Staff Editor

(Trinidad Express) Unlawful, unworkable, impractical. These were some of the terms used yesterday to describe the decision of the Government to withdraw on a phased basis from the Privy Council.

The 2012 budget was finally passed tonight after the joint opposition excised $20B of its original $192.8B.

The combined opposition this evening voted in Parliament against $224.4 million in allocations for the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit, the Ethnic Relations Commission and the State Planning Secretariat.

ROSEAU, Dominica, (Reuters) – Shivnarine Chanderpaul became the 10th batsman to reach 10,000 test runs as he headed West Indies’ attempt to avoid defeat in the third and final test against Australia today.

The two parliamentary opposition parties today said they are prepared for early general and regional elections, amid concerns in some quarters that government is becoming increasingly frustrated at APNU and AFC’s exercising control in the National Assembly.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, has issued an advisory to students warning that they will not be allowed to sit their final exams this semester, unless they have cleared their tuition balances.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – While Iamgold is negotiating with the government about expansion of the Rosebel Goldmines (RGM) in Brokopondo, it has caused much speculation on international stock markets by mentioning more expansion plans in the Americas.

A Partnership for National Unity today defended cuts it helped engineer in the budget provisions for GINA and NCN saying that non-political management of these two media outfits was needed.

(Jamaica Observer) Jamaican finger-rape victim Shanique Myrie says a flood of bitter memories fell on her like a ton of bricks on her return to the Eastern Caribbean island of Barbados last week.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Jamaicans who frequent the United States (US) – including merchants, athletes, pilots and entertainers – should soon expect to see their income and savings above US$50,000 disclosed to that government under a measure to catch tax dodgers called the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

(Jamaica Gleaner) The head of one major financial institution in Jamaica is urging the government delegation now meeting with International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials in Washington to use the opportunity to engage members of the Barack Obama administration in discussion on the controversial Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), and how it will impact local financial institutions.

(Barbados Nation) The governments of Barbados and its regional neighbours have been severely criticized for their increasing “appetite for taxation of the tourism industry” which is biting into the sector’s earnings.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – VHP legislator Asiskumar Gajadien is not surprised the coalition has fewer members now, as this was to be expected.

(Barbados Nation) Barbados’ main economic engine seems to be sputtering as commercial banks report that a sizeable portion of their non-performing loans are linked to the tourism industry.

OSLO, (Reuters) – Around 40,000 people gathered in Oslo today to sing a popular children’s song ridiculed by Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people last July, as a show of protest against the right-wing activist’s anti-immigrant views.

KADUNA, Nigeria,  (Reuters) – The office of Nigeria’s This Day newspaper in the northern city of Kaduna was bombed today, security sources said, the same day a bomber killed at least three people in the paper’s building in the capital Abuja.

THE HAGUE, (Reuters) – A United Nations-backed court convicted former Liberian president Charles Taylor of war crimes today, the first time an African head of state has been found guilty by an international tribunal.

(Trinidad Express) Racial tension continues to be an issue in Trinidad and Tobago, two of the country’s business leaders have suggested.

The combined Opposition tonight voted against two allocations totalling $527 million for the Guyana Elections Commission saying that the necessary reforms must be made and if they are, APNU and the AFC would support a supplementary appropriation to get the money back.

The joint opposition last evening voted to chop proposed budgetary allocations to the Office of the President by a whopping $345.