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  • Is your heart racing or skipping beats? Learn when it could be an arrhythmia

    Is your heart racing or skipping beats? Learn when it could be an arrhythmia

    Heart rhythm irregularities — commonly marked by sensations of a racing, fluttering, or skipping heartbeat — are a common concern that affect people across age groups, and Mayo Clinic experts have outlined key details on their origins, risk factors, and modern treatment options to help patients navigate these symptoms.

    Divya Korpu, a MBBS physician with the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, explains that abnormal heart rhythms, clinically referred to as arrhythmias, are broadly grouped into two classifications: rhythms that beat too quickly, and rhythms that beat too slowly. Most of the noticeable symptoms people report, including racing pulses or skipped beats, fall into the faster arrhythmia category, and these uncomfortable sensations, called palpitations, are often more prominent when a person is resting at night or lying down. In some cases, the unusual rhythm can also trigger an unexpected feeling of panic.

    For adults between their 20s and 50s, a common presentation is a sudden jump in heart rate from a normal baseline to 180 to 200 beats per minute. This rapid pulse can lead to lightheadedness, dizziness, heightened anxiety, and even fainting in severe cases.

    Fast or irregular beats can originate in either the upper (atrial) or lower (ventricular) chambers of the heart. Beats that start in the top chamber are called premature atrial contractions, or PACs, while those that develop in the bottom chambers are called premature ventricular contractions, or PVCs. While the unusual sensations they cause can feel frightening, Korpu emphasizes that both PACs and PVCs are rarely dangerous or life-threatening, and they do not increase a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke, or death.

    Several common triggers and underlying causes are linked to these irregular beats. These include congenital abnormal electrical circuits in the heart, thyroid disorders, hormonal shifts brought on by pregnancy or menopause, and excessive intake of caffeine or alcohol.

    Management of these irregularities depends on how frequently symptoms occur and how much they interfere with daily life. If episodes are rare and do not disrupt routine activities, many patients are able to adapt and live with minor discomfort without ongoing intervention. For people who find symptoms bothersome, prescription medication can effectively reduce the frequency of extra heartbeats.

    For immediate relief during a sudden episode of racing heart, a vagal maneuver can often interrupt the abnormal rhythm. These simple, at-home techniques include bearing down similarly to when having a bowel movement, blowing into a capped straw, equalizing ear pressure like one does when flying, submerging the face in ice-cold water, or taking a cold shower.

    These at-home strategies are only temporary fixes, however. If symptoms persist, clinicians will typically refer patients for further testing and definitive treatment. One common long-term solution is an electrophysiology study followed by catheter ablation. During this procedure, thin catheters are threaded through veins in the groin and guided to the heart, where specialized wires pinpoint the source of the abnormal rhythm. Targeted energy is then delivered through the catheter to disable the problematic electrical circuit.

    Catheter ablation for common arrhythmias like PACs and PVCs is usually performed under twilight sedation as an outpatient same-day procedure. After the procedure, patients need a companion to accompany them for 24 hours, must avoid driving for a full day, and should refrain from heavy lifting for one week to allow the groin incisions to heal fully. Once the recovery period ends, most patients can return to all their regular activities.

    While PACs and PVCs are the most common fast arrhythmias in younger populations, the most prevalent rapid rhythm condition in older adults is atrial fibrillation, or AFib, or a related condition called atrial flutter. Both conditions become far more common as people age, and they present differently than younger-onset arrhythmias. AFib can cause irregular pulses, palpitations, chest discomfort, lightheadedness, dizziness, fatigue, and occasional fainting. Many patients, however, experience no obvious symptoms, and the condition is only detected during routine medical checkups or testing for other health concerns.

    Common triggers for AFib mirror many of those for other arrhythmias, including untreated sleep apnea, excessive caffeine intake, binge or chronic overconsumption of alcohol, thyroid disorders, and hormonal shifts. A small share of patients also report that spicy foods trigger their AFib episodes.

    There are multiple evidence-based treatment options available for AFib. These include medications to control elevated heart rate, medications to restore and maintain a normal heart rhythm, and catheter ablation. Unlike ablation for PACs and PVCs, AFib ablation is performed under general anesthesia, and it also is a minimally invasive procedure where clinicians access the heart through the groin to target trigger points on the left side of the heart that sustain the abnormal rhythm. For decades, two primary energy types have been used for the procedure: radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat, and cryoablation, which uses cold to disable problematic tissue.

    In recent years, a new nonthermal energy option called pulsed field ablation has been introduced for AFib treatment. This innovative approach selectively targets heart muscle cells, which significantly lowers the risk of serious damage to adjacent tissues and structures, including the esophagus and the phrenic nerve that controls the diaphragm and breathing.

    Regardless of the energy type used for AFib ablation, recovery guidelines are similar: patients can expect about one week of restricted activity to heal properly. A key risk associated with AFib is that blood can pool in the heart during irregular beats, forming clots that can travel to the brain and cause a stroke. For this reason, clinicians usually prescribe blood thinners to most patients after an AFib diagnosis, even after they have undergone successful ablation, based on individual stroke risk factors. For patients who cannot tolerate blood thinners, a small permanent device can be implanted in the heart to seal off the left atrial appendage — the structure where 90% of AFib-related clots form — to reduce stroke risk.

    Experts stress that anyone experiencing persistent racing heart, skipped beats, or other symptoms of an irregular heart rhythm should schedule an appointment with their primary healthcare provider or a cardiologist to get a proper evaluation and determine if further testing or treatment is needed.

    Mayo Clinic, the source of this clinical guidance, is a leading nonprofit academic medical organization dedicated to innovation across clinical care, medical education, and research, and it provides expert, compassionate care to patients from around the world.

  • Audit Shows Split Payments Predate Defense Scandal

    Audit Shows Split Payments Predate Defense Scandal

    As thousands of questionable invoices undergo review at Belize’s Ministry of Defense, a previously released 2015-2016 audit report has cast new light on the ongoing scandal, revealing that the controversial practice of split payments – a tactic used to bypass official financial approval rules – is far from a new issue, and has been overlooked by successive government administrations for more than a decade.

    The long-running loophole works by breaking large public expenditures into multiple smaller transactions, allowing public officials to avoid the higher-level approval required for payments above set thresholds. For Belize’s government agencies, any payment exceeding $10,000 requires sign-off from senior officials; for regional public health facilities including the Isabella Palma Polyclinic – the facility examined in the 2015-2016 audit – the threshold was just $3,000.

    The 2015-2016 audit, led by then-Auditor General Dorothy Bradley, documented eight clear cases of split payments at the polyclinic, a small number compared to the thousands of suspicious invoices now being investigated at the defense ministry, but one that uses identical tactics. Examples cited in the decade-old report include a $4,819.32 restaurant invoice split into two separate checks worth $2,000 and $2,819.32, issued and cashed on the same day under the same invoice number. A second case split a $3,444.20 vendor quote into two transactions of $1,722 and $1,722.20, also processed on the same day.

    Auditors confirmed this is the exact same strategy that has been uncovered at the Ministry of Defense over the past five years, raising urgent questions about why repeated warnings about the loophole were never acted on by consecutive governments.

    In comments to reporters, Tracy Panton, leader of the opposition United Democratic Party, denied any knowledge of the practice during her time as a senior government official. “I served as the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. As the Chief Executive Officer you serve as the accounting officer for that Ministry and I can say never during my tenure was there ever such a practice within the ministry of tourism and civil aviation,” Panton stated. “I am not aware that it was the practice in any other ministry, but if it was it was wrong and cannot continue.”

    The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) is now citing the 2015 audit findings to back its claim that split payments represent a systemic pattern of corruption exploited by people in positions of power. William Neal, an Executive Councilor with the BCCI, argued that the problem extends beyond individual bad actors to weak institutional culture and vague accountability rules within government.

    “The thing that is interesting is that you still have your technical people very often in the same position and whether the minister can give you approval by word of mouth and whether there needs to be documentation for you to actually follow through,” Neal explained. “What are the systems within the government system that actually means you have been authorized. Then you can abdicate your personal responsibility to say I have been instructed to do this and here is my documentation to do it. It is not the normal practice that somebody stands up and say, its not the process that somebody has to do it. So I think it how we put that system in place and put it on, not auto pilot but how it becomes the culture itself.”

    Bradley’s 2015 report explicitly noted that split payments were deliberately used to get around existing financial regulations, suggesting a deliberate pattern of ignoring procurement and payment rules at public health facilities. The audit only recommended that government agencies strictly adhere to existing Financial Orders, and included no calls for individual officials to be held accountable for the rule-breaking.

    Today, as current Auditor General Maria Rodriquez concludes her ongoing review of the defense ministry invoices, observers are waiting to see whether the current audit will break from the past and call for meaningful accountability, or repeat the toothless recommendations of a decade ago.

  • Travelers to Pay New Airport Security Fee

    Travelers to Pay New Airport Security Fee

    Starting in the near future, every passenger departing from Belize’s airports will face a new $10 aviation security fee, a policy recently greenlit by the country’s Cabinet to address evolving global aviation threats and bring local security protocols in line with updated international standards. The Belize Airports Authority, which first announced the new charge, has laid out a clear breakdown of how the generated revenue will be allocated to upgrade the nation’s airport safety framework. Local outlet News Five reached out to authority representatives to clarify the justification for the new fee, following official approval of the policy. According to senior BAA officials, the global aviation security landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years, with new and emerging threats putting passengers, on-site staff, and critical airport infrastructure at greater risk. To match evolving international security benchmarks and prevent gaps in protection, Belize must make targeted, timely investments in its aviation safety systems, the officials explained. All funds collected from the new fee will be directed to three core security improvement areas: expanding the airport security workforce through new hiring, delivering advanced specialized training to existing security personnel, increasing the range and coverage of closed-circuit television monitoring systems across airport premises, and procuring next-generation baggage screening and X-ray scanning equipment to detect prohibited or dangerous items more effectively. Authority representatives emphasized that the small additional cost for departing travelers is a necessary proactive measure, designed to maintain the safety of everyone working in and passing through Belize’s airports, while preserving the country’s compliance with global aviation security requirements. The new fee is set to go into effect after final administrative arrangements are completed, with no specific launch date announced as of the August 6, 2026 report.

  • River Valley Residents Demand Answers on Sudden Fish Kill

    River Valley Residents Demand Answers on Sudden Fish Kill

    In the quiet Belize River Valley that has long sustained local communities, a sudden and unexplained mass fish death event has upended daily life, leaving residents demanding answers and prompting urgent government investigation. The event, which unfolded earlier this week, left dozens of dead fish bobbing along riverbanks, forcing authorities to issue an immediate warning barring public contact with aquatic life from the impacted stretch of water. As of August 6, 2026, the core cause of the die-off remains unconfirmed, though early preliminary data points to critically low dissolved oxygen levels in the affected water. For generations, communities along the Belize River have relied on the waterway for fishing, domestic use, and livelihood, turning this environmental disturbance into a pressing public concern that goes far beyond the dead fish washing ashore. Local resident Sharon Robinson, who lives in the community of Flowers Bank, drew a parallel to a similar die-off that hit the region roughly a decade ago, when a mass mortality event wiped out local lobster populations that have only recently started to recover. She suspects the source of the current contamination is located upstream on the Cayo side of the river, with pollutants carried downstream to the valley’s waters. A multi-agency investigation team, assembled in response to the incident, has already begun collecting water samples and mapping potential sources of pollution across the watershed, but investigators have yet to reach a definitive conclusion on what triggered the die-off. Ecologist Dr. Colin Young laid out one of the leading potential explanations for the oxygen depletion that has been tied to the fish kill. He noted that the region has recently seen heavy rainfall, which increases agricultural runoff carrying large volumes of sediment as well as nitrogen-based fertilizers from nearby farms into the river. When these nutrients and sediment enter the waterway, they fuel rapid, unchecked growth of algae and bacteria, which in turn consume most of the available dissolved oxygen in the water — creating hypoxic conditions that fish cannot survive in. Dr. Young added that the problem is not limited to this single event; for years, unregulated canal digging in the watershed has routinely deposited excess sediment, fertilizers, and other pollutants into the Belize River, creating a cumulative risk of harmful ecological events. He emphasized that slower, deeper, wider stretches of the river are particularly prone to trapping these pollutants, allowing oxygen levels to drop to lethal levels for aquatic life, even if the source of contamination is located much farther upstream. Currently, the Belize Department of the Environment (DOE) has maintained its strict safety advisory for residents: no consumption of fish or other aquatic life from impacted areas, no use of untreated river water for drinking, cooking, or watering livestock. The DOE has confirmed that the majority of local households receive safe treated water from Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL), but a significant number of residents still rely directly on the river for daily needs, making the warning a critical priority for public safety. Isabella Bank resident Francisca Madril shared the widespread community anxiety over the incident, saying she remains deeply concerned about the impact of the dead fish and contaminated water. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the cause and long-term impacts, many residents have reported early signs of improvement in recent days: water clarity has increased from the dark, murky conditions seen earlier in the week, and far fewer dead fish are seen floating downstream. That small improvement has not quelled resident concerns, however. Robinson explained that even with current low water levels, rising tides could carry contaminated water into residential yards, threatening backyard gardens and livestock that many families depend on. Dr. Young argued that while Belize already has strong environmental protection laws on the books to prevent unregulated sediment runoff and pollution, consistent enforcement has been lacking, allowing risky development and agricultural practices to continue unchecked. Development should not come at the cost of the river ecosystem that supports local communities, he emphasized. Now, residents across the Belize River Valley are calling for a full, transparent public investigation into the fish kill, and are demanding accountability for any parties found responsible for illegal pollution that contributed to the event. As investigators continue their work, the community remains on edge, waiting for confirmation of when their lifeline river will be safe to use again.

  • Young Artists Showcase Stained-Glass Skills

    Young Artists Showcase Stained-Glass Skills

    On August 6, 2026, a cohort of emerging young artists from Belize City celebrated a key milestone in their creative journeys, receiving official completion certificates for the Belize Department of Youth Services’ intensive stained-glass workshop. The program is just one of more than 40 free summer skill-building initiatives rolled out by the department this year, designed to connect young people from all socioeconomic backgrounds with hands-on learning opportunities that extend far beyond traditional classroom walls.

    Over three days, more than 15 local participants worked alongside experienced instructors to master the full process of stained-glass creation, from initial conceptual design to glass cutting, assembly, and finishing. Blending traditional craftsmanship with modern technical approaches, many students chose to center their final projects on Belize’s iconic national symbols, infusing centuries-old cathedral stained-glass techniques with local cultural identity. As observers watched, young creators worked with steady focus and dedication, turning raw shards of colored glass into vivid, expressive works of art.

    Leading the workshop was Jokeeta Savariau, a former architectural and aviation engineer with 11 years of experience designing hands-on STEM and creative learning programs for Belizean youth. This is not Savariau’s first stained-glass initiative: two years prior, she led a successful camp in Punta Gorda that wove historical education into craft training, where participants created patterns inspired by the Underground Railroad. That program integrated lessons on transatlantic slavery and the movement toward freedom with practical learning in geometry, mathematics, and the scientific principles of glass soldering. Each year, Savariau adapts her programming to explore new fields, ranging from robotics in Punta Gorda to other creative and technical disciplines, giving young people the space to explore new interests through tangible, hands-on practice.

    Kyle Miller, a youth officer with the Department of Youth Services, explained that the department chose to host this iteration of the camp in Belize City to expand access to the uncommon training to young people in the urban center. Unlike more common youth program offerings, stained-glass craftsmanship is an underdeveloped skill in Belize, meaning participants have the unique opportunity to carve out their own niche markets and entrepreneurial paths. This workshop reflects a broader strategic shift in the department’s youth programming toward supporting the development of rare, specialized competencies. By offering accessible training in these skills domestically, officials aim to nurture young people’s creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, while strengthening the overall capacity and diversity of Belize’s future workforce.

    Trent Clarke, one of the workshop attendees, praised the program’s engaging, accessible structure. With one-on-one guidance from Savariau, Clarke noted that many participants leave the program confident enough to pursue stained-glass creation independently after the camp ends.
    Miller emphasized that all Department of Youth Services summer camps, including the stained-glass workshop, are completely free of charge for participants, with all materials and instruction covered by the department. The programs are structured not only to build technical skills but also to foster leadership development, and department officials hope to expand the initiative in coming years to reach more young people across the country.

    Beyond being a seasonal recreational activity, the workshop provides a safe, supportive space for young people to learn, create, and identify their unique strengths. As global and local job markets continue to evolve, specialized hands-on skills like stained-glass craftsmanship give Belizean youth a tangible competitive edge. Investment in accessible, skills-focused youth programming today, organizers say, is an investment in a more dynamic, innovative, and prosperous Belize for future generations.

  • Punta Gorda Woman Wins 50K with Scratch & Win

    Punta Gorda Woman Wins 50K with Scratch & Win

    August 6, 2026 — For a regular casual lottery player from Punta Gorda, an ordinary trip to the neighborhood convenience store turned into a life-changing $50,000 windfall this week, all thanks to a double-take at a Scratch & Win ticket.

    The winner, who has bought small-priced Scratch & Win tickets on and off for years, picked up four tickets from her local retailer on Wednesday, the day before she revealed her big win. As she scratched off each ticket one by one, she initially wrote the first one off as a modest $50 win and set it aside to finish the remaining three. After the other three yielded only $20 in small prizes combined, she circled back to the first ticket for a closer look — and spotted extra zeros she had missed at first glance.

    In an interview after her win, the Punta Gorda resident described the shock and joy of the moment. “I bought the ticket yesterday, and I started scratching it. I bought four tickets. So I scratched one, and then I saw fifty dollars. I thought it was fifty dollars, so I put it aside and I scratched the other three. I won twenty dollars on the other ticket. So I came back to the same ticket, and I scratched and I saw some zeros. I’m like, ‘Wow, I won fifty thousand dollars,’” she shared.

    When asked how she felt in that moment of realization, the winner simply said, “I felt happy and excited, and I said, I can’t believe it.”

    Unlike many big lottery winners who have pre-planned goals for their prize money, the Punta Gorda woman says she has not settled on any specific plans for her $50,000 windfall yet. “Well, not at the moment. I have to focus and think what I’m gonna do with it,” she explained. To date, only her son and sister have been told about the win, so she is looking forward to sitting down with her family to weigh options for using the money to support their long-term well-being.

    The winner added that this huge jackpot has not dulled her enthusiasm for playing the casual lottery: she has only ever won small prizes ranging from $2 to $20 in the past, but when asked if she would keep buying Scratch & Win tickets, she answered without hesitation, “Of course, I will.”

    This report is a transcript of a televised evening newscast covering the local win.

  • Booed James Bond says MV Barima’s captain, others can challenge murder charges

    Booed James Bond says MV Barima’s captain, others can challenge murder charges

    On August 6, 2026, governing party parliamentarian James Bond faced heated public backlash from opposition activists and residents of Melanie Damishana, Guyana, while addressing widespread anger over murder charges filed against three crew members of the sunken vessel MV Barima, which left 72 passengers and crew dead and more than 100 people total dead in the disaster. The three accused are 40-year-old Kevin Price, a resident of Melanie Damishana, 42-year-old chief mate Rondell Dwayne Roberts from East Bank Demerara, and 33-year-old goods superintendent Delon Granderson from West Coast Demerara. Residents have raised fierce objections to the charges, arguing they are premature, legally unfounded, and lack proof of intent — a core legal requirement for a murder conviction. In a tense public confrontation marked by constant jeers and repeated boos from the crowd, Bond, a trained attorney who switched affiliation from the opposition People’s National Congress Reform to the governing People’s Progressive Party Civic ahead of September 2025 general elections, acknowledged that the charges against his fellow villager Price have caused him personal distress. Even so, he defended the legal process that led to the charges. Explaining the procedural background, Bond noted that investigators completed their probe and submitted the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions, which ultimately authorized the murder charges by applying international case precedent to the local incident. He pushed back against critics questioning why charges were filed at all, drawing a parallel to routine unlawful death cases: just as a driver who causes a fatal crash through dangerous operation is immediately taken into custody and charged, those linked to the MV Barima disaster must face formal legal process per Guyana’s rule of law. Addressing demands for clarity on whether the three crew members premeditated the deaths of the 72 victims, Bond stated he could not speak to the accused’s state of mind. “I was not in [Kevin Price’s] mind. I was not on the vessel. I don’t know enough facts to form a view. I would not even dare go there,” he told the assembled crowd. Prime Minister Mark Phillips has already publicly stated he does not believe the crew intended to kill anyone, a contradiction that has further fueled public skepticism of the charges. As the legal process moves forward, Bond noted that the accused have clear avenues to challenge the DPP’s decision. “If you disagree with whatever decision an administrative or judicial person has made, there is recourse in the law,” he explained. “The accused’s legal team can request a High Court judicial review of the DPP’s charging decision, at which point the prosecution will be required to defend the legal basis for the charge in open court.” Prosecutors have not yet completed full disclosure of all evidence related to the charges to the defense, a procedural step required before the case can move to trial. Bond also addressed the ongoing official Commission of Inquiry convened to investigate the disaster, noting that while the three accused have the legal right to remain silent during commission proceedings, he believes testifying would work to their benefit. “In my estimation, them speaking to the Commission of Inquiry would help them,” he said. To support the commission’s investigative work, the Guyanese government has launched a public tender seeking a specialized firm with forensic evidence preservation capabilities to salvage the wreckage of the MV Barima from its resting place.

  • Potholes complaints, bus tracking top Pearly app usage – developer

    Potholes complaints, bus tracking top Pearly app usage – developer

    A newly launched digital civic engagement platform in Barbados has already surpassed early adoption projections, with road infrastructure complaints and public transit tracking emerging as the two most popular features among local users, according to the app’s developer.

    Ramon Dummett, founder and chief executive officer of local tech firm Touch Star — the company behind the Pearly platform — shared details of the app’s early performance in an interview with Barbados TODAY, revealing that the tool has already notched more than 10,000 downloads since its launch. Dummett noted that the overwhelming user engagement signals a major shift toward digitized public participation in the country’s civic processes.

    Of all the user-submitted reports logged through the platform’s public portal, pothole damage accounts for the vast majority of submissions. Dummett explained that this trend aligns with everyday experiences for most Barbadians: nearly all residents rely on the island’s road network for daily travel, making damaged pavement one of the most visible and pressing quality-of-life concerns. The platform allows residents to geotag specific road defects and submit reports directly to the relevant government agencies, creating a centralized, searchable database of public infrastructure priorities that was not available through traditional reporting channels.

    To handle the unexpected flood of public reports, Dummett said government agencies are currently working through a structured onboarding process to adapt their existing workflows to the new digital system. Touch Star is leading technical implementation, providing hands-on staff training, and offering ongoing operational support across multiple government ministries to streamline the new complaint resolution process. The ultimate goal of the digital overhaul is to cut response times from weeks to days, and in some well-defined cases, just a few hours, Dummett said.

    Dummett asked for the public’s patience as agencies adjust to the new system, projecting that operational kinks will be ironed out within one to two months. Once the initial backlog of early reports is cleared, residents will start to see noticeably faster resolutions for their submitted requests, he added.

    Beyond infrastructure reporting, Pearly’s real-time public bus tracking feature has quickly become the platform’s second most heavily used tool. The service lets commuters track the exact location of Barbados Transport Board buses in real time, eliminating the uncertainty of waiting at stops for delayed or rerouted services. Dummett noted that the tool delivers tangible quality-of-life benefits, giving back valuable time to residents who would otherwise wait for buses that do not arrive on schedule.

    To improve the tracking feature’s reliability across the entire island, Touch Star is currently upgrading the GPS infrastructure installed on the full Transport Board bus fleet. Unlike consumer GPS systems that can suffer from signal dropouts in remote or built-up areas, the Pearly system uses a long-range, highly stable signal network that operates similarly to traditional AM radio, ensuring consistent coverage across the entire island.

    Dummett emphasized that Pearly is far more than a simple public complaint app: it functions as a full, comprehensive government operating system built on Touch Star’s proprietary Sunsuite digital platform, which can host multiple civic and administrative tools at once. The architecture is designed to be flexible enough for white-labeling, meaning the core platform could be exported to other countries seeking to digitize their own civic services in the future. Just as general-purpose operating systems like Windows or macOS host a wide range of productivity apps, Pearly’s underlying framework powers multiple interconnected tools to help government agencies manage and track public requests from start to finish.

    Touch Star is already preparing to launch several new modules for the platform in the coming months. Upcoming features include real-time emergency alerts, live streams of government public broadcasts, and a dedicated emergency management mode to support vulnerable populations during national crises. The team is also putting the final touches on Pearly Maps, an intelligent traffic management system that leverages anonymized historical transit data from the Transport Board fleet to predict congestion, suggest optimal departure times, and recommend alternate routes before drivers hit gridlock.

    Integration for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is currently in live testing, with the team targeting a full launch of the navigation feature ahead of the upcoming school term, when traffic volume typically increases across the island.

    Reflecting on the platform’s early performance, Dummett expressed confidence in his 40-person local engineering team, noting that real-world use over the first few months has already proven the platform is resilient and scalable enough to support national-level public service delivery for Barbados.

  • “Create Your Own Market”: DYS Teaches Youth Stained Glass, Free

    “Create Your Own Market”: DYS Teaches Youth Stained Glass, Free

    In a transformative initiative aimed at equipping young people with marketable, unconventional skills, Belize’s Department of Youth Services (DYS) has concluded its three-day free stained glass workshop for youth in Belize City, awarding completion certificates to more than 15 local participants. By the end of the program, attendees had mastered the full process of creating stained glass art, from initial design and glass cutting to final assembly, with all projects drawing inspiration from Belize’s iconic national symbols.

    This workshop is just one of over 40 free youth skill-development programs DYS has organized across the country this summer. Leading the instruction was Jokeeta Savariau, a former architectural and aviation engineer who previously worked in the United States and has dedicated 11 years to running themed youth camps across Belize. Each year, Savariau shifts the camp focus to explore new fields; past programs have covered topics ranging from robotics to traditional crafts, and she often weaves cross-disciplinary learning into hands-on activities.

    Recalling a previous stained glass camp held in Punta Gorda, Savariau explained how the craft was tied to historical education: participants created patterns based on the Underground Railroad, allowing them to learn about the history of slavery and the movement toward emancipation while also applying practical geometry, mathematics, and core scientific principles to solder glass pieces safely and correctly.

    DYS Youth Officer Kyle Miller noted that the choice to bring this specific workshop to Belize City was a deliberate, strategic decision. Unlike common trades taught in standard youth programs, stained glass art is rarely practiced or seen across Belize, meaning there is no saturated existing market for the craft. Miller emphasized that this gap is exactly what makes the opportunity valuable: instead of competing in crowded local industries, young artisans can carve out their own niche and “create your own market” for their work.

    Trent Clarke, one of the workshop attendees, shared his positive experience of the program, saying that with Savariau’s thorough guidance, he feels confident now pursuing stained glass art independently as a potential small business. Looking ahead, Miller has issued an open call for more young Belizeans to sign up for DYS’s upcoming free skill camps, encouraging youth to take advantage of these accessible opportunities to build new talents and explore alternative career paths.

  • Rechterlijke Macht verkort jaarlijkse zittingsvrije periode naar één maand

    Rechterlijke Macht verkort jaarlijkse zittingsvrije periode naar één maand

    In a landmark vote held at its recent annual general meeting, Suriname’s Judiciary has approved a major reform that will cut the annual court recess period to just one month starting from the 2027-2028 judicial term. Under the new policy, the annual recess will run uniformly from September 1 to 30, replacing the longer break that was previously scheduled.

    The core goal of this adjustment is to upgrade public judicial services and eliminate unnecessary long delays in active court proceedings that currently leave cases stalled for extended periods. Court leaders emphasized that the decision to shorten the recess is rooted in prioritizing the needs of people seeking legal resolution, and aligns with broader ongoing efforts to make the national justice system faster and more accessible for all citizens.

    Speaking at the conclusion of the annual meeting, Court President Iwan Rasoelbaks outlined the Judiciary’s core mission: to serve the Surinamese public through speedy, accessible, and transparent judicial proceedings. Rasoelbaks noted that more efficient judicial operations directly strengthen public trust in the rule of law, adding that the Judiciary also plans to further boost both internal and external communication with the broader society.

    Rasoelbaks also extended public recognition to the hard work of sitting judges and public prosecutors, acknowledging that the branch has operated under significant challenging conditions in recent years. He highlighted that chronic understaffing has forced current judicial personnel to take on double the expected workload, pointing to the global standard of one judge or prosecutor per 10,000 citizens that Suriname currently fails to meet. “I am exceptionally proud of all judges, prosecutors, and the understanding the legal profession has shown for the steps we have taken in recent years to strengthen the rule of law,” Rasoelbaks said.

    The Judiciary’s annual general meeting serves as a key planning session for the upcoming judicial term. Members routinely confirm core operational arrangements, including judge work allocation, sitting schedules for first-instance and appellate cases, cross-practice coordination across different legal areas, and appointments to judicial committees and disciplinary boards. For the upcoming 2026-2027 term, organizers have already incorporated newly trainee judge candidates (RAIO’s) into the official work planning.