NEWS
Atlantic's Sirju-Ramnarine is new AmCham president
Toni Sirju-Ramnarine has been named the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago's (Amcham) president, making her the second consecutive woman voted into the post. Sirju-Ramnarine, who serves as vice-president of corporate operations at Atlantic, addressed the membership for the first time at the end of the chamber's 28th annual general meeting and business forum. She thanked the outgoing Patricia Ghany, who had served since 2018, "for the visionary leadership you brought to (the organisation)." Read more here
T&T to get AstraZeneca vaccines from Mexico this week
Trinidad and Tobago is one of five countries that will receive a donation of AstraZeneca vaccines from Mexico this week, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard announced on Tuesday. Mexico received a total of 50,288,115 doses of vaccines from six developers, including Russia's Sputnik V. Read more here
POLITICS
Kamla concerned over new CoP selection process
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar sees political interference by Government in the new process for selecting a commissioner of police and deputies which could see the service converted into a private army. She said there seems to be a move to remove sitting CoP Gary Griffith from the position, as the Cabinet is split down the middle on having him stay and seeing him go. Read more here
Browne: Vaccine talks with US ongoing
Discussions between T&T and US to finalise vaccine donations are ongoing. Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Amery Browne yesterday had another virtual meeting to work out the details. “The details were subject to further discussion today (yesterday),” Browne said in response to queries for an update. “We expect the specifics of this US donation to our region and country to be publicly disclosed in the near future,” he said. Over the weekend, it was reported by US media that the Biden administration planned to distribute 55 million doses of the vaccine by the end of the month. Read more here
BUSINESS
First Citizens Bank to restructure
First Citizens Bank Ltd has announced its intention to restructure the First Citizens Group. The decision is pending approval at the annual meeting of shareholders on June 30. In a notice in the newspaper on Tuesday, the bank said the restructuring was a result of “the substantial growth of the group both locally and regionally over the years. Read more here
Citi Foundation, CARIRI planning innovation lab
Young people are particularly vulnerable to the disruptions caused by Covid-19 and it’s for this reason Citi Foundation has partnered with Trust for the Americas, and the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) to launch an innovation lab for young people. Called DIA Youth Innovation Lab, the initiative is meant to impact 300 young people in Trinidad and Tobago providing state-of-the-art innovation and technology training. The Trinidad and Tobago DIA (Democratising Innovation in the Americas) Lab, launched its first DIA Urban Lab for Youth Innovation in Jamaica in 2016 and over the next four years, 1,350 youth “received training and access to state-of-the-art technology to solve challenges in their communities”. Read more here
REGIONAL
GECOM trio sent on leave
Come Monday, June 28, 2021, Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM’s) Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield; Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers, and the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, will proceed on their respective annual leave. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) nominated GECOM Commissioners, Sase Gunraj, Manoj Narayan and Bibi Shadick, tabled three motions, dated June 1, 2021, seeking the “immediate dismissal” of Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo. They had cited a gamut of reasons pertaining to breach of functions, duties, responsibilities and obligations, to support the motions filed. Read more here
PM announces reopening of entertainment, creative sectors
After being subject to strict lockdowns since the onset of COVID-19 on Jamaica’s shores in March 2020, the entertainment and creative industries have been given breathing space to reopen, but not without a stern warning that adherence to the health protocols would determine the longevity of the new measures. The adjustments take effect on July 1. In announcing the reopening of the sector on Tuesday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness said that the entertainment, culture and creative industries have been impacted severely by the strictures of the Disaster Risk Management Act. He noted that the shutdown of the estimated $84-billion sector had dealt severe hardships to players in the industry. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
'Heartbreaking' conditions in US migrant child camp
At a US border detention centre in the Texan desert, migrant children have been living in alarming conditions - where disease is rampant, food can be dangerous and there are reports of sexual abuse, an investigation by the BBC has found through interviews with staff and children. In recent months, the US has seen a massive rise in migrants and asylum seekers from Central America. Violence, natural disasters and pandemic-related economic strife are some of the reasons behind the influx, experts say. Some have also suggested the perception of a more lenient administration under Democrat Joe Biden has contributed to the crisis, though the White House has urged migrants against journeying to the US border. Read more here
Hong Kong's biggest pro-democracy newspaper to close as Beijing tightens its grip
One year was all it took for a Beijing-imposed National Security Law to take down Hong Kong's largest and loudest pro-democracy newspaper. Next Media announced Wednesday that Apple Daily, its flagship tabloid, would publish its final copy Thursday due to an untenable environment in which its journalists had been arrested and millions of dollars in assets had been frozen. Its digital platform will cease operations on the same day, the company said in a statement. The news sent a deep chill through Hong Kong's media industry and undermined government claims the new legislation would not diminish press freedom. Read more here
23rd June 2021