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 Caribbean
Headline News.....
Printed Tuesday, January 15th,
2008
(JS) In Jamaica, Claudine Haughton was
in church on the afternoon of Sunday, January 13th when her son
called her and said he was being shot at and she needed to come
quick. Her son, Kwesi Cunningham, 24, of Tivoli
Gardens, west Kingston, was at a friend's house when he was shot
dead. He was one of five men killed during a joint
police-military operation in the area. While the police have not
released the identities of the other men, it is understood that
two of them are Rolland 'Randy' Wellington, 20, and a man known
as 'Andre', both of Tivoli Gardens. Nine guns were seized during
the operation which was still taking place up to press time.
"Him call mi and say him inna waan house pin down and bare shot
a fire and mi fi come and bring a JP (Justice of the Peace) and
a pastor," she said. She received that call at 12:30 p.m .when
Sunday school ended and immediately left Spanish Town for Tivoli
with her daughter, but they arrived too late. "Di last time me
talk to him a when wi deh pan Weymouth Drive and him say mi mus
hurry up and come," she said. Although she and her daughter
tried to get to the scene, they were barred by soldiers. She
accused the lawmen of assaulting her daughter whom they took
away in a police vehicle. A confused and weeping Haughton said
Cunningham was her first son and second child. After a resident
squeezed $100 into her hand to pay her fare, she turned to the
news team to find out what she should do next. "What I mus' do
miss? Weh mi fi go?" she asked. A resident directed her to
Madden's Funeral Home. Later,
when there was a mad rush to view the bodies at Madden's, one of
Cunningham's sisters confirmed her worst fears and could hardly
speak or stand after discovering her brother was truly dead.
Karl Angell, director of communication for the Jamaica
Constabulary Force, said just before noon, police went into the
area in search of men on the island's most wanted list when they
were met with heavy gunfire. They returned the fire and when it
was all over five men were dead and a solider and a police
officer were injured. Inspector Steve Brown, from the
Constabulary Communication Network, said while he was not able
to say if any of the dead men were wanted, none of those
targeted in the operation were among the dead. Residents, upset
about the sudden disruption to their lives, claimed the men were
murdered. One resident on Keith Avenue, where the shooting
occurred, said a joint police military team entered the
community around 11:30 am and started firing shots. "Dem just
come een and dem say to di pickney dem, unnuh gwaan een and mi
lock dem up and a pure shot start fire afterwards," one woman
said. Residents said soldiers barred them from leaving their
homes and tear-gassed those who tried to get on the scene. Some
residents also claimed that shots had also been fired from a
helicopter circling the community before and after the
shoot-out. A large contingent of soldiers remained in the area
covering every entrance to Tivoli. Angell said they would remain
as long as is necessary to ensure calm remains. Desmond
McKenzie, councillor for the Tivoli Gardens Division, said he
was there to ensure that residents respected the officers and
that the operation was conducted professionally.
 GEORGETOWN,
Guyana (AFP): Guyana's state-owned power company on Monday,
January 14th began cutting jobs, citing spiraling world oil
prices and a five million dollar loss last year, prompting
hundreds of workers to go on strike, officials said.
Forty-three workers received severance letters when they arrived
for work, a sign that government and the company's management
have abandoned talks that were being held to resolve the matter,
union leader Kenneth Joseph said. "The union had no
other choice but to take industrial action and we could not give
notice because management timed their decision to implement it
at the beginning of the new week," stated Joseph. At
least 600 workers from the state-owned Guyana Power and Light
Incorporated (GPL) were called out on strike, said Joseph.
Senior officials have been manning the power grids to avoid
disruption of power supply to the densely populated coast where
at least 85 percent of Guyana's 750,000 people live, said GPL
spokeswoman Majorie Chester. "We have put people who
have not gone on strike and people who are members of the other
unions to man the power stations and senior technicians to
manage the transmission and distribution network operations,"
Chester told AFP. Last year, the power company had signaled that
it would send home 250 workers. GPL has already
announced that it would increase electricity taxes by between
six and 20 percent to compensate for soaring oil prices,
widespread electricity theft, loss of electricity through a weak
distribution network, and theft of cables and transformers for
sale as scrap metal.
 ST
CROIX, USVI: The “Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise” to will
return to St Croix in the US Virgin Islands on Wednesday,
January 16th. The Blues Cruise, commonly known as the Holland
America ms Westerdam, is scheduled to arrive in Frederiksted at
8:00 am and will be met by Department of Tourism Commissioner
Beverly Nicholson-Doty, Director of Cruise Activities Alvin
Milligan and the Governor of the US Virgin Islands, John de
Jongh, Jr. In support of the Blues Cruise, the USVI
Department of Tourism will host a “meet-n-greet” from 8:30 am to
1:30 pm for passengers and crew, complete with Mocko Jumbies,
Cruzan Rum punch and entertainment from the Educational Complex
Quelbe Band, Sour Lab Steel Orchestra and the Complex Quadrille
Dancers. Festivities resume at 6:00 pm with
performances by Superior Court Rising Stars Steel Orchestra,
Calypso Inc. Banjo Players, Native Rhythm Quelbe Band, the St
Croix Heritage Dancers Inc., the West End Masqueraders, Rigidims
Festival Troupe, Eddie Russell Latin Quelbe Band and Mocko
Jumbie. Our Town Frederiksted is also scheduled to
host an outdoor concert for cruise guests starting at 2:00 pm,
featuring local artists including Stanley & the Ten Sleepless
Knights, Maxx Cabello, Jr, the Deanna Bogart Band, Terrance
Simien, Shemekia Copeland, Coco Montoya and Taj Mahal & The
Phanton Blue Band.
“We have been working hard to foster the growth of the cruise
industry in St Croix,” states Nicholson-Doty. “The ship’s return
for the first time in five years is confirmation that our
efforts are paying off. We look forward to welcoming its
passengers to celebrate the rich culture, natural beauty and
unique offerings of America’s Caribbean.” The visit
is the first time the ship has docked in St Croix since 2003.
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