Daily Archive: Monday, July 9, 2012

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes settled their divorce today, taking less than two weeks to end a nearly six-year marriage that captivated the world and prompted questions about raising their daughter in the Church of Scientology.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez declared himself fully recovered from cancer today, three months before an election in which he is seeking another six-year term.

The police this afternoon said that at about 0330h today during checks made by the parents of a 13-year-old girl at their home at Ogle, ECD, a man was found in her bedroom and has been identified as a Police Constable.

The police today said that armed robbery was up by 18% but that there was an overall decrease of 3% in serious crimes at the end of June this year in comparison to last year.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO/CASTRIES – The cooperation with Equatorial Guinea will get more concrete with a return visit by President Desi Bouterse to his colleague Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea and the signing of several agreements this week.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – India has completed the 2009 order to deliver three Dhruv helicopters for Suriname’s army.

(de Ware Tijd) ALBINA – Suriname has apprehended 57 Brazilians in a raid as a result of the deadly shooting incident in French Guiana that claimed the lives of two gendarmes.

(Barbados Nation) PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad  – The Bankers Association of Trinidad and Tobago (BATT) today told the public not to panic after banks operating here uncovered a scam involving the illegal removal of cash from their customers through the use of Automatic Teller Machines (ATM).

(Barbados Nation) At 35 years old he has earned the designation professor of law.

NEW DELHI,  (Reuters) – The Indian government has bought thousands of letters, papers and photographs which shed light on the life of independence hero Mahatma Gandhi, days before they were to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in London, a government official said today.

MOSCOW,  (Reuters) – Russia will not deliver fighter planes or other new weapons to Syria while the situation there remains unresolved, the deputy director of a body that supervises the country’s arms trade was quoted as saying today.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – The men’s 100 metres is the jewel in the Olympic crown and Yohan Blake’s surprise humanisation of Usain Bolt has ensured that next month’s showdown will be a race worthy of the Games rather than a mere time trial for the defending champion.

(Trinidad Express) The coconut industry is dead and the efforts of the Ministry of Food Production, to revive it are grossly inadequate, chairman of the St Patrick Coconut Growers Cooperative Society, Pranesh Maharaj has said.

(Jamaica Observer) A Jamaican was one of three men killed in a bloody attack in Queens during the early hours of Saturday morning.

President Donald Ramotar has not yet met with former PPP executive, Ralph Ramkarran on his resignation from the party but plans to do so soon.

(Jamaica Observer) The coming to Jamaica of police officers from the United Kingdom to bolster the island’s constabulary was a waste of time, retired senior law enforcer Reneto Adams has said.

(Jamaica Gleaner) West Indies Players’ Association’s chief executive officer Michael Hall is calling for the establishment of a regional domestic Twenty20 league that mirrors the popular Indian Premier League (IPL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), or the Australian Twenty20 Big Bash League.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Yet another baby – the second in two months – has mysteriously disappeared from the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH), sparking renewed concerns within the administrative arm of the country’s largest maternity facility.

The bound body of a Garden of Eden farmer which bore several stab wounds was yesterday morning discovered at his home and relatives believe he was killed over a court matter in which judgment was passed in his favour.

A few hours after bidding his relatives goodbye and boarding a vessel to collect lumber up the Demerara River, a Pouderoyen,  West Bank Demerara (WBD) man is suspected to have been  brutally killed by a mate aboard the tug and his body dumped into the river.

Alarmed at government’s decision to halt the processing of applications for mining in rivers, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) has summoned members to a special meeting tomorrow to discuss the action.

The opposition parties would like a say in the naming of a new Chief Executive Officer for the state broadcaster, NCN and the AFC has also urged criminal prosecution for those found to have broken laws.

The mother of the child who died as a result of the platform incident at Paradise, West Coast Berbice on Saturday was slightly injured in a vehicular accident at Camp and Middle streets yesterday.

Seven persons who were in the Lusignan Public Road accident on Saturday evening have been admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital with at least two reportedly in a serous condition.

EZjet has announced that flights to Toronto, Canada will begin on July 17, 2012.

Reform of the electoral system-recommended over a decade ago and strongly supported by various local and international actors-is a priority for the political opposition and there is renewed hope that the new configuration in the National Assembly will see the process move faster.

Residents of No. 53 Village, Corentyne were late yesterday afternoon still battling with floodwaters, caused by a high tide and heavy rainfall, that swamped their homes and yards from early in the morning.

The Chairman of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), Keith Burrowes has issued a public apology on behalf of the Guyana Chronicle for a racially divisive editorial recently published under the caption ‘Opposition rampages to sow disunity in the country’.

By Emmerson Campbell Local speed ace Mark Vieira powered his V power Mazda RX 8 to two Group 4 victories to reign over rival Andrew King at the GMRSC race meet yesterday at the South Dakota Circuit.

Defending men’s champion Alexander Arjoon produced a sensational come-from-behind performance to defeat  world 76th ranked women’s player Nicolette Fernandes 11/7, 13/15, 9/11, 11/5, 11/2 in the grand finale of the Digicel Senior National Squash Championships at the Georgetown club yesterday.

Former police commissioner turned APNU MP, Winston Felix has put to Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee a number of questions about the water cannon and these will be addressed at the July 20 sitting of the National Assembly.

Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said Cabinet gave its no objection to nine contracts in the Housing and Water, Agriculture and Education sectors with a significant lot of it going to the rehabilitation of community roads in a number of Neighbourhood Democratic Councils across the country.

By Yonalla Dalrymple It plans to be out of this world.

By Iva Wharton St. Ignatius has once again made the Rupununi area proud this time with their advancement to the quarter finals of the Digicel Schools Football tournament.

Who planted the seed of nationhood? There have been claims and counterclaims and alternative claims but never agreement on the father or mother of Guyana.

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is continuing to conduct inquiries into the functioning of town and neighbourhood councils.

Dwight Holder, in a time of one hour, 58 minutes rode away from his opponents to capture the Guyana Beverage Company/Flying Ace Cycle Club inaugural Island Mist Water 40-mile road race Monday last.

Team Banks took a comfortable lead of the three-match aggregate Beverage companies Dominoes series against ANSA McAl and Demerara Distillers Limited (El Dorado Conquerors) at the end of the second round played at ANSA McAl head office at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara.

 Labour Minister Dr. Nanda Gopaul, who is responsible for co-operatives, warned on Friday that the law will be allowed to take its course against those executive members who engage in illicit transactions and  pay very little regard to the management of their co-ops.

The Mirror newspaper, the semi-official organ of the ruling PPP, made no reference in Saturday’s edition to the stunning resignation of longtime executive Ralph Ramkarran.

Marian Academy held on for dear life to reach the final of the National Schools Basketball Festival (NSBF) by defeating Plaisance Academy 59-56 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) last Saturday evening.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Guyana last year was estimated at US$165M, according to the World Investment Report for 2012 up from the US$154M the previous year but far below neighbouring Suriname which pulled in US$585M.

The Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) will kick start its summer activities today with the annual P&P Insurance Brokers Tennis Camp while the GBTI (Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry) Open will begin on Thursday.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers signaled yesterday a worsening deadlock in Congress over how to tackle critical fiscal deadlines looming at year’s end, including deciding whether to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

Dear Editor, Lest it be perceived that some segments of the Linden society do not see dire consequences for the electricity hike I wish to add my voice to the discussion on the matter.

Two motions will be moved in Parliament on Thursday, July 12 honouring the service to the National Assembly by former long-serving members Reepu Daman Persaud and Robert Corbin, according to the Order Paper for the session.

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter captioned ‘No man should be afraid to stand up for justice because others might mistake him for a woman‘ (SN, July 7).

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Desperate New Zealand have placed a large bounty on the head of in-form West Indies opener Chris Gayle.

JOS, Nigeria,  (Reuters) – A Nigerian senator and several others were killed yesterday when gunmen attacked a mass burial for 63 victims of violence the previous day in volatile, ethnically mixed Plateau state, a government official said.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Roger Federer left the door tantalisingly ajar for local hero Andy Murray in the Wimbledon men’s singles final yesterday, then slammed it shut to win a record-equalling seventh Wimbledon title and in so doing return to the top of the world rankings.

Dear Editor, At the Caricom meeting in St. Lucia, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of T&T essentially said it will not be possible for the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to replace the Privy Council (PC) as the final court of appeal at least for this year. 

The Corriverton Interim Management Committee (IMC) Town Clerk, Narendra Sookram, was on Friday handed a petition by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) signed by over 600 persons from Corriverton calling for the dissolution of the IMC, deeming the body illegal and unconstitutional.

KABUL, (Reuters) – At least 35 people, including seven NATO soldiers, were killed in a string of roadside bombs and clashes yesterday, one of the most violent days in the country for months.

Introduction The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recently approved the appointment of eleven senior officers in the Audit Office following a recommendation from the Auditor General (Ag.). 

BEIRUT, (Reuters) – Kofi Annan is due to hold talks today with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who said U.S.

Caricom attorneys general met last month end to review regional education needs and to review a proposal by Trinidad and Tobago to partially implement the Appellate Jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The proposed introduction of the $5,000 bill Interviews and photos by David Papannah This week we asked the man and woman in the street around the New Amsterdam and Rose Hall markets for their views on the planned introduction of the $5,000 bill in Guyana: Anita Paul, self-employed – ‘I do not see the need to bring out a $5,000 note.

For journalists in Latin America the direst threat in recent years has emanated from the drug cartels and the gangs that proliferate particularly in Honduras.

Dear Editor, In the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) report for 2011 titled ‘The changing face of innovation‘ that focused on the growing trend of creation and exchange of intellectual property rights (IPRs) among both developed and developing countries, it was  disclosed that there was a growing demand for IPRs.

PORRENTRUY, Switzerland,  (Reuters) – Thibaut Pinot, the youngest rider in the Tour de France, presented the French with their first stage victory in this year’s edition after winning the hilly 157.5km Belfort-Porrentruy eighth stage yesterday.

(Trinidad Express) Thousands of leatherback hatchlings were crushed to death at the weekend as the Ministry of Works used excavators to redirect the Grande Riviere River, at the north east coast.

(Trinidad Express) A cash reward is being offered to anyone who can assist in identifying and locating six men who can assist in the investigation into the recent spate of debit and credit card fraud to have occurred in commercial bank branches across the country.