Daily Archive: Saturday, December 24, 2011

At about 1815h yesterday, police say that Mark Narine, 19 years of Jacklow, Lower Pomeroon, was piloting a boat with two other persons inside when it is reported that the vessel struck a log in Abrams Creek, Upper Pomeroon, and capsized resulting in his demise.

A businessman was shot yesterday after a robber on a motor bike attempted to pull him out of a minibus on Mandela Avenue and the police later wounded a suspect in the attack during a confrontation at Eccles.

Two men died in a Kitty fire early this morning and another man perished in a Corriverton blaze around the same time.

(Trinidad Express) The economic situation in Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the Caribbean remains very fragile and suspect to external shocks, Minister of Finance Winston Dookeran has told an international audience of finance experts.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Having India shake off  their image as home-track bullies is one of captain Mahendra  Singh Dhoni’s goals as he bids to lead his team to a  breakthrough test series win in Australia.

The police say they are probing a report that during yesterday, miner Oscar De Roche, 43 years of Samaroo Dam, Pouderoyen, WBD, was shot and killed during an argument with another man at Enachu, Cuyuni.

Newly appointed Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy says he is not in favour of the Skeldon factory being completely managed by foreigners but indicated that the matter will be addressed by GuySuCo’s new board, which is expected to be appointed before the end of the year.

An employee and six men were yesterday charged with Wednesday night’s $10M armed robbery at the Western Union outlet on Church Street.

While Madhuri ‘Sharda’ Padumdeo’s husband remains in police custody, their families have been trying to determine the best solution for their two-year-old son, who now has neither his mother nor father to care for him.

Fifteen persons lost their homes when fires, suspected to be electrical in origin, gutted two homes at Betsy Ground and Reliance, in East Canje, Berbice yesterday.

Vice Chairman of APNU Dr Rupert Roopnaraine said that Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) Dr Steve Surujbally has offered to make available the hard copies of Statements of Poll should this become necessary to satisfy the party’s need to have all certainty that the elections count is beyond reproach.

The PPP/C says the opposition’s tactics on the selecting of a Speaker for the new Parliament show a lack of sincerity which does not bode well for future cooperation; an assertion which the APNU and the AFC both denied yesterday.

The Alliance for Change (AFC) has identified the reduction of the Value-added Tax (VAT), the raising of the income tax threshold and the review of all major government projects over the past two years among priority issues for action by the parties entering the Tenth Parliament.

The Georgetown Football Association (GFA) yesterday denied that it is hosting a tournament simultaneously with that of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and alleged that the staging of the annual Kashif and Shanghai football tournament might be in contravention of the laws of FIFA.

The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) is clearing the outfall channel to ensure the sluice at Bee Hive, East Coast Demerara is working, even as residents brace for flooding given the high levels of water recorded following heavy rainfall this week.

Constant practice was largely responsible for Queen’s College being successful  at the recently-concluded National Schools Chess Championships, according to captain of the team Cecil Cox.

Leelkumarie Mangal spends most of her days in a hammock hung outside her small Lusignan home contemplating life and death.

An assessment of Guyana’s forestry sector in preparation of Independent Forest Monitoring (IFM) under the Guyana-Norway forest protection pact has identified several weaknesses in Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) practices including the procedure to renew expired Timber Sales Agreements (TSA).

SYDNEY, Australia, CMC/IANS – Chris Gayle continued his controversial exile from the West Indies team, embracing the Yuletide season and indulging himself with an explosive, record hundred that catapulted the Sydney Thunder to a comfortable six-wicket victory over the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash Twenty20 League yesterday.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Jack Warner accused Caribbean officials of undoing their more than three decades of struggle for respect by caving in to certain demands handed down to them at their Extraordinary Congress staged in Zurich this week.

Another gold mining company is upping its operations here and is seeking employees.

The refurbished and expanded Celina’s Atlantic Resort has been sold and will reopen in time for the New Year.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – A day after breaking into the Australian test side, batsman Ed Cowan had his preparations for the Boxing Day test against India disturbed when a man broke into his parents’ Sydney home and refused to leave when police arrived at the scene.

Didco Trading Limited officials are mum on the petition filed by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the High Court to institute winding-up proceedings against the company, which the tax agency said failed to honour its financial obligations.

The European Union says that it is confident that the funds provided to the Guyana government will result in the upgrading of the factories, land conversion and improvements in the sugar industry.

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.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Tamar Lambert said he harboured no hard feelings following his shocking omission from Jamaica’s 14-member squad for the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship next month.

Police have identified a few places in the Berbice River where more raids would be conducted to locate and destroy marijuana fields.

As is typical at this time of the year, barrels, boxes and other cargo have been arriving galore and although its so close to Christmas, there was still a huge amount waiting to be cleared and delivered up to yesterday.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Australia’s callow bowling attack has tantalised with the promise of a brave new era, but faces its stiffest examination against India’s veteran batsmen in the first test in Melbourne starting Monday.

Three Corentyne families that lost their homes in separate fires during last month were among groups that recently received donations from the Saint Francis Community Developers (SFCD), through the Food for the Poor (FFP) organization.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – In a defiant captain’s swansong, Ricky Ponting hit a fighting century in a losing cause as Australia bowed out of the World Cup earlier this year and then spoke of his hopes for a “Tendulkar-like” re-birth.

Dear Editor, With reference to the letter by Neil Aubrey Boston captioned ‘The media should not be “trying” the Commissioner’ (SN, December 21), Mr Boston must know that a citizen’s duty to call for the resignation or the dismissal of the holder of high public office upon serious allegations of impropriety  is not a denial of that high office holder’s right to the presumption of innocence.

Dear Editor, Here is a scenario which is by no means farfetched.

A housewife yesterday got her Christmas wish when she drove off in a brand New Toyota Allion car while 20 other persons won 32” flat screen televisions and 20 others were presented with hampers valued at $20,000.

(Reuters) – Kobe Bryant plans to play in the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opener against the Chicago Bulls tomorrow despite a torn ligament in his right wrist.

With much of her early life spent involved in modelling and pageantry, it seemed only natural that Ginesta David, a former Miss Guyana African Heritage title holder would launch her career along the same line.

A carpet binder employed at Kissoon’s, collapsed and died yesterday morning at his workplace at Industrial Site, Ruimveldt Georgetown.

Dear Editor, On December 19 I was invited to two Christmas get-togethers, one in my home village among my nephews and one in Georgetown among friends, so I decided to go with the friends in Georgetown.

By Mariatha Causway ak Jennifer Thomas While Linden Lazy Lay around Venting questionable Frustrations.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Rider Mark Cavendish was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Thursday to cap a memorable 12 months in which the Briton won the road race world title and the Tour de France green jersey.

The body of a man who was discovered lying dead in the canal at Prospect, on the East Bank of Demerara, has been identified as 44-year-old Zokho Persaud Premraj.

Hi Everyone, By the time you read this, the Pepperpot would have been made, the garlic pork set, the ham defrosted and possibly baked, the sorrel and ginger beer made and the Christmas cake, baked.

Dear Editor, Mr Kwayana in his letter to your newspaper dated December 21, 2011 (‘Capacity, contracts and secrecy’) seized upon one word “capacity” in a press release from the EU Delegation to attack me and my company, BK International Inc.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Disgruntled members of the 2006 Trinidad & Tobago team that played at the FIFA World Cup in Germany have threatened to file bankruptcy proceedings against the T&T Football Federation.

Dear Editor, The business of selecting Parliamentarians is a very serious one, which upon conclusion, ought to display a team comprising the best minds of any political party, capable of handling the affairs of Parliament efficiently and effectively.

SAO PAULO, (Reuters) – Brazil’s environment inspector fined Chevron Corp 10 million reais ($5.4 million) yesterday for breaching the terms of the U.S.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,  CMC – Adrian Barath gave new Trinidad & Tobago captain and West Indies teammate Denesh Ramdin a big vote of confidence ahead of the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship next month.

Woman and kids

SAN JOSE, (Reuters) – Costa Rica’s parliament approved a new security tax on businesses late on Thursday as part of Central American efforts to improve funding for a crackdown on marauding drug cartels.

The preliminary inquiry into the murder of No. 48 Village, Corentyne housewife, allegedly killed by her elderly husband, began on Wednesday at the No.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Steven Spielberg is among  the most prolific film directors ever, and as if to prove it,  he has two movies in theaters this holiday week during what is  one of the biggest box office periods of the year.

CAVE HILL, Barbados, CMC – Three promising, young players are set to make their Caribbean Twenty20 debuts for the Combined Campuses & Colleges when the tournament is contested next month.

A man who ended up in a bar fight with a co-worker was on Thursday placed on $50,000 bail when he appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer the charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

DOSQUEBRADAS (Reuters) – A huge explosion at a gasoline and diesel pipeline in Colombia killed 11 people, injured at least 70, and destroyed dozens of homes yesterday, in an incident described by President Juan Manuel Santos as a “great tragedy”.

The suspense was high as were emotions as the winner was going to be announced.

Dear Editor, Whenever a man purchases land for residential purposes, it is seldom his desire to share it with cows, unless he himself happens to be a cattle farmer.

BEIRUT, (Reuters) – Suicide car bombers struck Damascus yesterday, officials said, sending human limbs flying in the bloodiest violence in Syria’s capital since a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad began nine months ago.

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 1 single of her career.

Dear Editor, The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) deliberately disregarded Mr Freddie Kissoon’s first accusation against the Commission on the issue of its response to the People Progressive Party’s request for recounts. 

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

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – An emotional Melanie Amaro won the TV singing contest “The X Factor” on Thursday, earning a $5 million recording contract and closing the first US season of the heavily hyped Fox show.

HONG KONG, (Reuters) – Like battle-hardened  boxers, China’s Communist Party leaders are leaning back on the  ropes, patiently absorbing the blows from angry village  protesters who have grabbed headlines but lack a knockout punch.

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 yesterday.

Dear Editor, The electricity generation plant at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast is malfunctioning and operating inefficiently.

The look on their faces tells the story

Facing the Future (FtF), an umbrella group supported by a number of sponsoring organizations concerned with the local political process, will convene a one-day conference early next month  in order to revise its  framework for electoral reform.

Some persons clearing their barrels

DURBAN,  (Reuters) – South Africa have to become more ruthless in their approach as they seek to secure a series-winning victory in the second test against Sri Lanka, captain Graeme Smith said yesterday.

The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) is encouraging its prepaid customers to purchase an adequate amount of electricity tokens/cards to ensure a supply of electricity throughout the Christmas and Boxing Day holidays.

Billboard has named its most popular songs of 2011, according to its yearly ranking based on total radio airplay audience impressions and streaming music activity.

A man died in a boat accident in Adam’s Creek, in the Pomeroon River yesterday evening.

At Christmas we are meant to embrace the better angels of our nature, learn from errors in the recent past and prepare hopefully for the future.

Christmas is the time of year when you find hope even when hope is hard to find and when you make wishes for life to be better for yourself as well as for those around you.

PRAGUE, (Reuters) – International leaders bade  farewell yesterday to former Czech President Vaclav Havel, the  anti-communist dissident who led the peaceful “Velvet  Revolution” and inspired human rights campaigners around the  world.

(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.

Dear Editor, I am extending an invitation for Minister Benn to take a leisure drive along the Mocha road tomorrow.

Thre wise men

(Barbados Nation) Local heavyweight boxer and robbery accused Anderson “Tootsie” Emmanuel was yesterday granted bail just in time to spend Christmas at home with his family.

(Trinidad Express) Caribbean Football Union (CFU) presidential candidate, Trinidadian Harold Taylor, has declared the recent decision by 26 Caribbean football presidents to form a normalisation committee to execute various tasks on behalf of CFU as illegal.