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The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) Thursday sought to assure the public that the water supply in the country is safe for drinking even as it acknowledged recent public concerns regarding the detection of E. coli in certain water samples, as reported by the Multi Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 7.

The ministry said that while the MICS7 study has highlighted water quality issues, comprehensive data it has collected from multiple sites over time consistently demonstrate that potable water remains safe for consumption.

‘In fulfillment of our mandate to safeguard public health and reduce the incidence of diseases linked to unsafe drinking water, the Ministry undertakes systematic and comprehensive water quality monitoring nationwide.’

It said that this process involves routine testing for microbial contaminants, including E. coli, total coliforms, and other key indicators, as well as ongoing surveillance of drinking water provided through various public water supply systems to identify potential risks for waterborne diseases.

‘All screening procedures adhere to internationally recognized standards to ensure accuracy and reliability. Furthermore, strict protocols are followed for sample collection, preservation, and transportation, thereby maintaining the safety of drinking water. ‘

The ministry said sampling and testing activities primarily serve to verify continuous compliance with regulatory requirements, such as those set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and other relevant national standards, ensuring that all drinking water sources remain potable.

It said that the national programme encompasses the collection and analysis of water samples from four core areas, namely 16 Belize Water Services systems including monthly sampling in all districts, 110 rudimentary water systems: monthly sampling of 105 bottled/purified water operations.

‘All findings are evaluated against WHO drinking water guidelines. Annually, approximately 4,000 water samples from across the country are processed,’ the ministry said, adding that it recognizes the critical importance of clean, safe drinking water and assure the public that the national water supply remains safe for consumption.

‘When isolated issues arise, immediate corrective measures are implemented in collaboration with water authorities and municipal partners. The Ministry is committed to ongoing improvement, including strengthening surveillance systems, updating monitoring technologies, and enhancing cooperation with stakeholders responsible for water safety.’

The authorities said it is encouraging the public to maintain confidence in the quality of their drinking water and to stay informed through official communication channels.

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court of Appeal Thursday reduced the 15-year jail term imposed on former Montserrat chief minister, David Brandt, who had been jailed in 2021 after being found guilty on seven counts of sexually exploiting girls under the age of 18 and one count of perverting the course of justice.

The case against the prominent attorney dates back to September 18, 2015, when Brandt was initially arrested and charged with one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in 2010.

In 2015, he was charged with conspiracy to have sex with a minor due to developments that took place between April and September of 2015.

Brandt had always maintained his innocence and said that ‘my day in court will show that is the case, and that I am innocent. These allegations that have been brought against me are totally false.’

But, in November 2018, Brandt, who served as chief minister from 1997-2001, was taken into custody by local police assisted by members of the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and several charges were laid against him ,including two counts of child sexual exploitation and one count of perverting the course of justice.

Brandt appealed all seven sexual exploitation convictions, and both the conviction and sentence relating to the charge of perverting the course of justice, in September.

The Appeal Court upheld three of the sexual exploitation appeals, but the four other convictions remain in place. The sentences for those remaining convictions still stand, ranging from eight to nine years, and will continue to run concurrently.

But in quashing the sentence for perverting the course of justice, the Court of Appeal ruled that the original 15-year sentence imposed was ‘manifestly excessive’ and it replaced with a four-year sentence. The conviction itself was not overturned.

The Appeal Court that Brandt had already spent time in prison, and taking into account standard reductions, he is expected to remain in custody for at least one more year.

Brandt was represented by attorney Dr David Dorsett, while the prosecution was led by King’s Counsel Annesta Weekes, alongside Director of Public Prosecutions Oris Sullivan.

In my article last week, ‘Hunger and War: The Oldest Crime the World Still Permits,’ I argued that global hunger is not caused by a lack of food but by political decisions that produce war, destroy livelihoods, and block humanitarian access.

That view is echoed by the United Nations: a recent briefing on food insecurity, drawing on World Food Programme (WFP) analysis, noted that ending hunger by 2030 would cost about US$93 billion a year, while governments have spent US $21.9 trillion on their militaries over the last decade.

Those figures from the UN and WFP show that US$93 billion per year-less than one per cent of that military spending-would end global hunger. The contrast exposes the chasm between our professed values and our actual priorities.

If the world can afford trillions for weapons, it can afford a fraction of that to feed the hungry. But outrage alone fills no stomach. We need action. That is why I am suggesting here a clear, affordable way to do so: a global humanitarian contribution of just US$0.75 for every barrel of oil produced, applied for five years. That task is not easy, but the arithmetic is simple.

Data based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that global petroleum and liquids supply in 2023 averaged about 101.8 million barrels per day-roughly 37 billion barrels a year. A contribution of US$0.75 per barrel, if applied to all globally produced barrels, would raise about US$28 billion annually-around US$140 billion over five years-nearly US$50 billion more than the UN’s estimate of what is needed to eradicate hunger.

For every US$100 earned from selling a barrel of oil, just 75 cents would end hunger. Even at modest oil prices, such a levy amounts to well under one per cent of global oil receipts-far smaller than routine daily price swings. Yet for hundreds of millions of people, that 75 cents would mean survival.

The concentration of global oil production makes coordination feasible. Various international energy datasets show that a relatively small group of major producers-including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada, China, Iraq, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Kuwait-accounts for most of the world’s output.

From a geopolitical standpoint, the fact that so much production is centred in a small number of countries adds weight to the moral argument. Those who extract vast value from the earth have both the capacity and, arguably, the responsibility to contribute to humanity’s survival.

Oil and gas revenues have enriched producing states and their companies and helped fuel global development. But the same fossil-fuel use has driven climate change and intensified droughts, floods and storms that destroy crops, displace people, and deepen food insecurity-especially in vulnerable regions such as the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, small island developing states, and parts of Central America and South Asia.

UN-backed assessments now consistently identify conflict and insecurity, economic shocks and climate-related extremes as the key converging drivers of acute food insecurity and malnutrition.

Critics will say the oil industry will never agree to a 75-cent contribution from every US$100 barrel. That may be true if voluntary goodwill is the expectation. But governments can act collectively. Both oil-producing and oil-consuming nations could adopt this solidarity measure at the point of extraction or import-much as France, Brazil and Norway did when they introduced a modest levy on airline tickets to fund UNITAID’s lifesaving programmes. That mechanism has functioned successfully for nearly two decades and is now a template for new global solidarity levies.

Unlike military spending, which has risen for six consecutive years and reached a record US $2.72 trillion in 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, this humanitarian contribution would be modest, transparent and morally compelling. It would also allow the energy sector-often criticised for its environmental record and windfall profits-to participate meaningfully in one of the great humanitarian achievements of our century. The reputational return for governments and companies would far outweigh the cost.

For energy-exporting nations, such a measure could be a diplomatic asset, demonstrating global leadership and compassion at a time when trust is in short supply. For importing nations, it could be an act of solidarity toward a world fracturing under the strain of inequality. And for multilateral institutions, it would show that cooperation can still cut through an era of fracture and mistrust.

This proposal recognises that hunger is not a failure of food production but of political will. International reports show how conflict, climate extremes and economic shocks drive food crises-from Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, and climate-vulnerable regions in the Caribbean, Central America, sub-Saharan Africa and the Pacific. These crises persist not because the world lacks means, but because those with power choose inaction.

A contribution of US$0.75 per barrel-far less than the cost of a single cup of coffee-to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry is not charity. It is justice-long overdue, and well within reach.

*(Author’s Note: This commentary is dedicated to Patrick Cozier of Barbados, whose probing occasioned its writing.

The author is the Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the OAS, and Dean of the OAS Ambassadors accredited to the OAS. Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com)

The Barbadian duo of Khamal Cumberbatch and Maegan Best took home the men and women’s individual titles, respectively, when the 2025 ENet Senior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Championships concluded here on Wednesday.

Playing at the National Racquet Centre, Cumberbatch, the top seed in the men’s division and two-time defending champion, romped to his third consecutive title by defeating Bermuda’s Micah Franklin 11-5, 7-11, 11-4, 11-4 to cap off a dominant showing.

Guyana has become the first Caribbean country to launch a National Gender Equality and Empowerment Seal, which is says is aimed at creating safe, inclusive, and equitable work environments in both the public and private sectors.

‘This gender seal is not merely a policy; it is an actionable programme where there are measurable indicators. We had to ensure that what we were doing would be tailored to both the public and private sectors, understanding the nuances that differentiate them.

But at the same time, keeping the essence of the programme that would make every workplace a safe space,’ Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, told the launching ceremony that was attended by various stakeholders as well as representatives from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Guyana now becomes the first country in the Caribbean to receive UNFPA’s support in addressing Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) through a national workplace certification programme and Persaud said that advancing gender equality and ending gender-based violence require unified commitment across all sectors.

She said the seal goes beyond policy and translates into measurable, actionable standards that organisations must meet.

‘We have taken a mega step today because we have managed to bring together two critical driving forces in our country- the private and public sectors,’ Persaud said, stressing the need for meaningful engagement with individuals, acknowledging the diverse experiences of women, men, and boys.

‘We need to have our boys equally walk this path, too. When we speak of empowerment, and they hear it [empowerment], they should not only hear females. So, this is an extraordinarily powerful moment. And as we embark on this journey, it will change the way we assess ourselves.’

Persaud urged all participating sectors to embrace the seal with seriousness, consistency, and genuine commitment, noting that workplace transformation cannot occur without continuous effort.

Turning to the broader issue of violence in Guyana, she cautioned against placing responsibility solely on any one agency or group. She called instead for a unified national approach.

‘There is an expectation that the responsibility is entrusted to a particular agency or specific people. I want to say no. It cannot and must not be seen as this. It requires us to re-educate, re-imagine, and re-dedicate ourselves. We need to work in unity to counter violence,’ Persaud noted.

The Jamaica government Thursday sought to re-assure the public as well as potential visitors to the island that there is no need to panic amid concerns of a leptospirosis outbreak.

‘Our discussion or narrative around this issue is intended to provide the necessary advisory to protect Jamaicans and to heighten the levels of alertness. We are mindful that can be understood as panic and we would like to discourage that and sometimes the headlines does project the need to panic. This is not what our intentions are,’ Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton told a news conference.

Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, speaking at news conference on Thursday

Since the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28, Jamaica has recorded 14 leptospirosis-related deaths, six of which have been confirmed.

‘We are working very closely with the tourism sector. We have discerned no great risk in terms of the facilities that cater to tourists, whether it is the hotels which themselves are doing some rehabilitation as we speak because of the impact of the hurricane,’ Tufton said, adding that the ministry is working closely with the tourism sector and has discerned no great risk of the outbreak to tourists.

He said the ministry is also working with other stakeholders, including certified attractions that cater to tours and visitors.

‘We work closely with those entities too, there is a certification process that is required in conjunction with health. We are not giving an advisory to discourage tourism and visitors. We are just placing all on alert and are particularly focused on the vulnerable communities.

‘Those communities of course we have identified and where we are collaborating based on our operations, National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) and others as part of the clean-up of solid waste and of course treating with water to avoid the risk of water-borne diseases including leptospirosis,’ Tufton added.

Leptospirosis symptoms often start with flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, chills, muscle aches and red eyes. Some people may also experience vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash. In more severe cases, the illness can progress to a second phase with serious complications like kidney failure, liver failure, jaundice, and meningitis, and can be fatal.

Meanwhile, Tufton said that assessments of water supply systems in areas impacted by Hurricane Melissa have found that the majority of the facilities show satisfactory levels of safe water for residents.

He said that 6,500 chlorine residual assessments have been conducted at water systems belonging to the National Water Commission and municipal corporations and that the results show that 65 per cent indicate satisfactory levels of chlorination.

Tufton said as part of the response efforts, 371 chlorine tablets used to purify water have been distributed across health regions and that Jamaica has received overseas assistance in the form of a humanitarian vessel equipped with a water treatment plant and lab capabilities.

He acknowledged that water-borne diseases are an issue following the hurricane, Tufton said local public health inspectors are in communities providing information on the safe chlorination of water.

Tufton said that in addition to water quality testing, the health ministry has also been undertaking assessments of wastewater and sewage systems as part of the drive to protect public health.

The California-based Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) has ‘strongly condemned’ the Donald Trump administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday posted a notice on the Federal Register terminating TPS for Haiti, effective February 3, 2026.

‘This decision is deeply troubling because, despite the termination, numerous credible assessments continue to confirm that Haiti remains dangerously unstable,’ HBA Executive Director Guerline Jozef told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).

‘For instance, ongoing reports from human rights organizations and US-based observers highlight pervasive gang violence, widespread displacement, political turmoil, and the collapse of essential state institutions.

‘Additionally, Haiti’s longstanding vulnerabilities, exacerbated by the 2010 earthquake, which killed more than two thousand people and subsequent crises, continue to threaten the lives and safety of ordinary Haitians,’ Jozef added.

She said more than 90 per cent of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, is controlled by gangs ‘and to tackle the severe insecurity crisis, the United States, through the United Nations, has funded that Multinational Security Support (MSS), led by Kenya, and most recently transformed it to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF)’.

Jozef said that the United Nations Office of Migration announced more than 1.4 million people in Haiti have been displaced due to insecurity and gang violence.

She said terminating TPS now places more than 500,000 Haitian nationals, many of whom have lived in the United States for over a decade, in immediate jeopardy of losing lawful status, ‘despite their critical contributions to local economies across healthcare, construction, caregiving, and service industries.

‘Let us be clear: ending TPS for Haiti is not a policy decision, it is an act of violence against immigrant families and their children who have called the US home for over a decade,’ Jozef said.

‘When the US government knowingly chooses to send people back to a nation that they themselves have put on a category 4 do not travel due to the continued political crisis, that is state-sponsored cruelty on the eve of Thanksgiving,’ she added.

Jozef said the Trump administration’s decision will also impact millions of Haitians back in Haiti who depend on remittances sent by relatives.

‘We reject the idea that our communities must constantly justify their right to live, to work, to be safe. TPS is the bare minimum of protection, and even that is being stripped away. This is why we organize, resist, and demand a world where migration is not weaponized against the most vulnerable.’

Jozef is urging President Trump to reverse the decision to terminate TPS for Haiti, calling also on the United States Congress to create a ‘permanent, humane pathway for Haitian TPS holders.

‘We further urge federal officials to ensure that all assessments of country conditions remain transparent, accurate, and grounded in human rights principles rather than political expedience.

‘Ultimately, Haitian TPS holders are essential members of our communities-workers, parents, caregivers, and neighbors-and deporting them would destabilize families, disrupt local economies, and betray America’s longstanding commitments to protecting those fleeing harm,’ Jozef added.

She said that the Haitian Bridge Alliance stands firm in demanding ‘compassion, justice, and dignity for all Haitian immigrants during this critical moment’.

The DHS said that, after consulting with interagency partners, its Secretary Kristi Noem ‘concluded that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS.

‘This decision was based on a review conducted by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, input from relevant US government agencies, and an analysis indicating that allowing Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is inconsistent with US national interests,’ said DHS in a statement.

‘If you are an alien who is currently a beneficiary of TPS for Haiti, you should prepare to depart if you have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States,’ it added.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has welcomed the passage of the stand your ground legislation even as opposition legislators last night voted against the legislation.

Parliament on Wednesday night approved the Home Invasion (Self-Defence and Defence of Property) Bill 2025, commonly known as ‘strand your ground legislation’, with 23 government legislators supporting the measure and 10 opposition members voting against. There were no abstentions. It now goes before the Senate.

In a statement posted on X, Prime Minister Persad -Bissessar said that she was ‘pleased’ with the passage of the bill, noting ‘regrettably – though unsurprisingly – the Opposition voted against this critical legislation, once again failing to put the safety of our people first’.

She said the under the legislation, home invasion now carries a TT$500,000(One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) fine and 20 years’ imprisonment.

Persad-Bissessar said harsher penalties will be a TT$750,000 fine and 25 years’ imprisonment, which will ‘apply to gang members, organised criminals, or offenders acting in the presence of a child, senior, person with a disability, or other vulnerable individual’.

She said home occupants ‘have no duty to retreat and may use or threaten force to defend themselves or others’ and that ‘deadly force may be justified where there is an honest belief that it is necessary to prevent imminent death, grievous bodily harm, or grievous sexual assault.

‘This law puts the rights of law-abiding citizens first and sends a clear message: attacks on our homes will not be tolerated.’

Minister of Defence and Minister in the Ministry of Homeland Security, Wayne Sturge, told Parliament that it is now firmly embedded in statute ‘that you have no duty to retreat , that you can stand your ground and that the law will not expect you to.wait your exact measure of response and that you are entitled to respond if you honestly believe that you are under attack and that you are entitled to use whatever force that you deem necessary in that situation.

‘Because, obviously, the court is not going to hold you to their own standard, because the court was not in the situation. The court was not there 2.00 am in the morning and would say well he should have done something differently’.

The criminal attorney said that the court will take into account, as this bill recommends, ‘the level of anxiety, the stress that you are under, knowing that your children could be raped, robbed and possibly killed’.

Sturge said ‘this bill seeks to strike fear into the minds and hearts of the bandit. The bandits must know when they come in your house and very soon .the bandits must know that when they come into your house, there will be a chance, a real chance they might not be going out.

‘The bandits must know that it is better and the homeowner mist know, that it is better to be judged by 12 if it comes to that and carried by six. The bandit must know when he comes in with fire power, your fire power will be matched. The bandit must know that the citizen is protected by this law, so that when he goes in he may not come out,’ Sturge said.

Former prime minister Stuart Young, warned about the legislation, recalling an incident where a man reported that a bandit had robbed him of his licenced firearm and cash at home, and although he was traumtised he was unhurt.

‘And to come here.to tell the population that these nine clauses will assist in a home invasion, the hypocrisy and the irony does not escape me and nor will it escape the population.

‘Because the same proposition you are making that if you have a licensed firearm you will be able to handle a home invasion, he failed. We are concerned on this side that in the continued smoke and mirrors that takes place with the other side, this bill must not be looked at in isolation because the promise of firearms to persons who legitimately should and may hold firearms does not fall within the province of the government,’ Young added.

Earlier, Attorney General, John Jeremie had in tabling the legislation, said it is based on a long established maxim that a man’s home is his castle and that the ‘doctrine is that a lawful occupant of a dwelling house has the right to use necessary force, including deadly force against an attack and invader .without retreating from that individual if the occupier reasonably believes that the invader would commit an offence against him or others in the dwelling house.’

But former junior national security minister, Keith Scotland, said that any innocent life ‘taken on a mistaken belief that a person is a criminal or has criminal intent that is a travesty of justice.

‘In this life, it is not a dress rehearsal ..and for that deceased there is no return, there is no jury, there is no opportunity to present his or her defence and what about the person who actually does the act.

Fast bowler Johann Layne bowled impressively to snare three wickets as the West Indies’ two-day warmup match against a New Zealand XI petered out into a tame, predictable draw here at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval on Thursday.

After declaring on their overnight total of 346 for five, the West Indies returned to bowl out their opponents for 264 in 73.4 overs on the last day.

Johann Layne snared three wickets on the final day of their two-day warmup match against a New Zealand XI.

Kemar Roach and Anderson Phillip made early inroads by dismissing Scott Janett and Jesse Frew, respectively, to leave the home side in trouble at four for two.

Layne then got in on the action by having Sam Cassidy caught for 28, as New Zealand XI slipped to 45 for three.

However, a 126-run partnership between Cam Paul, who topscored with 91 and Muhammad Abbas, who made 61, carried them to relative safety.

Layne broke the partnership when he had Abbas caught behind and four balls later, he sent Marco Alpe packing in the same fashion for a duck, as New Zealand XI slipped to 171 for five.

Spinners Kavem Hodge and Jomel Warrican then polished off the tail by snaring two wickets apiece.

Layne finished with 3-33 from his nine overs, while Hodge took 2-32 and Warrican 2-45.

Premier David Burt says his administration remains ‘firmly focused’ on protecting Bermuda from financial crime and related nefarious activities, as the National Anti-Money Laundering Committee (NAMLC), announced the publication of the 2024 National Risk Assessment (NRA) on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing.

The NAMLC said that the publication is the fourth assessment in Bermuda’s ongoing series, underscoring the jurisdiction’s deepening expertise in identifying, assessing, and understanding Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (ML/TF) risks.

‘The 2024 NRA reflects our collective vigilance and longstanding commitment across both public and private sectors to ensure Bermuda continues combating money laundering and terrorist financing effectively,’ Burt said.

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Kim Wilkerson, in thanking ‘everyone who invested time and rigour this assessment demanded,’ said the ‘work done exemplifies Bermuda’s high standards and affirms our commitment to confront emerging risks precisely while keeping our jurisdiction anchored in resilience and the rule of law’.

The NAMLC said that the document builds upon Bermuda’s extensive experience in risk-based regulation and reflects the jurisdiction’s commitment to continually evaluating potential risks arising from new financial products, business practices, delivery mechanisms, and evolving technologies.

It said the findings will inform national AML/ATF policy and action plans, while also providing the private sector with crucial insights to strengthen operational resilience in a dynamic global environment.

‘The report reinforces Bermuda’s dedication to maintaining robust AML/ATF systems, supporting both business confidence and jurisdictional resilience.’

The report notes that the misuse of citizenship to carry out financial crime, particularly money laundering, is a serious risk to the island and that ‘Bermuda’s risk for money laundering remains high’.

It said that this reflects the fact that foreign predicate offences, such as fraud, corruption and bribery, market manipulation/insider trading and tax crimes, continue to pose a high or medium-high threat to Bermuda.

It said that drug trafficking also posed a high threat for Bermuda, as did proceeds from foreign and domestic crimes.

The threat in the trust and legal sectors was rated high for money-laundering risk, driven by the size and complexity of the sector, while the deposit-taking sector, securities and corporate service providers were rated as medium-high risk.

But it noted that the regulated insurance (long-term and life) and accounting arenas fared slightly better, with medium threat ratings.

‘Bermuda recognises the potential impact of money laundering on its financial sector. It is committed to continually updating its understanding of ML risks to enhance the country’s robust AML controls,’ saod the report, noting that the risk of the British Overseas Territory being involved in terrorst funding is low and that there was no evidence to show that the island had been used in this way.

Bermuda also maintained a low domestic terrorist threat.