ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Grenada’s oldest political party said Monday that it will not contest the February 19 general elections, effectively making the contest a two-way race between the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the main opposition New National Party (NNP). “We decided at a meeting on Saturday that we will not contest because we have some things to get done, we are just not ready to contest the elections,” said the interim leader of the 62-year-old Grenada United Labour Party (GULP), Wilfred Haynes.

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC - Less than 21 days before Grenadians go to the poll to elect a new government, Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Minister Denis Michael Lett has died. He was 74 years old.
Lett, a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) died of prostate cancer.
He had successfully contested the 2003 and 2008 general elections but was not named as a candidate for the February 19 poll.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Former Member of Parliament for Eastern Portland Headley Samuel 'Sam' Lawrence died suddenly yesterday morning, only hours after he made his final trek to the all-important function of his beloved People's National Party (PNP) - a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC).
Lawrence, who was in his 70s, died after he fell ill and was rushed to the Port Antonio Hospital in the parish he has called home for many years.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – Deputy Prime Minister Sam Condor continued his public spat with Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas by publicly opposing his decision to dismiss senior government minister Dr. Timothy Harris over the weekend.
In a statement, Condor, who has sided with Harris on opposition a number of government measures and policies in the past, said he found “no justification in the reasons postulated by the Hon. Prime Minister for the dismissal of Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris”.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – The main opposition New National Party (NNP) is likely to win the February 19 general elections with more seats than it had before it was swept out of power in 2008, according to a new opinion poll published here on Monday.
The poll by the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Research Services Inc (CADRES) predicts that the NNP, which lost the 2008 election by an 11-4 margin, is benefitting from an 11 per cent swing away from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - The latest of studies commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have underscored the serious negative impact that crime and violence are having on economies of the Caribbean at a time when economic growth with job-creation continues to be elusive for  a number of CARICOM states.
Not just the IDB, but also the World Bank and our own Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) have been pointing to the challenges facing this region.

WASHINGTON, CMC - As the Caribbean reels from the global economic crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that growth will “strengthen gradually” this year. In an update to its World Economic Outlook (WEO), the Washington-based financial institution said the constraints on economic activity will start to ease this year. The IMF projected a 3.6 per cent growth in Latin America and the Caribbean this year, compared to three per cent last year.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica government says it is close to finalising negotiations for the long-awaited Stand By Agreement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the ruling People's National Party (PNP's) met on Sunday and afterwards PNP chairman, Robert Pickersgill, told reporters that it will not be business as usual as the country prepares to enter into a new agreement .
Pickersgill said that Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips had briefed the NEC on the state of the negotiations.

The UN Security Council said Monday that it remains committed to supporting the Haitian people in pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity. Masood Khan, president of the Security Council for this month, reaffirmed the commitment in a statement issued here after the UN body received a briefing by Mariano Fernandez, special representative for the secretary-general for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

WASHINGTON, CMC - The United States Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have issued what they describe as “comprehensive final regulations” to combat Caribbean and other offshore tax evasion.
The departments said the reporting and withholding tax provisions, commonly known as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), “target non-compliance by US taxpayers using foreign accounts.
“The issuance of the final regulations marks a key step in establishing a common intergovernmental approach to combating tax evasion.