NEWS
Partially burnt body found in Gasparillo
Homicide Bureau of Investigations (Region III) and Southern Division police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the partially burnt body of a man found at the back of his home in Williamsville on Monday. The police identified the deceased as Peter Jagdeo, 61, of Ben Lomond Village, near the recreational grounds. He was last seen alive around midday on Saturday. The partially burnt and decomposing body was found lying on its back. The police said at around 8.30 am on Monday, a relative went to visit Jagdeo and noticed a foul stench coming from the back of the wooden shack. Read more here
Cops probe deadly chopping in Cunupia
Investigations are continuing into the killing of a 40-year-old man in Cunupia yesterday morning. Police said around 1 am they responded to a call from a resident at Monroe Road, Cunupia where they found two men with chop wounds in the living room and bathroom area. They were told by a 15-year-old, who lives at the house, that he heard the dog barking inside the house and woke up to check. It was then he saw his 29-year-old uncle and another man, identified as Michael Samaroo, fighting in the bathroom area. He raised an alarm and his father and brother managed to restrain the two men. His uncle and Samaroo were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex where Samaroo succumbed to his injuries. Read more here
POLITICS
Hinds: No major explosion of violence for Carnival 2024
National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds said apart from a stabbing and a robbery on Monday, there has been “no major explosion of violence” for Carnival 2024. He made the comment while addressing the media at South Quay during a walkabout in Port of Spain on Carnival Tuesday with Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher and the other heads of the various armed forces. The TTPS, in a media release, said the security arrangements also resulted in no major incidents at any of the major J’Ouvert celebrations on Monday. It said celebrations in Arima, Mayaro, Port of Spain, San Fernando, Sangre Grande, Tunapuna, and Tobago took place smoothly, with a few reports of minor crimes such as common assault and assault by battery. Read more here
Gypsy, Mayor plan to bring more bands to Piccadilly, Downtown
Chairman of the National Carnival Commission (NCC) Winston “Gypsy” Peters yesterday said he believes the Piccadilly Greens judging point should be mandatory for bands wanting to participate in band of the year. When Guardian Media visited the Greens on Tuesday, by 11 am only two bands had crossed the stage. The first band to pass was Lost Tribe around 9.25 am. With the presentation Fly. At 10.59 am the second band to pass was Showtime presenting Tribes of the World. Speaking as he viewed the proceedings at South Quay, Peters said: “I think so because Piccadilly is where Carnival started it is mandatory anyway. That is where Carnival started, and we must never forget that.” Port-of-Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne, who was also there, said the Port-of-Spain City Council is working on plans to bring more bands to downtown Carnival as well as east Port-of-Spain. He added that the strategies used to increase the bands downtown this year will be duplicated for Piccadilly Greens. When asked what those plans were, he said, “a magician never reveals his secrets.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Methanex’s production to fall by 1M tonnes from September
Expect methanol production from Methanex operations in Trinidad and Tobago to fall by at least one million tonnes a year starting from September, according to the company’s president and chief executive officer, Rich Sumner. Trinidad and Tobago has, since 2011, increasingly been unable to produce enough natural gas to supply all its petrochemical and liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants and the reduced output at Methanex is a direct fallout of the continued curtailment. Read more here
REGIONAL
President Ali urges UN security council to address interconnected global challenges
Given the growing interconnectedness of global challenges, there is a pressing need for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to adapt its approach in order to uphold international peace and security. During the country’s presidency of the UNSC in February, President Dr. Irfaan Ali made this call to action on Tuesday. This development arises during Guyana’s ongoing two-year tenure on the Council, which is one of the UN’s six principal organs dedicated to preserving international peace and security. Addressing a pivotal open debate in New York, President Ali highlighted the critical intersections between climate change, food insecurity, and peace and security, advocating for a comprehensive revaluation of how these issues are addressed on the global stage. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Hungary resignations leave Viktor Orban in biggest crisis yet
This has become the biggest threat to Prime Minister Viktor Orban's rule since he returned to power in 2010. Hungary has been shaken by the sudden resignations of the two most popular and successful women in an otherwise strongly male-dominated governing party. President Katalin Novak and former Justice Minister Judit Varga have both taken responsibility for the decision to grant clemency to Endre K, former deputy director of a state orphanage. Endre K was jailed for persuading children to withdraw their testimony against the director of the orphanage for sexual abuse. Read more here
14th February 2024