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Southwestern Division police seizes a quantity of marijuana, 30 Finches and 2 Macaws.

According to the TTPS officers were alerted to suspicious activity when they observed 3 Venezuelan nationals in a pirogue at the Morne Diablo Beach.

The officers made an attempt to engage the occupants of but they fled the scene into the nearby-forested area.

A search of the pirogue revealed that there was 55 kilograms of marijuana with an estimated street value of $550,000.

The exotic birds were also discovered.

Opposition leader, Kamla Persad Bissessar is questioning the mental health of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley.

Mrs. Persad Bissessar says the ranting’s of the Prime Minister on a platform of his party last week may have unveiled a serious problem.

At a virtual report of the United National Congress last evening, Mrs. Persad Bissessar said it appears Dr. Rowley was having a melt down in the presence of the country.

Mrs. Persad Bissessar slammed the Budget presented by the Finance Minister, saying it is one, which has set the country back years.

She said the Prime Minister’s description of the Budget debate as the worst he has seen is only because it was the worst Budget ever.

Mrs. Persad Bissessar insisted the government is responsible for the collapse of many business and economy.

And Deputy Political Leader of the UNC, Jerlean John also told the meeting; the Budget was mainly about off loading the port.

Senator John said other State companies are being targeted as well.

She said the government is bankrupt because its members are lazy and lack creativity.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert has given a 2-month reprieve to buyers of some brands of vehicles on the new taxes he announced during his 2020-2021 national Budget.

Buyers will be spared a 30 to 40 per cent price increase until January 2021.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert yesterday granted the leeway on the new taxes and import duty on private motorcars.

In a news release, Mr. Imbert advised that at its meeting last week, Cabinet agreed the new taxes will be effective on January 1^st next year.

He said all private vehicles which are imported and cleared through customs on or before December 31^st, 2020 will be taxed and/or be subject to import duty at existing rates and/or enjoy the existing tax and import duty exemptions.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Automotive Association, Visham Babwah last night said he is pleased but not entirely.

Mr. Babwah said there are still some concerns.

In his Budget presentation, Mr. Imbert said the country spends $2.5 billion TT dollars per year importing an average of 25,000 vehicles, at least two-thirds of which relate to private motor cars.

He said this has created a serious leakage of foreign exchange.

The Minister said the proposed measures to remove all tax concessions on the importation of private vehicles hope to address this problem.

In an immediate response, Automotive Dealers’ Association of T&T, President Ryan Latchu said this decision would have a tangible impact on the sector.

A plea for the intervention of the government in the plight of Trinidad and Tobago nationals languishing in less than humane conditions in the Al Hol Refugee Camp in Syria.

Attorney-at-law Nafeesa Mohammed says they are all young children and their mothers and the crisis deepens as the winter approaches.

She says many of their fathers were killed and it is now the responsibility of the State to ensure they are repatriated to Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaking with Newscenter 5 yesterday Ms. Mohammed said there is need for urgent action.

She said they could be repatriated and reintegrated into society in keeping with all best practice.

It is thought that some 61 Trinidad and Tobago nationals remain under detention at the camp in Syria.

The apparent wrangling between Chief Justice Ivor Archie and Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard SC is being seen as evidence of the country’s failing institutions.

As such Political Leader of the Movement for Social Justice David Abdullah is reiterating his call for the establishment of what he describes   as the second Republic.

Addressing a virtual news conference yesterday Mr. Abdullah said it speaks of failure.

Mr. Abdullah said it is time to revisit the constitutional arrangements in the country.

Senior Council Gaspard responded to the Chief Justice in a stinging eight-page missive on Saturday in which he challenged Justice Archie’s position on responsibility for the near collapse of the justice system.

Mr. Gaspard described the claim made by the CJ during the opening of the law term as spectacularly disingenuous and misleading.

There is concern that a Venezuelan oil tanker sinking in waters off Trinidad and Tobago could be a threat to the entire Caribbean Sea.

Corporate Secretary of the group Fishermen and Friends of the Sea Gary Aboud is again calling for urgent State attention to be paid to the FSO Nabarima.

Mr. Aboud is warning of dire consequences if action is not taken soon.

Yesterday he said Venezuelan authorities are misleading the government of Trinidad and Tobago on the state of the sinking oil tanker.

He said he saw for himself that the vessel is tilting.

In a release on Friday the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs said it along with the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries and the Ministry of National Security have been actively working on solutions to the Nabarima issue.

Reports of bad weather in some parts of the east.

At a house on St. Michael Road in Tacarigua the roof was torn off, and some streets in Arouca and Tacarigua were flooded during heavy rainfall.

There were also gusty winds and what is being called a mini tornado.

The MET office says the bad weather was caused by a patch of low-lying clouds, which hovered over the east west corridor for part of the afternoon.