Daily Archive: Friday, July 10, 2015

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Jeffrey Webb, one of seven current and former officials of soccer’s world governing body FIFA detained in Switzerland in a corruption probe, has agreed to be extradited to the United States, Bloomberg News reported today.

Commencing 15th July, 2015, Ogle Airport will accept commercial night operations when LIAT will introduce its first scheduled evening flights between Piarco Airport, Trinidad & Tobago, Grantley Adams Airport, Barbados and Guyana.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Actor Omar Sharif, best known for his title role as Doctor Zhivago in the Oscar-winning film, has died, Egyptian state television said.

At about 2230h. last night, the police say that three men, one of whom was armed with a firearm, entered the business place of Christopher Moonsammy at Punt Trench Dam, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, and held him up.

The Guyana Bar Association (GBA) today expressed shock at yesterday’s attack on land court judge, Nicola Pierre and her family.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – A Miami-based affiliate of Spanish media giant Imagina group is one of the unidentified sports marketing companies alleged in a U.S.

Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang yesterday afternoon ruled that the presidential term-limit is unconstitutional without the approval of the people through a referendum, thereby creating an opening for another run by former president Bharrat Jagdeo.

Chris Gayle’s second Hero CPL ton helped set up an emphatic win for the Jamaican Tallawahs who disposed of the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel by 50-runs in match 18 played at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica last night.

The government last evening took a major step towards scaling back the controversial benefits package for former presidents, which Finance Minister Winston Jordan denounced as a “vulgar” insult to hardworking taxpayers that have had to foot the bill.

By Duncan Saul in Kumaka  Photos by Orlando Charles The largest crowd to date at the Kumaka ground witnessed the solidification of a dynasty as defending Region #1 champs Port Kaituma claimed their third title in five years, overcoming Santa Rosa 4-2 on penalty kicks yesterday in the Digicel Secondary Schools Championship.

President David Granger yesterday continued the pressure on Venezuela over its stunning bid to appropriate Guyana’s Atlantic waters, declaring that a replacement decree issued by Caracas was still exceptionable and that Georgetown would broaden its diplomatic offensive to counter it.

Chief Executive Officer of Roraima Airways and veteran aircraft pilot Captain Gerry Gouveia has taken issue with remarks regarding the state of the local aviation sector attributed to Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson and published in the Stabroek News of June 28, 2015.

Consistent with the pronouncements made by the new political administration regarding a role for overseas-based Guyanese in the building of the country’s economy, Stabroek Business has been informed that an imminent public/private sector economic forum is likely to see participation from Guyanese in the a diaspora.

A judge and her husband were brutalised and robbed early yesterday morning by a gang of armed men, who broke into their home in the secured, gated community of Felicity, East Coast Demerara, where they later engaged in a gunfight with a security guard during a botched getaway.

CARDIFF, (Reuters) – Chris Rogers fell for 95, failing to turn a half-century into a hundred for the seventh test innings in a row as Australia ended the second day of the first test on 264 for five, 166 behind England yesterday.

A matter of months shy of its 25th anniversary Stabroek Business has learnt that the widely popular GuyExpo event will not be held this year.

ST DAVID’S, Bermuda, CMC — Chare Smith and Charles Trott took five wickets apiece as Bermuda kept alive their slim hopes of reaching next year’s Under-19 World Cup finals by beating the United States by one wicket in a low-scoring match on day four of the ICC Americas qualifying tournament here yesterday.

GuyOil Managing Director Badrie Persaud has been sent on 210 days leave while the government completes its forensic audit of the state-owned company.

Guyana’s annual rice barter agreement with Venezuela since 2009 will conclude in November of this year with Finance Minister, Winston Jordan yesterday stating that since 2014 Venezuela was signalling that there would be no additional arrangements under the PetroCaribe fund.

A member of the Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad (BASS) was charged yesterday with killing a detainee during a recent raid.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, CMC- Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell lost to American Justin Gatlin in the 100m in Lausanne, Switzerland yesterday.

By Marilyn Collins Marilyn Collins is a former Director of the Government Analyst Food and Drugs Department.

Clarence Schwartz, the taxi driver charged with causing a man’s death while driving under the influence, was yesterday granted $1 million bail by Magistrate Ann McLennan.

Regional and hemispheric investment promotion agencies including the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) met in Bogota, Colombia recently, to collectively probe best practices for country branding strategies likely to attract foreign direct investment.

The National Assembly yesterday passed a bill that seeks to provide financial autonomy to constitutional bodies, including the service commissions, the Ombudsman’s office and the elections commission.

ZURICH/BERN, (Reuters) – Former FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer, a key figure in a U.S.

Dear Editor, Confucius said: “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

Dr Tarron Khemraj and Joycelyn T Williams The high rate of unemployment in Guyana (around 40%) points to the urgent need for structural change to create new growth poles that allow for new sunrise industries to contribute to production and employment creation.

The controversial One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project is under review, according to the Ministry of the Presidency, which says a tour of the project’s office has revealed an inventory of “unserviceable and defective” computers.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara will end his international career at the P Sara Oval next month in the second match of the three-test series against familiar foes India.

The pace of progress in discourses between government and the mining sector over concessions designed to enhance productivity in an industry weighed down by the effects of continually falling gold prices remains slow, the change in political administration notwithstanding, Administrative Coordinator of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) Colin Sparman has told Stabroek Business.

Dear Editor I have read several letters in the daily newspapers on the proposed restriction on the sale of alcohol in public places.

ZURICH, (Reuters) – Embattled FIFA President Sepp Blatter has told a Swiss newspaper that continental confederations, rather than soccer’s world governing body, were to blame for the corruption scandal engulfing the game.

Dear Editor, Many years ago with the advent of modern sign and poster technology, vehicles were allowed to use computerized number plates, minibus zone and name tags on commercial vehicles.

During a stakeholders’ consultation meeting on road safety on Wednesday, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan told the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) that the current administration will fully support its efforts to promote road safety in Guyana.

Tackling and effectively addressing the country’s domestic security challenges, one of the issues at the very top of the local Private Sector Commission’s (PSC) agenda of concerns has become an essential prerequisite to taking Guyana’s economy forward, newly elected PSC Chairman, Major General Norman Mc Lean has told the Stabroek Business.

LONDON, (Reuters) – A lot has happened to Andy Murray in the three years since he choked back the tears on Centre Court after a four-set defeat that handed Roger Federer the Wimbledon trophy for a seventh time.

Dear Editor, There is an upsurge of crime during the past months and what is disturbing is that there have been brutal slayings and attacks in rural areas where violent crimes were not reported before ‒ areas like La Jalousie on the West Coast of Demerara and the village where I was born and grew up, No 2 Canje, Berbice.

Ill-health has caused the withdrawal of former Minister of Agriculture Dr Leslie Ramsammy from the list of PPP/C MPs for the 11th Parliament and he has been replaced by Harry Gill.

CARSON, California (Reuters) – Joel McAnuff’s second-half goal earned Jamaica a surprise 2-2 draw with Costa Rica, while Canada and El Salvador finished scoreless in Group B of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Wednesday.

(Jamaica Gleaner) – The St Lucian government is seeking to raise more than EC$13 million to settle outstanding liabilities for the compulsory acquisition of lands.

The Hussain family, which was attacked and robbed at gunpoint at their Lot 62 Brehaspat Street, No.

Dear Editor, I refer to the letter by Kamal Ramkarran (‘Governing well is not a matter of passing orders down…’ SN, July 9) in response to my letter that every civilized society has laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Serena Williams feasted on familiar prey as she reached an eighth Wimbledon final with a superb 6-2 6-4 victory over Maria Sharapova yesterday, her 17th win in a row over the Russian.

Kitco Market Data Gold Prices for the three day period ending Thursday July 09, 2015 Kitco is a Canadian company that buys and sells precious metals such as gold, copper and silver.

Two men were yesterday each fined $75,000 after a city magistrate found them guilty of attempting to break and enter a police officer’s vehicle.

Dear Editor, In soteriology (the study of Jesus as the Christ, or the study of salvation), we theologians speak of the “Now but Not Yet.”

LONDON, (Reuters) – Argentina have moved to the top of the FIFA rankings for the first time in seven years despite being beaten by Chile in the Copa America final.

(Reuters) – Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday it would cut 7,800 jobs, or nearly 7 per cent of its workforce, and write down about $7.6 billion related to its Nokia phone business.

LUANDA, (Reuters) – When a halving of oil prices left a gaping hole in Angola’s finances this year, it became clear sub-Saharan Africa’s third largest economy needed help fast – and President Jose Eduardo dos Santos knew exactly where to turn.

A team headed by Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan met with officials of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Wednesday to discuss and sort out details for the holding of local government elections.

Dear Editor, Amidst the recent crime upsurge, it is time we revisited the matter of pardons.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Garbine Muguruza became the first Spanish woman to reach the Wimbledon final since 1996 as Agnieszka Radwanska was left ruing a botched Hawk-Eye challenge in the last game of her 6-2 3-6 6-3 Centre Court loss on Thursday.

A man was sentenced to six months in prison on Wednesday after he was found guilty of being in possession of stolen items belonging to the United States Embassy.

ATHENS/FRANKFURT, (Reuters) – The Greek government sent a package of reform proposals to its euro zone creditors yesterday in a race to win new funds to avert bankruptcy and will seek a parliamentary vote today to endorse immediate actions.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 623’s trading results showed consideration of $16,613,806 from 267,605 shares traded in 24 transactions as compared to session 622’s trading results, which showed consideration of $10,391,896 from 320,198 shares traded in 13 transactions.

Dear Editor,   In his July 5 article ‘WI still seeking the fast track to success,’ Tony Cozier reported that “WICB directors charged the cricket committee to have another go at coming up with suggestions of how to prioritize development of fast bowlers in the region and for the West Indies team, recognizing that the majority of the overs in regional tournaments are bowled by spinners and is impacting negatively on the production of fast bowlers for the West Indies team.”

Dear Editor, A few days ago Bryan Hunt was inviting Guyanese to apply for visas to “visit our wonderful country.”

Location, location, location – a well-known mantra of real estate professionals; it reflects an understanding of the importance of location to the real estate market.

LE HAVRE, France, (Reuters) – Tour de France leader Tony Martin abandoned the race yesterday after breaking his collarbone in a sixth stage crash that also sent 2014 winner Vincenzo Nibali and others tumbling in the final 500 metres.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuela’s bolivar tumbled to a rate of more than 600 per U.S.

As bilateral relations between Washington and Havana move inexorably closer to normalization, intra-regional discourse on the likely impact of closer ties between the once implacable foes on relations, and particularly economic ties between the United States and the English-speaking Caribbean is heating up in the region.

(First of all, I’m hoping that this offering is one of my lazy-days, time-out pieces.)

Dear Editor, The fiasco that has arisen due to Donald Trump’s imprudent remarks about Mexicans has deservedly had a disruptive impact on his business.

SHANGHAI, (Reuters) – Chinese stocks rose strongly for a second day on Friday, buoyed by a barrage of government support measures, but worries persist about the long-term impact that four weeks of stock market turmoil may have on the world’s second-largest economy.

Business Cartoon

(Reuters) – India’s arrival in Zimbabwe brings with it vital competition on the field but also a much-needed boost to the coffers of a host nation that faces a busy final six months of the year.

Most of our interest in the recently concluded 36th Meeting of Caricom Heads was, understandably, focused on President David Granger’s address at the opening of the summit and the position taken by the region’s leaders in their communiqué, with regard to Venezuela’s Decree No 1,787 and that country’s hostility towards Guyana.

Politikles

Like so many of the recent public pronouncements that have been made by the new political administration regarding its agenda for development, those recent ones made by Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin about government’s plans to create an enabling environment in which small businesses can better thrive, amount to commitments, the actualization or otherwise of which could help determine the shape and state of the economy in the period ahead.