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  • Antigua Cruise Port Nominated for Caribbean’s Best Cruise Terminal at World Cruise Awards

    Antigua Cruise Port Nominated for Caribbean’s Best Cruise Terminal at World Cruise Awards

    In a major milestone for Caribbean cruise tourism, two major regional terminals operated by Global Ports Holding (GPH) – Antigua Cruise Port and Nassau Cruise Port in the Bahamas – have earned nominations for the 2026 Caribbean’s Best Cruise Terminal award from the World Cruise Awards.

    The industry recognition highlights Antigua Cruise Port’s consistent track record of targeted investment in upgrading cruise infrastructure and rolling out customer-centric improvements designed to elevate the overall experience for travelers visiting the island nation. GPH, the world’s largest independent cruise port operator, notes that both nominations are a direct reflection of the company’s ongoing strategic priorities: delivering operational excellence, curating memorable, high-quality experiences for passengers, and making long-term investments to build infrastructure that meets global industry standards.

    Following the announcement of the nominations, GPH has issued a public call for voting, extending gratitude to the communities, travel industry partners, and returning visitors that have supported its two Caribbean ports. Members of the public can cast their votes for the award via the official online voting portal hosted on the World Cruise Awards website for the Caribbean’s Best Cruise Terminal 2026 category.

    Industry observers note that nominations for this competitive award draw attention to the Caribbean’s position as one of the world’s top cruise destinations, with ongoing infrastructure upgrades helping the region attract increased passenger volumes and reinforce its market share in the global cruise sector.

  • Ali shrugs off calls for Edghill to go

    Ali shrugs off calls for Edghill to go

    On Thursday, August 6, 2026, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali publicly rejected growing opposition and activist demands for the resignation of Maritime Transport Minister Juan Edghill, just weeks after the deadly July 19 sinking of the MV Barima ferry that left dozens missing off the country’s Essequibo Coast. The president made his position clear while exiting a model village initiative community consultation held at Melanie Nursery School in Melanie Damishana, along Guyana’s East Coast Demerara, where a heavy police presence was deployed to separate a small group of anti-government protesters from the event venue.

    The MV Barima tragedy, widely described as the deadliest maritime disaster in recent Caribbean history, occurred when the overloaded ferry sank en route from Georgetown to Port Kaituma in the hard-hit Region One (Barima-Waini). Official tallies confirm 76 people were rescued, 72 passengers and crew are confirmed dead, and 30 remain unaccounted for, with 179 total people recorded as being on board when the vessel capsized in Atlantic waters. Authorities have launched a salvage operation prioritizing the preservation of forensic evidence for an independent Commission of Inquiry (COI) that President Ali has pledged to let operate without political interference.

    When questioned by Demerara Waves Online News on calls to place Edghill on administrative leave or force his resignation ahead of the inquiry’s findings, Ali maintained he would not pre-empt the COI’s work. “There is a COI and I have established its independence and let the COI work, ok,” the president stated. Notably, Edghill remained in his post as of Wednesday this week, and even accompanied Ali on a ministerial outreach trip to Region One just over a month after the sinking.

    Local law enforcement blocked off access roads surrounding the nursery school to contain the protest, which drew only a small crowd of demonstrators on the village’s main access road. President Ali entered the venue via an alternate route to avoid the gathering. Prior to the start of the consultation, Walston Martins, Chairman of the Buxton-Foulis Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), and an unidentified woman were escorted from the area opposite the school to beyond police cordons. After the removal, the woman was arrested and transported from the scene in a police vehicle. A senior police official also suggested that a journalist could face arrest for allegedly violating restrictions on access to the active police operation.

    As he was escorted out, Martins denounced the action as unconstitutional and announced plans to challenge the government and law enforcement in court. He argued that as the local NDC chair, he had a legal right to be present for the community meeting held within his jurisdiction. “I’m the chairman of this NDC. This is my jurisdiction… I will carry the whole pack to court and let us see who will win,” Martins said. From behind the police barrier later, Martins criticized the national series of model village consultations, framing the public outreach as a deliberate distraction from public grief and unanswered questions surrounding the ferry disaster. “This government is a deflective government or a deflection government because we have a boat that is under the sea, we have people that are still hurting and you want to come and talk about a model village,” he said, adding that the government should have consulted the local NDC directly rather than holding standalone community events.

    A senior on-scene police official pushed back against Martins’ claims, alleging that law enforcement overheard Martins stating he had not come to the area to attend the consultation. Martins has previously participated in small protests against the criminal charges brought against MV Barima Captain Kevin “KP” Price and two other Transport and Harbours Department workers, who are currently facing murder charges in connection with the deaths of the 72 victims.

    Shortly after Martins’ removal, several parliamentarians from the main opposition bloc A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) arrived at the scene to lead protests. The demonstrators chanted calls for both Edghill and Deodat Indar, the country’s maritime regulation minister, to step down, with additional chants demanding the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government leave office. Law enforcement deployed a standard prisoner transport van to the site to manage arrests and crowd control as the demonstration unfolded.

  • UWI Global Campus, Barbados Police Service celebrate first graduates of crime scene investigation programme

    UWI Global Campus, Barbados Police Service celebrate first graduates of crime scene investigation programme

    In a landmark collaborative effort between higher education and law enforcement, 19 members of the Barbados Police Service (TBPS) have made history as the first graduates of a formal Crime Scene Investigators Workshop, developed through a new partnership between The University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus and TBPS. Held at the Regional Police Training Centre (RPTC), the foundational Basic Crime Scene Investigation and Management course was co-delivered by TBPS’s Forensic Scenes of Crime Unit, with additional support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

    The intensive training programme combined theoretical classroom instruction with hands-on practical skill-building across a full spectrum of core forensic and investigative domains. Trainees covered critical topics ranging from fundamental crime scene management, proper evidence preservation and documentation, and targeted evidence collection to collision reconstruction, fingerprint development, DNA and biological evidence handling, forensic photography, electronic evidence processing, basic ballistics, and effective courtroom evidence presentation. The graduation ceremony, held on July 17, marked a key turning point for professional policing training in the country.

    Speaking at the ceremony, TBPS Deputy Commissioner of Police Adrian Broomes framed the milestone as a transformative shift for law enforcement in Barbados. While this training represented the third iteration of crime scene investigation courses for TBPS, it is the first to be delivered through a formal partnership with a leading regional academic institution. Broomes emphasized that the collaboration underscores TBPS’s ongoing commitment to equipping investigators to meet the evolving, complex demands of modern policing. “By aligning ourselves with The UWI Global Campus, we affirm that policing is not simply a vocation. It is a profession grounded in knowledge, ethics and continuous development,” he noted.

    Ryan H. Byer, Head of Site for UWI Global Campus Barbados, echoed this sentiment, explaining that the partnership advances multiple institutional and national priorities. The initiative represents a critical step forward in formalizing accreditation for professional training delivered through the RPTC, while also advancing UWI Global Campus’s core “Triple A” Strategic Plan focused on expanding access to education, aligning programming with regional needs, and maintaining agility in addressing emerging challenges. Byer added that the programme embodies the university’s mission to deliver responsive education that meets the needs of both Barbados and the wider Caribbean region. He also recognized the RPTC leadership team, including Commandant Rodney Archer, Deputy Commandant Lawrence Collymore, and course coordinator Sergeant Mauricio Chase, for their work in executing the programme successfully.

    Looking ahead, Byer urged TBPS to expand the collaborative framework by developing additional professional development pathways through UWI Global Campus, including fully online certificate programmes in high-priority fields such as Community-Based Policing, Criminology, Counselling, Supervisory Management, and Psychology.

    For the graduates, the training delivered tangible improvements to their professional capacity. Multiple graduates reported increased confidence in their work and strengthened ability to manage crime scenes in line with globally recognized professional standards. Sergeant Roz’ Marie Ward-Waterman, a returning UWI student who earned the Best Overall Student award, noted that the formal academic partnership adds significant professional value to TBPS as an institution. “This… will not only add value and a core of professionalism to the Barbados Police Service through each participant of the Basic Crime Scene Investigation and Management Course, but it is the foundation that will usher The Barbados Police Service into a more knowledge driven atmosphere,” she said.

    Organizers of the initiative emphasized that the cross-sector partnership reflects a shared commitment to raising national investigative standards, expanding access to accredited professional education for law enforcement, and ensuring frontline officers hold the formal qualifications, technical knowledge, and practical skills needed to preserve critical evidence effectively and uphold fair administration of justice in Barbados.

  • Politie grijpt in na verkeerschaos door afsluiting Domineestraat

    Politie grijpt in na verkeerschaos door afsluiting Domineestraat

    Severe gridlock triggered by the ongoing closure of Domineestraat for rehabilitation works has forced the Suriname Police Corps to implement a series of emergency traffic adjustments to ease travel disruptions across central Paramaribo.

    When construction kicked off on Domineestraat this Monday, downtown Paramaribo and its primary access arteries immediately became choked with long, persistent queues. Originally, the Ministry of Public Works and Spatial Planning had announced the rehabilitation project would take four weeks to complete, but officials now project the work will wrap up in roughly half that time, just two weeks from the start date.

    To address the crippling congestion, additional police officers have been deployed to the city’s busiest intersections, and a pre-existing traffic plateau on Keizerstraat, located near its crossing with Zwartenhovenbrugstraat, has been temporarily removed in a bid to improve flow through the city center. Daily patrols are being carried out by three specialized police units — the Motor Surveillance Service (MSD), the Paramaribo Motor Brigade, and the Bikers Unit — which are stationed at key strategic points across the capital. Officers are actively directing traffic at the most congested intersections and intervening quickly to resolve unexpected disruptions as they arise.

    According to Inspector Iwan Joekoe, head of the Bikers Unit, the measures have already yielded modest improvements to traffic conditions, as confirmed by the Suriname Communication Service. “Rush hours remain extremely crowded, but outside peak travel windows, traffic is moving far more smoothly than it did immediately after the road closure,” Joekoe explained. He and other officials have issued guidance to road users, urging them to prioritize alternative routes whenever possible and consider parking their vehicles outside of the downtown area to cut down on unnecessary through traffic in the congested zone.

    MSD head Inspector Reguillio Tirtojoso noted that police had collaborated to develop a comprehensive traffic management plan ahead of the start of construction work. During the planning phase, teams mapped all potential high-risk congestion points and made the decision to reallocate extra personnel to those trouble spots ahead of time. The Keizerstraat traffic plateau was flagged early as a major barrier to efficient traffic movement, leading to the decision to remove it temporarily for the duration of the Domineestraat works.

    Tirtojoso identified three intersections as the current hardest-hit locations: Zwartenhovenbrugstraat/Keizerstraat, Keizerstraat/Fred Derbystraat, and Fred Derbystraat/Sophie Redmondstraat. For drivers heading southbound through the city, officials strongly recommend taking alternate routes via Fred Derbystraat and Waterkant to avoid the worst delays.

    As of now, the police have not found sufficient reason to convert any existing roads to temporary one-way traffic to ease flow. However, officials confirmed that the traffic situation will be re-evaluated on a daily basis for the entire duration of the Domineestraat rehabilitation project, with additional adjustments implemented if needed to keep traffic moving.

    The accelerated construction timeline means drivers and commuters will only have to navigate the adjusted traffic arrangements for a short period, with full access to Domineestraat expected to be restored much earlier than initially projected.

  • Missing Since 1998: NFSS Wants to Finally Give Them a Name

    Missing Since 1998: NFSS Wants to Finally Give Them a Name

    For more than two decades, roughly 20 sets of human remains have remained nameless and unclaimed in Belize, some dating back as far as 1998. Now, the country’s National Forensic Science Service (NFSS) is launching a targeted, public-facing effort to close decades-old missing person cases by matching these unidentified remains to their families.

    The skeletal remains in question were recovered between 1998 and 2020, unearthed across multiple districts spanning Belize. For years, a lack of contextual information about potential next of kin has kept these cases cold, leaving both the unidentified dead and their grieving families without closure. To break this impasse, the NFSS rolled out a new public initiative this month, centered on an online submission form designed to crowdsource critical information from the community.

    The appeal is open to anyone who has had a friend or family member go missing within the 1998 to 2020 timeframe that matches the recovery period of the remains. Through the digital form, relatives can share basic identifying details about their missing loved one that will be cross-referenced with the case files of the unidentified remains held by the NFSS.

    When a submitted profile shows a strong potential match to an unidentified set of remains, NFSS investigators will reach out directly to the submitting party to arrange for a voluntary DNA sample. This sample will then be compared against genetic material extracted from the remains. A confirmed match would allow the NFSS to facilitate the return of remains to the person’s next of kin, giving families the chance to hold a proper burial and lay their loved one to rest after decades of uncertainty.

    In an effort to remove barriers to participation and protect vulnerable families, the NFSS has emphasized that the entire process – from information submission to DNA testing and matching – is 100% free of charge. The agency also issued a public warning, noting that it will never solicit banking details or any form of payment from families at any stage of the identification process.

    Community members seeking more information about how submitted data will be stored and used can contact the NFSS directly via phone at +501-205-2164 or email at info@forensics.gov.bz. The online submission form can be accessed either by scanning the QR code printed on official NFSS public notices or through the dedicated form link at https://forms.gle/u1KhhBKgfpdo5WECA.

  • Pressure Mounts on FIFA President Gianni Infantino Despite Apology

    Pressure Mounts on FIFA President Gianni Infantino Despite Apology

    As of August 6, 2026, FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing unprecedented pressure to step down from his post, even after the global football governing body issued a formal apology and pulled back a deeply divisive plan to sell off commercial and operational rights to the FIFA World Cup. The controversial scheme, branded as FFE, sparked immediate and widespread backlash from stakeholders across the international football ecosystem, forcing FIFA’s leadership to convene an emergency crisis meeting in Rabat, Morocco.

    During that closed-door gathering, FIFA officials publicly admitted that significant missteps were made in how the FFE proposal was developed and presented to the global football community. But this gesture of accountability has failed to quell the rising anger and criticism aimed at Infantino and his senior leadership team.

    UEFA, the governing body that oversees European football, has remained firm in its existing boycott of all FIFA competitions. The European organization argues that FIFA has refused to offer concrete guarantees that such problematic proposals will never be brought forward again, and it has repeatedly confirmed that it no longer has confidence in Infantino’s ability to lead global football. This ongoing boycott carries tangible risks for FIFA’s upcoming events: Poland is set to host the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup starting September 5, and it is still uncertain whether UEFA’s hardline stance will disrupt the tournament or force FIFA to scramble to arrange alternative hosting plans.

    FIFPRO, the global union that represents professional footballers around the world, has also rejected FIFA’s apology as inadequate. The union labeled the FFE proposal a “profound abuse of presidential power,” noting that hollow public apologies are no substitute for meaningful, structural governance reforms that can rebuild public and institutional trust in FIFA’s leadership.

    Reactions from other regional governing bodies have been more mixed. CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation, praised FIFA’s choice to scrap the controversial proposal, but declined to back calls for an extraordinary general congress to vote on Infantino’s immediate future. Instead, the organization supports sticking to the existing normal presidential election timeline, with candidate nominations for the role of FIFA President set to close on November 18.

    Infantino, who has held the position of FIFA President since 2016, now faces intensifying headwinds as he prepares for next year’s scheduled presidential election. With criticism mounting from some of the most powerful institutions in global football, his hold on the organization’s top job grows increasingly precarious.

  • Saint Lucian cricket mourns the loss of history-making youth captain

    Saint Lucian cricket mourns the loss of history-making youth captain

    The Caribbean island of Saint Lucia’s tight-knit cricket community is united in grief this week following the passing of pioneering former youth captain Sharm Pierre, who died at 45 after a brief battle with illness.

    Hailing from the small village of Piaye, Pierre carved his name into Saint Lucian cricket history as the first athlete from the island to earn the captaincy of both the Saint Lucia and Windward Islands Under-15 cricket squads. A product of Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary School, Pierre spent his professional career employed at Jalousie, while leaving an indelible mark on youth cricket across the region.

    As a top-order batsman known for his steady leadership at the crease, Pierre had the privilege of captaining a generation of young talent who would go on to earn international acclaim. Among his young charges were future West Indies cricket stars Daren Sammy and Garey Mathurin, both Saint Lucian natives, as well as Grenadian batting standout Devon Smith, all during their formative Under-15 playing days.

    In an official statement shared across its social media channels over the weekend, the Saint Lucia National Cricket Association (SLNCA) opened up about the loss, extending heartfelt gratitude and profound respect for Pierre’s decades of service, transformative leadership, and lasting contributions to growing the sport on the island. The association also highlighted that Pierre’s career and character remain a shining example for all upcoming generations of Saint Lucian cricket players, who will continue to carry forward his legacy.

  • Unicomer Recruiting Short-Term Workers for Peak Season

    Unicomer Recruiting Short-Term Workers for Peak Season

    As the busiest shopping period of the year approaches, regional retail and consumer electronics leader Unicomer has announced a major short-term recruitment push to prepare for surging customer demand. The initiative, which targets temporary workers across the company’s network of stores, distribution centers and customer service hubs, is designed to address the typical staffing gap that emerges during peak seasonal periods such as end-of-year holidays or major regional shopping events.

    Industry analysts note that seasonal hiring has become a standard strategic move for large retail players, allowing them to scale up operations quickly without committing to long-term payroll increases. Unicomer’s recruitment drive comes as retail forecasters predict a notable uptick in consumer spending for the upcoming peak season, driven by steady regional economic activity and growing consumer confidence.

    The open roles cover a wide range of responsibilities, including in-store sales support, inventory management, order fulfillment, and customer assistance. The company has indicated that many of these positions are open to flexible scheduling, making them particularly accessible to students, part-time job seekers and individuals looking to earn additional income during the busy shopping period. Local workforce development experts have welcomed the move, noting that short-term seasonal roles often provide valuable work experience for entry-level candidates and can sometimes lead to permanent positions for high-performing workers.

    Unicomer has not yet released an exact target for the number of roles it plans to fill, but confirmed that recruitment efforts are already underway across multiple markets where the company operates. Applications are being accepted through both online career portals and in-store submissions, with the company aiming to complete all hiring and onboarding processes before the peak season begins in earnest.

  • Cabinet Approves Changes to Cybercrime Bill to Protect Free Speech

    Cabinet Approves Changes to Cybercrime Bill to Protect Free Speech

    In a move shaped by widespread public debate over the intersection of digital regulation and fundamental rights, the national cabinet has formally approved a set of targeted amendments to the country’s Cybercrime Bill, designed to narrow the legislation’s scope and bring it into full alignment with constitutional protections for freedom of expression.

    The core goal of the reforms is to strike a deliberate balance between two pressing policy priorities: retaining the government’s ability to prosecute severe, technology-facilitated harm, while preventing legitimate speech from being inadvertently criminalized. Under the revised framework, serious cyber-enabled offenses including malicious deepfake dissemination, identity impersonation, online extortion, targeted threats and repeated harassment will still remain fully criminalized. At the same time, the amendments explicitly carve out protections for legitimate free expression, political debate, independent journalism, satirical commentary and public accountability efforts, ensuring these activities do not get swept up in the same legal net as harmful criminal conduct.

    A critical new procedural safeguard has also been added to the legislation. Going forward, any criminal prosecution initiated under the Cybercrime Bill will require the explicit written consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions before it can move forward, creating an additional layer of oversight to prevent arbitrary or politically motivated misuse of the law.

    The push for these reforms traces directly to the high-profile collapse of the cybercrime case brought against activist Alberto August, a development that first sparked intense public scrutiny over the original legislation’s overly broad scope. That case was initiated after former Police Minister Oscar Mira filed a complaint over a Facebook post August published, igniting a national conversation about the line between legitimate online criticism of public figures and criminal cyber activity, as well as the appropriate boundaries of cybercrime legislation.

    In the wake of the case’s collapse, Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre announced a full review of specific provisions of the original bill, with a mandate to ensure the law could not be weaponized to criminalize defamation, while emphasizing that cyberbullying remains a serious, harmful problem that requires targeted regulatory action.

    “We are not reviewing the entire piece of legislation, only specific problematic provisions, because effective cybercrime regulation remains a critical necessity,” Sylvestre explained in comments following the review. “It is important and necessary to set clear rules for conduct on social media and all other digital spaces where harmful bullying occurs. Cyberbullying is a real problem that demands action. The valid public concern raised after the August case centered on whether certain provisions could inadvertently lead to the criminalization of defamation, which we have worked to address.”

    “We do not want provisions on our statute books that open the door to criminalizing legitimate defamation that should be handled through civil, not criminal, channels,” he added. “Those specific provisions are the focus of our review, and we are optimistic that the full amendments will be approved during the next parliamentary sitting.”

    Sylvestre also clarified that the Attorney General’s Ministry played no role in advising authorities on the original cybercrime charges against August, as criminal prosecution strategy falls outside the ministry’s official remit. With cabinet’s formal approval, the amendments now deliver on the commitment Sylvestre first laid out in July, marking a major step toward balancing digital safety and free expression in the country’s regulatory framework.

  • National Public Library to House Cultural and Educational Camp This August

    National Public Library to House Cultural and Educational Camp This August

    As families across the region gear up for the 2026 academic year, the National Public Library is preparing to host a purpose-driven cultural and educational summer camp this August, designed to fill the end-of-vacation period with meaningful, growth-focused activities for young people.

    Named WORK FU UM! Summer Camp 2026, the program is scheduled to run from August 10 through September 4, welcoming children and adolescents between the ages of 4 and 16. All camp activities will be held on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the National Public Library’s premises, creating a safe, accessible central location for participants.

    Organized in partnership with the Peetron Music Group, the camp blends three core pillars of youth development: targeted educational support, broad cultural exposure, and hands-on creative skill building. To align with its back-to-school mission, the program’s activity lineup includes targeted back-to-school preparation workshops, curriculum-aligned educational sessions, performing arts classes covering music and dance, cultural celebration events, curated outdoor field trips, structured community service projects, and a wide range of interactive group sessions.

    Beyond keeping young people engaged during the final weeks of summer break, the initiative is built to deliver long-term benefits for participants. Camp attendees will get structured opportunities to build new practical skills, nurture their creative talents, and practice collaboration through team-focused activities that foster collective learning, communication, and personal growth. For many young people transitioning between grade levels, the camp’s structured routine also eases the shift from unstructured summer vacation back to the regular schedule of the academic year, helping students feel prepared and confident on their first day back.

    Registration for WORK FU UM! Summer Camp 2026 is open now for interested guardians. Parents and caregivers can complete the enrollment process in person at the National Public Library any weekday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. A non-refundable registration fee of 300 Eastern Caribbean dollars applies to all participants. The Peetron Music Group Secretariat confirmed that all program logistics and coordination are being finalized ahead of the camp’s August launch.