Daily Archive: Thursday, February 24, 2011

The government, it seems, is finally biting the bullet. We’re importing teachers to teach maths and science because we do not have enough of our own.

The Alliance For Change (AFC) calls on the Minister of Human Services Priya Manickchand to post on the web the names and addresses of the 44,000 pensioners said to be in her Ministry’s Old Age Pension database to allow citizens to scrutinise the list with a view to ascertaining its accuracy.

Mash revellers jam-packed on Wednesday.

One of the Ministry of Health’s float. The main theme was `Love that body’.

The Chinese Association of Guyana with their `Dragon’ float.

 Mashing strong: Part of the Ministry of Culture’s contingent.

Apparently this reveller thought that Slingshot’s horse needed a drink!

The Ministry of Education’s `Literacy in Flight’ depiction.

Slingshot’s horse-drawn Mash cart.

Slingshot and wife enjoying Mash.

A bottle with what is suspected to be a flammable liquid and a piece of rusty steel pipe was this morning found outside the transmission room at National Communications Network (NCN), Homestretch Avenue.

One of the National Library’s Mash floats, designed by Rondell Bess.

The King sits upon the throne: Digicel really went all out with their “Royalty” theme this Mash.

No one dare come close to the king! This ferocious tiger was used as part of Digicel’s float, emphasizing the power of “Royalty”.

This float from the Linden Hospital Complex band depicts the theme “As proud as Peacocks”.

The Alliance For Change is to picket the Office of the President tomorrow over the firing of an employee.

(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has directed that Defence Force Reserves be called out to assist in maintaining law and order in the country.

(Jamaica Observer) With 23 confirmed deaths and 194 suspected cases of ackee poisoning in less than three months, government chemists are now conducting intensive testing on the fruit to determine the reason for the unusually high number of fatalities linked to it.

The police say they are investigating a fatal accident that occurred at about 5 am today at La Belle Alliance Public Road, Essequibo Coast and which resulted in the death of Jomo Matthews, 15 years, of Danielstown, Essequibo.

Disenchantment and despondency are reportedly rife in the Education Ministry. There are rumours of an internal reshuffle among some of Minister Baksh’s top officers coming on the heels of the appointment of Education Minister Shaik Baksh’s former Technical Adviser, a one-time UG Lecturer, Olato Sam as Chief Education Officer.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – A B de Villiers’ unbeaten  107 powered South Africa to a seven-wicket victory over West  Indies in a World Cup Group B match today.

(BBC) Movie censors in Barbados have ended their short-lived ban on the showing of Oscar-nominated psycho-sexual thriller “Black Swan”.

(BBC) England’s Pinewood Shepperton movie studio – best known for its association with the James Bond films – has announced plans to open a 35-acre site in the Dominican Republic.

(BBC) Trade unionists from across the Caribbean plan to picket Caricom heads of government when they meet in Grenada this weekend.

BENGHAZI, Libya, (Reuters) – Forces loyal to Muammar  Gaddafi launched a counter-attack today as rebels  threatened the Libyan leader’s grip on power by seizing  important towns close to the capital.

LONDON, (Reuters) – A British court today agreed to  extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to Sweden where he is  accused of sex crimes, dismissing claims such a move would  breach his human rights.

SYDNEY,  (Reuters) – Cricket’s decision referral  system is sapping the confidence of match officials and should  be scrapped, according to former Australian test umpire Darrell  Hair.

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – Indian paceman Shanthakumaran  Sreesanth is regularly in the firing line for his hot-headed  approach to cricket but a countryman who is already a world  champion has advised him against dousing that fire in his belly.

MUMBAI,  (Reuters) – The Cricket World Cup’s top  official was severely criticised today after police  battered hundreds of fans with bamboo sticks outside Bangalore’s  M Chinnaswamy Stadium as anger at the lack of tickets on sale  for the clash between India and England boiled over.

Transport and Hydraulics Minister Robeson Benn yesterday said between 40% and 60% of the housing areas and prime agricultural lands along the coast have been affected by recent flooding, with rice in some parts particularly hit.

A teenaged murder accused escaped from the Georgetown Prisons on Monday and three days later prison officials remain clueless as to how he managed to slip away undetected from the facility.

National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Coordinator Coral Benn said it is unacceptable for teachers to use mobile phones during classroom sessions because it openly sets a bad example for students.

Residents in several villages along the Lower East Coast of Demerara (ECD) began to mop up their homes yesterday as floodwaters gradually receded.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) recently dismissed appeal applications from three Barbadian men wanted in the United States as part of a drug trafficking ring that also ensnared two Guyanese.

The Ministry of Housing and Water signed seven contracts valued over $800M on Monday to continue infrastructural works in new and existing housing schemes countrywide.

A man accused of abducting a female was on Tuesday remanded to prison after appearing before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

An upset Lichfield, Berbice farmer says that he might have to invest in his own hatchery since the National Agricultural, Extension and Research Institute (NAREI) has capped the amount of eggs it accepts for hatching.

Mashramani celebrations were graced with brilliant sunshine and thousands of spectators yesterday.

Two men accused of using a gun to rob a man of two silver chains were on Tuesday denied their pre-trial liberty after appearing before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud told a high-level UNEP meeting that there is need for increased global action to deal with the effects of climate change citing the La Niña condition which is causing severe flooding in Guyana. 

Six persons were yesterday arrested by police as investigations intensified into last week’s multi-million dollar robbery at the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council (RDC) office.

The body of an unidentified man was yesterday morning found floating in the Demerara River in the vicinity of the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) wharf.

By Tony Cozier At the ICC World Cup In DELHI Ottis Gibson’s main tasks leading into the West Indies’ opening match of the ICC World Cup at the Feroz Shah Kotla here today are as much psychological and selectorial as technical and tactical.

MILAN, (Reuters) – Mario Gomez, widely considered a  failure in his first season with Bayern Munich, continued his  resurgence with a last-gasp goal to clinch a 1-0 Champions  League win at titleholders Inter Milan yesterday.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – The struggling New Jersey Nets  acquired All-Star point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz in a three-player trade after missing out on Carmelo Anthony, the two teams said yesterday.

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is inviting amateur cartoonists, students and professionals to enter its new global editorial cartoon competition.

After realising the raw talent of the young boxers at the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) Under-16 tournament at Goed Fortuin last weekend president Steve Ninvalle again forwarded the notion to have the sport instituted in schools as a non-contact.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, CMC – Jason Wright scored a brace, and booted Jamaica in to the Under-17 Boys’ World Cup, when they put away Honduras 2-1 yesterday to also qualify for the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Championship.

MARSEILLE, France, (Reuters) – Manchester United  gained a valuable 0-0 draw at Olympique Marseille in the  Champions League yesterday but their uninspired display will  not have had the likes of Barcelona quaking in their boots.

Dear Editor, For many years now I have called him ‘Khana,’ a hybrid of his name ‘Khan’ and the Caribbean News Agency (Cana), with which he was associated.

By Tony CozierAt the ICC World CupIn DELHI No cricketer’s life has changed more dramatically than Kieron Pollard’s since he first appeared in West Indies colours in one match in the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka, (Reuters) – Pakistan launched  their World Cup with captain Shahid Afridi back leading from the  front with his first ever five-wicket haul in the event to crush a very sloppy Kenya by 205 runs in Group A yesterday.

Dear Editor, On Friday last, I enjoyed that which must be considered the best ‘Link Show’ in years.

Dear Editor,After my letter questioning the non-recognition of Samuel Ming and Christy Dey by the NSC Awards Panel appeared in the newspapers (‘Despite outstanding achievements…’ SN, Feb 14), I was engaged in some interesting person to person and telephone conversations with folks like Bud Mangal, Big Jer Goveia, Laurie Lewis, Godfrey Chin, Foster Sampson, Mike Benjamin, Dennis Dias, David Fernandes, Keith Campbell, Peter Peroune, Raymond Khalil, Neville Denny and John Carpenter, to name a few.

NEW DELHI, India, CMC – With several former captains by his side, including team operations manager Richie Richardson, Darren Sammy may be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed as he prepares to lead West Indies into the World Cup.

Dear Editor, On Tuesday morning at about 7 o’clock, I was in the Grove Police Station for a traffic matter.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Foreign powers mulling sanctions  to restrain Libya’s bloody crackdown on unrest have little  appetite for outright military intervention, while diplomatic  differences may even block a basic U.N.

DHAKA, (Reuters) – A delivery that flies through the  air “like a butterfly” could turn out to be paceman Shafiul  Islam’s secret weapon when Bangladesh look to restore dented  pride in their World Cup match against Ireland.

CHRISTCHURCH, (Reuters) – New Zealand’s earthquake  death toll was confirmed at 71, but Prime Minister John Key  said yesterday that the country must expect that number to  rise.

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter penned by Mr Sixtus Edwards which was published in the Kaieteur News of Thursday, February 12 under the caption ‘AFC looks forward to a stronger partnership with GECOM.’

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – A bizarre episode at the World  Cup was finally closed yesterday when Australian Ricky Ponting paid the price for damaging a dressing room television in pique and was reprimanded by the game’s governing body.

Attendees in prayer at the funeral service for veteran journalist Sharief Khan at Philadelphia, East Bank Essequibo today. 

After about three months without basketball being played at the Burnham basketball court due to the absence of backboards and rings, the outdoor facility has finally been fitted with a pair of brand new backboards and rings.

Dear Editor, I attended the ‘Link-Show’ over the weekend; it was superb and while maintaining a strong topical content, it was truly entertaining.

(Barbados Nation) The movie Black Swan has been banned in Barbados, at least for now.

Dear Editor, I am very saddened to read of the death of my old friend Sharief Khan.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Refreshed and back  in synch after the All Star break, the Los Angeles Lakers flexed  their muscles with a 104-80 thrashing of the Atlanta Hawks yesterday.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Libya’s ruling family tried to  coerce billions of dollars from Libyan and foreign oil  companies, and its leader Muammar Gaddafi exhorted the United  States to sow division in Saudi Arabia, leaked American  diplomatic cables reveal.

Students, their parents and teachers of the Kiskadee Kids Play Group and Day Care took to the streets on Tuesday morning as part of the school’s observance of Guyana’s Republic anniversary celebration.

Thursday’s Cartoon

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter ‘The proposed IRO TV station will provide a service for all religions’ SN, February 21.

Part 2 By Jamellah Bayley This article is the second in a two-part series that examines the health conditions in British Guiana during the 1890s.

Politikles

It seems there will never be an end to the blatant abuse of the citizens of this country.

In this Information Age where knowledge ranks as the top traded commodity in the global village, our society seems deformed and dysfunctional.

ABIDJAN, (Reuters) – Gunfire and explosions shook  Ivory Coast’s main city on Wednesday as forces loyal to Laurent  Gbagbo pushed back into an area where gunmen backing his  presidential rival repelled them a day before.