“Developing countries continue to face important difficulties, including funding gaps in their government’s budgets, as a direct consequence of the global financial crisis. This year, this EU mechanism will help 19 ACP countries maintain their level of public spending in priority areas, and therefore mitigate the social impact of the
economic downturn,” said Andris Piebalgs, Commissioner for Development
The Vulnerability FLEX (V-FLEX) mechanism is the European Union’s swift
response to help countries most affected by the economic downturn due to their poor
resilience to external shocks.

In 2010, it will provide, upon their request, support to:
Antigua & Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African
Republic, Grenada, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu and Zimbabwe. The
financing decisions in favour of Burkina Faso (EUR 14 million) and Grenada (EUR
3,5 million) have been adopted today. Financing decisions in favour of other
countries will follow during the course of autumn 2010.

15 countries have previously benefited from EUR 236 million funding under V-FLEX:
Benin, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Comoros, Dominica, Ghana,
Grenada, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Malawi, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Solomon Island, and Zambia.

Background: The V-FLEX instrument works pre-emptively, based on forecasts of fiscal losses and other vulnerability criteria, helping to ease the impact rather than acting after the damage is done. It provides rapid and targeted grants and is acting as a complement to the loan-based assistance of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and regional development banks with whose support it was developed.

V-Flex is demand-driven and targeted at countries with a high degree of economic,
social and political vulnerability, the right policies in place to fight the crisis and
sufficient absorptive capacity as well as a financing gap in their budgets where EU
support can make a difference by closing or significantly reducing this gap.

The EUR 500 million V-FLEX comes in addition to the EUR 1 billion Food Facility
adopted on 30 March 2009 and the allocation of EUR 200 million under the EDF in
2008 to help developing countries cope with higher food prices. At country level, it
complements other financial instruments under the budget of the EU and the
European Development Fund.

Between 6 and 8 September 2010, six Caribbean ministers of tourism, along with the CTO’s chief executive, will be in London for talks on the Air Passenger Duty (APD) with a range of organisations  including the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), the Caribbean Council, Caribbean Diaspora representatives, the British Air Transport Association and the British Caribbean All Party Parliamentary Group.

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Gaston is expected to track slowly to the west to west-northwest for the next few days. Following this, a faster motion to the west-northwest is expected as high-pressure builds to the north of the system, taking Gaston in the general direction of the northern Leeward Islands. However, any possible impacts would be expected past Tuesday.

Easterly wind shear should result in slow re-strengthening over the next 2-3 days, followed by a faster rate of intensification. The experts predict that Gaston will develop Category Two strength before arriving in our area.

Presently, Gaston is regaining tropical storm strength far more slowly than forecasted. Beyond 72 hours, assuming the predictions for strengthening over the next 3 days holds through, it’s possible that Gaston may be stronger than forecasted.

Residents are strongly urged to continue to pay close attention to this developing system.

The DDM continues to closely monitor Gaston and provide weather updates at the Department of Disaster Management’s website (www.bviddm.com).

WICB flag

St John’s Antigua –The WICB, on Friday August 27, offered Central Retainer Contracts for the period October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011 to the following players:

1.  Chris Gayle
2.  Shivnarine Chanderpaul
3.  Sulieman Benn
4.  Dwayne Bravo
5.  Darren Sammy
6.  Kemar Roach
7.  Brendan Nash
8.  Adrian Barath
9.  Darren Bravo
10.               Shane Shillingford
11.               Kieron Pollard
12.               Nikita Miller
13.               Devon Smith
14.               Ravi Rampaul
15.               Nelon Pascal

The WICB also offered Developmental Contracts to the following players:

1.  Kirk Edwards
2.  Andre Russell
3.  David Bernard Jr.
4.  Gavin Tonge
5.  Andre Fletcher
6.  Chadwick Walton
7.  Devendra Bishoo
8.  Assad Fudadin
9.  Imran Khan
10.               Kevin Stoute

The players have been given until September 10 to peruse the offers and indicate to the WICB whether they will accept. The WICB has also indicated that should, by that date, any player not convey a decision to the WICB or indicate that they would prefer not to take up the offer the WICB will make alternative offers.

Big hitting Kieron Pollard who has performed exceedingly well in the shortest form of the game has been offered a Central Retainer Contract for the first time. Also making their debut on the list of Central Retainer Contracts is the Trinidadian pair of Adrian Barath and Darren Bravo, Dominican off spinner Shane Shillingford, Jamaican left arm spinner Nikita Miller and Grenadian pacer Nelon Pascal.

Barath, Bravo, Miller and Pascal have been moved up to Central Retainer Contract offers from Developmental Contracts for the past year.

Devon Smith, the Grenadian opener, who performed well for the West Indies A Team, has also been offered a Central Retainer Contract after holding a Developmental Contract for the year October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010.

Of the 14 players who are on Central Retainer Contracts for the period October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010, six – Ramnaresh Sarwan, Denesh Ramdin, Jerome Taylor, Narsingh Deonarine, Dave Bernard and Travis Dowlin – have slipped off the list of those offered Central Retainer Contracts for the upcoming year.

Bernard has been offered a Developmental Contract while Sarwan and Taylor’s limited availability for the West Indies over the past year due to injuries weighed heavily against them. Sarwan and Deonarine’s general levels of fitness were also deemed unsatisfactory.

Ramdin and Dowlin’s performances over the past year have been less than favourable in the view of the Selection Committee and they were not recommended for Central Retainer or Developmental contracts.

The WICB reiterates that being on Central Retainer or Developmental contracts is not a pre-requisite for being selected to represent the West Indies.

Spencer told citizens that it may become necessary for the Leeward Islands to be placed under a tropical storm watch as Fiona was formed in the Atlantic on Monday afternoon.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that Fiona was located 890 miles east of the Leeward Islands and has sustained maximum winds of 40 miles per hour.

“Interest in the northern Leeward Islands should monitor the progress of Fiona. A tropical storm watch may be required for a portion of this area later this evening or tonight,” NHC added.

Spencer said that the passage of Hurricane Earl had resulted in no death or injuries and that more than 250 people had taken shelter at centers across the island.

“I commend those individuals and families, especially from low lying and flood prone areas, who heeded early warnings, and took the precaution to move to designated shelters, in order to avert personal danger,” Spencer said, adding “most of us are now without the convenience of piped water and electricity as APUA (Antigua and Barbuda Public Utility Authority)was forced to turn off supplies in keeping with the corporation’s hurricane operational procedures”.

Spencer said that APUA has given the assurance that it would restore water supplies as soon as possible and that while “electricity supplies will take longer to be restored as there are reports of downed power lines and poles. APUA personnel will be working hard to restore power as quickly as possible”.

“We are thankful that so far there has been no report of loss of life and minimal reports of damage to houses and other property,” Spencer said, adding that an assessment of the damage across the island would continue.

“We are thankful to God for sparing fair Antigua and Barbuda from greater damage,” he said, adding that he was also conveying “heartfelt sympathies to our neighbours in the Leeward Islands who might have suffered any damage, loss of life or injuries during the passage of Hurricane Earl. We wish for them a speedy and full recovery”.

In Anguilla, there were no reports of major structural damage but there were downed electricity lines and flooding in several areas. The British Overseas Dependent Territory is also without a water and electricity supply.

Seven radio station were off the air on Monday and a curfew is still in effect with the police urging citizens to remain at home.

Disaster officials said that the Category Three storm felled trees and utility poles and triggered an island wide blackout.

Officials from the State-owned Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) were on Monday assessing the damage caused by the third named storm of the 2010 hurricane season.

Electricity Manager Lyndon Francis said residents would have to wait several hours more before the assessment is complete and the grid repaired. Island-wide service was shut down on Sunday after lightening struck one of its generating plants.

The VC Bird International Airport was re-opened on Monday and the regional airline, LIAT said that it had resumed flights to a number of Caribbean countries. It warned however that several flights would depart late in the evening.

“Passengers should be aware that there are likely to be some disruptions and delays to the schedule due to prevailing weather conditions,” LIAT said, adding “passengers should note that all flights north of Antigua except LI 544/545 to and from St. Kitts are cancelled”.

Police said they had to rescue seven people from a house in the hard-hit southwestern community of West Palm Beach in Bolans Village. The unidentified persons were trapped in waist-high water.

“On our way to down to where the rescued live, we met the police and they indicated to us that they rescued two persons but they were uncertain as to how deep the water was, they could not see clearly and they were not going any further,” said media personality, Cleveroy Thomas, who assisted the law enforcement officials in carrying out the rescue.

Meteorological officials said Hurricane Earl dumped more rain on the twin isle state than Hurricane Omar in 2008.

Director of the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) Philmore Mullin expressed concern that not enough was being done to prepare for storms noting that many people here did not take the storm seriously. He said the Earl experience would make a good case study.

“I suspect that when they heard it was going to shift north they didn’t take any precautions at all then at the last minute when it appeared it was going to come our way, a lot of them start rushing to make last minute preparations,” Mullin said.

Governor General Dame Louise Lake-Tack declared Monday a public holiday in an effort to better facilitate cleanup.

Chief Health Inspector Lionel Michael said he expected the cleanup to begin in earnest on Tuesday even as he expressed concern about the risk of waterborne diseases. He called on citizens to boil all drinking water.

Meanwhile, Earl was continuing to strengthen as it made it way across the northern Leeward Islands.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that the center of Hurricane Earl was located 95 miles east north east of St. Thomas and 165 miles east of San Juan Puerto Rico.

The storm is packing winds of 120 miles per hour.

The following flights will operate today:

·          LI 364 – From Barbados and Dominica

·         LI 766 – From Barbados and St. Lucia

·         LI 662 – From Barbados and Guadeloupe

·         LI 610 – From St. Vincent

·         LI 544/545 – Antigua, St. Kitts, Antigua – Estimated to depart at 4:40pm

·         LI 557/558 – Antigua, Dominica, Antigua – Estimated to depart at 4:10pm

·         LI 563 – Antigua, Dominica, Barbados – Estimated to depart at 4:25pm

·         LI 309 – Antigua, St. Lucia, Trinidad – Estimated to depart at 4:50pm

·         LI 311 – Antigua, St. Vincent, Grenada, Trinidad – Estimated to depart at 6:50pm

·         LI 367 – Antigua, Barbados – Estimated to depart at 7:10pm

·         LI 305 – Antigua, Trinidad – Estimated to depart at 7:40pm

·         LI 512 – From Guyana and Barbados

·         LI 770 – From Barbados and St. Lucia

Passengers should note that all flights north of Antigua except LI 544/545 to/from St. Kitts are cancelled.

LIAT wishes to advise that passengers who decide to travel but are unable to complete their journey due to disruption caused by weather conditions, will not be provided with meals, transportation, hotel accommodation etc. Passengers with onward connections are advised to contact the respective carriers.

Passengers should be aware that there are likely to be some disruptions and delays to the schedule due to prevailing weather conditions.

In addition, the French islands of Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius as well as the British and US Virgin Islands have also issued hurricane warnings.

Earl, a Category Two hurricane with winds of 105 miles per hour, is located 50 miles east north east of St. Martin.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said that a hurricane warning is in effect for Puerto Rico including the islands of Culebra and Veques.

The hurricane which is located near latitude 18.3 north, longitude 62.4 west is moving towards the northwest near 15 miles per hour and “on the forecast track, the center of Earl will pass near or over the northernmost Leeward islands this morning and near the Virgin Islands this afternoon and this evening”.

NHC said that “additional strengthening is forecast and Earl is expected to become a major hurricane by tonight or early Tuesday”.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Danielle has weakened considerably and “is expected to lose its tropical characteristics later today and become a large and powerful extra tropical cyclone over the cold waters of the north Atlantic”.

Dozens of residents could be seen making last-minute purchases of candles, bottled water, tinned foods, garbage bags and other items, while scores lined up at gas stations to purchase fuel for their vehicles.

The authorities announced that the V.C. Bird International Airport would be closed at 3:45pm while regional airline LIAT announced the cancellation of 40 of flights.

All of the affected flights were either due to depart or arrive in Antigua Sunday afternoon.

The carrier also announced the closure of its reservation centre from 12:00 noon.

“Passengers who wish to rebook are advised that the company will provide information on the resumption of its central reservation service in a subsequent advisory,” LIAT’s Corporate Communications Manager Desmond Brown said.

“LIAT wishes to advise that passengers who are unable to complete their journey due to disruption caused by weather conditions will not be provided with meals, transportation, hotel accommodation etc,” Brown added.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico including the islands of Culebra and Vieques.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius.

A hurricane watch is in effect for the British Virgin Islands, United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, August 29, 2010 – LIAT on Sunday announces the cancellation several flights as Tropical Storm Earl hurried towards the Leeward Islands.

The cancelled flights are:

·         LI 500 – Antigua/Santo Domingo

·         LI 506 – Antigua/St. Kitts

·         LI 501 – Santo Domingo/Antigua

·         LI 553 – Anguilla/Antigua

·         LI 766 – St. Lucia/Antigua

·         LI 317 – Nevis/Antigua

·         LI 364 – Dominica/Antigua

·         LI 508 – Antigua/St. Maarten

·         LI 557 – Antigua/Dominica

·         LI 563 – Antigua/Dominica

·         LI 508 – St. Maarten/Tortola

·         LI 544 – Antigua/Nevis

·         LI 309 – Antigua/St. Lucia

·         LI 510 – Antigua/Tortola

·         LI 368 – Antigua/Anguilla

·         LI 558 – Dominica/Guadeloupe

·         LI 787 – Barbados/Canouan

·         LI 516 – Barbados/Antigua

·         LI 544 – Nevis/St. Kitts

·         LI 509 – Tortola/St. Maarten

·         LI 545 – St. Kitts/Antigua

·         LI 558 – Guadeloupe/Antigua

·         LI 368 – Anguilla/St. Thomas

·         LI 510 – Tortola/San Juan

·         LI 509 – St. Maarten/Antigua

·         LI 311 – Antigua/St. Vincent

·         LI 367 – Antigua/Barbados

·         LI 512 – Antigua/St. Maarten

·         LI 305 – Antigua/Port-of-Spain

·         LI 329 – St. Thomas/St. Maarten

·         LI 324 – Antigua/St. Kitts

·         LI 511 – San Juan/Antigua

·         LI 512 – St. Maarten/Tortola

·         LI 324 – St. Kitts/St. Maarten

·         LI 329 – St. Maarten/St. Kitts

·         LI 770 – St. Lucia/Antigua

·         LI 325 – St. Marten/Antigua

·         LI 329 – St. Kitts/Antigua

·         LI 563 – Dominica/Barbados

·         LI 516 – St. Kitts/St. Juan

·         LI 364 – Barbados/Dominica

·         LI 563 – San Juan/Antigua

Passengers should note that the LIAT Reservation Centre will be closed at 12:00noon today due to the expected passage of the storm.

Passengers who wish to rebook are advised that the Company will provide information on the resumption of its central reservation service in a subsequent advisory.

LIAT will issue a further advisory at 4:00pm.

LIAT wishes to advise that passengers who decide to travel but are unable to complete their journey due to disruption caused by weather conditions, will not be provided with meals, transportation, hotel accommodation etc. Passengers with onward connections are advised to contact the respective carriers.