Daily Archive: Wednesday, March 16, 2011

The Jamaica Observer today reported that cocaine weighing 122.65 kilogrammes was seized this morning at Port Bustamante in Kingston aboard a vessel arriving from Guyana.

Two armed bandits yesterday attacked a Hampshire, Corentyne woman and robbed her of jewellery and money.

A Tactical Services Unit Inspector of Police is under close arrest after being unlawfully hired by a Berbice businessman and shooting a former employee of the man.

BANGALORE, (Reuters) – Australia’s openers put on  an emphatic display to follow the performance of their bowlers  as they crushed Canada by seven wickets in their World Cup Group  A match today.

(BBC) Britain has formally announced a bail-out package for the Turks and Caicos Islands worth US$417million.

Kittitian-born legal luminary, sixty-seven-year-old Sir Dennis Byron is the new president of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), according to a press release today from the Office of the St Kitts Prime Minister.

(BBC) The calls for a tsunami early warning centre in the Caribbean are getting louder.

The maiming of a Mon Repos woman has left relatives pleading for justice and questioning why the police have not moved against her attacker.

CHENNAI, India, (Reuters) – James Anderson cannot  take his place for granted while Matt Prior may bat lower down  the order in Thursday’s must-win World Cup Group B match against  West Indies, England skipper Andrew Strauss hinted today.

MANAMA, (Reuters) – Bahraini forces backed by  helicopters launched a crackdown on protesters today,  imposing a curfew and clearing hundreds from a camp that had  become the symbol of an uprising by the Shi’ite Muslim majority.

A fifty-four-year-old Guyana-born banker, who had in December 2008 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, was sentenced earlier this month to 37 months in prison by Judge David Hurd who also ordered that the sentence be followed by five years of supervised release.

(De Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO — Aviation services taking care of hinterland flights suffered from the bad weather conditions last week.

Several communities along the Mahaica Creek were last evening preparing for the worst, as the authorities began a controlled release of water to reduce the level of the dangerously-high East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC).

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) yesterday raised concerns over GECOM’s preparations for general elections saying the Commission has not been meeting because of the absence of one of the members who was recommended by the Opposition Leader.

TOKYO, (Reuters) – Operators of a quake-crippled  nuclear plant in Japan said they would try again tomorrow to  use military helicopters to douse overheating reactors, as U.S. 

The United States Embassy yesterday announced that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) plans to close its Mission in Guyana in Fiscal Year 2012 as part of its worldwide strategy to be more efficient in the management of its aid resources.

Across the country, hundreds of farmers looked on helplessly as rains over the last week swamped their rice fields, leaving more than 35,000 acres, about 20% of the current crop, affected at varying degrees.

Continuous rain over the weekend left most of De Kinderen submerged in water and residents yesterday pleaded for relief.

With flooding now a norm for some villages along East Coast of Demerara, many affected residents have resigned themselves to being under water for several more days.

A rotten Guyana Power and Light (GPL) pole on Mandela Avenue last night gave way and fell on two passing vehicles, giving the occupants the shock of their lives.

Up to the time of his resignation in November, former Office of the President (OP) consultant Jud Lohmeyer says that there was much talk about President Bharrat Jagdeo still being around “to see through all of the projects” he has started.

New York City police are seeking three men over the killing of 23-year-old Rabie Muhammed – who has Guyanese roots – after she refused to give up her purse in Queens, New York on Sunday.

After she was freed of a charge of possession of narcotics, a Linden woman was yesterday remanded to prison for the harbouring of wanted persons.

StrataGold Guyana Inc has hired a company to complete environmental baseline studies and an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Report on its Tassawini Gold Project as it moves the project forward.

Joseph Bharrat, 19, who was arraigned last Friday on charges of forging a driver’s licence, was on Monday ordered to pay a fine of $100,000 or spend three months in prison.

Charles Ferguson, who is accused of stealing a cell phone and case belonging to a school girl, was on Monday admitted to bail in the sum of $75,000 by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

Seafood company Pritipaul Singh Investments (PSI) has been implementing recommendations spelt out in a report on last June’s fatal trawler explosion.

Ivanoff Blue has announced the winners in the Ivanoff Blue Mash Craze Promotion.

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has concluded a two-day training session of 62 part-time media and elections campaign monitors to ensure that no racial hostility is incited at political meetings in the run up to the upcoming polls.

Government has called for a review of the University of Guyana (UG) strategic plan, which Education Minister Shaik Baksh said is tied to any increased funding for the institution.

Minister of Education Shaik Baksh says government intends to engage the TSC and the GTU on its plan to hire overseas teachers.

Foreign Ministers of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) met in Ecuador on Friday to mark the coming into force of the UNASUR Constitutive Treaty and discuss the appointment of a Secretary General.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Usain Bolt should concentrate  on retaining his Olympic 100 and 200 metres titles before  considering a move into other events, nine times Olympic  champion Carl Lewis said yesterday.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago batsman Runako Morton and Leeward Islands all rounder, Tonito Willet, were released from police custody yesterday after the West Indies Players Association met conditions for their bail on drug related charges.

Minister of Human Services Priya Manickchand said Guyanese women should reflect on and emulate the work of those who have struggled for their rights.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Silencing Kieron Pollard will be winning half the battle when England, the architects of  their own predicament, take on West Indies today’s  must-win World Cup Group B match in Chennai.

The National Park is the favourite haunting ground for many persons not least of all some of the nation’s finest athletes.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – A disappointed Trinidad and Tobago captain Daren Ganga says changes will have to be made to the side following another inept batting which led to a 29-run defeat to Leeward Islands on Monday.

The Guyanese pair of Neil Williams and Devon Clements continues to grab the headlines in Trinidad and Tobago with their batting exploits.

Quick action by Queen’s College students averted disaster after electrical wires in a classroom started to spark yesterday morning.

West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard jumped 15th places to a career-best 73rd in the latest Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Batting Ranking following his violent 94 of 55 balls against Ireland in Mohali last week.

Ground conditions last Sunday again caused problems for some players participating in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) 10/10 softball tournament at the Diamond Ground  forcing the games to be stopped by the National Democratic Council (NDC).

Players from Georgetown and its environs are set to pay tribute to the late former junior national player Kevin Lawrence on March 26, when the Ravens Basketball Club hosts a one-night extravaganza in his memory at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

INDIAN WELLS, California, (Reuters) – World number  two Roger Federer and Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic  each stormed into the fourth round of the Indian Wells ATP  tournament with lop-sided victories yesterday.

MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – Javier Hernandez  enhanced his burgeoning reputation with two predatory goals to  lift Manchester United into the Champions League quarter-finals  with a 2-1 win over Olympique Marseille yesterday.

Dear Editor It is important to observe that an independent review recently concluded of police pay and conditions in England and Wales, observed (in March 2011) that their salary structure was “designed for a police service and society neither of which any longer exists.”

MIAMI, (Reuters) – The Miami Heat banished memories  of their worst loss of the season by returning the favour to the  San Antonio Spurs in a 110-80 thrashing of the NBA leaders on  Monday.

Dear Editor, When will Minister Nadir and the Chief National Development Coopera-tive Officer, Mr Kareem Abdul-Jabar, intervene to stop the taking over of some members’ land in the Belle Vue Scheme?

Several of Guyana’s former cycling stars, including Olympians, came together last Saturday when the Guyana Cycling Association of North America held  an innovative cycling reunion and  fundraiser  at the Woodbine Ballroom in Brooklyn, New York.

Albion No.1 defeated Rollers of New Amsterdam in the final of the Volleyball ‘B’ competition organized by the Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) last Sunday.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Conditions at a stricken  nuclear power plant in Japan have deteriorated so much that  there is a growing consensus the crisis is greater than the  Three Mile Island accident in 1979, and there are fears that it  could get significantly worse.

Dear Editor, ‘A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.’

UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) – Supporters of a no-fly  zone to halt Libyan government air strikes on rebels circulated  a draft resolution at the U.N.

Dear Editor, I refer to a letter in KN on March 12, by Harry Ramessar under the caption, ‘Another nail in the coffin of the working class.’

LONDON, (Reuters) – Global efforts to assist Japan  after Friday’s deadly quake should focus on longer-term concerns  such as trauma counselling and helping people to rebuild, a  senior international aid official said yesterday.

Dear Editor, With reference to an article captioned ‘Ex-army officer fearful after abduction’ which was published in the Thursday, March 10 editor of the Stabroek News, it was stated that Walter Kendall is a student of the Kuru-Kuru Cooperative College on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

(Jamaica Observer) Most inner-city communities which were once ruled by a fearsome strongman have turned over a new leaf and are no longer subscribing to the dictates of the don, representatives of the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) told the Observer on Monday.

Dear Editor, This letter is not about disparaging any of the presidential hopefuls but about supporting Harry Hergash’s contention that Mr Ralph Ramkarran offers the best chance for the PPP to win the presidency (‘Mr Ramkarran offers the best chance for the PPP to win the presidency’ SN, March 14).

(Jamaica Observer) Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne was on Monday accused of corruptly using her office in the Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke extradition saga to protect the political career of Prime Minister Bruce Golding and the political interest of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

(Trinidad Express) Five doctors and four nurses were on Monday suspended from the San Fernando General Hospital following a preliminary investigation into the death of Chrystal Boodoo-Ramsoomair.

CAIRO, (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary  Clinton yesterday voiced support for Egypt’s transition to  democracy but made few specific pledges of aid and steered clear  of a debate over the pace of forthcoming elections.

Dear Editor There is lots of talk about a joint opposition. 

(Jamaica Observer) The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Monday launched a Regional Anti-Corruption Law-Enforcement Conference aimed at forging an alliance between Caribbean law enforcement entities.

Dear Editor, I endorse Prof Wazir Mohammed’s call on “thinking people to stand up for freedom in Libya” (SN, Mar 14). 

Politikles

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuela is suspending  development of a nuclear power programme following the  catastrophe at a nuclear complex in Japan, President Hugo  Chavez said yesterday.

In spite of periodic hiccups, a slow but fairly consistent positive evolution in Cuba-United States relations continues to be apparent.

A US  man who stole more than US$26 million through mining and real estate investment scams was sentenced yesterday to more than six years in federal prison and ordered to pay his victims US$23.5 million in restitution, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.