PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, Guardian - In a January 21 address in Trinidad, Barbados Minister of Industry Donville Inniss had expressed strong optimism that Barbados’ economy was on an upward climb.

He told business people, including local investors, at the first quarterly business luncheon hosted by T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce that Barbados had enjoyed a good 2013 winter tourism season.

One banker has hailed the slowdown in the Barbados economy as an opportunity and not a loss to his business.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, Express - The governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP) and the Opposition parties in Guyana are locked in a unique governance struggle in which two combined opposition parties command the majority in the legislature and can therefore block legislation introduced by the Government.

The PPP’s Donald Ramotar was elected president of Guyana by a plurality of the votes cast in general elections in December 2011, but the party failed to win an overall majority in the legislature.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - Construction of the first licensed casino on the island is scheduled to begin in a few months.

Celebration Jamaica Development Limited, one of the companies which applied for the first set of casino licenses is looking at starting construction as early as summer once government gives approval.

Founder of the company, Robert Trotta, said the project will be completed in three years once approval is granted.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - Chaos erupted on Thursday afternoon as supporters of dancehall entertainer, Vybz Kartel who is being tried for murder, protested on the outskirts of the Supreme Court in downtown, Kingston.

Approximately 500 supporters of the Kartel, whose real name is Adijah Palmer, broke through police barricades and pushed their way right up to the gates of the courthouse, chanting "Free Vybz Kartel!"

Order was eventually restored when the police were called in.

government has defended its decision to amend legislation allowing for persons who apply for citizenship under the island’s Citizenship by Investment Programme not to have their names made public.

The government, which controls all 15-seats in the Parliament, amended the existing legislation deleting the section which required that the information be included in the bi-annual report of the programme which is presented to Parliament no later than September every year.