Rihanna

This event will be the only live performance by the pop sensation in celebration of her new album release, “Rated R.” The concert is not available for public purchase, but fans will have the chance to win tickets through radio and online promotions.

Additionally, New York’s hometown airline today launched JetBlue’s “New York to Barbados” creative photo contest (a) through social media outlets including Twitter (@JetBlue) and Facebook, inviting customers to celebrate JetBlue’s new nonstop service to Rihanna’s hometown and the launch of her new CD.

Using creativity and self-expression, customers are required to take a photo in front of a New York landmark that incorporates both Barbados and JetBlue. The top 20 photographs submitted will win a pair of tickets to the private event (a). Customers can find contest rules and instructions for uploading their photo by visiting www.jetblue.com/rihanna

As part of the partnership, in addition to this exclusive concert for fans, a special instalment of MySpace Music’s “The Release” featuring Rihanna at the Hammerstein Ballroom will be streamed live, and footage will be featured on JetBlue Airways’ PlusTV channel in 2010 for customers to enjoy.

Additionally, JetBlue will also provide customers travelling on the airline in December access to 20 minutes of custom Rihanna footage including her new video, Russian Roulette, on PlusTV. JetBlue’s very own in-flight network will feature behind-the-scenes footage from TV shows, programming from the New York Times, theatrical content from The Broadway Channel® and more.

JetBlue began daily nonstop service to Bridgetown, Barbados on October 1, from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and since then the island has registered double-digit growth in its US arrivals.

Phoolo Danny-Maharaj South Bureau

rejected claims: Patrick Manning

Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s rejection of claims that Trinidad and Tobago is one of the world’s largest polluters on a per-capita basis is an attempt to deflect international attention and carry on with his plans to build even more polluting plants.

This is the view of University of the West Indies lecturers physicist Dr Peter Vine and environmental activist Dr Wayne Kublalsingh, who said Manning’s stance on the issue was personal and not shared by citizens.

During a news conference on Thursday, the eve of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting, Manning dismissed claims that this country was among the world’s top ten offenders in carbon emissions on a per-capita basis. He said when the earth responds to concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, it does not do so on a per-capita basis, but on the basis of absolute emissions.

Dr Vine said Manning was speaking for himself, ’not for his Cabinet and definitely not the country’, when he made those remarks. He said the country would pay heavily for those emissions.

Dr Kublalsingh said the measurements of the emissions were usually done in three ways-per capita, volume and per hectare-but Manning chose to look at it another way so he could escape easily ’and introduce 1.9 million tonnes of carbon emission in Claxton Bay and La Brea’.

There are stalled plans to build an aluminium smelter in La Brea and a proposal to build a steel plant in Claxton Bay.

Dr Vine said Trinidad and Tobago was in the top five for carbon emissions.

Dr Kublalsingh wrote to Manning yesterday, stating, ’It is not cool to embark on high capital and energy intensive work without conducting diligence studies, or do high consumption health and ecological projects without cost benefit analysis.’

He stated that Manning and those at the top floor of the International Financial Centre must tell the nation the costs factored in for the smelter.

Those factors, he said, included the loss of three dams, 1,000 acres of forest, beekeeping industries, farms and orchards, the loss of oil wells and well capping, infrastructural costs, the costs of loans for the smelters, power plant and port; relocation loans for at least three communities; the cost of gas subsidies to the power plant for the supply of electricity to smelter, the costs of salaries to Alutrint for four and a half years, legal costs, the costs of rod mill, cable and wire plants; technical services, engineering, soil testing and consultancies, Environmental Impact Assessments costs and administrative costs.(Trinidad Express)

Kristy Ramnarine kramnarine@trinidadexpress.com

Queen and max: Queen Elizabeth II smiles during a light moment with President George Maxwell Richards, second from left, his wife Dr Jean Ramjohn Richards and Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip before Thursday’s dinner at President’s House, St Ann’s. -Photo courtesy Government Information Service

Queen Elizabeth II honoured Trinidad and Tobago through fashion during the State banquet on Thursday night.

The monarch’s white-laced hand-beaded gown was adorned with this country’s national flower - the Chaconia - and national birds - the Scarlet Ibis and Cocrico.

Although the themed diplomatic embroidery goes back to the 1953 Coronation when the Queen had emblems of all her realms sewn into her dress, the move was a cost saving measure.

In order for other tributes to be added to the dress - which was made in-house by Her Majesty’s dresser and personal assistant Angela Kelly - during future state visits, the emblems can be unstitched and removed.

The monarch also recycled her 1947 wedding day tiara for the state banquet.

The George III tiara (also known as the Russian Fringe Tiara) was made with diamonds formerly owned by George III.

Complementing her outfit were diamond and ruby earrings, with a matching necklace and bracelet.

Accompanied by Prince Phillip, the Queen arrived at President’s House for the State banquet just before 8 p.m. on Thursday in a black Range Rover.

The Royal couple were taken to a private sitting room where they met President George Maxwell Richards his wife Dr Jean Ramjohn Richards; his son Mark, daughter in law Dr. Maryam Abdool, and daughter Maxine.

They also greeted Prime Minister Patrick Manning and wife Hazel Manning as well as Chief Justice Ivor Archie and his wife, Denise.

The Royal couple were then escorted to the adjacent grounds, where the banquet was being held.

Before dinner the Queen delivered her first official speech during her visit, where she described Tobago as ’an enchanting island’, that holds many memories for both the Duke and her.

And although there has been negative publicity from incidents affecting Brits in Tobago, the Queen said ’in tourism, Tobago continues to be a byword in the United Kingdom for Caribbean hospitality’.

She added: ’Some 50,000 British tourists visit the island each year; and I hope people of all ages will continue to travel between our two countries and learn about each other, whether working, studying or visiting as tourists.’

She offered further assistance to the country in the National Security sector.

’Mr President, in recent years Trinidad and Tobago has made great strides,’ the Queen said.

’Your Government’s leadership on regional security has been rightly praised, particularly its pioneering efforts to encourage the sharing of good ideas and techniques in counter narcotics co-operation throughout the Caribbean.’

’My Government remains ready to assist in the security sector and in the reforms of judicial processes.’

Her Majesty highlighted this country’s provision of, ’good quality education and opportunities for further development’.

’Today every citizen has access to tertiary education through the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (GATE) scheme,’ she said.

 ’The St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies has an international reputation as a centre of academic excellence, providing a benchmark for educational institutions throughout the Commonwealth,’ she said.

The Queen also praised the cultural achievements of authors, painters and photographers in what she said was ’the birthplace of calypso music and the steel pan.’

In the sporting world she applauded the achievements of cricketer Brian Lara.

’You have produced a batsman widely regarded as one of the finest ever to have played the game … And in athletics you have achieved impressive results in recent Olympic and Commonwealth Games.

 ’We look forward to welcoming your teams to London in 2012.’ (Trinidad Express)

Juhel Browne jbrowne@trinidadexpress.com

Security arrangements for the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Port of Spain yesterday caused traffic gridlock on key streets in and leading into the capital city even though most public servants and school children were ordered to take the day off.

This posed a problem for some trying to reach to work on time for the CHOGM at two key locations for the event - the Trinidad and Tobago International Financial Centre (TTIFC) and the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

An armed police presence was visible at the Hyatt and the TTIFC as some government leaders and Commonwealth Heads including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown began arriving at the hotel on Thursday.

Key CHOGM meetings are scheduled to take place at the Hyatt, while the TTIFC is serving as the media centre for the event.

A check point has been established at the corner of Wrightson Road and Dock Road outside of the TTIFC where all those accredited to be at the building and the TTIFC are screened by security personnel before being allowed to enter the compound.

Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert visited the area Thursday and walked around inspecting the security arrangements in place at and around both buildings.

Traffic restrictions took effect after 12 a.m. on Thursday and pedestrian traffic once allowed to flow freely through the compound is also being restricted at key points similar to the security arrangements that were in place for the Fifth Summit of the Americas held in Port of Spain last April that was attended by US President Barack Obama.

The security in place in Port of Spain for the CHOGM also included the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) where the meeting was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II yesterday.(Trinidad Express)

Kristy Ramnarine kramnarine@trinidadexpress.com

The climate change talks held at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Port of Spain has been described as ’encouraging’ by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Denmark Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen.

In a last minute attempt to gain support for the Copenhagen Agreement, the UN Head and the Danish leader addressed Commonwealth Heads of Government and State during a session yesterday.

’This meeting has been constructive, very useful and we’re both very encouraged by such a strong commitment politically being expressed by the leaders of Commonwealth community,’ said the UN leader said during a press conference at the CHOGM Media Centre at the International Financial Centre in Port of Spain last night.

’They all wish and hope sincerely that there must be a deal in Copenhagen for the future of this humanity- developed and developing countries.’

Rasmussen, who will be hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, said CHOGM created a unique opportunity to discuss the challenges ahead of the climate change summit.

’The Commonwealth covers so many countries, some of the most vulnerable small island states which really suffer from climate change. I must say I was encouraged by the engagement from all leaders attending the meeting and looking forward to the community tomorrow,’ he said.

In his address to the leaders, Ban Ki-Moon called for commitment in five areas:

1. Ambitious mid-term mitigation targets for industrialised countries;

2. Ambitious mitigation actions by developing countries that limit the growth of their emission to below-business as usual;

3. An ambitious adaption framework for all countries;

4. Financing and technology to support developing countries with all the above, and;

5. A transparent and equitable governance structure to manage and deploy these resources that gives all countries a voice.

Ban Ki-Moon noted that the Commonwealth leaders were now working on a joint statement to be issued by Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Patrick Manning at the end of the CHOGM. (Trinidad Express)

Juhel Browne jbrowne@trinidadexpress.com

Trinidad and Tobago does not risk upsetting the world’s carbon emission balance despite its heavily industrialised economy, says French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

He made the comment in Port of Spain yesterday, just one day after Prime Minister Patrick Manning declared that this country, which earns most of its revenue from its bread and butter oil and natural gas sectors, is not one of the world’s largest polluters in the world on a per-capita basis.

’Whatever the significance or importance of Trinidad and Tobago, I don’t think Trinidad and Tobago, these two islands, in any way risk upsetting world balance or carbon balance,’ Sarkozy, speaking through an interpreter, said.

He did so during a news conference at the Trinidad and Tobago International Financial Centre (TTIFC) in Port of Spain. The centre is serving as the media centre for the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Sarkozy also announced that France is willing to support a proposal for a fund to be supported by developed countries worth US$10 billion on an annual basis over the next three years, to assist the world’s poorer countries to combat deforestation, lower their carbon emissions and address the impact of climate change they are suffering.

As he made the comment, Sarkozy said he could not give an answer to a question with regard to Trinidad and Tobago, when asked about comments he made yesterday that India would be subject to financing under the fund because it is one of the world’s lowest polluters on a per capita basis.

’I will not distribute the monies between the countries. If you look at emission forecasts for next year, the United States and China alone, the two of them account for more than 40 per cent, almost 50 per cent of carbon emissions, which is not the case for India,’ Sarkozy said.

He then made reference to the view he had from the room in the hotel he is staying at in Port of Spain during his visit.

’Forgive me, I don’t know sufficiently well the situation of Trinidad and Tobago to give you an answer to your second question, even though I have seen the oil wells from my bedroom window,’ Sarkozy said.

Manning was scheduled to hold a news conference at the TTIFC last evening at 6.30 after Sarkozy spoke to reporters, but it was postponed to today without any official explanation. (Trinidad Express)