NEWS
Zoo staff on standby to monitor animals
Animal at the Emperor Valley Zoo will be monitored on Independence Day as Ansa McAl's Spectacular Pyromusical Fireworks display goes up at the Queen's Park Savannah (QPS) tomorrow evening. TT celebrates 57 years as an independent nation. There were concerns that the animals would be spooked with the loud noise of fireworks and music trucks. Just a few days ago, officials at the zoo complained about loud music coming from the home of cricket legend Brian Lara at Chancellor Hill. It was reported that the animals became agitated. Read more here
Suspected murder plot outside jail - 6 arrested
Six men linked to a high-profile inmate have been arrested and their alleged suspected murder plot foiled. They are currently being held at various police stations across the Northern Division up to press time on Thursday. According to initial information reaching the Guardian Media they were reportedly waiting to kill an inmate who was being released outside the Maximum Security Prison. However, a senior prison officer source said "it was not an inmate" when asked if it was, in fact, a prison officer he replied "no". The incident occurred at about 3 pm when police and prison officers received intelligence that the men were in three cars outside the prison grounds. The officers moved in on them and arrested them. The vehicles were also impounded. Read more here
POLITICS
Young: No change to Sedition Act
The Sedition Act will not be updated Stuart Young, National Security Minister, told yesterday’s post-Cabinet briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s. He spoke as he revealed the police were charging PSA head Watson Duke on one count of the offence and hours after trade unionists had alleged the act was being abused in Duke’s case. Newsday asked if the Government might take a test case to court to clear the air on the extent of the act. Young said activist Devant Maharaj may be challenging the act in court, but the Government is not reviewing it. Read more here
Dennie: I never said PM ordered SSA firings
Former director of intelligence at the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) Carlton Dennie has backpedalled on accusing Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley of directly instructing him to fire all East Indians from the agency back in 2015. “First, I would like to set the record straight about what I did not say. I did not say that the PNM told me to fire the East Indians. I did not say that the Minister of National Security (Dillon) told me to fire the east Indians. “So for the PM to go harping on these issues to create spins and redirect and refocus of the main issues just shows the games that politics play to offset the minds of people in the public,” Dennie said as he changed his tune regarding the SSA ethnic cleansing allegations at a press conference at the Chancellor Hotel, St Ann’s, Thursday, saying he wanted to clear the air on what he did not say. Read more here
BUSINESS
NP fuel supply well-stocked, says chairman
Sahid Hosein, chairman of state fuel distributor NP, is confident that, barring a major catastrophe, the country has a well-stocked fuel supply. “I’ve said on many occasions before, no responsible government or entity is going to be unmindful of the need to have a stored supply because that’s what the country operates on,” Hosein told Newsday in a brief telephone call yesterday. On Monday, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar claimed the country was in a state of economic emergency and predicted a fuel shortage, as well as a foreign exchange crunch, directly related to the closure of Petrotrin’s Pointe-a-Pierre refinery. “We are being given the impression that things are happening by vaps and the sky is falling down. That’s certainly not so at NP,” Hosein said. Read more here
BPTT staffers plant trees to offset carbon
Staff from BP Trinidad and Tobago’s (BPTT) reservoir development and exploration teams carried out a tree-planting exercise on Wednesday to offset the teams’ carbon footprint. The exercise took place at Bunsee Trace, Penal in conjunction with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. Read more here
REGIONAL
DNA Guilt Trip - St James Criminals Rushing To Confess Before Test Results Tie Them To Crimes
Superintendent Vernon Ellis, the commander of the St James Police Division, says criminal suspects are now pleading guilty in court before the return of DNA test results with the hope of getting lighter sentences. Ellis told The Gleaner that the police have been reaping dividends from recent training in DNA protocol as they have ramped up their use of science in their cases. He pointed out that DNA tests were proving useful in ensuring justice for all accused as not only are they securing convictions, but they have also been clearing persons wrongly accused of committing crimes. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Boris Johnson faces Brexit challenges as he steps up talks with EU
Boris Johnson said his decision to prorogue Parliament was part of his negotiating stance with the European Union in an interview with Sky News, warning critics that they risked ruining Britain's chances of getting a better deal. "What I want to do now, what most people in this country want this government to do, is get on and try and get an agreement," he said. "But if we can't get an agreement, get ready to come out anyway." He added that this do-or-die stance helps strengthen the UK's negotiating position with the EU, but warned critics they were getting in way. Read more here
Hong Kong activists arrested: Joshua Wong and others detained
30th August 2019