Daily Archive: Wednesday, January 21, 2015

The National Upstream Oil and Gas Policy was yesterday launched by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment.

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s new government will investigate all financial deals sealed by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brothers during his term as head of state and will take legal action if they involved any corruption, a minister said today.

EAST LONDON, South Africa, (Reuters) – West Indies tour of South Africa hit a new low today when they were bundled out for 122 in under 34 overs to lose the third one-day international by nine wickets at Buffalo Park.

Former PPP/C Minister and Attorney-at-Law Bibi Shadick, was appointed the eighth Pro-Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG) at an adjourned Extra-Ordinary Council Meeting yesterday, a release from UG said today.

The Alliance For Change today said it welcomes the announcement of a date for General and Regional Elections as a victory for pro-democracy forces in Guyana.

(Barbados Nation) A dress code that bans police officers from wearing dreadlocks, twists, beards, make-up, extreme hair colour or getting visible tattoos is causing an uproar in the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF).

DAVOS, Switzerland, (Reuters) – A Live Earth music event to demand action on climate change will be held on June 18 across seven continents, including Antarctica, former U.S.

President Donald Ramotar last evening announced May 11th as the date for general and regional elections, ending two months of suspense after he prorogued the Parliament.

Guyana’s two main opposition groups, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) will commence talks and negotiations before weekend for a possible pro-democracy alliance.

By Dacia Whaul   Photos by Arian Browne   Gasoline prices were slashed at Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil) gas stations around the city and along the East Bank yesterday, while privately-owned operations either made small reductions or none at all, while citing the cost incurred for fuel in stock.

AFC supporters yesterday staged a protest outside the Caribbean Community (Caricom) headquarters at Liliendaal over the recent statement by the Caricom Council of Ministers, which said it was satisfied that the suspension of Guyana’s Parliament does not breach the country’s constitution or the Commonwealth Charter.

It might be hard to imagine living in a house with floodwater almost eight inches high for days on end but this has been the harsh reality for residents of villages along the Essequibo Coast for the past five days.

A 12-year-old girl is now hospitalized nursing severe burns to her chest and legs after her mother allegedly doused her with hot water because of a telephone call.

A 31-year-old Guyanese man was caught with around 12 kilos of cocaine concealed in packets of flour and rice at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri yesterday afternoon by ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU).

Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) Ernesto Samper yesterday said that the grouping was concerned that Guyana’s parliament has remained prorogued.

More than two years after Bibi Saymar’s reputed husband was freed for her murder, the alleged hit-man will soon learn his fate in the High Court.

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee is still mum on the ongoing process to determine the party’s presidential candidate for the upcoming general election.

A Palmyra, East Canje, Berbice man will be sentenced on Friday after admitting to committing a break and enter and larceny, while two brothers he implicated have denied any involvement in the crime.

The retrial of the duo accused of murdering Lakeram Bishundial, who was fatally shot during a robbery at Hope, East Coast Demerara in 2010, continued yesterday in the High Court with an eyewitness testifying that he had seen nothing despite his proximity to the shooting.

Phillip Trotz, 52, had done a simple surgery for his appendix at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) but did not realize it would lead to three other surgeries and to him spending $1.4M.

Two more cases of suicide have rocked the Essequibo Coast with two young men dying by hanging and ingesting poison on Sunday.

The mother of the 18-year-old, who has alleged that he was sodomised by a number of men, is calling for the police to conduct a thorough investigation even as she prays for the full recovery of her child.

Responding to a recent claim by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) that eligible teachers have been waiting for years to receive agreed duty-free concessions, Education Minister Priya Manickchand has said a miscommunication is to blame and both the ministry and the union share responsibility for the situation.

Two men were on Monday granted bail when they appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce charged with robbery under arms at the Charity Magistrate’s Court.

A construction worker is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital with broken ribs, head injuries and bruises after he was struck down allegedly by a minibus on Saturday night.

A technician yesterday found himself before a city court facing a fraud charge after he was accused of scamming another man of $200,000 in a deal to sell him a car.

Despite his claim that he was an innocent bystander, a construction worker was remanded to prison yesterday after being arraigned on two separate robbery charges.

EAST LONDON, South Africa, CMC-West Indies, facing a series defeat against South Africa, will attempt to strike back to keep their chances alive when both teams meet in the third of the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Buffalo Park in East London today.

Dwayne Harcourt, who told a city court that he uses ganja for his asthma, was on Monday fined and ordered to perform community service after being charged with narcotics possession.

Toralva Scipio is now a remanded prisoner after being accused of holding a woman at knife-point and escaping with her cellphone after she refused to hand over her cash.

Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Secretary Anand Sanasie yesterday confirmed that the board will proceed with their upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) Sunday despite the fact that the elections, according to the government, will be considered illegal.

The Lodge Alpha #1594, on the roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland (Alphabets), has donated a cheque for an undisclosed sum to the Uncle Eddie’s Home as part of its benevolence programme.

After striking for owed wages from the Region Six administration, security guards attached to the Home Safe Security firm have been paid and are back at work.

EAST LONDON, South Africa, CMC – West Indies could be without versatile right-hander Lendl Simmons for the third One-Day International against South Africa at Buffalo Park today.

Dear Editor, Two weekends ago I had cause to call the Child Protection Hotline.

Former employees of the Mahdia Gold Corp (MGC) have yet to be paid wages owed to them despite repeated promises by company director Alan Zaakir that the situation would be dealt with.

Dear Editor, We, at the Mayor and Councillors of Georgetown, continue to express disgust at the way in which the government-appointed acting Town Clerk, Ms Carol Ryan Sooba has been flouting our decisions.

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) will host the Bermuda National Men’s Basketball team for a three-match international series from March 10th-15th.

The Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) will officially stage its Annual General Meeting for the election of office bearers on January 25 at the Roraima Duke Lodge in Kingston from 12:00hrs.

Dear Editor,   I have been prompted to express my concern and disappointment at the manner in which a popular aviation company has been delivering its services in Region 8.

Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) President Michael Singh said the association is yet to receive an official correspondence from any individual signaling their intention to contest for the post of GABA president.

EAST LONDON, South Africa, (Reuters) – West Indies captain Jason Holder has lashed his teammates for repeating basic errors and urged them to take more responsibility weeks away from the 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The third annual Milo/Petra Organization Secondary Schools under-20 football championship was officially launched yesterday at M.

Dear Editor, I was really amused reading an article in the Guyana Chronicle of January 14, ‘APNU Councillor says farmers should take millers to court to get their payments -AFC says farmers are afraid to do so, calls for delinquent miller’s licence to be revoked.’

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams stuck to the Australian Open script with fairly routine victories yesterday, while men’s champion Stan Wawrinka and two-time winner Victoria Azarenka joined them in the second round.

Dear Editor, In what one would hope to be his final stretch in an almost nine-year tenure of abysmal accountability and gross mismanagement, Minister of Culture, Dr Frank Anthony seems incapable of getting anything right with regard to the proper management of culture, particularly as concerns the literary arts.

KARACHI, (Reuters) – Pakistan paceman Junaid Khan has failed to recover from an injury and has been replaced by all-rounder Bilawal Bhatti in the squad that will play two ODIs and two warm-ups in New Zealand before next month’s World Cup.

Dear Editor, My sympathy goes out to the relatives of Sheniza Mohamed.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – President Barack Obama challenged the Republican-led Congress yesterday to break out of the “tired old patterns” of confrontational politics and back an effort to lift the middle class, with higher taxes on the rich and trade deals.

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

Dear Editor, Thursday’s Stabroek News editorial of January 15 titled ‘$1B and counting’ was exceedingly useful to help readers obtain a glimpse of the crisis we have reached in so far as governance is concerned.

(Jamaica Observer) LLOYD Bogle is living a nightmare. The 64-year-old Jamaican, who has been living in England for the past 54 years, is now stranded in the island after enjoying a two-week trip — his first back home in all that time.

(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.

WELLINGTON, (Reuters) – Kane Williamson hit a century and Luke Ronchi smashed 24 runs off one explosive over when the match was still in the balance to steer New Zealand to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the fourth One Day International in Nelson yesterday.

Dear Editor, The maxim, ‘You never missed the water till the well run dry’ is a story which can be interpreted in many different ways.

(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.

HAVANA, (Reuters) – Cuba will tell the United States in face-to-face talks this week it wants to be removed from the U.S.

(The Sports Xchange) – LeBron James scored 26 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers continued their resurgence with a 108-94 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Dear Editor, The continuous slaying of our women should be of great concern to all right-minded citizens; daily statistics would show an upsurge in domestic violence perpetrated against our women.

GUATEMALA CITY, (Reuters) – A Guatemalan court on Monday found Pedro Garcia Arredondo, a former police chief, guilty of ordering the 1980 attack on the Spanish embassy in Guatemala City in which 37 people died, sentencing him to 40 years in prison.

Dear Editor, After a long and scary drive from Kuwait, I arrived in Baghdad (Green Zone) Iraq.

“Governments, political parties and civil society are responsible for upholding and promoting democratic culture and practices and are accountable to the public in this regard.

(Trinidad Express) Former Barbados prime minister Owen Arthur has said it is astonishing that this country has not made the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) its final appellate court.

(Trinidad Guardian) A manager at Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) Employees’ Credit Union was denied bail when he appeared in court on Monday to answer a TT$50 million fraud charge.

It appears that the Middle East continues, in one dramatic way or another, to be at the centre of world events.

BERLIN, (Reuters) – World heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko is to defend his titles against unbeaten American challenger Bryant Jennings in New York on April 25.

  Qualfon’s new Providence call centre is near complete. The call centre will begin operations in April.