NEWS
Zika baby
The baby girl born with microcephaly last month, is the first confirmed case of the condition due to the mosquito-borne Zika virus in this country. This was announced by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh yesterday during a news conference at the Health Ministry’s head office, Park Street, Port-of-Spain. There were ten to 12 babies born with microcephaly each year in Trinidad, but this was the first confirmed case attributed to Zika. Blood samples from the baby were sent to the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) for confirmation several weeks ago. The minister said the baby’s parents had been informed about the results since last Friday and were given the chance to let the news sink in. The baby was delivered at Gulf View Medical Centre, and then was transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Deyalsingh said the baby was transferred to the family home after about five days in ICU, due to the family’s insistence as they wanted the baby at home with them. Read more here
Loaded gun found in Remand Prison
A loaded homemade gun was found behind the prison wall. The weapon, with six rounds of .38 ammunition, was found hidden in the wall of cell ten at the Remand Section of the Golden Grove Prison, Arouca, last Wednesday. Prison officials also found two footballs filled with marijuana, cellphones, chargers, cigarettes and knives yesterday at another prison facility. The footballs, according to prison sources, were thrown over the wall of the Eastern Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre, Santa Rosa. Read more here
Ailing Beulah dies at 73
Only days after her husband was laid to rest having succumbed to cancer, iconic actress Shirley “Beulah” King died yesterday after being rushed to the Chaguanas Health Centre when she suddenly fell ill early in the morning. King had been ailing for a long while with severe asthma and other complications. Earlier this year she was forced to reach out to the public for assistance because her home had burned down last November while she had been warded in the ICU at hospital recovering from an asthma attack. Read more here
POLITICS
Kamla: No improvements with reshuffle
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday scoffed at the adjustments which Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley made to his Cabinet. As she declared the changes made by Rowley will not improve the quality of life of citizens in any way, Persad-Bissessar questioned why Rowley did not remove Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon or Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh from their respective posts. She also claimed the elevation of Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Stuart Young to a full Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister was “payback time.” Persad- Bissessar said Franklin Khan would make no improvement as Energy Minister and the initial appointment of La Brea MP Nicole Olivierre to that post reflected the “extremely poor judgment by the Prime Minister because of her absolute lack of experience, knowledge and maturity for this all-important post.” Read more here
Hosein shocked by new role as minister
Former San Fernando Mayor Kazim Hosein reacted in shock yesterday to the announcement of his appointment as a senator and Minister of Rural Development and Local Government. He replaces Franklin Khan who has been appointed Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, a portfolio formerly held by Nicole Olivierre who was given the axe in the second Cabinet reshuffle of the People’s National Movement (PNM) Government yesterday. He is also the second Mayor of San Fernando to hold the Local Government portfolio. One of his predecessors, Marlene Coudray, who served as both CEO and mayor was elevated to that Cabinet position under the Kamla Persad-Bissessar People’s Partnership administration. Read more here
No stealing, vows new Works Minister
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and under my watch at the Ministry of Works no money will be stolen,” new Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan vowed yesterday immediately after he was sworn in at President's House, St Ann's. He said he would ensure public funds are well accounted for and the process of awarding of contracts is transparent and fair. Sinanan also stated he intended to get things done at the ministry. “I intend to hit the road running and make sure that we achieve the policies and plans of the Government,” he said. He said if one looked at the PNM manifesto the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure has a lot of projects. “I intend to carry out all these projects on time and within budget. And I am sure that this (the projects) will stimulate the economy a lot. Read more here
BUSINESS
Chambers happy with reshuffle
The Cabinet reshuffle which witnessed the introduction of two new Senators to head key government Ministries has been described by South and Central Trinidad business organisations as a “good move” which should kick-start the national economy. San Fernando Mayor, Kazim Hosein, was ap- pointed Minister of Rural Development and Local Government while Fitzgerald Hinds is the new Minister of Public Utilities. Rohan Sinanan is the Minister of Works and Transport and Franklin Khan appointed Minister of Energy and Energy Industries. In a telephone interview yesterday, Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CCIC) president Richie Sookhai, said the Chamber welcomes the changes to the Cabinet and cited Khan’s appointment as “reassuring given the economic challenges faced by the energy sector.” “We are optimistic that new Works and Transport Minister, Rohan Sinanan, would be able to complete the San Fernando to Point Fortin highway project as well as get the other major construction projects off the ground which would kick start the economy,” Sookhai said. Read more here
Advice for new Energy Minister: Focus on investments
The main focus for new Energy Minister Franklin Khan should be attracting investments to the local energy sector in the face of declining production and low commodity prices, President of the Energy Chamber of T&T Dax Driver advised yesterday. In his second Cabinet reshuffle since taking office, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday revoked the appointment of Nicole Olivierre and assigned the portfolio to People’s National Movement (PNM) chairman Franklin Khan. In commenting on the move, Driver said relationship between the Chamber and the outgoing minister had always been professional. Read more here
TCL revenue declines 18%
A steep fall in construction activity has led to an 18 per cent decline in the Trinidad Cement Ltd's (TCL) revenue for the third quarter of 2016. According to TCL chairman Wildred Espinet and director Nigel Edwards, the Group has faced a decline in sales across all of its business segments. Read more here
REGIONAL
Hope For Change - More Than 3,000 Come Together To Show Solidarity At JC's Peaceful Protest Against Attacks On Children
More than 3,000 people flocked Jamaica College (JC) in St Andrew yesterday to give support to a silent protest against attacks on the nation's youth, in the wake of last week's murder of 14-year-old student Nicholas Francis. Francis was stabbed in the chest during a robbery attempt on a Toyota Coaster bus not far from the school on Old Hope Road. Parents, students, teachers, ministers of government, members of the Opposition and others turned out in solidarity with JC, many bearing placards depicting various messages denouncing violence against children. At least two busloads of students from Kingston College (KC) were transported to JC to participate in the protest. Almost the entire Mona High School population (approximately 1,400 students) walked down to JC from Mona. Ardenne High School students were also present. Read more here
Haiti election date again in doubt
After publishing a new electoral calendar fixing the date of the presidential election on 20 November, which had originally been scheduled for October 9, but postponed because of the passage of Hurricane Matthew over Haiti, the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) on Monday indicated that it may not in fact be able to hold the elections as rescheduled. The reason given is the extent of damage caused by the hurricane to the electoral infrastructure (nearly 300 centres) and many access roads, while nothing is happening on the ground at the level of shared responsibility of the government to address these issues. In a letter dated October 27 [resembling an ultimatum] addressed to the de facto President Jocelerme Privert, Léopold Berlanger, the president of the CEP gave the government ten days to make functional the 280 damaged voting centres, make passable the access roads leading to other 161 centres, provide a voting card to voters who lost theirs during the hurricane and release 40 schools to be used as voting centres but temporarily occupied by hurricane victims, otherwise there will be no elections on November 20, 2016, HaitiLibre reported. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Clinton camp: The cake's already baked
Hillary Clinton's campaign is insisting it can't be thrown off course in the final week of the presidential race -- because it's already running on auto-pilot. Over the past 18 months, the Democratic nominee has built an impressive campaign infrastructure that has dwarfed her GOP opponent, Donald Trump, on fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts. The sudden revival of Clinton's private email server as a top campaign issue is emerging as the ultimate test of whether all that work will pay off next week and whether her core message -- that she is the only candidate fit to be president -- will resonate. Read more here
Mosul battle: Iraqi special forces enter city limits
1st November 2016