Archives for Wednesday, October 29, 2003:

Suspect arrested in connection with missing Grand Bahama boys

FREEPORT, Bahamas: Bahamian police say they have detained a 35-year-old Freeport man as a suspect after discovering body remains in a wooded area near a beach in Grand Bahama.  Forensic scientists are examining the remains to determine whether they match any of the five boys, who have disappeared one by one from the town of Freeport since mid-May.... read more...

Guadeloupe terrorist suspect helped train Islamic fighters near Paris

PARIS, France (AFP): A suspected Guadeloupe-born Islamic militant deported from Australia and being held in France by anti-terrorist authorities helped train men to fight in Afghanistan in the Fontainebleau forest near Paris up to 2001, a French law enforcement official said... read more...

Another shootout in Jamaica as taxi drivers protest

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: Thousands of taxi drivers went on strike throughout Jamaica on Monday demanding a speedy investigation into Saturday's shooting which left one of their fellow drivers dead. During the protest officers exchanged fire with gunmen in the crowd, but no one was injured... read more...

St. Kitts & Nevis supports Trinidad & Tobago for FTAA HQ

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: St. Kitts and Nevis is committed to supporting Caribbean Community member Trinidad and Tobago as the location for the headquarters of the Free Trade Association of the Americas (FTAA), Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has reiterated... read more...

Grenada Finance Minister issues economic statement

ST GEORGE'S, Grenada: In his fourth press briefing for the year, Grenada's Minister of Finance, Mr Anthony Boatswain, focused on three economic issues: the general economic condition, the government's fiscal operations in 2003 and Grenada's economic performance from 1995 to the present time... read more...

British sailor dies in boating accident in St Vincent

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent: A British sailor aboard HMS Manchester died after he fell from the stern of a private boat as it prepared to dock at Kingstown and suffered severe injuries from the vessel's propellers. The Royal Navy said Marine engineering mechanic Michael McCarthy, 21, and fellow crew members of were returning from a diving trip when the accident happened... read more...

Jamaican PM pledges support for move in U.S. House to clear Garvey's name

WASHINGTON, USA: Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson has reiterated his strong support for current legislation, pending in the United States House of Representatives, that would vindicate National Hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, thus clearing the way for an official absolution of the Jamaican patriot by President George W. Bush... read more...

Cruise arrivals soar in the Cayman Islands

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: Cruise ship passengers arrived in the Cayman Islands in record numbers for the month of September, surpassing 100,000 for the summer month for the first time in history, according to figures recently released by the Department of Tourism... read more...

BUSINESS NEWS

HSBC to buy Bank of Bermuda for US$1.3 billion

LONDON, England: Financial giant HSBC announced Tuesday that it will pay US$1.3 billion in cash to buy the Bank of Bermuda. Bank of Bermuda shareholders will receive US$45 for each Bank of Bermuda share in cash, comprising US$40 from HSBC and the remainder as a special dividend from the Bank of Bermuda... read more...

New remittance service for Jamaicans launched in Canada

TORONTO, Canada: Michael Lee-Chin's AIC Limited, the largest Mutual Fund company, in Canada, has launched a new money transfer company aimed at the Jamaican community in Canada. The company, Senvia Money Services, is promising competitive rates for its service to customers... read more...

Danish brewery takes control of Guadeloupe distributor

COPENHAGEN, Denmark: Danish brewery Bryggerigruppen announced earlier this week that it has bought a 51% share in distributor Impec Holding SAS. Impec Holding currently distributes Bryggerigruppen's non-alcoholic malt drink Vitamalt in Guadeloupe and French Guinea. The two companies have also signed a deal which will allow Impec to distribute Bryggerigruppen's products on the island of Martinique from early next year.

HEALTH NEWS

Elusive cancer killer's deep-sea hideout discovered in the Bahamas after a nearly 20-year hunt

FT. PIERCE, USA: After a 20-year search, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution scientists on an expedition to the Bahamas that covered some 1,300 miles have discovered the hideout of a mystery sponge that harbours a chemical with a remarkable ability to kill cancer cells in laboratory tests... read more...

Testing of HIV test kits completed in Belize

EDMONTON, Canada: Medical Services has announced that it has completed all the necessary testing required for Belize and now has the ability to ship the VScan test kits to Belize. The test results show that the VScan test kits achieved 100% Specificity and 100% sensitivity against the Western Blot methodology which is the gold standard for HIV testing... read more...

TRAVEL NEWS

Delta Air Lines extends sale to St. Thomas

ATLANTA, USA: Delta Air Lines announced Tuesday it is extending the fare sale it began last week for travel between most cities in the United States served by Delta and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The discounted fares are now available through Oct. 29... read more...