Archives for Tuesday, July 12, 2005:

Thirteen wounded in downtown Port-of-Spain blast

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (AFP):  Thirteen people were wounded when an apparent bomb exploded in downtown Port-of-Spain, officials from the city's general hospital said Monday. National Security Minister Martin Joseph said at a press conference that there have been no fatalities, but two of those injured in the blast are in critical condition... read more...

Emily becomes the fifth tropical storm of the season

MIAMI, USA: According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, at 11 pm EDT Monday the center of Tropical Storm Emily was located near latitude 11.3 north, longitude 47.0 west or about 1,000 miles east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles.  Emily is moving toward the west near 13 mph... read more...

OECS States consider "their place" in the CSME

CASTRIES, St. Lucia: Heads of State have acknowledged concerns that size and limited resources are elements which predispose the sub-region to a disadvantaged spot in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy CSME... read more...

LIAT’s restructuring ‘progressing satisfactorily’

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: While resorting to the recurring statement “we are not saying we are out of the woods”, LIAT’s chairman Jean Holder last week announced to the regional media that “the financial and operational restructuring are progressing satisfactorily”.  Holder said the airline had restructured its debts... read more...

Antigua-Barbuda signs PetroCaribe agreement

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua: After years of failing to capitalize on the opportunity to participate in preferential trade agreements designed to reduce the price of fuel for consumers, Antigua & Barbuda is now poised to benefit from the region’s newest energy agreement.  Deputy Prime Minister Wilmoth Daniel signed the PetroCaribe Agreement... read more...

British Virgin Islands minister dies

ROAD TOWN, BVI:  The British Virgin Islands will, in the next three months, hold a territorial by-election to fill the Legislative Council seat left open by the late Paul Wattley, who died last Wednesday after a bout with prostate cancer... read more...

COMMENTARY

G8 Meeting: Nothing for the Caribbean

The world’s eyes were on Britain last week. It was the venue for the meeting of the leaders of the globe’s richest nations – the G8 – from which much was expected in terms of improving terms of international trade, creating conditions for seriously addressing climate change and vastly improving aid to the developing world especially Africa... read more...

Law and Politics: We must be going the wrong way!

In putting forward “A Christian Perspective” of true freedom and development in the Caribbean, our Catholic Bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference in 1982 or thereabouts said, “Society is made for men (and women)… The human person may never be sacrificed for political interests, national or international, whatsoever they may be.”... read more...

Europe in the throes of concern following bombings in London

Four blasts last Thursday, three in the underground transport system used by more than three million commuters daily in London and a fourth which demolished a double-decker bus, have triggered world-wide concerns, especially in Europe and the United States.  Prime Minister Tony Blair immediately blamed the bombings on Islamic extremists... read more...

CARICOM: Haiti and other diversions

Upon his arrival on Thursday from the 26th General Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fred Mitchell held a press conference in the VIP lounge at the Nassau International Airport... read more...

Ineffective responses to crime in Jamaica

The island of Jamaica has been plagued by an unprecedented wave of violent crimes in the past few years. In 2004, 1,417 Jamaicans were murdered and since January of this year more than 845 people, 115 in the month of June alone, already have fallen victim to violence... read more...

The Bahamas rejects the creation of CSME, thus compromising CARICOM’s integration bid

At the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) annual meeting in St. Lucia on July 3-7, the Bahamian government declared that it could not participate in the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME)... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Chanderpaul is confident in young team

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka:  West Indies team captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul has come to the defence of his second-string squad currently on tour in Sri Lanka... read more...

Draw with South Africa earns Jamaica a Gold Cup quarter-finals place

LOS ANGELES, USA:  The Jamaica Reggae Boyz came from behind three times to earn a 3-3 draw with South Africa in their second game at the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in California on Sunday... read more...

Under-strength West Indies undermine landmark Sri Lanka Tests

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP): Sri Lanka begin an emotional Test series on Wednesday, the first at home since the tsunamis ravaged the island nation seven months ago, hoping their depleted West Indian rivals will join the party... read more...

Ganga blasts Lara's team commitment

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka:  West Indies A-team captain Daren Ganga has questioned the commitment level of batting genius Brian Lara when he represents the regional team... read more...

No stopping Bolt as he blazes 20.03 at the CAC Championships

NASSAU, Bahamas:  Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Cydonie Mothersill from the Cayman Islands captured 200-metre titles in contrasting conditions at the XX Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Senior Championships hosted at the Thomas Robinson National Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas on Monday... read more...

Kim Collins fails to rebound in Zagreb Grand Prix

ZAGREB, Croatia:  Kim Collins' disappointing outdoor season leading up to the defence of his world title continued when he was beaten into third place in the men's 100-metre at the 55th annual Hanzekovic Memorial on Monday evening at the Sportspark Mladost in Croatia... read more...