GENEVA (Trinidad Guardian) —The incoming head of the World Trade Organisation says his first priority will be to try to rescue its credibility as a forum for trade negotiations. Brazilian Ambassador Roberto Azevedo told a packed room of reporters at Brazils WTO mission Wednesday that “the negotiating pillar of the WTO is clearly stuck.” At the WTO, diplomats and officials congratulated Azevedo on his selection as WTO director general for the next four years. Azevedo also said it was important to close “the gap” between the WTOs rules and how things really are between trading nations.

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS - Tourism authorities are concerned about complaints about rude and arrogant personnel at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA). Commenting on a story appearing on the Back Page of yesterday’s MIDWEEK NATION about ratings Barbados was receiving from some of the visitors passing through the airport, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport Irene Sandiford-Garner said the reports were of concern to tourism authorities who had discussed the matter and determined it was an area that “must be tackled at all levels”.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Former Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West Jack Warner would face expulsion from the United Na­tional Congress (UNC) if he contests the by-election as an independent candidate. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday said the party’s constitution does have certain sanctions and provisions that prevent a member from contesting a seat as an independent candidate. “The constitution of the party provides for what will happen if a person should go up on any other ticket except that of the party.

WASHINGTON, CMC - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Antigua and Barbuda has made “excellent progress” towards achieving its goal of restoring debt sustainability and macroeconomic stability. An IMF mission headed by Geoffrey Bannister has recently completed a review of the 2010 multi-million dollar Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) to the island. “On the fiscal side, the fiscal outturn for March 2013 was well above programme targets, surpassing the performance criterion on the overall fiscal balance and the indicative target for the primary balance by a wide margin.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua - Recently, there were two very interesting and important pieces of news in the local and international press that many people in Antigua & Barbuda might have overlooked. The first was the announcement that President Obama had picked Michael Froman to be the new United States Trade Representative (USTR).

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Gone are the days when every fruit vendor in T&T had a variety of bananas. Over the last few years, “sikyè”, “silk”, “gros michel”, and “lacatan” bananas are seldom seen in our market and local grocery. Why does T&T import thousands of tonnes of bananas annually when such a desired fruit can be grown locally? In order to comprehend the fundamental modus operandi of the diminished local banana market, we must journey a few decades back when the local banana market was sufficient and sustainable for the country.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Once again Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran is predicting a level of growth in the economy which seems unrealistic. On the release of the April 2013 monetary report on Tuesday, the Governor projected a 2.5 per cent growth in gross domestic product for 2013.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – United States Vice President Joe Biden is due here at the end of May, the US Embassy has confirmed. It gave no details on the proposed visit, but one local television station quoted Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran as saying that the visit is aimed at improving relations and cooperation with Trinidad and Tobago and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar shrugged off reports that relations between Washington and Port of Spain had deteriorated telling a public meeting of her United National Congress

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - The board of Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) did not meet yesterday as scheduled because vice-chairman Mohan Jaikaran and other directors were absent. Jaikaran, who is also the chairman of WIN Communications Ltd (WINTV), was among five directors who were a no-show yesterday. The other absentee directors were Gizelle Russell, Avedanand Persad, Venosh Sagewan-Maraj and the Jamaican representative, Dennis Lalor. T&T Guardian learned chairman Rabindra Moonan was the lone director who turned up at CAL yesterday after the board meeting was cancelled.