“Responsibility implies a degree of maturity which recognises that there is far more long-term mileage to be gained from finding solutions and marching forward while the opposition remains mired in finger-pointing tradition. Even if the real motivation on the campaign trail lies in the lust to win power—actions thus far …
Read More »How would T&T respond to a disaster? Col Weekes and US official, Barrera, discuss value of Fused Response test
“Why [the] ANR Robinson [International Airport]? Why not Piarco as usual? Well, we are trying to go away from ‘business as usual.’ “We also spoke about Tobago being a location for an alternate governance if things in Trinidad go down. So we are going to test that as well and …
Read More »UN concerned by T&T’s “repatriation” of 82 Venezuelans, including asylum seekers
“The United Nations is concerned for the welfare of these people and is in contact with the appropriate authorities in Port-of-Spain to ensure that any person in need of protection will get it without fail.” The following media statement on the “repatriation” of 82 Venezuelans from Trinidad and Tobago was …
Read More »Daly Bread: Minding the gap; why President Weekes is off to a commendable start
Reliable sources have confirmed that a minister who is being re-assigned from one ministry to another is not required to be sworn in consequent upon his re-assignment. As a result of a mistaken belief that another swearing-in was necessary when Darryl Smith was moved from the Ministry of Sport to …
Read More »Monitoring Me 4: The Sisyphus miracle of rolling stones, uphill tasks and labours of love
My first encounter with Sisyphos came in Sixth Form Latin class at QRC when I was in my mid-teens. And a decade or so later, I was halfway between 18 and 28 in 20th Century French Literature class at UWI when I was introduced to the Camusian version of the …
Read More »Claude’s Comments: Homage to Winnie Mandela, the greatest 20th Century African heroine
Arguably, Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was the greatest 20th Century African heroine of the combined struggle for the emancipation of humanity from white supremacism and the liberation of woman from patriarchal oppression. Accordingly, it is difficult to imagine a greater outpouring of tributes to any other contemporary female freedom fighter. Nevertheless, …
Read More »Attorney, Dr Crowne, joins MATT’s Cybercrime Bill steering committee
“The Steering Committee appointed by MATT to address the Cybercrime Bill 2017 is satisfied that [Dr Emir] Crowne’s legal opinions and recommendations seek to correct the concerns raised by the association about the controversial legislation. “In this regard the Steering Committee is comfortable working with Crowne to ensure that the …
Read More »‘Inexcusable delay;’ Judge says no to FoIA information for fired Rambarran
“Mr Rambarran was found by the Court to be guilty of NON-DISCLOSURE in filing his claim. In his media release of December 26th, 2015, he failed to disclose that he had been invited to meetings with the Minister of Finance prior to the revocation of his appointment. Additionally, in his …
Read More »Dear Editor: Counterfeit goods are a threat to the economy and can kill
“The argument that counterfeit goods do no harm is immediately silenced when matters of life and death are quite literally in issue. Imagine being prescribed a certain pill at a certain dosage to treat your condition. “Invariably, a counterfeit pharmaceutical will lack the essential compounds necessary to treat your condition. …
Read More »Dear Editor: How sloppy policing contributes to violent domestic deaths
“This friend has a protection order against her brother, whose behaviour is becoming increasingly unpredictable. She told me that she had been to the police station to report yet another round of threats from him and informed—or reminded—the police of the protection order. “The officer in charge of the station …
Read More »Daaga make we do it! Black Power stories of the Q and the 1970 Coup
“Power alone,” the poet Syl Lowhar wrote in Tapia’s “Black Power in Human Song” special somewhere in the 1970’s, “will never make us strong. The heart must also sing the human song.” Almost half a century after Geddes Granger’s NJAC empowered Black people in Trinidad and Tobago, the politically most …
Read More »AG’s Cambridge Analytica probe is “misuse of power;” UNC insists TTPS and not JSC should investigate
“We support an investigation by the Commissioner of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Integrity Commission, who are the appropriate persons to conduct investigations into allegations of breaches of the law. They are charged with the legal authority and responsibility for conducting fair and transparent investigations that can …
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