Staff Editor

(Jamaica Observer) The lotto scam task force is now conducting operations at the premises of two PNP councillors in St James, including the deputy mayor of Montego Bay Michael Troupe.

(Jamaica Observer) The Clarke family has expressed satisfaction with yesterday’s ruling by the director of public prosecutions (DPP) that murder charges be brought against three soldiers for the 2010 shooting of their loved one, Keith Clarke, during the hunt for former Tivoli Gardens don Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.

Lindeners turned out in large numbers this morning for the first of a five-day ‘shutdown’ of the town as the protest over the imposition of a hike in electricity rates gathered steam.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Nestlé Jamaica Limited has spent close to US$8 million to invest in expanding and upgrading its Supligen production line at its Bybrook plant in Linstead.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – Australia named the following 30-man squad for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in Sri Lanka in September and October.

(Reuters) – India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has been named in a preliminary 30-man squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, raising hopes of a return to international cricket after undergoing cancer treatment.

(Barbados Nation) A Standard & Poor’s “junk status” downgrade of Barbados’ economy drew sharp criticism from the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr Delisle Worrell, yesterday, while the Opposition called for his head and for Prime Minister Freundel Start to call a general election.

BEIRUT,  (Reuters) – Assef Shawkat, brother-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad, was killed in a bomb attack which targeted a meeting of Assad’s top security and military officials today, Hezbollah’s al-Manar television and a security source in Syria said.

(Trinidad Express) Nearly a quarter of a million Caribbean citizens are HIV positive, though AIDS-related deaths have declined by almost 50 per cent in ten years, UNAIDS has said.

(Trinidad Express) In the face of an increasing number of homicides since his appointment as National Security Minister, Jack Warner yesterday said he was not deterred by the statistics, and would not give up.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Narcotics police have seized 509 pounds of marijuana at the Kingston Container Terminal.

LUCERNE, Switzerland,  (Reuters) – World 100 metres champion Yohan Blake showed he was in good heart to challenge compatriot Usain Bolt for Olympic sprint dominance in London by clocking 9.85 seconds to win at a meeting in Lucerne today.

The police say they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Delrick Layne, 30 years of Caribisi Hill, Bartica, which is reported to have occurred at about 0330h today at 14 Miles, Issano.

(Full statement as posted on Barbados Nation website) In our view, the economic fundamentals of Barbados continue to weaken, reflecting not only the external environment but also more pronounced competitiveness and other structural shortcomings; we believe that the fiscal stance remains weak, as seen in the rising debt burden, off-budget spending, and outstanding contingent liabilities.

(Barbados Nation) An operation at sea led by the Royal Barbados Police Force Drug Squad and assisted by the Barbados Coast Guard, and an element of the RSS, intercepted a go-fast boat at sea off North Point, St Lucy resulted in the seizure of 33 polythene bags of cannabis, weighing 1394 lbs.

(Jamaica Gleaner) A parliamentary committee is to be established to suggest ways to greater involve the Diaspora in Jamaican affairs.

Carl Greenidge, one of the two frontrunners in the race to be leader of the PNCR, has expressed some concern about the process leading up to voting at the party’s upcoming Biennial Congress, but he is confident that it will be addressed within the party.

ZURICH,  (Reuters) – FIFA named leading crime fighters from the United States and Germany today to tackle corruption in soccer’s world governing body and gave them free rein to re-examine the ISL bribery case.

KABUL, (Reuters) – An Afghan prison chief was jailed for 16 years today for raping a teenage girl, a rare show of justice for women in a country where they are suffering increased violence and offered scant protection from the law.

TORONTO,  (Reuters) – Two people were killed and 21 others injured in what may have been a gang-related shootout at a Toronto street party late on Monday evening, raising fears of violent retaliation in Canada’s largest city.