Archives for Monday, December 5, 2005:

Earthquake shakes Port of Spain, Trinidad

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad:  A powerful 4.1 magnitude earthquake rocked parts of Port of Spain at 11:30 pm local time on Thursday sending tremors throughout the northern parts of Trinidad’s capital.  The preliminary location for the event is 10.59°N/61.45°W and the focal depth was approximately 18km... read more...

Polish, Swiss journalists detained in Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): A Polish and a Swiss journalist were detained early Friday in Cuba as they met with a member of the Caribbean island nation's political opposition, Cuban human rights activists said Friday... read more...

Record drug bust in Barbados

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: As Barbadians were celebrating their country’s Independence on Wednesday, six Guyanese, including two married couples lost their freedom as police took them into custody in connection with the discovery of cocaine and ganja worth over BDS$6.5 million... read more...

Antiguan WPC drug courier goes to court in England

ST JOHN’S, Antigua:  An Antigua and Barbuda woman police constable, who was nabbed at Gatwick Airport in England by British police just over one week ago, after arriving on Virgin Atlantic Airways and discovered with several pounds of cocaine in her bag, will go before the court on Wednesday to answer charges of alleged drug trafficking... read more...

Russian minister linked to money laundering through Bermuda fund

WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): Russia's telecommunication minister Leonid Reiman has been implicated in an international probe into laundering money bilked from state-owned telecom companies through a mutual fund based in Bermuda, The Wall Street Journal said Friday... read more...

Kidnapped journalist is freed in Haiti after ransom paid

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Metropole radio journalist Watson Desir and his father were kidnapped Friday and released hours later after a ransom was paid, the journalist said late Saturday... read more...

St Vincent and Grenadines' top cop pleased with election campaign

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent: St. Vincent and the Grenadines Commissioner of Police Keith Miller, in an exclusive interview with Caribbean Net News, said electioneering in St. Vincent and the Grenadines ought not be compared with some happenings in other Caribbean countries at election time... read more...

OAS election observers arrive in St Vincent and the Grenadines

WASHINGTON, USA: The Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Ambassador Albert Ramdin, was due to arrive in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Sunday to lead a team of observers for the December 7 general elections... read more...

CARICOM-Cuba summit begins in Barbados this week

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Relations between the 15-member CARICOM grouping and Cuba, its most north-westerly Caribbean neighbour, are expected to be further strengthened when the Second CARICOM-Cuba Summit convenes here in Barbados this week at the Barbados Hilton... read more...

No closure of sugar estates, says Guyana's president

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: A defiant President Bharrat Jagdeo announced to the media Thursday that the Guyanese government will not close any of its sugar estates at this time, regardless of the devastating price cuts announced recently by the European Commission.  The President cautioned that the situation may change during the next five years... read more...

Trinidad’s latest bomb suspect released

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: The latest suspect held in connection with the recent bombings in Port of Spain has been released without any charges being laid against him... read more...

Antigua-Barbuda minister calls for removal of non-elected members of cabinet

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: Since coming to office with a handsome 12-4 victory in last year's general election, it has been known as the "Sunshine Government"; however, "there's no sunshine" at the moment as there seems to be a strain of sorts in the 18-member Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer... read more...

Castro praises Cuban military's mission, 49 years on

HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Communist Cuban President Fidel Castro paid tribute to his country's armed forces, 49 years after he and a band of guerrillas landed back in Cuba, aboard the boat Granma, to fight... read more...

Trinidad and Tobago ratifies OAS anti-terrorism convention

WASHINGTON, USA: Trinidad and Tobago, the 16th member of the Organization of American States to ratify the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism, on Friday deposited the instruments of ratification with the OAS.  The Caribbean republic had signed the treaty in June 2002 at the 32nd regular session of the OAS General Assembly... read more...

Budget surpluses projected for the Cayman Islands

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: Amid a forecast programme of major spending on capital projects, the Cayman Islands Government is projecting a $24.5 million operating surplus for the next financial year that begins July 2006 and ends June 2007... read more...

Antigua-Barbuda Government moves to address vagrancy problem

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua: A number of key stakeholders in Antigua and Barbuda met on Thursday to begin plans to reduce the number of vagrants on the streets of the capital, St John's... read more...

Governments must do more for regional security says Antigua-Barbuda minister

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: Antigua and Barbuda Government Minister, Hilson Baptiste, who holds the portfolio as Minister of Housing, Culture and Social Transformation, has issued a call for governments in the region to come to the assistance of the Regional Security System (RSS) in providing updated and modern equipment... read more...

2005 World Disaster Report presented to Caribbean journalists

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada:  Experience in the Caribbean reveals a wide variation in the impact of hurricanes and floods, depending largely on levels of knowledge and preparedness. This is according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in its 2005 World Disaster Report... read more...

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Second Cayman Jazz Festival opens

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: Caymanians, residents and non-resident visitors alike were in for two more days of unique jazz experiences following the opening of the Cayman JazzFest on the British dependency on Thursday night.  Jazz aficionados were treated to an evening of virtuoso jazz performances... read more...

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DSL repositions APUA in Antigua's communications market

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua: The introduction of Inet, an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) Internet service has repositioned and reestablished the Antigua Public Utilities Authority APUA Telephones at the forefront of the technological revolution in Antigua and Barbuda.  This has come from Information Minister Dr. Edmond Mansoor... read more...

TRAVEL NEWS

Turks & Caicos wins World’s Leading Beach Award

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: The Turks and Caicos Islands’ tourism offering was on full display at the 2005 World Travel Market trade show in London, highlighted by a host of awards at the prestigious World Travel Awards ceremony held in conjunction with the event... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

West Indies end tour in rain-affected defeat

CANBERRA, Australia:  The Prime Minister's XI defeated the West Indies by six runs on the Duckworth-Lewis system in a rain-affected one day match between the two sides at the Manuka Oval on Friday... read more...

Jamaica's Gardener plays full 90, as Bolton shock Arsenal in the Premiership

LONDON, England:  Jamaican international Ricardo Gardner played the entire 90 minutes in his regular left-back position, as his Bolton Wanderers side shocked title contenders Arsenal 2-0 in the English Premier League on Saturday... read more...

Chambers seeks Jamaican national record this season

TALLAHASSEE, USA:  Jamaican sprinter Ricardo Chambers of Florida State is hoping to stay focused and win a NCCA national title in the 400 metres this season... read more...