NEWS
Tearful send-off for business tycoon Helen Bhagwansingh
Hundreds of close friends, family and well-wishers said goodbye to business tycoon Dr Helen Bhagwansingh at her funeral on Sunday. Unable to be accommodated inside the Aramalaya Presbyterian church in Tunapuna, scores viewed the service on televisions placed in tents outside. If the love felt for Helen was not evident by the large turnout, it certainly was felt in the screams of anguish that pierced through Vanessa Briggs' rendition of "Wind Beneath My Wings." Read more here
Gun violence part of culture, not going away anytime soon
For people living a certain life of privilege or disconnect from the realities of many communities in T&T, the extent to which illegal firearms have become intertwined with our culture is likely inconceivable. As evidence of this, Trinibad anthems attracting millions of views on YouTube and playing daily on radio stations, tell stories of gruesome local gang executions. Read more here
POLITICS
Public Utilities Minister Gonzales changes tune, orders: Probe TSTT hack attack
Less than a week after declaring that reports of a ransomware attack on TSTT were "not true," Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales has made a full about-turn and ordered the state-run communications company to have an independent investigation done into the matter. In a press release on Sunday, Gonzales said that "like everyone else," he too was "deeply concerned" about the recent cyber attack on TSTT. Read more here
Young: Polygraph, drugs test not for criminal prosecutions
While there may be some uncertainty if law enforcement and legal officers have to undergo polygraph and drug testing in the future, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young says the State will not use it for criminal prosecution. Young responded last Wednesday to several aspects of Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein’s critique of the legislation to allow heads of department (HoD) in several State bodies, including the Police Service (TTPS), Customs and Excise Division (CED), Immigration Division, Board of Inland Revenue (BIR), Judicial and Legal Services officers, Prison Service (PSTT), Defence Force (DFTT) and Fire Service, authority to mandate testing and collection of biometric data of employees. Hosein questioned the evidential value of the data collected from the test if there is criminal prosecution. Young said the issue does not arise as all Government seeks is to give the heads, like the Commissioner of Police (CoP), the authority to request an officer undergo polygraph testing in special circumstances. Read more here
BUSINESS
NP appoints new head
Derek Luk Pat has been appointed chief executive officer of the State’s fuel distribution company, the National Petroleum Marketing Company Ltd (NP). Luk Pat replaces John Gormandy, who had been acting as CEO since 2020. Gormandy’s substantive post at the organisation is general manager — lubricants. NP’s last substantive CEO was Bernard Mitchell. “The national economy is on the cusp of transformation and adjustments are required for the survival of NP,” NP’s chairman Sahid Hosein stated. Read more here
REGIONAL
House to reaffirm Guyana’s position on border controversy today
The National Assembly during an extraordinary sitting today is expected to reaffirm its recognition and acceptance of the 1899 Arbitral Award as a “full, perfect and final” settlement of the boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.
This is according to a motion proposed to the National Assembly by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, which is expected to have the full support of all members of the assembly. The motion notes that the National Assembly affirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and takes place prior to Venezuela’s planned referendum which seeks to create a new state that will include the portion of Guyana’s territory they have laid claim to. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Delhi pollution: No school, no play for city's children
"Mum, can I please play for a bit longer?" That is the refrain that six-year-old Vanraj's mother, Pakhi Khanna, is bracing herself to deal with for the next couple of days in the Indian capital Delhi. The 38-year-old has cut her son's outdoor playtime to 30 minutes from two hours; his classes have shifted online this week, and football coaching has been called off. Vanraj is among thousands of schoolchildren in Delhi whose schedules have abruptly changed due to air pollution rising to alarming levels. Over the past few days, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) - which measures the level of PM 2.5 or fine particulate matter in the air - has consistently crossed the 450 mark, nearly 10 times the acceptable limit. Breathing this toxic air is akin to smoking 25-30 cigarettes a day, according to lung specialists. Read more here
6th November 2023