NEWS
Grenada hero beaten, thrown off Trini boat
The Management of the Harbour Master, the Trinidad-owned entertainment vessel on which a Grenadian sporting hero was assaulted on Wednesday, has said it does not condone the attack. Reigning World javelin champion Anderson Peters was beaten and thrown overboard from the Harbour Master during a boat ride in Grenada on Wednesday night. Videos of the incident circulated on social media on Thursday showing at least three men in an altercation with Peters on the ramp at the stern of the boat. Read more here
Local company opens steelpan manufacturing facility in Diego Martin
On the day the world celebrated T&T’s national instrument, came an historic day for the steelpan. The Musical Instruments of Trinidad and Tobago Company Limited (MITTCO) officially opened its doors in Diego martin, yesterday. MITTCO is a steelpan manufacturing facility at the Diamond Vale Business Park that promotes reliable artisan production of steelpans through a combination of traditional and innovative manufacturing processes. During the launching, brainchild and Director of Business Development of MITTCO, Akua Leith, said seeing his idea come to life was surreal. Read more here
POLITICS
Unions to WASA workers: Be brave – come out and fight on Friday
The National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) and the Public Services Association (PSA) have urged Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) workers to be brave as they prepare to enter "the fight of their lives." But mere hours before they joined several other unions to begin a protest at the Brian Lara Promenade, Port of Spain, NUGFW offered the Prime Minister an olive branch in the hope of coming to an agreement that would reverse the impending retrenchment. Read more here
Farley condemns ‘hypocrisy’ over Winford’s invoice for editing budget
Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has described the leaking of a $25,000 invoice by Dr Winford James for editing services provided on the THA budget presentation as “hypocrisy, and strong bad mind.” He made the comment as he defended the payment at the THA’s post-Executive Council Meeting yesterday. Augustine said the invoice was circulated in the media “as if something nefarious happened.” Instead, he said it was standard practice across divisions and ministries. Read more here
BUSINESS
Linda’s increases price on selected pastries
Linda’s Bakery is raising the price of “select pastries” by $1. A statement from the company said this is as a result of the second increase in the price of flour earlier this year by the National Flour Mills (NFM). Linda’s did not specify which pastries would increase in price but said it has been faced with increased pricing pressure since the second flour price hike. “Linda’s has engaged with its core stakeholders over the last several weeks to determine how best to navigate the environment with as little burden on consumers. Read more here
Private consultant to head NLCB
Members of the Public Services Association (PSA) are up in arms over the appointment of a private consultant to act as the head of the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB). The workers held a demonstration outside the NLCB’s Port of Spain office yesterday. Read more here
REGIONAL
Sod turned for business centre for persons living with disabilities
The official sod turning ceremony to signal the construction of a state-of-the art Business Centre for Persons with Disabilities was done at the proposed site in Palmyra, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Thursday. First Lady, Arya Ali; Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud; Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Susan Rodrigues; Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Guo Haiyan; Coordinator for the Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) Ganesh Singh and regional officials were among those in attendance for the historic ceremony. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Zaporizhzhia nuclear workers: We're kept at gunpoint by Russians
Staff at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have described to the BBC being kept at gunpoint while Russian troops use it as a military base. Invading forces have occupied the site, the biggest nuclear plant in Europe, since early March. However, it's still operated by Ukrainian technicians. Moscow has recently been accused of using the plant "as a shield" while its troops launch rockets from there towards nearby locations. And on Thursday, more shelling was reported - and the head of the UN issued a new warning about fighting near the nuclear site "leading to disaster". Now two workers have told the BBC about the daily threat of kidnap, as well as their fears of either "radioactive contamination of the wider region" or a nuclear catastrophe. Read more here
12th August 2022