NEWS
Cops report mild traffic, less speeding on Monday
Senior Superintendent of the police Traffic and Highway Patrol Unit Wayne Mystar says there was a generally mild volume of traffic on the nations roads, Monday night as police in various divisions began a series of exercises to deter errant drivers and criminals. During a police media briefing on Monday Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said there was a noticeable increase in activity in the hours leading up to 'H Hour' (the time when curfew comes into effect) and noted a trend where some people would lime and socialise for as long as possible then speed home to avoid being caught at the last minute. Read more here
Rise in stolen pension cheques from elderly
Minister of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox said she is deeply concerned about the increasing number of elderly people who are having their pension cheques stolen. “It is happening. We are now getting reports almost every week or every two weeks of someone reporting their cheques missing,” Cox said during a telephone interview with Guardian Media. When traced, the minister stated, these cheques are cashed at supermarkets. Read more here
POLITICS
Imbert: Better safeguards in place against covid19 fraud
Finance Minister Colm Imbert said mechanisms are in place to ensure there is full transparency in the distribution of covid19 relief measures and prevent any kind of fraud from taking place. At a virtual news conference on Tuesday, Imbert said his ministry has very robust systems in place to prevent anyone trying to access any covid19 financial relief through fraudulent means. Read more here
Govt clamps down on holiday weekend activities
A full lockdown will be in effect for this weekend as the Government moves to clamp down on any public gathering held to commemorate Labour Day. This coming Sunday Father’s Day will also be affected. The variation of the curfew order, dated June 15th, was signed by Police Commissioner Gary Griffith and evoked outrage from the trade union movement late yesterday. Based on the new Order, the curfew will begin at 10.02 am on Saturday and end at 5 am on Sunday. It will resume at 10.02 am on Sunday and continue until 5 am on Monday. Read more here
BUSINESS
From phone to cupboard
The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the world to maximise the use of digital platforms. One supermarket that is making good use of this is SuperQuality. With locations in the Trincity Industryal Estate, Couva and Chaguanas, the supermarket has launched its e-commerce store, where customers will be able to access goods and services with the click of a button from the comfort of their home. Director of of e-commerce at SuperQuality, Dion Khan told Express Business that technology and innovation have always been his main focus for the group’s supermarkets. Read more here
REGIONAL
$1.5B for critical capital works at GuySuCo
THE Ministry of Agriculture on Monday secured some $1.5 billion in supplementary funds from the National Assembly to offset critical capital works at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). Government’s financial investment in GuySuCo now stands at $10.5 billion since the administration took office on August 2, 2020. Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, said the money will be injected in the sugar company, in keeping with the government’s plans to revitalise the industry. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
This swarm of robots gets smarter the more it works
In a Hong Kong warehouse, a swarm of autonomous robots works 24/7. They're not just working hard, they're working smart; as they operate, they get better at their job. The Autonomous Mobile Robots were developed by Chinese startup Geek+. As they move around the warehouse they're guided by QR codes on the floor, and using AI they are able to make their own decisions, including what direction to travel and what route to take to their destination. Read more here
Biden-Putin summit: US and Russian leaders meet for tense Geneva talks
US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are meeting for their first, highly-anticipated summit. The talks in Geneva, Switzerland, come at a time when both sides describe relations as being at rock bottom. Discussions are set to include arms control and US allegations of Russian cyber-attacks. No major breakthroughs are expected but there are hopes of finding small areas of agreement. The arrangements for the meeting were carefully choreographed. The Russian president flew into Geneva on Wednesday before being taken by motorcade to the grand villa overlooking Lake Geneva where the summit is taking place. Mr Biden, who arrived in the city on Tuesday, then headed to the villa where the two leaders shook hands. Read more here
16th June 2021