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Opinion, Commentary and Editorial
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 More corporations are utilizing interest based bargaining, the outcome of this type of mediation can bring better results. In the right situation, it's an alternative to traditional collective bargaining with a process of joint problem solving. read more.. |
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 “In this the year of the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, we in CARICOM must pursue coherently in a focused, not episodic, way the legitimate demand for a full apology and reparations... read more.. |
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 This text concerns our climatological situation in the Caribbean. Since 2000, I have said that we in the Caribbean have wasted out time on "esoteric nebula" in such disregard as to have an ill-regard for those things which are critical to our survival. read more.. |
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 The old folks used to say "if you have patience you go see ants belly;" while our late Prime Minister Herbert Blaize put it another way, when he said that... "What goes around comes around." read more.. |
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 It’s all about dating, love, sex, friendship, and marriage - so let's talk. Email your relationship questions to my attention: Question from: “Single Mother of Five”, Dear Betty – I am a single mother, early thirties with five kids. read more.. |
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 As we continue to look skyward and wonder at the many faces of nature, we are presented with the ultimate challenge of building a safe environment and protecting our natural resources, which we hope lead to an acceptable quality of life. read more.. |
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| Among other things, the ACS manifests the political will of its Members to change the course of an old, fragmenting action, since the organisation regroups the geographical, populational and cultural similarities of the Greater Caribbean. read more.. |
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 In considering whether Belize should continue its present recognition of Taiwan or switch back to the Peoples Republic of China with whom it had diplomatic relations up to 1989, the Foreign Minister of Belize, Godfrey Smith, argues: read more.. |
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| Even though rank incompetence, kleptocracy and depraved indifference to human life characterized the governments of many post-colonial countries of the Commonwealth, black leaders invariably invoked "the legacy of British colonialism". read more.. |
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| The coup that ousted Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide on February 29, 2004 led very predictably to the worst human rights disaster in the Western Hemisphere over the following two years. read more.. |
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| We live in a world that’s gone mad. Trying to understand “crazy” makes us crazy. Trying to resolve the craziness is crazy making. I am not a scholar of resolving conflict. I am a scholar of crazy and consider myself relatively sane. read more.. |
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| On the basis, or principle, that the longest day must come to an end, I chose the above headline question, rather than the probability of, “Will it ever end?” And as this article develops, and the facts are revealed it would become clearer. read more.. |
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| It’s all about dating, love, sex, friendship, and marriage - so let's talk. Email your relationship questions to my attention. Question: “Thinking About Divorce” Dear Betty, I've been married over twenty years. read more.. |
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| The 12th Ordinary Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) was convened in Guatemala on January 24-26, 2007, and was attended by 19 Member States and 2 Associate Members. read more.. |
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| The continuing dichotomy within the CARICOM over the Peoples Republic of China and Taiwan could begin to hurt the grouping which has been unable to establish a joint policy toward China, now the fourth largest economy in the world. read more.. |
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| The dynamics of race and gender relations have evolved to such a degree that philosophical declarations by social theorists about them are invariably specious. But, if intended only to stimulate debate in classrooms... read more.. |
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| If a white is attacked by blacks; even if the attack was brutal, it does not mean the suffering the white endured is equal with the suffering of blacks. Because the experience will not make him believe that he is a second class citizen. read more.. |
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| It's all about dating, love, sex, friendship, and marriage - so let's talk. Email your relationship questions to my attention. Question from: "Do I believe or not believe": Dear Betty – I'm a mother of 2 and still live with the children's father. read more.. |
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| Thirty-three years ago, on the 7th February 1974, the national flag of our independent nation state of Grenada, was hoisted on Fort George in the nation’s capital city, and the only “light” in the entire island on that night was at the said fort. read more.. |
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| Caribbean nationals died in the nine-eleven terror attack on the US. It is therefore significant that any strategy which is aimed at combating terrorism in any part of the world, would alert the interest of the Caribbean Community read more.. |
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 World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha talks will now be taken out of deep freeze. The announcement was made in Davos, Switzerland on January 27. The Alpine resort was the venue for the weekend gathering of some 30 trade ministers read more.. |
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| It must be a tough job being an Ambassador for the US in these times when virtually every government in the world, with the exception of Israel, feels that it is a phenomenal error for the US government to try to commit 21,500 more troops to Iraq. read more.. |
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| I was heartened when I read that the first Caribbean summit on HIV/AIDS was convened in St Croix. Given that this virus has been ravaging our people like a Biblical plague for years now, I could not help thinking that this summit was long overdue. read more.. |
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| He was murdered on January 14, 2005, shortly after finishing his lunch near his home in the Village de Dieu slum. The killing of Abdias Jean, a young Haitian journalist who reported from Haiti for WKAT radio in Florida, was quickly condemned by Amnesty International, read more.. |
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| An article on Haiti that appeared in Time magazine in January 1973 – at the end of the dictatorship of “Papa Doc” Duvalier and the commencement of his son “Baby Doc’s" harsh rule – states: “There is also a sound on the city streets that to most urban Americans is unfamiliar: laughter.” read more.. |
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| My parents immigrated to the United States shortly after World War II. Both of them were born in Croatia and my mother’s family moved to Austria when she was young. They brought with them a culture that was different. read more.. |
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| The Bahamas National Health Insurance program in its present form is financially unsustainable; and one can conclude that the Government must be reckless and irresponsible in its haste to implement it. read more.. |
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| At the beginning of a New Year expectations of the year ahead tend to be expressed in a colourful way; oftentimes without reflection on the forecasts, (or worse predictions) for the previous year that failed to come to fruition. read more.. |
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| In this topsy-turvy, or seemingly up-side-down world we have to live in nowadays, we cannot, and must not, simply take the position, that we are leaving it up to those in charge to do as they please, because politics is not our business. read more.. |
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| On December 20, 2006, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled: "Towards the Sustainable Development of the Caribbean Sea for present and future generations" (A/C.2/61/L.30). read more.. |
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| The heads of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Authority, recently met in St Johns , Antigua to discuss a number of items on their agenda, including Ocean Governance. The authority is a sub-grouping of the Caribbean Community. read more.. |
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| “Dr Insulza is quite an idiot, a true idiot […] He’s playing the role of viceroy for the empire.” Echoing his inflammatory UN speech a few months back, in which he called President Bush the “devil” and on another occasion, “a donkey.” read more.. |
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| The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is calling on the Government of Guyana to withdraw the Casino Gambling Bill. The fundamental objection to the Bill is not that it seeks to license a hotel for the entertainment of cricket followers. read more.. |
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| It is welcome news that the Caribbean’s two major tourism organisations, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and Caribbean Hotels Association (CHA), are establishing the Caribbean Tourism Development Corporation (CTDC). read more.. |
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| Last year, I wrote a series of articles chronicling the extraterritorial prosecutions (and imprisonment), by US authorities, of online gambling executives who were operating out of Antigua and Costa Rica. read more.. |
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| In his book, Conflict Mediation Across Cultures, author David W. Ausburger often uses folktales to illustrate the process of mediation. Here then is a sample of a folktale from the Cape Verde Islands. read more.. |
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 From time to time we hear news items highlighting children’s poor behaviour at school, especially at secondary level. This can’t be solved in a day, but prevention is important, the foundations of mental health can be laid in childhood. read more.. |
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| It has been truthfully said that, in man’s quest for truth, questions will be constantly asked, some deep, some superficial, and many just plain silly. And in our public affairs, asking questions must be the best way to become well informed. read more.. |
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| The Caribbean is embarking on a new dimension of air travel both within the region and the United States. At a time when the 2007 CWC preparations have led to the creation of a Single Domestic Space for ten CARICOM nations. read more.. |
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| Anyone who has marketed or promoted tourism to the Caribbean knows that it is a tough business. Caribbean countries are competing amongst themselves and against many other countries around the world, read more.. |
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| International media reports this week indicate that there’s near universal outrage over the way Hugo Chavez has begun his reign as Venezuela’s president for life. And, of course, this alone is newsworthy. read more.. |
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| The rise of juvenile crime associated with gang membership is increasing at alarming rates. Throughout the Caribbean and South America, gang membership creates serious consequences to the socio-economic fabric of society. read more.. |
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| It is undeniable that the Greater Caribbean has made strides in expanding dialogue and political and cultural rapprochements among its member nations. However, 2006 has left us an agenda that must be addressed. read more.. |
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 In case you missed it, Caribbean people abroad achieved another milestone on the political scene. Caribbean-American Yvette Clarke on January 4, 2007 officially became a member of the 110th Congress. read more.. |
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 This week, Air Jamaica launches new daily flights to Barbados from JFK Airport in New York, signaling a giant step forward for travel and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean, in the wake of the winding up of BWIA West Indies Airways. read more.. |
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| As we look back at creation, whether from the symbolic or the realistic viewpoint, and obviously looking through the eyes of Christian believers, there comes a time when we are driven to question the Maker, in all His omnipotence. read more.. |
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| As we embark on the new chapter of 2007, in this millennium of many hopes and dreams, we are duty-bound to look ahead and actively plan the events in our lives that will propel us to our New Year's resolutions. read more.. |
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| The heads of government of the 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will meet shortly to decide how they could take their nations forward economically in a highly competitive global environment. read more.. |
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| On Tuesday, crackpot televangelist Pat Robertson ensured that no one would heed my predictions when he predicted – based on his most recent message from God – that: "...evil people will come to America..." read more.. |
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| When I was young, I remember the times I was bullied. It occurred when my mother would send me to the store to pick up a few things. I always had to walk past a group of young boys who would taunt and tease me. read more.. |
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| I suppose that being the believers many of us like to think we are, it is not too difficult, as we are entering another New Year, to again entertain hopes and really dream of, or imagine worthwhile changes in our lives for the New Year. read more.. |
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| It’s all about dating, love, sex, friendship, and marriage - so let's talk. Email your relationship questions to my attention. Question from: “Grandma with a guilty conscience.” Dear Betty – I broke up with my children's father... read more.. |
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 Some seven years after Haiti's bicentennial, and the bicentennial of the assassination of its founding father, it is fitting to stop, reflect and ponder on where Haiti has been, where it is now and where it is going. read more.. |
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| The way in which the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) is to be governed is an issue that governments continue to duck. For over fourteen years, there has been a blueprint for such joint governance. read more.. |
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| It is a curious thing that so many black Americans – who insist on calling themselves African Americans – know so little about their American heritage, and even less about their African ancestry. Alas, blacks throughout the Caribbean... read more.. |
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| The New Year allows us to stop, pause and reflect on our lives. Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What happens when our lives become so consumed by other tasks, that we ignore the people around us? read more.. |
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| In our Tri-Island state, since February 7, 1974, we are supposed to be operating the business of the people under a democratic system of government. And our model for so doing was derived from the tried and tested Westminster model. read more.. |
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| Christmas and New Year are festive times around the Caribbean. Here are some tips that will allow us to celebrate and enjoy the festivities, while at the same time keeping ourselves and others healthy. read more.. |
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| If actions speak louder than words human rights protection in the 53 countries of the Commonwealth is treading on thin ice. An analysis of voting patterns at the UN’s Third Committee shows big gaps between the Commonwealth’s rhetoric and reality. read more.. |
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| This time last year, despite my apostasy, I joined the chorus of those remonstrating against the politically-correct scrooges who were trying to eXcise all references to “Christ” in Christmas holiday greetings. read more.. |
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| As dusk descends on the Year 2006, the countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) continued to face daunting challenges in the global community in relation to trade, investment and development assistance. read more.. |
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| In this article, I am seeking to make brief historical remarks on the State of Haiti some years after its independence. Special attention is placed on the Monarchy in the north of the country and the Citadelle Laferrière. read more.. |
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| It’s all about dating, love, sex, friendship, and marriage - so let's talk. Email your relationship questions to my attention. Question from: “Worried about a wandering eye”. Dear Betty – My boyfriend has a wandering eye. read more.. |
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| While carols and parang composers and singers, have been beseeching us all to put "Christ" back in Christmas, our politicians seem to have been doing their utmost to put more and more scandalous behaviour in the public pipeline. read more.. |
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| As winter settles in on the United Nations headquarters in New York, the cold weather outside could not prevail upon the warmth generated within the building as resounding applause erupted in tribute from among the 192 members. read more.. |
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A bipartisan delegation of ten members of the US Congress are now visiting Cuba and represent a ray of rare hope that President George W. Bush will tolerate a modest beginning of a settlement of the age-old split between the two ancient foes
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| Suffrage is not an end in itself - it is a civic right which, when exercised, makes it possible for the public to participate in the selection of a government. In that respect, the results tend to reflect the aspirations of the voters. read more.. |
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| The majority of the electorate of St Lucia has brought back as their head of government Sir John Compton, an 81-year old who led the small Caribbean island to independence from Britain in 1979. Sir John had retired from office in 1996. read more.. |
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| Until Lord Stevens - the former Met Police Commissioner assigned to re-investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed - uttered this intriguing and suspicious admission last February... read more.. |
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| To begin in the middle of the story, (it actually began before the following date) in 1998, 2000 and 2001, The OECD published – respectively – three reports. The 2000 publication listed 38 nations as “Tax Havens”. read more.. |
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| Human Rights Day this past Sunday marks a time to commemorate the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but also an opportunity to look towards what challenges lie ahead for realizing human rights in even the world’s most difficult of situations. read more.. |
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| I vividly recall, during my years in England working my way to get into law school to achieve my boyhood dreams of becoming a lawyer, the British Prime Minister at the time, Harold MacMillan, returning home from a trip to Africa. read more.. |
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| It’s all about dating, love, sex, friendship, and marriage - so let's talk. Email your relationship questions to my attention. Question from: Married and living alone. Dear Betty - I'm in a relationship for a few years now with a married man. read more.. |
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| I strongly believe that a truly progressive society realises that education is the crucial path to enlightenment in an ever-changing world. The reality facing the Caribbean Community is that HIV/AIDS is becoming a significant factor. read more.. |
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| Last year, the United Nations Convention against Corruption became the first legally binding, global anti-corruption agreement, marking an historic milestone in the fight against corruption. read more.. |
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| The weakening of the US dollar over the last two years and its recent dramatic plunge against major currencies offer the Caribbean tourism industry and Caribbean governments a window of opportunity to prepare for tougher times ahead. read more.. |
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| After President Hugo Chávez won a landslide re-election victory last Sunday, he reassured the people of Venezuela that he will now take even bolder steps to create the socialist paradise he promised them, 6 years ago. read more.. |
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| In the 90's, Greater Caribbean Integration was dealt severe blows when the "Banana Wars" and talks regarding a future, though ill fated (in retrospect) "Free Trade Area of the Americas" (FTAA) drew our gaze towards far-off shores. read more.. |
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| A cascade of experienced commentators – some with agendas, some talking to be heard, others somewhat misguided, and others still, ill-informed – have called again for the nations of the Caribbean to sign up to the CSME. read more.. |
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| Corruption makes the poor poorer, because part of their already meager earnings, and their non-existent disposable income, must pay for basic services which otherwise should be free. So said the chairperson of “Transparency International”. read more.. |
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| It's about relationships: friendship, dating, love, sex, and marriage - so let's talk. For those of you who may be wondering what qualifies me to talk about relationships, well, the simple answer is... life. read more.. |
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| The Caribbean Community is presently building the foundation and infrastructure, to put in place what is undoubtedly the most significant joint regional effort in years, that is the history being created by the hosting of the Cricket World Cup. read more.. |
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| HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters): As a child of the Cold War, I grew up in the United States on a steady diet of rhetoric portraying Cuba as the communist menace just 90 miles off our shores. read more.. |
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| Efforts to halt AIDS are falling far short of their targets. Over 25 million people have been lost to AIDS so far, and 4.3 million people were infected with HIV this year. The spread of HIV is quickening - with more people infected in 2006 than in any previous year. read more.. |
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| I was not the least bit surprised yesterday by the news, which spread like wildfire throughout the Caribbean, that the Privy Council in London had ruled, unanimously, against Trinidad and Tobago Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma. read more.. |
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| With due respect to the utterly predictable news that Castro could not rise from his death bed to attend his 80th birthday bash, Pope Benedict’s visit to Turkey and the latest exhibition by Britney Spears dominated world news this week. read more.. |
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| With a political climate still marred by the recollections of bitter past confrontations, such as the failed opposition-led coup in April 2002, the ensuing general strike, and bitter, partisan divisions between the ruling party and the opposition, all may not be lost at next Sunday’s presidential contest. read more.. |
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| Since 1990, the United Nations has been working fervently to propagate the concept of human development as a methodology that places the value of an individual before all else, as something in itself, understanding that the human being is the primary resource to advance the fostering of development. read more.. |
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| Those of us who have seen and enjoyed the magnificent beauty of the Pitons volcanic peaks will attest to the many other natural attractions which this eastern Caribbean member nation of the Caribbean Community has to offer. read more.. |
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| Now that the political climate has clearly taken a turn toward policy changes in the US two major issues that could seriously affect the economic welfare of our CARICOM states are again in the news and attracting in-depth concerns. read more.. |
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| A year ago I observed that: “The national airline option has not worked for the CARICOM area. And, if it continues to be pursued, air traffic into and out of the region will pass to carriers of other countries”. read more.. |
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| Americans are – programmatically – agog at the recent behaviour of Michael Richards; who played Cosmo Kramer on the Jerry Seinfeld show on TV; and, as if on cue, Black Americans, are venting their various "hurts". read more.. |
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| Rum forms part of the historical-cultural heritage of the Greater Caribbean. It is also a significant economic item in that region, which is understood to be the Island Caribbean and the Continental Caribbean as a whole. read more.. |
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| The Bahamas' government is poised to begin debate on the National Health Insurance Act by November 29, with hopes of passing it by December 6. read more.. |
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| The Bush administration's Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is now heedlessly threatening the region’s all-important tourist business, regardless of the negative consequences that could follow. These include increased drug trafficking because gainful employment will be more difficult to find. read more.. |
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| The language of the politicians surrounding the debate over the country's hostile takeover of the health care industry is less than inspiring. read more.. |
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| Whether it is strictly local politics, or international happenings that are making the headlines and breaking news, the bread and butter issues affecting people in their own backyards, get caught up in the after-math one way or another. read more.. |
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| When the Americans invaded Baghdad and the citizens of that city descended onto the Museum to pilfer and steal documents and pieces that go back to the beginning of civilisation, I thought here we are again: the Iraqis and the Haitians are brothers under the skin. read more.. |
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| Hurdling over the barriers erected by Washington policymakers, Cuba, with increasing gusto, is turning to its oil and ethanol sectors to achieve energy security, despite the US embargo. read more.. |
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| The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) convened its first Meeting of Ministers of Tourism of the Greater Caribbean in response to a mandate issued by the ACS Heads of States and/or Government at the 4th ACS Summit in Panama, in July 2005. read more.. |
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| Should Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries enter a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States? A few readers interpreted an observation that I made to mean that I was advocating such an agreement. read more.. |
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| Caribbean Net News reported here on Wednesday that St Kitts and Nevis Fisheries Minister Cedric Liburd has asserted the: ”need for the Caribbean to engage in the whaling industry for the development and benefit of its tourism sector.” read more.. |
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| Every morning on or around 6:00 am, I walk in Marine Park for my soul and my health. Watching the sun come through the majestic trees as day breaks is enough to say, Amen, Alleluia! read more.. |
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| Having spent two weeks in Havana, I saw for myself what seemed quite obvious: after Fidel's departure, which is not far off, Cuba is in for serious change. The Cubans themselves are well aware of this. read more.. |
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| Have you checked your weight lately? The Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI) has reminded us that overweight and obesity are major risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. read more.. |
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| As we continue to review the happenings and the results surrounding the mid-term election in the US last week, one cannot help wishing for and envying, the type of solution the American people democratically opted for. read more.. |
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| In mid term elections for the US Congress, the American electorate achieved what several governments around the world could not. They registered their intense unease with the US government’s war in Iraq. read more.. |
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| I have been up in the air for about six weeks now: from Bermuda to St Lucia to Bahamas and then back to St Lucia, from where I went to Cayman Islands last week to attend the 13th annual FCCA Caribbean Cruise Conference and Trade Show. read more.. |
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| We live in uncertain times. There are no guarantees. One of the things that characterises the uncertainty of our times is elections - the foundation of liberal democracy. read more.. |
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| Haiti continues to prove that a forlorn hope is the only hope any reasonable person can have for its future and achieved the dubious distinction this week of being rated the most corrupt country in the world. read more.. |
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| Those of us who are saying that money is scarce in Grenada and people are catching their “nen-nen” to make ends meet (to provide the basic necessities for their families), may have to re-assess where we are coming from. read more.. |
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| Much of the Caribbean and Florida in the United States, which usually bear the brunt of Atlantic hurricanes, escaped the 2006 season unscathed after years of brutal battering by intense storms. read more.. |
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| "You keep quoting the case of Aladdin Gold in Antigua, yet no one has approached the Directorate of Gaming to help pursue a case against Aladdin Gold," Jools Moore of Naked Ape Public Relations, Antigua's Directorate of Gaming PR firm said Tuesday. read more.. |
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| When the 20-year old son of Anna Nicole Smith died suddenly in The Bahamas last September, international media wasted little time drawing analogies to Natalee Holloway who disappeared in Aruba last year. read more.. |
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| Beleaguered BETonSPORTS (BoS) is likely to shred Antigua's reputation. BoS is licensed in the tiny Caribbean Island, its status "closed", the license expiring June 3 2007. The Antigua Directorate of Gaming has yet to issue a statement as to BoS compliance. read more.. |
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| The Panama Canal has a long history whose initial stages were very much linked to an era of foreign domination. This included the disregard for national sovereignty and other types of imperial impositions that overlooked the desires of the peoples of the Region. read more.. |
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| As the Bahamas contemplates a massive move down the road of socialized medicine, it must pause and look at the state of the nationalized healthcare programs presently in place. Two appraisals merit attention. read more.. |
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| Living in a hostile neighborhood led Fidel to look for allies elsewhere. Part of this process has included the conduct of medical diplomacy, which is the collaboration between countries to improve relations and simultaneously produce health benefits. read more.. |
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| The things we do in this life have a way of catching up with us, along life’s journey during our pilgrimage on planet Earth. The old folks used to say, that the wrongs we do to others will someday come back to haunt us, even when we least expect. read more.. |
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| The contest between Venezuela and the United States of America, as the champion of Guatemala, over a seat on the UN Security Council was much bluster. The oil relationship paints a different picture. read more.. |
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 More than four years ago, I was invited by President Bush to serve this region as the United States Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. I was honored and humbled by the request. read more.. |
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 On October 25, 2006 some CARICOM nations joined Mexico and other countries in the Western Hemisphere at the Organization of American States (OAS) in adopting a declaration condemning the United States. read more.. |
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| At the time of this writing, our Panamanian brothers and sisters are awakening (with little surprise) to the news that 78% of them voted in favour of the referendum question on the Panama Canal expansion project. read more.. |
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| Lately, there’s been an inordinate amount of reporting and commentary throughout the Caribbean on the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, requiring all Americans returning to the US by air to have passports beginning 8 January 2007. read more.. |
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| I am appalled at the continued efforts to use and abuse the good people of the Republic of Guyana who travel throughout the Caribbean region seeking an opportunity to better themselves. read more.. |
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| Too many times, in matters dealing with the people’s business, John Public has to rely on speculation, hearsay, or half truth, because the powers-that-be are not being as frank and transparent as their responsibilities demand. read more.. |
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 Stigma and discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS is a major problem, says Dr Sarah Gordon, deputy programme manager at PANCAP, the Pan Caribbean Partnership to combat HIV and AIDS. read more.. |
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| A strong lobby for Caribbean interests in Washington is becoming increasingly more important as, despite rhetoric to the contrary, governments of other countries are aggressively seeking the US government’s attention. read more.. |
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| I have often heard the words, with great power comes great responsibility. Yet, the policies of President Bush’s Administration seem to be endangering many longstanding friendships, and forces one to wonder. read more.. |
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| Notwithstanding the suspenseful balloting at the UN between Venezuela and Guatemala for a seat on the Security Council, the no less dramatic No Confidence motion against Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson’s administration, read more.. |
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| Guatemala and Venezuela have persistently fallen short of the two thirds majority needed to secure GRULAC’s (the UN’s Latin American and Caribbean caucus) seat in the UN Security Council after more than two days of voting. read more.. |
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| The countries belonging to the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group assembled in the Dominican Republic, where the 2nd Forum of Ministers of Culture of this vast group of countries was held, giving continuity to the first meeting of that kind held in 2003, in Dakar. read more.. |
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| Except for the fact that those of us who were released from detention at Richmond Hill Prison, and Hope Vale Camp, on the 26th October 1983 are now twenty-three years older come next week, the question begs itself... what else is new? read more.. |
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| Trinidad and Tobago, land of Carnival, steel band, tassa, calypso and chutney, is the same country that gives the world its unique brand of Divali. Indeed, the Hindu Festival of Lights has become Trinidad’s second largest national open-air festival after Carnival. read more.. |
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| Should the present United Kingdom (UK) government apologise for Britain’s role in the slave trade which, on March 25 next year, would have been abolished for 200 years? That’s one of the questions that a committee will be grappling with. read more.. |
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| One of the main challenges outlined in the Convention Establishing the Association of Caribbean States is to strengthen regional co-operation and the integration process. read more.. |
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| Breast cancer is on the rise in Britain and other European countries, and this should make us take notice in the Caribbean, since we may not be far behind. British newspaper, The Independent, reports a sharp increase in Britain. read more.. |
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| On 1 March 2006, I wrote an article entitled US tries to regulate Caribbean business... again, in which I lamented US extraterritorial efforts to undermine Antigua’s online gambling industry. Then, on 21 July, I wrote another article, read more.. |
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| In matters of Foreign Policy between large and small nations, the small nation must do well to understand, that its interactions in Foreign Affairs may have been little more than Foreign Relations. read more.. |
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| In my column last week, I asked the question of our politicians in the region as a whole “what can we really expect”; when those same politicians perform and behave as though they truly believe that their tiny-tot states are in fact independent. read more.. |
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| A lot of people don't like Hugo Chavez, the elected revolutionary leader of oil-rich Venezuela. At the top of the list, of course, is President George W. Bush, whom Chavez recently described as "the devil" in a speech to the UN General Assembly. read more.. |
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| The BETonSPORTS debacle is likely to severely damage the reputation of Antigua and Barbuda, the tiny Caribbean nation where the former sports betting giant was licensed. read more.. |
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| How can anyone deny the benefits of a free market? Today the average Bahamian citizen can sleep and drive in air conditioned comfort, use washing machines, watch cable television and eat foods from around the globe. read more.. |
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| The citizens of the Caribbean Community continue to face many challenges. Efforts to conserve natural resources, through environmental protection and developmental controls are demanding, and at most times a difficult undertaking. read more.. |
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| It is more than a coincidence that Chinese, Hindus and Muslims will each have national holidays in their honour this October in Trinidad and Tobago. read more.. |
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| A year ago, riots by disaffected and unassimilated black and Muslim youths in France disabused many Europeans of the rosy scenario they harbored about racism in Europe. And many white Americans expressed unbridled schadenfreude. read more.. |
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| The value of publicly-traded Internet gaming companies in Britain and their subsidiaries in the Caribbean has been savaged by a Bill adopted in late September by the US Congress making it illegal to make payment to foreign gambling sites. read more.. |
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| It is important to note that the economies of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have achieved some degree of economic successes over the last two decades. Despite the many challenges, the region enjoys relative stability. read more.. |
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| At the pace everything seems to be moving nowadays, some real and some imaginary, and in the fast and busy world across the globe, as well as in our relatively quiet neck of the woods in the CSME Region back here read more.. |
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| Once again, Bahamas is embarrassed at the United Nations. Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell appears to be speaking for other “small island nations” on Global Warming inviting them to join the Bahamas in pressuring the United States into signing onto Kyoto. read more.. |
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| The admission to membership of the European Union (EU) on January 1, 2007 of Bulgaria and Romania, albeit with conditions, will make it tougher for the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to negotiate. read more.. |
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| The Caribbean Sea is a theme that one finds constantly in the agenda of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). Moreover in the Convention establishing this Association, in 1994, the Caribbean Sea is presented as the founding element for cohesion. read more.. |
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| Until last summer, Jacob Zuma was the unchallenged heir apparent to South African President Thabo Mbeki. After all, as deputy president, Zuma’s rock-star appeal amongst the (predominantly poor and uneducated) read more.. |
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| Under our adopted democratic system of Government -- grounded in our Parliamentary system of passing laws, for the peace, order, and stability of our society -- we have also taken on board a written Constitution. read more.. |
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| These days when you pick up a newspaper, turn on the radio or hear the telephone ring, you immediately begin to wonder if there is any bad news in store for you today. Your heart may skip a beat when you see the picture of a damaged body. read more.. |
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| US President George W Bush and UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, talked about the possibility that Cuba “could once again be an economic tiger in the Caribbean”. What are the changes that Cuba would have to make? read more.. |
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| Rumours are that Prime Minister Christie wants the Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) Healthcare plan to be his legacy to the Bahamian people. He would like to be remembered for a job well done. read more.. |
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| I can very well remember those heated and exciting days in 1973/74, when masses of Grenadians took to the streets in every parish in protest against the "backdoor" granting of independence to the late Eric Gairy and his GULP Government. read more.. |
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| Bolstered by significant foreign-exchange inflows to its energy sector, Trinidad and Tobago is achieving astounding growth in its GDP. Between 2002 and 2005, the country's international trade balance increased from US$237.7 million to over US$2.64 billion. read more.. |
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| As the dynamics of revolving economic spheres continue to influence the market viability and longevity of goods and services within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), we are left to ponder on such factors that will impact directly. read more.. |
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| A report by John Collins in the publication, The Caribbean Investor, on warnings to the Caribbean tourism industry deserves more attention for it emphasises the urgency of taking action to maintain competitiveness in the global market. read more.. |
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| Caribbean nations are preparing for the region's most important cultural event: the Caribbean Festival of Arts - CARIFESTA. All countries participating in this event prepare for it with the greatest enthusiasm. read more.. |
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| Chances are that many of you know as much about the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) as you do about Foucualt’s Pendulum. After all, the NAM’s governing philosophy has proved every bit as profoundly innocuous and ultimately irrelevant. read more.. |
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| In Haiti, the institution of slavery survives in the form of restavec, a system of forced child labour. Restavec is the Haitian Creole term meaning "stay with" and has its origins in the legacy of slavery. read more.. |
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| It is reported that the Bahamas Government intends to table in Parliament its proposed National Health Insurance plan (NHI) before yearend. Let us “examine the deal” as if it were a private investment proposal in the securities market. read more.. |
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| As we approach another World Habitat Day which will be observed on the 2nd October 2008, I believe it is an important opportunity to take time and reflect on the strides that we have made as a ”global village”. read more.. |
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| As we look back two years ago, to that natural disaster called “Ivan,” many questions, and concerns, and considerations, keep on coming back to most people, as they struggle to find answers of one kind or another. read more.. |
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| Governments and financial sector authorities in the Caribbean should keep a close eye on the latest initiative by European Union tax officials to cast their tax net beyond their own shores. The inclusion of the Bahamas on the list is ominous. read more.. |
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| I am not a scientist and I do not play one on the Internet. But I have tremendous respect for scientists and praise their efforts to fight diseases and alleviate human suffering. Therefore, whenever lay-people proffer sentimental customs read more.. |
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| On September 2, President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana's People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP), was sworn in to a second five-year term in office. August 28's relatively incident-free election was a major success. read more.. |
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| The Jamaican economy has suffered numerous challenges and setbacks in the increasingly competitive global environment. Ultimately, if Jamaica cannot solve its problems by conventional means, it may be persuaded to take the Argentine road of debt renunciation. read more.. |
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| On January 31, 2004 the Blue Ribbon Commission on National Health Insurance delivered its proposed plan to the Bahamian Prime Minister; and in September 2005 the NHI Steering Committee reported on the Components, Costs and Financing of the plan. read more.. |
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| It has long been accepted that in politics and public issues, because of the uncertain and ever-changing trends in peoples behaviour patterns worldwide, special allowances have to be made when assessing or analysing the impact they create. read more.. |
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| The recently concluded election in Guyana has once again raised an issue which is fundamental to the functioning of any democratic nation. How do you make governments not only accountable but also give an opportunity for the minority? read more.. |
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| The corporate employer has now decided on the most suitable candidate from a select short list of job applicants and is considering making the job offer. The job applicant is a foreigner and a non resident. read more.. |
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| The Governments of the United States, Canada and Britain as well as the governments of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) breathed a collective sigh of relief when there was no violence on polling day in Guyana. read more.. |
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| Only weeks ago, I promised that I had written my last word on global warming. But on Wednesday night, ABC News reported - during its “Last Days on Earth” edition of 20/20 – that “climate change” is the “No. 1” threat facing mankind. read more.. |
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| At time of writing, Tropical Storm Debby is moving in a west-northwest direction and is expected to continue thus until early next week. Debby is now the fourth of the 21 named tropical storms "carded" for 2006. read more.. |
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| The Nassau Institute Health Insurance Report has been circulated to the public. Some individuals and groups are wondering how they, and the Bahamian economy will be affected. read more.. |
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| Unmanaged multiculturalism does not work within nation states. For instead of contributing to a strong single society, it fragments society and weakens the nation through the creation of separate groups with individual identities. read more.. |
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| Despite the many other areas that are not nearly up to mark in our Spice Isles for some time now, the two biggest projects in our foreign policy portfolio seem to be on stream and progressing according to plan. read more.. |
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 Radio broadcasting in Barbados has become a daily challenge of separating the chaff from the wheat. Everybody can broadcast. All you have to do is take up your phone and dial a radio station and, as the late Leslie Seon used to say... read more.. |
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| West Indian-Americans are the largest homeowners in Hartford, own many businesses and have economic clout. But when it comes to politics, they sit on the backburner. So says Hartford’s Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson. read more.. |
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| On January 31, 2004 the Blue Ribbon Commission on National Health Insurance (the “BRC”) delivered its proposed plan to the Prime Minister. The initial implementation of this plan may begin shortly. read more.. |
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| From the beating of steel-pans in Trinidad, to John Canoe celebrations in Bahamas, to the Caribbean Queen Show in Antigua, to Jamaica's reggae stars; right across the region the inherent richness of Caribbean culture permeates... read more.. |
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| On Wednesday, at the 94th International General Assembly of the Church of God of Prophecy in Nashville, Tennessee, my brother, Dr Joseph Leon Hall, was ordained a “newly deemed Bishop”. read more.. |
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| Most of Petrocaribe’s member countries don't have appropriate infrastructure and neither do they have control over their energy resources, port operations and storage tanks. read more.. |
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 The Caribbean has not been spared the ravages of HIV/AIDS which has had a devastating impact on women in the region. The World Health Organization's 2005 update found the Caribbean with the second highest HIV prevalence in the world. read more.. |
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| Washington’s incendiary response to Venezuela’s candidacy for the Latin American UN Security Council seat is indicative of its standard combative riposte to any serious challenge against the neo-liberal global economic order. read more.. |
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| There can be little doubt that Carnival (spice mas) 2K6 generated widespread interest, in addition to its own kinds of peculiar landmarks and differences. And now that it is over, the usual analysis would have to be very carefully dissected. read more.. |
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| As a conservationist, I often remember the words of a great scientist who not only helped to unleash the awesome power of the atom, but who is considered a tremendous thinker of all times. He is Albert Einstein read more.. |
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| Heightened safety and security concerns in the United States (US), along with immigration matters have made the US Arrival/Departure Document a vital part of the tracking mechanism and intelligence read more.. |
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| A week after a dramatic terror plot for British airports was revealed by security forces, major disruption continued and the travel and airline industries began counting the costs of the delays and cancellations. read more.. |
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| Although a very lucrative scam, it’s relatively harmless for David Copperfield to entertain gullible people with illusions during which he makes elephants disappear or saws pretty women in half. But it amounts to an unconscionable fraud... read more.. |
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| For many of the anti-Castro exiles dancing along Miami's Calle Ocho on Monday, July 31, the announcement of a temporary transfer of power marked the happiest of moments as well as the end of a troubled epoch in their lives. read more.. |
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 For the past month the United States has worked urgently to end the violence that Hezbollah and its sponsors have imposed on the people of Lebanon and Israel. At the same time, we have insisted that a truly effective cease-fire read more.. |
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| HIV and AIDS are quickly becoming an epidemic in the Caribbean and women are the primary targets. In 2005, about 27,000 people contracted AIDS in the Caribbean, making it the leading cause of death among adults between 15 and 44. read more.. |
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| It is very interesting, and at the same time posing as or promoting a serious political tight rope in the region, the chaos and confusion that is taking place in T&T in these times. And by these times I am referring to the major drive read more.. |
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| Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s political and ideological opposition to the United States has led to an escalating antagonism between the two countries, challenging the super-power’s deep-rooted preeminence in the region. read more.. |
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| Uniting the Caribbean Diaspora is back on the agenda, following news that the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, under the leadership of Secretary-General Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, is trying to integrate the Diaspora in its plans. read more.. |
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| I walked along the picturesque floral gardens surrounding the VC Bird International airport in Antigua, towards and past the Sticky Wicket Cricket Hall of Fame next to the tournament area. read more.. |
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| The Commonwealth is a multinational organisation that is little known outside of its 53 member States. Yet, it has the potential to fill a big vacancy in today’s world: the need for a catalyst to restart the suspended global trade negotiations. read more.. |
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| Last year, I wrote an article extolling the findings of scientific studies that established a positive link between male circumcision (briss) and substantial reduction in the incidence of HIV infections. read more.. |
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| In this "global village" we are occupying for sometime now we seem to be always doing things, taking decisions, treating others (whether individuals or countries), and generally going about our business as though no one else matters. read more.. |
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| While I've been publicly lamenting our paltry efforts at uniting the Caribbean and our governments' failure to cut costs collectively in marketplace, Caribbean compatriots have been pointing out solid ways that our Diaspora can foster Caribbean unity. read more.. |
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| (UPI) Cuba is in for some major changes soon. Its octogenarian ruler, Fidel Castro, and his younger brother Raul, the number two man in the Cuban Council of State, cannot withstand change, and there is no younger leader on the Cuban political scene. read more.. |
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| With Fidel Castro temporarily transferring his authority to his brother Raúl a number of days ago, the instability that could accompany any significant shift in the Castro regime is now under close review in Washington. read more.. |
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| Some days after the visit to Guadeloupe of Howard Lovell, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism, it was the turn of a delegation from Trinidad's Ministry of Trade and Industry, to gather press and socio professionals. read more.. |
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| The Turks and Caicos Islands have experienced tremendous growth and development in the political, economic and cultural sectors under the competent leadership of Premier Michael Missick. read more.. |
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| Fidel Castro’s temporary step-down from power while he convalesces from surgery has again raised the question about what happens with Cuba after he dies. The expectation is that the Castro regime will collapse. read more.. |
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| Though not surprised, I was stupefied by Cuban Americans who danced in the streets after reports that Fidel Castro was forced to transfer power to his brother Raul before undergoing surgery a few days ago. read more.. |
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| The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) is deeply concerned about the current controversy surrounding the Chief Justice (CJ) of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), Justice Satnarine Sharma. read more.. |
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| All the above descriptions or adjectives, as well as the hundreds of others being used or devised, to describe or attempt to explain what is happening in our CARICOM state of T&T, are flooding the media and airwaves nowadays. read more.. |
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| For a country long in the grip of a paralyzing economic malaise, Fidel Castro's May Day boast of 11.8 percent growth in the first three months of 2006 came as welcome news to a long suffering population. read more.. |
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| The opposition political machinery consistently tries to portray Guyana as another Haiti. By doing this they hope to discourage Guyanese from acknowledging the enormous strides the country has made over the past twenty years. read more.. |
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| No tears should be shed by small developing countries over the collapse on Monday, July 24, of trade negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). There was very little in it for them. read more.. |
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| It follows that the intermixing of leadership with governance, when applied in the right proportions can sometimes affect the course of history. Events can be accomplished by the transformation and shaping of activities. read more.. |
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| The feedback from my last two columns on the way our public and private sectors market the Caribbean and mismanage their costs has been encouraging, prompting me to zero in this week on the spirit of Caribbean unity. read more.. |
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| I have great respect for the Trinidad and Tobago Judiciary, and for my brothers and sisters who comprise the T&T Law Association. Therefore, I am loath to criticize any of the parties involved in the controversy. read more.. |
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| The construction of Guyana as a basket case is like a week-end sport for many. All sorts of doomsday scenarios have been offered about this little English-speaking country of some 750,000 people. read more.. |
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| As I look and listened at the massacre and rhetorical shameful excuses coming from Israel and Lebanon, as the former killed hundreds and devastated everything in the latter, I could not resist making comparisons with our lifestyle in the region. read more.. |
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| The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) wishes to announce that President Jagdeo has refused to grant the Institute permission to observe the upcoming elections in Guyana for unexplained reasons. read more.. |
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| This month, the world saw the troubling face of globalisation over Internet gambling. On one side of the coin is the desire by the US government to prohibit the cross-border delivery of Internet gambling services into the US. read more.. |
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| Last week I touched on the important market value of African Americans and Caribbean Americans and the resources carelessly expended by Caribbean governments and the private sector in the United States. read more.. |
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| In a previous article, I criticized the ill-fated odyssey of the Antiguan government to compel the U.S. government’s compliance with a World Trade Organization directive to cease its restrictive policies towards online gaming. read more.. |
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| Preventable chronic diseases and lack of exercise are major killers of Caribbean people. And, the cost of treating these preventable chronic diseases is draining the revenues of Caribbean governments and swallowing foreign exchange. read more.. |
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| Washington’s embargo against Cuba has been a longstanding obstacle to U.S.-Cuban relations of any kind, but the emergence of economic opportunities in the Cuban market has prompted a possible thaw in the historic hostilities. read more.. |
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| The football World Cup has now come and gone, and the hopes and dreams and ambitions of all the participants have all been laid to rest in that historic city of Berlin in Germany. The hot favourite Brazil did not look like winners. read more.. |
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| Every year on June 26, the United Nations recognizes this day as the International Day against illicit drug trafficking. This opportunity should be seen as a reminder to all of us that our society continues to be plagued by this terrible scourge. read more.. |
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| Last year, one of my articles expressed my disgust at the lip service given to Caribbean-American and Black professionals in the Diaspora who are eager to play a constructive role in the development of the Caribbean region. read more.. |
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| Nicki Kelly in the July 9th edition of The Punch made the point that Sir Lynden Pindling recognized the deficiencies in the Bahamian education system that he inherited in 1967 and failed to rectify them. read more.. |
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| I have written a number of articles delineating my moral, political and social disdain for royalty and all of its fairy-tale appurtenances. Moreover, I’ve never been shy about expressing unqualified schadenfreude read more.. |
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| With the closing ceremony of the 27th Heads of Government Meeting of the Caribbean Community, in St Kitts on the 7th July, 2006, it can truly be said that the Region has witnessed substantial developments in various fields. read more.. |
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| The countries of the Western Hemisphere have a responsibility to ensure that agreed modalities are put in place that would allow broad acceptance in Guyana of the results of impending General Elections. read more.. |
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| A few weeks ago, I hobbled out of my sick bed to join my siblings in New York City for the graduation ceremony of our sister Maureen at Radio City Music Hall. And, such was our pride and joy that - when her name was called... read more.. |
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| The Bahamas government campaign for Universal Healthcare is on a fast track to implementation, judging by the Health Minister’s remarks to the Chamber of Commerce recently. read more.. |
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| It sounds very strange, in my view, to hear a Minister in our Parliament last week in the process of upbraiding another MP, who was quoting the St Vincent Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonzales, for expressing concerns. read more.. |
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| General elections in Guyana to elect the President and government of the country will most probably be held in early September. At the time of writing, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) appears ready to publish a voters’ list read more.. |
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| A look at how Caribbean-Americans celebrated the first Caribbean Heritage Month reveals a disturbing reality that reflects our community’s psyche. Almost every event to commemorate this milestone was a party, game, dinner dance. read more.. |
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| It was reported here on Wednesday that Grenada and Dominica are the latest Caribbean countries to buy into the PetroCaribe initiative that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is touting as a “Bolivarian Alternative” to the FTAA. read more.. |
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| René Préval has an enormous task ahead of him, as he picks up the reins of a battered and demoralized nation. Reforming the Haitian judicial system, however, is perhaps the most critical of his multiple burdens. read more.. |
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| While few could deny that these three attributes have enormous appeal, it would be in my humble opinion a massive mistake for policymakers to continue viewing these as the only marketing options. read more.. |
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| In the highly competitive world of politics, diplomacy, and public administration generally, it must be accepted and fully understood, that the business of the people takes time. And that is so, in a nutshell. read more.. |
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| Banks are not institutions that normally attract praise for their good work. But, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is an exception. The CDB was born in stormy circumstances in January 1970 after considerable debate and rancour. read more.. |
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| As leaders from the eastern Caribbean gathered together to unveil the first ever flag, an international controversy is swimming like an angry shark in the economic waters around the Caribbean community. read more.. |
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| A dire warning was expressed in a UPI commentary published here on Wednesday. And it fairly summarizes the sentiments (and, perhaps, the perverse wish) of those who opposed the motion to resume commercial whaling. read more.. |
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| History was made at the just ended historic forum that brought together Caribbean ministers and other high level officials involved in social transformation/ development, which was held at the Jolly Beach Resort, Antigua. read more.. |
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| It seems that the people in authority, who control and direct our affairs delight in, or perhaps get a kick out of, leaving even major decisions for the ninety-ninth hour before saying or doing anything worthwhile to inform the people. read more.. |
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 VoluBill’s recent collaboration with Jamaican-based mobile provider Digicel highlights the financial benefits of ensuring networks are capable of rating and charging for advanced mobile services -- especially in Caribbean markets. read more.. |
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| The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) started twenty-five years ago on 18th June 1981. The OECS is a grouping of some of the smallest States in the world. Their combined population is less than 500,000 people. read more.. |
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| It is said that one of the visible methods for measuring the moral, social and spiritual barometer of a nation or a people is the way it takes care of its poor, disadvantaged and destitute citizens. read more.. |
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| There was an old saying, by those wise old folks of yesteryear, to the effect that, if care is not taken of the tree trunk, there will eventually be no branches, or flowers and fruits to admire or enjoy. And those of us old enough to recall... read more.. |
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| In March this year, the British government issued a policy paper setting out its foreign policy priorities. The Caribbean was not mentioned anywhere in the paper entitled, “Active Diplomacy for a Changing World: The UK’s International priorities”. read more.. |
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| As a Caribbean native, I am loath to comment on the domestic political affairs of fellow islanders -- especially from my vantage point in Washington, D.C. Nonetheless, I feel constrained to admonish the Leader of the Opposition in St Vincent. read more.. |
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| When Sir Ronald Sanders was delivering his lecture on the CSME in Barbados, I doubt he could have been anticipating the extent of the reaction his comments on that occasion engendered. But some very useful responses have been forthcoming. read more.. |
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| We are at a critical juncture in the forward movement of the Caribbean Community, as we join together in the fight for a standard of living which is acceptable to one’s self worth and comfort. read more.. |
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| Dr Richard Bernal, the Head of the Caribbean Regional negotiation Machinery (CRNM), has produced a most important paper on the survival of Caribbean businesses in a competitive global environment. read more.. |
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| In my mission to help transform the consciousness of Caribbean natives - from a colonial to an independent mindset - I have seized upon every opportunity to undermine the esteem too many us still accord the vestiges of colonialism. read more.. |
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| The happenings in our political comings and going, and their ups and downs, have been bothering me for some time now. The concerns are ever-present, and I share them and listen to others’ concerns in regular discussions. read more.. |
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| A most remarkable conference on strengthening Canada’s relationship with the Caribbean took place on May 23rd. It was remarkable for several reasons not least because it was initiated not by the Caribbean. read more.. |
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| Contrary to popular belief, the British have a laudable legacy as political and social pioneers. And, in keeping with this legacy, their reputedly stodgy Law Lords issued rulings in two divorce cases that advance the cause of women’s rights. read more.. |
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| In the State Department’s near-universally discredited series of annual certification reports, Cuba found itself once again lumped in with Iran, Libya (only briefly), Syria, North Korea and Sudan as a “state sponsor of terrorism.” read more.. |
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| Our political history in the Commonwealth Caribbean, since the independence fever started to spread its heat in 1962 has been loaded and inundated with promises, and promises, and more promises. read more.. |
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| There was much optimism when, on 15th March 2006, the General Assembly of the Untied Nations finally adopted the draft resolution that created the new Human Rights Council to replace the old and ineffective Human Rights Commission. read more.. |
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| “The Haitians are a proud and energetic people, and given the tools they can do the job of their own development”. This is the view of Cecil Pilgrim, a former Caribbean diplomat, who observed the Haitian Presidential and Parliamentary elections. read more.. |
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| In my 1 March 2006 commentary, I explained how the Bush Administration’s congenital tone deafness caused it to stumble into a series of political missteps at home and abroad - including its hegemonic attempt to regulate Internet gambling. read more.. |
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| A recent report in the Observer Newspaper in Jamaica mentioned the Minister of Education in that country as urging tertiary level institutions to improve the quality of education they offer. read more.. |
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| On Grand Bahama Island, only 20 percent of the graduation class of government-run high schools is college ready. Amidst that reality, one campus superintendent is demonstrating how to boost academic excellence. read more.. |
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| The political scenario in the region nowadays, and the happenings in our own backyard in these Spice Isles, must be sending out the message that we are into, or on the road to trying times ahead. read more.. |
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| Friday’s EU-Latin America Summit will highlight one reality: when it comes to a number of Latin American issues, there is scant unity to be found among members of Europe’s all powerful political and economic bloc. read more.. |
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| With his official inauguration on May 14, Haitian President-elect René Préval faces a Brobdingnagian challenge in rebuilding his shattered country. read more.. |
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| To fellow natives of Commonwealth countries who assume the privileges and immunities of white former colonists were abolished with the advent of black rule, consider the (murderous) misdeeds of Thomas Cholmondeley. read more.. |
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| The preservation of the moral authority of the Commonwealth (formerly the British Commonwealth) is vital to the Caribbean. The Commonwealth presents the leadership of Caribbean states with unique opportunities. read more.. |
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| Please allow me to introduce Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto, Florence, Gordon, Helene, Isaac, Joyce, Kirk, Leslie, Michael, Nadine, Oscar, Patty, Rafael, Sandy, Tony, Valerie and William. The pleasure is all theirs, believe me. read more.. |
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| Recently throughout the Caribbean, there have been a number of discussions on the issue of what makes a school good. A recent article in the Nation News of Barbados commented on this issue. read more.. |
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| “The point has been repeatedly stressed that it is worthless to offer prayers and sacrifices to God unless, at the same time, one defends the rights of the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the labourer.” read more.. |
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| Open economy models dominate in most of the Greater Caribbean countries and the impact of globalisation is evident in the ensemble of social relations that they generate. read more.. |
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| Delegates from the Caribbean are amongst the most ardent defenders of the United Nations bureaucracy. Although, apart from the pay, perks and pensions, I suspect they’d be hard-pressed to justify their unqualified support. read more.. |
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| In recent months, a quiet revolution has been taking place in countries across the Caribbean that could at last banish the region of the scourges of high unemployment, social exclusion, unequal economic growth and poverty. read more.. |
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| In our CARICOM region nowadays -- although the CSM(E) is supposed to be a reality, at least in six states -- the issues raising their ugly heads all seem to be more locally involved, despite their wider significance. read more.. |
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| Amid trade quarrels between the US and the European Union, nine Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) countries have petitioned the WTO to extend their export subsidy programmes to the year 2018. read more.. |
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| For several months, I’ve been waging a one-man campaign to get the editors of the Washington Post to publish a good-news story out of Africa that rivals first news reports of man walking on the moon. read more.. |
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| Can the people of the Caribbean be regarded as religious? But what is religion though? It has to do with a belief in God, or a divine presence who has created us, and to whom we can turn for guidance and direction when we are faced with the challenges of life. read more.. |
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| Three newspapers in three different Caribbean countries recently carried reports about the challenges that youth in the Caribbean face, each making observations, which, with few exceptions, basically note identical concerns. read more.. |
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| It is now less than one year to the start of the biggest sporting event (CWC 2007) ever to be held in the Caribbean, under the umbrella management or regional control of CARICOM, (at least the grounds in the region). read more.. |
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| With an agenda that includes security during the 2007 Word Cup Cricket series and the impact of international developments on Caribbean development, an important conference takes place in Barbados from April 27 to 28. read more.. |
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| Many Caribbean governments are not only taking stacks of cash from the Chinese government (for pet projects and the catch-all “technical assistance”) but they are also allowing the Chinese to purchase controlling stakes in businesses. read more.. |
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| During the next couple months, the world sporting fraternity will be concentrated on the football World Cup due to be held in Germany in June this year. And for us in the Caribbean it holds some special interest. read more.. |
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| US Trade Representative, Robert Portman, met Trade Ministers of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries on April 12 giving rise to speculation that a Free Trade Agreement between the US and CARICOM countries might be in the offing. read more.. |
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| Last week, members of the United Nations Special Committee on decolonization held public meetings in the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) to explain the various options available for TCIslanders to gain greater self-determination. read more.. |
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| Growing up in the Caribbean has health benefits that may last a lifetime. According to a study I recently conducted and published, Caribbean immigrants living in the United States exercise more often than American-born people of colour. read more.. |
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| In these long-suffering Isles, that make up the State of Grenada as part of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), we have had so many unsavoury happenings and bad publicity over the years. read more.. |
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| A round table discussion held in Barbados on April 3rd and 4th between CARICOM sugar producing countries and the European Union (EU) appeared to achieve the exact opposite of what it intended. Instead, it produced a good deal of rancour. read more.. |
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| Last November, the world watched in horror and consternation as Muslim youths torched cars, businesses and even hospitals in cities across France. Reportedly, they were provoked into this fiery rampage. read more.. |
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| In these Spice Isles -- where everything is nice, and we never seem to have dull moments, and our people have very short memories -- we are also expected to have more patience than others, because we have had more upheavals than all the others. read more.. |
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| After US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had a meeting with CARICOM Foreign Ministers in March, an editorial in the Barbados Nation newspaper proclaimed: “Nothing new from Rice Meeting”. read more.. |
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| In the middle of May, after a number of electoral processes take place, Rene Preval, the only democratically-elected Haitian president to serve out his full five year presidential term and peacefully hand over power to the succeeding administration, will once again assume the presidential mantle. read more.. |
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| U.S. presidents invariably enjoy popularity abroad that they can only dream of having at home. Such was certainly the case for President Bill Clinton. And nowhere was he more popular than throughout the Caribbean. read more.. |
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| In the face of a sweeping debt and budgetary crisis currently afflicting the U.S. economy, the passage of the FY 2006 budget witnessed a brutal bloodletting of vital domestic programs from education and child welfare to Medicaid. read more.. |
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| In today’s global market place or village, that we once spoke about or referred to as the vast and wonderful world or Planet Earth, nearly everything that takes place from hour to hour, or is planned even in the wildest jungle. read more.. |
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| There is an urgent need for the establishment of a structured forum by which Caribbean governments and the regional private sector organisations consult regularly on trade issues. The point has been made by Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur read more.. |
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| I write this letter in my capacity as a concerned citizen of The Bahamas who has some professional knowledge of international relations. And I trust you will appreciate that, for a variety of reasons, this is the most suitable means available. read more.. |
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| If only those in authority, as well as those aspiring to be in authority, and those doing their utmost to gain favours from those in current authority, can begin to accept and appreciate that nothing lasts forever. read more.. |
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 Tourism representatives from almost 40 countries around the world, including a few Caribbean countries, will be in Beijing, the capital of the Peoples Republic of China, from 3-5 April, attending the Beijing International Travel and Tourism Market. read more.. |
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| René Garcia Préval has become the 51st President of the Haitian Republic. When he was declared the Presidential winner in the early morning hours of February 17, 2006 thousands of his supporters poured into the streets of Port au Prince. read more.. |
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| I had the opportunity to speak with an individual with a particular mental disorder. He was very withdrawn and had a sense of hopelessness which could only be described as a loss of the ambition to self-actualize and get on with his life. read more.. |
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| From Guyana in the South to the British Virgin Islands in the North, the Caribbean needs LIAT, an airline that has served the region faithfully for more than 50 years. The shareholders, management and employees of LIAT are now facing challenges. read more.. |
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| Actually, it only seems as though The Bahamas is caught between Scylla and Charybdis (i.e. a rock and a hard place) because U.S. politicians have threatened it with serious “harm and pain.” read more.. |
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| In the Grenadian Voice of Saturday, fourth March, the “Personally Speaking” writer purported to describe Mr Hugh Wildman’s behaviour as the “arrogance of the able” and he went on to state that none of his (Wildman's) detractors have been able... read more.. |
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| Caribbean territories that remain overseas territories of the United Kingdom or departments of France and The Netherlands face a dilemma: how to balance a desire for greater autonomy with the benefits they receive? read more.. |
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| If you think Haiti’s a mess, consider Zimbabwe: The Mugabe government of Zimbabwe is the most corrupt, dysfunctional and incompetent in Africa. And, on a continent that has the most corrupt, dysfunctional and incompetent governments. read more.. |
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| In these Isles of Spice we never seem to have dull moments and if the excitement is not forthcoming from natural occurrences, natural disasters, or inappropriate actions and omissions by those in authority. read more.. |
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| As we celebrated the World Day of Prayer on March 3, 2006, we are left to take a close look at the theme “sign of the times.” Many recent events have occurred through our Caribbean society which may be heralds for things to come. read more.. |
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| Jamaica should give lessons on attracting business investments to the Caribbean. That’s because 2005 has been a record year in Jamaica’s tourism sector, and investors from the United States, Spain, and China have flocked to the island. read more.. |
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| My mother always warned me about becoming an educated fool. Thanks to Portia Simpson-Miller’s recent victory as the first female prime minister of Jamaica, I have come to realize the potency of the oxymoronic pair of words. read more.. |
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| Bermudian Premier Alex Scott, of the Progressive Labor Party (PLP), has declared 2006 as the year for an independence dialogue; however in reality, this announcement simply marks an extension of his unremitting attempts to engineer a majority in favor of ridding the island of 397 years of British rule. read more.. |
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| A quarter century after our first foray into pan-Caribbean publishing, with the glossy magazine Caribbean Life & Times, we are venturing once again into print media designed to serve the entire Caribbean region and its Diaspora, this time with a print edition of our now well-established website, Caribbean Net News. read more.. |
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| Caribbean Net News has launched this print version of its highly popular Internet service at an important point in the Caribbean’s history. On January 30, six of the fifteen member states of CARICOM launched the Caribbean Single Market. read more.. |
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| The Bush Administration seems afflicted by congenital tone deafness that has caused it to make a series of embarrassing political missteps at home. But this tone deafness has led the administration into embarrassing forays abroad as well. read more.. |
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| The European Union (EU) and Africa have signed a memorandum on infrastructural development that could be a model for the Caribbean to follow. The countries of CARICOM could address the problems of air and sea transportation. read more.. |
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| Before anyone starts thinking I am raising alarms about “Kick-em Jenny,” in these unusual weather patterns we are experiencing recently, let me make it clear up front that I am referring to happenings on the social and political scenario. read more.. |
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| When Mohammed al-Fayed began making this sensational claim in the immediate aftermath of Princess Diana’s death (almost nine years ago), I thought – as I’m sure many of you did – that he was just a grief-stricken man. read more.. |
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| To be rich is bad, Chávez says. To be poor is worse, says common sense. When a lot of wealth on one side goes hand-in-hand with a lot of poverty on the other side of a society, there is an inequality that cries out to God. read more.. |
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| The victory by Rene Préval in Haiti’s presidential elections poses challenges for the member countries of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). It was well known that the regional grouping was divided on how to treat with Haiti. read more.. |
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 The Constitution that was handed to us by England in 1974 makes provision for upholding the dignity of human values, because we, as a people, affirmed that we believed that all men/women are endowed by the Creator with equal and inalienable rights, reason, and conscience. read more.. |
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 That the ongoing international riots over cartoons of the prophet Muhammad was ignited in Denmark and that Muslim youths nearly burned Paris to the ground just months ago, demonstrate the utter futility of nations enacting immigration laws to combat Islamic fundamentalism. read more.. |
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| The Columbine High School shootings a few years ago in the United States created the kind of history no school or nation would like repeated. With the face of education across the Caribbean community taking a beating from a lack of resources. read more.. |
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| The growth of the information age increased in momentum in the early1990s anchored by the explosion of the internet, the massive global interconnecting network of computers and the World Wide Web, the technology used to access information over the Internet. read more.. |
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 At the risk of being slaughtered by every West Indian at home and abroad who is looking forward to World Cup Cricket 2007 being hosted in the Caribbean, I sound an alarm. Throughout the Region, people are being encouraged to build accommodation. read more.. |
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 Our old folks had a saying that ... “a new broom may sweep clean, but the old one knows the corners.” And that saying used to be put into effect, to the extent that no matter what new item was bought for the home, they always hang on to the old one for as long as possible. read more.. |
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 I must admit that I do not know who amongst the motley crew of 34 candidates in last week’s presidential elections offered the best leadership prospects for Haiti. I have felt that Haiti does not need a president so much as a prolonged period of (enforceable) martial law. read more.. |
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 Across the Caribbean Community a number of schools are experiencing a rise in anti-social behavior which includes violence from fights, assaulting of teachers and vandalism. In one particularly distasteful recent incident, a student in an Antiguan school poured urine on a teacher. read more.. |
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 The thirteen operational countries of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) should agree to the completely free movement of people from Less Developed Countries (LDC’s) to the More Developed Countries (MDC’s) on a non-reciprocal basis. read more.. |
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 To be able to truly answer the above question, one must have lived through some years before nineteen seventy-four; and must be really objective in one’s outlook without being too partial on any side. Having been very closely associated with many on both sides of the disturbances. read more.. |
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 Many of us in the Caribbean are commenting on the scandals plaguing America with undisguised schadenfreude. And, who can blame us. After all, for decades, successive U.S. governments have treated us more like feudal territories than sovereign nations. read more.. |
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 This year not only saw another celebration of the birthday of the assassinated Dr Martin Luther king on the third Monday in January (in the USA) , but shortly afterwards it saw the “going home” of the closest earthly link to this great man. read more.. |
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| On February 29, 2004, the democratically elected President of Haiti, Jean Bertrand Aristide was ousted. Most sectors of the Haitian society, in particular, the sectors who participated in the movement that overthrew Aristide, hoped that a new era for a real democratization process was opening its doors in Haiti. read more.. |
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| Holding elections in a country as unstable, insecure and terrified as Haiti may seem impossible, but that is exactly what the U.S.-backed interim government intends to do on Tuesday, February 7. read more.. |
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| The unremitting surging global price of oil has crippled the economies of many small, poor nations, and the tourism-dependent Caribbean countries are among the most vulnerable. read more.. |
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 Youth development in the Caribbean has assumed a far more complex and challenging character in recent times. Prevailing economic, social and political factors and policies have not only conspired to undermine the capacity of the state to perform its role. read more.. |
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 Caribbean governments and private sector bodies should urgently establish a Tourism Research and Development Institute at the University of the West Indies if the industry is to deliver the much vaunted social and economic growth that its advocates proclaim. read more.. |
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 It was said by a famous prime minister about his country -- and I firmly believe it is equally applicable to our tri-island state of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique -- that we cannot develop our people and country, unless and until we learn to demand the highest levels of integrity. read more.. |
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 A cruise ship carrying “up to 3,200…active homosexuals” is scheduled to drop anchor today in Grand Cayman. However, pastors representing the Cayman Ministers’ Association (CMA) are raising holy hell about the prospect of these passengers setting foot on Cayman soil. read more.. |
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 It does not arrive with suitcases full of dreams of new economic opportunities and a greater peace of mind. Once it comes it can put down roots in any Caribbean territory. It alters lifestyles, habits, dietary customs, etc. It is an equal opportunity killer and /or disabler. read more.. |
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| In terms of per capita income ($55,398 in 2004), Connecticut is the richest state in the United States of America, ergo the world. The third smallest state, it has strong ties to the Caribbean. Connecticut has the third largest West Indian population in America. read more.. |
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 On January 1st last year the CARICOM countries were scheduled to launch the Caribbean Single Market (CSM) with the development into a Single Economy by 2008. It didn’t happen. But the citizens and residents of CARICOM countries were assured that the CSM would be inaugurated. read more.. |
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 Whatever may, or may not, positively result from the general concept of the NRL “Levy cum Income Tax”, one aspect was very much in the public arena during the days leading up to Budget Day, and that was the concerted effort of both sides to get the general public in support of their positions. read more.. |
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 It is axiomatic that re-elected U.S. presidents spend much of their second term in office pursuing initiatives that could elevate their standing in the annals of presidential legacies. And there’s little doubt that President George W. Bush thinks that by fomenting democratic revolutions. read more.. |
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 Taking a dive into the pristine waters around our Caribbean Community, offers a first hand view of the many different and intriguing life forms which inhabit the deep blue waters. With the diverse assortment of plants, colors, brightly scaled fishes and many other sea creatures dancing around coral reefs. read more.. |
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