NEWS
Injunction granted to freeze ex-HCU boss's hardware store
A high court judge has granted an interim injunction stopping the operations of a popular hardware store in Arima owned by former president of the Hindu Credit Union (HCU) Harry Harnarine and some of his family. On Friday night, Justice Robin Mohammed granted the interim injunction freezing the operations of the Authentic Builders General Hardware Ltd, owned by Harnarine, and preventing him or his family from removing any assets, inventory, documents and other records until an audit is done. The injunction was granted to two businessmen – Elvis Lum Young and Navindra Ramnanan – who are the directors of another hardware store with a similar name – Authentic Builders General Hardware 2021 Ltd –and who are alleging corporate fraud, misappropriation of their property and breach of fiduciary duty. Read more here
POLITICS
Cudjoe: Tobago bill gives many opportunities for first time
Tobago East MP Shamfa Cudjoe said submissions on the Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago Self-Government) Bill could be made up until the third reading of the bill. She said the bill in its current forms gives Tobago many opportunities for which it had been asking for decades. She was responding to Opposition MP Dinesh Rambally during debate on the adoption of the report by the Joint Select Committee (JSC) on the Constitution (Amendment) (Tobago Self-Government) Bill, 2020. Rambally had called for more time to be given for consultation with Tobagonians on the bill. Cudjoe said while the Opposition MP had said more time was needed for consultation, 24 days had passed since the JSC had said comments could be submitted and it was only on Monday at 1:27 pm that one set of comments had been received. Read more here
Rowley chides Kamla’s ‘foolishness’, asks why was she absent from debate
“Delinquency and foolishness.” That was how Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley described Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar after her walk out of yesterday’s debate on Tobago’s self-governance. During the Prime Minister’s contribution to the debate, his one-hour long speaking time was extended for another 60 minutes which prompted the loud walkout by Persad-Bissessar and the entire Opposition bench. In a response yesterday Rowley said that he was “amazed” that any political party, much less one that was in Opposition, allowed their leader to behave in that manner. Read more here
BUSINESS
Samsung OS switch for smartwatch line
At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, Patrick Chomet, head of customer experience for Samsung, announced the company's plans to adopt Google's Wear OS for its new line-up of smartwatch devices. Older Samsung smartwatches will not get the software update, but will receive three years of software support from the company. It's a big move for Samsung, returning to Android for the software underpinning its smartwatches, but it was inevitable. Tizen, the software the company used to develop its smartwatch line, was a functional OS, but proved to be one operating system too many for developers to program for, while Google's Wear won a larger range of apps for smartwatch users. Tizen is a Linux-based operating system that's also used in the company's Smart TVs. Read more here
Central Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee: Repo rate to stay at 3.50 per cent
The Central Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has noted there is need for continued monetary support towards a domestic economic recovery at this time. The MPC has also agreed to maintain the repo rate at 3.50 per cent, the bank said in its monetary policy announcement issued yesterday. The bank noted that the global economic recovery is under way, with the International Monetary Fund forecasting a global expansion of 6.0 per cent for 2021. This, it said, is driven in large measure by expanded COVID-19 vaccination coverage in advanced and some emerging market economies. Read more here
REGIONAL
First Lady launches ‘Adopt an Orphanage’ initiative
In keeping with her vision for a better Guyana, First Lady Arya Ali on Tuesday launched the ‘Adopt an Orphanage’ initiative, which will see eight orphanages across Guyana benefitting from monetary donations to offset their massive monthly expenses. The First Lady stated that the initiative was birthed out of a conversation with Guyanese-American rapper, SAINt JHN, during his visit to State House in October 2020. She noted that during their meeting, she and the artiste spoke of their mutual care for orphanages, and discussed several ways of enriching the lives of the children in those homes. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Singapore wants to stop counting Covid cases. Its roadmap could be a model for other countries
As countries around the Asia-Pacific region tighten restrictions once again to curb potential breakouts of the Delta coronavirus variant, Singapore has laid out a new vision for life to return to normal. The roadmap, proposed by three members of Singapore's Covid-19 task force, would scrap lockdowns and mass contact tracing and allow for a return to quarantine-free travel and the resumption of large gatherings. It would even stop counting the daily Covid cases. The proposal is a radical departure from the so-called "zero transmission" model adopted by several countries and territories -- including rival Asian business hub Hong Kong -- which have so far proved successful at avoiding large outbreaks. Read more here
30th June 2021