Archives for Wednesday, May 18, 2005:

Dominica PM warns against destabilisation attempts

ROSEAU, Dominica: Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit last week threatened to use the "full arm of the law" against anyone who attempts to destabilise the country.  Skerrit said he had advised Police Chief Matthias Lestrade to deal with perceived plans to undermine the country's economic stabilization programme... read more...

China to send a third riot squad to Haiti on UN mission

BEIJING, China (AFP): China will dispatch a third squad of riot police to crisis-wracked Haiti this year on a United Nations' peacekeeping mission, state media reported Tuesday... read more...

US detains Castro opponent wanted for attacks

MIAMI, USA (AFP): US authorities on Tuesday detained a bitter opponent of Cuban leader Fidel Castro who is wanted for plane and hotel bombings in Latin America and who had been seeking asylum in the United States, officials said.  Luis Posada Carriles, 77, was arrested in Miami just hours after Castro led a march... read more...

CARICOM to observe Suriname's elections

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AFP): The 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM) announced Tuesday it would dispatch six observers to monitor Suriname's general elections to be held next week... read more...

Caribbean sugar situation more worrisome says CARICOM minister

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Guyana's Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Clement Rohee has suggested that the recent ruling by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Appellate Body on the European Union (EU) Sugar case has made the situation for sugar in the Caribbean more "worrisome"... read more...

Cuba pledges assistance to Grenada in disaster mitigation and management

HAVANA, Cuba: Senator Einstein Louison and a four-member delegation from Grenada held discussions in Cuba on Tuesday with Colonel Luis Macareno, Deputy Chief of Civil Defence... read more...

Above-average activity predicted for 2005 hurricane season

CHICAGO, USA (AFP): More tropical storms and major hurricanes are predicted for the North Atlantic this year, for a second straight above-normal hurricane season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency announced Monday... read more...

Jamaica could support Brazil’s nomination at UN

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, K.D. Knight said Monday that the Jamaican government could be open to a Brazilian nomination for permanent status on the United Nations Security Council.  The Council currently has five permanent members - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France... read more...

Lamy and CARICOM trade ministers discuss global trade round

CHRIST CHURCH, Barbados: In remarks before a gathering of CARICOM Trade Ministers in Georgetown, Guyana , former European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy took stock of priorities for the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round... read more...

Antigua-Barbuda to benefit from advances in telecommunications

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Senator Dr Edmond Mansoor is representing Antigua and Barbuda at a World Telecommunications Day Symposium in Trinidad.  The symposium is in recognition of World Telecommunications Day, May 17... read more...

Dominica attorney general condemns Opposition party

ROSEAU, Dominica: Newly-appointed attorney general Ian Douglas this week expressed dissatisfaction with the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) over its frequent calls for president Dr Nicholas Liverpool to intervene in national issues... read more...

US Congressman visits jailed former Haitian PM

MIAMI, USA (UPI): A Florida congressman said former Haitian Prime Minister Yvonne Neptune is in poor health from a hunger strike in a Haitian jail, but not near death... read more...

Taiwan praises St Kitts-Nevis for its international support

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: The Foreign Minister of Taiwan, Dr, Sun Tan Chen was in high praise for the Government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis for the strong support of Taiwan in the international community.  Dr. Chen said Taiwan is assured of the strong support of St. Kitts and Nevis when Taiwan’s membership in the WHO comes up... read more...

Jamaica and Brazil sign MOU for production of ethanol

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Jamaica and Brazil have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which will see both countries sharing resources and expertise in the diversification of sugar and the production of ethanol in the island.  Brazilian Foreign Minister, Celso Amorim said Brazil would provide technical expertise... read more...

Bahamas slaying suspect nabbed in US

FORT LAUDERDALE, USA (UPI): A dogged fingerprint search by a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, police detective has resulted in the arrest of a suspect in the death of a Bahamas police official... read more...

Public support vital to success of St Lucia's Integrity Commission

CASTRIES, St. Lucia: The five member bipartisan Integrity Commission in St Lucia, set up to monitor the income, assets and liabilities of persons in public life has embarked on a major awareness and sensitization campaign to inform government officials and members of the public of its role and functions... read more...

St Lucia Jazz success story to be shared with French Antilles

CASTRIES, St. Lucia: With the curtains closed on St. Lucia Jazz 2005 and tourism officials in the midst of carrying out their various assessments, the many lessons learnt could be passed on to the French Antilles, as part of further boosting cultural ties between St. Lucia and the French overseas departments... read more...

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Vonage rolls out free calling to Puerto Rico

EDISON, USA: Vonage, one of the leading providers of broadband phone service, on Monday announced it is expanding its calling packages to include all calls to Puerto Rico... read more...

Cuba to switch computers to Linux, dumping Windows

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Cuba will gradually switch to the open-source Linux operating system for its state computers, eliminating its exclusive use of Microsoft Windows, the government daily Juventud Rebelde reported Tuesday... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

New sports stadium will be ready for CWC 2007, says Dominica’s sports minister

ROSEAU, Dominica: Dominica’s Minister for Education, Youth Affairs, Sports and Human Resource Development, Vince Henderson, has written to the President of the West Indies Cricket Board, Teddy Griffith, informing him that the Windsor Park Sports Stadium in Roseau will be ready to play some part in cricket’s flagship tournament, the 2007 Cricket World Cup... read more...

Jamaican cabinet approves policy against doping in sports

KINGSTON, Jamaica: The Jamaican Cabinet has given approval for the establishment of the Jamaican Policy Against Doping in Sports, in furtherance of Jamaica’s continued efforts to eradicate doping in sports locally and internationally, involving local athletes... read more...

Powell injured in Santa Domingo; Simpson and Foster-Hylton world leaders

SANTA DOMINGO, Dominican Republic: Jamaica’s national 100 metre record holder Asafa Powell suffered a set back in his build up to season after he was unable to finish the men’s 200m at the Felix Sanchez Invitational track meet in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Saturday... read more...

Trinidad’s Clement breaks 26-year-old 400m hurdles mark at SEC Championships

TENNESSEE, USA:  Trinidad and Tobago-born Kerron Clement, a sophomore at the University of Florida erased Auburn's James Walker's 1979 48.48 400m hurdles record at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the weekend... read more...

Six winners for the Caribbean in Brazil IAAF Grand Prix

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: A number of regional athletes highlighted the second edition of the IAAF Grand Prix II Grande Prêmio Rio de Atletismo held at the Maracanã Complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Sunday... read more...

Reggae boy Kevin Lisbie on recovery road

LONDON, England : Jamaican striker Kevin Lisbie is recovering well following a major operation to remove a non-malignant tumour from his nose... read more...