BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - In 1998, Red Plastic Bag (RPB) sang a song entitled Material. In that song, the lyrical master said: Trouble, every year calypsonians in trouble, it’s so hard to find material . . . but this year, have no fear ’cause RPB is here.
With those lyrics reverberating in my head, and as I reflect on the fact that so many Caribbean economies are in crisis, I could only wish someone or something was here to provide much needed “material” to allow us to resolve what clearly now seems to be fast approaching insurmountable economic woes.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - THE United States has welcomed Jamaica's support for the agreement between Washington and Moscow for the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons.
America's position was related by US Ambassador to Jamaica Pamela Bridgewater in an interview with newspaper journalists at her residence in Kingston last Friday afternoon.
"We were very happy that Jamaica stated its support for the US/Russia framework agreement," Ambassador Bridgewater said in response to a question from the Jamaica Observer on the issue.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Haiti has long been renowned for its brightly colored paintings, metalwork handicrafts and wide-ranging styles of music while its fashion industry has lagged behind.
This is in large part because Haitian fashion consists mainly of clothing exported from Florida, otherwise known as "pepe," an industry that began in the 1960s and left many tailors unemployed.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Despite the accolades received during the recently held World Travel Awards and the country’s involvement in major promotional events, the twin-island state struggled through the summer months.
General Manager of the Antigua & Barbuda Hotel and Tourism Association Neil Forrester yesterday revealed Antigua & Barbuda “has just encountered the worst summer yet.”
Forrester, while speaking on OBSERVER Radio’s Big Issues yesterday, said it was a good summer for events, but not visitor arrivals.

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – Suriname is to introduce a general pardon for people living in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country as well as provide a grace period for those residing here illegally to fix their papers.
The government had initially intended to grant the pardon to members of the Chinese community residing here illegally, but widened the initiative to include undocumented nationals from Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia and Guyana.