NEWS
Carifesta XIV begins today at the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain. Delegates began arriving at the Piarco International Airport from as early as 5 am yesterday. Read more here
Three killed in Penal, children rescued
Nightmarish scenes gripped 21-year-old Vishard Mohammed as he walked into his parents home on Thursday and found their decomposing corpses on the floor of their living room. Alongside the bodies of Shelly-Ann Ragoonanan, 43 and Wazir Mohammed, 57, was the body of his uncle 52-year-old Nazim Mohammed. Their bodies all bore gunshot wounds. The tragedy rocked the Clarke Road, Penal community and neighbours rejoiced that the murderers spared the lives of Vishard’s four-year-old sister and eight-month-old brother who sat among the stench of rotting bodies that could be smelt from the roadway. Read more here
POLITICS
Kamla thanks Rambachan for his service
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is thanking Tabaquite MP Dr Surujrattan Rambachan. Firstly for his service and then for voluntarily making way for a new generation of leaders as she makes another bid for governance. She said she was saddened by his departure from electoral politics after a half-century of public service. Addressing supporters at a United National Congress (UNC) public meeting at the Gasparillo Secondary School on Tuesday night, Persad-Bissessar said she would have to make hard, painful decisions when selecting candidates for the two upcoming elections. Read more here
PM: Media trying to pin Marlene's 'misdeeds' on me
Even as he fumed at the media for “trying to pin” Marlene McDonald’s corruption scandal on him, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Thursday admitted that he exercised flawed judgment by reinstating her as a Cabinet minister despite the trail of allegations that dogged her. Rowley faced the media yesterday for the first time since McDonald was arrested at her Maracas, St Joseph home last Thursday. She has been charged with seven offences of corruption, fraud and misbehaviour in public office and is now home on $2 million bail. Read more here
BUSINESS
Princes Town...One of T&T's fastest growing towns
Princes Town is a community named after royalty and steeped in history so rich that legends have been born out of it. The Great Orisha King Papa Neezer and the feared spiritual healer and sorceress Mother Cornhusk frequented this little town which has grown from being a nondescript village to being one of the fastest-growing towns in south Trinidad. A melting pot of Shango, Baptists, Orisha, Hinduism, Islam, and Catholicism, Princes Town is generally a peaceful unified town. However, the area has not been spared from crime and many killings have been linked to drug abuse and organised crime. Read more here
REGIONAL
Fresh Lawsuit - ACLU Challenging Constitutionality Of Law Used To Convict J’can Fishermen In US
Human-rights group American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) yesterday filed a new lawsuit on behalf of three Jamaican fishermen challenging the constitutionality of the law used to convict them in the United States in October 2017. Their contention lies with United States Code Title 18 Section 2237. (a)(2)(B). A section of the law states: “It shall be unlawful for any person on board a vessel ... [registered in a foreign nation if that nation has consented or waived objection to the enforcement of United States law by the United States] … to provide materially false information to a federal law enforcement officer during a boarding of a vessel regarding the vessel’s destination, origin, ownership, registration, nationality, cargo, or crew.” The Jamaican nationals – Robert Weir, David Williams and Luther Patterson – are petitioning the court to issue writs of error coram nobis vacating convictions on the grounds that the court lacked the jurisdiction over their extraterritorial conduct and that their convictions are, therefore, unconstitutional. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
North Korea snubs peace talks with South Korea over war drills
North Korea has rejected any further talks with South Korea, calling its decision "completely the fault of South Korea's actions". It issued a statement in response to a speech by South Korea President Moon Jae-in on Thursday. Meanwhile, early on Friday North Korea test-fired two missiles into the sea off its eastern coast, the South Korean military said. It is the sixth such test in less than a month. The two "unidentified projectiles" were fired about 08:00 (23:00 GMT Thursday) and travelled 230km (140 miles) reaching an altitude of 30km (18 miles), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Six days ago, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan/East Sea. Read more here
Trump inquires about US buying Greenland, but it's not for sale
President Donald Trump has on multiple occasions brought up buying Greenland from the Danish government and the White House counsel's office has looked into the possibility, two sources told CNN on Thursday. The island's government, however, said in a statement Friday it's not going to happen: "Greenland is not for sale." Trump's interest in buying Greenland was first reported on Thursday by The Wall Street Journal. The Journal reported that people familiar with the deliberations said the President has raised the issue during meetings and dinners, asking aides and listening seriously about the possibility and advantages of owning Greenland. He also asked his White House counsel to research the matter, according to two of the people. Read more here
16th August 2019