Daily Archive: Sunday, July 12, 2020

Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland today strongly urged GECOM to “follow the directions given by the CCJ and decisively conclude the 2 March 2020 elections based on the results of the national recount.”

A fire which started following discontent among prisoners over the seizure of a quantity of marijuana this afternoon destroyed the old wooden Lusignan Prison facility and has left about 280-300 inmates dislocated, de facto Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan said today.

SOUTHAMPTON, England, (Reuters) – West Indies beat England by four wickets on the final day of the first international test since the coronavirus break today, taking a 1-0 lead at the Ageas Bowl in a three-test series thanks to a 95-run knock by Jermaine Blackwood.

Adverting to reports that Latin America and the Caribbean face their worst recession in a century, the UN Resident Coordinator here, Mikiko Tanaka has pointed out that the elections process is still to be concluded here.

MOSCOW,  (Reuters) – Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel said today that around 45 tonnes of aviation fuel had leaked from its pipeline in the Arctic.

MUMBAI,  (Reuters) – Three generations of Bollywood’s Bachchan family were hit by the coronavirus as former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter today joined her father-in-law Amitabh and husband Abhishek in testing positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.

(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has accused the United National Congress (UNC) of buying votes for $300 as part of their attempt to ensure success in the August 10 general election.

(Trinidad Guardian) With energy prices remaining low, the Government has no choice but to rely on an efficient tax system to generate funds, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said on July 4.

Embattled Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield yesterday presented figures to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) showing a victory for the incumbent APNU+AFC—in clear defiance of the instruction by the Chair Claudette Singh to utilise the recount tabulation which shows a win for the opposition PPP/C.

The opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Saturday added its voice to calls for the Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield to be dismissed for insubordination, while its presidential candidate Irfaan Ali accused him of denying the Guyanese electorate their democratically-elected government.

ExxonMobil and two of its subcontractors were fined three times this year for minor spills of hydraulic fluid in the offshore Stabroek Block and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it wanted to underscore zero tolerance for lax maintenance and procedures in light of the large risk that such operations can pose to the environment and safety.

The dead body of a Kuru Kururu, Linden-Soesdyke Highway pensioner was discovered in his yard on Friday night.

A woman who recently returned to Guyana has tested positive for COVID-19, prompting Region Ten officials to call for stricter quarantine protocols to curb the spread of the disease in the region.

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday reported the country’s 17th death related to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson Claudette Singh has dismissed allegations that she is part of a plot to ensure that a particular party is declared the winner of the March 2 polls as an attempt to create “mischief.”

Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran has accused Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield of distorting the impact of the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the national recount as part of an effort to avoid complying with his legal obligations. 

Ahead of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, which are due to commence tomorrow, Digicel Guyana has donated 13,000 reusable face masks and 2,500 face shields for use by students and invigilators across the country.

.United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), along with its partners, the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), Blossom Inc.

An adventure-filled episode of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted last week showcased a side of Guyana that not many Guyanese may ever experience in their lifetime: Chicken Pepperpot?

Young nurse Allison Denica Thomas baulked at working in the coronavirus transition unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) but months after she has been stationed there she finds motivation in reporting for duty every day because as she puts it, “the world needs help”.

Guyanese Arian Dahlia Richmond was one of 11 young women who vied for the Miss Emerald crown in a virtual pageant held on Friday night.

We see them almost everywhere we go but it’s likely that few of us take notice of them or the efforts they put into their work, which is not as easy as it may appear.

“I’m all about singing positive music and always encouraging the youths to do the right thing,” says Albouystown dancehall singer Matthew Nelson.

Bastille Day – Georgetown                       Not wanting to deny, I believed it.

The Regional Health Officer (RHO) of Region One Dr Stephen Cheefoon has assured residents of the Moruca-sub district that there will be no recurrence of a COVID-19-positive patient being picked up for isolation before even being informed of their status.

Dear Editor, Sometimes it requires a personal rather than political or professional perspective to see beyond the borders of a seemingly divisive circumstance, and to offer a dispassionate comment.

It makes sense that the very best of “Miss Juneteenth” seems to emanate from the warm, but unflappable gaze of Nicole Beharie.

Up to Friday, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) had confirmed a total of 40 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases after two new additional positive tests were recorded.

Dear Editor, Business establishments in Guyana should immediately stop conducting transactions with the PNC-APNU+AFC list of candidates for the March 2020 general and regional elections.

“I feel a bit encouraged because some persons have reached out to me telling me a bit of their story and I have tried my best to encourage them to have faith and stay strong,” the mother of one said.

Dear Editor, Once again we are witnessing the abuse of power by two public figures, Ruel Johnson and Glen Lall, who appear to think that the laws of Guyana do not relate to them.

The recent disbursement of $250 million to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) under the $30 billion syndicated bond for the industry will be used mainly to pay its creditors and allow the corporation to honour its weekly wages payroll.

Your overall health follows cycles and you can take control of those cycles.

Dear Editor, It is with much disappointment and chagrin that I, and countless other Guyanese (living in Guyana and in their new adopted countries around the world) view the goings on in their native ‘land of the free’.

A Craig, East Bank Demerara family was left traumatised after a group of masked bandits attempted to break into their home on Friday morning.

The Ministry of Public Health’s Disability and Rehabilitation Services on Tuesday bid farewell to long serving Rehabilitation Officer of the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC) Hyacinth Massay.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court, with Chief Justice Roberts leading the way, has distinctly staked out its independence from President Donald Trump by delivering a series of setbacks to him and his administration in pivotal cases.

Police are awaiting advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to determine whether charges should be laid in connection with the death of 24-year-old cyclist David Shepherd, who died after an accident along the Nonpareil public road almost two weeks ago.

Dear Editor, As a subset of the runaway public expenditure happening in Guyana under Team Granger, one can analyze the state of expanding current expenditure during the period April 2015 to March 2020. 

SOUTHAMPTON, England, CMC – Speedsters Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph rocked England in the final session with fiery spells as the hosts collapsed spectacularly losing five wickets for 30 runs in a nightmare 75-ball period, to leave West Indies with an excellent chance of winning the opening Test here yesterday.

Having already moved its Olympiad to 2021, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) has now organised an Online Rapid Chess Olympiad, which will be held from July 22 to August 30, this year.

SREBRENICA, Bosnia  (Reuters) – Bosnians commemorated yesterday the massacre of about 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, marking the 25th anniversary of killings that shocked the world and have stood out as Europe’s only atrocity since World War Two constituting genocide.

Two foreign nationals were taken into custody on Friday night after they were allegedly found in possession of an unlicensed revolver with matching rounds.

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF), the local governing body of the discipline, has officially withdrawn from the International Federation of Association Basketball (FIBA) U17 Skills Challenge-Americas Qualifier, due to the upsurge in local Covid-19 related cases.

(Trinidad Guardian) The Ministry of National Security is moving to bring home citizens from Grenada, Canada and the United Kingdom, including Europe and the Middle East.

Dear Editor, The masks are finally coming off and the identity of the cabal of riggers of elections and thieves of votes of citizens is being laid bare.

Kupanda Sisters Incorporated, a non-profit organisation based in the United States, recently celebrated its first anniversary and its Guyanese founder pledged to continue its efforts to promote literacy among children in underserved communities in Guyana. 

(Field Level Media) League physicians and officials are concerned about the lingering health effects for NBA players who contract the coronavirus, ESPN reported yesterday.

SUZHOU/BEIJING,  (Reuters) – Chinese vaccine developer CanSino Biologics is in talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia to launch a Phase III trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, its co-founder said yesterday.

BETHESDA, Md.,  (Reuters) – President Donald Trump, who has avoided wearing a mask in public even as the coronavirus pandemic spread, donned one yesterday at a military medical facility outside Washington where he was to meet with wounded soldiers and front-line health-care workers.

Dear Editor, Each time I am in downtown Georgetown, I observe several officers of the Guyana Police Force riding around on bicycles, which would normally be something that is commendable and reassuring for our citizens in terms of improved security in the commercial centre of our capital.

An elderly couple, who reside at Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, is appealing to the public to donate a camera which they hope can bring an end to continuing attacks on their home.

MUMBAI,  (Reuters) – Amitabh Bachchan, one of India’s best known movie stars, has tested positive for COVID-19 together with his actor son Abhishek Bachchan, they said late yesterday.

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has announced guidelines for Infrared Temperature Guns that are being used to test body temperature, including that they be tested and calibrated by the agency.   

RIO DE JANEIRO,  (Reuters) – Michelle Bolsonaro, the wife of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who is sick with the new coronavirus, said yesterday that she and her two daughters had tested negative for the virus.

Dear Editor, The country just has to move on at this point. 

BARTLESVILLE, Oklahoma, (Reuters) – District Court Judge Curtis DeLapp was renowned for his hair-trigger temper.

RIO DE JANEIRO,  (Reuters) – Brazil, the world’s No. 2 coronavirus hotspot after the United States, recorded 1,071 new deaths from the outbreak yesterday, with a total of 1,839,850 confirmed cases, the Health Ministry said.

(Reuters) – Six-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton lived up to his rain master reputation with an astonishing lap to put his Mercedes on pole position for the first Styrian Grand Prix at Austria’s Red Bull Ring yesterday.

By the time this column appears today, the issue of Mr Keith Lowenfield’s report to the Guyana Elections Commission would have been determined.

It struck me recently that we become so caught up with all the myriad things that make up our individual lives that we are often unaware of how so many pieces in that maelstrom are operating almost automatically for us like signposts or landmarks that speak to us silently but vividly letting us know when we’re on course and when we’re not.

SHEFFIELD, England,  (Reuters) – David McGoldrick scored twice for Sheffield United as they upset Chelsea with a 3-0 win in the Premier League at Bramall Lane yesterday.

MANCHESTER, England,  (Reuters) – Few players or managers have enjoyed World Cup glory with two countries but Jack Charlton, who has died aged 85, was held in rare affection by English and Irish football supporters.

The debate on improving educational standards never ends. Let us consider what is meant by giving a child a good education in the total sense of the word.

Following a late burst from the West Indies bowlers at the end of day four yesterday of the first Test against England, Windies head coach Phil Simmons is pleased with their effort.

The mother of Rickford Newton, the youth who succumbed last after allegedly suffering an injury during a football game, believes that he was a victim of foul play due to the severity of his injuries.

(Trinidad Guardian) Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Shamfa Cudjoe says members of the Caribbean Premier League contingent will not be treated any differently if anyone tests positive for COVID-19 during their stay in Trinidad and Tobago.

Based on the vote tally from the national recount of votes from the March 2 elections, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) yesterday urged caretaker president David Granger to initiate formal congratulatory messages to the winner, PPP/C presidential candidate Irfaan Ali, ahead of a formal declaration. 

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Jamaica Tallawahs franchise has been placed under the microscope once again, this time involving Jamaican player Ramaal Lewis.

MADRID, (Reuters) – Atletico Madrid sealed Champions League qualification for the eighth consecutive season by beating Real Betis 1-0 at home yesterday thanks to a late Diego Costa goal after having a player sent off and seeing two goals ruled out following VAR reviews.

Baroness Sugg, Britain’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Overseas Territories and Sustainable Development, has joined the call for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to declare a final result from the March elections on the basis of the recount of votes.

(Field Level Media) Little more than a week after the Washington Redskins announced they would conduct a “thorough review” of the team’s nickname, reports surfaced yesterday that a name change is indeed “imminent.”

Introduction Given my “bullish outlook” on Guyana’s potential petroleum resources, today’s column considers the profile Guyana’s petroleum exports might be assuming in the next decade.

TURIN, Italy,  (Reuters) – Cristiano Ronaldo converted two penalties, both awarded for handballs and the second in the last minute, as Serie A leader Juventus twice hit back to draw 2-2 with Atalanta to move closer to a ninth successive Serie A title yesterday.

Dear Editor, One more day! This has been the strategy of the Granger cabal since 21st December 2018; one more day in power; one more day to file a legal challenge; one more day to spend; one more day to bankrupt us; one more day to sell state assets; one more day to plunder; one more day to frustrate the will of the people; one more day to defy all those who seek to keep the peace and restore democracy (for it has been lost).

The rehabilitation of severely deteriorated sections of the Kitty seawall, near the pump station, is currently underway.

Following Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield’s decision to disregard the request by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson Claudette Singh to submit a report on the outcome of the general elections using the results of the national recount exercise, the Organization of American States (OAS) yesterday said his actions were unjustifiable.

What else can be said about Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield that has not already been said? 

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – North American Scrabble competitors will no longer be able to play racist and homophobic slurs from the “N-word” to “bumboy” and “poofs”, the head of the players’ association has said, in an 11th-hour ruling that went against his own advisory board.

TOKYO (Reuters) – Supercomputer-driven models simulated in Japan suggested that operating commuter trains with windows open and limiting the number of passengers may help reduce the risk of coronavirus infections, as scientists warn of airborne spread of the virus.

LONDON (Reuters) – Scientists warned on Wednesday of a potential wave of coronavirus-related brain damage as new evidence suggested COVID-19 can lead to severe neurological complications, including inflammation, psychosis and delirium.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New genetic research shows that there was mingling between ancient native peoples from Polynesia and South America, revealing a single episode of interbreeding roughly 800 years ago after an epic transoceanic journey.

RIO DE JANEIRO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Rio de Janeiro has more than 640 deaths from coronavirus in its favelas, a new information dashboard showed on Thursday, part of an effort to combat underreporting of the disease in the city’s slums.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The “Batman” universe is expanding, with a TV series set in Gotham City’s police department that will explore corruption, streaming platform HBO Max said on Friday.

LONDON (Reuters) – Movie star Johnny Depp told London’s High Court on Friday that his ex-wife Amber Heard or her friend had defecated in their bed in what he described as a “fitting end to the relationship”.

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Workers in nearly one in four member states of the United Nations are not legally protected from discrimination based on race and ethnicity, researchers said on Thursday, as global protests roar for racial justice.