Caribbean News Now! Daily Headlines

St Kitts-Nevis government 'illegitimate', says opposition

2013-05-20

BASSETERRE, St Kitts -- Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas revealed at a recent press conference his government’s intentions to pursue boundary changes in St Kitts and Nevis before the next elections. Leader of the main opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM), Shawn Richards...

Top enforcement officer in USVI environment agency arrested on drug trafficking charges

2013-05-20

ST THOMAS, USVI -- On Friday night, Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) Commissioner Alicia Barnes informed US Virgin Islands Governor John de Jongh that the agency’s director of enforcement, Roberto Tapia, was arrested by federal law enforcement officers.

US embassy issues warning over armed robberies in Bahamas

2013-05-20

NASSAU, Bahamas -- The United States Embassy in Nassau has issued a security alert to American citizens residing in and traveling to The Bahamas about an increase in armed robberies on New Providence. The alert came after American sailor Kyle Bruner was murdered during an armed robbery.

Earthquake shakes northeastern Caribbean

2013-05-20

ST JOHN’S, Antigua -- On Saturday night, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 was felt in several islands in the northeastern Caribbean, including Antigua and Barbuda, but there were no immediate reports of injury of damage. The US-based National Earthquake Information Centre said that the quake occurred...

Commonwealth election observers arrive in Cayman Islands

2013-05-20

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands -- A team of six election observers from the Commonwealth began arriving in the Cayman Islands on Friday ahead of Wednesday’s general election. Head of mission, Mario Galea, a member of parliament from Malta, said he and five other Commonwealth...

St Kitts-Nevis looks to boost manufacturing output

2013-05-20

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (SKNIS) -- St Kitts and Nevis continues to lead the OECS and Barbados in manufacturing exports to the United States and the local government is taking a number of steps to maintain this edge. At a recent press conference, Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas indicated that...

Economic development possible when there is no growth, says Barbados PM

2013-05-20

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) -- It is possible to have economic development when no growth is taking place, said Prime Minister Freundel Stuart last Wednesday as he delivered the feature address at the Barbados launch of the UNDP's Human Development Report 2013.

Active hurricane season expected this year

2013-05-20

HAVANA, Cuba (ACN) -- Regional meteorologists have forecast a very active Atlantic hurricane season in the Caribbean this year. Ocean temperature is expected to be unusually warm, while wind conditions will favour the formation of storms, according to AccuWeather.

Illegal narcotics worth millions of dollars destroyed in Antigua

2013-05-20

ST JOHN’S, Antigua -- On Thursday, the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Policy, in consultation with the chief magistrate and the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, destroyed a large quantity of illegal narcotics that were previously seized in various operations.

Puerto Rico authorities seize unreported currency

2013-05-20

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) field operations officers seized more than $43,500 in unreported currency at the Luis Munoz Marin Airport in Puerto Rico last Wednesday, in two separate incidents. While conducting outbound operations on a JetBlue flight...

Guyana examining PetroCaribe economic zone proposal

2013-05-20

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA) -- Guyana is examining a proposal by Venezuela to set up a PetroCaribe Economic Zone (PEZ), which was proposed at the recently concluded ministerial meeting of PetroCaribe and the summit of heads. Speaking after attending the summit in Venezuela...

Crime and Gun Violence Prevention Day proclaimed in USVI

2013-05-20

ST THOMAS, USVI -- Governor John de Jongh signed a proclamation designating Sunday, May 19, 2013, as “Crime and Gun Violence Prevention Day” throughout the US Virgin Islands. “It is my hope that in setting aside a special day, dedicated to preventing crime and gun violence...

Prominent Dominicans attend Global Diaspora Forum

2013-05-20

WASHINGTON, USA -- The Global Diaspora Forum 2013 took place this year in Washington and included for the first time forums in Los Angeles, Dublin, and the Silicon Valley, with smaller group meetings in Miami, Toronto, and several other cities. Many topics were discussed, including...

Navigating 'Island' Parenting 4

2013-05-20

Navigating "Island" Parenting is a collection of quotes, tips and parenting advice that I have gathered over the years as a source of inspiration and as tools to deal with the daily challenges of parenting. This week’s issue features, the Single Parent-Tips for Raising a Child Alone by the Mayo Clinic Staff...

Commentary: Tourism Matters: A few rays of sunshine on the horizon

2013-05-20

There is a very fine line when writing a column like this. The risk of being branded as a pessimist is high. I only hope that readers will focus on the message that I am trying to convey and perhaps apply some of the content objectively to look at issues in a broader, more holistic way. When I heard the minister of tourism recently predict...

Commentary: I'm in! You're out!

2013-05-20

Politics is a strange business. A strategy that was meant to unite has become one of division and antagonism. And this has split many societies right down the middle. So much so that, like war, when one political party is in office, the other is seen as the enemy to be vanquished. Even debates in the halls of government are...

Letter: Another fine mess you have got us in, Stanley

2013-05-20

Is this the prime airline that Gonsalves referred to when he told us that some great airlines would be flying into Argyle? Will this be our ‘flag carrier’ airline? Will this be as good as it gets? This is a new airline established in 2004, but several bad records have held it back from being a success.

Caribbean Premier League franchises ready and waiting

2013-05-20

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados -- With the start of the inaugural Caribbean Premier League tournament less than three months away, CPL officials have recently concluded a tour of the six franchise countries – Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago...

Sports Commentary: The New York Knicks lost a series they should have won

2013-05-20

When I first arrived in the United States 35 years ago, I was introduced to a sport I knew very little about called basketball. In all my life living in Belize the only two sports I played when I was growing up was football -- what the Americans call “soccer” -- and cricket. I played football so much that many times in my life it...

Former Cayman Islands premier alleged to have paid $1m for PhD

2013-05-18

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands -- The police and the Anti-Corruption Commission in the Cayman Islands are currently investigating allegations that a payment of US$1 million was made to the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) in connection with an honourary doctorate that former...

Turks and Caicos drops controversial bullet charges against American tourists

2013-05-18

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands -- In separate press statements on Friday, the director of public prosecutions in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), JoAnn Meloche announced that she has decided to discontinue the criminal proceedings against the two elderly American...

Trinidad and Tobago to collaborate with Canada to improve criminal justice system

2013-05-18

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad -- The governments of Trinidad and Tobago and Canada have agreed to collaborate and share best practice and policies with respect to prison and forensic services. Both Commonwealth nations have agreed to strengthen bilateral co-operation in criminal justice system reform.

CDB meeting in St Lucia to explore Caribbean debt crisis

2013-05-18

CASTRIES, St Lucia -- The Caribbean Development Bank’s annual meeting is to take place in Saint Lucia next week and is expected to be intense as members of the CDB plot a fiscal way forward for the upcoming term. Saint Lucia will be handing over its chairmanship of the CDB.

OAS secretary general presents report on the drug problem in the Americas

2013-05-18

BOGOTA, Colombia -- The secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, on Friday issued a stark review of the reality experienced by the countries of the hemisphere in relation to drugs, analyzing the policies implemented in the region to this point.

Nursing shortage underscores youths lack of interest in profession, says Nevis health minister

2013-05-18

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis (NIA) -- Deputy premier and minister of health on Nevis, Mark Brantley, said the island had a critical shortage of nurses, a matter which suggested an underlying problem in the lack of interest of the island’s young people to join the noble profession.