Daily Archive: Friday, December 23, 2011

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Cricket Australia named the following team to face India in the first test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Dec.

HAVANA, (Reuters) – Cuba, which is preparing for a visit by Pope Benedict XVI next spring, will release 2,900 prisoners in the coming days for humanitarian reasons, including some convicted of crimes against “the security of the state,” the Cuban government said today.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Police commissioner, Owen Ellington, has praised the Westmoreland police for their efforts which led to the conviction of Andre Brown otherwise called Taliban.

Amid deep and prolonged strife among local cricket groups, the Sport Ministry this evening unveiled an interim management body for cricket with renowned former Guyanese and West Indian cricketer Clive Lloyd as the head of the team.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – The S&P 500 turned  positive for the year and closed out its third week of gains in  four today as equities extended their rally after  a string of unexpectedly strong economic data.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince Philip, the 90-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth, had heart surgery to ease a blocked artery today after being rushed to hospital with chest pains as he prepared to celebrate Christmas with the royal family.

(Trinidad Guardian) For the second day yesterday workers on the Port of Point Lisas failed to turn up crippling operations. Workers

(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley must provide evidence to support his claim that Government was bullying contractors into financing her nation-wide Christmas toy drive for over 50,000 children. Speaking

(Trinidad Express) A Trinidad-born woman will spend Christmas in a British jail after being found guilty of paying her gay hairdresser to become her husband in an attempt to avoid deportation.

(Trinidad Express) Two men who were asleep at their Canada Plannings Apartment at Marcano Quarry, Laventille, were shot dead by seven gunmen early yesterday.

(Jamaica Observer) Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr Gladstone Hutchinson, has commended the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for its assistance in addressing the impact of the “brain drain” on Jamaica.

(Trinidad Guardian) The deadline for artistes to submit their entries for the 2012 National Chutney Soca Monarch, which was originally set for the December 23, has been extended to January 6.

The PPP/C says that the opposition’s tactics on the selecting of a Speaker for the new Parliament shows a lack of sincerity which does not bode well for future cooperation.

(Jamaica Gleaner) With the issue of gay rights being moved to the centre of the election campaign, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate for West Portland, Daryl Vaz, on Wednesday night told a party mass rally in St Mary that his constituents have already told him to say no to the repealing of the buggery law.

(Barbados Nation) The recently introduced demotion and promotion system has given Division One cricket in Barbados a new lease on life.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Rihanna’s single “We Found  Love” on Thursday held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100  singles chart for the eighth straight week, making it the  singer’s longest-running No.

(Barbados Nation) With one working day to go before Christmas, some Barbadians have been put on notice that they may not get their imported gift-laden barrels in time.

BEIRUT,  (Reuters) – Forty people were killed  and 100 wounded in two blasts which struck Damascus today,  Syria’s Dunia television channel reported, quoting its  correspondent on the scene.

The nude, dead body of a 20-year-old cane juice vendor was yesterday morning discovered at around 10 am at her home in North Sophia, with her alleged murderer lying in an unconscious state nearby.

Five men who were allegedly involved in high seas piracy were yesterday remanded to prison when they appeared before Magistrate Krishndat Persaud at the Springlands Court.

Armed bandits on Wednesday night attacked the Western Union outlet at Church Street, escaping with $10 million in cash, but police later recovered a major portion of the money and arrested seven people, including an employee fingered as the mastermind.

Christmas, to the average child, is a time of excitement spent with family when they receive presents; except when they unfortunately have no family and have difficulty lowering their expectations,

Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Khurshid Sattaur, and Managing Director of BK International, Brian Tiwarie, yesterday continued to trade barbs over the delay in the granting of concessions for the group of companies and the tardiness of the processing of clearance documents.

Romeo Jones, 24, an MMC security guard who was charged with killing accused battery thief Kwesi D’Andrade on January 31 last year was committed to stand trial in the High Court after a prima facie was made out against him for the charge of manslaughter.

A 51-year-old man appeared yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court  charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking  after he allegedly tried to mail two boxes to Canada that were  subsequently found to contain icing sugar with  cocaine.

A 57-year-old man is now dead after being involved in an accident at Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, and his family are suspicious concerning the circumstances.

Vice-Chairman of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine said that the party has completed the verification of Statements of Poll and is now working on analyzing the findings of the verification process.

Works to upgrade the stellings meant to harbour the two just-arrived China-built ferries on the Essequibo River will be completed by year end, according to contractor Brian Tiwarie of B.K

The Guyana Police Force says that approval has been given for the Youth Coalition for Transformation, the youth arm of APNU,  to hold a march around the streets of Georgetown today, Friday December 23, 2011, commencing at 1530h.

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will be introducing a new Motor Vehicle Licences (MVLs) system from January 1 where vehicle owners can purchase licences from the GRA office nearest their location, among other features.

The company operating a large gold mine at Marudi Mountain in the Rupununi has signed a contract for further drilling to be done next year.

The Bollywood Divas Mega Concert has been postponed for the fourth time, owing to the bad weather and the artistes’ hesitance about travel to Guyana after reports of potential post-election disturbances, according to organizer Chandini Ramnarain.

The body of a man that was discovered in a canal at Prospect, on the East Bank of Demerara still remains unidentified at the Lykens Funeral Parlour.

Kwakwani dethroned Linden Technical Institute (LTI) to clinch the 2011 championship title of the Titan’s Bowl Basketball Tournament on Wednesday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved US$360,000 (equivalent to $72,000,000) to aid in the preparation of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Georgetown- Lethem Road.

Georgetown Football Club (GFC) and Santos FC were the victorious teams in the final two round-of-16 matches in the Banks Beer Knockout Cup at the Georgetown Football Club Ground on Wednesday evening.

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has deployed its pontoons with excavators to the Windsor Forest sluice to undertake dredging of the outfall channel to maximize its drainage capacity, in light of the build-up of water in the backlands and residential area in Windsor Forest.

ZURICH, Switzerland, CMC – Well-known personalities Horace Burrell, Ronald Jones and Yves Jean-Bart were among nine administrators appointed to restore the Caribbean Football Union to normalcy over the next five months.

The Housing Ministry on Monday presented allocation letters and lot numbers to 89 families of Plantation Balthyock, after a $46M investment to regularise what was once a squatting area at Blairmont Number One Settlement.

HOBART, Australia, CMC – Dwayne Bravo again played a negligible role and Sydney Sixers were undermined by Pakistani fast-medium bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, losing by 42 runs against Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League on Wednesday.

UG’s Centre for Communication Studies (CCS) launched the Centre for Communications Studies Advisory Board which will operate in conjunction with Ohio University’s (OU) Higher Education for Development (HED) Programme and the American Council for Education (ACE).

By Emmerson Campbell Guyana men’s rugby team, winners of six consecutive North America Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Sevens titles, is currently in off season training, preparing to compete on the international stage in the new year.

National table tennis players Nigel Bryan and Trenace Lowe were named the most outstanding players at  the 2011 Table Tennis Nationals at the award ceremony on Wednesday evening at the Police Officers Mess Hall.

Dear Editor, The situation at the Lusignan East playground has reached a crisis, whereby the access road around the playground has been damaged because of the presence of the Courtney Benn Construction Company.

Cuban national coach, Eduardo Medina, has expressed  confidence that water polo will become  an acclaimed  sport in Guyana in time with continued efforts, following the FINA (World Swimming Federation) Beginner’s Level Water Polo Clinic that concluded on Tuesday at the National Aquatic Centre.

LONDON, (Reuters) – England captain Andrew  Strauss is aiming to complete four successive Ashes series  victories over Australia with wins at home in 2013 and again on  the return leg in 2013-14.

Dear Editor, There was reported in the press an interview given by the current Minister of Health, during which great anticipation was indicated of an ‘influx’ of ‘nurses’ – assessed as the biggest ever – a comparability that carries no substantive meaning if it is without reference to specific details.

Victoria Kings and Bakewell Buxton Stars were the latest teams to record victories when action in the 22nd annual Kashif and Shanghai tournament continued  on Wednesday evening at the Beterverwagting (BV) ground.

Dear Editor, The game of politics we play and the way in which the common folks are manipulated by rogue politicians is like a shackle that keeps us making one step forward and any number backwards.

Mings Products and Services Limited presented five fully-loaded Dell laptop computers to the top five students at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

(Trinidad Guardian) Operations at the Point Lisas port came to a halt on Wednesday after workers refused to show.

National cycling captain, Robin Persaud, is currently in off-season training in order to continue his high level of riding in the year ahead.

Dear Editor, The results of the November 2011 general elections should be a wake-up call for the leadership of the PPP/C.

Dear Editor, Congratulations is extended to the QC ‘A’ Team for winning the National School Chess Championship and also to Saeed Ali (no relation to me) for winning the individual Chess Championship.

(Jamaica Gleaner) University Professor Anthony Harriott has pointed to the beheading of reputed Clansman gangster Nervado Hodges as a “sure sign” that members of the criminal underworld believe they have immunity from prosecution.

Police on Wednesday discovered and destroyed eight fields of marijuana plants during drug eradication operations at two locations in the Berbice River, but an arrest is yet to be made.

LISBON,  (Reuters) – Former Benfica and Portugal striker Eusebio  will spend Christmas in hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia, the  hospital treating him said yesterday.

Bibi Sharima Gopaul and Jarvis Small yesterday made another appearance before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for the continuation of the Preliminary Inquiry into the murder of the woman’s teenage daughter Neesa Lalita Gopaul.

Dear Editor, The efficient transportation of our workers/students to and from work/school has been a problem that has beset our nation for more than three decades.

(Trinidad Express) The US government has expressed “disappointment” regarding the decision of Attorney General Anand Ramlogan not to appeal Justice Ronnie Boodoosingh’s decision not to extradite businessmen Ishwar Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson.

Tree down

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. House of  Representatives Speaker John Boehner caved in to growing  criticism from within and outside his Republican Party, agreeing  yesterday to a short-term deal to extend a payroll tax cut for  160 million Americans.

(Barbados Nation) The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has been blasted by a top local sporting official over the poor quality of pitches which are prepared for regional junior tournaments.

(Trinidad Guardian) Oppo-sition Leader Dr Keith Rowley says Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar must tell the nation who is funding her annual Christmas toy-distribution programme.

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Live in the moment, keep it  simple and work hard.

HOUSTON, (Reuters) – Financier Allen Stanford was  judged mentally fit to stand trial by a federal judge yesterday, setting the stage for a trial next year in one of the  biggest white-collar fraud cases since Bernard Madoff.

A homeless man was yesterday charged with assaulting another who was staying with him at the Night Shelter.

Dear Editor,   I refer to the analysis of ‘The Tantalizer’ in SN titled ‘The spin doctor keeps his place.’ 

Spreading the holiday cheer

Dear Editor, There is something magical about Xmas, as it seems to transcend all boundaries, viz, religion, ethnicity and I would dare add political disunity, if only for a time.

Santa Claus

A lot of bread, so to speak, is going to be broken and a lot of drink is going to be consumed this long, Christmas weekend in Guyana.

A man who attacked police and doused them with gasoline was shot yesterday morning on the Essequibo Coast.

GFF and FIFA

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – At least 11 people  were killed by an armed gang yesterday in the Mexican Gulf  coast state of Veracruz, where drug-related violence flared this  autumn, before five of the gunmen were shot dead by security  forces.

Wishes and gifts in this Season of Giving inspired by the gift of a Christ Child whom many Christians believe was the Word made Flesh to walk amongst us.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – Shane Warne cuts a svelte  figure these days but his time as a more rotund player were  recalled when a bronze statue of the spin-bowling great was  unveiled at Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.

(Jamaica Observer) The perennially controversial issue of homosexuality appears to have set the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) on collision course with some sections of the Christian Church.

Neal and Massy (N&M) Group of Companies treated about 400 children