Matthews Lane area leader Donald "Zeeks" Phipps was offered bail in the sum of $1.5 million in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's court yesterday, but he was unable to take up the offer as the passport he had in his possession had expired.

Only a day after the Government announced its new crime fighting initiative ? 'Operation Kingfish'? marauding gunmen were at it again, killing four persons in the Corporate Area and Spanish Town, including a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor caretaker.

Trinidad's liquid natural gas company denied government allegations Tuesday that it was incorrectly reporting its revenue to avoid paying more in taxes.

PORT OF SPAIN, Oct 20 (IPS) - Friends and relatives of Sherman Monseque blocked the streets along the western main road in Trinidad last weekend demanding an investigation into his death.

The latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of Transparency International (TI) has shown that this country continues to be perceived as more corrupt despite claims by Prime Minister Patrick Manning that his government is being seen as one of anti-corruption.

The perception that Jamaica is corrupt has worsened in the past year, pushing its ranking on Transparency International's Corruption Perception index to 74 out of 146 countries, down 17 places from its 2003 position.

Police killed four suspected bandits? three teenagers and a 20-year-old?on Monday night, after an abduction and ensuing high-speed chase ended with a shoot-out on the streets of Freeport.

The Jamaica Government yesterday announced the creation of its latest security task force to combat organised crime, and in apparent anticipation of the doubters and sceptics brought out the top British and American diplomats in Jamaica to underline its credibility.

Mandeville, Manchester - The police have recovered 180,000 rounds of ammunition and more than 430 guns so far this year, numbers that worry Police Commissioner Francis Forbes.

Churchill Neita, the attorney-at-law representing Matthews Lane area leader, Donald 'Zekes' Phipps, revealed yesterday that his client will be interrogated today by detectives at CIB headquarters, downtown Kingston.