NEWS
UNHCR: Do not forcefully return Venezuelans
With almost 19,000 people, mainly Venezuelans, registered with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in TT as of June, a representative wants the State to implement border control management procedures to allow people to enter the country. Andrew Welch suggested that these people be put in the mandatory quarantine period, after which they should be allowed to seek asylum and access other procedures. “We (UNHCR) recognise that the State has the rights and prerogative to control its borders,” Welch said. Read more here
Cops launch probe into dumped polling cards in Arima
Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith yesterday said an investigation has been launched into the dumping of 2020 General Election polling cards in Arima. The discovery was first made by a member of the public, who said he was told of it anonymously by a resident of the area on Wednesday night. The man said he went to the Pinto Road area himself to investigate the matter and after he found the dumped stash recorded it and posted the video on social media. Read more here
POLITICS
Rowley: Refinery sale not ‘rah-rah’
The Prime Minister said government will only sign a contract for the sale of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery once it is satisfied with the negotiations and if it is in the best interest of the public. He advised the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) to put aside its “rah rah” style of negotiating and put on its corporate cap as this is a billion-dollar investment before them. Prior to the election the union had demanded government sign the agreement with its fully owned subsidiary Patriotic Energies and Technologies Co Ltd, before August 10. Read more here
Al-Rawi declares victory after recount
The People's National Movement's (PNM) Faris Al-Rawi has announced that he is the elected representative for San Fernando West following a recount exercise that ended Thursday night. Speaking outside the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) office on Cipero Street, San Fernando, Al-Rawi said the recount went in his favour. "We have just finished the count for San Fernando West and I would like to announce that victory has been confirmed. I stand as the Member of Parliament properly elected for San Fernando West in the 2020 General Election," he said. Read more here
BUSINESS
ANSA Merchant Bank records robust second quarter
ANSA Merchant Bank Limited had a “robust” second quarter, which caused the company to rebound significantly from its first quarter results, chairman A Norman Sabga has said. Sabga made the statement in the chairman’s report of ANSA Merchant Bank’s unaudited interim results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020.“ANSA Merchant Bank Limited (“the Bank”), Consolidated Finance Company Limited (“CFC”), Trinidad and Tobago Insurance Limited (“TATIL”) and Tatil Life Assurance Limited (“TATIL Life”), (collectively “the Bank Group”), earned a consolidated profit before tax of $95 million for the three month period ended June 30,2020 as compared to $73 million in the same quarter of last year, which represented an increase of 30 per cent year over year,” Sabga stated. Read more here
No tolerance for racism
No tolerance for racism and discrimination. This stand is coming from business sectors across Trinidad and Tobago just 48 hours after statements deemed racist on social media led to one manufacturer receiving major backlash with a boycott of its products. Read more here
REGIONAL
President, First Lady, some ministers test negative for COVID-19
President Irfaan Ali, First Lady Arya Aly and some members of Cabinet have tested negative for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The president and his ministers were tested for COVID-19, after Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, tested positive for the disease. The Guyana Chronicle was informed that Dr. Ali along with other members of his Cabinet received their results late Thursday evening. Read more here
Party promoter claims accounts maliciously frozen
A popular party promoter who had his bank accounts frozen for almost two months amid a probe by the Financial Investigations Division (FID) has filed a more than $220-million lawsuit against the Government. The lawsuit was filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday by lawyers for Andrew Wright, more popularly known as ‘Andrew French’, promoter of the Chug It and Frenchman Connection parties. Wright was barred from accessing his accounts on May 7 this year after the FID, through the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA), went to court and obtained a restraint order on his finances on the basis that it had commenced criminal investigations against several individuals, including the well-known promoter. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Coronavirus: France to be added to UK quarantine countries
Thousands of holidaymakers have seen their plans thrown into chaos after UK quarantine measures were imposed on France from Saturday. The 14-day isolation requirement from 04:00 BST also now applies to people arriving from the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks and Caicos, and Aruba. It comes after France's prime minister acknowledged infection numbers were going "the wrong way". Read more here
Kamala Harris throws Trump off balance
Everyone knew that Sen. Kamala Harris was a frontrunner to get the nod as Joe Biden's running mate; everyone, it seems, except President Donald Trump and his brain trust of loyalists and paid staffers. How could they have been this unprepared? Harris had spent months at or near the lead in just about every analysis of who made the most sense as a VP choice for former vice president Joe Biden. That's why you would have expected Trump and his campaign to roll out a carefully-crafted reaction the moment Biden made the announcement. Read more here
14th August 2020