Traffic Lights Mayhem

Traffic lights illustration

TO the people in charge of traffic lights in the city, please circle the line that most appropriately describes your serious LACK of performance in the extremely busy and chaotic streets of Castries over the last few months: “You are part of a secret ploy to decrease the number of motorists, vehicles and pedestrians who traverse the streets daily by allowing crashes and collisions to take place.”

Region Wants More Global Action on Climate Change

Image: Caribbean poster at COP21 last year.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – If the temperature where you are changes by half a degree Celsius, do you think you would notice? What if the temperature of the world increases by half of one degree Celsius, would it make a difference to the Caribbean? In the face of human-induced climate change, Caribbean researchers say that a half a degree Celsius change in global temperature could make quite a difference for the region, which is already being severely impacted by the adverse effects of a warming climate.

Keep December Productive

THE holiday season takes place at the same time every year. However, most of us are still caught off-guard when December rolls around. With so much to plan for and to execute, the whole experience sometimes proves overwhelming. This becomes even more apparent when an everyday work life is added to the mix. Usually, by the first week of December our brains have begun conjuring up thoughts of presents, decorating and entertaining at home. Therefore, when at the office it can prove difficult to switch off and focus on the day to day tasks that we are faced with. However, a little thought and planning can aid in preparing for Christmas and the New Year without infringing on work assignments.

‘Small Stones’ Hit ‘Alliance’

THE Alliance Francaise at Pointe Seraphine played host to a visiting cast from French Guiana last Wednesday evening that performed a riveting theatrical production entitled, “A Petites Pierres” (or “With Small Stones”). The play is a comedy about the frictions between well-entrenched traditions versus modern influences. It also demonstrates how traditional beliefs bring out the darkest side in people, including their absurdities.

Shamrock Win Shamfest

Image: Shamrock Shamfest Champions 2016 (Photo: Anthony De Beauville)

THE Shamrock netball team is still basking in the glory of being crowned champions of the second Annual Shamfest Festival despite a low scoring final against Sir Arthur Lewis Community College on Saturday at the Vigie Multi-Purpose Sports Complex. The girls were all smiles as they reminisced being unbeaten throughout the tournament, but the laughter was at its loudest when they spoke of victory over Sir Arthur Lewis Community College 26 – 23 as most of the Shamrock players are students of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.

Local Boxers Set for Stiff Challenge in Barbados

Image: (L-R) Head Coach Conrad Fredrick, boxers Lyndell Marcellin, Arthur Langelier and Marvin Anthony. (Photo: Anthony De Beauville)

EIGHT Saint Lucian boxers left the island yesterday to compete in the 2nd Annual Caribbean Boxing Developmental Championships in Barbados which begins today and runs until Saturday. Leading Saint Lucia’s charge at the championships is Lyndell Marcellin in the 69 kg weight class. Also on the team are Marvin Anthony (81 kg weight class), Arthur Langelier (75 kg weight class), Leslie Joseph (60 kg weight class), Nathan Farrier (64 kg weight class), Kareem Boyce (60 kg weight class), JavannusFevrier (60 kg weight class) and Omar Mann (56 kg weight class).

Alzarri Joseph Comes In for ‘Hurricanes’

Image: Test seamer Alzarri Joseph … in the Hurricanes 13-man squad to face Volcanoes.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, Dec 5, CMC – Test fast bowler Alzarri Joseph is set to make his first appearance in the Regional Four-Day Championship after being named in the Leeward Islands Hurricanes 13-man squad for next weekend’s fourth round game against Windward Islands Volcanoes. The 20-year-old has replaced seamer Quinton Boatswain and is the only change to the squad from the last round against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.

Enjoy It — ARC Participants Urged

Image: ARC+ participants at Sunday evening welcome party at the IGY Rodney Bay Marina (Photo Isabelle Sankar)

A warm Saint Lucian welcome has officially been extended to the sailors who have braved the high seas and successfully finished the 2700 nautical mile trans-oceanic ARC race from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria via the Cape Verde Islands to the IGY Rodney Bay Marina. On Sunday evening, steel pan music to the tune of well-known Christmas hits by local artistes filled the marina air entertaining over forty ARC+ yachts and ARC crews who are already on island. The event would not be complete without a kick of locally made rum punch and delectable treats packed with a generous dose of St Lucian flavour.

St. Lucia Joins ‘One Health’ CARICOM Drive

img: The six OECS, 15 CARICOM and 12 Commonwealth Caribbean member-states will be expected to come out of the current 37th CARICOM Summit, under way in Guyana, with plans to address the expected Brexit Caribbean blowout, which offers both challenges and opportunities for new relationships with Britain and the EU.

SAINT Lucia is hoping to join CARICOM member countries to promote the One Health Concept. The concept encourages a holistic approach to health, bringing together health institutions and health practitioners from a cross section of society. The One Health Concept is not entirely new, and re-emerged in 2004 through the collaborative efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with the aim to address the escalating diseases affecting humans, 70 percent of which originate from animals.

Thousands Bid Farewell To Castro

Image of Fidel Castro

HAVANA, Cuba, CMC – Cuban President Raul Castro has vowed to honour the socialist principles and goals of the Cuban revolution that was led by his brother, Fidel Castro, who died on November 25 at the age of 90. In an address to tens of thousands of Cubans and world leaders in the city of Santiago on Saturday, the president , who led final tributes to his brother also said Cuba would ban naming any monuments or roads after the late leader – and this was at his request.

Cruise Line To Pay For Polluting Seas With Waste

Image: One of the ships of Princess Cruise Lines

WASHINGTON, CMC – The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) says a Caribbean cruise line has agreed to plead guilty to seven felony charges stemming from its deliberate pollution of the seas and intentional acts to cover it up. The DOJ said Princess Cruise Lines Ltd. will pay a US$40 million penalty– the largest-ever criminal penalty involving deliberate vessel pollution – and plead guilty to charges related to illegal dumping of oil contaminated waste from the Caribbean Princess cruise ship.

Vendors Call For VAT Ease

Image of Peter “RasIpa” Isaac

ARCADE vendors in Castries are asking on the Castries Constituency Council (CCC) not to introduce the value added tax to their monthly rental fee which is $120. 00 as this would be going against an exemption they say was given to them by the previous government. The Council recently informed vendors that the monthly rental of booths at the arcade would be moved to $138 as a result of a sales tax effective this month. This was the first time vendors were being billed by the Council hence the introduction of the sales tax.