NEWS
WASA’s Caroni plant shut down...again
The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) temporarily shut down the Caroni Water Treatment Plant, Piarco yesterday after an oily substance was found in the river. This is the second time for the year, an oily substance forced the plant to be shut down. On February 24 last, the substance was discovered near the intake to the reservoir, and the plant was stopped for a day to facilitate cleaning and sanitising. Schools were closed and hundreds of households were affected. In a release, WASA said the discovery was made at about 11.20 am yesterday above the raw water intake. Read more...
Youth killed by off duty cop in botched robbery
The stubbornness of a La Horquetta teen, coupled with negative influence by elders, are the two major reasons Kayode Edwards was killed on Wednesday night during a botched robbery. According to police, around 10.20 pm Wednesday three men stormed a private residence with a room used for gambling and equipped with a roulette table and attempted to rob those gathered. Read more...
POLITICS
UNC women come out for Kamla
Women in the United National Congress (UNC) showed their power in the party Wednesday night when they came out in full force to support Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, for leadership. They packed the inside and outside of the auditorium of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, out-numbering the male UNC diehards by three-to-one. Persad-Bissessar, vying for political leadership in the midst of three election defeats, culminating in the September 7 General Election, again apologised for the lost, and called on other coalition members like the COP, “to come forward as well”. Read more...
‘Legal issue’ — Moonilal
Former housing minister Dr Roodal Moonilal told the T&T Guardian yesterday that Housing Development Corporation (HDC) records in his tenure had shown 80,000 people in the bracket having joint incomes of $25,000 up to $45,000 had applied for housing. He said: “It involved thousands of public officers, teachers, members of the protective services, administrative officers and in a minority of cases private professionals.“For example, the applicants could be a police sergeant and his wife, a teacher or a school principal married to a manager in a ministry, and similar cases, all these people will now be excluded from public housing. Read more...
BUSINESS
Eastern Credit Union Prez voted out
There's a new president at the head of Eastern Credit Union (ECU). The credit union held a Special Board Meeting Wednesday night and voted to remove President Alana Blackman, replacing her with Wayne Estrada. Speaking with Newsday yesterday, Estrada said the extraordinary action was taken because the Board had lost trust and confidence in the former president. With ten members present, eight voted in favour of a motion to remove Blackman while one voted against and one member abstained. Blackman could not be reached for comment yesterday as calls to her cellphone went to voicemail. Read more...
ANSA McAL to appeal decision in BHL case
ANSA McAL is appealing a decision by Barbados High Court judge Justice Sir Marston Gibson to lift an injunction that blocked the sale of Barbados’ largest beverage company, Banks Holdings Ltd (BHL). “The company will be joined by several other BHL shareholders who intend to bring a class action suit against BHL with a view to getting the ‘10 Put Option’ clause removed from the BHL/SLU agreement,” president and chief executive officer of ANSA McAL (Barbados) Nicholas Mouttet said in a statement. Read more...
REGIONAL
State of emergency extended to French Caribbean territories after Paris attack
The state of emergency declared by France following the terrorist attacks in Paris has been extended to the French Caribbean territories of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, St Martin and St Barths. The state of emergency was declared last weekend after the terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), claimed responsibility for the Friday night attacks that killed 129 people and injured more than 350. Read more...
Terror Talks - Officials To Meet, Discuss Security Measures Amid Worldwide Threat
The Government has ramped up security at the nation's borders, one week after the deadly terrorist attacks in France and two days after five Syrian nationals were detained in the Central American country of Honduras. As part of the increased security measures, National Security Minister Peter Bunting revealed last night that the internal surveillance units of the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force have "heightened their levels of monitoring of suspicious activities". Read more...
INTERNATIONAL
Gunmen hold 170 hostage at Radisson Blu hotel in Mali; 3 deaths reported
Gunmen have taken 170 people hostage inside the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali's capital, Bamako, with at least three deaths reported. The hotel chain said two armed men have locked in 140 guests and 30 employees. The men came in a diplomatic vehicle Friday morning, firing as they entered the hotel, said witness Amadou Keita, who works at a cultural center close by. The gunshots went on for several long minutes, he said. Two Malian nationals and a French national have died, a U.N. official said without elaborating. Read more...
Third body found in Paris attacks flat
20th November 2015