At their just-concluded summit in Grenada, Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders called for peace in the Middle East and North Africa, in the wake of a wave of anti-regime uprising sweeping the Arab world. “The community calls for an immediate end to the violence, and looks forward to a resolution of the situation through dialogue and actions which would allow the free exercise of the fundamental human rights by the people of that region,” the leaders said in a statement. Regional heads said they have observed, with grave concern, the recent…
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T&T govt launches programme to build homes for the elderly
Trinidadian pensioners are to benefit from a new programme, called Direct Construct, initiated by the People and Social Development Ministry. This announcement was made by Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh, the People and Social Development Minister, at the Scarborough Esplanade in Tobago during a two-day “Direct Impact” programme on Trinidad’s sister isle. Ramadharsingh said the programmme should get going in as little as a month’s time, and it would see the resources of the state and partner agencies working together to build or repair the homes of the elderly. Ramadharsingh said the…
Read MoreCaribbean teachers claim NY made false promise of green cards to them
Hundreds of teachers from the Caribbean claim that New York’s Department of Education (DOE) lured them to city schools with false promises of green cards and financial aid. In a massive rally on the steps of City Hall in lower Manhattan on Sunday, the teachers, supported by the New York-based Association of International Educators (AIE) and the Black Institute demanded immediate action and response to what they described as “the lack of support from the DOE, which has resulted in the 10-year uphill battle to get on the right path…
Read MoreUS$33M in cocaine seized in Caribbean
Canada’s Defence Department said that the Canadian military has completed a month-long deployment to the Caribbean Sea, where it helped intercept US$33 million worth of cocaine. The defence department said Canadian forces were part of a multinational team focused on stopping overseas drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the East Pacific. It said the HMCS Toronto and two CP-140 aircraft were part of a U.S.-led task force that intercepted more than 1,650 kilogrammes of cocaine during its month-long deployment. The defence department said about 250 Canadians also participated in the…
Read MoreJamaica welcomes new fibre optic initiative linking Cuba and Venezuela
The Jamaica government has welcomed the high-speed fibre optic submarine cable linking Cuba and Venezuela, saying it provides an opportunity for the country to participate in international telecommunications’ projects. Prime Minister Bruce Golding said the increase in bandwidth will have several benefits to Jamaica, including “our telecommunication infrastructure, through the creation of another facility for the movement of telecommunication traffic out of Jamaica; the opening up and expansion of business opportunities in the area of knowledge and business outsourcing services; improvement in the business-to-business relationship among Cuba, Venezuela and Jamaica.…
Read MoreCaricom wants greater collation among the Commonwealth
Caricom’s chairman has called on the 54 member-nation Commonwealth to “join forces and form strategic alliances” to pursue the developmental interests of their members. Speaking in Jamaica at a conference hosted by the University of the West Indies and the Commonwealth Secretariat, the chairman, Grenada Prime Minister Tillman Thomas, said there is a “great need” for cooperation among developing countries in seeking to reform the global financial institutions. “The onerous conditions imposed for use of their facilities, allied to the rules applied for graduation, pose serious challenges to our hopes…
Read MoreRegional countries vulnerable to food price hikes
Like two sides of the same worn coin, the spiralling costs of foodstuff across the globe have raised the spectrum of a new food crisis in some Caribbean countries, while simultaneously benefiting most others in Latin America with windfall profits, the region’s top World Bank officials have said. A World Bank assessment of the commodity spike states that, since February 2009, international food prices have risen by more than 30 per cent, and agricultural raw material prices by more than six per cent. During the same period, oil and metal…
Read MoreCaricom hails Mubarak’s ouster as victory for democracy
The Caribbean Community said that the ousting of Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak from power last week was a victory for democracy. In a statement, Caricom said it had taken note of the announcement that Mubarak was stepping down as president of Egypt, and reaffirmed its support for the people of Egypt, who over the past two weeks have displayed their desire for change through massive and, in general, peaceful protests. “The Caribbean Community, which values good governance and the rule of law, looks forward to an orderly and seamless transition…
Read MoreGibbs concerned over public safety in TT
As members of the Second Division of the TT Police Service threaten a second round of protest action, which was expected to commence on Monday, February14th, Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs expressed concern for members of the public. Gibbs, who gave a brief comment, said: “My main concern continues to be for the public and their safety.” Meanwhile, Deputy Police Commissioner in charge of administration, Stephen Williams, who said he was unfazed by the apparent protest action, charged that only a handful of “miscreants” was creating trouble within the Police Service.…
Read MoreU.S. says no to new Caribbean Airlines’ routes
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has turned down an application from the Trinidad-based Caribbean Airlines (CAL) to fly passengers, cargo and mail between Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia and New York, as well as scheduled services between Barbados and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Director of the Office of International Aviation in the U.S., Paul L Gretch, handed down the decision on Friday. He also advised CAL that permission had been granted to operate services between the U.S. and Jamaica, and New York and Grenada. In September 2010, CAL, having assumed…
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