The IMF approved today a successor two-year arrangement for Colombia under the Flexible Credit Line (FCL), designed for crisis prevention, of about US$8.1 billion. Colombia qualifies for the FCL by virtue of its very strong economic fundamentals and institutional policy frameworks and track record of implementing very strong policies and commitment to maintaining such policies. The authorities intend to treat the new FCL arrangement as precautionary. The lower access reflects the authorities’ goal of continuing to reduce access as risks permit in the context of their gradual exit strategy. Th ..read more

Including Taiwan in WHA meetings, mechanisms, and activities can lead to greater health for people everywhere. By Charles C.Y. Chou The upcoming month of May holds much significance, encompassing the themes of love, remembrance, and sacrifice. It heralds Mother’s Day in the United States, a time to honor maternal affection. It also marks Memorial Day, a solemn occasion to recognize and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. For enthusiasts of the Star Wars franchise, May holds a special resonance as “the month of the Force.” Amidst these varied observances, this ..read more

Historic move makes world better prepared for, and ready to respond to future public health emergencies GENEVA, Switzerland – In the eighth meeting of the Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (WGIHR), which was suspended yesterday until 16 May, State Parties to the IHR took a major step towards agreeing on the package of amendments which will be put forward to the World Health Assembly, which takes place from 27 May–1 June. The amendments, proposed by IHR State Parties in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen the international community’s ability to d ..read more

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – The ministry of natural resources has clarified that Guyana’s Floating, Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) production increases are planned with a focus on environmental responsibility and operational safety. These increases are stimulated through a comprehensive production optimisation process, which aims to increase efficiency through the enhancement of existing infrastructure. This clarification is in response to a narrative being peddled in the local news that ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) has breached the safe production limit set out in the Environm ..read more

Minister for Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Information Dr Ernest Hilaire at the Investment Migration Forum, Dubai, April 2024. I am delighted to be addressing you [today] especially given recent developments in the Caribbean. I want to start by congratulating the organisers of this Forum and to wish you the best and encourage you to further the work that you have been doing. The citizenship by investment industry is a critical industry for the small island states of the Eastern Caribbean. You may have read recently that in some instances the contribution to national r ..read more

USA / HAITI – Kenya has offered to lead the multinational mission that aims to provide much-needed backup to the national police in a bid to regain control of the streets from gang rule, which has plunged the country into chaos in recent months. Kenya was joined by The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica in pledging support. The UN spokesperson’s office said “other countries have expressed interest, including publicly, but have not notified the secretary-general yet.” Currently, $18 million has been deposited in the support mission’s Trust Fund, provided by Canada ($8.7 mill ..read more

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Interdisciplinary Institute of Political Economy (IIEP UBA-CONICET) of Argentina will select and fund up to six research proposals that address the challenges of the link between infrastructure, connectivity, and integration in Latin America and the Caribbean. The call “Connecting Latin America and the Caribbean: Infrastructure for Regional Integration” is aimed at researchers, universities, and think tanks from the region and will remain open until May 31, 2024. The main objective is to support research efforts aimed ..read more

By Courtney Mares VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis will attend the G7 summit in June to speak about the ethics of artificial intelligence, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced Friday. The Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations summit is being held in the southern Italian region of Puglia from June 13–15 and will bring together leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States. Meloni, who will chair the summit, said in a video message on April 26 that Pope Francis had accepted her invitation to attend a session of the summit on the topic of artif ..read more

NORTH YORK, Ontario – Ontario is introducing the most comprehensive plan in Canada to reduce distractions in classrooms and improve the health of children by standardizing and strengthening provincewide measures and mandatory learning to directly counter the alarming rise of vaping and cellphone distractions within classrooms. As students benefit from three more years of uninterrupted learning as a result of the government’s historic signing of deals with all teachers’ unions, the government is taking further action to go back-to-basics by combating the negative impact mobile devices, social m ..read more

By Tony Deyal Earlier this week I found out about the “World Biggest Liar” competition in England. I immediately said it was in the wrong place with the wrong people. I remember one of my friends who lied about everything and his father, really upset, decided to teach him a lesson. He told the boy, “I will give you a whole twenty-five cents if you could tell me a lie now, right now!” The boy looked at the father and with a big smile said, “Twenty-five cents? But Daddy, you just promise me a dollar!” Then there was a Trini who went to one of the “lying” competitions in San Fernando, Trinidad. H ..read more