NEWS
Cops failed to intervene says shooting victim
Panicked after a gunman shot his teenaged brother and then fired at him, a horrified Nathaniel Roberts saw a ray of hope when a marked police car came up towards them on a dark empty street in San Fernando on Saturday. But instead of turning on the siren and attempting to apprehend the gunman, Roberts said the two police officers stayed in the vehicle almost as if they were afraid to respond to the gunfire, while the gunman and his friend fled through a track near Rushworth Street. Read more here
Water disruption in parts of South Trinidad
The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has advised customers in parts of south-west Trinidad, served by the Point Fortin Desalination Plant, that there will be an interruption in their pipe-borne water supply tomorrow, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. WASA said this has become necessary in order to facilitate planned maintenance work at the plant, which is owned and operated by Seven Seas Water. Read more here
BAD DRIVE MURDER
A bad drive may have led to the death of 28-year-old CEPEP worker Balmatie Bachan who died yesterday morning at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, after she was shot by unknown gunmen while she and her husband were returning to their El Socorro home at about 2.15 am yesterday. The couple had just left a Carenage beach. Read more here
POLITICS
Asbestos at President’s House
Over 30 members of staff will be sent for medical examination today after the highly toxic asbestos material, a known cause of mesothelioma cancer, was discovered at President’s House. This was revealed by the Office of the President in a media release yesterday, two days after the Urban Development Corporation of T&T Limited (Udecott) alerted President’s House officials that asbestos was found in the vinyl floor tiles within the laundry lining fabrics storage room. Read more here
REGIONAL BUSINESS
Fifty Guyana trainees to benefit from oil and gas courses in Texas
AUSTIN, USA -- At least 50 Guyanese trainees are expected to benefit from a series of oil and gas related courses that will be offered by the University of Texas – Petroleum Extension, in association with the Caribbean Learning Portal, and schooladviser.org. The first course, which is part of a total of four short courses, will begin on February 13, 2017, and will conclude on March10, 2017. The initial course will provide an insight into the foundation aspects of oil and gas exploration, and is intended to be part of a series of courses that will equip participants with some working knowledge of petroleum exploration. Read more here
Kingston Properties Acquires First Cayman Property
Kingston Properties Limited (KPREIT) has acquired its first property in the Cayman Islands, which it says will offer the company hard-currency and tax-free earnings. The price of the transaction was not disclosed. The company also expects to announce the acquisition of an additional property in Jamaica shortly. The Cayman acquisition executed on January 10, is a fully tenanted, mixed-use building located in the West Bay Beach area. Read more here
REGIONAL NEWS
IMF Confident Jamaica Sticking With Debt-Reduction Strategy
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said it is confident that Jamaica remains committed to an agreed debt-reduction strategy despite last week's admission by local officials that the public debt has increased by two percentage points to 122 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) since the start of fiscal year 2016-17 last April. "The Government has been seeking opportunities of reprofiling the debt, meaning you essentially raise funds to prefinance what's coming because you have uncertainty on the cost of financing going forward," said Constant Lonkeng Ngouana, the IMF's resident representative to Jamaica. Read more here
Antigua-Barbuda government responds to allegations against British investor
ST JOHN’S, Antigua -- The government of Antigua and Barbuda said it has taken note of an article in Britain’s Telegraph newspaper of January 13, 2017, concerning British entrepreneur, Peter Virdee, who has invested in Antigua and Barbuda among several other countries. The content of the Telegraph story was repeated in the Antigua and Barbuda Observer newspaper on January 14, 2017. The government of Antigua and Barbuda made it clear that none of the allegations relate to Virdee’s investment operations there. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Trump worries Nato with 'obsolete' comment
A statement by US President-elect Donald Trump that Nato is "obsolete" has caused "worry" in the alliance, Germany's foreign minister has said. Frank-Walter Steinmeier said it was a contradiction of comments made days ago by Mr Trump's incoming defence chief. Read more here
Tumult surrounds Trump days ahead of his presidency
Washington (CNN)Donald Trump is four days away from assuming the presidency after one of the most tumultuous transitions in modern history, setting the stage for a rocky period of dramatic change, partisan acrimony and unpredictable results. Read more here
16th January 2017