NEWS
Friends murdered hours apart in San Juan
Police are investigating the murders of two friends who were shot to death hours apart in San Juan on Monday. Police reports say at around 1.15 pm, Mikeal Williams, 30, of Febeau Village, San Juan was in an open shed at the corner of Cocoa Road and Sou Sou Lands when several gunshots were heard. When police arrived, they found Williams lying on the ground of the shed near a refrigerator. He had been shot several times. A 19-year-old woman who was standing nearby was also shot in the abdomen. Police recovered several bullets at the scene. Read more here
ExxonMobil to explore for oil in Essequibo region
The US oil and energy giant, ExxonMobil, says it plans to explore for oil offshore the Essequibo region where Venezuelan gunboats had six years ago chased seismic research vessels in oil concessions that had been granted by Guyana. “The Liza field, the last time I looked, takes you pretty close to that (equidistant) line. We plan to drill two exploration wells west of Liza and Payara. The Trumpet Fish and Redmoth exploration wells are planned more in the middle of the Stabroek Block during the course of this year so it's not inhibiting that activity in our plans,” said President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge. In 2015, Venezuela’s President, Nicolas Maduro had unilaterally extended his country’s maritime boundary to take in all of the waters off the Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice counties after ExxonMobil had first announced its first oil discovery offshore Guyana. Venezuela’s navy had also intercepted two seismic research vessels in 2018 that had been gathering data for American companies, Anadarko Petroleum and ExxonMobil, off the Essequibo Region. Read more here
POLITICS
Rowley: Police Comissioner has Government's full support
The Prime Minister said on Tuesday he was supporting Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher in her post, just as he would do for any appointee on the job. He did not say if this support would endure beyond May, when her contract expires. Dr Rowley said Harewood-Christopher had been one of just three of the police top-brass able to pass a polygraph (lie-detector test) to attain the top cop post and had been on a committee which had published recommendations on the police service (TTPS), the final report of the Police Manpower Audit Committee: Now is the time; No sacred cows. Read more here
BUSINESS
Erla urged to establish police inspectorate
Police Commissioner Erla Christopher must step up and action a manpower audit report that was commissioned seven years ago by first establishing a police inspectorate, says Professor Emeritus Dr Ramesh Deosaran. In 2017, Deosaran chaired an eight-member committee, which included Christopher, that looked into the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS). Read more here
Cement prices up 30% since Dec. 2021
Trinidad and Tobago Contractors Association (TTCA) president Glenn Mahabirsingh says following the announcement of the fourth price increase in cement in just over two years, the construction sector will be placed under strain in what is expected to be one of its busiest periods. On Monday, local cement manufacturer Trinidad Cement Ltd (TCL) announced that the price of the commodity will increase on February 19. The new price of the 42.5 kilogram (kg) bag of Premium Plus cement VAT inclusive is $57.38. The current cement price is $53.81, which is an increase of 6.63 per cent. Eco Cement in 42.5kg sacks will now be $52.88 VAT inclusive, while the current price stood at $49.10. That is an increase of 7.69 per cent. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘Less talk, time for action’
President Dr Irfaan Ali has said that there needs to be less talk and more action within the business community. The President, during his address at the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Corporate Dinner on Monday night, called on private sector stakeholders to reposition their businesses to deal with a wide array of investment opportunities coming to Guyana—the fastest-growing economy in the world. Dr Ali offered this advice regarding the investment opportunities the government is trying to create for local businesses over the next five to 10 years. “I want you guys to understand the scale of development and investment that is coming our way. And to reorient your businesses to deal with that scale,” the Head of State said. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Pakistan election: Two deadly blasts in Balochistan day before vote
Two bomb explosions have killed at least 22 people in Pakistan's Balochistan province on the eve of general elections, officials say. The first blast killed 14 people in front of an independent candidate's party office in Pishin district. A second explosion left eight people dead in Qillah Saif Ullah district, about 150km (93 miles) away. Many others were injured in the two blasts. The election has been marred by violence and claims of poll-rigging. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack in Pishin, a town about 50km from the city of Quetta and 100km south-east of the Afghan border. The provincial authorities said 25 people were also wounded. Images on social media show cars and motorbikes blown apart by the force of the explosion. It took place outside the election office of a local independent candidate who officials told the BBC was meeting his polling agent at the time. Read more here
7th February 2024