Daily Archive: Tuesday, April 17, 2012

(Jamaica Gleaner) Transport Minister Dr. Omar Davies has ordered an investigation into the reported mistreatment of a disabled woman at the Norman Manley International Airport recently.

PORT OF SPAIN,  (Reuters) – Shivnarine Chanderpaul fell agonisingly short of a century before Australian spinner Nathan Lyon destroyed the West Indian lower order to hand the momentum back to the visitors on the third day of the second test today.

Government has agreed to meet with the parliamentary opposition to iron out all concerns about this year’s $192.8 billion national budget and ensure that it is passed by the National Assembly.

Police say that at about 0020h today, businessman Abdool Hamid, 39 years, reported to the police that a gang of men were breaking into his business place at Meten-Meer-Zorg.

The body of a 32-year-old man was found lying a short distance away from his truck on New Road, Mosquito Hall, East Coast Demerara this morning.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – Twenty or 21 women were brought back to a hotel in Colombia by U.S.

PORT OF SPAIN,  (Reuters) – Shivnarine Chanderpaul survived a dropped catch to lead a West Indian fightback on the third day of the second test against Australia today.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – A British court sentenced the former governor of a Nigerian oil state to 13 years in prison today after he pleaded guilty to embezzling 50 million pounds ($79 million) in one of the biggest money-laundering cases seen in Britain.

Come Saturday, a workshop sponsored by a law firm and rights groups will be convened to address the impact of Chief Justice Ian Chang’s ruling in the Henry Greene matter and the operation of the Sexual Offences Act on victims of sexual offences.

Opposition Leader David Granger has written Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman complaining about what he said was biased coverage of the ongoing budget debate by the Government Information Agency (GINA), Trotman revealed yesterday.

(Trinidad Guardian) Police posts in crime-ridden communities will soon be replaced by more patrols by more police officers.

(Jamaica Observer) Thousands of Jamaicans will have their personal financial information released to American authorities if local banks sign on to a new tax compliance agreement in defiance of Jamaican law.

(Jamaica Gleaner) More than a year after a Whistle-blower Act was passed by Parliament to facilitate the disclosure of information on wrongdoing in organisations, the law has still not been operationalised.

(Barbados Nation) It’s time for the rest of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to claim the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the final vehicle for appellate justice in the region, Attorney General, Adriel Brathwaite suggested today.

(Barbados Nation) The sitting of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in Barbados was yesterday hailed as “a momentous occasion” in the legal history of Barbados and the Caribbean by prominent lawyer Sir Henry Forde,  QC, while other representatives of the legal fraternity praised the creation of an appellate court for the region.

OSLO,  (Reuters) – The Norwegian anti-Islamic gunman who killed 77 people said at his trial today his shooting spree and bomb attack were “sophisticated and spectacular” and that he would do the same thing again.

Opposition Leader David Granger yesterday said that the rape allegation against Police Commissioner Henry Greene has created a moral “crisis” in the Guyana Police Force and such he should demit office.

Demerara Distillers Ltd Group registered a 35% increase in profit for 2011 over the preceding year primarily due to what the company said was efficiency gains and a $288M dividend from BEV Processors Inc prior to the sale of the investment.

The ruling PPP/C yesterday denounced the claim by AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan that the government was preparing to buy-off MPs to ensure passage of the national budget now being debated in parliament.

Works Minister Robeson Benn dismissed Opposition assertions that an amount of $136m “disappeared” from a $550m sea defence project in West Berbice for which monies totalling $156m were paid up to the end of 2010 and with work to the value of $20.6m being delivered.

The battered body of a vagrant woman was found on the Number 19 Public Road, in Berbice yesterday morning.

Amid questions about the costs entailed, Minister of Works Robeson Benn said the Sabanto and Kanawan – the two roll on/roll off gift ferries from China – will go into operation in one week’s time.

Amid concerns that there are few local participants and youths at the 13th Sustainable Tourism Conference being held here, Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) Hugh Riley said local economic constraints were taken into account by planners of the event and it is the first time youths were not involved.

The state of the education system came under the magnifying glass yesterday in the House, where Education Minister Priya Manickchand sought to defend government’s progress in the face of criticism that despite the billions spent, the nation’s children are not benefitting.

The Celina Atlantic Resort has come in for strong criticism from a United States-based Professor of civil and environmental engineering as it is built on a mangrove growing area and also poses a sea defence threat.

Former Commissioner of Police, Winston Felix yesterday challenged Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee to present evidence that he has a radio belonging to the Guyana Police Force in his possession even as he accused the minister of continued political interference in the work of the force.

Police yesterday issued a wanted bulletin for vendor Joseph Taylor for questioning in relation to the attempted murder of Euricka Garraway on April 4.

Fire of unknown origin flattened a one-storey, wooden,  two-bedroom house at Shieldstown Squatting Area, West Bank Berbice around 7 pm on Sunday, leaving a family of four homeless.

The trial of the three men accused of killing female taxi driver Seerajie Singh is underway before Justice Roxane George in the High Court.

By John Richards Following robberies over the last three weeks, including a knife-point attack on an elderly woman yesterday, residents of Earl’s Court, La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara say they are living in fear and called for more security.

A Corentyne fisherman has suffered losses in excess of $5M after his boat sank when armed pirates crashed into it, robbing him and his crew around 8 pm on Saturday.

The family of Allinva Andrews, 46, the Moraikobe, Mahaicony River, whose decomposing body was found last Friday, suspect that she may have been sexually assaulted and then murdered.

From Colin Benjamin in Trinidad Another typically gritty innings from Michael Hussey along with disciplined late afternoon bowling were the cornerstones that led to Australia asserting an early advantage on a rain-affected second day of the penultimate Digicel 2012 test at the Queen’s Park Oval ground, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, yesterday.

Justice Brassington Reynolds yesterday emphasised the need for relevance as testimony resumed in the $10M libel case brought by former President Bharrat Jagdeo against the Kaieteur News and its columnist Freddie Kissoon.

Pele Football Club secured a 3-1 victory over Buxton United while Victoria Kings and Seawall played to a 1-1 draw in Sunday’s Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Super League matches played at the Beterverwagting Community Centre ground on the East Coast of Demerara.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall yesterday tendered the report of the Constitu-tional Reform Commission to support his claim that there ought to be proportionality in the composition of the National Assembly’s Com-mittee of Selection.

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is concerned about the recent acts of vandalism done to the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company’s infrastructure and urges the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity.

By Emmerson Campbell Potential London Olympic Games pugilist Bert Braithwaite will have a chance to impress the selection committee of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) when he matches gloves with Kishon Simon on April 27 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Next month will mark the first anniversary of the founding of the ‘Community Football’ team in East Ruimveldt.

Health Minister Dr. Bheri Ramsaran during his budget presentation last Thursday defended the decision to bring Indian nationals to man the impending specialty hospital.

Ahead of Orealla’s village council elections, scheduled for next Monday, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai has urged residents to ensure that there is transparency and accountability in the management of the village.

By Iva Wharton Repairs to community centre grounds across Guyana will commence after the passage of the budget Minister of Sports Dr.

KINGSTON, Jamaica,  CMC – A ruthless Jamaica completed an unprecedented fifth straight Regional first class triumph when they crushed Barbados by 139 runs here yesterday.

CARICOM Heads of Government continued to lobby for the G20 to focus on the plight of small, vulnerable economies and highly indebted middle income countries during a meeting with their Canadian counterpart,  Stephen Harper in Cartagena, Colombia on Saturday.

East Coast Demerara used its home ground to great advantage in scoring an upset 1-0 over Berbice in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Under-16 match played Sunday at the Beterverwagting Community Centre ground.

A collision at the Industry Embankment Road, East Coast Demerara left two schoolgirls injured yesterday afternoon.

Dear Editor, Mr Dimitri Allicock, to his great credit, has circulated an e-mail which draws public attention to the fact that within two weeks the City of Georgetown should be observing the 200th anniversary of its name change.

Welcome: President Donald Ramotar (backing camera) being greeted by

The 62-year-old man, who has been accused by his neighbours of sexually molesting a 13-year-old girl, has been kept in police custody while the child remains a patient of the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

The newly formed Saints Hockey Club scored an major upset when the clubbed Old Fort 6-0 while frontrunners Hikers and All Greys battled to a high-scoring 4-4 draw in matches of the John Fernandes Insurance Service second division hockey league played at St.

Dear Editor, I believe Mr Ram did not do a comprehensive analysis prior to determining that the shares sold by the government were undervalued (Business Page, April 15).

Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) is hosting a Canadian team of food and rum enthusiasts here to tour its production plant to experience the making of the world famous El Dorado rum.

LONDON, (Reuters) – A British prosecutor yesterday charted the extraordinary rise of James Ibori from a petty thief in London to a powerful governor in Nigeria, describing a web of bogus firms he used to buy mansions and luxury cars in Britain with his stolen millions.

Coach of Alpha United Football Club Wayne `Wiggy’ Dover said yesterday that the team was fully prepared for participation in Group Two of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) tournament.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Eight men charged with running an elaborate online narcotics market that sold drugs to 3,000 people in the United States and 34 other countries have been arrested following a two-year investigation dubbed “Operation Adam Bomb,” prosecutors said on Monday.

The Ministry of Health hosted its first outreach exercise at the Masjid An-Najm and Social Center in Albouystown on Saturday, after expanding its partnership with the corporate community to provide free clinics to include religious organisations.

Salute: President Donald Ramotar and First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar receiving a

Dear Editor, I note the letter from Mr Raj Singh (“a concerned parent/educator”) in the Sunday Stabroek of April 15 captioned: ‘Sunday Stabroek Grade Six Practice Test Papers were an abomination.‘

By Neil Barry The University of Guyana, led by skipper Damian Vantull, booked a place in the final of the Noble House Seafoods-sponsored second division two-day competition when they defeated Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) on first innings over the weekend.

By Neil Barry Demerara Cricket Club’s `A’ team beat tournament leaders Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) by four wickets last week-end as the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Brainstreet U-15 competition continued.

Dear Editor, The Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment has published a few extra data on mis-management of purpleheart timber in the article ‘Purpleheart not being unsustainably managed – Persaud’ (Stabroek News, April 16, 2012). 

(Trinidad Guardian) Trinidad and Tobago and other Caricom states are expected to benefit from US$130 million in financial assistance from US President Barack Obama to deal with crime and security in the region.

Obama chat: US President Barack Obama (left in foreground) in discussion with

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) will be continuing its surveillance at a wide cross-section of sales outlets to ensure that consumers get value for their money and protection of their health and safety.

Dear Editor, KN of April 13, 2012, under the caption, ‘Brazilian company to develop ethanol plant at Albion Estate,‘ reported as follows: “Critical to such a venture is a successful sugar industry and the Agriculture Minister is optimistic about the future of GuySuCo, since according to him, the company is successfully confronting the challenges it is currently facing.”

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Written off as too old and accused of hastening the downfall of Andre Villas-Boas, Chelsea’s old guard have flourished under stand-in manager Roberto Di Matteo and will relish trying to halt Barcelona’s bandwagon tomorrow.

CHONGQING, China, (Reuters) – The British businessman whose murder has sparked political upheaval in China was poisoned after he threatened to expose a plan by a Chinese leader’s wife to move money abroad, two sources with knowledge of the police investigation said.

Help for National Library in NA: Overseas-based NGO Council of Friends of New Amsterdam donated a number of books, valued US$4,500, to the New Amsterdam National Library on Saturday.

BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) – Argentine President Cristina Fernandez unveiled plans today to seize control of leading energy company YPF, drawing swift warnings from key trade partners and risking the country’s further economic isolation.

Deteriorating: Cracks on the bridge over the

Politikles

CARTAGENA, Colombia, (Reuters) – President Barack Obama sat patiently through diatribes, interruptions and even the occasional eye-ball roll at the weekend Summit of the Americas in an effort to win over Latin American leaders fed up with U.S.

What is now clear about events in Syria is that the government of Bashar al Assad may have already come to terms with the inevitability of its demise.

Dear Editor, The government has announced a six hundred dollars increase on the old age pension from May this year and probably that has prompted Banks DIH to increase their prices at the food outlets, in some cases by one hundred per cent.

MUMBAI, India,  CMC – There were no fireworks from West Indies batsman Kieron Pollard as his Mumbai Indians crashed to a disappointing seven-wicket lost to Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League here  yesterday.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is so determined to contain one of the world’s highest inflation rates in an election year that his price control officials are sticking signs outside stores to enforce compliance.

(Barbados Nation) Jamaican Shanique Myrie is back in Barbados. She arrived on a Caribbean Airways flight from Kingston at 5:55 p.m.

(Trinidad Guardian) T&T would in coming weeks be the beneficiary of US$300 million worth of investments in different sectors, said Trade Minister Stephen Cadiz.

(Trinidad Express) Finally! After languishing on the books for 12 years since its passage by the Parliament in June 2000, the Dangerous Dogs Act is to be proclaimed on August 1, 2012.

(Trinidad Express) The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) ordered that the charge of manslaughter be laid against the mother of two-year-old Aliyah Johnson, after it was found that the components needed for a murder charge were missing.