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  • Senior Officer Shoots Man During Burglary in Ladyville

    Senior Officer Shoots Man During Burglary in Ladyville

    In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, a high-stakes confrontation between a senior law enforcement officer and alleged burglary suspects in Ladyville, Belize left a 30-year-old Belize City man wounded, according to official police accounts of the incident.

    The incident unfolded on Compassion Lane, where Senior Superintendent of Police Cristopher Noble responded to an urgent report of an ongoing burglary shortly after 4 a.m. on September 28. When Noble arrived at the scene, he encountered two male suspects, both armed with crowbars, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero.

    Romero detailed the sequence of events in an official statement: after Noble ordered the two men to halt their activities, one of the individuals fired shots directly toward the officer’s position. Noble took immediate cover to avoid the incoming fire before returning fire at the suspect.

    Thirty-year-old Devon Grant, one of the two suspects involved, later made his way to Belize’s primary healthcare facility, Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, seeking treatment for multiple gunshot wounds. As of the latest updates, Grant remains in the hospital in stable condition, with no immediate reports of life-threatening injuries.

    Investigators processing the scene have already recovered key physical evidence linked to the alleged burglary and subsequent shooting. Among the items collected are the crowbars the suspects were reportedly carrying, as well as expended bullet casings from the exchange of gunfire. Authorities also documented visible damage to the targeted property’s door and window, consistent with a forced entry attempt.

    The case remains under active review by Belizean law enforcement, with additional details expected to be released as the investigation progresses.

  • Dan Lopez Charged Again After Mahler Shooting

    Dan Lopez Charged Again After Mahler Shooting

    A new attempted murder charge has been brought against Dan Lopez in the shooting of Alfred Mahler, a land manager who was attacked while carrying out routine inspections on a property he oversees, according to official law enforcement announcements. The shooting, which occurred one week prior to the September 28, 2026 filing of charges, left Mahler hospitalized, though medical updates confirm he remains in stable condition as he receives treatment.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero, head of the National Crime Investigation Unit, publicly confirmed the new charges against Lopez in a press statement. Romero also revealed that investigators had recovered a .223-caliber rifle, which has been confirmed as the weapon used in the shooting of Mahler. Following the filing of the charges, Romero confirmed that law enforcement has now escorted Lopez to court to face the new allegation.

    This latest charge marks the second time this year Lopez has been accused of attempted murder. Earlier in 2026, he was charged with the same offense in the shooting of Police Sergeant Dalon Kelly during a confrontation centered on a disputed plot of land. Law enforcement alleges that Lopez shot Kelly as officers moved to arrest him, but Lopez’s defense attorney has pushed back on that narrative, arguing that Kelly’s injury occurred accidentally when police attempted to seize a lawfully licensed firearm owned by Lopez.

    Long before the 2026 charges, Lopez had already been entangled in a years-long public conflict over land rights at Maya Ranch. He has repeatedly been accused of confronting land managers and forestry officials over competing claims to ownership and access to the property, a dispute that has required repeated police intervention and multiple trips through the court system.

    Despite the long-running conflict tied to Maya Ranch, Mahler’s family has pushed back on any assumption that the shooting is connected to the dispute. They emphasize that Mahler had no personal stake in the conflict over the land; he was simply hired to carry out professional management duties for the property, they said.

  • Car washer remanded for 28 days after bail denied

    Car washer remanded for 28 days after bail denied

    A 28-year-old car washer from Barbados has been ordered to serve 28 days in Dodds Prison after a district magistrate rejected his request for bail, amid serious charges of armed robbery and assault with intent to rob. Nia Kuumpa Lynch, a resident of Morris Gap on Westbury Road, appeared before the No. 1 District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court to face two criminal charges stemming from alleged offenses committed on August 29.

    Prosecutors allege that Lynch participated in robbing Duane Morrison, stealing a motor van valued at $26,000, a $500 mobile phone, and $3,000 in cash from the victim. On the same day, he is also accused of assaulting Chloe Banker with the explicit intention of robbing her. Both charges are classified as indictable offenses, meaning the case will proceed to a higher court for a formal trial if a preliminary review finds sufficient evidence. Lynch was not required to enter a plea during his initial court appearance.

    Leading the prosecution’s case, Sergeant Victoria Leacock formally objected to the court granting bail to Lynch, laying out multiple compelling reasons for her opposition. Leacock emphasized that the accused had no prior connection to either of the two complainants, meaning any member of the public could be treated as a potential target, making it necessary to keep Lynch in custody to protect the broader community. She also told the court that two additional co-accused individuals are still involved in the ongoing investigation, that robust evidence in the form of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage links Lynch to the alleged crimes, and that firearms were reportedly used during the commission of the offenses. Leacock restated the prosecution’s position that Lynch does not qualify as a suitable candidate for bail, noting that while the stolen van has already been recovered by law enforcement, the strength of the existing CCTV evidence further supports holding the defendant ahead of trial.

    Defending Lynch, defense attorney Shadia Simpson pushed back against the prosecution’s objections, arguing that the claims against her client are unproven allegations at this stage. Simpson highlighted that Lynch has no prior criminal convictions, has never been detained or appeared before a court before, holds steady employment as a car valet, and maintains a fixed residential address in the community. She also drew attention to longstanding delays in the disclosure of evidence to defendants in the local justice system, pointing out that some cases remain waiting for evidence disclosure for two or three years after charges are first filed. Simpson added that the court could impose a range of strict bail conditions to manage any potential risk, and that her client had already confirmed he would comply fully with any requirements set by the court.

    After considering both sides’ arguments, Acting Chief Magistrate Douglas Frederick ruled that bail would be denied, noting the gravity of the charges against Lynch. Frederick explained that with investigations still active, confirmed allegations of firearm use, multiple co-conspirators involved in the alleged crimes, and one suspect still at large, he could not justify releasing Lynch into the community at this stage of the proceedings. Lynch is scheduled to return to court for his next hearing on October 26.

  • PM denies reports of Saint Lucia walk out

    PM denies reports of Saint Lucia walk out

    A recent diplomatic controversy has put Saint Lucia in the global spotlight following widespread reports that its UN delegation joined a mass walkout of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) chamber as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his scheduled address last Thursday.

    The coordinated walkout, which saw delegates from dozens of countries exit the hall moments after Netanyahu took the podium, quickly sparked international backlash. In his speech, the Israeli leader publicly denounced the departing diplomats, labeling their collective action an act of “moral cowardice.” In the days that followed, multiple circulating reports named Saint Lucia as one of the nations whose representatives either participated in the walkout or were absent from the chamber during the address.

    However, during a pre-Cabinet press briefing held on Monday, Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre firmly pushed back against these claims, issuing a categorical denial that Saint Lucia took any part in the protest action. “Saint Lucia did not walk out,” Pierre stated, confirming that at least one member of the country’s delegation remained at the nation’s assigned seat for the full duration of Netanyahu’s speech.

    Beyond clarifying the delegation’s actions, Pierre also reaffirmed that the Caribbean nation has long maintained a transparent and consistent position on global conflicts, including ongoing tensions in the Middle East. In his own address to the UNGA delivered just one day after Netanyahu’s speech, last Friday, Pierre laid out Saint Lucia’s formal stance to the global body.

    “Saint Lucia laments the continued conflicts and human suffering across the globe, including Ukraine, Sudan and the wider Middle East, including Gaza, and calls for renewed efforts towards peace, stability and respect for international law,” Pierre told assembled delegates. He added: “In accordance with their right to self-determination and UN resolutions, in particular Resolution 3236 of 1974, the people of Palestine should be allowed their own State and full membership of the UN, alongside the state of Israel.”

  • Barbados strikes double Pan Am bronze

    Barbados strikes double Pan Am bronze

    Barbados has etched its name into the history books of regional cheerleading, making its first-ever appearance at the Pan American Cheerleading Championships hosted in Mexico and returning home on Monday with a pair of bronze medals and an impressive fourth-place finish.Competing across three distinct performance categories at the tournament, the small but mighty Barbadian national delegation secured bronze in both the Jazz and Hip Hop divisions, while narrowly missing the podium with a fourth-place result in Pom. The five-person team, led by Dana Dear, president of the Barbados Cheer (BIM Cheer) Federation, included young athletes Janae Blenman, Hailey Brathwaite, Kato Austin and Khyra Williams.In an interview with local outlet Barbados TODAY immediately after the team’s arrival back on the island, Dear shared that the squad turned in an outstanding performance against all odds, especially given the team’s very limited experience competing at this elite international level. When reflecting on the milestone, Dear emphasized that this tournament marks one of the first occasions Barbados has sent cheer athletes abroad to compete, and this group represents the country’s first cohort of performance cheer specialists. Earlier this year in March, another group of Barbadian cheerleaders competed at a separate regional event and brought home a second-place trophy, making 2024 a groundbreaking year for the emerging sport on the island, she added.Preparation for the Pan American Championships stretched across two years, but the path to competition was far from smooth. Dear noted that the team faced consistent hurdles, from a lack of accessible, dedicated practice spaces across Barbados to scheduling conflicts that made regular training difficult. All five team members are standout dancers from the renowned Louise Woodvine Dance Academy, and Dear described the group as the very best emerging talent in Barbados’ dance community, a factor that contributed to their surprising success against far more experienced international opponents.Following this breakthrough debut performance, the Barbados cheer community has laid out an ambitious long-term roadmap: the national program is now targeting qualification for either the World Cheerleading Championships or the World Games by 2029. As an important stepping stone toward that goal, Barbados will return to compete at the 2025 Pan American Championships, which will be hosted in Ecuador. Dear is confident that this historic medal haul will act as a catalyst to grow the sport of performance cheer across Barbados in the coming years.Currently, the broader cheerleading movement has already seen significant expansion across the country, with growing participation at both the primary and secondary school levels, and several new all-star cheer teams emerging in recent years. Now, federation leaders plan to prioritize expanding the performance cheer division, creating more pathways for local dancers to get involved, compete internationally, travel abroad, and gain global experience, Dear explained.For team member Khyra Williams, the entire experience of competing at the Pan American Championships was nothing short of transformative. Beyond the thrill of competition, she said the trip offered an invaluable opportunity to immerse herself in Mexican culture, noting even small differences like the bold, spiced flavor profiles of local cuisine made the trip memorable. Williams also highlighted the warm, supportive spirit that defined the entire tournament: even as athletes from across North, Central and South America competed against one another, there was a widespread sense of camaraderie and mutual support among all participants. “It was nice to see that side of the event. That we were competing as teams from all over the world, but we could still come together and make this a very fruitful event,” Williams shared.

  • AG appeals $75,000 damages award in Chacadan Daniel case

    AG appeals $75,000 damages award in Chacadan Daniel case

    Thirteen years after the unexplained, unlawful death of Chacadan Daniel in a St. Lucia police cell, a fresh legal battle has reignited the family’s decades-long fight for justice, leaving his mother reeling from new emotional and health distress.

    In late July 2026, Justice Alvin Shiva Pariagsingh of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling that held the state accountable for its long-standing failure to conduct a timely, thorough, and transparent probe into Chacadan’s death. The judgment ordered the state to pay $75,000 in constitutional and vindicatory damages to Chacadan’s mother, Frances Daniel, and mandated that law enforcement wrap up the open investigation within six months. Should the deadline not be met, the ruling required authorities to submit a public report outlining completed investigative steps, justifications for delays, and a revised completion timeline. At the time of the ruling, the Daniel family welcomed the decision as a long-awaited win and a meaningful step toward closing the 13-year painful chapter of uncertainty.

    That victory has now been thrown into question. Less than two months after the Supreme Court’s ruling, on September 9, the state’s Attorney General officially filed an appeal challenging almost every core element of the July judgment. Represented by attorneys Nichola George-Benjamin and Rajiv Lennie, the appeal challenges all the lower court’s findings that favored Daniel, including the critical six-month investigation completion mandate. Lawyers for the Attorney General argue that ongoing forensic and investigative work means the order to wrap up the probe within half a year is unnecessary, and are asking the appellate court to strike down the order entirely.

    The appeal requests the full judgment and all related consequential orders from July 29 be thrown out, including the entire $75,000 damages award. If the court does not grant a full appeal of the ruling, the Attorney General’s filing alternatively asks for a partial appeal that would still overturn the six-month investigation deadline and the damages payment.

    For Frances Daniel, the news of the appeal has come as a devastating blow that has reopened 13 years of unaddressed trauma. In an exclusive interview with St. Lucia Times, Daniel opened up about the intense emotional impact of the state’s latest legal move, saying, “When I got the appeal, I was feeling so sick, depressed. I didn’t know where to turn to.” She described an immediate physical reaction, noting her heart began racing the moment she learned of the filing, and says she now fears her already fragile health will deteriorate further after a decade and a half of chronic stress over her son’s death.

    Daniel emphasized that the $75,000 awarded by the court was only ever intended to compensate for the 13 years of unnecessary waiting and suffering her family has endured. “I find it was very bad… for my health because I suffered a lot for 13 years; up to now I’m still suffering,” she added. Daniel says she is currently in consultations with her legal team to map out their response to the appeal and determine how to move forward with their fight for justice.

    Chacadan Daniel was first reported dead on October 23, 2013, when authorities notified his family that he had been found unresponsive in his cell at the Micoud Police Station. A coroner’s inquest held in July 2015 formally ruled his death an unlawful killing, but no conclusive investigation or prosecution has been completed in the 11 years since that ruling, leaving the family without answers or closure to this day.

  • UWI Vice-Chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles named NYU Distinguished Scholar

    UWI Vice-Chancellor Sir Hilary Beckles named NYU Distinguished Scholar

    Leading Caribbean academic leader Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, who currently serves as Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), has earned a new high-profile international appointment: he will hold the title of Distinguished Scholar at New York University (NYU) for the 2026–2027 academic year.

    During his tenure in this distinguished role, Beckles will be hosted by NYU’s Centre for the Study of Africa and the African Diaspora, an institution globally recognized for its cutting-edge research on African and diaspora studies, which is currently headed by prominent scholar Professor Michael Gomez.

    In an official statement released by UWI following the announcement of the appointment, Beckles expressed his enthusiasm for the new opportunity, framing it as a rare chance to reestablish his academic connection to NYU while collaborating directly with leading researchers focused on advancing the study of African history.

    “This appointment is a deeply valued recognition of scholarly fellowship, particularly because this centre has built its global reputation on exceptional, groundbreaking research,” Beckles explained in his remarks. He recalled that his last academic affiliation with NYU dates back to 1994, when he worked as a visiting scholar at the university’s Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies — a position he was succeeded in by the iconic Barbadian poet and scholar Professor Kamau Brathwaite. “Returning to NYU after 32 years, this time working alongside some of the world’s leading scholars of African history, will be an incredibly special experience,” he added.

    As a key public engagement component of his distinguished scholar appointment, Beckles will deliver a high-profile public lecture on 13 October 2026, tackling an under-explored critical topic in global economic and slavery studies: the underrecognized economic contributions of enslaved Black women to the transatlantic slavery system.

    The lecture, carrying the formal title “The Economics of Wealth Creation: Why Enslaved Black Women Were the Financial Core of the Slavery Business Model”, is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. local time at Hemmerdinger Hall, located in NYU’s Silver Centre in downtown Manhattan.

    This latest appointment is only one entry in a long line of international academic honours that Beckles has accumulated over his decades-long career. In 2022, he was named Honorary International Historian of the Year by the Association of American Historians, and he has previously held the prestigious title of Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor-at-Large at Cornell University, another top U.S. research institution.

    UWI’s official statement emphasized that this new recognition not only spotlights Beckles’ decades of impactful scholarship and his far-reaching academic leadership on the global stage, but also strengthens the institution’s ongoing commitment to expanding cross-border academic collaboration and open scholarly dialogue between global research communities.

  • EU gives Saint Lucia till June 2028 to end CIP – or risk visa-free access

    EU gives Saint Lucia till June 2028 to end CIP – or risk visa-free access

    A long-running diplomatic standoff between the European Union and five Eastern Caribbean nations over Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIP) has reached a critical turning point, after Brussels delivered a non-negotiable ultimatum: wind down these golden passport schemes by June 2028, or forfeit visa-free travel access for all citizens to the 27-nation Schengen Area.

    For the Caribbean island nation of Saint Lucia, the mandate has forced a high-stakes choice between two critical national interests. CIP, which grants citizenship to foreign applicants in exchange for substantial investment in the country, pumps critical revenue into Saint Lucia’s public finances, while unimpeded Schengen access enables affordable, easy travel for thousands of ordinary Saint Lucians each year.

    The dispute has simmered for years, rooted in European security concerns. EU regulators have long argued that citizenship-by-investment programmes open a security loophole: foreign nationals from high-risk countries can acquire Caribbean passports that grant them visa-free entry to the entire Schengen bloc, bypassing the bloc’s strict background check protocols for entry.

    In response to these concerns, Eastern Caribbean governments with active CIP schemes have already implemented sweeping reforms, including strengthening cross-border due diligence processes for new applicants and working toward unified regional regulations for the programmes. But last week’s high-level talks in New York, which brought together Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, EU Internal Affairs and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner, senior officials from the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, confirmed that these incremental changes had done nothing to shift the EU’s core position.

    Speaking at a pre-Cabinet press briefing on Monday, Pierre made clear the EU’s position is final. “The Europeans are adamant,” he told reporters. “There were some people who thought that that could be negotiated. But [Commissioner Brunner] was clear. He said, once you have a programme, that’s it.”

    The ultimatum puts Pierre’s government in an uncomfortable position: as recently as March, the prime minister had explicitly rejected calls to end the programme, telling local media outlet *St Lucia Times* that “Saint Lucia has no intention of stopping the CIP programme. We will do all we can to strengthen the programme.”
    When asked Monday whether he still stood by that commitment in the face of the EU’s threat, Pierre reaffirmed the value of the programme to his country. CIP contributes roughly 10% of Saint Lucia’s total annual government revenue – a major contributor to public spending, though not the nation’s largest source of income. “It’s a programme that we would not like to lose because it has done quite a bit for our country, but we are going to try to protect it,” he said, adding that the government’s priority remains protecting Saint Lucian citizens and the country’s financial system. As of yet, the government has not announced any plans to begin winding down the scheme.

    While diplomatic channels remain open, Pierre acknowledged that the space for compromise has shrunk dramatically. A regional technical team, with Saint Lucia represented by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ernest Hilaire, is scheduled to hold follow-up talks with EU officials in October to explore potential paths forward. But the prime minister admitted the outcome remains uncertain. “So it’s a very difficult proposition that we have,” he said. “But we’re going to work with them to see if we can come to a solution.”

  • Two Armed Men Carjack Driver in Sandhill

    Two Armed Men Carjack Driver in Sandhill

    On a Saturday in Sandhill, a quiet community within Belize District, a violent highway carjacking carried out by two armed suspects has left local resident Sandeep Kumar injured and prompted an active manhunt by Belizean law enforcement.

    According to official statements from Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero, who leads the country’s National Investigations Branch, the attack unfolded gradually as Kumar traveled along the area’s main highway. The victim first noticed a second vehicle trailing his car, before hearing multiple gunshots fired during the pursuit. The suspects then maneuvered their vehicle directly in front of Kumar’s Honda Civic, cutting off his path and trapping him on the road.

    Two male suspects then exited their vehicle – identified as a red Chevrolet Equinox – both carrying concealed firearms. In a violent confrontation, the pair struck Kumar in the head with one of their weapons before dragging him out of his own car. The suspects then fled the scene, driving the stolen Honda Civic toward the direction of Belize City.

    Responding officers launched an immediate search operation following Kumar’s official report, and ultimately located both vehicles abandoned in the nearby community of Maxboro. A background check confirmed that the red Equinox used by the suspects is registered to a vehicle rental company based in Belize’s Cayo District. Forensic teams have already completed evidence processing and collection from both recovered vehicles, but authorities confirmed that the two perpetrators successfully fled the area before officers arrived.

    As of the latest update, the investigation remains ongoing, with law enforcement continuing to pursue leads to identify and apprehend the two at-large suspects. Local police have not yet released additional details about possible descriptions of the suspects or any stolen personal items that may have been taken during the attack.

  • Two Suspects in Custody After Dennis Francis Shot in Villa

    Two Suspects in Custody After Dennis Francis Shot in Villa

    In the early hours of Sunday, September 27, a violent shooting incident shook the Villa neighborhood of Antigua and Barbuda, leaving a local man wounded and prompting a swift law enforcement response that has already put two suspects behind bars. The Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda confirmed the developments in an official media statement released Monday, September 28, 2026.

    The victim of the attack has been identified as 47-year-old Dennis Francis, a resident of E.A. Stephen Street, Villa. According to preliminary accounts of the incident compiled by investigators, the shooting unfolded at approximately 3:40 a.m. as Francis was walking along Gordon Street in the area. Three unidentified men travelling in a silver Toyota Vitz approached Francis, police reports state. All three attackers were dressed in full dark clothing, leading investigators to believe the incident may have been pre-planned.

    Faced with the unexpected confrontation, Francis attempted to flee the scene to escape harm. It was during this attempted escape that gunfire was exchanged, and Francis was struck by at least one bullet. He suffered penetrating gunshot wounds to his lower back and abdomen, and emergency responders were called to the scene immediately. Emergency Medical Services transported the injured man quickly to the territory’s main public healthcare facility, the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, for urgent treatment.

    As of Monday, authorities have confirmed that Francis’s condition is listed as stable, and his wounds are not considered life-threatening. He remains in hospital receiving care while investigators continue to piece together the full circumstances of the attack.

    In a notable win for rapid law enforcement, the Royal Police Force announced that two male suspects connected to the shooting were taken into police custody within just 24 hours of the incident occurring. Both suspects are currently cooperating with officers as the Criminal Investigations Department continues its ongoing inquiry into the attack.

    Investigators have not yet released further details about the suspects’ identities or potential motives for the shooting, as the case remains active. To advance the inquiry, law enforcement officials are issuing a public appeal for any community members who may have information related to the incident to step forward. Anyone who witnessed the early-morning attack, has knowledge of the suspects or the silver vehicle involved, or can offer any other details that may assist the investigation is urged to contact the Criminal Investigations Department directly at 462-3913 or 462-3914. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crimestoppers at 800-TIPS (8477), or individuals can reach out to the nearest local police station to share information.

    The Royal Police Force has confirmed that it will release additional public updates as the investigation progresses, once more details are confirmed and cleared for release.