NEWS
Three teens shot on Ariapita Avenue
Police are investigating an early-morning shooting on Ariapita Avenue on November 10 that left three people injured. Around 6.05 am, a group of people were liming outside a bar at the corner of Ariapita Avenue and Alberto Street. A gunman approached and fired several shots at them. When the smoke cleared, three teenagers, two girls and one boy, were left with gunshot wounds. The boy was shot in the buttocks, one girl was shot in the ankle and the other victim’s shin was grazed by a bullet. Read more here
Elderly women struggling with illness, hardship seek urgent help
Deep within the winding roads of Las Lomas, tucked away in a humble abode on Savary Road, live 65-year-old Deorajie Ougar and her 88-year-old mother, Rookmin. On the surface, their life can seem normal, but when you hear of the struggles they continue to face, you would understand that life has not been so kind. As the rain drenched the porch of the home, the younger Ougar, propped on a single-seated sofa at the front of the house, revealed, “I suffer a stroke on October 1, 2022. Mom suffered a mild heart attack, she had fluid in her lungs, and she had a lung infection.” She also added that her mother had been hospitalised about two weeks ago and was only recently discharged due to improvements in her health condition. Read more here
POLITICS
Finance Minister rejects claims of IMF forex caution
Finance Minister Colm Imbert has rejected claims published in certain sections of the media that government has received a caution from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with respect to the distribution of foreign exchange (forex). In a statement issued by the ministry on November 10, Imbert noted commentary in the public domain about difficulties being experienced by companies and individuals to access forex; government allowing the TT dollar to float (devalue) because the IMF says so; to address the perception of an unfair distribution of forex, should get directly involved in the distribution of forex and not leave it up to the commercial banks or the Central Bank; and government gave into pressure from businessmen and a daily newspaper to resume a forex window at the EximBank for essential imports. Read more here
Scotland: Don’t take extortion threats into your own hands
Minister in the Ministry of National Security Keith Scotland is calling for cooler heads to prevail as there are claims of businessmen wanting to take matters into their own hands in response to a surge in extortions. Scotland, along with senior police and members of the Defence Force visited Chaguanas on Friday to reassure merchants of their commitment to security. During the UNC’s media briefing yesterday, however, Chaguanas Mayor Faaiq Mohammed referred to a recent conversation with a businessman who claimed to have rejected extortionists. Read more here
BUSINESS
WASA in process of transformation, says Gonzales
At the end of an interview with a journalist at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre on the public holiday for Divali, October 31, Public Utilities Minister, Marvin Gonzales takes out his mobile phone and dials a number. After ringing nine times, the operator at the WASA call centre answers. Without identifying himself as the line minister for the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), Gonzales tells the operator that he would like to report a leak in the QRC roundabout in St Clair from which litres and litres of water are being wasted. The operator takes the information provided by Gonzales and gives him a number, which allows the utility to track the pace of its response to calls reporting leaks or problems with water supply. The next day the leak was fixed. Read more here
Night safe deposit a nightmare for agents
Since Play Whe/Lotto agents must now deposit their cash in night safes instead of at bank tellers, they have been facing significant issues, according to Dean Persad, president of the Online Gaming Agents Association of Trinidad and Tobago (OGAATT). However, Allan Campbelle, head of the Electronic Lotto Agents Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ELAATT), believes agents may share some responsibility for the policy change that has led to this situation. Read more here
REGIONAL
Sacrifices of World War heroes must drive peace, justice, and equality
In a powerful and poignant address at this year’s Remembrance Day Wreath-laying Ceremony, President Dr. Irfaan Ali urged Guyanese to reflect on the sacrifices made by countless individuals who gave their lives in the struggle for peace, freedom, and justice. The ceremony, held on Sunday morning at the Cenotaph located near the Bank of Guyana in Georgetown, was attended by government officials, veterans, diplomats and citizens from all walks of life, who used the occasion to pay tribute to those who had fallen in service to their country and fought for human dignity. “We are forever indebted to them for a supreme sacrifice and a cause of peace and freedom,” President Ali said in a reverent address. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Dozens detained after protesters defy ban in Amsterdam
Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators have been detained by police in Amsterdam after defying a ban on public protests in the Dutch capital. Hundreds gathered in Dam Square on Sunday, calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza and expressing dissent towards the ban. Demonstrations were temporarily banned by the mayor after Israeli football fans were targeted in what she called "hit-and-run" attacks on Thursday night after a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax Amsterdam. The Israeli government has advised its citizens to "categorically avoid" Israeli sports and cultural events while abroad - specifically the football match between France and Israel in Paris on Thursday. Read more here
11th November 2024