Guyana: The Caribbean Community’s most resource-rich country on Monday joined a long list of nations globally as crude oil exporters as the country shipped away its first million barrels of oil from an offshore field that American super major ExxonMobil and an international consortium discovered back in 2015. Comment

Haiti: As Americans on Monday celebrated the birthday of slain civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Haitian American legislator in New York created history by becoming the first woman and first Caribbean American to be elected chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, otherwise known as the Kings County Democratic Party. Comment

Health: Dr. Ifeanyi Nsofor is a medical doctor, the CEO of EpiAFRIC, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Nigeria Health Watch ABUJA, Jan 21 2020 (IPS) - The coronavirus outbreak — which began in Wuhan, China, and causes a pneumonia-like illness — is raging across Asia, infecting close to 300 people and killing four. It was initially known to be transmitted from animals to human, and was just confirmed to be transmitted from human to human. Comment

St Vincent: Gabriel V. Bonadie, a long-standing Vincentian community leader in Brooklyn, died at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx on Jan. 4. He was 94. “He died peacefully, attended by close family, and parishioners and clergy from Trinity Church Wall Street,” his obituary states. “Gabriel died as a result of smoke inhalation from a fire at his residence on Dec. 3, 2019.” Comment

Barbados: An athlete representing country automatically becomes an informal ambassador of the homeland, so why then that such a carrier of the nation’s flag and image be made to scrounge for a living when back home? Comment

Books: The mailman’s come and gone for today. He never brings you much anymore anyhow, just a few bills and a card sometimes; now and then, you might get a box of something you purchased and that’s always fun. You know, though, that the mailman doesn’t always bring you what you ordered. As in “Delivered by Midwives” by Jenny M. Luke, someone else brings a different kind of package. Comment

Arts & Theater: Last year Hurricane Dorian visited and some might say took up temporary residence over islands in the Bahamas. The storm wreaked havoc on the island of Abacos lingering longer than weather forecasters predicted. Comment

Trinidad and Tobago: Antigua Antigua and Barbuda recorded a sharp drop in homicides last year in a single year since l999. Speaking at a recent press conference, Assistant Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney said that with just three murders on record, this was a 75 percent decrease from 2018 and could be the lowest in any independent state in the world. Comment

Guyana: Hundreds of supporters of the incumbent APNU+AFC Coalition Government of President David Granger in Guyana rallied Thursday night in Brooklyn for the re-election of the government in the March 2 general elections in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member-state. Comment

Brooklyn: Haitian American Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte is highly likely this week to become the first woman and Caribbean-American Brooklyn Democratic County Leader. Comment

Books: Sharma Taylor last weekend bucked what was beginning to resemble a trend of there not being a first prize winner of Barbados’ premiere writing arts award, Frank Collymore Literary Endowment (FCLE). Comment

Trinidad and Tobago: Trinidad and Tobago Olympian Michelle-Lee Ahye has been banned for two years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for “whereabouts failures”- and not for an anti-doping violation. Comment

Barbados: Donville Inniss, a former senior minister in the government of Barbados just 20 months ago was Thursday found guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of money laundering. Comment

Guyana: Students of Guyana’s highland regions have a savior in Headteacher Quado Vancooton, a dedicated educator for more than 18 years, who has made it his life’s career to travel to remote villages of Guyana to educate underprivileged children in indigenous villages. Comment

People: On the latest edition of Power Women, Schneps publisher and president, Vicki Schneps replays an interview with Judge Judy who talks about life growing up in Brooklyn and the difference between growing up then and now. Comment

Barbados: Administrators of Barbados entered 2020 in a happy New Year mode following multiple pieces of good financial news in December with the latest being an International Monetary Fund’s further approval of the way they are restructuring the economy. Comment

Music: The United Vincie Cultural Group of Brooklyn (UVCGB) Saturday night expressed its “deep love and appreciation” to members and supporters at its annual holiday party at Miracle Temple Ministries in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Comment

Arts & Theater: With the display of spectacular costumes, the Brooklyn-based Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc. (GCANY) Saturday night in Brooklyn launched the jubilee celebration of Mashramani at St. Gabriel’s Golden Hall on Hawthorne Street. Comment

Sports: Cricket West Indies President, Ricky Skerritt has lashed back at critics who have said he is going back on a pledge to hire local coaches to help West Indies back to winning ways. Comment

Sports: West Indies completed a whitewash of minnows Ireland with a five-wicket victory in the final of the three-match One-Day International (0DI) series at the Grenada National Stadium on Sunday, Jan 12. Comment

Caribbean: West Indies Cricket (CWI) selectors have recalled veteran all-rounder Dwayne DJ Bravo to the West Indies side for the three-match Twenty20 series, which started on Wednesday in Grenada. Comment

People: On this edition of Power Women, Schneps Publisher and President, Vicki Schneps is joined by Former Queens Borough President and President and CEO of the Flushing Willets Point Corona LDC, Claire Shulman, who talks about her illustrious career in Queens local politics and so much more Comment

Suriname: In about a week’s time, embattled Surinamese President Desi Bouterse of Suriname will make his very first appearance before a court or war council which had last month ordered him jailed for 20 years for the 1982 mass executions of 15 government opponents. Comment

Music: He says he’s got nothing to lose. “I’ve been releasing music, recording professionally since 2005 and I’m yet to make it to mainstream radio. What do I have to lose at this point?” he rationalized. From Guayaguayare, Trinidad, one of the most persistent, hardworking vocalists in the underground Soca music industry, is bursting at the seams, urging programme directors at radio stations across Trinidad and Tobago to create better systems to accommodate the industry. Comment

Brooklyn: More than 160 community partners on Tuesday joined Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker, Corey Johnson in kicking off NYC Census 2020 Complete Count Campaign. Comment

For the 34th consecutive year, Brooklyn Academy of Music will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin King Luther Jr. with a weekend full of political and cultural attractions that will likely attract SRO audiences to the landmark location. Comment

It’s time we all learned a lesson on school diversity. When the NYC School Diversity Advisory Group (SDAG) released its recommendations for addressing the nation’s segregated school system, a 9,000 word report with a wide range of recommendations, most people read just three words — gifted and talented. Comment

Arts & Theater: A Vincentian high school alumni group in Brooklyn will next month host an inaugural comedy show in which a “Battle of the Sexes” will be an integral part. Comment

Brooklyn: Officials at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn and Brooklyn Assemblywoman Diana Richardson have assured that no lay-offs will take place at a hospital in the epicenter of the Caribbean community as a result of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announced plan last month for a 266-unit affordable housing development at the hospital as part of a $1.4 billion Vital Brooklyn Initiative. ” Comment

Guyana: Brooklyn Borough Hall was packed to capacity Friday evening as the Brooklyn community celebrated the retirement of former Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Sandra Chapman after 35 years of city service. Comment

People: Within the decade beginning this year the Caribbean may have solutions to the growing scourge of Type II diabetes, have a new economic approach as former colonial nations, and re-establish links with sub-Saharan Africa. Comment

Grenada: Several members of the Grenadian community in Brooklyn has extended overwhelming congratulations to Ruth Elizabeth Rouse, a former Grenada United Nations ambassador and distinguished senior public servant, who earlier this month was appointed Secretary to the Grenada Cabinet. Comment

Trinidad and Tobago: Visual magazine, “Lawd” shines a light on Caribbean creatives everywhere. The quarterly publication is the brainchild of Trinidadians, 27-year-old Sinead Collymore-Jones and business partner, Sache Alexander–George. They came up with the name after thinking of a phrase recognized in the Caribbean and the diaspora. Comment

Viewpoints: David Lipton* is First Deputy Managing Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a position he has held since 2011. WASHINGTON DC, Jan. 14, 2020 (IPS) — Last March, Operation Taiex led to the arrest of the gang leader behind the Carbanak and Cobalt malware attacks on over 100 financial institutions worldwide. Comment

Books: Everybody has that place. You know, that place where everyone knows you, they know what you want, and they get it for you before your coat’s half off. It’s where you can catch up on gossip and good news, w Comment

Sports: Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz will enter the eight-nation CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying (WOQ) tournament at month end with a temporary coach in Hubert Busby Jr. Comment