UK boosts Caribbean aid

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, Monday January 23, 2012 - The Caribbean is to receive £75 million (US$116.5 million) in development projects from the United Kingdom over four years to help with job-creation, improve security, and combat the threat posed by natural disasters and climate change.

UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, William Hague 

UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, William Hague said the funds represent a considerable increase on previous aid budgets, signaling the strong commitment to the region.

The disclosure was made during the just-ended two-day 7th Seventh UK-Caribbean Ministerial Forum held under the theme, “Sustainable Growth Towards Prosperity”.

“We are one of the few nations in the world that is maintaining its international development commitments at a time of financial difficulty. We will stick to our pledge to raise our aid to 0.7 of GNI (gross national income), and you will find us a reliable partner,” he told participants.

Foreign Secretary Hague said the core task of both regions was to create new opportunities for trade, investment and innovation in their respective economies.

Sam Condor, the Foreign Minister for St Kitts and Nevis and the forum co-chair explained that the conference revitalized the partnership between the two regions as reflected in the 31-point Plan of Action agreed to.

The discussions, he stated, centred on economic resilience, climate change and security as well as the UK Air Passenger Duty (APD), which regional officials complain discriminates against the Caribbean.

Minister Condor stated that the region’s tourism sector was staggering under the weight of the tax that has made travel very expensive.

He urged the UK to consider reforming the APD to level the playing field and provide a win-win situation for both regions.

Jeremy Browne, Minister of State, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office described the two-day political dialogue as fruitful, noting that the Forum provided a framework for continuing activities with the High Commissioners in London. 

SOURCE: http://www.caribbean360.com

Central Bank says Barbados economy stabilized in 2011

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Wednesday January 18, 2012 - The Central Bank of Barbados said government must strictly adhere to the targets of its Medium Term Fiscal Strategy to maintain the economic stability achieved in 2011.

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS

That plan is designed to achieve a balanced budget by 2016/2017.

The bank, in its economic performance review for 2011 and prospects for 2012, stated that the fiscal deficit was down more than two per cent of GDP from the previous 7.4 per cent for the latter nine months of last year, in line with the revised strategy targets.

The economy grew by an estimated at 0.5 per cent last year aided by increases in construction (4.4 per cent), tourism outputs (0.3 per cent), and transport and communications sectors (0.6 per cent).

The United States and United Kingdom markets rose, while the Barbados-based low-cost airline REDjet boosted arrivals from the CARICOM region led by a 35 per cent increase the Trinidad and Tobago market.

“Tourist numbers have increased, but length of stay and average spending have fallen, leading to an increase in tourism output that was marginal, at 0.3 percent,” the bank stated.

It noted that Barbados’ tourism remains competitive because the country is known as a high quality destination, adding, “In order to maintain a competitive edge in tourism, the industry must attain and maintain international standards at all times.”

The Central Bank called for further investment in refurbishment and upgrades of hotels and tourism facilities, including the cultural and historical legacy of the country.

Foreign exchange spending of BDS$5.5 billion (US$2.75 billion) was financed almost entirely from tourist inflows, earnings from the International Business and Financial Services sector, exports and capital inflows.

“As a result there was a minimal need to draw on the Central Bank’s foreign exchange reserves, which fell by only 1 percent between the end of 2010 and December 2011,” the bank explained.

“The Barbados currency remains well protected, with foreign reserve cover of 18 weeks of imports at December 2011, comfortably above the international norm of 12 weeks.”

Growth prospects for 2012 are tempered by the unsettled international climate, while the medium term growth prospects are encouraging, once the international economy settles down, the bank said further.

“The growth rate in 2012 may be one per cent or less, unless the international economic and financial climate improves. Construction of tourism facilities and Government’s housing initiatives are expected to be the main drivers,” it explained.

“In the medium term, growth rates of 2 to 3 percent are possible, provided the strategies mentioned earlier are successfully implemented,” the central bank said

 source: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/barbados_news/549071.html#ixzz1jwQuM5yT

DANGEROUS ABORTIONS 'ON THE RISE', SAYS WHO

A rising proportion of abortions worldwide are putting women's health at risk, researchers say.

The World Health Organization study suggests global abortion rates are steady, at 28 per 1,000 women a year.

However, the proportion of the total carried out without trained clinical help rose from 44% in 1995 to 49% in 2008.

The Lancet, which carried the report, said the figures were "deeply disturbing".

Unsafe abortion is one of the main contributors to maternal death worldwide, and refers to procedures outside hospitals, clinics and surgeries, or without qualified medical supervision.

Women are more vulnerable to dangerous infection or bleeding in these environments.

Maternal mortality

In developing countries, particularly those with more restrictive abortion laws, most abortions are unsafe, with 97% of abortions in Africa described this way.

In comparison, 95% of abortions in Latin America were deemed unsafe, falling to 40% in Asia, 15% in Oceania and 9% in Europe.

To compile the figures - often a difficult task in countries where abortion is illegal - the researchers used surveys, official statistics and hospital records.

They concluded that while the abortion rate had fallen since 1995, that drop had now levelled off, and overall, the rise in world population meant that there were 2.2 million more abortions in 2008 compared with 2003.

In the developed world, the proportion of pregnancies ending in abortion fell from 36% in 1995 to 26% in 2008.

Countries with restrictive abortion laws did not have a corresponding decrease in abortion rate - in some cases, the reverse was true.

Professor Beverly Winikoff, from Gynuity, a New York organisation which pushes for access to safer abortion, wrote in the Lancet: "Unsafe abortion is one of the five major contributors to maternal mortality, causing one in every seven or eight maternal deaths in 2008.

"Yet, when abortion is provided with proper medical techniques and care, the risk of death is negligible and nearly 14 times lower than that of childbirth.

"The data continue to confirm what we have known for decades - that women who wish to terminate unwanted pregnancies will seek abortion at any cost, even if it is illegal or involves risk to their own lives."

Dr Richard Horton, the Lancet's editor, said: "These latest figures are deeply disturbing. The progress made in the 1990s is now in reverse.

"Condemning, stigmatising and criminalising abortion are cruel and failed strategies."

Kate Hawkins, from the Sexuality and Development Programme at the Institute of Development Studies, said: "Whether it is legal or illegal, women will seek abortions and obtain abortions.

"This study showed that in 2008, 86% of abortions took place in developing countries and that nearly half of all abortions worldwide were unsafe in 2008.

"That women continue to die in significant numbers because of unsafe abortion is a scandal and is an issue that the development sector should take seriously."

The UK Department for International Development part-funded the study, and International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell MP said it was a "tragedy" that the number of "back-street" abortions was rising.

"Women should be able to decide for themselves whether, when and how many children to have - but for many this is not a reality as they have no access to family planning.

"Over the next four years, British aid will give 10 million women access to modern contraception, which will prevent millions of unintended pregnancies."

source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16618156

Regional primary exit assessment discussed with Dominican stakeholders

ROSEAU, Dominica, Monday January 16, 2012 - The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) is moving ahead with plans to implement the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA) in May as part of a pilot programme.

The assessment implications were discussed last week during three days of consultations with local stakeholders including Ministry of Education officials, principals, teachers and parents.

“This is different for the very reason that it focuses on formative assessment and it allows for many more areas of students’ learning to be assessed,” said Maureen Grazette, Curriculum Development Officer at CXC.

“Students will be given credits in a continuous way instead of the one shot process that exists with the current assessment practices in schools.”

CXC has said the CPEA, to be introduced in Dominica, Grenada and Anguilla, is in response to calls from Caribbean leaders for a regional primary exit examination that assesses key areas of literacy including language, mathematics, civics and science.

According to council, the CPEA will assist with “the quality measures in the education system and offer a common measure across schools and countries in the region.”

The assessment also aims to help students achieve at higher levels of education by setting foundations for a seamless transition to secondary education, Grazette noted.

“There is a recognition that sometimes students go on to that second level of education without the necessary pre-requisites in order to do well,” she stated.

“So one of the essential ingredients in this programme is the identification of the core literacies that students must have in order to cope with the core programmes for the secondary level exams,” she said further.

SOURCE:http://www.caribbean360.com

Dominica opposition party gets new leader after losing dual citizenship case

ROSEAU, Dominica, Monday January 16, 2012 – Former Prime Minister Edison James is once again at the helm of the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP), replacing Ron Green who opted against re-election less than a week after he lost a dual citizenship case against the prime minister and education minister.

EDISON JAMES

James, 68, who served as prime minister from 1995 to 2000, said he was ready to lead the party into general elections, constitutionally due in 2014.

“There is no reluctance on my part to put everything that I have into implementing these functions,” he told those gathered at the UWP’s 22nd Delegates Convention on Sunday.

He struck aside complaints that he may be too old for the job, stating, “This brain in here might be sixty eight years old, but the waist is strong. Don’t test me.”

The UWP said the convention was the first step in an island-wide campaign to boost the party’s readiness to take over government control whenever general election is called.

James, who formerly served as president of the UWP for three years, thanked Green - now a trustee - for his years of leadership.

The UWP leader also appealed to supporters to help fund the party’s campaign to appeal last week’s High Court ruling, which found that PM Roosevelt Skerrit and Education Minister Petter Saint Jean legally contested the 2009 general elections.

SOURCE:http://www.caribbean360.com

Russia: Attack on Tehran is Attack on Moscow

Russia has given Iran its bear hug and warns Israel and the West that an attack on Tehran would be considered an attack on Moscow.

By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Russia has given Iran its bear hug and warns Israel and the West that an attack on Tehran would be considered an attack on Moscow. The threat heightens the prospect of World War III in the event of a military strike on Iran.

“Iran is our neighbor,” Russia's outgoing ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, told reporters in Brussels. “And if Iran is involved in any military action, it’s a direct threat to our security.”

Kremlin Security Council head Nikolai Patrushev accused Israel of provoking the United States towards war against Iran, the Russian Interfax news agency reported Friday. “But at the same time, we believe that any country has the right to have what it needs to feel comfortable, including Iran," he added.

Rogozin warned on Friday that more attacks on Iran could cause "a scorching Arab Summer."

Russia also has come to the defense of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, warning Western nations not to intervene in Syria with military forces. Russia is a major arms supplier to Syria and has a heavy investment in Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Japan also is drifting towards Iran, backtracking from its promise last week to back American sanctions aimed at persuading Iran to halt its unsupervised nuclear development.

Last week’s assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist has aroused more “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” protest rallies in Iran, where the scientist was buried on Friday.

Iranian state radio said the 32-year-old scientist was involved with enriched uranium, a key ingredient for a nuclear weapon.

Source:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/151739#.TxNhjKNucuo

Barbados protecting international reputation

In the midst of all the criticisms leveled against the "Rochamel experiment" and in view of the collapse of the "La Paradis Hotel" project, the CHOISEUL POWERHOUSE is pleased to publish the story below.

The question is: (a) Is the Barbados Government learning lessons Rochamel and La Paradis? Read on and share your opinion.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Thursday January 12, 2012 – After months of speculation and closed-door negotiations Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Christopher Sinckler has confirmed that the Barbados National Insurance Scheme (NIS) will invest in the beleaguered Four Seasons resort project.

Paradise Beach Limited, the company seeking to restart Four Seasons, had sought last year a BDS$60 million investment from the NIS, and Minister Sinckler confirmed yesterday that the entity would join the national insurance schemes of Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines as minority investors in the Barbados-based tourism project.

At a function of the Barbados Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (BARAIFA) yesterday at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Complex, Sinckler noted that while the project had become an international failure following the inability of the original developers to complete the project on time and within budget; by the failure occurring on Barbadian soil, the island became negatively associated.

Sinckler noted that the controversial hotel and residencies at Paradise Beach, St Michael, that had attracted some of the world’s wealthiest, including Simon Cowell and Andrew Lloyd Webber, but this had also led to “a certain circus” in the international media because these powerful people had invested a considerable amounts of money in that project and have nothing to show for it.

“That is not something we wanted on the face of Barbados’ good name, therefore the late Prime Minister [David Thompson], having contemplated all of these issues, surmised that we had to find a way to get this project restarted,” the Minister said.

Following the settlements of outstanding debts of US$60 million to suppliers in November 2010, there was an air of optimism that work would have commenced in full. However, this was not to be.

Nonetheless, it is expected that with the injection of funds from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Four Seasons should be on its way in 2012.

Sinckler said: “We are in the process to move ahead. The IDB, ANSA Merchant Bank and Four Seasons Company have agreed to put US$180 million into the project to get it going again.”

He added, “The IDB will give formal approval of the investment in February, and from there hopefully we can get this project on the way. The villa owners have indicated that once they are provided with this information they are prepared to start their investment in the project as their investments will be protected.”

Sinckler said, “Four Seasons would bring tremendous value added to Barbados tourism project. Just consider the fact in the last thirty years we have not had a major brand name property on that high level.”

He pointed out that Barbados is one of the few countries in the Caribbean that doesn’t have a major brand name. As such, all of the expertise training, human resource and marketing power in the tourism sector is supported predominantly by Government providing money to the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) to market properties in this country.

He explained further that the other problem with Four Seasons is that when the original operators of the projected decided to close it down they left close to $120 million in debt owed to various suppliers, the majority of them small businesses.

Government therefore intervened to get those resources to assist the affected businesses.

The original contemplation of international financial advisor, Professor Avinash Persaud, and his group was that if that the $120 million was cleared, the original villa owners would put their money in.

However, he noted that they expressed dissatisfaction that the original operators closed the project down.

“They were not confident about coming back to put money in a project and had nothing to show. Persaud and his team were overly optimistic at that time. However, Government will not turn its back on the project,” Sinckler added.

Read more: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/business/547878.html#ixzz1jXlsUL1M

MONGOUGE STUDENT SHOT BY PRISON OFFICER!

. . . because many of us literally equate “shooting” with “killing”, the news that Nadia Johnny of Mongouge was shot understandably sent shockwaves through the Mongouge community. We first learned that a police bullet had gone through her neck; later we understood that the bullet went through her arm.

As the story unfolded, we learned that the bullet did not come from a police gun but that a prison officer who was “defending” himself against an attack by an ex-convict. Unfortunately, Nadia - an innocent passer-by – simply happened to be “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and she became an instance of collateral damage.

Nadia was an outstanding student in her final year at Grambling State University (GSU) pursuing a degree in Accounting.

I knew Nadia from childhood and later on went on to teach her Physics and ICT at the Choiseul Secondary School. She was a very soft-spoken student and was barely audible when she spoke in class; and because of her “diminutive” physique and low profile, she was barely “visible”.

But whatever she missed out in “voice”, physique and social profile, she "more than" made up for it in academic brilliance/excellence.

Nadia was no doubt an A-student; and her academic excellence followed her all the way to GSU where her GPA average never fell below 4.0.

I last saw her (along with her Mum, brother and young son) on Christmas holiday when she came to visit me on a professional matter. We spoke at length about her studies and I found out, despite her academic brilliance, she was having much financial difficulty making ends meet. Now another layer of difficulty has been added to her ordeal.

Nadia was due to leave on Sunday, January 15 to resume her studies.

I wish her God's blessings and a speedy recovery, so that she can resume her studies at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the authorities may want to consider granting her some financial relief as a part of her indemnity package.

Nadia is a close relative of ex-policeman Leonard Johnny who is in the final stage of completing his PhD in criminology at the University of the West Indies..

Dominica PM, Education Minister survive dual citizenship challenge

ROSEAU, Dominica, Wednesday January 11, 2012 - The opposition United Workers Party (UWP) said it will consider appealing yesterday’s High Court ruling, which found that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and Minister for Education Petter Saint Jean legally contested the 2009 general elections. 

“We are looking to appeal this matter and to sit as a legal team and discuss it and we will move from there,” stated Geoffrey Letang, attorney for UWP Leader Ron Green and Maynard Joseph.

The UWP members had asked the court to rule that Skerrit and Saint Jean were nominated illegally because they held dual citizenship at the time.

However, Justice Gertel Thom, in a 49-page judgment, found that Skerrit was not disqualified from being elected a Member of Parliament. 

As it relates to Saint Jean, the judge found that Green did not establish a prima facie case that the minister, by virtue of his own act, had allegiance to a foreign power or state. 

Skerrit said the opposition should now work with the government to deal with the many issues confronting residents.

“We spend all this time wasting people’s time in court and talking about things that are really not important to our people,” Skerrit said in an interview.

He added: “Here it is I was born in this country, I grew up in this country, went to school in this country, worked all my adult life in Dominica. I never said I wasn’t a citizen of France, but what I said is that I got citizenship by virtue of my mother. So why drag me into court and...wasting people’s time...when there is no evidence to prove.”

Describing the ruling as vindication, the Minister for Education said the entire process has taken a toll on members of the administration.

“…Once for all we can set these matters behind us and move with the path of development that has been tracked for us by the Dominica Labour Party under the sterling leadership of Roosevelt Skerrit who is and will continue to be the prime minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica until the people so desire that that should change,” he told reporters.

SOURCE: http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/dominica_news/547652.html#ixzz1jEL4lrSN

SKERRIT WINS: DOMINICA PM WINS DUAL CITIZENSHIP CASE

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – High Court judge Gertel Thom Tuesday ruled that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and his Education Minister Petter Saint Jean were qualified to contest the 2009 general elections.

Dominica's PM: Roosevelt Skerrit

The judge handed down her ruling in the case brought against Prime Minister Skerrit and his Education Minister Petter Saint Jean by the leader of the United Workers Party (UWP), Ron Green and Maynard Joseph.

The two opposition politicians had asked the court to declare that both Skerrit and Saint Jean were illegally nominated to contest the December 2009 general election because they held dual citizenship at the time.

Source: http://www.cananews.net/news/131/ARTICLE/66829/2012-01-10.html

WILL OUR NEW ATTORNEY-GENERAL BE A SAINT?

Following Dr Anthony's pronouncement that the position of AG will now be a public service appointment; and after a few weeks of speculation, it looks like an announcement is imminent; perhaps as early as this week.

But the question is: Who will it be? I predict she will be a "Saint"! Indeed, we need a Saint to clean - and even to rebuild - the legislative Augean stables which the "Mighty Doddy" left behind as his legal legacy to St. Lucia. 

The choice of Doddy as AG was perhaps not representative of the "legal field" in St. Lucia. There is no doubt that we are blessed with an abundance of legal minds and some of them are veritable powerhouses. Prominent ones include David Cox, the Fosters, Thaddeus Antoine, Petrus Compton (who served as AG before) - and I almost said Phillip La Corbiniere!

Arguably and in my humble opinion, Senator La Corbiniere was perhaps one of the best AG's we have known. In his previous tenure, I had reason - in the pursuit of legal counsel on behalf of my ministry - to network with him on a range of legal issues. In retrospect, I have to admit that I was thoroughly satisfied with both his legal and administrative competence as AG and equally the quality of legal advice and guidance he proffered to my ministry.

Senator La Corbiniere's fortitude was once tested in a dispute between my ministry and a High Court Judge. I was highly impressed by his professional approach to the resolution of that dispute. Ever since he made his mark on me! Then there were the consultations on the “Movement of Factors” Bill to facilitate the realisation of CSME where he once again demonstrated his profound knowledge of the law.

But what impressed me most about him was his accessibility. There was hardly a failed attempt in reaching him – perhaps a page that our politicians can take from him.

It's unfortunate that Dr Anthony's policy-shift has rendered Phillip a non-candidate; but I have to admit that the move to de-politicize the post is one in the right direction and must also be applauded - especially in the context of what passed on in the name of AG in recent times.

Now that Senator La Corbiniere no longer holds the portfolio of AG, the question is who might be the “best fit” for that job? Will we see the return of Petrus Compton? Will the Dr Anthony Administration go for one of the high profile city lawyers like Thaddeus Antoine, David Cox or Marcus Foster? Will he go for youth such as Rene Williams (currently employed with Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority) or Maureen John (of John and John from VFort)? What’s about Veronica Barnard (of Richard Frederick and Associates), Ephraigm Edgar, Leslie Mondesir, Alvin St. Clair?  Will it be former magistrate Kim St. Rose?

There is no shortage of "legal talent" in St. Lucia. Perhaps, that may well be one of Dr Anthony (and his wife - Professor Rose Marie Belle Antoine) shared legacy to the legal profession in St. Lucia and the Caribbean, generally. In fact, there is a view that our legal profession may well be saturated with lawyers; hence, the choices for AG will be far and wide and my shortlist is only a modest outsider perspective; nonetheless, I am tempted to predict it will be a female who has had experience in both the public and private sectors; and although my list is by no means exhaustive, I will pull a “PowerHouse” rabbit from the hat and boldly predict it may well Kim St. Rose.

AS A NEW SESSION OF PARLIAMENT BEGINS, LET THE AXE FALL!

WILL THE RESTORATION OF INTEGRITY BEGIN WITH THIS NEW SESSION OF PARLIAMENT?

A new session of Parliament opens on Thursday, January 5 and it is widely speculated that City attorney, Peter Foster, will be the new House Speaker and Claudius Francis is tipped to be the president of the senate. If the speculations are true, then they both choices are most welcomed.

NEW HOUSE SPEAKER?

Considering the magnitude of the misinterpretations of the standing orders and the constitution which took place in the last parliament, it is fair to assume that the appointment of someone with a background in law to the position of House Speaker may well be a well-thought out move - not only to pre-empt any potential wrong in that direction, but equally to correct the mistakes of the last parliament.

This is not to say that the choice of a legal mind is ideal. Absolutley NO! History has shown that House Speakers with non-legal backgrounds can be highly effective. St. Clair Daniel and Matthew Roberts demonstrated sublime judgment in the dispensation of their functions as House speaker. The simple point is the speaker's knowledge in law maybe a value-added asset, especially when it comes to the interpretation and application of the standing orders and constitution to the conduct of the house proceedings. Amen!

NEW SENATE PRESIDENT?

Another matter worth reflecting on is the irregularity and infrequency of House meetings that characterised the former parliament. Based on the PM's pronouncements, we can be rest assured that this unfortunate trend will be “a thing of the past”.

Perhaps the single biggest anomaly of the last parliament was a general tendency to allow Government MP's to go “way beyond” the realms of rational parliamentary debate by allowing them unlimited latitude to venture deep into extraneous terrain.

I remember the absolute leeway given to Richard and Guy to present pseudo-arguments on Grynberg, cost-overruns and Rochamel. I daresay, if the quality of Parliamentary contributions ever formed the main pre-qualification criterion for re-election of parliamentarians, then Richard, Guy, and King would have been totally rejected by the electorate.

Choiseul was perhaps the lone exception to the rule when it rejected the incumbent. Choiseul/Saltibus made a profound statement to the nation when it rejected bribery and criminality. It's now the turn of parliament to move with haste to enact legislation to disqualify shady and criminal elements or politicians with criminal backgrounds or associations to run for Her Majesty's Parliament.

Let the process of the restoration of integrity to parliament continue . . . and let the axe fall where it must fall!