News
Cops, soldiers spend hours in Grande forest searching for Andrea
A joint police and army patrol spent more than six hours yesterday in a forested area in Sangre Grande as they searched for further clues into the kidnapping of 23-year-old Andrea Bharatt, but their search came up empty-handed by the time they came out just after 2 pm yesterday. The search took the lawmen almost three miles into Nonpariel Road, a winding, partially-pitched road that later transforms into a dirt road where vehicles have to carefully manoeuvre and are heavily forested and littered with a few homes and farmland along the way. Read more here…
Doctors: Covid19 masks may combat Sahara dust effects
FACE masks worn against covid19 transmission will also help curb respiratory ailments caused by the current high levels of Sahara dust, two speakers advised at Monday's Ministry of Health virtual briefing on covid19, in reply to a question. These were former health minister Dr Emmanuel Hosein and PAHO representative Dr Erica Wheeler. Newsday had asked if Sahara dust raises one's vulnerability to contracting covid19. Read more here…
Politics
PDP stages sit-in protest at THA
The members of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) who won six seats in the January 25 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections, staged a sit-in at the Assembly Legislature building, Jerningham Street, Scarborough yesterday. The PDP cited a breach of the THA’s Act relating to the procedures for selecting a presiding officer for the 2021-2025 THA term. Read more here…
HDC owed $130m
The Trinidad and Tobago Housing Development Corporation (HDC) is currently owed approximately $130 million due to delinquent tenants and homeowners. Housing Minister Penelope Beckles disclosed the figure during a distribution ceremony of new homes by the HDC at Lexus Villas, Lexus Boulevard in Marabella. Read more here…
Business
Republic records $391.1M in first quarter profit
Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL) has announced a profit attributable to equity holders of the parent of $391.1 million for the quarter ending December 31, 2020. RFHL’s chairman Vincent Pereira said, “Compared to the First Quarter of 2020, these results reflect the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic since we experienced a reduction in both our net interest margins and fees and commissions.” “This was off-set by the positive impact of our acquisition of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) operations in June 2020. The net result is an increase of $17.3 million or 4.6 per cent over the corresponding period last year,” Pereira stated. Read more here…
Rebalancing T&T’s energy mix not insurmountable—Khan
This is how Energy Minister Franklin Khan has described the challenge currently facing this country when it comes to rebalancing our energy mix in the face of global climate change concerns. Khan made the statement yesterday as he delivered the feature address at the first day of the T&T Energy Chamber’s 5th Annual Energy Efficiency and Renewables Conference 2021. “We will seek opportunities to work with our stakeholders in our domestic energy sector to develop and implement solutions aimed at reducing our carbon footprint as part of our contribution to the reduction of global warming and in the rebalancing of the country’s energy mix. Read more here…
Regional
Stocks Round Up | tTech today's top advancer
The Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) Combined Index closed Monday on a losing note, declining marginally.The moderate trading ended with an advance/decline ratio of 40/35. The JSE Combined Index declined by 1714.09 points or 0.44 per cent to close at 385,047.83. The JSE Main Market Index was down 1,717.60 points or 0.44 per cent to close at 386,220.23 while the Junior Market Index declined 12.44 points or 0.45 per cent to close at 2,761.73 The JSE USD Equities Index declined 4.56 points or 2.25 per cent, closing at 198.16. Read more here…
Guyana to receive 100,000+ Astrazeneca vaccine doses
AS Guyana intensifies its efforts to secure vaccines needed to immunise the population from the virus, COVID-19, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony announced that the country will soon receive nearly 104,000 vaccine doses from the COVAX facility, a global vaccination alliance.Months ago, Guyana signed up with the COVAX facility, which is geared at accelerating the development and manufacture of the COVID-19 vaccines, and then providing them in a guaranteed rapid, fair and equitable manner. And, under this mechanism, Guyana is expected to receive its first set of vaccines to cover about 20 per cent of the population for free. Read more here…
International
McConnell: Marjorie Taylor Greene's views are a 'cancer' for the GOP
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Monday issued a tacit rebuke of controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, slamming the Georgia Republican's "loony lies and conspiracy theories" as a "cancer" for the party. "Loony lies and conspiracy theories are cancer for the Republican Party and our country," McConnell said in a statement. "Somebody who's suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged, and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr.'s airplane is not living in reality. This has nothing to do with the challenges facing American families or the robust debates on substance that can strengthen our party." Read more here…
Myanmar coup: Calls for Suu Kyi release as lawmakers held
Ms Suu Kyi, who led the country's elected government, has not been seen since she was detained by the military. Hundreds of MPs also remain confined after soldiers surrounded their accommodation in the capital. While no protests have been reported, there have been acts of defiance, including a strike by medical staff. Read more here…
2nd February 2021