NEWS
National Trust reveals possible slave pen in Tacarigua
The National Trust and the Idekada Group revealed a room and tunnels on the Home Construction Ltd compound in Tacarigua on Wednesday which may have been used to hold slaves on the Orange Grove Plantation. National Trust chair Margaret McDowall, while showing government and state officials as well as the media around the room, said, “There are certain things we know and certain things we feel. We know the room is too small for grain, and too large for valuables. There’s a grilled cast-iron grate at the front, so it’s probably not a space for the plantation owners and their families to hide from slaves. So our tentative conclusion is that it was used to hold slaves. Read more here
Chief State Solicitor tells lawyer for trini terrorist– Hold your hand on lawsuit
The Attorney General’s office has briefed attorneys, which include Gilbert Peterson SC, to advise on the case of the return of ISIS convict, Sabirah Khalidah Waheed. And yesterday, the office of the Chief State Solicitor wrote to Waheed’s attorney Criston J Williams asking him to hold his hand in pursuing legal action, as they are currently working to provide a substantive response on the matter. The letter came after Guardian Media reported yesterday that the Ministry of National Security and Foreign and Caricom Affairs have been pointing fingers at each other as to who has jurisdiction in the case of Waheed for her affiliation with ISIS. In the letter to Williams dated July 26, 2023, signed by Sara Muslim, she noted that attorneys Nisa Simmons and herself have been assigned to instruct Peterson SC, and Vanessa Gopaul “who were recently retained to act on behalf of the proposed defendant”. Read more here
POLITICS
Al-Rawi to new municipal cops: TT will test your integrity
The first all-male batch of municipal police graduated on Wednesday, and Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi urged them to respect women and be honest. The graduation ceremony occurred at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts at Todd Street in San Fernando. The graduating class (batch two of 2022) comprised 47 men. Al-Rawi, also the San Fernando West MP, said there had been a gender imbalance in the service, with most of the intakes being women. Al-Rawi, the featured speaker, emphasised the importance of a properly balanced service to ensure power, protection, and comfort. Read more here
OWTU members help UNC candidate drum up support in South
Hours after trade union leaders said there was a “possibility” that they could work with UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to help citizens of the country, some Point-a-Pierre branch members of the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) walked side by side with UNC members and candidates, campaigning in Marabella. On Monday morning, OWTU and Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) leader Ancel Roget said a partnership between the labour movement and the UNC had not been ruled out. He spoke after delivering a letter to the Finance Minister seeking improvements to the conditions affecting citizens. Roget said a letter regarding what was sent to Finance Minister Colm Imbert was also sent to UNC and Opposition Leader Persad-Bissessar. Hours later on Monday evening, some OWTU members in their trademark blue jerseys were seen walking with UNC candidate Kern Ramdhin in the Marabella East/Pointe-a-Pierre area. Read more here
BUSINESS
Brydens group invests US$25m for new warehouse
AS Brydens and Sons Holdings has signed off on a US$25 million investment for a new warehouse in Central Trinidad – construction will begin in September – following its recent acquisition by Jamaican-based distribution service Seprod Ltd last May. Seprod Ltd manufactures and distributes in sectors such as beverages, food and grocery and pharmaceuticals. Some of the products are Chubby, Goya, Kraft, Planters and Seven Seas among many others. At the time of the acquisition being subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, Seprod said, in a release then, the projected combined annual revenues to be in excess of US$500 million said CEO of Seprod Ltd and AS Brydens and Sons Holdings Richard Pandohie while speaking to Newsday at the Trade and Investment Conference (TIC) last Thursday. Read more here
KFC donates $.25m to tertiary students
AS part of its 50th anniversary celebrations in Trinidad and Tobago, KFC has donated $250,000 towards 50 tertiary-level bursaries for deserving students. The bursary is aptly named the KFC Bucket Bursary. KFC said they wanted to thank Trinbagonians for allowing the brand to be part of their lives for the past 50 years. Vice president of KFC and Pizza Hut Roger Rambharose said, “When we first sat down as a team to discuss how we would celebrate such a milestone, we all agreed that thanking our customers for their support was what it was all about. And the first initiative on the table was support for education as this has far-reaching implications for the development of our people.” Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana could become manufacturing hub for electric vehicles
With a booming oil and gas industry, Guyana has captured the attention of the world and recognising this, the country’s President, Dr Irfaan Ali continues to encourage investment from foreign countries. On Wednesday, during a meeting with Gong Zheng, the Mayor of Shanghai, the Head of State made a case for Guyana to become a manufacturing hub for electrical vehicles (EV). “We do not want Guyana only to be a selling hub for your products, we want Guyana to be an important manufacturing hub for your products. “We want Guyana to be a natural choice as your partner in developing your industries, in moving to manufacturing and industrial development… having electronic vehicles manufactured in Guyana…for the [Latin America and Caribbean] region,” President Ali said during his meeting with the Mayor at the Great Hall in Shanghai. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
North Korea: Kim Jong Un shows off missiles to Russia defence chief Shoigu
Kim Jong Un showed off North Korea's latest weapons to Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday. Pyongyang invited the Russian delegation led by Mr Shoigu, as well as Chinese officials. They will attend Pyongyang's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, marked typically by massive military parades. The weapons on display included the Hwasong intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Successfully tested in April, it is believed to be the country's first ICBM to use solid propellants, which makes it quicker to launch than liquid-fuel ones. Also on show were two new drone designs, including one resembling the primary offensive strike drone used by the US Air Force, according to NK News, a specialist site focusing on North Korea. Read more here
27th July 2023