NEWS
Flooding, landslides, fallen trees caused by adverse weather
The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) reported a series of incidents occurring during the yellow-level weather alert on Tuesday. There was one reported incident in the north-west region where a tree fell in Upper Santa Cruz at Sam Boucaud. Saw operators were dispatched to deal with the issue. Another tree fell in the east on Toco Road which took down power lines and was blocking the road; at the time the fire service was there waiting for TTEC. Another tree fell on lines in Euroze Trace, Biche. Read more here
Relatives of murdered man tell ‘bad boys’: Put down the guns
Through his grief and pain yesterday, a relative of the slain father of one Adesh Heeralal appealed to “bad boys” to put down the guns. “Please refrain from your wicked ways and drop the gun, live the right way, please. We have family, you have a mother and children too. You have sisters and brothers. You will not like the same to happen to them. Please, please I beseech you, drop your gun, refrain from your wicked ways, and ask God to forgive you, even though my nephew done dead,” pleaded Rajendra Rampersad. He was speaking with reporters at Heeralal’s home at Wilson Road in Penal where he (Heeralal) lived with his wife, Menisha Bridgemohan, and his 17-month-old son. Read more here
POLITICS
Young warns energy companies on supply shortfalls
While asserting there is no natural gas crisis and labelling such reports unfortunate, Energy Minister Stuart Young has called on upstream gas suppliers to maintain a steady supply to national aggregations and the overall value chain. Young made the comments at National Gas Company's (NGC) Asset Integrity Report at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain on Tuesday. He explained that upstreamers such as Shell and BP would pull resources from the ground, and send the gas to the NGC or Atlantic LNG, where it would be processed and sent to downstream companies such as ammonia or petrochemical companies. But he added that the priority for TT’s natural gas is to fuel power generation, which means that lower production from upstream would affect the downstream companies. Read more here
BUSINESS
UWI launches chocolate factory
Already standing on a historic and enviable reputation for the world’s finest cocoa beans, T&T is being prepared for the emergence of a booming chocolate industry. The University of the West Indies (UWI), together with the Cocoa Research Centre (CRC) yesterday hosted a foundation laying ceremony for the UWI Chocolate Factory, at Univeristy Field Station, Mount Hope. According to CRC director Professor Pathmanathan Umaharan, this chocolate factory has been in the works for the past decade. Umaharan said the factory is being built to materialise the CRC’s research, being the world’s oldest cocoa research institution and custodian to the world’s largest collection of cocoa (over 2,000 varieties). Read more here
Slow progress on Dragon Gas
More than a month after signing a confidentiality agreement with the Bolivarian Republic, Trinidad and Tobago is no where closer to bringing much needed natural gas from Venezuela to these shores. Sources in a position to know tell Express Business that the negotiations are at a standstill because the T&T government is awaiting to see what happens in Venezuela with respect to the present crackdown on corruption before it tries to engage the south American neighbour. Read more here
REGIONAL
Job opportunities are readily available
As 1,450 Guyanese graduated on Tuesday with the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level Six certificates, President Dr. Irfaan Ali called on the graduates to make the best of the job opportunities being made readily available, with the government ready to provide assistance to persons desirous of pursuing careers in the nursing, teaching, caregiving and hospitality sectors. Delivering the feature address at the ceremony held at the National Cultural Centre (NCC), President Ali said that the government is doing its part to create a country where all citizens can equally benefit, and so Guyanese must ensure to make the best of the opportunities being made available to them. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Taliban kill IS leader behind Kabul airport bombing
The Islamic State group mastermind thought to have planned the devastating 2021 bombing at Kabul airport has been killed by Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, US officials say. The bombing that August killed 170 civilians and 13 US soldiers as people were trying to flee the country as the Taliban took control. The IS figure was killed weeks ago but it took time to confirm his death, US officials told BBC news partner CBS. His name has not been released. US officials said they had determined through intelligence gathering and monitoring of the region that the leader had died, though they did not provide further details on how they had learned that he was responsible for the bombing. Read more here
26th April 2023