NEWS
Penal man held for setting car on fire
A man suspected of damaging and setting a car on fire at a family’s home in Penal is expected to be charged over the weekend. The fire spread to the nearby house, partially damaging it. There were no reports of injuries. The 35-year-old suspect remained in custody up to the afternoon of May 12. South Western Division police said the attack happened before dawn on May 10 at Bheemul Branch Trace off San Francique Road. The family was awakened by the suspect shouting and threatening to kill them. Read more here
Mother pleads for a job
Jocanna Joseph is a case study in resilience. Seldom would someone in her situation find the strength for optimism. With seven mouths to feed, and a small one- room wooden home, barely big enough for two, her family of eight is the very definition of ‘having nothing but each other’. “A woman knows how to stretch and to make things happen,” the 27-year-old mother said with a smile. But as a chicken pecked at a fallen mango tree in the yard of their Church Street, Matura home, a brief look of worry betrayed her innate cheerful countenance when the mother of seven confronted the reality that despite her boundless optimism, the resources before her to feed and to shelter are finite. Read more here
POLITICS
Committee established for UNC internal elections
The United National Congress (UNC) said it has established its Elections Management Committee (EMC), which will oversee the party’s internal elections on June 15. A release sent on Sunday said the EMC members are UNC chairman Darrell P Allahar, Marilyn Martin and Dr Allen Sammy, who are tasked with preparing the elections in accordance with the terms of reference and rules. The statement says the EMC is to ensure all things are done with integrity, fairness and confidence in the membership. Read more here
UNC: PM, Hinds must break silence on gangs spying on cops
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds must break their silence and give the status and whereabouts of 41 illegal cameras which are unaccounted for after 23 other cameras were discovered mounted on TTEC poles monitoring police stations. Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein made the call at yesterday’s UNC media briefing at the party’s headquarters in Chaguanas. Citing the T&T Guardian’s story on Saturday which reported the discovery of the 23 illegal cameras monitoring police station activity in Arouca, St Joseph and Tunapuna, Hosein said there must be an emergency meeting of the National Security Council to ascertain the facts of this issue, which affects all in T&T. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘Massive, successful PPP Congress caused mental unease for detractors’
The resounding success of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)’s 32nd Congress has left detractors with “mental unease”, General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said. He made those remarks during his weekly press conference at Freedom House, where he set the record straight on several issues that have been peddled by PPP critics. “I knew what was said before the Congress. Many of them were predicting bacchanal; they were predicting warfare, [and] they were predicting confusion. We had over 40 articles and social media posts from our detractors, particularly my detractors, urging people not to support me; not to vote for me,” he said, adding that there were messages to the delegates as to what they should and should not do. Those attempts to disrupt the conference were, however, futile, the General Secretary said, noting: “I’m so pleased that in spite of the sustained attempt to steer people to a particular outcome, they’ve all failed, and our Congress, by any metric whatsoever, was a resounding success.” Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Vladimir Putin removes Sergei Shoigu from Russian defence ministry
Russian President Vladimir Putin has removed his long-standing ally Sergei Shoigu as defence minister, the Kremlin has announced. The 68-year-old has been in the role since 2012 and is to be appointed secretary of Russia's Security Council. Papers published by the upper chamber of the Russian parliament said Mr Shoigu will be replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov. The Kremlin said the defence ministry needed to stay "innovative". Russian government papers show Mr Putin wants Mr Shoigu to take over from Nikolai Patrushev on the powerful security council. It is not yet clear what Mr Patrushev's new post will be. Read more here
13th May 2024