NEWS
Palo Seco cops, residents on lookout for 'big cat' – 'Jaguar' on the loose!
Residents of Palo Seco in southwest Trinidad are on the lookout for a jaguar, the third largest cat in the world, after a viral video about a dog being wounded by the deadly animal. Up to Monday, the police could not confirm if jaguars were spotted in the community, particularly in forested areas at No 4 Road. No one reported seeing the animal to the police. Santa Flora as well as South Western Division Task Force (SWDTF) police were trying to verify the information about this "roaming cat" that had possibly been smuggled from neighbouring Venezuela. Read more here
Decomposing body found in Botanic Gardens
The decomposing body found under a mango tree in the Botanic Gardens, Port-of-Spain, yesterday morning, is yet to be identified. The body of an East-Indian man was discovered around 9.30 am by a jogger who wandered off the paved path to investigate a foul stench in an area on the western side of the President’s House. The jogger, who lives at Mt Hololo Road, St Anns, told police he visits the Botanic Gardens regularly. Read more here
POLITICS
Al-Rawi: No road-repair requests from 9 Moruga/Tableland areas
Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi has said that his ministry has not received road-paving or repair requests of behalf of Frederick Road, Hindustan, as well as eight other communities. He was responding to questions from Moruga/Tableland MP Michelle Benjamin in Parliament on Monday. Benjamin asked when paving and repair work would begin at Frederick Road. But Al-Rawi said the ministry had not received any requests for work to be done there, so an update could not be provided. Benjamin asked again when work would begin there. Read more here
Kamla trashes Faris'property tax justification that it 'takes cash to care'
That's how Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has trashed Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi's justification for the property tax that it "takes cash to care." But while the PNM Government is seeking tax from the public, it is hiring a foreigner for $180,000 a month as Heritage Petroleum CEO, she also noted. Speaking at the UNC's Monday Night Report in Rio Claro, Persad-Bissessar added, "Let me tell you something, my friends, caring isn't measured by the amount of cash you demand from hard-working citizens!" The UNC's meeting was in Local Government Elections mode with supporters waving yellow flags and speakers urging the public to vote out the PNM in the upcoming elections. Read more here
BUSINESS
Trade Ministry starts talks on regional value chains
The Ministry of Trade and Industry has started consultations with local stakeholders on the development of regional value chains. A ministry statement said the consultations, which started on May 31, took place over three days with stakeholders from
selected manufacturing sectors in food, beverage, building construction materials/furniture, printing and packaging and industrial and household chemicals. The sessions focused on participants identifying and critically examining the opportunities and constraints in their respective value chains,
in the areas of input supply, production, assembly, wholesale, retail and export. That included mapping forward and backward linkages along the value chain. Read more here
Crime pressurising supermarkets
There has been an upsurge in thefts and violent robberies at supermarkets forcing business owners to spend large sums not only for security systems but also to implement additional measures to safeguard their staff, said President of the Supermarket Association of T&T (SATT) Rajiv Diptee. “Everyone is trying to see how they can increase their efforts not just by ramping-up security systems, which not only include physical aspects like infrastructure but also the security of employees is critical because they are also being targeted. “For instance, it could be a store manager who criminals may target to get access into the store, or certain contents of the store, and we have seen a couple of instances of that within our network,” Diptee explained. He said supermarkets are also advised to conduct frequent vulnerability assessments of their operations, usually in tandem with security experts which is another huge expense. Coupled with this, are increases in pilferage with thieves targeting both high-end and basic food items which also eat away at profits. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana’s modernisation continues with US$150M boost
SENIOR Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Saudi Fund for Development, Sultan A. Al-Marshad on Monday signed a US$150 million agreement for critical infrastructural works in Guyana’s housing sector and the construction of the Wismar Bridge in Region 10. President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, during his address at the signing ceremony, said that the US$150 million not only provides funding for infrastructural works, but also provides permanent benefits for Guyana and its people. “I want to say that the US$150 million is for housing, the Wismar Bridge and the infrastructure that surrounds all of this, but importantly, what it brings is not only a temporary benefit; these are projects that are temporary endeavours but with permanent results,” President Ali said. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Inside the Taliban's war on drugs - opium poppy crops slashed
Balancing an AK-47 assault rifle slung around his left shoulder and with a large stick in his right hand, Abdul hits the heads of poppies as hard as he can. The stalks fly in the air, as does the sap from the poppy bulb, releasing the distinctive, pungent smell of opium in its most raw form. Within a matter of minutes, Abdul and a dozen other men raze the poppy crop which covered the small field. Then the armed men, all wearing a shalwar kameez (a traditional Afghan tunic with loose fitting trousers), most with long beards and some with kohl-lined eyes, pile into the back of a pickup truck and move on to the next farm. Read more here
6th June 2023