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  • Pharmacists Celebrate Their Role Beyond Prescriptions

    Pharmacists Celebrate Their Role Beyond Prescriptions

    On September 25, 2026, communities across Belize are shining a spotlight on the multifaceted, critical work of pharmacists that extends well beyond the traditional task of filling prescription orders, in observation of World Pharmacists Day. Aligned with this year’s global theme “Empowering Pharmacists for Future Healthcare”, the Belize Pharmacy Association has organized a full week of community-focused activities to highlight pharmacists’ integral contributions to national public health, culminating in a heartfelt gesture to welcome the country’s newest citizen.

    The association’s initiative centers on gifting a curated care hamper to the first baby born in Belize on World Pharmacists Day, a small symbolic act that underscores the lifelong role pharmacists play in supporting community health from birth through every life stage. Jada Parchue, president of the Belize Pharmacy Association, explained that the event is designed to reframe public understanding of what modern pharmacists do.

    “Many people still see our role as limited to standing behind a counter and dispensing medication,” Parchue noted in remarks ahead of the day’s celebrations. “But our responsibilities run far deeper. We work side-by-side with doctors and nurses to deliver optimal patient care: we help patients understand how and when to take their treatments, flag potential adverse interactions during care cycles, and lead public education efforts to promote the safe, appropriate use of all medications.”

    The week of celebrations kicked off with a community Glow Walk hosted by Marisol G Melotto Pharmacy and the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), followed by a community blood drive organized by Medicare Plus. Pharmacy students also joined the efforts, hosting their own recognition ceremony earlier this week in the capital city of Belmopan to highlight the next generation of pharmacy professionals.

    This public recognition comes as healthcare systems globally increasingly rely on pharmacists to expand access to primary care, take on expanded patient education roles, and support frontline clinical teams amid growing demand for healthcare services. For Belize, the day of events serves both to celebrate the existing work of the country’s pharmacists and to build public awareness of their evolving role in building a stronger, more accessible national healthcare system. The hamper gift for the first newborn of the day, Parchue emphasized, is the association’s way of closing out the week of activities by giving back to the very community its members serve every day.

  • Roach’s 300-Test wicket milestone celebrated

    Roach’s 300-Test wicket milestone celebrated

    West Indies legendary fast bowler Kemar Roach has returned to his roots, receiving a warm tribute and public honor from his former high school, The Alexandra School, for becoming just the fifth Caribbean bowler in history to cross the 300 Test wicket milestone. The special celebratory assembly, held on Friday, brought together former teachers, coaches, teammates, and current students to recognize Roach’s decades of hard-won success in international cricket, cementing his legacy as one of the region’s greatest fast bowling talents. Since making his Test debut against Bangladesh in 2009, Roach has built an extraordinary career, claiming 304 wickets at an average of just 26.94 runs per wicket. With this achievement, he sits fifth on the West Indies all-time list of leading Test wicket-takers, and is now only five wickets away from surpassing West Indies icon Lance Gibbs, who holds fourth place with 309 Test wickets. At the assembly, Roach took the stage to address a crowd that included his former principal Jeff Broomes, childhood coach Peter Vaughn (widely credited with shaping Roach’s early technical skills), and former West Indies batting teammate Kirk Edwards. Reflecting on his return to the grounds where his cricket journey began, Roach shared his emotion at the warm welcome. “It’s very touching I must say. I walked the pathways of this school again and it brings back great memories seeing some of the mentors that were very instrumental in my career,” he said. “I really want to thank everyone that’s involved, including the principal for allowing the kids to miss a couple of classes to celebrate with me. It’s really an honour and a privilege to come back to the school.” Janelle Harte, the acting principal of The Alexandra School, opened the ceremony by praising Roach not only for his on-field success but for the inspiring story of his journey from a schoolboy cricket enthusiast to a global sports star. “His achievement of more than 300 Test wickets is a tremendous milestone. But beyond the statistics, it is a story of determination, discipline, resilience, and perseverance,” Harte told the assembled crowd. She emphasized that Roach’s career offers a powerful lesson for current students navigating their own paths to success: “Kemar has shown us that the road to excellence is not always easy. There will be challenges, setbacks and moments of doubt, but with hard work, commitment and belief, those challenges can become stepping stones to greatness.” Harte described Roach as a role model for the school’s current generation of students, noting that his journey from humble beginnings to international stardom demonstrates that achievement is within reach for anyone willing to put in the work. Beyond celebrating Roach, Harte also recognized the many people who supported him along the way, from his family and friends who provided the foundational love and encouragement, to the school staff that nurtured his talent early on. “We acknowledge the school leaders and educators like Mr Jeff Broomes who guided and encouraged him. The physical education teachers and coaches like Mr Vaughn and Ms Ifill, who helped to develop his sporting ability, discipline, and determination,” she said. Turning to the current students of the school, Harte framed the legacy of alumni like Roach as a gift and a responsibility: “The legacy that our old scholars have created is entrusted to the present students of the Alexandra School. You are not simply students passing through these halls. You are the next custodians of the Alexandra name and tradition. The achievements of people like Kemar show you what is possible.” Former principal Jeff Broomes shared lighthearted, fond memories of a young Roach, admitting that the future star was not always the most well-behaved student during his time at the school. “Now, for all of you who have spent some time in the principal’s office, use Kemar as an example. You can live your dream. He spent so much time in my office and he was not the easiest,” Broomes joked. He went on to reveal that on more than one occasion, Roach’s own mother wanted the school to ban him from cricket over his misbehavior, and Broomes himself came close to doing exactly that. But thanks to the steady advocacy of coach Peter Vaughn, Roach was allowed to continue playing, setting the stage for the legendary career that followed. The event closed with students and staff posing for photos with Roach, celebrating not just a historic sports milestone, but the story of one of the West Indies’ greatest cricket stars giving back to the community that launched his career.

  • Belize Named Vice President of Disaster Management Alliance

    Belize Named Vice President of Disaster Management Alliance

    On September 25, 2026, it was announced that Belize has assumed the vice presidency of the newly established World Alliance for Disaster Management (WADM), a global coalition founded to coordinate cross-border disaster preparedness and response efforts. The WADM, which counts 13 founding members including Belize, was formally inaugurated during a series of inaugural events held from September 19 to 21 in Taipei, Taiwan, where representatives from 21 countries gathered to launch the new coalition.

    Leading Belize’s delegation to the founding activities was Rolando Zetina, Chief Executive Officer of Belize’s Ministry of the Public Service, Disaster Risk Management and Enterprise. As one of the founding core members, Belize has been entrusted with the vice presidential role of the alliance, and is scheduled to assume the presidency at WADM’s next general conference.

    The primary mission of WADM is to foster collaborative disaster preparedness among member nations through targeted training programs, cross-border sharing of emergency data and cutting-edge disaster response technology, and coordinated mutual assistance mechanisms during crisis events. For Belize, a Caribbean nation highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, this alliance membership carries particular practical weight. The country regularly faces recurrent climate-related hazards including destructive hurricanes, widespread seasonal flooding, dangerous storm surges, and prolonged periods of drought, all of which threaten local communities, infrastructure and economic stability.

    In comments following the alliance’s founding, Zetina emphasized that the core objective of WADM is to build proactive cooperation frameworks that deliver tangible benefits before disasters strike. “As we establish WADM, Belize looks forward to working with Taiwan and all participating countries to build a platform where expertise can be shared, relationships can be strengthened, and practical cooperation can take place before a disaster occurs,” Zetina said.

    Belize’s government noted that the country’s participation in WADM builds on existing long-term cooperative disaster risk management work between Belize and Taiwan. Officials expect that membership in this new global alliance will further enhance Belize’s national disaster preparedness capacity and increase the country’s overall resilience to climate and weather-related shocks.

  • Mottley: Climate finance ‘math simply ain’t mathing’

    Mottley: Climate finance ‘math simply ain’t mathing’

    Speaking from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has issued a stark warning about the growing climate financing crisis facing the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. By 2030, Mottley estimates that these countries will face an annual shortfall of nearly $400 billion in funding needed to address climate change impacts — and that gap is being widened dramatically by unfair lending practices that force vulnerable countries to pay billions in extra annual interest payments compared to richer, developed nations.

    Mottley laid out the staggering mismatch between current funding and what is actually required, noting that vulnerable countries need to mobilize approximately $490 billion every year by the end of the 2020s to build climate resilience, adapt to shifting weather patterns, and recover from increasingly frequent extreme climate events. That stands in sharp contrast to the current annual climate finance flows that reach these nations, which sit at just $9 billion. “As the young people in Barbados would say, the math simply ain’t mathing,” Mottley declared, driving home the disconnect between global climate commitments and on-the-ground financing support.

    Beyond the massive gap between what is needed and what is actually delivered, Mottley emphasized that the inequity of current lending structures is compounding the crisis. Climate-vulnerable countries currently face borrowing costs that are roughly 1.2 percentage points higher than those charged to advanced economies. While that gap may seem marginal to outside observers, Mottley calculated that it adds up to $62 billion in extra annual interest payments that vulnerable nations must pay, a burden she described as fundamentally unfair. This higher cost of borrowing acts as a persistent drag on economies already struggling to cope with the fallout of climate shocks, from sea-level rise to devastating hurricanes and droughts.

    Mottley used these concrete numbers to reinforce a long-running argument: the existing international financial system systematically disadvantages climate-vulnerable developing countries, particularly when they seek financing to strengthen resilience and advance sustainable development. As the current president of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and its V20 group of climate-vulnerable economies, Barbados has been leading targeted efforts to expand access to affordable, long-term financing for these nations.

    One key initiative highlighted by Mottley is the Vulnerability to Viability Compact, developed in partnership with the OPEC Fund for International Development, which has already gained the backing of 74 countries and 16 major development finance institutions. This initiative aims to remove barriers to low-cost, long-term capital for critical community projects spanning education infrastructure, healthcare facilities, and water access systems. Mottley also noted that the V20’s Lifeline Fund is set to become operational in the near future, designed to provide rapid liquidity support to countries facing balance of payments pressures in the immediate aftermath of climate shocks. “It seeks to provide rapid liquidity when climate shocks create balance of payments pressures for countries,” she explained. “So we are moving to help ourselves.”

    For Mottley, access to long-term financing is non-negotiable if vulnerable nations are to move beyond a constant cycle of post-disaster recovery and make the foundational investments needed to build strong, resilient economies. “You cannot build hospitals and schools and water infrastructure with 10- and 15-year money,” she argued. Short-term financing “crowds out critical investments for our people and leaves you flat-footed, and that is why this important initiative represents real progress.”

    Even as she celebrated the progress of these collaborative efforts between vulnerable nations, Mottley was careful to note that incremental changes to financing practice are not enough to fix the deeper structural inequities at play. “Mechanisms such as this one cannot on their own address the underlying flaws of the international financial architecture,” she cautioned. This warning aligns with the core mission of the Bridgetown Initiative, the proposal spearheaded by Barbados over the past five years that calls for systemic reform of the international financial system and expanded access to affordable financing for vulnerable developing countries.

    Mottley reiterated that the interconnected nature of the world’s biggest challenges demands a coordinated, holistic policy approach. For almost five years, the Bridgetown Initiative has consistently argued that climate resilience, debt sustainability, and access to affordable finance cannot be treated as separate, siloed issues. “For many vulnerable countries, the problem is not simply the availability of capital, but whether we have the fiscal space to borrow and to invest on reasonable terms,” she said.

  • “Hornerman” – and other Caribbean words – enter the Oxford English Dictionary

    “Hornerman” – and other Caribbean words – enter the Oxford English Dictionary

    The rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the Caribbean and Bermuda has earned a new permanent place on the global stage, as more than 10 region-specific words and phrases deeply embedded in local speech, folklore, cuisine, and daily life have just been inducted into the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), one of the world’s most authoritative references on the English language.

    Among the new inclusions is the Trinidad and Tobago term *hornerman*, a descriptor for an unfaithful man, or one who pursues a romantic relationship with another person’s partner, that has been in use in the region since at least 1975. Beyond everyday conversation, the term has cemented its place in Caribbean popular culture, taking center stage in iconic calypso tracks such as Shadow’s *Hornerman* and *Yuh Looking for Horn*.

    Folklore, a core pillar of Caribbean cultural identity, is well represented in the new batch of entries. One prominent addition is *jablesse*, the name for a malevolent, shape-shifting female spirit from regional legend. Rooted in the French word *diablesse* (meaning female demon), traditional lore describes jablesse as having one cloven hoof, who often takes the form of a beautiful woman to lure unsuspecting men to their deaths. Another folkloric figure honored in the update is *douen*, the spirit of a child who died before receiving baptism. According to tradition, douen is depicted as a child with backwards-facing feet and an oversized hat, who tricks children into wandering deep into the forest by calling their names.

    The dictionary update also shines a light on the Caribbean’s beloved food culture, adding two staple sweet and savory treats: *peanut punch*, a rich creamy beverage blended from peanuts or peanut butter, milk, sugar, and warm spices, and *sugar cake*, a dense sweet confection made from grated coconut, boiled sugar, water, and aromatic spices.

    Reflecting the Caribbean’s long history of multicultural fusion, the new entries also include terms borrowed from South Asian languages: *Nana* and *nani*, Hindi-derived words used across the region to refer to maternal grandparents. Another identity-based entry is *Trinbagonian*, the widely used umbrella term for people from the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago.

    Other entries highlight the region’s unique historical and festival traditions. *Canboulay*, for example, refers to the pre-Carnival celebrations in Trinidad that trace their origins back to 19th-century emancipation festivities and even earlier pre-colonial sugar harvest rituals. The term itself comes from French Creole *kann-boulé*, which translates directly to “burning cane”, a reference to the traditional harvest practice at the heart of the event.

    Two common Caribbean colloquial phrases round out the linguistic additions: *to get on*, which means to have an unplanned emotional outburst or create a public scene, and *vex money*, a term for savings stashed or carried in a secure place for unexpected emergencies.

    Beyond the Caribbean, the update also includes several Bermudian-specific terms that are rarely used outside the island territory. These include *bimpert*, a local slang term of unknown origin for someone perceived as foolish or unintelligent; *shadeesh*, the Bermudian name for the cured sausage chorizo; and *hamma*, the island’s colloquial term for a friend or close companion.

    This induction into the OED marks a major milestone for Caribbean and Bermudian culture, cementing the region’s unique linguistic contributions to the evolving global English language and making these one-of-a-kind cultural terms accessible to audiences around the world.

  • UDP Demands Full Investigation Into Guatemalan Military Aircraft Incursion

    UDP Demands Full Investigation Into Guatemalan Military Aircraft Incursion

    On September 24, 2026, just one day before the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) made its formal demand, a Guatemalan military aircraft conducted an unapproved flight near two key Belizean territories: Lighthouse Reef Atoll and Caye Caulker. The incident has sparked fresh tensions between the two Central American nations, which have been locked in a long-standing territorial dispute currently under review at the International Court of Justice.

    The UDP confirmed that Francis Usher, chief executive officer of Belize’s Ministry of National Defence and Border Security, has publicly verified that Belizean authorities never granted authorization for the Guatemalan aircraft to operate in the area. The core unresolved question at the center of the incident remains whether the military craft actually crossed into officially recognized Belizean airspace, a breach that would constitute a clear violation of national sovereignty according to Belizean policy.

    Critiquing Guatemala’s official response to the incident, the UDP has argued that the statement released by Guatemala’s defense ministry is wholly inadequate. Guatemalan officials only offered a general assertion that all their military operations comply with international and domestic law, and failed to address the specific flight path of the aircraft in question. The UDP emphasized that Belize does not need broad, generic assurances of compliance; what the country requires is a detailed, specific account of exactly where the aircraft traveled on September 24.

    To get to the bottom of the incident, the main opposition party has laid out a clear set of steps it says the Belizean government must take. First, authorities should cross-reference existing radar data and official flight records to map the exact route of the Guatemalan military craft. Second, the government must release all its findings on the incursion claim publicly to maintain transparency with the Belizean people. Third, Belize’s diplomatic corps should formally request a direct, on-the-record explanation from Guatemalan government officials. If an investigation confirms that the aircraft did enter Belizean airspace without prior approval, the UDP says a formal diplomatic protest is a necessary next step to defend the country’s territorial integrity.

    Notably, the UDP has drawn a direct connection between this airspace incident and another recent sovereignty dispute between the two neighbors. Just weeks prior, Belize filed a formal protest after Guatemalan forces blocked access to the area near Sarstoon Island for Belizean citizens. Both nations have publicly committed to respecting each other’s territorial sovereignty in recent diplomatic negotiations, but Guatemala has maintained its long-standing territorial claim over parts of Belize, a case that remains pending before the International Court of Justice for a final ruling.

  • In maiden UN address, PM Friday urges reform, climate justice, reparations (+Video)

    In maiden UN address, PM Friday urges reform, climate justice, reparations (+Video)

    In his maiden address to the United Nations General Assembly high-level debate on Friday, Godwin Friday, the newly elected Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, laid out a sweeping agenda for transformative reform of global governance institutions, pressing for changes ranging from UN Security Council restructuring to reparations for historical injustices.

    Friday, who took office following November’s general election, opened his remarks by delivering a stark assessment of the current multilateral order. He argued that public and state trust in global cooperative bodies has fractured, and optimism for collective progress has faded, leaving small, economically vulnerable developing nations to shoulder the worst consequences of crises they had no role in creating. Despite the UN’s well-documented flaws, he urged member states not to walk away from the organization, instead calling for intentional reform to fix its structural inequities rather than discarding it entirely. “The UN is what we have made it, and it is our responsibility to reshape it to fit the needs of the modern world,” he emphasized.

    A core priority of Friday’s reform push was an overhaul of the UN Security Council, a body he argued remains trapped in the 1945 power dynamics that shaped its founding, failing to reflect today’s shifted geopolitical landscape. He called for the council to include at least one permanent African representative with full membership rights and privileges, warning that continued exclusion would expose the global governance system as one built for power, not equitable governance.

    On institutional representation, Friday also noted that every UN Secretary-General since the body’s founding in 1946 has been a man. After nearly 80 years, he insisted, the moment has arrived for a equally qualified woman to lead the organization. He formally endorsed Guyanese diplomat Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett as St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ preferred candidate for the role, praising her as a principled multilateralist and a steadfast advocate for developing and small states.

    Climate change and economic resilience occupied a large portion of the prime minister’s address, as he stressed that for small island developing states (SIDS), climate impacts are not a distant future threat, but an immediate, ongoing crisis that creates repeated financial emergencies. Pointing to the widespread destruction wrought by Hurricane Beryl across the Caribbean in July 2024, he explained that just a few hours of extreme weather can erase decades of infrastructure investment and livelihood development, setting national progress back years and forcing governments to take on repeated new debt just to rebuild what was lost.

    Friday renewed longstanding calls for the formal adoption and implementation of a multidimensional vulnerability index to govern access to concessional development financing. Traditional classification systems that rely solely on national average income, he argued, fail to capture the extreme inherent risks and limited adaptive capacity of small island nations. He threw his support behind key provisions of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS and the Bridgetown Initiative, including automatic suspension of debt service in the aftermath of climate disasters, reallocation and expansion of Special Drawing Rights, and reform of multilateral development banks to offer lending terms aligned with the needs of developing partners, rather than the stricter terms applied to commercial creditors. “Affordable, long-term concessional capital is not charity for small states; it is simple justice,” Friday said. “We contribute the least to the climate crisis, yet we pay the highest price.”

    Turning to global peace and security, Friday drew a direct line between ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and growing economic instability in the Caribbean. Disputes thousands of miles from the region, he explained, drive up global shipping costs and send shockwaves through food and fuel markets that disproportionately harm vulnerable small economies. He called for an immediate end to the war in Ukraine, with any peace agreement rooted in full respect for the sovereign sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations. He also urged a permanent ceasefire in the Middle East, immediate protection of civilian populations, and advancement of a two-state solution that guarantees equal peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

    Friday reaffirmed the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)’s longstanding commitment to establishing Latin America and the Caribbean as a formal zone of peace, noting that all regional disputes — including the ongoing border controversy between Venezuela and Guyana — must be resolved through peaceful negotiations in line with international law and the UN Charter. On the ongoing crisis in Haiti, he described the country’s worsening insecurity and humanitarian catastrophe as a shared burden across the entire Caribbean, calling for sustained international support to help strengthen Haitian state institutions, improve public security, and create the stable conditions needed to hold credible, inclusive elections. He also pressed industrialized nations to crack down on the illicit flow of assault weapons into the Caribbean, arguing that these illegal arms are the primary fuel for rising gang violence and eroding public safety across the region.

    Addressing longstanding geopolitical disputes, Friday reiterated St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ opposition to the decades-old United States economic embargo on Cuba, labeling the policy a form of collective punishment that blocks Cuban people from accessing essential medicine, fuel, and normal trade and development opportunities. Such measures, he added, are fundamentally inconsistent with the core principles of the UN Charter.

    Friday also highlighted his country’s 45-year bilateral relationship with Taiwan, praising Taipei’s contributions to development, disaster response, education, and public health progress in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. He called for Taiwan’s meaningful inclusion in the UN system and its specialized agencies, arguing that Taiwan’s participation would strengthen, rather than weaken, the universality and effectiveness of global collective action.

    Central to Friday’s call for global fairness was a demand for reparatory justice for historical crimes of slavery and indigenous genocide. He welcomed the UN General Assembly’s upcoming March 2026 resolution, led by Ghana and supported by the African Union and CARICOM, that formally classifies the transatlantic trafficking and racialized chattel enslavement of African people as the gravest crime against humanity. He noted that CARICOM’s ten-point reparations plan remains a clear roadmap for addressing the ongoing legacies of slavery and the near-annihilation of Indigenous communities across the Caribbean, arguing that “the past is never truly past when its outcomes still determine who holds wealth and power, and who is left in poverty, across the globe today.”

    In his closing remarks, Friday argued that restoring broken trust in the multilateral system depends entirely on whether small and vulnerable states finally feel protected and their voices heard. Confidence in global institutions will only be rebuilt, he said, when debt is restructured fairly, when climate disaster funding arrives promptly when it is needed, when the benefits of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are shared broadly rather than hoarded by wealthy nations and priced out of reach for developing countries, and when long-condemned policies like unilateral embargoes and unresolved historical injustices are finally addressed through concrete action.

    Despite his catalog of systemic failures and unmet demands, Friday closed his address on a note of cautious optimism. With deliberate commitment to courage, honesty, and fairness, he insisted, the United Nations can still live up to its founding mission and deliver equitable progress for all member states, large and small.

  • Beveiliging voorkomt gewapende roofoverval op goudconcessie Grassalco

    Beveiliging voorkomt gewapende roofoverval op goudconcessie Grassalco

    On 25 September, Surinamese state-owned gold mining company N.V. Grassalco confirmed that six armed men intercepted earlier this week at the main entrance of its Maripaston gold operation were plotting to carry out an armed robbery at the mining concession. The firm says quick action by its security personnel, who blocked the men from entering and immediately alerted local police, prevented what could have been a deadly, large-scale security incident.

    According to official statements from Grassalco, the six men — four of Brazilian nationality and two Surinamese citizens — arrived at the mine’s main gate in a single vehicle. Security staff noticed unusual, suspicious behavior from the group immediately upon their arrival, leading them to make the call to deny the group entry to the operational mining site before conducting a search of their vehicle. The search turned up a cache of hidden weapons, prompting security to contact law enforcement right away.

    Initial details released by authorities confirm the blue-painted Toyota Surf the men were traveling in held a hunting rifle, a handmade automatic firearm, a handgun, and a large stash of ammunition. Authorities also seized gloves and face masks from the vehicle, items commonly used in armed robberies to conceal identities. After weapons were discovered, one suspect attempted to flee the scene but was quickly detained by responding officers. Members of the Suriname Central Regional Assistance Team and the Central Regional Criminal Investigation Department responded to the site and took all six suspects into custody. The group was later transferred to the capital city of Paramaribo, and all six have been remanded into custody to allow for ongoing investigation work.

    While Grassalco has publicly characterized the incident as a foiled armed raid, law enforcement officials note that the exact motive and specific target of the six men have not been definitively confirmed as of yet. Investigations by the Central Regional Criminal Investigation Department are still ongoing. One additional detail that has emerged is that one suspect, identified only as S.D., has already been linked to an earlier armed robbery case in Suriname’s interior, where another suspect was previously taken into custody. Police have not ruled out additional arrests as the investigation progresses.

    Grassalco’s executive board praised the fast and decisive action of its security team, noting that their vigilance stopped a potentially severe attack before it could begin, and expressed official appreciation for their response. The company has also announced it will implement additional, strengthened security measures across its Maripaston gold operation wherever gaps are identified, to prevent similar plots from advancing in the future.

  • Corozal Gets New Technology for Schools and ITVET

    Corozal Gets New Technology for Schools and ITVET

    In a landmark development that is set to reshape technical and digital learning outcomes for students across northern Belize, multiple educational institutions in Corozal District have received transformative technology donations, closing long-standing gaps in access to modern learning tools. The multi-partner initiative has delivered 100 refurbished desktop computers to five local primary schools, alongside cutting-edge virtual reality welding training systems to the Corozal Institute of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ITVET).

    The primary school computer donation was spearheaded by Transparent BPO, which contributed the recycled units, with each of the five beneficiary schools receiving 20 desktops. To extend the functionality and lifespan of the devices, Belize’s Ministry of Investment stepped in to supply brand-new hard drives for all units, and also added an extra allocation of two laptops per campus to further support flexible digital learning initiatives. The five schools selected to receive the equipment are St. Paul’s Anglican Primary School, Church of Christ Primary School, Christiline Gill Primary School, Assemblies of God Primary School, and Corozal Nazarene Primary School.

    This intervention did not emerge spontaneously: it follows a needs assessment funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) that formally identified the shortage of basic information technology infrastructure as a major barrier to delivering hands-on, engaging digital education to students in the region. For school leaders, the donation marks the end of a long period of limited resources, but also brings a new responsibility to ensure the technology delivers real learning gains. Jose Chan, Principal of Church of Christ Primary School, emphasized that while the community has now secured the critical tools students need, the focus must now shift to effective knowledge transfer. “We are getting the tools. Now it is time to pass on the knowledge,” Chan noted, underscoring the importance of teacher training and intentional integration of technology into daily curricula.

    Meanwhile, at Corozal ITVET, a separate donation of four MIG welding virtual reality training systems marks a historic first for technical education in Belize. The equipment was delivered through coordination between the Office of the Prime Minister and the Investment Policy and Compliance Unit, making Corozal ITVET the first educational institution in the entire country to host this advanced simulation technology. Unlike traditional training models that require trainees to practice on live equipment with raw materials, the VR systems allow learners to master core techniques in a risk-free simulated environment before progressing to hands-on live welding work.

    Hiram Riverol, speaking on behalf of ITVET Chairman Froylan Gilharry, explained that the simulation technology addresses multiple longstanding challenges in welding training. Beyond giving learners a low-pressure space to build foundational skills, the system also delivers tangible practical benefits for the institution. Lincoln Blake, Director of the Investment Policy and Compliance Unit, outlined these advantages, noting that the simulators help trainees build muscle memory and confidence in core welding concepts while cutting down on excessive wear and tear to institutional welding equipment and reducing consumption of costly welding materials.

    According to Garcia-Ramirez, a representative from ITVET, the new VR systems will immediately benefit 17 enrolled welding students. The cohort includes eight new applicants who have recently joined the program, and nine returning students who carried over their enrolment from the previous academic year. “We currently have eight new applicants to the course, in addition to nine students from last year’s enrollment, who will have the opportunity to gain practical experience with this technology,” she said, confirming that the technology will be integrated into ongoing training starting immediately. Education and investment sector leaders across Belize have highlighted the donation as a model for public-private cooperation that can be replicated in other districts to lift overall educational quality across the country.

  • DOE: Belize River Water Quality Returns to Normal

    DOE: Belize River Water Quality Returns to Normal

    Nearly two months after a mass fish kill event in the Belize River triggered an official investigation, the country’s Department of the Environment (DOE) has announced that the waterway’s quality has fully stabilized and returned to pre-event normal levels.

    In early August, the unexpected die-off of large numbers of fish in the Belize River prompted urgent intervention from environmental regulators, who launched a full probe to identify the cause and assess the extent of contamination. Over recent weeks, DOE teams have carried out consistent, widespread sampling and monitoring across the entire affected stretch of the river to track changes in water composition.

    Preliminary test results published in the DOE’s Wednesday press release confirm that all key water quality indicators – including nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate concentrations, as well as Chemical Oxygen Demand readings – are now aligned with the baseline measurements collected before the fish kill incident. Further toxicological analysis, conducted via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry on tissue samples from deceased fish, also found no trace of hazardous chemicals that could explain the mass mortality event.

    Even with these encouraging outcomes, environmental regulators have emphasized that ongoing oversight will remain in place. The DOE confirmed it will continue routine monitoring of the Belize River and enforce compliance with corrective and mitigation measures from all public and private stakeholders operating across the Belize River Watershed to prevent future ecological incidents.

    As part of a national push to strengthen early detection of water quality threats, the DOE has already installed a fixed, high-frequency real-time monitoring system at a critical junction along the Belize River. This infrastructure tracks core water quality parameters every 15 minutes, and automatically sends alerts to DOE teams immediately if any abnormal deviations are detected. A second identical monitoring station is scheduled for installation on the nearby New River within the next four weeks, with additional units planned for other ecologically sensitive waterways across Belize in coming months.

    In a separate development linked to the watershed probe, the DOE also confirmed it is continuing an active investigation into an unauthorized rice farm operating near the banks of the Belize River, though no further details on that probe have been released at this time.