BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Marijuana use has reached worrying proportions and is no longer confined to boys on the block and the unemployed. The National Council for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Drug Dependency (NCPADD) and the National Council for Substance Abuse (NCSA), think the alarm bells are ringing in relation to marijuana use which according to them is now prevalent among children as young as nine.
ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – The Roosevelt Skerrit government has been given a passing grade as it relates to its efforts to deal with unemployment in Dominica, but the population believes it is doing a good job in education. According to a mid-term review of the performance of the government conducted by the Barbados-based consulting firm, Caribbean Development Research Services Inc. (CADRES), “Dominicans are generally most impressed with the government's performance in "Education" and least impressed with the government's performance in the area of "Employment".
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC-Efforts to arrive at a settlement in the protracted wage talks between Government and the Trade Union Federation (TUF) received a further set back Wednesday when the general membership of the Civil Service Association (CSA) rejected the 4% increase with conditions proposed by the Government and earlier accepted by teachers and police. President of the Civil Service Association, Mary Issac said the general membership felt that conditions highlighted by the Government was more of a smoke screen and would represent empty promises.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Testimony in the high-profile case of former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier resumed Thursday, with another alleged victim describing abuses she says were committed under his rule. Dr. Nicole Magloire told an appellate court about the broad influence wielded by the former leader known as "Baby Doc," and the alleged violations associated with his 15-year government. Duvalier "was declared supreme leader of all the armed forces in the country," said Magloire, an opposition leader who fled into exile during that era. "He was in charge of the National Palace.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - The Police Service and Welfare Association will be holding candle light vigils as a form of protest against the proposed legislation to grant soldiers the power of arrest. President of the Association Anand Ramesar on Wednesday told reporters that the vigil would be headed by former president of the association, Emrol Bruce. "The theme of that (vigil) is 'Preserve the impartiality and the integrity of the Police Service' and, most of all, the independence of the Police Service. Police officers and their families will be in attendance," said Ramesar.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - GRENADA plans to commence talks with its creditors to restructure its EC$2.2- billion public debt. Rising interest payments in the face of falling revenue and a high wage bill has prompted the government to miss an interest payment due this month. It is the second time that it has been faced with an interest payment that it couldn't meet within the last six months, although back in September, when the Government felt it couldn't find the funds to pay the coupon on a US$193-million bond, due in 2025, it eventually paid the money before the grace period expired.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - The Caribbean is not expected to carve out a larger piece of the travel and tourism industry over the next 10 years.
WASHINGTON, CMC – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is providing Haiti with US$7.4 million after completing a review of the country’s performance under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) earlier this month. The IMF said that the disbursement brings the total disbursements under the programme to date to US$54.1 million.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Some Bds$100 million will soon be made available to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean through an investment project funded by the European Union, in co-operation with a number of development banks. The Caribbean Investment Facility (CIF), which is due to be launched next week, will provide seed money to the Caribbean region of the ACP (Africa-Caribbean-Pacific) countries.
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is calling on Caribbean countries to establish a regional reparations committee, pledging to spend the rest of his life seeking compensation from the British for land, genocide against the Garifuna, and slavery. Prime Minister Gonsalves said Cabinet will soon name its reparations committee “But we want to see not only a reparations committee for St. Vincent but we want to see a Caribbean wide reparations committee involving other Caribbean countries.