NEWS
TEMA urges caution on roads prone to landslip
Drivers are being asked to be extremely careful on Tobago’s roads. Speaking with Newsday on Monday, director of the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) Allan Stewart made the appeal for caution, "especially on the roadways that are prone to land slippage. "There is a strong possibility that we can have slope failures and these failures can cause harm to the motoring public. People need to be very cautious.” On Sunday there was a major landslide on the Windward Road with huge boulders being displaced. Read more here
Family baffled at woman’s killing by female relative ‘Something just tripped her off’
The brutal stabbing of 68-year-old Patsy Ramcharan by a close female relative has left her relatives heartbroken and confused. Ramcharan suffered 70 wounds while her husband was sprayed with pepper spray to prevent him from helping her during the attack at their White Trace, St Mary’s Village, Moruga home on Sunday. According to relatives, the 38-year-old suspect is a US citizen and US Marines veteran and shared a close relationship with Ramcharan. Four months ago, Ramcharan returned home after visiting the suspect, her seven-year-old daughter and husband at their Louisiana home and the suspect returned to T&T with her. Read more here
POLITICS
Hinds: Bad weather not stopping police from fighting crime
National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds says the police are ready and able to deal with criminals who may try to take advantage of the bad weather. He spoke at a virtual press conference on Monday morning. He said reconnaissance has been used in areas including Oropune and Piarco to help with evacuations as the country continues to experience flooding. Asked by a reporter if the police is prepared, should major power outages occur, when it comes to criminal activity, he said he knows there are people who would "want to use their ill will and ill-minded energies to harm and hurt people in these kind of crises." Read more here
Minister: All pumps are working
Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan is assuring the public that all the pumps installed to remove floodwater from communities are fully functional and “working all the time.” During a press conference held by Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi on Monday, Sinanan was firm in denying that non-functioning pumps had been the main contributor to multiple cases of flooding across the country in recent days. “The pumps are working. We have no problems with the pump. Obviously, I mean water is rising and people are hoping that, look, we have pumps to pump this water out. But the volume of water that we have is so much,” Sinanan said. Read more here
BUSINESS
Trincity gets new mall
Residents of Trincity and environs now have more shopping options with the official opening on Sunday afternoon of East Gates Mall. The mall is a 240,000-square-foot shopping and entertainment destination located at the corner of Trincity Central Road and College Avenue. Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Edward Aboud, director of George Aboud and Sons Ltd, said East Gates Mall was built to accommodate family lifestyles, businesses, retail stores entertainment and personal health. “We wanted to create an atmosphere, a shopping experience categorised by comfort, serenity and security. We wanted to build a mall that would offer an experience to entire families not only to teenagers and young adults, but for parents and toddlers as well. Our entertainment centre will have children’s activities, gaming, restaurant, and a bowling alley which we expect to open in the first quarter of 2023.” Read more here
REGIONAL
No knowledge that security footage was being monitored
Although security cameras were installed in and around the tabulation room at the former GECOM command centre, no one seems to know who was monitoring them. According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) newsletter, former tabulations supervisor, Aneal Giddings, and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Edgar Thomas, on Monday, disclosed that there was no designated area to monitor the footage from the cameras. The two were among those who accompanied the members of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on a tour of the Ashmin’s building where the command centre was located in March 2020. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Spanish coastguard finds stowaways on ship rudder
Three stowaways have been found sitting on the rudder of a ship after it completed an 11-day voyage from Nigeria, Spanish authorities say. A photo shared by the coastguard shows the men sitting on the rudder at the oil tanker's stern, their feet less than a metre away from the water. They were taken to hospital at the tanker's destination in Gran Canaria and treated for moderate dehydration. It's unclear if they spent the entire journey perched on the rudder. The Maltese-flagged Althini II arrived in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, from Nigeria's largest city Lagos - a journey of more than 2,700 nautical miles - according to data collected by maritime tracking websites. Read more here
29th November 2022