Regional News

SANTO DOMINGO,  (Reuters) – The Dominican Republic heads to the presidential polls today in a pandemic-driven drama, with delays caused by one of Latin America’s worst outbreaks and the leading candidate briefly suspending appearances after testing positive for coronavirus.

(Trinidad Guardian) Tobago Police are probing the circumstances surrounding the island’s fifth homicide for the year.

(Trinidad Guardian) Officials within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) have uncovered an alleged plot to kill Police Commissioner Gary Griffith, Supt Roger Alexander and members of the Special Operations Response Team (SORT).

(Barbados Nation) Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley on Friday announced that the shareholder governments are forging ahead with the decision to liquidate the cash-strapped LIAT while welcoming six private airlines to take its place.

(Trinidad Express) The United Kingdom is allowing travellers from Trinidad and Tobago and 58 other Covid-19 low-risk countries to enter England from July 10 without being made to self-quarantine for 14 days.

(Trinidad Guardian) “The police are our friends, they are our protectors.”

(Trinidad Express) Police are investigating the death of businessman Robert Soogrim who was found hanging at his home on Friday evening.

(Trinidad Express) Businessman Naeem Ali has labelled his arrest and subsequent charges for driving under the influence, resisting arrest, and assaulting police officers, as an abuse of power by police officers.

(Jamaica Observer) BRITAIN yesterday listed Jamaica among more than 50 countries exempted from its COVID-19 quarantine rules, but excluded the United States, which yesterday posted a record 53,000 new cases of the virus.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Forty-nine-year-old Abraham Lawrence, one of several mentally challenged persons, who had been locked away in state custody for two decades, was granted bail in the St Elizabeth Parish Court in Black River yesterday.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Michael Belnavis, the mayor and chairman of the St Ann’s Bay Municipal Corporation, is faced with a decision to relinquish his position or could possibly be unceremoniously toppled from his high seat.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Lisa Hanna, a legislator and spokesperson for the Opposition People’s National Party’s (PNP) election campaign, has escaped criminal charges but has been slammed for nepotism and cronyism in the award of millions of dollars in contracts in St Ann in a ruling by the director of public prosecutions (DPP).

(Trinidad Express) General Elections will be held on August 10. Speaking at the 35th sitting of the House of Representatives yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced the date.

SAO PAULO, (Reuters) – Brazilian health regulator Anvisa on Friday approved clinical trials of a potential coronavirus vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac, according to an official gazette publication.

BOGOTA,  (Reuters) – The Colombian army said yesterday it fired 31 of its members accused of involvement with sexual abuse or violence against minors, amid recent accusations of sex abuse of young girls by soldiers.

QUITO,  (Reuters) – A small tailings dam associated with a mine run by Ecuadorean firm Austro Gold has collapsed, Ecuador’s government said yesterday, sending mining waste into a nearby river.

(Jamaica Star) A suspect has surrendered to the police in connection with the stabbing death of a man on Lawrence Drive in St Andrew on Wednesday night.

PANAMA CITY,  (Reuters) – Two former presidents of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli and Juan Carlos Varela, have been banned from leaving the country while under investigation for money laundering in separate corruption cases, government authorities said on Thursday.

BOA VISTA, Brazil,  (Reuters) – Leaders of an isolated indigenous Yanomami community in Brazil have complained that a military mission to protect them from the coronavirus brought greater risk of infection to their people through contact with outsiders including journalists.

(Trinidad Guardian) Gangsters be warned: this is a war you will not win.