BAHAMAS
Malaysian casino
NASSAU — The Genting Group, a Malaysian conglomerate, will take over operations at the Bimini Bay Resort a luxury resort on Bimini and invest $100 million in air and sea transportation to the tiny island, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced.
Last year, the Genting Group announced that it planned to open a 100,000-square-foot casino on Bimini in July.
CAYMAN ISLANDS
Bush charged
KINGSTON — McKeeva Bush, who was removed from office as premier of the Cayman Islands, was charged in a corruption investigation but his splintered United Democratic Party (UDP) pledged to stand behind him in May elections.
Police announced that Bush has been charged with five counts of theft, four counts of breach of trust and two counts of misconduct in public office. He was released on bail and is due to appear in court next month.
In December, governing party, opposition and independent lawmakers voted to oust Bush from office in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence a week after his arrest on suspicion of theft related to misuse of a government credit card and other allegations.
He remained a lawmaker representing West Bay as well as leader of the UDP after most of his colleagues quit the party and formed a minority government.
HAITI
Lavalas to run
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The Lavalas Family party of ousted President Jean Bertrand Aristide said it will try again to run candidates in upcoming legislative elections after being banned in the two most recent votes.
The announcement came from Maryse Narcisse, a spokeswoman, in an interview on the privately run station Radio Kiskeya. Aristide returned to Haiti in 2011 despite opposition from the United States and has kept a low profile since, opting to stay in his compound in the capital. The upcoming vote is for 10 seats in the 30-member Senate and scores of seats at the local level.
JAMAICA
Haitians detained
KINGSTON — Police said 33 illegal migrants from Haiti were intercepted off the northeast coast. Local fishermen alerted authorities after spotting a rickety boat carrying 20 men, four women and nine children off Portland parish. They were brought to shore by a coast guard ship. A few needed assistance disembarking. Authorities said the migrants were trying to get to the U.S.
PUERTO RICO
Cancer denied
SAN JUAN — A U.S. agency said it found no proof that decades of military practice bombing on the island of Vieques sickened residents who blame it for high rates of cancer and other illnesses.
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