Archives for Wednesday, December 21, 2005:

Rescuers search for 20th victim of Bahamas-bound seaplane crash

MIAMI BEACH, USA (AFP):  Rescuers on Tuesday searched for the body of one of the 20 people killed when a Bahamas-bound seaplane burst into flames and plunged into the ocean just off Miami Beach in full view of beachgoers.  Divers also hoped to retrieve some of the wreckage of the twin engine aircraft... read more...

Suriname removes restrictions on CARICOM Single Market

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Suriname is in the last stage of removing all legal restrictions to join the CARICOM Single Market (CSM) on January 1, 2006. In a special session of the Council of Ministers last Saturday the remaining legal barriers were removed... read more...

US State Department's number three to visit Haiti

WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): The US State Department's head of political affairs Nicholas Burns was due to leave for Haiti on Tuesday, as a show of US support for upcoming presidential elections there... read more...

Digicel officially takes over Cingular Wireless in Barbados

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Digicel now officially owns the Cingular Wireless operation in Barbados. The company, which launched commercial services here in February last year, has been given approval for the acquisition from the Fair Trading Commission (FTC)... read more...

Trinidadian boy on two-year bond for fake kidnapping

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: A 14-year-old Trinidadian boy who faked his own kidnapping narrowly escaped a heavy jail term on Monday.  The boy, considered a minor, pleaded guilty after being charged two weeks ago with wasting police time... read more...

Jamaicans jailed for drug smuggling in the UK

LONDON, England:  Jamaican-born Clifton Rochester, who used a former Miss Jamaica finalist, Marsha Paragonsingh, to smuggle drugs in a body stocking was on Monday sentenced to 14 years in prison by a UK court... read more...

Trinidad gets US$210,000 worth of courtroom equipment

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: The United States government has donated US$210,000 worth of high tech electronic court reporting equipment to the Trinidad government, which it says will help modernize the country’s judicial arm, resulting in faster determination of court cases... read more...

CGID condemns termination of Haitian judges

BROOKLYN, USA: The Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) has strongly condemned the decision by the current interim government of Haiti to terminate the services of five Supreme Court judges... read more...

Bad cops no longer welcome in Suriname police force

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Police officers who have dishonoured the ranks, are no longer welcome in the Suriname Police Force, said minister of Justice and Police, Chandrikapersad Santhoki Monday in Paramaribo, Suriname... read more...

COMMENTARY

Quality education: Key to economic survival, duh!

Brain power is premium.  China, India and Japan have recognized that and have capitalized on their highly educated -- and populous -- workforce. Their emphasis on education and their numbers have significance in an increasingly global marketplace.  Caribbean nations recognize the challenge ahead... read more...

LETTERS

Regional cruise ships?

Cruise giant, the Carnival group, has just announced that it is going to build four more new ships at a cost in excess of US$2 billion.  It seems inevitable that the new ships, which will add 11,756 berths to the operator’s fleet, will spend at least some of the year in the Caribbean... read more...

SPORTS NEWS

Hungary beat Antigua-Barbuda in exhibition match

MIAMI, USA:  Hungary defeated Caribbean side Antigua and Barbuda 3-0 in an exhibition match played at Florida International University (FIU) on Sunday afternoon... read more...