Daily Archive: Thursday, March 20, 2014

At about 1300h today, the police say that Shane James, 33 years, of Bagotville, WBD, was on the roadway at Providence, EBD, awaiting transportation when two men on a motor cycle, one of whom was armed with a firearm, confronted him.

Water Street businessman Rondy Jagdeo was today freed on a charge of the  murder of close friend Kirk Davis, who was riddled to death with bullets in front of his home on September 3rd, 2013.

At about 0745h today, Police Constable Samuel Elvis was shot and injured  to his right foot after a round was discharged  by another rank while clearing his firearm at Police Headquarters.

OSLO,  (Reuters) – Norwegian car carrier Hoegh St. Petersburg has reached the area in the southern Indian Ocean off Australia where two floating objects, suspected to be debris from the missing Malaysian jetliner, were spotted, the ship’s owner said today.

Rice farmers across Guyana are owed in excess of $300 million by millers since the record-breaking 2013 crop, according to the Agriculture Ministry.

Sir Richard Cheltenham, Chairman of the Dr Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI) said yesterday wherever the evidence in the inquiry leads, the commissioners will go.

After more than a decade of living in an abandoned factory and then a bottom flat with her four daughters, Althea Boucher will finally have a place to call her home, thanks to the contributions of Habitat for Humanity and Scotiabank.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Eric Bassant is officially on pre-retirement leave and the reins of command for `D’ Division have been handed over to Senior Superintendent Clifton Hicken.

An outing at the Madewini Creek, Soesdyke-Linden Highway on Monday ended in tragedy for several friends when a young Guyana Defence Force Officer plunged to his death.

UGSSA  President Patsy Francis is concerned that the acceptance of a contract by Vice Chancellor Jacob Opadeyi to provide consultancy services to the Deeds Registry will impede his ability to address the many woes of the University of Guyana (UG).

MIRPUR, Bangladesh, CMC- Dwayne Bravo rocked the top order while Sunil Narine carved through the middle as defending World T20 champions West Indies humbled Sri Lanka by 33 runs in a warm-up match at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur here yesterday.

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud yesterday said no charges have been recommended against the police officers implicated in the alleged rape of a 16-year-old boy at the Stabroek Market police outpost in January.

Mae’s School, winners of the novices, the 11 years and under and the 13 years and under categories was adjudged the most outstanding school when the presentation ceremony for the just concluded Business School tournament took place yesterday at the National Gymnasium.

Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall says the Govern-ment of Guyana (GoG) would be willing to help expand the capacity of the Hugh Wooding Law School as CLE Chairper-son Jacqueline Samuels-Brown says government intervention is key to solving the present space dilemma.

The Environmental Protec-tion Agency (EPA) is making arrangements to conduct a detailed biological assessment of the damaged Konawaruk River and the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Envi-ronment has acknowledged the need to increase monitoring of mining operations there.

Leading supplement and fitness products supplier, Fitness Express, has once again flexed its corporate muscle in support of a sporting discipline.

(Reuters) – Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with improper conduct by the FA following his side’s 1-0 Premier League defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday.

Four teams registered wins on the opening day of 22nd Annual Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport/National Sports Commission/AL Sport and Tour Promotions Schools Windball Cricket Champions Trophy played at the National Park Tarmac last weekend.

Four men were granted bail in different sums yesterday when they appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty in two separate cases involving assault.

Police at Charity are investigating reports that a man, who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol, fell into the Pomeroon River and apparently drowned at around 1 pm yesterday.

Action in the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) division one and division two leagues will resume following a lengthy hiatus on Saturday and Sunday respectively at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ground on Vlissengen Road and Carifesta Avenue.

The Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security has published a list of 212 co-operative societies which it says faces cancellation effective May 18, 2014 because of non-compliance with two key acts.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday, March 23 for the Guyanese couple and their son killed by suspected carbon monoxide poisoning this week in Brampton, Ontario, according to the Brampton Guardian.

MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – Robin van Persie’s hat-trick lifted the gloom surrounding Manchester United and manager David Moyes as the English side beat Olympiakos Piraeus 3-0 to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit and reach the Champions League quarter-finals yesterday.

Alleged arsonist Linus La Cruz is to be arraigned today at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court for allegedly killing his  wife and four of their children at Port Kaituma last Friday.

A taxi driver accused of stealing a $500,000 band is now on bail after he appeared in a city court yesterday.

Kingston, Jamaica- A Confident Windward Islands team led by veteran Liam Sebastian held their first training session at Sabina Park ahead of their fourth round Regional Four day clash against leaders Jamaica at the same venue.

A miner charged with assaulting and verbally abusing the mother of his child was yesterday placed on $30,000 bail when he appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty.

Jumbo Jet’s race horse, Got To Go, galloped to claim the spoils of the feature C3 and lower 1700M event when the Port Mourant Turf Club in collaboration with the Horse Owners Association held their meet at the Bush Lot venue on Sunday.

Trojan Cycle Club standout, Romallo Crawford emerged winner of the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) organized 40-mile road race staged in the Ancient County on Sunday.

Factory workers on the Blairmont Sugar Estate yesterday downed their tools and protested against GuySuCo’s non-payment of rates from a 2013 arbitration award but the corporation has responded saying that the workers had received their payments in full.

The Guyana Revenue Authority has announced that on Monday it will open tax sites at various locations to facilitate the submission of tax returns.

Giftland Office Max and Woodpecker Trophies and Sports have joined the support base of the fourth Hugh Ross Classic (HRC) Body Building and Fitness Show.

The round of the 16 knockout matches in the Milo/Petra Organization Schools Football tournament will commence Saturday  and Sunday at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue with four fixtures each.

Highlighting the importance of consumer protection, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce (ag) Irfaan Ali said, “The time has come for us to regulate the [cell phone service] sector…” A release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said that the minister was giving the feature address last Friday at a consumers’ awareness forum at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, hosted by the Consumer Affairs Division, in collaboration with the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission and the Guyana National Bureau of Standards to observe World Consumer Rights Day 2014 under the common global campaign theme of ‘Fix our Phone Rights.’

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC- Shane Shillingford will play in the Regional 4-Day Tournament this weekend, after undergoing remedial work on his bowling action.

c Chairperson of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) Bibi Shadick says the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council (RDC) has not applied for a broadcasting licence, as is being claimed by Regional Chairman (RC) Sharma Solomon.

One week after she was struck down on the Unity Public Road, Mahaica, 14-year-old Esther Mohammed is recovering in the High Dependency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Dear Editor, I was appalled and shocked by an article in the Kaieteur News of March 18 captioned ‘TSU forces APNU MP to remove tint.’ 

PRETORIA,  (Reuters) – President Jacob Zuma benefitted “unduly” from a $23 million state-funded security upgrade to his home that included a cattle enclosure and amphitheatre, South Africa’s graft watchdog said yesterday in a damning report six weeks before an election.

SAVAR, Bangladesh, CMC- Cold weather, missing players and the failure of new players to raise their game are the main reasons West Indies Women suffered a whitewash against New Zealand in the recent three-match one-day series and five-match T20 series, head coach Sherwin Campbell has said.

The Ministry of Agricul-ture is continuing efforts to encourage farmers to diversify production by growing more non-traditional crops and spices by incorporating these into the research and learning institutions’ work programmes.

Dear Editor, Interpellated, as they would say, by two media ‘events’ of the last few weeks, one reacts.

SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine/MOSCOW,  (Reuters) – The United States warned Moscow it was on a “dark path” to isolation yesterday as Russian troops seized two Ukrainian naval bases, including a headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol where they raised their flag.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC-Trinidad and Tobago are expecting tougher competition as they prepare to take on defending champions Barbados in round four of the Regional Four-Day Tournament this weekend.

Dear Editor, I write in support of the call by Mr Clinton Urling of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry that manufacturing entities should enjoy electricity subsidies in the legitimate activities of their entities.

Investigators launched a probe yesterday into the fire that razed the Ministry of Health Annex at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara on Tuesday, leaving debris in its wake and causing dozens of health workers to be relocated.

Dear Editor, There is sufficient basis for the opposition, the GTUC, even Mr Yesu Persaud and anyone not to trust this regime, and whatever power is at the disposal of the opposition to ensure good governance should be used and supported by the masses of people. 

A man who was shot by police  on the East Coast Demerara is to appear in court after he was identified in three armed robberies including one which occurred at the

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad , CMC- Skipper Kieran Powell has blamed the Leeward Islands innings and 107 run loss to Trinidad and Tobago on a poor first innings batting effort.

(Reuters) – Ireland beat United Arab Emirates by 21 runs via Duckworth-Lewis method in a World Twenty20 Group B match that twice plunged into darkness following power failure at the Sylhet Stadium yesterday.

Central government has a constitutional obligation to provide finances to local democratic organs.

Dear Editor, A gathering of nearly 1000 persons of all ages and religions witnessed an alcohol-free Phagwah Mela at the Enmore Blossom Scheme playfield, carefully organized and wonderfully executed by hard-working and disciplined members of the Enmore Youth Development Group.

MELILLA, Spain,  (Reuters) – Spain has more than doubled the strength of security forces at its North African enclave of Melilla, after about 500 people stormed its fences in the biggest border rush for years.

A Wortmanville man is now on bail, after he appeared in a city court charged with conspiring to falsely obtain $400,000 from a woman.

Dear Editor, What a contrast and posture of compromise as Phagwah celebrations saw the President, Prime Minister, APNU Leader and others decked out in pink, not green or red, and in a cheerful mood.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Four years after the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO)-led lobby against the ‘unfair’ Air Passen-ger Duty (APD), the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne has yielded.

By Dominic Gaskin In the same way that charity begins at home, one might say that democracy starts at the local level and that, without this most basic form of representation, citizens have little or no control over what takes place in their communities and how it affects them.

ANKARA,  (Reuters) – President Abdullah Gul has dismissed suggestions that outside forces are conspiring against Turkey, openly contradicting Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s assertions that a corruption scandal shaking the country is part of a foreign-backed plot.

(BBC) England’s stuttering form continued yesterday as they lost to India by 20 runs in their final warm-up match before they start their World Twenty20 bid in Bangladesh.

At the beginning of this month, we reported on questions raised by sustainable development advocate Mr Sydney Allicock with regard to the use of pesticides and fertilisers in the Rupununi by the Santa Fe mega-farm, which is growing rice among other crops.

Cartoons

(BBC) British number one Andy Murray and coach Ivan Lendl have agreed to end their two-year partnership.

Q: How early should I apply for a visa?  The answer is:  “As soon as you can”! 

A reminder that Easter is near: This youngster was clearly having fun at Mon Repos even though his kite was in tatters.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Weeks of wrangling over the appointment of Velma Hylton to the commission of enquiry into the May 2010 police-military operation in Tivoli Gardens have ended with the attorney-at-law recusing herself.

Let’s look at our nation along its historical curve. From our formation as a people welded together in the fiery furnace of harsh, back-brukin’ labour on broiling-sun agro-estates, we today struggle to forge the Guyanese way of being.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuelan intelligence agents arrested the opposition mayor of San Cristobal yesterday for “civil rebellion,” accusing him of stoking violence in the city hit harder than anywhere by more than a month of unrest.

Dear Editor, I write in response to M Maxwell’s ‘Bisram cannot demand that his critics conduct their own polls’ (SN, Mar 12).

Politikles

SYDNEY/KUALA LUMPUR,  (Reuters) – Search aircraft are investigating two objects spotted by satellite floating in the southern Indian Ocean off Australia that could be debris from a Malaysian jetliner missing for 12 days with 239 people on board.

(Trinidad Express) Police are investigating a report of disorderly behaviour by Minister of the People and Social Development Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh on board a domestic flight from Tobago to Trinidad on Sunday.