As many as 1.5 million homes this week were left without power after a short circuit blew out the Caribbean islands' biggest power grid. Puerto Rico electric company has now said that it has no idea when power can be made available.

1.5 million homes go dark in Caribbean due to massive power outage

Prince William and Kate are in the Caribbean to mark Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee. The visit has been criticised as a PR disaster by royal watchers in Britain. Palki Sharma tells you why the Caribbean is not buying this royal cringe.

Gravitas: A royal disaster: William and Kate in the Caribbean

Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate arrived in Jamaica as part of a week-long Caribbean tour, hours after activists protested to demand reparations for slavery amid growing scrutiny of the British Empire's colonial legacy.

Growing dissent in Caribbean, British royals' Jamaica visit stirs demands for slavery reparations

Dozens of people held a protest outside the British High Commission in Kingston. They were holding the banners that urged Britain to apologize. Jamaicans are demanding reparation for slavery.

Growing dissent in the Caribbean, Jamaicans demand reparation for slavery

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/government-has-become-dictatorship-hong-kong-protestors-call-on-supporters-to-rally-outside-parliament-225932">Hong Kong</a> is gearing up for an annual pro-democracy march on Monday, the anniversary of its handover to Beijing, that could draw large crowds amid widespread anger over an extradition bill that has already seen <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/mass-protests-protect-hong-kongs-legal-autonomy-from-china-for-now-228567">millions take to the streets</a>.

In recent years, the anniversary of the handover of the former British colony in 1997 has been marked by deepening despondency about what many residents see as increasing meddling by the mainland and the erosion of freedoms.

Beijing denies interfering but for many Hong Kong residents a proposed extradition law, that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial, is the latest step in a relentless march towards mainland control.

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung, writing in his blog on Sunday, appealed for calm ahead of Monday`s rally and said the government has learned from its mistakes.&nbsp;

"It is imperative to restore social order and tranquillity as soon as possible, stabilize the business environment and bring Hong Kong back on track," he said.

Embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, who has apologised for the upheaval, has not been seen in public since June 18.

The turmoil comes at a delicate time for Beijing, which is already grappling with a trade war with Washington, a faltering economy and tensions in the South China Sea.&nbsp;

"If Hong Kong is no longer an international city, Hong Kong will perish," former opposition lawmaker Margaret Ng said at a rally late on Friday. 
"It`s our responsibility to let the world know."

Lam, who is backed by Beijing, promoted and then suspended the extradition bill after some of the biggest and most violent protests in the city in decades against it.

While Lam, in her decision to suspend the bill, said she had heard the people "loud and clear", she stopped short of activists` demands to scrap it and rejected calls to step down.

Activists are also demanding the government drop all charges against those arrested during the latest protests, charge police with what they describe as excessive use of force and stop referring to the demonstrations as a riot, a term than can bring a heavier jail sentence.

In scenes that grabbed global headlines on June 12, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters near the heart of the financial centre, sending plumes of smoke billowing among some of the world`s tallest skyscrapers.

In heavy rain and sweltering heat of around 33 Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, thousands rallied in a show of support for the police, with some waving the Chinese national flag.

Former police chief Tang King-shing said he felt hurt when he saw protesters besiege police headquarters earlier in the week, adding it was as if "all the police`s contributions had been forgotten."

Organisers of Monday`s anniversary march say they are confident that anger over the city government`s failure to withdraw the extradition bill will fuel numbers.

The extradition bill has reignited a protest movement that had lost steam after pro-democracy demonstrations in 2014 failed to wrestle concessions from Beijing and led to the arrests of hundreds of activists.&nbsp;

More than a million people have taken to the streets at times over the past three weeks to vent their anger and frustration at Lam, posing the greatest popular challenge to Chinese leader Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012.

Local media reported that a 21-year-old Hong Kong student who fell to her death from an apartment building on Saturday had left behind a note opposing the extradition law.

Threat and fear

Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, under a "one country, two systems" formula that allows freedoms not enjoyed in mainland China, including freedom of protest and a much-cherished independent judiciary.

Opponents of the extradition bill see it as a threat to the rule of law and fear it would put them at the mercy of China`s justice system where human rights are not guaranteed.

After promises that post-handover Hong Kong would enjoy autonomy, Beijing`s squeeze has fuelled resentment and in 2014 sparked pro-democracy protests that paralysed parts of the city for 79 days.&nbsp;

The failure of those protests to wrestle concessions on democracy, coupled with prosecutions of at least 100 protesters, most of them young, had discouraged many activists from going back to the streets - until recent weeks.

The turnout at the handover protest in 2018 was one of the lowest ever after Hong Kong`s opposition lost steam following the disqualification of pro-democracy legislators and the jailing of some of the most prominent activists.

Hong Kong is gearing up for an annual pro-democracy march on Monday, the anniversary of its handover to Beijing, that could draw large crowds amid widespread anger over an extradition bill that has already seen millions take to the streets.

Hong Kong is gearing up for an annual pro-democracy march on Monday, the anniversary of its handover to Beijing, that could draw large crowds amid widespread anger over an extradition bill that has already seen millions take to the streets. In recent years, the anniversary of the handover of the former British colony in 1997 has been marked by deepening despondency about what many residents see as increasing meddling by the mainland and the erosion of freedoms. Beijing denies interfering but for many Hong Kong residents a proposed extradition law, that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial, is the latest step in a relentless march towards mainland control. Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung, writing in his blog on Sunday, appealed for calm ahead of Monday`s rally and said the government has learned from its mistakes. "It is imperative to restore social order and tranquillity as soon as possible, stabilize the business environment and bring Hong Kong back on track," he said. Embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, who has apologised for the upheaval, has not been seen in public since June 18. The turmoil comes at a delicate time for Beijing, which is already grappling with a trade war with Washington, a faltering economy and tensions in the South China Sea. "If Hong Kong is no longer an international city, Hong Kong will perish," former opposition lawmaker Margaret Ng said at a rally late on Friday. "It`s our responsibility to let the world know." Lam, who is backed by Beijing, promoted and then suspended the extradition bill after some of the biggest and most violent protests in the city in decades against it. While Lam, in her decision to suspend the bill, said she had heard the people "loud and clear", she stopped short of activists` demands to scrap it and rejected calls to step down. Activists are also demanding the government drop all charges against those arrested during the latest protests, charge police with what they describe as excessive use of force and stop referring to the demonstrations as a riot, a term than can bring a heavier jail sentence. In scenes that grabbed global headlines on June 12, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters near the heart of the financial centre, sending plumes of smoke billowing among some of the world`s tallest skyscrapers. In heavy rain and sweltering heat of around 33 Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, thousands rallied in a show of support for the police, with some waving the Chinese national flag. Former police chief Tang King-shing said he felt hurt when he saw protesters besiege police headquarters earlier in the week, adding it was as if "all the police`s contributions had been forgotten." Organisers of Monday`s anniversary march say they are confident that anger over the city government`s failure to withdraw the extradition bill will fuel numbers. The extradition bill has reignited a protest movement that had lost steam after pro-democracy demonstrations in 2014 failed to wrestle concessions from Beijing and led to the arrests of hundreds of activists. More than a million people have taken to the streets at times over the past three weeks to vent their anger and frustration at Lam, posing the greatest popular challenge to Chinese leader Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012. Local media reported that a 21-year-old Hong Kong student who fell to her death from an apartment building on Saturday had left behind a note opposing the extradition law. Threat and fear Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, under a "one country, two systems" formula that allows freedoms not enjoyed in mainland China, including freedom of protest and a much-cherished independent judiciary. Opponents of the extradition bill see it as a threat to the rule of law and fear it would put them at the mercy of China`s justice system where human rights are not guaranteed. After promises that post-handover Hong Kong would enjoy autonomy, Beijing`s squeeze has fuelled resentment and in 2014 sparked pro-democracy protests that paralysed parts of the city for 79 days. The failure of those protests to wrestle concessions on democracy, coupled with prosecutions of at least 100 protesters, most of them young, had discouraged many activists from going back to the streets - until recent weeks. The turnout at the handover protest in 2018 was one of the lowest ever after Hong Kong`s opposition lost steam following the disqualification of pro-democracy legislators and the jailing of some of the most prominent activists.

Wonder of the Seas: World's largest cruise ship ready for maiden voyage - see pics

Tropical storm Elsa is sweeping through the Northern Caribbean battering Jamaica and Cuba with winds and rain the storm has claimed at least three lives so far.

Tropical storm Elsa cuts through Caribbean after claiming three lives

The United Nations launched an appeal on Tuesday for $29.2 million to help some 15,000 people displaced when the La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent erupted earlier this month.&nbsp;

"We are in a dire situation frankly ... We're not out of the woods," St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told reporters, adding that scientists had warned eruptions could last another six months. &nbsp;

The volcano erupted on April 9 after decades of inactivity, spewing dark clouds of ash some 10 km (6 miles) into the air and prompting the evacuation of thousands of people. The volcano has continued to rumble and vent ash.&nbsp;

Didier Trebucq, the UN Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, visited the affected areas two days ago with Gonsalves and described the scene as "apocalyptic." He said the UN appeal was to scale up assistance for six months.&nbsp;

St Vincent and the Grenadines, which has a population of just over 100,000, has not experienced volcanic activity since 1979, when an eruption resulted in about $100 million in damages. An eruption by La Soufriere in 1902 killed more than 1,000 people. The name means 'sulfur outlet' in French.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The United Nations launched an appeal on Tuesday for $29.2 million to help some 15,000 people displaced when the La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent erupted earlier this month.

The United Nations launched an appeal on Tuesday for $29.2 million to help some 15,000 people displaced when the La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent erupted earlier this month. "We are in a dire situation frankly ... We're not out of the woods," St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told reporters, adding that scientists had warned eruptions could last another six months. The volcano erupted on April 9 after decades of inactivity, spewing dark clouds of ash some 10 km (6 miles) into the air and prompting the evacuation of thousands of people. The volcano has continued to rumble and vent ash. Didier Trebucq, the UN Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, visited the affected areas two days ago with Gonsalves and described the scene as "apocalyptic." He said the UN appeal was to scale up assistance for six months. St Vincent and the Grenadines, which has a population of just over 100,000, has not experienced volcanic activity since 1979, when an eruption resulted in about $100 million in damages. An eruption by La Soufriere in 1902 killed more than 1,000 people. The name means 'sulfur outlet' in French. (With inputs from agencies)

UN asks for $29.2 million to help after Caribbean volcano eruption 

Another explosive event from La Soufriere volcano triggered power cuts and water outages in some areas of Sanit Vincent island, while ash clouds began to cover parts of Barbados islands.

The volcano erupted on Friday after decades of inactivity. The eruption spewed dark clouds of ash 10 km into the air. This prompted evacuation of thousands of people on the island. The volcano has continued to vent ash afterward.

On Sunday morning, Saint Vincent's National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) said there was a huge power outage after "another explosive event" at the volcano. However, by 12 p.m. ET (1600 GMT), power had been restored, residents said.

"Explosions and accompanying ashfall, of similar or larger magnitude, are likely to continue to occur over the next few days," the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre said on Twitter.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which has a population of just over 100,000, has not experienced volcanic activity since 1979, when an eruption created approximately $100 million in damages. An eruption by La Soufriere in 1902 killed more than 1,000 people. The name means "sulfur outlet" in French.

Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves said the government believes about 20,000 people will be internally displaced for about three to four months.

"Historically, the volcano keeps going intermittently for a couple months," he said. "Most crops on island will be lost, and untold livestock."

(With AFP inputs)

Another explosive event from La Soufriere volcano triggered power cuts and water outages in some areas of Sanit Vincent island, while ash clouds began to cover parts of Barbados islands.

Another explosive event from La Soufriere volcano triggered power cuts and water outages in some areas of Sanit Vincent island, while ash clouds began to cover parts of Barbados islands. The volcano erupted on Friday after decades of inactivity. The eruption spewed dark clouds of ash 10 km into the air. This prompted evacuation of thousands of people on the island. The volcano has continued to vent ash afterward. On Sunday morning, Saint Vincent's National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) said there was a huge power outage after "another explosive event" at the volcano. However, by 12 p.m. ET (1600 GMT), power had been restored, residents said. "Explosions and accompanying ashfall, of similar or larger magnitude, are likely to continue to occur over the next few days," the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre said on Twitter. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which has a population of just over 100,000, has not experienced volcanic activity since 1979, when an eruption created approximately $100 million in damages. An eruption by La Soufriere in 1902 killed more than 1,000 people. The name means "sulfur outlet" in French. Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves said the government believes about 20,000 people will be internally displaced for about three to four months. "Historically, the volcano keeps going intermittently for a couple months," he said. "Most crops on island will be lost, and untold livestock." (With AFP inputs)

Power outages on St Vincent island amid volcano tremors

After volcanic eruption, ash spreads across St Vincent in Caribbean

La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent erupted on Friday after decades of inactivity, sending dark plumes of ash and smoke billowing into the sky and forcing thousands from surrounding villages to evacuate.&nbsp;

Dormant since 1979, the volcano started showing signs of activity in December, spewing steam and smoke and rumbling away. That picked up this week, prompting Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves to order an evacuation of the surrounding area late on Thursday. &nbsp;

Early on Friday, it finally erupted. Ash and smoke plunged the neighbouring area into near total darkness, blotting out the bright morning sun, said a witness, who reported hearing the explosion from Rose Hall, a nearby village.&nbsp;

Smaller explosions continued throughout the day, Erouscilla Joseph, director at the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre, said, adding that this kind of activity could go on for weeks if not months.&nbsp;

"This is just the beginning," she said. &nbsp;

St Vincent and the Grenadines, which has a population of just over 100,000, has not experienced volcanic activity since 1979, when an eruption created approximately $100 million in damages. An eruption by La Soufriere in 1902 killed more than 1,000 people. The name means 'sulfur outlet' in French.&nbsp;

The eruption column was estimated to reach 10 km (6 miles) high, the seismic research center said. Ash fall could affect the Grenadines, Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada.&nbsp;

"The ash plume may cause flight delays due to diversions," the center said on Twitter. "On the ground, ash can cause discomfort in persons suffering with respiratory illnesses and will impact water resources."&nbsp;

Local media have in recent days also reported increased activity from Mount Pelee on the island of Martinique, which lies to the north of St Vincent beyond St Lucia.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent erupted on Friday after decades of inactivity, sending dark plumes of ash and smoke billowing into the sky and forcing thousands from surrounding villages to evacuate.

La Soufriere volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent erupted on Friday after decades of inactivity, sending dark plumes of ash and smoke billowing into the sky and forcing thousands from surrounding villages to evacuate. Dormant since 1979, the volcano started showing signs of activity in December, spewing steam and smoke and rumbling away. That picked up this week, prompting Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves to order an evacuation of the surrounding area late on Thursday. Early on Friday, it finally erupted. Ash and smoke plunged the neighbouring area into near total darkness, blotting out the bright morning sun, said a witness, who reported hearing the explosion from Rose Hall, a nearby village. Smaller explosions continued throughout the day, Erouscilla Joseph, director at the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre, said, adding that this kind of activity could go on for weeks if not months. "This is just the beginning," she said. St Vincent and the Grenadines, which has a population of just over 100,000, has not experienced volcanic activity since 1979, when an eruption created approximately $100 million in damages. An eruption by La Soufriere in 1902 killed more than 1,000 people. The name means 'sulfur outlet' in French. The eruption column was estimated to reach 10 km (6 miles) high, the seismic research center said. Ash fall could affect the Grenadines, Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada. "The ash plume may cause flight delays due to diversions," the center said on Twitter. "On the ground, ash can cause discomfort in persons suffering with respiratory illnesses and will impact water resources." Local media have in recent days also reported increased activity from Mount Pelee on the island of Martinique, which lies to the north of St Vincent beyond St Lucia. (With inputs from agencies)

Volcano erupts in southern Caribbean, forcing thousands to evacuate  

La Soufriere volcano on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent "explosively" erupted on Friday morning, spreading ash across surrounding villages, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre said.

Late on Thursday, Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said people living in so-called red zones in the northwest and northeast of the island needed to evacuate immediately as the volcano pumped out more smoke and steam.

La Soufriere volcano on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent "explosively" erupted on Friday morning, spreading ash across surrounding villages, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre said.

La Soufriere volcano on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent "explosively" erupted on Friday morning, spreading ash across surrounding villages, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre said. Late on Thursday, Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said people living in so-called red zones in the northwest and northeast of the island needed to evacuate immediately as the volcano pumped out more smoke and steam.

'Explosive' volcanic eruption rocks Caribbean island St Vincent

India's covid vaccine supplies on Wednesday reached the Caribbean with Barbados getting one lakh doses of it and Dominica getting 70,000. The leadership of the country was quick to appreciate India's gesture.

Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit expressed his "heartfelt thanks and appreciation" to "PM Modi, his govt and citizens of India" for sending covid vaccine supplies. He said, "I must confess I did not imagine that the prayers of my country would have been answered so swiftly. Being the leader of a small Caribbean Island with a population of 72,000 people I did not fancy my chances of getting such a swift and positive response to my request from India's PM Narendra Modi."

Elaborating, "One would have thought and understood that in a global pandemic such as this, a nation's size and might would have been the primary consideration, but it is to the credit of PM Modi, that our request was considered on merit and the equality of our people was recognized."

Barbados's PM Mia Amor Mottley tweeted, "India's gift of 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines arrived Barbados earlier today. This was a very special moment for all Barbadians and I want to thank Prime Minister Modi for his quick, decisive, and magnanimous action in allowing us to be the beneficiary of these vaccines."

Meanwhile, Nicaragua and Mexico in the same region will also soon get India-made vaccines. Indian envoy to Mexico Manpreet Vohra announced, "To assist Mexico's fight against the covid pandemic, I am delighted to confirm that 500,000 Made-in-India vaccines are scheduled to reach here on Sunday" &nbsp;

Expectedly more consignments will be sent from India. &nbsp;While Sunday's amount is the first such consignment, a much larger amount will be shipped to Mexico in March. In total, 2 million doses of vaccine will be going from India to Mexico.&nbsp;

Speaking to WION on the development, Mexican envoy Federico Salas said, "We are very pleased to work with India to address this very important issue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic."

India has so far sent vaccine supplies to around 20 countries, both as gifts and commercially. These are Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Brazil, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Algeria, Kuwait, South Africa, Afghanistan, Dominica, Barbados. In the coming weeks, India made vaccines are scheduled to reach Pacific Island States, Mongolia, etc.

60% of global vaccines are produced by India, and apart from COVID vaccines, India is the largest supplier of DPT, BCG and measles vaccines. The world health organization sources 70% of its vaccine needs from India. Last year, amid the pandemic New Delhi sent assistance in the form of medicines and medical equipment to over 150 countries, including grants-in-aid valued at around Rupees 80 crore to 82 countries.

India's covid vaccine supplies on Wednesday reached the Caribbean with Barbados getting one lakh doses of it and Dominica getting 70,000. The leadership of the country was quick to appreciate India's gesture.

India's covid vaccine supplies on Wednesday reached the Caribbean with Barbados getting one lakh doses of it and Dominica getting 70,000. The leadership of the country was quick to appreciate India's gesture. Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit expressed his "heartfelt thanks and appreciation" to "PM Modi, his govt and citizens of India" for sending covid vaccine supplies. He said, "I must confess I did not imagine that the prayers of my country would have been answered so swiftly. Being the leader of a small Caribbean Island with a population of 72,000 people I did not fancy my chances of getting such a swift and positive response to my request from India's PM Narendra Modi." Elaborating, "One would have thought and understood that in a global pandemic such as this, a nation's size and might would have been the primary consideration, but it is to the credit of PM Modi, that our request was considered on merit and the equality of our people was recognized." Barbados's PM Mia Amor Mottley tweeted, "India's gift of 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines arrived Barbados earlier today. This was a very special moment for all Barbadians and I want to thank Prime Minister Modi for his quick, decisive, and magnanimous action in allowing us to be the beneficiary of these vaccines." Meanwhile, Nicaragua and Mexico in the same region will also soon get India-made vaccines. Indian envoy to Mexico Manpreet Vohra announced, "To assist Mexico's fight against the covid pandemic, I am delighted to confirm that 500,000 Made-in-India vaccines are scheduled to reach here on Sunday" Expectedly more consignments will be sent from India. While Sunday's amount is the first such consignment, a much larger amount will be shipped to Mexico in March. In total, 2 million doses of vaccine will be going from India to Mexico. Speaking to WION on the development, Mexican envoy Federico Salas said, "We are very pleased to work with India to address this very important issue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic." India has so far sent vaccine supplies to around 20 countries, both as gifts and commercially. These are Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Brazil, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Algeria, Kuwait, South Africa, Afghanistan, Dominica, Barbados. In the coming weeks, India made vaccines are scheduled to reach Pacific Island States, Mongolia, etc. 60% of global vaccines are produced by India, and apart from COVID vaccines, India is the largest supplier of DPT, BCG and measles vaccines. The world health organization sources 70% of its vaccine needs from India. Last year, amid the pandemic New Delhi sent assistance in the form of medicines and medical equipment to over 150 countries, including grants-in-aid valued at around Rupees 80 crore to 82 countries.

India sends Covid vaccines to Caribbean, up next Mexico

In 1492, Christopher Columbus touched land for the first time in the Americas, reaching the Bahamas, Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic and Haiti) and eastern Cuba. After he returned to Spain he reported that he had encountered islands rich in gold. A few years later his brother Bartholomew, who also traveled to the Americas, reported that Hispaniola had a large population whose labor and land could be put to the advantage of the Spanish crown. He estimated the population at 1.1 million people.

Was this figure accurate? It soon was a matter of dispute. Bartolomé de las Casas, a Spanish monk and colonist who became the first chronicler of the human disaster that unfolded in the Americas after the arrival of Europeans, estimated a far larger number: three million to four million.

The population size of “pre-contact” Hispaniola would continue to be a contested issue until the present day, not least because of its profound emotional and moral resonance in light of the destruction of that world. Modern scholars have generally estimated the population at 250,000 to a million people.

Some of the arguments for large population numbers in the pre-contact Americas have been motivated by an attempt to counter a myth, perpetuated by apologists for colonialism like the philosopher John Locke, that the Americas were a vast “vacuum domicilium,” or empty dwelling, populated by a handful of Indigenous groups whose displacement could be readily justified. In a similar vein, some of the arguments for large population sizes have been motivated by a desire to underscore how disastrous the arrival of Europeans was for Indigenous people.

By any measure, the arrival of Europeans was catastrophic for Indigenous Americans. This is true whether the numbers of people were in the hundreds of thousands or millions — or for that matter, the tens of thousands. It is questionable to pin our judgments of human atrocities to a specific number. To learn from the past, it is crucial to be willing to accept new and compelling data when they become available.

In the case of the pre-contact population of Hispaniola, such data have arrived. By analyzing the DNA of ancient Indigenous Caribbean people, a study published in Nature on Wednesday by one of us (Professor Reich) makes clear that the population of Hispaniola was no more than a few tens of thousands of people. Almost all prior estimates have been at least tenfold too large.

This research involved sequencing genetic material taken from skeletal remains. Together with another study of ancient Caribbean DNA published recently by a different lab, scientists now have data concerning the entire genomes of more than 260 people of the ancient Caribbean. (This work was done in collaboration with Caribbean scholars, with permission from Caribbean governments and institutions and in consultation with Caribbean people of Indigenous descent.)

In recent years, researchers studying ancient DNA have accumulated more than 5,000 ancient human genomes (up from none a decade ago), making it possible to use this methodology to ask and answer questions about how past people related to one another and to people living today. The Caribbean is now the first place in the Americas where we have this kind of high-resolution data set for understanding the past, previously available only in Western Eurasia.

The finding about the pre-contact population size in Hispaniola was made possible by a new scientific advance: We are now able to detect “DNA cousins” in ancient genomes — taking two people and determining whether they share large segments of DNA inherited from a recent ancestor. This is similar to what personal ancestry companies like 23andMe and Ancestry do with living people.

When the Reich team applied this method to 91 ancient individuals for whom it had sequenced enough of the genome to carry out this analysis, it found 19 pairs of DNA cousins living on different large islands or island groups in the Caribbean: for example, an individual in Hispaniola with a cousin in the Bahamas, and another individual in Hispaniola with a cousin in Puerto Rico. This meant that the entire population had to be very small; you wouldn’t find that random pairs of people had such a high probability of being closely related if the entire population was large. (To put this in perspective, if you did the same analysis on random pairs of people across China today, DNA cousins would be detected many thousands of times less often.)

The rate of close relationships that the Reich team found is what would be expected for about 3,000 people — at most 8,000 people — in their childbearing years in Hispaniola. The true numbers of people could have been threefold to tenfold larger because at any given time only a fraction of a population is in its childbearing years. Still, we can confidently conclude that the pre-contact population size of Hispaniola was no more than a few tens of thousands of people.

This is a classic ancient DNA surprise — the kind of unexpected finding this new technology has shown repeatedly that it can deliver. For example, the sequencing of a finger bone from Siberia thought to be from a modern human turned out to be from an archaic population not previously known to archaeologists, or even hypothesized by them. Such results emphasize how much we still have to learn about the past.

How should the new findings change the way we think about the fate of Indigenous people in the pre-contact Caribbean? In some ways, not at all. Whatever the starting population, what happened to Indigenous Americans after Europeans arrived amounted to genocide: the systematic obliteration not just of individuals but also of their culture and community — what the philosopher Claudia Card called the “social death” at “the center of genocide.”

Even if you focus more narrowly on statistics, the numbers of deaths in both absolute and relative terms are horrific. According to a 1540 census, the number of Indigenous people in Hispaniola had dropped to 250 people. It dropped to zero in later counts.

In other ways, however, ancient DNA research significantly changes how we think about Indigenous people in the pre-contact Caribbean. Another surprising finding, for instance, is that the genetic legacy of pre-contact Caribbean people did not disappear: They contributed an estimated 14 percent of the DNA of living people from Puerto Rico, 6 percent of that in the Dominican Republic and 4 percent of that in Cuba. In addition, by illuminating the highly mobile lifestyle of pre-contact Caribbean people with many DNA cousins across different islands, the research underscores the degree to which they were connected — a relative unity later fractured by centuries of division into colonial spheres by European powers.

Colonization resulted in such immense destruction that the rich cultures of the pre-contact Caribbean can be reconstructed only through a blend of oral traditions and scientific study, including the new insights provided by ancient DNA analysis. It is a blessing to be able to get closer to this heritage. And it is the loss of the people and cultures that produced this heritage that most provokes our outrage.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus touched land for the first time in the Americas, reaching the Bahamas, Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic and Haiti) and eastern Cuba.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus touched land for the first time in the Americas, reaching the Bahamas, Hispaniola (present-day Dominican Republic and Haiti) and eastern Cuba. After he returned to Spain he reported that he had encountered islands rich in gold. A few years later his brother Bartholomew, who also traveled to the Americas, reported that Hispaniola had a large population whose labor and land could be put to the advantage of the Spanish crown. He estimated the population at 1.1 million people. Was this figure accurate? It soon was a matter of dispute. Bartolomé de las Casas, a Spanish monk and colonist who became the first chronicler of the human disaster that unfolded in the Americas after the arrival of Europeans, estimated a far larger number: three million to four million. The population size of “pre-contact” Hispaniola would continue to be a contested issue until the present day, not least because of its profound emotional and moral resonance in light of the destruction of that world. Modern scholars have generally estimated the population at 250,000 to a million people. Some of the arguments for large population numbers in the pre-contact Americas have been motivated by an attempt to counter a myth, perpetuated by apologists for colonialism like the philosopher John Locke, that the Americas were a vast “vacuum domicilium,” or empty dwelling, populated by a handful of Indigenous groups whose displacement could be readily justified. In a similar vein, some of the arguments for large population sizes have been motivated by a desire to underscore how disastrous the arrival of Europeans was for Indigenous people. By any measure, the arrival of Europeans was catastrophic for Indigenous Americans. This is true whether the numbers of people were in the hundreds of thousands or millions — or for that matter, the tens of thousands. It is questionable to pin our judgments of human atrocities to a specific number. To learn from the past, it is crucial to be willing to accept new and compelling data when they become available. In the case of the pre-contact population of Hispaniola, such data have arrived. By analyzing the DNA of ancient Indigenous Caribbean people, a study published in Nature on Wednesday by one of us (Professor Reich) makes clear that the population of Hispaniola was no more than a few tens of thousands of people. Almost all prior estimates have been at least tenfold too large. This research involved sequencing genetic material taken from skeletal remains. Together with another study of ancient Caribbean DNA published recently by a different lab, scientists now have data concerning the entire genomes of more than 260 people of the ancient Caribbean. (This work was done in collaboration with Caribbean scholars, with permission from Caribbean governments and institutions and in consultation with Caribbean people of Indigenous descent.) In recent years, researchers studying ancient DNA have accumulated more than 5,000 ancient human genomes (up from none a decade ago), making it possible to use this methodology to ask and answer questions about how past people related to one another and to people living today. The Caribbean is now the first place in the Americas where we have this kind of high-resolution data set for understanding the past, previously available only in Western Eurasia. The finding about the pre-contact population size in Hispaniola was made possible by a new scientific advance: We are now able to detect “DNA cousins” in ancient genomes — taking two people and determining whether they share large segments of DNA inherited from a recent ancestor. This is similar to what personal ancestry companies like 23andMe and Ancestry do with living people. When the Reich team applied this method to 91 ancient individuals for whom it had sequenced enough of the genome to carry out this analysis, it found 19 pairs of DNA cousins living on different large islands or island groups in the Caribbean: for example, an individual in Hispaniola with a cousin in the Bahamas, and another individual in Hispaniola with a cousin in Puerto Rico. This meant that the entire population had to be very small; you wouldn’t find that random pairs of people had such a high probability of being closely related if the entire population was large. (To put this in perspective, if you did the same analysis on random pairs of people across China today, DNA cousins would be detected many thousands of times less often.) The rate of close relationships that the Reich team found is what would be expected for about 3,000 people — at most 8,000 people — in their childbearing years in Hispaniola. The true numbers of people could have been threefold to tenfold larger because at any given time only a fraction of a population is in its childbearing years. Still, we can confidently conclude that the pre-contact population size of Hispaniola was no more than a few tens of thousands of people. This is a classic ancient DNA surprise — the kind of unexpected finding this new technology has shown repeatedly that it can deliver. For example, the sequencing of a finger bone from Siberia thought to be from a modern human turned out to be from an archaic population not previously known to archaeologists, or even hypothesized by them. Such results emphasize how much we still have to learn about the past. How should the new findings change the way we think about the fate of Indigenous people in the pre-contact Caribbean? In some ways, not at all. Whatever the starting population, what happened to Indigenous Americans after Europeans arrived amounted to genocide: the systematic obliteration not just of individuals but also of their culture and community — what the philosopher Claudia Card called the “social death” at “the center of genocide.” Even if you focus more narrowly on statistics, the numbers of deaths in both absolute and relative terms are horrific. According to a 1540 census, the number of Indigenous people in Hispaniola had dropped to 250 people. It dropped to zero in later counts. In other ways, however, ancient DNA research significantly changes how we think about Indigenous people in the pre-contact Caribbean. Another surprising finding, for instance, is that the genetic legacy of pre-contact Caribbean people did not disappear: They contributed an estimated 14 percent of the DNA of living people from Puerto Rico, 6 percent of that in the Dominican Republic and 4 percent of that in Cuba. In addition, by illuminating the highly mobile lifestyle of pre-contact Caribbean people with many DNA cousins across different islands, the research underscores the degree to which they were connected — a relative unity later fractured by centuries of division into colonial spheres by European powers. Colonization resulted in such immense destruction that the rich cultures of the pre-contact Caribbean can be reconstructed only through a blend of oral traditions and scientific study, including the new insights provided by ancient DNA analysis. It is a blessing to be able to get closer to this heritage. And it is the loss of the people and cultures that produced this heritage that most provokes our outrage.

Ancient DNA is changing how we think about the Caribbean

SeaDream Yacht Club has halted a cruise in the Caribbean after several passengers tested positive for coronavirus.

The SeaDream I vessel has returned to port in Barbados, and all passengers are currently being re-tested, the privately owned company said in a statement on Friday.

"The ship's medical staff has tested all crew members and all tests have come back negative," SeaDream said.

It did not say how many passengers and crew were aboard at the moment.

SeaDream Yacht Club said in September it planned to become the first luxury cruise operator to resume sailing in the West Indies, with 22 voyages planned from November 7 onwards. By contrast, most US cruise operators have suspended their operations until the end of 2020, The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said on November 3.

SeaDream Yacht Club, founded by Norwegian investor Atle Brynestad, operates two luxury vessels, each with a capacity of up to 112 passengers.

SeaDream Yacht Club has halted a cruise in the Caribbean after several passengers tested positive for coronavirus. The SeaDream I vessel has returned to port in Barbados, and all passengers are currently being re-tested, the privately owned company said in a statement on Friday.

SeaDream Yacht Club has halted a cruise in the Caribbean after several passengers tested positive for coronavirus. The SeaDream I vessel has returned to port in Barbados, and all passengers are currently being re-tested, the privately owned company said in a statement on Friday. "The ship's medical staff has tested all crew members and all tests have come back negative," SeaDream said. It did not say how many passengers and crew were aboard at the moment. SeaDream Yacht Club said in September it planned to become the first luxury cruise operator to resume sailing in the West Indies, with 22 voyages planned from November 7 onwards. By contrast, most US cruise operators have suspended their operations until the end of 2020, The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said on November 3. SeaDream Yacht Club, founded by Norwegian investor Atle Brynestad, operates two luxury vessels, each with a capacity of up to 112 passengers.

SeaDream halts Caribbean cruise as passengers test positive for coronavirus

Tropical Storm Eta Sunday gathered force over the Caribbean and was expected to make landfall in a few days as a Category One hurricane.

It is now expected to unleash heavy rain and hurricane-strength winds early next week in Nicaragua and Honduras.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the storm is forecast to strengthen over the coming two days and make contact with the northeast coast of Nicaragua and eastern Honduras on Tuesday.

To this end, Nicaragua`s government has issued a hurricane warning from the Honduras-Nicaragua border to Sandy Bay Sirpi. Honduras has put out a tropical storm warning from Punta Patuca to the border with Nicaragua.

The storm is expected to make landfall over northeastern Nicaragua at dawn on Tuesday before wringing itself out as it sweeps inland over Honduras.

"The winds could reach 120 kilometers an hour (75 miles per hour) before impact at some point between Cabo Gracias a Dios" -- on the border with Honduras -- "and the city of Bilwi," the main town in Nicaragua's northern Caribbean region, Baca said.

Latest projections forecast Eta will by then be a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, blowing winds of up to 85 miles per hour (137 kilometers per hour).

By early afternoon, Eta was about 230 miles (370 km) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, moving west at 15 mph (24 kph) and blowing sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph), the NHC said.

Through Thursday evening, downpours from Eta may cause flooding in parts of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Central America, and potentially landslides. Heavy rains and significant coastal storm surges are expected in Nicaragua and Honduras.

The head of the national System for Disaster Prevention, Guillermo Gonzalez, said families living in the Miskito Cays off Nicaragua's northeastern coast were being evacuated.&nbsp;

El Salvador is also keeping a watchful eye on Eta, and the government has warned of heavy rains throughout the country.

Authorities in Costa Rica have also declared a rain alert.

Tropical Storm Eta Sunday gathered force over the Caribbean and was expected to make landfall in a few days as a Category One hurricane. It is now expected to unleash heavy rain and hurricane-strength winds early next week in Nicaragua and Honduras.

Tropical Storm Eta Sunday gathered force over the Caribbean and was expected to make landfall in a few days as a Category One hurricane. It is now expected to unleash heavy rain and hurricane-strength winds early next week in Nicaragua and Honduras. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the storm is forecast to strengthen over the coming two days and make contact with the northeast coast of Nicaragua and eastern Honduras on Tuesday. To this end, Nicaragua`s government has issued a hurricane warning from the Honduras-Nicaragua border to Sandy Bay Sirpi. Honduras has put out a tropical storm warning from Punta Patuca to the border with Nicaragua. The storm is expected to make landfall over northeastern Nicaragua at dawn on Tuesday before wringing itself out as it sweeps inland over Honduras. "The winds could reach 120 kilometers an hour (75 miles per hour) before impact at some point between Cabo Gracias a Dios" -- on the border with Honduras -- "and the city of Bilwi," the main town in Nicaragua's northern Caribbean region, Baca said. Latest projections forecast Eta will by then be a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, blowing winds of up to 85 miles per hour (137 kilometers per hour). By early afternoon, Eta was about 230 miles (370 km) south-southwest of Kingston, Jamaica, moving west at 15 mph (24 kph) and blowing sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph), the NHC said. Through Thursday evening, downpours from Eta may cause flooding in parts of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Central America, and potentially landslides. Heavy rains and significant coastal storm surges are expected in Nicaragua and Honduras. The head of the national System for Disaster Prevention, Guillermo Gonzalez, said families living in the Miskito Cays off Nicaragua's northeastern coast were being evacuated. El Salvador is also keeping a watchful eye on Eta, and the government has warned of heavy rains throughout the country. Authorities in Costa Rica have also declared a rain alert.

Tropical Storm Eta strengthens as it moves west; Nicaragua issues hurricane warning

Over 200,000 people have died due to coronavirus in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to an AFP tally compiled from official sources at 0830 GMT on Sunday, Brazil and Mexico account for almost three-quarters of those deaths.

Over 200,000 people have died due to coronavirus in Latin America and the Caribbean. According to an AFP tally compiled from official sources at 0830 GMT on Sunday, Brazil and Mexico account for almost three-quarters of those deaths. Also read: US counts 61,262 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours The death toll in Latin America and the Caribbean doubled in just over a single month and currently stands at 200,212, along with 4,919,054 cases. In terms of region, Latin America is the second-worst hit after Europe. Europe stands at the top with 210,425 deaths and 3,189,322 infections. The United States and Canada come third. In Latin America, Peru, Colombia and Chile are the worst-affected countries after Brazil and Mexico. According to virus infection numbers as a proportion of the population, Peru tops the region's list, followed by Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Panama. The tallies compiled by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections. Many countries are testing only symptomatic or severe cases. (Inputs from AFP)

Deaths due to virus in Latin America and Caribbean exceeds 200,000: Tally

Latin America and the Caribbean on Tuesday surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths, more than half of them in Brazil, according to Reuters and&nbsp;AFP tally.

In recent weeks Latin America has emerged as the epicenter of the pandemic, with a total of 2.1 million cases, with Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Chile the most affected countries.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latin-america-and-caribbean-pass-80000-covid-19-deaths-as-global-cases-top-8-million-306151">Latin America and Caribbean pass 80,000 COVID-19 deaths as global cases top 8 million</a>

Mexico on Tuesday registered 6,288 new infections and 793 additional deaths from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the health ministry said, bringing the totals for the country to 191,410 cases and 23,377 deaths.

Mexico has been the worst hit-nation in the region after with Brazil.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-raises-alarm-over-surge-in-coronavirus-cases-in-latin-america-301295">WHO raises alarm over surge in coronavirus cases in Latin America</a>

Brazil on Tuesday registered an additional 1,374 deaths from the virus and 39,436 new cases, pushing the death toll from the novel coronavirus to 52,000 people in in Latin America’s biggest economy. More than 1.1 million have been infected.

The virus also appears to be on the rise in Central America, where Guatemala on Tuesday recorded more than 700 new infections for the first time. Additional 35 deaths were registered in Guatemala, taking it deaths total to 582.

(With inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

Latin America and the Caribbean on Tuesday surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths, more than half of them in Brazil, according to Reuters and AFP tally. In recent weeks Latin America has emerged as the epicenter of the pandemic, with a total of 2.

Latin America and the Caribbean on Tuesday surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths, more than half of them in Brazil, according to Reuters and AFP tally. In recent weeks Latin America has emerged as the epicenter of the pandemic, with a total of 2.1 million cases, with Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Chile the most affected countries. Also read: Latin America and Caribbean pass 80,000 COVID-19 deaths as global cases top 8 million Mexico on Tuesday registered 6,288 new infections and 793 additional deaths from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the health ministry said, bringing the totals for the country to 191,410 cases and 23,377 deaths. Mexico has been the worst hit-nation in the region after with Brazil. Also read: WHO raises alarm over surge in coronavirus cases in Latin America Brazil on Tuesday registered an additional 1,374 deaths from the virus and 39,436 new cases, pushing the death toll from the novel coronavirus to 52,000 people in in Latin America’s biggest economy. More than 1.1 million have been infected. The virus also appears to be on the rise in Central America, where Guatemala on Tuesday recorded more than 700 new infections for the first time. Additional 35 deaths were registered in Guatemala, taking it deaths total to 582. (With inputs from AFP)

Latin America and Caribbean pass 100,000 coronavirus deaths: Report

The Caribbean is facing a blanketing cloud of Sahara dust as it heads towards the United States. According to the experts, the size and concentration of this cloud have not been witnessed since half a century.&nbsp;

The experts have nicknamed the event as the "Godzilla dust cloud" and the air quality across the region has reached "hazardous" warning people to stay indoors and use air filters.&nbsp;

“This is the most significant event in the past 50 years,” said Pablo Méndez Lázaro, an environmental health specialist at the University of Puerto Rico. “Conditions are dangerous in many Caribbean islands.”

These kinds of dry and dusty air are known as the Saharan Air Layer. It forms over the Sahara desert in Africa and moves across the North Atlantic every three to five days the northern hemisphere’s late spring to early autumn, peaking in late June to mid-August, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Many health experts fear about those affected by coronavirus pandemic and are suffering from respiratory symptoms. Pablo Méndez Lázaro is working with NASA to develop an alert system that could help people brace for the impact. These air has been so dangerous that even healthy people are not safe with it.&nbsp;

From Antigua to Trinidad &amp; Tobago, reports of limited visibilities and extreme hazy conditions were reported. Many pictures made rounds on the social media, where some were concerned while others joked that the Caribbean looked like it had received a yellow filter movie treatment.

Jose Alamo, who is a meteorologist in &nbsp;US National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico said that the United States will face the worst of its conditions on Monday and Tuesday as the dust cloud heads towards US south-east coast.

The Caribbean is facing a blanketing cloud of Sahara dust as it heads towards the United States. According to the experts, the size and concentration of this cloud have not been witnessed since half a century.

The Caribbean is facing a blanketing cloud of Sahara dust as it heads towards the United States. According to the experts, the size and concentration of this cloud have not been witnessed since half a century. The experts have nicknamed the event as the "Godzilla dust cloud" and the air quality across the region has reached "hazardous" warning people to stay indoors and use air filters. “This is the most significant event in the past 50 years,” said Pablo Méndez Lázaro, an environmental health specialist at the University of Puerto Rico. “Conditions are dangerous in many Caribbean islands.” These kinds of dry and dusty air are known as the Saharan Air Layer. It forms over the Sahara desert in Africa and moves across the North Atlantic every three to five days the northern hemisphere’s late spring to early autumn, peaking in late June to mid-August, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Many health experts fear about those affected by coronavirus pandemic and are suffering from respiratory symptoms. Pablo Méndez Lázaro is working with NASA to develop an alert system that could help people brace for the impact. These air has been so dangerous that even healthy people are not safe with it. From Antigua to Trinidad & Tobago, reports of limited visibilities and extreme hazy conditions were reported. Many pictures made rounds on the social media, where some were concerned while others joked that the Caribbean looked like it had received a yellow filter movie treatment. Jose Alamo, who is a meteorologist in US National Weather Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico said that the United States will face the worst of its conditions on Monday and Tuesday as the dust cloud heads towards US south-east coast.

'Godzilla dust cloud' blankets Caribbean in a weather event witnessed after half a century

Latin America and Caribbean become worst affected regions in world due to COVID-19 outbreak. Watch this video to know more.

Latin America and Caribbean become worst affected regions in world due to COVID-19 outbreak

A handful of rubber floats tumbled down the giant slide at South Korea's largest waterpark Caribbean Bay on Friday (June 5), its first day back in business since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Testing the waters: South Korea's largest waterpark opens under new anti-virus measures

India on Wednesday announced $14 million grant for community development projects for Caribbean or CARICOM group of countries.&nbsp;

Along with this, New Delhi also announced a $150 million line of credit for solar, renewable energy and projects related to&nbsp;climate- change.

&nbsp;The announcement came during the first India-CARICOM summit that took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.&nbsp;

CARICOM is a 15-member Caribbean nations grouping.

"Our countries face the challenge of climate change.. our focus is to increase ties with Caricom countries," PM said during the summit.

Leaders of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, vice-president of Suriname, and foreign ministers of Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Haiti and Guyana were present at the meet.&nbsp;

The development comes a day after India announced $12 million grant to Pacific nations towards the implementation of development projects in areas of their choice.

India has been reaching out to the Caribbean lately.&nbsp;

Earlier this month, India announced financial assistance of one million dollars to the Bahamas after it was hit by hurricane Dorian.&nbsp;

Indian Prime Minister has also invited CARICOM countries to join International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.&nbsp;

New Delhi will also set up a Regional Center for Excellence in Information Technology in Georgetown, Guyana and the Regional Vocational Training Center in Belize by upgrading the existing India-funded centres in these countries. 
&nbsp;

India on Wednesday announced $14 million grant for community development projects for Caribbean or CARICOM group of countries. Along with this, New Delhi also announced a $150 million line of credit for solar, renewable energy and projects related to climate- change.

India on Wednesday announced $14 million grant for community development projects for Caribbean or CARICOM group of countries. Along with this, New Delhi also announced a $150 million line of credit for solar, renewable energy and projects related to climate- change. The announcement came during the first India-CARICOM summit that took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. CARICOM is a 15-member Caribbean nations grouping. "Our countries face the challenge of climate change.. our focus is to increase ties with Caricom countries," PM said during the summit. Leaders of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, vice-president of Suriname, and foreign ministers of Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Haiti and Guyana were present at the meet. The development comes a day after India announced $12 million grant to Pacific nations towards the implementation of development projects in areas of their choice. India has been reaching out to the Caribbean lately. Earlier this month, India announced financial assistance of one million dollars to the Bahamas after it was hit by hurricane Dorian. Indian Prime Minister has also invited CARICOM countries to join International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. New Delhi will also set up a Regional Center for Excellence in Information Technology in Georgetown, Guyana and the Regional Vocational Training Center in Belize by upgrading the existing India-funded centres in these countries.

PM Modi announces $14 million grant for community development projects in CARICOM

Mexico's prickly pear cactus, which is emblazoned on the country's flag,&nbsp;could soon play a new and innovative role in the production of biodegradable plastics.

A packaging material that is made from the plant has been developed by a Mexican researcher and is offering a promising solution to one of the&nbsp;world's biggest pollution conundrums.

'The pulp is strained to obtain a juice that I then use,' said Sandra Pascoe, who developed the product and works at the Atemajac Valley University in the western city of Guadalajara.

That substance is then mixed with non-toxic additives and stretched to produce sheets that are coloured with pigments and folded to form different types of packaging.

'What we're doing is trying to concentrate on objects that don't have a long life,' she said, particularly "single-use" packaging.

Pascoe is still conducting tests but hopes to patent her product later this year and look for partners in early 2020, with an eye towards larger-scale production.

The cacti&nbsp;Pascoe uses for her experiments come from San Esteban, a small town on the outskirts of Guadalajara, where they grow by the hundreds.

San Esteban is located in Jalisco state where, starting next year, single-use non-recyclable plastic bags, straws and other disposable items will be banned.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/three-journalists-slain-in-mexico-in-a-week-240458">Mexico city</a>&nbsp;and states such as Baja California have also introduced similar measures.

In May, the capital city adopted a "historic" ban on plastic bags beginning in 2020.

From 2021, straws, plastic plates and cutlery, and balloons will also be banned if they're made "entirely or partially from plastic," according to the bill adopted by the local congress.

Pascoe says her new material would be no more than a "drop in the ocean" in the battle to preserve the environment.

Given the rampant production of industrial&nbsp;plastics&nbsp;and the time it takes to make her material, there would need to be "other recycling strategies" to make any concrete difference, she said.

Latin America and the Caribbean account for around 10 per cent of worldwide waste, according to United Nations figures.

In March, UN member states committed to "significantly reduce" single-use plastics over the next decade, although green groups warned that goal fell short of tackling the Earth's pollution crisis.

Plastic pollution has become a global concern, particularly after bans imposed by China and other countries on the import of plastic waste from overseas.

Despite widespread alarm on the environmental cost, Asia and the United States lifted&nbsp;world production of plastic last year while Europe saw a dip, according to numbers released by the PlasticsEurope federation in June.

More than eight million tons of plastics&nbsp;enter the&nbsp;world's oceans every year.

Mexico's prickly pear cactus, which is emblazoned on the country's flag, could soon play a new and innovative role in the production of biodegradable plastics. A packaging material that is made from the plant has been developed by a Mexican researcher and is offering a promising solution to one of the world's biggest pollution conundrums.

Mexico's prickly pear cactus, which is emblazoned on the country's flag, could soon play a new and innovative role in the production of biodegradable plastics. A packaging material that is made from the plant has been developed by a Mexican researcher and is offering a promising solution to one of the world's biggest pollution conundrums. 'The pulp is strained to obtain a juice that I then use,' said Sandra Pascoe, who developed the product and works at the Atemajac Valley University in the western city of Guadalajara. That substance is then mixed with non-toxic additives and stretched to produce sheets that are coloured with pigments and folded to form different types of packaging. 'What we're doing is trying to concentrate on objects that don't have a long life,' she said, particularly "single-use" packaging. Pascoe is still conducting tests but hopes to patent her product later this year and look for partners in early 2020, with an eye towards larger-scale production. The cacti Pascoe uses for her experiments come from San Esteban, a small town on the outskirts of Guadalajara, where they grow by the hundreds. San Esteban is located in Jalisco state where, starting next year, single-use non-recyclable plastic bags, straws and other disposable items will be banned. Mexico city and states such as Baja California have also introduced similar measures. In May, the capital city adopted a "historic" ban on plastic bags beginning in 2020. From 2021, straws, plastic plates and cutlery, and balloons will also be banned if they're made "entirely or partially from plastic," according to the bill adopted by the local congress. Pascoe says her new material would be no more than a "drop in the ocean" in the battle to preserve the environment. Given the rampant production of industrial plastics and the time it takes to make her material, there would need to be "other recycling strategies" to make any concrete difference, she said. Latin America and the Caribbean account for around 10 per cent of worldwide waste, according to United Nations figures. In March, UN member states committed to "significantly reduce" single-use plastics over the next decade, although green groups warned that goal fell short of tackling the Earth's pollution crisis. Plastic pollution has become a global concern, particularly after bans imposed by China and other countries on the import of plastic waste from overseas. Despite widespread alarm on the environmental cost, Asia and the United States lifted world production of plastic last year while Europe saw a dip, according to numbers released by the PlasticsEurope federation in June. More than eight million tons of plastics enter the world's oceans every year.

Could Mexico cactus solve world's plastics problem?

Taiwan's foreign minister on Monday called for "genuine" democratic elections to be held in Hong Kong after the city was rocked by fresh political violence, comments that will likely infuriate Beijing.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-police-fire-tear-gas-to-disperse-protesters-in-fresh-wave-of-clashes-237512">Hong Kong</a> has been plunged into its worst crisis in recent history by weeks of marches and sporadic violent confrontations between police and pockets of hardcore protesters.

The initial protests were lit by a now-suspended bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.

But they have since evolved into a wider movement calling for democratic reforms, universal suffrage and a halt to sliding freedoms in the semi-autonomous territory.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters on Sunday night, the seventh weekend in a row that the city has witnessed political violence.&nbsp;

Separately masked men wielding sticks beat up anti-government protesters at a subway station, putting dozens in hospital.

In a tweet, on Monday Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu said it was time for the city's leaders to grant universal suffrage, a core demand of protesters.&nbsp;

"It's sad to see the rule of law eroding and the divide between the people and the government widening in HongKong," Wu said as he accompanied President Tsai Ing-wen in a stopover in Denver on their way back from a visit to diplomatic allies in the Caribbean.&nbsp;

"The way forward is genuine democratic elections, not violence in the streets &amp; MTR stations. The freedom and human rights of the people must be protected!" he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-urges-china-to-repent-for-tiananmen-china-paper-says-event-is-merely-history-224036">Taiwan</a> is gearing up for a presidential election where a dominant issue will be relations with the mainland which sees the self-ruled island as its territory and has vowed to seize it.&nbsp;

Ties with Beijing have deteriorated since Tsai came to power in 2016 because her party refuses to recognise the idea that Taiwan is part of "one China".

Tsai has described the 2020 presidential election as a "fight for freedom and democracy", setting herself up as someone who can defend Taiwan from an increasingly assertive Beijing.

She is facing off against Han Kuo-yu from the opposition KMT party which favours warmer ties with the Chinese mainland.&nbsp;

Last week Tsai's government said it would assist Hong Kongers seeking sanctuary after local media reported dozens of activists involved in an unprecedented storming of the city's parliament had fled to the island.&nbsp;

China's communist party views Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to seize it, by force if necessary.

Beijing has previously indicated that the "one country, two systems" model under which Hong Kong is allowed to keep key liberties could be applied to Taiwan.

But years of sliding freedoms in Hong Kong has done little to endear Taiwan's inhabitants to the idea of Beijing's rule. 
&nbsp;

Taiwan's foreign minister on Monday called for "genuine" democratic elections to be held in Hong Kong after the city was rocked by fresh political violence, comments that will likely infuriate Beijing.

Taiwan's foreign minister on Monday called for "genuine" democratic elections to be held in Hong Kong after the city was rocked by fresh political violence, comments that will likely infuriate Beijing. Hong Kong has been plunged into its worst crisis in recent history by weeks of marches and sporadic violent confrontations between police and pockets of hardcore protesters. The initial protests were lit by a now-suspended bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. But they have since evolved into a wider movement calling for democratic reforms, universal suffrage and a halt to sliding freedoms in the semi-autonomous territory. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters on Sunday night, the seventh weekend in a row that the city has witnessed political violence. Separately masked men wielding sticks beat up anti-government protesters at a subway station, putting dozens in hospital. In a tweet, on Monday Taiwan's foreign minister Joseph Wu said it was time for the city's leaders to grant universal suffrage, a core demand of protesters. "It's sad to see the rule of law eroding and the divide between the people and the government widening in HongKong," Wu said as he accompanied President Tsai Ing-wen in a stopover in Denver on their way back from a visit to diplomatic allies in the Caribbean. "The way forward is genuine democratic elections, not violence in the streets & MTR stations. The freedom and human rights of the people must be protected!" he added. Taiwan is gearing up for a presidential election where a dominant issue will be relations with the mainland which sees the self-ruled island as its territory and has vowed to seize it. Ties with Beijing have deteriorated since Tsai came to power in 2016 because her party refuses to recognise the idea that Taiwan is part of "one China". Tsai has described the 2020 presidential election as a "fight for freedom and democracy", setting herself up as someone who can defend Taiwan from an increasingly assertive Beijing. She is facing off against Han Kuo-yu from the opposition KMT party which favours warmer ties with the Chinese mainland. Last week Tsai's government said it would assist Hong Kongers seeking sanctuary after local media reported dozens of activists involved in an unprecedented storming of the city's parliament had fled to the island. China's communist party views Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to seize it, by force if necessary. Beijing has previously indicated that the "one country, two systems" model under which Hong Kong is allowed to keep key liberties could be applied to Taiwan. But years of sliding freedoms in Hong Kong has done little to endear Taiwan's inhabitants to the idea of Beijing's rule.

Taiwan foreign minister Joseph Wu calls for 'genuine' elections in Hong Kong

Subtropical Storm Alberto weakened as it neared landfall on the Florida Panhandle on Monday, a day after flooding from another storm tore through a historic Maryland town and swept away a would-be rescuer, officials said.

Forecasters said Alberto could bring life-threatening high water to southern coastal states when it slams an area from Mississippi to western Georgia with up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain and possible tornadoes.

Alberto's top winds fell slightly to 60 miles an hour (96 km per hour) with the storm about 50 miles (80 kph) south of Panama City, Florida, the National Weather Service said. It was expected to reach land Monday afternoon or evening as it headed north at about 8 mph (13 kph).

"The basic idea is that it's going to run out of real estate for it to strengthen" by picking up energy from the warm Gulf of Mexico waters, said Dan Petersen, a forecaster with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

Alberto, the first named Atlantic storm of 2018, spun up days before the formal June 1 start of the hurricane season.

Authorities in Florida's Franklin and Taylor counties issued mandatory evacuation orders for thousands of coastal residents. Florida, Alabama and Mississippi are under states of emergency.

Deadly hurricanes in the United States and the Caribbean last year caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage, massive power outages and devastation to hundreds of thousands of structures.

The storm will bring powerful winds and heavy rains as it moves into the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday, the hurricane center said. The storm, coming on the last day of the Memorial Day weekend, was expected to scramble holiday travel.

A storm surge warning was in place from the Suwannee River to Navarre, Florida, and a tropical storm warning covered the area from the Suwannee River to the border of Florida and Alabama.

Authorities in Howard County, Maryland, said a 39-year-old man was missing after flash flooding from a separate storm tore through the historic downtown of Ellicott City on Sunday. The man was swept away as he tried to help rescue people from floodwaters.

The area had barely recovered from a devastating flood about two years ago that killed two people and damaged dozens of buildings.

Subtropical Storm Alberto weakened as it neared landfall on the Florida Panhandle on Monday, a day after flooding from another storm tore through a historic Maryland town and swept away a would-be rescuer, officials said

Subtropical Storm Alberto weakened as it neared landfall on the Florida Panhandle on Monday, a day after flooding from another storm tore through a historic Maryland town and swept away a would-be rescuer, officials said. Forecasters said Alberto could bring life-threatening high water to southern coastal states when it slams an area from Mississippi to western Georgia with up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain and possible tornadoes. Alberto's top winds fell slightly to 60 miles an hour (96 km per hour) with the storm about 50 miles (80 kph) south of Panama City, Florida, the National Weather Service said. It was expected to reach land Monday afternoon or evening as it headed north at about 8 mph (13 kph). "The basic idea is that it's going to run out of real estate for it to strengthen" by picking up energy from the warm Gulf of Mexico waters, said Dan Petersen, a forecaster with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. Alberto, the first named Atlantic storm of 2018, spun up days before the formal June 1 start of the hurricane season. Authorities in Florida's Franklin and Taylor counties issued mandatory evacuation orders for thousands of coastal residents. Florida, Alabama and Mississippi are under states of emergency. Deadly hurricanes in the United States and the Caribbean last year caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage, massive power outages and devastation to hundreds of thousands of structures. The storm will bring powerful winds and heavy rains as it moves into the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday and Wednesday, the hurricane center said. The storm, coming on the last day of the Memorial Day weekend, was expected to scramble holiday travel. A storm surge warning was in place from the Suwannee River to Navarre, Florida, and a tropical storm warning covered the area from the Suwannee River to the border of Florida and Alabama. Authorities in Howard County, Maryland, said a 39-year-old man was missing after flash flooding from a separate storm tore through the historic downtown of Ellicott City on Sunday. The man was swept away as he tried to help rescue people from floodwaters. The area had barely recovered from a devastating flood about two years ago that killed two people and damaged dozens of buildings.

Storm Alberto nears landfall in Florida Panhandle

&nbsp;India&nbsp;on Tuesday (September 19) announced&nbsp;emergency&nbsp;fund&nbsp;of $200,000 for hurricane-battered&nbsp;Caribbean&nbsp;countries, wherein over 30 people have died amid widespread damage.

The relief aid was announced after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with&nbsp;Caribbean delegation in the third<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/external-affairs-minister-sushma-swaraj-arrives-in-new-york-for-7-day-visit-5119">&nbsp;India-Caribbean&nbsp;Community (CARICOM) meeting in New York</a>, on the sidelines of 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/hurricane-irma-lashes-florida-4829">&#39;Irma&#39;</a>, which ranked as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record before striking the U.S. mainland as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 10, killed at least 84 people. Several hard-hit Caribbean&nbsp;islands, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, suffered more than half the fatalities.

Now just <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-irma-hurricane-maria-follows-in-same-path-20331">days after Irma left a trail of destruction, &#39;Maria&#39;</a>, is churning right through the region and, reportedly has already claimed one life.

Swaraj also delivered her address at Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ministerial meeting with Palestine and reassured the support of&nbsp;India&nbsp;towards Palestinian people.

The statement comes just months after Narendra Modi became the first prime minister of&nbsp;India&nbsp;to visit Israel.

The relief aid was announced after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with the Caribbean delegation in the third?India-Caribbean?Community (CARICOM) meeting in New York, on the sidelines of 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly.

India on Tuesday (September 19) announced emergency fund of $200,000 for hurricane-battered Caribbean countries, wherein over 30 people have died amid widespread damage. The relief aid was announced after foreign minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with Caribbean delegation in the third India-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meeting in New York, on the sidelines of 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly. 'Irma', which ranked as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record before striking the U.S. mainland as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 10, killed at least 84 people. Several hard-hit Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, suffered more than half the fatalities. Now just days after Irma left a trail of destruction, 'Maria', is churning right through the region and, reportedly has already claimed one life. Swaraj also delivered her address at Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) ministerial meeting with Palestine and reassured the support of India towards Palestinian people. The statement comes just months after Narendra Modi became the first prime minister of India to visit Israel.

India announces emergency fund for hurricane-battered Caribbean countries

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-irma-hurricane-maria-follows-in-same-path-20331">&nbsp;Hurricane Maria</a>, the second major storm to hit the Caribbean this month, lashed at the French overseas&nbsp;island&nbsp;of Martinique on Monday (September 18) with violent winds and torrential rains.

The eye of the cyclone passed about 50 km from Martinique, as it began coasting the Caribbean on Monday evening from south to north, generating winds approaching 300 km/h.

An accurate assessment of the damage can only be carried out later, local authorities said. No casualties were reported.

Maria is expected to remain a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-maria-strengthens-into-category-5-storm-bears-down-on-caribbean-20368"> category 4 or 5 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-maria-strengthens-into-category-5-storm-bears-down-on-caribbean-20368">storm</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/maria-now-a-major-category-3-hurricane-us-weather-forecaster-20366"> </a>on the Saffir-Simpson scale, the Miami-based NHC said.

The French Interior Ministry warned residents of Martinique and Guadeloupe of a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/maria-now-a-major-category-3-hurricane-us-weather-forecaster-20366">high risk of flooding</a>, mudslides or landslides and installed measures to protect vital sites such as a desalination plant and a power plant.

The eye of the cyclone passed about 50 km from Martinique, as it began coasting the Caribbean on Monday evening from south to north, generating winds approaching 300 km/h.

Hurricane Maria, the second major storm to hit the Caribbean this month, lashed at the French overseas island of Martinique on Monday (September 18) with violent winds and torrential rains. The eye of the cyclone passed about 50 km from Martinique, as it began coasting the Caribbean on Monday evening from south to north, generating winds approaching 300 km/h. An accurate assessment of the damage can only be carried out later, local authorities said. No casualties were reported. Maria is expected to remain a category 4 or 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, the Miami-based NHC said. The French Interior Ministry warned residents of Martinique and Guadeloupe of a high risk of flooding, mudslides or landslides and installed measures to protect vital sites such as a desalination plant and a power plant.

Martinique Island ripped apart by Hurricane Maria

As Hurricane Irma bore down on Florida, six million people were ordered to get out of its way.&nbsp;

It was one of the biggest evacuations in US history.&nbsp;

Another group that was evacauted was a flock of flamingoes from the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay adventure park.&nbsp;

The flamingoes were moved to shelters.&nbsp;

Reuters reported Busch Gardens as tweeting that they were moving their animals to shelters in advance of Irma hitting Tampa, and that &quot;Their safety is of most importance.&quot;

'Their safety is of most importance,' Busch Gardens Tampa Bay adventure park tweeted

As Hurricane Irma bore down on Florida, six million people were ordered to get out of its way. It was one of the biggest evacuations in US history. Another group that was evacauted was a flock of flamingoes from the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay adventure park. The flamingoes were moved to shelters. Reuters reported Busch Gardens as tweeting that they were moving their animals to shelters in advance of Irma hitting Tampa, and that "Their safety is of most importance."

WATCH: 6 mn people -- and flamingoes -- evacuated from Hurricane Irma's path

More than 6 million people have been ordered to evacuate as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-irma-hurls-towards-florida-costs-france-more-than-1-bn-euros-20026" target="_blank">Hurricane Irma</a> approaches the US state of Florida.

The authorities in Florida have put 6.3 million people under evacuation orders Saturday from the earlier 5.6 million, AFP reported.

The Hurricane which weakened to a Category Three storm is expected to regain strength as it heads for Florida, AFP quoted US forecasters as saying.

The National Hurricane Centre cautioned that Irma is &quot;forecast to restrengthen while heading for south Florida and the keys&quot;, according to AFP.

The storm, which has been rated as the worst Atlantic storm in recorded history, has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-irma-reduces-caribbean-island-barbuda-to-rubble-19946" target="_blank">caused massive damage in the Caribbean</a> killing 22 and devastated islands which would take a huge effort to rebuild.

Irma hit Cuba as a Category 4 storm.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has sounded warning that it would be difficult to evacuate people after the storm makes landfall.

Irma has been downgraded to a Category 3 storm but forecasters believed it would regain strength as it approaches Florida

More than 6 million people have been ordered to evacuate as Hurricane Irma approaches the US state of Florida. The authorities in Florida have put 6.3 million people under evacuation orders Saturday from the earlier 5.6 million, AFP reported. The Hurricane which weakened to a Category Three storm is expected to regain strength as it heads for Florida, AFP quoted US forecasters as saying. The National Hurricane Centre cautioned that Irma is "forecast to restrengthen while heading for south Florida and the keys", according to AFP. The storm, which has been rated as the worst Atlantic storm in recorded history, has caused massive damage in the Caribbean killing 22 and devastated islands which would take a huge effort to rebuild. Irma hit Cuba as a Category 4 storm. Florida Governor Rick Scott has sounded warning that it would be difficult to evacuate people after the storm makes landfall.

More than 6 million under evacuation orders in Florida as Hurricane Irma closes in

A hurricane packing 130 kilometer (80 mile) per hour winds and heavy rain made landfall in Central America near Belize&#39;s capital, where officials warned of likely flooding and damage to homes today. 
 
Hurricane Earl swept in from the Caribbean to strike just south of Belize City, population 60,000, around midnight Wednesday (0600 GMT Thursday), according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).&nbsp; 
 
Along the way, it had gathered strength and dumped rain on northern Honduras as it brushed past at sea.&nbsp; 
 
The hurricane&#39;s heavy rains &quot;could cause flash floods and mudslides especially over higher terrain,&quot; Belize&#39;s National Emergency Management Organization said in a bulletin just before it arrived. 
 
&quot;For coastal areas, there is also a risk for flooding, especially in low-lying areas.&quot; 
 
Nearby Guatemala, Honduras and southern Mexico also issued alerts. 
 
Airports in the area were closed. Earl was expected to weaken as it continued west from Belize City, farther inland, toward northern Guatemala and southeastern Mexico. 
 
The Mexican authorities took no chances, evacuating 300 families living close to a river along the border with Belize in the southeastern state of Quinta Roo for fear of flooding. 
 
More than 750 shelters were readied in the state in preparation for expected high winds and fierce gusts. 
 
Other southern Mexican states likely to be affected were Campeche, Tabasco and Yucatan. 
 
In the northern Guatemala town of Puerto Barrios, a military commander, Colonel Nelson Tun, told AFP that &quot;patrols in vulnerable areas&quot; were being carried out. 
 
&quot;We have identified high areas to where the population can evacuate before possible flooding,&quot; he said. 
 
Guatemala in particular is prone to rainy season flooding and mudslides that often prove fatal. 
 
Guatemala&#39;s population, at 16 million, is much bigger than the 330,000 in Belize, Central America&#39;s only English speaking country. 
 
Guatemala&#39;s president, Jimmy Morales, late Wednesday offered Belize humanitarian aid and shelters along the border if needed. 
 
That gesture was significant after months of tensions between the two countries following a shooting death of a Guatemalan boy by a Belizean border patrol in April. 
 
The fifth named tropical storm of the 2016 season, Earl strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday, according to the NHC. 
 
Winds initially measured at 120 kilometers per hour picked up just before landfall. 
 
Category 1, the lowest of five grades on the hurricane scale, is described as having dangerous winds of between 119 and 153 kilometers per hour that can rip off roofs, bring down trees and cause extensive damage to power lines. 
 
Belizean public and private sector workers were permitted to go to their homes Wednesday to secure property. 
 
Officials warned that people living on the ground floor &quot;will experience flooding&quot; and some older wooden buildings would likely be destroyed. 
 
The authorities have opened 29 shelters. 
 
(AFP)

Earl was expected to weaken as it continued west from Belize City toward northern Guatemala and southeastern Mexico

A hurricane packing 130 kilometer (80 mile) per hour winds and heavy rain made landfall in Central America near Belize's capital, where officials warned of likely flooding and damage to homes today. Hurricane Earl swept in from the Caribbean to strike just south of Belize City, population 60,000, around midnight Wednesday (0600 GMT Thursday), according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). Along the way, it had gathered strength and dumped rain on northern Honduras as it brushed past at sea. The hurricane's heavy rains "could cause flash floods and mudslides especially over higher terrain," Belize's National Emergency Management Organization said in a bulletin just before it arrived. "For coastal areas, there is also a risk for flooding, especially in low-lying areas." Nearby Guatemala, Honduras and southern Mexico also issued alerts. Airports in the area were closed. Earl was expected to weaken as it continued west from Belize City, farther inland, toward northern Guatemala and southeastern Mexico. The Mexican authorities took no chances, evacuating 300 families living close to a river along the border with Belize in the southeastern state of Quinta Roo for fear of flooding. More than 750 shelters were readied in the state in preparation for expected high winds and fierce gusts. Other southern Mexican states likely to be affected were Campeche, Tabasco and Yucatan. In the northern Guatemala town of Puerto Barrios, a military commander, Colonel Nelson Tun, told AFP that "patrols in vulnerable areas" were being carried out. "We have identified high areas to where the population can evacuate before possible flooding," he said. Guatemala in particular is prone to rainy season flooding and mudslides that often prove fatal. Guatemala's population, at 16 million, is much bigger than the 330,000 in Belize, Central America's only English speaking country. Guatemala's president, Jimmy Morales, late Wednesday offered Belize humanitarian aid and shelters along the border if needed. That gesture was significant after months of tensions between the two countries following a shooting death of a Guatemalan boy by a Belizean border patrol in April. The fifth named tropical storm of the 2016 season, Earl strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday, according to the NHC. Winds initially measured at 120 kilometers per hour picked up just before landfall. Category 1, the lowest of five grades on the hurricane scale, is described as having dangerous winds of between 119 and 153 kilometers per hour that can rip off roofs, bring down trees and cause extensive damage to power lines. Belizean public and private sector workers were permitted to go to their homes Wednesday to secure property. Officials warned that people living on the ground floor "will experience flooding" and some older wooden buildings would likely be destroyed. The authorities have opened 29 shelters. (AFP)

Hurricane Earl hits Belize near capital, prompting flooding fears

Unperturbed over the length of his contract as India&#39;s new head coach, former spinner Anil Kumble believes he has enough time and matches to make an impact. 
 
Kumble, whose only coaching experience has been as mentor of the Mumbai and Bangalore teams in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, was given a one-year term last week. 
 
For the post, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) received 57 applications which were made available to an advisory panel that included former captains Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly and former batsman VVS Laxman. 
 
The BCCI said Kumble was handed a one-year contract so they could review their options for one of world cricket&#39;s most challenging jobs at the end of that period. 
 
&quot;I am talking about a journey,&quot; former India skipper Kumble told reporters in his first press conference on Wednesday after bagging the job. &quot;There are 17 test matches in the next 12 months. 
 
&quot;I just look at that as an opportunity to gain experience and contribute to Indian cricket,&quot; he asserted.&nbsp; 
 
Confident about team&#39;s potential as he braces up for upcoming&nbsp;assignment&nbsp; 
 
Kumble&#39;s first assignment will be a four-test series in West Indies, after which India is set for a bumper season of home action when they will be playing 13 test matches, eight ODIs and three T20 internationals. 
 
These start with three tests against New Zealand, while England and Australia will play five and four matches respectively. Bangladesh will also play a one-off test. 
 
India won their last test series in the Caribbean 1-0 and Kumble was confident they would return victorious again. 
 
&quot;When I became captain, I never thought if I will be captain for a year or longer,&quot; the 45-year-old said. &quot;This team has potential and we will go for wins in those 17 matches. 
 
&quot;There will be some hard moments but I am sure we will come out of those.&quot; 
 
Former leg-spinner Kumble, who heads the International Cricket Council&#39;s (ICC) cricket committee, is believed to be India&#39;s most successful bowler, capturing 619 wickets in 132 tests and 337 from 271 one-day internationals. 
 
 
Kumble hopes to assist captain in terms of &#39;strategy&#39;, &#39;progression&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Taking 20 wickets in tests have always been a challenge for touring India side and Kumble hoped his experience would come in handy. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s important the bowling group believe that they are leaders, which they are... just the mindset and whatever needs to be done,&quot; he added. &quot;The experiences I have had as a captain or as a player will certainly help in sharing those. 
 
He further added saying, &quot;It&#39; s a different role... I understand the role of staying in the background and it&#39;s the captain who takes all the calls on the field.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I will only assist him by giving him whatever necessary information there is in terms of strategy, progression,&quot; Kumble stressed.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Former leg-spinner Kumble, who heads the ICC cricket committee, is believed to be India's most successful bowler

Unperturbed over the length of his contract as India's new head coach, former spinner Anil Kumble believes he has enough time and matches to make an impact. Kumble, whose only coaching experience has been as mentor of the Mumbai and Bangalore teams in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, was given a one-year term last week. For the post, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) received 57 applications which were made available to an advisory panel that included former captains Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly and former batsman VVS Laxman. The BCCI said Kumble was handed a one-year contract so they could review their options for one of world cricket's most challenging jobs at the end of that period. "I am talking about a journey," former India skipper Kumble told reporters in his first press conference on Wednesday after bagging the job. "There are 17 test matches in the next 12 months. "I just look at that as an opportunity to gain experience and contribute to Indian cricket," he asserted. Confident about team's potential as he braces up for upcoming assignment Kumble's first assignment will be a four-test series in West Indies, after which India is set for a bumper season of home action when they will be playing 13 test matches, eight ODIs and three T20 internationals. These start with three tests against New Zealand, while England and Australia will play five and four matches respectively. Bangladesh will also play a one-off test. India won their last test series in the Caribbean 1-0 and Kumble was confident they would return victorious again. "When I became captain, I never thought if I will be captain for a year or longer," the 45-year-old said. "This team has potential and we will go for wins in those 17 matches. "There will be some hard moments but I am sure we will come out of those." Former leg-spinner Kumble, who heads the International Cricket Council's (ICC) cricket committee, is believed to be India's most successful bowler, capturing 619 wickets in 132 tests and 337 from 271 one-day internationals. Kumble hopes to assist captain in terms of 'strategy', 'progression' Taking 20 wickets in tests have always been a challenge for touring India side and Kumble hoped his experience would come in handy. "It's important the bowling group believe that they are leaders, which they are... just the mindset and whatever needs to be done," he added. "The experiences I have had as a captain or as a player will certainly help in sharing those. He further added saying, "It' s a different role... I understand the role of staying in the background and it's the captain who takes all the calls on the field." "I will only assist him by giving him whatever necessary information there is in terms of strategy, progression," Kumble stressed. (Reuters)

Indian coach Kumble: Enough time, matches for me to make impact

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