SmallShop Caribbean News

Antigua Sun : "The acquisition of control of Guiana Island by businessman, Sir R. Allen Stanford, may come under the microscope, as Antiguan and Barbudan officials consider opening a criminal investigation into the country’s largest private investor. Guiana Island is the largest of Antigua’s offshore islands at 1,500 acres. Last month, documents released as part of the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC)’s investigation into Sir Allen, revealed that he had acquired control of Guiana Island after purchasing a majority of the shares in the company that owns it."

Antigua Sun : "Antigua and Barbuda will join 10 countries in the region today in signing an agreement with the United States to make the tracing of illegal weapons easier. The memorandum of understanding which will be signed between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and regional governments will provide for the electronic tracing of illicit firearms under a system called eTRACE. It was not clear who will represent Antigua and Barbuda at the signing ceremony due to take place at the residence of the US Charge d’Affaires Dr. Brent Hardt at Christ Church in Barbados."

Dominica News Online "Dominica will continue to appeal for the United States to lift its trade embargo on Cuba. The remark has come from Minister of Foreign Affairs Vince Henderson following a recent statement by Vice President of the United States Joe Biden that his country has no plans to lift its trade embargo on Cuba."

The Jamaica Star "Residents of the Clark's Town community, on the outskirts of Mandeville, Manchester, have joined forces to identify, capture or kill a phantom creature which has been destroying their banana plants at nights. The elusive creature, which began destroying the banana plants and tearing the roots to shreds about a year ago, the residents say, was absent for some time but returned on Friday night."

Jamaica Gleaner News "ACQUELINE HUNTER and Dorion Wilkins gave approving nods as they examined data from the Caribbean Examinations Council's (CXC) 2008 exams in the library at Immaculate Conception High School in St Andrew. The all-girl school again performed strongly, but there is no gloating by the senior teachers. They take the impressive marks of their students in stride."

Nation News "THREE months before the fateful tour bus crash at Joes River, St Joseph, that claimed six lives including that of driver Merton Brathwaite, he reported to his supervisor that the brakes on BT4 were 'feeling low'. That supervisor, Alva Maloney, testified yesterday that he informed mechanic Melvin Hunte about the problem and Hunte fixed it"

Nation News "LEROY ANDRE LYNCH'S JOY at being released from jail yesterday turned suddenly to shock and distress. The drastic mood change came with the tragic news that the 32-year-old nurse allegedly killed at the hands of a lover on Saturday was the mother of his child. 'Wait, that is my child mother!' Lynch said in alarm as he saw the picture of Sophia Phillips on the front page of yesterday's DAILY NATION. With tears in his eyes he declared 'I don't want to talk anymore' and pressed his head against a wall."

Kaieteur News : "Justice Brassington Reynolds yesterday sentenced Romel Simon, who pleaded guilty to lesser count of manslaughter, to four years. Simon, 29, was initially charged with the March 25, 2005 murder of Keith Nobrega, which occurred at 45 Hadfield Street, Stabroek. However, he opted to plead to a lesser count of manslaughter during the trial. Yesterday in court, a probation report was read. Simon’s mother, Mornwattie Simon, also testified. She told the court that she was there when the incident occurred but begged for leniency for her son."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "UNITED STATES Secret Service agents travelling aboard the US Airforce C-17 Transporter will arrive in the country shortly before next month’s Summit of the Americas, bringing with them US President Barack Obama’s official state limousine, which has been dubbed the Beast."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : "A COUPLE said they stood helplessly at their son’s bedside on Friday morning and watched him turn blue and die at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH). Three-year- old Evans Massiah, who had cerebral palsy, died at about 9.40 am on Friday and Guy Massiah, 46, and his wife Shaheeda, 40, are blaming their child’s death on negligence."

Dominica News Online "General Manager of Sagicor Dominica Cheryl Rolle says her employees have no reason to fear losing their jobs. Her comment follows a declaration that the multinational company is sending home over 40 staff members across the Caribbean and in the United States."

The Associated Press: "KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Jamaican police say they have charged reggae singer Luciano with harboring a fugitive who shot and wounded three patrolmen while holed up inside the Grammy-nominated musician's home last week. Police Superintendent McArthur Sutherland said the 44-year-old Rastafarian was charged Monday and released after posting bail. Luciano, whose real name is Jepther McClymont, and his attorney could not immediately be reached for comment."

Go Jamaica "A gay-rights group in San Francisco has launched a boycott of Jamaica and Jamaican products. They are protesting against what they claim to be an increase in attacks against homosexuals in Jamaica. The group is calling its demonsration, the Boycott Jamaica Campaign. Bevan Dufty a member of the gay-rights group says he has arranged a meeting with the honorary consul of Jamaica for San Francisco, Dr Newton Gordon to highlight their concern."

BusinessWeek : "Did disgraced financier R. Allen Stanford cut a business deal last fall with the government of Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi? Last November, Stanford may have met with a representative of the Libyan government to discuss Libya's interest in putting a significant investment into Stanford's offshore bank in Antigua."

Dominica News Online "Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says he has not had any discussions on the date of the next general elections. Skerrit was responding to claims by the Opposition United Workers Party that he is preparing for sudden elections in May 2009, a year before elections are constitutionally due."

Trinidad News, : "Citizens using the east-bound land of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway spent their Sunday-usually a quiet day-in hours of discomfort yesterday, as the second dry run of the traffic restrictions for the Fifth Summit of the Americas turned into a nightmare for some."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "A State witness who left her safe house in Tobago to attend a party in Trinidad, was gunned down and her body found in a canefield in Mayo. Investigators said Alicia Kizzy McKenzie, 29, of Central Street, Vistabella, was the main witness in the murder of her close friend, Jason Fullerton."

Dominica News Online : "It's not often that the leader of a small country is bold enough to resist the desires of larger or richer countries. But, Dominica's Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerritt, did just that on March 23rd. Speaking in Dominica's Capital, Roseau, at the opening of an Environmental Conference entitled, 'International Ocean Life Symposium', the Prime Minister declared that his government will no longer be supporting the whale-killing position of the Japanese government in the International Whaling Commission (IWC). He said that his government will be acting in his country's 'national interest'."

Antigua Sun : "Former Sen. Lionel Gomes, renowned trade unionist and active supporter of the United Progressive Party (UPP), died while hospitalised at the Adelin Medical Clinic on Saturday morning. Gomes, who at 69 was struggling with cancer, reportedly said on his deathbed that he was ready to give up that particular fight. While immediate family members who were approached by the Antigua Sun were not yet ready to speak publicly about Gomes’ passing, Prime Minister Winston Baldwin Spencer spoke of the “dear friend, labour movement and politics of Antigua and Barbuda.”"

Kaieteur News : "A pattern of violent death seems to be following the De Agrella family who reside in the Pomeroon. Within the space of 16 months, they have lost four male relatives, all brutally slain at sea after returning from Venezuela. So far, all four murders are unsolved."

JamaicaObserver.com : "MONTEGO BAY, St James - An early morning fire Saturday destroyed the 150-year-old Georgian-style building which was home to the popular Little Pub Inn and Restaurant and well-known local artist Ansten Oliver Lee Levy along Orange Street in this city. A nearby wooden structure which housed fish vendor was also destroyed."

Nation News "WHAT A STENCH! The smell of the decaying carcass of a five-year-old horse has taken the fun out of doing business and liming on popular Browne's Beach, St Michael, during the last three days. 'The stink is running my customers and running people off the beach,' said one bar operator."

Nation News WHEN its rate application hearing comes up, the Barbados Light & Power Company (BL&P) might find itself having to explain why there have been so many islandwide electricity outages in a year. 'Four outages in a year are four too many, and at the rate hearing this is one of the areas we will need to examine,' head of the Barbados Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (BANGO), Roosevelt King, said yesterday."

Kaieteur News : "Police swooped down on a Victoria East Coast Demerara house occupied by a group of bisexual men and a young woman and rescued a 14-year old boy who was being held against his will. The boy was reported missing from his Sophia home six weeks ago. One of the occupants of the home has been detained after he admitted that he had sexual relations with the boy. Police said that the man could face abduction and buggery charges and could appear in court as early as tomorrow."

The Royal Gazette : "A man who suffered serious head injuries on Wednesday when he was beaten by a group of men remained in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) last night. The victim, a 25-year-old from Sandy's, was attacked by a group wielding what Police described as 'blunt objects' as he sat on a motorcycle in Bowes Lane, Sandy's, late that night."

The Jamaica Star "Guns blazed in Mona Common in Papine, St Andrew, yesterday, as gunmen exchanged bullets following the shooting of two men, one fatally. The dead man has been identified as Jerome Dixon, otherwise called 'Gig', while injured is a 22-year-old man, both of Mona Common. Reports are that at 8:00 a.m., both men were standing in a section of the community when a red Suzuki Swift with three men aboard drove up."

Kaieteur News : "In an interview for the documentary film on her life “Thunder in Guyana” Mrs. Janet Jagan said she wanted the headlines to portray her as a “Freedom Fighter.” Indeed, for all her life she fought for freedom – freedom to make her own choices, freedom to marry a ‘Black man”, freedom for Guyana and its people, and freedom from those who vilified her. Her 20 months in office as the President of Guyana following the December 15, 1997 elections was perhaps one of the most testing period in her life, when the opposition demonised her, and White dolls representing her were burnt on the streets of the capital."

Stabroek News "Former President Janet Jagan died early yesterday morning, giving the nation pause to reflect on a lifetime dedicated towards the struggles for independence and democracy."

Born Janet Rosenberg in Chicago in 1920, she married Jagan and moved to Guyana in 1943. The former journalist was an advocate for the rights of women and workers throughout the Caribbean and in Guyana, an ex-British colony......

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "SIPARIA MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday called for the jailing of Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira for allegedly breaching the Prevention of Corruption Act during the bailout of CL Financial (CLF), saying Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Carla Brown-Antoine has agreed to probe the matter."

Reports are that they have been a domestic dispute in the lower estate region of Barbados which has resulted in the death of one woman and the hospitalization of her boyfriend.......

The Associated Press: "GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Janet Jagan, a Chicago native who became Guyana's first white and first female president, died Saturday, a government official said. She was 88. Jagan died at a state-run hospital of an abdominal aneurism, Health Minister Leslie Ramsammy said. Jagan, a Jewish woman and a naturalized Guyanese, was elected president of the English-speaking South American country in December 1997, succeeding her husband, Cheddi Jagan, who died earlier that year."

The Associated Press: "GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Dozens of couples in the South American country of Guyana who thought they were divorced have to repeat the process because judges' signatures were forged, authorities said Friday. Police have opened an investigation after accusations that attorneys forged documents with help from court officials to expedite divorces, police spokesman Seelall Persaud said."

An Assistant Commissioner of Police is defending the actions of Police Officers who in recent times have removed victims from crime scenes. This has happened most notably when the victim was allegedly injured by Police. The ACP with responsibility for Crime says although Protocol dictates that officers wait for medical assistance he does not believe their motives for moving victims is sinister.

Antigua Sun : "Following a meeting with newly-appointed Minister of Health Wilmoth Daniel, several doctors who were trained in Cuba and have been denied registration to practise in Antigua and Barbuda have been offered a solution which may see them incorporated into the vision for Mount St. John Medical Centre (MSJMC). Daniel, who met with all the doctors, claims to have already been in discussions with the members of the MSJMC Board and what remains is for a draft document to be submitted to Cabinet. It is anticipated that the situation may be fully resolved within a month."

JamaicaObserver.com : "An 11-year-old boy was yesterday electrocuted while flying a kite at Mona Common in Kingston. Police identified the dead boy as Ricardo Thomas, who they said was struck after the kite became entangled with Jamaica Public Service high-tension wires. The incident occurred about 11:00 am while a contingent of police and soldiers maintained a presence in the community, following the murder of a male vendor on the nearby Mona Road."

Stabroek News "People know each other well on the Pomeroon River. Travelling mostly in boats, some of the children even paddle to school, almost everyone waves to each other in passing. The boat (centre) with which Romeo De Agrella and son Clint had gone to Venezuela. They were later found dead, their bodies riddled with bullets. But under the placid surface, much like the garbage floating on the dark water of the river, there lies a sinister undercurrent. Death. Unsolved killings, mysterious and brutal, linger. The key questions of who did it and why remain unanswered.".......

Kaieteur News : "Police on East Coast Demerara have detained a 72-year-old male remigrant who went on a chopping spree early yesterday morning, wounding three persons, including a physically challenged girl. The man, who shared the house at Lot 81 Side Line Dam, Bachelor’s Adventure, with the victim, went berserk at about 03:00 hours forcing at least two of the victims to flee by scaling a 10-foot high fence to seek refuge at a neighbour."

Nation News - Home : "AN INCREASING NUMBER of fathers are being brought before the courts charged for sexually abusing their children. The problem is, some of them may have been lied on by their partners. This situation has become so problematic that Bajan-born Canadian Senator Anne Cools described this situation in Canada as 'a terrible and pernicious heart of darkness that has developed in our court system'."

Nation News "POLICE HAVE a bizarre death mystery to solve. It surrounds the torturing, hanging, then burning of a dog, seemingly while it was still alive. Answers are being sought on whether the brutal slaying was done by an angry owner who lost money on a dog fight and took revenge on the animal; if it was a sadistic individual who enjoys inflicting pain and watching the anguish of his victims; or possibly a ritual killing of some sort."

Dominica News Online : "Opposition leader Ron Green says under the leadership of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, Dominica’s economic reality has been gloomy over the past years. Green told a press conference Thursday that unemployment has been at its highest in the last six to eight years."

Kaieteur News : "“When I saw you guys, I thought that there was some road construction. But then I saw it was the police I grabbed the blade and screamed.” Police at a roadblock set up at La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara, on Wednesday night, rescued a woman from a car when she raised an alarm. The drama unfolded at about 21:00 hours. The woman who is employed at the Georgetown Post Office Corporation managed to alert the ranks at the roadblock by shouting and waving a large sword through the front passenger window."

JamaicaObserver.com : "Barbados's Central Bank Governor Dr Marion Williams predicts a downturn in real economic activity with 'possible negative growth' as part of the current global economic crisis in Barbados. And she says 2009 will be a difficult year, 'likely' with higher unemployment and a decline in the tourism and construction sectors."

Trinidad News, "COREY STEELE who fell 17 storeys down from a residential construction project in Glencoe on Wednesday died at hospital yesterday. Reports are around 5 p.m. yesterday Steele succumbed to his injuries at the Port of Spain General Hospital where a number of his co-workers had gathered."

JamaicaObserver.com : "THE grandson of legendary former West Indies cricketer George Headley was found hanging outside his parents' house early yesterday. Police suspect that he committed suicide. The body of Kirk Headley, 31, was found at his parents' Paddington Terrace home, shortly after he had dropped them at the Norman Manley International Airport to catch an early morning flight to Miami, enroute to Mexico."

JamaicaObserver.com : "At least 75 more Jamaicans are to join the unemployment line by the end of the month as the global economic crisis continues to take its toll on local businesses. The latest in a line of redundancies are employees of life insurance heavyweight Sagicor Life Jamaica (formerly Life of Jamaica) and the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ)."

HTS Channel 4: St Lucia "Thirty three year old Shauna “Link” Andrew is currently at the Victoria Hospital nursing gun shot wounds he sustained on Tuesday evening. Andrew was shot by a masked gunman while he worked on his laptop. The shooting took place in Grass Street at approximately 8:10 PM. Andrew is a recording artist who is one of the original members of the Kronic Heights crew that includes producer Francis “Leebo” De Lima."

Nation News "SAGICOR FINANCIAL CORPORATION announced the layoff of 42 staff yesterday and indicated more cuts are on the way. The Barbados-based company which has assets of $8 billion and employs 3 000 in 22 countries in the Caribbean, United States and Britain, said it expected its restructuring would affect less than ten per cent of its staff and management. This first set of staff cuts affects 18 people in Barbados, many of them senior managers, 14 in the United States and ten in Jamaica."

Antigua Sun : "Well-known political scientist Peter Wickham has harshly criticised leader of the opposition Antigua Labour Party (ALP) Lester Bird and his party calling on them to focus on performance, to take internal action to boost its political stocks and to take an active interest in the politics of the ALP. Wickham’s article focussed on the “potential political scenarios for the ALP and the governing United Progressive Party (UPP).” The ALP has however, taken exception to the article. In his Nation News article, Wickham said Bird had essentially “set up” the ALP by contesting the 12 March election as its leader. He further stated that the ALP is in opposition but to some extent “saddled with a 71-year-old leader who appears weakened and somewhat compromised by allegations of scandal.”"

Antigua Sun : "An emotionless Clayton “Clown Dog” Davis Jr. was led away to a waiting police bus after a nine-member jury unanimously found him guilty of attempted murder. The jury comprising seven women and two men returned the verdict after about an hour and a half of deliberations yesterday. Davis looked back at his mother as he was being led away. His former girlfriend, Antonia Sampson and her mother were present for the verdict along with Davis’ other girlfriend, relatives and friends. Sampson looked perturbed after the verdict was returned and she was led out of the courtroom with her mother comforting her by rubbing her back. Davis’ friend and also the godmother for his two sons broke down in tears and had to be reassured by his mother."

Taiwan News Online : "Jamaican police are investigating how a man managed to pass himself off as a cop for six months. Police spokesman Karl Angell says 23-year-old Peter Grayson has been charged with impersonating a police officer and unlawful possession of property. Angell says anti-corruption officers were interrogating Grayson on Thursday as part of an investigation into what he called 'a major breach of security.' Authorities say Grayson went on several raids with the Montego Bay police before he was arrested earlier this month. Assistant police commissioner Denver Frater was quoted by the local Gleaner newspaper as saying that the fake cop signed out a firearm, but there is no record of him using it or making arrests."

The Associated Press: "GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — The Caribbean Community is requesting that President Barack Obama meet with its members during next month's summit in Trinidad to talk about how the global economic crisis is affecting the region. Assistant Secretary General Colin Granderson says Guyana-based Caricom made the request last year but has not heard back. The Caribbean has seen a drop in visitors, and nations in the region are struggling to boost their tourism-dependent economies."

Bloomberg.com : "March 26 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. regulators said they halted a $68 million Ponzi scheme at Caribbean-based Millennium Bank, the second case this year accusing a bank based in the islands of fraudulently selling certificates of deposit."

Bajan officer arrives in Ottawa to continue homicide investigation : "OTTAWA — The lead investigator into the murder of Terry Schwarzfeld — the 60-year-old Ottawa woman who was attacked on a beach in Barbados last month — arrived in Ottawa early Thursday morning, one day after the 24-year-old man charged with Schwarzfeld's killing pleaded guilty to other theft and robbery charges. Assistant Superintendant Leviston Eversley, of the Royal Barbados Police Force, arrived at the Ottawa International Airport around 1:15 a.m. Thursday and was met by a member of the Ottawa police's Major Crimes Unit."

Trinidad News, "Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday did not give Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj the boot as expected yesterday. He, instead, decided to give him one more chance to justify why he should not be fired as United National Congress Chief Whip. Following the party's parliamentary caucus and national executive meeting at the Rienzi Complex, Couva, Panday said he took note of a motion put forward by the Parliament members, in which they voted to have Maharaj removed as chief whip."

Jamaica Gleaner News "A 16-year-old schoolboy from a tough inner-city community in Spanish Town, St Catherine, has emerged winner of this year's Shortwood Branch Library Essay Competition. Jerome Burke of Calabar High School topped this year's competition with his piece titled, 'Racial discrimination can be seen as an obstacle to any country's national development'."

AFC : Kaieteur News : "Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Raphael Trotman, yesterday said that he believes that the US Government will use the information gathered on self-confessed Guyanese drug trafficker, Shaheed ‘Roger’ Khan, for leverage against the Guyana Government when it is needed. This newspaper understands that the US is yet to respond to Guyana’s request for information regarding the Roger Khan case which recently concluded with Khan pleading guilty to all the charges against him, including 18 counts of drug trafficking, and the 1994 gunrunning charges in Vermont, as well as witness tampering. In the process he accepted a 15-year sentence."

JamaicaObserver.com : "THREE policemen were yesterday shot and injured and a gunman shot dead in a dramatic early morning gunfight at a house owned by reggae singer Luciano at Westminister Crescent in Kingston."

Taiwan News Online : "The Antiguan court trying two men charged with slaying a newlywed British couple is allowing the defense more time to review evidence in the high-profile case. A judge was expected to decide Wednesday if there was enough evidence to try the suspects, Kaniel Martin, 22, and Avie Howell, 18. But defense attorneys said they had not finished reviewing over 500 pages of case files."

Jamaica Gleaner News "The case against dental practitioner Dr Christopher Ogunsalu, who was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his dental assistant, was dismissed in the Montego Bay RM Court last week when the complainant missed a sixth consecutive hearing. Ogunsalu, a Nigeria-born naturalised Jamaican, allegedly attacked and seriously injured Pauline Graham during a dispute at his Market Street, Montego Bay, office on July 12, 2007."

The Independent : "While 260,000 holidaymakers flock each year to sip cocktails and open bank accounts in this high-end hideaway, the reality of life for its 30,000 inhabitants is not so idyllic. According to a retired Appeal Court judge last week, that evocative description could read: 'A tropical national emergency, a throwback in time where general administrative incompetence seems unavoidable and serious dishonesty [in government] may well be ensured.'"

Stabroek news A Guyanese youth was shot dead in front of a Creole restaurant in Cayenne, French Guiana on Saturday in an apparent revenge killing. Three men are said to be in police custody. Sources in the neighbouring territory say that investigators are reluctant to divulge the man’s identity or information surrounding his death. They have, however, said that the persons involved in the incident are known to them. The dead lad, who is about 17 years old, is known as ‘Beenie’ and resides in Georgetown. From reports, the deceased is an illegal immigrant in the country and resided in a squatting settlement.

Trinidad News, "Acting Commissioner of Police James Philbert is investigating an alleged plot to kidnap one of the daughters of Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday. Sources told the Express last night that Philbert met with Panday yesterday at the Opposition Leader's office in Port of Spain on the allegation."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : "REGEL QUASIE ALLICK, a 22-year-old paraplegic, was yesterday ordered by Chief Magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls to stand trial for murder, despite a last ditch attempt by his attorney to have the charge reduced to manslaughter. Sitting in the Eighth Court of the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court, Mc Nicolls dismissed Allick’s attorney David West’s application for the charge to be reduced on the basis of diminished responsibility. Allick is charged with murdering businessman Damien So’Brien on May 16, 2008."

Jamaica Gleaner News "She knows no other job but teaching. Lizette Morrison, principal of Tulloch Primary School, has been nurturing young minds for 40 years and would have it no other way. Morrison, who wanted to dedicate her life to caring for the sick, attempted to get into nursing school but that did not materialise. In 1970, she was given an offer to matriculate at Mico College and, as the saying goes, the rest is history."

JamaicaObserver.com : "CHAIRMAN of the Jamaica Cancer Society, Earl Jarrett, has raised concerns that the fear of being labelled homosexuals is causing some Jamaican men to shy away from doing prostate examinations, resulting in the country maintaining the record of having one of the highest prostate cancer rates in the world. Jarrett who was addressing the Rotary Club of New Kingston at the Pegasus Hotel recently, implored more men to encourage each other to do the prostate examination, which could eventually save their lives."

Stabroek News "A 21-year-old woman, her six-month-old baby and two female relatives were admitted as patients at the Georgetown Public Hospital, after her ex-reputed husband launched a violent attack on them with a piece of wood yesterday morning. Kalwantie Kumar, 21, of Hand-en-veldt, Mahaica was returning home from the clinic with her baby girl, Sema Rambarat, when she was attacked by a man with whom she had formerly shared a relationship. Hemwantie Kumar, her 20-year-old sister and their 56-year-old mother, Lapatie Persaud, rushed to her assistance and were also beaten by the man."

The Barbados Advocate : "The Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) is enhancing its security initiatives to contain crime on the island and to ensure that Barbados is safe for both locals and visitors. In an effort to boost policing in a number of public spaces, the RBPF will be increasing its patrol services at beaches and other attractions across Barbados, in addition to equipping officers with motorised units and bicycles."

Nation News "Police are continuing to question the suspect in the February 28 fatal attack on Canadian Terri Schwarzfeld. Lawmen are also questioning the suspect in connection with a number of other robberies in the area as well as a rape report. They are expected to charge him today."

Radiojamaica.com.. "A row has broken out in St. Lucia between the Opposition and the Taiwanese Ambassador over accusations that he is meddling in local politics. The St. Lucia Labour Party wants the ambassador sent home. At issue is a Taiwan financed learning centre being located within the office of a governing party politician."

Communications and works officials discarded about 90,000 light bulbs at the Deglos landfill on Friday. But it wasnt wasteful its part of that departments ongoing efforts to phase out incandescent bulbs which will be replaced with energy saving ones. Ministry officials say so far, the project has been a success.

The family of an elderly man is irate over his shooting by police on the weekend. The Labayee man was shot after police were called in to transport him to the Mental Hospital after his family called to report he was acting up. Police reports indicate that the man posed a serious threat when they got to the scene.

Trinidad News, : "SANITATION workers, making their early-morning rounds, stumbled upon a bullet-riddled body in Tacarigua yesterday. But up to press time last night, the identity of the man, believed to be in his 20s, still remained unknown."

The Barbados Advocate : "LAWMEN are stepping up patrols of areas frequented by tourists and expanding policing of public spaces in Barbados. The Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF), as part of efforts to redraft its tourism policing plan and increase safety and security here, was also employing increased technology, Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin said yesterday."

The Barbados Advocate : "INVESTIGATIONS into the robbery, beating and subsequent death of a Canadian visitor are being expanded to Canada following the arrest of a suspect in Barbados. Commissioner of Police, Darwin Dottin, not only announced lawmen had arrested and were about to charge a 24-year-old Barbadian man in connection with February 28 incident at Long Beach Christ Church yesterday, but disclosed the Royal Barbados Police Force was sending one of its officers to North America “to pursue that end of the investigation”."

Jamaica Gleaner News "Hours after embattled premier of the Turks and Caicos, Michael Misick stepped down, he was yesterday replaced by businessman Oliver Galmo Williams, a member of his organisation, the Progressive National Party (PNP). PNP Chairman Don Hugh Gardener told The Gleaner yesterday that Williams, a noted businessman, was sworn in at 5:30 p.m. by Governor Gordon Wetherell."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "CLINTON AUGUSTE, dismissed from the Police Service, after a police tribunal attended by Prime Minister Patrick Manning, found him guilty of discreditable conduct, has retained an attorney to contest the firing. Auguste, 39, a father of two, who was dismissed last week Friday spent several hours with his attorney Garvin Nicholas, who yesterday said he was drafting an application for judicial review."

Nation News "AN artist's sketch, plus the expert help of a consultant psychiatrist and round-the-clock police investigations has led to the arrest of a 24-year old man in the case of an attack on two Canadian visitors, one of whom died last Wednesday. The investigations by a specially selected team of detectives also led to the recovery of a number of items including jewellery, a camera and an imitation gun believed used in the attack on 60-year-old Terry Schwarzfeld and her daughter-in-law Luana Cotsman while they were walking along Long Bay beach, Christ Church."

LoveFM News : "An accident on the Northern Highway on Saturday claimed the life of a 17-year-old. Reports are a little before 11 o’clock on Saturday morning 17-year-old Hiram Longsworth, a resident of Lord’s Bank and three passengers were traveling toward Belize City in a Blue Ford Escort when he lost control between mile seven and eight near Manatee Lookout."

Jamaica Gleaner News "West Portland yesterday forcefully rejected an application from People's National Party (PNP) candidate Kenneth Rowe to be its member of parliament, and opted instead to have the Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Daryl Vaz resume representing it in the House of Representatives. At the end of the day, Vaz polled 7,915 votes to Rowe's 5,626, becoming the first candidate to score more than 7,000 votes in West Portland. Astor Black, of the New Jamaica Alliance, polled 27 votes. Vaz bettered his showing in the 2007 general election, when he polled 6,977 votes to defeat the PNP's Abraham Dabdoub, who received 6,033 from the 74 per cent of those who voted."

MiamiHerald.com : "Hip-hop star T-Pain got slapped with a lawsuit Monday in Broward Circuit Court -- for canceling a major concert in Guyana last month because of alleged kidnap and death threats. The plaintiff, Hits and Jams Entertainment, says the 23-year-old rapper and his reps became a major pain by making grandiose demands -- from a private jet and FBI protection to a phone chat with Guyana's president."

| Turks and Caicos PM resigns early : "The premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands has resigned after a probe found 'clear signs' of corruption in the UK overseas territory, reports say. Michael Misick, who has denied claims of selling Crown land for personal gain, will stand down a week early, according to the AP news agency."

There has been a breakthrough in the case where two Canadian tourists were attacked in Barbados.Police public relation officer Anthony Depeiza announced today that they have a suspect in custody.

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "Tension flared into a brawl outside the Rienzi Complex, Couva yesterday, when a contingent of supporters of rebel UNC MPs Jack Warner and Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj fought with security guards of the UNC executive to try to get into the compound to take part in the party’s national congress."

washingtonpost.com : "Populations of both large and small fish have been declining sharply across the Caribbean in the past 10 years, say researchers, who combined data from 48 studies of 318 coral reefs conducted over more than 50 years."

Nation News : "THOUSANDS OF BARBADIANS are refusing to pay the Barbados Water Authority (BWA). Almost 10 000 accounts at the BWA are racking up arrears and its costing this island's lone water supplier more than $1.5 million per year."

Jamaica Gleaner News "THE COUNTRY'S two major political parties are confident that rainy weather affecting West Portland will not influence voter turnout in today's by-election, which could significantly shift the balance of political power. Already the parish has been drenched and the Meteorological Service has said it expects 'cloudy conditions with on-and-off showers' to continue throughout today. The Jamaica Labour Party's (JLP) Daryl Vaz is nominated to contest the seat against the People's National Party's (PNP) Kenneth Rowe. Long-shot contender Astor Black of the New Jamaica Alliance is also in the race."

JamaicaObserver.com : "WEST Portland electors will today vote in a crucial by-election that could tip the balance of power in the Parliament and result in the prime minister calling fresh general elections in search of a stronger majority. The significance of the vote has been evident in the constituency over the past three weeks, as senior officials of both the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) have been engaged in intense house-to-house campaigning and mass meetings."

Kaieteur News : "Three men were shot yesterday during an early morning fracas outside the New Court Yard nightclub, and police later detained a driver with an unlicensed gun. He was taking one of the wounded to hospital. Police said that Erasto Roberts, 30, of Toucan Drive, South Ruimveldt, was shot in the stomach; Joseph Medford, 45, was shot in the left knee and Jamal Douglas, 22, of Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, was shot in the foot."

Stabroek News "Warning that ethnic divisions entrenched in society could escalate into violence, the United Nations Independent Expert on Minorities has urged the Guyana government to take urgent steps towards national reconciliation, including the establishment of an open dialogue on inclusive governance."

The Jamaica Star "Dancehall deejay Desmond 'Ninja Man' Ballentine was yesterday charged with murder, conspiracy to murder, shooting with intent and illegal possession of firearm following a shooting incident on Tuesday. The deejay was yesterday charged after an interview with detectives from the Major Investigation Task Force. Head of the Major Investigation Task force (MIT), Assistant Commissioner Les Green, confirmed the charges and added that the case might be mentioned in court as early as next Friday. Ninja Man is now being held in custody."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "THE STRUCTURAL steelwork on the $900 million Brian Lara Stadium project at Tarouba “is effectively condemned”, according to a report into the Udecott project prepared by Gerry McCaffrey, the construction expert hired by the Uff Commission of Inquiry whose future participation in the inquiry has now been cast in doubt."

The Trinidad Guardian : "More than 12 hours after being dismissed from the Police Service for “disorderly conduct,” acting police Cpl Clinton Auguste is still trying to come to terms with the reality that he’s now an ex-cop. Auguste, 39, broke his silence, detailing the entire affair in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Guardian at his Dundonald Hill, St James, home, yesterday."

Jamaica Gleaner News "THE DOWNTURN in the economy has hit real-estate developers, with some forced to stall projects while others are hurting in the pocket as houses on the market are being sold at a painfully slow pace. Reynold Scott, president of the Jamaica Developers' Association, told The Sunday Gleaner that the global economic downturn, which has caused the cost of raw materials to escalate and has led to a spike in domestic interest rates, has been having a devastating impact on the real-estate business."

JamaicaObserver.com : "Under Jamaican law a general practitioner can perform brain surgery and a gynaecologist can practise ophthalmology. But as bad as that sounds, it isn't half as dangerous as practising without having legal medical qualification whatsoever, and it's one of the problems currently plaguing the fields of optometry and ophthalmology."

Kaieteur News : "“Anytime you combine medication and supplements the potential exists for adverse effects,” said Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy yesterday when he responded to questions related to the use of senna pod (a laxative) and Lomotil (anti-diarrhoeal tablets).” The Minister made this disclosure when he held a press conference at the Health Ministry’s Brickdam head office yesterday. Minister Ramsammy’s comments came in wake of the death of five-year-old Afiena and three-year-old Aliyah Ramdeen of G127, Good Intent Squatting area who died within a day of each other after being fed doses of senna pod and subsequently tablets believed to be Lomotil."

Stabroek News "The man who was fatally shot in the head on Sussex Street on Thursday night, was yesterday identified as Keith Bowen, a 30-year-old Vigilance, East Coast Demerara resident and Sheriff Taxi Service driver. His dark grey car bearing number plate HB 264 was found abandoned on Princes Street in the vicinity of Lombard Street around 7:30 yesterday morning. There were bloodstains on the driver’s seat and on the inside of one of the doors."

Nation News - Home : "GEORGETOWN, Guyana - Police have arrested a woman whose two young children died after she said she gave them a popular laxative. Police say the 29-year-old likely faces criminal charges. They say she told authorities she gave her daughters senna pods."

JamaicaObserver.com : "CONTROVERSIAL dancehall artiste Desmond Ballentine, better known as Ninja Man, was yesterday charged with Monday's gun slaying of a man on Marl Road in Kingston. Head of the Major Investigations Task force (MIT), Assistant Police Commissioner Les Green, said Ballentine was charged with murder, conspiracy to murder and illegal possession of a firearm. 'He was questioned this afternoon and as a result of that interview the charges were laid,' Green told the Observer last night. The police, he added, had a 'good' case against Ballentine."

Jamaica Gleaner News "GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS from across the parish of St Thomas joined forces yesterday to help counsel and console the traumatised students and teachers of the Morant Bay Primary School in the wake of the brutal rape and murder of nine-year-old Courtney Walker, a student of the school."

JamaicaObserver.com : "THE Caribbean's leading hotelier, Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, yesterday lashed cruise ships for not paying a US$2 head tax introduced in November 2006, and the previous administration for not insisting on its collection. Stewart accused then tourism minister, Aloun Assamba, of going back on her word 'in the worst possible way' by first agreeing to set the cruise tax at US$10, but asking only US$2 of the cruise ships, while the land-based hoteliers had to pay the US$10 per head."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "The close knit community of Buenos Ayres was yesterday plunged into mourning with the death of schoolgirl Meagan Roberts-Chance, her father Kelvin Roberts-Chance, 52, a truck driver is pleading with an unidentified fellow truck driver to turn himself in to the police. Meagan, 15, of Buenos Ayres Main Road, Buenos Ayres was killed yesterday when the burgundy Honda Integra motorcar in which she was a passenger, overturned several times after colliding with a truck which police said never stopped."

Nation News "MOVES ARE AFOOT to foster greater fellowship among gay Christian men in Barbados. The measure is designed to bring gay men and those who have homosexual leanings into a closer relationship with God. 'They are a lot of gay Christian men out there. . . in our churches,' said the man behind the initiative."

GayCityNews "Two men have been arrested in the stabbing death of Dane Harris, a gay man whose decomposing remains were found February 26 in Havendale, St. Andrew, in Jamaica. Police were questioning Dwayne Gordon, 23, and Andy Williams in the murder, and Gordon confessed that, on February 23, he and Williams committed the crime, the Jamaica Star reported. Gordon is alleging that Harris made 'sexual advances' toward him, he told Williams about it, and they plotted to meet and beat him."

Anthony Walcott has been charged with beating his estranged girlfriend into paralysis

Kaieteur News : "The United States Embassy in Georgetown has revoked the visa of Supreme Court Registrar, Sita Ramlal. The revocation followed an investigation by the embassy into a case of forgery of documents purporting to represent the adoption of a female child."

Stabroek News "A five-year-old child was discovered dead in bed by her mother early yesterday morning, while her younger sister is critically ill, hours after they were each given a dose of senna pod tea, followed by an anti-diarrheal drug sometime later. Afiena Ramdeen of Murphy Street, Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara was pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH). Her three-year-old sister Aaliyah Ramdeen was admitted a patient in the Children’s Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where she remained in a critical condition up to press time last night."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : "A GRENADIAN boat captain, charged together with the boat’s cook with possession of $4.3 million worth of cocaine, yesterday walked out the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court a free man. Customs and Excise Division yesterday informed Magistrate Melvin Daniel in San Fernando that no evidence would be offered against Michael Clement, 49 of Petit, Martinique, Grenada."

JamaicaObserver.com : "Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says he will be intervening to ensure that cruise ships pay the required US$2 head tax for each passenger. 'In real terms it is not fair for land-based tourism to be saddling the burden to provide this vital support for the industry and the cruises are not playing a part, while they demand so much of us,' Bartlett told journalists at a press conference at his office in Kingston yesterday."

Jamaica Gleaner News "The National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) says it expects improved results in the much-anticipated Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), which will be administered next Thursday and Friday. Almost 50,000 grade-six students are registered to sit the examination, which is in its 10th year."

Nation News "THE RESURGENCE in West Indies' cricket over the past six weeks was bowled by a devastating yorker during the past 36 hours. Free of chaos this season, the game in the region has again found itself embroiled in controversy. The drama began to unfold on Wednesday night in Guyana with the no-show of the West Indies players at a reception hosted by team sponsors Digicel."

JamaicaObserver.com : "ANGRY residents of Bamboo River in Morant Bay, St Thomas yesterday staged a four-hour vigil at the Morant Bay Police Station, demanding that a man accused of sexually assaulting and brutally murdering a nine-year-old boy in their community be handed over to them. Police said the child, Courtney Walker, a student of the Morant Bay Primary School, was found bleeding in bushes at Bamboo River by a farmer who had gone to tend to his animals. He was taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital but died while being treated."

Trinidad News, "A mystery creature washed ashore in Cedros last week, with descriptions ranging from the mundane- a bison, to the magical - a unicorn. Some who saw it suggested it was a rhinoceros, of a narwhal, both animals having a single horn. The only thing residents were certain about was that the animal which beached near the Cedros Coast Guard Station, had at least one horn."

Klassic Grenada : "Members of the public have been warned against two fraudulent self-appointed tax-collectors. A press release issued by the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday said that persons purporting to be Tommy Augustus and R. Frederick are currently visiting taxpayers (particularly small shops) claiming to be employed with the Inland Revenue Department and demanding payment of taxes in particular annual stamp tax. The statement warned that these individuals are not employed by the Inland Revenue Department nor are they authorized to collect any monies or conduct any tax related transactions on behalf of the Inland Revenue Department or the Government of Grenada."

Kaieteur News : "The 28-year-old Sparta fisherman, who is accused of raping his mother, burst uncontrollably into tears after he was released on $40,000 bail by Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty. The victim who was also present in court took the same opportunity to tell the court that it was her husband who told her son to commit the act. It is alleged that on December 16, 2006, at Sparta, the man had sex with his mother while she was under the influence of alcohol. He allegedly repeated this act on numerous occasions."

MONTEGO BAY, St James - Over 200 mourners on Friday gathered at the scene where former Air Jamaica employee, 37- year-old Denise Matheson was knocked from the car she was driving two weeks ago, to mark her passing. Singing hymns of comfort and praying for strength, the tearful throng which included the late Matheson's friends, family and co-workers, made for an arresting sight which forced passing motorists to slow down and recall the need to drive carefully. The Jamaica Observer

Kaieteur News In a dramatic turn of events yesterday, CLICO (Guyana) terminated the services of the majority of its staff members at its Head Office on Camp Street as well as all of the staffers at its branches on Lamaha Street and Irving Street which house agents for the company.

The Jamaica Observer ALUMINA Partners of Jamaica (ALPART), the island's leading bauxite plant, will be suspending all operations in Jamaica for at least one year, effective May 15. Approximately 900 permanent employees were told by letter yesterday that their jobs would be made redundant, leaving an air of anxiety at the 50-odd-year-old St Elizabeth bauxite plant.