NEWS
Cocaine suspects held, as Aqua takes a dive
Two men were arrested today after their highway escape attempt ended in a flooded canal on the Uriah Butler Highway. Police say that at around 7.45 am they spotted and began chasing a Toyota Aqua. Read more here
More people dying from cancer since COVID
Cancers of the colon and rectum have doubled in the past decade in people under the age of 50 years, and since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many patients have died because of delays in getting medical care. This was revealed by Dr Ammiel Arra, Consultant Surgical Oncologist and HPB (Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary) Surgeon at the San Fernando General Hospital. Speaking on CNC3's Ask the Doctor, Dr Arra said: "The recent scourge of the COVID 19 pandemic has done us no favours in the battle against cancers of all types." Read more here
POLITICS
AG: No grace period...he has to go
Watson Duke’s offer of a resignation to the Public Services Association does not purge him or Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and their camp of the difficulties they are in, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said yesterday. He was commenting on reports that Duke, in a letter dated December 13, “offered his resignation for acceptance by the Conference of Delegates to be effective from December 31, 2021”. Read more here
BUSINESS
Omar Hadeed opens 11 stores during pandemic
Despite the lockdown restrictions, increased shipping freight cost and foreign exchange issues over the last 21 months, First Retail Inc has opened 11 new stores during the Covid-19 pandemic. Managing director of the group of companies, 37-year-old Omar Hadeed, made this revelation just before last Friday’s opening of the second Aeropostale store at Trincity Mall. The American apparel brand is just the latest addition to the new store openings by the First Retail Group. The first Aeropostale was opened in 2019 at the C3 Centre in San Fernando. Read more here
REGIONAL
Rebuilding trust in GECOM, LGE
Vishnu Persaud was, on Tuesday, sworn in as the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), a role which he took an oath to execute without fear or favour. Persaud took his oath before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was sworn into office before Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George at the Demerara High Court. Between 2014-2017, Persaud served as the former Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) of GECOM and was snubbed for the role in 2018. However, on December 10, he was named CEO by a majority vote of the seven-member GECOM statutory body after being shortlisted for the top position. Not only will Persaud serve as the head of the commission’s secretariat, but he will also assume the responsibility of Commissioner of National Registration. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Covid: Omicron spreading at unprecedented rate, WHO says
The new coronavirus variant Omicron is spreading across the globe at an unprecedented rate, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. Cases of the heavily mutated variant have been confirmed in 77 countries. But at a press conference, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was probably in many others that had yet to detect it. Dr Tedros said he was concerned that not enough was being done to tackle the variant. "Surely, we have learned by now that we underestimate this virus at our peril. Even if Omicron does cause less severe disease, the sheer number of cases could once again overwhelm unprepared health systems," he said. Read more here
15th December 2021