Daily Archive: Friday, August 15, 2014

In the wake of reports in the press on the logging activities of Indian company Vaitarna and Chinese company Bai Shan Lin, the local transparency body today called on the government to halt their operations.

Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud (at head of table) today met with a team from Nexen Energy ULC, headquartered in Calgary Canada and ESSO Exploration and Production Guyana Limited where their interest in opportunities for oil ventures here were expressed.

Maintenance to critical sections of the Linden/Lethem road has begun with works to be completed by mid-September.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Guyana Amazon Warriors will try to compensate for last year’s heartbreak, when they clash with a buoyant Barbados Tridents in the final of the Caribbean Premier League here today.

Nine military doctors from the USA today toured the Guyana Defence Force Medical Corps at the end of their two week visit to Guyana, a release from the GDF said.

The United States Department of State, in partnership with the Guyana Ministry of Home Affairs, provided a course on Leadership and Professional Ethics to nineteen senior members of the Guyana Police Force. 

KIEV, (Reuters) – Ukraine said its artillery destroyed part of a Russian armoured column that entered its territory overnight and said its forces came under shellfire from Russia today in what appeared to be a major military escalation between the ex-Soviet states.

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) today said that at approximately 7:58hrs this morning, the link between the Garden of Eden (GOE) and Sophia was broken when both sections of the two transmission lines from Golden Grove and Garden of Eden were struck by lightning.

During this morning, the police say they conducted cordon and search operations in “A”, “B” and “C” Divisions.

The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) today said that based on intelligence from an ongoing probe, its officials and personnel from other law enforcement agencies yesterday found a semi-submersible craft in a creek off the Waini River in the northwest which was ostensibly to be used in the drug trade.

(Jamaica Gleaner) A Venezuelan man who stunned local investigators when he passed out 80 small packages with cash totalling US$103,500 or approximately J$11.6 million, after a routine stop at the Sangster International Airport, has forced Jamaican authorities to increase their vigilance at the nation’s ports.

The Ministry of Home Affairs today said it has been successful in receiving the approval of Cabinet for an increase in the establishment of the Guyana Police Force from 3,410 to 4,956.

This pint-sized horse cart operator wasn’t only piloting one cart. There was another hitched to it yesterday on Independence Boulevard, Albouystown.

Three Guyanese who imported 414 kilogrammes of cocaine into the West African country of Ghana were yesterday jailed for a total of 34 years with hard labour by the Fast Track High Court in Accra, according to the Graphic newspaper.

Logging firm Vaitarna Holdings Private Inc (VHPI) yesterday broke its silence on its delayed wood processing facility at Wineperu saying that it “tentatively” expects that the sawmill will be “near completion” by the end of this year even as it ramps up log production.

A suspected narco submarine was found at Morawhanna in the north west of Guyana yesterday.

A man was shot dead yesterday morning while trying to flee three men attempting to rob him in the Kaneville/Grove Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.

After returning home from a wake, Deochand Singh was knifed to death at his home at Port Mourant, Berbice, on Wednesday night and police say his stepson is responsible.

Dakari Jordan who endured a challenging life after being badly burnt after he came into contact with a GPL wire in 2004, was successful at this year’s sitting of the CSEC exams having secured eight Grade Ones and four Grade Twos.

Kevin Martin, in his late 30s, was knocked down last evening at Farm, East Bank Essequibo and killed.

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh sees no reason to warrant the closure of the University of Guyana (UG) and has dubbed suggestions by the university’s Vice-Chancellor (VC) Jacob Opadeyi that insufficient funding may necessitate a shutdown by the second week of the coming semester to be reckless.

The Essequibo Paddy Farmers Association (EPFA) on Wednes-day reached out to the two largest private sector bodies in the country hoping the agencies could use their influence to ensure that the rice sector conforms to transparent practices.

A state- of -the -art veterinary lab which cost an estimated $326 million was yesterday launched at the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.

After admitting that he allowed persons into the Umbrella Resort who eventually tried to damage the property, the caretaker was yesterday advised by a city magistrate to “don’t flex” again.

A student of Line Path Lutheran School lost his life in the Corentyne River whilst he was swimming at Orealla on Tuesday.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon on Wednesday announced the clearing of the awards of contracts that Cabinet granted its no objection to when it met on Tuesday.

Rescuers intensified a search yesterday for the two men who are still missing after a Motor Tanker ‘Swift Dolphin’ capsized off the Corentyne Coast in Guyana’s waters.

The gunman who robbed an auto dealership at Strathspey on Tuesday has been positively identified by a victim and is to be arraigned in court shortly.

An 81-year-old woman was beaten and robbed by two teenagers, who later set her Ann’s Grove home on fire on Tuesday night.

Region One Regional Executive Officer Nigel Fisher has denied authorising Community Service Officers (CSOs) to conduct house to house visits to advise residents on their registration status.

A Soesdyke miner is now on bail after denying a charge that he assaulted his sister.

Two women brought before the courts on disorderly behaviour charges were yesterday fined and sternly warned after they admitted to hindering a police search on their premises.

Otis McCurdy, 21, was yesterday sentenced to six months in prison after he admitted that he threw a large brick through a Church’s Chicken glass door due to extreme thirst.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Guyana Amazon Warriors stormed into the finals of the Caribbean Premier League after a stunning 10 wicket mauling of Jamaica Tallawahs in the second-semi-final here yesterday.

(The Sports Xchange) – Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins injured his right knee in yesterday’s practice, the first since Team USA lost Indiana Pacers star forward Paul George to a leg injury.

A Linden tailor, accused of escaping from custody after he was arrested, has been remanded to prison to await his next court hearing almost a month from now.

Guyana will enter the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) Regional Under-19 one-day finals today as favourites against the Windward Islands at the Everest Cricket Club ground.

Several students who sat the 2014 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations are now frustrated because their grade slips are being withheld by their schools and access to their grades online has also has been blocked.

Alpha United Head Coach, Wayne Dover says he is confident his charges will be successful when they battle USA’s Portland Timbers in their second match of the CONCACAF Champions League on August 19th at the National Stadium.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC- Former West Indies cricketers Deryck Murray and Michael Findlay have expressed support for the decision by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to appoint former captain Clive Lloyd to the post of chairman of selectors.

The Ministry of Labour is yet to release its report on Qualfon’s Goedverwagt-ing call centre, from where more than 18 workers were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital almost three months ago.

Dear Editor,   In the public polemics on the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry, the question of the timing is often raised.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – An experimental vaccine being developed by U.S. government scientists to prevent the painful mosquito-borne viral disease chikungunya has shown promise in its first human trials but remains years away from approval for widespread use.

Dear Editor,   In Guyana, we see a growth in commercial buildings and they are being built using lighter materials.

The Guyana Squash Association (GSA) has officially named its squad to participate in the upcoming Caribbean Senior Squash Championships scheduled to be held in Bridgetown, Barbados from August 16 – 23, 2014.

Dwayne Wallace, an employee of a car wash, was on Wednesday remanded to prison after he was charged over the discovery of ammunition in a vehicle he was driving.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC-West Indies cricketer Kraigg Brathwaite says he is hard at work seeking to improve his ability to conquer spin bowling after achieving a batting milestone in Barbados.

Dear Editor,   In the 2013 and 2014 national budgets the Minister of Finance made provision for a subsidy of twenty thousand dollars for 2013 and thirty thousand dollars for 2014 for old age pensioners’ electricity.

Failure to implement promised sector concessions may have helped trigger the current dramatic fall in gold production, Stabroek Business has been reliably informed.

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands, CMC- Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, Haiti and Honduras have qualified for the semi-finals of the inaugural CONCACAF Under-15 Girls’ Championship to take place yesterday.

(Reuters) – Tiger Woods ruled himself out of contention for a wildcard spot on the U.S.

Dear Editor,   It is the season of CXC results again.

BAGHDAD, (Reuters) – Nuri al-Maliki finally bowed to pressure within Iraq and beyond yesterday and stepped down as prime minister, paving the way for a new coalition that world and regional powers hope can quash a Sunni Islamist insurgency that threatens Baghdad.

HARARE, (Reuters) – Zimbabwe have named teenage all-rounder Luke Jongwe in their one-day international squad for the three-match series against South Africa in Bulawayo starting on Sunday.

Dear Editor,   As expected, there continues to be no response from either the Minister of Culture, Dr Frank Anthony or the Caribbean Press editor, Dr David Dabydeen on some of the critical issues I’ve raised regarding governance and accountability of the Press’ operations.

Stabroek Business has learnt that the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) could be seeking the passage of legislation designed to make membership of the Chamber compulsory for business houses that qualify.

Dear Editor,   Really, we are not a people known for steadfastly following through on anything no matter how wholesome or righteous, except when it is of direct personal interest.

SAO PAULO, (Reuters) – The late entry of environmentalist Marina Silva into Brazil’s presidential race following the death of her running mate could rally young voters and those upset over a sluggish economy and corruption, but introduce new uncertainty for investors wary of her record of unpredictable decisions.

This newspaper has paid a particular interest in the Micro and Small Enterprise Development (MSED) Project under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) as a mechanism for supporting the growth and development of the small business sector and moreso since the project was launched by President Donald Ramotar in October last year.

Several of the region’s top youth cricketers were awarded for their individual performances in the recently concluded West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Under-19 Three-Day Tournament.

Dear Editor,   President Donald Ramotar is nearly three years into his presidency and seems to face in the immediate future the possibility of early elections.

(Reuters) – Spain’s Tommy Robredo shocked world number one Novak Djokovic 7-6(6) 7-5 yesterday to move into the quarter-finals of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.

FERGUSON, Mo., (Reuters) – A U.S. military program that sends armored cars, camouflage and other battlefield equipment to police departments is under fresh scrutiny as demonstrators in Ferguson, Missouri, enter their fifth straight night of protests over the death of an unarmed black teenager.

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Mahela Jayawardene fell cheaply in his final test as Pakistan came back strongly in the last session to grab five wickets and reduce Sri Lanka to 261 for eight on the first day of the second test yesterday.

Up until a few weeks ago when the Stabroek Business covered a meeting of the Guyana Association of Home Econo-mists (GAHE) relatively few people outside the professional circle knew about the existence of the organization and fewer still were aware of the fact that in April 2015 GAHE will be hosting a forum of the Caribbean Association of Home Economists.

CONAKRY, Aug 14 (Reuters) – Staff with the World Health Organisation battling an Ebola outbreak in West Africa see evidence the numbers of reported cases and deaths vastly underestimates the scale of the outbreak, the U.N.

(Reuters) – Supporters of former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide accused local authorities of political persecution after he was summoned before a judge on Wednesday for questioning in a money laundering case.

LONDON, (Reuters) – England fast bowler James Anderson ranks alongside South Africa’s world No.

There are some species in the natural world where individuals of either gender can reproduce.

Dear Editor,   I refer to the letter written by Mr Selwyn A Pieters published in your newspapers of August 13 2014, captioned, ‘Objection was misplaced,’ and his letter similarly published on August 9 2014, where he libelled me under the caption, ‘Unprofessional.’

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – As an election campaigner, Narendra Modi promised sweeping market reforms to revive India’s economy and put the country to work.

CONAKRY, Aug 14 (Reuters) – Staff with the World Health Organisation battling an Ebola outbreak in West Africa see evidence the numbers of reported cases and deaths vastly underestimates the scale of the outbreak, the U.N.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 576’s trading results showed consideration of $2,672,849 from 39,432 shares traded in 21 transactions as compared to session 575’s trading results which showed consideration of $374,841 from 5,693 shares traded in 8 transactions.

If even regarded by some as ramblings or waffle, I return to my lead issues with pointed brevity.

Dear Editor,   I am not employed by the Guyana Times and neither was I paid a hefty sum for my four photos which were used by the newspaper in its Inter-Guiana Games 2014 sports reports on Monday, August 4 and Wednesday, August 6, 2014.

By Analyst   When the Tourism Ministry and the Guyana Tourism Authority sit down to assess the outcomes of the August 8-10  Guyana Festival they will be able to make a sound judgment only if those outcomes are measured against the aspirations which had been articulated  in the first place.

BERNE, Switzerland, (Reuters) – Uruguay forward Luis Suarez’s four-month playing ban for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini has been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) although he will be allowed train with his new club Barcelona.

(Reuters) – Supporters of former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide accused local authorities of political persecution after he was summoned before a judge on Wednesday for questioning in a money laundering case.

The latest political controversy in Trinidad and Tobago surrounds the passage early on Tuesday morning of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014, in the lower house of Parliament.

Dear Editor,   The decision of six legitimate affiliates of the Guyana Football Federa-tion (GFF) namely, the Georgetown Football Association, the East Dem-erara Football Association, the East Bank Football Association, the Guyana Football Coaches Asso-ciation, the National Women’s Football Asso-ciation and the Guyana Football Referees Council, to walk out of the reconvened ordinary Congress of the GFF, held on August 9 at the Regency Hotel was justified.

Member of Parliament for A Partnership for National Unity, Dawn Hastings (left) receives school uniform material for her village in the Upper Mazaruni from Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai over the weekend.