Daily Archive: Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Accused of assaulting a woman with a beer bottle, a constable was today granted $75,000 bail on the

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Deepening her split with unpopular President Nicolas Maduro’s government, Venezuela’s chief prosecutor today accused security officers of excessive force and condemned the use of military tribunals to judge protesters.

MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – The Manchester suicide bomber who killed 22 people at a concert venue packed with children had recently returned from Libya, a British minister said, and her French counterpart said he had links with Islamic State and had probably visited Syria too.

Recent flashfloods have affected over 3,000 residents of Region Eight, where 266 farms and 56 houses were destroyed, the acting head of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) announced yesterday.

City councillors tasked with renegotiating the controversial Georgetown metered parking deal were yesterday told they would have to restart the process from scratch because the current contract is illegal.

Workers from the Enmore sugar estate came out in large numbers yesterday and were joined by their families as well as minibus drivers and vendors to voice their displeasure over the planned closure of the facility.

The Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce will lead a delegation of 22 companies on a trade mission to Guyana from June 12 to 13, 2017.

The Local Organising Committee of the South American Juniors track and field championships which will be held here next month yesterday said that everything was in place for a successful championships.

Three men, who were arrested for the pirate attack that claimed the life of boat captain Mahadeo Ramdial last week, have confessed to the crime, in which they stole $3,000 in fish as well as a boat engine, according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum.

The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) is currently seeking international assistance in an effort to retrieve information that has been “wiped” from a Digital Video Recording (DVR) device that it took into its possession as part of its probe into the almost 85 kilos of cocaine recently found at Zeelugt.

Guyana’s leading youth and sports organization, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, will stage a special T20 cricket tournament in honour of its Patron, His Excellency President David Granger’s 72nd birth anniversary.

The Board of Directors of the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo) has approved as part of the Uitvlugt Estate Improvement Programme for interested cane farmers with the requisite capacity to be leased lands at Uitvlugt Estate.

(BBC) Sporting events and venues in England are conducting major security reviews after 22 people were killed in an attack at Manchester Arena.

The proprietor of Shiva Woodworking passed away last week Wednesday. Remembered as a very quiet and private person by his family, 63-year-old Sewnarine Singh of the well-known Shiva Woodworking in Enmore, East Coast Demerara, passed away May 17th and was cremated on May 21st.

Ten persons have been appointed Referees Development Officers (RDOs) following a training session on May 20th at the Boardroom of the  Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Secretariat.

After receiving emergency funds to pay off a debt to the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), the Government Information Agency (GINA) used some of the money to replenish its accounts after paying bonuses to its staff in 2015, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was told on Monday.

HOVE, England, CMC – Outstanding Jofra Archer once again pressed home his all-rounder credentials as he smashed a high class half-century to help Sussex take command of their Division Two County Championship match against Durham here yesterday.

(Reuters) – San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili walked off the AT&T Center court for perhaps the final time in his brilliant career on Monday, showered with cheers from the home crowd and respect from both teams.

Neville Chandrawattie, who was charged with the 2007 murder of gold and diamond dealer Dharam Chanmangra during a robbery, was yesterday committed to stand trial for the crime.

Vellone Thorne and Trifon Parris, who were jointly charged with the alleged reprisal killing of Gladstone ‘Tuffy’ Taylor, were yesterday freed after a city magistrate found that there was insufficient evidence to have the men stand trial for the crime.

PARIS, (Reuters) – Security worries could create a tense atmosphere at the French Open this year after a bomb attack on a British concert hall killed 22 people, French tennis player Lucas Pouille said yesterday.

KRASNODAR, Russia,  (Reuters) – Russia’s preparations for hosting the soccer World Cup next year are on track, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the head of world soccer’s governing body, FIFA, yesterday.

Registrar of Deeds, Azeena Baksh was yesterday faced with a fraud charge for allegedly authorizing payments to herself amounting to a total of just over $4.5 million.

KINGSTON, Jamaica,  CMC – Barbados stunned World number four Jamaica with a pulsating 43-41 victory here Monday night, stealing a 1-1 draw in the three-Test series and registering their first win over the Caribbean powerhouses in 33 years.

Former Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall has said that correspondence received earlier this month from publisher Lexis Nexis (UK) corroborates his position that the company never sold or delivered any law reports to the Government of Guyana.

A call is being made for the government to review the appointment of Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) President Patrick Yarde as acting Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) due to the concern that it may be a conflict of interest for him.

(The Sports Xchange) – Atlanta Hawks All-Star forward Paul Millsap has opted out of his contract for next season to become a free agent this summer, according to multiple reports Monday.

Dear Editor, We, the former heads of state and government who have signed declarations of the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA-Democrática), respectfully address the Honourable Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Caribbean states, as well as the people of the Caribbean, in order to express our indignation and strong public condemnation of the flagrant and escalating repression by the dictatorial and military government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.

(The Sports Xchange) – Stephen Curry scored 36 points and Kevin Durant added 29 points and 12 rebounds as the Golden State Warriors strolled to a 129-115 win over San Antonio Spurs on Monday to complete a four-game sweep of the Western Conference finals.

(Reuters) – England all-rounder Ben Stokes says batting tips from Australia captain and IPL team mate Steve Smith was key to helping him improve as a player following a hugely successful debut season in the lucrative Indian Twenty20 tournament.

Dear Editor, What if…? What if, before dismantling the sugar industry, we shifted our focus from the (traditional) sugar product to bagasse?

Daniel Ali, a Trinidadian man who is wanted in his homeland for fraud, was yesterday sentenced to two years in jail for forgery and making a false declaration.

Dear Editor, The announcement by the Attorney General of the impending appointment of a new Governing Board of the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority Act (DCRA), must not be misinterpreted.

The Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc (GSCL Inc.) is set to host its annual Independence Cup T20 softball competition this Friday at the Everest Cricket Club Ground.

The report, ‘Linden driver guilty of causing cop’s death,’ which was published in the May 23, 2017 edition incorrectly reported that Ron Cole was convicted for causing the death of traffic policeman Nakosi ‘Kelvin’ LaFleur.

City Hall is being audited by the Auditor General’s Office, Mayor Patricia Chase-Green told city councillors on Monday.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – Australia’s cricket board gambled that greed would motivate top players into accepting a pay offer and while that bet has backfired the parties are likely to thrash out a deal in time to avert an Ashes boycott, former captain Ian Chappell has said.

Dear Editor, During December last year one of my friends was unjustly charged by a member of the City Constabulary with a very minor traffic offence.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela has arrested the manager of the Petropiar heavy crude upgrader, owned by state oil company PDVSA and U.S.

The Guyana Government is taking the wait-and-see approach when it comes to the proposed US Border Wall Funding Act of 2017.

LONDON/MANCHESTER, England,  (Reuters) – Soldiers will be deployed to key sites in Britain to boost security as the country raised its terror threat to the highest level of “critical” following a suicide attack in Manchester that killed 22 people, including children.

PARIS, (Reuters) – French anti-corruption police searched the homes of Paris Saint-Germain footballers Angel Di Maria and Javier Pastore as well as the club’s offices yesterday as part of an investigation into alleged financial offences, a source close to the probe said.

Dear Editor, Chairman of GPL, coalition financier Robert Badal, disparaged former President and Leader of the Opposition, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

MADRID,  (Reuters) – Former Barcelona football club president Sandro Rosell was arrested yesterday as part of an investigation into money laundering, a Spanish police spokesman said.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump asked lawmakers yesterday to cut $3.6 trillion in government spending over the next decade, taking aim at healthcare and food assistance programs for the poor in an austere budget that also boosts the military.

Dear Editor, I respond now to a letter from the Swami Aksharananda in your edition of May 16 (‘While disagreeing with ideas the sanctity of the person must remain intact’).

Caricom Foreign Ministers have called for the opposing parties in Venezuela to soften their deeply entrenched positions, so that trust could be built in order to facilitate dialogue and a peaceful resolution to the current crisis.

Bids were opened yesterday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for the Procurement of Emergency Pharmaceutical Supplies for Regional and Clinic Services.

Dear Editor, The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has taken note of similar letters appearing in the May 21 Kaieteur News and the May 22 Stabroek News, the latter of which was captioned ‘GAWU’s priority seems not to be workers’ representation but to mobilize around another cause’, which were authored by the corporation’s Senior Communications Officer, Ms Audreyanna Thomas.

The previous five columns explored several recent developments in the foreign exchange market.

(Reuters) – England pace spearhead James Anderson faces a battle to be fit for the opening test against South Africa in July after scans confirmed he had suffered a tear to his right groin when playing for Lancashire in the county championship.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – A New York state appeals court yesterday ruled that Exxon Mobil Corp should be compelled to turn over records in an investigation into how much the company knew about global warming as it continued to publicly downplay the effects it was expected to have on the fossil fuel industry.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuela’s unpopular President Nicolas Maduro yesterday vowed to push ahead with a new congress to rewrite the constitution, despite dissent within his own ranks and major protests in the OPEC nation convulsed by nearly two months of unrest.

The recently completed Draft Strategic Plan for Social Cohesion in Guyana, 2017-2021 (SP) (http://www.motp.gov.gy/images/documents/draft_social_cohesion_strategis_plan_2017_2021.pdf),

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuela yesterday announced a new foreign exchange auction mechanism to complement its currency control system, the fifth such plan in four years by a socialist government that has repeatedly balked at reforming its state-led economic system.

  WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – President Donald Trump has tapped a longtime legal adviser to serve as his private attorney as a special counsel investigates whether his campaign worked with Russia in last year’s election, news media reported yesterday.

Dear Editor, It has been observed that some government agencies are becoming places of chaos.

As we celebrate fifty-one years of independence, it’s a good time to put aside our differences –political, religious, etc ‒ and ask ourselves what are the long term plans we have, and which we should be putting in place for our children and grandchildren and future generations.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Actor Roger Moore, who earned international fame playing British secret agent James Bond in seven movies, died of cancer yesterday at the age of 89, his family said.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Brazilian police yesterday arrested a presidential aide and two ex-governors as part of an investigation into the 2014 World Cup’s most expensive stadium, another black eye for the country’s political establishment that adds pressure on beleaguered President Michel Temer.

A project aimed at nurturing the best ideas from the young people of the country was launched on Monday by the government.

In yesterday’s edition of Stabroek News on page 3 under the headline `GBTI to recover funds lost in alleged fraud – Board Chairman’,  it may have been inferred from the fourth paragraph that the name of a bank customer was uttered by the Chairman, Robin Stoby.