NEWS
Young father among two shot dead in Mt Hope – KILLED NEAR NEWBORNS
Less than a month after he celebrated the birth of twin sons, a father of three was among two men shot dead not too far from the twins' Mt Home home on Saturday night. A third man, also shot in the incident, survived and remains warded in hospital. Police said Keston Cumberbatch, 31, was liming with Anton Young, 44, and another friend along Sorillo Drive, at around 8.35 pm, when they were approached by two masked gunmen who opened fire without warning before running away. The attack happened a mere walking distance from where Cumberbatch's twin sons were staying with his girlfriend. Read more here
Nations reach accord to protect marine life on high seas
For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas - representing a turning point for vast stretches of the planet where conservation has previously been hampered by a confusing patchwork of laws. The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force in 1994, before marine biodiversity was a well-established concept. The treaty agreement concluded two weeks of talks in New York. An updated framework to protect marine life in the regions outside national boundary waters, known as the high seas, had been in discussions for more than 20 years, but previous efforts to reach an agreement had repeatedly stalled. The unified agreement treaty, which applies to nearly half the planet’s surface, was reached late Saturday. Read more here
POLITICS
Mark: Government wants to create Eastmoorings
The Opposition says a team of three lawyers headed by Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally has been sent to seek the legal interests of residents of East Port of Spain. This team visited the residents on Sunday morning. Tenants of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) apartment complex on Duncan Street and lower Independence Square were evicted as the corporation moved to demolish the building. As described in media reports, there were clashes between the residents, HDC officials and law enforcement officers on Saturday. During its weekly Sunday press conference at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Port of Spain Opposition Senator Wade Mark said lawyers were sent to assist the residents. Read more here
MP raises concerns about COVID-19 increases
Caroni East MP Rishad Seecharan wants to know why the Health Ministry is seeking to recruit an independent consultant to assess its responses to the COVID-19 pandemic when a committee already submitted a detailed report on the standard of care of COVID-19 patients last year. He raised the question during a United National Congress press conference yesterday. “We have been told that the Ministry of Health is in the process of recruiting an independent consultant to assess its response to COVID-19. This consultant will assess the ministry’s response to the public health emergency of International concern COVID-19 and to make recommendations to inform the ministry’s response to future pandemics,” Seecharan said. Last January, Seemungal led a five-man committee to review the operations of healthcare facilities, in light of criticism in some quarters that substandard care was contributing to the large number of COVID-19 deaths in the country. Read more here
BUSINESS
Natasha Davis: I was determined not to fail
On January 1, 2023, Natasha Davis was named the chief operations officer (COO) of the Unit Trust Corporation of T&T. Before ascending to that role, Davis served as the UTC’s vice president of marketing and operations. Davis’ rise is a success story on many levels, as she grew up in a community often associated with negative press, but she is proud to be one of several professionals who are working to change the stigma attached to the area. “I grew up in Desperlie Crescent, Laventille Road, East Dry River,” said Davis. “Albeit a stressed community, with all the issues of crime and limited resources, there is a strong group of professionals, doctors, teachers, engineers, nurses, and industry leaders that came out of this community that are supporting the country’s development.” Davis explained that her family of six managed to make the best of their lives, as she and her siblings made the best of “a tiny two-and-a-half-bedroom downstairs apartment.” Read more here
Mayor: Covid hurt Sando mas
After a two-year hiatus of Carnival due to the Covid-19 pandemic, San Fernando Mayor Junia Regrello said it still played a part in 2023 Carnival, negatively affecting celebrations. The bands were notably smaller and spectators were fewer in numbers. Regrello said while there was mention on the economics, the lack of promotion and marketing and the quality of mas, the impact of Covid-19 was not being discussed. Speaking during the post-mortem for Carnival in San Fernando on Wednesday, Regrello said, “We had a Covid fear and scare. There are those who did not come out of their house because of Covid-19. Some people got Covid three and four times. We have all those issues that would have impacted on playing mas.” Read more here
REGIONAL
Sound leadership, integrity demonstrated by President Ali
Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Phillip Davis, who is the current Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), says he never got the impression that the Irfaan Ali-led government was a racist or corrupt one and instead believes that President, Dr Irfaan Ali is a man of integrity who has demonstrated sound leadership at the regional level. The Bahamian leader, who spoke to local media outlet the News Room, on Saturday, spoke about his engagements with the Guyanese Head of State. “In my interactions with Irfaan Ali, I find him to be a man of integrity. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Bangladesh investigates huge fire at world's largest refugee camp
Bangladesh authorities are investigating the cause of a massive fire in a Rohingya refugee camp which has left 12,000 people without shelter. No casualties have been reported, but the fire on Sunday razed 2,000 shelters after spreading quickly through gas cylinders in kitchens, officials said. Police are investigating if the fire was an act of sabotage. One man has been detained, local media reported. The camp in the south-east is believed to be the world's largest refugee camp. Most of its more than one million residents, Rohingya refugees, had fled persecution in neighbouring Myanmar. On Monday, hundreds had returned to the Cox's Bazar area to see what they could salvage from the ruins. Read more here
6th March 2023