Archives for Tuesday, October 14, 2003:

Aristide must go say protestors as they paralyze two Haitian towns

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: "Down with Aristide!" That was the rallying cry yesterday as hundreds of protesters filled the streets and hurled stones at police demanding the resignation of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide... read more...

14-year-old is latest kidnap victim in Trinidad

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: A young 14-year-old boy, Christopher Tackorie, has become Trinidad's latest kidnap victim. The Associated Press reported last night that armed men kidnapped the boy while he was walking in front of his home in southern Trinidad... read more...

Antigua rejects cruise levy

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: The Barbados Daily Nation reports that Antigua has again broken ranks with other Caribbean nations by refusing to join in a plan to introduce a levy on cruise ship passengers to the region... read more...

Castro government blasts Bush's new policies

HAVANA, Cuba: U.S. President George W. Bush's newly toughened policies towards Cuba has come under fierce criticism from the Fidel Castro government... read more...

UK prepared to back independence for Caribbean territories

LONDON, England: British officials say they are prepared to encourage any one of its colonies that chooses independence. The officials recently told the UN Fourth Committee on Decolonisation that all of its Caribbean territories have the option to choose independence, according to the Gibraltar Chronicle. But they added that they saw no country that was willing to choose that route... read more...

Caricom agrees on Spanish as a second official language

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Spanish has been agreed on as the second official language of CARICOM and should be popularised throughout the region... read more...

Antigua parliament convenes today

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: Ten Bills are down for hearing when the House of Representatives of Antigua & Barbuda convene for another sitting today.
Prime Minister Mr. Lester Bird will move the first reading of the Representation of the People Act, the Companies Amendment Act and the Money Laundering Prevention Amendment Act while Minister of Tourism, Mr. Molwyn Joseph, will move the first reading of the Tourism Development Corporation Amendment Act, the Tourism Development Act and the Hotel Standards Act.

Cancun breakdown leads to more help from EU

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Caribbean and other developing countries have gotten the ear of the European Union and will be getting their support, the Jamaica Gleaner is reporting. The move comes in the wake of the breakdown of trade talks at the recent Fifth World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference in Cancun, Mexico... read more...

Joint operation nabs four with marijuana in BVI

ROAD TOWN, BVI: Four Venezuelan nationals and two Colombians were detained earlier today are now in custody following a joint narcotics operation by Her Majesty's Customs and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force Drug Squad of the BVI on Sunday and late yesterday... read more...

Sonar linked to mass whale strandings in the Bahamas

LONDON, England: Sky News reports that the US Navy has admitted that the use of tactical sonar systems on its ships during experiments off the Bahamas in March 2000 was "probably" the cause of mass whale strandings which coincided with the tests.  Conservationists say marine mammals are severely distressed and often destroyed by artificial sonar, which interferes with the creatures' own natural "radar".

Drought crisis in eastern Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba: According to CubaNet, Holguín province, in eastern Cuba, is undergoing a severe drought and the scarcity of water supplied to agriculture, cattle ranching and the population is reaching crisis levels... read more...

Whale shark sanctuary in Belize

LITTLE WATER CAYE, Belize: According to Diver Magazine, over 3,000 acres of ocean around Little Water Caye Island in south-east Belize is to be set aside as sanctuary for whale sharks... read more...

BUSINESS NEWS

Antigua PM predicts good winter season for tourism sector

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: Prime Minister Lester Bird expects the 2003-2004 winter season of tourism to be a bright one. He made the prediction during his presentation of the fourth in the series of the Prime Minister's Weekly Radio Address over the weekend... read more...

British territories targeted by Inland Revenue 'hitmen'

LONDON, England: According to a recent report in the London Times, the British Inland Revenue has appointed 64 tax-inspecting "hitmen" as part of a huge offensive aimed at recovering billions of dollars of unpaid tax secreted in companies and trusts in offshore tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the Turks & Caicos Islands... read more...

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

King of soca music "Arrow" for Bollywood Awards

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey: The King of Soca and the legend of 'Feeling, Hot, Hot," Alphonsus "Arrow" Cassell will perform for Indians and South Asians living in North America at the Bollywood Music Awards on Saturday 1st, Nov 1st 2003 at the Mark. G. Etess Arena in the world famous Trump Taj Mahal Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey... read more...

HEALTH NEWS

Jamaican government to train more nurses

KINGSTON, Jamaica: The Jamaica government believes the solution to the shortage of nurses on the island would be to train more. AP quoted government officials as saying yesterday that they are talking with representatives from several U.S.-based nurse recruitment agencies and at least one university to explore ways of expanding Jamaica's nurse-training capacity... read more...

Grenada government program tackles HIV infection and youth

ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada: The Grenada government yesterday announced the launch of a program to train Grenadian youths protecting themselves from HIV infection... read more...

LEGAL NEWS

Dominica government to take police officers case to EC Court

ROSEAU, Dominica: The Dominican government disclosed Monday that it is going to the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal instead of reinstating three police officers who were compulsorily retired last year by the island's President Vernon Shaw on the advice of Prime Minister Pierre Charles... read more...

Bermuda official calls for review of judicial system

HAMILTON, Bermuda: Bermuda's Shadow Attorney General, Mr. Trevor Moniz, has called for a massive review of the colony's judicial system following a number of questionable outcomes in Bermuda's courts. Mr. Moniz said the Island should be following the same route as other jurisdictions in ordering the judicial system to undergo regular probes, as well as completing annual reports for Parliament, according to the Royal Gazette... read more...

TRAVEL NEWS

American Airlines announces new winter flights to the Caribbean

FORT WORTH, TX: American Airlines has announced new and additional seasonal services from Boston to several Caribbean destinations.. read more...

Royal Caribbean plans expanded Caribbean itineraries for 2004

MIAMI, FL: Royal Caribbean International has announced a new Caribbean cruise lineup for 2004 that gives travelers even more vacation options... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Jamaica win against Cuba in Olympic qualifying match

KINGSTON, Jamaica: An 80th minute goal from substitute Roland Dean gave Jamaica's Under-23 soccer team a 1-0 win over Cuba in a CONCACAF zone Olympic qualifying match played over the weekend... read more...