Daily Archive: Sunday, April 14, 2013

The following statement was issued tonight by Prime Minister Sam Hinds I am astonished by the proposals advanced by the opposition parties to cut the allocations in Budget 2013 that were intended to avoid increases in electricity charges to the 164,000 customers of GPL, and other allocations which were to contribute to the financing and, hence, the realization of the proposed Amaila Falls Hydro-power development.

The private sector today released the following statement: “In our release of March 28, 2013, we stated that the structure of the 2013 budget has particular relevance at a time when the external economic climate is less than favourable and the necessary steps must be taken now to guard against a domestic downturn.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles charged today there was a plot to change the result of the country’s presidential election, which will decide if a longtime loyalist continues Hugo Chavez’s self-styled socialist revolution.

OTTAWA,  (Reuters) – Canada’s Liberals crowned charismatic rising political star Justin Trudeau as party leader today, relying more on hope and a youthful image than on experience and substance to contest seven years of Conservative rule.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Tighter border security must be one goal of U.S.

JAIPUR, India,, CMC – Trinidadian seamer Kevon Cooper once again played a key role as Rajasthan Royals beat Kings XI Punjab by six wickets, to maintain their lively start to the Indian Premier League season with their third win in four games.

The two persons who died in yesterday’s light plane crash at Sparendaam have been identified as an American and a Canadian.

At about 0100h today, police say that an Assistant Superintendent of Police responded to a report received of an armed robbery at Matthew Allen Road and Strand Road, New Amsterdam, and pursued the suspect who was riding a bicycle and had been pointed out by the victim.

(Jamaica Observer) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jamaica’s PetroCaribe Development Fund (PDF) Dr Wesley Hughes has said that even a facile victory by Nicolas Maduro in today’s Venezuelan elections will not prevent changes to the concessionary nature of the oil agreement.

(Barbados Nation) Their idea to showcase the coconut palm as a versatile tree crop has gained the Bishop Martin High School in Belize the top prize in a regional science and technology competition.

(Trinidad Express) Caribbean Airlines (CAL) is seeking financing from local banks to deal with a TT$1.4 billion (US$234 million) debt the company now faces.

SHANGHAI,  (Reuters) – Fernando Alonso roared to a dominant victory in a highly strategic Chinese Grand Prix today to give Ferrari their first win of the Formula One season and put the pressure on champions Red Bull.

(Trinidad Express By Camini Marajh Head Investigative Desk)  It was a tale of treachery that caused a football tsunami the likes of which a vexed Austin Jack Warner had threatened to unleash on the House of FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) after his Zurich face-off with former close ally and FIFA president, Sepp Blatter.

A United States-registered aeroplane crashed into a home at the Sparendaam Housing Scheme shortly after takeoff from the Ogle International Airport yesterday killing the American pilot and a Canadian surveyor who was conducting a technical survey for the Amaila Falls access road.

Scenes from the sparendam plane crash yesterday (Photos by Arian Browne).Firemen working to quell the fire and smoke from the remains of Florence Dyer-Tyndall’s house after yesterday’s plane crash Florence Dyer-Tyndall being consoled by a relativeA section of the crashed planeFlorence Dyer-Tyndall’s house on fire at Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara after a small plane crashed into it yesterday afternoon.

Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara sits between Prospect and Golden Grove, and is home to one of the largest housing schemes in Guyana, if not the Caribbean.

Forty-five-year-old Patrenella Wilkie watched her daughter die from what started as a “mild fever” and she blames the lack of proper medical facilities available in the 72 Miles, Region Seven community for her death.

Few politicians can be said to have been responsible for changing the way in which we think, let alone contributing to reshaping fundamentally the geo-political and economic environment in which we live, but that is what the late Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s Prime Minister between 1979 and 1990, achieved.

Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major who lost to Christopher Matthias Friday night in the battle for the presidency of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) said there was an orchestrated plot to ensure he did not become the next president of the GFF.

Most polls show that Venezuela’s government candidate Nicolás Maduro is likely to win today’s elections thanks to an unfair election process in which the government controls an overwhelming share of TV time, but — even if he wins — Maduro’s future is gloomy.

The information from daily reportings of various traumas in a country, whether from government actions or personal behaviours, can become a surround creating a feeling of hopelessness in the citizens. 

Introduction As earlier indicated I intend to merge the ongoing discussion of Guyana’s public investment management into what is, hopefully, a fruitful consideration of the National Budget, 2013.

Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) edged Airbenders 1-0 compliments of a Stuart Gonsalves first half strike in the 11th minute as action in the John Fernandes Insurance Service (JFIS) second division hockey league continued at the Saints Recreational Ground, Carifesta Avenue on Saturday.

(Reuters) – Kobe Bryant’s season is over after he suffered an Achilles tendon injury in the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Golden State Warriors on Friday.

Introduction I closed last week by introducing a table which set out the transactions between Demtoco and other companies in the group.

KARACHI, (Reuters) – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has banned umpires Nadeem Ghouri and Anis Siddiqui for four and three years respectively after they were found guilty of being willing to compromise their integrity in discharge of their professional duties.

As golden afternoon transmutes into silver evening and then into velvet darkness fretted by stars I sit to read and think and dream.

The decomposing body of man was yesterday discovered in a wooden shack on Ketley Street, Charlestown.

Formal exchanges of letters between the Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, and the Shadow Minister of Finance, Mr Carl Greenidge, seeking to fix a date for a meeting to discuss the proposed Budget, and the inevitable name calling when the exercise proved unsuccessful, ought to have alerted everyone that no serious discourse will take place.

Tournament favourites of the Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy, Tucville Secondary was beaten 6-2 by Charlestown Secondary’s male team yesterday at the Ministry of Education Sports Complex ground, Carifesta Avenue.

Petrea, commonly called Purple wreath or Sandpaper vine comes from the Verbenaceae family and originated from Mexico and Central America.

AUGUSTA, Georgia,  (Reuters) – American Brandt Snedeker and Angel Cabrera of Argentina survived a drama-packed day at the Masters yesterday to share the lead after the third round, nosing themselves ahead of a congested leaderboard that included the imposing figure of Tiger Woods.

Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy described as “disappointing and unacceptable” the opposition’s proposal to cut $814 million from the Ministry of Agriculture’s budget allocation relating to the purchase of 14 drainage pumps through a line of credit from India.

“I like to give the fans their monies worth and put on a boxing clinic but if the knockout comes it comes but at the end of the day I will be the man with his hands raised in victory.”

If you like French Fries, then you’ll easily fall in love with these Sweet Potato Fries.

Another road fatality was recorded yesterday when a 50-year-old pedal cyclist was struck down on the Montrose Public Road, East Coast Demerara in an apparent hit and run accident.

In its first major initiative after removing the ‘amateur’ tag from its name last year, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) in collaboration with the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) will commence rewarding selected elite boxers with stipends beginning in May.

The investigations into the murder of US army doctor Captain Max Kungel have seemingly come to an end with the suicide of one of the suspects, and according to relatives they are disappointed that there have been no moves by authorities to ensure that they get justice.

  The driver of this vehicle lost control and ended up in a drain yesterday near the Windsor Forest primary school West Coast Demerara

We have on previous occasions commented on the theatre of comedy as a tradition in the Caribbean, its changing trends and the way it has grown to become serious business in the Guyanese theatre. 

Police were yesterday accused of conducting a sloppy investigation into the brutal murder of Cove and John pensioner Millicent Prince-Cummings after no tracker dog was used by ranks who only made attempts to speak to neighbours more than 24 hours after the crime was committed.

It’s not difficult to imagine the impact on the embryonic Caribbean Premier League of the Barbados Central Bank’s warning last week on the status of Verus International, the League’s owners.

It’s not difficult to imagine the impact on the embryonic Caribbean Premier League of the Barbados Central Bank’s warning last week on the status of Verus International, the League’s owners.

Continued Let’s continue with the matter of pregnancy in our companion animals. 

The London 2013 Candidates chess tournament will be remembered not only for its high quality of play, but also for the extraordinary collective talents of its eight participants.

By Neil Barry Jr., The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) in partnership with the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (under their Limacol brand) yesterday launched the GCB/Limacol Inter County Under 15 two-day cricket competition.

A Chinese businessman is currently hospitalized after he was shot during an armed robbery on Friday afternoon.

BEIJING (Reuters) – The United States said yesterday that China had agreed to help rid North Korea of its nuclear capability by peaceful means, but Beijing made no specific commitment in public to pressure its long-time ally to change its ways.

Dear Editor, The comment made by Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart that “the regional integration movement is alive and well” has raised eyebrows, and one wonders why a head of government could make such a statement when instead of Caricom moving forward it is either stalled or moving backwards.

An electrical pole crashed into a yard at Punt Trench Dam in Albouystown giving residents a scare yesterday and it took some time before personnel from the Guyana Power and Light arrived on the scene.

CARACAS (Reuters) – Hugo Chávez loyalists yesterday on the eve of a presidential vote celebrated across Venezuela a milestone in the late leader’s socialist revolution, irking the opposition that complained of a campaign tipped in favour of the government.

Six high-profile murders that have occurred within the last six months remain unsolved but Crime Chief Seelall Persaud says they are being “actively pursued,” while noting that such crimes can remain open for as much as 15 years before they are solved.

LONDON (Reuters) – Several hundred people turned up for a “party” in central London  yesterday to celebrate the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as a mass protest predicted by some, failed to materialise.

The Alliance for Change (AFC), in two Notice Papers that have been circulated to Members of Parliament, has signalled its intention to cut almost $39 billion from the budget, including $1.734 billion from the Guyana Elections Commission, $1.255 billion from the Office of the President inclusive of allocations for NCN and GINA and $1 billion earmarked for the completion of the Amaila Road.

Dear Editor, I wish to comment on the full-page critique of German’s Restaurant by columnist Cynthia Nelson in ‘The Scene’ (Stabroek News, April 13).

NEW DELHI, India,  CMC-The 2013 Caribbean T20 champions, Trinidad and Tobago, have earned direct entry into the group stage of this year’s Champions League T20 (CLT20) tournament which will be played in India from September 17 to October 6, organizers have announced.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis, in his first major decision, yesterday set up an advisory board of cardinals from around the world to help him govern the Catholic Church and reform its troubled central administration.

A bus driver was shot in his face by a passenger in the wee hours of yesterday morning in the vicinity of National Avenue, South Ruimveldt, after he and the passenger were involved in an argument over the fare.

Dear Editor, Many times I have wondered as to the lack of simple courtesies in word, gesture, and action that dominate the Guyanese street. 

CHENNAI, India, CMC-West Indies pacer Ravi Rampaul snatched three wickets in an impressive spell that brought Royal Challengers Bangalore on the brink of victory but his efforts were not enough to prevent Dwayne Bravo’s Chennai Super King from stealing a four wicket win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) yesterday Rampaul grabbed three for 31 in four overs including two in the penultimate over to put RCB on the path to restrict Super Kings from reaching the winning target of 166.

Two weeks ago we carried a report on a letter sent by none other than the Director of Public Prosecu-tions Shalimar Ali-Hack to Police Commissioner (ag) Leroy Brumell. 

Sunday’s Cartoon

JAKARTA (Reuters) – All 108 passengers and crew miraculously survived when a Lion Air Boeing 737 missed the runway on the balmy Indonesian resort island of Bali yesterday and landed in the sea.

The Guyana Cancer Institute has been refused a licence to operate over the last year because of “deficiencies” that need to be addressed and Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran says these include the leakage of radiation into adjoining rooms and the corridors from its radiation therapy machine.

Dear Editor, I read Ms Nelson’s review of German’s Restaurant and am disappointed that ‘The Scene’ carried it without letting the restaurant respond in the same issue. 

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC-Trinidad and Tobago have recalled opening batsman Justin Guillen for their Regional Super 50 semi-final against Combined Campuses and Colleges at Kensington oval, Barbados next Thursday.

By Neil Barry Jr., The Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) batted through the first day of the  Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Noble House Seafood’s second division final against Police Sports Club at the GCC, ground Bourda before being bowled out shortly before the close of play for 321.