Carib Scope

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  • Ministry: Post on Licensing Office hours is fake

    Ministry: Post on Licensing Office hours is fake

    The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation of Trinidad and Tobago has issued an official alert regarding fraudulent information circulating through digital channels. On Sunday, the ministry formally discredited a fabricated media release titled ‘Revised Operating Hours of Licensing Division’ that has been spreading across online platforms.

    In an unequivocal statement, the ministry confirmed that all Licensing Division offices throughout the dual-island nation maintain their standard operational schedule of Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. No changes to these hours have been implemented or are currently planned.

    The ministry emphasized the critical importance of obtaining information through authorized channels only. Citizens were expressly advised to disregard the misleading notice and instead rely exclusively on the ministry’s official communication platforms for verified updates and announcements. This precautionary measure aims to prevent public confusion and ensure that citizens receive accurate information regarding government services.

    This incident highlights the ongoing challenge of digital misinformation affecting public institutions. The ministry’s proactive response demonstrates its commitment to transparency and accurate information dissemination while safeguarding citizens from potentially disruptive false claims.

  • Towards national conversation on pollution

    Towards national conversation on pollution

    Trinidad and Tobago’s recently enacted 2025 Summary Offences Amendment Act, designed to regulate fireworks usage through permit requirements, faces substantial criticism for its inherent contradictions and inadequate enforcement mechanisms. While the legislation aims to protect vulnerable populations and animals, experts identify significant flaws that may undermine its intended purpose.

    The amendment mandates that fireworks users obtain permits from the police commissioner, yet creates explicit exemptions during national holidays at 8-9 PM and on Old Year’s Eve from 11:30 PM to 12:30 AM. These waivers directly conflict with the legislation’s protective goals, as they authorize heightened fireworks activity precisely when traditional celebrations like Divali, Christmas, and Old Year’s observances occur—periods when pyrotechnic usage traditionally peaks.

    Environmental and health concerns present additional challenges. The law permits fireworks usage within 0.5 kilometers of sensitive areas including hospitals, farms, forests, parks, and zoos, potentially exposing humans and animals to dangerous pollutants. Scientific evidence indicates that fireworks emit strontium, barium, and aluminum particles that can trigger respiratory issues such as coughing and breathing difficulties. A 2020 Environmental Management Authority survey confirmed that fireworks exposure causes sleep deprivation, irritability, and anxiety in humans, while animals experience panic, trauma, and habitat displacement.

    The amendment’s enforcement mechanisms appear particularly insufficient. Violators face mere $450 fines—a sum unlikely to deter dedicated fireworks enthusiasts—while permits cost only $100, making legal compliance relatively inexpensive. This contrasts sharply with the United Kingdom’s model, which imposes fines equivalent to thousands of dollars for illegal fireworks usage.

    Legal experts question whether the amendment will achieve meaningful change, noting that Trinidad and Tobago already had fireworks regulations under the Explosives Act. The Supreme Court of India’s recent recognition that fireworks bans often create unpoliceable informal economies raises relevant concerns about enforcement practicality in the Trinidad and Tobago context.

    Commentators suggest that rather than implementing potentially redundant legislation, the government should convene a parliamentary joint committee to comprehensively examine human-induced noise and air pollution impacts on all living creatures. Such dialogue should include environmental NGOs, religious groups, and industry stakeholders to develop more effective solutions grounded in intelligent discourse rather than political expediency.

  • St James Children’s Carnival committee appeals for funds

    St James Children’s Carnival committee appeals for funds

    The highly anticipated 36th edition of the St James Children’s Carnival, scheduled for February 8, faces significant financial challenges that threaten its continuation. This beloved junior masquerade parade, which draws hundreds of young participants and thousands of spectators along Western Main Road, St James, requires urgent sponsorship to proceed.

    Organized jointly by the St James Community Improvement Committee and the St James Children’s Carnival Committee, the event has historically relied on funding from the National Carnival Commission’s Regional Carnival Committee with additional support from local businesses. Despite persistent financial obstacles, organizers are working diligently to preserve this cultural tradition.

    This year’s celebration, themed ‘Colour Wee Carnival,’ features multiple competitive categories including King & Queen of the Bands, Band of the Year in various size divisions, Male & Female Individual of the Year, Best Use of Local Materials, Best Traditional Mas, and the special Yvonne Mungal Challenge Trophy open category.

    Registration opened on January 12 at 16 Ranjit Kumar Street, St James, with additional forms available at TTCBA’s secretariat in Queen’s Park Savannah and Crosby’s on Western Main Road. The registration deadline is February 2, with no late entries permitted.

    The event’s historical significance was highlighted by former NCC chairman Winston Peters, who in 2020 emphasized that the carnival provides children with “an extra day to jump, exhibit, palance and ramajay.” Former NCC CEO Colin Lucas further noted that children’s carnival ensures the cultural tradition continues “from one generation to another.”

    The St James Children’s Carnival has grown to become an integral component of Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival celebrations, now rivaling adult events in both costume artistry and attendance. With over 50 registered bands and 200+ individual participants, the event serves as both cultural preservation and community building opportunity, bringing together families, friends, and visitors for a day of creative expression and celebration.

  • Amendments to Maternity and Retrenchment acts — Kamla: Major wins for working families

    Amendments to Maternity and Retrenchment acts — Kamla: Major wins for working families

    The Trinidad and Tobago government has announced a comprehensive overhaul of labor legislation, introducing what Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar characterizes as “major wins for working families.” The reforms, approved by Cabinet and announced at a UNC press conference on Sunday, represent the most significant expansion of parental protections in recent history.

    Labor Minister Leroy Baptiste revealed that the amendments to the Maternity Protection Act and Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act will introduce groundbreaking provisions including paid paternity leave, parental leave for adoptive parents and guardians, and protections for situations where a mother dies following childbirth. The legislative package, now before the Attorney General for drafting, eliminates the restrictive rule that previously limited maternity benefits to once every 24 months.

    The sweeping reforms will establish paid breastfeeding breaks, strengthen anti-discrimination protections in workplaces, and prohibit pregnancy testing for job applicants and employees. The legislation guarantees job security by ensuring employees can return to the same position after maternity, paternity, or parental leave. Notably, the burden of proof in discrimination cases will shift to employers, and protections will extend to contract workers previously excluded from such benefits. The reforms also include provisions to fast-track related cases through the Industrial Court.

    Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar complemented the policy announcements with personal reflections on motherhood, urging young women to consider starting families without fearing career consequences. “You do not have to choose between a career and a family—you can have both,” she asserted in a Facebook post that accompanied the policy reveal. Drawing from her own experiences, the Prime Minister described motherhood as “one of the most beautiful feelings in life” and emphasized that familial love provides meaning that professional achievements alone cannot offer in later years.

    The Prime Minister’s message particularly targeted young professional women, acknowledging that while focusing exclusively on careers might seem fulfilling initially, the absence of family could lead to loneliness in later life. “All humans need love and companionship to achieve their fullest potential; women, in particular, have an inherent drive to nurture and care,” she wrote, framing the policy changes as enabling both professional and personal fulfillment.

  • Sister Carol to stage Royal Birthday Bash to support hurricane recovery

    Sister Carol to stage Royal Birthday Bash to support hurricane recovery

    NEW YORK—Grammy-nominated Jamaican artist Sister Carol is transforming her birthday celebration into a humanitarian mission by organizing a fundraising event for communities devastated by Hurricane Melissa’s catastrophic impact on Jamaica. The benefit concert, dubbed Royal Birthday Bash, is scheduled for January 17 at Cultcha Palace in Brooklyn—just two days after her personal milestone.

    The decision came following Sister Carol’s emotionally charged visit to affected regions including Falmouth, Trelawny, and Montego Bay one month after the hurricane struck. Witnessing widespread destruction firsthand moved the artist to repurpose her annual celebration into a relief initiative.

    “This birthday carries profound significance due to the hurricane’s aftermath,” Sister Carol explained in an interview with Observer Online. “It becomes a dual-purpose gathering—celebrating life while mobilizing support for hurricane victims. Every contribution, however modest, accumulates into substantial aid.”

    Hurricane Melissa, recorded as a Category 5 storm with wind speeds reaching 185 mph, caused extensive damage across multiple parishes including St. James, St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, and Hanover. Official reports confirm 45 fatalities alongside severe impacts on housing, businesses, and critical infrastructure. This represents the most destructive weather event to hit Jamaica since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988.

    The Brooklyn-based artist emphasized the diaspora’s emotional connection to their homeland: “We cannot decline assistance when offered with genuine compassion. Our love for Jamaica and humanity compels this response.”

    Joining Sister Carol at the benefit event will be prominent acts including Kulture Kartel, Alistar Vaughn, Joseph Deminsion, and the Tippatone sound system. Born in West Kingston before relocating to the United States in the 1970s, Sister Carol launched her musical career through Brooklyn’s sound system culture, maintaining deep ties to both communities.

    Her initiative adds to growing recovery efforts led by Jamaican artists worldwide, many of whom have personally visited affected areas to coordinate relief distribution and support rebuilding campaigns.

  • Stacey Mirander attacks societal callousness with People Don’t Care

    Stacey Mirander attacks societal callousness with People Don’t Care

    Jamaican fusion reggae artist Stacey Mirander has released a powerful new single addressing the growing social disconnect and emotional indifference she observes in post-pandemic society. Her song ‘People Don’t Care’ serves as both social commentary and call to action, highlighting the concerning decline in human compassion that has emerged following global health crises.

    Mirander explains the creative inspiration behind her work: ‘I’ve witnessed a painful transformation in how we interact with one another. This composition captures the transition from recognizing our collective disconnection to actively encouraging people to rediscover their capacity for caring.’

    The recording benefited from collaborative excellence with Billboard-charting producer John ‘JonFX’ Crawford handling engineering duties and Karl Morrison serving as arranger and vocal producer. Together, they crafted a sound that blends Mirander’s natural reggae roots with subtle country and jazz influences while maintaining contemporary dancehall appeal.

    Interestingly, Mirander’s message contrasts with Jamaica’s top global ranking for willingness to help strangers according to the 2025 World Happiness Gallup Report, which places the island nation ahead of Liberia and Sierra Leone in generosity metrics.

    The artist cites specific tragedies that motivated her creative direction, particularly referencing a incident where a man died after being mistaken for homeless and left unattended outside a U.S. restaurant. ‘That story remained with me,’ she reflects, ‘as it demonstrates the potentially fatal consequences of our diminishing compassion.’

    Audience response has been overwhelmingly supportive, with the song sparking meaningful dialogue about balancing compassion with personal security. Mirander notes: ‘These conversations reveal that while people still possess empathy, many struggle to express it safely in complex modern environments.’

    Buoyed by this reception, Mirander is financing a music video and planning intimate performance series across South Florida venues. She aims to secure additional live events that foster connection and conversation while expanding her artistic presence.

    The Clarendon-born artist officially entered the music scene in January 2025 with previously released singles ‘Life’ and ‘Call You Mine,’ plus a successful ‘Mankind’ remix featuring Richie Spice. Her recent philanthropic included performing at the Hearts For Jamaica Relief Festival alongside legendary acts including Third World, Mr Vegas, and Ernie Smith, supporting hurricane relief efforts through Food For The Poor.

  • Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin denies sexual assault allegations

    Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin denies sexual assault allegations

    Renowned gospel musician and pastor Donnie McClurkin has publicly refuted sexual assault accusations leveled by his former assistant, Giuseppe Corletto, in a recently filed lawsuit. Addressing his followers via a Facebook Live session, McClurkin characterized the claims as entirely baseless and motivated by financial gain.

    The artist expressed bewilderment at the allegations, noting he had neither seen nor spoken to Corletto since 2015. McClurkin emphasized the eleven-year gap since their last contact, questioning the timing and authenticity of the accusations. He suggested such false claims ultimately harm genuine victims of sexual violence while expressing confidence that truth would ultimately prevail.

    Despite acknowledging the controversy generated by the lawsuit, McClurkin maintained his commitment to transparency and Christian principles. The Grammy-winning singer stated he remains prayerful for his accuser’s spiritual reconciliation, asserting the allegations contradict his moral character and ministry work.

    According to legal documents obtained by NBC News, Corletto’s suit presents a different narrative. The former assistant claims he sought McClurkin’s spiritual guidance in 2003 while struggling to reconcile his faith with his sexuality. Then 21 years old, Corletto allegedly approached McClurkin after reading the pastor’s autobiographical book detailing how he overcame homosexuality through divine intervention.

    The lawsuit contends that spiritual sessions intended to ‘pray away’ same-sex attraction escalated into sexual molestation. These allegations emerge against the backdrop of ongoing discussions about accountability within religious institutions and the controversial history of conversion therapy practices.

  • Jamaica enters over 1,300 candidates for CXC’s CTEC pilot

    Jamaica enters over 1,300 candidates for CXC’s CTEC pilot

    KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) has launched an innovative educational initiative that is transforming regional learning approaches. The newly introduced Caribbean Targeted Education Certificate (CTEC) program, currently in its pilot phase for the May/June examinations, has demonstrated remarkable demand across member states.

    CXC Registrar and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Wayne Wesley revealed during a recent press conference in Kingston that the pilot program has been substantially oversubscribed. While initial projections anticipated 3,000 participants, actual registrations have surged to 6,453 candidates across 13 Caribbean nations utilizing 48 examination centers. Jamaica alone accounts for 1,334 of these registrations.

    The CTEC framework represents a paradigm shift in educational delivery, structured around three distinct learning tracks designed to accommodate diverse student needs. These include an advanced accelerated track with compressed programming, a standard two-year general track, and an individualized flexible track with extended programming options.

    Dr. Wesley emphasized the program’s student-centric philosophy: ‘Within this construct, the learner is at the focus of what we are treating with. We’ll be dealing with the learning style of the individual, the learning rate and the learning depth—how students learn, the pace at which they learn and the amount of content that they can absorb.’

    A significant innovation within CTEC is its modular approach to subject completion. Senior Manager for Examinations Development and Production Alton McPherson explained that CXC will pilot CSEC mathematics module 1 within the CTEC framework during the upcoming examinations. This modular structure allows students who exit the system to re-engage at their point of departure rather than restarting entire syllabi.

    The council has implemented comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategies across all participating territories. These initiatives include orientation sessions, practice examinations, and familiarization with new digital registration and examination platforms leading up to the formal assessments.

    Maintaining rigorous academic standards, CTEC qualifications are administered at equivalent levels to the established Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), utilizing identical syllabi to ensure educational consistency across the region’s certification frameworks.

  • St James Municipal Corporation ramps up earthquake preparedness activities

    St James Municipal Corporation ramps up earthquake preparedness activities

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — The St. James Municipal Corporation has launched an extensive month-long initiative to bolster earthquake preparedness throughout the parish, designating January as Earthquake Awareness Month. This comprehensive program features enhanced public education sessions across educational institutions, commercial enterprises, and local communities, alongside realistic simulation drills and a coordinated media campaign to maximize public engagement.

    Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, addressed constituents during the January 8 municipal meeting, emphasizing the critical importance of community participation. “I urge all residents to actively engage in preparedness drills and assume personal responsibility for their safety,” Vernon stated. “Heeding official advisories from the Municipal Corporation is particularly crucial this year, more than ever before.”

    Trevion Manning, the Corporation’s Director of Planning, provided crucial context regarding the distinct nature of earthquake emergencies compared to other disasters. “Public awareness regarding appropriate actions during and after seismic events requires specialized attention, as these situations differ fundamentally from hurricane protocols,” Manning explained.

    Despite the earthquake preparedness focus, Manning clarified that post-hurricane recovery operations remain an ongoing priority for the municipality. “We continue to support displaced residents through shelter accommodations, meal provisions, and permanent housing solutions,” he noted. “Both the Council and national government maintain recovery operations throughout the parish, with our primary objective being the restoration of normalcy for affected citizens and businesses.”

    The dual-focused approach demonstrates the municipality’s commitment to both immediate disaster recovery and long-term resilience building against future seismic events.

  • Grange mourns passing of pioneering women’s cricketer, Dorothy Hobson

    Grange mourns passing of pioneering women’s cricketer, Dorothy Hobson

    KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Jamaican sporting community mourns the loss of Dorothy Hobson, a transformative figure in women’s athletics whose multidimensional career spanned over four decades. Sports Minister Olivia Grange issued an official statement extending profound condolences to Hobson’s family, friends, and the extensive network of athletes she influenced nationwide.

    Hobson’s legacy is marked by groundbreaking achievements across multiple roles in cricket. She earned historic distinction as an inaugural member of the first West Indies women’s cricket team, competing in the landmark 1973 Women’s Cricket World Cup. Her career evolved from elite athlete to captain, coach, selector, and administrator, creating an enduring impact on sports development throughout the Caribbean and internationally.

    In 2013, Hobson shattered gender barriers by becoming the first female coach at Melbourne Cricket Club’s Camp—a significant milestone in a traditionally male-dominated institution. This appointment established her as a pioneering force for women in coaching and sports leadership.

    Beyond cricket, Hobson contributed substantially to netball and community sports initiatives, designing programs that enhanced female participation and leadership development. She later served as coach of the West Indies women’s team during the 1993 World Cup and ascended to chief selector, influencing regional talent development strategies.

    Her enduring legacy includes the critical revitalization of the Jamaica Women’s Cricket League in 2015, where she spearheaded efforts to resurrect the competition after years of inactivity. Minister Grange emphasized that Hobson’s lifelong dedication fundamentally shaped generations of women athletes and administrators, establishing foundational systems that continue to support women’s sports advancement across the Caribbean.