Archives for Wednesday, July 27, 2005:

Aruba pond being drained in search for missing teen

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (UPI):  Aruban officials began draining a pond Tuesday night in the search for Natalee Holloway, an Alabama teenager who went missing on the island during a class trip.  The pond was near where two brothers said they dropped her and a judge's son off on May 30, CNN said... read more...

Bahamas Tourism Minister issues statement on double murder

BIMINI, The Bahamas: Fear of "serious fallout" from negative publicity over the weekend murder of two Austrian tourists in Bimini has prompted the Bahamian Minister of Tourism, Obie Wilchcombe, to issue a statement on the matter.  Tourism officials have expressed deep concern that the incident has the potential for serious adverse implications... read more...

Bahamian authorities under pressure to solve murders

NASSAU, The Bahamas: Mounting pressure to establish leads and nab suspects has Bahamian authorities concerned about the possible fallout for tourism following the discovery over the weekend of the bodies of two Austrian visitors in Room Six at the Anchorage Hotel in Alice Town, Bimini.  A hotel employee discovered the bodies  on Saturday... read more...

Third round necessary to elect Surinamese president

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Parliament in Suriname was again  deadlocked Tuesday in electing a new president. Now a third and final round is necessary when the People’s Assembly, comprised of parliament, district and provincial councils convenes a special session on Wednesday August 3, 2005 to elect the head of state... read more...

Police free handful of hostages as violence roils Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Local police and UN peacekeepers freed several hostages over the weekend in Haiti, officials said Monday, while a human rights panel in Washington pleaded for immediate measures to curb violence in the impoverished nation... read more...

Dissident row casts shadow over Castro anniversary

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): A new dissident crackdown cast a shadow over commemorations for the 52nd anniversary of President Fidel Castro's revolution in Cuba which have already been toned down amid growing discontent with energy and food shortages... read more...

Grenada hosts ICC Cricket World Cup security planning meetings

ST GEORGE'S, Grenada: Tuesday saw the close of the second Security Directorate Meeting, held in Grenada chaired by John Collymore, Security Director of ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc. the body responsible for the development of policies, procedures and management of the delivery of all contractual aspects of the tournament... read more...

Economic activity expands in eastern Caribbean states

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: The Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank says economic activity in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) including St. Kitts and Nevis, continued to expand in 2005, despite the adverse impact of Hurricane Ivan on some of the member countries in September 2004 and the rise in oil prices... read more...

Nevis Minister continues commitment to support Call Centre

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis: Nevis Deputy Premier and Parliamentary Representative for the John’s Constituency Malcolm Guishard gave his commitment for continued support of Clear Harbor in Brown Hill, the only Call Centre on Nevis as it announced plans to provide more employment opportunities... read more...

Antigua-Barbuda to participate in study of effects of oil prices on the economy

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua: Antigua and Barbuda will participate in a comprehensive regional study of the implications of rising oil prices on the economy.  This was one of the decisions of the 52nd Meeting of the Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in St. Lucia, which was attended by Finance and Economy Minister Dr Errol Cort... read more...

Antigua police receive mobile phones donation to aid in fighting crime

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua: The Antigua and Barbuda police on Monday were the recipients of 35 mobile phones on loan from Cingular Wireless to aid in their crime fighting efforts during the Carnival season.  CEO of Cingular Wireless Darren Derrick made the presentation of the phones to Deputy Commissioner of Police Albert Smith... read more...

Chilean judge seeks Pinochet bank details from Bahamas and Cayman Islands

SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP): The judge probing former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet for financial fraud has sent the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands, along with several other countries, new requests for information on Pinochet's secret offshore bank accounts, judicial sources said Tuesday... read more...

Jamaican woman charged in BVI with cannabis possession

TORTOLA, BVI: Officers from the British Virgin Islands Customs arrested a 27-year-old Jamaican woman at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport last Wednesday evening after they suspected she was attempting to smuggle marijuana into the territory... read more...

BVI superstars

TORTOLA, BVI: This Saturday night the British Virgin Islands will crown two BVI Superstars, an initiative of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force.  Aimed at deterring young people from criminality, the show allows young people to interact with members of the police force and hone their skills in music... read more...

LEGAL NEWS

OECS judges and legal officials to discuss judiciary

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: “The Criminal Trial – New Perspectives from the Bench,” will be discussed by Judges, Masters and Registrars of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court next month.  St. Kitts and Nevis Resident High Court Judge, Mr. Justice Davidson Baptiste, will be among his colleagues from the OECS... read more...

COMMENTARY

One Caribbean, Millennium Goals and a swim in the sea!

The sovereign states of CARICOM, whose shores are massaged by the wonderful blue waters of the Caribbean sea, must now look to a common future.  As a future single entity, we should collectively attempt to implement the mission statement of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping... read more...

LETTERS

Grenada cannot rebuild the Stadium without the help of China

While the victims of hurricane Ivan are still trying to rebuild their homes and re-organise their living standard, Grenada gets hit again. This time by hurricane Emily... read more...

The immigration authorities in Barbados were right

The immigration authorities in Barbados were right in sending back home the large number of Guyanese which they did recently... read more...

Readers’ letters about the Holloway investigation in Aruba

From what I have read and heard on TV, it is pretty clear to me that there is a cover up going on with respect to the van der Sloot family’s involvement in the disappearance and probable murder of a US citizen in Aruba... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

West Indies’ Best fined 50-percent match fee

LONDON, England:  West Indies' fast bowler Tino Best has been fined 50 percent of his match fee for bowling 'beamers' during the second and final Test against Sri Lanka in Kandy... read more...

Sturrup in Worlds shape at the DN Galan IAAF Grand Prix

STOCKHOLM, Sweden:  Bahamian Chandra Sturrup continued on her devastating form ahead of next month's 10th IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland... read more...

Cuba’s Menendez produces world-leading effort ahead of Worlds

HELSINKI, Finland:  The strength and confidence of Olympic champion Osleidys Menendez of Cuba continues to show when she produced a world best effort to win the women's Javelin Throw at GE Money Grand Prix in Eläintarha stadium in Helsinki on Sunday... read more...

Netherlands Antilles' Churandy Martina impressive in Belgium Grand Prix

HEUSDEN-ZOLDER, Belgium:  The Netherlands Antilles' Churandy Martina had two impressive performances on Saturday, in his debut season on the European circuit... read more...