NEWS

‘Safe platform’ founded for southern LGBTQIA

Founder of the South Trinidad LGBTQIA Jewan Bissoondial says there is need to establish a platform that will represent the views of the LGBTQIA community in south Trinidad. It will also serve to plan and provide various services for members. “In keeping with the current nationwide celebration of Pride 2019,” he said, “the south community has embarked on creating this safe platform in south TT so as to engage in social and civic activism that advances the cause of protecting the rights and freedoms of members of this community. Read more here

Hidden Heroes: A life dedicated to saving animals

Every year ap­prox­i­mate­ly 30,000 species of an­i­mals are be­ing dri­ven to ex­tinc­tion, ac­cord­ing to a Har­vard Uni­ver­si­ty study. That’s why one Trinidad and To­ba­go na­tion­al de­cid­ed to take it up­on him­self and start a cen­tre for wildlife con­ser­va­tion in T&T, even though when he was younger his view of an­i­mals was the op­po­site. “My fo­cus shift­ed from killing and harm­ing things to sav­ing them and shar­ing the nat­ur­al beau­ty we have here in T&T,” Ri­car­do Meade said in an in­ter­view with Guardian Me­dia. Read more here

POLITICS

Planning Ministry launches socio-economic survey

In an attempt preserve the natural environment while enhancing the lives of TT citizens, the Ministry of Planning and Development has launched its Socio-Economic Survey training workshop. Deputy Permanent Secretary of the ministry Ayleen Alleyne-Ovid addressed the media on Monday at the workshop's media launch at Plaza 47, Port of Spain. The ministry has partnered with the TT Central Statistical Office (CSO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO). Alleyne-Ovid said the survey had been designed to provide key information to guide the management of six important protected areas in TT. The areas are the Caroni Swamp, the Nariva Swamp, the Matura Forest, the Trinity Hills Game Sanctuary, the Main Ridge Forest Reserve and the North-East Tobago Marine Area. Read more here

Marlene sacked as deputy leader

Prime Min­is­ter Dr Kei­th Row­ley on Tues­day sacked Mar­lene Mc­Don­ald for yet an­oth­er time in as many days—this time from the post of deputy leader of the rul­ing PNM. And all Mc­Don­ald re­mains with now, is her po­si­tion as PNM’s Port-of-Spain South rep­re­sen­ta­tive, a po­si­tion to which con­stituents elect­ed her on No­vem­ber 5, 2007 and again on Sep­tem­ber 7, 2015. Row­ley took to Face­book to an­nounce his de­ci­sion. Read more here

BUSINESS

Economy did not hurt ANSA McAl results

Nor­man Sab­ga, Chair­man of the Ansa McAL Group of Com­pa­nies is at­tribut­ing the Group’s re­sults for the first half of the fi­nan­cial year to its in­ter­nal op­er­a­tions and not the macro econ­o­my. “I do not think that the econ­o­my is the cause of our drop in prof­it. I think it is two fold, one is the one off’s that I spoke about and al­so part of our ex­pens­es have gone up and we have been meet­ing with each com­pa­ny look­ing at the ex­pens­es and shav­ing some of the ad­di­tion­al op­er­a­tional ex­pens­es. The fact that our vol­umes are on par and our gross prof­it, be­fore ex­pens­es is on par that is not a re­flec­tion that it is a re­sult of the econ­o­my.” Sab­ga spoke yes­ter­day at the re­lease of the Group’s unau­dit­ed re­sults for the six months end­ed June 30, 2019 at Tatil Build­ing, Queen’s Park Sa­van­nah, Port-of-Spain. Read more here

REGIONAL

TIGHT SQUEEZE - Shoemaker Struggles To Make Ends Meet, Care For Sick Wife After Constant Spring Market Eviction

For almost 40 years, Lloyd Livingston operated a shoemaking business in the Constant Spring Market. Day after day, he went to the small shop to carve out a living for himself and provide for his family. With the road-expansion exercise in the area, Livingston’s business was dealt a death blow, landing him flat on his face, now struggling to even find food to survive. Through tears, he related to The Gleaner how he has been struggling to earn his keep since the Government demolished the Constant Spring Market in March to make way for the US$20-million road rehabilitation project. The highly trafficked corridor has now been transformed into a four-lane dual carriageway. Read more here

INTERNATIONAL

Brexit: Hammond says PM's demands 'wreck' chance of new deal

Former Chancellor Philip Hammond has accused the PM of trying to wreck the chance of a new Brexit deal, by making demands the EU could never accept.

In a Times article, Mr Hammond said a no-deal Brexit would be "a betrayal" of the 2016 referendum result. He told the BBC he was "confident" that Parliament "has the means" to express its opposition to a no-deal exit. A No 10 source said the UK would leave on 31 October despite Mr Hammond's "best efforts to the contrary". The source added that Mr Hammond, as chancellor, "did everything he could" to block preparations for leaving and had "undermined negotiations". Read more here

Flights resume after second night of chaos at Hong Kong airport

The government of Hong Kong has created a page on one of its tourism websites offering tourists information on “known processions, public transport and airport situation, as well as Government responses to the protest actions and public disruptions.” Hong Kong has been seeking to reassure travelers that it is still open for business and dispel international concerns over the protest chaos that has been broadcast worldwide. "This online portal puts the facts at your fingertips covering transportation advice in relation to protests, clarifications of fake news, government press releases, conferences and events and more. It provides useful and timely information for businesspeople, travelers and residents alike," the page reads. Read more here

14th August 2019

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