PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - AT their recent inter-sessional summit in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, Caribbean leaders called on the United States to comply with the ruling by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to end the long running dispute with Antigua on Internet gaming. They affirmed their “full support” for their CARICOM colleague in its fight against our giant neighbour to the north.
However, if past behaviour is any guide to future action, sceptics would be justified
in believing that the Barack Obama Administration will not behave any differently

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - An audit of a U.S. Agency for International Department program that aimed to boost Haiti's economy by providing loans to businesses has found that the program failed to award loans to intended targets, train workers and keep accurate records.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - THE RECENT DECISION by the United Nations to invoke “legal immunity” in support of its rejection of compensation claims by thousands of Haitian cholera victims poses an immediate challenge for the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
It’s of particular significance – coincidental or not – that the UN’s announcement of its rejection of damage claims on behalf of more than 5 000 Haitian cholera victims was made public within two days after President Michel Martelly had hosted Haiti’s first summit of CARICOM Heads of Government on February 18 and 19.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The lead attorney for the Barbados government, Queen Counsel Roger Forde, will continue his cross examination of Jamaican Shanique Myrie on Tuesday as the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) continues its first ever sitting here in the case in which the Jamaican national has sued Barbados.

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The 41st joint meeting of the Executive and Education Committees and 10th Practice Committee of the Regional Nursing Body agreed to the Caribbean Examination Council’s (CXC) proposal for an October 2013 start date for the Regional Nursing Entrance Examination (RENR).

CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana)      Ministers of Energy of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on Friday afternoon characterized a Meeting in Port of Spain, as historic, given their approval of the Regional Energy Policy that will guide the Community in its pursuit of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The approval of the policy was the highpoint of the Forty-First Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Energy held at the Hyatt Regency.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC - The Caribbean media fraternity is mourning the passing of veteran Caribbean journalist, Ainsley Sahai, who died on Saturday from an apparent heart attack. The Trinidad-born Caribbean journalist who made Barbados his home, worked with several organisations including the Caribbean News Agency (CANA) and played a role in the Caribbean Publishing and Broadcasting Association. Several journalists benefited from the many training sessions conducted by him across the region.

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – The founder of the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) and former prime minister Sir James Mitchell has again called on Arnhim Eustace, the man he handpicked to succeed him as leader of the party, to step down.
“My party needs to re-evaluate itself. It needs to understand in all honestly where they are,” Sir James, who retired from politics in 2000, said of the NDP, which he founded in 1975.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - It appears that Tillman Thomas will remain leader of Grenada’s National Democratic Congress (NDC)—at least until a general membership meeting of the party. The NDC, which had been in government since July 2008, suffered a humiliating 15-0 defeat by the New National Party (NNP) at general elections on February 19. But NDC deputy chairman, Ken Joseph, said that Thomas’s leadership has not been an issue in post-election discussions held by the party’s executive.