Daily Archive: Saturday, April 10, 2010

SMOLENSK, Russia, (Reuters) – Poland’s President  Lech Kaczynski, its central bank head and the country’s military  chief were among 96 people killed when their plane crashed in  thick fog on its approach to a Russian airport today.

-girl suffered from tuberculosis Church leaders yesterday maintained that Sangeeta Persaud, the 14-year-old who died following an exorcism last month, was demon-possessed, while her mother disclosed that the girl suffered from tuberculosis.

Talks between GuySuCo and workers’ unions GAWU and NAACIE on the fate of some 400 displaced sugar workers of the Diamond Estate ended in deadlock as the sugar corporation remains opposed to severance packages for the workers.

-group demands respect for learning process Toshaos and councillors from various Amerindian communities picketed an Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) workshop yesterday, accusing the NGO of trying to put a hold on projects that would bring benefit Amerindian communities.

-residents remain fearful Senior police officers yesterday visited businessman Ricky Kumar and apologised for the “sloppy” response of ranks to a report of armed robbery at his Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara home on Thursday morning.

Three children of Lochaber, West Canje Berbice, who took ill on Wednesday and were rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital, are still patients while a sibling did not survive.

-complained about debtors Businessman Rajendra Motilall Sonilall, who was gunned down on Thursday, returned home acting strangely after a trip to Lethem last week.

A 17-year-old boy was yesterday remanded to prison for allegedly having sex with a nine-year-old school girl.

-spent a month in hospital after attempting suicide The co-accused in a house lot scam was remanded to prison yesterday, after a month in hospital to recover from a suicide attempt.

A West Berbice man was refused bail when he appeared before Magistrate Nigel Hawke at the Fort Wellington Court yesterday, on an attempt murder charge but his lawyer is claiming he acted in self-defence.

The private sector and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) are working to eliminate bottlenecks affecting the business community as the revenue body attempts to build on the success of its institutional reform.

Following the recent parliamentary fall out over $4B granted to the Housing Ministry as supplementary provisions, AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan has initiated proceedings to have Ministers Irfaan Ali and Dr Ashni Singh appear before the Committee of Privileges charged with contempt.

-audit report Multiple breaches in the Tender Board Procedures in Region 4 have been a common feature over the last two years, the 2008 Auditor General report reveals.

Security measures for Guyana leg well advanced – Slowe By Floyd Christie Security arrangements for the Guyana leg of the ICC Twenty20 World Championship are well advanced with over 300 personnel set to be involved in providing security at the stadium, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe.

A number of open heart surgeries will be conducted on children starting today and the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) has issued an urgent call to the public to donate blood.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Overlooked for the recent one-day series against Zimbabwe, Travis Dowlin was Friday named to lead the West Indies A side against the touring Africans later this month.

A health fair in observance of World Health Day would be hosted along Brickdam on Sunday.

‘Twelve Views in the Interior of Guiana,’ written 169 years ago by German Explorer Robert Schomburgk who first visited Guyana in 1835, was unveiled Thursday at the Umana Yana.

-GCC, Everest and GDF also record wins Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) pulled off an easy victory against Police Sports Club (PSC) yesterday at the DCC ground as the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Digicel 20/20 tournament got off to an exciting start.

Director of Sport Neil Kumar will deliver the opening remarks tomorrow when the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) officially opens its season with the Banks DIH Sevens Championships at the Nat-ional Park Rugby ground.

The Guyana and Trinidad Mutual Group of Insurance Companies (GTM) launched a new $52M branch yesterday at Plantain Walk, Vreed-en-hoop.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) launched the Acade-mic Education Programme aimed at boosting its ranks education and development, on Thursday at Base Camp Seweyo.

When play in the annual Mayor’s Cup knockout football resumes today, strong rivalry is expected when Santos takes on Uitvlugt at 18:00 h and later when BK International Western Tigers go against Den Amstel.

Sterling Products Limited (SPL) has acquired the ISO (International Organisation of Standard) 9001:2008 certification for its wide range of edible fats products.

Essequibo cricketers produced yet another disastrous performance as they were routed in less than two days in the first round of the GTM Under-19 Inter-County tournament at the Uitvlugt Community Center yesterday.

– Hadi’s also gives support The male winner for the second biannual Hugh Ross Classic will receive one Yamaha RX100 motorcycle, and Ming’s Products and Services (MPS) has handed over the prize to the organizing committee of the event.

A new Well Station, expected to deliver upgraded water services, was installed yesterday at Amelia’s Ward, Linden.

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has named Natasha Gangoo of West Berbice to lead the county in the upcoming Inter-County Female Tournament.

Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh and German Ambassador Ernest Martens yesterday signed an additional $1.36B agreement for financial cooperation on tropical forest protection.

The second match in the inaugural Golyn and Sons 20-over softball competition will take place tonight at the world famous Georgetown Cricket Club Ground (GCC), Bourda, between Stabroek Market and Fashion Store of Robb Street.

Those offering health services outside traditional medical practice will soon have to operate under new rules, following the passage of a new law on Thursday.

The winners of the East Bank Football Association (EBFA) Stag League First Division tournament were presented with their respective prizes yesterday in the boardroom of Ansa McAl.

The Parliamentary Committee of Privileges on Wednesday told PNCR-1G MP Deborah Backer, who the government wants to be held in contempt over statements she made about ranks of the joint services during a debate, informed that it would contact her following a statement to the committee by her attorney.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) Dr Roger Luncheon said Cabinet has planned a number of activities targeting industrial and manufacturing entities in observance of World Occupational Safety and Health Day.

The Sonny Boy 20/20 softball final is set to climax tomorrow with an eagerly anticipated match-up between the Demerara-based Ariel XI and the Memorex of Berbice at the Everest Cricket Club ground, Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown.

The Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) National Novices Championship commence this evening at 19:00 h at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

President Bharrat Jagdeo met Head of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and Science Advisor Dr Ulric (Neville) Trotz on Thursday to discuss specific projects that can benefit Guyana as it adapts to the phenomenon.

Claudio Akeen, the young man stabbed during an attack by a miner Wednesday night, is in a stable condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and police are still looking for his attacker.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Portsmouth, in administration and on the brink of relegation from the Premier League, appointed the FA’s head of football integrity and financial regulation as their new chief executive on yesterday.

Guyanese songbird Timika Marshall is the new addition to a list of Caribbean entertainers who will be entertaining fans at the prestigous Digicel Reggae on the Hill set for Barbados’ Farley Hill National Park on April 25.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago Kerry Baptiste has been in invited to join English Championship club Ipswich Town for their pre-season training later this year.

Government is committed to finance additional interventions to cushion the effects of the El Nino dry weather phenomenon and an additional $300M has been allocated to fund such interventions recently.

Oh entertainment, entertainment, why hast thou treated me so? Why didst thou lead me to a roof-top rum party?

Justin Bailey, called ‘Jassy,’ who was convicted of manslaughter last month, was sentenced to 13 years at the Berbice Assizes on Thursday.

AUGUSTA, Georgia, Reuters) – Tiger Woods birdied  the two par-five holes on Augusta National’s back nine to surge  into a familiar position high up the leaderboard in the U.S. 

-Healthy, delicious, addictive Hi Everyone, Once you make your own granola, trust me, you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Yankee Stadium will welcome boxing back to the baseball field for the first time in over 30 years when it hosts a world championship bout in June that features an aspiring rabbi, officials said yesterday.

Lloyd Roberts was granted $20,000 bail when he appeared Thursday before acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson charged with unlawfully assaulting a policeman.

-man charged with assaulting mother Magistrate Ann McLennan sentenced two women who pleaded guilty to assaulting each other to two months community service each or the alternative of two weeks jail.

Dear Editor, I refer to a letter by Rayvonne P Bourne in which it is said that Roger Khan constructed houses at Good Hope on the East Coast and asks why his assets have not been seized (‘Why has no move been made to seize the assets of Roger Khan and other drug traffickers convicted in the US?’

Kings XI Punjab 158 for 4 (Sangakkara 56, Barath 33) beat Mumbai Indians 154 for 9 (Duminy 35, Chawla 3-24, Pathan 3-29) by six wickets (Cricinfo) Mumbai Indians were just a win away from reaching the semi-final, but their progress hit a stumbling block following their second consecutive scratchy batting performance, this time against an inspired Kings XI Punjab in Mohali.

For those hat fanatics your time of the year is here again, when you can display your expertise in fashioning the best hats at the annual Inner Wheel Club hat show and garden party which will be held on April 17 in the Promenade Gardens.

The policeman, who was fined on Tuesday for drunken driving, was also fined $35,000 for dangerous driving after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Dear Editor, I really would have preferred not to have to comment on a letter penned by Dr Joey Jagan on what he terms the AFC’s ambitions which destroyed the “fabric of the third force,” but as Leader of the AFC, feel constrained and compelled to correct the massive inaccuracies that appeared therein (‘Corbin could not break up a coalition that he was never a part of in the first place’ SN, April 8).

DENVER (Reuters) – A stifling defensive effort and 31 points from Carmelo Anthony lifted the Denver Nuggets to a 98-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

(Reuters) – Defenders could ruin Lionel Messi’s plans to shine at the World Cup because they will focus on marking the Argentine who is out of this world, Uruguay captain Diego Lugano said.

BONN, Germany (Reuters) – The United States and  China clashed yesterday about how to revive climate talks in  2010, complicating the first UN session since the acrimonious  Copenhagen summit fell short of agreeing a treaty.

Children are being given the opportunity to win their mothers an all-inclusive pampering package just by putting on paper why their moms are special.

Dear Editor, It is unfortunate that Dave Martin’s piece on ‘horn-blowers’ in Georgetown (and elsewhere) ended up on an anti-climactic note which may have been interpreted by the loud and lewd practitioners as reinforcing their bad habit.

Justice Winston Patterson granted bail in the sum of $150,000 to a 19-year-old who is charged with being in possession of a .38 revolver with matching rounds.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Pace-setting Red Bull have applauded Formula One’s governing body for clamping down on systems that alter a car’s ride height between qualifying and the race, adding they had nothing to fear.

Dear Editor, Having read many arguments and comments as they relate to the Low Carbon Development Strategy I am compelled to add some of my own.

A Preliminary Inquiry into the death of psychiatric patient Ramnauth Persaud commenced before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo at the New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Court.

TEHRAN (Reuters) – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,  taunting the United States for trying to halt Iran’s nuclear  programme, showcased an improved centrifuge yesterday which  officials said would enrich uranium faster than existing models.

By Iana Seales “My name is Sherwin Rose by birth but I sing under the name I-San,” says the short, dreadlocked singer as a form of introduction before he starts to chat at length about his music and its purpose.

(Cricinfo) The ECB have confirmed that two Essex county cricketers are at the centre of a police investigation, following allegations of “match irregularities”.

(Trinidad Express) The election bell has been rung, but without a date.

Youths of West Coast Berbice discovered their hidden talents in art and craft at a four-day workshop held at the Lichfield Library, sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister  Benjamin Netanyahu has withdrawn from a nuclear security summit  in Washington next week, fearing Muslim delegates will demand  Israel give up its assumed atomic arsenal.

Dear Editor, The resolve shown by the bauxite workers of the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc (BCGI) and their union, the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU), has to be understood in the context of their historical determination, struggles and achievements for what is right, just and fair under international conventions, laws and collective labour agreements.

Richard Barrow appeared in the New Amsterdam Court on a charge of robbery with violence, which he denied before Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo.

Magistrate Ann McLennan fined a construction worker $50,000 after he pleaded guilty to the charge of being an unlicensed driver, when he appeared in the Christianburg Magistrates’ Court to answer to the charge.

Dear Editor, Please refer to a letter which appeared in your Stabroek News issue of April 8, 2010 captioned  ‘City Hall needs to issue guidelines for the registration of hospitality businesses.’

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Former fast bowler David Saker has followed in the footsteps of fellow Australian Troy Cooley and been appointed as England’s new fast bowling coach.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The World Bank and other  development banks  yesterday stepped up efforts to root out the  corrupt use of aid funds, saying companies and individuals  blacklisted at one institution would be unwelcome at all.

By Shabna Ullah A 17-year-old of Blairmont, West Bank Berbice is the winner of the Valerie & Bunty Sari Pageant 2010 that was held at the Shieldstown Community Centre Ground last Saturday evening.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Cuba’s President Raul  Castro and his brother, ex-leader Fidel Castro, have sought to  sabotage US moves to improve ties because they fear it will  threaten their power, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said  yesterday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Liberal US Supreme Court  Justice John Paul Stevens announced yesterday he would resign,  and President Barack Obama promised to name a successor  quickly, setting the stage for an expected partisan  election-year Senate confirmation battle.

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian authorities  cautioned yesterday that negotiations with the United States to  solve a long-standing dispute over US cotton aid were only at  a preliminary stage and that a deal was not certain.

Magistrate Ann McLennan dismissed a trafficking in narcotics case against a Linden man who is currently serving time for another matter.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad CMC – Regional football magnate Jack Warner has pledged to help bail out the cash-strapped Jamaican Football Federation.

Dear Editor, I refer to the column by Peter Ramsaroop, captioned ‘Economic diversification – sugar to ethanol,’ published in SN on March 30.

Preparations for Wedding Expo 2010 are proceeding in excellent fashion and so far thirty one exhibitors have registered to be a part of the three day event which is expected to draw thousands.

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Rescuers pulled more  bodies from a collapsed hillside slum near Rio de Janeiro yesterday, abandoning hope of finding survivors from a disaster  caused by the heaviest rains in four decades.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – All-rounder Darren Sammy says he is looking forward to leading West Indies in the Jamaica Cricket Association Festival.

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter written by Emile Mervin titled ‘Did GECOM jump the gun and say it was ready for local gov’t polls?’

The female and male models along with the designers have been selected for the Guyana Models Search Designer/stylist portfolio and will soon be involved in the six week competition set the television with a grand finale set for July, organizers say.

-rehab works near complete The Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge is now reopened to the free flow of traffic after undergoing extensive rehabilitation works that began late last year.

MADRID (Reuters) – Spain yesterday approved the  extradition of a Dutch-Argentine pilot to Argentina to face  charges of throwing political prisoners out of aircraft into the  sea under the military dictatorship 30 years ago.

The World’s Most Dangerous Place for Women, a BBC documentary, recently followed a 23-year-old Congolese girl returning home to parents who had sent her away as a baby to live in the safety of the United Kingdom.