Daily Archive: Sunday, May 19, 2013

(Jamaica Gleaner) Jamaica’s finance minister has blamed the country’s under performance since independence on the absence of effective parliamentary oversight and transparency as well as political tribalism.

Passengers to the north west who have suffered through voyages for years on decrepit ferries will have a new vessel in  12 to 18 months,  Public Works Minister Robeson Benn announced  today, according to the Government Information Agency.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn.,  (Reuters) – Thousands of Connecticut commuters should brace for travel chaos tomorrow as Metro-North workers repair damage on the United States’ busiest rail line caused by the collision of two trains, officials warned today.

HYDERABAD, India,  CMC – West Indies captain Darren Sammy blasted two sixes in the penultimate over to fire Sunrisers Hyderabad into the playoffs of the Indian Premier League here today.

ROME,  (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal made short work of his great rival Roger Federer to win the Italian Open, his sixth trophy of the year, 6-1 6-3 today.

OTTAWA,  (Reuters) – The top aide to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper abruptly resigned today over his role in an mounting expenses scandal which is threatening to undermine the Conservative government.

The Driver’s Licensing Unit will be located at the Guyana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) Headquarters on Camp Street from tomorrow.

At about 1530h yesterday, police say a wooden balahoo with ten men aboard capsized off the Riverstown Foreshore, Essequibo Coast, due to the rough tide.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Stuart Broad took seven wickets to rip through the New Zealand batting order and bowl England to an emphatic 170-run victory on the fourth day of the first test at Lord’s today.

(Barbados Nation) A 58-year-old gospel-singing clergyman was released on $5 000 bail yesterday when he appeared in court on an indecent assault charge.

(Trinidad Express) Former Caribbean Airlines (CAL) vice chairman and WinTV executive producer Mohan Jaikaran says he was a victim of the airline’s management.

(Reuters) – A single winning ticket for a record U.S. Powerball lottery jackpot worth $590.5 million was sold in Florida, organizers said late on Saturday, but there was no immediate word about who won or where in the state the ticket was bought.

(Trinidad Express) One day after he was appointed to the Caribbean Airlines (CAL) board on Friday, the appointment of Courtney McNish has been revoked by Finance Minister Larry Howai.

Government is counting on APNU to support the passage of the Anti-Money Launder-ing and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2013, while the AFC holds out for the setting up of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) — concerns about which it will take to the regional anti-laundering body — along with other measures.

Story and photos by Mandy Thompson  He is bachelor who knows every detail about keeping a home and the various culinary skills with which a woman would be familiar.

The Ministry of Human Services & Social Security, the Guyana Police Service, the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Women Miners’ Organisation (GWMO) collaborated early last week to remove a deaf and mute teenager from the No 58 Mabura, Region 10 area who is suspected of having been trafficked.

A Sophia resident was shot in his chest after armed bandits broke into his home and woke him out of his bed early yesterday morning.

Tragedy is something the Cleto family knows all too well and it seems there is no justice in sight.

Call it risking their lives, but vendors at the Stabroek Market Wharf continue to ply their daily trade in an effort to sustain themselves on an old and dilapidated structure which is on the brink of collapse.

More than five years after the Bartica massacre that claimed the lives of 12 men and sent shockwaves through the country, five men are set to go on trial shortly in the High Court sitting at Suddie.

Inspired by the small but boisterous crowd, the national rugby team clawed their way back from a nil-17 half time deficit to

Alpha United President and Presidential Advisor on Empowerment Odinga Lumumba has been appointed General Secretary of Georgetown Football Association (GFA) until the entity’s next election following a GFA General Council Meeting at the Sleepin International Hotel, Brickdam yesterday.

Tournament favourites Butler House solo strike defeated Galton 1-0 to book their final’s berth as the 2013 St.

Still convinced that his son was murdered with robbery used as a cover, George Ting-a-kee says that while life has been hard since that tragic night in September 2011, he still hopes that police will get to the bottom of the matter.

Barbadian teenager, Jamal Eastman of Team Heat Wave starts today’s final leg of the 31st annual Independence three-stage road race in the lead position after powering to back-to-back victories in the first two stages yesterday.

A minibus driver was yesterday arrested at Linden after three motorcycles that had been brought into the country illegally through Lethem were found in his vehicle.

The Great Britain rifle team scored a convincing victory in the Australia Cup fullbore shooting match shot at 300, 600, 900 and 1000 yards yesterday at the Paragon ranges in Barbados.

China Railway First Group took in surveyors to commence preparatory work on section 7 of the beleaguered Amaila Falls hydro project road over the weekend and it appears that the total cost of the project will exceed its original figure and it may not be completed before next year.

Marian Academy defeated Georgetown Technical Institute (GTI) 40-32 in their U-20 matchup as action in the Youth Basketball Guyana’s (YBG) National Schools Basketball Festival (NSBF) Georgetown Conference continued with three fixtures at the Marian Academy Court, Carifesta Avenue yesterday.

A seven member team from the University of Guyana’s Track and Field Club is set to participate at the 28th biennial University of West Indies Inter-Campus Championship at the UWI Mona Bowl for Sporting Excellence from May 21-30.

The Ministry of Public Works is considering instituting tolls for roads and bridges in the hinterland during the rainy season, in the wake of last Wednesday’s downing of a vital bridge while a truck carrying a bulldozer was crossing.

Introduction In recent Sunday columns, I have divided Guyana’s public investment management programme into four sequential phases.

Millers should pay farmers paddy prices similar to those paid for the last crop of 2012 because conditions of sale as well as prices in the current rice pact with Venezuela are similar to those in the previous agreement, Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy said in a release yesterday.

Second half goals from Mario Padmore and Tariq Martin in the 64th and 67th minutes helped Tutorial High secure a 3-1 win over North Georgetown Secondary in the Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools football tournament at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue yesterday.

Women are now being offered the opportunity to celebrate their pregnancies in a “very artistic style” by having their enlarged tummies painted with a design of their choosing and then having photographs taken which they will have as keepsakes.

What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles.

EXASPERATED by their team’s weak record in the 2013 regional Super50 and first-class tournaments,

Introduction This article draws heavily on a commentary in Ram & McRae’s 2013 Budget Focus.

(Cricinfo) On the last day of Adam Gilchrist’s IPL career, another veteran, Azhar Mahmood, scored 80 off 44 balls to give Kings XI Punjab a consolation win over Mumbai Indians yesterday.

ROME, (Reuters) – Roger Federer will meet great rival Rafa Nadal in the Italian Open final after the Swiss held off a spirited challenge by unseeded Frenchman Benoit Paire yesterday.

(Cricinfo) It was worth the wait for the thousands who braved the rain at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, as Royal Challengers Bangalore kept their playoff hopes alive by batting Chennai Super Kings out of  yesterday’s game, reduced to eight overs-a-side.

I’ve mentioned before that we don’t need to wade through reams of data or voluminous comparisons to reach some basic conclusions on seemingly complex matters; that we can often get a clear and almost instantaneous insight on these issues from indicators staring us in the face.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Paceman Tim Southee claimed three late wickets as New Zealand reduced England to 180 for six on a dramatic third day of the first test at Lord’s  yesterday.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC- President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Dave Cameron says “character and focus” are the main factors that have driven West Indies middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul to reach the milestone of 300 first class matches.

Dear Editor, On 7th May, President Ramotar told Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman,  that he was withholding his assent to Bill Bo 29 – the Former Presidents (Benefits & Other Facilities) Bill 2012 which had been passed by a majority of the National Assembly.

Police on Friday night discovered an unlicensed gun in the possession of a man at the Stabroek Market Square and he is in custody assisting with the investigations.

Dear Editor, It is customary during historic occasions, like the 175th Anniver-sary of the presence of East Indians in the Caribbean, to extol their manifold contributions to the development of the region.

Reigning Olympic champion and number three seed Li Xiaoxia yesterday upset her compatriot the reigning world champion and number one seed Ding Ning in the semi-final of the women’s singles competition at the Liebherr World table tennis championships in Paris, France.

Spend time in Brussels, or in any other European capital that has a close relationship with the Caribbean, and it soon becomes apparent how fast thinking about policy is changing on a broad range of issues that may affect the region’s long term interests.

(Continued) So now the first puppy has arrived.  Should you interfere or should you let nature take its course? 

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s main opposition bloc said on Saturday that a Muslim Brotherhood-backed bill to regulate human rights groups and other private organisations was an attempt to stifle their work.

Turk’s Cap commonly called Sleeping Hibiscus or Pepper Hisbiscus originated from Central America and Texas and is a member of the Malvaceae family.

The highly respected Nature Scientific Reports journal has just published a map of the world’s leading science cities, and it looks pretty bad for emerging countries: It shows the planet’s northern hemisphere full of lights, and the south almost solidly dark.

Don’t mind me I’m just grazing my sheep: A dog takes charge of a sheep along the Railway Embankment at Liliendaal.

Egg tray road: This road behind the University of Guyana that leads to Sophia can be compared to an egg tray because of the number of potholes it has.

Dear Editor, The Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce at a Statutory Meeting on Friday May 17, 2013 discussed the following issues: 1. 

ST.JOHN’S, Antigua,  CMC- England and West Indies will play three T20 matches and three One Day Internationals in the Caribbean early next year, the West Indies Cricket Board announced yesterday.

The annual Independence Horse Race meet which was scheduled to run off today at Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club at Bush Lot has been postponed due to the inclement weather.

This version of baked bags can be considered a low-calorie version simply because there is no cream or milk added.

Among the events held in Guyana to commemorate Arrival Day 2013 were an exhibition by the Ministry of Culture at the National Museum and the staging of Nrityageet 34 at the National Cultural Centre in conjunction with an exhibition of art presented by ICT under the theme The Struggle of Memory Against Forgetting.

(Reuters) – Cricket Australia is to investigate an extraordinary Twitter outburst by opening batsmen David Warner that attacked two senior Australian cricket journalists.

Dear Editor, I was surprised to read that Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh was “shocked and horrified” by the stand of the AFC on amendments to the anti-money laundering bill (Stabroek News, May 16).

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Authorities in Ivory Coast yesterday arrested a militia leader accused of participating in one of the worst massacres committed during the West African nation’s post-election violence in 2011, a military official and witness said.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad,  CMC- Out-of-favour West Indies opener Adrian Barath says he plans to work hard to improve his game after he was called up for the third intake of the Sagicor High Performance Centre (HPC) in Barbados.

KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan’s parliament failed to pass a law yesterday banning violence against women, a severe blow to progress made in women’s rights in the conservative Muslim country since the Islamist Taliban was toppled over a decade ago.

Small days still on my mind: A    visitor to the National Museum yesterday joined in a game of ‘Gam’/’Taw’, which is played with the seeds of the Awara fruit, to demonstrate to children gathered how it was done back in the day.

Dear Editor, It must now be clear to everyone that the seemingly endless critical letters to the press are serving no purpose other than probably to exacerbate the situation and cause further schism between protagonists and the government, to which most of these messages are directed.

The FIDE Presidential Board has confirmed that Chennai, India, will serve as the venue for the World Chess Champion-ship match between defending champion Viswanathan Anand and the highest ranked player in the world, Magnus Carlsen, from November 6 to November 26, 2013. 

Dear Editor, I am more than slightly appalled by the pronouncements attributed to Dr David Dabydeen in the article, ‘Dabydeen says Caribbean Press faces human resource crisis’ (SN, May 14), regarding the incompetence and laziness of local writers, and the absence of anyone here competent enough to run the Caribbean Press.

Matapee! Michael Khan aka Old Man Pappy demonstrating the matapee, at the National Museum Exhibition yesterday held in observance of International Museum Day.

Much outrage has been expressed over the two vigilante-style killings the week before last, the first, and most disquieting in Sophia, and the second the following day in Berbice.

SHANGHAI, China, CMC- World and Olympic champion Kirani James powered to victory against his main rivals from London 2012 in the 400m at Shanghai’s Diamond League meet yesterday.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Google staged four discussions expounding on the finer points of its “Glass” wearable computer during this week’s developer conference.

The state-owned press has been reporting recently that preparations for the PPP Congress are moving ahead.