French minister calls off Caribbean trip over colonisation row

Thursday,  December 8, 2005

PARIS, France (AFP): French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has cancelled a three-day trip this week to the country's Caribbean islands amid a simmering row over a law that casts a positive light on France's colonial past... read more...

French investigators say West Caribbean crash conclusion is 'hasty'

Tuesday,  November 29, 2005

PARIS, France (AFP): A conclusion by the airline West Caribbean that ice on the wings of one of its planes was responsible for the August 16 crash in Venezuela that killed all 160 people on board was "hasty," French air accident investigators probing the crash said Friday... read more...

Ice on wings caused West Caribbean crash, company says

Monday,  November 28, 2005

BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AFP): Bad weather and ice on the wings caused the August 16 crash of a West Caribbean aircraft in Venezuela, which killed all 160 on board, a West Caribbean official told a local newspaper Sunday... read more...

Henry magic saves French honour in Martinique charity match against Costa Rica

Thursday,  November 10, 2005

FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique (AFP): A magical backheel from Thierry Henry lifted France to a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Costa Rica in an international friendly here on Wednesday... read more...

Forensic doctors use DNA tests to identify victims of Martinique air crash

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): French and Venezuelan forensic doctors on Monday began to examine DNA samples to help identify victims of an airline crash last August that killed 152 French citizens en route to the Caribbean island of Martinique, local media reported... read more...

Martinique-bound plane crash burned for 20 minutes, says official

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): The West Caribbean Airways flight bound for Martinique, which crashed in Venezuela killing all 160 aboard burned for about 20 minutes on the ground, a Venezulan official said Monday, a fact which rendered unlikely the theory that the plane had run out of fuel before crashing... read more...

Chirac joins sombre tribute to Martinique plane crash victims

Thursday, August 25, 2005

FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique (AFP): French President Jacques Chirac joined the people of Martinique in paying homage Wednesday at a moving, simple ceremony to the 160 victims of a plane crash in Venezuela.  There were no speeches by politicians despite the presence here not only of Chirac, but also his Venezuelan counterpart... read more...

19 of 152 French tourists killed in Martinique-bound plane crash identified

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): Authorities have identified the bodies of 19 of the 152 French tourists who were killed last week when a Colombian plane bound for Martinique crashed in Venezuela, police said Monday... read more...

Investigators point to engine failure as cause of Martinique-bound plane crash

Monday, August 22, 2005

MARACAIBO, Venezuela (AFP): More grieving families arrived here Saturday as a French investigator backed the theory that engine trouble caused the crash of a Martinique-bound jetliner that killed all 160 people on board... read more...

Searchers struggle to find all bodies from Martinique-bound plane crash

Friday, August 19, 2005

MARACAIBO, Venezuela: French experts on Thursday joined an agonising operation to retrieve and identify victims from a Colombian airliner bound for Martinique that crashed in Venezuela killing 152 French tourists and the eight crew on board.  French authorities also announced that they would launch a homicide investigation into the crash... read more...

Charter airline faces scrutiny after Martinique-bound plane crash

Thursday, August 18, 2005

MACHIQUES, Venezuela (AFP): Investigators searched Wednesday amid corpses rotting in the tropical heat and debris sunk in knee-deep mud for clues to the cause of crash by a Colombian airliner bound for the Caribbean island of Martinique, which killed all 160 people on board.... read more...

160 killed in Martinique-bound plane crash

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): A Colombian jet carrying French tourists crashed Tuesday in the mountains of western Venezuela killing all 160 people on board, officials said.  The West Caribbean Airways plane, flying from Panama to the French Caribbean island of Martinique, came down in a remote area of the Sierra de Perija mountains... read more...

Letter: Martinique is a very sad place this day

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Please don't omit in your excellent online edition the tragedy that struck the French department of Martinique today. All 160 passengers aboard the Colombian charter airline that crashed in Venezuela were from Martinique... read more...

Martinique-born Pognon heads French men's team to Worlds

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

ANGERS, France:  Martinique-born Ronald Pognon, who recently became the first Frenchman to break the 10-second barrier when clocking 9.99 to win the Lausanne Super Grand Prix a week ago, has been named in strong French squad for next month's 10th IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland... read more...

Martinique-born Pognon in form at French Championships

Monday, July 18, 2005

ANGERS, France:  Martinique-born French sprinter Ronald Pognon showed his 200-metres abilities with three impressive performances at the 2005 French Championships on the weekend.  The former junior and youth star broke registered time faster than his previous personal best, all were legal performances... read more...

Martinique-born Ronald Pognon takes European Cup 100m

Monday, June 20, 2005

FLORENCE, Italy:  Martinique-born French sprinter Ronald Pognon came back from a one month layoff, following a strained leg muscle injury, to win the men’s 100m on the second day of the SPAR European Cup in Florence, Italy on Saturday June 18.  Pognon, 22, clocked 10.02 (+2.1m/s) to beat Britain’s Mark Lewis-Francis at 10.10... read more...

Martinique-born Pognon challenges Americans

Monday, May 9, 2005

FORT DE FRANCE, Martinique:  Martinique-born European indoor 60 metres record holder Ronald Pognon, who now competes for France, is preparing to battle with American sprinters in order to gain full confidence ahead of this summer's World Championships in Helsinki... read more...

Martinique IAAF GPII - Review

Monday, May 2, 2005

FORTE-DE-FRANCE, Martinique:  Americans Marion Jones and Maurice Greene out-sprinted their rivals to claim the men's and women's 100m titles at the Meeting du Conseil General - IAAF Grand Prix II meet in Fort de France, Martinique on Saturday... read more...

Jones, Montgomery to run in Martinique

Friday, April 29, 2005

KANSAS, USA:  2000 Sydney Olympic female star Marion Jones and her boyfriend, world record holder Tim Montgomery, will compete in their first individual sprint event of the season on Caribbean soil on Saturday.  The Island of Martinique will be the place where Jones and Montgomery contest their first 100-metre dashes... read more...

Martinique-born Ronald Pognon in the spotlight: European Indoor Championships

Thursday, March 3, 2005

FLORIDA, USA: Martinique-born sprinter Ronald Pognon will be in the spotlight in the men's 60-metres dash at this weekend's European Indoor Championships in Madrid, Spain. The championship will take place in the newly rebuilt Palacio de Deportes stadium from 4 to 6 March 2005.  The 22-year-old sprinter now competes for France... read more...

Caribbean Tourism Organization members report on hurricane impact

Thursday, September 9, 2004

ST. MICHAEL, Barbados: The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has released a summary of CTO member states impacted by Hurricanes Frances and Ivan... read more...

French Caribbean voters reject change

Tuesday, December 9, 2003

BASSE-TERRE, Guadeloupe, (AFP): Voters on the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique have rejected a government-backed reform plan which would have altered their constitutional relation with Paris, according to the results of a referendum released Monday... read more...

French Caribbean territories vote on institutional reforms

Monday, December 8, 2003

PARIS, France (AFP): Voters on four French Caribbean islands -- Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Martin and St Barthelemy -- went to the polls Sunday to decide on proposed institutional reforms following a complex electoral campaign... read more...

French Caribbean territories to vote on institutional reforms

Sunday, December 7, 2003

PARIS, France (AFP): Voters in the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique as well as the two smaller islands of St Martin and St Barthelemy will head to the polls on Sunday to decide on proposed institutional reforms following a complex electoral campaign... read more...

Danish brewery takes control of Guadeloupe distributor

Wednesday, October 29, 2003

COPENHAGEN, Denmark: Danish brewery Bryggerigruppen announced earlier this week that it has bought a 51% share in distributor Impec Holding SAS. Impec Holding currently distributes Bryggerigruppen's non-alcoholic malt drink Vitamalt in Guadeloupe and French Guinea. The two companies have also signed a deal which will allow Impec to distribute Bryggerigruppen's products on the island of Martinique from early next year.

Cable & Wireless names new CEO for three Caribbean islands

Friday, October 10, 2003

ROSEAU, Dominica: Cable and Wireless has named Mr. Ian Blanchard, as the new chief executive officer for Cable and Wireless with responsibility for Dominica, Guadeloupe and Martinique. In his new post, Mr. Blanchard, the former general manager of C&W Dominica Limited, will oversee Cable and Wireless operations in the three Caribbean Islands... read more...

Martinique and Guadeloupe banana producers join forces

Thursday, October 2, 2003

FORT DE FRANCE, Martinique: Banana producers in Martinique and Guadeloupe have joined forces in an effort to grapple with the crisis facing the industry... read more...