NEWS
Elation as first cruise ship arrives in Tobago
The Tobago tourism industry is set to receive a further boost in economic activity for the rest of the year. After the island hosted its inaugural carnival, on October 28-30, the first cruise ship in two and a half years, since the onset of the covid19 pandemic, docked at the Scarborough port on Sunday. The Silver Moon, of Silversea Cruises, arrived at 7.30 am, carrying 528 passengers. It was the vessel's maiden voyage to Tobago. The passengers were treated to a variety of lively cultural performances as they disembarked. Read more here
Educator: More support, inclusiveness needed for people with disabilities
Greater calls are being made for there to be more national support and inclusiveness for gifted people and those with disabilities. Last Thursday, the UWI School of Education hosted an Exceptionalities Awareness Open Day, where students and local NGOs partnered together to educate the public about identifying, aiding and understanding persons with exceptionalities. The students of the post-graduate course, Nature and Needs of Exceptionalities, did not hold back from providing detailed information on various categories of exceptionalities such as autism, physical and learning disabilities and those that are gifted. Co-coordinator and lecturer, Dr Elna Carrington-Blaides said people who are considered ‘different’ is part of UWI’s philosophy and the event is one that students remember and love the most. Read more here
POLITICS
PM tells families: Stop covering up for your criminal relatives
The Prime Minister has called on people to stop protecting and covering up for their relatives who are criminals, particularly murderers. Saying crime, especially murders, is at an "unacceptably high level," Dr Rowley said national security is a high priority for the Government. "Where do these murderers come from? Who are they? Where do they live? Are they part of your family? Are you withholding information from the police? Do you know who has the guns and use them at will upon whom they choose?" Rowley asked. Read more here
Ex-Opposition senator: Witnesses protection programme under-resourced
Former Opposition senator and attorney, Sean Sobers, believes the Government is failing state witnesses as the protection programme is under-resourced. His comments come after the state’s witness in the killing of PC Clarence Gilkes, Jehlano Romney was killed last week and was not offered witness protection, according to his lawyer. A Guardian Media investigative report also revealed last week that Mark Renni Mohammed, who was gunned down last month in the PriceSmart car park in Mausica Road D’abadie, was instrumental in tipping off local law enforcement authorities about some of the largest firearms and drug shipments that entered this country over the last year and were part of a major transatlantic criminal pipeline. Sobers questioned why those men were not placed into the programme, however, he noted that the programme is under-resourced. Read more here
BUSINESS
Colour Bank hopes to provide diaspora with solutions
The founder and CEO of WiPay has also recently established Colour Bank, a US-based neobank which is focused on driving financial inclusion for the urban culture by providing banking and financial solutions that meet the community at its point of need. According to Wayne, his team’s goal is simple: provide products that fix urban problems. “Colour Bank was founded on financial inclusion just like WiPay was. But with a focus on our culture. If you see our card here, it says ‘For our Culture’ on the card. Why that is important is because of our approach in the Caribbean and matter of fact for this culture around the world,” he told the Business Guardian.” “There has never been a focus on us and there is never focus on our culture. We have never met our problems or our needs at a place where we need it. (Often there’s) a product that you cannot qualify for. Imagine you are working at a financial institution, whether it is a loan company or bank and you may not even qualify for a loan. So that colour doesn’t fit you, it doesn’t fit us.” Read more here
Caribbean countries okay digital agenda
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) says countries attending the Eighth Ministerial Conference on the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean have approved the Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean (eLAC 2024) that establishes a set of policy priorities and actions at the regional level for the next two years. The conference, held here and concluded on Friday, was organised by ECLAC, in its capacity as technical secretariat, in conjunction with the government of Uruguay, through the National Agency for e-Government and the Information Society (AGESIC). Read more here
REGIONAL
New Amsterdam to be marketed as ultimate tourist destination
Countryside Tours, a new tourism operator based in New Amsterdam, Berbice, will soon begin operations, offering a new, unique experience with tours around the ancient county. Travis Issacs of Countryside Tour, in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, shared his plans for the emerging tourism sector in Region Six. “Countryside Tours is relatively new, we are only offering small tours to New Amsterdam, and we are marketing the package under historic New Amsterdam,” he related. Issacs said that the tour was first conceptualised in 2019, but its launch was delayed due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Club Q Colorado shooting: Club-goer used gunman's weapon to subdue him
People at a gay club in the US state of Colorado have been hailed as heroes for subduing a gunman and preventing a deadly shooting from being even worse. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said one patron grabbed the attacker's own gun and hit him with it during the shooting in Club Q on Saturday night. Another club-goer reportedly helped to keep the gunman pinned down until police arrived. The gunman killed five people and injured 25 more before being arrested. The suspect, named by police as 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, is now in police custody. Mayor Suthers described the intervention of several club-goers as an "incredible act of heroism". "The call came into the police at 11:57pm. Police were on the scene by 12:00 - an amazingly quick response," he told CNN. Read more here
21st November 2022