NEWS
They Called Us White Devil
The dream of retiring in sweet T and T has soured for an American couple who narrowly escaped with their lives from bandits who attacked them outside their Los Iros home on Monday. Their encounter with the armed gang was the culmination of a string of bad experiences they have had while living here for some 14 years, including taunts from Trinidadians, describing the mature victims as ‘white devils’. Read more…
We’re being sacrificed
The lives of prisons officers are daily being “sacrificed” as those in authority have continuously ignored the pleas to improve the Prisons Service. Prisons Commissioner, Sterling Stewart, in an interview with i95 yesterday joined the chorus of the organisation’s membership in urging Government and other stakeholders to deal with the matter which had been neglected for far too long. “The supermen in our society, the cartoon characters need to stop the foolishness and know that people losing their lives. We believe at this stage that we are being set up because at this stage what can we do?” Stewart asked. Read more…
I have not seen a hit list
While president of the Prison Officers Association Ceron Richards has not seen a “hit list” which names prison officers who are to be targeted, he still firmly believes prison officers and the protective services of the State are under attack. “I have been hearing for a while that there was a hit list with officers that have been named. But I have not seen it with my own eyes, per se, so I cannot validate its existence. “Information of such a list has reached the ears of the association, and that Mr (David) Millette may have been on that list, but I have not seen this myself. Read more…
POLITICS
Some back Kamla, others don’t
Is the UNC Women’s Arm 11backing incumbent political 11leader Kamla Persad -Bissessar 11in the leadership race scheduled 11for December 5 or not? Yesterday, 11a post in the party’s website 11quoted Women’s Arm public relations 11officer, Dianne Bishop, 11expressing “full faith and confidence” 11in Persad- Bissessar’s 11leadership. “As we seek to rebuild, rebrand 11and redevelop the institutional 11organs of our great party, we believe 11that there is no other person 11besides Mrs. Persad-Bissessar who 11commands the majority support 11of our party, and who has the required 11qualities to take us back 11into government in the shortest 11possible time,” Bishop stated. Read more…
Association wary of results from meeting
In light of an expected meeting carded today with National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and the Prisons Service, members of the Prisons Officers Association are apprehensive whether any of the initiatives will in fact be implemented as for several years pleas for a safer and more conducive environment have gone unheeded. The association also warned that unless immediate measures were implemented more slayings like that of prisons superintendent David Millette would continue.Millette, 50, was gunned down in the driveway of his home at Second Caledonia, Morvant, at around 8.30 am on Monday. Read more…
Tunapuna UNC split over Kamla
There is a split in the support from the United National Congress (UNC) Tunapuna constituency executive for Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Dr Roodal Moonilal, who are both fighting to gain control of the party. There is also contention with respect to the declaration by the UNC’s Women’s Arm public relations officer (PRO) Diane Bishop that the Women’s Arm endorses Persad-Bissessar’s re-election as leader. However, both the chair Stacy Roopnarine and vice-chair Cassandra Samuels were surprised at this move, saying no meeting was held to discuss the election and endorse a candidate. Read more…
BUSINESS
Trade strategy talks later this month
Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon said on Monday that her ministry will meet with all stakeholders in the manufacturing and business sector later this month to develop a trade penetration strategy to ensure that this country’s goods and services take better advantage of opportunities in existing and new markets. Gopee-Scoon made the statement while delivering the feature address at a function to formally launch the 2016 edition of the Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) to be held by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) from July 6-9, at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya. The TTMA has chosen “Creating Pathways for Business” as the theme for TIC 2016. The launch was held at the Marriot hotel, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain. Read more…
Concern over manufacturing slowdown
Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon is concerned about a slowdown in T&T’s manufacturing sector just when the nation’s champion revenue earners, oil and gas, are in a state of depression. In her address at Monday’s launch of the T&T Manufacturer’s Association’s (TTMA) Trade and Investment Convention at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, the minister said the sector, which was supposed to be the second highest earner in terms of GDP after energy, was experiencing serious challenges. Read more…
TT$6.43 for US$1
Despite a record-high sale of US$695 million by the Central Bank (CBTT) to registered foreign exchange dealers in October, the TT dollar has depreciated to $6.43 per US dollar from as high as $6.37 last month. “There was nothing sinister in that move. The objective was to move the system back to what it was prior to the March 2014 changes. The sharing arrangement was revised and the currency was appreciated at that time. We have now moved back to the original sharing arrangement and the currency has been allowed to depreciate slightly back to around what it was at that time. Future stability of the currency is dependent on its proper availability, wise use and accurate pricing,” said Republic Bank Ltd deputy managing director Nigel Baptiste in response to an Express query yesterday. Read more…
REGIONAL
St Kitts-Nevis citizenship programme gets fresh start
The citizenship by investment programme (CBI) offered by St Kitts and Nevis has been given a positive fresh start under the new government of national unity, said prime minister and minister of finance, Dr Timothy Harris, during his monthly press conference on Tuesday. “In the last eight months, while undertaking the challenging task of transition and consolidating the people’s government, we have quietly but positively made tremendous progress in giving a fresh start to our CBI programme,” Harris said, while noting that the government is rebuilding confidence once again to the market rocked by scandals, advisories and visa withdrawal. Read more…
INTERNATIONAL
Romania PM Ponta resigns over Bucharest nightclub fire
Forget drones, here come delivery robots
Forget drone deliveries. It's all about cute self-driving robots now. At least that's what Skype's co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis are hoping for. The two have launched a robot company called Starship Technologies, hoping to solve the "last mile problem" of delivering parcels from transportation hubs to people's homes. Read more…
4th November 2015