SmallShop Caribbean News

Kaieteur News : "Cuba’s charge d’affaires, Jorge Rodriguez Hernandez, and Venezuela’s Ambassador Dario Morandy, have come out strongly against the coup that toppled Honduras President Manuel Zelaya on Sunday. The Honduran military arrested President Zelaya at his home and flew him out of the country to Costa Rica."

Jamaica Gleaner News "Oberlin High School teacher Janet Marshall is wholly persuaded that she has a 'special purpose', as a teacher, to impact the lives of her students for good. It is perhaps no coincidence, therefore, that one of her students is convinced beyond every shadow of a doubt that he owes all his achievements to her faith in him."

JamaicaObserver.com : "WILLIAM 'Bill' Clarke, one of the island's most accomplished banking executives, says he is unable to secure employment and is being 'ruined economically' as a result of his highly publicised and contentious split with the Bank of Nova Scotia last year."

Nation News "PRIME MINISTER DAVID THOMPSON is disheartened by the responses to his domestic immigration policy coming from regional leaders. Speaking to reporters after opening a play park in Gall Hill, St John, yesterday, he said it had never been his approach to get involved in the internal politics of another country."

Nation News "BARBADIANS can expect a 60 per cent increase in water rates from tomorrow. Acting Minister of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage, Senator Haynesley Benn, revealed the approved increase by Government at a two-day Water Operators Conference at Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, St Lawrence, Christ Church, yesterday."

St. Lucia STAR : "You think that it’s an accident that the police are always under funded, underpaid, undermanned and struggling to keep up with the issues of the day? You think it’s an accident that the ghettos keep growing and growing, even though there are more schools and more jobs and more businesses and more opportunities than there were 20 years ago?"

FOXNews.com : "HOUSTON — Texas financier R. Allen Stanford, indicted on charges alleging he swindled investors out of $7 billion, could find out Monday if he will be freed on a $500,000 bond or stay locked up until his trial. U.S. District Judge David Hittner was set to hold a hearing to listen to arguments from federal prosecutors that Stanford, who holds Antiguan citizenship and may have access to hidden vast wealth, is a flight risk."

Evening Star 24 : "A SUFFOLK barrister has relived the horrific moment he was shot by an armed robber in an exclusive Barbados resort. Regulars to the island, Andrew Thompson and his wife Isobel were walking home from an evening meal when two men demanded they hand over money."

Antigua Sun Ltd. "Leroy King may only be the first on a list of Antiguans to be named in the financial scandal that crumbled the Stanford empire. That’s according to Attorney-General Justin Simon, speaking to the AntiguaSun yesterday, two days after investor Sir Allen Stanford was ordered to be kept behind bars so his bail hearing could continue today."

Nation News : "THIS ISLAND'S TOURISM SECTOR, already under pressure by the world economic crisis, could be facing another serious external challenge. It's in the form of a new air passenger departure tax to be imposed by the British government from November 1."

Nation News "AN ARMED BANDIT last Saturday night left a family $60 000 in the red when he made off with their clients' gold. Goldsmiths Simy 'Jennifer' Ragnauth and her fiancé Ramnarayan 'Richard' Kaimraj were held at gunpointin the driveway of their St Michael home around 8:20, moments after leaving their business in Bridgetown."

Jamaica Gleaner News "Jamaica will lose the multimillion-dollar Caribbean Classic Golf Invitational (CCGI) to Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic or Las Vegas, United States, if tourism officials here fail to show some serious commitment to the event, philanthropist Richard Stephenson has warned."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "LOS ANGELES: The cardiologist who was with Michael Jackson during the pop star’s final moments sat down with investigators for three hours to explain his actions, and his spokeswoman says he is not a suspect."

The Dominican.net: : "Speculation continues to be rife on Dominica that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit will call early elections maybe as soon as the first week in August, 2009. While these expectations are not new, they have taken on added significance in recent days."

JamaicaObserver.com : "THE phenomenon of skin bleaching is alive and well in Jamaica. The recent seizure by customs of goods containing a selection of bleaching creams only proves the point. Bleaching is the application of chemicals to the skin to obtain a fairer colour. It may also be referred to as toning."

The Barbados Advocate : "THERE has been no Immigration crackdown against Guyanese and other non-nationals in Barbados and Prime Minister David Thompson has the proof. Eight non-nationals, including four Guyanese, have been deported from Barbados this month, but 177, including 71 from Guyana have had their stays extended, Thompson revealed yesterday."

JamaicaObserver.com : "SUPERCLUBS chairman, John Issa, asked to give his interpretation of e-mails over which he is suing in a Florida court, said he believed he was accused of running 'not just a whorehouse, but the world's most famous whorehouse'."

Jamaica Gleaner News "At least two young party members who stood on the platform with Simpson Miller have tiptoed out of her camp. PEOPLE'S NATIONAL Party (PNP) insiders have said the impending decision not to contest any more by-elections is geared towards saving the political career of party president Portia Simpson Miller."

The Jamaica Star "One of Kingston's deadliest gangs, the 'Stingers' gang, is once again wreaking havoc on residents from Maxfield in St Andrew and surrounding communities. The last time the notorious group of about 20 men made headlines, they were said to be responsible for cleaning out Barnes Avenue in the community."

Nation News "EIGHT PEOPLE have been deported from Barbados since June 1, when the new immigration policy for non-nationals came into effect - and only four of these were Guyanese. Prime Minister David Thompson disclosed this yesterday saying he was bewildered and disgusted at the 'reckless and grossly unfair' generalisations and slurs levelled against public officers in particular, and Barbadians in general, on the issue of unchecked migration into Barbados."

WWL "The National Hurricane Center is keeping an eye on a tropical wave currently over the Western Caribbean. Forecasters say the wave has a 30 to 50 percent chance of developing into a named storm in the next 48 hours. The Hurricane Center said but conditions are forecast to become a little more favorable for development once the wave moves into the Gulf of Mexico late Saturday or Sunday."

JamaicaObserver.com : "ABOUT 20 apartments in an uptown Kingston complex were last night left in the dark after the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) disconnected electricity to the premises, saying the connection was illegal."

Jamaica Gleaner News "'When I heard that his death wasn't confirmed, the first thing I said was, 'Please, God, let it not be.' Then I started to pray. But it all took me by surprise because I didn't know of him being sick, that it had reached a stage of death."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "How did King of Pop Michael Jackson die? That question won’t be answered for several more weeks, as a Los Angeles coroner yesterday said more tests would be needed to determine the cause of death, even after a three-hour autopsy."

Kaieteur News : "The Auditor General’s report for 2007 on the Public Accounts of Guyana and on the accounts of the Ministries Department and Regions was made public on Thursday. Auditor General (ag) Deodat Sharma had said that there were several issues that reoccurred in the report."

Nation News : "ON EVERY STREET CORNER, inside stores, workplaces and rum shops, on the blocks and beaches across Barbados yesterday, pop star Michael Jackson's sudden passing was the hot topic. As his music heated up the airwaves and fans discussed his life and concluded that he was a star 'gone too soon', many of those who spoke with the SATURDAY SUN remembered the 50-year-old musical legend, who died on Thursday after collapsing at his home in Los Angeles, as the greatest entertainer of all time."

wwltv.com : "HOUSTON—The National Hurricane Center on Friday was keeping tabs on a tropical wave over the Western Caribbean which has 30- to 50-percent chance of developing into a named storm in the next 48 hours."

The Times of India : "CHENNAI: There was drama at the Frontier Lifeline Hospital here on Friday when 10 children and two adults from Guyana were detained at the hospital for allegedly defaulting on payment of $91,250 (about Rs 45 lakh). They had been brought to the hospital on June 9 for heart surgery by the former first lady of Guyana, Varshinie Singh."

AFP: "KINGSTON, Jamaica (AFP) — Yuvraj Singh set India up for a 20-run victory over West Indies in the first One-day International on Friday with a boundary-laced 131."

UPI.com : "HOUSTON, June 26 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Houston delayed accused financier R. Allen Stanford's release Friday to give prosecutors a chance to argue he is a flight risk."

Sun St. Kitts "A number of cases relating to murder, attempted murder, wounding and grievous bodily harm incidents remain unsolved. An extensive evaluation and investigation over the figures that the Press and Public Relations Department of the St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force revealed that while some cases have been solved, a number of cases remain unsolved."

Amandala Online : "Police have their hands full, investigating the violence and crimes that continue unabated in Belize City. There were reports of two murders over the weekend in the City, and now, it has been found that apparently, there had been another weekend killing."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "JESUS DANIEL yesterday remembered his mother Camille as a “hero”, who instead of submitting to the demands of two bandits, instinctively drove into the West End Police Station in a bid to save her life and that of a friend who was in the car. “She was like a hero to me,” Jesus, 17, said."

The Jamaica Star "Three men from Falmouth, Trelawny, who the police claim were operating a scam by allowing unsuspecting persons to win money in card games then robbing them, are now in the custody of the Area One police. The three, who the police allege operated throughout the parish, have not yet been charged. They were arrested on Monday after a female made a report earlier that day that she was tricked."

Bloomberg.com : "Stanford, 59, in handcuffs and wearing an orange prison- issued jumpsuit, entered his plea yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy in Houston. Stacy set bail at $500,000 and required the Texas financier to post a $100,000 deposit in cash. Stanford was returned to jail, at least for the night, to allow prosecutors to file an appeal. Stanford’s lawyer, Dick DeGuerin, said in an interview that his client will likely remain in custody until at least today, because it will take time to gather the cash bond, which Stacy said must be contributed by friends and family and not drawn from Stanford’s funds."

Michael Jackson died Thursday after suffering a cardiac arrest, sending shockwaves sweeping across the world and tributes pouring in for the tortured music icon revered as the "King of Pop."

Kaieteur News : "A 40-year old Costello Housing scheme resident was up to late last night undergoing emergency surgery at the Georgetown Hospital to remove a bullet from his abdomen. The victim, identified as Wayne Richie, was shot at around 21:00 hours by a man who eyewitness said he was familiar with. According to reports, Richie was with some of his friends when a man came up with a black plastic bag in his hand and called him away. There was what appeared to be an argument and Richie attempted to walk away. However, the man became annoyed and called out angrily to Richie. As Richie turned around to respond, a gunshot rang out."

JamaicaObserver.com : "LOS ANGELES, USA (AP) - Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the 'King of Pop' and the biggest celebrity in the world, only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died yesterday. He was 50."

Nation News "“They broke in all of my rooms and terrified persons who were not even illegal. One lady was dragged off the toilet and all the urine and stool fell on the floor."

Nation News "MICHAEL JACKSON, the moonwalking former child star who became known the world over as the 'King of Pop', died yesterday. He was 50. Hundreds of people converged on the UCLA Medical Centre in Los Angeles, United States, as word spread across radio, television and the Internet that the superstar and music icon had died."

After a second preliminary round of judging the 19 groovy artistes that will battle for the Groovy Monarch competition against defending monarch Herb Black have been chosen.

Reuters : "HOUSTON (Reuters) - Texas financier Allen Stanford pleaded not guilty on Thursday to federal criminal charges that he masterminded a $7 billion fraud. 'Not guilty, Your Honor,' Stanford told U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy."

The Associated Press: "ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (AP) — An Antiguan official says the island's former chief financial regulator has surrendered to face U.S. charges that he aided an alleged $7 billion swindle by Texas billionaire R. Allen Stanford. Leroy King is accused of accepting more than $100,000 in bribes to turn a blind eye to the fraud. The official who confirmed Thursday's arrest spoke on condition of anonymity because the person is not authorized to discuss the case."

Kaieteur News : "The police have detained two persons to assist in the investigation into the shooting on the UNAMCO trail that has left a young businessman dead on Tuesday. Sources close to the investigation say that the two men who were at the time traveling with 34 year-old Thakoor Persaud have been taken into police custody."

Stabroek News "The body of the businessman, who was ambushed and killed along the UNAMCO trail on Tuesday, was riddled with bullet holes, with at least three large wounds that appeared to have been fired at close range."

JamaicaObserver.com : "A student from the Kingston-based Jamaican German Automotive School died in hospital yesterday while another was battling for life last night following a late morning dispute over a cellular phone at the school."

Jamaica Gleaner News "An end to the latest round of the bitterly fought dual-citizenship battle raging between the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) is looming large, with an outcome likely to materialise as early as this week."

Nation News "FOUR MORE ILLEGAL DUMPERS were apprehended by the environmental health department recently. And they suffered the same fate as the one before them - they all had to clean up their mess."

The second teenager wanted in a double murder that took place on Corpus Christi has appeared in court. James had been on the Police most wanted list before he accompanied by his attorney turned himself into Police on Friday. He will answer the charges that are already facing another teenager who is currently on remand at the Bordelais Correctional Facility.

Stabroek News "Guyanese who were deported from Barbados after being subjected to early morning raids will be able to recount their experience to local authorities as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is setting up a mechanism to facilitate this."

Nation News "A 51-YEAR-OLD WOMAN is the fifth confirmed case of Influenza A (H1N1) in Barbados. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Joy St John made the disclosure yesterday, noting that the woman 'became ill after returning from an affected country'."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "A NEW suspect was arrested yesterday in connection with the abduction and murder of ten- year-old schoolgirl Tecia Henry. Police said the 30-year-old man was arrested at about 2 pm at his Block 8, Laventille home and up to last night, remained in custody assisting police in their investigations."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "Less than two years after a magistrate freed him, Larry Achong, former PNM government minister and Point Fortin MP, is to be retried on the charge that he cursed a pundit during an anti-smelter meeting in Chatham in 2006."

Kaieteur News : "The sight of a flock of carrion crows flying over trees near the Cheddi Jagan International Airport caused suspicious persons to contact police ranks, who discovered a man’s bloated and decomposed body in a clump of bushes a few yards from the airport fence."

Jamaica Gleaner News "Government has reached a deal for the sale of the Trelawny and St Thomas sugar companies, as a first step in divesting the country's assets in the sector. Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton made the announcement in Parliament yesterday."

JamaicaObserver.com : "But some of the most popular US imports never appear on the manifests: handguns, rifles and bullets that stoke one of the world's highest murder rates."

Nation News : "GOVERNMENT has 'wasted' more than $262 million on education in the last decade because the investment was not used wisely."

Reuters : "MIAMI (Reuters) - Antigua and Barbuda's government on Tuesday dismissed the country's chief financial regulator over his alleged role in the Allen Stanford fraud case, and vowed to root out further corruption 'cancer' if it existed."

Taiwan News Online : "A 13-year-old girl in St. Lucia has been charged with murder in a barroom stabbing, police said Tuesday. The defendant was among a group of teenage girls that attacked a woman in a rural section of the eastern Caribbean island on June 13, according to a police statement. Authorities have not released her name because she is a juvenile."

Stabroek News "The David Thompson administration’s targeting of Caricom nationals in its crackdown on illegal immigrants is an act of profiling, which Distinguished Professor Clive Thomas says needs to be met with the strongest possible protest. Since the policy was unveiled on May 5 this year Barbados has been severely criticised, but Thompson has defended his government’s actions as a sovereign right, while saying on Sunday that there are “sinister” attempts to tarnish the island’s image."

The Associated Press: "WASHINGTON (AP) — Billionaire R. Allen Stanford was expected back in Texas on Tuesday to face federal charges he ran a $7 billion swindle with his international banking empire. A federal grand jury in Houston has indicted Stanford and six executives of Stanford Financial Group, accusing them of orchestrating the massive fraud by advising clients to buy certificates of deposit from the Antigua-based Stanford International Bank. Stanford was arrested Thursday in Virginia."

Stabroek News "The police said yesterday that they would charge an ex-officer today, several months after he allegedly brutally raped and repeatedly traumatised a teenage girl, who was driven to attempt suicide on Saturday."

Kaieteur News : "After countless reports to this publication from neighbours about a Guyhoc house being used as the venue for a sex ring involving underaged school girls, yesterday the police became involved and five persons were arrested. Three were schoolgirls, aged 12, 13 and 19, while the two men are aged 19. However, after several hours of interactions with the parents and the youngsters, the police were prepared to issue charges of carnal knowledge and statutory rape but that will not happen."

Kaieteur News : "Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Hydar Ally, along with a team of officials from that Ministry yesterday appeared before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee to submit to scrutiny and to offer explanations for discrepancies highlighted in the 2006 Auditor General’s report."

JamaicaObserver.com : "THE education ministry yesterday ordered the closure of all schools in Manchester after what it said was the detection of two cases of the Influenza A H1N1 virus, popularly called swine flu, in two students. The directive triggered a rush by parents to pull their children from schools in Mandeville, the parish capital."

Jamaica Gleaner News "The Ministry of Health is insisting there is no need for panic, despite the closure of all 69 primary and secondary schools in Manchester following the confirmation of two cases of influenza A (H1N1) infections. The cases include a student at a preparatory school in Mandeville, where 13 per cent of the school population has reported flu-like symptoms."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "POLICEMAN Dale Ramcharan’s job was to uphold the law, protect the innocent and put lawbreakers behind bars. Yesterday, he was sentenced by a High Court judge to two years imprisonment with hard labour after being found guilty of receiving a stolen vehicle. The 32-year-old father of one, of Dinsley in Tacarigua, was also ordered to pay Carol Soobhanath $17,500 in compensation for the stolen car. The punishment was handed down by Justice Prakash Moosai in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court."

Nation News : "'When we look around our region, we see that the rule of law is under siege,' he said. 'When we look to the north, when we look to the south, we see that the rule of law is under siege.'"

Stabroek News "Who sleeps in a church dress and petticoat, prepares sardines and biscuits for dinner, covers their bodies in candle grease, snaps like an alligator and calls immigration in matters of a mate? I would give you the answer but I’m afraid that I’d be banned for life from the Land of the Flying Fish. Not that I’m in a hurry to get there after the song “GT Advice” but I’ve heard that the beaches are among the best in the Caribbean. But that’s minor and there is always St. Lucia anyway."

Stabroek News "Frustrated that her case is still to reach the courts more than six months after she was raped, and traumatized by the continued threats of her attacker, an 18-year-old girl drank poison in an attempt to end her life, but doctors were fighting to save her last night."

Kaieteur News : "Police are trying to locate seven juveniles who escaped recently from the New Opportunity Corps (NOC). It is unclear how the juveniles slipped out of the Essequibo facility, but late in the evening on Saturday, routine checks were made and it was discovered that the inmates were missing."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "Catholic priest Father Michael Cockburn said yesterday that while people are fighting and killing each another they are “using the children for the sake of vengeance.” He said children are being subjected to the hands of murderers. “We have to get rid of all this vengeance and retaliation,” he said."

Nation News "DAYS BEFORE CARICOM leaders meet in Guyana for their annual conference, Prime Minister David Thompson has again spoken to the matter of immigration which is expected to engage their attention. He has indicated that misunderstanding the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) and its obligations by member states may have some CARICOM leaders 'mixed up' about immigration policies."

JamaicaObserver.com : "Jamaica's famous but beleaguered Bath Fountain Hotel and Spa in St Thomas is to get a $100-million upgrade, while the government pursues companion measures to rid the facility of visitor harassment, the tourism ministry has announced. Believed to house one of the world's most powerful and therapeutic mineral baths, the loss-making hotel has been hit by a growing swarm of touts who run a thriving parallel business in the hills above the state-owned resort in picturesque eastern St Thomas."

Jamaica Gleaner News "After investigating reports of irregularities during the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), the education ministry has blacklisted a veteran presiding examiner for interfering with the proceedings and misleading students during the communication task component of the exam. While the ministry admits there was a breach at St John's Primary in Spanish Town, St Catherine, Gleaner sources have revealed that another indiscretion by an invigilator occurred at a Kingston-based primary and junior high school."

Mississauga.com : "Police are hoping the public can help them locate a 53-year-old woman visiting from Guyana who went missing from her host family's home in Mississauga, yesterday. Parbattie (Pamela) Ramsundar has been visiting friends and family since April, 2009. She went missing from Raindance Cres. last night when she went out for a walk around 5 p.m."

The Associated Press: "KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Ships from Miami steam into Jamaica's main harbor loaded with TV sets and blue jeans. But some of the most popular U.S. imports never appear on the manifests: handguns, rifles and bullets that stoke one of the world's highest murder rates. The volume is much less than the flow of U.S. guns into Mexico that end up in the hands of drug cartels — Jamaican authorities recover fewer than 1,000 firearms a year. But of those whose origin can be traced, 80 percent come from the U.S., Jamaican law enforcement officials have said in interviews with The Associated Press."

guardian.co.uk : "Victims of the collapse of Sir Allen Stanford's business empire have expressed horror at prosecutors' contention that their savings bankrolled a billionaire's 'personal playground' stretching from international cricket tournaments to Caribbean villas and even a ritzy restaurant, the Sticky Wicket. As many as 28,000 people are thought to have lost a total of $7bn (£4.2bn) through the collapse of Stanford International Bank. About 4,500 are from the US, where the bank had 29 offices. Many others are from the Caribbean and Latin America – Stanford had operations as far afield as Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama and Peru."

Telegraph : "Jamaica's prime minister Bruce Golding and tourism minister Edmund Bartlett last week met House of Lords members and MPs, including Diane Abbott MP. Meanwhile John Maginley, Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), has written to Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling urging them to rethink a tax that favours America over Caribbean destinations."

Concern Raised On Country's Emergency Medical Technician and Their Mental State

Trinidad Express "Lawrence Duprey's CL Financial Group provided scarcely imaginable largesse to the ruling People's National Movement (PNM) party in the last general election at a time when it was already on the ropes-short on cash and highly leveraged. The by-then cash-poor conglomerate bankrolled the 2007 election campaign of the Patrick Manning-led PNM party to the tune of some $20 million, according to sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "A 22-year-old father of one has become the country’s latest murder victim. Sterlin Nero, of Upper Rich Plain Road, Diego Martin, was shot and killed early yesterday morning on Ariapita Avenue, a short distance away from Crobar."

Stabroek News "An undocumented Guyanese couple in Barbados heard a knock on their door early one morning and then the intruders used a crowbar to wrench it open and soon after they found themselves among others enduring the long wait before being put aboard the next plane back home. A woman who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Stabroek News on Wednesday that she regretted being sent home but will pick up the pieces and eventually move to another country since she has lost hope of accomplishing much in her homeland"

Jamaica Gleaner News "EDUCATORS AT non-traditional high schools across the island are facing an uphill battle because of the poor quality of students awarded places at their schools. They argue that the method used to place students who sit the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) is putting them under tremendous strain. Under the present system, the better-performing students are creamed off and sent to the traditional high schools, while the non-traditional high schools are left with students who struggle at the primary level."

JamaicaObserver.com : "MANDEVILLE, Manchester - The good thing was that on this occasion the victim had the last laugh. But for residents of this once sedate Manchester capital, the abduction of a woman in broad daylight in late May by men posing as police was a crude wake- up call that emphasised how criminals had invaded their space."

Stabroek News "The reported visit of a UK expert to train drug trafficker Roger Khan in the use of sophisticated spy equipment provides another lead for law enforcement to follow with a view to uncovering details of his operations here."

Kaieteur News : "Troy De Mathers, 41, of Shirley Field-Ridley Square, West Ruimveldt, last evening survived a brazen armed robbery, but he lost his gold chain while plying his trade as vendor in the vicinity of the Sophia Bus Park. According to one eyewitness, she saw two men scuffling but she only realized the gravity of the situation when she saw one of the men brandish a ‘shine’ gun and then she heard two gunshots ring off."

Nation News "HUGH SPRINGER spent the last hour of his life ministering to a stranger. That was why he arrived at the River Bus Terminal later than usual that Tuesday (June 9) evening, when he was fatally shot at the back of the head by a bullet from a police revolver as he disembarked a route taxi van."

Washington Examiner : "SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — The Caribbean offshore bank at the center of an alleged Ponzi scheme run by Texas billionaire R. Allen Stanford has a 'substantial' shortfall of funds to pay hundreds of depositors clamoring for their money, a court-appointed receiver said Thursday. Vantis Business Recovery Services said it has begun liquidating the Stanford International Bank Ltd. and that the accounts of hundreds of depositors from around the world remain frozen. Vantis, a British accounting company appointed as a receiver by the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda, said the bank's assets are 'significantly less' than its liabilities."

FT.com : "US investigators alleged for the first time that last year's £20m Stanford 20/20 cricket tournament involving the England and West Indies teams was funded by money the tycoon stole from his empire. The conspiracy claims - including the alleged use of Sir Allen's private jets to courier financial records to be burned at his Caribbean headquarters - add baroque detail to a case that has shocked investors and raised worrying questions about market supervision."

The Times of India : "PORT OF SPAIN: As India and the West Indies gear up for their four-match ODI series starting June 26, a prestigious sporting event in the Caribbean was cancelled due to swine flu threat."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "“TECIA’S death must be one of martyrdom.” So said Pastor Peter Regis, one of several spiritual leaders, and motivational speakers who led a prayer session “peace and love” in Laventille’s notorious Block Eight yesterday afternoon. The prayer session followed the brutal murder of ten-year-old Tecia Henry, whose body was found stuffed in a dirt hole on Cook Street on Wednesday, four days after she went missing from her John John home last Saturday"

The Jamaica Star "Some bus operators plying the downtown Kingston to Constant Spring in St Andrew route are being forced to pay extortion fees at four different locations along their journey. Thugs have reportedly been pulling a whopping $25,000 per week from some of the drivers. The four spots, downtown, Cross Roads, Half-Way Tree and Constant Spring have thugs demanding at least $100 from the bus operators every time they stop. The drivers normally make six round trips per day for six days weekly. 'Yu si how times rough? And we affi a let off dem kinda money deh … . It wicked pon wi out ya man,' a bus driver who plies the route told THE STAR."

JamaicaObserver.com : "DANCEHALL entertainer Desmond Ballentine, better known as 'Ninja Man', and his son, Jahniel Ballentine, 21, - both facing murder charges - were both denied bail when they appeared in Gun Court section of the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate' Court yesterday. Clayton Dennis and Seymour Samuels who are facing murder charges in connection with the same case, were also denied bail by Resident Magistrate Valerie Edwards, who said the allegations were too serious to grant them bail."

Jamaica Gleaner News - "SENIOR INVESTIGATORS at the Hunts Bay Police Station in Kingston say they are pursuing strong leads into a major break-in at the warehouse of Toyota Jamaica Limited on Spanish Town Road from which parts, reportedly worth millions of dollars, were stolen. Head of the St Andrew South police, Superintendent Delroy Hewitt, told The Gleaner on Friday that thugs dug through a wall at the back of the facility and gained access to the warehouse where scores of new motor vehicles were kept. More than 50 vehicles were broken into and parts stolen."

Taiwan News Online : "Two men accused of killing a British couple on the last day of their honeymoon were ordered Friday to stand trial. Chief Magistrate Ivan Walters said prosecutors presented enough evidence, but chastised them for not producing any witnesses in the slaying of Catherine and Benjamin Mullany. Prosecutor Adlai Smith said witnesses would sign their statements later. Avie Howell, 18, and Kaniel Martin, 22, also are accused of killing three other people last summer in unrelated cases."

Taiwan News Online : "Health officials in Antigua say the 9-year-old son of a professional volleyball player has become the island's first swine flu case. The health department says in a statement that the boy's father recently traveled to Trinidad for a tournament. At least a dozen players including those from Trinidad and Suriname have already tested positive. Antigua said Friday that it is awaiting lab results from four other people."

Los Angeles Times : "Reporting from Washington -- Texas financier R. Allen Stanford, accused of defrauding investors of $7 billion, paid Antigua's top bank regulator more than $100,000 to conduct fake audits and mislead U.S. investigators, according to an indictment unsealed Friday. Federal prosecutors said the alleged bribes helped Stanford and colleagues conceal an elaborate Ponzi scheme that lured about 30,000 investors, many in the U.S."

Antigua Sun "The police continue to investigate a chopping incident that occurred at the Wendy’s Nightclub on Tuesday and to date no one has been taken into custody. The 26-year-old Gray’s Farm man continues to nurse injuries he sustained during the altercation. Reports are that the victim received a chop to his hand, which required surgery."

Antigua Sun "The police have detained a 32-year-old All Saints man in connection with the murder of Lyndon Browne. The alleged suspect was taken into police custody yesterday morning and is assisting the lawmen with investigations, according to police reports. Browne’s body was found in his Mac Pond, All Saints, home after his wife Holly went home from work. She had allegedly earlier that morning received a mysterious call at lunchtime advising her to go home immediately."

Cricinfo.com : "Allen Stanford, the Texan billionaire, has surrendered to US authorities and will appear in a federal court in Virginia on Friday. He surrendered after a warrant was issued for his arrest following allegations of massive fraud involving his Antigua bank. Stanford, 59, is expected to be transferred to Houston after his initial court appearance to face criminal charges, a federal official said. He already faces civil charges brought by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)."

The Vincentian "Seven years after 12-year-old female pannist, Lokeisha Nanton of Sion Hill, was raped and strangled in her community, memories of the July 2, 2002 horror resurfaced at the Criminal Assizes in the High Court. Almost three years after the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal ordered a second trial, Patrick Lovelace, the man accused of Lokeisha’s murder, is being retried."

SVG Today : "KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC - St Vincent and the Grenadines has objected to being placed on the United States government�s State Department watch list for human trafficking. In a statement Thursday morning in Parliament, Prime Minister and National Security Minister Ralph Gonsalves accused the State Department of acting �unfair, wrong, arbitrarily� by placing St Vincent and the Grenadines on the second tier of the trafficking in persons watch list, as it released its ninth annual report on trafficking in persons."

The Trinidad Guardian : "With the murder rate nearly doubling in two years, National Security Minister Martin Joseph yesterday admitted that T&T was “between a rock and a hard place” as far as trying to reduce the crime scourge. Despite various anti-crime measures in recent years, T&T’s crime situation continues unabated because the environment continues to change, Joseph said at yesterday’s weekly media briefing."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "Little Tecia Henry, ten, was strangled on the very day she went missing. Tecia left her home at Essex Road, off Cook Street, Laventille last Saturday on an errand to a nearby parlour. She never returned home and her body was found at Plaisance Terrace, near Block Eight on Wednesday."

Kaieteur News : "Doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital were last night treating a ‘B’ Field, Sophia man who was rushed to the institution at around 22:00 hrs with a gunshot wound to the back of the neck. The victim, who gave his name as Rudolph Nurse, 34, said that he was walking in the vicinity of Pike Street when a red car drove by. He alleged that at the same time, he heard an explosion and felt a burning sensation at the back of the neck."

Jamaica Gleaner News "Thousands descend on York Park station with hopes of being recruited into brigade A massive gathering at the York Park Fire Station reflected the state of the economy as thousands of men and women lined Orange Street, downtown Kingston, yesterday in response to a recruitment advertisement placed in The Gleaner."

JamaicaObserver.com : "There is a move afoot to oust embattled Peter Bunting as general secretary of the People's National Party (PNP), senior party sources have told the Observer."

The Barbados Advocate : "But the truth is the truth. The truth is that them got some Bajan women who believe that Guyanese women thiefing them boyfriends. Them also got many Bajan men ’bout here who say openly that as long as them live them aint want another Bajan woman, them dealing with strictly Guyanese ’cause the Guyanese more loving and does make them feel wanted."

Nation News "PRISON AUTHORITIES have been placed on full alert following reports of a planned disturbance by inmates at Her Majesty's Prisons Dodds. WEEKEND NATION investigations have revealed that following British documentarian Will Mellor's dismal account of life at the new multimillion-dollar jail in St Philip several weeks ago, prisoners have been planning to stage protest action about conditions there."

Nation News - "HUGH SPRINGER was an innocent bystander when he was accidentally killed by a police bullet at the River Bus Terminal last week Tuesday night."

USATODAY.com : "Add Venezuela's Isla Margarita to the list of Caribbean islands turning away cruise ships with suspected cases of the H1N1 swine flu. Pullmantur's 1,350-passenger Ocean Dream arrived as scheduled at the island Wednesday, but most passengers and crew were not allowed to disembark due to an outbreak of flu among crew on the ship."

Kaieteur News : "Four boys, including a three-week-old, lost their 25-year-old mother at around noon yesterday after she was struck by a car on the East Bank Demerara public road, at Providence. After dropping off her seven–year–old son to school, Mary Sandy, who resided in Providence, was crossing the road opposite the Texaco Gas Station when she was hit by the car, PDD 9467. She died on the spot."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "After reporting that TT had seven confirmed Influenza A/H1N1 cases on Tuesday, the Health Ministry yesterday reported that the figure has jumped to 18. This means that TT has the most cases for a Caribbean country while Cuba, Barbados, Bahamas, Dominica has recorded single-digit figures, and the Dominican Republic, one death."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday "Gunshots rang out in Laventille when news broke that the body of little Tecia Henry had been found murdered beneath a neighbour’s house yesterday. Tecia’s head was stuffed inside a dirt hole, with her swollen body left protruding under a neighbour’s house, just metres away from her home. Relatives are convinced the girl was raped."

JamaicaObserver.com : "BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) - Prime Minister David Thompson has spoken out strongly against those Caribbean governments that have commented publicly on his administration's new immigration policy, saying their reaction was hurting the regional integration process more than the policy itself. 'There seems to be a mad rush now for everybody to say something new. I have announced a domestic immigration policy that is not a matter for other Caribbean prime ministers to comment on,' Thompson said,"

Nation News : "THE BROTHER who stashed the property stolen from the visiting Bahamian volleyball team is on remand, while the one charged with stealing the team's gear is expected to appear in court today. And the Bahamian team is singing the praises of the Royal Barbados Police Force for recovering most of their gear."

Nation News : "THE PERFORMANCE of public schools in this year's Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination has been underestimated. This charge came from Dr Wendy Griffith-Watson, chief education officer at the Ministry of Education."

Kaieteur News : "A minibus conductor is hospitalized with two gunshot wounds after being attacked by a passenger he had picked up from Agricola last night. Schandel Singh, 35 of Brickery, East Bank Demerara was shot in his right thigh and abdomen when he tried to fight off the passenger who had grabbed the cash he was carrying in his hand."

Jamaica Gleaner News : "The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has approved $1 billion for infrastructure development in squatter settlements in two of the country's largest resort towns. The island's Second City and tourism capital - Montego Bay, St James, and the cruise ship headquarters - Ocho Rios, St Ann, are to benefit from the injection, TEF chairman Godfrey Dyer told The Gleaner yesterday."

JamaicaObserver.com : "TWO nursing groups which have split from the umbrella Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) have charged the association with 'professional jealousy' over a reclassification proposal they say would demote their members."

Police Commissioner Ausbert Regis says action will be taken against the men who issued what he says are threats against the Police. The Commissioner is responding to a story on the HTS Newscast last evening. He says the men who issued the threats and the media house that carried it are liable to prosecution.

The surge in violence hit the community of Anse-la-Raye Monday night when gunmen stormed into a home killing an elderly man and wounding five others while reportedly searching for rival gang members.