The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) says the relatively low rate of cash expenditure from donated funds following Hurricane Melissa was not due to inaction or a lack of recovery activity. The agency says it reflected prudent financial management in light of the availability of almost $J400M in donated building materials and sundries which were already supporting the government-directed roof repair programme.

The Opposition People's National Party has blasted the government following an Auditor General report that as at February this year, only $26 million has been spent from the more than $1 billion donated for Hurricane Melissa relief.  This was highlighted in a report tabled in Parliament yesterday.

That is the reaction of two police officers, who were acquitted today of murder charges after a four-week trial in the Supreme Court in Kingston.Constables Damane Campbell and Kenroy Hinds were each charged with three counts of murder in relation to the shooting of three men, which sparked widespread community unrest in Shrewsbury, Westmoreland, some 13 years ago.

The Agriculture Ministry will be embarking on a one hundred and $45 million drought mitigation programme this year. Portfolio Minister Floyd Green said the programme will be led by the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA).

Chief Executive Officer of PACKAL, Sitara English-Byfield, gave the update at the NMIA Airport Forum yesterday.She said that while the decline can be attributed to several situations, the major contributor is linked to the reduction in flights associated with Spirit Airlines before they officially ceased operations on May 2.