News Briefs

Man shot dead, women injured in shooting attack

The police are probing a gun attack near Old Harbour, St Catherine, on Monday night which left one man dead and two females wounded.

Michael Watson, a 31-year-old construction worker of Church Pen, Old Harbour, was killed about 10 p.m in his community.

Reports are that Watson was among a group of persons standing near a shop when a gunman reportedly approached and opened fire, hitting the three persons before fleeing the scene.

The victims were taken to the Spanish Town Hospital, where Watson was pronounced dead and the women admitted.

The gunman escaped.

 

 

JDF heads to St Ann for two-day training exercise

The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) will be conducting training exercises in and around the Lydford and Orange Park area in St Ann today and tomorrow.

The army is advising residents that there is no need to be alarmed by the presence of the soldiers as the training exercises in their community will not involve any live firing and, therefore, will pose no danger.

Residents are asked not to interfere with and/or move training aides. In the event that unexploded ordnances or paraphernalia are found, please report it to the JDF Headquarters at telephone number (876) 960-8776.

Members of the public who may have concerns about the presence of soldiers in their area may also contact the JDF.

 

 

EU boosts Caribbean's fight against mosquito-borne diseases

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

The European Union is providing a grant of €4.1 million to the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to continue supporting efforts to combat mosquito-borne diseases in the region.

“The EU remains committed to assisting the region with health security especially when mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika and dengue threaten both the health of the regional population and general productivity as well as the important tourism sector,” said the EU Ambassador Daniela Tramacere.

“This grant will ensure that CARPHA together with its member states can respond effectively to the potential threat that these diseases pose,” she added.

The EU said that the assistance will be channelled through a four-year health strengthening programme designed to further improve the prevention, detection and control of outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases such as zika and dengue.

 

 

'Significant crude oil discovery' off T&T coast

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Canadian energy company Touchstone Exploration said it had made a “significant crude oil discovery” in its onshore Cascadura field in Ortoire, Trinidad, far exceeding any pre-drill expectations.

“This well is not only a significant discovery and milestone for Touchstone, but we believe it also establishes a new development stage for onshore drilling in Trinidad,” said the company’s chief executive officer, Paul Baay. “In the new year, we expect to test each zone independently in order to better understand the economic potential of the prospective oil sands, and if the findings are positive, it will set up an expansive development drilling program in the area.”

The company said it expects to complete and test the Cascadura-1ST1 well in the first quarter of 2020.