Daily Archive: Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Bauxite barging company Oldendorff will be shutting its operations here after 15 years as a result of the stalemate between the RUSAL-owned company BCGI and striking workers.

GENEVA,  (Reuters) – The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that all available evidence suggests the novel coronavirus originated in animals in China late last year and was not manipulated or produced in a laboratory.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The principal of an eastern St Andrew school is now on bail after he was charged recently for the alleged sexual abuse of his teenage daughter.

(Jamaica Star) Every August, Nicolene Downer goes in a state of depression.

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has claimed the life of a Guyanese political activist in the United States.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Benchmark Brent and U.S. oil futures for June delivery plunged to around two-decade lows on Tuesday, a day after U.S.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – The true extent of Britain’s COVID-19 death toll was more than 40% higher than the government’s daily figures indicated as of April 10, according to data that put the country on track to become among the worst-hit in Europe.

(Trinidad Guardian) A situation beyond that imagined in a nightmare. This was the reaction of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley after he learnt of the dramatic drop in US oil prices while at the first meeting of Trinidad and Tobago’s Road Map to Recovery team yesterday.

With the COVID-19 pandemic knocking down sporting activities around the globe like tenpins, the ‘Stage of Champions’ bodybuilding event has become the latest casualty.

Essequibo teenage sensation, Lisa Charles, says she is aiming for a spot on the West Indies Women’s side for the inaugural Under-19 tournament in Bangladesh next year.

The International Cricket Council’s (ICC)  Chief Executive Officers’ Committee teleconference is set for Thursday where the impact of the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) will be discussed.

-10-hour work day approved, 14-day quarantine for CARICOM observers reversed Following the approval of a 10-hour work day and the reversal of a decision to quarantine CARICOM observers for 14 days,  the Guyana Elections Com-mission (GECOM) is one step closer to executing a national recount of votes cast in the March 2 General and Regional Elections. 

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Australia’s cricketers are willing to take pay cuts if it will help keep the game afloat during the coronavirus shutdown but the country’s board must be transparent about its finances, paceman Josh Hazlewood has said.

By Shaquawn Gill Two young men died, while another is now hospitalised in a critical condition after the car they were travelling in crashed along the Bagotstown Public Road on Sunday night.

DUBAI, (Reuters) – The International Cricket Council (ICC) will on Thursday review contingency plans for this year’s men’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia and discuss ways to re-start the sport once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, the governing body said yesterday.

A manhunt is currently underway for four prisoners, including two murder accused, who escaped from the Holding Bay at the Lusignan Prison during the wee hours of yesterday morning.

Six more persons have been tested for COVID-19 in Guyana and the number of confirmed cases has risen by one and now stands at 66.

CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – South Africa’s limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka that was scheduled to take place in June has been postponed due the coronavirus pandemic, officials said yesterday.

With the closure of schools extended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ministry of Education on Sunday announced options for students to learn from home.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Australia’s rugby union players have called for a “root and branch” review of the domestic game after agreeing to a 60 percent pay cut with governing body Rugby Australia (RA).

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – West Indies legend Lawrence `Yagga’ Rowe believes Jason Holder should have been put in charge of all three formats when he was made Test and one-day captain several years ago, but has now endorsed the change to Kieron Pollard as white-ball skipper.

Two East Coast Demerara residents, who were busted last Saturday morning with a quantity of cocaine and cannabis, were yesterday sentenced to four years in jail and fined $240,300 after they pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

Despite the continuing contentions over the recount of votes from the March 2 polls and the challenges posed by a curfew imposed to tackle the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the self-styled ‘Guardians of Democracy’ remain committed to safeguarding the containers of ballot boxes stored at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Headquarters at Kingston, Georgetown.

TOKYO, (Reuters) – The Tokyo Olympics next July will be a “uniquely risky” event, demanding flexibility from organisers amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly if a vaccine has not been rolled out by then, medical experts say.

A civilian is missing after the boat in which he was travelling on the Pomeroon River was involved in an accident with a Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard vessel last night.

VEYRIER, Switzerland, (Reuters) – Louis Deletraz was looking forward to combining a season of Formula Two racing with a reserve role for the Haas F1 team this year, but now the 22-year-old Swiss is worried about what the future might hold.

Dear Editor, The Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce is appalled at the living conditions of people in various areas of Berbice especially in the new housing schemes and squatting areas.

A firearm which was unearthed by the police during last week in Guyhoc Park, Georgetown was stolen during a robbery last month and the two brothers who were arrested in relation to the find were yesterday charged and remanded to prison.

Dear Editor, As each day goes by Guyana and Guyanese regress deeper and deeper into limbo.

BERN, (Reuters) – The global players’ union FIFPRO says there has been a sharp rise in the number of players reporting symptoms of depression or anxiety since the sport was brought to a standstill by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) is in urgent need of all blood types.

Dear Editor, The Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown is encouraging ratepayers to utilize the Mobile Money (MMG) electronic payment system, provided by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), to make payments on their general rates.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said yesterday he will suspend all immigration into the United States temporarily through an executive order in response to the coronavirus outbreak and to protect U.S.

(BBC) Speculation over a possible link between coronavirus cases in Liverpool and the club’s Champions League match with Atletico Madrid last month is an “interesting hypothesis”, a scientific adviser to the UK government has said.

Dear Editor, The response of Mr Nagamootoo, Chairman of the National Coronavirus Task Force, to the GECOM Chairperson’s request for guidance on a number of matters relating to the recount of votes is not surprising.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – U.S. crude oil futures collapsed below $0 yesterday for the first time in history, amid a coronavirus-induced supply glut, ending the day at a stunning minus $37.63 a barrel as desperate traders paid to get rid of oil.

Contending that the APNU+AFC government is illegitimate, activist Ramon Gaskin, former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran and Accountant Nigel Hinds have written the World Bank asking it to halt financing  to Guyana under the petroleum resources project.

(Trinidad Express) History was created on the global oil market yesterday when the price of the US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, plunged into negative territory for the first time ever.

(Reuters) – The novel coronavirus has crippled the global economy and devastated lives and families but Atletico Madrid and Spain midfielder Saul Niguez believes there is a way out if people show solidarity with each other.

Dear Editor, I looked at News Room Guyana yesterday afternoon and saw the headline, `Some teachers say teaching online is challenging, almost impossible.’ 

JERUSALEM,  (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his centrist election rival Benny Gantz signed a deal yesterday to form a national emergency government, ending a year of unprecedented political deadlock.

(Jamaica Observer) Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced the closure of all business process outsourcing (BPO) operations for 14 days starting at midnight tomorrow.

Two Amerindian villages located on the Corentyne River are now facing the shortage of food and other essential supplies due to a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) travel restriction now in place.

The first two episodes of “The Last Dance,” a 10-part series about legendary guard Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, attracted the most viewers for a documentary in ESPN history, the network announced yesterday.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund may need to step outside its comfort zone and consider “exceptional measures” to help countries deal with the coronavirus pandemic and mitigate its economic impact, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said yesterday.

(Barbados Nation) Barbados will ramp up testing for the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the coming days after receiving an additional 27 000 test kits and 2 800 much-needed swabs required to complete sample kits for the flu-like disease.

(Reuters) – Michael Jordan’s U.S. Basketball “Dream Team” jersey from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics sold for $216,000, Robert Edwards Auctions said yesterday.

Four persons have been arrested and are being questioned in relation to the execution-style killing  of clothes vendor Glenroy Chapman, who was shot at his Linden home one week ago.

Dear Editor, I have been following the 2020 Guyana election saga and concluded that we need to be following our Constitution.

LOS ANGELES,  (Reuters) – Some 4.1% of adults tested positive for coronavirus antibodies in a study of Los Angeles County residents, health officials said yesterday, suggesting the rate of infection may be 40 times higher than the number of confirmed cases.

Dear Editor, Sugar prices are reaching a 3-year high due to the output shortage in top sugar producing countries of Thailand, India and Brazil caused by drought.

While many Guyanese are continuing to abide by social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), some are living life as per normal, including hosting family get-togethers, drinking with others at bars and defying the national curfew.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The proposal by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to use School-Based Assessment (SBA) and multiple-choice examination, possibly to be administered online, as its 2020 examination has not found favour with the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPPS).

(Reuters) – Munster prop James Cronin has been banned for a month after committing an unintentional doping violation due to a mix-up at a pharmacy, European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) said in a statement https://www.epcrugby.com/2020/04/20/disciplinary-decision-james-cronin-munster-rugby

It is hard to imagine an action more likely to accelerate the decline of US influence in the world than deciding in the middle of a global pandemic to attack the one body that is coordinating the global fight against it.

By Chris Ramsaroop & Kevin Edmonds Chris Ramsaroop is an organizer with Justicia for Migrant Workers and an instructor in the Caribbean Studies Program at the University of Toronto.

The sheer breadth of global public discourse that has been generated by the onset of the coronavirus is staggering!