Daily Archive: Wednesday, May 20, 2015

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Veteran singer, actress and director Barbra Streisand, the top-selling female music artist of all time, will recount her six decades in show business in a memoir due in 2017, publishers Viking said on Wednesday.

President David A Granger this afternoon at the Presidential Complex, (to be renamed Ministry of the Presidency), swore in several Members of the Cabinet of the APNU+AFC government.

CANNES, France, (Reuters) – After a five-year hiatus to embrace motherhood, Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan marked her return to the big screen by taking on one of her most demanding roles, playing a mother whose child is kidnapped in thriller “Jazbaa.”

  Brigadier (rtd.) David A. Granger, Commander -in- Chief of the Armed Forces, this morning swore-in Retired Army Colonel Joseph Harmon as the Minister of State of the Ministry of the Presidency.

A decades-long search for oil offshore Guyana has finally yielded success with Exxon Mobil Corporation reporting a “significant oil discovery”.

R.K. Sharma who has been Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) has tendered his resignation with effect from June 18th, a release from the phone company said today.

The new Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs will be Basil Williams, President David Granger confirmed today during a meeting with public servants at the international convention centre at Liliendaal.

The Guyana International Convention Centre (GICC) is to be renamed for Guyana’s first President, the late Arthur Chung.

Prime Minister-designate of the APNU+AFC coalition, Moses Nagamootoo is to be sworn in as Prime Minister today at 3 pm at the Ministry of the Presidency formerly known as the Office of the President, GINA reported.

The police say that investigations are being conducted into a fatal accident that occurred at about 1945h.

At about 1830h. yesterday, the police say that Mark Simon, 29 years, of Liverpool, Corentyne, was involved in an argument with another man at Liverpool, over the alleged larceny of cattle, during which he was shot to his back and right foot and also chopped to his right foot.

Three of the seven bodies pulled from Sunday’s horrific mining accident at Konawaruk, Region Eight have been identified while the search for three others continue as questions grow over safety standards in the industry.

Former Justice of Appeal Claudette Singh has been tipped to replace Raphael Trotman as Speaker of the National Assembly, according to sources in the APNU+AFC coalition.

Former embattled Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj, who served as Guyana’s High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh, has resigned the position and is back home.

A breach of standard safety practices led to the collapse of a mining pit at Konawaruk on Sunday which claimed 10 lives and the mines body yesterday said it was prevented from taking action against this illicit operation around six weeks ago because of a court injunction.

Following a Central Committee meeting yesterday, the opposition PPP says it recognised the need to strengthen the party both organisationally and ideologically even as it continues to insist that it won the May 11th general elections.

President David Granger has instructed Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud to put a high level reshuffling in the Guyana Police Force on hold until a new Minister of Home Affairs is appointed.

Bandits broke and entered the house that was scorched and looted in Sophia on election night and carted off an estimated $2M in valuables in the wee hours of yesterday morning.

Transitions teams set up by the new government and the past administration continue to meet and according to Minister of State-designate Joseph Harmon they have established a mechanism to do a check of inventories of the state that were used by previous ministers, heads of agencies and other “VIPs.”

Bandits carted off over $32 million in local and US currency after a brazen midmorning home invasion at Courbane Park, Annandale yesterday.

This year there will be several changes in the way the country celebrates independence.

By Desiree Kissoon   The economic status of women in Guyana poses a serious problem, says United States Chargé d’Affaires Bryan Hunt.

Lawrence Wayne, who fatally shot a suspected bandit during a confrontation last August, was yesterday read a murder charge.

Former police constable Terrence Wallace, who is on trial for the murder of Shaquille Grant, yesterday said he did not shoot the 17-year-old and stuck by the claim that one of the teen’s friends had fired at him and other lawmen.

Although he implicated his co-accused, a construction worker was yesterday granted bail after denying that they attempted to break into a Kitty bar.

President David Granger started off his first official day as Guyana’s 8th President by meeting with the CARICOM Secretary General and the ambassadors for Brazil and Venezuela on Monday, stating that it was high on his agenda to boost infrastructural and economic development with immediate neighbours.

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter titled ‘UN Resident Coordinator must retract these statements on racial identities’ published in the Stabroek News letters column dated Monday, May 18, 2015.

Dear Editor, Guyana Water Inc wishes to respond to the letter published in the Monday, May 18 edition of the Stabroek News titled ‘Water supply change at Success/Chateau Margot’.

Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green on Monday urged senior officers to ensure that the policy making and administrative arm of the City Council work as a team while seeking their cooperation to aid in the restoration of the city.

The Government of Brazil has extended congratulations to President David Granger on his victory at the May 11 general elections and recommitted to continue deepening bilateral initiatives between the two nations.

Dear Editor, The Guyanese people are in collective mourning over the tragic loss of lives in the recent mining accident.

Dear Editor, In your editorial of May 18, 2015 it would appear that the writer sought to suggest that there is some impediment to the flow of information “from the appointed office”.

Dear Editor, We welcome the new APNU+AFC administration under President David Granger and would humbly recommend that when consideration is being given to the organization of government ministries that a Ministry of Women’s Affairs with Vice President’s status is considered.

Dear Editor, It is difficult at a distance to properly analyse reasons for the defeat of the Ramotar administration, but let me try to draw some parallels for the PPP to the British Labour Party, which too came to the end of a road at an early May General Election.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. assurances that Islamic State rebels were on the defensive even as they drove Iraqi forces from the key city of Ramadi are typical of the often unwarranted optimism that has characterized U.S.

With the conclusion of general elections and subsequent victory for the coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance for Change (AFC), wholesale changes will quickly occur across the ministerial platform of the nation.

Dear Editor, Thank God the PPP/C lost the general election. It’s a pity it did not happen fourteen years ago; I would still have been living in Guyana.

Dear Editor, For the first time since 1985, in the aftermath of a general election, the streets of Georgetown resounded with shouts of joy and wild celebrations.

Dear Editor, In 1972, the Umana Yana was built in 80 days by members of the Wai Wai community (see SN article by Maya Trotz, Sept15, 2014).

Chairman of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalization Committee Clinton Urling said the entity envisions having discussion with the newly elected administration as they aim to foster a prosperous relationship between the two bodies.

Dear Editor, It is amazing that individuals are now heavily critical of supposed irregularities in the counting of ballots at Gecom.

Guyana Jaguars Head Coach Esaun Crandon believes that the ongoing training sessions will serve as ideal preparation for the reigning champions ahead of their title defence in next season’s Professional Cricket League (PCL) four-day competition.

LONDON, (Reuters) – With a new cricket director, coach and chairman, England return to the field of play in the first test against New Zealand tomorrow following an extraordinary period of upheaval.

Dear Editor, However much that I am in agreement with Ms Ryhaan Shah and her quotes about human identity (SN, May 18), I do think that to consider ourselves first in the international (or marketing) arena as other than ‘Guyanese’ is counterproductive and divisive.

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Former Australia test batsman Justin Langer ruled himself out of the running for the England and India coaching jobs by signing a two-year contract extension with Western Australia yesterday.

BUJUMBURA, (Reuters) – Burundi police yesterday fired teargas and beat protesters demanding President Pierre Nkurunziza end his bid for a third term next month, in a resurgence of unrest that has stoked fears of ethnic conflict in Africa’s Great Lakes.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuela’s powerful parliamentary chief, Diosdado Cabello, yesterday slammed a Wall Street Journal report that U.S.

All-rounder Balchand Baldeo helped Albion to consecutive wins in the ongoing 2015 Raffik and Sons Construction second division 20-overs-a-side cricket competition played across venues in the Ancient County.

Dear Editor, I read Dr David Hinds’ gushing letter in SN of May 18, 2015, and could not help but be enthused by his enthusiasm of the coalition’s victory.

Dear Editor, Help & Shelter extends congratulations to President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and the APNU+AFC coalition government on their elections success.

(Reuters) – The International Cricket Council (ICC) looks set to make a string of changes to the rules of the 50-overs game to redress the balance between bat and ball in favour of the fielding team.

Dear Editor,   The evidence shows that Guyana’s ethnic voting pattern has remained constant with each passing election.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The West Indies Cricket Board will stage a series of town-hall meetings over the next three months, as it seeks to engage the public on the plethora of challenges facing the regional game.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The United States yesterday indicated its willingness to change pro-democracy programmes which it organizes in Cuba and which are condemned by Havana, removing one of the biggest impediments to restoring diplomatic ties.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Chinese Premier Li Keqiang came to the rescue of Brazil’s slumping economy yesterday with trade, finance and investment deals worth tens of billions of dollars in energy, mining, aviation and the upgrade of dilapidated infrastructure.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S government charged six Chinese nationals with economic espionage, saying they stole secrets from two companies that develop technology often used in military systems, the Department of Justice said yesterday.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC-Jamaica’s six-time Olympic gold medallist, Usain Bolt, says his main focus for the remainder of his sprinting career is to secure a legacy as the greatest athlete of all times.

Dear Editor.   Many persons are bewildered and dismayed by Swami Aksharananda donning the political garment through his recent letters, (five, I think), in the Stabroek News letter columns, especially his not so veiled political slant.

In just under two months after the Israeli general elections were held, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu whose Likud Party party won the largest number of seats – 30, in the country’s 120-seat parliament − has been able to able to cobble together a bare majority of 61 seats to retain leadership of the Government of Israel.

Given the betrayal of 1992, I would like to think that the May 11 General Election is the most momentous election since 1953.

Dear Editor,   To former President Donald Ramotar: As PPP/C supporters and Guyanese, don’t tell us what you want.

SALGAR, Colombia, (Reuters) – Colombian rescuers yesterday continued searching for victims of a landslide that sent torrents of water and mud crashing onto a neighbourhood in the town of Salgar, killing more than 60 people and injuring dozens in the worst disaster of its kind for a decade.

Mishap: This truck, GHH 7579 transporting cartons of Pepsi on the Mahaica Highway crashed into a pole yesterday and toppled. 

ACCRA, (Reuters) – West African leaders yesterday rejected a proposal to impose a region-wide limit to the number of terms presidents can serve, after opposition to the idea from Togo and Gambia, Ghana’s foreign minister said.

(Jamaica Observer) KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministry of Health has warned Jamaicans to take necessary precautions in light of the mosquito-borne Zika virus outbreak in Brazil, that could spread to the island.

Political relations in countries such as Guyana never cease to surprise.

The Mumbai Indians’(MI) fairytale journey continued as they booked their berth in the Pepsi IPL 2015 Finals after defeating the Chennai Super Kings by 25 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai yesterday.