Archives for Saturday, November 22, 2003:

Privy Council rules mandatory death sentences unconstitutional

LONDON, England: Hundreds of prisoners on death row in the Caribbean were given new hope yesterday as the Privy Council in Britain declared the mandatory death penalty in Trinidad and Tobago unconstitutional... read more...

Guadeloupe man said to have planned attack in Australia

PARIS, France (AFP): A suspected radical Islamist has told French police another suspected extremist, Guadeloupe-born Willie Brigitte, had been planning an attack in Australia before he was expelled from the country, judicial officials said on Friday... read more...

Trade ministers wrap up FTAA summit ahead of schedule

MIAMI, USA (AFP): Trade ministers from the hemisphere working on the Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement wrapped up work late Thursday one day ahead of schedule, with a deal that scales back the original plan for a free trade bloc of 34 nations... read more...

Trinidad & Tobago seeks Latin support

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Trinidad and Tobago continues to vigorously pursue its bid for the Headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)... read more...

Dominican Republic, Haiti to receive new IDB loans

WASHINGTON, USA: The Inter-American Development Bank has approved a $25 million loan to Haiti to help the impoverished Caribbean nation manage its finances. The bank also announced that it will provide a $6 million loan to the Dominican Republic aimed at helping the government strengthen its banking system... read more...

Cuba sells its medical expertise

HAVANA, Cuba: Cuba's struggling economy has been boosted by the successful export of its medical technology abroad, and by health tourism within the country... read more...

St. Kitts and Nevis seeks assistance for CSME

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: While totally committed to the free movement of CARICOM nationals that are graduates, media workers, artistes, musicians and sports persons to seek work or to work without the need for work permits, St. Kitts and Nevis needs further assistance for putting in place the required regulatory institutions which would have oversight of groups of workers in the various categories... read more...

Freedom of movement within CARICOM

CASTRIES, St Lucia: In a communiqué issued at the end of the just concluded Ninth Special Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in St. Lucia, Governments are said to be satisfied with the progress towards common lines at immigration points that do not differentiate between the host country and other CARICOM nationals... read more...

US revokes visa for Haiti interior minister

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): The United States on Friday abruptly cancelled a visa issued to Haiti's Interior Minister Jocelerme Privert, who is close to President Jean Bertrand Aristide, US officials said.  The US embassy confirmed it had revoked a visa issued to Privert in what embassy spokeswoman Judith Trunzo described as an "ongoing administrative process." No other explanation was given.

HEALTH NEWS

No AIDS progress in the Caribbean without affordable medicine

GURGAON, India, (AFP): Former US president Bill Clinton said Friday the AIDS epidemic will never be stopped without affordable medicine, as he visited an Indian pharmaceutical company taking part in his drive to provide cheaper treatment to poor countries, including nine Caribbean countries... read more...

TRAVEL NEWS

Canouan Island plays a Trump card

NEW YORK, USA: Donald J. Trump and Canouan Resorts Development Ltd. (CRD) have announced that Mr. Trump will be developing luxury villas and estate properties on Canouan Island, and Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, Inc. (THCR) will manage the operations at the island's casino... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

West Indies' ticket levy attacked again

LONDON, England: The row over ticket prices for next year's West Indies-England series continued to rumble on, with Tim Lamb, the chief executive of the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), attacking the decision of the West Indies board (WICB) to impose hefty levies on sales to England supporters... read more...