Daily Archive: Friday, July 24, 2009

-Ramsammy urges religious leaders as World AIDS Day launched Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy said yesterday that Guyana’s HIV/AIDS progress continues to be hindered by persons living in denial of being at risk and he called on religious leaders to preach condom use.

A man is now in custody following the execution-style killing of a Guyanese-born New York City clothing entrepreneur Sven Hinds back in May.

The police yesterday said that they were seeking well-known personalities Archie Poole and Heston Bostwick as they could “assist” in an investigation.

…though clean-up of site okayed Fire Chief (ag) Marlon Gentle yesterday declined to comment on the investigations into the blaze that devastated the Ministry of Health on Friday last even as questions persist about the extent of the fire service probe.

Early morning high tides, yesterday led to overtopping of the sea defence in the areas of Belladrum/Foulis and Plantation Brahan in Region Five, a release from GINA said.

“Wah ever ah do is self-defence” Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday remanded to prison a thirty-five-year-old man, who allegedly stabbed another man to his abdomen with a broken glass bottle at a nightclub.

An inmate of the Georgetown prison yesterday appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson for allegedly using an ice-pick to rob the would-be army officer, accused of forging a CXC certificate,  of a cell phone while they were at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court lock-ups.

-more than year later Rupununi bridge still to be repaired Another portion of road in Region Nine has washed away and Regional Chairman, Clarindo Lucas has advised that heavy vehicles from Georgetown not travel until it is fixed.

CARIFORUM countries (member states of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific states) have committed to further refining the roadmap on Caribbean Regional Integration and Cooperation for submission to the European Commission by September/October 2009.

It was considered  a lifeline thrown to  the sport of power lifting locally when the Guyana Power Lifting Federation (GPLF) yesterday received a large quantity of weights from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Team Rahaman expects to win despite starting at back of grid The  Rahaman motor racing dynasty in Guyana and the Caribbean has been thrilling crowds over the years in their customary Ford line of cars and come Sunday at the Guyana Motor racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) National Race of Champions Round Two, the father and son duo of Jad and Ryan will be aiming to keep up that tradition.

–public education on radar The $550 million Doppler Radar facility at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) which will provide up-to-the minute weather information is almost complete and is expected to be commissioned in October.

KINGSTON, Jamaica,  CMC – Trinidad & Tobago remained on top the TCL Group West Indies Three-day Cup Under-19 tournament when they crushed Leeward Islands by an innings and six runs yesterday.

The Caricom Secretariat’s Office of the General Counsel recently hosted a three-day regional capacity-building workshop for member states on treaty law and practice in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Three men appeared at the Wales Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of illegal possession of fuel and were granted bail.

Funds, the usual bugbear facing Guyana’s sportsmen and women and the issuance of visas for England and Italy could affect Guyana’s chances of attending this year’s World Amateur Boxing Championships in Milan, Italy.

Guyana is among eight  CARICOM member states which will be the first beneficiaries of grants, interest subsidies and concessionary loans through the CARICOM Development Fund  (CDF).

(Antigua Sun) – The long outstanding IHI Debt Settlement matter now seems set to move forward, after a Miami court denied applications made by Opposition Leader Lester Bird and Asot Michael to have a judge recused from hearing the case, which they also wanted to be moved to a different division of the court.

This year’s Inter-Market Football Competition will  now take the brand of Banks DIH’s recently released Power Stout.

Director of Sports Neil Kumar yesterday stated that chess was added to the list of events which will be contested in the second stage of the 2009 Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) which will get underway  in Suriname in October.

The post-mortem (PM) examination on Ramattie Deonauth, who was allegedly killed by her son last Sunday night, is expected to be performed today following which the suspect is expected to be charged with the capital offence.

(Antigua Sun) – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Financial Action Task Force may be asked to undertake a full investigation into the operations of Sir Allen Stanford in Antigua and Barbuda and elsewhere in the Caribbean.

-claims baseless, says ministry The main opposition PNCR and the Agriculture Ministry have clashed over the alleged neglect of agricultural development in the Pomeroon, which the government says is a major focal point of development.

(BBC) – UK officials investigating an illegal shipment of 1,400 tonnes of toxic waste to Brazil have made three arrests.

The third annual Hernandez Memorial Volleyball Tournament is expected to get underway on Sunday from 10:00 hrs at the National Park volleyball court and it is being sponsored by the Hernandez family in collaboration with the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF).

TEGUCIGALPA, (Reuters) – Ousted President Manuel  Zelaya headed toward Honduras yesterday in a new attempt to  retake power and overturn a military coup that has become  Central America’s biggest political crisis in two decades.

The Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce has condemned the destruction by fire, of the Ministry of Health and has extended its support to Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy and his staff.

Despite what has been represented to this newspaper as “a significant tightening up” of the procedures associated with the processing of tenders for state contracts, sources close to both the National Insurance Scheme and the Guyana Revenue Authority say that there are still cases of service providers who are significantly in arrears in their NIS and GRA payments who attempt to secure compliances.

Netrockers hammer Peacemakers to remain on top of tableThe Netrockers football club continued their winning ways in this year’s Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) Stag Beer sponsored B-League by trashing Peacemakers four goals to nil when action continued on Wednesday at the Bayrock ground.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Justin Langer became the highest  scoring Australian in first-class cricket yesterday when he  overtook the great Don Bradman.

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – South Africa’s government  yesterday threatened to crack down on violent protests which  erupted this week over jobs and living conditions, posing an  early challenge to President Jacob Zuma.

Construction is on schedule for the upgrade of the $1.2B Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) in-patient facility between Lamaha and Thomas streets and although there have been a few delays with construction designs these have been rectified,  Director, Facilities Man-agement Secretariat, GPHC, Parmanand Samaroo said on Wednesday.

The embattled local security firm United Associates Security and Domestic Services Inc.

COLOMBO,  (Reuters) – Sri Lanka face an uphill battle  to save the third test against Pakistan after closing on 183 for  three chasing a huge 492-run victory target yesterday.

A Guyanese student has won a Notebook computer and US$500 after placing second in the CANTO 3rd Annual Telecommunication Information and Society Day essay competition.

MOGADISHU, (Reuters) – Clashes in central Somalia  and the capital have killed at least 46 people, officials and  peace groups said yesterday, while a newly-appointed security  minister pledged to build strong national security forces.

One of the more interesting features of the recent report on the impact of the global economic and financial crisis on the labour market in Latin America and the Caribbean prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) is its assessment of likely changes in employment patterns arising out of job losses in the formal employment sector.

ANNECY, France,  (Reuters) – Overall leader Alberto  Contador took a giant step towards his second Tour de France  victory when he humbled the time trial specialists over 40.5 kms  to take the 18th stage around the lake of Annecy yesterday.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Funds are increasingly looking to  invest in farmland as a rising global population and changing  diets lead to growing demand for food crops.

The Hare Krishna Movement is hosting the Festival of the Chariot 2009, Ratha-yatra, over four days along the East Coast Demerara.

The Myth The public records say that the situation in Guyana is improving and administration officials toot their own horn with every house lot given out and every acre of rice produced. 

Dear Editor, There is a general consensus about the current impasse between the WICB and WIPA:  that our cricket is in the doldrums both administratively and in terms of player quality.

By Gerhard Ramsaroop (reviewed by Brian Persaud – a leading IT engineer) Microsoft Windows is a computer operating system (OS) first introduced in November 1985 and today Windows has approximately 90% of the client computer market share worldwide.

NEWARK, (Reuters) – Dozens of New Jersey  politicians, officials and prominent rabbis were arrested yesterday in a sweeping federal probe that uncovered political  corruption, human organ sales and money laundering from New  York to Israel, officials said.

The Mayor and City Council says as some property-owners default on their accounts it is negatively impacting its ability to deliver municipal services.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Barbados kept alive their slim hopes of retaining their TCL Group West Indies Three-day Cup Under-19 title when they scored a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Guyana yesterday.

BOSTON, (Reuters) – President Barack Obama plunged  his presidency into a charged racial debate and set off a  firestorm in one of America’s most liberal bastions by siding  with a black Harvard scholar who accuses police of racism.

Dear Editor, The current debate in the Guyanese press on the question as to whether the University of Guyana should emphasize teaching or research, is a question as old the mediaeval university itself. 

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Former 100 metres world record  holder Asafa Powell believes his rivalry with the current number  one Usain Bolt could mirror that of some of the great boxers —  if he can be bothered to build up the hype.

A recent review of the impact of the global economic and financial crisis on labour markets in Latin America and the Caribbean prepared jointly by the Economic Commission for Latin America   and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) has raised the spectre of a possible increased resort to child labour as a means of shoring up reduced incomes in poor families in the face of the global economic and financial crisis.

Forty-six youth graduated from the Mercy Wings Vocational Centre when it hosted its recent convocation ceremony.

Dear Editor, Our leaders are running on the spot shouting from the top of their voice about REDD and low carbon initiatives wasting good money again, yet the one project that can make a difference in the lives of the Guyanese people in this area is silently being positioned for parking with the lame excuse that the global economic crisis is having an adverse impact on the “construction momentum.” 

-prostate problems picked up Linden residents recently benefited from a medical outreach exercise hosted by the Overseas Medical Assistance Team (OMAT) of the USA which resulted in a number of surgeries being performed and children being furnished with eyeglasses.

– few permanent jobs created Weeks before its scheduled closure, the Linden Economic Advancement Programme (LEAP) is still beset by the criticism that it failed in its objective to create jobs in the seven years of its existence.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad & Tobago’s coach Russell Latapy had a hand in both goals in his Digicel Pro League debut, as Caledonia AIA of Morvant/Laventille edged W Connection 2-1 on Wednesday.

ARE, Sweden, (Reuters) – The European Union could  provide up to 2.5 billion euros ($3.55 billion) a year to help  poor nations protect tropical forests, the EU executive said in  a report to ministers meeting in Sweden yesterday.

OECS countries seek IMF rescue packages despite popular misgivings – BBC Caribbean Report Even as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) continues to mount a lobby for comprehensive reforms of the post-war Bretton Woods Institutions – the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, more vulnerable member countries of the regional movement are compelled to seek financial support from the Fund  to cushion the continually unfolding effects of the current crisis.

Dear Editor, The recent exchanges between Mr Ramkarran and others in the letter section shows that these writers are all caught up in the past, especially Mr Ramkarran.

The cyclist (background) and the biker (foreground) have to use the shoulders of this Farmland, Sophia road when it rains heavily.

Two icons of West Indies cricket, Clive Lloyd and Michael Holding, have blamed both the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) for dragging West Indies cricket into its present mess.

Kids First Fund (KFF) was the recipient of a $551,243 cheque from the Theatre Company and GEMS Theatre Productions.

OSLO, (Reuters) – Aid of $10 billion from rich  nations would be a “good beginning” to launch a U.N.

Popular church, same attitudes-What security? Me!? A missionary? In Nigeria?

School of the Nations has extended congratulations to the students and teachers of its primary department for their stellar performance at the National Grade Six Assessment.

One thing is clear about the coup d’état in Honduras, President Manuel Zelaya was illegally overthrown by the Honduran Congress and military, backed by elements within the business class and landowning oligarchy.

Dear Editor, Guyana’s placement system for the Common Entrance examination can be improved by adopting a policy to have a certain number of the top performers (regardless of marks, but with a cut-off point) from every region to be given a place in the senior secondary schools.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 313’s trading results showed consideration of $2,044,306 from 64,543 shares traded in 8 transactions as compared to session 312 which showed consideration of $143,448 from 14,914 shares traded in 5 transactions. 

Dr Bertrand Ramcharan, Ph.D. (LSE), Barrister-at-Law, is a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Commissioner of the International Commission of Jurists and Professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

ISLAMABAD, (Reuters) – One of Osama bin Laden’s  sons was probably killed by a U.S.

CDB aid package for Haiti The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has announced a four year aid programme for Haiti.

Roseau, Dominica: West Indies coach, John Dyson, says that despite his team’s losses in the Digicel Test Series, he is expecting competitive performances in the three match Digicel One Day International Series against Bangladesh.

Professional Guard Service (PGS) honoured 12 guards at its second quarterly awards ceremony hosted on Friday.