BRIDGETOWN – Tropical Storm Chris continues to move away from the Virgin Islands and appears to be weakening fast, after dumping heavy showers in the Virgin Islands… while Puerto Rico is no longer on storm warning.
At 5 East Caribbean Time this morning, the centre of Tropical Storm Chris was about 315 miles or 505 kilometres east-southeast of Grand Turk Island and about 135 miles or 215 km north of San Juan, Puerto Rico… and slowly moving westward.
A hurricane watch for the Turks and Caicos and the southeastern Bahamas has also been downgraded to a tropical storm watch but Bahamians are bracing for their first test this hurricane season.
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GEORGETOWN – With 25 more days to go before Guyana’s general elections, the country’s elections commission is focused on training election day workers.
The commission’s also paying keen attention to areas where polling stations will be set up.
Gecom’s Chairman Steve Surujbally says the commission is seeking to prevent tensions on August 28th.
Two Gecom officers are now in Canada overseeing the production of the ballot papers.
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CASTRIES – Saint Lucia’s Opposition is telling the government to forget about election observers and call elections now.
The new poll is due by year end and the prime minister, Dr. Kenny Anthony, says he intends to bring in outside monitors for the elections.
But the United Workers Party leader Sir John Compton says Saint Lucia has a good record of staging free and fair elections.
And he does not believe the prime minister should delay the issue any longer just so there could be observers.
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PORT OF SPAIN – Trinidad and Tobago ‘s Prime Minister Patrick Manning makes it clear no one is above the law.
It’s his latest contribution to the ongoing controversy surrounding the country’s Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma.
Manning says Trinidadians should not accept any wrongdoing, particularly from holders of public office.
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SPORT – West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara says sorry for criticising the Sabina Park pitch, the West Indies selectors, and the West Indies Cricket Board during the recent series against India.
Lara has issued a public apology after meeting with a four-member special committee of the West Indies Board to answer for what the W-I-C-B described as “conduct unbecoming” of a West Indies captain.
Lara was unhappy with the pitch and team selection against India, and threatened to “revisit” his decision to become captain for the third time.
While batting during the fourth Test in India, the left-handed batting superstar pointed his bat and mockingly applauded the ground-staff for their preparation of the pitch that he felt favoured the Indians.
Lara also lambasted the selection panel for its unimaginative choices, and the West Indies Board for failing to inform him that he was a selector until the end of the series.
In his letter of apology to the Windies Board, Lara said he recognised that he broke the confidence placed in him as West Indies captain by his over-reaction.
He also thanked his teammates for the progress they made during the series, and hoped his unfortunate actions would not in any way deter their march towards further success.
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SPORT – Runako Morton continued his rich vein of form on the West Indies A-Team’s tour of Britain, when he hit a half-century in a three-day first-class match against Warwickshire yesterday.
Morton made the top-score of 76, as West Indies-A, sent in to bat, were dismissed for 235.
23-year-old left-arm medium-fast bowler Adam Shantry was the pick of the Warwickshire bowlers with five wickets for 49 runs from 14 overs.
Warwickshire reached 15 without loss in reply when bad light stopped play early.