Daily Archive: Tuesday, July 17, 2012

(Trinidad Express) In the face of an increasing number of homicides since his appointment as National Security Minister, Jack Warner yesterday said he was not deterred by the statistics, and would not give up.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Narcotics police have seized 509 pounds of marijuana at the Kingston Container Terminal.

LUCERNE, Switzerland,  (Reuters) – World 100 metres champion Yohan Blake showed he was in good heart to challenge compatriot Usain Bolt for Olympic sprint dominance in London by clocking 9.85 seconds to win at a meeting in Lucerne today.

New Registrar of Deeds Azeema Baksh-Singh was appointed although she did not have the qualifications sought by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), in vacancy notices published in November of 2010.

The police say they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Delrick Layne, 30 years of Caribisi Hill, Bartica, which is reported to have occurred at about 0330h today at 14 Miles, Issano.

(Full statement as posted on Barbados Nation website) In our view, the economic fundamentals of Barbados continue to weaken, reflecting not only the external environment but also more pronounced competitiveness and other structural shortcomings; we believe that the fiscal stance remains weak, as seen in the rising debt burden, off-budget spending, and outstanding contingent liabilities.

(Barbados Nation) An operation at sea led by the Royal Barbados Police Force Drug Squad and assisted by the Barbados Coast Guard, and an element of the RSS, intercepted a go-fast boat at sea off North Point, St Lucy resulted in the seizure of 33 polythene bags of cannabis, weighing 1394 lbs.

(Jamaica Gleaner) A parliamentary committee is to be established to suggest ways to greater involve the Diaspora in Jamaican affairs.

Carl Greenidge, one of the two frontrunners in the race to be leader of the PNCR, has expressed some concern about the process leading up to voting at the party’s upcoming Biennial Congress, but he is confident that it will be addressed within the party.

ZURICH,  (Reuters) – FIFA named leading crime fighters from the United States and Germany today to tackle corruption in soccer’s world governing body and gave them free rein to re-examine the ISL bribery case.

KABUL, (Reuters) – An Afghan prison chief was jailed for 16 years today for raping a teenage girl, a rare show of justice for women in a country where they are suffering increased violence and offered scant protection from the law.

TORONTO,  (Reuters) – Two people were killed and 21 others injured in what may have been a gang-related shootout at a Toronto street party late on Monday evening, raising fears of violent retaliation in Canada’s largest city.

(Reuters) – Delta Air Lines Inc said it was taking new steps to ensure the safety of food it serves and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it began a criminal probe after what appeared to be sewing needles were found in sandwiches on four flights from Amsterdam to the United States.

(Trinidad Guardian) A primary school teacher charged with committing nine sex offences, including three counts of rape, against a former pupil yesterday, was granted $150,000 bail.

(Trinidad Guardian) Parliament is expected to be  delinked from the  Public Service Commission (PSC) by the end of the current term in 2015.

(Jamaica Observer) Jamaican Grammy-winning reggae artiste Shabba Ranks arrived in the island yesterday to a rousing welcome from adoring fans at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston.

(Barbados Nation) Four Barbadian nationals are now on remand at Her Majesty’s Prison in St Vincent after Coast Guard officials intercepted their vessel at Fancy Point on the north of mainland St Vincent last Friday.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – The state plans to collect more revenues from gold miners by increasing the so-called royalty from one to three percent of the price per gram of gold.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – Corrupt policemen in Guyana seem to have targeted Surinamese drivers.

(Trinidad Express) Two men charged in connection with the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) skimming scam were remanded into prison custody following their appearance in the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

(Trinidad Express) Tobago’s 369 fishing boats are being fitted with GPS (Geographic Positioning System) and wireless radio sets free of charge by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

ANKARA,  (Reuters) – A Syrian brigadier-general and several other defected military officers were among 1,280 Syrians to have fled from Syria to Turkey overnight, a Turkish official said today.

(Trinidad Express) Thirty-five murders have been committed since Jack Warner assumed the portfolio of National Security Minister, according to an Express count.

(Trinidad Express) The murder toll climbed to 229 last night with a murder in Marabella.

Trade unionist Lincoln Lewis has petitioned the United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, accusing the government of promoting racism and discrimination against persons of African descent through a recent editorial published in the Guyana Chronicle newspaper.

After operating at a loss in 2009, the Bosai Power Plant recorded profits over the last two years for power generation to Linden, which has received on average double the supply used by the company.

By Cecily Asson (Trinidad Newsday) A Guyanese woman and two Trini men appeared yesterday before a San Fernando magistrate charged with the June 29 murder of engineer Andre Joachim.

CGX and its partners yesterday announced that its six-month drilling operation for the Jaguar-1 well here was brought to an end without any commercial oil discovery because it was not safe to go deeper, but and talks with government already started on re-drilling with a new well-design.

The Ministry of Local Government yesterday dissolved the Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), the latest in a series of such actions by the government and drew immediate criticism for the move.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts,  CMC – Mystery off-spinner Sunil Narine weaved a web around New Zealand to once again deceive their batsmen as West Indies kept up the pressure to win the final One-Day International here by 20 runs yesterday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday lambasted the Kaieteur News over its claim that a whistleblower had provided it with information on an alleged scam surrounding the auctioning of police vehicles.

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud yesterday said that as far as he is aware there is no criminal investigation into the boat scam involving a number of high level policemen being conducted and he directed all questions on this issue to the Commissioner of Police.

The Lusignan Golf Club received a donation of a tractor from newly elected President Attorney-at-law Jerome Khan who had made the pledge to provide the club with one during his acceptance speech at the recently  held Annual General Meeting.

Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud said the recently installed Ireng/Sawariwau Interim Management Committee (IMC) will be provided with the same annual subvention of $3 million and would be responsible for making its own plans.

The Next Level Sports Club will stage its fourth annual Inter-Corporation Domino Competition at Banks DIH Limited, Thirst Park, and Georgetown later this month.

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Carl Greenidge yesterday proposed to have the National Assembly examine whether regulations have been broken in the appointment of persons without the relevant qualifications at the Audit Office.

-From Iva Wharton in Trinidad compliments of Digicel Despite their best efforts Guyana’s national netball team still went down  8-124 to Jamaica, former champions of the Americas Federation of Netball Associations yesterday at the Jean Pierre Complex in the compound of the Hasley Crawford Stadium.

Captain Feriel Ally created history on Thursday, qualifying as the first female Cessna Grand Caravan pilot in Guyana, Air Services Ltd said.

De Sinco Trading aided the 2012 National School Basketball Festival (NSBF) champions Kwakwani with a supply of Degree deodorant on Saturday  at the National Gymnasium before the team departed Sunday to participate in a development tournament in Antigua.

Western Union Central Mackenzie became the final team to make it into the semifinal round of the National Basketball Community League (NCBL) with a 61-54 win over Kwakwani last Saturday evening at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Courts in Linden.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), on Wednesday, launched its third annual publication of the Business Guyana Magazine aimed at targeting potential domestic and international investors.

Guyana will be departing this Friday for the seventh edition of the Pre-Cadet Caribbean Table Tennis Championships in Jamaica from July 21-24.

An autopsy performed yesterday on the body of Marcelio Gladstone, the 11-year-old who was found hanging on Friday evening at his home, has given the cause of death as asphyxiation.

Sponsor Soomdat ‘Rico’ Jeet, with the maximum 18 games, led International Six to victory over Canal Six and Wild Bunch in the annual Jeet Brothers domino tourney held at Everest Sports Club pavilion recently.

(Reuters) – Former U.S. world indoor 400 metres champion Debbie Dunn has withdrawn from the U.S.

New Amsterdam and national sprinter Cortez Fraser was among four men who appeared before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo at the the New Amsterdam Magistrate Court yesterday charged with ganja possession; they were each released on $75,000 bail.

Persons are being urged to perform 67 minutes of public service on Nelson Mandela International day to be celebrated tomorrow.

A man who cursed and threatened to bash in his sister’s teeth with a hammer because she spoke to him about cleaning his room was yesterday placed on a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.

The Guyana Classic, a series of books on the history and culture of Guyana from 1595 to present day, saw six more titles added yesterday and these will be donated to public and school libraries across the country.

The preliminary inquiry (PI) into the murder of Mark Solomon commenced yesterday before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

St John’s, Antigua – Defending champions Jamaica will clash with Barbados in the opening round of the West Indies Cricket Board Regional Under 15 Tournament in St Kitts.

Dear Editor, Opened in 1968, the 44-year-old Linden-Soesdyke Highway which stretches for 40 miles sandwiched between verdant vegetation as it courses its way through creek, valley and hills, has served its time well.

A 27-year-old man accused of trafficking in 60 grammes of cannabis sativa was yesterday remanded to prison after appearing before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Dear Editor, For some strange reason, the Assistant Regional Executive Officer of Sub-Region Two of Region Ten in collaboration with the handful of PPP/C supporters cannot understand or do not want to understand that the installation of a Interim Management Committee in the NDC is not what the majority of the residents of Kwakwani would like to have.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A “pervasively polluted” culture at HSBC Holdings Plc allowed the bank to act as financier to clients seeking to route shadowy funds from the world’s most dangerous and secretive corners, including Mexico, Iran, the Cayman Islands, Saudi Arabia and Syria, according to a scathing US Senate report issued yesterday.

Dear Editor, The Alliance For Change continuously demonstrates partisanship with respect to the treatment of national issues.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US Senate Republicans blocked a bid by Democrats yesterday to require political fundraising groups to reveal their anonymous contributors who are fueling negative television advertisements ahead of the November election.

PAU, France, (Reuters) – Pierrick Fedrigo left a rotten season behind him yesterday when he won the 15th stage of the Tour de France in Pau, the site of his last major victory two years ago.

Dear Editor, By the frequency of M Maxwell’s opinions to the letter columns I am not sure if this is a group of writers or an individual completely occupied.

PARIS (Reuters) – Rights groups said yesterday UNESCO’s decision to award a science prize sponsored by the president of Equatorial Guinea was “shameful and utterly irresponsible”.

Dear Editor, During his speech before the NAACP, US Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney proclaimed that an essential element in his creation of jobs plan would be getting rid of “ObamaCare.“

Two witnesses testified when the trial of rape accused Leon Doris began yesterday before Justice Franklyn Holder in the High Court.

Dear Editor, The bridges and culverts which span the many drains and canals that cut across the major highways in Guyana’s coastal plain are being rehabilitated in a programme to improve the quality of the country’s road network and reduce travel time and transport costs, according to the IDB website.

Background The re-trial and subsequent acquittal of Mr Basdeo Panday has been in the news recently.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Police in Ghana questioned two US nationals working as volunteers for the Peace Corps aid programme in connection with the killing of a local man who tried to rob them on Saturday, officials said yesterday.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee is usually not inclined to allow critical public comment on any matter that falls under his portfolio to pass without weighing in with a view of his own.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez maintained a 15 percentage-point lead over his opposition rival Henrique Capriles in a closely watched poll published yesterday, less than three months ahead of an Oct 7 presidential election.