Castro in 'slow, progressive' recovery
MADRID, Spain (Reuters): Cuban leader Fidel Castro
is making a "slow but progressive" recovery although
his condition
is serious due to his age, a Spanish
doctor who has examined him said on Friday. Castro,
80, has suffered complications
after undergoing
surgery on his digestive system.
Venezuela's Chavez urges Mercosur to turn to the left
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP): Venezuela's leftist
firebrand President Hugo Chavez pressed leaders of
South America's
Mercosur trade bloc Friday to reject
neoliberalism and US imperialism as they work to
overcome differences on forging
a new, integrated
economic front.
Historic vessel comes to the Bahamas
FREEPORT, Grand Bahama: A piece of history has
arrived on the shores of Grand Bahama. Atlantis II,
the same vessel
famous for assisting with artifact
retrieval and deep-sea imaging of the Titanic in 1986,
arrived in Grand Bahama
in late 2006, and is now
undergoing restoration.
Jamaican customs officers being trained to strengthen border control operations
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS): Some 300 customs officers
in Jamaica are being trained to bolster border control
operations,
as the island prepares to host the
upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
US lawmakers aim to ease Cuba travel, trade bans
WASHINGTON, USA (Reuters): US lawmakers, with an
eye on reports of failing health of Cuban President
Fidel Castro,
said they intend in the new Democratic-
led Congress to seek to ease restrictions on travel
and trade with the communist
island.
Resilient Montserrat continues to welcome visitors despite recent volcanic activity
BRADES, Montserrat: In spite of the heightened
activity of the Soufrière Hills Volcano in the south,
the resilient
Caribbean island of Montserrat continues
to welcome visitors in the bustling unaffected
northern region of the destination.
Bermuda signs contract for seawater desalination plant
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: Consolidated Water
Co. Ltd has announced the signing of a Design, Build
and Operate
(DBO) contract with the government of
Bermuda for the Tynes Bay Desalination Plant on the
north coast of Bermuda.
Fidel Castro health improving; situation difficult, Chavez says
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Bloomberg): Cuban President
Fidel Castro's health is improving even as his
situation
remains "difficult" Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez said during a speech in Brazil at the Rio
de Janeiro state legislature.
BVI Chief Minister to speak at Caribbean HIV/AIDS Summit
ROAD TOWN, BVI: British Virgin Islands Chief Minister,
Dr Orlando Smith, has been invited to speak at the
2007
Caribbean Regional Summit on HIV/AIDS with
members of the United States House of
Representatives Congressional Caribbean
Caucus.
Partnership formed to showcase Nevis for Cricket World Cup
CHARLESTOWN, Nevis: The Nevis Tourism Authority
and the Ministry of Social Transformation, Youth,
Sports Culture,
Trade, Industry and Consumer Affairs
have joined forces to enhance the visitor experience
while on Nevis for the upcoming
2007 Cricket World
Cup.
BET J boost for St Lucia Food and Rum Festival
CASTRIES, St Lucia: St Lucia’s second annual Food
and Rum festival will be even bigger and better in
2007, thanks
to a ground-breaking partnership with
BET J. Upcoming television exposure will help
organisers expand it significantly
during its second
staging from November 1 to 4, 2007.
Kittitian-born author writes book on 9/11 attacks
BASSETERRE, St Kitts: Kittitian-born author Ercille
Christmas, devastated by the September 11 terrorist
attacks,
has written a journal on her personal
thoughts tragedy. Her work is titled “Thoughts of a
Proud American: An Ode to
‘Joe and Josephine
Ordinary, Salt of the Earth Americans.’”
Mary J. Blige, Diana Ross and Sean Paul added to Tobago Jazz Festival
SCARBOROUGH, Tobago: Superstars Mary J. Blige,
Diana Ross, and Sean Paul will be featured at the 3rd
Annual Plymouth
Jazz Festival in Tobago, which takes
place from April 27 - 29, 2007.
Commentary: Cooperating for Caribbean tourism
It is welcome news that the Caribbean’s two major
tourism organisations, the Caribbean Tourism
Organisation (CTO)
and Caribbean Hotels Association
(CHA), are establishing the Caribbean Tourism
Development Corporation (CTDC).
Commentary: Does Guyana really need Casinos?
The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is
calling on the Government of Guyana to withdraw the
Casino Gambling
Bill. The fundamental objection to
the Bill is not that it seeks to license a hotel for the
entertainment of cricket
followers.
Commentary: Hugo Chávez, the media and everybody else
“Dr Insulza is quite an idiot, a true idiot. He’s
playing the role of viceroy for the empire.” Echoing
his inflammatory
UN speech a few months back, in
which he called President Bush the “devil” and on
another occasion, “a donkey.”
India hope to restore one-day fortunes against West Indies
NAGPUR, India (AFP): Under-performing India hope to
turn over a new leaf when they launch their World
Cup preparations
with a four-match series against
the West Indies here from Sunday.
Cuba and Guadeloupe qualify for Gold Cup
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (Reuters): Cuba has
scraped into the CONCACAF Gold Cup finals after a
goalless draw with
Guyana in the Caribbean zone
qualifying tournament.
Lara shows no mercy on last tour of India
NAGPUR, India (Reuters): West Indian batting great
Brian Lara said on Friday he was determined to make
what could
be his last tour of India a memorable one.
Shark ashore in St Lucia
PRASLIN BAY, St Lucia: Heads up global golfers, a
foursome of legendary pros believe St. Lucia is on par
to become
the next “it” golf destination. The Shark,
Greg Norman, spent the day Tuesday inspecting his
soon-to-be championship
course at Praslin Bay, St
Lucia.
Opposition stages protest against casino bill in Guyana
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Guyana's opposition Leader
Robert Corbin led a protest on Thursday against the
government's
plan to legalise casino gambling. The
Guyana government has indicated it will use its
majority in parliament to pass
amendments to the
Gambling Prevention Act.
Barbados and St Kitts get EU help for sugar industry
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Barbados and St Kitts-Nevis
are getting multi-million dollar help from the European
Commission
to help them cope with the drop in sugar
prices. Barbados will get a BDS$5.8 million dollar
injection from the EC
as part of the Commission's
plan to provide development assistance.
Climate change in Caribbean demands urgent mitigation, says OAS seminar
WASHINGTON, USA: The Caribbean region is suffering
some of the negative impacts of climate change,
urgent action
must be taken to mitigate the effects
of such human activities as over-fishing and
pollution, regional climate-change
experts argued at
the Organization of American States (OAS).
Cayman Islands Freedom of Information Bill nears completion
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: The Cayman Islands
Legislative Drafting Department is currently revising
the draft
Freedom of Information Bill for submission to
Cabinet and onwards to the Legislative Assembly by
the end of March
2007 for debate and approval in
the House.
Suriname improves banana production with EU funding
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Since 2004, banana
production in Suriname has increased dramatically
with funding assistance
from the European Union
(EU). Restructuring of the banana industry has led to
the export of 80 to 90 containers weekly.
BVI Chief Minister says new hospital designed to meet current and future demands
ROAD TOWN, BVI: Chief Minister Dr Orlando Smith
has said that, in developing the new hospital plans,
his Government
insisted on a facility that is able to
meet the British Virgin Islands' current needs and
accommodate its future growth.
St Kitts-Nevis government continues to help ex-sugar workers
BASSETERRE, St Kitts: Ex-sugar industry employees
in St Kitts can look forward to increasing their
enterprise
development skills with assistance from
the Ministry of Gender Affairs slated to begin early
this year.
Spirit Airlines announces nonstop service to Port-au-Prince, Haiti
FORT LAUDERDALE, USA: Spirit Airlines has
announced a new nonstop service from its Fort
Lauderdale hub to Haiti,
beginning March 22, 2007.
Spirit will initially offer service three times weekly to
Port-au-Prince.
Jamaican Parliament approves resolution to strengthen Money Laundering Act
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS): The Jamaican House of
Representatives this week approved a Resolution
moved by Dr Omar
Davies, Minister of Finance, to
designate Insurance Brokers and Insurance
Intermediaries as financial institutions
for the purpose
of the Money Laundering Act.
Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the United States: Protect rights, reduce statelessness
WASHINGTON, USA (Reuters): Exploitative migrant
labour agreements and years of unregulated
migration have created
a permanent underclass of
people of Haitian descent in the Caribbean, including
in the Dominican Republic.
Venezuela legislature to grant Chavez rule by decree
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): Venezuela's legislature
voted unanimously to grant President Hugo Chavez
the power
to rule by decree for 18 months, in the
initial vote on a bill Thursday. The bill authorises
Chavez to "rule by decree
... with the force of law."
Guyana Cabinet ratifies Convention against Terrorism
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA): Head of the
Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary, Dr
Roger Luncheon, said
at a media briefing on Thursday
that the Guyana Cabinet has considered the
ratification of the Convention against
Terrorism and
agreed to its ratification.
PM reveals early success in Dominica's 'Housing Revolution'
ROSEAU, Dominica: Dominica's Prime Minister,
Roosevelt Skerrit, has been talking about the early
success of the
Government’s Housing Revolution,
saying that, since government handed over a cheque
of $4 million to the Government
Housing Loans Board,
$1.7 million has been disbursed.
Guyana president seeks assurance that CARICOM common visa will not pose problems for Rio Summit
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA): With an estimated
20,000 foreigners expected to traverse the Caribbean
Region almost
uninhibited for the big cricketing
event, the Guyana Government has some concerns
about this free movement of people
in relation to the
country’s hosting of the Rio Summit.
Guyana government denies involvement in pulling state ads from newspaper
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The Guyana government on
Thursday denied claims that it was behind a move
that saw the withdrawal
of state advertisements
from the privately-owned Stabroek News.
Commentary: UPDATE: Final nail in the coffin of online gambling
Last year, I wrote a series of articles chronicling the
extraterritorial prosecutions (and imprisonment), by
US
authorities, of online gambling executives who
were operating out of Antigua and Costa Rica.
New West Indies bowler not daunted by Tendulkar challenge
MUMBAI, India: The newest member of the West
Indies team is excited about the likelihood of bowling
to batting
genius Sachin Tendulkar, but he is not
daunted by the undoubtedly challenging task.
Guadeloupe beat St Vincent and the Grenadines 1-0 in Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Guadeloupe claimed their
second win in the Bobby Sookram Group to earn top
spot and
advance to play Haiti in the semi final of
the Digicel Caribbean Cup.
Reggae Boy Burton could leave Sheffield Wednesday
LONDON, England: Jamaican international Deon
Burton, a former Derby County striker might be on his
way out from
Sheffield Wednesday, following the
signing of Leon Clarke. Wednesday is said to be
packed with a selection of strikers.
Pollard hits crucial half-century in Trinidad KFC Cup win
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: A sparkling half-century
from teenager Kieron Pollard guided Trinidad and
Tobago to
an easy five-wicket victory over
defending champions Guyana, as the second round of
the West Indies limited-overs
KFC Cup got underway
on Wednesday.
Castro's health problems due to wrong choice of surgery, says Spanish newspaper
MADRID, Spain (AFP): A Spanish newspaper reported
on Wednesday what it said were fresh details about
Fidel Castro's
health, saying the treatment given to
the ailing 80-year-old Cuban leader had unleashed
serious complications.
Guyana Press Association cites government for 'dastardly' attack on press freedom
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The Guyana Press
Association (GPA) has said that it notes with deep
concern the apparent
decision by the Guyana
Government to withdraw most advertisements from
the privately-owned Stabroek News newspaper.
Six Haitians using fraudulent documents intercepted at BVI airport
ROAD TOWN, BVI: The vigilance of immigration and
surveillance officers at the Terrence B. Lettsome
International
Airport in the British Virgin Islands has
been credited with the recent interception of six
Haitians who attempted
to enter the Territory with
fraudulent documents.
Vital information for all visitors to the Caribbean during CWC 2007
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: The ten Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) Member States have agreed
to operate as a Single
Domestic Space (SDS) as part
of regional security for the world's third- largest
sporting event, Cricket World Cup
(CWC) 2007.
Jamaican Cabinet receives submission on strategic response to upsurge in crime
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS): The Jamaican Cabinet has
received a submission from the Ministry of National
Security
on the strategic response to the upsurge in
crime, particularly murder, in the first two weeks of
2007. However, discussions
on the submission have
been deferred to Monday, January 22.
Bush waives Cuba lawsuits another six months
WASHINGTON, USA (AFP): US President George W.
Bush has extended for another six months a measure
banning lawsuits
by Americans whose property in
Cuba was taken by Fidel Castro's government, the
White House said Wednesday.
Havana complains US barring wrestlers from traveling to Cuba
HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): Havana on Wednesday
complained that the United States had refused for
the first time to give
travel permits to a US wrestling
team that wanted to train in Cuba. US citizens are
generally barred from spending
money in Cuba.
Chavez says ailing Castro 'doing well,' recovering slowly
QUITO, Ecuador (AFP): Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez rebuffed pessimistic news about ailing Cuban
President
Fidel Castro, saying here Tuesday that
Castro was "doing well" despite some people longing
to see him dead.
Castro successors keep Cuba on stable track
HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters): Whether or not Cuban
leader Fidel Castro is terminally ill, the provisional
government
he designated under his brother Raul has
kept Cuba on a stable track in his absence, Cuba
watchers said on Wednesday.
BVI Appeal Court reserves judgment in murder case
ROAD TOWN, BVI: The Appeal Court now sitting in
the British Virgin Islands has reserved its judgment on
a ruling
made by the High Court concerning three
persons who were sentenced to life imprisonment for
a murder committed here
in 2004.
Nevis supports closer relations with the Federal Government
CHARLESTOWN, Nevis: Nevis Premier, Joseph Parry,
endorsed the improved relationship between his
administration
and the Federal Government. Parry
made the comment during the first meeting for the
year of the St Kitts and Nevis
Chamber of Industry
and Commerce, Nevis Division.
Bridge linking Nevis and St Kitts should be financed by private sector says PM
BASSETERRE, St Kitts: St Kitts and Nevis Prime
Minister Dr Denzil Douglas says he was persuaded
that over time,
the construction of a bridge linking
both islands Nevis and St Kitts will become feasible
and will accelerate the
pace at which local
enterprises become national in scope.
Coffee Pacifica to market Jamaican coffee
LAS VEGAS, USA: Coffee Pacifica, Inc. has
announced that, pursuant an agreement with the
Blue Mountain Coffee
Co-Operative Society Ltd of
Jamaica, Coffee Pacifica will be the exclusive world-
wide marketer and distributor of
the Penlyne Castle
brand Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans.
Prime Ministers Mitchell and Compton discuss regional issues
ST GEORGE'S, Grenada: Grenada's Prime Minister Dr
Keith Mitchell made an official visit to St Lucia on
Wednesday,
where he met with St Lucian Prime
Minister Sir John Compton. Mitchell and Compton
discussed several regional and international
issues
important to Grenada, St Lucia and the OECS.
OAS continues to support security enhancements in St Lucia
CASTRIES, St Lucia: The Organization of American
States (OAS) Inter-American Committee Against
Terrorism, in
collaboration with the Government of St
Lucia, will be sponsoring a one-week Security Border
Patrol Training Course,
commencing on Monday,
January 22, 2007.
Minister outlines components of Dominica's housing revolution
ROSEAU, Dominica: Dominica's Minister for Housing,
Reginald Austrie has outlined the seven components
of the
Government's Housing Revolution. Austrie
made the remarks at the Handing Over Ceremony
where Prime Minister Roosevelt
Skerrit presented a
cheque for $3 million.
Nevis to move toward National Health Scheme
CHARLESTOWN, Nevis: Minister of Health in the Nevis
Island Administration, Hensley Daniel, said it has
become
necessary for the public to contribute to
health care on Nevis to assist government with the
expensive business of
health care and issued a call
to all to work with government.
St Kitts PM says Federal Government will explore every avenue for cooperation with Nevis
BASSETERRE, St Kitts: St Kitts and Nevis must
explore every avenue for collaboration and
cooperation, Prime Minister
Dr Denzil Douglas told
business leaders on Nevis Tuesday during the First
Luncheon Meeting of the Nevis Division of
the St
Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
Caribbean Star-LIAT take major step toward merger
ST JOHN'S, Antigua: Caribbean Star Airlines Ltd and
LIAT (1974) Ltd have taken another major step
forward in
anticipation of finalising the merger
between the two carriers. The latest development
involves the publishing of
the first schedule
combining the flight operations of both carriers.
Five prison escapees recaptured in Guyana
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Five of the nine men who
fled from the Mazaruni Prison last Friday are back
behind bars and
authorities are continuing their
pursuit for the others in jungles of Guyana.
First luxury yacht arrives at Port Louis, Grenada
ST GEORGE'S, Grenada: The first luxury yacht has
arrived at Port Louis Grenada. The 128 ft mega yacht
called
Savvy is owned by Port Louis developer and
Chairman Peter De Savary. Savvy arrived in Grenada
late last week and is
the first yacht to be berthed at
the new Port Louis site.
British parliamentarians provide training for Guyanese counterparts
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The curtains came down
yesterday on a three-day training seminar for
members of Guyana Parliament,
who benefited from
interactive sessions with three visiting
parliamentarians from Britain.
OAS launches Caribbean seminar series
WASHINGTON, USA: Contemporary development
issues and challenges facing Caribbean governments
and regional inter-governmental
agencies will be the
focus of a new seminar series offered by the
Organization of American States (OAS) Department
of Sustainable Development.
St Kitts announces new logo
BASSETERRE, St Kitts: The Caribbean island of St
Kitts has unveiled a new logo comprised of three
distinct components;
the logotype – a script
rendering of the name St. Kitts; a symbol - the
national flower, the Poinciana; and a tagline
–
Explore, Feel, Love, Remember.
Commentary: Dividing the Cheese
In his book, Conflict Mediation Across Cultures,
author David W. Ausburger often uses folktales to
illustrate
the process of mediation. Here then is a
sample of a folktale from the Cape Verde Islands.
Letter: Terrorists only arrive by plane?
It was explained to us that the reason why a
Caricom visa was required and belatedly implemented
for certain
nationalities including citizens from
Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Austria, Belgium,
Luxembourg and even neutral
Switzerland was due
to ‘security concerns’.
Martinique close Digicel Caribbean Cup campaign with a 3-2 win over Barbados
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Martinique ended their
appearance in the Digicel Caribbean Cup on a high as
they defeated
Barbados in the Hasely Crawford
stadium in Group Sedley Joseph.
Teammate expects Barbadian Ifill to fit in well at new club
LONDON, England: Crystal Palace defender Leon Cort
has backed Paul Ifill to be a success at Selhurst Park
following
the Barbadian's £750,000 move from
Sheffield United earlier this month.
Daley will join fellow Reggae Boyz at Bradford City
LONDON, England: Bradford City completed a hat-
trick of Jamaican talent after another Reggae Boy,
Omar Daley,
was given the green light from the
British Home Office to continue his career with the
English League One club.
Soca Warriors beat Haiti 3-1 in Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Trinidad and Tobago
showed why they now hold the mantle of favorites in
the Digicel
Caribbean Cup as they beat Haiti to
emerge as winners of the Sedley Joseph group.
Cuba keeps lid on details of Castro's health
HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters): The latest rumor whispered
on the crumbling streets of Havana is that ailing
leader Fidel
Castro cannot appear in public because
he lost his hair - and his famous beard - to
chemotherapy for cancer.
Reporters Without Borders condemns Guyana government
PARIS, France: Reporters Without Borders has
condemned the Guyanese government's withdrawal
of virtually all
state advertising from the Stabroek
News, the country's leading privately-owned daily.
Montserrat experiences a lull in volcanic activity
BRADES, Montserrat: The situation facing newly
evacuated residents previously living on the flanks of
Belham
Valley is still touch and go, while Montserrat’s
Government works on establishing further emergency
services for the
island. Currently, the alert level
stands at 4.
Money laundering trial against former Surinamese minister postponed
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Minutes after a long awaited
money laundering trial against a former Suriname
cabinet minister
started here, the hearings were
postponed until next month. It was reported that this
decision was taken because another
magistrate will
now handle the case.
Canadian company to acquire mineral exploration rights in Guyana
TORONTO, Canada: Alpha One Corporation, a
Canadian company, has announced an agreement to
acquire all of the
outstanding shares of Aztek
Resource Development Inc., along with an
assignment of the underground mineral rights
to
exploration properties located in Guyana.
BVI authorities apprehend US fugitive
ROAD TOWN, BVI: The combined efforts of the British
Virgin Islands Customs, the Immigration Department
and the
Royal Virgin Islands Police Force have
resulted in the capture and apprehension of a United
States citizen wanted
in the US on a federal warrant.
Contract signed for BVI hospital renovation
ROAD TOWN, BVI: The government of the British
Virgin Islands has signed a $3.6 million contract with
Road Runner
Construction for renovation work to
Peebles Hospital and finishing works to the hospital
extension.
Trinidad's Prime Minister sees benefits in Irish model of development
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: At a seminar this week
held in Trinidad, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said
he believes
his country can learn some good
economic lessons from the Republic of Ireland,
measures that have been used by the
Irish
government to stimulate economic growth.
Caribbean tourism development company launched by CTO, CHA
ARUBA, Netherlands Antilles: The Caribbean Tourism
Organization (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotel
Association (CHA)
have launched the Caribbean
Tourism Development Company, a private, for profit
entity registered in the Cayman Islands
and designed
to generate marketing to further support the
promotion of the region.
Michael Bolton to perform at St Kitts Music Festival
BASSETERRE, St Kitts: Grammy Award Winning artist
Michael Bolton will be among the top acts performing
at the
11th Annual St. Kitts Music Festival taking
place from June 21 to 24, 2007. Bolton, an
accomplished singer and songwriter,
has won multiple
Grammy Awards for Best Male Vocalist.
Another Lloyds underwriter may establish company in Bermuda
LONDON, England (Bloomberg): Hardy Underwriting
Plc may decide to redomicile to Bermuda, adding to
an exodus
of Lloyd's of London insurers seeking to
take advantage of lower tax rates.
Harrah's, Starwood to collaborate in Bahamas resort
NEW YORK, USA (Bloomberg): Harrah's Entertainment
Inc., the world's largest casino company, and
Starwood Hotels
& Resorts Worldwide Inc. have
signed a deal to help build the Baha Mar hotel and
casino complex in the Bahamas
worth more than $2
billion.
Leftist Venezuelan parties start talks on united front
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): Leftist parties backing
President Hugo Chavez announced on Tuesday talks
to form a
single political party, a United Socialist
Party, to back Chavez's programme of "socialism for
the 21st century."
Canadian utility aquires stake in St Lucia electricity company
CASTRIES, St Lucia: Emera Inc. has invested US$22
million to acquire a 19% interest in St. Lucia
Electricity
Services Limited (Lucelec) from the
Caribbean Basin Power Fund (CBPF). CBPF is
managed by Energy Investors Funds,
an American
private equity fund manager.
USVI celebrates Martin Luther King holiday
ST JOHN, USVI: Numerous events were held by
communities throughout the US Virgin Islands in
celebration of the
national Martin Luther King holiday
this past weekend. The official day of recognition,
January 15, was also observed
by many businesses,
schools, and government agencies.
Grenada Seventeen controversy still rages
ST GEORGE'S , Grenada: Fingers continue to point in
Grenada as to where the bodies of murdered former
Prime Minister
Maurice Bishop and his cabinet
colleagues lie. Some believe that the seventeen who
were convicted of the crime should
stay behind bars.
Commentary: Our children’s mental health
From time to time we hear news items highlighting
children’s poor behaviour at school, especially at
secondary
level. This can’t be solved in a day, but
prevention is important, the foundations of mental
health can be laid in
childhood.
Guyana hang on to claim badly needed win in Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Nigel Codrington proved to
be the hero for Guyana as he claimed a hat trick and
saw
the Golden Jaguars back to winning ways with a
hard fought 4-3 win over Guadeloupe in the Digicel
Caribbean Cup finals.
Powell set to open season with 400m run in Jamaica
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AFP): World 100-meter record
holder Asafa Powell starts his 2007 athletics season
by running
a 400m race on January 27, his coach told
AFP Monday. The event, named for Jamaican 1988
Olympic 200m runner-up Grace
Jackson, will be
staged at the National Stadium.
Cuba defeat St Vincent and the Grenadines 3-0
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Cuba picked up their first
win in the finals of the Digicel Caribbean Cup with a
deserved
win over tricky opponents St Vincent and
the Grenadines.
Castro has post-surgery stitches problem, says diplomat
QUITO, Ecuador (Reuters): Ailing Cuban leader Fidel
Castro has been having problems with the healing of
his stitches
after stomach surgery last July, a
diplomat said on Monday.
Region must ensure successful Cricket World Cup, says CEO
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS): Chief Executive Officer
and Managing Director of the ICC Cricket World Cup
(CWC) West
Indies 2007 Inc., Chris Dehring, has said
that the region must meet its obligations in a number
of areas to ensure
a successful cricket tournament.
Adequate measures in place to regulate casino gaming, says Guyana government
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA): The government of
Guyana has given an assurance that sufficient
measures have been
instituted to address social
challenges associated with the advent of casino
gaming in Guyana.
Fighting cyber crime is huge challenge for Suriname
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Fighting cyber crime in
Suriname is posing a serious challenge to Surinamese
authorities,
said several government officials here.
Justice Minister Chandrikapersad Santokhi said it is
extremely difficult to
track down individuals who
commit internet fraud.
Jamaica to continue passport campaign in Boston
NEW YORK, USA (JIS): The Jamaica Tourist Board
(JTB) is to continue its passport acquisition campaign
in the
United States, by visiting Boston in the North
East. To encourage Bostonians to get their
passports, the JTB will
host another in its ongoing
series of 'Jamaica Morning Coffee Break'.
Jamaican minister urges investment in health and retirement tourism
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica (JIS): Jamaican Minister of
Tourism, Entertainment and Culture, Aloun Assamba,
has urged
increased investment in health and
retirement tourism, noting that these sub-sectors
were poised for growth throughout
the region and
fully backed by government.
Venezuela intensifies takeover fight with big firms
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters): Venezuela intensified
its nationalization fight with foreign companies on
Monday,
vowing to impose a takeover of oil majors'
operations and grab all of a US utility's stake in the
country's largest
private power company.
Cuba says US must charge militant for terrorism
HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters): Cuba said on Monday the
United States should indict Luis Posada Carriles, a
militant
anti-Castro exile accused in the bombing of a
Cuban airliner, for terrorism instead of minor
immigration charges.
Cuban writers angered by resurfacing of censor
HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters): Cuban intellectuals are
seeking an apology from the country's communist
authorities for
the reappearance of an official
responsible for Stalinist-style cultural purges three
decades ago.
Marriott's St Kitts Beach Club opens
ORLANDO, USA: Marriott Vacation Club International,
a worldwide leader in the vacation ownership industry
and
a division of Marriott International, Inc., has
announced the opening of its first resort in the West
Indies on the
island of St Kitts.
