Daily Archive: Tuesday, January 20, 2015

British High Commissioner Andrew Ayre today paid a farewell courtesy call on Leader of the Opposition Brigadier David Granger at his office, Lot 61 Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

In an address to the nation, President Donald Ramotar this evening announced that general and regional elections will be held on May 11th, 2015.

Sky is the limit

Guyana will participate in the first ever Caribbean Energy Security Summit in Washington, DC on January 26, 2015, GINA said today.

(Barbados Nation) The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has withdrawn its support of the controversial Four Seasons Project, cancelling US$160 million in loans it committed to the venture more than two years ago.

(Trinidad Express) Both pilots of the Caribbean Airlines (CAL) flight which almost collided with a JetBlue plane at John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York on Saturday night have been taken off flying duties, pending the outcome of an investigation.

BRISBANE, (Reuters) – England thrashed India by nine wickets with more than 22 overs to spare today to record their first win in the tri-series tournament in Australia and boost their confidence ahead of next month’s World Cup.

The state owned Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil) was expected to implement a 30 per cent reduction in fuel prices as of yesterday evening to reflect the dropping world market price of crude oil.

The cargo ship on which a container with 192.4 kilos of cocaine was recently found recently left Guyana with its crew after a fine was paid to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), according to James Singh, head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).

After three weeks and no success, the search and rescue operation for the Air Services Limited (ASL) plane with its pilot and worker that went missing somewhere over the jungle in Region Eight has been called off.

Deon Layne, the man charged over the cocaine-laced SSS multi-vitamin tonic that claimed the lives of four persons after they ingested it, is now free after a court found insufficient evidence to prove him guilty.

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh yesterday confirmed that the European Union (EU) has approved €25 million in budgetary support, however no funds have been received as yet.

The impending start of the new semester at the Uni-versity of Guyana (UG) may be put off indefinitely as both the UG Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and the UG Workers’ Union (UGWU) are threatening industrial action if their demands over wage negotiations are not met.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee yesterday distanced himself from the recent promotion of the two police officers who had tortured a teenaged boy at the Leonora Police Station in 2009, saying that the Police Service Com-mission (PSC) would have made this decision based on a recommendation made by Acting Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud.

By Suraj Narine   Logging company Vaitarna Holdings Private Inc (VHPI) is yet to begin operations at a long-delayed wood processing facility and company officials are tight-lipped on its status, though one official said that they would start operations within two weeks.

The national ‘Skip Be Fit’ Championships for secondary schools was launched yesterday and Chief Education Officer Olato Sam said it would provide an opportunity for students to be exposed to another dimension of physical education.

A 25-year-old man of Charity, Essequibo was yesterday granted bail when he appeared at the Charity Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Sunil Scarce.

Port of Spain, Trinidad – The Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners yesterday pulled off a sensational one-wicket victory over the Guyana Jaguars with Christopher Powell hitting a boundary off the penultimate ball of the match to take his side home.

Several areas along the Essequibo Coast were still under water yesterday and the Anna Regina Secondary School remained closed until further notice owing to the flooding.

Dear Editor,   I have tremendous respect for the Chairman of selectors for his achievements on and off the cricket field, but his recent attempt to explain questionable selections and omissions of the West Indies World Cup squad has left me and most of the cricketing world aghast.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Former Australian leg-spin bowler Stuart MacGill has begun legal action against Cricket Australia (CA), suing his former employers for more than A$2.5 million ($2.05 million) over lost earnings.

After almost two decades of marriage, a miner yesterday found himself in court for allegedly beating his wife.

Dear Editor,   Heavy rain flooded out a number of villages on the Essequibo Coast and the Pomeroon, causing severe damage to crops and livestock in addition to businessmen’s stocks which were stored on the floor.

Dear Editor, Mr Christopher Ram, (‘Postings on website were misrepresented on TV programme,’Sunday Stabroek January 18), much more a practising politician than he is an accountant and lawyer these days, not surprisingly, is upset over a television interview I recently conducted with Mr Winston Brassington on the Marriott Hotel.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova glittered under the Rod Laver Arena lights yesterday, restoring order at the Australian Open after eight women’s seeds crashed out in the afternoon sun on a manic opening day.

(The Sports Xchange) – Tiago Splitter became the 12th different player to lead the Spurs in scoring this season, recording a game-high 14 points in a comfortable 89-69 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Dear Editor, There is an unauthorized bottom-house, auto body repair workshop functioning in Prospect, East Bank Demerara.

SCARBOROUGH, Tobago, CMC – West Indies batsman Johnson Charles stroked a career-best hundred to help Windward Islands Volcanoes beat Barbados Pride by 55 runs and eliminate the defending champions from the NAGICO Super50 here yesterday.

Two special constables were yesterday charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine that was intercepted in rum bottles at the John F Kennedy airport in New York.

Dear Editor, I heard a joke from a friend of mine recently that I want to share with Guyanese to lighten the atmosphere.

Dear Editor, In catechism class we were instructed that the Pope was infallible as he was the direct representative of the Supreme God.

The Public Works Ministry is awaiting word from the Inter-American Develop-ment Bank (IDB) on the selection of a contractor for the Sheriff Street/Mandela Avenue expansion project, which is expected to begin in the first quarter of this year.

Overseas-based Guyanese Wilbert Benjamin is the sponsor of the third annual Benjamin Sports Store cycle event which takes place Sunday in Berbice.

Recently, the Guyana Cycling Association of North America (GCANA) donated a quantity of cycling gear to their local representative William Howard to be distributed to local cyclists in need of the equipment.

Dear Editor, Paul Tennassee’s letter dated December 31, 2014 which was published in both the Stabroek News and the Kaieteur News and Peeping Tom’s article dated December 29m 2014 in KN, as they relate to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Guyana and Cuba are significantly flawed since they fail to discuss the context in which LFS Burnham, Prime Minister of a newly independent Guyana, operated between 1964 to 1972.

A mentally-unstable man was yesterday charged with fatally beating his elderly, bed-ridden father with a piece of wood.

The ‘Caribbean Collision’ card will go on sans its main attraction Andrew ‘Six Head ‘Lewis.

Dear Editor, It was interesting to observe the TV news clipping wherein a representative of the Women Miners Association commented on the impact of the strike by employees of GGMC for better pay on the mining industry.

Call me ‘old school’ or maybe even ‘naïve’,  but the strident comments directed at the West Indies Selection panel including legends Clive Lloyd and Courtney Walsh by senior player and former Windies captain Chris Gayle regarding the non-selection of ‘world beaters’ Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard who boast an ODI batting average of 25.36  from 164 matches and 25.20 from 91 matches respectively, to represent the West Indies at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next month, reeks of pure arrogance and a lack of respect for the institution of West Indies cricket in general, manifests a poor example to aspiring young regional cricketers, and unbridled disdain for the two aforementioned icons who have been entrusted with the responsibility of restoring West Indies cricket to its former glory at least for the short term.

WELLINGTON, (Reuters) – England are still playing catch-up with the modern way of batting in the 50-over format but are showing encouraging signs in closing the gap with the major cricketing nations, the team’s batting coach Mark Ramprakash said yesterday.

KIEV (Reuters) – Pro-Russian separatists renewed attacks on Ukrainian forces at an airport complex in the east yesterday after Kiev launched a mass operation to reclaim lost ground there that Russia called a “strategic mistake”.

Dear Editor, Despite the fact there is a High Court order made in 2010 by a Judge in Chambers restraining the owners and proprietors of a large, stinking, rat and fly-infested chicken pen in Chateau Margot, a residential community, the uncaring owner still stubbornly continues to operate and carry on that illegal business as usual, that is a health hazard and irritation to neighbours.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Captain Rayad Emrit’s incisive maiden regional one-day five-wicket haul proved the difference, as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force beat Jamaica Franchise by 17 runs to win their second straight game in the NAGICO Super50 here Sunday.

Dear Editor,   The following statement is taken from an article in SN of January 17: “Caricom Council of Ministers were satisfied that the prorogation of parliament by President Ramotar was in keeping with the provisions of the Guyana constitution and did not constitute a breach of the Commonwealth Charter.”

BUENOS AIRES (Reu-ters) – An Argentine prosecutor who accused President Cristina Fernandez of orchestrating a cover-up in the investigation of Iran over the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center was found dead in his apartment, authorities said yesterday.

The scheduled start of the 11th Busta Champion-of-Champions limited overs competition in Berbice on Sunday was washed out due to showers which left grounds in the Ancient County waterlogged.

Dear Editor, It is infuriating that there are these clumsy dodges in naming an election date; that the ruling PPP has such seemingly insurmountable difficulties to step forward and cast the die.

ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigeria has summoned Indonesia’s ambassador over the execution of two of its citizens by firing squad for drug trafficking, echoing protests from Brazil and the Netherlands which also each had one of their nationals executed.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States will urge Cuba to lift travel restrictions on US diplomats and agree to establish US and Cuban embassies in historic talks in Havana this week aimed at restoring relations, a senior State Department official said yesterday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Tributes to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Haiti’s foreign minister yesterday asked the UN Security Council and the rest of the world to continue supporting the impoverished Caribbean nation after President Michel Martelly named a new cabinet to end street protests.

Pele Football Club yesterday launched the third Frank Watson and Gregory ‘PT Stewart’ Thorne memorial Under 15/17 knock-out football tournament which kicks off February 8 with matches at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground.

Dear Editor, I noted with some anxiety that Ms Anna Benjamin will no longer be editor of the Sunday Stabroek.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Rolling blackouts swept across parts of Brazil yesterday as the grid operator ordered select power cuts to avoid a larger crisis, drawing attention to a fragile electric system that is buckling under the strains of record-breaking heat and dryness.

COUVA, Trinidad, CMC – Rahkeem Cornwall’s maiden regional one-day hundred was enough for Leeward Islands Hurricanes to earn their first win of the NAGICO Super50, with a 48-run verdict over West Indies Under-19s here Sunday.

Dear Editor, I followed with interest Pope Francis’s recent visit to Asia.

Overload: Three schoolboys pulled off quite a feat yesterday travelling home from school along the Railway Embankment at Bladen Hall East Coast Demerara on one bicycle while pulling along another that had suffered a puncture. 

Leaving aside its ongoing ‘discourse’ with Washington and London over the prorogation of the National Assembly and the limbo in which the country is being held (at least up to the time of the writing of this editorial) on the matter of a date for general elections, the ruling party has, all too often, been drawn into prickly exchanges with some resident heads of mission, notably those of the United States and the United Kingdom over issues like crime, law-enforcement deficiencies, drug-trafficking and local government elections.

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) – El Salvadoran President Salvador Sanchez Ceren has travelled to Cuba for a third time to receive medical treatment, an official said yesterday.