NEWS
Felicia’s death a homicide
Although an autopsy done on Monday proved inconclusive, Forensic Pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov yesterday said he firmly believes Felicia Persad’s death is a homicide based on the fact that her body was found with the hands and feet bound and her mouth gagged. He further explained that a possible reason no blood was found in the body was because fishes may have eaten away part of her abdominal wall leading to blood being drained out into the Mitan River in Manzanilla. Alexandrov said although Persad’s death is classified by Forensic pathologist Dr Eslyn McDonald-Burris as ‘undetermined’ pending further forensic tests on body tissue, he believes she may have been strangled. He agreed that with the advanced state of decomposition of the body, such a finding would be hard to determine on cursory examination of the body. He said that regarding the manner of death, initial questions could have been asked such as was it homicide, suicide, accident or natural? “So the circumstances indicate that it was not an accident, neither suicide. “We are left with homicidal asphyxia.” “The major of any enemy of any forensic pathologist regardless where they work, is decomposition. Read more…
AG defends red flagging of T&T nationals
The “red flagging” of T&T nationals who went to areas associated with terrorist activity is a normal procedure and is necessary for T&T to meet its obligations under the United Nations’ anti-terrorism resolution, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi says. Defending Government’s move to “red flag” such persons, Al-Rawi, at yesterday’s weekly government media briefing, said he understood concerns which have arisen in the Muslim community about it. “I am Faris Al-Rawi,” he added, “I have an Iraqi name. I have Middle East roots also and I am certainly very well acquainted with the issue of red flagging... just having a name from the Middle East and having family in the Middle East can cause you to be the subject of secondary inquiries in foreign jurisdictions. Read more…
Met Office issues ‘hot spell’ warning...
Are you feeling hot, hot hot? Then take cover. The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service has issued a “hot spell” warning for the country, advising the scorching high temperatures can be dangerous to your health. The hottest time of the day is between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. said the Met Office, which forecast blistering heat heading into the weekend due to persistently hot conditions. Read more…
POLITICS
Govt unit to tackle terrorists
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi yesterday announced the establishment of a special anti-terrorism desk in his ministry. The Attorney General said the desk, manned by specialist legal officers, will liaise with the Special Branch, Interpol and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. It will apply existing laws. “We intend to bring real results by way of effective implementation of existing laws,” Al-Rawi said at the Cabinet media briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair, Port-of-Spain. He said “red-flagging” of terrorist suspects was a normal procedure. Addressing concerns of Islamophobia, he said having a name like his, he was aware of the fact that secondary inquires are often made at airports. But he said the terrorism issue was larger than one religion. Read more…
Team already here—Imbert
World Bank officials are in T&T to assist and advise the Government on several pressing matters, including a review of expenditure in all key areas of Government activity and spending in areas such as education and national security, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said at yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair. Imbert said the officials were invited to T&T during a meeting he and Central Bank representatives was having with them and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington earlier this week. “That team is already here. They returned with me from Washington on Tuesday and they are already meeting with officials in the Ministry of Finance,” Imbert said, adding that during the Washington discussions with the IMF and the World Bank they asked that the Government be given technical assistance. Read more…
Olivierre: Govt working to turn around Petrotrin
Energy Minister Nicole Olivierre says Government is working with State refinery Petrotrin to turn the company around. Petrotrin recently posted a $1 billion loss. Olivierre was asked Tuesday at an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative event in Sangre Grande what the plan was for Petrotrin. She said: “Well, we are working with Petrotrin to come up with a comprehensive plan to see how they can turn around their operations. Read more…
BUSINESS
ILO Director-General pays courtesy call on Labour Minister
Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus was paid a courtesy call by International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director-General Guy Ryder on April 18. This visit was part of his scheduled meetings with several stakeholders in government, as well as the labour Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus presents Guy Ryder with a token and employer sectors. Bapt i s te-Primus apprised the Director- General and his team of the current activities that the Ministry has been engaged in and highlighted the sound relationship already had with the local ILO contingent. Ryder and his team aired several issues that had been raised with him by the labour fraction. Read more…
Rate of inflation increases
The rate of inflation, as measured by the retail price index, has increased from 2.9 per cent in February to three per cent last month. The Index of Retail Prices released by the Central Statistical Office (CSO) yesterday noted that the index for all items dropped to 103.3 in March 2016, from 103.4 in February. Read more…
REGIONAL
Gays Welcome! We Celebrate You, Not Your Lifestyle – Pastors Offer Transformation
Some local pastors are standing on holy ground on the hot topic of same sex unions, making it clear that all are welcomed to their churches, but not their lifestyles. The pastors, who were part of a panel of religious leaders at the first in The Gleaner's series of Family and Religion Editors' Forums at the media house's Kingston office yesterday. They discussed, amongst other things, the role of the churches in a Jamaican society overwhelmed with crime, criminality and other ills. Pastor Dwight Fletcher, who heads the Transformed Lives church, said his congregation welcomed all but it was within the realm of the church to transform lives. "That issue is an issue like all others, because we are all broken. We all come with something. So we don't want inappropriate behaviours from heterosexuals, or homosexuals. But they can come to church. We accept you as a human being and God wants the best for you. But we refuse to accept you remaining the same," said Pastor Fletcher, who extended the olive branch to all and sundry. Read more…
Alleged bribe recipient intervened in Bahamas utility contract award
Fred Ramsey used his access to former deputy prime minister Frank Watson to ensure that Alstom Power Espana, formerly ABB Generación, received a second contract for the expansion of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s (BEC) generation capacity, a Supreme Court jury in Nassau heard on Wednesday. Ramsey, an opposition Free National Movement (FNM) council member and former member of BEC’s board and contracts committee, is accused of bribery in connection with payments totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars that he allegedly received to influence the board’s decision to award the contract to Alstom. Ramsey has denied any wrongdoing at his trial before Justice Bernard Turner. Alstom was ultimately given the contract after the board had voted in favour of its Korean competitor, Hansang, after Watson suspended the award of the contract while he “investigated” concerns brought to his attention by Ramsey, the court heard. Read more…
INTERNATIONAL
Trump: Tubman on the $20 bill is 'pure political correctness'
Donald Trump thinks anti-slavery icon Harriet Tubman is "fantastic" -- but he says the move to have herreplace seventh president Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill is "pure political correctness." "Well, Andrew Jackson had a great history, and I think it's very rough when you take somebody off the bill," Trump said during a town hall on the "Today" show on NBC Thursday morning. "I think Harriet Tubman is fantastic, but I would love to leave Andrew Jackson or see if we can maybe come up with another denomination." Trump suggested -- as Ben Carson also has -- that Tubman be put on the $2 bill, which is no longer printed. Harriet Tubman will be face of the $20. Read more…
Barack Obama visit: UK more effective at fighting terror inside EU
22nd April 2016