Venezuela says Hilton’s concession expired, begins takeover of hotel on Caribbean island

October 8th, 2009 Saba public workers to get 6 years of back payTHE BOTTOM, Saba — Government workers on the tiny Dutch Caribbean island of Saba are scheduled to receive more than half a million dollars in back wages dating from 2003. Finance Commissioner Bruce Zagers says $331,000 will be paid this month, and the remaining $347,000 by year's end.

October 5th, 2009 Montserrat volcano shoots plume of ash into skySAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat shot a plume of ash more than two miles (three kilometers) into the sky Monday, lightly dusting the small Caribbean island. The venting by the Soufriere Hills volcano has been accompanied by more than 30 tiny earthquakes since Sunday night, according to Paul Cole, director of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory.

September 30th, 2009 Gadhafi goes window shopping in Venezuela resortPORLAMAR, Venezuela — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi took a break from railing against colonialism at a summit in Venezuela to go window shopping, buy jewelry and mingle with stunned tourists at a Caribbean resort. Wearing a brown, loose shirt and dark sunglasses, Gadhafi left most of his security guards behind at the Hilton Hotel on Margarita Island to duck into luxury stores and stroll by the pool as tourists gawked at the Islamic leader who has forged strong ties with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

September 25th, 2009 20-year-old brunette wins Miss VenezuelaCARACAS, Venezuela — Marelisa Gibson, a 20-year-old brunette, has been crowned Miss Venezuela and will represent the beauty-obsessed South American country at next year's Miss Universe pageant. The annual Miss Venezuela pageant is the one of Venezuela's most watched programs and a source of national pride.

September 9th, 2009 Grenada provides cheap homes to hurricane victimsST. GEORGE'S, Grenada — Grenada has sold some 100 Venezuelan-built houses at a deep discount to people left homeless by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the island's leader said Wednesday.

August 21st, 2009 Venezuela helps US seize cocaine-laden shipCARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela says its collaboration with U.S. authorities led to the seizure of about a ton of cocaine aboard a ship in the Caribbean Sea.

August 17th, 2009 Venezuela says no plan to stiffen oil pact termsCARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela said Sunday that no plans are being considered to require more money up front from poor Caribbean and Central American nations buying oil on preferential terms under its Petrocaribe program. The secretariat of the Venezuelan oil pact said in a statement that any changes made to the deal's terms would be "to the benefit of member countries." State oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA released the statement days after Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding said he hoped Venezuela would scale back a proposal to require more money up front.

August 17th, 2009 Report: Caribbean hotel plans will stallSAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A new report offers a bleak outlook for the Caribbean hotel industry. PKF Hospitality Research says the region's hotels had an average drop in profits of 16 percent in 2008 and there will be "further profit deterioration" this year.

August 5th, 2009 Chavez: Venezuela to buy more tanksCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez says his government plans to buy dozens of tanks because Venezuela feels threatened by pending deal to increase the U.S. military presence in Colombia.

July 31st, 2009 CARACAS - Venezuela and China signed a $7.5 billion agreement Thursday that includes the construction of a 468-km railway in the country with Chinese support, officials said. Public Works Minister Diosdado Cabello told reporters that the railway - which will run from the town of Tinaco, in the northwestern state of Cojedes, to Anaco, a city in the northeastern state of Anzoategui - is the biggest project Venezuela is undertaking outside of the oil industry.

June 28th, 2009 Chavez to US general: You're the threat, not usCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez says a U.S. general shouldn't be raising concerns that Venezuela is buying arms, and the American commander is wrong to argue there isn't a "conventional military threat in the region." Chavez says the U.S.

June 26th, 2009 Antigua ex-official posts bond in Stanford caseST. JOHN'S, Antigua — A lawyer for the former Antiguan financial regulator who is accused in the alleged $7 billion swindle by Texas billionaire R.

May 9th, 2009 Amy Winehouse cuts short comeback gig in CaribbeanLONDON — Amy Winehouse was forced to cut short a comeback gig in St. Lucia because of heavy rain.

April 29th, 2009 17 arrested in Curacao in alleged drug ringWILLEMSTAD, Curacao — Seventeen people were arrested in Curacao for alleged involvement in a drug trafficking ring with connections to Hezbollah, police in the Dutch Caribbean island said Wednesday. The suspects detained Tuesday include four people from Lebanon and others from Curacao, Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia, police chief Carlos Casseres said at a news conference.

April 1st, 2009 CARACAS - Venezuela obtained a crucial 2-0 home win over direct rival Colombia in the South American qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The result leaves Colombia on 14 points from 12 games, with Venezuela on 13 points.