NEWS
Consultation on Education today at Magdalena Grand
Today’s National Consultation on Education in Tobago will be held at the Magdalena Grand Beach Resort and not the Shaw Park Cultural Complex as previously advertised. This according to a release from the Ministry of Education (MOE ). Minister of Education Anthony Garcia is expected to attend. Today’s consultation is the last event in a series that sought to allow members of the public to contribute to Trinidad and Tobago’s educational agenda. Over the last five weeks, a number of channels were used to collect opinions, concerns and suggestions from members of the public. Read more…
Accident survivor says driver saved him as car hurtled towards them
A Cunupia man who died in the horrific car accident on the Uriah Butler Highway on Saturday night had pushed his best friend, in the passenger seat, out of the way to save his friend’s life moments before another car ploughed into theirs. Aleem Akaloo, 23, the dead driver, and Nankumar Rooplal, the survivor, had both watched in resigned helplessness as an out-of-control red Nissan Qashqai flew through the air towards them. The airborne car, driven by Jillian St Bernard had been heading north along the highway, when it struck the median and took off, landing in the southbound lane. Read more…
Slow Down
The lives of two families were forever changed on Saturday night when a tragic accident claimed the lives of 30-year-old, Jillian Amala St Bernard and 23-year-old Aleem Akaloo. According to police reports, at about 7.20 p.m. on Saturday, St Bernard, of Shaddock Circle, Santa Rosa Heights, Arima, was driving her red Nissan Qashqai along the north-bound lane of the Uriah Butler Highway. She was occupying the extreme right lane. On nearing the Monroe Road overpass, she lost control of her vehicle, and it struck the median.
POLITICS
Of a total of 138 gas stations operating, only one has a retail licence
Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs, Nicole Olivierre has said that the ministry will not approve the operation of any new service station in the country without that station having a retail marketing licence. She made the comment in interviews following the official opening of the St. Christopher Service Station on Wrightson Road, Port of Spain on Thursday evening. During her address she mentioned that the new service station was the only one of the 137 gas stations in the country which had a valid retail marketing licence. She said all the others are operating without such licences, and gave them a six month deadline to meet the requirements to get the licences.
She said the existing situation is untenable and urged the gas station dealers to work more quickly to meet the requirements for the issuance of the licences. Read more…
Elections for COP: Ramadhar says only his blood to be spilled
The national council of the Congress of the People has agreed with a proposal by the outgoing leader of the party Prakash Ramadhar to hold elections for the Political Leader and national executive elections on the same day, April 24. That was one of the major decision’s taken during yesterday’s regular national council meeting of the party at Charlieville, Chaguanas. Read more…
Garcia: Security to be beefed up
Security at the Chaguanas North Secondary School will be “beefed up considerably” and regular police patrols will take place close to the school as classes resume today, Education Minister Anthony Garcia has said. Garcia gave the assurances yesterday in response to the fact that classes at the school were dismissed early on Friday following threats of a shoot-out there. One of the teachers was warned of the planned attack while on her way to classes. The plan was reportedly foiled when a soldier went to the school to collect his child’s report book. At least seven soldiers remained on the compound after learning of the plot. Chaguanas police arrived later. Read more…
BUSINESS
Gopee-Scoon meets Law Lords
Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee- Scoon received a courtesy call from a visiting British delegation led by Lord Michael Howard, Member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom and executives of the British Caribbean Chamber of Commerce (BCCC) on Thursday. According to a press release issued by the Ministry, during the meeting, the Trade and Industry Minister noted: “I am happy for your visit and that there is continuing dialogue.
We want to encourage our manufacturers to export more into Europe and the UK and we will appreciate your help in that regard to encourage further investments into Trinidad and Tobago.” Read more…
ILO director: No quick recovery for Caribbean economies
Though the current downswing in the economic fortunes of Latin American and Caribbean countries cannot rate in shock value against the global, economic “heart-attack” of 2007-2008, for some it can probably be likened to the onset of chronic, silent killers such as hypertension and diabetes. International Labour Organization (ILO) regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jose Manuel Salazar, would prefer a comparison to “a very strong cold or indigestion”, with the prognosis being for slow, sustained contraction during a period that will place greater stresses on labour markets. Read more…
MASSY, NEL: a sign of the times?
This week, we at Bourse review the most recent quarterly results of MASSY and NEL. Both stocks are of particular importance to investors, as they may paint a clearer picture of the effects on the stock market of a recession driven by lower energy prices. MASSY and NEL stocks have been on a downward trajectory in terms of price movement, having posted lower earnings on a quarter-on-quarter basis. Read more…
REGIONAL
Corruption-accused former premier to seek re-election in Turks and Caicos
Former Turks and Caicos (TCI) premier Michael Misick, who is currently on trial on a number of corruption and money laundering charges, announced on Saturday his intention to seek the nomination to run for the North and Middle Caicos electoral district for the ruling Progressive National Party (PNP) at the next general elections in the territory, which are constitutionally due no later than February 2017. “I seek God’s blessing and favour as we continue the struggle to free our people from colonial rule and lead them into true progress and prosperity,” Misick said. Misick must nevertheless go through the process of being accepted by the constituency branch and then ratified by the leadership of the PNP, which is headed by Premier Rufus Ewing. Read more…
Three Seats To Watch On Election Day - Candidate Quality, Party Performance Key In Deciding Marginal Constituencies
Political observers are all agreed that the results in 12 to 16 seats could determine which party gets the nod to form the government after the votes are counted on Thursday. The race is expected to be close in some of the marginal seats across the island, and anthropologist Dr Herbert Gayle and a team from the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) have conducted research work in three battleground seats. He found that the quality of the candidates, performance of the two major political parties, and family tradition will play a key role in the results coming out of St Andrew East Rural, St Andrew Eastern and St Elizabeth South West. Read more…
INTERNATIONAL
NASA releases recording of 'outer-space type music' from far side of the moon
"Did you hear that whistling sound too?" "Sounds like -- you know, outer-space type music." "I wonder what it is." This conversation, between Apollo 10 astronauts Eugene Cernan and John Young, as their craft flew around the far side of the moon, remained under wraps for over four decades. While transcripts were released in 2008, audio of the discussion, and the sounds that the astronauts were referencing, is only just being made public. Read more…
India caste unrest: 'Ten million without water' in Delhi
22nd February 2016