NEWS
Farmers mourn the passing of Santa Rosa Queen Cassar
The Tableland Pineapple Farmers Association (TPFA) and the Felicity/ Charlieville Fishing Association (FCFA) yesterday extended condolences and praised the role of indigenous peoples in TT’s legacy of agriculture. In a release issued by Agricultural economist Omardath Maharaj, the association joined with the national community in mourning the death of Santa Rosa Queen Jennifer Cassar. Read more here
Principals: We’re just going to wait and see
Principals of private secondary schools have met their commitment and have supplied Finance Minister Colm Imbert with documentary evidence of the cost of running their schools including “private information with respect to the private students intake and how much the private parents pay.” Spokesman for the Association of Private Secondary Schools Anthony Mc Collin, acting vice principal of the Corpus Christi College, told the T&T Guardian that the information was sent to Imbert via email on Sunday and “I personally dropped a hard copy off to the Ministry of Finance this morning (yesterday).” Read more here
Abrupt end for Archie
The appeal filed by Chief Justice Ivor Archie challenging an investigation launched against him by the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) into allegations of misconduct came to an abrupt end at the Privy Council in London, England, yesterday. Read more here
POLITICS
Le Hunte: Murphy’s law in operation at WASA over past seven days
Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte said Murphy’s law was in operation at the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) over the past seven days as over 70 million gallons of water was removed from the system because of unplanned shut-downs at several installations across the country. After the launch of the San Fernando City Corporation’s curbside recycling launch at San Fernando Hill yesterday, Le Hunte was asked by reporters about the water shortage in several parts of the country. He said several plants had been shutdown due to mechanical issues. Read more here
Alfonso: Fairy dust ministers
Bring it on! That was the response from attorney Nyree Alfonso yesterday, in response to Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi who has vowed to take legal action against her for her knowledge and opportunity in the tendering process of the Galicia. In a telephone interview, Alfonso said was waiting with bated breath on the AG’s move. “I also have the most astounding position from the Government that when invited to make enquiry as to where the Government’s funds were sent to which is the owners of the vessel they indicated that they had no intention of making that inquiry.” Read more here
Ramesh: Privy Council’s mind already made up
The fact that five British law lords did not want to hear the submissions from lawyers representing the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT) indicates that they have already made up their minds that Chief Justice Ivor Archie has lost and they would waste no further time on a “weak case”. Read more here
BUSINESS
C’bean Airlines’ earnings up by $120m
State owned Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has improved its passenger revenues, cost management and network efficiency. The carrier’s unaudited half-year results show significant improvements in revenues and earnings over the corresponding period in 2017 even with a 32 per cent hike in fuel costs. Revenue increased year on year by $210 million or 19 per cent, while Earnings Before Interest and Taxation (EBIT) improved over the same period in 2017 by $120 million or 77 per cent. Read more here
Explore all avenues, Le Hunte tells WASA
Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte has described the Water and Sewerage Authority’s (WASA) communication with its customers as “unsatisfactory and totally unacceptable,” the ministry said in a statement. Read more here
REGIONAL
Criminals Corrupt Customs - Cops Say Crooks Threaten Agency's Integrity, Giving Workers Bad Name
Criminals are wreaking havoc in the Jamaica Customs Agency, and the assistant superintendent of police assigned to the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC), Victor Barrett, has warned that the integrity of that organisation is in jeopardy. Addressing a conference aimed at examining measures to deal with the illicit trade in goods at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in St Andrew yesterday, Barrett argued that corrupt staff members were giving the Customs Agency a bad name. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Dozens dead as wildfires near Athens force people to flee into the ocean
At least 50 people have died in the worst wildfires to hit Greece in more than a decade, with some residents forced to flee into the sea to escape the advancing flames. Residents told of horrifying scenes as flames engulfed a seaside village, where the only way out for some was to run for the water. Boats were mobilized in a hurriedly-organized rescue operation as the flames took hold on Monday night. Reuters reported that 696 people were picked up from beaches and 19 from the sea. Rescuers retrieved four bodies from the sea. Read more here
Laos dam collapse: Hundreds missing after flash floods hit villages
24th July 2018