Archives for Monday, May 30, 2005:

Antigua Labour Party to file human rights complaint over prison overcrowding

MARBLE HILL, Antigua: According to former prime minister, Lester Bird, political leader of the opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP), the party plans to seek the assistance of the Inter-American Human Rights Commission (IAHRC) to remedy what has been described as ‘inhumane’ conditions at the country’s lone prison... read more...

St Vincent radio talk show host convicted of making false statements

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent: St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ number one radio talk show host Elwardo “E.G.” Lynch was last week found guilty and fined for two counts of making false statements likely to cause alarm.  Chief Magistrate Simone Churaman ordered the host of the “New Times” programme on Nice Radio to pay $3,000 by June 21... read more...

Coalition talks begin in Suriname

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Three days after the general elections in Suriname, political parties commenced cautious talks to form a new coalition government... read more...

CSME’s viability questioned in the Bahamas

NASSAU, The Bahamas: “No free movement of labour” has become the rallying cry of those opposing Bahamian membership in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). Understandably, the government’s apparent reliance on what political scientist Felix Bethell calls “popular opinion” has been less than productive... read more...

Haiti gets caught up in China-Taiwan standoff

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Haiti's need for United Nations peacekeepers to remain for an extended mandate suddenly took on new complexity this week, when the impoverished nation found itself entangled in the diplomatic standoff between China and Taiwan... read more...

Venezuelans protest after US rejects detention of anti-Castro militant

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel on Saturday slammed US officials as "hypocritical" after Washington rejected Caracas' request for the detention of Luis Posada Carriles, a militant opponent of Cuban President Fidel Castro... read more...

Haitian PM decries US security warning

JACMEL, Haiti (AFP): Haiti's Prime Minister Gerard Latortue has bitterly objected after the US State Department instructed its non-emergency personnel to leave his strife-torn Caribbean nation amid security concerns... read more...

Cuba develops new cholera vaccine

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Cuban scientists have developed a new cholera vaccine and are ready to do "field testing" in Africa before it is marketed worldwide, officials said... read more...

Major money haul at Antigua’s international airport

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua: Customs and Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) officers on Friday detained a 33 year old Venezuelan male attempting to leave Antigua with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash... read more...

Suriname opposition protests alleged election irregularities

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Opposition parties in Suriname protested Friday against alleged irregularities in the general elections held on Wednesday, May 25. They are reportedly worried about the fact that, in polling districts where counting of ballots was already finished, the preliminary results were not made public... read more...

Suriname elections an ‘example for Caribbean’

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: CARICOM Election Observers have commended the electoral officials and the Surinamese people for “their responsible behaviour and the maturity displayed, which undoubtedly reflect their confidence in the electoral process and commitment to democratic principles”... read more...

USVI reparations leaders hold public meeting

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, USVI: US Virgin Islands reparations leaders met with a public audience at Ottley Legislative Hall in Charlotte Amalie on May 25. The date, which has been celebrated internationally since 1991, is recognized as African Liberation Day.  The gathering was entitled “Reparations, where do we go from here?”... read more...

Colina Bahamas reborn as director ousted

NASSAU, The Bahamas:  “In assessing the future growth and development of the company, we believe a restructured Board of Directors was critical in bringing fresh thinking and commitment, new skill sets and direction as we transition from a period of acquisition to one of consolidation and organic growth,” said Emanuel Alexiou... read more...

Jamaican politicians warned to cut ties with criminals

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Commercial businesses throughout Jamaica were brought to a complete stop at noon on Wednesday when business owners and operators joined in a protest action against the country's escalating crime rate by closing their doors for the half-day.  Main businesses such as supermarkets and gas stations were closed... read more...

Cooking with Fidel: As blackouts multiply, Castro pleads for power thrift

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Faced with crippling power outages and a grumbling public, Cuba's President Fidel Castro has made an urgent televised appeal for energy thrift, even demonstrating the relative merits of Chinese-made pressure cookers.  "Exceptional measures are being taken" to cope with the crisis, Castro, 78, said... read more...

Haiti's ex-security chief pleads guilty to money laundering

MIAMI, USA (AFP): The ex-security chief of former Haitian president Jean Bertrand Aristide has pleaded guilty in a US court here to money laundering charges and could face 20 years in prison... read more...

US denies Venezuela extradition of anti-Castro militant

WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): US authorities rejected Venezuela's request to extradite Luis Posada Carriles, a violent opponent of Cuban President Fidel Castro, to face charges he bombed a Cuban airliner in 1976, but Venezuela will not give up hope... read more...

Anguilla’s marine resources strengthened

THE VALLEY, Anguilla: The conservation of Anguilla’s marine resources has been further strengthened with the award of a grant of US$24,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in the US, in support of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources’ Seagrass and Coral Reef Protection project... read more...

Ontario parliamentarians pledge support for Nevis

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis: Acting Premier and Minister for Tourism, Malcolm Guishard, on Friday met with a four-person delegation from the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Developmental assistance for Nevis was part of the discussion.  Alvin Curling, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, led the Canadians... read more...

Stigma and discrimination are major obstacles to reduction of HIV/AIDS, says CAREC advisor

THE VALLEY, Anguilla: Communication Advisor at the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) Special Program on Sexually Transmitted Infections, Ms Sheryl O’Neil, has stated that stigma and discrimination have been identified by public authorities as the major obstacle to the reduction of the HIV/AIDS epidemic... read more...

Miss SVG 2005 crowned

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent: Miss Lotto Casynella Ollivierre, 19, was no “quick pick” when the draw for Miss SVG 2005 took place at Carival City, Victoria Park on Saturday.  The St. Vincent and the Grenadine Community College student outshone the eight other contenders for the coveted title and was crowned during the predawn hours of Sunday morning... read more...

WEEKEND SPORTS ROUNDUP

A win for West Indies at long last

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AFP): Shahid Afridi's third Test hundred could not prevent West Indies from winning their first Test in a shade over one year, when they completed a comprehensive 276-run win over Pakistan in the first Test on Sunday... read more...

Former West Indies captain wants more a democratic cricket authority

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: A sports legend has opened up on the Caribbean cricket establishment, hitting them for a lack of openness.  Former West Indies cricket captain, Richie Richardson believes Caribbean fans should have a greater say in how to reverse the "deep slide" in West Indies cricket... read more...

Jamaica’s Chambers and Brooks take titles at NCAA East regionals

NEW YORK, USA:  As predicted by the press, Jamaica's Ricardo Chambers and Sheri-Ann Brooks ran away with easy titles at the NCAA East Regionals Hosted at the Manhattan College in New York... read more...

Jamaica athletics association bans Mullings for two years

KINGSTON, Jamaica: The Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) has confirmed that Mississippi State University top sprinter Steve Mullings has been handed a two year ban for testing positive for steroids... read more...

Mullings’ performance not affected by two-year ban

INDIANA, USA: The two-year ban imposed on Steve Mullings by his national governing body, the Jamaica Athletic Amateur Association (JAAA), was apparently not a factor in the sprinter's performance at the recent NCAA regional championships... read more...

Grenada's Jason Roberts vows to make comeback

LONDON, England:  Grenadian international Jason Roberts is confident that he will be back in time for the start of the English Barclays Premiership as he continues to make healing progress after sustaining a broken leg in the final championships game.  The striker sustained the injury in the final regular season match against Reading... read more...

Jamaica’s Ricardo Chambers sets sight on regional title

NEW YORK, USA: Jamaica's Ricardo Chambers, representing Florida State University, was on cruise control in the men's 400m heat on Friday during the first day of NCAA Division I Outdoor East Regional... read more...