Daily Archive: Friday, May 4, 2012

A man died this evening after a drive- by shooting on Sussex Street, Charlestown.

KINGSTON,  (Reuters) – Former 100 metres world record holder Asafa Powell has withdrawn from tomorrow’s Jamaica International invitational with a groin injury, ending any shot at racing against Usain Bolt, his agent said today.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Reuters) – A Kansas City woman who converted from Christianity to Islam has been awarded $5 million in punitive damages by a jury who found the telecommunications giant AT&T created a “hostile work environment” after her conversion, according to a judge’s order issued today.

While congratulating Sandra Jones on her nomination as a GECOM commissioner, the Alliance For Change today slammed Opposition Leader David Granger over the principle and methodology employed in the selection.

Police say that a post-mortem examination was today performed on the body of Rajendra Pooran of Grove, EBD, by Pathologist Dr.

Two men are in custody after sticking up a cop at Crab Island Public Road, Berbice after he had picked them up at Ogle.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s absence from the spotlight, his creation of a formal advisory committee, and media leaks of medical details are feeding speculation of a downturn in his nearly year-long battle with cancer.

In the wake of increased minibus fares, Minister of Finance Dr.

(de Ware Tijd) BRUSSELS –The European Union will call Suriname to account on the controversial Amnesty Act and its observance of the constitutional state, NOS learnt from diplomatic sources in Brussels.

(Trinidad Guardian) A Guyanese national, who was accused of assaulting a store clerk after she failed to repair his cellphone, changed his plea to not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of TT$15,000 yesterday.

(Trinidad Guardian) “I am very happy to be free.” These were the words of Cheryl Miller as she left the Hall of Justice in Port-of-Spain yesterday at the end of a habeas corpus action challenging her 15-day stay at St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital.

(Jamaica Observer) Prime Minister Bruce Golding says the oversight panel appointed by Transport and Works Minister Dr Omar Davies to oversee three major Government projects does not undermine the role of the contractor general who had expressed concerns about the contractual procedures relating to the projects.

(Jamaica Observer) Government has again defended its decision to establish the Independent Oversight Panel (IOP) to monitor three major projects, despite objections from Contractor General Greg Christie, arguing that Cabinet has the right to approve advisors for any minister.

(Barbados Nation) One of Barbados’  highest employing companies has gradually whittled down its staff from 1 200 to just over 250 in the last two years, with plans to lay off the others by the end of next month.

PORT-AU-PRINCE,  (Reuters) – Haitian lawmakers approved the nomination of a close adviser to President Michel Martelly as prime minister on Thursday, raising hopes of ending a political stalemate that has stalled reconstruction efforts after Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake.

“If you don’t have a permit, don’t go to the mining community,” Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud  yesterday warned as he announced plans to intensify ‘Operation El Dorado,’ which targets illegal miners.

Two men and two women were yesterday granted bail between $200,000 and $500,000 when they appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive- Hamilton in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on charges involving trafficking in persons.

There are now two suspects in the murder of 18-year-old Nikita Ramischand, whose butchered body was found outside of her mother’s salon in Trinidad and Tobago last week.

The bloody body of miner Bryan Dickson was yesterday afternoon found in his bed at his East Street home, in Georgetown with numerous stab wounds suspected to have been inflicted with a pair of scissors.

A taxi driver was yesterday morning found with his hands and feet bound and his head bashed in at Logwood, Enmore, on the East Coast Demerara.

The government yesterday announced that with effect from June 1, the minimum wage for certain categories of workers–including security guards and sales clerks–will be increased by an order approved by Cabinet.

The government is in the process of determining the impact the budget cuts would have and would then present this information to the opposition to prove that its claims that many workers would be placed on the breadline are not mere “idle speculations.”

In a notice in yesterday’s Guyana Chronicle, the Ministry of Public Works is advising REDjet customers who were unable to travel because of the suspension of service by the airline to submit requests for refunds.

A policewoman was struck down by a speeding car while she was crossing the road to the Demerara Harbour Bridge, where she works.

The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce said yesterday that following a meeting with representatives of the United Minibus Union (UMU) the fares for short drops in the city would remain at $60, but UMU President Eon Andrews denied that an agreement had been reached.

As part of its activities to celebrate the 174th anniversary of the arrival of Indians to Guyana, the Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) will seek to raise awareness of societal ills, such as domestic and alcohol abuse.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Estranged West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has turned down the Somerset Twenty20 contract in order to make himself available for the limited overs phase of West Indies’ tour of England next month.

HOVE, England, CMC – Captain Darren Sammy was at pains yesterday to point out the importance of team work, as a West Indies team missing its major stars held its first training session since arriving here Wednesday for a three-Test tour.

Guyana may once again move in the direction of suspending the Common External Tariff (CET) on cement imported from countries outside Caricom owing to its current high price, which government feels is being “orchestrated” by “shark operators” out to “make a killing”.

Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang on Wednesday discharged the action to overturn the four-month suspension of CNS Channel 6 last year and to contest the constitutionality of the Advisory Committee on Broadcasting (ACB).

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Stand-in captain Stafanie Taylor has praised West Indies Women for what she has described as perhaps their best day ever in the field.

Almost three months into what was intended to have been a six-week offshore campaign, officials are tight-lipped about the state of the drilling at the CGX Energy Inc’s 100 percent operated Eagle 1 well which should have been completed by the end of April, leading to the belief that oil was not found in commercial quantities.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Pakistani pace bowler Mohammad Asif was released from prison in Britain yesterday after serving half of a one-year term for involvement in a match-fixing scam that shook the world of cricket.

Dear Editor, I read F Skinner’s letter in the Stabroek News on April 26 (‘The copyright laws need to be enforced…’ ) which stated that the enforcement of copyright laws was a prerequisite for cultural industries.

Dear Editor, An interesting scenario currently exists in the local press corps today.

Government yesterday expressed its unhappiness with the ruling of Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang which saw its challenge of the numerical make-up of the National Assembly’s Committee of Selection being thrown out and said it will be studying the implications of the ruling.

KINGSTON,  (Reuters) – Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt could have an unexpected challenger when the Jamaican world record holder runs his first 100 metres tomorrow.

The Guyanese scholarship student, who allegedly murdered a man and slit a woman’s throat in Cuba, will be given legal representation and his future in the scholarship programme will hinge on the outcome of the court case, according to Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford.

Just days after President Donald Ramotar’s undertaking that government will provide support for accelerated job-creation in Linden, Region Ten Chairman Sharma Solomon has told Stabroek Business that state-initiated programmes designed to generate private sector activity in the mining community must not only have the backing of the community, but must be free of official controls that place unacceptable limits on Lindeners’ ability to determine how such programmes are managed.

Second half goals by Alpha United duo Anthony “Awo” Abrams who was the captain on the night and winger Dwight Peters earned the youthful Jaguars a hard fought 2-2 draw against Martinique at the Stade Georges on Wednesday evening in the city of St.

Dear Editor, I would like to commend the Ministry of Home Affairs for publishing the list of ticketable offences for drivers.

LONDON, England, CMC – Experienced batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan has brushed aside suggestions of a late call-up to the West Indies team for the current tour of England.

Small businesses could secure an important breakthrough in the near future if plans by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to make adjustments to its membership criteria to accommodate business enterprises which have traditionally failed to find a home amongst the country’s more established commercial enterprises come to fruition.

Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton granted a 17-year-old boy charged with assaulting his aunt and uncle $15,000 bail while the said relatives were each placed on $10,000 bail for using abusive and threatening abusive language towards him, when the case was heard on Wednesday.

Dear Editor, With the PPP moving into election mode following the trimming of the 2012 National Budget in parliament by the majority opposition, it is imperative that the APNU and AFC immediately pass electoral reforms aimed at restoring democracy to Guyana.

By Emmerson Campbell National amateur welterweight champion, Laured Stewart, suffered a setback to his budding career after he sustained a fractured jaw at the hands of an assailant who is still at large following an argument at a cricket game in Sophia last Sunday.

Dear Editor, An extremely significant contribution from the Diaspora, captioned  ‘UG: Exciting Times: Human capital and development,” by Prof Rory Fraser, appeared in SN on March 12, 2012.

Targets Two things are obvious from the preceding week’s presentation.  The first is that both financial and non-financial institutions are targets of the FATCA law, and the other is that the new rules affect them in similar ways. 

Region 10 Chairman Sharma Solomon says APNU plans to host 19 community meetings throughout the region in order to educate its constituents on components of the 2012 National Budget and inform them about the rationale behind the cuts voted for in Parliament.

Dear Editor, I wish to respond to Ms Audreyanna Thomas who has allowed herself to be misguided by a news report carried by Capitol News over a week ago and in the process was caught up in a sinister plot to once again portray me in a bad light (‘Senior public officers should be careful about their language in public…’ SN, April 30).

By Emmerson Campbell “These things do happen in boxing but we will be back stronger and better than ever.”

Stabroek Business has learnt that the recent closure of Brazilian-run mining operations here by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment could become the subject of bilateral discourse as both officials in northern Brazil and the Brazilian Embassy here are reportedly paying an interest in the development.

Two sisters and another woman who appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday on assault and wounding  charges were granted bail by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.

Dear Editor, I am resident of McDoom East Bank. Since last year, the water has been turned off every weekend by the attendant without notice.

MADRID, (Reuters) – Cristiano Ronaldo has led Real Madrid’s charge to their first La Liga title in four years, and still has the chance to overhaul Lionel Messi to retain his league top scorer award before the end of the season.

By Averil Williams Performance reviews are often misunderstood and underutilized. If done properly, they can ensure success at both the organizational and employee levels. 

The state-owned National Communications Network Inc. sees the possibility of job losses in the state media resulting from the $21 billion in cuts to the national budget  and has condemned the  private media, the GHRA   and the GPA over their refusal  to speak out in support of the professionals who may be affected.

The Government Analyst Food and Drug Department says it is encouraged by recent cooperation agreements it has forged with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), which will allow it to inspect imports at the various ports-of-entry prior to them being released on the domestic market.

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands,  (Reuters) – A diplomatic spat in the normally tranquil Cayman Islands has put the ruling party and the British government at loggerheads after the locally elected premier accused London of conspiring with opposition politicians to “ruin this country.”

(Reuters) – South African-born pace bowler Neil Wagner was fast-tracked into New Zealand’s test squad yesterday for their tour of West Indies, just two weeks after receiving approval from the International Cricket Council to be selected despite not meeting residency requirements.

High risks associated with the likelihood of fires, flooding and damage to property resulting from riots make insurance coverage costly for businesses trading in the city.

Dear Editor, It is long past the time for Guyana to establish an independent Broadcast Authority to monitor and regulate all radio and television broadcasts emanating from Guyana.

The promised investment by the Chinese bauxite-mining company Bosai in dust extractors for its operations at Linden will probably benefit the company much more than it will the community, Region Ten Chairman Sharma Solomon has said.

BEIJING/WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng made a dramatic plea for help in a cellphone call to a U.S.

Two Guyanese men were among a number of others remanded in Antigua over a stolen car and drugs, according to yesterday’s Antigua Observer.

Dear Editor, In Guyana non-functioning brake lights on cars are a traffic violation which is a statutory (ticketed) offence with a fine of $5,000.

Linden flood: Heavy rainfall at Linden yesterday resulted in

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, (Reuters) – Tomorrow’s $2.2 million Kentucky Derby is looming as one of the most open in its 138 years with at least 12 of the 20 entrants having a genuine shot at winning America’s famous and revered horse race.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) is celebrating what it describes as “a major victory” as the Constitutional Court threw out a motion brought by eight policemen who were seeking declarations that the commission did not have the power to compel them to give statements.

(Jamaica Observer) In a major breakthrough for Jamaican culture, the Chicago Office of Tourism will put its promotional might behind the 20th Anniversary of the International Festival of Life (IFOL), produced by Jamaican-born Ephraim Martin and held over the big July 4th weekend.

Business Cartoons

By Jagdish Bhagwati NEW YORK – The selection of the American nominee Jim Yong Kim as Presi-dent of the World Bank, over Nigeria’s finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who was overwhelmingly regarded as a vastly superior candidate, is impossible to condone but easy to explain.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – Osama bin Laden showed disdain for al Qaeda affiliates, fretted about his organization’s image and was deeply worried about its security, according to documents seized from his hideout in Pakistan and released publicly yesterday.

Politikles

Dear Editor, With regard to your several news items (SN, Apr 27, 28) on Trinidad’s announced plan to replace the Privy Council with the CCJ for criminal matters, there are mixed views from the country’s legal luminaries and intellectuals and widespread opposition from the common man to such a move. 

The traditionally conservative nature of local umbrella business organisations sometimes makes sound and effective reporting on matters of business and the economy particularly challenging since issues and questions often arise outside the scope of information that is provided in the reports that are made public by those organisations.

(Reuters) – The top-seeded San Antonio Spurs thrashed Utah 114-83 on Wednesday to take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference first-round series.

“Lions led by donkeys” was the pithy assessment of the tragedy of the hundreds of thousands of British Empire troops sent to their slaughter by incompetent generals on the Western Front in World War I (1914-1918).

A Guyanese man has pleaded guilty to participating in a fraud on Canadian phone company, Telus and has been slapped with house arrest for 12 months and will have to make restitution.

(Barbados Nation) Prominent businessman Jacob Hassid yesterday responded with shock and anger to union boss Sir Roy Trotman’s labelling of him as an “Egyptian Jew”, while warning that such an “unfair and unjust” attack could stir up racial hatred in the country.

(Trinidad Express) Sixty-eight year-old grandmother Grace Pierre-Holder and 29-year-old Daenah John-Finn were yesterday found guilty by an eight-member jury of having cocaine in their possession for the purpose of trafficking.

(Trinidad Express) As gang violence continues to rear its ugly head in and around the capital city, three persons have been shot dead and four others wounded in separate shooting incidents.

(Trinidad Express) The Republic Bank Group has recorded a net profit attributable to shareholders of TT$550.1 million for the financial half-year ended March 31.