NEWS
Murder trial to re-start after ten years
Ten years after six men were arrested and charged with the murder of Cepep worker Russell Antoine, they accepted that their case had to be restarted before acting Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle yesterday morning. Chicki Portillo, Anton Cambridge, Levi Joseph, Akini James, Israel Lara and Kareem Gomez appeared before Earle-Caddle in the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Eighth Court, where they were told their case was to be re-started. State prosecutor Kelly Ann Thompson said 61 statements were to be tendered and 12 witnesses for cross-examination. Read more here
Fuel suppliers demand up front payment
State-owned Paria Fuel Trading Company could be on a collision course with the Government and State-enterprise National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited as it is insisting it must get timely payments from the Ministry of Finance for the fuel subsidy and wants NP to pay for its fuel on time. The company’s chairman Wilfred Espinet told Guardian Media that it is a struggle to get the Government and its representatives to understand that it has to pay its bills on time because Paria and the other companies that have emerged from the closure of Petrotrin, must be run as a business and be profitable. Read more here
POLITICS
Abolish SEA, fire none-performers
Political leader of the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) Phillip Edward Alexander said leaders and politicians know the education system is filled with corruption and racket. Educational Facilities Company Limited is corrupt, evident in what’s happening with the scenario of school books. “The PEP plans to abolish the SEA exams and make all schools into ‘ten year’ schools,” Alexander said. Speaking at the second anniversary of PEP in Ste Madeleine on Saturday, he said the state of the country is a direct result of what the people have tolerated for the past 36 years. Read more here
CoP: UK training to help prosecute criminals
A new colour-coded threat alert system and training for police officers to prosecute cases are some of the immediate outcomes of a week-long visit to the United Kingdom by Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith. Griffith engaged in “several meetings with law enforcement officials from varying departments,” according to a statement on his Instagram Page. Griffith, along with National Security Minister Stuart Young, and Chief of Defence Staff Hayden Pritchard met with officials from Scotland Yard, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, the National Cyber Crime Centre, Metropolitan Police Training Facility among other agencies. Read more here
BUSINESS
GHL independents approve NCB offer
Independent directors of Westmoorings-based insurance company, Guardian Holdings Limited (GHL), have recommended that all GHL shareholders accept NCB Financial Group’s (NCB) of US$2.79 per share takeover bid. Read more here
REGIONAL
Convict Flight - Britain To Deport Dozens Of J’cans On Chartered Plane
Authorities in the United Kingdom (UK) have signalled that they are ready to deport dozens of Jamaicans who were convicted there for a range of criminal offences. Jamaican officials revealed yesterday that the group of 50 is expected to arrive in the island on February 6 on board a special chartered flight. They will be accompanied by 190 British security personnel, law-enforcement sources revealed. There was no information up to late yesterday about the crimes for which they were convicted. Jamaica’s National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang confirmed to The Gleaner that he signed a document last Wednesday giving approval for the aircraft to land in Jamaica. He indicated, too, that the police have been alerted. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Time is running out and Theresa May's Plan B for Brexit is Plan A all over again
Less than a week after her Brexit plan was defeated in the House of Commons by a record number of votes, Theresa May needed to have something substantial to tell lawmakers when she returned to Parliament on Monday. The UK Prime Minister has spent the last few days in talks with lawmakers from all parties to try to break the stalemate on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union -- with the notable exception of the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn. Read more here
Taliban militants kill dozens at Afghan intelligence base
22nd January 2019