News
Newallo-Hosein: Declare Penal/Debe a disaster zone
CUMUTO/MANZANILLA MP Christine Newallo-Hosein has sought to bring a definite matter of urgent public importance to have Penal/Debe and other areas severely affected by recent catastrophic flooding as disaster zones.
She brought the motion at Monday's sitting of the House and included the need for Government to expeditiously implement disaster relief and compensation to those affected. Read more here…
Five to hang for Khoury’s murder
Five men were sentenced to death by hanging after a jury found them guilty, after lengthy deliberation, of the kidnapping and murder of Dr Edward Khoury.
High Court Judge Malcolm Holdip passed sentence on Shawn James, Caleb Donaldson, Jerome Murray, Terry Moore and Robert Franklyn at around 8:15 pm, more than six and half hours after he sent the jury to decide upon a verdict.
The 12-member jury took about four and a half hours to decide in the trial in total as there were two breaks in the deliberation process. Read more here…
Politics
Too much power
Oropouche East MP, Dr Roodal Moonilal, is urging government to first reform the police service before giving them draconian powers by which citizens can be abused to create "a reign of terror."
“You are giving more powers to the police, draconian powers," he said in Parliament on Monday. "You should reform the police service before you even bring this kind of legislation.” Read more here…
AG: Opposition Leader may be called as witness
Some MPs, including Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, may potentially find themselves giving evidence in court in preliminary inquiries linked to Life Sport and Prisongate.
This was revealed yesterday by Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi during debate of the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Bill which he piloted in the House of Representatives. Read more here…
Business
Touchstone finds more oil in Ortoire
CANADIAN energy company, Touchstone Exploration, yesterday announced that the company has made what it described as “a significant crude oil discovery with the Cascadura-1ST1 well”, which is onshore in the Ortoire exploration block.
The oil company said Cascadura well cased hole wireline logs indicated. Read more here…
Regional
Commissioner Says Proposed Merger Won’t Compromise Britain’s Ties With Ja
The top British diplomat in Jamaica has sought to dispel fears here and in the wider Caribbean that the prospective merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DfID) will cause millions of pounds sterling in aid to governments to be slashed.
Last week, United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson charged, in the run-up to the general election, that officials at both the FCO and DfID draw up plans on the viability of consolidating the two agencies. Read more here…
Security cameras with facial recognition for Ports of Entry – MOPT
THE Ministry of Public Telecommunication’s National Data Management Authority (NDMA) is gearing up to launch a major security initiative, which will see the installation of high quality surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition, at the country’s ports of entry. Read more here…
International
Brexit bill to rule out extension to transition period
The post-Brexit transition period - due to conclude in December 2020 - can currently be extended by mutual agreement for up to two years. But an amended Withdrawal Agreement Bill the Commons is set to vote on this week would rule out any extension. Read more here…
Democrats try to make Republicans pay the price in Trump trial
It may be a no-brainer for Senate Republicans to keep President Donald Trump in office -- but it's becoming clear that Democrats mean to make them pay a heavy price for saving the President in his impeachment trial early next year.
In a sign of the high-stakes politics to come, minority Democrats are not waiting for the House to impeach Trump -- a move expected on Wednesday -- before they open the political battle in the Senate. Read more here…
17th December 2019