Daily Archive: Sunday, March 3, 2013

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Hundreds of pro-opposition students and other critics of Hugo Chavez’s government marched in Caracas today to demand proof that the cancer-stricken Venezuelan leader is still alive and governing.

CHICAGO,  (Reuters) – A baby girl in Mississippi who was born with HIV has been cured after very early treatment with standard drug therapy, U.S.

(Reuters) – Twenty20 world champions West Indies enjoyed a second easy win over Zimbabwe with a 41-run victory in Antigua today.

A video of a police rank beating at least three men trying to protect a woman and her child who were protesting a Guyana Geology and Mines Commission operation in Region Nine recently has evoked outrage.

(Jamaica Observer) Jamaica has lost voting rights and access to technical assistance from several international and regional organisations as the island remains saddled with the heavy burden of close to $800 million in outstanding arrears to these organisations.

Public Service Minister Jennifer Westford today told Stabroek News no Guyanese were involved in an accident today in Cuba in which a number of Caribbean students were injured.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth went into hospital in London today with symptoms of gastroenteritis, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

(Barbados Nation) The attorneys representing Barbados in the Shanique Myrie lawsuit are ready to fight the country’s cause when the case begins in Jamaica tomorrow, confident in their defence and the testimony that will be offered by their witnesses during the month-long trial.

(BBC) Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay both scored unbeaten hundreds as India took control of the second Test against Australia in Hyderabad.

KUALA LUMPUR,  (Reuters) – Gunmen have killed five policemen in Malaysia’s Sabah state where members of an armed faction from the Philippines are staking an ancient claim to the remote corner of Borneo island and have been facing off with security forces.

(Trinidad Express) Another Bollywood star has not been contracted to perform for a TT$2,500 concert in this country next month although it was advertised that she will be part of the star-studded cast.

(Trinidad Express) A whopping TT$638,844,310 in alleged “dirty money” transactions have reportedly passed through the country’s financial system over the past year, the 2012 Report of the Financial Intelligence Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (FIUTT) has stated.

An explosion during the disposal of explosives in the Kwakwani compound of the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI), shortly after noon yesterday has left several persons injured – three seriously.

A Crabwood Creek businessman has been held by police in connection with the murder of Surinamese national Lucien Agard, who was killed near his home at Number 59 Village Corentyne, Berbice on Friday night.

The PPP has hailed the “fair report” of the Commission of Inquiry into the events of July 18, 2012 at Linden during which three protesters were fatally shot but Leader of the Opposition David Granger is dissatisfied saying that the antecedents of these events were not adequately examined.

“999 steps,” the locals say. Ask who counted the steps and if they really are sure it is 999 steps up the mountain, all you get is a shrug or a laugh and a quietly determined “999 steps.”

By the end of this year the National Archives of Guyana, housed in the building named the Walter Rodney Archives, will have commenced digitizing their records, while also placing some on microfilm, acting archivist Nadia Carter said.

A new foundation is encouraging Carib-bean diaspora citizens to be part of a ‘Give-Back campaign’ and is promising persons an avenue for them to give back “virtually or physically to their country of birth or the county of their parents’ birth.”

The money awarded to the families of the three men killed during the Linden protest is a clear indication of a “frightening period in our history”, where the life of a poor person is worth very little, according to Attorney Nigel Hughes, who said that the relatives are still awaiting justice as the ranks who fired the fatal shots are still to be identified.

NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Audacious West Indies hardly broke a sweat as they nonchalantly brushed aside Zimbabwe by eight wickets in their opening Twenty20 International here yesterday.

Though the police had confidently said that three sets of execution-style killings which had sent shockwaves throughout the country in 2010 were linked and later managed to lay a murder charge in relation to one, investigators will now have to retrace their steps and find new leads, as the accused was acquitted in the High Court recently.

A New York-based Guyanese man was shot dead and his body burned in his apartment a week ago as part of what police have said was a plot to kill all the tenants in his South Richmond Hill, Queens building.

Introduction Earlier this week I sent to Mr Winston Brassington, the head of Atlantic Hotel Inc, (AHI) the company financing the construction of the hotel complex a number of questions dealing mainly with the construction phase.

Rhoeo spathacea commonly called Moses-in-the-cradle originated from the tropical areas of Central America. 

Relatives of Tikiram Khalika, who was struck down by a minibus along the Public Road at Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara (WCD) two Fridays ago, have decided not to pursue charges against the driver, but are still seeking answers from health officials as to the treatment he received at the three hospitals to which he was taken.

Right now the temperature of partisan dispute, and tempers on all sides, are rising sharply.

Linden’s Cassie George was up to press time yesterday the only athlete in the middle distance events to make the CARIFTA Games qualifying time when the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) held its Trials yesterday at the Guyana Defence Force ground Camp Ayanganna.

NTN Channel 69 has launched its radio station 89.1 FM, which, it said, will be broadcast every hour of the day throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.

Nicholas Narain completed the upset of the tournament by dispatching one of the country’s premier junior players Nyron Joseph on night four of the Bounty Farm Mash Handicap tournament Friday night at the Georgetown Club’s squash facility.

The annual Babu John memorial rally for Cheddi Jagan is to be held on March 3.

Project Coordinator of Guyana’s $3.1 billion e-governance project, Alexei Ramotar says that while supervision deficiencies have caused delays in the completion of the fibre optic cable-laying works, government has applied penalties and taken over the work to see it to the end by September, more than two years later than the first mooted completion date.

Guyana’s top cyclists will compete today in the Berbice leg of the 16th annual Cheddi Jagan Memorial road race.

The private sector will participate in the selection process for the 10 civilians who will work in a new Strategic Management Department to oversee reforms of the police force.

Somewhere in the early ’80s, Tradewinds came to Guyana to take part in Mashramani with a substitute bass player, Burman Scott, from Cayman.

Bystander Michael Roberts, who was shot in the mouth on July 18 last year near the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge during clashes between police and protestors, should receive $1.5 million for his injuries, which left him unable to work, the Linden Commis-sion of Inquiry (COI) has recommended.

BY its very nature, there are few more thankless jobs than that of the West Indies cricket selectors.

Brazil, South America’s biggest country, may become a global economic superstar in the future, but it will have to stop being an inward-looking giant.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Just hours after across-the-board spending cuts officially took effect, President Barack Obama pressed Congress yesterday to work with him on a compromise to halt a fiscal crisis he said was starting to “inflict pain” on communities across the United States.

The Ministry of Education’s investigation into the death of eight-year-old St Margaret’s pupil Joshua Hubbard, who was pushed down by a classmate at school, has been completed and is with the Minister of Education, Chief Educa-tion Officer (CEO) Olato Sam said yesterday.

Economic efficiency In last week’s column I concluded the series of columns commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Third World Debt Crisis (TWDC) and addressing the performance of Guyana’s public indebtedness since then.

N’DJAMENA (Reuters) – Chadian soldiers in Mali have killed Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the al Qaeda commander behind a bloody mass hostage-taking at an Algerian gas plant in January, Chad’s military said yesterday.

Simpson Guillen, who died in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday, aged 88, holds a unique record.

As a result of diligent work by the police, about five men were recently arrested in connection with the May 2012 murder of taxi driver Rajendra Puran and it is believed that they are all part of a carjacking ring, according to Crime Chief Seelall Persaud.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago’s spinners delivered once again, bowling them to an impressive 120-run victory over Leeward Islands on the final day of their third round Regional Four-Day Championship match here yesterday.

If you are over the age of forty it is probable that you will remember when intra-Caribbean air services were frequent, costs were low, and travel taxes and security were almost non-existent.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s ailing President Hugo Chavez has been undergoing “tougher” new treatment for cancer including chemotherapy at the military hospital where he has been for the last two weeks, his vice-president said.

  Recuperating:  A marine turtle, which was found in the Demerara River near Providence, East Bank Demerara with plastic in its mouth was rescued by a dock worker and taken to the zoo.

Though one person has been arrested and charged in connection with the Republic (Mash) Day murder of Kumar Mohabir, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said the hunt is still on for other persons who participated in the brutal attack that also left his brother nursing serious injuries.

The Guyana Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) will join the rest of the world in celebrating World Tennis Day today with a Tennis Festival for young children at the Racquet Centre.

Dear Editor, The reported banning of the year’s calypsos, or some of them from the government’s radio station or radio and TV stations  is a denial of freedom of expression in art.

In a number of important ways the performance of the GT&T Link Show 29 in February and March of 2013 may be recorded as an achievement, while in a few other areas there are questions and blemishes. 

SEFFNER, Fla – Florida rescue personnel yesterday searched for a Florida man who disappeared into a sinkhole that swallowed his whole bedroom while he was asleep in his suburban Tampa home.

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) will today stage a one day Blitz tournament at the West Demerara Secondary School, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara.

BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) – At least three people protesting against plans for a $12 billion steel project by South Korea’s POSCO in southeastern India were killed by crude bombs yesterday, police said.

(Trinidad Guardian) The Government is considering a proposal to abolish the use of juries for blood crimes, National Security Minister Jack Warner said in a statement in the House of Repre-sentatives yesterday.

Dear Editor, It was just after 8 am on January 12, 2013.

The long-awaited Commission of Inquiry report on the events in Linden on July 18, 2012 has now been released.

A fisherman, known as ‘Big boy’ shows off his catch at the Kitty Seawall yesterday (Photo by Arian Browne)Guyanese author Maureen Rampertab donating copies of her book, Story Time to children at the Shaheed’s Girl Orphanage at Oleander Gardens, East Coast Demerara.

The Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) continues to target smuggling as part its mandate to enforce the collection of tax revenue.

Continued from last week We have arrived at the point where we may discuss the final and most reliable method of birth control – the spay.