NEWS
Pleasantville woman mourns loss of daughter, 22 - UWI STUDENT DIES SUDDENLY
As the world gets ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, 22-year-old University of the West Indies student Khadeeja Taylor died on Thursday morning after what her mother firmly believes was a demonic possession. Sitting with Newsday outside her Ibis Drive, Pleasantville, home as incense burnt inside on Thursday afternoon, Taylor’s mother Jennifer Sandy-Taylor, 52, said there was nothing that modern medicine could explain about what happened to her daughter. Read more here
Cop in fatal Courts double killings arrested
The police constable accused of killing two people and injuring two others during an incident at the Courts Megastore in SAn Juan on Sunday, was arrested by a team of officers on Thursday night. The team included personnel from the Port-of-Spain Criminal Investigations Department and the Professional Standards Bureau. Guardian Media learned that the officer, who is attached to the Witness Protection Programme, was taken into custody and will be questioned on Friday before investigators approach the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice. A senior official confirmed that statements had been recorded from over ten witnesses as part of the investigation thus far. Read more here
POLITICS
Minister: Government spent $34m on utility support programme
Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales says government has spent $34 million on programmes meant to help low-income families with their water and electricity bills. He also says, even after increases proposed by the Regulated Industries Commission (RIC) in October, electricity rates in TT will still be the lowest in the region. Gonzales made those remarks at the Ministry of Public Utilities (MPU) utility assistance distribution ceremony on Wednesday, where low-income families were awarded grant letters for the Residential Electrification Assistance programme, the Water Tank programme and the Electrification Programme. Read more here
PM Rowley on Massy controversy: Forex must be prioritised
Four days after a Massy Holdings executive delivered a controversial statement at the group’s 100th annual general meeting (AGM), Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said the spending of hard-earned US dollars must be carefully prioritised. Asked yesterday if he had views on the issues raised by Massy executive vice president of Business Integrity, Angelique Parisot-Potter, at the group’s AGM on Monday, and the responses of the group’s CEO, Gervase Warner, Prime Minister Rowley said, “US dollars are very hard to come by and not only must be earned but, once earned, must be highly and carefully prioritised before visiting modern-day, self-proclaimed oracles.” The Prime Minister’s comments on the need for priorities in the spending of foreign exchange came in a WhatsApp message to Guardian Media queries on the issue, after he referred to Delphi in the spirit of some of the public comments on the issue. Read more here
BUSINESS
Nedco ends pandemic grant
The National Entrepreneurship Development Company Ltd (Nedco) has ended the Entrepreneurial Relief Grant. A statement sent on Thursday said the discontinuation took effect on December 13, citing the Cabinet's recent evaluation of the programme and the World Health Organisation saying the covid19 pandemic is no longer a global health crisis. The programme, which started in June 2020 as part of the government's pandemic relief response, began with $30 million aimed at supporting micro and small enterprises (MSEs) facing financial challenges. Managed by Nedco, the grant provided up to $20,000 for MSEs with annual earnings below $1 million. In April 2022, the government extended the grant until December 2022, adding an additional $20 million to the fund. Read more here
REGIONAL
Budget 2024 caters for further increase in disposable income
GUYANA will see an early budget in 2024, with key focus being placed on providing more disposable income to citizens and advancing the country’s economic development, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said. Dr. Jagdeo, during his weekly news conference on Thursday, told reporters that officials are engaging in preparations for the 2024 national budget. “You will see an early budget… [and] the continuation of building the economic and social infrastructure of the country to enhance future growth and to bring greater comfort to our people,” the General Secretary said. The national budget, Dr. Jagdeo said, will focus on two key elements: Providing more disposable income to citizens and advancing the economy through a slew of policies and programmes. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
China: Outrage over doctor punching patient during surgery
Chinese authorities are investigating a hospital over an incident where a surgeon allegedly punched the patient he was operating on at the time. It was captured in a clip that went viral on Chinese social media this week, sparking outrage online. The hospital's parent group, Aier China, has suspended the surgeon and dismissed the CEO of the hospital where the incident took place in 2019. The BBC has contacted Aier China for comment. The video appears to show the surgeon punching a patient in the head at least three times while operating on their eyes. Aier China, which operates a chain of eye hospitals, said the incident took place during an operation in its hospital in Guigang, a southwestern Chinese city. Read more here
22nd December 2023