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  • Taiwan donates new computers to Saint Lucia police

    Taiwan donates new computers to Saint Lucia police

    On Wednesday, a small but meaningful diplomatic handover took place at the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) headquarters located in Chesterfield, Castries. At the ceremony, Nicole Y.C. Su, the Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan), formally presented two desktop computers as a gift from the Taiwanese government and people to the RSLPF.

    Verne Garde, the Commissioner of the RSLPF, accepted the donation on behalf of the police force and extended his sincere gratitude to Taiwan. He emphasized that this donation is a tangible reflection of the productive partnership that has existed between the two sides for ten years.

    Garde noted that over the past decade, the bilateral relationship has remained solid and stable, with both sides extending mutual support on multiple fronts. He expressed his expectation that this friendly cooperative dynamic will continue to develop in the years ahead, bringing more practical benefits to both sides.

  • 11-Year-Old Turns Her Imagination Into a Book

    11-Year-Old Turns Her Imagination Into a Book

    In a heartwarming story of youthful creativity and self-expression, an 11-year-old autistic girl from Missouri, Ava McDonald, has transformed a spontaneous idea sparked during a casual neighborhood walk into a professionally published science fiction adventure novel.

    The young author’s debut work, *The Moon Crystal*, traces its origins back to an ordinary day when Ava stumbled across an unexpected find while strolling along a local sidewalk. She picked up a small crystal she spotted on the path, and on a whim held it up to the bright light of a full moon — when the stone began to shimmer and glow with an otherworldly radiance. The magical moment stuck with her, and she immediately knew she wanted to build a story around that experience.

    “That was really cool, and it made me want to write a story about a moon crystal,” Ava explained in an interview with local outlet News 5. For Ava, that opening scene of discovery remains the most meaningful part of the finished novel: “That is where everything starts,” she said.

    Ava’s father, Greg McDonald, shared that storytelling has been a core part of his daughter’s life from early childhood. Long before she worked on *The Moon Crystal*, Ava would fold loose sheets of paper in half, tape the edges together to create homemade booklets, and fill every page with the creative stories bouncing around her imagination. What started as a quiet childhood hobby has now evolved into a full-length, professionally published work that bears Ava’s name as its author.

    When Ava got to hold the finished copy of her book for the first time, she experienced a swirl of different emotions. “I was very happy, a little scared, and excited,” she recalled. “It was really cool seeing something that started as an idea in my head become a real book with my name on it.”

    Far from resting on her first achievement, Ava is already mapping out her next writing project. She plans to continue building her body of work, with her second novel tentatively titled *The Movie Star Job* already in the early stages of planning.

    Greg McDonald says he hopes his daughter’s milestone will inspire other young people around the world to honor their own creative ideas, regardless of their age. “A child does not have to wait until adulthood before creating something meaningful,” he said. “Sometimes they just need somebody to take it seriously.”

  • Rastafarian leader slams St John cannabis seizure

    Rastafarian leader slams St John cannabis seizure

    The president of the African Heritage Foundation, Paul Ras Simba Rock, has launched sharp criticism against Barbadian law enforcement following a large-scale anti-cannabis operation in the St. John district, arguing that the raid systematically stripped marginalized local small-scale growers of their livelihoods.

    In the recent operation, police targeted growing areas in St. John, destroying more than 6,000 cannabis plants that authorities valued at an estimated $1.4 million on the street. As a longstanding advocate for full cannabis legalization, Ras Simba contends that the deliberate public disclosure of this high estimated value is a strategic tactic designed to turn public sentiment against small-scale, community-based cultivators.

    “This pattern is nothing new,” Ras Simba explained in an interview. “Police have carried out these types of raids for as long as cannabis prohibition has been in place. What stands out in every recent operation is the repeated focus on publishing inflated street value estimates – this is a deliberate move to incite public opposition. Cannabis already carries an unfair stigma as a high-profit illicit trade, so attaching a huge price tag to seized plants shapes public perception in a deliberately negative way.”

    He went on to emphasize that these raids drain critical income from low-income, marginalized communities, while well-funded wealthy corporations already reap the benefits of the island nation’s existing medicinal cannabis regulations. “For generations, ganja has been a core economic lifeline not just for the Rastafari community, but for disenfranchised poor people across Barbados,” Ras Simba noted. “To me, that $1.4 million figure represents revenue that has been directly taken out of the pockets of working poor people. If the same cultivation happened under current legal frameworks, it would be completely acceptable – because already wealthy, well-connected entities are already earning that much and more legally through licensed therapeutic dispensaries and regulated growing operations.”

    When questioned about whether traditional small-scale growers face systemic barriers to entering the newly regulated legal cannabis market, Ras Simba confirmed that the current framework actively excludes ordinary smallholder farmers through embedded economic bias, unnecessarily strict licensing rules, and disproportionately harsh penalties for non-compliance. “The regulated industry was never built to accommodate the average grower,” he argued. “Current laws cap the number of licensed operators, locking out most small producers. Many of us only want access to the plant for traditional uses – we can process the roots and leaves to make traditional butters and remedies, and every Barbadian should have the right to grow at least seven to nine female plants for personal or community use.”

    Ras Simba also drew attention to how excessive court fines push traditional small-scale growers into a repeating cycle of poverty that forces many further into informal activity. He highlighted a recent case from his own community to illustrate this harm: “Just a month ago, a young man from our community was arrested and fined $50,000 for cultivation. He spent a month in remand before his trial, and now he has to pay this massive fine within 18 months. The only way he can come up with that kind of money is to go back to growing more cannabis. This is how the system has always worked for poor people: they hand down fines they know working people can never afford, trapping them in a cycle of criminalization.”

    Beyond the inequalities of enforcement and regulation, Ras Simba also criticized the current legal market for prioritizing mass-produced imported cannabis from North America over supporting traditional, locally grown organic cannabis that small Barbadian producers have cultivated for decades. “Right now, we’re seeing a flood of North American-grown herb entering the legal market,” he said. “The Rastafari community has real health concerns about these imports, because we know organically grown local product is far healthier than cannabis grown with heavy amounts of industrial pesticides and fertilizers.”

    Despite ongoing aggressive police raids, ongoing criminalization, and a regulatory system that favors large corporate interests over small community producers, Ras Simba reaffirmed that Rastafarian and traditional small-scale cannabis farmers across Barbados will continue organizing and advocating for full legal access to the plant and the universal right for personal cultivation.

  • Apology Enough? PM Briceño Weighs In on Gilroy Usher Land Dispute

    Apology Enough? PM Briceño Weighs In on Gilroy Usher Land Dispute

    A simmering political controversy over a sitting minister’s direct intervention in a private residential land dispute has taken center stage in Belize this week, with Prime Minister John Briceño publicly weighing in on the escalating incident that has drawn widespread public criticism.

    The controversy centers on Gilroy Usher, the Area Representative for Port Loyola, who was captured on cellphone video physically removing a boundary fence built by a local resident caught up in a long-running ownership conflict. The incident, which unfolded over the weekend, has reignited debates over the proper boundaries of elected official conduct when navigating community conflicts, and has forced Briceño to field questions from local media – a scenario that has become all too familiar amid scrutiny of ministerial actions in the country.

    In his first public comments on the incident, Briceño acknowledged that Usher made a misstep in taking matters into his own hands, but offered context for the minister’s impulsive decision. Briceño emphasized that deadly violence linked to unresolved land conflicts remains a persistent, devastating crisis across Belize, noting that even his own close associate in San Lazaro, Orange Walk, was recently killed in a land-related attack. He explained that Usher acted out of over-anxiety and frustration, driven by a fear that inaction would lead to further bloodshed in the dispute.

    Despite this contextual understanding, the prime minister made clear that he would have approached the situation through formal, legal channels. Briceño told reporters that he personally called Usher after the incident to advise him that such conflicts should be handled through established institutional processes: law enforcement should lead on public order, while the Ministry of Natural Resources holds the authority to formally demarcate property boundaries and resolve ownership claims. Briceño confirmed that Usher has acknowledged the error in his approach.

    In the wake of the incident, Usher has issued a public apology for his actions, but has stood by his core motivation for intervening. He claims he was acting to protect a family that held legal title to the property but had been blocked from accessing the land since 2024. That claim is fiercely disputed by Cozet Maximo, the resident whose fence was torn down, who says she has continuously occupied the plot for 17 years and rejects the opposing family’s ownership claim entirely.

    Today, the dispute has been formally transferred to the Ministry of Natural Resources for official boundary verification and ownership adjudication. In a notable show of continued confidence amid the controversy, Usher was invited to appear front and center alongside Briceño and other cabinet ministers at a public event on Wednesday, and was seen dancing alongside the prime minister just days after the weekend incident sparked public outcry.

  • Three new categories added to Saint Lucia Business Awards

    Three new categories added to Saint Lucia Business Awards

    Saint Lucia’s vibrant private sector is set to get expanded opportunities to celebrate outstanding entrepreneurial achievement, as organizers formally launched plans for the 12th iteration of the Saint Lucia Business Awards, scheduled to take place on January 30, 2027.

    Hosted collaboratively by the St Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture and the Office of the Prime Minister, the annual gala gathering brings together the island nation’s most promising and accomplished business leaders to honor standout successes from the preceding 12 months. During an official pre-event launch held this Tuesday at Gros Islet’s Harbor Club, organizers revealed the event’s central theme and expanded award lineup, marking a major milestone in preparations for the 2027 ceremony.

    This year’s theme, “The Chrysalis Effect: Metamorphosis into Greatness,” frames business growth as a natural, adaptive process. Organizers explain the concept reflects how intentional evolution and structural transformation help local enterprises build long-term strategic resilience and achieve operational excellence, mirroring the transformative journey of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

    In a key expansion of the awards program, three entirely new recognition categories have been added for 2027: the Corporate Social Responsibility Award for Small Businesses, the Environmental Stewardship Award for Small Businesses, and the MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) of the Year. The addition expands opportunities for smaller, emerging businesses that have historically had less visibility in the awards program.

    As part of the launch event, organizers also resolved a lingering delay from the previous awards cycle, presenting the belated People’s Choice Award to local enterprise Optimum Cooling. The delay stemmed from an unexpected technical glitch in the public voting platform, prompting the Chamber to rerun the voting process under a commitment to full transparency, ensuring all ballots were fully verified and results were accurate before presenting the honor.

    Speaking to attendees at the launch, Chamber of Commerce President Nicholas Bernard emphasized that the awards fill a critical role in Saint Lucia’s challenging business landscape. He noted that the ceremony goes far beyond handing out trophies: it serves to highlight high-performing businesses and inspirational leaders, while demonstrating to the broader local business community what can be accomplished even amid adversity.

    “Running a business in Saint Lucia is not always easy. We face rising operational costs, increasing competition from both local and international players, persistent challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled talent, rapid technological shifts, and a constantly evolving regulatory and economic environment,” Bernard explained. “Yet despite these headwinds, our local enterprises keep investing, creating jobs, serving local communities, innovating, and finding sustainable paths to growth. That grit and achievement absolutely deserves national recognition.”

    Bernard pointed to the previous year’s awards as a powerful example of the breadth of talent across Saint Lucia’s business ecosystem, with participants representing every sector and every stage of business growth, from long-standing industry leaders to newly launched startups. Past honorees have been recognized across a wide range of criteria, including innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, export growth, customer service, leadership, and community impact.

    For the 2027 cycle, nominations are now open across 15 categories, covering businesses of all sizes and sectors: Corporate Social Responsibility Award – Large Business, Corporate Social Responsibility Award – Small Business, Environmental Stewardship Award – Large Business, Environmental Stewardship Award – Small Business, Award for Service Excellence, Employer of the Year Award, Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Export Achievement of the Year Award, New Business of the Year Award, Not-for-Profit Organisation of the Year Award, Young Professional of the Year Award, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise (MSME) of the Year, Business of the Year Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, People’s Choice Award, The Prime Minister’s Award for Innovation, and Judges’ Choice Award.

  • Can Your Political Leaders Really Relate to Your Struggle to Make Ends Meet?

    Can Your Political Leaders Really Relate to Your Struggle to Make Ends Meet?

    On September 2, 2026, a public debate over whether Belize’s top political officials understand the daily financial strain facing ordinary citizens has erupted into a direct confrontation between Prime Minister John Briceño and Union Senator Glenfield Dennison.

    The controversy began when Dennison publicly argued that government officials who receive generous fuel allowances are disconnected from the affordability crisis that forces most Belizeans to live paycheck to paycheck, stretching their incomes just to cover basic needs. The question of whether political leaders can truly relate to this widespread struggle was put directly to Briceño during a public appearance this morning.

    The Prime Minister did not hold back in rejecting Dennison’s claims, pushing back firmly against any suggestion that he and his government are out of touch with Belizeans’ hardships. “How can I not relate to that? Listen, you guys don’t understand,” Briceño stated in his response. “I believe that all of us in government, we can relate, because we are in our communities. We walk and meet people. I walk all this country, more than anyone of you here.”

    Briceño emphasized that elected officials have a clear incentive to stay connected to voter concerns: if leaders fail to understand public struggles, they will be removed from office at the ballot box. “If you don’t relate to people, they vote you out. And so we understand the challenges. We know that it is tough. That’s why we’re doing everything possible to help,” he added.

    Going a step further, the Prime Minister issued a direct rebuke to Dennison, challenging the senator’s credibility to make the accusation in the first place. “Don’t he dare come and tell us we don’t understand. We have a better understanding than him, because he does not walk this country the way we walk and when he can walk on our shoes then he could talk,” Briceño said.

    Local outlet News 5 has confirmed that it extended an invitation for comment to Senator Dennison following the Prime Minister’s remarks. His full response is scheduled to air during the outlet’s 6 PM primetime broadcast tonight.

  • “Government Resources Were Not Used”, Says PM Briceño on PUP Convention

    “Government Resources Were Not Used”, Says PM Briceño on PUP Convention

    In the wake of mounting public scrutiny over campaign spending at the recent People’s United Party (PUP) mayoral nominating convention held Sunday, Belize Prime Minister John Briceño has issued a formal defense of the event’s financing, pushing back against calls to rush through new campaign finance regulation for the sake of checking a policy box.

    The convention, organized to select PUP’s official candidate for Belize City’s top municipal post, has sparked growing public and political debate over the sources and scale of funding backing the two competing campaigns. Addressing reporters this week, Briceño clarified that while the two camps – led by candidates Miller and Pollard – spent heavily on their intra-party bids, no public government funds were diverted to support either effort.

    Briceño confirmed that both campaigns successfully secured all necessary financial backing from private sector donors, enabling them to run robust, competitive intra-party races. “Maybe you could look back and say, ‘You didn’t have to spend all that money.’ Probably they did,” the prime minister acknowledged. “But the important point is that government resources were not used. Both sides had enough financing to be able to run a very good, vigorous, fair campaign.”

    Questions over unregulated private sector funding in Belizean politics first gained widespread attention earlier this year, following the July release of a landmark report from the Belize Policy and Research Institute (BELPRI) titled “Money in Belizean Politics: Breaking the Regulation Gap.” Authored by BELPRI Executive Director Dr. Dylan Vernon, the report flagged the outsized influence of unregulated private money as a pressing systemic risk for Belize’s democratic processes.

    Union Senator Glenfield Dennison echoed these concerns in recent weeks, publicly calling on the Briceño administration to move forward with binding campaign finance legislation to address the gap identified in the report. But Briceño argues that rushing to pass a flawed law would do more harm than good, emphasizing that any new regulatory framework must be tailored to Belize’s unique political and economic context to be effective.

    “We will not legislate simply for the sake of having a law on the books,” Briceño said. “I’ve been saying it over and over, we have to come up with legislation that can work. You don’t want to pass legislation just to say you passed legislation.” The prime Minister confirmed he recently held a one-on-one meeting with Vernon to discuss the BELPRI report’s findings in depth, acknowledging that designing a functional regulatory system for political financing is the most significant long-term challenge facing the government on this issue. “If we want to pass legislation just to have legislation say we have campaign finance legislation, then we can do so,” he added. “But it’s important that we have one that is applicable and can work within the Belizean context.”

  • Belize, Guatemala Youths Paint Vision for Peace

    Belize, Guatemala Youths Paint Vision for Peace

    In a groundbreaking cross-border youth peace initiative backed by the Organization of American States (OAS), 17 young creatives from the shared Belize-Guatemala Adjacency Zone have collaborated to produce a public mural that channels grassroots aspirations for peace, regional cooperation, and environmental stewardship of the vital Mopan River. The finished artwork was officially unveiled on September 2, 2026, at the Ta’amay Training and Peace Promotion Centre in El Arenal, Guatemala, as a flagship project of the OAS-supported youth engagement program “La Zona / The Zone” and its accompanying innovation incubator, La Zona Lab.

    Before putting brush to wall, the diverse group of young participants spent extensive time collaborating to map the most pressing social and environmental challenges facing their cross-border communities. The resulting design weaves together iconic cultural symbols and native natural motifs from both Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize, and El Arenal, Guatemala, balancing a celebration of shared regional heritage with clear calls for cross-community peaceful coexistence and long-term protection of the Mopan River, a critical water source for communities on both sides of the border.

    OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin emphasized that the initiative fills a key gap in traditional regional peacebuilding efforts, noting that sustainable peace can never be achieved through top-tier diplomatic negotiations alone. “Community development is fundamental. If it is only about negotiations and dialogue, it is not enough,” Ramdin stated at the unveiling. He added that centering young people in peace processes is non-negotiable, as long-term stability depends on fostering a tangible sense of ownership over peacebuilding among the generation that will inherit the region’s future.

    Belizean Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca echoed that perspective, framing the La Zona program as a critical public education effort that bridges divides between the two neighboring nations. “La Zona is a part of that work of educating people about the process that’s taking place, educating people about Belize, about Guatemala, about our communities,” Fonseca explained, highlighting how grassroots cultural projects like this mural help demystify cross-border relations and build mutual understanding at the community level.

  • St Mary’s Primary scholarship winners get a surprise

    St Mary’s Primary scholarship winners get a surprise

    For Kailey Corbin, Sarah Mayers and their mothers, a routine summons from St Mary’s Primary School staff to the offices of Goddard Enterprises Ltd (GEL) carried an unexpected, life-changing reward. The group had no prior hint of the purpose of their visit, so the announcement that the two young students had been selected as the 2026 recipients of GEL’s prestigious secondary school transition scholarship came as a joyful shock.

    Established to ease the financial and logistical gap between primary and secondary education, the full scholarship will cover all core back-to-school costs for the students, including tuition fees, uniforms, footwear, and all other academic supplies required for enrollment at their new secondary institutions.

    Sarah Mayers, who will attend St George Secondary School when the new term begins, is already planning for her next chapter. A passionate netball player who held the Goal Shoot position on her primary school team, she hopes to rejoin the sport at her new school. A self-described grammar enthusiast, Sarah shared mixed feelings about leaving her primary school alma mater, but said she is eager to connect with new teachers, build new friendships, and dive into the new secondary-level subjects she has long heard about. After accepting her official scholarship plaque from GEL Executive Assistant Shareka Clarke, Sarah spoke to her academic reputation: teachers at St Mary’s Primary describe her as a respectful, diligent and goal-driven student with a sincere passion for learning. As a Senior Prefect during her final year, she demonstrated consistent responsibility, mature decision-making and natural leadership, earning praise as a positive role model for her fellow students.

    For Kailey Corbin, the next step will be attending St Michael School, the Martindale’s Road institution she has long dreamed of attending. While Kailey counts mathematics among her favorite current subjects, she is especially excited to continue developing her love of art – a long-time hobby that grew from her passion for drawing. She also looks forward to continuing her work in science and robotics, areas she already got to explore at St Mary’s Primary, where she had the chance to build robots from scratch. A dedicated builder at heart, she hopes her new school will expand these opportunities and let her grow the skills she has already started building.

    Like Sarah, Kailey served as a Senior Prefect at St Mary’s Primary, and her teachers share glowing assessments of her character and academic performance. They describe her as an exceptional student who has stood out among her peers for her strong work ethic, top-tier academic results, and consistently respectful, exemplary conduct. A committed learner who regularly shows resilience, accountability, and a willingness to support her classmates, Kailey’s positive mindset and dedication to self-improvement have earned her the respect of both staff and fellow students at her primary school.

    In her congratulatory remarks to the two scholarship recipients, Clarke urged the young graduates to stay focused on their long-term goals as they adjust to secondary school. She acknowledged that new environments often bring unexpected distractions, but reminded the students that their hard work and proven character had already prepared them to succeed.

  • Omari Caesar secures athletics scholarship to Jamaican track and field powerhouse

    Omari Caesar secures athletics scholarship to Jamaican track and field powerhouse

    Rising young distance running talent Omari Caesar from Dominica has achieved a major milestone in his early athletic career, earning a full track and field scholarship to Edwin Allen High School in Jamaica, one of the Caribbean’s most respected breeding grounds for elite international track and field competitors.

    A dedicated member of Dominica’s Aspirers Athletics Club, Caesar’s latest achievement is far more than a personal honor—it marks a critical stepping stone for the teen athlete, whose promising career has been built on years of relentless training and unwavering commitment to his craft. Unlike many junior athletes who gain opportunities through connections alone, Caesar worked his way to this opportunity through a string of standout performances that have already made him a household name in Dominican junior athletics.

    Caesar’s list of junior-level achievements reads like a summary of dominance in regional distance running. He earned the title of Most Outstanding Male Athlete at the Sports Division’s annual Independence Athletics Championship, and has broken standing records across three key disciplines: the Primary Schools Boys 1200 meters, national primary schools cross country, and the Dominican national 3000 meters. To add to this record of success, he claimed back-to-back wins at the Primary Schools Cross Country Championship, and made history as the first ever primary school student from Dominica to qualify for the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games, one of the region’s most competitive annual youth athletic tournaments.

    Most recently, Caesar extended his winning streak at the 2026 Trupial Classic hosted in Curaçao, where he took home three gold medals in his respective events, cementing his reputation as one of the Caribbean’s most exciting young distance running prospects.

    The Dominica Athletics Association Inc. (DAA Inc.) has publicly celebrated Caesar’s scholarship win, framing the achievement as a direct reflection of the young athlete’s natural ability, relentless determination, and consistent willingness to put in the grueling work required to reach elite levels of sport. The association specifically highlighted Caesar’s years of early-morning training sessions and high-intensity workouts at Portsmouth’s Benjamin’s Park, habits that have formed the foundation of his rapid athletic development.

    Along with extending formal congratulations to the rising star, DAA Inc. expressed hope that Caesar’s trailblazing success will serve as motivation for other young aspiring athletes across Dominica to chase their own athletic goals and commit to pursuing excellence in their chosen disciplines.