Leader of the United Workers Party (UWP) Allen Chastanet has called on his supporters to join the planned march against government, which is scheduled for January 29.

Chastanet was speaking at the UWP first public meeting for the year, held in Vieux Fort on Sunday. The UWP leader told his supporters that they have nothing to lose and encouraged them to speak out.

He described the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP’s) three-year in office as a honeymoon and said it will be over soon.

Chastanet also accused Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony of taking care of his friends, rather than addressing the many issues citizens are faced with.

The political leader stressed on how costly things have become in Saint Lucia, noting that the price for basic commodities have increased and has caused a great burden on citizens.

He also touched on the unemployment situation, which he said has affected people in more than one way.

In addressing the gathering, UWP Deputy Political Leader, Lenard Montoute, said that 2015 would mark the end to all the suffering Saint Lucians have been experiencing.

Montoute urged the gathering to fight back and let their voices be heard at the UWP march.

Caribbean Airlines is investigating reports of an alleged incident regarding JetBlue 1295, and BW flight 526 on Saturday night (17th January) at JFK airport, New York.

The Trinidad Express had reported that passengers on board the JetBlue flight bound for Austin, Texas, narrowly escaped injury after a Caribbean Airlines jet reportedly crossed the runway in front of the craft as it prepared to take off.

The newspaper said, “Shortly before 9 p.m. on Saturday, JetBlue Flight 1295 was making its way down the runway at Kennedy International Airport in New York, when the pilots saw Caribbean Airlines Flight 526 crossing the runway in front of them.”

Reports are that the pilots immediately hit the brakes, avoiding a collision, and alerted the tower of the incident. According to an Associated Press (AP) report, JetBlue spokesman Rick Clark said the flight had been going at high speed when the incident occurred.

JetBlue has said the Caribbean Airlines flight was not authorised to use the runway at that time. The incident caused a three-hour delay. However, passengers arrived safely in Texas early yesterday (Sunday) morning.

Passengers on the JetBlue flight spoke with ABC’s Eyewitness News, saying it was a terrifying experience.“One minute we were going really fast and the next minute the brakes just slammed on,” one passenger said. Another passenger said she suffered “a huge whiplash”.

A Caribbean Airlines spokeswoman said the airline is concerned to hear of the incident and is taking the “runway incursion” allegation very seriously. The spokeswoman added that Caribbean Airlines is in the process of investigating the facts of the incident in cooperation with all regulator agencies.

“In the interim, Caribbean Airlines is complying with all incident management procedures included within its Safety Management System and adjunct regulations,” she said.

Lorne D. C. Theophilus.

Experts say Cuba’s emergence in the Caribbean tourism sector has the potential to lower tourist arrivals in other islands, but Saint Lucia’s Tourism, Minister Lorne Theophilus said he is not worried, because “Cuba is just another competitor.”

Theophilus told a media conference recently, “As players in tourism, we compete against the world. Everyday there is new destinations, everyday existing destinations do the things we do, try to improve and expand on their tourist product so that they can attract the tourist dollar just as we do.”

While admitting that there may be some “intrigue” surrounding Cuba, the tourism minister said his ministry and by extension the Saint Lucia Tourist Board (SLTB) “intends to continue to pursue what we believe is our sustainable and strategic strategy towards the marketing and development of Saint Lucia as a destination.”

Theophilus boasted about Saint Lucia’s unique qualities and said when that is fused with the island’s unique culture; Cuba is nowhere close to offering that. “We believe that once we continue doing this, we will continue to maintain our presence and Cuba’s emergence within the market will not affect us in one way or the other,” he added.

However, the minister said that his government will not take Cuba’s tourism market for granted and will follow them closely, but said “this huge cry that I have been hearing about is almost like shooting in the wind.” He alluded to the fact that Saint Lucia has competed with Mexico and managed to increase visitors, while Mexico continues to pump millions into its market.

“We have confidence that we have a product which is beyond compare. We just need to do what we need to do as a destination to ensure we maintain our presence worldwide and ensure that when visitors come to our shores that their expectation and satisfaction are in fact met,”Theophilus asserted.

However, Director of Tourism in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) Sharon Flax-Mars recently said the her island could lose significant tourism dollars to Cuba if it is not careful. “Cuba is adding a new dimension and yet another choice to the traveler who is looking for a new and novel experience. Their cruise ports as well as their new marinas and yachting sector will greatly benefit from their close proximity to the United States,” she told a news conference.

During December last year, United States (U.S) President Barrack Obama announced that his country will restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba and will be opening an embassy in the country’s capital, Havana for the first time in  more than half a century. At team of congressional democrats from the U.S. began a visit to Cuba on Saturday, to discuss expectations for the normalization of relations between the U.S. and island nation.

According to a 2011 International Monetary Fund (IMF) study called “The Vacation Is Over: Implications for the Caribbean of Opening U.S.-Cuba Tourism, by former senior IMF economist Rafael Romeu, “the opening of Cuba to US tourism would represent seismic shift in the Caribbean’s tourism industry.” The study said that it would result in 3.5 million to 5 million US tourists to Cuba a year.

Cuba was once a haven for sun-seeking American tourists. Beautiful beaches, lively casinos and late-night dancing made it the perfect getaway, only an hour’s flight from Miami. While there are still restrictions to Americans, Cuba already attracts close to 100,000 visitors from the U.S each year.

Dr. Anthony.

PRESS RELEASE - Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Economic Affairs, Planning and Social Security, Hon. Dr. Kenny D. Anthony will represent Saint Lucia at the Eighty-First (81st) Meeting of the Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank at ECCB Headquarters in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.

Prime Minister Anthony will join Ministers of Finance, as well as officials from the ECCB for this week’s meeting.

The Prime Minister leaves the island today and is scheduled to return on Friday, January 23, 2015.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Port Services and Transport, Hon. Philip J. Pierre, will act as Prime Minister until Dr. Anthony’s return.

Well into her second decade of dominating the national and even regional sporting landscape in her chosen field, women’s High Jump champion Levern Spencer will contend for the Sportswoman of the year title once again in 2015.

Levern was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Saint Lucia Athletics Association at the weekend, when the federation held its annual awards ceremony. Levern is no stranger to the Sportswoman of the Year title, and she is the clear frontrunner for it this year. She first won the award in 2000, as a mere 16-year-old.

After winning three years in a row, she gave way to another track and field athlete, Tressa-Anne Charles. Then, Levern went on a record-setting run, winning from 2004 to 2012. She now owns 11 trophies, and should soon add a 12th.

For the Caribbean record-holder, 2014 may have been her second best year ever, behind her superb 2010 season. She repeated as CAC Games champion, got her second Commonwealth Games bronze, won the Pan Am Athletics Festival, got Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Championships silver, and won several professional and invitational meets in Europe, the USA and the Caribbean.

Corneil.

Earlier in the year, Levern made the finals at the IAAF World Indoor Championships, finishing seventh, the best-ever result by a Saint Lucian at a global event. She was the only woman from the OECS selected on the North and Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) team to the IAAF Continental Cup, where she placed fifth. The Entrepot Secondary alumna ended the year 14th in the world.

Although the Athletics Association has swept the individual honours at National Sports Awards on at least one occasion, that seems unlikely this year. It will be a hard task, certainly, for Corneil Lionel to beat Darren Sammy as Sportsman of the Year. The Male Athlete of the Year, Corneil transferred to Abilene Christian University in 2014, having completed his time at Iowa Western Community College.

The young sprinter, another Entrepot alum, won a number of meets at the junior college level made All-American. He reset the National Indoor Record for the men’s 200, won the Saint Lucia national title in the 200, and went on to take bronze in the 100 and 200 at the OECS Championships. The 24-year-old failed to advance from the opening rounds at the Commonwealth Games.

The Junior Male Athlete of the Year, Mickey Ferdinand, highlighted 2014 with a gold medal in men’s Pole Vault at the CARIFTA Games. It was Saint Lucia’s only gold medal at that meet. The 19-year-old from Micoud and the Abilene Wildcats was consistent throughout the year, winning silver medals at a number of local meets in Pole Vault and High Jump.

Rochelle Etienne, who also plays netball for St Joseph’s Convent and Saint Lucia, won the Junior Female award through her Javelin Throw exploits. National Champion at every meet in 2014, including the Inter-School Championships, she also excelled in Shot Put.

Rochelle Etienne.

She was the Most Outstanding Athlete at National Junior Championships and National Individual Championships. At the CARIFTA Games, though, Rochelle struggled. Although she went on to win the OECS title in Javelin Throw, she again found the going tough as the only girl to represent Saint Lucia at the Youth Olympics.

The Juvenile Male Athlete of the Year, Antonio Maynard, got gold medals in Long Jump and High Jump at the 1st National Bank Saint Lucia Limited 14 and Under Games. He also got medals at Independence Games, Inter-Schools and National Championships.

His female counterpart and Survivors teammate, Julien Alfred, got gold at the Independence Games, National Junior Championships, 14 & Under Games, Elite Invitational, and Inter-Schools for Leon Hess Comprehensive. She won at the National Individual Championships and then at the regional level in the Hampton International Games on Trinidad & Tobago.

At the Caribbean Union of Teachers Games, although she did not get gold, she earned Saint Lucia’s only to medals, silver in the 100m and Shot Put.

Julien Alfred.

Teachers of the Babboneau Secondary School give their opinion during a focus group session.

A  pilot project to reduce youth on youth violence, particularly in schools, currently underway, is increasingly receiving positive feedback and  buy-in from target audiences and stakeholders alike in five CARICOM Member States: Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago.

In the approximately seven months since implementation commenced, the project has yielded an assessment of risks factors, threats for violence, protective factors and school bonding factors in the pilot schools in the selected Member States.

To date, five hundred and twenty students have been surveyed and have also participated in various focus group discussions. With the majority of them between the ages of 11 – 16 (90%), many were victims of bullying, classroom theft and robbery by other students.

Information from the survey revealed that violence in schools was related to gangs moving in to the schools and communities (27%); easy access to drugs and guns (14.8%); lack of positive activities (13.2%); among other factors.

The challenges being faced in the schools and communities were very similar across states and, in many cases, pointed to issues that had to do with boredom in school; poor conflict resolution skills and a general lack of discipline.

According to the students surveyed, strategies to reduce violence in schools should include mentoring programmes for student (18%); gang prevention programmes (14.6%); parenting training (13.1%) as well as police presence (25%). To date, five schools have been engaged, the smallest with a population of four hundred students.

No doubt crime and insecurity remains one of the principal obstacles to social and economic development in the Caribbean Region.   Conservative estimates place annual direct expenditure on youth-related crime and violence in five CARICOM States between 2.8 per cent and 4 per cent of GDP. (Chaaban,2009).

Last July 2014, CARICOM Heads of Government approved its Community Strategic Plan for the next five years (2015-2019). That plan identified six strategic priorities; and Deepening Crime Prevention Initiatives and Programmes is an area of focus in the strategic priority of Building the Social Resilience of the Community.

CMC – Canadian banks with operations in the Caribbean say a combination of lower oil prices and cost-cutting is poised to help improve their operations.

While the banks brace for loan losses and lower revenues in Western Canada due to the plunge in oil prices, the big Canadian banks say the Caribbean is set to benefit from the decline.

“They’re one of the biggest beneficiaries of cheaper oil, so there are some positives finally starting to creep in to the economic outlook of the region from that perspective,” said Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) chief executive David McKay.

“We’re operating in a very challenging economy but, with that cost takeout, we feel strongly that we will have a strong rebound in the Caribbean performance in fiscal 2015,” said McKay, who noted that RBC has trimmed its staff in the region from more than 6,500 to under 5,000 in the past two years.

“We’ve done the hard work necessary to turn that franchise around and I am confident that in 2015 you’ll see the fruits of all that work,” he told a banking conference here.

Caribbean economies have been in a slump since the global financial crisis caused a slowdown in the region’s vital tourism industry.

RBC announced last year it is exiting its Caribbean wealth management business, after selling its Jamaican operations at a loss. At the same time, another Canadian bank, CIBC, took a CAN$420 million (One Canadian dollar =US$) charge on its Caribbean operations in the second quarter of last year, plus an additional CAN$123 million in loan losses.

The Bank of Nova Scotia, which has also been operating in the Caribbean for more than a century, plans to close some of its 370 branches in order “to be congruent with the economic reality,” Scotiabank’s chief executive Brian Porter told the banking conference.

But with oil prices declining, Porter said Scotiabank’s Caribbean operations are about to turn a corner.

Photo credit: YouTube Screenshot via Metro.

INQUISITR NEWS - A “filthy” first-class seat on British Airways is making big news after a journalist flying with the airline took a closer look at his accommodations aboard the plane.

Owens dubs it a “filth class” seat in the video. He couldn’t believe what he saw, so he shot a video and tweeted it for all to see.

Viewers can clearly see dust, dirt, and grime that appear to have been collected over time. Within two days the video has received almost 200,000 views on YouTube.

AOL News Travel reports that Owens is a former BBC anchorman on Newsbeat. The video was recorded January 17 when he and his partner, Kai, took a trip to St. Lucia.

He told Mail Online, “My partner, Kai, and I took this trip after a stressful couple of years where we’ve both been working in different countries. We’re not part of the jet-set. We saved for this once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m really appalled that BA could treat us, or anybody else, with such contempt.”

“This is nothing short of corporate greed. They took our money – lots of it – and clearly can’t give a damn about their customers, whether they’re in first or economy.”

Some commenting on different sites about Owen’s filthy first-class seat think he should have taken his issue up with British Airways first and not make this a public embarrassment for the airline. However, many more think if you’re paying for a $14,000 pounds first-class seat, you deserve to have service that justifies spending that much on a plane ticket.

A British Airways spokesman spoke with Metro about Thomas’ experience aboard the airliner. He said, “We have contacted our customer to apologize. We are very sorry that on this occasion we have fallen short of our usual high standards. We pride ourselves on delivering a relaxing and pleasant experience in First, and are taking immediate action to address this issue.”

Owen Thomas accuses British Airways of “corporate greed” and not caring at all about their customers. This could draw attention to first-class accommodations on other big airlines. Those paying a lot for tickets wouldn’t enjoy sitting in a “filthy” first-class seat or an economy-class seat!

Here is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYgUA4yIU2w

Dr. Claudius Preville.

PRESS RELEASE -  The problem is fundamentally the period of time that government is using as the basis for its “proxy” CIF price, i.e. twelve weeks over which there is likely to be considerable variation in fuel prices and hence an average will not do proper justice to real developments in world markets.

The policy of government with regards to fuel prices does not help the people of St. Lucia and the economy as it currently stands. There are several problems with the policy.

First, it is creating artificially high prices for fuel causing Saint Lucians to channel significant amounts of cash into a resource that could have been utilized to finance other operations.

Second, it is causing the cost of production of all goods and most services in the economy to be higher than necessary. This in turn is causing reduction in competitiveness of Saint Lucian produced goods.

Third, it is effectively creating a stranglehold on the economy by depriving citizens of the opportunity for economic growth in other sectors that could be fueled by savings in the fuel cost.

It is important to first understand what an average is. Average, as used by government is the mean of several numbers. It is arrived at by adding several numbers then doing a simple division by the number of numbers added. This kind of average is only good when the various numbers being considered are reasonably similar in magnitude.

However, when there has been considerable variation in the magnitude of the numbers then an average can be deceptive. To put this in context, it is possible for a man six feet tall to drown in a swimming pool of average depth two feet.

The reason is that while average paints one picture of the pool depth, it does not tell us that there might be sectors of the pool that are significantly deeper than others. The fuel pass through mechanism is only useful if we are averaging prices over an interval in which there has not been too much variation.

So for instance, we expect prices to be relatively stable over a short interval like one week or perhaps a few weeks. But from experience and for a variety of reasons, prices are never stable over a long interval of many weeks.

Therefore, in order that the benefits of lower oil prices in the international markets reach the people of Saint Lucia in a timely manner government has to reduce the time interval over which the average is calculated to come up with a proxy CIF price.

As it now stands, we have two petroleum importers: Rubis and Sol. Each importer uses its contacts to source fuel on the world market and pays a certain price. Government sets its proxy CIF price based on a historical twelve week period and importers are forced to use that price until the twelve week period concludes.

At the end of the twelve week period if the actual CIF price paid by importers was lower than the government set proxy CIF price, then the importers have to remit the difference to government. If the government set proxy CIF is below the price set by importers then government has to remit the difference to importers.

The problem is that when the government set Proxy CIF is too high the savings that should be going to producers and consumers are appropriated by importers for three months. Hence, importers have three months to invest the surplus revenue as they wish and only after the three months are up, they remit the principal amount to government.

In the scheme of things we are looking at more than $10 million dollars being misallocated as a result of the current policy. According to my own research we import approximately 1.9 million gallons of gasoline and diesel per month.

With the government set proxy CIF at $8.66, given that importers can source fuel for a price in the range of $6 to $7 per gallon the deadweight loss to the economy is approximately $3.5 to $4 million per month.

Now let us put this in context. Take a minibus driver who consumes 15 gallons per day to fill up. If the price is properly aligned to world prices he can save about $30- $40 per day on fuel alone. This translates to greater ability to buy food and clothing for his children, pay for their education and his utility bills. The same applies for a fisherman or farmer.

Confidential data received from one importer shows an import price in December 2014 of $6.50 per gallon. Government has recently set its proxy CIF price at $8.66 per gallon. If we used the December price at $6.50 per gallon the price of a gallon of unleaded fuel in January should have been $11.81.

Currently, the retail prices for unleaded fuel in some neighboring countries are as follows: Dominica $11.42, Grenada $12.63; St. Kitts $10.75; St. Vincent $12.72; and Saint Lucia $13.65. But given Saint Lucia’s larger economic size and consumption of fuel it follows that the least cost of fuel should be in Saint Lucia and not any of these other islands.

This policy is clearly doing significant injury to the people of Saint Lucia and there is no logical reason why it should be continued for twelve weeks. I call upon the Prime Minister to urgently review the policy in place so that ordinary Saint Lucians will benefit from lower fuel prices to the extent that we should. Since this is an issue of national interest, I would be happy to avail my services to the government if needed.

GIS - A book fair to commemorate Nobel Laureate Week 2015 opened yesterday, at the Blue Coral Mall. The aim of the fair is to showcase Saint Lucia’s history through publications.

Contributing author, Dawn French, said it is important to allow others the opportunity to get to know more about their history.

“As a citizen I always try to take part in Nobel Laureate Week in one way shape or form. But I’m also a writer and I have done profiles on both Sir Arthur Lewis and Derek Walcott in my Profiles series. It’s an opportunity to let people see the books.  They may not want to buy right now, but at least they know the books are available,” she said.

Medalise Breen from the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) said citizens should take every opportunity to learn about Saint Lucia’s culture and history.

“Part of CDF’s mandate is to assist with the preservation of arts and culture in Saint Lucia, and of course the literary exhibition is to showcase the work of Saint Lucian artists.”

The book fair runs from Jan. 19 – 24 at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fiction, non-fiction, prose and poetry are all on display.

The fair was organized by the Nobel Laureate Week committee, headed by Saint Lucia’s Governor-General Her Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy.

Cristal.

Saint Lucia’s latest singer, Cristal, will be returning home this week, after performing overseas for four months.

The songstress has just released her new hot single “Make You Love Me”, produced by the French Label Eclectik Music, in collaboration with the Association Unity Concept.

In an interview with Unity Concepts, Cristal said that she plans to introduce her new single to the Saint Lucia public on February 28.

While she did not disclose any further details, Cristal said information about her performance and other dates will be posted on her Facebook page.

“I can’t wait for this day! I will be singing my songs, along with some other popular hits that I personally like. It will be an exciting, intimate musical interlude with my crowd. This showcase will hopefully enable my team to get funds, to produce a video for my new single,” she told Unity Concepts.

Asked how she feels about being the new musical voice of St. Lucia, Cristal said she feels motivated. “I intend to represent my island as a musical ambassador. I hope however that my people, the Radios and disc jockeys will support me in this drive.  “I want to make my country and myself proud,” she added.

Cristal said Saint Lucians have come a long way with regards to showing appreciation for their own. “We have learnt to support our national artistes rather than criticising them. There are so many talented and amazing Lucians who only express themselves musically at home or merely among friends,” she said.

The singer said she would like to encourage these persons to come out, make themselves available for opportunities to learn from others. “It’s quite simple! Remember that together we are stronger; together we can do anything with God’s blessings,” she added.

Cristal has performed at different hotels in Saint Lucia such as: Sandals Hotel and Smugglers Cove Hotel, among others.

DOWNLOAD LINK TO HER NEW SONG: http://www37.zippyshare.com/v/27553763/file.html

PRESS RELEASE - Now in its sixth year, the Sandals Foundation has released Making A Difference, its 2013-2014 annual report that showcases its philanthropic efforts across the Caribbean.

Founded March 18, 2009, the Sandals Foundation undertakes sustainable projects in three areas: Education, Community and Environment. It gives back to communities in Jamaica, the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbados.

Its inception was the culmination of three decades of giving back on the part of the Sandals Resorts International. “Celebrating five years was a big milestone for us,” noted Heidi Clarke, Director of Programmes for the Sandals Foundation.

“We took a step back and looked at what we were able to accomplish in that time with support from our guests at Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple Resorts, travel agents, volunteers and our team members, and we were humbled by the dedication they showed.”

“Thanks to our supporters, past present and future, we have made a difference and we will continue to make a positive and at times, life-changing impact on the lives of the people who live in the communities we serve,” she continued.

Highlights include statistics such as support for 55 schools in the Caribbean, the awarding of 136 scholarships, training for 946 teachers, the construction of 63 computer labs and healthcare over 155,000 people.

The report also speaks to the Foundation’s launch of an early childhood education initiative, Project Sprout, its partnership with organisations such the SickKids Foundation, Hands Across The Sea, and the Providing Access to Continued Education Programme (P.A.C.E.), and its environmental efforts such as Marine Awareness Month and the preservation of the Grenada Dove.

For the first time, researchers in Philadelphia have found a way to completely delete the HIV virus (pictured) from human cells by ‘snipping’ them out. The process could also provide a cure for other latent infections.

The team of Temple University School of Medicine said the breakthrough marks the first successful attempt to eliminate latent HIV-1 virus from human cells – and could be a cure for other latent infections.

‘This is one important step on the path toward a permanent cure for AIDS,’ said Kamel Khalili, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Temple.
‘It’s an exciting discovery, but it’s not yet ready to go into the clinic. It’s a proof of concept that we’re moving in the right direction,’ he added.

In a study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr Khalili and colleagues detail how they created molecular tools to delete the HIV-1 proviral DNA.

When deployed, a combination of a DNA-snipping enzyme called a nuclease and a targeting strand of RNA called a guide RNA (gRNA) hunt down the viral genome and remove the HIV-1 DNA.

From there, the cell’s gene repair machinery takes over, soldering the loose ends of the genome back together – resulting in virus-free cells.
‘Since HIV-1 is never cleared by the immune system, removal of the virus is required in order to cure the disease,’ explained Dr Khalili.

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Fishing at Vieux-Fort “Ti Beach”

Photo by Bawse Cartel

Photographers – novice, amateur or professional – in Saint Lucia are asked to submit photos, photographer credit and caption to slunewsonline@gmail.com for consideration for the Photo of the Day feature, daily on stlucianewsonline.com and our Facebook page. Submissions will be published in the order they were received. Photos must be taken of St. Lucians and things St. Lucian. Note that submissions advertising any form of business or business activity will not be published. St. Lucia News Online also encourages the submission of a variety of photos, ranging from nature shots, people shots, weird shots, interesting human interest shots, and anything ‘newsy.’ Photographs submitted should be the property of the contributor or where this is not the case, the contributor should obtain the permission of the owner before submitting the photograph.

Dear Willie: My boo and I have been together for four years. We have had a good relationship for most of it.

I recently found out that he has been cheating with another girl for about a year and a half. I only found out because she is pregnant. He never gave me any reason to think he was cheating, so I never thought of it.

I am angry, hurt and I feel betrayed because I can’t believe that he has been lying to me for so long. A part of me wants to leave him and a part wants to stay. I love my boyfriend very much but I don’t know if I am able to accept what has happened and have a normal relationship with him again.

Should I leave or should I stay?

Heartbroken

Dear Heartbroken: If you don’t think you can accept it, then you won’t.

More than a year of cheating and getting the side chick pregnant? I doubt you will be able to live with that.

If you stay, be prepared for insecurity and trust issues from both sides. Also expect baby-momma drama.

Willie 

Email letters to dearwilliesno@gmail.com. Letters are strictly confidential and total privacy maintained. Also see disclaimer below. Dear Willie is published daily on this site. The responses by this column are the opinion of the author of Dear Willie and are not to be thought of as official counseling or advice. The opinion is based on limited information provided by the user. By requesting a response, the user agrees that both Willie and Andrews Media Services Corp/St. Lucia News Online are not to be held liable for any damages to the user or any third party associated with the user. 

Dear Willie: Is it normal for a man to ask you to pee (urinate) on him before sex? I dated a few guys from the States who requested that. One was a Lucian and the other, an American. I believe the others were American too.

I recently met a guy who has a panty fetish. He wore one of my panties, saying it turns him on.

Willie, if I knew the world was so twisted I would’ve stayed in my mom’s womb.

Dear Miss: I am not a psychologist to say whether that behaviour is normal or not. I mean, everyone is different. We all have different tastes and festishes.

Some men like tall girls, some men like dwarfs, some men love large breasts, some prefer apples. It’s life. There are some women with strange fetishes too: like ‘fisting’ (putting your entire hand in her vagina), bondage, choking her, or she likes to ‘rim’ (don’t wanna describe it).

I had a friend who told me her ex used to pee on her. Well, she allowed it because she claimed it turned him on. She said she broke the relationship off after he asked to poop on her forehead. She told me that was the last straw. He begged her to forgive him, saying it was a joke, but she said she knows when a “nigga is joking or not joking”.

At the end of the day, it’s what you can deal with. It’s your choice.

Willie

Email letters to dearwilliesno@gmail.com. Letters are strictly confidential and total privacy maintained. Also see disclaimer below. Dear Willie is published daily on this site. The responses by this column are the opinion of the author of Dear Willie and are not to be thought of as official counseling or advice. The opinion is based on limited information provided by the user. By requesting a response, the user agrees that both Willie and Andrews Media Services Corp/St. Lucia News Online are not to be held liable for any damages to the user or any third party associated with the user.

PRESS RELEASE – Kingston, Jamaica: Digicel Group today announced a ground breaking service with leading global music streaming provider, Rdio, to offer Digicel customers across the globe access to over 35 million international titles – as well as the very best local and regional music – all on their own smartphones.

To mark the launch of the service, Digicel is giving all customers who purchase a prepaid data plan, 30 minutes of free music per day, up to a maximum of 30 days. This offer will be rolled out across all markets in the coming weeks. In addition, the Rdio app is being tailored for Digicel customers to include customised playlists with the very best of local, regional and international music.

The free app is available to download from the Google Play store, the Apple App Store, Windows Phone Store and online at www.rdio.com. Customers simply sign up for the Rdio Free service in the app using their email address and a password of their choice. From there, they can immediately begin to create personalised stations based on their favourite artists and music genres. The Rdio Free service will then suggest new music based on those choices and allow customers to share their stations on social media.

Another unique feature of the Digicel/Rdio partnership is the special access to Digicel’s musical Brand Ambassadors whose music selections are sure to attract many fans.

One of these Ambassadors is Jamaican native, Tessanne Chin. Winner of Season 5 of The Voice (as part of Adam Levine’s team), ‘the song bird’ is very excited to be connecting to her Digicel fans through Rdio.

“Making music and keeping my fans happy is at the heart of everything I do. That’s why this partnership between Digicel and Rdio is so important because it means that for the first time ever, fans in the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific can follow me, check out what I’m listening to, hear my new music first and equally, I can get feedback from them, know what they like and what they want more of – all through the app,” she said.

Digicel Group CEO, Colm Delves, said; “We are delighted to be bringing the gift of music to our 14 million customers across the globe. This is a unique partnership which delivers the widest range of music – from local artists to international superstars – all through the app on their own smartphone. And, to mark the launch, we are offering all customers who purchase a data plan, 30 minutes of music per day for up to 30 days, absolutely free.”

Customers can upgrade from Rdio Free to the premium, ad-free Rdio Unlimited service using their credit card. Priced between US$6 and US$7 per month, the Rdio Unlimited service offers customer additional benefits such as the ability to download music for offline listening and listen to any track on-demand. However, in the coming weeks, Digicel customers will be able to pay for Rdio Unlimited using their phone credit or monthly postpaid bill.

Commenting on the partnership, Rdio CEO, Anthony Bay, said; “Launching Rdio in each of these markets is a huge milestone for the company. We are excited to bring the vibrant music of these regions onto Rdio for the world to hear while also providing users in each new market access to international artists. Digicel will be instrumental in shaping the streaming experience locally and we look forward to a continued fruitful partnership with them.”

A male student of the Carmen Rene’ Memorial School has been hospitalised after he was reportedly hit by a minibus in Castries this afternoon.

An eyewitness told St. Lucia News Online that the student was hit on the pedestrian crossing in front Super J’s waterfront branch at about 3:35 p.m.

He was transported to hospital by ambulance. His condition is unknown at this time.

The eyewitness further stated that the victim was conscious after being hit.

“I didn’t see injuries but there was a dent on the minibus where the contact was made,” the source added.

CSA President Mary Issac. Photo credit:Voice Newspaper (St.Lucia).

President of the Civil Service Association (CSA) Mary Isaac has labelled a petition created to have her removed from the helm of the association as “politically-motivated.”

Isaac told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) today that she is “not worried” about it, because it is not the first time that a certain group of people have attempted to have her removed from office.

The trade union leader said there are groups of people within the CSA, who are politically aligned to the current government that may be responsible for the petition.

“There are people who are trying to create problems consistently at the CSA. They are trying to rock the boat, but they are only going to shoot themselves in the foot,” Isaac told SNO.

She expressed confidence that a majority of the members will not support the petition, because it was they who voted for her to represent their interests. She said she has been doing exactly that and plans to do more for her organisation.

The petition dated January 19, 2015 and addressed to the CSA General Secretary called for Isaac’s resignation “due to her recent decision to join the ranks of the United Workers Party.”

The petition said Isaac’s decision to accept the position of senator representing the opposition United Workers Party, has compromised the “political neutrality and independence of the CSA.”

Isaac said she discussed the matter with her executive team, who also seem not to be worried by the move. “I have their full support, because there is nothing unconstitutional about this. It has happened in other places before,” she added.

Isaac was referring to David Abdulah, who is currently serving both as the vice president in the senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FITUN) of Trinidad and Tobago.

She reiterated that her appointment as senator is an opportunity to represent the interests of the working class. Isaac concluded that it will enhance the whole trade union movement because she will have an input in legislation and bills.

PRESS RELEASE - Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Transformation, Local Government & Community Empowerment, Ms. Juliana Alfred and Executive Vice President of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association, Mr. Noorani Azeez participated in a tour of two Community After School Programme (CASP) centres in the Castries basin on Tuesday January 20, 2015.

The touring party visited the Faux-a-Chaux and Ciceron CASP Centres. SLHTA Executive Vice President, Mr. Noorani Azeez engaged facilitators and students in discussion about their experiences, while pointedly inviting suggestions for the programme’s development. Mr. Azeez noted his intention to advocate on behalf of the CASP, in pooling resources to ensure its sustainability.

Participants of the Faux-a-Chaux CASP put on a brief performance for the visitors, likewise the Ciceron CASP participants demonstrated their skill in elocution and dance.

Centre Supervisor Mrs. Clara Paul noted some praiseworthy achievements of the programme, citing promising feedback from school teachers on improvements in the performance, attitude and deportment of CASP students.

“When children are involved in programs like these that allow them to feel more special in the grand scheme of things, it propels them to aspire to more,” Mr. Azeez noted. “I have been inspired by this experience, and look forward to sharing it with the rest of the SLHTA, so that we can create more synergies with the private sector to support this initiative.”

Mr. Noorani Azeez encouraged the students to gather and share everything they learn with their families and friends, making the assertion that the success of the CASP is determined by how students apply the knowledge acquired through the programme.

To date, the SLHTA has supported the CASP through the provision of funding in the amount of EC$70,000.00 to ensure the continued operation of this extremely beneficial service to youth in vulnerable communities. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Transformation, Local Government and Community Empowerment, Ms. Juliana Alfred expressed gratitude to the SLHTA for its invaluable assistance to some of the country’s most impressionable citizens.