Daughter Of Terrorist Says Father Is Innocent.

The daughter of one of the Trinidad and Tobago national accused of plotting to blow up fuel lines at JFK Airport is sticking to the belief that her father is innocent.

Kareem Ibrahim’s daughter Hooda yesterday responded to the latest in the matter now playing out before a U.S. court. Guyanese Abdel Nur pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and admitted that he helped his co-defendants in their plan to blow up JFK International Airport.

Hooda Ibrahim told reporters yesterday that there is no evidence that her father Kareem Ibrahim was involved in the alleged plan.
In the court on Tuesday, Mr. Nur also admitted that he told his co-defendants, Mr. Ibrahim, fellow Guyanese Abdul Kadir and American Russell Defreitas that he would provide them with protection and guidance on a trip to Trinidad and Tobago in 2007.

Taiwan grants record number of scholarships this year to St. Lucia

Taipei, June 30 (CNA) A record number of students from St. Lucia have been granted scholarships this year by the Taiwan government, mainly because of the good performance of those already studying in Taiwan, according to Taiwan's ambassador to the Caribbean country.

Taiwan Ambassador to St. Lucia Tom Chou said Wednesday that with the support and promotional efforts of the St. Lucian government, more and more students have been applying for Taiwan scholarships.

In 2007, after Taiwan and St. Lucia resumed diplomatic ties, four students were granted scholarships to study in Taiwan. Since then the number has been increasing annually to five in 2008, nine in 2009, and 14 this year, he said at a scholarship award ceremony at St. Lucia's National ICT Center.

Alongside the increase in numbers, the quality of the students' performance has also been improving, Chou said, adding that universities in Taiwan have spoken well about the St. Lucian students.  Half of the 14 scholarship winners this year will be funded under the Taiwan Scholarship Program, and the other half under Taiwan's International

Fire Ravages Many Madhia Businesses

In Guyana….

A fire suspected to be electrical in origin last evening reduced more than 20 structures in the commercial area of Mahdia in Region 8 to rubble, leaving behind millions of dollars in losses and dozens homeless.

Up to press time the inferno which started around 6:30 pm was said to be under control after it was contained by a corrugated zinc fence bordering an apartment complex.

The Government Information Agency last night said that Prime Minister Sam Hinds will travel to the area today.

Speaking to Stabroek News as the fire raged, a shaken and emotional Region Eight Chairman Senor Bell said via telephone from Mahdia that the “whole arcade in flame”.

He said that when he rushed to the area on hearing of the fire about 20 – 25 businesses were already gutted

Haynes appointed Barbados manager

Former West Indies opener Desmond Haynes has been named the new manager of Barbados for the upcoming Caribbean T20 tournament which starts on July 22.

Haynes takes over from Jeff Broomes, who managed the team for the West Indies Cricket Board's four-day tournament.

The team has retained allrounder Ryan Hinds as captain and Emmerson Trotman as head coach.

Vasbert Drakes will be the assistant coach while Jacqui King has been appointed the team physiotherapist.

Since retiring from cricket, Haynes has served as the first-vice president of the Barbados Cricket Association and been the chairman of the West Indies selection panel.

Over the course of his 16-year playing career he made 7487 runs in 116 Tests and 8648 in 238 ODIs.

Eight teams are set to compete in the Caribbean T20, with the winner going on to represent the West Indies in the Champions League T20 tournament in South Africa in September

Guyana man fined for exhuming body, abusing it

A 20-year-old garbage collector in the South American country of Guyana has pleaded guilty to performing an indecent act on a dead body after he allegedly exhumed the corpse of an elderly woman and had sex with it.

Roopram Bacchus appeared before a judge Friday and testified that he had a drinking problem. The judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation and fined him $200. He faces a year in prison if he is unable to pay the fine.

Police divisional commander Steve Merai said Saturday that Bacchus dug up the body of a 75-year-old woman a day after relatives buried her in a cemetery in early March. Merai said Bacchus broke into the coffin, removed the corpse and had intercourse with it.

He said Bacchus and the family were neighbors.

US Embassy could not accept Coke — police

THE United States Embassy was not in a position to accommodate former fugitive Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, even if the Rev Merrick 'Al' Miller had succeeded in his mission to take him there, senior police officials have said.

Miller failed in his attempt to transport the alleged drug lord all the way to the Liguanea, St Andrew location, after police, acting on what they called "intelligence" intercepted his sports utility with Coke as the sole passenger, along the Mandela Highway in St Catherine last Tuesday.

MILLER... charged with one count each of harbouring a fugitive and perverting the course of justice

“It would have been a breach on the part of the US Embassy if they had accepted him (Coke),”

British woman drowns as she tries to save teenager in Caribbean

Viv Carne drowned as she tried to save 13-year-old Tamika Mitchell Photo: SWNS

Viv Carne, 45, dived in when she spotted 13-year-old Tamika Mitchell disappear under the surface of the Marianne River in Trinidad and Tobago.

The mother-of-two tried to pull Tamika to safety, but was dragged under by strong currents and swept away. Tamika later died in hospital.

Her husband Terry, a retired policeman from Devon and Cornwall Police, also dived in but was unable to help the pair as they were swept away.

Rescuers discovered Mrs Carne's body washed up on the riverbank hours after she disappeared.

The Carnes moved to Trinidad and Tobago from Newquay, in Cornwall, two years ago after he joined the island's Specialist Anti-Crime Unit.

The pair were due to retire to Britain with their two young children next month but are due to fly back earlier this weekend following Saturday's drowning