Daily Archive: Friday, May 21, 2010

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – An Air India Express  passenger plane from Dubai crashed outside an airport in  southern India today, killing at least 160 people when it  burst into flames after overshooting the runway and ploughing  into a forest.

-faced with replacing expensive equipment The high replacement cost of surgical equipment lost in the May 10 fire is just one of the issues the St Joseph Mercy Hospital must grapple with now as it seeks to restore all of its services to the public and losses so far have totalled $600m.

Rajendra Persaud, who was shot while responding to a robbery at his sister’s house at Wellington Park, Corentyne around 1.40 am on Monday said he did not expect to face such heavily armed bandits.

With the second shipment of paddy on its way to Venezuela under a US$21.7 million deal, Guyana is expected to earn an additional US$90 for every tonne from here on.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is inviting persons to bid for the opportunity to provide the Guyana Police Force with an armoured water cannon truck.

The Sexual Offences Bill, which was passed last month and is expected to be signed into law shortly, makes provisions for several new offences including voyeurism with a proposed maximum penalty of five years if convicted.

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) has formally applied to the government for another twenty-year operating licence in keeping with the clause in the original contract which allows the entity to apply for a renewal of its licence.

There has been no word from the Office of the Prime Minister on whether the review of the unusable new Supenaam stelling has begun.

Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira gave a misleading answer to the United Nations Human Rights Council in relation to compensation for the 15-year-old boy who was tortured by police in October last year.

No agreement has been reached by Russian aluminum giant, RUSAL and Brazilian construction firm, Andrade Gutierrez (AG) Construction on the possible joint development of a hydro electricity plant in the Upper Mazaruni but discussions are ongoing.

-boxing board president By Marlon Munroe It seems as if the dust of controversy that has been swirling around professional boxing is starting to settle as the President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control announced yesterday that there will be three world title fights on June 5 at the Princess Hotel.

LONDON, CMC – Michael Holding has come off the long-run, and continued his verbal assault on the Twenty20 format, while taking aim at the game’s administrators.

NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Senseless batting again condemned West Indies to a one-run defeat to South Africa in the second and final Twenty20 International yesterday.

Fire of unknown origin destroyed a house at Haswell, Port Mourant around 9.45 pm on Wednesday leaving three persons homeless and its owner an arson suspect though his family is adamant he had nothing to do with it.

A computer technician who was reportedly entrusted with over $1.6M to purchase ground provisions appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday  charged with fraudulently converting the money to his own use.

–family of driver in custody protests his innocence The man who perished in a vehicular accident on the Diamond Access Road on Tuesday has been identified as Rudolph Latchman; meanwhile the parents of the driver accused of the accident is claiming that their son is innocent.  

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) honoured eight outstanding educators in the Lower Corentyne area on Thursday in its annual Bank of Nova Scotia Tribute to Teachers Programme.

–court hears A vendor who allegedly assaulted a minibus driver who was blamed for driving over his ground provisions was placed on a total of $80,000 bail yesterday when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson.

-but event will go on, come rain or shine, says Boyce The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has once again postponed the launching of its inaugural Under-23 Games that was expected to be run off today at 14:00 hrs in the boardroom of part-sponsors Digicel.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) will be commencing its Annual Independence Table Tennis Tournament on June 4 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

LISBON, (Reuters) – Portugal’s chances of success at  the World Cup depend largely on the form of Cristiano Ronaldo  but also on whether they can turn their stylish approach play  into enough goals.  

-group desperately in need of office Nine years ago Paul Cottom was a 31-year-old who was in the prime of his life with great plans to make life better for his family, including his young daughter, and to make his dream come through he worked two jobs.

The Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) is making hay in the rainy season through workshops which will be held during the current break in cricket as part of a number of developmental programmes on the association’s agenda, beginning with a Captains workshop at the Everest Cricket Club yesterday.

Officials of the European Union, Latin America and  the Caribbean  meeting  at the   recent summit in Madrid, Spain expressed support for initiatives that  will increase the capacity to finance projects  and the EU now has a new facility for Latin America.

RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) – The purists are going to  have to look elsewhere at the World Cup because Brazil are  mounting their challenge for a record sixth title with a game  based on rock-solid defence, counter-attacks and set pieces.    The style developed during nearly four years of coach  Dunga’s leadership has proved brutally effective, with the team  winning the Copa America, Confederations Cup and topping the  10-team South American qualifying group for the World Cup.  

While short-listing athletes can be a tedious exercise, sports associations must  also face a more demanding challenge in financing their athletes for the upcoming CAC Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Disgraced Tour de France winner  Floyd Landis has confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs  and accused some of his sport’s biggest names, including Lance  Armstrong, of also cheating.    Seven-times Tour de France winner Armstrong dismissed the  accusations as untrue before crashing heavily during the fifth  stage of the Tour of California and needing hospital treatment.  

Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud says his ministry is seeking to orient the national agricultural diversification strategy towards improving the living conditions of poor rural households, focusing on the empowerment of women, particularly rural women seeking to create sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families.

The newly elected Tory-Liberal administration in the United Kingdom has won plaudits from the regional tourism sector for its dropping of the controversial Air Passenger Duty (APD)  on individual airline tickets to the Caribbean in favour of a new “per plane” levy.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Marlon Samuels has been chosen in a 13-member Jamaica squad for the Pearl’s Cup to be contested in the United States this weekend.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – The Los Angeles Lakers  resisted a spirited second half fightback by the Phoenix Suns  to increase their lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference  finals with a 124-112 Game Two victory Wednesday.    The visiting Suns were crushed 128-107 in Monday’s series  opener and trailed by 14 points shortly after half-time, before  they raised hopes of an upset win on the NBA champions’ home  court by tying the game at 90-90 going into the final quarter. 

In October 2008 the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) undertook a review of its Code of Conduct which sets out the general principles and guidelines to which its members ought correctly to commit themselves as good corporate citizens.

-foreign minister tells UN rights council Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett says if any discrimination is being practiced here with regards to indigenous peoples, it is “positive”.

The police yesterday found an unlicensed gun with matching rounds and two masks in a car that was stopped at Cemetery Road, Rose Hall, Corentyne.

LONDON, (Reuters) – The International Cricket  Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption unit is examining Pakistan’s  dismal tour of Australia this year when they were whitewashed in  the test and one-day series.  

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate approved a  sweeping Wall Street reform bill on Thursday night, capping  months of wrangling over the biggest overhaul of financial  regulation since the 1930s.    By a vote of 59 to 39, the Senate awarded a victory to  President Barack Obama, a champion of tighter rules for banks  and capital markets after a 2007-2009 financial crisis that  slammed the economy and led to massive taxpayer bailouts.    The Senate bill must now be merged with a measure approved  in December by the U.S.

Dear Editor, I refer to several articles in the press recently about the proposed 150 megawatts Amaila hydropower project and would like to comment as follows: Using a figure of US$4000 per kilowatt (presently used for a plant in developing countries) the developer would price the Amaila plant and transmission line at around US$600M to construct.

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – World soccer’s governing  body FIFA will change its ticketing system for the next World  Cup in Brazil after learning from mistakes made in South Africa,  secretary general Jerome Valcke said yesterday.    He had already admitted the ticketing system, based on  internet sales, was not suitable for South Africa, where the  poor black population who are the country’s biggest football  fans do not have access either to the Web or bank accounts.    Last month, organisers belatedly introduced over-the-counter  cash sales which unleashed a rush for tickets and significantly  pumped up excitement over the tournament in the host nation.  

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

Dear Editor, On Tuesday, May 18, the Workers Committee formed by the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc  (BCGI) met with the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board (TUR&CB), under the chairmanship of Justice Prem Persaud, and was advised of a pending survey at the site to determine if the workers still want the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) to represent them. 

GENEVA, (Reuters) – Health ministers agreed yesterday to try to curb binge drinking and other growing forms  of excessive alcohol use through higher taxes on alcoholic  drinks and tighter marketing regulations.    The global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol was  adopted by consensus at the annual assembly of the World Health  Organisation (WHO). 

Not disability friendly:  Wheelchair bound Hughette Lawrence (in photo) who returned to Guyana after many years is very disappointed because many of the places she visited are not wheelchair accessible.

VENICE, La./WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S.  government yesterday accused energy giant BP of falling short  in the information it has provided about the Gulf of Mexico oil  spill, in a clear sign of Washington’s growing frustration with  BP’s handling of the spiraling environmental disaster.  

Dear Editor, Every weekend and on some holidays residents of Barr Street Kitty get totally fed up with the noise nuisance that occurs at cock-fights.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Two years after Justine Henin  stunned the sport by announcing her retirement at the age of 25  on the eve of her French Open defence, the Belgian is back and  eager to show Roland Garros what it has been missing.    Before Henin’s self-enforced break, she reigned supreme on  Parisian clay, winning the title on four out of the five  previous years and she is already being tipped to sweep all  before her over the next two weeks. 

By Jacquie Hamer Thumbing through the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (GCCI) 2009 Annual Report recently I was surprised to learn that the organisation is now more than 120 years old and that its recently elected President, Komal Ramnauth, is the 46th person to have served in that position.

The manufacturing and export sectors in fifteen Caribbean countries are expected to benefit from a US$32.5 million Inter American Development Bank (IDB) project which targets the growth of the non-traditional export sectors in the region.

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Sri Lanka have named Tillkaratne  Dilshan as captain after deciding to rest several senior players  for their tri-series in Zimbabwe in June.  

(Jamaica Gleaner) – Former National Security Minister Dr Peter Phillips has suggested that the government may have “prepared the wicket” for Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke’s court defence.

SEOUL, (Reuters) – South Korea accused the reclusive  North yesterday of torpedoing one of its warships,  heightening tensions in the region and drawing a warning from  the United States that Pyongyang must face consequences.  

Dear Editor, I am one who is ever grateful to the senior citizens who served this country and today are too old to earn a living. 

-And a plan for Senior-Citizen Pensioners My age of caution and my preference not to rush to print or judgement with regard to unfolding public scandal and reports of corruption – alleged or real – rein in my ability to ‘buse out national figures with the gusto, alacrity and frequency with which others do.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Reuters) — Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc’s decision to eliminate 6,000 jobs at plants in Puerto Rico and elsewhere is a poorly-timed setback for a Caribbean island economy in its fourth year of recession.

SAN FRANCISCO,  (Reuters) – Web search king Google  Inc showed off on Thursday a risky attempt to marry the Web to  television and reach the $70 billion TV advertising market,  chasing a dream that has eluded even archrival Apple Inc.    Developers at a conference applauded “Google TV;” and a  slew of tech industry titans, including microchip maker Intel  Corp and TV maker Sony Corp, sent their chief executives to  announce that they had joined the project and that TV sets  would be ready in time for Christmas buying. 

Dear Editor, In previous correspondence to this newspaper last year, I had mentioned that Guyana radio is being mismanaged and the programmes left much to be desired.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – England fast bowler Graham Onions  will be out for three months due to knee and back injuries, the  England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said yesterday.    The ECB said on their website (www.ecb.co.uk)

(BVI Beacon) Jurors unanimously found a Guyanese man guilty of raping his ex-girlfriend after holding a jackknife against her in 2008.

* Experts say fresh look would open new drug avenues *Ageing research aims for longer health-span By Kate Kelland, Health and Science CorrespondentLONDON, (Reuters) – Is ageing a disease?

By Denholm Barnetson MADRID, Spain (AFP) — The European Union and countries of Latin America and the Caribbean pledged to “avoid protectionism in all its forms”, as the bloc announced free trade deals with the region at a summit.

ZURICH,  (Reuters Life!) – The world’s largest  chocolate maker says it may have come up with a chocolate bar  that could fight wrinkles and slow the ageing process, making it  the latest food group to tap the appetite for healthier living.    Eating 20 g (0.755 oz) of specially developed chocolate  packed with antioxidants, or flavanols, each day may help  prevent wrinkles and make skin more radiant by boosting  elasticity and improving hydration, studies carried out by Barry  Callebaut showed.    Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the nutritional  value of what they eat, and Barry Callebaut’s <BARN.S>

HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuban President Raul Castro held a rare meeting yesterday with leaders of an increasingly active Roman Catholic Church to discuss international and domestic issues, the official media reported yesterday.

Dear Editor, Last week Monday morning greeted many of us with the news of a blazing furnace that devastated yet another building in the heart of Georgetown.

TIGNES, France, (Reuters) – A young Olympique  Marseille player full of energy and skill who has never started  a game for France has been included in their World Cup squad  and dreams of making an instant impact on the big stage.  

LONDON, (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal used to mess with his  head, ruffle his feathers and on occasions even make him cry,  but no-one will be happier to see the Mallorcan rekindle his  love affair with Roland Garros more than Roger Federer.  

Several Berbicians recently benefitted from free eye tests and spectacles when the East Canje Lions Club (ECLC) and the New Amsterdam Lions Club (NALC) held a clinic at the den at Adelphi, Canje.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 356’s trading results showed consideration of $1,836,920 from 191,958 shares traded in 5 transactions as compared to session 355 which showed consideration of $222,758 from 16,030 shares traded in 4 transactions. 

(Barbados Nation) – Guyana’s Honorary Consul to Barbados, Norman Faria, is a patient at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

Khaled Hroub is Director of Cambridge University’s Arab Media Project and author of Hamas: Political Thought and Practice.

The past week or so has not been good for at least three Caricom prime ministers, for different reasons.

LONDON, (Reuters) – British tax investigators  arrested four more people yesterday they said were believed to  be connected to a 38 million pound ($54.5 million) suspected tax  fraud in European carbon credit trading. 

Dear Editor , I would like to ask our engineers a very simple question  to do with the ramp that is stationary and permanently anchored, while at some point attached to it by hinges is a drawbridge – anchored to a pontoon.