Daily Archive: Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Norman Whittaker, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development today visited Region Two for the Commissioning of a number of projects including a commuters’ shed or a waiting area at Supenaam.

Norman Whittaker, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development today visited Region Two where at the Regional Democratic Council Compound, the Tapakuma Women’s Agricultural Diversification Project was commissioned.          

A group of young people in Guyana began foundational training in computer animation on Monday aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage, steering young people away from crime and violence, and offering them a different career option, a release from CARICOM said today.

On July 22, 2014, the U.S. Embassy provided more than US$7,600 worth of equipment and supplies to Youths For Guyana (YFG) as part of the Guyana Shines: Keep Guyana Beautiful initiative. 

The Government of Guyana on Monday condemned what it says are “war crimes” being committed in the Gaza Strip and is backing calls for an international probe of the situation there.

Crime Chief Leslie James has confirmed that Linden Primo was arrested at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri earlier today pending inquiries into an allegation that he discharged a firearm at Congress Place, Sophia on Sunday during the PNCR’s Congress.

A group of science students from Guyana got to witness the launch of an Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) into space of an Ariane 5 ES rocket from Europe’s Spaceport, Centre Spatial Guyana is in Kourou, French Guiana, a release from the Ministry of Education said today.

Amid mounting criticism from within and outside of the party, the PNCR today defended their congress elections on Sunday as free, fair and transparent and accused challenger for the leadership, Aubrey Norton and Region Ten member Sharma Solomon of seeking to cause maximum disruption.

(BBC) Leicestershire captain Ramnaresh Sarwan has left the club after an agreement was reached to end his contract early, reports BBC Radio Leicester.

(Barbados Nation) Barbados could see the largest volume of cruise ship passenger arrivals in its history during the 2015/16 season.

Trinidad-based ANSA McAL has not yet received a reply from the Ministry of Health on where it failed in its evaluation to prequalify to supply drugs for the health sector and it yesterday dismissed a report that its application was not considered because it didn’t provide manufacturer authorizations.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has no records of the enlistment of Gregory Smith, the main suspect in the 1980 death of historian and political activist Dr.

The contractor hired to build a $21.3M road to Barabina in the north west district has been fired by the Ministry of Public Works after he failed to complete the work and the remainder of the task will be handed over to the residents.

Businessman N. Ramkissoon was taken to a private hospital last evening after he suffered a single gunshot wound to his thigh during a robbery at his establishment at La Bonne Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Two persons were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital for treatment yesterday after they were shot around 20:00hrs during an apparent robbery attempt at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara.

The Walter Rodney Com-mission of Inquiry (CoI) has secured a bundle of correspondence which represents exchanges between the British High Commis-sioner and his superiors in the UK about the political situation in Guyana during 1980, according to lead Counsel Glenn Hanoman.

Former Police Commissioner and APNU MP Winston Felix says he has heard that the shot fired at Congress Place during the chaotic voting at the PNCR’s 18th Biennial Congress on Sunday might have been in an effort to save a woman from being stampeded.

PNCR Chairman Basil Williams says the party needs “healing” following the events that marred its 18th Biennial Congress on Sunday and he is suggesting that a committee might have to be set up to oversee the process.

A pork knocker was placed on bail yesterday after denying that he stole over $1M in raw gold, cash and other items during two thefts in the North West District.

By Mario Joseph (This is the 11th instalment in a series on the state of local government)Chairman of the Linden Town Council, Orrin Gordon believes that the spirit of democracy lies in local government elections.

Charles Ollivirre, accused of assaulting and threatening his common-law wife, has been ordered to attend counselling sessions to learn to manage his anger and resolve conflicts by non-violent means.

Australian gold mining company Troy Resources on Monday reported positive results from an updated prefeasibility study that considered only an open-pit mining scenario at its Karouni project in Region Seven providing a faster route to production as opposed to including an underground mine.

A horse-cart driver was sentenced to seven days in jail yesterday after he admitted to assaulting the mother of his child in a police station.

The Hopetown Primary School yesterday benefitted from a ‘technology education initiative’ through the donation of 56 electronic tablets that are expected to boost the students’ learning capacity.

A man who cursed his neighbour yesterday incurred a $20,000 fine.

Over 450 Region Five residents on Monday benefited from the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme.

Almost nine kilogrammes (kg) of suspected cannabis was found in Vriesland, West Demerara by police ranks on river patrol in the area yesterday after they pursued two men acting suspiciously, according to the D Division Commander.

Always a good corporate citizen,  Ansa McAL has once again answered the call of local sporting disciplines.

The Guyana Water Incorporated yesterday received bids for a series of works the company plans to soon undertake in hope of bringing better service.

FREETOWN, (Reuters) – The doctor leading Sierra Leone’s fight against the worst Ebola outbreak on record died from the virus yesterday, the country’s chief medical officer said.

A group of young persons who were part of a six-week empowerment course at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice are now geared to “restructure poverty.”

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – The National Basketball Assoc-iation was navigating uncharted and possibly treacherous waters, first when it banned Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life for racist remarks and then when it demanded the team be sold by September.

GLASGOW, Scotland, CMC- Jamaica made a clean sweep of the women’s 400m final while Grenada’s Olympic champion Kirani James cruised into the finals of the men’s 400 metres at the XX Commonwealth Games here yesterday.

Guyana’s table tennis players continued the hunt for medals at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland with Trenace Lowe, Chelsea Edghill and Paul David winning their groups to advance to the round of 64.

Police have now acknowledged that the complaint filed by AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan regarding the alleged illegal spending by Finance Minister Dr.

Colts and Plaisance Guardians will contest the final of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) eight-team Trifecta knockout, third division tourney after defeating TGH Pacesetters and Pepsi Sonics respectively in the semi-final round on Sunday.

French national Marceino Browne, who admitted he entered Guyana illegally to marry a Guyanese woman, was yesterday fined $30,000.

After a nail-biting win over the Windward Islands in the second round of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional U19 three-day tournament, table leaders Guyana face last placed Trinidad & Tobago from today at the Bourda Cricket Ground as they look to accumulate the points necessary to become the new champions.

Government Chief Whip Gail Teixeira has refused to comment on the criticisms of the timing of the administration’s decision to seek to bring AFC Members of Parliament Khemraj Ramjattan and Cathy Hughes before the National Assembly’s Privileges Committee over conflicts of interests.

Dear Editor,   I note in the media that there is a lot of speculation that I will resign from the PNCR.

Dear Editor,   The recent stabbing to death of two young transgender persons on the streets of Georgetown has raised several important issues which I think all Guyanese should be concerned about.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Leeward Islands suffered a wobble before pulling off a nervous two-wicket victory over Jamaica, on the final day of their Regional Under-19 Championship contest here Monday.

Just months after his release from prison for a gun crime, Royston James found himself before a city court facing a charge that he a robbed a man of a gold band almost three years ago.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC-Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel captain Dwayne Bravo has praised Australian coach Simon Helmot and crediting him for making a huge difference to his team in the current Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament.

Dear Editor,   The open dissatisfaction by numerous PNCR members, relative to the election of a PNCR leader, could result in that party daubing or staining itself with its own brush.

A team of parliamentarians including Prime Minister Sam Hinds is currently attending a Commonwealth parliamentary forum in Barbados.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The United States accused Venezuela yesterday of using economic pressure, including a reported threat to close an oil refinery, to apply pressure on the Netherlands not to extradite an official whom Washington wants on drugs charges.

GAZA/JERUSALEM, (Reuters) – Israel knocked out Gaza’s only power plant and pounded dozens of other high-profile targets yesterday, while Egyptian mediators prepared a revised proposal for halting its war with Islamist guerrillas in the enclave.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC- Captain Darren Sammy is predicting a reversal of fortunes for the St.Lucia

Dear Editor,   A recent US Supreme Court ruling will have an impact on children of Guyanese and other immigrants who have been waiting for their green cards and have aged out (attained the age of 21) changing their eligibility status for a green card.

SOUTHAMPTON, England, (Reuters) – James Anderson and Stuart Broad each took three wickets to leave India in trouble on 323 for eight, 246 runs adrift of England, after the third day of the third test yesterday.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC- The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) says plans are well on course to professionalize first class cricket in the region by next season.

Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy, Bryan Hunt recently met with Annette Jaundoo upon her return from the United States after participating in the Embassy-sponsored International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) exchange which focused on human rights.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Senator Patrick Leahy introduced legislation yesterday to ban the U.S.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – At first Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer thought she was seeing early concert footage of James Brown but then was told it was a screen test by Chadwick Boseman to play the “Godfather of Soul” in the new biopic “Get On Up.”

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC-Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel opener, Evin Lewis, is hoping that his recent success with the bat could help him earn a call up to the West Indies Cricket team.

(Trinidad Express) Turkey will soon establish an embassy in Trinidad and Tobago, which is expected to service the entire Caricom region.

Dear Editor, It would be an apt starting point to a public letter to say that in the context of the concept ‘collective responsibility’ with regard to being a member of a national political party, I wish to apologize from the bottom of my heart to the nation and any member of my party, whom I or any other member, may have hurt or disappointed during the 18th Biennial Congress.

MUNICH, Germany, (Reuters) – Lawyers for Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone held talks with German prosecutors yesterday to try to settle a bribery trial that threatens his grip on the motor sport.

MOSCOW, (Reuters) – Vladimir Putin risks becoming an international pariah over the Ukraine crisis but the Russian president is battening down the hatches for the gathering economic and political storm.

NEW YORK/BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) – Argentine Economy Minister Axel Kicillof unexpectedly arrived in New York yesterday to join last-minute debt negotiations with “holdout” investors in a bid to avert a default.

Dear Editor,   To the best of my knowledge, via a circular to schools from Ms Genevieve Whyte-Nedd, then acting Chief Education Officer, the Interactive Radio Instruction Programme was identified as the source for the mathematics curriculum for Grades 1-3.

TORONTO, (Reuters) – Roger Federer’s backhand has been described as a thing of beauty and perhaps the most exquisite stroke the tennis world has seen, but his coach Stefan Edberg feels his was a little better.

BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The European Union and the United States yesterday announced further sanctions against Russia, targeting its energy, banking and defence sectors in the strongest international action yet over Moscow’s support for rebels in eastern Ukraine.

The PNCR congress has come and gone, but the major issues that faced the party, some of which arose at the congress itself, will have repercussions for years to come.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – The former chief operating officer of the Dominican Republic’s main counter-drug agency pleaded guilty yesterday to U.S.

Dear Editor,   Freedom of the press still allows Mr M Maxwell as if in contempt, to easily toss federalism over his shoulder.

Dear Editor,   In his letter captioned ‘A real leader of any true opposition would have stepped up to the crease and batted for everyone” (SN, July 29) Mr Emile Mervin seems to be advocating a more confrontational militant approach to politics in Guyana as he sits in New York.

The announcement by former Prime Minister and Barbados Labour Party leader Owen Arthur, that he would be leaving the party which he had led from 1994 to 2013, cannot have been wholly unexpected by the Barbadian public.

(Trinidad Guardian) Former Chief Justice and former president of the Caribbean Court of Justice Michael de la Bastide says it will be a pity if all confidence in the CCJ is allowed to slip away.

(Trinidad Express) A Barrackpore mother, who gave life to her son by donating a kidney four years ago, died along with the child and her husband in an accident yesterday.