Daily Archive: Monday, January 16, 2012

Amid a barrage of criticism, the Privatisation Unit this evening denied that the termination of the Synergy contract for the Amaila Falls access road was because of the changed political circumstances and it argued that the government had received value for money and other contractors would be hired to finish the project.

BOGOTA, (Reuters) – Colombian President Juan  Manuel Santos said today the country’s largest rebel group  was increasingly selling its cattle to finance South America’s  longest-running insurgency as income from trafficking  cocaine drops .

Police say that at about 0845h. today, farmer Vijay Ramdass, 34 years, and Hazrat Ibrahim, 17 years, of Grant 1806, Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, were travelling in a boat in the Crabwood Creek Backdam when they were attacked by two men armed with shotguns.

Guyanese social history icon and culture enthusiast Godfrey Chin has passed away.

  DE POLITICAL LICK DOWN over who sits in the Speaker’s chair during the life of the current parliament has ended with the installation of Alliance For Change Leader Rapahel Trotman.

The operator of this excavator was this morning cleaning a section of the canal which runs parallel to Church Street in the city when the machine slipped into the waterway.

A Queens, New York man murdered his estranged wife in front of her terrified young daughter — and was held after cops tracked his bloody trail for three blocks, law-enforcement sources said today, according to the New York Post.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The country’s two cellular service providers have been engaging in a verbal tussle following revelations last week that former Prime Minister Andrew Holness reversed a precondition of the Digicel-Claro merger.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Police are expected to lay charges against a Canadian woman and her Jamaican spouse following the grim discovery of what was believed to be the decomposing body of their two-year-old son.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Nine police personnel accused of violating prison regulations by accepting money and other gifts to give special privileges to popular dancehall entertainer Vybz Kartel, as well as another high-profile inmate at the Gun Court Remand Centre in St Andrew, have been slapped with internal charges that could lead to their dismissal from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s  one-match ban means the India captain will have time for an  introspective look as to where and when his Midas touch deserted  him as his team mates battle to avoid a series whitewash against  Australia in Adelaide.

ISLAMABAD, (Reuters) – Pakistan’s Supreme Court  today ordered Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to appear  before the court for failing to pursue corruption cases against  the president and other officials, a sharp escalation in the  government’s battle for survival.

GENOA, (Reuters) – The Chairman and CEO of  Costa Cruises disavowed the captain of a capsized cruise ship,  saying his actions had contravened company rules and caused the  accident in which at least 6 people were killed.

The nude body of a 40-year-old woman was yesterday discovered at the Zeelugt Cemetery and it is suspected that she was strangled after being attacked by a homeless man known to many in the village.

The Aruka River continues to eat away at the nearby Kumaka waterfront, in the Mabaruma sub-region of Region One, where new revetments have started to sink into the river.

The Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have reacted sharply to President Donald Ramotar’s assertion that the Opposition had no place in the crafting of the National Budget and should be involved in consultations only.

Guyanese aviator Ronald Reece is working with his counterparts in Jamaica to set up a new airline which will operate out of the Caribbean nation with flights to New York and Toronto, Canada and connections to Guyana.

Investigations into the rape allegation against Police Commissioner Henry Greene are complete and the report is expected to be sent to Director of Public Prosecu-tions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack during the course of this week.

Canadian gold mining company, Guyana Goldfields plans to start surface and open pit development at its Aurora gold project  in the next quarter of this year and will release the findings of a definitive feasibility study (FS) on the project in late February following a four-week peer review.

The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has approved the application of Mahdia Gold Corp (MGC) for a Prospecting Licence for gold and precious metals in the Omai mine which the Canadian company acquired last year.

A man accused of robbing a woman of a $60,000 gold band was on Friday remanded to prison by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The Government of Guyana will not condone the flouting of the requirements of the Kimberley Process (KP) and aims to implement additional measures and regulations to ensure Guyana’s diamonds for export are legitimate, conflict free and not contaminated.

The Guyana Defence Force Band Corps on Friday concluded a six-month period of specialist training under the tutelage of Chinese military musicians by delivering a special concert at Base Camp Ayanganna, the GDF said in a press release.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) yesterday held its annual Cadet Day at Base Camp Stephenson, Timehri where fifteen Cadet Officers showed off the skills learned in the one-year training programme.

Olympic qualifier Winston George claimed his first athlete of the year award while Natasha Alder claimed her second when the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) annual awards ceremony concluded last Saturday night at the Young Men’s Christian Association building (YMCA), Thomas Lands.

A three-year-old boy succumbed on Saturday to injuries he sustained when he and his sister were struck down at Mahaicony.

By Emmerson Campbell The Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) yesterday selected the men’s’ Sevens team that will represent Guyana at the Las Vegas Invitational Sevens tournament from February 9 to 11.

Operations at Guyana’s first ever “Learn-to-Swim” school is scheduled to begin next week Monday, with classes set to take place six days a week at the school’s facility located, Industry, East Coast Demerara.

‘Hello Mr. Minister!’ This will be the title of a new weekly radio programme to be hosted by Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – A combative Rafa Nadal returned serve at sceptics who have questioned his motivation at the Australian Open  yesterday, saying the passion he lost toward the end of last season had returned and that he was fighting fit to take down 2011 nemesis Novak Djokovic.

Dear Editor, A critical element for this nation’s development and the inhabitants’peaceful co-existence is knowledge of and adherence to the Constitution since it remains the people’s most potent weapon to ward off excesses and tyranny in furtherance of ensuring and protecting our wellbeing. 

North Springs Resources Corporation’s president Harry Lappa says that his company has acquired the mineral rights to properties in Guyana through agreements with several private parties and not the government but there are growing questions in the Canadian media about its announcements.

By Iva Wharton Shiv Nandalall was yesterday returned unopposed as president of the Guyana Chess Federation (GFC) after that body held its Annual General Meeting and election of officer bears at the Guyana Olympic Association building on High Street.

The Youth Ministry on Friday  received a Land Cruiser from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the vehicle will be used to ensure the proper monitoring of adolescent youth friendly spaces around the country.

TEHRAN, (Reuters) – Iran warned Gulf Arab  neighbours yesterday they would suffer consequences if they  raised oil output to replace Iranian crude facing an  international ban.

Dear Editor, I continue to be dismayed at the pronouncements from the Ministry of Education since the last elections.

A man was on Thursday fined $40,000 with an alternative of a three-month prison term after he admitted to falsely saying that he was never the holder of a passport.

(Reuters) – The Dallas Mavericks had little difficulty extending their win streak to five games as they crushed the Sacramento Kings 99-60 at the American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Dear Editor, Convening of the 10th Parliament happened on Thursday, January 12.

GIGLIO, Italy, (Reuters) – Three survivors and  two more dead bodies were pulled from the partially submerged  wreck of a cruiseliner off the Italian coast, while a search  continued though thousands of cabins for 15 people still  missing.

Dear Editor, It is not my intention to discredit the personal achievements of Mr Raphael Trotman or the historic development in Guyana’s parliament. Congratulations

MONROVIA, (Reuters) – Liberian President Ellen  Johnson-Sirleaf’s main rival fled his party headquarters in the  capital Monrovia yesterday when it was besieged by dozens of  supporters angry at his decision to recognise her government  after a disputed November election.

A contractor was on Thursday admitted to bail in the sum $100,000 after he was charged with short-changing his client by using funds given to him to repair her home and purchasing insufficient materials for the job.

NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Dwayne Smith blasted a memorable, boundary-studded 86 to set up a comfortable win for Barbados by 62 runs against Jamaica that lifted them to the top of the standings in Group B of the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on Saturday.

(Trinidad Express) Andre Monteil, former group financial director of CL Financial, unsuccessfully attempted to withdraw “millions of dollars” from CLICO Investment Bank (CIB) weeks before a billion-dollar bailout of CL Financial was brokered, former finance minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira stated on Friday.

NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Captain Romel Currency produced an fine all-round performance to spur Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) to their first win by 29 runs over Sussex in Group-B of the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on Saturday.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, (Reuters) – The leader of  the Pakistani Taliban, the militant movement that poses the  gravest security threat to the country, is believed to have been  killed by a U.S.

The past and the present

Dear Editor, The AGM of the Chess Federation was slated for Sunday and it seemed that everyone was in  election mode. 

Dear Editor, In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar there are   four lines applicable to Guyana: There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to for tune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

Cadet officers demonstrating skills

(Trinidad Express) The murder toll for the year so far has climbed to 20, with the shooting deaths of two men and the stabbing of a Chinese national between Friday night and early yesterday.

MOSCOW, (Reuters) – Pieces of a failed Russian  Mars probe plummeted into the Pacific Ocean far off the Chilean  coast yesterday, Russian news agencies cited a military official  as saying.

NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – A record number of over 42 000 fans watched the first phase of the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has reported.

This week we asked new parliamentarians how they felt after their first session and what are their expectations for the life of the 10th parliament.

It came as no surprise that the contract for the US$15.4M Amaila Access Roads was terminated.

Dear Editor, Without prejudice to the other stories and pieces  contained in your  Sunday edition, I refer to your report on the ‘No Child Left Behind Policy’.

By Janette Bulkan Janette Bulkan is a Social Anthropologist who was Coordinator of the Amerindian Research Unit, University of Guyana from 1985 to 1999 and Senior Social Scientist at the Iwokrama International Centre from 2000 to 2003.

(Trinidad Guardian) An invasion of Guyanese farmers in the food basket of Aranguez is stirring up a hornet’s nest among local farmers who claim they are forced to pay exorbitant rent for agricultural lands and are being denied a livelihood, the result of the outsiders’ presence.

Politikles

PERTH, (Reuters) – A rampant Australia blitzed India’s tail to crush the hapless tourists by an innings and 37 runs with more than two days to spare in the third test yesterday and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

Last rites for Dr Moti Lall

(Trinidad Guardian) The Government has allocated TT$125 million for Carnival 2012.

(Trinidad Express) Planning and Economy Minister Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie says the Procurement Joint Select Committee, of which he is chairman, is working towards bringing public sector procurement legislation to Parliament in this upcoming term.

(Trinidad Express) Two more men have been gunned down in separate incidents in Diego Martin and Laventille.

(Trinidad Express) A full report on the Prime Minister’s state visit to India will soon be submitted to Parliament.