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Local news, News, Politics

Operation Rescue Maintaining Watchdog Role

Published: 3 April 2017

St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Operation Rescue officials have vowed to press on with their watchdog role, despite criticism coming from the Team Unity administration.

The criticisms are directed mainly at former government minister Dwyer Astaphan, who has been urging the administration to speed up the process of implementing good government measures including integrity in public life legislation and a freedom of information act.

Astaphan and his colleague Richard Caines host a weekly Operation Rescue radio programme in which Astaphan occasionally criticizes the government on the good governance issue.

Could that explain why Mr Caines is being officially recognized by Dr Harris while Astaphan hasn’t been.

International news, Local news, News, Politics, Regional News

US Ambassador Offers Advice To Caribbean States

Published: 3 April 2017

St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): St Kitts and Nevis and other Caribbean nations are getting some advice on measures that should be taken in their quest to strengthen their economies.

US Ambassador Linda Taglialatela, who heads the American Embassy in Bridgetown, says regional states are having a hard time like the rest of the world.

She is of the view however, that there are measures that can be taken to help islands she labels very proud Caribbean nations move forward economically despite existing hardships.

“Each island needs to have a long term plan, I think first they need to not only look at building additional hotels and attracting more tourism but look at infrastructure. Work on their roads, work on their schools, look at ways to diversify out of the tourism sector. I realize that’s probably the biggest and primary source of revenue but they need to look beyond that. I know that St Kitts and Nevis is looking at geothermal energy, I think they do need to diversify to get their energy costs down and they need to find ways to attract business, both private and foreign investors in their country. There are some issues with youth unemployment which leads to the risk of youths turning to crime, I think you need to address how we’re going to deal with it but I think on a whole, each of them has a plan it’s just a matter getting to the point of implementing.”

Ambassador Taglialatela is expecting continued good relations between the Caribbean and the United States.

“I think that the Caribbean has a lot to offer to the world and has a lot to offer the United States as far as a partnership goes. I think that we will continue to have a good relationship and I think that there has to be a good partnership and collaboration between the United States and the Caribbean. We have over 2 million Americans coming to the Caribbean every year and a number of dual citizens living both in the United States and here in the Caribbean and there will always be a close tie between the two areas.”

Local news, News

Student Athletes Must Balance Academics And Sports To Be Successful

Published: 3 April 2017

St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Track & Field has countless opportunities for students to secure a promising future, but they can easily lose these opportunities if academics are not prioritized.

This is according to Virgil Hodge, Assistant Coach of the Washington Archibald High School track & field team.

Ms. Hodge is speaking from experience as a former student athlete, Olympian and current national record-holder in 100m and 200m categories.

“My advice to them is stay in school, get an education. Once you are not doing well in school you are going to be ineligible and you can’t compete if you are ineligible in college [or] university and be disciplined, you have to be disciplined to the sport, you have to be disciplined to your academics.”

A student athlete and a coach speaking to WINN FM at the 41st edition of the TDC Inter-School Championship discussed the difficulties of balancing schoolwork with athletic training.

“The demands of athletics in terms of training, sometimes can take them away from their schoolwork, so I think it’s difficult from them to know when to put aside the sports and focus on their schoolwork or vice versa” said the coach.

“Yes, because at times I am kind of tired, but I still have to push myself because then at the end of it all, I’ll excel, because I want to go to a university.”

A coach from Sandy Point High School’s Track & Field team said that schools try their best to ensure that student athletes are properly managing both their academic and athletic responsibilities.

“At this present moment there is a balance, we ensure outright that athletics and education is balanced out so we don’t necessarily have a problem with that we just ensure that it’s really balanced out.”

The Charles E. Mills Secondary School retained their status as the defending champions of the TDC Inter-School Championships for the fourth consecutive time, winning 31 gold medals, 25 silver medals, and 12 bronze medals.

Crime/Justice, News, Regional News

United Nations Warns Staff in Barbados About Crime

Published: 3 April 2017

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Monday April 3, 2017 – The United Nations (UN) has its eye on the crime situation in Barbados, and has issued a security advisory to its staff in the island following a string of recent robberies.

The UN’s Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) has advised personnel to increase their vigilance following “credible reports that a number of recent robberies are believed to be committed by a group of five armed men”.

It is believed the men are travelling in one vehicle and targeting both businesses and individuals. They attempt to trick victims into stopping or exiting their vehicles by driving behind them and flicking their headlights.

“All UN personnel and family members are reminded to always lock your car doors, keep your windows up, only pull over in well-lit populated areas, and to remain aware of your surroundings at all times. Avoid driving alone at night,” the UNDSS advisory added.

It offered UN employees further advice on how to deal with any such encounter.

“If you detect that you are being watched or followed do not panic and drive to your nearest ‘safe haven’ (UN office, police station…). Try to collect as much information on any suspect vehicle such as make, colour, licence plate, identifying marks, description of occupants, etc. If someone tries to bump your car, honk the horn, put on hazard lights and continue driving quickly,” the UNDSS urged staff.

“If you are hit from behind and have to stop, do not get out of the vehicle or unlock it until you have called the police. Check the mirrors to observe the situation and if you see something suspicious like a pair or group of men descending all at the same time, try to rush to a ‘safe haven’. If you have a driver, instruct him accordingly. It is illegal to leave the spot of an accident but safer to go away straight to the closest police station. The CSFP [Common Foreign and Security Policy] and UNDSS will assist you with the police if necessary.”

Last month, the Royal Barbados Police Force confirmed that it was investigating several crimes which may have been committed by a group of five men travelling in a vehicle.

Crime/Justice, News, Regional News

Cloud of Suspicion Hangs Over Death of Trinidad Soldier

Published: 3 April 2017

Warrant Officer Omar Samaroo was found slumped in a dormitory at Camp Cumuto, Wallerfield with a gunshot wound to the head. (Photo. Trinidad Express)

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Monday April 3, 2017 – Questions are being raised and a call for an investigation has been made along with a threat of legal action, following the death of a Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) soldier.

Warrant Officer Omar Samaroo, 47, was found slumped in a dormitory at Camp Cumuto, Wallerfield with a gunshot wound to the head last Tuesday, and died hours later at hospital.

His death was ruled a suicide. But some people aren’t so sure that’s what it was, and Opposition Senator Wayne Sturge says he intends to take legal action if the TTDF does not investigate the circumstances surrounding Samaroo’s death.

In a letter to Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier General Rodney Smart and copied to Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi and National Security Minister Edmund Dillon, Sturge said Samaroo’s death was suspicious, based on his injuries – which he claimed included broken ribs – and how he was found.

He said the public and Samaroo’s family had a right to know whether there was any wrongdoing in his death.

“There should be an effective official investigation when individuals such as officer Samaroo have lost their lives in suspicious circumstances while on duty as a servant and or agent of the State. This officer lost his life while on duty at an army base under your command,” Sturge’s letter to Brigadier General Smart stated, adding that the matter was of “great public importance” that the requires “expeditious action” on the part of the State.

“Should there be no action on the part of the Defense Force and the State in this matter I hereby formally give notice that I shall be challenging the failure of the State to initiate a proper investigation in accordance with my request herein in the High Court in the public interest. I wish to emphasize that the request for the investigation into the death of this officer is not one which ought to be triggered by anyone but one which should have been commenced forthwith by the State in the fulfillment of it substantive and procedural constitutional obligation to the deceased officer.”

However, the TTDF has called on Sturge and other members of the public to desist from making “false and unsubstantiated remarks” about Samaroo’s tragic massing and allow his friends and family members to grieve in peace.

The Defence Force said it “vigorously denounces the flow of misinformation being purported by some conspiracy theorists, in particular by certain ‘responsible’ individuals in society”.

The TTDF also dismissed claims that Samaroo’s body was bruised and that three of his ribs were broken. It said an autopsy confirmed that the soldier, who was a member of the Defence Force for 27 years, died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the head and there were no other marks of violence on his body.