Daily Archive: Friday, December 17, 2010

Canada today announced the designation of Enerjet to operate scheduled international air services between Canada and Guyana.

The Guyana Sugar Corporation wrote the main sugar union GAWU yesterday saying that it was considering terminating the historic 1976 recognition agreement with the union.

The Caribbean Community is increasing efforts to respond to the Cholera epidemic in Haiti.

Police are investigating an armed robbery which occurred last night at Johanna South, Black Bush Polder, Berbice, during which housewife Hansrani Daly was attacked and robbed by two men armed with a firearm and a cutlass.

A Guyanese woman -described as a prominent real estate agent from the Schenectady, New York Guyanese community – and her Trinidadian husband were on Wednesday sentenced to five years in prison after they were found guilty of money laundering and bank fraud, an Albany Times Union report has stated.

(Trinidad Express) Government is moving to regulate the foreign used car industry by early next year, Trade Minister Stephen Cadiz said yesterday.

(Jamaica Observer) Cuban ambassador to Jamaica Yuri Gala yesterday dismissed the WikiLeaks cables in which the Communist island appeared last year to be bad-mouthing the Bruce Golding administration over its indecision in the fight against transnational drug trafficking, calling the cables “clear manipulation” and evil.

The police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at about 9.25 last night where Paul Samaroo, 32 years, of Goedverwagting, ECD, was attacked and robbed by two men, during which he was shot and injured.

The tomb of a well-known Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast contractor was broken into sometime last night and relatives believe the perpetrators planned to rob the corpse of jewellery it was believed to have.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s probe of Allen Stanford’s alleged Ponzi scheme has broadened to include brokerage executives who poured client money into Stanford International Bank products, the UK Financial Times has reported, citing lawyers in the case and a regulatory filing.

(BBC) An Arctic wave brought record cold weather to Cuba yesterday forcing residents to bundle up using what they could find in their closets.

PERTH, (Reuters) – Mercurial paceman Mitchell   Johnson found his inswinging form to help Australia skittle   England for 187 and wrest back the initiative on a topsy-turvy   second day of the third Ashes test in Perth today.

The Labour Ministry will be examining safety and health issues affecting workers within the fishing industry, in light of the deadly Pritipaul Singh Investments (PSI) trawler blaze.

Government has taken umbrage at statements attributed to former finance minister and regional public servant Carl Greenidge and has voiced its displeasure to CARICOM.

The undersea Americas 11 cable which provides a range of telecoms services to Guyana via GT&T has been identified by the US government as critical infrastructure which if disrupted can affect American security.

The government is defending the inclusion of PPP General Secretary Donald Ramotar on Guyana’s delegation to the two-day Mercosur summit in Brazil.

Renate Alleyne was yesterday admitted to $60,000 bail, after he denied stealing a purse containing $68,400 from his former sister-in-law.

Six months after an order was approved in the National Assembly to upgrade the salary of the acting Chief Justice to the scale of the Chancellor, opposition parliamentarians yesterday called for a more inclusive law.

Traffic could be diverted through several East Bank Demerara (EBD) villages next year when works on the four-lane highway between Providence and Grove commence and residents are already worried about the potential disruption of essential services due to the project.

Government spokesman Dr. Roger Luncheon yesterday described a recent conference on electoral reforms as a “purposeless” exercise with less than a year remaining before general elections are held.

Oil exploration company, CGX Energy Inc has raised US$23 million in its latest share offering which will be used to fund its capital programme offshore Guyana and for general corporate purposes.

The Privatisation Unit yesterday said that the headline in yesterday’s edition of the Stabroek News entitled `IDB unveils $$ for eight Marriott hotels…but Guyana still not on radar’ was misleading.

Seven more titles in the Guyana Classics Series, republished under the Caribbean Publishing House, were last evening launched at the Umana Yana, bringing the total number of books produced so far to eighteen.

Toshao Bertie Xavier of Wowetta Community in   North Rupununi,  Region Nine, was on Wednesday elected to serve on the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a release yesterday.

The man accused of viciously stabbing his reputed wife to death at their Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara home last year April, was on Monday committed to stand trial in the High Court for the murder.

Canada-based Shoreham Resources Ltd has announced that a diamond drilling programme has started on the Mariwa River gold target at the Sardine Hill Property in Guyana An Accesswire release yesterday said that a minimum of 3,000 metres of drilling is planned to depths of approximately 100 to 200 metres to test the “saprolite and shallow bedrock mineralized zones in the northwest sector of the property”.

A labourer accused of stealing a tarpaulin from his employer told a court yesterday that the item belonged to him and he repossessed it because he was not paid for work.

The Guyana Relief Council (GRC) has announced that its office at Riverview, Ruimveldt, closed from  yesterday until January 4 but during this period persons who are affected by disasters can still access their assistance.

The Mayor and City Council   has expressed gratitude to its employees  for  commitment to the work of the city while enduring  many difficulties with patience and understanding. 

Sport Minister Dr. Frank Anthony yesterday described the signing of the contract for ‘phase one’ of the construction of Guyana’s first synthetic track as “something quite historic” when the deal was inked at the construction site, Leonora, West Coast Demerara.  

It was a terrific start to the 21st edition of the Kashif and Shanghai Football Tournament when two teams progressed to the quarterfinal round and two others  exited the tournament on Wednesday night at the Georgetown Football Club ground.

Fifty-seven single parents and 151 youths from Regions One, Two and Three graduated last Wednesday from the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE) at the Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI), Region Two, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.

Tonight the Enmore Community Centre ground will come alive on the second day of judgment in the 21st Kashif and Shanghai Football Tournament when a double header kicks off at 6pm.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, CMC – Traditional powerhouses Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago will clash in the first round of next year’s CONCACAF Under-17 Championship here.

A man accused of snatching a woman’s gold chain while on bail for a similar offence was yesterday remanded to prison at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Kevin Durant, who led the  United States to their first world championship title in 16  years, has been selected as the 2010 USA Basketball male  athlete of the year.

PERTH, (Reuters) – England tightened their grip on  the Ashes yesterday, ripping out Australia’s top order cheaply  and dismissing the hosts for 268 on day one of the third test.  

Not all of these junior carollers in last evening’s Scotiabank carolling seemed to be seized with Christmas cheer.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – President Barack Obama  offered Americans an optimistic assessment of the Afghanistan  war yesterday, even as U.S.

TORONTO, (Reuters) – The Chicago Bulls crushed the  injury-hit Toronto Raptors 110-93 on Wednesday for their  seventh straight victory but the excitement was dulled by the  news that centre Joakim Noah would be lost for two months.  

Take your pick: Festive cakes on offer at Salt and Pepper yesterday.

The Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association’s (GABA) Division Two and Three Knockout tournaments have been plagued with postponements and since its recent stoppage it shows no sign of a restart.

Scotiabank Christmas carollers last night on their horse-drawn carts on Waterloo St.

LONDON, (Reuters) – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange,  fighting extradition to Sweden over alleged sex crimes, walked  free on bail from a British jail yesterday protesting his  innocence and pledging to continue exposing official secrets.    A weary-looking Assange spoke to a crowd of journalists and  supporters waiting in the snow outside Britain’s High Court five  hours after a judge said he could be released on 200,000 pounds  ($312,000) bail under stringent conditions.  

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Twelve international coaches have already expressed interest in the post of Trinidad and Tobago head coach, even though the embattled Russell Latapy remains in charge.

NEW DELHI,  (Reuters) – Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao   pressed on with a charm offensive in India yesterday,   offering support for New Delhi’s bid for a greater role in the   United Nations and agreeing on an ambitious target of $100   billion in trade between the rising Asian powers by 2015.   

TOKYO,  (Reuters) – Japan unveiled a sweeping update of  its national defence polices yesterday, prescribing a more  flexible posture and refocusing its capabilities as it confronts  China’s military buildup and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.  

In her first event, Goodwill Games gold medalist Brittany van Lange was able to produce a new personal best in the 100m freestyle while compatriot Ronaldo Rodrigues bettered his time in the 50m freestyle yesterday on the second day of the FINA (International Swimming Federation) World Championships (25m) in Dubai.

KARACHI,  (Reuters) – The International Cricket  Council (ICC) has extended its deadline for Pakistan to name  their preliminary squad for next year’s 50 overs World Cup until  Jan.

PRISTINA, (Reuters) – Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim  Thaci rejected a European report accusing him of heading a  mafia-style organisation and said yesterday he would use all  political and legal means to bring the truth to light.  

This recently opened extension to China Trading on Robb Street has proven instantly popular with Guyanese Christmas shoppers.

Spongebob and Mini get in the act: Favourite children cartoon characters Mini Mouse and Spongebob Squarepants were spreading holiday

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) – The European Central Bank moved  to increase its financial firepower to fight the euro zone debt  crisis yesterday, and European Union leaders agreed to change  the EU treaty to create a permanent financial safety net.  

While outgoing president of the GCB Chetram Singh described his last year in office as controversial, Sport Minister Dr.

Dear Editor, The headmaster of Christianburg Wismar Secondary School has created some ruffles and brought into the open once again the Education Ministry’s new approach as it relates to poor performers by his forthright and determined opposition to its policy.

$3M richer: Delroy Bourne, the seventh winner in the Courts Vault Promotion is now $3 million richer and he and wife intend to use some of the money

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Leeward Islands batsman Runako Morton will make his debut for Trinidad and Tobago in next month’s Caribbean Twenty20 Championship after being included in a 14-man squad yesterday.

HARARE, (Reuters) – Zimbabwe President Robert  Mugabe’s wife is demanding $15 million in a lawsuit against a  private newspaper for publishing details from U.S.

Dear Editor, A quick perusal of the Digicel website or even its brochures will reveal individuals with perky, exultant faces.

FOZ DO IGUACU, Brazil, (Reuters) – South American  trade bloc Mercosur launched a plan yesterday to adopt common  trade, investment and immigration policies to help underpin  unprecedented economic growth in the region.  

MOSCOW, (Reuters) – Prime Minister Vladimir Putin  told Russians yesterday that Mikhail Khodorkovsky belonged in  prison, drawing protests from the jailed tycoon’s lawyers who  said it amounted to pressure on a trial judge.    Khodorkovsky, once Russia’s richest man, is awaiting a  verdict in a second trial and if found guilty of stealing $27  billion from his own company, he could be kept in jail past the  2012 presidential election. 

Dear Editor, My father was a cane-cutter and I grew up on a sugar estate.

CENTURION, South Africa, (Reuters) – South Africa’s  Morne Morkel claimed four for 20 as he and Dale Steyn tore  through India to leave the top-ranked nation 136 for nine at the  end of the first day of the first test yesterday.  

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo  Chavez is taking decree powers for a year in a move he says is  needed to deal with disastrous floods but opponents denounce as  a calculated blow to democracy.

Dear Editor, How far will Joel Simpson, Vidyaratha Kissoon and Antoine Craigwell go to fool the government and people of Guyana?

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – NBA Commissioner David Stern is  not in a giving mood these days despite having an office that  overlooks the holiday-season revelry of glittery Fifth Avenue.  

ABIDJAN, (Reuters) – Soldiers loyal to Ivory Coast’s  rival presidential claimants Laurent Gbagbo and Alassane  Ouattara clashed yesterday, escalating a poll row and fears of  a renewed civil war in the West African state.  

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Film and television  writer/director Blake Edwards, whose career spanned more than  six decades and included “The Pink Panther” movies, has died  from complications of pneumonia at age 88.  

Dear Editor, The Commissioner of Police, the Traffic Chief, and the traffic officers did a marvellous job in relation to the UNASUR summit.

Where do new ideas come from? Such a question may sound strange to us, especially in our Guyanese society still obsessed with the little things of daily existence.

The Christmas season is well under way and apart from the festive libations, the nostalgic juices are also in full flow.

Politikles

-Sealandia’s Pots and Kettles Again eschewing the more profound, the cerebral and analytical, I caution instead those citizens willing to be reasonable, or conservative, for this “Season”.

(Barbados Nation) Sagicor UWI’s protest against BNB St Catherine over the use of a “venom” ball in last Sunday’s Sagicor General Super Cup semi-final has been dismissed by the Barbados Cricket Association’s (BCA) Complaints and Disputes Committee.

HAVANA, (Reuters) – Icing and pilot error caused the  Nov. 4 crash of a Cuban Aero Caribbean passenger plane in which  the 68 people on board were killed, the Cuban government said  yesterday.  

Having studied the Draft legislation and regulations, we are left with numerous concerns – concerns which, if not clarified, will create investor and consumer uncertainty: for example, would it not amount to a rewarding of illegality if a currently illegal operator is automatically granted a licence with the introduction of the new legislation?

Hank and Navini Omar symbolize a fast-growing generation of younger Guyanese who are pursuing conventional academic studies but keeping an eye on entrepreneurial opportunities as an option to salaried employment.

Even as the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) continues to lend its support to local producers in an effort to increase the consumption of locally produced foods during the holiday season, efforts to accelerate relationships between manufacturers of agro processed goods and local supermarkets and other outlets will be stepped up in the new year.

Things like assets, capital, and inventories might be exciting to talk about in the classroom in pursuit of an A grade or in the boardroom of a company to ensure that company profits are heading in the right direction. 

When an individual wants to buy or sell a stock, they must communicate certain information to a broker.

An experienced marketing manager with more than 40 years of service in the public and private sectors has launched a private consultancy which he says seeks to revisit the concept of marketing as a business tool in order to enable business houses to utilize marketing to greater advantage.

(Prepared by the Guyana marketing Corporation and published by Stabroek News Business as a public service)

There used to be a time not so many years ago when much of what was consumed at Christmas was imported into the country from overseas.