy has unfolded off the southwestern coast of Trinidad, where an overloaded vessel carrying unauthorized Venezuelan migrants overturned in rough open waters on Wednesday afternoon. By Thursday morning, recovery teams had pulled the body of a six-year-old girl from the rocky Los Iros shoreline, and at least two adult passengers remain unaccounted for amid ongoing search operations.

    Local rescue officials confirmed the ill-fated boat was carrying roughly 30 passengers, multiple of whom were children, when disaster hit moments after it launched from the Trinidadian shore. The vessel was en route on the illegal cross-border voyage to Venezuela when it encountered unexpectedly choppy conditions. Witness accounts shared with rescuers indicate a large, unexpected wave slammed into the unregulated craft, throwing dozens of passengers into the cold, rough ocean.

    The Hunters Search and Rescue Team, under the leadership of Vallence Rambharat, mobilized to the incident site before dawn on Thursday, arriving at Los Iros Beach by approximately 6 a.m. to launch their search. First, team members interviewed local members of the Venezuelan migrant community who had been on the scene waiting for updates. It was from these community sources that rescuers learned of the initial death toll: community representatives say three people, including the young girl, have been confirmed dead in the incident.

    Search crews combed the coastline systematically, and located the young girl’s body on a rocky outcrop roughly half a kilometer west of the beach’s lifeguard station. Rambharat noted that based on community accounts, two adult passengers are still missing, prompting search and rescue teams to continue their operations alongside local law enforcement and other emergency response agencies. Local police have confirmed they will continue coordinating search efforts and launch a full investigation into the incident to clarify the full scope of casualties and circumstances.

    This latest fatal disaster marks only the most recent in a long string of deadly migrant tragedies along the dangerous, unregulated maritime route between Trinidad and Venezuela. For years, regional authorities have issued repeated public warnings about the extreme risks of these unauthorized crossings, which typically use overloaded, uninspected small vessels that are ill-equipped to handle even minor shifts in ocean conditions.

  • BAS warns of crisis as meat imports squeeze producers

    BAS warns of crisis as meat imports squeeze producers

    Barbados’ top agricultural industry advocacy group has renewed its lobbying push for government intervention to rein in meat imports, warning that an unprecedented surplus of locally produced pork and poultry has filled national cold storage facilities to capacity and pushed hundreds of domestic farmers to the brink of crippling financial hardship. \n\nJames Paul, chief executive of the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS), told reporters that domestic meat producers are operating under unsustainable pressure, as overstocked cold storage leaves nowhere for farmers to house their finished products amid a supply-demand mismatch spurred by unregulated cheap foreign imports. To resolve the growing crisis, Paul is calling on the Barbadian government to launch a full review of existing trade regulations, close loopholes that allow under-taxed imported meat to enter the market, and implement temporary restrictions or a full suspension of competing foreign meat imports. This pause, he argues, would give the domestic market enough time to absorb the current surplus of local product before it leads to widespread farm failures.\n\nPaul emphasized that the large capital investments local farmers made over recent years to expand production capacity and boost operational efficiency are now at risk of being completely wiped out by the flood of cheap imported meat entering the country through unclosed regulatory gaps. The domestic pork sector, he said, has suffered the most severe damage from unfair foreign competition, with impacts rippling through major buyers and processing facilities across the entire island. \n\nMany imported pork products enter the country at reduced duty rates through regulatory loopholes, Paul explained, putting local producers at an impossible price disadvantage that locks them out of key market segments. HIPAC, one of the largest institutional purchasers of local pork in Barbados, has been forced to drastically cut the volume of local pork it buys due to intense underpriced competition from imported alternatives, he noted.\n\nThis drop in domestic purchasing comes at a time when local pig farmers deliberately expanded their herds and upgraded production facilities to meet projected domestic demand, leaving thousands of farmers stuck with unsellable excess stock and creating a fast-escalating crisis for the entire livestock industry, Paul said. The poultry sub-sector faces an equally urgent scenario, he added, with cold storage infrastructure stretched far beyond its designed limits. Both large commercial poultry operations and small independent producers are currently sitting on record high inventory levels, creating crippling operational bottlenecks that slow work at hatcheries and processing facilities across the country.\n\n“We do recognise that we have a glut of poultry on our hands. We have been talking constantly, and we know that the cold storage down there is full to the brim. Also, for some of the larger producers, the stocks are up, and then of course a lot of our smaller producers are coming on at the same time,” Paul said. He added that just one week prior, at least one major processing facility was unable to process and distribute all scheduled birds for market, offering clear proof of how severe the current backlog has become.\n\nPaul argued that Barbados’ domestic agriculture sector has reached a level of maturity where local producers can fully meet the island’s entire demand for fresh meat without relying on foreign suppliers. “We are reaching the stage where our local poultry industry should be able to satisfy 100 per cent of the demand for fresh poultry; we do not need to import anything. There is no reason for us to be going shopping abroad to whatever Caribbean destination people feel like going to or in the United States to find these products when we have them here. We need more than talk in the industry right now — we need action,” he said.\n\nFailure to act on the import imbalance, Paul warned, puts both private farmer investments and public government funding at serious risk. Many local producers took out loans through a $2 million government-backed investment program administered by the BAS to upgrade their farm facilities, and unregulated imports will make it impossible for many of these farmers to make their loan payments, he said. The BAS will continue supporting farmers through the application process with the Ministry of Agriculture to help boost farm resilience, Paul said, while continuing to push for urgent, decisive policy action to restrict imports and resolve the current glut.

  • That Facebook privacy post will not protect you

    That Facebook privacy post will not protect you

    Across St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the broader Caribbean region, a misleading viral message about Facebook (Meta) privacy rules reappears in users’ timelines every few months. This persistent hoax opens with a dramatic, urgent warning claiming that a new official Meta policy will take effect tomorrow, granting the company rights to use any user’s photos, with a response deadline set for the same day.

    The message then prompts users to copy and paste a pre-written statement declaring that they do not grant Facebook or Meta permission to use their personal photos or private data. The vast majority of users who share this post do so with sincere, good intentions: driven by legitimate anxiety over online personal privacy, they hope to shield themselves, their families, and the content they upload from misuse. These privacy concerns are not unfounded, and they should never be dismissed out of hand.

    However, digital privacy experts and technology advocates confirm that sharing this copied statement does absolutely nothing to protect users’ content, alter Meta’s established platform policies, or revoke the user agreement each person consented to when creating their Facebook account. While the hoax is crafted to sound official, this veneer of formality does not grant it any legal weight.

    Versions of this rumor have circulated for more than a decade, with shifting details that never alter the core misleading claim. Some iterations say a lawyer recommends posting the statement; others claim the new policy was announced on national television, or consistently frame the policy change as set to start “tomorrow.” No matter how the wording changes, the central claim remains false.

    When a user creates a Meta account, they explicitly agree to the platform’s publicly available Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. A casual personal status update cannot override these pre-negotiated binding terms, nor can it create a new, separate legal agreement between an individual user and Meta. Put plainly, posting a “I do not grant permission” statement cannot revoke the usage rights users already agreed to when joining the platform.

    This recurring hoax highlights exactly why widespread public digital literacy is such a critical public priority. As responsible technology advocate Darron Rodan John notes in this opinion piece, digital literacy – rather than sharing legally meaningless statements – is one of the most effective tools for ordinary internet users to protect their privacy online. Instead of relying on viral tricks, users should be taught to understand how social media platforms operate, how their personal data may be used, and what actionable steps they can take to control their own information.

    John also clarifies a common point of confusion between content ownership and usage permission. Most users retain full copyright ownership of the original photos and content they create themselves. But when content is uploaded to Facebook’s platform, users grant Meta specific permissions to store, display, process, and distribute that content as part of operating the service. Sharing a copied status post cannot withdraw these pre-granted permissions.

    This does not mean users should dismiss privacy concerns entirely; on the contrary, these anxieties are valid and deserve serious attention, especially in tight-knit small communities like St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In such contexts, photos, screenshots, and personal data can spread extremely quickly from Facebook timelines to private WhatsApp groups, other social platforms, and off-platform personal conversations. Once content is copied, downloaded, forwarded, or reposted by another user, the original creator often has almost no control over where it ends up or how it is used.

    The real risk to personal privacy extends far beyond what technology companies may do with user data. It also includes what other individual users can do with the information people voluntarily share publicly.

    Instead of sharing the false privacy declaration, John outlines practical, effective steps Facebook users can take to protect their privacy. These include regularly reviewing and updating account privacy settings, limiting the audience that can access personal posts, checking whether older content remains publicly visible, vetting unfamiliar friend requests before accepting them, and avoiding posting sensitive personal information such as government ID documents, banking details, travel itineraries, or home addresses.

    Users are also advised to think carefully before sharing photos of minors, private family matters, or information that could expose another individual without their explicit consent.

    The repeated resurgence of this false message exposes a much broader global challenge: millions of people use digital social platforms every day without fully understanding the user agreements they have entered, the inherent risks of sharing personal data online, or their own responsibilities as platform users. Digital technology has advanced at a breakneck pace over the past two decades, but public education about responsible, safe digital use has rarely kept up.

    To address this gap, John argues for expanded, accessible digital literacy education across schools, workplaces, community centers, and public awareness campaigns. All citizens should learn core skills: how to spot common online misinformation, identify suspicious content and links, adjust and manage platform privacy settings, secure personal passwords, and vet dramatic viral claims before sharing them with others.

    Before sharing any urgent, alarmist online message, John urges users to pause and ask four key questions: Who created this content? Does it come from a verified official source? Have the claims been fact-checked? Is it pushing for immediate action based on an artificial deadline? Misinformation almost always relies on creating fear and false urgency to drive rapid sharing.

    The next time this recurring Facebook privacy hoax appears on a user’s timeline, there is no need to copy and share it. Instead, John says users should take the moment as a reminder to review their own privacy settings and encourage friends and family to do the same.

    A casual Facebook status update can never supersede Meta’s binding Terms of Service, and a viral fear-driven message can never replace informed, intentional decision-making about online privacy. To stay safe online, users must stay alert, stay informed, and think critically before sharing any content.

    This piece is an opinion column from Darron Rodan John, a responsible technology advocate. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of iWitness News.

  • Thieves Target Same Glanvilles Home Twice in Two Days, Residents Raise Alarm

    Thieves Target Same Glanvilles Home Twice in Two Days, Residents Raise Alarm

    In the quiet neighborhood of Glanvilles, located on the Caribbean island of Antigua, a string of brazen residential break-ins has shattered local peace and left residents on edge. Over a 48-hour window, the same private home was targeted twice by thieves, who made off with a wide range of high-value personal belongings including untraceable cash, family heirloom jewellery, portable electronics, and other prized possessions.

    According to local accounts, the second incursion left the property in significant disarray. Intruders focused their search on the home’s bedroom spaces, yanking open every drawer, dumping contents across carpets and floors, and turning the once-orderly living space upside down in their hunt for anything of resale or personal value.

    The first break-in took place earlier that same week, leaving the home’s owners already shaken. But in an unusual show of criminal boldness, the suspects returned just 24 hours later, bypassed whatever weak security the household had in place, and stole a second cache of items before slipping away undetected.

    These repeated, audacious crimes have rippled through the tight-knit Glanvilles community, amplifying long-simmering concerns about residential safety. Many locals now say they no longer feel secure even within the walls of their own homes, worried that they could be the next target of the repeat intruders.

    In response to the growing anxiety, Glanvilles residents are pressing local law enforcement agencies to take immediate action. Their primary demand is a sharp increase in visible foot and vehicle police patrols throughout the neighborhood to deter further criminal activity. Community leaders are also urging any local resident or visitor who noticed suspicious activity in the area around the time of the burglaries to share what they know with authorities, even if the detail seems insignificant.

    Antiguan law enforcement officials have confirmed that ongoing investigations are underway into both break-ins. As of the latest updates, no suspects have been taken into custody, and police continue to collect evidence and interview witnesses to build their case.

  • Man, 40, gets 40 months in jail for firearm, ammo

    Man, 40, gets 40 months in jail for firearm, ammo

    Law enforcement authorities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines have successfully taken two unlicensed firearms and their matching ammunition off public streets, marking a recent win in the country’s ongoing campaign against illegal weapon trafficking and violent crime.

    In the first case, 40-year-old construction worker Lesmond Franklyn, a resident of the Dickson and Orange Hill area, has been sentenced to 40 months of imprisonment for unauthorized possession of a firearm. During his appearance at the Serious Offences Court on Wednesday, Franklyn received an additional one-year jail term for holding unlicensed ammunition, with sentences set to run concurrently.

    Franklyn’s arrest came just one day before his court appearance, when joint tactical patrol units from the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) encountered him during a sweep of Orange Hill. A search of the suspect turned up a loaded .380 caliber pistol alongside seven rounds of ammunition, none of which were accompanied by the required licensing mandated by the country’s Firearms Act.

    Following the conviction, the RSVGPF issued a public statement commending the officers involved in the operation, highlighting their proactive vigilance, inter-unit coordination, and swift decision-making that not only removed a deadly illegal weapon from local communities but also secured an expedited court appearance for the accused.

    In a separate, concurrent case connected to the same anti-illegal-weapon drive, police have charged 30-year-old construction worker Rahiem Williams, a Lowmans Leeward resident, with three offences: possession of a Glock 43X pistol without a license, possession of six rounds of unlicensed ammunition, and unauthorized taking of a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. The offences are alleged to have occurred on the preceding Monday.

    When arraigned at the Serious Offences Court, Williams entered a plea of not guilty to all three charges. He was subsequently granted conditional bail set at EC$20,000, requiring one financially responsible surety to secure his release. As a condition of bail, Williams must check in daily at the Central Police Station during an open 12-hour window from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and surrender all international and domestic travel documents to authorities. His case has been adjourned for a next hearing scheduled for August 6.

    In an official comment on the two seizures, the RSVGPF emphasized that removing these two weapons from circulation carries broader public safety significance beyond just the recovery of two pieces of ordnance. Each confiscated firearm eliminates a potential threat: it can no longer be drawn during a personal dispute, used to terrorize and intimidate innocent civilians, or deployed to inflict harm on another person, the force noted.

    The RSVGPF reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to rooting out illegal firearms across St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Law enforcement teams across all districts will continue carrying out targeted patrols, joint inter-unit operations, authorized searches, and proactive enforcement actions focused on locating unlicensed weapons, taking them out of circulation, and holding violators accountable through the judicial system.

    The force moved to assure the public that all anti-weapon operations are carried out to protect community safety and uphold the public good. However, the RSVGPF also acknowledged that police action alone cannot resolve the widespread problem of illegal firearms in the country. Tip-offs and intelligence from ordinary citizens remain a critical, irreplaceable component of successful weapons seizures. The force is calling on any member of the public with information about unlicensed firearms, ammunition, or individuals engaged in firearm-related criminal activity to contact police departments immediately.

    “Every firearm removed is one less weapon available to threaten the peace and security of St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” the statement concluded.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority USA Earns Accolades for Strengthening Travel Trade and Diaspora Engagement

    Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority USA Earns Accolades for Strengthening Travel Trade and Diaspora Engagement

    The U.S. division of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority (ABTA USA) has recently received widespread industry recognition for its exceptional work in two critical areas of tourism development: expanding travel trade partnerships and deepening engagement with the Antigua and Barbuda diaspora based in the United States.

    For the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, tourism stands as the backbone of its national economy, contributing a substantial share of annual GDP and supporting tens of thousands of local jobs across hospitality, transportation, recreational services, and small local businesses. The U.S. market has long been the largest source of international visitors to the twin islands, making strategic outreach and relationship-building in the U.S. a high priority for the national tourism body.

    In its work to strengthen travel trade ties, ABTA USA has rolled out a series of targeted initiatives over the past year, including educational workshops for U.S.-based travel agents, curated familiarization (fam) trips that bring tour operators and travel influencers to experience Antigua and Barbuda’s attractions firsthand, and collaborative marketing campaigns with major online travel platforms and brick-and-mortar travel agencies. These efforts have helped increase visibility of the destination among U.S. travelers, streamline booking processes, and build long-term trust between the Antigua and Barbuda tourism sector and North American travel trade professionals.

    Equally notable has been the organization’s focus on diaspora engagement. Hundreds of thousands of people with roots in Antigua and Barbuda reside in the U.S., and this community represents a consistent source of travel volume, as many return home for family visits, holidays, or cultural events. ABTA USA has launched tailored outreach programs, including cultural networking events, exclusive travel offers for diaspora members, and partnership with diaspora community organizations to co-develop tourism experiences that resonate with returning residents and their families. The authority has also leveraged diaspora voices to promote the destination to broader U.S. audiences, tapping into the authentic, first-hand knowledge that community members bring to promotion efforts.

    Industry judges that presented the accolades highlighted that ABTA USA’s integrated strategy has delivered measurable results, including a year-over-year increase in visitor arrivals from the U.S., higher average booking values through travel trade channels, and stronger long-term buy-in from both travel trade partners and the diaspora community. The awards recognize not only short-term growth in tourist numbers but also the sustainable, relationship-focused approach that ABTA USA has adopted to build resilience in the destination’s tourism sector, particularly in the post-pandemic travel landscape where many Caribbean destinations are competing for a share of the growing North American travel market.

    Leaders of Antigua and Barbuda’s national tourism board say the accolades are a testament to the organization’s user-centric approach, which prioritizes understanding the needs of both travel trade partners and the diaspora community. They added that they plan to expand on these successful initiatives in the coming year, rolling out new programming to reach more travel agents and deepen connections with diaspora communities across different regions of the U.S.

  • Antigua and Barbuda to Host National Cybersecurity and Fraud Prevention Forum

    Antigua and Barbuda to Host National Cybersecurity and Fraud Prevention Forum

    As Caribbean small island developing state Antigua and Barbuda ramps up its nationwide fight against cybercrime and boosts public digital literacy, it is set to host a landmark National Cybersecurity and Fraud Prevention Forum this Thursday.

    This hybrid event, which combines in-person and virtual participation, will run for 85 minutes from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. local time at the John E. St. Luce Finance and Conference Centre. The gathering comes on the heels of the recent passage of the 2026 Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, a landmark piece of legislation designed to update the country’s cyberdefense framework, empower law enforcement to address evolving digital threats, and strengthen legal protections for ordinary internet users and businesses operating online.

    Senator Angelica O’Donoghue, a key supporter of the amendment during upper house parliamentary debate, emphasized that new regulation alone cannot curb rising cybercrime. “Passing laws is only part of the solution. Public awareness is just as important,” she noted, explaining that meaningful public education is a non-negotiable foundation for the new legislation to deliver on its intended safety goals.

    O’Donoghue has issued a broad call for participation, urging parents, students, small business owners, and every segment of the internet-using public to take advantage of the free educational opportunity. Attendees will gain hands-on knowledge to identify common phishing scams, mitigate fraud risks, and build safer digital habits for both personal and professional use, she said. The senator also praised the government’s move to modernize Antigua and Barbuda’s cybercrime laws, noting that the update aligns national regulation with the rapidly shifting challenges of an increasingly digitized global economy.

    The forum’s agenda is structured to deliver actionable, practical insights for attendees of all technical backgrounds. Scheduled sessions include deep dives into recognizing emerging cyber threats, proven strategies for stopping fraud, industry-recognized cybersecurity best practices, an overview of the new legal protections established under the amended bill, and a discussion on cross-stakeholder collaboration to address future cybersecurity challenges. The event will close with an open question-and-answer session, allowing attendees to get personalized answers to their specific digital safety concerns.

    Organizers note the core mission of the forum is to equip individuals and local businesses with the concrete guidance they need to guard themselves against pervasive cyber threats and costly financial fraud. In-person spots are still open for registration, and the entire event will be streamed for remote attendees who cannot join at the venue.

  • NDP fixed in months what ULP didn’t in 25 years — PM

    NDP fixed in months what ULP didn’t in 25 years — PM

    During Tuesday’s parliamentary debate on the 2026 Daily Paid and Minor Salaried Officers (Compassionate Gratuity) Bill, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Godwin Friday framed the long-awaited legislation as a landmark correction of a decades-old injustice targeting the nation’s most vulnerable public employees. Speaking to lawmakers, Friday described the bill as a “big deal” for non-pensionable low-wage public workers, noting that his Unity Labour Party-led predecessor administrations failed to address the gap for 25 years, while his current government advanced the measure in just months.

    Friday opened the debate by calling the moment a significant victory for all Vincentians, emphasizing that the legislation centers a group of public workers that have long been sidelined by policy makers. The bill specifically targets daily paid workers and minor salaried public officers, including cleaners, facility attendants, ancillary healthcare staff, government drivers, security guards and other frontline low-wage employees excluded from the traditional public service pension scheme. “These are the lowest-paid workers at the bottom of the public service ladder, and they have long received far too little attention from policymakers,” Friday told the chamber.

    The prime minister reminded lawmakers that prioritizing this group of workers was one of his administration’s first policy actions after taking office. Early in his term, Friday’s government extended public service salary bonuses to include daily paid and part-time public workers, a move that required reallocating funds from other budget lines to deliver support to the workers who needed it most. “More than any other group, these workers need that little extra money in their pockets,” Friday said. “If other groups have to accept a little less to make sure these workers are included, that is a trade worth making.” The decision, he added, made clear that his administration was committed to prioritizing “the little person” in all policy decisions.

    Contrary to some claims that the policy is entirely new, Friday acknowledged that an informal compassionate gratuity system for non-pensionable workers has existed for decades. Previously, retiring workers eligible for the benefit had to submit a formal request to Cabinet for a one-time lump sum payment with no standardized rules or guarantees. The new bill codifies this ad-hoc practice into formal law and expands protections for workers, introducing clear, legally defined eligibility criteria that outline exactly who qualifies for the benefit. It also establishes a minimum service requirement, and extends coverage to both workers who retire after long service and those who die while still employed.

    A key structural update is the formalization of a standardized calculation formula, which allocates two weeks of pay for every full year of service completed by the worker. The new legislation also extends the maximum number of service years that can be counted toward the gratuity payout, raising the cap from the previous 26 years under the old informal system to 33 and one-third years. This change, Friday explained, directly increases the final lump sum payout for long-serving workers, putting more much-needed money into the pockets of low-wage employees as they exit the workforce.

    The bill also addresses a critical emerging income gap created by ongoing National Insurance Services (NIS) pension reforms, which have gradually raised the national pensionable age from 60 to 65. Unlike pensionable public workers, non-pensionable public employees do not receive a government-funded pension, meaning they now face a five-year gap between the old retirement age of 60 and when they become eligible to receive their NIS benefits. Friday called this gap a major financial risk for low-wage workers nearing retirement, noting that the compassionate gratuity acts as a critical safety net rather than a discretionary benefit. The lump sum can be used to launch a small income-generating business, cover outstanding personal debts, purchase essential assets, or cover living costs until NIS pension payments begin. For workers who die while still employed, the benefit also provides immediate financial support to their grieving families.

    One of the most impactful user-centric changes introduced by the bill is a pre-designated beneficiary system for workers who die in service. Under the old informal system, families often had to complete lengthy, expensive probate processes to access the relatively modest gratuity funds, which typically range between 10,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars and 12,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars. The new law allows workers to name a beneficiary in advance via an official form attached to the legislation, ensuring funds are transferred directly to the intended family member without unnecessary legal delays.

    In response to widespread public complaints about long wait times for gratuity payouts under the old system, the bill also enshrines strict mandatory payment timelines. For retiring workers, payouts must be issued within three months of application approval, with a hard maximum deadline of six months. The same timeline applies to beneficiaries of workers who die in service. Friday stressed that the clear timeline is non-negotiable for public administrators: “We didn’t want vague language saying payment would come in ‘due course’ or ‘reasonable time.’ We put a clear deadline: three months. When we say three months means three months, that is exactly what we mean.”

  • St Philip folk push for safe spaces, restored heritage sites

    St Philip folk push for safe spaces, restored heritage sites

    Residents of St Philip parish in Barbados have secured formal commitments from Prime Minister Mia Mottley and local parliamentary representatives to advance long-delayed projects restoring and expanding the parish’s recreational and heritage spaces. The pledges came out of the latest community Ideas Forum, held Monday night at Princess Margaret Secondary School, where locals gathered to lay out pressing needs for shared public spaces that serve young athletes, aging residents, community organizers, and the island’s tourism sector.

    Many of the appeals centered on expanding access to safe recreational infrastructure, a need framed by residents as critical to supporting youth development and steering young people away from involvement in criminal activity. Long-time community advocate Jones, a committee member of the popular Long Bay 5K run, opened the call for increased public investment in recreational facilities to keep local youth productively engaged.

    Sherwin Greenidge, a Gemswick resident, expanded on this demand, putting forward a detailed proposal for a combined community recreation and wellness center on a vacant, previously used plot of land in his neighborhood. Greenidge noted that for more than 25 years, local residents have advocated for development on this site, pointing to unmet needs across multiple demographic groups. Talented young football and cricket players who currently hone their skills at the Dodds detention facility would gain a dedicated public space to practice, while older residents like himself would no longer need to compete with vehicle traffic to walk for exercise in the Gemswick area.

    Under Greenidge’s plan, the multi-use facility would include outdoor playing fields, a pavilion, a gym, and a dedicated walking and jogging track, supporting both elite youth athletic development and routine healthy activity for all residents. He added that the center could also double as an emergency resource hub during natural disasters, expanding its public value beyond recreation.

    Fellow Gemswick resident Jim Brown echoed Greenidge’s call, delivering an impassioned appeal for upgrades to the neighborhood’s existing playing field—an improvement he has lobbied consecutive governments to deliver for more than 30 years. Brown noted that the upgraded field could host cricket, netball, walking groups, and provide a safe gathering space for local youth.

    Responding to these requests, St Philip South Member of Parliament Indar Weir confirmed that preliminary talks over land acquisition for the proposed Gemswick recreation center began with former housing minister Dwight Sutherland, and that Prime Minister Mottley first committed to the project ahead of the 2018 general election. Progress was derailed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, but Weir reaffirmed the government’s commitment to delivering both the new center and the playing field upgrades.

    “I am strongly supporting Jim Brown and Sherwin to make sure we have the facility delivered to the people at Gemswick,” Weir said. “This also came up in the last election campaign, and I can also give you the assurance that I discussed it with the prime minister…The youngsters, when I canvassed the area, also reminded me that they needed to make sure they have that facility delivered to them.”

    Weir also addressed resident calls for dedicated safe walking spaces, revealing that negotiations are already underway with the private owner of Oldbury Woods to open the land for public use. He added that there are ongoing discussions to redevelop the wooded area, which is home to a large concentration of mahogany trees, into a national mahogany park that would include public vending opportunities for local entrepreneurs, leveraging its strategic location to drive community economic activity.

    Beyond recreational infrastructure, long-time local educator Betty-Lyn Estwick pushed for urgent restoration of the iconic Ragged Point Lighthouse, a key historical and tourist site that has fallen into disrepair. Estwick argued that the rusted, unmaintained site is not fit to welcome visiting tourists, and called for it to be redeveloped into a safe public recreational space with new landscaping and seating. She also highlighted the need for improved maintenance and restoration for other Barbados heritage sites including Mount Hillaby and the Morgan Lewis Windmill, and called for the reinstatement of the Parks and Beaches Commission, the former agency replaced by the National Conservation Commission that previously oversaw management of public recreational and heritage spaces.

    “How do we feel comfortable telling visitors, these are our places of interest, and then we don’t take care of them? If tourism is our business, let us take it seriously and let us really play our part,” Estwick said. “If you bring back parks and beaches and you give them good supervisors, let them see that you’re serious, they can have responsibility for looking after these places and keeping them looking the way they should look.”

    Attorney General Wilfred Abrahams backed Estwick’s call, noting that expanding and diversifying Barbados’ tourism and recreational offerings beyond the island’s most well-known sites is a key priority, and he would personally advocate for moving forward with the lighthouse restoration. St Philip North MP Dr. Sonia Browne also confirmed support for the project, adding that a formal proposal for a lighthouse museum centered on the site’s historical heritage has already been submitted to government for consideration.

    In closing out the forum, local resident Carl Padmore called for a new performance space at Princess Margaret Secondary School to be named in honor of pioneering Barbadian theatre figure Osbert McLean, and pushed for greater preservation of Six Roads’ unique historical heritage and its contributions to St Philip’s development.

    Addressing attendees after the public comment period, Prime Minister Mottley delivered a firm pledge that her government would deliver a permanent auditorium and amphitheater facility for St Philip during its current term, contingent on the island avoiding major natural disasters that would disrupt government budget priorities. “I give you a commitment that we will have a proper amphitheater auditorium-type facility for the people of St Philip that will happen in this term, God willing and God willing that there are no further natural disasters that will take us off track,” Mottley said.

  • DNA behandelt toetreding Suriname tot VN-protocol tegen de doodstraf

    DNA behandelt toetreding Suriname tot VN-protocol tegen de doodstraf

    On July 23, Suriname’s National Assembly (DNA) began consideration of a draft bill that would pave the way for the South American nation to join the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a United Nations agreement focused on permanently eliminating capital punishment.

    Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989, the Second Optional Protocol binds all participating states to legally commit to ending all use of the death penalty. Signatory nations are prohibited from carrying out executions, and are barred from reintroducing capital punishment into their national legal systems, with only extremely narrow exceptions permitted under the treaty’s terms.

    While Suriname has not executed any prisoners or applied the death penalty in judicial proceedings for decades, accession to the protocol would enshrine the country’s de facto abolition as a binding international legal obligation. This creates an additional layer of legal protection that prevents future governments from reversing the current practice and reinstating capital punishment, aligned with the limited reservations allowed under the protocol for accession states.

    Suriname is already a full party to the core International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a foundational human rights treaty that codifies fundamental protections including the right to life, the right to a fair trial, and other core civil and political guarantees for all citizens. The Second Optional Protocol is a supplementary agreement that builds on these core commitments, with its sole focus being the permanent abolition of the death penalty globally.

    If the draft bill receives final approval from the National Assembly, the move will mark another significant milestone in Suriname’s implementation of its international human rights obligations. For years, the United Nations and global human rights monitoring bodies have repeatedly urged all countries that still retain capital punishment in their legislation to join this protocol and advance global abolition efforts.

    Per the official DNA agenda, the draft bill will be debated at a public plenary session scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. local time on Thursday. Preparatory review of the legislation has already been completed by a special committee of rapporteurs led by chair Ebu Jones, with additional members including Dew Sharman, Jennifer Vreedzaam, Iona Edwards, Hakiem Lalmohamed, Genevievre Jordan and Poetini Atompai.