Daily Archive: Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels today announced that in an effort to strengthen the capacity of the Guyana Prison Service applications from retired senior non-commissioned officers of the Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force and the Prison Service would be considered, a statement from the Department of Public Information (DPI) said.

A man whose mother summoned the police to report that he was behaving erratically was fatally shot on Monday by one of the police officers who responded to the family’s apartment in Brooklyn, the police said, according to the New York Times (NYT).

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for urgent political negotiations between the Venezuelan government and the opposition in an effort to curb escalating political tensions, a United Nations spokesman said today.

A  Guyana  Defence Force Private, Brian Samuel, 22,  is battling for his life at the GPHC, after being struck down today on the Bath Settlement Public Road, West Coast Berbice at about 1:30 am by a motorcycle during a security operation.

(Trinidad Guardian) A jilted husband and his friend were sentenced to death by hanging yesterday, for soliciting and contracting a hitman to murder the man’s ex-wife and her lover for $30,000 some 11 years ago.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuelan security officials seized two opposition leaders from their homes in overnight raids, their families said today, after they urged protests against a new legislative superbody widely denounced as anti-democratic.

Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud yesterday contested testimony that he had passed instructions to release the main suspect in the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger, maintaining that he had merely made suggestions and given his opinion on the matter.

Following the successes of the security forces in recapturing a number of recent prison escapees, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan yesterday said that nothing is being taken for granted in ensuring the integrity of prison facilities.

  Shawn Harris, one of the 13 inmates who fled from the Lusignan Prison pasture last Monday was yesterday morning apprehended in a house at Mocha, East Bank Demerara and two other persons who were present in the house at the time were also taken into custody.

Melvor Jeffrey, the teen who was recently recaptured after escaping from police custody at the Georgetown Public Hospital, faced seven charges yesterday, including five counts of armed robbery.

Nizam Khan, the businessman accused by his neighbour of plotting to kill President David Granger, yesterday rejected the allegation as false.

The Number Two Village, East Canje Berbice, 16-year-old, who was found with her throat slit on Saturday around 1 pm died from strangulation, according to the results of a post-mortem examination which was conducted yesterday.

A teenager of Recht door Zee, West Bank Demerara (WBD) was shot to her shoulder on Sunday while standing with a group of persons on Westminster Public Road, WBD around 8.30 pm just after the group had left church.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors lost their second practice match by five runs to the Select XI last evening, the game decided by an exciting super over at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence East Bank Demerara.

Four of the six prison warders who were injured during July 9 outbreak at the Georgetown Prison had revealed that they were shot by Uree Varswyk, one of the six inmates who escaped during the ordeal and is still to be apprehended.

Fitness Express has once again answered the call of the Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation Inc.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has said that he has gotten no word from President David Granger on consultations for the appointments of the Chancellor and Chief Justice and he is concerned about this delay.

Over the previous seven months, the Ministry of Communities has been able to spend $2.2 billion or 29% of its 2017 budget, with water identified as the sector lagging behind the most.

LONDON, CMC – West Indies captain Jason Holder has urged his inexperienced side to make the most of the three tour games in the build-up to the opening Test of the three-match series against England later next month.

The victim of the fatal Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD) accident was yesterday identified as Ingrid James of 1294 Section C, Block Y, Golden Grove, EBD.

Western Tigers, George-town Football Club (GFC), and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) secured contrasting wins when the Corona Beer Invitational football tournament continued on Sunday.

Almost one year after a special audit report was handed to government on the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL), its Chairman Robert Badal says the board is yet to see it but he said the utility is on top of receivables, which had been cited as a major problem.

Ann’s Grove downed Pele FC by a 3-1 margin, when the Hamilton Green football tournament continued Sunday at the Victoria Community Center ground, East Coast of Demerara.

At his trial for the 2009 murder of Woodette Roberts, Basil Morgan yesterday told the court that he neither killed, nor did he have anything to do with the man’s demise.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Guyanese Sachin Singh has been named to lead a 14-man West Indies Under-15 Invitational squad on a six-match limited overs tour of England starting next month.

Dear Editor, With all the drama of the Camp Street prison fire, jailbreak, pasture prison, tarmac prison, brick prison, Lusignan prisoners and security at war, prisoners shot and still no solution, I am hoping to see my son alive.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Assistant West Indies coach Andre Coley will take charge of Windward Islands Volcanoes for the upcoming Professional Cricket League season.

Dear Editor, As a dedicated and humble logger from the Essequibo Coast, I write to express grave concerns about the rights of small loggers in our country.

Turfites get ready, the stage is set for the ‘Four Horsemen’ grand Emancipation meet scheduled for today at the Port Mourant Turf Club.

Jermaine Smartt, the Guyanese man who had earlier this year admitted to smuggling cocaine into the United States by swallowing 39 pellets filled with the drug, but later pleaded not guilty, is expected to change his plea come early next month.

Dear Editor, In almost every policy of this administration and in almost every Bill tabled in the National Assembly, one can easily discern some element of authoritarianism.

In what can be described as the biggest upset in the tournament, emerging force Future Stars overcame Sparta Boss 7-6 to clinch their final’s berth in the ‘Keep Ya Five Alive’ Futsal Championship on Saturday.

Dear Editor Almost eighteen decades after emancipation, the general condition of African Guyanese is not as encouraging as one would want it to be.

An Albouystown man was yesterday charged with the fatal stabbing of a fellow fisherman that occurred at the Meadow Bank Wharf just over a week ago.

Relatives of Francis Persaud, who was fatally struck down on the Craig Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Sunday night, are calling for police to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.

Dear Editor, Here was the Vice-President of the Guyana Public Service Union on TV belabouring the fact that government was not disposed to negotiate with that union salary increases (and outdated allowances) retroactive to 2016.

On a night that featured penalty kick wins for Buxton Stars and Plaisance, Golden Grove downed Golden Warriors 2-0, when the Hamilton Green Football Championship continued on Saturday at the Victoria Community Center ground.

Paul Smith, 22, whose state of mind was questioned after he pleaded guilty to randomly wounding a woman near a city bus park, was yesterday ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation ahead of his sentencing.

BEIJING (Reuters) – China hit back yesterday after US President Donald Trump tweeted he was “very disappointed” in China following North Korea’s latest missile test, saying the problem did not arise in China and that all sides need to work for a solution.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Spinner Moeen Ali finished off South Africa with a hat-trick as England completed a crushing 239-run victory in the third test at the Oval yesterday to move 2-1 ahead in the series.

Dear Editor, It is with disappointment and dissatisfaction that I write this letter.

A Hadfield Street resident, who was positively identified by the victim of a shooting as the man who tried to kill him, was yesterday remanded to prison for attempted murder.

 (Reuters) – India’s clinical performance in thrashing Sri Lanka in the first test in Galle has left captain Virat Kohli facing a problem of plenty at the top of the batting order for the second match of the series this week.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The US embassy in Moscow accused Russian authorities yesterday of barring diplomatic staff from a property on the outskirts of Moscow, after having earlier agreed to grant access until midday today for them to retrieve belongings.

Dear Editor,   Reference is made to the letter titled, `What burning fire?’

Dear Editor, My term as Petroleum Adviser to President Granger began in March 2017, whereas the re-negotiation of the contract for the Stabroek Block was performed about a year earlier (early part of 2016). 

LIMA (Reuters) – Peru’s former left-leaning president Ollanta Humala and his wife asked an appeals court yesterday to free them from jail where they have been ordered to spend up to 18 months before a trial over allegations they took illegal funds from Brazilian builder Odebrecht.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Anti-government demonstrators barricaded streets yesterday and promised a fresh wave of protests against President Nicolas Maduro, after an election a day earlier giving the Venezuelan leader and his ruling Socialist Party sweeping powers.

The Mayor and City Council yesterday halted construction with immediate effect on a Regent and Wellington streets building, citing discrepancies with the western boundary.

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Cricket Australia is on the verge of an agreement with the players’ union to end the long impasse over a new pay deal and avoid the need for arbitration, local media reported on Monday.

Paradise Invaders and New Amsterdam United edged Monedderlust FC and Young Strikers respectively when the Berbice zone of the National Milling Company (NAMILCO) U17 national football league continued on Sunday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump ousted recently hired White House communications chief Anthony Scaramucci yesterday over an obscene tirade, sources familiar with the decision said, in the latest staff upheaval for the six-month-old administration.

A young man was yesterday granted his release on $50,000 bail after he denied stealing a cellphone.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The US government slapped sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro yesterday, the Trump’s administration’s toughest move so far against his government in response to Sunday’s election of a legislative superbody Washington denounced as a “sham” vote.

Dear Editor, I fully and emphatically endorse the letter titled ‘Banks need more efficient system of administration’ which appeared in SN, dated July 31.

Two Venezuelan nationals, who were remorseful for illegally entering Guyana, were yesterday both fined and ordered deported.

West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) upset the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) 1-0 when the GT Beer/Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) Intra-Association football tournament continued Sunday.

The main reason why the recent Georgetown Prison fire and its attendant consequences will remain etched in public consciousness for some time yet, has to do with the implications of the occurrence, or rather, the succession of occurrences, for citizens’ perceptions of the status of public safety.

The Venezuelan crisis has made it clear that the Trump administration has outsourced its South America policy to US Sen Marco Rubio.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump dictated a statement, later shown to be misleading, in which his son Donald Trump Jr said a meeting he had with a Russian lawyer in June 2016 was not related to his father’s presidential campaign, the Washington Post reported yesterday.

TORONTO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Brazil is investigating a plane crash in which three environmental enforcement agents were killed, a government spokesman said yesterday, a case which is the latest blow to efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest.

Dear Editor The practice of advertisers using clichés and phrases, particularly in radio and television commercials, such as: ‘Here is a breaking news alert’ or ‘Breaking news item’ or the more popular, ‘We interrupt this programme to bring you breaking news’ as an attention-getter to grab and hold the attention of the audience, depicts a lazy attitude among script writers in not seeking other and more original opening lines.