Daily Archive: Monday, February 9, 2015

Veteran trade unionist Leslie Melville, has passed away, the Guyana Public Service Union today announced.

President Donald Ramotar (second from left) and a student from a nearby school unveiling the plaque for the US$26m Vreed-en-Hoop power plant today.

The Vreed-en-Hoop power station which was commissioned today at a cost of US$26m.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Guyana Jaguars continued their imperious march through the WICB Professional Cricket League, easily trouncing Jamaica Franchise by 105 runs on the final day of their fifth round contest here Monday.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) today welcomed the announcement by President Donald Ramotar of a 10% drop in electricity cost effective March 2015.

A court challenge to presidential term limits has no merit, Head of the 2000 Constitution Reform Commission, Ralph Ramkarran says.

(Jamaica Gleaner) – Yesterday, Ziggy Marley won the Grammy Award in the Best Reggae category at the 57th Grammy Awards, held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Anand Sanasie, has come out in defence of Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron, saying the Jamaican has done a good job as president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and deserves another term in office.

The barn-like effect at the petting zoo which was launched in the Botanical Gardens yesterday.

Ducks at the petting zoo which was launched yesterday in the Botanical Gardens.

The marine turtle exhibit at the petting zoo which was done by the World Wildlife Fund. 

(Barbados Nation) The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has called on Acting Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Charles Leacock to investigate a number of bank accounts into which funds from troubled insurer CLICO were reportedly channelled.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Heartbreak paid off handsomely for British soul singer Sam Smith, a newcomer who won four Grammy awards on Sunday including record and song of the year for his anthem “Stay With Me.”

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Team manager Richie Richardson said West Indies were wary of peaking too soon at the World Cup but there looked precious little chance of that on the evidence of their heavy defeat to England in their first warm-up on Monday.

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Chris Woakes took five for 19 as England claimed a comfortable nine-wicket victory in their first official World Cup warm-up match after dismissing a hapless West Indies for 122 in 29.3 overs today.

Talks on a proposed pro-democracy alliance for the May 11 general elections are at a critical stage with APNU and the AFC discussing a plan for a rotating presidency even as both are skittish about which party gets the first turn should the alliance comes to fruition and win.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Shiv Chanderpaul stroked his 129th first class half-century and fast bowler Keon Joseph grabbed two wickets as leaders Guyana Jaguars closed in on yet another victory in the WICB Professional Cricket League here yesterday.

GROS ISLET, St Lucia, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, trailing Windward Islands Volcanoes by 223 runs, were six without loss in their second innings at the close on the third day of their fifth round match in the WICB Professional Cricket League at Beausejour Cricket Ground here yesterday.

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Association (GABF) officially launched its second annual ‘Road to Mecca 2’ National Basketball Championships Saturday at the New Palm Court on Main Street.

The recent $3 billion loan to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) violates several laws according to financial experts who warn that the permanent secretaries could be held liable.

Georgetown and East Coast recorded comfortable victories in their Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) inter association opening encounters yesterday.

The current prorogation of Parliament has stymied parliamentary scrutiny of the Ministry of Health and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Carl Greenidge is concerned about who has been supplying the nation with drugs over the last six months and if any procurement laws are being broken.

Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams was the freshest and the fastest as he beat a visibly fatigued Alanzo Greaves and Hamza Eastman to take his first road race win of the season in a four-man sprint yesterday at West Demerara.

The largest gathering of the tourney at the Pouderoyen Tarmac witnessed the biggest upset to date as West Side Ballers were crowned the inaugural champions of the Guinness of the Streets West Demerara Edition, downing Pouderoyen Shows-toppers 2-0 on Saturday.

A businessman was remanded to prison on Friday after he appeared in a city court charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

In full strike mode from today, the two University of Guyana (UG) unions are mobilizing a relief fund to aid their more vulnerable members.

West Demerara will invade Georgetown when the Mayor’s Cup Knockout Football Tourney continues today at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground in Bourda with a doubleheader.

The upsets continued in the Mayor’s Cup Knockout tournament as tourney heavyweights Guyana Defence Force were outflanked by Ann’s Grove 4-3 on Saturday at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground in Bourda.

The $35 million Petting Zoo at the Zoological Park was officially commissioned yesterday by Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud and Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission, Damian Fernandes.

For the past three years, the Amerindian community of Princeville in Region Eight had to make do with one teacher who taught classes from the nursery level up to Grade Six.

Tournament favourites Chase Academy sent a strong warning to the field, crushing newcomers St.

Georgetown Football Club (GFC) and Western Tigers were amongst the winners in the u-17 section of the Frank Watson Memorial u-17 knockout tourney, defeating Flamingo and Riddim Squad respectively yesterday at the GFC ground.

Despite calls last month in Geneva, Switzerland for Guyana to take action to end discriminatory practices against LGBT persons it appears that any such steps will have to await a new Parliament.

SYDNEY, Australia, CMC – Jason Holder has dismissed the idea the captaincy could prove a burden during the upcoming ICC World Cup.

Social activist Mark Benschop will be running for national office with his Independent Party.

SYDNEY, Australia, CMC – West Indies captain Jason Holder has conceded that the omission of all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard is a major loss for the Caribbean side.

A fisherman of D’ Edward, West Bank Berbice is desperately trying to locate his boat Renita 3, valued $7M after it was reportedly stolen from the Rosignol wharf sometime on Friday night.

Dear Editor, The death of 17-year-old Caricom Rice Mills employee Threeion Gittens was caused by the failure of the company to fix the rotten bulk tank which stored tonnes of paddy.

Guyana’s decision to comply with the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) in July of last year is currently awaiting the signing of an inter-governmental agreement for formal implementation.

Dear Editor, My attention was drawn to a press report in which A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) General Secretary, Joseph Harmon stated that “determining its presidential and prime ministerial candidates on the basis of race is a failed model and does not determine how the coalition decides who fills these posts.”

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados Pride crushed hapless Leeward Islands Hurricanes by an innings and 190 runs inside three days here yesterday, to make a strong surge in the WICB Professional Cricket League standings.

(Reuters) – David Warner and Glenn Maxwell struck blistering centuries as Australia flexed their batting muscles to expose defending champion India’s bowling limitations in a World Cup warmup match in Adelaide yesterday.

Dear Editor, Last Friday the Guyana Chronicle carried a report of a most heinous example of enforced child labour in India which still ‘haunts’ me as I am sure it must have troubled any caring human reading it.

Ever since Savitri Ramnarine, 33, of Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo was diagnosed with cancer of the womb she was devastated, mainly because she could not afford the cost for the radiation therapy.

Facing questions about the timing of the first University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) pageant, the head of the pageant committee has defended the decision to go forward, saying the event was a platform to highlight problems affecting the university.

Dear Editor, I write in response to Attorney-at law, Mr Harmon’s statements to the press.

Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on Thursday remanded a man accused of stealing a gold chain valued $215,000 from another when he appeared in court.

Dear Editor, Sankar Nirahu has passed on. His funeral service on the evening of Friday, February 6th in this largely Guyanese village in Queens, New York was quite an event.

Dear Editor, In your January 31 edition in your letter column under the headline ‘A mass of hard words’ Gordon Forte an “émigré from the coastlands” expressed a concern that reflected the view of many of your regular customers.

A Linden man is now before the court after he was given jewellery to wear but allegedly did not return it afterward.

MUNICH, (Reuters) – The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France agreed to meet in Belarus on Wednesday to try to broker a peace deal for Ukraine amid escalating violence there and signs of cracks in the transatlantic consensus on confronting Vladimir Putin.

Dear Editor, I am compelled to write this letter in support of the ongoing strike action at the University of Guyana because I have felt the burden of being employed at the university.

With general elections just over three months away, the Guyana Youth and Student Movement is on a campaign to improve voter education, particularly amongst the youths of Guyana.

ATHENS, (Reuters) – Leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras laid out plans yesterday to dismantle Greece’s “cruel” austerity programme, ruling out any extension of its international bailout and setting himself on a collision course with his European partners.

 By The Caribbean Voice   The Caribbean Voice is a New York-based NGO that has been involved in social activism since its launch in 1998.

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott survived a challenge to his leadership yesterday after his ruling Liberal Party voted down a motion to unseat him after weeks of infighting, but the attempted revolt appears likely to weaken his grip on power.

Dear Editor, It is established that as the University of Guyana goes, so does the rest of Guyana.

 The Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations are just about 90 days away.

As a prelude to this article, two Saturdays ago would have been the date of my retirement as Auditor General, had I not chosen to demit office ten years earlier.

Politikles

Seventeen-year-old Threeion Gittens died a horrible death on Thursday, crushed under the weight of a large amount of paddy at Caricom Rice Mills Limited (CRML).

ROME, (Reuters) – Pope Francis made a surprise visit to a shantytown on Rome’s outskirts yesterday, stunning poor residents, many of them from his native South America.

Dear Editor, I refer to Minister Edghill’s letter to the editor (‘SN did not attend the Lusignan ‘Night of Remembrance’ February 6) in response to your editorial ‘What Minister Edghill said at Lusignan.’