Trinidad and Tobago

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - In the face of solid opposition from the Independent senators against the measure seeking to give powers of arrest to soldiers, Government backed down yesterday. Government, which needed the support at least four Independent senators, was hoping to conclude and pass the Defence and Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill, 2013 yesterday. Debate began in the Senate at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port of Spain, on Tuesday. The bill requires a three-fifths majority, the equivalent of 19 votes, of which Government has 15 votes.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Paediatrician Dr David Bratt said in a telephone interview yesterday he is not surprised that T&T is ranked as the third fattest country in the world. While Bratt questioned the validity of the UK Daily Mail’s report, he also said he was not surprised by the report, since lifestyles have changed. “There is worse food and a decrease in exercise. There is no outdoor activity because of crime. Children are indoor on television or online. People are eating fast food,” he said as he outlined the reasons for the increase in obesity.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Despite all the promises of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU), the countries of the Caribbean have not benefited from increased exports to EU markets or from increased investment from the EU.
The 15 Caribbean countries to which I refer are the 14 independent member states of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Dominican Republic —together described as Cariforum. Each of these countries has individually signed EPA’s with the collective 27-nation EU.

cash’ PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Caribbean Airlines is not cash-strapped, the airline’s vice-chairman, Mohan Jaikaran, said yesterday.
Jaikaran’s statement comes on the heels of a report in the weekend Mirror that the carrier was seeking an immediate $100 million injection from the Government to pay suppliers and employees.
“I do not know where anyone got that, but it is very sad that those are the reports coming out in the media,” Jaikaran said in a telephone interview yesterday.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) Tuesday predicted that the United States would implement “other unpleasant actions’ as it blanks the request from the Trinidad and Tobago government for information on whether or not National Security Minister Austin “Jack” Warner is the subject of a probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) involving soccer’s global governing body.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - The figures have been known for some years now— over half of the adult population of Trinidad and Tobago is overweight. But a recent comparative statistic, which ranks T&T as the third fattest country in the world, emphasises just how dire this situation is.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Has Washington decided that the moment is right to exert pressure on the People’s Partnership Government to make it sharply aware of its continuing desire to have local business executives Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Fergusson extradited to face corruption charges in the United States?

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - If, as the Trinidad and Tobago Government suggests, the US authorities are snubbing it in its attempt to get information on whether National Security Minister Jack Warner is the subject of an investigation in that country, then it points to the fact that this country has reached an all-time low in its relations with that country.
This is the view of Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago is to consider establishing another option to provide reliable electricity to customers following last weekend’s power outage that plunged the country into total darkness for more than eight hours.
Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine, who is expected to submit a report to Cabinet on Thursday on the blackout, said “the time has come to examine whether we have too many eggs in one basket, the natural gas basket.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Federal investigators in the United States said yesterday they will not be sharing any information on an ongoing probe involving a senior government minister and his son. Sources said both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) were reluctant to share information with local law enforcement because they do not have confidence in the integrity of the local national security agencies.