NEWS
Charlieville homeowner fights back – bandit killed during home invasion
A Charlieville landlord fought back against burglars in a home invasion leaving one of the bandits dead and another injured on July 22. The landlord lives on the first floor of the heavily burglar-proofed property at Caroni Savannah Road and rents the ground floor of his home to two businesses. Around 3.10 am on July 22, four men climbed the wall of his backyard, before scaling another wall at the side of the property to gain access to a bedroom window. Read more here
Returnees bill for Parliament in next session
Proposed legislation to return T&T nationals from the Middle East refugee camps is expected to be piloted in Parliament soon after the next session begins. This was confirmed by top government officials yesterday following Guardian Media queries. Guardian Media particularly inquired following the death last Sunday of Amral Khan, a parent of two T&T women and their five children who are at the Al Hol Camp in Syria. Since 2019, Khan has been among the main lobbyists to return T&T nationals who have been in refugee camps. Read more here
POLITICS
Hinds warns against bad decisions, company
BE careful of the company you keep, was a clear message conveyed by Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds at a briefing at his ministry on July 22. While saying the authorities were trying against crime, he related the demise of two crime victims seemingly owing to the company they kept. Hinds said law-enforcement officers could not be everywhere. He recalled the murder of a 22-year-old woman seemingly unable or unwilling to leave an allegedly abusive relationship, but who was beaten to death on July 21. Read more here
Farley: We need radical response to deal with crime surge
Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine says intelligence is now at the heart of Tobago’s crime-fighting efforts as the island prepares to accommodate a cohort of officers and Defence Force personnel. “We are retrofitting old government quarters to create a purpose-built permanent location,” he said. Augustine added that special units from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) are currently being accommodated temporarily. This batch arrived in May after the Tobago TTPS Division introduced its Inter-Agency Task Force and Guard and Emergency Branch officers to deal with the crime surge. Read more here
BUSINESS
Sagewan: RBC forex limit reduction not a surprise
Friday’s announcement by RBC that there will be a reduction in its foreign currency spending limit for credit cards is merely a reflection of the ongoing forex crisis in the country. Economist Dr. Indera Sagewan said this announcement is yet another blow to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) sector, who are already finding difficulty in accessing foreign currency to purchase goods. “For many of them, it the only way they can do international transactions because they too can’t go to the bank and have easy access to foreign exchange. So by and large, it is the only mechanism that is available to them. To further restrict that means that the ability to run your businesses will now be further constrained,” Dr. Sagewan in a phone interview yesterday. Read more here
Witco, SWWTU sign 7% wage increase
The West Indian Tobacco Company Ltd (Witco) and the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU) have signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for a 7% increase in wages and salaries for the period January 2026 to December 2028. “This historic agreement, signed on May 29, 2024, sets a new benchmark for labour relations as it is the first CBA nationally to be settled up to this period. It represents Witco’s commitment to enhancing the overall employee experience and fostering a workplace culture dedicated to synergy and support where all employees can thrive and grow,” a release stated yesterday. Read more here
REGIONAL
Gov’t ramps up efforts to strengthen Guyana’s flood resilience
As the government continues to ramp up efforts to strengthen the country’s flood adaptation and resilience, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh on Monday signed a US$45 million agreement with the World Bank, for the Coastal Adaptation and Resilience (CARes) project. Signing on behalf of the World Bank was its Resident Representative, Diletta Doretti. The CARes project marks the latest and the second largest investment to date being financed through the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) established by the Government pursuant to the Guyana-Norway partnership, under the original Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), utilising the remaining portion of the over US$220 million earned by Guyana for its forest climate services. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Kamala Harris wins enough support to clinch Democratic nomination
Vice-President Kamala Harris has secured the support of a majority of Democratic delegates to become the party's nominee for president. A survey by the Associated Press on Monday evening said she had received the endorsement of more than the 1,976 delegates needed to win the nomination in the first round of voting. That means Ms Harris is on course to be crowned the party's standard bearer and take on Republican Donald Trump in November's presidential election. It becomes official when party delegates hold a roll call vote ahead of next month's Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. Read more here
23rd July 2024