You are currently browsing the Moontown weblog archives for the day 24. November 2009.
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- 3. September 2010: MAN T’ING
- 3. September 2010: Come again MQI
- 3. September 2010: Booted from Facebook, woman sues
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- 3. September 2010: Bill Clinton to speak in Ja next month
Archive for 24. November 2009
TUESDAY’S SPECIAL MOON TOWN BARBADOS
24. November 2009 by admin.
SPLIT PEAS AND RICE; MACARONI PIE
CREAMED POTATOES; VEGETABLE CHOWMEIN
BBQ SPARERIBS; MIXED VEGETABLES
FRIED STEAK FISH; GRILLED STEAK FISH
TURKEY STEW; FISH GRAVY
TOSSED SALAD; COLE SLAW
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Jaguar kills miner at Marudi
24. November 2009 by admin.
A 43-year-old miner died after he was attacked and mauled by a jaguar in the Marudi Mountains area early yesterday morning.
Kurt Rodrigues, police said in a release yesterday, left his mining camp in the Marudi Montains area, Rupununi around 5.30 am to go to a nearby stream. He was attacked by the wild animal while walking along a trail, police said.
The man was discovered in a critical condition by his workmate and succumbed to his injuries while being taken to the Aishalton Hospital.
Investigations, police said, are continuing. (Stabroek News)
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UN official wants region’s full participation at summit
24. November 2009 by admin.
UNITED NATIONS – Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, is urging Western Hemispheric countries to ensure their full participation at next month’s climate change summit in Denmark.
“We know that a rise in temperature of over two centigrade can alter the natural balance and human life. That is why it is urgent to take action now,” she said at the launch of an economic study on Climate Change in Chile.
World leaders will gather in Copenhagen for the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 15), hoping to reach a global agreement on reducing emissions to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
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New Barbuda ferry service to come on stream
24. November 2009 by admin.
CODRINGTON, Barbuda – Antigua’s sister island, Barbuda, is teaming up with volcano-ravaged Montserrat to launch a ferry service which officials said would begin operating between the three islands on 15 Dec.
Chairman of the Barbuda Council Kelvin Punter said locals would be given an opportunity of becoming part-owners of the new company, Twin Island Ferry Service, which will operate the service.
“I think the government of Montserrat has acquired 5,000 shares and the Barbuda Council will be allocated 2,500 shares and the other 2,500 shares will be sold to Barbudans if they are interested in becoming involved in the ferry operations,” Punter told a local radio station.
“I guess if they are not taken or if the interest is not there, they will be sold in Antigua and probably in Montserrat.”
Punter said the boat, built in Norway, was fully enclosed, air conditioned and would be able to accommodate 101 passengers.
The proposed cost for a round trip is $180 but Punter said the Council was trying to find ways to reduce the cost.
“The Barbuda Council will be looking to get some subsidy somewhere along the line, whether it will be direct or with the price of the fuel…because in truth and in fact, we are looking for a national transport between Antigua and Barbuda, so the lower the fare is, it will be better for our people,” Punter said.
WinAir is currently the only means for transportation between Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat as the island hopping carrier, LIAT, does not serve those routes. (Antigua Sun)
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Opposition members absent during throne speech
24. November 2009 by admin.
Opposition members of both the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament were noticeably absent from Monday’s delivery of the annual speech from the throne delivered by the Governor General Dame Louise-Lake-Tack.
The boycott for the second year in a row is believed to be aimed squarely at the governor-general, who has been blasted by the Antigua Labour Party for her partisan stance on matters of state.
So far, the opposition party has chosen to be silent on the real reason for them staying away from the joint sitting of parliament, but speculation is the only reason is Dame Louise Lake-Tack.
She has been blasted by Opposition Leader Lester Bird who was quoted as saying, “Since the lady has held the office, there has been overwhelming evidence of her bias against the Labour Party and her disregard for its constitutional rights.”
Bird has lashed out at Lake-Tack on several occasions, the recent being the GG’s refusal to honour some of the names that were chosen by the opposition for national honours during the Independence celebrations.
The opposition leader said there is total resentment on the part of the governor-general for the members of his party, since she was turned down for the position she now holds during his time as prime minister.
While the throne speech was being delivered on Monday, not too far away in the High Court of Justice, election petitions were being heard.
Among those who took the stand was Gail Christian, minority leader in the Senate. She along with several candidates that ran on the ALP ticket in the last general election are challenging the results in some constituencies that were in favour of the United Progressive Party. (Antigua Sun)
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Grenada diplomat says global challenges present opportunity for regional integration
24. November 2009 by admin.
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Carnival Dream to bring quarter-million passengers to Bahamas in 2010
24. November 2009 by admin.
 The Junkanoo group Colours performs in front of the ship during a ceremony commemorating the Carnival Dream’s inaugural voyage, Thursday, November 19. (BIS photo/Raymond Bethel) by Betty Vedrine NASSAU, Bahamas (BIS) — One of the largest ships in the Carnival Cruise Lines, the Carnival Dream, made its inaugural trip to the shores of The Bahamas on Thursday. A ceremony complete with performances by The Royal Bahamas Police Band and Junkanoo group Colours was held at the Prince George Wharf to commemorate the event. Several cabinet ministers were present for the ceremony including Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Attorney General Brent Symonette, Minister of Tourism and Aviation the Hon Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace and Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Desmond Bannister.
Symonette and Captain of the ship Carlo Queirolo exchanged plaques. “The Bahamas is pleased to welcome the newest, largest and sleekest ‘Fun Ship’ in the Carnival Fleet,” Symonette said. “Carnival Cruise Lines is the number one supplier of cruise passengers to The Bahamas, delivering close to one million passengers to the destination in 2008.” Hailing this as a ‘positive’ for The Bahamas, Minister of Tourism & Aviation, Vanderpool-Wallace, said despite the modern amenities that may exist on a ship of this magnitude, The Bahamas would still be able to benefit. “The kind of revenue that the ship is expected to ‘pump’ into the Bahamian economy is as a general rule of thumb is that what we use is a round number of $100 per passenger,” said the Minister. He added that one of the things that is currently done at the Ministry of Tourism is to measure only those persons who come off the ship for expenditure purposes in order to get a ‘true’ picture of the kind of revenue expected by passengers. “That’s why when we talk about the redevelopment of downtown Nassau, what is most important is that we have sufficient attractions in downtown Nassau so that the maximum of people leave the ships,” Vanderpool-Wallace said. The Bahamas will have to be much more attractive in order to compete with the activities onboard mega ships such as Carnival Dream, he noted. “These modern ships have a whole lot more going on board than ships of the past, however, I do not believe that people come all the way here just to stay on the ships. We have to find creative ways to get them to visit our downtown area, thus the revitalization of downtown.” Quoting Carnival Chairman, Micky Arison, Vanderpool-Wallace said one of the myths that exist is that cruise ships make more money when passengers remain onboard during a port call. “Micky Arison, told me a long time ago that they (cruise ships) make substantially more money if every single person left the ship. “That means that the meals and other services that they would have to supply would be significantly decreased and in addition, they make money on every tour booked, therefore, it is in their advantage because they earn more from people leaving the ship than mythology that continues to pervade that if people stay onboard, that is more beneficial to cruise lines. It is exactly the opposite.” The Bahamian Government also received accolades for the newer port. Captain Carlos Queirolo said, “I wish to thank the government for widening the port, thus allowing larger ships to manoeuvre more easily. It makes our job so much easier.” Guests were invited to tour the facilities onboard the ship including the casino, pool decks, art gallery and other public areas. Carnival Dream is one of the larges of the Carnival Cruise Line ships to enter the fleet. The ship entered service in September 2009. At 130,000 tons, she is the biggest the line has ever built. It has the capacity to accommodate 6000 persons – 4600 passengers and 1400 crewmembers. It is projected that the Carnival Dream will bring close to a quarter of a million passengers to The Bahamas, in 2010. The country is also anticipating the arrival of the Oasis of the Seas, the largest ship in the world when she makes her inaugural trip to The Bahamas in December. |
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Inequalities fuelling HIV pandemic in the Caribbean, says report
24. November 2009 by admin.
| GENEVA, Switzerland (IFRC) — The HIV pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean is fuelled by a range of social and economic inequalities exacerbated by high levels of stigma, discrimination of highly vulnerable groups, and persistent gender inequality and homophobia, says a new report issued in Lima, Peru by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). It is released on the occasion of World AIDS Day 2009.
“Despite efforts to reduce the impact on HIV in the region, many of these factors have not been adequately addressed,” says the report. “Most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are affected by social and economic inequality which creates a growing gap in health conditions between those who can afford medical services and have access to higher education and those who live in precarious conditions with little or no medical services and limited access to education and prevention information,” it adds. The report mentions that even if many countries in the region can be considered as having “low level” epidemics among the general population, prevalence rates among highly vulnerable communities such as men who have sex with men; prisoners; sex workers, and injecting drug users are typically very high, going over 5 per cent. It also names other most at risk population such as vulnerable young people, migrants and displaced people. “Understanding the local specificities of the HIV pandemic is key to success in reducing the scale of HIV transmission. It is vital to work directly with most at risk populations to try to prevent further infections, employing a range of approaches such as peer education and behaviour change communication,” explains Julie Hoare, the IFRC’s health and social services coordinator for the Americas. “Addressing vulnerability by advocating on behalf of the most vulnerable communities confronted with the threat of HIV, improving access to services and reducing stigma and discrimination are equally important.” The IFRC report provides several examples of HIV programmes that have been adapted by Red Cross societies to focus on the needs of minority groups like indigenous people in Colombia, Guatemala and Ecuador as well as young people in countries such as Haiti, Jamaica and Argentina. The document also highlights the necessity for the international community not to lower but rather “increase its level of funding” for HIV, also reminding that addressing HIV and AIDS requires long-term sustainable action. “Even though this report focuses on just one region, many of the trends identified are actually also relevant in other parts of the world, including in Africa which remains by far the most affected continent,” concludes Getachew Gizaw, acting head of the IFRC’s global programme on HIV. In 2008, Red Cross and Red Crescent societies throughout the world reached more than 27.4 million people, including 132,500 people living with HIV and 128,200 children orphaned by AIDS, through prevention messages and direct psychosocial support. The aim by 2010 is to double Red Cross Red Crescent programming in targeted communities. |
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Nestlé expected to join bidding war for Cadbury
24. November 2009 by admin.
Nestle’s Deja Vu Ice cream. - FileShares in British chocolate maker Cadbury PLC hit their highest level in at least five years Monday on reports that another rival, Switzerland’s Nestlé SA, may make a takeover bid.
Cadbury is already the target of a US$16.5-billion hostile bid from Kraft Foods which it has dismissed as “derisory”.
US chocolate makers The Hershey Company and Italy’s Ferrero International SA last week said they are also considering a possible offer for Cadbury, setting the stage for a potential bidding war.
Reviewing options
A report on Monday by Bloomberg cited two unidentified sources saying Nestlé is likewise reviewing its options about a possible offer.
Both Cadbury and Nestlé declined to comment.
Shares in Cadbury jumped two per cent to £8.16 (US$1.36).
Meanwhile, newspaper reports say Cadbury will reject an expected £10.3-billion (US$17-billion) takeover bid from Hershey Co.
Britain’s Sunday Times cited an unnamed industry source as saying Cadbury was reluctant to do a deal unless Hershey raised its valuation of the company, which makes the Dairy Milk chocolate bar.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Hershey was preparing a bid, but that it would not be ready for around two weeks. It said the offer was expected to include at least US$10 billion in cash from Hershey, plus US$2 billion in new Hershey shares and another US$3 billion to US$5 billion in cash from investors in exchange for equity in Hershey.
That bid would top Kraft’s US$16.5 billion hostile offer.
New market
Both Kraft and Hershey are seeking access to Cadbury’s presence in developing markets, including in Mexico and India. About 250 million bars of the company’s famous Dairy Milk are sold every year in 33 countries.
Cadbury on Sunday declined to comment on the speculation.
“We have always said that we would give proper consideration to any serious offer that delivers full value for the company,” the company said in a statement. “Unless and until we find ourselves in that situation, we have nothing to comment upon.”
- AP
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China tells banks to control lending
24. November 2009 by admin.
Regulators ordered Chinese banks on Monday to control lending and manage risks better amid concern that a rapid, stimulus-fuelled credit boom this year might affect the industry’s health.The credit boom began to ease in July, but economists have warned that reckless lending could leave banks saddled with bad loans.
The government worries excess lending might be driving dangerous overexpansion in some industries.
Banks were told maintain a “stable and sustainable pace” of lending through the end of the year, the China Banking Regulator Commission said on its website.
It gave no financial targets.
Banks lent about 1.0 trillion yuan (US$125 billion) per month in the first half of the year after the government ordered them to expand credit to support its 4.0 trillion yuan (US$586 billion) stimulus.
Lending fell to less than half that level since July after banks were ordered to scrutinise borrowers more carefully.
- AP
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