NEWS
Police: Device at Parkade meant to stir panic
As the investigation continues into the discovery of an improvised explosive device at the Parkade Government Plaza, Richmond Street, Port of Spain, on Monday, senior police believe the device was not intended to cause major damage but instead stir panic in the capital. Investigators said the device which appeared to be made of modified firecrackers was found on the second floor of the building after a small explosion on Monday morning. Read more here
POLITICS
Gopeesingh: Government managing pandemic poorly
Temporary opposition senator Dr Tim Gopeesingh heavily criticised the Minister of Health and the medical team designated to manage the covid19 pandemic, saying it has been gross negligence and mismanagement. He was speaking in the Senate on Tuesday afternoon in the debate for the Appropriation Bill 2022 where he called for immediate resignations or dismissals. Gopeesingh said Health Minister Terrance Deyalsingh and the government used the medical advisory team to falsely push a narrative that the pandemic was being handled successfully and accused that it was used a propaganda machine for the general 2020 elections. Read more here
Opposition leader condemns PM’s ‘imp, pimps and chimps’ comment
Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the Prime Minister “degraded” the Opposition Members of Parliaments when he referred to them as “imps, pimps and chimps.” She said that the Prime Minister’s words were “distasteful and disgraceful but not surprising.” Speaking at the United National Congress (UNC) Monday Night Forum, Persad-Bissessar said the PM was “lashing out” because he was caught “red-handed.” “Try as he might, he cannot rant and rave and bully his way out of this mess that he has created,” she said. With regards to the 1,600 COVID-19 deaths as of Monday, Persad-Bissessar called for the removal of the Government’s medical “propaganda” team. Read more here
BUSINESS
Scotiabank donates Canadian $1M to SickKids-Caribbean Initiative
Scotiabank has poured an additional $1 million dollars into the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative (SCI), which is set to enter its second phase. SCI is aimed at improving the diagnosis and subsequent management of paediatric patients with cancer and blood disorders, as well as providing training and education in the areas of haematology/oncology, nursing, and laboratory services. It was created with the support of SickKids Foundation in partnership with the SickKids Centre for Global Child Health, the University of the West Indies (UWI), Ministries of Health and key hospitals and institutions in The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Read more here
New car sales down 27%
In 2020, 9,756 new cars were sold. Of that amount, 6,702 were classified as passenger vehicles for private use, while 3,054 were for commercial use. The most purchased vehicle was the Kia Sportage at 2,072 units. Conversely, the least purchased was the two-door coupe, with just eight. For commercial use, the most popular vehicle was a pick up 4x4 at 1,307 units. Read more here
REGIONAL
‘Come and invest in Guyana’
As Guyana is being prepared for its fastest and most explosive economic and social transformation, cognisant that investment is crucial for converting the nation’s rich abundant resources into prosperity for its people, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has extended an open invitation to investors to participate in the country’s developmental trajectory. The Head of State spared no effort at marketing Guyana for its diverse economy and vast investment opportunities, by offering a glimpse of some of the country’s main features during his address at EXPO 2020 Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday, Guyana National Day. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Climate change: Fossil fuel production set to soar over next decade
Plans by governments to extract fossil fuels up to 2030 are incompatible with keeping global temperatures to safe levels, says the UN. The UNEP production gap report says countries will drill or mine more than double the levels needed to keep the 1.5C threshold alive. Oil and gas recovery is set to rise sharply with only a modest decrease in coal. There has been little change since the first report was published in 2019. With the COP26 climate conference just over a week away, there is already a huge focus on the carbon-cutting ambitions of the biggest emitters. But despite the flurry of net zero emission goals and the increased pledges of many countries, some of the biggest oil, gas and coal producers have not set out plans for the rapid reductions in fossil fuels that scientists say are necessary to limit temperatures in coming years. Read more here
Boris Johnson declared the pandemic all but over. Now UK cases are soaring
Last December, as the first of several worrying Covid-19 variants ripped through the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the unwelcome decision to cancel Christmas plans for millions of Brits. "We are sacrificing our chance to see loved ones this Christmas, so we have a better chance of protecting their lives so we can see them at future Christmases," Johnson said, taking a potentially career-defining step that he had ruled out just days earlier. Ten months later, the UK's attitude towards the Covid-19 has changed beyond recognition. Virtually all of England's restrictions were lifted in July, with the events and hospitality sectors returning to full capacity as Johnson urged Britons to "begin to learn to live with this virus." Read more here
20th October 2021