How is it that an island with fewer than 100,000 people can do what we can’t — when we have the same, if not more, natural beauty?

I came to Antigua for peace. What I found was a painful reminder of what Sierra Leone could be — if only we had serious leadership. Every time I walk past their clean, well-kept beaches and see how smoothly their systems function, I feel a mix of jealousy, envy, and sadness.

As you can see from the photos. Like us, they have stunning beaches, warm weather, and raw natural beauty. But unlike us, they’ve done something remarkable: they’ve turned their natural gifts into a thriving tourism industry. Antigua sees four flights a day from the U.S. and a daily flight from Gatwick. In 2024 alone, they welcomed 1.1 million tourists. Tourism accounts for 60% of their economy.

How is it that an island with fewer than 100,000 people can do what we can’t — when we have the same, if not more, natural beauty?

The answer is simple: They are not busy parading around, fighting each other to consolidate power. They invest in their people. They protect their environment. They build systems that deliver. Their leaders prioritize real outcomes over performance politics.

Meanwhile, in Sierra Leone, governance has become pure theatre. Our leaders, desperate to distract the public from their lack of meaningful progress, they decorate their failures in glossy photos, empty slogans, and grandiose displays — even speeches now come with dramatic background music. Remove the theatrics, and what’s left?

Trash on our beaches. Broken institutions. Streets overflowing with beggars. Young people lost to kush and hopelessness. Communities still fighting for clean water and basic services. The list goes on.

It’s heartbreaking — because we know Sierra Leone could be so much more, if only our leaders believed more in real progress than in appearances and power-grabbing games.

Basita Michael on ‘X’ Formerly Twitter @MichaelBasita

Twitter users reacted with some harsh comments. One user said, "You are absolutely right, my sister. My APC party was in power for 11 years, from 2007 to 2018, and during that time, they only succeeded in laundering and looting our economy, leading it to a state of austerity."

Read Twitter replies:

I came to Antigua for peace. What I found was a painful reminder of what Sierra Leone could be — if only we had serious leadership.

As you can see from the photos. Like us, they have stunning beaches, warm weather, and raw natural beauty. But unlike us, they’ve done something… pic.twitter.com/ONZ83ub91A

— Basita Michael (@MichaelBasita) August 8, 2025

Belize Is the Caribbean’s Happiest Country

Ambergris Caye, Belize

Belize has come out on top of the Caribbean as the region’s happiest country, according to the World Happiness Report, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The Caribbean country on the coast of Central America was ranked 25th overall in the world, highest of any country in the Caribbean Community. 

It’s the first time for the country, which has a population of about 400,000. If you’ve been to Belize, you get it – the destination has a wonderful mix of friendly people, impressive, diverse food, and some of the most stunning natural scenery in the region, both in its lush jungles and its coastal shorelines and cays like Ambergris Caye, its most famous hotspot. 

The beach at Ramon’s Village in Ambergris Caye

The second Caribbean country on the list? Trinidad and Tobago, which was ranked 70th in the world, followed by Jamaica at 73, the Dominican Republic at 76.

You should note that the list only covers 100 countries, and typically excludes some of the region’s smaller countries — along with countries that are either overseas territories or part of larger kingdoms or states. 

Either way, it’s a very strong showing for Belize, which came just ahead of Poland and right behind the United States. 

Finding quiet in Belize’s Pine Mountain Ridge forest

Interestingly, Belize came in first globally in the freedom index, which asks respondents whether they are “satisfied or dissatisfied with your freedom to choose what you do with your life.”

So, how did Belize come out on other factors? It was 57th on the “social support” question and 96th on generosity, among other fields. 

The report gets its data from large-scale surveys that ask respondents to grade their quality of life on a scale of 0 to 10. In all, the survey reaches about 1,000 people in each country. 

This year’s ranking comes from an amalgamation of data from the previous three years, according to the World Happiness Report. You can find the full World Happiness Index 2025 report here.

By: Alexander Britell - April 24, 2025 - 11:39 AM | Caribbean Journal

US Citizen Killed After Attempting To Hijack Plane

A 49-year-old US national named Akinyela Sawa Taylor was fatally shot in the chest after attempting to hijack a Tropic Air plane in Belize on Thursday, officials reported.

A state of emergency was declared at the Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport after Taylor began attacking passengers on the San Pedro-bound flight at 8:30 a.m.

'He's our hero': Stabbed passenger stops US hijacker mid-flight in Belize

A passenger fatally shot the hijacker with a licensed firearm, allowing the small plane to land safely outside Belize City. (Wikipedia Commons: Pgbk87)

“A US citizen hijacked a small plane in Belize on Thursday, stabbing two passengers and a pilot, demanding the domestic flight take him out of the country.

The plane circled the airspace for nearly two hours as the hijacking was underway, and began to run dangerously low on fuel, the Belize police commissioner said.

A stabbed passenger fatally shot him with a licensed firearm, allowing the Tropic Air plane to land safely outside Belize City. ”

— Source: Reuters/AP

A US citizen hijacked a small plane in Belize on Thursday, stabbing two passengers and a pilot, officials in Belize and the United States said.

The assailant pulled a knife while the plane was in air, demanding the domestic flight take him out of the country, Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams told journalists.

Mr Williams identified the hijacker as Akinyela Taylor.

One of the 14 passengers fatally shot him with a licensed firearm, allowing the Tropic Air plane to land safely outside Belize City, Mr Williams said.

The passenger was stabbed in his back and suffered a puncture to his lungs, Mr Williams said, adding that he remains in critical condition.

"We are praying for him," Mr Williams told reporters.

"He's our hero."

The plane circled the airspace between northern Belize and the capital, Belize City, for nearly two hours as the hijacking was underway, and began to run dangerously low on fuel, Mr Williams said.

Once the plane landed safely, the wounded passenger was rushed to the hospital, as was Mr Taylor, who died from the gunshot wound.

Mr Williams said that it was unclear how the hijacker boarded the plane with a knife, though he acknowledged that the country's smaller airstrips lacked security to fully search passengers.

The attacker had been denied entry to the country over the weekend, according to police.

The plane had been due to fly from Corozal, a small town near Belize's border with Mexico, heading to the popular tourist destination of San Pedro when it was hijacked.

Police said it was unclear how Mr Taylor reached Corozal.

Belizean authorities have reached out to the US embassy in the country for assistance in investigating the incident.

Luke Martin, public affairs officer for the embassy, told journalists that it had no details on Mr Taylor's background or motivation so far.

While local authorities said the hijacker was a veteran, Mr Martin said they couldn't confirm it.

According to information released by the airport, Mr Taylor was a teacher in the United States.

He was listed online as previously being a football coach at the McCluer North High School in Florissant, Missouri.

An employee at the school told Reuters that Mr Taylor did not currently work there.

Reuters/AP

T&T-born Director Delves Into Sci-fi With Lumina

Gino McKoy

Lumina, a film written and produced by T&T-born Gino McKoy and currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and YouTube, features a group of modern-day young adults on a journey for the truth.

The film, which debuted in theatres last year and has been showcased at packed fan gatherings like Comic Con New York and Monsterpalooza, was the focus of a recent article in Forbes magazine by senior contributor Marc Berman.

Starring Rupert Lazarus (Requiem), Eleanor Williams, and Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, The Expendables), Lumina follows Alex (Lazarus), whose girlfriend Tatiana (Williams) mysteriously vanishes in a flash of light. Determined to find her, Alex and his friends embark on a journey from Los Angeles into the desert, where they uncover the dark secrets of a Deep Underground Military Base (DUMB). What begins as a search for answers quickly turns into a fight for survival as they encounter sinister forces, government conspiracies, and otherworldly beings.

Blending elements of psychological thrillers, science fiction, and horror, the set designs and special effects enhance the narrative. Lumina is the first science fiction entry to be shot in Morocco, particularly in the mountainous regions of Marrakech and Ouarzazate, providing it with a distinct cinematic appearance.

“At first, I wanted to do a sci-fi comedy, but I also wanted to show what the impact is psychologically following an abduction,” said McKoy.

The film is tongue-in-cheek at times, but it deals with serious topics and unexplained phenomena. At the core, this is a story of reality, love, and survival. And because it was a mixture of different genres, it took some convincing to explain what my vision was for the film.

Born in T&T and raised in Canada, McKoy’s parents, Hudson, and Lynda McKoy, are musicians, banking professionals, and the founders of Goldove Entertainment.

I majored in political science in college, which was always one of my great interests. And I studied world religion, specializing in Judaism and Christianity, he said.

I also had classical training and grew up surrounded by music. But after entering the business world working for a financial institution, my creative side took over and I eventually segued into music and filmmaking. I wanted to perform and produce the type of music I could include in my movies, which I do throughout Lumina.

In 2008, McKoy’s music career got a boost after he met Canadian sound engineer/producer Nick Blagona. They began working on his debut pop-rock album. In 2010, legendary Hollywood producer David Kershenbaum took over the project, which resulted in his debut album Step Forward.

I had the opportunity to compete on America’s Got Talent, but I did not want to sing anybody else’s music. I didn’t want to portray myself as a cover artist, he said.

At the same time, McKoy started working on screenplays for two feature films, while also launching a merchandising line, Lydgio Fashions, co-founded with his mother, Lynda.

In 2015, McKoy wrote the script for Little Mizz Innocent, which followed a UN interpreter entangled in a conflict between the FBI and a criminal organization.

With Lumina, we initially had a distribution deal with Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios for a wide release, but when COVID hit everything was put on hold, McKoy recalled.

So, we spoke to other investors we knew and I started scouting locations where we could safely shoot the film, which ended up being Morocco.

Not without its hiccups, including the pandemic-related delays and a cast and crew turnover, getting Lumina off the ground was no easy maneuver. In addition to writing, directing, producing, and singing the songs in the film, McKoy co-composed the soundtrack and served as a visual effects supervisor.

Overall, it’s been a mixed response. Some people don’t understand Lumina and I think some of the critics unfairly misjudged it because this is a sci-fi comedy. Everything was intentional when I set up scenes and, he said.

I grew up in the days when you had movies like The Naked Gun, Blazing Saddles, and Billy Crystal in City Slickers. And I wanted something lighter, something funny in a parody sense, and all with a bit of a love interest.