Articles published on Friday, March 11, 2011
The West Indies team took time out from its preparation for yesterday’s vital ICC Cricket World Cup match against Ireland to show its support for the Think Wise campaign, according to an ICC release.
In a message to the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday, Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, Acting CARICOM Secretary-General said that the people of the Caribbean Community shared Japan’s grief over the tragic and escalating loss of life, and the displacement of thousands of Japanese through the “unimaginable effects” of the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit it.
MOHALI, India, (Reuters) – Ireland captain William Porterfield was left fuming at the umpire review system (UDRS) and felt batsman Gary Wilson’s lbw ruling could have cost them the match against West Indies today.
Onan Orlando Thom is wanted by the police for questioning in relation to abduction and robbery under arms.
CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, (Reuters) – Bangladesh tail-enders Shafiul Islam and Mahmudullah became the toast of the nation today after steering their team to a stunning two-wicket World Cup win over England.
The Ministry of Agriculture’s Hydroment Service is urging residents in vulnerable low lying agricultural and residential communities to take precautions to avoid flooding and water accumulation as the La Nina weather phenomenon persists.
COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Muttiah Muralitharan is not a man who likes standing in the background but after being eclipsed by his fast bowling team mates for the majority of the World Cup, the leg spinner and his cohorts finally showed their worth against Zimbabwe.
(BBC) British-owned Virgin Airlines has announced an increase in posts, partly because of increased flights to the Caribbean.
Mohali, India, (Reuters) – Kieron Pollard hammered a swashbuckling 94 and then returned to take a stunning catch to script West Indies’ 44-run victory over a brave Irish side and brighten the team’s World Cup quarter-final prospects today.
(BBC) In the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), British officials and protesters against British direct rule are meeting after prolonged protests in the streets this week.
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud has voiced disappointment over the way in which the Guyana Police Force has been handling the issuing of firearm licences to farmers who have been complaining bitterly about their problems with wild animals.
Persons living on state land can no longer apply for prescriptive title, with the passage of an amendment that the government stoutly defended as necessary to protect state property while opposition parties dubbed it unconstitutional.
TOKYO, (Reuters) – Japan confronted devastation along its northeastern coast today, with fires raging and parts of some cities under water after a massive earthquake and tsunami that likely killed at least 1,000 people.
Miner Richard Melvin Titus was fatally stabbed outside a shop in the North West District (NWD), following an argument with another man.
PNCR presidential candidate David Granger joined the ongoing discussions within the Joint Opposition Political Parties (JOPP) on Wednesday night, as the parties and other civic groups explore a partnership for the general elections this year.
Minutes after he dropped off a passenger, a taxi driver was killed when another vehicle crashed into his car, in the vicinity of the International Conference Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara (ECD) late Wednesday night.
Dozens of truckers have been stranded for days after one of the ferries servicing the Parika-Adventure route was docked for maintenance while the lone remaining vessel is unable to carry all of their vehicles.
The Guyana Kidney Foundation was yesterday launched at Herdmanston Lodge in Queenstown, Georgetown, in observance of World Kidney Day.
Many Guyanese will now be able to access the yellow pages of the telephone directory on their cellular phones, following the launch yesterday of Perception Public Relations’ innovative mobile directory.
Contracts have been inked for infrastructural works as the government’s 24-hour Education TV channel is moving closer to reality.
Two men accused by the police of having an unlicensed gun and a quantity of ammunition in their possession were yesterday remanded to prison when they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Minister of Commerce Manniram Prashad has said there is no ban on the importation of used tyres despite reports that the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has proposed to ban them to stem the number of road accidents.
Cabinet has granted approval for the accreditation of two appointments within the public sector.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has advised that an inquest be held into the death of a fruits vendor who was stabbed in the chest by a man he had reportedly robbed at the Stabroek Market on Saturday.
Regional Education Officer of Region Six Shafiran Bhajan has said that the regional administration had dispatched workers to address the situation at the Mibikuri Primary School, immediately after receiving complaints.
There is still much to be done for women, especially in the areas of protecting them from violence and ensuring their economic empowerment, according to the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL).
Reconstruction of the Mahdia arcade is moving apace and is expected to be completed before the end of the second quarter.
The AFC on Wednesday met with Organisation of American States (OAS) Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin and apprised him of the recent ‘cuss down’ of the opposition by President Bharrat Jagdeo at Babu John, Port Mourant, last Sunday.
The freedom of Ganshan Jaggassar, called Suresh, and Devindra Harrichand, known as Bara, who had been previously indicted for murder was short- lived after police ranks at the Berbice High Court outpost had them recaptured before escorting the duo to the New Amsterdam Court where they were charged again with the capital offence of murder.
More than thirty of the region’s senior planning and environment officers are expected to participate in a three-day regional training workshop on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Bridgetown, Barbados, starting next Tuesday.
The Nadira and Indranie Shah Dance School is hosting a ‘Blaze the dance floor’ contest for new dancers.
The preliminary inquiry (PI) into the treason charge against Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Major Bruce Munroe, his wife Carol Ann Munroe and ex-soldier Leonard Wharton continued on Monday with Quincy Critchlow taking the stand again to continue his testimony.
The suspects in the beating to death of Mc Lean Benjamin at a Timehri ‘wedding house’ have been released on station bail as police continue investigations into the murder.
The administration may consider reducing the excise tax for gas in the light of the rising oil prices.
Wonderland Tours says it will continue to pursue legal action over its expulsion from the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) over what the association’s President Paul Stephenson says are “reports made … by members of the private sector, the industry and by visitors to the destination” regarding “a recurring pattern of complaints” against the tour operators.
Although not all Route 44 buses returned to work yesterday, there was no assembly along the East Coast Public Road.
Caribbean Chemicals (Guyana) is currently celebrating its twentieth anniversary as a provider of a range of services and products to Guyana’s agricultural sector.
This column has already commented on the virtues of the initiative spearheaded by former Jamaican prime minister and Caricom elder statesman Percival J Patterson to put together a US$1billion fund to help regional service providers participate in the physical recon-struction of earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
The Business Cartoon
The existing statutory conditions for heads of statutory and constitutional commissions have posed some difficulty in a suitable candidate being found to become chairman of the Integrity Commission, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said.
Favours As noted before, the service sector is a significant part of the Guyana economy and construction occupies a prominent portion of that sector.
By Clinton Urling Guyana’s commercial banks are enjoying particularly strong success in the current economy with excellent bank liquidity positions and very substantial profit margins, a reality recently reinforced by Mr.
Failure by the Chinese bauxite company Bosai Minerals Group (BMG) to install a dust collector at its Linden plant despite repeated promises to do so has to be attributed in part to the failure of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to “hold the company to its word,” a source close to the agency said.
Guyana still has a long road to travel in order to create a lucrative tourist industry and the key to that accom-plishment reposes in a significantly expanded inter-national marketing pro-gramme that centres around the country’s best-known attraction, the Kaieteur Falls.
Cabinet Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon has suggested that the uneasiness expressed by the PNCR and the AFC over President Bharrat Jagdeo’s recent utterances at Babu John, Port Mourant could possibly be dealt with “internally and at a bilateral level”.
Guyana’s youth must show independence, resilience, determination and entrepreneurial vigour By Karen Abrams In 2002, Guyana’s Bureau of Statistics released demographics that indicated that almost 30% of the population was under the age of 14-year-old.
Digicel Guyana honoured three outstanding Guyanese women for their contributions to the society on Tuesday on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.
Residents of Dazzell Housing Scheme on the East Coast Demerara can expect potable water supply, following the approval of a $42.66 million contract for the supply and installation of transmission and distribution mains in the area.
Stock market updates
The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security joined with UNDP and USAID/GEP on Tuesday to host a number of programmes recognising and celebrating the achievements of women in Guyana.
CARICOM and Brazil on Wednesday solidified diplomatic relations through the accreditation of that country’s second Plenipotentiary Representative to CARICOM, Luiz Gilberto Seixas de Andrade, a release from the CARICOM Secretariat at Turkeyen said.
Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda will soon be transformed into private booths for various ventures from prospective tenants, according to president of the organization, Lionel Jaikaran.
MOHALI, India, CMC – With a quarter-final berth in sight, resurgent West Indies will be anxious to quell any resistance from giant-killers Ireland when they clash in their Group B, World Cup clash here today.
KANDY, Sri Lanka, (Reuters) – Sri Lanka crushed Zimbabwe by 139 runs to breeze into the quarter-finals but Tillakaratne Dilshan, architect of the victory, narrowly missed a rare milestone in the World Cup Group A match yesterday.
Dear Editor, I am an international forestry consultant who has lived in Guyana whilst working for the Iwokrama International Centre on an International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) project.
NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Cricket World Cup organisers said yesterday that no changes had been made to security arrangements after the Indian government’s warning of a possible militant attack on the showpiece event.
By Tony Cozier At the ICC World Cup In CHANDIGARH They wore the maroon of the West Indies as team mates in nine One-Day Internationals in Sharjah and Australia in the mid-1990s but Ottis Gibson and Phil Simmons were in different colours and in different roles at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in the Mohali district of this northern Indian city today (overnight south Caribbean time).
It is Assad Fudadin’s strongest message to date since he became captain of the national cricket team.
Dear Editor, I wish to refer to your editorial in today’s Stabroek News (March 10) under the caption ‘Time,’ in which you commented on the concerns raised by Mr Vanrick Beresford in a letter published last Tuesday (‘Punctuality is a hallmark of excellence’ SN, March 8) in connection with the launching of the Men’s Affairs Bureau.
The Athletics Association of Guyana will up the tempo at the National Youth and Junior Championships tomorrow and Sunday with the addition of senior invitational events at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary starting from 10:30 hrs.
Dear Editor, The erratic outbursts by the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana leave many of our citizens dismayed and embarrassed.
Dear Editor, I am sure that many readers of your Sunday Stabroek (March 6), like myself, will be totally perplexed after reading Prof Clive Thomas’s article on page 13 and the report of the International Monetary Fund on page 14.
MUMBAI, (Reuters) – India can underline their credentials as World Cup favourites with victory over South Africa in Group B tomorrow — and convince their own fans who are becoming increasingly jittery about their prospects.
Dear Editor, It was recently noticed that the Anna Regina Town Council had increased their impounding fees for cattle to ten thousand per head, irrespective of where the animals were impounded.
MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Former Australia captains Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh will join a review panel charged with finding ways to make the national team more competitive following their humbling Ashes defeat to bitter rivals England.
MEMPHIS, (Reuters) – Carmelo Anthony redeemed himself for a needless foul by sinking the winning basket with under a second to play as the New York Knicks grabbed a 110-108 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.
Dear Editor, A businessman [name supplied] who has a huge building in Regent Street owes me $35,000 on a business transaction.
Dear Editor,A few days ago I heard President Jagdeo at Babu John, glorifying the Jagans and demonizing the PNC as he dug into the ’70s and lashed out at Mr Granger and the opposition camp.
(Reuters) – Cricket World Cup Group A standings on Thursday. P W L T Nr NET PR PTS Sri Lanka* 5 3 1 0 1 2.705 7 New Zealand 4 3 1 0 0 1.848 6 Pakistan 4 3 1 0 0 0.760 6 Australia 3 2 0 0 1 1.813 5 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Zimbabwe 4 1 3 0 0 -0.690 2 Canada 4 1 3 0 0 -2.083 2 Kenya 4 0 4 0 0 -3.403 0 * Denotes qualified for the quarter-finals (top four qualify for the quarter-finals) Next fixtures: March 13 – Canada v New Zealand, Mumbai Australia v Kenya, Bangalore March 14 – Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Kandy March 16 – Australia v Canada, Bangalore – – – –
Dear Editor, It is in the interest of the Guyana Billiards & Pool Association, as a sporting organization endeavouring to gain a position in the national sports sphere, to keep in touch with certain events in other areas of sport, since billiards and pool are games played by a wide cross-section of society both here in Guyana and elsewhere.
The 2011 rugby season will kick off this Sunday at the National Park Rugby Ground when the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) stages its traditional Banks DIH Sevens Tournament commencing with an opening ceremony at 10:30 hrs.
The GT&T 10/10 Softball Cricket competition continued last weekend at various venues around the country with two brilliant performances in the Georgetown and West Coast Demerara zones.
Dear Editor, I sent a copy of letter (enclosed) to the District Village Office at Plantain Walk, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, about my cottage being dismantled piece by piece, and now the neighbours are stealing my land bit by bit.
Dear Editor, I have the highest regard and deepest respect for your newspaper, and enjoy its informative contents.
A packed day of schools’ basketball is scheduled for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall today as eight tournament games and free throw shootout competitions get the ball rolling on the inaugural YBG Challenge Series from 13:00 hours.
Dear Editor, A pilot called Patrick Smith has something to say about Guyana.
Friendship, East Bank Demerara
ZURICH, (Reuters) – FIFA is investigating six match officials over possible match-fixing in two friendly internationals in Turkey that produced a total of seven penalties last month.
MADISON, Wis, (Reuters) – Wisconsin lawmakers, after weeks of angry protests, gave final approval yesterday to a Republican plan to curb the union rights of public workers in one of the biggest challenges to organized labor in decades.
TRIPOLI, (Reuters) – Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s son told rebels yesterday they faced a full-scale assault to crush their three-week-old uprising as troops, tanks and warplanes punched into the rebel-held east of the country.
This will be one of those relatively “lazy”, time-out pieces today.
Dear Editor, The 2011 general election in our country is indeed a defining moment, historically and otherwise.
Bridge works at
Politikles
The bloody civil conflict continues in Libya between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those opposed to him, with the dictator ruthlessly rebuffing the efforts to topple him and seemingly set to confound the expectations of those who had thought he would follow his neighbours, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, into the political wilderness.
LIMA, (Reuters) – Peru’s presidential election race has been rattled by allegations that cash from the drugs trade has made its way into campaigns and that traffickers are extending their political influence.
