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20 years fighting for a black presence
By Makeda Mikael After 31 year developing General Aviation in Antigua St. Kitts and Nevis, I had decided to retire in August 2021 and have been preparing the handover to a young team of Antiguan professionals. I never thought I would face being unceremoniously challenged in my operations and on my own property by the…
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Bill Cosby Freed
By Makeda Mikael Many years ago when black men in film and in Hollywood were a rarity, two dashingly handsome and confident black men swaggered on to the scene and commanded the attention of all America as strong, good men, desired by all women. In no time flat Bill Cosby and Harry Belafonte became more…
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Joint endeavour or collective surrender: resisting global tax
By Sir Ronald Sanders The proposal by the U.S. government to establish a global minimum corporate tax is not a remote matter from the lives of people in the Caribbean. It is a real issue with deep implications for Caribbean economies, and, indeed, for the capacity of Caribbean countries to continue to participate meaningfully in…
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Banks are only serving the rich in pandemic
By Makeda Mikael When monetary stress enters the economy through any kind of upheaval, be it hurricane, pandemic or otherwise indigenous banks go very silent, lending all their money to the government and the reliable rich, and even though bursting at the seams, their penny customers starve. There are no stimulus packages built for the…
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OPINION: Is one shot for all better none for some?
In my four years in Congress, the phrase I’ve heard most regularly abused is “Follow the science.” Politicians, bureaucrats and reporters in Washington—many of whom, based on their comments, seem to have last attended science class in eighth grade—have a penchant for developing policies and then lecturing the opposition on the “science” that follows their…
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Re-thinking CARICOM development model after COVID-19
By Sir Ronald Sanders Governments around the world, including in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, have emerged as the principal players in the health and economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The private sector, for the most part, has taken a back seat with many companies turning inwards and concentrating on safeguarding their own survival,…
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Mexican candidacy for director general of the WTO
By Oscar Esparza-Vargas* The Government of Mexico is promoting the candidacy of Dr. Jesús Seade Kuri for director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), replacing the Brazilian Roberto Azevêdo, who made a personal decision to end his term in August next year, one year before envisaged. This decision is testimony to Mexico’s will to…