Archives for Monday, May 23, 2005:

Escalating crime triggered police force shake-up says Antigua PM

ST. JOHNS, Antigua: Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, speaking on the State-owned and operated ABS Television Sunday, pointed to the escalating crime wave as the reason for what the light-hearted here are calling the "police tsunami" over the weekend.  Taking over the command of the 500-plus strong force is Delano Christopher... read more...

Tough measures to improve public safety and security in St Kitts-Nevis

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force announced tough measures on Friday to improve and ensure public order, security and safety.  All Police Officers up to rank of Sergeant will be issued with books to issue tickets for traffic violations, as more vigorous efforts will be made to reduce and prevent traffic violation... read more...

Cuban dissident conference boldly defies Castro

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Cuban dissidents wrapped up a first ever pro-democracy conference outside Havana late Saturday, defying communist President Fidel Castro with unusual unity and little apparent interference from his government.  The Assembly for the Promotion of Civil Society brought 168 delegates from Cuba's 14 provinces... read more...

Senior Antigua-Barbuda police officers unhappy over forced vacation

MARBLE HILL, Antigua: Several senior officers of the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda are up in arms over being sent on what they consider to be "forced vacation" following the weekend's "tumbling up" of the organization's hierarchy when the Acting Commissioner and his second-in-command received letters... read more...

Regional ministers approve security management plan

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: Delegates to the recent meeting of regional national security ministers and law enforcement personnel have approved the management framework for commendation to the Conference of Heads of Government... read more...

Barbados Prime Minister pressed not to engage with Haiti

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Prime Minister Owen Arthur is being pressed to retract immediately the Barbados government’s policy to engage fully with the Gerard Latortue regime in Haiti... read more...

Annan would boost UN Haiti force

UNITED NATIONS (AFP): UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recommended reinforcing a UN stabilization force in Haiti by around 1,000 troops ahead of upcoming elections... read more...

USVI finalises ownership of Water Island

ST THOMAS, USVI: The government of the US Virgin Islands has now acquired full ownership of the 500 acre Water Island. An official deal was struck on May 16, when the last 200 acres was purchased from the US Interior Department.  The transfer was officially completed on Wednesday, the 18th, when the purchase was recorded... read more...

ECCB to get assistance to track remittances from abroad

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: The St. Kitts-based Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) is among Central Banks in Latin America and the Caribbean expected to benefit from a project aimed at strengthening their information and statistics systems.  The project would help the ECCB and other banks to track remittances... read more...

Barbados death row inmate gets stay of execution

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: A convicted murderer, who was set to die at the gallows in Barbados on Monday, has for now avoided his date with the hangman... read more...

History made in Antigua-Barbuda as woman appointed police chief

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: Some two weeks after announcing the establishment of a special task force designed to halt "organized crime and corruption by government officials," the excitement in Antigua and Barbuda has been heightened with the news that a woman now heads the 500 plus strong Royal Police Force... read more...

CARICOM Heads and Region's Minority Leaders in historic July meet

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government and Parliamentary Minority Leaders from across the region are expected to meet in St. Lucia on Saturday 2nd July -- 24 hours before the official Opening Ceremony of the Twenty-Sixth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government... read more...

HEALTH NEWS

Trinidad-Tobago School Health Screening Programme approved

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Children entering primary school in Trinidad and Tobago will be screened for hearing and visual problems by the School Health Screening Assistance Programme, according to Health Minister, John Rahael.  The objective of the Programme is to provide screening services for visual and hearing defects... read more...

LEGAL NEWS

Judgment reserved in Dominica elections challenge

ROSEAU, Dominica: Dominican High Court Judge Claire Henry-Wason reserved her judgment on Friday in the civil matter of Leonard Newtown vs the Chief Elections Officer, the Returning Officer, Mrs Loreen Bannis-Roberts and the Attorney General... read more...

Judge: Bahamas-US Extradition Treaty lacks Parliamentary approval

NASSAU, Bahamas: In a ruling, which one expert called a “profound new development”, Bahamian Supreme Court Justice Jon Isaacs ruled that Article XVIII of the Extradition Treaty between The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the United States of America, lacked the requisite Parliamentary approval required by the Bahamian Constitution... read more...

WEEKEND SPORTS ROUNDUP

Pakistan take a piece of history off West Indies

GROS ISLET, St. Lucia (AFP): Pakistan became the second team to complete a clean sweep of an international cricket series in the Caribbean when they won the third and final one-day international against West Indies by 22 runs on Sunday... read more...

Veronica Campbell clocks 10.96 at Adidas Track Classic

CALIFORNIA, USA:  Jamaica's Veronica Campbell blazed 10.96 in -0.3 head-wind to win the women's 100-metres at the 2005 Adidas Track Classic at the Home Depot Center on Sunday... read more...

Performance specialist called in to lift underperforming West Indies

GROS ISLET, St. Lucia (AFP): David Scott, an Irish-born performance-enhancement specialist based in Canada, will spend the weekend observing the West Indies cricket team in the last two one-day Internationals against Pakistan, and advising the management on methods that could help to turn the team around... read more...

Pakistan beat West Indies in second ODI

GROS ISLET, St. Lucia (AFP): Pakistan again exposed the fragility of the West Indies' batting to clinch a comfortable 40-run triumph in their second one day international on Saturday.  West Indies were dismissed for 218 in 48.2 overs, chasing 259 to win, to concede an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the best-of-three series that ends on Sunday here... read more...

Caribbean representatives impress at NJCAA Outdoor Championships

LEVELLAND, USA: Caribbean athletes have always been in the spotlight at the National Junior College Outdoor Track And Field Championships and, guess what, this season there were no changes at SPC Track Stadium... read more...

Jamaica's Powell resumes training after injury scare

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Stephen Francis, the coach of Jamaica's national 100m champion and record holder Asafa Powell has confirmed that the star sprinter is back on the track following his injury scare last weekend... read more...

Reggae Boy Andy Williams back with a bang

SALT LAKE CITY, USA: Jamaica's mid-field maestro Andy Williams came back from his recent injury to help newly promoted Real Salt Lake beat fellow expansion club Chivas USA 2-0 in a US Major League Soccer (MLS) game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Wednesday night... read more...

Caribbean sprint queen Veronica Campbell to run in New York

KINGSTON, Jamaica: The Caribbean's new sprint queen Veronica Campbell of Jamaica will travel to New York to compete at the 2005 Reebok Grand Prix at the new Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island on Saturday June 11... read more...

Jamaica’s Wilson hits the net again for Montreal Impact

TORONTO, Canada: Jamaican international Kevin Wilson, who scored for his nation on his debut against Norway while still attending high school, hit the net again for Montreal Impact in their 1-0 win over Toronto Lynx in a United Soccer League first division games at Centennial Stadium last Sunday... read more...

Gayle's 317 gets no love "down under"

SYDNEY, Australia: West Indies left handed opener Chris Gayle's 317 in the last Test in Antigua against South Africa has made him famous "down under”. But rather than seeing his performance as a superb knock, fans have used the opportunity blast the state of the pitches in international Test cricket... read more...