NEWS
International Soca Monarch cancelled
There will be no International Soca Monarch this year. Geoffrey Wharton-Lake, one of the event’s directors, confirmed this on Friday evening. He did not go into further detail as to why. However, he said the organisers will meet with stakeholders after the Carnival period to discuss a way forward. This comes after Wharton-Lake previously said the event would be held, on the usual Carnival Friday. Read more here
TTPS: Car thefts on the rise
A senior officer of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) is urging the public to reset their priorities and ensure their vehicles are outfitted with GPS trackers. TTPS Media Ambassador acting ASP Rajesh Lal, who appeared on CNC3’s Morning Brew yesterday, also advised party-goers to adjust their spending and even their outfits to avoid becoming a target of criminal during the Carnival season. Although he would not say what the TTPS is doing to reduce the current high incidence of vehicular theft across the country, Lal warned citizens not to make themselves a “hard target.” Read more here
POLITICS
Gopeesingh chides Khan, Ramona on motion
UNC Chief Operations Officer (COO) Dr Tim Gopeesingh has chastised UNC members Dr Fuad Khan and Ramona Ramdial for saying he supported their motion against the party's national executive. Speaking during an Opposition media conference on Thursday, Khan asked whether the two were aware that he has been working as the party’s COO for months. “The entire national executive (natex) is fully supportive of Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the general membership voted convincingly for her to continue as political leader just a few months ago. Read more here
Kamla: No retreat, no surrender UNC leader gets full backing of MPs, execs
That was the vow yesterday from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar after she received firm backing from her Parliamentarians, party arm members and membership. This after “Bahut Kuchoor” (plenty mischief) was at play against her, UNC deputy leader Roodal Moonilal and other UNC MPs said, following reports of motions against the party’s executive and Persad-Bissessar. An unsigned “anonymous” motion calling for Persad-Bissessar to step down was floated on social media on Wednesday, at the same time former MPs Fuad Khan and Ramona Ramdial filed a motion with the party for debate at Sunday’s party congress. Khan’s motion, however, addressed bringing back dormant UNC members and strengthening the executive without removing Persad-Bissessar. But it didn’t qualify for debate. Read more here
BUSINESS
The Renaissance woman
The energy sector has a new player. Her name is Michelle des Etages and she is the CEO of Renaissance Energy Ltd, a small, mature but viable oil field in south Trinidad. But that’s not all. Des Etages, 52, now has the honour of being this country’s first female independent oil producer, among a field of 19 independent operators, including both lease and farm-out. Her company, aptly named using the French word for rebirth, is a 100 per cent locally-owned and family-run company based in GP Road, Barrackpore. Read more here
Mark: Govt putting fuel subsidy pressure on gas station owners
Opposition Senator Wade Mark on Wednesday called on Government to pay the fuel subsidy directly to Paria Fuel Trading Company Ltd, instead of putting pressure on gas station owners. Finance Minister Colm Imbert has sought the approval of the Parliament for supplementary funding in the sum of $815.6 million for fiscal 2022 for two ministries, including $800 million for the Ministry of Energy related to fuel subsidy payments owed to the Trinidad and Tobago National Petroleum Marketing Company Ltd (NP) and the United Independent Petroleum Company Ltd (Unipet). Read more here
REGIONAL
New wave of economic activities imminent
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has said that Guyana will continue to work on an international agenda that will propel the country to become a global leader in several areas, including agriculture, technology, education and even on the oil and gas front. The Head of State made this announcement while delivering the feature address at India’s 73rd Republic Day Anniversary reception at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre, on Thursday. President Ali recently returned from India after leading a delegation of ministers and local private sector representatives. There were “fruitful engagements” with the Government of India in many areas which presented numerous opportunities for Guyana, in keeping with the government’s developmental trajectory. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine war: Zelensky's government launches anti-corruption drive
It's been a political reshuffle with a difference. At the time of typing this, 11 officials have either resigned or been sacked as Kyiv tries to tackle government corruption. It's led to some politicians in the US calling for aid to Ukraine to be restricted. President Volodymyr Zelensky is trying to quickly restore public faith, but the allegations are serious, and the timing is bad. Several claims have surfaced thanks to Mykhaylo Tkach, an investigative journalist for the news website Ukrayinska Pravda. He has recently reported that the company of a senior official's personal trainer allegedly received millions of pounds since the full-scale invasion, as well as a story about President Zelensky's deputy head of office. Read more here
27th January 2023