NEWS
Gun dealer warns CoP of court action over missing 500 rounds: Where's the ammo, Erla?
Attorneys for a Chaguanas gun dealer are warning Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher of impending legal action over the police’s inability to account for 500 rounds of nine-millimetre ammunition seized from his dealership in October 2022. In a letter last week, attorneys Anand Beharrylal, KC, Kyle Taklalsingh, Asif Hosein-Shah and Ananda Rampersad, told Harewood-Christopher it appeared she had lost control of the police service. The missing ammunition belongs to gun dealer Towfeek Ali. It was seized by police last year as part of an audit into the issuing of firearms users' licences (FUL). Read more here
Businessman appeals for approval to build toilet facility at Maracas Lookout
The owner of Eden’s Sweet and Sour Hot Spot and sponsor for the Maracas Lookout, Bobby Singh, is requesting the requisite approval to build a toilet facility for customers and patrons of the site. “The only thing I need right now is approval because we do everything by the book,” Singh told Guardian Media during a visit on Good Friday. He said he applied for permission under the People’s Partnership administration. “I did it over ten years ago and I got the approval but then the government changed, so then I kind of have to redo it. But they’ve been very cooperative and everything. The Government has been very nice to us,” he said. Read more here
POLITICS
Sinanan: Repairs to 3 landslips before rainy season begins
Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan says he is pleased with the ongoing repairs at three major landslips in south Trinidad. The minister and representatives of his ministry visited the areas on Sunday. He said the work is expected to be completed before the start of the rainy season. Works are ongoing at Clarke Road in Penal, Naparima Mayaro Road in Princes Town and Lengua Road in the Moruga/Tableland constituency. "What we have recognised today is there has been a significant number of landslips in Trinidad and we are trying to ensure that the entire country is not disconnected. There should be no part of the island with major disconnection," Rohan Sinanan said. Read more here
BUSINESS
Insurance sector plays big role in Tobago’s GDP
The insurance industry is important to Tobago’s economy, as it contributes four per cent to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine. Speaking to the media following the launch of the local chapter of the General Agents and Managers Association (GAMA) at Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, last Wednesday evening, Augustine said the insurance industry’s contribution to the island’s GDP is more than agriculture and the manufacturing sector combined. Read more here
REGIONAL
Over $1B injected into Region Nine as part of housing drive
The Ministry of Housing and Water, Central Housing and Planning Authority commenced processing Agreements of Sale for the initial 150 allottees of the Tract ‘CHPA’ Housing Scheme in Lethem, Region Nine, on Saturday. Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, who was present at the activity, stated that the process is a critical stage since it gives beneficiaries legal ownership of their land, and they can now anticipate receiving their Certificate of Title, which can be used to obtain financing from banks to construct their dream homes. Permanent Secretary, Andre Ally; Mayor of Lethem, John Macedo; and Deputy Mayor, Debra King were also at the exercise, held at the Regional Housing Office in Lethem. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Myanmar military airstrike kills at least 53 – witnesses
At least 53 people have been killed, according to survivors, in one of the deadliest airstrikes by the Myanmar military in the ongoing civil war. They say that the dead include at least 15 women and a number of children. The BBC cannot verify the numbers. Tuesday's attack targeted a village in the north-western Sagaing region, which has opposed the military government. The military has increasingly used air strikes against their opponents since they seized power in February 2021. Communities in Sagaing have put up some of the strongest opposition to military rule in Myanmar, forming their own militias and running their own schools and clinics. Read more here
11th April 2023