KINGSTON, Jamaica - AFTER the recent excitement generated by last week's Chicago Tribune editorial, describing Jamaica as the "Greece of the Western Hemisphere", it is extremely well timed that yesterday marked the start of the two-day "Second Annual Meeting of Governors of the Caribbean Country Department" of the Inter- American Development Bank (IDB).
Member
The Permanent Representative of Barbados to the Organization of American States (OAS), John E. Beale today assumed the Chair of the Inter- American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), the main body of the hemispheric organization with decision making power in matters of partnership for integral development.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC-Prime Minister Kenny Anthony has expressed concern over the impact of the new visa information sharing agreement between Canada and the United States.
The agreement allows both countries to share information about third country nationals who apply for a visa or permit to travel to either the US or Canada.
The agreement which was signed last month follows a decision made by the Government of Canada in September last year to impose visa restrictions on St. Lucians.
KINGSTON, Jamaica - After 14 months of working assiduously to meet rigorous regulatory aviation requirements, Fly Jamaica Airways will officially take to the skies on Friday, January 25, with its inaugural flight scheduled to depart for the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
BELIZE CITY, Belize, CMC - The government of Prime Minster Dean Barrow has offered police protection for former Prime Minister Said Musa.
This follows an incident on Tuesday in which multiple gunshots were fired into the Belize City home of the veteran parliamentarian.
Musa told reporters here that late Tuesday, he and his wife had just retired to bed, when they heard the gunshots ring out.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Aircraft supplier ATR and LIAT have jointly announced a deal for three planes.
According to the release, the deal is valued at over 100 million US dollars.
LIAT officials say the first of the 48-seater ATR 42-600s is to be delivered in June.
The deal also reportedly includes the option to purchase two 68-seat ATR 72-600.
ST.GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC-Supervisor of Elections, Judy Benoit, has rejected claims that thousands of names are missing from the voters’ list after concerns raised by the country’s two main political parties ahead of the February 19th General Election.
Benoit, who recently returned to work after recovering from a mild stroke, said the names were among those being corrected and so were not included on the last list printed for public scrutiny.
ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Candidates contesting the February 19 general elections here will have to submit their relevant documents on February 1, Nomination Day.
In addition, Supervisor of Elections, Judy Benoit, said members of the protective services will cast their ballots on February 15.
Electoral Officials said that voter registration ended on Wednesday ahead of January 17 in keeping with the provisions of the writ issued by Governor General Sir Carlyle Glean.
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Prime Minister Freundel Stuart is not happy about the recent large subsidies given to the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in relation to rum production, which has left Barbados and other Caribbean islands at a serious disadvantage.
But he says the Government is fighting back and will take this grievance to the highest international world trade entity if need be.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Miami Herald) -- Haiti's government says that President Michel Martelly has left the country for a "complete medical checkup" in Florida. The doctor's visit comes almost a year after the 51-year-old leader traveled to Miami for a two-week stay in Miami to recover from what officials said was a blood clot in his lung. His office at the time said doctors diagnosed him with a blood clot that stemmed from an operation on his right shoulder. The surgery was apparently needed because of pain in his arm from years of performing as a musician.