NEWS

ExporTT: Greater need for business innovation

With TT underperforming in the Global Innovation Index, the National Export Facilitation Organization (exporTT) is on a drive to enhance and foster a spirit of innovation amongst businesses in TT. Chairman of exporTT Ashmeer Mohammed in his welcome address to participants at the organisation’s Innovation to Export seminar on Wednesday, urged all sectors to recognise the importance of working together to create an atmosphere open to innovation. Speaking on the importance of innovation at the seminar held at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business in Champs Fleurs, Mohammed said, “Adaptation and innovation is important for firms to thrive and strive.” He highlighted the unique challenges that face businesses in the modern world. Read more here

Suspect in Trini’s murder set himself on fire

The 30-year-old sus­pect want­ed for the mur­der of Trinidad-born Kiara Al­leyne, 20, at her home in Flori­da on Wednes­day has been re­ceiv­ing med­ical care af­ter he was found se­ri­ous­ly in­jured by Mar­i­on Coun­ty homi­cide of­fi­cers and had to be air­lift­ed from the area where he was lo­cat­ed. Ac­cord­ing to Mar­i­on Coun­ty of­fi­cers, the sus­pect was found in the Flori­da Keys on Wednes­day morn­ing and air­lift­ed to Ry­der Trau­ma Cen­ter in Mi­a­mi with burns to the arms in what they de­scribed as a “bizarre se­ries of events that be­gan with a bur­glary call.” Al­leyne was found dead in her Ocala home ear­li­er Wednes­day morn­ing by Mar­i­on Coun­ty Sher­iff’s Of­fice Deputies. Read more here

POLITICS

Al-Rawi: Probe Marlene arrest leak to Kamla

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi has confirmed that he was approached by Port of Spain MP Marlene McDonald to investigate a personal notice by the Opposition Leader that McDonald would be arrested. McDonald made the claim in response to a statement made by the Prime Minister in Parliament on Monday that Kamla Persad-Bissessar leaked information about the impending arrest weeks before it happened. At a sod-turning ceremony for the re-development of Skinner Park in San Fernando yesterday, the AG said he was approached by McDonald and asked if he knew anything about it. Read more here

Kamla remains silent

It’s been four days since a tip-off rev­e­la­tion from Prime Min­is­ter Dr Kei­th Row­ley that shocked and in some cas­es con­fused the Low­er House of Par­lia­ment and Op­po­si­tion Leader Kam­la Per­sad-Bisses­sar has not put out a de­fense. On Mon­day Row­ley said, “I didn’t know Mar­lene Mc Don­ald was go­ing to get ar­rest­ed but one month be­fore she was ar­rest­ed the Leader of the Op­po­si­tion could have called her to her of­fice and tell her she was go­ing to be ar­rest­ed.” Read more here

BUSINESS

Scotiabank records half a billion in income

Sco­tia­bank Trinidad and To­ba­go has so far record­ed an in­come af­ter tax­a­tion of over half a bil­lion dol­lars for the fi­nan­cial year 2019, the com­pa­ny’s unau­dit­ed fi­nan­cial re­sults have stat­ed. “Year to date in­come af­ter tax­a­tion was $524 mil­lion, an in­crease of $40 mil­lion or eight per cent over the same pe­ri­od last year. This in­crease in prof­itabil­i­ty is main­ly due to in­creased in­come from our core bank­ing seg­ments, cou­pled with low­er tax ex­pense,” a re­port singed by Sco­tia­bank’s Chair­man Bren­dan King and man­ag­ing Di­rec­tor Stephen Bag­narol stat­ed. As a re­sult, the bank has an­nounced a quar­ter­ly div­i­dend of 50 cents per share which will be payable on Oc­to­ber 15. Sco­tia­bank re­alised in­come af­ter tax­a­tion of $181 mil­lion for the quar­ter end­ed Ju­ly 31. Read more here

REGIONAL

No Pride: MoBay Mayor Shuts Door On Gay Rights Group To Protect ‘Sacredness’ Of Cultural Centre

Montego Bay Mayor Homer Davis says the gay-rights group Montego Bay Pride will not be granted permission to use the Montego Bay Cultural Centre for a series of events it is planning to stage in the western city. Davis, who chairs the St James Municipal Corporation, made the declaration after Councillor Charles Sinclair brought the plans to the attention of yesterday’s monthly meeting of the corporation. “I saw an advertisement that spoke about a deejay performing at Sam Sharpe Square at the Cultural Centre. I didn’t even see that there was such a forum planned, but I can speak now that I will not give any permission for it,” Davis told the councillors. Read more here

INTERNATIONAL

Bercow warns Johnson against disobeying Brexit law

John Bercow has vowed "creativity" in Parliament if Boris Johnson ignores a law designed to stop a no-deal Brexit. The Commons Speaker also said in a speech that the only possible Brexit was one backed by MPs. A new law, passed before the suspension of Parliament, forces the PM to seek a delay until 31 January 2020, unless a deal or no-deal exit is approved by MPs by 19 October. The PM has said he would rather be "dead in a ditch" than ask for a delay. Responding to Mr Bercow's comments, Tory Brexiter MP Sir Bernard Jenkin said the role of the Speaker had become "irretrievably politicised and radicalised". Meanwhile, Downing Street has announced Mr Johnson will travel to Luxembourg on Monday to hold talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and the country's prime minister Xavier Bettel. Read more here

Winners and losers from the third Democratic presidential debate

The top 10 Democratic candidates shared a single debate stage for the first time in the 2020 race, trading body blows while drawing stark contrasts on issues like health care and criminal justice reform. I picked the best and the worst from the night. They're below. Read more here

13th September 2019

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