Archives for Thursday, November 3, 2005:

Chavez sharpens rhetoric for Bush duel at Summit of the Americas

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is loudly gearing up for his next big battle with the United States, this time up close and personal with President George W. Bush at the Summit of the Americas... read more...

Digicel and Laqtel to be granted licenses to operate in Trinidad

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Mobile Telecommunications companies, Digicel Trinidad and Tobago Limited and Laqtel Limited are to be given licenses by the Trinidad government to operate public domestic mobile telecommunications services in the country... read more...

Cuban Foreign Minister meets with Iran's deputy minister in Havana

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque met with Iran's deputy foreign minister for Europe and the Americas, Saeed Jalili, in Havana, Cuba's official media reported Wednesday... read more...

Hang them, says Bahamas police chief

NASSAU, Bahamas: The increasing number of homicides in the Bahamas is of great concern to nationals and visitors alike, but more so to the country's top cop, Commissioner of Police Paul Farquharson, forcing him to issue a call for the immediate resumption of hangings.  Farquharson made it clear that he is an advocate of hanging... read more...

Ruling by Dominica High Court dashes by-election hopes of United Workers Party

ROSEAU, Dominica: A ruling by a High Court Judge, Justice Hugh Rawlins, has effectively killed off any lingering hopes the United Workers Party had of triggering by-elections in five constituencies in Dominica... read more...

CSME a challenging proposition, says Antigua-Barbuda PM

ST JOHN'S, Antigua: The advent of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) will be a challenging proposition for the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.  So said Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer as he addressed the nation Tuesday, as the country celebrated the 24th anniversary of political independence... read more...

Nevis to benefit from over US$60m in promotions from MTV’s Tempo launch

CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS: Deputy Premier and Minister of Tourism on Nevis Malcolm Guishard said Nevis stands to benefit in excess of US$60 million in promotions when the island is featured on Tempo, the newest channel from MTV Networks, the force behind channels MTV, VH1, NICK, TVLAND, Comedy Central and SPIKETV... read more...

New board of directors and CEO for BWIA

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Trinidad businessman Arthur Lok Jack is the new Chairman of BWIA West Indies Airways Limited.  The Board has appointed Mr. Nelson Tom Yew to be the Chief Executive Officer responsible for the management and operations during the period of restructuring and transformation... read more...

Call for St Kitts-Nevis nationals to focus on tourism assets

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: Tourism, now responsible for a substantial portion to the National Accounts, contributed over EC$300 million to the St Kitts and Nevis economy last year.  Minister with responsible for Tourism, Sports and Culture, Sen. “Ricky” Skerritt said the observance is an opportunity to bring into focus the national assets... read more...

Antigua-Barbuda commences development of influenza pandemic plan

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua: The Antigua and Barbuda Minister of Health, John Maginley, met with senior health and veterinary officials last week to discuss the avian influenza situation. There has been a growing concern about a possible bird flu epidemic as outbreaks have been reported in Asia... read more...

Kittitian economist provides recipe for trades and labour union in post-sugar era

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: A University of the Virgin Islands professor says that economic conditions changed in St. Kitts and Nevis long before the decision was made to close the sugar industry last July.  Professor of Economics Dr. Simon Jones-Hendrickson was addressing the Annual Conference of the St. Kitts-Nevis Trades and Labour Union... read more...

COMMENTARY

Let’s go offshore!

And so it came to pass that that the OECD and FATF black-listed much of the Caribbean region’s offshore financial services sector as ‘a bad egg’, traditionally robust banana and sugar exports were “dead”, tourism was growing but in some markets reaching saturation or stifled by poor infrastructural facilities... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Ponting's lone-hand century as West Indies take it to Aussies

BRISBANE, Australia (AFP): Skipper Ricky Ponting scored his fourth century in four Tests against the West Indies to play a lone hand as Australia struggled against the tourists in the first Test at the Gabba here on Thursday.  Ponting claimed his 24th century in his 95th Test -- his fourth in consecutive Tests against the West Indies... read more...

West Indies' Test plan backfires on the toss of a coin

BRISBANE, Australia (AFP):  Shivnarine Chanderpaul's decision to send Australia in to bat looked set to rebound on the West Indies with only one wicket in the first session of the opening cricket Test at the Gabba here Thursday... read more...

West Indies ready for the challenge, says Samuels

BRISBANE, Australia:  West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels feels the Caribbean side can present a challenge to the mighty Australians in their forthcoming Test series, despite the criticisms from former Test great Michael Holding... read more...

Chanderpaul undaunted by West Indies' series task against Aussies

BRISBANE, Australia (AFP): Captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul put on a brave face Wednesday as he confronted the task his West Indies team have of beating Australia in a cricket series here for the first time in 12 years... read more...

Bracken's swing option wins out over MacGill's spin for West Indies Test

BRISBANE, Australia (AFP): Australia have matched an expected pace barrage by picking swing bowler Nathan Bracken over second leg-spinner Stuart MacGill for the opening cricket Test against the West Indies starting Thursday... read more...

Langer to lead Prime Minister's XI against West Indies

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP): Test veteran Justin Langer was on Thursday named to lead the Prime Minister's XI team against the touring West Indies in Canberra in a one-day cricket match on December 2... read more...