Daily Archive: Sunday, April 18, 2010

-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.

Greaves comes back to win Alonzo Greaves came back to claim the lead in the 35-lap Invitational race at the Sixth Annual Universal Auto and General Supplies’ Cycling Programme held at the National Park yesterday.

By Marlon Munroe Demerara regained the GTM three-day title yesterday after their match against Berbice ended in a tame draw at the Eve Leary ground.

It seems but a month or two ago that I was observing, with no great excitement to be sure, my last birthday.

Street protest exhibited in the proper way has a rightful place in Guyana. 

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC-Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored a half century and Sulieman Benn took three wickets yesterday as West Indies defeated Ireland by 18 runs in their Twenty20 international at Sabina Park.

Guyanese all rounder Mahendra Nagamootoo top scored for his club Moosai Sports and was also the best bowler capturing two wickets, but his team still went under to Queen’s Park by two wickets in the round-of-16 stage of the Carib T20 competition at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Introduction In today’s column I will begin a review of GuySuCo’s Strategic Blueprint announced by President Jagdeo on January 8, 2009, following the installation of an interim board he appointed to steer the local sugar industry out of its field of inefficiencies, tonnes of red ink, and punt-loads of government subsidies.

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 National Rifle Shooting Championships will fire off today at the Timehri rifle ranges in what is expected to be a fiercely contested tournament.

Shift in focus Following on this coverage, this week’s column begins a shift to a new area of focus.

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.

Victory Valley Royals extinguished the Flames in the first game of the 2010 Linden Town Week Basketball tournament played at the Mackenzie Sports Club Hard Court.

By Dr Rishu Agarwal, MD (Pathology) Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a diagnostic procedure where a needle is inserted into your body, and a small amount of tissue is sucked out for examination under a microscope.

You cannot be a consumer activist without knowing about Codex which is the body that ensures food safety for consumers. 

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.

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Skipper Travis Dowlin missed out on a century as West Indies A fought back from early setbacks to take control of their four-day, first class match against Zimbabwe on the second day at the Queen’s Park Stadium yesterday.

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.

SHANGHAI,(Reuters) – Lewis Hamilton has promised not to swerve his Formula One car to shake off pursuing drivers while also declaring himself baffled by the fuss over the tactics he used in the last race.

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.

Dear Editor, We are women in the Red Thread Domestic Violence Self Help Group who are devastated by the way the lives of women and children continue to be destroyed by domestic violence.

The Guyana Chess Federation is preparing to host a FIDE- titled chess tournament which will enable its players to receive world chess ratings. 

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.

Dear Editor, Last Thursday, Dr Roger Luncheon, Head of the Presidential Secretariat was asked for further details about the award of the multi-billion contract to Synergy Holdings for the construction of a road to the Amaila Falls.

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.

“Good fences make good neighbours” is an ironic statement made by a farmer in the poem Mending Wall by American writer Robert Frost. 

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.

Mumbai Indians 191 for 4 (Rayudu 46, Duminy 42*, McLaren 40) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 134 for 9 (Kohli 37, Pollard 3-28) by 57 runs (Cricinfo) Royal Challengers Banga-lore’s final league game was delayed by an hour due to a couple of low-intensity blasts outside the stadium.

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.

Dear Editor, Further to my letter published in the Stabroek News of April 4, 2010 under the caption ‘There is inequity in the currency exchange rates,’ I am pleased to note that the Guyana Association of Bankers seems to have taken corrective action to remedy the situation.

Lendl Simmons and Dwayne Smith are two naturally gifted cricketers in whom the West Indies have invested a lot of time and money.

I had mentioned in the Pet Corner of April 4, that an accumulation of hair in the stomach, over a period of time, could create a massive hair ball.

-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.

Over the last decade or so, starting with rum in 1997, the Caribbean has seen its special trade arrangements with Europe eroded as the EU has sought something close to trade reciprocity with the ACP for either mercantile, philosophical or legal reasons.

Dear Editor, The Guyana Police Force is responding to an article published in the Sunday Chronicle on  April 11, 2010, under the caption ‘Victims suspect ‘Faeces Gang.’’

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.

LONDON, (Reuters) – A fast and fluid Tottenham Hotspur floored Premier League leaders Chelsea 2-1 yesterday in a lively London derby to give a massive boost to Manchester United’s hopes of retaining the title.

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.

Dear Editor, It would seem that Dr Roger Luncheon could hardly restrain himself from backing Brazil’s great expansion into Guyana and the Caribbean, as reporters were told at a media conference recently.

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.

(Cricinfo)The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said the indefinite ban imposed on Mohammad Yousuf will not be reviewed, as the former captain, who announced his retirement from international cricket, has not appealed against the penalty.

There are many kinds of plants which produce dwarf forms naturally due to things like altitude, lack of water, poor soil and swampy conditions. 

The authorities have been tiptoeing around the Sangeeta Persaud issue as if they expected a bomb to be detonated underneath them at any moment.

(Trinidad Express) The United National Congress (UNC) and the Congress of the People (COP) have finally reached an agreement and will join forces to battle the People’s National Movement (PNM) in the May 24 general election.