NEWS
UWI 10-day dance workshop for students
The Department of Creative and Festival Arts (DCFA) Dance Unit at UWI, St Augustine campus will be hosting a comprehensive ten-day dance workshop for secondary school students. It will feature a blend of local and regional dance instruction. Deboleena Paul, co-ordinator and lecturer at the dance unit, said diverse dance forms such as bélé, limbo, bongo, quadrille, kolattam, and nation dance will be explored, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of the region. Read more here
DPP orders release of Hannah Mathura’s parents
Exactly one week after the remains of Hannah Mathura were found in the backyard of her family's Valsayn South home, Homicide detectives have been told by Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard to continue working on the investigation surrounding her death. Sources say this has led to police being instructed to release Mathura's parents, who are the two main suspects in her death, from custody. The decision to release Mathura's parents comes after days of lengthy consultations between DPP Gaspard and investigating officers on whether or not any charges could be laid against the 66-year-old man and 62-year-old woman. The most recent meeting with the DPP on the matter was on Monday, a police source said. Read more here
POLITICS
Sinanan: Borrowing can be good if $ used well
Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan says there is nothing wrong with borrowing if the money is used wisely. Sinanan made this point during his contribution to debate on a motion to increase the statutory limit of borrowings under the Developmental Loans Act from $65 to $75 billion. The House of Representatives passed the motion on March 15. Responding to claims from Opposition senators Wade Mark and Jearlean John earlier in the sitting that the move was related to an early general election, Sinanan said, “Borrowing is not a bad thing if you use the money for the right reason.” Read more here
PM worried citizens turning blind eye to crime
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has expressed concern that citizens are turning a blind eye to the criminal element in this country. And he has also alluded to the possibility that the recent Strategic Services Agency (SSA) shake-up may have come because it had been overrun by the criminal element. He made the reference yesterday as he spoke about the rising crime surge in the country during the sod-turning ceremony for the Caura Housing Development in Tunapuna. While the PM did not directly name the SSA, he said, “As I speak to you now, the problem has multiplied because for the last two weeks, we have been dealing with the State’s contribution to that problem, where the state authority in position of trust has surreptitiously broken down and the calypso that we listen to, Who’s Going to Guard the Guards, became the most pertinent question in Trinidad and Tobago because the state agencies had become one with the criminal agencies.” Read more here
BUSINESS
Stakeholders meet to get e-trade strategy development rolling
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry kicked off their three-day national stakeholder consultations at Hilton Trinidad, Port of Spain, on March 19. The consultations are designed to support an eTrade Readiness Assessment (eT Ready) by UNCTAD, and to develop a subsequent five-year national e-commerce strategy. The strategy, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, will be based on eT Ready’s analysis of the local digital and e-commerce ecosystem. Read more here
Economists call for public sector reform, new economic model
Economist Dr Terrence Farrell is adamant that public sector reform and a new economic model are desperately needed. “Lots of people are employed, but you see when you have that system, your public sector gets big and you have all these people who are employed—they are not working, they are employed and paid—and because the economy is what it is, you are squeezing the public sector,” said Farrell at the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s annual general meeting at Hyatt Regency (Trinidad), Wrightson Road, Port of Spain. Read more here
REGIONAL
Guyana affirms commitment to upholding equality, democracy at UNCHR session
The country was represented by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, who addressed the Commission virtually.
In her initial presentation, the minister said that since the submission of its 2021 Human Rights Report, Guyana has successfully established a strong working mechanism for following up on these obligations. “Its transformation is notable and being commented on internationally,” she noted. According to the minister, ensuring every Guyanese benefits is the cornerstone of the government’s development plan. This commitment, she added, is backed by a robust set of innovative programs and policies. “The government continues to prioritise investments in education, healthcare, infrastructure and housing, laying the groundwork for sustained development and prosperity,” Minister Teixeira affirmed. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Famine looms in Sudan as civil war survivors tell of killings and rapes
Civilians caught up in Sudan's civil war have given graphic accounts to the BBC of rape, ethnic violence and street executions. Our journalists have managed to make it to the front line of the fighting close to the capital, Khartoum. Top UN officials have said the conflict has plunged the country into "one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history" and could trigger the world's largest hunger crisis. There are also fears that in Darfur, in the west of the country, a repeat of what the US called genocide 20 years ago may be beginning to unfold. Read more here
20th March 2024