Daily Archive: Thursday, June 28, 2012

Education Minister Priya Manickchand today said that a decision had been made not to renew the contract of the Director of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development, Mohandatt Goolsarran.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Launching outrageous winners left, right and centre, obscure Czech Lukas Rosol rocked Wimbledon’s Centre Court to its foundations today by winning a final-set shootout after dusk against twice former champion Rafa Nadal.

The home of well-known businessman Salim Azeez was gutted by an early morning fire at Canal Number Two, on the West Bank of Demerara today.

(WICB) Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Sunil Narine said he was “still high on confidence” as he prepared to face New Zealand in the Digicel Twenty20 International Series in the United States this weekend.

WARSAW,  (Reuters) – Italy forward Mario Balotelli scored two superb first-half goals to steer his team to a 2-1 victory over favourites Germany today and into the Euro 2012 final where they will meet holders Spain.

WASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted U.S.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Scientists in the United States have developed a paint that can store and deliver electrical power just like a battery.

Courthouse News Service today reported that a Guyanese passenger on the Caribbean Airlines flight that crash-landed and split in two at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri  last year is claiming in court that her injuries in the incident stemmed from the airline’s negligence.

(ICC) Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has named the West Indies as the team to beat at the ICC World Twenty20 Sri Lanka 2012.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon yesterday announced that Cabinet has given its support for the Bank of Guyana (BoG) to introduce a $5,000 bank note.

Two boys, Ramesh Ghir and Michael Bhopaul tied for the top position in this year’s National Grade Six Assessment, following on the success of Linden boy, Teron Alleyne last year.

Thirty-eight students shared the top scores in this year’s National Grade Six Assessment, Education Minister Priya Manickchand said in a surprise announcement at Parliament yesterday and APNU MP Amna Ally later expressed concern at the decline of good performances from public schools.

The National Assembly yesterday passed two bills to reform the traffic ticketing and motor vehicle licence renewal processes.

The parliamentary opposition last night used their majority to pass a motion calling for the government to present a report on the sale of national assets by the holding company National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. (TIGI) yesterday sounded its alarm at the promotion of the Gitanjali Singh, the wife of Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, to Audit Director in the Auditor General’s Office, warning that it would undermine public confidence in the oversight body.

A policeman was yesterday charged with raping a 15-year-old girl at the Matthew’s Ridge Police Station, after which he allegedly allowed another man to do the same to her.

The doctor implicated in the case of an 18-year-old mother of two, who died six months ago as a result of injuries she sustained during a botched abortion, has denied all involvement Meanwhile, the doctor was indeed registered under the Guyana Medical Council but had not acquired his licence for 2011 to perform termination of pregnancies.

The Alliance for Change (AFC) yesterday recommended that a socio-economic developmental plan be crafted for Linden, even as government maintains that residents there must pay more for electricity from July 1.

Trayon Moore, the man who police say helped Randy Morris rob a Bourda Market vendor in the moments before he was shot dead, was yesterday arraigned on an attempted armed robbery charge at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The Guyana Government has come out swinging at the US State Department’s report on trafficking in persons in Guyana calling it a “difficult pill to swallow” and a report that is not factual since the architects did not make “significant progress in improving the veracity, coherence and validity of their annual assessments.”

University of Guyana (UG) Chancellor Professor Compton Bourne said that the current situation at the Turkeyen campus signals further deterioration, rather than improvement and not one for which he is suited and as such, he has decided to resign with effect from tomorrow.

New work aimed at salvaging the eroding waterfront at Kumaka in the Mabaruma Sub-Region has started but residents said “too late, too late may be the cry” as the area has been sinking continuously.

Concerned parents at the Enmore/Hope Primary School, frustrated at the condition of the building, are calling on the relevant authorities to have it renovated, or they would refuse to have their children attend classes there since it poses as a health and safety risk.

Workers of the Guysuco estates in Berbice protested at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) office in New Amsterdam yesterday over claims not being processed since February, owing to damaged computer systems.

The police were called in yesterday afternoon at the David Rose Special School on Thomas Lands after teachers and students of the institution blocked a group of men from removing an unserviceable school bus the men claimed they had bought.

Police are currently on the hunt for Sherwin Bobb who escaped from the Camp Street Prison yesterday around 13:00 hrs.

Guyana’s deforestation rate decreased slightly last year compared to the previous year, according to the second interim measures report on forest change prepared under the Guyana-Norway REDD+ partnership.

The charred remains of a 68-year-old woman were removed from her Soesdyke home yesterday after a gas cylinder reportedly exploded, igniting a raging fire.

DONETSK, (Reuters) – Holders Spain needed a stuttering penalty shootout win over Portugal yesterday to reach the Euro 2012 final, a soccer showpiece which is set to be attended by a European leader seen as a pariah by much of the continent.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Richie Richardson said he believes cricket in the United States could be in for “something special” this weekend, when West Indies face New Zealand in the two Digicel Twenty20 Internationals here.

   By Emmerson Campbell Bronze medalist at the 2011 World Masters Championships, John ‘Big John’ Edwards, and 74kg Masters Category Two deadlift record holder, Winston Stoby, will headline the 2012 Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) Intermediate and Masters Championships slated for Sunday.

Some members of the Interim  Management Committee (IMC) set up by the Minister of Sport,  Dr.

The inaugural regional Under-17 cricket series was launched yesterday at the Tobago House of Assembly in Scarborough.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Britain’s Prince Charles made a rare, if fleeting, visit to Wimbledon yesterday but lingered long enough to see Roger Federer produce another regal performance on Centre Court and move serenely into the third round.

Dear Editor, The administration insists on exhibiting to Guyana and the world (at least those parts that are represented herein) what a dictatorship it is, minority or otherwise. Its

By Iva Wharton St. George’s Secondary moved a step closer to the Georgetown quarter-finals of the Digicel Schools football competition yesterday when they secured 5-2 victory over Houston Secondary at the Georgetown Football Club Ground, Bourda.

(Reuters) – The use of the Decision Review System (DRS) in international cricket will remain at the discretion of teams involved in bilateral series’ after the sport’s governing body yesterday opted against making it mandatory.

Adrian James, an eyewitness in the Sherwin Barnwell murder trial, told the court that he saw the accused slapping and stamping the deceased Nohar Bahadur when he gave his evidence before Justice Franklyn Holder in the High Court yesterday.

Dear Editor, In your editorial which is entitled ‘The politics of no,’ and which appeared in the Sunday issue of June 17 your writer displayed some of the writing and analytical qualities which have distinguished the paper locally and in the region.

(New York Daily News) A Guyanese man was nabbed at Kennedy Airport with something singing up his sleeve — nine live finches bound for their shot at stardom.

Dear Editor, We seek clarification from the relevant authority that holds responsibility for maintaining the areas in the Diamond/Grove Housing Scheme on the East Bank Demerara.

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada,  CMC – A precious, unbroken 35-run ninth wicket stand between captain Veerasammy Permaul and tail-ender Nikita Miller pulled West Indies A out of a hole and fired them to a tense two-wicket win over India A in the first one-dayer here  yesterday.

The Guyana Squash Association (GSA) has named its junior team to represent Guyana at the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Caribbean Junior Squash Championships which will be held in Jamaica July 20-26.

Dear Editor, I shall appreciate the space to clear the air on a few matters.

The Ministry of Tourism launched the Coomacka Weekend Festival billed for June 30 to July 1, and designed with the aim of drawing Guyanese in the Diaspora back home.

CARACAS (Reuters) – A new poll shows Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez only slightly ahead of challenger Henrique Capriles in the October 7 presidential election, welcome news for the opposition following numerous surveys showing Chavez with a wide lead.

Motivational speaker and former National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Wali Jones will be gracing the shores of Guyana for the first time to conduct clinics as part of the National Community Basketball League (NCBL) International Allstar Weekend this Saturday.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Russia and other big powers have told mediator Kofi Annan that they support his idea of a Syrian national unity cabinet that could include government and opposition members but would exclude those whose participation would undermine it, envoys said yesterday.

Scotiabank in partnership with the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership (CBMP) is hosting Regional HIV Testing Day 2012 starting today, at its branches in Guyana and across the Caribbean.

Dear Editor, I wish to call on the Minister of Home Affairs to act early and clear the surroundings of the Charity Police Station.

LA PAZ (Reuters) – Bolivia’s police ended a violent mutiny and went back to work yesterday after reaching an accord with government ministers and the police leadership on pay and disciplinary rules, satisfying lower-ranking officers who had rejected a previous deal.

(Trinidad Express) The sun rises again for former prime minister and United National Congress (UNC) founder, Basdeo Panday.

Dear Editor, Where corporal punishment is concerned, it appears that the major constituent of pro-violence towards children – and make no mistake that physical assault is the most obvious of violent acts we are humanly capable of – adheres to the ‘moral’ notion, penned on ancient papyrus some 3000 years ago, that somehow beating children is a sign of love.

KINGSTON, (Reuters) – Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake will offer the world a tantalizing taste of what may be in store at the London Olympics when the two speedsters go head-to-head at the Jamaica national athletics championships starting today.

The 16-year-old girl, who was savagely chopped in the North West District last month, is on the road to recovery and while her speech is slurred, she has started communicating through gestures.

(Barbados Nation) The Barbados Investors and Policyholders Alliance (BIPA) says it feels betrayed by Government after a Budget presentation that gave no final answer to repaying the Bds$854 million owed to CLICO policyholders.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Islamist President-elect Mohamed Mursi began talks yesterday with groups nervous about where he will take Egypt after the generals who have ruled since Hosni Mubarak’s fall make way for the republic’s first civilian leader.

Dear Editor, I refer to the article captioned ‘Ramkarran’s call for repeal of anti-gay laws should be cue for other politicians –SASOD’ (SN, June 26).

(Trinidad Express) A mother who failed to report to the police that her nine-year-old daughter was being sexually abused in her home, was sent to prison for nine months on Tuesday.

Dear Editor, The resignation of Mr Sheik Ahmad as the President of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) was surprising, although at the same time predictable.

EUGENE, Oregon,  CMC – Former Olympic sprint champion Maurice Greene has dismissed the notion that Jamaican Usain Bolt can rescale the lofty heights of 2008 when he established two mind-boggling World records in the 100 and 200 metres.

The Muslim Youth League (MYL) of Guyana says its programme of activities for hosting Sunni scholars Shaykh Faisal Hamid Abdur Razak and Qari Syed Sadaqat will start tomorrow at the Peter’s Hall Masjid.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Television host Alex Trebek was released from a Los Angeles hospital yesterday after suffering a mild heart attack this past weekend, according to a spokeswoman for his “Jeopardy!”

Dear Editor, Guyanese continue to grapple with the aftermath of the general election of Nov 28, 2011 and the unique circumstances prevailing with the Tenth Parliament.

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Two recent rulings in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court have raised the ire of citizens and there has been a lot of debate about whether Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton, who handed down both rulings, took all of the mitigating factors into account.

HELSINKI,  (Reuters) – Briton Mo Farah retained his 5,000 metres title at the European athletics championships  yesterday while seven athletes were disqualified in the men’s 400 metres heats for running outside their lanes.

Politikles

Though we despair at the sorry state of our nation in these early years of the 21st century, we see quite a few voices of conscience striving to make a difference in this society.

(Trinidad Express) Police arrested a 14-year-old boy on Tuesday after he reportedly gave his classmate a plastic soft drink bottle of Lanate to drink during their lunch period at their school in Blanchisseuse on Monday.

(Barbados Nation) The Barbados Government could soon be faced with legal action from REDjet.

(Trinidad Express) Government intends to review the defamation laws of this country and bring them in line with international best practice, says Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

(Trinidad Express) Of the 199 murders recorded for the year so far, only 25 of those cases have been “solved” as a result of suspects being charged and taken before the courts.

(Trinidad Express) A rocky start to Jack Warner’s tenure as National Security Minister.