Daily Archive: Sunday, December 6, 2020

(Trinidad Express) Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s star continues to shine as preliminary results of the United National Congress (UNC) internal elections last night showed the incumbent political leader trumping her opponent Vasant Bharath.

The Ministry of Health today said that two more persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have died.

VALDOSTA, Georgia, (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump campaigned in Georgia yesterday for two Republican senators at a rally that some in his party feared could end up hurting, not helping, their chances by focusing on his efforts to reverse his own election defeat.

GENEVA, (Reuters) – Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz will appear in a Geneva court next month to defend himself against corruption and forgery charges in connection with mining contracts in Guinea, his lawyer told Reuters.

(Trinidad Guardian) Forty-five women and two girls have been murdered so far.

After witnessing what could have been an overturning of democracy here, Canada has pledged further support to electoral reforms and is awaiting the government’s response, outgoing High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee yesterday announced as she spoke about the events in the aftermath of the March 2nd polling, including a meeting where former president David Granger was told that Western countries would not accept the now discredited initial declaration that was intended to keep him in power.

A new civil society group that hopes to achieve significant electoral reforms before the next general elections was launched yesterday.

The Ministry of Finance has accused the former government of abusing the Contingencies Fund by withdrawing over $4 billion in the second half of 2019 “to meet a variety of expenditure that had not been budgeted for”, which former minister Winston Jordan has met with incredulity.

The police are investigating the murder of a female toddler, whose mutilated body was found floating in a canal at Crane Squatting Area, West Coast Demerara (WCD) yesterday morning.

An Eccles youth succumbed at a city hospital early yesterday morning, hours after he allegedly lost control of his car and crashed into a utility pole along the La Bonne Intention (LBI) East Coast Demerara (ECD) Railway Embankment.

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has stated that it is working to acquire standard equipment to commence the verification of breathalyzers and speed guns in the upcoming year.

Approximately 136,000 households in Region Four are expected to benefit from the government’s $25,000 per household COVID-19 relief cash grant and the distribution is likely to start this week, according to Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall.

With almost 1,000 CXC-level students unaccounted for since the start of the new school year, the Ministry of Education has moved to partner with religious organisations across the country to reach them and offer support.

Stigma and discrimination continue to be the biggest hindrances to people living with HIV adhering to their medication regime, which affects the country’s ability to achieve UNAIDS 2020 “90-90-90” goals, according to Executive Director of the National Coordinating Coalition Inc (NCC) Simone Sills.

After years of suffering silently with chronic depression and four failed attempts to end his own life, Neaz Subhan has written a book about his experiences with the hope of helping others to seek the help they need.

“For 19 years I have been living with HIV and I see the good and the bad in people.

HAMILTON, New Zealand, CMC – Jermaine Blackwood struck his second Test hundred but West Indies suffered a crushing innings and 134-run defeat inside four days of the opening Test at Seddon Park here yesterday.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) yesterday confirmed the detection of 36 more cases of COVID-19 from the results of 414* tests that were done.

For Sheena Scipio, while being an entrepreneur comes with the perk of being her own boss, she also finds satisfaction in the purpose it creates.

Investigators have concluded that the fire which destroyed a section of the Midtown hotel, restaurant and bar at Middle Street, Georgetown in October, was the result of arson.

While jaguar poaching is prevalent in neighbouring Suriname, local conservation management bodies say there are no official reports of such activities in Guyana, where concerns centre on better managing possible conflicts between the cats and farmers. 

Boxing standout, Keevin Allicock has been awarded the Olympic Solidarity Athlete Scholarship by the International Olympic Committee to aid in his ambition to compete for Team Guyana at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Britain is preparing to become the first country to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week, initially making the shot available at hospitals before distributing stocks to doctors’ clinics, the government said last night.

Dear Editor, The recent decision by President Irfaan Ali to invite former presidents to a meeting to discuss matters related to national development must be seen as a masterstroke in his legacy and his commitment to democracy and inclusive governance.

Commander of Region Six Jairam Ramlakhan, yesterday stressed that the investigation into the recent robbery of Marcus Bisram will remain opened until the perpetrators are nabbed. 

“For the kid scanning fairy tales for a hero with a face like theirs.

President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Michael Singh says the body is awaiting the requisite approval from the National Covid-19 Task Force before commencing preparation for their participation in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Pre-Qualifiers. 

Christmas came early for Bibi Baksh yesterday when she walked away with $1 million as the Tropical Rhythm “Cash in your rhythm” Christmas Promotion concluded.

A blistering half century from Anil Beharry spurred Jai Hind Jaguars to a 77-run win over West Berbice Masters to top the Berbice Zone in the Guyana Cricket Board/ Tropical Spring Over-40 T20 tournament at Jai Hind Ground, Albion yesterday.

LONDON/BRUSSELS, (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen instructed their negotiators to resume trade talks today in a last ditch attempt to bridge significant differences.

From the inception, “Wolfwalkers” wants you to change the way you look at things.

Blairmont Community Centre Cricket Club’s Marvan Prashad stood out as the Berbice Cricket Board held its first 50-overs Under-19 trial match yesterday at the Albion Sports Complex ground.

The six 1.6 Megawatt (MW) Caterpillar units purchased by Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) to boost generating capacity for the holiday season have arrived.

Dear Editor, The word “Re-negotiation” as in “Re-negotiation of the Oil Contract” seems to be a loaded word.

Sacramento, Calif., (Reuters) – California’s two most densely inhabited regions and its agricultural breadbasket will be under stay-at-home orders by tonight as the COVID-19 pandemic strains hospitals in the most populous U.S.

For Don Drummond                 Dem say him born with a caul, a not quite opaque white veil through which he visioned only he knew   At birth dem suppose to bury it under some special tree.

MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand, CMC – West Indies A lost the wickets of Brandon King and their captain Rovman Powell in the space of four balls inside the final half-hour to undermine their fight for survival in the first four-day “Test” against New Zealand A yesterday.

Dear Editor, Four against one…it sure looks like the odds are stacked against any meaningful outcome to the presidential confab.

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has announced that it has given conditional approval to Baganara Island Resort, Hurakabra River Resort, Rock View Lodge, Waikin Ranch and Elite Kayaking & Nature Tours to resume their operations, including the hosting of travellers at their properties.

A few mornings ago, I was training a client and she was yawning uncontrollably.

ABIDJAN,  (Reuters) – Ivory Coast will lift a suspension imposed this week on cocoa sustainability schemes run by Hershey after the U.S.-based

MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – Manchester City climbed into the Premier League top four after first-half goals from Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne secured a comfortable 2-0 home win over struggling Fulham yesterday.

Dear Editor, On Tuesday December 1st, 2020, it was reported in the Kaieteur News that VP Jagdeo made the statement, “… We made it clear that when they come for a production sharing agreement for the Kaieteur Block, (it would not have the same loopholes as those which exist in the Stabroek agreement).

In our modern society, women are working in competitive jobs and earning a lot more than they used to.

(Trinidad Express) Thirty-three-year-old Isabelle is struggling to cope with multiple life-threatening illnesses in the absence of her 60-year-old mother who is stranded in Guyana.

The Doobay’s Medical and Research Centre has reduced the cost of kidney dialysis while continuing to seek donations to subsidise the cost of the treatment.

ADDIS ABABA,  (Reuters) – Bombing, looting and skirmishes persisted in parts of Ethiopia’s Tigray yesterday, a rebellious force in the northern region said after government troops declared they were within days of capturing the group’s leaders.

CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – The One-Day International series between South Africa and England will start in Paarl today after the host’s squad returned a full set of negative results in their latest round of coronavirus testing, officials have confirmed.

Dear Editor, The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child highlights the need for a few things with regards to children. 

During my time with the Tradewinds band in North America, I ended up with some lovely “good news about Guyana” stories.

The World Chess Federation (FIDE) held its online World Cadets and Youth (Under 10-18) Rapid Chess Championships and Guyana was represented in all of the categories.

On Thursday we reported Roman Catholic Bishop Francis Alleyne as saying that it was time for the anti-sodomy laws in Guyana to be made null and void, although he maintained that the act of homosexuality was still morally wrong.

Last Update: 655.17           Movement: 0.27% Current Update: 656.93        YTD Movement: 8.41% The Lucas Stock Index (LSI) rose 0.27% during the fifth period of trading in November 2020.

Suddenly it is Christmas again. I am eighty-seven years old.  I find that ridiculous but chronologically it is a fact.

Yesterday’s online edition of SN contained four separate articles about oil, the most important of which were reports of speeches by the Canadian High Commissioner and the United States Ambassador.

PARIS,  (Reuters) – Scores of hooded anarchists launched projectiles at riot police, smashed up shop fronts, torched cars and burned barricades during a demonstration in the French capital yesterday against police violence and a draft security law.

(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has announced that supermarkets and groceries will be allowed to open 24-hours from December 10 to January 3.

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) – Women being treated for cancer often experience menopause quite suddenly with common symptoms, such as hot flashes, amplified more than had menopause occurred naturally.

(University of Sydney) – A landmark study on how cannabis affects driving ability has shown that cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis component now widely used for medical purposes, does not impair driving, while moderate amounts of the main intoxicating component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) produce mild driving impairment lasting up to four hours.

LONDON (Reuters) – For the first time in music history, 197 musicians – one from each country – have formed an orchestra, hoping to exemplify how people can transcend physical and cultural borders to come together.

When Amanza Walton-Desir decided to enter the world of Guyanese politics, she said she took a calculated risk.

(Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Scientific advances from deep brain stimulation to wearable scanners are making manipulation of the human mind increasingly possible, creating a need for laws and protections to regulate use of the new tools, top neurologists said on Thursday.

BARCELONA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Heat-related deaths are surging around the world, particularly among older people, scientists said on Thursday, warning of growing pressure on health systems hit hard by COVID-19.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The new movie “Mank,” which started streaming on Netflix on Friday, takes audiences back to Hollywood’s golden era of the 1930s with a look at the making of one of the film industry’s most-celebrated gems.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Oscar-nominated star of “Juno” and “The Umbrella Academy,” formerly known as Ellen Page, on Tuesday said he was a transgender person and had changed his first name to Elliot.

(Murdoch Children’s Research Institute) – Differences in the immune systems and better blood vessel health were among the factors protecting children from severe COVID-19, according to a new review.