NEWS
JSC: Child-carers refused to submit police certificates
Certain carers at abuse-troubled children's homes refused to submit police certificates of good character and/or medical certificates, raising the ire of members of Parliament's Joint Select Committee (JSC) on Human Rights, said the JSC's report laid in the Senate on June 13. The report was compiled after several hearings and visits to children's homes to assess the state of implementation of the recommendations of the Judith Jones report on abuse in homes. Read more here
Cepep worker killed while cutting grass
An employee with the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (Cepep) was killed while cutting grass in Caroni on Wednesday morning. Arshad Baal was shot multiple times by gunmen around 8 am on Royaltern Avenue, La Paille Village, Caroni. A report said a black car stopped next to Baal and his co-worker who had their backs turned to the road. The occupants opened fire on them. Baal died at the scene, while his injured colleague was rushed to hospital by a passer-by. Police investigators are yet to establish a motive for the killing. Cop, wife arrested for fraud. Read more here
POLITICS
Caricom leaders agree to CSME expansion
Citizens of most member states of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) will soon enjoy full freedom of movement throughout this region bloc, Caricom chairman Roosevelt Skerrit said on Wednesday. He was addressing the closing news briefing of the three-day 45th Regular Conference of Caricom Heads at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain. Skerrit said this new agreement would exclude the Bahamas, which was not a member of Caricom’s Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), and Montserrat, a British dependency whose population had been largely evacuated after a volcano in 1995. Read more here
Take advantage of Blinken’s presence to address natural gas issue–Tewarie
Former planning minister Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie hopes the Government capitalises on the presence of United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken to address this country’s natural gas issues. Yesterday Blinken arrived in T&T to participate in the Caribbean Community’s (Caricom) Heads of Government meeting and the 50th Anniversary of Caricom celebration. Tewarie, also a former principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI) in St Augustine, told Guardian Media that Blinken is a very high-level official, and this was an opportune time for T&T to impress upon him the need to finalise a sanction waiver to finally allow this country to import natural gas from Venezuela’s Dragon Gas Field. Read more here
BUSINESS
John Aboud to build Superior Hotels in the region
The Aboud name is well-known in Trinidad mainly because of the family’s business endeavours, but what do you know about John Aboud? This Aboud is the chairman of Endeavour Holdings Ltd (EHL), which includes retail, food and entertainment businesses such as MovieTowne and KFC; chairman and lead investor of Superior Hotels TT Ltd – the company responsible for The Brix, Port of Spain – and chairman of Fouraime Enterprises Ltd, of the Five Islands Water Park in Chaguaramas. Having this and even more accomplishments under his belt leads to many questions about his character, and speaking to Business Day, he gave advice, words of wisdom and some business titbits. Read more here
TTAL, CAL working on airbridge woes
Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd (TTAL) executive chairman Alicia Edwards says the agency has been working closely with Caribbean Airlines (CAL) to address the challenges on the domestic airbridge. However, she said, TTAL could not solve the problem alone. At a Joint Select Committee (JSC) on Local Authorities, Service Commissions and Statutory Authorities (LASCSA) yesterday, Edwards appealed for Tobago to stop being treated as “stepchild” and “outside woman”, but as “an equal partner in the movement of Tobago people, not just for pleasure but for medical reasons”. Read more here
REGIONAL
President Ali, US Secretary of State Blinken to meet today
United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken will meet with President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali today to discuss a range of priorities, including food and energy security, climate resilience, and finance. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Caribbean Affairs and Haiti, Barbara Feinstein, on Friday said the Secretary’s visit to Guyana will further deepen America’s diplomatic engagement with 14 steadfast democracies. Blinken’s discussions with President Ali will centre on key bilateral issues, including food and energy security and decarbonisation, climate resilience, regional migration, and building local capacity. During a meeting with the Secretary of State in Washington DC in July 2022, President Ali said Guyana welcomes the opportunity to further strengthen its relationship with the US as a strategic partner, particularly during its period of growth. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Sweden charges Greta Thunberg for blockading oil port
Climate activist Greta Thunberg will appear in court in July charged with "disobeying the police" during a protest, Swedish prosecutors have said. Ms Thunberg, 20, joined a group of young protesters blockading oil tankers at a port in Malmö in June. Police said she refused to leave when asked to. She could face a six-month prison sentence or a fine. A representative told BBC News that Ms Thunberg was not available for comment. The group Ta Tillbaka Framtiden or Reclaim the Future blockaded the Malmö port for six days in June. Some protestors climbed on top of oil tankers, the group said. Read more here
6th July 2023