Archives for Thursday, September 8, 2005:

Hurricane Nate expected to pass south of Bermuda

MIAMI, USA: According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, at 11 pm EDT Wednesday, the center of Hurricane Nate was located near latitude 29.8 north, longitude 65.4 west or about 175 miles south-southwest of Bermuda.  Nate is expected to make its closest approach to Bermuda during the day Thursday... read more...

Dominica’s former prime minister, Dame Eugenia Charles, passes away

ROSEAU, Dominica: Dominica’s former Prime Minister and the Caribbean’s first female head of government, Dame Eugenia Charles, died at a hospital in Martinique on Tuesday night, one week after she was flown there for hip replacement surgery.  Dame Eugenia, 86, ruled Dominica from 1980 and 1995, and was an internationally known figure... read more...

Caribbean nations sign oil deals with Venezuela

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (AFP): Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has wrapped up deals to provide oil on preferential terms to most Caribbean nations following a meeting of regional energy ministers here this week.  Participating governments will pay market price for Venezuelan oil, but would only pay a portion of the cost up front... read more...

Haiti vote won't usher in peace and stability, says South Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AFP): Haiti's first elections since the ouster of Jean Bertrand Aristide will not usher in peace and stability in the Caribbean nation, South Africa's foreign minister said Wednesday... read more...

Ruling NDP candidate wins BVI by-election

TORTOLA, BVI: The ruling National Democratic Party’s Elmore Stoutt was announced the winner in the British Virgin Islands territorial by-election Tuesday, beating his major competitor the Virgin Island Party’s Vernon Malone by 403 votes... read more...

BVI marine patrol seizes cocaine

TORTOLA, BVI: The British Virgin Islands marine police seized 65 kilograms of cocaine, estimated to have a street value of $6,500,000, during a patrol in the area of Beef Island last week.  ... read more...

Dominican Republic approves US-Central America free trade pact

WASHINGTON, USA: US Trade Representative Rob Portman has congratulated the government of the Dominican Republic for its September 6 approval -- by "an overwhelming margin" -- of a free-trade agreement with the United States and Central America... read more...

Grenadians reflects on Ivan one year later

ST GEORGE'S, Grenada: One year ago, the island paradise of Grenada was ripped apart by Hurricane Ivan and the world responded generously. But despite the assistance, in some areas, housing remains in ruins and some families are still devastated.  For many Grenadians hurricane Ivan left a permanent scar... read more...

White House swipes at Castro after Katrina aid offer

WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): The White House on Wednesday answered Havana's offer of aid to help victims of Hurricane Katrina by saying it hoped Cuban President Fidel Castro would "offer freedom to his people."... read more...

Alarm expressed in Trinidad over sugar shortage

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: The Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce in a statement on Wednesday says it finds it preposterous that there is a local shortage of refined sugar in Trinidad and Tobago... read more...

Trinidadian woman joins search for missing nationals in New Orleans

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: A Trinidadian woman living in Texas has now embarked on a search for T&T nationals who may have been unaccounted for following the destruction caused in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina... read more...

Tobago gets US$500,000 in US aid for hurricane relief

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Tobago has received US$500,000 in the form of a grant to help with reconstruction efforts in parts of the island damaged by recent hurricanes... read more...

Guyana Government to intervene on behalf of stranded Universal Airline passengers

GEORGETOWN, Guyana:  Good news for scores of Universal Airline passengers left stranded after the airline’s only aircraft was pulled more than a week ago. The Guyana Government is considering utilising funds from a $17 million escrow account, deposited by the airline in the initial stages of its operations, to bring relief to stranded passengers... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Barbadian Anderson Carrington wins Caribbean Junior table tennis boys’ title

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados:  Barbadian Anderson Carrington brought joy to the hearts of his countrymen with a commanding performance that won him the Caribbean Junior table tennis boys’ title... read more...

Commentary: West Indies cricket faces another crisis

Still reeling from the damaging findings exposed by the leaked Lucky report, West Indies cricket faced another crisis last weekend when Chairman of the Cricket Word Cup Committee, Rawle Brancker resigned.  Nine other members attending a meeting in St. Kitts resigned as well.  Brancker stopped short of giving specific reasons for his decision... read more...