The practice of good oral health from an early age is the answer to preventing complications later in life.
 
This comment came from Health Minister Kenneth Darroux as Dominica observes Oral health week, which is being celebrating globally under the theme " Education & Advocating for Optimum oral health."
 
Dr Darroux made a special address to the nation.

Meanwhile Darroux says many oral diseases can be prevented with proper diet, proper brushing and flossing.

​Health Minister Kenneth Darroux

In order to ensure that there is quality and adherence to the standards in construction, the government of Dominica along with international partners have decided to set up a number of Technical assistance centres in the 7 health districts in Dominica.
 
That's According to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit. He said these centres will be staffed with qualified architects and engineers.

​PM Roosevelt Skerrit

A lot of children are victim to gender abuse both here in Dominica and internationally. Presently in Dominica, Gender based violence against kids is above one hundred and more cases annually.
 
UNFPA local resource personnel, Julina Fontaine, sheds light on some of issues faced by the younger generation, in relation to gender-based violence; One of these being sexual grooming.
 
Mrs Fontaine explains that sexual grooming is tempting or enticing young kids or adults into sexual acts.

Another form of abuse is Genital mutilation, which is more of a tribal rite of passage, but abuse none the less.

UNFPA’s intent is to generate awareness & give a voice to the voiceless, as regards gender-based violence, and especially as it relates to children.

​The Bahamas Budget debate for the 2018/2019 fiscal year was opened in the House of Parliament on Wednesday by Peter Turnquest, Minister for Finance and Deputy Prime Minister.
 
The most important item taken from the budget communication laid out by Turnquest indicated an increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) from 7.5% to 12%.
 
Additionally, while VAT will be increased across the board, certain items will be exempt: like breadbasket items except sugar, medicines, residential property insurance and Residential electricity bills at or under $100 and water bills at or under $50.

Starting October 11, passengers on Singapore Airlines' newest plane, the Airbus A350-900ULR -- for Ultra Long-Range -- will travel on a record-breaking, globe-spanning flight that will reconnect the two major metropolises.
 
The airline used to fly the gas-guzzling, four-engine A340-500 on the 9,500-mile route, with just 100 business-class seats on board. The service was inefficient, and Singapore Airlines cancelled the flights in 2013.
 
The new flights will initially run three times a week, with daily operations starting October 18 after a second Airbus A350-900 enters service.
Tickets go on sale May 31, 2018.

Jamaican Minister of Finance and the Public Service Fayval Williams was speaking at this morning's Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica's President's Breakfast Forum at the Pegasus Hotel in St Andrew, where business leaders gathered for a discussion on disaster risk management for the business community.
 
“The IMF research has shown that since the 1950s, more than 12,000 natural disasters have been registered in the world. During that same period, the Caribbean has been hit by 324 natural disasters, and you may say that 324 looks like a small number when compared to the 12,000. But the research also shows that the economic impact of these 324 disasters in the Caribbean has been substantial, exceeding US$22 billion over that time," Williams said.
 
Contrasts this US$22 Billion to the cost estimated about US$58 Billion globally and you get a sense of the magnitude of the vulnerability of our tourism-dependent economies in the Caribbean, which accounts for 38 per cent of global damage from natural disasters," she told the gathering.
 
Williams said the policy will be based on the most recent specialized analysis available and will have a suite of products for different levels of disasters, and a transparent investment to mitigate harm to people and damage to infrastructure.
 
She says the Government has put things in motion, and is far along with the analytical work that will guide the eventual establishment of a policy framework for disaster risk management at the national level." 

Lawmakers in Rwanda have passed a new law on gun acquisition. The new law will allow individuals to apply for licenses to possess guns and for traders to sell guns.
 
The government has defended the move in part, stating that it was in keeping with the times, and that the sector was going to be tightly regulated. The legislation is set to replace a 2009 law that restricted arms possession and sale.
 
The Law states that:
1 – Arms are defined as firearms and their ammunition, grenade and other explosives used as arms as well as nuclear, biological, chemical or toxic weapons.
2 – The law allows civilians to possess firearms for hunting, sports, or for self-defence purposes if they meet the conditions described in the law.
3 – The law specifies that the Rwanda National Police authorities, who will be responsible for issuing gun possession licences, may refuse to grant firearm possession and carriage licence at their own discretion.
4 – For a person to be authorised to sell arms, the bill stipulates, they shall submit a request letter to the Minister in charge of the Rwanda National Police and attach copies of their identity card or passport, shall be people of integrity, and be at least 21 years old.
5 – Those wishing to sell arms will not have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment equal to or exceeding six months, shall show a safe place where to keep the arms, shall produce a legal commercial registration, and shall commit to not collaborate with terrorist organisations or individual terrorists.
6 – The Cabinet will also have to authorise individuals before they can start selling arms in the country.

​Prime Minister Skerrit has now stooped to using demeaning words and language to describe members of the Parliamentary Opposition. He says the UWP are a bunch of idle men looking for a job and not interested in the welfare of the people in the country.
 
Speaking at the Official Signing Ceremony for Home Repair and Reconstruction of Petrocasas Housing Schemes, and Construction of Lily Valley Apartments, Skerrit said the DLP is committed to addressing the housing challenge, and that apartment construction is the just the beginning of something bigger, and anyone who cannot beat that should take a hike.
 
He says the DLP isn’t making any promises, but rather is delivering, and there is no if buts or maybe’s, because very soon the DLP will be delivering keys to homes.

​Mr Skerrit added that he feels like the position of prime minister wields a lot of power under the constitution, sometimes too much power, but one must use these powers in a humble manner.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit
 
Meanwhile, some Dominicans are of the view that the Prime Ministers statements are contradictory, and leave them to wonder whether the power he speaks of is beginning to get to him.

Yesterday, the DVRP Project Coordination Unit (PCU) convened its Fourth Annual Pilot Programme on Climate Resilience (PPCR) Monitoring and Reporting Validation Workshop, at the Conference Room of the Office of Disaster Management. 2018 is the 4th year of Monitoring and Reporting on Dominica’s progress under the five PPCR’s core indicators.
 
The Minister for Environment, Climate Resilience, Disaster Management and Urban Renewal Joseph Isaac stated that the national goal to become the first climate resilient country in the world can only be achieved through commitment and partnership, not only within the private sector but by embracing a public-private partnership approach.
 
Isaac stated, “We need to have an open mind if we are to achieve this goal of being the first climate resilient country in the world. The first step is honestly believing that it can be achieved”.
 
Resilience monitoring can result in identification of investments and interventions which are needed to advance the achievement of goals, as well as accomplish capacity building requirements, identification of challenges, and incorporation of lessons learned.

​The Botanic Gardens road is being rehabilitated from the gate on Bath Road to the entrance gate on Elmshall Road. Minister for Public Works, Water Resource Management and Ports Dr John Colin McIntyre made a brief announcement at a contract signing in Trafalgar.
 
He said, “This morning am sure when you passed through the Gardens you were pleasantly surprised, though it felt like Gaza strip, we will make it will make it better. So what we are going to do is strip the first part going up to the Gardens Road, and off course we are going to be rolling it over the weekend and preparing it for three contractors. These three contractors assisted us free of charge when we were building the road from the end gate by the Health Centre.”