NEWS
Counselling continues for 2 families
Counsellors continue to work with eight traumatised children in Barrackpore, all members of the Seecharan and Joseph families who, within the space of four weeks, witnessed a murder, a suicide and an accidental shooting death. Vena Alladin, an aunt, told Newsday they have been responding positively to the counselling sessions offered to them at the family’s home at Seebalack Trace, Rochard Douglas Road, Barrackpore by officers of the Children’s’ Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (CATT). On August 12, Sherry Ann Seecharan, 35, committed suicide by ingesting a poisonous substance. The death of the housewife came 14 days after her husband, prison officer Robert Seecharn, 36, was shot and killed with his own firearm by her 16-year-old daughter. The teenager was subsequently freed without charges being laid against her as she told investigators she acted in self defence as Robert was beating his wife. Sherry Ann, a mother of four, was said to be a victim of domestic abuse for five years. Read more…
Public’s help sought in PoS club robbery
Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a man who allegedly stole alcoholic beverages and electronics valued at thousands of dollars when he broke into the 51 Degrees nightclub on Cipriani Boulevard, Port of Spain, on the morning of July 27. Police yesterday furnished the media with the photo of the man, which was taken from one of the club’s surveillance cameras. Investigators are asking that anyone who may have information on his whereabouts contact acting Sgt John of Woodbrook Police Station at 622-0379. Read more…
Girl choked on vomit—autopsy
The sudden death of a 14-year-old girl yesterday left an entire village in Wallerfield divided. While police and relatives both concluded that Natesha James, of Jacob Hill, died early yesterday morning from complications arising from epilepsy, residents alleged a more sinister cause may have led to her eventual death. According to police reports, James was last seen alive at her home on Monday night. Her mother, Natalie Jervais, told police when she arrived home after attending a prayer group meeting, she saw her daughter fighting with her one-year-old sister. Read more…
POLITICS
UNC newcomer bringing ‘decency’ to constituency
San Fernando attorney Vidia Gayadeen-Gopeesingh replaces Stacy Roopnarine as the United National Congress (UNC) candidate in Oropouche West. A newcomer to politics like Roopnarine was in 2010, Gayadeen- Gopeesingh told Newsday yesterday she brings a sense of character and decency to the constituency, instilled in her by her parents who were agricultural farmers in Aranguez. She said, “My mother, Nanrani, who died 18 years ago, was the epitome of character and class who taught her seven children that they never must sacrifice their character for anything material in this world.” The outgoing Roopnarine, who served as Minister in the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development, failed to get the party’s nod to contest the seat for a second term. Gayadeen-Gopeesingh filed her nomination papers on Monday with a contingent of enthusiastic constituency members accompanying her to the upstairs of the Penal market. Read more…
Rowley: Ex-cricket stars on standby to help
Seven former West Indies cricket stars are just waiting to come to Trinidad and Tobago to assist the youth if the People’s National Movement (PNM) wins the September 7 general election and Dr Keith Rowley becomes prime minister. Speaking at a PNM public meeting in the St Joseph constituency on Monday night, Rowley said he was in Barbados a few weeks ago, attending one of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 matches. He said Gordon Greenidge, “probably the best opener the West Indies ever produced”, who was “bringing his technical skills to the people of Trinidad and Tobago in a sports programme at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)”, had a conversation with him. Read more…
Ram your finger in the ink
People’s National Movement (PNM) political leader Dr Keith Rowley is calling on Community-based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (Cepep) workers to ignore rumoured threats by the People’s Partnership (PP) Government to vote for the PP or lose their employment. Speaking to supporters at a PNM rally in Mount Lambert, St Joseph, on Monday night, Rowley said he had heard that Cepep workers were being threatened into attending PP functions and into voting for the Government, an accusation he has made consistently since 2011. “Tonight I want to say to all Cepep workers, they have absolutely no way of knowing how you are going to vote except that they know that you are going to vote them out of office. Read more…
BUSINESS
Former Governor addresses Minister Bharath’s claims on US$ shortage
Former Central Bank Governor Dr Euric Bobb has criticised Trade Minister Vasant Bharath for his comments Monday that the shortage of United States dollars will “clear up after the election”. Bobb, in a letter to the editor yesterday said the difficulty being experienced in accessing foreign exchange was a result of poor choices by Government. Bharath, who delivered the feature address at exporTT’s InbuyTT launch at the Hyatt Regency (Trinidad) Hotel in Port of Spain on Monday, said during the question and answer session that Central Bank governor Jwala Rambarran was “due to pump about US$100 million into the system (Monday)”. Read more…
ExporTT has great hopes
ExporTT is hoping for great things from the second edition of its Inward Buyers’ Mission, dubbed InBuyTT 2015, to be held October 14-16, 2015. Recently appointed Chief Executive Officer, Adrian Theodore said yesterday the company’s target is to double the number of buyers and exporters participating in the event. He said the company also wanted to make it much clearer to participants what the benefits were so it would spend a lot more time during the two day event highlighting the benefits during so that in future we can get exponential growth in terms of the size of it. Read more…
Chem-Dry franchise opens in T&T
Chem-Dry, the world’s largest floor cleaning franchise, is open for business in T&T. The growing franchise has locations in 49 countries and continues to expand its territories to virtually all corners of the international market, making it the clear global leader in floor and carpet cleaning. Franchisee Alan Cox will oversee the T&T locations. In addition to targeting Chem-Dry’s traditional residential market, Cox is targeting higher-end commercial businesses, which make up an underserved market segment. “One of the biggest challenges for us is that we do not have carpets, and Chem-Dry is very much known for its carpet cleaning strengths,” Cox said. Read more…
REGIONAL
St Vincent hosts bilateral proliferation security initiative workshop and exercise
In order to enhance coordination in combating the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) hosted a Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) bilateral workshop with the United States in Kingstown on August 18, 2015. Launched in 2003, the PSI is a global effort that aims to stop trafficking of WMD, their delivery systems, and related materials to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern. The one-day workshop consisted of technical briefings and a tabletop exercise regarding ways to prevent proliferation of WMD in the region. The SVG ministry of foreign affairs hosted the event. The SVG participating organizations included the ministry of national security; Coast Guard Service; Port Authority; Customs Office; National Police; General Intelligence Agency; Maritime Administration Office; and the ministry of foreign affairs. Participants from the United States included officials from Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Defense, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of State, United States Coast Guard, and the US Embassy to SVG. Read more…
Five PNP MPs Under Threat
At least five sitting government members of parliament (MPs) are under threat of not being allowed to face the voters in the next general election, with regional appraisal panels approving challenges to their candidacy. Youth Minister Lisa Hanna and Attorney General Patrick Atkinson, as well as backbenchers Raymond Pryce, Hugh Buchanan, and Dr Lynvale Bloomfield will have to pass upcoming delegates' tests if they are to have any hopes of making it on to the ballot. "There will be contests in approximately 10 constituencies," said General Secretary Paul Burke, who refused to disclose the constituencies where contests are to be held, while also withholding the names of the applicants. "There is a regional appraisal committee that can turn down an individual, so why I am so cagey is because in some cases, some of the applicants have not been approved, but they have a right to appeal," Burke said. Read more…
INTERNATIONAL
These Roads Will Charge Cars As They Drive
The British government is getting ready to test out new road technology that would allow electric cars to charge as they drive. The goal is to help drivers with electric and hybrid cars avoid frequent stops to recharge their vehicles. Most electric cars get charged via plug-in chargers at home or while parked on the streets. Wireless power charging "pods" are also available, but they too require the car to stop to get more juice. The new charging roads proposed by the U.K. government will work kind of like wireless phone chargers, using magnetic induction technology. Read more…
Bangkok bomb: Erawan shrine attacker 'is part of network', police say
19th August 2015