NEWS
Toddler suffers fractured skull after 11-foot fall
A toddler remains warded at hospital after being admitted on March 4 with a fractured skull from allegedly falling from her babysitter's gallery into a drain 11 feet below. Reports said a nurse of the San Fernando General Hospital's accident and emergency department contacted police around 8.25 pm on March 4 about an infant with injuries to her head and face. The child is 18 months old. PCs Seepaul and Brathwaite responded and met with the child's 20-year-old mother who said she took her daughter to the 19-year-old babysitter's Friendship Village, St John, home around 7 pm on March 3. Read more here
Tensions rise in Sea Lots
Tensions remained high in Sea Lots last evening, as a group of young men continued their violent attacks against each other, as well as law-abiding residents, despite the fact that the T&T Police Service was in the community trying to mediate for a peaceful resolution. In fact, while Sea Lots West residents were still meeting with police regarding the conflict with residents living in Sea Lots Central, a young man was ambushed and almost beaten by a gang of men as he made his way home. Eleanor Grant almost fainted as she ran along Pioneer Drive towards the Beetham Highway just before midday on hearing the news, praying and hoping her son’s life would be spared. She was later made to sit on a bench outside a shop and given water to drink by another female resident. Read more here
POLITICS
Imbert rejects calls for probe into his conduct in Auditor General dispute
Minister of Finance Colm Imbert has rubbished calls by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar for an investigation into his actions with regard to the impasse between public officers at the Ministry of Finance and Auditor General Jaiwantie Ramdass over 2023 public accounts. In a statement on March 5, Imbert said Persad-Bissessar's claims were a “diatribe” and admonished her for “grasping at straws” and “making up stories about missing money." Read more here
Kamla: UNC will win GE despite ‘orchestrated resignations’
United National Congress leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the party will not be destabilised by people who have since turned their backs on it in “orchestrated resignations.” Her comment come in the wake of the resignation on Wednesday of former Opposition Senator Jowelle De Souza, who pointed to leadership issues and the party’s trajectory among the reasons behind her resignation. Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Dr Rai Ragbir also withdrew his nomination for candidacy last month, while attorney and member Larry Lalla, SC, resigned after what he said were unsuccessful attempts over the years to advocate for change in the UNC. Read more here
BUSINESS
NIF appoints new general manager
Wayne Dass, former CEO of Caribbean Information and Credit Rating Services Ltd, has joined the National Investment Fund Holding Company Ltd (NIF) as general manager. In a notice published on the TT Stock Exchange website, NIF said Dass joined NIF's leadership team effective March 5. In August 2024, NIF paid out $94.2 million in bonds to investors. Read more here
Bmobile proposes 14.61% hike on post-paid plans
Come April 7, bmobile's post-paid customers who are on its legacy plan, are being requested to pay 14.61 per cent more to be upgraded to its Extreme Plus plan, which the mobile service provider says offers more value. In a notice to its post-paid customers on Wednesday, bmobile said the 4G Preferred Plan, which costs $392.63 including VAT, will be retired effective April 6, when those customers would pay $450 VAT inclusive for its Extreme Plus plan. The notice to customers said this upgraded plan includes 450 gigabytes (GB) of data, free bmobile calls, free anywhere mins, free b-data, rollover data and anywhere minutes, and 3 GB of roaming data. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana stresses global collaboration for targeted climate solutions
PRIME Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips called for strengthened global partnerships to combat climate change and accelerate sustainable development during his address at the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2025. Speaking on the summit’s theme, “Partnerships for Accelerating Sustainable Development and Climate Solutions”, Prime Minister Phillips highlighted the urgency of collective action, stating: “The global challenges we face—including climate change, biodiversity loss, energy security, and economic inequities—demand collective and transformative partnerships in order to be effectively addressed.” The summit is being hosted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi, India. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Trump expands exemptions from Canada and Mexico tariffs
US President Donald Trump has signed orders significantly expanding the goods exempted from his new tariffs on Canada and Mexico that were imposed this week. It is the second time in two days that Trump has rolled back his taxes on imports from the US's two biggest trade partners, measures that have raised uncertainty for businesses and worried financial markets. On Wednesday, he said he would temporarily spare carmakers from 25% import levies just a day after they came into effect. Read more here
7th March 2025