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   Cruise ship operators have given the thumbs up to a proposal to establish an institution in St Lucia to train workers for the cruise industry, Tourism Minister Allen Chastanet has said.

Speaking to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), Chastanet said the idea is to take school leavers and train them in hospitality and maritime affairs for employment on cruise ships.

He said the St Lucia Air and Sea Port Authority (SLASPA) also implemented a maritime staff programme to improve the numbers of those getting cruise ship jobs.

“What we are anticipating here is that the numbers would increase quite dramatically. We are looking to train almost 800 kids a year in this programme, which will also be opened to the other Windward Islands as well,” he said.

He said talks had already been held with the St Lucia-based Monroe College and local recruiting agency, MAMPA, about the project.

Chastanet pointed out that cruise lines hire most of their employees from Asia, especially the Philippines, India and Indonesia.

He said the opportunity of being able to recruit more people from the Caribbean would be of benefit to them because the cost of transferring the people to the ships, especially the ones located in the area, will be substantially cheaper to them.

Chastanet said he had had meetings with cruise line representatives who were here for the recent Florida Caribbean Cruise Association meeting about adding services to St Lucia and looking at certain investments in the destination.

   Tragedy forced organisers to call a halt to what was turning out to be a slobber-knocker of a final this afternoon Sunday November 08, 2009.

   
A five-year-old boy who found an illegal gun, took it to school and confessed his desire to shoot a friend he accused of stealing his 'girlfriend', has been sent for counselling.

THE WEEKEND STAR learnt that police from Westmoreland were summoned to a basic school in Top Lincoln in the parish, after the youngster showed the 9mm pistol to a teacher.

The boy reportedly found the weapon in bushes close to his home.

"This boy found the weapon and took it to school, luckily it was empty," Corporal Matthew Douglas said when contacted by THE WEEKEND STAR.

Reports are that on Monday the boy went to school with the weapon concealed in his schoolbag.

behaving perturbed

During lunch, he was talking with a teacher when he said he wanted to shoot his friend. A few days earlier he saw the boy sharing lunch with a girl people joked was his 'girlfriend'.

The teacher told the child not to say that. However, he reportedly continued behaving perturbed and spoke more about his girlfriend being stolen.

The conversation got even more serious when the child admitted to having the gun. Reports are that the teacher initially thought it was a joke but was shocked when the child went for his bag and told her to look inside.

When the WEEKEND STAR spoke to the teacher, after much prompting, she said she was frightened when she realised the boy was not joking.

"Frightened? You have no idea, frightened is an understatement...I had to call a male teacher to come hold the bag until the police came," she said.

   Rihanna on Friday described the horror she felt as her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown was biting and punching her during a violent argument in February, saying she saw "no soul in his eyes."

"There was no person when I looked at him," the 21-year-old singer recalled during portions of an interview with Diane Sawyer airing on ABC's "20/20" and, earlier, "Good Morning America." "He had no soul in his eyes. Just blank."

Brown was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he was accused of beating Rihanna after the two argued over another woman. He later pleaded guilty to felony assault.

In the interview, Rihanna, who is no longer with Brown, described him as "definitely my first big love." She said their relationship was intense.

"The more in love we became, the more dangerous we became for each other — equally as dangerous," she said. "It was a bit of an obsession almost."

The attack occurred in Los Angeles' Hancock Park neighborhood as Brown drove a rented sports car. She said it was triggered when she saw a text message on his phone from another woman and confronted him about it. She said he lied about it and "I wouldn't drop it."

A search warrant affidavit filed in the case stated that Brown hit, choked and bit Rihanna and tried at one point to push her from the car.

"It was ugly," she said.

During the beating, the singer said she had no idea how it would end: "That's all I kept thinking the whole time, 'When is it going to stop? When is it going to stop?'"

Brown was sentenced to five years' probation, six months of community labor and a year of domestic violence counseling after he pleaded guilty to felony assault.

Rihanna said that, even after her physical wounds had healed, she felt embarrassment and shame.

"You start thinking, 'What could I possibly have said to make him hit me and do this?' ... I didn't talk about it to anyone. To no one. Not my friends, not my family. I didn't want people looking at me and feeling sorry for me, like, 'There goes the victim.'"

Rihanna warned other women facing domestic violence to not let themselves become blinded by love. She also said she regretted going back to Brown, saying it sent the wrong message to her fans.

   Governor General Her Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy, has saluted the many men and women who served during the two world wars.



In her annual national address in commemoration of Veterans week, the Governor General spoke to the importance of honouring the many war heroes both deceased and alive.



Remembrance Day will be celebrated on Sunday, where tribute will be paid to the war veterans who stood up to fight for the peace that mankind enjoys today.



“In a collective act of remembrance we pay tribute to them once a year at our cenotaphs. We lay reefs at the foot of those cenotaphs, blood red poppies reminiscent of those that grew up in the fields of Flanders, where so much of their blood was spilled to secure the peace we now enjoy, and take so much for granted.”



This year, as part of Remembrance Day celebrations, special tribute will be paid to the former head of the Ex-service League, Mrs Dorothy Pilgrim.

The Governor General says Mrs Pilgrim who is now deceased, was a true patriot for the cause of war veterans.



“For as long as many of us can remember, Mrs Pilgrim kept the faith and the promise to see about the welfare of her colleagues. Although she has left them now, the torch has been passed on to others. We pray God's mercy on her, for her stewardship among the veterans and in the name of the Saint Lucia Branch of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Service League.”



Saint Lucians are being urged to wear poppies in respect and honour of the many war heroes.



Citizens are also asked to take part in the Remembrance Day Parade at the Derek Walcott Square, on Sunday, from 8 a.m. This will be followed by the annual reception for members of the Ex-Service League at the prime minister's official residence.