Senator Kamala Harris said Monday that she is in favour of legalising marijuana at the federal level, pushing back against detractors in her own party who say she has a history of being too aggressive on drug offenders. The California Democrat is running for president in 2020 and is widely considered a front-runner for the party’s nomination.

The former California attorney general has been hammered by liberals in her party for declining to support Proposition 64, a state ballot measure passed in 2016 to legalise the drug. “Half my family’s from Jamaica, are you kidding me?” Harris said in an interview Monday with the nationally syndicated radio show “The Breakfast Club.” She previously signalled her newfound support for legalising marijuana in her recent book, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey.” “Something else it’s past time we get done is dismantling the failed war on drugs — starting with legalising marijuana,” Harris wrote in the book, which was released in January.(Jamaica Gleaner)…[+]

LOS ANGELES — Gov. Gavin Newsom of California is expected on Monday to withdraw nearly 400 of his state’s National Guard troops from deployment along the border with Mexico and assign them to other duties, according to aides to the governor. The step to rescind state authorization for the border deployment is a sharp rebuke of President Trump’s continued warnings that undocumented migrants present a national security risk to the United States. It follows a similar move last week by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico.

Under a “general order” that Mr. Newsom plans to sign on Monday, 110 California National Guard troops will be redirected to support the state’s central fire agency, Cal Fire, and another 100 will work on statewide “intelligence operations” aimed at international criminal drug gangs.(NYtimes)…[+]

Public officials in Trinidad and Tobago have acquired new technical skills in the use and application of the Damage and Loss Assessment (DaLA) methodology, following a workshop from 6-8 February 2019, conducted by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) subregional headquarters for the Caribbean. With the Ministry of Planning and Development as co-host, participants were drawn from several national entities, including the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), the Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society, the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission, and other partner Ministries involved in disaster response and management in Trinidad and Tobago.

Delivering opening remarks on behalf of ECLAC Caribbean was Deputy Director, Dr. Dillon Alleyne, who underscored the organization’s experience in disaster assessment. “ECLAC’s experience in this area to date has fully convinced us that in order to understand and reduce the risk of future disasters, as a region we need to evaluate the effects and impacts of past disasters, regardless of their magnitude. Large disasters showcase how they can setback previous social, economic and environmental gains, and remind us of our vulnerabilities…[+]

Port of Spain- The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) today released its 2018 annual report, which is currently available on the Court’s website at ccj.org. CCJ’s President, the Honourable Mr. Justice Adrian Saunders, said in his introduction to the report, “over the last year, the Court maintained its solid track record of outstanding judicial work. The appellate caseload of the CCJ steadily expanded. But, even more significant than the increase in the number of appeals heard and judgments delivered, was the impressive variety and significance of the cases themselves.”

The theme of the Court’s annual report, ‘building’, reflects on the solid foundation that the CCJ now has and how it will be used to fuel growth in the future. The report covers the CCJ’s previous judicial year, which began in August 2017 and ended in July 2018, and contains summaries of the 34 judgments issued in the Appellate Jurisdiction and one judgment from the Court’s Original Jurisdiction.  The Court’s financial performance, including its audited financial statements for 2017, is also included in the publication. In addition, the publication also includes reports from each of the Court’s departments, committees and related organisations.

The report also paid tribute to the Right Honourable Sir Dennis Byron, who demitted office as CCJ President during the period under review.  CCJ’s Registrar and Marshal, Ms. Jacqueline Graham, who heads the administrative function of the organisation commented, “the dynamism inherent in the leadership transition fostered an atmosphere that propelled the Court in the direction of exploring and taking advantage of opportunities to strengthen an already sturdy foundation”. Ms. Graham pointed to the fact that the CCJ’s 2019 – 2024 Strategic Plan, which was developed after seeking input from external and internal stakeholders, will direct the future of the organisation.  The CCJ will celebrate its 14th anniversary on 16 April 2019…[+]

Sir Lynton Crosby offered to work on a campaign to cancel the 2022 Qatar World Cup and get it awarded to another country in return for £5.5m, according to a leaked plan that gives a rare insight into the activities of one of the world’s best-known political operatives. The detailed pitch document – “a proposal for a campaign to expose the truth of the Qatar regime and bring about the termination of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar” – was written in April last year and personally signed by Crosby.

He said that if engaged, his lobbying firm, CTF Partners, would require £300,000 a month for 18 months to focus on efforts to delegitimise the Qatari government and put pressure on Fifa to “restart the bidding process” and award the World Cup to another country. As part of the pitch document, named “Project Ball”, Crosby said CTF Partners could set up full-time war rooms around the world to spread negative stories about Qatar in the mainstream media, run fake grassroots campaigns on social media, and lobby potentially friendly politicians, journalists and academics.(theguardian)…[+]

ADS Global Limited, the company that operated Fly Jamaica’s call centre five years ago, is appealing the US$4.2 million awarded to the airline in December for breach of contract. The judgment was handed down in the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court in December.  Attorney-at-law Kent Gammon, who represents ADS Global, believes the evidence presented by Fly Jamaica was inconsistent and insufficient. “How can you say we must then pay US$4.2 million when the airline wasn’t even in operation for eight months?” he questioned.  “How they can even come up with that figure is beyond me.” Fly Jamaica was founded in 2011 and used ADS’ call centre from 2012 to 2014.

Gammon said the assessment of damages was completely unlinked to any real losses that the airline could prove. Fly Jamaica initially brought the suit against ADS Global, claiming that the call centre acted unlawfully by closing its operation without giving proper notice to the airline.  The call centre was closed because Fly Jamaica had failed to pay its required fees.(Jamaica Gleaner)…[+]

Na­tion­al Se­cu­ri­ty Min­is­ter Stu­art Young ac­cused the Op­po­si­tion of be­ing racists, spark­ing a shout­ing match and name call­ing in the Par­lia­ment on Fri­day night. The in­ci­dent oc­curred while Young was mak­ing his con­tri­bu­tion to the de­bate on the Tres­pass (Amend­ment) Bill, 2019 in the Low­er House.

“I have al­so sat here and asked per­mis­sion to en­ter this de­bate be­cause I find it quite dis­taste­ful to sug­gest and re­duce this piece of leg­is­la­tion in the most deroga­to­ry terms and man­ners I have heard from those on the oth­er side to­day by sug­gest­ing it’s for HDC (Hous­ing De­vel­op­ment Cor­po­ra­tion) and it’s for per­sons who live in HDC hous­es and to talk about Dun­can Street, and to talk about East Port-of-Spain in the most deroga­to­ry of man­ners,” Young said. “So as the Mem­ber for Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West and a rep­re­sen­ta­tive for a large part of East Port-of-Spain, I rise for the peo­ple that I rep­re­sent and point them out for be­ing the racists that they are here to­day for be­ing those who have come here to at­tack those who sit in HDC hous­es, I am not with­draw­ing it,” Young said.(Trinidad Guardian)…[+]

A Sumatran tiger kept at London zoo has been killed by its potential mate during their first meeting. Keepers had hoped the big cats would breed but have been left devastated after Asim, the male they brought in, attacked Melati. The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) kept the two tigers in adjacent enclosures for 10 days to allow them to become accustomed to each other. After their keepers saw positive signs, they decided to make the “high-risk” introduction on Friday morning.

“Their introduction began as predicted but quickly escalated into a more aggressive interaction. Zoo staff immediately implemented their prepared response, using loud noises, flares and alarms to try and distract the pair, but Asim had already overpowered Melati,” the ZSL said. “Zookeepers were eventually able to secure Asim in a separate paddock so that they could safely get to Melati where our vets confirmed that she had sadly died. Everyone at ZSL London Zoo is devastated by the loss of Melati, and we are heartbroken by this turn of events.”

The 10-year-old female had had three litters with her former mate, Jae Jae, and an image of her playing with one of her cubs was featured among the Guardian’s photos of the day in September 2016. The ZSL said five of her cubs survived to adulthood and have since been rehoused across Europe.(theguardian)…[+]

GENEVA – A United Nations-led inquiry into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi said yesterday that evidence pointed to a brutal crime “planned and perpetrated” by Saudi officials.

Khashoggi’s killing by a team of Saudi operatives on Oct. 2 provoked widespread revulsion and tarnished the image of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, previously admired in the West for pushing deep changes including tax reform, infrastructure projects and allowing women to drive.

U.S. intelligence agencies believe Crown Prince Mohammed ordered an operation to kill Khashoggi, a critic and Washington Post columnist, and say his body was dismembered and removed to a location still publicly unknown. Riyadh denies the prince had any involvement in the murder. “Evidence collected during my mission to Turkey shows prime facie case that Mr. Khashoggi was the victim of a brutal and premeditated killing, planned and perpetrated by officials of the State of Saudi Arabia,” Agnes Callamard, U.N. special rapporteur for extrajudicial summary or arbitrary executions, said in statement issued in Geneva.(Reuters)…[+]

A 16-year-old boy expected to appear in court today, charged with sexual penetration of a 15-year-old girl. The boy, who will answer to the charge before the Port of Spain Children’s Court is accused of having sexual intercourse with the victim against her will on the compound of a Port of Spain school on April 24, last year.

A report of the incident was made on the same day and an investigation launched by the Child Protection Unit, Port of Spain Division under the supervision of Insp. Gideon Rayon Dickson. The boy surrendered himself to police on Wednesday and was charged for the offence on the same date, by PC Joel Frederick of CPU POS.(Trinidad Express)…[+]