Trinidad record five murders on the weekend
The murder toll in Trinidad has jumped to 12 following five murders on the weekend.
The latest victim was discovered by officers of the Inter Agency Task Force yesterday while they were on patrol in the Laventille area.
The man was found in a pool of blood, with gunshot wounds to his head, chest and arm, around 3 am yesterday. He remained unidentified up to press time. The discovery was made by officers who were on patrol at Eastern Quarry, Laventille.
Four murders were recorded in 11 hours on Saturday.
- Around 5 a.m. on Saturday Mark "Teets" Joseph, 26, was shot dead inside his Mahogany Drive apartment at Malabar in Arima.
- Kerron Decarreau, 22, also of Mahogany Drive, was shot standing outside his home a short while after. Police believe Joseph and Decarreau were killed as a reprisal for the murder of Jeremy James, 22, last Thursday.
- In a separate incident, Marvin Harewood, 31, was shot dead outside his Riverside Drive, La Puerta, Diego Martin, home around 5 a.m. on Saturday. Harewood's girlfriend was also shot during the incident.
- The fourth of the victims to be killed in the 11-hour timeframe was 24-year-old Kevin Brown.
Guatemalan mayor Carlos Castillo Medrano shot dead
The mayor of the eastern Guatemalan town of Jutiapa has been shot dead as he waited to have his hair cut at a barber's.
Witnesses say Carlos Enrique Castillo Medrano, 39, was killed by two unidentified men who shot at him six times before escaping on a motorbike.
His death came as President Otto Perez Molina addressed the nation to mark his first year in office and hailed "a historic decline in violence".
Murders were down by some 10%, he said.
"We have had 526 fewer homicides in 2012 than in the previous year," said Mr Perez Molina in his state-of-the-nation address.
According to government figures, there were 5,174 violent deaths in Guatemala in 2012.
The president also highlighted a reduction in other crimes.
"Kidnappings are down by 33% and we have managed to dismantle many criminal organisations," he said.
Brother in jail
In recent years, Guatemala has had one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world, according to the United Nations.
Figures from 2010 indicated a rate of 40 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
Guatemala has struggled to deal with the violence generated by the drug gangs.
Much of the cocaine and other drugs produced in South America is smuggled through Central America to reach the United States.
Powerful gangs, with ramifications across the region and the United States, are behind much of the crime and are known to co-operate with the big Mexican drug cartels, such as the Zetas.
Mr Castillo Medrano is one of many mayors and local government officials who have been killed, kidnapped or injured in the last few years.
He was an experienced politician, who had served as mayor of a nearby town for three terms before being elected to the same post in Jutiapa in 2011.
The motive for his killing is unclear.
His brother, former congressman Manuel de Jesus Castillo Medrano, is serving a jail sentence for the murder of three politicians from neighbouring El Salvador.
--BBC
Grenadians will go to the polls next month
Grenadians will head to the polls on Tuesday February 19th 2013.
The date has just been announced by Prime Minister Hon Tillman Thomas as he addressed supporters at a rally, hosted by the New Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Prime Minister did not announce a nomination date.
Both parties contesting the general elections are at this time holding separate rallies and both have attracted thousands of supporters.
Meantime.....
The two parties have voiced their concern about the voters registration list, noting that thousands of names are missing.
The National Democratic Congress and New National Party say names that appeared on a list in September are missing from the newest list.
NNP's Gregory Bowen during a rally tonight again made mention of the more than 1,200 names alone were removed from a constituency in the capital of St. George's.
Golden Globes: Ben Affleck's Argo scoops two awards
Ben Affleck has won best director for his film Argo at the Golden Globe awards.
Argo, set amidst the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, also won best drama.
Best actor in a drama went to Daniel Day-Lewis for his role in the biopic Lincoln, while Jessica Chastain won best actress in a drama for Zero Dark Thirty.
Earlier, British singer Adele won best song for the theme to the James Bond film Skyfall.
Collecting her trophy, she said: "Honestly, I've come out for a night out with my friend Ida - we're new mums - I have literally come for a night out. I was not expecting this."The Golden Globes gives a separate accolade for best film musical or comedy, which was won by Tom Hooper's film of stage hit Les Miserables - the only British film to win an award.
It won three in total, with actress Anne Hathaway winning best supporting actress for her portrayal of Fantine in the film.
"Thank you for this lovely blunt object that I will forevermore use as a weapon against self-doubt," she said as she collected her trophy.
The film's lead Hugh Jackman won best actor in a musical or comedy.
Eric Fellner, producer of Les Miserables and co-chairman of Working Title Film, said: "Making this film was an incredibly risky proposition.
"But so much passion and love was put into the making of it and that's what seems to have won out."Dame Maggie Smith won best supporting actress in a series for her role in Downton Abbey.
Homeland took best TV drama, with Damian Lewis winning best TV actor for his role in the series.
Quentin Tarantino, accepting the best screenplay award for his film Django Unchained, said: "This is a damn surprise, and I'm happy to be surprised."
Christoph Waltz took best supporting actor for his role in the film.
But the western lost out to Argo in the best drama category along with Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, Life of Pi, Ang Lee's adaption of the Yann Martel novel, and Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow's film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.
Amour, directed by Austria's Michael Haneke, won best foreign film.
In the drama actor category, Day-Lewis was shortlisted alongside fellow Oscar candidates Denzel Washington and Joaquin Phoenix.
Silver Linings Playbook star Bradley Cooper was also nominated for the award, with both men also nominated in the best actor category at the Oscars.
The best actress in a musical or comedy category was won by Cooper's co-star in Silver Linings Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence.
Accepting her award, Lawrence thanked producer Harvey Weinstein for "killing whoever you had to kill to get me up here"The ceremony was also visited by former President Bill Clinton, who praised historical drama Lincoln.
"President Lincoln's struggle to abolish slavery reminds us that enduring progress is forged in a cauldron of both principle and compromise," he said. "This brilliant film shows us how he did it and gives us hope that we can do it again."
The ceremony's co-host Amy Poehler, said after Clinton left the stage, "Wow, what an exciting special guest! That was Hillary Clinton's husband!"
Comedy actresses Poehler and 30 Rock star Tina Fey took over presenter duties from Britain's Ricky Gervais, who had hosted the ceremony for the last three years.
The pair were both nominated for the best TV comedy actress prize for their work in 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation respectively.
"Tina, I just want to say that I very much hope that I win," said Poehler, as the ceremony beganHowever, they were both pipped by Lena Dunham, creator and star of sitcom Girls, which also won best comedy TV series.
Assisting Poehler and Fey on stage were Mr and Miss Golden Globes, the recipients of honorary titles that are traditionally awarded annually to the children of celebrities with their own ambitions in the industry.
Sam Michael Fox, son of Michael J Fox, and Clint Eastwood's daughter Francesca were the two scions selected this year by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HPFA), organisers of the awards.
Two-time Oscar winner, Jodie Foster, who has also won two Globes from seven nominations, received the Cecil B DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.
She used her thank-you speech to make an impassioned plea for privacy.
"If you had been a public figure from the time that you were a toddler, if you'd had to fight for a life that felt real and honest and normal against all odds, then maybe you too might value privacy above all else. Privacy. Some day, in the future, people will look back and remember how beautiful it once was."
The Silence Of The Lambs star also addressed her sexuality for the first time in public, saying she had come out to "trusted friends and family", then "gradually, proudly" to everyone she met.
"But now I'm told, apparently that every celebrity is expected to honour the details of their private life with a press conference, a fragrance and a prime-time reality show."
The 50-year-old went on to thank her former partner Cydney Bernard, her two sons and her mother Evelyn, before pledging to keep making films.
"Here's to the next 50 years."
The ceremony was shown live in the US on the NBC network, with edited highlights to follow in the UK on the 5USA channel.
BBC
Crime novelist Patricia Cornwell sues finance firm
Author Patricia Cornwell has sued her former financial firm for $100m (£62m).
The writer, best known for crime novels featuring medical investigator Dr Kay Scarpetta, has accused the firm of negligence and breach of contract.
She said she fired the firm in 2009, after discovering her fortune had shrunk to under $13m (£8m)— the equivalent of one year's net income.
On trial in Boston, defence lawyers portrayed Cornwell as a big spender, who wasted money on a lavish lifestyle.
Cornwell's case has been brought against Anchin, Block and Anchin, a New York firm that handles accounts and wealth management, as well as Evan Snapper, a former principal in the firm.
She alleged that Anchin borrowed several million dollars from her fortune, including mortgages for property and a loan for the purchase of a helicopter. The firm also lost millions by moving her money into a high-risk investment portfolio without her permission, it has been alleged.
The multi-million-selling writer also claimed to have found cheques written for expenses she had not authorized, including one for a $5,000 (£3,100) gift to Evan Snapper's daughter.
When the case was first filed in 2009, Snapper pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws by buying $50,000 (£31,100) in tickets to an Elton John concert benefiting Hillary Clinton, using Cornwell's money. He paid a fine.
However, lawyers for Snapper and Anchin argued that their clients were not to blame for the depletion of Cornwell's fortune, and that the fees they charged were reasonable.
They suggested Cornwell and her spouse Staci Gruber, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, were spendthrifts who made frequent impulse purchases.
Among their expenses were a $40,000-a-month (£25,000) apartment in Trump Tower in New York, a $5m (£3.1m) private jet service, and $11 million (£6.7m) to buy properties in Concord, Massachusetts.
"Where did the money go? Ms Cornwell and Dr Gruber spent the money," said defence lawyer James Campbell.
"You have to consider the large lifestyles involved, the spending habits, impulsive buying."
During his opening statement, Mr Campbell described Cornwell as "a demanding client" who "tends to push off responsibility and assign blame when things go off track".
Cornwell, who is notoriously private, is expected to appear at the trial, which is entering its second week.
She suffers from bipolar disorder, she revealed in court papers relating to the case, and this was one of the reasons she employed an outside firm to handle her business affairs and investments.
"This case is, at its core, about trust," her lawyer, Joan Lukey, told the jury at Boston Federal Court.
"There is no amount of money that is enough to properly compensate her for what Anchin, Block and Anchin did."
Bin Laden drama Zero Dark Thirty tops US box office chart
Zero Dark Thirty was the top draw in the US and Canada this weekend, taking an estimated $24m (£14.8m) in its first three days on wide release.
Kathryn Bigelow's film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, which had a limited cinema run last month, was last week nominated for five Academy Awards.
Its leading lady, Jessica Chastain, was crowned best actress in a drama at the Golden Globes on Sunday.
The fact-based film opens in the UK and Ireland on 25 January.
Bigelow's follow-up to her Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker has been the subject of much controversy in the US, with critics attacking its depiction of aggressive interrogation methods.
Yet that did not impede its performance at the North American box office, which was considerably stronger than that of two other new releases.
A Haunted House, a horror parody starring Marlon Wayans, opened in second place with a three-day tally of $18.8m (£11.6m), according to studio estimates.
Crime caper Gangster Squad, meanwhile, could only manage a third-place finish with a less-than-expected $16.7m (£10.3) haul.
The rest of this week's Top 10 is dominated by such awards hopefuls as Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook.
Overall business this weekend came in at $142m (£88m), up more than 7% on the same period last year.
Montano must quit or be fired as TT’s Goodwill Ambassador to the UN as he faces convictions
Machel Montano must quit his post of TT’s Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) or be fired from that post, because of his conviction by the courts on charges of assault and using obscene language.
This is the call being made by president of the International Radio Emergency Support Coalition (IRESC) Julien Mervyn Dedier. In a one-page letter dated January 1, addressed to UN Women Caribbean Sub-Regional Programme Director Roberta Clarke, in Barbados.
The letter stated: “Machel’s action is not in keeping with the United Nations’ theme on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.”
Montano, the reigning Power Soca Monarch and Road March King, was found guilty by Port-of-Spain Magistrate Maureen Baboolal-Gafoor last month on four charges.
The charges stemmed from a fracas outside the Zen nightclub, in Port-of-Spain, in April 2007. Three of the charges were for assaulting patrons Gerard Bowrin, Brandis Browne, Janelle Lee Chee and Russell Pollonais. The fourth charge against Montano was for using obscene language during the same incident.
Also charged with offences out of the same incident were Kernel Roberts, the son of legendary Calypso icon Lord Kitchener, Joel “Zan” Feveck, a member of Montano HD Family, and Rodney “Benjai” LeBlanc. Roberts was also found guilty on two charges of assault while LeBlanc and Feveck were found not guilty.
“Machel’s action and convictions, is enough for him to be removed as Goodwill UN Ambassador,” the letter added. Sentencing against Montano and Roberts is expected to be handed down on January 17.
Source--Newsday
Kimmel beats TV rival Letterman
US TV presenter Jimmy Kimmel has beaten David Letterman in the battle of the late night talkshow hosts.
ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live moved from its midnight slot to 2335 on Tuesday, putting it in direct competition with top-rated hosts Letterman and Jay Leno.
The debut show, featuring Jennifer Aniston, won 3.1 million viewers, against Letterman's 2.9 million on CBS, according to Nielsen figures.
Jay Leno's Tonight Show on NBC topped the ratings with 3.3 million viewers.
"I am now 25 minutes closer to my lifelong dream of co-hosting The View," joked Kimmel about his show's earlier time slot, referring to the popular daytime talk show hosted by Barbara Walters.
New generation
Kimmel, 45, is being pushed as the new face of late night television, with both Leno, 62, and Letterman, 65, seeing their ratings fall in recent months.
The younger presenter fares particularly well with the key 18-49 demographic, an area in which he beat Letterman by 30 per cent on Tuesday, with 887,000 viewers versus 683,000.
The earlier show also saw Kimmel add more than a million to his usual audience numbers. His show typically drew 1.9 million in its former midnight time slot.
However, it remains to be seen whether Kimmel will continue to attract high ratings. When NBC moved Conan O'Brien to the same slot in 2009, the early results were strong but O'Brien's ratings quickly slumped and the comedian was axed from the network.
Volkswagen sales hit record high in 2012
Volkswagen says its group sales hit a record high last year despite slowing sales in Western Europe.
The German carmaker sold 9.07 million cars last year, up 11% from 2011.
Sales in North America and Asia-Pacific rose 26.2% and 23.3% respectively, helping to offset a 6.5% drop in sales in Western Europe, excluding Germany where sales were up 1.9%.
Volkswagen said it was optimistic for this year despite the economic problems in the eurozone.
"Tough challenges lie ahead. The Volkswagen Group has everything it takes to face these challenges and to play a leading role on world markets," said Volkswagen chairman Dr Martin Winterkorn.
However, sales at Volkswagen are still expected to lag those at rival Toyota, which has forecast a 22% jump in sales last year to 9.7 million vehicles.
Toyota has not yet released its official global sales figures for 2012.
At Volkswagen, its passenger cars remained the most popular, recording sales of 5.7 million last year.
Sales of sports car Porsche, which Volkswagen took over last August, were 59,500 between August and December.
The economic turmoil in the eurozone, which has seen several countries including Greece, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland need international financial help, has hurt car sales in the region.
Last week, Peugeot Citroen reported worldwide sales down 16.5% for 2012, which it blamed on "the crisis affecting the European automobile market".
Meanwhile, Honda revealed plans to cut 800 jobs at its Swindon plant which it also blamed on weak demand in European markets.
Heathrow: 2012 'busiest year on record'
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Heathrow has said that it handled 70 million passengers in 2012, the highest number on record, as the crowded airport saw bigger and fuller planes.
Numbers rose 0.9% from 2011, with 3.2% growth in its staple North Atlantic business, and traffic to the Far East and Brazil boosted by new routes.
December was also a record month at the airport, with China traffic up 23%.
But the growth in passenger numbers during 2012 was balanced by a 1.3% drop in cargo passing through the airport.
Heathrow has been operating close to official full capacity for several years.
Besides the spare capacity freed up by cargo, the airport said that the higher passenger numbers had been due to an increase in the aircraft load factor - a measure of how full planes are - from 75.2% to 75.6%, as well as in average aircraft size from 194.8 seats to 197.4.
It meant that the average plane flying through Heathrow was carrying almost 2% more passengers in 2012 than the year before.
The distribution of traffic across different destinations last year reflected the changing fortunes of various countries' economies:
East Asia rose 6.2% in the year, in part due to recovery from Japan's 2011 tsunami, and climbed by 14.8% in December from a year earlier as new routes opened
The recession-struck eurozone economies of Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain saw a collective 4.5% drop in traffic in 2012
Middle Eastern passenger numbers rebounded 3.4% as the political situation in most of the region stabilised
Passenger numbers to India and Africa fell, as routes shifted away from these regions in favour of higher-growth developing economies
"The figures for 2012 show Heathrow is delivering higher passenger numbers despite a tough economic climate," said Heathrow chief executive Colin Matthews.
"At the same time, passenger satisfaction levels reached record levels."
The airport is due to complete the reconstruction of Terminal 2 in 2014, which will increase the number of passengers it can handle, but not the number of flights.
Meanwhile, Stansted airport is close to being sold by parent company Heathrow Airports Holdings Ltd - which used to be known as BAA.
Three groups are expected to submit final bids this week for the single-runway airport in Essex.
The favourite is a joint venture between Manchester Airport and the Australian infrastructure investment fund Industry Fund Management.
BAA was told to sell Stansted - as well as Gatwick and either of Glasgow or Edinburgh - in 2009 following an investigation by the Competition Commission.