Daily Archive: Friday, December 11, 2020

 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it authorized the use of Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, with the first inoculations expected within days, marking a turning point in the United States where the pandemic has killed more than 292,000 people.

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) today announced that four more tourism businesses have been inspected and granted conditional approval to reopen.

These schoolchildren from Kaikan, Region Seven today attended an event at which President Irfaan Ali was present.

Former President David Granger has declined an invitation to attend a meeting on Tuesday with President Irfaan Ali and three former PPP/C Presidents.

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)  today announced the approval of funding for the upgrading of 121 kilometres of road from Linden to Mabura Hill which is being financed in conjunction with the UK and Guyana.

(Trinidad Express) Former Miss Trinidad and Tobago Yvee Clarke has less than seven days to pay over $100,000.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were jointly named Time magazine’s 2020 “Person of the Year” today, chosen from a list of finalists that included the man Biden vanquished at the polls – President Donald Trump.

MUMBAI,  (Reuters) – Around a million doctors in India went on a day-long strike today amid the coronavirus pandemic to protest against a new federal government rule that allows practitioners of the traditional science of Ayurveda to perform minor surgeries.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will rule on December 18 whether it has jurisdiction to take up Guyana’s quest for a juridical ruling on the 1899 arbitral award which settled this country’s boundary with Venezuela.

The United States announced travel and other sanctions on Thursday against six Jamaicans who were part of the controversial Reneto Adams-led Crime Management Unit that was criticised as a trigger-happy police squad that committed multiple extrajudicial killings.

An audit of the operations at the $1.6B Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal has uncovered that approximately $75M was overpaid to contractors during the construction of the facility.

Guyana has received $19.8 Billion from the European Union (EU) as part of ongoing budgetary support for the country’s Integrated Coastal Management Programme.

Acting Chief Justice Roxane George yesterday found that Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond was not lawfully appointed due to her dual citizenship and Attorney General Anil Nandlall said the government has already moved to correct what he called an “error of law,” including her secret reappointment as minister.

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MHSSS) in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Guyana yesterday launched its toll-free 914 emergency hotline number which persons can call to report domestic and sexual violence and also ask for assistance.

Auditor General Deodat Sharma yesterday handed over his report on the public accounts for the fiscal year ended December 31st, 2019 to Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir.

A meeting between the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) and the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha  is scheduled for next week, president of the association Ruben Charles told Stabroek News.

The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) yesterday called on Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton to bring the new proposed minimum wage of $60,000 into effect.

The Demerara Harbour Bridge has resumed normal operations after engineers were able to swiftly complete repairs yesterday.

Forrester Gravesande, the man accused of fatally beating his neighbour in 2017, has been found guilty of the murder.

Tenders were on Tuesday opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board for the supply and commissioning of medical equipment for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation along with the procurement of pharmaceutical supplies for which a number of the bids received exceeded $100 million.

Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir yesterday said that his office is “working hard” to convene the first meetings of the various Parliamentary Committees but there has been a delay since they are currently facing “some” challenges.

(ESPN) A greentop at the Basin Reserve that offered pace, bounce and seam movement produced an engrossing tussle over the first two sessions of the second Test last night.

The Government of Guyana yesterday said that 26 Haitians who were being kept at the Hugo Chavez Rehabilitation and Reintegration Centre pursuant to a police investigation opted to leave the facility on Wednesday night for an address of their choice.

Business communities across CARICOM are likely to be waiting with bated breath to determine whether last month’s establishment of a new CARICOM Manufacturers Association (CMA) will serve as an eventual precursor to the building of sturdier bridges among member countries of the regional movement in the areas of manufacturing and trade.

A National Working Group has been formed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to address the barriers faced by Guyana’s products in CARICOM markets.

The feedback that has been received arising out of the December 2 webinar hosted by the Small Business Bureau suggests that despite the persistent media attention being focussed on the circumstances of small businesses, government continues to ‘miss the bus’ insofar as their growth requirements are concerned.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack on Wednesday withdrew a joint murder charge against two Police Officers who were charged over the fatal shooting of an unarmed man during a police operation earlier this year.

Dear Editor, In September I had written to the Chairperson of GECOM drawing her attention to section 108 of the Representation of the People Act dealing with the Election Expenses Report.

Christian Dior said, “After women flowers are the most lovely thing God has given women”, and this really rings true.

With just a day to go, it is almost showtime for the Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation’s virtual year end event dubbed ‘Resilience’.

Dear Editor, Prior to the announcement of the results of the General and Regional elections 2020, the Guyana Elections Com-mission adjourned its meeting, cognizant of previous post-elections upheavals and, deliberately, in an effort to have the representatives (APNU+AFC and PPP/C) of the lists, who are also the Leaders of the major parties, dialogue on the way forward, given the impasse that preceded the final declaration and the likely spillover of that atmosphere into the post-election period.

(Reuters) – A panel of outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday voted overwhelmingly to endorse emergency use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for the agency to authorize the shot for a nation that has lost more than 285,000 lives to COVID-19.

These days, the shelves filling the space at the corner of Robb & Camp streets that houses the Guyana Shop, administered by the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), have taken on a less appealing image than had been the case up to a few months ago.

Two Lindeners were on Wednesday released on $40,000 bail each after they were charged with five counts of obtaining monies by false pretence.

Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony on Wednesday revealed that a National Vaccine Task Force is being set up to guide the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine whenever it becomes available to Guyana.

They are being referred to as ‘zombie tankers’, Chinese-recruited vessels that reportedly conduct surreptitious transactions with Beijing that ‘cock a snook’ at the sanctions imposed by America’s on-the-way-out President Donald Trump to ship oil to China and provide a welcome measure of financial relief for a beleaguered Venezuelan economy.

HAVANA, (Reuters) – Cuba said late yesterday it would start its long-awaited monetary reform in January, eliminating its dual currency and labyrinthine multiple exchange rate system in a bid to improve business conditions in the crisis-stricken economy.

Dear Editor, There was a real sense of hope, joy and the unification of a wide cross-section of residents as they took the opportunity to meet with His Excellency, President Dr.

The Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) has appointed a Women in Sport Commission comprising seven members of the local sports fraternity.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin yesterday urged the U.S.

Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) President Dr Warren Smith on Monday used the forum afforded him on the opening day of the inaugural two-day Caribbean Conference on Corruption, Compliance and Cybercrime to target “those who seek to circumvent systems and processes,” asserting that it was critical that institutions like the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) employ diverse strategies to stay ahead of those who seek to “circumvent systems and processes”.

The reconstruction of the bridge that collapsed more than a month at Tiger Creek in Region Eight is still facing weather-related delays even as the Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) is ensuring that the flow of vehicular traffic continues via a temporary bypass.

Dear Editor, It is clear Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall is making every effort to divert attention from the Government’s unjust decision to place 26 Haitians before the Magistrate Court for deportation.

LONDON/BRUSSELS,  (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday there was “a strong possibility” Britain and the EU would fail to strike a new trade deal, but vowed to do whatever he could to avoid a tumultuous split in three weeks.

“The goal is to recruit, engage and enrich the academic experiences of children who show talent and extreme interest in technology,” said STEMGuyana co-founder, Karen Abrams.

MOSCOW/BUENOS AIRES,  (Reuters) – Russia has agreed a deal with Argentina to supply 10 million doses of its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, which will allow the South American country to start vaccinating people this month.

The Guyana Manufacturing and Service Association (GMSA) last week Wednesday awarded nine businesses and two individuals for their outstanding contributions to the manufacturing sector.

Dear Editor, Commendations to President Irfaan Ali on his idea of a formal meeting to engage and indeed seek the help of all former presidents.

BEIRUT,  (Reuters) – The judge investigating the Beirut port explosion has charged Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab and three former ministers with negligence over the blast that killed 200 people and devastated swathes of the capital.

In keeping with Government’s plans to promote and boost coconut production in Guyana, a new $1.1 million coconut nursery was commissioned on Tuesday at Kairuni on the Linden/Soesdyke High-way.

 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s campaign said yesterday it would again ask the U.S.

SAO PAULO, (Reuters) – Lebanese-Brazilian financier Joseph Safra, who built a banking empire spanning from Brazil to Switzerland and a fortune that made him the world’s wealthiest banker, has died at the age of 82, Banco Safra said.

A single parent with three sons, Sharda Deolall resides on the West Bank Demerara.

Dear Editor, As the news releases about appointments to State Boards have come out in the past several months, I recognize the presence of some good Guyanese people: clean, conscientious, and coherent in objectives and approaches to doing things right. 

Gold Prices for the three day period ending Thursday June 11, 2020 Kitco is a Canadian company that buys and sells precious metals such as gold, copper and silver.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Israel and Morocco agreed yesterday to normalize relations in a deal brokered with U.S.

Dear Editor, Guyana currently produces sugar at nearly 34 cents per lb when the world market price is nearly 15 cents per lb.

The Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil) will be spreading holiday cheer to several lucky customers this Christmas when it officially launches its “Be A Super 95 Millionaire” promotion 11am today at its Regent Street service station.

SAO PAULO,  (Reuters) – Doses of a COVID-19 vaccine made by China’s Sinovac Biotech are rolling off a Brazilian production line, drawing interest around the country and across Latin America from governments struggling to procure costlier vaccines.

(Reuters) – Formula One and the governing FIA joined the Haas team yesterday  in condemning newly signed Russian driver Nikita Mazepin for posting a video on social media of a young woman being groped in a car.

(Reuters) – Paolo Rossi, Italy’s goalscoring hero from their victorious 1982 World Cup campaign and scorer of a hat-trick against Brazil in one of the most famous matches in the competition’s history, has died at the age of 64.

Dear Editor,  I have noted that President Ali has recently executed outreaches in Regions Two and Six and directly shown Central Government’s support for the regional administration and the local municipalities.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – The Melbourne Cricket Ground will be permitted 30,000 fans per day during the Boxing Day test between Australia and India after authorities eased crowd restrictions yesterday.

MADRID,  (Reuters) – Zinedine Zidane admitted he has no plans for a lengthy stay as Real Madrid’s manager after coming through the latest of many challenges in his reign by guiding his side into the Champions League knockout stages on Wednesday.

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka,  CMC – Andre Russell’s two-wicket burst in the 16th over turned the game on its head and propelled Colombo Kings to a narrow six-run victory over Johnson Charles’s Jaffna Stallions in the Sri Lanka Premier League here yesterday.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The United States on Thursday blacklisted alleged human rights abusers in Russia, Yemen and Haiti, including Ramzan Kadyrov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and five people linked to Yemen’s Houthi-controlled security and intelligence agencies.

HOBART, Australia,  CMC – Former West Indies Twenty20 International captain, Carlos Brathwaite, made a quiet start to this year’s Australia’s Big Bash with a muted performance in the tournament opener as his Sydney Sixers went down to Hobart Hurricanes by 16 runs here yesterday.

(Field Level Media) In response to Kyrie Irving skipping media availability thus far in the preseason, the NBA fined the star guard and his team, the Brooklyn Nets, $25,000 each yesterday for violating the league’s media rules.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Just when Manchester United appeared to be building momentum after a mediocre start to the domestic season, a woeful exit from the Champions League has left manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer facing flak once again.

(Reuters) – Belgium were crowned FIFA’s team of the year for the third straight time after retaining the top spot ahead of world champions France in the latest world rankings released yesterday, soccer’s world governing body said.

Despite its conservative nature, our society is one that is highly sexual.

WELLINGTON,  (Reuters) – New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has withdrawn from the second test against West Indies and returned home to be with his pregnant wife, coach Gary Stead said yesterday.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Cricket West Indies president, Ricky Skerritt, says all-rounder Andre Russell will face no backlash from selectors over his decision to opt out of the recent Twenty20 tour of New Zealand in preference for the ongoing Sri Lanka Premier League.

BUENOS AIRES,  (Reuters) – Lawyers are gearing up to do battle over the estate of Diego Maradona, estimated at between $10 million and $40 million and disputed by the soccer great’s children, ex-partners and many others.

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) was dealt a severe blow ahead of their expected participation at the impending FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Pre-Qualifiers in March, as their request to commence preparation was denied by the National Covid-19 Taskforce.

Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde, said that the entity is ready to resume football activities in a safe manner once approval is granted owing to the technical support from the ‘Bounceback’ partnership between confederations UEFA and Concacaf.

Seventy-nine new COVID-19 cases were yesterday recorded with the majority of those coming from Region Ten.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 892’s trading results showed consideration of $10,422,708 from 119,435 shares traded in 29 transactions as compared to session 891’s trading results which showed consideration of $4,475,338 from 28,700 shares traded in 16 transactions.

Venezuela went to the polls on Sunday to vote for members of the National Assembly. 

MEXICO CITY,  (Reuters) – The commercial arm of Mexican state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has temporarily suspended business with the world’s largest independent oil trader Vitol, which is the subject of a U.S.

(Field Level Media) Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James just added another accomplishment to his lofty resume.

 President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Dr Warren Smith was not the only senior official in recent times to use a public forum to allude pointedly to the propensity in developing countries for funding provided by international lending agencies to disappear down dark, corruption-infested holes even as those awaiting the suffering-alleviation measures that these funds are intended to bring, sink deeper into destitution.

MUMBAI,  (Reuters) – India and England will play four tests, five Twenty20 matches and three one-dayers in February-March in India with the high-profile series restricted to just three venues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both cricket boards said yesterday.

I promise a most brief, brief today. Since early March of this year, when the COVID-19 Pandemic ushered in our very own Corona epidemic here, I easily modified my post-75 social outings.