NEWS
Griffith to curfew partiers: We will find you
Police Commissioner Gary Griffith is warning would-be curfew partiers that the authorities are prepared for any illegal gatherings and any such activities would be dealt with swiftly. Responding to Newsday's questions on the focus of the police while the state of emergency is in effect, Griffith said the police, through their various intelligence-gathering capacities, were waiting for any reports of curfew parties. Read more here
Councillor: Ensure most vulnerable benefit from grants
As the government rolls out its second COVID-19 social support programme for affected citizens, Barrackpore West councillor Nicholas Kanhai says more has to be done to ensure that the most vulnerable benefits from those grants. In a release, Kanhai complained that 57 per cent of the people within his district who applied for various grants last year did not receive them. He said his office printed, completed, scanned the forms and the relevant documents and emailed them for the applicants to the relevant ministries. Read more here
POLITICS
AG: Stricter emergency measures could come
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi warned that stricter measures could be applied if people do not adhere to regulations issued under the state of emergency (SoE). Giving this warning at the Ministry of Health's virtual news conference on Monday, Al-Rawi said he empathised with people who are affected by restrictions such as no exercise in public. After noting numerous comments being made about exercising in public, Al-Rawi said, "I would like to simply point out to the people of TT, do not be surprised, when one observes the mad rush of individuals, not in groups of five, all congregating in areas such as Chaguaramas, Lady Chancellor Hill, Palmiste Park, San Fernando's areas that we enjoy." Read more here
Kamla questions categorising of COVID patients
Are health services categorising COVID patients according to their age and comorbidities and using this basis to determine who they‘ll take care of or shunt aside? Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar last night called for answers on this situation after a letter was sent to her. This detailed the case of a 86-year-old man who died last week at the Couva hospital. “Is it some people see themselves as God and they determine who they will take care of or shunt aside?” Persad-Bissessar asked. She raised the issue during last night's UNC Monday Night Forum. The meeting was unaffected by the current state of emergency and curfew restrictions since it was pre-recorded. Read more here
BUSINESS
Warning on streaming devices
People who import and sell illegal streaming devices, such as media boxes and USB sticks, can face a fine of $250,000 and ten years imprisonment under the Copyright Act of Trinidad and Tobago. Read more here
REGIONAL
O&G earnings to exceed US$500M by year end
Coming on the heels of the successes recorded in the latter part of 2020, a year plagued by a dreaded pandemic and protracted electoral process, is another positive outlook for Guyana, as the country’s total revenue is expected to increase by 17 per cent, with earnings in the petroleum sector alone reaching over US$500 million by the end of this year. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in its Caribbean Quarterly Bulletin which was released on Monday, stated that with Brent crude oil – the index Guyana uses to sell its crude – at more than US$60 a barrel and the expectation of oil production increasing by 46.7 per cent in 2021, the government’s oil revenues could significantly increase this year. Read more here
Family flummoxed as suspect is 15-y-o cousin
A 15-year-old suspect is being sought in the shooting death of his six-year-old cousin in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, yesterday. The deceased has been identified as Jadaine Miller, who lived in the same yard as the accused. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Israel and Palestinians brace for day of protests after first night without Gaza rocket fire in a week
Israel and the Palestinian territories were bracing for a potentially tense day of protests and strikes Tuesday, as both sides prepare to bury the victims of the deadliest violence the region has seen in years. Several people will be laid to rest in Gaza, while a Jewish man, who succumbed to his injuries after being badly wounded during mob violence in the central Israeli city of Lod last week, will also be buried. A number of Palestinian groups, including Hamas militants in Gaza and Fatah in the West Bank, called for mass strikes and protests, but it's unclear if those efforts will gain steam. Palestinian factions have made similar calls in the past, only to see demonstration plans fizzle out. Read more here
Migrants reach Spain's Ceuta enclave in record numbers
At least 6,000 migrants have reached Spain's Ceuta enclave from neighbouring Morocco, a record number over a single day, Spanish officials say. They say the migrants - who include about 1,500 minors - either swam around the border fences that jut out into the sea or walked across at low tide. They are said to be mostly from Morocco. Spain says it has already sent some 2,700 back - but not the minors. Spain's Ceuta and Melilla enclaves have become magnets for African migrants. Spanish troops have been deployed to the beach to help border police at Ceuta's main entry point - Tarajal, on the enclave's south side. Read more here
18th May 2021