Tag Archives: environment

Cruise ships make itinerary changes due to tropical storm

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Cruise ships make itinerary changes due to tropical storm

By Gay Nagle Myers
Tropical Storm Chantal has forced three Carnival ships to make itinerary changes as the storm wends its way through the Caribbean.

The Carnival Freedom will skip a call in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, on Thursday and substitute Cozumel instead.

The Carnival Liberty skipped St. Thomas on Tuesday and called in San Juan, is in Grand Turk on Wednesday and will add a stop in Nassau on Friday.

The Carnival Victory skipped a day at sea on Tuesday and called at Nassau, will be in Grand Turk on Thursday and at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.

Chantal was south of Haiti on Wednesday and is expected to dump heavy rains on Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba on Thursday before heading toward the Bahamas and Florida on the weekend.

Chancellor: no change on APD

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Chancellor: no change on APD

Chancellor George Osborne signalled no change in government policy on Air Passenger Duty today in a Budget speech which made no mention of the tax.

Osborne announced a freeze in petrol duty and a cut in the duty on beer, but made no reference to APD.

However, documents released by the Treasury alongside the Budget measures showed projected revenue from APD rising year by year to 2017-18.

The Treasury has previously said APD would rise annually by the rate of inflation.

Government revenue from APD is forecast to rise 3.6% year on year to £2.9 billion in 2013-14 and to £3.8 billion in another four years.

Osborne did look to address business concerns by cutting the rate of corporation tax on profits to 20% from April 2015, hailing it as “the lowest business tax of any major economy in the world”.

He also announced help for home buyers. But otherwise the Chancellor said there would be no change in policy on deficit reduction and spending, insisting: “Cyprus is a sign the crisis is not over.”