Black Immigrant Daily News

Attorney General Dale Marshall is appealing to all Barbadians to join the fight in eradicating criminal activity in Barbados.

During a press conference held this afternoon at Government Headquarters, Bay Street St Michael, the Attorney General affirmed that Government has implemented several measures to arrest communities in crisis.

“You will note that Government is doing a lot of heavy lifting with the measures that we have put in place, you’ve seen them, you’ve heard us talk about them. We’re trying to rescue our communities and these responses will go long way but we have to acknowledge that until we take a significant personal effort in dealing with our own families in our own communities, we will find that in another twenty years we will be back to square one.”

“All of the solutions do not lie with government intervention. The first intervenors are ourselves and if we applicate that responsibility and decide that we’re going to leave the safety of our streets to the police service and to the government then that is not the solution,” said the Attorney General.

Marshall contended Government is determined to ensure the safety of Barbadians, but there should also be a national effort by all citizens.

“We are committed, we are absolutely determined to ensure the safety of Barbadians and if I can remind you during COVID we adopted a whole of country approach. Everybody had a stake in this we had to protect ourselves, we had to protect our families and our neighbours and collectively, we were able to protect our country. We have to accept that dealing with firearm crimes requires a similar approach, a whole of country approach, not a whole of government approach.”

“Governments do not raise children. It is plain and simple. Governments do not live in communities, we do.”

He added: “The government is committed to doing its part but I call on all Barbadians to recognize that with all the work that government does if each of us does not recognize that we have a significant role to play in rooting out some of these challenges, then we will get nowhere.”

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 8, 2022 (DPP) — The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has reported that Orvis Pogson was convicted by a unanimous jury for the double murder of sisters Naomi Finch and Jimmyliah Finch, which took place on March 1, 2018.

According to the DPP, After the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on counts 1 and 2 (murder) His Lordship Justice Morley ordered a presentence report and victim impact statement in preparation for his sentence on October 10, 2022.

On April 12, 2022, Pogson pleaded guilty to manslaughter but the Director of Public Prosecutions did not accept the guilty plea of manslaughter and the matter proceeded to trial, where he was convicted for the double murder.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The 10 songs that have been selected for this year’s Jamaica Festival Song Competition are a mixture of dancehall, the old-time traditional festival song style, and the new generation music sound, cays Culture and Entertainment Minister, Olivia Grange.

That outline, as well as the names of the 10 finalists, were made by Grange at a virtual press conference on Thursday, to provide details of the event.

The annual competition, which forms part of Jamaica’s Emancipation and Independence Day celebrations, was initially cancelled last month due to the poor standard of the more than 120 entries then.

However, public outrage at that decision by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport led to the resumption of applications for the competition for just a week. More than 200 entries were received during that extension period.

“I think, in this instance, because of the controversy, it generated more interest, so we were able to get a lot of publicity just because of the controversy, and that may have been why more interest was generated, that would have included persons from the music industry,” Grange indicated.

The songs and finalists that were eventually selected are: I’m A Proud Jamaican by Magic; Nuh Weh Nice Like Yard by Sacaj; Diamond Jubilee by Orkid; Jamaica Sweet Again by Dez I Boyd; Jamaica Nice Again by Inspiyah; Defend Jamaica by Nitty Kutchie; Out Of Many by Nazzleman; Sixty (Anniversary Time) by One1; Rock To Da Beat by Intrestt; and Bring Back The Love by Stamp.

According to Grange, some of the songs selected were part of the previous set which were originally shortlisted before the competition was to have been cancelled.

“The 10 songs that were selected were selected from new entries, as well as the panel decided to go back and review the shortlist that was initially selected for review.

“.. And so, a combination of entries from the first set that was shortlisted and new entries that came in when we reopened, has given us a combination of the 10 songs that we now have,” outlined Grange.

In commenting on the genre of songs, the minister said they are diverse and would appeal to both young and older persons.

She said the songs have “the dancehall and the old-time vibe, and the new generation (music sound).

“It’s really a diverse mix of songs, and that I think it a very clean competition. And what is reflected in these songs is this patriotism and love for Jamaica, and wanting to see Jamaica (be) great,” Grange informed.

Meanwhile, she disclosed that the 2022 Jamaica Festival Song winner will be determined following two televised shows on July 14 and July 28.

The finale to crown the winner of the event is to take place on the latter date at the Independence Village at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

The winner will then be selected after the tabulation of the judges’ scores and voting by Jamaicans and members of the diaspora.

“We will open for voting on the Reggae Jamaica app, and the Reggae Jamaica app will be opened for voting by the diaspora, and no one source can vote more than five times for the day,” Grange explained.

“There is a cap on the number of votes that can be polled by any one person, individual or source,” she added.

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Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre, At Ann’s on Thursday. Photo by Roger Jacob

Caricom will begin taking steps to remove non-tariff barriers (NTBs), look into diverse and cheaper means of transport and develop the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME), to improve food security and diversify from importing outside of the region, said the Prime Minister in a post Cabinet press briefing on Thursday.

Dr Rowley, speaking at the diplomatic centre in Port of Spain, provided an update on the outcomes of the 43rd Caricom heads of Government meeting held from July 3 to July 5.

Describing the meeting as one of the “most productive,” Rowley said the heads of government expressed disappointment at the slow pace of the implementation of the CSME and took immediate steps to move the process forward.

“We cannot stay where we are and, every six months, say what we want to do, knowing full well that we don’t intend to do it because we are more concerned about preserving the status quo. The heads have determined that it is now the time to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk.”

A statement issued after the meeting said the heads of government mandated Caricom’s secretariat to convene meetings of registrars of companies and the ministers with responsibility for companies, to elaborate steps to enable member states to implement mutual recognition of any company incorporated in the region before the end of July.

The statement also said through the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) initiatives and programmes aimed at the removal of non-tariff barriers will be concluded by the end of the month.

“When we establish what the heads have instructed the secretariat to do, that TT suppliers will more easily supply what they produce everywhere in the region. By the same token, other people who are producing similar things or things that we do not now allow in will have access to our market,” he said. “The underlying principle of the CSME is that my market is yours and your market is mine.”

He added that Caricom plans to make use of the land space in multiple territories such as Guyana, Belize and Suriname for agricultural development and to offset the region’s import bill by 25 per cent, by the year 2025. He added that a small Brazilian territory off the Venezuelan border, Roriama, is willing to act as a 14th state, and contribute its own land space for development, growth and trade.

“(There is) significant production of protein and carbohydrate foods – large volumes of food material – which the Guyana effort leading Caricom to food security and engage in food supply creation have brought Roraima to support Caricom’s effort to ensure that food is available in Caricom.”

“We are of the view that if we put all these things together and get them invested in and funded that Caricom would not be as vulnerable as we are now, especially as predictions are that covid19 is not alone,” Rowley said.

“It is quite possible that we have to plan for similar ‘covids’ or whatever they are called in the future where we find ourselves in a situation where we are competing for the basics in life and we are not able to buy them even if we have the money.”

He said there will be another Agricultural Expo, this time in TT and it will be held from August 19 to 21.

He also mentioned plans to look into a regional traditional and fast ferry service to enhance the region’s connections through transport. But he said as far as air transport TT will not be interested in using Caribbean Airlines as a regional service provider outside of its current arrangements.

Rowley said the decisions came out of a recognition of major shocks to the world’s food supply and major commodities such as petrochemicals coming out of circumstances for which the world simply wasn’t prepared.

“We have been pushed to this, not because we got a “vaps” and decided that we are going to be different to prime ministers of another era,” Rowley said.

“Six months ago we didn’t expect to be in a situation where two European countries are at war. Ukraine and Russia are at war and immediately the world’s food supply is threatened, the world’s fertiliser supply is threatened, the world’s fuel supply is threatened and Caricom has had to act.”

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