KINGSTON, Jamaica, Observer - JAMAICANS are being urged to plan ahead for the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which is expected to see the Caribbean facing at least one major hurricane. Acting Director of the National Meteorological Service, Jeffrey Spooner, said this is based on projections of Colorado State University, which has — for the first time in a long while — indicated that the Caribbean is "in line" for a hit from a major hurricane.
Jamaica
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC- The brother of Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller was beaten and robbed during early Thursday morning at his business place, in downtown Kingston. The police have confirmed that between 3.30am and 4.30am, armed men broke into the store owned by Vincent Simpson who is the elder brother of the Prime Minister. The men demanded money and during the holdup and then proceeded to beat and stab Simpson.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Observer - A federal court in California has authorised the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to serve a "John Doe" summons seeking information about US taxpayers who may hold offshore accounts in a Barbados-headquartered Caribbean bank.
The Department of Justice has identified the bank as the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce FirstCaribbean International Bank (FCIB). It said the order was signed by Senior District Judge Thelton E Henderson.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner - Deputy Leader and Opposition Spokesman on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Investment, Dr Christopher Tufton, is pushing for Jamaica to conduct a comprehensive examination of the economic and social impact of its large and growing diaspora community to inform the country's policy strategy on diaspora affairs.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner - TEACHERS WHO have reached the retirement age but who are still working in the public sector in that capacity are to be sent home as part of Jamaica's agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Schools employing teachers who are beyond the retirement age are to be notified that they must regularise by September, Jamaica has indicated in its commitment to the multilateral. The plan was included in a ministry paper tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday, which includes the letter of intent governing the agreement.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner - Richard Byles, the co-chair of the oversight committee which has been established to monitor the implementation of Jamaica's programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), says the team assembled is not for window dressing. "I am a serious business person. I am not there to do anybody's bidding, and everybody that I have heard named to the committee, they are serious people too," Byles told The Gleaner yesterday.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Observer - JAMAICA will get nearly US$2 billion in loans over the next four years from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under the Extended Fund Facility approved by the IMF yesterday. Nearly US$1 billion in funding from the IMF, starting with an almost immediate drawdown of US$207 million, will complement just over US$1 billion in funding from both the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, bringing the total loan package to nearly US$2 billion.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The Jamaica government has named the Principal of the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Gordon Shirley, to head a National Task Force (NTF) that will coordinate the critical infrastructural and labour factors regarding the logistics hub initiative. Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller’s government has said that the initiative, which is intended to have Jamaica take advantage of the increase in the movement of goods when the expanded Panama Canal opens in 2015, is a major plank of its overall growth strategy.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - Jamaica’s Public Defender, Earl Witter has recommended that a Commission of Enquiry be established to look into the incursion that took place in the Corporate Area community of Tivoli Gardens nearly three years ago as security officials went on the hunt for the then fugitive Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC - Leader of the main opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), Andrew Holness has praised Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller for what he says is a level of maturity in promising to consider suggestions from the opposition concerning the 2013/2014 budget. During her contribution to the debate on the J$531 billion (One Jamaica dollar = US$0.01 cents) budget on Tuesday, Prime Minister Simpson Miller said in the interest of democracy, her administration has welcomed all suggestions placed on the table by Holness, the former prime minister.