NEWS
Teen Gang Torch School
A 17-year-old Form 4 student who was one of 40 students transferred from Chaguanas North Secondary School earlier this year when teachers at that school complained of their deviant behaviour is believed to be part of a gang of teenagers who attempted to burn down the Cunupia High School on Saturday. According to sources, teachers at the Cunupia High School seized a camera phone from the student on Friday afternoon. It is believed that this prompted the attempt to burn down the school in retaliation. Sources said the student, the son of a police officer, is part of a gang which entered the school’s compound at about 4 pm by cutting through a wire fence at the back. They ransacked the principal’s office, where the phone was being kept and after retrieving the item, the office was set on fire. Read more here
After boy falls into oil-slicked river
Energy Minister and La Brea MP Nicole Olivierre said she was disappointed with Petrotrin’s delay in responding to Vance River residents concerns about an oil spill in the river. Olivierre visited the area and met with residents for the first time yesterday since four-year-old Caleb Hart fell into the oil-polluted river near his Fitz Lane home last week Wednesday. Residents claimed Petrotrin only responded to the oil spill after Caleb fell into the river although they reported the oil spill a month ago. Speaking with reporters near the oil-polluted river, Olivierre said: “I am certainly very disappointed that is the case because this is a serious environmental issue and Petrotrin needs to have a faster response time to events like this. When there are spills offshore the response time has been quite rapid, so perhaps they seem to have fallen back in their response time for oil spills on land. But I certainly encourage residents living within the constituency within the oil producing areas, if you do notice oil spills on land please make every effort to contact the company or my office.” Read more here
School system can’t solve all problems
Education Minister Anthony Garcia said there must be consultation with the stakeholders on the implementation of sex education in schools. He said the teaching of sex education is one issue that has been in the forefront of public opinion for quite some time now. He said the Education Ministry would want to engage stakeholders, in particular the parents, before such a move is made. Garcia was commenting on a report on a study which says that child sexual abuse and childhood incest constitute “a significant problem” in this country, published in yesterday’s Sunday Express. He noted that the ministry held the national consultation on the education system in February this year, which addressed all aspects of education, including the teaching of sex education in schools. Read more here
POLITICS
Economy flawed, Abdulah
Workers’ agenda is a political one because, according one definition, politics was an activity of regulating and serving the economic and other needs of the people, and the struggle of classes in pursuit of their various interests. Political leader of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ), David Abdulah, made the statement during the feature address at the formal opening of the Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union (BIGWU) Seventh Biennial Conference of Delegates at the Cipriani College of Labour and Cooperative Studies on Saturday. Abdulah noted that between 2005 to 2014, the number of people who lived below the poverty line increased from 16.6 percent to 24.5 percent. At the same time, he said, Government’s Budget increased by over 100 percent, while the country’s GDP, expenditure and the number of social programs also increased significantly. “Something has to be flawed in the economy… The economic policies implemented by successive governments protected the interests of capital and undermined the interest of workers,” he said. Read more here
NACTA Poll: PNM takes lead in Locals
Despite significant disenchantment with the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM), the administration has still managed to take an early lead over the Opposition UNC and other parties for control of the 14 Local Government corporations in the run-up to the November 28 election, according to an ongoing survey conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA). The association said although a large majority of voters were not pleased with PNM governance, they do not view the Opposition UNC, as currently constituted, as a viable alternative at this time. It added grassroots supporters and activists of the UNC expressed disapproval of some of the prospective (projected) candidates in the Local Government elections and this disapproval combined with perceived party infighting will further erode the UNC’s prospects in the locals. The findings of the poll showed the PNM was not under threat to lose any of the eight local bodies it now controls and was on course to make gains. Read more here
UNC Five Jump Ship
The upcoming local government elections are set to be a fiery one as five United National Congress (UNC) members have jumped ship and will be contesting seats for other political entities, including the People’s National Movement (PNM). In the 2013 local government elections, five PNM councillors and three UNC councillors were elected to the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation. Read more here
BUSINESS
Starbucks opens MovieTowne PoS branch
Vice-President of Starbucks Trinidad and Tobago (Starbucks TT) Deborah Benjamin says the company continues to focus on training baristas in how to consistently deliver “exceptional customer service” while making the coffee chain’s signature drinks. “Our first location in South- Park, San Fernando is a success and we look forward to connecting with customers at MovieTowne, PoS. We continue to focus our attention on training our baristas so they can deliver exceptional customer service, as well as creating opportunities for career growth for them.” Benjamin was addressing guests on Saturday during a Friends and Family event at Starbucks TT’s second store, located at MovieTowne Port-of- Spain, ahead of its formal opening this morning (Monday). Jobs and the opportunity to advance within the company was also spoken of by Kelima Balthazar, a barista from the San Fernando store who recently started training to become a supervisor at the PoS store. Read more here
Govt seeks private sector support: PPP projects for housing
Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young is urging developers and financiers of projects to join with Government in public-private partnerships (PPP) to keep the local economy buoyant. He said there should be more focus on real estate and the time is right to reignite the excitement in the housing and the office space markets. In remarks at Thursday’s Annual Trinidad Realtors Awards at Queen’s Hall in St Ann’s, Young said private sector investments are crucial to stimulate the market, while generating revenues. “As a government we have coming on stream in the next few months the sale of the apartments at Victoria Keys and as a Cabinet we took a decision, due to the massive extra amounts of money spent on it, to put it out on the open market. Read more here
Focus on fixed return investments
This week, we at Bourse take a closer look at developments in both the domestic and international bond markets. We examine the main factors driving the direction of interest rates and bond yields, as well as the possible implications of interest rate movements on investors going forward. Read more here
REGIONAL
MacDonald reappointed as Suriname's ambassador to the UN
President Desi Bouterse has reappointment career diplomat Henry MacDonald for the second time as Suriname’s ambassador to the United Nations and, on Friday, MacDonald presented his credentials to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. MacDonald is the only Surinamese diplomat to be sent twice to the UN. “I feel privileged to be called by my president to represent my beloved country, once again at the highest diplomatic echelon,” he said. “As we face many regional and international challenges (financial, economic, safety, security, development and diplomatic) that are too great for any single nation to resolve by itself, the United Nations more than ever before becomes an indispensable instrument for confronting and solving these challenges in collaboration with the international community,” he added. MacDonald said that multilateral diplomacy remains an essential part of Suriname’s foreign policy and the United Nations is of “key importance for the sustainable development of Suriname”. Read more here
Record Them - Government Urged To Use Technology To Counter Flip-Flopping Witnesses
A former law-enforcement officer and a prominent player in the local legal system have thrown their support behind the idea of Government giving serious consideration to the use of digital technology to facilitate video recordings of witness statements to be used in court as evidence during criminal proceedings. In the United Kingdom, Section 119 of the Criminal Justice Act allows for a previous statement of a witness, who later recants his testimony, to be submitted into evidence. This as witnesses sometimes lie or get intimidated into changing their initial statement to the police. Former Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields and attorney-at-law K.D. Knight believe that there is room for consideration of the establishment of similar provisions in Jamaican law. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Plane crash in Malta kills 5 in surveillance operation
A light aircraft on a French customs surveillance operation crashed in Malta shortly after takeoff Monday, killing all five people on board. Passengers on a nearby flight waiting to depart watched in horror as flames shot out and a dark plume of smoke billowed from the wreckage, witness Ben Cundall told CNN. "Everyone was screaming," he said. "The flames were the length of an aircraft, so it was clear to everyone what had happened straight away." Read more here
Calais migrants: France begins to clear 'Jungle' camp
24th October 2016