NEWS
Driver clutches chest, dies behind wheel: Woman jumps from car
POLICE are investigating if the death of 64-year-old retiree John Duncan on Saturday resulted from a road traffic accident in La Brea or was due to illness. Duncan resided at Marshall Street, La Brea. According to police, Densita Mitchell, 66, of Building 204 Block P, Embacadere, San Fernando, told officers at the La Brea Police Station that she was a front-seat passenger in a white Nissan AD wagon driven by Duncan. Mitchell said at around 12.30 a.m. yesterday, the vehicle was proceeding along New Jersey Road, La Brea, in a northerly direction, when on reaching the vicinity of Station Beach, Duncan held on to his chest and bawled out, 'O Lord!'...read more
Pilot paralysed after Pigeon Point Jetty jump
A Caribbean Airlines (CAL) pilot is in a serious yet stable condition at hospital after an incident at Pigeon Point, Tobago. Christon Battersby, 26, hit his head last Saturday after he jumped off the Pigeon Point jetty. Battersby, of St Joseph, is recovering at the Scarborough General Hospital. According to reports, around 11.30 a.m., Battersby was at the Pigeon Point jetty with some friends when they decided to jump off the jetty. Battersby jumped into the water first and on doing so he hit his head on an object in the water. He was knocked unconscious and rushed to shore. CPR was rendered to him until emergency personnel arrived on the scene...read more
Rowley slams UK visa row: Ditch Privy Council
THE Prime Minister said the British Government's recent imposition of a requirement for any Trinidad and Tobago national to pay for a visa before visiting the UK now proves once and for all the need for TT to leave the UK-based Privy Council. Dr Rowley gave his final address as PM to a PNM rally for the presentation of its 41 candidates for the upcoming general election at Woodford Square, Port of Spain, on March 16. He began by hitting at the Opposition as allegedly being unwilling to defend TT's sovereignty but to cheer on whenever others abused TT, saying that had happened last week when the British imposed the visa on TT nationals, which came after record numbers of people seeking asylum in the UK...read more
Kamla a clear and present danger to T&T
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her cabal pose a clear and present danger to the people of Trinidad and Tobago, outgoing Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said yesterday as he addressed the PNM special convention at City Hall, Port of Spain. It was the last time Rowley was addressing a PNM convention in his capacity as Prime Minister. His successor Stuart Young is to be sworn in at 10 a.m. today by President Christine Kangaloo. Rowley was speaking following the presentation of the PNM’s 41 candidates to the convention. To the strains of Bunji Garlin’s “Carry it”, each PNM candidate danced and waved a balisier flower as they made their way across the stage to a cheering audience. Then all candidates embraced and danced to PNM’s signature song, “We coming”, to an exuberant audience decked in red...read more
Young: Dr Rowley has great sense of humour
PRIME MINISTER-designate Stuart Young shared two anecdotes from his overseas trips on government business with outgoing Prime Minister that showed a softer and more humorous side to Dr Rowley. Young was addressing the PNM presentation of candidates rally at Woodford Square, Port of Spain, on March 16. "So we had gone to Washington and in one day, he had to speak to five different groups of people – five different groups of their politicians – from the Republican Party and the Democratic Party." Young said it was important for the TT public to know what has been done on their behalf, including talking to US law-makers. Recalling one politician not wanting to hear much about TT, he said he and Rowley stuck with it to make their case...read more
Kamla not attending Young swearing in, no legal action yet
OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says she will not attend the swearing in of Port of Spain North/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young as prime minister at the Office of the President, St Ann's, on March 17. All PNM MPs and senators will be in attendance. She also said the Opposition will hold its hand on any legal action relating to Young's appointment as prime minister and she is not impressed with subsequent possible changes to the Cabinet. Persad-Bissessar made these comments to the media during Phagwa celebrations at Petrotrin grounds, Clarke Road, Penal on March 16. As she spoke, the PNM's presentation of its 41 general election candidates was in full swing at Woodford Square, Port of Spain...read more
BUSINESS
CEO Christopher Alcazar: Acado hoping to boost regional brands
It has long been said to reduce your grocery bill; it may be best to grow your own. Local, publicly listed, multiline group, Agostini, is hoping that its rebrand can help grow regional business and by proxy help the growth of Caribbean brands. Chris Alcazar, CEO of the Agostini Groups’ consumer product companies, which were recently rebranded to Acado Foods and Acado Distribution, explained that the rebranding was not only built to bring the brands under one recognisable entity across the region, but also to supplement that growth. “One thing we have not touched on at all in our rebranding exercises is about the fact that there is a drive on how you earn hard currencies for all of the Caribbean markets and where we do business. You’ve seen Massy and some of the other groups be able to go into the US or Colombia. Part of that comes back to what we’re doing in the region,” said Alcazar in an interview with the Sunday Business Guardian...read more
Economists: Govt should consider investments in gold
While the Central Bank currently holds around US$163 million in gold reserves as at the end of December 2024, with mounting economic and geopolitical uncertainties, T&T’s banker to the Government and regulator of financial institutions ought to seriously consider expanding these holdings, given gold’s effectiveness as a hedge against economic instability, economist Dr Valmikki Arjoon told the Sunday Business Guardian. He noted that the price of gold increased by 90 per cent from the end of 2019 to present, from US$1,582 to US $3009 per once. Stating that gold is widely regarded as a safe-haven asset, particularly during times of economic uncertainty, and unlike foreign currencies, stocks, and bonds – which often lose value during market disruptions, gold typically retains its value and even appreciates, Arjoon is advising this is especially important for central banks like T&T’s, which hold large reserves of assets like bonds and foreign currencies, particularly the US dollar...read more
REGIONAL
Guyana commissions multi-billion dollar water plant
Guyana has commissioned a GUY$1.35 billion (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) water treatment plant that the authorities say will significantly transform the lives of 16,000 residents along the West Coast of Demerara through access to treated water. The treatment facility in Wales, is one of three planned for Region Three under the government’s Coastal Water Treatment Infrastructure Programme (CWTIP). It was constructed by Hipro Ecologicos, with local partners S Jagmohan Construction and is designed to treat eight million litres of water per day (MLD) supported by three wells. It is sufficient to meet the demands of the population with communities like Bell West, Goed Intent, Sisters, Patentia, Vriesland, Vive la Force and Free and Easy benefiting from the initiative...read more
INTERNATIONAL
Tornadoes, winds and wildfires leave 39 dead across the US
A dynamic storm that prompted foreboding predictions of dangerous weekend weather spawned tornadoes, dust storms and wildfires that killed at least 39 people and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. The weakening but still volatile weather system was moving Monday into the U.S. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, bringing thunderstorms, hail, damaging winds and the potential for more tornadoes...read more
17th March 2025