TTMA IN THE NEWS
Pepe’s Marketing Ltd propelled to new heights
Pepe’s Marketing Ltd, a popular name in TT’s food distribution industry, has a rich history that dates back to the 1960s. The company, founded by Krishna Sadal, began as a modest family business in the Chaguanas and Tunapuna markets, selling basic commodities to market-goers. Over the years, it has evolved into a premier importer and exporter of food products, serving both the local and Caribbean markets. According to one of its current directors, Kris Sadal, participating in trade missions has been a crucial aspect of the company’s growth strategy. Read more here
NEWS
Angostura celebrates Caricom's 50th anniversary with Tribute
Angostura is marking Caricom’s 50th anniversary with a special limited spirit called Angostura Tribute Caricom. The rum and bitters maker presented its batch of Angostura Tribute Caricom to Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne at the House of Angostura, Laventille, on August 7. Only 240 bottles of Angostura Tribute Caricom were produced. The bottles will be given to Caricom for regional and international hospitality events at international missions and embassies of its 15 member states, Angostura said. Read more here
Maraval woman killed at home
The Maraval woman who was found lying in a pool of blood on her kitchen floor on Tuesday afternoon, may have been killed as a result of a family dispute. Residents of Saut D’Eau Road, Maraval, yesterday said while 65-year-old mother of four Anjanee Lutchman-Isidore had a handful of friends, she also had enemies who would have wanted her dead. The victim’s body was discovered by a relative of her husband’s around 5.36 pm on Tuesday, after she failed to respond to her husband’s calls. Read more here
POLITICS
Union: Fire service 'on brink of collapse'
Fire Service Association president Keone Guy is warning that the TT Fire Service is on the brink of "absolute and total collapse," as many stations have no suitable trucks, and a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and adequate resources has led to dozens of officers being injured in the line of duty for the year. Guy told Newsday there is a wide range of issues plaguing the service, leaving it in a state of emergency. For one, he said nine of the 23 stations around the country are without firefighting-capable tenders. Six are in the Northern Division, which includes the Chaguaramas, Four Roads, Belmont, Woodbrook, Morvant and Santa Cruz fire stations. Read more here
EBC plan angers PM Rowley
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has slammed the Elections and Boundaries Commission for a plan to ask returning officers to declare their political allegiance in order to qualify for these positions in future elections. However, the EBC has stated that it obtained legal advice confirming it can ask applicants for the position of returning officers to declare whether they are members of a political party. This, after Rowley and leaders of other political parties slammed statements by EBC chairman Mark Ramkerrysingh that returning officers will be asked to declare their “party allegiance and membership before working in polling stations.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Young: Trinidad and Tobago back on energy map
Energy Minister Stuart Young has said government's efforts over the last nine years have caused TT once again to attract the attention of major international energy players. As a result of this, he said, there is a world of opportunity that students at the National Energy Skills Centre (NESC) could access in the global energy industry. Young spoke to students and staff when he visited the NESC's drilling academy in Ste Madeleine on August 6. In reports on their respective performances for the second quarter of 2024, Shell and BP made positive references to projects in TT. Read more here
There’s a world of opportunities
There are opportunities for young people in the oil and gas sector, Energy Minister Stuart Young has said. Speaking to students of the National Energy Skills Centre (NESC) in Ste Madeleine during a visit on Tuesday morning, he encouraged young people to seize the opportunities afforded to them, and highlighted the region’s potential future in energy exploration. Read more here
REGIONAL
President Ali: Gov’t committed to internet connectivity across hinterland
In order to enhance connectivity in the hinterland regions, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced that investments were being made in state-of-the-art technology. “We are now taking access to the internet and connectivity to the hinterland at a pace never seen before,” the Head of State said on Monday, shortly after administering the Oath of Office to the new Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and several commissioners. “This is because we have been investing in the latest technology available, because we believe that people, all the people of our country have a fundamental right to the same access, giving them the same opportunity and allowing them the same prospects in life.” Acknowledging the gap in access to regulatory bodies like PUC, President Ali stressed the need for government to take robust action in bridging gaps, particularly in the hinterland communities. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Steve Rosenberg: Ukraine's incursion shows Russia's war is not going to plan
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was conceived in the Kremlin as a short, sharp military operation. The expectation was that it would take a matter of days, a few weeks maximum, for Russia to establish control over its neighbour. That was nearly two-and-a-half years ago. The war in Ukraine rages on. It has not gone at all as Moscow had intended. But here’s the thing. Over the last 29 months, so often we’ve heard senior Russian officials claiming that the operation is going “according to plan.” President Vladimir Putin last said that in May, despite everything that had happened in the preceding two years: the heavy Russian casualties on the battlefield, the destruction of multiple Russian warships in the Black Sea, drone attacks deep inside Russia (even on the Kremlin itself), the shelling of Russian towns and villages near the Ukrainian border, the mutiny by Wagner mercenary fighters who had marched on Moscow. Read more here
8th August 2024