Daily Archive: Monday, September 3, 2012

(Reuters) – Mark Abrahamian, the longtime guitarist for the rock band Starship, has died at age 46, the group said today.

St Lucia police have reported five killings in as many days, the Caribbean Media Corporation reported today.

Officials of Baupanel Systems Limited, a diverse worldwide group of companies with a commitment to affordable and sustainable homes is eying Guyana.

KARACHI,  (Reuters) – The Pakistan Cricket Board has conveyed its concern to the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the omission of off-break bowler Saeed Ajmal from the shortlist of nominees for the annual ICC awards.

At about 0810h yesterday, police ranks conducted a search on a camp at Big Hope Backdam, Waini, NWD, during which an unlicensed 16-gauge single barrel shotgun was found.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – Staatsolie has decided to stop its drilling operations in Commewijne, as no usable oil has been found in the past four years.

(Jamaica Gleaner) KINGSTON, Jamaica – At 4:00 am the centre of Tropical Storm Leslie was located near latitude 23.8 degrees North and 62.1 degrees West or about 745 kilometres north of the Leeward Islands or 980 kilometres south southeast of Bermuda.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Education Minister Ronald Thwaites has described the sale of Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) passes as scandalous.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Since the start of 2012, the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has lost more than US$30 million as a result of electricity theft.

A surging Winston George barely held off a tenacious Stephan James to win the 400 metres event at the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Under-23 Championships yesterday at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.

By Neil Barry The New Building Society limited overs second division league yesterday also lacked upsets as the better sides notched up wins while at the Everest Cricket Club ground, Camp Road, Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) added insult to injury as they pulled off a victory over Malteenoes Sports Club.

By Neil Barry There were to be no heroes for the ‘minnows’ as the traditionally stronger teams in Georgetown cricket all completed innings victories before 3pm on the second day of the Carib Beer and Friends of Cricket Heroes Cup cricket competition.

Sparks flew during last night’s NCN corruption debate when Alliance For Change (AFC) Chairman Nigel Hughes faced off with Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Minister of Labour Nanda Gopaul, as to the nature of former President Bharrat Jagdeo’s real estate acquisitions, trading barbs on whether or not he acquired his present Pradoville 2 property at below market prices.

Young Achievers with wins in the fours and sixes format were Saturday crowned Tradewind Tankers True Champions volleyball kings for the third year in succession when the tournament climaxed at the National Gymnasium.

A popular Stabroek Market barber was yesterday morning stabbed to death during a heated argument with another man in the market area.

ST.GEORGE’S, Grenada,  CMC-Prime Minister Tillman Thomas Saturday night announced that EC half a million dollars in Government bonds will be given to Kirani James for winning Grenada’s first Olympic gold medal.

A 27-year-old mechanic died on the spot last night on the Goed Fortuin Public Road on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) after he collided with a motor car.

Residents of Stanleytown on the West Bank of Demerara have expressed concern over a section of the fragile sea defence structure aback the community.

With a high pass rate at this year’s Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) examinations, it has been suggested that the Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) School be treated as a pilot school by the Education Ministry and other interested educators in the drive to raise education standards.

Farmers who cultivate along the Hope Canal, ECD say that the Ministry of Agriculture has not kept promises to them and they are yet to receive compensation for crops damaged during the building of sections of the canal last year as well as new land to farm.

Former Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has blamed the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) for the delay in producing tougher cigarette packaging rules here since the body has failed to  create model legislation.

A caretaker who allegedly stole  a number of cheques and subsequently presented them at Palm Court to obtain more than $2M in food and drinks was placed on $3 million bail on Friday when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on several fraud-related charges.

Region Ten Chairman, Sharma Solomon says that he is not aware of any meetings scheduled between regional representatives and the international members of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry but would encourage it.

A 24-year-old vendor accused of robbing a man of his BlackBerry cell phone and using personal violence was on Friday granted bail in the sum of $100,000 when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic continued his stroll through the U.S.

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh is calling on Caribbean countries to address the situation of chronic under-diversification as soon as possible, if they are to make lasting gains in the fight against poverty and to attain equality.

PARAGUANA, Venezuela,  (Reuters) – Against a smoke-blackened skyline of blazing fuel storage tanks, residents who lived alongside Vene-zuela’s biggest oil refinery wandered through what looked like a war zone for days.

The PNCR has pointed to Hector Bunyan’s distinguished service in WW II, as it mourned his passing on August 26 last.

In 10.6 seconds, fifteen year-old Tevin Garraway validated his reputation as the country’s most impressive youth athlete at the South American Youth/Under 23 Championship Trials  on Saturday at the Police Sports Club ground Eve Leary.

(Reuters) – Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott shared a second-wicket partnership of 141 to lift England to a comfortable six-wicket win over South Africa in the fourth one-day international at Lord’s  yesterday.

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium,  (Reuters) – McLaren’s Jenson Button won the Belgian Grand Prix from pole position yesterday after a first corner pile-up ended the hopes of team mate Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Formula One leader Fernando Alonso.

Dear Editor, On BW 527 from New York to Guyana on August 16 there were no blankets on board the flight which departed after an hour‘s delay.

CANBERRA, (Reuters) – Australian on Friday approved a Chinese company’s bid for giant cotton farm, igniting new concerns about foreign investment in agriculture where resource-hungry China is showing growing interest.

(Jamaica Gleaner) A well-known medical doctor and two brothers were among four persons fatally shot on Saturday as gunmen ran riot in Spring Gardens, St James, and Central Village, St Catherine.

A labourer who appeared on Friday to face a knifepoint robbery charge in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court was placed on $150,000 bail by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) on Wednesday officially handed over management of six new housing schemes to the Bath-Woodley Park Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Region Five after investing over $730B there over five years.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama enters an important campaign week tied with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found yesterday, leaving the incumbent an opportunity to edge ahead of his opponent at the Democratic National Convention.

Dear Editor, The last I checked, I couldn’t locate a web page for the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG).

(Jamaica Gleaner) Former Haitian prime minister Smarck Michel has died. He was 75.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Developers rushing to build top-quality London homes to cash in on strong overseas demand are in danger of being stung by a price crash as they flood the market, property consultancy EC Harris said.

Dear Editor, In one of my articles some time ago, I mentioned that I found in my clippings‘ file two articles on home gardening. 

BANGALORE, (Reuters) – India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin once again turned out to be New Zealand’s tormentor with his fifth five-wicket haul that left the visitors at 232 for nine at the close of the third day’s play in the second and final test  yesterday.

(Trinidad Express) Arouca detectives were on Saturday investigating the shooting death of a 57-year-old man in his home last Friday night.

A man was remanded to prison on Friday when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton for allegedly stealing a lady’s handbag at knifepoint.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Former west Kingston strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke has finally been moved from solitary confinement in a United States (US) prison. 

Dear Editor, Regarding the matter of the Timehri North Developmental Council (TNDC), a group representing the 2,364 residents who have been asked to remove from their homes near the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, we wish to share with your readers that several dozen people have over the years in the same manner occupied a strip of reserved land along the sideline dam at Chateau Margot on the East Coast of Demerara, to the inconvenience of the bona fide landowners resident there.

SEOUL,  (Reuters) – Sun Myung Moon, the founder and head of the Unification Church which has millions of followers around the world, died at a retreat near the South Korean capital Seoul yesterday, church officials said.

AFC Region Three councillor, Harry Narine Deokinanan says that there is no opposition representative on the Region’s Tender Board and as a result contracts cannot be scrutinized at the time of the award and this has led to the “corruption” now being seen.

Dear Editor, It is a norm for Guyanese in the diaspora especially in New York, London, Barbados and Toronto to celebrate our country’s independence (in late May) and attract overseas-based nationals from other Caribbean states.

On the heels of Mining Week this year, the Chairman of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Major General (rtd) Joe Singh resigned from his position citing a motion of no confidence that had been moved against him by the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) at one of their meetings. 

(Jamaica Gleaner) While the decision of Panther Corporation, the Canadian recycling firm, to set up shop in Jamaica is being welcomed there are renewed fears that the country could drown in plastic bottles.

AMMAN,  (Reuters) – Syrian rebels said they planted bombs inside the Syrian army’s General Staff headquarters in central Damascus yesterday as President Bashar al-Assad’s forces bulldozed buildings to the ground in parts of the capital that have backed the uprising.

Twenty-five countries from two regional fisheries organizations,  with the task of promoting  cooperation and policy coordination in addressing trans-boundary fisheries matters, will meet in Belize for a historic, high-level ministerial meeting today and tomorrow.

Interviews and photos by Shabna Ullah As school reopens for the first day today after a two-month break many children would be turning out in their new gear while some parents were not sure whether their children would be able to start out immediately.

Ajani Harris-Williams ne Ajani Williams serves as the current president of the Jamaica Basketball Association.

Introduction The issue of contracted employees attached to the Office of the President as well as the level of salaries offered has been the subject of a recent intense debate in the National Assembly.