Daily Archive: Friday, August 24, 2012

PORT-AU-PRINCE,  (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Isaac strengthened today as its lashing rains took aim at flood-prone Haiti, but it was not expected to become a hurricane until it barreled into the Gulf of Mexico early next week.

The University of Guyana today announced that it has postponed the start of classes for the new academic year.

The Organisation of American States says it is prepared to support the Government of Guyana in its bid to maintain peace and strengthen human rights in the aftermath of the Linden unrest which claimed three lives, according to a statement today from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.

(Reuters) – The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said today it was stripping Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles and banning him for life, dismantling one of the cycling’s greatest careers.

(Trinidad Guardian) HP laptops,  17,492 of them, totalling more than US$9 million, will be distributed to Form One students between September 5 and 18.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – Two people were killed and at least eight wounded in a shooting outside the Empire State Building today, a New York police source said, creating chaos and shocking tourists and commuters who witnessed the bloody scene outside the landmark tourist attraction.

Police say that at about 2345h last night, businessman Theodore Singh, 32 years, and a worker were in conversation at his business place at 11Miles, Mahdia, when they were held up by three men, two whom were armed with firearms and the other with a cutlass.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Ministry of Education has revealed more damning statistics related to the quality of mathematics teaching within the public-education system.

(ICC) Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets to win the Plate Championship final of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012 at Allan Border Field in Brisbane today.

(Barbados Nation) Barbadian policyholders have lost their ten-year-old Bds$163 million class action suit against Canadian insurance giant Manulife.

Today’s edition of the Catholic Standard says that in service to the Church of the Antilles, Vicar General of the Diocese of Georgetown, Father John Persaud has been appointed to a judicial post to oversee matters, particularly annulment cases, that are governed by Canon Law.

The Private Sector Commission says it is pleased that a deal has been concluded to end the unrest in Linden but it said it remained of the view that the crisis could have been avoided and it urged that all the parties to the agreement ensure that its terms and timelines are adhered to.

(Barbados Nation) Just about two weeks after a High Court granted an injunction to temporarily halt police promotions, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has reportedly made a move to replace Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin.

MIAMI, (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Isaac headed towards the Dominican Republic and Haiti today, rumbling slowly west across the Caribbean after unleashing heavy rain on parts of Puerto Rico.

(Trinidad Express) A single fatal gunshot wound to the back. This was what pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov yesterday listed as the cause of death for 23-year-old John John resident Nigel “Black Boy” Caesar.

OSLO,  (Reuters) – Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik was jailed for a maximum term today when judges declared him sane enough to answer for the murder of 77 people last year, drawing a smirk of triumph from the self-styled warrior against Islam.

(Trinidad Express) The Doppler weather radar facility installed in the Central Range to provide real-time tracking of severe weather is not working.

The female dormitory at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) on the Essequibo Coast was razed by fire last night even as several inmates of the juvenile correctional facility remain at large following a mass break-out on Wednesday night.

Edward Ricardo Braithwaite, author of one of the best known books by a Guyanese – ‘To Sir With Love’- was yesterday conferred with a National Award, the Cacique Crown of Honour.

The badly battered remains of 13-year-old Joshua Chunilall of Letter Kenny, Corentyne who was reported missing on Tuesday was discovered at John’s, Port Mourant around 1:30 pm yesterday and two suspects are in custody.

The lifeless body of missing New Amsterdam bar maid Roxanne Brewster was found yesterday morning on the East Bank of the Berbice River.

Twenty-one- year-old Fazal Mohamed aka Zal was yesterday charged with murdering seven-year- old Saheed Makatnauth of No.

Two other persons said to be the prime suspects in the murder of 49-year-old Kumar Singh, a joiner of No.

Guyana earlier this month was among several countries that abstained from a United Nations General Assembly vote on a resolution on Syria that condemned the country’s indiscriminate use of heavy weapons in civilian areas and its widespread violations of human rights in the strife-torn country.

An Imbaimadai miner died on Tuesday, minutes after he was discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) in an unconscious state.

Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton yesterday discharged James Emmanuel Hutson, a man shot by police while in possession of a screwdriver, saying that lawmen failed to substantiate their claim that it was an offensive weapon.

After 14 years Guyana has finally secured a win over Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean Scrabble Championship, prevailing in twenty of the 36 games played yesterday at the Bank of Guyana.

A week after she set herself on fire, Rohanie Ramsood succumbed to her burns at the Georgetown Hospital, her relatives said yesterday.

A filigree jeweller at the Sciences Museum of India exhibition  which is ongoing at

LAUSANNE, Switzerland,  CMC – Olympic legend Usain Bolt and his Jamaican heir apparent Yohan Blake both set new meet records as they swept both sprints at the Lausanne Grand Prix here yesterday.

(Reuters) – Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said yesterday he would no longer fight doping accusations by the U.S.

Winston Stoby and John ‘Big John’ Edwards, two of Guyana’s recurring podium finishers at Masters Powerlifting Championships the world over will have a chance to once again make Guyana proud at the World Masters Powerlifting Championships in October in Killen, Texas.

International cricket broadcaster and journalist Sean Devers requires brain surgery urgently.

Over seventy Guyanese participated in the launch of the People’s Parliament in the park next to Parliament Building, in the midst of the Linden crisis, some three weeks after the  police shooting of unarmed protesters, a press release said this week.

Region Eight Chairman Mark Crawford says that the region will be examining options with regards to the Regional Democratic Council’s no-confidence motion against the Regional Executive Officer Ronald Harsawack, while maintaining that it was made as a result of non-cooperation.

JACA-FUERTE DE RAPITAN, Spain, (Reuters) – Spain’s Joaquim Rodriguez strengthened his hold on overall race lead in the Vuelta a Espana with a last-minute surge for the line at Fuerte de Rapitan’s uphill finish to win yesterday’s sixth stage.

Telephone giant, Digicel, yesterday threw its support behind local horse racing with sponsorship of the Guyana Cup.

Ogle International Airport will be conducting a Mass Casualty Exercise at 1:30pm today as part of its certification drills for the airport, a press release from Public Communications Consultants Limited said.

(Reuters) – Tiger Woods overshadowed playing partner Rory McIlroy while Padraig Harrington stole the limelight by taking overall command in yesterday’s opening round of the Barclays tournament in Farmingdale, New York.

Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran on Tuesday even-ing led a team from his ministry in a meeting with staff of the Enmore Polyclinic, members of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and residents to discuss the community’s health and social needs, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said in a press release.

PORTLAND, Oregon,  CMC – Barbadian jockey Rocco Bowen landed his second added-money race of the month when he captured the first leg of the US$ 4 300 McFadden Memorial Spring Claiming Series at Portland Meadows here Wednesday.

Members of the Witness Project yesterday visited the Kaieteur Falls by way of a partnership between its founder Margaret Clemons of the New York-based Margaret Clemons Founda-tion (MCF) and Trans Guyana Airways.

Dear Editor, Stabroek News and Kaieteur News on August 22, 2012, together carried five articles on corruption in other countries: ‘Liberia president suspends son in assets investigation‘; ‘Former Cuban officials get prison terms for corruption‘; ‘Guatemala sentences ex-police chief for war crimes‘; ‘Prominent Jamaica trio to face perversion of justice charge‘; and ‘Brazil’s largest-ever corruption  trial‘ (of 38 former and current government officials).

Trinidad and Tobago-based starting forwards for the national men’s rugby team, Richard Staglon and Ronald Mayers, have now acquired their visas following successful talks between the Consular Officer for the Canadian High Commission in Trinidad and Tobago and Director of Rugby in Guyana, Mike McCormack.

The two Rosignol, West Bank Berbice fishermen; Mahendra ‘Rub’ Pertab, 29, and Kanhai Madramootoo, 41, are still missing six days after they went out to sea despite a massive search for them since Sunday.

Dear Editor, We wholeheartedly agree with the GHRA in its opinion of the Chief Justice’s ruling on Sexual Offences Act (SOA) paper committals (press release: ‘Justice Chang’s judgement another blow to access to justice for victims of sexual offences,‘ reported in Stabroek News of August 18 (‘Chief Justice’s paper committal ruling “flawed”‘).

With the Linden pact sealed and the return of some normalcy to the town, it will take at least a month for the National Community Basketball League (NCBL)  to resume and conclude.

A father of four accused of escaping from lawful custody was yesterday admitted to bail in the sum of $200,000 when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Dear Editor, As a matter of principle, I do not waste my busy time with people who are more interested in negative thinking than in working to make a positive difference.

DUBAI, (Reuters) – Australia are ready for a trial by spin during their tour of the United Arab Emirates, opening batsman David Warner said yesterday.

A mechanic was placed on $100,000 bail when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton yesterday in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for allegedly breaking and entering a house and stealing a quantity of cash, an equalizer and amplifier, totaling  $253,762 in value.

A dray cart operator brought before the court yesterday for stealing a cricket band at Lombard Street was put on  $85,000 bail when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Dear Editor, Since Guyanese seems to be waxing in the mode of national conversation on what to many are considered critical topics, my personal opinion is there is need for the urgent inclusion of the magistracy and its sentencing policy.

HYDERABAD, India,  (Reuters) – Cheteshwar Pujara, brought in as a replacement for Rahul Dravid, struck his maiden test century to put India in command on the opening day of the first test against New Zealand yesterday.

A security guard charged with simple larceny was placed on $30,000 bail when he was brought before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Dear Editor, I wish to thank Dr Ian McDonald for his Sunday columns, which I started reading only a few weeks ago. 

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Andy Murray’s hopes for a maiden grand slam at the U.S.

DUBAI,  (Reuters) – Iran hopes to earn diplomatic kudos over the coming week as it hosts a summit of 120 developing nations, but any jubilation could turn sour over starkly different views on the bloody conflict in Syria.

A jointly charged duo arraigned on a simple larceny charge was yesterday placed on $50,000 bail each when they appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Dear Editor, Residents in East Canje are perturbed and baffled as to the reason the recapping and remedial work done to the road is a step backwards rather than an improvement as its width has been constricted in its entirety from the Sheet Anchor turn to Gangaram – about five miles.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Government is expected to slash the public-sector establishment by some 3,000 posts by next month as part of its debt-containment strategy.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,  CMC – Torrential rain forced the abandonment of the fourth round of matches in the Regional Under-19 one-day Championship here yesterday.

BOGOTA, (Reuters) – Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos moved Energy Minister Mauricio Cardenas to head the finance post yesterday in a surprise move for Latin America’s fourth-largest economy.

MIAMI,  (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Isaac unleashed heavy rain and winds off Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as it moved across the Caribbean yesterday and could strengthen into a hurricane before tearing across the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Uncapped opening batsman Dilshan Munaweera and schoolboy off-spinner Akila Dananjaya were named in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad yesterday for the Twenty20 World Cup on home soil next month.

EDINBURGH,  (Reuters) – Elisabeth Murdoch urged the media industry yesterday to embrace morality and reject her brother James’s mantra of profit at all costs, in a speech seen as an attempt to distance herself from the scandal that has tarnished the family name.

Dear Editor, I write in relation to two articles appearing on August 19 and 20 in the sports section of the Guyana Times covering the 18th Goodwill Swim Meet, entitled ‘Van Lange propels Guyana to relay gold’ and ‘Guyana end on high note.’

The Sunrise Cricket Club (SCC) of New York will return here on a cricket tour from September 26th to October 3rd after a four-year sabbatical.

However back-handed this might appear (below), it is a plug for all Guyana to go out and support all the (free) events that comprise this weekend’s Inter-Guiana Cultural Festival in Georgetown and suburbs.

Julian Assange, the founder of the controversial website WikiLeaks, is wanted in Sweden for alleged sexual crimes.

Jamaica Gleaner) Seventh-day Adventist pastor Reverend Charles Brevitt has said Jamaica is suffering from a critical breakdown in parenting, which has resulted in the unleashing of a crude, course and lewd generation on the nation.

Dear Editor, It should of great interest to track the future careers over the next 15, or 20 years of the 175 CSEC high-flyers (8 CSEC or more creditable passes), to see how many are resident in Guyana contributing to the development of Guyana, the country of their birth and which in some measure contributed to their academic successes.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – The Indian government faced an angry backlash from Twitter users yesterday after ordering Internet service providers to block about 20 accounts that officials said had spread scare-mongering material that threatened national security.

CYCLING-ARMSTRONG/DOPING (UPDATE 5, GRAPHICS) 20120824 L2E8JO0HM (Reuters) – Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong said on Thursday he would no longer fight doping charges by the U.S.

(Trinidad Express) The Doppler weather radar facility installed in the Central Range to provide real-time tracking of severe weather is not working.

(Trinidad Express) National Security Minister Jack Warner yesterday stated he was duped by Port of Spain Mayor Louis Lee Sing to meet with gang leaders.

(Trinidad Express) Former prime minister Patrick Manning was last night taken to the San Fernando General Hospital after suffering what was described as a seizure at his home in Sumadh Gardens, Vistabella.