NEWS
Cop's car stolen with bulletproof vest, handcuffs inside
A bulletproof vest and handcuffs were among the things stolen from a policeman’s car in St James. Around 8 pm on February 4, the victim, who is attached to the Besson Street Police Station, parked his Nissan Tiida near his home. He locked the doors and windows and went into his house. Around 3 am the next day he went outside and saw his car was missing. He reported the theft to the St James Police Station and told officers his police-issued bulletproof vest, handcuffs, baton, gun holster, cap, flashlight, and utility belt were in the car. Read more here
POLITICS
Gadsby-Dolly on World Read Aloud Day: A reader is a leader
World Read Aloud Day, an annual event celebrated globally to promote literacy and the power of reading aloud, was celebrated in T&T yesterday with Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly taking part by reading to pupils at the Febeau Government Primary School in San Juan. She read from a book titled Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby. Minister Gadsby-Dolly paused several times to interact with the pupils and ask questions about the story. When she was finished, she commended the children by telling their teacher that they clearly understood the story. “I enjoyed reading for you. Do you like to read? Let me see the hands of those who like to read. And for those of you who don’t like to read, remember, a reader is a leader,” she said. Read more here
BUSINESS
Trump's tariff war: how it impacts local import costs
War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Whether it is a military conflict between countries, a clash between gangs or a “cold” one, wars, more often than not, result in more pain and suffering for all, rather than gains. Since US president Donald Trump announced a swathe of tariffs to be imposed on countries such as Canada, Mexico and China, the world has been nervously anticipating a trade war, one that could shake the global economy, even as it is just recovering from a global pandemic and the Ukraine/Russian war. Read more here
REGIONAL
$1.382 trillion Budget 2025 approved
Clearing the way for the continuation of transformative interventions, Guyana’s largest budget of $1.382 trillion was on Wednesday evening passed in the National Assembly. This year’s budget, which it was noted was fully financed with no new taxes, was approved during the 100th sitting of the Twelfth Parliament, following the completion of the budget debate and consideration of estimates and expenditures over the past few weeks. To be included in this year’s budget is the sum of US$2.463 billion or GYD$512.4 billion to be withdrawn from the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) for the financial year 2025 in accordance with the NRF Act of 2021. When the budget was presented to the National Assembly in January, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, indicated that the formulation of the budget with no new taxes marks a significant step towards fulfilling the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government’s commitment to sustainable economic development. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Panama denies US claims over free canal passages
Panama has denied making changes to allow US government vessels to transit the Panama Canal for free, following White House claims it had agreed to such a move. The State Department said in a statement on X that its government vessels "can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the US government millions of dollars a year". Responding to the comments, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said it was "empowered to set tolls and other fees for transiting the canal," adding that it had "not made any adjustments to them". US President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced his desire to retake control of the waterway, which is key to global trade. Read more here
6th February 2025