MONTEGO BAY, St James, Jamaica Observer — Minister of National Security Peter Bunting says he is fearful that Jamaica’s image will be further tainted overseas after the airing of a 60 Minutes documentary on the lottery scam, now being produced by Dan Rather, a former CBS news anchor. “Now this is one of the best-known names in television journalism and the reason they were drawn to come to Jamaica is not a positive one. He and his camera crew did not come here and ask to see some of the nice resort areas such as Doctor's Cave Beach...

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Observer — JAMAICA'S top diplomat in the United States, Ambassador Stephen Vasciannie, has pointed out that his island's refugee policy incorporates reference to international human rights standards and provides a good framework for the treatment of asylum seekers. "It also provides a model that could be used in some other Caricom states," Ambassador Vasciannie said in his presentation to an international refugee law course staged by the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs of the Organisation of American States (OAS) in Washington, DC recently.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner — OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN on Finance Audley Shaw has claimed that the Government has been irritating the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by having other countries lobby the multilateral on behalf of Jamaica. "Stop diverting your efforts to ask foreign governments to lobby the IMF on your behalf," Shaw told the Portia Simpson Miller-led Govern-ment during his address to the Rotary Club of Kingston recently.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Gleaner — Jamaica is located in an active zone of seismic activity, and experiences more than 200 tremors annually, according to the Earthquake Unit at The University of the West Indies. The destruction of Port Royal by a massive earthquake in 1692, which left half of the town buried under the sea; and the devastation of Kingston in 1907, are common knowledge. Less widely acknowledged are other significant tremors that the country has suffered.. "Earthquakes are a fact of life in Jamaica," said Chris Hind, general manager of JN General Insurance Company (JNGI).

HAMILTON, Barbados, Nation News – There is “an urgent need” for Caribbean Heads of Government to come together and meet on tourism. The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) board of directors said a tourism summit needs to take place within the next six months to meet on issues “adversely impacting” the region. The last Heads Of Government Summit On Tourism was in July 2001.