Archives for Tuesday, October 7, 2003:

Cuba slams Bush official over bio-weapons claim

HAVANA, Cuba: Provide evidence that Cuba has a germ warfare program. That's the message from Cuba's Foreign Ministry to the George Bush administration.  Cuba issued the call yesterday, four days after U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, Mr. Roger Noriega, told a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that Cuba "has at least a limited, developmental, offensive biological weapons research and development effort and is providing dual-use biotechnology to other rogue states." ... read more...

Miami lobbies Antigua for right to call FTAA secretariat home

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua and Barbuda: Miami is not letting Antigua and Barbuda's strong presence in Caricom stop them from lobbying the islands' government's support to house the Free Trade Area Americas secretariat... read more...

Trinidad opposition boycott new budget as thousands protest

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: Trinidad's opposition leaders were a no-show in Trinidad's Parliament yesterday as Prime Minister Patrick Manning presented his 2003/2004 budget to Parliament, the Associated Press reported last night... read more...

Landslides in Haiti kills at least 12

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: Approximately 12 Haitians are dead and dozens more homeless after landslides, caused by heavy rains, swept down on poor areas Port-Au-Prince Sunday night, AP reported yesterday. 
Five more are reportedly injured and 14 more missing following the avalanches that occurred in three areas of Port-Au-Prince, civil defense director Yolene Surena told AP. The mudslides carried away several cinderblock houses, built without permit on the slope of city ravines. 

Bahamas opposition leader slams government

NASSAU, Bahamas: Mr. Carl Bethel, leader of the opposition Free National Movement, has slammed the ruling Progressive Liberal Party Government, for its role in increasing unemployment in the country... read more...

Seaga again nominated as JLP leader

WESTMORELAND, Jamaica: Jamaica Labour Party opposition leader, Mr. Edward Seaga, was again nominated unopposed for the top post at the party's Area Council Four meeting in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, the Jamaica Gleaner reported. The posts of leader and deputy leaders will be voted for at the JLP's annual conference on 8th November at the National Arena in Kingston. The nomination marks the third area council meeting, which has unopposedly backed Mr. Seaga for the leadership post. 

DNA research upsets Puerto Rico history

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: According to Indian Country Today, most Puerto Ricans believe that the native people, and their societies, were killed off by the Spanish invaders by the 1600s... read more...

Atlantic rowing record attempt to Barbados

TENERIFE, Canary Islands: Two British Royal Air Force officers hope to break the current record for rowing 3,000 treacherous miles across the Atlantic Ocean from Tenerife in the Canary Islands to Barbados, which stands at 58 days... read more...

Five USVI men charged in $60 million tax fraud

ST. CROIX, USVI: According to WorldNet Daily, federal authorities charged five men last week for hiding more than $60 million from tax officials and smuggling it out of the U.S. Virgin Islands... read more...

BUSINESS NEWS

Financial shake-up in Barbados

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: A new financial company will be launched in Barbados next month as Grace, Kennedy & Co Ltd, Cave Shepherd and United Insurance bought out the General Finance Corporation... read more...

Jamaica Tourist Board shops for advertising agency

NEW YORK, New York: Tomorrow is the deadline for those advertising agencies wishing to bid for The Jamaica Tourist Board's $10 million ad campaign... read more...

Cruise line conference opens in St. Maarten today

MAHO, St. Marteen: Regional tourism ministers are in St. Marteen today for the opening of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) tenth annual conference and trade show... read more...

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Newsline founder urges Caricom to honor gospel singer Joseph Niles

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Two-time stroke survivor and founder of the GIS Caribbean OnLine Data Transfer Service, Mr. Norman 'Gus' Thomas, is urging Caricom to honor the region's reknown gospel singer, Mr. Joseph Niles... read more...

LEGAL NEWS

Bahamas resident indicted on $182 million fraud charges

NASSAU, Bahamas: According to reports in the Nassau Guardian and the Wall Street Journal, Lyford Cay resident Viktor Kozeny was indicted last week in New York on charges of stealing $182 million from clients of Omega Advisors Inc., a New York-based hedge fund company... read more...

Former Trinidad minister charged with murder tells jurors police offered him a deal

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: Closing arguments in the murder trial were involving Trinidad's former minister of local government, Mr. Dhanraj Singh will be presented today... read more...

Bermuda man acquitted in Canadian teen's murder

HAMILTON, Bermuda: A Bermuda man acquitted five years ago in the slaying of a Canadian tourist was sentenced to 10 months in jail Monday for stabbing and injuring a young woman in the British territory and then set free... read more...

TRAVEL NEWS

New guide helps travelers avoid illegal wildlife souvenirs on Caribbean visits

WASHINGTON, D.C.: As the fall cruise season gets under way, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a guide to help Caribbean travelers avoid buying illegal souvenirs made from endangered species... read more...

Fort Lauderdale to Bahamas ferry starts Nov. 1

GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND, Bahamas: According to the Associated Press a new two-hour ferry service to the Bahamas launches Nov. 1, with a daily departure from Port Everglades in Florida at 4 p.m., and a return trip from the Caribbean each morning at 9:30 a.m... read more...

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Fiber-based cable Internet service now available in Turks & Caicos

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: TCT Ltd. has announced the start of TCExpress high-speed cable internet service on Providenciales Island, available to all WIV Cable customers... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Red Stripe matches resume today

KINGSTON, Jamaica: The Redstripe Bowl resume today, following a day of rest yesterday with the Windwards taking on the Rest of the Leewards at Chedwin Park in Jamaica and Uwi taking on the Young West Indies at the Antigua Recreation Ground in Antigua.
 
Stay tuned to Caribbean Net News for more on the Red Stripe Bowl.