NEWS

Galleons Passage out in Panama bay

The Galleons Passage, up to late yesterday, had not gotten a berth and remained seven kilometers in the Panama Bay awaiting its turn to approach the canal. Marine traffic on the Panama Canal was hectic yesterday with scores of pleasure craft waiting their turn to pass through. Satellite tracking showed a pilot boat parked close up to the Galleons Passage which, more than likely, was there to take the crew on land. Documentation has to be lodged with the boat’s shipping agent and fees paid, to allow it to pass through the canal. The TT government bought the vessel from China as a new catamaran to service the seabridge between Trinidad and Tobago. Read more here

Cancer survivor: Ganja cured me

Marijuana has long been used to treat cancer cells and when Ms Patsy (not her real name) was diagnosed with inoperable cervical cancer she decided to take some advice and treat the cancer with marijuana. After buying a few ounces of the herb, Patsy soaked the marijuana buds in alcohol and boiled it for 20 minutes in a rice cooker. Daily doses, she believes, caused her cancer to go into remission. Read more here

‘14,000 children with special needs in T&T’

“In Trinidad and Tobago, ten per cent children failed Secondary Entrance Assess­ment (SEA), one quarter primary school children identified special education needs and were referred to the Student Support Servi­ces.” Read more here

POLITICS

Chinese businessmen approach Rowley

Chinese business people from several non-energy sector enterprises have approached Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley about investing in TT. They expressed their interest to Rowley during his visit to Shanghai yesterday, day four of his official visit to China. A statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said the group of young business people represented a wide array of business ventures. These included investment financing, real estate development, artificial intelligence and manufacturing robotics, Information Communication Technology, tours and travel. Read more here

Cabinet instructs UTT to explain dismissal criteria

Cabinet has instructed the University of T&T to explain to the public the process that was undertaken to arrive at the decision to dismiss staff. This decision was taken after Education Minister Anthony Garcia met with his Cabinet colleague on the issue yesterday. In a release, the ministry said: “While the Cabinet is aware and understands the need for this move, the UTT must be given the opportunity to fully elaborate on the process that was followed to the public.” Read more here

BUSINESS

CAL and Air China discuss alliance

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley held talks in Shanghai yesterday with a group of young Chinese businessmen involved in robotics, artificial intelligence, real estate development, investment financing, ICT and tours and travel. He thanked them for their interest in investing in T&T and encouraged them to explore the opportunities available. On day four of his visit to China, Dr Rowley also met with officials Shanghai Construction Engineering Corporation which has been operating in T&T for more than a decade. Among the company’s recent projects is the Couva Children’s Hospital. China’s President Xi Jinping attended the ceremonial opening of the hospital in 2013, on his first visit to this country and participated in the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone. Read more here

T&T no longer attractive for new gas projects

The CEO of ammonia producer Caribbean Nitrogen Company (CNC), Jerome Dookie, said yesterday that problems with natural gas supplies have made T&T a less attractive location for new petrochemical projects, given issues of gas curtailment and the current price of natural gas. Read more here

REGIONAL

Gun-Planting Cops - INDECOM Paints Grim Picture Of JCF

Hamish Campbell, assistant commissioner of the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), yesterday declared that the repeated allegations of 'planted firearms' was beyond anecdotal as findings contained in the oversight body's First Quarterly Report 2018 painted a grim picture of the police force. Campbell, who was addressing a press conference at the commission's head office yesterday, first gave examples of two instances where guns had been recovered from a fatal shooting. The weapons had already been submitted to the police laboratory in respect of a previous shooting, one as recent as this year. Read more here

INTERNATIONAL

Israel's Gaza response 'wholly disproportionate' - UN rights chief

The UN human rights chief says Israel used "wholly disproportionate" force against Palestinian border protests which have left over 100 people dead. Zeid Raad Al Hussein told a meeting in Geneva that Gazans were effectively "caged in a toxic slum" and Gaza's occupation by Israel had to end. Israel's ambassador said Gaza's militant Islamist rulers had deliberately put people in harm's way. The UN meeting is considering calling for an independent investigation. Some 60 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Monday on the seventh consecutive week of border protests, largely orchestrated by Hamas, which politically controls the Gaza Strip. It was the deadliest day in Gaza since a 2014 war between Israel and militants there. Read more here

Trump, still planning summit, reassures and warns Kim Jong Un

President Donald Trump on Thursday said US and North Korean officials are continuing to prepare for a scheduled diplomatic summit next month, even as Pyongyang threatened in recent days to pull out of what would be a historic first meeting between a North Korean leader and US president. Trump also reassured Kim Jong Un the North Korean leader would remain in power if he abandons his nuclear weapons program, but warned Kim that North Korea could be "decimated" if he refuses to strike a deal with the US. Read more here

18th May 2018

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