Archives for Thursday, October 16, 2003:

CTO officials to focus on cruise ship tax as conference opens

ST. THOMAS, USVI: Officials of the Caribbean Tourism Organization are set to focus on the introduction of a controversial cruise ship tax when the 26th annual conference gets underway today.... read more...

Three dead in clash between Jamaican police and gunmen

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: Three Jamaicans are dead and three others wounded following a five-hour shootout between police and gunmen yesterday... read more...

Bajan mother charged with killing daughter

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: A 40-year-old Barbadian woman was yesterday charged with stabbing her 8-year-old daughter to death... read more...

Bermuda police warn of dirty heroin

HAMILTON, Bermuda: Bermuda's police are warning nationals to beware of heroin containing rat poison that is being distributed by dealers locally... read more...

Jamaican government alarmed at apparent blacklisting

KINGSTON, Jamaica: The unceremonious dumping of a Jamaican engineer by an American financial house has raised alarm bells in Jamaica's Foreign Affairs Ministry that its nationals may be blacklisted... read more...

St. Maarten denies CTO conference boycott

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten: St. Maarten's Economic Affairs and Tourism Commissioner, Mr. Theo Heyliger, has denied boycotting the 26th Annual Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) conference in St. Thomas... read more...

Crime fighting group formed in Trinidad & Tobago

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: Trinidad's Hindu Credit Union has launched a Community Protection Group to help battle the rising crime situation in the country. The move comes amidst a rise in kidnappings in the twin-island republic... read more...

Moderate earthquake hits Dominican Republic

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic: An earthquake of moderate magnitude struck the Dominican Republic yesterday, damaging some school buildings in northern towns and toppling a concrete wall but leaving no one injured, AP reports indicate. The magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck at 7:50 a.m. and was the strongest in the Caribbean country since a major 6.5 quake on Sept. 22 that shook areas as far away as Puerto Rico.
The earthquake reportedly cracked the concrete floors of at least two schools in northern towns and damaged school buildings and caused a concrete wall to fall in the northern town of Navarrete. The epicenter was located just south of Puerto Plata, a resort town on the Dominican Republic's northern coast, officials were quoted as saying. 

Earl of Wessex visits Antigua today

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, is expected in Antigua this afternoon on an official visit during which he will be the patron at a gala dinner to raise funds for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. The Earl of Wessex is the youngest child of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The Earl will also tour Barbados, Bermuda and Guyana during his regional visit. In Bermuda, he will pay tribute to those killed and injured when Hurricane Fabian tore into Bermuda earlier this month, sweeping three policemen and a civilian to their deaths.

BUSINESS NEWS

St. Kitts appeals to France for help

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis wants France to assist Small Island Developing States to get not only free trade, but fair trade, in their negotiations with the World Trade Organisation (WTO)... read more...

TRAVEL NEWS

Barbados is top tourist destination

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Barbados has emerged as the Caribbean's top tourist destination and the Barbados Tourism Authority as operators of the region's best tourism offices... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Guyana, Jamaica face-off in Red Stripe semi-finals today

DISCOVERY BAY, Jamaica: Guyana's Red Stripe squad will go head to head with unbeaten Jamaica in the first semi final of the 2003 Red Stripe Bowl regional one-day cricket competition, which opens today at the Kaiser Ground in Jamaica... read more...