NEW PRESIDENT TAKES OFFICE IN GUYANA—05/16/15
David Granger, a retired army general, is the new leader of Guyana. Granger and his multi-ethnic opposition coalition achieved victory in the country, ending the rule of the previous administration, which ruled for 23 years. The elections commission in Guyana said Granger’s Partnership for National Unity-Alliance for change Coalition got over 207,000 votes, compared to the previous People’s Progressive Party administration, which received some 202,000 votes.
MEDIA GROUP OPPOSES CYBER CRIME BILL IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO—05/17/15
According to the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago, the Cyber Crime Bill that has been proposed includes provisions that will limit the freedom of journalists to gather and report information. The group is urging the public to pay attention to these measures, which are being supported by the People’s Partnership. The proposed legislation would criminalize journalists who report on documents obtained by whistleblowers and provide for their imprisonment.
MORE GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR SCIENCE, TECH EDUCATION CALLED FOR—05/18/15
Educators are calling for the governments in the Caribbean to raise their funding levels and increase delivery of science and technical education. Attendees at the Second International Conference on Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) urged Caribbean nations to increase such funding and to integrate science, technology; engineering and math (STEM) into all education levels.
BEYONCE VISITS HAITI TO OBSERVE PROGRESS SINCE 2010 EARTHQUAKE—05/19/15
Pop superstar Beyonce made a visit to Haiti in order to see how much progress has been made in the country since it suffered from a devastating earthquake in 2010. According to Sophie Boutaud, a spokesperson for the United Nations mission, Beyonce also met with people who were directly affected by the disaster.
CRUISE SHIP AGROUND IN BERMUDA—05/20/15
The “Norwegian Dawn,” a cruise ship, ran aground in the North Channel off Bermuda after leaving the Dockyard following a regularly scheduled action from Boston. The ship carried 2,675 passengers and 1,062 crew members. The vessel lost power when leaving the dock and ran aground on a reef. After divers complete an inspection of the hull to check for damage, local tugboats are ready to pull it off the reef.
PLANE CARRYING OVER A TON OF COCAINE CRASHES IN CARIBBEAN—05/21/15
A plane traveling from Venezuela carrying over a ton of cocaine crashed into the Caribbean Sea following a pursuit by Colombian Air Force planes. Venezuela and Colombia both took the credit for stopping the plane, but had different versions of how the drug transport effort was foiled. The plane crashed off the coast of Puerto Colombia when one of its motors failed. The pilot’s body was recovered from the crash site, along with 1.2 metric tons of cocaine wrapped up as one-kilogram blocks.
