NEWS
Troubled waters
Las Cuevas beach is facing several challenges, not the least of which are a malfunctioning sewer plant, inconsistent washroom opening hours, temporary closure of the sole on-site restaurant and loss of its Blue Flag status. At first glance on a visit to Las Cuevas, you may not notice anything wrong, your attention drawn to the waves kissing the light-brown sands of the crescent-shaped beach on Trinidad's scenic north coast. Read more here
YTEPP fires CEO
The Youth Training and Employment Partnership Programme (YTEPP) Board has fired chief executive officer Nigel Forgenie following comments he made at a recent parliamentary committee meeting, Communication Minister Stuart Young said yesterday. Speaking at the post- Cabinet media briefing, Young noted evidence was given at the Parliament’s Public Accounts Enterprises Committee (PAEC) meeting earlier this month where the CEO was accused of certain behaviour and allegations of dishonesty and untruths told had also arisen. Read more here
Brace for more rainfall and possibly flooding today
Brace for more rainfall and possibly flooding today. Chief Meteorologist Shakeer Baig shared this forecast after yesterday’s torrential rainfall of about 34 mm brought on by the presence of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Read more here
POLITICS
PM supports stop and search
The Prime Minister said he has no problem supporting random stop and search operations by law enforcement officers to help reduce crime in TT. Dr Rowley made this point at yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s. He said this is something that National Security Minister Edmund Dillon has been “begging” him for more of these measures to be implemented. Read more here
On the back burner
The Rowley administration has priorities and decriminalising marijuana isn’t one of them. So said Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at yesterday’s post-Cabinet media conference. He made the comment regarding the issue after it featured for yet another time at recent Caricom Summit discussions. Rowley said a presentation on the matter was made at last week’s Summit, including on marijuana as an economic entity, those who argued the herb was a harmless substance and also on ganja as a medical breakthrough. Read more here
BUSINESS
Galleons to sail non stop to TT
The MV Galleons Passage will be making no stops as it sails towards TT. National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco) chairman Herbert George said this to reporters after a sod-turning ceremony for the construction of a water taxi walkover between the Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre and the Brian Lara Promenade on Wednesday. George said the vessel left Cuba at 5.35 pm on Tuesday. It is travelling at a speed of 12 knots. Read more here
Anand’s opens new branch in Pointe-a-Pierre
Anand Low Price Group of Companies is committed to improving their services, said Chelsea Ramnarine Singh, daughter of owner Anand Ramnarine Singh, during a simple ceremony on Wednesday to mark the opening of the latest branch in the supermarket chain at Tropical Plaza, Pointe-a-Pierre. She said the goal is not to compete with other supermarkets but to provide affordable prices and excellent service to customers. “While conducting market research to determine whether or not it was feasible to open a Low Price branch in Marabella, we recognized that persons were getting the items they needed, but not the shopping experience they wanted,” Singh said. Read more here
$42m in fees for NIF bonds
Government has agreed to pay about $42 million in fees and expenses in connection with the distribution and securing of the $4 billion in bonds to be issued by the National Investment Fund Holdings Company, according to the prospectus for the bond offering. Read more here
REGIONAL
Please Stop, It Hurts! - A Mother's Plea To Quit Posting Crash Victims Photos On Social Media
Relatives of persons killed in traffic accidents suffer immense emotional strain, and many unanswered questions linger when gruesome photographs of the deceased persons, as well as the mangled remains of motor vehicles, are splashed across social media. These are stark and, often, unwanted reminders. It's an unbearable experience for one mother, Jean Davy, whose son was tragically killed in a crash along the North-South Highway last year, the anguish of which was multiplied tenfold, she said, as photographs of her son's body were circulated on several social-media platforms via cell-phone recordings. She now pleads to the public to consider the pain of family members left to suffer the loss and is asking for compassion and empathy. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Trump, May don't address searing interview ahead of meetings
President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May did not address the US President's stunningly critical comments about May as Trump arrived Friday for their first working meetings. Trump and May talked up the close relationship between their two countries at the outset of their bilateral meeting Friday morning at Chequers, the British prime minister's country retreat, and complimented each other. May said Trump "did a very good job at NATO" while Trump said the two "worked very hard together at NATO." Read more here
'Vaping' pilot caused Air China plane to plunge 6,500m
13th July 2018