Daily Archive: Friday, January 24, 2014

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has secured the services of William Oates (left) , a Canadian Executive Service Organisation Advisor to assist with the development of a policy framework on capital risk management for the gold mining sector, GINA reported.

(Trinidad Express) The Birdie is back! Make no mistake about it, Slinger Francisco, better known as The Mighty Sparrow, Calypso King of the World, has returned to the stage, if only for a few moments in Brooklyn, New York, USA,—and he is promising a return to Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival 2014, with plans to perform at Kaiso House and Mas Camp.

The Linden Chamber of  Industry, Commerce and Development has issued an official press release, stating that it is not in agreement with the proposed shut down of Linden in protest of tomorrow’s visit to the town by President Donald Ramotar.

Chief of Staff Brigadier Mark Phillips (left) received British High Commissioner Andrew Ayre, on January 17, when the High Commissioner paid him a courtesy call, a release from the Guyana Defence Force today said.

Camex Restaurants Inc, Franchisee of Church’s Chicken, Mario’s Pizza, Quiznos and Juici Patties today announced the opening of their fifth Franchise, Dairy Queen from the United States of America.

(Jamaica Observer) Peter Bunting yesterday said that select police units will start wearing body cameras soon, even as concerns are being expressed over the allegations of extrajudicial killings and professional misconduct by members of the constabulary.

At about 2100h. last night, the police say that security guards Mortimer Maynard, 45 years, and Trevor Fraser, 42 years, who are attached to a private security service, were in the North Sophia area.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – A ruthless Rafa Nadal crushed his great rival Roger Federer 7-6(4) 6-3 6-3 today in an awesome display of raw power and precision to reach his third Australian Open final.

(Trinidad Express) Things seem to be turning against Jack Warner. The Integrity Commission has asked President Anthony Carmona to appoint a tribunal to investigate the Chaguanas West MP and former National Security minister.

In a surprise move, Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Ganga Persaud yesterday tendered his resignation, citing personal issues and other responsibilities as the reasons.

Slingerz FC captain and talisman Dwain Jacobs has re-signed with national rivals Alpha ‘the Hammer’ United in what is to date the biggest move in the current transfer window in the football calendar.

ZURICH, (Reuters) – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff brushed off their troubled World Cup preparations after meeting FIFA’s Sepp Blatter yesterday, reiterating that her country would stage the “Cup of Cups”.

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has said that the recent revelations involving two young women implicate a wider range of agencies and individuals in alleged irregularities and brutality in the Colwyn Harding case than originally thought and warrant an independent inquiry.

The second event of the 2014 cycling calendar is set to pedal off tomorrow with the staging of the 21st annual Ricks and Sari Agro Industries 11-race programme.

Minister of Culture and Sports Dr. Frank Anthony yesterday told the National Assembly that enquiries he directed into the claims that goats were slaughtered at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall proved them to be untrue.

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) and the National Communications Network (NCN) on Tuesday confirmed their partnership for the sixth consecutive launching of the NCN Inter-Zone Under-15 cricket tournament.

The file with the police’s complete investigation into allegations of baton rape and physical assault made by 23-year-old Colwyn Harding, is presently at the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), its chairman, retired Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Cecil Kennard confirmed last evening.

Investigations of aircraft incidents should be done independently of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), operators say and they have renewed a call for the GCAA to hire a qualified flight operations inspector.

Dependable Spare Parts yesterday donated cricket uniforms and a sponsorship cheque to the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) first division team ahead of their 2014 season.

After successfully hosting four major tournaments last year, including the still ongoing Price is Right Supermarket 40 overs second division competition, the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA) is anticipating a successful 2014 with more youth cricket and continued support from its sponsors.

Equipment to aid in the disposal of obsolete guns, ammunition and explosives was yesterday handed over to the Government of Guyana by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC).

Over $1.4 billion in supplementary funds already spent from the Contingen-cies Fund were yesterday approved by the National Assembly but not before government members were called upon by their opposition counterparts to justify the spending.

The finale of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA)-sanctioned Sunburst Secondary schools under-17 tourney starts today at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court.

Former Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) Treasurer and Vice-President of Netrockers FC Jermaine Figueira said while his club was not invited to the association’s recent press briefing, he believes the association was wrong to flout the decision taken at the GFF congress.

By Jeff Trotman The Linden Chamber of Commerce is attempting to lift its image and to be more effective as the representative body for the private sector within the town of Linden.

The Linden IMC passed two resolutions by majority vote at its first statutory meeting for 2014 on Wednesday to be taken to Parliament by the Region Ten Parliamentary Representatives as motions.

The West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) Stag Beer Senior League will recommence tomorrow at the Den Amstel Community Centre ground with a doubleheader.

Agreements of sale for immovable property, such as land or buildings, are going to be upgraded to bonds or leases, to help stamp out fraud due to multiple sales.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Referees Department is inviting applications for their upcoming referee’s initiative set for February 7.

A Linden woman is suffering from a broken neck after an altercation at the Linden Foundation Secondary High School led to a fight minutes later at the Mackenzie Arcade market on Tuesday.

The Bush Lot United Sports Club (BLUSC) continues to progress from strength to strength; launching its first tournament, the Singh Jewellery Under-19 Cricket Competition last Sunday at its pavilion.

A man who threatened to chop his brother to death with a cutlass, forcing him to jump into a trench to escape, was yesterday fined $15,000 or a week in jail if he is unable to pay the fine.

A month after investing more than $20 million in the creation of an outlet at Port Kaituma, North West District to serve the mining community, local Caterpillar distributor Macorp estimates that the new outpost could result in significant savings to miners.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Stanislas Wawrinka will bid to break the ‘Big Four’ strangle-hold on grand slam silverware after edging Tomas Berdych 6-3 6-7(1) 7-6(3) 7-6(4) in a serving war yesterday to reach the Australian Open final.

Dear Editor, Once again it is the season of Soca music.

Guyanese-born political scientist and regional security specialist Dr Ivelaw Griffith says that while the country’s gold industry is an important economic asset, it has also emerged as a source of security vulnerability.

A West Ruimveldt teen was yesterday remanded to prison by the Chief Magistrate after pleading not guilty to illegal possession of a firearm charge.

The Forest Products Development and Marketing Council Guyana Inc. (FPDMC) in its efforts to promote the export of timber products have over time held a series of awareness seminars with stakeholders in the industry.

A man and his girlfriend were on Tuesday remanded to prison when they appeared in a city magistrate’s court accused of ganja trafficking.

Dear Editor, I was pleasantly surprised when I visited GRA in Camp Street to find that services are still being rendered to the public during the luncheon interval.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, (Reuters) – “We are not just going there to participate.”

(Reuters) – When Alex Ferguson took the microphone at Old Trafford in May to implore Manchester United supporters to back his self-appointed successor, David Moyes, he did so with a warning of tough times ahead.

Recently elected President of the Linden Chamber of Commerce, Kevin De Jonge is still seeking answers from the relevant authorities on the causes of the recent electrical outages in Linden.

Roraima Airways Chief Executive Officer Captain Gerry Gouveia says he has “ongoing concerns” over the fact that the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has the “lead responsibility” in local aviation accident investigation.

Dear Editor, I have been reflecting on a brief exchange I had with a very senior business manager a few weeks ago.

Dear Editor, One of life’s great truisms may be that happy people do not kill themselves.

The caretakers of a 73-year-old man say he has been missing since last Wednesday and are seeking help to find him.

PARIS,  (Reuters) – Colombia striker Radamel Falcao’s hopes of participating in the World Cup finals hung in the balance yesterday when his Ligue 1 club Monaco announced he would undergo surgery on a left knee injury.

Troy Hope, who was beaten with an iron bar and stabbed to the neck on Monday night in what he claims is a case of mistaken identity, is presently a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and is expected to be released shortly.

Starr Computers has initiated the first of a planned series of training programmes for staffers in its technical department aimed at equipping them to service and repair contemporary, high-end Samsung Smart Televisions.

(The Sports Xchange) – Highlights of Wednesday’s National Basketball Association games.

Dear Editor, The alleged sexual abuse of Colwyn Harding, a 23-year-old along with the abuse of his associates was wrong, inhumane, senseless, callous, horrendous and heart-wrenching.

KIEV, (Reuters) – Ukrainian anti-government protesters erected more street barricades in the capital Kiev early on Friday after opposition leaders emerged empty-handed from talks with President Viktor Yanukovich that were aimed at defusing two months of unrest.

Dear Editor, It’s a new year and we all made promises and plans to make our new year prosperous, but it was sad to learn that some persons didn’t have a year which started well.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 547’s trading results showed consideration of $970,866 from 24,686 shares traded in 3 transactions as compared to session 546 which showed consideration of $11,069,577 from 555,767 shares traded in 14 transactions. 

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – China’s Li Na swept past teenager Genie Bouchard into her third Australian Open final and dynamo Dominika Cibulkova joined her by humbling Agnieszka Radwanska as Melbourne Park served up two lop-sided semi-finals yesterday.

The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) last week handed over the Cuban Model Risk Reduction Management Centre (RRMC) in Lethem to the Regional Democratic Council of Region 9 (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo).

(Reuters) – Shane Warne will work with the Australia squad as a specialist spin bowling coach in the lead-up to the Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh in March, the country’s cricket board said yesterday.

The New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council, on Wednesday awarded a $3M+ contract to Errol Angel Constructions for rehabilitation road works.

Dear Editor, I read with surprise of parliament honouring the work of Mr Nelson Mandela.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The U.S. National Security Agency’s bulk collection of phone records provides only minimal benefits to countering terrorism, is illegal and should end, a federal privacy watchdog said in a report released ysterday.

Exploratory discourses between Research Director of the College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology at the Fort Valley State University (FVSU), Georgia USA Dr Govind Kannan and Guyana government officials could lead to multi-faceted collaboration between Guyana and the US-based university aimed at enhancing capacity in the country’s agricultural sector.

Politikles

(This is Part Three of a series of five reviewing the reports of the Guyana Forestry Commission for 2005-12 which were tabled in Parliament on November 7th,  2013)  By Janette Bulkan and John Palmer In the second article in this series, we offered comments on the summary accounts of the Guyana Forestry Commission for the eight years 2005-2012 and the associated statements by the Auditor General often several years later. 

ZHENGZHOU, China, (Reuters) – Asia’s top mergers and acquisitions bankers gathered two years ago at the swanky Island Shangri La in Hong Kong to celebrate the top deals of 2012.

COLOMBO,(Reuters) – Sri Lanka have recalled spinner Ajantha Mendis for the two-test series in Bangladesh after he missed this month’s series against Pakistan.

Both explicit and implicit in last Friday’s editorial, prompted by rising political tension in St Kitts and Nevis, were questions about Caricom’s regard for the quality of democracy in the region and its willingness and ability to address issues of good governance and threats to the democratic order from all quarters.

President Donald Ramotar has encouraged potential entrepreneurs to invest in the local tourism sector, saying that it is now opportune to invest in the sector that contributes significantly to Guyana’s development.

In a recent interview with this publication, Guyanese-born academic and security specialist Dr Ivelaw Griffith spoke at length on regional security issues, including those which he considered to be the key threats to the safety of the Caribbean and ways in which the region might act collectively to help reduce its vulnerabilities in this sector.

Business Cartoons

This picture of the Out of Service Scotia Bank ATM facility in the Courtyard Mall on Robb Street was taken on Wednesday just after mid-day.

Dear Editor, Whenever Guyana is represented with its Golden Arrowhead flying among world flags, it gives me great joy.

SANTIAGO/LIMA, (Reuters) – A decades-old maritime dispute between Chile and Peru goes to a final ruling next week with both governments hoping it will end one of Latin America’s last big border spats and improve ties between the two trading partners and longtime rivals.

Hello there Comrade Minister.  The “comrade” is a salute to and recognition of your former Communistic but still Socialist-oriented disposition.

Full-service business solutions provider, Digicel Business, is the winner of the coveted Avaya, ‘Partner of the Year’ award.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee speaking at the ceremony to receive the equipment to dispose of arms, ammo today.