Latest news with #SaintLucia
Free Malaysia Today
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Two Taiwan allies attend Beijing's Celac forum
Haiti was represented by its foreign minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste and Saint Lucia, by diplomat Peter Lansiquot. (EPA Images pic) BEIJING : Haiti's foreign minister was one of Taiwan's two diplomatic allies attending a forum on Tuesday in Beijing between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries, as China steps up its pressure campaign against the diplomatically isolated island. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has formal ties with only 12 nations, two of which, Haiti and Saint Lucia, joined the event, the Forum of China and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or Celac. Reuters reporters at the forum saw the flags of both countries in the main plenary hall at the venue in the Chinese capital, with Haiti represented by foreign minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste and Saint Lucia, by diplomat Peter Lansiquot. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, asked about the presence of the two countries, said the forum is an important platform for 'mutually beneficial cooperation' between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries. 'China has always welcomed and supported the participation of Celac member states in the activities within the framework of the forum,' he told reporters, without elaborating. Neither the Haiti nor Saint Lucia embassies in Taiwan immediately responded to requests for comment, not did Taiwan's foreign ministry. Haiti and Saint Lucia are both members of Celac. Two diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said China has previously had such interactions with Taiwan allies at the same event. The flags of other Celac members who also have ties with Taiwan, such as Guatemala and Belize, were not seen in the room. Taiwan strongly rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying it has every right to have diplomatic relations with other countries and that China has no right to speak for it on the global stage or pressure its international space. Honduras was the last regional nation to switch diplomatic ties to Beijing from Taipei, in 2023. Saint Lucia has had relations with Beijing before, and re-established ties with Taiwan in 2007, bucking the trend of countries switching to China. Haiti's relations with Taiwan date back to 1956.
Reuters
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Two Taiwan allies attend Beijing forum as China steps up diplomatic pressure
BEIJING, May 13 (Reuters) - Haiti's foreign minister was one of Taiwan's two diplomatic allies attending a forum on Tuesday in Beijing between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries, as China steps up its pressure campaign against the diplomatically isolated island. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has formal ties with only 12 nations, two of which, Haiti and Saint Lucia, joined the event, the Forum of China and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC. Reuters reporters at the forum saw the flags of both in the main plenary hall at the venue in the Chinese capital, with Haiti represented by Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste and Saint Lucia by diplomat Peter Lansiquot. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, asked about the presence of the two countries, said the forum is an important platform for "mutually beneficial cooperation" between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries. "China has always welcomed and supported the participation of CELAC member states in the activities within the framework of the forum," he told reporters, without elaborating. Neither the Haiti nor Saint Lucia embassies in Taiwan immediately responded to requests for comment, not did Taiwan's foreign ministry. Haiti and Saint Lucia are both members of CELAC. Two diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said China has previously had such interactions with Taiwan allies at the same event. The flags of other CELAC members who also have ties with Taiwan, such as Guatemala and Belize, were not seen in the room. Taiwan strongly rejects China's sovereignty claims, saying it has every right to have diplomatic relations with other countries and that China has no right to speak for it on the global stage or pressure its international space. Honduras was the last regional nation to switch diplomatic ties to Beijing from Taipei, in 2023. Saint Lucia has had relations with Beijing before, and re-established ties with Taiwan in 2007, bucking the trend of countries switching to China. Haiti's relations with Taiwan date back to 1956.
Associated Press
12-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
PrimeXBT Introduces VIP Tiers with Up to 50% Trading Fee Discounts for Active Traders
CASTRIES, Saint Lucia, May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- PrimeXBT, a regulated multi-asset broker, has announced the launch of its VIP Tiers, a trading-based rewards system designed to lower trading costs for high-volume traders. With discounts of up to 50% now available, the new system brings enhanced flexibility and cost efficiency to trading across a wide range of markets. VIP Tiers are applied automatically based on a trader's 30-day cumulative trading volume across Crypto Futures, Forex, and CFDs on Indices, Commodities, Stocks, and Crypto. Traders who reach the volume milestone for VIP Tier 1 are instantly upgraded, unlocking a 25% discount on Crypto Futures and CFD trading costs. The tier status remains locked for 30 days but can still be upgraded to VIP Tier 2, offering a 40% discount on Crypto Futures and a 50% discount on CFD trading costs, once the trading volume criteria is met. According to PrimeXBT, the introduction of VIP Tiers gives traders a clear and motivating way to lower trading costs the more they trade. The tier system is designed to be accessible for active retail traders while also catering to institutional participants across diverse markets. The broker views this launch as a major step toward creating a more inclusive and rewarding environment for high-volume traders of all kinds. This update reflects PrimeXBT's ongoing commitment to competitive conditions and long-term client trust. By providing full insight into how trading fee discounts are calculated and when they apply, the company strengthens its promise of fairness and clarity across its trading platforms. To learn more, users can visit PrimeXBT website. About PrimeXBT PrimeXBT is a leading Crypto and CFD broker that offers an all-in-one trading platform to buy, sell, and store Cryptocurrencies, and trade over 150 popular markets, including Crypto Futures and CFDs on Crypto, Forex, Indices, Commodities, and Stocks using both fiat and Crypto funds. Since its founding in 2018, PrimeXBT has grown exponentially, serving 1,000,000+ traders in 150+ countries worldwide. With an aim of making investing available to all, PrimeXBT lowers the barriers to entry, providing easy and secure access to the financial markets with industry-leading trading conditions and innovative tools. Clients engage with a regulated financial services provider recognized for its reliability and commitment to offering cost-efficient trading solutions. Disclaimer The content provided here is for informational purposes only and is not intended as personal investment advice and does not constitute a solicitation or invitation to engage in any financial transactions, investments, or related activities. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. The financial products offered by the Company are complex and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. These products may not be suitable for all investors. Before engaging, you should consider whether you understand how these leveraged products work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money. The Company does not accept clients from the Restricted Jurisdictions as indicated on its website. Some products and services, including MT5, may not be available in your jurisdiction. The applicable legal entity and its respective products and services depend on the client's country of residence and the entity with which the client has established a contractual relationship during registration. Contact: PrimeXBT [email protected] Photo: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE PrimeXBT
Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Telegraph
Find perfect harmony in Saint Lucia
You could be enjoying your first sea-view drink just 15 minutes after leaving the airport with a stay at Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa. Unfurling along the mile-long beach, this 85-acre retreat has Atlantic Ocean-view rooms, nine dining venues, seven bars and five fabulous pools. Two worlds in one The charm of this all-inclusive stay is that it really does cater for everyone. The Harmony Wing is reserved exclusively for adult guests and offers a more secluded ambience. You can spend sunny days relaxing in double hammocks or enjoy a sundeck for two around the two adults-only pools, and the Sanctuary Spa offers couples' massages in oceanfront cabanas. On the other side of the resort, the Splash Wing welcomes families for a fun-filled adventure, featuring Saint Lucia's largest water park, complete with water slides and a lazy river, an activity-packed Kidz Klub and a nursery for toddlers. The family-friendly rooms are bright and airy, and both Harmony and Splash feature air-conditioned Deluxe Garden Rooms on the ground floor and Deluxe Ocean Rooms above – each with a private terrace or balcony. These two worlds – Harmony and Splash – join in the centre of the resort where many of the dining options and entertainment are located. Delicious dining Enjoy a range of options from the unlimited à la carte and buffet dining, along with premium top-shelf liqueurs and cocktails from one of the seven bars. Whether you're indoors, outdoors, poolside or on the edge of the white sandy beach overlooking the ocean, there's always an inviting spot under a palm tree to enjoy a refreshing drink. The Jerk Treehouse is exactly as named: perched in a treetop setting, this casual outdoor restaurant serves jerk chicken and spicy pork in fun and colourful surroundings. Visit poolside Flipflops for pizza and burgers as well as self-serve popcorn, soda and hotdog machines – it's every child's dream. Coconut Walk Marketplace is the resort's main restaurant offering a delicious array of freshly prepared fare and live cooking stations. Fine-dining experiences are plentiful, with Italian classics offered at Trattoria, Creole-Latin fusion at Calabash and Asian delights at Silk. A new addition offering delicious vegan and vegetarian cuisine, the adults only Seasons Veggie Bistro brings plant-based dishes into the fine-dining experience – over 90 per cent of the produce is locally sourced for a farm-to-table experience. For a supplement guests can book the oceanfront La Luna with views across to Maria Island and adults can enjoy signature gourmet dining at The Great House at Serenity. A splash of fun There are five pools in total, two of which are reserved for adults and offer cocktail service. Head to the Activity Pool for aquacise and pool volleyball or the expansive Splash Pool with its waterfalls, fountain and swim-up bar. At the beach, you can enjoy a host of non-motorised watersports and even learn from the professionals at Saint Lucia's only kitesurfing facility. Relaxation is on the menu at the Paradise Beach Bar, but you could switch that up with a game of beach volleyball, tennis, pickleball or basketball. The fitness centre offers a range of classes, or you could enjoy the simplicity of a Quarry Hill hike for incredible views. Like to dance? When the sun sets, head to the beach parties, join a dance class and soak up all the entertainment that's on offer. No matter how active or relaxed you want your stay to be, you'll find your perfect retreat at Coconut Bay. British Airways Holidays packages include a generous checked baggage allowance for each customer and come with full Atol protection for complete peace of mind. Secure your all-inclusive holiday to Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa with a low deposit and enjoy flexible payments until you fly*.
Times
06-05-2025
- Times
Inside St Lucia's £53k-a-night luxury villa
The beautiful Caribbean island of St Lucia, a peaceful haven long beloved by Brits, has never sought to become a hotspot for the international rich, unlike the French billionaire and celebrity magnet that is St Barts or neighbouring Mustique, where Princess Margaret was a regular and the Waleses are known to escape to. And that's not to mention such nearby touristy islands such as Antigua, Barbados and Turks and Caicos. St Lucia has extraordinary natural volcanic beauty — the territory is lush with vegetation and waterfalls, as well as mud baths and sulphur springs on its southernwest side, whose sickeningly sweet scent wafts through the air as you drive past. But it has seemingly preferred to hide its hospitality offering under a bushel, allowing that scenery to take centre stage instead. There are a handful of five-star hotels on the island, notably the vauntingly flash Jade Mountain (it featured in an episode of the BBC's Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby), which has a collection of private villas for rent. But still, St Lucia has somehow managed to define itself as other than just a playground for the privileged. Jade Mountain featured in Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby That might be about to change thanks to the Greens, a British family based in Bermuda who earlier this year unveiled Spice of Life, a 35,000 sq ft modern villa touted as the largest private residence in the Caribbean. It has been built in the grounds of the Viceroy Sugar Beach Hotel, acquired by the Greens in 2019, and sits beneath the Pitons, a Unesco world heritage site featuring two pointy volcanic mountains, or plugs, which reach heights of more than 2,000ft and whose summits lean into each other as if in conversation. Sugar Beach is the sort of classic hotel you'll find all over the region, low-built and classically Caribbean in style — albeit this one is set in more than 100 acres of rainforest. It was previously owned by another Brit, the Rolling Stones' accountant, Roger Myers, who bought it from Lord Glenconner, the man responsible for putting Mustique on the map in the Sixties. Advertisement • Read our full guide to St Lucia As a first-timer on the island I am floored by St Lucia's landscape which made me feel as if I've arrived on the set of Jurassic Park. I had no idea how spectacular it would be. I am equally struck by the St Lucians themselves and the passion they share for their homeland, from Sugar Beach's exemplary staff to the driver who accompanies me from the airport and gives me a nonstop, highly detailed commentary on the vegetation, rainforests, black sand beaches and buildings. St Lucia feels different from other Caribbean islands, somehow more rooted in itself and its culture. I am not surprised when I later find out that it has the highest ratio of Nobel laureates (two) to population of any sovereign country. Spice of Life is a 35,000 sq ft modern villa Spice of Life feels at first a bit like an anomaly. Devised by the Bermuda-based Botelho Wood Architects, it's a massive modernist construction in a prime position just above the beach, but never in full view of Sugar Beach itself. It brings to mind a spectacular Hollywood A-list type of stay and it comes with all the perks you might expect. It sleeps 18 and includes 24-hour butler service, two kitchens (one industrial-sized to cater for bigger events such as weddings or parties), 13 bathrooms, a private chef, an infinity pool, a children's playroom, an outdoor cinema, a gym and private beach access. Unusually, and perhaps idiosyncratically for a tropical setting, it is also crammed with a museum-worthy modern art collection, including works by Damien Hirst, Salvador Dalí, Yayoi Kusama, Anish Kapoor, Kaws, Michael Craig-Martin and Jeff Koons. Being removed from the main hotel works in Spice of Life's favour. Guests can keep to themselves but also use the hotel's facilities. But why would you want to leave? Spice of Life is not your ordinary holiday villa. It's more like a private mansion, a multilevel palace, the main sitting room of which is dominated by a large oval-shaped James Turrell light sculpture, its tone continually morphing, casting different colours on the 16-seat solid wood dining room table and the collection of abstract paintings by Hirst that line one of the walls. • I've finally found a holiday that pleases everyone — including teens Advertisement A blond-wood staircase leads up to the first floor, where there is a vast and airy collection of en suite bedrooms complete with bathrooms (with enormous outdoor showers) and dressing room, all in muted shades, save for the art and coffee-table books symmetrically arranged on low-level shelving. The walls are textured and tactile, embedded with large dove grey stones or swirly hessian designs. Each room is dominated by the money shot: the glittering Caribbean Sea and one of the Pitons looming skywards. The en suite bedrooms are airy and look onto the sea I'm visiting with a group and we spend our days sunbathing by the infinity pool, drinking cocktails or ambling down to the private beach. The villa has its own gym and the hotel's spa therapists are on hand for massages and treatments. But it is the exceptional cuisine of Spice of Life's dedicated chef that I look forward to most. It feels like eating in a high-end restaurant. • 16 of the best hotels in St Lucia The Greens, who also own the Hamilton Princess hotel in Bermuda, clearly have bigger plans for Sugar Beach. Along with a new racket club (including the now requisite padel and pickleball courts), there is a treehouse spa constructed by a Rastafarian craftsman using 900-year-old Carib-Indian techniques and the Cocoa Mill. This chalet-like hut near the beach is where guests can try a vast selection of the hotel's homemade chocolates, which reflect the island's cocoa trade, as well as take instruction on how to make chocolatey concoctions and truffles. Viceroy Sugar Beach Hotel sits beneath the Pitons I love my stay but can't help thinking there is a slight disconnect between Spice of Life and Sugar Beach. The main hotel's all-white accommodation of airy rooms and small villas with outdoor plunge pools dotted on the cliff face (accessed via winding trails blanketed by vegetation) is well appointed and luxurious. The main complex below, with its indoor and outdoor dining areas, swimming pool, four restaurants (all good), bar, marina and beach restaurant, needs a little 21st-century hospitality upgrade to align it with the luxury of Spice of Life. Advertisement Will the advent of Spice of Life move the dial and tilt St Lucia in the direction of its more fashionable neighbours? Perhaps — and not least because at present the island is a rare Caribbean destination not overrun with fancy restaurants and designer shops, or superyachts jamming its harbours. I imagine Spice of Life will attract a classier, more private wealthy travellerin search of peace, relaxation and Caribbean authenticity. Vassi Chamberlain was a guest of Spice of Life, which has one night's self-catering for 18 from £53,000 ( Fly to St Lucia This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Where to stay and what to do in St Lucia By Siobhan Grogan Stay close to the capital, Castries, for the best choice of day trips and to visit the excellent market. Windjammer Landing Villa Resort and Residences is a ten-minute drive away but hidden among the rainforest, overlooking a beautiful white sand beach. Simple whitewashed rooms have wicker furniture and splashes of tropical orange, and all come with a balcony or terrace overlooking the sea. There's masses to do on-site including six swimming pools, daily fitness classes, a kids' club and an activity programme including hikes, silent discos and cooking classes. Restaurants include a casual beachside joint, a hillside Italian and a steakhouse (seven nights' B&B from £1,575pp, including flights and coach transfers; Windjammer Landing Villa Resort and Residences has an excellent activity programme The popular coastal town of Rodney Bay is 15-minutes' drive further north and one of the island's most tourist-friendly spots, with a great choice of restaurants, shops and bars. The Soco House is an adults-only hotel with Creole-inspired architecture, just off the beautiful Reduit beach. It has 76 all-white rooms over two floors, all with deep blue accents and a private balcony or deck. An outdoor pool has plush cabanas and a bar, while an included alfresco afternoon tea is served poolside daily. There's also a small spa, gym and an à la carte restaurant with a focus on local ingredients (seven nights' all-inclusive from £1,179pp, including flights; Advertisement Soufrière, on St Lucia's west coast, is the closest spot to the island's best-known attractions, including the twin-peaked Pitons and the geothermal La Soufrière volcano known as Sulphur Springs. The adults-only Ladera Resort is the only resort within the Unesco-listed Pitons site and all 37 suites have a three-walled, open-sided design offering knockout views of the peaks. Each one has details hand-crafted by local artisans in wood, stone and tile, with butler service and a heated plunge pool. Yoga, hikes, sunrise meditation and nature walks are all included and there's a free shuttle to nearby Sugar Beach (Seven nights' all-inclusive from £2,679pp, including flights; What to do Guided hikes are the best way to tackle the Pitons for panoramic views and easily accessible trails (£38; The smelly La Soufrière volcano is close by and described as the world's only drive-in volcano, with mineral-rich pools for DIY mud masks. Pricey tours are available but it's much cheaper to just pay the entrance fee on arrival (from £7). Most groups — including cruise ship tours — visit the often-crowded Toraille waterfall, but Latille falls is a much more peaceful option, with its waterfall-fed natural pool ideal for swimming deep in the rainforest (about £7). Other back-to-nature day trips include rainforest hikes to spot the rare St Lucia parrot and mangrove cuckoo (£64; or jungle zip-wiring at the base of La Sorciere mountain (£48; Boat trips are available year-round, but October to February is best for whale-watching, with cruises available from Castries (£64; La Soufrière is described as the world's only drive-in volcano ALAMY All the island's beaches are public, even if they're in front of a resort. Some of the loveliest include Anse Chastanet, which has fantastic snorkelling straight from the beach, the quiet Choc Bay and the rainforest-backed Jalousie Beach at the foot of the Pitons. Castries market is the best place for cheap eats and is open Monday to Saturday. No-frills stalls sell local dishes including lambi (conch stew) and accra (salt fish fritters) as well as coconut water straight from a coconut opened with a machete in front of you. For barbecued lobster, jerk chicken and rum punch, join the island's famous Jump Ups — free late-night street parties held each weekend in Gros Islet and Anse La Raye. Do you have a favourite stay in St Lucia? Share your recommendation in the comments
