Staff Editor

KINGSTON, Jamaica,  CMC-Recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Michael Muirhead has declared an end to the once turbulent relationship between WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).

The Guyana Trades Union Congress and the Guyana Public Service Union today announced that they will be holding a joint press conference tomorrow The press conference will be held at the GPSU’s Headquarters, 160 Regent & Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Bourda at 12:00 hrs.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) today announced that it has tentatively scheduled one of the West Indies v Pakistan Test matches for the Providence stadium in light of progress towards the “normalization” of the cricket situation here.

RIO DE JANEIRO,  (Reuters) – After years of gains against destruction of the Amazon rainforest, Brazil appears to be suffering from an increase in deforestation as farmers, loggers, miners and builders move into previously untouched woodland, according to data compiled by the government and independent researchers.

UNITED NATIONS,  (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council has given a green light for peacekeepers to use surveillance drones in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after weeks of delay over concerns of Russia, China and Rwanda about the use of aerial spy equipment.

(Trinidad Guardian) Former Clico business magnate Lawrence Duprey has written to the commission of enquiry into the collapse of Clico to say he is unwilling to appear before it to give evidence.

Police Commissioner (ag) Leroy Brumell has confirmed the fatal shooting of a man outside the Cool Square Guest House in West Ruimveldt.

The police today said that four bodies have been found following Tuesday’s collision in the Mazaruni River that left nine persons missing.

(Barbados Nation) Get video cameras working in all police stations in Barbados and protect the innocent.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – Victoria Azarenka brought Sloane Stephens’s Melbourne Park fairytale to an end today, setting up an Australian Open final against Li Na, but the defending champion came under fire for taking an injury timeout just as her nerves appeared to desert her.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – China’s Li Na sent a wayward Maria Sharapova crashing out of the Australian Open semi-finals on Thursday and says there will be no repeat of her capitulation to Kim Clijsters in the 2011 Melbourne Park final.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic produced some of the best tennis of his career and wasted little time in advancing to his third successive Australian Open final with a 6-2 6-2 6-1 destruction of fourth seed David Ferrer in 89 minutes today.

MADRID,  (Reuters) – Spain’s influential El Pais newspaper withdrew what it said was “false photo of Hugo Chavez” that it had published in its on-line and print editions today.

(Trinidad Express) He may not have paid a price at the polls for his now infamous “Calcutta ship coming” statement, but Hilton Sandy, according to sources, will be relieved of the portfolio of Deputy Chief Secretary at the inauguration of the Tobago House of Assembly.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro said unidentified groups had entered the country with the aim of assassinating him and the head of the National Assembly as President Hugo Chavez recovers from cancer in Cuba.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has decided to lift the military’s ban on women serving in combat, a move that could open thousands of front-line warfighting jobs to female service members, a senior U.S.

Up to 5 pm today there was no sign of any of the eight persons missing after two boats collided yesterday up the Mazaruni River around 12.30 pm.

Former Stanford Financial Group Co. finance chief James M. Davis was yesterday sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in a 20-year, US$7 billion international fraud scheme, according to Bloomberg.

MIAMI,  CMC- Eight new world class venues in the United States are among 13 which have been selected for the prestigious Gold Cup in July, CONCACAF announced today.

GPL today said that Bartica and parts of Georgetown were affected by power cuts this morning after several problems.