There is intense debate in Belize over a raft of legislation going through parliament to deal with a spike in crime in the country.
So far this year an unprecedented 101 people have been murdered, compared to 103 for the whole of last year.
There was a clamour for the government to do something to arrest the rise in the crime but now some, including the main opposition party and civil liberties groups, say the new Bills being introduced are too harsh.
At the weekend a highly contentious wire-tap Bill was passed, but not without strong criticism from the opposition.
Opposition Senator Lisa Shoman said while they support the need for wiretapping, the legislation as it stands does not have sufficient safeguards.
However the Minister for Police and Public Safety, Senator Doug Singh told BBC Caribbean people should not be fearful of the new Bills.
He said the new interception of communication law for example, serves to make present wiretap provisions more effective and transparent.
Inclement weather shuts businesses
Schools and several businesses in Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines were forced to close yesterday because of torrential rains associated with a weather system over the Windward Islands.
Heavy rains have caused flooding up to four feet in some places in Barbados.
Electricity poles have also been downed, interrupting service to some parts of the island.
Meanwhile in St Vincent, three days of intense rainfall resulted in flooding and landslides.
Disaster relief officials in both islands have been assessing the damage and working to clear blocked roads.
Jamaica counts cost of storm
The full scale of the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Nicole in Jamaica is now beginning to emerge.
Cabinet met yesterday to discuss how the cash strapped government will find the money to finance the massive clean-up and repair bill of US $12 million.
The government says the official death toll from the storm now stands at 13.
Last week’s torrential rains left the country’s road networks in tatters and scores of houses either damaged or destroyed.
National bank privatised
The government in St Vincent and the Grenadines has announced that it has reached a deal to privatise the state owned National Commercial Bank (NCB).
It’s one of the country’s leading financial institutions and holds most of the mortgages of public sector workers.
It’s also through this bank that public officers are paid.
The owner of the Bank of St Lucia, Eastern Caribbean Financial Holdings, is set to buy 51% of NCB’s shares by the end of November.
Shares will also be sold to local interests in Kingstown in the following months. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsavles said the privatisation is in the bank’s best interest.
