NEWS

‘We’re doing our job’

Police public information officer ASP Wayne Mystar said police are mandated to protect citizens from criminal elements even in the schools. He was agreeing with Minister of Education Anthony Garcia, who said it was left to the police to keep out and round up criminal elements who have been looting from and terrorising the new building at St Joseph Secondary School. “It is the TTPS’ mandate to ensure criminal elements do not enter the schools,” Mystar said. Read more here

Praises for retired senior cop as bandit killed during robbery

Prais­es are pour­ing in for a re­tired po­lice su­per­in­ten­dent whose brav­ery may have saved the lives of bar pa­trons from trig­ger-hap­py ban­dits yes­ter­day. The shootout at Mar­shall’s Ko­rner at the cor­ner of Sut­ton and Cipero Streets, San Fer­nan­do, left one ban­dit dead and the oth­er in hid­ing, but with a gun­shot wound. Read more here

POLITICS

Imbert: Max 8s will be leased if certified

If the Boeing 737 aircraft being leased by government to complement Cariibbean Airlines (CAL) fleet cannot be certified as airworthy, then the money paid upfront will be refunded. So said acting Prime Minister and Finance Minister Colm Imbert in the Senate, yesterday, during the debate of the Evidence (Amendment) Bill, 2019. Questioned by Opposition Senator Saddam Hosein about the procurement of the aircraft, Imbert said in December 2018, CAL executed leased agreements with Tous Les Halles for operating leases for a total of 12 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft to replace current fleet of 737 aircraft which range in age from eight to 20 years. Read more here

UNC Senators support Kamla

Op­po­si­tion Sen­a­tors are stand­ing in de­fence of their leader Kam­la Per­sad-Bisses­sar, stat­ing the ac­cu­sa­tions levied against her by Prime Min­is­ter Dr Kei­th Row­ley that she tipped off Mar­lene Mc­Don­ald one month be­fore her ar­rest was “spu­ri­ous and flights of fan­cy.” Bat­ting for Per­sad-Bisses­sar yes­ter­day were six Sen­a­tors who host­ed a press con­fer­ence in Port-of-Spain dis­pelling the al­le­ga­tions raised by Row­ley. The me­dia was told that Per­sad-Bisses­sar was at­tend­ing a cau­cus meet­ing and could not be present at the con­fer­ence. Read more here

BUSINESS

Hyatt grows green

Hydroponics has become the sought-after method for farming on both a large and small scale. It is an easy, economical and convenient way to grow crops. Using only water, nutrients, and a growing medium, a system can be set up in the smallest of places. Hyatt Regency TT is utilising this system and is bringing fresh produce to its kitchen and bar. Last Thursday, the hotel unveiled its garden, called the Water Garden Retreat, on its waterfront at Wrightson Road, Port of Spain. In the small, vertical structure on its western end various types of greens, herbs and peppers are grown such as kale, arugula, lettuce, lemon-basil, thyme and scorpion peppers. Read more here

CAL to extend 737 leases

Acting Prime Minister Colm Imbert skirted a question on whether Caribbean Airlines was considering cancelling the lease arrangement with Boeing for 12 737 Max aircraft. The supplementary question was posed by Wade Mark in the Senate yesterday. “CAL has made arrangements to extend the leases of its current fleet (of Boeing 737 aircraft) as and when required,” Imbert said. Read more here

REGIONAL

Agri ‘Nonsense’ - Corruption, Ineptitude Hurting Sector – Shaw

Rampant corruption in his own North East Manchester constituency, incompetence of some members of the technical staff under his command, and an out-of-step Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA) are just some of the issues Agriculture Minister Audley Shaw yesterday admitted are undermining the agriculture sector under his ministerial portfolio. Shaw first called into question the competence of staff of the Plant Quarantine Division, which is overseeing eradication and control of the Frosty Pod Disease, which threatens the local cocoa industry, during a press conference at the Jamaica Agricultural Society’s head office at 67 Church Street, downtown Kingston. Read more here

INTERNATIONAL

Trump immigration plans: Supreme Court approves asylum curbs

The US Supreme Court has allowed the government to severely limit the ability of migrants to claim asylum. The policy bars people arriving at the US southern border from seeking protection if they failed to do so in a country they passed through en route. Legal challenges continue but the ruling means for now it can be enforced nationwide. The plan will affect tens of thousands of Central American migrants who travel north, often on foot, through Mexico. Read more here

Boris Johnson says he didn't lie to the Queen

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has rejected accusations that he lied to the Queen over his controversial suspension of Parliament in the run-up to the Brexit deadline. Johnson was asked on Thursday if he had lied to the monarch, after a Scottish court ruled the day before that his government's advice to the Queen, which led to the five-week prorogation, was "unlawful." "Absolutely not," Johnson replied. "The High Court in England plainly agrees with us but the Supreme Court will have to decide." "We need a Queen's Speech, we need to get on and do all sorts of things at a national level," he added. Read more here

12th September 2019

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