NEWS
Police find, seize large quantity of arms, ammo in Santa Cruz
Police found and seized a large quantity of arms and ammunition, including armour-piercing bullets, during a police exercise in Santa Cruz on Wednesday. The seizure was announced by Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher and other high-ranking police officials during an emergency media conference on Wednesday night. Harewood-Christopher, making reference to an attack by gunmen on Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Sherwin Bruce earlier on Wednesday, also warned criminals that the police would not tolerate attacks on public officials. Speaking about the weapons and ammunition found in Santa Cruz, Harewood-Christopher said the find was an historic one. She highlighted the types of weapons and ammunition found. Read more here
Music producer killed buying food; dad says nowhere in T&T safe again
A late-night visit to a fast food strip ended with a popular music producer being murdered the wounding of two other men, including a Trinibad artiste, on Tuesday. Police said Kaveer Alvin Nandram, 28, and two men, both 22, went to the Off D Avenue food strip on Carlos Street around 11.15 pm to order food. As they left one of the stalls, the trio was shot. Nandram got into his white Toyota Fielder Wagon and drove down Carlos Street, but stopped his car near Adam Smith Square when he realised he was bleeding. The two other bleeding men ran back into the food strip, where they remained. Read more here
POLITICS
RIC to release results of TTEC rate review next week
Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales said the Regulated Industries Commission has advised him that it has completed its rate review of electricity rates. He said they would be addressing the public on it in one week. He made the statement during the budget debate in Parliament on Wednesday. “The TT Electricity Commission applied for a rate review as required by law, and the RIC engaged in public consultation. On my way to Parliament, I was advised by the RIC that it has completed the rate review exercise for TTEC and they will be speaking to the population one week from today with respect to its decision on a rate review for TTEC.” Read more here
Sinanan: New transportation plan, road upgrades in 2024
Widening of the Solomon Hochoy Highway between Chaguanas and Couva, acquisition of 300 new buses and finalisation of a new National Transportation Plan, are among the projects the Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) will be undertaking in fiscal 2024. These were among the plans outlined by Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan when he took part in the Budget debate yesterday. He said it was not an election budget but one that would take T&T forward. Sinanan said the country’s infrastructure had aged and rapid growth resulted in congested highways and long commute times. Meanwhile, climate change posed new challenges, including a strain on drainage and road infrastructure. Read more here
BUSINESS
Getting the best out of energy with Clarke
Despite the world’s push to transition to clean energy and reduce the world’s carbon emissions, fossil fuels such as natural gas are going to be around for a while. Natural gas in particular is considered a transition fuel which will take people from fossil to renewable energy with the lowest carbon footprint. Using natural gas reserves at their highest efficiency would then be best for TT, which uses natural gas for power and energy as well as manufacturing several petrochemicals for export. This is where Clarke Energy sees itself as being beneficial to TT. " (Because of) the fact that TT is a developing nation with an availability of gas, we can provide huge opportunities for energy efficiency for TT,” said Alex Marshall, group business development and marketing director of Clarke Energy. “You can do so much more with the energy that you have locally.” Read more here
Benefits will far outweigh the challenges
As Trinidad and Tobago approaches six months since the full proclamation of the Procurement Act, procurement regulator Beverly Khan acknowledges that while there have been some teething problems, she believes that the benefits will far outweigh the challenges. Delivering the feature address in a webinar hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Transparency Institute (TTTI) on Tuesday Khan stated that full proclamation of the Act represents an important milestone in this country’s development, and offers us the best opportunity to establish a fundamentally new and different culture aimed at driving public sector performance rooted in good governance principles. Read more here
REGIONAL
Water supply remains sufficient amid dry spell – Agriculture Minister
Encouraging water conservation, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha highlights the ongoing dry spell that is expected to last until November and, as he also noted that the country has adequate water supply to meet essential needs. “I have spoken to the head of hydromet yesterday and he told me by the end of next month we might have some change in the weather. So far, we have enough water in the system to take care of our needs, but that does not mean that we must go about wasting the water. We must conserve the fresh water that we have in the conservancies,” the agriculture minister stated.
Currently, he added the water level at the conservancies is normal, and he hopes it stays that way. Guyana is currently experiencing the El Nino weather phenomenon, however, Minister Mustapha disclosed that there are no serious threats caused by the dry weather conditions. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Poland election: Bitter campaign splits country ahead of key vote
In the old Lenin shipyard in Gdansk, where striking workers were once the catalyst for major political change, young Poles now debate how to protect democracy in their country. They worry that the rights and freedoms won by the Solidarity movement over three decades ago are at risk, as the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party, or PiS, campaigns to secure a record third term in office. "It's a very important election. We're deciding whether we're going back to being a democratic country," was student activist Julia Landowska's stark take on this weekend's vote. "This is our last call, to go to the election and fight for a better future in Poland." The event she helped organise was held under the slogan In My Day, Things Will Be Better. Read more here
12th October 2023