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  • UDP Calls for Mira’s Resignation After Deadly Weekend

    UDP Calls for Mira’s Resignation After Deadly Weekend

    On June 16, 2026, Belize’s main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) has launched a formal demand for the resignation of national Home Affairs Minister Oscar Mira, triggered by a wave of brutal fatal violence that left multiple people dead across the country over a single weekend.

    Speaking on behalf of the UDP, opposition Senator Patrick Faber laid out the specifics of the three high-profile killings that have sparked public outrage and political backlash. The first victim, Dr. Bonilla, was murdered in front of his own daughter, who remained trapped in the back seat of the vehicle during the attack. Second, Kiffer McKenzie was shot dead in a public shooting on busy Albert Street while his own young children were seated inside his parked car. The third victim, 25-year-old Eric Nelson, was killed in what investigators allege was a senseless gang-related killing, targeted solely for wearing a shirt of the wrong color in a territory controlled by a rival gang.

    Faber argued that Mira has lost all credibility to lead the ministry tasked with curbing violent crime and protecting public safety, stating bluntly: “Minister Mira must go before he is completely impotent. He has no meaningful agenda to fight crime.” The senator drew a sharp contrast between the current administration’s delayed, low-profile response to the bloodshed and the protocols of previous governments, noting that former prime ministers would immediately address the nation to outline next steps and acknowledge public grief following any major outbreak of fatal violence. In Faber’s assessment, Mira’s prolonged public silence and the complete absence of visible, decisive action following the weekend violence are clear proof that he is unfit to hold his post overseeing national public security.

    Senior officials within the Home Affairs Ministry have pushed back against the opposition’s demands, however. Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of the Home Affairs Ministry, told local outlet News 5 that Minister Mira remains fully focused on his official duties and has not been distracted by what Bennett characterized as “noise in the market” – a direct dismissal of the opposition’s calls for resignation.

    Full additional details on the unfolding political dispute and the ongoing investigations into the three weekend killings are set to be broadcast during News 5 Live’s prime time 6 p.m. broadcast Monday evening.

  • National Cultural Centre for major overhaul

    National Cultural Centre for major overhaul

    As of Tuesday, June 16, 2026, the Guyanese government has confirmed that the country’s iconic National Cultural Centre (NCC), Georgetown’s premier venue for national performing arts and major cultural events located on Homestretch Avenue, will launch a comprehensive, all-encompassing restoration and modernization project before the end of the year. This announcement comes months after prominent local cultural advocate, award-winning playwright and filmmaker Andre Wiltshire publicly raised alarms about the venue’s widespread decay and functional failures, putting pressure on authorities to address longstanding neglect.

    Junior Culture Minister Stephen Jacques shared details of the plan in an interview with the government’s Department of Public Information (DPI), noting that the project is currently advancing through its design phase, carried out in partnership with specialized technical consultants. Once design work and public procurement processes are finalized, the full overhaul will get underway, addressing both the building’s deteriorating external aesthetics and its failing core internal infrastructure. According to Jacques, one of the key priorities of the upgrade is a full overhaul of backstage dressing rooms and public and performer restroom facilities, which will create a far more functional and comfortable space for all artists, staff and patrons using the venue.

    “We recognize the National Cultural Centre’s irreplaceable importance to our national identity, and the president has made it clear that full restoration is non-negotiable,” Jacques stated in comments carried by the DPI. “Our goal is to transform the facility, inside and out, into a space every Guyanese can be proud of, that serves the growing needs of the diverse artists and organizations that rely on it every single day.” This project marks a renewed government commitment to preserving and elevating the country’s leading cultural institution, following a partial 2022 upgrade that focused on the main auditorium: that round of work saw the installation of 2,002 new theater seats, plus updates to the venue’s lighting, acoustics and core security systems.

    That 2022 update, however, failed to address the host of long-running problems Wiltshire outlined in a detailed letter sent to senior Culture Minister Charles Ramson Jr earlier this year. Wiltshire documented that critical communication infrastructure linking the stage manager’s station to backstage dressing rooms, lighting and sound departments has been completely out of service since the late 1980s. He added that the venue’s core sound system remains unreliable, with regularly malfunctioning equipment and too few working microphones, forcing local production teams to pay extra to rent replacement gear for every show.

    The cultural advocate also flagged that front-of-stage lighting has been non-functional for years, despite new equipment having been purchased more than two years earlier and sitting uninstalled. Backstage space on the stage right wing, he noted, is crammed into just six feet of usable area, severely limiting cast movement and slowing set changes between acts. A temporary VIP room built for a past state visit was never removed, and it has permanently eaten into backstage functionality, leaving performers with just one working downstairs restroom during large productions.

    Wiltshire’s assessment extended to widespread systemic issues beyond physical infrastructure: he reported that both male and female performer dressing rooms only have one working toilet each, while public foyer restrooms—especially women’s facilities—suffer from multiple broken fixtures and cracked pipes that have never been repaired. Building-wide ventilation and air conditioning, from the main auditorium to the upper balcony foyer, is insufficient, creating uncomfortable, unsafe conditions for both audiences and performers during long events. Even the main auditorium ceiling shows visible decay, with peeling plaster that poses both an aesthetic eyesore and a potential falling hazard to those below.

    “The general state of disrepair makes clear there has been no systematic, long-term maintenance plan for this critical institution for decades,” Wiltshire wrote. He also pointed to gaps in human resources, noting that inconsistent technical training for in-house staff leaves many unable to meet the demands of modern theater production, forcing producers to hire external specialists at extra cost just to deliver basic, high-quality events.

    Alongside his call for urgent infrastructure repairs, Wiltshire put forward a series of structural recommendations to improve long-term management of the NCC. He called for the creation of an independent Board of Management made up of experienced professionals from across Guyana’s cultural and creative industries, including working theater practitioners, musicians, technicians and arts administrators. This board would provide strategic oversight, enforce accountability, and set clear standards for programming and daily operations, he argued.

    Additional recommendations include recruiting professionally trained full-time staff for key leadership roles including Theatre Manager, Stage Manager and Technical Director, rolling out ongoing professional training and certification programs for all operational and technical staff, and establishing clear performance metrics and accountability frameworks for venue management. Wiltshire also pushed for strategic revenue and marketing reforms: he called for the NCC to maximize revenue and visibility by using all available billboard and digital advertising space to promote upcoming events, build an in-house marketing unit to support independent producers and grow audience engagement, and explore public-private partnerships to improve the venue’s long-term financial sustainability.

  • IICA Delegation in Antigua and Barbuda Hosts Accountability Seminar for the Year 2025

    IICA Delegation in Antigua and Barbuda Hosts Accountability Seminar for the Year 2025

    On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, the Antigua and Barbuda delegation of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) successfully convened its 2025 Accountability Seminar at the John E. St. Luce Finance and Conference Centre, convening a cross-sectoral audience under the forward-looking theme “Agriculture Today…… Food Sustainability Tomorrow.”

    The gathering was designed as a transparent, inclusive platform to review the full scope of IICA’s accomplishments, collaborative partnerships, and on-the-ground impact across Antigua and Barbuda’s agricultural sector over 2025, while fostering open dialogue to chart a path forward for sustainable agriculture, enhanced food security, and inclusive rural development for current and future generations. Attendees spanned a wide range of relevant stakeholders, including senior officials from Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy, local smallholder and commercial farmers, youth agricultural advocates, representatives from international development agencies, non-governmental organization leaders, and regional and global partner institutions.

    Transparency and public accountability for IICA’s 2025 technical cooperation programs and initiatives stood as the core focus of the day’s proceedings. Morning sessions featured structured presentations and interactive discussions that centered IICA’s key contributions to advancing climate resilience, agricultural innovation, food sovereignty, youth participation in agribusiness, digital agriculture adoption, and improved rural livelihoods across the twin-island nation.

    The formal program opened with an opening prayer led by Diahann Gomes, a Livestock Officer with the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy. Gregory Bailey, Director of Agriculture and the seminar’s chairperson, followed with welcoming remarks that framed the purpose and context of the accountability seminar. After a formal introduction of assembled guests, the audience heard firsthand impact testimonials from two local agricultural leaders: Sherrie-Ann Brazier, CEO and founder of SHAADE Hydroponics, and Michael Joseph, President of the Antigua and Barbuda Agriculture Forum for Youth (ABAFY). Both speakers detailed their direct experiences with IICA-supported programs, emphasizing how the institute’s investment has driven tangible positive change for local agricultural operations and youth engagement.

    In his keynote remarks, Gregg Rawlins, IICA’s Representative for Eastern Caribbean States, emphasized that cross-sector collaborative partnerships are non-negotiable for advancing agricultural development and building long-term national resilience amid mounting global challenges, including accelerating climate change, widespread food insecurity, skyrocketing food import costs, and volatile external economic pressures. Rawlins reinforced that strategic cooperation and intentional innovation remain the most critical tools for building inclusive, sustainable food systems that deliver benefits to current and future generations.

    A key highlight of the seminar was the official presentation of IICA’s 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Workplan by Craig Thomas, National Specialist for the IICA Delegation in Antigua and Barbuda. Thomas’s presentation outlined the institute’s key achievements, active programs, and collaborative partnerships implemented throughout 2025, with special attention placed on flagship initiatives. These include the Next Generation Sweet Potato Production in the Caribbean Project, the ongoing rehabilitation of the iconic Antigua Black pineapple variety, climate-smart agricultural interventions delivered through the Caribbean Climate Responsive Agriculture Forum (CCRAF), expanding digital agriculture access for smallholders, and disaster preparedness programs targeted at strengthening core food systems and overall agricultural resilience.

    Hon. Anthony Smith Jr., Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy, delivered official remarks on behalf of the Antigua and Barbuda government, commending IICA and its network of stakeholders for their consistent work to support inclusive agricultural growth and long-term sustainability in the country. Minister Smith echoed the seminar’s core theme, noting that intentional investment in agriculture today is the only way to guarantee food sustainability for current communities and future generations, and called for deeper cross-sector partnerships to boost local food production and national resilience.

    Following formal presentations, participants joined an open, interactive discussion on the 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Workplan, creating space for stakeholders to share actionable recommendations, constructive feedback, and innovative ideas to strengthen future IICA programming and advance national agricultural development across Antigua and Barbuda.

    In post-seminar feedback, attendees widely praised the gathering as a timely and meaningful opportunity to collectively assess progress, celebrate shared achievements, and align on clear pathways for future action. Stakeholders reached a consensus that accountability, innovation, and cross-sector partnership stand as the three essential pillars for building a resilient agricultural sector that can advance national food security, inclusive economic growth, and sustainable livelihoods for all.

    As a tangible demonstration of transparency and commitment to ongoing collaboration, IICA distributed printed and digital copies of its 2025 report to all attending partner organizations and stakeholders. Key recipients included Minister Anthony Smith Jr., Natalia Lawrence from the GEF UNDP Small Grants Programme, Walter Chrostopher, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy, a representative from the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), and Ika Fergus of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This formal distribution underscored the deep, collaborative partnerships that continue to underpin agricultural advancement and food sustainability work across Antigua and Barbuda.

    The event drew to a close with closing remarks and a formal vote of thanks delivered by Tamisha Edgecombe-Doram, Assistant Executive Secretary of IICA Antigua and Barbuda, who reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to continued collaboration, accountability, and innovation to advance agricultural development and secure food sustainability for present and future generations.

  • New bill targets illegal drug imports, weak controls

    New bill targets illegal drug imports, weak controls

    A disturbing upward trend in polydrug use among Barbados’ young population, blending over-the-counter medications with unregulated illicit substances, has spurred urgent concern at the highest levels of the island nation’s government, a senior cabinet minister told the House of Assembly this week.

    Speaking on the floor of the chamber Tuesday, People Empowerment Minister Adrian Forde revealed that the growing crisis of mixed-substance abuse—particularly the dangerous combination of legal pharmaceuticals and illicit street drugs among youth—has kept Prime Minister Mia Mottley and the entire cabinet deeply troubled. Polydrug use, defined as the simultaneous or sequential consumption of multiple substances, can span everything from illicit narcotics to legally available products including alcohol, prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

    “This pattern of poly-drug usage is causing sleepless nights for all of us in government, especially as elected representatives and cabinet members,” Forde stated. “That worry extends directly to the prime minister, as we see not just adults but young people experimenting with new, powerful drug combinations that were unheard of here just a few years ago.”

    Forde outlined the key drivers of the growing trend: young people are increasingly skipping regulated pharmacies to source medications from unlicensed vendors, then turning to mobile internet to research and mix potent substances with no medical guidance. “A dangerous culture is creeping into our country where young people obtain over-the-counter medications outside of formal pharmacy channels,” he explained. “They don’t get advice from trained pharmacists—instead, they pull up information on their phones, scroll through internet research, and mix different substances based on what they find online, with zero oversight.”

    One particularly prevalent dangerous combination highlighted by the minister is the so-called “lean” concoction, made by mixing codeine phosphate-containing cough syrups purchased off store shelves with soft drinks and candy. “These young people mix codeine cough syrup with Sprite and Jolly Ranchers to make ‘lean,’ but they’re really leaning straight into trouble,” Forde warned. “Right here in Barbados, we’re seeing young people lose control entirely after using this mixture; they can’t even remember what they did while under the influence. This is one of the greatest fights our country must come together to win: rooting out polydrug use among our population.”

    Forde also drew attention to loopholes in border control that allow illicit synthetic drugs to enter the country hidden as everyday consumer products. Illegal substances including ecstasy and methamphetamine—commonly called “Mollies” among users—are being imported into Barbados mislabeled as dietary or herbal supplements, he confirmed. “These drugs are coming across our borders disguised as vitamins,” he said. “If a shipment is labeled as yohimbe or ginseng capsules, it needs random, rigorous testing. Lab reports must confirm these containers actually hold the herbal supplements they claim to, not methamphetamine, which we’ve found is happening too often. This is where both drug safety monitoring and border vigilance have to be stepped up dramatically.”

    The urgent push for tighter regulation comes as the new Barbados Medical Products Bill was tabled in the House of Assembly Tuesday, following its initial reading in the Senate. The legislation would replace the outdated 1950 Therapeutic Substance Act with a far stricter modern framework for drug regulation and enforcement, updating decades-old drug control rules to address 21st-century threats. Under the new law, authorized inspectors will gain the power to enter and search any premises suspected of involvement in the unregulated distribution of mind-altering substances.

    Forde emphasized that the bill includes stiff penalties for anyone who violates the new regulations, including those who falsify prescriptions or alter drug labels. “Anyone who breaks this law can face summary conviction in magistrate’s court, with fines up to 50,000 Barbadian dollars or five years imprisonment,” he said. “I support these harsh penalties because we’re dealing with human lives—this is a matter of life and death. We cannot afford to lose young lives to people playing Russian roulette with unregulated medications.”

    Beyond addressing the immediate polydrug crisis, Forde framed the new legislation as a response to broader global public health threats, naming antimicrobial resistance as a critical challenge on par with climate change, biodiversity loss, and systemic pollution. He urged Barbadians to avoid unsafe antibiotic practices such as stopping treatment courses early, and to stop disposing of expired medications in gullies, where the drugs can leach into drinking water sources and harm marine ecosystems.

    Crucially, the bill also creates new pathways for sustainable economic development in the pharmaceutical sector, Forde explained. By establishing clear, modern quality standards, the legislation will create a framework that allows Barbadian scientists to research and develop new pharmaceutical products derived from the island’s native natural resources. “Imagine pairing traditional local knowledge with rigorous modern science, building a domestic industry around these resources, and marketing these products globally as a small island developing state,” Forde said. “This bill creates the space to do that with the right technology and regulatory guardrails. Now is the right time to put these mechanisms in place, to build an industry that can help secure this country’s future while protecting public health.”

  • UNICEF: 1 Billion Children Face Triple Climate Threats

    UNICEF: 1 Billion Children Face Triple Climate Threats

    A startling new 2026 assessment from UNICEF has laid bare the unprecedented climate vulnerability of children across the globe, revealing that more than one billion young people are currently exposed to at least three overlapping climate-driven hazards that directly threaten their health, development and very survival.

    The Children’s Climate Risk Report 2026, the most comprehensive recent analysis of childhood exposure to climate-linked threats, maps the spread of eight major climate hazards: coastal flooding, chronic drought, extreme heat events, unregulated wildfires, sustained heatwaves, riverine flooding, sand and dust storms, and destructive tropical cyclones. Its findings paint a grim picture: nearly every child worldwide lives with the threat of at least one of these climate events, while an astounding 4 million children contend with the simultaneous strain of six distinct hazards.

    Small island developing nations (SIDS) bear the brunt of this systemic risk. In 24 SIDS, including Haiti and several other Caribbean nations, 100% of the child population faces the threat of catastrophic tropical storms, powerful enough to submerge entire islands and cripple critical infrastructure such as water systems, hospitals and communication networks. Belize, a Caribbean coastal nation with a long history of devastating hurricane strikes and chronic flooding, shares the same extreme level of climate risk for its children.

    At the global level, the most prevalent combination of overlapping threats is drought paired with extreme heat and sustained heatwaves, a toxic trio that puts more than 296 million children at risk. The second most common cluster adds tropical storms to this combination, exposing an additional 115 million children to cascading climate harms.

    The report expands its analysis beyond extreme weather to account for secondary climate-linked health risks: air pollution and malaria, both of which have grown more severe as global temperatures rise. It notes that nearly every child on Earth is impacted by climate-worsened air pollution, while a full one billion children face elevated risk of contracting malaria.

    In response to these findings, UNICEF has issued an urgent call to action for national governments worldwide. The organization urges policymakers to immediately cut global greenhouse gas emissions, the root driver of accelerating climate hazards, invest in climate-resilient schools and healthcare facilities to protect children during disasters, and explicitly prioritize children’s needs in all national climate adaptation planning.

  • Asabina wil inzage in oliecontract: Parlement mag niet in het duister tasten

    Asabina wil inzage in oliecontract: Parlement mag niet in het duister tasten

    A Surinamese parliamentary opposition leader has reignited debate over transparency in the country’s burgeoning offshore oil sector, renewing scathing criticism of the government’s refusal to grant the National Assembly full access to the critical exploration and development contract between state-owned oil firm Staatsolie and French energy giant TotalEnergies.

    Ronny Asabina, who leads the BEP political faction in the Surinamese legislature, argues that parliament is fundamentally blocked from fulfilling its constitutionally mandated oversight role as long as the terms of the landmark agreement remain hidden from elected representatives.

    In unusually harsh remarks, Asabina labeled the ongoing secrecy a “national shame” for the South American nation, pointing out that the country’s state oil company has explicitly rejected requests to share the full text of the deal with the nation’s lawmaking body – even as elected officials are expected to extend political trust to the agreements struck behind closed doors.

    The parliamentary leader says that without access to the full contract, key details that matter deeply to the Surinamese public remain out of sight, including legally binding environmental protection clauses, frameworks for resolving commercial disputes, and critical fiscal terms that outline how much revenue the state will earn from the development of the offshore reserves. In particular, Asabina has raised pointed questions about the timeline of projected government tax revenues from the project. Under the terms of typical large-scale oil development deals, companies do not pay income tax until all upfront capital investments have been recouped and operational profits are generated.

    Given the extremely capital-intensive nature of offshore oil exploration and production, and the ability of firms to offset early operational losses against future tax obligations, Asabina warned that substantial tax revenues for the Surinamese government could be delayed for decades after production first begins, a timeline that would put immense strain on the country’s already stretched public finances.

    Asabina stressed that the National Assembly has an inalienable right to full disclosure of all agreements that the executive branch has negotiated on behalf of the Surinamese state and its people. He also recalled that government officials previously made a public promise to convene a special parliamentary committee to review all oil sector contracts, a commitment that has yet to be fulfilled. “As the elected representatives of the Surinamese people, we have a non-negotiable responsibility to know exactly what terms have been agreed to in the name of our entire society,” Asabina told the government in his address.

  • Resilience framed as key to competitiveness, stability

    Resilience framed as key to competitiveness, stability

    As Caribbean nations grapple with escalating climate risks and shifting global economic pressures, Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips has redefined disaster resilience from a reactive emergency tool to a foundational pillar of national competitiveness, governance and investor confidence. Speaking at the official launch of the 14th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management, Phillips told a gathering of regional disaster managers, government leaders, development partners, private sector stakeholders and financial institutions that outdated, post-event response frameworks are no longer fit for 21st century risk realities.

    Phillips, a retired Brigadier of the Guyana Defence Force, emphasized that resilience has moved to the center of modern governance, shaping everything from national infrastructure planning and public security to long-term development trajectories and economic performance. “To govern well in this environment is to govern at the speed of risk, anticipating threats before they mature, investing ahead of need, coordinating across borders, and acting with resolve when the moment demands it,” Phillips said. He noted that decision windows for mitigating hazards are shrinking rapidly, while the economic and human cost of delayed action grows with each extreme weather season. When approached proactively, he argued, resilience becomes as much a driver of economic competitiveness as it is a tool for protecting communities.

    A nation that can keep critical infrastructure — including ports, power grids and public services — operational through climate shocks builds lasting trust among both investors and citizens, Phillips explained. Climate-resilient infrastructure holds its value over decades, while community-wide early warning systems cut both human casualties and economic losses after a disaster. He added that emerging technologies, from advanced satellite forecasting to data analytics, are giving governments critical extra time to intervene before a threat escalates into a full-blown crisis.

    The launch event, held in Guyana, precedes the full Caribbean Disaster Management Conference (CDM 14) scheduled for December, which is organized by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). Phillips stressed that no single Caribbean nation can build sufficient resilience independently, nor can any national budget cover the full cost of risk reduction alone. Regional collaboration, cross-border risk pooling and pre-arranged disaster financing are critical, he noted, as pre-positioned resilience funding allows far faster response and recovery than scrambling for resources after a disaster strikes.

    CDEMA Executive Director Elizabeth Riley echoed Phillips’ framing, noting that while the Caribbean sits on the front lines of a climate crisis it played almost no role in creating, additional global pressures are reshaping the operating context for regional governments and institutions. Geopolitical instability, post-pandemic supply chain disruptions, rapid technological shifts and growing competition for limited development financing have created new barriers to progress. “This really requires us to think differently about resilience and also to promote self-reliance,” Riley said. “Resilience must be understood as a strategic governance development and economic imperative. It must shape how we plan, invest, and govern.”

    Riley emphasized that this reorientation is increasingly urgent as development financing becomes more constrained and official development assistance declines. “Maximising available resources, strengthening disaster risk financing, and embedding resilience into investment decisions will be critical to safeguarded development gains,” she added. The annual Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management is designed to advance regional dialogue and cross-sector partnerships focused on resilience building, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development across the Caribbean bloc.

  • Medical Products Bill aims to strengthen drug safety, production

    Medical Products Bill aims to strengthen drug safety, production

    Barbados is taking a major step toward reshaping its national healthcare framework, as a transformative new piece of legislation targeting pharmaceutical regulation and supply chain security moves forward through the country’s Parliament. Titled the Barbados Medical Products Bill, the proposed law marks a historic milestone not just for its policy goals, but also for the procedural context in which it was introduced: it was piloted through its second reading in the House of Assembly by Health Minister Senator Lisa Cummins, marking the first time a sitting senator has appeared on the floor of the lower house of parliament following constitutional amendments ratified late last year.

    In her address to lawmakers, Minister Cummins framed the bill as a critical step toward establishing full medical products sovereignty for the Caribbean island, with public safety serving as the core priority. The primary risk the new regulations aim to address is the growing threat of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, which put public health at severe risk through untested ingredients and fraudulent claims of efficacy. Key to the new regulatory structure is Section 6 of the bill, which lays out formal requirements for the registration and marketing authorization of all medical products sold or distributed in Barbados.

    Minister Cummins emphasized that strong, centralized regulation is non-negotiable to protect Barbadians from substandard or fraudulent drugs that are often marketed with false claims about their ability to treat medical conditions. “One of the things that this legislation is meant to do is to protect this community by way of regulation from counterfeiting drugs and drugs that are marketed to do one thing but really are not doing what they’re said to do,” she told assembled lawmakers.

    The push for this new framework grew directly out of disruptions that hit the island during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global supply chain breakdowns and export restrictions left many small nations struggling to access critical medical supplies. Compounding those ongoing challenges are current global supply chain disruptions linked to rising international tensions, which have added new layers of uncertainty to global pharmaceutical trade. Currently, Barbados imports 47 percent of all pharmaceutical products consumed domestically, a level of dependence that left the country extremely vulnerable during recent crises.

    Minister Cummins described the confluence of pandemic-related disruptions, export bans, international supply chain breakdowns, and country-level hoarding of medical supplies as a “perfect storm” – but also a perfect opportunity to build long-term self-reliance. The bill aligns with Barbados’ broader national strategy to secure sovereignty across key strategic sectors, from energy and agriculture to food production, now extending that momentum to health and medical supplies. The goal, she stressed, is to ensure Barbados is never again fully reliant on the goodwill of foreign nations, a vulnerability laid bare during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when many countries prioritized domestic access to critical supplies over exports.

    A core complementary initiative tied to the bill is the launch of Barbados Pharmaceutical Inc., a state-backed domestic pharmaceutical production company that will serve as a foundation to transform Barbados from a regional logistics hub into a full-fledged pharmaceutical, distribution, and regulatory hub for the Caribbean and broader global south. Minister Cummins revealed that the new facility is already working with key partners in Nigeria to build collaborative partnerships with pharmaceutical manufacturers across the African continent, opening new avenues for South-South cooperation in pharmaceutical production.

    The bill also formalizes the structure for a new Barbados Medical Products Regulatory Authority, which will operate under the legislation’s framework to oversee both domestic manufacturing and research and development activity carried out at the Barbados Living Lab, the country’s new pharmaceutical R&D facility. Minister Cummins simplified the authority’s role: just as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides trusted verification of pharmaceutical safety and efficacy for global markets, the new Barbadian regulator will fill that same role for domestic and regional production. Without a formal, robust regulatory framework, she noted, domestic manufacturing and international collaboration cannot expand.

    The legislation also draws heavily on existing regional regulatory frameworks across both the Caribbean and African regions, where leaders have prioritized expanding domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing and strengthening independent regulatory authorities. Under the new structure, the existing Barbados Drug Service will be separated from the new regulatory authority, which will take on full independent oversight of all medical products. The bill also incorporates formal requirements for pharmacovigilance, including systematic quality monitoring, processes for product recalls, and removal of unsafe products from the market.

    From the moment pharmaceutical products arrive at Barbados’ border, through customs clearance, import licensing, and final placement on retail shelves, multiple government agencies including Customs, the Department of Commerce, the new regulatory authority, and the Ministry of Health will collaborate to maintain extensive regulatory oversight and surveillance, with each institution holding clear defined responsibilities under the law.

    The procedural milestone of a senator presenting legislation to the House of Assembly follows the December 2023 ratification of amendments to the Constitution of Barbados, which explicitly allow sitting ministers from the Senate to attend sittings of the House of Assembly, and vice versa for ministers sitting in the lower house. The first cross-chamber ministerial appearance took place just last week, when two members of the House of Assembly – Criminal Justice Minister Michael Lashley and Attorney General Wilfred Abrahams – presented the Criminal Gangs (Prevention and Control) Bill for its second reading before the Senate.

  • DaSilva, Jangoo earn West Indies recall

    DaSilva, Jangoo earn West Indies recall

    As the opening match of West Indies’ two-Test home series against Sri Lanka draws near, the region’s cricket governing body has announced an updated Test squad that brings four familiar faces back into the fold ahead of the first fixture, kicking off next Thursday at Antigua’s iconic Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

    Wicketkeeper-batter Joshua DaSilva and batter Amir Jangoo have earned recalls to the 15-man squad, joining fast bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, who return to Test selection after recovering from long-term injury spells. The pace duo last appeared in a West Indies Test squad during the 2025 home series against Australia.

    DaSilva’s recall comes off the back of devastating run-scoring form in domestic first-class cricket, having piled up 996 runs across the last two seasons of the West Indies Championship. For Jangoo, a left-handed batter, his standout performance in the 2025 edition of the regional tournament earned him his first Test squad call-up since January 2025. Jangoo ended this year’s championship as the second-highest run-scorer across the competition, headlined by a match-winning double century that cemented his case for selection.

    Veteran all-rounder Roston Chase will retain his position as Test captain for the series, with head coach Daren Sammy saying his side is ready to embrace the challenge of facing a high-quality Sri Lankan outfit on home soil.

    “Every Test series is a chance for this group to grow together and solidify what we want this team to stand for,” Sammy said in a statement released by Cricket West Indies. “Sri Lanka are a thoroughly quality side with match-winners across their batting and bowling groups, so we know we have to show up at our very best to compete. That said, the whole group is excited to take on this test.”

    Sammy outlined the core values the side will lean into throughout the series, emphasizing discipline, resilience under pressure, and national pride. “The players have put in the hard work through preparation, and we’re all eager to put on a competitive, strong show for our fans all across the Caribbean,” he added.

    The team is currently wrapping up a high-performance preparation camp in Antigua that runs through June 22, a camp Sammy described as a critical piece of the side’s pre-series planning. “This camp gives players and coaching staff dedicated time to sharpen the specific skills we need to prioritize against this Sri Lankan side, and work on the weaknesses we’ve identified in recent matches,” he explained. “It also lets us lock in clear objectives and game plans not just for this series, but for the conclusion of our summer Test schedule against Pakistan later on.”

    Ahead of the opening Test, Sri Lanka will face a West Indies Select XI in a four-day warm-up fixture from June 18 to 21 at Antigua’s Coolidge Cricket Ground, a fixture Sammy said serves a key purpose for emerging domestic talent. “This warm-up game gives our up-and-coming Test hopefuls a chance to compete at high intensity against a quality international side, and it also fosters healthy competition within the wider squad for places ahead of this series and future fixtures,” he noted. Top-order batter Tevin Imlach will lead the 13-man Select XI side for the warm-up match.

    Full West Indies Test Squad vs Sri Lanka: Roston Chase (captain), Jomel Warrican (vice-captain), John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Joshua Da Silva, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Shai Hope, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales.

    Full West Indies Select XI Squad vs Sri Lanka: Tevin Imlach (captain), Joshua Bishop, Jonathan Drakes, Karima Gore, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kirk Mckenzie, Keemo Paul, Kemol Savory, Ojay Shields, Nial Smith, Gilon Tyson, Kevin Wickham.

  • Nepotism Allegations? Police CEO Says That’s Just “Noise in the Market”

    Nepotism Allegations? Police CEO Says That’s Just “Noise in the Market”

    Amid a growing wave of unaddressed nepotism allegations targeting Belize’s Minister of Home Affairs Oscar Mira, the top police chief has stepped forward to dismiss the controversy as unfounded public speculation. In an exclusive interview with local outlet News 5 on June 16, 2026, Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of the department, pushed back against claims that the scandal is undermining Mira’s ability to lead.

    Bennett emphasized that despite the swirling public discourse, Minister Mira has maintained unbroken focus on his official responsibilities, and the unsubstantiated claims have had no tangible impact on his leadership of the ministry. According to Bennett, all core operations across the Ministry of Home Affairs are running smoothly as planned, including critical functions of the Police Department and national forensic services. He also confirmed that regular communication and coordination between himself and the minister remain unchanged.

    When questioned about whether the nepotism claims could damage ongoing efforts to restore public trust in national law enforcement, Bennett rejected any link between the allegations and institutional integrity. “No, not at all,” he stated firmly. “I don’t see the connection, and I don’t see there is any question as it relates to trust and the integrity of the minister at all.”

    As of the publication of this report, Minister Mira has not offered any direct on-the-record response to repeated media requests for comment on the allegations. Prior to this, Mira only released a brief public statement via Facebook, labeling the nepotism claims as deliberate “lies and misinformation” aimed at discrediting his office.