Daily Archive: Friday, June 24, 2011

ALBANY, N.Y.,  (Reuters) – New York’s state  legislature gave final approval yesterday to same-sex  marriages, a key victory for gay rights ahead of the 2012  presidential and congressional elections.

Marissa Carrington and LaShawn Ann Mootoo who had been missing since Tuesday and believed kidnapped were released tonight.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – A former Egyptian banker  pleaded guilty in a New York court yesterday to a criminal  charge that he sexually abused a hotel maid and now faces a  multimillion dollar civil suit in connection with the case.

The police say they are probing an incident that occurred at the Charlestown Secondary School at about 3.40 today where relatives of a twelve-year-old student attacked teachers of the school with cutlasses, after it was alleged that the student had been assaulted by one of the teachers.

DUBAI,  (Reuters) – Sri Lankan opening batsman Upul  Tharanga has been suspended for three months after failing a  doping test, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said today.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Peter Falk, star of the  1970s hit TV drama “Columbo,” whose role as the rumpled  detective of the same name earned him four Emmys, has died  after years of battling Alzheimer’s disease.

The man who was suffering from a suspected stab wound to the neck and succumbed to his injuries while being transported by vehicle from Black Water, Mahdia, on June 21, 2011, has been identified as Steve Anthony Carew, 44 years, of Soesdyke, EBD, police said this afternoon.

The police are investigating the alleged kidnapping of an 18-year-old Unity Village, East Coast Demerara girl, who went missing since Wednesday following which a relative received a text message demanding ransom.

WIPA MEDIA RELEASE June 24th, 2011. WIPA Secretary to WICB 24.06.11 24th June, 2011 G.

An emotional Michael Carrington this midday appealed for all with 4×4 vehicles to assist in search operations at Dora on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway to find his daughter, Marissa Carrington and her friend, LaShawn Ann Mootoo.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – A former Egyptian banker  pleaded guilty in a New York court today to a criminal  charge that he sexually abused a hotel maid and now faces a  multimillion dollar civil suit in connection with the case.

Dwarka Gangadin was this morning committed to stand trial in the High Court over the murder of his wife, Bridgette, whose mangled remains were found on the Vigilance public road last May.

PPP/C presidential candidate Donald Ramotar this morning said that his party has written to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) requesting that it implements some measure to facilitate eligible persons to be registered.

(Trinidad Guardian) Had he not quit his FIFA’s vice-presidential post, Jack Warner would have been found guilty of corruption.

(De Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – The jatropha bio-diesel project that the Indian companies Food Fats and Fertilizers Limited (FFF) and Enhanced Bio-fuels and Technology Private Limited (EBT) wanted to start in Suriname has been scrapped.

(De Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – Ronny “Kleine” Rattan (30), who is on the police’s Most Wanted-list, was arrested in the Livorno area yesterday afternoon.

David Granger will lead the Joint Opposition Political Parties (JOPP) into the upcoming general elections under the banner of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), which will present a single list of candidates.

(Trinidad Express) Irish mobile phone services provider Digicel Group Ltd has shown what it calls robust growth in its financial performance for its year ended March 31, 2011.

(Trinidad Express) A 36-year-old man from Curepe is expected to appear before a Sangre Grande magistrate today charged with bigamy.

(De Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – Yesterday, shocking information emerged in Parliament about safety on local flights, particularly to the hinterland.

KINGSTON, (Reuters) – West Indies pace bowler Ravi  Rampaul has been fined 10 percent of his match fee for dissent  after disputing an umpire’s decision in the first test against  India, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said today.

(Trinidad Express) Business mogul Lawrence Duprey yesterday made moves to stall the Commission of Enquiry into the collapse of financial conglomerate CL Financial, scheduled to kick off on Monday.

(Barbados Nation) Local basketball isn’t just paying lip service to cleaning up the sport’s image.

DAR ES SALAAM, (Reuters) – The U.N. war crimes  tribunal for Rwanda today sentenced former families minister  Pauline Nyiramasuhuko to life in prison for genocide and  incitement to rape, the court said.

The World Bank yesterday approved a $2B (US$10M) loan to support the University of Guyana’s science and technology faculty.

Two children are dead after they rode into a car along the One Mile Wismar Road, Linden yesterday.

A third man charged with the marijuana bust at the John Fernandes Wharf was yesterday remanded to prison after making an appearance before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, after CANU searched two cellular phones.

Members of the Joint Services yesterday searched areas along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway and parts of Timehri for the two teenage girls who vanished from Yarrowkabra on Tuesday night.

Guyana has made insufficient progress towards improving maternal health and is not on track to reach the fifth Millennium Development Goal (MDG), according to a new United Nations report which has assessed the state of midwifery globally.

Alliance For Change leader Raphael Trotman has described as “frightening” a recent directive from Police Commissioner Henry Greene to restrict divisional commanders from speaking with members of the press.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – India needed a mere half-hour after lunch on the fourth day to quell West Indies’ resistance and send the hosts plunging to a 63-run defeat with over a day to spare in the first Test here yesterday.

Some 20 minibus operators yesterday staged a strike in Bartica, after the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) reassigned their First Avenue parking lot to hire cars.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon said Cabinet has cleared four contracts including one for $504M for Amelia’s Ward.

The re-tender for the supply of computers for the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project was yesterday launched on www.eprocure.gov.gy.

Disc Jockey Nerissa Pearson, who was assaulted by an army officer on Sunday, does not believe the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is taking the incident seriously and is calling on relevant officials to take action.

Minister of Housing Irfaan Ali on Wednesday presented 16 persons with keys to homes built under the Second Low Income Settlement Programme at Bath, in Region Five.

Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has started preparatory work on the $850M Coastal 2011 Programme, which will see the construction of five wells and an enhanced water supply service.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon has announced that around 400 Region Ten residents will receive their land titles.

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally has given a commitment to be receptive to requests to meet with key stakeholders to discuss pertinent matters associated with the successful conduct of this year’s general elections.

Over 50 public sector employees are participating in an ambitious information technology training programme in Central Rupununi, the Regional Administration of Region Nine has announced.

The Ministry of Home Affairs last month signed 43 multi-million-dollar contracts for the building and rehabilitation of infrastructure under the 2011 current and capital work programme for the police, fire and prison services.

At about 1530h yesterday the police say they stopped and searched a man at a boat-landing at Springlands, Corentyne, Berbice,

Nirmala Sugrim, the fish vendor who was injured after the car she was travelling in collided with a minibus on Wednesday morning, remains in a serious condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Regional governing body for cricket, the WICB, has accused players’ union head Dinanath Ramnarine of threatening behaviour during a stormy meeting in Jamaica last week, and is seeking an apology over the incident.

As the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the murder of schoolgirl Neesa Gopaul continued, taxi driver Ashram Tiwarie took to the witness stand to testify. 

Zoreen Edwards, who suffered major injuries to both her legs after being involved in a boat collision, underwent surgery on Tuesday last and is still bedridden at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Jack Warner, the controversial former FIFA executive committee member who was at the heart of a corruption investigation until he resigned this week, is set to pick up a five-figure annual pension for life as a result of his decision to stand down.

By Colin BenjaminDemerara scored a tense  four wicket victory over Cellink Berbice yesterday to be crowned 2011 champions of the Guyana  and Trinidad Mutual three day Inter County tournament.

Erratic rainfall patterns and shortage of capital pose perpetual threats to efforts to restore the sugar industry to a condition of viability, but the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) Board of Directors has also identified its skills’ shortage as an equally formidable hurdle to be crossed in the quest to salvage the industry.

The forms are in, the grouping stage has begun and all that remains is for the teams to play for the glory.

By Treiston Joseph Tutorial Academy walked away with every possible award after they defeated New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary School yesterday in the final of the National Schools Basketball Festival, Berbice Conference.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Darren Sammy started to sound like a stuck record following West Indies’ 63-run defeat in the first Test against India yesterday at Sabina Park.

Some local jewellers are guilty of passing off poor quality gold jewellery as top-of-the-line, high-carat items, stakeholders say, insisting that the largely unregulated nature of the industry poses a near insurmountable challenge to efforts to stamp out the practice.

Phillip Squires was Tuesday evening ousted from the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Open men’s singles competition when he was toppled 6-3 3-6 6-3 by Anthony Downes at the tennis courts of the GBTI Recreational Facility, Bel Air Park.

Dear Editor, I refer to Mr Sherwood Lowe’s letter published in your issue of Sunday, June 12 concerning the name of this country – is it the Co-operative Republic of Guyana or the Republic of Guyana?

There used to be a time when kitchen gardens were commonplace in the Caribbean.

LCDS

Dear Editor, When I read the letter ‘No road shoulder in front of shop is a traffic hazard’(SN , June 15) I told customers at my shop that all I had to do was change ‘Suddie’ and replace it with ‘Betsy Ground,’ East Canje, as well as the name at the bottom, as the same situation occurs here.

The Black Stallion Sports Committee will stage a three team domino competition today in memory of the late Garfield Wills.

Dear Editor, At the request of a well-respected sports columnist during a brief telephone conversation earlier in the week, I agreed to give an account of the 1999 Guyana Football Association AGM, and how Mr Klass retained the presidency.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The U.S. military distanced  itself yesterday from President Barack Obama’s plan for a  faster-than-expected withdrawal of U.S.

Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) José Miguel Insulza has emphasized that businesses have a  responsibility in the fight against corruption and advocated the criminalization of national and transnational bribery.

Legal Jeopardy One of the busiest market places in Guyana is the cambio, where foreign currency is bought and sold daily. 

A seven round rapid Chess tournament sponsored by the Trophy Stall gets underway tomorrow at the Kei-Shar’s Sports Club on Hadfield Street.

Forces favouring forest destruction—including food and fuel prices—could overwhelm efforts aimed at preserving what remains of the world’s rainforests, according to the Japan-based International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).

The National Assembly yesterday passed the long-delayed Consumer Affairs Bill, after it emerged from a special select committee without any amendments to the original piece of legislation.

Recent comments reportedly made by two cabinet ministers from Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago on the safety of aircraft operated by the low-fare airline REDjet has prompted a statement from the airline’s management asserting that its safety was being “unfairly maligned.”

MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – President Felipe Calderon  apologized to victims of Mexico’s war on drugs in an emotional  meeting with bereaved families yesterday that sought to try  and quell rising anger over violence sweeping the nation.

Dear Editor, Recent follow-up discussions on how we in the Alliance for Change (AFC) will continue to prepare to correct the economic wrongs being perpetrated by the PPP government have sharpened our focus on the large current account imbalances that the PPP continues to saddle us with and how we plan to definitively reduce it to below 5%. 

ATHENS, (Reuters) – Two Super League club presidents  were among 15 people identified by the Athens prosecutor yesterday for alleged involvement in a match-fixing scandal the  government described as the “darkest page in the history of  Greek football”.

Dear Editor, In response to Mr Jinnah Rahman’s letter of June 22 (SN, ‘The Movement for Political and Economic Democracy promotes the idea of a government of national unity and reconstruction’), I must say that in all my years of political involvement in Guyana, I have never read such nonsense, but I excuse Mr Rahaman for trying to put words in my mouth which I never stated.

Bandits broke into the T-Town Boutique at Rose Hall, Corentyne around 1 am on Tuesday and escaped with over $4M in cash and articles.

Having faced much criticism over what has been regarded as their general indifference to the need for local responses to persistent warnings of an impending global food crisis, it appears that Caribbean governments are beginning to make modest responses.

DAKAR, (Reuters) – Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade  backed down on a proposed change to the election rules yesterday, completely withdrawing a bill that sparked violent  clashes between riot police and protesters in the capital.

Dear Editor, JOPP have decided that they will form a partnership for national unity (APNU), to contest the upcoming elections.

The Education Ministry is still mulling over a proposal to hire foreign graduate mathematics and science teachers as part of a plan to improve the performances of students in these subject areas, Education Minister Shaik Baksh told the National Assembly yesterday.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Li Na’s hopes of a French  Open-Wimbledon double vanished yesterday as the Chinese was  beaten by wildcard Sabine Lisicki but Serena Williams, the last  player to achieve the feat, continued her comeback in ominous  fashion.

OSLO,  (Reuters) – Norway backed Indonesia’s drive to  slow deforestation yesterday under a $1 billion deal with Oslo  even though Jakarta said it faced a “maze” of reforms and lacks  maps to pin down exact conservation areas.

AMMAN, (Reuters)  – The United States is concerned by reports  that Syria is massing troops near the border with Turkey, which  could escalate the crisis in the region, and is discussing the  issue with Turkish officials, U.S.

Dear Editor, There was a golf match played in the USA but none of the professional players were involved; instead it was President Obama who was paired with Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner against Vice-President Joe Biden who was teamed up with Republican Ohio Governor John Kasich, described as an expert on federal financial matters.

Utility pole

The Caribbean Brewers Association (CBA) opened its two-day technical conference at Thirst Park in Georgetown yesterday with a presentation by CBA Chairman and Banks DIH Ltd Assistant Managing Director and Marketing and Sales Director George Mc Donald.

Students and teachers of the Mackenzie High School at Linden were yesterday morning greeted by very explicit graffiti on the outer walls of the school, apparently in reprisal for the cancellation of a graduation.

(Jamaica Observer) Reggae artiste Buju Banton was yesterday sentenced to 10 years by United States magistrate Jim Moody in the Sam M Gibbons US Court in Tampa Florida.

By Treiston Joseph President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), KA Juman Yassin last Monday expressed his views on the current state of West Indies cricket along with his thoughts on the power struggles within the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) at a GOA press conference.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 413’s trading results showed consideration of $854,608 from 98,531 shares traded in 7 transactions as compared to session 412 which showed consideration of $9,586,059 from 839,957 shares traded in 4 transactions. 

Dear Editor, Before I go any further, I should say I consider myself a true Guyanese, for I am neither Indian nor African nor Portuguese, but a Guyanese from birth; and I say this with much pride.

MIAMI, (Reuters) – A former top Bolivian anti-drug  official pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of conspiring to  smuggle cocaine into the United States in a case that has  proved a major embarrassment for Bolivia’s President Evo  Morales.

The man who was fatally stabbed at Black Water Backdam, Region Eight on Tuesday once owned a mechanic shop in Mahdia.

Inspector

(Trinidad Express) The prevalence of serious crime in the Caribbean is stunting economic growth in the region and is deterring investors from coming to this part of the world.

I’ll probably leave this lead subject alone after this treatment.  I’ve explored, cursorily, male and female homosexuality in two previous pieces over the years.

Jack Warner, the beleaguered football supremo from Trinidad and Tobago, who had been suspended by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) pending the outcome of a bribery enquiry, appears to have thrown in the towel.