NEWS
Army vehicle crashes into family of five, father amputates arm
After losing his arm which he used to make a living, a tradesman and cricketer is putting his faith in God’s hands as he contemplates a dismal future. Life for Jamie Lubon changed drastically on Monday night, when an army vehicle crashed into his car, shattering his peaceful existence and a conversation he was having with his wife and their three children in the back seat. The accident, which occurred at Bois Jean Jean, Moruga, around 8.20 pm, mangled his right arm so badly that it had to be amputated in an emergency surgery hours later. Read more here
Cops nabbed carrying $2m ganja in patrol SUV
Two police officers were last night assisting their colleagues in investigations, after they were held transporting an estimated $2 million in marijuana, three illegal firearms and several bottles of alcohol in a marked police vehicle in Cedros on Tuesday. According to a police report, at about 4.30 pm a party of police from the Oropouche station, including Sgts Ali and George Sgts Ali and George, intercepted the police vehicle - a Nissan Xtrail - in the area after receiving a tip-off. Read more here
How you can help Dominica
Trinidad and Tobago has rushed to the aid of Caricom neighbour Dominica, with private citizens, religious and non-governmental organisations yesterday seeking emergency supplies for the “nature isle” that was devastated on Monday by Hurricane Maria. The T&T Government has also continued to render aid, with the T&T Coast Guard and Air Guard yesterday assisting Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit to tour the island, which he has; via limited communication, reported to be some 98 per cent devastated. Read more here
POLITICS
Kamla: Expect blame game
With the Budget less than two weeks away, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is warning the nation to expect a “budget of excuses” as the PNM government’s third budget would continue to blame its predecessor, the People’s Partnership, for the current financial woes. “We are just a couple weeks away from the presentation and we expect that, as with the fake oil scandal, Government will act in the interest of the few and not the many,” she said, adding, “We have to tighten our belts when money is being thrown around without benefiting those most in need.” Read more here
‘Ocean Flower II’ here for repairs, says ministry
The Ocean Flower II is not here to visit the Ministry of Works and Transport. The ministry yesterday distanced itself from the arrival of the contentious Ocean Flower II into Trinidad, saying the vessel was here for repairs and not to work for the State. The Ocean Flower II sailed into Chaguaramas yesterday afternoon, belching exhaust and flying the T&T flag as per maritime regulations. Read more here
BUSINESS
Business sector to hold its hand on lay-offs
The business sector yesterday gave partial agreement to follow Government’s lead in observing a moratorium on the retrenchment of workers. In response to a question at a news conference following a meeting of the National Tripartite Advisory Council (NTAC), Keston Nancoo, chairman of the Employers’ Consultative Association (ECA), said the business sector will hold to the commitment. However, he added that he had not discussed it with anyone but he believed that good sense will prevail when it comes to layoffs in the current economic situation. The other business representative, Gabriel Faria, Chief Executive Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said that without consultation he could not speak for the hundreds of businesses which are members of the chamber and the different business groups. Read more here
Scotiabank’s Schnoor heading to Canada
Scotiabank has announced that current managing director of Scotiabank T&T and senior vice president and head of the Caribbean South and East, Anya Schnoor has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Retail Payments, Deposits and Unsecured Lending for Canadian Banking effective November 1, 2017. In a release on Tuesday Scotiabank T&T chairman Brendan King praised Schnoor for her years of service to the Bank saying: “Anya is a highly-accomplished banking executive with a wealth of financial management experience.” Read more here
Loquan: Gas supply picture brightening
National Gas Company (NGC) president Mark Loquan said yesterday that while T&T is still negatively impacted by a shortage of natural gas, the landscape is slowly changing for the better. Speaking yesterday at an Energy Chamber luncheon with NGC entitled 'NGC: One Year Later' at Cara Suites Hotel and Conference Centre in Claxton Bay, Loquan said NGC has been very active in securing contracts for the supply of gas in the short to medium-term. Read more here
REGIONAL
Plagued By Poverty - Gov't Signals It Will Tackle Rising Levels Of Pauperism
Children in Jamaica are among the most vulnerable groups affected by rising poverty levels and account for almost half of those living in poverty, according to the National Policy on Poverty, a White Paper tabled in Parliament on Tuesday. The document unveils Jamaica's National Poverty Reduction Programme. Other vulnerable groups include persons with disabilities, the homeless, the elderly, youth, as well as those in the category of the working poor. With poverty levels in Jamaica soaring by 10.7 percentage points over a six-year period spanning 2008 to 2014, the Government has outlined in its policy document how it intends to eradicate extreme poverty and reduce absolute poverty at the national level. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Hurricane Maria strengthens again as it heads toward Turks and Caicos
Hurricane Maria regained strength Thursday morning as it continued to ravage the Caribbean, with the Turks and Caicos islands next in its crosshairs. The Category 3 storm lashed the northern coast of the Dominican Republic with heavy rain and 115-mph winds. It is likely to strengthen over the warm waters of the Turks and Caicos, CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri said. The low-lying islands are particularly at risk of high storm surges. Read more here
Mexico earthquake: Race to save children under collapsed school
21st September 2017