Archives for Thursday, August 18, 2005:

Charter airline faces scrutiny after Martinique-bound plane crash

MACHIQUES, Venezuela (AFP): Investigators searched Wednesday amid corpses rotting in the tropical heat and debris sunk in knee-deep mud for clues to the cause of crash by a Colombian airliner bound for the Caribbean island of Martinique, which killed all 160 people on board.... read more...

Trinidad Foreign Affairs Ministry seeks possible nationals on board crashed aircraft

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: The Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a representative of the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission to Venezuela in Caracas was up to late Tuesday reportedly trying to determine whether any Trinidad nationals were on board the West Caribbean Airways McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft which crashed in western Venezuela... read more...

St Lucian MP thrown out of Parliament

CASTRIES, St Lucia: St Lucia’s outspoken former government Minister, Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, was ejected from the House of Parliament on Tuesday, after she refused to apologize for remarks which she ascribed to Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony.  The House Speaker ordered Sarah Flood-Beaubrun to leave the House... read more...

Experts predict upsurge in activity as Atlantic Hurricane Season peaks

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CDERA): If hurricane researchers and forecasters are correct then the current lull in hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean should soon give way, opening the flood gates to the Cape Verde season... read more...

Fire alarm causes scare at Trinidad Legal Affairs Ministry

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: At about 8:20 am on Wednesday workers at the Ministry of Legal Affairs South Que office in Port of Spain, Trinidad were asked to immediately evacuate the building after a security fire alarm went off, creating an atmosphere of panic... read more...

Freed Cuban dissident seeks official permission to emigrate to US

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Cuban dissident Julio Valdes Guevara, the first to be released among the 75 dissidents jailed in a March 2003 crackdown, is asking for international help in convincing Havana to allow him to emigrate to the United States, his sister said... read more...

Rising crude oil prices may threaten economic stability in the Dominican Republic

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic: Government officials in the Dominican Republic, including President Fernandez himself, have expressed fears that the constant hikes in oil prices may undermine economic recovery in the Caribbean island nation... read more...

Nevis and St Lucia utilities to form strategic alliance

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis: Nevis Electricity Company Limited (Nevlec) hopes to benefit as a result of a soon to be established strategic alliance with the more established St. Lucia Electricity Services (Lucelec).  The alliance would benefit both sides, observed Lucelec’s Managing Director... read more...

Changes to education system will equip Jamaicans to meet global challenges says PM

NEW YORK, USA: Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson has said that the pending changes to the education system, which would begin this school year, were designed to equip Jamaica to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.  He noted that the project would require significant funding and the government has since borrowed $5 billion.... read more...

Antigua Government launches National School Meals Programme

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: A number of government officials along with some members of the media joined with students at the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality and Training Institute for a sample of the lunch which will be provided for a number of schools as the country launches the first ever School Meals Programme come next month... read more...

Discovery Hotel in St Lucia nears completion

CASTRIES, St. Lucia: Another major hotel project in Saint Lucia is nearing completion. Discovery at Marigot Bay a 124 apartment hotel on the hillside of Marigot overlooking the bay is expected to be finished by February 2006. That is the assurance given Minister for Tourism Phillip Pierre who headed a tour to the facility Wednesday... read more...

More protests by Trinidad pharmacists

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Operations at the Pharmacy department of the Port of Spain general hospital in Trinidad were badly hit on Tuesday as pharmacists again staged another work stoppage protesting for better wages and against government's decision to employ Filipino pharmacists to work at public hospitals... read more...

No wage settlement yet for Tobago WASA workers

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Workers of the Tobago Division of the island’s Water and Sewerage Authority say they will intensify their protest if some 90 daily-rated employees do not get an increased allowance and are not given health and safety protection while on the job... read more...

Rastas get support from St Lucia’s Transformation Ministry

CASTRIES, St. Lucia: The Ministry of Social Transformation in St Lucia has thrown its support behind the establishment of a Rastafarian Foundation on the island. The Empress Menem Foundation based in London is designed to improve the quality of life of Rastafarians worldwide.  The Foundation has expressed its satisfaction with the support... read more...

LEGAL NEWS

Innovative Communications to appeal adverse Belize ruling

WEST PALM BEACH, USA: In response to Monday's decision by the U.S. District Court in Miami regarding the government of Belize’s claimed illegal seizure and expropriation of US$57 million in assets of Innovative Communication Corporation LLC, the company said Tuesday that while it respects the court’s decision it does not believe it reached the central issue in the dispute... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Powell wants three golds at next year’s Commonwealth Games

HELSINIKI, Finland:  Jamaica’s World record holder over 100m, Asafa Powell is confident that he can leave next year’s Commonwealth Games with three gold medals.  "Three golds, that's a lot, but it is possible," Powell said at a briefing in Helsinki on Sunday. "I'm not sure if I am going to be running again for this season"... read more...

Jamaican jockey Ramgeet secures two wins at Mountaineer Resort

CHESTER, USA:  Jamaican champion jockey Andrew Ramgeet snatched up two wins at the Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort on Saturday.  Ramgeet piloted Big Sky Girl in the fifth race, before guiding on board Big Sky Girl and the seventh Kettal Creek to victory in the seventh race... read more...

Gayle signs with Worcestershire

LONDON, England:  English county side Worcestershire have signed West Indies’ opening batsman Chris Gayle for the rest of the season.  Gayle, a left-hander from Jamaica replaces, Zander de Bruyn, who was called up for the South Africa A team... read more...

Dominican Republic's Santa bags silver in Sweden

MALMO, Sweden:  The Dominican Republic’s Carlos Santa was a second place finisher in the men’s 400-metres at MAI-Galan in Malmö, Sweden Tuesday afternoon... read more...

Trinidad’s Jones sets himself a 20-goal target for the season

LONDON, England:  Trinidad and Tobago’s Kenwyne Jones has set 20 goals has his target for the upcoming English Championships season... read more...