Antigua bank crisis

Customers have been queuing up to withdraw their funds from Bank of Antigua

Authorities in Antigua have been scrambling to shore up the banking system, in the wake of the fraud charges laid against the island's biggest private employer, Allen Stanford.

On Tuesday, US financial regulators charged Mr Stanford in connection with an alleged $8 billion fraud scheme involving three of his companies.

Customers have been queuing up to withdraw their funds from the Stanford owned Bank of Antigua.

But representative of the local Bankers Association, Everette Christian, said the entire financial system could be destabilised if customers continue to withdraw their deposits.

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ALP welcomes election date

The opposition Antigua Labour Party has welcomed the announcement of an election date.

However the ALP leader Lester Bird said the March 12 polling day could pose a problem for incoming observers.

Mr Bird says that regional and international organisations would have little time to set up missions to observe the elections, with only 22 days notice.

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Sarkozy to meet Guadeloupe officials

The French President Nicholas Sarkozy is to meet with lawmakers from Guadeloupe today, in an effort to end the ongoing strike against the high cost of living.

The meeting follows a fresh round of violence on Wednesday night, which saw security forces coming under fire.

Officials said five shots were fired at the police near the capital Pointe-a-Pitre, in the latest incident.

No one was wounded but the security forces withdrew from the area.

Hundreds of extra police and paramilitary gendarmes have been sent to the French island, since the strike degenerated into looting and violence earlier this week.

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Protest planned against deportation

Activists in the United States have called a protest for Saturday, as Washington moves to deport over 30,000 Haitians.

Hundreds have been put in detention centres or on electronic monitoring at home, in preparation for repatriation.

US authorities complain that deportations have been dragged out because the Haitian government has failed to provide proper documentation for the trips.

The Haitian government also insists that Port-au-Prince is not in any shape to handle a major return of refugees.

But activists and immigrants alike have called a protest rally for Saturday in Broward County just north of Miami.

They are demanding an end to arrests and deportation of Haitians, the right to work, and the release of hundreds of Haitians held in detention centres across the country.

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Financial crisis affects Dominica carnival

The weakened global economy appears to be affecting carnival celebrations in Dominica.

President of the Calypso Association Kelly Williams says compared to previous years, attendance at carnival shows this year has been poor.

Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago and the French Caribbean celebrate carnival this weekend.

--BBC Caribbean.com