BBC Caribbean News in Brief

Roseau points to ‘rewarding’ relations with Beijing
Five years after ditching Taiwan and opening relations with Mainland China, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is describing Roseau’s ties with Beijing as “rewarding”. China has funded several projects on the island including a modern sports stadium and provided assistance in the areas of education and health.

“Every single village in Dominica has benefited directly and indirectly from this relationship,” Prime Minister Skerrit said on local radio. He also made reference to a major road project expected to be funded by the Chinese.

Dancehall artist on murder
conspiracy charge
Jamaican police have charged dancehall rapper Ninja Man with conspiracy to murder in the killing of a 20-year-old.
The police said in a statement that the entertainer would appear in court this week.

Ninja Man whose real name is Desmond Ballentine, has been a top name in Jamaican dancehall music for nearly two decades. He was sentenced in 1999 to a year in prison for illegal possession of a weapon and ammunition.

It’s unpaid vacation time
Take a vacation from the vacation business – that’s what one resort in the Bahamas has been urging some of its staff to do. Atlantis resort has asked managers to take unpaid time off. The resort says the drop in tourism due to the global economic downturn is an opportune time for doing so.

A company spokesman said the plan was better for workers than cutting pay or eliminating jobs.