TTMA IN THE NEWS
TTMA welcomes PM’s CSME drive
The Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) yesterday said it welcomed Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s statement on Wednesday reiterating that the growth of the local manufacturing sector relies on the success of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). Read more here
NEWS
Privy Council rules against Chief Justice
The Law Association has been given the all clear to complete its investigation into the veracity of misconduct allegations levelled against embattled Chief Justice Ivor Archie. Delivering a 15-page judgment yesterday, five Law Lords of the United Kingdom-based Privy Council dismissed a lawsuit from Archie challenging the association’s jurisdiction to conduct the inquiry. Read more here
School supplies give-away in San Fernando
Business people from the Greater San Fernando Area Chamber of Commerce (GSFCC) distributed school supplies for underprivileged children from San Fernando and environs on Wednesday. Addressing parents and children at the RRM Plaza on High Street San Fernando, president of the chamber Kiran Singh said these are challenging times and the business community must reach out to those in need. “Especially in the area of education, we must recognise the importance of giving to children who are in need of school supplies.” Read more here
Met Service: More bad weather coming
Still reeling from recent widespread flooding, the nation is being warned about more bad weather and possible flash flooding, a tropical system, which has the potential to form into a tropical storm, approaches. Meteorologist Stefan Dixon from the Meteorologist Service (TTMS) said there was a 20 per cent chance of the tropical wave forming into a storm. As a consequence, he said the public can expect possible thundershowers and flash flooding today and tomorrow. Read more here
POLITICS
Harry meets PNM committee
People’s National Movement (PNM) member Harry Ragoonanan last night said he was not convinced by the Prime Minister's statement there was no witchhunt against him within the party. Dr Rowley made this statement to reporters at a River Runs Through Housing Development in Arima on Tuesday. He said Ragoonana's concerns with the party concerned allegations of corruption made against him concerning the procurement of buses for the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC). Read more here
Sari protesters demand apology from PM
“Be a man, respect women!” That placard-borne message and others conveyed the feelings of protesters outside of the Prime Minister’s office yesterday, demanding an apology from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and National Security Minister Stuart Young for the PNM’s controversial “sari” skit. The skit at last weekend’s PNM’s Family Day, depicting a woman’s yellow sari being undone by men dressed as gorillas, caused a firestorm of negative sentiment, though Government rejected the criticism. Young said it was a “lil bit of fun.” Rowley claimed people were “hell-bent” on creating racial and religions tensions. Read more here
Griffith sits in hot seat today
The new top cop sits in the hot seat from today. Gary Griffith will officially start duties as Commissioner of Police (CoP) and will occupy the office at Police Headquarters in Port of Spain. Read more here
BUSINESS
JMMB net profit up 56 per cent
Regional financial entity, JMMB Group, has recorded 56 per cent growth in its net profit, year-over-year, totaling J$956.6 million, for the three-month period ending June 30. Additionally, the Group posted net operating revenue of J$4.7 billion, which reflects an increase of 15 per cent, compared to the corresponding period in 2017. The Group’s performance was largely driven by growth in its core business operations, namely: foreign exchange trading gains; fees and commission income; net interest income; and net gains on securities trading. Read more here
REGIONAL
Scratch CSEC – Education Ministry Rallies To Rename CSEC Subjects As Minimum Standards For Entry-Level Jobs
Education Minister Ruel Reid has made it clear that he would be making a strident push to shake up the educational system that he believes is over reliant on the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) from the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), and which is preventing young people from attaining their full potential. Reid announced yesterday that the National School Leaving Certificate would be introduced in the upcoming academic year and would replace the CSEC as the minimum standard required for entry-level jobs. "We are not at all discounting; we are not reducing standards; its clarification, because if you look at the design of the system, the structure is just wrong," Reid disclosed yesterday. He was speaking at the Mona Visitor's Lodge in St Andrew where a summary of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination, CSEC and City and Guild Results were released. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Architect of bin Laden raid issues stunning rebuke of Trump
Retired Adm. William McRaven, the man who oversaw the 2011 Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden, issued a stunning rebuke of President Donald Trump's decision to revoke the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan on Thursday, defending the former spy chief as "one of the finest public servants I have ever known." In an op-ed published by the Washington Post, McRaven, a former Navy SEAL who led US Joint Special Operations Command from 2011 to 2014, not only called Brennan "a man of unparalleled integrity," but volunteered to have his own security clearance revoked in an act of solidarity. Read more here
China 'training for strikes' on US targets
17th August 2018