CARIBBEAN

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has announced that the U.S. is investing more than $100 million in the Caribbean region to crack down on weapons trafficking, help alleviate Haiti’s humanitarian crisis and support climate change initiatives.

Members of the Rastafari religion and political movement have for decades been persecuted and imprisoned for their ritualistic use of marijuana.

Scientists have found the source of a mysterious outbreak that killed sea urchins across the Caribbean last year.

Dutch colonizers kidnapped men, women and children and enslaved them on plantations growing sugar, coffee and other goods that built wealth at the price of misery.

Authorities in Costa Rica have found two bodies in the search for six people, apparently including the German businessman behind Gold’s Gym, who went missing when their small plane disappeared from radar just off the country’s Caribbean coast.

Six people, including the German businessman behind Gold's Gym, are feared dead after a small plane crashed into the Caribbean off the Costa Rican coast.

Hurricane Julia has hit Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast and it's dumping torrential rains across Central America ahead of an expected reemergence over the Pacific.

Authorities and residents in Florida are keeping a cautious eye on Tropical Storm Ian as it rumbles through the Caribbean.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency across his entire state as Tropical Storm Ian gains strength over the Caribbean and is forecast to become a major hurricane in coming days.

NASA's new moon rocket could face more launch delays, this time by tropical weather.

Queen Elizabeth II inherited millions of subjects around the world Upon taking the throne in 1952.

Bold flavors from Africa and the Caribbean with stewed meats so tender they fall off the bone - those are the landmarks of Godwin Ihentuge’s Yum Village. We head to there to Dine in the D!

What started as an Ann Arbor college party has grown into an international touring success.

The Mexican government has decided to invoke national security powers to forge ahead with a tourist train along the Caribbean coast known as the “Riviera Maya,” threatening extensive caves where some of the oldest human remains in North America have been discovered.

Hurricane Bonnie strengthened moved roughly parallel to Mexico's Pacific coast, after crossing over Central America from the Caribbean, dropping heavy rain and contributing to two deaths.

Tropical Storm Bonnie formed over the Caribbean and is closing in on the coast of Nicaragua.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says a storm that has hurled rain on the southern Caribbean and the northern shoulder of South America is expected to hit Central America as a tropical storm over the weekend and eventually develop into a hurricane over the Pacific.

On Tuesday, the Kellogg Company announced that the headquarters will transition to a duel campus being shared in Battle Creek and Chicago. The cereal company also announced its plans on separating into three independent companies to focus on particular strategic priorities.

Dozens of well-known leaders in Jamaica including professors and politicians are demanding an apology and slavery reparations as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge prepare for a trip to the former British colony.

Prince William and Kate are embarking on a tour to Central America and the Caribbean, even as some countries in the region mull cutting ties to the British monarchy.

Rihanna is backing her belief that climate change is a social-justice issue by pledging $15 million to the movement through her Clara Lionel Foundation.

France’s government is offering to discuss greater autonomy for the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.

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Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador wants to leave questions of human rights and democracy to the United Nations, as part of his continuing criticisms of the Organization of American States.

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As we wind down into our fall schedules, wouldn’t it be nice to take one more vacation? Maybe to the Caribbean?

A steelpan drum is often used in Caribbean music and now a local musician is updating those sounds and blending them into a fusion with Hip-Hop. Aaron BraveSoul Parrott explained how he learned to play this drum, going to Toronto with his father, and watching live performances. Parrott eventually earned to play and says the instrument should not be limited to one style of music.

Forecasters say tropical depression Fred is slowly strengthening and could regain tropical storm status on Saturday.

Tropical depression Fred is heading for a drenching of Cuba and the Bahamas on a forecast track that would carry it toward South Florida as a tropical storm by Saturday.

Tropical Storm Fred has weakened to a tropical depression while sweeping over the Dominican Republic and dumping heavy rains that forecasters warn could cause dangerous flooding and mudslides there and in neighboring Haiti.

Heavy rains are pelting the northern Caribbean as Tropical Storm Fred has formed just south of Puerto Rico following a quiet month of no named storms in the region.

A report released Wednesday shows philanthropic funding to promote global human rights reached a record $3.7 billion in 2018.

Elsa has strengthened into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and it's blowing off roofs, snapping trees and destroying crops in the eastern Caribbean, where officials closed schools, businesses and airports under the threat of flash flooding and landslides.

Officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are warning people to plan for possible evacuations as the tiny islands hit recently by massive volcanic eruptions prepares for potential flooding and landslides from Tropical Storm Elsa, which was whirling toward the eastern Caribbean.

Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line announces additional voyages as part of its U.S. resumption plan.

An 18th century burial ground has been discovered at a former sugar plantation on the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, officials, and archaeologists say it likely contains the remains of slaves and could provide a trove of information on their lives.

A UNICEF report says severe acute childhood malnutrition is expected to more than double this year in Haiti as the country struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, a spike in violence and dwindling resources.

The Cyprus-flagged oil tanker Berlina was drifting near the Caribbean island of Dominica when the safety signals it's required to transmit showed it stopping in its tracks and turning 180 degrees in just two minutes.

The three scientists credited with helping save lives ahead of a volcanic eruption on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent are known to locals simply as Richie, Rod and TC.

The situation looks bleak on St. Vincent, where explosive eruptions by a volcano, La Soufrière, have forced thousands to evacuate their homes and dumped ash across the Caribbean island.

La Soufriere volcano has shot out another explosive burst of gas and ash and a cruise ship has arrived to evacuate some of the foreigners who had been stuck on a St. Vincent island by a week of violent eruptions.

Officials in St. Vincent say they are extremely worried about a COVID-19 outbreak given the lack of water and more positive cases being reported as thousands of evacuees fleeing the erupting volcano crowd into shelters and private homes.

Ongoing volcanic eruptions have displaced about 20% of people in the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent as a U.N. official warns of a growing humanitarian crisis.

Leaders of volcano-wracked St. Vincent say that water is running short as heavy ash contaminates supplies and they estimated that the eastern Caribbean island will need hundreds of millions of dollars to recover from the eruption of La Soufriere.

La Soufriere volcano has fired an enormous amount of ash and hot gas in the biggest explosive eruption yet since volcanic activity began on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent late last week, with officials worried about the lives of those who have refused to evacuate.

More people have fled their homes on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent as La Soufrière volcano rumbles loudly for a third day and the heavy weight of its ashfall is damaging some buildings.

People who ignored an initial warning to evacuate the area closest to a volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent are now racing to get clear.

FILE - In this March 14, 2020 file photo, Royal Caribbean International cruise ship docked at PortMiami, among other cruise ships, as the world deals with the coronavirus outbreak in Miami. Royal Caribbean Group is putting its cruising toes back in the water this summer. The cruise company said Friday, March 19, 2021 that two of its lines Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises will resume Caribbean sailings in June. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)MIAMI – Two Royal Caribbean cruises will resume in June, ending a yearlong hiatus, but passengers 18 and older must test negative for COVID-19 before getting on a ship. Shares of Miami-based Royal Caribbean rose more than 2% Friday.

The Caribbean is hunting for visitors and vaccines to jump-start the stalled economy in one of the worlds most tourism-dependent regions (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)SAN JUAN – The Caribbean is hunting for visitors and vaccines to jump-start the stalled economy in one of the world’s most tourism-dependent regions. Clear waters and warm sand attracted a record 31.5 million tourists to the Caribbean in 2019, but visits plummeted by an estimated 60% to 80% as the pandemic hit last year. “Many countries prefer hurricanes compared to what has happened with the pandemic,” said Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, a former Bahamian tourism minister who also led the Caribbean Tourism Organization. Cuba — the largest Caribbean nation and the only one working on its own vaccines — choked off arrivals after seeing infections surge. Neil Walters, acting secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.

So how about a donut with some flair that’s channeling the flavors of the Caribbean? Host Tati Amare was joined by Toi Roberts, owner of Rolais’ Caribbean Bakery, a business that is bringing this creative combination to life. She was introduced to Caribbean flavors by a friend of hers and fell in love with them, deciding to add them to her baked treats. Flavors include Lemon Poppyseed Hibiscus, Passionfruit Lemon, Calypso Coconut Lime, Butter Rum Raisin, Guava Stuffed, Limbo Lime Pie, and many more. AdYou can find Rolais’ Donuts at Eastern Market on Saturdays, and on their website.

Iota became a Category 2 hurricane late Sunday afternoon, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center warned it would likely be an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm when it approached the Central America mainland late Monday. It was already a record-breaking system, being the 30th named storm of this year’s extraordinarily busy Atlantic hurricane season. It hit Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane, killing at least 120 people as torrential rains caused flash floods and mudslides in parts of Central America and Mexico. Eta was the 28th named storm of this year’s hurricane season, tying the 2005 record for named storms. The official end of hurricane season is Nov. 30.

Eta weakened from the Category 4 hurricane to a tropical storm after lashing Nicaragua's Caribbean coast for much of Tuesday, its floodwaters isolating already remote communities and setting off deadly landslides. (AP Photo/Carlos Herrera)ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Tropical Storm Iota was brewing in the Caribbean Sea early Saturday, threatening a second tropical strike for Nicaragua and Honduras, countries recently ransacked by a Category 4 Hurricane Eta. Iota could wreak more havoc in a region where people are still grappling with the aftermath of Eta. Iota is already a record-setting system, being the 30th named storm of this year’s extraordinarily busy Atlantic hurricane season. Eta was the 28th named storm of this year’s hurricane season, tying the 2005 record for named storms.

Hurricane experts were closely watching the Caribbean, where Tropical Storm Iota formed Friday afternoon. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Iota could bring dangerous wind, storm surge and as much as 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rainfall to northern Nicaragua and Honduras. The storm was located about 350 miles (560 kilometers) south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica and had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph). Iota is a record-setting 30th named storm of this year’s extraordinarily busy Atlantic hurricane season. Earlier, firefighters in Tampa had to rescue around a dozen people who got stuck in storm surge flooding on a boulevard adjacent to the bay.

A man fixes the roof of a home surrounded by floodwaters brought on by Hurricane Eta in Wawa, Nicaragua, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Carlos Herrera)MANAGUA – Hurricane Eta churned inland through northeast Nicaragua Tuesday night with devastating winds and rains that destroyed rooftops, caused rivers to overflow and left at least three people dead in the region. The hurricane had sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, down from an overnight peak of 150 mph (240 kph). Even before it made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, Honduras reported the first death after a mudslide trapped a 12-year-old girl in San Pedro Sula and two miners were killed in a mudslide in Bonanza, Nicaragua. Hurricane season still has a month to go, ending Nov. 30.

MIAMI – Newly formed Tropical Storm Zeta strengthened Sunday in the western Caribbean and will probably become a hurricane before hitting Mexico's resort-dotted Yucatan Peninsula and the U.S. Gulf Coast in coming days. Zeta was the earliest named 27th Atlantic storm recorded in an already historic hurricane season. The system was centered about 300 miles (480 kilometers) southeast of Cozumel island in Mexico at midafternoon, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The government is still handing out aid, including sheet roofing, to Yucatan residents hit by Hurricane Delta and Tropical Storm Gamma earlier this month. The hurricane center said it could make landfall anywhere from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

All rights reserved)MEXICO CITY – The U.N.’s International Labour Organization said Wednesday that at least 34 million jobs have been lost in Latin America due to the coronavirus pandemic. The count was up from the ILO’s previous estimates in early August that 14 million jobs had been lost in the region. The organization's Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Vinícius Pinheiro, called it “an unprecedented challenge.”Pinheiro said the third quarter had brought a recovery in economic activity and, according to preliminary data, a tentative recovery in employment. The ILO figures were based on data from nine countries which account for 80% of the region's workforce. The ILO lists Latin America and the Caribbean as the worst-hit region in the world in terms of lost working hours, with a drop of 20.9% in the first three quarters of the year, compared to an average of 11.7% worldwide.

Authorities said cellphones taken from the men when they were arrested last week include images of a large bridge in Zulia state, military installations and dilapidated oil refineries in Falcon state. President Nicolás Maduro announced on Friday that an unnamed suspected U.S. spy had been captured, saying he was a Marine and former CIA operative in Iraq. Venezuela also struggles to provide electricity to residents, especially in Zulia state, once a major hub of the nation's vast oil production. The three Venezuelans accused of conspiring with Heath include a military officer, Saab said, adding that they helped him enter from Colombia. The ex-Green Berets in Goudreau's force — Luke Denman Airan Berry Venezuela — have been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

CARACAS The sight of a huge oil tanker that has taken on water and is leaning to one side off a remote stretch of Venezuela's coast has triggered international calls for action. However, anti-government oil workers like Eudis Girot, head of the Unitary Federation of Petroleum Workers of Venezuela, has launched a campaign seeking to get President Nicols Maduro to pay attention. He is urging the embattled leader to look beyond years of bitter disputes between his government and the oil workers union to head off a potential environmental disaster. PDVSA and Venezuelas ministry of communications did not immediately respond to emailed requests by AP seeking comment on the Nabarima. Consilium, compared the Venezuelan tanker to the FSO Safer, which has been decaying for years off the coast of Yemen with more than 1 million barrels of oil.

MIAMI Tropical Storm Omar formed off the U.S. East Coast on Tuesday as Tropical Storm Nana approached the coast of Central America, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported. Nana was moving west at 18 mph (30 kph) on a path that could damage Central America on Wednesday and Thursday. The National Hurricane Center later said the entire coast of Belize had been placed under a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch. The National Hurricane Center expects Tropical Storm Omar to be short-lived. Omar was 225 miles (365 kilometers) east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and moving east-northeast at 15 mph (24 kph).

There is a Saharan dust plume heading for North America. Saharan dust plumes as 6 a.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Saharan dust plume over the Caribbean at 6 a.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2020. The jet stream should allow for the Saharan dust plume in the Caribbean to move northward starting June 25, 2020. (WDIV)If the skies are clear in Michigan, this will allow the dust plume to create a very nice sunrise and sunset through the weekend and perhaps into early next week.

DARIEN, CT A Connecticut man charged in the death of a hotel worker he says attacked his family in Anguilla has declined to return to the British Caribbean territory for the latest pretrial hearing, a spokesman said Monday. Scott Hapgood, of Darien, is worried about his safety in light of death threats, and Anguilla officials have not provided assurances that he would be allowed to return home on bond after the hearing, family spokesman Jamie Diaferia said. Anguilla officials rejected an offer for Hapgood to appear by video link for Monday's hearing, Diaferia said. Hapgood and his family say a hotel worker, Kenny Mitchel, of Dominica, showed up at their room unannounced during their April vacation and demanded money, then attacked them. Diaferia said that a toxicology report was suppressed and that Mitchel was found to have drugs, including cocaine, in his system.

CNN image(CNN) - Tropical Storms Karen, Jerry and Lorenzo are spinning across the Atlantic Basin Monday and two of the storms threatened islands. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, within the next 36 hours. Tropical Storm Jerry moves towards BermudaTropical Storm Jerry is still in the Atlantic and generally moving north-northwest. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the island. Tropical Storm Lorenzo forms near AfricaOn the other side of the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Lorenzo has formed a few hundred miles southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is held annually from mid-September to mid-October, but what does that mean, exactly? The month is dedicated to celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America, hispanicheritagemonth.gov explains. It started as Hispanic Heritage Week, until President Ronald Reagan expanded it to a month in 1988. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Da de la Raza, which is Oct. 12, falls within this 30 day period.

Several U.S. airlines are offering travel waivers to customers with scheduled flights to the eastern Caribbean as the storm travels through the Caribbean Sea. The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch for Puerto Rico on Tuesday morning. SouthwestCustomers flying Southwest to Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico between today and Aug. 30 may rebook a flight. AmericanAmerican Airlines will waive the fee to change flights scheduled until Aug. 29 if they're canceled. Trips to Barbados, Haiti, Martinique, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Saint Lucia are subject to cancellation.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch for Puerto Rico on Tuesday morning as Tropical Storm Dorian continues to move across the Caribbean toward the island. The storm, which weakened a bit overnight as the system hit Barbados, is expected to pass near, or just south of Puerto Rico Wednesday afternoon and evening as a strong tropical storm. A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours and a tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within 36 hours. "St. Lucia seems to be the bull's eye (Monday night) for tropical storm conditions," including strong winds and heavy rain, Brink said. Tropical storm conditions are possible throughout the Lesser Antilles through Tuesday morning and over Puerto Rico Wednesday, the center said.

A 15-year-old Texas girl was pulled to safety, but her mother and father drowned during a family vacation in the Caribbean, police said. The bodies of Roy Perez, 38, and Irma Barrera, 33, were plucked from the waters off Bambarra Beach in the Turks and Caicos islands, authorities said. Their daughter survived, as did the daughter of family friend Dr. Richard Okoloise, who perished along with the couple. "We are at a loss for words," reads a post on the fundraising page, "but are rallying together to help." The Turks and Caicos Islands, a popular vacation destination, is a British territory of 40 coral islands located southeast of the Bahamas.

(CNN) - The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Tourism is rolling out new safety measures in an effort to calm the fears of Americans traveling to the Caribbean island, according to the ministry's chief of staff Pablo Espinal. The measures include inspecting hotels more often, requiring hotels to post emergency contact information in every guest room, adding more monitoring measures to medical facilities located inside hotels and opening an emergency tourist center. At least 10 American citizens have died after an apparent sudden health issue in the Dominican Republic since June 2018. Dominican Republic authorities maintain that their own investigations revealed that the Americans died from natural causes. The emergency tourist center is expected to open in Punta Cana in partnership with the Dominican Republic Attorney General's office.