High Freight Costs Blame For Weak Caribbean Growth

A new report that explores the reasons for weak growth in Latin American and the Caribbean have blamed high transportation costs for undermining trade and having harmful impacts on the productivity of the entire economy. It says the region’s ports aren’t efficient enough either.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) study found that the region as a whole spends nearly twice as much as the United States in freight expenses to import its goods. Most countries, it said, have higher freight rates when exporting to the United States than countries in the Far East and in Europe.

UNICEF Study – Rising Child Sexual Abuse In Eastern Caribbean

A landmark study on child sexual abuse in the Eastern Caribbean has discovered that the problem is escalating in the sub-region and identified emerging forms of abuse, including the use of boys in an organised network to service cruise ship passengers.

The first of its kind study in the region, commissioned by UNICEF and carried out across the Eastern Caribbean during the period October 2008 to June 2009, explored the situation in Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat and St Kitts and Nevis, considered representative of the region.

The 303-page report, “Perceptions of, Attitudes to and Opinions on Child Sexual Abuse in the Eastern Caribbean”, documented that the more than 1400 respondents presented “an alarming picture of a social problem that is escalating, has increasingly severe consequences for Caribbean societies, has multiple layers and is perpetuated not only by adults who carry out harmful sexual practices with children but also by non-abusing adults through complicity, silence, denial and failure to take appropriate action”.

Win The Race – Ruin Your Health?

Pushing it to the limit during exercise increases ones chance of breaking down with the flu, and with Swine Flu among us this year is it worth the risk?

Individuals who take part in running races have higher flu and injury rates than their counterparts who trained for the race but did not run it according to current research.  In general healthy adults have less to fear of swine flu than children, the elderly, or individuals suffering from other illness, but an overworked athlete is an easy target for the flu.  

WHO/Big Pharma Link In Swine Flu Scam?

Danish journalists who expertly examined the links between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, who gained wealth by selling drugs to counter the disease have reached the conclusion that the Swine Flu Pandemic may be the most ambitious scam and corruption of our time.

In any case, the enormous commercial aspect of the “swine flu scare” is already evident. It turns out, for example, that many scientists who sit on various committees of WHO, carefully concealed the fact that they receive money from the giant pharmaceutical companies of the world.

Iran Seizes Nobel Winner Shirin Edabi’s Medal

  Iran has confiscated the Nobel peace medal and diploma of Shirin Ebadi, the human rights lawyer who is one of the hardline regime’s most outspoken critics. Her bank account has also been frozen on the pretext that she owes almost £250,000 in tax.

The seizure of the award, unprecedented in its 108-year history, caused outrage in Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Committee is based. The Norwegian Government summoned the Iranian envoy to protest, and the committee said that it would make a formal complaint.

“Such an act leaves us feeling shock and disbelief,” said Jonas Gahr Støre, the Norwegian Foreign Minister.

Gold $1180/oz India/IMF At It Again

 November 25, 2009 will be counted as another flying colors day for gold, the hottest commodity traded in global markets these days. Gold prices hit a historic record of $1180 per ounce, again on news reports that India is buying more gold from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Early this month, India’s central bank—the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)—bought 200 tonnes out of IMF’s saleable 403 tonnes of gold for a price of $1045 per ounce. Since then, gold prices have jumped more than $135 per ounce, may be the biggest rise for gold in the history of bullion trading.

Why is it that the mere news of India or for that any country in the world buying some gold from IMF driving up gold prices to unimaginable levels? Is a gold market hysteria on?

Rihanna Laught Off Bisexual Rumours

R&B star Rihanna is unfazed by rumours alleging she’s a closet bisexual after saucy photos surfaced online depicting the singer groping a female friend.

The Umbrella beauty famously dated fellow pop star Chris Brown for two years, before their relationship came crashing to an end when he beat her up in February (09).

She has repeatedly denied reports romantically linking her to rapper Drake and actor Tristan Wilds, declaring she was not yet ready to date.

Sol (Barbados) Takes Over 137 Shell Stations

Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to sell its service stations in the Dominican Republic to Barbados-based fuel supplier, Sol.

A total of 137 stations will be part of the deal. The amount of the purchase, however, has not been revealed.

Under licensing agreements, the Sol Group which was formed in 2005 through the purchase of Shell’s petroleum distribution and marketing businesses in several Caribbean nations, will continue using the Shell brand.

Rihanna’s Pool Boy Sees It All

Rihanna is often surprised by her pool cleaner when she is relaxing in the nude because she forgets what day it is.

Rihanna lets her pool boy see her naked.

The ‘Russian Roulette’ singer admits she loves relaxing in the nude and because of her hectic schedule, struggles to keep track of time and never knows when she is likely to be interrupted.

Major Ukraine Flu Outbreak Worries EU Neighbours

An explosive outbreak of influenza in Ukraine is worrying EU member nations that border it, observers say.

Kiev has issued a call for international help in obtaining anti-viral drugs, saying 71 people have died in the past week and another 240 people hospitalized in serious condition among more than 250,000 reported cases of flu-like infection, the EUobserver reported Wednesday.

The publication said blood tests have not confirmed the presence of the H1N1 variety known as “swine flu,” but the rapid pace of the infections have prompted a high level of concern among Ukraine’s neighbours.

Israel Faked Francop Claims – Iran

Israeli photos depicting shipping documents pointing to an alleged Iranian arms delivery to Hezbollah are forgeries, Iranian media claims.

The Israeli army in early November said it unloaded 36 containers of weapons at the Israeli port of Ashdod from the Antigua-flagged vessel Francop.

Thirty tons of weapons, rockets, missiles, hand grenades and ammunition were hidden behind thousands of plastic polyethylene bags, the army said.

Medical Doctor Retracts H1N1 Vaccine Advice After Reading Insert

I was privileged to come across a video that confirmed info that pertains to facts on the H1N1 vaccine inserts.

Privileged because I have read online in more than one place, statements associating with the inserts and now to see a doctor corroborate such, in living colour, one can only draw the obvious conclusion. This is information provided by the manufacturers detailing the pro and cons of the particular product for the particular risk group(s).

Barbados From Stable To Negative Outlook – Standard & Poor’s

 Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has once again downgraded Barbados’ outlook. However the Central Bank of Barbados is welcoming the rating agency’s affirmation of investment grade of the country’s external debt.

In a statement sent to the media yesterday following the release of S&P latest ratings, the Bank’s officials stated that they are aware that the outlook had worsened.

“We said so in our most recent report on the economy, at the end of last month. Some adjustments in fiscal stance will be required, in order to maintain the stability of the economy. As S&P’s report notes, Barbados boasts strong institutional and social arrangements, political stability and a well-funded NIS, and there is every reason to expect that government will take the necessary measures to protect Barbados’ external credit-worthiness.”

Malaysia Blogger In Hiding

A court in Malaysia has temporarily dropped the trial of a prominent blogger accused of sedition, because they do not know his whereabouts.

Raja Petra Kamaruddin, who runs the Malaysia Today website, is believed to have gone into hiding, possibly outside of Malaysia.

The trial which began in October last year stems from an article he wrote last year that allegedly implied the involvement of Malaysia’s prime minister in the high-profile 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman. Two policemen were sentenced to death in April for the killing, although the trial never established any motive.

Google And Yahoo Lobby FDA On Drug Advertising

In what sounds like a very unhealthy union, Internet giants like Google and Yahoo are teaming up with the multibillion dollar pharmaceutical industry in the US to lobby federal regulators into removing restrictions and making it that much easier to advertise and flog drugs online.

See: Tech/Media News

 



Sex Education For British 5 Year Olds

Pupils in England will be given classes in sex and relationships from the age of five under Government plans to cut teenage pregnancies.

Children will learn about parts of the body, the facts of life and puberty in primary school. At secondary school, they will be taught about pregnancy, contraception, HIV and homosexual relationships, it was disclosed.

All mothers and fathers will be able to keep children out on moral and religious grounds but will lose the right of withdraw when they turn 15. The ruling will affect 600,000 pupils a year.

Report Slams Largest Banks Link To Internationally Ban Weapons

Leading banks have funded arms manufacturers, whose products include cluster bombs, to the tune of $5 billion in the past two years, despite an international accord to ban such weapons, a study said Thursday.

The report by Profundo consultancy and several NGOs said the banks loaned money to companies whose products include cluster bombs or their components.

It did not say the funds went directly to make cluster bombs. The manufacturers could use the money for any of their production lines.

Leading Economist Says World Still Mired In Financial Crisis

An internationally renowned economist said on Wednesday that banks need to review their banking strategy following the global credit crunch, noting that the world has not yet recovered from the financial crisis.

“One look at banking is that banking is accepting credit and lending money,” said Souhail Elia, chairman of the ABC anti discrimination league in Nevada and chairman of Asian American leadership council for president Obama, speaking before a panel of Beirut’s top bankers and economic experts.

“To me, this is not the true definition of banking. To me, banking is the business of buying and selling money.”

IMF Gold Sale Spikes Price

The price of gold leapt to a record peak of $1,095.40 an ounce in trading here on Wednesday in the wake of the International Monetary Fund’s massive sale of the precious metal to India.

Gold had already reached a record high of $1,087.80 on Tuesday as the IMF said it had sold 200 tons of gold to India’s central bank over a two-week period last month for $6.7 billion to bolster its finances.

After spiking to a new high Wednesday, gold pulled back to $1,091.75 in London.

Cuba Slams Book By Castro’s Sister

Cuba’s state-run media on Monday condemned a just-published book in which Fidel Castro’s sister admits she spied for the Central Intelligence Agency.

The country’s media added that the expose proves that the former Cuban leader was a “victim” of decades of US targeting.

“The truth is in full view: Fidel Castro is the victim, the offended person, the individual against whom they conspired,” wrote the government-run La Jiribilla magazine, saying the relentless effort to target the Cuban leader was in “bad taste” and “low moral standing.”