Regional News

(Barbados Nation) Cultural Ambassador The Most Honourable Anthony ‘Mighty Gabby’ Carter has been charged with a sex-related offence.

HAVANA,  (Reuters) – Cuba closed schools and told non-essential workers to stay home yesterday as its electrical grid faltered following the failure of a major power plant, causing widespread blackouts across the crisis-ridden island.

BOGOTA,  (Reuters) – Colombia will impose a 1% tax on the production of fossil fuels, including oil and coal, its two biggest earners, until the end of the year, under a state of emergency that was declared last month, the finance ministry said on Friday.

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) – The United States deported 119 people of different nationalities to Panama as part of an agreement between the administration of U.S.

BOGOTA (Reuters) – Funding worth $70 million for environment and conservation projects from the U.S.

MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday urged Google (GOOGL.O)

BRASILIA,  (Reuters) – Brazil’s BRICS presidency this year will not advance a common currency for the group of major developing economies this year, four government officials said, but its agenda may pave the way for less reliance on the U.S.

(Trinidad Express) The construction of new headquarters for the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) is not about politics but a vehicle for the promotion of democracy in Trinidad and Tobago.

(Trinidad Express) Increased salaries for the Prime Minister and other public officials will take effect from February 2025, according to a Comptroller of Accounts circular.

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin on Wednesday called for “caution” and said the South American country would seek dialogue with the United States after President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports.

(Trinidad Express) Political leader of the United National Congress (UNC) Kamla Persad-Bissessar has announced a “coalition of interest” with the Laventille Outreach for Vertical Enrichment (LOVE) movement, the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP), the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) and other unions.

(Trinidad Express) Police have confirmed that the body found in a forested area in St James on Saturday is that of Shashi Rampersad, who was kidnapped last year.

(Trinidad Express) A Moruga man who was allegedly captured on video threatening a child with a knife, and throwing and shoving him to the ground has been arrested by the police.

(Trinidad Guardian) Four families, comprising at least 18 people, are now homeless after a fire on Africa Road, Laventille, gutted three homes yesterday morning.

(Trinidad Express) ATTORNEY General Reginald Armour is expected to take a Note to Cabinet “soon” to make certain amendments to the Emergency Powers Regulations (2024) after a legal challenge was filed by attorneys representing blogger and activist Vishal Persad.

(Trinidad Express) Minutes after a vehicle with teenagers sped past a police traffic exercise, the vehicle crashed and killing two and a third hospitalised on Monday night.

BOGOTA, (Reuters) – The resignation of Colombia Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez from President Gustavo Petro’s cabinet is definitive, the ministry said in a social media post today, as Velasquez joins the environment and interior ministers in exiting the government.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Former US Ambassador Luis G. Moreno is defending the role played by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Jamaica, insisting that funding from the agency was used to do “much more” than strengthening advocacy for the LGBT community.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Dancehall artiste Kiprich, whose given name is Marlon Plunkett, has been charged by the police over a song that they say endorses gang violence and pays tribute to alleged One Order Gang don Othniel ‘Thickman’ Lobban, who was recently fatally shot by police.

(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says his Government will soon be seeking to engage and apprise the new US administration of the importance of the Dragon gas and Manakin-Cocuina projects for T&T and for the energy security of the region.