NEWS
Griffith: New unit to tackle white-collar crime
Comissioner of Police Gary Griffith yesterday said he intends to form a new division by merging units of different financial units to tackle fraud, corruption and embezzlement. He made the announcement while responding to a question from a member of a forum on restoring trust in the police service at the University of the West Indies St Augustine campus. He said , in the past different agencies responsible for arresting white-collar criminals have operated separately, but he intends to form a more robust unit to investigate such crimes. Read more here
Facts condemned Petrotrin to closure—Espinet
The cold hard facts condemned Petrotrin to closure. This was the statement of Petrotrin chairman Wilfried Espinet while under cross-examination from Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes in the Industrial Court yesterday. Espinet returned to the witness box as the Oilfield’s Workers Trade Union’s industrial relations offence complaint against Petrotrin continued. C Mendes is representing the OWTU in the matter. Espinet was once again asked by Mendes if on the August 12 the board had told the Government the best option was to close Petrotrin. Read more here
POLITICS
Stuart: Imported gas not being used yet
Any notion that imported gasoline is inferior to that formerly produced by the Petrotrin refinery was scotched by Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young at yesterday’s post-Cabinet briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s. He debunked recent rumours that gasoline sold at local pumps is an imported and inferior fuel that burns off quickly. Read more here
Parliament debates transformation of Police Service today
Next step in transformation of the Police Service. That involves tomorrow’s debate in Parliament on a motion to adopt the report of the Police Manpower Audit committee which was headed by Professor Ramesh Deosaran. Debate begins 10 am. The committee was mandated in 2017 to examine the manpower of the Police Service and the extent to which its strength is meeting major objectives and whether its human resource capacity is sufficient. Its report, titled “Now is the Time—No Sacred Cows,” was submitted to Prime Minister Keith Rowley last year October. The Police Service was found to be “in a wounded troubled” state mainly because of the complex network of problems facing it and plus continued inability to rescue and recover itself. The Deosaran team felt TTPS reform has to be treated as an emergency—but there’s no magic cure. Read more here
BUSINESS
TTAL unveils new marketing plan in London
One of London's iconic cabs wrapped in Tobago Beyond branding imagery has taken to the streets of the British capital as part of a new branding strategy being rolled out at the World Travel Market 2018 (WTM). Making the maiden trip yesterday in the branded cab, which has been engaged for six months by the Tobago Tourism Agency Limited (TTAL), were THA Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles, Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Transportation Nadine Stewart-Phillips TTAL Chairman Dr. Sherma Roberts and CEO Louis Lewis who are attending the WTM in London. Read more here
REGIONAL
Eat Jamaican To Grow Jamaica - Collings
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Andrene Collings has underscored the immense potential economic value of the Grow What We Eat ... Eat What We Grow campaign. She says that every Jamaican can contribute to this campaign by taking part in simple, everyday activities. "Buying more Jamaican, eating more Jamaican and exporting more Jamaican value-added products will certainly have a positive impact on our economy. Eating Jamaican is about supporting local agriculture. It is about spending your money on fresher, tastier products that have been grown or processed locally instead of being imported from thousands of miles away," she told the recent launch of Eat Jamaican Month. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Trump jets to Paris, leaving political tumult behind
Sullen and combative after an electoral humbling, President Donald Trump jets Friday to Paris, hoping to use the global stage to restore some standing as he faces a tumultuous political future at home. The President and first lady are visiting the French capital for a ceremony commemorating 100 years since the end of World War I, a weighty moment for the world to remember the conflict that did not wind up ending all wars. Read more here
'Remarkable' decline in fertility rates
9th November 2018