Daily Archive: Tuesday, August 28, 2012

PARAGUANA, Venezuela, (Reuters) – Venezuelan firefighters put out a blaze at the country’s biggest oil refinery today, paving the way for a restart of the facility and an investigation into the world’s deadliest refinery accident in fifteen years.

The Haitian government says at least 24 people have died in accidents related to Tropical Storm Isaac, the Associated Press is reporting.

(Reuters) – Hurricane Isaac is getting better organized as it nears southeastern Louisiana, with flooding from storm surge and rainfall expected, the U.S.

(Jamaica Observer) Still reeling from the downward spiral in pass marks for Mathematics in the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) exams, Education Minister Reverend Ronald Thwaites says the ministry has come up with a rescue plan.

(Jamaica Observer) SPUR TREE, Manchester — Quick action by cops in the Area Three Police Division (Manchester, Clarendon and St Elizabeth) yesterday resulted in the recovery of two motor cars and a firearm, as well as the apprehension of three men who are prime suspects in the brutal murder of a St Elizabeth motorist who had advertised his car for sale.

The bullet-riddled body of a taxi driver was this morning discovered at Thomas Lands and from all indications he was also tortured and badly beaten before he died.

The PPP yesterday condemned APNU for its withdrawal from the corruption debates on state broadcaster NCN and said it was tantamount to an admission that charges of corruption were unfounded.

(Jamaica Gleaner) A Caribbean Airlines (CAL) flight had to be diverted to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands last Sunday, owing to a medical emergency which resulted in the death of an elderly passenger.

(Barbados Nation) Financial difficulties took centre stage on the first day of the year’s final semester yesterday at the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

(de Ware Tijd) PARMARIBO – Plans by national airline SLM to expand its operations in Brazil are delayed as the agreement between the two countries containing the details of this expansion is lost.

(Trinidad Express) Tamper-proof driver’s licences are coming. This was announced yesterday by Transport Commissioner Reuben Cato who said that the first phase of the Motor Vehicle Authority had been completed.

(Trinidad Express) Minister of the People and Social Development, Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh, was robbed of cash, jewelry, and items at his home on Saturday.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – A swashbuckling West Indies and a talented Pakistan will pose the biggest threats to India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s dream of lifting his second Twenty20 World Cup title, according to former skipper Sourav Ganguly.

Forty-six inmates of the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) were yesterday charged over the mayhem at the Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast facility last week, including six who were charged with arson.

Main opposition APNU yesterday joined the call for an investigation into the awarding of a contract to Surendra Engineering to build a Specialty Hospital to be funded by the Indian government.

A 23-year-old counter attendant was found dead around 5:30pm in her South Sophia home on Sunday  after she and her reputed husband had a fight.

The US$2M Sacred Heart Church fraud case against Frederick Sukhdeo was yesterday dismissed by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton who said that there was insufficient evidence against him, ending years of litigation.

City Hall is making another attempt to remove some vendors who sell along Regent Street, but the apparent decision by the acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba to initiate the move did not go down well yesterday with city councillors.

A Guyana Defence Force (GDF) corporal died after he was hit by a car early yesterday at Coverden, on the East Bank of Demerara, before being run over by a lorry.

WILDEY, Barbados, CMC – Leaders Guyana registered an easy five-wicket victory over Leeward Islands here yesterday to inch even closer to the capture of the Regional Under-19 one-day Championship.

The PNCR is calling on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to instruct Ambassador Bayney Karran to withdraw what it termed his “prejudicial” remarks on the Linden crisis.

The driver of a bus that was involved in the fatal accident on the Lima Public Road, Essequibo Coast earlier this month that claimed two lives succumbed to his injuries on Sunday at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).

Jermaine ‘Kevin’ Anthony, 18, of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice is missing and feared drowned after he reportedly fell out of a fishing boat near the D’ Edward sluice on Sunday afternoon.

By Neil Barry Malteenoes Sports Club scored a seven wicket win over St.

Despite commitments by the previous minister of health for tough rules for cigarette packaging in line with a WHO convention, legislation is still to be effected.

A mother of two, who was allegedly caught by police with cocaine in her purse, was yesterday remanded to prison by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.

Relatives of heart patient Shebeki `Tiffany’ Enniss, 22, of Ithaca, West Bank Berbice who succumbed last week at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) following an abortion, feel that the doctors there should have waited before inserting a contraceptive device.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has written to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking to know why that entity did not require an Environmental and Social Impact assessment for the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri .

A cyclist was yesterday morning killed on the spot, victim to a hit-and-run at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara.

By Emmerson Campbell After six years of ruling the NACRA Sevens rugby kingdom, Guyana, the regional kings of rugby have been dethroned by Mexico which placed third overall behind Canada and USA in the recently concluded NACRA World Cup Qualifiers in Ottawa, Canada.

APNU will be approaching the Auditor-General regarding the breaches uncovered by an accounting firm during a probe of the state broadcaster, NCN, and also believes that the police should be called in to investigate.

The Guyana Gold Board is moving to bring illegal gold-buying establishments in compliance with the laws, General Manager of the Board Anantram Balram says. 

By Iva Wharton Guyana’s female rugby team has lost its third place ranking in the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) for non-participation in the just-concluded NACRA championships held in Canada.

The University of Guyana Students’ Society (UGSS) has said that it welcomes the decision to postpone the reopening for the 2012/2013 academic year, citing numerous problems affecting the institution.

The driver of the car involved in the accident which claimed the life of Orlando Augustus on Saturday remained hospitalized up to press time last evening and police indicated that he would be charged once he is discharged from the hospital.

The driver involved in the fatal hit-and-run accident at No. 10 Village, West Coast Berbice on Sunday night has been arrested and the victim was identified as Ganesh Persaud, 45, of No.

Arguably the most renowned coach Guyana currently has, Coach Lyndon Wilson of the Police Athletics Sports Club had an eye opener on his Olympic debut as coach for Guyana’s athletics team in London.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has decided not to participate in the televised debate series on NCN Channel 11 calling it flawed and skewed to one side and set up with a view to ambushing the Opposition.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has decided not to participate in the televised debate series on NCN Channel 11 calling it flawed and skewed to one side and set up with a view to ambushing the Opposition.

A 17-year-old fish vendor was placed on $60,000 bail  yesterday in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton for allegedly robbing a man of a BlackBerry phone and a gold chain.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A clinical all-round performance by Windward Islands condemned Barbados to their second successive defeat and put them out of the running for the Regional Under-19 one-day trophy which they won last year in Guyana.

The Leo club of Ruimveldt recently served the community by donating school supplies for seven children in the Ruimveldt area.

Dear Editor, Permit me to congratulate the management and staff of the Passport Office on Camp Street for the excellent job they are doing under difficult circumstances.

Police so far have been unable to make a breakthrough in the investigation into the theft of as many 100 laptops from the warehouse of government’s One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project.

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – A stalwart of the team that soared to number one in the rankings, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh’s chances of a return to the test arena are looking remote with Ravichandran Ashwin’s emergence as India’s new slow-bowling spearhead.

Dear Editor, The recent letter by Swami Aksharananda, the Principal of the Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) school, relating to the school’s recent CXC results is one of the most important educational statements carried in the media in recent years.

The Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCCI) yesterday voiced  “deep dissatisfaction” with the ongoing spate of blackouts compliments of the Guyana Power and Light.

Dear Editor, The 30th Olympics in London are finished and the Paralympics will start on August 29, when about 5000 athletes with disabilities from 165 different countries will be taking part.

(BBC) Defending US Open champion Sam Stosur powered past Croatia’s Petra Martic in the first round at Flushing Meadows yesterday.

(BBC) An official at an athletics event in the German city of Dusseldorf has died after being speared in the throat with a javelin.

PPP executive, Gail Teixeira says she is not aware of any date for the PPP congress which was postponed from last year.

Barbadian Urlet Bullock is the new individual Caribbean scrabble champion following the conclusion of the individual competition on Sunday at the   Bank of Guyana building.

Dear Editor, I am attaching a picture following a recent visit to the Reliance cemetery.

(Barbados Nation) Barbados has been recognized for piloting three of the Caribbean’s best programmes that serve the elderly.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused the Taliban yesterday of beheading 17 villagers, including two women, in volatile Helmand province, in a gruesome attack recalling the dark days of the hardline group’s rule before their 2001 overthrow.

TOKYO, (Reuters) – Japan’s Olympic boxing gold medallist Ryota Murata is considering a future away from the sport after rejecting a lucrative offer to turn professional.

MADRID,  (Reuters) – Real Madrid have completed the signing of Croatia playmaker Luka Modric from Tottenham Hotspur as the stuttering Spanish champions seek an injection of guile and creativity to get their troubled season back on track.

Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy says plans are currently in train to change the farming sector countrywide from one that promotes subsistence living to one that will generate wealth for the nation.

A young man was yesterday remanded on the charge that he stole a wheel planetary.

Dear Editor, Today’s picture on the SN front page of a solitary Haitian woman after the destruction of her tent home speaks to the intended under-mentioned letter I was about to pen whilst awaiting the effects of Hurricane Isaac on Haiti.

BOGOTA, (Reuters) – Colombia’s government is seeking peace with the country’s biggest rebel group, the FARC, and could consider also holding talks with a second guerrilla movement to end five decades of war, President Juan Manuel Santos said yesterday.

FOURSQUARE, Barbados, CMC – Jamaica remained in the hunt for the Regional Under-19 one-day title when they easily defeated ICC Americas by seven wickets in the penultimate round of matches here yesterday.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica Foot-ball Federation president, Captain Horace Burrell, believes the Reggae Boyz are poised to break their losing streak against powerhouses United States when the two sides square off in a CONCACAF World Cup qualifier next month.

Chief Librarian at the National Library Gillian Thompson has said the public’s response to the play “To Sir, With Love – A Guyanese Version” was overwhelming and she was particularly pleased that the author of the original novel E.R

NEW DELHI,  (Reuters) – Indian lawmakers chanting “quit prime minister” drowned out Manmohan Singh yesterday as he sought to defend his government’s role in an affair dubbed “coalgate” that has paralysed parliament and created a sense of political crisis.

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter captioned ‘Morality not political experience should orient all our national institutions’ (SN, August 21) My reason for supporting Clarence O Perry is plain and basic.

(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar acted swiftly on Sunday night when she fired Collin Partap as Minister in the Ministry of National Security, rendering him a backbencher, the first and so far only one on the Government’s bench in the Parliament.

The PNCR has expressed its sadness at the death of former President of the Postal and Telecommunications Workers Union (PTWU) Selwyn Felix, whom it remembers as an amiable man who was passionate about workers rights.

CAIRO, (Reuters) – Egypt’s new Islamist president said yesterday he would pursue a “balanced” foreign policy, reassuring Israel its peace treaty was safe, hinting at a new approach to Iran and calling on Bashar al-Assad’s allies to help lever the Syrian leader out.

PARAGUANA, Venezuela,  (Reuters) – Venezuela’s biggest refinery could restart operations on Friday and fires still burning in three storage tanks will be extinguished within two days, the country’s energy minister told Reuters, following the country’s worst oil industry accident.

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

NEW ORLEANS,  (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Isaac closed in on the U.S.

Writing an article on corruption has become an easy undertaking. One merely has to read the daily newspapers in Guyana to find examples.

CAIRO, (Reuters) – Tunisia’s Etoile Sahel were kicked out of the African Champions League yesterday after rioting fans caused the abandonment of a group-stage match against compatriots Esperance this month.

Dear Editor, The PPP and PNC are elitist political organizations. As race-based parties, they use their primarily Indian and African support and see these two ethnic groups as politically expedient.

(Reuters) – Samuel Eto’o has rejected the chance to make a comeback for Cameroon, saying the team environment is still plagued by “amateurism and bad management”.

Dear Editor, On a recent episode of Al Jazeera’s  ‘Empire: Hollywood and the War Machine,‘ which examined the relationship between Hollywood and the USA’s military-industrial complex, Academy-Award winning filmmaker Oliver Stone said some amazing things.

Independent journalists and newspapers in Myanmar are celebrating what, in their circumstances, is a small though not insignificant concession by the government to allow the independent media a greater measure of elbow room to function outside the stranglehold of a political culture that has long viewed freedom of expression as consistent with anti-state activity.

A man alleged to have been found with one gramme of cannabis was yesterday placed on $10,000 bail after he denied a narcotics possession charge at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Minister within the Agriculture Ministry Ali Baksh paid a courtesy call on Essequibo resident Ramjohn Mohamed Khan in honour of his 100th birthday on August 16.

(Trinidad Express) National Security Minister Jack Warner yesterday defended the presence of acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams during the police detention of then-minister in the Ministry of National Security, Collin Partap.