PEAS AND RICE; VEGETABLE CHOWMEIN
MACARONI PIE; CANDIED SWEET POTATO
MIXED VEGETABLES; BAKED CHICKEN
BAKED LAMB CHOPS; BBQ PIG TAILS
FRIED SNAPPER; GRILLED BARRACUDA
LAMB STEW; FISH GRAVY
TOSSED SALAD; COLE SLAW
Written By: Star Reporter
Switching roles? St Lucia gives back to Taiwan as the country recovers from Typhoon Morakot. Pictured is Ambassador Tom Chou and Prime Minister Stephenson King.
Prime Minister Stephenson King in the presence of Ezechiel Joseph, Minister for Agriculture, land, Fisheries and Forestry, and other officials, donated a cheque of US$100,000 to Tom Chou, Ambassador of the Republic China (Taiwan), as a relief fund to help Taiwan recover from the catastrophe resulted from Typhoon Morakot on August 10.
Prime Minister King indicated that the donation will be forwarded by the Embassy through the Red Cross Taiwan in order to help the Indigenous people and those who live in the mountainous regions and who have been hit the hardest with some villages being virtually destroyed. This donation is specifically in return for the grass root projects that the Embassy of ROC (Taiwan) has been doing in the past two years to help people who live in remote and less privileged areas on this island. King is certain that Taiwan will rise out of this disaster with an even greater will and determination to put measures in place to fight future natural disasters, with the resilience, hard work and tenaciousness of its people and government.
In the aftermath of the disaster in Taiwan, Prime Minister King met with Ambassador Tom Chou on Monday, 10 August to express condolences to the people of Taiwan over the loss of life and property. He also assured the Ambassador that Saint Lucia stood ready and willing to do its part in anyway possible to assist the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan) in time of need.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade and Investment immediately sent an official note to the Taiwan Embassy indicating that “the government and people of Saint Lucia express their sympathy and support to the government and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on the destruction and loss of life caused by Typhoon Morakot.” “The government of Saint Lucia is confident that the resolve and discipline of the people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) will serve to ensure that the country recovers swiftly from the effects of this typhoon with a prompt reconstruction effort and continues towards its development goals.”
On behalf of the government and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Ambassador Tom Chou received the timely and much treasured donation and thanked most sincerely for the most heartened offer and friendly gesture from both the government and people of Saint Lucia. Ambassador Chou said that Saint Lucia is a true friend of Taiwan, and he felt the Typhoon Morakot binds the two people together. He commented, “Good friends stand together in the period of mourning and grief. Your sincerity and love behind the donation are most precious which will help us to heal the broken hearts and speed up the recovering process. Taiwan sill rise up from the ashes of the natural disaster and rebuild the southern part of Taiwan.” In the meantime, the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Saint Lucia has in the past few days been inundated with visits, telephone calls and emails from government officials, local citizens and international organizations expressing concerns and condolences for the most disastrous damages in the past five decades resulted from Typhoon Morakot in southern Taiwan.
Singapore, Israel, Australia, United Kingdom, United States, Japan, South Korea, The Holy See and many other countries have shipped in emergency supplies. Altogether over 60 countries, the European Union and at least 19 international and non-governmental organizations have contributed money to Taiwan’s relief efforts. In the Caribbean, the government of Saint Lucia pioneered in donation and joined other diplomatic allies like Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in expressing condolences and making commitments to help Taiwan.
Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan and Foreign Minister Francisco Ou have on several occasions extended the ROC (Taiwan) government’s appreciation to the goodwill and willingness of the international community to offer aid in Taiwan’s difficulties stemming from Typhoon Morakot.
Heavy rainfall, along with landslides, continued in the days after the typhoon first began to affect Taiwan and resulted in damaged roads and bridges, which impeded rescue operations by the armed forces. Full-scale rescue operations could not begin until 10th August when
the weather cleared up, at which point the military dispatched personnel by land and air to affected areas. Thousands of people from isolated villages were rescued and transported to safe centers by the Armed Forces mainly via helicopters.
Typhoon Morakot, which lashed Taiwan with at least 280cm of rain in one day, has caused at least US$910m in damages to agriculture and infrastructure. Reconstruction is expected to cost some US$3.65bn. The official death toll is 124, however, it is generally believed to be over 500.
The Marine Corps mobilized 12,000 servicemen to help with post-typhoon cleanup efforts in 14 townships of Pingtung County on Sunday in the aftermath of Typhoon Morakot, which caused the most serious flooding in southern Taiwan in 50 years, focusing on cleaning mud and sludge from the streets and decomposing fish from fish ponds. Moreover, tens of thousands of volunteers from notable charity foundations and university students all over Taiwan poured in those flooded townships to help clean streets and households.
Written By: Alisha Ally
Dr Kenny Anthony was in St Kitts at the time of the break-in at his Cul de Sac home but police are investigating.
When the STAR contacted Leader of the Opposition, Kenny Anthony, yesterday he was obviously not his usual self. Dr Anthony, who is in St Kitts and Nevis at the moment, was dealing with the news that his home at Cul De Sac had been broken into. He did not say much except to confirm the burglary, which according to police sources may have occurred between midnight on Sunday and 8am on Monday.Assistant Police Commissioner in Charge of Crime, Vernon Francois, told the STAR yesterday that “the perpetrator or perpetrators went to extreme lengths to gain entry to the house” although he would not say how they entered the home.
Francois confirmed that “they” made off with a quantity of liquor and a bag of documents belonging to Dr Anthony. The police say the bag was subsequently recovered in the property’s vicinity but it is difficult to identify whether any paperwork had been removed as Dr Anthony has not yet identified the contents. The police did not confirm whether Dr Anthony’s wife was in the house at the time of the burglary but the STAR has learnt that Mrs Anthony was in her locked room at the time of the incident. The STAR has learnt that the burglars entered through a window which because of its height did not have burglar bars.
The police have no suspects, however, one police officer told the STAR that physical evidence was collected from the scene. The possibility that the fingerprints will be useful is dependent on whether a suspect surfaces to compare the prints to or whether police officers can manually match the prints to those on file.
Since 2004 the police have requested an investment into a fingerprint database but to this day, it appears their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
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GEORGETOWN, Guyana — St Lucia Prime Minister Stephenson King’s visit to Guyana on Friday to discuss climate change matters has been postponed until some of the participants in the discussion are available.
This was revealed by Chairman of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) President Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday, who noted that a new date is being looked at. He and the St Lucian leader are to decide on a new date for the meeting. Prime Minister King was expected here to hold talks on the Regional position on climate change with both President Bharrat Jagdeo and the local climate change unit. “We had to push back the discussions from Friday and are looking at a later date if not this month in September, because this is a big issue so we couldn’t get them (Regional Negotiators) here on time for Friday and it doesn’t make sense to have a meeting without the negotiates because they are the ones who have to be apprise of the governments position so as to carry these forward forcefully in the negotiations,” Jagdeo said King is responsible for environmental issues in the CARICOM quasi cabinet and his travel here was to discuss Guyana’s position on climate change and the low carbon development strategy imitated by government and to assess the regions position as it relates to negotiations leading up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen Demark this December King will also participate in a mini conference here on climate change at the international conference centre. King recently called for a strong regional position on climate change which addresses four critical areas including reduction in green house gas emissions; mitigation and adaptation; the transfer of technology; and renewable energy. Annual economic damage from climate change in the Caribbean is estimated to be about 11 billion US dollars by 2080 or 11 percent of the grouping’s Gross Domestic Product with Suriname, Guyana and the Bahamas cited as the countries to be hit the hardest. |
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BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CUOPM) – The St Kitts Marriott Resort is now offering key cities with direct flight service to St Kitts additional incentive to book with a “Residents Rate” of just US$79 per room per night.
“Everyone can appreciate a non-stop flight when it comes to booking travel - it eliminates hassles, potential complications and significantly reduces travel time. To highlight those cities that provide direct flight service to St Kitts, we’re offering a significantly reduced rate for its residents,” said Director of Marketing, Matt Shackel. “Whether it’s a last minute family getaway or a romantic retreat, with direct flights and a rate of $79 per room per night, residents in North Carolina can enjoy an easy, beachfront vacation that won’t break the bank.” US Airways will resume non-stop Saturday service from Charlotte’s Douglas International Airport (CLT) on October 3, 2009. North Carolina residents can be on St Kitts’ sandy shores in just 4 hours. The package is valid for travel through December 20, 2009. The golden sands of North Frigate Bay Beach, a championship golf course and the largest Vegas-style casino in the Caribbean help provide an unparalleled vacation experience. The resort also features a revitalizing spa, meeting facilities, the Pirates of St Kitts Kids Club programme, eight restaurants and two lounges that make it the ideal destination for families, couples and corporate travelers. Direct flights daily from Miami, twice weekly from New York’s JFK and weekly from Atlanta and Charlotte make this island paradise perfect for a quick getaway or long leisure vacation. |
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| By Theresa Blackman
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) — Dr Victor Villalobos, the Mexican candidate for the top post of Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), is seeking the support of Barbados in his quest to take up that position during the period 2010 to 2014.
This was the focus of talks between the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Haynesley Benn, and Dr Villalobos, who paid a visit to the Ministry’s headquarters recently. The Agriculture Minister stated that he had been a champion of IICA, for quite sometime, especially in relation to their programme for small farmers. The Mexican candidate noted that if appointed, he would be committed to continuing IICA’s work and pushing agriculture to the forefront. IICA is a specialised agency for agriculture within the Inter-American System of the Organisation of American States. It was established in 1942 with the goal to promote sustainable agricultural development through the facilitation of innovative technical cooperation. |
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 Hurricane Bill: Three-day forecast track. NOAA graphic By Jim Loney MIAMI, USA (Reuters) — Powerful Hurricane Bill, a dangerous Category 4 storm with 135 mph (215 kph) winds, raged across the open Atlantic on Wednesday, days from land but on a path that could menace Canada’s eastern provinces next week. Sweeping past the Caribbean islands and posing no threat to US oil and gas installations in the Gulf of Mexico, the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic season was expected to charge between the US East Coast and Bermuda, well offshore. Residents of Bermuda, a mid-Atlantic British territory and reinsurance capital, were warned to prepare for the storm. The latest forecast track issued by the US National Hurricane Center would take Bill more than 100 miles (160 km) to the west. But Bill’s massive size — tropical storm force winds of 39 to 73 mph (63 to 115 kph) extend up to 230 miles (370 km) from its center — meant Bermuda would get a good dose of heavy weather, forecasters said. “All (computer) models keep the storm between the United States and Bermuda. Exactly how close it comes to either of those is up for debate,” said National Hurricane Center forecaster Eric Blake. “The average error (in the forecast track) is 200 miles at about 3 days.” “Bermuda is expected to see large swells and areas of heavy rain and high winds. Hopefully the core of the hurricane will stay offshore,” he said. The Bermuda Sun newspaper reported that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, planned to fly to Bermuda on Wednesday for a private vacation of three to four days at a beach resort. The State Department declined to officially confirm where Clinton was. Forecasters said Bill might get stronger. Its top winds were expected to peak at about 145 mph (235 kph) on Thursday. Hurricanes of Category 3 or higher on the five-step Saffir-Simpson intensity scale are considered “major” storms and are the most destructive type. The well-defined eye of Bill was located about 970 miles (1,560 km) south-southeast of Bermuda at 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) on Wednesday and the system was moving toward the northwest at 20 mph (32 kph), the hurricane center said. Its curving forecast track would take it to a position hundreds of miles (km) east of Miami by early Friday, and well off New York by Sunday. “How close it gets to the New England coast, there’s still the usual uncertainty in that long time period,” former NHC director Max Mayfield said. “But the core of the hurricane, most of the models indicate it’s going to remain off the coast.” Forecasters said dangerous swells and life-threatening rip currents could affect the northern Caribbean islands, the Bahamas, Bermuda and the US East Coast in the next few days. The latest forecast track from the hurricane center would take Bill slightly closer to the US East. It shows the storm just south of Nova Scotia by Sunday afternoon as a Category 2 hurricane and moving directly over Newfoundland after that. But five days in advance, the forecast has an average error of several hundred miles. |
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| By Pascal Fletcher and Jane Sutton
MIAMI, USA (Reuters) — More overseas tax havens could turn into traps for tax cheats as the US-Swiss settlement over UBS AG invigorates an international campaign to flush out hideaways for illicit or undisclosed money. The long-awaited deal finalized on Wednesday, which foresees Switzerland handing over details of some 4,450 UBS bank accounts to US tax investigators, was hailed by experts as a masterpiece of diplomatic compromise that allowed both sides to claim a measure of success. But the experts say that despite this “diplomatic cover,” there is little doubt that Switzerland’s much vaunted reputation for bank secrecy has taken a dent, sending a powerful deterrent message to tax havens around the world. “This is no mere keyhole into the world of bank secrecy … This agreement represents a major step forward … to pierce the veil of bank secrecy and combat offshore tax evasion,” US Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Doug Shulman said after Wednesday’s UBS settlement details were announced. “The agreement we reached today sends an unmistakable message to people hiding income and assets offshore. The IRS will vigorously pursue tax cheats around the world, no matter how remote or secret the location,” he added. Global leaders campaigning for an end to secretive tax havens hope this “nowhere to hide” warning will be heard by tax cheats and jurisdictions which might host them, from tiny Vanuatu in the South Pacific, to bustling trade hub Panama and the historic Alpine principality of Liechtenstein. Tax experts believe the high-profile US-UBS deal, coupled with an ongoing campaign against tax havens by the G20 group of leading industrialized and emerging market nations, will crank up the pressure for offshore financial centers to put their houses in order with regard to tax transparency. “As my old university professor used to say, when a tax loophole becomes well known it turns into a noose,” said William Sharp, an attorney with Sharp Kemm PA in Tampa, Florida, who represents American clients of UBS. Some territories in the Caribbean — a piracy hotspot in centuries past which then gained a modern-day reputation as a hideaway for ill-gotten funds and fugitive financiers — have scrambled to get themselves dropped from an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development “grey list” of states which have not signed off on transparency accords. Last month, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands joined the OECD “white list” of countries using internationally recognized tax standards after signing at least 12 bilateral tax agreements in line with OECD standards. “The tax haven window is closing down. People do not want to take on the US government,” Sharp said. Calls for improved financial regulation and transparency in the Caribbean have increased after the collapse in February of Texas billionaire Allen Stanford’s business empire, which was centered on a bank he owned in Antigua and Barbuda. Stanford, a flamboyant sports entrepreneur who was granted a knighthood by Antigua and Barbuda, faces US civil and criminal charges related to an alleged $7 billion fraud that prosecutors say he operated with associates including a top Antiguan financial regulator. Several governments, including the United States, have launched programs inviting tax cheats to come clean and reveal themselves. Britain last month signed with Liechtenstein an agreement to encourage British clients with secret accounts there to voluntarily disclose their untaxed money. But some experts say that despite the recent crackdown and increased scrutiny, tax havens will continue to exist. “There are 55 to 60 airtight secrecy havens that dot the globe which have for the last 25 years been subjected to intense pressure by the industrialized nations — the G8, US, EU, you name it — and they withstand the pressure and they don’t cave in,” former federal prosecutor Charles Intriago told Reuters. Intriago is founder of the International Association for Asset Recovery, an industry group for those who hunt down criminal assets. He believes that between 20 and 25 percent of the UBS accounts sought by US authorities could be hiding “criminally obtained or wrongfully held assets.” “For UBS to sanctimoniously say ‘We have standards; these are only people who don’t like to pay taxes,’ that’s a bunch of baloney,” said Intriago, who called for tougher measures by US authorities to shut off access to tax havens. “The way to stop this is to block financial secrecy havens from dollar clearance in the United States,” Intriago said. He said that even in the United States it is easy to create “shell” companies that hide the owners’ identity, to set up Internet bank accounts and to move money to offshore havens without leaving a trail. “Just go on the Internet. We’ve got our own Caymans here,” Intriago said. |
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Jamaica must secure a borrowing arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or face a downgrade, Fitch Ratings agency warned yesterday.A deal with the IMF, which Jamaica is negotiating a US$1.2 billion (J$10.5 billion) standby facility, is essential to avoid a debt default Fitch said.
“Such an agreement gains importance in light of Jamaica’s increased external vulnerabilities and a precarious fiscal situation,” it said in a statement issued yesterday.
Jamaica owes overseas bondholders US$4.2 billion (J$36.9 billion), the largest component of the total external debt, which stands at US$6.3 billion (J$55.4 billion).
Fitch said the country’s traditionally high level of commitment to debt service is “being tested” by its deteriorating fiscal position, as well as the conditions on the world stage.
Fitch estimates Jamaica could overshoot its 5.5 per cent fiscal deficit target as a result.
Negative outlook
The agency also cautioned that Jamaica’s “extremely weak fiscal profile amid a rising interest burden and recession was placing the government under financial stress” and that the risk of default was “significant”.
Fitch rates Jamaica as ‘B’, but with a negative outlook.
Its warning comes two weeks behind a downgrade by Standard and Poor’s which cut Jamaica from ‘BB-’ to ‘CCC+’.
“An IMF programme is critical for providing support to Jamaica’s balance of payments, assuaging investor sentiment, allowing the central bank to navigate the unfavourable external environment and potentially opening up the door to additional multilateral funds,” said Fitch analyst Shelly Shetty. Jamaica expects to finalise negotiations with the IMF by mid-September.
But the possibility of an agreement has already helped stabilise the Jamaican dollar, Shetty said, and has allowed the central bank to cut interest rates in recent weeks.
She also said that interest rate cuts must continue to alleviate fiscal pressures and support the economy, especially with inflation falling.
Jamaican analysts expect the Bank of Jamaica, by yearend, to shave another 250 to 300 basis points off its benchmark security which is now priced at 19 per cent.
“A significant delay or a non-approval of an IMF agreement would seriously undermine Jamaica’s creditworthiness,” said the Fitch analyst.
BERLIN, Germany
The business of Bolt is getting better. And not only for Jamaica’s freshly minted world champion sprinter.
Usain Bolt’s sensational 100 metres run at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics here on Sunday, when he shattered his own world record with a time of 9.58 seconds, earned him a gold medal.
However, his financial rewards are also expected to multiply in the coming weeks, with sponsors and meet organisers already lining up to cash in on his rapidly rising fame, according to the star’s advisers.
Figures changing
“The figures are changing, man,” Bolt’s manager, Norman Peart, said Monday while in attendance at the Olympic Stadium, site of the World Championships. “Much, much, much, much more.”
Bolt’s rivals on the track, including national teammate Asafa Powell, who finished third in the 100 metres, and silver medallist Tyson Gay of the United States, could also be in line to reap a windfall as track - driven by possible showdowns among the three - again moves towards the spotlight as an international sporting spectacle.
According to the management team of the two Jamaicans, appearance fees for the world’s best sprinters, especially Sunday’s top three, could take a quick hike in the wake of Bolt’s outstanding performance.
Bolt reportedly earns between US$200,000 (J$17.8 million) and US$250,000 (J$22.25 million) per race. Add endorsement contracts and he appears set to be a very wealthy man.
Powell, too, a former world record holder who reportedly can command between US$80,000 (J$7.1 million) and US$150,000 (J$13.35 million) per appearance, can expect a pay increase as well, following his solid showing in the final.
“I think he did himself well by getting that bronze medal,” said Powell’s agent, Paul Doyle, Monday. “Performing the way he did was a big thing.”
Both Peart and Doyle said they have had an increasing number of telephone calls from companies interested in their clients’ services.
Bolt already has major sponsorship deals, including Puma and Gatorade. More are being lined up. Airline, technology and refreshment industries are possible options, according to Peart.
No rush
However, the manager explained there is no rush. Following Bolt’s brilliant triple world record performance at last year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, China (100m, 200m and 4×100m), Team Bolt plotted a deliberate course towards the World Champs, predicting the star would shine again, thereby increasing his marketability even further.
The wait-and-see approach could prove a master stroke.
“We were concentrating from Beijing last year,” said Peart. “We’d taken on one or two new deals, but we’d said we wanna get this performance done at Berlin first. So we had a few things in the fire from about mid-year coming down. Obviously we said we ain’t rushing nobody … .”
Further earnings
What could push the athletes’ earnings even further is the re-emergence of Powell as the legitimate third sprint threat, following Bolt and Gay, who reportedly can command between US$100,000 and US$150,000 per appearance.
While some believe the American’s stock may have fallen after Bolt took his world title, others think the rivalry between the three top sprinters will benefit all of them. Even Bolt’s handlers concede the star cannot do it all by himself.
“You can’t have Bolt just alone running, running, running by himself,” said Peart.
“It’s competition, so you need people. At the end of the day it’s good to know he can be challenged and (we) welcome that.”
Bolt’s stock will take another meteoric jump if he lands the 200-metre gold, as expected, today. Coupled with his popular personality, the sprinter has become a marketer’s dream.
And although the next match-up of the top three sprinters could be delayed by injuries being nursed by Powell and Gay, for now their representatives are smiling.
