Daily Archive: Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The historic Fiscal Transfers Bill 2012, one of a suite of four, meant to pave the way for local government elections was this evening passed by the National Assembly and the others are scheduled for debate today.

Prime Minister Sam Hinds was this afternoon granted another deferment on the second reading of a critical telecoms liberalisation bill which means it won’t be addressed until October at the earliest.

The Alliance For Change (AFC) this afternoon voted with the ruling PPP/C in Parliament to return two matters related to the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project for further debate.

Red Thread has petitioned the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism against the planned bringing of entertainers R Kelly, and Onyan and the Burning Flames for Jamzone this year.

SYDNEY,  (Reuters) – The International Cricket Council (ICC) has denied it is investigating players in the Ashes series over alleged attempts by some batsmen to use silicone tape on the edge of their bats to confuse Hotspot technology.

NAIROBI, (Reuters) – A fire engulfed Kenya’s main airport today, forcing the suspension of international passenger flights and choking a vital travel gateway to east Africa.

(Jamaica Observer) GraceKennedy is expected to send its first shipment to Nigeria by year-end.

(Jamaica Gleaner)  Auditors poring over the finances of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) have uncovered a massive fraud that could have siphoned off close to J$100 million, insiders have revealed.

TOKYO,  (Reuters) – Highly radioactive water from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is pouring out at a rate of 300 tonnes a day, officials said on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered the government to step in and help in the clean-up.

(Trinidad Express) Former United National Congress (UNC) senator Lyndira Oudit has joined the Independent Liberal Party (ILP), the Express has learnt.

Sithe Global yesterday said that there must be consensus among all three parties in Parliament for the Amaila hydro project if it is to continue investing its efforts in developing it and bring it to fruition but up to last night the main opposition APNU was still opposed.

Attorney Nigel Hughes yesterday offered to step down as AFC Chairman over his link to the contentious Amaila Falls Hydroelectric project but the party refused to accept his resignation, saying it had “full confidence” in him.

Twenty-one deportees arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri yesterday afternoon under heavy security after serving  prison sentences in US jails.

Strategic Action Security is unlikely to receive any government contracts until criminal charges facing its embattled head Richard Kanhai are settled.

With the ambitious hydro project hanging by a thin thread, Prime Minister Sam Hinds yesterday wrote Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman advising that the government would seek to reintroduce two of the Amaila measures that the opposition had voted against last month.

APNU spokesman on finance Carl Greenidge yesterday said that governance concerns are key to the finalizing of the anti-money laundering bill and he accused the government of wanting to appoint all the members of the Financial Intelligence Unit.

Inclement weather is being blamed again for the delay of grinding at the Skeldon factory for the crucial second crop and  work is still underway at the factory to solve problems left by the China National Technology Import and the Export Corporation (CNTIC), the original contractors.

Lloyd Britton, the man fingered as the shooter in the Mandela Avenue murder of Elvis Fernandes, is now in the police custody after being discharged from the hospital.

Transparency Institute Guyana Inc, is calling for there to be a special committee comprising independent experts to address the concerns that notable stakeholders have raised regarding the Amaila Falls hydro project.

The Ministry of Education yesterday announced the appointment of Doodmattie Singh as Deputy Chief Education Officer with responsibility for Development.

(Trinidad Express) DETECTIVES are investigating the death of a female detainee at the Immigration Detention Centre yesterday.

Dularie Samaroo, who ended her life with poison after a brutal beating at the hands of her husband, endured abuse all of her adult life by the men she chose as spouses, family members say.

Deon Braithwaite, who is accused of spearing another man with a pitchfork, will face trial for attempted murder.

Adam Harris, national sprint record holder, said yesterday that he will be competing at the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) track and field World Championship in Russia on Saturday.

Evander Spencer will serve the next 36 months in prison for breaking into a woman’s house and stealing over $1M in electronics and other goods.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts,  CMC- Tagenarine Chanderpaul compiled an unbeaten century to put Guyana on course to securing an outright victory over Leeward Islands at stumps on the second day of their three-day fifth round match in the Regional Under 19 competition yesterday.

George Rutherford has been relieved of his duties as deputy general secretary of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) last evening called again on the government and opposition to take all steps necessary to ensure the passage of legislation necessary for the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity Project.

Olympian Britany van Lange On Sunday wrapped up her performance at the 15th FINA World Swimming Championships in Barcelona, Spain with a personal best time in the Women’s 50m freestyle event.

The Georgetown Mayor and City Councillors (M&CC) yesterday started blocking the entrance to City Hall’s chambers in an attempt to prevent acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba from entering the building and to force her removal.

Sithe Global on Monday made an appeal to the parliamentary parties to support the Amaila Falls Hydropower project, saying that it would be forced to walk away from the US$858.2 million venture, since anything but a firm commitment on consensus will be an acknowledgement that after six years of effort and US$16 million, the country is not prepared to proceed.

Top Georgetown football teams Alpha United, Camptown, the Guyana Defence Force, Fruta Conquerors, Western Tigers and Pele are among 16 teams who will battle for the $2m first prize when the inaugural Goal for Gold tournament kicks off on Saturday.

Aviation minister Robeson Benn stated that the report from the investigation into the Air Services Limited (ASL) plane crash at Matthews Ridge in mid-July could take up to a year to complete.

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka, (Reuters) – Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan hit a sparkling 74 not out off 51 balls to steer Sri Lanka to a six-wicket victory over South Africa in the third and final Twenty20 international yesterday.

CAIRO,  (Reuters) – The chances for a negotiated end to Egypt’s political crisis looked to have hit the rocks yesterday with the army-installed government reportedly ready to declare that foreign mediation efforts had failed.

MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – England coach Andy Flower allowed himself a rare smile after his side retained the Ashes but the decision review system is prompting headaches and he wants the authorities to sort it out.

A joiner’s history before the court led to him being denied bail yesterday on a charge that he misused money given to him to build a cupboard.

MIAMI, (Reuters) – Haitian President Michel Martelly plans to hold overdue elections before the end of the year, according to U.S.

Dear Editor, In view of developments on Monday afternoon regarding the work of the Special Select Committee on the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2013 I wish to draw the following points to the attention of your readers.

Dear Editor, I refer to an article titled ‘Chinese Landing Amerindians in epic battle for mining access’ in Stabroek News of 3 August 2013.

Australia woke up to the knowledge the Ashes will stay in England’s hands for a third series in a row for the first time in 57 years yesterday but the prevailing mood in the nation’s media was still more of hope than despair.

TUNIS,  (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of Tunisians crowded the streets of downtown Tunis yesterday to demand the transitional government’s ouster, in the largest opposition protest since the country’s political crisis began two weeks ago.

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – The U.S. government yesterday filed two civil lawsuits against Bank of America that accuse the bank of investor fraud in its sale of $850 million of residential mortgage-backed securities.

Facing possible jail time for charges that included threatening to burn another woman, Odessa Williams left court a free woman on Monday after the complainant decided to drop the charges.

KARACHI, (Reuters) – Opening batsman Khurram Manzoor, who has not played for Pakistan’s test team for three and a half years, is back in the squad for the tour of Zimbabwe that starts this month.

LONDON, (Reuters) – The first scientific analysis of probable human-to-human transmission of a deadly new strain of bird flu that emerged in China this year gives the strongest evidence yet that the H7N9 virus can pass between people, scientists said yesterday.

After pleading guilty but refusing to admit to the crime, labourer Alfred Sukdeo was yesterday remanded to prison on a charge of stealing a cart.

Dear Editor, Sithe Global would like to thank the members of Parliament and the members of the Guyanese public who attended our Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (“Project”) information workshops, which were conducted on July 31. 

With the commencement of the eighth annual Pre-Cadet Caribbean table Tennis championships just days away the Guyana Table tennis Association (GTTA) in its quest to run off a successful tournament has received some amount of sponsorship from a top insurance broker company in Guyana.

Dear Editor, Dr Mangal’s latest tirade and expedition into invincible absurdity (‘Mangal says Surujbally ignored list of complaints about 2011 elections’; report in SN, August 6) needs really only a one sentence answer: all of the deficiencies raised in his letter to the Chairman should have been directed at the Head of the Secretariat – namely Mr Boodoo, the same Mr Boodoo whom he has publicly supported to retain the position of Chief Election Officer.

The subsidy to assist pensioners to pay for their Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) electricity bills is expected to be implemented by September this year.

Some style! Riding differently at Plantain Walk, BV yesterday.

Approximately 95 percent of the road work for the Mocha access road has been completed.

(DALLAS,  (Reuters) – Former Presi-dent George W. Bush underwent successful surgery at a Dallas hospital on Tuesday to place a stent in a blocked heart artery.

SANAA,  (Reuters) – The United States told its citizens in Yemen yesterday to leave immediately and ordered the evacuation of non-essential U.S.

President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Jean Todt is expected in Guyana tomorrow for a two-day visit aimed at moving the sport of motor racing forward and to assist in the implementation of effective initiatives to tackle road safety.

Dear Editor, I have now looked at the 21 slides of Mr Winston Brassington and the 33 slides from Sithe Global that were projected at the second National Stakeholders’ meeting on 31 July at the National Convention Centre.

Dear Editor, Please permit me space in your newspaper to reply to a letter written by Mr Stephen Hiscock (‘Rupununi visit was a Gecom fact-finding trip,’ Sunday Stabroek, August 4).

My invention: A custom-made music cart made by this youth  at La Bonne Intention.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad,  CMC- Coach Gordon Greenidge says he is making no excuses for Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel’s poor showing in their first two matches of the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20.

A taxi driver was remanded to prison yesterday on a charge that he was found with ammunition in his vehicle during a police search.

(Trinidad Express) A woman was bludgeoned to death with a hammer after she attempted to evict a tenant who turned on her.

(Trinidad Express) While crash victim Rajin Ragoonanan lay roadside taking his last breaths, a man pretending to assist him was instead trying to steal his jewelry.

Dear Editor, I write in response to a Demerara Waves news story which came out on August 4 that at the just concluded PPP Congress, Mr Shyam Nokta reported from his group that there is  opposition party influence in the General Registrar’s Office, Gecom, and the military.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC-Red Steel international franchise player, Ross Taylor of New Zealand, says he plans to showcase his powerful hitting for the home fans when they come up against the Jamaica Tallawahs at the Queen’s Park Oval today.

Ibis down: A wounded Scarlet Ibis at Mon Repos Seawall yesterday.

(Trinidad Guardian) Claxton Bay-based cement producer, Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL), yesterday called on the local Securities and Exchange Commission (TTSEC) to undertake an investigation into whether or not a Republic Bank executive and a TCL shareholder contravened the insider trading provisions of the new Securities Act.

Dear Editor, As you have mentioned correctly that I am a Gecom’s Commissioner, I hope that you publish my corrections to two inaccurate statements made in two separate editions of Stabroek News.

The Iranian Ayatollah Khamenei obviously decided well in advance of the impending conclusion of the rule of President Ahmadinejad’s period of two four-year terms, that a change of strategy was needed by Iran in the context of rapidly changing international and regional circumstances which were having their own effect on his country.

Whatever gave President Donald Ramotar the occasion, during his opening presentation to the 30th Congress of the PPP, to rail against shared governance, I believe the fact that he has done so requires some immediate attention and is a good enough reason for me again to defer my continued discourse on local government.

Politikles

MOSCOW, Russia, CMC- Sprint sensation Usain Bolt says he is ready to reclaim the 100 m title he lost two years ago and to successfully defend the 200 m at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow starting this weekend.

(Reuters) – A four-meter (13-foot) African rock python which strangled two young Canadian boys as they slept has been euthanized, police said yesterday, as authorities examined what happened and why the snake – illegal in the province of New Brunswick – attacked.

Ridiculous: Mud and leaves in the middle of Canterbury Walk, BV yesterday.