NEWS
Telephone nos for help 'unreachable'
While chairman of Lifeline TT Lucy Gabriel yesterday comfirmed that the number of people calling Lifeline TT or other organisations which help suicidal people, has increased dramatically, none of the numbers posted on the Ministry of Health's website are reachable. All calls to the Mental Health Unit at the North Central Regional Health Authority at 645-3232 ext 2542; Alive suicide hotline at 689-8525 and 650-5270; and the Mental Health Information Centre at 685-9126 ext 2577, 2571 and 2573, went to recordings. Read more here
RIC director: Less complaints against WASA
In the height of the dry season where some communities have been suffering for water, the Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) has recorded fewer complaints from the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) customers about its delivery of service and inadequate water supply. Confirmation came yesterday from executive director of the RIC Dr James Lee Young during an interview with Guardian Media as UNC activist Devant Maharaj in a Whatsapp message to the media called on customers of WASA in Central and South, who have not been receiving water in their taps for weeks, to boycott paying the State-owned water company. The RIC is a statutory body that regulates water, waste water and electricity sectors and is responsible for protecting consumers’ interest while at the same time ensuring that service providers have adequate resources to provide the highest quality of service to customers. Read more here
POLITICS
Brooks: More gas for TT
GAS supply in TT has improved considerably. National Gas Company (NGC) chairman Gerry Brooks made this comment at a TT NGL annual general meeting at the Hilton Trinidad yesterday. Brooks recalled that from 2013 to 2015, gas production in TT had diminished from 4.4 billon cubic feet (bcf) to 2.2 bcf and was “falling precipituously.” He said NGC was able to stem this decline by collaborating with upstream energy producers. Brooks said this resulted in 2018 being the highest year for provision of natural gas since 2013. He said gas from the Trinidad Onshore Compression Project, Juniper, Starfish and DeNovo fields played a role in “getting out of that trough.” When bpTT’s Angelin field comes onstream later this year, Brooks said, “That will help us in terms of replenishment and improvement.” The objective is to get gas production up to four bcf and then 4.2 bcf. Read more here
Young wants to deny illegal gun users bail
No bail for holders of illegal firearms! That’s part of proposed legislation to be brought to Parliament soon, says National Security Minister Stuart Young. He spoke of the legislation in the Senate yesterday after Opposition questions on the recent upsurge in crime when 10 people were shot and six died. (See editorial on Page A16)
Young said the deaths were caused by use of firearms. “Government intends to shortly bring particular legislation to deal with the scourge of illegal firearms. This legislation is specifically to deal with those who want to carry illegal firearms and to deal with taking away their right to bail for being in possession of illegal firearms,” Young said. Read more here
BUSINESS
Where are the promised US$ dividends?
Trinidad and Tobago NGL Ltd (TTNGL) is awaiting word from Finance Minister Colm Imbert on a second request on whether the publicly-listed company can pay its shareholders in US dollars, the currency in which TTNGL normally conducts its business. Read more here
REGIONAL
Relief! - Leaders Hope State Of Emergency Will Drive Down Murders In Wild West
Western Jamaica civic and business leaders yesterday breathed a collective sigh of relief as Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared a state of public emergency (SOE), blanketing St James, Hanover, and Westmoreland, in a bid to curtail rampant crime in the three parishes. Tourism interests, municipal authorities, and everyday citizens welcomed the news that the parishes, which collectively recorded 105 murders up to April 22, would see a significant boost in resources to aid the crime fight. Not counting Kingston and St Andrew with a per-capita murder rate of 21/100,000, Hanover, St James, and Westmoreland have the three highest homicide rates in the country this year, Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson said yesterday. Read more here
Streets of Rage
The streets of Venezuela's capital Caracas was stained with blood and littered with tear gas cannisters as Opposition leader Juan Guaidó took a bold step to lead a coup attempt to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro and his regime. Guaido took to the streets as he called for a military uprising which drew quick support from the Trump administration but also fierce resistance from forces loyal to embattled socialist Maduro. Violent street battles erupted in parts of Caracas in what was the most serious challenge yet to Maduro's rule — kicked off with a video shot at dawn of Guaidó, flanked by several heavily armed national guardsmen, urging a final push to topple Maduro. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
William Barr is in deep trouble
Attorney General William Barr did two strange things between the time he received special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election and when he released it to Congress and the public. The first came on March 24 when, two days after receiving the Mueller report, Barr released a four-page summary letter in which he made clear his conclusion that the report found no collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians and that Mueller hadn't made any recommendation as to whether President Donald Trump should be charged with obstructing justice. Read more here
Libya ‘war crimes’ videos shared on social media
An investigation by BBC Arabic has found evidence of alleged war crimes in Libya being widely shared on Facebook and YouTube. The BBC found images and videos on social media of the bodies of fighters and civilians being desecrated by fighters from the self-styled Libyan National Army. The force, led by strongman General Khalifa Haftar, controls a swathe of territory in the east of Libya and is trying to seize the capital, Tripoli. Read more here
1st May 2019