Daily Archive: Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir has set December 28 for the first meeting of all Standing Committees of the House.

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

SYDNEY,  (Reuters) – Prominent U.S. lawmakers warned a Pacific ally that China risked undermining the security of a sensitive undersea cable project if a cut-price, state-backed bid wins a tender process overseen by development agencies, a letter reviewed by Reuters shows.

PARIS,  (Reuters) – Three French police officers were shot dead by a man when they arrived at a home in Saint-Just, a remote commune in central France, to respond to a domestic violence call, police said today.

(Trinidad Guardian) Perenco Trinidad and Tobago Limited yesterday shut down COVID-hit offshore platforms in its Teak, Samaan and Poui fields and transported all workers to either state facilities or other locations for quarantine pending testing.

(Trinidad Guardian) Over five villages along the North Coast region have been without power for the last three days leaving many counting their losses and now uncertain about their Christmas Day plans.

(Trinidad Express) Ex-travel agent Vicky Boodram who was committed to stand trial last year on over 100 fraud allegations returned before a San Fernando magistrate on more fraud charges.

Former President David Granger has suggested that if President Irfaan Ali is truly interested in “accelerating Guyana’s development” he will engage with the Opposition Leader as required by the Constitution rather than hold lunch meetings with his predecessors.

After years of controversy encompassing three administrations, the PPP/C government and CHEC have sealed an agreement on the troubled expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri  which will see the Chinese contractor doing US$9m in additional works at its own cost.

Construction worker Terrence Alvin Jones was yesterday sentenced to 43 and a half years in jail for the murder of amateur footballer Paul Daniels in February of 2017.

Cordel Grimes, a labourer who had claimed that his friend was fatally shot when they both came under gunfire at Aurora Village, Essequibo Coast at the end of September, was on Monday charged with the murder.

The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) met virtually with the Chief Executive Officer and team from Eastern Airlines yesterday to address the disruption in its service which resulted in extensive delays in flights over the weekend and the carrier has pledged improvements.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh says that no fixed date has yet been set for the presentation of Budget 2021 and that a date reported by Stabroek News yesterday was simply an ‘indicative’ one on the Budget circular disseminated around two weeks ago.    “It was brought to my attention that at least one news outlet has reported that the date for the 2021 Budget has been set-that the Budget Date is February 5, 2021.

A cyclist is now dead after he collided with a car along Stewartville Public Road on Monday night.

The West Indies men’s team, after their horror run in New Zealand where they were badly beaten 2-0 in the recent test series, is  set to tour Bangladesh in January.   The squad, according to Chief Executive Officer of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Johnny Grave, will be selected shortly with Chief Selector, Roger Harper, expected to name 25 players for both the test and one-day legs of the tour. 

An invitation for tenders from the Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday saw a $58.3m bid for the supply of vehicles for the Guyana Police Force.

When the dust settled in the highly competitive December Open chess tournament, it was South African, Uddhav Bagwandeen who emerged victorious.

The new National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Board held its first meeting on Monday and Finance Minister Dr.

Eighteen years after his death, former President Desmond Hoyte has been hailed as a “Champion of Change” by the current leader of his party, former President David Granger.

When the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) hosts the Under-19 tournament next year, Alvin Mohabir is expected to be a shoo-in for Demerara.

Guyana yesterday recorded a new COVID-19 fatality along with a number of new cases of which more than half were recorded in Region Ten.

A Corentyne labourer will be spending the next two Christmases in jail after admitting to break and enter and larceny.

Three local referees Sherwin Johnson, Maurees Skeete and Kleon Lindey have been named on the FIFA Refereeing International List enabling them to officiate at international matches next year.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Legendary former captain and batting maestro, Sir Vivian Richards, has labelled West Indies’ fielding as “amateurish” and said the Caribbean side could ill afford to be so poor in the field especially since their batting was not yet up to scratch.

The Auditor General’s report will be laid in the House today during the 14th sitting of the National Assembly while the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) still hasn’t been convened.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Veteran opener Chris Gayle headlines several West Indies stars who have confirmed their participation in the Abu Dhabi T20 which bowls off here next month.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Arsenal’s miserable season continued as they slumped to a 4-1 home defeat by holders Manchester City in the League Cup quarter-finals yesterday.

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) has opened two new stores – at Parika, East Bank Essequibo and Grove, East Bank Demerara – and Minister of Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond has hailed the move as an indicator of confidence in the economy.

The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) expects that rehabilitation work on the severed 69kV submarine cable link between the Vreed-en-Hoop and Kingston substations will be completed by today, Bharat Harjohn, Director of Power Generation and Distribution at GPL, has said.

Dear Editor, We have read with considerable surprise the article written by Dr Bertrand Ramcharan, in the last Sunday Stabroek.

The Imperial House will on Christmas Eve night be airing a live reading of Scrooge – A Christmas Carol, an adaptation of the 1843 Charles Dickens classic, on their Facebook page.

VALLADOLID, Spain, (Reuters) – Lionel Messi became the all-time top scorer for a single soccer club yesterday after scoring his 644th goal for Barcelona during their La Liga match against Real Valladolid, surpassing Pele’s record goal haul for Brazilian side Santos.

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn distributed 30 helmets to motorists and cyclists last Friday as part of a campaign to promote road safety.

Dear Editor, Our global equity instruments have failed us once more.

WELLINGTON, (Reuters) – New Zealand coach Gary Stead has called on spinner Mitchell Santner to be more attacking with the ball if he is selected to face Pakistan in the test series starting on Saturday in Mt.

Dear Editor, The Private Sector Commission’s call on GECOM to take appropriate disciplinary action against any staff of GECOM who commits a misconduct in the execution of her/his contractual and legal obligations and duties, thereby cleansing its Secretariat, must be highly commended.

(Reuters) – Pakistan’s bowling coach Waqar Younis is set for a family reunion following a six-month hiatus after the country’s cricket board (PCB) granted him leave yesterday to fly to see them in Lahore after the first test against New Zealand.

An 82-year-old retired priest was found dead with multiple stabs about his body at his home on Monday.

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur is looking forward to slugging it out with his South African counterpart Mark Boucher when the teams start a two-test series in Pretoria on Boxing Day, hailing the former wicketkeeper for his aggressive style on the pitch.

A vendor was granted bail last Thursday after she denied a charge of receiving stolen articles.

Dear Editor, December 25 is Christmas Day the most celebrated holiday in Guyana and Guyanese from all walks of life, regardless of their religion or race will be celebrating Christmas at home and in the diaspora.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – President Donald Trump threatened yesterday to not sign an $892 billion coronavirus relief bill that includes desperately needed money for individual Americans, saying it should be amended to increase the amount in the stimulus checks.

(Trinidad Guardian) The ongoing migrant saga took another twist yesterday as the court of appeal overturned the decision made by Justice Frank Seepersad not to grant an injunction to pause the deportation of 11-year-old Venezuelan girl while a constitutional challenge filed on her behalf remained to be considered before the court.

Dear Editor, With Gecom all things are conceivable,  even putting a tainted officer to act for another tainted officer.

LONG BEACH, Calif.,  (Reuters) – As a veteran ICU nurse whose job is to care for the most critically ill patients at her hospital in Long Beach, California, Merlin Pambuan was well aware of the deadly ravages COVID-19 can inflict on the human body.

Tensions surrounding Houston Rockets superstar James Harden’s desire to be traded to a contender have boiled over at practice, The Athletic reported yesterday.

The High Commission of Canada in Guyana has launched a project to help eco-lodges in Indigenous communities to safely reopen to tourists.

(Trinidad Guardian) Over a year since gunmen shot and killed his mentor, Doubles vendor Kareem Jervis was similarly attacked and murdered while selling the popular street food along the Southern Main Road Tuesday night.

KAHALEH, Lebanon, (Reuters) – When Joe Bejjany was shot with a silencer as he got ready to take his two daughters to pre-school, it shocked not only his mountain village but a country already on edge.

Dear Editor, I am heartened by the certainties of the Government and of Messrs Ramkarran and Rohee regarding the decision of the World Court.

BARCELONA, (Reuters) – Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has explained how tough it has been to play without fans in the last year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, likening the experience to a training session.

Last Wednesday, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced that seven Negro Baseball Leagues which functioned between 1920 and 1948 will be officially accorded with Major League status and the records of those seasons incorporated into the statistical data of MLB.

Over the years, even after the 2000 revision of the Constitution that resulted from widespread consultation, many people have still been demanding root and branch reforms of what they call the ‘illegitimate 1980 Burnham Constitution’.

Dear Editor, A serious weakness of leaders everywhere is their failure to benefit from lessons of the past and perhaps more troubling is a tendency to take citizens on every side of the divide for granted, failing to recognize that in the case of Guyana, half of the population views with some skepticism statements coming from Government leaders, even before Independence.  

RIO DE JANEIRO,  (Reuters) – Rio de Janeiro’s mayor Marcelo Crivella was arrested yesterday morning for alleged involvement in a corruption scheme at city hall, police and prosecutors said.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Australia batsman Steve Smith has no concerns that a nagging back injury will hamper him during the second test against India, which starts on Saturday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

LONDON, CMC – Grenada centre back Aaron Pierre fired resurgent English League One club Shrewsbury Town to a 1-0 win at promotion-chasing Doncaster Rovers last night.

(Barbados Nation) Flights from the United Kingdom (UK) will not be banned at this time.

(Jamaica Star) A St Elizabeth fisherman, Jim* and his little brother, Joe*, are being hailed as community heroes after they disarmed a gunman in their community last week.

(Trinidad Guardian) A 25-year-old woman has reported to police that she was kidnapped by a man who hit her vehicle from behind, before bundling her back into her vehicle when she came out.

(Trinidad Guardian) Trinidad and Tobago nationals who are now residing in the United Kingdom are hunkering down for a quiet Christmas as the country entered another lockdown in response to the discovery of a new, more easily transmissible variant of COVID-19 circulating in that country.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Brazil’s Health Ministry expects to have at least 150 million doses of vaccines against COVID-19 available in the first half of 2021, with a third or more coming from a Chinese company despite the president’s early skepticism.