Archives for Friday, March 18, 2005:

High risk of major tsunami in northern Caribbean

WASHINGTON, USA: The potential for devastating tsunamis in the northern Caribbean is high, say marine scientists, based on their analysis of historical data since the arrival of Columbus... read more...

Citigroup countersues Parmalat over fictitious Cayman fund

NEW YORK, USA (AFP): Citigroup said Thursday it filed suit in a US court against bankrupt Italian food giant Parmalat, alleging that Parmalat deceived bankers by, among other things, "inventing assets in a fictitious Cayman Islands hedge fund," and by "forging documents to make it appear that Parmalat had 4.9 billion dollars in a Bank of America account."... read more...

Former Haitian interior minister hospitalized after hunger strike

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP):  Former Haitian interior minister Jocelerme Privert, who has been held in jail by the country's new authorities, was hospitalized late Wednesday after about two weeks on hunger strike, prison officials said... read more...

Tax havens in the Caribbean are becoming stash grounds for Canadian companies

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: According to a study by Statistics Canada, between 1990 and 2003, the amount of money Canadian corporations put into tax havens – the most popular of which are Barbados, Ireland, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas – has soared to $88-billion from $11-billion... read more...

Human trafficking in Barbados and six other Caribbean countries

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Human trafficking is a reality in Barbados and some of its Caribbean neighbours, and it’s being reported that some of those people brought illegally into the country are being forced into labour... read more...

Suriname almost landmine free

STOLKERTSIJVER, Suriname: A Honduran army minesweeper team left Suriname and returned home Friday after assisting Suriname’s National Army (NL) in a mine-clearing operation near Stolkertsijver village, 50 kilometers east of the capital Paramaribo... read more...

Alcoa Foundation invests $100,000 in Suriname's only university

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Alcoa Foundation announced on Thursday that it is investing more than US$100,000 over four years in a program at Anton de Kom University of Suriname to strengthen research capabilities in the Department of Geology and Mining... read more...

Antigua-Chile technical cooperation closer to fruition

ST JOHN'S, Antigua:  The Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the planned technical cooperation with the Republic of Chile is very close to fruition.  This announcement comes in the wake of a three-day visit to Antigua & Barbuda by a high level team from Chile.. read more...

President of Caribbean Hotel Association visits Turks and Caicos Islands

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS:  The President of the Caribbean Hotel Association Berthia Parle arrived in the Turks & Caicos Islands Thursday to meet with the Turks & Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association, Government and tourism officials, and to attend the country’s first National Tourism Achievement Osprey Awards Gala Ceremony... read more...

Former Suriname rebels press for implementation of 1992 peace agreement

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: In a surprise visit to the party headquarters of Surinamese president, Ronald Venetiaan, a group of 30 to 40 former armed rebels Thursday urged the Surinamese government on a swift implementation of the 1992 Kourou peace agreement... read more...

Montserrat's St. Patrick's Day

WOODLANDS, Montserrat (UPI): In most of the world, Thursday is an Irish holiday, commemorating the patron Saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, who converted the Irish to Christianity. But in the small island nation of Montserrat, the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, St. Patrick's Day has become a celebration of the many diverse aspects of its Irish and African heritage... read more...

LETTERS

Grenadian lawyers opening a can of worms

Those Grenadian lawyers who are raising the issue of national pride to get rid of Hugh Wildman, are opening a can of worms for corned beef... read more...

TRAVEL NEWS

Condor Airlines to return to Antigua in November

BERLIN, Germany: .After months of intensive negotiations with the German airline Condor a contract was signed in Berlin during the ITB tourism trade fair. Condor will resume a weekly non-stop service on Mondays from Frankfurt to Antigua with effect from November 7.  The flight will create renewed interest in Antigua and Barbuda from tour operators... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Caribbean club champions exit CONCACAF Champions Cup

KINGSTON, Jamaica:  Needing only a draw to advance to the semi-final round of the 2005 CONCACAF Champions Cup, DC United rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Jamaica's Caribbean club champions Harbour View 2-1 at the Harbour View mini-stadium in Kingston, Jamaica on Wednesday... read more...

Jamaica's Onandi Lowe receives contract boost

LONDON. England:  Jamaican international footballer Onandi Lowe received a morale boost after English League One club Peterborough United announced they got a favourable response from the Home Office over a work permit for the player... read more...

Guyana team may miss Carifta Games

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: According to news out of Guyana, the country's delegates may miss this year's Carifta Games scheduled for March 26 to 28 at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago due to financial problems... read more...

Commentary: Cricket and Caribbean victims of escalating commercial war

Like kids on the play ground at lunch time the parties involved in the West Indies cricket crisis continued the finger pointing behaviour last weekend.  In a leaked memo written by Digicel’s representative, Richard Nowell referred to the WIPA as a terrorist group. If so, they are not the only terrorist in town... read more...