Journalist Linton Discloses Wikileaks Information Reportedly from Prime Minister Skerrit’s Close Advisor Peter Wickham, Suggesting a Clear Link between Large Sums of Money for DLP Campaign Financing in Exchange for Dominican Passports      

Reporter: Shamalie Louis- Monday September 5th 2011 

Talk show host Lennox Linton says although political advisor to Prime Minister Skerrit Peter Wickham, is on record as telling the people of Dominica to disregard allegations of extensive corruption within the Dominica Labour Party, he has been named as the source to a whistle blower site, Wikileaks, where he confirmed instances of corruption perpetrated by Prime Minister Skerrit and other members of government. Information allegedly from Mr. Wickham confirmed selling of Dominican Diplomatic Passports, among other wrong doings. Linton details information, reportedly from Mr. Peter Wickham, which suggests a clear link between large sums of monies supplied for campaign financing and the doling out of Dominican passports.

Former DLP Regime Press Secretary Shaun Douglas says it is Dishonest to Spin that he Left that Position after 9 years Over Differences in Pay; says Prime Minister Skerrit Excluded him From Press Briefings and his Travel Itinerary                              Reporter: Shamalie Louis- Monday September 5th 2011  

Former DLP Government Press Secretary Sean Douglas says any comments alluding to his dismissal from the post of DLP Government Press Secretary which he held for nine (9) years, as being the result of differences with the government over terms of remuneration for a new contract are completely untrue and without any basis in fact. Mr. Douglas says there were clear indications that he was in fact being phased out from that position well on advance of that occurrence, from his exclusion from various press briefings of the Prime Minister, and also from the fact that the Prime Minister stopped informing him of his travel itinerary.

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Q95’s 2^nd Annual QTS Quarter Finals Went Off with a Bang on Saturday Night and 21 Talented Dominica Singers Selected by a Panel of 5 Judges, and Assisted by Supporters Texts, will Move on to the QTS Semi Finals on 1^st October                                                                                                     Reporter: Shamalie Louis- Monday September 5th  2011 

Q95’s Q Talent Search Quarter Finals took place on Saturday 3^rd September at the Arawak House of Culture. 32 competitors serenade the audience with a song of their choice in hopes of securing their place in the semi finals to be held on October 1^st 2011. The show was of a very high standard and the singers put on some spectacular performances. Young Ashanti wowed the crowd once again as a ‘QTS under 16’ guest performer. 21 of the 32 talented Dominica Singers were selected by a panel of five Judges assisted by the texts from the supporters of the singers. Listeners on Q95 and viewers worldwide on www.Comeseetv.com and on www.newmusiczone.com were delighted with the individual and group performances of the QTS 2011 singers. Matt Peltier, host of Q95’s QTS Show lists those who were chosen to go on to the semi finals show on Saturday October 1^st at the Arawak. Tickets for the semi finals show can be purchased at the Q95’s sales office. Patrons and supporters can look forward to a dynamic QTS semi final competition and are advised to buy their tickets early and overseas based people on particular are reminded to view the show via pay per view on ComeseeTV and Numusiczone.

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Economist Thompson Fontaine says Wikileaks Portray Prime Minister Skerrit as Very Unqualified and Overly Dependent, Easily Influenced by Leaders like Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, and Surrounded Himself with Yes-Men                         

Reporter: Shamalie Louis: Monday September 5th 2011 

Member of the news team at thedominican.net Dr Thompson Fontaine says the manner in which leaked cables from the website Wikileaks were written, paints Dominica’s Prime Minister as being a very unqualified and dependent person, and draws on influences from regional leaders.Dr. Fontaine says no current government ministers will stand against Mr. Skerrit and his questionable dealings because any form of internal opposition has been removed by him, through his selection of strictly yes-men to run for office for the DLP in the last general election in 2009.                                                                                          Back to top

DPSU General Secretary Thomas Letang says the Findings of a Public Works Corporation Think Tank, and Recommendations to Improve its Operational Viability, have been Submitted to Prime Minister Skerrit for Action                                                                 Press Release: Monday September 5th 2011    

General Secretary of the Dominica Public Service Union, Thomas Letang, says the findings of a think tank conducted by members of the Public Works Corporation have been submitted to Prime Minister Skerrit, along with recommendations suggested by the DPSU, to relieve some of the challenges facing that Public Service Corporation. Letang stresses again the injustice of overlooking Public Works laborers in favor of foreign workers in assigning local contractual tasks, especially considering the high skill level of the local workers as compared to that of the foreign companies hired.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Back to top

A Greenhouse and In-Field Production of Tomatoes & Sweet Peppers Workshop to be Hosted in Dominica by Collaboration between CARDI, IICA and the Florida Association for Volunteer Action in the Caribbean and the Americas (FAVACA)                Press Release: Monday September 5th 2011 

CARDI in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IlCA) and the Florida Association for Volunteer Action in the Caribbean and the Americas (FAVACA) and the Division of Agriculture are set to host a workshop on Greenhouse and In-Field Production of Tomatoes and Sweet Peppers in Dominica. The workshop will Conducted by Dr. Iosh Freeman of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and will assist the local farmers to better understand crop requirements and best practices from seed to post harvest for greenhouse and in-field production, as well as production success and management of bacterial wilt. A familiarization tour will take place on 12th September2011 and will include visits to Morne Prosper, Corona, Grande Savanna, Syndicate and Milton. This will be followed by an in-house technical session on 13th September, 2011 in the UWI Auditorium and a number of field trips to the villages of Warner and Milton; and culminating with a visit to the Portsmouth Agricultural Techniques Station, to look at Tomato grafting techniques.

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Brittany Baldwin of STR Inc. Hosts Presentation on September 7, to Teach Local Hoteliers & Other Stakeholders about STR’s Hotel Programs, and how to Use Occupancy Information to Make Better Business Decisions                                                                          Press Release: Monday September 5th 2011 

As part of efforts to improve and expand hotel occupancy data collection and the utilization of this key statistic, among Accommodation Sector stakeholders in Dominica, The Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), in conjunction with Invest Dominica Authority (IDA) have invited Ms. Brittany Baldwin of STR (Smith Travel Research, Inc.) to host a presentation on Wednesday September 7, 2011, to local hoteliers and other interested stakeholders on STR’s hotel programs and how hoteliers can utilize occupancy information to make better business decisions.  STR’s hotel survey reports allow hoteliers to measure promotions and annual property growth, and aid in making better budgeting decisions by providing vital comparative data to management.  STR (Smith Travel Research, Inc.) is the recognized leader in providing accurate, actionable information and analysis to the lodging industry. The STR is the world’s foremost source of hotel performance trends and offer the definitive global hotel database and development pipeline. Participation in the workshop and STR’s survey program is free and open to all interested hoteliers.  The workshop will begin 10:00AM at the NDFD Conference Room.

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                                                                                                        Jamaica at pivotal point in its development, says minister                 caribbeannetnews.com - Tuesday 18th March 2008  

Minister of Energy, Mining, and Telecommunications, Clive Mullings, has said that Jamaica is at a pivotal point in its development, largely defined by an enhanced capacity to access and disseminate information. Mullings, who was addressing the recent opening session of the Jamaica Community Access Point (CAP) Network Conference, attributed this development to the contribution of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in enhancing government business and enriching people's lives. "Worldwide access to information and communications technology is critical to poverty reduction, because it provides the opportunity for new sources of income and employment for the poor. It also will assist in improving the delivery of health and education services, and the competitiveness of our economy," he told the audience. Against this background, the Telecommunications Minister said it is essential that a realistic approach be taken to bridging the ICT gap, as this divide impacts "not only on matters such as income inequality and education, but also on issues such as location, whether rural or urban and infrastructure, as it relates to our e-readiness as a society". Mullings said the government is well aware that one of the downsides of the technology revolution is the potential for increasing the disparity between the "e-haves and the e-have-nots". "E-inclusion is critical to the mandate of our government and we will continue to maintain an emphasis on e-connectivity and access for all members of the society. E-government, e-connectivity. are going to be terms that are going to be a part of the language of societies the world over.the paradigm has changed and we need to ensure that we are at the forefront of that change," he stated. The Minister said however, that there are great prospects for modernization, particularly in areas such as the deployment of the submarine optical cable network in the Caribbean.

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Protestors converge on St Kitts over allegations of animal abuse    caribbeannetnews.com - Tuesday 18th March 2008   

Holding signs reading, "Ross University: Stop Torturing Animals", members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will hold a series of protests against the alleged maiming and killing of animals in laboratories at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine. PETA wrote to officials at Ross - which is owned by Chicago-based DeVry, Inc. - outlining students' concerns and explaining that other veterinary schools have switched from using animals to modern, humane alternatives, but the school's president has failed to take action. PETA pointed out that the experiments might also be in violation of St Kitts' cruelty-to-animals law. The first protest will be held at the university on Monday, and other protests will follow at RLB International Airport and the Government House: Because St Kitts law forbids causing "unnecessary suffering" to animals, PETA asked Attorney General Dennis Merchant to investigate the allegations and prosecute any offenders, but that request also went unanswered. "Ross veterinary students are forced to cut open dogs' stomachs and other organs, sever donkeys' nerves and ligaments and conduct other unnecessary procedures on animals before they kill them", says PETA Research Director Kathy Guillermo. "Ross should be teaching students how to heal animals - not mutilate and kill them."                                

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Chavez goads US over terrorism blacklist and sanctions                      caribbeannetnews.com - Tuesday 18th March 2008 

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez dared the United States on Friday to impose sanctions on his OPEC nation as a terrorism sponsor after US officials said they were investigating his support for Colombian rebels. The probe could prompt the Bush administration to put the self-styled socialist revolutionary on the list and impose sanctions on the major oil supplier to the United States. "They threatened to put us on the list of terrorists that they've got there. Great, let them make their list and shove it in their ... pocket," Chavez said with a pause for comic effect. The United States, which clashes with Chavez over everything from oil prices to arms sales, has pledged to investigate Colombian allegations this month that a rebel's computer files show Chavez offered the FARC $300 million (150 million pounds). The leftist, anti-US Chavez expresses sympathy for Marxist FARC rebels and has called for the United States and the European Union to stop labeling the group as terrorists, causing friction with neighbouring Colombia, a US ally. This year, Chavez has negotiated the release of six high-profile hostages held by the FARC. He says accusations he sponsors Latin America's oldest insurgency are part of a US plot to destabilize his OPEC nation. Five countries are currently on the US list: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. Venezuela is an ally of Cuba and Iran and has improved ties with the three other countries since Chavez came to power in 1999. It is not clear if blacklisting Venezuela would disrupt US purchases of its crude. President George W. Bush criticized Chavez this week as a demagogue who wastes record oil income in a country where there have been periodic food shortages in recent months. "The empire boss is desperate," Chavez said at a political rally in response to Bush's statements.

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