Sir Eric Gairy has appealed for American help to defeat the rebels

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A coup in the Caribbean island of Grenada has toppled the country's controversial Prime Minister, Sir Eric Gairy.

Sir Eric was at the United Nations in New York when he was overthrown.

After initially denying anything was amiss, Sir Eric, 56, said the coup leaders had shot dead a soldier and a policeman and taken four hostages, including one of his ministers.

He has appealed to the US and British for help in capturing what he described as a "small group of Communists".

The coup is believed to have been staged by members of the New Jewel party, a left-wing opposition group in Grenada's parliament.

Their leader, Maurice Bishop, has been broadcasting regularly on Radio Grenada - renamed Radio Free Grenada - since the takeover early this morning.

Mr Bishop has been appealing to Grenadians to remain calm and has pledged that all "democratic freedoms" will be fully restored.

Describing himself as the new prime minister, Mr Bishop said the national barracks had been taken by force before by "people's revolutionary forces".

The police force had surrendered and leading cabinet ministers had been arrested, Mr Bishop added.

Grenada, the most-southerly of the Windward Islands, has a population of 100,000.

It became independent of Britain in 1974 but is still a member of the Commonwealth.

Sir Eric Gairy was appointed premier in 1967 and then prime minister after independence.

He was a favourite of US President Richard Nixon but his standing has fallen in recent years after constant allegations of human rights abuses and corruption.

Many of the human rights complaints have been laid at the door of Sir Eric's personal protection unit, known as the "Mongoose squad".

Its members were blamed for the death of coup leader Maurice Bishop's father during violence on the day the island got its independence.

Joshua Nkomo flees from Zimbabwe to London

Mr Nkomo, leader of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu) party, says he was forced to flee from Zimbabwe because his life was in danger. Troops from the Fifth Brigade have sealed off his power base in the Ndebele people's stronghold of Bulawayo.

Ethnic tensions between the Ndebele and Shona tribes within Zimbabwe have been rising since President Robert Mugabe accused Mr Nkomo of attempting to overthrow his government last year.

Mr Nkomo told a news conference, held at midnight in Bulawayo last Sunday (a week ago), the soldiers had been sent to assassinate him. He also claimed the North Korean-trained troops had killed his chauffeur and ransacked his home.

He has previously denounced the Fifth Brigade as a "political army" because they are mostly made up of Shona tribesmen supporting the ruling Zanu-PF party.

The day after his news conference, he fled - first to Botswana by crossing a deserted part of the border in a Land Rover. The Botswana Government issued a brief statement saying Mr Nkomo had temporarily left Zimbabwe to try to resolve the country's problems.

He was clearly not welcome in Botswana and travelled to South Africa, to take a plane from Johannesburg to Heathrow airport.

The 66-year-old veteran was questioned for an hour by officials at Heathrow airport before he was allowed into the country. He has been told his stay is only temporary.

His arrival will be an embarrassment to the British Government, which is anxious to maintain good relations with the Zimbabwe government of Robert Mugabe.

Despite being ordered not to get involved in political activities, Mr Nkomo immediately held a news conference at Heathrow.

"It is absolutely vital that everything is done to try to solve the problem of that country and be able to minimise the violence that has now found us in this grave situation," he said.

"There is nothing that will make me not go back to that country."

Zimbabwe's information minister insisted Mr Nkomo's safety was assured - but said meaningful talks could happen only if he returned to Harare.

Mr Nkomo's outspoken comments are likely to enhance his position as the partriarch of black nationalism in Zimbabwe.

Zipra - the military wing of Zapu - is believed to be regrouping in Matabeleland against Mr Mugabe's government.

Hundreds of men are said to have left their homes in the past few weeks to join up. There is little doubt they have access to large quantities of arms.

scrupulous: Careful; cautious; exact（小心谨慎的，细心的）