NEWS
Anteater finds its way to woman’s home
The opening of the 2015 hunting season has put wildlife on the run. On Tuesday night a two-year old anteater seeking refuge ran into the yard of Cindy Mohammed, of Killdeer Trace, Rio Claro. Mohammed placed the animal in a cage and sought help on social media. Kishan Ramcharan, a Forester 1 attached to the Forestry Division, Ministry of Agriculture, said he came upon the request while browsing online later that evening. Read more...
Nurse attacked, raped
A security guard from a well-known local security firm has been arrested in connection with the rape of a nurse who police said was attacked while on duty at her workplace during the early morning hours yesterday. Up to press time, the guard was being interrogated by detectives. Police sources said during the early hours of yesterday morning the nurse was at the learning centre at the northern side of the St James District Hospital, when she was attacked by the guard who covered the woman’s mouth, threatened her with violence if she raised an alarm and dragged her off to a deserted area where he raped her. After the assault, the guard left the compound. Read more...
GIRL POWER
Girls have taken the top prize—the President's Medal—in this year's national scholarships. Taking home the President's Medal are Shivrani Prabhudial, 19, of Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College, and Ashisha Persad, 18, of Naparima Girls' High School, for their performance in the secondary-level Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) for 2015. Read more...
POLITICS
Smith apologises to Padarath
Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Darryl Smith says he has apologised to Opposition MP Barry Padarath for refering to him as a “princess” during last Saturday’s Budget debate in Parliament and he is now also apologising to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community if anyone was offended by his comment. Smith’s remark prompted Padarath to declare he would not be bullied and it also caused a firestorm of criticism on social media, among non-governmental organisations and the Coalition Advocating for Inclusion of Sexual Orientation (Caiso) group, lobbyists for the LGBT community in T&T. Read more...
Moonilal: Is Rowley still ill?
Is Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley still too ill to attend Parliament? This was the question asked by Opposition Chief Whip, Dr Roodal Moonilal, last night in the Lower House as the Finance Committee examined Budget 2016. When the committee finished examining the accounts of the Ministry of National Security and were then directed to go on to the Ministry of Trade, Moonilal popped up to complain that the next scheduled item was in fact the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). Asking about the bypassing of the OPM accounts, he asked, “Is the Prime Minister still ill?” Read more...
Garcia: Boys lagging
Education Minister Anthony Garcia yesterday congratulated the 443 national scholarship winners but said he had noted the boys have continued to lag academically. Speaking at a news conference in the press room of the Parliament Chamber, at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain, Garcia said the “gentlemen” in the school system had to step it up. Garcia also said Cabinet, in its meeting yesterday, had no- ted Government secondary schools where “all the money was spent” were being outper- formed by their State-assisted denominational counterparts. “Cabinet was not pleased,” Garcia said, adding only five per cent of this year's scholarships went to Government schools. Read more...
BUSINESS
T&T Chamber names Champions of Business
The late Bernard Dulal-Whiteway, former CEO of Neal and Massy Holdings Ltd, and businessman Oscar Francois will be inducted into the Business Hall of Fame when the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce hosts its annual Champions of Business gala event on November 7 at the Hyatt Regency, in Port-of-Spain. They top the list of honourees for this year’s event released by the Chamber yesterday. Dulal-Whiteway, who died in 2009 at age 62, had been an executive at Neal & Massy for more than 25 years and was a recipient of the Chaconia Gold medal for his contribution to business development in T&T. Read more...
Improved revenues in 2 years
Finance Minister Colm Imbert is optimistic that this country could receive improved revenues of approximately $15 billion within the next two years. As he concluded the 2016 Budget debate in the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, Minister Imbert based his optimism on several factors. He disclosed that Government was in receipt of a 2015-2025 crude oil price forecast done by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) and the OECD. Read more...
$2.6 billion spent on CEPEP
The amount of money spent yearly on the Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) has increased by more than 500 per cent since the People’s Partnership came into office, Housing Minister Marlene McDonald has said. A total of $2.6 billion was spent on CEPEP during the five year tenure of the People’s Partnership administration, McDonald said. McDonald made the statement on Tuesday night during the budget debate held at the House of Representatives, Tower D of the International Waterfront in Port of Spain. Read more...
REGIONAL
Mexican hotel chain announces US$900 million investment in Jamaica
Mexico-based Karisma Hotel and Resorts has announced plans to invest more than US$900 million to develop nine hotels in Jamaica, adding 4,000 rooms to the country’s stock over the next ten years. The 228 acre Llandovery beachfront property in St Ann will be the site for this massive development, which is also intended to create 8,000 new direct employment and about 5,000 jobs indirectly. Karisma’s vice-president for corporate affairs and business development, Ruben Becerra, made the announcement on Tuesday during a press conference at the offices of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) in New Kingston. Read more...
Dominica’s tourism sector ready to welcome visitors after Tropical Storm Erika
Dominica is open for business and ready to welcome visitors to its shores.” So said Minister for Tourism and Urban Renewal Robert Tonge as he provided an update on the status of the tourism sector, following the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Erika in late August. Air access to the destination has resumed with LIAT, Seaborne and WINAIR offering daily flights between Dominica, from Antigua, Barbados, San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and St. Croix. Flights operate from the main airport, Douglas Charles Airport, and the smaller Canefield Airport. Read more...
INTERNATIONAL
Palestinian rioters torch Joseph's Tomb Jewish holy site
Millions of Americans might need passports to fly domestic
It sounds crazy, but next year, millions of Americans might have to start using passports to fly -- on domestic flights. A decade ago, the U.S. government issued stricter standards for state-issued IDs, including drivers licenses. But four states have refused to comply: Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire and New York. Read more...
16th October 2015