Daily Archive: Friday, February 26, 2010

-60 without jobs, arson suspected Fire yesterday destroyed the ND&S Furniture Store and its factory at La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara leaving millions in losses and 60 employees jobless.

-AFC walks out after Minister Ali declines to answer question AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan yesterday apologized to the National Assembly for his unsubstantiated allegation that the Parliamentary Hansard had been tampered with, but later joined his party’s MPs in walking out after Housing Minister Irfaan Ali declined to respond to questions they raised on the $4 billion expenditure at the centre of the row.

Trinis can now have German’s. The well-known and popular local restaurant, famous for its soups, now offers a distinct type of Guyanese cuisine to Trinidad and Tobago, having opened its doors there on February 12.

The majority of  councillors in the Region Four Regional  Democratic Council  on Wednesday voted in favour of  a motion  to suspend PPP/C councillor Kwame McCoy   from the council for 90 days for what they alleged is  his “disobedience at meetings.”

Regional Executive Officer (REO) of the Region Four Regional Democratic Council (RDC), Shafdar Ali, has been sent on leave following a preliminary report issued by the Auditor General’s Office into alleged financial irregularities at the RDC.

Two men who resided with Ishwar Mithu at his Peter’s Hall home up to a few weeks ago when they were evicted are being sought in connection with his murder.

British High Court Judge Linda Dobbs said the public has a right to expect efficiency and fairness from judges and she urged members of the judiciary here to perform their duties in a manner which reflects this.

By Marlon Munroe A historic night of fistic action is expected tonight when the first installment of the Pro/Am ‘Friday Night Fights’ is staged at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hal(CASH) l by the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) and the Guyana Boxing Board of Control.

Two soldiers sustained injuries on Wednesday when the vehicle they were travelling in ran off the road.

By Marlon Munroe The second Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Super League tournament gets underway on Sunday under the auspices of the  WIN IN CONCACAF WITH CONCACAF pilot programme that was launched last September.

Retired Chief Planning Education Officer and former Stabroek News Sports Editor, Gladstone Oscar Critchlow passed away in New York on February 19, 2010.

A Brazilian man who is wanted in his homeland in connection with the murder of a policeman is in custody at the Lethem Police Station after he allegedly stole a bicycle in the Central Rupununi area earlier this week.

The Guyana Squash Association (GSA) has shortlisted 28 junior players to form two training squads in preparation for the annual Junior Caribbean Championships in the Cayman Islands in July.

A collision between a car and a motorcycle on Mashramani night left two men injured, one of whom is still a patient of the Georgetown Hospital.

– efficiency, safety and responsiveness of industry had been compromised The recently released Inter American Develop-ment Bank (IDB) Country Report on Guyana has lauded the joint effort of government and the private sector to modernize the country’s air transport system which, the report says had fallen into “a state of disrepair” over several decades.

– Jets and Kings in must-win match The Amelia’s Ward Jets and Kashif and Shanghai Kings will clash tonight in a game where both teams must win to advance to the semi-finals in this year’s Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) under-19 tournament.

The prison officer who thwarted a man who tried to smuggle drugs into the Camp Street jail is now a patient of the Georgetown Public Hospital after he fell and hit his head while chasing the man.

In the wake of the recent eagerly-waited opening of the US$2 million casino at the Princess Hotel the issue of access to the facility by Guyanese wishing to exercise that particular option has surfaced afresh.

A five-member team from the Harpy Eagle Martial Arts Academy returned to Guyana with a total 16 medals after attending  the 2010  Martial Arts Festival hosted by the Association of Professional Martial Arts at the Rex Hotel in Rodney Bay, St Lucia.

Republic Bank (Guyana) Ltd yesterday launched its Customer Panel, a new programme aimed at gathering information for improving customer service and uncovering new product opportunities.

Brian Allen was elected president of the Roraima Bikers Club at the annual general meeting on Saturday.

Business Editorial Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford’s open confession during her contribution to the parliamentary debate on the 2010 budget that there is corruption in the public service was no news to Guyanese who have, for years, grown accustomed to stories of duty-free scams, fraud, shakedowns and revenue-evasion rackets involving private sector entities and the Guyana Revenue Authority, crooked cops,  under-the-counter payments for the speeding up of various state-provided services and a host of other petty and not so petty but quieter, more discreet corrupt goings-on in various public sector institutions.

Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday remanded an 18-year-old boy on a break-and-enter charge after hearing how a chase ended up in a trench with the accused having to be pulled out along with a stolen laptop.

Top cyclist Christopher Holder will be going all out to repeat the double when the annual Mashramani 40-mile cycle road race takes place on Sunday.

By Rawle Lucas Rawle Lucas is a Guyanese-born Certified Public Accountant and Assistant Vice-President of the Lending Services Division.

Some $600M worth of rice lands in Region Five have been saved following an intervention by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) as efforts continue to cushion the effects of arid El Nino conditions.

The Flying Ace Cycle Club of Berbice will stage a Mashramani four lap round the town race on Sunday.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – President Barack Obama and  Republicans clashed frequently yesterday at a summit on his  stalled healthcare overhaul, battling over the size and cost of  the proposal and moving no closer to a compromise agreement.

President Bharrat Jagdeo, agriculture minister Robert Persaud and a team inspected the conservancy located at Canal Number Two Polder even as they assured farmers that more efforts are being made to help them combat the prevailing El Nino conditions.

Jacquelyn Hamer Given the fact that both the Government of Guyana and the multilateral financing agencies appear to have a particular proclivity for alluding to the importance of the national Poverty Reduction Strategy I was more than mildly surprised over the fact that the Inter American Development Bank’s (IDB) recent Country Report on Guyana – Guyana and the IDB – Partners for Progress – made no reference whatsoever to small business and its role in the country’s development.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – The first official talks  between India and Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai attacks ended  yesterday with only an agreement to “keep in touch”,  signalling that relations between the nuclear-armed rivals  remain frosty.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Guyana is seeking revenge against Windward Islands in an attempt to extend their winning momentum in their final round clash of the WICB regional first class championship starting today.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – President Hugo Chavez said yesterday Venezuela will withdraw from the top human rights body  in the Western Hemisphere, calling it a “mafia” and its leader  “excrement” after a report criticizing his record.

Dear Editor, The recent announcement by government of a new intelligence organisation to be named the Central Intelligence Agency has proven a contentious issue.

GRENVILLE, Grenada,  CMC – With little margin of error afforded them, Jamaica will chase an outright win against Trinidad & Tobago this weekend in an attempt to win the 2010 WICB regional first class championship.

– wins big at Mash parade after four-year hiatus After what many felt was one of the more memorable and colourful Mashramani celebrations, Banks DIH Limited’s return to the parade saw it reigning supreme and Vanilla held on to her Road March crown.

A move that is being seen by political watchers in the region as an attempt by Latin American and Caribbean countries to reduce the United States’ influence in the region is reportedly being closely monitored by the Obama administration, according to a recent BBC Caribbean report.

CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC – Despite being out of the running for top honours in this year’s WICB first class tournament, both Combined Campuses and Colleges and the Leeward Islands will look to salvage all they can when they meet in their final round match this afternoon.

-world body With Caribbean governments unable to stem the tide of copyright transgressions, royalties accruing to Caribbean music and art dipped a whopping 27 per cent to euros $3.3 million in 2009 according to data released in January in a report published by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC).

LONDON, (Reuters) – Seasonal rains and hurricanes  spell trouble for Haiti in the best of times, but with hundreds  of thousands of people living in flimsy makeshift shelters after  last month’s earthquake, this year the dangers are much greater.

Dear Editor, Please, let us not beat up on ‘Unca’ Donald.

Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy says the health sector here continues to face challenges in implementing safe injection practices and the disposal of medical waste and he is calling on professionals to be more vigilant.

Dear Editor, According to my son, he was alone in the backdam at Dryshore in Region 2 on February 5 last, when he saw a cow belonging to a cattle dealer/ butcher grazing his father’s young rice plants.

A 25-year-old mother of three who was charged with receiving stolen property was placed on $100,000 bail yesterday when she appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 344’s trading results showed consideration of $318,396 from 28,564 shares traded in 11 transactions as compared to session 343 which showed consideration of $2,207,685 from 103,059 shares traded in 13 transactions. 

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,  CMC – Four standout West Indies Under-19 players who recently contested the Youth World Cup in New Zealand, will be on show Friday when they line up for the University of the West Indies Vice Chancellors’ XI against Zimbabwe in a 50-overs match.

LONDON/OSLO, (Reuters) – Climate scientists must do  more to work out how exceptionally cold winters or a dip in  world temperatures fit their theories of global warming, if they  are to persuade an increasingly sceptical public.

CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC – The West Indies Cricket Board has refuted claims it was responsible for skewed accommodation arrangements for three regional teams in Trinidad and Tobago last week, when they arrived for the sixth round of the WICB first class championship.

KINGSTON, Jamaica (Reuters) — An Italian-owned company has pulled out of an expected deal to buy three of Jamaica’s state-run sugar estates, the Caribbean country’s agriculture minister said.

The Linden Food for the Poor Committee has come to the aid of two families of Linden whose homes were completely destroyed by fire while preparations are being made for relief for three other fire-hit families.

Dear Editor, I was truly taken aback by a letter in the SN (February 22) captioned ‘Mash often falls within the Lenten season.’

LAHORE, Pakistan, (Reuters Life!) – A ban on a  decades-old and colorful tradition of kite-flying has riled  many Pakistanis, but authorities say the sport has killed  people and encourages “immoral” celebrations.

– buried amid heavy security MADRID/WASHINGTON/HAVANA (Reuters) – Spain’s Socialist government yesterday voiced criticism of Cuba after the death of a hunger-striking dissident, while the US said it deeply regretted the death of the man who was buried amid heavy security yesterday.

NUSA DUA, Indonesia, (Reuters) – Developing  countries could in future earn money from reducing carbon  emissions by protecting oceans and marine ecosystems, a top  U.N.

Dear Editor, The world is still focused on Haiti which remains centre stage almost six weeks after being pulverized by a 7.0 earthquake. 

MIAMI, (Reuters) – U.S. authorities indicted six  associates of Colombia’s Cali drug cartel yesterday on  charges they failed to disclose the assets of two jailed  kingpins as set out in a sentencing agreement.

CASTRIES, St Lucia,  CMC – New Windies coach Ottis Gibson intends to take a fresh, hard look at fitness and injury, in an attempt to address a problem that has dealt the regional squad several serious blows in recent times.

By Marc Frank HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) — The Cuban tourism season got off to a rough start in 2010, with arrivals down 4.9 percent in January from the same month of last year, according to a government report seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds says that the administration will be moving to have someone fill the post of Ombudsman as soon it finds an appropriate candidate.

The Guyana Water Incorporated is expanding its water supply in hinterland communities by installing a solar-powered water system at St Denny’s/Tapakuma.

HAVANA (Reuters) – Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had an “emotional” meeting on Wednesday on Lula’s last official trip to the island before his term expires, Cuban media reported.

International ratings agency, Standard and Poor’s has raised Jamaica’s debt rating to B-minus from selective default.

DHAKA, (Reuters) – Bangladesh have overlooked former captain Mohammad Ashraful and batsman Raqibul Hassan in naming a 13-man squad for three one-day internationals against England,  the Bangladesh Cricket Board said yesterday.

ALGIERS, (Reuters) – The chief of Algeria’s national  police was shot dead during a meeting at his headquarters yesterday when a fellow officer fired his pistol in a fit of  insanity, the Interior Ministry said.

Dear Editor, Persons may argue that a lot was missing from Mash 2010, but my personal view is that it had  the spirit going.

As we go to press, reports of the two-day summit attended by 32 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean, held earlier this week in Cancún, Mexico, are still filtering in.

(Prepared by the Guyana marketing Corporation and published by Stabroek News Business as a public service) The New Guyana marketing Corporation has agreed to provide us with the above information which we will publish on a weekly basis subject to receipt.

Frankly Speaking… By A.A. Fenty – another side to Mashramani Now just imagine that I’m referring to places like Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, Honduras – or Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON – U.S. regulators are probing how Wall Street  firms like Goldman Sachs helped debt-stricken Greece arrange  derivatives deals that critics say were used to disguise the  size of its budget deficits.

Dear Editor, With reference to your editorial of Sunday, February 21, here is a little something that I do not believe reached the press, at the time when the Surinamese President had the nerve to send his gunboats to force out the CGX oil rig from Guyana’s waters.

Haiti quake response ‘most challenging’ A top UN official in Haiti says the disaster response to last month’s earthquake has been the most challenging the organisation has faced in its history.

CHENNAI, India,  (Reuters) – Record-scoring opener  Sachin Tendulkar and fellow batsman Virender Sehwag will be  rested for India’s third and final one-day international against  South Africa in Ahmedabad tomorrow, the Indian cricket board  said in a statement.

A policeman based in Georgetown is among five men held by the police after they stopped and searched a car in New Amsterdam yesterday and found an unlicensed .38 revolver and one matching round.