Staff Editor

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has filed a $1 million countersuit against the hotel maid who accused him of sexual assault, costing him his job and any chance of being elected president of France.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Despite strong opposition from the governors of two major United States cities and immigrant groups, the Obama administration says it will extend a controversial fingerprinting programme that identifies Caribbean and other illegal immigrants.

Queen’s College student Glinton Hanover has won a two-year, CDN$80,000 ($16.5M) scholarship to the Lester B Pearson College, Canada.

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – Five uncapped Indian cricketers have been provisionally suspended following allegations of corruption in the lucrative Indian Premier League, the country’s cricket board (BCCI) said today.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Rebekah Brooks, a close confidante of Rupert Murdoch, was charged today with interfering with a police investigation into a phone hacking scandal that has rocked the tycoon’s media empire and sent shockwaves through the British political establishment.

(Trinidad Express) International energy giants BP and BG Trinidad and Tobago yesterday signed three production sharing contracts (PSCs) for oil and gas exploration as a culmination of last July’s deep water energy bid round.

(Trinidad Express) Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley has called on Government to return Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) to the original business model at the time of its inception, and, among other things, to stop the airline from running a parallel service to compete with Leewards Islands Air Transport (LIAT) in and around the Caribbean.

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) will meet in a protocolary session today at 10:00 EDT (14:00 GMT) in the Hall of the Americas at the headquarters of the organization in Washington, DC, to receive the President of Guyana, Donald Ramotar, a press release from the OAS said.

(Trinidad Express) A 25-year-old Laventille man, who police believed to be on the run from his enemies, was gunned down at his aunt’s home in Sangre Grande on Sunday night.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – The price tag for every holiday is SRD 50 million, but if the authorities decide to cut back on the number of national holidays, bringing the total from 15 to five, the country would be able to save SRD half a billion a year.

(Trinidad Express) Hindu Credit Union liquidator Ramdath D Rampersad yesterday testified he was physically attacked by former HCU president Harry Harnarine in the corridor of the High Court during a break in a legal matter involving the two.

(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will be leaving today on official business to Belize, New York and Barbados, a release from the Office of the Prime Minister said yesterday.

Women’s rights activists will be picketing to raise awareness of the lack of safe and affordable abortion in Guyana today at 12:30pm, in front of the Ministry of Health on Brickdam Avenue.

(Trinidad Express) Caribbean Airlines could soon be flying directly into Panama.

(Trinidad Express) A total of TT$78 million in cash was withdrawn from the Hindu Credit Union (HCU) even as its members were unable to access their deposits, Queen’s Counsel Edwin Glasgow said yesterday.

(Barbados Nation) Police are looking for a man considered armed and dangerous, who is wanted for questioning in connection with a number of serious criminal matters.

(Barbados Nation) The man who was shot while on a minibus at Road View, St Peter yesterday is currently in serious condition at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The decomposing remains of a Berbice woman who went missing five days ago were found today at Lochaber , West Canje.

Former Human Resources Manager of the Georgetown Public Hospital and Company Secretary of the Guyana Trinidad Mutual and Fire Insurance Company, Lionel Bert Whyte was stabbed to death near a popular nightspot during a robbery tonight.

As the controversy continues to rage over funds held by state holding company, NICIL, its head Winston Brassington tonight challenged AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan to a television forum for which they can jointly agree a moderator.