NEWS
18-year-old woman gives herself up to the police for killing of 16-year-old Jernice Francis
The 18-year-old girl who allegedly stabbed 16-year-old Jernice Francis to death in a jealous rage surrendered yesterday. Before doing so, she issued a call for Francis’s mother to find it in her heart to forgive her. Kelly Ann Vanessa Lewis has been on the run from the police for the past week. She visited Express House, Port of Spain, yesterday to relay what happened last Wednesday before turning herself over to the police. Attorney Patrick Godson Phillips, SC, accompanied Lewis to the Homicide Bureau, where she was handed over to Insp Veronique. In an interview at Express House Lewis, claimed she was deeply in love with her boyfriend (name given) and, in a physical fight with him, Francis was stabbed unintentionally. She said she regrets what happened and wishes she could turn back time, but knows she cannot and was prepared to face the consequences for her actions. Read more…
Freeport woman raped by 5 men
An 18-year-old Freeport woman was gang raped by five men in a house at McShine Lane, Belmont for close to one hour on Tuesday night. The victim was liming in the area with two male friends, nicknamed “Not Nice” and “Frosty”. In a sudden act, “Not nice” pointed a gun at the young woman, ordered her into a car and drove to a house at McShine Lane. The gunman and his accomplice,“Frosty”, were met at the house by three men and the woman was forced inside where all five men took turns sexually assaulting her. The rapists allowed the woman to leave but warned her that if she reported the matter to the police her life would be in danger. The hysterical woman ignored the threats and made her way to the Belmont Police Station shortly after midnight and reported the matter to police officers. Read more…
State concedes in teen’s lawsuit: Minor in wrong jail
High Court Judge Vasheist Kokaram will today decide whether a 14-year-old boy accused of murder should be released into the custody of his mother. Lawyers representing the teenager proposed the unconventional move, which is in direct contradiction of bail legislation that does not allow for release of prisoners charged with murder under any circumstance, yesterday after both Kokaram and attorneys for the State conceded that his detention at the Youth Training Centre in Arouca over the past 18 months was unlawful. Presenting submissions on behalf of the teenager from Diego Martin in the Port-of-Spain High Court, his lawyer Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan stated that his stay at the facility breached his client’s fundamental constitutional rights as YTC was only allowed to house inmates and remand prisoners who are between 16 and 18 years old. Read more…
POLITICS
UNC, PNM question Conduct Council
Opposition Leader and People’s National Movement (PNM) political leader Dr Keith Rowley, United National Congress (UNC) campaign manager Rodney Charles and PNM Laventille West candidate Fitzgerald Hinds all took issue yesterday with a statement from the Council for Responsible Political Behaviour. In that statement, the Council claimed Rowley had breached three sections of the Code of Ethical Political Conduct when he claimed that persons linked to the Government were trying to assassinate him. In the same statement, the Council said the UNC breached four sections of the Code by undertaking the “No Rowley” campaign against the PNM leader. Read more…
Kamla wants to give $5,000 mercy grant
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will today take to Cabinet a proposal to issue a “one-off, $5,000 grant” to some 200 employees left jobless following a fire early Tuesday at the Hearty Foods Supermarket in Arima. The mercy grant, which totals $1 million, was announced yesterday as Persad-Bissessar launched Government’s upgraded Smart Card, which aims to put food grants, pensions and most Government grants on a single biometric card. Persad-Bissessar said she felt concern and sadness following news of the fire. In addition to the grant that will be addressed via a Cabinet note today, Persad-Bissessar said she will also propose an inter-ministerial committee that will be charged with the responsibility of finding new employment for people affected by the fire. Read more…
PNM raises concern over key ministry jobs
Planning and Sustainable Development Minister Dr Bhoe Tewarie said the appointment of a regulator under the recently proclaimed Procurement Act will be done by the President and not the minister. Tewarie was responding to a claim made by People’s National Movement (PNM) candidate for Arouca/Maloney Camille Robinson-Regis that the Government had recently proclaimed sections of the new Procurement Act and would be moving to appoint someone to the post before the September 7 general election. “So we have to look out for that,” she told her large crowd at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima, on Tuesday night. The meeting was in support of PNM candidates for D’Abadie/O’Meara, retired Brig Ancil Antoine, and Arima, Anthony Garcia. Robinson-Regis said the person likely to be given the job was not properly qualified. Read more…
BUSINESS
NEL reports lower earnings
The National Enterprises Limited (NEL) has reported a profit of $90.6 million for the period ended June 30, 2015. Chairman Kenny Lue Chee Lip made this report in the company’s consolidated interim financial statements for this period. Overall, he indicated, “Our results for the quarter ended June 30, 2015 reflect lower earnings. Our investee companies” performance is reflecting the full impact of sustained low energy prices coupled with ongoing curtailment issues on the Point Lisas Estate. “ Lue Chee Lip said Tringen’s output and financial performance are also affected by these issues. Lower energy prices from NGC LNG and NGC NGL may persist and earnings may continue to be negatively affected. Tringen’s earnings have also been impacted by low demand for fertiliser and ammonia due to a harsh winter in North America. Lue Chee Lip said demand and prices may have a mild recovery in the second half of this year. Read more…
Gas supply shortfall hits 5th year
For a country with a previously impeccable record of monetising its gas reserves and religiously delivering the quantities the downstream industries needed, the gas supply shortfall now in its fifth year, has put a dent in Trinidad and Tobago's hard-won reputation. This is not to be taken lightly, because it means that the industries that use gas to create products like methanol and ammonia, as well as the liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains at Atlantic down at Point Fortin in the south west, can not meet their own annual production goals and their cash flow and profit are consequently undermined. Since the development of the gas industry in its entirety has been one of our sterling economic achievements, this is all very bad news for the on-going expansion of that key sector. Read more…
Plan unveiled to grow T&T fashion
The time has come for the level of output in the creative and cultural sectors to be measured and quantified, saysacting Permanent Secretary Ministry of Trade Norris Herbert. Speaking at the launch of a strategic plan for the local fashion industry at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, Herbert said while the energy sector contributed at least 45 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and manufacturing another nine per cent, there is no measurement for creative and cultural sectors. “Of course, you would know better than anyone there is an output from the sector. It’s just that it’s not captured. If we are talking about diversification, we must be able to determine what contribution this sector is making to national revenue or what we call GDP and having determined that then we need to set out a programme which would determine how we move from four per cent to five per cent or whatever the percentage is. We see that as a very important task as we move forward with the strategic plan,” he said. Read more…
REGIONAL
Hurricane Hunter sent to Barbados to get information about Tropical Storm Danny
With Tropical Storm Danny expected to become the Atlantic’s first hurricane by tomorrow, the United States National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is sending its Hurricane Hunter aircraft to Barbados today to gather more data about the system. The aircraft will fly from here on missions tomorrow and into next week, a release from the NOAA stated. Hurricane Hunters are special aircraft used by the NOAA to conduct research to support its mission of predicting changes in earth’s environment, and managing coastal and marine resources. Read more…
Companies Office Of Jamaica Aiming For World-Class Standards
The Companies Office of Jamaica (COJ), which adopted the executive agency model 16 years ago, is today making major strides as it aims for world-class standards in service delivery. The COJ had been challenged by the Government to transform a public-sector entity that was never short of red tape into an agency comparable to an efficiently run private-sector firm. Nearly five years after it received semi-autonomous status, the COJ achieved a significant milestone as it was weaned from the Government's budget and, therefore, does not receive financing from the Consolidated Fund. The self-financing entity first earned a surplus in 2004-2005 and continues to rake in a surplus in 2015. Read more…
INTERNATIONAL
China arrests 15,000 suspects for alleged cybercrimes
China's central government has arrested 15,000 people for alleged cybercrimes as part of a sweeping six-month probe called "Operation Clean Internet," according to a statement from the Ministry of Public Security. The ongoing campaign, launched in July, is aimed at stamping out cybercriminal gang networks and improving overall cybersecurity. To date, the agency said it has investigated 7,400 domestic cases, a majority of which involve hacking and the theft of personal and financial data. A statement issued by the government provided details on 10 of the investigations, including a cyberattack on a telecoms company, the theft of financial information via spam text messages, a campaign to defraud people with disabilities and even a fake online investment platform. Read more…
Calais migrant crisis: Theresa May signs deal with France
20th August 2015