NEWS
‘Shortman’ killed outside his home at Penal
Blamed for the shooting death of his nephew back in May, a 57 year-old Penal father of four suffered a similar fate early yesterday morning when he too was shot dead, mere metres away. Dead is Michael Matthew, also called “Shortman” and “Sprainy” of Fazal Avenue, off Penal Rock Road, Penal. On May 17, Mathew’s nephew, Roger Romain, 35, was ambushed and gunned down in front of his home, mere metres from where his uncle lived next door. A police report stated that shortly before 1 am yesterday, residents heard two loud explosions followed by the screeching sound of a car speeding off. Read more...
Let retrenched ArcelorMittal workers operate Point Lisas plant—Abdulah
Leader of the Movement for Social Justice David Abdulah is suggesting that workers who were retrenched by steel giant ArcelorMittal last week be allowed to operate the manufacturing plant in Point Lisas on their own. Speaking at a press conference at the MSJ office in San Fernando yesterday, Abdulah said the country is getting to a point where these ideas should be considered. Read more...
3 Die on Roads
Two people are dead following separate vehicular accidents in Cocorite and Caroni over a 15-hour period. The victims are 63-year-old Hilton Joseph and Clyde Victor, who was in his 30s. The latest incident took place around 9 a.m. yesterday along the South-bound lane of Uriah Butler Highway. Read more...
POLITICS
PM gets book on Cazabons
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley last Friday received the first ever book to be published on the works of famed local artist Michel Jean Cazabon (1813-1888). The book was presented to Rowley at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair by Geoffrey MacLean. A statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister said MacLean is the leading authority on Cazabon, who was a national hero and great 19th Century artist. MacLean also represented the Government at an auction for Cazabon’s paintings in London this year. The ten Cazabon paintings that the Government successfully acquired will be housed at the National Museum in Portof- Spain as a significant part of our history captured by the first Trinidad and Tobago artist to attain international acclaim. Read more...
Former PNM finance minister: Declare reason to fire Jwala
The Government must declare its reasons if it wants to fire the Central Bank Governor says former finance minister Conrad Enill. He added that the governor and the Government cannot be at loggerheads on the direction of the economy. “One has the responsibility of fiscal policy and the other manages monetary policy. So the minister and governor must co-exist to deal with the economy’s problems and tell the public what is the correct situation and what policy choices they’re going to pursue on that basis.” Read more...
Rowley: I never asked Jwala ‘where the money gone’
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday denied an allegation made by “serial letter writer” Stephen Kangal that he ever called on Central Bank Governor Jwala Rambarran to state “where the money gone”. Kangal, a former diplomat, had penned a letter supportive of Rambarran’s decision to release information on the top foreign exchange recipients. Read more...
BUSINESS
ILO warns of increased unemployment
In 2015, the unemployment rate in Latin America and the Caribbean increased for the first time in five years to 6.7 per cent, causing at least 1.7 million people to join the ranks of the unemployed, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s annual report, in which the impact of the slowdown on economic growth in the labour market is recorded. The 2015 Labour Overview of Latin America and the Caribbean warned of a “turnaround” in the employment indicators, with a deterioration in the employment situation of women and youth, and indications of rising informality through “increased generation of lower quality jobs.” Read more...
REGIONAL
Opposition says it has 'unmistakable' proof of election fraud in St Vincent
During a press and party briefing on Saturday at the opposition New Democrat Party (NDP) headquarters in Kingstown, the leader of the NDP Arnhim Eustace said that the party has “unmistakable proof” that last Wednesday’s general elections in St Vincent and the Grenadines were “stolen”. Arnhim Eustace told a large gathering of media and party supporters that, since his initial statement on local radio on Friday night, additional information has surfaced “confirming, first of all, that there were over 320 illegal votes cast in the constituency of Central Leeward alone; Louis Straker, who has been declared winner of the seat, won by 318 votes.” Read more...
UN Body Wants Continuity - FAO Pushing For Mature Governance From CARICOM States
The ongoing failure of CARICOM countries to reap the full benefits of aid programmes, because of disruptions whenever there is a change of administration, is now a matter of serious concern for at least one international funding agency - the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. This lack of continuity has resulted in significant wastage of resources, made worse very often by duplication of projects and blatant squandering, as political parties appear to engage in one-upmanship to the detriment of their constituents and the public purse. Read more...
INTERNATIONAL
Egypt: No evidence of terrorism so far in Russian passenger jet crash
Egyptian investigators have so far found no evidence of terrorism in the deadly crash of a Russian passenger jet in Sinai, authorities said Monday, offering a sharply contrasting view from that of Moscow. Russian security officials have said they believe a bomb brought down Metrojet Flight 9268 in October, and the Islamic extremist group ISIS has claimed it planted an explosive device in a soda can on the plane. Read more...
France teacher stabbed in class by man 'shouting Islamic State'
14th December 2015