News

Report: Caribbean Could See 3 to 6 Major Hurricanes This Year

Trinidad’s Jack Warner in FIFA Probe

Source: FIFA Trinidad and Tobago’s Jack Warner is involved in a bribery probe by officials of FIFA, football’s global governing body. Warner, the president of the CONCACAF federation, a FIFA vice president and Trinidad’s Minister of Works and Transport, has …

REDjet Nears Trinidad Clearance

New air carrier REDjet is close to securing final clearance for flights in and out of Trinidad, after a week that saw a great deal of controversy over barriers for the company in Jamaica and Trinidad. According to Ramesh Lutchmedial, …

Plans for $1 Billion in Chinese Funding for Caribbean

Eximbank China’s Export-Import Bank has plans to launch a $1 billion fund to invest in Latin America and the Caribbean, following several years of significant spending in the region. In 2009, China invested $7 billion in the region through private …

Bahamas, Cuba Agree on Sea Border

Source: Nasa Visible Earth The Bahamas and Cuba have reached an agreement in principle regarding their mutual maritime border, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Brent Symonette. Setting the border was important due to the new …

Haitian Lawmakers Give Diaspora Right to Vote, Preserve Presidential Term Limits

Amending its 1987 constitution, Haiti’s legislature has recognized multiple citizenship, giving members of the Haitian diaspora the right to vote for the first time. More than four million Haitians living abroad can now vote, though they are still unable to …

France’s Sarkozy, Joined by Caribbean Officials, Backs Anti-Trafficking Fund

Joined by officials from several regions including the Caribbean, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has proposed an international fund operated by the United Nations to tackle the increasing global problem of illegal drug trafficking. Earlier this week, Gen. Douglas Fraser, head …

How Caribbean Local Governments Work

Kingston, Jamaica Sometimes the Caribbean’s local governments are not given adequate attention — but they are largely the ones providing services and other governmental functions in the region for a huge number of residents. Caribbean local governance tends to break …

U.S. General: Transnational Crime is the Greatest Threat to the Caribbean

Criminal gangs engaged in the transnational trafficking of drugs, guns and humans are the greatest threat to the region, according to Gen. Douglas Fraser, the head of the U.S. Southern Command. “The traffickers are well-financed and very capable,” he said, …

After 25 Years, Swiss Government Moves to Seize Duvalier’s Millions

Swiss Bundeshaus The Swiss government has moved a court for authorization to seize millions that once belonged to former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, 25 years after the funds were first frozen. If the government is successful, the government …

Branson to Create Lemur Habitat in BVI

Billionaire mogul Richard Branson plans to create a lemur habitat on an undeveloped island he owns, Moskito Island. The animals are disappearing from their native African habitat, and Branson plans on bringing the first group of 30 lemurs to the …

Slight Earthquake in Bermuda

An earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter Scale occurred 50 miles off the coast of Bermuda today, and was felt in businesses in Hamilton, along with residential households in Warwick. According to Mark Guishard of the Bermuda Weather Service, there …

International Monetary Fund: Caribbean Real GDP to Grow 4.2 percent in 2011

The Caribbean region’s real GDP is projected to grow at 4.2 percent this year, following a 3.4 percent increase in 2010, according to the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook. The organization predicted a 7.2 percent in consumer prices for …

A New Beginning for the End of the World

At the edge of the Atlantic and the farthest boundaries of the Bahamas, in a small bar off Queen’s Highway, roamed the ghosts of presidents, outlaws and writers. But after years of neglect, even Ernest Hemingway couldn’t get a drink …

New York Lawyer Contributes to Save Belize’s Mesoamerican Reef

Sir Thomas Moore, a lawyer in New York and longtime supporter of ocean renewal, donated $100,000 to help completely end all forms of trawling in Belize. Moore made the contribution as part of the Christie’s Green Auction last week. The …

CARICOM, Italy Sign MOU

CARICOM and Italy today signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening political, scientific and technical relationships between the Caribbean market and Italy, CARICOM Secretary-General Lolita Applewhaite announced today. The Memorandum places a special focus on areas including tourism, modernization …

Guyana, China Agree on Infrastructure, Healthcare Projects

China’s Assistant Commerce Minister, Li Rongcan and Guyana’s Foreign Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett Guyana and China signed agreements yesterday on a series of projects, including transportation, health care and cultural-related initiatives. Guyana’s Foreign Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Finance Minister Ashni Singh and …

Jamaica Complains to CARICOM on Alleged Barbados Immigration Incident

The Jamaican Government will raise the issue of an alleged mistreatment of a Jamaican woman by Barbados customs officials, Foreign Affairs Minister Ken Baugh announced. Jamaican national Shanique Myrie claims she was subjected to two demeaning cavity searches, along with …

Montserrat Ready for New Constitution

As of Sep. 1, Montserrat’s new constitution will go into effect, according to the island’s Chief Minister, Reuben Meade, after five years of debate. “We recognize that many persons would have liked to see more radical changes,” he said. “However, …