NEWS
Clear and Present Danger
A retired inspector of police, who was bypassed for promotion and who successfully defended a malicious prosecution case in which he was framed of charges by a colleague, is challenging the Dr Keith Rowley-led Cabinet’s issuance of two legal notices which propose a new process by which the country’s top cop is to be chose. Retired Inspect Harridath Maharaj has filed an administrative interpretation application for declaration on the constitutional validity of the Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Selection Process) Order of 2015, against the Attorney General. The matter which came up for hearing last week before Justice Peter Rajkumar has been deemed urgent. A trial date has been set for on June 15. Read more…
Protest at Shore of Peace
Residents of Oropouche and councillors from the Siparia Regional Corporation braved heavy rains yesterday to ensure that cremations continue at the Shore of Peace. A group of about 50 people gathered at the site which has been an issue of contention since a prominent South family placed ads in daily newspapers warning the public that from May 1 access would be restricted. The family said alternative arrangements should be made for cremation activities as “entry onto the site will be deemed a trespass which may result in legal proceedings against such person or persons.” Read more…
Bullies Kill Grandpa
A Barrackpore grandfather suffered a cruel and painful death on Saturday, when he was beaten for a bag of yams by bullies in the village. Colin Mitchell, 52, of Clarke Rochard Road, died after being beaten with a shovel and a pitch fork. Read more…
POLITICS
Rowley wants elders to take charge
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Saturday urged the elders of Laventille to take charge of the young people in the community, especially those who have gone astray. Noting that the district has bowed under the weight of crime, stigmatisation and despair for far too long, Rowley made it clear that it was time for Laventille to reclaim its own. “The adults have to stand up and take responsibility for the young people in our community. When that happens, hope comes on the horizon,” he said while addressing the fifth instalment of the Conversations in Laventille series at the St Barb’s Basketball Court. The series, conceptualised by 195.5FM, allows Laventille residents the opportunity to interact with the prime minister on a range of issues. Several prominent personalities who were born and raised in Laventille also have shared their inspirational stories during the series. Saturday’s event was broadcast live. Read more…
AG reviewing T&T’s drug laws
Government has begun statistical groundwork for decriminalising of marijuana possession, says Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi. He told the T&T Guardian he is reviewing the Dangerous Drugs Act and wide consultation is planned before any policy decision is taken. “There has been a full exercise of analysing the types of crime in our prisons and the pre-trials detention or remand statistics for a range of offences, including possession of narcotics, and particlarly possession of cannabis. From that perspective there’s certainly a drive to gather statistical information,as the issue of decriminalising of marijuana isn’t a simple one on the public side,” the AG said. “If one were to argue for decriminalisation, the limits to be applied must be considered. Does one wish to have a bus driver or teacher who’s in the course of using narcotics, although decriminalised, on the job? That’s one set of societal factors to consider. On the other hand, is it right to engage in pre- trial detention in remand for two joints of marijuana where your detention is by far longer than the conviction you can have? Read more…
PM flies out for 12 days
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is scheduled to leave today for a 12-day trip on official business in the United States, the United Kingdom and Ghana. Read more…
BUSINESS
NGL earns $402.8m after tax
Investors in the historic initial public offering in T&T NGL Ltd (TTNGL) have earned total dividend per share for 2015 of $1.50—a yield of approximately 7.5 per cent. This includes a special interim dividend of $0.50 per share paid last December and a final dividend of $1.00 per share which will be paid next month. TTNGL chairman Gerry Brooks described it as “one of the most attractive dividend yields available” on the T&T Stock Exchange (TTSE), reflecting the company’s healthy cash position and the resilient performance of its underlying asset, Phoenix Park Gas Processors Ltd. (PPFPL). In his report to shareholders in TTNGL’s 2015 annual report, which has just been posted to the TTSE, Brook’s said the energy company’s financial performance reflected after tax earnings of $402.8 million, in sharp contrast to a loss of $804.2 million for the period ended December 31, 2014. “TTNGL’s earnings are derived from its 39 per cent shareholding in PPGPL,” he said. Read more…
TCL earnings diluted, T&T and NGC downgraded
This week, we at Bourse review the recently released results of TCL and RFHL. TCL’s stock, a mainstay of the Manufacturing II sector, has declined 16 per cent in 2016, while RFHL (which accounts for 34 per cent of the Banking sector by market capitalisation) has fallen 2.6 per cent year-to-date. Read more…
REGIONAL
Barbados trade team heading to Cuba
Now that diplomatic ties have been formally re-established between Cuba and the United States, Barbados is looking to add its name to the list of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries attempting to enter the Cuban market. From May 2 to 6, Industry Minister Donville Inniss, along with the chief executive officer of the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC), Sonja Trotman, will lead a team comprising government and private sector officials on a political/commercial mission to Havana. Trotman explained that the BIDC was targeting what it considered to be emerging markets because, even though it had negotiated trade agreements with countries such as Cuba, Barbados had not yet taken full advantage of these agreements. Read more…
'Horrible Deaths' - Bodies Of American Missionaries Found In St Mary, US Embassy Wants Killers Nabbed Quickly
For 14 years, building houses and serving the medical needs of vulnerable Jamaicans were just two of the critical acts of service American Christian missionaries, 53-year-old Harold Nichols and 48-year-old Randy Hentzel, carried out before they were killed in the northeastern parish of St Mary on the weekend. Police found the bodies of the men almost 24 hours apart in the Albion Mountain region. Taking note of the incident last night, the United States Embassy in Kingston said it was hoping the local police will conduct a speedy investigation. "We are saddened by the horrible deaths of the two American missionaries. They're not just visiting, but have been pillars of both communities for years," Joshua Polacheck, counsellor for public affairs at the embassy, told The Gleaner. "The ambassador has been in contact with the highest levels of the Jamaican security apparatus, and we are hoping for a speedy resolution to this matter and that the killers are found and brought to justice." Read more…
INTERNATIONAL
5 years ago the U.S. killed Osama bin Laden. Did it matter?
Five years after U.S. Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden at his Pakistani compound, more groups of violent Islamic extremists threaten global security than at any time in history. Terrorist attacks stretching from Paris and Brussels to Istanbul and the skies over the Sinai Peninsula speak to the virulent reach of ISIS, while intelligence officials and analysts say al Qaeda affiliates are poised for a resurgence in the coming year and may pose the greater long-term danger. President Barack Obama and key members of his inner circle spoke to CNN's Peter Bergen about the raid that killed the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks for the "Anderson Cooper 360°" special on Monday at 8 p.m. ET: "'We got him': President Obama, Bin Laden and the Future of the War on Terror." Bergen's exclusive interview marks the first time Obama has sat down with a journalist in the Situation Room. Read more…
Trump accuses China of 'raping' US with unfair trade policy
2nd May 2016