Antigua gets Oprah's vote

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, March 31, 2010 – Renowned media mogul Oprah Winfrey has selected Antigua as her pick for the number one billionaire’s playground.

According to the list compiled by Forbes.com Winfrey, who has a home in Antigua, said that when she wants crystal-clear Caribbean water and perfect palm trees, she returns to her “playground on Antigua”. 

This testimonial is significant since Winfrey owns a 60-acre home in Maui and a 42-acre estate in Montecito, California.

The Forbes list was also featured on the homepage of Yahoo.com, one of the most popular online search engines.

“It is fantastic that Antigua can get this kind of endorsement by a celebrity of Oprah Winfrey’s standing,” said Kimberley Bowers, Marketing Manager at the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority.

“Her recommendations are taken very seriously by her numerous fans all over the world. This is great for Antigua’s tourism and we must capitalize on it whenever possible.”

Other celebrities with homes in Antigua include musician Eric Clapton, actor Timothy Dalton, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Burlesconi and clothing designer Giorgio Armani among others.

China signs agreement for first Barbuda project

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, March 31, 2010 – Antigua and Barbuda and China have signed agreement for an EC$2.8 million (US$1.03 million) grant for the first project ever funded by the government of that Asian country since establishing relations with the twin-island nation 25 years.

The signing of the deal for the Barbuda Community Centre is a fulfillment of a promise made by the Chinese during the 25th Anniversary celebration of relations between the two countries.

“It was felt that the time has come for Barbuda to benefit from our good relations with China and upon the instruction of the Prime Minister and with the support of Trevor Walker (Barbuda MP), I was able to negotiate with my counterpart who was also anxious for this project to get off the ground and become a success,” said Antigua and Barbuda’s Non-Resident Ambassador to China David Shoul.

The project is expected to be completed in eight months.

Walker, who is also the country’s Minister of Public Works and Transport, signed the document on government’s behalf, while the First Secretary in the Economic Office of the Chinese Embassy in Antigua and Barbuda Lui Jun signed for his country.

Jamaica sends Haitians back home

The 62 Haitians who travelled to Jamaica in hopes of finding refuge have been sent back to their earthquake ravaged country.

After being allowed to stay in Jamaica for a week, they were given additional medical treatment and placed on a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard vessel accompanied by soldiers and police on Monday night to return home.

Also on the boat to Haiti were a 16-year-old boy, who entered the island illegally last month and four Haitian men who had been in jail.

And law enforcement officials, recognising that more Haitians may try to get into Jamaica, say they will be carrying out regular sea patrols.

"Our waters are always being patrolled but our borders are porous and they can come anywhere, but we continue to patrol the waters with the JDF Coast Guard and the Marine Police," said head of the Constabulary Communication Network, Inspector Steve Brown.

Information Minister Daryl Vaz had indicated a few days after the Haitians arrived on two boats that the J$9 million (US$101,123) per week bill to accommodate them was too much for the country to foot at this time.

But the Haiti-Jamaica Association has described the repatriation of those Haitians as “a very tragic situation”.

Lack of warning before Bahamas tornado under probe

An investigation is to be launched into why meteorological officials in the Bahamas did not issue any warning prior to a tornado that hit the island of Grand Bahama on Monday and left three people dead.

Three employees of the Freeport Container Port were killed when the tornado hit after 11 am, destroying six cranes at the facility. Several other workers were also injured and there were reports of damage to property all across the island.

The tornado was caused by three lines of showers and thunderstorms moving across the island.

Deputy Director of the Department of Meteorology Basil Dean told the Nassau Guardian newspaper that he had asked director Arthur Rolle for a probe into the failure to provide residents with notice before the tornado struck.

“From my perspective it should have been issued earlier…My report has already been written and that has been sent on to the director for whatever actions need to be taken,” Dean told the newspaper.

Telecom companies seek to make Haiti a mobile nation

The earthquake that devastated Haiti also destroyed the nation's feeble network for phones and Internet service. Except for cellphones, the population was largely cut off from communication.

But out of the rubble, one U.S. wireless industry pioneer sees opportunity.

John Stanton, founder of Voice Stream and former chief executive of T-Mobile USA, wants the Haitian government to forget about rebuilding its copper wire communications network. Instead, he thinks Haiti should go mobile.

"Necessity is the mother of invention," Stanton said.

In a keynote speech prepared for delivery at the wireless industry's CTIA trade show Wednesday in Las Vegas, Stanton called for the Haitian government to create an all-wireless nation with more robust networks for the population of nearly 10 million and to build an economy centered on mobile technology.

"By deploying state-of-the-art wireless systems, we enable less-developed countries to leapfrog older technologies, and those systems become the foundation for a new economy," Stanton said.

Stanton is asking Haiti to release more spectrum for commercial carriers to get more people to text and use their phones for commerce, banking and other daily needs. He pledged that his company, Trilogy, would commit up to $100 million to expand its network there.

NURSING IN GRENADA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Grenada is not one of the Caribbean countries that is losing large numbers of nurses to the Developed Nations of the world, Health Minister Senator Ann Peters has said.

A recent World Bank report called for collaboration to stem what it said was an exodus of qualified nurses from the English-speaking Caribbean to countries such as the United States, Canada and Britain.

However, Sen. Peters said the only nurses leaving the system in Grenada are those who have reached retirement age.

“There is no exodus,’’ she told reporters at a news conference in St. George’s. “We cannot say that we are experiencing any serious effects of migration by our nurses at this point. I don’t know if that is going to happen later down the road. But at this point that is not necessarily our reality.’’

Sen. Peters, however, admitted that the training and retention of nurses are a “burning issue’’ that requires a regional approach.

In Grenada, nursing education is handled by the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development.

Sen. Peters, a nurse by profession, said her Ministry of Health “consumes the end product of the training programme. So, we work together.’’

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

"Slavery is mutating and re-emerging in modern forms, including debt bondage, the sale of children, and the trafficking of women and girls for sex. Its roots lie in ignorance, intolerance and greed. We must create a climate in which such abuse and cruelty are inconceivable. One way is by remembering the past and honouring the victims of the transatlantic slave trade."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message on the International Day of Remembrance
of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade 2010

The International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade for 2010 is being observed under the theme “Expressing Our Freedom Through Culture”.

This theme highlights the centrality of cultural heritage, passed down from generation to generation, as a medium for expressing and nurturing identity during the days of slavery, and ultimately for celebrating freedom from it after 400 years of relentless struggle to break free.

The event is held annually pursuant to General Assembly resolution A/RES/62/122 of 17 December 2007, which called, inter alia, for 25 March to be designated as International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

The resolution requested the Secretary-General, in collaboration with UNESCO, to establish an educational outreach programme to mobilize educational institutions, civil society and other organizations to inculcate in future generations the “causes, consequences and lessons of the transatlantic slave trade, and to communicate the dangers of racism and prejudice

Cuba: Attorney General, a Revolution Veteran, Resigns

Cuba announced a leadership shake-up on Tuesday, the second this month.

Attorney General Juan Escalona Reguera, who fought under Fidel and Raúl Castro in the rebel army that toppled the dictator Fulgencio Batista more than 50 years ago, is stepping down for health reasons., according to a brief statement read on state television.

Mr. Escalona Reguera, 78, apparently will remain a member of the Communist Party Central Committee; he will be assigned unspecified “other duties” on the Council of State, Cuba’s highest governing body, according to the statement.

Two weeks ago, Cuba announced, without explanation, that it had replaced another veteran revolutionary, Rogelio Acevedo, who had overseen airlines and airports.

Transportation gets pricier in Jamaica

Motorists and commuters of Jamaica’s state-run bus service will find travelling on the country’s roads more expensive in coming days as gas prices and bus fares go up.

Drivers will feel the pinch first, as they pay more at the pumps from today.

Petrojam, the state-owned oil refinery, said gasoline and automotive diesel prices will go up by 15 to 16 cents (less than a US cent) a litre.

Additionally, kerosene will see a small five cent increase, while propane gas goes up by 10 cents and butane by J$1.07 (one US cent).

And in exactly a week, it will cost commuters between 33 and 60 percent more to get on Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses.

Starting April 1st, bus fares in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR) will be increased from J$50 to J$80 (56 to 90 US cents) for regular adult service, and from J$15 to J$20 (17 to 22 US cents) for concessionary groups including the elderly, disabled and school children.

Transport Minister Mike Henry said the fare increases were inevitable, considering the rise in the cost of fuel, tyres, wages and other operational expenses.

Grace Kennedy moving off Barbados, EC exchanges

Come June 30th, one of the Caribbean’s largest conglomerates will no longer have a presence on the Barbados Stock Exchange (BSE) or the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange (ECSE).

GraceKennedy Limited announced yesterday that is has decided to delist, primarily because of “the low levels of trading in GraceKennedy’s stock on both these exchanges which do not justify the costs associated with maintaining the listings”.

The company will, however, continue to maintain the listings on the Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago stock exchanges.

In seeking to demonstrate the low trading levels in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, GraceKennedy pointed out that as of December 31st, 2009, only 64 of its stockholders were on the Barbados Central Securities Depository (BCSD) and 45 stockholders on the Eastern Caribbean Central Securities Depository (ECCSD).

That was a small fraction of the 1,504 stockholders on the Trinidad Central Securities Depository and 5,611 on the Jamaica Central Securities Depository, the GraceKennedy main register.

Health and food agency launched

The agency which the region will depend on to strengthen agricultural health and food safety, and ensure the highest standards for trade in agricultural products, has been launched.

The Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA) was inaugurated in Paramaribo at a ceremony that included the signing of the CAHFSA Headquarters Agreement, the opening of an integrated laboratory, the unveiling of the CAHFSA plaque, a mini fair of products and a reception and cultural programme.

Host President Ronald Venetiaan said recent diseases that posed threats to the agricultural sector such as the H1N1, Bird Flu and BSE (Mad Cow disease) made the region painfully aware of the need for food standards.

Nigerians among six held after cocaine find

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The founder of a cocaine-smuggling gang blamed for about 1,400 slayings has died of illnesses at a Jamaica hospital, a year after returning to his native island following a prison term in the United States.

Vivian Blake, 53, died Sunday at University Hospital of the West Indies, where he had been admitted a day earlier after suffering a heart attack, according to attorney George Soutar.

The lawyer said Blake also had kidney disease and had been receiving dialysis treatment.

In the days before his death, Blake was his "usual effervescent self" and had been working on a screenplay about the Shower Posse, the gang he founded in Brooklyn in the 1970s, Soutar told The Associated Press.

U.S. prosecutors alleged that the Shower Posse - the name came from their alleged practice of showering their enemies with bullets - was responsible for some 1,400 killings in several states during cocaine wars of the 1980s.

Founder of Jamaica's infamous Shower Posse dead

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The founder of a cocaine-smuggling gang blamed for about 1,400 slayings has died of illnesses at a Jamaica hospital, a year after returning to his native island following a prison term in the United States.

Vivian Blake, 53, died Sunday at University Hospital of the West Indies, where he had been admitted a day earlier after suffering a heart attack, according to attorney George Soutar. The lawyer said Blake also had kidney disease and had been receiving dialysis treatment.

In the days before his death, Blake was his "usual effervescent self" and had been working on a screenplay about the Shower Posse, the gang he founded in Brooklyn in the 1970s, Soutar told The Associated Press.

U.S. prosecutors alleged that the Shower Posse - the name came from their alleged practice of showering their enemies with bullets - was responsible for some 1,400 killings in several states during cocaine wars of the 1980s.

Hurricane officials hit Bermuda

As part of their Caribbean tour - to urge preparedness - officials of the National Hurricane Center flew into Bermuda on a hurricane hunter aircraft on Friday.

During the stop, more than 1,600 people toured the WC-130 turboprop, including 700 schoolchildren. It was the first time the awaress tour has visited Bermuda in the program's 20 plus years, center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said.

Here are some photos he sent back:

Above: The US Air Force WC-130J hurricane hunter arrives in Bermuda.

 

 

Above: USAF Reservist Jeff Ragusa explains the hurricane hunter program to school children as they prepare to board.

 

Above: Hurricane center Deputy Director Ed Rappaport (left) and meteorologist Jorge Aguirre-Echevarria get ready to help visitors off the plane.

Aruban divers starting new search for possible remains of Natalee Holloway

The photograph taken by Patti Muldowney while vacationing in Aruba with her husband John, has renewed interest in the 5 year old case of the missing Natalee Holloway.

Natalee disappeared while on a trip to Aruba with others from her graduation class mates.

On one photo the Muldowney’s noticed some formations on the ocean floor, below where Patti had taken a shot of a fish, which gave some resemblance of human remains. After taking it to the police and and other local sources, it was turned over to the FBI.

The FBI in Philadelphia reportedly sent the letter to their lead agent in Miami who is over the Caribbean area. He, in turn, sent it to the authorities in Aruba who are now investigating the case once more. They have engaged the boat crew who took the Muldowneys to the site.

The Aruba officials have not disclosed the location of the area under investigation in order to avoid curious locals to visiting it.
The photo has been attracting others in the United States and has

brought forth considerable questioning that the subject is a human skeleton. Following is one such observation:
Dr. Marty Makary, a physician who serves on the faculty at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, said he sees mixed signs, some indicating the image may not be a skeleton.

Caricom urges a “return to democracy”

CARICOM has once again hit out at British intervention in the TCI – lamenting the “disenfranchisement” of TC Islanders.

The regional body, which condemned the UK takeover from the outset, has demanded the return of democracy and self-rule.
The issue came under the spotlight at last week’s meeting of Caribbean Government leaders in Roseau, Dominica.

Chiefs spoke out in the wake of the March 8 demonstration which saw more than 1,000 citizens take to the streets of Providenciales in a show of unity.

A statement issued on Monday said the conference had noted the allied efforts of the PNP and PDM parties in “putting aside partisan differences to fight for the common good of the people of their territory”.

“Their concerns relate to the system of direct rule put in place by the British Government which, as Caricom had cautioned in earlier statements, has disenfranchised the Turks and Caicos Islanders who no longer have a voice in the shaping of the social, political, economic and constitutional destinies of their country.

Caribbean Wedding For Idol Judge?

CA, Mon. Mar. 22, 2010: Seems American Idol`s most popular judge is set to tie the knot in the Caribbean.

Daily Mail reports indicate Simon Cowell is set to marry Afghan migrant and Idol make-up artist, Mezhgan Hussainy, in St. Barts.

However, Cowell, 50, will have guests picked up in Barbados aboard a yacht named after him and taken to St. Barts for the on board nuptials.

Cowell proposed to 36-year-old Hussainy on Valentine`s Day. Hussainy  and her family fled Afghanistan  in 1981 because her parents feared the Taliban would take her three brothers into the army, and the family walked for ten days to Pakistan and spent nine months there before receiving permission to move to the U.S. Her mother was a teacher and her dad worked in IT.

Hussainy originally went to school to become a dentist, but her professional interests changed when a makeup artist friend needed her help at a department store event. Although she finished dental school, she got her big break as the makeup artist to actor John O`Hurley on the game show `To Tell The Truth.`

In 2002, she was approached to become the head makeup artist on `Idol,` where she worked specifically with Cowell and Randy Jackson.

She and Cowell`s relationship blossomed following his break-up with model Terri Seymour. Hussainy told UK`s Daily Mail that she is not star-struck by Cowell, adding `his bark is much bigger than his bite.`

GRENADA: Praises for PM Thomas for his leadership of AOSIS

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The Head of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Under Secretary General, Sha Zukang, has praised Grenada’s Prime Minister Tillman Thomas for his leadership of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

“I appreciate your leadership and the important and leading role you have played in pushing the agenda of Small Island Developing States,” Zukang told the Prime Minister.

“We have a historic opportunity to get the international community to help with the difficulties associated with climate change.”

They both agreed that while last December’s climate change summit in Copenhagen did not meet the expectations of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), it was the start of a process that recognised the vulnerabilities of these states, if green house gas emissions were not reduced.

Both Prime Minister Thomas and Mr. Zukang said they recognised that the proper use of the United Nations system to move the climate change agenda forward, was necessary if an agreement, by which all States will abide, is to be achieved.

Planned British Airways strike affects Caribbean

With a planned strike by British Airways (BA) just two days away, the airline has sought to give the assurance that contingency plans have been put in place to prevent disruption in travel to the Caribbean.

But already one regional destination has been told it will experience fallout.

The three-day strike action by BA’s cabin crew in the UK, over changes to pay and staffing levels imposed by the airline last November, is set to begin on Saturday, and has resulted in Sunday’s flight from the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) to London being cancelled.

If a second strike goes ahead as planned next weekend, the flight scheduled for the following Sunday is also at risk of being axed.

The situation has left scores of travelers unsure when they will be able to return home.

The TCI was one of three Caribbean destinations which BA had told the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) it was considering options for, in light of the planned industrial action. The others were the Bahamas and Cayman Islands.

Economic Repercussions Of Haitian Earthquake Throughout Caribbean

The devastating earthquake that hit Haiti 15km south-west of Port-au-Prince on January 12 with a 7.0-magnitude on the Richter scale destroyed large parts of the capital, including the presidential palace, the Ministry of Justice and the UN headquarters.

While this loss of authority (both real and symbolic) is significant, more important in the short term is the destruction to the country's infrastructure, with damage to the airport, ports, emergency services and hospitals severely curtailing relief efforts.

Some 230,000 people are estimated to have died, a significant proportion of the country's 10 million inhabitants.

Assessing the damage left by the earthquake will be no easy task, and we note that many of our fundamental macroeconomic and political assumptions for the wider Caribbean region will need to be revisited over the course of 2010.

Unusually for Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo, his administration has been forced to take a defensive stance on several key issues of late, all of which could erode his party's support base in the run-up to next year's elections.

Murder for a baby

In Trinidad….

A woman, when confronted that she and others killed another woman, told the police: “I wanted Reena’s baby, so I paid her boyfriend and his friend $2,300 to lick up Reena so I could get her baby.”

Those words came from the mouth of retired police officer, Stephen Tim Kew, as he gave evidence in the trial of Kerry Ann Hosang, 28, who is before Justice Herbert Volney in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court. Hosang is charged with the murder of Reena Kissoon, 28, at Phase Seven, La Horquetta, on September 3, 2005.

Hosang is being defended by Tristle Khan-Leu and Shalini Khan, while State attorney Tricia Hudlin-Cooper is prosecuting. Tim Kew, who spent 33 years in the Police Service, was the fourth witnesses to testify yesterday, the first day of the trial.

Tim Kew continued his conversation with the accused Hosang, “I stay by Reena Independence night and early Thursday morning, Reena’s boyfriend and his friend came.

I opened the door for them to come in. Reena’s boyfriend took out a knife and cut Reena in the neck and Reena fell to the ground. I took up the baby and left. Three days later, I found out that Reena was found dead at her house.” Tim Kew said that on September 3, 2005, he confronted Hosang at her home in La Horquetta. After cautioning her, Hosang said, “I have the baby sleeping in there.”

Tim Kew told Hosang that he had information that she was in possession of Reena’s baby, and she said nothing further. Tim Kew said he entered the house with WPC Francis, and in a bedroom, he saw a baby lying on its belly on a bed.

WPC Francis took the baby, and Tim Kew arrested Hosang. He then left for Champs Fleurs and then to the Mount Hope hospital. He said the baby was medically examined after which he received a medical report

Psychiatrist Says Church Was Warned About Priest

The German archdiocese led by the future Pope Benedict XVI ignored repeated warnings in the early 1980s by a psychiatrist treating a priest accused of sexually abusing boys that he should not be allowed to work with children, the psychiatrist said Thursday.

“I said, ‘For God’s sake, he desperately has to be kept away from working with children,’ ” the psychiatrist, Dr. Werner Huth, said in a telephone interview from Munich.

“I was very unhappy about the entire story.”

Dr. Huth said he was concerned enough that he set three conditions for treating the priest, the Rev. Peter Hullermann: that he stay away from young people and alcohol and be supervised by another priest at all times.

Mother’s cuddle for kidnap boy, 5, after his 13-day ordeal

Sahil Saeed, the five-year-old boy kidnapped in Pakistan, clung to his mother last night as his family celebrated his return to Oldham with a party.

Wellwishers cheered as Akila Naqqash, 31, his mother, posed on the doorstep with a “Welcome home, Sahil!” poster flying from an upstairs window.

Sahil, exhausted from his eight-hour flight from Islamabad, buried his face in his mother’s shoulder as she stood with her husband, Raja Naqqash Saeed, 28.

The boy ignored his parents’ attempts to make him show his face and then, with a wave, the trio stepped back inside to rejoin the family.

Father and son landed at Manchester airport at 6.30pm, bringing to an end an extraordinary ordeal that began when he was seized by gunmen at his grandmother’s home in Jhelum, Punjab, on March 4 and held for 13 days before being freed. He was found wandering in a field 20 miles away.

Polar bear, blue fin tuna trade bans rejected

Proposed international trade bans on polar bears and Atlantic bluefin tuna failed to pass on Thursday at a 175-nation meeting aimed at protecting endangered species.

The United States favored both bans and was disappointed in the vote, but held out hope for passage of a resolution that would make climate change a factor in future decisions by the U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, known as CITES.

The meeting of CITES in Doha, Qatar, will consider the climate change resolution along with trade protection for about 40 species -- including sharks, coral and elephants -- during its two-week conference ending on March 25.

Polar bears are under pressure from the melting of their icy Arctic habitat, and are listed by the United States as a threatened species for that reason.

Fiji cyclone damage overwhelming, leader says

SUVA, Fiji — The South Pacific island nation of Fiji has suffered overwhelming damage from a powerful cyclone that battered its shores for more than three days, the prime minister said Wednesday as relief operations were launched in the country's northern regions.

Fiji sent naval patrol boats laden with supplies and support staff sailing for the northern islands that bore the full brunt of the storm, while Australian and New Zealand air force planes began airlifting emergency supplies to the island group and carrying out surveillance over affected northern areas.

Only one death has been reported, but the full extent of the damage has yet to be determined because communications to the hardest hit areas were cut off for days.

Cyclone Tomas, packing winds of up to 130 mph (205 kph) at its center and gusts of up to 175 mph (280 kph), started hitting Fiji late Friday. It blasted through the northern Lau and Lomaiviti island groups and the northern coast of the second biggest island, Vanua Levu, before losing strength as it moved out to sea Wednesday, the nation's weather office said.

Budget Cut for Fence on U.S.-Mexico Border

Citing a plague of “cost overruns and missed deadlines,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Tuesday that she would cut millions of dollars intended for a high-tech “virtual fence” along the Mexican border that has produced little more than headaches for the federal government.

Ms. Napolitano said her department would divert about $50 million in federal stimulus money intended for the project to other technological needs on the border, including laptops, radios, thermal-imaging devices and cameras requested by border guards.

In addition, she said, no money will be spent on expanding the project beyond two areas in Arizona where it is being tested until the department completes a reassessment she ordered in January.

Ms. Napolitano’s announcement came two days before a scheduled Congressional hearing on the program. The House Homeland Security Committee is expected to receive the latest in a string of Government Accountability Office reports calling the program into question. That new report says tests designed to evaluate the system are flawed and mismanaged.

4.4 earthquake jolts the L.A. area

A predawn earthquake sent a sharp jolt across the Los Angeles area Tuesday, but the magnitude 4.4 temblor was barely strong enough to knock items off shelves.

It was, however, sharp enough to frazzle residents, many of whom felt a "strong bang." The epicenter was 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles in Pico Rivera, and the quake was felt as far away as San Diego and Ventura County.

Los Angeles County fire official Ed Pickett, who was in East Los Angeles, said the jolt at 4:04 a.m. felt "like the building dropped."

He described feeling the quake for about "15 seconds at the most."
But at the epicenter, there appeared to be no major damage. Not a single bottle broke at Walt's Liquor Store in Pico Rivera, said owner Letti Talamantes.

Jose Palomera, who was cleaning a taco stand in Pico Rivera, first thought the shaking was a rolling big rig. "It just felt like a big wave just passing by," he said.

CHANGES AT HOUSING AUTHORITY

St. George’s Grenada - Government has said that recent changes to the Board of Directors of the Housing Authority of Grenada (HAG) are in keeping with its commitment to providing adequate housing and a well-managed housing system for all nationals.

“Housing is a priority for us and we are taking it seriously,’’ said Hon. Alleyne Walker, Minister of Housing, Lands and Community Development. “It is against this background that Cabinet has appointed three new members to the Board of Directors of the Housing Authority.’’

Among the three is newly appointed HAG Chairman Basil Harford, a retired teacher, broadcaster and veteran public servant who once served as Clerk of Parliament.

Mr. Harford replaces Pastor Stanford Simon, who has been reassigned to the Sandino Complex Development Project in St. George South.

Another new appointee is trade unionist and political activist Colin Francis. He takes the place of the ailing Edzel Thomas on the HAG Board, while Bernard Alexander fills in the third position by replacing Henroy Davis.

Other Board members include Mrs. Glenna Knights, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Housing, Lands and Community Development. She is Deputy Chair of the Board.

The rest of the HAG Board of Directors is Ms. Judy Williams, Mrs. Shanta Cox, Mr. Bartholomew Baptiste, Mr. Elphrege Philip and Mr. Teddy St. Louis.

The term of currently constituted HAG Board of Directors expires on February 1, 2011.

Cyprus police find missing body of late president

Police in Cyprus said Tuesday they have found the body of former President Tassos Papadopoulos, which was stolen from his grave late last year.

Police said they found the body at a Nicosia cemetery Monday night following an anonymous tip. They went with members of the late president's family, who identified evidence.

"There has been identification through the means of DNA and it was confirmed that the corpse belongs to the former president," a police spokesman told CNN. The spokesman could not be named in line with policy.

Papadopoulos' body went missing from his grave in a cemetery in Deftera, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) outside of Nicosia, on the eve of the first anniversary of his death in December.

Police interrogated suspects but have not arrested anyone in the case, the police spokesman told CNN.

The family planned to make a statement Tuesday morning, and the police were expected to release more information later in the day, the state-run Cyprus News Agency reported.

Rowley: Kamla's motion no surprise

Diego Martin West MP Dr Keith Rowley said yesterday he was not surprised that Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar had filed a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

’If a Government is behaving like this, you are inviting that. Kamla is the luckiest Opposition Leader in the world. The minute she takes over the UNC all kinds of plums are falling in her lap.

’... In the circumstances, the Government is inviting it. Look what happened in the Parliament on Friday when the Government overruled the Speaker (on a motion calling for a debate on Calder Hart’s removal).

An Opposition party being handed the goodies it is being handed now, it is almost as if they are being goaded to bring the Government down.’

Rowley said that in the 11 years he spent in the Opposition, the grazing was never so good as it is now.

FREE TO FLY

Government official: We've got Hart's cell phone number and he remains available

A senior Government source said yesterday that the authorities could not stop former UDeCOTT chairman, Calder Hart, from leaving the jurisdiction.

Told that many were asking why Hart was allowed to leave the country on Saturday following his resignation, the source asked: ’On what basis can you stop someone from travelling? What should we do? Forget the law? Take his passport from him because some people in Trinidad and Tobago want blood regardless?’

The senior Government source added,’We must demonstrate our respect and commitment to the democratic principles enshrined in our Constitution and respect for the rule of law, hallmarks of a first world country.

We cannot stop a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago from getting on a plane and going anywhere, or going on the beach or playing football for that matter.’

The source confirmed that Hart’s attorneys have assured Attorney General John Jeremie that he is ’available for questioning at any time that the authorities wish to speak to him’, providing details of his whereabouts and phone numbers as well as his date of intended return.

1 killed, 2 hurt in shooting at Ohio State

Three Ohio State University employees were shot, one of them fatally, in an early Tuesday morning attack on campus, university police said.

The alleged shooter was in custody, said Ohio State University Police Chief Paul Denton.

No students were involved in the shooting, which occurred around 3:30 a.m. ET at the McCracken Power Plant building on West 17th Avenue near Ohio Stadium, Denton said.

The two wounded victims were taken to a hospital; one was in critical condition, he added.

Denton did not release the names of anyone involved in the shooting nor a motive.

E-mail alerts were sent to students warning them about the shooting, the university said.

The shooting comes after the university issued e-mail alerts last week about two alleged sexual assaults and an attempted assault on campus, Ohio State's student newspaper reported.

Runaway Prius hits 90 mph before stopping with aid of CHP

The driver of a Toyota Prius who called 911 on Monday to report his accelerator was stuck finally got the car stopped after about 20 minutes with the help of the California Highway Patrol, officers said.

"He was reaching speeds over 90 miles per hour," CHP Officer Larry Landeros said of the driver, James Sikes.

A Toyota spokesman said Monday evening that the company, which has recalled millions of vehicles because of reports of unintended acceleration, was sending a representative to investigate the cause of the incident.

Jamaican teacher accused of being accessory in murder case

A high school teacher in Jamaica has been charged as an accessory after the fact, in a murder case in which is nephew is now charged.

Fitzroy Hibbert, 34, was granted J$500,000 (US$5,602) bail when he appeared on court on the charge.

Police allegedly found his nephew, 22-year-old Gavin Clarke, hiding at his house late last month, more than a year after he went on the run.

The youngster became a fugitive after he allegedly gunned down Orlando Hawthorne during an altercation in January 2009.

A probe was launched by detectives from the Major Investigations Taskforce and Clarke was picked up at his uncle’s home.

Clarke was formally charged with the murder last Thursday and is expected to appear in court this week.

US troops withdrawing from Haiti

Thousands of US troops are leaving Haiti in a swift scaling back of US military involvement in post-earthquake security and reconstruction.

A gradual reduction from a peak of 20,000 in early February has accelerated in recent days and by the end of this week fewer than 8,000 are expected to remain in Haiti and on offshore vessels.

"Our mission is largely accomplished," General Douglas Fraser, head of US Southern Command, which runs the Haiti mission, told reporters.

Many Haitians are not so sure. Survivors from the 12 January quake worried that the withdrawal signalled waning international support and that UN troops and Haitian police would struggle to keep security.

Bajan loses legs in Afghanistan

A FORMER BARBADIAN POLICEMAN is now recuperating in a British hospital after being seriously injured in Afghanistan last month.

Corie Mapp was on patrol duty with the British Army when he lost both feet in an explosion in the war-torn country.

Relatives have been tight-lipped about the incident but a family source told the SUNDAY SUN that Mapp was undergoing medical treatment and therapy after the incident that reportedly left two of his army colleagues dead.

Mapp, 34, of Clifton Hill, St John, had his childhood dream fulfilled when he was enlisted in the elite British military regiment four years ago. It was then that he quit his job as a police officer attached to the Special Services Unit (Task Force).

At home, best wishes were sent to him from Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin and other members of the Police Force.

Head of the Task Force, Assistant Superintendent Antonio Forte, remembered Mapp as an excellent officer and one who looked for new challenges.

He also recalled the former cop, who was attached to the Canine Division before joining his department, as having his sights set on being a member of the overseas military.

Guyana to move unstable prisoners after killing

Guyana is removing mentally ill prisoners from the general inmate population after a fatal stabbing at a maximum-security facility last month.

Twenty inmates will be housed in temporary accommodations until crews build a separate prison for them, Security Minister Clement Rohee said late Friday.

Former riot police officer Solomon Blackman was in jail awaiting trial on charges of fatally shooting two fellow officers six years ago when authorities say he stabbed to death inmate Dewan Singh. Other inmates then beat Blackman to death.

Blackman's trial had been repeatedly delayed because of his mental instability, police said. Prior to February's stabbing, however, he had been regularly taking medication and had appeared stable enough to share a cell with another prisoner, they said.

Rights groups have long criticized Guyana for housing unstable prisoners alongside the general inmate population.

Last year, leaders of the 15-member Caribbean Community trade bloc also criticized the South American country for running an overcrowded and unsanitary prison system.

CARICOM adopts town in Haiti

Saint Lucia and other CARICOM member states are continuing to contribute to returning some level of normalcy to life in the earthquake-ravaged Haiti. CARICOM has adopted a town outside the capital of Port-au-Prince and is presently focusing on providing much needed health services to affected Haitians.

More than three thousand people injured in the magnitude 7.0 earthquake on the 12th of January, have so far received treatment from CARICOM’s response team.

CARICOM’s Ambassador to Haiti, His Excellency Earl Huntley, provided an update on the response of the regional grouping in an exclusive interview with the GIS.

“What CARICOM is doing now, is concentrating on the health sector; they have focused their efforts on a town outside of Port-au-Prince which was in fact the epicentre of the earthquake. CARICOM is providing medical assistance in that town.”

Ambassador Huntley says, CARICOM is committed to providing unwavering support to its sister member-state in its time of distress.

The diplomat says he expects the regional grouping to assist in redeveloping the state apparatus to restore proper governance in Haiti.

Bob Marley - Marley To Be Remembered At Jamaican Museum

Jamaicans will honour late reggae greats BOB MARLEY and PETER TOSH when the doors to the nation's music museum open next year (11).

Rare pieces of memorabilia will go on display at the Jamaica Music Museum, which will document and preserve artifacts from the Caribbean country's rich music history.

Items to be exhibited include the album Marley produced before he became famous - Martha Velez's Escape from Babylon - as well as a cassette tape that features Tosh performing a blues track with Rolling Stones stars Keith Richards and Sir Mick Jagger in 1977.

The country's preservationists took a hit after historic film footage and thousands of original records were stolen from a collection of archives in Kingston during a raid in January 2008.

Teen gunned down outside Movie Towne

A lime among a group of young men turned fatal after an 18-year-old teenager was shot after he and his friends were robbed by three men outside the MovieTowne Complex, Invaders Bay, on Saturday night.

The incident occurred in the full view of patrons who were socialising at the popular MovieTowne’s Greens which is located between the Cineplex and Marriott Hotel. Several people, including mothers with babies in their arms, had to scamper for safety as gunshots rang out.

Lawrence Lendon Taylor died at the scene of the incident after he was shot multiple times by a gunman after he voiced his dissatisfaction as he and his friends were being robbed

The incident occurred around 9.45 pm, police said. Outside Taylor’s Baird Street, Carenage, home, yesterday, neighbours and friends described him as a “cool tess.”

Many expressed shock over the incident, saying the “youthman” will be missed by all who knew him. A R.I.P Facebook group was created hours after the killing. Taylor, also known as “Pretty Boy” was a past student of Mucurapo Secondary School.

He received a fatal shot to the head by his attacker. Police said Taylor was in the company of two other teenagers when three men approached and began to heckle the boys

West Indies team for Digicel ODIs in St Vincent

The West Indies selectors have named the following players for the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th Digicel One-Day Internationals against Zimbabwe at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex in St Vincent on Wednesday, March 10; Friday, March 12 and Sunday, March 14:

1. Chris Gayle (Captain)    2. Adrian Barath    3. Sulieman Benn

4. David Bernard               5. Darren Bravo    6. Dwayne Bravo

7. Shivnarine Chanderpaul                            8. Narsingh Deonarine

9. Nikita Miller               10. Kieron Pollard   11. Denesh Ramdin

12. Ravi Rampaul           13. Kemar Roach   14. Darren Sammy

Training and media schedule for the West Indies team in St Vincent:

Monday, March 8

Training at Arnos Vale – noon

A team member will be available to speak to the media after training

Tuesday, March 9

Training at Arnos Vale – 9:30 am

Pre-match media conference in the main pavilion with captain Chris Gayle – 10:30 am (approximately)

Why we still need to mark International Women's Day

International Women's Day is on Monday. It is a day when the political, social and economic conditions and achievements of women are remembered. It is believed that International Women's Day started in 1909 and gained momentum in 1911 after more than 140 New York City garment workers — most of them women — were killed in a tragic fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory. More women might have escaped the blaze if they hadn't been locked in to keep them from taking outdoor breaks.

Several countries in Europe, Asia and Africa, along with some U.S. companies, recognize International Women's Day as a holiday.

One might wonder why it is necessary in the 21st century to have a day that recognizes the rights and achievements of women. Surely it is common knowledge that women are just as intelligent, capable and worthy of honor as men.

If that's true, then why do women continue to get paid less than men for doing the same work? If women had true equality, there would be more women pastors and priests.

In most churches, women make up more than 60 percent of the congregation. But the percentage of women in the pews does not match the percentage of women in pulpits. It is sad to say that some congregations would rather have a less competent man than a superbly qualified woman as their pastor.

In my early years of ministry, I was once invited to preach at a church for a special women's event. Upon arriving at the church, I was informed that because of my gender I would not be permitted to preach from the pulpit. A music stand was placed on the sanctuary floor for me to use.

Despite all the advances women have made in science, entertainment and politics, there is still a need to champion women's equality and worth — even in the church.

Iraq elections marred by violence

Reporting from Baghdad - Bombs and mortar shells pounded Baghdad on Sunday morning, killing at least 40 people and wounding dozens more, as Iraqis, desperate for a brighter future, sought to cast their ballots in crucial national elections.

The deadly blasts, which echoed across the capital before 7 a.m. and lasted until close to noon, threw a pall over the vote for the second four-year government since Saddam Hussein was toppled in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

In contrast to national elections in 2005, when U.S. military vehicles patrolled Baghdad, only Iraqi army and police guarded the city Sunday.

They were unable to prevent insurgents from launching their fusillades, which appeared to unnerve some voters and dissuade many from heading to the polls in the morning, said Hamdiya Husseini, a spokeswoman for Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission.

 

Red Cross appeals for aid after Uganda landslide

Uganda's Red Cross has launched an appeal to help survivors of mudslides which swept away three villages near the eastern town of Bududa.

More than 80 bodies have been recovered from the mud which engulfed villages on the slopes of Mount Elgon.

At least 250 people are still missing. The Red Cross says it needs shelters, blankets and psychological support.

In one village, eyewitnesses said schoolchildren took shelter in a health centre later engulfed by the mud.

Bulger killer Jon Venables 'recalled to jail over fight at work'

James Bulger's killer was recalled to jail because of a violent altercation with a work colleague, it was claimed today.

Jon Venables, 27, allegedly had to be pulled away as he grappled with a fellow worker who then lodged an official complaint about him, the Daily Mirror said.

Venables is also alleged to have abused cocaine and ecstasy since he was released in 2001.

He was freed on licence after serving less than eight years for the infamous abduction and murder of the two-year-old Liverpool toddler.

Aftershocks ripple through Taiwan

Aftershocks rattled southern Taiwan in the hours after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook the island, but left it relatively unscathed.

Thursday morning's quake was followed by more than 15 aftershocks, the largest reaching 4.8.

Taiwan's interior ministry reported 12 minor injuries -- nine in Kaohsiung county, two in Jia Yi county and one in Tainan county.

The quake struck about 8:20 a.m. (7:20 p.m. Wednesday ET) in a mountainous region about 25 miles northwest of Taitung, on the southeast coast, and 40 miles east of Tainan and Kaohsiung on the southwest coast.

The region includes Taiwan's Maolin National Scenic Area and is still recovering from a direct hit by Typhoon Morakot that killed hundreds in August.

The typhoon dumped more than two feet of rain, causing serious mudslides in the south, including one that buried the village of Shiao Lin under 50 feet of mud.

North Korean executed for sneaking news out

SEOUL, South Korea -- A North Korean firing squad publicly executed a factory worker for sneaking news out of the reclusive communist country via his illicit mobile phone, Seoul-based radio said Thursday.

The armaments factory worker was accused of divulging the price of rice and other information on living conditions to a friend who defected to South Korea years ago, Open Radio for North Korea reported on its Web site.

The man, surnamed Chong, made calls to the defector using an illegal Chinese mobile phone, the broadcaster said, citing a North Korean security agency official it did not identify. The report didn't say when the phone calls were made.

The execution took place by firing squad in late January in the eastern coastal city of Hamhung, according to Open Radio for North Korea, a broadcaster specializing in the isolated country.

The station broadcasts into North Korea, which tightly controls news.

Scores Die in India - Stampede

At least 63 people were killed in a massive stampede at a temple in northern India, Thursday.

Police say the dead included women and children, while many other people were injured.

Thousand of people had gathered at the Ram Janki temple in Uttar Pradesh to collect free clothes and other goods being handed out during a religious festival.

The stampede broke out when the main gate of the temple collapsed.

Blast Kills 5 in Iraq as Early General Election Voting Begins

An explosion killed at least five people in the Iraqi capital Thursday as soldiers, prisoners and hospital patients cast ballots in early voting in the country's general election.

Officials say the blast, caused by either a rocket or a bomb, struck near a polling station that was not being used.

The attack came despite increased security at Baghdad polling centers, where those who may not be able to get to the polls Sunday took part in the early voting session.

Quake survivors await aid as aftershocks rattle Chile

Concepcion, Chile (CNN) -- More aftershocks rocked parts of Chile early Thursday, five days after a massive earthquake that killed more than 800 people.

A 4.9-magnitude aftershock struck near the already devastated Maule region about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

It came hours after a 6.1-magnitude aftershock struck near Valparaiso, raising fears that damaged buildings could topple.

More than 120 aftershocks of 5.0 magnitude or greater have hit Chile since Saturday's 8.8-magnitude earthquake, USGS geophysicist Don Blakeman said.

The disaster's death toll had risen to 802 by Wednesday, with nearly 600 of those occurring in the Maule region, the National Emergency Office said. Nineteen people were missing, said Patricio Rosende, the country's assistant interior secretary.

India navy plane crashes at air show, killing pilots

An Indian naval plane has crashed at an air show in the city of Hyderabad killing both pilots, the navy says.

Footage showed the plane flying in formation before crashing in a densely populated area near the show ground.

A three-storey house was destroyed and other buildings damaged. There is no word yet on any further casualties on the ground.

It is not clear what caused the crash. The Indian Aviation 2010 show opened on Wednesday and will go on until Sunday.

The two-seater Kiran MK-II which crashed was part of a four-plane formation.

A three-storey house was destroyed

"In the final phase, the aircraft appears to have gone out of control. They crashed into a building and the pilots have died," navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma told reporters.

The other three aircraft landed safely, the navy said.

An inquiry is being ordered to find out what caused the crash, it added.

Devastation in Uganda

Australia, Japan meet at whaling talks

Key nations in the whaling debate are meeting in the United States to discuss a compromise deal over the divisive issue.

Delegates meeting near Saint Petersburg in Florida are considering a proposal put forward by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to allow Japan, Iceland and Norway to commercially hunt whales.

The proposal would include strict monitoring and reductions in the number of whales killed over the next 10 years.

Australia is trying to stop Japanese whaling in the Antarctic and has put forward its own proposal.

The meeting is closed to the media but lobby groups are allowed to observe. They say the atmosphere is cordial.

This is a preliminary session ahead of the full meeting of the IWC in Morocco in June

Mudslides Bury Villages in Eastern Uganda

Torrential rain in eastern Uganda touched off a series of mudslides late Monday night, killing at least 83 people and causing devastation in villages, state emergency officials said.

 A Ugandan boy walked through mud on Tuesday after a series of landslides sent mounds of earth hurtling toward villages in the district of Bududa, near the border with Kenya.

Three landslides sent mounds of earth hurtling toward villages in the district of Bududa along the slopes of Mount Elgon near the Kenyan border, destroying houses and other buildings.

The local community council said that 320 people were missing, government relief officials said, and so the death toll was expected to rise.

“Many are missing,” said Musa Ecweru, a state minister for natural disasters, who was in Bududa. “Members of local government are dead. A rich businessman was killed. Members of my own family are missing.”

Rwanda Official Says Grenade Attacks Masterminds Will be Punished

Rwanda’s justice minister says charges will soon be filed against the alleged masterminds of the recent grenade attacks hours after the prosecutor general issued arrest warrants late Tuesday night against two former top government officials accused of involvement in the attacks.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy (C) lays a wreath at the Memorial of Rwandan genocide in Kigali, 25 Feb 2010

“Once the investigations reveal the role played by any individual person in the grenade throwing the charges preferred against them will depend largely on what the role they played…so there would be multiple charges,”

Rwanda’s justice minister says charges will soon be filed against the alleged masterminds of the recent grenade attacks hours after the prosecutor general issued arrest warrants late Tuesday night against two former top government officials accused of involvement in the attacks.

Clinton in Brazil After Pledging Long Term Earthquake Aid to Chile

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Brasilia for meetings with Brazilian leaders after a stop in Chile where she pledged long-term U.S. relief help for the earthquake-ravaged country.

Chilean officials say damage estimates range into the tens of billions of dollars.

Clinton spent only a few hours on the ground at the Santiago airport, meeting with President Michelle Bachelet and President elect Sebastian Pinera, and delivering an initial installment of 25 badly needed satellite telephones.

But she promised that the United States intends to be responsive to Chilean requests for a list of emergency items, including mobile surgical units and water purification systems,and said that the American commitment to Chile will be long-term.

Remains likely those of missing California teen

Human remains found Tuesday in San Diego, California, are likely those of a teenage girl missing since Thursday, the San Diego County sheriff said.

The remains were found in a shallow grave along a tributary south of a lake in Rancho Bernardo Community Park, authorities said. Searchers have been combing the edge of Lake Hodges for clues into the disappearance of 17-year-old Chelsea King, who often ran along the park's trails.

"There is strong likelihood that we have found Chelsea," Sheriff William Gore said at a news conference.