New RSS feeds from Caribbean Net News
Effective Wednesday, July 18, 2007, we are introducing new RSS feeds that correspond to the various article categories
on our website. We are also retaining the feed of the entire day's news. However, access to these new feeds will
be by means of a new url and this site will no longer be updated. Readers are therefore asked to visit the new webpage
and subscribe to the new feed(s)...
http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/rss.shtml
Venezuelans, fleeing Chavez, seek US safety net
MIAMI, USA (Reuters): A surge in the number of
Venezuelans seeking asylum in the United States has
some drawing
parallels with Communist Cuba in the
early 1960s. As populist President Hugo Chavez
tightens his grip on the oil-producing
country, wealthy
and middle class citizens are fleeing.
Cuba seen shifting closer to other American states
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters): A transfer of
power in Cuba to acting President Raul Castro could
pave the
way for a debate on its return to the
Organization of American States, the head of the
hemispheric forum said. Cuba
was expelled from the
OAS in 1961 as Fidel Castro steered the island
toward communism.
ACS rum producers take new approach to dialogue
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (ACS): The Fourth edition of
the Rum Dialogue, organised by the Association of
Caribbean
States (ACS) and hosted by the
Nicaraguan Liquor Company, took place in that
country's capital on June 27, 2007, with
the
participation of representatives of the rum industry.
Haitian protesters want Aristide's return
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (UPI): Protesters backing
former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide have
called for
the return of the ousted leader and
denounced his successor. Demonstrators said
current President Rene Preval has
turned his back on
his former ally, Aristide, The Miami Herald reported
Monday.
Alien land-holding licences moratorium extended in Anguilla
THE VALLEY, Anguilla: The government of Anguilla
has extended the moratorium on the issuing of Alien
Land Holding
Licences for another two months as
from June 29. The moratorium had been put in place
to provide the government time
to develop a policy on
the alienation of land.
Belize on alert following outbreak of Newcastle Disease in neighbouring Honduras
BELMOPAN, Belize: The Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries in Belize has placed its officers on alert
following
the report this week from Honduras
declaring an outbreak of exotic Newcastle Disease in
backyard chickens in the Copan
Ruins area.
Concerns expressed over imprisoned Cuban journalists
PARIS, France (RSF/IFEX): The Paris-based
Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has expressed
concern about the health
and safety of Cuba's
imprisoned journalists, especially Normando
Hernández González, the editor of the Colegio de
Periodistas Independientes de Camagüey, an
independent news agency,
Washington fails to stop terror, says Castro
HAVANA, Cuba (UPI): Cuban leader Fidel Castro
accused the Bush administration of intentionally not
stopping terror
attacks against Americans. Castro
said in an essay published over the weekend in state-
run media that Washington used
the threat of terror to
legitimize the US war on terror.
Digicel makes technology more accessible in Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: Caribbean mobile
telecommunications provider Digicel has announced
a strategic partnership
with Caribbean Air Mail, a
leader in money transfers to Haiti. This alliance gives
Haitian communities in USA and
Canada the ability to
purchase handsets and pre-paid minutes for friends,
and family in Haiti.
Puerto Rico bank says it received 'frivolous' buy-out proposal
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Bloomberg): Doral Financial
Corp., the Puerto Rican bank-holding company facing
insolvency,
said it has received a "frivolous" proposal
from a "purported entity" called Atlas Monetary
International Trust to
purchase its banking unit.
Venezuelan TV closed by Chavez returns as pay channel
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): Venezuelan television
RCTV was back on Monday, via subscriber satellite
and cable,
after President Hugo Chavez refused to
renew its standard broadcast license in May. RCTV
was Venezuela's oldest and
most popular television
channel before it was shut down May 28 by Chavez.
FirstCaribbean bank opens new offices in Trinidad
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: FirstCaribbean
International Bank's operations in Trinidad & Tobago
are now under
one roof. On July 13, the bank officially
opened the doors of its new offices at No. 74 Long
Circular Road in Trinidad.
US House passes bill to break passport backlog
WASHINGTON, USA (Reuters): Looking to break a
passport bottleneck that has upset Americans' travel
plans and
jammed congressional phone lines with
calls from anxious constituents, the US House of
Representatives on Monday passed
legislation
allowing the State Department to hire experienced
help.
Commentary: Law and Politics: When will it ever end?
Someone called to remind me last week that it was
the 26th anniversary since Tillman Thomas, Leslie
Pierre, ou-la-la,
Stanley Roberts, and myself were
picked up by the People's Revolutionary Army (PRA)
and taken to the same "Fort Rupert"
in St George's to
begin our two years, three months and fifteen days in
detention.
Commentary: No globalisation without SME strengthening
The ongoing talks about globalisation and the
Caribbean's role in that process have led to one
definite statement:
there can be no true globalisation
without sustaining and strengthening the already
existent SMEs and help creating
new ones. The
scattered efforts of providing this aid, in terms of
financial programs...
Cuban athelete missing at Pan Am Games
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (UPI): A Cuban athlete has
been reported missing from the Pan American games
in Rio de
Janeiro leading some to speculate he
defected. Rafael Dacosta, 19, apparently has been
missing from the Pan American
village in Rio for
several days.
Turks & Caicos opposition leader calls for premier's resignation
GRAND TURK, Turks & Caicos Islands: Floyd
Seymour, the leader of the People's Democratic
Movement (PDM) opposition
party in the Turks &
Caicos Islands, has called for the premier Michael
Misick to resign, following an alleged
assault by
Misick on another opposition Member of Parliament,
Arthur Robinson.
Illegal weapons abound on Haitian streets
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Massive numbers of
illegal guns circulate on Haiti's streets as a
programme meant
to disarm gangs met with little
success since its launch one year ago, police say.
The initiative, led by the United
Nations in cooperation
with local police, has resulted in numerous arrests.
Castro challenges Bush for regional hearts and minds
HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters): Cuban President Fidel
Castro scoffed at Bush administration efforts to ease
social problems
in Latin America, boasting his poor
country could run circles around the US in health and
education aid. "Everyone
knows the US specialty in
the area of education is to steal brains," Castro
charged.
Digicel Guyana gets new CEO
GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The Digicel Group has
announced three appointments in Guyana, including a
new Chief Executive
Officer (CEO), saying the
promotions were designed to position the company
for its next round of development. From
August 1, Mark
Linehan will assume the post of CEO of Digicel
Guyana.
China to make Cuban dengue mosquito killer
HAVANA, Cuba (AFP): China will mass-produce a
Cuban pesticide effective against dengue-carrying
mosquitos, Cuba's
foreign ministry said Sunday.
Cuban scientists developed and patented Bactivec, a
biolarvicide which kills larvae
of the Aedes aegypti
mosquito, the dengue vector, the ministry statement
said.
Cuban doctors arrive in Algeria
ALGIERS, Algeria (AFP): More than 120 Cuban doctors
arrived in the Algerian capital on Sunday to work in
some
the country's poorest areas, Algeria's health
minister announced. The 126 doctors were to be
deployed to the High
Plateau areas north of the
Algerian Sahara.
Jamaica still on track for lower inflation
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS): Data from the Statistical
Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) show the inflation rate,
or
the rate of price increases, for May 2007 at 0.7 per
cent, the same as the level registered for the month
before.
While this is slightly higher that the 0.5 per
cent recorded in March this year, the net result is that
the inflation
rate...
Indigenous groups reject French activities on Surinamese territory
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Indigenous groups in
Suriname presented a petition to the Surinamese
government and the
French ambassador to Suriname
on Friday, protesting against French activities in
Suriname's south eastern border area
with French
Guiana, local and international media reported.
Trinidad government wants TT$700m capitalisation increase for Central Bank
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: The Government of
Trinidad & Tobago is seeking to increase the
authorised capital
of its Central Bank from TT$100
million to TT$800 million. Speaking in the House of
Representatives on Friday, Minister
in the Ministry of
Finance Conrad Enill gave the rationale for the
proposed increase.
Venezuelan students set up blackboard for free speech
CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP): Hundreds of students
set up a sprawling, 450-yard blackboard in Caracas
Saturday for
people to write what they feel, as part of a
protest over the government shutdown of a popular
television station.
Jamaican 1-2 in 3000m steeplechase in Sheffield
SHEFFIELD, UK: Jamaica's emerging distance
runners Korine Hinds and training partner Mardrea
Hyman raced together
to finish 1-2 in the women's
3000m steeplechase at the Norwich Union British
Grand Prix, which took place in a soaked
Don Valley
Stadium on Sunday.
