NEWS
Missing oil worker's family desperate for closure – 'No body to say goodbye to'
After a sorrowful Christmas season, the four children of missing oil worker Pete Phillip from La Romaine spent an extra day home together yesterday, but are expected to return to school on January 7. The school term began on January 6. Had they gone to school on the first day of term, the youngest sibling, a three-year-old preschooler, would have been left at home with the children's pregnant mother. The other children are aged nine, 11 and 13. Read more here
NGO starts push to end plastic pollution in Santa Rosa
The community of Santa Rosa Heights, Arima, is doing its part to tackle plastic pollution in T&T. In the week leading up to Christmas, residents of at least ten households compiled their old plastics to be collected and upcycled by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Flying Tree Environmental Management (FTEM). Some of the items created out of plastics include lumber, benches, gates, fences, doors and plant pots. Michelle Ragoobar, founder of a smaller conservation group, To Gaia With Love, and a resident of Santa Rosa, introduced both parties to this initiative. “For some years, after learning that ICARE only takes beverage items, I have been volunteering with Flying Tree Environmental management, encouraging friends and family to recycle their plastics,” Ragoobar said. Read more here
POLITICS
Rowley confirms his successor — Young picked for PM
Three days after revealing his intention to step down as Prime Minister, Dr Rowley announced on January 6 that Minister of Energy and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young will replace him as head of the government. Speaking to reporters during a news conference at the close of the government’s two-day parliamentary retreat at the Tobago Plantations, Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort, Lowlands, Tobago, Rowley said deciding on his replacement as prime minister, and the way forward for the PNM, were some of the main items on the agenda over the past two days. Read more here
Analysts point to ‘risky’ move after Rowley names replacement
Political analysts say the political winds are shifting within the People’s National Movement (PNM), following yesterday’s endorsement by the parliamentary caucus of Minister Stuart Young to serve as Prime Minister when Dr Keith Rowley steps down from the position. The decision was announced by Rowley, who on Friday revealed his impending retirement from the role. Political analyst Dr Winford James explained that Young had checked all the boxes for Rowley in his succession strategy, hence the decision. “In terms of knowledgeability, Stuart Young certainly seems to have a lot of knowledge. He is articulate on the agenda of the PNM as personified by Dr Rowley. He has joined Dr Rowley in making Point Lisas the gateway for Venezuelan gas. He is articulate on the issues that have arisen and he is as capable as anyone else. The question is whether the general body of the PNM is going to support that.” Read more here
BUSINESS
NCB announces new board appointments
THE NCB Financial Group Ltd (NCBFG) has announced the appointment of three new members to the board of directors of NCBFG and National Commercial Bank Jamaica Ltd (NCBJ). In an investor release, published on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange’s website on January 6, NCBFG said Arvinder Bharath was appointed to the NCBFG board on January 2. Roger Blissett was appointed to the NCBJ board on November 13, 2024, and Allison Philbert to the same board on November 20, 2024. Read more here
Business supports Young’s selection
THE business community has expressed optimism regarding the selection of Stuart Young, Member of Parliament for Port of Spain North and St Ann’s West, as Prime Minister-in-waiting. By the end of February, Young will succeed Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and lead the People’s National Movement into this year’s general elections. Rowley made the announcement in Tobago yesterday, stating that the entire PNM caucus has thrown its support behind Young. Read more here
REGIONAL
Linden being positioned for major investments
IN a bold move to catalyse economic growth and regional development, the Government of Guyana has outlined a comprehensive vision to foster long-term sustainable investments in Linden, Region 10, with a sharp focus on tourism and infrastructure. President Dr. Irfaan Ali, during an engagement with residents on Sunday, emphasised the importance of attracting significant investments to the region, since it will be key to unlocking vast wealth for the people of Linden and surrounding areas. President Ali highlighted Linden’s untapped potential as a hub for tourism development, since he believes that continued investments in this sector will create significant economic opportunities for the region. “We have to bring long-term sustainable investments, and that is why we are marketing Linden for a major tourism investment. People come, people spend, business doing; you growing, wealth creating,” the President stated. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
What you need to know about HMPV
In recent weeks, scenes of hospitals in China overrun with masked people have made their rounds on social media, sparking worries of another pandemic. Beijing has since acknowledged a surge in cases of the flu-like human metapneumovirus (HMPV), especially among children, and it attributed this to a seasonal spike. But HMPV is not like Covid-19, public health experts have said, noting that the virus has been around for decades, with almost every child being infected by their fifth birthday. Read more here
7th January 2025