Daily Archive: Thursday, December 11, 2014

The main opposition coalition APNU says that it is “encouraged” by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) preparations for general elections which are going to be held next year.

HONG KONG, (Reuters) – Hong Kong cleared most of the main pro-democracy protest site today as police hauled activists away, marking an end to more than two months of street demonstrations that have blocked key roads in the Chinese-controlled city.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon yesterday stated that the much-vaunted $3.1 billion E-Governance fibre-optic cable project is in need of remedial work while adding that over $1 billion has already been spent.

A raucous National Cultural Centre tarmac viewership on Tuesday played host to two tense penalty shoot-out wins as North Ruimveldt and Festival City Warriors sealed their berth in the final of the Guinness of the Streets Georgetown leg.

DNA samples sent for testing have confirmed that the skeletal remains found in a clump of bushes at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on July 24, was missing teacher Nyozi Goodman.

BENONI, South Africa, CMC – Left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell bowled his way into the selection frame for next week’s first Test with a five-wicket haul yesterday and says once picked, he will be ready to help carry the West Indies attack.

Despite beginning their campaign on a losing note, Den Amstel-A were crowned the West Coast Demerara divisional champs, defeating Uitvlugt Giants 10-8 in the finale when the Mackeson 3×3 Basketball challenge continued on Tuesday.

Demerara Bank Limited yesterday became the first institution in Guyana to offer full service VISA cards as a principal member of the global payments company.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday announced that Guyana’s Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, Dr Patrick Ignatius Gomes has been selected as the new Secretary-General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states for 2015-2020.

The body of a logger from Saint Monica Upper Pomeroon River was yesterday found after he went missing since Monday.

Former Chancellor of the Judiciary Desiree Bernard on Tuesday evening underscored the importance of the independence of the judiciary stating that having judicial codes of conduct in place as guidance to the judiciary may help to ensure impartiality in the execution of their duties.

Venezuelan soldier Johnny Ventura Gomez Rivas was yesterday further remanded to prison after the prosecution informed Magistrate Ann McLennan that it was unaware of a diplomatic settlement.

BENONI, South Africa, CMC – Marlon Samuels made a bold statement ahead of next week’s start of the three-Test series, pummelling an entertaining, unbeaten hundred on the opening day of their three-day match, as West Indies made a strong start to their tour of South Africa here yesterday.

Caricom’s Chairman, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne said that given President Donald Ramotar’s assurances that he will make an announcement on General Elections early in 2015 the community is “not too concerned at this point” over the prorogation of the Guyanese Parliament.

Winning their seventh NACRA 7s championship last Thursday in Mexico was the first key step for the national men’s rugby team to clinch an Olympic berth in 2016 but many more strides have to be taken on the road to qualifying for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Residents of Mahdia can soon expect works on the potholed littered main thoroughfare in the community as Cabinet this week granted its no objection to a $329M road project.

By Sharda Bacchus   After 18 years at Wilderness Explorers, General Manager Teri O’Brien on November 21 won the ‘Pillar of Tourism Industry’ award when the Ministry of Tourism held its eighth annual Tourism Awards ceremony.

Four men—three in Berbice and one on the West Demerara—have been charged and fined $7,500 each for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is advocating for a civil society-led constitutional reform process following national elections, as this will better ensure the formulation of a Bill of Rights that “will remain close to its origins in the propensity to care….”

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has recorded an alarming 32% increase in road fatalities from January 1 to November 30, but an overall drop in serious crime over the same period when compared to the corresponding period last year.

(Reuters) – Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson shook up India just before lunch last night by taking a wicket and striking captain Virat Kohli on the head as the tourists reached 117 for two at the break on day three of the first test in Adelaide.

The Management Board of the Shaheed Boys and Girls Orphanage is to commission its new bus on December 20 at 15:00h at the Boys Orphanage, Alexander Street, Kitty.

Investigations continue into the Sterling Products Ltd (SPL) raid, during which security guard Wilfred Stewart was killed and Chemist Mario Gohill injured, according to ‘A’ Division commander Clifton Hicken.

St George’s High and St Stanislaus College registered opening day victories in the Premiership Group Secondary Schools U-17 knockout football tournament yesterday at the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue.

(Reuters) – The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said yesterday it will undertake a full investigation into allegations of doping and cover-ups by Russian track and field athletes made by a German TV documentary.

A house rented by a family of three in Sophia was last evening gutted when the candle a teenager had in her possession fell on a mattress and started a blaze.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados Pride may be on a two-game winning streak by head coach Henderson Springer still is not comfortable with the manner of those victories.

Julius Chapman, the snow cone vendor whose cart was pushed down by retired magistrate Gordon Gilhuys says the police are having a hard time getting witnesses to go on record.

The trio accused of the 2009 murder of their stepfather Motilall Singh at Windsor Forest will challenge the prosecution’s case that they confessed to committing the crime, during a re-trial at the High Court.

Ryan McKinnon continues to hit the target, completing his second win in as many competitions to finish at the helm of the stand division of the Guyana National Rifle Association (GNRA) yearend practical pistol shooting while national small-bore captain Dale Hing won the production divisions on Sunday at the Timehri ranges.

Dear Editor, I read the letter columns (December 9) and concluded that Prime Minister Hinds must be debating himself passionately, when he said that we need to debate differences in our positions and views.

Starting on Monday, the National Library will host a photographic exhibition, ‘Time of Remembrance’ in honour of late Chief Librarian Gillian Thompson.

LONDON, (Reuters) – England one-day wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter could miss the entire 2015 season as he struggles to recover from a serious eye injury.

Dear Editor, Artists like our insufficiently honoured Stanley Greaves tell us that juxtaposition of objects or ideas can often spark off all kinds of exciting new ideas.

As the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) 2015 deadline approaches, government officially launched Guyana’s MDG Acceleration Framework and Campaign yesterday aimed at improving maternal health.

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is mourning the death of its former treasurer Roopnarine Dhanraj, two Sundays ago in New York, USA.

Dear Editor, Partners of the Americas (Partners) and Caribbean Self-Reliance, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture is promoting the building of hydroponic shade houses all over the country.

Yesterday, 32 new members of the Cuban Medical Brigade were oriented on their posts in health care facilities countrywide, GINA said.

Dear Editor, I refer to the massive load of garbage emanating from Robb Street denying the radio frequencies give-away contained in an article in the Kaieteur News of December 10.

Cleveland ‘Little Kenyan’ Forde powered his way to two podium finishes when the annual Run Barbados 10km and half marathon events were contested over the weekend.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Packing potatoes at his vegetable stand on a sun-baked street in Caracas’s hillside Catia slum, Jesus Jimenez fondly recounts voting for late president Hugo Chavez.

Dear Editor, It was refreshing to read about a good catch from Mr Pravinchandra Dave, that seasoned banker, who wrote on the topic of leveraging the opportunity for Guyana on the possible buy-back of the oil debt from Venezuela at a deep discount (‘Venezuela might sell all its oil debt – including that of Guyana – to Goldman Sachs,’ SN, December 4).

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Oil prices tumbled as much as 5 percent yesterday, pushing U.S.

PRETORIA, (Reuters) – South African prosecutors yesterday won their bid to appeal the culpable homicide verdict handed down to athlete Oscar Pistorius for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and will now seek a murder conviction.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – One of the two psychologists who devised the CIA’s harsh Bush-era interrogation methods said on Wednesday that a scathing U.S.

(Jamaica Observer) Gold medallist and joint world record holder for the short course 100m breaststroke, Alia Atkinson, says she hopes her victory on Saturday last in Doha, Qatar will assist in breaking the stereotype associated with non-traditional sports, not only in Jamaica, but across the world.

Dear Editor, Please permit me to refer to a letter published by your paper dated December 4 and entitled ‘When will UG law students speak up?’

(Jamaica Gleaner) The dramatic fall in world crude prices has curtailed Jamaica’s oil bill, but it also means that oil refinery Petrojam Limited has to pay a larger portion of the bill in cash.

BRASILIA/SAO PAULO, (Reuters) – A “truth commission” investigating abuses during Brazil’s 1964-85 dictatorship called for the prosecution of former military officers and some private companies for their role in human rights atrocities, in a long-awaited report on Wednesday.

Dear Editor, In the past few weeks the ‘big’ issues of democracy have taken centre stage in Guyana and we like many other individuals and groups have signed onto petitions and statements on these matters.

(Reuters) – England will return today to chase down a 240-run victory target and stay alive in the seven-match contest against Sri Lanka after rain forced play to be suspended in the fifth one-day international in Pallekele on Wednesday.

VERACRUZ, Mexico, (Reuters) – Three Central American nations that have sent a flood of migrants to the United States are ready to provide $5 billion between them to match a sum Washington says may be needed to help solve the problem, Guatemala’s president said on Tuesday.

KARACHI (Reuters) – Kenya’s national cricket team arrived in Lahore amid tight security yesterday for the most high-profile series in Pakistan since a March 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team.

Dear Editor, I refer to Mr Ian Mc Donald’s letter (‘Papers have found an excellent home in a sister Caricom country,’ SN, Dec 10) explaining why he donated his personal papers to UWI and not to a Guyanese institution.

(Trinidad Guardian) Less than a week after she was reported missing by relatives, 83-year-old pensioner Stephanie Millington was found on Tuesday buried in a shallow grave behind her Morvant home. While

Dear Editor, The governing Santa agency has published a clause in its agenda to make its annual year-end retrospective payout to what are called ‘public servants’, which leaves opportunity for the GRA to collect extra income in December not totally unanticipated.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been appointed head coach of Indian Premier League side Mumbai Indians, the club announced yesterday.

BERKELEY, Calif./ NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Students at medical schools around the United States staged “die-ins” to protest the chokehold death by police of an unarmed black man, and New York activists demanded the city take action after a grand jury declined to indict the officer involved.

(Barbados Nation) Barbados is set to record the worst sugar harvest in modern history next year.

What do Wilton Sinclair, Tricia Ann D’Aguiar, Fredericka Latrice Coats, Melissa Cox, Tanasha Fleming and Raphael Armstrong have in common?

Introduction: Stabroek News has invited the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (AFC) to submit a weekly column on governance and related matters.