Daily Archive: Saturday, December 22, 2012

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuela will not call fresh elections if Hugo Chavez’s cancer prevents him from taking office by Jan.

(Reuters) – The Sacramento Kings have suspended leading scorer and rebounder DeMarcus Cousins indefinitely for “unprofessional behavior and conduct detrimental to the team”, the Kings said on Saturday.

CAIRO, (Reuters) – Egypt’s new constitution, which was drafted by an Islamist-dominated assembly, was approved by 64 percent of voters in a two-round referendum, an official in the Muslim Brotherhood said on today citing the group’s unofficial tally.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The head of the indigenous people in Dominica, Garnet Joseph, says he is disappointed that after two years, the government has not agreed to a proposal to change the name of the Carib Territory to Kaliango Territory.

(Barbados Nation) SOCA QUEEN Alison Hinds has been bestowed with an honour from New York City just in time for Christmas.

(Barbados Nation) Barbadians will now benefit directly from the successes of Grammy Award-winning singer Rihanna.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – Surinamese producers are being hit by hidden measures by Caricom countries to limit imports.

(BBC) Eoin Morgan hit a six off the final ball as England squared the two-match Twenty20 series against India with a dramatic six-wicket victory in Mumbai.

The police say they are investigating the murder of Roopram Jagdeo, 38 years, of Providence, EBD, who died at the GPHC at about 1200h yesterday.

VATICAN CITY,  (Reuters) – Pope Benedict made a surprise pre-Christmas visit to the jail holding his former butler today and pardoned him for stealing and leaking documents that alleged corruption in the Holy See.

JOHANNESBURG,  (Reuters) – Former South African president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, who is 94, continues to respond to treatment two weeks after being taken to hospital, the government said today.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Police Commissioner Owen Ellington has said Jamaica is keeping pace on the road to slashing its murder rate to 12 per 100,000 by 2017.

(Barbados Nation) Another international agency has relegated Barbados’ credit rating to “junk” status but while Government says it was not surprised by the move, the Opposition contends that it was another sign the economy was not stable.

(Trinidad Express) Upgrades to the immigration system to assist with the detection of fraudulent passports and other travel documents is set to begin by January next year.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuela’s opposition mocked President Hugo Chavez’s chosen successor Nicolas Maduro on Friday as a “poor copy” of his boss who should be promoting national unity rather than insulting opponents during a delicate time for the South American nation.

(Trinidad Express) AT LEAST 5,000 new Housing Development Corporation (HDC) houses are to be distributed next year by the Government.

KARACHI, (Reuters) – Bangladesh have agreed to tour Pakistan next month in the first visit by any country since armed militants attacked the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf said today.

MOSCOW, (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that neither side would win the civil war in Syria, and that China and Russia would be unable to persuade President Bashar al-Assad to quit if they tried.

(Trinidad Express) A blackout along the entire north-west of Trinidad forced dozens of businesses in downtown Port of Spain to halt Christmas shopping amid a rush of people yesterday afternoon.

Lawyers for the government and the opposition wrangled yesterday over whether the court has jurisdiction to entertain the motion filed by government challenging the decision to limit Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee’s participation in the National Assembly.

A rank of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), who was Absent Without Leave (AWOL) and later turned himself in to the army, has complained about beatings and inhumane conditions in a Camp Ayanganna cell, where he has been held for over 30 days.

Government yesterday maintained that the Region 10 administration would have to apply for a television licence like any other entity, although it has agreed in principle to allow the region to repossess a channel for usage there.

Member of Parliament for main opposition A Partner-ship for National Unity Joseph Harmon said that the negotiating parties for the Linden Commission of Inquiry terms of reference (TOR) knew nothing of the remuneration for the commissioners as this was the remit of the government once the TOR had been settled.

Two of the victims of the boat accident on the upper Pomeroon River that claimed the lives of six persons will be laid to rest tomorrow, even as post-mortem examinations (PMEs) revealed that they and other passengers sustained multiple injuries, causing their deaths.

Citizens Bank, Guyana’s lone commercial bank at Charity, Essequibo, will donate to the grief-stricken family of the six persons who perished in Tuesday’s boat accident on the Pomeroon River.

Residents of Agricola, East Bank Demerara and its environment will benefit from the increased presence of law enforcement officers in the area fter the opening of the Agricola Police Outpost yesterday.

New Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) sub-stations are now operational at Vreed-en- Hoop and Edinburgh, Region Three and company Chief Executive Officer Bharat Dindyal has said they will stabilise the power supply to the West Coast of Demerara.

Minister of Labour Dr Nanda Gopaul yesterday stated that the 5% pay increase sanctioned by the government was not in response to the demands of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), but an independent initiative by government to ensure that public servants were financially capable of enjoying the Christmas season.

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and the National Association of Agricultural, Com-mercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) yesterday announced their rejection of the Guyana Power and Light Company’s (GPL) proposals for worker salary increases, while saying they are willing to leave the doors open for continued negotiations.

Harry Samaroo, who is accused of murdering his wife, was yesterday placed on $250,000 bail after Justice James Bovell-Drakes upheld a defence submission that there was no evidence to sustain the indictment.

By Neil Barry Jr., The Guyana national T20 squad’s preparation for next month’s regional tournament has been gaining steam according to officials of the squad.

Joshua Payne, who is accused of knifing Kelvin Canes to death at the Stabroek Market, was charged and remanded to prison yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The White House yesterday tried to rescue stalled talks on a fiscal crisis after a Republican plan imploded in Congress, but there was little headway as lawmakers and President Barack Obama abandoned Washington for Christmas.

Guyana’s Nicolette Fernandes allowed chances of another upset win over a world ranked player to slip from her grasp on Tuesday.

COLOMBO,  (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s appeal court yesterday blocked parliament from voting to impeach the country’s chief justice, the latest step in the case that risks a destabilising clash be-tween President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government and the judiciary.

Jormin Jackson, the bus driver charged with causing the death of five passengers in the July 18, 2011 Homestretch Avenue accident, was found guilty on Thursday by Magistrate Sueanna Lovell at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

WASHINGTON/NEWTOWN, Conn.,  (Reuters) – The powerful U.S. gun rights lobby called yesterday for armed police in all U.S.

Odel Nelson and Wayne Gilbert, the two men who were nabbed by a public-spirited citizen after they allegedly used a toy gun to commit a robbery, were yesterday remanded to prison.

Following Trinidad and Tobago’s, Jamaal Shabazz’s resignation as Head Coach of the Golden Jaguars, his successor is yet to be named but acting president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) , Franklin Wilson, hinted that the next coach will be Guyanese.

In the report “Court marshal accused of smuggling ganja into Camp St Prison,” published in our December 21st edition, it was

A woman was yesterday accused of stabbing a man who tried to intervene in a row between her and the father of her child.

Lit by President Donald Ramotar, the Christmas Village was ushered in yesterday evening to the soothing sounds of steel pans.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – President Barack Obama yesterday nominated John Kerry to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, calling the veteran U.S.

By Jairo Rodrigues From the beginning of his career on stage at Carifesta X to being awarded the 2012 Best Actor at the National Drama Festival, Mark Kazim has always been full of surprises and he is well on his way to etching his name in the annals of Guyana’s drama.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Guyanese opener June Ogle has earned a recall in a strong 13-member West Indies Women’s squad announced for the first three One-Day Internationals of the five-match series against South Africa next month.

There is nothing better than the Holiday Season at home, why dream of a white Christmas when you can live happily in your green paradise?

The report “Suspect in robbery plot gets bail,” published the Stabroek News December 21, 2012 edition misstated that Charlton Hudson was released on $150,000 bail for conspiring to rob Michael Joseph.

VATICAN CITY,  (Reuters) – Pope Benedict yesterday signalled the Vatican was ready to forge alliances with other religions against gay marriage, saying the family was threatened “to its foundations” by attempts to change its “true structure”.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security Jennifer Webster yesterday made presentations of items to three elderly homes – Uncle Eddie’s Home, Tucville; Archer’s Home, D’ Urban Street and the Gentlewomen’s Home, Brickdam.

National Hardware (NH) brought cheer to the children of Tiger Bay yesterday when it hosted its annual Christmas party at the Tiger Bay Community Centre.

Hi Everyone, Regardless of how much searching we do for new recipes to make at Christmas, it is always the old favourites that win our hearts and taste buds.

The annual Kennard’s Memorial Club Christmas meet which will run off on Boxing Day yesterday received substantial support in the form of cash donations from Ansa MCal, Digicel and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL).

NEW DELHI,  (Reuters) – The gang-rape of a young woman in New Delhi has sparked public outrage across India, bringing thousands of people onto city streets in protest against authorities’ failure to ensure women’s safety.

The Christmas Village on Main Street was lit-up last evening. The village will be open to the general public for the next three days as the Tourism Ministry hopes it will serve as a cultural beacon to light the path for Christmas.

The Scene Cartoon

Dear Editor, We, members of the African Com-mune, wish to bring to the attention of President Ramotar our dissatisfaction with respect to the decision to relocate the Monument for the Martyrs of the 1823 Demerara Insurrection.

HAVANA,  (Reuters) – Talks between the Colombian government and Marxist-led FARC rebels to end their bloody, half-century-long conflict have made progress, but broad areas of disagreement lie ahead, the two sides said on Friday as they headed into a holiday break.

MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC – West Indies bowling star Sunil Narine was powerless to stop his Sydney Sixers from a 21-run defeat at the hands of Melbourne Stars in the Australian Big Bash here yesterday.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,  CMC – A visa hitch is threatening to rule West Indies Twenty20 star Dwayne Smith out of the New Zealand domestic Twenty20 league.

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is now allowing the online monitoring of the status of Customs Declarations by importers or their brokers.

Dear Editor, I wish to begin this letter with holiday greetings to the West Indies team and champion boxer Clive Atwell, the ‘Wonder Kid.’ 

The third Guyana Boxing Association GBA/Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) under-16 championships will box off today at the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis Gym.

A man was on Thursday sentenced to a three-year jail sentence after he was found guilty of unlawful possession of guns and ammunition.

Come Christmas Day, the travelogue Island Xclusive will feature interviews with Guyanese fashion designer Sonia Noel; St Lucian Joyce Destang, owner and managing director of the Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa and Caribbean Nobel Prize winner Derek Walcott.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – For British director Tom Hooper, the key to turning “Les Miserables” from the wildly popular stage musical to a cinematic experience both sweeping and intimate, was all in the close-up.

(Billboard) A year of singles has come and gone, but when it came time for the Billboard.com

Ray Millington upset top Berbice cyclist Neil Reece to win the inaugural Malta Supreme 40-mile road race in Berbice last Sunday.

Dear Editor, We have been without local government elections for the past 18 years and the ruling party is not in the least bothered by this sorry state of affairs and the impact it has on the development of our beloved country at the grassroots level.

LOS ANGELES,  (Reuters) – South Korean rapper Psy’s infectious viral hit song, “Gangnam Style,” made history yesterday as the first ever video on YouTube to reach 1 billion views, adding yet another record to the song’s juggernaut journey into mainstream pop.

Dear Editor, The shooting massacre in Connecticut touched lives everywhere and was discussed by the Guyanese diaspora. 

Terrence John was found guilty and sentenced to four years imprisonment for discharging a loaded firearm at a policeman.

(Billboard) Alicia Keys’ single, “Girl on Fire,” is featured prominently in a current American Express commercial and last week sat at No 12 on the Hot 100 chart.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – British actor Hugh Grant has accepted a “substantial sum” after settling his phone-hacking damages action against the publishers of the now defunct News of the World, his lawyer said yesterday.

Guyana’s Niall Roberts and Onika George won medals at the Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ASATT) Invitational Championships held in Westmoorings, Trinidad last Sunday.

Interestingly, Mary, the mother of baby Jesus, appears to be the only woman present during the birth of her first baby.

Dear Editor, We have been without local government elections for the past 18 years and the ruling party is not in the least bothered by this sorry state of affairs and the impact it has on the development of our beloved country at the grassroots level.

A week after the mass shooting of 20 schoolchildren and six adults in Connecticut, the politics of gun control has never been more prominent in American life.

When larceny suspect Melvin Mark was caught by police at Mahdia, he was found with both the stolen articles as well as marijuana, police yesterday told Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

CHICHEN ITZA, Mexico,  (Reuters) – Dawn broke over ancient holy sites in southern Mexico to celebrations yesterday, ushering in the start of a new era for the Maya people that had been billed as a possible end of the world.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Murals adorning a Caracas slum that has given militant backing to President Hugo Chavez over the years are a virtual pantheon of international radicals.