NEWS
Top marks for Griffith as crime dips 25%
Police Commissioner Gary Griffith on Wednesday admitted that corrupt police officers "in a little cabal" were working to discredit his work as he dismantled their criminal business. He made the admission as he disclosed his employer's assessment of his first year in office, which saw him pass with flying colours. "I have done all that I can do...I served the country and I served with pride," he said. But he acknowledged that the public's assessment on how safe they feel and catching criminals is what really mattered. Read more here
PAHO director wants increase in health workers
One day after calling on Trinidad and Tobago to ramp up its COVID-19 testing, the Pan-American Health Organisation yesterday made another appeal to countries around the region to expand their health workforces in the event there is another health emergency. At a virtual media briefing yesterday, PAHO Director Dr Carissa Etienne said the organisation is deeply concerned about the human cost of the pandemic, as she noted there are now almost 4,000 deaths a day being recorded in the region. Read more here
POLITICS
AG urges all citizens to wear their masks
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi is appealing to citizens to stop their “smart man-ism” over the new law which makes it mandatory to wear face masks in public to protect against the spread of COVID-19 virus. He made the call during yesterday’s Ministry of Health virtual press conference, as he said citizens were now finding many excuses about why the mandatory mask-wearing regulation, which came into effect on Monday, should not apply to them. He said, however, that the regulations surrounding the new policy is grounded in already existing laws in the country. “This is not a time for smart man-ism or smart woman-ism. It’s not a time for you to be as novel as you can be in every exception as to why the law ought not to apply to you. We do not have the liberty of protecting our society without cooperation,” he said as he sought to address commentaries and criticisms in the public domain on the new policy. Read more here
Forde on Cambridge Analytica: We tried various angles
Noting that the Cambridge Analytica case is “cold” and still pending new information, Deputy Commissioner of Police Jayson Forde said investigators tried various angles to get evidence that would support the allegations of an alleged breach of data privacy laws, but came up empty. At the weekly police media briefing at the Public Administration Building in Port of Spain, Forde called for anyone with evidence in the matter to come forward. Read more here
BUSINESS
Makay's makes the mark
Gregory McGuire is one of the country’s leading economists and a passionate advocate for local content and diversification. He's also one of the members of the Prime Minister's Roadmap to Recovery committee created to look at strategies for economic resilience. And as the founder of home-grown rum cream brand Makay’s, he’s practising what he preaches. Read more here
io gets contract for NewGen Green Hydrogen Project
io consulting (io) has been awarded a contract for a bankable feasibility study (BFS) by NewGen Energy Limited (NewGen) to support development of a proposed carbon-neutral/green hydrogen production facility in T&T. The hydrogen output from the project is intended as a “green” input to ammonia production at the Trinidad Nitrogen Company (Tringen) facilities in the Point Lisas Industrial Estate. This is a joint venture of Baker Hughes and McDermott. Read more here
Mom of 4 chopped to death
A young mother of four was chopped to death in her Laventille home by her estranged husband early yesterday morning. Her killer died by suicide at Woodford Square in Port of Spain less than two hours later. Read more here
REGIONAL
No more high-handed approach
The management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) going forward will not be allowed to use a high-handed approach when dealing with sugar workers and other stakeholders in the industry, said Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha. He gave the assurance to stakeholders during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday, in which he disclosed that a new board of directors will be installed soon and there will be a total re-organising and revamping of GuySuCo’s management. Read more here
Bars To Be Closed Today Under Election Law
Bar operators who open their doors for business today could find themselves in problems with the law. According to the Representation of the People, the chief statue used to guide electoral affairs in Jamaica, bars must be closed between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. "Any person who contravenes the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction before a Resident Magistrate to a fine, not less than $5,000 or more than $20,000, and in default of payment to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a term not exceeding six months," reads a section of the law. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Trump won't stop interfering in the election
President Donald Trump is the election meddler-in-chief. In his latest assault on the integrity of November's vote, Trump denigrated mail-in voting and in a staggering moment, appeared to suggest North Carolinians should try to vote twice -- a potential crime -- to test its security. More evidence of meddling came earlier Wednesday with the news that Trump's Department of Homeland Security withheld an intelligence bulletin warning of a Russian plot to spread misinformation about Joe Biden's health, which mirrored the President's own attacks. The report, first revealed by ABC News, followed the Director of National Intelligence's decision to stop in-person lawmaker briefings about election interference -- a move Democrats say could shield foreign actors who want to help Trump. Read more here
Daniel Prude: New York police used 'spit hood' on man who died of asphyxiation
3rd September 2020