Regional News

The World Bank activated US$4.5 million on April 17 to provide immediate funding to assist  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to respond to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, with the focus on strengthening the capacity of that country’s health system.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The principal of an eastern St Andrew school is now on bail after he was charged recently for the alleged sexual abuse of his teenage daughter.

(Jamaica Star) Every August, Nicolene Downer goes in a state of depression.

(Trinidad Guardian) A situation beyond that imagined in a nightmare. This was the reaction of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley after he learnt of the dramatic drop in US oil prices while at the first meeting of Trinidad and Tobago’s Road Map to Recovery team yesterday.

(Trinidad Express) History was created on the global oil market yesterday when the price of the US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, plunged into negative territory for the first time ever.

(Jamaica Observer) Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced the closure of all business process outsourcing (BPO) operations for 14 days starting at midnight tomorrow.

(Barbados Nation) Barbados will ramp up testing for the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the coming days after receiving an additional 27 000 test kits and 2 800 much-needed swabs required to complete sample kits for the flu-like disease.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The proposal by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to use School-Based Assessment (SBA) and multiple-choice examination, possibly to be administered online, as its 2020 examination has not found favour with the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPPS).

(Jamaica Star) Mark Brown* always joked about seeking refuge in the hills should COVID-19 reach Corn Piece Settlement in Clarendon; but when it did, the 23-year-old did not have the strength to flee.

(Trinidad Guardian) The emergency grants introduced by Government to assist citizens affected by the Stay-at-Home order continues to be accessed by both employees and self-employed persons across several sectors of T&T.

(Trinidad Guardian) As thousands seek to get relief from loss of earnings during the COVID-19 crisis, a local bishop has told worshippers via social media that they will have to pay tithes to the church from grants and hampers given to them by the State.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The group of 43 heartbroken Jamaican ship workers aboard the Marella Discovery 2 have now docked in Southampton in the United Kingdom, but with sunken spirits.

(Trinidad Guardian) “Stay home or I will make your life very uncomfortable.”

(Trinidad Guardian) Public health officials should expand COVID-19 testing to target asymptomatic patients to gather adequate data to determine if the country has any community spread of the coronavirus, two members of a regional COVID-19 task force have said.

(Trinidad Guardian) A food crisis is coming in T&T unless the government begins food security planning, says agriculture economist Omardath Maharaj.

(Trinidad Guardian) The United States says it is not militarising the Caribbean but will remain transparent in all of its operations as it mounts a united effort to dismantle the transnational narcotics trade.

(Jamaica Star) Richard Cox thought he was taking three of his children to experience pure fun in Gayle, St Mary, on Wednesday morning.

(Jamaica Star) The National Environment Planning Agency (NEPA),  has condemned the actions of persons shown in recent videos circulating on social media, taunting crocodiles with dogs,  at the Greater Portmore Sewage Ponds in St.

(Trinidad Express) Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said a hacker used his Facebook account to advise someone to mute their television when journalists ask questions at the news conferences.

(Trinidad Guardian) Police were forced to disperse a large crowd of people gathered at the Barakah Grounds in Chaguanas yesterday, to get hampers distributed by a team under the guidance of well-known media owner Inshan Ishmael.