NEWS
5 die from covid since Xmas... but 800,000 VACCINES DUMPED
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh says vaccine fatigue among the population may be why Government had to dump nearly 800,000 doses of covid19 vaccines in 2023. Speaking at the launch of the Health Ministry’s influenza vaccination drive at the Divali Nagar in Endeavour, Deyalsingh said the last remaining batch of covid vaccines had to be destroyed in September last year as they had expired. The news came as Deyalsingh also revealed that TT has recorded five covid-related deaths in the last three weeks, after almost two months of no covid cases or deaths. Read more here
St Margaret’s Anglican celebrates 12th Junior Panorama win
Anticipating that the turnout of pupils yesterday would have be low, considering all the excitement after their National Junior Panorama victory on Sunday, St Margaret’s Boys’ Anglican School principal Colette Perez had pushed the celebration ceremony to tomorrow. But she was wrong, as the little members of the school’s steel orchestra, who performed Olatunji Yearwood’s Engine Room to win the Primary School title, showed up in their numbers and were ready to celebrate with their schoolmates. Yesterday, the jubilation continued for members of the steel orchestra and the entire school population, as they belted out the tune which led the school to top. Read more here
POLITICS
MP backs Pepper Village protest over poor roads
Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes Alleyne threw her support behind residents of Pepper Village, Gran Couva who protested about deplorable road conditions on Monday morning. In a statement on Monday, Haynes Alleyne identified Gran Couva as an area in the constituency where there had been several major landslips. She said a review of all of these landslips was first done in 2020, shortly after she was elected MP. Read more here
Kamla wants state of emergency to fight crime
What is needed now amongst all the other suggestions in the fight against crime is a state of emergency in Trinidad and Tobago, says Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar. “Everything else has been tried and tested,” Persad-Bissessar added among her points during last night’s UNC Anti-crime Town Hall Meeting at the Eric Williams Auditorium, La Joya Complex, St Joseph. Persad-Bissessar echoed the view of the previous speaker, political scientist Dr Indira Rampersad, who had said she thought the country needs a state of emergency to address the runaway crime and murder rate. Read more here
BUSINESS
Cox meets with First Citizens
Social Development Minister Donna Cox has met with First Citizens Bank regarding glitches last Christmas which saw some state-issued food cards being declined at the register due to a lack of funding. In a statement yesterday, the ministry said Cox met with “key representatives” of First Citizens Bank to “discuss the way forward for this fiscal (period), ensuring that there is an ease of doing business for vulnerable citizens”. Read more here
REGIONAL
$1.146 trilling Budget 2024 ensures national prosperity, more opportunities
Outlining a clear strategy for building national prosperity and creating opportunities, Guyana’s trillion-dollar+ 2024 budget has been described as a holistic overview of the country’s development trajectory.
In a live broadcast following the presentation of the country’s largest fiscal package of $1.146 trillion to the National Assembly on Monday, President Dr Irfaan Ali said the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will continue with its transformation agenda, as this year’s budget outlines several initiatives to provide disposable income to citizens. He said: “All of these measures are aimed at increasing disposable income, putting more money in the pockets of people, bolstering income for vulnerable groups, and of course, improving the system of services, governance, and the provision of services for our country.” Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
North Korea's Kim Jong Un: Unification with South not possible
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said unification with the South is no longer possible, and that the constitution should be changed to designate it the "principle enemy". Mr Kim also said three organisations dealing with reunification would shut down, state media KCNA reported. South Korea's president said it would respond "multiple times stronger" to any provocation from the North. The two Koreas have been divided since the Korean War ended in 1953. They did not sign a peace treaty and therefore have remained technically still at war ever since. Read more here
16th January 2024