NEWS
Udecott: PoSGH tender glitch due to TSTT error
The Urban Development Corporation of TT (Udecott) has said an error in its e-Tender system on the part of the service provider, Telecommunications Services of TT (TSTT), meant that a tender uploaded before the deadline date was not registered when the e-Tender box was opened. It said all affected tenderers were notified of the situation, and no queries were raised. In a release, Udecott said a request for a proposal for the redevelopment of the central block at the Port of Spain General Hospital (PoSGH) was sent to five companies: Yorke Structures Ltd, Steel Structures Ltd, Universal Structures Ltd, Metal-X Engineering Ltd, and Francis-Lau Construction Ltd. It said the latter two indicated they would not submit proposals. Read more here
Schoolgirl, 15, stabbed, slashed in fight with other student
A Williamsville Secondary schoolgirl was stabbed and slashed with a knife during a fight with another schoolgirl yesterday. While the 15-year-old student received injuries to her face, chest and arm, however, police said her injuries are not life-threatening. According to reports, around 2.35 pm, the girl was standing at the Williamsville junction with other students after school was dismissed, when she got into an altercation with another female student, age 15. Read more here
POLITICS
Persad-Bissessar wants Attorney General Armour removed for ‘lying under oath’
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is accusing Attorney General Reginald Armour of lying under oath to a Miami court about his representation of clients in the Piarco matter. She said his recusal from the case has prompted a constitutional crisis as Trinidad and Tobago can only be represented in civil cases by the Attorney General. She wants him fired. During the UNC’s Virtual Report on Monday, Persad-Bissessar said Armour was representing Brian Kuei Tung and others since 2002 in relation to matters arising out of the Piarco matter. She said after Armour’s appointment as AG in 2022, it was Keui Tung who filed a motion to disqualify Armour and the law firm Sequor Law, which was representing Trinidad and Tobago. Read more here
Khan seeking to change ‘culture of blind loyalty’ within UNC
Former United National Congress (UNC) Member of Parliament Dr Fuad Khan is vowing to change what he is calling a culture of blind loyalty and victimization in the UNC. Khan admits his chances of winning on June 26 are very slim due to his limited resources and campaign time to sway opinion. “I have no slate, in fact, I have no gifts to bring, I’m like the little drummer boy at Christmas time, I have no hampers, I have no food card,” Khan said in an interview on CNC3’s The Morning Brew. Read more here
BUSINESS
ANSA McAL appoints Group Chief Strategy Officer
Miles Baker has been appointed as Group Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies effective June 6, 2022. According to a statement issued by ANSA McAL yesterday, Baker will report directly to the Group Chief Executive Officer and will work together with the executive leadership team to build and execute the strategic agenda of the Group. The statement also noted that Baker holds a BSc from the University College Cardiff and has vast consultancy experience, starting in 1998. Further, Baker comes with multiple global experience, having worked in 37 countries for 53 different multi-national business operations. Read more here
Scrap iron dealers want to stop exports
A complete shutdown of scrap metal exports for two to three months is the only way to stem the spate of metal theft, which has caused havoc in some communities. Scrap Iron Dealers Association of Trinidad and Tobago president Allan Ferguson made the call during a news conference at its Kelly Village, Caroni office, yesterday. At Bournes Road, St James, copper fittings on Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) pipes were stolen last week and the community has been without water ever since. The residents asked that after the pipes are repaired the police carry out patrols between 2-5 a.m. when the bandits had struck. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana received Pfizer vaccines for children
A shipment of Pfizer vaccine was donated by the government of Spain and arrived in Guyana Monday morning at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, where it was officially handed over by Ambassador of Spain Fernando Nogales Alvarez to Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony. Also present to receive the vaccine were the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, and Primary School children from several schools in Region Three. The vaccine will BE ‘rolled out’ on Saturday on the tarmac of the National Cultural Centre. Guyana is one of the first countries in the region to access a vaccine for this age range. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine war: EU blames Russia for food crisis prompting walkout
Russia's UN ambassador has stormed out of a UN Security Council meeting after the European Council president blamed Russia's invasion of Ukraine for causing a global food crisis. Charles Michel said Russia was using food supplies as a "stealth missile" against the developing world, forcing people into poverty. The Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia accused Mr Michel of spreading lies. The war has left food stuck at Ukrainian ports. Ukraine is a large exporter of cooking oil as well as cereals such as maize and wheat. Russia also exports vast amounts of grains as well as fertiliser. The lack of these exports has caused the price of alternatives to soar. "Mr Ambassador of the Russian Federation, let's be honest, the Kremlin is using food supplies as a stealth missile against developing countries," Mr Michel said during the Security Council meeting in New York. Read more here
7th June 2022