Archives for Wednesday, August 17, 2005:

160 killed in Martinique-bound plane crash

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): A Colombian jet carrying French tourists crashed Tuesday in the mountains of western Venezuela killing all 160 people on board, officials said.  The West Caribbean Airways plane, flying from Panama to the French Caribbean island of Martinique, came down in a remote area of the Sierra de Perija mountains... read more...

Human rights court orders compensation for Suriname massacre

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: The Costa Rica-based Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ordered Suriname to compensate the survivors of a 1986 massacre during the country’s internal war. The ruling was made public on Monday... read more...

Murder rocks Guyana’s business community

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: After weeks of heightened criminal attacks directed at the businesses in and around the capital city of Georgetown, a daring late night robbery that left a business man dead has sent shock waves throughout Guyana's business community.  Harry Rambarran, 52, was killed when he attempted to evade bandits... read more...

Guyana Bar Association welcomes Barbados PM's appeal for better treatment of Guyanese

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The Guyana Bar association (GBA) has found some comfort in the fact that Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur has broken his silence over the treatment dished out to Guyanese by his citizens... read more...

Tentative date announced for Trinidad and Tobago budget

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister, Patrick Manning, has set a tentative date of September 5 as national budget day for the country... read more...

USVI delegate attends local Homeland Security council meeting

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, USVI: The US Virgin Islands Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen has said that her attendance of the Virgin Islands Homeland Security Council meeting Tuesday was a great opportunity to see plans that she was aware of on the national level being implemented locally... read more...

Barbados partially lifts ban on poultry imports from Britain

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Barbados has lifted its temporary ban on commercial imports of poultry, hatching eggs and fresh, frozen and chilled poultry products, from Britain. This comes as British veterinary authorities say they’ve taken effective measures to prevent the spread of Newcastle disease and that no new cases have been diagnosed... read more...

St Lucia: Getting the banana issue straight

CASTRIES, St. Lucia: The Government of St. Lucia is continuing its awareness campaign among farmers on recent developments in the world trade of bananas. This it sees as significant in ensuring farmers get the right information on the issue especially following the latest ruling of the WTO tribunal in favour of Latin American banana producers... read more...

Increased police presence in St Lucia

CASTRIES, St. Lucia: Fifty nine recruits comprising 47 males and 12 females have been added to the ranks of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force.  The officers came to the end of nine months of an intensive training culminating with the 25th graduation exercise last Friday on the grounds of the Police Training School... read more...

BVI by-election date set

TORTOLA, BVI: British Virgin Islanders will go to the polls on September 5 to elect a new territorial representative to replace the Legislative Council seat left vacant by the late Communications and Works Minister Paul Wattley... read more...

Grenadian VC recipient to visit his homeland

ST. GEORGE’S Grenada: Private Johnson Gideon Beharry, the Grenadian recipient of the Victoria Cross, will be visiting the Spice Isle on Thursday 18th August 2005 to Monday, 22nd August 2005.  Beharry will arrive in Grenada via Virgin Atlantic at 4:30pm.  Activities scheduled for Private Beharry’s visit include a courtesy call on the Prime Minister... read more...

Local bank aids rehabilitation efforts in Grenada’s schools

ST. GEORGE’S Grenada: RBTT Bank Grenada Limited on Friday 12th August 2005, presented in excess of $59,000.00 to assist fifteen secondary schools on the island to purchase much-needed items such as furniture, computers, and home economic equipment... read more...

Cuba to trade 17 million for US agro products from Nebraska

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Cuba promised to buy 17 million dollars of farm products from the US state of Nebraska, whose Republican governor, Dave Heineman, was with a trade delegation in Havana... read more...

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Wonder-full first-ever Tobago jazz festival

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (AFP): Stevie Wonder closed Tobago's first-ever jazz fest, after Natalie Cole, Babyface and Angie Stone performed for thousands of tourists on the Caribbean island, tourism minister Howard Chin Lee said... read more...

LETTERS

Martinique is a very sad place this day

Please don't omit in your excellent online edition the tragedy that struck the French department of Martinique today. All 160 passengers aboard the Colombian charter airline that crashed in Venezuela were from Martinique... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Jamaica’s Breese grabs five wickets for Durham against Leicestershire

LONDON, England:  Former West Indies all-rounder Gareth Breese captured five wickets as Durham and Leicestershire drew in their rain-affected English County Championship game on Monday... read more...