CARIBBEAN NEWS: November 29th – December 5th, 2014

ACTOR NAMED SPECIAL ENVOY OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA—11/29/14
Actor Robert De Niro has been named as special economic envoy by the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. Gaston Browne stated that De Niro’s appointment follows the signing of a memorandum of agreement for an investment of $250 million for a hotel in Barbuda. De Niro and an Australian partner will aid in renovating and expanding a former luxury resort that was closed down a few years ago.

MEEKS WANTS FIXED TERMS FOR GOVERNMENT HEADS IN CARIBBEAN—11/30/14
Professor Brian Meeks, the director of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Studies at the University of the West Indies in Mona, has called for fixed term limits for leaders of governments included in CARICOM. He has also called for a fixed date for general elections.

CARIBBEAN NATION COULD BE FIRST TO ELIMINATE SOME HIV TRANSMISSIONS—12/01/14
According to UNAIDS Caribbean, it is possible that a country in the region will be the first in the world to eliminate the transmission of HIV from mother to child. Thirteen Caribbean nations are ready to be certified after achieving this status; three others are close to the goal. The improvement has been attributed to greater access to antiretroviral medications during pregnancy, as well as to the ability of women to be empowered to make better decisions about their own health and that of their children.

INDIAN HOSPITAL OPENS HIGH-TECH FACILITY IN CAYMANS—12/02/14
Narayana Health, which was founded by the personal physician of Mother Teresa Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, will open a new high-tech hospital called Health City Cayman Islands. The Narayana network is known for being one of the lowest-cost and highest quality health care providers in the world. The hospital represents a joint venture between Narayana and Ascension, the biggest nonprofit and Catholic health care system in the United States.

FIRST MOBILE 4G LTE NETWORK LAUNCHED IN CARIBBEAN—12/03/14
LIME Antigua and Barbuda is introducing the first 4G LTE mobile network in the Caribbean region. The new service will allow LIME’s customers to access mobile data at much faster download speeds than has been previously available to them. The upgraded service is part of a continuing investment program in Antigua under Project Marlin, an umbrella capital investment program worth US$1.05 billion.

PHOTO EXHIBIT CAPTURES SPIRIT OF BAHAMAS—12/04/14
A photography exhibit at the Salus Project Gallery will feature the works of Duke Wells, founder of the Bahamian Project. The project began in 2013, and the photo collection represents the first year of work. It includes 60 black-and-white portraits of people in the Bahamas in an attempt to show the spirit of the nation’s people. Lisa Wells, project manager, says it is a celebration of the good in Bahamian society.