NEWS
NAPA's temporary closure pushes production to August
For the first time in playwright and producer Earl Bagot's 20 years in the industry, he was forced to face the audience much earlier than usual to announce that the show would not go on. This was because the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) – the venue of his production The Prophet and The Prostitute – had to close temporarily owing to a faulty AC system. But with repairs now complete, Bagot said it had been pushed to sometime in August. On Sunday morning, the Tourism Ministry said NAPA's management was sorry as the show – set for Saturday and Sunday – had to be cancelled. Read more here
Judge blocks closure of EFCL; contractors can seek millions in unpaid debt
Contracting companies and service providers owed hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid fees from state-owned project management company Education Facilities Company Limited (EFCL), have scored a major legal victory in their bid to recoup their outstanding debts. Delivering a decision yesterday, High Court Judge Carol Gobin dismissed a petition from the company’s board to wind up the company. Had the petition been granted, a court-appointed liquidator would have been mandated with selling the company’s minimal assets to repay its creditors. Read more here
POLITICS
PM shocked over 'criminals' in politics
The Prime Minister says he is shocked that criminal conduct is no longer seen by some people as debarring them from being politicians. He made this comment while addressing the crime rate in a television interview on Thursday. Dr Rowley said he remains prepared to work with the Opposition and other stakeholders to find ways to curb crime. "I always make that overture. That's why I lead the government." But he said since the PNM returned to office, the UNC refuses to co-operate with it to find bipartisan solutions to crime. Read more here
Gopee-Scoon: PAERC promotes Pan-African development
Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon is in full support of the Pan-African Enterprise Research Council's (PAERC) economic participation and development for people across the African diaspora. She commended PAREC at the fifth international conference at the lounge of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine on Thursday. Referencing the theme for this year’s conference was Transition and Trajectories in Pan-African Development, she said the future of Pan-African Development holds immense potential for fostering unity, empowerment and progress among people of African descent worldwide. Read more here
BUSINESS
PM Rowley labels ethics council ‘biased’ ... Chairman Dr Ragoonath rubbishes claim
The Council for Responsible Political Behaviour has come in for strong criticism from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley. In a Facebook post yesterday, Dr Rowley stated, “An ethical council without ethics and steeped in bias is to be ignored for what it is.” The council monitors and deliberates on the conduct of politicians which is then made public. It monitors media reports and also invites the public to report any breaches of the code of ethics. The code of ethical conduct, which was prepared by representatives of civil society in 2014, seeks to foster democracy, promote respect for human rights, encourage participation in the electoral process, and promote an election process free from violence. Read more here
T&T stays the course
The ongoing Dragon Gas negotiations are at a stalemate at this time as both Venezuela and the United States seem to be unwilling to compromise on the terms currently being offered, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has said. While he expressed the Government’s disappointment that the negotiations have been taking so long, Rowley reassured that the deal is not dead in the water. Appearing on TV6’s Morning Edition programme yesterday Rowley was asked by host Marlan Hopkinson for an update on the highly-anticipated Dragon Gas deal. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana aims for expansion of investment portfolio with China
President Dr. Irfaan Ali, during an interview on Thursday while on his one-week visit to China, said that every avenue is being explored in order to find ways in which collaboration between China and Guyana can be expanded, and there can be a wider investment portfolio. “What I expect is really an expansion, because we already have a lot going on between China and Guyana, and we want to build on that and expand on that, and strengthen our relationship…” the President said during an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN). He added: “China and Guyana share a very impressive relationship; we recently celebrated our 50th Anniversary,” noting that China has played a significant role in Guyana’s socio-economic development. Highlighting Guyana’s diversity and the growth of Chinese culture in Guyana, he also remarked: “So, Chinese make up an important component of who we are as a people.” Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Singapore executes woman for the first time in 20 years
Singapore on Friday executed a woman for the first time in almost 20 years, officials confirmed. Singaporean national Saridewi Djamani, 45, was found guilty of trafficking 30g (1.06oz) of heroin in 2018. She is the second drug convict to be executed this week, after fellow Singaporean Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, and the 15th since March 2022. Singapore has some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws, which it says are necessary to protect society. Singapore law specifies that the death penalty will be imposed on anyone caught trafficking more than 500g of cannabis or 15g of heroin. Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said in a statement that Saridewi, who was sentenced to death on 6 July in 2018, was accorded "full due process" under the law. Read more here
28th July 2023