Archives for Wednesday, October 15, 2003:

St. Kitts Assembly to debate separation of Nevis today

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: To separate or not? That's the question St. Kitts and Nevis legislators will try to answer this morning as debate on a motion opposing the separation of Nevis from the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis continues in the National Assembly... read more...

Osborne tells Britain that Montserrat is committed to Caricom

BRADES, Montserrat: Montserrat's Chief Minister, Mr. John Osborne, told top officials in Britain yesterday that the island will remain a full member of Caricom... read more...

Bird, Mitchell vow to take new legal action

ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada: Prime Minister Lester Bird of Antigua and Barbuda and Prime Minister Keith Mitchell of Grenada are both vowing to initiate new legal moves in relation to two cases they recently won... read more...

CTO opens 26th annual conference tomorrow in U.S.V.I.

ST. THOMAS, USVI: St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves will be the feature speaker at this year's 26th Annual Caribbean Tourism Conference, which opens tomorrow in the U.S. Virgin Islands... read more...

St. Maarten tourism officials shun CTO meeting

PHILIPSBURG, St. Marteen: The Caribbean Tourism Conference, which opens in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Thursday will not see any top level representation from St. Maarten. The Daily Herald reports that both Tourism Commissioner, Mr. Theo Heyliger and Tourist Bureau Head, Ms. Regina Labega, will shun the conference and instead send two student representatives... read more...

Dominican woman claiming to be world's oldest person dies

ROSEAU, Dominica: A Dominican woman, who relatives claim is the world's oldest person, is dead. The 128-year-old, Ms. Elizabeth ''Ma Pampo'' Israel, passed away yesterday morning at the Princess Margaret Hospital here Tuesday... read more...

Argentine president to visit Cuba in 2004

HAVANA, Cuba: Argentine President, Mr. Nestor Kirchner, will be in Cuba next February as relations between the two countries continue to improve... read more...

Haitians continue to protest against government

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: Opposition continues to mount against the Jean Bertrand Aristide government, as for a second day this week, protesters hurled rocks at police and blocked streets with flaming tire barricades, demanding the President 's resignation... read more...

Kidnappers demand TT$3 million for teen victim

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: Kidnappers want the parents of 14-year-old kidnap victim, Christopher Thackorie, to dole out TT$3 million for his return. Christopher was kidnapped outside his parents' mansion at Vistabella on Sunday. His snatching comes in light of the kidnapping and murder of Mr. Nigel Singh, a 28-year-old labourer, the Trinidad Guardian reported... read more...

Antigua workers protest for back pay

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: About 80 Antiguan public workers picketed outside Parliament yesterday, demanding back pay and got action. Prime Minister Lester Bird reportedly presented a check for some of the money owed after criticizing the employees for protesting publicly about not having been paid for a month... read more...

Guyana police fire tear gas to disperse protesting sugar workers

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Police in Guyana yesterday fired tear gas to disperse 200 sugar workers who had blocked a main highway in western Guyana in a pay dispute with the state-owned sugar company, AP reported last night... read more...

BUSINESS NEWS

Foreign direct investment drops in Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Direct investment from overseas companies is down In Jamaica. The Gleaner, quoting a United Nations Development Programme report, said investment in Jamaica fell by US$235 million in 2002 over 2001. Foreign Direct Investment represents the investment by foreign companies in a host country.  The 22 per cent drop means that investment inflows in Jamaica were only US$614 million in 2001 when compared to US$470 million in 2002.

Trinidad Central Bank moves to reduce interest rates

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: Trinidad's Central Bank will today reduce interest rates from 18 to 14 percent in hopes of spurring borrowing and investment, reports out the twin-island Republic indicated last night... read more...

LEGAL NEWS

Barbados may challenge U.S. law

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Research Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies, Dr Don Marshall, says Barbados may have to challenge any breaches of international law which the United States Patriot Act incurs, since it will have a significant impact on the level of remittances that Barbadians move home annually... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Dominican Republic to host track and field competition

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic: Officials in the Dominican Republic are gearing up to host more than 50 athletes from around the world in a one-day track and field competition slated for next year... read more...