Daily Briefing
Tuesday 12th May, 2015
NEWS
E-mail war
The Prime Minister’s release of a letter from her Calfornia-based attorneys, dated May 4, submitting that there was no match between the Google-provided e-mails and the e-mails read in the House by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley in May 2013, has taken the emailgate controversy in a new direction. As she posted the letter along with her comments on Facebook yesterday, stating that the letter proved that Rowley “created fake e-mails and bogus charges” (against her and others), Rowley’s immediate response was to forward her comments to her lawyers. “I have passed it to my lawyers,” he said. The posting of the letter immediately provoked reactions from the public on the Prime Minister page, with a number of sceptics pointing to one glaring error in the form of a September 31st date, which even led some people to question the letter’s authenticity. Read more…
PM promises sweet deals
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says citizens who have been renting Housing Development Corporation’s (HDC) units for more than 30 years will be allowed to purchase those houses for a mere $100 if the People’s Partnership gets a second term in office. She also promised to regularise some 30,000 squatters as she unveiled what she said would be some of the party’s policy plans for the future during the United National Congress’ Monday Night Forum at the Diego Martin North Secondary School last night. Noting that she may be attacked by the Opposition for the policies, she said: “And they will say Kamla come here with election promise to give away but I tell you, I know what it is like.” Read more…
No bail for mom of 4
A Point Fortin Magistrate yesterday denied bail to mother of four Tahira Innis, who appeared before the court for allegedly striking a policeman repeatedly with a concrete brick to his head two Saturdays ago. Innis, 28, of Maloney Gardens, appeared before Senior Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle in the First Court charged with wounding Police Constable Ronald David, 34, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm on May 2 at Techier Main Road, Point Fortin. The charge was laid indictably and therefore the accused mother was not called upon to plead. Sgt Darryl Corrie laid the charge. Court prosecutor Sgt Jesse Jitmansingh objected to bail being granted on the ground that the victim remains warded at hospital in a critical but stable condition. The prosecutor added that David is on life support as he cannot breath on his own due to injuries sustained from being struck repeatedly with a concrete brick. David last worked at the Guapo Police Station of the South-Western Division. Read more…
POLITICS
Jack finds favour in St Joseph
Although mostly with reservations, Independent Liberal Party leader and Chaguanas MP Jack Warner is almost as acceptable as Kamla Persad-Bissessar for the job of Prime Minister in the marginal constituency of St Joseph. However, acceptability levels for both are still behind those for People’s National Movement (PNM) leader Dr Keith Rowley. A constituency poll conducted by H.H.B. & Associates for Guardian Media Ltd late last week found that a combined total of 44.2 per cent of those polled consider Warner to be either acceptable or “acceptable with reservations” for the job of PM. This is in contrast to the combined total of 46.8 per cent for Persad-Bissessar and 58.9 per cent for Rowley. Read more…
Rowley: Govt must account for stolen money
Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley yesterday demanded that Government take full responsibility for $60 million which has reportedly been funnelled from the accounts of the State-owned National Energy Corporation (NEC), recover all public money that has been stolen and ensure the persons responsible are brought to justice. In a statement, Rowley said, “There is now confirmation that $60 million belonging to the people of Trinidad and Tobago have been stolen from the NEC through the First Citizens Bank (FCB). These are two State enterprises under the direction and control of the Government by way of appointed boards and other officials.” Rowley first spoke about this matter at a People’s National Movement (PNM) public meeting in Malabar last Thursday. Read more…
BUSINESS
New gas station for Trincity
Trinidad and Tobago’s 146th gas station was opened yesterday along the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway, Trincity. According to Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine, the new NP Ramco 24-hour Service Station, located on the compound of Massy Stores, is expected to help meet the burgeoning demand for fuel. Noting that the growth in service stations has not kept pace with the increase of vehicles, Ramnarine said he is confident that the Trincity station will have a high volume of vehicles. “Between 2000 and 2014, the number of service stations actually fell from 189 to what it is today. So we actually have less service stations than what we had years ago,” he said. Read more…
T&T is open data ready
The World Bank Group has confirmed that T&T is open data ready with strong high-level commitment to open government. The National Open Data Readiness Assessment (ODRA), a collaborative venture between the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Finance and the Economy and the World Bank Group (WBG), was conducted with government ministries and agencies, civil society and the private sector from February 23-March 2, and April 27–May 2. The qualitative input from these stakeholders assisted with the preparation of the Draft National ODRA Report, which contains the WBG’s findings and recommendations for development and implementation of a National Open Data Strategy in T&T. Read more…
UNCTAD possibilities for TT
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) could open the door to this country exploring new business opportunities. This was the view expressed by UNCTAD Secretary-General Dr Mukhisa Kituyi to Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications Minister Vasant Bharath during a meeting last Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port-of- Spain. Kituyi said he wanted to “broker ways in which UNCTAD can be of greater value to Trinidad and Tobago.” Bharath, who is also a Minister in the Ministry of Finance and the Economy, responded that this country will be happy to continue to receive the support of the United Nations as many agencies were involved in “transformational change” to remove the bureaucracies in doing business. Read more…
REGIONAL
Caribbean leaders sign off on climate change declaration
A climate change declaration signed by Caribbean leaders at a climate change summit in Martinique on Saturday makes a special appeal to the conscience of the world’s richest countries to do their part to help small island developing states. Caribbean heads of state are hoping that the Declaration of Fort de France will result in a unified voice to the unique challenges and solutions to climate related issues in their region. The tourism-dependent countries have maintained that despite their small sizes and negligible contribution to global gas emissions, they are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Thirteen Caribbean leaders, including Cuba’s environment minister, attended the one-day Martinique summit, Saturday, which was chaired by French President Francois Hollande. Read more…
French president kicks off official visit to Cuba
French President Francois Hollande is meeting a tight agenda in Cuba as part of his official visit there, which is the first trip to Cuba by a French president since Havana and Paris established diplomatic relations on June 11, 1902. Hollande arrived Sunday evening at Havana's International Airport and, in statements to the media covering his visit, he said it is symbolic to be the first western European head of state to participate in this new stage of relations with Cuba. The French president praised the historic and deep links between the Cuban and the French people and added that France is also a neighbour of Cuba through the French West Indies. "We expect to jointly work for regional cooperation and these are the reasons for my visit," he noted. Read more…
INTERNATIONAL
Did China's smartphone market just shrink?
Is there anyone left in China who doesn't already own a smartphone? Increasingly, the answer is no -- presenting a major problem for phone manufacturers that depend on the market of 1.4 billion consumers to deliver huge sales. The latest data, released Monday by research firm IDC, indicate that China's smartphone market contracted by 4% in the first quarter, compared to last year, marking the first such decline in six years. Compared to the previous quarter, smartphone shipments fell by 8%. While smartphone makers have for years depended on China for growth, the market is now nearing saturation. Simply put, most people in China who want a smartphone already have one. That means manufacturers must now expand beyond first-time buyers, and attract customers looking to upgrade existing phones. Read more…
12th May 2015