NEWS

USAID Zika launch

The rapid spread of the Zika virus has galvanised the global public health community toward development of ZikV vaccines, with pregnant women being the most important target. Pregnant women who who contracted ZikV ran the risk of their babies being born with microcephaly, that is, small heads and undeveloped brains. Read more here

House torched, woman, daughter hurt

A manhunt has been launched for a Dominican Republic national who torched a house after a chopping and beating a woman and her daughter in St Helena yesterday. Police said the 35-year-old suspect attacked Rosey Saunders-Morales and Shamaryah Saunders, 14, with a cutlass, knives and a hammer following an argument over property. Read more here

Cops Charged With Vicky

Fraud accused travel agent Vicky Boodram and two members of the Police Service made an appearance in the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday afternoon jointly charged with fraudulently facilitating Boodram’s release from the Women’s Prison in Golden Grove, Arouca. Read more here

POLITICS

Khan: No ‘fake oil’ cover up

There was no cover up in the discovery of the shortage of oil and gas in the A&V Oil and Gas Company Limited “fake oil” issue and audits were commissioned to get to the bottom of the issue to protect Petrotrin’s commercial interest said Energy Minister Franklin Khan. The board of directors of Petrotrin, he said, commissioned independent and external auditor, Canadian company Kroll Consultancy and global oil and gas auditors Gaffney, Cline & Associates. Read more here

Send matter to DPP, cops

Opposition Senator Wade Mark yesterday said the findings of the Kroll Canadian Consulting investigation, which confirmed Petrotrin paid for oil it did not receive, should be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, police and a Joint Select Committee (JSC). Mark made the call as he moved a private motion asking for the Senate to suspend the operations of A&V Oil and Gas’ contract pending an investigation. Read more here

NFM: No flour increase at this time

National Flour Mills (NFM) has given the Government the assurance there would be no immediate increase in the price of flour. Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon was briefed at a meeting on Monday with NFM officials, including chairman Nigel Romano and chief executive officer Kelvin Mahabir. Read more here

BUSINESS

Massy Stores opens supercentre in Marabella

The Massy Stores supermarket in Gopaul Lands, Marabella has been expanded into a supercentre – it now has 39,000 square feet of retail space. The expanded store has wide aisles to comfortably accommodate shoppers and automated in-store price checkers as well as an extensive parking facility. In addition, customers will soon be able to purchase their groceries from home or at the office when the store introduces its online shopping portal with a next-day pick up. Read more here

Growing non-energy exports a priority—Gopee-Scoon

The fall in oil production and collapse of energy prices makes non-energy exports more important than ever said Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon. “Traditionally our energy exports are what carried us but in addition to that, the fact is that an imbalance in trade exists. We know where our energy exports are and they are down and that is on account of production levels and pricing as well. The focus has to be on non-energy exports.” Read more here

TOSL looking to expand while others downsizing

As local companies continue to be challenged by spiralling crime, severe shortages of foreign exchange and higher tax rates, many companies have been forced to either downsized or close. Read more here

REGIONAL

Vehicles Parked! Government Hunting 119 Vehicles For Police Before Christmas

After a 22-page statement yesterday in the House of Representatives by National Security Minister Robert Montague and follow-up questions from opposition lawmakers on the 66 vehicles on the wharf to be delivered to the police force by O'Brien's International Car Sales and Rentals Limited, Jamaica remains in the dark as to when this motor car debacle will be resolved. Read more here

INTERNATIONAL

Impact assessments of Brexit on the UK 'don't exist'

The government has not carried out any impact assessments of leaving the EU on the UK economy, Brexit Secretary David Davis has told MPs. "There's no sort of systematic impact assessment," Mr Davis told the Brexit committee. He said the government had produced a "sectoral analysis" of different industries but not a "forecast" of what would happen when the UK leaves the EU. A "very major contingency planning operation" is in place, he added. Read more here

Trump's Jerusalem decision promises upheaval

President Donald Trump's fragile political standing among American voters may be about to cause dangerous reverberations in the Middle East. His announcement Wednesday that he will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and begin to relocate the US embassy there from Tel Aviv is sparking debate over what the President personally, and the United States, will gain given that the decision marks a sharp foreign policy turn and comes with such high risks. Read more here

6th December 2017

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