MORNING NEWS On the local news The Ministry of Agriculture will host a ceremony today for the distribution of loans to fifty farmers, under the recently launched Farmers Support Company’s six million dollar loan program. The Farmers support Revolving fund was set up in an effort to boost the Farming Sector. At a Media conference on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said that the farmers will be getting loans at a rate of two percent. He also spoke about plans to restructure the Farmers Support Company. And The General Employees Cooperative Credit Union, GECCU has launched a new facility – its Online and Mobile Services. The launch was held to coincide with its 50th anniversary program of activities under the theme “Proud of the Past Prepared for the Future”. In his address at the ceremony, President of GECCU, Clarance Harry said that GECCU has achieved another milestone which should be noted in the history of the Cooperative Sector here. Meanwhile … Chief Executive Officer of GECCU Lennox Bowman says the Credit Union can boast of having tremendous growth over the past fifty years. More on the local news Vincentians are being encouraged to do regular kidney checks when they visit their doctors. This call was made by Chief Health Promotion Officer, Patsy Wyllie as St. Vincent and the Grenadines recently joined the rest of the World to observe World Kidney Day 2014. This year the focus of World Kidney Day was on Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and aging. Miss Wyllie said this is important because CKD can develop at any age but it becomes more common with increasing age. She therefore called on Vincentians to ensure that they are in optimal health especially in matters related to their kidneys. On the regional news CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Agents of Venezuelas domestic intelligence service on Wednesday arrested the opposition mayor of San Cristobal, a western city that has seen some of the fiercest anti-government protests. Mayor Daniel Ceballos was detained by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service, known by its Spanish initials SEBIN, in Caracas, according to this aide, Ronni Pavolini. Anti-government protests that have shaken Venezuela for more than a month began in early February with students in San Cristobal. The opposition stronghold along the border with Colombia has seen intense clashes between authorities and protesters frustrated by high inflation, soaring violent crime and shortages of basic items such as cooking oil and toilet paper. Just outside San Cristobal earlier Wednesday, National Guardsmen firing plastic shotgun pellets and tear gas wounded at least 16 people in the town of Rubio as they cleared barricades that had been up for weeks, local officials said. The government already has one opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez, in jail on charges of arson and conspiracy. And on Tuesday, the National Assembly voted to start a process to strip opposition lawmaker Maria Corina Machado of her immunity so they could eventually bring charges against her for allegedly trying to destabilize the government. Machado, the opposition lawmaker, was expected to speak Friday at a meeting of the Organization of American States in Washington about the situation in Venezuela. Because the Venezuelan government controls the countrys seat, Panama has offered Machado its seat to make her presentation to the regional body. Venezuela accuses her of civil disobedience and trying to destabilise the government. Machado told a reporter from The Associated Press who was on the same flight to Miami on Wednesday that she was very worried about the effort to bring criminal charges against her. The body earlier this month approved a declaration supporting President Nicolas Maduros efforts to start a dialogue with the political opposition. Panama, the United States and Canada voted against it.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 13:58:30 +0000
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