NEWS
APT James arrives in Tobago on Friday
The new inter-island fast ferry, the APT James, is expected to arrive in TT on Friday. The vessel, named after Tobago’s representative on the Legislative Council (1946-1961), is set to dock at the Port of Scarborough, Tobago, around 10.30 am. It was built by Australian shipbuilder Austal at its Vung Tau shipyard in Vietnam. Read more here
Granny rescued from ‘horror house’ doing well
The 92-year-old woman rescued by police from what has been dubbed “A house of horror” in El Dorado has been progressing well at a safe house. This according to the head of the Gender-Based Violence Unit of the TTPS, ASP Claire Guy-Alleyne, who has been overseeing the woman’s case since she was rescued. “She is fragile so we have her going through medical and psychosocial treatment in the home,” Guy-Alleyne said yesterday. Read more here
POLITICS
Rowley: Caricom deplores US unrest
The Prime Minister, in his role as Caricom’s new chairman, lamented the unrest in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. As members of the US Congress counted the votes of the electoral college to confirm Biden, rioters sympathetic to President Trump who thought the election had been rigged invaded the Capitol building, interrupting the count and causing the legislators to flee. By Thursday morning, election winner Joe Biden had been confirmed as the next US President by lawmakers toiling through the night in a city under lockdown. Read more here
PNM Tobago Council focuses on housing in 2021 manifesto
The Tobago Council of the People's National Movement (PNM) will focus on providing housing opportunities for low and middle-income Tobagonians in the next four years, should the party return to power in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) on January 25, 2021. The party rolled out its plans in its manifesto at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex on January 7 before a limited in-person audience and virtually on its social media platforms and the local media. The theme of the manifesto 'Building Tobago Together' spans the period 2021-2025. Read more here
BUSINESS
Rock Hard, Trade Ministry seek compromise, pending court ruling
Lawyers representing St Lucia-based Rock Hard Distribution Limited, its local distributor and the Ministry of Trade and Industry were yesterday locked in discussions over a temporary stay of Government’s move to introduce a quota and licensing regime for the importation of cement. When the case brought by Rock Hard came up for virtual hearing before Justice Jacqueline Wilson, Senior Counsel Deborah Peake, who led the ministry’s legal team, indicated that an undertaking given by her client when the case was filed, late last month, expired yesterday. Read more here
REGIONAL
Jamaica Strong Example Of Democracy - British Ambassador Says US Can Learn A Lot From Caribbean Country
Britain’s top diplomat here held up Jamaica’s strong democratic traditions as an example to the world as he blasted United States (US) President Donald Trump for the rioting that unfolded at the US Capitol building in Washington on Wednesday. Four people died – one woman was fatally shot by police and three died of apparent medical emergencies – and dozens more were injured after supporters loyal to Trump stormed Capitol Hill, disrupting a joint session of Congress that was convened to certify US President-elect Joe Biden’s win in the November 3, 2020 elections. Read more here
Fishing industry ‘nets’ $16.2B
The “rough tides” of 2020 were not enough to restrict progress in the fishing industry, which remained resilient throughout the year and even managed to secure revenue in excess of $16 billion. Ecological challenges compounded by a protracted electoral process and a global pandemic made last year no easy one for stakeholders in the fishing industry, but, in the end, the traditional aspect of this industry raked in $16,033,405,740, while aquaculture mustered $207,251,016. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Trump's desperate attempt to save his imploding presidency
It was too little, too late, and may fail to save a presidency imploding at staggering speed under the weight of Donald Trump's tragic flaws. Late in the final act of his tumultuous administration, the President finally admitted the reality of his political demise Thursday, suddenly surrounded by threats of a historic second impeachment, calls for his resignation, a staff exodus, potential criminal liability and concern over his mental state. Read more here
Abu Bakar Ba'asyir: Radical cleric linked to Bali bombings freed
A radical Muslim cleric linked to the 2002 Bali bombings has been freed amid concerns over his ongoing influence on extremists. Abu Bakar Ba'asyir was picked up by his family from a jail outside Indonesia's capital Jakarta early on Friday. The 82-year-old is the former head of Jemaah Islamiah, an al-Qaeda-inspired group behind the attack that killed 202 people. Authorities say he will enter a deradicalisation programme. People from 21 nations died in the blasts on 12 October 2002 on the popular holiday island of Bali. The two bombs had ripped through Paddy's Irish Bar and the nearby Sari Club in the Kuta tourist district. Read more here
8th January 2021