Daily Archive: Monday, February 16, 2015

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) male team emerged victorious at the recently concluded Annual Inter-Services Road Relay on Sunday, a release from the GDF said today.

Godfrey Marshall (left) recently retired as Deputy Commissioner of Forests and Director of the Forestry Training Centre Inc.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall this evening downplayed a finding by Chief Justice Ian Chang on Friday that $4.5b in expenditure last year by the government was illicit, arguing that the only matter that was before the court was an application for a conservatory order to stay spending by the government this year.

NELSON, New Zealand, CMC – Former one-day captain Darren Sammy has warned his teammates their campaign in the ICC Cricket World Cup will be short-lived unless they begin to execute properly in all three aspects of the game.

(Trinidad Express) HOSTING seven matches in the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 will bring no tangible benefit to the local game and the US$4.2m given to the foreign owners of the regional competition could be better spent on supporting home grown talent.

CAIRO, (Reuters) – Egypt’s air force bombed Islamic State targets inside Libya today, a day after the group released a video showed the beheading of 21 Egyptians there, marking an escalation in Cairo’s battle against militants.

Reuters) – Paul Stirling and Ed Joyce came agonisingly close to centuries but still helped Ireland cause the first upset of the 2015 cricket World Cup with a four-wicket victory over West Indies at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Monday.

If elected, the APNU/AFC coalition promises within its first 100 days to announce a date for Local Government Elections, free up the telecoms and ICT sectors and set up a constitution reform body and the Public Procurement Commission among other things.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) last week approved a US$17.2M loan for Guyana that is to be used to strengthen the environmental sector but the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) has expressed concern that it was done in the absence of National Assembly.

A company is looking to undertake large-scale soybean cultivation in the north Rupununi and has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for authorisation.

Four men have been held after a drug eradication operation on Saturday involving ranks of the Police Narcotics Branch and the Guyana Defence Force, with the use of a helicopter, in the Millie’s Hideout area along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

A Valentine’s night party turned bloody after a man attacked his neighbour and chopped him five times at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Six weeks after he was struck by an out-of-control car on New Year’s Day at Cemetery Road, 62-year-old Brian Devine is still hospitalized at the George-town Public Hospital (GPH) fighting to recover from the injuries he sustained.

Residents of Manchester, Lancaster and Liverpool, located in East Berbice-Corentyne, Region Six, are now accessing potable water, following the commissioning of a new well at Manchester on Friday, GINA reported.

Students of the displaced St. John’s Secondary School at Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara are to take their demonstration to Georgetown today as they continue to demand a new school.

Ralph Smith, who was involved in an accident while travelling to Lethem four days ago is still a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where his condition is listed as critical.

Linden police are probing the discovery of the body of 49-year-old Richard Remmington of Section C, Christianburg.who

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) says it has not conferred observer status for the May 11 general election on the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).

President Donald Ramotar on Friday hailed the achievements of trade unionist Leslie Melville.

At about 2320h on Saturday, the police say that Phillip Bobb, 52 years, of Louisa Row, Georgetown, intervened in an argument between a man and a woman at Louisa Row, during which he was shot and injured to his right foot by the man.

Almost four weeks after gas prices were slashed at the pumps and a call for a reduction of fares emanated from the Ministry of Commerce, Route 32 bus operators have joined their colleagues across the country in rejecting that appeal.

Two electoral experts from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) last week met with Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) chairman Dr Steve Surujbally to discuss ways in which they can render assistance to ensure the effective and efficient management of the upcoming elections.

The 118-year-old Mahaica Bridge will be re-opened to vehicular traffic by the end of April, according to Khiraj Bisesar, a Ministry of Public Works (MPW) engineer, overseeing the project.

Nine West Coast Demerara women will be able to improve their culinary skills through a cooking course organized by the police in ‘D’ Division and held at the Madina’s Halaal Restaurant at De Willem.

Guyana Goldfields on Friday continued to engage Civil Society in preparation for its upcoming production of gold this year at its Aurora Mine in the Cuyuni (Region Seven).

President Donald Ramotar on Monday charged newly-commissioned Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officers to maintain their dignity, integrity and professionalism during their service.

NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Leaders Guyana Jaguars continued their winning run in the WICB Professional Cricket League when they battered Leeward Islands Hurricanes by eight wickets inside three days here yesterday.

A man was released on $30,000 bail on Thursday after he made his second appearance at a city court, only this time charged with wounding two women.

Dear Editor, I extend to the APNU and the AFC congratulations on the historic agreement to contest the upcoming elections as a joint entity.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Rookie Shai Hope finally delivered on his immense promise, stroking his maiden regional first class hundred to put Barbados Pride in a strong position to beat Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in their sixth round WICB Professional Cricket League contest.

Dear Editor, Although I remain skeptical about the coalition strategy, I do welcome the compact between the two groups as a reflection of a hitherto elusive political maturity on the part of the leaderships of the APNU and the AFC.

Athletes from the Running Brave Athletic Club (RBAC) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) were the star performers of the second Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Development Meet yesterday.

Dear Editor, The GGMC in its halcyon days never attracted the public’s attention as has happened since its absorption within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

St. Rose’s High recorded the largest margin of victory to date in the third annual Milo/Petra Organization Secondary Schools u-20 football tourney, trouncing David Rose 12-0 yesterday at the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue.

Dear Editor, That once popular spot in Linden, Hoppy’s Snackette, renowned for fierce political discussions and arguments, hence the name ‘parliament’ (a name copied from the first authentic ‘parliament’ which was Deslyn’s Snackette situated at Greenheart Street and Independence Avenue) is no more.

Demerara skipper Ashmead Nedd, along with fellow spinners Jaspica Jones and Pradesh Balkisson yesterday scripted a comprehensive seven wicket win over the President’s XI in the first round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Under-15 50 overs-per-side Inter-county tournament.

Dear Editor, ‘Done deal’ the headline announced (SN Feb 15). According to the communique, it is just the beginning.

CAIRO, (Reuters) – Islamic State released a video yesterday that appeared to show the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned that his country would respond to the deaths as it saw fit.

Tourney host Pele FC, Beacons FC, Black Water and Western Tigers qualified for the u-17 semi-final section of the Frank Watson Memorial u-15 and u-17 tourney following quarterfinal wins yesterday.

ARNOS VALE, St Vincent, CMC – West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford grabbed a six-wicket haul to become the leading wicket-taker in regional first class cricket, as Windward Islands Volcanoes crushed Jamaica Franchise by an innings and 22 runs inside three days here yesterday.

Dear Editor,   It is evident that in the face of the tremendous challenges ahead, and continuous protest from the rice farmers, the government needs to work for more national cohesion and national unity.

Dear Editor, My brother works for an expatriate mining company that uses a trucking service to transport their workers.

DONETSK/ARTEMIVSK, Ukraine, (Reuters) – Ukraine’s rebels disavowed a new truce yesterday hours after it took effect, saying it did not apply to the town where most fighting has taken place in recent weeks.

(The Sports Xchange) – Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry made 13 shots in a row near the end and finished with a record 27 points in a terrific perimeter display to win the three-point shootout in New York on Saturday.

CAIRO, (Reuters) – An Egyptian court put ousted Islamist president Mohamed Mursi on trial yesterday on charges of endangering national security by leaking state secrets and sensitive documents to Qatar, furthering a state crackdown on his outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

(The Sports Xchange) – Rookie NBA forward Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points, leading seven in double figures as the World team defeated the U.S.

Dear Editor, The Independent Party (IP) joins the Guyana Bar Association’s (GBA) call for the immediate dissolution of parliament.

COPENHAGEN, (Reuters) – Police shot dead a 22-year-old Danish-born gunman yesterday after he killed two people at a Copenhagen synagogue and an event promoting free speech in actions possibly inspired by an attack on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, authorities said.

By David Comissiong   David Comissiong is an attorney-at-law, and a former senator in the Parliament of Barbados.

Dear Editor, I wish to comment on two aspects of traffic violation which seem to have been given the Nelson’s eye by motorists and the authorities.

ADELAIDE, (Reuters) – Virat Kohli scored an imperious century as India opened their World Cup defence in convincing fashion with a 76-run victory over Pakistan in a frenzied atmosphere at the Adelaide Oval yesterday.

Last Friday, two news items caught my eyes. The first was the Chief Justice’s ruling that the Minister of Finance violated the Constitution by authorising withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund without parliamentary approval, thereby causing excess expenditure totalling $4.554 billion to be incurred during the first half of 2014.

(Reuters) – David Miller and JP Duminy both scored centuries as South Africa overcame a real challenge from Zimbabwe to record a 62-run victory in their opening World Cup Pool B game in Hamilton yesterday.

Dear Editor,   American singing star, Katy Perry, used the stage at the Grammys to make a huge statement against domestic violence, with a survivor introducing the performer and President Barack Obama speaking against domestic violence and rape afterward.

Interviews and photos by Shabna Ullah As the date for general elections draws nearer we asked members of the public whether they are excited and would be voting  Noel Parkinson, NIS pensioner, ‘I’m not excited about the elections because as a Christian I don’t get into politics.

LONDON, (Reuters) – HSBC published a full-page letter in British newspapers yesterday to offer its “sincerest apologies” for past practices at its Swiss private bank, which has been accused of helping clients to evade tax.

The Cummingsburg Accord struck on Saturday by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) to contest the May 11 general elections on a joint slate will go down – win or lose – as the most significant coalition in opposition politics since independence, defying cynics who thought that it was impossible.

NELSON, New Zealand, CMC – West Indies, sent in by Ireland, reached 304 for seven off their 50 overs in their opening game of the ICC Cricket World Cup at Saxton Oval here yesterday.