Daily Archive: Monday, June 24, 2013

LONDON, (Reuters) – From a green and pleasant land, Wimbledon’s grasscourts must now resemble a minefield for Rafa Nadal who, for the second year in a row today suffered a shock defeat by a modest opponent playing the match of his life.

Police Cadet Officer James Tappin was today charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

The police say that at about 1350h. today Zamin Zakeer, 43 years of Albion, Corentyne, was taking $5.5M which belonged to his employer to a bank when he was allegedly held up by two men in a motor car, one of whom was armed with a firearm, along Albion Access Road.

Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee today called on all Guyanese to demonstrate greater care and consideration for persons with disabilities.

(Reuters) – Bollywood actor Salman Khan faces the possibility of being tried for culpable homicide in a decade-old hit-and-run, a legal source with direct knowledge of the case said today.

(Trinidad Express) Two teenage brothers of Aranguez were stabbed to death yesterday as they attempted to defend a friend from cell phone thieves.

MILAN,  (Reuters) – A Milan court sentenced former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi on Monday to s even years in jail and banned him from public office after finding him guilty of paying for sex with a minor and abusing his powers of office to cover up the affair.

(Trinidad Express) The illegal diesel trade could be almost as big as the drug trade in Trinidad, Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine said yesterday.

Police Progressive youth Club (PPYC) ‘A’ team yesterday upset defending champions the Guyana Defence Force to win the 2013 Olympic Day 10K team run to add to their triumphs in 2008 and 2009.

ST.GEORGE’S, Grenada,  CMC- An aggressive half century from Seekkuge Prasanna upstaged a century by opener Lendl Simmons as West Indies A lost the momentum and toppled to a four wicket defeat against Sri Lanka A in their first ODI at the national stadium here  yesterday.

GT&T Berbice yesterday scored first innings points against the President’s XI in their drawn match while Demerara trounced Essequibo by 10 wickets on the final day of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) U19 Inter-county competition at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary and the Everest Sports Club ground respectively.

The China-funded airport expansion project could end up costing over US$250M as opposed to the contract sum of US$138 million according to Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram, who says that a long list of obligations on Guyana frees the contractor of any responsibility for poor work and delays.

The PPP government is reluctant to do anything about corruption due to its link with three discrete groups who finance the party’s leadership and fuel graft including a group of wealthy and influential businessmen with high political connections who profit from insider information, according to former PPP stalwart Ralph Ramkarran.

(Reuters) – Abel Hernandez grabbed four goals as Uruguay’s reserves won 8-0 against Tahiti yesterday, taking the South Americans into a Confederations Cup semi-final with Brazil and sending the Pacific islanders home after a third successive drubbing.

BIRMINGHAM, England, (Reuters) – A youthful India held their nerve to condemn England to more 50-over misery with their five-run victory in an enthralling finish to a rain-disrupted Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston yesterday.

A great-grandfather is dead after being struck down by a Police Cadet Officer driving his patrol car along the Better Hope Public Road, East Bank Demerara early yesterday morning.

The body of David Persaud of Grove was discovered in his car at the South Dakota Circuit, Timehri, East Bank Demerara last evening.

Bronze medalist at the 2011 Master’s Championships John ‘Big John’ Edwards was the recipient of sponsorship for his international duties next month after pharmaceutical giant New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation Incorporation renewed its partnership with the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF).

Twenty-two-year-old Sandy Jackman who had a noxious substance thrown in her face on Friday night will lose one of her eyes, relatives said yesterday.

An Inter-American Develop-ment Bank investigation is ongoing into any misappropriation of funds channelled to the much-vaunted Citizen’s Security Programme (CSP) in what would be a major embarrassment for the government if fraud is found.

(Reuters) – Australia have added batsman Steve Smith to their Ashes squad for the warm-up games and the first test following David Warner’s suspension and Michael Clarke’s back injury.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Former Trinidad and Tobago football team coach Jamaal Shabazz has turned down an offer as assistant coach to the CONCACAF Gold Cup-bound “Soca Warriors”.

Members of the Opposition took to the skies on Saturday on a flyover of the Amaila Falls hydroelectric project access road and concerns about the pace of ongoing works and the implications for the feasibility of the larger dam project were confirmed during site visits.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,  CMC – Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic javelin gold medallist Keshorn Walcott reportedly escaped serious injury following a vehicular accident on Friday.

An East Canje mechanic  appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on Friday on a charge of carnal knowledge of a 13-year-old.

Cricketers from various clubs across Georgetown on Saturday attended the one day captain’s Workshop organised by the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and held at the Muslim Youth Organisation Club (MYO), Woolford Avenue.

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security held a one-day training session in Bartica, Region Seven on Saturday to sensitise residents about Trafficking in Persons (TIP), according to a release from the Government Information Agency yesterday.

A $200M entrepreneurship programme was on Saturday launched for youths in Region One (Barima/Waini) by the government.A

Guyana’s karate champion, Nathalie Gibson is ready to take on her opponents at the upcoming Caribbean Karate Championship in Barbados from July 11-14.

Facilitator of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) cricket development programme Daniel Richmond will hold sessions today at Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara.

Dear Editor, Is this what Dr Jagan give his life for, to have the post-Jagan PPP abandon people from the rice sector?

Guyanese Ivelaw Griffith, an expert in Caribbean security issues, has been named as the next president of Fort Valley State University in middle Georgia, USA.

Dear Editor, Former Speaker Ralph Ramkarran wrote that Guyana is close to qualifying as a “Kleptocratic Republic.” 

Students of the Novar Primary School who excelled at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment have praised their class teacher and headmistress, Shamina Charran for their success.

HONG KONG/MOSCOW,  (Reuters) – Fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor 2 sought asylum in Ecuador yesterday after Hong Kong allowed his departure for Russia in a blow to Washington’s efforts to extradite him on espionage charges.

Fruta Conquerors ‘A’ through a Ronaldo Guilliams second half strike needled Pele FC 1-0 as action in the Fruta Conquerors-sponsored U13 league competition continued at the Tucville Community Centre Ground yesterday.

JOHANNESBURG,  (Reuters) – Former South African President Nelson Mandela’s condition deteriorated to “critical” yesterday, the government said, two weeks after the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader was admitted to hospital with a lung infection.

A man was on Friday accused of threatening to stab his aunt if she got him placed before the courts.

If Dexter Gonsalves could win fights based simply on confidence, he might wear the national junior lightweight title for many years to come.

Dear Editor, Regarding the Stabroek News article, `Caribbean Press to shift its focus to resident Guyanese writers’,  I am disappointed first of all by SN’s apparent complicity in the revision of the history of the Press. 

By Vidyaratha Kissoon (2013 is an interesting year in the Caribbean for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality.

Dear Editor, I am emphasizing the call by the AFC for the government to subsidise those who cross the Berbice River Bridge.

CAIRO,  (Reuters) – Egypt’s army stepped in to a deepening political crisis yesterday to demand that the Islamist government and its opponents settle their differences and warned that it would act to stop violence spinning out of control.

RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) – A referee has admitted to making a mistake in awarding Italy’s second goal during their 4-2 defeat to Brazil at the Confederations Cup, FIFA said yesterday.

Several contracts in the water, education, agriculture and energy sectors totalling over $450M received no objections at Cabinet’s June 18 statutory meeting.

I was prompted to write this article because of my dismay at news reports about the salaries/fees payable to the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and the Chairmen of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO), in the light of the disastrous performance of these state-owned entities over the years.

LITTLE COLORADO RIVER, Ariz.,  (Reuters) – Daredevil Nik Wallenda completed a historic high-wire walk over a section of the Grand Canyon on Sunday, greeted with wild cheers after finishing his journey over the yawning chasm on a 2-inch (5-cm) steel cable.

Slingerz FC, led by a hat trick from Anthony ‘Kang’ Sancho, pummelled Eagles FC 10-0 as action in the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) Stag Beer Senior League continued at the Den Amstel Ground on Saturday.

Dear Editor, After I considered Simona Broomes’ relentless fight to eliminate trafficking in persons, in which she displayed self-confidence, zeal, dedication, determination and concern for others, I can deservedly brand her the ‘Iron lady’ or local Margaret Thatcher.

(Trinidad Express) A homeless man was found stabbed to death early Saturday morning under a bus shed in Tacarigua.

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat has announced that preparations are advancing for the Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), featuring fisheries and forestry which will be held in Georgetown, Guyana in October.

“GAWU contends that because of GuySuCo’s `poor husbandry and mismanagement’ there are not enough canes in the ground this crop to meet the corporation’s … target”.

CALGARY, Alberta, (Reuters) – Power outages in the Canadian oil capital of Calgary could last for weeks or even months, city authorities said yesterday, after record-breaking floods that killed three people and forced more than 100,000 to flee their homes swept across southern Alberta.

Dear Editor, From the moment the minister began his reforms of the police force I knew that resistance would come.

 This week on What the People Say, we asked persons to comment on the $35,000 minimum wage recently set by the government.

At a ceremony in Haiti on June 11, to officially launch the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Regional Aid for Trade Strategy, Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque pointed out that in order to meet the objectives of achieving a viable and sustainable development path, Aid for Trade had become a vital element in the Community’s approach.

(Reuters) – Thailand face a FIFA-imposed suspension on Monday after a lowly fourth tier club refused to balk at pressure from the world governing body to drop a court order halting controversial reforms that has left the game in crisis.

(Reuters) – Kevin Pietersen has boosted England’s hopes ahead of the Ashes series against Australia with a century for Surrey in his first innings of the season yesterday.