Daily Archive: Sunday, January 12, 2014

Football along the Anna Catherina seawall yesterday.

VATICAN CITY,  (Reuters) – Pope Francis put his first stamp on the group at the top of the Roman Catholic hierarchy today, naming 19 new cardinals from around the world and emphasising his concern for poor countries.

The Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) won 36 convictions from the 95 cases that went to trial last year in the Hugh Court.

JAKARTA,  (Reuters) – Indonesia, among the world’s biggest suppliers of natural resources, halted all mineral ore exports today to try to promote domestic processing, but threatening the country’s nickel and bauxite industries worth more than $2 billion in annual shipments.

(Trinidad Express) Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Board of Control (TTBBC) Deopersad Ramoutar has been suspended following allegations of financial impropriety.

By Erica Williams A Cessna 206 aircraft heading to the interior crashed on take-off at the Ogle International Airport yesterday morning leaving one woman injured.

Story and photos by Gaulbert Sutherland   If you’re scared of leaping cows, don’t go into the corral.

A Malaysian company has begun the first phase of what it envisions will eventually be a US$500 million investment in Guyana’s agricultural and forestry sectors covering oil palm, rubber and soya, among other crops.

Minister of Natural Resources Robert Persaud yesterday announced that beginning this year, sand mining, particularly along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway area will be properly managed and monitored.

A 15-year-old girl died yesterday at the Georgetown Public Hospital where she had been hospitalized after ingesting a poisonous substance in her school’s washroom on Friday.

Three months after it was announced that a Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) unit will be set up here, government has not communicated any of its plans to the opposition and APNU Leader David Granger is not convinced that a case has been made for such a group.

Payments in the sum of $600M made to the National Industrial & Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL), which       chartered accountant Christopher Ram says are unconstitutional, are  among the discrepancies in expenses and income uncovered by his independent scrutiny of recently released reports and accounts of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).

Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy says that a proposed investment by China Paper has not moved beyond the Memorandum of Under-standing (MoU) stage as yet.

The country’s three top players national champion Wendell Meusa, the man he dethroned Taffin Khan and the man who he lost to Anthony Drayton are expected to renew hostilities today when the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) stages the Trophy Stall of Bourda Market and City Mall locations sponsored blitz (rapid play) tournament.

Tucville giants Fruta Conquerors FC will be hosting a fund raising exhibition match between past and present club players today at the Tucville Community ground.

Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) Executive Chairman Komal Samaroo says the company is in the process of training employees who will be used to help wrestle US, Canadian, and other international markets shares from the hands of more established rum producers.

Introduction   As testimony to the present dire state of Guyana’s sugar industry and its continued importance to the socioeconomic, political, and cultural life of the country, last week I began a third series of columns on this topic in the space of only three years.

Nigel Hinds was elected the new president of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) when the entity held its Electoral Congress at Olympic House, Kingston, yesterday.

Frustrated by her search     for someone experienced, trustworthy and reliable enough to care for a sick family member, Elwyn Boyle realised that Guyana lacked an organised home nursing care service and decided to do something about it.

In the aftermath of the positive doping test of powerlifter Gumendra Shewdas, several sporting bodies say that they intend to step up their anti-doping measures as well as educate their athletes of the banned substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list.

It will West Demerara versus Georgetown when the final round of the Mayor’s 79th birthday anniversary  seven-a-side inter-ward knockout tournament commences today at the Den Amstel Community ground, West Coast Demerara.

At Dr Roger Luncheon’s press conference last week, the approval of funds for the establishment of a petting zoo took only second place to the continuing controversy over the USAID LEAD Programme to which the government has taken objection.

Guyana has a range of introspective people, and you meet them in the most unexpected places. 

AUCKLAND, New Zealand,  CMC – An unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership between Brendon McCullum and Luke Ronchi rescued New Zealand from a precarious position to win the first Twenty20 International against West Indiesby 81 runs yesterday.

Beaten and battered in two bruising campaigns, those West Indies players still standing finally stagger home this week with a bag full of questions to be asked and answered over what really went on in India and, especially, New Zealand.

Today marks the 100th birth anniversary of A J Seymour, Guyana’s greatest man of letters.

Two years ago I suggested in this column that few Caribbean governments or companies were taking seriously the threat posed by cyber attack and cyber crime.

This is a central nervous system disorder caused by a low level sugar in the blood (hypoglycaemia). 

(Reuters) – Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq fell just short of his sixth test century but his team clung on to their slim hopes of salvaging the second test against Sri Lanka after a stirring rearguard action in Dubai yesterday.

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, the trailblazing warrior-statesman who stunned Arab foes with his dramatic turnarounds, died yesterday aged 85, after eight years in a coma caused by a stroke.

The murder of a former Miss Venezuela and her husband in front of their 5-year-old daughter is drawing world attention to the phenomenal rise of crime in Venezuela, and leading many to wonder whether the crime epidemic is at least partly fuelled by a government rhetoric that glorifies violence.

Build not destroy From reading the letters and stories in the daily papers in Guyana, it is obvious that Guyanese have entered the year 2014 with a new resolve to make things better for themselves. 

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s army chief General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi gave his clearest signal yet yesterday of his interest in becoming president, a move that could turn the clock back to the days when the presidency was controlled by men from the military.

Chess players from at least 150 nations are assiduously refining their techniques in preparation for the world’s most pre-eminent team tournament, the spectacular Chess Olympiad.

By Cynthia Nelson With the holidays over it is time lighten up the palate from all the heavy holiday food.

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish parliamentarians threw punches and water bottles during a debate on Saturday about government control over the appointment of judges and prosecutors, as a feud over the ruling party’s handling of a corruption scandal intensified.

Today is the 100th birthday of Guyanese poet and man of letters, Arthur James Seymour (January 12, 1914-December 25, 1989). 

 Dear Editor,   Please allow me to add my few pennies as we follow the comments and charges as it relates to the National Cultural Centre in general.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa (Reuters) – South African President Jacob Zuma announced a crackdown on corruption on Saturday, presenting his ruling ANC’s manifesto for elections this year that will give the party its toughest political test since the end of apartheid.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, CMC – Some of the West Indies players admit their minds were wandering elsewhere as they prepared to play the first of two Twenty20 matches against New Zealand.

Nets beat Heat in double overtime (The Sports Xchange) – The Brooklyn Nets needed double overtime and a heavy dose of resiliency to hold off the Miami Heat for a 104-95 win.

The citizens of this country should be very grateful to the Touchau, Councillors and residents of the small Amerindian village of Karaudarnau in the Rupununi, because they were the ones who stopped the Parabara road, being built by a Brazilian, from being driven through their lands.

Last week I spoke about the heavy rainfall.  With rain comes fungus and pests.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Abu Jamal still remembers when Lebanese militiamen allied to Israel woke him and his family early one September morning more than three decades ago and dragged them out into the street.

Dear Editor, February 5, 2014 will be the 79th anniversary of commercial radio broadcasting in Guyana.

The local 2014 cycling season will pedal off today in Berbice with the staging of the third annual Benjamin Sports Store 40-mile road race.