SmallShop Caribbean News

No bail application was made by Vybz Kartel's attorneys on his behalf today as the court wanted to verify claims that complaints were made to Public Defender Earl Witter by witnesses who claimed they were being intimidated by persons loyal to the embattled Deejay...

nationnews.com : "Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Irene Sandiford-Garner, became one of the latest victims in the BlackBerry cellphone theft craze that has been occurring daily. On Wednesday night, while sitting in her vehicle in SuperCentre Warrens supermarket car park, the 50-year-old mother of two was attacked by a masked, knife-wielding robber, who demanded her BlackBerry cellphone."

A 23 year old man from Deaux Font is calling for justice after what he says was police brutality by the hands of police. Kyle Flaviuse says he was severely beaten by two officers after being wrongly accused of stealing a man's bike. The family of the alleged has expressed outrage over the whole matter and registered their disgust with what they say appears to be a lack of justice when it comes to brutality committed by the police.

Cuban officials are hoping to introduce a new cancer treatment drug to Saint Lucia. an initial exploratory visit was undertaken by a Cuban team under the patronage of the Cuban Ambassador to Saint Lucia. The Cuban team met with the members of the press of Wednesday to introduce the Vidatox cancer treatment.

-- nationnews.com : "THE BARBADOS ECONOMY continues to falter, according to the latest analysis by the Central Bank of Barbados . And it has been forecast that “prospects of a full recovery from the economic recession have become more distant because of the weakened growth prospects for the United States, [Britain] and other advanced economies”."

Forbes.com : "SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Hundreds of teachers, farmers and union members have gathered outside the Dominican Republic's Congress to demand the government spend more on public education. They want the government to allocate 4 percent of the Caribbean nation's gross domestic product to education as required by law. The 2012 proposed budget allocates a little less than 2.5 percent." Related articles Aide to top Dominican drug official shot to death (news.smallshop.com) Group: DomRep annuls ethnic Haitians's citizenship (AP) (crawlnet.wordpress.com)

 WSJ : "In a report Wednesday, the Daily Telegraph alleges the video shows members of the Caribbean soccer union (known as the CFU) listening to a speaker off-camera who says they must decide whether to accept bin Hammam’s offer of $40,000 each, and urges them to vote for him over the incumbent, Joseph “Sepp” Blatter , in a presidential election to lead Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA." Related articles Video shows Warner discussing cash payments (vanguardngr.com) Footage shows Jack Warner discussing cash gifts (independent.co.uk)

 Amandala Online : "At press time tonight, police have confirmed to Amandala that prominent massage therapist and acupuncturist , Kevin Lee, a Taiwanese/Belizean businessman who owns several chiropractic establishments in Belize City, remains detained by Los Angeles (LA) authorities.   Police allege that Lee has recorded over six thousand videos of his clients in intimate, compromising moments, without their knowledge.   On the local front, these allegations were kept under wraps by police because Lee had absconded from the country after learning that the police had discovered his operation." 'via Blog this'

Image via Wikipedia CNN.com : "Homicide rates in Central America and the Caribbean are nearing a "crisis point," according to a United Nations report. Across Central America, homicide rates have increased in five out of eight countries over the past five years, with Honduras seeing homicide rates more than double between 2005 and 2010. Mexico saw a 65% increase over the same period. Homicide rates have also surged in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Dominican Republic." Related articles UN study: Homicides soar in Central America (ctv.ca)

Image via Wikipedia The Washington Post : "The tropical atmosphere has been unusually biased against Atlantic hurricane development this season. As discussed in my last post, global-scale mechanisms have stacked the odds against it, nudging the general circulation into a regime that has so far been really dry, and really stable (unusually warm aloft) for long periods over the Atlantic, Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico. Time and time again, the conditions have been especially unkind to hurricane production. Never before in our records have so few hurricanes (5) developed from so many named systems (16)." Related articles Ghost of Tropical Storm Ophelia lurks outside the Caribbean (news.smallshop.com)

Human Rights Lawyer, Mary Francis is calling on members of the public to come out in large numbers to support a scheduled protest march against what she says are the perennial problems plaguing the Registry and the Justice System.

TheChronicleHerald.ca : "The company that owns Nova Scotia Power has agreed to sell its interest in a Caribbean utility company for US$25.6 million to one of its subsidiaries. Emera Caribbean Ltd. will sell its 19.1 per cent stake to an investment company that owns Barbados Light & Power Company Ltd. Both companies are subsidiaries of Emera Inc. , a Halifax-based utility company that also owns Nova Scotia Power. The buyer of Emera’s St. Lucia investment is Light and Power Holdings, which is 80 per cent owned by Emera. LPH was created to take advantage of potential investment opportunities in and outside of Barbados." 'via Blog this'

The decision by Prime Minister Stephenson King to endorse Richard Fredrick as the party's candidate has not sat well with opposition parties. They say the Prime Minister's decision is hurting the image of the country and has called on him to act decisively to safeguard the island's reputation and its friendly relations with the US.

ANDREW Holness was this morning given the backing of the Jamaica Labour Party's parliamentary group to be the next leader of the ruling party and subsequently Prime Minister.

 Antigua Observer Newspaper : "ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The debate is once again raging over whether restrictions should be placed on the public broadcast of music and other media that include a heavy violent and sexual content. The discussion was sparked yesterday after Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Palmer, one of the most popular global dancehall stars, was arrested and slapped with multiple charges including murder and conspiracy to murder in his homeland Jamaica. The social networks were abuzz with activity on Tuesday as the news of Palmer’s arrest sparked heated debate on the place of violent and sexual music in society." 'via Blog this' Related articles Kartel's music banned in Guyana a month after missing show (naisentertainment.wordpress.com) Kartel's arrest could be first of many in Jamaica music industry, Police say (naisentertainment.wordpress.com)

Amandala Online : "Belizean-American R&B singer and songwriter, Gilani Taylor, 27, is fighting for her life at the County- USC Medical Center after she survived a terrible traffic accident that killed her 9-year-old daughter, Jayla Taylor, on Saturday, October 1, on the Ventura 101 Freeway in Calabasas, California.   Gilani suffered 3rd degree burns to 90 per cent of her body.            According to international media reports, Gilani and Jayla were travelling in a 1995 Chrysler Sedan on Saturday at around 8:00 a.m., when suddenly, Gilani lost control and veered off the road. The car then hit the center divider and then ran into a tanker carrying liquid nitrogen." 'via Blog this'

 Kaieteur News : "Two months ago, he was caught with his pants down after sexually molesting a 14-year-old mentally challenged girl, yesterday the 54-year-old Enmore man was caught naked, committing a similar act on the same girl. The man, whose name was given as Patrick Persaud, is presently in police custody and this time around he is not expected to get off as lightly as he did in July last. On that occasion he was seen by a neighbour pulling up his pants after having sex with the teenager, while her guardians were not at home." '

JamaicaObserver.com : "ANDREW Holness was this morning given the backing of the Jamaica Labour Party's parliamentary group to be the next leader of the ruling party and subsequently Prime Minister. The announcement was made at a press conference at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston this morning. Holness' rise to the top of the ruling party comes after Prime Minister Bruce Golding 's recent announcement of his plan to resign as party leader and Prime Minister." Related articles Who Will Be The New Leader Of The J.L.P.? (marvaseaton.wordpress.com) VIDEO: Golding going, going... (news.smallshop.com)

| Antigua Observer Newspaper : "BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The US-based Emera Inc. Tuesday announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Emera Caribbean Limited has agreed to sell its 19.1 per cent interest in the St. Lucia Electricity Services Ltd (LUCELEC) to the Barbados-based Light & Power Holdings Ltd. (LPH) for US $25.8 million. “This acquisition will allow for greater cooperation between two leading electric utilities in the Eastern Caribbean,” said Peter Williams, LPH managing director."

 Stabroek News  "Money laundering charges have been levelled against a 29-year-old Montego Bay, St James, man held during an international police operation two weeks ago targeting persons involved in the lottery scam. Shawn Lawrence, the operator of an auto parts business in Catherine Hall, Montego Bay, has been tagged as one of the masterminds behind the illicit practice that cons victims into sending monies to claim jackpots. "

Stabroek News  "Barbados Nation) Wilfredo Pérez Jr has mixed feelings about his trip to Barbados – on one hand he feels genuine sympathy and acceptance but on the other, the pain of reliving the worst day of his life. If the name sounds familiar to those who have first-hand knowledge of the events of October 6, 1976, then that is no coincidence. Pérez shares his name with the pilot of that fateful plane trip now known as the Cubana air disaster. He is in fact the son of that pilot, and he is here to take part in a week of activities in commemoration of that tragedy."

Image via Wikipedia  Escambray : "Impunity is still part of the terrorist sabotage against a Cuban civil airplane that killed 73 people on October 6, 1976 in Barbados, Venezuelan journalist Alicia Herrera said. Herrera told Prensa Latina that the 35 years of that "cruel and horrific event" does not stop the chain of pain and the demand of the Cuban people, especially from the victims' relatives, to achieve justice. Herrera recalled with indignation how the perpetrators of that disastrous action, Hernan Ricardo and Freddy Lugo, confessed to her their participation in the attack and their links to the masterminds, Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch."

 Jamaica Gleaner  "Dancehall entertainer Vybz Kartel is scheduled to appear in the Half-Way Tree Resident Magistrate's Court this morning after being slapped yesterday with multiple charges, including murder and conspiracy to murder. A release from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) last night indicated that Kartel, whose given name is Adidja Palmer, was also charged with illegal possession of firearm." Related articles Kartel's arrest could be first of many in Jamaica music industry, Police say (naisentertainment.wordpress.com) Vybz kartel Arrested On Ganja Charge & Being Questioned By Cops About A Murder Case! (thehiphopconsultant.com)