NEWS
Chinese couple shot dead
Gunmen shot and killed a man and a woman in a car outside a restaurant in Marabella on Thursday. The shooting happened at around 7p.m. less that a minute's drive from the Marabella Police Station. The killers escaped. Investigators say the Chinese nationals were the targets, and it was not a random crime or robbery attempt. The Express was told that the couple had just left a business place located in nearby Tarouba - a members club and casino. Read more here
Cubans claim refugees status in TT
Most of the more than 300 refugees in this country are from Cuba and then Venezuela, reported United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) protection officer Rubén Barbado. He was speaking with the Newsday during the break period of the UNHCR and Living Water Community Refugee Awareness Workshop held at Bretton Hall, Victoria Avenue, Port-of-Spain. The event, held for the local media, was in commemoration of World Refugee Day on June 20th. Read more here
1,200 waiting for CT, MRI scans
With over 1,200 outpatients awaiting Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) scans at the San Fernando General hospital (SFGH), former medical director of the hospital Dr Anand Chatoorgoon has renewed his call for the Government to utilize the state-of-the-art scanners lyin. An MRI scan costs between $3,600 to $8,000 while CT-scans can cost between $1,300 to $6,000 at private institutions. Read more here
POLITICS
Rowley: Ferdie’s book gives us comfort
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley hailed veteran politican Ferdie Ferreira at the launch of his memoirs “Political Encounters: 1946-2016”, saying the book gives us hope for the present. The event took place on Wednesday night at SWWTU Hall, Port-of-Spain, before a veritable who’s who of TT’s political landscape including former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, former politican Jack Warner, labour leaders, academics, Cabinet ministers, Opposition MPs and former politicians. The event also marked Ferreira’s 85th birthday. Read more here
Cuffie on $65.3m for unoccupied offices: It’s old news
Public Administration and Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie has described as “old” news, the payment of $65.3 million for rental of four unoccupied properties over a period of time. Cuffie was responding to statements made by Auditor General, Majeed Ali when he and members of the department appeared before the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday, to discuss the report of the Auditor General for the period ended September 30, 2016. Read more here
BUSINESS
Parliament examining gas master plan
The Natural Gas Master Plan for T&T, which will map out the natural gas sector for the next ten years, has been sent to a parliamentary committee for deliberations. Energy Minister Franklin Khan laid the long-waited report in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. In the Senate on Tuesday, Khan had described the plan as, “...a pioneering move, if I do say so myself,” The plan has been in the works since November 2014 when the Energy Ministry,under the former PP administration, retained Poten and Partners of the UK to develop a master plan for T&T’s natural gas sector to serve as a policy guide. Read more here
IMF: T&T debt to grow in 2018
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is projecting Trinidad and Tobago taxpayers will have to bear a public sector gross debt burden of 75.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018, up from 41.7 per cent in 2014, and 49.5 per cent in 2015. Read more here
REGIONAL
Not Hair Police - Ministry Will Still Allow Latitude With School-Grooming Policy
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will shortly roll out its policy guidelines on the grooming standards for students as it relates to styling of their hair, uniform, and general deportment, portfolio minister Ruel Reid disclosed yesterday. However, schools will still have the final word in its application. This is in keeping with a commitment last year and drawing on the recommendations from islandwide consultations with students, parents, teachers, and school board chairmen conducted by the National Council on Education. "We will provide our full position on that shortly. We are reviewing the recommendations so that we can sign off on the guidelines that we will issue to schools," Reid told a Gleaner Editors' Forum at the company's North Street, Kingston, headquarters. Read more here
Barbados government signs US$34 million IDB loan for cleaner fuels and renewable energy
The Barbados government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have signed a US$34 million loan agreement to finance a project to use cleaner fuels and renewable energy in Barbados. Minister of finance and economic affairs, Christopher Sinckler, and IDB representative, Juan Carlos De La Hoz Viñas, signed the document on Wednesday. Sinckler said the programme would be implemented over a six-year period and highlighted the components as: natural gas infrastructure; smart energy solutions and technical advisory services. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
260 miles, 5 stolen vehicles, 2 robbed homes: How fugitives stayed on the run
Surrounded by law enforcement officers, Ricky Dubose and Donnie Rowe were handcuffed and lying face down on a residential driveway in Central Tennessee. Nearly 60 hours before, authorities launched a multistate search after they escaped from a state corrections bus in Central Georgia and allegedly killed two prison guards. While they were on the run, the pair allegedly stole five vehicles, robbed two homes, tied up and terrorized an elderly couple; and led police on a chase where speeds reached 100 mph, officials said. Read more here
London fire: Queen and Prince William visit Grenfell Tower centre
16th June 2017