~In its fourth edition, the initiative will award two $15,000 grants to support Caribbean women researchers in STEM fields~

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO:---  L’Oréal Caribe and the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean announce the opening of the 2026 call for applications for the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program, an initiative that recognizes and supports outstanding women researchers from the region by awarding two $15,000 USD grants to advance the development of their scientific research.

The call for applications will be open from May 19 through August 14, 2026, and is intended for women scientists from the Caribbean who are pursuing doctoral studies, conducting postdoctoral research, or are in the early stages of a scientific research career within the program’s eligible STEM disciplines.

The program is part of the renowned global L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science movement, created to promote women’s participation in scientific research and help reduce the gender gaps that continue to persist in STEM fields. In the Caribbean, the initiative is carried out in collaboration with the Caribbean Academy of Sciences and the Caribbean Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

“At L’Oréal Caribe, we firmly believe that science needs the talent, creativity, and leadership of women to address the challenges of today and the future. Through For Women in Science, we seek to increase the visibility of and support women researchers who are generating knowledge and innovation with an impact on our region and the world,” said Liana Camacho, Market Vice President of L’Oréal Caribe.

Eligible candidates must conduct research in areas such as formal sciences, life and environmental sciences, materials science, engineering, and technological sciences. The awards seek to provide financial support and recognition to women who contribute to scientific advancement across different fields of knowledge and whose research helps drive solutions to some of the main challenges facing the region.

“UNESCO works to recognize and promote the talent of women in science, foster diverse perspectives, and break down the barriers that limit their professional development,” said Audrey Azoulay, General Director of UNESCO.

In its 2025 edition, the program recognized Jamaican scientists Dr. Lori-Ann Fisher and Dr. Arianne Brown Jordan for research addressing important health and environmental challenges. Dr. Fisher conducts research on genetic factors associated with liver diseases, while Dr. Brown Jordan studies the presence of bacterial diseases in water systems serving vulnerable communities. Their research highlights the impact of Caribbean women scientists in generating knowledge and solutions for the region.

Globally, women continue to face significant challenges in the scientific field. According to UNESCO data, women represent approximately one-third of researchers worldwide. Although Latin America and the Caribbean have a higher representation of women in science than the global average, significant challenges remain regarding access to funding, visibility, and leadership opportunities in scientific research.

Interested applicants can review the complete eligibility requirements and submit their applications through the For Women in Science application platform https://www.forwomeninscience.com/challenge/show/167 . The deadline to apply is August 14, 2026.

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~16 Bikes Impounded in Island-Wide Traffic Operation.~

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) has intensified its campaign against reckless motorcycle and scooter riders, warning that those who continue to ignore traffic laws should expect their vehicles to be stopped, fined, and impounded.

During a targeted traffic enforcement operation carried out by the KPSM Flex Team on Saturday, July 11, officers focused on some of the island's busiest roadways, including A.J.C. Brouwers Road, Welfare Road, and L.B. Scott Road, where dangerous riding behavior and illegal vehicle modifications have become a growing concern.

The operation was launched in response to a growing number of complaints about reckless scooter and motorcycle riders who continue to endanger themselves and other road users through excessive speeding, illegal overtaking, and the use of modified exhaust systems that produce excessive noise.

Police conducted inspections on 120 vehicles during the operation. Officers also found several motorists driving without wearing seatbelts, while nine vehicles were searched under the National Opium Ordinance as part of the broader enforcement exercise.

The primary focus, however, remained on motorcycles and scooters.

A total of 24 scooters were stopped and inspected, and police found that 16 were operating in violation of the Traffic Ordinance.

Among the violations detected were riders operating motorcycles and scooters without wearing helmets, individuals driving motorcycles without the appropriate driver's license for the vehicle category, failure to produce valid insurance documents, expired inspection certificates, unpaid road tax, and missing, altered, or improper license plates.

As a result, the offending motorcycles and scooters were immediately impounded, and their operators were fined in accordance with existing traffic legislation.

KPSM stressed that the days of overlooking such dangerous behavior are over.

Police said reckless riding, illegal vehicle modifications, excessive speeding, and operating vehicles that fail to meet legal requirements represent a significant threat to public safety and contribute to the island's growing number of serious traffic incidents.

The force warned that enforcement efforts will continue to increase in the coming weeks.

"Riders who choose to ignore the law should expect their scooters or motorcycles to be stopped, fined and impounded," police emphasized.

KPSM is also reminding all motorcycle and scooter owners that they bear personal responsibility for ensuring both they and their vehicles fully comply with the law before entering public roads.

The police noted that compliance with traffic regulations is not optional but essential in preventing avoidable crashes and protecting the lives of motorists, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike.

The latest operation forms part of KPSM's broader road safety strategy to reduce preventable accidents, address public complaints about nuisance riding, and restore order on Sint Maarten's roads.

Police are urging all road users to wear the required safety equipment, obey speed limits, ensure their vehicles are properly licensed and insured, and exercise consideration toward other motorists.

With traffic accidents continuing to claim lives and leave families devastated, KPSM says enforcement operations will remain a regular feature across the island as authorities work to improve road safety and curb dangerous driving behavior.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of St. Maarten (KPSM) has launched a death investigation after the body of an adult male was discovered along Crocus Road late Saturday morning, prompting detectives and forensic investigators to secure the area as they work to determine what happened.

According to KPSM, the 911 Dispatch Center received a report at approximately 11:25 a.m. that a man was lying on the ground on Crocus Road. Patrol officers responded immediately to the location and confirmed that the individual had died.

The identity of the deceased has not yet been released, pending notification of relatives.

Police have not disclosed whether foul play is suspected, stating only that the circumstances surrounding the man's death remain unclear at this early stage of the investigation.

Detectives, assisted by forensic specialists, spent hours processing the scene, documenting evidence and conducting a detailed examination in an effort to establish how the man died. Investigators are expected to interview potential witnesses and review any available surveillance footage from the surrounding area as part of the ongoing probe.

The discovery has raised concern among residents in the area as police continue working to piece together the events leading up to the man's death.

KPSM is appealing to members of the public who may have been in the vicinity of Crocus Road before the discovery or who may have information relevant to the investigation to come forward.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Police Force of St. Maarten at +1 (721) 542-2222 or anonymously through the 9300 Tip Line.

Police emphasized that every piece of information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could prove crucial in helping investigators determine exactly what occurred.

The investigation remains active, and further information will be released as it becomes available.

BELLEVUE, Saint-Martin:---  A driving instructor was killed and two women were seriously injured in a violent head-on collision Thursday afternoon on the RN7 in Bellevue, near the French-Dutch border.

Emergency services were alerted shortly after 3:15 p.m. following reports of a serious traffic accident on the RN7 in the Bellevue area, close to the border between the French and Dutch sides of the island.

According to initial information, the collision involved a driving school vehicle and a passenger car. The impact was described as particularly violent, prompting a rapid response from firefighters, emergency medical personnel, law enforcement officers, and police from the Dutch side of the island.

The crash claimed the life of the driving instructor, a French national believed to be in his fifties. He was found in cardiac arrest when emergency responders arrived. Despite extensive resuscitation efforts by the SMUR emergency medical team, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

An 18-year-old student driver who was inside the driving school vehicle survived the collision. She remained conscious but suffered multiple traumatic injuries. After receiving emergency treatment at the scene, she was transported in serious condition to the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital.

The driver of the second vehicle, a French woman in her forties, also sustained severe multiple injuries. She was stabilized by emergency personnel before being transported to the same hospital for further treatment.

In total, ten firefighters were deployed to the scene with two ambulances and a heavy rescue vehicle. The SMUR emergency medical unit, law enforcement officers, and police from the Dutch side also responded to secure the area, assist with traffic control, and support the emergency operation.

Authorities have not yet determined what caused the collision. Investigators carried out forensic examinations at the scene and have launched an investigation to establish the circumstances that led to the two vehicles colliding head-on.

The fatal crash is the latest in a series of serious traffic accidents recorded on the island and serves as another stark reminder of the importance of road safety on both sides of St. Martin.