San Jose, Costa Rica, CMC- The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) says it will be assisting The Bahamas in implementing programmes to increase food production, reduce the import bill and improve agricultural health and food safety. Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government Minister Alfred Gray has been holding talks at the IICA headquarters here in order to adjust the organization’s projects to the policies adopted by the Perry Christie government. IICA Director General, VĂctor M.
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ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The Antigua and Barbuda government is offering an EC$100,000 (One EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the brazen daylight murder of a mother on Tuesday. National Security Minister Dr. Errol Cort in expressing “deepest condolences” to the family of Susan Powell said that “no stone will be left unturned in bringing the perpetrator to justice in this matter.
WASHINGTON, CMC - In a move clearly designed to save money, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says it has released a number of Caribbean and other immigrant detainees from jails and detention centers across the country. ICE said that the move comes as automatic US federal budget cuts loom on March 1.
(CARICOM Secretariat)) Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, will lead his delegation to a special meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Energy which will be held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on 1 March. Mr. Charles Kirnon, Deputy Premier of Montserrat is also to attend the special one-day meeting. The ministers responsible for energy will discuss and seek agreement on a CARICOM Energy Policy.
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago - Tobago hoteliers are reporting a new trend among international visitors—many are booking their next visit while still on holiday on the island. "There has been a pleasing trend among international markets (that we have noticed) this Christmas. People who are here are rebooking for 10, 12 to 14 months down the road. And it's not just one or two properties—it seems to be going on across the board.
OTAKI, New Zealand (AP) - Sandra Vidulich is so excited about the leather boots she ordered through Amazon that she rips open the box in front of the postman and tries them on. "I looove them," she declares, as the driveway at her tree-lined home in rural New Zealand briefly becomes a catwalk. "They're cool." For now, a boom in Internet shopping is helping keep alive moribund postal services across the developed world. But the core of their business - letters - is declining precipitously, and data from many countries indicate that parcels alone won't be enough to save them.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner - Bank of Jamaica governor Brian Wynter said the ongoing negotiations between the government and the International Fund has contributed to speeding up the depreciation of the Jamaican dollar against the United States dollar. At the same time, Wynter said the above average decline in the value of the currency during the October to December 2012 quarter reflected excess demand for foreign exchange.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Observer - THE Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) has concluded that Jamaica cannot do without the proposed loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at this time. However, the think tank, established to promote evidence-based policy dialogue within Caribbean societies, says that, while the Government's debt reduction programme is necessary and effective, it is "insufficient" to ensure that the country gets on a path of fiscal sustainability.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) - A five-member team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has arrived in Antigua to conduct reviews of the island’s economic performance under the multi-million dollar Stand By Agreement (SBA) with the Washington-based financial institution. The team is headed by Geoffrey Bannister and has already held meetings with various public and private sector representatives to discuss economic developments in Antigua and Barbuda.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House may soon propose the biggest change in US food aid since the programmes were created during the Cold War – donating cash for hunger relief instead of shipping American-grown food thousands of miles to global trouble spots, say farm groups and charities. Reformers have argued for years that cash donations, the method used by most nations, are more efficient and speedier. But food donation has been the favoured US approach since the Food for Peace programme was enacted in 1954.