NEWS
Doctors: Couva Hospital dengue usage good move
While some concerns have been raised about the declaration of the Couva Hospital and Multi-Training Facility as a dengue early detection centre, most reactions have been positive. Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh made the announcement at a media conference at the ministry’s head office on August 13. Head of the TT Nursing Association Idi Stuart said the association’s main concern was with staffing, as it has received several reports of understaffing in various facilities across the country. Deyalsingh said in response to questions from Newsday that there were enough staff to fulfil the new need. Read more here
Woman chased, killed on highway by ex-lover
A 27-year-old woman was chased down by her ex-lover who, in a fit of rage, ploughed into her with his car in Debe on Tuesday night. Kiefer Wilson, also known as Diane, of Caratal Road, Gasparillo, died on the median along the Solomon Hochoy Highway extension after the attack. Police said Wilson was liming with a 42-year-old male friend, who came from abroad to celebrate her birthday last Saturday, at a bar in Gasparillo, when her 26-year-old ex-boyfriend drove by and saw them. There was a confrontation but Wilson and her friend left in a white Aqua. However, the suspect pursued them in a Mazda 3. While nearing the Gandhi Village roundabout on the southbound lane just before 10 pm, the suspect suddenly swerved in front of them and stopped, resulting in their vehicle hitting his. Read more here
POLITICS
Imbert: TT institutions promote good governance
Finance Minister Colm Imbert has said local institutions and legislations such as the Public Procurement Act, the TT Revenue Authority and the Gambling and Gaming Commission promote good governance by allowing for transparency and accountability. "TT has a series of strong institutional checks and balances that establish and maintain a solid platform for good governance," Imbert said. "We have an independent judiciary, a free press, a constitution that respects the rights and freedoms of all citizens, a highly accountable parliament, which scrutinises the government's actions and decisions and the performance of all state enterprises and statutory authorities. Read more here
Farley says island ‘desperate’ as Hinds shuts down fishing boats for Coast Guard
Chief Secretary Farley Augustine yesterday acknowledged that the Tobago House of Assembly is aware that “just renting or leasing a boat is not the most appropriate” for use by the Coast Guard in Tobago. His comments came after National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds called into CNC3’s The Morning Brew programme and said he was not in support of the move by the Chief Secretary to rent fishing vessels for the Coast Guard as a crime-fitting initiative. However, Augustine said the idea showed that in Tobago, “we are desperate for a solution because those charged with the responsibility of providing resources to the Coast Guard have failed the officers and have also failed the people of Tobago and the country by extension.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Govt offers farmers $100,000 climate-change grant
The recent devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl has set back the region’s plan to reduce its food import bill by 25 per cent next year. This was revealed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Land, and Fisheries acting deputy permanent secretary, Denny Dipchansingh, in an interview with Business Guardian. Unveiled in 2022, the implementation of the Caricom Agri-Food Systems Strategy in the member states targets reducing food iports by 25 per cent by 2025. , Dipchansingh said although the commitment to this goal remains strong, the natural disaster last month would have been a set back.. Read more here
Trade Ministry installs TIPA board
A Cabinet committee has chosen businesswoman and InvesTT chair Franka Costelloe to head the new TT Trade and Investment Promotion Agency – an amalgamation of exiting State-run trade organisations: ExporTT, InvesTT and CreativeTT. The now-defunct ExporTT served as the national export promotion company. InvesTT was the national investment promotion company and CreativeTT was the creative industries development and promotion company. The new agency will function at the offices of InvesTT and ExporTT in Port of Spain until a permanent home is found. Read more here
REGIONAL
More than $40M to execute development projects in Monkey Mountain
President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced that a sum of around $42 million will be allocated to the hinterland community of Monkey Mountain in Potaro-Siparuni (Region Eight) to aid the local village authorities in implementing various large-scale development initiatives. The Head of State, who met with residents on Wednesday during community outreach, disclosed that funding has been made available to assist the community with the construction of a village mechanic shop at the tune of $15 million, while another $12 million has been made available to support the construction of a multipurpose facility. Meanwhile, some $5 million will facilitate the construction of an art and women centre, another $5 million will go to a block making project and the construction of shade houses, respectively. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
More than 40,000 killed in Gaza, Hamas-run health ministry says
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli military action in Gaza since the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel, the Hamas-run health ministry says. That number - 40,005 on Thursday - equates to about 1.7% of the 2.3 million population of the territory - another sobering indication of the human cost of the war. Alongside the fatalities, satellite image analysis suggests nearly 60% of buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed since the beginning of the war. In the past few months, the southern city of Rafah has suffered the most damage, imagery shows. Read more here
15th August 2024