NEWS
No updates on Chaguaramas kidnapping
More than two weeks after 33-year-old Zephaniah Harripaul was kidnapped from his Chaguaramas workplace, investigators have no fresh leads as to his location. Harripaul was at his workplace Tucker Energy Services Ltd, on February 17 when he was seen being bundled into a grey or silver-coloured car. Witnesses told police some of the captors drove off in Harripaul's car. Read more here
Heritage investigates source of oil deposits on Cedros shoreline
Heritage Petroleum is investigating the source of crude oil deposits along the shoreline in Cedros, causing concern amongst villagers and those who catch and sell shellfish. Cedros councillor Shankar Teelucksingh yesterday explained that between Thursday and Friday, crab catchers and fishermen noticed some residue of oil together with Cansorb (a chemical used in the clean up of oil spills) onshore between Granville Beach and St Ann’s Bay, stretching for about half a mile. He said those beaches are in a remote area with no road access. Read more here
POLITICS
Browne, Gopee-Scoon: Trinidad and Tobago benefits from CSME
Trinidad and Tobago and its people benefit from the free movement of skilled labour under the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne and Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon made this point in their respective contributions to debate on the Immigration (Caribbean Community Skilled Nationals)(Amendment) Bill, 2022, in the Senate on Tuesday. Read more here
Rambharat, Roberts clash on state board chairman also acting as principal
Paul Gabbadon, who chairs the Caribbean Fisheries Training and Development Institute’s (CFTDI) management committee, is also acting as institute principal - and being compensated with the base salary of $21,138 and allowances in the sum of $1,100. Government Senate leader Clarence Rambharat, who confirmed this in the Senate yesterday, clashed with UNC Senator Anil Roberts over the situation. Rambharat said CFTDI is managed by a principal reporting to the management committee. The last principal, who officially retired on June 9, 2012, was employed on contract until departure in September 2019. Read more here
BUSINESS
Manning’s dream creates firsts for NGC in Ghana
Fifteen years after it was first announced, Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s initiative to link T&T to West Africa, through the National Gas Company (NGC), is finally getting off the ground. Wholly State-owned NGC is now celebrating a number of firsts in Ghana: it is the first time it was asked to produce a critical piece of equipment,; that equipment was for an international company, the Takoradi Distribution Station (TDS) in Ghana; the first time such a project was conceived and executed virtually and it marks NGC’s first steps into selling technical services. Read more here
REGIONAL
Digicel to invest $4.5B to expand LTE network
Telecommunications giant, Digicel, is on a path to spend US$22.6 million ($4.5 billion) to upgrade and expand its 4G LTE network, with an aim to increase its current coverage from 86 to 96 per cent of the population before the end of the year. The company is currently completing work on its services at Eterinbang, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), which had developed issues due to the company’s solar power system. Major upgrades are on the cards for Regions One (Barima-Waini), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine: First Lady Olena Zelenska condemns Russian 'mass murder'
Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska has issued an impassioned statement on the Russian invasion, condemning the "mass murder" of the country's civilians. She focused on child casualties, mentioning the names of three children who had died in the bombardments. She said Ukraine wanted peace but would defend its borders and its identity. The whereabouts of Mrs Zelenska, 44, are unknown, and her husband President Volodymyr Zelensky says his family is a target for Russian forces. In an open letter published on the Ukrainian president's website late on Tuesday in English, International Women's Day, Mrs Zelenska said she had received numerous requests for interviews and that her letter served as an answer. Read more here
Pentagon shores up its NATO defenses in Europe
With continued worry that Russia's bloody invasion of Ukraine could spill over into neighboring countries, the Pentagon is putting in place the military infrastructure needed to help run a war in Europe and meet President Joe Biden's pledge to defend "every inch" of NATO territory, according to several defense officials. The Pentagon has deployed thousands of additional troops to Europe, including 500 more US troops announced Monday. Defense officials are also considering whether to move defensive weapons systems such as Patriot missiles into place, an effort that's focused on protecting Poland, Romania and the Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia from any Russian moves on their borders, officials say. Read more here
9th March 2022