NEWS
Girl charged for stabbing Williamsville Secondary schoolmate
A 15-year-old girl has been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after the fight in which her schoolmate, also 15, was slashed on her face with a knife and stabbed on her chest and hand on Monday. The fight happened outside the Williamsville Secondary School compound and was recorded and shared on social media. The wounded girl was, up to Thursday, still being monitored at hospital. Read more here
Ministry: Pothole at Guapo causing uproar on social media to be repaired
The pothole along the road at Guapo which caused an uproar on social media after a car became stuck, has gained the attention of the Ministry of Works and the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA). In a statement, the ministry said WASA had1 dispatched a crew to repair the pothole along the Southern Main Road between the 81.5 km to 82.0 km mark near the First and Last Pocket Bar, Cochrane Village, Guapo, Point Fortin. “In March 2022, the Ministry observed an active water leak at the above location. “A report was submitted to WASA to repair the leak given its potential impact on the roadway if left unaddressed,” the Ministry said. Noting the public concerns about the state of the nation’s roads, the Ministry said it is repairing dilapidated roads based on the availability of funds. Read more here
POLITICS
Sinanan: Solomon Hochoy Highway Extension 87 per cent complete
Works Minister Rohan Sinanan says the Solomon Hochoy Highway Extension from Point Fortin to San Fernando is 87 per cent complete. And he is hoping that by the end of the year most of the highway segments will be open to the public. In an interview with Guardian Media, Sinanan said 12 packages were awarded to contractors in 2017 but works were delayed not only by COVID-19 but also by inclement weather. In 2017, we awarded 12 packages to continue the highway from San Fernando to Point Fortin. To date, five packages have been completed and seven are ongoing. They are about 87 per cent completed.” Read more here
AG remains silent amidst criticism over Piarco airport corruption case
Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, has said he will remain silent in the face of the Opposition’s position that he acted inappropriately and should be fired or resign. Armour issued a media release on Wednesday in connection with an appeal case in the US from which a law firm representing the country was removed. He added that he addressed all concerns in a media release issued on Monday and had nothing further to add. At the UNC’s Virtual Report on Monday, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar accused Armour of lying under oath to a Miami court about his role in representing former clients Brian Kuei Tung and his girlfriend Renee Pierre, who were both charged with corruption in the construction of the Piarco airport. Read more here
BUSINESS
Ghana fintech company approved to do business in Barbados
The fintech company Zeepay has been given the green light from the Barbados central bank to establish its Zeemoney Caribbean headquarters on the island. In a media release on Wednesday, the Ghana-based company, which boasts of being one of the fastest-growing fintech companies in the world, said its operations in Barbados were expected to create about 10,000 jobs while stimulating the fintech ecosystem. Co-founder and CEO Andrew Takyi-Appiah said remittances and diaspora payments remained a major source of foreign exchange and household income for developing economies around the world. Read more here
Elder: No surprise as thousands show up for cruise ship jobs
There should be no surprise that thousands of job-seekers showed up for the Royal Caribbean’s recruitment process, as many are without jobs due to recent retrenchments, according to Communications Workers Union (CWU) secretary general Clyde Elder. Speaking at the head office of the Banking and Insurance General Workers Union (BIGWU) in Barataria, on Wednesday, Elder said Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the response as many workers from Petrotrin, ArcelorMittal and the recently retrenched TSTT employees are still unemployed. Read more here
REGIONAL
Caribbean nations can access funds
Caribbean nations have been offered the scope to access funding for their energy infrastructural projects through the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) 2030, a mechanism initiated by the US to address energy security and climate crisis within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The first major climate change adaptation initiative in the pacific region, the initiative will see the US supporting Caribbean countries’ energy infrastructure and climate resilient projects from beginning to end. US Vice-President, Kamala Harris made the announcement on Thursday, when she met with regional leaders on the sidelines of the Ninth Summit of the Americas underway in Los Angeles, California. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Russia's new version of McDonald's unveils logo
The Russian fast food chain that was formerly McDonald's in the country has revealed its new logo as it prepares to reopen its restaurants from Sunday. The new branding features a circle and two lines, which are said to represent a burger and two French fries. The company has not yet revealed the name of the chain, although a number of options have reportedly been considered. In May, McDonald's said it would pull out of Russia over the Ukraine war. It comes as the Russian chain is scheduled to reopen 15 restaurants this weekend, according to Russian state-owned news agency TASS, which cited Sistema PBO, the firm that manages the business previously owned by McDonald's. Read more here
10th June 2022