Daily Archive: Friday, October 19, 2012

In its first statement on the Agricola unrest two Thursdays ago, the human rights group, GHRA yesterday said that Guyana needs a change of political morality and a politics of mutual confidence rather than politics driven by mistrust.

MUMBAI (Reuters) – Bollywood stars Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor tied the knot on Tuesday in a low-key ceremony in Mumbai after a courtship of five years.

JOHANNESBURG,  (Reuters) – Suspended Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola has been dismissed for his part in a bonus scandal following a disciplinary hearing, the organisation announced today.

Wayne Anthony Pollydore called `Plait Hair’ is wanted by the police for questioning in relation to Trafficking in Persons.

BEIRUT,  (Reuters) – Senior Lebanese intelligence official Wissam al-Hassan, who led the investigation that implicated Syria and Hezbollah in the assassination of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, was killed by a huge car bomb in Beirut today.

LONDON, (Reuters) – British minister Andrew Mitchell resigned today after failing to shake off accusations he called police “plebs”, an insult laden with snobbery that fuelled perceptions Prime Minister David Cameron’s government is out of touch with voters.

The news that R&B artiste Chris Brown will be here for a Boxing Day concert this year has sparked concerns because of his infamous punching up of pop star Rihanna and this has let to a suggestion from a social activist that he donate money to the domestic violence fight here and spend time in jail with abusers.

The police say they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of boat-builder Calvin Roberts of Hobodiah, Mabaruma, NWD, which occurred at about 1300h on October 17, 2012.

(Trinidad Guardian) New information has surfaced more than 12 years after the mysterious death of 11-year-old Akiel Chambers and Government is moving to reopen the police investigation into his death.

(Trinidad Guardian) The Central Bank hired Canadian forensic auditor Bob Lindquist during the PNM administration’s term in 2009 to probe all aspects of former financial giant Clico, says former PNM minister of finance Conrad Enill.

(Trinidad Guardian) Corporations will now have to pay larger fees than smaller organisations for water pollution.

(Trinidad Guardian) President of the Law Association Seenath Jairam, SC, has been given a blistering reprimand over a perceived conflict of interest.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Sohail Muhammad Siddiq, the 41-year-old Pakistani businessman who pleaded guilty to breaching the Customs Act and failing to declare €$314,000 (approximately J$36 million), has been fined J$10,000 or three months’ imprisonment.

Dr John Fredericks passed away on October 15 at the age of 85.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) is one step closer to swiftly investigating fatal police shootings through the procurement of a comparison microscope, engaging a ballistics expert and retrofitting an in-house laboratory at a cost of approximately J$50 million.

AMSTERDAM, (Reuters) – Dutch lender Rabobank has ended its 17-year sponsorship of professional cycling, saying it had lost faith in the sport’s leaders to clean up following the Lance Armstrong doping scandal.

-both appear to have been tortured The bodies of the two Kato, Region Eight-based policemen have been retrieved from the Paramakatoi, North Pakaraimas area and were airlifted to the city yesterday even as questions continue on their grisly murders.

(See full report submitted by the Office of the Auditor General) A special audit has cleared the Guyana Police Force of misusing contingency allocations totalling $90.649 million spent during last year’s elections, although record keeping breaches were found and some of the money that was not utilised was only paid back after concerns about spending were publicised.

-man injured on July 18 tells inquiry Michael Roberts who said he was shot in his face on July 18 told the Linden Commission of Inquiry yesterday he saw when a policeman fired at him and a mother of four testified she was searching for her son when she was hit by a bullet, fragments of which were removed at a hospital.

-as Region 10 delegation embarks on US outreach A Region 10 delegation yesterday left for the United States of America for a five-day outreach to the Diaspora, even as Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon sounded concern over the government’s apparent failure to keep its commitments to the region.

Two men, who allegedly used a number of cheques to attempt purchases of pricey electronics such as Ipods, were yesterday arraigned on forgery charges.

-Marlon Gentle tells Linden inquiry Fire Chief Marlon Gentle told the Linden Commission of Inquiry yesterday that fire maliciously set on July 18 was responsible for the destruction of the Linmine Secretariat and damage to the PPP building and that had it not been for road blockages, parts of the first building could have been saved.

Guyana’s and WIBA’s bantamweight champion Shondell “Mystery Lady” Alfred is billed to fight for the prestigious WBC Super flyweight Word Title in November.

The Alliance For Change says that state TV NCN has smothered its request for the right to reply to allegations levelled at the party by Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira and Attorney General Anil Nandall on October 11th during the Agricola protests.

The semi-finals of the Banks DIH sponsored Super 8 League are set for today at the GFC Ground where the winning two teams will contest the final set for next Friday.

-City Council The Mayor and City Council yesterday said it is concerned over the increase in the rearing of birds and other animals in Georgetown, while saying it would be moving against owners doing so in a manner that is a nuisance to neighbours or their communities.

R&B superstar, Chris Brown is set to perform at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence on December 26, Minister of Tourism Irfaan Ali announced yesterday.

Canada-based former Mr. Guyana Eustace ‘Robocop’ Abrams is one of two guest posers expected at this year’s bodybuilding championships where Clint Duke, Kerwin Clark, Alisha fortune and others are expected to defend their titles.

Prominent criminal lawyer Vickramaditya `Vic’ Puran who died by accident on Monday night will be cremated today following a religious ceremony at his home.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Nicolas Colsaerts is ready to take the United States by storm when he switches to the PGA Tour from Europe after becoming the first Belgian to appear in the Ryder Cup.

Clairmonte Cummings, the 25-year-old Operations Director at United Investment Trading is an International Business graduate of Florida International University and the most senior executive of what, arguably, is the country’s single largest department store.

Digicel is again taking the lead in corporate sponsorship and is throwing its weight behind the inaugural Flex Night International and Health & Fitness Expo planned for December 8 at the National Cultural Centre.

First! St Rose’s High’s Daniel Benjamin runs ahead of his competitors to cross the finish line first in the boys under-12 100 metres race at the Inter-Schools Sports held at the Eve Leary Ground yesterday.

Rawle Blackman, who was allegedly caught trying to ship ganja in a bottle of peanut butter through the Ogle Airport, was yesterday remanded to prison.

In the matter of the recently announced interest on the part of Trinidad and Tobago in working with Guyana towards the creation of a regional food security plan, Head of Resource Mobilization at the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) Maurice Wilson has more or less told the supposed interested parties to put up or shut up.

-after Canadian Refugee Board nixes ex-coastguard’s appeal The government is making strides in ensuring the capabilities of law enforcement, the Home Ministry said yesterday, after a recent decision by Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board to uphold its denial of refugee status to a former member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coastguard, who said he feared for his life after making a drug bust.

MOSCOW, Russia,  CMC-Trinidad and Tobago’s George Bovell picked up silver in the men’s 100 metres individual medley at the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup 2012 meet in Moscow, on Wednesday.

Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman will address a business luncheon being hosted by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) at the Pegasus Hotel, Guyana next Thursday.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Frankel, the world’s highest-rated racehorse, heads into his probable racecourse farewell “better than ever and still improving” but with concerns over the testing ground at Ascot, trainer Henry Cecil said.

The Ministry of Health says seven medical professionals have completed two online public health training courses aimed at boosting their skills in their respective disciplines, made available through the Pan American Health/World Health Organisation’s (PAHO/WHO) virtual campus.

Directly Involved The value-added tax or VAT as it is more frequently called was introduced in Guyana in the year 2007 to replace the Consumption and other taxes which, ironically, were not consciously paid by the consumers. 

Four witnesses testified yesterday as the preliminary inquiry (PI) began into the murder charge against  Paul Anthony Lo Hing, who is accused of strangling his partner to death at Sophia in August.

In the fiercely competitive world of information technology the Chinese brand Lenovo has recently taken over from its equally illustrious competitor Hewlett Packard (HP) as the world’s leading seller of computers, a circumstance that is not without significance even for the miniscule Guyana information technology industry.

The Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) under its Pepsi and Gatorade brands are hitting off the second edition of the Gatorade/GABA under-16 boxing tournament in Berbice this weekend.

Dear Editor, I write in response to the Stabroek News editorial of Thursday, October 18th  last, entitled “Poverty” , which salutes two mothers, both of whom had been subjects of earlier articles in Stabroek News – Ms Vanessa Simon on September 30 and Ms Dorothy Blackman on October 14. 

The organising committee of the Annual Inter-Market Futsal Tournament said this year’s tournament will be postponed until March 2013 as the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall needs urgent repairs. 

Rasheed Abdool called ‘Black Boy,’ was killed on Wednesday night at Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara, after a row between him and another man ended with him being stabbed.

Persistent complaints from sections of the mining community regarding the security implications of illegal shops in mining areas across the gold-bearing regions of the country have led to a new initiative by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment to regularize the operation of commercial enterprises at mining sites.

As it nears its 30th anniversary, Laparkan Trading Guyana Air and Ocean Department has started the celebration early by giving back to its customers.

HURDAL, Norway/BOGOTA, (Reuters) – Colombian government and leftist rebel negotiators agreed to meet in Cuba in mid-November to start what are likely to be thorny peace talks aimed at patching together an end to half a century of conflict, both sides said yesterday.

Dear Editor, About 1:30 pm on Sunday 7th October, 2012, I received a phone call from a friend from Anna Regina telling me that her understanding is that a councillor of the Regional Democratic Council was caught in the act of selling counterfeit tickets for the Annual Essequibo Nite event sponsored by the Region 2 Administration at the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th October, last. 

KINGSTON, Jamaica,  CMC- Jamaican athletes Dominique Blake and Ricardo Cunningham , accused of using banned substances, are to reappear before the disciplinary committee of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission next month.

A two-year trade capacity building project is being initiated by the Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) of Canada and the Canadian Executive Services Overseas (CESO) in collaboration with the Guyana Manufacturers and Services Association (GMSA) to increase international market share for local art and craft and artisanal products.

Dear Editor, As I watched unprepared witnesses and evidence of poorly recorded witness statements, along with questions that needed to be asked but were never asked.

JTW & Associates Management Institute Inc, a local management consultancy firm, is among a number of private sector enterprises in the region to secure approval for grant funding from Caribbean Export under its new €2.5 million funding from the European Union.

KINGSTON, Jamaica,  CMC– Striker Dane Richards, who netted twice in ten minutes to keep alive Jamaica’s world cup ambitions, says the goals were the most important in his football career.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds says Guyana continues to benefit greatly from the assistance it received through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.

BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) – Venezuela’s newly re-elected president, Hugo Chavez, should start preparing to hand over power, former two-time Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a newspaper interview published yesterday.

Dear Editor, Messrs Asquith Rose and Harish Singh, advocates of AFC, are absolutely incorrect in several accusations levelled against me (SN Oct 17) in their retort to my missive (Oct 15).

KISSIMMEE, Florida,  (Reuters) – In what could bring him one step closer to becoming a world boxing champion, Orlando Cruz prepares to face opponent Jorge Pazos today just days after announcing that he was gay, the first active fighter in the macho sport to openly discuss his sexual orientation.

(de Ware Tijd) PARAMARIBO – “The pirates can expect us to come after them; not to make jokes, but to do a serious job,” says lieutenant colonel Jerry Slijngard of the National Army (NL), adding that this is a clear warning that appropriate action will be taken against these criminals.

It requires a fair measure of careful contemplation to determine which of Carol Fraser’s many talents is her main line of business.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Brazil enacted a controversial law yesterday meant to protect forests and force farmers to replant trees on scattered swathes of illegally cleared land totaling an area roughly the size of Italy.

Several weeks ago this newspaper expressed its considerable disappointment over what it considered to be a missed opportunity by the private sector arising out of a competition by the regional business support body, the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) that resulted in winners from various other parts of the region being able to have their goods and services paraded at the recently concluded Olympic Games in London.

-When Good Police Retreat Yes they are distant places with distant – actually also distinct – cultures.

This week marked the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the 13-day Cuban Missile Crisis, when the two superpowers of the day, the USA and the USSR, were engaged, at the height of the Cold War, in arguably the most dangerous game of political chicken ever.

A Cuban meeting: President Donald Ramotar with Guyanese medical students in Cuba yesterday.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Kevin Pietersen has been added to England’s test squad for next month’s tour to India after being dropped following a controversial text-message row.

Politikles

Dear Editor, Staff at the Environmental Protection Agency should dress in a more professional manner and be conscious of their work apparel.

Business Cartoons

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 481’s trading results showed consideration of $2,867,665 from 125,083 shares traded in 13 transactions as compared to session 480 which showed consideration of $1,786,450 from 55,714 shares traded in 12 transactions. 

(Trinidad Express) Pan pioneer/innovator Bertie Marshall died on Wednesday evening, succumbing to a longstanding illness that included complications brought on by diabetes and hypertension.

(Trinidad Express) Ten days after he accepted a brief from the Ministry of Finance to be its lead counsel in the CLICO/Hindu Credit Union Commission of Enquiry, Law Association president Seenath Jairam SC returned the brief to the ministry yesterday.