NEWS
Residents protest lack of water in Bethel
THA Bethel/New Grange representative pastor Terance Baynes has said pipe-borne water supplies should be restored in parts of the electoral district some time today (Thursday). A handful of angry residents held a protest around noon on Wednesday, complaining about the lack of water in the area. They said the taps in Bethel have been dry over the past few days. A video of the protest was posted on Facebook. Read more here
Superblue honoured with Hummingbird Medal Gold
Soca artist Austin “Superblue” Lyons was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (Gold) for his contribution to music and culture during the second instalment of the National Awards Ceremony yesterday. Lyons said it was a dream come true to receive a national award and encouraged young people to dream big. “It’s a beautiful thing, I can tell my children, their children and children of the nation that it is nice to dream, dreams do come through.” Lyons is a nine-time Road March monarch, winning his first title with ‘Soca Baptist in 1980 under the sobriquet ‘Blue Boy’. His latest title was in 2013 with ‘Fantastic Friday’ performing as ‘Superblue’. Read more here
POLITICS
Prime Minister: Brace for gas price hike
The Prime Minister has said the population cannot be insulated from the effects of changes in the price of oil, as the cost of maintaining the fuel subsidy has become prohibitive. He put the nation on notice that the recent increase in the price of oil could lead to an increase of prices at the pump in Trinidad and Tobago. Speaking at a Conversations with the Prime Minister at the Bon Air West Community Centre on Tuesday, Dr Rowley said the current high prices of oil on the world market would not insulate TT, as the country has been importing crude oil to refine it for export. Read more here
Deyalsingh: T&T not yet in endemic stage of COVID
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh says Trinidad and Tobago has not yet entered the endemic stage of the COVID-19 disease. Deyalsingh was speaking at yesterday’s Ministry of Health COVID-19 media conference. “We have not yet entered the endemic phase. What we are doing is we are preparing for that. We have been very clear in stating that,” he said. Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram says the public health regulations have been working to bring cases down. Read more here
BUSINESS
TBLA CEO on planning for disasters: Time to save and invest
Although it was said before in many different ways, Stephen King put it best in his 1982 collection of novellas Different Seasons: “There is no harm in hoping for the best as long as you are prepared for the worst.” The statement rings even truer today, as the world is in its third year of battling covid19, something any ordinary person would admit they hadn’t anticipated in their wildest dreams. Read more here
CAL resumes Curacao service
Caribbean Airlines (CAL) will resume twice-weekly service between Trinidad and Curaçao, from April 5. Non-stop, return flights between Piarco International and Curaçao International Airports will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays. In a statement yesterday, CAL said the schedule is timed to facilitate convenient regional and international connections throughout the Caribbean Airlines network. On Wednesday, the airline began flying to Houston, Texas. Read more here
REGIONAL
$237M concrete-making factory for Little Diamond
Cognisant of the continuous growth of Guyana’s construction industry, locally owned business, S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc., will soon begin construction of a $237 million Concrete Batching Plant at Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara. At the factory, which will be located on 1.98 acres of land, pre-stressed and pre-cast concrete will be produced. Pre-cast concrete is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable mold or “form” which is then cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site, and lifted into place. On the other hand, pre-stressed concrete is compressed during production. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Russia could launch chemical attack in Ukraine - White House
Russia could be planning a chemical or biological weapon attack in Ukraine - and "we should all be on the lookout", the White House has said. Press secretary Jen Psaki said Russia's claims about US biological weapon labs, and chemical weapon development in Ukraine, were preposterous. She called the false claims an "obvious ploy" to try to justify further premeditated, unprovoked attacks. It comes after Western officials shared similar concerns about fresh attacks. They said they were "very concerned" about the risk the war could escalate, and particularly the possibility of Russia using non-conventional weapons. Read more here
10th March 2022