UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Three dozen arms control and human rights groups have written to US President Barack Obama ahead of new arms-trade negotiations at the United Nations next month, urging him to back a tough treaty that would end loopholes in international weapons sales. Arms control campaigners say one person every minute dies worldwide as a result of armed violence and a convention is needed to prevent the unregulated and illicit flow of weapons into conflict zones and fueling wars and atrocities.
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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Advocate - Americans are travelling once again to the Caribbean and visitor spending is beginning to rise. This was part of Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Beverly Nicholson-Doty’s, State of the Industry Report presented recently. “All indications are that Americans are coming back to the Caribbean in their customary numbers. US arrivals went up 4.1 per cent in 2012 when compared to 2011, holding steady with the pre-recession levels of five years earlier. US numbers increased in all of the reporting countries,” she stated.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Advocate - Other countries within the region would do well to learn from Barbados in terms of this country’s care for its elderly population. That is according to Caribbean Programme Co-ordinator and acting PAHO/WHO Represen-tative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Dr. Ernest Pate. He was speaking at the Multi Stakeholders Consultation on Healthy Ageing at the Savannah Beach Hotel yesterday. Pate pointed to Barbados’ record number of centenarians, maintaining that Barbados is ahead of other Caribbean countries in terms of elderly care.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Less than a week after he led the Barbados labour Party (BLP) into its second consecutive defeat, Owen Arthur, has been replaced as leader of the party. Mia Mottley, a former attorney general, who in 2010 lost the leadership of the BLP, was named as the new leader, by BLP executive member Gline Clarke flanked by 13 parliamentary members. The BLP lost the 2013 general election by a 16-14 margin.
CHARLESTOWN, Nevis, CMC – Leader of the main opposition Nevis reformation Party (NRP), Joseph Parry, is accusing the new administration here of victimisation and sending home at least 100 workers since it took up office following the January 22 Nevis Island Administration (NIA) election. Parry said the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) government of Premier Vance Amory is intent on “dismantling every programme that we developed during our term of office. “Under the guise of saving EC$250,000 (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) monthly- over 100 persons have been sent home without a job. Mr.
HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC - Community Development Minister Wayne Scott says government has ruled out giving the green light to same-sex marriages. Government said earlier this month it proposed to amend the island's Human Rights Act by adding sexual orientation to the list of prohibited categories of discrimination in the areas of the provision of goods, services and accommodation. But, he said, the changes will not go any further and same-sex marriages are not on the government's agenda.
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC - The United States Peace Corps says it is phasing out its operations in St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda after five decades of successfully meeting the their needs for trained people in education, health, agriculture, environment, youth and development, and community economic development.
MIAMI, CMC - A Jamaican national convicted of killing a Florida state trooper with a pipe bomb has been granted a temporary reprieve one day before he was to be executed by lethal injection. A United States federal district on Monday stayed the execution of Paul Augustus Howell, 47, allowing defense attorneys more time to appeal his case. Michael Ufferman, one of Howell’s attorneys, speculated however that prosecutors may appeal the judge’s ruling. Howell was convicted of killing Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Jimmy Fulford in February 1992.
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – A radio station has paid EC$206,122.37 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, representing the full payment for a defamation judgement the prime minister won following statements made by a radio host almost 10 years ago. “All the money was paid, but we paid in two tranches,” said social activist Junior Bacchus, who helped raise the money on behalf of Nice Radio.
ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Dominica said Monday it would continue to strengthen its relationship with Venezuela noting that the island had benefitted significantly over the past years. “You would be pleased to know that Venezuela continues to be a major source of development assistance for the Commonwealth of Dominica and therefore relations with your country remain a matter of high priority in Dominica’s foreign policy,” said President Eluid Williams as he accepted the credentials of newly appointed Venezuelan Ambassador Hayden Owanda Pirela Sanchez.