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  • $340K Water Equipment to Hook up Homes in 15 Villages

    $340K Water Equipment to Hook up Homes in 15 Villages

    On a ceremonial handover held Monday, the Belizean government has distributed roughly $340,000 BZ worth of critical water system equipment and maintenance supplies to 15 rural communities spread across three districts: Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development & Local Government, includes a broad range of essential assets to upgrade and expand community-run water access, from large storage tanks, connecting piping and water meters to general plumbing materials, drainage culverts, and maintenance tools such as weed eaters and a commercial lawnmower.

    Addressing attendees at the event, Rosaura Chan, president of the National Association of Village Councils, framed the handover as both a transformative opportunity and a collective obligation for recipient communities. “The true value of these resources will not be measured by what is received today, but by how well they are maintained and how many lives they continue to improve in the years ahead,” Chan remarked. She also emphasized the foundational role of rural communities to national strength, noting, “The strength of Belize is not found only in towns and cities. It is found in our villages.”

    In remarks that carried clear political overtones, cabinet minister Oscar Requena drew a sharp contrast between the current administration and the previous 13-year rule of the United Democratic Party (UDP). Requena directly questioned event attendees, asking repeatedly if the former government ever delivered comparable infrastructure investments to rural villages, before concluding that such a commitment to rural communities “never” happened under UDP leadership. Requena also pushed back against growing calls to transfer management of all rural water systems to the national utility Belize Water Services, arguing that community-governed water boards keep revenue and resources local to directly benefit residents. As evidence of this model’s success, he pointed to two rural communities, San Antonio in Toledo and Hopkins, which have paid off tens of thousands in collective debt and built up significant community savings after installing community-managed metered systems.

    Osmond Martinez, the area representative for the district that includes three of the 15 beneficiary villages, Bladen, San Isidro, and Bella Vista, highlighted the urgent unmet need driving the investment. Martinez noted that Bella Vista has experienced an unprecedented 88% population growth between 2010 and 2022 – a faster rate of expansion than any other village in Belize’s history – leaving dozens of local homes still without access to piped running water.

    Fellow cabinet minister Dr. Louis Zabaneh closed out official remarks by reaffirming the current government’s commitment to directing public and donor funding toward rural community needs. “It is important for us to continue to give as much as we can to our communities and to our people, because that is what the balance is,” Zabaneh said. “It is by what we’re doing, by taking the taxpayers’ money, by taking grant funds, loan funds, or whatever it is, and using it properly and the right way.”

  • Dominican-authored book on Caribbean World War II history helps individuals link to family in St Lucia

    Dominican-authored book on Caribbean World War II history helps individuals link to family in St Lucia

    Historical research often uncovers forgotten battles and little-known military operations, but a newly released book on German U-boat activity in the Caribbean during World War II has delivered an unexpected, heartwarming result: reconnecting two branches of a divided family across Dominica and St. Lucia.

    Author Clement Richards’ latest work, *Sea Wolves in Warm Waters: The U-Boat Battle in the Caribbean*, explores the underdocumented impact of Nazi submarine attacks on Caribbean waters and the local people caught up in the global conflict. Far from staying confined to its pages, the publication has already sparked unexpected personal revelations that align with its core mission, Richards shared in a recent official press statement.

    The story of the reconnection began on June 13, 2026, when Richards appeared as a guest on DBS Radio’s popular current affairs program *Connecting the Dots*. During the interview, he walked listeners through the untold experiences of Caribbean merchant seamen who served and died during the war, highlighting the case of McWilliam Hector, a Dominican sailor killed in a 1944 U-boat torpedo attack.

    Within days of the broadcast, 76-year-old Annaclette Theresa Hector-Leslie from Paix Bouche, Dominica, reached out to Richards by phone to share a life-changing revelation: she was one of Hector’s surviving daughters. This new contact solved a months-long search for a man who had spent years looking for his father’s side of the family. The information Hector-Leslie provided will soon be shared with R. Walcott Everette, a St. Lucia resident who is also Hector’s son.

    Everette first launched his public search for his Dominican relatives earlier this year. On April 28, 2026, he left a comment on a Facebook post from the popular page *I Love St. Lucia*, which was sharing news of the upcoming release of Richards’ book. In his comment, Everette explained he had been born shortly before his father’s ship was attacked and sunk in 1944. Raised only by his mother, he knew his father was originally from Dominica and had spent decades hoping to trace his paternal family roots on the island.

    For Richards, the accidental reconnection is far more than a charming coincidence—it is proof that the deeper purpose of his work is already being realized. While the book’s primary focus is documenting the scope of German U-boat operations across the Caribbean between 1939 and 1945, it was also always intended to center the human cost of the conflict, lifting up the personal stories of affected families that have been left out of most mainstream military histories.

    Public reaction to the book has repeatedly reinforced this core truth: the Caribbean’s World War II experience is not just a story of ships and submarines, but of ordinary people who played active roles in the global war. “The Caribbean was not on the sidelines of World War II,” Richards emphasized. “Our people served, suffered, and sacrificed. Some never returned home. The story of Mr. McWilliam Hector is one of those stories, and I am deeply moved that this book has played even a small part in helping his children reconnect with that history and with each other.”

    This unexpected outcome perfectly illustrates the power of local historical research to recover lost memories and bridge generational and geographic gaps for modern families, Richards noted. A central goal of the book is to spark broader public conversation about the Caribbean’s forgotten wartime role and encourage communities to uncover the full stories behind the names in official historical records.

    *Sea Wolves in Warm Waters* is Richards’ second published book, following his debut work *Indian Warner: Son of Two Worlds*. The new release continues to draw widespread attention across the Caribbean for shining a light on a dramatic, yet long-overlooked chapter of the region’s modern history.

  • Belizean Deported After Leading Hunger Strike in ICE Jail

    Belizean Deported After Leading Hunger Strike in ICE Jail

    In a move that has reignited debates over immigration detention conditions and retaliation against activist detainees, a Belizean man who emerged as a key organizer of a high-profile hunger strike at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in California has been deported back to his home country. Immigrant rights organizations are calling the deportation an act of retaliation for Kyron Shakeel Swaso’s public criticism of abusive and unsanitary conditions inside the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.

    Per accounts from local outlet CALÒ News and legal nonprofit Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), Swaso’s removal followed a pattern of improper transfers to detention facilities in Texas and Louisiana, carried out in what advocates say is violation of existing legal requirements. His deportation came fewer than 14 days after he held a meeting with members of the U.S. Congress, where he helped deliver a formal petition signed by 150 fellow detainees detailing systemic poor conditions at the Adelanto site.

    The document signed by detainees raised multiple serious allegations: toxic mould growth in holding areas, contaminated drinking water supplies, insufficient and low-quality food, and persistent barriers to accessing necessary medical care. In a final statement released before his deportation, Swaso emphasized the demands of the protesting detainees. “We want this place shut down and we want to be released… Our due process rights are being violated. They are using taxpayer dollars to abuse immigrants. The things they say publicly do not match what we are living through,” he said.

    ImmDef’s legal team has pushed back against the government’s process, confirming that Swaso was transferred out of California without the mandatory advance notice required under a federal court order. The organization argues the irregular transfers and subsequent deportation were explicitly retaliatory measures targeting Swaso for his leadership in the hunger strike and his willingness to bring detention abuses to national attention.

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the federal agency that oversees ICE, has confirmed Swaso’s deportation but forcefully rejected all claims of retaliation. According to remarks shared with DemocracyNow, DHS stated that Swaso had already received a final, legally binding order of removal, and his transfer and deportation followed standard operating procedures for immigration removal cases. The agency also outlined background on Swaso’s immigration history: he entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2019, and overstayed the terms of his visa. DHS additionally claimed Swaso faced a series of criminal charges, including aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, illegal firearm possession, and drug possession.

    ImmDef has pushed back against these criminal allegations, countering that the only charges on record against Swaso are minor drug offenses that were ultimately dismissed and cleared through post-conviction relief processes. The organization says Swaso has no other active convictions on his record.

    Beyond the dispute over Swaso’s deportation, DHS has also denied that any hunger strike is currently ongoing at the Adelanto facility, and rejected all allegations of systemic abuse against detainees. This official denial stands in direct contradiction to claims from current detainees and immigrant rights advocates, who have repeatedly documented poor conditions at the site. Local reporting from CALÒ News has recorded at least four detainee deaths at the Adelanto facility in recent years, further fueling calls for independent oversight and facility closure.

  • IRD, ECCO join forces on tax collection and music rights

    IRD, ECCO join forces on tax collection and music rights

    A new collaborative agreement between Saint Lucia’s tax regulator and the Eastern Caribbean’s leading music rights management organization is set to streamline enforcement of both tax collection and copyright compliance across the island’s entertainment sector.

    On [date undisclosed], the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) and the Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation for Music Rights (ECCO) Inc. formalized their partnership with a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that establishes a structured framework for secure information sharing between the two entities.

    Under the terms of the arrangement, the two organizations will exchange key operational data to advance their respective enforcement goals. Shared datasets will include event ticket sales revenue, public attendance numbers for live and recorded music events, and other business records that enable accurate tax assessment and verify that venues and event organizers have met mandatory music licensing requirements.

    The MOU also lays out clear protocols for joint cooperation when regulatory responsibilities overlap. These protocols include formal referrals of suspected non-compliance cases between the two agencies and coordinated investigative work when potential violations of both tax law and copyright regulations are identified.

    To protect sensitive taxpayer and business data, the agreement includes strict confidentiality clauses that require all shared information to be processed and stored in full alignment with Saint Lucia’s existing legal framework. These binding requirements cover compliance with four core pieces of national legislation: the Income Tax Act, the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act, the Copyright Act, and the Companies Act.

    Martin A. James, Chief Executive Officer of ECCO, emphasized that the cross-agency partnership marks a transformative shift for the region’s music industry. “This MOU is a significant step forward in our ability to ensure that the business of music operates with integrity and fairness,” James explained. “By working hand-in-hand with IRD, we can better protect the intellectual property rights of our member composers, performers, and rights holders, while promoting accountability across the entire entertainment sector.”

    Felicia Ellie, Comptroller of Saint Lucia’s IRD, echoed that sentiment, noting that targeted collaboration between public revenue bodies and creative industry stakeholders delivers mutual benefits for both regulators and the sector itself. “Collaboration between public revenue authorities and creative sector organizations is essential,” Ellie stated. “This agreement will not only help strengthen overall tax compliance across the entertainment industry but also support the long-term growth of the creative industry by ensuring that all legal obligations are met transparently and efficiently.”

    The agreement will remain in force indefinitely, unless either party chooses to initiate modifications or terminate the arrangement through formal mutual agreement.

  • Browne Says Antigua and Barbuda Near Full Employment, Calls for New Labour Survey

    Browne Says Antigua and Barbuda Near Full Employment, Calls for New Labour Survey

    Antigua and Barbuda is currently operating at near-full employment, according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who has publicly committed the government to commissioning an updated national labour market survey to capture accurate, up-to-date workforce dynamics. Speaking during a parliamentary question-and-answer session, Browne acknowledged that the most recent comprehensive analysis of the country’s labour market dates back to between 2016 and 2017, leaving policymakers without the granular, current data needed to shape evidence-based employment policy. While formal statistical data is overdue for a refresh, Browne noted that on-the-ground and anecdotal observations paint a clear picture of a tight labour market, with the country hitting a near-full employment threshold. As primary evidence of robust labour demand, Browne highlighted the consistent stream of new arrivals to the twin-island nation who are able to secure employment almost immediately upon entry. “In fact, there are people coming into this country literally on a daily basis and obtaining employment,” he told parliament.

    Beyond the strong overall employment picture, however, the prime minister outlined a growing, persistent challenge that is disrupting local industries: a rising reluctance among native-born Antiguans and Barbudans to take on open roles that align with their existing qualifications. Browne framed this trend as an emerging cultural shift that is creating widespread staffing shortages across multiple key sectors of the national economy. “We have a developing cultural problem within the society,” he said. Local employers across critical service industries including retail, private security, domestic work and hospitality have consistently reported struggles to fill open entry-level and skilled positions with local workers, even as unemployment remains near historic lows. The surge in demand for foreign labour has been reflected in a sharp uptick in work permit applications across the country. In response to this trend, the national Cabinet recently moved to centralize the work permit approval process to streamline applications, but Browne confirmed that many businesses continue to face major challenges recruiting local candidates for open roles.

    Synthesizing his observations of the current labour market, Browne argued that the small number of working-age people who remain out of work are largely not unemployed due to a lack of available jobs. “I’m pretty convinced that we practically have full employment and that those who are not employed is that they’re either not willing to work or they’re unavailable to work,” he concluded.

  • BARNUFO, CFPA pay tribute to Dr Shelly-Ann Cox

    BARNUFO, CFPA pay tribute to Dr Shelly-Ann Cox

    Two leading industry bodies in Barbados’ fishing sector are honoring the life and legacy of Dr Shelly-Ann Cox, the nation’s Chief Fisheries Officer, who passed away recently. The Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisations (BARNUFO) and the Central Fish Processors Association (CFPA), both led by president Vernel Nicholls, have issued public statements of grief and tribute to the late public servant.

    In statements released jointly on behalf of both organizations, Nicholls extended heartfelt condolences to Dr Cox’s immediate family, close friends, professional colleagues and all those who knew her well. He remembered Dr Cox as an unwaveringly committed public servant whose decades of work left an indelible, positive mark on the entire Barbadian fishing industry.

    Nicholls emphasized that Dr Cox left the community far too early in her career, highlighting the depth of expertise, steady leadership and contagious passion she brought to advancing the nation’s fisheries every day. He specifically noted her consistent advocacy for adopting new technology, scaling innovative practices and creating more opportunities for young people to join and lead the sector.

    Among Dr Cox’s most critical contributions, Nicholls pointed to her work in disaster preparedness and post-storm recovery for fishing communities. After Hurricane Beryl swept through the region, Dr Cox worked around the clock to educate fishers on critical hurricane safety protocols, while pulling together cross-stakeholder collaboration, streamlining inter-agency communication and coordination, organizing critical logistics and leading on-the-ground recovery efforts. Her long-term goal was to build a more resilient, forward-looking framework for disaster risk management that would protect the fishing sector for future generations.

    “As we mourn this devastating loss, we sincerely pray that divine strength and comforting peace will surround Dr Cox’s family, friends, co-workers, and all fisherfolk leaders across the country in this difficult time,” Nicholls added.

  • PM Browne Says Missing Back Pay Cases Stem From Documentation Gaps, Not Lack of Funds

    PM Browne Says Missing Back Pay Cases Stem From Documentation Gaps, Not Lack of Funds

    In a parliamentary address addressing growing public frustration over delayed pledged back pay for civil servants, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has pushed back against widespread claims that a lack of government funding is to blame for the outstanding payments, which the administration has committed to fully settling by the end of 2025. Instead, Browne pointed to a cascade of administrative and documentation issues as the core root of the ongoing delays, clarifying that only a tiny fraction of legitimate claims remain unprocessed.\n\nBrowne outlined multiple key problems that have slowed disbursement of the promised funds to public sector workers. Incomplete record-keeping across government ministries and departments, he explained, has led to major gaps in the payment rosters submitted to the national Treasury. Among the most high-profile omissions, the prime minister confirmed that dozens of active police officers were accidentally left off submitted lists, barring them from receiving the pay they are owed. Beyond accidental omissions, Browne added, widespread administrative errors and a flood of ineligible claims have further bogged down the processing system.\n\nThe prime minister specified exactly which groups do not qualify for the current round of back pay, including any individuals who left public sector employment before 2018, newly hired workers who have only recently joined the civil service, and people working on fixed-term government contracts. Contrary to public narratives that claim thousands of eligible workers are still waiting for payment, Browne emphasized that as of the day prior to his parliamentary address, the number of unresolved legitimate claims remained very small.\n\nBeyond processing issues, Browne publicly acknowledged long-running complaints about poor customer treatment from Treasury staff working on the back pay claims. Confirming reports that frontline Treasury employees have been dismissive or rude to claimants seeking updates on their payments, the prime minister said he has directly instructed the Financial Secretary to organize mandatory customer service training for all relevant staff to resolve this cultural issue.\n\nLooking ahead, Browne said the government is on track to clear all remaining outstanding claims within the next few months, and pushed back against critics who have attacked the administration’s handling of the back pay process. He stressed that his government is the first administration since Antigua and Barbuda gained independence to commit to bringing all public sector back pay completely up to date, reaffirming that the government has already set aside the full funding required to settle all eligible claims. “It’s not a matter of not having the monies to pay the back pay,” he reiterated. “We’re the first administration, certainly since independence, that would have brought back pay fully up to date.”

  • Work Continues at Information Commissioner’s Office, Parliament Told

    Work Continues at Information Commissioner’s Office, Parliament Told

    In a recent parliamentary update, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda has confirmed that final construction work is still progressing at the new permanent location for the Office of the Information Commissioner. The announcement came as Browne responded to two separate parliamentary questions regarding the office’s current location and expected completion date for its new facility.

    According to Browne, he received a progress report from the Member of Parliament representing St. John’s City South, which confirmed that the new purpose-built facility is not yet fully finished. “I’m told that there’s still some work to be done on the building,” the prime minister told lawmakers during the session.

    For the time being, the Office of the Information Commissioner will continue its operations out of its temporary accommodation at the Francis Trading building located on High Street in St. John’s. Browne did not share specific details about what work remains unfinished at the new site, nor did he outline an exact breakdown of construction costs or the scope of the remaining tasks.

    When pressed by legislators on a clear timeline for when the new office will be ready for the Information Commissioner to fully occupy, Browne shared that the Attorney General has advised the office will be prepared within a six-month window. This six-month timeline aligns with his earlier confirmation that work is still ongoing at the current site, bringing clarity to lawmakers who have sought updates on the establishment of the long-awaited government office. No firm specific completion date was announced alongside the six-month target, leaving room for potential adjustments as construction progresses.

  • ‘Win-Win’ or Not? US and Iran Sign a Page-and-a-Half MoU

    ‘Win-Win’ or Not? US and Iran Sign a Page-and-a-Half MoU

    After 109 days of open conflict between the United States and Iran, the two nations have finalized an electronic signature on a short ceasefire memorandum of understanding (MoU), but the fragile deal has already been mired in conflicting claims over its core terms and faces fierce resistance from key regional stakeholders.

    The June 16 agreement was billed by former U.S. President Donald Trump as a step toward opening up the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz to full commercial navigation by this coming Friday. Trump confirmed that he, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and Iran’s chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf had all appended their signatures to the document. For its part, Iran’s National Security Council framed the deal as a full cessation of hostilities across all active fronts, including the Lebanese theater, and said it would bring an end to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian territorial ports.

    However, major contradictions quickly emerged over the economic terms of the ceasefire. A senior anonymous Iranian official told Reuters that Washington had committed to unlocking $25 billion in Iranian assets that have been frozen by U.S. sanctions and temporarily waiving restrictions on Iranian oil exports. These claims were immediately rejected by Vance, who publicly emphasized that no provisions for sanctions relief or asset unfreezing are included in the text. Vance also clarified the scope of the agreement, describing it as a vague general document that totals only one and a half pages in length.

    Under the terms of the current framework, formal negotiations on more substantive issues – including Iran’s nuclear program and the future of U.S. sanctions on the country – are scheduled to begin after the MoU is formally signed in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, with a 60-day window allocated for these follow-up talks.

    The uncertain terms of the ceasefire have already sent ripples through global energy markets. As traders weighed the potential positive impact of a fully reopened Strait of Hormuz – through which roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil supplies pass – against the lack of clarity around the agreement’s actual guarantees, international crude prices moved upward in early trading.

    The deal also faces a major challenge from Israel, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East that has been actively involved in the regional conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli military forces will continue their occupation of southern Lebanon regardless of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement, and senior members of Netanyahu’s cabinet have explicitly stated that Israel does not consider itself bound by the terms of the MoU. Even as leaders on both sides claim a breakthrough toward de-escalation, ongoing fighting is still being reported in multiple conflict zones across the region, leaving the durability of the fragile ceasefire in serious doubt.

  • Ghana beat Panama 1-0 in World Cup opener after injury-time winner

    Ghana beat Panama 1-0 in World Cup opener after injury-time winner

    In a tense, rain-soaked opening Group H World Cup clash held in Toronto, Canada on Wednesday, Ghana snatched a last-gasp 1-0 victory over Panama that sent the city’s large Ghanaian supporter base into wild celebrations.

    The match got off to an early promising start for Panama, when striker Cecilio Waterman fired off a second-minute test on goal that was only just deflected away by Ghana’s sprawling goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi. What followed after that early chance devolved into a gritty, attritional first half, with Ghana failing to register a single shot on target through the opening 45 minutes, as both sides struggled to break down stubborn defensive lines.

    Steady rainfall soaked the Toronto Stadium pitch for the entirety of the second half, but the game opened up into a far more attacking contest. In the 60th minute, Panama’s Cristian Martinez came agonizingly close to breaking the deadlock, lashing a hard shot that clipped the side-netting – drawing a huge roar of near-elation from the thousands of Panamanian fans packed into the stands of the 43,000-capacity venue. Even a mid-second-half hydration break held in the pouring rain drew loud boos from the crowd, restless for more action after a slow start to the game.

    As the clock ticked down, the fixture looked all but certain to end in a goalless draw. That all changed in the fifth minute of stoppage time, when Caleb Yirenkyi scrambled the ball over the line to secure the dramatic winning goal for the Black Stars. The strike sent thousands of Ghanaian supporters based in Canada’s largest city into a frenzy, and put Ghana atop its group after the opening round of fixtures.

    The victory marks a landmark moment for Ghana’s veteran head coach Carlos Queiroz, who only took charge of the national side a few months ahead of this World Cup. With Wednesday’s appearance, Queiroz became just the second head coach in World Cup history to lead a side at five consecutive men’s World Cup tournaments, following previous stints at the 2010 World Cup with Portugal and the 2014, 2018, and 2022 tournaments with Iran.

    Ghana’s opening win came despite a key absence: star midfielder Thomas Partey of Spanish club Villarreal was denied entry to Canada for the tournament due to an ongoing rape trial he faces in the United Kingdom, ruling him out of the squad for the clash.