Daily Archive: Wednesday, December 5, 2012

LOS ANGELES,  (Reuters) – American R&B singer Alicia Keys scored her fifth No.

Roughly 85% of the persons killed on the road are young men and many of them who are behind the wheel are improperly trained or impaired due to drug or alcohol use.

(WICB) St John’s, Antigua – West Indies batting star Shivnarine Chanderpaul has made a return to the top of the International Cricket Council’s Test Match Batting Rankings.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – A New York man was arrested today in the death of a subway passenger who was shoved onto the tracks ahead of an oncoming train at a station near Times Square earlier this week, police said.

The police say they are investigating a fatal accident that occurred at about 0910h today on the Good Hope Public Road, ECD, and which resulted in the death of pedestrian Rajdai Beharry, 58years, of no fixed of place of abode.

The police say they are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at about 1850h yesterday  at Robb Street, Georgetown, during which Security Officer Vincent Da Silva, 61 years of South Road, Bourda, was attacked and robbed by three men armed with handguns.

DHAKA, Bangladesh,  CMC – West Indies beat Bangladesh by four wickets in the third One-Day International of the five-match series at the Sher e Bangla National Stadium here today.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Jamaica Bankers Association (JBA) is again urging the Government to push for an agreement with the United States to ease the costs faced by local financial institutions if they are to conform with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), often praised for being one of the leading bodies of its kind in the Caribbean, has been assessed and found wanting in a number of critical areas evaluated by the Auditor General’s Department (AGD).

(Barbados Nation) Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has told Parliament that the Prevention of Corruption Bill would ensure that the values to which this country subscribes are “protected from erosion.”

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) today announced that the Motor Vehicle Registration Series ‘PP’ has come to an end.

(Barbados Nation) It was a United Nations vote on Palestine whose result attracted attention in almost every member state, Barbados included.

(BBC) England’s bowlers again made light of losing the toss as the tourists had the better of the first day of the third Test against India in Kolkata today.

(Barbados Nation) Caribbean law enforcement agencies must not consider the term “turf” when it comes to fighting crime, Barbados’ Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson told regional police chiefs yesterday.

(Trinidad Express) Interim executive director of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) Francis Forbes has described as “disturbing” the illicit trafficking of small arms and the growth of gangs in the region.

(Trinidad Express) The United States will be providing US$3.43 million for a programme to combat illicit trafficking in firearms in the Caribbean, which will include forensic training and officer exchange programmes.

(Reuters) – Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has warned his team to be wary of a backlash from Australia in their three-test series after the hosts were stung by their series defeat to South Africa earlier this week.

(Trinidad Express) Hunger striker and environmental activist Dr Wayne Kublalsingh has experienced further physical deterioration between Monday and yesterday.

BRUSSELS,  (Reuters) – Philips, LG Electronics , Samsung SDI and three other firms were fined a record 1.47 billion euros ($1.92 billion) by EU antitrust regulators today for fixing prices of TV cathode-ray tubes in two cartels lasting nearly a decade.

(Trinidad Express) In its regulation of failed billion-dollar insurance company CLICO, the Central Bank faced a double-edged sword—archaic legislation limited its legal teeth and attempts at moral suasion on issues like corporate governance fell flat.

-Ministry team for Curacao The Ministry of Natural Resources is to dispatch a team to the Dutch island of Curacao to aid an investigation into the breathtaking heist of over 476 lbs of gold on Friday and industry sources say that suspicion has fallen on three companies here which have been known to smuggle gold via Suriname.

-contractors challenge findings Prominent engineers Malcolm Alli and Charles Sohan have sounded alarm bells over substandard work on the Hope Canal Project and have urged an independent review but the contractors are dismissing their concerns, saying their assessment of the situation is misleading.

Guyana ranked a very poor 28 out of 100 points in the Transparency International 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

A Campbellville Housing Scheme woman was hammered in her head by her drunken, reputed husband after an argument at her home yesterday afternoon.

Bids were opened yesterday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for the empoldering of the flood-prone Pomeroon agricultural lands.

The Ministry of Housing on Monday continued its ‘One Stop Shop’ house lot allocation exercise, with 800 lots up for distribution for high-income earners at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara.

Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali says over 600 house lots have already been allocated in the re-migrant scheme launched earlier this year.

ACDA  says while it is pleased that plans are underway to memorialize the 1823 martyrs it is puzzled about why the monument is not being erected at the site of the insurrection; Parade Ground.

Trevor Smith, the driver involved in an accident on a Mahdia road two weeks ago that claimed the life of his father and a friend, was yesterday fined for insurance and licence violations.

Dozens of irate EZjet customers waited again yesterday at the airline’s office in Brickdam to collect their refunds.

-as repairs not completed on D’Edward sluice Cash crop farmers of Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice have suffered tremendous losses following heavy rainfall, coupled with the blocking of the three-door sluice at D’Edward Village as a result of repairs.

-500 cases in court The Housing Ministry has embarked on an exercise to repossess house lots from persons who have been re-allocating their lots and so far 500 cases are before the court, Housing Minister Irfaan Ali said on Monday.

-PS says new vehicles sought as solution By Chevy Devonish A team headed by Permanent Secretary, Willet Hamilton from the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce was chastised on Monday by members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for paying large sums of cash to hire taxis to carry out what was said to be official ministry business.

By Iva Wharton The Ministry of Sport needs to do more for the development of track and field athletes, says President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Colin Boyce.

Maida, Corentyne pensioner Saheed Hamid died from a shotgun wound, the police said yesterday.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates,  CMC- Veteran West Indies’ cricketer Shrivnarine Chanderpaul has replaced Australia captain Michael Clarke as the top Test batsman in the world.

Former President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday received an Honorary Doctorate from the sixth largest university in the United Kingdom, the University of Central Lancashire, according to the Government Information Agency.

A football player was yesterday accused of breaking the jaw of a man who tried to prevent him from carrying out a robbery.

BANGALORE, India, CMC-West Indies lost to defending champions Pakistan in their second match of the T20 Cricket World Cup for the Blind, in Bangalore, India, yesterday.

(BBC) India captain Mahendra Dhoni is predicting a good wicket that will not unduly favour spin when his team play England in the third Test in Kolkata today.

Following a sting operation yesterday, a Police Constable attached to the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court as an orderly was placed under close arrest after he was caught with money he had accepted to settle a domestic violence matter.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Public funding of nine billion pounds ($14.5 billion) for the London Olympics was money well spent after a successful Games, Britain’s National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report yesterday.

US Ambassador to Guyana D Brent Hardt and a US delegation have travelled to Trinidad for the Third Caribbean-United States Security Cooperation Dialogue, marking the third year of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI).

A taxi driver, who was allegedly found with cocaine by police, was yesterday remanded to prison.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Australia paceman Peter Siddle has hit back at criticism of his omission for the third and final test against South Africa, saying his participation would have risked a long-term injury that might have ultimately hurt his side more.

The West Indies Cricket Board yesterday said it had received and accepted the 14-man Guyana Squad for the 2013 Caribbean T20 as provided by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) says it is confident that Guyana’s future is secure under President Donald Ramotar’s leadership, adding that he has made a number of wide-ranging achievements during his first year in office.

Trevor Smith, the driver involved in an accident on a Mahdia road two weeks ago that claimed the life of his father and a friend, was yesterday fined for insurance and licence violations.

The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) said 18 persons from the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council were trained in Disaster Risk Management (DRM) from November 19-28 and the region presented with an emergency kit to boost its capacity to respond to disaster.

Regal XI beat Herstelling by 32 runs while their Over-40 team defeated Floodlights by 46 runs, and Mike’s Wellwoman won against Trophy Stall Angels in the Female final in the just concluded Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association Nationwide Tournament.

(Reuters) – Manchester City’s European season ended in ignominy when they lost their final Champions League group match 1-0 to a below-strength Borussia Dortmund and a goal from reserve striker Julian Schieber yesterday.

A young man, who said he stole a BlackBerry smartphone because he was not paid for work he had done, was yesterday sentenced to a year in jail by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

A day after he was released from prison, Vikram Sookdeo was yesterday jailed for stealing from a former co-worker.

DHAKA, Bangladesh,  CMC- West Indies coach Ottis Gibson has appealed for responsible innings from his top order batsmen, in particular, when they play Bangladesh in the crucial third One-day International today here West Indies trail 0-2 in the five-match series, and Gibson said hosts Bangladesh had things too easy in the first two One-day Internationals.

MADRID, (Reuters) – Lionel Messi has another chance to reach Gerd Mueller’s record of 85 goals in a calendar year after Tito Vilanova included him in Barcelona’s squad to play Benfica in the Champions League.

A taxi service owner was released on self-bail yesterday after denying that he assaulted a police constable.

(Reuters) – Former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne believes he still has the ability to play at the highest level and will consider coming out of retirement to play in next year’s Ashes series if asked by captain Michael Clarke.

NEW YORK,  CMC-A recently established CONCACAF Integrity Committee, set up to probe the financial dealings of the previous Jack Warner administration, is reporting that its work is progressing well.

Dear Editor, You reported on November 16 that the LCDS project ‘Micro and small enterprise development and building alternative livelihoods for vulnerable groups’ will start in January 2013 (‘US$5M first phase of small business support project for launch in January’).

(Reuters) – New Orleans’ Robin Lopez ran off 11 straight points in the third quarter to spark the Hornets to a much needed 102-81 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

CAIRO,  (Reuters) – Egyptian police battled thousands of protesters outside President Mohamed Mursi’s palace in Cairo yesterday, prompting the Islamist leader to leave the building, presidency sources said.

ROSEAU, Dominica,  CMC- Defending champions St. Vincent and the Grenadines secured first innings points against host Dominica in their drawn second round encounter of the 2012 Windward Islands cricket tournament at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium on Monday.

BEIRUT, (Reuters) – By day, the streets of Syria’s capital are crowded with cars and with shoppers.

Dear Editor, In 2011 the IDB published a study on competitiveness in the Caribbean which concluded that tax rates, crime and theft, corruption and poor work ethics were the four most problematic factors holding back business in Guyana.

(Trinidad Guardian) Government is reviewing the criminal libel law with a view to weakening the law and enhancing freedom of speech and freedom of the media, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has said.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – British explorer Tullow Oil said yesterday the Zaedyus-2 appraisal well in French Guiana had not found any commercial hydrocarbons, dampening hopes of a large new oil field offshore the South American country.

Dear Editor, In response to a letter published in the Stabroek News of Sunday, December 2, 2012, titled ‘Lands and Surveys charges for copier are extortionate,‘ by Victoria Giles, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) would like to inform Ms Giles and the general public, that a comparison between GLSC and a private copying business like Metro is unrealistic.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) – The Indian Olympic Association has been banned and elections today will be “null and void”, the IOC said on Tuesday, claiming government interference in a vote that could result in a tainted official taking over as secretary-general.

President’s College, Mae’s get free DSL: President’s College and Mae’s Secondary School have been awarded one year’s free DSL internet service by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T).

Dear Editor, Stabroek News on Monday, December 3, 2012 carried the story of the ordeal faced by Ms Rajpattie Kurhair as she escaped her abusive husband. 

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was named as the PGA Tour Player of the Year yesterday, capping an outstanding season for the world number one.

(Trinidad Express) Highway hunger striker Dr Wayne Kublalsingh has agreed to conditionally accept the draft proposal submitted by the Joint Consultative Council (JCC) and the Works and Infrastructure Ministry.

RIO DE JANEIRO,  (Reuters) – Investigators in Rio de Janeiro arrested 63 police officers and 11 alleged drug traffickers yesterday after a year-long bribery probe and ongoing efforts to stamp out police corruption ahead of the World Cup in 2014 and Summer Olympics in 2016.

BRUSSELS/AMSTERDAM, (Reuters) – The Netherlands and Belgium are two countries that pride themselves on progressive laws and open societies, but critics say they are stuck in the dark ages when it comes to depictions of Santa Claus and his helpers.

Dear Editor, In regard to JoJo the parrot… From one cage to another.

Unacceptable: Garbage beneath the stand at Burnham Court at Middle and Carmichael streets on Monday.

PERTH,  (Reuters) – With a three-test series against Sri Lanka starting next week, Australia have no time to dwell on what might have been after getting close to beating the best side in the world before being blown away at the end of a hard-fought series.

(Barbados Nation) Everyone being admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital should be tested for HIV, in the same way all pregnant mothers are expected to be screened.

(Trinidad Express) In an effort to transform itself into a more democratic and modern political institution, the People’s National Movement (PNM) on Sunday approved several changes at a special convention at the St Augustine Secondary School, Warren Street, St Augustine.

UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) – Cocaine trafficking through drug hub Guinea Bissau is spreading unabated amid turmoil sparked by an April military coup that has slashed the West African country’s key cashew crop and almost halved its economic growth, the United Nations said.

Truly abandoned: This house on Sussex Street saw better days a long time ago.

Dear Editor, The PPP leadership should take serious note of Mr Ralph Ramkarran’s analysis, ‘The PPP and the challenges ahead‘ (SN, Dec 2) on the party’s political stock some 20 years after being in government. 

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, (Reuters) – Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics organisers were told yesterday they needed to push ahead with their preparations because time was an issue, the International Olympic Committee said.

(Barbados Nation) Autho-rities moved in on a weight loss clinic on Monday and took possession of packages of drugs and documents for analysis.

Last week Barbados celebrated its 46th anniversary of independence in the midst of what was obviously a strong sense of popular anticipation of general elections in the very near future.

Politikles

PARIS,  (Reuters) – FIFA’s former director of international relations Jerome Champagne has suggested that those at the head of the world governing body should not also be involved in the commercial side of the sport.

Dear Editor, Thanks to Mr Peter Ramotar, REO of Region 7 for his prompt response to my letter (SN, October 16) concerning the payment of allowances to hinterland scholarship students.

Rehearsal: Guyana Defence Force soldiers rehearsing on Monday on the tarmac of the National Cultural Centre for an event later in the week.

OSLO,  (Reuters) – Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit secretly travelled to India in order to care for infant twins born to the surrogate mother of a gay palace employee unable to get a travel visa, the palace said on Monday.

Across the political divide, after a year in office, the populace appears to have given up any expectations that, with the exception of national elections sometime soon, much will result from the presidency of Mr.