NEWS
Venezuelan mother clear to challenge heliport's use for holding illegal immigrants
A Venezuelan mother who was detained with her son at the heliport in Chaguaramas for a year and a half will be allowed to pursue her judicial review claim against the Minister of National Security over the suitability of the Chaguararmas heliport as an immigration detention centre. On June 11, Justice Margaret Mohammed gave the woman permission to pursue her lawsuit in the public interest. In her lawsuit, the woman wants the court to declare the minister’s decision to designate the heliport as an immigration station as illegal. She also wants an order to quash that decision made on July 25, 2023, and an injunction to restrain the State from using the facility for that purpose. Read more here
Health Ministry: T&T recorded 123 cases of dengue so far this year
T&T recorded 123 confirmed cases of dengue for this year, with County Caroni having the highest number of cases, followed by County Victoria and County St Patrick. Responding to questions from Guardian Media, the Ministry of Health assured there was an adequate supply of chemicals for mosquito spraying. Giving a breakdown of statistics, the ministry said there were 43 confirmed dengue cases for May, 31 cases for April, 19 cases for March, 13 cases for February and 17 cases for January. County Caroni accounted for 31 per cent of cases, Victoria had 29 per cent of cases while St Patrick had 23 per cent of cases. St George East had 10 per cent of cases, St George West had four per cent and St Andrew/ St David had three per cent of cases. Read more here
POLITICS
Young: Goverment committed to transparency in spending
Energy Minister Stuart Young said Government was committed to transparency and responsibility in spending as he contributed to debate on the Finance (Supplementary Appropriation) (Financial Year 2024) Bill in the Senate on Tuesday. He added that Government had been proactive in taking steps to strengthen the energy sector since 2016. Young was responding to accusations of "renegade" government spending by Opposition Senator Wade Mark earlier in the sitting as the chamber debated a $2.3 billion increase to the 2024 budget. Mark had said, "We have a revenue crisis in this country where expenditure and revenue are far apart. The minister is admitting that we could find ourselves with this supplementary appropriation being approved, resulting in a $9 billion budget deficit." Read more here
Duke takes on St Vincent PM over alleged jab at Tobago
The political leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots, Watson Duke, has sharply criticised St Vincent’s Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, for his recent remarks about the Sandals resort projects. “Mr Ralph Gonsalves, your statements are ill-informed, insensitive, and represent bad politics,” Duke said. “Thank you, Mr Gonsalves, for raising the topic. However, let me correct you: that small hotel you have in St Vincent is no match for what was promised and what will come to Tobago," he said. The issue began when Gonsalves, speaking at the launch of the late prime minister Patrick Manning’s biography at the National Academy for Performing Arts in Port-of-Spain on Sunday—from Duke’s perspective— seemed to mock Tobago. Read more here
BUSINESS
T&T not included in World Bank report
Trinidad and Tobago is not included among the Caribbean nations analysed by the World Bank Group in its Global Growth Prospects report, which was published yesterday. The 220-page document, which is considered to be a flagship report of the World Bank Group, analyses the growth prospects of regions around the world, including the 14 nations in the Caribbean. Those nations are: Antigua and Barbuda; The Bahamas; Barbados; Belize Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname. But there is no mention of T&T. The country is also excluded from the larger list of 28 countries that constitute the Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC). Read more here
Touchstone to explore deep horizon drilling
Touchstone Exploration Inc is planning to go after what some geologists think is the real prize in Trinidad and Tobago, deep horizon drilling and accessing the cretaceous rocks similar to what has happened in the Guyana-Suriname basin. If successful, it could be the game changer Trinidad and Tobago has been looking for and could mean a big payday for the country and Touchstone. Read more here
REGIONAL
BORDER CONTROVERSY: Guyana, Venezuela to submit second round of written pleadings
President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Judge Nawaf Salam on Tuesday convened a crucial meeting with representatives of Guyana and Venezuela to discuss the next procedural steps in the ongoing controversy over the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899. Leading Guyana’s delegation was Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall SC MP; Agent for Guyana at the ICJ, Carl B. Greenidge; Philippe Sands and Pierre D’Argent, Legal Counsel; and Lloyd Gunraj, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Guyana to the Kingdom of Belgium. Samuel Reinaldo Moncada Acosta, the Agent for Venezuela to the ICJ, led the Venezuelan team, which included a delegation and legal advisers. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
US assessing Hamas response to Gaza ceasefire plan
The US says it is evaluating the Hamas response to the latest proposal for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. The Palestinian armed group said it was ready to “deal positively” with the process but stressed the need for Israel to agree to a permanent ceasefire. Israel’s government has not commented, but an anonymous Israeli official said Hamas’s response amounted to a rejection. Meanwhile, the US secretary of state is heading to Qatar - which along with the US and Egypt is acting as a mediator - to try to push the plan forward. Read more here
12th June 2024