Daily Archive: Friday, September 26, 2014

(Trinidad Express) East Port of Spain was last night transformed into a scene reminiscent of a modern war movie, with the ringing of periodic gunfire in-between the sound of helicopters and orders being barked by heavily armed soldiers and policemen.

The extension of the Pharmacy Building at the Fort Wellington Hospital was commissioned on Thursday by the Minister of Local Government, Norman Whittaker and was done at a cost of $4.6 million.

President Donald Ramotar (fourth from right) and Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper (3rd from right) with members of their respective delegations during a meeting on the sidelines of the UNGeneral Assembly.(GINA

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) today said that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration has started its elections campaign with a massive spending spree of state funds.

At approximately 15:50 hours yesterday, the Transport & Harbours Department (T&HD) vessel “Sandaka” and a small passenger boat “Akeela” collided with each other in the Essequibo River, near the Parika Stelling, a statement from the T&HD said.

The General Register Office (GRO) today said that it had provided information on the death of former President Arthur Chung to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in 2008 and this was recently acknowledged by the electoral body.

The Alliance For Change today said that it had more evidence of the government’s involvement with Johnny Welshman, the man who this week levelled sex abuse allegations against Speaker of the House, Raphael Trotman.

At about 1200h. today, police say that Gopaul Bridgenandan, 63 years, of Eastern ½ Dundee, Mahaicony, ECD, was in his business premises at his home when two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun entered the business.

A Brazilian woman is dead following a collision in the Mazaruni River this afternoon.

GHAZNI, Afghanistan, (Reuters) – Hundreds of Taliban fighters have stormed a strategic district in an Afghan province not far from the capital, killing dozens of people in five days of fighting and they could capture the area, officials said today.

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and officials of the Region Five, Regional Democratic Council, Minister of Local Government Norman Whittaker yesterday commissioned 12 of 17 projects completed in the Region as part of the Government’s developmental strategy for all the administrative regions, GINA said.

(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the “decriminalisation of homosexuality” in Trinidad and Tobago is not something her administration will seek to do because, “it would not be prudent for the Government to proceed in that direction at this time”.

(Trinidad Express) At least 50 Trinidadians have flown to Syria to join the terrorist organisation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) within the last several months.

An Angoy’s Avenue labourer was yesterday sentenced to 55 and a half years in prison for the murder of a former associate.

A Charlestown, Georgetown man was yesterday remanded to prison after he appeared at the Wales Magistrate’s Court charged with the murder of Jason Munroe, whose charred remains were removed from a burned out house at 201 Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara early Monday morning.

Relatives of Omar Mitchell, the Linden boy who was thrown into the Demerara River on Tuesday and subsequently disappeared, had their worst fears confirmed when the youngster’s body was discovered early yesterday morning.

(Barbados Nation) – A seaman who entered the Bridgetown Port with over 26 pounds of marijuana on Tuesday, hidden aboard a tug will know his fate come October 24.

The Guyana Sugar Cor-poration (GuySuCo) will be playing catch up with production targets as workers trickle back to the Skeldon Estate following almost a week of striking.

(De Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO — After four years of absence of a Surinamese ambassador in the Netherlands it is time for a change.

Narsingh Deonarine and Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai propelled Berbice to a comprehensive victory as Essequibo’s misery at the senior level continued with a nine-wicket defeat in two days of their Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) senior inter-county four-day match yesterday.

A stylish maiden century by Amir Khan took Demerara close to victory against the GCB Developmental XI who trail by 146-runs heading into day three in the second round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) 4-day inter-county tournament.

Recently acquired shot-stopper Joao Moreira da Silva Filho said the reason he signed for Vergenoegen giants Slingerz FC was because he held ambitions of playing in the GFF National Premier League.

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC – West Indies Women levelled the series after an impressive all round performance from Deandra Dottin powered them to a seven wicket win over New Zealand Women in the second T20 International at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex here yesterday.

For the second time in just over a year, Roy Pestano, 61, and his son Raymond Pestano, 37, were told yesterday that they would have to face a retrial for murder after a jury could not agree on a verdict.

Alvin Barkley, who is accused of murdering barber Yohan Hunte in 2012 at the Route 40 minibus park during a row over electricity theft, is expected to learn his fate on Monday in the High Court.

A 28-year-old man was yesterday admitted to bail in the sum of $160,000 on charges of obtaining and presenting a passport by forged means.

Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Khurshid Sattaur has filed a suit against the Kaieteur News seeking in excess of $500 million in damages for what he claims is libel contained in its ‘Dem Boys Seh’ columns and news reports about the targeting of the paper.

Sixteen Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Aviation Security Officers (ASOs) completed a self-defence programme on September 24 in the area of martial arts as a defence against any threat.

The Regional Law Revision Centre (RLRC) says that it was never involved in the production of the Revised Laws of Guyana, which has been criticised over key omissions and errors.

The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) will use next week’s National Procurement Symposium to address persistent complaints by unsuccessful bidders who are not being notified, in keeping with the law, when contracts are awarded.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand on Wednesday commissioned a new wing at the L’Aventure Secondary School, Canal Number One Polder, West Bank Demerara.

Guyana is one of 22 countries that are set to benefit from over US$255,000 in financial aid that the Carib-bean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) has awarded to Cariforum agro-processing firms as part of the Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP) funded by the European Union under the 10th European Develop-ment Fund (EDF).

Australia’s Direct Aid Programme (DAP) yesterday announced that there has been an increase in grant amounts and urged local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) here to apply.

By Jeff Trotman   Regional Chairman of Region Ten,Sharma Solomon has called on the National Trust to pay greater attention to the preservation of Fort Nassau on the Berbice River and sites in Linden such as the historical monument at the old saw mill in Silvertown, the Watooka Guest House and the St Aidans Anglican Church on Burnham Drive, which is over a hundred years old.

The West Demerara Regional Hospital saw over 50 patients yesterday morning with symptoms of the mosquito-borne virus chikungunya.

The Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) has announced that has donated over $60,000 to craftsman Mohamed Kahmar to aid his participation in Go-Invest’s Trade, Tourism and Investment Exposition set for Florida, USA.

A farmer was yesterday sentenced to three years in jail for possession of cannabis and growing the illegal substance.

The Hopetown/No 22 Police Youth Group was launched recently in an effort to get the youngsters involved in “clean activities that would aid in their development,” the police said.

Blairmont Primary School copped the first and second places at a Regional spelling competition dubbed, Spelling for Life, held at the Lachmansingh Primary School on Tuesday while Hopetown Primary came third.

The fourth annual Petra Organisation/Courts Pee-Wee Under-11 primary schools football tournament was officially launched yesterday at the Courts Main Street Head Office.

The 2014 cycling season will resume tomorrow in the National Park with the staging of the 14th annual DeSinco Trading 11-race programme.

The Ministry of Education has said that an additional 2,681 children have enrolled in schools, as a result of the new age requirement for nursery children announced earlier this year.

An elderly food vendor was among two persons ordered to perform 52 consecutive Saturdays of community service after pleading guilty to drug possession in separate cases yesterday.

Dear Editor, I was due to travel to Toronto on July 30, 2014, using Fly Jamaica Airline; the flight was to depart at 7.30 am.

Dear Editor, All it took was a proposed no-confidence (NC) vote by the AFC to create confusion and panic within the ranks of the two main political power houses in Guyana.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Middle order batsman Marlon Samuels is relishing his return to the West Indies team ahead of the tour of India.

(Reuters) – Like her or not, Hillary Clinton may be a cure for political apathy America is often described as an increasingly divided nation, and when it comes to Hillary Rodham Clinton, that couldn’t be truer.

Operations at the GuySuco-Skeldon facility have been restored following the resolution of the strike, but load shedding will continue, GPL said yesterday.

MOHALI, India, CMC- Skipper Rayad Emrit says Barbados Tridents are “pumped and ready” ahead of their clash with Cape Cobras in the Champions League here today.

Dear Editor, As you may be aware, the newly built eastern carriageway road on the East Bank of Demerara, between Little Diamond and Prospect was opened to traffic recently.

Dear Editor, The Riverstown/Annandale Regional Democratic Council is not dealing with illegal activities.

An air of confidence is blowing around the Full Works team as the GMR&SC’s ‘Race of Champions’ event looms.

MANILA (Reuters) – A threat by Philippine militants to kill a German hostage in a show of solidarity with Islamic State is the latest sign that the Middle East group’s brand of radicalism is winning recruits in Asia and posing a growing security risk in the region.

NEW DELHI, India, CMC- Former India captain Rahul Dravid has praised the consistency of veteran West Indies middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, describing him as an exceptional batsman.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Iran President Hassan Rouhani yesterday blamed the rise of the Islamic State group and other militants on the mistakes of the West and said the solution to stopping them must come from the Middle East.

Cleveland Thomas and Matthew McKenzie will be running brave in their upcoming meets with some new gear and improved nutrition.

CARACAS (Reuters) – The Venezuelan government has started to fingerprint shoppers at some state-run supermarkets, in a plan to combat food scarcity which has been derided by some consumers weary of shortages.

Dear Editor, The recent presentation by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to Bayrock Cricket Club highlights the further confusion in Demerara cricket where illegal control is being maintained of both the Demerara Cricket Board and the GCB.

Dear Editor, Every passing day, almost every encounter emphasizes the creeping putrefaction in this country.

HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuban President Raul Castro granted more authority to the man who has led the campaign to modernize Cuba’s socialist economy, naming Marino Murillo as economy and planning minister yesterday, the government said.

Dear Editor, I thank Mark DaCosta for taking the time to pen a letter published on September 24.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA will be allowed to sell dollars for local currency at the most advantageous of the country’s three official exchange rates, the central bank said on Thursday, a move that could help ease the company’s cash-flow problems.

CHICAGO – (Reuters) – Michael Phelps could win two or three individual gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and again return home as America’s top swimmer, former US swimming great John Naber believes.

Dear Editor, We have been a polarized society for almost half of a century or perhaps longer, and it seems that the situation has recently become more intense with the challenges we are experiencing in governance as a result of our constitution not being designed to accommodate the present political situation of a minority government.

Registration for the January sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examination closes today at the Ministry of Education, Examinations Division, Queen’s College Compound.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Iraq has “credible” intelligence that Islamic State militants plan to attack subway systems in Paris and the United States, the prime minister said yesterday, but US and French officials said they had no evidence to back up his claims.

(Trinidad Express) – Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar attended a meeting of the 15-member United Nations (UN) Security Council which was open to UN member states which do not belong to the council.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – After Steve Ballmer plunked down $2 billion for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, fans might expect the former Microsoft chief executive to be hitting the reset button on a team that has been through a nasty public fight over racism.

BOGOTA (Reuters) – A Colombian legal tribunal has ordered 11 companies to halt gold-mining operations in a 50,000-hectare (124,000-acre) reserve in the northwest of the country and return the land to the native tribe that previously lived there.

Dear Editor, Annie Baliram in the Stabroek News of August 16, 2014 under the heading, ‘Students from the elite schools outperform the others,’ wrote a short, straightforward letter that begs for full attention and ought to be of deep concern to all educational officials, but more so to the working class folks.

INCHEON South Korea (Reuters) – Qatar pulled out of the women’s basketball competition at the Asian Games yesterday after refusing to abide by international regulations preventing them from wearing hijabs, while organisers said they were powerless to do anything about it.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Gambia’s president yesterday demanded a United Nations investigation into the “manmade sinking, capsizing” of boats carrying migrants to Europe, saying 500 citizens of his African country had died in such incidents in the past five years.

Monica Araya is founder and Executive Director of Nivela and leads the citizens group Costa Rica Limpia.

The month of 1st Dhul Hijja 1435 AH will be observed today and the 9th of Zul Hijja, the day of Arafa will be observed on Saturday October 4, 2014, the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) said in a press release yesterday.

Fenty Last Friday, Granger too In comparison to a majority of our local social scientists, historians, perhaps, political analysts and, of course, politicians, mine would be a minority viewpoint.

Dear Editor, I write in connection with the situation in the Ukraine where attempts seem to be made to project it into Guyana.

Undeterred by the result of the Scottish referendum announced early on September 19, Catalonia’s parliament, later that very day, authorised its president, by a vote of 106 to 28, to proceed with a referendum similar to the Scottish one on November 9.