Guyana News

KRAKOW, Poland (Reuters) – The leaders of Poland  and Russia attending the state funeral of Polish President Lech  Kaczynski said yesterday his death in a plane crash in Russia  must serve as a catalyst for reconciliation between the two  Slavic nations.

-bought from gov’t for $1.5M, sold for $38M Presidential Advisor, Odinga Lumumba netted millions in a controversial land deal back in 2008, as official documents for the transaction show he purchased the land from government for $1.5M but later sold it off to an overseas businessman for $38M.

Accusations of sexual assault which have been levelled against broadcast CN Sharma, increased yesterday as three other young women made allegations of their own to authorities, among them being a 12-year-old girl.

The taxi driver who was shot thrice last week on Princes Street under unclear circumstances succumbed to his injuries early yesterday morning at the Georgetown Hospital and his relatives as well as investigators are still trying to ascertain the motive for the attack.

A driver who is now in police custody ran over a motorcyclist at Shirley Field Ridley Square on Mandela Avenue last night and drove off leaving passers-by to rush the wounded man to the hospital where he later died.

LONDON (Reuters) – Europe’s air travel chaos  deepened yesterday as a huge cloud of volcanic ash spread  southeast across the continent, halting more than three in four  flights and stranding tens of thousands of passengers worldwide.

Four men broke into a parked car at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara and one was reportedly shot after a licensed firearm holder confronted them, but the men managed to escape.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US President Barack  Obama accused opposition Republicans yesterday of spreading  misinformation about a Democratic bill that aims to tighten  oversight of Wall Street banks and their practices.

Government will start digging the canals for the construction of the much debated Hope Relief Canal shortly and is moving ahead with the project in spite of the various negative comments from persons with “political interests,” Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud told residents of Hope Estate on the East Coast of Demerara yesterday.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – A former Vatican  cardinal who congratulated a French bishop for hiding a sexually  abusive priest has said he acted with the approval of the late  Pope John Paul, a Spanish newspaper reported yesterday.

Dr Richard Van West Charles has signalled his support for Winston Murray as the PNCR’s presidential candidate, saying he should lead the party to next year’s polls either on its own or as part of an alliance.

QUITO (Reuters) – Ecuador will propose  legislation to take over operations of oil companies in the  country unless the firms sign new contracts aimed at increasing  state control over the sector, President Rafael Correa said yesterday.

-NPC chairman Seven years after receiving funds to build an aviary the National Parks Commission (NPC) still has the money in a bank account and blames the stalling of the project on an ambitious design and a global downturn.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Liberal Democrats  overtook their rivals for the first time to lead an opinion poll  yesterday, increasing the prospect of a hung parliament where  no party has outright control.

University of Guyana (UG) student Ganesh Mahipaul, who accused lecturer Evan Persaud of victimization, said he was disappointed about the pace of the ongoing investigation calling it “slothful” and was also concerned about neutrality.

HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuban tobacco legend Alejandro  Robaina, known in international cigar circles for producing the  best of his country’s famous tobacco leaves, died yesterday  at the age of 91, a family friend said.

–after questioning over sex abuse claim by girl, 13 –cops seeking child’s mother Broadcaster and leader of the Justice For All Party Chandra Narine Sharma yesterday remained hospitalised after he collapsed at the Brickdam Police Station, where he was being taken into custody over the allegation that he sexually abused a 13-year-old girl and her sisters.

-daughter saved from burning building A fire believed to have been caused by a power surge yesterday gutted the Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara home of PNCR-1G Member of Parliament and Head of Woman’s Affairs Cheryl Sampson.

-victim says she was kept in box A Muslim leader, accused of having carnal knowledge of a 14-year-old girl, was yesterday remanded to prison.

-voices support for union The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers union (GAWU) yesterday called on Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir to “shoulder his responsibilities” in the dispute between the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB& GWU) and the Rusal subsidiary, the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc.