Millions in the Caribbean Survive on Less Than $2 a Day
An eye-opening report revealed that millions of people in five Caribbean nations are surviving on less than $2 a day, Caribbean Net News reports. The affected citizens are from the Dominican Republic (with 15 percent attempting to live on that small wage), Haiti (72 percent), St. Lucia (41 percent), Guyana (17 percent), Trinidad and Tobago (14 percent) and Suriname (27 percent), according to the recent Population Reference Bureau’s 2009 World Population Data Sheet. News from the bureau, based in Washington D.C., doesn’t get much better. It estimates that the population will rise in the Caribbean, as well as poverty-stricken areas in Africa, Latin America and Asia, by a little less than 50 percent between now and 2050, the news service reports. “This scenario assumes that fertility in less-developed countries will decline smoothly to the low levels observed in today’s more developed countries: about 1.8 children per woman,” the report states. “For fertility to fall to those low levels, many factors are key, including significant increases in the use of family planning in many less-developed countries.”
 

Thousands Protest Mali’s Marriage Law
Thousands of people in the west African nation of Mali have been protesting a new law that provides more rights for wives, reports the BBC. The law, which was adopted weeks ago but has not been signed by the nation’s president yet, decreed that married women are no longer required to obey their husbands. In addition, the legislation allows for stronger inheritance rights for mothers and children who are born out of wedlock, the news service reports. “We have to stick to the Koran. A man must protect his wife, a wife must obey her husband,” Hadja Sapiato Dembele, a spokeswoman from the National Union of Muslim Women’s Association, told BBC recently. Only a certain segment of the population supports the law, she says. “It’s a tiny minority of women here that wants this new law – the intellectuals. The poor and illiterate women of this country – the real Muslims – are against it,” she said.

Rise in Piracy off Somalia Expecte
Following the region’s monsoon season, piracy off of the Somali coast is expected to rise, says the Combined Maritime Forces. The group told sea crews to actively use safety measures by using certain routes and letting the European Union’s security center know when they’re traveling, CNN reports. “The prior preparation and vigilance of merchant mariners at all times of day and night is more important now than ever,” an official from the task force said. “While our ability to deter and disrupt attacks has improved over time, we are constantly adapting the way we do our business as the pirates adapt and modify their tactics.” Security forces from all over the world are patrolling the waters and will assist in battling pirates, CNN reports. In recent months pirates in the region have been kidnapping crews and demanding ransoms at an alarming rate.
 
Guyanan Authorities Bring Arson Charges
Two people have been charged in connection with a fire that destroyed Guyana’s health ministry building, the BBC reports. The arson, which occurred earlier this month, was planned by a group of people who are anti-government, according to the police commissioner, though no particular group has been named. Health records and important offices were ruined in the blaze. Two other people, possibly connected to the arson, escaped from custody. An officer was arrested as a result of the incident.

Fighting in Nigeria Kills at Least 39
Fighting between armed forces and Islamist militants killed at least 39 people in Nigeria, the BBC reports. Men from the militant group, Boko Haram (“Western education prohibited,” translated in English), attacked a Bauchi police station with guns and explosives, and security forces fought back by attacking a nearby settlement, according to reports. The militants attacked the station because of the arrest of some of the group’s leaders, one Boko Haram member told Reuters. The group wishes to “clean the system, which is polluted by Western education and uphold Sharia [Islamic law] all over the country,” he said. As a result of the conflict, police say that more than 150 people have been arrested.

Glum Findings on Africa’s Gay Male HIV Rate
In some African nations, the HIV rate among gay men is 10 times higher than their heterosexual counterparts, according to a report. Discrimination and prejudice against gays in these nations are behind the problem, the research, which was published in the medical journal The Lancet said. There is “profound stigma and social hostility at every level of society concerning either same-sex behaviors amongst me or homosexuality,” Adrian Smith, one of the lead researchers, told the BBC. The prejudice makes gays “extremely hard to reach.” To make matters worse, a lot of the HIV-positive gay men have female sex partners who are also becoming infected. The men often “hide their sexual orientation” so they can get married and are unaware of the risks of unprotected sex. “Most of them know that you can contract HIV/AIDS or any infection when you are making sex with women, but not when you are having sex with another man,” George Kanuma, a Burundi gay rights activist told the BBC. More HIV education and prevention resources are needed on the continent, the report says.

 Guyana Authorities Probe Suspicious Fire
The early morning fire, which burned down Guyana’s Minstry of Health Friday, is still being investigated by authorities in the Caribbean nation, reports the BBC. It took only minutes for the wooden building to go up in flames, according to eyewitnesses. Police are not giving many details, but they say there were fire-starting tools taken from the scene, and at least one government official is suspecting foul play. “It appears to me from all that I’m hearing is that it is a clear case of arson,” the nation’s Health Minister Leslie Ransammy told the BBC.

Global Economic Crisis Will Cost Africa Billions By the end of 2009, Africa’s economy stands to lose up to $49 billion due to the global economic crisis, according to research from ActionAid. Almost half of the amount –$27 billion – is due to a drop in foreign aid, earnings from exports and money from richer nations who are struggling through recession, reports the BBC. “Although developing countries didn’t make this crisis, it has become all too clear that they are in the firing line when it comes to suffering its worst effects,” said an ActionAid official. Countries that were making progress in recent years could start to backslide. “There is a real risk that development will start to go backwards in many countries as the money dries up and that the recession will lead to worsening poverty and terrible consequences for the men, women and children caught in its grip.” The country set to suffer the most is South Africa, the report says, because of the drop in foreign income.

U.S. AIDS Program Did Wonders in Guyana Guyana’s AIDS prevention program, sponsored by the United States, has helped cut the nation’s HIV rate by almost 2 percent, according to the government. The Caribbean nation’s infection rate dropped down from almost 3 percent to about 1 percent, reports the BBC. The government has been able to monitor the program’s success by testing almost half of the nation. The numbers prompted one of the nation’s health officials to call the program, which started five years ago and is headed up by the U.S. Agency for International Development, a “huge success story.” The program, which cost $20 million, focused on both awareness and prevention.

Unity Bill Passed by Zimbabwe Lawmakers
Zimbabwe is another step closer to having a unity government after months of negotiations. On Thursday, lawmakers unanimously passed a bill that will allow the creation of the government with longtime President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, reports CNN. Tsvangirai is set to sworn in as prime minister on Feb. 11.  “This is a historic occasion that seeks to form an inclusive government. It has been a long, frustrating and bumpy journey. … I urge honorable members to take a giant leap of faith into the future by supporting the bill,” Patrick Chinamasa, Zimbabwe’s justice minister, said in front of Parliament. The bill still must be signed by Mugabe. “Let bygones be bygones so that we can address the issues afflicting the country.” The country’s alarmingly high inflation rate is rendering Zimbabwe money useless to residents, and the nation is reeling from a cholera epidemic that has killed almost 4,000 people. Last year saw two controversial presidential elections. The weeks leading up to the runoff election were so violent, Tsvangirai dropped out for fear of his life and his supporters’ lives, he says. The elections and subsequent power-sharing negotiations left opposition party Movement for Democratic change, a little weary but optimistic about the bill. “Many of us in this chamber are not sure if this is a right decision. But it is not about right or wrong decisions. Do we have any other choice? Zimbabweans are suffering, dying or fleeing the country in the thousands….None of us has a choice but to support this bill,” Tendai Biti, an MDC official told lawmakers.
Over 800 Guyanese Prisoners Still Awaiting Trial
In Guyana’s overcrowded Georgetown Prison, 832 prisoners are waiting to go on trial, with some going almost four years without having their cases heard, reports the South American nation’s Ministry of Home Affairs. The survey represents 36 percent of the country’s prison population, reports Caribbean Net. In addition to releasing the figures, the ministry also announced two temporary appointments to the Judicial Service Commission, saying that it hoped “these appointments work toward the speedy conclusions of cases and the reduction of the number of persons being remanded.” The Ministry said plans for the construction of a new prison, with a capacity of 240, are in the works, along with the remodeling of a dorm for prisoners with tuberculosis. New bunk beds and sentence reductions for prisoners who have been on good behavior for at least a week are among other plans to alleviate overcrowding.

Reggae Star Will Stand Trial

Jamaican reggae star Bounty Killer appeared in court earlier this week on several traffic charges, reports The Associated Press. Bounty Killer, whose real name is Rodney Basil Price, stands accused of running seven red lights and obstructing traffic. Police have also charged him with refusing to take a breathalyzer test. His trial date is May 12. This isn’t the star’s first run-in with authorities. Price was also charged with using profanity during Jamaica’s Reggae Sumfest last July.

Cholera Deaths Skyrocket in Zimbabwe. At the end of last week, the death toll from Zimbabwe’s cholera epidemic was 1,564, up from 484 earlier this month. Just since August, there have been 29,131 suspected cases of the waterborne illness. The surge of cholera is due to the nation’s crumbling health, sanitation and water services, reports the BBC.  It could take six months to take control of the outbreak, according to the United Nations. “The overall case fatality rate has risen to 5.7 percent – far above the 1 percent that is normal in large outbreaks – and in some rural areas it has reached as high as 50 percent,” the World Health Organization said in a statement. Many people don’t have any access to health care because facilities have closed. The news doesn’t get better when it comes to food aid; children’s charity, Save the Children, says about 5 million in the nation need food aid. Critics of longtime Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe blame him for the country’s problems, including having the world’s highest inflation rate. Progress on a power-sharing deal with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has slowed because of disagreements over which party will control important cabinet positions.

Guyana to Cast Ballots. A bill passed in the South American nation’s parliament Monday, paves the way for local elections in Guyana after more than 14 years. The Local Authorities (Election) Amendment Bill passed with a 29-22 vote. The law allows the minister of local government to authorize local councils to hold elections (which have been postponed 12 times now) for mayor, or any other elected position, reports the BBC.  The move was rejected by opposition members who accused the ruling Peoples Progressive Party of trying to gain influence over local government. The minister of local government, Khellawan Lall, said that some municipalities were not operating and having meetings for years because there was no majority (quorum) there to hold an election. He added that local government needed “new blood” along with a new approach to doing things, reports Caribbean Net. Lall blamed the recent problems with flooding in cities on the lack of local leadership. “Flooding was exacerbated due to neglect and inappropriate dumping of garbage,” he said, adding that officials were instead using the Council to further their own political aspirations while showing “no evidence of management of municipalities.” Elections are scheduled for every three years, under the new law.

World Lens Photos: Don King shows up in Israel, Barack Obama’s grandma gets a special visit, protesters get riled up in South Africa. See pics.

Rebels in Congo declare a cease-fire. After days of fighting government forces in the nation, a Congo rebel leader has declared a ceasefire, reports CNN. The Tutsi general who heads the National Congress for the Defense of the People, Laurent Nkunda, ordered the move, French ambassador to the United Nations, Jean-Maurice Ripert, said. “We hope that it will stand, and we hope that tomorrow Mr. Nkunda will announce that he stops his offensive,” Ripert said. Fighting between rebels and the government pushed thousands of people to escape to the city of Goma, resulting in declining medical conditions throughout the region, according to the charity Doctors Without Borders. Nkunda has said that the government won’t protect Tutsis from the Rwandan Hutu militia. The rebel attacks also drove thousands of people, who already were displaced, out of U.N.-operated camps, causing officials to be concerned. “The humanitarian situation is quite dire. We have internally displaced people streaming out of camps,” spokesman for the U.N. mission in Congo Madnodie Mounoubai said. “Both parties are blocking the U.N. from reaching desperately needy people to evacuate. …I cannot emphasize how desperate the situation on the ground is.” But one representative from the charity Oxfam is hoping for the best results from the ceasefire. “We are very happy that, at least, the fighting is going to stop,” he said, also appealing for both sides to come together and “find a lasting situation to the crisis.” 

U.S. travelers warned about Guyana’s crime. U.S. travelers were warned by the American Embassy about a reported rise in robberies in Guyana, reports Caribbean News Net. According to the report, released by the Overseas Security Advisory Council, there has been a rise in gas station robberies, especially at those frequented by many embassy workers. “Due to a rise in criminal activity during the hours of darkness, the U.S. Embassy is recommending that its employees fill their gas tanks during daylight hours only. Private U.S. citizens in Guyana may wish to heed this same advice,” the report said. But one Guyanese official says the report really isn’t true because there haven’t been any robberies at gas stations recently. Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee also went on to say that this was just them trying to blow the country’s crime issue out of proportion and that the department should’ve spoken to authorities before making the claim.

Guyana passes strict law against sex offenders
It seems like the Caribbean is toughening up on crime as a whole. Last week Jamaica’s prime minister introduced tougher penalties for gun crimes. Now, Guyana lawmakers just passed legislation that requires people convicted of certain sexual offenses (such as molestation, rape, sexual exploitation and prostitution) to face being supervised by the police for the rest of their lives, even after they have completed their sentences, reports the BBC. Also under the new law, those convicted of armed robbery, domestic violence and hijacking, would be supervised by police for a mandatory three years after serving their sentence. Members of the opposition in the nation’s Parliament supported the law in general but were also concerned that it allowed for the prime minister to add or remove offenses without consulting the governing body first.

Rebels Attack Two Nigerian oil pipelines
A Nigerian rebel group took responsibility for damaging two oil pipelines in southern Nigeria, reports CNN. About the attack, the group Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), said “detonation engineers backed by heavily armed fighters” caused damage to the pipelines early Monday morning. The rebels believe that the pipelines, located in two different cities, are the property of Shell Petroleum Development Company. And Shell has confirmed damage to at least one of its pipelines in the country. “We are working to ascertain the extent of the damage and have shut in some production to limit the amount of crude that will spill into the environment,” Caroline Wittgen, a Shell spokeswoman said. Nigeria is one of the United States’ major oil suppliers, and the rebel attacks on oil pipelines in the nation have led to the rise in crude oil prices. The recent attacks have cut the region’s oil production by 10 percent. “Anytime a pipeline is affected, anytime any production gets shut down, you see oil prices jump up one or two dollars a barrel just because there is no slack in the system,” Jim LeCamp, senior vice president with RBC Wealth Management ( a company that works with wealthy clients internationally) told CNN. Since 2006, MEND has made it a point to attack big foreign oil companies – by bombing pipelines or kidnapping foreign oil employees for ransom – because they believe the oil wealth should be shared with the mostly poor citizens of the Niger Delta region. More than 70 percent of natives in the oil-rich area get paid less that a dollar each day.