The Publication “Slavery Law and the Society in the British Windward Islands 1763- 1823- A Comparative Study” by Vincentian Historian, University Lecturer and Lawyer Bernard Marshall has been authorized to be translated into Spanish and is to be published in Cuba.
A release from the Ministry of Culture states that the translation of the works will be done under the terms of the Cultural Co-operation Agreement signed last year April with Cuba. Culture Minister, Hon Rene Baptiste, has notified the Cuban Ambassador of the assignment of that right by the authorized publishers and owners of the copyright.
The book was launched in St. Vincent and the Grenadines last year and was published to mark the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of the British Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. It is among several works by a number of Vincentian authors on exhibition at CARIFESTA X, in the Literary Arts Element of the festival in Guyana.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION SCHOOLS UPDATE...
The Dr J.P. Eustace Secondary School will remain at its current location at the start of the new school year, since the new building at Edinboro is not quite ready to accommodate the institution.
The announcement was made by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Laura Browne, during a news Conference on Monday. Mrs. Browne explained that the new building is almost complete, but some finishing touches are being done.
Browne also confirmed that the newly -constructed School at Fair Hall will open at the start of the new school year as planned. But, she added that only the teachers will report for duty, while the students will begin classes within two weeks of the start of the new school year.
And, in relation to the Thomas Saunders Secondary School, Mrs. Browne explained that special arrangements will have to be made for students who were expected to occupy the new wing, which is still under construction.
Special arrangements are to be made for the expansion work on the Thomas Saunders Secondary School has not progressed as the Ministry would have liked, and Ministry has had to make alternative arrangements for students at the school.
August 25th 2008 Edition
NEW SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS TO RECEIVE CALCULATORS...
As was promised, last year by Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, each child entering secondary school, will this year receive a calculator.
Speaking at a news conference this morning, Minister of Education Girlyn Miguel, gave the assurance that the students entering the various secondary schools next Monday will each indeed receive a calculator.
The Girls High School has maintained its over 90% overall pass mark, following the release of this year’s CXC results.
According to reports, three students from the school gained passes in 12 subjects, while another three gained 11 distinctions. Those obtaining 12 subjects are former head girl Jail-Len Williams, Chryste Dasilva and
Shecania Small.
WELLNESS REVOLUTION LAUNCES ON SEPTEMBER 13TH...
This country’s much touted Wellness Revolution will be launched on Saturday September 13, 2008.
The Wellness Revolution is a national priority to which the Government is fully committed. It is intended to empower the population, by providing life skills and knowledge to promote healthy lifestyles, that will in turn translate into the prevention and reduction of chronic non communicable diseases.
Government’s policy in this regard is guided by national, regional, regional and international guidelines, the latest of which is the Declaration of Port of Spain and Special Regional Summit on Chronic Non Communicable Diseases, held in September 2007.
WINDSOR SCHOOL TAKES 2ND PLACE IN FCCA CONTEST...
According to a release from the Ministry of Tourism, Storm Halbich of the Windsor Primary School has copped the second place in the Junior Division of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association’s 2008 FCCA for Children’s Essay Contest.
Storm tied for second place with Ashley Miller of the British Virgin Islands, in what has been described as history in the making by the FCCA. Halbich’s winning prize is US$1500.00. Girls’ High School student, Elizabeth Richards, who represented this country in the senior division, will receive US$200, for her efforts.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATE DEGREE APPROVED BY UWI...
Vincentian students who complete the Tourism and Hospitality Associate degree at the Community College, can now go on to further their studies at the University of the West Indies, as the College has just received approval from the UWI Board, for the Undergraduate Studies for this new development.
Students who have already graduated from the programme, with a grade point average of 2.7 and who complete the UWI’s introductory courses in Mathematics and Statistics can enter the UWI Hospitality and Tourism Degree programme. The programme will be taught at the St Vincent Technical College, a division of the Community College.
CANOUAN HOLDS ADULT EDUCATION GRADUATION CEREMONY...
Graduation ceremonies will begin in the Grenadine islands of Canouan and Union Island from tomorrow, for participants in the recently concluded SFA 2003 program, by the Adult and Continuing Education Division in the Ministry of Education.
Tomorrow’s ceremony will be held at the Canouan Primary School from 7:00 pm, and at the Eagle’s Nest in Union Island on Thursday 28th from 5:00 pm. Director of the Division, Hugh Wyllie, said the ceremonies are being held to facilitate those participants on the Grenadine islands, who were unable to participate in the mainland ceremony earlier this month. Mr. Wyllie said the programs commenced in October 2007 and culminated in April this year.
August 21st 2008 Edition
MINISTER OF HEALTH EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY...
This country’s Health Minister, Hon Dr Douglas Slater has expressed concerns with the crimes that are being committed by psychiatric patients, here.
Dr Slater however indicated that the Ministry is forging ahead with plans to try to deal with this problem, as they have already held meetings with the Commissioner of Police. He also admitted that the Mental Health facility needs improving and also pointed out that most of the patients are residents there because their families have abandoned them.
SVG POST LAUNCHES NEW SERVICE...
The St Vincent and the Grenadines Postal Corporation will be launching another premium service to the public, tomorrow, August 22. SVGPOST has been an agent for Money Gram International, since July 11th but will officially launch the product this Friday.
SVGPOST is offering this service in addition to Utility bill payment, Post Shop, Online Visa Applications, Express mail, Debit card, Fax and photocopying, in addition to its core of traditional postal services.
YOUNG EMPLOYEE SOCIALIZATION PROGRAM ISSUES AWARDS...
Twenty-six participants graduated here this week from the Third Annual Young Employee Socialization Program for School Leavers. Jua Charles and Kimroy Walters were awarded for their outstanding participation.
Charles received her award from the Rotary Club of SVG, while Walters received his from the president of the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Banking and Financial Services.
The program was co-ordinated jointly by the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Banking and Financial Services, the Rotary Club of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the National Insurance Services. Ninety-four students have so far graduated from the training program, over the past three years.
August 20th 2008 Edition
GOVERNMENT REMAINS COMMITTED TO SUPPORT RSVGPF IN FIGHTING CRIME...
The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force has been given the assurance that government remains committed to providing full support in the fight to reduce criminal activity here. This assurance came from Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves during a News conference, on Monday.
The Prime Minister said government will continue to provide the necessary resources, to enhance the capacity of the police to deal with criminals. The Prime Minister noted that stiff penalties are now in place for firearms offences.
USER FEE TO BE IMPLEMENTED AT BOTANICAL GARDENS...
Glen Beache, Minister of Tourism said that the government is making a significant investment in the Botanical Gardens, to enhance its tourism appeal. He however noted that a small fee will be enforced for users of the facility, upon completion of the project.
Also Project Supervisor Darae Richardson said the major aspects of the project are nearing completion and will provide a friendlier environment for visitors. Work on the project is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The objective of the Tourism Development Project is to achieve high levels of sustained growth and increase employment opportunities.
It also seeks to ensure that the benefits of tourism reach local communities, whilst maintaining a high quality product for visitors.
MINISTER OF SPORTS...
Minister of National Mobilization, Youth and Sport, Hon Mike Browne, has affirmed that sports must continue to hold centrality in the developmental process in this country.
Browne said that they are looking into ways of supporting the centrality of sports with greater financial resources. He was speaking at a press conference yesterday, to report on his recent trip to Beijing. Minister Browne also took the opportunity to congratulate and thank the two Vincentian athletes, Jared Lewis and Kineke Alexander.
He advised that Vincentians be inspired by Alexander and Lewis’ participation to have a stronger Vincentian contingent for the 30th Olympiad, in 2012.
NCB JOINS EMANCIPATION MONTH CELEBRATIONS...
Branches of the state owned National Commercial Bank will once again be part of the national Emancipation celebrations, as members of staff will be adorned with colour and style, in African inspired wear for work, on Friday August 22 and Friday August 29, 2008. This exercise has become an annual tradition, at the NCB and is into its 12th year.
The fancy outfits are prepared by Dr and Mrs Kagbala, of Authentic Africana Fashions.
JEMS HOLDS CLEAN UP CAMPAIGN...
The JEMS Progressive Community Organization is collaborating with a number of organizations to implement the International Coast Clean up Campaign, in St Vincent and the Grenadines on September 20, 2008. The organization is receiving assistance from the Solid Waste Management Unit, the Environment Services Unit, the Fisheries Division, the National Parks Authority, the Community Development Division and the US-based Ocean Conservancy group, to carry out the Clean up campaign.
This year organizers are expecting more volunteers, groups and communities to participate in this important national/international event. This activity this year is part of JEMS 30th anniversary of celebrations, which will begin in September 2008.
A meeting will take place at the Conference Room of the Fisheries Division, upstairs the Kingstown Fish Market at Little Tokyo on Thursday 21 August at 9:30 am, to discuss plans for the clean-up campaign.
SVG PHARMACY COUNCIL RECEIVES AWARDS...
St Vincent and the Grenadines Pharmacy Council is the recipient of two awards for its leading role in spearheading pharmacy regulations in the Caribbean.
The awards were presented at the 28th Annual Caribbean Association of Pharmacists Convention, which took place in Trinidad and Tobago last weekend.
The Council was awarded the excellence o Regulatory Affairs awards, which were granted to regulatory individuals or bodies that have demonstrated outstanding dedication to high ethical standards and have carried out their duties in a manner that has benefited Pharmacy and the community at large.
TOUCH MASTERS HOLDS YOUTH DAY...
Touch Masters International in collaboration with the Ministry of National Mobilisation, Youth and Sports will be having a Youth Day on Thursday August 21, at the Victoria Park.
According to Desmond Morris, a representative of the group, every year during the summer vacation they come to St. Vincent to host football camps, as well as to make donations, of school supplies, computers and other material.
He branded this year’s summer program as the biggest thus far. He was at the time speaking at a news conference, yesterday, held for Minister of Sports Mike Browne to report on his visit to Beijing, China for the opening of the 2008 Olympics.
August 19th 2008 Edition
PM GONSALVES IN POSSESSION OF $10M FROM TRINIDAD FOR AIRPORT...
Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has confirmed he is now in possession of the $10 million dollars for the construction of the international airport at Argyle.
Speaking at a news conference yesterday, Dr Gonsalves said the money is part of Trinidad and Tobago’s contribution to the airport, which is to be deposited into the account of the International Airport Development Company, the IADC.
Dr Gonsalves recently returned from Trinidad where he held unity talks with the Prime Ministers of Trinidad, Grenada and St Lucia.
PRIME MINISTER ASKS OPPOSITION LEADER TO RETURN TO CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW COMMISSION...
Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has written to opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace asking him to get back with his opposition colleagues in talks on a new constitution for this country.
Eustace had written to Dr Gonsalves, stating he was withdrawn himself and the opposition nominees on the Constitutional Review Commission, the CRC, citing a number of issues he would like to see resolved first.
Following a meeting of the CRC with parliament last week, Dr Gonsalves wrote to Eustace giving him he dates when the CRC will be meeting and asked that he return to the talks. Eustace supported a government motion in parliament calling for a new constitution for the country.
VINLEC AWARDS SECONDARY SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS...
Six students who will begin their secondary education at the start of the 2008/2009 academic year next month have been awarded scholarships under VINLEC’s Education Award Scheme.
The scholarship programme was started in 1984 in an effort to assist employees whose children are successful in the Common Entrance Examination and aims to provide employees children with the opportunity and incentive to continue their education, so they may fully participate in civil society and national development.
August 18th 2008 Edition
DEATH PENALTY...
Prime minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves feels the new constitution should have laws which will make it more difficult for judges to impose their own law in relation to the death penalty.
Dr Gonsalves says he supports the death penalty and feels on the constitutional provision, the laws should be tightened since the vast majority of persons here support the death penalty for murder.
POLICE ATTEND CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TOURISM AWARENESS WORKSHOP...
Personnel from various departments within the Police Force will be under going training in Customer Service and Tourism Awareness under the theme Safeguarding the Tourism Environment. The workshop will run from today until Wednesday at the Ministry of Tourism’s Conference Room at the Cruise Ship Terminal.
Police Personnel from departments such as the CID, RRU, DARE program, Police Training School, Community Police Stations, Investigations, Public Relations and Human Resources will attend the three day workshop, which will facilitated by Vera-Ann Brereton and Francelia Marksman, will deliver modules in Customer Service and pertinent information on the Police contribution to Tourism Development.
ECTAD TO HOLD WORKSHOP FOR FARMERS...
The Eastern Caribbean Agriculture Trading and Development Organization, ECTAD, continues it mobilization and capacity building of farmers organization in St Vincent & the Grenadines; as it moves to position Farmers Organizations to take a leadership role in the new push or agriculture development and food security.
ECTAD will be holding a Planning Workshop on Wednesday to be held at the Fancy Government School for farmers and households in the Fancy and Owia Area. This workshop will focus on the Linkages of Agriculture to Health & Nutrition, ECTAD Production Marketing, ECTAD Sweet Potato Production and Marketing, ECTAD Information & Communication and ECTAD Caribbean Network.
Jethro Greene, Chief Coordinator of ECTAD, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Health along with other directors of ECTAD, will address the meeting.
PRELIMINARY JUDGING FOR NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITION STARTS...
Preliminary judging of over 120 farms registered in the farm competitions organized for the National Agricultural Exhibition starts today.
According to Agricultural Officer, Dan Richards, a team of three Agricultural Officers, assisted by members of staff will conduct the judging in their respective areas over the next two weeks. The preliminary results will be tabulated, selecting the best farms which will be judged by a panel of national judges selected for this purpose. This final judging will commence by September 1st and will determine who will be the number one farmer in St.Vincent and the Grenadines.
August 15th 2008 Edition
PM RETURNS FROM TRINIDAD TODAY...
Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves is expected back here today from Trinidad. Dr Gonsalves left last Wednesday, after witnessing the start of construction of the international airport at Argyle.
While in Trinidad, Dr Gonsalves held talks with T&T’s Prime Minister, Patrick Manning and the Prime Ministers of St Lucia and Grenada, along with the Foreign Ministers of Barbados and Guyana.
The talks were centered around Caribbean integration, the Caricom Single Economy, Maritime issues and Air Transportation.
PETERS CHALLENGES EUSTACE FOR LEADERSHIP OF NDP...
Opposition Leader Arhnim Eustace could be facing a challenge to his leadership of the opposition New Democratic Party, the NDP.
According to a report in today's News newspaper, former Minister of Trade and Ambassador to the United Nations, Jonathan Peters, says he will be challenging Eustace for the position of party leader.
The paper quoted Eustace as saying anyone who wishes to take over the mantle as leader must meet him at the polls and quoted Peters as saying he is ready to take on the challenge.
The paper also quoted Peters as saying he is also ready to take on prime minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves in the North Central Windward constituency, where Dr Gonsalves has been winning since 1994.
CXC CAPE RESULTS RELEASED...
The preliminary results of the May-June 2008 CXC CAPE examinations were released and showed a 91% overall pass for the first year students at the Community College.
447 students from the College sat the examinations in twelve different subject areas, such as Caribbean Studies, Pure Maths Units 1 and 2, Communications Studies, French Units 1 and 2, Spanish Units 1 and 2, Computer Science Units 1 and 2, History and Sociology. This was the first time Computer Science, History and Sociology were being offered.
Computer Science, French, Spanish and Caribbean Studies recorded 100% pass rates.
FIFTY POLICE RECRUITS TO GRADUATE NEXT WEEK...
The Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines police force will be strengthened next week when over fifty new recruits will graduate at the Old Montrose Police Training School.
The parade was to have taken pace yesterday but was postponed to next week Thursday, because Commissioner of Police, Keith Miller, is out of state.
The recruits were trained in Police Duty Subjects, First Aid, Self defense and Weaponry.
Lawyer Andrew Cummimgs QC, will deliver the feature address.
NEW MEDICAL COLLEGE OPENS IN SVG IN SEPTEMBER...
A new medical college is to start operation here next month following the departure of the Kingstown Medical College late last year, after 29 years of operations here.
According to reports, the Trinity School of Medicine Tusom will begin its operation at a property in Harmony Hall. The Miami-based medical college will start with about 35 students and confirms enrollment is going good well.
August 13th 2008 Edition
EARTHWORKS AT ARGYLE COMMENCED...
Earthworks to commence the construction of the international airport at Argyle started this morning, with Vincentian and Cuban heavy-duty operators moving soil in the area of Rawacou, where the runway is to start.
Speaking to the media, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said he is overjoyed with the commencement, stating the construction of the international airport is a dream come through for the people of Sty Vincent and the Grenadines.
Dr Gonsalves said he feel humbled, since there were leaders like the late Ebenezer Joshua and Milton Cato, and Sir James Mitchell, who all had aspirations of constructing an international for the country, but had no success.
MINISTER BAPTISTE LEADS DELEGATION TO CARIFESTA….
Minister of Culture will lead this country's 32-member delegation of performers to CARIFESTA.
The Caribbean festival will be held in Guyana and this country's Miss SVG and also Miss Carival, Ronique Delimore, Calypso Monarch, Prince Monique, Soca Monarch Skinny Fabulous, along with fashion designers Kyma Glasgow and Kimon Baptiste, will be part of the delegation.
August 12th 2008 Edition
SVGBC LTD ISSUES APOLOGY TO PRIME MINISTER GONSALVES AND HIS CABINET….
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Broadcasting Corporation, SVGBC the parent company of this country’s lone television station, SVGTV, has issued an apology to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves and his cabinet colleagues for comments made by former UN Ambassador and NDP cabinet minister, Johnathan Peters.
Last Sunday, while appearing on a televised address on SVGTV, Peters said his administration will charge Dr Gonsalves with crimes against humanity.
SVGBC said last night it was issuing the apology to Dr Gonsalves and his Cabinet, since Peters' comments were tantamount to misbehaviour in public office, which is an indictable offense.
EUSTACE NOT GIVING UP AS PRESIDENT OF NDP….
Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace says he is not giving up his position as president of the NDP unless he is beaten. Speaking on his NDP’s New Times radio programme yesterday, Eustace told host Elwardo ‘EG’ Lynch he will not vacate his office unless he is challenged and voted out.
Two years ago, Eustace resigned his position as party leader and challenged anyone in the NDP to come up against him at the party convention but he was re-elected unopposed.
ROTARY CLUB HOLD ANNUAL TRAINING PROGRAMME…
Twenty-six participants from the Rotary Club of SVG third annual young employee socialization training programme will graduate next Monday at the Community College.
The programme was carried out in collaboration with the Eastern Caribbean Institute of Banking and Financial Services, with the participants discussing topics such as the banking and financial services, goal setting and action planning, strategies for profitability, management philosophy, writing job letters, resumes and an introduction to the Eastern Caribbean Securities Market. Facilitators came from the Rotary Club, financial institutions and the private sector.
NATIONAL SCHOLAR AWARDED FOUR YEAR SCHOLARSHIP TO SMITH COLLEGE.
National Scholar Raquel Frederick has won a four-year scholarship to attend he prestigious Smith College in the USA. Frederick scholarship was made possible through efforts of the Basil Charles Foundation and her scholastic aptitude.
Frederick was this country's most outstanding student in the external A'Level and CAPE examinations last year, which enabled her to win the Prime Minister's Award for outstanding performances in the Advanced level examinations.
BASIL CHARLES FOUNDATION OPENS COMPUTER LAB...
The Basil Charles Educational Foundation recently celebrated with the St Vincent Community College the opening of its first computer lab. The lab was donated by the Basil Charles Educational Foundation and Shanelle Clarke of the College is the recipient of the Basil Charles Educational Foundation Scholarship.
FOUR STUDENTS PRESENTED WITH CAMPBRIDGE DIPLOMAS….
Four successful students who sat the Cambridge International College Examination were presented with diplomas recently. The students did courses in Hotel Operations, Modern Management and Office Management & Administration.
DECOMPOSED BODY IDENTIFIED….
The decomposed body found that was recently found at Gumbs Hole in Questelles has been identified as that Michael Williams, a 45-year-old farmer of Questelles.
Williams was a former resident of the Liberty Lodge Boys Training School who in 1996 was charged with murder for killing Athnel Bradshaw of Questelles. Police are conducting investigations into the circumstances surrounding Williams' death.
August 11th 2008 Edition
PRIMIE MINISTER TOURS NORTH WINDWARD AND NORTH CENTRAL WINDWARD
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves this morning made a tour of the North Windward and North Central Windward Constituencies accompanied by Minister for Transport and Works, Clayton Burgin, parliamentary representative for North Windward, Montgomery Daniel, other members of Cabinet and government officials.
The tour paid an inspection of the road works in the Fancy/Owia/Sandy Bay areas, the fisheries project at Owia, the medical facility in Georgetown and the playing fields at South Rivers and Park Hill.
MINISTRY OF TOURISM HOLDS TOURISM HR WORKSHOP
Tour Operators and Travel Agents will be engaged in a Tourism packaging Workshop from today as the Ministry of Tourism’s Annual Human Resources Development program continues.
The workshop will be held under the theme Beyond the Blacksand and will be facilitated by Vera-Ann Brereton and Francelia Marksman.
One of the objectives of the workshop is to explore creative and new approaches to developing holiday packages for visitors and will focus on Tourism from the perspective of Tour Operators and those involved in selling holiday incentive packages to tourists.
SUSTAINABLE GRENADINES PROJECT CARRIES OUT RESEARCH
A major collaboration effort between multiple organisations across the countries of
Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines is underway that will result in the first underwater geographical and ecosystems map of this part of the Caribbean.
This month, the Sustainable Grenadines Project and Kim Baldwin, a PhD student of the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies at the University of West Indies will be conducting a month-long research cruise in the Grenadines. This research will aid in the planning and management in the Grenadines marine environment in order to preserve it for future generations.
Critical marine resources such as reefs, seagrasses and mangroves will be identified and mapped. Local communities will be consulted to identify other areas which are important for conservation and the livelihoods of the Grenadine people.
KIMYA GLASGOW DESIGNS & NDF HOST WORKSHOP
Kimya Glasgow Designs in conjunction with The National Development Foundation(NDF) will host a two-week Fashion Design Workshop on Design Portfolio Development from next Monday.
Some of the Course Areas include Effective Project Research, Basic Fashion Drawing, Fashion Illustration and Professional Project Presentation.
According to Glasgow the course is ideal for those hoping to pursue Fashion Design as an area of study or employment. She said many creative people have great ideas in their head or on bits of paper but it is important to know how to make these ideas real and how the industry operates. This course will allow persons to communicate their ideas as a working designer, whether they intend to work for themselves or with a design company.
August 8th 2008 Edition
AIRPORT EATHWORKS STARTS ON WEDNESDAY
Citizens of this country who have been yearning for an international to be constructed on the island will soon realized their dreams when earthwork commence next week Wednesday to start the construction of the international airport at Argyle.
Three years to the day after Prime Minister Dr Gonsalves announced plans for an international airport to be constructed at Argyle, he used the occasion of his birthday today to inform the nation that earthworks on the international airport at Argyle will commence next Wednesday.
Equipment for the earthworks were purchased by the Venezuelan government and a team of Cuban professionals are here to commence the process of starting the airport construction.
While addressing parliament last week, Dr Gonsalves give a comprehensive report on the developments of the airport and refuted claims by opposition leader,Arnhim Eustace, than an updated costing for the airport was not done by MM&M Concultants. Dr Gonsalves said early in the life of his ULP administration, MM&M Consultants was asked to update the 1998 estimates for the international airport at Argyle.
MINISTER FRANCIS SAYS STRUCTURES IN LITTLE TOKYO BUS STOP TO BE REBUILT
Minister with responsibility for the Kingstown Town Board, Senator Julian Francis says the structures at the Bus Stop in the area of Little Tokyo will be dismantled to make way for a brand new structure that will be more pleasing to the eye.
Speaking at a Town Hall meeting yesterday, Senator Francis said the structures that now house a number of business are beyond repair and he has already asked the Minister of Finance to find ways of including funds to construct new structures or to place the construction of the new structures as a project, where funding could be sought.
NEW DRIVERS LICENSE CARD LAUNCHED
The Inland Revenue Department this morning launched a new license which will be issued soon to the 44,000 persons who are holders of a valid license.
Speaking at this morning launch of the new license, Comptroller of the Inland Revenue Department, Kelvin Pompey said the license issued in the past created a number of problems for holder, whenever they travel overseas and wanted to drive.
Pompey said the new license will have a number of features such as a photo, name, address, date of birth, expiration date and national identification number.
TUNNEL TO KINGSTOWN TO BE CONSTRUCTED
A tunnel will be built as an alternative route to make it easier for motorists to enter Kingstown.
Speaking at the launch of a new drivers' license this morning, Dr Gonsalves said plans are already in the pipeline to have a tunnel built from Arnos Vale in the area of the ET Joshua Airport with an exit in the Quarry area at the Cruise Ship Terminal. Dr Gonsalves said the tunnel project is expected to commence after the international airport at Argyle is completed.
STEERING COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED TO ORGANIZE VENDING IN KINGSTOWN A steering committee was established to look at ways how to make vending in Kingstown more organized.
Following a town hall meeting with Minister with responsibility for the Kingstown Town Board, Senator Julian Francis and other stake holders, the steering committee was set up, to include representatives from vegetable, food, fish, dry goods and other types of vendors.
More town hall meetings are planned for later in the year and a plan will be formulated on how to make vending in Kingstown more organized.
FISH MARKET TO BE AUDITED SOON
This country could be debarred from exporting fish to the European Union countries if immediate steps are not taken to remedy the situation at the Kingstown Fish Market. Senator Julian Francis made this disclosure at a Town Hall meeting, which was held to find ways to keep vending in Kingstown on a more organized footing.
Senator Francis said the EU auditors should be here between September and October to look again at the Fish Market facilities.
According to Senator Francis, the fish market and meat market areas need to be upgraded and if they are not, there could be a ban placed on fish from this country to EU countries such as Martinique.
FORMER AG’S AND QC CALLS FOR RESUMPTION OF DEATH PENALTY
The Searchlight newspapers is reporting that former Attorneys General, Carlyle Dougan, and Parnel Campbell, QC and newly appointed Queen's Council, Andrew Cummings, as calling for the early resumption of the death penalty, in the interest of the proper execution of justice.
According to the Searchlight, the three were at the time expressing their thoughts at a special sitting of the High Court, which was held in honour of one of their colleagues, Bertram Stapleton, who was shot and killed while entering his workplace two weeks ago.
The Searchlight quotes Dougan as saying that persons should be hung by their necks with a rope until they are dead.
POLICE INVESTIGATES 17TH HOMOCIDE
Police are carrying out investigations into the death of a young man who was shot and killed this morning at Murray's Village in the road.
The young man is reportedly from the Campden Park area and has been residing at Murray's Village for some time.
This death brings to 17 the number of homicides for the year and comes one week after Myron Westfield, better known as Tiger, was shot and killed by businessman Oscar Porter last week Friday.
August 6th 2008 Edition
NATION-WIDE ELECTRICITY OUTAGE CAUSED BY LIGHTENING STRIKE
Vinlec has confirmed that last night's nation-wide outage of electricity was due to an act of nature, when lightning struck.
An official from the electricity company explained that most of the electricity lines are hanging and that it is not abnormal for lightning to cause outages.
Last night the country experienced a blackout and workers at Vinlec worked tirelessly to ensure the service was restored within a few hours
SVG TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH IRAN
This country is to establish diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Speaking at a news conference yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sir Louis Straker said, Ambassador Dexter Rose, this country’s Ambassador to Cuba, will be the non-resident Ambassador to Iran.
Sir Louis said the establishment of relations with Iran came after talks were held with Iran’s Foreign Affairs minister, while he was in Tehran for a conference of the Non-Aligned Movement.
GRADE 6 STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN HIV/AIDS PROGRAM
The Ministry of Education is collaborating with the Ministry of Mobilization and Social Development and the national HIV/AIDS Secretariat to respond to the climate of violence and other social ills prevalent here, with the hosting of a behaviour modification programe for Grade six students from seven primary schools. 'Some thirty students are participating in the programme, which is taking place at the Thomas Saunders Secondary School.
The participants are involve in self-esteem building exercises, conflict resolution strategies, drug prevention education, arts and craft, music appreciation, dance and karate. Education Officer Jasmine Francois-Creese is co-ordinating the programme.
CARIBEEAN HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CLUB HOST UK GROUP
The recently formed Caribbean Healthy Lifestyle Club St. Vincent undertook its first major activity with the hosting of The Leicestershire Youth Exploration Group from the UK. The group which consisted of fourteen youths between ages 17 and 18 an six adults arrived here on June 11thand last week Friday.
While here, the group participated in hiking, swimming, playing the steel pan, visits to the Grenadines along with community exercises. All of the youths are college graduates who are now moving on to universities and each had an individual project to research while on the island.
The English youths also had the opportunity to stay with families for a weekend and did community work on the Lodge Village Government school.
NIPI AND EU FUNDS LOCAL DESIGNERS TO PARTICIPATE IN FASHION CANADA
The National Investment Promotions Inc., NIPI, in collaboration with the European Union facilitated two local designers to showcase their designs internationally in Toronto at the Caribbean Fashion Canada at a production entitled Fashion has no borders.
Local designers Kimon Baptiste and Kimya Glasgow were this country’s representatives among 10 other regional and international designers. They were involved in a rigorous training to better equip themselves for interviews with the international press and for portfolio presentation.
Following this in-depth training Baptiste and Glasgow were among five persons chosen to appear on City TV’s Breakfast Television
They were also interviewed by different magazines, newspaper and radio stations in Canada.
DOMINICAN CARIB CHIEF VISITS SVG
Dominican Carib Chief who is here for a visit said descendants of Caribs must stand up against oppression and do not let what were written in the history books by the colonialists to deter them from speaking.
Speaking to members of the media yesterday, Chief Charles Williams said his visit here the Caribs were labeled by the colonial masters as warlike, cannibal and an aggressive people. He urged his fellow Caribs not to be deterred and to show their abilities.
August 5th 2008 Edition
FUEL PRICE INCREASE
The price of gasoline, diesel and kerosene went up yesterday. According to reports, the price of gasoline is now $15.33, diesel $15.50 and kerosene $15.10.
The price increase is as a result of the rising cost of fuel worldwide and there are indications a review will be made in the next three months, to see whether there would be another increase or if the price would fall here. Fuel prices on the world market have been falling over the last two weeks.
IRAN TO PROVIDE $7m LINE OF CREDIT TO SVG
The Republic of Iran is to give assistance to this country. Speaking a a news conference this morning, following his return from the Non-Aligned Movement in Iran, Foreign Affairs Minister, Sir Louis Straker said he welcomed the expressiion of support by the Iran's Foreign Minister and to this end, Iran has decided to the establishment of US$7 million line of credit, directly to St. Vincent of the Grenadines for developmental projects.
Two million dollars of this amount will be made available shortly, after a review of the details by the Ministries of Finance and Legal Affairs, while the remaining $5 million will be available 12 months thereafter.
PM GONSALVES REFUTES OPPOSITION LEADER’S CLAIMS
Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has refuted statements made by opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace that there was no updated report on the estimates of the Argyle International airport.Delivering a ministerial report in parliament last Thursday, Dr Gonsalves said the MM&M consultants submitted an updated report on the airport project to the government in 2005. The media last week reported that Eustace said no such report was done M&M.
Dr Gonsalves stated a complete report was not submitted by M&M, since there was a study done in 1998, when Eustace's NDP was in office and it was this study that he had asked M&M to update.
IRAN TO ASSIST WITH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The Iranian government is to help with the construction of the international airport at Argyle. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sir Louis Straker said that Iran and St. Vincent and the Grenadines will exchange expert delegations to share information and examine the most efficacious modalities for possible assistance; and the Iranian Minister of Roads, Transport and Civil Aviation will be charged with studying the Argyle International Airport project and suggesting avenues of assistance and cooperation.
August 4th 2008 Edition
COMMISSIONER MILLER SPEAKS OUT TO NCO’S
Commissioner of Police Keith Miller says Non-Commission Officers who are not carrying out their duties will be fired. Speaking at a recent conference of the NCO's Commissioner Miller said he has received several reports of officers who are not doing their duties and this is something that cannot be sustained.
The Commissioner said he will be taking steps to provide those delinquent officers with the necessary training but they will have to accept the training in quick time. Miller made it clear this was no time to sweeping things under the carpet and his officers must give him credit for speaking his mind.
ADAMS PLACES 2ND RUNNER UP
A release from the Carnival Development Corporation, the CDC, states that Nekesha Adams, first runner up in the Miss SVG, was adjudged second runner up in the recent Miss Jacyees Caribbean Queen contest in Antigua.
Adams and contestants from 10 other countries competed for the top honours which went to Marah Walters of Dominica, who was a contestant in this year's Miss Carival show. St Lucia's Sirah John, was also a contestant in this year's Miss Carival, took the first runner up spot.
CLICO PROVIDES BENEFIT PLAN TO FAIR TRADE
The insurance company, CLICO International, has entered an agreement into an agreement with the St Vincent and the Grenadines Fair Trade Organisation to provide a retirement Benefit Plan for eh organisation's farmers.
Addressing the signing ceremony, Chief Agricultural officer Reuben Robertson applauded the initiative by the two organizations to provide a retirement plan for persons in the farming industry. Robertson said the Ministry of Agriculture recognizes that in order to create a better agriculture sector, there must be a partnership with the private sector and made a call members of the private sector here to get involve in investing.
KCCU SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS AND BURSARIES
Education Officer Elizabeth Walker has urged students who recently received scholarships and bursaries from the Kingstown Co-operative Credit Union, to always strive for excellence. Delivering the feature address at a ceremony to mark KKCU's presentation of scholarships and bursaries to students, Walker stressed the importance of parental supervision, stating parents have a critical role to play in their children's education, stating the time has come where parents can no longer be silent partners in their children's education.
This year's KCCU scholarship recipients are Camila Neptune and Niasha Mofford. Five students received bursaries of $500 each, while over 40 students were given bursaries of a lower amounts.
BUREAU OF STANDARDS SEMINAR.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards in collaboration with CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality will host a sensitization seminar for stakeholders for those directly involved in Trade, Industry and Science.
The objectives of the seminar are to raise the awareness among key stakeholders of the importance of Metrological activities such as Traceability, Verification and Calibration and to inform stakeholders of the available Metrology services in the region.
The workshop is part of a regional initiative to establish and enhance metrology reference laboratories that will meet the needs for the calibration, testing and verification services of industry and society as well as to demonstrate that international metrology requirements can be attained.
MINISTRY OF TOURISM WORKSHOP FOR HEALTH PROVIDERS.
A total of twenty-five participants from the health services attended the Ministry of Tourism workshop for health care providers.
The workshop was facilitated by Vera-Ann Brereton and Carlos Williams of the Public Health department described it as informative and one which offered the participants the opportunity to interact an another level.
The workshop is a part of the Ministry of Tourism annual Human Resources Development program and was the fifth to be concluded.
REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Aug 29th, 2008
REGIONAL
JAMAICA
Tropical Storm Gustav has battered Jamaica with heavy rains and strong winds, tearing the roofs off houses.
The storm, with maximum sustained winds of up to 110km, 70mph, is expected to strengthen into a "major hurricane".
Gustav has claimed the lives of more than 50 people in Haiti, and at least eight in the Dominican Republic.
Heavy rain and winds began lashing eastern parts of Jamaica as the storm struck late on Thursday, raising fears of mudslides and flash floods as seen in Haiti.
GUYANA
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has reportedly shot and killed Guyana’s most wanted fugitive Rondell Fireman Rawlins, during a shootout on yesterday.
According to unconfirmed reports, Rawlins, along with a gang of men attempted to rob the GDF base at Camp Stephenson on the Linden Soesdyke highway yesterday and was killed during the resulting shooting.
Reportedly killed along with Rawlins was multi-murder accused “Skinny”.
GRENADA
The cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago has totally rejected a request by Grenada’s former Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, seeking an association between his country and Trinidad and Tobago, which if accepted would have made Grenada a virtually colony of the twin island republic.
The request was made a year ago by a letter sent by the then Grenada leader to the Trinidad and Tobago government. Grenada wanted free access to the education system, health system, and the transportation system.
VENEZUELA
The Venezuelan government has been accused by the United States for failing to fight back against drug gangs, moving huge amounts of cocaine through the South American country.
Angered by what he says is Venezuela's refusal to work with Washington in the war on drugs, spokesperson from the White John Walters, said President Hugo Chavez's government, has not done enough to stop Venezuela being overrun by drug gangs.
Walters said that traffickers now move about 250 tonnes of cocaine a year through Venezuela, almost a five-fold increase in the last four years, mainly for shipping to the growing European market.
TRINIDAD
Although Jamaica and Belize are not in favour of the proposed political and economic union, between Trinidad and Tobago and three other OECS states, Patrick Manning, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, the proponent of the merger, feels that he was not "blanked" by the two leaders.
Manning made it clear that he didn’t ask anybody to sign anything. He added that he did not conduct negotiations with any of the heads of government whom he met with, to sign the Memorandum of Understanding that he signed with Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines and St Lucia on August 14, for the establishment of an economic union by 2011, and a political union by 2013.
BELIZE
Belize now joins Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua, Guyana and St Lucia, for countries that have experienced an upsurge in crime.
A report out of the island states that 72 murders have occurred, so far for the year, with the latest being the gruesome murder, which took place on Tuesday, where a man was hacked to death and then set on fire.
Police are still trying to piece together the evidence of the grisly murder of businessman, Ronnie Alamilla, who was first reported missing only the night before, his charred body was found.
GUYANA
Guyana’s President, Bharrat Jagdeo said that he would not sign on to the regional integration movement currently being touted by Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, unless he could receive some assurance that the proposed political and economic model would be successful.
According to Jagdeo, it would be premature for him to sign any agreement until further discussions on the technical aspect of the matter were held.
JAMAICA
Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Trade, Dr Kenneth Baugh, has noted that Jamaica should not only look at the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), but also at positioning itself for trade generally.
He also stated that Jamaica should aim to implement all trade arrangements whether under the World Trade Organisation (WTO), CARICOM, EPA, and with Canada.
INTERNATIONAL
SERBIA
Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has refused to enter a plea to charges of war crimes at the United Nations tribunal in The Hague.
A tribunal judge entered a plea of not guilty to all charges on his behalf, in line with the rules of the court.
Mr Karadzic faces 11 counts, including genocide, relating to the 1990s Bosnian civil war.
He was arrested in the Serbian capital Belgrade in July after 13 years on the run, living under a false name.
THAILAND
Pressure is building on Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, amid spiralling protests against his rule.
Activists who had been holed up in the main government complex for almost four days spilled out to surround police headquarters before being dispersed. Outside Bangkok, strikes in support of the protests have disrupted travel.
The head of the army dismissed rumours of a coup, but called on the government to negotiate with protesters, which the authorities have so far refused to do. The protests are being led by a conservative group called the People's Alliance for Democracy.
GEORGIA
Georgia has decided to cut diplomatic ties with Russia, days after Moscow recognised the independence of Georgia's two breakaway regions.
Moscow said the decision "will not help bilateral relations" between the two nations - who had a brief war this month over South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Reports claim Russia intends to deepen its involvement with the two regions.
OIL PRICES
Oil prices rocketed above $120 on Thursday as Tropical Storm Gustav approached the Gulf of Mexico - before falling back in a see-saw session.
Having battered Haiti there are fears Gustav may disrupt oil production.
But analysts expressed belief that the US government would tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve if this happened, which will cause prices to fall back. US light sweet crude ended $2.56 lower at $115.59 a barrel and London Brent crude lost $2.05 to settle at $114.17.
RUSSIA
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the US of provoking the conflict in Georgia, possibly for domestic election purposes.
Mr Putin said that US citizens were "in the area" during the conflict over South Ossetia and were "taking direct orders from their leaders".
He said his defence officials had told him the provocation was to benefit one of the US presidential candidates. The White House dismissed the allegations as "not rational".
ENGLAND
Three men questioned over an alleged threat to assassinate Gordon Brown have been charged with terror offences, Lancashire Police have said. Ishaq Kanmi, 22, of Blackburn, was charged with soliciting murder, and three other charges.
Abbas Iqbal, 23, and Ilyas Iqbal, 21, each face two charges of possessing and disseminating terrorist material. The threats were also made against former Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
CANADA
All large ships entering the Northwest Passage and other Arctic waterways have been told by Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, to register with the Canadian Coast Guard first.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper made the announcement during a three-day visit to the Arctic, to bolster Canadian sovereignty claims.
Canada's claim over the area, which has rich reserves of oil and gas, is disputed by many countries. The US in particular insists that the passage is an international waterway.
Aug 28th, 2008
REGIONAL
JAMAICA
As Tropical Storm Gustav becomes better organised, the Jamaican Met Office has replaced the Hurricane Warning for the entire island with immediate effect.
A hurricane warning means that dangerous conditions could be experienced within the next 24 hours or less, these conditions include: high winds, flood producing rains and storm surges. Reports indicate that Jamaicans are stocking up and preparing for any eventuality.
The public is being advised to treat the situation seriously, as the current path will see the storm moving along Jamaica’s south coast, resulting in widespread impact. The Cayman Islands is also under storm watch.
BARBADOS
Barbados Prime Minster David Thompson has called on his colleagues in the region that now is not the time to be having second thoughts about the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that was negotiated with the European Union, and has called on regional leaders to take decisive action.
He added that a practical approach is therefore needed to close ranks, trust the negotiators and act decisively.
GRENADA
A high level delegation led by Prime Minister of Grenada, Tillman Thomas is scheduled to arrive in New York this week.
During the visit, the Prime Minister is expected to meet with Grenadian nationals, to discuss the current affairs of Grenada and share his vision for the nation’s development, two months after a decisive win in the general election ended, thirteen years of rule by the New National Party of former Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell.
SURINAME
While the government is not opposing the idea of a political union among Caricom member states, Suriname, in addition with Jamaica and the Bahamas has stated that it is not ready, to join such union.
Seeking support for his initiative for a political union in the region Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, paid a whirlwind visit to Suriname, to present his idea to Suriname’s President Ronald Venetiaan.
GUYANA
Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo has confirmed that his government will go ahead with plans, to expand the Ogle Airport, to accommodate regional carriers.
Jagdeo made the announcement, last week, during a press briefing, saying that once the facility was “brought up to scratch” it would ease the pressure at Guyana’s only international airport, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
Jagdeo added that there is a bid out for extending the runway and that they had received a grant from the European Union, the Regional Executive Programme, 1.5 million Euro.
INTERNATIONAL
USA
Barack Obama is set to address US Democrats at the party's national convention, a day after being chosen as their candidate for the White House.
Mr Obama, the first African-American to be nominated for president by a major US party, will formally accept his historic candidacy in Denver, Colorado.
On Wednesday, he was resoundingly endorsed by ex-President Bill Clinton.
NIGERIA
Bauchi State in northern Nigeria has banned co-education at all junior and senior schools.
The bill, passed by the state MPs this week, listed a number of reasons including the need to fight teenage pregnancies and poor performance.
Bauchi MP Aminu Tukur said that teenagers especially have difficulties controlling their sexual urges.
MALAWI
Distributing anti-retroviral drugs in Malawi has led to a huge fall in Aids-related deaths, an official says. Mary Shawa told the Reuters news agency that 67% of those taking the ARV drugs are still alive.
Malawi is among the countries worst affected by Aids, with about 7% of the 13m population affected. The World Health Organization estimates that 35% of those infected with HIV in Malawi are now taking ARV drugs, which were rolled out in 2004.
IRAN
Human rights organisations have condemned the execution of another juvenile offender in Iran on Tuesday.
Behnam Zare was the second Iranian, in a week, to be put to death, for a crime he committed, when he was under the age of 18 and the sixth such execution in 2008. Human rights groups say neither Zare's family nor his lawyer was notified, prior to the execution.
Iran is the only country known to have executed people this year for crimes committed while they were minors. Behnam Zare was convicted of murder after killing another young man in a street fight three years ago.
Aug 27th, 2008
REGIONAL
TRINIDAD
A Trinidadian man has been a patient of the San Fernando General Hospital in Trinidad and Tobago for 18 years. Authorities believe he is the longest admitted patient of any medical institution in the twin island republic or maybe in the entire Caribbean.
According to the Trinidad Express newspaper, Vernon St Clair was injured in a road accident in 1990, when he was 43 years of age. He is a quadriplegic and has been paralysed from his neck down since the accident.
Reports indicate that despite his serious state he always has a smile and makes friends easily, though many such friendships are short lived. He said that some of his friends are patients, but they will get better and go home or some of them will die.
JAMAICA AND BELIZE
Jamaica and Belize have made it clear that they are not interested in the political union proposed by Trinidad and Tobago and three OECS countries.
The prime ministers of Jamaica, Bruce Golding, and Belize, Dean Barrow, told the Caribbean Media Corporation on Tuesday that they won't be part of the union after they had had discussions with their Trinidad and Tobago counterpart, Patrick Manning.
In Belize, Barrow, after meeting with Manning in Belmopan, said he did not intend to join the union, although he commended the effort, while Golding from the outset was unsupportive of the move and said that Jamaica will not be involved in the process. He said that the plan to set up a political union needs to be carefully examined since there could be implications for the entire Caribbean Community.
GRENADA
Grenada’s Opposition leader, Dr Keith Mitchell, has claimed that he was verbally abused by three senior members of the newly-elected National Democratic Congress (NDC) party, on several occasions after the opening ceremony of the 8th House of Representatives, last week.
The former prime minister named former parliamentarian Michael Baptiste, attorney Anselm Clouden, and newspaper editor George Worme, as the individuals who allegedly hurled abuse at him.
However, Clouden said Mitchell's allegation is false.
TRINIDAD
The prison authorities in Trinidad and Tobago are arranging orientation programmes to sensitise the 52 former death row prisoners, as to how they will spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
Prison Commissioner John Rougier said that the prisoners have been placed in three appropriate locations. Those who are ill are located in the Prisons Infirmary Unit, those who are considered dangerous are placed in the Special Security Unit and the others are located in the regular cell lock-ups.
The authorities are now working on special programmes for the 52 who were spared the hangman's noose, which will involve lectures from former senior prison officers, as well as ex-prisoners.
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
The national security authorities in Antigua and Barbuda have been asked to look closely at the procedure and the manner in which passports and other official documents are issued.
A passport scam investigation has begun, and there is a call for those in authority to look further and deeper in several quarters, since it is suspected that quite a few strange things have taken place.
TOBAGO
The island of Tobago is now in a national drive towards HIV/AIDS education.
A number of stakeholders have been called together for a series of public consultations on HIV and AIDS. A panel of experts will be looking at drafting new legislation that would treat, among other things, stigma and discrimination against persons living with the disease.
It was recognized that there are currently no legal provisions relating to HIV/AIDS in Trinidad and Tobago. This comes against the background that all governments must put in place some kind of legislation to deal with the issue.
ACP
Banana producers in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries will fight fresh attempts by Latin American growers to obtain cuts in European Union import tariffs for their fruit, ACP members said yesterday.
If EU tariffs are lowered, ACP banana producers fear they could find themselves squeezed out of the European market, by cheaper Latin American bananas, which already benefit from government subsidies.
World number one banana exporter Ecuador hopes to restart talks with the EU in October, when it will try to persuade the bloc to reduce the import tariffs that its producers must pay to sell into Europe.
Such a deal was briefly agreed in July, but fell apart as wider free trade talks at a World Trade Organisation meeting collapsed.
INTERNATIONAL
USA
Former Barack Obama rival Hillary Clinton is due to take centre-stage at the Democratic Party's nominating convention in Denver, Colorado.
The party is hoping that Mrs. Clinton, who lost a hard-fought race for Democratic nomination, can now convince her followers to back his presidential run. Senator Obama will formally accept the party's nomination on Thursday night.
SUDAN/LIBYA
The hijackers of a Sudanese plane that was flown to Libya have surrendered in the desert town of Kufra, Libyan officials say.
The 95 passengers on board the Sun Air Boeing 737 had earlier been released but the crew was being detained.
The plane was seized shortly after taking off from the Darfur, in the town of Nyala on Tuesday. There are some reports that the hijackers were members of a Darfur rebel group, but this was strongly denied by the group's leader.
LEBANON/LIBYA
Lebanon has indicted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi over the disappearance of a prominent Shia Muslim cleric, during a visit to Libya 30 years ago.
It is widely believed in Lebanon that Sheikh Moussa Sadr, who was revered locally, was kidnapped and killed on the orders of senior Libyan officials.
Libya has always denied involvement and says that Sheikh left the country safely on a plane bound for Rome. Gaddafi is accused of conspiring to kidnap and false imprisonment.
UNITED KINGDOM
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has called on the EU and NATO, to initiate "hard-headed engagement" with Russia in response to its actions in Georgia.
In a speech in Ukraine's capital, he urged them to bolster their allies, rebalance the energy relationship with Russia and defend international law. He also warned Russian President Dmitry Medvedev not to start a new Cold War.
ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe says he will form a new government despite stalled power-sharing negotiations with the opposition.
“The MDC does not want to come in apparently," Mugabe was quoted as quoted saying. Such a move would be the death-knell for the South African-brokered talks to end the post-election crisis.
Meanwhile, three MDC MPs were arrested on Tuesday when parliament was opened.
AFGHANISTAN
There is convincing evidence that 60 children and 30 adults were killed in a US air strike in western Afghanistan last Friday, the United Nations says.
The US originally said its planes had killed 30 militants in the attack in the province of Herat. President Karzai sacked two senior Afghan army officers over the incident. The US says Afghan forces led the operation in the district of Shindand. The incident has worsened relations between Mr Karzai and foreign forces.
Aug 26th, 2008
REGIONAL
BELIZE
Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow has appointed a Steering Committee to oversee the expenditure of the US$10 million from Venezuela that the Central Bank retrieved from the Belize Bank on August 11 following months of litigation in the courts.
The money, which is said to be gifted by Venezuela, is to be returned to the people. However, the Belize Bank is prepared to appeal the decision and take the issue all the way to the Privy Council.
HAITI
A strengthening Hurricane Gustav was expected to make landfall today in Haiti, where a tropical storm battered the impoverished Caribbean nation, less than two weeks ago. At 8:00 am this morning, the center of Gustav was located about 75 miles south-southeast of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, and was moving towards the northwest at around nine miles per hour.
The Haitian government urged its population to take precautions and appealed for international help to deal with the storm's aftermath, some 10 days after Tropical Storm Fay left about 47 people dead or missing on the island.
Demonstrators erected burning barricades in the streets of Haiti's southern city of Les Cayes on yesterday, to protest rising food prices in the impoverished Caribbean country.
Several hundred demonstrators joined the short-lived protest in the Les Cayes slum of La Savane, before they were dispersed by UN peacekeepers and Haitian police firing tear gas.
The unrest is was a reminder of the food riots in Les Cayes in April, when five people were killed in running street battles with police and UN troops over the high cost of living.
Those same clashes ignited demonstrations in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and elsewhere across the country that prompted the Senate to fire Prime Minister Edouard Alexis on April 12.
GUYANA
Following the release two weeks ago of the 2006 Auditor General’s Report, which made widespread allegations of corruption in public office, Guyana’s President, Bharrat Jagdeo has said that he would not “go lightly” on any official found guilty of corruption.
The president made this announcement during a media briefing last week at his office, adding that, while sections of the media may have taken the report out of context, he was aware of the possibility of some cases of corrupt practices, in public office and he backed any move to take legal action against those found guilty.
INTERNATIONAL
AFGHANISTAN
The Afghan government says it wants to renegotiate the terms of foreign forces in their country after more than 90 civilians were killed in a US bombing.
International troops are in Afghanistan to help provide security, particularly in a fierce counter insurgency campaign against the Taleban.
But in recent months there has been increased anger over the issue of civilian casualties. Two senior Afghan military commanders have been sacked over the air strike.
BRAZIL
The Brazilian government is to launch a campaign as part of an effort to get 300,000 guns off the streets and to cut the country's high murder rate.
Anyone who hands over a firearm will receive between 100 and 300 reais ($60- $185) and will not be investigated if they were illegally holding the weapon. The campaign will be promoted by advertising on television, radio, newspapers and the internet. A similar move four years ago helped remove 500,000 guns from the streets.
Aug 25th, 2008
REGIONAL
ST. LUCIA
Opposition Leader Dr Kenny Anthony says Health Minister Dr Keith Mondesir needs to be relieved of his portfolio.
The request comes amidst claims from the Opposition Leader that Cabinet passed a conclusion to spare the Minister from prosecution.
Last week Prime Minister Stephenson King responded to the Opposition Leader’s claims that a Cabinet conclusion granting tax concessions to the Health Minister is illegal.
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
The Maritime Administration of Antigua and Barbuda has been advised that the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged dry cargo vessel m/v BBC TRINIDAD, has been attacked and captured by pirates whilst proceeding from the southern entrance of the Red Sea to the Port of Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman, with thirteen crew members and loaded with general cargo.
When it was seized, the vessel was in international waters in the Gulf of Aden, north of the coast of Somalia. Since then, the Maritime Administration of Antigua and Barbuda has been in close and continuous contact with the vessel’s Management Company in Germany, who is monitoring the situation.
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Ricans are feeling yet another hard blow this week as another powerful politician began to be officially investigated by federal authorities Saturday morning.
Although rumours of a federal probe have surfaced through the Capitol building hallways during the past few months, federal authorities had not subpoenaed New Progressive Party Sen. Jorge De Castro or anyone close to him. It’s still not clear what the federal authorities are investigating.
But Saturday morning, some 40 federal agents stormed into his home, his office at the Capitol and a gas station located in the neighborhood of Miramar in San Juan, confiscating computers, documents, trash bags, a drawing of a gun, two briefcases and other undisclosed items.
USVI
Special Agents from the US Virgin Islands Inspector General’s Office and the VI Department of Justice, White Collar Crime Division, apprehended former Roy Lester Schneider Medical Center President and Chief Executive Officer, Rodney Miller on Friday.
Miller, who served as RLS Medical Center President & CEO from May 2002 to November 2007, was arrested at the office of a local attorney on one count of fraudulent claims against the government. The charges stem from Miller’s attempt to cover up a 1995 criminal conviction by providing false statements to the Virgin Islands Government on his application for employment at the Hospital.
INTERNATIONAL
RUSSIA
Russia's parliament has backed a motion urging the president to recognise the independence of Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Both houses voted unanimously in favour of the non-binding motion, which analysts say could help President Dmitry Medvedev in talks with the West. The UK, Germany and Italy were among the nations expressing concern that the vote would further raise tensions.
USA
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in the Middle East as part of US efforts to secure a peace deal in the region by the end of the year.
Her visit coincides with the release of 198 Palestinian prisoners in what Israel called a goodwill gesture to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
They include two convicted killers of Israelis who have been in detention since 1977 and 1979. Correspondents say Washington's aim for a peace deal this year looks unlikely.
Aug 21st, 2008
REGIONAL
GUYANA
Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee said on Tuesday that, although the security situation in Guyana remains complex, Guyana is ready to host the CARIFESTA X activities, scheduled to begin with the opening ceremony on August 22nd.
The Minister gave his assurance that everything possible will be done to ensure that visitors and Guyanese, enjoy the events in a safe environment.
HAITI
Dozens of people were killed when an overcrowded Haitian bus was swept away by floodwaters triggered by Tropical Storm Fay. As many as 50 passengers were missing after the bus tried to cross the rain-swollen Riviere Glace in the southwestern province of Grand-Anse. Some 27 people survived the accident and three bodies, those of two men and a child, have been recovered, officials said.
Fay killed at least seven others in Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, as well as one in the Dominican Republic and two in Jamaica, before reaching the United States, where it swept across Florida on Tuesday.
ANTIGUA
The Ministry of Health in Antigua and Barbuda is reportedly very concerned about the increase in deadly HIV/AIDS cases in the country. Last year, during the January-June period, there were 24 reported HIV cases. This year, during the same period, this number has almost doubled, with 45 cases being reported.
In response to this, the AIDS Secretariat is emphasising the importance of safe sex practices. Deputy AIDS Programme Manager Delcora Willliams said the AIDS Secretariat wants people to know their status. She said, “Finding one’s status and taking care of oneself, should be the most important things to anyone.
GRENADA
Grenada’s Commissioner of Police, James Clarkson has ordered an investigation into the conduct of a number of police officers, after viewing a video of some police officers, apprehending a suspect. Although the incident was not recorded in its entirety, the images seen on the video, according to a police release, were very disturbing and unprofessional and such behaviour will not be condoned and or encouraged within the ranks of the Royal Grenada Police Force.
Inspector Augustine Kerabe Belfon has been directed to conduct the investigation, which is expected to reveal what caused the incident and, equally important, what prompted the reaction of the police.
VENEZUELA
The Venezuelan government has locked up control of more than 90 percent of the domestic cement industry, with its nationalization of one foreign-owned plant and pressured buyout of two others.
In the most recent of a series of state takeovers of key foreign-controlled businesses, at midnight Monday, Energy and Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez led workers and supporters to take symbolic control of the Mexican-owned CEMEX plant in the eastern part of the country.
The move, after talks on a buyout failed to conclude before a midnight Monday deadline, gave Venezuela control of CEMEX’s operations in the country, including its 4.6 million tonnes a year capacity, half of all Venezuelan cement production.
INTERNATIONAL
ALGERIA
Twelve people have been killed and 42 injured, by twin car bombs that hit a barracks and a bus in Bouira, south-east of the Algerian capital. The government said the blasts went off 15 minutes apart early on Wednesday.
The attacks come one day after a car bomb killed 48 people and injured a further 38, at a police college near Boumerdes, east of Algiers. In recent months Algeria has suffered regular attacks blamed on Islamist insurgents linked to al-Qaeda.
IRAN
Amnesty International has condemned the hanging in Iran of Reza Hejazi, who was executed for a crime he committed when he was less than 18 years old.
Hejazi was aged 15 in 2004, when he was among a group of people involved in a dispute, which resulted in a man being fatally stabbed.
He was hanged in the city of Isfahan, earlier this week. Amnesty says the execution of juvenile offenders is prohibited under international law.
IRAQ
Iraq's foreign minister has said that Iraq and the US are "very close" to a deal, on the future of US forces in Iraq. Hoshyar Zebari says both sides were redoubling efforts to bring 10 months of tough negotiations to a conclusion.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on an unannounced trip to Baghdad, said the final deal would be in line with Iraqi laws and sovereignty.
MEXICO
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has convened a security meeting to discuss strategies to tackle a wave of kidnappings and drug-related murders. State governors and prosecutors are among those set to attend the talks scheduled for sometime today.
More than 2,600 people have died in violence linked to drug gangs so far this year, while officials there are on average 65 abductions a month.
Aug 20th, 2008
REGIONAL
ANTIGUA
A fifth person was charged in connection with the shooting deaths of two honeymooners in Antigua, according to police reports. Georgette Aaron, 31, was charged with accessory to murder, accessory to robbery and perverting the course of justice.
Aaron is the fifth suspect arrested and charged in the ongoing investigation into the murders of Ben and Catherine Mullany, who were shot and killed while honeymooning, in Antigua, last month.
On Monday, Avie Howell, 17, and Kaniel Martin, 20, were charged with the murders, as well as for robbery.
Two other women, aged 22 and 32, appeared before a magistrate last week on charges for receiving stolen goods belonging to the Welsh couple.
TRINIDAD
Trinidad and Tobago’s Attorney General, Bridgid Annisette-George, said that her government remains committed to carrying out the death penalty according to the rule of law.
Annisette-George made the comment to the Trinidad Guardian in an interview published on Tuesday following the ruling of Justice Nolan Bereaux, who commuted the death sentence for 52 killers to life imprisonment.
The Attorney General in the interview said, that as emotional as it is, the government needs to be reasonable and rational in the position it adopts. She added that the government's position is the death penalty, which is the law and that it will be enforced in accordance with the law.
GRENADA The first parliamentary session of the eighth Grenada House of Representatives opened on Tuesday evening with a ceremonial parade, and the traditional Throne Speech delivered by Governor General Sir Daniel Williams.
The Governor General announced that the government will set up an Integrity Commission, to ensure integrity in public life. The Commission, he said, will obtain declaration of the assets and liabilities and income of persons in public life. He also said a Public Procurement Authority will be established to regulate public procurement and practices in the Public Service.
In a move to prevent corruption, the Governor General also announced the establishment of an Investment Policy Review Committee to look at investment proposals, both local and foreign before they are considered by Cabinet, as well as a National Economic Council, to advise the Government on macro-economic policies and other major issues.
GUYANA
A Local Government Task Force has been established by the government of Guyana to look into the possibility of holding nationwide local government elections before year’s end.
This follows recent accusations made by political parties in the country that the administration of Guyana’s ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had been dragging its feet on holding local government elections, an event which has not occurred in Guyana since 1994. The task force will review several existing pieces of legislation aimed at reforming the electoral process and facilitating the polls.
JAMAICA
The launch of the world's first Destination Loyalty Card was announced, yesterday, by the Jamaican tourism authority.
The 'One Love' membership card aims to bring tourists to Jamaica, providing them with a VIP service and giving them the ability to redeem points for hotels, attractions, ground transportation and special events.
Jamaica's Deputy Director of Tourism, Zachary Harding said that the launch of this world-first destination loyalty card is Jamaica's first step towards embracing customer-relationship marketing in tourism. 'One Love' is in keeping with Jamaica's lifestyle and message of peace, love and unity."
INTERNATIONAL
PAKISTAN
At least 25 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on a hospital in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, police say. The attack happened at midday as Shia Muslims gathered at the hospital in Dera Ismail Khan District, to mourn a local leader who had been shot dead.
There was also more fighting between militants and soldiers in the Bajaur district on the Afghan border.
The violence comes a day after Pervez Musharraf resigned as president. Coalition parties are expected to meet to discuss later on Tuesday to discuss candidates to succeed him. Security will be a key concern for whoever succeeds the outgoing president.
PERU
Peru has declared a state of emergency in jungle areas where indigenous groups are blocking oil and gas installations in protest at a new land sale law.
The government said violent acts by protesters had put security at risk. The measure allows the authorities to send in troops and bans public gatherings for 30 days.
Some 65 Amazon tribes say the law will make it easier for big energy companies to buy up their land, parts of which are known to be rich in oil and gas.
SPAIN
At least 45 people have been killed after a passenger plane swerved off the runway at Madrid's Barajas airport, Spanish officials say. The death toll could be much higher and dozens of people are severely injured.
The Spanair plane was taking off for Gran Canaria , with about 160 people on board. There were reports of a fire in the left engine during take-off however; TV footage showed smoke billowing from the craft.
The plane, which was destined for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, came down during or shortly after take-off, according to aviation authorities.
RUSSIA
Russia has rejected a draft UN Security Council resolution on Georgia, saying it contradicted the terms of last week's ceasefire deal. The draft text called on Russia to pull back its forces to the positions held before the current conflict.
But Russia says the truce allows its troops to stay in a buffer zone on the Georgia side of South Ossetia's border. Moscow says it is withdrawing its forces from Georgia and an official in the port of Poti said the Russians had left.
Russian forces seized the port on Tuesday. But Adam Middleton, the port director, said that the Russian troops blew up a naval vessel and took military equipment before withdrawing on today.
Aug 19th, 2008
REGIONAL
ST. LUCIA
The St Lucia government Monday said it would delay signing the Economic Partnership Agreement, the EPA with the European Union.
Prime Minister Stephenson King said that his administration's new position follows a recent statement made by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as the need for the Caribbean CARICOM countries to further review their position.
TRINIDAD
Speaker of the House Barry Sinanan told members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in Malaysia, according to a Trinidad Guardian report, that he has no problem with Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday's reinstatement to the House.
Sinanan said that Panday was suspended, during a House sitting in March, for the rest of the current session, for disrespecting the Chair since he failed to heed an order by him as Speaker and Presiding Officer, to stop using his laptop computer.
GUYANA
The high court in Guyana has ruled in favour of television station CNS 6 proprietor Chandra Sharma in a libel suit where he claimed that statements made by Robert Persaud, now Guyana’s agriculture minister, were defamatory.
Guyana’s Chief Justice awarded Sharma $250,000 damages and $40,000 costs, which was lower than his original claim of $1 million. Sharma said that he sued Persaud, a former functionary in the Office of the President and now Minister of Agriculture, for utterances of words that he felt were defamatory in the course of a news broadcast in 2000.
ST. KITTS
That the country's Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas has confirmed that his Trinidad and Tobago colleague, Patrick Manning will visit Basseterre tomorrow.
The visit by the Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister follows a meeting in Port of Spain, at which the leaders of four CARICOM countries declared their intent to establish a political union by 2013, insisting that their move would not be detrimental to the wider regional integration movement.
INTERNATIONAL
WORLD OIL PRICES
Oil prices bounced back today as the dollar weakened and investors worried that a predicted fall in gasoline supplies could cause refineries to step up crude use. U.S. crude for September delivery rose $1.66 a barrel to settle at $114.53. Prices were volatile during the day, falling below $112 in the morning, then topping $116 in the afternoon before falling back a bit.
RUSSIA
Russia has dismissed a warning by Nato that normal relations are impossible while its troops remain inside Georgia. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Nato of bias and of trying to save the criminal regime in Tbilisi. He insisted Moscow was not occupying Georgia and had no plans to annex the separatist region of South Ossetia.
Earlier, Nato demanded that Russia pull out its troops from Georgia as agreed in an EU-brokered ceasefire plan signed by both parties last weekend.
Aug 18th, 2008
REGIONAL
TRINIDAD
Residents of Carenage and environs were yesterday appealing to the authorities to start mosquito eradication exercises in the area, after several cases of dengue were reported there in recent weeks.
One of the persons making the call was the president of the Ocean Park Home Owners Association, who called on his fellow home and land owners to take care of their properties, saying this was also part of the problem.
The call comes even as Health Minister Jerry Narace has promised to launch a nationwide campaign to eradicate mosquitoes in an attempt to address the mosquito/dengue problem. He said the campaign would also be geared towards raising public awareness about prevention and would entail massive clean up action.
CUBA
A US appeals court has ruled that an anti-Castro Cuban exile and former CIA operative accused in Cuba of a 1976 plane bombing that killed 73 people should stand trial for an immigration violation.
The US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said a lower court erred in dismissing an indictment against Luis Posada Carriles days before he was to stand trial.
HAITI
Tropical storm Fay pummeled western Cuba early today and barreled toward the Florida Keys after claiming at least 11 lives in the Dominican Republic and Haiti amid forecasts it would hit hurricane force. Four people were killed in the Dominican Republic due to the heavy rains, while thousands were evacuated.
In Haiti, where a bus plunged into a river reportedly killing dozens, the heavy rains killed seven people and left another three missing, civil protection officials told AFP.
TURKS AND CAICOS
The developers of the Leeward Marina project in the Turks and Caicos Islands Leeward Waterfront Ltd, have been slapped with an injunction from the Supreme Court for their refusal to suspend work on the project pending a judicial review, and threatened with fines, seizure of their assets, and imprisonment.
The Leeward Marina developers were ordered on June 27 to suspend the project pending a judicial review yet, on July 17, three weeks after the court order, the dredger was photographed at work.
PAKISTAN
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, facing impeachment on charges drawn up by the governing coalition, has announced that he is resigning.
He went on national TV to say that while he was confident the charges would not stand, this was not the time for more confrontation. He is accused of violation of the constitution and gross misconduct.
Aug 15th, 2008
REGIONAL
CUBA
The United States is ranked among communist Cuba's top five trading partners for the first time in 2007 despite the decades-old US trade embargo, as US agriculture sales increased by $100 million.
Trade data for 2007 posted on the website of Cuba's National Statistics Office placed the United States fifth at $582 million, compared with $484 million in 2006, including shipping costs. The United States, which began selling food to Cuba in 2002 under an amendment to the embargo, placed seventh in 2006 and 2005.
Revolutionary ally Venezuela and communist China were Cuba's top trading partners at $2.698 billion and $2.457 billion respectively, with Canada placing third and Spain fourth, each at more than $1 billion.
TRINIDAD
Talks aimed at establishing a new political integration among six Caricom states were described as very successful by a Government official.
Prime Minister Patrick Manning chaired the mini-Caricom summit and among those attending were Grenadian Prime Minister Tillman Thomas, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves, St Lucian leader Stephenson King and the Foreign Ministers of Barbados and Guyana—Chris St Clair and Dr Henry Jeffery, respectively.Caricom Secretary General Edwin Carrington was an observer at the meeting.
The Government official said the meeting discussed Caribbean integration, the Caricom Single Economy, Maritime issues and Air Transportation. Two Memorandums of Understanding on health and education with Grenada were expected to be signed last night.
ANTIGUA
With an upsurge in crime in nearly all Caribbean countries, the opposition Antigua Labour Party, the ALP, is blaming the government for the escalation in the country for several reasons. The main one given is the removal of 21 senior police officers from the hierarchy of the force.
Former Antiguan ambassador to the United States, Lionel Hurst said the Baldwin Spencer administration on May 20,, 2005 chose to behead the Antigua and Barbuda Police Force by sending home 21 senior officers.
The officers who were removed, according to ALP sources, were among the most experienced and well trained. With them went respect from the lower ranks and authority in the community, particularly when they were replaced by junior and far less experienced officers. The end result, according to the ALP, has been an escalation in crime brought on by the resulting loss of leadership.
ANTIGUA
Two women were arrested and charged yesterday as part of an investigation into the murders of a British couple who were on their honeymoon in the country.
Inspector Cornelius Charles confirmed that two women, aged 32 and 22, were charged with offenses connected to the murders of Ben and Catherine Mullany and had appeared before magistrates.
GUYANA
Guyana Sugar Corporation, GUY-SU-CO), Industrial Relations Director, Jairam Pitam, yesterday declared that if all the estates on which there are strikes do not restart operations today, management will not be meeting with the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union tomorrow.
Pitman said the standoff violates the grievances procedures as GUY-SU-CO was not notified of the workers action. Pitam said while the corporation respects the rights of its employees, a strike at this time is senseless and would not improve their lot.
He lamented that inclement weather this year has already seriously affected production, and the work stoppage has further compounded problems in meeting market commitments to Europe.
Pitam appealed to the workers who are striking to resume work and let the wages dispute negotiations continue and be resolved amicably.
INTERNATIONAL
ZIMBABWE
Botswana says its President will boycott a summit of regional leaders because Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe has been invited. The country has said that Mugabe should not attend such gatherings until a power-sharing deal has been reached.
It is also urging its neighbours not to give legitimacy to the widely-condemned Zimbabwean presidential elections.
RUSSIA
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that a preliminary deal allowing the US to site missiles in Poland is aimed against Russia.
Poland will host the missiles as part of a defense shield the US says it needs against rogue states like Iran.
But the Russian President said it demonstrated that Russia's concerns about new systems in eastern Europe were valid. The president also said the deployment of new anti-missile forces has as its aim the Russian Federation.
Aug 14th, 2008
REGIONAL
JAMAICA
As part of their investigations into corruption charges against Superintendent Harry 'Bungles' Daley, the police have seized two of the top cop's vehicles. Assistant Commissioner of Police Justin Felice, head of the anti-corruption branch, confirmed with that the vehicles had been seized but declined to give further comments.
Felice led the team which arrested Superintendent Daley and charged him with six counts of extortion and six counts of breaching the Corruption Prevention Act. At the same time, the Police High Command has launched a top-level probe into reports that a house belonging to an attorney representing Superintendent Daley was searched by a police/military patrol Saturday morning.
In an official statement Wednesday, the police said the probe was being led by the office of the deputy commissioner in charge of crime, Mark Shields. While the High Command was unwilling to say more, checks by The Gleaner have revealed a puzzling situation.
TRINIDAD
Five cases of dengue have been confirmed in east Trinidad, as the Health Ministry investigates the cause of death of an eight-year-old girl.
Last week, the Express newspaper reported that several residents of Demerara Road, Wallerfield, had complained about faulty drainage which, they said, had become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. One resident claimed that her mother had been hospitalized with dengue.
When contacted by the Express, a communications representative of the Eastern Regional Health Authority confirmed that five people had in fact been diagnosed with the disease, and were now in stable condition at the Sangre Grande county hospital.
INTERNATIONAL
USA
US President George Bush has accused Russia of bullying and intimidation, as Moscow continues military operations deep inside Georgia.
Reiterating his strong support for Georgia, Bush said Russia had to honour its pledge to withdraw its troops from its southern neighbour.
He warned that Russia was heading towards international isolation.
ZIMBABWE
The country's main opposition party says authorities have returned the travel documents of its leader and other officials ahead of a regional summit. The documents had been confiscated at Harare airport as the opposition leaders tried to fly to South Africa.
The MDC said its leader Morgan Tsvangirai and two colleagues would now try to continue their journey. They are due to meet South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is mediating in power-sharing negotiations.
PAKISTAN
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is negotiating through back-channel contacts to reach a compromise that would let him avoid impeachment.
A Musharraf's spokesman called baseless the local media reports that he had decided to resign before Monday, when impeachment charges are expected to be filed. The push for Musharraf's removal gained steam this month, with three of Pakistan's four provincial assemblies calling for him to step down or face impeachment.
Aug 13th, 2008
REGIONAL
GUYANA
The Guyana government and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit say they are concerned about the shipment of cocaine through the post office to overseas countries.
Last Thursday four greetings cards were intercepted at the General Post Office, containing a quantity of cocaine that was in concealed sachets destined for London.
TRINIDAD
All three Trinidad and Tobago university students who were in Georgia when the Eastern European state was partly invaded by Russia on Monday were set to begin their journey home yesterday.
The three students are attending the Tbilisi State Medical University in the Georgia capital, Tbilisi, on a scholarship funded by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs.
BARBADOS
Law students at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill are up in arms over what they claim are flaws in the grade point average grading system.
Several students contended that the system, which was introduced at UWI in 2004 but only came into effect in their faculty in the last school year, has affected the quality of their degrees.
The students asserted that the majority of lecturers and professors had not changed their marking schemes to accommodate the new system.
Under the old system, the top grade that could be achieved was 'A' which was classified as 70 per cent or above. As a result, lecturers and professors tended to grade up to a maximum of 75.
INTERNATIONAL
ZIMBABWE
Talks on power-sharing in Zimbabwe have adjourned to give opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai time to reflect, South Africa's president has said.
Thabo Mbeki spoke amid confusion about whether Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe had reached an agreement with a breakaway opposition faction.
USA
President Bush said Wednesday that the United States has received reports of Russian actions that are inconsistent with Moscow's statement it had halted military operations in Georgia.
His remarks came amid fears as a Russian convoy advanced into Georgia, and claims of violations on both sides, has left in tatters a one-day-old agreement by both sides to return to pre-hostility positions.
Aug 12th, 2008
REGIONAL
JAMAICA
With more and more parliamentarians declaring their choice for the People's National Party's top job, incumbent Portia Simpson Miller holds a slight advantage over challenger Dr Peter Phillips.
Simpson Miller and Phillips both have 11 supporters in the House of Representatives, but the party leader has greater support in the Senate.
Former Finance Minister Dr Omar Davies, one of three nominees Simpson Miller defeated for the presidency in 2006, has declared he is backing her this time around.
GUYANA
Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy has taken umbrage with a Kaieteur News headline, which he said deliberately misrepresented the truth. He claimed this is part of the newspaper’s wicked vendetta against the government of Guyana.
Kaieteur News carried an article in its Sunday edition with the headline stating Health Minister admits buying drugs illegally.
Media freedom carries with it responsibility, said Ramsammy, adding that the Kaieteur News headline was reckless and irresponsible since the story carried on page three failed to show that he made such an admission.
TRINIDAD
Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday criticised Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday for using the people’s money to resolve the bad blood between Manning and Grenadian PM Tillman Thomas.
Panday’s statement came in light of full-page newspaper ads promoting Tillman’s visit to Trindad tomorrow.
Government was also set to provide a private jet for Thomas to come to T&T.
Manning upon receiving an honorary doctorate from Medgar Evars College in New York last year spoke of T&T’s intervention in Grenada to quell a coup attempt by Grenada’s Opposition party then headed by Thomas.
Since then, there has been speculation that the two men were not on good terms, as Thomas on the heels of Manning’s statement publicly challenged Manning to provide evidence of a coup plot.
CARICOM
CARICOM countries will sign the Economic Partnership Agreement with Europe on September 2 as planned, but they are still hoping to renegotiate the deal afterwards, Chairman Baldwin Spencer said.
Spencer, who is also the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, told reporters that it is likely that the agreement hammered out last year between Europe and the Caribbean Forum, which includes CARICOM and the Dominican Republic, would be signed by individual countries next month.
TRINIDAD
Three Trinidad and Tobago university students now stranded in Georgia, the Eastern European state now partly occupied by military forces from Russia, is calling on the government to get them home.
Two of the students are said they have lost contact with one of their colleagues, who is at a university close to the capital and where it is feared Russian troops are heading. Up to late yesterday, no international flights were available out of Georgia.
JAMAICA
The Jamaican government says there is no cause for alarm in the divestment of state-owned sugar assets to a joint-venture company in which Infiniti Bio-Energy of Brazil, is to be the majority stakeholder.
A statement explained that Infiniti Bio-Energy is a new company which commenced operations only two years ago and it was not unusual for companies to record losses in their first few years of operation before revenues catch up with the initial capital expenditure and outlays to meet operational expenses.
CARIBBEAN
As of December 2008, a further five Caribbean countries will move a step closer towards more robust mechanisms to bolster their resilience to flood hazards.
Documents signed yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will start the second phase of a project initiated back in August 2002 which aims to do such and is relying on a partnership between several Caribbean countries and the Government of Japan.
INTERNATIONAL
ISREAL/PALESTINE
Israel has offered a peace deal to the Palestinians which would annex 7.3% of the West Bank and keep the largest settlements, Israeli reports say.
In return the Palestinians would be given land equivalent to 5.4% of the West Bank in the Negev desert, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
Palestinian officials confirmed that such a plan had been put forward, but called it totally unacceptable. The two sides have been in peace talks sponsored by the US since November.
RUSSIA/GEORGIA
The Russian President has ordered an end to military operations against Georgia, the Kremlin says. He told officials that the safety of Russian citizens and peacekeepers in South Ossetia had been restored.
Russia also backed an EU plan to end the five-day-old conflict and envoys will now try to get Georgian approval. Each side continues to accuse the other of breaking ceasefire accords, and analysts warn that the two remain far apart on a number of issues.
MEXICO
Mexican authorities have launched an anti-kidnapping squad amid public anger over the abduction and killing of a prominent businessman's son.
Correspondents say public anger broke out after the abduction and killing of 14-year-old Fernando Marti amid suspicion police were involved.
CHINA
An attack on a security checkpoint in northwestern China's Autonomous Region killed three members of the security force and wounded a fourth, state media reported today.
At least one attacker jumped off a vehicle passing the checkpoint in the town of Yamanya and stabbed the four men, a local security official told a news agency.
Yamanya is located about 20 miles from Kashi, where a raid on border police last week left 16 policemen dead and 16 others injured.
Aug 11th, 2008
REGIONAL
JAMAICA
The two men aboard the Cessna plane that went down in a heavily wooded area of Portland Friday evening, have been found and are being treated at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston.
Jamaica Defence Force spokesperson Major Charlene Steer, told the Observer that the pilot Gavin Colley and passenger Christopher Watson were found minutes before 10:00 am yesterday and were airlifted to the hospital for treatment.
Major Steer said the men were conscious, drained and had suffered fractures from the crash. A source at the hospital said the men said the men had several lacerations to their faces and one had a bandaged leg.
JAMAICA
Dr Peter Phillips yesterday shared with the nation his reasons for seeking the presidency of the People's National Party, saying the Opposition party is in urgent need of renewal, and that he wants to lead a movement that gives as much energy to nation building as it gives to winning elections and "that once again becomes the standard of integrity and honesty in our country".
At the same time Phillips, whose decision to challenge incumbent Portia Simpson Miller has re-opened sharp divisions in the party, said that any risk to his political career that could result from his decision would be worth it, if it led to the PNP being revitalised and renewed.
"I thought long and hard before making this very serious decision," Phillips said in a broadcast to the nation. "I did so at the urging of a large number of members and supporters of the PNP who firmly believe that a leadership change is critical if the party is to become truly united and renew itself."?He said that in making the decision, he thought about how it would affect him and his family, the PNP, and the Jamaican people.
TRINIDAD
IT is cheaper to buy a bullet than to buy a loaf of bread in Trinidad and Tobago.
A 9 mm bullet costs between $8 and $10 on the black-market, both undercover police and criminal figures have said, while the average cost of a loaf of bread is $11.
Bullets of this kind are easily available to criminals from illegal arms dealers and even law enforcement officers, key underworld figures have said.
BARBADOS
Opposition Leader Mia Mottley says the Barbados economy is in a much better position than some people think and there is no need to worry. She said the majority of the country's debt is local and a large component of that is with National Insurance, which in the United States is not taken into account.
During the election campaign, Mottley's Barbados Labour Party administration came under fire for high spending and a debt situation that had spiralled out of control. Mottley said yesterday that the economy was highly underestimated and things were not in a bad position.
ANTIGUA
Former West Indies captain and cricket legend Sir Viv Richards participated in a peace march last Saturday in St John's, to condemn the brutal murder of a newly-wed British couple and also to protest against the country’s rising crime problem, which recorded 19 murders last year in a country with a population of only 88,000. National hero Richards called on everyone to become more vigilant as he addressed hundreds of marchers.
Union representatives, government officials, members of political parties and stakeholders in the tourism industry came together to show their solidarity against the upsurge of crime in the twin island state.
INTERNATIONAL
ZIMBABWE
Power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe's governing Zanu-PF party and opposition officials are due to resume in the capital, Harare.
President Robert Mugabe said some 14 hours of talks had ended inconclusively in the early hours, but that he was "confident" a deal could be reached. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai declined to comment.
THAILAND
Ousted Thai Prime Minister said he will not return to Thailand from the UK.
In a statement released to the Thai media, the former prime minister said he and his wife would remain in the UK, where democracy is more important.
He is on bail over corruption charges but failed to make a scheduled Bangkok court appearance.
Thailand's Supreme Court has now issued an arrest warrant for the billionaire, who owns Manchester City football club.
USA
Legendary singer and song writer, Isaac Hayes was rushed to the hospital yesterday after his wife discovered him unconscious at this home. He died shortly after arrival.
Hayes was to perform at this country's 2006 Blues Fest but suffered a stroke and was unable to be here. The 65-year-old Hayes’ death is the second over the weekend suffered by the black community in the USA.
Comedian Bernie Mac Mac died early Saturday morning of complications due to pneumonia.
Aug 8th, 2008
REGIONAL
TRINIDAD
The Trinidadian Guardian newspaper is reporting that Trinidadian terror suspect Kareem Ibrahim may escape facing a judge and jury on charges of conspiracy to blow up fuel lines, buildings and planes at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York last year.
The paper said Ibrahim is now the centre of a competency battle to determine whether he is fit to stand trial, or be sent back to Trinidad.
Ibrahim and Guyanese nationals Russell De Freitas, Abdul Kadir, and Abdel Nur appeared before a judge in the Brooklyn Federal Court yesterday for a status hearing.
The Opposition Antigua Labour Party has drafted an elaborate plan to curb the upsurge of violent crimes such as homicides, rapes, robbery and assault that have been plaguing Antigua and Barbuda for the past few years.
The main objective of plan known as A National Plan for Curbing Crime is to save Antigua and Barbuda, protect its people and assure its common future in peace and prosperity for all.
The ALP plan will tackle drug trafficking, gangs, criminal deportees and crime in school. A British couple was recently murdered while on their honeymoon on the island.
TRINIDAD
Tension is again on the rise in Trinidad and Tobago over a new broadcast code to be adopted for broadcasters. ?The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago is calling on the country's Telecommunications Authority to define the standards used to determine what is appropriate or inappropriate for broadcast. ?It is also concerned with what it says are the heftiness of a fine of TT$250,000 and a maximum five year prison term for broadcasters found guilty of any breach of the code.
Trinidad and Tobago is seeking to create its own media broadcast code and the Media Association is now questioning whether the penalties are justified. ?Balance on the airwaves, free speech and responsibility was the theme of a two-day conference held on April 2 - 3 2008 hosted by the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago.
The conference featured interactive sessions, panel discussions involving local persons and eight internationally respected experts on media and telecommunications concerns.
INTERNATIONAL
GEORGIA
Russian tanks have entered the capital of Georgia's separatist region of South Ossetia, says the Georgian President .
Amid fierce fighting, Georgia has been trying to regain control of the breakaway province, which has had de facto independence since the 1990s. Georgia is reported to have said any involvement of Russian forces in the conflict will result in a state of war.
Reports from Georgia claim Russian jets have attacked an airport near the Georgian capital of Tbilisi and Nato, the US and the EU have all called for an immediate end to hostilities.
IRAN
The European Union today tightened trade sanctions against Iran to punish Tehran for not committing to a long-standing demand of the international community that it freeze its nuclear enrichment program.
The new EU restrictions go slightly beyond existing U.N. trade sanctions and are designed to deny public loans or export credits to companies trading with Iran.
CHINA
China commandeered the world stage today as it celebrates its first-time role as Olympic host with a stunning display of pyrotechnics and pageantry, topped by the unworldly sight of a flying gymnast, traversing the heights of the stadium to light the flame and begin the Summer Games.
China welcomed scores of world leaders to an opening ceremony watched by 91,000 people at the eye-catching National Stadium and a potential audience of 4 billion worldwide. It was depicted as the largest, costliest extravaganza in Olympic history, bookended by barrages of some 30,000 fireworks.
WORLD OIL PRICES
Oil prices resumed their descent today, dropping briefly below $116 a barrel as a huge jump in the U.S. dollar and expectations of slowing global demand offset supply concerns over a sabotaged pipeline in Turkey.
With oil losing ground in the marketplace, the cost of roadside gasoline has been creeping down, too. The average retail price for a gallon of gasoline slipped to $3.836 Friday, down about a penny from yesterday and down about 18 cents from the record high of $4.114 it reached July 17th.
Aug 7th, 2008
REGIONAL
BARBADOS
The traditional Independence Day Parade at the Garrison Savannah has been scrapped. Prime Minister David Thompson disclosed that details were being worked out for a night celebration to replace the parade, a highlight of official Independence Day activities in Barbados for the past 41 years.
Thompson said the ceremonial morning parade was no longer attracting large numbers, hence his decision to have an evening event instead.
GUYANA
The National Assembly unanimously endorsed a motion brought by Opposition Leader Robert Corbin to give due recognition to the work and contribution of Guyana’s first Executive President, Forbes Burnham.
Corbin said the approval would promote a dispassionate analysis of the contribution of Burnham for the benefit of posterity’s own judgment.
Speaking for the government, Prime Minister Hinds also endorsed the motion and it was fully supported after hours of debate. Corbin said that “his People's National Congress recognizes Burnham as a visionary, who was a founding father of an independent Guyana and whose vision was to establish an egalitarian society where all races would enjoy social justice and political and economic emancipation.
Aug 6th, 2008
REGIONAL
JAMAICA
Police were last night digging for clues that could lead to the killers of two senior policemen, an inspector and a corporal, who were among eight persons slain over the weekend, pushing the country's murder tally to approximately 926 since the start of the year.
The weekend killings also brought to eight the number of cops murdered since January 2008, or an average of one a month, and prompted a renewed appeal from the commissioner of police, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin for citizens to help fight crime.
BARBADOS
A significant step towards the resolution of the Barbados Workers' Union/Sandy Lane dispute has been reached, with a mediation tribunal handing in its report. The report was recently handed over to Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office with special responsibility for labour matters, Senator Arni Walters, sources close to the case said yesterday.
Last February, management at the upscale St James hotel sacked 17 employees after they walked off the job in support of a colleague who was at the time being investigated in connection with the disappearance of almost $60 000 from the room of a guest.
INTERNATIONAL
SOUTH AFRICA
South African trade unions are holding a one-day strike, which has caused widespread disruption and brought much of the economy to a standstill.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions is mobilizing its two million members to protest against the high cost of living.The public transport network has been severely disrupted, with a knock-on effect on schools, mines and carmakers.Some of the country's biggest mining companies say they have been badly hit.
USA
A US military jury at Guantanamo Bay has convicted Osama Bin Laden's former driver of supporting terrorism. The verdict on Salim Hamdan is the first to be delivered in a full war crimes trial at the US prison in Cuba. Sentencing begins later on today.
The jury found Hamdan guilty of five of eight charges of supporting terrorism but acquitted him of two separate, more serious charges of conspiracy. The White House said the trial was fair and looked forward to more tribunals.
Aug 5th, 2008
REGIONAL
TRINIDAD
Two students charged with having prior knowledge of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Exam, Cape papers escaped a prison sentence yesterday. Instead, they have been placed on a year’s probation and must do100 hours of community service, under the supervision of a probation officer.
Nyron Toney and Scott Joseph, both 18, reappeared in Tunapuna Second Court before Magistrate Adrian Darmanie.
Tony and Joseph had pleaded guilty on July 23.
Defence attorney Yaseen Ali made a plea yesterday before the cout asking to let them pursue their dreams, since all we have are dreams and that if one takes away a man's dream, his life is taken away. The lawyer said on the students wanted to be an accountant and had seven passes, while the wanted to be a civil engineer and had a distinction in mathematics.
The presiding magistrate demand that the two students apologise to their parents in open court, which they did.
JAMAICA
More than 4,000 delegates of the opposition People's National Party, the PNP, will, in addition to its election for president, choose four vice-presidents from an unprecedented field of eight nominees as the party yesterday closed nominations and set ground rules for the contests.
Party insiders said supporters of presidential candidate Peter Phillips were left fuming yesterday after an unwritten political arrangement that would have allowed Dr McNeil to be nominated to fill the vice-presidential post being vacated by Phillips, without challenge was spoilt when two supporters of Simpson Miller were nominated to challenge for the position.
BARBADOS
The Barbados Advocate is reporting that and estimated 230 000 persons are living with HIV in the Caribbean in 2007, with 2 200 of this number living in Barbados and almost three-quarters coming from the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The prevalence of HIV in the Bahamas was estimated at 6 200; while it was 27 000 in Jamaica and 14 000 in Trinidad and Tobago. In terms of a percentage, for Barbados this was estimated at 1.2 per cent of the population; 3.1 per cent in the Bahamas; 1.6 per cent in Jamaica and 1.5 per cent in Trinidad and Tobago. These figures were listed in the 2008 Report on the global AIDS epidemic which was recently released by UNAIDS.
GUYANA
The Caribbean Agriculture Research Development Institute, CARDI, Executive Director, Dr Arlington Chesney, has announced several food substitutes to address the regional food challenge. He pointed out that the proposed measures will tackle deficits in meat, cereals, potatoes and rice in the short term.
Speaking at a media briefing at the recently concluded two day regional heads of institutions meeting at CARICOM Headquarters, Dr Chesney disclosed that sheep, goats, rabbits, poultry and fish have been identified as replacements for meat sources. He proposed that cassava serve as a substitute for cereals and stressed in some countries about 25 per cent of wheaten flour be replaced by cassava flour.
INTERNATIONAL
MEXICO
The 17th International AIDS Conference opened there with a warning to CARICOM countries that it would not be business as usual in their efforts to achieve the goals associated with universal access. St Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas, who is also chairman of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS, said while there were many success stories in the HIV/AIDS fight in the Caribbean, several challenges remained.
The Caribbean remains second only to sub-Saharan Africa that has two-thirds or 67 per cent of all people living with HIV worldwide.
UNAIDS says an estimated 20,000 persons in the Caribbean were infected last year with the disease and some 14,000 died of AIDS-related illnesses last year.
Douglas said many successes have been achieved in individual Caribbean countries in areas such as care and treatment and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. However, as a region, he said there is no certainty that the region will achieve universal access goals if nations continue to do business as usual.
RUSSIA
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said it was time for Russia to rebuild links with former Cold War ally Cuba, news agencies are reporting.
The Kremlin is angry at US plans for a missile defence system in Eastern Europe, and last month a news report suggested Russia might use Cuba, a thorn in America's side for half a century, as a refueling stop for nuclear-capable bombers.
The Russian Defence Ministry denied the report and said it had no plans to open any military bases abroad, but a top US general was drawn to say such a move would cross a red line.
