Regional News

Banana reforms Problems with fruit quality have prompted St Vincent’s Ministry of Agriculture to announce changes in the operations of local banana farmers.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s opposition is certain to make gains in parliamentary elections on Sunday but probably not enough to wrest legislative control from President Hugo Chavez in the 12th year of his socialist “revolution.”

TAMPA, Florida (Jamaica Observer) — The prosecution called its main witness to the stand yesterday as the second day of the trial involving Reggae superstar Buju Banton got underway in this city.

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – Hip-hop star Wyclef Jean said yesterday he was abandoning his attempt to run in Haiti’s November presidential election, one month after his candidacy was formally rejected by Haitian authorities.

Grenada wants UN help Grenada has called on the United Nations to assist developing countries strengthen their institutional capacity to achieve the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

Grenada gas leak Grenada’s Water and Sewerage Authority is investigating a chlorine leak in a small community in the north eastern town of Grenville.

(Trinidad Guardian) With their life savings at risk of being decimated by the Government’s plan for Clico, policyholders and depositors of the insurance company are mobilising to fight back.

14 killed in crash… (Trinidad Express) Local aviation authorities yesterday suspended Venezuela’s state airline from flying to Trinidad and Tobago after one of its planes crashed in Venezuela, killing 14 people.

Deejay accused of beating girlfriend (Jamaica Observer) The Andrew North Police last night confirmed the arrest of dancehall entertainer Rodney Pryce, more popularly known as Bounty Killer.

(Barbados Nation) With Prime Minister David Thompson gravely ill, Minister of Social Care Chris Sinckler has emerged as the people’s pick for successor.

Criminals beware(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has announced new strategies in the fight against crime, including the downsizing and revamping of the Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (SAUTT) and the use of technology to hunt criminals.

‘Money will depreciate over 20 years’ (Trinidad Express) Govern-ment’s plan to bail out CLICO will lead to hardships for the people of this country and could ruin the economy, Opposition MP Colm Imbert says.

HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba is preparing to free four more political prisoners and send them to Spain, bringing to 36 the total released so far in a deal between the government and the Roman Catholic Church, the church said yesterday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist and his wife were charged with trying to sell nuclear weapons secrets to a person they believed was a Venezuelan government official, the Justice Department said yesterday.

(Barbados Nation) – A young businessman held in connection with the discovery of more than $11 million in drugs in a container at the Bridgetown Port was ordered kept in jail after he appeared in the District “A” Traffic Court.

St Maarten vote Voters in Dutch St Maarten are voting today to elect 15 members to parliament in the new country status.

(Barbados Nation) – Prime Minister David Thompson’s personal physician, Dr Richard Ishmael announced to the nation yesterday that the leader has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

(Jamaica Gleaner) – Detectives attached to the Organized Crime Investigation Division (OCID), yesterday morning cracked what is believed to be a major human trafficking ring operating in Jamaica.

(Jamaica Observer) – Buju Banton is facing further woes after James Mack, the second co-defendant in the drug case against him signed a plea deal with the United States District Attorney on Wednesday, agreeing to testify against the Jamaican reggae singer.

Witness protection With murders up in Belize by almost a third and the opposition howling for decisive action, the Dean Barrow administration says it is putting in place what it hopes will be effective anti-crime measures.