TTMA IN THE NEWS
UWI, TTMA to develop more internships for students in manufacturing sector
Students of the St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) can look forward to more internship and training opportunities in the manufacturing sector. This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UWI and the T&T Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) to collaborate in training, human resource development, process improvement, research and development, and other areas of mutual interest. Dr Terry Mohammed, Deputy Dean (Outreach) Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), believes the partnership can contribute to the economic vibrancy of the country. Read more here
NEWS
Weather settles but Met Office still on high alert for flooding
The Meteorological Service has lowered its weather alert level from yellow to green as of Thursday afternoon, but is warning the public that riverine flooding remains under at relatively high alert. An update on the Met Office's website reported that while the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) has settled, there were some areas still affected by flood waters, as Trinidad remains under orange alert for flooding. Read more here
POLITICS
Government seeks to extend state of emergency by 3 months
The Prime Minister will next Wednesday ask the House of Representatives to extend the state of emergency (SoE) for three more months (until late November), said the House order paper. As a measure to help combat the covid19 pandemic, at a media briefing Dr Rowley had declared the first period of the SoE on May 15, to run until May 30. On May 24, Parliament met to extend the SoE for three more months up to August 29. Read more here
BUSINESS
Trinidad and Tobago, Chile to expand bilateral trade
The first round of negotiations for the partial scope trade agreement between Trinidad and Tobago (TT) and Chile started on Tuesday. The negotiations will seek to deepen bilateral trade relations between the two countries after the signing of the general framework agreement in October last year, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a release. At the opening ceremony of the negotiations on Tuesday, Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon said she anticipated the partial-scope trade agreement will provide new market opportunities for TT’s manufactured goods. Read more here
GEG, Proman to develop renewable power to methanol plant
Leading UK port operator, Global Energy Group (GEG) has entered into an agreement with Swiss-based integrated energy company Proman to develop a renewable power to methanol plant, utilising local sources of captured carbon dioxide (CO2) to be located at the Nigg Oil Terminal in the Highlands of Scotland. According to a statement the development the facility will be known as the “Cromarty Clean Fuels Project.” Subject to the successful completion of ongoing financial and technical feasibility studies, and further development and financing of the project, Proman will become the owner, operator and offtaker of the green methanol production facility. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana, Suriname mull profiting from intact rainforests together
LEVERAGING the benefits of their pristine rainforests for profits on the carbon credit market together is a possibility being explored by continental neighbours, Guyana and Suriname. With over 87 per cent forest cover, Guyana, according to the Rainforest Foundation, is one of the most heavily forested countries in South America. The same could be said of Suriname, which, according to REDD+, has forest cover of over 93 per cent. This mass of greenery, aside from its natural beauty and role as a home for both nations’ wide biodiversity, serves as one of the major tools in the combat against climate change. “We recognise that we share similar conditions and opportunities as it relates to the environment and climate change,” President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, said during a joint press conference with the visiting Surinamese President, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, on Thursday. Considering the fact that both nations have had good credentials in the area of environmental preservation, the plan, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, is to develop a common strategy for management of the environment and countering climate change. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Afghanistan: Taliban 'tortured and massacred' men from Hazara minority
The Taliban recently "massacred" and brutally tortured several members of the Hazara minority in Afghanistan, says human rights group Amnesty International. Witnesses have given harrowing accounts of the killings, which took place in early July in Ghazni province. Since taking over the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday, the Taliban have tried to portray a more restrained image. But Amnesty said the incident was a "horrifying indicator" of Taliban rule. The Hazara community is Afghanistan's third largest ethnic group. They mainly practise Shia Islam and have faced long-term discrimination and persecution in predominantly Sunni Afghanistan and Pakistan. Read more here
20th August 2021