NEWS
Pregnant women and babies in danger
Pregnant women living in far flung areas like Icacos, Cedros, Point Fortin and environs are said to be in danger of not only losing their lives but that of the babies they are carrying. The claim comes from former medical director of the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) Dr Anand Chattergoon who said over the past few weeks the Point Fortin Area Hospital (PFAH) has been without a full time anaesthetist. If an emergency arises the women have to be rushed to San Fernando General Hospital miles away. Chattergoon said he has failed in his attempts to have the authorities appoint an anaesthetist and fearing that a crisis might be looming, over the weekend he penned a strongly worded letter to SWRHA Board Chairman Dr Alexander Sinanan and his deputy Valerie Rawlins. He forwarded copies to SWRHA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anil Gosine, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, Acting Director of Health Dr Dale Sookoo and Head of Obstetrics/Gynaecology Dr Krishna Rampersadsingh. According to Chattergoon instead of dealing with the problem, pregnant women from the remote areas are now forced to make the long and arduous trip by ambulance to the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH). Chattergoon is an anaethestist. Read more here
Driver in fatal Malabar accident: Killed for gold jewels
An Arima man who knocked down and killed a pedestrian two months ago in Malabar, was robbed and shot dead on Saturday night near his girlfriend’s home in Arima on Saturday. According to police reports, Kevon “Nosey” James, 30, of Kingdom Avenue, Maturita, was near his girlfriend’s home liming with friends during a celebration for her birthday, when he was approached by gunmen who robbed him of two gold chains and several gold rings before shooting him. Police said the incident took place close to midnight. James was questioned and later released in the accidental death of 19-year-old Ezekiel Burton, of Old Trainline, Arima. Burton’s death was captured on CCTV cameras on August 6, around 7 am near Pro Sports Bar along the Malabar Extension Road. Read more here
Two Killed in Curepe Shootout
Two men, including a disc jockey with radio station 96.1 WEFM, were executed outside a Curepe bar last night. While details remained sketchy up to press time, a police corporal who was in the vicinity of where the murders took place was also injured when he engaged the gunmen in a shoot-out. Read more here
POLITICS
Kamla at UNC petition appeal
Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC will today attend the Port of Spain Court of Appeal, to hear the appeal of the election petition lodged by the United National Congress (UNC) against the one-hour extension of voting in the September 7 General Elections. Read more here
Remove Al-Rawi
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the Attorney General has to go—either he must resign or be fired. In a lengthy statement issued yesterday, Persad-Bissessar outlined just why it was untenable for Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi to continue in office. Last Tuesday, during his contribution to the budget debate, Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal said children bearing “a striking resemblance to a senior Cabinet minister” were pictured with high-powered weapons, and provided such evidence. Read more here
BUSINESS
New FCB public offering coming soon
Following on the Government’s budget announcement a divestment of 20 percent of its shares in the mnajority state-owned bank, First Citizens back will soon have a public offering again. However, its Group CEO, Karen Darbasie was uncertain as to actually when the offering would be made. Darbasie made the statement at First Citizen’s fourth Annual Women’s Conference held at Movie Towne’s Conference Centre, Casablanca Room yesterday. The Government announced in its 2017 budget presentation on September 30 that Government would divest 20 percent of its shares in the majority state-owned bank. Darbasie informed the scores of women gathered for the event that there would be a public offering up again soon. Read more here
T&T now a major Samsung market
T&T was not originally on Samsung Electronics’ priority list of countries in the when the group was exploring new markets to set up shop, heighten sales, and boost profits, says product manager for Latin America and the Caribbean Angelo Marconi. A sampling of the market did not suggest it could satisfy the electronics giant’s sales and growth demands. However, Samsung decided go ahead with an investment in T&T and discovered there was an insatiable appetite for the brand with this country’s tech-savvy population. As a result, the company decided to give focus here. Marconi, who spoke with the T&T Guardian at the launch of the Samsung’s SUHD TV at Courts’ Megastore last Thursday, said: “Right now the Caribbean market, specifically in T&T, has become a major market for us. At the beginning, we were a little reluctant, but we saw how the people were receiving our products, falling in love with our brand. We said why not. Read more here
ECLAC says productivity remains the Achilles’ heel of Caribbean economies
The executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Alicia Bárcena, says productivity remains the Achilles’ heel of regional economies. At the opening of the first high-level meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Regional Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean, Bárcena said that increasing productivity, advancing social inclusion and strengthening governance are the three priorities of the Regional Program of the Paris-based OECD. The Regional Programme was launched in June 2016 in Paris to support Latin America and the Caribbean in advancing its reform agenda. Chile and Peru are the first two co-chairs of the Program for the period 2016-2018. According to the latest economic projections by ECLAC, the gross domestic product (GDP) of Latin America and the Caribbean will shrink by 0.9 percent on average this year, while in 2017 it is expected to grow by 1.5 percent. Read more here
REGIONAL
UN secretary general visits Haiti in aftermath of hurricane
Haiti is facing its largest humanitarian disaster since the 2010 earthquake, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Saturday in Port-au-Prince, where he urged friends of the island nation worldwide to “step up” and provide the resources the Haitian people so desperately need in the wake of the “utter devastation” wrought by Hurricane Matthew. “It is one thing to read about the damage caused by the hurricane. It is another thing to see it for oneself,” Ban told reporters in the Haitian capital at the end of his mission to show solidarity with the people, many of whom had very little and now, he said, have lost everything in the aftermath of the powerful storm. The Category 4 storm slammed into the country on 4 October and, according to UN relief wing, caused extensive flooding and mudslides, damage to road infrastructure and buildings, and electricity and water shortages, particularly in Haiti's south-western departments where it made landfall. The UN estimates that 546 have been killed, 438 injured, and 128 are missing, with some 2.1 million people affected throughout the country. Read more here
'Irresponsible And Hurtful' - Attorney For Three Dead Babies' Parents Rips Public Defender's Report
Marc Ramsay, the attorney representing three of the mothers whose babies were among the 19 who died due to bacterial infections, has described a report from the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) as irresponsible and hurtful. A report by the OPD concluded that the eight premature babies who died in separate infectious incidents at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) in June last year were the "unfortunate victims of an under-resourced medical facility". Last year, 19 preterm babies died at the UHWI and the Cornwall Regional Hospital as a result of Serratia and Klebsiella infections. However, the report, which was released on Friday, said there was no evidence that the babies were infected with Serratia and Klebsiella because of medical negligence on the part of hospital employees and even disputed media reports that there had been an outbreak. Ramsay noted that the evidence and conclusions presented were disappointing. He insisted, however, that he would persist in ensuring that justice is served. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Battle for Mosul: Iraq and Kurdish troops make gains
'Rigged election'? Trump's dangerous talk
It might seem as though Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is moving further away from the party that nominated him. Since he declared himself "unshackled" he's escalated his maverick rhetoric, hammering home his claims that the November 8 election is "rigged" against him. Cornered by a flood of accusations of sexual assault, Trump's Fifth Avenue headquarters has become an unlikely fort from which he's staging a last stand against an ever-widening circle of enemies that includes not only the media and his Democrat opponent, Hillary Clinton, but much of the GOP. "100% fabricated and made up charges ... may poison the minds of the American voter. FIX!" he tweeted on October 15. Trump's attempts to delegitimize our upcoming election should make clear what many Americans have known all along: He represents a clear and present danger to American democracy. Read more here
17th October 2016