Barbados: On the eve of its first anniversary Barbados’ government is basking in a positive report on its financial restructuring and removal of threats to international business, atop several social and economic achievements. Comment

People: A beam of sunlight shone down at the corner of 101st Avenue and Forth Hamilton Parkway, Brooklyn, on May 18, as the co-naming street sign — Lawrence “Larry” Morrish Way, unveiled to honor the late veteran, and outstanding community leader, who was the husband of Guyanese-American Etiquette Specialist, and COO of Behind the Veil Weddings & Events Planning, Inc. Phillipa Morris. Comment

Guyana: Queens Borough President Melinda Katz hosted for the fourth time a fitting tribute to Guyanese as they celebrate their country’s 53 Anniversary of Independence. The event was held at the Helen Marshall Cultural Center in Queens Borough Hall, named for the late, first African-American Borough President of Guyanese roots. Comment

Music: The Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) says Vincentian soca artiste and Trinidad and Tobago carnival road march winner Skinny Fabulous will unleash the power of soca on “Rum & Rhythm” during CTO’s Caribbean Week New York (CWNY2019) in June. Comment

Venezuela: While authorities in Trinidad and Tobago battle to stabilize its economy, grapple with gangland violence, a murder every 24 hours and prepare the country for general elections next year, government is also being forced to cope with a multifaceted problem involving Venezuelan refugees including sex rings, refugees and possibly acts of piracy at sea. Comment

People: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Wednesday, May 15 signed the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA), legislation first introduced in 2011 — now sponsored by Brooklyn Senator Roxanne J. Persaud — that reduces prison sentences for survivors of domestic violence and allows judges to order them to community-based programs instead of incarceration. Comment

New York: Brooklyn Democratic Sen. Zellnor Y. Myrie will on Thursday, May 30 lead a public hearing on automatic voter registration in Albany. Comment

Arts & Theater: What is Memorial Weekend in Caribbean NY and NJ without Oliver Samuels and his brand of West Indian theatre and comedy? The legend Oliver Samuels, popular across the Caribbean from Jamaica to Trinidad & Tobago, is part of Memorial Weekend celebrations when New Yorkers look forward to an Oliver new play. This year’s play, “56 East Avenue” is full of laughs. After three months of performances in Jamaica, sold out in Toronto, the play comes to the tristate before it goes to England. Comment

Arts & Theater: “Not About Eve,” the award winning family drama by Jamaican actor and playwright Karl O’ Brian Williams, will make its Long Island debut at the New Vibe Lounge in Rockville Center on Memorial Weekend, Sunday, May 26 at 7 pm. Comment

Brooklyn: Senator Roxanne J. Persaud, (D) 19th Senate District in Brooklyn, presented a NYS Resolution to Steven Spohn, COO of AbleGamer Charity and Global Gaming Citizen, on World Global Accessibility Awareness Day, May 18, alongside New York Knicks Inaugural 2K league Gaming Champions, and Lead User Researcher, Jamaican American, Greg Haynes. Comment

Sports: The boys of the Barbados Defence Force moved closer towards being the island’s Premier League 2019 champions when they stung the reigning two-time defending champions, Weymouth Wales 2-0 Sunday to gain the edge following a draw in the best of three battle. Comment

Bangladesh scored an upset against the West Indies to capture the Tri-Nations trophy after the regional team slumped to a five-wicket defeat under the Duckworth-Lewis system in the final match of the series in Dublin, Ireland last week. Comment

St Vincent: A Vincentian athlete attending Kingsborough Community College (KCC) in Brooklyn has been named CUNY (City University of New York) Community College Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year 2019. Comment

Sports: Cricket West Indies (CWI) is facing serious financial problems which have forced new President Ricky Skerritt to stop all “nonessential activities”. Comment

Grenada: Freedom of movement for CARICOM citizens within the 15-country grouping does not mean that police in a jurisdiction cannot detain any such Caribbean person while law officers are legitimately investigating an issue. Comment

Haiti: Hardly a week after she won the special election to replace Grenada American former New York City Councilmember Jumaane Williams as representative for the 45th Council District in Brooklyn, Haitian American Farah Louis is already back on the campaign trail, urging votes to re-elect her in the Democratic Primary on June 25 for the much-coveted district seat. Comment

With the number of cyclists killed in New York City on the rise in 2019, it’s clear something must be done to prevent further tragedy. Brooklyn’s streets are proving to be treacherous for cyclists. There have been 10 cyclist fatalities in 2019 — the same number the city saw in 2018, according to Vision Zero data — eight of which have occurred in Brooklyn, including three in a four-day span last week. Comment

Viewpoints: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 21, 2019 (IPS) — After the failure and abuses of privatization and contracting-out services from the 1980s, there has been renewed appreciation for the role of the state or government. Earlier promoters of privatization have taken a step backward, only to take two more forward to instead promote public-private partnerships (PPPs). Comment

Books: You were their hope for the future. For your elders, your birth represented things they wished would happen but that they’d never know. It was a joy for them to see you come into the world but for you, as in the new book “Ladysitting” by Lorene Cary, it’s harder to see them go. Comment

Guyana: Celebrating unity and pride, and sharing messages of love and togetherness, religious leaders joined Guyanese to commemorate the nation’s 53rd Anniversary of Independence at an Interfaith Service on Sunday, May 18 at York College in Queens. Comment

Sports: Cricket West Indies (CWI) and Cricket Canada recently met in Antigua to update the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) designed to strengthen partnerships between both cricket organizations. Comment

Guyana: Barbados A call is being made for the government to ensure that construction companies in Barbados pay their taxes with new multimillion-dollar construction projects set to come on stream soon. Comment

Venezuela: PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — When her daughter was 4 years old, Jennifer Jean started a small catering business in Bourdon, a lower middle-class district of the Haitian capital. Comment

Brooklyn: A judge in Brooklyn on Friday, May 17 sentenced a Brooklyn youth to 17 1/3 years in jail for killing a 22-year-old college student just before the Caribbean J’Ouvert festival in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn began in 2016. Comment

Music: The king of reggae — Bob Marley, the king of pop — Michael Jackson, the queen of soul — Aretha Franklin and another entitled, music, royal named Prince all have something else in common. In life they were superstar achievers the world revered for their unrivalled talent. In death they are revered ancestors. Comment

Movies: Diamantino (Unrated) Carloto Cotta plays the title role in this dysfunctional family comedy about a champion soccer player forced to confront his long-estranged, evil twin sisters (Cleo Tavares and Carla Maciel about the meaning of genius. With Chico Chapas, Margarida Moreira and Anabela Moreira. Comment

Movies: “Isn’t it Romantic” Comment