Even cheaper oil to flow from PetroCaribe deal

St. Vincent's Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Trade Minister, Louis Straker, says the government continues to implement policies and initiatives aimed at reducing the impact of rising oil and food prices on the country.

Minister Straker says the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities have suggested the urgent need for the development of appropriate policies to fight inflation as well as economic and social hardships.

He says the successful collaboration with international partners is also helping to advance the nation's economic and social development agenda.

Oil deal gets sweeter

Dominica is hoping to reap maximum benefits from even more favourable terms of Venezuela's PetroCaribe oil deal.

Roseau and other Caribbean and Central American countries participating in the arrangement can now defer payment on 60 percent of their Venezuelan oil bill for up to 25 years.

The interest rate is only 1 percent and this will last as long as the oil price stays above 100 dollars a barrel.

The financing arrangements could get even cheaper if the price doubles.

The island currently receives an average 25,000 barrels of oil from Caracas every six weeks.

WTO’s banana blues
The vexed issue of Europe's banana import tariff is expected to focus highly at next week's trade talks in Geneva.

The WTO had proposed a gradual reduction of the EU's tariff of 176 Euros per tonne to 116 Euros by 2015.

Caribbean banana producers prefer a higher tariff on the Latin American product.

However Latin America has rejected the compromise offer.

Land lend
In an effort to reduce its dependence on costly food imports, the Cuban president, Raul Castro, has agreed to lend vacant state land to private farmers and cooperatives.

After the 1959 revolution, most farm land was put under state control and restrictions were imposed on how much people could own.

But under the new decree, efficient farmers will get up to forty hectares for an initial ten year period. Landless individuals can receive a maximum of about thirteen hectares.

The measures are the latest in a series introduced to make the state-run economy more productive since Raul Castro replaced his brother as president.

Mighty mites
The mighty Caribbean palm tree is literally falling victim to mites.

The iconic trees known for their swaying fronds are being attacked by mites which are devouring the trees at a swift pace.

The red palm mite, which comes from Africa and Asia, has migrated to the Caribbean and infested 12 major islands including Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, and the Dominican Republic.

One expert said the mites are dripping from the trees, falling on everything, and sending scientists scrambling to follow their moves.

The mite was first reported on Martinique in 2004 and has since spread by wind or in souvenirs made of coconuts, palm fronds and wood.

Pierre-Louis on her way to prime ministership

Haiti's Lower House of parliament has ratified President Rene Preval's third choice for prime minister Michele Pierre-Louis.

That decision by the Chamber of Deputies, as it's called, brings impoverished Haiti one step closer to replacing a government dismissed three months ago over violent food protests.

Economist Pierre-Louis was approved by a vote of 61-1 with 20 abstentions.

But her nomination has still to pass the Senate.

If the Senate also gives her the nod Ms Pierre-Louis would succeed former Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis, who was ousted on April 12 amid riots over skyrocketing food prices.

Black fathers told to step up

The leader of Britain's main opposition party the Conservatives, has called on black fathers in the UK to take more responsibility for their families.

	David Cameron wants UK's black fathers to take more responsibility

David Cameron's remarks come amidst a heated debate over whether the spiralling knife crime in the Afro-Caribbean community in Britain is in part due to family breakdown.

England, and more particularly London has seen a spate of fatal stabbings involving teenagers, many of them of Caribbean background.

Some commentators have said the black community needs to start addressing some uncomfortable home-truths, such as the number of black men who have abandoned their families, the issue being highlighted by David Cameron, the Conservative Party leader.

Caricom tells London to 'bat' for the Caribbean

Caricom foreign ministers ended talks with their British counterparts Wednesday, by urging London to do more to defend Caribbean interests.

The meetings focused on a range of issues including security, immigration policies that affect the Caribbean diaspora,energy and food security.

One matter which got placed on under the spotlight was the region's Economic Partnership Agreements or EPAs agreed with Europe.

St. Lucia's Prime Minister, Stephenson King, told BBC Caribbean he has been stressing to the UK the importance of maintaining the benefits for Caribbean bananas, as agreed under the EPAs.

Poor will be worst hit by economic slowdown

The United Nations has warned that the world's poorest countries are likely to be the worst affected by the current economic slowdown.

In a report the UN Conference on Trade and Development predicts that around fifty countries which rely on only a few commodity exports are most vulnerable.

Meanwhile the International Monetary Fund has suggested that fighting inflation should be the top priority for politicians around the world.

In a new forecast for the global economy, the Fund says many economies are finding themselves caught between sharply slowing demand and rising prices.

Sticking with Beijing

Grenada's new Foreign Affairs Minister Peter David says that there are no plans to switch diplomatic relations from China to Taiwan.

Mr David says that the National Democratic Congress administration of Prime Minister Tillman Thomas will continue to recognise the One China Policy.

Speaking to BBC Caribbean, he said the government will be looking at strengthening the existing relationship between St Georges and Beijing.