Archives for Thursday, July 22, 2004:

Cuban refugees claim they paid bribe to leave the Cayman Islands

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: According to an article that appeared in The Washington Post last Friday, Cuban refugees that landed in the Cayman Islands in early May, claimed they bribed their way to freedom after being incarcerated for 28 days... read more...

More oil and gas exploration in Trinidad

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (AFP): Prime Minister Patrick Manning announced Wednesday that his government was aggressively pursuing exploration for more oil and gas off the Caribbean island of Trinidad... read more...

Trinidad pastor calls for public executions

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: In delivering a sermon at the funeral of murdered policeman Heston Charles Joseph, Pastor Elmore Anthony passionately expressed his disgust at the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago, calling for criminals who snuff out the lives of others to be hanged in public... read more...

US concerned about treatment of imprisoned Cuban dissident

WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): The US State Department said Wednesday it was "deeply concerned" about what it said were worsening conditions of imprisoned Cuban dissident Oscar Elias Biscet, and said Cuba should release all those "imprisoned unjustly."... read more...

Cuban found dead in landing gear compartment of German plane

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AFP): A 20-year-old Cuban was found dead on Wednesday in the landing gear compartment of a German plane which had arrived here from the Dominican Republic... read more...

Weary Cubans wonder if oil could revive Castro regime

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Weary from economic hardship, Cubans are eagerly awaiting news of the outcome of oil exploration off Cuba by Spain's Repsol YPF that could turn cash-strapped Havana into an oil producer overnight and breathe life into President Fidel Castro's communist regime... read more...

Chilean president visits Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Chilean President Ricardo Lagos was on a 24-hour visit to Haiti Wednesday, becoming the first head of state to come to the country after the collapse of the government of former president Jean Bertrand Aristide last February... read more...

Value added from tourism in St Kitts and Nevis rose 31 percent in 2003

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has reported that, although complete tourism data were not available for 2003, provisional information indicates it has rebounded by 31 percent for the year... read more...

BVI Chief Minister corrects statement made in British Parliament

ROAD TOWN, BVI: British Virgin Islands Chief Minister Dr Orlando Smith has responded to what he says are inaccurate statements made in the House of Commons in London about the British Virgin Islands... read more...

US Customs seize 'significant' artifacts imported from Dominican Republic

MIAMI, USA: U.S. customs agents in Miami have seized nearly 200 artifacts that were imported from the Dominican Republic, some of them dating back 4,000 years, VOA News reports... read more...

Stopover arrivals in Jamaica up 9 per cent

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Preliminary figures for the first two weeks of July have indicated a 9 per cent increase in stopover arrivals in Jamaica, with 156,960 visitors expected for the month... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Lara queries England reliance on Harmison

LONDON, England (AFP): West Indies captain Brian Lara said England's dependence on in-form Durham quick Stephen Harmison could be a weakness during the forthcoming four Test series which gets underway at Lord's here Thursday... read more...