Staff Editor

(Jamaica Gleaner) Three of the country’s leading private-sector groups have given Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell and the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) 30 days to lay out a clear road map to secure massive reductions in electricity rates.

CANBERRA,  (Reuters) – The use of performance enhancing drugs is “widespread” among professional and amateur athletes in Australia, a government report which rocked the sports-mad country said today.

(Trinidad Express) investigation into the death of Lance Corporal Curtis Marshall is still being actively pursued, with homicide detectives detaining several members of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment for questioning.

CANBERRA, Australia, CMC-Captain Darren Sammy has lamented the failure of the West Indies to exploit potential match winning moments in their current One Day International series against Australia.

CANBERRA, Australia,  CMC –A scan is to be carried out on West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle on Thursday to determine the extent of an injury sustained during the third One Day international against Australia today.

CANBERRA, Australia, CMC- West Indies middle order batsman Darren Bravo says playing with a straight bat is the remedy to neutralize the dangerous Australian seamer Mitchell Starc.

Gidram Rasiawan, age 17, of Eccles, East Bank Demerara this morning appeared in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving following Sunday’s smash up at Mon Repos.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Britain’s Royal Bank of Scotland will pay U.S.

Three persons have been confirmed dead after they were shot by plain clothes policemen this morning in what Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said was a “shoot-out” with bandits.

A notice in today’s Guyana Chronicle is notifying residents of Mocha Arcadia, Mocha Housing Scheme, Barnwell, Cane View, New Providence and the general public that the Mocha Access Road will be closed from February 8, 2013 to March 8, 2013 for the reconstruction of a dilapidated bridge along the road.

(Reuters) – A powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake set off a tsunami that killed at least five people in a remote part of the Solomon Islands today and triggered evacuations across the South Pacific as island nations issued tsunami alerts.

CANBERRA,  (Reuters) – Shane Watson celebrated his return to international cricket with a sparkling innings of 122 to drive Australia to a 39-run victory over West Indies in the third one-dayer and an unassailable 3-0 series lead.

(Barbados Nation) THERE IS A SUGGESTION that law-enforcement and regulatory officials here may not be carrying out sufficient investigations and prosecuting people reported to the Financial Intelligence Unit of Barbados (FIU) for suspicious transactions.

(Trinidad Express) THE TRINIDAD and Tobago Publishers and Broadcasters Association (TTPBA) has criticised Communications Minister Jamal Mohammed for his “dictatorial manner” about the airing of Government programming and says it will be seeking a legal opinion on the matter.

(Trinidad Express) As the midnight deadline for the nomination of a new President neared last night, queries were raised as to whether Justice Anthony Carmona met the constitutional requirements to assume the post.

The police say they are conducting investigations into the murder of 14-year-old student Camelos Arthur of Achiwuib, South Rupununi, which occurred at about 1330h today, at Achiwuib.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua,  CMC- Ottis Gibson has signed a new three year contract as Head Coach of the West Indies cricket team, the WICB announced late today.

LOS ANGELES,  (Reuters) – Prosecutors today asked a court to find R&B singer Chris Brown in violation of his probation because they say community service records stemming from his 2009 assault on girlfriend Rihanna contain “significant discrepancies.”

The umbrella body for security organizations today said its members were unaware of a major contract awarded for the provision of security services in the regions and raised concerns that the process was being manipulated.

A team from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) that includes its United States Executive Director Gustavo Arnavat is scheduled to conduct an aerial inspection of ongoing works at the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project site, according to the Government Information Agency.