NEWS
National Trust launches junior programme
With a lecture presented by Prof Bridget Brereton, the National Trust launched its junior programme at Presentation College, San Fernando last week. The lecture, titled Trinidad Social and Cultural History up to 1962/70, was the first hosted by the trust specifically for secondary school students. National Trust Junior will be the youth arm of the trust, through which the organisation will seek to involve young people in activities related to history and conservation. Read more here
Judge warns against social media posts
Social media users are being advised to exercise extreme caution when making posts, as citizens who fall victim to reckless and malicious statements now have an avenue of recourse. Delivering a 18-page judgment in a landmark case, brought by a couple whose neighbour falsely accused them of sexually abusing their children in a series of Facebook posts, High Court Judge Frank Seepersad considered social media cases in Commonwealth jurisdictions to develop a local position on the issue as there are currently no laws which directly address it. Read more here
Police 'recruit' hopeful charged with uttering fake CSEC certificate
A Petit Valley man has been charged with uttering a fraudulent CSEC certificate during a recruitment and selection exercise at the Police Academy last Thursday. Daniel Medica 30, a driver, of Cooperative Road, Petit Valley, was arrested and charged by Cpl Amin Camacho of the Fraud Squad. Officials at the Police Academy suspecting the document submitted for consideration by the accused was fraudulent, and contacted the Fraud Squad. Read more here
POLITICS
Ash Wednesday retreat for Govt
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday instructed all Government MPs and senators to attend a one-day retreat at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s on Ash Wednesday. Rowley ordered the retreat during a brief meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in St Clair. The meeting began at 3 pm and ended an hour later. The retreat comes at a time when a NACTA poll showed the government’s dwindling public support as well as a plethora of anti-government songs at last Saturday’s Calypso Fiesta in Skinner Park. Several calypsonians who sang anti-government songs, have made it to the Calypso Monarch finals set for next Sunday at Dimanche Gras. Read more here
Losing ‘invisibility’ will be hardest part
President-elect Paula-Mae Weekes’ says the hardest thing to come to terms with as she looks ahead will be the “loss of personal invisibility.” One thing the incoming president would like you to know though is that her name is Paula-Mae not Paula. Read more here
BUSINESS
AmChamTT, US Embassy host member seminar
AMCHAMTT, in collaboration with the US Embassy, recently hosted its first Member Business Engagement seminar. The chamber said business travel facilitation was high on the agenda of the last Thursday’s event at Hilton Trinidad, Port of Spain. “Embassy officials stated that the US was very open to and interested in travel and investment between the two countries. They indicated that on average four out of five persons applying for visas are successful with their application.” Read more here
Balance profits and caring
Companies need to find a balance between generating profits and corporate social responsibility (CSR), Leslie Lee Fook, director and co-founder of consultancy agency Incus Services Limited, said yesterday. Lee Fook, who spoke on the first day of CANTO’s 34th AGM and Exposition at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain, said e-commerce company Amazon, which places emphasis on renewable energy, family shelters, gender equality and disaster relief, is a company that cares about more than the financial bottom line. Read more here
Builders face red sand shortage
Tabaquite MP Surujrattan Rambachan has called on the Government to address a red sand crisis facing the construction sector. Rambachan, a private housing developer, said small contractors have been unable to access quality red sand for the past months. Read more here
REGIONAL
Taking Refuge - Mission On To Rescue Cay And Possibly Thousands Of Lives In Jamaica
A mangrove island that sits about two kilometres off Port Royal is virtually dead - overwhelmed by tons of garbage, and marine biologists are warning that if it is allowed to die, it will take with it the livelihood of fishers, as well as the natural protection long provided for low-lying communities such as Port Royal, Portmore and Portland Cottage. A rescue mission is currently on to save the cay, and, possibly, lives, removing 300 bags of garbage a day. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
European shares tumble in new sell off
New York Times: Trump lawyers worried he could get caught lying to Mueller
President Donald Trump's attorneys are trying to sway him against agreeing to an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller partially out of concern he might incriminate himself through false statements and could be charged with lying to investigators, The New York Times reported Monday evening. The report follows on CNN's reporting last week that Trump's attorneys are arguing that Mueller's team has not met the "high threshold" it needs to have Trump in a face-to-face interview. Read more here
6th February 2018