NEWS
You saved his life
Lorraine Albelto, mother of shot banker Rostan Mahabir, is thanking an unknown woman who put her bleeding son in her car and took him to the San Fernando General Hospital, moments after he was shot during a robbery on Monday morning at Penitence Street. “You saved his life. Thank you, thank you, thank you, “ she wrote on her Facebook page. Albelto did not speak to Newsday when contacted by phone, but in several FB posts, she expressed gratitude for the love and support for her son who was shot while on his way to work at the High Street branch of Scotiabank. Read more here
Port gets $8m for ancillary works to accommodate vessel
Cabinet has approved the spending of close to $8 million by the Port Authority of T&T to get the Ports of Port-of-Spain and Scarborough ready for the Galleons Passage. Port chairman Lyle Alexander told the T&T Guardian yesterday that the Port requested the money to ensure that the pier is ready for when the Galleons Passage arrives. Read more here
Teacher denied bail over fraudulent cheques...one for $25m
A Rio Claro primary school teacher has been denied bail after she appeared before a Port of Spain magistrate yesterday, charged with attempting to obtain more than $25 million by false pretence. Read more here
POLITICS
Ministers speak on child abuse
Minister of State in the Education Ministry Dr Lovell Francis said on Tuesday that child abuse can be a matter of life or death. He made this comment at the launch of a child protection workshop and a child abuse workbook at Couva West Secondary School. The workbook was created through an initiative between the Office of the Prime Minister’s (OPM) Gender and Children’s Affairs Division and Unicef. Francis told the gathering that he became a primary school teacher in 1994 and it was the “best job,” he ever had. Read more here
Govt rakes in $16 million in speeding tickets
As motorists are forced to fork out $16 million for speeding violations, police have also recorded a slight increase in road deaths in 2018. In an update on road traffic safety yesterday, Senior Supt Basdeo Ramdhanie said that 40 people have died in 38 road traffic accidents up to yesterday as compared to 39 deaths from 36 road traffic accidents for the same period last year. Read more here
‘Opposition hypocritical’
Minister: PP sent home 85 from UTT: It is hypocritical to accuse the Government of being demons for terminating the jobs of 30 staff members of the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) when there was no hullabaloo in 2012 when the People’s Partnership government sent home 85 from the institution, says Government Minister Allyson West. Read more here
BUSINESS
Mayday
With its sun kissed beaches, scenic landscape and rich indigenous tradition, Tobago has long been considered an ideal tourist destination. But the lingering effects of the economic downturn (Government has since given TT a positive outlook in its mid-year review), a terribly inconsistent sea bridge and a seemingly ineffective marketing strategy, has made some stakeholders wary about even making pronouncements about Tobago’s future. From the market vendor to the professional, the chorus was the same: something must be done to revive Tobago’s struggling economy. Read more here
$2.3m in shares change hands
Overall market activity resulted from trading in 16 securities of which five advanced, four declined and seven traded firm. Trading activity on the First Tier Market registered a volume of 282,524 shares crossing the floor of the Exchange valued at $2,376,704.20. Read more here
Le Hunte on Govt spending: $10m a month to keep parks lit
The Government spends $10 million a month to keep parks and recreational areas lit. It has also spent $62 million since 2016 on a rebate initiative for low-income earners. Read more here
REGIONAL
Police Fed Up - Outgoing Police Federation Head Blasts Gov't About Poor Working Conditions
"No more!" That is what outgoing chairman of the Jamaica Police Federation Sergeant Cecil McCalla said to Government regarding the practice of police personnel working overtime and not being properly compensated. McCalla was addressing a militant gathering of members of the Jamaica Police Federation at its 75th annual joint central conference at Moon Palace Jamaica Grande Hotel in Ocho Rios, yesterday. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Hot Pockets, mismatched chairs and a critical mission: Inside year one of the Mueller investigation
Early each morning, special counsel Robert Mueller arrives wearing his signature uniform: a crisp white dress shirt, tie, slacks and dark baseball cap. Occasionally he accessorizes with a dark vest or sunglasses, depending on the weather. A simple routine for the head of a very complicated investigation -- one that is heavily scrutinized but nearly impossible to read. As the Mueller probe hits its one-year anniversary, the special counsel's team has brought charges against 22 people and companies, notched five guilty pleas and seen one person sentenced. While a number of those charges were related to Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, so far none of them has extended to potential collusion between the Russian government and Trump associates. Read more here
DR Congo Ebola outbreak spreads to Mbandaka city
17th May 2018