NEWS
AMCHAM CEO: End LGBTQI discrimination
AMCHAM T&T CEO Nirad Tewarie said the time has come for the Equal Opportunities Act to be amended to end legal discrimination against the LGBTQI community. Tewarie was responding to adverse comments from RebuildTT which condemned statements made by his father Caroni Central MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie in support of acceptance of the community. Read more here
The hidden treasures of Biche
Nestled amid the lush forests where a thick canopy conceals flourishing marijuana plantations, lies the scenic community of Biche. With a population of over 4,000, residents say the area is one of the most peaceful. The news that the Government is considering the decriminalisation of marijuana this year, some residents believe the fertile lands in Biche will now attract outsiders to their community and possibly disrupt their easy-going way of life. President of the Biche Sports Club Lewis Tom, 77, said Biche was not always recognised as a peaceful place. People see Biche as a backward place but it is not so. We are very modernised. We have an abundance of citrus and fruits, the varieties of which is lost to many parts of T&T,” Tom said. Read more here
POLITICS
PM defends Venezuela strategy
The Prime Minister yesterday defended his government's approach towards the ongoing political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. Dr Rowley made no comment on TT being one of eight countries to abstain from the Organisation of American States (OAS) vote not to recognise the legitimacy of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's new term in office. But Dr Rowley rejected the Opposition Leader's claim that government strategy to deal with the Venezuela crisis was jeopardising TT's geo-political and economic future. He said he was aware of only three instances in recent times when "TT's interests were jeopardised on foreign and Caricom affairs." Read more here
Lawyers press PM for answer on CJ issue
That’s the question several senior legal practitioners are asking following a lack of response so far from Prime Minister Keith Rowley on the Law Association’s (LATT) report concerning allegations against Chief Justice Ivor Archie. So much so, a group of citizens has approached senior counsel Israel Khan, mulling pursuit of judicial review to ensure a reply from the Prime Minister. They are discussing whether that might become necessary within the next few weeks in the absence of word from him. Yesterday was a month since LATT submitted its report to the Prime Minister’s Office concerning allegations which have dogged Archie since 2017 into 2018. The situation polarised the Judiciary with some senior judges critical of the situation concerning Archie. Read more here
BUSINESS
Will stock markets advance in 2019?
We at Bourse take a closer look at where local and international equity markets could be headed in 2019. As highlighted in our previous article entitled ‘Equity Markets Lower in 2018’, several factors would have contributed to lower returns across markets. Read more here
REGIONAL
Baby Snatchers! - Experts Say Desperation And Mental Illness Among The Factors Leading To The Abduction Of Children
The abduction of two babies in less than a week has sparked fresh debate about the reasons Jamaicans, mainly women, would want to snatch babies to whiom they did not give birth. Psychiatrist and Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the University of the West Indies Frederick Hickling argues that the pressure society places on women to have children could be one of the factors. "There is a cultural thing in this country where there are a lot of women who don't feel complete if they don't have a baby, and, therefore, they will go to very strange ends to meet those needs that they have," Hickling told The Sunday Gleaner as he listed mental illness as another possible factor. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Theresa May says no Brexit more likely than no deal
Passenger carries firearm through TSA screening at Atlanta onto Delta flight
A traveler carrying a firearm boarded a flight from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and flew to Tokyo Narita International Airport on January 3, according to a statement from the Transportation Security Administration. "TSA has determined standard procedures were not followed and a passenger did in fact pass through a standard screening TSA checkpoint with a firearm at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on the morning of January 3," the release states. Read more here
14th January 2019