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Gonsalves pleads for the homeless

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves yesterday made an impassioned plea for assistance for the homeless who have become more vulnerable as a result of the erupting La Soufriere volcano.

Gonsalves, speaking at the daily news conference aired on the state-owned NBC Radio, said that there were many homeless people living on the streets of the capital.

"The ash would be making life difficult for them and it is an important category which has been identified, and we have to take care of all human beings."

Gonsalves said all hands must be on deck as the country deals with the catastrophe.

"I would say to persons, if you know such individuals take them to a shelter please, help in that way, be a Good Samaritan because a lot, a lot of people are stretched doing a lot, a lot of things. So I want to urge initiatives in that way, also," said Gonsalves.

So far, there has been no reported casualties as a result of the eruptions caused by the volcano that last erupted in 1997.

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Prime minister in hot water over 'pretty ladies' comment

Antigua's Prime Minister Gaston Browne has sought to downplay opposition concerns over remarks he made regarding the persons being evacuated from St Vincent and the Grenadines where the erupting La Soufriere volcano has resulted in several people being evacuated to neighbouring Caribbean islands.

"Me done tell Comrade Ralph to send all the young pretty ladies; we need to expand our population," Browne said in a post from his personal Facebook page. He was responding to a mention on the social media platform.

Browne has since said that the statement was merely a light banter.

"At the end of the day, we'll be accommodating hundreds of Vincentians, young, old male, female," the prime minister said as he accused the opposition United Progressive Party that lashed out at him as being "opportunists and propagandists who are seeking relevance".

The Women's Forum of the UPP issued a statement said it considers the statements to be "vulgar, demeaning, sexist, and inappropriate".

"Mr Browne's words were neither funny nor light-hearted, and we are disgusted that the head of government would behave in this manner," the release said.

The prime minister, however, said that the opposition remains "uncontrollably embittered by the failures and frankly speaking need to get a life".

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False COVID-19 test lands woman in prison

A Bahamian magistrate has sentenced a 21-year-old mother to six months in prison after she presented a false COVID-19 test result when she attempted to travel last week.

The court heard last Friday that Jasmine Pyfrom knowingly presented the COVID-19 test result on April 7 that was not genuine.

Police were contacted and the accused was cautioned and arrested. Later, she admitted to taking the test but received the document from her stepfather.

She pleaded guilty before Magistrate Carolyn Vogt-Evans to the charges of possession and uttering a forged document.

The accused, the mother of a two-year-old child, told the court that she had taken the test, but the results had expired.

In passing sentence, the magistrate said that the court took this into consideration, but noted the "extreme seriousness" of the charges and the possible effect.

Magistrate Vogt-Evans also spoke about "a lack of remorse", adding that the excuse of not knowing was "unacceptable" as the young mother took the test and knew it was outdated.