NEWS
Man swept away, killed by Arima floodwaters
The body of a man who died after being swept away by floodwaters in Arima was found on Tuesday. The body was found at a bend in the Mausica River in Printeryville, O'Meara, behind the Devon Snacks warehouse, almost three kilometres away from where it is believed he fell into a drain. The man, later identified as Dexter Greaves, 52, of Jokhan Trace Extension, Carapo, was found tangled in the branches of a fallen tree in the river. CCTV footage of the Greaves being swept away by raging floodwater in a drain along Carracciolo Ave, Lawrence Park on Monday went viral. Read more here
Top 2023 SEA student: Find right study/hobby balance
Studying hard is a main ingredient in acing examinations. However, top-ranked 2023 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) student Mila Zoro says having the proper support and finding the right study/recreation balance is critical. The Naparima Girls’ High School (NGHS) student received notification from the Ministry of Education (MoE) last Wednesday that her 258.41 SEA Composite Standard Score was the best in the land. It came after her parents filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Although mathematics was never her favourite class, she scored 97.33, 100 in English Language Arts and 20/20 in English Language Arts Writing. During an interview yesterday, she advised parents not to overburden their children with extra lessons. Read more here
POLITICS
Browne: Caricom to meet on Gaza/Israel conflict today
Head of Government Business in the Senate and Caricom and Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne said he would be advocating strongly on the Palestine/Israel conflict during a meeting of the Caricom Council for Foreign and Community Relations scheduled for Wednesday. Browne was responding to a matter on the adjournment of the Senate on Tuesday raised by Independent Senator Anthony Vieira over assistance for nationals in the Middle East who are at risk from the escalating conflict between Gaza and Israel. During his contribution, Vieira said he was horrified by the horrific pain and suffering being endured on both sides. Read more here
Farley denies striking deal with UNC: I don’t care about the politics in Trinidad
Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has denied striking a deal with the United National Congress (UNC) for the 2025 general election. He made the comment yesterday, as he defended his 2021 letter sent to parliamentarians and doubled down on his critique of the Government’s proposal for the island’s autonomy. Augustine was responding to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s recent comments during a People’s National Movement (PNM) meeting in Mason Hall, where he described Augustine’s recommendations, which were cosigned by former THA chief secretary Hochoy Charles, as “the bread the devil is kneading”. Augustine was criticised by Dr Rowley for his proposal of a bicameral system for the THA that resembles what exists in the United States. Read more here
BUSINESS
HR key to business growth
More than ever, businesses need human resources (HR) to play a proactive role in addressing its talent needs to be competitive in the global arena, says president of the Human Resource Management Association of T&T (HRMATT), Cavelle Joseph-St Omer. In this light, the organisation is seeking to assist entities by providing more guided support to local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which do not have an in-house HR function. “We will be scaling up our workshops with them in mind. These workshops will guide SMEs to assess their HR maturity, and implement human capital playbooks that are relevant to their needs,” Joseph-St Omer said while speaking at HRMATT’s 2023 biennial conference titled, HR into the Metaverse, which as held at the Hyatt Regency yesterday. According to Joseph-St Omer, businesses that have a strong and strategic HR enable them to stay competitive, attract and grow the right talent to support business objectives and seize new opportunities. Read more here
Imbert: We saved T&T’s reputation
Finance Minister Colm Imbert has defended the Government’s debt management framework, stating yesterday that his ministry recently “saved” Trinidad and Tobago from losing its reputation as having never defaulted on public debt. Imbert was speaking in the Senate during the Opposition’s private motion, “Annulment of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property (Exemption) (Financing Services) Order, 2023”. The minister called the motion “frivolous” and a waste of parliamentary time as he outlined some processes by which the State monitored and was consistently advised on the management of public debt. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘We will not succumb to Venezuela’s bullyism’
STANDING on the right side of history and upholding the nation’s territorial sovereignty, Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, has maintained that Guyana will not yield to Venezuela’s “bullyism.” Norton joined several of his opposition colleagues and government officials in reiterating Guyana’s firm position on the border controversy at an extraordinary sitting of the National Assembly on Monday. “We cannot concede an inch to Venezuela,” the Opposition Leader told his colleagues, adding: “We must see Venezuela as an adversary that wants our territory. We must remember that Venezuela always comes up with some scheme to get our territory. We have to be ever vigilant.” Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Spanish fury at Pedro Sánchez' controversial amnesty plan for power
Daily right-wing protests against Spain's acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez have become increasingly violent. They highlight mounting tensions as he attempts to negotiate a controversial amnesty law. About 7,000 demonstrators gathered outside Mr Sánchez's Socialist party headquarters in Madrid on Tuesday. He is preparing for an investiture vote which is expected to see him form a new government and avoid a repeat election. That can only happen if he can secure the parliamentary support of Catalan separatists. As police and protesters clashed on Tuesday night, Mr Sánchez posted a defiant message on social media: "They will not break the Socialist Party." Read more here
8th November 2023