Regional News

BOGOTA,  (Reuters) – Judges on Colombia’s constitutional court voted yesterday to decriminalize abortion until 24 weeks of gestation, the court said in a statement, in a victory for abortion rights groups which sued to have the procedure removed from the penal code.

Barbados is to host the largest clean hybrid power plant in the Caribbean, producing baseload power for 16,000 Barbadian households from solar and locally produced green hydrogen Rubis Energie, the parent company of Rubis Caribbean, has acquired 51% of the largest hydrogen power project in the Caribbean, Renewstable® Barbados (“RSB”), developed by HDF Energy, a release from the company said last week.

PORT-AU-PRINCE,  (Reuters) – Haiti’s government yesterday hiked the minimum wage by as much as 54% following weeks of demonstrations by garment workers who say their wages are not enough to keep up with the rising cost of living.

(Barbados Nation) Government will soon be setting up a new Constitution Review Commission, says Attorney General Dale Marshall, and he will be making recommendations about its membership to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.

(Trinidad Guardian) Michael Deepak Doodooman valiantly braved the scorching heat, trying to save his elderly parents as he saw them rolling around on the ground, their clothing engulfed in flames, as a raging inferno swept through their Princes Town home yesterday morning.

SANTO DOMINGO,  (Reuters) – The Dominican government yesterday began building a wall that will cover almost half of the 392-kilometre (244 miles) border with Haiti, its only land neighbour, to stop irregular migration and the smuggling of goods, weapons and drugs.

(Trinidad Express) Zepheniah Harripaul, who was abducted from his Chaguaramas workplace on Thursday, told his family he had been threatened and someone attempted to run his car off the road recently.

HAVANA, (Reuters) – Russia and Cuba will deepen ties and explore collaboration in transportation, energy, industry and banking, Cuba’s Foreign Ministry said late on Friday following a visit from Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov.

CANCAHUANI, Peru, (Reuters) – On a cold day in January, a group of angry indigenous communities in Peru’s copper-rich Andes was driving a hard bargain with the government and Chinese mining firm MMG Ltd around a makeshift negotiating table on a covered soccer pitch.

(Trinidad Express)  – The time limit on beaches and rivers will be no more from tomorrow.

(Trinidad Guardian) The investigative committee appointed by the Prime Minister to report on COVID-19 patient care and outcomes has given the parallel healthcare system a passing grade.

(Trinidad Express) Two sisters were killed in a fire early yesterday morning in Curepe.

(Trinidad Express) The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has instructed that businessman Adrian Scoon be charged.

BRASILIA,  (Reuters) – The United States on Thursday criticized Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s declaration of “solidarity” with Russia during a visit there this week as it amassed troops near Ukraine’s borders, raising fears it is planning to invade.

(Trinidad Express) The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has instructed that businessman Adrian Scoon be charged.

(Trinidad Express) Activist Jowelle De Souza made history on Tuesday as the first transgender person to be appointed a senator.

(Trinidad Guardian) Two sisters were killed in a fire on Thursday morning believed to be from a firebombing at their home in Curepe.

(Trinidad Guardian) Judicial officers can now consider granting bail to persons charged with murder.

SANTO DOMINGO,  (Reuters) – The Dominican Republic ended all COVID-19 public health restrictions yesterday, including a mask mandate and vaccine checks in public spaces, despite not yet reaching the government’s vaccination target of 70% coverage for adults.

(Trinidad Guardian) Trinidad Generation Unlimited (TGU) has issued a statement concerning the nationwide power outage which occurred on Wednesday 16th February 2022.