Daily Archive: Friday, August 4, 2017

Members of Parliament today joined in the birth anniversary celebration of colleague and Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan.

At approximately 1.40 this morning, the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) suffered an interruption in service due to a fault on the breaker of the F6 Feeder, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) said today.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor and Pulitzer-winning playwright Sam Shepard has died from complications related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a representative for his family said on Monday.

A report on the way forward for the controversial parking meters project has been handed over by city councillor Malcolm Ferreira to the Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia Chase-Green and Town Clerk,Royston King  and will be presented to the full council on August 14, a release from City Hall said today.

The Catholic Standard newspaper says its phone line, 226-2195 has been down since March and repeated complaints to GTT has not produced any result.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuela today inaugurated a new legislative superbody that is expected to rewrite the constitution and give vast new powers to the ruling Socialist Party, defying worldwide condemnation that the new assembly undermines democratic freedoms.

ISLAMABAD, (Reuters) – Pakistan’s new prime minister called on Friday for an investigation into allegations that opposition leader Imran Khan harassed a woman lawmaker, charges Khan dismisses as revenge for his role in the ouster of then-premier Nawaz Sharif.

(Trinidad Guardian) Stacy Mohammed and her 15-year-old son Antonio were two of the 30 passengers who were on board American Airlines Flight 2713 from Miami on Wednesday night who were thanking God for life yesterday.

At press time this morning  the National Assembly was involved in fierce debate on the Broadcast (Amend-ment) Bill 2017 with PM Moses Nagamootoo defending a controversial provision for all broadcasters to carry one hour of public service programmes each day.

Improvised weapons, mobile phones and marijuana have been uncovered following searches at the prisons at Timehri and New Amsterdam and the holding area outside of the Lusignan Prison and acting Prisons Director Gladwin Samuels yesterday said that the lives of his officers have since been threatened.

Masked bandits on Wednesday night murdered a Guyanese national after invading his home in Orange Valley, Antigua.

An investigation has been launched into a mining accident which occurred on Monday last and claimed the life of one miner and left another injured after a tree fell on them while they were working on the left bank of the Puruni River in Mining District 3, Region 7 (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

  The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has launched an investigation into the death of a 17-year-old after she delivered her baby via caesarian section in the maternity ward on Tuesday.

Cevons Waste Management and Puran Brothers have threatened to withdraw their garbage collection services on Sunday due to the Mayor and City Council’s (MCC) failure to honour their commitment to pay meet outstanding amounts.

A total of approximately $85 million in supplementary funding was approved last evening by the National Assembly for the Public Procurement Commission and the Public Service Appellate Tribunal.

Bandits yesterday robbed an E-Networks store, its staff and customers at Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara and both the company’s management and police believe that the perpetrators are the same persons who carried out a similar attack at another branch less than 24 hours before.

The National Assembly last evening approved a total of $116.3M in supplementary funds for the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA), after House Speaker Dr Barton Scotland overruled objections by the opposition PPP/C to the manner in which the requests for the allocations were made.

The family of Dwayne Jeune, the Guyanese man shot and killed by a policeman in an East Flatbush, New York apartment on Monday, is currently engaging with lawyers, although there have been no confirmed reports of action to be taken by the state.

MADRID,(Reuters) – Neymar completed his record-shattering transfer from Barcelona to Paris St Germain on Thursday, signing a five-year deal with the French club after they triggered his 222 million euros ($263 million) release clause.

A 21-year-old woman was yesterday charged with killing her husband, who was fatally stabbed at a Queen Street, Kitty residence last Friday.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association announced they had agreed a new pay deal “in principle” on Thursday, finally ending an acrimonious dispute that threatened a tour of Bangladesh and this year’s Ashes series.

  President David Granger says that the opening of Guyana’s 10th Magisterial District is not an instruction of the Executive but an initiative of the Judiciary which is a manifestation of the independence that this critical branch of Government enjoys under the current administration.

Three members of a Kildonan family were yesterday charged with possession of a shotgun.

Three men were yesterday charged with the murder of Dhanpaul Dookie, who was fatally stabbed during a robbery at his Uitspa Village, Demerara River home last week.

Kares Engineering Inc has replaced Digicel as the title sponsor of the Boyce/Jefford Track and Field Classic.

Cycling action returns to the inner circuit of the National Park tomorrow with the staging of the 14th Annual Seven Seas 11-race programme.

A woman was yesterday read three forgery charges after police alleged that she inflated the amount granted in a cheque issued by the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

– defeat Pentecostal Fire 83-77 South Assembly were crowned the new Linden Inter-Church Basketball Champions, defeating Pentecostal Fire 83-77 in the finale on Monday, at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard-court, Linden.

Under increasing pressure over blackouts, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) yesterday said that Sunday’s total shutdown was due to a generation shortfall and it cited careless tree trimming and burnt jumpers as causes of other outages.

Dear Editor, Reference is made to the article published in the August 2, 2017 edition of the Kaieteur News, under the headline, ‘GCCI to push for seats on 16 State Boards’.

Dear Editor, I respond to the letter penned by Rev Gideon Cecil under the caption ‘Work on Agriculture Road is not being properly done’, published in your Friday, July 21, 2017 edition.

In what is likely to be seen as an initiative aimed at easing the strained relationship between government and the private sector, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President Deodat Indar used last Thursday’s launch of the entity’s 2017 Business Guyana Magazine to signal the chamber’s pursuit of a range of collaborative initiatives with government.

The decomposing body of a Port Kaituma gold miner was found at Black Water Creek, Cuyuni-Mazaruni on Monday.

Yesterday, the Parliament Office officially launched its Youth Parliament which is expected to see the participation of 40 students from secondary schools across nine administrative regions, the Department of Public Information (DPI) said.

LONDON, CMC – The track and field world is set to bid farewell to the greatest sprinter of all time in Usain Bolt when the IAAF World Championships gets going here this weekend.

A firm contractual agreement between the state-run Cuban entity Alimport and the local rice milling giant Nand Persaud and Company paving the way for the imminent commencement of rice exports from Guyana to Cuba has now been signed and sealed, bringing to an end months of negotiations; a new chapter in trade relations between the two countries is on the horizon.

Dear Editor, According to a report in the August 2, 2017 edition of the online news magazine ‘News Source’ , a 25-year old father of eight children, Mr Derick Persaud, was charged and refused bail for the possession of two ounces of marijuana. 

An Eccles man was yesterday remanded to prison on narcotics trafficking charges.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson says she is over her Achilles tendon niggle and is feeling confident as she aims to add the 100 metres world title to her trophy cabinet.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) yesterday called on the government to send the recently passed Tobacco Control Bill 2017 to a select committee of Parliament.

More than any of the various sectors comprising the Guyana economy, the manufacturing sector had been ‘marking time’ for several years.

Dear Editor, The undersigned broadcasters, media owners and representatives have sent the following letter to Prime Minister and First Vice President Moses V Nagamootoo with regard to the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2017: “With reference to the above, we, the undersigned Media Proprietors, Operators and Representatives respectfully seek an audience to engage with you on our related concerns.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Christian Coleman may be a newcomer to international competition but the young American sprinter is not backing down on his chances against the likes of Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin in the World Athletics Championships 100 metres.

Residents from Anna Regina and Charity in Essequibo, Region Two were promised a normal supply of electricity by the end of yesterday.

Dear Editor, There is no debating that the use of tobacco has proven detrimental to man’s health, life and livelihood, and that responsible government would have to take measures to protect the health and wellness of society.

The decidedly low-key programme executed by the Government of Guyana to mark National Cooperatives Week did much, if indeed anything more needed to be done, to underscore the cataclysmic decline of the movement over the decades since the then People’s National Congress administration promulgated cooperatives as the third sector of a tri-sectoral Guyana economy.

A Bagotville, West Bank Demerara man was arrested after the armed robbery of a La Parfaite Harmonie Supermarket yesterday.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Kevin Sinclair narrowly missed out on a hundred as Guyana frustrated Barbados to draw their third round game in the Regional Under-19 Championship here Thursday.

Dear Editor In E B John’s letter captioned ‘Letter was full of assumptions’ (SN, August 3) he alleges that Mike Singh’s letter ‘Why did GuySuCo not pursue the ethanol option?’

A miner was yesterday granted his release on $100,000 bail after he denied a robbery with violence charge.

Dear Editor, I presented a paper at the recent University of Guyana (UG) Diaspora Conference where I sought to both critique our current approach to diaspora engagement and suggest some ways in which we can begin to think differently about the subject.

Police on Wednesday destroyed by fire, approximately three acres of cultivated cannabis and a camp at Suribana, Essequibo River, a statement from the police said yesterday.

This is part of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Cooperatives and the World of Work series.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Half-centuries from captain Johnnel Eugene and opener Kimani Melius underlined a gallant Windward Islands run chase but the knocks went in vain as Leeward Islands pulled off a narrow 15-run victory in their third round game in the Regional Under-19 Championship here Thursday.

Gold Prices for the three-day period ending Thursday August 3, 2017Kitco is a Canadian company that buys and sells precious metals such as gold, copper and silver.

Trials to determine which areas here are conducive for the production of Quinoa are likely to begin this September, a release from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) said on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – A grand jury has issued subpoenas in connection with a June 2016 meeting that included President Donald Trump’s son, his son-in-law and a Russian lawyer, two sources told Reuters on Thursday, signaling an investigation is gathering pace into suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S.

The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) has announced that it is now offering its customers a more advanced and secure transaction tool in the form of the EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) chip card, a global standard for credit cards that uses computer chips to both authenticate and secure chip-card transactions.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts CMC – Number 11 Kishawn Graham saw out the last four balls of a tense final day to stave off defeat for Jamaica and frustrate Trinidad and Tobago’s victory bid, in their drama-filled third round encounter of the Regional Under-19 Championship here Thursday.

Dear Editor, In the Demerara Waves of August 3, 2017, some comments were attributed to Dr David Hinds.

The Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) recently concluded a ‘Week of Activities’ from July 23-30, 2017 to mark  World Day Against Trafficking in Persons which is observed on July 30, 2017.

The Second Ground Entertainment coordinated Extra Beer ‘Ballers in the Summer’ Street Football Championship will commence today at the Pouderoyen Tarmac with eight elimination fixtures.

Dear Editor, The move by government to launch a Commission of Inquiry(CoI) into an alleged plot to assassinate the President is nothing more than a smokescreen.

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, (Reuters) – U.S. cities that refuse to step up efforts to focus on crimes committed by illegal immigrants will not be allowed to participate in a new crime reduction training program unveiled earlier this year by the Justice Department, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said yesterday.

(Reuters) – Jamaica’s 4x400m world championship bronze medalist Riker Hylton has been cleared of an alleged doping violation by an independent anti-doping panel in Kingston.

COLOMBO,(Reuters) – Cheteshwar Pujara registered his second century of the series while Ajinkya Rahane also notched up a hundred as two of India’s most dependable batsmen laid the foundation for a massive first innings total in the second test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

The Inaugural Bartica 4 x 4 Safari, was launched yesterday and runs from August 18 to 20, 2017.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – The Venezuelan state prosecutor’s office yesterday asked a local court to halt the inauguration of the country’s new 545-member legislative superbody, citing allegations that the government fudged the results of the vote that created it.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – South American trade bloc Mercosur will trigger its democratic clause this weekend to suspend Venezuela indefinitely and not allow it back until democracy is restored, a Brazilian government source said yesterday.

Following on the heels of the conclusion of a major rice export contract with Cuba (see report in this issue of Stabroek Business) this newspaper has learnt of several other bilateral business agreements between Guyana and Cuba are currently in various stages of completion.

Dear Editor, There are some positive things happening in Guyana that we don’t seem to hear about.

Reuters) – Wladimir Klitschko ruled the heavyweight scene with a steel glove for more than a decade yet it was a defeat by Anthony Joshua which ensured the Ukrainian retired on Thursday with the universal respect that eluded him for so long.

(Trinidad Express) The number of passengers injured as a result of the turbulence encountered by an American Airlines flight headed to Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday night, stands at 30.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The Trump administration moved yesterday to make permanent a new questionnaire that asks some U.S.

Dear Editor, As the nation recovers from shock at the tragic loss of one of its young and more experienced pilots, Captain Collin Martin, who met his sudden demise when the Britten-Normandy Islander plane he was flying crashed at Eteringbang close to Guyana’s western border near Venezuela on July 25, 2017, I wish to commend the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for taking cognizance of one of my recent letters regarding safety and service lapses by an international airline operating out of Guyana.

Stock market updates  GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 732’s trading results showed consideration of $3,804,547 from 78,412 shares traded in 13 transactions as compared to session 731’s trading results, which showed consideration of $19,105,931 from 454,010 shares traded in 19 transactions. 

CHELMSFORD, England,CMC – Kemar Roach’s impressive five-wicket haul and Roston Chase’s second half-century, highlighted the final day of West Indies’ drawn three-day first class game against English County Essex here Thursday.

(Trinidad Express) A life guard who married a girl who was 14 years old when he was charged with committing eight sexual assault offences against her, has been committed to stand trial for the alleged offences.

Dear Editor, Prof Hinds calls for a sort of affirmative action plan to correct what he perceives as Africans not proportionately represented as business-owners (SN, August 1).

(Prepared by the Guyana Marketing Corporation and published by Stabroek Business as a public service)*Prices only represent the average Wholesale Farmgate and Retail Prices at the above mentioned markets and are NOT prices set by the Guyana Marketing Corporation or Ministry of Agriculture.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – While President Donald Trump has thrust transgender people back into the conflict between conservative and liberal values in the United States, geneticists are quietly working on a major research effort to unlock the secrets of gender identity.

(Reuters) – A sharp short game and hot putter helped Thomas Pieters grab the first-round lead as headliners Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy lurked close behind at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday.

Since attaining independence from the British, Guyana has been governed to all intents and purposes by two political parties, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the People’s National Congress (PNC) – with the qualification that the current core PNC government is part of a coalition.

Giving back! Every first working day of the month, Region Ten members of the Alliance for Change (AFC) serve breakfast to pensioners in front of the Mackenzie Post Office, Linden.

Emancipation economic projects From the mouths, pens and computers of writers, analysts, qualified, experienced and wise persons – as well as the ordinary, law-abiding and vulnerable citizens – there flowed an outpouring of views and suggestions regarding the recent prison riots, arson and escapes.

Dear Editor, I have witnessed the recent upheaval in our prison system, the ensuing quest for answers and the political blame game that makes nonsensical claims that the Minister of Security or the President should resign; it is blame based not on fact, only on political expediency.

(Trinidad Express) Trinidad Cement Limited employee Al Pascall was shot and killed at his home early yesterday.

(Reuters) – World number one Andy Murray and big-hitting Croatian Marin Cilic withdrew from the Rogers Cup on Thursday as injuries continued to take a toll on the Canadian hardcourt event.

When the University of Guyana’s (UG) School of Entrepreneurship, Business and Innovation throw open its doors at Turkeyen and Tain to students for the first time later this month, the institution will be beginning its ascent to new heights in pursuit of the relevance of the offering of the institution to the development of Guyana.

Part 11   Today we conclude our review of the Petroleum Commission Bill which was begun last week in Part 10.

BEIJING, (Reuters) – Venezuela’s close ally China said it believed voting in the country’s Constituent Assembly election was “generally held smoothly”, brushing off widespread condemnation from the United States, Europe and others and evidence of voting irregularities.