Archives for Monday, January 31, 2005:

Armed police chased away by angry crowd in Guyana

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: According to a report from the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) in Guyana, heavily armed police on Friday evening swooped down on a privately-owned television station CNS Channel Six, after it resumed transmission on the advice of its lawyers... read more...

Malfunctioning generators trigger blackouts in Antigua

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua:  Engineers at two of the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) generating plants are carrying out investigations into what caused the machines to malfunction causing several communities to experience blackouts for the past six days.  A team of experts from Japan's Toshiba Company are on island carrying out tests... read more...

Haitian elections set for late 2005

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Haiti's long-awaited presidential and legislative elections, to pick an elected successor to ousted leader Jean Bertrand Aristide, will take place November 13, with a second round set for December 18, according to an electoral council member... read more...

World Food Programme sends 112 tonnes of food to flood-hit Guyana

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AFP): The World Food Programme (WFP) has sent 112 tonnes of food to Guyana to assist flood-stricken communities, the mission's team leader said Sunday... read more...

30 Cubans reach Florida Keys

MIAMI, USA (AFP): Around 30 Cubans, including a baby, were in US Border Patrol custody Friday, after reaching a small island off the Florida coast... read more...

St Vincent & Grenadines opposition party holds praise and thanksgiving service

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent: The opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) on Sunday held “A Christian service of praise and thanksgiving to God for His grace, goodness, mercy and love and to pray that He will continue to bless, guide, inspire, heal and deliver” SVG and the world... read more...

Dent made in suppression of cocaine trade, says Jamaican Security Minister

LONDON, England: Jamaican National Security Minister, Dr. Peter Phillips has said that during the past year a significant dent had been made in the cocaine trade by virtue of the cooperation with international authorities, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States... read more...

Jamaican tourism minister upbeat about industry prospects

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Jamaican Industry and Tourism Minister, Aloun Ndombet Assamba, has expressed optimism at the prospects for further growth in the tourism sector for 2005... read more...

Five cruise ships with nearly 10,000 passengers to visit St Kitts on Wednesday

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: Cruise tourism enters a new phase in St. Kitts this week when five ships with over 9,500 passengers visit on Wednesday.  According to the cruise ship schedule issued by the Ports Authority, some 18 cruise ships with a capacity of 28,296 passengers are scheduled to visit St. Kitts during the first two weeks of February... read more...

Widow resurrects plans to re-bury reggae legend Bob Marley in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AFP): The widow of reggae superstar Bob Marley said here Friday that her husband's body, now interred in his Jamaican birthplace, would eventually be reburied in Ethiopia in accordance with his longstanding wishes... read more...

BUSINESS NEWS

Caribbean hedge funds attracting Japanese investment capital

TOKYO, Japan (AFP): Overseas hedge funds based in Caribbean tax havens have been attracting investment capital from Japan where interest rates are next to nil, a press report said Sunday... read more...

Brazil's Petrobras latest to eye new oil exploration off Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Brazil's state oil giant Petrobras, now boosting energy cooperation in Cuba, could team up with Canada's Sherritt or Spain's Repsol as it moves to explore two new prospecting zones off Cuba, the Brazilian ambassador here said... read more...

HEALTH NEWS

US$2.4m for persons affected by HIV/AIDS

CASTRIES, St. Lucia:  Having received US$2.4 million for the support of persons affected by the deadly HIV/AIDS, Dr. Len Ishmael, Director General of the St. Lucia-based organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) pointed out that the secretariat is steadfast and firm in its commitment, as it takes its responsibility very seriously... read more...

LETTERS

I agree with Lloyd for once

I must join with my good colleague Mr. Lloyd Noel in his calls for a rising up of the people of Grenada to correct the blatant wrongs done to us over the last few months... read more...

Get cracking on Guyana's plight

I am compelled to put pen to paper to support the Express newspaper editorial of January 26, headlined "Too slow with Guyana lifeline''... read more...

Correspondent must leave big words for rum-shop argument

It seems as though George Edward is thinking on the same political wave length as Lloyd Noel. On the other hand, it appears as though I must have touched a very sensitive nerve in Edward's socio-political body... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Mixed results for Jamaican Olympians in athletics opener

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AFP): Jamaican Olympian Bridgette Foster began her 2005 outdoor athletics season with a victory on Saturday but Athens teammate Asafa Powell was humbled and Olympian Sheree Simpson suffered an injury... read more...