ST. JOHN’S, Antigua - Four weeks ago Minister of Tourism John Maginley sounded a positive note in announcing new aircraft leases for our embattled airline, LIAT. Our headline writers were positively euphoric in declaring “LIAT’s flying high again – Tourism Boss”. As encouraging as the news might have been, it is far too optimistic to assume that LIAT’s problems are over. This, of course, is typical of government enterprises in which the smallest bit of good news is promoted as the solution to all problems.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - The jury is still out about our Jamaican psyche. Yes, we are fun people but are we builders of civilisation, spectators or players, minstrels or masters? Are we in charge of our fate, or zombies? This IMF thing has unleashed a spirit of fear and some desperation. We seem beholden to the IMF, yet it asks no obeisance. We speak in hushed tones as if the Lord is nigh; are our leaders in thrall to a body which has no armies, navies or soldiers? no trinkets to buy us, or prisons to incarcerate us?

KINGSTON, Jamaica - THIS week, as Jamaicans brace themselves for severe belt-tightening because of the accord to be signed between the Government and the IMF, two incumbent parties in the Eastern Caribbean will be struggling to avoid becoming one-term administrations. The governments facing this survival "political cliff" — while Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller's ruling People's National Party (PNP) struggles against its very challenging "fiscal cliff" — are those of Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart in Barbados and of his Grenadian counterpart Tillman Thomas.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Grenada’s two major political parties were entering the final 24 hours of their campaign for Tuesday’s general election, buoyed by the large turnout of supporters Sunday and predicting a win that allow them to govern this Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country for the next five years.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana - THE CRIME menace afflicting the Caribbean region as well as recurring air transportation woes are scheduled for special focus at the two-day 24th Inter-Sessional Meeting of Caribbean Community Heads of Government that gets underway today in Haiti.
Participating in the special session on crime and security with the CARIC0M leaders and their relevant cabinet colleagues will be the Attorney General of the United States of America, Eric Holder.