79 new British Overseas Citizens at Government House in Tortola, BVI. Photo: BVI Government Information. – Advertisement – Seventy-nine individuals were welcomed as newly Naturalised British Overseas Territories Citizens  following a brief ceremony held at Government House in Tortola on  August 29. The new citizens affirmed an Oath of Allegiance to His Majesty the King and a pledge of loyalty to the Virgin Islands, which is a legal requirement, and officially confirms their places as British Overseas Territories Citizens. Governor Daniel Pruce presented the certificates of Naturalisation and offered congratulatory remarks. Governor Pruce said, “I am delighted to welcome you all to Government House for this ceremony. Today is your day. It gives me great pleasure to be part of an event where you are all committing yourselves loyally to new ties, which will stay with you for the rest of your lives. This is a highly enriching process, from...

– Advertisement – The Bahamas – In response to the alarming rise in suicide rates across The Bahamas, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre are taking a proactive stance by designating September 10, 2024, as Suicide Prevention “Orange Alert” Day. This day is a critical call to action, urging all Bahamians to become more vigilant and sensitive to the signs and symptoms of suicidal behavior in their communities. The Bahamas, like many nations, is grappling with a growing mental health crisis fueled by stress, economic challenges, devastating natural disasters, and the pressures of daily life. The recent increase in suicides reflects the urgent need for greater awarenessand more effective prevention measures. Mental health experts are particularly concerned about the stigma surrounding mental health issues, which often prevents individuals from seeking the help they desperately need. “Orange Alert” Day serves as a reminder that suicide prevention is a...

– Advertisement – St. Lucia – The Government of Saint Lucia knows that every dollar counts, especially for families living on a limited budget. That’s why the government is stepping in and supporting parents with preschool expenses. Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has announced that the government of Saint Lucia will pay $50 toward school fees for over 2,500 children enrolled in privately-owned preschools for every month of the first term in the 2024/25 academic year. Preschools form the foundation of our education sector. By committing more than $148,000 to support parents/guardians with preschool expenses, the government continues to ensure that the nation’s youngest learners get access to quality Early Childhood Education services. – Advertisement – Previous articlePHA And Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre Announce Suicide Prevention “Orange Alert” Day

Chavez monument in Caracas, Venezuela. Photo: public domain. – Advertisement – A U.S. Navy sailor held in Venezuela since late last month was detained for entering the country “without any type of document,” the Venezuelan authorities have said. They also said that he is a dual citizen of Mexico and the United States, though it is not clear how this was determined in the absence of documents. It is also not clear whether the traveler entered the country by land, sea, or air. An American official on Wednesday announced the sailor had been held at a time of increased tension between Washington and Caracas in the aftermath of disputed elections in Venezuela, with the opposition party claiming it can prove were stolen. However, there is no evidence as yet that the US Navy sailor is being held as a bargaining chip. In his first comments on the matter, Venezuelan Attorney...

President Petro of Colombia, a former guerilla. Official photo by government of Colombia. – Advertisement – The President of Colombia Gustavo Petro has ordered an investigation into the purchase of Pegasus cell phone spyware from Israel by the country’s national police force. Petro was himself formerly a guerilla, and a former Mayor of Bogota, the country’s capital. Pegasus is a spyware developed by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group that is designed to be covertly and remotely installed on mobile phones running iOS and Android. While NSO Group markets Pegasus as a product for fighting crime and terrorism, governments around the world have routinely used the spyware to surveil journalists, lawyers, political dissidents, and human rights activists. The sale of Pegasus licenses to foreign governments must be approved by the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Pegasus hides itself as far as is possible and self-destructs in an attempt to eliminate evidence...

Plastic pollution on a beach. Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash. – Advertisement – Representatives from Jamaica’s Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) are urging all Jamaicans to take collective action and join in the fight against pollution by plastic waste. Speaking at the recent launch of the Ministry’s internal ‘EcoChampions Recycling’ initiative, at its offices on Half -Way Tree Road, Minister without Portfolio in the MEGJC, Senator Matthew Samuda, highlighted the global nature of the plastic pollution challenge, noting that Jamaica is not immune to these issues. “If we look at the myriad of challenges that all developing countries face, Jamaica is not immune to the challenges that exist globally. The issue of pollution, specifically plastic pollution, is certainly one of the challenges to our sustainability,” he said. “It is for this reason that the Ministry has been working on several initiatives to reduce pollution by removing particular...

The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources launched the inaugural ‘Anchor Awards’ during a press conference at the Ministry on Monday, September 2, 2024. In attendance at the press conference from left: Acting Director, Marine Resources, Gregory Bethel; President, the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), Dr. Raveenia Hanna; Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources the Hon. Jomo Campbell; and President and General Manager, Royal Caribbean International Bahamas, Phillip Simon. (BIS Photos/Patrick Hanna) – Advertisement – Nassau, Bahamas – The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources announced its inaugural ‘Anchor Awards’ ceremony during a press conference at the Ministry on Monday, September 2, 2024.  The event will be held under the theme, ‘Honouring Legends of the Sea’ and will take place on November 16, 2024 at Baha Mar Convention Centre at 7:00 p.m. The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources launched the inaugural ‘Anchor Awards’ during a press conference...

Cell phones cannot give you brain cancer, says a recent study. Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash. – Advertisement – A systematic review into the potential health effects from radio wave exposure has shown that there is no evidence that cell phones cause brain cancer. This backs up previous findings that the prevalence of brain tumours among those spent the most hours on a mobile phone did not differ significantly from those who used the mobile phone significantly less. People who had used a mobile phone for more than 15 years  did not have a higher risk of developing the disease than those who had used a mobile phone for a shorter period of time. The latest review was commissioned by the World Health Organization  and was published yesterday in the journal Environment International. Mobile phones are often held against the head during use. And they emit radio waves, a...

2024 Junior Minister of Tourism Iara Ernest. – Advertisement – St. Lucia – The Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) is one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the regional tourism calendar. The event will be held from Monday 2nd to Friday 6th September, 2024, at the Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa (Cayman Islands). 2024 Junior Minister of Tourism Iara Ernest. The CTO Youth Congress, a forum for youth involvement in tourism, is a key component of SOTIC which mirrors a CTO Board of Directors meeting and includes the participation of Junior Commissioners and Ministers of Tourism throughout the region. Sixteen-year-old Ms. Iara Ernest, the 2024 Junior Minister of Tourism from the Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School, is Saint Lucia’s representative at this year’s CTO Youth Congress. Building on her impressive performance at the National Tourism Public Speaking Competition on Thursday 16th...

Teacher helping student. Photo: USAID. – Advertisement – Jamaica’s Minister of Education and Youth, Marsha Smith, says the teaching of Spanish in Jamaican government schools will be boosted by a significant increase in the number of Cuban teachers employed. The Minister, who was addressing school administrators and other stakeholders as part of an orientation session for teachers in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, on August 27, said that 29 Cuban teachers arrived in the country on Sunday, August 25, and will be deployed across the country. She added that the 29 teachers and a coordinator will bring to 75 the number of Cubans in the education system, the first time so many teachers have arrived from one of Jamaica’s closest Caribbean neighbours over the years. The State Minister said that the increase in the number of Cuban teachers comes as the Ministry recruits overseas teachers to fill vacancies for the new...