Daily Brief - Wednesday 15th September, 2021

NEWS

155 new cases, 5 more covid19 deaths

The country has recorded five more deaths and 155 new covid19 cases on Tuesday. There has also been a steady decline in active cases according to the Ministry of Health's daily 4 pm update. After 208 people were discharged, active cases have dropped to 3,769. Of this, 3,275 people are in home isolation, 67 in shut-down facilities and 272 patients are in hospital receiving treatment. Read more here

Deosran wants CoP injunction matter expedited

Former head of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Professor Ramesh Deosaran, believes the court should expedite the injunction proceedings which has halted the recruitment of a police commissioner given the importance of the matter. In a telephone interview with Guardian Media yesterday, Deosaran said while it is unfortunate the injunction has halted the selection process, the court action is also welcomed as it will bring some clarity to some grey areas, especially since the country has had some unpleasant experiences having an acting commissioner for a long time. Read more here

 

POLITICS

UNC Senator: Finance Minister will control Revenue Authority board

Opposition senator Jayanti Lutchmedial has accused Minister of Finance Colm Imbert of undermining the independence of the proposed Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA) board by having oversight of the appointees. She was speaking during the Senate debate on the TTRA Bill on Tuesday afternoon. Read more here

 

BUSINESS

Belize turns to nature to restructure its debt

The Belize government says it has reached an agreement in principle with the bondholders’ committee on how to proceed with settling of its multi-million dollar super bond. Belize is looking to restructure a US$572 million super bond that emerged from 2006-07 restructuring and now contributes to a 133 per cent debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deems unsustainable. Officials here say that if a settlement is not reached by October 19, another US$57 million will be added. Read more here

 

REGIONAL

President Ali affirms Guyana’s commitment to democracy

As Guyana joins the wider world in the observance of September 15 as International Day of Democracy 2021, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, in a statement, has recognised all those who raised their voices and stood on the side of democracy during the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. “That experience has strengthened our resolve to ensure that our democracy is never again imperilled,” Dr. Ali said. The Head of State also reaffirmed his government’s and the country’s steadfast commitment to democracy. Read more here

 

INTERNATIONAL

Woodward/Costa book: Worried Trump could 'go rogue,' Milley took secret action to protect nuclear weapons

Two days after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, President Donald Trump's top military adviser, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, single-handedly took secret action to limit Trump from potentially ordering a dangerous military strike or launching nuclear weapons, according to "Peril," a new book by legendary journalist Bob Woodward and veteran Washington Post reporter Robert Costa. Woodward and Costa write that Milley, deeply shaken by the assault, 'was certain that Trump had gone into a serious mental decline in the aftermath of the election, with Trump now all but manic, screaming at officials and constructing his own alternate reality about endless election conspiracies.' Read more here

Afghanistan: Taliban leaders in bust-up at presidential palace, sources say

A major row broke out between leaders of the Taliban just days after they set up a new government in Afghanistan, senior Taliban officials told the BBC. Supporters of two rival factions reportedly brawled at the presidential palace in the capital Kabul. The argument appeared to centre on who did the most to secure victory over the US, and how power was divided up in the new cabinet. The Taliban have officially denied the reports. The group seized control of Afghanistan last month, and have since declared the country an "Islamic Emirate". Their new interim cabinet is entirely male and made up of senior Taliban figures, some of whom are notorious for attacks on US forces over the past two decades. Read more here

15th September 2021

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