Daily Archive: Friday, February 7, 2014

At about 1425h. today, ranks of the Police Narcotics Branch conducted a search on the suitcase of an outgoing passenger at the Ogle Airport and found a total of 517 grams of cocaine concealed in the handle, police said tonight.

BURBANK, Calif., (Reuters) – Comedian Jay Leno said an emotional goodbye to the “Tonight Show” on Thursday with a star-studded farewell led by actor Billy Crystal, after hosting the NBC late night program for more than 20 years and handing the reins over to Jimmy Fallon.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, through the Protected Areas Commission has announced the appointment of four new Warden/Tour Guides from Region 8 to Kaieteur National Park.

The US, Britain, Canada and the European Union today welcomed efforts by the political parties to reach a deal on the anti-money laundering bill and said they were ready to support the effective implementation of the legislation.The

Changes have been to the process through which Guyanese apply for UK visas.

The Government of Guyana acting through its controversial agent, NICIL has advertised the former Customs House on Main Street for sale.

A logger was found dead early this morning in front of his home at Kwakwani and his wife is among two persons detained by police, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud has confirmed.

Sources have confirmed that APNU Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Debra Backer has resigned from her posts due to illness.

(Trinidad Express) Dr Keith Rowley’s dark skin was cited as the only ground of “objection” to his leading Trinidad and Tobago as prime minister, former senator Fitzgerald Hinds said on Wednesday night.

Sri Lanka has formally decided to oppose the India-led proposals to overhaul the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) governance structure and revenue share model, casting doubts as to whether there are enough votes for it at an ICC meeting in Singapore tomorrow.

The select committee on the anti-money laundering amendment bill will convene over the weekend with the participation of opposition members, Chairperson Gail Teixeira said yesterday.

AUCKLAND,  (Reuters) – New Zealand’s pace attack ripped through India’s top order to reduce the tourists to 45 for three at tea on the second day of the first test at Eden Park last night after Brendon McCullum’s 224 propelled them to an impressive first innings total of 503.

Chief Works Officer Geoffrey Vaughn yesterday warned that the local construction sector will continue to suffer delays and poor quality work unless the lack of qualified professionals, driven by continued student failures in Mathematics and Science is addressed.

Guyana Football Federa-tion (GFF) President Christopher Matthias said that until GFF Vice President Ivan Persaud identifies himself as the author of the published letter calling for his resignation, he will refrain from commenting on the issues therein.

The case file on the Colwyn Harding rape probe is now at the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and according to Police Commis-sioner Leroy Brumell ranks could be taken to court as early as today.

The early morning shuttles and intense days of net training have paid off for the Malta Supreme Guyana team which snatched a 22-run win against the Windward Islands in their thriller played on Tuesday in the 7th match of the NAGICO Super50 tournament.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee yesterday said that the in-the-works Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team would not be used as a “political tool” for the administration’s gains but would increase security for citizens.

The Private Sector Com-mission (PSC) and the anti-corruption group (TIGI) yesterday called for the implementation of the US democracy project which the government here has tried to stop and also appealed for political parties to expedite the anti-money laundering bill which faces a crucial deadline next week.

A taxi driver was shot on Wednesday night when he was the victim of a carjacking by two men.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, ,CMC–  Guyanese Off-spinning allrounder Steven Jacobs has been appointed to lead a University of the West Indies Vice Chancellor’s eleven in a warm-up match against England later this month The Vice Chancellor’s eleven will play England at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in Antigua on Tuesday, February 25.

Data generated under government’s E-Governance Project will be stored on servers based in Guyana, according to project manager Alexei Ramotar, who says it could offer protection against spying.

A Post Mortem Exami-nation (PME) is expected to be conducted today on Lovina Williams, who was struck down by a motor vehicle on Wednesday night.

SHAW PARK, Tobago,  CMC – The NAGICO Super50 match between Barbados and Combined Campuses and Colleges scheduled for Shaw Park in Tobago was abandoned yesteday as a result of rain.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) National Premier League continues today with a doubleheader at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, Bourda.

Six councillors walked out shortly after lunch yesterday from the statutory meeting of the Region Ten Regional Democratic Council, protesting unsatisfactory working conditions that exist in the building of the Region’s administrative office.

The Lower Corentyne Secondary School and Central Corentyne Secondary schools have booked their semi-final place after defeating Port Mourant Secondary and Manchester High respectively, in the first round of the RHTYSC/GBTI under-15 tournament. 

The case file on the alleged rape of a 16-year-old boy by three police officers at the Stabroek Market Outpost has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice, Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell said yesterday.

Guyana is currently 54th in line to be considered for a continental shelf extension and with a voluntary sub-commission being appointed at the UNCLCS it may take years.

The Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Festival, East Bank Demerara District, continued yesterday with victories for the Agricola, St Ann’s and Providence primary schools in matches played at the Thirst Park Ground.

A Chinese company has been identified to build the bridge across the Corentyne River connecting Guyana and Suriname, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkette stated on Monday.

Malta Supreme Guyana opening batsman, Assad Fudadin is confident that team Guyana has the requisite skills to reach the finals of the ongoing NAGICO Regional Super50 tournament and lift the 50-over title for the tenth time.

The Environmental Protec-tion Agency (EPA) will intensify the monitoring of Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc’s (BMGGI) tailings discharge into the Kara Kara Creek after the Chinese company’s tailings pond overflowed last month and caused pollution of the waterway.

Already serving an 18-month sentence for assaulting his wife, a security guard was yesterday given an additional six months in jail after admitting to also threatening the woman.

(Reuters) – England called up the uncapped Moeen Ali, Stephen Parry and Harry Gurney for this month’s one-day tour of West Indies in the first squad to be named in the post-Kevin Pietersen era.

(Reuters) – Maiden centuries by Shamsur Rahman and Imrul Kayes took Bangladesh past the follow-on mark but late strikes from the spinners put Sri Lanka in the driving seat in the second and final test in Chittagong yesterday.

Motorists are concerned about the deteriorating condition of Chapel Street, New Amsterdam and have called on the authorities to fix it urgently.

Dear Editor,  Ruel Johnson has been relentlessly like a thorn in the side of Minister of Culture Frank Anthony via his missives in our dailies, lambasting both the government and moreso the Minister for being incompetent, disingenuous and other failures.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,  CMC- Former West Indies Vice captain Kirk Edwards says he was shocked at the decision to expel him from the Barbados team for refusing to sign for match kits leading into the NAGICO Super50 tournament underway in Trinidad and Tobago.

Roraima Airways Chief Executive Officer Captain Gerry Gouveia is calling for “the immediate release of official reports into aviation incidents, occurrences and accidents into the public space” as a starting point for divesting the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of responsibility for conducting such probes.

Dear Editor, The Guyana Equality Forum (GEF) is a network of civil society organisations working for equality and human rights in Guyana.

Accused of evading police for over a year after allegedly fleecing a man of more than $1M as payment for a bike that was never delivered, Sayanand Persaud was yesterday placed on $350,000 bail after being arraigned on a fraud charge.

Dear Editor, Upon reading Guyana’s constitution at the National Assembly’s library, Mr Brynmor Pollard, SC has shared an opinion on the fourth local government bill, which President Donald Ramotar declines to sign into law.

The three men who were charged with the murder of  Zealand, Mahaicony farmer, Deoroop Sieuchand, 72 were further remanded when they made their second court appearance on Tuesday.

SOCHI, Russia,  (Reuters) – Pressure on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics continued to mount when the International Olympic Committee said yesterday the city had no more time to waste and needed to win over the hearts of the Brazilian people.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 549’s trading results showed consideration of $2,542,431 from 105,531 shares traded in 15 transactions as compared to session 548 which showed consideration of $10,741,266 from 364,899 shares traded in 20 transactions. 

Last Monday was one of those days when the weather was kind to the market vendors who ply their trade on the expanse of tarmac opposite Bourda Market, spanning the space between Robb Street and North Road.

OTTAWA,  (Reuters) – Canada will toughen citizenship rules to prevent foreigners from picking up Canadian passports of convenience without spending much time in the country, part of a sweeping package of reforms under legislation introduced yesterday.

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

SAN SALVADOR, (Reuters) – El Salvador’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the country’s top prosecutor to investigate the alleged massacre of dozens of civilians in 1981 by army troops during the nation’s bloody civil war.

A man was yesterday charged with stabbing another man with a glass bottle over $100.

Dear Editor, Great and persistent inequality in the midst of plenty is a paradox of our times. 

Dear Editor, Crime has been in the world from earliest times but there should be continuous efforts in every society to control it by implementing effective laws and inflicting severe penalties on those who blatantly violate these ordinances.

Maintaining his innocence up to the very end, a first-time offender was yesterday sentenced to a year in prison after being found guilty of breaking and entering a home and stealing hundreds of thousands’ worth of electrical items.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad,  CMC- Jamaica’s captain Dave Bernard said he was pleased with the performance of his players during their six-wicket victory over Ireland in the NAGICO Super50 tournament on Monday.

For the past 15 years Joseph McCalman and his wife Joan have been an integral part of Guyana’s multi-million dollar hair and beauty industry; their reputations extending beyond owning and operating a beauty salon and into what, these days, is the equally lucrative pursuit of training mostly young women searching for career opportunities.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives appear increasingly unlikely to pass an immigration overhaul this year, preferring to focus their election-year strategy on a unified assault on President Barack Obama’s healthcare law.

SWAT line-up: The first batch of SWAT trainees standing behind. Sitting (from left) are Force Training Officer Senior Superintendent Paul Williams, Director of TEG Dennis Hays, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell.

Historic occurrences are often known to have small beginnings. That may well be the case with Tuma Sàlà, which, according to shareholder Michael Patterson, is the country’s first Amerindian restaurant.

Sources have confirmed that APNU Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Debra Backer has resigned from her posts due to illness.

Dear Editor, I wish to extend best wishes to the Chinese community in Guyana on the occasion of the Chinese New Year which is celebrated in mainland China and the entire Chinese diaspora under the theme ‘Year of the Horse.’

(Reuters) – England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has defended himself against allegations that he undermined former coach Andy Flower during the disastrous recent Ashes tour of Australia before turning his back on Kevin Pietersen.

Independence. Republicanism.  During the February months of 2012 and 2013, the Central Mashramani Planning Committee agreed that I should respond to requests to discuss basic aspects of Republicanism and the 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion with post-primary school students in three Regions of our Independent Republic.

MIAMI/HAVANA,  (Reuters) – U.S. relations with Cuba are at their best in almost two decades, but President Barack Obama seems unwilling or unable to confront a well-organized anti-Cuba lobby and push for further progress.

By Amos Sarrouy When gold was discovered in the Klondike in North Western Canada in the late 1800s, more than 1,000 people rushed to the area.

Politikles

It is perhaps a happy coincidence that following the success – both real and symbolic – of hosting last week’s second summit of the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC), when Cuba effectively secured the unambiguous and unanimous endorsement of the path it is pursuing by all 33 independent states of Latin America and the Caribbean, ambassadors of the European Union (EU) should have reached consensus, this week, in Brussels, on a recommendation to the EU’s Council of Foreign Ministers, to approve, next Monday, the terms of a mandate to negotiate an association agreement with Cuba.

Dear Editor, It is with profound sadness that I write this letter to express my sincere condolences to the wife, children and family of Mr Rawlewayne Christopher Payne.

Entrepreneurship: These boys were setting up their DVD stand along the Railway Embankment yesterday.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – India has launched an investigation after a media report alleged that Chinese telecoms company Huawei had hacked into state-run telecoms carrier Bharat Sanchar Nigam, a senior government official said.

Business Cartoons

(Reuters) – Michael Laudrup is seeking legal advice after being sacked by Premier League club Swansea City, the Dane said yesterday.

This newspaper’s coverage of business issues over the past year or so has included extensive chronicling of the role that municipal markets play in the broader national commercial culture.