Ex ayudante de maestro es arrestado acusado y por coerción y tentación de un menor

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Radio Isla TV

Un gran jurado federal emitió, una acusación contra el ex ayudante de maestro Josualis Carrasquillo Ramos, de 21 años, de explotación sexual de un menor, según lo anunció el jueves el fiscal federal W. Stephen Muldrowco.

“El acusado usó su puesto de confianza para aprovecharse de un menor, convirtiéndolo en víctima de explotación infantil. Si usted es una víctima o conoce a otra víctima de este individuo, por favor acérquese; comuníquese con las autoridades para que podamos protegerlo a usted y a otros de estos delitos. Queremos que la comunidad sepa que la Oficina del Fiscal Federal y el Departamento de Justicia, junto con nuestros socios federales, estatales y locales, están comprometidos a proteger a los niños de estos delincuentes”, dijo el fiscal federal Muldrow en declaraciones escritas.

El arresto sigue a una investigación realizada por Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de los Estados Unidos (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) con la asistencia del Departamento de Educación de Puerto Rico y la Oficina del Fiscal Federal para el Distrito de Puerto Rico.

Según la acusación, en octubre y noviembre de 2021, Carrasquillo Ramos persuadió, indujo, sedujo y coaccionó a sabiendas a una persona que no había cumplido los dieciocho años para participar en una actividad sexual por la cual cualquier persona puede ser acusada de un delito.

“La explotación sexual de menores, en todas sus formas, es un delito despreciable y muy grave. HSI investigará ferozmente estos delitos para identificar al presunto perpetrador, arrestarlo y obtener pruebas sólidas que prevalecerán en los tribunales”, dijo Iván Arvelo, agente especial a cargo (SAC) de HSI San Juan. “Para aquellos que contemplan perpetrar este crimen, continuaremos trabajando con nuestros socios locales y federales y utilizando todos los recursos disponibles y autoridades de investigación sólidas para identificarlos, arrestarlos y enjuiciarlos”, añadió.

El viernes, Carrasquillo Ramos tuvo su audiencia inicial ante el juez federal Camile Velez-Rive. Fue trasladado al Centro de Detención Metropolitano de Guaynabo a la espera de un nuevo proceso judicial. Si es declarado culpable, Carrasquillo Ramos enfrenta una pena mínima obligatoria de 10 años de prisión.

La fiscal federal adjunta Ginette Milanés, de la Unidad de Inmigración y Explotación Infantil, está procesando el caso.

NewsAmericasNow.com

AAA anuncia interrupción de servicio por reparaciones en Barranquitas

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Radio Isla TV

El director de la región este de la Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AAA), ingeniero Enrique Rosario Agosto, informó sobre trabajos programados de reparación de una avería en tubería de 10” de diámetro en la línea de distribución de la planta de filtros Barranquitas Urbana. Las labores se realizarán el viernes, 12 de agosto desde las 6:00 de la mañana  y se proyecta un periodo de siete horas para la culminación y restablecimiento del servicio.

“Nuestro personal identificó una fuga de agua en la línea de distribución que se origina en la planta de filtros de Barranquitas, de inmediato realizamos ajustes operacionales para reducir el impacto a nuestros abonados y conformamos un equipo de trabajo para la coordinación de la reparación. Para estos trabajos es necesario dejar fuera de operación la planta por lo que sectores en este municipio tendrán interrupción de servicio mientras se completa la reparación”, explicó Rosario Agosto en comunicación escrita.

Mientras se realizan los trabajos, abonados en el casco urbano, Hoya Onda, El Portón, Honduras, y Helechal. Una vez culminadas las labores, se reanudará la operación de la planta y comenzará el proceso de recuperación paulatina del servicio en las zonas impactadas.

Ante la posibilidad de turbidez, una vez se restablezca el servicio, la AAA recomienda hervir por tres minutos el agua destinada para consumo.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Hombre asesinado en Mayagüez era cartero

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Radio Isla TV

En la madrugada de hoy jueves, a eso de las 3:45 de la madrugada, las autoridades atendieron una querella de detonaciones por arma de fuego, frente al edificio #17 del residencial El Carmen en Mayagüez.

Según la información, personal adscrito a la División de Strike Forces, en unión a Operaciones Tácticas de Mayagüez, hallaron un vehículo marca Jeep Grand Cherokee, color negro, del año 2014, con sangre, impactos y casquillos de bala.

Posteriormente, en la carretera #102, debajo del puente del barrio El Seco, en el mencionado municipio, se halló el cuerpo sin vida de un hombre. El occiso fue identificado como Richard J. Vega Lugo, de 43 años, residente en Hormigueros, cartero de profesión y militar retirado (veterano). Este fue encontrado envuelto en una sábana y con varios impactos de bala. El hombre fue identificado en la escena de los hechos por su esposa.

Presuntamente, el asesinato de este hombre, puede guardar relación con el vehículo encontrado en el Residencial El Carmen.

Al lugar se personó el agente Eduardo Quiñones de Servicios Técnicos y el agente Wilkins Vélez de la División de Homicidios de Mayagüez, en unión a la fiscal Vanessa Rivera, quienes se hicieron cargo de la correspondiente investigación.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Se reporta asesinato en Puerto Nuevo

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Radio Isla TV

La Policía informó el jueves, sobre un asesinato que fue reportado en horas de la tarde, en la calle 1 de la urbanización Caparra Terrace en Puerto Nuevo.

Según la Uniformada, una llamada a través del Sistema de Emergencias 9-1-1, alertó a las autoridades sobre una persona herida de bala en el mencionado lugar. Al llegar los agentes a la escena, encontraron el cuerpo baleado de un hombre de 25 a 30 años de edad, en el interior de una residencia.

Al momento no ha sido identificado y se desconoce el móvil de los hechos.

Agentes adscritos a la División de Homicidios del Cuerpo de Investigaciones Criminales de San Juan, en unión al fiscal de turno, investigan estos hechos.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Paho schenkt Suriname vijftien koelkasten voor opslag Covid-19-vaccins

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: De Ware Tijd Online

PARAMARIBO — Als onderdeel van een grotere donatie via fondsen beschikbaar gesteld door de Amerikaanse regering heeft de Pan-Amerikaanse Gezondheidsorganisatie

NewsAmericasNow.com

UK loan guarantee off the table

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: The BVI Beacon

Several recovery projects are far behind schedule as the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Irma approaches, but Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said during a Aug. 8 press conference that the United Kingdom’s offer of a £300 recovery loan guarantee is now off the table.

However, he added that the government is in talks with UK officials to find the best way forward to fund the recovery and other development projects.

Some of those discussions, he added, took place in recent days when he visited the UK to watch the opening of the Commonwealth Games.

During the Aug. 8 press conference, Dr. Wheatley commended the recovery work that has been accomplished while also acknowledging that more needs to be done.

“I would say that we have a lot to be proud of,” he said. “Of course, it’s been about five years, and we don’t want to be in a perpetual state of recovery. We want to move on from recovery and move forward with our development. There are some lingering projects we have to get sorted out.”

The list of “lingering projects” is extensive, as the government has struggled to fund many needed recovery projects without the UK loan guarantee. Hundreds of millions of dollars are still needed for projects such as the West End ferry terminal, public libraries and museums, a national archive, a new court complex, extensive sewerage work, derelict boat removal, the Ralph T. O’Neal Administration Complex, a new National Emergency Operations Centre, school repairs, a replacement for the Sir Rupert Briefcliffe Hall, and others.

The premier said such projects — including a library and museum — remain priorities but need funding. But he also commended the work that has been done on other recovery projects, particularly with the schools and port facilities.

“Over 90 percent of our recreational infrastructure was destroyed,” he added. “We did quite a bit to restore our recreational grounds, even though we have a few outstanding ones left.”

He also thanked RDA CEO Anthony McMaster and his team, public officers, individual donors and Unite BVI for their contributions to recovery projects such as the ongoing work at Elmore Stoutt High School.

Dr. Wheatley added that an event is being planned to properly thank donors for everything they’ve done for the territory.

Loan guarantee

The House of Assembly originally voted to accept the UK’s £300 loan guarantee offer in March 2018 when it passed the RDA Act after a contentious debate.

However, negotiations subsequently stalled, and successive governments never accessed any loans under the guarantee. Instead, leaders publicly complained that the conditions attached to the deal would give the UK too much oversight over the territory’s affairs.

Nevertheless, negotiations continued, and then-Premier Andrew Fahie said as recently as February that the guarantee was still an option.

“We never told the UK we don’t want the loan guarantee: We just wanted to renegotiate some of the areas,” Mr. Fahie said at the time. “And lately with new persons in positions, we have been able to bring this up in a more mature and professional manner.”

However, the offer is no longer available, according to Dr. Wheatley.

“The guarantee, right now, is not on the table,” he said on Aug. 8. “But it is something we can return to see if we can get it back on the table. We essentially lost the opportunity to get the guarantee.”

He continued, “Whether we can get the opportunity again, it depends on us, but for the loan that we are exploring it wouldn’t be big enough really to justify the guarantee.”

He said the VI is “right in the middle” of discussions about a loan and he couldn’t offer further details at the time.

Further conversations about future projects like a possible runway expansion at the Beef Island airport — which he said could cost upwards of $200 million — are still needed, according to the premier. But for that project, he said, low interest rates and a guarantee “would be helpful.”

ESHS project progress

Also during the press conference, he gave a brief update on the ongoing work at ESHS, one of the recovery projects that is currently under way. Construction includes two classroom blocks for senior students as well as a specialised technical block and an administrative block.

The project broke ground on April 4 and “has progressed at a rapid pace,” the premier said at a previous press conference.

Asked on Aug. 8 if construction would be complete in time for the fall term starting in about a month, the premier replied, “Yes.” He added that the RDA is doing an “excellent job” with the project, despite being delayed by a late shipment of doors and windows.

“We’re still on track for September,” he said. “Many persons said that it was impossible, and I think they’re really doing the impossible right now with quick work to get the school up and ready.”

Halls of Justice

Dr. Wheatley said the government also wants to get going on rebuilding court facilities in the territory. Government has promised for years to construct a new Magistrates’ Court as the first phase of a larger “Halls of Justice” after understaffing and inadequate facilities at Johns Hole caused a backlog of cases following Hurricane Irma.

In the meantime, the court will be moved to a rented facility nearby, Dr. Wheatley previously said. He didn’t offer a cost estimate for the rental, but he noted that the construction of the Halls of Justice is costed at about $24 million — but only $4 million was available when the project was announced.

“That’s part of the reason I travelled to the UK, because we wanted to have some discussions about financing our recovery with the United Kingdom government,” he said. “Very soon we should have something to report about our ability to be able to finance our recovery.”

Ongoing COI talks While abroad for the Commonwealth Games, the premier said, he also met with Amanda Milling, the UK minister responsible for the overseas territories. Ms. Milling visited the territory shortly after the Commission of Inquiry report was released and has been in discussions with VI leaders about how to proceed.

“Among other things, we discussed the need for the Virgin Islands to have greater fiscal flexibility to respond to surging inflation, high fuel and energy costs, and urgent infrastructural needs,” he said. “It is important that the government is in some way able to further help ease the financial burden on families and businesses until external economic conditions improve.”

In response to a question from the media, Dr. Wheatley also said he did not seek to have the UK rescind the order in council that would allow it to suspend the VI Constitution if the territory fails to implement the COI report recommendations in a timely manner. The interim order was laid in the UK parliament in June.

“We had some very open discussions, and considering where we are in the process, I think we would have to build some more confidence in the United Kingdom that we are going to follow through on our commitments, and I made it very clear that we were resolute that we will go ahead with the reform programme,” he said.

He added, however, that he planned to raise the topic during November’s Joint Ministerial Council meeting.

Immigration

Part of the planned governance reforms is a review of the 2007 Constitution, and Dr. Wheatley said a key discussion will concern belongership and residency.

COI Commissioner Sir Gary Hickinbottom noted discrepancies between policies and the law governing how long a person must reside in the territory before applying for belongership status.

Dr. Wheatley said on Aug. 8 that community meetings are being planned before September to get public input on the best way to grow the population without overwhelming the territory’s institutions.

He added that an announcement on a planned reform of the National Health Insurance programme, which has been promised for years, will soon be coming from Health and Social Development Minister Marlon Penn.

International relations

While travelling for the Commonwealth Games, Dr. Wheatley also met with other UK officials, including UK Member of Parliament James Sunderland, the chairman of the BVI All Party Parliamentary Group.

“We discussed our aspirations as a UK overseas territory and our economy,” he said. “He certainly was very interested in what we were doing in the Virgin Islands and how he could support and how he could help.”

The premier noted the importance of giving parliamentarians accurate information about the territory so they can advocate on its behalf on relevant issues.

Also as part of his attendance at the Commonwealth Games, Dr. Wheatley said, he met Prince Charles, Commonwealth SecretaryGeneral Baroness Patricia Scotland, UK Leader of the Opposition Sir Kier Starmer, and Lord Tariq Ahmad, the UK minister for South Asia, North Africa, the United Nations and the Commonwealth.

“Our exchanges were congenial and in the true spirit of the Commonwealth Games that is often referred to as the ‘friendly’ games,” Dr. Wheatley said.

USVI officials

Separately, the premier also met recently with neighbouring officials including USVI Governor Albert Bryan and Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roache during the August Emancipation Festival celebrations, he said.

“Among other things, we agreed that an Inter Virgin Islands Council meeting will take place in September in the USVI, and Friendship Day will take place in mid-October in the BVI, and that our respective governments will explore greater cooperation in areas such as disaster response, maritime management and public health,” Dr. Wheatley said.

NewsAmericasNow.com

ASPS students to be sent to other schools

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: The BVI Beacon

Students from Althea Scatliffe Primary School will be relocated to other schools when they return to class for the fall semester, according to Education, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sharie De Castro.

Officials closed the school on June 17 due to structural issues.

“This immediate action was in response to concerns expressed by the staff, faculty and parents about the many structural issues plaguing the school,” Ms. De Castro said in a July 29 statement. “These complaints included the fact that sections of the roof had already caved in, other portions were breaking more frequently, and the teachers were uneasy every day in the building.”

After the closure, officials in her ministry started planning how best to relocate students while the building is out of commission, and they came up with two options, according to the minister.

At first, they tried to find a space large enough to accommodate everyone together. That includes about 375 students, 40 staff members, 15 students with special needs enrolled with the Eslyn Henley Richez Learning Centre, and six additional staff members, Ms. De Castro said.

“This search included exploring available commercial spaces or erecting temporary spaces,” she added.

The search, however, ultimately wasn’t successful, and so officials decided instead to place students and staff in existing schools around the territory, according to the minister.

Relocation

Enis Adams Primary will take students from grades five and six, as well as their siblings. Francis Lettsome Primary will take students from grades three and four; Enid Scatliffe Pre-primary will accommodate 24 to 30 students from grade two; and any remaining grade two students will be placed in schools closest to their residence, Ms. De Castro explained.

“Where space is available, students residing in outlying communities may be accommodated at the school nearest them,” she added.

Ms. De Castro also said that her ministry would cover the cost of transportation to assigned schools as needed, and students would be allowed to continue wearing their ASPS uniforms if they choose.

“We are working assiduously to ensure that the Enis Adams Primary School and Francis Lettsome Primary School are ready to accommodate the temporary changes to facilitate the increase in numbers at the respective learning institutions,” Ms. De Castro said.

Torn down?

Meanwhile, ASPS will either get major repairs or be torn down, Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley said during a press conference on July 1.

He added that the company Systems Engineering inspected the building and found serious spalling issues, where steel in the roof was expanding and pushing off the concrete. He attributed this problem in part to the use of porous construction materials like beach sand when the school was built.

“At this particular stage, you have chunks of concrete falling from the roof,” he said.

Last November, a classroom ceiling caved in while the school was empty during a weekend.

If the school isn’t demolished, the premier said, faulty concrete would need to be chipped off the roof and other parts of the building.

“What I think is clear to everyone is that the school … either needs to be renovated or demolished and rebuilt,” Dr. Wheatley said.

Ms. De Castro said on July 29 that further assessments are being carried out to decide which option to pursue.

In an Aug. 8 press conference, Dr. Wheatley said a decision would come from Ms. De Castro “in the next couple of months.”

NewsAmericasNow.com

Foreigner arrested after ammunition found at MoBay airport Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Jamaica News Loop News
Loop News

1 hrs ago

NEWYou can now listen to Loop News articles!

Lawmen in St James arrested and charged an American citizen in relation to ammunition that was found in his possession on Wednesday, August 10 at the Sangster International Airport in the parish.

Charged with illegal possession of ammunition is 29-year-old Javius Mitchell, a Lab Technician of Emily, St Bainbridge, Georgia in the USA.

Reports are that at about 1:45 pm, Mitchell was in the process of boarding a flight, during which his luggage were searched and two Sig Sauer magazines, one of which contained eight 9mm rounds of ammunition.

He is scheduled to appear in the St. James Parish Court on Thursday, August 11.

Related Articles

More From

Sport

Jamaica’s sprinting sensation Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce continued her superb form in the 100 metres by running the world’s fastest time this year at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco on Wed

Jamaica News

An Ananda Alert has been activated for 14-year-old K’Issac Chambers of Jerico, Hanover, and Cliffton Boy’s Home, who has been missing since Tuesday, August 9.

He is of dark complexion, slim build a

Jamaica News

Dutch prosecutors take aim at new court hearing on attempted murder charge

Sport

Yulimar Rojas denies Shanieka Ricketts in triple jump

Jamaica News

Almost a month after a licensed firearm holder challenged two men and foiled a robbery at the intersection of Retreat and Seymour Avenue in Kingston, the two men have been charged on Tuesday, Jul

Jamaica News

A native of Jamaica is serving in the US Navy and was part of the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).

Seaman Amadou Bah is an undesignated

NewsAmericasNow.com

‘A black eye for the PNP’ Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Jamaica News Loop News

“It’s a black eye for the PNP (People’s National Party), and they’re going to feel the political fallout from it.”

That is the reaction of Professor of Culture, Gender and Society at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Donna Hope, to the shock announcement by Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern Lisa Hanna that she is walking away from representational politics.

The four-term MP and former Minister of Youth and Culture told PNP President and Opposition Leader Mark Golding in a lengthy letter on Tuesday that she will not be contesting the next general election that is constitutionally due in 2025.

Among other things, Hanna, who turns 47 later this month and who first won the safe St Ann seat in 2007, said she is making way for future generations.

Related Article

However, Hope is not buying that argument.

“There are people on social media I see who are actually trying to run with that, but we have geriatrics in the Parliament who are in their 70s and 80s,” said the professor.

She said that, as a woman, she’s not surprised by Hanna’s decision to quit.

“When you’re working in Jamaica as a woman, a professional or otherwise, there’s a point where you get to where that patriarchal glass ceiling becomes unbearable, and I understand where Lisa is probably making some decisions in that regard,” she said.

Continuing, Hope said: “The truth is that her future in leadership in the PNP is slim to none. There are a lot of men there jostling for the positions of primacy, and that’s just what it is. So while the people of Jamaica, and people like myself, see her as one of the potential leaders and one of the better fit-for-leadership type, especially in the current era, the PNP apparently does not see it that way.”

“And, I don’t think they see her the way they saw a Portia Simpson Miller’s ‘winnability’ for the party and, therefore, allowed Portia the opportunity to go ahead because they wanted Portia to provide them with the win,” Hope added about the former PNP President and Prime Minister.

She congratulated Hanna for waiting until a lot of the discomfort and discord had died down around the party’s massive defeat in the 2020 General Election and in-fighting around leadership challenges before making her announcement.

“She waited very carefully as a good communicator and as a person who understands marketing. She waited until things calmed down and had settled, and then she decided to move on from politics.

“If it was done during the carryings on and the chaos, it would have looked bad on Lisa. But now that she has waited until everything has calmed down, the leadership races, the general election and the ‘cas cas’, everything is very calm, right after Independence and everybody feel happy, and she sneaks her move… she will come out smelling like roses…the PNP is suffering another black eye for this,” said Hope.

Lisa Hanna, Member of Parliament for St Ann South Eastern

Hope argued that the PNP is losing one of its trump cards.

“She is well recognised internationally. She has a lot of favours among the Jamaican people. She’s a beautiful woman. She’s graceful and very savvy politically, with a lot of time ahead of her to make a mark in any area that she chooses because she’s at the peak of her career, and she’s now going to continue to move forward. The PNP has lost a trump card.”

Yet, Hope noted that with Hanna winning her seat by a mere 31 votes in the last general election, it “means that her political career in South East St Ann is very weak”.

Additionally, Hope said the PNP has not made great strides as a political Opposition to set itself up for a general election that is at most three years away.

“It’s not a lot of time for a general election, and we’ll soon start to see winds of it, and I believe she’s assessing all of that and decided to make her move. Whatever that move is, we don’t know, but this thing about making way for another generation, Lisa is 47 this year, she’s not yet 50 and there are people in Parliament who are like nearly twice her age and who haven’t given any indication that they’re going to allow a younger generation to get an opportunity to sit in those seats.

“So, Lisa using that line. I think it is a part of her, perhaps, understanding that it would ring a bell in the minds of people because ‘it’s young people time now’ has been a part of the rallying cry for a couple of the general elections that have gone on”.

Related Article

Meanwhile, Public and Social Commentator, Dennis Chung, said the people speculating about why Hanna has decided to walk should be reminded that it is difficult to be in politics and public life, generally.

“I know it must be difficult for her because I just sit as the chairman at NSWMA (National Solid Waste Management Authority) and some of the things that you hear people say about us being at the trough and all of that, they don’t realise that it’s a personal sacrifice because it actually cost you more to be there, but these things are (in) service (to country),” he said.

Nevertheless, Chung argued that in looking at the letter Hanna wrote to Golding stating her decision to quit, “it’s obvious there was some discontent”.

“I don’t know if the discontent alone would’ve been enough to walk away from politics if she still had a passion for it, so it could suggest that, based on what’s happening, she’s really just tired and wants to leave it or it could also mean that there’s some disagreement, which doesn’t necessarily have to mean that she has a problem with Golding as people are saying but rather a problem with the direction of the policies and how the party is moving, which is a separate thing,” Chung reasoned.

He said he would not want to cast a shadow on Golding because of that.

“The best thing to do is really understand, from her point of view, but it certainly requires more understanding in terms of what happened,” he said.

According to Chung, “When you look at the current political landscape, the general feeling out there is that the Opposition is still trailing in the polls.

“And when I think about what Hanna says that we have to think about new ways of doing things…and the call (by Golding) for $40 billion more to be spent on social welfare, it betrays our knowledge or memory of what happened in terms of the fiscal irresponsibility years when we were constantly putting on new taxes and borrowing money and the country almost dropped off a cliff,” he said.

Chung said: “I don’t want to cast any aspersions on what she has said or her intent, but certainly there is more to look at. In terms of what drove her there, it must have been some personal reason because you just don’t walk away from something that you love like that if you still feel the fire burning and you feel you can still do something about it.”

For his part, Public Commentator, Kevin O’Brien Chang said: “Lisa Hanna is a mixed bag. She has her good side and her bad side.”

On the good side, O’Brien Chang noted that many women in Hanna’s privileged position would not bother to show the level of commitment to country that she has shown.

“She could easily be travelling the world, but she has, instead, devoted a lot of time and energy to her country and being in politics is not an easy thing. You have to give her credit for sticking with it for 15 years. She has tried to give back to her country though she could be living a Kim Kardashian lifestyle,” O’Brien Chang stated.

He noted further that not many even think about serving or giving back to the country.

“They’re not interested; they just want to live life. It’s a small pool who are willing to go through the hassle, go into the system, and try and help to run the affairs of the country,” he said.

The commentator added: “Every time we lose somebody prominent and intelligent enough, it’s a setback for the country. Every time we lose somebody who’s prominent and has the respect of the people, and the attention and the qualifications, the pool shrinks a bit.

“It’s a bit worrying that the pool may shrink one day to nothing, or the PNP might shrink to nothing,” he said.

On the negative side, O’Brien Chang said it is obvious that Hanna is not the best people person in the world, based on the numerous public spats she has had with her councillors over the years.

He also highlighted that she has taken the seat, which she first won in 2007 with a majority of more than 2,700 votes, shrinking the margin to just a 31-vote majority in the last election.

Related Article

In the context of the PNP, he said the prospects for party leadership look bleak.

“If Golding loses the next election and the people say, ‘Let us get fresh blood’, where’s that going to come from?” O’Brien Chang questioned.

He also said the PNP seem to have a problem with women.

“It’s not a good thing for the country; the talent pool is shrinking, the PNP is shrinking. Hopefully, maybe she can reconsider and come back and use her obvious appeal to contribute more to nation building,” said O’Brien Chang.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Antigua and Barbuda gets yet another fire truck

Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Antigua News Room

ANOTHER FIRE TENDER ARRIVES TO BOOST BRIGADE’S FLEET

The fleet of the fire brigade has been bolstered with another fire tender which arrived in the country this week.

The unit is the second of two purchased by the Government from the United States.

The first purchased from the US had arrived in May.

This latest unit comes less than two weeks after the donation of a fire tender to the brigade from the principals of the Peace Love and Happiness or PLH project in Barbuda.

Meanwhile, two of the three fire tenders the Government has purchased from the United Kingdom are expected to arrive in the country on Friday.

The third, which is a new unit, is scheduled to arrive next month.

The authorities say the beefing up of the brigade’s fleet is an indication of their commitment to the safety of residents.

There had been a firestorm of concern in some quarters of the public earlier this year regarding the number of working units for the brigade.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP

Editor

NewsAmericasNow.com