The 25th annual Heads of Government Conference of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) begins with a ceremonial opening this afternoon in this spice isle of the region, a full house of leaders and a packed agenda for their four-day summit.

RIVIERA BEACH -- The on-again, off-again maiden voyage of the Cloud X, a 123-foot high-speed ferry designed to take passengers from Palm Beach to the Bahamas, could be on again now that operators have completed lengthy modifications to make the vessel meet U.S. Homeland Security requirements.

HAMILTON, Bermuda (AP) - Gambling machines became illegal in Bermuda on Thursday, halting a multimillion dollar industry that the government said was driving some islanders into debt.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) -- More than 200 barrels of oil spilled in an area reserved for drilling and exploration, the state-owned oil company said.

As Britain prepares to empty its jails of foreign criminals and with the United States moving aggressively to dump criminal deportees on other nations, Caribbean officials are holding their breath, deeply worried about what may happen next.

Edward Seaga spent yesterday afternoon in his West Kingston constituency reaffirming a message that he had already given to the people who have sent him to Parliament for over four decades: he is not yet ready to step down as their MP.

A 22-year-old Trinidadian wanted in Canada for murder and other gun-related crimes was yesterday extradited to that country.

Finally bowing to the pressure of more than a dozen years of internal wrangling and fights, Edward Seaga last night announced that he will step down as leader of the Jamaica Labour Party in November, after three decades at the helm.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced the repeal of an income tax and presented Parliament with a new budget on Tuesday.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) - Four airport security guards were charged yesterday with pulling a passenger off a plane, forcing him into a room and robbing him, police said.