Daily Brief - Wednesday 8th August, 2018

NEWS

Student sues college over inability to write exam

A COSTAATT student who was unable to sit the 2018 radiography external review examination has sued the institution. Jamieyel Pantor, of Princes Town, has taken the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), to court, complaining of a decision which prevented him from taking the clinical practicum V (external review examination) which was held from July 5-23. Pantor is pursuing a BSc in radiography and was expecting to sit the July exams. Read more here

I’m sorry for what I did

After buckling under pressure, Michael Powell yesterday admitted that he fabricated a story about being a cancer patient at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) to grab sympathy and donations from the public. Powell, 28, was in fact treated at the EWMSC for diabetes, which resulted in part of his right foot and two toes being amputated in June. For telling such a lie, Powell apologised to the T&T Guardian and North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA), which the EWMSC falls under. Read more here

Santa Cruz attack: woman at St Ann’s

A woman who attacked seven people on July 28 at a Santa Cruz house used to accommodate individuals with mental health challenges is currently being assessed at St Ann’s ­Psychiatric Hospital. Read more here

 

POLITICS

Abdulah warns of military intervention in Venezuela

Movement for Social Justice political leader David Abdulah has warned about the possibility of foreign military intervention in neighbouring Venezuela following the failed assassination attempt on Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. In a letter to the Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) international relations vice president Adan Chavez Frias, Abdulah said the assassination attempt was an “act of terrorism” against the Venezuelan people. Read more here

Protest planned for PM’s residence

Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) president general Ancel Roget has summoned his blue shirt army to the Prime Minister’s official residence in St Ann’s on August 26 where they will kneel and pray for Petrotrin and T&T. Warning that Petrotrin was on the brink of disaster, Roget called on all workers of the State-owned oil and gas company to mobilise while addressing them in front the company’s Pointe-a-Pierre Refinery on Monday evening. Read more here

‘They’re operating with secrecy’

Why are there two police commissioners in the country? That’s what Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal wants to know, as he called on the Police Service Commission (PSC) to provide a copy of Gary Griffith’s letter of appointment as Commissioner of Police. Read more here

 

BUSINESS

Tobago suffers decline in domestic tourism

The July/August vacation has not yielded the usual upswing in domestic tourism for Tobago. The island is not enjoying favourable local arrivals, says Chris James, chairman of the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association. In fact, he said, there has been decline in domestic arrivals compared to previous years and he blames the situation on the on going “seabridge saga”. “The Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association (THTA) realises we have a lot of rebuilding to do to regain the confidence of the sea-bridge traveller,” James told the T&T Guardian yesterday. Read more here

Building success into a dream

For years John Tannous dreamt of setting up a microbrewery in T&T. Last week Monday, his dream became a reality when he greeted customers at Tommy’s, T&T’s first microbrewery and restaurant, which opened its doors at Festival Plaza MovieTowne in Invaders Bay. Read more here

 

REGIONAL

Four To Go Forward With Case Against NSWMA - Ill Effects Of 2014 Riverton Fire

Four persons claiming damages arising from smoke emitted from a fire at the Riverton dump in St Andrew in 2014 are awaiting a new trial date for the matter being pursued against the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA). Multiple fires occurred at the waste-disposal site in 2014. Public Defender Arlene Harrison Henry informed The Gleaner recently that the NSWMA lost its fight to have the Court of Appeal strike out the claim on grounds that the claimants were frivolous and vexatious, and that the claim was an abuse of the judicial process. "The public defender has a duty to provide professional assistance to complainants who allege breaches of their constitutional right," Harrison Henry said. "We took a decision that we want the court to rule on the Riverton dump and to make a ruling on the many fires and their impact on citizens, and if their constitutional right to a healthy environment has been violated," she added. Read more here

 

INTERNATIONAL

Boris Johnson under pressure to apologize for burqa comments

Britain's Prime Minister has rebuked her former Foreign Secretary -- and a potential leadership challenger -- for insulting remarks he made about Muslim women wearing burqas. Theresa May called out Boris Johnson over the comments, in which he compared women who choose to wear the conservative Islamic dress to "letter boxes" and "bank robbers." The comments were made in Johnson's weekly column for Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper, in which he criticized Denmark's recent introduction of a ban on the burqa and other face veils. "It is very clear that the language that Boris Johnson used to describe people's appearance has caused offense," May said. "It's not language I would have used and I think he was wrong to have used that language, and I agree with Brandon Lewis." Read more here

New South Wales drought now affects entire state

Australia's most populous state, New South Wales (NSW), is now entirely in drought, officials have confirmed. A dry winter has intensified what has been called the worst drought in living memory in parts of eastern Australia. NSW produces about a quarter of Australia's agricultural output. It was officially listed as "100% in drought" on Wednesday. The state and federal governments have provided A$576m (£330m; $430m) in emergency relief funding. "There isn't a person in the state that isn't hoping to see some rain for our farmers and regional communities," said NSW Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair. Read more here

8th August 2018

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