Daily Archive: Saturday, September 21, 2013

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States approved a last-minute flight plan for Venezuelan officials, the State Department said on Friday, after an irate President Nicolas Maduro said his jet was banned from flying over Puerto Rico on his way to China.

JINAN, China, (Reuters) – A Chinese court sentenced ousted senior politician Bo Xilai to life in prison today after finding him guilty of all the charges he faced of corruption, taking bribes and abuse of power.

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf and the son-in-law of the Indian cricket board’s (BCCI) president were charged by Mumbai Police on Saturday in a betting scandal surrounding the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) – The United States is ready to engage in talks “on the basis of mutual respect” with Iran about its disputed nuclear program as long as Tehran is willing to demonstrate that its program is for civilian purposes, a White House spokesman said yesterday.

Children assembled for the observance of International Day of Peace today.

The health sector’s capacity was yesterday boosted with the graduation of 21 fully certified medical doctors.

The Ministry of Natural Resources & the Environment’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) along with Pick It Up Guyana (PIUG) has organized coastal cleanups for the month of September; Rose Hall Beach cleanup was done on September 15th and Georgetown today.

NAIROBI, (Reuters) – Gunmen stormed a shopping mall in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Saturday, killing at least 39 people including children and sending scores fleeing in panic, in an attack claimed by the Somali Islamist group al Shabaab.

(Trinidad Guardian) Trade, Industry and Investments Minister Vasant Bharath says by December this year the Port Authority will have the capacity to scan some 200 containers per hour.

(Trinidad Guardian) The corruption scandal involving Canadian conglomerate SNC-Lavalin is now giving Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal sleepless nights.

We don’t really know how the game was invented, though there are suspicions.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Children may be in for a surprise when they visit the Hope Zoo this weekend, as 10 squirrel monkeys arrived on the island from Guyana on Thursday.

Mexican Ambassador to Guyana Francisco Olguin performing the symbolic three-fold shout “Viva Mexico” while waving the Mexican flag.

Reports in the Dutch media today said that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has hard evidence that Surinamese President Desi Bouterse was in contact with convicted Guyanese drug trafficker Roger Khan while he was a parliamentarian and there are records of calls between the two in late 2005 to mid-June 2006.

(Trinidad Express) Ministry of Arts and Multiculturalism permanent secretary Desdra Bascombe and deputy permanent secretary Vel Lewis have been suspended with immediate effect following allegations of financial impropriety.

(Trinidad Express) Take back Caroni lands that are lying fallow and use them to produce food, says Independent Senator Subhas Ramkhelawan.

Ian ‘Bunji Garlin’ Alvarez and Machel Montano have been nominated for Soul Train Awards in the Best International Performance Category.

The Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security yesterday rescued two women—including a Trinidad national—from the 14 Miles Backdam, in Region Seven, where they were being held against their will by a shop owner.

Seven men were yesterday charged with murdering Meten-Meer-Zorg grocer Zulficar Namdar during an armed robbery, days after a series of arrests stemming from recent attacks on the West Demerara and at Wakenaam.

Abdalla Hamilton, the son of governing party Member of Parliament (MP) Joseph Hamilton, was yesterday shot during a robbery at Charlotte Street, Georgetown, in which the perpetrators made off with $2 million.

The Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) will over the weekend be carrying out urgent works to replace the pivots at each end of the bridge in what is a self-executed $5 million operation.

By Erica Williams Members of the Kitty Market Action Group yesterday demanded that urgent steps be taken to rehabilitate the market and Deputy-Mayor Patricia Chase-Green has disclosed that the market will be closed soon once vendors are relocated.

With the government’s mobile wave wall seawall extension almost completed along the Rupert Craig Highway from Liliendaal to Kitty the byways, some residents are unsure if it will do the job and have adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

E-Networks has launched a slew of new services as part of the celebrations marking its 10th anniversary but questions linger over whether they are being enabled by government’s new fibre-optic cable.

Led by acting Commissioner Leroy Brumell, police plan to meet with residents of Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara tomorrow to address their fears in wake of this week’s shootout between suspected bandits and lawmen.

Attorney-General Anil Nandlall says he is awaiting instructions from the Office of the President (OP) on whether to issue assent certificates for the four recently-passed local government bills even as junior Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker says that they are not necessary for elections.

The partially-nude body of an East Bank Berbice man, who was badly beaten during an altercation with another man, was on Thursday evening discovered in an abandoned house at Lancaster Village, Corentyne.

A Williamsburg, Corentyne woman died on Thursday evening after being struck down by a taxi on the village’s public road.

Following weeks of preparations including a number of trial matches, the players from the ancient county of Berbice underwent their fitness test yesterday at the Albion Sports complex ground in preparation for this year’s Pepsi Senior inter-county 50 overs-a-side competition which gets underway today.

With the installation of science laboratories and the completion of general rehabilitative works, the Bygeval and Rosignol secondary schools have been upgraded to Grade A, the Ministry of Local Government yesterday reported.

The fistic sport of amateur boxing received a shot in the arm yesterday when regional conglomerate, Ansa McAL agreed to partner with the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) to host a series of cards dubbed ‘Mackeson Fight Night’.

The construction of the Haag Bosch landfill site is about 65% complete and Minister within the Local Government Ministry Norman Whittaker says this reality is alarming because the works are supposed to be completed by December 31st.

Canadian gold exploration company Sacre-Coeur Minerals says it has moved closer to signing a US$10 million loan to help prepare for the construction of its Million Mountain Zone 1 hard rock mine in Guyana.

Defending champions Demerara will seek to preserve their title when they come up against Essequibo in the first match of the 2013 Pepsi inter-county 50 overs-a-side tournament today at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda.

Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc (ATN), the majority shareholder in Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Limited (GT&T), yesterday announced that it has completed the sale of its US domestic retail wireless business operated under the Alltel name to AT&T for approximately US$780 million.

US-based charity Guyana Medical Relief Inc built and presented a structure valued $5M to the Oscar Joseph District Hospital at Charity, Region Two for conducting VIA clinics.

Opening batsman Troy Halley blasted 188 runs to help his team Bush Lot Challengers defeat rival Bush Lot team, United New Generation by 265 runs as the 2013 Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)/New Building Society (NBS) second division limited overs competition continued last Sunday.

The Ministry of Health has charged over 200 Cuba-trained doctors to remain humble as they have now embarked on a career of service, at an orientation exercise held on Monday prior to their deployment to health centres countrywide.

Cuso Guyana has welcomed 12 new volunteers with a broad range of skills and experience who will be serving at the local programme office and at various partner organisations in several priority areas.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has hinted that fan favourite Juan Mata must improve his defensive work in order to win a regular place in the team.

General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Rawlston Adams said that the bridge continues to be dependent on an annual subvention from government since its revenues are nowhere near what are needed for the entity to be able to carry out its operations and maintenance works.

Rhona Fox had told her mother since she was five years old that she would become an actress one day.

The Ministry of Health hosted a national conference for Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) focused on empowering infected persons to take  ownership of their health, and addressing gaps in the availability and sustainability of HIV social support services.

The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) is yet to shortlist a team of athletes to represent Guyana for the upcoming Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) which is planned for October 17-21 in Suriname.

I have spent the past two years of my life studying the closest thing to governmental policies and diplomacy at the University of Guyana, International Relations.

Last week’s recipe of Thai fish cakes – that included a signature ingredient in Thai cuisine, lemongrass – prompted questions from several readers about the use of the lemongrass stalk.

All-rounder Devendra Thakurdeen turned in a good all round performance for Port Mourant Karibee Rice who defeated Blairmont Community Centre as the 2013 Universal DVD Club’s first division T20 competition in Berbice resumed last Saturday with four reschedules matches The off-spinner picked up 2 for 24 from four overs to

The Ministry of Education has announced the reopening of the East Street Nursery School in Georgetown following the construction of a new building, which cost $38 million.

In a prelude to Guyana Fashion Week (GFW), designers Sonia Noel, Gem Fraser and Myrna Patterson showcased an array of fashion at the Toast of Brooklyn— A Wine and Food Festival 2013 recently.

Guyana’s senior undisputed female distance runner, Euleen Josiah-Tanner is all ready for tomorrow’s Courts 10k road race which is expected to get under official order at 6am sharp in front of Courts’ Main Street location.

Over 40 participants, representing the core management team of the University of Guyana (UG) from the Turkeyen and Tain campuses, participated in three days of intense discussions at the university’s first management retreat from August 30 to September 1 at the Arrow Point Nature Resort in Region 3.

Dear Editor, The life of another citizen of Guyana has been snuffed out at the hands of bandits.

Timeka Marshall is just one of several regional musicians that will be performing in Japan with the Chaliss Crew Band of Jamaica.

Cabinet has approved an Action Plan on of the South American Council on Citizen Security, Justice and Coordination of Actions against Transnational Organised Crime drafted by Unasur (Union of South American Countries) member states.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – A rancher in Brazil’s Amazon was sentenced to 30 years in prison for ordering the 2005 killing of American nun and environmental activist Dorothy Stang, an emblematic case for the many conflicts over land use in Brazil’s resource-rich interior.

KANSAS CITY, United States, CMC-The United States plans to field a full-strength team to face Jamaica when the two teams meet next month in their CONCACAF World Cup qualifier.

Dear Editor, After many inquiries regarding a report in Demerara Waves of September 18 titled, ‘AFC members defect to APNU,’which stated, “Former soldier Malcolm Harripaul, who had long switched allegiance to the APNU, has been formally added to the list of defectors,” I write to clarify my position.

The Women’s Progressive Organisa-tion (WPO) recently organised a skills training programme for a group of unemployed women, including single parents, teenagers and victims/survivors of domestic violence, to foster economic empowerment.

  Everything is set for “Beats in the Streets”, Majek Fingers’ third annual Drumming and Dance Festival slated for next Sunday.

THE HAGUE/BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria gave details of some of its chemical weapons to a UN-backed arms watchdog at The Hague yesterday but needs to fill in gaps by next week to launch a rapid disarmament operation that may avert US air strikes.

BENGALURU, India,  CMC- West Indies `A’ skipper Kieran Powell has hailed his team’s 45-run win over India `A’ to seal the series as a “total team effort”.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration yesterday announced first-ever regulations setting strict limits on the amount of carbon pollution that can be generated by any new US power plant, which quickly sparked a backlash from supporters of the coal industry and are certain to face legal challenges.

Dear Editor, As the AFC continues to lose supporters, including high profile ones, I hope their leadership is finally beginning to realise the great disservice they have done to their party and indeed, the whole country.

Operational difficulties have resulted in customers served by the North Ruimveldt Well Station to be without water, the Guyana Water In announced last evening.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC-Former president of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) Dinanath Ramnarine appears to be gaining considerable ground in his bid to become Trinidad and Tobago’s cricket chief.

Police escort some of the accused in the recent armed attacks at Meten-Meer-Zorg and Wakenaam Island, which resulted in the death of grocer Zulficar Namdar (inset), at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Photo by Arian Browne)

ROME (Reuters) – Violent gangs are smuggling thousands of men, women and children into Italy, bypassing often inadequate border checks and other efforts to control the growing problem, the United Nations’ trafficking expert said yesterday.

The Indian Cultural Centre will this evening screen the film Paa at its Lot 67 New Haven, Bel Air, Georgetown location from 5.30 pm.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan authorities yesterday arrested six former policemen who appeared in uniform in a homemade video cursing and firing their pistols in the air, embarrassing a new national force set up to improve the police’s dire image.

Dear Editor, I am switching my support from the PPP/C to the AFC.

(Reuters) – Durham clinched the English County Championship title with an eight-wicket victory over Nottinghamshire at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, their 10th win of a season they started with a points penalty.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Surrey were relegated to the second tier of the English county championship yesterday after losing a bold gamble to forfeit their second innings against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Politikles

Dear Editor, Edward Snowden, in making public American NSA illegal and intrusive monitoring activities around the world, has shown the true America.

Most days it seems that no matter what a woman does, she just does not measure up to what society demands of her.

(Trinidad Express) – A 55-year-old man committed suicide last night moments after he stabbed his 19-year-old girlfriend in the chest.

In September 1957, an Arkansas press photographer captured one of century’s iconic images as a young black girl tried to enter a newly desegrated school.

(Billboard) – Last week’s race for the No 1 album on the Billboard 200 between Ariana Grande and Tamar Braxton was nothing compared to the showdown on this week’s tally.

SANTA ANA, Calif (Reuters) – Human trafficking charges against a Saudi princess accused of holding a Kenyan servant as a virtual prisoner in her California home were dismissed by a judge yesterday after prosecutors said they were unable to corroborate the allegations.