Shots exchanged between ONDCP officers, assailants

Antigua Sun "Gunfire was reportedly exchanged between an unidentified group and members of the Office of National Drug Control and Money Laundering Policy (ONDCP) early yesterday morning in the Valley Beach area."

Boys admit to having sex with relatives

The Nassau Guardian: "Two teenage boys have admitted to having sex with younger female relatives while they were home without any adult supervision.

In the first case, a 16-year-old boy from southwestern New Providence admitted yesterday to having sexual relations with his sisters, ages 10 and 13."

Faith’s hand gets worse

The Trinidad Guardian: "Baby Faith Davis’ right hand is not healing. In a last bid of hope to save her hand, the 24-day-old baby would undergo a skin graft surgery today at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mount Hope,"

Dr. Ramsammy purchased spy equipment

Kaieteur News: "The Guyana Government says that the Guyanese police have the ‘intercept’ receiver and laptop that Roger Khan was using. Yesterday the US Government produced it in Court."

Holder-Allen arrested, released on $10,000 station bail

Stabroek News "Former chief magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen, who was being sought by police in connection with the July 17 Ministry of Health fire investigation, was arrested early yesterday morning at her home and released late last evening on station bail."

High child neglect

JamaicaObserver.com: "Pointing to 195 reports of child neglect and 233 cases of children in need of care and protection for July alone, the Office of the Children's Registry is appealing to parents and guardians to improve their supervision of children for the remainder of the summer holiday."

Wanted ex-cop among 76 deported

Jamaica Gleaner News "Immediately after he stepped off the charter flight, which arrived with 76 deportees from the United States, Robert O'Riley Cole, a former police constable, was handcuffed by two sergeants from the Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI).

The subofficers were awaiting his arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston."

Police posted outside camp

Nation News "A POLICE OUTPOST directly outside the Parkinson Community Centre in the Pine, St Michael, has brought back some calm to Life Skills Camp being held there.

However, there is still some underlying uneasiness following Tuesday's shooting incident which caused children and camp counsellors to lock the doors of the centre and lie flat on the floor as rival gangs fired shots at each other outside."

Four Seasons axes managers

Nation News "ALL REMAINING managerial staff on the Four Seasons project have been fired.

However, construction of the multi-million-dollar hotel and resort in Black Rock, St Michael, is scheduled to resume by September with a new contractor."

What are the conditions of the Saint Lucia IMF loan?

Opposition Leader Dr. Kenny Anthony is calling on Prime Minister King to list the conditions set by the International Monetary Fund to provide funding to Saint Lucia. This week, the IMF approved a US$10.7 million loan to the government under its Exogenus Stock Facility.......

video--Haitians' hardships continue overseas

Turks and Caicos police say they will continue their search-and-recovery operation for a shipwrecked migrant vessel that sank off the coast of the island chain earlier this week.

Seventy Haitians are still missing following Monday's incident - a tragic reminder of the perils many Haitians face in search of a more prosperous life.

But as Al Jazeera's Nick Spicer reports from Providenciales, the hardships remain even after Haitians reach their destination.

SERIAL RAPIST AT LARGE

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "Teenage girls between 13 and 17 years old are being targetted by a serial rapist posing as a PH taxi driver on the Morvant to Port-of-Spain route, according to the police."

2 doctors suspended

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "TWO DOCTORS, two nurses and three nursing assistants have been suspended from the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital pending investigations by the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) and the police into the circumstances leading to the death of 56-year-old Allan Warner, senior medical sources stated yesterday."

“They’re trying to frame me”

Kaieteur News: "Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has said that the star witness in the Robert Simels trial, 34-year-old Selwyn Vaughn, is trying to frame him in the Roger Khan scenario."

Holder-Allen denies Jagdeo’s fire probe allegations

Stabroek News "A vehicle belonging to former Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen was driven to a Meadowbrook house on the night that channa bombs used to set the Ministry of Health building alight were being made President Bharrat Jagdeo has said, a claim Holder-Allen dismissed as “total nonsense”."

IMF knife cuts MPs?

JamaicaObserver.com: "ONE of the first casualties of Jamaica's impending pact with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) could be the $2.4 billion MPs draw on for critical constituency development projects.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding yesterday refused to rule out a gutting of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) which gives each of the 60 MPs $40 million a year to spend on a variety of projects."

SEX DRUG DANGER

Nation News "Massay said: 'There is always going to be a demand for that sort of thing because men want to be able to perform at 48 the same way they performed at 18.

'If somebody comes along and says they have something that is going to make that happen, then they will buy it,' he said."

video--Coast Guard Suspends Search in Haiti Shipwreck

Fifteen bodies were recovered Wednesday after an overloaded sailboat carrying Haitian migrants plowed into coral reefs that ring the Turks and Caicos islands. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search after a 52-hour operation.

Woman denied entry to Barbados found with cocaine in luggage

Stabroek News "A woman was yesterday fined $2,658,600 and sentenced to four years imprisonment for the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking after she appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court."

Dominica wins despite Windies defeat

The Dominican "Despite its current failings, West Indies cricket got a huge shot in the arm when thousands of Dominicans showed up on two separate days to support the game of cricket."

Shoot-out shuts camp

Nation News "A government summer camp at the Parkinson Community Centre in the Pine has been suspended for the day after a shoot-out between rival gangs disrupted its activities.

It was just after 10 a.m. this morning when the incident occurred. Witnesses told the NATION that members of two gangs were chasing down a member of another gang."

WHAT PLOT AGAINST THE PM?

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "ACTING Commissioner of Police (CoP) James Philbert yesterday denied that Prime Minister Patrick Manning had ever lodged a complaint about any plot to assassinate him."

Roger Khan ordered Waddell killing

Stabroek News "An informant for the US government yesterday said confessed drug kingpin Roger Khan ordered the execution of political activist Ronald Waddell.
And Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy was again mentioned as having had contact with Khan.

According to Capitol News, giving testimony in a Brooklyn, New York courtroom, where former Khan lawyer Robert Simels is being tried for witness tampering, Selwyn Vaughn, 34, a professed former member of Khan’s “Phantom gang,” stated that after ordering the hit on Waddell, the Guyanese businessman contacted Ramsammy. He also said Ramsammy had been expected to help Khan after he was held by US authorities."

Victim’s Daughter A Suspect

The Bahama Journal "Police want to question a teen girl who they believe may have played a part in her mother’s murder.

Head of the Central Detective Unit, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Elsworth Moss told the Bahama Journal on Sunday that police are hoping to speak with 16-year-old Madison Pugh."

Cash-strapped - Gov't struggles to pay suppliers

Jamaica Gleaner News - "The cash crunch facing the Government is starting to hurt businesses that supply goods and services to state entities.

Over the last three months, several businesses have not been paid and the operators have been unsuccessful in their efforts to get a timeline on when they will get their money."

Explosive revelations at Simels’ trial

Kaieteur News: "In explosive sworn testimony, a crowded US court heard a story of murder, intrigue, drugs and complicity.
A self-professed former member of the Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan phantom gang, 34-year- old Selwyn Vaughn went into the witness stand and stated that Roger Khan ordered the killings of political activist Ronald Waddell, and boxing coach Donald Allison."

ALP delays release of white paper on IMF

Antigua Sun"The Antigua Labour Party (ALP) has decided to delay the release of its white paper on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) until after the Carnival celebrations."

ECJ backs down

JamaicaObserver.com: "THE Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ) has backed away from its decision to dissolve the Kingston Central constituency and create a new parliamentary seat in Westmoreland as part of new electoral boundary changes to add three more seats to the Lower House, highly placed sources told the Observer yesterday."

SEC Stanford probe hurt by Stanford, Antigua

Reuters: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's probe of Texas financier Allen Stanford was hampered by a lack of cooperation by Stanford and the head of Antigua's financial regulator, the SEC's internal watchdog said in a report released on Tuesday."

Local alert issued for fake Jamaican lottery scam

Sun Journal: "At least five senior citizens in Craven County have been scammed out of several thousand dollars from telephone callers from Jamaica.

Craven County sheriff’s Capt. Joe Heckman said that the Jamaica callers are telling the local residents that they have won up to $800,000 in a lottery jackpot in Jamaica."

IMF approves loan to St. Lucia

Radiojamaica.com "International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a $10.7 million loan to St. Lucia.

The island has seen a sharp drop in tourism, foreign direct investment and remittances as a result of the global financial crisis."

Ministry of Health arson accused duo remanded

Stabroek News "Two men accused of setting the Ministry of Health on fire yesterday appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court and were remanded to prison."

video--Parnell family questions autopsy results.....

Dozens Missing After Haitian Boat Sinks; 15 Dead

Rescuers searched by sea and air for nearly 70 Haitians after an overloaded sailboat ran aground and capsized in reef-studded waters off the Turks and Caicos Islands, killing at least 15 migrants.

video--Dr. Conrad Murray prime suspect in Michael Jackson's manslaughter

video--Soufriere Drowning

HIGHWAY ROBBERY…Gunmen make off with cash in broad daylight

Antigua Sun : "t was high drama on the Old Parham Road yesterday afternoon as gunmen blocked the pathway of a vehicle that was carrying an undisclosed sum of money, the earnings of the Dews Lumber Yard, and quickly sped off with the loot."

Grant fails to provide certificate of renunciation of US citizenship

Sun St. Kitts "Leader of the People’s Action Movement (PAM), Lindsay Grant, failed last week to provide proof of the renunciation of his United States citizenship despite promising to do so at a press conference."

Autopsy: Patient was beaten

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "Police officers yesterday spent several hours on Ward Eight of St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital conducting inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the death of patient Allan Warner, a highly-placed source at the institution has confirmed.

This, after an autopsy performed on the body of Warner, who died at Port-of-Spain General Hospital (PoSGH) on Saturday, revealed he died from blunt force to the head and other parts of the body."

Health Ministry fire… Politically conceived

Kaieteur News: "Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, has asserted that the fire that destroyed the Ministry of Health building was politically motivated."

Local relatives grieve Georgia crash victims

Stabroek News "Even though they had left this country many years ago, the Guyanese trio killed in a vehicular smash-up on a US highway on Saturday, held their homeland dear and made contributions here, grieving relatives said."

JLP loses Stern test

JamaicaObserver.com: "THE Supreme Court yesterday disqualified the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP's) Michael Stern as MP for North West Clarendon for holding dual citizenship at the time of his nomination for the September 2007 general elections."

Stern unseated - Judge to rule on by-election

Jamaica Gleaner News"Member of Parliament (MP) for North West Clarendon, Michael Stern, has been ousted from Parliament as a result of his status as a dual citizenship when he took the seat in the 2007 general election.

Stern yesterday became the third Jamaica Labour Party MP to be removed from his seat by the courts since that election."

Prescod visits police station

Nation News: "A SMALL GROUP of people gathered in Coleridge Street, The City, yesterday in support of Trevor Prescod, director of the Israel Lovell Foundation.

Prescod was on his way to Central Police Station to give a statement regarding the events of July 6 when he visited the Elsie Payne Complex."

Guyana Opens To Casino Gambling ....

GamblingCompliance: "Turkish leisure company Princess Group Hotels & Casinos has been awarded Guyana’s first casino licence.
The company expects to invest around $2m to build the casino and upgrade a local hotel to five-stars, according to spokesman Oguz Tayanc. The project is expected to create 150 jobs in Guyana and to open near the capital, Georgetown. Only hotel guests will be able to gamble."

Three of five Jamaican athletes who tested positive are now known

guardian.co.uk: "The names of three of the five Jamaicans known to have tested positive for a banned substance are now in the public domain after two more athletes confirmed they had been notified of their results. Allodin Fothergill and Lansford Spence – both 400m runners who were in Jamaica's 4x400m relay squad at last year's Olympics – tested positive for methylxanthine, a substance not explicitly listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) prohibited list but falling within a category of stimulants banned by the agency. The Commonwealth Games 100m champion Sheri-Ann Brooks has also received notification."

Stanford Protests Lack of Air Conditioning in Jail

Bloomberg.com: "For the past week, Stanford, who’s in a cell in Conroe, Texas, with from eight to 10 other men, has endured heat and intermittent lack of power when outside temperatures reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) or more, his lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, said yesterday in a motion asking that his client be transferred to a downtown Houston jail."

Guyana police accused of brutality

Al Jazeera "Two men detained by police in Guyana were badly beaten when in custody, a human rights group has alleged.

They were attacked by police officers while being held in connection with a blaze that destroyed a health ministry building on July 17, the Guyana Human Rights Association said.

The pair were later released without charge.

'It appears that there is an alternative police force at work torturing people,' Mike McCormack, a secretary of the organisation, said on Monday.

The alleged abuse is similar to other claims of brutality by criminal investigators, he said."

Another Dominican murdered in Antigua

The Dominican "Police in Antigua are investigating that country’s 10th murder for 2009. Bernadette Drigo, 50, originally from Dominica who was attacked in her shop last Thursday July 23 has succumbed to her injuries and died."

Dominican missing

Trinidad Express "THE RELATIVES of Kirby Samuel are appealing for the public assistance in locating him.

Samuel, a 30-year-old national of Dominica, was last seen by his relatives two months ago. Friends of Samuel also said that had not had contact with him.

Samuel, who resides in Maraval, was said to have left his job at Hayne's Plumbing three months ago, an employee at the company stated yesterday."

: GUYANA: $25 million reward to catch arsonists

Voice Online "GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS have offered a reward of GUY$25 million to catch arsonists who used ‘channa bombs’ to burn down the country’s Health Ministry main compound.

The fire is believed to have been deliberately set because of the fire-making devices found nearby the Ministry’s main building in Brickdam and a room in the annex that housed the Regional Health Services. It also scorched the Environmental Health Unit.

Among the items that went up in flames or were damaged are condoms for distribution and medical equipment, Stabroek News reported."

Vessel carrying Haitians capsizes

Ynetnews: "The US Coast Guard says a vessel carrying as many 200 Haitian migrants has capsized near the Turks and Caicos islands in the West Indies.



Coast Guard spokeswoman Sabrina Elgammal, a petty officer third class, said the guard has been working with police to rescue 70 people who were stranded on a reef. She said four bodies have been recovered and authorities' main goal is 'to get everybody out of the water.' (AP)"

video--Ninja in court

Jamaica cops say gunmen bearing bibles shoot 5

JTaiwan News Online: "Jamaican authorities say that gunmen bearing bibles and posing as churchgoers have shot five people in a gritty neighborhood.

A police statement says that 15-year-old Dorian Scott died immediately. Police say that three other teenagers and a 30-year-old person have been hospitalized with serious injuries.

No one has been arrested."

2 MALE NURSES SUSPENDED

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "Two of the three male nurses on duty in the ward in which patient Allan Warner was admitted at St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital two weeks ago have been suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of an investigation into the man’s death, a well-placed source at the institution has confirmed."

Bandits hit police headquarters

Kaieteur News: "While significant attention is being paid to the fire at the Ministry of Health headquarters on Brickdam, police now have to shift some of their focus to determine who carried out a daring break-in at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Early yesterday morning it was discovered that thieves had broken into the Police Finance office, in the heart of Eve Leary, and made off with a significant amount of cash and cheques."

PNP supporters threaten to 'shoot up' Observer

JamaicaObserver.com: "A tirade of abusive language and threats to 'shoot the Observer' greeted this reporter and a photographer assigned to cover the closing session of the People's National Party's (PNP's) National Executive Council meeting at the University of the West Indies yesterday."

2 SWEET!

Nation News "TEARS POURED FROM HER EYES as a temporarily speechless TC sank to her knees after pulling off a historic double at Farley Hill National Park yesterday."

Spigelman to head inquiry in Antigua corruption case

Brisbane Times: "THE state's top judge is headed to the Caribbean for several weeks this year to head a corruption inquiry implicating a former prime minister and involving millions of dollars.

It is possibly the first time a NSW Supreme Court chief justice has taken up such a posting.

Justice James Spigelman will have his salary, accommodation, and expenses paid by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda. He will be there for just under a week for the preliminary hearing, beginning early next month. He will return later in the year for several weeks for further hearings.

'The Antigua [and] Barbuda Government are covering all costs including his salary while he is away,' a spokesman for the Attorney-General's Department said. 'Whilst he obviously won't be conducting his normal duties in NSW, there will be absolutely no cost whatsoever to the NSW taxpayer … He's not on leave; he's working. It's a working trip.'"

'LADY B' DIES

'JamaicaObserver.com: "LADY Bustamante, highly regarded as a defender of women's and workers' rights, and widow of late former Prime Minister and National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante, died in the Tony Thwaites Wing of the University Hospital of the West Indies yesterday afternoon. She was 97."

Cops link new suspect to Health Ministry arson

Kaieteur News: "Police have detained a Buxton man who was wanted in connection with several murders and say that he given them a statement that implicates him and others in the torching of the Ministry of Health building.
Kaieteur News understands that the man, known as ‘Kurt’ or ‘Glasses’ was arrested around 15:00 hrs yesterday in Sophia.
According to a source, under interrogation, the man has admitted to being part of a gang that committed several armed robberies and murders during the height of the 2002-2006 crime wave."

Bedlam at St Ann's

Trinidad ExpressHEALTH Minister Jerry Narace said he has launched an investigation into the circumstances in which an inmate from the St Ann's Psychiatric Hospital died less than ten days after being admitted.

The unidentified man, who died early yesterday morning, was admitted to the St Ann's Hospital on July 14, but was then rushed to the Port of Spain Hospital on July 16 after he was allegedly beaten by members of staff and other mentally ill patients at the hospital, according to reliable sources."

$631m Clico pay-out due to begin Friday

The Trinidad Guardian: "Colonial Life Insurance Co Ltd (Clico)—a subsidiary of cash-strapped CL Financial—is being forced to pay out $631 million to thousands of its policyholders, who surrendered their policies after the company went belly up. From Friday, Clico’s head office in Port-of-Spain will issue cheques to policyholders who cancelled their insurance policies—some old and new—for their cash value."

Death at St Ann's hospital

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "Health Minister Jerry Narace has ordered an investigation into the suspicious circumstances under which a middle-aged man died after being bitten by another person at the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital. The man died at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, yesterday."

2 years for sex with pre-teen

Nation News "THE RAMIFICATIONS of having casual sex with an unknown partner, especially if that partner is 12 years-old, are many, a High Court judge warned yesterday.

There is the risk of contracting a sexually-transmitted disease or, said Justice Maureen Crane-Scott, receiving a stay in prison."

Drag queens on show

Nation News : "EIGHT DRAG QUEENS will vie for the title Miss Galaxy World which comes off Sunday, August 1, at the Casa Grande Hotel, Oldbury, St Philip."

BIDC ROW

Nation News "MAJOR TROUBLE is brewing at the Barbados Investment & Development Corporation (BIDC).

So serious is the situation that staffers are to meet with the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) tomorrow where they will make representation for Government to remove BIDC board chairman Vere Browne from that position."

Jamaica's Beijing glory under a cloud of suspicion

guardian.co.uk: "For those who held suspicions, the news of five Jamaican athletes testing positive for drugs will not come as a surprise. A number of high-profile figures in the sport, from the legendary former sprinter Carl Lewis to Victor Conte, whose Balco clinic supplied Dwain Chambers and Marion Jones, have all openly condemned Jamaica's drug testing regime, suggesting that athletes are slipping through the net.

'To see the fastest people in the world coming from one island [Jamaica], I'm highly suspicious,' said Conte. 'I believe there's rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs in the Caribbean.' Dr Adrian Lorde, head of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organisation, singled out Jamaica for criticism last year, complaining that the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (Jadco) was not conducting enough tests."

Italian newspaper names Jamaican dopers

Universal Sports: "An Italian newspaper has named the five Jamaican athletes, among them a promising young training partner of three-time world record holder Usain Bolt, who failed recent doping tests, calling into question their eligibility for the upcoming World Championships.

Gazzetta dello Sport reported this morning that athletes involved are Yohan Blake, the 19-year-old training partner of Bolt, 200m runner Marvin Anderson, Commonwealth Games 100m champion Sheri-Ann Brooks, and 400m runners Allodin Fothergill and Lanceford Spence.

Of the names on that list, the first three are the most prominent. In his last two races, Blake has finished second to Bolt in the 100m, at both the Aviva London Grand Prix on Friday and at the Areva Golden League Meeting in Paris on July 17. Blake’s time of 9.93 seconds in Paris, a personal best, ranks as the fifth fastest in the world this season. Blake ran the second leg of the winning 4x100m relay at the London Grand Prix today."

Suspect in killing of Guyana official dies in jail

Taiwan News Online: "A suspected gang member accused of helping kill Guyana's former agriculture minister has died in custody, prompting suspicions he may have been poisoned and raising questions about the integrity of the South American country's judicial system

David Leander died on Friday after a judge recently threw out his alleged confession, saying it was coerced by a severe beating. The confession was considered key to his upcoming trial, and many expected the case would be dismissed."

Antigua probes loan repayment to Japanese company

BusinessWeek: "Antigua is investigating the repayment of a Japanese loan that was used to build a $33 million desalination and power plant.

Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer says a commission will probe whether officials misappropriated money that was earmarked to repay nearly $30 million to Tokyo-based IHI Corp."

2 MORE TO HANG

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "FOUR days before the Mercy Committee meets to deliberate the fate of convicted killer Ronald Tiwarie, the sentence of death by hanging was yesterday read to Colin Edgehill and Marcus Marshall after they were convicted of the October 2003 murder of Rotoplastics Ltd director Russell Govia."

It was ‘sadistic and barbaric’

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "A PORT-OF-SPAIN judge yesterday described as “sadistic and barbaric” the beating of a handcuffed man by police as he stood in his underwear before other laughing officers inside the St Joseph Police Station in 2002.

Civil Court judge Justice Devindra Rampersad, who presided over the case in Civil Courtroom Nine at the Hall of Justice, described the treatment meted out to Rajesh Ravi Harry by Corporal Kenneth Mackhan and Constable Jeremy Ramdeo, as “unprovoked, terror and degradation of the type coming out of a war camp.”"

Address by Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer to the nation on Saturday 24 July

Antigua Sun "Fellow Citizens and Residents.

This fair nation of ours, of late, has been under international scrutiny as a result of the R. Allen Stanford and Stanford International Bank debacle.

This has been further compounded by the indictment of Leroy King, former head of the Financial Services Regulatory Commission."

FREAKY GIRLS STALK WOMEN UPTOWN

The Jamaica Star "THE WEEKEND STAR has learnt that a group of women from the community have been posting themselves on corners and have been preying on other women as they pass by.

Residents claim that the actions of these women are not limited to just words. They even go as far as to touch the passing women on their buttocks.

The situation, residents say, is becoming annoying and dangerous, to say the least. According to them, it is only a matter of time until someone gets seriously hurt."

Video--Turks and Caicos-Commission of Inquiry and Crown Land

Video--Citizen Drug Bust

LIME Barbados to lay off over a hundred - Discussions were ongoing Friday over the possib...

Radiojamaica.com. "Discussions were ongoing Friday over the possible lay off of a further 150 workers from LIME Barbados limited.

LIME says its telecoms business in the Caribbean has been affected by a further drop in tourist numbers.

The company said it was offsetting the decline through cost-cutting."

81 going home

Nation News "DACOSTA MANNINGS INC. has announced scores of job cuts in a month-end shake-up that will see it exiting the lumber business and closing some operations.

The board of directors said yesterday that there would be 81 redundant positions at month-end because of 'rationalisation measures' being taken to create 'a more viable and competitive operation'."

‘Sash’ Sawh murder accused succumbs

Kaieteur News: "Death had the final say in the high profile Satyadeow Sawh Preliminary Inquiry, after David Leander, called ‘Biscuit’, succumbed yesterday from the mystery illness that struck him eight days ago.
The 26-year-old Buxtonian, who was at the time the last surviving accused, died in the Male Medical Ward without emerging from the coma into which he had lapsed on Wednesday."

‘Biscuit’ dies in hospital

Stabroek News "Murder accused David Leander called ‘Biscuit’ and ‘David Zammet’, died yesterday around 9.30 am in the Male Surgical Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where he was admitted last Thursday after he was suspected to have been poisoned."

'Not major' - Sports official downplays Jamaican athletes' positive testing

Jamaica Gleaner News "SPORTS OFFICIAL Dr Herb Elliott says nothing 'major' is involved in the five positive tests confirmed yesterday by Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

'I can assure you it wasn't any major stuff,' Elliott, a member of both the IAAF's Medical and Anti-Doping Commission and JADCO, told The Gleaner. He disclosed that 'some of the athletes have been informed', but noted that all would have to be informed before any names can be disclosed."

Child porn outlawed

JamaicaObserver.com: "THE Senate yesterday passed the 2009 Child Pornography (Prevention) Act to make the production, possession and distribution of child pornography a criminal offence in Jamaica."

video--St. Lucia police are investigating an assault and robbery .......

'WILLIE' IN COMA … News of musician’s condition sends shock waves through calypso fraternity

Antigua Sun "A few days before the opening of the annual Carnival celebrations, sudden shock and sadness fell over members of the calypso fraternity as the news spread that one of its beloved and talented members had slipped into a coma."

video-Manslaughter Investigation Targets Jackson Trini Doc

Michael Jackson's personal doctor is the target of a manslaughter investigation into the singer's death. A search warrant filed Thursday allowed authorities to seek evidence of whether Dr. Conrad Murray committed a crime the singer's death.

- Positive tests - Anti-doping body probes drug claims against Jamaican athletes

Jamaica Gleaner News "Dr Patrece Charles-Freeman, executive director at Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO), said last night that an investigation had been launched into reports that at least two Jamaican athletes have tested positive for a banned substance.

Charles-Freeman told The Gleaner that JADCO would make a statement on the matter 'soon'."

Clarke mum on Florida home ownership

JamaicaObserver.com: "Former Scotiabank Jamaica president and CEO William 'Bill' Clarke yesterday declined to say whether a house advertised for sale in Broward County, Florida belongs to him.

'I will not talk to the press about any asset that I am selling. I don't see it as anybody's business and it has no news value whatsoever. Haven't you got anything better to write?' Clarke said when contacted by Caribbean Business Report."

Drug Cheats

JamaicaObserver.com: "HIGHLY placed Observer sources have revealed that five athletes - four men and one woman - in Jamaica's 46-member team to next month's 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin returned positive tests for banned drugs at last month's national senior championships in Kingston. The World Championship will run from August 15 to 23."

Army, police still mum on brutalized suspect

Kaieteur News: "Cabinet Secretary and Secretary of the Defence Board, Dr. Roger Luncheon, has said that he is expecting a report on the alleged torture of a West Ruimveldt man at the hands of members of the Guyana Defence Force."

Home of witness firebombed

Trinidad Express : "An attempt was made yesterday to set fire to the home of a State witness against a police officer charged with misbehaviour in public office and renting his service revolver to a civilian."

Off Da Wall!

Nation News "THE 'OFF-DA-BRINK' graffiti seen in Bridgetown and its environs will soon just be a memory.

Some of it has already been painted over by Ministry of Transport and Works personnel."

Deportee complaints sent to Barbados

Stabroek News "Barbadian authorities are now in possession of documented allegations of ill-treatment meted out to Guyanese who have since been deported from the island."

video--Why is Jamaica going back to the IMF?

Astaphan: When dust settles, all will be clearer

Sun St. Kitts "'To me, I can’t understand the rationale of that comment by the prime minister, but he said what he said and in time when all of this dust settles and the history is written, I suppose the picture will be clearer and the personalities will emerge,' Dywer Astaphan said in response to comments made by Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas in a recent interview with the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC)."

Major dam’s floodgates opened as downpours drench the interior

DominicanToday.com: "Santo Domingo.- The Valdesia dam’s floodgates began to open when it had 149.60 millimeters of water, almost to its maximum level of 150 millimeters, as downpours from a tropical wave raised the number of provinces under a flash flood alert to 12, the Emergency Operations Center (COE) said Wednesday."

Expect the worst

St. Maarten - The Daily Herald Newspaper Online : "With two tropical waves passing south of the local area in the last few days, it is obvious that the active part of the hurricane season is fast approaching. August, September and October are when the most storms usually form in the Atlantic."

Government hints senator in conflict of interest

The Nassau Guardian"Documents released by the government yesterday show that Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Senator Jerome Fitzgerald, who has been vociferously trying to stop the relocation of the downtown container port to Arawak Cay, and businessman Mark Finlayson, were the president and vice president respectively of a company that tried to build a water desalinization plant at that same location just a few years ago."

Bahamian Murdered In Florida

Bahamian Murdered In Florida: "Police in West Palm Beach, Florida are presently investigating the murder of a Bahamian who was found last week with multiple gunshot wounds to the body.

The public information officer in West Palm Beach, Peter Robbins told Journal Tuesday that they are investigating the shooting death of 33-year-old Kahlil Holmes, who was discovered on July 14th."

GOB goes after Joe and Florencio for $924,000

Amandala Online: "The million-dollar dispute over the University Heights land transactions involving two former People’s United Party ministers, ex-Minister of Health Joe Coye and ex-Minister of Natural Resources Florence Marin, Sr., had dropped off the radar since January, but the dispute has been resurrected inside the courtroom of the Chief Justice, Dr. Abdulai Conteh, who is pondering whether he should proceed to full trial or dismiss the Government’s case altogether."

Ministry fire suspect… BRUTALISED

Kaieteur News: "Visibly battered, shaking uncontrollably and unable to walk, Troy Small called ‘Cats’ was finally released from the Alberttown Police Station and was immediately rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation for medical attention.
Small, an alleged victim of torture at the hands of men believed to be members of the Guyana Defence Force, was released on $10,000 bail around 17:45 hours, after spending two days and nights at the Alberttown Police Station where he was dumped on Monday night."

MOTIONS DENIED …Miami court refuses to yield to Bird, Michael in fraud case ....

Antigua Sun "The long outstanding IHI Debt Settlement matter now seems set to move forward, after a Miami court denied applications made by Opposition Leader Lester Bird and Asot Michael to have a judge recused from hearing the case, which they also wanted to be moved to a different division of the court."

Luck runs out for J'can wanted for 1999 murder in US

JamaicaObserver.com: "A Jamaican man who has been on the run since September 1999 ran out of luck on Tuesday.

The man, Trevelle Dwight Dinham, 39, who fled the United States after he allegedly shot and killed another man in Connecticut, was held by members of the Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID) and the Flying Squad in Kingston during a special operation."

THEY LET MY TWINS DIE

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : "The death of a baby is too much for any mother to bear but Melissa Elliot is enduring the indescribable pain of the loss of two babies.

“They let my twins die,” Elliot, 30, cried yesterday, still grieving for her newborn girls."

BUYOUT BID

Nation News -: "THE BATTLE for control of CLICO Mortgage and Finance Company (CMFC) is about to heat up as the island's largest credit union is on the verge of tendering a bid to buy the company.

Barbados Public Workers' Co-operative Credit Union Limited (BPWCCUL) has notified the Ministry of Finance that its due diligence process should be completed within 10 days after which a bid for purchase should be submitted."

video--Usain Bolt talks to CNN

video--Usain Bolt is confident he can smash his own world record

Olympic champion Usain Bolt is set to run in London on Friday and believes if the conditions are right he can break his 100m world record..

Allen Stanford's women stand by their man

Reuters: "HOUSTON (Reuters) - Most men would not want to be in a room with their estranged wife, current girlfriend and two former mistresses, but Allen Stanford is not most men.

The women, who have enjoyed million-dollar homes and luxury lifestyles, appear united in their loyalty to the Texas financier who faces criminal charges for an alleged $7 billion Ponzi scheme"

Amnesty says police killings rising in Jamaica

Taiwan News Online: "An increase in fatal shootings by police is setting back efforts to curb violence and build faith in the Caribbean nation's justice system, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

A report by the London-based group said the killings reflect a disregard for human rights in the island's inner cities, where residents are cut off from many basic services and violent gang leaders often hold more influence than government authorities."

New Carib Chief ready to work

Dominica News Online "Incoming Carib Chief Garnet Joseph said while more could have been done in the Carib Territory by the ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP), the outgoing Carib Chief Charles Williams has stood in the way of development for several years.

Joseph, who won 660 votes, beating Williams by over 400 at the recent Carib Council elections, said the DLP could have done more for the indigenous people but “Charles Williams was always causing some confusion, hindering developments in the process,” he said."

video--Usain Bolt talks to CNN

video--Usain Bolt is confident he can smash his own world record

LIME CEO quits - Replaced by operating officer

Jamaica Gleaner News "Richard Dodd, who for 18 months has been at the forefront of the push by Cable & Wireless plc to redefine its regional businesses into a seamless Pan-Caribbean operation under a new name and brand, is stepping down as the boss of LIME Caribbean.

He will be replaced as CEO by his chief operating officer, David Shaw, who will 'take up the role after a short handover,' LIME announced Tuesday."

Back to IMF

JamaicaObserver.com: "IT is now official. Jamaica intends to return to a borrowing relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and will in September be seeking up to US$1.2 billion in a Stand-by Arrangement.

The announcement in the House of Representatives yesterday by Finance Minister Audley Shaw ended weeks of speculation on whether or not Jamaica would resuming borrowing from the Fund after more than a decade."

Man kills girlfriend’s mom

Kaieteur News: "Enraged at repeated refusals to let him marry his lover, a 22-year-old minibus conductor hacked his prospective mother-in-law to death at around 22:30 hrs yesterday.


Rajpattie Jagroop, 49, was found dead in her hallway of her Zeeburg, West Coast Demerara home; the victim of at least seven cutlass wounds to the head, neck, back and side.

Her daughter, 17-year-old Basmattie Ramlakhan, was chopped in the head, right-hand and back. She was rushed to the Leonora Hospital and was still receiving treatmnet for her injuries at around 01:00 hrs today.

The suspect’s 19-year-old lover, Parbattie Ramlakhan, was not at home when the brutal attack occurred."

Back in business

Nation News : "PLAY!

That's the word from the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), after reaching agreement with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday.

However, up to Press time it remained unclear whether or not Chris Gayle and the rest of the top West Indies players who have offered themselves up for selection, would be picked for the One-Day series against Bangladesh which bowls off in Dominica at the weekend."

BEDMINISTER BAILED …Elder brother, Carlton, to be released from jail

Antigua Sun "Carlton Bedminister, a former Antigua and Barbuda tennis prodigy, has been granted bail.

The Court of Appeal granted the bail application made by his attorney, Steadroy 'Cutie' Benjamin, yesterday in the High Court.

Carlton and his brother Careem Bedminister were sentenced to five and seven years in prison, respectively, after they were found guilty by a nine-member jury of attempted murder."

Antigua says Stanford damages suit overreaches

Reuters: "MIAMI (Reuters) - Investors suing the state of Antigua and Barbuda for losses suffered in Allen Stanford's alleged $7 billion fraud may find it difficult to prove their case, the Caribbean nation's attorney general said on Tuesday.

'Mr. Stanford did not own the country,' Attorney General Justin Simon told Reuters in a phone interview."

NHC eyes tropical wave over eastern Caribbean

Reuters: "NEW YORK, July 21 (Reuters) - A tropical wave over the eastern Caribbean Sea still has a small chance -- less than 30 percent -- of developing into a tropical cyclone over the next 48 hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center forecast Tuesday.

Over the next five days, most weather models forecast the system would cross the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba before reaching the Bahamas and Florida."

Chris Brown apologizes for Rihanna beating

The Associated Press "LOS ANGELES — Chris Brown on Monday publicly apologized for the beating of Rihanna, saying in a two-minute video that he's still seeking help and wants to live his life as a role model.

Brown released the video on his Web site apologizing to fans and saying he is sad and ashamed of his conduct. He also tells viewers that he has repeatedly apologized to Rihanna.

Brown was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he fought with his then-girlfriend in a rented sports car after a pre-Grammy party. According to a police affidavit, Brown tried to push the 21-year-old Barbados-born singer from the car and repeatedly hit her and choked her."

No ethnic cleansing

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "THE North-West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) yesterday “clearly and categorically” refuted statements by MP for Caroni East Dr Tim Gopeesingh that “ethnic cleansing” of doctors was taking place at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital (PoSGH)"

Oh so sweep!

JamaicaObserver.com: "ST GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC) - Medium pacer Darren Sammy snatched a five-haul but a superb, unbeaten near run-a-ball 96 from captain Shakib Al Hasan fired Bangladesh to an emphatic four-wicket win over West Indies in the second Test yesterday."

Get in shape! - Clean up act or I might shut you down, Montague warns Portland PC

Jamaica Gleaner News "MINISTER WITH responsibility for local government, Robert Montague, has given the Portland Parish Council 30 days to clean up its act and improve its performance and governance or face sanction."

Enterprise woman beaten to death by son

Stabroek News "Unthinkable, bizarre and unforgiveable are only a few of the words which observers used yesterday to describe the manner in which a 55-year-old mother of four met her demise on Sunday night, after suffering years of domestic abuse at the hands of one of her children."

'I thought girl was 14 years, not 12'

Nation News"HAD HE KNOWN the girl with whom he was having sex was not 14 but was 12 years old, said Ryan David Caroll, he would have never let the situation get that far.

His lawyer said this admission and the fact that Caroll found himself 'in a difficult situation' should not translate into a custodial sentence."

Rainy Monday in Barbados

The Barbados Advocate: "Barbadians were greeted early yesterday morning with heavy showers and thunderstorms as a strong tropical wave passed the island yesterday.

The rain was accompanied by gusty winds and the intense showers prompted the Meteorological Office at the Grantley Adams International Airport to issue a flood watch until 4 p.m. in the afternoon, yesterday. That flood watch was discontinued after improvements were seen late in the day."

Rains from tropical wave lash Caribbean islands

JamaicaObserver.com: "PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) - At least four Caribbean islands were yesterday lashed by heavy rains from a tropical wave located east of the Windward Islands.

The heavy rains, accompanied by lightning and thunder, affected the islands of St Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines as well as Barbados."

Fewer Guyanese deported recently from Barbados

Stabroek News: "There has been a reduction in the number of Guyanese being deported from Barbados, recent reports indicate, seven weeks after that country enforced an immigration policy which stirred region-wide debate about illegal immigrants."

Oxford University Press apologizes for maroon gaffe

Radiojamaica.com "Jamaica has received a letter of apology from the Oxford University Press in relation to the meaning and definition posted in the Concise Oxford Dictionary for the word 'Maroon'.

Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry says the apology letter was forwarded to him in a response to a letter he had written to the Oxford University Press on the subject of the Maroons.

'There was no mention of the Jamaican Maroons defeating the British in two wars, there was no mention of Nanny our National Hero', noted Mr. Henry who is also a Historian and Publisher."

Guadeloupe shooting leaves Fond Cole young man dead

Dominica News Online "A shooting incident in Guadeloupe in the wee hours of Sunday morning has left one young man dead.

Kimanie Raphel Bazil of Fond Cole was shot at the back of his head by an unknown individual according to reports."

Hairston, 18, is cleared of murder, walks free

The Royal Gazette: "One of the five teenagers accused of murdering Kellon Hill spoke of his relief as he walked free from court yesterday after the jury cleared his name.

Puisne Judge Charles-Etta Simmons told the jury she'd considered an application made by Devon Hairston's lawyer at the close of the prosecution case on Monday that there was no case for him to answer."

PM: expect more job losses

The Nassau Guardian "Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said yesterday that it remains unclear when an economic recovery will be on the horizon and revealed that he expects further layoffs in the hotel sector, including at Baha Mar.

The company owns the Wyndham Nassau Resort and Crystal Palace Casino and the Sheraton Resort on Cable Beach."

Barroom brawl leads to death

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "After being badly beaten in a barroom brawl two weeks ago, a 28-year-old printer Adesh Ramsundar succumbed to head trauma injuries on Saturday afternoon, police said yesterday.

Police are now searching for the five men who beat Ramsundar.

One of the men had accused Ramsundar of interfering with his girlfriend and this led to the fight at the Triangle Pub at Aranjuez on July 10."

Dying on Death Row

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "CHANDROUTIE LONDON who has spent six years on Death Row and is now serving life sentences for killing her five-month old baby and also her sister in separate murders, is dying in prison from cancer.

An attorney, who is acting for her, has embarked on a legal battle to get her out of jail and to a hospital for treatment on the grounds of ill health."

SKNFA players attacked in St. Martin

Sun St. Kitts "The St. Kitts/Nevis Football Association (SKNFA), has been notified that following the game involving the St. Kitts U-17 vs. the French St. Martin U-17 in St. Martin which ended in a 2-2 draw, the St. Kitts U-17 team was attacked by players of the French St. Martin U-17 and their supporters.

The SKNFA U-15 team who at the time were witnessing the match also came under attack by spectators."

Channa bombs found in Ministry of Works compound

Kaieteur News: "Police yesterday recovered two more Molotov cocktails (channa bombs), this time in the compound of the Ministry of Works facility on the Kingston Railway Embankment."

Dead wrong - Man freed after autopsy foul-up

Jamaica Gleaner News "The foreman of the jury outlined the jurors' concern last Friday after 44-year-old Kingston businessman Stephen Bitter was freed of the murder of his grandfather, 91-year-old Ronald Bitter.

It was reported at first that Ronald Bitter had fallen on September 16, 2003 at his home at Mona Heights, St Andrew.

A post-mortem report by Dr Ere Seshaiah, consultant forensic pathologist, revealed that the senior citizen had been severely beaten. The report stated that the deceased's liver was damaged, ribs were broken and the spleen ruptured. The body had no signs of external injury."