SmallShop Caribbean News

Barbados Free Press : "Governor General Sir Clifford Husbands dropped the writ today for St. John. Nomination Day will be January 5th and the vote will be January 20th. The Parliamentary seat has been vacant since the death of Prime Minister David Thompson." Related articles Barbados PM dies from cancer, successor appointed (nationalpost.com)

nationnews.com : "Minister of Environment, Water Resources and Drainage Dr Denis Lowe has reportedly been hospitalised in critical condition. His exact ailment is unknown but official sources have confirmed that the condition of the minister, who has been ill for the past several weeks, has worsened."

nationnews.com : "THIRTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD Melissa Holder of Danesbury, Black Rock, St Michael, suffered a miscarriage after being beaten by a man on Tuesday night. According to police public relations officer, Inspector David Welch, around 9:30 Holder reported that she was beaten by a man whom she knows in Boyce Land, Free Hill, Black Rock. He said that Holder, who was four months pregnant, sought refuge at a friend’s house, also in Danesbury, where she passed the foetus."

Image via Wikipedia nationnews.com : "Death stalked the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 2010 overshadowing many significant events such as the election of a first woman head of government in Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda and St. Maarten, as well as the continued impact of the global economic and financial crisis on the region. None of the 15-member CARICOM grouping was spared, as the hand of death swept across the region, transforming the capital of the French-speaking nation of Haiti into a massive graveyard and bringing about a change in the leadership of Government in Barbados. "

Authorities in Guatemala say they have seized hundreds of weapons and made several arrests in a crackdown against suspected drug gangs. The province of Alta Verapaz in Guatemala's indigenous highlands has been under a state of emergency, as government forces try to root out traffickers from neighbouring Mexico. Soldiers are patrolling towns in the area. Their mission is to dismantle the criminal organisations and to help the local police to restore order, according to Col Marco Tulio Vasquez. Related articles Zetas Cartel Threatens 'War' in Guatemala (foxnews.com) Guatemala moves against drug gang (bbc.co.uk) Guatemala captures 22 drug traffickers in sweep (reuters.com)

In September, President Barack Obama extended a decades old embargo against Cuba. In place since the 1960s, the embargo prohibits U.S. citizens and companies from trading with Cuban companies and purchasing Cuban products, including the popular Cuban cigars. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, however, has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of contraband cigars being sent illegally to the United States. Related articles New anti-terror rules thwart US Cuban cigar trade (msnbc.msn.com) 30,000 Cuban cigars seized in Chicago (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Al Jazeera English : "At least 45 people have been killed across Haiti due to accusations that they are using 'black magic' to spread cholera, the director of a Voodoo association says. Max Beauvoir, a voodoo priest, said on Friday most of the killings happened in the southern coastal town of Jeremie, where people were being lynched, set on fire and attacked with machetes. The priest also reported killings in Cap Haitien and the Central Plateau. 'They [victims] are being blamed for using voodoo to contaminate people with cholera,' Beauvoir said. 'My call is to the authorities so they can assume their responsibilities.'"

thisisplymouth "A Westcountry couple who were attacked by an intruder with a machete at their holiday home in Tobago have spoken of the Caribbean island's violent underworld. In August 2009 Peter and Murium Green were assaulted by a man who walked into their garden as they lay dozing. Although the couple, from Wellington, West Somerset initially defended the island's reputation as a slice of paradise, they have now changed their minds, according a report in the Daily Mail. The change was sparked by a visit from Tobago's minister for tourism Farid Hinds, to their Somerset home during which he brought gifts of a miniature steel drum and a sarong. The couple said they invited him in and in return Mr Hinds asked them to return to Tobago to take part in its annual carnival. Mrs Green, 61, told the Daily Mail: 'He wanted us to sit on a float and tell everybody what a fantastic country Tobago is.'"

National Post : "The Ajax woman who testified against her husband in a Jamaican courtroom after he allegedly slashed her throat and left her for dead during their vacation has returned home. Avoiding packs of media gathered at both arrival terminals at Pearson International Airport, 34-year-old Cathy Lee Martin disembarked a plane from Kingston, Jamaica, at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, and left the Toronto airport through a side door, airport officials said." Related articles Throat-slashing victim returns home (thestar.com) Canadian charged with slashing wife's throat remanded in custody in Jamaica (globaltvbc.com)

Barbados Free Press : "Doctor Richard G. Ishmael was suspended by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for daring to put into writing his observations and concerns about Dr. Alfred Sparman’s actions and qualifications – and also his questions about the troubling apparent relationships between Doctor Sparman, the Director of Medical Services, the Minister of Health and unknown staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital acting as “moles” for The Sparman Clinic." Related articles Ishmael suspended by QEH (news.smallshop.com) Guyanese cardiologist demands apology from Bajan colleague (news.smallshop.com)

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "TSTT CENTRAL Office Engineer Keith Butcher, 56, was gunned down yesterday morning at his Tacarigua home by suspected car thieves. Butcher, the second TSTT worker to be shot dead within the past two months, is the nation’s 478th murder victim for this year."

Kaieteur News : "A serving Major in the Guyana Defence Force, Bruce Munroe, his wife Carol-Ann Munroe, a mother of three and the proprietrix of a private school, and former army reserve officer Leonard Wharton, have all been charged with plotting to depose the President and Government of Guyana. They were arrested last Thursday following a year-long investigation, according to the police. The trio who were all heavily shackled made their way to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer the charge of treason before Magistrate Priya Beharry." Related articles treason charges against Afro Guyanese stoke elections fire (propagandapress.wordpress.com) treason is not mentioned in the Guyana constitution (propagandapress.wordpress.com)

JamaicaObserver.com : "AN explosive device presumed to be destined for Jamaica, ignited yesterday while being off-loaded from an American Airlines plane, disrupting operations at the heavily trafficked Miami International Airport. No one was reported injured in the incident, which occurred at 11:30 am but airport authorities shut down four gates, stalling operations for several hours at the usually congested Florida, United States airport."

Stabroek News - Guyana : "he Acting Director of the Seismic Research Centre of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr Joan Latchman, is warning Caribbean countries to be prepared for an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0, according to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC). CMC said that the warning came after Trinidad and Tobago was shaken by a 5.1 magnitude quake on Sunday night."

Dominica.net : "A prominent local doctor in Dominica is calling for the banning of all BB, and air guns in Dominica after eight people were admitted to the Princess Margaret Hospital suffering from pellet wounds. Guns like the one pictured above is posing a security threat. Dr Hazel Ricketts, a leading eye specialist made the call on a local radio station after she said that she was called out several times over the Christmas holidays to deal with eye injuries suffered by several individuals. The BB guns, which look like real weapons are been imported into Dominica mainly by the Chinese establishments on the island, and has found its way in the hands of children using the weapons as toys."

Reuters : "MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali pirates seized an Antigua and Barbuda-flagged ship in the Gulf of Aden while it was heading towards the Suez Canal, maritime sources said on Tuesday. Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, told Reuters the 5,200 dead weight tonne cargo vessel had about eight crew, but said so far it was unclear who owned the vessel."

BBC News "Cuba says it will publish on the internet more than 2,000 US diplomatic cables released by the website Wikileaks. The aim is to highlight US 'imperialist' policy and efforts to 'subvert' the Cuban revolution, the official Cubadebate.cu website said. The first seven documents, translated into Spanish, are already on the site."

Bermuda Sun. "A 26-year-old mother will spend Christmas in jail after admitting she smuggled $250,000 worth of cannabis into Bermuda. Shanae Ashley Vanderpool today pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to conspiring with others not before the courts to import cannabis and possessing cannabis, that was intended for supply. The motive, her lawyer intimated, was “need rather than greed”. Crown counsel Cindy Clarke told the court that Vanderpool, of Pembroke, arrived in Bermuda on a commercial flight from Canada on December 21."

Amandala Online : "A saga of recurrent misunderstandings and the exchange of threats of bodily harm between two Maya Mopan families in the environs of Belmopan climaxed in a bloody fracas that may have left a mother of three, Isabella Ochoa, 27, without one of her arms after it was almost completely severed by a machete. According to the villagers of Maya Mopan, there has always been trouble between the Ochoa and the Ico families. But on this particular weekend, Saturday, December 18, one of the feuding families finally went a step further, from rhetoric to action."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "As thousands around the country celebrated Christmas yesterday, a Laventille woman was coming to terms with the news that her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter had been killed in a vehicular accident on Friday night. With tears streaming down her face seated in her daughter’s apartment at Burke Terrace, El Socorro Extension yesterday, Ingrid Watterton said, “I was just hoping it was a dream.”"

Stabroek News - Guyana : "Trinidad Express) “All she wanted for Christmas was a dolly. She said, ‘Granny, I would like to have a dolly for Christmas please. Love you granny, bye granny.’ I got the doll for her. Just what she asked for and that was it.” These were the words of Ingrid Watterton, as tears rolled down her face, remembering her granddaughter, two-year-old Renisha Lewis, who was one of five persons killed during a road traffic accident in Arouca on Friday."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday INTELLIGENCE received by Government shows the recent surge in murders was a result of a turf war between gangs over illegal drugs. Minister in the Ministry of National Security Subhas Panday said information which Government received suggested these murders took place because “the gangs had clashed.”

NationNews Barbados A GOOD-HEARTED, fun-loving man who followed the wrong crowd. This is how the family of slain Sheldon Obrian Taylor, 28, of Lodge Road, Christ Church, described the young man who lost his life when he was shot on Wednesday around 9:30 p.m. while riding aboard a ZR plying the Silver Hill route. “Sheldon wasn’t troublesome but he got into trouble. He had his issues like anybody else, but beyond that he would give you whatever he had if you needed it,” said cousin Kimberly Herbert.

nationnews.com IT’S a sad Christmas for two families who are mourning the loss of two young men who died after a stabbing incident at Halls Road, St Michael, on Wednesday evening. Dead are Roderick Renaldo Jones, 22, of Kew Land, Redman Village, St Thomas, and 24-year-old Christopher Jermaine Charles of School Lane, Halls Road, St Michael. Police public relations officer Inspector David Welch confirmed that the incident occurred sometime after 1:50 p.m. A third man was involved but his injuries were not serious.

nationnews.com IT’S a sad Christmas for two families who are mourning the loss of two young men who died after a stabbing incident at Halls Road, St Michael, on Wednesday evening. Dead are Roderick Renaldo Jones, 22, of Kew Land, Redman Village, St Thomas, and 24-year-old Christopher Jermaine Charles of School Lane, Halls Road, St Michael. Police public relations officer Inspector David Welch confirmed that the incident occurred sometime after 1:50 p.m. A third man was involved but his injuries were not serious.

JamaicaObserver.com : "THE Jamaican government is being tight-lipped about allegations that the wife of Prime Minister Bruce Golding tried to present the extradition request for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke as a conspiracy against her husband and his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration. Lorna Golding is reported to have done so during a meeting at her house with a United States Embassy official in Kingston last December, according to the latest United States diplomatic cable released by whistleblower media outfit WikiLeaks and carried in a report by the Guardian newspaper yesterday."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "A Central bailiff has apologised for killing a gunman who attempted to rob him and two others as they conducted business at a law office in Couva yesterday morning. Ramkarran Ramparass, 50, of Mission Road, Freeport, a bailiff for the past 25 years said he was forced to draw his licensed firearm on the gunman and his accomplice who was also carrying a gun."

Caribarena Antigua News | "The seven members of the Antigua Labour Party charged with contravening sections of the Public Order Act when they addressed an Antigua Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) rally on Labour Day 2009 have been found guilty, convicted, and fined by Senior Magistrate Ivan Walter. But the verdict has brought strong condemnation from one of the seven, ALP Chairman Gaston Browne, who described it as a 'travesty of justice' and said the magistrate erred in his ruling."

Subscription - Stabroek News - Guyana : "Lobsang Hassan, 30, was late last month sentenced to life imprisonment in a London Court after he was found guilty of murder and attempted murder, according to a report in the Croydon Guardian."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "Just four days before Christmas, two mothers were among five persons murdered in a horrific shooting spree between Sunday night and yesterday morning. A 14-year-old girl is also fighting for her life in hospital, a victim of this latest wave of brutal gun attacks."

Orlando Sentinel : "Hurricane season ended Nov. 30, yet three weeks later another tropical system has formed in the Caribbean Sea, the National Hurricane Center confirmed this afternoon. Forecasters say a 'small but well defined' system has formed about 275 miles east-southeast of Barbados. Areas are getting hit by scattered showers, and right now conditions are 'not conducive' for the system to develop into a tropical cyclone."

The Guardian : "More than two years before he touched down in a helicopter at Lord's cricket ground bearing $20m, US diplomats were so concerned about rumours of 'bribery, money-laundering and political manipulation' surrounding Allen Stanford that they avoided contacting him or being photographed with him. The extent of the widespread concern among embassy staff in Bridgetown, Barbados, where Stanford invested millions of dollars in Caribbean cricket before his empire came crashing down after being accused of an $8bn fraud of 'shocking magnitude' and arrested by the FBI, will raise fresh questions about the wisdom of the England and Wales Cricket Board in getting into bed with him in June 2008."

Jamaica Gleaner News One person who claims to have escaped Sunday's vicious predawn attack that left three family members dead in Bedward Gardens, St Andrew, yesterday painted a picture of the terror unleashed by a group of heavily armed gunmen the police claim were led by the nation's most wanted man, Christopher 'Dog Paw' Linton. At the same time, the Police High Command turned up the heat on Linton yesterday, releasing pictures and a profile of the accused gang leader who has managed to elude them for months."

Kaieteur News : "The man said that he suspects that Ludwig must have gone to his back door to urinate as usual, when he lost his balance and fell over, as the back door has no verandah or rails. There was a clear indentation in the sand, which indicated that the man fell on his head. Informed sources later told the family that the man’s neck was broken."

Kaieteur News : "The members of the Bell West Orange Heights Baptist Church were left without a church leader yesterday after their pastor was detained for allegedly subjecting his wife to a horrific beating. The 33-year-old woman, who had visible injuries to her face and upper body, alleged that she was kicked several times by her spouse on Friday night. She told Kaieteur News that the beating was not the first she had received at the hands of her husband but it was one of the worst. She told Kaieteur News that she finally believed that his threats to kill her were serious after he tried to throw her off a second floor balcony. This, she said, was enough to push her to flee from her home just before dawn the following day."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "MESSY financial records at the Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO) as well as pending concerns over the terms of a legal agreement to be signed by policyholders upon receipt of their money have been main factors which have delayed the Government’s moves to pay out claims to Clico policyholders under the terms of a Government bailout, according to reports. On Saturday, Finance Minister Winston Dookeran said that it was unlikely that policyholders will be paid before Christmas. He maintained the possibility of a payout before the end of the year but, for the first time, suggested that this may have to be pushed back to January 2011."

British Caribbean "CaribWorldNews, NEW YORK, NY, Sat. Dec. 18, 2010: A former Guyanese parliamentarian has been sentenced to life in prison for a terror plot to detonate the fuel system under John F. Kennedy International Airport. Abdul Kadir along with former airline cargo worker Russell Defreitas and Abdel Nur are`believed their attack would cause extensive damage to the airport and to the New York economy, as well as the loss of numerous lives,` the Justice Department said after the sentencing in Brooklyn federal court."

The Royal Gazette : "A judge advised taxi drivers who fear being attacked to carry “a good piece of wood” or a bat, but not a knife or gun in their cab. Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves made the comments before freeing a taxi driver from jail seven months into his three-year sentence for possessing a knife and machete. Gladwin Cann’s lawyer argued he should never have been convicted, as he had the machete in his cab for his job as a landscape gardener and the knife to eat steak with. While Mr Justice Greaves condemned what Cann did, he acknowledged that some taxi drivers are scared to go about their work due to the threat of violence. “If I was driving a taxi God forbid, that’s one of the jobs I never want, I don’t want that or to be a prison officer but I would say that a good piece of wood does a lot of work,” he commented."

Jamaica Gleaner News "The grisly predawn murder of three persons, including a six-year-old boy, yesterday has enraged a leading clergyman who called on other church leaders to vigorously support recently passed anti-crime legislation which some legal experts have deemed unconstitutional and draconian. Head of the Church of God in Jamaica, the Rev Lenworth Anglin, said churches must take a stand against rampaging gangsters. Anglin spoke with The Gleaner on Sunday hours after the bloodletting in Bedward Gardens, St Andrew, which has been linked to the notorious Christopher Linton, otherwise called 'Dog Paw', who the police have painted as a deadly crime lord implicated in several murders and shootings."

Image via Wikipedia Tourism minister bubbling as winter season opens JamaicaObserver.com : "MONTEGO BAY, St James — A seven per cent increase in stopover arrivals for the first two weeks of December and yesterday’s coming of 12,000 cruise ship passengers to Montego Bay and Ocho Rios has sparked renewed optimism that the winter tourist season will be successful. “The 2010/11 winter season has really begun with a bang!” said an elated Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett as he reviewed yesterday’s official start of the winter tourist season." Related articles Hotels in Jamaica (telegraph.co.uk) Jamaica offers free vacation to rescued Chile miners (flycaribbean.com)

Stabroek News - Guyana : "A young Linden woman died during delivery yesterday at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), becoming the latest in the growing list of maternity deaths for the year." Related articles Mabura woman succumbs at GPHC after delivery (news.smallshop.com)

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "IN THE FACE of moves by a Bahamian liquidator to have disclosure of documents in relation to a web of over 65 companies with ties to Clico (Bahamas) Limited and to get an order for $773.4 million in the Trinidad and Tobago courts from CL Financial, former CL Financial chairman Lawrence Duprey filed a court motion to block surrender of documents arguing that this would violate his personal privacy. The court action is disclosed in two wide-ranging court reports filed in the Supreme Court of the Bahamas last month by the official liquidator of Clico (Bahamas) Limited, Craig Gomez." Related articles CL Financial called a scandal of monumental proportions (news.smallshop.com) Sir Gavin to probe CLICO,HCU (news.smallshop.com)

"A call to duty ended in tragedy for a fire officer on Wednesday night. Christopher Edwards, 53, was electrocuted and killed when he came into contact with a live Barbados Light & Power cable after responding to an emergency call. Details remained sketchy up to Press time . Edwards’ wife, Cheryl, was on the scene and spoke to the media. “I was home in the gallery with a neighbour when I got a call from the fire service asking for him. I told them to call him. I told my neighbour ‘I would hate to get a call and hear my husband died’ and quick so I get a call from somebody telling me to come to the scene,” she said."

Image via Wikipedia nationnews.com : "KINGSTOWN – The ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) of Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves won an historic third consecutive term in office fighting off a strong battle from the main opposition New Democratic Labour Party (NDP) in yesterday’s general election. Supporters of the ULP took to the streets in celebration after the preliminary results showed that the party had won eight of the 15 seats contested in the general election, while the NDP, which had three seats in the last parliament increased that tally to seven." Related articles St. Vincent and Grenadines PM confident of victory (foxnews.com) ULP celebrates Gonsalves' election win (news.smallshop.com)

nationnews.com : "SENIOR CONSULTANT CARDIOLOGIST Dr Richard Ishmael has been suspended from duties at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH). Ishmael, personal physician to late Prime Minister David Thompson, was last weekend relieved of his consultancy for a month by hospital management.The development is believed to be centred around correspondence sent last month by Ishmael to the QEH’s director of medical services in which he made certain statements about Minister of Health Donville Inniss and heart specialist Dr Alfred Sparman." Related articles Guyanese cardiologist demands apology from Bajan colleague (news.smallshop.com)

JamaicaObserver.com : "SHARON Hay-Webster yesterday flatly refused to comment on the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) application in the Supreme Court challenging her eligibility to sit in Parliament. 'I have no comment; I have nothing to say about anything,' Hay Webster, the Opposition People's National Party member of parliament for South Central St Catherine told the Observer yesterday."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : newsday.co.tt : : "WELLINGTON Preserve Corporation, a South Florida equestrian real-estate development company which held a secret bank account at State-owned First Citizens Bank (FCB), is not registered in this country, according to online company registry searches done yesterday. The South Florida company benefitted from funds from Clico (Bahamas) Limited, which is a subsidiary company within TT’s CL Financial Group, once chaired by Lawrence Duprey."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "TOBAGO is “traumatised” by crime, Minister for Tobago Affairs Vernella Alleyne-Toppin said on Friday as she mooted the possibility of a universal right to bear firearms and revealed that a lack of sniffer dogs in Tobago is hindering the ability of Tobago police officers to conduct investigations." Related articles TT vulnerable to cyber crimes (news.smallshop.com) Gunmen on a Rampage (news.smallshop.com)

JamaicaObserver.com : "AT least two female students of the Spanish Town High School in St Catherine are now hospitalised, in serious condition, following a bloody brawl on Ellis Street in the parish yesterday morning. An officer at the Spanish Town Police Station confirmed the incident, which occurred about 9:00. According to the police, the two were attacked and stabbed repeatedly by another student following an altercation on the busy roadway."

JamaicaObserver.com : "THE police yesterday dug up two decomposed bodies from shallow graves on a large empty lot in Westchester, Portmore, St Catherine which detectives believe was being used by gangsters to bury their victims. The Constabulary Communication Network last night identified one of the bodies as that of 32-year-old labourer Esmond Morris of Cumberland, also in Portmore. Morris, who went missing on December 6, had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head. The second body is yet to be identified." Related articles 3 bodies found at construction site in Jamaica (foxnews.com)

In Haiti, protests over a disputed presidential election have turned deadly with rival candidates asking supporters to take to the streets. Electoral officials are now saying there will be a recount of votes from last month's poll. But as Al Jazeera's Imtiaz Tyab reports from the capital Port-au-prince, that message has not stopped the violence. Related articles video--HAITI - Presidential run-off set for January amid new protests (news.smallshop.com) Haiti must follow through on electoral process: Jean (ctv.ca) video--Protests turn violent in Haiti (news.smallshop.com) Bill Clinton backs Haiti rebuild (bbc.co.uk)

Jamaica Gleaner News "An off-duty policeman came to the rescue of a boy, who appeared to be no more than eight years old. The child was observed being punished by his mother Wednesday afternoon on Sutton Street in downtown Kingston. The woman, 30-year-old Keisha Taylor, a vendor of a Duke Street address, was spotted slamming her son's face into the wall of a building by her stall. District Constable Troy Lewis, who happened to be walking by, had to restrain the woman."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "RELATIVES of businesswoman Eula Mayo, 61, and her son Hayden, 28, who were both shot and critically wounded by thieves at their Reid Lane, Arima home on December 1, are planning to move them to a secret medical facility after several threats were made that both mother and son are to be killed. The police are taking these death threats seriously and have armed officers guarding the two as they continue to recover from their near death experience."

JamaicaObserver.com : "POLICE say that one of Jamaica's most wanted man, Christopher Linton, otherwise called 'Dog Paw', will be safe in their hands following an article published in today's Observer in which a relative said that he is fearful of being killed by them. ''Dog Paw' has nothing to fear from the police. If as the article states he wants to give himself up, he can do so with his attorney in the quickest possible time. (The) Attorney representing Linton can make contact with the police and arrangements will be made for him to give himself up,' said Superintendent in charge of the St Andrew Central Police Division, Derrick 'Cowboy' Knight."

JamaicaObserver.com : "BELIZE CITY, Belize (CMC) — The main opposition People's United Party (PUP) in Belize as well as a smaller group, the Vision Inspired by the People (VIP), have come out strongly against a government decision to boycott Belize's largest television station, Great Belize Television which broadcasts on channel 5. In an unprecedented move, government announced Tuesday following a cabinet meeting that: 'effective immediately, the Government of Belize is suspending normal relations with Channel 5 and Great Belize Productions'."

Image by Getty Images via @daylife JamaicaObserver.com : "HOUSTON, Texas (CMC) — Disgraced financier Allen Stanford claims that prescription drugs have left him impaired and unable to assist lawyers in preparing for his criminal trial. Stanford, former chairman of Stanford Financial Group, alleges in an Opposed Motion for Bond he filed on Monday that his 'mental, emotional, and physical health are drastically deteriorating'. He alleges that prior to his detention, which began in June 2009, he did not take prescription medication, but he is currently prescribed a 'variety' of medications due to his incarceration that have him in an 'unfocused and numbed state-of-mind'." Related articles Lawyer Claims Allen Stanford Too Medicated to Stand Trial Next Month (news.smallshop.com) Allen Stanford: Brokers face charges (guardian.co.uk)

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "IN AN attempt to protect his praying wife from two thieves who broke into their home in Petit Valley in the pre-dawn hours yesterday, Roy Anthony Rosales, 52, rolled on top of her and while fighting off one of the masked attackers he was fatally shot in his back. Rosales and his wife Diane were asleep in bed when, at about 2.30 am, two masked men dressed in camouflage clothing and gloves broke down the door to their one-room concrete home at LP 58 Phillip Charles Road, Petit Valley."

Stabroek News - Guyana : "Reports of “nuggets of gold” being found around the remote Region Nine community of Para Bara have sent residents in surrounding communities in a frenzy with many heading or making plans to trek to the forested area, according to reports from the region."

Kaieteur News : "A Mayor and City Council worker who has been bicycling miles to work for the last 25 years made his last journey to work yesterday. Suresh Sawh, 47, called ‘Ramesh’ of 136, Fourth Street, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara became the latest victim of a fatal accident that occurred in the vicinity of UG Road, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara yesterday. Sawh died at 5:20hrs when Rav4 PJJ-8098 hit him while he was riding his bicycle to the city."

Bad news for Grade 4 literacy JamaicaObserver.com : "THE number of students achieving mastery in this year's Grade Four Literacy Test has fallen. Sixty-seven per cent of primary and all-age school students who sat the test in June achieved mastery, a drop of four percentage points from the 71 per cent last year, when compared with June 2009, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Education."

WSJ : "Well, this is a new one to us: a criminal defendant claiming he’s too drugged up to prepare for his upcoming trial. But when it comes to the saga of jailed financier Allen Stanford, we’ve learned that the bizarre is normal, the unexpected all too commonplace. In any event, this is the claim, that according to his lawyer, Stanford is too medicated to prepare for or testify at his January trial, at which he’ll defend himself against charges that he led a $7 billion investment fraud. Click here for the Bloomberg story on Stanford’s latest claim. The claim came packaged in a request for bail made by Stanford’s lawyer, Ali Fazel. Stanford has been locked up since June 2009, when he was indicted on fraud charges."

Maeva Bambuck reports from Port-au-Prince on the latest developments in Haiti's presidential election.Presidential candidate Jude Celestin and former first lady Mirlande Manigat will face each other in a January 16 run-off vote, Haitian officials said on Tuesday, as disenfranchised voters launched new protests in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Related articles Haiti election goes to Manigat vs Celestin run-off - Reuters (news.google.com) Haitian candidate calls for calm (bbc.co.uk) Haiti protesters attack party HQ (bbc.co.uk)

nationnews.com : "The body of a 90-year-old man was discovered early this morning in a track leading to Brighton Beach St Michael. Fred Parris of Stanmore Terrace, Black Rock St Michael, is believed to have died from stab wounds inflicted by an unknown assailant."

Bermuda Sun "Bermuda is facing a long and deepening recession that will see more jobs disappear and could see wages frozen or cut for staff in most professions. Analysts predict it will be 2012 at the earliest before the gloom surrounding our economic fortunes lifts. Economist Craig Simmons said Bermuda’s situation closely resembles that of Ireland, which had to be bailed out by fellow European Union members, resulting in wage cuts across the board to satisfy creditors." Related articles Unemployed Bermudians' Fury as new jobs are found for Uyghurs (nowpublic.com)

Stabroek News - Guyana : "(Barbados Nation) “Short-sighted!” is how attorney-at-law Latchman Kissoon views the recent hike in immigration fees. The increases will see Caricom nationals paying in some cases twice more than they previously did for services from the Immigration Department. Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler announced the increase during his Budget presentation two weeks ago. He said at the time that Government was seeking to raise an additional Bds$4 million in revenue from the Immigration Department this financial year and this would be earned in fees charged." Related articles Guyanese cardiologist demands apology from Bajan colleague (news.smallshop.com) Budget 2010 - Hike In Passports, Immigration Fees & VAT (bimchat.wordpress.com)

Jamaica Gleaner News "The St Andrew Police Division is not ruling out yesterday's shooting attack on a police team in Bedward Gardens, St Andrew, as retaliation for a clampdown on an alleged lucrative illegal sand-mining operation near the Hope River. The gun attack has been linked by the cops to hoodlums affiliated with alleged gangster Christopher Linton, known as 'Dog Paw', who has eluded police dragnets for months."

The Bahama Journal "The Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) officer, who was shot during a sting operation last week, died in hospital yesterday. According to police, 47-year-old Inspector Archie Miller was with a team of officers on an operation in southeastern New Providence sometime around 5:00 a.m. last Thursday, when he was shot in the chest. According to reports, Miller was accidentally shot by another officer. He was rushed into surgery a short time later at Doctor’s Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries Sunday afternoon. It is unclear if the shooter would face charges or if this incident would be deemed a homicide. This is the second officer to be shot in less than a month."

The Advocate : "A 26-year-old member of a Jamaican gay rights group was found stabbed to death Friday in what activists said could be a hate crime. The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays said the activist’s dead body was discovered behind an insurance company building in Kingston, according to the Associated Press. His name was being withheld pending notification of relatives."

The low-lying Carribean nation of Guyana is on the frontline in the battle against rising seas. The majority of Guyana's population lives on its coastline, which is below sea level and heavy rainfall often makes things much worse. Now this poor nation spends five to six million dollars a year - money it can ill afford - building up damaged sea walls, maintaining sluice gates which close when the tide is high and purchasing new equipment to pump the water back out to sea when the tide is low. Al Jazeera's John Terrett reports from Georgetown. Related articles Gay Bashing In Georgetown, Guyana - A Gay Man Shares His Experiences (news.smallshop.com) Guyana asks Interpol to help capture 'terror' suspects (news.smallshop.com)

Stabroek News - Guyana : "A mother of two got the shock of her life yesterday afternoon when her 10-year old son hanged himself as she desperately sought the release of her older son from police custody. Dead is 10-year old St Paul’s Primary School, Plaisance student Christopher Bernard called ‘Owen’, whose address was given as Lot 17, Prince William Street, Plaisance and Lot 65, Better Hope South, both on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD)."

Police fire tear gas during violent clashes as anger grows over Haiti's presidential elections.

Stabroek News - Guyana : "(Barbados Nation) Two of Barbados’ most prominent heart specialists Dr Richard Ishmael and Dr Alfred Sparman are at it again. But this time around, Minister of Health Donville Inniss has been drawn into a dispute that may be headed to the law courts. At issue is a November 17 letter addressed to the director of medical services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Dr Delores Lewis, and circulated to several top hospital officials by consultant cardiologist Ishmael. In it, Ishmael, personal physician to late Prime Minister David Thompson, raised concerns about the welfare of cardiac patient Graham Cotterell, a British visitor, who was admitted to the critical care section of the Department of Medicine at the QEH on October 13 for treatment. Ishmael made several damning allegations that have drawn legal responses from both Sparman and the minister, the latter giving him until December 15 to issue an apology and pay damages of Bds$60 000."

ndtv "He spoke against racism in his songs, but reggae legend Bob Marley's angst over his mixed-race background led him to 'blacken' his trademark dreadlocks with shoe polish. A new book I&I: The Natural Mystics: Marley, Tosh and Wailer claims that the Jamaican-born icon was insecure over his race and desperately wanted to fit in, reported Guardian online. In the book, his widow Rita Marley recalls how her husband, born to a white father and a black mother, asked her to 'rub shoe polish in his hair to make it more black, make it more African.' The author, Colin Grant, interviewed some of the singer's relatives and those close to him for the book, which will be published in January." Related articles Bob Marley's Family Loses Copyright Dispute (theroot.com) Rihanna Builds a Shrine to Bob Marley (inquisitr.com)