Archives for Monday, March 21, 2005:

2005 predictions expected at Hurricane Conference in New Orleans

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: During the course of this week the people of the Cayman Islands, Grenada and other countries in this hemisphere that suffered the effects of tropical storms and hurricanes during 2004 will know the predictions of world renowned climatologist, Professor William Gray, for the 2005 hurricane season... read more...

Britain awards first Victoria Cross in 23 years to Grenadian

LONDON, England (AFP): Britain's highest military honour, the Victoria Cross, has been awarded for the first time in 23 years to a Grenada-born army private who saved the lives of 30 comrades in Iraq... read more...

Haitian PM slams slow pace of international aid

CAYENNE, French Guiana (AFP): Haitian Prime Minister Gerard Latortue on Friday criticised the slow pace at which the international community is giving promised financial aid for the reconstruction of the troubled Caribbean state... read more...

Sri Lankan UN soldier killed in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): A soldier from Sri Lanka serving with UN peacekeeping forces in Haiti was killed Sunday, during an operation to regain control of a police station that had been occupied by former Haitian soldiers in southern Haiti, officials said.... read more...

Symbolic prison cell set up in Prague to back Cuban dissidents

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AFP): More than 70 Czech politicians, artists, intellectuals and sports stars voluntarily agreed to be locked in a mock prison cell in central Prague Friday in a symbolic protest over the plight of Cuban dissidents. Dressed in prison uniform, each celebrity stayed one hour in a cell... read more...

Castro supporters shout down imprisoned dissidents' wives

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): About 200 supporters of Fidel Castro's regime on Sunday shouted slogans at the wives of imprisoned Cuban dissidents who had just ended a silent prayer vigil for their husbands' liberation.  "Down with the counter-revolutionaries," the protestors shouted at the dissidents' wives... read more...

Amnesty calls for immediate release of Cuban prisoners

MADRID, Spain (AFP): Amnesty International on Friday called for the immediate release of 71 Cuban dissidents held in the country's prisons, as part of a report into a group whose members have been jailed since March 2003... read more...

21 Cuban journalists remain detained

PARIS, France (UPI): Twenty-one Cuban journalists remain jailed two years after their arrests during "Black Spring," Reporters Without Borders said Friday... read more...

Trinidad and Tobago’s WASA needs $26bn to improve services

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: According to a report coming from Trinidad and Tobago's Regulated Industries Commission (RIC), the country's Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is going to need TT$26 billion come the year 2020 for capital investment to improve its service... read more...

Government Information Services charged to unite in educating the public about CSME

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Jamaican Information Minister, Senator Burchell Whiteman, has charged government information services (GIS) throughout the region, to collaborate in the process of enhancing public information about the impact of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME)... read more...

Quick response from St Kitts fire services when blaze threatened homes

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS: An appeal is being made to homeowners, farmers and residents in St Kitts to be extremely cautious when lighting bush fires.  “Persons burning bush should inform the fire services before they do so and get professional assistance at all times and especially when we are experiencing a dry spell,” a fire officer said... read more...

St Lucia needs a new hospital says European Development Fund official

CASTRIES, St. Lucia: The National Authorizing Office of the European Development Fund’s Project Management Unit (NAO EDF-PMU) says construction of a brand new national general hospital on a brand new site in St Lucia was the best way to go for the future... read more...

Speed limit increased in Anguilla

THE VALLEY, Anguilla: The government of Chief Minister Osborne Fleming has taken a decision to increase the speed limit from the present 30 miles per hour to 50 mph on the new Jeremiah Gumbs Highway in Anguilla.  The additional 20 mile comes as plans are being made to build a stretch of road for the establishment of a car racing track... read more...

Anguilla offers 2-week gun amnesty

THE VALLEY, Anguilla: As the Government of Chief Minister Osborne Fleming moves to rid the streets of Anguilla of illegal firearms, residents on the tiny British Dependency who are in possession of illegal firearms are being given the opportunity to turn them into the police "without any questions being asked."... read more...

Increase in fees for some immigration services in Barbados

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Persons using certain services provided by the Barbados Immigration Department will have to pay an increase in fees from next Monday, March 21... read more...

Construction of the Dominica National Sports Stadium to commence this week

ROSEAU, Dominica: The EC$33.4 million (US $12.4) National Sports Stadium for Dominica is another step closer to becoming a reality. Construction on the international facility will begin next week, following its official launching on March 23, at the Windsor Park in the capital, Roseau... read more...

Guyana's economy battered by flood, says president

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AFP): The flood that battered Guyana earlier this year has led the government to erase its projected 2.2 percent economic growth, President Bharrat Jagdeo said Friday... read more...

PM Anthony addresses St Lucia's debt

CASTRIES, St Lucia: Brushing aside allegations that his administration is "plunging the country deeper into debt," St. Lucia's Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony, in dismissing charges that the country's Caribbean neighbours are laughing at the island on the issue of its current debt, sought to clear the air on the issue... read more...

Oil spill clean-up in Grand Cayman nears completion

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: According to Cayman Islands Government officials, over the last 14-days an additional 1,700-2,000 gallons of used oil that spilled into a canal near the George Town Landfill during the passage of Hurricane Ivan last September, have been recovered by the Department of Environmental Health... read more...

Docking fee will not jeopardize St Kitts-Nevis relations, says PM Douglas

BASSETERRE, St Kitts: Disputes at the ferry docks with regard to the ferry operators paying a docking fee of EC$15 per berthing, would not jeopardize attempts to improve the relationship between the Federal Government and the Nevis Island Administration.  So says St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas... read more...

WEEKEND SPORTS ROUNDUP

Brian Lara left out of West Indies Test squad

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua:  Trinidad and Tobago's star batsman Brian Lara has been left out of the West Indies 14-man squad for the first Test match in the Digicel 2005 Home Series against South Africa schedule for Guyana on March 31... read more...

West Indies women's cricket team win in South Africa

PRETORIA, South Africa: West Indies women's World Cup cricket team got off to a good start in South Africa by registering a 38-runs win over the host under-19 team at Mamelodi Oval on Friday... read more...

Florida cricket supporters call for Wavell Hinds as captain

FLORIDA, USA:  The voices from West Indies cricket supporters in the state of Florida are calling for Jamaica's Wavell Hinds to be captain of the team for the March 31 test match against South Africa in Guyana... read more...

Jamaica's Deon Burton on target

LONDON, England - Jamaica's 1998 World Cup representative Deon Burton scored his third goal of the season for Brentford in their 2-2 draw with 12th place Chesterfield in English First Division League Championships action at Griffin Park on Saturday. Play-off-chasing Brentford found themselves in big trouble... read more...

Gayle hits hundred against the Leewards

NAIN, Jamaica:  Jamaica continued were they left off Friday by totally outplaying the Leeward Islands in the first two sessions on the second day of their Carib Beer 2005 Cricket Series "Final Match" on Saturday at the Alpart Sports Club... read more...