Daily Archive: Sunday, July 17, 2011

FRANKFURT,  (Reuters) – Japan won the women’s World  Cup for the first time after beating the United States 3-1 on  penalties following a 2-2 draw today.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Britain’s senior police chief  Paul Stephenson, London’s police commissioner, resigned today over allegations about the police’s handling of phone  hacking investigations.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan  were given the nod ahead of fellow paceman Steve Finn in  England’s 12-man squad for Thursday’s opening test of the  four-match series against India at Lord’s.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Criminals in Jamaica have ruthlessly murdered more than 1,500 children and teenagers since the turn of the 21st century.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Police have arrested Rebekah  Brooks, the former chief executive of News Corp’s   British newspaper arm News International, Sky News reported today.

(BarbadosNation)  After several months of uncertainty, regional air carrier REDjet has been given the green light to fly intoTrinidad and Tobago.

MAYAGUEZ, Puerto Rico, CMC – Olympic sprint relay silver medallist Keston Bledman handed Trinidad and Tobago one of four gold medals on the opening day of the 23rd Central American and Caribbean Championships, when he snatched the men’s 100 metres here Friday.

Poor police prosecution has resulted in the collapse of several cases in the Magistrates’ Courts; a disturbing reflection of inadequate training in the rules of evidence, poor investigation practices and corruption, a member of the justice system said.

Suriname may possibly fund the construction of a bridge across the Corentyne River, the country’s Public Works Minister Ramon Abraham has told its Parliament.

The leadership team for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) will include candidates for prime minister, deputy prime minister and vice presidents and WPA co-leader Dr Rupert Roopnaraine is set to be one of the vice presidents, a reliable source has confirmed.

Olympian Niall Roberts and Goodwill Games gold medallist Brittany van Lange were scheduled to depart today for Shanghai, China to participate in the International Swimming Federation (FINA) World Championships at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Centre.

Boys’ 13–14 age group swimmer Omari Dunn achieved three new seed timings while Soroya Simmons and Athena Gaskin both swam Goodwill qualifying times when competition in the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) Goodwill Games Time Trials concluded yesterday at the Castellani Swimming Pool, Homestretch Avenue.

England’s selectors won’t be overly taxed in deciding on the squad for the first Test against India which will be announced today.

The Georgetown Cricket Association under-10 kiddies 5 day camp, sponsored by Guyoil and Tradewinds Tankers concluded yesterday at the St.Stanislaus

India’s bowlers continued to find it hard going yesterday at Taunton as Somerset amassed 425 for 3 before declaring shortly before their allotted 100-over first innings was completed.

VP Sports Update Inter Organisation Basketball League quarterfinal round bounces off tonight at the Burnham Court from 19:00 hrs.

The inaugural Digicel schools football championship set to conclude today was hit by a hiccup as the defeated semi-finalist Waramadong Secondary threatened to pull out of the third place play-off match today, claiming they were unfairly treated in Friday’s game.

DOHA, (Reuters) – Suspended Asian soccer chief Mohammed bin Hammam was tight-lipped yesterday over reports alleging he was not fully co-operating in investigations over a cash-for-votes bribery scandal concerning his aborted bid for the FIFA presidency.

HEUSDEN-ZOLDER, Belgium, CMC – Veteran Bahamian sprinter Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie took the women’s 100 metres at the KBC Night of Athletics here yesterday.

In last week’s column I continued the discussion of GuySuCo’s performance indicators and also dealt with several other items related to the pattern of yields of sugar cane on GuySuCo’s estates. 

PPP/C presidential candidate Donald Ramotar yesterday said that upcoming polls would not be delayed by the holding of a new round of Claims and Objections to facilitate registration of between 5,000 and 7,000 eligible voters currently not on the list.

Two Beterverwagting (BV) dog lovers are now in grief, after their pet was severely chopped and subsequently died following a rampant dog slaughter carried out by some Mon Repos residents on Friday.

West Side All Stars can claim bragging rights of being best from the west as they defeated West Demerara United in the West Demerara final at Den Amstel Community Centre ground yesterday.

Ask any Guyanese, at home or abroad, to name the first five things Guyanese that readily come to mind, and they often reply, Kaieteur Falls, Stabroek Market, St George’s, Parliament Buildings, Town Hall, and sometimes, Jonestown.

Something strange happened in Dominica last weekend. For each of the last three days of a Test match the West Indies had absolutely no hope of winning and every chance of losing, Windsor Park, the impressive modern stadium in the capital, Roseau, increasingly filled to near its 10,000 capacity.

Several folk tales have many versions, so that the same story may be known in different countries each of which has its own variations on the theme. 

Fishermen in Berbice are rejoicing at the news of Kevin ‘Long Hair’ Narine’s capture, saying that their prayers have been answered and that they are now free to resume normal fishing.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Jamaica survived a late stumble to beat Barbados by four wickets on Friday to capture the West Indies Under-15 Championship.

The Guyana Consumers Association presents this submission publicly appealing to all consumers to take cognizance of the likely passing of this Bill as it is in its present form.

A woman was hit down by a speeding horse cart at Cummings Street around 12:30 hrs yesterday.

Prospective students of the University of Guyana, especially those awaiting examination results, now have a final chance of applying for programmes which are not oversubscribed.

Sri Lanka Cricket have confirmed that the DRS will be used in the upcoming series against Australia, contradicting earlier reports.

Continued from last week Allow me to begin today’s column by correcting an omission from last week’s Pet Corner.

The North American Life Insurance Company Ltd (NALICO) on Friday launched two, of its seven, new insurance policies:-Financial Protector 20 and 30 years, Cash Back, term plans respectively, at the Regency Hotel, Georgetown.

Close to 100 horses will compete in the Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club and Sports Facilities (RCMTC&SF) and Ansa Mc Al Trading Guyana Limited Triple Crown Classic horse race meet today at the club’s track at Alness, Corentyne, Berbice.

I have just finished reading a gardening magazine produced for the English market.

SANDWICH, England, (Reuters) – Once the filthy weather had done its worst and scattered the British Open field asunder, Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke emerged in late yesterday sunshine atop the leader board but with a pack of Americans lurking dangerously.

The Ministry of Health Blood Bank is urgently seeking donations from persons with O-Negative blood since there is no supply of this type at present, a release stated.

Piranhas belong to the family Characidae and are related to herbivorous species like the Pacu.

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) – China accused the United States yesterday of “grossly” interfering in its internal affairs and damaging relations after President Barack Obama met exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at the White House.

The AFC has come out against President Bharrat Jagdeo’s recent endorsement of executive presidency, which it says “is outdated and counter-productive” to unity and development.

“Everybody is a hustler here,” is how Shakira Khan who vends at the busy Pomeroon River port of Charity in Region Two describes the area which is ideally poised to become Guyana’s newest town.

For years, many in the US and Europe have been wishing that Venezuela’s mercurial President, Hugo Chávez, would depart and a more pro-western leader take his place.

The Public Works Ministry has spent $25 million to reconstruct the access road to the St Cuthbert’s Mission and while there has been some improvement, residents of the community are not satisfied with the state of the road.

Deal on Wheels promotion

Defending regional under-19 3-day and 50 overs champions the Windward Islands and Trinidad and Tobago both have ambitions to improve on their 2010 triumphs, when they kick start their campaign tomorrow, in the first round of 2011 Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) regional under-19 tournament.

FRONT LINE NEAR BIR GHANAM, Libya (Reuters) – Ten Libyan rebels were reported killed and 172 wounded in an attack on the eastern oil port of Brega yesterday, while insurgents drove back forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi in the west.

President of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Keith Foster said yesterday that the board’s legal advisors have requested documentation on what transpired at last Sunday’s Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) elections.

South Korea’s announcement that it will ban all school paper textbooks and replace them with electronic tablets by 2014 should ring alarm bells in the United States, Europe and Latin America — many of our children run the risk of being left even farther behind their digital-savvy Asian counterparts.

Dear Editor, An opinion survey conducted by NACTA in early July has shown the incumbent PPP taking an early lead in popular support over the opposition parties in elections due by December.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said yesterday doctors have found no more malignant cells in his body after cancer surgery but he delegated some powers just hours before a planned trip back to Cuba for chemotherapy.

CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Nearly two-thirds of the $86 million raised by President Barack Obama for his re-election effort in recent months came from small donations of under $200 or less, according to filings released on Friday.

The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination says it opposes the criminalization of HIV transmission and notes a number of reasons why, in its view, such a law would reverse the progress being made in Guyana to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) – A new controversy over Oscar winner Jane Fonda’s Vietnam War activism caused the actress to come out swinging against home shopping TV network QVC yesterday, over what she described as its caving in to “extremist” pressure to cancel her appearance.

PLATEAU DE BEILLE, France, (Reuters) – Belgian Jelle Vanendert took advantage of the waiting game by the main contenders to snatch victory in the 168.5-km 14th stage of the Tour de France from St Gaudens yesterday.

Neat fit

LONDON (Reuters) – “It was the kind of place you get out of and you never want to go back again.”

Dear Editor, In June 2011, an American visitor named Jason came to Guyana to participate in the great jungle adventures Guyana has to offer.

Hardly a month or even a week went by in my working life without one or other or both of these men appearing in the world’s headlines.

CARACAS (Reuters) – The front-runner to face Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez in an election next year said yesterday a corruption investigation ordered by the country’s top judge showed the government feared his growing popularity.

I like it the way it is

Miss Guyana World

Russian businesses have expressed interest in trading and investing in Guyana, according to Russian Ambassador to Guyana Nikolay Smirnov, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) said in a press release.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s public battle with cancer has added to his global fame but it may also weaken his already waning influence in Latin America and beyond.

The Friday before last President Jagdeo gave a news conference at his office during which he told reporters on the matter of reforming the presidency: “There are things I think I would like to see… But I don’t see anything major because… we did the major thing, which was to limit people who sit in this job, unlike any country in the Caribbean.”

Dear Editor, Guyana’s Access to Information Bill 2011 sets out a practical regime securing the right of persons to access information under the control of public authorities.

Sending a message through dance:

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Supreme Court on Friday struck down controversial amendments to the Bail Act.

There are athletes who naturally impress us with their magnificent physical achievements of power and style that leave us gaping at the display, but the ones whom we take into our hearts, the ones we come to feel affection for, are the ones who also show us their excellence as people. 

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says the country plans to aggressively pursue more Test matches, following the successful hosting of the inaugural game last week.

In the story headlined ‘Mother, ex cop Hinds among 7 charged with Bel Air heist’ in our edition yesterday, the photograph of a policeman was incorrectly published as being that of Rayon Jones, one of the accused in the matter.