NEWS
Lambeau students temporarily relocated to Scarborough business place
Standard-five students of the Lambeau Anglican school are being temporarily housed at Tobago Information Technology Ltd in Signal Hill says the Tobago House of Assembly (THA). Secretary of Education, Research and Technology Zorisha Hackett, on her Facebook page on Thursday, said the standard-five class spent the first day at the facility, “extremely comfortable and fully focused on exceeding expectations.” On behalf of her division, Hackett extended best wishes and positive energy to staff and students during the temporary relocation, while praying for a speedy return to a state of normalcy at the school's compound. Read more here
Tobago spill enters Grenada’s marine space
Grenada has contacted the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and other partners, as possible oil from the Tobago oil spill has entered their marine area of responsibility. On Wednesday, new satellite data analysed by the Tobago Emergency Management Agency, captured at 5.37 am, indicated the possible oil slick hads extended approximately 63 nautical miles or 118 kilometres west-northwest of Tobago. The extent of the slick now extends approximately 30 kilometres outside Trinidad and Tobago’s Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ), the marine area for which T&T is responsible. According to TEMA, this possible oil slick originates from the overturned vessel, Gulfstream, approximately 150 metres off the southern coast of Tobago and is nearly 78 nautical miles or 144 kilometres in length. Read more here
POLITICS
UNC calls for covid update in aftermath of Carnival
Dr Tim Gopeesingh wants to know if reports of an increase in covid 19 cases in the aftermath of Carnival have any sound basis. In a statement on Thursday, the former Caroni East MP said he had information relating to an increase in hospitalisation and deaths owing to covid19 and other respiratory infections at public hospitals. Given Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh's January announcement of an increase in the incidence of covid from December 2023-January 2024, as well as the deaths of six patients, Gopeesingh said a spike was expected post-Carnival. He called on Deyalsingh to urgently provide a status update on covid19 infections and related deaths. Critical of government’s handling of the recent pandemic, Gopeesingh said citizens must not be left like “sitting ducks” in the event of another health crisis. Read more here
BUSINESS
Bio business champions use biomedical products to change the world
Entrepreneurship is not for everyone.
It takes mental toughness, resilience and unshakeable faith. It comes with long hours, sleepless nights, hungry days and years of hard work for recognition of your brand, let alone to make it a success. YBMS BIOTECplus CEO and Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Business Champions of Business 2023 awardee Yasser Baksh along with his sister Mishaal Baksh know this all too well. “I don't think anyone wakes up one morning and just says, ‘I'm gonna be an entrepreneur,” he said. “It has to be something from within. It has to do with where you come from mentally. You have to be driven and ambitious. When most people get tired, that's when an entrepreneur works the hardest.” Read more here
NIF2 oversubscribed by at least 160%
Finance Minister Colm Imbert has hailed the NIF2 bond offering as a “tremendous success”, stating that it is already oversubscribed by 160%, with a final tally still pending. NIF2 is a $400 million, five-year bond issue offered to the public at an interest rate of 4.5% per annum. Last Friday marked the final date for applications for the NIF2 bond. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘Entire population benefitting from strong progress, plans in place’
The following is a statement issued by Mr. Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday, in Georgetown, at the end of his visit to Guyana: “I am delighted to be in Guyana. This is my first visit, and I would like to thank President Irfaan Ali; Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo; Prime Minister Mark Phillips; Finance Minister Ashni Singh, as well as other ministers and senior officials for their warm hospitality, and for the productive meetings. I would also like to thank the representatives from the health and housing sectors for the site visits arranged, and the Amerindian community of Moraikobai, and the private sector, for their welcome and useful discussions. “I congratulated the authorities on the unparalleled economic expansion. Guyana, today, is in the position to reap the benefits of rapidly increasing oil revenues due to the hard-won gains from implementing reforms and adjustment over the years. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Kazakhstan: Methane mega-leak went on for months
One of the worst methane leaks ever recorded took place last year at a remote well in Kazakhstan, new analysis shared with BBC Verify has shown. It is estimated that 127,000 tonnes of the gas escaped when a blowout started a fire that raged for over six months. Methane is much more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Buzachi Neft, the company that owns the well, denies a "substantial amount" of methane was leaked. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Equivalency Calculator, the environmental impact of such a leak is comparable to that of driving more than 717,000 petrol cars for a year. "The magnitude and the duration of the leak is frankly unusual," said Manfredi Caltagirone, head of the UN's International Methane Emissions Observatory. "It is extremely big." Read more here
16th February 2024