Daily Archive: Sunday, January 1, 2012

(de Ware Tijd)PARAMARIBO – Surinam Airways (SLM), Suriname’s national airline was close to having a year without losses.

(Trinidad Guardian) In what is likely to be taken as a significant plus for Trinidad’s tourism, the island has been described as the next possible “it” island in the Caribbean by the New York Times.

(Trinidad Guardian) A leading Indian newspaper is reporting that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will pay a visit to the village in India where her ancestors lived during her official trip to the country, which starts this week.

(Trinidad Guardian) A night of fun at a neighbourhood party ended in tragedy yesterday, when an early morning accident in Chaguanas claimed the lives of two friends, leaving one in a critical condition at hospital.

(Jamaica Observer) Dr Christopher Tufton lost his St Elizabeth South West seat by 13 votes to the People’s National Party’s (PNP’s) Hugh Buchanan in the recount completed yesterday by electoral officials.

(Jamaica Gleaner) A man was held for questioning by the Mandeville police yesterday as they intensified their probe into Friday night’s double murder of a man and woman in a house on Perthland Drive, Mandeville, Manchester.

(Barbados Nation) Say what you will, there have been no Barbadian personalities whose names have flavoured the conversations of anyone on these shores – or beyond – the way Bajan pop queen Rihanna has.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – Staatsolie will achieve an estimated record US$ 796 million turnover for the 2011 financial year; this is 41% more that in 2010, when turnover was US$ 566 million.

(Trinidad Express) Port workers may walk off the job again in early January if the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) does not put an offer on the table by next Thursday.

(Trinidad Express) West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) president Dinanath Ramnarine is confident that former Windies captain Chris Gayle will be vindicated of all wrongdoing when his dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is finally settled.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – An international arbitration panel has awarded U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N)

Three Guyanese sailors who left Trinidad for home on their cargo vessel last Wednesday are missing and local and regional maritime officials have mounted a search for them.

With the opposition feeling that there are still too many unanswered questions surrounding the Amaila Falls Hydropower project, the entire project is likely to undergo scrutiny in the National Assembly in the days ahead.

Opposition coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) continues to be governed by a leadership council represented by its four founding parties but the implementation of a more formal structure is currently being examined, vice-Chairman Dr Rupert Roopnaraine says.

In his first New Year message to the nation President Donald Ramotar said that the November 28 elections had created a new political situation in the country, but this provided an opportunity to work together to take the country forward.

Captains of Alpha “The Hammer” United and Fruta Conquerors, the teams competing in the Banks Beer Cup knockout final have expressed confidence ahead of the much anticipated grand finale this evening at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground.

There were 23 murders during the last two months of last year.

The 22nd annual 2011/12 Kashif and Shanghai football tournament, the premier football competition in Guyana over the past two decades, which commenced this year on December 10h with 22 teams, vying for the prestigious prize of one pound of gold (4 million dollars) concludes tonight at the Providence National Stadium with just the final two teams – Pele and Neal and Massy Caledonia AIA of Trinidad and Tobago facing off.

Alpha ‘The Hammer’ United hammered in two late goals against Sunburst Camptown in the final minutes of extra time to secure their spot in the final of the Banks Knockout Football Tournament at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground Friday evening.

Public life can be difficult for the most resilient among us, so as a lighthearted New Year’s offering to some of our hard-working officials the Sunday Stabroek team has the whole of 2012 mapped out for them in the form of their 2012 horoscopes.

President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Julian Hunte has written Minister of Sport, Dr.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Deryck Josiah will now head “B” Division (Berbice), according to divisional postings released by the police force yesterday.

President Donald Ramotar has congratulated Jamaica’s Prime Minister designate Portia Simpson-Miller on her recent victory at the polls, while indicating an interest in strengthening friendly relations.

West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) president Dinanath Ramnarine has warned the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) against imposing sanctions against the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) that will negatively affect players’ ability to practise their trade or profession.

While many across Guyana spent Christmas in the company of family and friends, the relatives and close friends of murdered University of Guyana student Anthony Ting-a-Kee spent theirs in tears, reflecting on his life.

The Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) has written Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, stating that they will be following the directive of the West Indies Cricket Board as it relates to the governments installation of an Interim management Committee.

After yet another year of habitual turbulence, West Indies cricket starts 2012 with an issue that is potentially more damaging than any of the several others responsible for the current depressed state of the game in the region.

The saga involving the replacement of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)  by government with an Interim Management Committee (IMC) took a new twist yesterday with 14 members of the National Twenty20 side requesting a meeting with His Excellency, President Donald Ramotar.

Introduction One year ago (November 2010), the 42nd Annual Regional Monetary Studies Conference hosted by the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago paid tribute to my research in the field of money and finance.

Introduction This column has not had a good record when it comes to predicting the future, even into the next year.

Under the new reality of a minority government, the opposition parties believe that there should be widespread consultations on the constitution of state boards, including that of sugar corporation GuySuCo.

KARACHI,  (Reuters) – Pakistan’s leading spinner Saeed Ajmal is confident the Umpires Decision Review System (UDRS) in the forthcoming series against England will be a plus for his team’s slow bowlers because of the number of left-handers in the opposition.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Caribbean Twenty20 champions Trinidad & Tobago are among four teams slated to take part in a T20 Festival organised by Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) at the 3Ws Oval here from January 3 to 6.

Local airline Air Services Limited (ASL) and Ogle Airport Incorporated (OAI) are still in talks to settle the ramming of the airport gate and the Transport Minister Robeson Benn says that failing this government would intervene.

The perception seems to be that sugar is dead in most Caricom countries and dying in the rest.

Santa came early to Silver Hill on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway this year.

Every year brings about changes, but 2012 is likely to be an especially eventful one in the Americas: there will be elections in the United States, Mexico and Venezuela, as well as other news events that could change the political map in the region.

Pele and Neal and Massy Caledonia AIA of Trinidad and Tobago secured identical 3-1 triumphs over Linden sides Amelia’s Ward and Milerock respectively in the semi-finals of the 22nd annual Kashif and Shanghai tournament at the Providence Stadium on Friday evening.

In the early 1990s, during the ‘mo fyah’ disturbances, a prominent Guyanese political figure called me in Toronto with the suggestion that I should write a song to help calm tensions.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Describing it as a “good feeling” to be named Barbados’ Sports Personality for 2011, new national captain and West Indies Test batsman Kirk Edwards has attributed his success to hard work in the face of constant challenges.

Located some 8 miles up the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, the sparsely populated community of Kuru Kuru is struggling as residents plead with the authorities to develop the area.

Sunday Stabroek caught up with several personalities in society and asked them to share their New Year wishes with us.

ABUJA (Reuters) – President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency yesterday in parts of Nigeria plagued by a violent Islamist insurgency, and ordered shut the borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger in the northeast.

We regret that John Warrington, who has been contributing ‘A Gardener’s Diary’ for many years, has indicated that he will not be able to continue with the column.

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran said it had delayed promised long-range missile tests in the Gulf yesterday and signalled it was ready for fresh talks with the West on its disputed nuclear programme.

Dear Editor, I am availing myself of the facility provided by your columns to comment on the interview given by Mr Haslyn Parris to Mr Mark McGowan reported in your issue of December 18 concerning the tenure of members of the Guyana Elections Commission (‘Longstanding defects in electoral laws must be addressed – Haslyn Parris’).

KINGSTON, Jamaica,  CMC – Former American star Michael Johnson reckons Jamaican Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt can break his 400-metre world record.

Acting president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Franklin Wilson said yesterday that 2011 was a challenging year for the GFF but that the country’s footballers had exceeded all expectations on the field of play.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?

By Ma Jian LONDON – No sooner had I finished reading an article that eulogized Václav Havel, the playwright turned dissident turned peaceful revolutionary turned president who had just died, than two subsequent news stories set Havel’s extraordinary career in context: the death of Kim Jong-il, North Korea’s pornography-addicted and nuclear-armed supreme leader, and the peaceful protests against land expropriation by the villagers of Wukan in Guandong province, southern China.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Two leading Syrian opposition parties have agreed a road map to democracy should mass protests nearly in their 10th month succeed in toppling President Bashar al-Assad, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters yesterday.

Dear Editor, I have been following the protest by miners at Bone Yard, Omai, where they are seeking permission for an extension to mine on a portion of land to which they have no legal entitlement.

DUBAI (Reuters) – Shi’ite youths chanting slogans against Bahrain’s royal family clashed with riot police across the Gulf island kingdom yesterday, trying to block highways in a second day of protests, residents said.

Mother Sally in action

KABUL (Reuters) – A 15-year-old Afghan girl was brutally tortured, beaten and locked in a toilet by her husband’s family for months after she refused to become a prostitute, officials said yesterday.

ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) – Islamist militants fired into the air yesterday to halt a peace march by thousands of Yemenis who were demanding an end to fighting that has forced them to flee their homes in the south, witnesses said.

HONOLULU (Reuters) – US President Barack Obama signed a defence funding bill into law yesterday that imposes sanctions on financial institutions dealing with Iran’s central bank, while allowing for exemptions to avoid upsetting energy markets.

Dear Editor, I refer to a letter in the press on December 31, captioned ‘Why the obsession with Jagdeo?’

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian police detained about 60 protesters during an anti-government demonstration yesterday in Moscow, hours after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin offered a conciliatory message to the opposition in a televised New Year’s Eve address.

Continued Well, we have returned to ‘science’ after the holiday season.

Jeffrey D. Sachs is Professor of Economics and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – A powerful Libyan militia leader warned Egypt yesterday he would use force to close its embassy and shut the border if the military rulers failed to cut off a Gaddafi-era state television station that has broadcast footage of his old speeches.

Two youngsters sit among the damp

(Trinidad Express) Should they return to the Beverly Hills, Laventille, area after being relocated to San Juan several years ago, death would be imminent.

The political terra firma isn’t quite so firm any longer; there has been a kind of earthquake, although there are some on both sides of our divided citadel who do not seem to have absorbed this new reality.

Service, currency, quality and affordable prices are the ingredients which have kept one of Guyana’s oldest and largest businesses going 60 years after it came into existence, according to its Executive Chairman Sattaur Gafoor.

PARIS (Reuters) – The euro could become the world’s leading currency in the next decade if leaders of the single-currency bloc succeed in tightening fiscal integration, European Central Bank policymaker Christian Noyer said in an article to be published in the Journal du Dimanche.

Dear Editor, I was a victim of the police shooting on Tuesday, December 6 in Hadfield Street.

Baking the traditional way

Here we go again

(Jamaica Gleaner) The team from the Organisation of American States (OAS) that observed Jamaica’s parliamentary elections on Thursday has proposed several measures it said could improve the country’s electoral machinery.