NEWS
Last-minute push to open St George's
St. George’s College will only accommodate form-one and form-two students on September 2, the first day of school, sources within the school told Newsday on September 1. A letter obtained by Newsday from Sanjeveen Persad, school supervisor of the St George East education district, shared with parents over the weekend said, “Kindly note, only students of forms two and one are to report to school on September 2, 2024, to facilitate the transitional arrangements and further relocation activities. Read more here
Piparo mother struggles to feed children after home destroyed
In the 18 weeks I’ve been doing this series, nothing broke my spirit more than seeing a child celebrate the promise of breakfast on a day he thought he would go hungry. “Go and get bread, cheese and something for you all to drink in the parlour,” Melinda Mohammed told her 12-year-old daughter. One room away, sitting on the mattress he shares with his two sisters, the six-year-old child threw his hands in the air and exclaimed: “Yay! I get to eat.” Mohammed said a donation from a sympathetic person provided enough money to buy items for a meal. Read more here
POLITICS
Griffith slams Kamla on $$ for cops
National Transformation Alliance (NTA) political leader and former commissioner of police (CoP) Gary Griffith has slammed Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar for saying a future UNC government would consider giving monetary rewards to police officers to incentivise them to work harder to fight crime. Persad-Bissessar made the promise at a UNC cottage meeting in Chaguanas on August 26. At the same meeting, Persad-Bissessar accused Griffith of being a failure as CoP from 2018-2021. Read more here
BUSINESS
TT Chamber welcomes new CEO
Vashti Guyadeen has been appointed the CEO of Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce. In an ad published in Newsday on September 1, the chamber welcomed Guyadeen, saying she brings over two decades of expertise in research and development, policy design, SME development, institutional competitiveness and international relations. Guyadeen previously served as the CEO of the Trinidad and Tobago Coalition of Services Industries. Read more here
'CLF-style collapse less likely now'
The chance of another CL Financial-style collapse is less likely now because T&T’s regulatory environment is more robust and corporate governance practices are more widespread, according to experts in the financial and management fields. However, they urged caution and advocated that businesspeople and those in the corporate world must continue to adhere to strict principles to safeguard their investments. Businessman Lawrence Duprey, who was the executive chairman of the CL Financial (CLF) group, until it collapsed in the first quarter of 2009, passed away last week at age 89. His death has once against stirred up debate on what went wrong with the group of companies and how companies, their shareholders and other stakeholders can be protected in the future from such an incident happening again. Read more here
REGIONAL
Gov’t will continue to invest in Indigenous communities to bridge gaps, strengthen their economies
While the Government of Guyana has made significant advancements in developing Indigenous communities across the country, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said that there is an even greater need to bridge the gaps that exist. The Head of State made these remarks on Sunday evening at the Amerindian Heritage Month cultural extravaganza, which was held at the National Park to mark the beginning of Amerindian Heritage Month, which will be celebrated under the theme, ‘Many Voices, One Song, Celebrating Amerindian Heritage 2024’. According to the President, the richness of the culture, and the important role played in upholding the traditions of the Amerindians and the safeguarding of the environment is what places Guyana as one of the most advanced countries in relation to the protection and celebration of Indigenous culture. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Scholz urges firewall against far right after election win
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has urged mainstream parties not to lend support to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which won a big victory in the eastern state of Thuringia in Sunday's regional election. The result gives the far right its first win in a state parliament election since World War Two. The AfD also came a close second in Sunday's other big state election, in the more populous neighbouring state of Saxony. The AfD has been designated as right-wing extremist in both Thuringia and Saxony. Björn Höcke, the AfD leader in Thuringia, has previously been fined for using a Nazi slogan, although he denies knowingly doing so. Read more here
2nd September 2024