Daily Archive: Thursday, August 25, 2016

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson topped a Forbes magazine list of the world’s highest paid actors on Thursday with an estimated 2016 payday of $64.5 million.

(Trinidad Guardian) The Ministry of Health has teamed up with several local and regional stakeholders to develop new response to the Zika virus as it threatens the tourism industry and sparks panic among pregnant women as medical studies are linking potential serious birth defects to newborn babies.

A final offer for differentiated wage increases for public servants ranging from 10% at the lowest scale to 1% at the highest has been made by the Guyana Government and the GPSU is to consider the proposal.

Former Minister of Health Dr Noel Blackman yesterday pleaded guilty in a New York court to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a controlled substance, and is expected to be sentenced early next year.

The relocation of the Walter Roth Museum has been placed on hold as consultations will be held with stakeholders, including museum staff and members of the indigenous population before any further decision is taken.

A Tucville businessman was taken into police custody after he opened fire on a vehicle that turned onto his bridge on Tuesday night, killing the driver and injuring his companion.

-says contract should be scrapped   Even as Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton prepares to hand over  a public apology tomorrow to  Parliament for misleading it on August 4th on the pharmaceutical bond contract, former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran says that it will not suffice.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has pointed to Tuesday’s fatal shooting of a man by a licensed firearm holder as an example of why there is a need for the review of firearm licences with a view to revoking some of them.

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has launched an investigation into the death on Monday of a mother of nine, who sustained a broken leg and was sent away from the hospital twice without receiving the needed surgery.

The Quartzstone mine to be operated by Sun and Sand Mining Resources Inc will not use any mercury or other reagents but will use new technology to ensure gold recovery of at least 90%, the project’s head Mukesh Arora told a poorly attended scoping meeting in Bartica on Monday.

The University of Guyana (UG) yesterday announced that it was seeking $5.2b from the government for financial year 2017 and it also unveiled a raft of administrative changes.

Last month the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) signed an agreement to provide USD$33,000,000 towards sustainable infrastructure projects in the Caribbean.

The main suspect in the murder of 14-year-old Akeem Grimmond is expected to be charged in a Berbice court today.

An alleged pirate was found dead with his hands and feet bound around 19:30 hrs yesterday at the Number 68 Village backdam.

Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry admitted that more support for local athletes is needed if they are to excel on the world stage.

As investigations continue into the hiring of drug convict Lear Goring as the Debt Collection Manager of the Guyana Water Inc (GWI), information has surfaced that another key functionary was hired by the utility without the job being advertised.

Director of Sports, Christopher Jones, has delivered on his promise to the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) facility.

The mother of Tuschen fisherman Salman Khan is unsatisfied with the pace of the police investigation into her son’s murder and has taken the decision to offer a reward for information that could lead to his killer(s) being brought to justice.

Guyana’s badminton team won a silver medal in the team events of the annual CAREBACO champions after losing 2-3 to the Dominican Republic in an exciting final Tuesday at the Caribbean Badminton Championships in Aruba.

The lawyer for New York-based Guyanese businessman, Ed Ahmad is now seeking a November, 2016 date for his sentencing for mortgage fraud conspiracy.

When Dexter ‘The Cobra’ Gonsalves faces DeMarcus ‘Chop Chop’ Corley on Saturday, he will meet his first former world titlist.

In an effort to curb the high incidence of violence at the community level, the Ministry of Public Security in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) launched the first component of the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) yesterday in South Ruimveldt.

Pepsi Hikers continued their unbeaten in the Lucozade Indoor Hockey Championship, downing Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Vintage 7-4 on Tuesday at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.

Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan last Thursday said that he and his counterpart in Suriname are working together closely to fight piracy in both countries.

On Monday, Michael Ten-Pow was accredited as the Permanent Representative and Ambassador Extra-ordinary and Plenipotentiary of Guyana to the United Nations.

After partnering with the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) last year to box off several successful tournaments, the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) will once again brand and sponsor an upcoming competition, which will be staged on Sunday.

Barbadian units Cosmos and Gall Hill as well as LP local outfit Fruta Conquerors were among the winners yesterday when the Caribbean Children Charity Shield Soccer Classic commenced at the Camp Ayanganna ground.

A man who was reportedly captured on close circuit television committing a brazen robbery at an internet café, was yesterday remanded to prison.

A misunderstanding between two taxi drivers about who would pick up a customer, led to an altercation which landed them before a city court yesterday.

LONDON, (Reuters) – English League Cup holders Manchester City will begin their defence of the trophy at fellow Premier club Swansea City following the third-round draw yesterday.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Roger Federer, who is sidelined for the rest of the year, said  yesterday he plans to return to competition in Australia in January at the Hopman Cup and the Australian Open.

The Liliendaal Acrow Panel Bridge is slated for a massive facelift.

In an effort to improve the quality of officiating, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), in partnership with the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), officially launched the Referee’s Assistant Programme (RAP) yesterday.

Last week an exercise involving the planting of approximately 12,000 black mangrove seedlings along the Better Hope foreshore commenced.

BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) – South America soccer was run as a fiefdom by a few leading officials for personal gain before they were brought to account by U.S.

Collis Amos, the second alleged bandit who was captured and severely beaten by a group of persons in North Ruimveldt last week, was yesterday charged and remanded to prison.

More than a year after Orpheus Johnson was charged with the murder of Nandy Park miner Travis Rudder, a date for the beginning of the preliminary inquiry into the charge has finally been set.

SAO PAULO, (Reuters) – Brazilian police arrested suspects yesterday accused of defrauding sports confederations of public money, just three days after the Olympic Games ended in Rio de Janeiro.

The prosecution yesterday presented two witnesses in the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the charge of murdering Courtney Crum-Ewing.

LONDON, (Reuters) – England will not force any player to tour Bangladesh, limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan said, in the wake of the July 1 attack on a Dhaka cafe in which 22 people were killed.

HAVANA,  (Reuters) – Colombia’s government and leftist FARC rebels signed a final peace deal yesterday to end a 50-year-old guerrilla war, one of the world’s longest conflicts which took the resource-rich country to the brink of collapse.

Dear Editor, Those in society who fought for change in the manner in which the government functions and elected representatives conduct the people’s business carry a corresponding responsibility to hold this new administration accountable to universal acceptable standards.

(Reuters) – England beat Pakistan by 44 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis scoring method in a rain-affected first one-day international in Southampton yesterday.

A taxi driver was yesterday granted $150,000 bail by a city magistrate after he was charged with unlawfully wounding a man who refused to work for him.

The National Sports Commission and the National School of Music on Friday concluded their August Vacation programmes, which saw the participation of over 500 children from across the country.

KARKAMIS, Turkey/ANKARA, (Reuters) – Syrian rebels backed by Turkish special forces, tanks and warplanes entered one of Islamic State’s last strongholds on the Turkish-Syrian border yesterday, in Turkey’s first major U.S.-backed

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Australia’s James Faulkner claimed his maiden hat-trick but could not deny Sri Lanka a series-levelling 82-run victory in the second one-day international yesterday.

Dear Editor, It is with utter disgust and anger that I pen this letter, given the total disregard shown to residents living aback the Providence Stadium by members of the police force and the owners of HJ’s Water World Fun Park.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – If the U.S. presidential election were held today, Democrat Hillary Clinton would win the key swing states of Florida, Ohio and Virginia and have a 95 percent chance of beating Republican Donald Trump to become America’s first female president, according to the Reuters/Ipsos States of the Nation project.

Newspaper columnist and activist Freddie Kissoon on Tuesday testified at the trial of the men charged with dousing him with human faeces.

(Reuters) – Australia captain Steve Smith is to leave the tour of Sri Lanka and return home to rest ahead of their limited-overs series in South Africa before they host the Proteas at the start of a heavy home schedule.

Dear Editor, I’m a resident of Kara Kara, Mackenzie and since the election of our Mayor, my garbage hasn’t been collected. 

While the region’s students have improved their performance in English at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations this year, there have been noticeable declines in the pass rate in Mathematics and English B as well as a minimal decline in the overall pass rate.

ST.JOHN’S, Antigua,  CMC- Antigua and Barbuda’s sports minister Chet Green has announced that there will be a “major” shake-up at the Ministry of Sports as part of plans geared at boosting the country’s profile in international sports.

OTTAWA,  (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was knocked off message as he marshaled his cabinet back to work this week, distracted by recent spending miscues involving top ministers in the first major wobble of his Liberal government.

Dear Editor, I refer to a letter written by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr Basil Williams, published in the August 24 edition of your newspaper (‘The Deeds Registry has always been administered by the government and not the judiciary’).

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates,  CMC- The Queen’s Park oval in Trinidad and Tobago runs the risk of being sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after its outfield was given a “poor” rating by match referees.

The Guyana Association of Bankers (GAB) has publicly registered its concern and dismay at the publication of account information of embattled Permanent Secretary Omar Shariff.

Dear Editor, Karasabai village sits on the periphery, south of the mighty Pakaraima mountains in a remote area of the Rupununi.

CHICAGO,  (Reuters) – Florida Governor Rick Scott yesterday said the federal government has so far not delivered all of the Zika antibody tests and laboratory support he has requested as the state battles the spread of the virus.

UNITED NATIONS,  (Reuters) – Syrian government troops were responsible for two toxic gas attacks and Islamic State militants used sulfur mustard gas, a joint investigation by the United Nations and the global chemical weapons watchdog found yesterday, according to a confidential report seen by Reuters.

While some teachers are expecting payments from a 2011 debunching agreement that was secured by their union, Perma-nent Secretary Delma Nedd says the Ministry of Education (MoE) never agreed to make any such payment.

ST.GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC- Grenadian track and field coach Albert Joseph who discovered Kirani James a decade and a half ago says the Olympic silver medalist must embark on a comprehensive review of his training method after he was upstaged by South African Wayde van Niekerk.

The family of a Zeelugt man is seeking the public’s assistance to raise funds for him to undergo an emergency surgery to prevent him from going completely blind.

TAMPA, Fla., (Reuters) – The captain of the doomed El Faro cargo ship sounded an alarm for his crew to abandon the vessel shortly before it sank last fall in a hurricane near the Bahamas, killing all 33 onboard, the U.S.

Dear Editor, Caribbean Cinemas located at Giftland Mall in Guyana, wishes to advise about a letter sent regarding underage children accessing R rated movies (‘Parents took children to Giftland Movie Theatre to watch R-rated movie’ SN, August 22).

Dear Editor, With respect to your news article ‘CCJ sets aside rulings over Essequibo rice lands’ (SN, August 24), Omeshwar Misir obtained transported title to seven acres of rice land in the year 1999.

Politikles

PARIS, France,  CMC– Jamaica’s newest Olympic sensation Elaine Thompson is set to headline a strong field in the Paris Diamond League scheduled to take place tomorrow.

The Americans have Kennewick Man, the Chinese, Peking; the Indonesians, Java, but the Africans are most blessed as the indisputable cradle of mankind, with a breathtaking range of choices from the legendary Lucy and Ardi in Ethiopia, to the Black Skull of Kenya, Toumai in Chad and Twiggy from Tanzania.

ACCUMOLI, Italy, (Reuters) – An earthquake flattened towns in central Italy in the early hours of  yesterday, killing at least 120 people and burying some alive in their sleep, with volunteers and firefighters racing to free those trapped under mounds of rubble as darkness fell.

Cartoon

On Monday last, the body of 14-year-old Akeem Grimmond was found in a drain some 300 feet away from his home; he had been suffocated and a man has since been held in connection with his murder.

An oral confession by Seion Odinga Brammer, who is on trial for possession for ganja trafficking, was on Tuesday deemed admissible by a city magistrate.