 Coming to you from RGIS Studios, I am Anisia Antoine and this is your midday news brief. The Office of the Mayor has announced the commencement of the first phase of the Castries Market redevelopment project. Work is scheduled to commence within two weeks. In preparation for the first phase of the construction, the former Fire Service headquarters site on Jeremy Street is being made suitably ready as the temporary home for provisions market vendors. As part of the relocation, vendors will receive a stipend to assist them as construction work unfolds. The Castries Market redevelopment project encompasses a state-of-the-art food court, high-end air-conditioned restaurants, a craft market, a box park, a viewing tower, an entertainment area, meat and fish depots, and duty-free shopping boutiques, among other amenities. Government is intensifying its efforts at crime prevention during this new financial year. Governor-General His Excellency Sir Emmanuel Neville Snark, as he delivered the thrown speech on Tuesday, April 9th, indicated that numerous studies undertaken into the relationship between prosperity and security led to one clear interference that all endeavours to achieve economic prosperity would be futile unless appropriate action is also taken to safeguard the lives of the St. Lucian people and property. According to the Governor-General, the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend must also be addressed. The Embassy of St. Lucia to the United States participated in a signing ceremony between the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States and the Pan-American Development Foundation that will, amongst other things, support small-scale urban agriculture in St. Lucia. His Excellency Anton Edmonds, St. Lucia's Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States, views this new initiative as a sign of Taiwan's deep and continued interest in St. Lucia's economic development, particularly the most vulnerable sectors. The support from Taiwan will benefit UrbanGrow, a project under the Synergy Programme designed to assist residents of Castry Central become engaged in growing and eating healthy foods while building strong communities. This has been your Midday News Brief. Thank you for watching.