Daily Archives: 02/07/2020

TRAVEL: Eastern Airlines set for NY to Guyana flights from March 5, 2020

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Eastern AirlinesA team from Eastern Airlines LLC met with the Director General, Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on Monday to discuss final regulatory requirements, as the airline prepares to begin its non-stop scheduled air services on the New York to Timehri route from March 5, 2020.

A release yesterday from the GCAA said that Eastern proposed initially to operate two weekly flights on Thursdays and Sundays using Boeing B767-200 and Boeing 767-300 aircraft with seating capacity of 236 and 280 passengers respectively. The scope of Eastern Airlines application is covered under Article 3 – Authorization of the ‘open-skies’ Air Transport Agreement between the Government of Guyana and the Government of the United States of America.

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We’re not saying cancel deal with ExxonMobil; just give Guyana what it deserves – Global Witness

— says Global Witness Senior Campaigner – Jonathan Gant

Global Witness, an international organization that has fought against natural resource exploitation, poverty, and corruption since 1993, recently published a report called “Signed Away” which has added more firewood to the heated debate on whether Guyana got a good deal with ExxonMobil for the oil-rich Stabroek Block.

 Jonathan Gant

In summary, Global Witness says its fiscal analysis shows that Guyana left US$55B on the table due to poor negotiations on the part of Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman. The non-governmental organization also believes that ExxonMobil had a role to play as it employed some strong-arm tactics.

Since being released for public consumption, the report has attracted concerns from many about the veracity of the inherent accusations and their real intentions, as well as scathing criticisms from the government.    Continue reading

The Economist Asks: Has Donald Trump reinvented the American presidency?

 Economist Radio — Podcasts 

This week we speak to Benjamin Wittes and Susan Hennessey, senior fellows at The Brookings Institution and the authors of “Unmaking the presidency”

AFTER BEING acquitted in the Senate, Donald Trump will be the first president to run for reelection having been impeached. Anne McElvoy asks Benjamin Wittes and Susan Hennessey, the authors of “Unmaking the presidency”, about whether the verdict strengthens Mr Trump’s electoral hand. Will the way Mr Trump is reshaping the presidency outlast him and could he be changing the office for the better?  PODCAST RUNTIME: 28 min       

READ MORE: https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2020/02/06/has-donald-trump-reinvented-the-american-presidency?article-link-8

Rum Production, Export and Branding issue brews in Barbados

February 3, 2020 / News / BY GEORGE ALLEYNE

Cockspur Rum by WIRD

There is a dispute over the identity of rum and what makes it authentic brewing in Barbados that filters all the way to France.

Three of Barbados’ four traditional distilleries are up against the fourth, which was two years ago bought by a French firm that is now insisting on adding sugar to the liquid instead of the molasses used for hundreds of years and probably ship it to France for ageing instead on the island, but still call it Barbados rum.

The trio, Mount Gay, Foursquare, and St. Nicholas Abbey and are saying that not only is West Indies Rum Distillery’s (WIRD) proposal a no-no and goes against hundreds of years of tradition, but also ageing the liquid elsewhere takes away the Barbados identity and should not be associated with the island in branding.  (The West Indies Rum Distillery produces Cockspur and Malibu rums). Continue reading

TRAVEL: JetBlue gearing up for daily non-stop NYC-GEO-NYC from April 02, 2020

The JetBlue team with GCAA’s  Director General, Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field (seated at left) and others.

The JetBlue team with GCAA’s  Director General, Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field (seated at left) and others.

A team from JetBlue Airways Corporation (JetBlue) met with the Director General, Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field and his team at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on January 28, 2020 to discuss the carrier’s application for commencement of non-stop scheduled air services on the Georgetown to New York  route from April 2, 2020.        Continue reading

USA: NY City Council votes to ban cashless businesses

A restaurant sign alerts customers that it’s “now cashless,” Thursday Jan. 23, 2020, in New York.
Lawmakers in New York City were voting Thursday January 24. 2020 on a measure to require stores and restaurants to accept cash.
Critics of the cash-free business model say it discriminates against people who don’t have bank accounts or who prefer to use cash.
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