Regional News

BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos would win more support than any other candidate in the first round vote for president, but the share of the electorate who will not pick any candidate on the ballot remains the biggest block of voters.

(Trinidad Express) Two more men were murdered on Saturday night in Barataria and Diego Martin carrying the country’s murder toll for the year so far to 49.

(Trinidad Express) Banking giant RBC Financial (Caribbean) Ltd is continuing to streamline its operations, this time sending home 20 employees from its Business Development Unit at a number of branches across the country.

(Trinidad Guardian) Two thousand lives have been lost to traffic accidents in the last decade, ACP Mobile Eunice Joseph said, yesterday.

(Trinidad Guardian) Acting Prime Minister Prakash Ramadhar says plans are under way to do away with the mandatory life certificates people before they can obtain their pensions.

(Barbados Nation) Several workers at the National Housing Corporation received letters ending their employment yesterday morning.

(Jamaica Observer) Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) will take a CAD$60 million (J$5.9 billion) loss on the sale of its Jamaican operations to Sagicor Group Jamaica (SGJ).

(Barbados Nation) Several workers at the National Housing Corporation received letters ending their employment this morning.

(Trinidad Express) A nurse was discovered dead in the trunk of her car at the San Fernando General Hospital this morning.

(Trinidad Express) A 12-YEAR-OLD boy and his 16-year-old sister were among four people who appeared in court yesterday charged with the murder of mechanic Dulraj Boyan Deodath, who was bludgeoned to death at his Diego Martin home earlier this month.

(Trinidad Express) Had the capital city not seen a change in wind direction on Tuesday, smoke streaming out of the Beetham Landfill could have caused “mass casualties”, Deputy Mayor of Port of Spain, Keron Valentine, said yesterday.

  (Jamaica Gleaner) A father of seven was yesterday morning murdered in front of three of his children as he took them to school.

HAVANA, (Reuters) – Latin American leaders backed the right of all countries in the region to choose their own political systems yesterday, a victory for Cuba as the only one-party state in the western hemisphere.

HAVANA, (Reuters) – Cuban President Raul Castro challenged Latin American and Caribbean leaders yesterday to improve health care and education, telling a regional summit they have the natural resources to eradicate poverty but may lack the political will.

MANAGUA,  (Reuters) – Nicaragua’s national assembly yesterday voted to scrap presidential term limits, which could allow socialist President Daniel Ortega to remain in power indefinitely and has stoked concerns about democracy in the Central American country.

(Trinidad Express) The Government is currently facing a US$100 million claim in the United States from the minority shareholder of the US$400 million Alutrint smelter plant—Venezuelan company Sural—as a consequence of the People’s Partnership administration’s decision to cancel the smelter plant, Opposi-tion Leader Dr Keith Rowley said yesterday.

(Barbados Nation) Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the unnatural death of  Torian Cleveland Earl, 21, of 10th Avenue, New Orleans, St.

(Trinidad Express) A 34-YEAR-old Mayaro woman and her unborn twins died on Monday at hospital mere weeks before she was to give birth.

(Trinidad Express) The whereabouts of ex-director of Caribbean Sea Works Ltd, Victor Jattan, finally came to light yesterday as Jattan revealed himself to TV6 and the Express who were seeking answers about allegations made against him by a Guyanese businessman.

HAVANA (Reuters) – Latin American and Caribbean leaders converge on Cuba this week to discuss trade, peace and human rights in a further sign of regional eagerness to challenge the dominance of the United States.