Daily Archive: Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Citing the requirement for the submission of an audited financial report and certified annual returns, the Ministry of Labour today said that the Head of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is not in a position to say that its scheduled elections will be held on time.

The police are probing an armed robbery today committed on an ANSA McAl vehicle during which $1.6M was snatched.

The Winston Murray support group today said its members had an opportunity to be briefed by PNCR presidential hopeful Carl Greenidge on his vision for the party and the country and the group has agreed to give him its unanimous support.

LONDON/BRUSSELS, (Reuters) – The European Commission  today halted its emissions trading scheme (ETS), its  chief weapon against climate change, after allegations that  permits worth millions of euros had been stolen.

(BBC) The first ever waste to energy plant in the Caribbean is about to be set up in Saint Lucia.

WELLINGTON, (Reuters) – Pakistan captain  Misbah-ul-haq produced a man of the match performance to ensure  his side batted out the final day to draw the second test  against New Zealand today and claim their first series  victory since 2006.

WELLINGTON, (Reuters) – Daniel Vettori officially  ended his tenure as New Zealand’s test captain today,  though he will not relinquish the coin toss responsibilities  completely until after the World Cup.

HOBART, (Reuters) – Experienced Matt Prior today got the nod ahead of Steve Davies as the lone  wicketkeeper in England’s 15-man squad for the Feb 19-April 2  Cricket World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

ABIDJAN, (Reuters) – Kenyan Prime Minister Raila  Odinga ended an African Union mediation mission to Ivory Coast  today, saying talks had failed to resolve a dispute over  the Nov.

DUBAI, (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has abandoned its  mediation efforts in Lebanon, saying the situation was  “dangerous,” Al Arabiya television said today, citing  Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal.

Opposition leader Robert Corbin has turned down an invitation by the government to join the list of speakers at the official launch of the International Year for People of African Descent (IYPAD) today, saying that he would not attend any state-sponsored programme.

MIAMI, (Reuters) – Guyanese batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan  has been recalled to the West Indies squad for the World Cup  starting on the Indian sub-continent next month, the West Indies  Cricket Board said today.

Shatise Atina Valentine, the US citizen accused of  trafficking in seven kilogrammes of cocaine on October 26 last, was yesterday sentenced to five years imprisonment by acting Chief Magis-trate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

Search teams yesterday recovered the bodies of two of three persons who went missing in the waters off the Mayaro Beach, in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday.

Justice Winston Patterson yesterday sentenced a Herstelling man, convicted of having carnal knowledge of a 12-year-old girl, to 15 years imprisonment.

A light Cessna 206 aircraft was completely written off yesterday morning after the pilot attempted a landing at the Baramita aerodrome in the North West District (NWD).

The Private Sector Commis-sion (PSC) yesterday praised government’s move to reduce corporate taxes and raise the personal income tax threshold, saying it has vindicated the body’s efforts to work with the government on implementing the National Competitiveness Strategy (NCS).

The Guyanese woman who was nabbed with cocaine in two milk tins at the JFK International Airport in New York last week has been identified as Lisa Odessa Holder and she has asserted her rights to remain silent.

The Delegation of the European Union in Guyana recently awarded six grant contracts valued $190M to civil society organisations in Guyana focused on boosting Amerindian interests.

Sanjay Persaud, the city peddler who was shot during a robbery on Monday night, died early yesterday morning in the Georgetown Public Hospital and grieving relatives are calling for the killers to be brought to justice.

Plans are in the works to extend the airstrip at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri so that it can accommodate 747-400 aircraft.

Some $14.4B to be drawn from Guyana’s forest agreement with Norway has been included in this year’s budget.

Police have captured two members of a gang that is believed to have been burglarising homes in the Parfait/Harmonie housing development on the West Bank Demerara, over the past few months.

With financing pegged to be settled by the end of the second quarter of this year, construction of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Plant (AFHP) should start late in 2011, Finance Minister Dr.

A Brazilian man, who is one of two men suspected of murdering 14-year-old miner Elton Thompson last week, was arrested by police on Monday.

Bharrat Narine Samaroo, a welder/fabricator of Stewart-ville, West Coast Demerara, yesterday took to the witness box and testified as the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of 16-year-old Neesa Gopaul continued.

Small business owners and persons interested in starting small businesses are invited to participate this evening in a special Advertising and Small Business Programme with an emphasis on Website Designing at the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex, West Coast Demerara, at 6:00pm.

Former First Lady Joyce Hoyte was taken to a private city hospital yesterday afternoon and has since been admitted for tests.

Justice James Bovell-Drakes has ordered businessman Gerry Gouveia to remove structures encroaching on the property of his neighbour, Pavnik Press proprietor Toral Kowlessar.

Two men were hospitalised yesterday following a collision along the Mabura trail.

M&M Fast Food and Snackette hosted  a  drawing ceremony for  six lucky winners of their 2010 Christmas ‘Give Back’  promotion on January 1 and Desiree Prince  of Craig,  East Bank Demerara,  was  fortunate enough  to cop  the $200,000  grand prize.

$6.6 billion will be invested this year towards the purchase of equipment and construction, rehabilitation and operational works of the national drainage and irrigation system, Minister of Finance Dr.

A mother of one yesterday appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where she pleaded not guilty to a charge of unlawful wounding.

A man was yesterday remanded to prison after he pleaded not guilty to gun and ammunition charges read to him by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The Ministry of Health says Regional Health Officers (RHOs) did a commendable job meeting challenges last year but it called on them to publicise training programmes it offers throughout the year so that health professionals can benefit, thereby boosting the quality of care offered.

During this year the government is expected to advance the implementation of the Single Window Automated Processing System (SWAPS) at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Two Crabwood Creek Primary School students are patients of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) following an accident on Monday morning.

Visitor arrivals rose last year to 150,141, representing a 6.3% rise over the previous high, recorded in 2009.

The Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP) in collaboration with the Education Ministry on Monday  launched its website to increase public awareness and educational campaigns which commenced last year with regional consultations in Regions 1 to 6.

The Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice man who tried to save his sister during an attack by her estranged husband says he is feeling “okay” as he recovers in the High Dependency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

President of the East Bank Demerara Cricket Association (EBDCA) and co-opted member of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB), Rohan Sarjoo yesterday denied that he was involved in the acid attack on treasurer of the DCB Pretipaul Jaigobin last year.

A salesgirl who appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday on a  charge of simple larceny was placed on $80,000 bail.

The two factions of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) once again clashed yesterday in deciding on the location for Saturday’s Annual General Meeting and over the allocated delegates for the member associations.

A labourer who was accused of attempting to steal 110 ft of welding cable belonging to BK International Limited was yesterday placed on $80,000 bail on a charge of simple larceny.

BOSTON, (Reuters) – Boston’s Kevin Garnett made a  game-clinching steal in his return to the court on Monday and  Paul Pierce nailed the winning shot in the final minute to lift  the Celtics to a 109-106 triumph over the Orlando Magic.

Tackling the country’s crime situation is high on the agenda for two of the five presidential candidates of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) with retired Brigadier David Granger promising to put a big drug lord in prison.

The Jakarta Post yesterday reported that Indonesian police have found two passports purportedly issued by Guyana carrying the photographs of a corruption suspect and his wife.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Chinese President Hu Jintao  arrived in the United States yesterday for a four-day state  visit peppered by U.S.

Dear Editor, In a Kaieteur News article which appeared Jan 10 on the government seeking to silence critics of the Hope Canal, President Jagdeo was reported to have stated that design of the Hope Canal Project was done by Mott McDonald, a foreign entity.

Cricket fans in Guyana will be unable to see the remaining matches of the current CaribbeanT20 cricket tournament.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A rampant Jamaica side crushed Somerset by 61 runs here yesterday, defying rain and a reduction in overs to make a winning start to the second leg of the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship.

The Ministry of Education says there is need for more public awareness concerning technical and vocational education as it is the public’s view that these fields are for persons not academically inclined but who are good with their hands.

Defending champions Guyana ended their preliminary round of the West Indies Cricket Board T20 tournament with a nail-biting defeat to the Windward Islands at the Kensington Oval in Barbados late last night.

Dear Editor, Now that the elections process in Guyana has changed to have some form of  ‘primary’ within the political parties to elect a presidential candidate, have the elections laws changed to accommodate this?

PORT-AU-PRINCE, (Reuters) – Haiti yesterday briefly  detained former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, back  from exile in France, and charged him with corruption, theft  and abuses of power allegedly committed during his 15-year  rule.

Finance Minister Ashni Singh on Monday disclosed that since the appointment of a liquidator, 4,567 Clico (Guyana) policyholders have uplifted cheques totalling $3.1B.

TUNIS, (Reuters) – Tunisia’s caretaker prime minister  aims to gather his national unity cabinet for a first meeting today, but he already faces revolt from opposition nominees  demanding he fire more of the ousted strongman’s allies.

Dear Editor, I volunteered for a prepaid meter in 2009. One was installed in October that year.

A British woman who was freed after spending five weeks in jail in Guyana on suspicion of drug smuggling faces imprisonment for dealing heroin in Southend, UK.

Attempts are being made to field a media women’s softball cricket team in the upcoming Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, 10/10 softball tournament which bowls off next month.

Dear Editor, It is with a great sense of disgust and embarrassment that I highlight the condition of the roads in Kwakwani.

TIKRIT, Iraq, (Reuters) – A suicide bomber wearing a  vest packed with explosives and ball bearings attacked Iraqi  police recruits yesterday in former dictator Saddam Hussein’s  hometown, killing at least 45 and wounding over 100, officials  said.

The People’s Progressive Party on Monday extended best wishes to former government minister and Member of Parliament, Reepu Daman Persaud who celebrated his 75th birthday on Sunday.

PARIS, (Reuters) – World wheat supplies are so tight  and grain demand so strong that any new hiccup in a major  producing area would fire already bullish markets and send  European prices near or beyond the all-time highs hit in 2008.

Dear Editor, Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara has three new banks.

CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – Yusuf Pathan blazed a  half-century but India still had to call on their tailenders to  clinch victory over South Africa by two wickets in the third  one-day international at Newlands yesterday.

RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) – The death toll from  flash floods and mudslides in Rio de Janeiro’s picturesque  Serrana region reached 702 yesterday, a number that is likely  to rise further in one of Brazil’s worst natural disasters on  record.

Organisation of American States (OAS) Assistant Secretary-General Albert Ramdin and President Bharrat Jagdeo discussed issues related to Caricom and the fallout from the first round of elections in Haiti at a meeting on Monday.

Dear Editor, I attended two meetings at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in June-July 2010 on the UN Year for People of African Descent.

RAJKOT, India, CMC – Prolific teenager Stafanie Taylor missed out on a century as Mithali Raj converted hers to condemn West Indies women to a 10-run loss to India in the fourth One-Day International here yesterday.

Dear Editor, It is appalling to note that even in the ‘International Year for People of African Descent’ the PPP government has decided that it will determine for us Africans who will be our leaders, our role models, which Africans will participate or be invited to functions that the government is holding.

Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, acting Secretary-General of CARICOM on Monday told the Community Council of Ministers that integrated solutions were critical as member states struggled to emerge from the depths of the global financial and economic crises.

MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC – Australia’s selectors yesterday announced their 15-man World Cup squad to challenge for their fourth successive title with no room found for Test pacer Peter Siddle.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – U.S. prosecutors have charged  two men with stealing and distributing email addresses for  about 120,000 users of Apple Inc’s popular iPad.

Former national chess champion Wendell Meusa is among four players in the lead at the end of the third round of the senior category of the Trophy Stall tournament which is being held at the Kei-Shars Sports Club, Hadfield Street.

Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud outlined government’s vision and plans for the aquatic sector this year during a meeting with representatives of the Fishermen’s Co-ops on Monday.

Dear Editor, Your caption ‘Iran seeks mutual agenda to strengthen ties with Guyana’ (SN, January 18).

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Sargent Shriver, who spent  four decades in public service as a member of the Kennedy  family, the first director of the Peace Corps and a key warrior  in Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty, died yesterday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs addressed challenges and drafted plans with senior officers of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) with a view to boosting and expanding its service to interior regions, at a recent retreat.

Vendors from the La Penitence Market

LONDON, (Reuters) – A cheap generic drug used to stem  bleeding from heavy menstrual periods could save the lives of  tens of thousands of accident victims each year and help reduce  the number of deaths in combat, scientists said yesterday.

CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – Batting stalwart Jacques  Kallis was named in South Africa’s World Cup squad on yesterday  despite missing the current series against India due to a rib  injury.

Dear Editor, I wish to congratulate Ms Joan Baveghems on her recent accession to the office of Member of Parliament.

The Linden Town Council’s health unit is investigating a popular bakery after a resident claimed she found a piece of glass in a pine tart it produced.

Politikles

PERTH, Australia, CMC – Chris Gayle’s Western Australia trounced Dwayne Bravo’s Victoria by six wickets in the Twenty20 Big Bash yesterday but both players failed to spark with modest performances.

TEHRAN, (Reuters) – Iran has banned the production of  Valentine’s Day gifts and any promotion of the day celebrating  romantic love to combat what it sees as a spread of Western  culture, Iranian media reported.

Dear Editor, The United Nations is marking 2011 the International Year for People of African Descent.

Shashi Tharoor, a former Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and UN Under- Secretary General, is a member of India’s parliament and the author of several books, most recently Nehru: the Invention of India (in German).

Garbage being dumped

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – The label “Made in China” is  stirring an ever-greater backlash in Brazil as cheap imports  ravage local manufacturers, putting pressure on new President  Dilma Rousseff to fight back.

It will not be surprising if in many parts of the developing world that are feeling the pressures of the economic recession emanating from the Western world economies, political protests and riots over unemployment, high food prices and a consequent inability of citizens to purchase food and everyday commodities, proliferate.