Daily Archive: Wednesday, January 20, 2021

US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch today congratulated President Joseph Biden on his swearing-in as America’s 46th President.

The People’s National Congress Reform has expressed condolences on the death today of renowned civil engineer Philip Anderson Desmond Allsopp.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – Democrat Joe Biden was sworn in as president of the United States today, vowing to end the ‘uncivil war’ in a deeply divided country reeling from a battered economy and a raging coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 400,000 Americans.

Former Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson today said that the practice of giving memorabilia and gifts to Ministers is not new and that Ministers from both sides of the political divide have been presented with such.

DHAKA, Bangladesh,  CMC – Under-strength West Indies produced a limp batting performance to slump to a six-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in the opening One-Day International of the three-match series here today.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Some British hospitals look like war zones with doctors struggling to cope with an influx of patients infected with COVID-19, the government’s top scientific adviser said, as the death toll rose by a record daily amount towards 100,000.

HARARE,  (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s foreign minister, Sibusiso Moyo, has died after contracting COVID-19, presidential spokesman George Charamba said today.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump granted clemency to former White House aide Steve Bannon as part of a wave of pardons and commutations issued in his final hours in office, but did not pardon himself, members of his family or lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Even as Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson continues to deny ever receiving jewellery presents over the years from the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) and Asphalt Plant, a preliminary review of other agencies covered by his then ministry reveals numerous purchases for him and his then junior minister Annette Ferguson.

Attorney General  and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall SC has filed a more than $700 million lawsuit against NAFICO and building contractor, BK International which he says has failed to complete construction of the Yarrowkabra Secondary School.

Guyana last evening received a field hospital from Qatar which is expected to be set up in the compound of the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

Relatives of Haresh Singh, the West Coast Berbice (WCB) teenager who was murdered days after Isaiah and Joel Henry in what is believed to be a reprisal killing, feel as though his case is being neglected.

Air Services Limited (ASL) and a number of other small domestic flight operators who have opposed the renaming of the Ogle Airport to the Eugene F Correia International Airport (EFCIA), continue to be aggrieved by the move on which they say they were not consulted.

Recently installed drainage pumps from India are to be fully functional next month after New Delhi flew in two engineers to address issues that had arisen.

A twenty-four-year-old robbery suspect who escaped from the police on Monday during a shooting incident was yesterday morning captured by police at the Woodlands Hospital where he had gone to seek medical attention for a gunshot wound he had sustained during the incident.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony yesterday  stated that Guyana’s main focus for procuring COVID-19 vaccines is through the COVAX facility.

Nineteen new COVID-19 cases were recorded yesterday after 165 more persons were tested.

A police constable was yesterday charged with Breach of Restriction on Social Activity after he was accused of hosting a private party.

Tenders were yesterday opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board for the construction of a community facility in the Sophia area.

A Brazilian national died after he lost control of an ATV at Oku Trail Mazaruni on Monday.

Cricket Guy Incorporated yesterday named a 15-man Guyana Jaguars squad for next month’s Cricket West Indies Regional Super50 tournament in Antigua.

The badly decomposed body of an East Coast Demerara man who went missing in the Canje Creek on Friday has  been recovered.

As West Indies and Bangladesh take on each other in the first One Day International today, both captains are looking to start their roles on a positive note.

Contracts for the expansion of existing vaccination storage centres have already been awarded as preparations to receive the COVID-19 vaccine are underway.

The police are investigating a matter concerning two men who were seen in a surveillance video attacking another man in the vicinity of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).

With the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers set  to commence in March, local entity Muneshwers Limited donated several health and sanitation products yesterday to the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Golden Jaguars Senior programme.

(Reuters) – Rishabh Pant unleashed a batting maelstrom to blast India to an incredible three-wicket win in the fourth test decider yesterday as Ajinkya Rahane’s injury-ravaged tourists humbled Australia with a 2-1 series triumph.

Dear Editor, I begin with a quote from Dr Jeremy Farrar (Director of Wellcome Trust, UK) of which I am in complete agreement, “…there is no value in just vaccinating one country or one population, vaccines must be available to the whole world at the same time as promised by many politicians. 

Chinese Ambassador to Guyana  Cui Jianchun yesterday paid a final courtesy call on Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Veteran off-spinner Ashley Nurse says Barbados Pride will be focussed on upholding the “rich legacy” of Barbados’ cricket, by winning next month’s Super50 Cup in Antigua.

Dear Editor, Article 223(1) of the Constitution of Guyana states inter-alia; ‘…the Auditor General shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority.’

Two men were on Monday charged with robbery under arms committed on an 18-year-old teen at Mashabo, Essequibo Coast.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – India’s regular captain Virat Kohli joined the country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in paying tribute to Ajinkya Rahane and his team who defied massive odds to script a memorable 2-1 series victory in Australia yesterday.

Dear Editor, I read Samuel Hinds’ response (SN 16th Jan 2021) to my letter (7th Jan 2021) and was greatly disappointed.

The Public Accounts Committee on Monday found the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guilty of breaching the Fiscal Management and Accountability (FMA) Act in 2016 after it retained $33.2 million rather than return it to the Consolidated Fund, as it sought to utilise the sum to fund the construction of its headquarters in Ganges Street.

(Reuters) – India’s regular skipper Virat Kohli will return to the team for next month’s four-test series against England after the country’s cricket board (BCCI) named the squad for the first two matches in Chennai.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – President-elect Joe Biden yesterday led a national memorial observance on the eve of his inauguration to honor the 400,000 Americans who have perished from COVID-19 during the 11 months since the novel coronavirus claimed its first U.S.

(Jamaica Gleaner) In the wake of a deadly weekend in which bloodthirsty gangsters snuffed out the lives of 25 Jamaicans and left several nursing injuries, the State has pledged to ramp up the fight against crime and rein in the raw brutality.

Attorneys representing former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Chief of Staff, Gary Best, are seeking to have the driving-under-the-influence charge brought against him dismissed.

Dear Editor,   Just recently, a 16-year-old sadly lost her life to rhabdomyosarcoma. 

CARACAS/MEXICO CITY,  (Reuters) – The United States yesterday sanctioned a network of oil trading firms, individuals and vessels that have helped Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA sell crude mainly to Asia despite Washington’s sanctions on the South American nation.

(Trinidad Express) Will the Government allow Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to purchase the Petrotrin refinery?

Dear Editor, A defect noticeable in some places but particularly in our Guyana is our inability to connect past events to the present and therefore allow the current generation to avoid past mistakes and give them the ability to craft a safe future.

James Harden collected 34 points and 12 assists, Kevin Durant added 30 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 36.8 seconds left, and the Brooklyn Nets outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks for a 125-123 victory Monday night in New York.

A hotel manager was robbed on Monday night at knifepoint by two men while on the way to his Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara home.

MOSCOW,  (Reuters) – A candidate COVID-19 vaccine known as EpiVacCorona, Russia’s second to be registered, proved “100% effective” in early-stage trials, Russian consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has told local media.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will continue to recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the South American country’s president, Anthony Blinken, Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, said yesterday.

(Reuters) – An injury-ravaged India’s 2-1 triumph in Australia under a stand-in captain will go down as one of the greatest series ever played, coach Ravi Shastri said yesterday.

Dear Editor, The family of the late Guyanese ambassador, Dr. Odeen Ishmael, learned on Monday of an article that appeared in ​iNews Guyana, falsely titled, `Diplomat dies owing State millions, Govt urged to recover monies.’  

CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – South Africa have selected a much-changed squad for their three-match Twenty20 series in Pakistan to allow members of the test side to prepare for a home series against Australia that is scheduled to start in April.  

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – A federal court yesterday struck down the administration of President Donald Trump’s scaled-down replacement for the Obama era’s signature climate change regulation for power plants, dealing a final blow to Trump’s environmental deregulatory agenda on his last day in office.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona has cut $1 billion in scholarships this year as it grapples with the financial fallout caused by COVID-19.

A 33-year-old man was on Monday released on $300,000 bail after he was brought before the court for allegedly posting nude photographs of a minor on his WhatsApp status.

Dear Editor, It is significant that the transition of power in the White House is taking place in the same week as MLK Day was observed.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump yesterday ordered a halt to removal of certain Venezuelans from the United States for 18 months, citing conditions in the South American country.

Dear Editor, If the media in Guyana insists on inundating me with information on law graduates, I will require the details on the engineering, agricultural and environmental sciences, history, and education cohorts.

By Dr Bertrand Ramcharan Seventh Chancellor of the University of Guyana Guyana, a still young nation with great promise but historical fault-lines, faces formidable national security challenges.

‘(The) dominant political elements in Guyana and the resulting reality (is) that governments tend to prefer to have in place not neutral or neutered public servants but those who are among their enthusiastic and active supporters.

The storming of the Capitol in Washington DC, on January 6th, by a cult-like deranged mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters, while the rest of the world looked on in utter shock and complete disbelief, no doubt caused all Guyanese to recall the extended spate of confusion following our March 2020 general elections.

(Reuters) – England coach Chris Silverwood says the team must stick to implementing the basics well if they are to win a fifth away test in a row for the first time in more than a century and clinch a sweep of the series in Sri Lanka.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to be secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said yesterday that he will work to revitalize damaged American diplomacy and build a united front to counter the challenges posed by Russia, China and Iran.