NEWS
Cops raid Valsayn house of horrors, set up roadblocks in hunt for suspect
Police on Wednesday set up roadblocks and raided the Valsayn house, where skeletal remains were found buried in a shallow grave, as they intensified their search for the suspect in that case. A senior officer told Newsday the police service intends to release a photo of the suspect on Thursday and called on the public to share any information which may lead to his capture. Heavily armed police and soldiers raided the compound at Butu Road, South Valsayn at around 2 pm and tried to kick down the doors to the house after they received a tip on the whereabouts of the suspect. Read more here
Autopsy confirms Hannah Mathura died unnaturally Cops detain parents
The parents of 18-year-old Hannah Mathura were detained separately by police last night, after an autopsy on the skeletal remains found in the shallow grave on their Valsayn property on Tuesday, confirmed the remains were not only Hannah’s but that she also died “an unnatural death”. Mathura was also identified through the clothing recovered in the foot-deep grave. However, senior police officers declined to say what the exact cause of her death was, as the case had turned into a murder investigation. Guardian Media understands that her father, Andrew, was detained around 9 pm by officers from the Arouca Police Station at an apartment in El Dorado, Tunapuna, where he had gone into hiding since eluding custody on Tuesday and earlier yesterday. Read more here
POLITICS
Lutchmedial: SSA ‘spy novel’ issue can hurt country’s crime fight
UNC Senator Jayanti Lutchmedial says the manner in which information is coming to the public on the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) issue can severely diminish confidence in what ought to be the premier intelligence-gathering agency at the forefront of T&T’s anti-crime battle. Lutchmedial said yesterday that the perceived state of the SSA could now serve to embolden criminals. “What I read on this issue daily is beyond the scope of the imagination of the best spy novel and fiction writers. It will embolden criminals to know that these agencies are in such disarray. Read more here
BUSINESS
Diversity – MovieTowne's key to success
Children today might be surprised to learn there was previously a Ferris wheel in Trinidad – a temporary structure and the main attraction at Coney Island when it visited Port of Spain in the early to mid-2000s. For many children and teens back then, Coney Island’s Ferris wheel was the pinnacle of entertainment at a time when cinemas and arcades dominated the market. MovieTowne owner Derek Chin knew what he was doing when he decided to install a Ferris wheel, the dinosaur theme park and various other attractions at its Carousel Park, Invader’s Bay, starting about a decade ago. The 18.2-metre-high Ferris wheel, his latest addition to the park, was launched last Friday, with an endorsement from Minister of Trade Paula Gopee-Scoon, who praised Chin and others like him for playing their part in diversifying the economy and spreading joy to families. Read more here
Address NIS deficit
An economist and trade unionist are urging the Government to pay close attention to the National Insurance System (NIS), as was stated by the staff mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In its concluding statement following an Article IV consultation on T&T on Monday, the IMF staff suggested raising National Insurance contributions along with the retirement age to ensure the long-term sustainability of the country’s pension system. “In the absence of reforms, the National Insurance System’s deficit is expected to widen, depleting its reserves by the mid-2030s. IMF staff welcomes the authorities’ proposal to increase the retirement age to 65 years. The authorities are encouraged to consider other measures to ensure the pension system’s sustainability, including increasing the contribution rate,” according to the IMF team’s concluding statement. Read more here
REGIONAL
UG to be ‘central regional hub’ for security, defence training
The University of Guyana (UG) is being positioned as “a central hub” for security training and integration of defence leadership, President Dr Irfaan Ali has said. The Guyanese Head of State made this announcement on Wednesday, during his address at an award ceremony at UG, where the country’s premier tertiary education institution was bestowed with the 2023 Perry Centre for Hemispheric Studies award for Excellence in Security and Defence Education. During his address, President Ali disclosed that UG will be the host of the National Defence Institute, which will be a “subset” of the United States’ National Defence University. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Russia election: Stage-managed vote will give Putin another term
As I walk around Borovsk, two things strike me about this town 60 miles (100km) from Moscow. First, there is almost no sign of the presidential election coming up this weekend. I see few election banners or billboards and no political flyers being handed out. Not surprising, really. The absence of election preparations mirrors the absence of drama surrounding a stage-managed event that will hand Vladimir Putin a fifth term in the Kremlin. Read more here
14th March 2024