Archives for Thursday, February 26, 2004:

Armed gangs roam Haitian capital as crisis nears boiling point

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Armed supporters of President Jean Bertrand Aristide threw up roadblocks and looted the Haitian capital Wednesday in anticipation of a threatened rebel attack as France became the first country to call on Aristide to stand down... read more...

US Coast Guard intercepts boat carrying 21 Haitians off Florida

MIAMI, USA (AFP): The US Coast Guard said Wednesday it had intercepted a Panamanian-flagged vessel from Gonaive, northern Haiti, in waters off Florida carrying 28 people, including seven crewmen and 21 Haitian refugees... read more...

Wife defends prizewinning Cuban dissident

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): The wife of dissident poet and journalist Raul Rivero, held in a Cuban prison on treason charges, on Tuesday defended her husband after UNESCO awarded him its 25,000 dollar press-freedom prize... read more...

US criticizes Haiti's human rights record

WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): Haiti's human rights record "remained poor" last year, according to a US government human rights report released Wednesday which denounced abuses by the Caribbean nation's threatened government... read more...

US says human rights have worsened "dramatically" in Castro's Cuba

WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): Human rights abuses took a sharp and dramatic turn for the worse in Fidel Castro's Cuba during 2003 amid a clampdown on political dissidents, the United States government said Wednesday... read more...

Outbreak of bird flu in Trinidad and Tobago

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (AFP): More than 18,000 chickens are to be destroyed Wednesday following an outbreak of a type of bird flu at a central Trinidad and Tobago farm, agriculture Minister, Jarrette Narine said... read more...

21-year-old shot in Anguilla

THE VALLEY, Anguilla: Law enforcement officers in Anguilla are continuing their investigations into the shooting death of a young male on Monday evening. Twenty-one year old Courtney Hodge was fatally shot in what is Anguilla's first homicide for 2004... read more...

Dominica establishes diplomatic relations with Qatar

NEW YORK, USA: In an historic event in New York City on Wednesday, the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Gulf Arab State of Qatar, formally established diplomatic relations... read more...

TRAVEL NEWS

US Airways announces new nonstop services to Aruba, St Thomas and Bermuda

ARLINGTON, USA: US Airways will operate new routes and add flights to the Caribbean from New York's LaGuardia Airport beginning June 12, 2004. US Airways has also received US DOT approval to begin nonstop service between Orlando, Fla., and Bermuda... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Barbados looking to defend International challenge title

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: The regional first class tournament moves into its second phase this weekend as the top four teams in the Carib Beer Series contest the International Shield... read more...

Ruiz finally crowned WBA heavyweight king

LAS VEGAS, USA (AFP): Puerto Rico's John Ruiz has been officially crowned WBA heavyweight champion after Roy Jones confirmed he had relinquished the title to concentrate on his WBC light heavyweight championship... read more...

Thorpe eager to return to West Indies

GATWICK, England (AFP): Rising star, experienced player, outcast and senior statesman: Graham Thorpe has occupied a variety of roles during an England career spanning 83 Tests... read more...