Regional News

(Trinidad Guardian) The Government’s move to extend the term of local government representatives by a year has been deemed unlawful.

 (Jamaica Gleaner) Jamaican writer Kwame McPherson has been named the Caribbean winner of the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize.

BRASILIA,  (Reuters) – The Brazilian environmental protection agency Ibama said yesterday it had rejected a request from state-run oil company Petrobras to drill a well at the mouth of the Amazon River.

CAMPINAS, Brazil,  (Reuters) – Brazil is taking extra precautions to protect the world’s largest poultry export industry from a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus that was this week detected among wild birds in the country after previously hitting neighboring nations.

QUITO,  (Reuters) – Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly by decree yesterday, bringing forward legislative and presidential elections and heading off an attempt by opposition politicians to impeach him.

LIMA,  (Reuters) – The Peruvian prosecutor’s office said yesterday it has launched an investigation into China’s COSCO Shipping Ports Ltd 1199.HK

QUITO, (Reuters) – Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly in a decree today, bringing forward legislative and presidential elections, a day after he presented his defense in an impeachment process against him.

(Trinidad Express) A close relative of slain businesswoman Subrina Thomas was yesterday morning detained by police in connection with her killing.

SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) – Brazilian state oil company Petrobras approved a new fuel pricing policy for gasoline and diesel that will sharply lower costs for motorists, it announced yesterday, ditching a more market-based policy in favor of greater flexibility to smooth price swings.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Brazil’s Environment Minister Marina Silva urged eight Amazon countries yesterday to come together to avoid the rainforest reaching a tipping point, which could happen if a fifth of the trees are lost.

HAVANA, (Reuters) – Cuba announced yesterday measures that ease restrictions on its citizens living abroad as the communist-run nation continues to grapple with an unprecedented exodus of migrants to the United States.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuelans are battling fast-rising utility bills as subsidies from the cash-strapped government dwindle, leaving many paying large chunks of their salaries for electricity and water despite regular blackouts and mains water shut-offs.

(Trinidad Express) The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has received final judgment in the sum of US$131,318,840.47 in the civil matter arising out of the Piarco Airport corruption scandal.

QUITO,  (Reuters) – Ecuadorean authorities have detained a former energy minister amid an investigation into alleged bribery linked to state oil firm Petroecuador, the attorney general’s office said yesterday.

(Reuters) – Brazil, the world’s top chicken exporter, has for the first time confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) cases but only in wild birds, the Agriculture Ministry said yesterday.

(Trinidad Guardian) Foreign ministers of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will meet in Jamaica from today to review regional foreign policy and community governance matters.

(Trinidad Express) The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) will begin joint patrols in Tobago on Tuesday.

(Trinidad Express) “Excellent” This was how Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher responded yesterday when asked to rate her performance in the first 100 days of her tenure.

(CAL) Caribbean Airlines, the leading carrier in the region, is pleased to announce the resumption of operations to Caracas, Venezuela from Saturday May 13; and the expansion of its route network to the Eastern Caribbean in the coming months.

(Trinidad Guardian) Construction company China Jiangsu International Corporation Trinidad and Tobago Limited has been ordered by the High Court to pay the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) more than TT$30 million in damages related to the controversial HDC Las Alturas Project.