Staff Editor

The combined opposition this evening voted to cut $150M from the Office of the President’s proposed budgetary allocations for contracted employees.

ROSEAU, Dominica,  (Reuters) – In what was almost certainly his final innings in the Caribbean, Ricky Ponting provided a crucial half-century as Australia built a lead of 310 runs by the close of the third day of the final test against West Indies.

Following a gruelling session that saw Minister in the Ministry of Finance Juan Edghill facing a barrage of questions the opposition banded together and excised the budget allocations for state TV, NCN and GINA in a historic move in Parliament today.

(Barbados Nation) Class is permanent, form is temporary! It is really downright disgraceful the way the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the selectors have treated former captain Ramnaresh Sarwan.

(Trinidad Express) The unemployment rate in Trinidad and Tobago has fallen.

(Trinidad Express) Shouts of jubilation echoed through the streets of the capital city yesterday morning as TV6’s Crime Watch host, Ian Alleyne, led a group of supporters from the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court to Express House after being granted bail on four charges.

(Trinidad Express) Attorney General Anand Ramlogan says he is using his own resources, rather than the resources of the State, to litigate his cases against Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley.

(Jamaica Observer) Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding has emerged from the shadows with a lawsuit against embattled Florida-based Jamaican law professor, David Rowe.

(Jamaica Gleaner) A senior member of the Government has declared the administration will not allow the Office of the Contractor General (OCG) to be a stumbling block in the engagement of private entities as the state moves to take advantage of investment opportunities.

(Jamaica Gleaner) At least 12 American Airlines passengers who were scheduled to depart the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston to Miami, last evening refused to board the aircraft which had mechanical and electrical problems earlier today.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – “After a somewhat false start, we’ve debated the bill seriously,” a visibly pleased Speaker of Parliament Jennifer Geerlings-Simons said immediately after the passing of the Stalking bill with 32 unanimous votes.

(Trinidad Guardian) The award of a TT$.5 billion contract to the China Jiangsu International firm is a “worrying sign” for Government senator David Abdulah.

(Trinidad Guardian) Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh says he intends to take the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) to court concerning the 1,700 unfilled teaching vacancies in schools.

ROSEAU, Dominica,  (Reuters) – Spinner Nathan Lyon bagged three wickets as West Indies slumped to 165 for eight to leave Australia with a lead of 163 at the close of the second day of the third test today.

The Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) are reporting that coming out of talks today held with the President at the Office of the President, Government is unwilling to budge on almost all of the issues that have been proposed and this will likely lead to the prosecution of cuts in the budget tomorrow.

The police say they are investigating an incident that occurred at about 1100h today at Coomacka Mines, Linden, where Linden Johnson of Wisroc Housing Scheme, Wismar, was shot and injured to his left thigh during a confrontation with an armed Bosai Mining Company Security Guard.

Police say that at about 1115h today, ranks responded to a report of a man armed with a cutlass behaving disorderly and using indecent language at No.

Police say that a post-mortem examination was today performed on the body of Merle Jordan by Pathologist Dr.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – The Venezuelan government today broadcast a video of President Hugo Chavez playing the European bowling game of bocce in Cuba in a new effort to quash rumors that he was dying of cancer while out of the country.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., (Reuters) – President Barack Obama today described a U.S.