Daily Archive: Monday, November 28, 2011

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally said he is hoping to have final results of the elections available by tomorrow evening, but stopped short of committing himself to a time for an official announcement.

The RUSAL-owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc today said it had made buses available to transport its workers to polling stations.

The Trinidad-based Seismic Research Centre (SRC) on Monday reported that two earthquakes had jolted several Caribbean countries today, but there were no reports of injuries or damage, according to the Caribbean Media Corporation.

NAIROBI/KHARTOUM, (Reuters) – A Kenyan court today ordered the government to arrest Sudan’s President Omar  al-Bashir, wanted by The Hague on genocide charges, prompting  Sudan to order the expulsion of Kenya’s ambassador and summon  its own envoy from Nairobi.

Differently-abled Seesankar Puran being lifted into a polling station at Tain, Corentyne today.

Presidential Advisor on Empowerment, Odinga Lumumba was this afternoon accused of pushing a Presiding Officer (PO) after she refused to allow a PPP/C polling agent, who did not have any identification, to enter her station.

Commentator and chartered accountant Christopher Ram will tonight host a three-hour elections special beginning at 9 pm on CNS Channel Six.

Head of the Organisation of American States (OAS) Observer Mission Professor Gordon Shirley is hopeful that voter numbers at the 2011 general and regional elections could reach record numbers and is pleased with the eagerness shown among the electorate, half of which is estimated to have voted by midday.

The incumbent PPP/C party says it is generally satisfied at the conduct of the polls so far in spite of a few “isolated instances” of procedural breaches.

  An elderly couple holding hands as they head to the polling station at Rosignol to cast their ballots today.

  The presiding officer at a polling station in Berbice has been fired for distributing tendered ballots to voters, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman Dr.

PPP/C Presidential candidate Donald Ramotar displays his inked finger after voting at the Plaisance school today.

Voting at the Mackenzie Sports Club, Linden today.                Chairman of Region 10, Mortimer Mingo (right) casting his ballot today in Linden.

The police say they are investigating a fatal accident that occurred at about 2130h last night at Borlam, Corentyne, and which resulted in the death of Raghua Mohamed, 23 years of Good Banana Land, East Canje, Berbice.

(Trinidad Guardian) CAL’s profits were used to pay for the first of nine ATR’s the company welcomed two weeks ago.

(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said yesterday that the assassination plot against her and three cabinet ministers might have been “personal in some respect,” but it was aimed at totally destabilising T&T.

(Jamaica Observer) Jamaica’s engineers have been advised to do all they can to prevent “quacks” from being allowed to practise engineering.

(Jamaica Observer) Reggae artiste Fantan Mojah is today recovering from injuries he sustained in a motor vehicle accident over the weekend.

British High Commissioner to Guyana Andrew Ayre is among the observer teams in Linden and according to him things are going pretty smoothly.

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally is reporting “great turnout” so far for today’s general elections.

(Trinidad Express) The Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago yesterday warned that it will not tolerate “contempt”, following remarks by National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister, Gary Griffith, that “every country in the world ….will

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – India’s crowd-pleasing  batsman Yuvraj Singh has told cricket fans it is simply a matter  of time before he is back playing again after being diagnosed  with a non-malignant lung tumour.

AFC Presidential candidate Khemraj Ramjattan voted at the Rama Krishna Primary.

(Trinidad Express) Another former member of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force has been arrested by police in connection with the alleged assassination plot against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and three Cabinet members.

The Alliance For Change today said that a problem where 135 of its agents in Region Five had been locked out of polling stations has been cleared up.

Guyanese across the ten administrative regions headed to the polls today to elect a new government and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday emphasized that everything is in place.

The body of a woman was yesterday discovered around noon in a hotel room of Caesar’s Palace at Delph Street, Campbellville.

Police last evening said that a man was shot dead in Cuyuni/Mazaruni yesterday after he and two others attacked law enforcers who were carrying ballot boxes to two interior areas.

GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally says that the Commission will stand by its decision not to allow party polling agents to vote where they are stationed today saying that the law does not provide for them to do so.

For a long time now, Guyana has been a nation ripe with civic displeasure as expressed in personal decisions to disengage from the electoral process and on a more crucial level, the decision to simply pack up and leave.

Deputy Secretary-General of the Organisation of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin is here for the general elections and said that his presence signifies that the OAS considers the elections process important.

By Iva Wharton Emanie Netball Club won the Digicel-sponsored Open league netball tournament after defeating Doves  by 47 goals to 16 in the final played Saturday on the tarmac of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Overseas and local electoral observer teams were yesterday finalising preparations for scrutiny of polls today when Guyanese vote to elect a new government.

In a small media briefing at the Duke Lodge in Kingston on Saturday 18 of the 20 participating teams scheduled to participate in the upcoming 22nd Kashif and Shanghai football tournament were presented with the tournament booklet highlighting the rules and regulations of the competition along with donations to assist their preparations.

CAIRO, (Reuters) – The Arab League approved  economic sanctions on Syria yesterday to try to force Damascus  to halt an eight-month crackdown on protests against President  Bashar al-Assad that Qatar said may prompt international  intervention.

DUBAI, CMC – Gifted West Indies batsman Darren Bravo has moved up 14 places in the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen following the third and final Test against India in Mumbai.

Guyana Plastic Recyclers at Friendship on the East Bank of Demerara is into grinding plastic bottles and shipping the chips to China and while this venture could bring about a cleaner environment residents are finding the venture a bit too noisy.

ISLAMABAD/KABUL, (Reuters) – Fury spread in Pakistan  yesterday over a NATO cross-border air attack that killed 24  Pakistani soldiers and could undermine the U.S.

T&T’s director on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Baldath Mahabir, while pleased with the direction of the West Indies team at present, is very concerned with the spate of injuries being suffered by the regional players.

The PPP/C last night dispatched a letter to Chief Election Officer, Gocool Boodoo complaining about

National senior and junior chess champions Taffin Khan and Suhai Feng placed 10th and 19th respectively in the Challenger section of the second annual Umda Cup tournament in Barbados.

A ten-year-old Mon Repos Primary School student was struck down by a minibus on Agriculture Road early last evening while returning from a nearby gas station where he went to purchase kerosene.

BEIJING,  (Reuters) – A multimillionaire Chinese  developer is livid at Iceland’s rejection of his plan to build a  sprawling resort, saying it reveals western “hypocrisy and deep  prejudice”.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Out-of-favour West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has warned of more runs to come from his younger brother Darren Bravo.

BANJUL, (Reuters) – Gambian President Yahya  Jammeh benefited from a strong media bias and greater financial  resources than his rivals to secure a new five-year term in  elections, the African Union said on Saturday.

The Ministry of Education has launched a 35-page ‘Protocol for Safe and Secure Schools’ that aims to equip school managers with the skills to create conducive learning environments and to respond to crises.

SAO PAULO, (Reuters) – Formula One champions Red Bull scoffed at suggestions they manipulated yesterday’s Brazilian Grand Prix to hand Mark Webber a first victory of the season.

At the conclusion of a recent Organization of American States (OAS) security meeting held in Trinidad and Tobago, Ministers of Public Security in the Americas agreed to cooperate so that police training and Technology Management in the Hemisphere can be improve.

MEXICO CITY,  (Reuters) – Slowly but surely, drug  cartels have ground down support for Mexico’s ruling  conservatives with a trail of dead over the past five years.

Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG) has been hosting a number of infomercials aimed at showing communities cooperating with each other, a component of a social cohesion project it embarked on with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Barbados’ senior cricket side is to take part in a four-team Twenty20 Festival at Guaracara Park in Pointe-a-Pierre at the end of December, an official of the Trinidad &Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) said.

KINSHASA, (Reuters) – Congo plans to push ahead  with the country’s second-post war election today, defying  fears that a delay would be needed due to logistical problems  and critics who called for the process to be reviewed because of  irregularities.

Dear Editor, I would like to add some comments to your editorial titled ‘Rush Hour‘ (November 24).

As authorities probe the crash landing of a small Cessna 150 aircraft on Wakenaam on Wednesday, questions have been raised about the pilot’s flight plan and the handling of the emergency by air traffic control.

DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – A thrilled West Indies Women’s captain Merissa Aguilleira said Saturday she was pleased with the way her side had executed in playing unbeaten to win the ICC Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Barbados-born R&B singer  Rihanna scored a record-breaking double yesterday as her “Talk  That Talk” debuted at the top of the album charts and she held  onto first place in the singles ranking.

(Trinidad Guardian) A couple believed to be Israelis—who entered T&T soil with fraudulent passports—has escaped five months after they were put in a hotel under security watch at Caribbean Airline’s (CAL) expense. The

SAO PAULO, (Reuters) – Lewis Hamilton ended a long-running Formula One feud with Felipe Massa yesterday by walking up to the Ferrari driver after the Brazilian Grand Prix and giving him a hug.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – At age 87, Doris Day is not  exactly pop music’s latest hot young artist.

U.S. Embassy representatives shared information  on tertiary education in the United States with more than 1,500 students during visits to schools on the East Coast of Demerara, in Berbice, Georgetown, Linden, and Essequibo while observing the 12th Annual International Education Week from November 14-18.

(Jamaica Observer) Both major political parties have flatly refused to voluntarily comply with the Electoral Commission of Jamaica’s (ECJ’s) recommendation to disclose the names of donors to their political campaigns leading up to the general election which is expected to be held next month.

Dear Editor, Let’s have chair seating as opposed to hard wood seating at future National Track Championships.

(Jamaica Observer) KABUL, Afghanistan — Jamaican audacity knows no bounds. Living up to their reputation for being found in just about every corner of the world, at least three Jamaicans currently reside in this war-torn Afghan capital, working with international aid organisations.

(Reuters) – New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder gave himself some valuable batting practice ahead of Thursday’s first test against Australia with a blistering 175 yesterday, but walked off Allan Border Field in Brisbane slightly disappointed.

The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce recently awarded a number of individuals, communities, organisations, and safarians, who excelled in their respective areas in promoting tourism in Guyana when it hosted its Fifth Annual Tourism Excellence Awards Ceremony.

Dear Editor, Early in the month of October , I encountered a donkey in the Atlantic Gardens area  on the East Coast of Demerara with wobbly front legs and hoofs projecting sideways in a deformed kind of  way and a growth hanging like a pouch under his chest; there was also a scar on his back seemingly from a wound.

(Reuters) – It’s been a week since Abhishek Bachchan welcomed a newborn girl into his life, but the father of Bollywood’s latest celebrity baby said on Tuesday he’s still coming to terms with fatherhood.

(Reuters) – Roger Federer became the first player to win the ATP World Tour Finals six times but had to weather a storming fightback by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before retaining his title with a 6-3 6-7 6-3 victory at the O2 yesterday.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Arguing that Jamaica’s political parties lack the social legitimacy required to push through the tough policies necessary to pull the economy out of its crisis, academic Don Robotham has suggested a renewed experimentation with the Senate to give the legislature a wider base and the Government a stronger platform to do the difficult things.

Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, CARICOM Secretary-General on Friday called on the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States (CARIFORUM) to enhance their competitiveness and productivity in order to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Economic Partnership Agreement between CARIFORUM and the European Union (EU).

LOS ANGELES,  (Reuters) – Singer Robin Gibb of the  Bee Gees on Wednesday said he is on the road to recovery after  being “very unwell” in recent days, and he thanked fans for  their support in a message posted on his website.

Dear Editor, During this season of national and regional elections we are see a lot unfolding right before our eyes, but when persons resort to impersonating others for reasons unknown it becomes very personal.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – British singer George  Michael has been forced to postpone the rest of his European  tour due to ongoing treatment for “severe” pneumonia, his  spokeswoman said on Friday.

(Trinidad Guardian) A wireless money transfer is said to be the source of funds allegedly used to finance a tranche of high profile rifles shipped to T&T. Well

Dear Editor, The BBC and the local newspapers have reported that the USA and others in the axis have imposed new sanctions against Iran and as usual the UN Secretary General and all the peace and human rights advocates have stayed silent or even supported them against Iran, in the same way they stayed silent or supported Israeli crimes against Lebanon and the Palestinians, and the killing of nine peace activists in international waters.

The Ministry of Labour has said a batch of 884 persons recently graduated from Board of Industrial Training (BIT) programme at a ceremony held at the National Cultural Centre.

(Reuters) – National Basket-ball Association (NBA) owners and players were busy putting the finishing touches to a new labour deal  yesterday as details of the tentative agreement began to emerge.

Today, we repeat some of the appeals we had made in our August 28, 2006 polling day editorial.

The Guyana Relief Council recently provided support to six families in the form of mattresses, foodstuff, clothing, bed, kitchen utensils, building materials and hygiene items  after they had suffered as a consequence of fire.

Photos and interviews by Abigail Semple and Frances Abraham Denita Wills– Public Sector: `At the moment, I’m just preparing in terms of cleaning.

NEW YORK, Nov 27 (Reuters) – Following are the top 10  movies at the North American box office for the weekend  beginning on Nov.

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC – West Indies ‘A’ were confirmed as 2-0 winners of the three-match ‘One-Day International” series against Bangladesh A yesterday after the final match was abandoned without a ball bowled because of torrential rain.

(Trinidad Express) “The threat is real and I am saddened to learn that some people who ought to know better are trivialising it.”

Dear Editor, I write you with a message that is one for all Guyanese.