WASHINGTON, CMC - Jamaica’s Minister of National Security, Peter Bunting, says crime has severely affected his country’s economic growth. Delivering the third lecture in the “Jamaica 50 lecture” series under the theme, “National Security in Jamaica since Independence” at the Silver Spring Civic Center, Bunting said crime has affected Jamaica’s competiveness, “as we have been falling in terms of the world economic forum competitiveness index, and it affects investor confidence”.
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ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says he has had an “excellent” meeting with officials in Morocco and that Dominica would benefit in the tourism and education sectors. “We had an excellent meeting in Morocco. During my meetings there, I had an opportunity to review our relationship with Morocco,” Skerrit said. Dominica established diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2010 and as part of a technical cooperation agreement; Morocco is involved in the construction of a 58 room hotel in Portsmouth, north of here.
ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says he wants his regional colleagues in 2013 to adopt a new approach and seek to address present day issues confronting the region. Skerrit is also warning there is no quick fix to the current economic challenges being faced by small island states including his own. “I think at the CARICOM level we have to spend more time looking at the economies and talking about the struggle of the people. The CARICOM agenda sometimes is too fixed. It has to be flexible and able to address the ongoing issues.”
NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC - National Security Minister Bernard J. Nottage says five Cuban nationals have been arrested after they were found on board a 40 foot vessel fishing in Bahamian waters. “This is the first arrest of a Cuban vessel in Bahamian waters since the signing of the Maritime Delimitation Agreement with Cuba in October 2011 and the enactment of regulations against shark fishing in July, 2011as per the Fisheries Resources (Jurisdiction and Conservation) Act,” Nottage said.
NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC- Law enforcement officials say they have apprehended nearly 100 illegal Haitian immigrants after landing at Landrail Point in Crooked Island. Police said that they have so far detained 92 people and “along with residents are continuing their search for the remaining immigrants”. The police did not say how many others were had entered Crooked island illegally after the “Haitian sloop” landed at Landrail Point late on Tuesday.
NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – The Bahamas government says it will not increase taxes despite inheriting nearly US$100 million in unpaid bills by the previous government. Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Michael Halkitis, speaking during the debate on the 2012/2013 Mid-Year Budget Statement on the six months ending December 31, 2012, said the unpaid bills include more than US$63 million in unpaid cheques and US$23 million in expenses from the 52 weeks jobs programme.
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.
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.
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.