Health Minister to take on Chairmanship for regional health body
By Kimberly Benjamin- Friday September 05th, 2008

Come October 1, Minister for Health John Fabien will take over the chairmanship for the regional co-ordinating mechanism of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV & Aids (PANCAP). Mr. Fabien addressed the opening of the 11^th meeting of the Regional co-ordinating mechanism Thursday. He highlighted the need for economic and other resources to promote the institution’s order of business. Current Chairman of the Regional Co-coordinating Mechanism Pablo Maren’s address was presented by Professor Peter Figero of PANCAP. Meanwhile, Caricom Youth Ambassador John Darville of the Bahamas asks for PANCAP’s support to develop innovative ways to targeting the youth.

Dominica’s overall performance in the CXC Examinations Declines                                                                                        By Kimberly Benjamin - Friday September 05th, 2008

Compared to last year Dominica’s overall percentage pass in the CXC Examinations this year has gone down by 2.6 percent to 72.1 percent. Chief education officer Steve Hyacinth at a Press Conference Thursday said although the results for the island top that of the Caribbean overall, the Ministry is not too pleased. According to him Biology moved from 72.3% to 79.4%, Physics increased from 61.6% to 79.1%, Chemistry increased from 55.9% to 74.8%, Information Technology increased from 46% to 77.1%, Mathematics moved slightly from 49.9% to 50%. French dropped from 86.6% to 65.7%, Spanish dropped from 86.2% to 62.9%, Technical Drawing dropped from 80.9% to 52.4%, Social Studies dropped from 94% to 79.8% and English A dropped from 70.6% to 59%.

Back to top

Candidates for Portsmouth Wards Elected                                        Media Release- Friday September 05th, 2008

The Portsmouth Town Council reports that at the end of Nomination Day for the Portsmouth Town Council General Elections, held Thursday, only eight Candidates, two (2) in each ward, submitted nomination papers for the elections due on September 24th. Since two Candidates are required to be elected in each ward, the Candidates submitting their nomination papers before nominations ended have each been duly elected to their respective wards. The Candidates duly elected are Mrs. Valina Hill and Mr. Edmund Thomas for Glanvillia, Mr. William McLawrence and Mr. Murphy Wallace for Portsmouth West, Mr. Errol Hill and Mr. Elijah Peter for Portsmouth East and Mr. Ashton Rivierre and Mr. Jerome Xavier for Lagon. The Councilors duly elected will convene soon to select suitable persons, to serve as Nominated Members of the Portsmouth Town Council, for submission to the Minister for Community Development for consideration.   The Inauguration of the new Portsmouth Town Council will be held early in October 2008.

Back to top

Reunion Lecture Series in Full Operation, says Ambassador              By Lakisha La Bassiere- Friday September 05th, 2008

At a Media Conference Thursday, Ambassador Charles Maynard, made it known that the reunion lecture series are in full operation. It is scheduled to begin on Tuesday September 9^th, 7.00 pm at the Fort Young Hotel. These lectures aim at advising and informing the public on the issues that affect our daily lives both as a people and as a country. Among lecturers scheduled to participate are Gerald Grell, Reverend Watty and Dr. Jules. Ambassador Maynard also urged Dominicans to come out and get informed and educated.                    

Back to top

Rabbit Festival Comes to an end
By Lakisha La Bassiere- Friday September 05th, 2008

Thursday closed the curtains on this year’s Rabbit Festival. Prior to the event were a series of activities which were meant to include the youth and educate them on rabbits. These activities included a week long radio quiz which tested that 4H Clubites knowledge on rabbits. Among the 4 winners were Gordon Royer and Odele Deschamps. Each winner received a pair of rabbits. Another activity included an essay competition where students were asked to write on the topic ‘The rabbits have been looked upon as a meat producing animal’. Discuss the role of the rabbit industry in reducing the food import deal.’ The winners were Edmund McIntyre and Sheldon Jno. Baptiste of the Community High School. They both won gift certificate compliments JAYS bookstore. Preparations for Pointe Michel reunion are scheduled to take place from October 11^th to October 26^th are in full force. Representative of the Pointe Michel Reunion Committee, Mrs. Ophelia Olivacce Marie gave a follow up on the activities scheduled to take place during that period

Back to top

Waitukubuli Dance Theatre Company celebrates 37^th anniversary By Lakisha La Bassiere- Friday September 05th, 2008

The Waitukubuli dance Theatre Company, is staging their annual dance production scheduled for September 13^th and 14^th at the Arawak House of Culture. This year the dance theatre company will be celebrating 37 years and in keeping with reunion they are celebrating under the theme ‘spirit of togetherness’. This creative dance festival will showcase talent in creative dancing exhibited by the members of this company. Director of the Waitukubuli dance theatre company, Raymond Lawrence, gave a brief overview of the dances on display choreographed by him, Mikhail Ferrol, Natalie Pollard and Juanita Jules.

                                                                                           Back to top

Chairman of Newly formed IPO Commission states necessities for filing complaints & how matters are dealt with thereafter
By Kimberly Benjamin- Thursday September 04th, 2008

The implementation of the Integrity in Public Office Act makes it feasible to analyze different public figures who could be guilty of corruption in office.  Implementation of the act which was passed in year 2003 has finally begun with the swearing in on Tuesday at the State House with members of the Integrity in Public Office (IPO) Commission. The integrity in public office commission comprises of former cabinet secretary Julian Johnson as Chairman, Arch Bishop Kelvin Felix, Former Financial Secretary Alick Lazare, Former Judge Sir Brian Alleyne, Business woman Patricia Ingles, Accountant Gerald Smith and former Dominican High Commissioner to Britain George Williams. Chairman of the IPO Commission Julian Johnson says the enforcement of the act partly relies on the progressive participation of the public. He says the role of the public in this regard is to bring written complaints and provide good evidence. Meantime, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says he is pleased that the Integrity in Public Office Commission has been put into effect.         

Back to top

Trinidad police inspector charged for killing pastor
caribbeannetnews.com - Friday September 05th, 2008

Neil Warner Paul, Secretary of the Police Welfare Association, who served as a police officer in Trinidad for 28 years and also as a homicide detective, has been charged with the murder of a pastor. According to the Trinidad Express, the murder charge was laid on Tuesday night after Homicide Bureau investigators held discussions with the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions. The charge was filed after Pastor Brian Pierre's body was examined by pathologist Dr Eastlyn Mc Donald Burns at the Forensic Science Centre in St James on Tuesday. The tests confirmed that Pierre had been shot seven times and died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds about his body. It is alleged that Pierre was shot following an argument with another man. It is also alleged that Pierre's attacker had attempted to drag a policewoman out of Pierre's car before the fatal shooting.

Back to top

'Catastrophe' seen in Haiti as Atlantic storms rev up
caribbeannetnews.com - Friday September 05th, 2008

President Rene Preval on Wednesday warned of an "extraordinary catastrophe" in Haiti in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Hanna, comparing it to a storm that killed more than 3,000 people in the flood-prone Caribbean country four years ago. Hanna swirled over the Bahamas and was expected to regain hurricane strength when it takes aim at the US East Coast later this week, while tropical storms Ike and Josephine were both moving westward across the Atlantic. The US National Hurricane Center said Ike could strengthen into a "major" Category 3 hurricane with winds of 111 to 130 mph as it reaches the southern Bahamas and nears Cuba early next week. Major hurricanes are those that are ranked from Category 3 to Category 5 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson intensity scale. Ike was already near hurricane strength on Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph as it swept across the open Atlantic 740 miles east-northeast of the Leeward Islands.   

Back to top

Burke slams PNP
jamaicaobserver.com - Friday September 05th, 2008

Just over two weeks before the People's National Party (PNP) votes in internal elections for a new leader, influential and long-serving member Paul Burke has stung the Opposition party with a damning criticism of its delegate selection process which he labeled as fraught with corruption and which, he said, the party hierarchy has chosen to ignore. Burke, who has had a long history of advocating strict adherence to the party's constitution, principles and objectives, stunned his audience on Tuesday evening at a lecture during which he presented letters he had written to PNP leaders between July 22 and August 11 this year complaining of massive fraud in the party's group system. The lecture, titled 'Protecting and Advancing Norman Manley's Legacy in the PNP's 70th year' was held on the 39th anniversary of the death of Manley, a founder of the party and one of Jamaica's national heroes. 

Back to top