Opposition protests no 'live' budget responseST. GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC):
The main opposition, National Democratic Congress, is protesting the decision by the Grenada Broadcasting Network not to carry live, on radio, the response to the 2008 budget presentation by the shadow Minister for Finance, Nazim Burke.
However, the station said failure to carry the response resulted from a contractual dispute with a client and was not coloured by political considerations.
The Opposition's response to the EC$751.7 million (US$281 million) budget announced by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Dr. Keith Mitchell, last Friday, was not carried live on the station's AM service - the first time in the history of its existence.
Government to expand public service
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent (CMC):
The Ralph Gonsalves administration has announced plans to expand the public service next year, drawing a caution from the main opposition party that the state could end up not being able to pay salaries.
The Prime Minister disclosed the plan to create the new jobs as he presented the 2008 estimates of revenue and expenditure, which shows that government intends to spend EC $517 million (US$193 million), a $66 million (US$24.7 million) or near 15 per cent increase over total expenditure for 2007.
"In an effort to strengthen a number of critical state functions and to improve the quality and level of service to the population, a total of 246 new positions have been created," Dr Gonsalves said as he laid the estimates in Parliament.
Williams to continue as UWP leader
ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC):
Leader of the United Workers Party (UWP) Earl Williams is set to retain the job, unopposed, when the party meets for its annual delegate's conference this weekend.
Williams won the heart of the party executive back in 2005, beating his former colleague Julius Timothy for the top job. The challenge resulted in a split in the party and Timothy, the former deputy leader, now serves as a minister in the Roosevelt Skerrit administration.
UWP deputy leader Ronald Green said the party has moved from strength to strength since choosing Williams as leader.
Minister's son among three teens charged
ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC):
A Magistrate's Court Thursday granted bail to a government minister's son and two other young men charged in connection with a sexual case involving two teenaged girls.
Craig Joseph, 20, son of Minister of Social Development and Gender Affairs, Yolande Bain-Horsford, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lawrence Joseph, is one of three young men granted bail and ordered to reappear in court next week to answer a charge of defiling two females, ages 13 and 14.
The other two are Shameel LalGie, 21, and Troy Andrew, 26.
Police find weapons, arrest 12 in raidsGEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):
Guyana police say they have recovered a Russian-made AK-47 assault weapon and matching ammunition and arrested 12 men following several raids around the capital on Thursday.
However, lawmen say it is not yet clear whether the weapon is the one stolen recently from the Guyana Defence Force storage bond or from the 30 discovered missing from the army last February. A police release said ranks conducted raids in five city wards and while searching a house in Thomas Street, Kitty, they discovered one AK 47 rifle with a magazine and 76 matching rounds, one 9mm Luger pistol with a magazine and 16 matching rounds and two .38 rounds.
CARICOM leaders start summit on prices
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):
Eight leaders of the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) were present here on Friday at the start of a special Heads of Government conference speedily convened to deal with some burning regional issues.
The rising cost of living and progress on the impending Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union are the two issues which will dominate closed-door talks at the 12th special meeting of the conference of Heads of Government being held at the Guyana International Convention Centre.
Teachers back after two-day protestST GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC):
Teachers here returned to the classrooms yesterday after two days of protest action over government's failure to honour an outstanding package of fringe benefits agreed to in an industrial contract signed four years ago.
Grenada Union of Teachers President Marvin Andall told the Caribbean Media Corporation that the teachers, who spent Wednesday and Thursday as days of rest, reflection and relaxation, will now end the school term without any further interruption.
UNC ready to take on Manning Government
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
The main opposition United National Congress (UNC) says it is ready to take on the Patrick Manning administration when Parliament meets on December 17 for the first sitting since the November 5 general election.
Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday made this declaration as he said that Thursday's announcement by Government about the reopening of Parliament came as a result of public pressure placed on it by the UNC.
However, new leader of Government Business in the House, Works Minister Colm Imbert, said there was no "undue delay" by Government in convening Parliament after the election.
He said that had the opposition "done its homework," it would have realised the six-week gap between the election and the convening of the Ninth Parliament is "perfectly normal" in the Commonwealth of which Trinidad and Tobago is a member.
