GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

After years of criticism, the United States government says it can now laud Guyana's fight against the thriving illegal drug enterprise, and as a reward has tied the level of future assistance to commensurate improvements.

"I am very heartened to see that Guyana has doubled the number of interdictions in the drug trade this year with the security forces being more aggressive, United States Ambassador to Guyana, David Robinson said.

The U.S. envoy here said U.S. Government officials "understand how tough it is to extradite someone and we are not at all disappointed with the cooperation we are getting from the government of Guyana."

Guyanese authorities this year are boasting of a handful of drug interdictions which is a major improvement. Scores of locals are currently facing illegal drugs charges overseas after passing frisking by the police; sniffer dogs and electronic surveillance at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri, south of the capital.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

British naval forces say they have seized over half a tonne of cocaine worth £20 million (US$40.7 million) after intercepting a small fishing boat travelling in Caribbean waters.

The Navy said the Royal Fleet Auxiliary landing ship RFA Largs Bay, in its first ever operational patrol, encountered the Venezuela-registered boat carrying the illicit cargo about 390 miles north-east of Barbados.

"As the naval vessel approached the fishing boat, the air crew witnessed the fishermen hastily dumping their dubious cargo into the sea," the Navy said in a statement

"Despite the bales of cocaine being weighted and the difficult twilight conditions the crew managed to recover some 575 kg of cocaine before being forced to leave as darkness approached.

"There was also a need to catch up with the suspect vessel as it was attempting a sharp getaway," it added.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Opposition Leader and former prime minister Basdeo Panday and his wife Oma have been committed to stand trial before a judge and jury for bribery charges by a Port-of-Spain Magistrate's Court.

The couple appeared before Magistrate Ejenny Espinet in the Port-of-Spain First Court Thursday, accused of receiving a £25,000 (US $50,000) bribe from former Works Minister Carlos John and party financier Ishwar Galbaransingh.

Both John and Galbaransingh have been charged with giving the £25,000 bribe to the Pandays.

When the four appeared in court, Magistrate Espinet read out the committal order to them, with the exception of the fourth accused, businessman Ishwar Galbaransingh, who indicated that he wanted to call witnesses in his defence.

WASHINGTON (CMC):

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says following debt restructuring in early 2007, near-term economic prospects in Belize are "broadly favourable."

After completing a two-week, annual Article IV consultation with Belizean authorities, the IMF said that the economy is projected to grow by 2? per cent in 2007, and inflation is expected at three per cent.

It said that real Gross Domestic Product [GDP] growth in 2008 is projected at about 3 per cent, while inflation is expected to ease to 2? per cent.

WASHINGTON (CMC):

A Washington-based policy research institute says that delays in debt cancellation threaten to cost Haiti millions in urgently needed funds, stating that the French-speaking Caribbean country would instead benefit from immediate debt relief.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) said in a recently published paper, "Debt Cancellation For Haiti: No Reason for Further Delays" that while Haiti is supposed to have most of its debt cancelled under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank's Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative, the process is still in its early stages and is likely to fall behind schedule.

"The delays could have tragic consequences for Haiti, which is the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere and has a life expectancy of 53 years," CEPR said.

"Because of the endemic dire poverty, the recent hurricanes and other natural disasters, and because of their own role in damaging Haiti's economy, through a previous aid embargo, multilateral institutions should cancel Haiti's debt as quickly as possible," said economist Mark Weisbrot, CEPR co-director and co-author of the paper.

BRADES, Montserrat (CMC):

Chief Minister Dr. Lowell Lewis is optimistic that Montserrat can become fully integrated into the CARICOM Single Market (CSM) by as early as March 2008.

However, this British Overseas Territory requires permission from the United Kingdom before it can attempt to sign on to the CSM. Last week Dr Lewis met with British officials in London to make the case for Montserrat to participate in the regional integration movement.

"I am hoping that they will give us a response sometime in January, and that our local government can ratify that decision so that we can be in time to sign the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas in March next year at the next meeting of the Heads of the Caribbean Community.