LONDON, England (Reuters) -- The United States pledged $275 million to rainforest protection on Thursday, at an event hosted by Britain's heir to the throne, Prince Charles, in London. The US pledge follows an offer last week from Norway to pay Guyana up to $250 million by 2015. read more...

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MIAMI, USA (UNHCR) -- With its hundreds of secluded islands surrounded by azure seas, the Caribbean attracts not only tourists but also ruthless opportunists. Smugglers, peddling their services to migrants sold on the dream of finding a better life in the United States, keen to turn a quick profit. read more...

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AMMAN, Jordan -- The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World (2009 Edition) is a first of its kind published by the Prince Al-waleed Bin Talaal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding of Georgetown University, Washington DC in conjunction with the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Amman, Jordan. read more...

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COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on Tuesday rejected calls by some world leaders, including the biggest polluters, to stall a legally binding outcome at next month’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen. read more...

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SALEM, Montserrat -- This weekend a most exciting Literary Festival is planned, spearheaded by the Open Campus of the University of the West Indies here in Montserrat. The Alliouagana Festival of the Word, running from Thursday 12th to Sunday 15th November, will feature a host of distinguished Caribbean authors. read more...

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CASTRIES, Saint Lucia -- Andria Hall, the late CNN news anchor, author and communicator, will be honoured by media, tourism stakeholders and young people gathering for the 18th meeting of the Caribbean Media Exchange (CMEx) in Saint Lucia from December 3 to 7, 2009. Andria Hall's legacy will be honoured... read more...

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WASHINGTON, USA -- More than two dozen items, ranging from travel and entertainment to jewelry and original artwork, are available for auction with the proceeds benefiting people with the greatest needs in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Pan American Development Foundation announced on Monday. read more...

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LONDON, England -- A group of Caribbbean High Commissioners in London this week paid a visit to the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in Edinburgh, with the aim of fostering a deeper relationship with members of the Scottish Parliament with the proposed establishment of a Cross-Party Parliamentary Group. read more...

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TORONTO, Canada -- Canadians will find a taste of the Caribbean in Toronto and Montreal this fall when Caribbean Week in Canada returns for its third year, October 23 – November 1, 2009. Organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Caribbean Week in Canada brings together the most influential policymakers. read more...

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NEW YORK, USA (Reuters) -- Five black fire safety directors of West Indian descent sued Bank of America Corp's Merrill Lynch unit, accusing it of discrimination on the basis of race and national origin, leading to their 2005 firings. The men said Merrill employees made derogatory comments about their Caribbean accents. read more...

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WASHINGTON, USA -- Five extraordinary people from Cuba, Haiti, Colombia and El Salvador will be honored as the 2009 Heroes of the Hemisphere for their dedication to improving the lives of people in their communities, the Pan American Development Foundation announced on Wednesday. read more...

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BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- Pirates of the Caribbean Tall Ship “HMS Bounty”, which featured in Pirates of the Caribbean II: Dead Man's Chest, filmed in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica and The Bahamas, docked with 40 other boats, as part of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009. read more...

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BROOKLYN, New York -- Gay Caribbean Pride takes center stage in Brooklyn on Saturday, 19th September. That is when the 2009 Gay Caribbean/USA Pageant will be staged. Five male contestants representing Jamaica, St Lucia, Barbados, Martinique and Guyana will battle for the crown. read more...

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HMS ROYAL DUKE -- As the hurricane season intensifies, a Royal Navy Task Group consisting of warship HMS Iron Duke and Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort George are on patrol in the Caribbean standing by to render assistance to the UK Overseas Territories if required. Both ships have been in the region for several weeks. read more...

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados -- To a large extent, many of natural disasters result from the failures of development policy to mitigate vulnerability to hazard events. Climate change, considered as the most pervasive and truly global of all issues affecting humanity, is likely to increase the incidence of natural disasters. read more...

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NEW YORK, USA -- Caribbean residents in New York are gearing up for one of the biggest events in the American cultural calendar - the West Indian American Day Labor Carnival to be held on Monday, September 7, 2009. Labor Day is when Caribbean nationals display solidarity and diversity. read more...

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GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- The Population Reference Bureau's 2009 World Population Data Sheet released recently shows a significant number of nationals in five Caribbean countries live on less than US$2 a day. Those countries are: Haiti, St Lucia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname. read more...

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SANTIAGO, Chile -- Children and teenagers under 18 in Latin America and the Caribbean suffer daily physical or psychological maltreatment, and a high percentage of adults believe that this is a normal means of education and socialization. Surveys in 16 countries in the region conclude a high percentage of... read more...

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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands -- As the investigation into the alleged Olint Ponzi scheme continues, one of the investors has taken on the task of pursuing justice for his family, as well as other investors in the scheme. Dr Christopher Walker says he is investing resources to uncover the truth. read more...

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Caribbean Net News op-ed columnist Anthony Hall has recently published his fourth annual retrospective compendium of insight and observations on the events of the previous year. Mr Hall’s look back at 2008 -- The iPINIONS Journal: Commentaries, Volume 4, covers an extraordinarily wide range of subjects. read more...

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TORONTO, Canada (Bloomberg) -- Mention Toronto and steel drums, Carnival and reggae music probably aren’t the first things that come to mind. From July 14 - Aug 3, however, Canada’s biggest city opens up for Scotiabank Caribana, which promotes itself as North America’s largest celebration of Caribbean culture. read more...

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ST THOMAS, USVI -- Acting Commissioner Novelle Francis convened plenary sessions on St Thomas and St Croix in the US Virgin islands to allow officers to voice their concerns directly to the commissioner, chiefs of police and deputy police chiefs. Governor John de Jongh also participated in the sessions. read more...

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KINGSTOWN, St Vincent and the Grenadines -- After traveling the globe extensively for the past eight years the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, has beem forced by fatigue to take a rest. The Taiwan Ambassador to SV & G, Leo Lee, was to present Gonsalves with a cheque... read more...

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SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Urging island nations to harness the power of the oceans for their energy needs, development experts have unveiled some of the world's most innovative technologies using cold sea water. "We're talking about using cold sea water to make cold, hard cash" ... read more...

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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters): This week's pledges by G8 leaders to cap increases in the world's temperature are insufficient, a group of small island countries that face potential catastrophe from climate change said. "Two degrees of temperature rise is unacceptable," AOSIS Chair Dessima Williams said. read more...

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KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) -- Jamaica has moved up 50 places in the last three years to be ranked the third "happiest country" in the world", in the latest Happy Planet Index, published by Britain's New Economics Foundation. It was 53rd on the list in 2006 but has moved to number three in 2009's list. read more...

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SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Enrique De Marchena Kaluche, president of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association, is urging the Caribbean to “strengthen international advertising and programs” to counter the effects of the tourism reductions seen across most of the region. read more...

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KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) -- A Casino Gaming Commission is to be established under the Casino Gaming Bill, which has been tabled in Jamaica's House of Representatives by Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw. The Bill states the Commission will have regulatory functions over casino gaming. read more...

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis -- Head of a Regional Agency believes that the time has come for the region to transform its ways, to mitigate against the effects of climate change and an integrated energy and climate change approach, would be the most suitable method. This observation was made by Chief of the... read more...

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BASSETERRE, St Kitts (Reuters) -- The Caribbean's small island states ride out hurricanes year after year, but they are fighting to stay afloat in a global economic storm that is battering rich and poor nations alike. Tiny nations like twin-island St Kitts and Nevis have felt the shocks of the downturn and credit crunch. read more...

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) -- A UN conference ended here Friday with broad consensus on the need to help developing nations cope with the global financial crisis but with the United States voicing strong reservations about key recommendations. A final document was adopted by acclamation at the end of a three-day debate. read more...

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MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (JIS) -- A Casino Gaming Bill is to be tabled in Parliament next week, Jamaica's Prime Minister Bruce Golding announced on Thursday night. Golding told a Town Hall Meeting in Montego Bay that Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Audley Shaw, will table the Bill in the House on Tuesday. read more...

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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -- Developing countries had a clear message for a UN meeting on the global financial crisis -- we need money. Although the meeting has been billed as a summit, no Western leaders are attending. Only a dozen presidents and prime ministers, mostly Latin American and Caribbean, showed up. read more...

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LOOKOUT, Montserrat -- Thursday June 18 was an exceptional day here in Montserrat, and the culmination of years of planning and hard work. On that evening, the newly built St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church at Lookout was handed over, blessed and dedicated at a very special service. read more...

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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- The Trinidad and Tobago Culinary Team has once again proven that they are the best in the region by taking home their fourth Caribbean Team of the Year title in five years, at the recently concluded Taste of the Caribbean culinary competition that was held June 12-19, 2009. read more...

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HAVANA, Cuba (ACN) -- Studies on the Cuban population carried out late 2008 yielded that there will be 100,000 less citizens in the country by 2025. The research led by Cuban experts showed that population growth in the Caribbean archipelago is undergoing a period of stagnation that will give way to a decline. read more...

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis -- Premier Joseph Parry returned to Nevis early this week from Taiwan, where he received financial assistance for a Fine Arts Theatre, police barracks and sponsorship for local farmers.The Premier was accompanied by Minister of Agriculture Robelto Hector and Chief Protocol Officer, Angelica Elliott. read more...

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HAVANA, Cuba (ACN) -- Cuba’s influence on American writer Ernest Hemingway’s literature, especially on his book “The old man and the sea” was highlighted this Thursday by one of his countrymen, Andrew Feldman, in this capital. Feldman has spent several months in Cuba researching on Hemingway. read more...

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HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- Elvis Presley croons "All Shook Up" from the CD player as Florentino Marin wipes down his 1955 Buick Century sedan on a central Havana street. "It's always been said that Buicks and Cadillacs were the Kings of the Road," Marin says proudly, admiring the paint job on his two-tone, chrome-plated taxi. read more...

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BRADES, Montserrat -- In a celebration of culture, creativity and music, the island of Montserrat will host the 4th Annual Calabash Festival, July 11-19, 2009. The week-long event offers a wide selection of festivities that highlight the hidden talents of local artisans and designers. read more...

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